St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral

04/05/2026

Sitting on Your throne in heaven, carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God! Accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing: Blessed is He that comes to recall Adam!

03/23/2026

https://youtu.be/OIdT66XbOyg?si=wqRTDx-P_saEuq6S

On Sunday, March 22, the church held a special prayer service on the cathedral’s front steps ahead of the restoration work.

03/23/2026

https://youtu.be/2cek-qLaRmU?si=gGbr3jLXPHGXmK9m

St. Theodosius held a prayer service Sunday to mark the beginning of the restoration process as crews prepare to begin the first phase of repairs.

03/22/2026

This Sunday, we served a prayerful service for the beginning of the cathedral’s restoration, asking God to bless the work, grant His grace, and send His angel to protect all involved.

Tomorrow, WR Restoration will begin mobilizing, and together with subcontractors, they will start the restoration work on the cathedral.🙏

02/05/2026

Blessed Feast of St. Theodosius of Chernigov!

On this day, we commemorate the repose of Saint Theodosius that took place on February 5, 1896. Our heavenly patron, St. Theodosius, reposed in the Lord, and numerous miracles began to occur.
Please take a moment to pray to our parish patron for the restoration of our cathedral!

Troparion in Tone Four
Most excellent among hierarchs, o blessed Theodosius,
You have been a light for your flock.
Since you passed to the eternal dwelling place.
Pray at the throne of the King of Glory
to deliver usfrom the evils engulfing us ///
and save our souls, O Holy One, through your prayers.

Kontakion in Tone Four
You labored forChrist, the Chief Shepherd, O Holy Hierarch Theodosius,
by leading your rational sheep to graze in spiritual pastures.
And you receivedfrom Christ the Savior the gift of healing
to cure the bodily and spiritual infirmities of all who come to your healing relics.
Pray, O holy one, for them who call upon you ///
so that our souls may be saved from the deception of the enemy.

Canonization of the Chernigov saint was based on 49 new cases of miracles that were carefully investigated. The complete incorruptibility of the saint's body was also confirmed and contributed to his canonization. On June 26, 1896, the Holy Synod issued a resolution on the glorification of Saint Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov, as a saint.

12/11/2025

St. Theodosius Annual Christmas Cookie Walk in the Parish Hall
THIS Friday, December 12, 2025 - 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. &
Saturday, December 13, 2025 - 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

$15.00 per pound - CASH or CHECK ONLY

733 Starkweather Avenue
Cleveland (Tremont), Ohio 44113
Parking and parish hall entrance behind main church building.

See you there!

12/09/2025

UPDATE! We’ve begun the restoration of our cathedral’s stained glass windows. Below is some information on the restoration in progress as well as a few photos of the process:

• Windows are taken apart, revealing broken and missing sections
• A panel from the rose window is being reglazed
• Some panels are fully reglazed and waterproofed, waiting for final cleaning and installation
• Newly cut pieces of glass will be hand-painted to match and then kiln-fired for permanency
• The final cleaning process itself: picking excess putty, brushing, and polishing the glass

Whitney Stained Glass Studio is currently repairing six of our historic windows with an average cost of $13,500 to restore each one.

If you’d like to support this project, donations can be made here: sttheodosius.org/donate
(You can also scan the QR code included in the photos.)

A heartfelt thank you to Whitney Stained Glass Studio for their beautiful and meticulous work.

And thank you to all of our donors and supporters for helping preserve the beauty and history of our cathedral.

11/21/2025

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/st-theodosius-orthodox-christian-cathedral-cleveland-restoration-progress-rebuilding/95-c302df97-9c23-4f63-bfbc-9252c640e094

The goal is to resume construction in March and reopen the cathedral for worship by 2027.

10/22/2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Supporters,

It's difficult to believe that almost a year and a half has gone by since we were almost done restoring our cherished St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral. After refinishing the windows, church doors, and stone façade, we were only two weeks away from completing the roof when a devastating fire occurred, resulting in $17 million worth of damage. The emotional and spiritual toll on our community defies any dollar amount.

Thanks to Cleveland’s Landmarks Commission, we received approval for a two-phased rebuild plan after learning our insurance wouldn't fully cover the roof repairs.

Insurance and Financial Update:

Total insurance payout (blanket policy): $10,095,000
Already spent on initial stabilization: ~$3,000,000 (securing the site, project management, engineering, scaffolding, temporary roof, etc.)
Original full restoration estimate (including spent funds): $12,600,000
Resulting shortfall: ~$2.5 million

To bridge this gap, our team swiftly revised the project scope by deferring the most expensive elements:

Dome restorations (main dome and two medium domes) – copper costs alone are massive, with potential tariffs adding $428,000.
Ceiling damage was far more extensive than expected.
New Phase 1 Budget: $6,536,000 (excluding main dome restoration)

This focused plan prioritizes:

Roof construction (as feasible)
Essential plaster restoration
New HVAC and electrical systems
Enough to make the cathedral usable again
Fundraising Success So Far

Your incredible generosity has raised nearly $600,000 through GoFundMe, Tithely, private gifts, and mail-in donations. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts – every contribution keeps hope alive.

Next Steps and Timeline

Current focus: Finalizing revised architectural drawings (reflecting omitted domes) – this is taking much longer than anticipated but is crucial.
Then: Revise bids, select contractors, and sign contracts with reduced scope, and begin roof restoration
Once approved: Order structural steel (6-month lead time; targeting delivery by Spring 2026).
Ongoing: Whitney Stained Glass is restoring our historic windows.
We've explored lawsuits against the roofing company but found it non-viable. Now, we're actively pursuing grants and major donors, including hiring a grant writer to amplify our efforts.

This phased approach is our path forward – restoring the roof and core functionality first, then tackling domes when funds allow. Your continued prayers and support mean everything as we work toward worshiping in our cathedral once more.

Please keep sharing our campaign and consider donating if you can:

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/b056c0477

Tithe.ly: https://give.tithe.ly/?locationId=b151ca73-35fb-496f-a324-c18a854dc73d&fundId=0272c9e5-1de2-4a12-8cc9-319947bc4a33

Every gift brings us closer to that first milestone. You can donate via Tithely from the home page of our website, https://sttheodosius.org

Make a Donation

09/08/2025

https://gofund.me/5e750ea1d

Hey there! I’m swimming 100 miles this semester to raise money for St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral, which suffered significant damage in a fire this year. Your support, no matter how small, can make a real difference in helping us restore this beloved landmark, so please consider clicking the link below to donate or share it with others who might want to help. Alexis

I’m swimming 100 miles this semester to raise money to help repair St. Theodosi… Alexis Ouchakov needs your support for 100-Mile Swim to Repair St. Theodosius

09/03/2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Supporters,

It’s been some time since our last update. Since late June, our team has been working tirelessly to finalize the scope of work (SOW) for the cathedral restoration. During July, we sought bids from contractors across multiple trades—carpenters, roofers, electricians, HVAC specialists, and more—aiming for three competitive bids per segment. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always achievable; for example, only one company submitted a bid for the steel structure and selective demolition, as others opted out. At the same time, we aim to choose experienced firms to prevent issues that could drive up expenses.

Upon reviewing the bids, we encountered a $2.6 million budget shortfall, an unexpected hurdle that pushed back our planned August start date. To stay within our financial constraints, which hinge on an expected $10 million in insurance funds, we made the tough call to revise the SOW, omitting the construction of the main dome and two medium-sized domes.

How did this budget issue arise? An inspection of the attic uncovered severe damage: nearly the entire roof was burned from the inside, far exceeding the initial damage seen at the west elevation and main dome. This extent of destruction was unexpected.

We’ve now organized the restoration into three phases:
1, Roof reconstruction to restore the cathedral’s usability.
2, Construction and installation of the main dome and two medium-sized domes (need an additional $2.6 mil)
3, Interior restoration, including frescoes, plasterwork, and marble floors. (need an additional $3mil)

This is a substantial project, with total costs projected around $17 million. We recognize this will take time and a lot of fundraising effort. The first phase is the most pressing. We’re in discussions with city authorities regarding the updated SOW, permit modifications, and potential fee waivers. Once we secure permits and bids for the reduced scope, roof repairs will commence.
Design Release #1, covering the primary structure, is complete, with all interior frameworks restored. We’ve also enlisted a grant writer to pursue additional funding. If you know someone skilled and affordable in grant writing, please contact us at [email protected].

Please keep us in your prayers and help spread the word. Though the road ahead is challenging, we trust in God’s guidance.

Design Releases
Design Release #1: Primary Structure Restoration
Design Release #2: Domes Framing Restoration
Design Release #3: HVAC and Electrical Restoration
Design Release #4: General Trades Roofing
Design Release #5: Interior Restoration

06/19/2025

We celebrate the glorification of St. Matushka Olga this week. It is a significant and glorious event in the Orthodox Church in America.

You can use this link to watch live tonight:

https://www.youtube.com/live/iUpL1KWTgxc?si=GAlMuNtOShcCLZf_
https://www.youtube.com/live/gH7pQyw7I5Y?si=_rb3hlVH14KhMEBa

Blessed St. Olga, Matushka of Alaska, pray unto God for us!!