Houseblessing Service & Sign-up

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Traditionally in our Orthodox Church, the month of January — following the Great Feast of Epiphany (or Theophany) when we “bless the waters” — is a season when the parish priest will be invited by parishioners to conduct the Service for Blessing of Homes. The standard Houseblessing Service (found here) is simple and short — and calls down the blessing of the Lord upon the both the home and the souls dwelling in the home. (There is also a longer service — sometimes used as the “first blessing” after a home has been purchased for long-term use — that can be found here.) Here is a helpful article on houseblessings & holy water, in general.

We are blessed in 2025 to have not one — but three priests — available to serve Houseblessings for our growing communities of St. Athanasius, St. Nina (Berea/I-75 Corridor,) and beyond. Fr. Justin and Fr. Giorgi have online sign-ups that they are preferring to use. You may also contact Fr. David Thatcher directly at thatchmod@gmail.com to arrange a Houseblessing with him. You can review our two full-time priests’ schedules here:

Fr. Justin’s Sign-up Schedule: https://calendar.app.google/aZPA3bZtvK47sJST6

Fr. Giorgi’s Sign-up Schedule: https://calendar.app.google/7aWaGYVHcj4gjjxH9  

As noted in the graphic above, once you have made an appointment to have your home blessed, you need to do a few things to prepare for your Houseblessing:

• Try to tidy up your home (perfectionism not required!)
• Prepare a clean place from which to base the Houseblessing Service (a spacious home altar or a dining room table covered with a cloth.)
• The evening before your houseblessing, text or email the priest a confirmation of your appointment.
• Try to invite every member of your houseold to be present–as this is a wonderful domestic gathering for welcoming Christ through the blessing of the priest.
• Remember to turn on most lighting in your house and to turn off all televisions and audio.
• At the time of your Houseblessing, please remember to set out on the home altar or dining table:
  • A Gospel or Family Bible placed on a clean table cloth
  • An icon of our Savior and/or His Mother (and icons special to your household)
  • A candle or oil lamp that can be easily lit (with matches or a lighter)
  • Your Holy Water Bottle (with holy water from the Great Water Blessing in it)
  • A medium-sized bowl for use in the service (to contain the holy water)
  • A copy of the Houseblessing Service for yourself (ideally, if you have easy access to a printer)
  • A list of Living & Departed loved ones (in two distinct columns, ideally)
    • This list should include parents, spouse, children, god-relations, and very close friends.
    • Try to include the Christian names of people you have in mind (provided they have them.)
• Note on gifts to the priest (aka “treby”): it is a longstanding and pious custom of the faithful — when receiving pastoral care in the form of services like home blessings, funerals, or weddings, etc. — to offer the priest a “love gift” or honorarium in thanksgiving for such pastoral care. Such gifts — while particularly important for clergy without salaries — should be made voluntarily and are gratefully accepted to help with gas and other expenses associated with houseblessings.