This past Sunday, our parish family at Saint Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania was filled with light, reverence, and spiritual joy as we celebrated the great and radiant feast of the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

The Divine Liturgy was truly beautiful and uplifting. The Church was filled with prayer, thanksgiving, and the triumphant spirit of the Holy Fathers. Our faithful gathered holding holy icons, visibly proclaiming the truth of the Incarnation — that God truly became man and therefore can be depicted. Through the icon, we confess Christ who came in the flesh.

Our amazing parish choir, led by our dedicated conductor George Milosh, elevated the entire celebration. Their angelic singing added depth, beauty, and solemnity to the Divine Liturgy, touching hearts and lifting our minds to heaven. The harmonies resounded throughout the temple, making this feast even more glorious.

Following the Liturgy, we processed around the holy temple in a solemn and joyful procession, carrying icons and reading the Synodicon and the proclamation of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. We remembered the courage of the Holy Fathers who defended the veneration of icons and preserved the fullness of the Orthodox faith for us.

This sacred feast was formally established in 843 by the pious Empress Theodora, her son Emperor Michael III, and the holy Patriarch Methodius, who proclaimed the restoration of holy icons and the victory of truth over heresy. Their faithfulness ended persecution and confirmed the Orthodox faith for generations to come.

What made this Sunday even more special was the participation of our entire parish family. Our Sunday School children, our devoted Mothers’ Club, and so many parishioners were actively involved in this beautiful celebration. It was a true witness of unity — generations standing together in one faith, one heart, one Church.

Nearly twelve centuries after that historic proclamation, we stood together in Aliquippa proclaiming the same truth:

This is the faith of the Apostles.
This is the faith of the Fathers.
This is the faith of the Orthodox.
This faith has established the universe.

May the light of Orthodoxy continue to shine brightly in our parish, in our families, and in our hearts.

In Christ,
Fr. George