CANTON — The Sixth Annual East Meets West retreat will be held Aug. 23-25, coinciding with the formal opening of St. Joseph Eparchy’s mission in the Asheville area.
“The Divine Liturgy Is Christ” will feature reflections on four sections of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the regular Sunday liturgy of the Byzantine rite and the equivalent of the Latin rite Mass. The retreat also features prayer, liturgy and fellowship.
The retreat will give those attending the opportunity to reflect deeply on the significance of the mystery of the Eucharist, while highlighting differences and similarities between the Byzantine and Latin rite celebrations.
East Meets West is a spiritual formation program of St. Josaphat Eparchy’s Asheville area mission in Canton. The retreat, held at Immaculate Conception Mission in Canton, is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to help with costs.
Divine Liturgy (Mass) on Sunday, Aug. 25, will mark the formal opening of St. Josaphat Eparchy’s Asheville area mission. Starting in September, the mission will offer Divine Liturgy the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Newly ordained Father Kevin Bezner will serve the mission.
St. Josaphat Eparchy began offering an annual liturgy and retreat in western North Carolina in 2014. In 2017, the eparchy began offering a monthly liturgy celebrated by either a priest or a deacon.
With continued local interest in a mission, and the ability to designate a full-time priest, the eparchy has decided to develop a full-time mission in the Asheville area. The eparchy also has missions in Charlotte; Columbia and Greenville, S.C.; Augusta, Ga.; Louisville, Ky.; and Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn.