Peter Gilstrap Tonsured to the Rank of Reader

On Sunday September 28, during the weekend of the 2009 National Clergy - Laity Conference of the Holy Metropolis of the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America Peter Gilstrap was tonsured a reader at the Cathedral of St. Markella in New York City. Peter is the son of Fr. Mark Gilstrap of St. James Parish in Owasso, Oklahoma. He was tonsured by His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos of America. Also in attendance were four bishops, three visiting from Greece: Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Attica, Bishop Photios of Marathon, Bishop Gregory of Christianoupolis. His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Theoupolis is from Holy Ascension Monastery in Woodstock, NY.


Orthodox Awareness

Ecumenical Dialogues Intensified

At the beginning of September (n.s.) Bartholomew called together a “Synaxis of the Patriarchates and the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus" at the Phanar in order to coordinate their efforts for the First Ecumenistic Council which they plan to convene shortly. At it, they will most certainly have to deal with a conflict with the Patriarchate of Moscow concerning primacy, but also they will proclaim the heresy of Ecumenism with an alleged synodal decision of Ecumenical (or rather Ecumenistic) force. Read more...

Missions

Saint John of Kronstadt - Bunnell, Florida

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...

Youth

2025 Youth Conference

Please join us for the 2025 youth conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! To learn more, visit the conference website.

Ask A Priest

Morning and Evening Prayers

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...