The Society of Saint Maximus:
A Chapter of The Society of Saint John Chrysostom

In this icon the brother apostles Peter and Andrew embrace. Peter, the patron of the Church of Rome; Andrew, the patron of the Church of Constantinople. This beautiful icon was presented by Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras to Pope Paul VI when, after so many centuries of estrangement, they met in Jerusalem in 1964 and exchanged the Kiss of Peace.

In our own Baltimore area, we started in 1995, an ecumenical group, The Society of Saint Maximus the Confessor. The name was suggested by a co-founding then Orthodox priest, Father Chrysostom Frank, since St. Maximus (venerated in both East and West) was the quintessential Byzantine theologian and yet had such a high regard for the Roman Church and also helped the East understand some of the differences with the West, even regarding the controversial use of the Filioque in the Latin tradition. Perhaps St Maximus could be a model of both fidelity (he gave his life for the Truth) and openness of mind and heart, as he mediated between east and west in hours of misunderstandings.  

More recently, under the guidance of Father Paschal Morlino, OSB, we have affiliated with the Society of Saint John Chrysostom (which sponsors the excellent Orientale Lumen Conferences in DC and elsewhere).

Father Paschal is bi-ritual

Our group, of mostly Catholics and Orthodox, meets several times each season on a Sunday evening at Saint Benedict Parish in Baltimore (we used to meet at a beautiful home in Catonsville until the hostess became quite ill). If anyone is interested and would like to join us, we'd love to have you!  Contact us by email and we will gladly give details and directions.  We are blessed to have among our participants clergy and laity of both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches!  Good fellowship, good food, and an experience of unity in Christ! Ut unum sint!

return to Welcome Page