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A Tribute to Elinor, an example for us all
At the banquet honoring Elinor Bourjaily at her parish, St. Matthew the EvangelistChurch in North Royalton, OH, on Dec. 15,the following letter from Fr. Ted Pulcini was read to her:
“One of the first people I met when I arrived as Interim Pastor of St. George’s in Cleveland in 1984 was you, Elinor. And I knew immediately that you were one of those people I would keep in my ‘Exemplar File.’ You see, I collect exemplars—people who serve as models to me in how toexercise my ministry as a priest and, more fundamentally, how to live my life as a Christian. And you have featured prominently in that collection for as long as I have known you.
“The reasons are quite simple:
“First, you have consistently embodied JOY. Christianity without joy is empty—even toxic. But I repeatedly witnessed your joy, Elinor, even in hot kitchens when you were exerting yourself, even when dealing with clamoring campers in the humidity of Antiochian Village, even in endless local, regional, and Archdiocesan meetings, even when you were experiencing your own times of struggle and loss…I still hold your joy up as a standard which I strive to attain.
“Second, you have consistently embodied DEVOTION. When you devote yourself to someone or something, Elinor, you stay devoted. Because of this trait of yours, you inspire trust…You are the real thing: a trusted friend, a real fellow-struggler. Your devotion extends beyond individuals to whole groups. The same Elinor who stands by her friends also stands by her parish, her Archdiocese, her Church as a whole. You draw them all into your steady flow of devotion. This thought occurred to me when I looked out at the congregation at the Tenth Anniversary of my parish in Chambersburg in 2005 and saw you there. ‘She’s stood by me since the beginning,’ I thought, and all seemed right in seeing you there that October morning.
“Third, you have consistently embodied SELFLESSNESS. Sometimes in church life the egos get so gargantuan that God is completely squeezed. Elinor, I have NEVER seen you demand center-stage, push anyone else aside, or grouse about not receiving your due. Quietly, self-effacingly, consistently you have given of yourself without counting the cost or plotting your own self-aggrandizement. This is, I think what I most love about you.
“…As I am wring this, I have the radio on, and the commentator is blathering on and on about our nation’s need for an abundant, fresh, renewable energy source. I thought to myself, ‘Well, I don’t know how the nation will supply its energy needs, but I know how the Antiochian Archdiocese has all these years. The name of our energy source is Elinor—abundant, fresh, and renewable!’ Is there any personality in the Archdiocese—aside from our bishops, perhaps—who has been as ubiquitous at Archdiocesan gatherings? Elinor, where do you get your energy?
“…please accept theses few thoughts as my heartfelt expression of gratitude for your service to all of us. You are still and will always be—a towering presence in my Exemplar File.”
News and Notes from Roberta Royhab
Please see attached information concerning the Retired Clergy Fund, our 2008 North American Board project, submitted by Margaret Simon, Vice-President/NAB project. This is the third year for this most worthy project; more than half of the $500,000 goal has been raised. Chapters are to send project moneys by April 1 to Libbie Kohl, Treasurer.
Fr. Steven Kostoff will serve as retreat leader at the Midwest Antiochian Women’s Retreat scheduled for Bright Saturday, May 3, at Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Monastery in Rives Junction, MI. The retreat weekend begins Friday, May 2 and continues through Sunday, May 4. Fr. Steven is pastor of Christ the Savior – Holy Spirit Orthodox Church in Cincinnati, a parish of the Orthodox Church in America. He teaches courses on Orthodoxy at XavierUniversity in Cincinnati and writes a weekly Meditations column. His writings are found at the parish’s website, . More information will be forthcoming.
Mark your calendar for the Midwest Parish Life Conference, June 25-29, inGrand Rapids, MI.Midwest Antiochian Women will meet on Thursday, June 26, at 11 a.m.; our luncheon will follow at
1 p.m. The women’s tea will be on Friday, June 27.
Make plans with your priest to observe Antiochian Women’s Month in March.
Renowned Orthodox writer/theologian Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Great Britain will lecture on “The Future of Orthodoxy in the United States” at St. George Church in Troy, MI, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The lecture is sponsored by the Detroit-based St. Andrew House - Center for Orthodox Christian Studies. For more information visit the website
Apron sale benefits the 2008 NAB project, Retired Clergy Fund
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