NOTE: The Holy Week Schedule has been updated. Click here for the most up to date schedule. Use of Mosaics as a Byzantine Art Form One of the characteristics of our church that makes it so unique among American Orthodox Churches is our beautiful mosaic art. While there are a...
The Fasting Regiment – What are My Options? The season of Great Lent is once again upon us as we prepare for our Lord’s glorious resurrection. As we hear in the hymn of Χριστος Ανενστη (Christ is Risen) His resurrection conquers death and grants to all Mankind freedom from the...
Is Tradition an Antiquated Idea? In last’s month issue, we discussed the place of the organ within the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church. So, this begs the bigger question, If it’s OK to incorporate something (i.e. the organ) into the church where chanting has been the “tradition” then what...
To Be or Not To Be: Use of the Organ in Church One of the questions that arises in our weekly YouTube live show and from some parishioners is the why do Orthodox Churches in America use organs? Isn’t this against our Orthodox tradition? Some conservative Orthodox will answer with...
Orthodox and Protestants in Dialogue Here in America we as Orthodox are certainly in the minority. According to a 2020 census membership in the Eastern Orthodox churches in America was estimated at 675,765. When compared to Catholic and Protestant churches, Orthodoxy represents far less than 1% of the total Christian...
We hope everyone is having a refreshing summer and that most of you have been able to celebrate summer activities without masks! It has been a long road to get on the other side of COVID, but we have arrived, and I am very excited to be starting Religious Education...
Orthodoxy: A Way of Life Now that Pascha has passed and we have all received the Light of Christ, what now? Some will answer saying “Live the Orthodox way of life.” But what does that mean? Of course the Christian way of life, no less the Orthodox way of life,...
The Faith Entrusted to Us In the 2020 census of the status of Eastern Orthodox Churches in America there was found a dramatic change in the Orthodox Church participation, mainly a decline of 14% in regular church attendance and 17% loss in members. While the Orthodox Church has struggled with...
Journey through Lent The services of Great Lent are characterized by an atmosphere of a penitential character. In most Orthodox Churches, the royal gates to the altar area remain closed to remind us of Man’s separation through sin from the Kingdom of God. The church is decorated in somber colors,...
Truth Matters As is probably no surprise to anyone, a recent study by Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer found that credibility in traditional media such as TV news, Radio, and Facebook, has declined to an all-time low with the following statistics: 56% of Americans agree with the statement that “Journalists and...