Becoming Orthodox
For those who feel drawn to the ancient faith.
What We Believe
Belief
Orthodox Christians hold the faith handed down from the Apostles, unchanged for two thousand years: one God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the Son of God become man in Jesus Christ for our salvation; His death and resurrection; and the life of the world to come. We confess this faith in the words of the Nicene Creed, as the whole Church has since the fourth century.
Go deeper with the parish reading shelf, starting with The Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.
How We Pray
Worship
The center of Orthodox life is worship, above all the Divine Liturgy, where heaven meets earth and the faithful receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Our services are offered in beauty, with icons, incense, and sung prayer, much as the early Church prayed. Nothing is rushed or performed; we simply stand before God together.
Begin your own rule of prayer, or explore more on the parish reading shelf.
How We Live
Life
To be Orthodox is to take up a whole way of life: daily prayer, the fasts and feasts of the Church year, repentance and confession, generosity, and life together as a community. None of it is done alone or all at once. Step by step, with the help of the Church, this life draws us toward union with God.
Keep the fasts with our fasting recipes, and begin a daily rule of prayer.
The Journey
The Path
Becoming Orthodox unfolds in stages, walked slowly, without a timeline, and never alone.
- 1 Where most people begin
Inquirer
You are exploring. Come to services, ask your questions, and read. There is no commitment and no timeline, just come and see. Most people spend a good while here.
- 2 When you're ready to pursue it
Catechumen
When you are ready to pursue Orthodoxy in earnest, the priest receives you as a catechumen (a learner preparing for entrance into the Church) with a short prayer. You continue attending, join catechism, and begin to live the Orthodox life.
- 3 In time
Reception into the Church
In time you are received into the Orthodox Church, through Baptism and Chrismation (anointing with holy oil) or, depending on your background, through Chrismation, as the priest and bishop discern together. This often takes place around Pascha (Orthodox Easter), the feast of feasts.
- 4 The beginning, not the end
A new life in Christ
Reception is not a finish line, it is the beginning. Now you share fully in the sacraments and in the life of prayer, fasting, and community that leads us toward God.
At St. Justin
How It Works Here
There is no fixed curriculum to finish and no clock ticking. The path takes shape as you walk it, one simple step at a time.
How long does it take?
Usually a year or more, but truly, as long as it takes. No one is rushed. The journey is meant to be lived, not hurried.
Start Where You Are
Begin to Live It
You do not have to wait to begin living the Orthodox life. Start where you are.
Learn the faith
An introduction to Orthodoxy: what we believe and why.
The Orthodox Church, by Met. Kallistos Ware →Start reading
Our start-here recommendations for the inquirer.
Reading Shelf →Begin a rule of prayer
A few Orthodox prayers to begin each day and night.
Orthodox Prayers →Keep the fasts
Simple, nourishing recipes for the fasting seasons.
Fasting Recipes →For the Inquirer
Common Questions
Do I have to be baptized again?
How long does it take?
I'm already Christian (Catholic or Protestant), does that matter?
Do I need a sponsor or godparent?
What's expected of me?
Can I receive Communion in the meantime?
What about my family?
Take the Next Step
The first step is simply to reach out. Dcn. Seth, our resident deacon, would be glad to walk this road with you.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.Matthew 7:7