Armenian Khatchkar Blessing at John Carroll University
A khatchkar is an Armenian cross-stone (khatch for cross and kar for stone). It's hand-carved and has a cross on it. The additional carvings are unique from piece to piece throughout Armenia and the rest of the world. No two are alike.
Armenian Khatchkar at John Carroll University
A khatchkar was installed on the campus of John Carroll University in honor of Ara Bagdasarian. On November 15, 2024 Fr. Hratch from St Gregory of Narek Church was joined by his Deacon and John Carroll's Father Bernie McAniff SJ for a blessing and short prayer service.
Religion in the Africa & Byzantium Exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art
The new exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Africa & Byzantium, considers the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the fourth century CE and beyond. The first international loan exhibition to treat this subject, the show includes more than 160 works of secular and sacred art from across geographies and faiths, including large-scale frescoes, mosaics, and luxury goods such as metalwork, jewelry, panel paintings, architectural elements, textiles, and illuminated manuscripts.
Diptych with Twelve Apostles & St. Paul c. 1700. Ethiopia
You will see pieces representing Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. One of our favorite parts of the exhibition is a Cleveland religious connection. The CMA's presentation is bolstered by loans from two local religious communities, reflecting years of community collaboration that powerfully demonstrates the contemporary relevance of the exhibition's topic today.
"Our work with local religious communities has been very meaningful," said Curator Windmuller-Luna. "We are grateful for their willingness to tell their stories and loan their precious artworks to us. To share these Greater Clevelanders' vivid perspectives, we have placed Community Voice labels throughout the exhibition, offering a firsthand glimpse of artworks' personal significance. We have also included Community Voice videos in this exhibition, a first for the CMA."
Another nice touch is the display of "Contemporary Faith and Heritage Communities in Greater Cleveland."
Contemporary Faith and Heritage Communities in Greater Cleveland
Homeless Jesus - Matthew 25 Statue Collection in Cleveland
Cleveland is only the second city in the world, following Rome, Italy, to have the full collection of all six bronze figures in the Matthew 25 Collection created by Canadian artist, Timothy Schmalz.
The Bible verse of Matthew 25 says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me … Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" Here is a very quick look at all 6.
The sculptures are sponsored by Community West Foundation and are located on the near west side of Cleveland:
Homeless Jesus - St. Malachi Parish
When I Was Naked - Malachi House
When I Was Sick - Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital
When I Was in Prison - Bridge CLE (formerly Family Ministry Center)
When I Was a Stranger - The Refugee Response at Urban Community School
On October 14, Ukrainians celebrate the Feast of the Protection (Ukrainian "Pokrova") of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos. Pokrova Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. On August 3, 1973, the parish of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos was incorporated in the state of Ohio. They purchased a 35 acre homestead at 6812 Broadview Rd Parma, OH.
According to the Holy Trinity Church website, on a "winter day winter day of 1963, upwards of two-hundred Orthodox faithful gathered at Parma Memorial Hall to celebrate the first Divine Liturgy of the new parish of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Upon the firm foundation laid down for us by our six founding families, we have built a temple to the glory of God."
The need for a Greek Orthodox Church in the eastern suburbs of Greater Cleveland was felt prior to World War II, when many Greek Orthodox communicants had scattered throughout the city. In 1957 the first service was held at the new Sts. Constantine & Helen in Cleveland Heights. Rev. Father Stephen Callos has served Sts. Constantine & Helen since 1982. During their annual Greek Festival he told a little about St. Constantine and his mother, Saint Helen while standing in front of their icons.
Did you know that there are some 225 million Orthodox Christians worldwide and over 6 million right here in the United States? It's the second largest body in all of Christendom. On Palm Sunday, April 19, 1970 the doors of St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church opened for the first time.
Greater Cleveland is the home of over 20,000 Americans of Greek heritage, and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is the oldest church, or mother church of Greek Orthodoxy in the area. The linkage of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on March 25th, and the Greek Revolution are very sacred to the Greek people, since the church sanctioned the Revolution.
Holy Saturday Food Blessing (English and Polish) at St Casimir Church
Swieconka, meaning "the blessing of the Easter baskets", is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions on Holy Saturday during Easter. People bring food that they will be serving on Easter Sunday to the church where it is blessed by the priest.
Father Eric Orzech is the pastor of St. Casimir Catholic Church in Cleveland Ohio and he did the blessing and prayers in both English and Polish.
Father Eric Orzech
There were 3 blessings at the Church on Holy Saturday morning and parishioners, new and longtime, attended.
Good Friday Procession: St Michael the Archangel Church, St. Colman Church, La Sagrada Familia
A procession covered 3 churches in Cleveland on Good Friday 2023. It began in the mostly Puerto Rican St. Michael the Archangel Church at Scranton and Clark in Cleveland. Bishop Edward Malesic offered a welcome and prayer and then led the procession with other priests, men carrying a large statue of the body of Jesus, ladies carrying a statue of the Sorrowful Mother, a man dressed as Jesus carrying a cross, Roman Centurions, Saint Veronica and more. They marched through the neighborhoods to St. Colman Church where they processed in for a service. The final stop was at La Sagrada Familia Church on Detroit.
The gymnasium at La Sagrada Familia Parish on Cleveland's West Side, was filled with dozens of colorful, sawdust carpets, known as the Carpets of Holy Week. In Spanish, they are called Alfombras de Semana Santa. The handiwork was done by individuals, families, parish organizations, nonprofits and other groups.
Palm Sunday Community Event at Garfield Memorial Church
The mission of Garfield Memorial Church is to "Connect diverse people who share a common brokenness, with Jesus". By design, it is one of the most multi-ethnic, economically diverse churches in the area. On Palm Sunday 2023, Flora Mark, Director of Community Outflow & Outreach, led an effort to host a free event for any and all in the community. This included live baby chicks, live baby lambs, face painting, games for kids, a free community meal and other activities.
St.Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Cleveland
St. Theodosius Cathedral is the oldest Orthodox Christian Church in the State of Ohio. It is located in the historic Tremont area of the City of Cleveland.
The historic cathedral was constructed between 1911-1912 and is considered one of the finest examples of Russian church architecture in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States.
The parish of St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral was organized by immigrant Russians living in Tremont in 1896. St. Theodosius Cathedral was the "Mother Church" for most of the Orthodox Christian churches in northeast Ohio today.
The cathedral is perhaps best known for its appearance in the 1978 Best Picture winning film, The Deer Hunter with Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep.
Ken Kovach has been Choir Master at St Theodosius for 50 years. In this video he gives us a tour of the inside of the Cathedral and shares some thoughts on the Eastern Orthodox Church.
St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral Choir Master Ken Kovach
On June 1, 1971 Ken Kovach became Choir Master at the historic St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland Ohio. In his 50 (and counting) years he has witnessed many things in the Cathedral.
Ken is an Ellis Island Medal Recipient and inductee in the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. He also sings with a Russian folk group called the Cuyahoga Cossacks.
In this video, Ken tells about the Choir Master role and some of these stories. And then he gives a brief example of his great singing voice - singing The Lord's Prayer.
2016
Cleveland's Polish community from St. Casimir Church celebrated 1050 Years of Christianity at the 2016 Cleveland St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Groom is a town in Carson County, Texas with a population of 574 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Amarillo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.
There is a 19-story cross located next to Interstate 40 just northwest of the town limits. This 190-foot-tall (58 m) free-standing cross can be seen from 20 miles (32 km) away. Surrounding the base of the cross are life-sized statues of the 14 Stations of the Cross. The Stations receive thousands of stops daily and millions stop annually.
3 ladies from a group called K.A.T. (short for Khamia, A'Shontay and Talia) sang the Michelle Williams song 'When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no' just before the 2015 Cleveland African-American Umoja Parade. Umoja is the Swahili word for "unity".
Sprinkling Days after Easter
The week following PASCHA (Easter) is called "Bright Week" in the Eastern (Orthodox) Christian Church. During Bright Week there are many different ways to enjoy this "Feast of Feasts" - including the "Sprinkling Days"!
On Monday within some of the various nationalities who are Orthodox, the boys seek out the girls of their parishes to "sprinkle" them - usually with scented water - and on Tuesdays, the girls seek out the boys to do the same "sprinkling"
On this Tuesday Ukrainian Dozia Krislaty and Rusyn Laurel Tombazzi sprinkled Ken Kovach. Then Vietnamese Gia Hoa Ryan sprinkled him as well
2014
Indian Christian Association of Northeast Ohio Christmas
Members of the Indian Christian Association of Northeast Ohio have been gathering to celebrate Christmas for over 30 years. At the service, the group sings hymns in both English and native Indian languages. The 2014 event was at the Church of the Savior in Cleveland Hts. Ohio.
Songs were sung in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English.
Church Women United in Greater Cleveland is a group of women who gather together to promote the positive similarities of our faiths and accentuate the underlying oneness of the various religious groups and affiliations. This year's theme was "The Myths And Mysteries In Our Religions" and featured speakers from the following faiths: Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Muslim and Sikh.
Rev. Mark Rollenhagen of Faith Lutheran Church in Lakewood Ohio spoke told how all that we know about God is what God has revealed to us. We don't know the entirety of God. He also mentioned the Mysteries of Christ being present in Holy Communion, the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity.
Rev. Mark Rollenhagen
2012
Scott Duncan, Chief of the Scottish American Society (SHANO), reads the Beatitudes in Old Scots and then begins the Kirkin o' the Tartans ceremony in Cleveland.
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry at 2100 Lakeside Men's Shelter
In 2005, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry began administering the men's shelter at 2100 Lakeside Avenue. The shelter serves up to 350 men per night with an additional 30-60 beds available at partner overflow sites. Social service partners provide on and off-site services to increase resident self-sufficiency. The staff offers hope while providing support for men in transition and in crisis.
On Monday October 22, 2012 the LMM welcomed the Korean American Association to the shelter.
For the 3rd year in a row the Korean American Association visited the 2100 Lakeside Men's Shelter and brought with them 350 meals and 350 heavy winter jackets. Two years ago, the Korean American Association donated 500 blankets. Last year they also donated winter coats.
Carol Fredrich, President and CEO of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry 2100 Lakeside Men's Shelter in Cleveland
On June 8, 2012, Alex Machaskee, representing the International Orthodox Christian Charities, Inc. (IOCC) told how "All are beggars before the Lord: and since God does not deny us, we should not deny others. He spoke at an event for Ambassador Andrew S. Natsios who spoke about Sudan.
Profiles of Christians in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
Are you Jesus?
A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.
In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.
ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.
He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in mid-stride .... and he wondered. He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place.
"The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister."
Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"
Do people mistake you for Jesus?
That's our destiny, is it not?To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world
that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye even though you, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
Twas the month before Christmas
Twas the month before Christmas When all through our land, Not a Christian was praying Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away The reason for Christmas - no one could say. The children were told by their schools not to sing
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say December 25th is just a ' Holiday'. Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod Something was changing, something quite odd! Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found. At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty Are words that were used to intimidate me. Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter. And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded The reason for the season, stopped before it started. So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree' Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,
not Happy Holiday!
Remember - Christ is The Reason' for the Christ-mas Season!
If you know of a Cleveland Christian who should be profiled, please let us know.
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