A talk delivered by Fr. Maximus (Marretta) to the Inter-Orthodox Conference "Orthodoxy and Modern Ecumenism," University of Chicago, March 5/18, 2007.

When I meet people from our more established parishes, they are often curious to hear about our missionary endeavors in North Carolina. Coming from parishes that have been in existence for some time, which gather to worship in full-fledged church buildings with chanters and a congregation made up of many mature Orthodox families, mostly of Greek background, with a smattering of converts, they are often surprised to hear about our work here and what life is like on the “frontiers” of Orthodoxy. With the dual aim of providing further information to our brothers and sisters in the other parishes, and increasing interest in missions so that others may become interested in entering this field, I have decided to compose a few words about our life here and experiences.

Q. I noticed that we call the angels Michael and Gabriel "Saint." I thought the title "Saint" was only given to humans who have proven themselves Godly. Do you mind clarifying this for me? Is there a deeper meaning to "Saint" that I am not aware of?