On Sunday, December 8/21, Andrew Wales of the parish of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Glen Allen (Richmond), Virginia, was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Demetrius. His Eminence concelebrated with Fr. Nicodemos Gayle, the parish rector, and Archdeacon Agathangelus.
After the ordination, a festive but fasting meal was served, and the Metropolitan spoke on several issues of concern to Orthodox Christians, such as the appearance of the Cross in 1925, the reunion of Orthodox Christians in March 2014, and pastoral matters.
Father Deacon Andrew is married to Diakonissa Anna, and they have an infant daughter. It should be noted that Father Deacon Andrew, originally from the Southwestern United States, relocated specifically to a city where there is a parish of our Church. While not everyone can do this, it is a remarkable testimony to his dedication to the Church, and a witness to others who have the ability. We wish Fr. Dcn. Andrew, his family, and his parish many years, and exclaim, "AXIOS!" ("He is worthy!").
Why do we follow the Old Orthodox Calendar?
a Because based on it, the First Ecumenical Council established the Paschal Canon and appointed that the feast of Holy Pascha may fall anywhere from March 22nd until April 25th, while with the New (Papal) Calendar it can fall as late at May 8th.
b The Gregorian (Papal) Calendar has been condemned by three Pan-Orthodox Councils under Patriarch Jeremiah Tranos (1583, 1587, 1589) Read more...
Jonesboro is a town located near the Eastern border of Arkansas, with a population of approximately 60,000. From a human standpoint, it’s not the most likely candidate for a traditional Orthodox mission, but for an Orthodox Christian who orders his priorities around Christ and His Church, it makes perfect sense. Read more...
2025 Youth Conference
Please join us for the 2025 youth conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! To learn more, visit the conference website.
Q. There seems to be a lot of variation in how people observe fasting, but my confessor told me to fast from oil on Wednesday and Friday. Oil is a pretty vague category, though, and I was wondering if I could get a more explicit description of what kinds of food and drink are excluded on strict fast days. Read more...