Part 2 of Met. Petros of Astoria - His Life and Struggle

THIS IS PART TWO (2)

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, Florida, and Montreal. 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 who have an interest in Greek Old Calendarist relations with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), among other things.

Orthodox Awareness

A Brief History

In the early 20th century, the idea of promoting the union of Churches (Orthodox and heterodox) began to gain ground among circles in the Eastern Orthodox Church by establishing a "Communion of Churches" modeled on the League of Nations.

The Patriarchal Encyclical of 1920 foresaw a series of steps toward the “union of the Churches,” of which the first was the change of the calendar for the simultaneous celebration of feast days by all the “Churches.” The content of the encyclical was kept secret from the faithful and only after a few years became known. Read more...

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

Forty Day Memorial Service

Q. Can you please explain the significance of the forty day memorial service? An Evangelical family asked one of our relatives that question. We said that it’s best to ask a clergy member. Thank you in advance for your response. (We will forward it to them as soon as possible).
-P. & M. G. Read more...