Fr. Frank Milanese is the well-respected priest of the All the Saints Church in Weirton, WV, pastoring with prudence and sensitivity since 2005.
Fr. Milanese is native to West Virginia, born in Morgantown, and has also lived in Grafton, Weirton, Westover, and Granville while growing up. He graduated from West Virginia University with a BS in Computer Science.
From his sophomore year in high school through his junior year at WVU (1967-1973), his family resided on Hudson Avenue in Weirton. So, the Weirton community considers him one of their own.
In addition to his current assignment, Milanese has also served in the following capacities within the Metropolis of Pittsburgh:Past Chairman of the Metropolis of the Religious Education Commission (5 yearsExecutive Director of Mount Tabor Ministries Camp and Retreat Center Project (2 years)
Priest of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Huntington (10 years)
Associate Pastor of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus, OH (4 years)
Director of Youth Programs – Diocesan Youth Office (2 years)
Assistant Priest of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron, OH (2 years)
Besides a professional career in data processing before being ordained, Milanese also served in a variety of pastoral, inter-Christian and administrative services throughout the years.
He was assigned as the full-time priest to All Saints in September, 2005, having serving on a part-time basis since that March. He is married to Cynthia; they have two sons, Christopher and Matthew.
Locally, Milanese is a member of the Weirton Ministerial Association, and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Weirton Community Bread Basket.
He spoke to The National Herald on the occasion of the centennial celebration of All Saints. The interview follows:
TNH:Fr. Frank, we thank you for this opportunity to profile you on the 100 anniversary of your parish-All Saints. How do you feel pastoring in such a historic parish?
FM: All Saints Church was one of my “home” parishes while growing up.My family lived in Weirton in the late 1960s and early ’70s for about six years while I was in high school and then college.I was a member of the parish choir and of the parish Boy Scout Troop #131.
I returned to All Saints in spring 2005 on an interim basis as I was serving the Metropolis of Pittsburgh as Executive Director of Mount Tabor Ministries – a short-lived program established to build our own Metropolis youth camp.I was assigned full-time to serve the Weirton parish in September 2005, and have been the Proestamenos since then.
I share that background information for this reason:when I think of the All Saints parish, I don’t think of it as a parish with 100 years of history – I think of it as one of the parishes in which I grew up.
As I reflect on the parish’s centennial celebration, I realize that my ministry is responsible for a little over 10% of that history.I can only hope that history regards my participation as positive.
TNH:How is the parish doing?
FM: This part of the Upper Ohio Valley has recently been considered the ninth poorest economic region of the United States due to the demise of the steel industry – the industry that founded Weirton almost 110 years ago.Few of our parish children remain in the area due to the lack of jobs.The majority of our parishioners are retirees.
The vibrancy of All Saints Church and the impact of the Greek-American community in Weirton show little of those dire economic concerns.In fact, in August, All Saints Church received the Weirton Rotary’s Community Pride Award “for improvements made to their block of West Street.” Those improvements include a recently-built elevator annex to the church and additional parking for the parish across the street.With one of the only stainless steel domes on a Greek Orthodox Church in America, I can truly say that our church is one of the brightest spots in the downtown area.
TNH:How many families does the parish have?
FM: Active membership as measured by stewardship pledges is just under 200 families.Most of our recent decline in parish membership has been due to the passing of elderly parishioners.
TNH: Can you please talk a little about the parish’s programs and ministries?
FM: In fall 2012, our parish administration took an active look at church ministry.In 2013, we developed a program to “Preserve the Legacy of our Orthodox Faith for Future Generations through our Collective Time, Talents, and Treasures.”All Saints Church Ministries was established with a goal to increase parishioner involvement in church attendance, religious/spiritual education, social events, and Church-related activities.The response of the parishioners and parish organizations to our original seven areas of focused ministry (including Seniors & Elderly, Youth and Religious/Spiritual themes) was so overwhelming in the support generated that our leadership has been hard pressed to stay on top of all of the activities.
This year, we have instituted the “Council of Ministries” concept of church ministry management now being promoted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to assist the cooperation and coordination of the various parish ministries.Each organization or ministry leader will now gather together three or four times a year to review and manage a common calendar of events.
TNH: Pastorally, how do you approach the unchurched?
FM: Over the years, the term “unchurched” has grown to include those who have left the church, and not just those who have never been to a church or who have never made a commitment to Christ.In that context, it is difficult to answer your question.
My personal philosophy has developed over many years and through many experiences both within and outside of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Faith.We can evangelize until we are blue in the face, but if the Holy Spirit has not touched the heart and soul of the person we may be speaking with, our efforts could be for naught.My task as a Greek Orthodox priest is to build a fertile environment for spiritual growth for those who may be seeking a deeper understanding of Orthodox Christianity or their personal walk with Christ. Then, when the Holy Spirit brings someone my way, I am prepared to assist them in their inquiry and spiritual growth.
TNH:What are some of the questions the young generation asks you about the Orthodox Faith?
FM: Just this past Lenten season, I asked our parish Youth Ministry staff the same question as they teach Sunday School and meet with the children on a regular basis.Based on their responses, our annual Saturday of Lazarus Lenten Retreat this year focused on “The Soul after Death.”In the first few months of 2017, we’ve had over seven funerals, three within one week.Our parish children as well as many adults want to know more about what happens when we die.Where does the soul go immediately after death? If we can talk with the Saints of the Church, can we talk with our departed loved ones?These and other questions were discussed.
TNH: Celebrating the 100-year anniversary, how do you visualize the future of this parish in 25 years from now?
FM: I believe we are doing our best as parish leadership (priest, parish council, and Council of Ministries members) to cultivate fertile ground for spiritual and physical growth.To paraphrase 1 Corinthians 3:6, Man plants and man waters, but God causes the growth.As long as we do our part to the best of our ability, God will bless us.
TNH: What attracted you to the holy priesthood?
FM: My personal description of myself is “Cradle Orthodox with a Convert’s Heart.”I’ve grown up Greek Orthodox from my infant baptism.We spoke English at home.Liturgical Greek was a mystery to me growing up.Church participation was mostly by rote: stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, receive Holy Communion, and be quiet during the Greek sermon.
In college, I was introduced to the Christ of the Scriptures through a number of campus evangelical ministries.When I went back to my Orthodox roots to see if that same Christ of the Scriptures was the Christ of my church, I was very surprised to find that not only were they one and the same, but the fullness of the spiritual experience of Eastern Orthodox Christianity filled in the blanks that were not covered in the Bible.
This discovery drew me to youth ministry with the desire to teach children what I missed when I was growing up.It also drew me to have a conversation with then Bishop Maximos of Pittsburgh. Through his encouragement, I got involved with the Metropolis’ Summer Camp as a counselor.God’s presence and direction was so strong that I came home from that first Summer Camp experience, gave my two weeks’ notice at work, and applied for Seminary.I was later ordained, spent two years as a second priest for my initial pastoral grounding and experience, and then became the Director of Youth Programs for the Metropolis.
Ironically, what I thought would be my vocational career of Metropolis Youth Ministry lasted only two years before God moved me into parish ministry.Apart from another one-year administrative role at the Metropolis with the aforementioned Mount Tabor project, the bulk of my 31 years as a priest has been in parish pastoral ministry with a strong emphasis of teaching the faith in a clear and concise manner.
TNH:What does holy priesthood mean to you?
FM: My career path was data processing and I had experience as a systems programmer and programmer/analyst before being ordained.The only thing that excited me as much was developing ways to teach Orthodox spiritual concepts in a unique and memorable manner.Over 30 years later, I continue to meet adults and parents who remind me what an impact some of my presentations at Summer Camp or weekend retreats had on them. I am humbled at their recollections.The holy priesthood has been the means for God to give me the desires of my heart, ministering and teaching the faith full-time.
TNH: How are we doing as a church in general and in the United States?
FM: This question has two perspectives: that of those looking at us, and us looking at ourselves.My local (regional) experience is that our Eastern Orthodox faith is highly respected for its history and continuity.I am also comforted to find out that the concerns of our local churches are the same as other Orthodox churches across the United States.All of us are losing our youth at an alarming rate.Young adults and young parents are giving up their Sunday worship time for other events, many involving the growing lack of respect for Sunday as a day of worship by secular society and local school and youth organizations.
I am encouraged to see materials for Orthodox missions and evangelism being produced that speak the truth of Orthodoxy in a contemporary and enjoyable style.So at least the Orthodox Christian message we profess is getting out there.It is one thing to learn about Christ and the Church.It is quite another to experience His loving fellowship and presence in worship.It is my hope that this educational message will eventually bring our faithful and others back to church to experience this unique fellowship with Christ for themselves.
The post Fr. Frank A. Milanese Shares His Thoughts and Hopes about All Saints appeared first on The National Herald.