Source: Church Roadmap Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I have not communicated with you for the past three years because I have been deeply immersed in doctoral church research with a singular focus on identifying how to help parishes thrive and not merely survive. I emerge from that research with a clear conclusion: Your parish’s root cause challenges are solvable. If your parish has a clear long-term vision and plan, achieved complete financial stewardship independence from festivals & fundraisers, and if you have abundant ministries and volunteers, well-trained leadership, and growing sacramental and liturgical participation – Glory to God!…
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Orthodox News Top Stories
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists “Moses the Black,” Yelena Popovic’s follow-up to her 2021 film about the life of St. Nektarios of Aegina, “Man of God,” is set to release in theaters on January 30, 2026. This time, the movie will be set in modern day, with stars such as Omar Epps, Wiz Khalifa, Quavo, and producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson being involved in the project, which tells the story of a Chicago gangster who is inspired by St. Moses the Black’s ancient story of repentance. In an interview with the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America, Popovic speaks about…
Source: Rod Dreher’s Diary The Irish monk St. Columba, who died in 597, brought Christianity to Scotland, first by establishing a monastery on the Isle of Iona. That monastery was repeatedly attacked by Vikings in following centuries, and monastic life eventually died out. Among the Orthodox, there is a tradition that Columba prophesied the eventual desolation of monastic life on Iona, but said it would return shortly before the Second Coming of Christ. (For the record, I read that this alleged prophecy does not appear in the Life Of St. Columba, circa 697, which collected the wonderworking saint’s prophecies.) If the…
Source: Suprasl When you hear the phrase “Mind the Gap,” you might think of the London Underground. For us at SUPRASL, it is a sacred charge: to acknowledge the divides in our world, our Church, and our hearts, and to fill them with Christ’s love. We have chosen this as our theme because it most accurately describes the work we have to do in the Church today. This call is urgent. Today, young people are arriving in Orthodox communities in unprecedented numbers, seeking authenticity, beauty, and healing from an anxious age. Yet parishes often feel unprepared. Conversions can be lonely, and…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America By Giselle Soares “Behold, sons are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3) This Nativity season, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, is partnering with Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for the Let Children Live campaign—a simple yet powerful invitation to pray for Palestinian children by name, lifting them up in advocacy and love. Each participant receives the name of a Palestinian child, regardless of faith background; the campaign embraces children who are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or…
Source: Public Orthodoxy You cut through the silvery—gold sea at the foot of Mount Athos to make the funeral service of Archimandrite Vasileios Iverites,[1] and through countless dizzying thoughts, your mind is nailed for a moment on the hymn of the Vespers on Palm Sunday: “Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together…”[2] For forty years, the figure of Elder Vasileios has been engraved in you, so familiar that you felt you were not taking a trip to Mount Athos but returning to it. You often felt, when he spoke, that you were not comprehending his words but…
Source: The National Herald By Antonis H. Diamataris NEW YORK — It was, apparently, a chance meeting. Yet it was a shattering encounter—one that stays with you, one that gives you strength and hope. The historic Monastery of Gouverneto, founded between 1537 and 1548 in Akrotiri, stands on a plateau near Chania Airport and the Holy Trinity Tzagaróli Monastery. There, Elder Ieronymos, the monastery’s abbot—who immediately wins you over with his kindness and humility—received my wife and me in the archontariki, the monastery’s reception room. He offered us refreshments, spoke about the history of the monastery, and told us how he…
Source: Orthodox Christian Missions Center Celebrating 40 Years, Fr. Martin Ritsi, and Incoming Director Dr. Nathan Hoppe The Board of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center convened on Nov 18-19, 2025 at its headquarters in St. Augustine, FL for a very special semi-annual meeting. Highlights included recognizing our 40th year of service and celebrating the upcoming completion of Father Martin Ritsis’ 27-year tenure as Executive Director. The Board also welcomed the incoming Executive Director, Dr. Nathan Hoppe. In his report, Fr. Martin reflected on his ten years as a missionary in East Africa and Albania and his nearly three decades of service as Executive Director: “In the first years of OCMC’s history, the annual budget was only $100,000. There were just two missionaries and only a few staff members,” he said. “Today we have…
Source: Orthodox Volunteer Corps (OVC) Blessed Fast of the Nativity. As you begin your journey to Bethlehem, we invite you to walk a piece with OVC as well. Over the next forty days, we will share highlights from our first four years and glimpse into the next four. An early milestone on our path was October 2021. We traveled to Potomac, Maryland, to present a new idea to forty hierarchs at the annual meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. We outlined a program of service: selective recruitment, matching process with service placements, weekly seminars on…
Source: Orthodox Church in America SOUTH CANAAN, PA [STOTS] St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary received a grant of $920,107.00 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Sowing for Plentiful Harvests program. The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is intended to help theological schools across the United States and Canada strengthen their educational and financial capacities/programs and enhance their financial viability so they are better able to prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future. The program,…
Source: Logos Cinema Phoenix, AZ — November 2025 — Logos Cinema, a newly launched Orthodox Christian media platform dedicated to producing and distributing high-quality films rooted in beauty, truth, and spiritual depth, proudly announces the addition of American Orthodox as one of its inaugural feature presentations. Produced and directed by author and filmmaker Robert John Hammond, American Orthodox explores the rediscovery of the ancient Christian faith within the modern world. The film follows Hammond’s journey across America—through monasteries, cathedrals, and wilderness hermitages—capturing the stories of converts, seekers, and saints who embody a living tradition of holiness and transformation. With stunning…