St. Mary's Orthodox Church

09/07/2026

09/05/2026

September 5 - Today the Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy Prophet Zacharias, Father of the Venerable Forerunner & Elizabeth, Mother of the Venerable Forerunner.

The Holy Prophet Zachariah and the Righteous Elizabeth were the parents of St. John the Forerunner. They were righteous and faithful servants of God, “walking in all the commandments of the Lord” (Luke 1:6), yet they had no children and were advanced in age. While serving in the Temple, St. Zachariah was visited by an angel who told him that Elizabeth would bear a son who would be great before the Lord and would go before Him “in the spirit and power of Elias” (Luke 1:17). Zachariah doubted the angel’s words and became unable to speak. When Elizabeth gave birth, she declared that the child’s name was John. Zachariah confirmed this by writing the name on a tablet, and immediately his speech returned. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he prophesied about his son who would prepare the way for the Lord.

Later, when King Herod ordered the infants of Bethlehem to be killed, Elizabeth fled with the infant John into the hills and hid him from the soldiers. Zachariah refused to reveal where his son was hiding, and Herod’s soldiers killed him in the Temple. St. Elizabeth died shortly afterward, while St. John was preserved by God and lived in the wilderness until the time of his ministry.

09/04/2026

09/02/2026

Wednesday, September 2nd: Daily Vespers will be served this evening at 5:00pm followed by Catechism class at 6:00pm.

09/01/2026

https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/133

"O Word of the Father from before the ages... Bless the crown of the year with Thy goodness; give peace unto Thy churches, victory unto Thy faithful hierarchs, fruitfulness unto the earth, and Great Mercy unto us."

08/31/2026

As summer ends and school begins, we want to officially thank everyone for a beautiful 2026 camp session, glory to God! We celebrated the 25th anniversary of Camp St George-Iowa, created new memories and cherished traditions. Our theme, Psalm 126:3 “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy,” rang true throughout the week as we took notice of the gifts God has given us, took time to be of service to others, and lived in the joy, sharing in Gods presence around us.

After all these years, CSG remains an integral and treasured part of our lives. We hold onto the joy, peace, and rhythm we experience in our week of camp living out our faith in community until returning to camp the next year when we let that smile fill our face as we hug our friends again and settle back into our camp home. ❤️ Until we see each other again…

⭐️Save the date now for 2027! July 4-10th!

⭐️Visit the camp store to purchase your favorite mementos!! Items are shipped directly to you. Available all year round! https://www.zazzle.com/store/camp_st_george_iowa

⭐️ Check out all camp photos soon to be available for families on UltraCamp!

❤️Thank you for your continued prayers and support of Camp St George! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon!!

08/31/2026

Upcoming Midwest Diocese SOYO basketball tournament in Canton, OH. Information about the weekend schedule & registration can be found on the poster.

08/30/2026

Blessed Sunday!

In today’s Gospel, we hear Christ’s parable of the wicked vinedressers, who were entrusted with caring for a vineyard belonging to its owner. When the owner sent his servants to collect the fruit of the vineyard, the vinedressers rejected and mistreated them. Finally, the owner sent his own son, believing they would respect him, but the vinedressers seized him and killed him.

Through this parable, Christ reveals the story of God’s relationship with His people. The vineyard represents the people of God, while the servants point to the prophets whom God sent to call His people back to Him. The beloved son points to Christ Himself, who would be rejected and crucified. Yet even in the face of rejection, God continues to work His plan of salvation.