Getting Started
Finding an Orthodox Church Near You
Which jurisdiction to look for, and what happens when you walk in.
There are more than two thousand Orthodox parishes in the United States, spread across several jurisdictions that are all in full communion with one another. Any of them is 'the Orthodox Church' — the differences are in language, music and immigrant history, not in faith.
Jurisdictions you will find in the US
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) — the largest, Greek and English.
- Orthodox Church in America (OCA) — autocephalous, largely English-language.
- Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese — Arabic heritage, strongly English-speaking, many convert parishes.
- Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate parishes and ROCOR) — Slavonic and English.
- Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian and Ukrainian dioceses.
- Oriental Orthodox parishes — Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Syriac, Malankara — which are a separate communion.
Your first visit
- Arrive a few minutes before the Divine Liturgy, usually 9:30 or 10:00 on Sunday morning.
- You may stand or sit; most of the service is sung, and there are no pews in some parishes.
- Communion is for baptised and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared by fasting and confession; visitors are warmly welcome to receive the blessed bread (antidoron) at the end.
- Dress modestly. Nobody expects you to know when to cross yourself.
- Stay for the coffee hour — that is where the parish actually meets you.
Before you go, check the calendar
Orthodox worship follows the liturgical calendar closely, and the services during Great Lent, Holy Week and the great feasts look very different from an ordinary Sunday. Checking today's fast, feast and saint before visiting makes the service far easier to follow.
Frequently asked
- Can a non-Orthodox person attend an Orthodox service?
- Yes. Anyone may attend the Divine Liturgy. Only baptised and chrismated Orthodox Christians receive Holy Communion, but visitors may receive the blessed bread at the end.
- Which Orthodox jurisdiction should I visit?
- They are all in communion, so visit whichever is closest. English-language parishes are most common in the OCA and Antiochian Archdiocese.