Found Motion Picture Footage of Sts. John Maximovitch and Philaret of New York!

We have never known of any motion picture footage of St John Maximovitch, or of St Philaret of New York other than that a few brief seconds... until now. This recently discovered silent film footage features three sections:

1. The laying of the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin (Palo Alto, California), which was conducted by St. John of San Francisco.
2. The blessing of the cupola and its installation conducted by various clergy.
3. The consecration of the church conducted by the holy hierarchs Metropolitan St Philaret, Archbishop St John and Bishop Nektary of Seattle, with numerous other clergy.

GOCTV has corrected the speed of the footage so that the motion appears more natural. No other alterations have been made.

When GOCTV wrote to the original publisher of this film and asked if we could share it here on our channel, we also asked where the footage was found. We received the this gracious reply:

"I discovered an old tape recording while helping to clean someone's garage storage. I restored it and converted it to a digital format. Don't know the origin of it. And yes, feel free to share it. Thanks."

The original publisher's channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQE1_iBiBGg.

Orthodox Awareness

A Miracle of Saint Spyridon

This miracle of Saint Spyridon took place in Mandra, Greece in 1926.

It was 12/25 December, 1926. The state Church of Greece adopted the Papal calendar and with the help of the Greek government persecuted all those who did not accept the Papal calendar. The faithful Orthodox Christians of Mandra woke up and headed to their Church to celebrate the Feast of Saint Spyridon. When they reached the Church they saw that the door to the Church had been secured with chains and the faithful could not enter. Before leaving the Church to return to their homes they stuck their candles on the door. As soon as the last person placed his candles on the door

the chains broke and fell. The faithful, confirmed in their Faith, entered the Church and celebrated the Feast of Saint Spyridon.

The miracle was reported the next day by the newspaper Skrip.

Missions

Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Jonesboro, Arkansas

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...

Youth

2023 Youth Conference

Please join us for the 2023 youth conference in Chicago, IL! To learn more, visit the home page or visit the conference website.

Ask A Priest

Why do we Call Angels “Saint”?

Q. I noticed that we call the angels Michael and Gabriel "Saint." I thought the title "Saint" was only given to humans who have proven themselves Godly. Do you mind clarifying this for me? Is there a deeper meaning to "Saint" that I am not aware of?

-S.L. Read more...