St. James Orthodox Church, Taneytown, MD

08/30/2026

05/23/2026

Beloved in Christ,

We write with hope in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to share the funeral arrangements for the servant of God, Andrew Pruzinsky, who reposed in the Lord this past week. We ask that you keep him and his family in your prayers, seeking from our merciful God strength, comfort, and peace during this time.

Viewing – Tuesday, May 26
• 2–4 PM and 6–8 PM
Hartzler Funeral Home
310 Church Street, New Windsor, MD
Parking available on the street and behind the building

Funeral – Wednesday, May 27
• 10:30 AM – Viewing
• 11:00 AM – Funeral Service
St. James the Apostle Orthodox Christian Church
30 York Street, Taneytown, MD
Parking available on the street and in the parking lot behind the building

May his memory be eternal.

04/29/2026

Please forgive the late announcement here on Facebook that Wednesday Vespers will be served at 6pm followed by a Bereavement Discussion Group.

04/20/2026

A brief update on our mid‑week services. Beginning this week, we will resume Vespers on Wednesdays at 7:00pm. This week’s service will be Readers Vespers.

A Readers Vespers is the standard Vespers service offered without a priest. The priest‑specific parts are omitted, and the psalms and hymns are read or chanted by the reader and choir. As clergy availability develops, we plan to have priest‑served Vespers at times, but for now the Wednesday service will ordinarily be the reader form unless noted otherwise.

We look forward to praying together and keeping this mid‑week rhythm of worship.

04/11/2026

Nine newly illumined!

04/08/2026

Below is the updated schedule for Great and Holy Thursday through Bright Monday. All services will be held at St. James Orthodox Church.

Thursday, April 9 – Great and Holy Thursday
9:30–11:30 AM – Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Institution of the Eucharist (with the washing of feet)
6:30–9:30 PM – Service of the Twelve Passion Gospels

Friday, April 10 – Great and Holy Friday
9:30–10:30 AM – Royal Hours
3:00–5:00 PM – Vespers of the Taking Down from the Cross
7:00–9:00 PM – Service of Lamentations (Orthros of Holy Saturday)
9:00 PM to morning – All‑Night Vigil

Saturday, April 11 – Great and Holy Saturday
9:30 AM–1:30 PM – Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday: The Harrowing of Hell and reception of catechumens
11:30 PM–3:00 AM – Rush Service (procession), Paschal Matins, and Paschal Divine Liturgy

Sunday, April 12 – Great and Holy Pascha
11:30 PM–3:00 AM – Paschal Services (continued listing for calendar clarity)

Monday, April 13 – Bright Monday
9:30 AM–3:00 PM – Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy for Bright Monday, followed by a parish picnic.

Thank you for your prayers, your patience, and your love for one another during this Holy Week. May Christ our true God strengthen and comfort all of us as we walk together toward His life‑giving Resurrection.

04/08/2026

The Very Reverend Father Gregory Mathewes‑Green will be at Saint Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church 909 Shawan Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030 today, Wednesday the 8th, for the Holy Unction service at 7:00 PM.

Fr. Gregory plans to arrive by 6:30 PM to meet anyone who wishes to be there early. He will be serving with us and guiding our parish through Holy Week and Bright Monday.

For those who may not know him, Fr. Gregory is the founding pastor of Holy Cross Orthodox Church and served there for 25 years before retiring in 2018. Prior to entering Orthodoxy, he served as an Episcopal priest for 15 years. He is widely respected across the Antiochian Archdiocese for his pastoral steadiness, teaching, and long service to the Church.

Service times for Thursday through Bright Monday are expected to be finalized by this evening. In general, you can expect that the services already on our parish calendar will be supported, though some start times may be adjusted. We will share updates as soon as they are confirmed.

Thank you for your patience, your prayers, and your love for one another during this difficult week. Please continue to keep Kh. Anna and the entire family in your prayers.

04/07/2026

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I want to share an update as we continue to follow the guidance and pastoral care of His Grace Bishop Thomas during this difficult time. Please know that all decisions, services, and next steps are being made under his direction, and we are listening closely to him to ensure everything is handled properly and with care.

Services at St. James on Tuesday and Wednesday are transferred to other parishes.

Bishop Thomas has informed us that Fr. Gregory Matthewes-Green will be able to lead our services beginning Thursday morning with Ret. Rev. Archimandrite Paul also joining us. We are grateful for their love and support for our parish during Holy Week.

As we walk through this week together, we ask everyone to keep Kh. Anna and the entire Barkley family in your prayers, that God would grant them strength, comfort, and peace. We also ask everyone to continue in prayer and support for one another. Thank you for your love, patience, and faithfulness.

In Christ,

The St. James Parish

04/06/2026

It is with deep sorrow that we share that our priest, Father Timothy Barkley, fell asleep in the Lord last night in his sleep. We ask your prayers for the repose of Father Timothy and for God’s comfort upon Khouria Anna and their family.

In the coming days we will reach out with more information as it becomes available.

For now, we simply ask the parish to hold Father Timothy and Khouria Anna in prayer.

Memory eternal.

04/05/2026

Welcome to Saint James Orthodox Church in Taneytown, Maryland, a parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.This weekly homily,...