St. Mary's Orthodox Church - Saint Clair, PA

06/13/2026

BATH, PA [DOEPA COMMUNICATIONS] - On Sunday, June 14, 2026, the Synaxis of the Saints of North America, His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Philadelph...

05/24/2026

Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Thou hast revealed the Holy Fathers as lights on the Earth!

05/18/2026

Just in case you were wondering....

In this episode, Dcn Seraphim takes up the third great discipline o...

05/08/2026

Why do you go to Church?
Here, St. John Chrystom is not critical of the beauty of the Temple, the singing, or even the homily. He is really asking us "why". We have heard people say: "I love going to Church, our choir is so beautiful", or "Our Priest is so dynamic", or even "I go because my grandparents did". While all of these are good reasons to attend, they only scratch the surface of what is offered and being offered. Christ came for our salvation, and He gave us His Holy Church help us obtain that promise! Yes, we behold beauty in our Divine Services, but as our our senses are being enlightened, so should our souls.
In these remaining days of the Paschal season, let us heed the words of "The golden mouth" and illumine our hearts so that we can eternally behold Christ's holy resurrection!
Christ is Risen!

04/28/2026

St. Tikhon's summer camp is an integral part of our youth ministry! Please help any way you can!

UPDATED: As preparations continue for St. Tikhon’s Summer Camp, the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania is inviting the faithful to support this important ministry through both financial contributions and parish meal donations.

Those who may be unable to serve at camp in person due to work or family obligations are encouraged to participate by contributing to the Summer Camp Food Fund, which helps offset the cost of feeding campers and staff throughout the program. Checks may be made payable to The Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania and mailed to 325 N. Walnut Street, Bath, PA 18014. Donors are asked to include “Summer Camp Food Fund” in the memo line.

In addition to financial support, parishes are invited to assist by preparing and donating meals for the duration of camp. If you have time to contribute instead, we are asking parishes to donate the following full meals to summer camp:

• BBQ pulled pork or pulled chicken
• Nacho ground beef
• Oatmeal bakes
• Baked penne
• Frosted birthday cake

Each meal should be prepared in full-size catering trays with lids, fully cooked, and deep-frozen prior to transport, with portions sufficient to serve approximately 250–300 individuals. A member of the camp kitchen staff will work directly with participating parishes to determine quantities and, if needed, provide recipes and guidance.

As in previous years, donations of individually packaged snacks are also being requested to provide evening refreshments for campers. A SignUpGenius link has been made available to assist donors in selecting and delivering snack items: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C48AEAF28A5F85-63663475-2026 #/

Parishes or individuals interested in coordinating meal contributions or seeking additional information are asked to contact Dan Peck at [email protected].

The Diocese expresses its sincere gratitude to all who support St. Tikhon’s Summer Camp, whose generosity and dedication continue to make this ministry possible for the youth of the Church.

We thank you for your continued support of St. Tikhon’s Summer Camp and for your generosity in helping to make this ministry possible!

04/23/2026

Some lightheaded tips on what NOT to do (mostly) when receiving Holy Communion.
Christ is Risen!

04/12/2026

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Христос Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе!
Χρήστος Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη!

May the joy of the Resurrection fill our hearts with gladness!

04/10/2026

Vespers of Great and Holy Friday.

04/10/2026

Scenes from Holy Friday Matins, and the preparation for Great and Holy Friday.

03/14/2026

Fasting is not a 7-day diet! Holy Communion is not a “ticket to salvation” after which everything goes back to the way it was.

Right now we are in the Great Fast before Pascha—the strictest fast: 48 days of struggle, prayer, self-denial, and endurance; 7 weeks, each with its own name and meaning; each one leading us step by step toward the Resurrection.

This is not accidental, nor is it merely a formality. It is a spiritual ladder. Yet there are those who “complete” one week or fast for 7 days, receive Holy Communion—and the very next day return to rich food, passions, and old habits as if nothing had happened. As if the fast were some kind of spiritual washing machine: you go in dirty, come out clean, and immediately jump back into the mud. That is not ascetic struggle; it is self-deception.

Holy Communion is not magic—it is fire. And fire either illuminates or burns. It depends on how you approach it. Let no one be offended, but fasting for one week before Holy Communion and then immediately returning to excess and indulgence without the fear of God is not the spirit of Orthodoxy. It is the minimalism of conscience—“let me just get it done” and then continue as before.

As for certain priests who see all of this and remain silent, they should remember that a shepherd is not appointed to please people, but to warn them. If the faithful are not taught that fasting is a lifelong struggle but only a short preparation for the Mystery, then people fall into false security and sin. And spiritual sleep is more dangerous than an open fall.

In the end, however, each person will answer for himself. At the Judgment of God we will not say, “I fasted for one week; it was enough.” Fasting does not end with a spoonful of rich food. Fasting truly begins when after Communion you continue to live soberly, purely, and with the fear of God.

Orthodoxy is not a weekend effort—it is a cross carried every day. Let us not deceive ourselves: if you knowingly reduce the Paschal Fast to one week of formality, if you receive Communion without true repentance and then immediately return to the same passions—gluttony, negligence, and shamelessness—this is weakness and sin. It is sin because you receive the Holy Things without the fear of God; sin because you play with what is most sacred; sin because you had 48 days to change, yet chose to remain the same.

Fasting is not a tradition kept merely for appearance. If after such a long fast there is no struggle to leave sin behind, then the problem is not in the food—but in the heart.

Therefore: either fast as you should so that you may be changed, or do not pretend to undertake a spiritual struggle. For hypocrisy before God is not a small matter—it is sin.

— Vasilios Gondikakis,
Abbot of Iviron Monastery,
Mount Athos