Sarah Riccardi-Swartz:Menace Supreme

[Barbara]

I had wanted to post book reviews of Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's sinister book "Between Heaven and Russia", an attempt to scare potential converts away from Rocor-MP.
By extension, away from the TOCs as well.
Sarah Riccardi represents the far-left wing of today's Orthodoxy. But this 'researcher' seems to harbor mainly political aims rather than cherish a belief in any form of Orthodoxy.

Before getting around to the lousy book, I thought i would give a brief glimpse into her themes via a programme on BBC4 which she was questioned - strangely, by a British talk show host - about Americans converting to Russian Orthodoxy, Rocor, and the American mens' Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, West Virginia.

This segment aired just a day ago. I didn't listen to the earlier speaker, but her part starts about halfway through.

The weird thing is that she still refers to the Monastery as "Woodford", as she did in her book. She never once says in the broadcast its actual name, Holy Cross. Only she repeats "Woodford". It sounds ridiculous !

Surely she must be acutely conscious of being sued for slander, as she made many slanted statements in that book about the clergy, parishioners and community of the Monastery and its associated parish Church - called Christ the Savior in real life.

Thinking Allowed - Traditionalism - Russian Orthodox Converts - BBC Sounds

[Barbara]

A typical theme sounded by Sarah Riccardi in both her book and her BBC comments is that Rocor parishioners and associates express a wish that Russia's leader Putin would INVADE the U.S. ! For what purpose is never 100% clear in Riccardi's fairy tale story, but presumably the Russian Army would restore a moral order and vanquish people of the left -- like Riccardi herself ! [Perhaps this is why she harps on this point so much].
Her thinking, if one reads her writing, is that conservative = "Fascist". That by the way, is a very old way for Communists to express their dislike of any person to their political right who disagrees with them !
"You are a Fascist !" leftists would angrily insult their conservative ideological enemies in all seriousness. However, with the demise of Communism as a world force, this style of speech has lapsed, I believe.

It is still flourishing at Sarah Riccardi's preaching corner, though. Just open her book to see a number of denunciations of "fascism" associated with Rocor or Conservative Orthodoxy sprinkled throughout the pages.

[Barbara]

Sarah Riccardi's updated photo at her own website.
Fr John Whiteford of Rocor pointed out in his book review of Between Heaven and Russia that the author never specified in which jurisdiction she is/was. She left it to the reader and any wider audience, such as the BBC4 presentation the other day, to assume that she is a member of Rocor herself -- thus an authority on matters Rocor.
I had researched this question in late spring 2022. There was a tiny mention in the book that Sarah Riccardi had converted "to the OCA",< which was her terminology until later corrected. Thus all the West Virginia parish and monastery members were characterized as having "converted to Rocor", the inaccurate phrase she employed often.

[Barbara]

Church under construction at Holy Cross Monastery [Rocor]. All Sarah Riccardi's strenuous efforts to make this monastic institution fail, or at minimum, be the laughingstock of the entire Orthodox world came to naught. The American convert brotherhood in Appalachia is turning this architect's drawing into a reality.
Among many gifts from donors, bells cast in Russia will be put up in the belltower as pictured :

[Barbara]

Amazon book review by Fr John Whiteford. The Rocor-MP priest in Texas, part of the South like West Virginia, minces no words :

1.0 out of 5 stars
"Poorly written, and Highly Improbable Narrative
May 28, 2022

"This book is basically the Russia Collusion Hoax applied to Russian Orthodox Christians, with the improbable suggestion that we are Putin Fifth Columnists, anxiously awaiting the invasion of the United States, so we can unfurl our Soviet Banners, get out our AK-47's and join forces in the violent overthrow of the United States.

The Church she chose to focus on was founded by Anti-Communist White-Russians, who fled the Soviet Union during the Civil War, and those non-Russians who have joined it are mostly conservative Americans who have no such ideas. I have been a member of ROCOR since 1990, the same year I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and
>>>I have never heard anyone talk in the ways she suggests people in ROCOR speak.

I also happen to know many of the individuals she writes about, and
>>>I frankly trust the author no further than I could throw her."

[Barbara]

Most everyone knows about this video, but in case there are new readers at this site, I'm posting the expose of not just Sarah Riccardi, but many other bothersome people today who call themselves "Orthodox" but are peddling their own wrong agendas.

As was said in a descriptive remark at the address below, the campaign is "surprisingly open...effort to transform Orthodoxy in the West".
It's true : the participants like Sarah Riccardi don't bother to disguise their motives, ideas - OR their LAVISH FUNDING !!!

This video had to be moved to a site called Rumble, and it's in 4 parts :

https://rumble.com/v1mq604-the-secret-s ... odoxy.html
 
 
 

[Barbara]

The Holy Cross Monastery new edifice is taking shape just like the architect's projected structure pictured several posts above.

The Monastery newsletter says that the donors have been "enormously generous", which demonstrates right there that Sarah Riccardi & Co.'s efforts to squash conservative Orthodox monasticism in the U.S. have come to naught.