July 29, 2022 270 0 What Was Life Like at the First Christian Monastery Founded by Saint Pachomius the Great? St. Anthony the Great is honoured as the father of coenobitic monasticism. Yet the Venerable Pachmius the Great takes the credit for establishing the…
July 24, 2022 369 0 What is Holy Water and How to Use It? What is holy water symbolism in the Bible? Where does holy water come from? How to use it correctly and for what purpose? Find…
July 15, 2022 628 0 Why Do the Altars of Orthodox Churches Face the East? In the architectural tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the altar part is located on the eastern side of the church building. In view…
June 21, 2022 999 7 Where Does Orthodoxy End and Heresy Starts? A recognized tenet of the faith is a part of the church doctrine, unlike a tenet that has been condemned as heresy. In this…
June 17, 2022 287 2 Autocephaly, Autonomy and Self-governance in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Autocephaly Autocephaly is the status of the Church that allows it to govern itself (from the Greek autos – self, and kephalē – head)….
June 10, 2022 1399 0 Why Do Monastics Receive New Names in Tonsure, and Who Gets to Choose Them? In the Orthodox Church, taking monastic tonsure means changing one’s name. For example, Saint Seraphim of Sarov bore the name Bartholomew before he became…
June 6, 2022 317 0 The Feast of the Holy Trinity: Facts about the Orthodox Pentecost The Feast of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles that bestowed on them the spiritual…
May 30, 2022 2229 8 Orthodoxy vs. Catholicism – How Are They Similar and Different? Differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches Sadly, divisions within churches have occurred throughout history. However, one schism – called the Great Schism –…
May 22, 2022 4399 3 Monastic Clothing in Orthodoxy Browse our online store and find the items that inspire you Orthodox monks are required to wear distinctive vestments designed to remind them of…
May 18, 2022 1423 0 Married or Celibate? The Evolution of the Views on the Celibacy Rule for Orthodox Bishops In the Russian Church tradition, bishops have historically been drawn from monastics, and rarely from the Ryasophore monks*. Conversely, in the Greek tradition, Ryasophore…