A Letter from the Editor Dearest Friends and Supporters of the A.C.R.Y. Annual, Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory be Forever! Over the past few months our parish has held a weekly discussion of the recently published book, The Religion of the Apostles. It was a challenging read and many participants shared they would have to read the same sentence, paragraph, or chapter more than a few times to understand the material. I reminded the participants that it’s OK to have to read the same things over, and over. Not only is it OK, its Orthodox! In the Orthodox Church we read the same Epistles and the same Gospels on the same Sundays each year. We know Great Lent will soon begin when we hear of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), or that the Nativity of Christ is quickly approaching when the priest stumbles over the challenging Hebrew names of the Ancestors of Christ (Matthew 1:1-25). Yet each time we hear these familiar stories we hear them in a new way, because we are in a different place in our spiritual life than we were the previous year. This past year our Diocesan family said goodbye to many Diocesan clergy including Father Lawrence Barriger who had published many articles in the A.C.R.Y. Annual, the Church Messenger, in addition, to his authoring of a few books. We are familiar with many of these articles because they have been published many times, and read many times. Yet each time I read the same article from Father Larry something else stood out to me. His articles fill the pages of this edition of the Annual. The A.C.R.Y. Annual does the same for us. It preserves our history and memories and allows for us to go back through this history and find something new. This happens each and every time I open a previous edition. This preservation is only possible through your previous and continued assistance. You have no idea how much I appreciate your financial and prayerful assistance as this book is put together each year when despite the surrounding circumstances you come through in your support. It would be impossible for my staff and I to continue the good work of the A.C.R.Y. Annual without your continued generous support. I thank the Parish and Organizational Sponsors, and the many individuals, and families who generously donate financial resources in order to continue the vital ministry that the A.C.R.Y. Annual and Diocesan Yearbook has provided to our God-Saved Diocese from its beginning over 80 years ago.
Rev. Matthew G. Stagon Rev. Matthew G. Stagon, Editor of the A.C.R.Y. Annual 2022
Diocesan Yearbook
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