St John the Wonderworker church in Atlanta

[kamikat]

I will be able to visit this church next week. Has anyone been there? Are the services in English? Will I need a headcover? Thanks!

kamikat

[Bushmaster78FS]

Are you coming to GA? (I forgot if you were living here already) Is Savannah in the plans?

[kamikat]

Nope, we're spending a long weekend in Atlanta. It's been about 12 years since I was in Savannah. It's a neat town!

[Bushmaster78FS]

I want to go to Atlanta for the sole reason of attending the Divine Liturgy that Metropolitan Alexios celebrates. He visited our church in Savannah couple months back, ah he was something outside of this world, I loved it. Greek tones are very close to Turkish classical, that added to my joy.

Of course once we are up there in ATL, a couple of G's on a roller coaster would not be bad! :)

[ByzantineDixie]

I will be able to visit this church next week. Has anyone been there? Are the services in English? Will I need a headcover? Thanks!

kamikat

I know a couple of folks who go there and I could find out from them but eoe has been there and I am pretty sure he'll find this tread!

The priest there...Father Jacob...he seems very special. My priest says he is a saint.

I'd love to have the opportunity to meet a fellow CFer who is visiting ATL...let me know if you decide to go there and maybe I''ll drive in to ATL for the Liturgy that Sunday.

[InnerPhyre]

My priest told me that St. John's is one of the most wonderful parishes he's ever been to.

[Oblio]

Calling eoe ...


I've been there several times, services in English (well there was a Romanian (?) Akathist served after the English when the Sitka Icon was there). Ditto on Fr. Jacob.

[ByzantineDixie]

Calling eoe ...


I've been there several times, services in English (well there was a Romanian (?) Akathist served after the English when the Sitka Icon was there). Ditto on Fr. Jacob.

What about the woman headcoverings? I know that is probably something you do not necessarily pay attention to...but if you remember. We don't cover in Athens.

[Oblio]

Also, I've greatly enjoyed every visit there. Our new priest, Fr. Chris, served there before coming to Macon, so they are somewhat like a sister parish.

[Oblio]

I think it's a mix. I know I've seen headcoverings there, but I'm not sure of the ethnic component. IMO, you are fine either way.

[kamikat]

Great! Our hotel is exactly one mile, so I plan on the daily early am Matins (yes, I am a morning person) and the Sunday DL.

kamikat

[Oblio]

IIRC it is not in the best part of town and borders Grant Park, check with eoe on this, I've always gone in groups or when there was a busy service. Will it be dark ??

[kamikat]

probably, it's at 5:45am
Hey, I used to party in the bad parts of southeast DC. It can't be any worse than that. The only concern is that I can't bring my mace with me on the flight.

[eoe]

sorry.. cooking dinner...

Headcovering is optional. Fr. Jacob is a wonderful guy. Grant park is better than it used to be but you want a car if you are going to vespers.

Be back later....

[eoe]

hey look at that... CF is back.

Sorry that I missed all of that.

Yes St. John's is a wonderful parish. Very service oriented and is located in a great place to be service oriented. Fr. Jacob once told me that if you want to feed the hungry you have to go where there are hungry people. Grant park fits the bill nicely. The strange thing is that the park used to be quite bad. Shootings nightly. The city launched a huge project to clean up the place back in the 90's including redoing the zoo which is 2-300 yards give or take from the front door of the church. Now the park has rebounded quite well and the homes around the park are selling for outrageous sums of money. This place is a case study in gentrification but the process is not complete. You have the uber liberal yuppies that live around the area but you still have a large remnant of the poor and homeless. The park offers a nice place for them to escape.
Every weekday at 10 and 2 St. John's has a loves and fishes program that feeds some of these people. There are also other churches in the area that do the same as well as a mercy hospital and actual shelters.

The result of this is that you have an area where the uber hip liberal yuppies meet the destitute. Do not expect a "rich" parish. They do not have marble floors or super nice "stuff". What they do have is a very warm and welcoming group of people. Leave your expectations and judgements about dress/praxis at the street. Eccelctic is the word here. Just as many people will be barefoot/in flipflops as are in dress attire. (note that this is not a suggestion to "dress down" just an idea of what you might expect. The moment you go barefoot is the moment everyone will wear a suit.)

My suggestion on how to really enjoy your Sunday in Atlanta:
go to the DL (take a change of comfy warm weather clothes) and then afterwards treat yourself to the best breakfast in Atlanta at Ria's bluebird (http://www.riasbluebird.com/)cafe at the end of Cherokee ave (the street that St. Johns is on)
http://a1916.g.akamaitech.net/7/1916/33/1a1ca164b057cb/images.citysearch.com/profile/ec/af/11639883p1.jpghttp://www.riasbluebird.com/cpg132/albums/userpics/10001/13.jpg
you can get one of my favorite lenten/vegan breakfasts - The BIONIC BREAKFAST (http://www.riasbluebird.com/) - is roasted potatoes, mushrooms, onions, poblano and red peppers in a spicy tofu sauce topped off with sprouts (hold the cheese and corn please) with a soy late on the side or you can have more traditional fare. This place won the Best of Atlanta (http://atlanta.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2006/breakfast) for breakfast and other awards (http://sovo.com/2005/8-12/locallife/dining/dining.cfm). That will give you the energy you need to..... head back down Cherokee ave past the church and enjoy the rest of the day at the Atlanta Zoo. (http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm)

After leaving the zoo. I personally would pop off at one of the Orthodox Owned business in the area "Nick's Greek Corner" and have one of their massive Gyros.

Just let me know - I have a season pass to the Zoo and can get one person in free.
An alternative to the Zoo (and a very strange and morbid sounding one) is to talk a walk through Oakland Cemetary (http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/) (across the street) which is a mecca for Photography students.
http://www.slrobertson.com/images/usa/georgia/atlanta/oakland-cemetery-mono-b.jpghttp://www.slrobertson.com/images/usa/georgia/atlanta/oakland-cemetery-2-b.jpg
http://www.slrobertson.com/images/usa/georgia/atlanta/oakland-cemetery-tomb-b.jpg

[Andrea Elizabeth]

Eoe, do you write tourism brochures? Next stop, Atlanta!

[eoe]

^_^

Nope.. but I have done exactly what I listed above. Well...the zoo - not the cemetary, I am not a photographer but it would still be cool. It is a great way to spend the day.

[eoe]

I'd love to have the opportunity to meet a fellow CFer who is visiting ATL...let me know if you decide to go there and maybe I''ll drive in to ATL for the Liturgy that Sunday.

Sounds like a TAW event is brewing... DL/Breakfast/Zoo?

Oblio you think you could make the drive up too?

[MariaRegina]

hey look at that... CF is back.

Sorry that I missed all of that.

Yes St. John's is a wonderful parish. Very service oriented and is located in a great place to be service oriented. Fr. Jacob once told me that if you want to feed the hungry you have to go where there are hungry people. Grant park fits the bill nicely. The strange thing is that the park used to be quite bad. Shootings nightly. The city launched a huge project to clean up the place back in the 90's including redoing the zoo which is 2-300 yards give or take from the front door of the church. Now the park has rebounded quite well and the homes around the park are selling for outrageous sums of money. This place is a case study in gentrification but the process is not complete. You have the uber liberal yuppies that live around the area but you still have a large remnant of the poor and homeless. The park offers a nice place for them to escape.
Every weekday at 10 and 2 St. John's has a loves and fishes program that feeds some of these people. There are also other churches in the area that do the same as well as a mercy hospital and actual shelters.

The result of this is that you have an area where the uber hip liberal yuppies meet the destitute. Do not expect a "rich" parish. They do not have marble floors or super nice "stuff". What they do have is a very warm and welcoming group of people. Leave your expectations and judgements about dress/praxis at the street. Eccelctic is the word here. Just as many people will be barefoot/in flipflops as are in dress attire. (note that this is not a suggestion to "dress down" just an idea of what you might expect. The moment you go barefoot is the moment everyone will wear a suit.)

My suggestion on how to really enjoy your Sunday in Atlanta:
go to the DL (take a change of comfy warm weather clothes) and then afterwards treat yourself to the best breakfast in Atlanta at Ria's bluebird (http://www.riasbluebird.com/)cafe at the end of Cherokee ave (the street that St. Johns is on)
http://a1916.g.akamaitech.net/7/1916/33/1a1ca164b057cb/images.citysearch.com/profile/ec/af/11639883p1.jpghttp://www.riasbluebird.com/cpg132/albums/userpics/10001/13.jpg
you can get one of my favorite lenten/vegan breakfasts - The BIONIC BREAKFAST (http://www.riasbluebird.com/) - is roasted potatoes, mushrooms, onions, poblano and red peppers in a spicy tofu sauce topped off with sprouts (hold the cheese and corn please) with a soy late on the side or you can have more traditional fare. This place won the Best of Atlanta (http://atlanta.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2006/breakfast) for breakfast and other awards (http://sovo.com/2005/8-12/locallife/dining/dining.cfm). That will give you the energy you need to..... head back down Cherokee ave past the church and enjoy the rest of the day at the Atlanta Zoo. (http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm)

After leaving the zoo. I personally would pop off at one of the Orthodox Owned business in the area "Nick's Greek Corner" and have one of their massive Gyros.

Just let me know - I have a season pass to the Zoo and can get one person in free.
An alternative to the Zoo (and a very strange and morbid sounding one) is to talk a walk through Oakland Cemetary (http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/) (across the street) which is a mecca for Photography students.
http://www.slrobertson.com/images/usa/georgia/atlanta/oakland-cemetery-mono-b.jpghttp://www.slrobertson.com/images/usa/georgia/atlanta/oakland-cemetery-2-b.jpg
http://www.slrobertson.com/images/usa/georgia/atlanta/oakland-cemetery-tomb-b.jpg


You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to eoe again.

[Oblio]

Sounds like a TAW event is brewing... DL/Breakfast/Zoo?

Oblio you think you could make the drive up too?

I would love to, but we will be in Brasstown NC Fri eve/Sat to visit Iacobus and family and hope to continue on to arrive in STL late Sat night to visit family. To bad we cannot make it, but this is a hard reservation to visit my parents for fall vacation in Branson.

[kamikat]

I can do DL and breakfast, not sure about the zoo. We're there for a convention, not a touristy visit. I may not know for sure until I get there Friday night what the schedule is. I told husband about the big famous church near our hotel (Father also recommended that I visist)so he knows I'm planning on going. I'll probably also be at the Sat morning liturgy, not sure about Vespers.
kamikat

[eoe]

We're there for a convention
You make it sound like a business convention....^_^

[kamikat]

You make it sound like a business convention....^_^

Well, it is, somewhat, for my husband. I'm still not sure what I'm gonna do there. It's not really my cup o' tea. I've never been to one of these things. The main reason I'm going is because the hotel is on someone else's dime, it's VERY rare that husband takes time off of work AND mother-in-law is coming to stay with the kids, so we'll actually be traveling ALONE.

kamikat

[eoe]

Wear a "Death to the World" t-shirt. With that crowd it is likely that it would be a very effective icebreaker.

[kamikat]

Wow! What a beautiful church! I arrived Saturday morning just after Matins started. Other than Father Jacob and a reader, I was the only person there. Father introduced himself to me and welcomed me. After Matins, he gave me a pendant with an icon of St John. We then had a wonderful DL, with just me, eoe and two others. I love quiet liturgies like that. It was just waht I needed to get through a crazy weekend!
kamikat

[eoe]

It was a very peaceful, calm liturgy wasn't it? I think that is the earliest I have been to a liturgy. I may have to start going to the pre-dawn services from time to time.
It might not have marble floors and high ceilings but St. John's exudes grace in a way that is unique.