Patron Saint from Orthodoxy?

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Blessed_Beggar

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Hello all! I am new to the forums, and though I am in my second attempt at RCIA, I feel as though I am not so new to the True Faith. I do have a question though, and have not yet had a chance to ask anyone at my parish. I know that many choose Patron Saints for various reasons, but I have an odd question. Is it acceptable to choose a Patron Saint from the Orthodox Communion of Saints…post-Schism? In particular, I have found and read much about St. Seraphim of Serov, an Orthodox saint that I identify with very much. Pope John Paul II referred to him as a saint in his book, “Crossing the Threshold of Hope.” Before finalizing my decision to become Catholic, I was very heavily considering joining the Orthodox Faith, and so I have a great affinity toward them…and Traditional Catholicism…
All responses will be greatly appreciated. God bless you all.

In Christ,
Blessed Beggar
 
St. Seraphim, is on the Russian Catholic Calendar and therefore is considered a Catholic Saint. There should be no issue, having him as your patron saint.
 
countertenor said:
St. Seraphim, is on the Russian Catholic Calendar and therefore is considered a Catholic Saint. There should be no issue, having him as your patron saint.
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That is excellent! Praise God! Thank you so much for such a quick response!
 
MarkThompson said:
Do you have a reference for that?
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I don’t know if there’s any kind of printed decree from each sui juris Church from the East, but it is quite normal for Eastern Catholics to venerate saints canonized by Orthodoxy.
 
ConstantineTG said:
I don’t know if there’s any kind of printed decree from each sui juris Church from the East, but it is quite normal for Eastern Catholics to venerate saints canonized by Orthodoxy.
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I confess I know very little about eastern issues, so I’m really just asking for an explanation. But I’m a little skeptical that a guy who lived his entire life as an Orthodox could somehow become (or be “considered”) a Catholic saint without a peep from Rome.
 
MarkThompson said:
I confess I know very little about eastern issues, so I’m really just asking for an explanation. But I’m a little skeptical that a guy who lived his entire life as an Orthodox could somehow become (or be “considered”) a Catholic saint without a peep from Rome.
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I think part of the reason is a Saint living within the jurisdiction of an Eastern Church would inspire people from that area regardless if they are Orthodox or Catholic. A saintly life is a saintly life. Also from my trying to learn more about Eastern Catholicism, I find that Catholics are more open and welcoming of the Orthodox than they are of Catholics, and this may be true when it comes to accepting declarations of sainthood. We may be more open to accept as a saint whom they declare as a saint, than for them to accept whom Rome declares a saint.

Also, when an Orthodox saint is accepted, usually veneration is within the equivalent Catholic Church.

If you take my username, Contantine the Great isn’t as venerated in the Roman Church as he is in the Byzantine Rite Churches. Although his mother St. Helen is celebrated in the Roman Calendar, in the East they are jointly celebrated on the same day as is their icons would normally be together.
 
Hello I am from Ireland. I sometimes celebrate mass with the ukrainians in Dublin. Archimandrite Fr.Serge, thanks to him St.Seraphim is now venerated in the catholic church and ukrainain-melkite liturgy. I often e-mail him from time to time.

Fr.Serge also had a church in Toronto named after St.Seraphim.

there is no problem. Right now, as I type this, next to my laptop is St.Seraphim of Sarovs little russian philokalia in which I get much joy out of reading and great advice from this great saint.

Also I have a draft saved in which I intend to post about him on my blog in the near future. such a blog can be found in my signature

Pax
Stephen
 
Thanks to everyone who has posted. I really love learning more and more about how rich the heritage and traditions of the True Church are…especially when we breathe in the “two lungs” of the One, Holy, Apostolic Church. Christ’s blessings on you all…
 
I’d like to add something, a recent reflection of mine, in regards to this not-so-old thread.

A saint in heaven is a saint in heaven. On earth the Church is divided between Catholics and Orthodox, but in heaven there is no divided Church. This is why we welcome Orthodox saints and honor them and venerate them. I don’t think anyone would be a saint for defending or opposing Papal Supremacy, one of the things that divide the Church on earth. Those who become saints gave their lives to the same faith. There is no Catholic Church Triumphant and Orthodox Church Triumphant, but one united Church Triumphant.
 
Saint Isaac of Syria folks.

He lived in the 7th century, well after the issues of Ephesus, regarding Nestorianism, and After Chalcedon, regarding Eutyches and (SUpposedly) Dioscorus. He was officialy a member of the Assyrian Church, the Persian church, which at this time was undegoing heavy “Nestorianization.”

Yet the Assyrian Church of the East Claims him as their own.
The Syriac JAcobite Church of Antioch Claims him for their own.

(Talk about DIametric opposition here, “Nestorians” and “Monophysites” each claim the Same saint as representative of their tradition!)

The Eastern Orthodox Church Claims him for their own.

And the Catholic Church claims Him for their own.

Personal holiness sometimes transcends our notions of schism. I don’t know how, but it’s a fact.

MAybe Abp. Marcel Lefebvre weill be canonized one day. 😉
 
MarkThompson said:
Do you have a reference for that?
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I don’t know where to find an actual decree, but if you go to the website for St. Michael’s Russian Catholic Chapel, and click on “calendar is available here” at the bottom of the page, you’ll find St. Seraphim commemorated on 2 Jan.
 
countertenor said:
I don’t know where to find an actual decree, but if you go to the website for St. Michael’s Russian Catholic Chapel, and click on “calendar is available here” at the bottom of the page, you’ll find St. Seraphim commemorated on 2 Jan.
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As you probably know, the Russian Catholic church is one of the youngest Sui Iuris churches, with it’s roots in the late 19th century from a small band of followers of the philosopher Solovyev.

Although no bishops were among their number, eventually, there were a few priests (Nikonian and also Old Believer) who joined the small group, and I believe that they were first received through the Melkite Patriarchate.

Russian Catholics are proud that the Pope Saint Pius X sent word to their community that there were to be NO CHANGES from their own Orthodox practices. He said “nec plus, nec minus, nec aliter”. No more, no less and no different.

This explains why the Russian Catholic calendar has all of the saints it had at the time they came into communion with Rome. I think that we can assume from this example that such would be the case if there were ever to be a general reconciliation between the Orthodox everywhere and the Roman Catholic church, all of the Orthodox saints would remain on the calendar and their liturgical life would continue unchanged.
 
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