More Disturbing Antiochian Developments

Fr. Oliver Herbal of the Antiochian Orthodox Mission Parish in Fargo ND (St. Nicholas) has been notified by Metropolitan Philip that he is now forbidden from exercising his priestly ministry in any AOANA parish. The mission being deprived of its priest and effectively disowned by the Antiochian Archdiocese subsequently voted to disband itself. What provoked this act?

Apparently Fr. Oliver dared to question El Supremo a bit too closely (which is to say at all) during a meeting between +Philip and his clergy. There were sundry other charges, none of which appear to hold any water, thrown in as well. You can read a summary with the salient facts here. For more details our favorite Ochlophobist has a write up on the matter which I strongly recommend. Be warned though. This is likely to turn your stomach unless you have a high tolerance for gross injustice.

The good news (and this really is good news from my POV) is that Fr. Oliver is back in the OCA now. Also his mission parish is now in the OCA as well. The bad news is they are hurting for money.

We live in hard times. I can attest to this from very personal experience as can a number of other bloggers like Owen (the aforementioned Ochlophobist), Perry Robinson of Energetic Processions, and Mike Liccione who (Deo Gratias) recently landed a job in New York City. Thus I am very careful about asking people to make sacrifices when you may already be struggling to make ends meat. But for those who are able, any help for the struggling mission in Fargo would be deeply appreciated and a great act of charity. As Owen notes in his own post they are probably the only Orthodox parish within a three hour radius. They and their priest have suffered a terrible injustice and they are in need.