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
For the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
If we ever find a friend or relative in trouble, we will probably be inclined to help, to do whatever we can. But what about finding a stranger in distress? While it may be relatively easy to care for friends and family in time of need, today the church gives us the parable of the Good Samaritan to remind us of the importance of caring … More...
The Lives of the Saints
St. Theodore of Canterbury
(Feast Day ~ September 19) The history of our salvation is a story of preparing the way, of laying groundwork, of taking advantage of right conditions and making the best of others: God gave Moses the law to prepare a particular people for giving his Son; the prophets gave those people the expectation of a Messiah, the faith and obedience of one … More...
Latest News
September Newsletter
In the month of September, two holy days will be celebrated with Vespers at 6:30pm, Mass at 7, and pot-luck suppers following: the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Monday, September 14 and St. Michael the Archangel on the Eve, Monday, September 28. Thanks to all who have volunteered to be a part of one of the … More...
The Good News of Orthodoxy
A Reading from a homily by St. Caesarius of Arles
In the lesson which was read to us, dearly beloved, we heard about the time when the people were destroyed in the desert by serpents or basilisks, because of the pride of the Jews and their murmuring against the Lord. [Numbers 21:9] Moreover, the Lord commanded Moses to make a brazen serpent and hang it on a tress, so that anyone who had been … More...