St. John the Confessor Orthodox Church

Some facts concerning the parish:

All services are in English, following the historical Greek practice. We follow the Typicon of St. Sabba's Monastery and the Julian Calendar (13 days behind the Gregorian, civil, calendar.) We are a "convert" parish, having come individually from many different faith backgrounds: Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, and agnosticism. We came to Orthodoxy in a fulfilled quest for a church grounded in the teachings of our Savior as clarified by the Ancient Fathers of the Church and maintained with fidelity by those who have preceded us in the Faith. We share the task of holding fast to these gifts so that they may be passed along unadulterated to those who will follow.

Our "typical" weekend services include:

Vespers, Saturday evening at 6 pm
Hours and matins, Sunday morning at 7 am, followed by
Divine liturgy at approximately 9:00 am
Canon to St. John, Wednesday at 7:00 pm

There are many additional services, such as for the Feasts of the Church, commemorations of the principal Saints, and other special observations. These vary according to the calendar, and traditions of the Church, and may be found in the Parish Calendar

We observe many of the traditional practices during the services, which, for a visitor, might be helpful to note in advance:

Modest dress. Women wear skirts to the knee or below; no slacks or shorts. Sleeves at least to the elbows for men and women, Women wear a head covering of either a hat or scarf.

We have no pews. We stand for the services, using the available chairs when we are tired, or in case of age or infirmity. Visitors are welcome to sit.

Men stand on the right side of the church, and women on the left. One might note that the icon of the Savior is on the right side, and the Most Holy Mother of God (the Holy Virgin) on the left side.

There is no organ, and no other musical instruments, in the church. All the hymns are sung a capella, according to the ancient Greek chant. As this is not in the Western polyphonic style, it at first may sound strange to the "modern" ear.