St. Athanasius Orthodox Church • Nicholasville/Lexington Kentucky
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: …
As we enter October, we enter “peak fall” in the Bluegrass! We have celebrated the first two Great Feasts of the “Church Year,” the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the Feast of Exaltation of the Cross. In addition, in our own local parish community, we hosted our fall …
One of the important “human” moments each year in the life of St. Athanasius is our Annual Parish Meeting (APM,) held every September. This meeting usually lasts about an hour and is mandated by the Orthodox Church in America. Why? This meeting focuses vital attention on the …
With the hottest days of summer behind us (hopefully,) the Orthodox Church observes the glorious days of the Dormition Fast, August 1-14. This fasting season contains a number of important celebrations inlcuding the Great Feast of the Transfiguration, the local commemoration of St. Herman of Alaska, …
With the glorious seasons of Pascha, Ascension, the Pentecost (Holy Trinity) behind us, the Church now journeys into the “weeks after Pentecost,” living resolutely “in the Spirit.” It is in these “normal days” of the post-Pentecost period that the real measure of …
On May 4, Orthodox Christians everywhere celebrated the Feast of Feasts — the PASCHA of the Lord. (You can see our Paschal photos below.) The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ continues into June (40 days) until the Feast of the Lord’s Ascension (Thursday, June 13) and reaches its …
The Great Feast of our Lord’s Nativity in the Flesh (Christmas) is approaching and most of December is–in some sense–an ongoing preparation for this glorious Mystery! Moving us towards Christmas, we celebrate a number of milestones that help us approach this Celebration: Over the …
Fall is a beautiful season in Kentucky. And the crown of fall certainly “feels” like the month of October. In terms of feast days in the Orthodox Church, October is a relatively quiet time–but marks a truly rich season of “normal” church life –with Sunday School, …
July was not only a record month in terms of high temperatures, but also in terms of high attendance. The summer doldrums didn’t happen this year, as our parish continued to welcome new visitors to our many services, to host well-attended classes and events, and to expand our work overall. We …
For Orthodox Christians, there is no season more beloved than Great Lent. Of course, Lent itself can be challenging with the communal expectation of fasting, increased prayer (both in services and at home,) and in the various additional practices we take up. But when Orthodox Christians hear the …
