Seminary did not prepare me for the nonsense that I have to deal with as a parish priest. Advanced degrees in ministry or theology can never anticipate the weirdness of reality. And yet, here we are, struggling through the complexities of a real world, trying to focus on salvation, and trying to insure dignity and order in the church and her affairs. Did you ever wonder why there’s only a stairway to heaven, but a highway to hell? Think about this… I hint at things, and it goes unnoticed. I ask politely, and am ignored. I state things honestly, and am criticized for being “mean.” Subtlety does not work here. Polite requests do not work here. Only the unequivocal harshness of reality seems to get any attentions. Sadly, here is a harsh reality with which we must contend. Ss. Peter & Paul Parish (Berlin/Pine Hill) engaged a lawyer to file a cease and desist notice, as well as a notice of criminal trespass against an individual agitating in the parish cemetery. The State Police have been informed, and charges will be filed if this agitation persists. This is not a polite reminder. This is a real warning to everyone: you are not entitled to do whatever you want in the church cemeteries (or, for that matter, in the church itself). You may not treat church property as you would your own, and, without a legal easement document, you are not entitled to burial in the cemetery. We don’t care what your last name is. We don’t care who your parents were. This is especially true if you are not a Baptized Orthodox Christian, and you do nothing to support the church. The burial grounds are for the faithful, not their deadbeat children. The local undertaker and county coroner have been instructed that this agitator is not to be buried in the church cemetery, and no future funeral will occur without the priest’s permission and proof of plot “ownership.” No church council and no individual member of the church board has the authority or right to enter into negotiations without the express consent and participation of the priest. This is a hierarchal church, and like it or not, not one thing takes place without the permission of the rector (the priest in charge). Announcements