Lives of the Saints - query

[OrthodoxServant86]

Hello all, Christ is born!

I had asked this question in another thread, but the header was of a different subject, so I'll just toss it out in the open again if no one minds :) .

What sources, preferably books, do you use in reading the lives of the saints? I understand the Prologue by St. Nikolai is a very good resource (indeed, I use it almost daily), but it lacks the comprehensive nature of the greek and russian originals, namely unabridged accounts of the saints' lives and works with anecdotes. So, what compilations do you use, and which could you reccomend?

I had in mind to purchase the great synaxaristes of holy apostles convent ( http://www.buenavistaco.com/GOC/hac-synsummary.html (http://www.buenavistaco.com/GOC/hac-synsummary.html) ), although it apparently lacks entries for all (!) slavic saints, but it has wonderfully complete accounts for all "south of Thrace" ones. If anyone has this, I would greatly appreciate your opinion regarding it.

In love and peace,

-Justin

[Julio]

Dear Justin! I forgot to answer your question in that thread; please fogive me!

Again, if you go to the Chrysostom Press website (http://www.chrysostompress.org), you will see that Fr Christopher Stade is translating from the Russian St Dimitri of Rostov's Lives of the Saints, which are wonderful and very complete. In fact, when he didn't write in all detail about the life and sufferings of the Great-martyr Orestes, the saint appeared to him showing him all the details of his martyrdom!

Also, a translation of the Mesyatsoslov of the Russian Church by Fr Stephen Jannos is available online here (http://oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Feasts-and-Saints/Feasts_Saints.html).

I hope this is helpful to you!

[twin]

Actually, Fr. Christopher Stade is only translating The Explanations of the Gospels from Greek. Fr. Thomas Marretta, another ROCOR priest is translating The Lives of the Saints from the Russian original of St. Dimitri of Rostov. They work together for Chrysostom Press.

[Julio]

Actually, Fr. Christopher Stade is only translating The Explanations of the Gospels from Greek. Fr. Thomas Marretta, another ROCOR priest is translating The Lives of the Saints from the Russian original of St. Dimitri of Rostov. They work together for Chrysostom Press.I stand corrected!

I think I met Fr Thomas once at Jordanville, but not your father, in whose diocese my former parish is! Although I must ask my godfather (the Priest Michael Carney) if he remembers whether Fr Christopher was in the Des Plaines Cathedral for Pokrov 2000.

[twin]

I'm sure he was, we always go for Pokrov. Wow, that's neat that you used to be in our diocese! I don't think I've ever met your godfather, but my father probably has if he goes to the priest conferences.

[Julio]

I'm sure he was, we always go for Pokrov. Wow, that's neat that you used to be in our diocese! I don't think I've ever met your godfather, but my father probably has if he goes to the priest conferences.
Yes, I used to belong to the St Heman Mission in Grand Rapids, MI before I moved here. Father and I were down in Chicago very frequently.

Hey, is this your father in this picture (http://www.roca.org/chicagoanddetroit/DCP02377.JPG)? Because if it is, the one to the left is my godfather. ;)

[twin]

Oh, yes it is! My father was just telling us about that priest! Didn't he recently come into ROCOR? And does he have two adult children who live in Cedar Rapids, IA? If so, my god daughter's parents know them. My, it's a small world!

[gzt]

Cedar Rapids? Oh my, this is a very small world, I'm just thirty miles south of there.

[Julio]

Oh, yes it is! My father was just telling us about that priest! Didn't he recently come into ROCOR? And does he have two adult children who live in Cedar Rapids, IA? If so, my god daughter's parents know them. My, it's a small world!
Actually, my godfather wasn't the priesy your father was telling you about -- Fr Michael has been in the Church abroad since 1993, and was ordained a priest in 1994 at for Argyle St. Cathedral in LA. He came to Grand Rapids in 2000, and he and Matushka have no children. But al least we have photographic evidence that they know each other! :D

[Prawnik]

I think I know the adult children of the Priest you are not referring to.

Very small world.

[twin]

Really, Prawnik? That's so cool! I've never met them, but my god daughter's mother really likes them! I was just in Cedar Rapids about a month ago to visit them.
Well, as you say Julio, at least they know each other!

[Julio]

I think I know the adult children of the Priest you are not referring to. Very small world.
We should figure out the "six degrees of separation" implications of this thread! :D

[OrthodoxServant86]

Thank you very much Julio, I think I may very well go with this set :) . But please tell me this; how is progress on these volumes? Is the reverend father working on them at a steady pace, and is it likely that the series will be eventually completed? I am sorry for being so inquisitive on the matter, it is because I am looking for something I can look forward to seeing completed in all twelve volumes, especially since this is what I plan to use my Christmas money on.

Thanks again for the reccomendation :) !

In love and peace,

-Justin

[twin]

Yes, Fr. Thomas is working at a fairly steady pace, finishing a volume at the rate of about one every year and a half. The volumes vary in size so he can't finish all volumes at the same rate. I think that the March volume is almost finished being translated. But it takes awhile to get it published, so it will probably be available after Sept. 2005. You're not being inquisitive, many people want to know.

[OrthodoxServant86]

ah, thank you twin, I believe this finalizes my decision :) . I take it then that you and many others too hold Father Thomas' work in high regard for quality.

Thank you for your input in this!

In love and peace,

-Justin

[Julio]

I take it then that you and many others too hold Father Thomas' work in high regard for quality.
Speaking for myself, I think it's a marvellous set of volumes. I do not yet own them (I'm saving! I'm saving! :D ) but there are some full lives posted on the Chrysostom Press website (http://www.chrysostompress.org/collection/online_lives/) which will show you just how beautiful the translation is. I then saw some of the volumes at a friend's house last year, and they are handsomely and sturdily bound. I can't praise them enough.

[vanshan]

I have all the published volumes from Chrysostom Press to date, and like them very much. Thank God for the productive fathers and monastics of ROCOR.

Basil

[ShiFuBill]

There is a book that goes tells the lives of the saints according to their place in the calander. It's several volumes, and I only found one on Amazon. The whole set was going on eBay a while back.
S.

[Rick of Wessex]

Justin,

Hello all, Christ is born!

Glorify Him!

I had in mind to purchase the great synaxaristes of holy apostles convent ( http://www.buenavistaco.com/GOC/hac-synsummary.html (http://www.buenavistaco.com/GOC/hac-synsummary.html) )

Please don't buy anything from them. This monastery is authentic Orthoducks - they were initially ROCOR, but then went to two "authentic Orthoducks" Greek pseudo-synods and later changed to the ROAC (Russian Orthodox Authonomous Church, an herectic group that split from ROCOR in Russia).

According to their site, they're now temporarily independent (http://www.buenavistaco.com/GOC/ds-history.html).

Do not support them.

Rick