For four days, clergy from across the Orthodox Church in America set aside the ordinary demands of parish life to pray, listen, learn, and be renewed in fellowship with one another.

The 2026 Pastoral Retreat of the Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life was held September 29–October 2 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. About 100 bishops, priests, and deacons participated in this year’s retreat. Clergy gathered around the theme “The Fields Are Ripe for the Harvest,” sharing in a dedicated time of prayer, reflection, conversation, and brotherhood.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon noted in his opening remarks: “Setting aside a time for prayer, reflection, and pastoral renewal is not an escape from our responsibilities as pastors. Rather, these moments of rest and renewal are necessary so that we might be strengthened and re-energized to return to our sacred ministries by nourishing our own souls and strengthening the spiritual brotherhood of the priesthood.”

The retreat featured presentations by Archpriest John Parker, Dean of Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, and Mother Christophora, Abbess of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, PA.

Father Parker spoke on “Radical Growth and a Return to the Roots of Discipleship,” inviting clergy to reflect on the pastoral implications of growth and the need to remain rooted in the fundamental work of forming disciples of Christ.

Mother Christophora offered a reflection entitled “The One who Endures to the End will be Saved: Clues from the Cloister,” drawing upon the wisdom and experience of monastic life to explore perseverance and faithful service.

The retreat also included optional workshops led by clergy and ministry leaders from across the Orthodox Church in America. Topics included preaching and spiritual hunger, ministry in established and aging parishes, cultivating a culture of hospitality, digital discernment, stewardship and parish growth, and discerning and preparing men for priestly vocations.

Prayer and worship remained at the heart of the Pastoral Retreat. The retreat included daily prayer, Great Vespers, and a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God on Thursday, October 1, at New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois.

Alongside the formal sessions and services, clergy shared meals, conversation, fellowship, and time for rest. These less structured moments provided opportunities for clergy to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones.

The 2026 Pastoral Retreat continued the Office of Pastoral Life’s commitment to providing regular opportunities for clergy to step away from the demands of parish ministry and attend to the spiritual, pastoral, and fraternal dimensions of their vocation.

The next Office of Pastoral Life Pastoral Retreat will be held from October 19–22, 2027 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL.

About the Office of Pastoral Life

The Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life supports the well-being of clergy and their families, who are foundational to parish life across North America. Believing that the health of the Church is inseparable from the health of her clergy, the Office offers programs that build resilience, connection, and pastoral joy. Programs include Thriving in Ministry peer-learning groups, Financial Health Initiatives, quarterly Synaxis Gatherings, retreats, and Clergy Wives Ministry. In partnership with bishops, dioceses, parishes and generous donors, the Office of Pastoral Life helps create sustainable conditions in which priests, deacons and their families throughout the Orthodox Church in America can flourish spiritually, vocationally, and personally through every season of parish ministry.

On Wednesday evening, September 30, a fire destroyed the temple of All Saints Orthodox Church in Meadow Lake, SK, a parish of the Archdiocese of Canada. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

The church building had served the Orthodox faithful of Meadow Lake for nearly seventy years.

The parish community is now assessing the loss and considering its next steps. Services will not be held this coming weekend.

The faithful of the Orthodox Church in America are asked to keep the clergy and faithful of All Saints Church in their prayers during this time.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

With profound thanksgiving to Almighty God, the Orthodox Church in America announces the acquisition of a new property in Washington, DC, which will serve as the residence of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and the new home of the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America.

The acquisition represents a major milestone in the life of the Orthodox Church in America and brings to completion the relocation of the main Chancery offices from the former Chancery property in Oyster Bay Cove, New York, and the establishment of temporary offices in Springfield, Virginia, in 2022.

Located just a few steps from Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, the Primatial Cathedral of the Orthodox Church in America, the new property establishes the residence of the Primate and the central administrative offices of the Church in close proximity to the Primatial Cathedral. This proximity will strengthen the liturgical, pastoral, and administrative life of the Church and provide a fitting setting for the ministry of the Primate and the work of the Chancery officers.

Its location in the heart of Washington, DC, provides the Orthodox Church in America with an accessible and visible presence in the nation’s capital. The spacious property will also offer opportunities to welcome hierarchs, clergy, faithful, dignitaries, and other visitors, while facilitating the Church’s engagement with ecclesiastical, diplomatic, civic, and other institutions. In this way, the new location will support the Orthodox Church in America in carrying out its broader mission and witness on this continent.

The acquisition was made possible through the extraordinary generosity of two faithful members of the Orthodox Church in America, the late Joseph and Theresa Domanick, whose gift provided the means for the purchase of the property. Their generosity represents a remarkable and enduring offering to the Church and will continue to bear fruit in its ministry for generations to come.

Reflecting on the acquisition, His Beatitude offered thanksgiving to God and gratitude to all those who made it possible:

“We give thanks to Almighty God for His abundant mercy and for this remarkable blessing in the life of the Orthodox Church in America. I am especially grateful for the extraordinary generosity of the ever-memorable servants of God Joseph and Theresa Domanick, whose love for the Church made this acquisition possible. I also offer my heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Holy Synod, the Metropolitan Council, our officers, advisors, and all those who have devoted so much time and labor to bringing this undertaking to completion. May this new home serve the Church faithfully and strengthen her witness and ministry for many years to come.”

The acquisition received the unanimous support of both the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Metropolitan Council, reflecting a common vision for the future of the central administration of the Orthodox Church in America.

Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, described the acquisition as the culmination of a lengthy process and a significant new chapter in the life of the Church:

“This is a monumental step in the life of the Orthodox Church in America and the fulfillment of a process that has required an extraordinary amount of work, consultation, and cooperation. It represents much more than a geographic relocation. The establishment of the Metropolitan’s residence with Chancery offices just steps from our Primatial Cathedral brings together, in a meaningful and necessary way, the primatial, liturgical, pastoral, and administrative dimensions of the life of our Church. From the extraordinary generosity that made the purchase possible, to the remarkable location that became available, to the unanimous support of the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council, there have been many moments throughout this process in which we could see the providence of God at work. Its successful completion is a cause for profound gratitude.”

Final preparations for His Beatitude’s move are currently underway, including furnishing the property and transferring materials from the temporary Chancery offices in Springfield and from the former Chancery in Oyster Bay Cove.

As the Orthodox Church in America enters this new chapter, the faithful are asked especially to remember in prayer the ever-memorable servants of God Joseph and Theresa Domanick, whose extraordinary generosity made this acquisition possible.

May their memory be eternal!

The OCA Department of Christian Education has released additional lessons at three grade levels in the “Blessed is the Kingdom” series, a school-age curriculum based on themes presented in the popular “Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs,” assisting parishes and Church School teachers in the formation of Orthodox Christian students. The project’s goal is to provide 32 lessons, at five grade levels: preschool, kindergarten through second grade, third grade through fifth grade, and middle school. Eventually, the Department intends to include lessons for high school as well—all in alignment with the Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs adult teaching series. The development of this school-age curriculum makes available a parish-wide coordinated educational program.

The series author, Kelly Potteiger, is creating this new series using the successful format of her previous occasional lessons, “All of Creation Rejoices,” and “Let Your Light So Shine,” often used for short series or Vacation Church School themes.

The newly released lessons (15 of 32) are on a variety of themes including the Beatitudes, worship, the liturgical year, the communion of saints, the role of icons and relics, and the Holy Trinity. As in previous lessons, the new series emphasizes scripture and liturgical texts, are written with clear instructions for teachers, and are scripted in order to assist novice teachers. The lessons are created to be highly interactive using questions, activities, and crafts which are especially attractive to young students and enable learning more effectively than paper exercises.

Find all the completed lessons to date

You can support the ongoing projects of the Departments of the OCA by considering a gift to the Stewards of the OCA. Your financial support is crucial to the success of these endeavors! For questions about the work of the Departments, contact Archpriest Justin Patterson at jpatterson@oca.org.

More than 70 clergy of the Orthodox Church in America gathered online September 15 for the Office of Pastoral Life’s Fall 2026 Synaxis. The quarterly gathering provides clergy with an opportunity for prayer, reflection, shared learning and mutual encouragement.

The keynote address was delivered by Archpriest Thomas Moore, pastor emeritus of Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Columbia, SC. Father Thomas served the parish for many years before retiring in 2022. Ordained to the priesthood in 1997, he has devoted his ministry to pastoral care, counseling and service to the community. He holds degrees in psychology and family counseling, as well as a Master of Divinity from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Following the keynote, clergy participated in breakout sessions exploring retirement as both a practical responsibility and a spiritual transition. Discussions addressed financial, physical, emotional and relational preparation, as well as ways to prepare families and parish communities for the transition.

For more information about the Synaxis and other Office of Pastoral Life programs, email assistant@opl.oca.org or visit opl.oca.org.

About Synaxis

Synaxis is the Office of Pastoral Life’s quarterly online gathering that offers clergy across the Orthodox Church in America opportunities for support, peer learning, and shared reflection.

About the Office of Pastoral Life

The Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life supports the well-being of clergy and their families, the foundation of parish life across North America. Believing the health of the Church is inseparable from the health of her clergy, the Office offers programs that build resilience, connection and pastoral joy. Programs include Thriving in Ministry peer-learning groups, Financial Health Initiatives, quarterly Synaxis Gatherings, Pastoral Retreats and Clergy Wives Ministry. In partnership with bishops, dioceses, parishes and our generous donors, the Office of Pastoral Life helps create sustainable conditions in which priests, deacons and their families of the Orthodox Church in America can flourish spiritually, vocationally and personally through every season of parish ministry.

On Thursday, September 3, His Beatitude traveled to St. Tikhon’s Seminary accompanied by Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, and Archpriest David Bozeman, Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America.

During the two day visit, His Beatitude met with seminarians, staff, and attended services at the monastery church. On Friday, September 4, His Beatitude met with seminarians over breakfast and offered a presentation welcoming new and returning students to the academic year. In his remarks, His Beatitude reflected on the work of seminary formation and offered practical guidance for the students in their studies as he encouraged them to “be steadfast in your faithfulness to the tradition of the Church, but be creative in doing so.” Fr. Alessandro also offered a presentation to the seminarians.

On Sunday afternoon, September 13, His Beatitude arrived at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, where that evening he presided at the festal Vigil for the Exaltation of the Cross in Three Hierarchs Chapel.

On Monday morning, September 14, His Beatitude presided at the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the feast. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Grace Bishop John of Worcester and New England of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, His Grace Bishop Benedict of Hartford and New England, Fr. Alessandro, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, Rector of Three Hierarchs Chapel, Archpriest Michael Nasser, the seminary Director of Spiritual Formation, Archpriest Sergius Halvorsen, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric, Protodeacon Peter Ilchuk and seminary deacons.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude greeted the seminary community and congratulated Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie, Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, together with the new and returning seminarians, their spouses, and families, on the beginning of the academic year. Reflecting on the feast and the formation of those preparing to serve the Church, His Beatitude encouraged the seminarians to “give a Cross-wise shape to all your actions and thoughts” and that “the Cross we lift up today ever be a source of strength and consolation for each of you.”

Read the full text of His Beatitude’s remarks

Following the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude joined the seminary community for a meal and afterwards addressed the seminarians and their families, reminding them that their studies and formation ultimately have Christ as their foundation.

Following his time meeting with the students, His Beatitude departed the seminary for Washington, DC.