Antiochian Orthodox Church
The Church of the city where the disciples were first called Christians.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch is one of the four ancient patriarchates, founded, tradition holds, by the Apostles Peter and Paul. Antioch is where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26), and the see remains a living Church today, centred in Damascus.
In North America
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is one of the largest Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, known for celebrating the services in English and for receiving large numbers of converts, notably the Evangelical Orthodox reception of 1987.
Liturgy and language
Antiochian parishes serve the Byzantine rite in English, Arabic and Greek, often with Byzantine chant in both the Damascene and the English adaptations. Parish life in the Middle East retains a strong Arabic-language tradition.
The calendar
Antioch follows the Revised Julian calendar for fixed feasts, so Christmas falls on 25 December civil reckoning, while Pascha is calculated with the traditional Julian paschalion together with all other Orthodox Churches.