The Classical City online journal is jointly edited by Anton Glikin and Youry Makoussinsky and published by The Classical City Association.
The Classical City online journal is jointly edited by Anton Glikin and Youry Makoussinsky and published by The Classical City Association.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in St. John: Finally I can give you glad tidings: our Newsletter has been resurrected thanks to the help and diligence of our brother Richard Thomas Biernacki, BSG, KSJ. We hope that once we are “back on track”, we will publish three or four issues each year. We need tour help:
It would save a great deal of money and paper (good for the environment) if we could send the Newsletter by email. If you have email, please forward that to Br. Richard at rtbbsg@comcast.net. He can then build a mailing list for future Newsletters and announcements.
When you hold meetings and charitable or social events that are pertinent and of interest to our membership, send this information so that we may circulate the good works of our members.
Do send us your questions and queries dealing with our history, rules, projects and other issues. Communication within the Order is very important and strengthens us all.
When you hold meetings and charitable or social events that are pertinent and of interest to our membership, send this information so that we may circulate the good works of our members.
Do send us your questions and queries dealing with our history, rules, projects and other issues. Communication within the Order is very important and strengthens us all.
Some wonderful news: The Order now has a web site, offered to us by a generous knight, Dr. Stephen Holt and it can be found at www.okosj.com We would appreciate your comments and/or suggestions be sent to headquarters.
The past two years were more than sad and difficult. Following the long illness and death of my husband, Count Nicholas Bobrinskoy, Founder and Sovereign Grand Prior, we saw the death of our beloved and respected Prior of New York, the Honorable Julius Cardile. At this point we ran into some unwelcome intrigues: on one hand, the group in France wanted to take over and ever falsified a letter singed by Count Bobriskoy few days before his death. As he was blind by then, I had to scribble his comments on the French statement. They removed all my writing, thus falsifying the document (we have a signed statement by the Count’s caregiver witnessing my writing). This we had to part our ways. Then Prince Michael expressed his wish to be Grand Prior and we agreed. He was elected by an overwhelming majority and collaborated graciously with the Grand Council, signing documents. Unfortunately, we only to have two years of his leadership.
In the meantime, we learned that one of our members, an uncertified M.D., Charles McWilliams, decided to steal the Order, changing a few words, adapting our history, insignia and regalia and proclaimed himself Grand Master of a “Medical Order.” After using our history to suit his aims and sending newsletters and selling titles for profit, we expelled him and his wife, an attorney who supported him in this endeavor. This then forced us to apply for trademark protection – a difficult, lengthy, and expensive process.
As we were starting our endeavors, I received a call from Sydney, Australia telling me that HH Prince Michael had a heart attach. Ten days later, he left us orphaned not only for a Grand Prior, but also for an Imperial Protector – a much more delicate problem. Documents for the election of the Grand Prior are ready, being printed and will soon be mailed out. Diplomatic approaches in connection with the Imperial Protectorship are under way. The final coup occurred later when the Most Holy Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia fell asleep in the Lord. When the new Holy Father is elected, we will apply for new protectorship. In the meantime, we received the blessing and protection of Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. (See his communication in this issue.)
On a happier note, we held a magnificent ceremony of investiture on November 9, 2008 at the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection – with 23 distinguished candidates, some from far-away lands. We were graced and honored with the presence of Lt. Grand Prior Count Alexander Woronzoff-Dashkoff and the Prior of New York, Prince Ivan Obolensky officiating. Our Grand Visitor, Paul Rodzianko IV was Chief of Protocol and our Grand Prelate; the Rt. Rev. Rodney Rae Michel delivered a wonderful address. Over 100 members and guests participated in the ceremony. We are especially thankful for the program of the investiture, the preparation of which was done by Br. Richard, BSG, KSJ and printing donated by Jason’s Dreams for Kids, a charity aiding children with life-threatening illness and their families.
We also had the joy of welcoming officially two new members of the Order from Siberia who were invested here privately in the spring and who are establishing a priory in their country. They will help the Order organize a pilgrimage to Montenegro, where the most Holy Relic of the Order – the Icon of Our Lady of Philermos and the Hand of St. John the Baptist are preserved in a monastery.
Our current charitable works include:
Assisting the Ossetian-Georgian children, victims of the August war by presenting a concert featuring opera stars of the Tbilisi National Theater.
The establishment of a special orphanage near the town of Stratov, Russia, South of Moscow
We assisted the wonderful orphanage of the Rev. Nicholas Stremsky near the town of Orensburg, Western Siberia. The Order has an active commandry here as well.
We continue assisting in the restoration of a town in Louisiana destroyed by Katrina, as well as several humanitarian groups in and around New York.
As you know, this is the mission of the Hospitaller Order and we urge you to get involved in whatever ways you are able. Write to us!
Pro Fide. Pro utilitate hominum – God bless and keep you all
Faithfully,
C-ess Nicholas Bobriskoy, GDSJ
Grand Chancellor
2009-06-05 18:23:05
