Welcome to St. Job of Pochaiv Orthodox Church, a parish under the omophorion of His Grace, Bishop DANIEL of the UOC of the USA. We are located at 1319 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

We are a vibrant and growing community of faith, worshipping our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, in a historical way. As St. Andrew put it so succintly, "Come and see!"

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The Prosopon School of Iconology
Icon Painting Workshop
in the Byzantine-Russian Tradition
June 12-17, 2017
St. Anne Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Hosted by St. Job of Pochaiv Orthodox Church

DESCRIPTION
This expanded course offering involves the study of the ancient floating technique of icon painting in the Byzantine Russian tradition, which reached its height in the XV-XVI centuries. Students will study the many-stepped method of layering egg tempera under the instruction of a teacher from the Prosopon School of Iconology. Gesso application, gilding on bole, and final olipha application will also be taught. Each step has a symbolic and theological basis as a liturgical art. This basis will be taught parallel to the technique. Normally, each individual student completes an Icon by the end of the course. A background in art is NOT required to be successful in this course. Beginner and Advanced students welcome. Download complete course description (pdf).

Daily Schedule of Classes
9:00 a.m to noon - instruction
Break for lunch
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (estimate) - instruction

TECHNICAL CONTENTS OF COURSE
1. Explanation of the preparation of the board with gesso ground, levkas
2. Transferring the Image and its engraving: preparation of the surface under the gold (red clay application)
3. Gilding and burnishing
4. First layer of color, roskrish
5. Redrawing of the outlines; first highlights, vokhrenie
6. First float of transparent color, plav'
7. Second highlight
8. Second float
9. Second redrawing; third highlight, enliveners, ozhivki
10. Linseed oil application, Olipha
11. Questions, make-up, review of the process, and instructor's comments regarding each icon

WORKSHOP FOR BEGINNER STUDENTS
Beginning students will commence their studies on the image of the Archangel Michael and work in a step by step process towards its completion. Along with the technical application and instruction, the theological understanding of the Icon will be presented. This icon is the first of the curriculum which is structured as a progression of icons that reflect the growing skills and spirituality of the student. The icon of the Archangel Michael is followed by the icon of the Archangel Gabriel. The next two icons in the series are the icons of John the Baptist and the Theotokos, the Mother of God. If the student has already completed these four icons, the student should inform the School at the time of enrollment and instructors will provide advice of which icon is to be completed at the workshop.

WORKSHOP FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS
Advanced students will continue their studies with a more complex icon selected by the instructor - or an icon that they have selected - and will work towards its completion. Instruction will concentrate on more advances methods and refinements with a focus on highlights, blending of pigments and geometric proportion of figures. Taught along with the technical painting will be the theological unfolding of the icon. Advanced students may bring their own brushes and other supplies. This year advanced students may select icon of the Resurrection or another in consultation with instructor.

REFERENCE LITURATURE
The Bible; Liturgical Books, i.e., writings of Saint John of Damascus, Saint Theodore the Studite, Saint Gregory Palamas; works of Leonid Uspensky and Pavel Florensky; "The Iconpainter's Pattern Book"; “The Icon” by Egon Sendler which contains both theologyand technical information. Some titles will be available for purchase.

TUITION, PAYMENT, and REGISTRATION DEADLINES
Tuition for the workshop includes Instructor tuition, Gessoed “student” (9x14) board. gold leaf sheets (3), pigments, brushes, etc. Tuition is $650 if paid by May 15; if paid after tuition is $665 Advanced students icon board please add $15 Deposit of $325 assures a place in the class (enrollment is limited); the balance is due by June 13. All deposits are non-refundable unless the workshop is under-enrolled, in which case all deposits will be returned. Make check payable to: Icon Workshop-Saint Job Orthodox Church, 1319 Trinity Drive, Los Alamos, NM 87544.

LOCATION
Saint Anne Church
511 Alicia Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501

QUESTIONS?
For additional information or any questions you may have, call Elizabeth Bezzerides at 505-660-9113 or e-
mail ebezzerides@gmail.com.

A Retrospective of the 21st Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

Charles Beck

A Sobor is defined as an ecclesiastical synod, council, or assembly of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  Every three years the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America (UOC of USA) holds its Sobor, which is made up of the clergy and two lay delegates from each parish for the purpose of discerning the consensus on important matters concerning the UOC of USA. 

Father Theophan has asked me to share with you some of my impressions of 21st Regular Sobor of our UOC of USA, which was held October 17 - 22, 2016, at the Ukrainian Cultural Center (UCC) in Somerset, NJ, and which bore the title Called by Christ; Gifted by the Holy Spirit.  The Metropolia Center Complex has the feel of a college-campus and all the things located there are described at  http://www.uocofusa.org/cultural_center.html .  The UCC facility serves as the spiritual, educational, and cultural center for most Ukrainian Orthodox Christians outside of Ukraine.  Our meetings were held in the main building of the UCC. 

Father Theophan and I flew together to the Newark airport in New Jersey, and from there took a taxi to Somerset, (South Bound Brook), NJ.  we stayed in the Hotel Somerset Bridgewater conveniently located within walking distance of the UCC.  A day later we were joined by our other delegate, Elizabeth Bezzerides, who flew in from Boston where she was visiting her son and his family.  Almost all the meetings took place in the large multipurpose room of the main building of the UCC building, which also doubled as our dining hall.  The kitchen and serving staff prepared three delicious meals each day for the Sobor clergy and delegates.  That staff worked from before dawn, throughout the day, and into the evening hours, cooking, serving, moving around tables, chairs, and portable curtain walls in order to accommodate the meetings, meals, and other functions at the Sobor.  

The agenda schedule was ambitious and thorough, and I recommend that you browse through the white three-ring binder notebook if you are interested in any of the details of the schedule and rules of the Sobor and the many reports presented, which covered all aspects of the functioning of the UOC of USA. 

The main feature of the 2016, 21st UOC of USA Sobor was the presentation and final approval of the the UOC of USA Strategic Plan outlining in detail our Church’s vision for the future.  In the Scriptural words of Metropolitan Antony”

“Where there is no vision, the people will perish.”  (Proverbs 29:18)

This Plan is the result of more than a year of intense effort of a committee of 70 clergy and lay stewards who  developed our Strategic Plan by consensus after considering available data and issues.  Through a disciplined process, this committee first conducted a detailed analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of the parishes in the UOC of USA, and then drew up this Mission Statement:

The Mission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA is to offer healing, comfort, wholeness, spiritual fulfillment, and joy as we work together to reveal the beauty of God’s creation by proclaiming and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 Also, in conjunction with this Mission Statement, a dynamic and inspirational Vision Statement was developed:

The Vision of the UOC of USA is to transform lives through Christ-centered, compassionate, and welcoming communities that embody Sacred Scripture and Holy Tradition while serving and ministering to people as they navigate contemporary life.

This Strategic plan was adopted the 21st Sobor of the UOC of USA by a unanimous vote, and will serve as our working document as we move forward into the future.

I invite you to take home and read one of the several copies of our Strategic Plan that will be available in the church library.  If you prefer, it is available online as a downloadable PDF at:  

http://uocofusa.org/files/strategy/ABSOLUTE-FINAL-UOC-of-USA-STRATEGIC-PLAN.pdf

I highly recommend that everyone at St. Job’s Parish plan to attend one of the future Sobors either as one of the two delegates, or as a guest.  I guarantee that it will be an edifying experience with daily divine liturgy services in the morning; wonderful food and fellowship at the three meal-times of the day; and then the “wall-to-wall” meetings and reports with the goal of prayerfully charting the future course of the UOC of USA.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles Beck, delegate to the 21st Sobor of the UOC of USA

June 25, 2016 -- Drs. David and Mary Ford visited St Job Church to present the lecture, "Marriage as a Path to Holiness." Dr. David Ford's talk on holiness in marriage and tips for infusing Christianity in family life was well-attended and motivating to all! For this event, we were able to get a permit to temporarily use our new church space, in development on Trinity Avenue in downtown Los Alamos. The picture shows a glimpse of our new fellowship space. For more information on this topic, check out the Fords' two books, Marriage as a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints.