The Orthodox Church in America

September 12, 2026 On September 11, 2026, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon presided at a Panikhida at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA), the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

September 9, 2026 From July 28–August 3, seventeen young adults from the Orthodox Church in America participated in SUPRASL Summer 2026, the fifth annual international gathering of Orthodox youth held at the Monastery of the Annunciation and the Supraśl Academy in Supraśl, Poland.

September 5, 2026 Beloved Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, More than four years have passed since the outbreak of the devastating war in Ukraine. Although the world’s attention has increasingly turned elsewhere, the suffering of countless families has not ended.

September 3, 2026 The OCA Department of Liturgical Music and Translations is pleased to offer a brand new class intended for church choir directors—“Vocal Technique for Choirs.” The full title of the course explains its intent and scope: Teaching Your Choir to Sing Well: Beautifying Worship Through Improved Choral Tone.

September 1, 2026 Saint Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas was filled to capacity on Friday, August 28, and Sunday, August 30, for the premiere of “The Divine Liturgy for Small and Large Choirs” by composer Nicholas Reeves. A chamber male choir sang the liturgical responses during Friday’s service, while Sunday’s Hierarchical Divine Liturgy featured two choirs, with portions of the new work performed by ensembles ranging from a trio to a quartet and quintet.

August 31, 2026 The Office of Pastoral Life reminds priests and bishops of the Orthodox Church in America that Tuesday, September 1, is the final day to register for the 2026 OPL Pastoral Retreat, to be held September 29–October 2 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL.

The Placing of the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in a church of Constantinople’s Chalcoprateia district took place during the reign of the emperor Theodosius the Younger. Before this the holy relic, entrusted to the Apostle Thomas by the Mother of God Herself, was kept by pious Christians at Jerusalem after Her Dormition. During the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise (886-911), his wife Zoe was afflicted with an unclean spirit, and he prayed that God would heal her.

Saint Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople Saints Alexander, John and Paul, Patriarchs of Constantinople, lived at different times, but each of them happened to clash with the activities of heretics who sought to distort the teachings of the Church.

To the Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, My Beloved Children in the Lord, Joyous feast! The Gospel appointed for this day, the beginning of the ecclesiastical new year, sets before us a scene of remarkable simplicity. Our Lord returns to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, enters the synagogue on the Sabbath day “as His custom was” (Lk. 4:16), and stands up to read.