On Sunday May 22, 2011 a devastating EF5 multi-vortex tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, at about 5:41 PM CDT. It reached a width in excess of one mile during its path through the southern part of the city. It rapidly intensified and tracked eastward across the city. This tornado ranks as one of Missouri's and America's deadliest tornados and is very likely to be one of the costliest; the cost to rebuild Joplin could exceed $3 billion. It was the first F5 or EF5 in Missouri since the Ruskin Heights tornado struck south of Kansas City in 1957. It is also the second F5 or EF5 tornado in Missouri history dating back to 1950. The May tornado was the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1947 - the seventh deadliest single tornado in United States history, and the twenty-sixth deadliest in world history.
As of June 13, officials reported that 152 people were killed by the tornado.
When the Christians of Holy UnMercenaries Greek Orthodox Parish in Chicago heard of the tornado devastation in Joplin they contacted Greek Orthodox Helping Other People Everywhere. With the help of the Christians in other parishes GO HOPE mobilized and sent relief aid in the form of various supplies to Joplin. This is a video essay about that mission.
Please see the video and pictures posted below.
Why do we follow the Old Orthodox Calendar?
a Because based on it, the First Ecumenical Council established the Paschal Canon and appointed that the feast of Holy Pascha may fall anywhere from March 22nd until April 25th, while with the New (Papal) Calendar it can fall as late at May 8th.
b The Gregorian (Papal) Calendar has been condemned by three Pan-Orthodox Councils under Patriarch Jeremiah Tranos (1583, 1587, 1589) Read more...
St. John of Kronstadt Orthodox Church began as a mission parish in the year 2000, in a home chapel in Palm Coast, FL – a small town on Florida’s northeast coast located between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. After two years, it became necessary to have services in area community centers, rented for Sundays and other Holy Days. 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...