Summer 2018 Issue of DIAKONIA Available Online
The "Reflection of Summer 2018" issue of DIAKONIA, the newsletter of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Women of North America, is now available online. This issue highlights the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast, and includes a special message from Bishop NICHOLAS. His Grace writes:
As we start a new chapter in the life of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast, we have been working diligently on many fronts to build all aspects of the diocese according to a new vision of rejuvenation and growth. The main theme is that we, the faithful, need to increase our knowledge noeticly and spiritually with regard to God in accordance with Jesus' prayer to His Father: "this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3). As I have been emphasizing during my weekly pastoral visits to the DOMSE parishes, we need to "up our spiritual game" a notch or two on a continuous basis and while remaining humans work conscientiously on acquiring the attributes of God.
In this issue, Diocesan President Dawn Evancho also reflects:
As life goes, it has been a year of "ups and downs" for our Diocese. Last summer we celebrated our beloved Bishop ANTOUN's lifetime of service at the Archdiocese Convention in his hometown of Miami. A few months later, we laid him to rest at the Antiochian Village. We welcomed our new Bishop NICHOLAS and had our first Winter Retreat with him in Atlanta in January. We said a reluctant goodbye to our Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Stephen Rogers, as he started his retirement and welcomed him as our first Mid-Winter retreat speaker!
We are now excited to open another chapter with our new advisor, Fr. Kamal Al-Rahil, and we are looking forward to where he and Bishop NICHOLAS will lead us over the upcoming years.
The issue also contains introductions to the diocesan officers and coordinators, and is filled with numerous reports and photographs from the Diocese's parish chapters of Antiochian Women.