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 His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta will be making an Archpastoral visit to South Florida this weekend. A live broadcast of Sunday's services with His Eminence, which will include an ordination to the holy diaconate, will be available on the Web site of the Orthodox Christian Network. Later that same Sunday, Jan. 13, OCN will be broadcasting another live Web TV program, which will feature interviews with four other Orthodox hierarchs.
On Sunday, His Eminence will be celebrating the Divine Liturgy at St. Demetrios Church in Ft. Lauderdale and ordaining Gustavo Alfonso to the permanent Diaconate.
Gustavo is a native of Havana, Cuba and a convert to Orthodoxy.
Sunday's Divine Liturgy and Gustavo's ordination will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.MyOCN.net, and will be available for viewing in the OCN TV archive for one week. If you have never witnessed a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy, or an ordination to the Holy Diaconate, be sure to check out the broadcast.
The hierarchal theme will continue through Sunday evening, as the Orthodox Christian Network will be broadcasting a live Web TV program at 5 p.m. EST.
This broadcast will feature special guests, including Archbishop Demetrios (Primate of the GOA and Chairman of SCOBA), Metropolitan Herman (Primate of the OCA), Metropolitan Methodios (GOA Metropolitan of Boston), and Bishop Joseph (Antiochian Bishop of Los Angeles).
Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear from these guests and others about the growth of Orthodox media outreach in this country.
For more on the ordinand, Gustavo Alfonso, and this weekend's schedule of services, see below.
Gustavo Gregory Alfonso - Biography
Gustavo Alfonso was born in Havana, Cuba in 1959. His family left the island as exiles in 1960 and arrived in Miami, where Gustavo was raised in a devout Roman Catholic household. He recalls being very influenced by his paternal grandmother, who from early in his life taught him awareness of a loving God.
Gustavo attended a public elementary school in Hialeah, and later was enrolled at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School where he studied for junior and senior high, and graduated with honors in 1977. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami and a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University. He worked for 22 years at BellSouth and AT&T in the Corporate Affairs department. After taking early retirement, he pursued a career in real estate and is currently a certified commercial real estate appraiser and licensed broker.
As a teen and young adult, Gustavo was active in church activities. He felt a great affinity towards Orthodoxy since his youth, but it was the profound impact of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 which drove him to seek out a nearby Orthodox Church. He accepted Orthodox Christianity as the true expression of his faith in its fullness. He converted and was Chrismated with the name Gustavo Gregory on December 19 of that year. He later felt the vocation to the diaconate and was encouraged by his father confessor to enroll in the St. Stephen’s Program of Theology, a three year course of studies that he will complete this spring. Gustavo is humbled and grateful for the trust placed in him by his Father in Christ, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, who has chosen to ordain him to the Holy Diaconate – the ministry of service.
Gustavo’s conversion had a deep effect on his family, and his wife and children subsequently were Chrismated as well. He has been happily married to Margarita María Méndez for 18 years, and they are blessed with two wonderful children; David Gustavo, 16, and Cecilia Margarita, 12. The whole family is very actively involved in their beloved parish, St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Miami.
Schedule of services for this weekend
Saturday, January 12, 2008
St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church
110 Southern Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
561-833-6387
Pastor Fr. Andrew Maginas
Orthros @ 9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy @ 10:00AM
Diving for Holy Cross will take place at approximately 12 Noon
Sunday, January 13, 2008
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
815 NE 15 Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33304
954-467-1515
Orthros @ 9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy @ 10:00 AM
Live Web TV Special @ 5:00 PM
For further information contact:
Rev. Dr. Christopher T. Metropulos
Vicar of South Florida
Pastor of St. Demetrios
954-467-1515
Cell 561-251-0067
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