The Final Chapter
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Good Day and God bless. My name is Symeon Donovan Price and I am a deacon in the Orthodox Church of America. I attend St.Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Langley, BC, Canada with my wife and our children. I am currently entering my final year of my Masters in Divinity at The Orthodox School of Theology at Trinty College ( https://www.trinityorthodox.ca/ ). Please see below for my story and my request. May the Lord be with you.
In Christ,
Dc. Symeon Price
The road leading to this moment has been fraught with dangers and filled with suffering. However, the struggle and the burden of moving forward has opened my heart, my mind, and my soul to the depths of the love of Christ, to the wisdom of His Church, and to the immensity of my families love for me no matter what. This journey started with a heart-wrenching decision to leave a community that I loved; a community that had nurtured and changed me in so many ways. Little did I know that this was only the start of the pain. Having resigned my fulltime pastoral position my family and I were received into the Orthodox Church as catechumens in September of 2011 and received by baptism on September 14th, 2012. Leaving behind a stable income and financial security for the truth was terrifying, but I knew that Christ would provide for my family and me. However, I wrongly assumed this provision would come in the form of money. In March of 2012, I went into the hospital to receive a cortisone shot for some lingering knee pain that I was suffering from. This moment marked the beginning of a journey through debilitating pain and unimaginable suffering. The details of which I will spare those of you reading this, suffice to say, that I would not wish such an experience upon my worst enemy.
In Christ,
Dc. Symeon Price
The road leading to this moment has been fraught with dangers and filled with suffering. However, the struggle and the burden of moving forward has opened my heart, my mind, and my soul to the depths of the love of Christ, to the wisdom of His Church, and to the immensity of my families love for me no matter what. This journey started with a heart-wrenching decision to leave a community that I loved; a community that had nurtured and changed me in so many ways. Little did I know that this was only the start of the pain. Having resigned my fulltime pastoral position my family and I were received into the Orthodox Church as catechumens in September of 2011 and received by baptism on September 14th, 2012. Leaving behind a stable income and financial security for the truth was terrifying, but I knew that Christ would provide for my family and me. However, I wrongly assumed this provision would come in the form of money. In March of 2012, I went into the hospital to receive a cortisone shot for some lingering knee pain that I was suffering from. This moment marked the beginning of a journey through debilitating pain and unimaginable suffering. The details of which I will spare those of you reading this, suffice to say, that I would not wish such an experience upon my worst enemy.
This period of pain would be with my family and I every moment for the next five years. The tears, the anger, and the despair that came alongside the pain would have torn us all apart if it were not for Christ and His Church. As a family, we all came to know and experience the healing love of the body of Christ in a way that far surpassed any of our expectations. The people of St.Herman of Alaska carried us in their prayers and with their arms when needed. They were the strength that we did not have but so desperately needed.
During this period I was unable to work and support our family of six and since I was barely able to move my beloved wife was tasked with handling all of the challenges of running a home of six. Our lack of finances meant that we had to move our family into the basement of my wife's parents. A move that has and continues to be a blessing every day. As time moved on, I continued to pray to the Lord for healing and hope for the future. The answer I received was felt every time I stepped into Church, for it was only there that my body felt relief from the pain. It was there in the midst of the Eucharistic family that my body, soul, mind, and my heart were healed. The anger turned to joy and the tears of pain to tears of repentance which slowly drew me closer and closer to Christ. As He continued to draw me closer to Himself and to the Church, the more clearly I came to understand my purpose as a servant of Christ.
In the summer of 2016, this purpose was solidified into an actuality, when I applied and was accepted to Masters in Divinity program at The Orthodox School of Theology and Trinty College in Toronto. For the last two years, I have had the blessing to be an online student, which meant that I could stay with my family and pursue my education and my priestly vocation. In March of this year, I was blessed to be ordained to the diaconate of the Orthodox Church in America by his eminence Archbishop Irénée. This moment brought such joy to my heart and solidified beyond any doubt my desire to serve Christ and His Church as long I as I live.
Thus we arrive at this present moment and the nature of my request. The final chapter in this part of my story will take place in Toronto from January to May of 2019. I will be fulfilling the final parts of my MDiv, which include a 38hr a week clinical practicum as a spiritual care practitioner, as well as, a full-time internship in the Church. In light my this my family and I decided that I would go alone to Toronto and leave them behind in Abbotsford (which if you are unaware is a considerable distance). In doing so, the expense of this trip would be more financially manageable for us. However, the income that comes from being on disability does not provide us with the means necessary to save the money needed to finance this trip. I have been blessed with a bursary that covers tuition, but I will need to take care of my living expenses. As such I am asking if you would be willing to offer a small measure of financial support to help ease the burden of this challenge. In the past, I have found it very difficult to ask for help but the last years have taught me the joy and love that grows from dependence on others. Through this dependence, I have learned to trust Christ with everything and to appreciate the profound gift of each human being I meet. So I am asking for your help and your prayers as I enter this final chapter.
In Christ
Father Deacon Symeon Price
Organizer
Symeon Donovan Price
Organizer
Abbotsford Southeast, BC
