Eastern Catholicism

Mission in the Wake of Loss: We Carry You Still

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Jocelyn Abyad via phone call on June 26th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

What inspired you to start We Carry You Still, and how did your personal experience shape its mission?

In 2020 and 2021 my husband and I lost three babies due to miscarriage (at 10 weeks, 6 weeks, and 15 weeks). We were blindsided and found there were not a lot of existing resources that were compatible with our faith.

My husband and I did some research on this and found our own journey of healing. I found a local grief support group called Forget Me Not (they later merged with Owl Love You Forever). 

From the work we saw with Forget Me Not, we were inspired to create more Catholic resources for those experiencing loss. My mom, myself and a couple friends started We Carry You Still  as a non-profit in 2024. 

How does your Catholic faith—and the richness of the Eastern tradition—inform the way your organization accompanies grieving families?

I am an Eastern Catholic and my mom is a Roman Catholic, so we had the East and West represented. As we brought my friends on board, they are actually Orthodox, our mission expanded. The Orthodox similarly are not providing enough support on the miscarriage issue. Our faith is an Incarnate one. When you lose a child due to miscarriage it feels like this invisible weight that people are carrying on their own. One of the beauties of our faith is that we have a physical faith. We have our Mother in Heaven. She knows how it feels to bury Her child.  

You mention that miscarriage affects not just the parents, but the entire Body of Christ. What does that communal aspect of grief and healing look like in practice?

Well the name of our ministry reflects that vision. We address this on several levels. First, we know that the parents and immediate family carry the baby that was lost in their hearts, even for years to come.. We offer free Memory Boxes for the women who experience the miscarriage to help them remember their child and process their grief.. 

Similarly, we are empowering the community to show up for the grieving family with this gift box. Sometimes the community wants to help and show up but they don’t know how. This gives them a way to do that. Everybody together is carrying each other in their grief. Mothers, fathers, living children and even parents who had miscarriages decades ago. And helping the community around them support those in grieving their loss. 

What kind of spiritual and practical support does We Carry You Still offer for couples navigating miscarriage or infant loss?

We also offer healing retreats (no matter how long it has been since you lost a baby). 

Our retreats are offered to women and couples. We are in the unique position that my husband is serving as a priest and father who knows the loss of a child personally. 

Our box packing events are an opportunity for people to help pay if forward and put their grief to work. While we do have some people who haven’t experienced this type of loss helping with the grief boxes, it is predominantly those couples who have experienced loss themselves with miscarriages helping to prepare these boxes for those couples who are currently going through the grief of losing a child. 

Many Catholic parents struggle with how to talk to their other children about miscarriage. Do you have any advice for families walking through that?

First off, on our website, we offer informational guides and resources. We have a guide for anyone who is touched by these losses. We have guides in both English and Spanish. On our resources page we have book recommendations for both adults and children. Everything we recommend is in line with official Church teaching. 

Typically, for children it is helpful to keep them informed about the miscarriage, bring them to the funeral, visit the graves of their siblings, and invite them in prayers.

There’s this context by which the children can experience such loss through the lense of faith. There’s a hope in the Resurrection and seeing our babies (and their siblings) in Heaven. 

I think that while my children were very sad at the moment, having them be a part of the grieving process in light of our Catholic faith has been impactful in the healing process. 

How can parishes, priests, and Catholic communities be more supportive to families facing this kind of loss?

I think number one if I speak broadly, this is the forgotten front of the pro-life movement. We do a good job of praying outside abortion clinics and pray to end abortion and euthanasia. And yet we leave faithful couples in the pew who have experienced miscarriage with little to no support.

Burying the dead is a corporal work of mercy. If women are prepared to bury their babies; if people were given these resources they would be more prepared to deal with these crises when they happen. 

I think we can be more sensitive on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Use more inclusive language that acknowledges that there is a range of experiences of motherhood and fatherhood.

Providing information is a key way. In the Diocese of Phoenix, we will be participating in the annual NFP training and giving couples resources if and when they may need it. To at least give them resources in the back of their mind should they experience a miscarriage. 

For those who want to help but aren’t sure how, what’s the best way Catholics can support someone who’s grieving the loss of a child?

I would point back to the guides we have on our website. Don’t be afraid to mention the child. The parents will not forget about their child. If you can remember the child by name it can be very empowering. 

I try to ask open-ended questions to see how they are feeling. And I also ask people to tell me about your family instead of how many kids you have. 

Where can my audience learn more about your work? 

Visit us at We Carry You Still and take a  visual tour to learn more. You can also follow us on: Facebook and Instagram @wecarryyoustill . There are two other excellent ministries in this line of work. One is Redbird which supports child loss of any age and the other is Springs in the Desert, who supports Catholics experiencing infertility.

About Jocelyn: 

Jocelyn Abyad is the wife of Fr. Zyad Abyad and mother of 7 daughters on earth and 3 babies in Heaven. She holds a degree in psychology from Arizona State University and worked as a finance banker for over a decade before choosing to stay home to homeschool her children. Alongside her husband, she serves at St. John of the Desert Melkite Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona.Jocelyn shares insights on homeschooling and liturgical living across multiple platforms as Melkite Momma and is a regular contributor to Byzikids Magazine. Throughout her work and personal experiences, Jocelyn seeks to foster faith, family, and community.

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A 1280 Word Interview with a Melkite Catholic

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Jocelyn Abyad via phone call on June 2nd, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

For those who may not be familiar, how would you describe the Melkite Catholic Church and what makes its liturgical and spiritual traditions unique within the Catholic Church?

I think if we are talking about the Melkite Church specifically, we are oneof the 23 Eastern Churches in full Communion with Rome. Our ancestry goes back to Antioch. That’s the most basic explanation.

Our Liturgical Rite isByzantine. Historically and geographically the Melkite Church has largely been based in Syria, more generally, the Levant and Egypt.
The various churches aren’t culture clubs but complete liturgical expressions of the Catholic faith.

I grew up Roman Catholic in Arizona and had no idea that the Eastern Catholic Churches existed. I had this narrow view of what Catholicism looked like. All the Eastern Churches bring universality through diversity to the table. 

Before I married my husband I only thought of the Church as Roman Catholic. I truly never heard of Eastern Catholicism. 

The MelkiteChurch does allow for priests to be married. A man may get ordained a priest after he is married, but if he is already a priest he cannot get married. My husband got ordained in 2022. He was a deacon for about 8 years prior to that. 

As both a priest’s wife and a homeschooling mother of seven, how has your faith shaped your family life and vocation?

It’s everything! I think first and foremost, that our faith is the priority. Most Eastern Catholic parishes are smaller, so when you are in a leadership position you are kind of like a jack of all trades. As our responsibilities grew, we decided that homeschooling was the best option. It was a decision driven by our faith life. 

My husband actually has a secular career as an aerospace engineer. It is a common practice in the Eastern Church for priests to work another job. In his work he has shaped his schedule to cater to his priesthood to make sure he is there for the community. For example, being available to celebrate funerals and take hospital calls. 

Everything is second to God and his Church. 

Liturgical living is a big part of your ministry. Can you share some practical ways Melkite traditions enrich liturgical life at home?

I think maybe other Eastern Catholics would say similar things. What I think is beautiful about our faith is that nothing is watered down. I helped to pick the vestments my husband wears, the meal planning is liturgically based. In the Melkite tradition we fast from meat on all Wednesdays and Fridays (not including Easter). And we are basically vegan during Great Lent. We also have a Dormition Fast (two weeks before the Feast of the Dormition of Mary); the Nativity Fast (two weeks before Christmas); the Apostles’ Fast (two weeks before the Feasts of Peter and Paul- June 29)

I love that the Divine Liturgy draws children into the mystery. One of my favorite memories in my heart is watching my children get baptized. They receive all the Sacraments of Initiation at once. I heard the Divine Liturgy being described as the chaos of life crashinginto the structure of the liturgy. Liturgy is immersive. When the priest processesthe children touch the priest’s robe like how the woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. I love that in the Melkite tradition we truly have an incarnate faith.

Smell the incense, kiss the icons, taste the Body of Christ. 

Palm Sunday is really big for Melkites. All the people processoutside the church with their palms and decorated candles. During Holy Week we have nightly services that draw you truly into the Crucifixion. On Holy Saturday, we have a “pre-pascha” called the Blessing of the New Light to foreshadow the chains of death falling away and celebrating the Resurrection. 

You co-founded We Carry You Still, a ministry for families who’ve experienced loss. How has your own journey through grief influenced your work in this area?

In 2020 and 2021, my husband and I lost three babies due to miscarriage. Frankly it shook my faith in ways I never experienced before. While we had some resources from my doctor, they were secular and weren’t theologically sound.

Over a year ago, myself and a couple friends started Carry You Still, we vet and share grief, loss, and miscarriage resources. I think this is the aspect of the pro-life movement that’s missing from the Church. 

You can learn more about this ministry at https://wecarryyoustill.org/

There’s incredible healing that can happen after such loss and grief. The Church has answers. 

Many Catholics are curious about the role of married clergy in the Eastern Churches. How do you see the vocation of the priesthood and marriage complementing each other?

I think one of the things God has laid on my heart as far as my end of things, is to be my husband’s number one supporter. Priests have a huge responsibility to serve a community and be the keeper and provider of the holy sacraments. I know that I am my husband’s best friend and comforter especially as he deals with heavy things.

I ask him to tell me as little as possible, as I find the politics of the Church discouraging. So for me to serve him, I like to know as little as possible in that aspect. On the flip side, some of the joys of being a clergy wife are being there for the parishioners’ big life events: baptisms, weddings, funerals. It is such hard work, a privilege and honor. 

My husband has a unique role of serving the community in knowing the struggles and joys of married and family life personally.  Those are some of the ways our marriage supports his vocation as a priest.

Readers may also be interested to know that priest’s wives in the Melkite Church are given the title “Khouria.” People call me Khouria Jocelyn at church.

What are some misconceptions Latin Rite Catholics might have about Eastern Catholicism, and how can we better understand and appreciate the diversity within the Church?

Part of it is the cultural club mentality. My husband and I joke about visitors seeing the “liturgical zoo” to see the “exotic Catholics.” So part of the misconception is that you have to be a member of a specific ethnic group to be a member of an Eastern Church. My husband is Middle Eastern but I am not

The second misconception is Latin Rite Catholics still confusing Eastern Catholics as being Eastern Orthodox. 

We can as a Church and Her members, we pray for unity between the East and the West and that is how we can appreciate the diversity of our faith. Eastern Catholicism liturgical expression looks Orthodox. So the way forward is to embrace both East and West traditions and liturgical expressions in the unity of the Catholic Church.

Finally, if someone wanted to attend a Melkite Divine Liturgy for the first time, what should they expect—and what advice would you give them?

I tell folks that if you are in Phoenix to come see me! I encourage visitors to experience and immerse yourself in the Divine Liturgy. There’s less rules, we stand the whole time, our communion bread is leavened, and we all receive in the mouth but we don’t stick out our tongue. It’s like the chaos of life being bound within the structure of the Liturgy. 

Where can my readers learn more about you and the Melkite Church? 


My Instagram page as I do some more interviews and share homeschool tips. To learn more about the Melkite Church in general you can visit melkite.org. You may also visit my parish Saint John of the Desert. 

About Jocelyn: 

Jocelyn Abyad is the wife of Fr. Zyad Abyad and mother of 7 daughters on earth and 3 babies in Heaven. She holds a degree in psychology from Arizona State University and worked as a finance banker for over a decade before choosing to stay home to homeschool her children. Alongside her husband, she serves at St. John of the Desert Melkite Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona.Jocelyn shares insights on homeschooling and liturgical living across multiple platforms as Melkite Momma and is a regular contributor to Byzikids Magazine. In 2024, she co-founded We Carry You Still, a nonprofit ministry offering support and resources for women and families who have experienced miscarriage or infant loss. Throughout her work and personal experiences, Jocelyn seeks to foster faith, family, and community.

Thank you for sharing!

An Interview with a Malankara Catholic

/ chicoinematt

Describe your faith journey. 

I am a cradle Catholic. In my childhood, my parents would take me to Sunday Catechism classes. During my college years, I fell away from the Church. I think mainly because it was due to not having Catholic friends. Most of my friends were Hindu or Atheist. For about six years I was a nominal Catholic. In 2022, I came back to the Church. I went to some Latin Rite Masses when I was far away from my home. During Covid I was getting used to the online Masses, but eventually I stopped going. I met a woman who asked me if I was going to Mass. I had a powerful experience when I returned back to the Church. After about a month, I had a desire to go to Confession. There was only one Mass on Sundays and Confession was before it. The lines were long for Confession and by the time I got to the confessional, the priest told me that he was out of time and had to be ready for Mass. 

In 2022, I found my first Catholic friend who referred me to another priest who had the time to administer the sacrament of Confession in October. He told me after my Confession, “Welcome home!”. That was the first time I felt back in the Church. In the months prior to my Confession, I was studying the Scriptures and attending the Mass.

This is my home parish: St. Thomas Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, Nalanchira, Trivandrum.

The Malankara Catholic Church represents a fascinating blend of Eastern Syrian tradition and Indian cultural elements. Could you describe some distinctive features of your liturgy and how it reflects both your Syrian heritage and Indian identity?

Saint Thomas came to India 52 A.D. In the 15th century the Portuguese came to India and started missionaries. This is out when the Latin Church was first brought. We were under the guardianship of the bishops. When the Latin missionaries and bishops came there were some problems in the Indian church as they were following some Hindu. The Synod Diamper (1599 A.D.) gave the church more restrictions. There were a variety of reasons beyond religious for the synod, including political. A lot of the Syrian textbooks were burned, they Latinized the Mass, while keeping the Syrian language, they changed some elements. 

Many people didn’t like this and protested the changes. During the synod no one opposed it due to fear of excommunication. But about 50 years later, protests started. “Coonan Cross Oath”. The protesters pledged to not be under Portuguese rule. They wanted a bishop from Rome, not a bishop from Portugal. After many years, a split happened in the church. Some stayed with the Latin bishop (the older faction) and those who opposed the Latin bishop (new faction). The new faction is no longer under the umbrella of the Catholic Church. Syro-Malabar Church was a name for the old faction. 

The new faction wanted to be under a Syrian bishop and didn’t want to be Latinized. No bishops were coming, but eventually a Western Syrian bishop, from the Jacobites, came to India. What happened was that the new faction joined this Western Syrian bishop. Again a split happened in 1912. The new faction wanted to have self-governance not under a Jacobite bishop. Some people in the new faction said they would be under the Jacobite bishop and the others would be under the Indian Metropolitan. The Metran faction formed under the Indian Metropolitan. And the others under the Jacobite patriarch were known as the patriarch faction (eventually known as the Jacobite-Syrian Church). And the Metran faction became known as the Indian Orthodox Church. 

  In 1930, Rome accepted the request by the Indian Orthodox Church to be under their governance. One priest was the primary contact in this communication and he became the first bishop of the Malankara Church. His name was PT Geevarghese and became Mar Ivanios.  My great-grandfather’s family was one of the first to join the Malankara Church. Also my grandfather was a personal assistant to Mar Ivanios near the end of his life. 

There was a college started during Mar Ivanios’ tenure. My aunts and uncles attended this college along with my mom. 

What role does the Syriac language play in your liturgical celebrations, and how has the balance between Syriac, Malayalam, and other languages evolved in your worship practices?

Initially it was all Syriac. Later, everything was in the vernacular. Now it is fully in Malayalam (it’s a newer language). About 20 percent of the liturgy is in Syriac. People are comfortable with Malayalam because they know the songs. They also like singing in Syriac. 

Who are the saints your rite has a particular devotion to (besides Saint Thomas)? 

Not really, we have a devotion to all the Catholic saints. Some of the popular saints are Saint George. Before the Synod, there were many Churches named after the Syriac saints, but after the synod many churches had their names changed to Roman saints.

Many Catholics in the West are unfamiliar with Eastern Catholic traditions. What aspects of Malankara spirituality, devotional practices, or theological emphases do you wish were better understood by the broader Catholic community?

These things I came to know about recently, the basics of the Western Church is the emphasis on reasoning and Scholasticism. Compared to that, the Eastern Catholic Church has more of a focus on mysticism. We called the Mass Quarbana. It has a meaning called “offering”. We also use the term Divine Liturgy. In the Malanakara Liturgy the first thing that happens is the offering. And it occurs behind the curtain. The priest will be offering the bread and wine. The first service is called Melcizdek and the second service is Aaron. He will incense the offering and after that we will start the Mass. Once the curtain is open the public life of Jesus is presented. We say a shorter version of the Creed. There is a short prayer (Trisagion). After the readings happen (Two Epistle and Gospel). There is no Psalm reading. The Old Testament reading is read at the beginning of the Liturgy before the preparatory service. 

After the Liturgy of the Word, prayers from the priest are like a catechism (it’s like 10-15 minutes), followed by the Creed (we don’t use the filioque clause- because our church came from the Orthodox, and this was a compromise made with Rome), anaphora is next it’s where the service of offering happens. During the anaphora the Institution of the Eucharist happens. 

Immediately after the anaphora we have the intercessory prayers. Then the Service of Fraction (meaning the Crucifixation of Jesus) and during this time the curtain is closed. After this, the curtain is open to symbolize the Resurrection of Jesus and we sing many songs (devoted to Mary, saints, faithful departed, priests). It’s more like a chain of songs. 

After the songs the priest starts a procession for the congregation to Adore Jesus (this was  a tradition started before the widespread use of Eucharistic Adoration Chapels). Then the faithful receive Communion. A similar procession happens after Communion. This procession is more of a thanksgiving. Closing prayers happen and the Divine Liturgy concludes. 

Thanks for sharing your experience with my audience! Any words of encouragement or thoughts about the Eucharist to share with my readers? 

Whenever I think about the Holy Mass inside one of the songs there is a line that is similar to this quote by Saint Maximilian Kolbe, “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion” –-St. Maximilian Kolbe

Additional information: 

The Divine Liturgy of the Malanakara Church is kind of like a minor scale whereas the Syro-Malabar and Latin Masses have more of a major chord and happy tone. 

We don’t kneel during Sundays because we are celebrating the Resurrected Jesus.

About Jibin:

Jibin Jose, Mechanical Design Engineer from Kerala, India, settled in UAE, Syro Malankrite.

Thank you for sharing!

An 880 Word Interview with a Maronite Catholic and His Roman Catholic Wife

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Amanda and Anthony Sloan via phone call on March 31st, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

Tell your faith journey as a married couple. 

Amanda: On my first date, I learned that Anthony was Maronite Rite. He invited me to this liturgy. We opted to go to a Roman Rite for our marriage. We wanted to get married in a Maronite church but the priest was out of town the weekend we were going to get married. 

Anthony: Baptism is a separate Sacrament from Chrismation. Most kids receive both Sacraments from a young age. I am learning more and more about the Maronite Rite as an adult. For me, growing up my father was Roman Catholic and my mother was Maronite. Once I went to college and left the state, I went to a Roman Catholic liturgy due to there not being a close Maronite parish. About ten years ago I started receiving more access to the Maronite liturgy. And around four years later when we moved to South Carolina there was a Maronite church close by and my faith became alive in a way that was incredible.

Growing up my family would do a mix of the two liturgical calendars. So for when I got reacquainted with the Maronite Rite in the weeks leading up to Christmas we don’t have Advent. It’s the Season of Announcement.

Amanda: It’s six weeks long and the color is blue. Blue is related to Mary and you are traveling with her this season. 

Anthony: It’s like a journey with Mary. So many of the Maronite hymns and songs are connected to Mary. In these ancient hymns we hear her voice and see things through her eyes. 

Image from Wikipedia Commons.

Who are your favorite feast days and sacred art?

Anthony: Saint Charbel (Maronite). My favorite sacred art piece is “Saint Charbel” by Heart of IVSUS.


Amanda: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Roman), Commemoration of the Righteous and the Just (Maronite – its basically the equivalent of All Saints Day, but there is more emphasis on souls that haven’t necessarily been canonized yet). And my favorite sacred art is “Pentecost” by Jean Restout the Younger.

What’s another major difference between Roman and Maronite?

Amanda: Maronites have more Holy Days of Obligation. All of Holy Week is its own season. There’s more different liturgies during Holy Week, there’s a burial of Christ liturgy. 

Anthony: There’s a coffin that the congregation brings to the parish and roses are put into the coffin. If there’s a corpus to come off the crucifix or a crucifix is placed in the coffin. Usually four strong men from the parish carry the coffin around the church. There’s these songs of mourning. More of the hymns are in Arabic. In my opinion, one of the most powerful days is Good Friday.

And the “Holy Saturday” which in the Maronite tradition is referred to as the “Saturday of Light” there’s a ceremony that’s called the prayer of forgiveness and it celebrates the forgiveness won by the death of Jesus Christ. Parishioners are encouraged to go to confession ahead of time.

Wednesday of Job is the Wednesday of Holy Week. Since Job is a prefigurement of Christ, this day is a reminder that Christ willingly sacrificed himself for us like Job willingly suffered in the Old Testament.

What’s another difference between the two Rites in terms of structure?

Amanda: There are two eparchies in the United States. And these are like the equivalent of the diocese in the Roman Rite.


Are there particular feast days or celebrations that hold special significance in the Maronite?

Amanda: In terms of feasts, Saint Maron is a major feast on March 9. 

Anthony: Probably the Season of the Glorious Birth of Our Lord.”

Amanda: Maronites are passionate about the names of their seasons There’s no Ordinary Time. And even with Lent it is called “Great Lent”. 

Anthony: Which is interesting because in the Latin Rite, Ordinary Time is such a long period of time.

What challenges have you encountered as an inter-ritual family?

Amanda: I think when we moved here the transition to the Maronite liturgy was tougher because it was a bit longer than the Roman Rite. And the order of the liturgy is different.

Anthony: And on the flip, there’s a lot more music to the (Maronite) liturgy. There’s not a lot of variance with the patterns, but it has a depth. Even our two-year old was able to pick up on the hymns and sing at home. Our bishop mentioned in a homily that much of the Maronite hymns were written for a farming community. They were designed to be prayed/sung during the movement of the day and your work. 

Amanda: And the tune is the same each week although the words of the hymns change each week.

How has being inter-rite enhanced your understanding of the universal Church?

Anthony: I love that our Church is so diverse. There’s so much beauty that while there’s different liturgies that we all adhere to the same core truths. 

You experience that the same words/language Christ used at the Last Supper is the same in both rites. There’s so much depth to our Catholic Church and our faith! 

Amanda: I would say that a broadening of understanding of liturgy occurred. Being able to experience the other lung of the Church as Pope Benedict XVI referred to it was so beautiful. There’s so many beautiful expressions of our faith we miss if we only see things one way. There’s a richness to our Catholic faith. 

About Amanda and Anthony:

Amanda is a wife and mother to four daughters, and two more souls in Heaven. Channeling her years in parish ministry as well as her background in theology, Amanda is the Owner and Creative Director of Worthy of Agape, a Catholic business that aims to encourage families to become Saints together! 

Anthony is a Maronite Catholic as well as a FOCUS Missionary. After moving to various campuses around the country, Anthony and his family now call South Carolina home, where they’ve been able to dive deeper into their Maronite roots. Anthony enjoys tending to their family chickens as well as spending time exploring with his wife and daughters.

Thank you for sharing!

An 819 Word Interview with a Byzantine Catholic

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Dalton, founder of The Salty Catholic Instagram meme account, via phone call on March 8th 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

What was your path to Byzantine Catholicism, and was there a specific moment when you realized this tradition was home for you?

I am a convert, I grew up as a Southern Baptist in Tennessee. I became Catholic when I joined the Army in 2019. Less than a year ago I became a Byzantine Catholic. The only Rite the Archdiocese of the Military Services have is the Roman Rite. So I joined the Roman Rite and later became an Eastern Catholic. 

During my conversion I was discerning between the Orthodox and Catholic Church and that Eastern spirituality appealed to me. 

I was formally accepted by the bishop in 2023 shortly after I separated from the army. 

How many different Eastern Rites did you look at before your final discernment? 

Chaldean, Melkite, Byzantine. I settled on the Byzantine-Ruthenian Church. 

How do you use humor in your memes to communicate deeper truths about Eastern Catholicism?

It’s just a matter of helping people discover the relatability of life and helping make that connection with the faith. 

Things that come up where I crack a little joke when the circumstances arise. 

How long have you had your Instagram account?

Since 2020, my reasoning is very boring. One day I found various meme templates and added Catholic captions to them. People started sharing them. 

What’s your favorite meme that you made?

It’s between two of my more recent ones. I made one using the crucifix and the second was about going to the Divine Liturgy vs. going to the club. 

Byzantine Catholics have a rich tradition of iconography – how has this visual tradition influenced your approach to creating memes?

In a certain way, memes can be a form of sacred art. If you can find a way to include that spiritual truth to it. In a modern understanding you could make that connection.

What’s your favorite icon? 

I think my favorite icon is the one I keep in my classroom. It’s called “Divine Ascent” . It’s related to the doctrine of theosis. The icon was originally found in Saint Catherine’s Monastery, located on Mount Sinai. 

What’s one Byzantine Catholic practice or tradition you wish more Roman Catholics would discover and appreciate?

I have a couple that jump to mind. The first one is pretty standard, I wish more Roman Catholics would embrace the Jesus Prayer. It’s pretty much constant for me. As much as I can I devote my time to that prayer. 

And the second practice is to embrace specifically Eastern iconography. This type of iconography takes you deeper into the spiritual life. 

Where are good places for Eastern iconography?

A lot of Eastern monasteries will create these types of icons. It’s always good to support them.

Who are your favorite Eastern saints, and how have they shaped your spiritual life?

There are some that are culturally and traditionally to Eastern Catholicism. One I recommend is Saint Gabriel the Fool for Christ. He is an amazing guy, he was an Orthodox Christian, his life was centered around humility and looking foolish for Christ. 

Similar, but different, Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain is another favorite of mine. Everyone sought his advice. He was popular and his quotes are widely circulated. Any devoted Apostolic Christian should adapt his advice.

What’s the most surprising or unexpected reaction you’ve received from your meme content?

All of it. The fact that anyone appreciated what I created. I didn’t have any expectation of this recognition when I started the account. 

The Salty Catholic’s second favorite meme.

How do you navigate explaining the distinctions of Byzantine Catholicism to those who assume all Catholics practice the same way?

The explanation I give to my students is that it’s the same belief with different perspectives and practice. 

In what ways do you see your meme page building bridges between Eastern and Western Catholic traditions?

I do see that happening but it is an unintentional byproduct of my account. I am seeing an uptick of Eastern Orthodox following me (I notice in the comments section and the occasional DM).

What aspects of Byzantine liturgy and prayer life have been most transformative in your personal relationship with Christ?

I’ll have to think about that for a second, there is something in particular about the liturgy that calls the individual just profoundly as it calls the collective. The perspective I noticed in the Roman Rite was that the individualistic spirituality was set aside. During the Divine Liturgy, individuals are called while the collective is also drawn deeper into the life of God during the liturgy. 

If Roman Catholics could take one thing from the Byzantine tradition to enrich their faith, what would you recommend?

Other than the Jesus prayer and iconography, I think probably the asceticism. I think there’s a temptation in Western spirituality to be afraid of living the faith in such a radical way. Eastern spirituality calls all to live this ascetical life.

About The Salty Catholic:

Hello! I am the Salty Catholic! I am a Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic. I’m also a part-time mememaker, a full-time husband, and a full-time high school theology teacher. I have two degrees in theology, and I’m pursuing doctoral studies in theology as well. While seeking my own theosis in this life, my hope is to also bring orthodox knowledge of the faith to others through humor and goodwill.

Thank you for sharing!