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July 2, 2025By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
The Greek Orthodox leader preached about faith and unity at the Roman Catholic cathedral, where the Catholic bishop welcomed him warmly.
Orthodox and Catholic Christians who participated in the ecumenical vespers that brought the clerics together raved about the beauty of the experience and the church building.
It was Sunday afternoon and Bishop McManus was making his visit to St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester, one of the churches he designated as a pilgrimage site for this Jubilee Year of Hope.
This pilgrimage differed from his evening prayer services at other pilgrim churches because it was ecumenical and celebrated other significant events besides the Jubilee Year. (People who talked with The Catholic Free Press identified themselves with the Catholic, or Greek or Romanian Orthodox Churches.)
Metropolitan Methodios, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, which includes several states, preached about reasons for the celebration: the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the 75th anniversary of the Worcester diocese and the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
“The two holy disciples inspire our Churches to witness to the Gospel in the world,” the Metropolitan said.
He said that when Peter wanted to save Jesus with a sword, Jesus taught him about non-violence, which he put into practice when he himself was martyred on a cross. Paul persecuted Christians, then was converted. Both are examples of conversion to Jesus’ principle of non-violence.
Orthodox and Catholic Christians honor together these two martyrs of different temperaments and missions who represent the unity of the Church in diversity, he said.
Celebrating the Worcester diocese’s 75th anniversary, Metropolitan Methodios expressed thanks for the leadership of the bishops and mentioned something about each. He said he is especially grateful for his friendship with Bishop McManus, with whom he has worshipped and gone on pilgrimage, encounters which strengthened their bond and “reflected the spirit of brotherhood that we hope to see flourish between our two Churches.”
Looking at the congregation he sees citizens with the saints, he said; “we labor for the same kingdom of God” in a world growing more in need of the Good News.
Leading music for the ecumenical vespers is St. Paul Cathedral Choir (bottom photo) led by Richard Monroe, director of sacred music at the cathedral and Elizabeth Marcil, organist, and the Greek Orthodox scola (above) led by Father Romanos Karanos.
“May your witness grow even brighter,” he
said. “Let us walk together, not as strangers but as brothers and sisters.”
At the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, held 1700 years ago, bishops from across the world proclaimed faith in the Son of God, the Metropolitan noted, quoting parts of the Nicene Creed they composed there, which is still recited at Catholic Masses and Orthodox Divine Liturgies.
“At Nicaea the Church stood as one – East and West, Greek and Latin,” he said.
This council was also called to resolve the question about when to celebrate Easter, which, by coincidence, the Catholics and Orthodox celebrated on the same date this year, he said.
He said Pope Leo XIV told participants in a symposium, “The Council of Nicaea is not merely an event of the past, but a compass that must continue to guide us toward the full visible unity of all Christians.”
Through the homily, Metropolitan Methodios showed “how we as a congregation have a strong faith and how that’s so much needed in our community and society,” commented Paul Lienard, of St. Brigid and Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Millbury.
He and his wife, Nancy, learned about the vespers service when their pastor mentioned it at Mass the previous night, he said.
“It’s an important celebration,” Mr. Lienard said, speaking of the creed’s 1700th anniversary and the recognition of Sts. Peter and Paul as the foundation of the Church.
His wife said she was in awe “being in a beautiful cathedral,” which felt like being in Rome.
The cathedral’s beauty shows God’s glory, added her husband; “You know you’re supposed to be here. ... It touches your faith in a very special way.”
At the ecumenical celebration at St. Paul Cathedral Sunday, Metropolitan Methodios speaks with Msgr. Peter R. Beaulieu. With the Metropolitan is his assistant Damianos Paschalides. Above, the congregation participates in the vespers.
“Today was really special; we were more together,” commented Rej Pathania, of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Somerville. “The music really changes everything. So united. ... I kept looking up at the stained glass. Beauty. ... You could feel it ... hear it ... smell it.”
Music was led by St. Paul Cathedral Choir and a Greek Orthodox scola made up of cantors from the Greater Boston area.
Richard Barrett, a cantor at the Church of the Dormition who sang in that scola, said, “It meant a lot for His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios to want to involve the choir in this event today. He’s very much a leader in the ecumenical movement in New England.”
“I’m a music-lover,” said Janet Krause, of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Grafton, adding that she liked having both choirs.
“We were one Church for so many centuries,” commented Father Dean Paleologos, dean emeritus of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester.
Would he like that to be so again?
“I have that in my heart,” he replied. He said it was important to hold the ecumenical vespers and that he prayed for dialogue to continue.
– To watch a recording of the ecumenical vespers service visit vimeo.com/event/5218367. For more information about the Jubilee visit cathedralofsaintpaul.net/events-during-the-jubilee-eventos-durante-el-jubileo.