Both are autocephalous/self-governing churches.
The music in a Greek Orthodox Church would almost certainly be Byzantine chant. In the OCA it would more likely tend toward Slavic chant.The OCA, if I am not mistaken, also has special parishes which help serve certain immigrant communities, like the Bulgarians (but of course, they are open to all). The OCA is a bit like a box of chocolates, I guess.Both are autocephalous/self-governing churches.
In terms specifically of going to a service at these two, of the two of them the OCA is more likely to have a mostly English liturgy. In my experience the Greek Churches retain their liturgical Greek and may then have things repeated (Holy Gospel, homily) in English. However we have an OCA parish near my home which services are in Slavonic.
This Thursday is the Feast of the Ascension so I’d expect both of them to have the festal Vigil Wed. night (not a Eucharistic liturgy) which would be glorious services and can run a couple of hours, the Greek festal vigil being shorter than the OCA, in my experience here in CA, and celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Thursday, the Feastday.
If either of the parishes is named “Ascension”, as is our local Greek Orthodox Cathedral, then Thursday would also be their altar feast, a hugely important day for a parish, and if he can the bishop would come for an hierarchical Divine Liturgy.
You’d be surprised to know I visited an OCA Church.
Sadly, they aren’t in full communion. Yet.
The Greek Orthodox are mostly Greek. Most parishes have some ‘Americans’ but some are overwhelmingly immigrants. In my area there are some parishes that are very ‘American’ and English and some that are not.
Will be … when Rome is readySadly, they aren’t in full communion. Yet.
Will be … when Rome is ready
They are not yet in communion with Rome. Perhaps you should investigate the Eastern Catholic rites of which there are several. Check out byzcath.org for more information.
Sadly, they aren’t in full communion. Yet.
I found this at a oca.org/questions/romancatholicism/infallibility which seems to me to be a very nice website with a lot of good information. This answer indicates to me that the churches will always be independent of one another.
So, you don`t wish a unity? Remember: it is far more than Rome. The day when people can say unity with an open mind, an open heart and really mean it: then maybe…yes…maybe things can happen.
Why would you assume Truelight does not want unity?
I think you missed the irony in the two smiles. I didn’t.
I agree, OCA does have a nice website.
I hope you reconsider.
Sitting during services or Divine Liturgy is not going to distract anyone. It would be a very unusual Greek Orthodox Church if it doesn’t have pews. Tonight in Ascension Vespers at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral as usual the Metropolitan and priest celebrant kept gesturing “down, down” ie SIT. We stood, as usual, maybe 1/4 of the time. And several people pretty much sat the entire time because they needed to do so. The OCA parish is unlikely to have pews but will probably have benches and chairs around the perimeter. There are several people in my OCA parish who sit most of the time because they need to. I have a young friend, grad school, with an injury that causes him to sit through nearly the entire Divine Liturgy.Fr. Tom Hopko is a wonderful teacher. I love his podcasts.
His “Worship in Spirit and Truth” series on the Divine Liturgy is great. I discovered a couple of months ago that I can download these podcasts on my smart phone and listen to them anyplace. You should.