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March Schedule
Please see the March/April Calendar pages for the schedule of services from Saturday March 24 through Pascha Sunday April 15
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ADDRESS OF CHURCH
St. Joseph of Optina Russian Orthodox Church 810 Kempsville Rd., Suite #5 Virginia Beach, VA 23464-2723 757-390-2426 (Church) 757-339-8295 (Russian) 757-479-1714 (English)
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 Melissa and Angelina | Melissa and Angelina |
Some of our Little members
Some of our Little Members
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 Jay Brewer, Sasha Fedirkin and Eduard Mutilina | Jay Brewer, Sasha Fedirkin and Eduard Mutilina |
|  Natasha and Son, Eduard--Father looking on | Natasha and Son, Eduard--Father looking on |
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New Construction
Some hard working folks successfully added a lot of square footage to the Altar Area.
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 Fr. Jason Dechenne | Fr. Jason Dechenne |
FR. JASON DECHENNE
Fr. Jason Robert Dechenne is the new Assistant Pastor at St. Joseph of Optina Russian Orthodox Church
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 WR Clergy Group Photo | WR Clergy Group Photo |
|  Vicar Bishop for the WR Vl. Jerome | Vicar Bishop for the WR Vl. Jerome |
|  Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great in Latin by Bishop Jerome | Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great in Latin by Bishop Jerome |
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ORTHODOX WESTERN RITE CONFERENCE
Fr. Jason and I had the good experience of attending the historic Conference of Canonical Western Rite Parishes (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and Antiochian Archdiocese)--this is the first time both WR Vicariates were together.
The Western Rite of Orthodoxy is the Ancient Liturgical expressions of the Churches in the British Isles and Gaul in the first centuries of our Church. These Churches were suppressed by the Roman Catholic Papacy. One of the main expressions of the "take-over" of the British Churches was the Reformation resulting in the creation of the Church of England. These Western denominations have been separated from Holy Orthodoxy for a thousand years. In God's great providence the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, particularly under St. Tikhon of Moscow, restored the Western Rites (WR) and their corrected Liturgies and Religious Rites to Holy Orthodoxy.
We now have some 30+ WR clergy in Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. I was honored a year ago to be present at the Ordination to the Priesthood of a WR man by Vladyka Metropolitan Hilarion.
The WR Conference was one of the highlights of my priestly experience in that I was born into and was formerly a member of the non-Orthodox WR. Fr. Jason came out of such an experience as well and both of us are blessed by the Metropolitan to serve WR Liturgies.
Fr. Seraphim
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 Dom James Deschene, Abbot of Christminster Monastery | Dom James Deschene, Abbot of Christminster Monastery |
|  L-R Bp. Rocco of the Anglican Catholics, Dom James, Fr. Anthony Bondi, Pastorl Vicar of the WR, Vl. Jerome | L-R Bp. Rocco of the Anglican Catholics, Dom James, Fr. Anthony Bondi, Pastorl Vicar of the WR, Vl. Jerome |
|  Mealtime in the large Refectory | Mealtime in the large Refectory |
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WESTERN RITE PHOTOS
More Photos from the Western Rite Conference.
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 Working session with the Leadership | Working session with the Leadership |
|  Working session with clergy | Working session with clergy |
|  Anglican Catholic Priest, Canon Charles Nalls | Anglican Catholic Priest, Canon Charles Nalls |
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WESTERN RITE PHOTOS
Various meetings, Liturgies, and Prayer
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 Fr. Iraneaus | Fr. Iraneaus |
|  Fr. Nicholas Alford | Fr. Nicholas Alford |
|  A Lecture | A Lecture |
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WESTERN RITE PHOTOS
More photos of our prayer and work--Orthodox Saint Benedict adopted a motto for his early monks which was "Ora et Labora"= Pray and Work! That's what we did at the WR Conference
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 Fr. Anthony Bondi, Pastoral Vicar for the WR | Fr. Anthony Bondi, Pastoral Vicar for the WR |
|  Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow | Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow |
|  Gallican Liturgy of St. Germain of Gaul | Gallican Liturgy of St. Germain of Gaul |
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WESTERN RITE PHOTOS
Various gatherings
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 Mid-Day Office of Sext | Mid-Day Office of Sext |
|  Compline | Compline |
|  Recieving Holy Communion in the Gallican Rite | Recieving Holy Communion in the Gallican Rite |
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WESTERN RITE PHOTOS
More photos
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 Fr. Jason Chrismating Baby Rupert with Godfather George | Fr. Jason Chrismating Baby Rupert with Godfather George |
Baby Robert Dechenne
Today, on the Feast of the Holy Prophet and Martyr Zechariah, Father of St. John the Baptist, we had the great honor of welcoming our newest member in Holy Orthodoxy, Robert (St. Rupert of Austria) Dechenne. Rupert was Baptised in the hospital shortly after his premature birth. Today we completed his entry into the Church through Holy Chrismation at the hands of his Dad, Fr. Jason! God grant him many and happy years and may Christ Our God Save him!
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 Our Choir | Our Choir |
|  Choir | Choir |
|  Congregants | Congregants |
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Choir and Congregation
Our Choir, Mat. Zenobia, Vicki, Maria, Velma and Joe
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 Assistant Pastor, Fr. Jason | Assistant Pastor, Fr. Jason |
|  Fr. Jason at Vigil | Fr. Jason at Vigil |
|  Holy Confession | Holy Confession |
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Fr. Jason Dechenne
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Starostas
Our former and present Starostas
 Former Starostas Dr. Joe and Anya with present Starosta Natasha | Former Starostas Dr. Joe and Anya with present Starosta Natasha |
|  Assistant Starosta Vicki | Assistant Starosta Vicki |
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 Fr. Seraphim preparing to teach | Fr. Seraphim preparing to teach |
|  The teaching in English | The teaching in English |
|  Vicki giving the teaching in Russian | Vicki giving the teaching in Russian |
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Sunday Teachings
Fr. Seraphim gives the Sunday Teaching in English. Vicki provides the same teaching in Russian
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 Vicki translating into Russian | Vicki translating into Russian |
|  Listening to the Russian Translation | Listening to the Russian Translation |
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Our Pastors
AXIOS! AXIOS! AXIOS! Reverend Father Jason Dechenne, Assistant Pastor Very Rev. Archpriest Seraphim Stephens, Rector
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 Being Tonsured a Reader | Being Tonsured a Reader |
|  Being Ordained Subdeacon | Being Ordained Subdeacon |
|  Beginning Diaconal ordination | Beginning Diaconal ordination |
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Fr. Jason's Diaconal Ordination
Fr. Jason's Ordination to the Diaconate at St. Vladimir Memorial Cathedral July 30-31, 2011 Photos are from the Eastern American Diocese
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 Diaconal Ordination by Vladika George | Diaconal Ordination by Vladika George |
|  Ordination as Fr. Deacon Jason | Ordination as Fr. Deacon Jason |
|  Being presented the Ripidia | Being presented the Ripidia |
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Fr. Jason being Ordained Deacon
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 Waving Ripidia over the Gifts | Waving Ripidia over the Gifts |
|  With ProtoDeacon Dmitri Temidis | With ProtoDeacon Dmitri Temidis |
|  With Vladika Metropolitan Hilarion | With Vladika Metropolitan Hilarion |
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Fr. Deacon Jason's Ordination
Axios! Axios! Axios!
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 Baptism of Claire Dechenne | Baptism of Claire Dechenne |
|  Baptism of Leah Morris | Baptism of Leah Morris |
|  Baptism of Catherine Dechenne | Baptism of Catherine Dechenne |
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BAPTISM AND cHRISMATION
On Holy Saturday Catherine and Claire Dechenne and Leah Morris were Baptized and Chrismated into the Holy Orthodox Faith. Blessings to our newly Illumined sisters-in-Christ. Matushka Zenobia was the sponsor/Godmother for Catherine and Leah. Natasha Mutilina and Olga Buckla were the Godmothers for Claire
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 Chrismation of Claire | Chrismation of Claire |
|  Chrismation of Catherine | Chrismation of Catherine |
|  Chrismation of Leah | Chrismation of Leah |
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CHRISMATIONS
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MYSTERY OF HOLY UNCTION
The Mystery of Holy Unction was served on Holy and Great Wednesday evening. Over a quarter of the Parish membership was present--a great turnout for a weekday Service. Father had to sit for the anointings.
 Basil | Basil |
|  Big Sasha F. | Big Sasha F. |
|  Sonja | Sonja |
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 FATHER WITH L-R GENNA, JASON, JORDAN, MELISSA, SASHA, SOPHIA | FATHER WITH L-R GENNA, JASON, JORDAN, MELISSA, SASHA, SOPHIA |
|  CONGRGATION | CONGRGATION |
|  PALMS AND ICON | PALMS AND ICON |
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PALM SUNDAY
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GREAT AND HOLY WEEK
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 St. Joseph of Optina | St. Joseph of Optina |
|  Holy Elder Joseph with Chotki | Holy Elder Joseph with Chotki |
|  St. Joseph near his repose in 1911 | St. Joseph near his repose in 1911 |
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Home Page
St Joseph of Optina Russian Orthodox Church is a mission of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. His Eminence, Archbishop Hilarion is our Metropolitan and First Hierarch. We are in the Southern Deanery of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York. Our Assistant Dean is Very Reverend Archpriest Alexis Duncan who is responsible for the "English" Missions in the South. The Church Outside of Russia is united with the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate as an Independent Metropolitanate. Our Great Lord and Father His Holiness Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia is our Patriarch.
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New Church Location
It is with great joy that we announce the new church location: St. Joseph of Optina Russian Orthodox Church Abroad 810 Kempsville Road, Suite #5 Virginia Beach, VA 23464-2723 Divine Service Schedule: Saturday 5pm Vigil and Confession Sunday 9:30am Hours, Confession, Divine Liturgy followed by fellowship Phone: 757-479-1714 (English) or 757-339-8295 (Russian/English) or 757-390-2426 (Church)
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Calendar is functional.
The Calendar is now functional--please refer to it for specific divine Services and dates of important Parish events.
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