RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND RESPECT FOR THE DEPARTED
Kendalia,
Texas- On Saturday, October 30, 2010 the Greek
Orthodox Metropolis of Denver sponsored a service project at Holy Archangels
Greek Orthodox Monastery in Kendalia, Texas. With the blessings of Metropolitan Isaiah of
Denver, young adults representing three parishes and several Orthodox Christian
Fellowship chapters joined Metropolis Youth Director, Dn. Paul Zaharas, and Fr.
Nicholas Hadzellis of Houston’s
Annunciation Cathedral and OCF’s Southern Regional
Chaplain in the effort.
The primary focus of the project was
the restoration of a Moslem cemetery which exists on the grounds of the
monastery. The Holy Archangels Monastery
was established on the site of a former Moslem religious school. Since acquiring the property the Fathers of
the Monastery have removed or altered nearly all of the facilities to suit
their monastic work, but have allowed the cemetery, which contains some
twenty-five graves, to remain undisturbed.
While no formal agreement was made in the transfer of property regarding
the upkeep of the cemetery, the abbot, Father Dositheos,
and Metropolitan Isaiah consider it important to show proper respect for the
dead, without bias toward other cultural or religious backgrounds.
Consequently, the Office of Youth
and Young Adult Ministries of the Denver Metropolis organized college students
from Houston, Austin,
and San Antonio
to participate in the project. The young
adults assisted the Fathers of the Monastery in the cemetery beautification
landscaping around the graves, setting stone monuments upright, completely
clearing the grounds of rubble, and painting the fence around the cemetery.
The project, which had been planned
for several months, has taken on new meaning with recent news in the United States and Europe. Continuing debate regarding the building of a
Moslem center near Ground Zero in New
York City is drawing issues of religious tolerance to
the forefront. As well, just two days
prior to the Holy Archangels effort, and in stark contrast to the restoration
work done there, an Orthodox cemetery on the Turkish island of Imvros, the childhood home of
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, was vandalized. On October 28th over seventy-five
graves were desecrated by unknown perpetrators.
The Fathers of Holy Archangels were
most grateful for the help of the young men and women of the Church who
willingly offered their time and service.
With the added context of recent events, the cemetery service project
proved a very positive experience and provided a valuable lesson in religious
tolerance and understanding for all participants.
