On the patronal feast of St. Innocent, the Southeastern Deanery gathered to discuss deanery business, meet with Bp. Gerasim, and fellowship. 

Yesterday was a joyful day in the life of St. Innocent Orthodox Church as we welcomed His Grace Bishop Gerasim for a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrating the 30th Anniversary of our parish.

For another full album of pictures, click here. 

For thirty years, God has sustained this community and blessed the work of those who planted, built, served, prayed, taught, and worshiped here. It was a great joy to gather with His Grace, our clergy, parishioners, friends, and guests to give thanks for all that God has done and to look forward with hope to the years ahead.

The celebration was made even more special as two of our altar servers, Timothy Marble and James Andrews, were tonsured as Readers. We rejoice with them and pray that God will strengthen them as they continue to serve His Church.

“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.” — Psalm 100:2

May God grant many years to His Grace Bishop Gerasim, to Readers Timothy and James, to our clergy, founders, benefactors, and to all the faithful of St. Innocent Orthodox Church!

#OrthodoxChristianity #OrthodoxChurch #OCA #StInnocentOrthodoxChurch #MaconGA #BishopGerasim #HierarchicalDivineLiturgy #30thAnniversary #OrthodoxReader #ManyYears

What a great day for our youth and the wider Orthodox community!

Five of our teens from St. Innocent participated in this year’s Pan-Orthodox Cross Dive, hosted by Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church at Lake Tobesofkee!

Following the Blessing of the Waters, Orthodox youth took to the lake for the annual dive to retrieve the Cross. We may not have brought the Cross home this year, but our teens had a great time participating, spending the day together, and enjoying fellowship with Orthodox Christians from other parishes.

We’re grateful to Holy Cross for once again bringing our Orthodox communities together for this wonderful tradition, and we’re proud of our five divers for representing St. Innocent!

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— Galatians 6:14

May the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord continue to strengthen and protect our young people as they grow in Christ!

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Our Ladies’ Fellowship had a wonderful evening out at Society Garden, enjoying some friendly trivia, plenty of laughs, and time together outside of our usual parish activities!

It was a great opportunity to test our knowledge, strengthen friendships, and simply enjoy one another’s company—and one of our teams even walked away with a prize!

We’re grateful for these opportunities to grow closer as a parish family and build the friendships that help strengthen our life together in Christ.

“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:11

May God continue to bless the women of our parish and the fellowship they share!

#StInnocentOrthodoxChurch #LadiesFellowship #OrthodoxWomen #OrthodoxChurch #OrthodoxChristianity #OCA #MaconGA #SocietyGarden #TriviaNight #ParishLife #ChurchFamily #ChristianFellowship #OrthodoxFellowship #WomenOfTheChurch #GeorgiaOrthodox #EasternOrthodox #ChristIsInOurMidst

What a beautiful day of rejoicing at St. Innocent Orthodox Church! On the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, we had the great joy of welcoming four new members into the Orthodox Church through the Holy Mystery of Baptism! Please join us in welcoming and praying for: Jacob Lamberth Jani Lamberth Cooper Lamberth Logan Ward As we celebrated the falling asleep and glorification of the Mother of God, we also celebrated new life in Christ as these newly baptized Christians began their journey in the life of the Church. Through Baptism, we are united to Christ in His death and Resurrection: “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” — Romans 6:4 May God grant our newly illumined servants of God many years, and may He strengthen them throughout their lives in the Orthodox Faith! Axios! Many Years!

What a wonderful evening for our youth! The teens of St. John’s Adolescents Alliance (SJAA) recently gathered for a special Progressive Dinner & Prayer Corner Tour, traveling to four parish families’ homes for different parts of a meal and getting to know the lives of the families’ patron saints along the way. More than just a dinner, the evening gave our youth a chance to share fellowship, learn about the saints, see the faith lived out in the homes of our parishioners, and grow together as a community. The evening wrapped up back at St. Innocent in time for Vespers. A big thank you to all the families who opened their homes and helped make the evening such a wonderful experience for our youth! “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” — 1 Peter 4:10 May God continue to bless our SJAA youth as they grow together in faith, fellowship, and love for Christ and His Church!

Thank you so much for contributing to the FOCUS backpack initiative! The 72 backpacks & school supplies were dropped off yesterday and they were so very happy and thankful to receive them.
Please keep the students, teachers and staff at Ingram Pye (and all of our schools) in your prayers as they begin school on Monday

The fourth and last set is from Juneau, home to another St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and dating to 1884 where Father Maxim Gibson and Matushka Michelle welcomed Leann and Allen to a Vigil and even let Allen ring their one bell at the start of the service.

The third set of photos show Hoonah, Alaska, where a church known as St. Nicholas sits in abandoned disrepair.  There is no longer an active Orthodox parish in Hoonah, but there are plans to renovate the church in the near future, God willing.  Just getting up to the church was a challenge.  Two brass bells sit on a deck outside the door, one of which was cast by the W. T. Garrett foundry in San Francisco in 1884.  

The second set is from the Bishop’s House in Sitka, dating to about the same time period.  It was built about 200 yards from St. Michael’s.  St. Innocent was the first Bishop to live there . . . from 1843 until 1856.  The residence was just recently renovated by the National Park Service and opened to the public.  The first floor is exhibits and posters with information about the house and Russian Orthodoxy, with background on the Russian fur traders and conversion of the native Alaskans to Orthodoxy. The second floor is only open to guided tours and includes St. Innocent’s bedroom, office, and a chapel.  St. Innocent was not only known for his translation of the Bible into the Aleut and Tlingit languages, but also for his extraordinary skill as a woodworker and clock maker.  A desk and clock he made are on display.

The red crosses high on the walls of the chapel were all hand-painted by St. Innocent and left as is (not restored by the Park Service).

St. Innocent’s Alaska . . .

Leann and Allen were able to visit a few places in Alaska recently and wished to share some of their photos, especially those with a connection to St. Innocent.  While much of this is available online, being there brought to life the actual person who is the patron saint of our church.  

The first set is of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Sitka which dates to 1844.  It was designed by Bishop Innokenty Veniaminov (our St. Innocent), the first Russian Bishop of America.  Unfortunately, it was destroyed by a fire in 1966 but rebuilt to the exact specifications of the original church.  Inside is a small table with an icon of St. Olga as well as her relics.  Father Herman Belt said roughly 3000-5000 people visit the church every day.

Congratulations to our newly illuminated Justin, Longinus,  Nina, and George! May God grant them many faithful and fruitful years serving Christ in His Church. 

This past Sunday at St. Innocent, (we start late on Saturday night, actually) our Lenten and Holy Week journey culminated in the Feast of Feasts, Great and Holy Pascha. 

This year, as every year, we went out into the darkness to meet Him.

If you haven’t stood in it, the procession might be hard to understand. It’s not just a scenic walk with candles - it is an embodiment of us coming to the tomb - and even to the gates of Hades itself to meet our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ,  who has smashed the gates of hell in His triumphant defeat of sin, demons, and death itself.  

As we gathered around the steps of the church, we heard the joyful news of the Resurrection proclaimed for the first time as we sang, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” 

Father Theophan pounded on the doors in the traditional dialogue that culminates in the announcement that it is the King of Glory, the Lord, strong and mighty in battle who enters. And at last, we entered the Church singing the joyful troparion over and over,  entering into the Lord’s victory over sin and death as the Paschal matins and liturgy continued. 

It was a joyful, festive night, one where the family nature of the Church is front and center. Young and old give each other grace in the late-night, crowded services, and it’s not uncommon to see little ones or even a teen or two who need to “rest their eyes” here and there amid the heavenly ruckus. 

Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! 

“If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; He gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour.” - from the Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom

We had a beautiful Lazarus Saturday, featuring the baptism of the Armstrong family, a festive Divine Liturgy, and a "Palms and Pancakes" gathering, where we enjoyed a meal and prepared for Palm Sunday!

On St. Mary of Egypt Sunday, we baptized baby Olga. May God grant her and her sponsors Many Years!

You can view Part 1 of the retreat here and Part 2 here

Contemporary society constantly speaks about "love" but does not understand what it means to say that "God is love." Father Joseph Lucas will take you on a journey, from the creation of the universe to the end of history, to explore the meaning of divine love and to reveal that a life of self-denial is the only proper response.

Archpriest Joseph Lucas is an Orthodox priest, patristic theologian, and professor. He serves as rector of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral in Miami Lakes, Florida, holds a PhD in Theology from Radboud University in the Netherlands, and his MDiv with Distinction in Patristics and Church History from St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary. He is the author of How to Read the Holy Fathers and Prayer of the Publican: Justification in the Desert Fathers, both published by Ancient Faith Publishing, and serves as co-editor-in-chief of Rule of Faith Journal. He teaches theology at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens and specializes in patristic exegesis and historical theology.

This Sunday at St. Innocent Orthodox Church, we celebrated the joy and triumph of the Sunday of Orthodoxy — the feast that proclaims the restoration of the holy icons and the victory of the true faith.

With icons lifted high, young and old joined in our annual procession, bearing the sacred images that remind us that Christ truly became man and sanctified the material world. It is always a powerful sight to see our parish family walking together, surrounded by the “great cloud of witnesses.”

We also offered special prayers for members of our community who are being deployed, asking the Lord to guard, protect, and strengthen them in their service. As we honored the saints depicted in our icons, we entrusted our loved ones to the same faithful God who remains with us wherever we go.

Many years to Judge E.R. Lanier, who received the Medal of Saint Theodora Award from the Assembly of Canonical Bishops. On behalf of the ACOB, Bill Marianes presented the St. Theodora award, which recognizes strong lay leaders from diverse backgrounds and fields who have contributed to the work and development of the Assembly of Bishops and to Orthodox Christian Unity in general.

Congratulations to our newly illumined, Adam, Thomas, and Alfred! May God grant you many faithful and fruitful years in His service. 

The Men of the parish gathered for food and fellowship, along with a talk from Thomas Kehayes, an elder of our community. 

Our very own CAPT (Ret) Tom Kehayes was presented with a Quilt of Valor during Coffee Hour today by SMSgt (Ret) Carmelita Williams from the Middle Georgia Chapter.  Tom was honored for his service and sacrifice in serving our nation.   The quilts presented to veterans are hand-made specifically for the recipient.   The photo shows Tom who was accompanied by his wife, Susan (who deserves at least 1/2 the quilt!).  If you enjoy quilting (or might even want to learn) and would like to join the local chapter which meets once a month, please contact Carmelita at cw31088qov@aol.com or 404-919-5933.  Congratulations, CAPT Tom!

On Sunday, January 4th, we received the West family into the Orthodox Church. May God grant them many faithful and fruitful years in Christ's service!