SGOMA News

  

• May 20th, 2011 - You can now support our troops and sailors with a gift of Orthodox books! It has been a slow and long process but SGOMA has been developing a Catechetical Program for our military to teach our Orthodox Christians the Holy Faith in more detail! This is also a program for inquirers to use to learn the Holy Faith!
  

  Light & Life Publishing - World's Largest Orthodox Supplier

  www.light-n-life.com

• April 14th, 2011 - Holy Week 2011 (18-24 Apr) services on Camp Pendleton (Oceanside). Mon-Fri: 6 pm - Matins; Mon-Wed: 11:30 am Pre-Sanctified Liturgy; Thu: Vespers & Liturgy; Fri: 11:30 am - Royal Hours; 3 pm - Vespers; Sat: 9 am - Vespers & Liturgy; 11:30 pm - Nocturn; Sun: Midnight - Paschal Procession, Matins & Liturgy; 9 am - Paschal Vespers.

• April 10th, 2011 - Orthodox Christian services at Camp Leatherneck Afghanistan beginning Palm Sunday. Father Stephen Duesenberry, an Orthodox Chaplain in the US Navy  currently attached to a Marine unit out of San Diego has been sent forward by the Marine Corps to provide Orthodox services for those deployed. The following services will be held at Camp Leatherneck:
  

  Palm Sunday Liturgy @ 0730
  
  Wednesday - Pre-sanctified Liturgy @ 1100
  
  Thursday - Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil @ 1100
  
  Matins with reading of Passion Gospels @ 1700
  
  Friday - Good Friday Vespers @ 1700
  
  Saturday - Holy Saturday Vespers and Divine Liturgy @ 0900
  
  Paschal Divine Liturgy @ 2330
  
  Sunday - Vespers of Pascha @ 1500 

• December 18th, 2010 - Attention: Chaplains, Priests, SGOMA Members and Friends - This Monday, the 20th of December, 2010, is the 1 year anniversary of the Repose of PFC Serge Kropov, USMC. Chaplains and Priests if possible please offer a Panikhida for Serge on Monday or remember him during Divine Liturgy this Sunday. For all the others, please offer up your prayers for Serge, his family, his friends, and his fellow Marines still serving in Afghanistan.

• October 20th, 2010 - Feast Day of Saint Armtimus/1st anniversery of the Saint George Orthodox Military Association (SGOMA). One year ago today, an idea was born to find ways to support our Eastern Orthodox Christians serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. What started out as a letter wrtting campagne to try to get an Orthodox Chapel on Fort Bliss, one of the largest Army Bases in the U.S., turned out to develop into a Pan-Orthodox Organization of military, dependents, retirees, veterans and their families. Read more about our first year and upcoming plans by visiting the SGOMA's Blog Site
  

• September 1st, 2010 - ATTENTION DEPLOYED ORTHODOX MILITARY PERSONNEL: Father Jerome Cwiklinski will celebrate the Divine Liturgy for Eastern Orthodox Christian personnel in the following locations and dates:
  • Al Udeid AFB, Qatar – 8 Sep

  • Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan – 12 Sep

  • Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan – 14 Sep

  • Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan – 19 Sep

  If you are in these locations or desire access to these services from other locations, contact your unit chaplain ASAP.

  Father Jerome can be contacted anytime at the following:

  C. J. CWIKLINSKI
  CAPT, CHC, USN
  I MEF/MARCENT Chaplain
  (760) 725-9032/9821 (Office)
  365-9032/9821 (DSN)
  carl.cwiklinski@usmc.mil or carl.cwiklinski@usmc.smil.mil

• August 22, 2010 - Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas has a newly established Orthodox Community, Holy Trinity Orthodox Military Community. They are currently holding Eastern Orthodox Services at Building 1441, Chapel #3, on the main post area, just past the Cassidy Gate Entrance. Services are held at 10AM on Sundays. For more information contact Chaplain Peter Aleria via email at: peter.aleria@us.army.mil
  
   
  

• July 28th, 2010 - We remember! Today we remember one of our fallen Marines. Today is the birthday of PFC. Serge Kropov, USMC. Serge died in Afghanistan while proudly serving his country. On this day members of SGOMA kept Serge in their prayers, as friends and family gathered around Serge's grave at  St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Orthodox Monastery in South Canaan, PA, and held a Panachida for him. We here at SGOMA remember Serge every day, just as we do for all of our fallen Orthodox Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen. Memory Eternal!

For more information and to see photos please visit the SGOMA Blog Site by clicking here: SGOMA's Blog Site

 

• July 8th, 2010 - A new episode of "Orthodox Christians on the Front Lines" is now available on Ancient Faith Radio (AFR). In this Podcast Episode "Living as an Orthodox Christian in the Armed Forces" Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, a chaplain with the Marines at Camp Pendleton, explains how to live out your Orthodox faith while serving in the United States military. To go to the Podcast Series page on AFR Click Here or go to http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/frontlines. New episodes will air every other week. This podcast is also available on iTunes, just search for "Ancient Faith Radio" and then look for the "Orthodox Christians on the Front Lines" podcast and subscribe to it to get all the future episodes on your iPod/iPhone.

• July 4th, 2010 - Happy Independence Day! Please remember all those who gave their lives for our Freedom.

• July 1st, 2010 - July's Military Saints are now listed on the SGOMA's Blog Site. Check out our Orthodox Military Saints!

 

• May 32st, 2010 - The Saint George Orthodox Military Association’s Borderland Chapter (El Paso/Las Cruces held  their First Annual Memorial Day Prayer Service at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas, on Monday May 31st, 2010 (Memorial Day) at 10:00hrs, at the Cemetery’s East Pavilion. Hieromonk Joshua led the prayer service as all gathered to remember in prayer all of our deceased Orthodox Military Men and Women. Read more and see photos on SGOMA Blog Site.

 

• May 20th, 2010 - SGOMA Ships out a batch of Chotki/Prayer Ropes to our Marines. Read more about it on SGOMA's Blog site. For more information please visit the: SGOMA Blog Site
  

 

• May 12th, 2010 - SGOMA's podcast series "Orthodox Christians on the Front Lines" is now live, up and running on Ancient Faith Radio (AFR). To go to the Podcast Series page on AFR Click Here or go to http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/frontlines. The initial episode is now available for listening. New episodes will air every other week. Look for the next episode on May 19th or 20th. This podcast is also available on iTunes, just search for "Ancient Faith Radio" and then look for the "Orthodox Christians on the Front Lines" podcast and subscribe to it to get all the future episodes on your iPod/iPhone.

 

• May 12th, 2010 - SGOMA gets mentioned in local Kansas City Orthodox Parish Newsletter. See the article from the Holy Trinity Orthodox Parish in Overland Park (Metro KC), Kansas, Click here

 

• April 28th, 2010 - Saint George Orthodox Military Association will be LAUNCHED as a PODCAST on Thursday, May 13, 2010!
  

  ANCIENT FAITH RADIO will be featuring SGOMA on their site! We are totally open to having pod casts from all our active duty and retired Orthodox Chaplains! We are also seeking to feature podcasts from Orthodox Chaplain's wives, active duty personnel, veterans and various guest speakers!
  
  Bookmark: www.ancientfaith.com today and be prepared for May 13th -- the Feast of the Holy Ascension!

 

• April 26th, 2010 - Just to let everyone know, SGOMA had 645 distinct visits last week with 586 visits the week before! This organization is about serving! Can you help by becoming a member?
  

  Go to: www.orthodoxmilitary.org
  
  Sign-up today or even start a chapter in your city!

• April 23rd, 2010 - Happy Feast Day! Today is the feast day of the holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr and Trophy-bearer George! Saint George pray to Christ our Lord for our Troops! 

 

• April 22nd, 2010 - Several news/info updates: 

 

• Camp Pendleton Orthodox Religious Education - Wednesdays, 6-8 pm in the Orthodox Chapel. Contact Fr. Jerome for more information at: (760) 725-9821 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (760) 725-9821      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or via email at: carl.cwiklinski@usmc.mil
  

• Patronal Feast Day for the Saint George Orthodox Military Association - April 23rd is the Patronal Feast Day for the SGOMA. We ask for everyone to pray for our Orthodox Men & Women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, especially for their safety and well being on this day. We also ask you to pray that the SGOMA can faithfully serve our Military Folks t the best of our abilities. Last we we ask for you to pray for the immortal souls of our fallen Orthodox Service Members, most notably those who have fallen asleep in the Lord since the SGOMA's foundation: PFC Serge Kropov - USMC - KIA Afghanistan 12/20/2009; SPC Robert Donevski - US Army - KIA - Afghanistan 1/16/2010; PFC Winston James Miroy - US Army - Killed on Active Duty - Ft. Carson, Colorado 3/17/2010. May their Memory be Eternal!

 

• 40th Day Panikhida - On April 26th the SGOMA will hold a Panikhida for the blessed repose of PFC Winston James Miroy - US Army - Killed on Active Duty - Ft. Carson, Colorado 3/17/2010. The SGOMA asks our Orthodox Chaplains and Priests to also offer a Panikhida for PFC Miroy, if possible, and for everyone else to please offer up a special prayer for PFC Miroy and for his family and friends.

 

• April 14th, 2010 - ATTENTION MILITARY PARENTS: The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children addresses perceived inequities facing schoolchildren of military parents when they are required to relocate across state lines. Specifically, it would allow the laws of the “sending” state to apply to transferring students from military families in the schools of the “receiving” state for such policies as graduation requirements, Advanced Placements (AP), and age of student enrollment. For more info visit the SGOMA's Blog site

 

• April 4th, 2010 - Bright and Holy Pascha: Pfc. Serge Kropov, USMC; Spc. Robert Donevski, ARMY; Pfc. Winston James Miroy, ARMY; and all our deceased Orthodox military men and women were remembered by SGOMA staff in the Paschal Liturgy of 2010 with prayers for their immortal souls and for the health, well-being and the soothing of the grief of their beloved family members and friends. The fervent prayer of all the members and staff of SGOMA is that the Lord of glory and mercy will grant to them the joy of the Eternal PASCHA where there is “no weeping and every tear is wiped away!” We humbly pray that these good men may be bathed eternally in the everlasting and magnificent glory of the light of the Holy Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
  

  In the hope of the eternal PASCHA we declare in absolute faith and love from our hearts: Memory Eternal! Memory Eternal! PASCHA ETERNAL!
  
  “Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!”

 

• March 25th, 2010 - ATTN: Orthodox Readers: If you are an Orthodox Reader and are stationed or deployed away from an Orthodox Church or Orthodox Chaplain, here are the Word Document files for the Orthodox Reader Services for Palm Sunday and Pascha.
  

• March 23rd, 2010 - ATTN: Orthodox in Southern California:  Here is the Orthodox Holy Week Schedule at Camp Pendleton, CA (29 Mar - 4 Apr): M, T, W, 11:30 am - Presanctified Liturgy; Thu, 11:30 am - Vespers & Liturgy; 6 pm - Matins w/ Passion Gospels; Fri, 11 am - Royal Hours, 3 pm - Vespers; 6 pm - Matins w/ Lamentations; Sat, 9 am - Vespers & Liturgy; 11:30 pm - Nocturn; Sun, midnight - Procession, Matins & Liturgy followed by Agape mean; 9 am - Paschal Vespers.

 

• March 19th, 2010 - Through the grace and the kindness of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Orthodox Marketplace the Saint George Orthodox Military Association (SGOMA) has 120 Orthodox Military New Testaments to give out for free to our Troops and their Dependents.

  The SGOMA will mail out the Orthodox Military New Testament to any U.S. Active Duty, Reserve or Guardsman for free. There is NO cost for the New Testament or the shipping! The SGOMA will mail out the Orthodox Military New Testaments to any Dependents of U.S. Active Duty, Reserve or Guardsman for a  small donation to cover the cost of postage only ($3.50). The New Testament is a free gift from GOARCH & SGOMA. For more information on how to order your copy please visit the SGOMA's Resources Page on this website.
  

• March 15th, 2010 - Our Ancient Faith Radio Podcast Series "Orthodox Christians on the Front Lines" is estimated to launch on or near April 15th, 2010. We have some wonderful Podcasts lined up by some very good quests hosts such as Fr. Peter Dubinin and Fr. Anthony Perkins; on subjects ranging from: Being Orthodox on Deployment, The Orthodox Soldiers Rights and Responsibilities for their Faith,  and Army Chaplaincy Recruitment. We are looking forward with great excitement for the launch of our Podcast Series and new podcast episodes from our Orthodox Military Chaplains and Troops.  Stay tuned for more details.

 

• March 3rd, 2010 - Wow....700+ members on St. George Orthodox Military Association's Facebook Page in a little over 4 and a half months!!! Thanks for all those who have joined. Please feel free to comment and participate on Facebook, as well as officially join the Association by going to our website's Membership Page.
  

 

• February 24th, 2010 - Spc. Robert Donevski, 19, of Sun City, Arizona assigned to: 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, CO. Died Jan. 16 in Abad, Afghanistan. We here at SGOMA will have a 40 day Panikhida for his immortal soul on February 25th. Please remember Spc. Robert Donevski, his family, friends, and fellow soldiers still in Afghanistan, in your daily prayers and Chaplains and fellow Priests please pray a Panikhida or a Trisagion service for him also! May the memory of Robert Donevski be eternal! Memory eternal!
  

 

• February 18th, 2010 - AMAZING! Over 600 friends on our Facebook Fan Page in less than 4 months! Please keep passing the word and try your best to get this FB site and the SGOMA web site at www.orthodoxmilitary.org into the hands of our military men and women! We need your financial support, too! We are trying to print brochures for the Chaplains and the parishes to distribute and we need your help! We can do for our Orthodox men and women in the military according to your generosity! Please help! Please keep praying for our men and women in harms way! God preserve and prosper them!
  

 

• February 12, 2010 - Great news! SGOMA's podcast series has been approved by Ancient Faith Radio. Expect to see the SGOMA Podcast series airing on Ancient Faith Radio around April 15th, 2010. Well will keep everyone updated as we get a more precises airing date from AFR.
  

 

• February 10th, 2010 - Will you be deployed during Great Lent, Holy Week, or Pascha?
  
  
  Senior Chaplains are coordinating services of the various faiths in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East.  This is the time to make your presence known so that you can receive information on the location of Orthodox Chaplains and services, or for them to plan a visit to you.  Fr. David Alexander and Fr. Philip Pelikan, Orthodox priests, are in Afghanistan now and will be there through Pascha.  Their emails are as follows:
  
  
  david.w.alexander@afg.usmc.mil
  
  Philip.Pelikan@afg.usmc.mil
  
  
  Regardless of your branch of service, please communicate with them or with Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, Marine Forces Central Command, at carl.cwiklinski@usmc.mil, who can coordinate with the other component Chaplains.
  
  
  Do not disclose unit information with movement dates or locations, but ask your unit Chaplain to communicate such additional information to them using a secure means."
  

 

• February 9th, 2010 - SGOMA has recently changed our official email address. We were having problems with our old email service and emails not making it to their final destination, especially to U.S. Military & Government email addresses. The SGOMA's new email address is StGeorgeOMA[@]gmail.com. If you have recently emailed the SGOMA and have not received a reply back from us, please resend your email to our new email address and we will reply back as soon as possible.
  

 

• January 28th, 2010 - Today is the 40th day of repose for PFC Serge Kropov, USMC. We heard from Serge's Mother yesterday and she thanks everyone for keeping him and their family in your prayers. Chaplains and Priests if possible could please do a Panikhida for Serge today, which would be very much appreciated by the Kropov Family. The SGOMA will offer a Panikhida for Serge today (Thursday the 28th) at noon, at St. Anthony of the Desert Orthodox Mission in Las Cruces, NM. All in the area are welcome to attend.

• January 27th, 2010 - Father Peter Dubinin (Chaplain/Major U.S. Army Reserve Chaplain Recruitment) will be at St. Vladimir's seminary on 1 February, Holy Cross seminary on 3 February, St. Tikhon's seminary on 4 February to speak with seminarians and wives about opportunities in the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate Program. There may perhaps be Orthodox clergy in the respective locations who may want to come and speak with him on these days about Army chaplaincy; please do.

• January 26th, 2010 - Attention: Chaplains, Priests, SGOMA Members and Friends - This Thursday, the 28th of January, 2010, is the 40th day of the Repose of PFC Serge Kropov, USMC. Chaplains and Priests if possible please offer a Panikhida for Serge on Thursday. For all the others, please offer up your prayers for Serge, his family, his friends, and his fellow Marines still serving in Afghanistan.

• January 24th, 2010 - The SGOMA is saddened to report the Combat Duty Death of an Orthodox U.S Army Soldier. Spc. Robert Donevski, 19, of Sun City, Arizona. He was assigned to: 2^nd Battalion, 12^th Infantry Regiment, 4^th Brigade Combat Team, 4^th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, CO. Spc. Donevski died Jan. 16 in Abad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire. Visitation: Tuesday Jan 26th 1700-2000 (5pm-8pm) Open to the public, Phoenix Memorial Park and Mortuary, 200 W. Beardsley Rd., Phoenix, AZ.  Funeral: Wednesday Jan. 27 1000 (10:00am), St George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 4530 E. Gold Dust Ave., Phoenix, AZ. Please remember Spc. Robert Donevski, his family, friends, and fellow soldiers still in Afghanistan, in your daily prayers.

• January 18th, 2010 - The SGOMA now has a stand-alone Blog site up and running. You can view the new Blog site by going to our "Links Page" or following this web address:  www.orthodoxmilitary.wordpress.com. If any members or Chaplains would like to post a topic for the Blog site please email your Blog Topic and complete posting text to our email: StGeorgeOMA[@]gmail.com. Of course we still have our Facebook Fan Page that has Discussion Topics Page that can still be used for sharing information, ideas, news, or to start a general discussion on various orthodox and/or military issues.

• January 14th, 2010 - Wow! Our Facebook Fan Page has just hit 500 people! Thanks to all of you who have joined our Facebook page and have offered the St. George Orthodox Military Assoc. your support and prayers! We are looking forward to a really great 2010!

• January 14th, 2010 -
  We received an email with some great news for our Orthodox Brothers and Sisters serving in the Armed Services with our neighbor to the North, Canada. Fr. Charles Baxter, a Priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (Ecumenical Patriarchate), is now a Chaplain in the Canadian Forces.  This makes him the first since 1946.  The Ukrainian Church had four Chaplains in the Canadian Army during WWII, but before that Fr. John Ovsianitsky was a Chaplain in WWI with almost an entire regiment of ethnic Orthodox built around him. If you have the chance please contact him to welcome him and offer support.  As there is no corporate memory of Orthodox Chaplains in the Canadian Forces, he almost has to break new ground. "Padre" Charles' contact information is as follows:
  
  Captain/Chaplain Charles R. Baxter
  CFB/ASU Wainwright  
  Bldg. #196 Chapel Denwood, AB Canada T0B 1B0
  Office: (780) 842-1363 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (780) 842-1363      end_of_the_skype_highlighting  Ext. 1252
  Official email:  Charles.Baxter@forces.gc.ca

• January 14th, 2010 -
  ATTENTION DEPLOYED ORTHODOX IN AFGHANISTAN! During Pascha 2010 there will be at least three Orthodox Chaplains in Afghanistan and people should make their request through their unit Chaplain to be able to go to Pascha services or to arrange for a later visit by an Orthodox Priest.

• UPDATED January 13th, 2010 - SGOMA Co-Director Vladimir Laven did an Interview with Panimatka Susan, from St. Anthony of the Desert Orthodox Mission in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on their Ancient Faith Radio (AFR) Podcast "Musing on Mission." Pani Susan interviewed Vladimir and asked numerous questions about the St. George Orthodox Military Association. The Podcast is now available on Ancient Faith Radio's "Musing on Mission." Hopefully SGOMA will have their own podcast series up on AFR within the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more information.

• January 1st, 2010 - SGOMA referred a good and capable young man to our Orthodox Chaplain recruiter! This young man is interested in discerning if he should become an Orthodox Chaplain! Please pray that the Lord will allow us to help many other young men discern this venerable Priestly calling as an Orthodox Chaplain!

• December 29th, 2009 - SGOMA received the solemn news that the Orthodox Christian Man Servant of God, Private First Class Serge Kropov (USMC), was killed Sunday, December 20, 2009 in Afghanistan. May his memory be eternal! Memory eternal! Orthodox Chaplains and all Faithful Orthodox please pray for the immortal soul of our Orthodox Christian Brother who has fallen asleep in the Lord and commend him to the prayers of all whom you know. A Panikhida to be offered by Saint George Orthodox Military Association on the 40th day -- January 28, 2010.

• December 23rd, 2009 - Good news! On Dec. 23rd, the St. George Orthodox Military Association received official recognition and a Hierarchical Blessing from His Grace, Bishop Daniel, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Bishop Daniel has a very deep interest in the well being of the Orthodox Men & Women serving in the US Armed Services. Bishop Daniel spent several years as a Orthodox Chaplain in the US Army Reserve until his elevation to the episcopate.

 

  

Saint George Pray for our Troops.