On July 18/31, His Eminence, Metropolitan Demetrius of America, along with Hierodeacon Benedict, travelled from St John of San Francisco Orthodox Monastery in Cobleskill, NY to the parish of St Seraphim of Sarov in Glen Allen, Virginia, just outside Richmond, to celebrate the feast of the uncovering of the relics of St Seraphim of Sarov.
That evening, Great Vespers with Liti were served, with His Eminence in attendance. Afterward, His Eminence hosted a question and answer period with the members of the parish. The following day, Divine Liturgy was served, with His Eminence in attendance. Serving from the parish of St Seraphim of Sarov were Fr Nicodemos Gayle, along with deacons Fr Andrew Wales and Fr Joseph Clatterbuck. Fr George Psaromatis from St Nicholas in Maryland, and Fr Andrew Frick from Holy Ascension in Fairfax, VA, travelled to the parish for the feast, along with many faithful from across the country. During the service, Alexis Arzuaga, from North Carolina, was made a subdeacon, and Michael Skvor, who lives locally, was tonsured a reader.
Following the Liturgy, a festive meal was served, with a brief talk by His Eminence.
May St Seraphim of Sarov intercede for us all!
In the early 20th century, the idea of promoting the union of Churches (Orthodox and heterodox) began to gain ground among circles in the Eastern Orthodox Church by establishing a "Communion of Churches" modeled on the League of Nations.
The Patriarchal Encyclical of 1920 foresaw a series of steps toward the “union of the Churches,” of which the first was the change of the calendar for the simultaneous celebration of feast days by all the “Churches.” The content of the encyclical was kept secret from the faithful and only after a few years became known. 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. Are the prayers in the blue prayer book [A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery —ed.] compulsory for everyone? I mean their morning prayers and the service of Small Compline. My confessor gave me a special rule but wasn’t clear about whether this replaced the book prayers or was in addition to them. Read more...