BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — In honor of the 1,700-year anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, clergy from the Diocese of Brooklyn and beyond came together on May 20 for a celebration that included psalms and hymns, biblical readings, and commentary about what unites the Catholic and Orthodox Christian communities.
“This is truly something worth celebrating,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan told The Tablet as he joined Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn and Father Dominique Hanna for the opening procession for the Ecumenical Prayer for Peace in the World at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights.
Father Hanna, who organized the prayer service, welcomed guests and spoke about the significance of the Council of Nicaea — the last time the two Churches were united.
RELATED: Catholic & Orthodox Parishes Raise Their Voices in Unison for Easter
“The Council of Nicaea is teaching us today to be open to those who might challenge us, and to be more united and to keep thinking of the beautiful relationship we have together with the Father and the Son,” said Father Hanna, rector of the cathedral.
The clergy and the choir performed the first hymn, “Alleluia,” after Bishop Mansour dedicated the day to the Blessed Mother, followed by the “Magnificat Antiphon” from the Gospel of Luke.
Among the other clergy in attendance were Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros, Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan and Bishop Mikael Moradian of the Armenian Church, Msgr. Guy Massie of St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Brooklyn, Father Michael Ellias of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Bay Ridge, and Father Antoine Rizk, pastor at the Church of the Virgin Mary Greek Melkite Catholic Church in Park Slope.
Cardinal Dolan reflected on “the power” of the Council of Nicaea.
“It’s not a long-ago, dated, mildewed date. It is a compelling conviction that I believe,” Cardinal Dolan said.
“We are convinced, grateful pilgrims who know from whom we come and to whom we are destined to return. That is the center of the Nicene Creed,” he added. “Because we all believe that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We believe, and our lives have never been the same.”
The prayer service concluded with Bishop Mansour leading everyone in a recitation of the Nicene Creed, common to both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
RELATED: Reflecting on the Legacy of the Nicene Creed 1,700 Years Later
Bishop Cicneros summed up the significance of the prayer service when he shared that, “Every Sunday we gather in Church at Mass as Christians and we proclaim our faith in the Nicene Creed right after the homily. It was so beautiful to be able to come together with Churches who believe in this Creed, this proclamation of faith, and to be able to share with one another a moment of unity. A moment that we hope will grow, not just in one particular celebration but that we begin to look for that which Christ wanted us to be and the unity that we all may be as one. Ut Unum Sint,” explained Bishop Cisneros.
“Any gathering that brings out our common heritage, a heritage that was proclaimed 1700 years ago and that every Sunday Christians still proclaim. I think it was a wonderful moment that we had, a moment that brought us together through the generosity of Bishop Mansour and the Diocese of Brooklyn wanted to be very much present. While Bishop Brennan was unable to attend, he asked me to represent the whole diocese because that’s exactly what we all want.”
A feast of Lebanese and Syrian delicacies followed, fit for a prayer service that brought together Church leaders and dignitaries from the East and West, all commemorating a time when both Churches were united as one and reinforcing that unity and the significance the Council of Nicaea holds 17 long centuries later.