A Letter to Fr George Kallauer from Fr Anatoly Trepatschko, 2001

	Dear Reverend Fathers: In a message dated 10/6/01 10:44:18 AM Central Daylight Time, Father Archpriest George Kallaur, my nephew wrote: "I am honored to speak, for the first time, via this respected venue. I wish to share with you all the following. My Matushka and I wish to thank Father George Larin and his Matushka, Ekaterina, for hosting Sunday evening's (9/30/01) wonderful, prayerful, and family like Clergy gathering which brought all of us - Peace, Joy in the Lord and helped us share in the topic of cardinal importance - our Holy Church⤙s return to peace and tranquility, discussing its historical path, its confession of Truth and the general topic of our Church and "relations" with the Moscow patriarchate." Such gatherings of clergy are most welcome and deserve to be recognized. However, some points need to be addressed as my nephew's letter lacks continuity of thought and logic. For example, in paragraph #11, Father George states: "Vladika also expressed his desire that those who had come out strongly and disobeyed the Synod and their Diocesan Bishops - come to the knowledge of their errors and come back into the fold of our Church - their path is not the right one - it is one of schism. We should earnestly and fervently pray for these, our dear brethren in error." This paragraph #11 contradicts the following paragraph #12: "Vladika also said that this upcoming Sobor will revisit and reassess some of the decisions of the last Sobor, that have caused so much concern within the ranks of the clergy and laity of our Church. God Willing, the right decisions will be arrived at." Why does Bishop Gabriel find these brethren clergy and laity in schism? He states that this upcoming Sobor 10/2001 will revisit and reassess some of the decisions of the last Sobor 10/2000. What will you revisit? What will you reassess? Is it not the very thing you accuse us clergy and laity of, yet refer to us as being in schism? Who really is in schism? I remember being told of our great-grandmothers and grandmothers walking 40 kilometers to attend the Catacomb Churches, not wishing to attend the open Sergianist/Stalinist churches in their cities. They attended alone, quietly, silently, already widowed during these times of executions. Their only guilt? Faith in God. My parents, finding themselves "stateless" in South America, first and foremost sought to erect a Church whose beauty amazed the then Bishop, St. John of San Francisco on his visit to Venezuela, South America. My beloved brother, Hieromonk Ignaty (of Blessed memory), labored 30 years at Holy Trinity Monastery seeking nothing more than his salvation and the salvation of those surrounding him. Also, my beloved Father, after my Mother's repose, also entered into monasticism tonsured with the name of Iona, also labored 23 years at Holy Trinity Monastery reposing on the First Holy Day of Easter 4/30/1989 (ns). Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that my Mother also reposed on the most Holiest of Feastdays in which our Church venerates our Holy Mother, The Feast of the Assumption, considered as the Easter of our Theotokos. Are these not signs of piousness? And the history of my matushka Irene's family. Reaching the shores of America her uncle, Father George Pawlusik and all of his sisters and brother built the Church of St. John of Krondstadt in Utica, NY, established the Fund of Assistance in the name of St. John, providing relief for thousands of immigrants of World War II fleeing communism, and were also instrumental in bringing forth to its fruition, the canonization of Father John. Having relocated to Virginia after my early retirement, first on our agenda was to build a house-church. Instead of a simple Chapel, it evolved into a magnificent, hand crafted Church with a superb choir and very faithful, God fearing parishioners, glorifying God and our beloved Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. On many occasions, Bishop Gabriel was invited to share in our happiness, but to no avail. Bishop Gabriel failed to reply/respond to our invitations. Due to the fact that our parish has grown and in need of a Deacon, Bishop Gabriel was sent a letter requesting that a Deacon be tonsured for our parish. Again, no reply. Dear Bishop Gabriel, you know next to nothing of our fervent Faith, dare to ignore us and reach the conclusion that we are in schism. How dare you accuse us, as well as the so-called "schismatic" clergy and laity in America, Canada, Europe and Russia, having endured from some of our bishops intolerable degradation's, insurmountable insults, countless innuendoes equating us to "grunting pig's", "zealots whose bones need crushing" and "whose mouths need to be shut". And all of this blind zeal directed at us, for being faithful guardians of the very principles on which our beloved Church Abroad was established and stood for over 80 years. Yes, all of these things we have endured, clinging strongly to the words of Our Lord, Jesus Christ: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven." (Matt 5:11) Oh, our dear Bishops, how we pray that Almighty God would lift the veil of darkness from your eyes, so you may be just and all loving, gathering all of us, your children of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad under your wings. The hundreds of "open letters" sent to you were not written by pen alone, but with the heartfelt tears expounding from the depth of our souls. You only found them as unworthy of your time, attention and a mere bother. They addressed the very things Bishop Gabriel now ascertains have caused so much concern among us resulting in upheaval within our Church. If attention to this matter had been properly and timely applied, perhaps all concerns would have been rectified. MAY GOD HELP US ALL!!!!!!!! In Christ, Father Anatoly Trepatschko