The Faith

Saints of the Church

It must be stated at the beginning that the only true "saint" or holy one (Hagios) is God Himself. The Bible states "For I am the Lord your God; you shall name yourselves holy and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy ... " (Levit. 11:44; 19:2 and 20:7). Man becomes holy and "sainted" by [...]

Major Feast Days of the Church

The ecclesiastical year, which according to Byzantine practice begins on the first of September, is divided between movable and immovable or fixed holy days. The movable holy days are determined by the date of Easter, the most important of all feast days, which is in a class by itself. The determination of the date of [...]

The Sacraments

One of the best-known prayers of the Orthodox Church speaks of the spirit of God being "present in all places and filling all things." This profound affirmation is basic to Orthodoxy's understanding of God and His relationship to the world. We believe that God is truly near to us. Although He cannot be seen, God [...]

Forty Day Blessings

In imitation of Christ’s forty day blessing (Luke 2:22-38), the parents of the newborn bring the babe to the church in order for it to be dedicated to the Lord. This beautiful tradition is practiced throughout the Orthodox world. The parents become a symbol of the Virgin Mary and Joseph, while the priest symbolizes St. [...]

Baptisms

A child is generally baptized between the ages of three and ten months. Age, however, is not a barrier to baptism. Please call the church office to request a date for baptism. A person who wishes to sponsor a candidate for Baptism or Chrismation must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing and a supporting [...]

Marriage

For the union of a man and woman to be recog­nized as sacramentally valid by the Orthodox Church, the following conditions must be met: 1. The Sacrament of Matrimony must be cele­brated by an Orthodox Priest of a canonical Orthodox jurisdiction, according to the liturgi­cal tradition of the Orthodox Church, in a canonical Orthodox Church, [...]

Divorce

The parish priest will exert every effort to recon­cile the couple and avert a divorce. However, should he fail to bring about a reconciliation, after a civil divorce has been obtained, he will transmit the petition of the party seeking the ecclesiastical divorce, together with the decree of the civil divorce, to the Spiritual Court [...]

Funerals

Funeral services are permitted on any day of the year, except for Sundays and Holy Friday. Regardless of the time of day, a family member should notify the parish priest as soon as one falls asleep in the Lord. All funeral arrangements should be made with the parish priest prior to their confirmation and publication [...]

Memorials

If you desire to have a Memorial Service for a departed loved one, you should notify the church office well ahead of time, preferably at least two weeks prior when possible. As a general rule, Memorial Services are offered for those departed Orthodox Christians whose funerals took place in the Orthodox Church. When the Memorial [...]

Fasting

Just as there are times for feasting, there are also times set aside for fasting. During these periods, certain foods are prohibited. These are, in order of frequency of prohibition, meat (includ­ing poultry), dairy products, fish, olive oil and wine. Fruits, vegetables, grains and shellfish are permitted throughout the year. Of course, the Orthodox Church [...]

Holy Communion

The Eucharist is at the very center of Orthodox piety, worship and theology. One is encouraged to receive Holy Communion as frequently as possible. However, as frequent communion is encouraged, casual communion is not. One must always prepare themselves through prayer, fasting (see above) and confession before receiving Holy Communion. A cavalier attitude toward Holy [...]

Sanctity of Human Life

A major and overarching concern of the Church arises with its commitment to the God-given sanctity of human life. Some of the developments of the biological manipulation of human life, though promising amazing therapeutic achievements, may also be understood as undermining respect for the integrity of human existence. Others may be seen as providing a [...]

Donation of Organs

Although nothing in the Orthodox tradition requires the faithful to donate their organs to others, never-the-less, this practice may be considered an act of love, and as such is encouraged.  The decision to donate a duplicate organ, such as a kidney, while the donor is living, requires much consideration and should be made in consultation [...]

Sexuality

The Orthodox Church recognizes marriage as the only moral and spiritually appropriate context for sexual relations. Thus, all other forms of sexual activity such as fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, pornography, all forms of prostitution, and similar forms of behavior are sins that are inappropriate for the Orthodox Christian. Marriage is only conducted and recognized in [...]

Iconography

Iconography (from Greek: εικoνογραφία) refers to the making and liturgical use of icons, pictorial representations of Biblical scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, historical events in the life of the Church, and portraits of the saints. Icons are usually two-dimensional images and may be made of paint, mosaic, embroidery, weaving, carving, engraving, or other [...]