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About Us
- Things to know when attending
- What is Orthodoxy?
- Orthodox Christianity is the Church instituted by Jesus Christ. As such, it is no less than the vehicle provided by God Himself to bring us back to the state we were originally created to be in. Orthodoxy is characterized by a firm reliance on the teachings of Holy Tradition, among which include Holy Scripture, patristic teachings, theological balance and accuracy, hierarchical organization, and a strongly sacramental life.
- Is this the same thing as Eastern Orthodox?
- While the term "Eastern Orthodox" is regularly used to describe the Orthodox Church, it is not commonly used by the Orthodox because of its imprecise (and therefore confusing) implications. We simply refer to ourselves as "Orthodox".
- So what is your association with Egypt?
- Our parish's matron Saint, Mary, was from Egypt. We are not part of the Church in Egypt. You can read about Saint Mary of Egypt by clicking here.
- So are you Greek, or Russian, or what?
- We are a parish and diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. The OCA (as it's commonly known), received its "autocephaly" (its permission to elect its own bishops and to govern itself independently), from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970. While the OCA has Russian roots, our parish is composed of many different ethnicities and cultures, and many converts from other Christian confessions, and naturally with the worldwide communion of Orthodox Churches.
- How is Orthodoxy different from other Christian confessions?
- The Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ. It has faithfully preserved the teachings of Our Lord in an unbroken line stretching all the way back to the Apostles. Orthodox teachings represent a distinctively different theology than what is taught by the Roman Catholic Church, and its spiritual children, Anglicans and Protestants. To borrow a phrase, the Orthodox Church is Orthodox, but not Jewish; catholic, but not Roman; evangelical, but not Protestant. While we share much in common with our brother and sister Christians, especially with the Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox because of our shared heritage, we confess that the Orthodox Church alone has maintained the fullness of the Apostolic faith and teachings, and therefore brings Christ to us in the deepest and most intimate way possible. Echoing the Apostle Philip, we invite you to come and see!