Ordination of Joel Thomas to the Diaconate

On September 12/25, 2022, the servant of God Joel Thomas was ordained a deacon at the Monastery of Saint John Maximovitch in Cobleskill, NY. Father Deacon Joel was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 11, 1986. He was baptized at Saint John the Forerunner Orthodox Church in Illinois as a convert in 2016, and recently moved to Cobleskill with his wife and three boys.

May God bless Father Joel to minister in the Vineyard of Christ, for many years!

Photo Gallery

 

Orthodox Awareness

Ecumenism in the Homestretch and the Orthodox Witness of a Contemporary Saint and Confessor

A Synodal Gathering of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece at the Port Authority of Piræus

Keynote Presentation on the Sunday of Orthodoxy: February 16/March 1, 2015 by His Grace, Bishop Klemes of Gardikion, Secretary of the Holy Synod

Ecumenism in the Homestretch and the Orthodox Witness of a Contemporary Saint and Confessor

Ἡ Τελικὴ Εὐθεῖα τοῦ Οἰκουμενισμοῦ καὶ ἡ Ὀρθόδοξη Μαρτυρία Συγχρόνου Ὁμολογητοῦ Ἁγίου

Missions

Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Jonesboro, Arkansas

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...

Youth

2023 Youth Conference

Please join us for the 2023 youth conference in Chicago, IL! To learn more, visit the home page or visit the conference website.

Ask A Priest

Fasting

Q. There seems to be a lot of variation in how people observe fasting, but my confessor told me to fast from oil on Wednesday and Friday. Oil is a pretty vague category, though, and I was wondering if I could get a more explicit description of what kinds of food and drink are excluded on strict fast days. Read more...