Clergy wives’ weekend to be held at Antiochian Village October 29-31
The second pan-Orthodox clergy wives’ weekend will be held at Antiochian Village here October 29-31, 2010.
The theme, “‘Everywhere Present and Filling All Things’: The Holy Spirit or the Clergy Wife?” will be developed in a series of talks by Mother Gabriella, Abbess of Holy Dormition Monastery, Rives Junction, MI, and Presbytera Kyriaki K. FitzGerald, PhD.
The weekend is being organized in memory of the late Khouriya Joanne Abdalah, who served as an inspiration in her life as the wife of a priest and as a counselor to many. She believed that every clergy wife needs to discover and develop her own Christian vocation. In her memory, her family and several clergy wife friends planned the first Clergy Wives Weekend in 2009 as a fitting tribute and way to carry on her work and commitment to clergy wives.
“Last November more than 70 clergy wives from jurisdictions across the US enjoyed the inaugural clergy wives’ weekend,” said Matushka Valerie Zahirsky, a member of the weekend coordinating committee. “The program reflected Joanne’s holistic approach to life—we need to pray; we need to play and to enjoy the fellowship for this short time without parish responsibilities, family responsibilities or other cares of this world. The weekend was a tremendous success—one worth repeating!”
Registration forms and additional information is available at http://antiochianvillage.org/center/special_events/upcoming.html.
Further info is available on the Facebook group “Orthodox Clergy Wives Weekend.” Questions may be directed to Khouriya Stefanie Yazge at 724-832-1101.
Other coordinating committee members include Laila Ellias, Mira Filipovich, Laila Ellias, Janet Shadid, Becky Touloumes, Stefanie Yazge, and Father John Abdalah.