March for Life
This was my first time attending and what a blessing it was for me.
I had consider going to the March and my mind was made up on Tuesday
afternoon as I was heading to Downtown Deli for lunch. I was
waiting for the #15 bus and while waiting, five #23 passed.
Then I noticed a gentleman in a cassock heading my direction and I
could tell that he was probably an Orthodox priest.
I approached him and said, "Father, which church are you
from?" He replied, "Deacon, don't you recognize me?" It
was Fr. Thomas Moore from South Carolina. Who would had
dreamed that we would meet on the streets of Baltimore at this
location? Because of our conversation, I confirmed my
intention to attend the March for Life.
Thursday morning I took MTA to Holy Cross Church and arrived in
sufficient time for the molebien and the car pool to the
March. We went to the New Carrollton Metro Station and took
the subway to the march. I used my CharmCard, which I
recommend that just about everybody in Baltimore get one.
When we left the subway we met a Ukrainian Catholic priest in a
wheelchair. This brought back some very pleasant memories to
me. I participated in a march with Bishop BASIL of blessed
memory and met a Ukrainian Orthodox priest in a wheelchair.
Also, it was the Ukrainian Catholic Church which exposed me to the
Byzantine Rite and then the Ruthenian Catholic Church and the
Melkite Catholic Church built upon that foundation.
It was really wonderful meeting some people whom I knew and also
meeting new people. One Orthodox priest assumed that I'm
Ethiopian and I told him that his statement is insulting. Most
black Americans who are Eastern Orthodox are not
Ethiopian. The Orthodox Church has converts from all races and
colors.
Somebody asked me why were the black churches not represented since
abortion is a major social issue in the black communities. I
stopped to ask this question to a group of black girls from
Philadelphia. They were Ethiopian. They also have no
answer.
After the rally, we had a series of phone calls and finally I was
reconnected to my group. On the way to meet up with them, I
heard a young man say something about Orthodox bishops and I turned
around and said to him, "What did you say about my bishops?"
He was Indian Orthodox and we agree that we need to work together
much more than we do.
We took the Metro back to the parking lot and then took the cars
back to Holy Cross. From there we went to the Olive Grove for
dinner and then Joe Green took me home.
While we were still on the Capital Beltway I called Fr. John to tell
him that I will not be able to make the parish council meeting and
asked him if he could call my ride since I did not have her
telephone number with me. I thought that I did. I
definitely need to update my iPod.
I'm not updating my cell phone since I plan to replace it. I
want to go back to the old flip phones. They are easy and they
are reliable. This Nokia Windows phone which I now have is a
piece of trash as far as I am concerned. I'm really sorry that
I brought it.
If the weather is decent next year and if my health is still good, I
will probably attend again. I did not mind the walking,
although it would had been nice to have a chance to get off my
feet.
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Light rail tracks |
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Old Camp Meade Road on the way to the church |
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Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church. Fr. Gregory and Fr.
Mark served a Molebien before we went. |
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Subdeacon John Douglas |
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Catherine |
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Fr. Gregory, Ruzana, Vasi, and Catherine |

Joe Green, Fr. Gregory, and Elaine |
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We're in the DC Metro and exchanging cell phone numbers. |
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The priest in the
wheelchair is Ukrainian Catholic. |
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The Catholic Archdiocese of Allentown PA brought St. Thomas Moore
Church and we brought Fr. Thomas Moore. |
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Maybe we should have a similar pin for the Orthodox. |

Roman Catholic bishop, I think of Baltimore |
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Metropolitan TIKHON and Bishop MICHAEL |
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When I told this gentleman that I like his uniform, he said that he
likes mine better and that he was thinking about the religious life.
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Bishop DEMETRIOS of the Greek Archdiocese remembered me from a
prison ministry convocation. |
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A larger than life size rosary |
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A Catholic priest saying the Rosary. |
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Our Ruzana |
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Fr. John Parsells does wonderful 360 photos. |
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Matushka Krissy Miclean |
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A young would-be father shares his loss with us. |
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I got separated from our group and I heard Orthodox hymns and
followed it and saw people who look like us. |

Of course, I thought that they were Orthodox, but I did not see our
banner. |

One of the nuns was surprised to hear me singing the same words and
melody that they were singing. |

They invited me to join them for their service, but I told them that
I had to find my people. They understood. |

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The priest who is holding the walking stick is Bishop John of the
Ruthenian Catholic Diocese of Parma. |
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Back at Fr. Gregory's house |
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Olive Grove Restaurant |
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Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green |
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Fr. Thomas Moore |