What are my chances?

SpiritFire · #1 Mar 11, '11, 1:14 pm

What are the chances of finding an Eastern Catholic liturgy in the Byzantine Rite with the tendency to use Greek (rather than Slavonic) in the US? I read that many catholic rites are Slavic, and so will often feature that language. Is this true, even in the US?
I am very interested in the Greek (especially when it comes to chant), although I love any language, and in the US the liturgy will most always be in English anyway....

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Phillip Rolfes · #2 Mar 11, '11, 1:23 pm

Look for a Melkite Greek Catholic parish. Most will use a combination of English, Arabic and Greek.

5Loaves · #3 Mar 11, '11, 1:30 pm

You can search for a Melkite parish here in Find-A-Parish. If you don't see a parish there, try looking in the Start-A-Parish section which has information about mission groups which haven't progressed to the level of a parish yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpiritFire

I am very interested in the Greek (especially when it comes to chant), although I love any language, and in the US the liturgy will most always be in English anyway....

I would also encourage you to go to a Greek Orthodox Church where you are likely to find Greek used in the Liturgy and services. During Great Lent we have many additional services (Compline, Vespers, Matins). If you go to a Wed. or Friday Presanctified Liturgy you'll have a very beautiful experience of our tradition. Just don't present yourself for Holy Eucharist. Other services do not involve Holy Eucharist so that isn't an issue. My experience of Greek Orthodox is that they do the Hours largely in Greek. I've rarely been in their church for Liturgy and that I think had some English.

ciero · #4 Mar 11, '11, 2:29 pm

Slim to none really. Most Melkite churches use little to no Greek here in the USA. There are 2 Italo-Greek parishes in the US.....1 in NY that meets infrequently.....and 1 in Las Vegas that has been very Ruthenianized. Other then that your best bet is to attend the Greek Orthodox church.....you will hear plenty of Greek there although here in the US the chant will be ruined by the use of an organ in most parishes.

5Loaves · #5 Mar 11, '11, 3:25 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciero

...Other then that your best bet is to attend the Greek Orthodox church.....you will hear plenty of Greek there although here in the US the chant will be ruined by the use of an organ in most parishes.

I agree about the organ, but I don't find there is an organist at the Hours. I have not been to Presanctified Liturgy at the Greek Cathedral here but may this year, so don't know if they use the organ then. I'm guessing they have choir which means organ for those.

Not what you're after SpiritFire but I can recommend the CD The Divine Liturgy In English. You can listen to short clips of some tracks at that site. NO organ.

(Unfortunately, I don't like the English translation of the DL in several places on this CD. It seems to be the translation used at the DL celebrated for the students of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship here which has Greek style music for the chant.. )

Note in the notes section

Quote:

The digipak is beautifully printed and includes a 40-page booklet that includes an annotated English text of the Divine Liturgy, as well as essays on Orthodox worship and Byzantine chant by the Very Rev. Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash), Alexander Lingas, and John Michael Boyer. Printed music in Byzantine and staff notation is available on the Cappella Romana web site. Includes entire hymn and service text in English.