On Sunday, April 3, the community of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church welcomed His Eminence, MARK, Archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania for a Patriarchal visit. His Eminence concelebrated Divine Liturgy with Fr. Barnabas Fravel - the 4th Sunday of Lent - Sunday of St. John Climacus (John of the Ladder).
During his homily, Vladyka gave a very thought provoking message, telling us the path to the Lord is not an easy path - indeed, it never was promised to be so. But we should use the tools the Orthodox church provides us with to make the journey easier, and be relentless in our struggles.
The line was once again out the back of the church, as we shared in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Following Divine Liturgy, all were invited to Repella Hall where we shared in a Lenten potluck dinner and Orthodox Fellowship. As a sign of the Parish’s appreciation, the monthly collection (taken on this day) for the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, a decade plus relationship, will be donated in Archbishop Mark’s name.