Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

 Susan Ketz Arida

On October 26 Susan Ketz Arida, a co-founder of St. Catherine’s Vision, was celebrated by the clergy and parishioners of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Boston for her four decades of service there. Immediately following the hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Susan was presented with a certificate of appreciation by His Grace Bishop Benedict of Hartford and New England which read in part:

BY The Grace of God

We wish to express our Archpastoral gratitude by invoking God’s blessing upon Susan Ketz Arida for her many years of devotion and outstanding stewardship to the life and ministry of Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral…

Susan’s life in and outside of Holy Trinity Cathedral has been one of service to others. To a great extent her diakonia has been formed by her immersion into the deep waters of Orthodox liturgical life. Susan’s involvement in reorganizing the church school, her attentiveness to the choir (especially during its difficult times of transition), her concern for continuing the monthly community dinners, and her essential contributions to the Cathedral’s affordable housing project have helped to make the parish a unique community among the Orthodox parishes in the Boston area. Her care for the wellbeing of others has made the Cathedral community a safe place for all who seek the consolation of Christ.

Using her theological training, Susan has authored articles focusing on some of the extraordinary women whose lives are woven into the fabric of salvation history. Her articles, some of which have appeared in the three volumes published by St. Catherine’s Vision, serve as both a source for catechesis and encouragement for Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christians. These and her other articles provide reliable signposts for those desiring to probe more deeply into the role of women who - as deacons, hymnographers, and accomplished theologians – have contributed to the building up the body of Christ.

For almost 20 years Susan was the director of Boston’s YMCA English As a Second Language Programs (ESL) that offered basic skills as well college prep and job readiness. Together with her well trained and dedicated faculty thousands of students of various ethnic, social and religious backgrounds were offered the opportunity to begin new and promising lives. Among her students was a group of single mothers who met at Roxbury Community College. These women had encountered abandonment, homelessness, and in some cases incarceration. Susan prepped the women in navigating the various steps leading to employment including getting and keeping a job. Though burdened and even hardened by the trials of life, these courageous women were led onto a path that not only helped to restore their dignity and self-confidence but also provided the ability to see that life for themselves and for their children was more than an ordeal to survive.

I am well aware that Susan would not always agree that our life at Holy Trinity Cathedral was a joint ministry. Nevertheless, if I have been able to properly serve our parish, if I have said, done or written anything that has been edifying, it is because of Susan’s loving, firm, and encouraging counsel. She and our five children have taught and continue to teach me what it means to be a priest. Their mentoring has made it possible for me to point out to others the inexhaustible beauty and joy of life conveyed through the high theology of the Church’s liturgy.

Father Robert M. Arida