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 Trinity Sunday
We sing the words week after week, year after year. We know them well, but do we consider what we are saying, do we think about these words, about their meaning and their importance for our lives? “I believe in one God...” These are tremendously powerful words that change everything for us - that shape our lives, that shape our … More...
The Lives of the Saints
St. Silverius, Pope and Martyr
(Feast Day - June 20) The amount of attention which has been given to the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, shows how much people are interested in stories of suspense, intrigue, conspiracy and murder - especially those involving the Christian religion. It is unfortunate when what might have been an entertaining novel claims to be true and then … More...
Latest News
June Newsletter
On Holiness by St. Nikolai of Ochrid Holiness, my brethren, is the virtue that encompasses all the other virtues. A saint, a mere man, is adorned through it with all the virtues. If a man is a man of prayer and is not compassionate, he cannot be called a saint, and if a man endures all things but has not faith … 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...