Welcome!
We are a Western Rite Orthodox church located in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. As a congregation of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, we are part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East (“…the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” Acts 11:26). While we share the faith of all Orthodox Christians around the world, as a Western Rite congregation we are blessed by our bishops to use the ancient forms of Western worship. Most of us are converts from many different backgrounds who have come to Orthodoxy in search of authentic Christianity and a place where we may grow in knowledge and love of God. In the Orthodox Church we have found the “pearl of great price” and we rejoice to share what we have discovered. We hope that you will explore our web site and join us in worship.
Sermons by Fr. Nicholas Alford
A Sermon for our Feast of Dedication
(Bishop JOHN blessed and dedicated our new home on May 21st, 2017. This sermon was preached in 2009 on the anniversary of the dedication of our former building.) Today we celebrate the Sunday within the Octave of our Feast of Dedication, as it was on May 6th of the year 2007 that His Grace, Bishop THOMAS, was with us to bless and … More...
The Lives of the Saints
St. Petroc
(Feast Day ~ June 4) Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. [Matthew 7:13-14] In the Sermon on the Mount, in our Lord Jesus Christ's instructions to … More...
Latest News
June Newsletter
We will celebrate the great festival of Pentecost beginning with the Vigil on Saturday, June 7. Matins will be at 9:30am; Mass, with prophecies and the blessing of the font, will be at 10am followed by a pot-luck brunch. On Sunday, June 8, the Mass will include the sequence hymn for Pentecost “Come Thou Holy … More...
The Good News of Orthodoxy
From the writings of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
The holy apostle Paul, warning us not to spend time in vain, lawfully instructs us to use each minute of our life wisely: “See then”, he says, “that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” In talking about “redeeming the time” the apostle makes us aware that time is used to purchase true … More...