Parables of Community: Recent Episodes
St. John the Compassionate Mission and Ancient Faith Radio
Asceticism of the Open Door - Stories of the lives of the people who come to St. John the Compassionate Mission, an apostolate of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese located in Toronto, Ontario.
Fr. Nicolaie observes how "only five loaves and two fish" become a banquet for those in the wilderness who are living in their own kind of hell.
Fr. Nicolaie writes about the blessing of having a very young volunteer in the community
Fr. Nicolaie and the community ponder Sunday's gospel reading, and what it takes to be released from the demons that pursue us.
Fr. Nicolaie shares stories and a gospel reading reflection about how humbling ourselves to help heal others can also bring healing to our own soul.
Fr. Nicolaie learns alongside the community about sea cucumbers and becoming the kind of "fish food" that is a better "fisher of men."
Fr. Nicolaie shares examples from the community of ways in which some community members that could be considered "the last" are the first to be used by God to bless the rest.
Fr. Nicolaie tells what the community is learning about their own poverty (and hope) as they observe the supportive friendship of Brian and Miriam.
The community is experiencing God's embrace in the midst of the brokenness in the world.
Fr. Nicolaie writes about the mercy of God working on the blind man (and the experience of one in the community) and in the lives of three women experiencing homelessness.
Fr. Nicolaie writes about two meetings with Christ: the Samaritan Woman's, and the Pharisees'.
Fr. Nicolaie shares stories of the need for healing in the community, and the unexpected angels who are helping.
Fr. Nicolie shares the two themes that the community is especially focused on for this Myrrhbearers' Sunday: both courage and the white robes of the angel.
Fr. Nicolaie shares what the community is learning together and through each other during Bright Week.
Fr. Nicolaie writes about seeing mercy in times of waiting both in the scriptures and in the life of the community.
Fr. Nicolaie writes about how Lent teaches us mercy through prayer, and how the way in which we live either draws mercy near or chases it away.
An anonymous community member shares how connecting with the community at St. John the Compassionate Mission has relit a spark in their spiritual life.
The community is learning that forgiveness is the door through which we step into Lent.
Fr. Nicolaie shares the story and words of a community member who finds hope in God's mercy.
Fr. Nicolaie shares what the community is learning together about mercy, as they discuss the Publican and the Pharisee.
Fr. Nicolaie encourages the community to learn from the common solitude of a poor community member and rich Zacchaeus.
True community is a place where the sick care for the sick, where mercy is better than life... it is Heaven on earth.
A meditative look at two Nathaniels and their love for truth and living "without guile."
The community's take on this Sunday's scriptures challenges us to find faith enough to speak to God about our pain; and courage enough to let go of things of this world.
Fr. Nicolaie shares examples from the community of the mercy that is poured out as people gather together and share.
Fr. Nicolaie shares stories from the community of those experiencing separation who long for union, extending the hope that the Father offers to all.
A challenge to seek (and care for) for the Lazaruses around us and the one within ourselves, as well.
Fr. Nicolaie discusses weeping (both for sorrow and for joy) and the value it brings to our spirits.
Fr. Nicolaie reflects on recent events in the community and how they draw us into communion with Christ.
Fr. Nicolaie shares insights from the community about the disciples' fishing leading to deeper communion when following Christ.
Fr. Nicolaie shares a story from the community about love in the place of shame, and relates it to the Gospel reading for the Sunday of the Holy Cross.
Fr. Nicolaie reflects on how differently members of the community have responded after experiencing an encounter with Christ.
Fr. Nicolaie shares examples from the community as they learn that walking with Christ can only be accomplished through humility.
Fr. Nicolaie compares the journey of those who have left everything to follow Christ to the beauty of a wildflower field.
Fr. Nicolaie shares the stories of two community members, and ponders how "the right shoes" can help us to walk the path of life.
Fr. Nicolaie shares stories that reflect on loneliness and our need for an encounter with Christ.
Fr. Nicolaie shares insights from the community on how God can use times of illness to touch all of us with His mercy.
Fr. Nicolaie shares the stories of myrrhbearers Sergei and Timothy who came to the mission this week bearing countenances reflecting the joy of the resurrection.
Brother Luke and Father Nicholaie share snippets of life at the mission, encouraging us to pray like a child, forgive as the Theotokos learned to do, and work towards peace.
Fr. Nicolaie shares experiences that are helping the community to "water the dying plants" in their midst, embracing resurrection instead of neglecting it.
The community explores the beauty of God's forgiveness as it meets us in our messiness.
Fr. Nicolaie explores the truth that hunger, if met with kindness, heals deep gulfs between us and creatively brings about unity.
Fr. Nicolaie encourages the community to be faithful to the work that God has prepared for them, specifically acts of mercy, and to do so with joy, unlike the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.
Padre Roberto and Fr. Nicolaie encourage us to take this Triodion season to prepare our hearts to say YES! to Christ, just as members of the community are doing.
Father Nicolaie shares stories of the prayers of community members, and reflects on the value of their prayers for the entire community.
The community processes Zacchaeus' outcast status, observing how repentance first opened his home to Christ, then turned his heart to the poor; then considers how this relates to their own situations.
Fr. Nicolaie shares stories of community members who emulate the one leper who returns to give thanks.
Fr. Nicolaie shares the week's scriptures and how they are playing out in the community.
The community is becoming a witness of Theophany through the signs of healing it lives and experiences.
Fr. Nicolaie shares a reflection on new life and loss in the community, noting how both are part of the Nativity story.
Fr. Nicolaie and Brother Luke reflect on fasting and Christmas in the context of the community.
A look at the Gospel reading of the woman who was bent over for many years, through the lens of community members' experiences.
John, a volunteer at the mission, is helping others to see Christ more clearly, even though he himself is legally blind.
Fr. Nicolaie tells stories from the community in the context of the week's Gospel readings, encouraging us to keep walking, because when we do so, we walk through the door that is Christ; a door that is already opened to us.
The icon of the small community who cares for all is the healing source of the modern soul today.
Father Nicolaie shares stories of community members finding the kind of comfort both in the chapel and amidst the community that is similar to Lazarus' experience in the bosom of Abraham.
Fr. Nicolaie invites us to join the community in looking into the eyes of the Theotokos from a humble position at the feet of her icon; and to live ascetically in a way that opens our own eyes to charity and mercy.
It is the cry of the poor who are in solidarity with those who suffer the most, today. The poor are not indifferent to the suffering, but lift it in prayer, with faith that God hears them.
How can poverty, hunger, and mourning be considered "blessed?" Father Nicolai looks at the Beatitudes through the lens of the community, revealing the "Good Word," "Bene Dicere," or "Blessing" that is poured out in and through someone with a sincere heart.
In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus provides an abundance of life out of the abyss. The plentiful fish are a testimony of the authority that He has over the living and the dead, revealing that His mercy is deeper than the heart of the sea.
The church is called today to care for life, to offer an open space where the soul of man can pray and sing, and have an encounter with Christ, who listens to us from the cross.
Brother Luke shares a collection of recent interactions and experiences from within the community.
Notes from the community that offer a peek at how the community members are seeing God at work in and through each other.
Through Matthew's arrival at the community this week, we learn that communion makes us look for the one that is lost: Through the wounds of the poor, Christ pours out His grace.
Fr. Nicolaie tells how the faith of people who saw (and see) evil in the face of war is a faith that can guide those of us who live in a society tempted by the illusion of death.
Father Nicolae writes about how both the blind man in the Gospel reading, and Angela (a member of the community) have been changed by Christ to such an extent that they are nearly unrecognizable. This gives all of us hope of restoration through Christ.
Healing happens within the community in different ways, and at times it is given to us to witness little miracles. In the end it heals us all, in our heart. And this is the real miracle.
A community member and Father Nicolaie each reflect on their experience with an aspect of the Gospel story of the young man who was possessed.
It is always better to give than to receive. When we try to help other people, we tend to forget their need to also be able to give.
St. Gregory Palamas believed in beholding through prayer the uncreated energies of God. A young volunteer reveals to the community that this is not one quick event that pierces the soul. It is rather an encounter for the whole day.
Frank (or Isaac, in the Church), a regular member of the community, passed away suddenly near the end of March. A mixup with his phone provided the community with the chance to learn of his passing, and opened the door for his daughter to share her grief with others who also loved her father.
A question recently posed at the mission caused Fr. Nicolaie to recall an experience he had when he was a teacher in Romania; and to reflect on how we each have our very own occasional "Emmaus" roads.
Brother Luke shares a collection of interactions and experiences from within the community.
In the heart of every prodigal son, at the time of prayer, God prepares a real place ready to offer hospitality to the one that is wounded.
Members of the community interact with the story of the Canaanite woman's faith, sharing their crumbs of wisdom.
Most servants are faithful with the talents entrusted to them. Even though broken and poor, they keep nothing for themselves. This is the reality of the gospel that we see within the community: there is an abundance of good done by the people.
When someone is in need, they seek to be listened to, to be heard by a heart that cares about their story and about the injustice done.
In today's generation, we do better to remain poor and in need of healing, but together in Christ; than to be healed alone and segregated through disunity. The community is learning this while walking with people like Judy.
Members of the community reflect on the margins of our existence; where seemingly-forgotten people dwell; and yet, in the margins is where they find their faith strengthening...
The dynamis of Theophany is towards new life and communion. We see this in the community, as God is bringing healing to Jacob, while also opposing the flattening (or "alienation of the spirit") that so often happens in modern culture.
Both Hector and Mohamed share their wisdom, encouraging each person to use their God-given creativity and humbly open their hearts, in order to build community and open the door to holiness.
The community welcomes a friend who reminds them of the woman "bent over for eighteen years" in St. Luke's Gospel. The ones who are unnoticed are a priority for God.
One story of a clinical depression sufferer's progress within the context of a welcoming community.
How do we understand the Parable of the Rich Man (and his barns), when the life of a poor soul is vanishing before our eyes?
Glimpsing the hope of the resurrection, modeled by the insights of one displaced by war.
One might say that the beauty of the poor is hard to spot. But one would be wrong... because in truth, beauty is the hospitality of holiness for the human being. And where do we find this hospitality more present than in the body of the poor? Take a look into Christine's joyful and deep blue eyes, to see for yourself.
A handful of stories demonstrating how the repentance of the poor and downtrodden offers everyone a glimpse at the doors that lead to peace and life.
Reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie about the gospel story of the father of the demon-possessed boy.
Scarborough is the eastern part of Toronto where St. John the Compassionate has a church and a mission, called Good Neighbours.
A Prayer of Welcome on the Occassion of Someone New Coming to Live with Us, written by Brother Luke.
Reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie for the Sixth Sunday of Luke: the story of the farmer who wanted to build more barns.
The Mission will receive a relic of its patron, St. John the Merciful (Compassionate), and Fr. Nicolaie invites us to discover who we are by asking the least of these who we are.
Listen to Fr. Nicolaie's reflections on Ezra that he shared at the recent Volunteers Appreciation Night Celebration at the Mission.
"On Friday we tried to read the gospel on the stairs at the mission. We were not well organized and without structure. In spite of this, reading the gospel outside made us, even for a little while, to see and hear Jesus preaching to people in the light of the day, sitting in the boat." From reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie.
A snapshot of an afternoon at St. John the Compassionate Mission, written by Fr. Nicolaie.
Another story written by Brother Luke of St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto.
Reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie, about communicating with a refugee, and Memory Eternal to Tom.
Listen to reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie about M's experience with panhandling and the Church's loss.
Fr. Nicolaie writes about language and communication--reflections on the Friday before Pentecost at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet three pilgrims who frequent St. John the Compassionate Mission; written by Brother Luke.
"The love he experienced, and still does, is deeper in his heart than the harm brought about by drugs."
Fr. Nicolaie writes about discussions and prayers from those gathered on a typical Friday afternoon at St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto.
Listen to reflections by Fr. Nicolaie about those on the mission's "Hall of Fame" and the value of each person.
Listen to two stories from Fr. Nicolaie about people who spend time at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Listen to stories about Mat and Hector enduring the cold Toronto winter, by Fr. Nicolaie.
Join St. John the Compassionate Mission as they celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Christ our Saviour, as written by Brother Luke.
Listen to stories and reflections from Fr. Nicolaie at St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto,
Hear three short stories of people who are part of the community at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Listen to reflections about what makes life rich, from Fr. Nicolaie at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Listen to reflections and stories from Fr. Nicolaie at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Listen to reflections and stories from Fr. Nicolaie at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
"Today, a tear coming from a heart that battles heavy addictions is as rare as the myrrh from a streaming icon. We are blessed to see and witness both at the mission." Fr. Nicolaie
Here are some more stories, written by Brother Luke, of those who are part of the St. John the Compassionate Mission community.
Hear five short stories of people who are part of the community at St. John the Compassionate Mission, as written by Brother Luke.
Listen to reflections from time at the Refuge and back in the city: gypsy moths, hydrangeas, and "keeping the water fresh."
The staff of St. John the Compassionate Mission remember Kevin's life and his death. May his memory be eternal.
The Refuge is a place to refocus, pray, and plan, impacting the entire community associated with St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Listen to a short reflection about R., whose life has been difficult as he lives for the Truth.
Listen to three short reflections about interactions at St. John the Compassionate Mission, reminding us that all lives are worth living.
Listen to stories about Mothers who frequent St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario.
Christ is risen! Listen to stories about people who frequent St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario.
Listen to stories from Brother Luke about people who frequent St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario.
Listen to stories about the people who frequent St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario.
Listen to stories from Brother Luke about people who frequent St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to reflections about encountering Christ in the midst of pain, from St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Reflections from St. John the Compassionate Mission about the Prodigal Son and Canada's Bill C-7.
Brother Luke shares stories from St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Brother Luke shares about one of the visitors he met at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
In this episode, we hear a Christmas letter from Fr. Nicolaie about two things, no three things, St. John the Compassionate Mission can count on.
Brother Luke shares about an addict and a group of mourners he met at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "What was it in their hearts that moved the Myrrh-bearing women to do something against common sense?"
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "Jesus tells Mary Magdalene that He will meet His disciples in Galilee. That is the place where the community is fully alive having Christ in their midst. The place where you work, you celebrate, you heal the sick and feed the hungry with the Lord. The place where you break bread and drink good wine with the Lord and go fishing with no worry that you’ll toil all night without catching anything. The place where you take care of the sick and cure the demoniacs; where you celebrate the feast of marriage, plant, prune and harvest. The place where you learned what it means to be thankful for being alive because you tasted from life in abundance. Most of the time, life at the mission is called to find and to become a Galilee where the Lord can feel at home."
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, still open and serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "The light is breaking through any human heart. Wherever the heart might be. It finds any crack to break through. There is so much light at the mission because the people who come here are so broken. So the light is visible in abundance. So is our dear community. Broken, so that the light of Pascha can be received through the cracks. Even if you want to hide it and contain it you cannot help but share it. So broken and imperfect we are."
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, still open and serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "Never has the church worldwide celebrated Pascha in this way, as we will this year. Abstinence not only from sin but from things that are good in themselves creates an empty space where God can act and surprise us. Could this not be the unexpected grace that is waiting for us in the empty tomb this year? What if the church is called this year to risk living something new, unfamiliar, even surprising?"
Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, still open and serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "This becomes a time when we get to experience what real life has been for others. We are receiving the good news of the Resurrection so we can witness and testify for the sake of those who do not know when the darkness is going to end, to those who have not seen the dawn just yet."
Meet Chris and Laura, two of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet William and Jane, two of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Ruth, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Kenneth, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Edward, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Xenia, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Karl, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Daniel, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Anna, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Nick, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet John, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Edna, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Carol Anne, one of the treasures at the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Helen, one of the treasures who is part of the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Father Tom, one of the treasures who is part of the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Catherine, one of the treasures who is part of the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Meet Peter, one of the treasures that is part of the Mission.
Taken from Walking Humbly: The Holiness of the Poor, by St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Dn. Pawel, the prefect of the Lived Theology School Program, highlights connections between the stories of St. Mary of Egypt, the Annunciation, and our own.
Fr. Roberto shares about Joe, an example of someone who feels deeply the struggles of others and has compassion for them.
Fr. Nicolaie shares about the interest in St. Anthony the Great expressed by a man at the mission.
Father Roberto reflects on a moment that he shared with a woman who visits the mission.
Fr. Roberto reflects on one of his experiences with the people that go to the mission for help.
Fr. Roberto shares that there is little that we can do to solve the world's problems, yet that little is perhaps the most important thing in the world.
Fr. Nicolaie expresses the beauty of the mission that many are quick to over look in their every day busy lives.
Paul and Naomi talk about the importance of the mission in the busyness of downtown Toronto. They also reflect on the mission's purpose of being there for those who need them.
Naomi tells about her relationship with an older friend at the mission, and how it relates to living the Orthodox way of life.
Paul shares about his experiences at the mission with children of all backgrounds and from all walks of life. He reflects on a story that changed his perspective of world cultures, and how that pertains to our Orthodox way of life.
Dn. Theodore shares from his many experiences at the mission about the topic of confession.
Dn. Theodore describes an encounter he recently had with a man who claims to have written a quantum formula that proves the existence of God.
The Orthodox view existence as directed toward an encounter with a personal God who gives meaning to all the dimensions of earthly human existence.
Fr. Roberto Ubertino, Founder and Executive Director of St. John the Compassionate Mission, reminds us that the Lord can be found in the crumbs of daily life.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, tells a suffering man to pray, but is that enough?
It's called the Agape meal because that is where we are challenged to live what we have experienced in the liturgy.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, explains that the real work of the mission comes from sitting and talking.
Dn. Pawel, the prefect of the Lived Theology School Program, discusses the narthex of St. John the Compassionate Mission and its meaning.
Nikolai, a counselor at St. John the Compassionate Mission, explains why it's important to break bread together with the poor.
Nikolai, a counselor at St. John the Compassionate Mission, discusses Great Lent and the Early Morning Breakfast Program at the mission.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, discusses a man at the mission who wanted to love God but felt as though he just couldn't love back anymore.
What does The Rule of St. Benedict have to say to an Orthodox mission in 21st-century Toronto?
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, reminds us that by thinking that the sole purpose of a mission is to convert everyone, you put a price tag on compassion.
Fr. Roberto Ubertino, Founder and Executive Director of St. John the Compassionate Mission, tells the story of a man who would have given up hope if not for his remembrance of the bells at the mission.
Dn. Pawel, the prefect of the Lived Theology School Program, describes a typical/atypical lunch discussion at St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Fr. Roberto Ubertino, Founder and Executive Director of St. John the Compassionate Mission, explains how mission work begins by showing how God is already working in people's lives.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, discusses a regular at the mission named John and his encounter with St. Moses the Ethiopian.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, tells a story about Libby, a non-Orthodox woman who attends prayers every day.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, reminds us that Christ arrives at 3:45 on a Friday afternoon.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, tells the story of an unborn child named Maria who changed his life forever.
Dn. Theodore, the Director of Community of St. John the Compassionate Mission, reminds us that our relationship with God needs to be simpler and a lot more trusting.
Fr. Roberto Ubertino, Founder and Executive Director of St. John the Compassionate Mission, demonstrates how part of the challenge and the beauty of living Orthodox mission is learning to accept the tenderness of God in our lives through the poor.
Nikolai, a counselor at St. John the Compassionate Mission, shares how he learned from the mission to be attentive.
Pres. Maria Drossos, Director of Operations, describes what makes St. John the Compassionate Mission unique and different from the outside world.
Only those who suffer and speak the universal language of the heart can help others who suffer.
Dn. Pawel, the prefect of the Lived Theology School Program, tells the story of Karina, one of many who experienced for a time the comfort and safety of St. John the Compassionate Mission.
Fr. Roberto Ubertino, the Founder and Executive Director of St. John's, discusses the open doors of the mission.