by Popadia Juliana I did not grow up Orthodox, and my birthday memories are filled with sunshine and pool parties (as my birthday is in the summer and I grew up in Southern California). But I can imagine that it can be pretty disappointing for a child whose birthday is ALWAYS during Lent. That […]

Donald Bramkamp, brother of our long-time parishioner Mary Lee, passed away March 9th, 2018. He was considered a master poet and wrote his own eulogy years ago in this poem called “In Parting”. Please do not think of me when I am dead, for it would hurt me if you grieved, and yet, there is […]

In 2015, Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Christian Church raised a cross on the border of Indianapolis’ Old Northside and Herron-Morton neighborhoods as a sign of our long-term commitment to each other and the community. It is our beacon: we are here for you; all are welcome. Joy of All Who Sorrow holds a […]

Imagine you found a penny produced in 1918. What would be different about it compared to today’s penny? Known as a Lincoln wheat penny, it would have wheat stalks engraved on the lower outside edges of the reverse side. In average condition, it would be worth $45 today. Now imagine living in 2118 and you […]

  One practice that would be helpful for most of us during Great Lent is to remove ourselves from the anger in the world. We’ve all seen it on Facebook, Twitter, in the media, etc. Instead of wanting politicians or some other person to change, let’s work on getting rid of the anger from our […]

Preface: The start of the Great Lent Fast is Monday, February 19, 2018. We offer the following for those who want to follow the fast and those who are interested in knowing more about the Orthodox Church.  These guidelines, written by Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, are from the St. Herman Calendar, St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. […]

Drive along 16th or Delaware Streets near downtown Indianapolis, and you will come at their intersection to a large, red-brick church building that obviously has been there a long time. The simple, perhaps plain, exterior hides a heart which is pulsing with life. A Transforming Presence Look inside the church, and you’ll see one glimpse […]

Note: parenthetical numbers represent footnotes The picture painted of man through Orthodox anthropology is that of honor, freedom, sovereignty, and generally that of a beloved and royal child. All the theology of man’s existence emphasizes his honor from his formation to his eschatological fulfillment. Man is made in the image of God; meaning that he […]

I was five years old in 1958 and regularly watched the Disney show. Each week Jiminy Cricket crooned the same song to my listening ears: When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires will come to you. And each week I would go to bed and sob […]

“I remember a road trip, now well over a decade ago. A certain Fr. Gerasimos was driving and I was in the passenger seat with his older son—my godson—cozy between us. Father began to tell us a story about a nun, a little boy and their adventures in the woods. It wasn’t about me; it […]