Russian Orthodox Church in America

The Russian Orthodox Church in America (ROCIA) is a self-governing ecclesiastical body, steadfastly maintaining continuity with the historic and apostolic Tradition of Orthodox Christianity. Established for divine worship, pastoral ministry, religious education, and works of mercy, ROCIA is ordered according to her sacred doctrine and canonical statutes, and governed by her own lawful hierarchy. In unbroken succession, she traces her episcopal lineage to the Russian Orthodox Church, preserving the apostolic inheritance entrusted by Christ to His Holy Church.
Throughout her history, clergy and faithful of ROCIA have been received into other Orthodox jurisdictions, including the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the Orthodox Church in America, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA — a testimony to the shared faith and sacramental life which binds Orthodox Christians together.
The hierarchy of ROCIA has likewise enjoyed historical recognition of its canonical standing, and her bishops were at one time invited to participate in the deliberations of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), though they ultimately declined that invitation.

 To become an Orthodox Christian is no light or casual matter; it is a path both solemn and demanding. Even our Divine Liturgy is offered with the full participation of the faithful, who stand in prayer, attentive and reverent before God.

One must truly desire the Orthodox Faith and be willing to labor diligently in its pursuit. If you believe yourself prepared to undertake so grave and life-defining a commitment, we stand ready to offer instruction, counsel, and catechesis. You are always welcome to attend our divine services and witness the worship of the Church for yourself..

A Blessing forYou.

May   “The Lord bless you and keep you; May The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; May The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” 

Numbers 6:24-26

The Russian Orthodox Church in America is an Apostolic Orthodox Catholic church with direct succession from the Apostle Saint Andrew. 

By the mercy of Almighty God and under the watchful care of the Holy Orthodox Church, our ecclesiastical mission was established upon the North American continent, not as the possession of any single nation or tribe, but as a lawful and local expression of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Its founding purpose was the restoration of canonical order and ecclesiastical harmony in these lands, that the faithful might not remain divided according to customs and languages, but be gathered into unity of faith and obedience.

From the hour of its inception, this Church has borne an apostolic and evangelical charge: to proclaim unto the American people the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in their own tongue, and to celebrate the divine services with reverence, sobriety, and splendor, according to the received Tradition of the Fathers. Preserving inviolate the fullness of Holy Orthodoxy, she has sought to present the sacred inheritance of the Church in a manner intelligible to this land, so that the light of the East might shine undimmed in the West, and that all who dwell herein might be brought into the unity of the Faith and the communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Several factors played into our formation.  The biggest factor was Ukase 362 by Saint Tikhon which stated that in the event of a breakdown of the church through Persecution by the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution and the disruption of the Russian Orthodox Church worldwide that the Bishops were to carry on as best they could and ultimately, if necessary,  needed to revert back to the Canonical Status of the Early Church returning to the basics of the definition of a Church under Original Canon Law (A church is A Bishop, his clergy, and his laity) - and thus our existence was created  in large part by the chaos of the disintegration of the Russian Church worldwide  - in America  - and in Russia.  This Ukase specifically stated that in such circumstances the LOCAL Bishop (including the diaspora)  should continue His Church as autocephalous until such time as the disruption stopped - in this case, the Bolsheviks and Communists of Soviet Russia, 

The breakdown of Church Order described in Ukase 362 continues to this day.

Evidence that the Disruptions beginning with the Bolsheviks have not subsided and are evidenced by continuing Chaos and lack of communication with Russia  even up to the War in Ukraine 2022 resulting in fracturing of Ukrainian Orthodox Church - in The cross anathematisation of Orthodox churches worldwide even  involving The Patriarch of Constantinople - all this reveals a very ugly polemic side to Orthodox Christianity and shows the chaos that persists in the Orthodox World as a direct result of the chaos in Russia and in the USA all starting in the early part of the 20th century. 

We exist in true apostolic succession.

we want to live in brotherhood so we ask our brothers in Christ for unity with us - however we reserve the right to legal action due to libel and slander as we can no longer tolerate the abuse

  John 13:34–35,  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Many modern Americans scarcely comprehend the magnitude of the persecution unleashed upon the Russian Orthodox Church by the Bolsheviks. At the time of their seizure of power, there were approximately 54,000 Orthodox churches throughout the Russian Empire, both great and small. By the late Soviet period, that number had been reduced to only a few hundred functioning churches. The vast majority were desecrated, converted into theaters, offices, warehouses, or museums of atheism; countless others were demolished outright.

The clergy and faithful endured relentless oppression. Those who refused cooperation with the atheist regime were imprisoned, exiled, or sent into the harsh labor camps of Siberia, where many perished. Under Joseph Stalin, persecution intensified with calculated severity; policies shifted according to political expediency, yet the suffering of the Church remained constant and profound.

Among the confessors of that era stood Saint Tikhon of Moscow, who endured harassment, imprisonment, and unrelenting pressure from the revolutionary authorities. His death followed a period of grave persecution and has long been regarded by many as occurring under deeply suspicious circumstances.

The upheavals in Russia reverberated far beyond her borders. In North America, the displacement of bishops and clergy, coupled with political pressures and competing claims of authority, gave rise to profound canonical disorder among Orthodox jurisdictions. Churches, properties, and institutions became the subject of bitter disputes, and the unity of Orthodox witness in America was deeply strained.

The tragic death of Bishop Sophronios of Los Angeles in 1940 marked a further sorrowful chapter in this turbulent history. Earlier still, the assassination of Joseph Zuk in Florida in the late 1930s deprived his flock of leadership at a critical moment. These events left communities isolated and vulnerable, yet not extinguished.

Through persecution, exile, and fragmentation, the apostolic inheritance was not destroyed. By the grace of God, the sacred succession endured, preserved through sacrifice and confession. May the memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia be eternal, and may their steadfast witness remain a light to all generations.
 

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in America affirms, in accordance with the canons of the Church, that its understanding of ecclesiastical order is rooted in the apostolic and canonical tradition. Though invited to participate in the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), the Synod has abstained, recognizing that such a body possesses no proper jurisdiction and that the oversight of Orthodox Christians in the Western Hemisphere rests solely upon the lawful local hierarchy entrusted by God and His Church. The Synod likewise upholds that no external patriarchate, however venerable, may assume ordinary authority over the faithful in lands already committed to a canonical bishop, for such interference contravenes the ancient territorial order established by the Fathers.

It is with profound sorrow that we witness the continuing division of Orthodox Christians in the Americas along ethnic and historical lines. Instead of one bishop governing each territory, multiple jurisdictions persist: Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, Arabic, Coptic, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, and others, each holding a separate enclave of authority. Even among the Russian faithful, the divisions of the Orthodox Church in America, Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and other bodies reflect the legacy of exile, persecution, and human weakness. Such fragmentation, though grievous, does not diminish the apostolic inheritance preserved by the Russian Orthodox Church in America.

As an autocephalous Orthodox Church in this land, we bear witness not to contention, but to the holy calling of unity in Christ. We extend forgiveness to those whose pride, fear, or ambition have hindered communion, praying that all hearts may be softened by repentance and humility. We remain ever ready to restore the unity of the Church when approached in truth and charity, trusting that in the providence of God the scattered sheep will once again be gathered into one fold under the shepherdship of the Apostolic episcopate.

May the Lord grant wisdom, repentance, and peace to all Orthodox faithful in these lands, and may His Holy Spirit guide the Church to visible unity in accord with the canons and the sacred Tradition of the Fathers.

"There are two [denominations], one that is man-made with man-made laws. It is corrupt, false and misleading. It denies the will of the Living God, that reveals itself to the heart of man. It makes slaves and bond-servants of those who choose to obey it. There is another [denomination, THE CHURCH,] the only one for me, for it is the Church of Jesus Christ, imbued with His Spirit, attentive to the Word and Will of God. That is the Church I recognize."

--The Most Reverend Aftimios Ofiesh, Archbishop of Brooklyn , in a letter to the Editor of The Syrian World, June 12, 1933 [with translation corrected]

Born of a Serbian Orthodox heritage, Vladyka Ioan has devoted his life to the deep well of Orthodox faith and tradition. He has delved profoundly into Orthodox theology and is recognized for his mastery of early canon law. Beyond this, he has studied extensively the liturgical chant traditions of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, as well as Anglican chant, assembling a remarkable Anthology of Liturgical Music for the Liturgies of ROCIA—an offering both scholarly and prayerful.

Through untiring years of faithful service to Vladyka Symeon and Archbishop Gregory Athanasius, he has carried forward ROCIA’s rightful place within Orthodox Christianity. In a moment of quiet truth, one of the leading bishops in America once expressed sorrow to Vladyka Ioan for the manner in which mainstream Orthodoxy had mistreated him and his Church—a testimony not of grievance, but of endurance.

Now, Archbishop Ioan stands humbled beyond measure to steward this beautiful Church into the future. The task before him is immense—one that would cause many to falter. Yet his unwavering belief in the mission of ROCIA sustains his labor and propels his earnest quest for unity with all Orthodox Christians.

We pray for unity.

Axios. Axios. Axios.

May God be his guide, and may his years be many and fruitful.