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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church • Nicholasville/Lexington Kentucky

St. Athanasius Orthodox Church • Nicholasville/Lexington Kentucky

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July: Beyond Pentecost

With the glorious seasons of Pascha, Pentecost (Holy Trinity,) and the Apostles’ Fast behind us, we now enter July, which is one of the quietest months of the year, liturgically. Yet it is in these “normal days” of the post-Pentecost period that the real measure of our spiritual life unfolds. To that end, our parish family invites you to visit St. Athanasius this summer. We have parishioners from across 10 Kentucky counties, including Lexington-Fayette and beyond! You can learn more about making an in-person visit to St. Athanasius here. You can also take a peek inside our church by checking our our parish YouTube channel. Check out our “hard copy” July 2025 calendar below and remember that our google calendar is here (and you can import it into your own calendars if you wish.) As is typical in traditional Orthodox Christianity, there are many services each week beyond our Sunday Liturgy–even during this relatively quiet month.

For those in (or close to) Madison County or south of Richmond to consider a visit our St. Nina Mission (213 Pauline Drive #5, Berea, KY,) which helps extend the reach of the Orthodox Faith along the I-75 corridor & Wilderness Trail. We are drawing people from Somerset, London, Corbin, and beyond. We are now serving weekly Tuesday & Saturday night services at 630pm plus a monthly Sunday Liturgy. Again, see our mission website for details.

Below is a collection of photos from our annual May Parish Picnic, our annual Vacation Church School, from June in general, & from Pentecost 2025, showing the full range of liturgical, educational, missional, and social life in our parish. We hope these photos and the depth of our Faith inspire you to visit St. Athanasius Orthodox Church and/or our St. Nina Mission! If you have questions about our calendar or any aspect of our Faith or parish life, please reach out to our rector and senior pastor Fr. Justin at fr.justin@bluegrassorthodox.org or our associate priest Fr. Giorgi at fr.giorgi@bluegrassorthodox.org.

BULLETIN July 20th

July 17, 2025 News

Bulletin July 13th

July 15, 2025 News

Bulletin July 6th

July 5, 2025 News

Bulletin June 29th

July 5, 2025 News

July: Beyond Pentecost

June 27, 2025 Featured

With the glorious seasons of Pascha, Pentecost (Holy Trinity,) and the Apostles’ Fast behind us, we now enter July, which is one of the quietest months of the year, liturgically. Yet it is in these “normal days” of the post-Pentecost period that the real measure of our spiritual life unfolds. …

Bulletin June 22nd

June 19, 2025 News

Bulletin June 15th

June 13, 2025 News

Bulletin June 8

June 6, 2025 News

June, Pentecost, Vacation Church School

May 31, 2025 Featured

In these recent days, the Orthodox Church throughout the world has pivoted from the Paschal season towards the holy days that follow Pentecost — which is observed this year on June 8. In the month of June, we also host the annual Pan-Orthodox Vacation Church School Program (June 9-13.) You can …

Bulletin June 1st

May 29, 2025 News
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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church
21 hours ago
St. Athanasius Orthodox Church

+The Story of Ss. Boris & Gleb+

On July 24th, the Church remembers the holy Princes and Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb. Many people, including some churchly Orthodox believers, are perplexed as to why our Orthodox Church counts Boris and Gleb, the sons of Prince Vladimir, among the choir of saints. They are not, precisely, holy martyrs. They were not pressured to renounce Christ. The reason for their death was not their confession of faith, per se, but rather because they were princes who behaved in ways that were shockingly Christian in the context of public life.

Why then are Saints Boris and Gleb considered holy? Is it simply because they meekly allowed themselves to be killed? Let us remember their life and the story of their death.

The Princes Boris and Gleb (Roman and David in Baptism) were the younger sons of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. The brothers were born not long before the Baptism of Rus’ and were therefore raised in the Christian Faith.

When their father, Prince Vladimir, died, his eldest son Svyatopolk, who was in Kiev at that time, declared himself Grand Prince of Kiev. At that time, Prince Boris returned from a campaign, and his retinue urged him to go to Kiev and take the Grand-Princely Throne. Boris, not wanting to incite civil strife, dismissed his army, saying, “I will not raise my hand against my brother, moreover my older brother, whom I should consider like a father!”

Regardless, Svyatopolk decided to rid himself of the perceived rival to the princely throne, and he sent assassins for Boris. Boris knew about the danger, but he did not resist, not wanting his soldiers to have to shed blood to preserve his life. On July 24, 1015, Boris was murdered in his tent, on the bank of the Alta River, after the Sunday Liturgy.

After that, Svyatopolk also treacherously assassinated Prince Gleb. Cunningly calling his brother out of his inheritance, the city of Murom, Svyatopolk sent him towards vigilantes, so they could kill Gleb on the road. Prince Gleb already knew about the death of his father, and the assassination of his brother Boris; he expected the same fate. However, though deeply sorrowing, the holy Gleb consciously chose to face death rather than make a war with his brother.

In 1019, the Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav the Wise, also one of the sons of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, assembled an army and defeated the army of Svyatopolk. Svyatopolk, called “the Accursed” by the Rus’ people, fled to Poland, where like the first murderer Cain, found neither rest nor shelter.

After the martyric deaths of Boris and Gleb, as the chroniclers testify, “revolt was pacified in Rus,’” and internecine wars ceased in Rus’ for a long time.

What conclusions can we draw for ourselves from the lives of Boris and Gleb?

1. The Divine Grace received by Prince Vladimir during his personal Baptism and the Baptism of Rus’ completely changed both his own psyche, and also had a profound impact on his descendants. After all, in those days (and not only in Rus’), committing the most terrible crimes for the sake of power was practically the norm. The behavior of the Princes Boris and Gleb, who sacrificed their lives to prevent a civil war was absolutely not typical even for Christian Europe, let alone Rus’, which not long before was pagan.

2. Formally, Boris and Gleb did not suffer for the name of Christ, but rather for his words: If a man say,' I love God,' and hatea his brother, he is a liar (1 Jn. 4:20). When Svyatopolk occupied the throne of Kiev, Boris’ retinue suggested he march on Kiev, but he refused, because he did not want to spill the blood of his brother and of other Russian people. Boris and Gleb were warned about the coming evils, but they humbly accepted death, following the example of the Savior. Here are the words of Boris: “If he (Svyatopolk) sheds my blood and decides to murder me, I will be a martyr before my Lord. I will not resist, for as it is written, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Boris, and later Gleb, did not want to shed his brother’s blood for the sake of earthly glory and power. Both of them consciously came to the decision to become like Christ, and to learn from His meekness and humility, and to find rest in eternity.

3. Boris and Gleb are also examples of rulers who choose not to send their nations into a fratricidal war, although they knew that they would receive death for this choice.

The Holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb are the first canonized saints of the Eastern Slavic Orthodox Christians. Even in ancient times, their deaths were compared with the death of the righteous Abel at the hand of his brother Cain. The humility and meekness of the brothers has always held a special place in the piety of their Orthodox spiritual children. Let us pray to them!

(Based upon an article translated by Matfey Shaheen; Union of Orthodox Journalists; 8/7/2018)
... See MoreSee Less

+The Story of Ss. Boris & Gleb+ 

On July 24th, the Church remembers the holy Princes and Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb. Many people, including some churchly Orthodox believers, are perplexed as to why our Orthodox Church counts Boris and Gleb, the sons of Prince Vladimir, among the choir of saints. They are not, precisely, holy martyrs. They were not pressured to renounce Christ. The reason for their death was not their confession of faith, per se, but rather because they were princes who behaved in ways that were shockingly Christian in the context of public life. 

Why then are Saints Boris and Gleb considered holy? Is it simply because they meekly allowed themselves to be killed? Let us remember their life and the story of their death.

The Princes Boris and Gleb (Roman and David in Baptism) were the younger sons of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. The brothers were born not long before the Baptism of Rus’ and were therefore raised in the Christian Faith.

When their father, Prince Vladimir, died, his eldest son Svyatopolk, who was in Kiev at that time, declared himself Grand Prince of Kiev. At that time, Prince Boris returned from a campaign, and his retinue urged him to go to Kiev and take the Grand-Princely Throne. Boris, not wanting to incite civil strife, dismissed his army, saying, “I will not raise my hand against my brother, moreover my older brother, whom I should consider like a father!”

Regardless, Svyatopolk decided to rid himself of the perceived rival to the princely throne, and he sent assassins for Boris. Boris knew about the danger, but he did not resist, not wanting his soldiers to have to shed blood to preserve his life. On July 24, 1015, Boris was murdered in his tent, on the bank of the Alta River, after the Sunday Liturgy.

After that, Svyatopolk also treacherously assassinated Prince Gleb. Cunningly calling his brother out of his inheritance, the city of Murom, Svyatopolk sent him towards vigilantes, so they could kill Gleb on the road. Prince Gleb already knew about the death of his father, and the assassination of his brother Boris; he expected the same fate. However, though deeply sorrowing, the holy Gleb consciously chose to face death rather than make a war with his brother.

In 1019, the Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav the Wise, also one of the sons of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, assembled an army and defeated the army of Svyatopolk. Svyatopolk, called “the Accursed” by the Rus’ people, fled to Poland, where like the first murderer Cain, found neither rest nor shelter.

After the martyric deaths of Boris and Gleb, as the chroniclers testify, “revolt was pacified in Rus,’” and internecine wars ceased in Rus’ for a long time. 

What conclusions can we draw for ourselves from the lives of Boris and Gleb?

1. The Divine Grace received by Prince Vladimir during his personal Baptism and the Baptism of Rus’ completely changed both his own psyche, and also had a profound impact on his descendants. After all, in those days (and not only in Rus’), committing the most terrible crimes for the sake of power was practically the norm. The behavior of the Princes Boris and Gleb, who sacrificed their lives to prevent a civil war was absolutely not typical even for Christian Europe, let alone Rus’, which not long before was pagan.

2. Formally, Boris and Gleb did not suffer for the name of Christ, but rather for his words: If a man say, I love God, and hatea his brother, he is a liar (1 Jn. 4:20). When Svyatopolk occupied the throne of Kiev, Boris’ retinue suggested he march on Kiev, but he refused, because he did not want to spill the blood of his brother and of other Russian people. Boris and Gleb were warned about the coming evils, but they humbly accepted death, following the example of the Savior. Here are the words of Boris: “If he (Svyatopolk) sheds my blood and decides to murder me, I will be a martyr before my Lord. I will not resist, for as it is written, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Boris, and later Gleb, did not want to shed his brother’s blood for the sake of earthly glory and power. Both of them consciously came to the decision to become like Christ, and to learn from His meekness and humility, and to find rest in eternity.

3. Boris and Gleb are also examples of rulers who choose not to send their nations into a fratricidal war, although they knew that they would receive death for this choice. 

The Holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb are the first canonized saints of the Eastern Slavic Orthodox Christians. Even in ancient times, their deaths were compared with the death of the righteous Abel at the hand of his brother Cain. The humility and meekness of the brothers has always held a special place in the piety of their Orthodox spiritual children. Let us pray to them!

(Based upon an article translated by Matfey Shaheen; Union of Orthodox Journalists; 8/7/2018)
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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church
1 day ago
St. Athanasius Orthodox Church

St. Athanasius is hosting Great Vespers at 630pm tonight for Ss. Boris & Gleb. Fr. David continues his series on the Prophet Haggai afterwards. ... See MoreSee Less

St. Athanasius is hosting Great Vespers at 630pm tonight for Ss. Boris & Gleb. Fr. David continues his series on the Prophet Haggai afterwards.
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St. Athanasius Orthodox Church
2 days ago
St. Athanasius Orthodox Church

Fr. Justin preaching at the end of Vespers tonight at St. Nina Chapel, where 20+ people joined us. ... See MoreSee Less

Fr. Justin preaching at the end of Vespers tonight at St. Nina Chapel, where 20+ people joined us.
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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

© 2025 · St. Athanasius Orthodox Church • Nicholasville/Lexington Kentucky