DISCOVER THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church, the Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our own Patriarchate of Antioch, one of the most ancient of Orthodox churches, was originally founded in A.D. 34 by Ss. Peter and Paul.
And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
As the text further tells us, on the same day, after St. Peter had preached to the gathered people, those who received his word were baptized. About three thousand souls were added that day (Acts 2:41), thus constituting the first Christian community in Jerusalem.
This first community of Christians, headed by St. James, the Brother of the Lord Jesus, was the first Bishop of the city, and was later scattered by the persecutions which followed the stoning of the first martyr of the Christian Church, St. Stephen:
And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem. They were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles (Acts 8:1).
At the same time, faithful to the Lord's command to go...and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
The Apostles went out and preached wherever they went, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, so that in a surprisingly short time, Christian communities had sprung up in all the main centers of the Roman world and beyond.
Their exploits are recorded in the Acts, as well as in the inner tradition of the Orthodox Church.
Orthodoxy in America
Orthodoxy in America began in the 18th century when Russian Orthodox missionaries, accompanying explorers Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov, arrived in Alaska in 1741.
The first formal mission, led by Archimandrite Joasaph, landed in Kodiak in 1794, consisting of eight monks, two novices, and ten Alaskan natives. They successfully evangelized the native populations, including Aleuts, Tlingits, and Inuit, baptizing nearly all Kodiak Island natives within three years. Despite challenges, including the martyrdom of Hieromonk Juvenaly in 1796 and the Aleut Peter in California, the mission persevered.
Key figures like St. Herman of Alaska, who arrived with the 1794 mission, played a pivotal role. Herman, known for his humility and care for natives, lived ascetically on Spruce Island, teaching and caring for orphans until his death in 1837. He was canonized in 1970 as the first American Orthodox saint.
Another significant figure, St. Innocent (John Veniaminov), arrived in Unalaska in 1824, revitalizing the mission through education, translations, and church-building. Consecrated Bishop in 1840, he expanded the mission, establishing a seminary and serving as Metropolitan of Moscow until his death in 1879. He was canonized in 1977.
By the 1830s, the mission had grown significantly, with five priests, five religious centers, and over 10,000 Orthodox Christians. The Russian-American Company and the Russian Orthodox Church supported these efforts. The mission faced setbacks, including the drowning of Bishop Joasaph in 1799, but continued to expand. After Alaska’s sale to the U.S. in 1867, the mission shifted focus to ministering to Orthodox and Uniate immigrants in the continental U.S. and Canada, with figures like Bishop Tikhon (1898–1907) overseeing a maturing diocese.
The mission’s center moved to San Francisco in 1872 and later to New York in 1905, marking the growth of Orthodoxy across North America.
In the fall of 2024, the Holy Synod decided that “Matushka Olga” was selected to be the first female saint in North America and the first-ever saint from the Yup’ik people. You can read more of her life stories and the miracles God performed in this article.
Holy Icons
Icons are a Holy Image - a Door to Heaven.
Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finsher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1 [NKJV]
Holy Icons hold a central place in Orthodox Christian worship, prominently displayed on the Iconostasis and throughout church buildings, often in frescoes or mosaics. Orthodox faithful venerate them through prostrations, kisses, candles, and processions, raising questions about their significance and whether they violate Old Testament prohibitions against graven images. St. John of Damascus (d. 776), writing during the iconoclast controversies, provided key theological defenses, later affirmed by the 7th Ecumenical Council (787). Icons are rooted in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), who revealed the Image of God.
Unlike the Old Testament, where depicting the invisible God was forbidden (Ex. 20:4), the Incarnation allows for portraying Christ, who became visible in human form. Icons depict not only Christ but also His Nativity, Baptism, Transfiguration, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension, as well as the Virgin Mary, saints, and angels, using material forms to convey divine truths.
The Orthodox Church views icons as integral to Christian faith, expressing the same truths as Scripture. They are not idols but windows to the divine, venerating the Creator through the material, as St. John Damascene emphasized: “I do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter, who for my sake became material.”
Icons of saints connect the Church Militant on earth with the Church Triumphant in Heaven, serving as reminders of the saints’ lives and their invisible presence. Icons are not mere art but a theological expression of the Incarnation, salvation, and the sanctification of humanity. They visually proclaim the Gospel, showing the deification of man through Christ. Rejecting icons, according to St. John, is akin to denying Christ Himself. Thus, icons are inseparable from Orthodox Christianity, bearing witness to the faith’s core truths.
Join us each Sunday at 9:30 AM in the Church Social Hall for an enlightening exploration of the Orthodox Faith. Led by Subdeacon Guilherme Petty, this class offers a comprehensive overview of Orthodox beliefs and the historical foundations of the Church of the Apostles. With the aid of engaging visual presentations, Subdeacon Petty provides valuable insights into the teachings and traditions that define the Orthodox Church.
All are welcome to attend.