FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  Yes, welcome. We are always glad to see our guests. 

 You can stand anywhere in the church. There are benches along the walls for those who have difficulty standing.  

  We do not require this from you. If you want, like all parishioners, to light a candle, cross yourself, venerate the icons and the cross, then you, of course, can do this. 

  We worship the Lord God alone. A person in the Church does not pray to icons, but in front of icons, which are designed to help us focus in prayer. An icon is like a family photograph. We lovingly keep and kiss photographs of people dear to us. How can we not kiss the holy icons of Jesus Christ and the saints of God? An icon for us is a shrine for the sake of the one who is depicted on it. And so, veneration of icons, like any shrines that exist in Christianity, is not idolatry. It is an expression of love, not worship, which is reserved for God.

  No. We worship exclusively God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We honor the Mother of God as an amazing example of faith, obedience and love. The veneration of the Mother of God has a Gospel basis: “From now on all generations will call Me blessed” (Luke 1:48). We address Her as “Most Holy Theotokos” or “Mother of God”, since the Son born by Her is the true Son of God. 

 We encourage adherence to New Testament traditions that call for women to cover their heads during worship. Also traditionally, women in church wear dresses or skirts. We do not require this from our guests.  

 Yes. In the narthex, you can find small pink books with the text of the liturgy in Russian and English.  

  No, you can’t. Don’t worry, though, you won’t be alone; in the Orthodox tradition, not all parishioners approach Communion during every service. But at the end of the service, you and everyone else can kiss the cross and receive a piece of blessed bread.

  Of course not! Orthodoxy is spread throughout the world. There are many Orthodox churches. Our parish belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Today the Russian Orthodox Church unites people of various nationalities. 

 When you enter the church, the service may already be in progress. Before the Liturgy, the Hours are usually read and the sacrament of confession is available. The Liturgy is served mainly in English with some places in Church Slavonic. If you would like to leave donations, please place them in the collection basket located in the vestibule. After the Liturgy on Sundays you can stay for lunch. We always welcome children. If your child is tired or too noisy, you can go out with him for a while and then come back again. We usually stand throughout the service. But if you are tired, you can sit on the benches along the walls. And of course, if you have questions, please feel welcome to ask them to the priest. 

If you would like to get married or baptized in our church or want to baptize your child, then before such an important event in your life, please plan to visit the church in advance and talk with the Priest in person. This will be especially important for those who are not regular members of our parish. The best time for this conversation would be after our regular worship services, which occur on Saturdays at 5:00 pm and Sundays at 9:00 am. You can find some of the answers to your questions in this Frequently Asked Questions section. In the meantime, you can read about baptism and understand a little about what we are talking about. 

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  If you have questions, please feel welcome to ask them to the priest.

  When baptizing a child, it is necessary to have at least one godparent of the same gender as the godchild. Male for a boy, female for a girl. Although, of course, according to tradition there should be two Godparents: a man and a woman. The baptism of an infant is performed according to the faith of the Godparents, who have the sacred duty to pray for their Godchildren daily, and to be a model of a lifestyle that is pleasing to God, and so to help them become worthy members of the Church. Godparents (godparents) must be believing Orthodox Christians who pray at home and attend church for Divine services, confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Godparents cannot be the child's parents, but they can be his grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers or sisters. Godparents must be at least 12 years old, but it is better if they are even older. Spouses cannot be the Godparents of the same person. 

  On the day of a person’s baptism, his Godparents must confess and receive Communion. At the time of baptism, they will be required to read the Creed clearly and clearly in English or Russian. After the baptism, they offer a towel and, in the case of a baby, dress the child in white clothes (the child's arms and legs must remain open for anointing). Then, following the priest, you will walk around the baptismal font three times with the newly baptized. At the end, the newly baptized is churched. In the case of a baby, the Priest will place the child on the steps and the Godparent will immediately pick him up and hold him during his first Communion and then hand him over to the mother. Don't worry, this may seem complex, but the priest will give you instructions at every step in the process. 

   A Usually baptisms take place at 12:00pm on Sundays, immediately after the Liturgy.  

  Discuss this issue with the Priest. For Russian-speaking families, Church Slavonic is often used.

 Bring a small cross, two towels, and white baptismal robes. Before baptism, the child is dressed in ordinary clothes, then, after baptism in water, white clothes are put on. Please dress the child so that even before the ceremony begins, his arms and legs are exposed. If you're worried your baby might be cold, wrap them in a swaddle or blanket. When you come to church, buy a candle that will be lit for the child after putting on white clothes. If you don't have a cross, you can buy one at church.