I attended a Compline service at a Byzantine church tonight

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7_Sorrows

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It was my first time in a Byzantine church, but I had attended 2 outdoor prayer services before. It was a beautiful church. I loved the icons. I liked the altar.

Their prayer service was sung and we stood almost the whole time.

Except for the blessings, the priest faced the altar, not tne people.

Anyone here a member of the Byzantine church that would like to give me some history or background?
 
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The Byzantine Catholic church or our lost brothers from the East?
 
7_Sorrows said:
It was my first time in a Byzantine church, but I had attended 2 outdoor prayer services before. It was a beautiful church. I loved the icons. I liked the altar.

Their prayer service was sung and we stood almost the whole time.

Except for the blessings, the priest faced the altar, not tne people.

Anyone here a member of the Byzantine church that would like to give me some history or background?
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I am Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic. In the United States the Church is called the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, USA. There are four jurisdictions in the USA and two others in Ukraine and Czech Republic.

You can explore the Metropolitan Cantor website for details on liturgy. Compline is part of the Divine Praises. Liturgical daily cycle of the Byzantine Rite

Churches: http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=123&pagetypeID=9&pageno=1

Statistics: http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=125&pagetypeID=1&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1
 
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7_Sorrows said:
Except for the blessings, the priest faced the altar, not tne people.
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He wasn’t facing the Holy Table (what you called “altar”) for itself. Rather, like the congregation, he was facing East . . .,
 
They are not lost as they are also Catholic. They celebrate the Dvine Liturgy.

@CarmeliteKnight
 
Well, I found out you only need to talk to the priest if you want to begin
attending a Byzantine Catholic church.

There was a 7 branch candlestand on the altar that resembled the Jewish
menorah.

@RyanBlack
 
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A Byzantine Catholic church.

@Margaret_Ann
 
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The seven branched candlestick represents the 7 Sacraments. Technically, it’s supposed to be on its own stand behind the Holy Table (Altar).

This is my parish from Bright Week 2018. We actually have 2 of them. 🙂

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@Margaret_Ann

thank you for that information. are you Byzantine Catholic?
 
My mom is Byzantine Catholic and my late father was Ukrainian Greek Catholic so technically I’m Ukrainian Greek Catholic.

However, we have Byzantine Catholic relatives in upstate PA so I’ve been to Byzantine Catholic churches as well as Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches.

This is a side chapel from St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Pittsburgh (Munhall):

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And this is from St. Nicholas Chapel at GCU Headquarters in Beaver, PA:

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7_Sorrows said:
Well, I found out you only need to talk to the priest if you want to begin
attending a Byzantine Catholic church.
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Basically. To attend, you really don’t even have to speak with the priest, although some priests may want to confirm you are Catholic before communing you. Just so you know, any Catholic may attend and receive communion in any of the 24 particular churches that make up the Catholic Church.
 
Oh, how interesting. I did not know there was a Ukranian Greek Catholic church.

Thanks for the pictures. Very nice.

I live in the Southwest in a large city.

There are 2 Byzantine Catholic churches here, a Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic church, a Maronite Catholic church, a Melkite Catholic chirch and a Ukranian
Catholic church and a Syro Malabar Catholic Mission.

@Margaret_Ann
 
I’m so glad you had the opportunity to attend Compline. It is one of my favorite services and somewhat rare to find it celebrated outside of a monastery.
 
It was beautiful. We had the service to mark the end of the 40 Days for Life
fall campaign.

Is there a website to visit that identifies what you usually see inside the church?
 
7_Sorrows said:
Oh, how interesting. I did not know there was a Ukranian Greek Catholic church.
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The Ukrainian Catholic Church is one of 14 Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine rite.
 
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