St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Oak Lawn (Chicago)

06/13/2026

There will be no Holy Qurbana at St. Mary’s tomorrow (Sunday, June 14) due to our church Retreat at Green Lake.
We encourage you to attend a church near you and worship the Lord this Sunday.
May God bless you wherever you gather in His name! 🙏🕊️

06/10/2026

This past weekend, we were once again blessed by the presence of Rev. Fr. Philip C. Abraham, Vicar of St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Yonkers, New York. We are deeply grateful to Achen for visiting us and for enriching our parish with his prayers, guidance, and fellowship. We sincerely thank him for blessing us with his presence once again and pray for God’s continued blessings upon his ministry.

06/08/2026

God created all these majestic mountains, the valleys and the breathtaking wonders of this world that leaves us speechless, But God didn't make anyof them in His image. He made us.
"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them....." Genesis 1:27
We are loved beyond measure. Let the truth sink in today, No matter how ordinary you feel, you are God's masterpeice.
What a privilege, What a responsibility. 💖
Have a Blessed week, everyone 🙏✝

06/05/2026

Science Confirms what Christians have known for ages. A recent study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟓 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 can significantly reduce pain and anxiety even for people who are not religious.

The research showed real benefits:
* Immediate relief from Pain
* Reduced anxiety that lasted up to 6 weeks

Read the full article here 👇
https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2026/five-minutes-of-prayer-reduces-pain-and-anxiety-in-primary-care-patients-randomized-trial-finds.html

As Christians, we know prayer is much more than a wellness practise ,it is a conversation with our 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 who hears us, comfort us and strengths us.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬”. (𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟕)

Take five minutes today, Pray, Listen and Trust.

⛪ 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬.

❤️ You don’t have to walk this journey alone.

06/01/2026

Welcoming Sheen and Nidhin as a married couple and presenting the Holy Bible as a gift from the church. We were blessed to have the Bible presented to them by the hands of our respected Philip Achen and Eby Achen.

06/01/2026

Today was yet another blessed Sunday at St. Mary’s, as we were honored by the presence and prayers of Rev. Fr. Philip Jacob from Detroit and Rev. Fr. Eby Paulose from New York. We sincerely thank both Achen’s for joining us in worship and enriching our parish with their prayers and fellowship.

By God’s abundant grace, we were also privileged to celebrate the 10th Ordination Anniversary of beloved Eby Paulose Achen. We thank God for his faithful service to the Church and for the countless lives he has touched through his priestly ministry.

May our Lord continue to bless, strengthen, and guide both Philip Achen and Eby Achen for many years to come as they faithfully serve the holy people of God and labor in His vineyard.

05/31/2026

05/29/2026

By the grace of God, the second “Talk Two Alert” gathering at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church was a tremendous blessing and a beautiful success. We were humbled and overjoyed to welcome more than 30 attendees who came together for an evening of fellowship, learning, and meaningful discussion centered around Indian Orthodoxy 101.

The gathering provided a wonderful platform for faith-filled conversation, shared learning, and strengthening the bonds within our community. It was especially encouraging to witness the enthusiasm, participation, and sincere interest shown by everyone in attendance.

We also thank God for the opportunity to share a meal together afterward, continuing the spirit of fellowship and brotherhood around the table. Moments like these remind us of the beauty of the Church family and the importance of creating spaces where faith, tradition, and community can grow together.

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended, supported, organized, and prayed for this event. Above all, we give all glory, honor, and thanksgiving to God for the abundant blessings He continues to pour upon our parish and these fellowship initiatives.

May the Lord continue to guide and bless all future gatherings for His glory.

05/27/2026

🔥 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰? 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡! 🕊️

𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭- it is the day the 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰!
On that day:
🔥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝
🔥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞
🔥 𝐒𝐭. 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
🔥 𝟑,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 ; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡!

This is why 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐱 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 joyfully celebrate 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡.”.
It marks the beginning of the 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲.

Even though the feast has passed, that same 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 ; ready to 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 bring more souls to Christ throug us today.

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝?
“𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭! 🔥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐮𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭!”
(𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝟐:𝟏–𝟒𝟏)

05/25/2026

🇺🇸🕊️ 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬

On this Memorial Day, we at 𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲’𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐱 𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐎𝐚𝐤 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐧 pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

We are grateful to call this great nation our home, and today we hold in our hearts all the families who carry the weight of loss and grief. May God grant them comfort and peace. 🙏.

“𝙂𝒓𝙚𝒂𝙩𝒆𝙧 𝙡𝒐𝙫𝒆 𝒉𝙖𝒔 𝒏𝙤 𝙤𝒏𝙚 𝙩𝒉𝙖𝒏 𝒕𝙝𝒊𝙨: 𝒕𝙤 𝙡𝒂𝙮 𝙙𝒐𝙬𝒏 𝒐𝙣𝒆’𝒔 𝒍𝙞𝒇𝙚 𝙛𝒐𝙧 𝙤𝒏𝙚’𝙨 𝙛𝒓𝙞𝒆𝙣𝒅𝙨.”
— 𝙅𝒐𝙝𝒏 15:13

We take comfort knowing that Christ, who conquered death, holds our fallen heroes in His eternal embrace. ✝️.
May their souls rest in God’s eternal peace. God Bless America 🇺🇸.