Orthodox archbishop to visit Durango
The Eastern Orthodox Mission of Durango will host Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West this weekend.
The archbishop will attend the Great Vespers service at 5 p.m. Saturday at the chapel in the Main Mall, 835 Main Ave., Suite 207. Afterward, the congregation will go out to dinner at a local restaurant.
The archbishop will serve the Divine Liturgy at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service. Afterward, the congregation will have lunch at a parishioner’s home.
For more information about the archbishop’s visit, call Benjamin Huggins, priest of the Orthodox Mission of Durango, at 946-8685. For more information about the mission, visit ProphetElijahDurango.org.
Pagosa Springs churches have notable changes
Immaculate Heart of Mary, 451 Lewis St., and John Paul II Catholic Church, 353 South Pagosa Blvd. – both in Pagosa Springs – announce these Mass and confession changes:
Mass: 5 p.m. Saturday (Anticipatory) and 9 a.m. Sunday at John Paul II and 11:15 a.m. Sunday at Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Daily mass: 7:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 5:15 p.m. Tuesday at John Paul II.
Confession: 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday at John Paul II and 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Immaculate Heart of Mary.
For more information or to set up an appointment for confession, call 731-5744.
Anglican sermon series to begin on Psalms
A new sermon series about Psalms will begin at All Saints Anglican Church.
The first sermon in the series is called “God Above the Storm” and will be given by the Rev. Edward W. Fowler, who will deliver throughout Trinity season beginning June 15. Worship service will be at 10 a.m. in the Windom Room of Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave.
For more information, call 946-4822 or visit www.allsaintsdurango.org.
Teaching of Maitripa’s song on Thursday
Khenpos Lobzang and Jigme, resident lamas at the Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, will present a teaching on Maitripa’s song to Marpa the Translator from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Rocky Mountain Retreat, 848 East Third Ave.
Maitripa offered this song to Marpa as a parting instruction during Marpa’s first journey to India. Marpa undertook three journeys to India from Tibet to receive Buddhist teachings from Maitripa, Naropa and other great Indian masters. His translations of Sanskrit texts into Tibetan and his personal guidance helped establish Buddhism in Tibet.
For more information, call 259-0063 or email njscjold@msn.com.
Southern Baptists oppose reassignment
BALTIMORE – Delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting have passed a resolution declaring gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by self-perception.
The resolution approved Tuesday states the denomination opposes hormone therapy, gender reassignment surgery and other efforts to “alter one’s bodily identity.”
According to the resolution, “God’s design was the creation of two distinct and complementary sexes, male and female.”
The resolution expresses opposition to government efforts to “validate transgender identity as morally praiseworthy.”
The resolution also condemns the bullying and abuse of transgender people and expresses love and compassion for “those whose sexual self-understanding is shaped by a distressing conflict between their biological sex and their gender identity.”
Herald Staff & Associated Press
