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A Visit with OCA Treasurer, Fr. Michael Tassos
On Saturday and Sunday, February 2nd and 3rd, the
Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross was honored with a visit from the new
Treasurer of the OCA, Fr. Michael Tassos. Fr. Michael joined us in
the evening on Saturday for Great Vespers. Afterward, Fr. Michael met with
our Parish Council to discuss the current crisis within the OCA administration
and the progress being made from a financial perspective toward putting in place
professional accounting practices and standards. On Sunday, Fr. Michael
was co-celebrant and guest homilist at our Divine Liturgy. After Liturgy,
he answered questions from parish members and provided an update on activities
along with his perspectives on restoration and healing within the OCA.
Our council's desire to meet with Fr. Michael was to
understand the type of work being done to address issues of past fiduciary shortcomings within
the OCA and establish a clear plan for financial accountability moving
forward. We also had explicit interest in actions being taken to ensure
the OCA Administration and Hierarchy, which allowed this situation to exist
and continue for over a decade, was also working toward change.
Setting the stage for this meeting is our parish
decision to withhold OCA assessment funds until several defined benchmarks are
achieved by the central administration.
Click
here to read our Parish Resolution Concerning the OCA Crisis.
OCA Treasurer, Fr. Michael Tassos and
Members of our Parish Council |
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During his meeting
with our parish council, Fr Michael was asked very direct questions
regarding his qualification for his new position and our concerns for
financial accountability within the OCA. We also posed questions
directed toward the accountability of the Synod of Bishops, the deposed
chancellor, and Metropolitan Herman in enabling the reckless misuse of
church funds to continue
without intervention.
In his responses, Fr. Michael was open, direct and forthcoming.
He provided our parish with hope that he will be able to make progress in
the financial reconstruction of the OCA as well as be an agent of positive
influence for changing the environment which fostered the current
state of deterioration. We applauded (literally) Fr. Michaels vision for
change in the OCA.
Our
parish assured Fr. Michael we are committed to supporting the work
toward financial accountability in the OCA and making our voices heard in
matters concerning the activities of our church’s central administration,
including the agenda of the next All American Council. |
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We look forward to
the time when the benchmarks we stated, which are aligned with the goals the
OCA has established for itself, are met.
We look forward to
the time we will send our OCA assessments to the Central Administration with
confidence they will be used as resources to proclaim the gospel of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, to fund our charitable works, and to positively expand the
presence and influence of Orthodox Christianity in America.
We are indebted to
Fr. Tassos for taking the time out of his busy schedule to meet personally
with our parish.
We will be
remembering him and his family in our prayers as he continues to complete a
job which could only be accomplished with a driven devotion to Our Lord
Jesus Christ and to creating a brighter future for the Orthodox Church in
America.
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Parish members meet with Fr. Michael
during coffee hour
to discuss their concerns regarding the current
crisis facing the OCA |
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