On Wednesday, June 29, upon the request of Metropolitan Demetrius of America, Fr. Elias Warnke brought the myrrh-streaming icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to the Russian Orthodox Center in Richmondville, NY, the location of the Clergy Synaxis of the GOC. The icon was brought out for the two days of the Synaxis, and then was taken to St. John of San Francisco Monastery in Cobleskil, NY (located only some 10 minutes away) for the vigil on the night of Friday, July 1. It was venerated by hundreds of faithful, and the next morning, the day of the Feast of St. John, swabs of cotton soaked in the miraculous oil were handed out to all the pilgrims.
This icon began streaming on the feastday of St. Nicholas (December 6/19) 1996, and has not ceased to stream fragrant myrrh and work miracles over the past 20 years. Its guardian is Fr. Elias Warnke, who was the parish priest of the church where the icon began streaming.
It was an occasion of much rejoicing to have the icon present for the Clergy Synaxis and for the feastday of the new monastery of St. John. May St. Nicholas and St. John Maximovitch send their blessing upon the Metropolis of America and the new Monastery!
“Trust ye not in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.”
(Psalm 145:3)
We mustn’t have absolute trust in human beings for our salvation, no matter what dignity they have. Human beings are changeable. Today they are saints, tomorrow—deniers. Today—sinners, tomorrow—righteous. We must have absolute trust in God, and in Him we must base our hopes of salvation. “Blessed is he of whom the God of Jacob is his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 145:5). Read more...
Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church is a beautiful mission parish near downtown Tucson, a city in southern Arizona. It was started in 1997 by Father John Bockman, who was a missionary Priest formerly serving missions in Tennessee and Massachusetts since 1990. Father John served the faithful in Tucson and the surrounding area in his home Chapel until his repose in November of 2000. His wife, Presbytera Valerie, continued to make her home Chapel available for the mission, with clergy from Saint Nectarios Orthodox Church in Seattle and His Eminence, Metropolitan Moses of Toronto (then of Portland), visiting to provide the Divine Services.
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. Can you please explain the significance of the forty day memorial service? An Evangelical family asked one of our relatives that question. We said that it’s best to ask a clergy member. Thank you in advance for your response. (We will forward it to them as soon as possible).
-P. & M. G.
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