Source: Public Orthodoxy Sergei Chapnin Director of Communications at the OCSC of Fordham University and Chief Editor of The Gifts (Дары) Almanac As an Orthodox Christian witnessing the systematic persecution of clergy and faithful in Russia, I find myself compelled to break the deafening indifference within our American Orthodox communities. My heart grows heavier each day as friends—priests I’ve known for decades—suffer for their faithfulness to the Gospel of peace. Here, I must acknowledge that Ukrainians are dying daily under Russian aggression. At the same time, hundreds of pro-war priests from Russia actively support the war efforts in the occupied…
Author: Webmaster
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Originally published on April 3, 2025 View the PDF of the Newsletter – CLICK HERE
Source: The National Herald Analysis by Theodore Kalmoukos It seems to be the tragic fate of the beleaguered Holy Cross Theological School in Boston that, every so often, various self-styled “wise men” appear out of nowhere and begin conducting experiments, invoking dreams and visions of every kind. Most recently, in the long parade of those who have held leadership of the School in recent years, were the priests Nicholas Triantafilou and Christopher Mitropoulos, and more recently, the layman from Florida, George Cantonis — each leaving behind his own “mark,” all of which are painfully familiar and have been thoroughly documented…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America A team of twenty-one faithful parishioners from Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta, parish priest Fr. Mark Leondis and OCMC (Orthodox Christian Mission Center) Development Director, Dan Christopulos, recently returned from a transformational mission pilgrimage to Kenya, where they celebrated the consecration of the newly built Saint Mark Orthodox Cathedral in Kapsabet. The delegation represented nearly 800 families of the Saint Mark Church who had prayed for, funded, and spiritually supported the building of this sister church through a partnership with OCMC. This…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] At the upcoming 21st All-American Council, taking place July 14–18, 2025, in Phoenix, AZ, a new official icon of All Saints of North America will debut for the veneration of the faithful. In January 2024, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon issued a call for proposals for a new icon of All Saints of North America. In response, His Beatitude’s Office received a number of proposals from iconographers around the world. After giving each entry due consideration, His Beatitude decided to commission the new icon from master iconographer Anton Daineko, instructor at the Icon School of St. Tikhon’s Art Institute in South Canaan,…
Source: Orthodox Christian Studies Center (OCSC) – Fordham University Religion in Russia – Chapnin – UN presentation 2025 Sergei Chapnin presented his report “Religious Communities Under Pressure: Documenting Religious Persecution in Russia 2022-2025” at the Free Peoples of Russia House in Washington, DC, during a panel discussion entitled “Can Post-Regime Russia Embrace Christian Democracy? Religious Persecution in Modern Russia and Occupied Ukraine.” The panel examined the potential role of Russian Orthodoxy in democratic restoration following regime change, approaches to securing freedom of conscience in a multi-confessional Russia, and the current realities of religious persecution. Download the Report here Sergei Chapnin…
Source: Orthodox Christian Fellowship For the past 25+ years, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) has excelled in creating transformative experiences for students through national programs, such as Real Break and College Conference. These high-impact programs are important to our ministry and students. Solely focusing on these peak experiences, though, is akin to a spiritual life that only celebrates Pascha and Christmas. There is an increasing need for consistent, daily discipleship in the lives of OCF students. The time which volunteers and clergy can invest on-campus is limited. READ ABOUT OCF’S NEWEST CAMPUS MINISTRY PROGRAMS HERE
Source: Orthodox Church in America ANCHORAGE, AK [OCA] Following the canonization services for the Righteous Olga of Kwethluk in her home village, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and his delegation traveled to Anchorage over the weekend of June 21–22, 2025 to continue the celebration of St. Olga’s Glorification. Nearly one thousand faithful gathered at St. Innocent Cathedral to honor the newly glorified saint. Upon arrival at the cathedral for the All-Night Vigil on Saturday evening, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon processed into the church bearing the relics of St. Olga. These were set out for veneration by the faithful. The veneration of the relics and anointing of the…
Source: The National Herald Australian actor Mel Gibson went to the renowned monastic community of Mount Athos to spend a few days there in northern Greece and was staging at the Serbian Hilandar Monastery and taking part in daily liturgical services, said religious websites. The 69-year-old reportedly told the monks that he has “never felt such a strong connection with God anywhere as here.” He is known for directing the 2004 film The Passion of Christ and his devotion to Christianity. In a recent interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Gibson candidly discussed the challenges Christianity faces within the…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The first 2025 session of the CrossRoad Summer Institute took place from June 7-17, with Hellenic College Holy Cross hosting thirty-five high school students in Boston, Massachusetts. The teens were immersed in a program of faith and experience, challenged to dive deeper into what it means to be an Orthodox Christian in the 21st century. CrossRoad curriculum focuses on three important questions: 1) who am I? 2) who is God? and 3) who is my neighbor? In the first stage of the program, participants explored an Orthodox understanding of vocation: “your unique and ongoing…
Source: Public Orthodoxy Dr. Paul Ladouceur Orthodox Theologian Editor’s Note: Dr. Paul Ladouceur, distinguished theologian, teacher, and cherished voice in the Orthodox Christian tradition, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, June 13, 2025. He was 81. He submitted this essay to Public Orthodoxy just before his passing. Paul was not merely a contributor but a beloved friend of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center and a frequent, passionate voice for Public Orthodoxy. May his memory be eternal! George Florovsky’s appeal for a “return to the Fathers,” which he called “neopatristic synthesis,” is often misunderstood, especially his notion of “the mind of the…