On Saturday I went for the weekend to a small monastery near Tula, the one by the river. I sang with the brethren at the all-night vigil, and in the morning I helped peel potatoes in the kitchen before dinner. It’s very quiet there, I even forgot to take out my phone.

In Madagascar, a local Orthodox bishop has taken direct steps to shield children from harmful local superstitions that still linger in some villages. He has visited remote parishes to teach families how to replace old spirit rituals with simple prayers to the saints and regular church attendance. Similar concern appears in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, where Metropolitan Seraphim recently urged parents to watch school lessons closely so children are not drawn into ideas that contradict the faith. In the Romanian Orthodox Church, Bishop Macarie reminded believers to place their families under the protection of the Mother of God during the Dormition Fast. Meanwhile the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the feast of St Elijah with crowded services in Mirijevo, drawing whole families together in prayer. These quiet efforts show how bishops across distant dioceses keep guiding the youngest members away from danger and toward steady Christian practice. The work continues.

Clergy wives from the Orthodox Church in America gathered at Antiochian Village for a renewal retreat, sharing stories of parish life, prayer routines, and practical ways to support their husbands’ ministry while raising families. The event drew participants who spoke openly about balancing duties at home with quiet time for personal faith. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s St. Ivan Rilski parish in Chicago held its annual picnic in honor of the Mother of God, drawing families for food, music, and conversations under the trees. In Jacksonville, Florida, Bishop Andrei of the OCA led a Divine Liturgy and served a 40-day memorial for Preoteasa Teodora Stoleru at Saint Anne Parish, remembering her long service to the community. The Romanian Orthodox Church highlighted an abbot now serving in the United States who reminded listeners that monastic calling comes as God’s gift rather than something earned by effort alone. These moments across jurisdictions show steady attention to the everyday rhythms that keep parishes going. How does your own parish support the families of its clergy?

The bells in the belfry stand so calmly, as if time has stopped around them. The light falls on them evenly, and you immediately think how many years they have been silent in the heights.

In the Romanian Orthodox Church, monks have been sharing quiet reflections on the gift of monastic vocation, speaking of it as a calling that draws one away from distractions toward steady prayer and community life. At the same time, the Synod of the Metropolitanate of Moldavia and Bucovina announced several new monastic settlements, giving fresh structure and space for those answering that same pull. Bishop Benedict reminded the faithful to step back from the noise of daily life during the Dormition Fast, while Bishop Macarie encouraged families to place themselves under the protection of the Mother of God in these weeks. Elsewhere the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the feast of Saint Elijah with liturgy and procession in the Eparchy of Milesevo, and the Orthodox Church in America saw a new deacon ordained at Mchenery Parish, another step of service quietly taken. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia reported strong turnout and deep devotion during the Hawaiian icon’s visit to parishes in Bulgaria. How is the call to monastic life or deeper prayer showing up in your own parish this summer?

This morning at the parish I lit a candle for my childhood friend Marie-Claude who left ten years ago. We saw each other every Sunday after the liturgy, we drank coffee together and we talked about everything and nothing. True friendship is that, simple little moments that remain even when the person is no longer there.

In Mirijevo, the Serbian parish marked the feast of its temple dedicated to the Prophet Elijah with a solemn celebration that drew families from the neighborhood for the Divine Liturgy and a festive meal afterward. At the same time, the Romanian Orthodox Church prepared the local glorification of three new saints, Nazaria, Olimpiada and Elisabeta, at Văratec Monastery, while the Church of Greece held its annual festival for Agios Stefanos at the parish in Arnaia. In Nizhny Novgorod, the Russian Orthodox Church organized a large religious procession on the Prophet Elijah’s day, with icons carried through the streets under clear summer skies. These local observances show how each diocese keeps its patronal customs alive with simple, steady effort. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s parish of St. Ivan Rilski in Chicago also marked the season by hosting an Orthodox picnic for the Mother of God, bringing people together around shared food and conversation. How does your own parish usually keep the memory of its patron saint or a local feast?

Mount Athos has opened a new multipurpose medical center on the peninsula to serve both monks and local residents with expanded outpatient care, diagnostics, and emergency services. In parallel, the Romanian Orthodox Church heard Abbot Iustin from the United States remind a gathering that monastic vocation remains a divine gift rather than a personal project. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church saw Patriarch Daniil travel to Georgia to preside at the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, while the Orthodox Church in America witnessed Bishop Andrei celebrate the Divine Liturgy and a 40-day memorial for Preoteasa Teodora Stoleru at Saint Anne Parish in Jacksonville. These quiet steps of practical help, remembrance, and steady leadership continue across distant corners of the Church. A simple clinic on a holy mountain can quietly anchor a whole community for years.

The Serbian parish in Mirijevo marked the feast of St. Elijah with a full cycle of services at the temple dedicated to him, drawing families from across the suburbs for the traditional slava lunch afterward. At the same time the Romanian Orthodox Church observed the memory of the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus, while the Church of Greece held quiet commemorations for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Kastanitsa. In North America the Orthodox Church in America saw Archbishop Mark visit Holy Apostles Church on the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, where the local choir sang the hymns without any fuss. Meanwhile the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch continued its summer rhythm with paraclesis prayers at the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation. These local observances remind everyone how the calendar quietly stitches one parish to the next.

Mount Athos has opened a new multipurpose medical center on the peninsula to serve monks, pilgrims, and local residents. The facility includes outpatient care, basic diagnostics, and emergency support, filling a longstanding gap in healthcare access for one of Orthodoxy’s most remote communities. In related August observances, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine highlighted the Dormition Fast and the saints of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Church of Greece shared the Archbishop of America’s message marking the start of the fast of the fifteenth. The Romanian Orthodox Church featured reflections on the monastic vocation from Archimandrite Jeremiah Aries and encouraged the faithful to step away from daily noise during the Dormition period. Meanwhile the Bulgarian Orthodox Church noted Patriarch Daniil’s trip to Georgia for the funeral of Patriarch Ilia II. These coordinated efforts show how practical care and quiet spiritual focus continue side by side.

Mr. George showed me how to light the charcoal for the censer without it smoking up the whole altar area. He just tapped the side twice with the tongs and said “let it breathe, Sophia.” I tried it this morning before liturgy and it worked perfectly. Simple thing, but I’ll remember it every time now.

My grandkids are staying over this weekend and I keep wondering how to get them to pray with me in the morning without it feeling like a chore. When they were smaller I’d just light the candle in front of the icon and say the prayers out loud, and sometimes they’d join in. Now that they’re eight and ten it’s harder. Anyone found a way that actually works without forcing them?

Clergy wives from the Orthodox Church in America spent several days at Antiochian Village sharing stories of parish life, family challenges, and renewed spiritual focus. At the same time the Romanian Orthodox Church heard Bishop Macarie remind families to entrust themselves to the Mother of God during the Dormition Fast, while the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the feast of the temple of St. Elijah in Mirijevo with crowded services and traditional kolach. In Greece, Metropolitan Timothy of Thessali spoke plainly about every Christian sharing in God’s work of salvation. These gatherings and teachings show how ordinary church households and local parishes keep finding fresh strength in the same faith. This matters because steady encouragement at the local level holds families and communities together.

Romanian monks at several monasteries have been sharing quiet reflections on the calling to monastic life, describing it as a daily surrender that shapes everything from prayer rhythms to simple work in the garden. In the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel consecrated a new reliquary at Văratec for the relics of three saints, underlining how such places keep the monastic witness alive across generations. The Serbian Orthodox Church saw Bishop Sergije welcome the president at Rmnja monastery, a reminder that these communities remain steady points of hospitality even amid public visits. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church heard Patriarch Daniel call believers to deepen their faith and ask for grace, echoing the same themes of dependence on God that monks live out year after year. From the Orthodox Church in America, Bishop Andrei led a memorial service in Florida that quietly honored a life of service, showing how monastic values of prayer and remembrance reach into parish settings too. This matters because monastic vocation quietly anchors the whole Church in humility and trust.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s St. Ivan Rilski parish in Chicago is getting ready for a festive Transfiguration service this week, complete with an outdoor picnic planned right after to mark the feast of the Mother of God. In Romania, Bishop Macarie reminded the faithful to place their families under the protection of the Theotokos throughout the Dormition Fast, while Metropolitan John noted that real faith shows itself most clearly in moments of trial. From the Russian Church Outside Russia came word of the Hawaiian icon’s visit to Bulgaria, where crowds gathered in unusually moving scenes of prayer and veneration. Elsewhere, the Antiochian Archdiocese held a regular Sunday Mass at Saint George Cathedral in El Mina, and the Orthodox Church in America saw Archbishop Mark stop by Holy Apostles Church on the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. These ordinary parish rhythms keep moving forward. Even small preparations like these quietly anchor the calendar.

Our Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago just released its 2025 Annual Impact Report. It’s a quiet, steady reminder of how much good comes from faithful people showing up week after week, whether in parishes, outreach, or quiet service. Worth taking a few minutes to read when you have the chance.

An Orthodox bishop serving in Madagascar has taken direct steps to shield local children from harmful tribal superstitions that often lead to fear and exploitation. He works with village elders to replace spirit rituals with simple Christian prayers and teaching from the Gospels, giving families practical alternatives rooted in the faith. At the same time, the Romanian Orthodox Church invited children from Maramureș to a summer religion camp in Săcel where they learn the same basic truths through play, songs, and daily services. In the Serbian Orthodox Church, parishes in the Eparchy of Milesevo marked Ilindan with processions and talks that reminded everyone of the need to guard the young from old pagan habits. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church held a liturgy in Paris for St. Jordan’s Day that included special prayers for families facing modern spiritual dangers. May the Lord strengthen these local efforts to keep the little ones safe and close to Him.

Church in Westfield, New Jersey. I took the photo myself when I was there last year. It’s somewhat reminiscent of our Krasnodar one, especially when the sun hits the walls like that.

I stopped today thinking about the Lavra of the Holy Trinity in Sergiev Posad. The place looks quiet and peaceful, just like our church in Constanța in the early morning.

Serbian parish in Mirijevo marked the glory of St. Elijah’s temple with the traditional slava celebration, complete with the cutting of the kolach and a festive procession after Liturgy. At the same time, the Orthodox Church in America held a diaconal ordination at Mchenry Parish, adding a new deacon to serve the growing Midwest community. In Romania, Patriarch Daniel reminded clergy and laity that the Church weathers every historical storm only by clinging to Christ, while the Bulgarian Church’s St. Sophia parish in Chicago prepared a solemn service for the upcoming Transfiguration feast. Elsewhere, the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia reported moving scenes of devotion during the Hawaiian icon’s first weekend in Bulgaria, drawing large crowds for prayer and veneration. These local observances show how each diocese keeps its own rhythm of feasts and vocations.

Mount Athos is set to open a new multipurpose regional medical center that will serve the monastic community and surrounding areas on the peninsula. The project has been in planning for years and aims to provide modern care while respecting the ancient rhythms of monastic life. In related news, the Romanian Orthodox Church opened the World Congress of Syriac Studies in Bucharest, drawing over 400 scholars from 35 countries to explore early Christian texts and traditions. Meanwhile, the Serbian Orthodox Church saw Metropolitan Jovan consecrate a new parish house in Banja near Arandjelovac, giving local families a dedicated space for gatherings and education. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church heard Patriarch Daniel call on believers to deepen their faith and rely on God’s grace amid daily struggles. These quiet steps show how practical needs and spiritual focus continue side by side across different corners of the Orthodox world. May these communities and their work be held in prayer.

Clergy wives from the Orthodox Church in America gathered at Antiochian Village for a renewal retreat, sharing stories of quiet faithfulness amid parish demands and family life. The event focused on rest, prayer, and mutual support, with participants describing how small moments of silence help sustain their vocations. Meanwhile, Bishop Benedict of the Romanian Orthodox Church encouraged the faithful to step away from daily noise during the Dormition Fast, reminding them that true encounter with God happens in stillness. In Bulgaria, the local Orthodox Church prepared for St. Jordan's Day with liturgy and the Great Blessing of Water at the Paris parish, drawing both residents and visitors. The Serbian Orthodox Church highlighted how God reveals himself through silence, prayer, and humility in a recent reflection that resonated with many readers. These gatherings show how ordinary rhythms of church life continue across continents.

On Saturday, my husband and daughter went to a small monastery near Rostov. There were very few people there at the service, but afterward we sat in the sisters’ garden, they treated us to fresh bread with apple jam from their apples. My daughter then spent the whole evening asking when we would go again.