Dear popadia Junia Tolbert,

Beloved in the Lord popadias and diaconissas, our spiritual children, We are pleased on behalf of the Holy Synod and on our behalf to greet you paternally on the occasion of your annual gathering on July 16 and 17, 2009, this time in the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church "St. Sophia" in Des Plaines, IL.

We know from the letters and pictures we received last year as well as from the information which was shared with us by our brother and your diocesan hierarch, Metropolitan Joseph, that from year to year your gathering becomes more fruitful and attracts more participants. Perhaps, that is why his Eminence prefers drinking tea, because during "the tea with Dedo Vladika", you always move him with your goodness, kind-heartedness, sobriety, and soulful conversations, which are so important for the life of "the halves" of our priests and deacons in the diocese. From the Gospel of St. Luke (11:27-28) you know that when Jesus preached in the house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, one woman lifted up her voice from the crowd and said: "Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked". And He answered to her: "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it".

We believe that like the woman from the crowd you also are convinced of the blessedness of the womb which bore not only our Lord, but also His greatness as the God-man. And if the woman from the crowd witnessed closely the miracles of the Lord and listened to His words, then on behalf of His Holy Church, we could say that as popadias and diaconissas you also know both the earthly life of our Lord Jesus and the greatness of His service. But what honors you is that you know, see and support not only the life, but also the service of His priests and deacons in the diocese, being "one flesh" with them as "a small house church". Moreover, you see that which the Lord revealed through the Holy Spirit to the apostles. You are witnesses of His work as He revealed it during His earthly service and continues to reveal it in the life of our Holy Church, of which He is the head.

Therefore, if the Lord said to the woman from the crowd, "yes!", let us believe that He also says to us, “Yes, but blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” The Lord Jesus Christ knows Who He is, and knows who His mother is. But He also knows and sees the godly service of all of you. He also says: yes, blessed is the mother of God! But blessed also are you who hear the word of God, keep it, and strive as popadias and diaconissas to imitate her as living witnesses of His words and deeds.

Everything which you do as worthy popadias and diaconissas in supporting your husbands in their service to the Lord and the Church of God, contributes a lot to your tasting of that blessedness.

We praise you for your diligence to participate also in your husbands' love towards the Savior. We rejoice in your constant warm-hearted disposition and fiery love with which you stoke the fire of our Orthodox faith.

Remember that you are chosen by God to be popadias and diaconissas, so that together with your husbands you may grow in faith, wisdom, and holiness. Throughout your lives you should accept in obedience everything that comes from God through His Holy Church.

Being so blessed, you should always follow your believing hearts, and each one of you should be
an image of purity, a faithful spouse, a loving mother, full of mercy and warmth of heart, a zealous churchgoer, a good co-worker of the parish's spiritual father, or, if a diaconissa, of the parish's deacon. Furthermore, as hearers and keepers of the word of God, you are sisters and mothers of Jesus, as He himself says (Mat. 12:50). That is, you are blessed, as His Mother is blessed.
May the blessing of the Lord and His mercy be with all of you!

+Maxim, Patriarch of Bulgarian

Your Eminence, Reverend Fathers, Popadias, Diaconissas,  Delegates, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Fifth Annual Diocesan Conference of Popadias and Diaconissas was held Thursday and Friday, July 16th & 17th, before the regular beginning of the convention itself.  Ten popadias were in attendance, two attending for the first time this year!  A few were unable to attend due to health issues and the economic downturn, but there was most certainly no downturn in the blessings bestowed upon those gathered this year!  

This gathering is a rare opportunity for the women who support, labor for and love the clergy of our parish most dearly to be nourished spiritually themselves – through the wonderful words of  His Holiness Patriarch Maxim in his annual letter to us, through the soul stirring talks from His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph and the opportunity to spend time discussing our concerns with him, through the opportunity to develop friendships and relationships with the other popadias and diaconissas in our diocese, and lastly, but most certainly not the least, through the opportunity to receive the Holy Gifts at Divine Liturgy on Friday morning.  

One topic of importance that we wished to bring to you concerns the establishment of an Orthodox cemetery.  We can all be assured that we will die, but are we assured of where our bones will be laid?  Should we have a cemetery in each city, perhaps pan-orthodox in cooperation with other jurisdictions, or a diocesan cemetery in a central location or even both?  We wish to ask for the formation of a commission to examine these issues and bring some recommendations forward to the convention next year.  His Eminence has blessed this request and we place it before you.

One portion of the letter from His Holiness touched a number of us deeply.  He said, “The Lord Jesus Christ knows who He is, and knows who His mother is.  But He also knows and sees the godly service of all of you.  He also says: yes, blessed is the mother of God! But blessed also are you who hear the word of God, keep it, and strive as popadias and diaconissas to imitate her as living witnesses of His words and deeds.”  This is our desire, and we know how short we fall of such a goal, we ask our prayers to serve you and our parishes well!  

Please put an extra day in your schedule now for next year’s convention, so that your Popadia or Diaconissa can attend! I have heard tell, and I don’t know if it is true, that the popadias in Bulgaria do not work – but we all know that your popadias in America and throughout this diocese work very hard, supporting the work of Christ in our parishes and often financially supporting the family!  We are your “other half” and our spiritual renewal is good for you, too!

Thank you to Fr.Griuou and Popadia Parasceva and all those of the parish of St. Sophia, (especially Maria) for their loving labors throughout this week.  Our most heartfelt love and gratitude to His Holiness for his blessing and continuing prayers for us.  We pray God grant him many more years to lead us!  And most truly we thank our   beloved Metropolitan Joseph.  What a gift to have you as our spiritual father, to pray for us, to guide us by your example of sacrifice and dedication to our Lord Jesus Christ and our Most Holy Theotokos!  Many, many years!

Your sister in Christ,

P. Junia Tolbert
Popadia Junia Tolbert