Welcome!
Come worship God with us!
You
are always welcome to visit! Come and see. Pray and worship
God with us!
Read more...
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Where is our church located?
On the corner of North 4th & Kennedy Streets.
You
are cordially invited to join us at our humble church, located
at 1355 North 4th Street.
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Click on map...
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What time are our weekend worship services?
On Sunday morning at 9:30 am.
The
Orthodox cycle of Sunday Services begins with Evening Prayer
(“Vespers”) on Saturday evening. It continues through the Divine
Liturgy
(the “Holy Eucharist”)
on Sunday morning.
To
prepare for receiving Holy Communion at the
Divine Liturgy,
Orthodox faithful typically participate in
Vespers.
and the
Hours.
Saturday Evening:
Great Vespers at 6:00 pm
Sunday Morning:
Hours at 9:10 am • Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am
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What is our worship service like?
Our worship is Biblical, liturgical, and sacramental.
Orthodox
worship services consist of
Psalms,
Scripture readings, and prayers.
They typically include a
homily
(sermon) or an instructional talk.
What to expect...
Our
order of worship (“liturgy”) is the same as that followed by the
Apostles and first-century Christians. We participate in seven,
principal “Sacraments”
including
Baptism and
Holy Communion.
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Archbishop Benjamin with a few of our Parishioners
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Why is our parish named “Holy Wisdom”?
After Jesus Christ, “the Wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24)
Whereas
all Orthodox churches are constructed to glorify God,
most are named to memorialize a great event in the life
of our Lord or to commemorate a Great Saint. Very few, however, are
named after our Savior Jesus Christ and, when they are, the name
chosen is an attribute of Christ. The name of our parish, “Holy
Wisdom,” is taken from
1 Corinthians 1:24, 30.
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12 things I wish I’d known ...
...before my first visit to an Orthodox Church.
Orthodox
worship is ancient and traditional! Before visiting an Orthodox church
for the first time, you might enjoy reading the article
“12 Things I
Wish I’d Known” by Frederica Mathews-Green, a helpful (and
sometimes humorous) guide, answering some of the common questions
that visitors often have on their first visit.
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What is our church parish like?
We are a small and growing mission community!
If
you are an Orthodox Christian looking for a parish, we are a lovely
community to join.
If
you are looking for a traditional Christian Church, come and see!
If
you are interested in, or curious about, the Orthodox faith, you are
most welcome to visit us.
Should
you wish to become an Orthodox Christian our priest and parish will
gladly teach you.
Most
of us are converts from Roman Catholic and Protestant backgrounds, a
few of us were born into the Orthodox Church, and some are individuals
exploring the Orthodox Faith.
All
our services are in English. We do follow the ancient Christian
traditions in life and worship, and our community is very welcoming.
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I’ve never heard of the Orthodox Church; What is it?
It is the 2,000-year old Christian Church.
Extending over two
millenia, the history of Orthodox Christianity is very rich. Its
beliefs and its structure have remained consistent and true to the New
Testament Apostolic tradition throughout the centuries.
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Is the Orthodox Church very large?
It is the second-largest Christian Church in the world.
Orthodox
Christians comprise approximately 3.8% of the world population, and
about 0.5% of the US population. In comparison, Roman Catholics
comprise 17.4% of the World population, and 20.8% of the US
population.
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What is the history of Orthodox Christianity in America?
Orthodox Christianity in the world began on Pentecost, AD 33.
Orthodox Christianity in America began in AD 1794.
The
Orthodox Christian presence in North America began in 1794 when eight
missionaries arrived in Kodiak, Alaska. They had traveled 7,300 miles
in 293 days by foot, horse, boat, and ship from Valaamo Monastery.
Valaam is located in Karelia, the northwestern-most region of Russia
adjacent to Finland.
As
they preached from Alaska south into northern California, many Native
Americans were led by God to the Orthodox Christian faith. In 1840 a
diocese was established in Sitka and, after the 1867 purchase
of Alaska by the United States, the see was transferred in 1872 from
Sitka to San Francisco. From San Francisco dedicated and saintly
bishops oversaw both continuing mission activities as well as the
establishment of new parishes to serve immigrant communities
throughout North America.
The
Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
today is the continuation of this evangelical missionary history and
tradition. This is expressed by our diocesan hierarch, Archbishop
Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, in a video that can be accessed
here.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, our Holy Wisdom Mission continues this
evangelical and missionary tradition.
Canonized
North American saints from the 19th and 20th centuries include:
Herman of Alaska,
Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow,
Archbishop Innocent of Alaska,
Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn,
Confessor Alexis (Toth),
Jacob (Netsvetov) of Alaska,
Hieromartyr John (Kochurov),
Hieromartyr Alexander (Hotovitzky),
Hieromartyr Juvenaly,
Martyr Peter the Aleut, and the
New Martyr Basil (Martysz).
Immigrants
from Eastern European and
Mediterranean nations arrived in the 19th and 20th centuries and
established Orthodox churches for themselves and their families, often
bringing clergy from the “old country.”
All
parishes and their clergy were under the jurisdiction of the San
Francisco diocese until the 1920s when some formed into separate,
“ethnic,” jurisdictions. All Orthodox in America have remained in full
communion, and an
Assembly of Bishops
has been established to facilitate the restoration of a common canonical administrative structure.
Read more...
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What do Orthodox Christians believe?
The Nicene Creed summarizes our beliefs:
Click
here
to read the full text of the Nicene Creed, provided both in its
original
Koiné Greek (as it was written at the First and Second Ecumenical
Councils in AD 325 and 381, respectively), as well as in English as
we recite it today.
We
believe in one God, the Holy Trinity of three Hypostases (or Persons):
The
Father: the Creator of all things,
The
Son: through Whom all things are made,
The
Holy Spirit: the Lord and Giver of life.
We
believe in one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church:
One:
The same worldwide for all of its 264 million adherents.
Holy:
The Body of Christ.
Catholic:
For all people, at all times, in every age and place.
Apostolic:
The faith of the New Testament Christian church.
Orthodox
Christianity is the exact faith taught by Christ, preached by the
Apostles, and maintained faithfully, unaltered, and unadulterated for
the past 2,000 years.
Read more...
We
believe the Orthodox Church has preserved and taught the historic
Christian faith from the time of the Apostles.
Orthodoxy
is the faith passed on to the apostles by Jesus Christ, the “faith
which was once delivered unto the saints”
(Jude 3). We
believe God revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ, the “Son of
God who became the Son of Man.”
We
believe the timeless faith of Orthodox Christianity leads to the
fullest life.
It
is impossible to truly know Christ apart from the Church. When doubt
threatens to submerge your faith, you can turn to the pillars on which
your faith is founded. Orthodoxy can be so much more than attending
church on Sunday. We’re surrounded by so many contradictory messages
about what will make us happy, or what is “good” or “right”, but the
only real constant is God.
We
believe Jesus forgives our sins through the sacramental power given to
the Church (cf. John 20:23).
This
power was first given to the Apostles, then to their successors, the
bishops and priests – right down to the present day. Jesus told them:
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”
(John 20:22-23).
Forgiveness is reconciliation with Christ and all mankind.
We
believe in the Scriptures which are based in the Holy Tradition of the
Church.
Because
we revere the Scriptures as the word of God, our prayers and services
consist primarily of quotations from the Bible and readings from the
Bible. We believe that the Orthodox Church is the guardian and
interpreter of the Scriptures, which are “a valuable witness to God’s
revelation.”
We
believe God transcends the bounds of reason: He is
ineffable.
Orthodoxy
recognizes the supreme majesty of God and the limitations of the human
mind. Orthodoxy embraces the transcendent mystery of God and mystery
of the Holy Trinity, which can never be fully comprehended.
We
believe that Jesus Christ is God. He is the Word, the Son of
the Father, Who became man, Who died on the Cross, and Who is
resurrected on the third day for our salvation.
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There are four Orthodox Parishes on the Western Slope of Colorado: you are Welcome at all!
We are in full communion with one another, as well as with Orthodox churches and 350 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
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The Orthodox Christian Church today continues the unchanged faith and life of the New Testament Church.
It is the one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church. It is the New Testament Church.
The gates of Hades have not prevailed, and will not prevail, against it.
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