Greetings to all!  As part of our outreach to the community, we would like to greet and to introduce ourselves to you by encouraging you to explore our new website.  You will see here some statements regarding the Orthodox Christian faith in general, and some reflections on what it means to pray at the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church in South Philadelphia in particular.

For those of you who have never visited our parish, we welcome you to come and visit anytime and at your convenience.  You will find a parish community devoted to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and to our neighbors in South and greater Philadelphia.  Moreover, we welcome people of all backgrounds to pray with us.  Today, all the services are in English, but for one example, and our community consists of parishioners of various backgrounds and histories.

The central aspect of any Christian community is prayer and, upon visiting us, you will find that our prayer life is grounded in the Scriptures and informed by all the prayers of those who have come before us.  The Orthodox Church has a deep and abiding Tradition, which we trace to the Apostles themselves.  Our prayer life is one of praise and we intend it to be a beautiful offering to the Lord.  Moreover, our community life, although centered in Christ’s Church, extends beyond as well.  This means that we do not exist separately from our community; and, as such, we would welcome you to inform us of your needs and wishes.  The beauty of Orthodox Christianity is that we are all called to pray for the salvation of the world and for all those therein.  This means that we pray for you fully aware of Jesus' love and mercy, and of His wish that all might be one in Him.

Of course, these few words can only do so much with regard to introducing ourselves.  You might best comprehend and grasp Orthodox worship and prayer by simply attending a Divine Liturgy.  “Come and See!” is the rallying call around which we like to invite our beloved guests to encounter Christ in the Orthodox Church.  For those of you who might be looking for a home, we would pray and hope that Holy Assumption might be such a place for you, and for those who would like simply to visit or read about our Church, may God bless you!