"God is Love, those who abide in Love abide in God." - St Ephraim
We are Orthodox… but not Jewish. We are Evangelical… but not Protestant. We are Catholic… but not Roman. We are -THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. Est.33 AD
Welcome to the website of St. Ephraim Orthodox Church. We are a newly established community of Orthodox Christian faithful located at the crossroads of IH-10 and Loop 410 in north-central San Antonio, TX. Our parish has been described a very friendly, warm and welcoming. We are a diverse people representing many cultures but united by a deep desire to live our Orthodox faith to the fullest. Our parish is active with weekly feast-day liturgies, a monthly Saturday Church School, a young adults group, a Women's organization, a chanter & choir ministry, altar boys and a parish council ministry. We invite you to come and worship with us. A fellowship coffee hour follows every Sunday Divine Liturgy in the Parish House and a pot-luck luncheon is held on the first Sunday of each month, everyone is invited.
REGULARLY SCHEDULED SERVICES
Saturday -Great Vespers 6:00pm followed by Confessions Sunday -Matins (Orthros) 9:15am Sunday -Divine Liturgy 10:30am (Eucharistic)
We are pleased to announce our first original icon acquisition for the beautification of our humble temple. This icon is often know by its Greek name of “Platytera Ton Ouranon”; More Spacious than the Heavens, or simply, Πλατυτέρα. It is found in most Orthodox churches in a prominent position — high in the front apse over the Altar table. Our present version measures five feet in diameter and was written by a Khouriee of our Archdiocese; Heather Sommer, see her biography and a larger photo of the Icon HERE.
Subscribe Here to Receive our Monthly e-Newsletter
INTRODUCTION to HOLY ORTHODOXY
CLASS BEGINS NOVEMBER 15th
This Inquirer class forms part of the requirements for entrance (chrismation) into the Orthodox Church. The text “The Orthodox Church” By Metropolitan Kallistos Ware is the best single-volume introduction to Orthodox Christianity available. Classes will be held in the parish house after the worship service as listed on the Calendar.
Plans are moving forward toward the establishment of an Orthodox-sponsored maternity home — the first in the Midwest — in the Chicago area.
“Orthodox Christians for Life-Chicago, a pan-Orthodox organization established in 2001, has long dreamed of putting its faith into action by establishing an Orthodox-sponsored outreach to women in crisis pregnancies in the Midwest,” according to Helen O’Sullivan, an OCLife-Chicago spokesperson. “Establishing this outreach has increasingly become the focus of the organization and, as a result, a committee was formed to explore the possibilities and to see this project come to life.
“At present, there are only a handful of such homes across the country, and while in the Chicago metropolitan area there are a variety of crisis pregnancy centers, there is only one maternity home, under the auspices of an order of Roman Catholic nuns,” Helen said. “Members of Chicago’s pro-life community have indicated that there is a dire need for a second maternity home — one where a cross-section of women would be comfortable to seek support. OCLife-Chicago’s goal is to establish that second maternity home to provide women in crisis pregnancies with housing and other practical, emotional, and spiritual support, with a focus on Christ-centered healing.”
OCLife-Chicago has been “doing its homework” in researching its efforts.
“One of our members visited Chicago’s only maternity home, as well as the only Orthodox Christian maternity home in the US—California’s Martha and Mary House,” Helen added. “The latter will serve as a model for our efforts.” [Visit the Martha and Mary House web site for additional information.]
His Grace, Bishop Matthias of Chicago and the Midwest, has offered his enthusiastic support for the effort, while OCLife-Chicago has been working closely with His Grace, Bishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago.
“OCLIfe-Chicago will undertake the process of establishing the home, writing its bylaws and regulations, acquiring 501c3 non-profit status, and overseeing day-to-day operations and ongoing fundraising,” Helen concluded. “We anticipate a positive response from parishes across the Chicagoland area — and beyond — to our initial fundraising effort, which will begin on March 11, 2012.”
“My Friends in The Faith” has been selected as the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America’s Junior Department theme for 2012 and will be used to link junior events and initiatives for the upcoming year.
To start the ball rolling, the Junior FOCA is holding a logo design contest for our 2012 theme. The winning logo will be used throughout the year to create instant visual identification of our organization and our initiatives. All Orthodox Christian youth under 18 years of age, who are communicants of a parish or mission of a canonical Orthodox Church in North America, are invited to submit original logo designs for consideration. A well-designed logo creates an identity, conveys values, improves image and motivates action. The winning logo design will appear on the Junior Page of the FOCA web site, as well as Junior Department correspondence and promotional materials.
Entries, which must be the original work of each entrant, may not exceed 8.5 x 11 inches. They must be able to scale to any size without compromising quality. No part of the designs may be protected by copyright laws. They will be judged on their effectiveness in conveying the theme with clarity, uniqueness, memorability, and attractiveness.
Entries must be submitted to Laura Johnson, 10-05 Berdan Ave., Fair Lawn, NJ 07410, or sent by e-mail to ljfaj@optonline.net no later than February 29, 2012. Each entrant is asked to include his or her name, age, address, phone number, e-mail address, and parish information.
Established in 1927 as the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs to unite Orthodox Christians in faith, fellowship and service, the FOCA petitioned the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America to be officially recognized by the OCA. At its 1998 national convention, the organization adopted its present name. It maintains chapters in dozens of parishes across the country.
For additional information on the FOCA and its activities and ministries, please visit www.orthodoxfellowship.org.
