2023 ACM Summer Newsletter

Summer 2023

Dear Friends of Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry (ACM):

 

Glory to Jesus Christ! Another summer of ministry to this year’s entering class of plebes (freshmen students) has begun at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, following a most blessed Spring semester of ministry through ACM. Thank you so much for your ongoing and faithful support of this ministry that is making a real difference in the lives of these students.

FIRST Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry Mission Trip to the Pro Vita orphanage 

Many of you know that, prior to the Pandemic, I led an annual mission trip for National OCF to the Pro Vita orphanage in Romania. While I would usually have one or two of my own students from Annapolis (either the USNA or St. John’s College), the trip was usually comprised of Orthodox Christian college and university students from all over the United States. OCF having ended those mission trips, our students at the USNA asked me to lead them on our own mission trip to the Pro Vita orphanage during their Spring break. The remarkable aspect of this should not be missed: midshipmen often go to exotic destinations for their Spring breaks, but these mids decided to forego that and, instead, to spend their Spring break ministering to the children of the Pro Vita orphanage.

Seven students: Five midshipmen, the brother of one of the mids, and one St. John’s student signed up and fundraised for the mission trip. A generous $2,700 donation was made for the Pro Vita orphanage, which houses over 300 orphans, in addition to mothers (and fathers) with their children in crisis situations, as well as dozens of Ukrainian refugees. The students showed great love for the children, played with them, and encouraged them through their example of faith in Christ. 

The students also enjoyed a day trip to the Crasna Monastery, where they were able to partake of the Lenten Presanctified Liturgy and a fasting trapeza (lunch) with the abbot and monks following the service. After departing Pro Vita, we headed to the capital, Bucharest, where I led the students on two days of pilgrimage to many of the holy sites where they also venerated the relics of many of the Saints of the Church, asking their intercessions before the throne of God. The students also met with and received the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Varlaam, Vicar to Patriarch Daniel of Romania. Throughout, the students had the opportunity to make confession, grow in their faith in Christ, and take a step forward in loving “the least of these” Matt. 25).

Plebe Summer Ministry 2023

Plebe Summer ministry began 30 June at the U.S.N.A. I meet with the plebes (incoming class of freshmen) Fridays throughout the summer, offering them prayer, encouragement in bringing Christ God into the midst of their plebe summer ‘boot camp’ experience, and Bible study. Plebe Summer is grueling, but it is also, for that reason, an opportunity to grow in faith and reliance on God, to learn discipline in prayer and perseverance in the faith. Please pray for them that all may come to ‘own’ their faith in Christ God to a greater degree.

Sixth Hour Prayers and Bible Study

Sixth Hour prayers continued weekly at the USNA during the Spring Semester, affording the mids an opportunity to join together for prayer in the middle of the week. Additionally, we held a monthly Bible study for much of the semester, focused on topics of concern to the mids, including sexual purity and godly manhood. These studies and discussions were well attended.

March for Life 2023

Ten students participated in this year’s March for Life on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For the second time in history, midshipmen were grudgingly allowed to participate. I say, ‘grudgingly,’ because there were forces at the USNA that did not want to allow the mids to participate. In the end, three midshipmen were allowed to join seven students from St. John’s College and hundreds of Orthodox Christians and tens of thousands of others to stand up for the sanctity of human life, a core teaching of our Orthodox Catholic Faith.

I want to thank all of you for your faithful and ongoing support for Annapolis Pan- Orthodox College Ministry (ACM). We count on that support to continue this ministry. Ninety-Four percent of our funding for this ministry, to be available week days and evenings, comes from your faithful and ongoing support. There is no salary provided by the USNA, St. John’s College, or OCF. So, please know how grateful we are to have you participating through your regular gifts and prayers for this ministry that is making a major difference in the faith of our midshipmen and the students at St. John’s College who participate.

The Lord Jesus Christ bless you!

 Fr. Robert Miclean+

2019 ACM Newsletter

Dear Friends of Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry (ACM):

Christ is in our midst!  I pray this newsletter update finds you well.  In addition to our update on our Plebe Summer ministry, this newsletter includes a special invitation.

Plebe Summer Ministry 2019

It has been an exciting beginning to this year’s Plebe Summer Ministry at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA).  This is an opportunity to minister Christ and His Church to the incoming class of midshipmen (plebes) at the Academy while in their two months of ‘boot camp,’ a physically, mentally and spiritually challenging time of formation and preparation for life at the Naval Academy.  What stands out to me this year is the great hunger and thirst for traditional, i.e., Orthodox Christianity I’ve witnessed.  Each Friday I lead a Bible study and discussion on the Gospel and Orthodox Faith for all who are interested.  This past Friday, non-Orthodox plebes were in the majority and one after another lamented the shallowness and lack of depth they had experienced from their experience of Christianity thus far.  Others, including some Catholics, articulated their thirst for more knowledge and experience of early Orthodox Catholicism.  Others expressed concern over the wishy-washiness of moral teaching they had experienced elsewhere.  

Clearly, God is at work and for all the struggles in our society and in our younger generations, there are many who are hungering and thirsting for the fullness of the life in Christ and the Faith once Delivered to the Saints (Jude 3).  Thanks to each one of you and your faithful support, we’re able to offer these plebes the opportunity to come to faith in Christ, to grow in their faith in Christ, and to discover Christ’s holy Church.  I’m so glad that ACM is here at the Naval Academy to respond to such opportunities for ministry and mission.  

Many today in the Church lament our lack of focus on youth ministry.  Annapolis College Ministry is a response to the needs of our youth at these two historic and venerable institutions, St. John’s College and the U.S. Naval Academy.  It is a practical, hands-on demonstration of the Church’s outreach and ministry to our youth and young adults.  

In addition to Friday’s Bible study, the plebes have the opportunity to join us for worship on Sundays at our Mission downtown, Holy Archangels.  Most plebes are not allowed off “the Yard” for Sunday worship, but because of our 15-year relationship with the Academy, an exception was made for those interested in participating in Orthodox worship.  Glory to God!

ACM to Celebrate our 15-Year Anniversary: You’re invited!

Please join us Sunday, September 29 at 3 p.m. for a celebration of ACM’s 15 years of ministry to the students of St. John’s College and the midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy.  The catered event will be hosted at the house of St. John’s College President, Pano Kanellos across from St. John’s College.  All past and present supporters, alumni of the ministry, and current students are invited.  The Sunday, Sept. 29 event coincides with Alumni Weekend at St. John’s College.  More information will be available on the ACM website (www.AnnapolisCollegeMinistry.org)by 1 August.  Please join us for this exciting event!

The celebrationwill be an opportunity to thank Godfor the fruit of 15 years of ministry at the USNA and St. John’s College, and you our faithful supporters who have faithfully sustained the ministry, its outreach and evangelism through the years.  There will be a presentation by Fr. Robert, as well as remarks from St. John’s President, Pano Kannelos, opportunities to hear from some of ACM’s alumni, and a slide show of the ministry throughout its 15-year history. Please plan to join us!

Miclean Family Update:

Anastasia (Ana, 8) and Iacob (almost 7) continue their bilingual homeschooling education in English and Romanian, being fluent in both languages.  In her spare time, Ana enjoys playing the piano and swimming.  Iacob enjoys playing chess and altar service with his Dad.  Mihai (5) is all about dinosaurs and trying to keep up with his older siblings.  Adelina (3) is a wonderfully creative child. Daniela, our now 9-month-old is a great joy and has truly mastered crawling.  My dear wife, Kristina, helps keep everything together.  Thank you so much for your prayers for our missionary work.  We depend on your prayers and support and are so grateful to have you partnering with us in ministry! Glory to God!

Thank you for your faithful support of Annapolis College Ministry!  

Our 15 years of ministry is a testimony of your faithfulness in supporting the work of God at the campuses of St. John’s College and the U.S. Naval Academy as we bring students and midshipmen to and grow them in  the fulness of the life that is only in our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.  

Yours in Christ our true God,

Fr. Robert Miclean+

2015 ACM Summer Newsletter

In this Issue:

• ·       10 Years of ACM in Annapolis: Why it Matters!
• ·       New Study Released by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops on College Ministry!
• ·       Ninth Year of Plebe Summer Ministry at the USNA!
• ·       Outreach to students in Moldova through OCMC
• ·       Your Support is Critical to this Ministry!

Completing 10 Years of Ministry at the U.S. Naval Academy and St. John’s College

Glory to Jesus Christ!  Glory to Him forever!  ACM is getting ready for our eleventh year of ministry to begin this Fall semester.  In our swiftly-changing culture with its evolving and increasingly relativistic morality, ACM continues to offer the students at St. John’s and the midshipmen at the USNA a life-line, connecting them to the timeless and unchanging truth of Christ, the fullness of the life in Him found in His holy Orthodox Church. 

The pressures from secularism, relativism, and pluralism, are affecting those in the Church who don’t understand the dangers that the “new morality” and relativism pose for today’s college students, most of whom are far more influenced by their peers and the desire to “fit in” than they are by the Church.  For this reason, ACM offers students and midshipmen the opportunity not only to “stay connected” with the Church but to grow in their faith in Christ, to wrestle with applying the life in Christ to their daily lives, and to address the many challenges they face as they grapple with our culture and the godlessness that surrounds them. 

New Study Findings by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North America

A new study just released by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops stresses these points:

Similiarly to their non-Orthodox peers, they (Orthodox students) are naturally tempted to experiment with and to pick and choose among myriads (of) religious spiritual options offered on the vast American cultural market. And this explains the well known fact that the time in college is a period when many young Orthodox people cease their church participation. Indeed, being taken away from the home parish communities, focusing on academic studies, meeting new friends, engaging in new activities, and    most importantly  being surrounded 24/7 mainly by non-Orthodox persons, many Orthodox students simply drift away from the Church.   In this regard, the need for efficient and engaging Orthodox campus ministry (i.e. OCF) is difficult to overestimate as it is an important way to keep Orthodox college students in the bosom of the Church.

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2015 ACM Lenten Newsletter

Blessed Pascha!  Christ is risen!  Indeed, He is risen! 

Dear Friends of Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry:

As we journey to Christ’s holy resurrection and His victory over sin and death on our behalf, we thank God for His love and mercy manifested in our own lives.  “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4-6)

It’s to this “newness of life” that we are all called and which Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry (ACM) calls all the students and midshipmen whom the ministry reaches.  College—and the USNA is no different in this respect—is a time of asking the questions, “who am I, what do I believe, what is the truth, is there truth, who is God? 

Every week, I reach out to the students to invite them to our weekly on-campus meetings and prayer services and to worship at our nearby Mission, Holy Archangels.  I also follow up with any midshipman or St. John’s student who is struggling or would like to grow in their Orthodox Faith, or come to a deeper knowledge and love of Christ and His holy Orthodox Church.  

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2014 ACM Nativity Newsletter

Dear Friends of Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry (ACM):

Glory to Jesus Christ!  Glory to Him forever!  This last semester of ACM has been an amazing opportunity to see God at work in the lives of many of the students in this ministry that you help make possible. 

Following our full summer ministering to the plebes (the incoming class) at the Naval Academy (USNA), we began the Fall semester with a special Great Vespers and dinner at Holy Archangels, attended by 20.  We had a larger number of interested students sign up for our email list at St. John’s at the “Club Fair,” and a successful first week at the Academy. 

Applied Orthodox Theology Discussions: Putting the Faith into Practice in our Daily Lives

1: Fall Retreat Discussion

This year, we started something new at the USNA: in addition to our regular Tuesday Sixth-Hour prayers, we added a monthly discussion over pizza of a topic of particular interest to the midshipmen.  This same “applied Orthodox theology discussion” has been a big success at St. John’s, where our average participation held around 10 per week throughout the semester.  The students suggest the topics and we’ve seen a wide variety of interest from the St. John’s student body.  

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