Metropolitan Petros of Astoria - His Life & Struggle

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Created on Sunday, 23 July 2017 21:52

Metropolitan Petros of Astoria (1915-1997) was the founder of St. Markella’s Cathedral in Astoria, New York, and is considered the founder of Traditionalist Greek Orthodox Christianity, and monasticism in America.

In his lifetime, he was a member of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece as an Archimandrite, then fell in with a group of vagante pseudo-Old Calendarists, and was taken in by the Metropolia (forerunner of the Orthodox Church in America [OCA]), was consecrated a bishop by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and became a member of the Synod of Bishops of the Church of the GOC of Greece.

During his forty-seven years in America (thirty-five years as bishop), he founded and pastored St. Markella’s Cathedral, and oversaw other parishes in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Florida. He remained firmly at the helm of the diocese until his final days. He is therefore of great interest to those concerned with genuine Orthodox Christianity, and to those interested in the building of a Greek Orthodox parish from scratch in an immigrant community, and an interest in Greek Old Calendarist relations with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), among other things.

This is PART ONE, "The Early Days of the Struggle - From Chios to the Holy Mountain".

PART TWO, "The Struggle Moves to America" comes to GOCTV in the Fall.

Orthodox Awareness

A Miracle of Saint Spyridon

This miracle of Saint Spyridon took place in Mandra, Greece in 1926.

It was 12/25 December, 1926. The state Church of Greece adopted the Papal calendar and with the help of the Greek government persecuted all those who did not accept the Papal calendar. The faithful Orthodox Christians of Mandra woke up and headed to their Church to celebrate the Feast of Saint Spyridon. When they reached the Church they saw that the door to the Church had been secured with chains and the faithful could not enter. Before leaving the Church to return to their homes they stuck their candles on the door. As soon as the last person placed his candles on the door

the chains broke and fell. The faithful, confirmed in their Faith, entered the Church and celebrated the Feast of Saint Spyridon.

The miracle was reported the next day by the newspaper Skrip.

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

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...