St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Having returned exactly 24 hours ago from our spiritual odyssey, a two-week pilgrimage that spanned the Holy Land and parts of Asia Minor (Istanbul and Cappadocia) I, as well as the participants on our journey look forward to sharing our experiences and sharing the Gospel. The Gospel that came to life right before our eyes. In the coming days, our group will plan a reunion and we will begin to discuss how we can best open our hearts, cameras and memories to all who are interested. I pray that you are as interested in hearing what we saw, as we are to share it. Have a blessed evening.

With Much Love in Christ Who Ascended from our Midst,
Fr. Anthony Jet-Lagged Savas

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!

The ancient and eternal city of Constantinople. It is a place where for centuries, worlds, cultures and armies have collided. It is the intersection between East and West, that which bridges together the dynasties of the Roman Empire and is the fertile ground in which the seeds of our precious Faith were nurtured, matured and brought to a glorious fruition. We celebrate Her prolific past as we stand in awe of all She commands.

The ancient and eternal city of Constantinople. Home to patriarchs, emperors, saints and artists. The definitive backdrop of our Eastern Orthodox history and the setting for every highlight and low point of our development as a Church. Our greatest accomplishments were forged here, our greatest battles were fought here, our most dynamic losses were endured here. The mind of the Church thinks through the process of Byzantium. The heart of the Church beats in a pattern that is reflective of this city.

The ancient and eternal city of Constantinople. The externals, the details, the tinsel, the pageantry, the glory and the humility of the church: they all have their origins here. Chrysostom preached from the rafters and filled the streets of this city with the faithful who were thirsty to hear the Word of God. Remnants of the City Walls remain as reminders of erstwhile protectors and guardians. Constantinopolitan contributions to the Church are found within Her art, music, architecture, worship, dress, ethos and mentality.

The ancient and eternal city of Constantinople. Our Orthodox Churches look like Orthodox Churches because of Orthodox Churches from Constantinople. Our Orthodox liturgical life breaths like Orthodox liturgical life because of the Orthodox liturgical life of Constantinople. Orthodox worship sounds like Orthodox worship because of the Orthodox worship of Constantinople.

Today, I am incredibly blessed to be writing this message from Constantinople. Truth be told, I’m sort of the office nerd right now. I’m sitting in the lobby of the Bosporus Hilton, working on my computer while several people from our group are sitting with each other, enjoying their fellowship and looking back fondly, upon the events of today – the first full day of our Pilgrimage.

The day, and by extension, our entire trip, began this morning, touring the grounds of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. We venerated the relics inside our St. George Cathedral and strolled the grounds of the humble facilities that house the ministries of the world’s leader of Orthodox Christianity. We then found ourselves outside the private office of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, awaiting his entrance into the Throne Room of the Patriarchate. It would be here that our audience would be granted. From the door just to the left of the throne, he emerged. Smiling and greeting us with warmth and love. He spoke to us about his love for the Church in America and talked about his upcoming events: symposia, pastoral visits, historic liturgies and humanitarian efforts. He addressed us firstly in Greek, asked if everyone understood, then switched to English when we told him that several members of the group could not understand him. He said that Fr. Elias and I could translate for the people. Fr. Elias and I then thought the people were in trouble.

His English (one of seven languages he speaks) is clear, kind and perfect. We hung on every word and embraced him with respect and admiration. He stood before us, representing many things:

Apostolic Succession
The Protector of the Flame of Orthodoxy
The Green Patriarch and champion of the environment
The world leader of our faith
The voice of the persecuted and minority populations.

But most importantly, he communicated the love a father has for his children. He was not distant nor hide behind pretense. It was like sitting in your grandfather’s dining room and listening to his stories, receiving his wisdom and expressing your respects. It was always comfortable and never intimidating. It was the perfect beginning to what will be the spiritual experience of a lifetime.

So again, greetings from Constantinople. His All Holiness sends the love and blessings of the Mother Church to the faithful people of St. Anna’s. He has been watching our progress and loves how events have unfolded for us. We are in his prayers and protection. We must keep him in our prayers for his protection. Today has been beautiful. I think I’ll go join our group now. I look lonely over here by myself.

With Much Love in our Risen Lord,

Fr. Anthony

“Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.”

– Psalm 119:54

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

If you were new to the St. Anna community and visited our parish for the first time, you might pick up one of the black Welcome Packets that await you in the Narthex. These folders are designed for people who are either new to Orthodoxy or have rediscovered their Faith and returned to church after a long hiatus. Filled with information about our specific parish and doctrinal truths about our ancient faith, we have worked hard to provide our “guests” with all they’ll need in order to begin their new or revitalized walk with Christ. The Packet’s cover letter reads as follows:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I would like to take this special opportunity to welcome you to the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Your presence with us today has enriched our worship experience and your prayers accompany the faithful voices of those gathered in this holy place. We have come together on this day to glorify God, praise His holy Name and to witness His loving mercy. Thank you for being with us!

Your visit to our parish, no matter the purpose, represents a prayerful action no less significant than a spiritual pilgrimage. When we make movements towards God and His house of worship, we enter into union with the saints, and Christ Himself. Standing in this church, at this very moment, you are in the company of sacredness as well as sinners, who are working for their own salvation. And now that you’re here with us, you’ve reached the comfortable delight of safe harbor.

Though our mission setting may be considered modest in terms of the grand and doctrinal traditions of Orthodox Christian architecture, the spiritual, visual, artistic and musical elements of this church and worship serve in every capacity. Our parish is committed to the command that all pilgrims reach their ultimate destination, that is, the Kingdom of God. And at St. Anna’s, indeed it is found; vibrant, actualized, and present in the world today, here beneath the glorious mountains of the Wasatch Range.

If today’s service was your first exposure to Orthodox worship, I can only imagine the questions and observations you may have, and I invite you to discuss them with us. If you are returning after a lengthy hiatus from church, welcome home. If you find yourself on a journey to celebrating your life in Christ through the Sacramental Life of His precious Orthodox Church, we are here to guide and instruct you along the way. Once again welcome to our parish! Through the intersessions of our Matron Saint, the Mother of the Theotokos (of the Virgin Mary), I remain

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas,

Pastor

I crafted this welcome letter around the concept of a pilgrimage – a spiritual journey which is fulfilled in its destination, as it inspires through the process. In other words, reaching the end of the pilgrimage is only half of the benefit. The journey itself is equally rewarding. The Christian life is an engaged, active and continued pilgrimage. As we enter the church, we begin a pilgrimage. As we begin a fasting period and move towards a festal celebration, we begin a pilgrimage. As we approach the Chalice, we begin a pilgrimage. As we are baptized, ordained, married, confess…we set in motion, the events that will unfold within the context of our…you guessed it…pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage is movement with a purpose.

Pilgrimage is action that is sanctified.

Pilgrimage is divinely inspired and heavenly directed.

Pilgrimage is the blessed entanglement of faith and footsteps; sacrifice and reward; heaven and earth.

I ask that you all pray for our parishioners and friends who will be departing for our Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and to Asia Minor. We leave on May 1st and return on May 16th. We will spend two weeks venerating the sites, shrines, monasteries, churches, gardens and cathedrals of our Christian history. From Constantinople to Jerusalem to Cappadocia, we will take with us, through prayer and good will, the people of St. Anna’s and our participating sister parishes.

Most notably, we will pray for you as we celebrate the Divine Liturgy upon the Tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we will share the blessings we receive from His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome. Often, we will think of our friends and family who remain, while we ask for your cherished prayers for our health, safety and return without incident.

Please be mindful that all of us associated with our parish will be on this sacred journey to our historical past, actualized present and salvific future. For those of you who planned on participating but for a myriad of reasons, it did not happen, know that you are all, especially, with us every step of the way. And if God so ordains, we will do this again, perhaps in five years or so.

A pilgrimage can take you around the world, it can be accomplished up the aisle of a church, it can even be taken within our hearts and minds; having never physically departed from our home. The point is, we are a people on a pilgrimage. We are in constant motion and our motion propels us towards a higher union with God.

Union with God. The entire point of absolutely any pilgrimage.

With Love in our Risen Lord,

Fr. Anthony

While I’m away on the Sundays of May 6th and 13th (Happy Mother’s Day) we welcome back our dear, Fr. Ambrose. Welcome Home, Father!