Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which
ye have been
taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Thessalonians 2:15
The Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord and God and Savior
Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost as He gave the Holy Spirit to His
disciples. We keep the faith of these Apostles without addition or subtraction.
We always have
and we always will. Our most essential beliefs are laid out in our Creed, which
the Church adopted at the Councils of Nicea and Constantinople in the fourth
century. The Orthodox Church around the world has approximately a quarter of a
billion members.
St. Gregory the Great Orthodox Church welcomes visitors at all of our services
and other events. We are located at 1443 Euclid St., NW, Washington, DC (just
west of 14th Street). Our new home is in a row house built around 1910 and
converted for church use about thirty years ago. Parking is available on-street,
usually on Euclid or University Place.
As authorized by the Patriarchate of Antioch we use the ancient
liturgy of St.
Gregory. The venerable Roman rite is virtually unchanged since
St. Gregory (who died in 604AD) took what was already old and gave it its current
organization.
Our weekly schedule is
· Vespers (Evening Prayer) Saturday from 6-6:45.
· Matins (Morning Prayer) Sunday 9:00-9:30
· Sung Mass (Divine Liturgy) Sunday 9:30-10:45
· Coffee Hour, Sunday after Mass
Confessions are heard after Vespers, during Matins, or by appointment. Holy Days
are frequently celebrated on weekdays with a 7:30 p.m. mass followed by a
potluck dinner, or a Saturday morning mass. For a tentative list of weekday
masses click here. Call or email to confirm.
Matins, like
Vespers, includes prayers, lessons, hymns and chanted psalms. Many
people arrive during Matins, simply get a Matins book and find a seat before
Mass starts. If you arrive after Mass has begun, take a bulletin. The bulletin
will refer you to the proper pages in the hymnal and missal (which you will find
in the pews).
Directions:
St. Gregory's has moved to a new location (as of 8/19/06).
Metro Directions: Take the Green Line to the Columbia Heights Station.
Walk south along 14th Street (five blocks) to Euclid Street and turn right to
1443 - or call us and we will have someone meet
you at the Metro stop.
Driving Directions: click on the link below for a map
1443 Euclid Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
To read more about what to expect that is tailored to your level of familiarity,
choose one:
I'm not a Christian, but I'm
curious...
I'm a Christian, but not
Orthodox...
I'm Orthodox,
but I'm accustomed to the Eastern Rite...
What's the
difference between various Orthodox churches?
I'm not a Christian, but I'm
curious...
God has revealed Himself as a community of love: Three Persons (Father, Son and
Holy Spirit) united in all things. In His great love for mankind, God became
what we are that we might become what he is. In the life of Jesus Christ we see
both who God is and how we are to be.
God created man in His own image and likeness, and each of us makes the free
choice, every moment, to draw closer to God by loving God and our fellow men, or further
away by turning from them. Often it is hard enough to know the right choice, and even
harder to choose it. That's why we strive to follow the example of Christ and
the counsel of His church under the continual guidance of the Holy Spirit.
St. Gregory's is a community called together to grow in our knowledge and love
of God. We strive to help one another along the way.
All are welcome to join us for worship, fellowship, and discussion.
I'm a Christian, but not
Orthodox...
The best way to learn about the Orthodox Church is to attend our worship.
We welcome you to join us for worship and fellowship, whether you are new in
town, visiting the area, or seeking a church home. Many Americans are not very
familiar with the Orthodox Church, much less its Western Rite. If you attended a
Roman Catholic mass before 1962, you'll find our liturgy familiar. If you've
frequented Anglican services, much of the music in our hymnal and most of Matins
and Vespers will be very familiar. If you've admired Byzantine icons, you will
understand our art. If you've read the King James Bible, you'll recognize it
when the priest sings the Gospel. If you've studied the early Church, that's us.
We normally sit for the Epistle and the homily, kneel (or stand) for the Canon
(the Eucharistic Prayer),
and, if we are healthy, stand during the rest of the services. We mark ourselves
with the sign of the cross when we receive a blessing. We bow
our heads slightly when our Lord's name is spoken. We bow and/or make the sign
of the Cross whenever the three Persons of the Holy Trinity are named. After the consecration, all
duly prepared Orthodox Christians are invited forward for Communion. All others
are welcome to come forward to receive the priest's blessing and antidoron
(blessed bread offered to all in a spirit of Christian fellowship).
I'm Orthodox,
but I'm accustomed to the Eastern Rite...
St. Gregory's is a congregation of the
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (under
Metropolitan PHILIP Saliba).
In recent centuries, the vast majority of the Orthodox parishes of the world
have used the eastern liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil (with some
use of the Liturgy of St. James). But since the 1950's a few canonical parishes use western liturgies, such as the
(pre-schismatic) Liturgy of St. Gregory, in the forms approved by the Patriarchate of Antioch. We welcome all our Orthodox brethren to join us for
worship and (when prepared) for Holy Communion. The music and much of the text of the liturgy will
be new to you, but we share the same bishops, the same icons, the same antidoron,
and most importantly the same Faith. The Western Rite is a different expression of our common faith in the
"cultural language" of the West.
What's the
difference between various Orthodox churches?
Our Lord founded One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church on the faith of the
Apostles. We know it today as the Orthodox Church. The Church in Greece is
sometimes called the Greek Orthodox Church, the Church in Russia is sometimes
called the Russian Orthodox Church, and so forth. While the Church is organized
along national lines, all canonical Orthodox parishes throughout the whole world
are part of the same Church and share the same Faith, hence we are "in
communion" with one another.