COLLEGE STUDENT SUNDAY
September 16th/30th, 2012
The light of your countenance has been impressed on us, O Lord. Alleluia!
(The Communion Hymn of the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious Cross)
Beloved Clergy, Godly Monastics and Blessed Faithful:
On behalf of the members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, we greet you during this great and solemn Feast of the Elevation of the Holy, Precious and Life-giving Cross. In these days we reflect on the salvation wrought by our Lord, Jesus Christ, when He was lifted up thereon, calling all people to Himself (John 12:32). The Communion Hymn quoted above tells us that while enduring the horrific experience of His Crucifixion, our Lord shown forth Light and Life from His Divine Face. We rejoice in that light, and we also pause to give our attention to the more than 40,000 Orthodox students who have recently returned to their college campuses for another year of study. On this annual College Student Sunday, we are thankful for the opportunities they are given to further their education. Far too many of them, however, will be unaware of the Light of Christ as they face a challenging spiritual environment which far too often values freedom over responsibility, excess over moderation and pure reason over humility.
For over half a century, our united campus ministry, Orthodox Christian Fellowship, has been bringing the illumination of the True Faith to our students living away from home, some for the first time. We are particularly grateful that OCF has instituted a new initiative, “The First 40 Days,” in which every effort will be made by our Orthodox chaplains and student leaders to contact every incoming freshman in their first 40 days on campus. We strongly encourage your support of this effort by ensuring that the contact information for your parish’s students be sent each year to the North American office of OCF for dissemination to the local OCF.
We also encourage your financial support of this ministry which functions completely on the contributions of caring Orthodox faithful like yourselves. We ask that a special collection be taken on this day in support of the good work of OCF, and encourage you ― the priests, parents, grandparents, Godparents, aunts and uncles and friends of our college students ― to be generous in your offering of support to this ministry to them.
May the Immortal King who offered Himself for us and our salvation, guide and strengthen you, and all of our Orthodox students across this vast continent.
Metropolitan ISAIAH (Episcopal Overseer of OCF) [email protected]
Jennifer Nahass (Executive Director of OCF) [email protected]
