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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church • Nicholasville/Lexington Kentucky

St. Athanasius Orthodox Church • Nicholasville/Lexington Kentucky

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November: Preparing for Nativity

As we enter November, the Church pivots gradually towards the Nativity Season. In the Orthodox Church, the pre-Christmas season begins with the Nativity Fast, which starts on November 15 and lasts until we break the fast on Christmas Day, December 25. Here are some highlights coming up in the month:

  • Regular Events at St. Athanasius:
    • Our 930am Sunday Liturgy continues to be our main service and point of contact for regulars and visitors. A Fellowship Hour with light lunch always follows this service.
    • Our 630pm Saturday Great Vespers or Vigil is offered every Saturday evening. One priest (sometimes more) is always available to hear Confessions afterwards.
    • Our 630pm Wednesday Vespers & Catechesis (Christian Education) & Fall Bonfire Fellowship continues to be a weekly part of sustaining our Faith and drawing others into our community. All are welcome!
    • Our Virtual Adult Church School class is accessed via this Google Meet link at 8pm every Thursday — and helps us connect to our many people who live across Kentucky.
  • Special Events only in November:
    • Great Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos Into the Temple with Vigil at 630pm Thursday, Nov. 20 & Liturgy at 7am Friday, Nov. 21.
    • Feast of Thanksgiving with Compline & Thanksgiving Akathist at 630pm Wednesday, Nov. 26 & Liturgy at 8am Thursday, Nov. 27.

We invite you to visit our daughter community, St. Nina Mission in Berea, which helps extend the reach of the Orthodox Faith along the I-75 corridor & Wilderness Trail. St. Nina Chapel is drawing people from Somerset, London, Corbin, and beyond. The chapel is now serving services twice a week on Tuesdays (630pm) and Saturdays (630pm.) We also serving two Sunday Liturgies per month in Berea. Our lead priest at St. Nina this year will be Fr. David Thatcher, who can be reached at fr.david@bluegrassorthodox.org.

You can also attend our Mercer County Chapel, which meets for Vespers & Dinner the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month at 430pm at the home of Fr. David Thatcher (482 E. Lexington St., Harrodsburg, KY.) You can can see what’s happening where by using our online calendar here or by simply checking out the pdf of our hard-copy calendar below:

Below is a collection of photos from October 2025, showing the full range of our parish life. We hope these photos inspire you to visit our church or one of our chapels. If you have questions about our calendar or any aspect of our Faith or parish life, please reach out to our associate astor Fr. Giorgi Lomsadze at fr.giorgi@bluegrassorthodox.org.

POL_KA
POL_KA

November: Preparing for Nativity

October 30, 2025 Featured

As we enter November, the Church pivots gradually towards the Nativity Season. In the Orthodox Church, the pre-Christmas season begins with the Nativity Fast, which starts on November 15 and lasts until we break the fast on Christmas Day, December 25. Here are some highlights coming up in …

Bulletin October 26 2025

October 24, 2025 News

Bulletin October 19, 2025

October 17, 2025 News

Bulletin October 12, 2025

October 9, 2025 News

Bulletin for October 5th, 2025

October 2, 2025 News

October in the Parish

October 1, 2025 Featured

Abp. Alexander to visit Oct. 25-27 October is a liturgically calm season in the Orthodox Church. For newcomers, this month is a great time to plug into church life: Our Fall Catechesis (Christian Teaching 101) is in full swing each Wednesday at 720pm (immediately following our regular Wednesday …

Bulletin September 28th, 2025

September 25, 2025 News

Bulletin September 21, 2025

September 19, 2025 News

Bulletin September 14, 2025

September 11, 2025 News

Bulletin September 07, 2025

September 5, 2025 News
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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church

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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church
8 hours ago

This Sunday, parishes across our OCA are participating in OCA Steward Sunday. We invite every parishioner to make a gift -- large or small -- and identify themselves to His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon as a supporter of his work as primate, coordinating ministries, equipping parishes, and more. We'll have an extra basket this Sunday for checks made out to "OCA" with notes indicating "Stewards." You can also give online directly and become a Steward here at oca.org/donate

Every gift, no matter the size, makes you a Steward of the OCA.
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This Sunday, parishe
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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church
15 hours ago

Today Holy Cross Monk (and former parishioner) Fr. Ivan stopped by to pray with us. He also shared the monastery's relics of St. Raphael & St. Nektarios with us. Many years to him and his WV brotherhood! ... See MoreSee Less

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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church
1 day ago

On November 8, the Orthodox Church celebrates Archangel Michael with all the Bodiless Hosts. Why does the Church make this commemoration?

As the "Archistrategos" or "Chief Commander" of the bodiless powers, the Holy Archangel Michael is one of the most prominent and beloved of all the angelic powers. According to Holy Scripture and Tradition, he has interceded for humanity many times and continues to serve as the Defender of the Faith. In the ancient Hebrew tongue, the name Michael means "like unto God" or "Who is like unto God?"

Michael first appears in the Old Testament in the book of Joshua's account of the fall of Jericho. Though Michael is not mentioned by name in the text, it is said that Joshua "looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand." When the still unaware Joshua asks which side of the fight the Archangel is on, Michael responds, "neither...but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come" (Joshua 5:13-14).

In the book of Daniel, Michael appears first to help the Archangel Gabriel defeat the Persians (10:13). In a later vision it is revealed to Daniel that "at that time [the end times] Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then..." (Ch. 12)1. Michael thus plays an important role as the protector of Israel and later of his chosen people, the Church.

The Church Fathers also ascribe to Michael the following events: During the Exodus of the Israelite from Egypt he went before them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; the power of the great Chief Commander of God was manifest in the annihilation of the 185 thousand soldiers of the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib (4/2 Kings 19:35); also in the smiting of the impious leader Heliodorus (2 Macc. 3: 24-26); and in the protection of the Three Holy Youths: Ananias, Azarias and Misail, thrown into the fiery furnace for their refusal to worship an idol (Dan 3:22-25). Through the will of God, the Chief Commander Michael transported the Prophet Habbakuk (December 2) from Judea to Babylon, to give food to Daniel in the lions' den (Dan. 14:33-37). The Archangel Michael disputed with the devil over the body of the holy Prophet Moses (Jude 1:9).

In the days of the New Covenant, the holy Archangel Michael showed his power when he miraculously saved a young man, cast into the sea by robbers with a stone about his neck on the shores of Mt Athos. This story is found in the Athonite Paterikon, and in the Life of St Neophytus of Docheiariou (November 9).

Perhaps his most famous miracle, though, is the salvation of the church at Colossae. Here a number of pagans tried to destroy this church by diverting the flow of two rivers directly into its path. However, the Archangel appeared amongst the waters, and, carrying a cross, channeled the rivers underground so that the ground the church stood on would not be destroyed. The spring which came forth after this event is said to have special healing powers.

Michael also has been associated with healing in other cases, as well as his primary role as leader of the Church Militant. He has been said to appear to Emperor Constantine the Great (d. 337) at Constantinople, to have intervened in assorted battles, and appeared, sword in hand, over the mausoleum of Hadrian, in apparent answer to the prayers of Pope St. Gregory I the Great (r. 590-604) that a plague in Rome should cease.

Russians in particular have a special veneration to Michael, along with the Theotokos. According to the OCA Life of St. Michael, "Intercession for Russian cities by the Most Holy Queen of Heaven always involved Her appearances with the Heavenly Hosts, under the leadership of the Archangel Michael. Grateful Rus acclaimed the Most Pure Mother of God and the Archangel Michael in church hymns. Many monasteries, cathedrals, court and merchant churches are dedicated to the Chief Commander Michael. In Rus there was not a city where there was not a church or chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael."

The icon shown here (Balkan, ca. 1600) is of the Archangel Michael. In his quality of Captain of the Hosts, the warrior angel wears a cloak which, on our icon , is red in color. The sword that he holds in his right hand is at the same time his weapon and the insignia of commander. In his left hand he carries before his breast an image of Jesus Christ. The head of the archangel is adorned with ribbons. Habitually, the ends of he ribbons flow from either side of the head: they should symbolize the spiritual hearing of the angel, attentive to the divine commands. On our icon these ribbons are partly effaced. The inscription at the top reads: "Archangel Michael."

-from The Meaning of Icons by Lossky, Palmer, and Kadloubousky
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On November 8, the O
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Saint Athanasius Orthodox Church
100 Lime Lane
Nicholasville, KY 40356
Directions to the church

Priest Justin Patterson
Church: (859) 881-8144
Cell: (859) 361-2823
E-mail Fr. Justin

We are a parish of the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), under the archpastoral care of his grace, the right reverend ALEXANDER, Bishop of Dallas and the South. We are the first OCA parish in Kentucky. We are located in the heart of the bluegrass region just outside Lexington.

Click HERE if you’re looking for St. Nina.

  • Home
  • Welcome
  • About Us
    • Parish History
    • Leadership
    • Building News
    • Capital Campaign Update 2022
  • Ministries
  • Calendar
  • Directions
  • Pictures
  • Give

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