Friends:

This summer I had the privilege of meeting with the two recipients of the Consortium
Ecumenism Award for 2006-07. The Consortium Student Board’s Prayer Service for Christian Unity will take place at Virginia Theological Seminary on February 12, 2007. The awards will be given at ths service.

I saw Archbishop Vsevolod at the Orientale Lumen conference at Catholic University/John Paul II Cultural Center in the third week of June. The Archbishop is the Orthodox Patron of this annual conference. He is a retired Ukrainian Orthodox Bishop. He was the Primate of the Unkainian Orthodox Church of America from 1987 to 1996. The Archbishop is a friendly and learned person–he has a delightful laugh and a long beard. He has been involved in ecumenical dialogues for many a year especially those between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.

Yesterday I met with Bishop Mark Dyer at Virginia Seminary after his class. He is a superb teacher of ecumenism and of spirituality. We have had many meetings over the years. He is delightful to speak with–and has many funny stories which I thoroughly enjoy. Bishop Dyer co-chaired the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue for many years. His insights into ecumenism and the ‘ecumenical process’ are outstanding.

One of the benefits of being executive director is to meet such outstanding people. I learn a lot from them.

I hope you will have a chance to hear them and speak with them at the Prayer Service for Christian Unity in February

Coffee is finished!

John