Dear George,
Christ is Risen!
Ms. T suggested I send you the following news.
“His Eminence Sotirios of Pisidia, the first Bishop of Korean Orthodox Church, is hospitalized and going thru some very difficult moments.
He has been with us since 1975 for our mission and reached 92 years old. Please, convey our urgent news to your readers that our Risen Lord grant him good health for many years with his spiritual children in Korea who have great affection for him.
In Christ,
Rev. Daniel Na
After the conclusion of the “wargames” phase of Operation Team Spirit in South Korea in March-April 1987, when I served as battalion chaplain of the 3-17 Infantry Battalion headquartered at Fort Ord, CA, I was able to travel to Seoul to attend the Divine Liturgy for Palm Sunday at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Metropolitan Sotorios (then a hieromonk) welcomed me with extraordinary grace and warmth.
He tried to encourage me to remain with him at the cathedral during Holy Week, so that me might concelebrate the liturgical services. Alas, I had to offer him my regrets, since I was “a man under authority” who, if I accepted his invitation, would be deemed AWOL from duty and arrested by the U.S. Army military police!
After 35 years I still remember fondly Fr. Sotorios, who exemplified the Christian virtues of philoxenia (“love for the stranger”) and brotherly love. His Greek Orthodox cathedral, which was built after Greek soldiers during the Korean War perceived a need to re-establish Orthodoxy in South Korea, was filled on that Palm Sunday in 1987 with native Koreans singing the hymns in the Korean language, but in the Byzantine tones. For the first time in my short priesthood I was able to appreciate the truly global reach of our Holy Orthodox Church from west to east.
May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Physician of souls and bodies, heal His servant, His Eminence Sotirios of Pisidia, and grant him many years!
Kristo Gesso Buhwal ha sho sumnida!
This is lovely, Father. From your lips to God’s ear.