Cleveland Area Ministry Reaches Milestone
Gerald Largent
St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach, founded in July 2010, held its 2,000th service on May 5, 2017. Its mission is providing Orthodox Christian prayer services for those who are no longer able to go to church on a regular basis.
The St. Panteleimon Ministry is a Pan-Orthodox effort that aims to be of service to every Orthodox parish in Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit Counties. It submits reports to His Eminence Archbishop DANIEL of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. On the local level it reports to its spiritual advisor, Fr. Dennis Kristof, and to the Greater Cleveland Council of Orthodox Clergy.
The sacramental ministry of the parish priest is, of course, the most important spiritual care that an Orthodox nursing home resident may receive. The role of the St. Panteleimon Ministry is to provide spiritual sustenance until the resident is able to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Church. The emphasis of the St. Panteleimon Ministry is helping nursing home residents keep in touch with the liturgical life of the Church by providing a group prayer setting in their communities. With few exceptions, prayer services follow the daily readings and commemorate the saints of each day according to the Orthodox calendar. Its ministry is not to be confused with a shut-in ministry or visitations to individual residents in nursing homes, even though one-on-one visits do occur occasionally.
The most commonly used service in the senior living setting is the Typica service. The number of hymns from the Divine Liturgy is something the residents remember and makes a connection with their home parishes. Services are usually 30 minutes in length and utilize liturgical music from Orthodox residents' ethnic backgrounds. All services are conducted in English.
St. Panteleimon's also serves as an evangelistic tool for the Church. Residents frequently invite non-Orthodox neighbors and friends to join them in prayer. A senior living facility may only have one or two Orthodox residents at a given point in time, yet in some places 15 to 20 residents consistently attend the services. This may be attributed both to the invitations extended by Orthodox residents, and to other residents' hunger for what Orthodoxy provides. In cases where a non-Orthodox resident, family member or staff member wishes to learn more about the Orthodox Faith we will make a referral to a nearby parish for follow-up.
St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach presents an opportunity for Orthodox Christians to put their faith into action, serving God while they serve others. Volunteers are always welcome! We ask Orthodox parishes, clergy and laity to give prayerful consideration to helping this ministry carry out its mission. Any donation of time, talents or resources will be greatly appreciated.
Our director is available to speak to parishes and organizations about the ministry upon request. For more information please contact: Reader Gerald Largent, gerald@stpanteleimon.com. Office Phone: 440-941-4850. Website: www.stpanteleimon.com