Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
From the Apostles, Without Compromise
Welcome to Saint Olga's Russian Orthodox Church ABROAD
Saint Olga's Russian Orthodox Church
An Orthodox Church in the jurisdiction of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (75 E 93rd Street, New York, NY 10028). Preserving the spiritual traditions of the Russian Exile that occurred after the communist coup of 1917, we are an American spiritual home for any Orthodox soul. Here we study the doctrine of the faith, continuous from the very Apostles of Christ, pray for the Salvation of our souls, for our God-protected American land, its President, authorities and first-responders, and all Christ-loving Orthodox people. The language of the Divine Services is English. The languages of communication are English, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian.
Our parish is very young, it was founded on June 1, 2023 by the blessing of His Eminence Peter (+ November 8, 2024), Archbishop of Chicago and Mid-America. Formally we are still a Mission, but we already have a permanent priest, we perform most parish-level Divine Services, we conduct our own feasible missionary and catechetical work.
With God's help and by the blessing of His Eminence Gabriel, Archbishop of Montreal and Canada, until recently the Locum Tenens of the widowed Chicago Diocese of ROCOR, we intend not only to develop parish ministry, but also to begin construction of an Orthodox Spiritual-Educational Center with cathedral and parish churches. The founder-benefactors have acquired a picturesque plot of land of considerable size by our standards - 22 acres in a very convenient place for this project.
We are trying to build in our church community spiritual and human relations truly worthy to correspond to the full real name of our Church - Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, that is, Orthodox Church, as they say. For us any person is dear and desired whose goal in life is truly real, and not declarative, Salvation into Eternal Life. For this there is only one single path - to become a member of the Church of Christ and His Apostles, to learn what it exactly means to be a Christian, and in the sense as the very Apostles of Christ understood it and taught it without any additional interpretations by anyone, to live so and thus to stand before the Judgment of God.
We believe and know that there is nothing in the world that would be higher or more important than this. For us there is no difference what origin, nationality, language, status or current position of those who want to be in Christ's Church among their own. And as the wonderful Paul, the Holy and Apostle of Christ, said on this matter:
"Therefore there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, so that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it does not submit to the law of God, nor indeed can it. So those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:1, 4-10, 14-16, 33, 35-36, 38-39).
Join Us for Sunday Worship
The Sunday Divine Liturgy is the obvious spiritual heart of our community's life. Glory and thanksgiving to God that this heart beats rhythmically and, for now, without any particular interruptions. Of course, we are still not so close to all the heights and beauties of the liturgical masterpieces and hymns of the two-thousand-year Church, but we can already share knowledge about this teaching of the faith and the warm goodwill of our hearts. Our doors are open to all Orthodox residents of our city and region, to Orthodox guests and passers-through. We accept all who want to understand and study the undamaged Apostolic faith into our catechumenate. Come, call, write!