St. Tikhon Orthodox Church

May God grant His Eminence Archbishop Alexander of Dallas, the South, and the Bulgarian Diocese many years on the occasion of his Name Day!
Eis polla eti despota!!

"Come, all who love to keep the feasts, come, let us form a choir! Come, let us crown the Church with songs, as the Ark of God goes to her rest! For today heaven is opened wide, as it receives the Mother of Him Who cannot be contained. The earth, as it yields up the source of Life, is robed in blessing and majesty. The hosts of Angels, present with the fellowship of the Apostles, gaze in great fear at her who bore the Author of life, now that she is translated from life to life. Let us all venerate and implore her: O Lady, forget not thy ties of kinship with those who keep in faith the feast of thine all-holy Dormition!" -Stichera from the Feast

"Come all you inhabitants of this new land to which the venerable elder Herman carried the evangelical light from distant Valaam, let us sing songs of praise and glory: Rejoice, flower of the northern wilderness!
Rejoice, adornment of the Church in America! Rejoice, joyful laborer on Spruce Island!
Rejoice, founder of the Church of the Resurrection! Rejoice, defender of the defenseless!
Rejoice, intercessor for those in need! Rejoice, teacher of the wise! Rejoice, wonder-worker of the North! Rejoice, first saint of the Orthodox in America!
Rejoice, venerable elder Herman of Alaska!"

Happy Altar Feast to our sister parish St Maria of Paris Orthodox Church in Cleveland Tn!

"What is most essential, most determining in the image of the cross is the necessity of freely and voluntarily accepting it and taking it up. Christ freely, voluntarily took upon Himself the sins of the world, and raised them up on the cross, and thereby redeemed them and defeated hell and death. To accept the endeavor and the responsibility voluntarily, to freely crucify your sins – that is the meaning of the cross, when we speak of bearing it on our human paths. Freedom is the inseparable sister of responsibility. The cross is this freely accepted responsibility, clear-sighted and sober...The free path of Golgotha – that is the true imitation of Christ."-St Maria Skobtsova

Many years to the newly illumined child of God Emilia!

"Within the Church it is possible to live the mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ."-St Sophrony of Essex

Today, on the Sunday of the Synaxis of the North American Saints, the faithful at St Tikhon gathered together to watch the short film "Recollectiona of Matushka Olga". Tomorrow we will gather donations for the following projects:

1. A Beautiful Temple on the Kuskokwim that will be the earthly home for Saint Olga’s holy relics and a beacon of light for the Yukon-Kuskokwim region;

2. A Hospitality Center with rooms for pilgrims who will come from across the world to venerate the Saint and experience the land that sanctified her;

3. A Cultural Center to preserve and foster the Yup’ik faith, way of life, and language.

Your support will help build a sacred space for worship, a hostel for pilgrims, and a cultural center to preserve and celebrate the rich Yup’ik heritage.

Please Donate Now: https://odosa.org/current-fund-raisers

"For if a river rising above its banks overflows, how much more does the Spirit, rising above every creature, when He touches the as it were low-lying fields of our minds, make glad that heavenly nature of the creatures with the larger fertility of His sanctification."-St Ambrose

Vigil for the Feast of Pentecost tonight at 5pm!

"The nature of man, which had fallen to the depths of Hades, He raised up to the heights of heaven, placing it on the throne of God, making it worthy to be called the very Body of Christ."-St Gregory of Nyssa

We had a busy and joyous second weekend of Pascha! We said goodbye to Tyler who is going off to discern a vocation in the monastic life at The Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael in Cañones, New Mexico on Saturday. On Thomas Sunday, we celebrated the baptism of Rosemary Paraskeva Zacharias. Fr Caleb Lewis from St Tikhon Seminary was able to join us for the festivities.

We had a blessed Holy Week and Pascha this year, filled with joy! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen!

A truly festal weekend with the baptism and chrismation of 15 into the Church on Lazarus Saturday and a joyous Palm Sunday!

“I implore you, Lazarus, said Hell, Rise up, depart quickly from my bonds and be gone. It is better for me to lament bitterly for the loss of one, rather than of all those whom I swallowed in my hunger. Why do you delay, Lazarus? cried Hell. Your Friend stands calling to you: ‘Come out.’ Go, then, and I too shall feel relief. For since I swallowed you, all other food is loathsome to me. O Lazarus, why do you not rise up swiftly? cried Hell below, lamenting. Why do you not run immediately from this place? Lest Christ take prisoner the others, after raising you.”-Canon of Lazarus Saturday

"Then the bodiless Angel replied: “When God so wills, the order of nature is overcome, and what is beyond man comes to pass. Believe that my sayings are true, O all-holy and immaculate Lady!” And she cried aloud: “Let it be to me according to thy word, and I shall bear Him Who is without flesh! He shall borrow flesh from me, that through this union of natures He may lead man up to his ancient glory, for He alone has power so to do.”

Blessed Lent!

This morning on the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee, we were excited to welcome Nathanael Petucci into the Church through the Sacrament of Chrismation! Congrats and Many Years to him, his sponsor, and his family and friends!