Clergy Conference 2024

Beloved brothers in the Holy Priesthood: CHRIST IS AMONG US!

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, we would like to formally inform you about the convocation of the Annual Clergy Conference of our Holy Metropolia on 14-17 October, 2024 at the spiritual headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA in South Bound Brook, NJ. The Consistory staff of the Church eagerly await our presence in their midst. Please share this letter with the Parish Board of Administration of your parish family in order for them to fulfill their responsibility of sponsorship of the parochial clergy to attend this conference.

Once again, it is with deep spiritual emotion I am sending you this letter, inviting you to stand with Metropolitan Antony and me at the Holy Altar of our Lord, as we gather for Divine Liturgy. It is here that we find the source of all our responsibility before the Lord. It is here that we are the true brotherhood of priests that we are called to be. It is here that we properly present ourselves in all humility seeking the healing of soul and body and the strength to be present always to the faithful entrusted to our care.

It is our sacred responsibility and as laborers in the Vineyard of Jesus Christ, as the bishops and the priests continuing in His mission of Salvation. How marvelous is this vocation of ours, my dear brother Priests! Truly we can repeat with the Psalmist: "What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord" (Ps 116:12-13).

Joyfully meditating on this gift of the Holy Priesthood, we have scheduled several presentations addressing a few social and moral issues that our society deals with. Moreover, we have allocated time for social gatherings. After all it is important for us just to be with each other.

In the past, we often heard that we need to try harder to bring the clergy of our Church more often for spiritual retreats and social gatherings. Let's use this time to visit with each other and reflect upon the ministry of Christ. I believe that it is extremely beneficial for us to rekindle the light of our Lord's presence in our own lives.

The presentations we are planning are very important and I know that we will benefit abundantly from them and will receive much knowledge and enlightenment. We may be troubled by some of what we hear. We may even disagree at times, but we all have one purpose, to bring the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to the people of God, and to point out the way of salvation to those who are lost in the lies and turmoil of this ocean of contemporary deception and confusion.

It is precisely our faith in Christ which gives us the strength to look trustingly to the future. We know that as priests, will be able to radiate peace and love to those around us only if we meet Christ and allow ourselves to be "overtaken" by the Grace received from Him through the Holy Spirit during our ordinations.

Please note that we have made reservations at the DELTA (by Marriott) Hotel (located across the street from our Metropolia Center - 110 Davidson Ave, Somerset, NJ) for your overnight stay. The registration fee for the conference will cover hotel room, all meals and supplies for the conference. The registration fee for a single room will be $650 and for a double room it will be $550.

Please note that the Registration Deadline is October 4, 2024. Please, visit the web site of the Church for the ONLINE registration at www.uocofusa.org

Both Metropolitan Antony and I look forward to seeing you in the evening of October 14, 2024 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center at 6PM!

With prayers and love in Christ,

+Daniel,

By the Grace of God, archbishop and your brother in Christ