Family Matters

In this Fully Human edition of Family Matters, Presvytera Melanie welcomes Dn. Perry Hamalis, Orthodox scholar and religious ethicist, for a thoughtful conversation on the Mystery of Confession and its accessibility for all members of the Church. Together, they explore the purpose of Confession, how families and clergy can discern when children are ready to participate, and ways priests can effectively accommodate children and adults with intellectual, developmental, and communication disabilities. The discussion also considers how individuals with profound cognitive disabilities may encounter God's grace through the sacramental life of the Church, offering pastoral insights for clergy, caregivers, and families seeking to foster full participation in the Mystery of Repentance.

October is National Guide Dog Awareness Month, and Presvytera Melanie speaks with Vivian Fridas, a blind Orthodox Christian and disability advocate who was a guide dog owner for over 10 years. Vivian shares the extreme care in selection of service dogs and the specialized training required before they become certified to perform specific tasks related to their owners' disabilities. In September of 2025, the Greek Orthodox Holy Synod of Bishops approved a policy to help churches accommodate certified service dog owners in an orderly way: https://www.goarch.org/-/policy-for-service-animals-in-greek-orthodox-churches

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dog owners and their dogs have protections under the law and businesses cannot deny them entry if they are certified and the owner can express what types of tasks the dog performs related to their disabilities. Places of worship and religious institutions are exempt from compliance with ADA regulations, so service dog owners in the US enjoy great independence and access to work, businesses, and social activities -- fuller participation in almost every area of life — but are not always afforded such access when they wish to join their church communities in worship.

Many ordained and lay members of the church have raised concerns about allowing animals to be in places of worship. Vivian explains the specialized and highly skilled service that guide dogs provide and hopes to put such concerns and fears to rest by educating people on service dogs' role, training, and their noble purpose in assisting their owners.

Presvytera Melanie shares a supplicatory prayer to the Mother of God on behalf of all mothers, especially mothers who experience atypical childbearing and childrearing experiences, highlighting events and experiences from Our Lady's life that have served as examples to emulate and touchstones of solidarity with her in her personal motherhood journey.

In this Fully Human Father's Day message, His Grace Bishop John Abdalah of the Diocese of Worcester and New England, for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, speaks about fatherhood from the unique vantage point of a father and grandfather, spiritual father and hierarch, and licensed counselor.

This conversation offers much spiritual and practical edification to all parents, and those with disabilities, and offers perspectives on the following:

What does it mean to be a father in the image of our heavenly Father? To whom do our children belong? How can parents become the fathers and mothers they were created to be? How does the spousal relationship affect children? How might parents frame the challenges they encounter in child-rearing, especially challenges related to disabilities, in ways that align with the Way of Christ? How can spiritual fathers and church communities serve the needs of families with disabilities?

What does it mean to be fully seen — not just for our struggles, but also for our gifts? In this conversation with Apostolos Christos Lianos, a remarkable young man living with Tourette’s Syndrome, we meet someone whose daily life includes challenges many of us may not fully understand, but whose witness reveals something deeply human: the desire to be known, accepted, and embraced. Together, we’ll explore some common misconceptions about Tourette's Syndrome, and how family, friends, and fellow parishioners can build access for people with disabilities like Tourette's whose tics and vocalizations often lead to misunderstandings, stigma, and isolation, especially in church settings where quiet and controlled behavior is the expected norm.

Deacon Demetrius Romanczuk serves Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Mission in North Carolina, is a retired educator with a background in special education, an Accessibility Coach with the On Behalf of All initiative: Toward an Accessible Divine Liturgy for Children with Disabilities, husband of Matushka Cathy, and devoted father to Luke and Kate, who have level 3 autism. Honest about his family's challenges, he shares how he and his wife approach them with a sense of humor, with the knowledge that this life includes a struggle of becoming more Christ-like, and the hope that in eternal life all will be understood.

For more information on the On Behalf of All Initiative, visit: https://www.goarch.org/oboa

Further information on substance abuse resources: https://afm.box.com/s/krmo5uy493i2wezjvqh698cu2lm6l32u

Father Nikolas Delaveris, the Director of the Saint Anastasia Fellowship, and Adriana Makrov, the Program Manager, join Presvytera Kerry Pappas for a discussion about the origin and mission of the Fellowship, which serves those who are navigating addiction from a Christ-centered perspective, grounded in prayer and worship. Following a brief history of the origins, purpose, and ministries of the Fellowship, they discuss the impact of addiction on marriage, family and community relationships. Father Nikolas and Adriana offer profound insights for anyone impacted by addiction. For more information, visit https://saintanastasiafellowship.org/.

Father Peter J. Spiro, Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's FREEDOM (Faith-based Resolve to Eradicate Enslavement: Didactic Outreach Ministry) joins Presv. Melanie to discuss how human traffickers seek to manipulate and capitalize on any human vulnerability, including vulnerabilities associated with disabilities. He offers practical steps families can take to protect their children and other vulnerable loved ones from abuse or manipulation. Fr Peter shares the key issue that makes children most vulnerable to being trafficked. It all starts "at the top."

Abby Vlahos is the co-liaison for the On Behalf of All (OBOA) initiative's pilot parish, St John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines, Illinois. Her youngest child, Cosmas, is 9 years old and was born with a rare genetic syndrome causing a range of disabilities including intellectual disabilities and autism. She supports disability advocacy and ministry efforts in her work, her parish, and her Metropolis. In this interview Abby shares highlights of their parish experience in the first year as one of twelve pilot parishes chosen to work toward an accessible divine liturgy for children with disabilities through the OBOA initiative. St John's has been doing the holy work of making a way of belonging for families with disabilities for decades, and a few years ago established a high support needs Sunday School class. If you are interested in improving accessibility in your church community, St John's is a forerunner worth following.

Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Yagze, currently the Pastor of St George Orthodox Church in Fishers, Indiana and Fully Human Steering Committee member, shares insights on keeping our relationship with God open and authentic every day, and specifically during the challenging times in our lives. He lifts up examples of people in Holy Scriptures who remained in conversation with God in the midst of trials and suffering, and how we can revisit prayers in the Holy Eucharist — literally translated from the Greek as Holy Thanksgiving — to express gratitude to God. Father also shares how Christ carried him through personally painful family experiences, and what we can do to grow gratitude in our hearts. The answer is a life focused on and immersed in Jesus Christ Who offers us the Way, as He offers us Himself entirely unto our healing and wholeness. Listen more to hear particular ways we can focus on and live in Christ's love.