Helene Tuchbreiter Portrait by Antonio Sereix Photo Reproduction by John Haynesworth Helene Tuchbreiter was one of Palm Beach's most prominent socialites in her time. She made an impact both on the social scene and on the people immediately around her. My own recollection of her, however, was more prosaic: she was one of my mother's …
Acolyte Order of St. Peter
We present the guide for the Acolyte Order of St. Peter at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church for three reasons: To give a historical view of acolytes in Episcopal churches in the era it was written (around 1968.) To help Anglican churches today in training their acolytes. To show how the "rich and famous" (or infamous) served …
Youth Choir Contract, Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church
When it comes to Palm Beach, as Kendall Harmon would say, you just cannot make this stuff up... BETHEDSA-BY-THE-SEA Palm Beach, Florida 1967-1968 YOUTH CHOIR CONTRACT THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into between the CHURCH OF BETHESDA-BY-THE-SEA, Palm Beach, Florida, and __________________________. WITNESSETH: That the Second Party named above, agrees to sing in the YOUTH …
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Gildas: On the Ruin of Britain, Part IV
This is a continuation of Part III. 67. For what is so wicked and so sinful as after the example of Simon Magus (even if with other faults he had not been defiled before), for any man with earthly price to purchase the office of a bishop or priest, which with holiness and righteous life …
Gildas: On the Ruin of Britain, Part III
This is a continuation of Part II. 34. But when the imagination of thy violent rule had succeeded according to thy wishes, and thou west urged by a desire to return into the right way, night and day the consciousness of thy crimes afflicted thee, whilst thou didst ruminate on the Lord's ritual and the …
Gildas: On the Ruin of Britain, Part II
This is a continuation of Part I. II. THE HISTORY 3. The island of Britain, situated on almost the utmost border of the earth, towards the south and west, and poised in the divine balance, as it is said, which supports the whole world, stretches out from the south-west towards the north pole, and is …
Gildas: On the Ruin of Britain, Part I
Introduction Gildas (c. 504-570) Sapiens ("the wise") was a British monk who chronicled one of the strangest--and for subsequent history one of the most important--sequence of events in the fall of the Roman Empire: the separation of Britain from Rome and the subsequent disintegration of "post-Roman Britain" at the hands of the Saxons. The story …
The Life of the Archpriest Avvakum by Himself
Preface In the spring of 2005, our city received a visit from Frederica Matthewes-Green, the once-Episcopalian now-Orthodox Christian writer. I went to hear her in a not very impressive Orthodox church (after Russia, I'm spoilt, I suppose.) In the wake of this I sent her an inquiry as follows: I find your position on the …
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When Church Becomes Pointless
First written in 1997; updated 2003. After this was written, we found out that many others felt the same way we did: the New Jersey diocese lost nearly half its membership during Spong's tenure as Bishop. A Long Trip In the course of my work at Church of God Lay Ministries, I was asked to …
Visit to Zagorsk
In 1988, during my family business' first trip to the then Soviet Union, my brother Pem and I were given the chance to visit the Monastery of Trinity-St. Sergius, which was the administrative centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is located in the town of Sergeiev Posad, which was called Zagorsk during Soviet times. …
Positive Infinity 