Russian Orthodox Church in America

The Russian Orthodox Church in America (ROCIA) arose from the desire to preserve the ancient Orthodox Faith, worship, and spiritual inheritance entrusted to the Church by our Lord Jesus Christ and faithfully transmitted through the Apostles, Holy Fathers, and generations of Orthodox Christians.

Our founding hierarch, Archbishop Symeon, received episcopal consecration within the Greek Old Calendar tradition associated with Archbishop Auxentios and hierarchs connected with the historic monastery of Russikon on the Holy Mountain of Athos. In its early years, ROCIA also enjoyed the goodwill and blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, sharing a common devotion to the preservation of traditional Orthodoxy.

Archbishop Symeon labored throughout the American Southwest, ministering to the faithful and seeking to guide those Orthodox communities that had become separated from the historic life of the Church toward a fuller embrace of the Orthodox inheritance. In particular, he encouraged a renewed appreciation for the spiritual treasures of Holy Russia, the Old Calendar tradition, and the ancient Old Rite as living witnesses to the continuity of Orthodox Christianity.

As circumstances developed and the hoped-for restoration of unity among various independent jurisdictions proved unattainable, ROCIA was established as a distinct ecclesiastical body dedicated to preserving the Orthodox Faith according to the traditional Julian Calendar while maintaining a deep reverence for the liturgical and spiritual heritage of Holy Russia.

Today ROCIA continues this sacred labor, striving to preserve the Orthodox Faith in its fullness, to celebrate the Divine Services with reverence and beauty, and to hand down unchanged to future generations that sacred inheritance which we ourselves have received

To become an Orthodox Christian is no light or casual matter; it is a path both solemn and demanding, yet filled with profound joy and spiritual reward. The Orthodox Faith is not merely a set of beliefs to be accepted intellectually, nor a religious affiliation to be assumed by custom or convenience. Rather, it is a way of life—a lifelong journey of repentance, prayer, worship, self-denial, and union with Jesus Christ through His Holy Church.

The Orthodox Church calls each person to take up the Cross and follow Christ with sincerity, humility, and perseverance. This path requires patience, discipline, and a willingness to be transformed by the grace of God. Through participation in the Divine Services, the Holy Mysteries, the fasts, feasts, prayers, and teachings of the Church, the faithful are gradually formed into the likeness of Christ and prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Even our Divine Liturgy reflects this understanding. Orthodox worship is not a performance to be observed, but an offering in which the faithful actively participate. Standing attentively before God, we join our prayers to those of the saints and angels, lifting our hearts and minds toward heavenly things. Through sacred chant, Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Eucharist, we enter into the worship of the Church as it has been handed down through the centuries.

For this reason, one should not approach Orthodoxy lightly. A sincere desire for truth, a love for God, and a willingness to learn are essential. The Church has always received converts through a period of instruction and preparation, allowing them to become acquainted with the teachings, worship, history, and spiritual life of Orthodox Christianity before making so sacred a commitment.

If you believe God may be calling you to the Orthodox Faith, we stand ready to offer instruction, counsel, and catechesis. We warmly invite you to attend our Divine Services, speak with the clergy, and experience firsthand the worship and life of the Church. Whether you are simply exploring Christianity, seeking the historic Church, or longing for a deeper spiritual life, you are welcome among us.

May the Lord guide your steps, enlighten your mind, strengthen your heart, and grant you wisdom as you seek His holy will.

A Blessing For You

May the blessing of Almighty God rest upon you and your household. May He grant you health of body, peace of soul, steadfast faith, and every good gift necessary for your salvation. May the Most Holy Theotokos shelter you beneath her protecting veil, and may the saints of God intercede for you before His heavenly throne.

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee;
The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
— Numbers 6:24–26

Few modern Americans fully comprehend the magnitude of the persecution unleashed upon the Orthodox Church following the Bolshevik Revolution. At the beginning of the twentieth century, tens of thousands of Orthodox churches, monasteries, seminaries, and charitable institutions flourished throughout the Russian Empire. Within a few decades, much of this sacred inheritance had been confiscated, desecrated, or destroyed by an avowedly atheist regime.

The clergy and faithful endured relentless suffering. Bishops, priests, monastics, and lay Christians were imprisoned, exiled, tortured, and martyred for their faith. Churches were closed, holy relics were desecrated, and countless believers were pressured to renounce Christ and cooperate with the new order. Yet even amidst persecution, the Orthodox Faith endured.

Among the great confessors of this era stood Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, who courageously defended the Church during one of the darkest periods in her history. He, together with countless known and unknown martyrs and confessors, bore witness to Christ with steadfast faith, becoming living examples of Christian courage and fidelity.

The sufferings of the Russian Church gave rise to a remarkable spiritual witness. Through persecution, exile, imprisonment, and martyrdom, the faithful preserved the worship, doctrine, prayer, and sacramental life of the Church. The blood of the New Martyrs became a seed of renewal, and the Orthodox Faith survived despite every effort to eradicate it.

For ROCIA, Holy Russia is not merely a nation or a chapter of history. It is the spiritual inheritance preserved by generations of faithful Orthodox Christians who remained steadfast through suffering and sacrifice. Their witness reminds us that the Church is sustained not by earthly power, but by faithfulness to Christ.

May the memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia be eternal, and may their example inspire us to preserve the Orthodox Faith with the same courage, humility, and devotion in our own generation remain a light to all generations.
 

Our Mission

The mission of the Russian Orthodox Church in America is to preserve, live, and proclaim the Holy Orthodox Faith throughout North America, faithfully handing down the sacred inheritance received from Christ through His Apostles, the Holy Fathers, and the generations of faithful Orthodox Christians who have gone before us.

Rooted in the spiritual heritage of Holy Russia and steadfast in the apostolic tradition of the Orthodox Church, ROCIA bears witness to the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through divine worship, prayer, pastoral ministry, religious instruction, charitable works, and missionary labor. We seek not merely to preserve the outward forms of Orthodoxy, but to cultivate a living faith that transforms the heart, sanctifies the soul, and leads mankind into communion with the living God.

We believe that Orthodox Christianity is the ancient path of salvation, preserved within the life of the Church through Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition, the Divine Mysteries, and the witness of the saints. Through reverent worship, faithful teaching, repentance, and prayer, we strive to preserve this sacred treasure and transmit it unchanged to future generations.

In an age marked by spiritual confusion, moral uncertainty, and increasing separation from God, ROCIA seeks to offer the peace of Christ, the wisdom of the Holy Fathers, the beauty of Orthodox worship, and the healing grace found within the life of the Church. Following the example of the saints, martyrs, confessors, monastics, missionaries, and righteous faithful of every age, we endeavor to build communities rooted in prayer, hospitality, charity, and steadfast devotion to Christ.

Our calling is simple and enduring: to glorify the Holy Trinity, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to preserve the Orthodox Faith and the spiritual heritage of Holy Russia, and to lead souls toward salvation within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.