This morning, I and three women from the choir were polishing the candle holders and cleaning the floor in the church before the Veneration of the Cross. I brought my cloths, while Lyuba fetched fresh branches from our plot, which we placed by the icon. In the evening, I will bake a cabbage pie to treat everyone after the service.

Greek primary school students have produced an English-language children's book inspired by the life of St. Nikiforos the Leper. The project, carried out in a Church of Greece parish school, introduces young readers to the saint's quiet endurance and faith through simple stories and drawings made by the children themselves. In Colombia, a new Education Minister known for strong pro-life and pro-family positions has taken office, drawing cautious interest from local Orthodox communities. Meanwhile the Romanian Orthodox Church consecrated the new seat of the Roman Archdiocese, with the local archbishop reminding everyone that the building stands because ordinary believers gave time and resources to its construction. The Serbian Patriarch Porfiry marked the 90th anniversary of the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Ljubljana with a solemn visit and Liturgy. These scattered efforts show how the same faith quietly takes root in classrooms, government offices, and freshly built churches. The small book from Greece now sits on a few shelves, waiting for the next child to open it.

Yesterday after the service, I went to the church courtyard, where everything was already in bloom. I weeded the mint and coriander beds, and my hands smelled of herbs all the way home. It's pleasant to see how everything is growing, and you know that by Trinity Sunday there will be something beautiful to decorate with.

A new textbook exploring 17th-century Orthodoxy in Ukraine has just been released, offering fresh scholarly insight into that turbulent period of church life and identity. At the same time the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reported that Serbian Patriarch Porfiry sent condolences to Metropolitan Onuphrius after the murder of a monk at Sviatohirska Lavra. In Bulgaria Patriarch Daniil led a solemn procession through Sofia carrying a relic of the Holy Cross to mark 1700 years since its finding, while the Sofia Metropolis issued a statement on the case of Archimandrite Nikanor. The Romanian Orthodox Church saw its American episcopate hold working sessions at its 94th Congress in Florida, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate opened registration for next year’s MBC Fall Camp. These separate developments show how local churches continue their ordinary pastoral and educational work. The textbook arrives amid all this activity.

The Bulgarian parish in Vienna has released its full September service schedule, giving local faithful a clear rhythm of weekday liturgies, feast-day vigils, and Sunday celebrations at St. John the Baptist church. At the same time the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marked the 1700th anniversary of the Finding of the True Cross with a solemn litia through Sofia led by Patriarch Daniil, while another Bulgarian community in Luxembourg served its first Holy Liturgy in a newly built temple. The Serbian Orthodox Church saw Patriarch Porfirije travel to Ljubljana to join the 90th-anniversary festivities at Saints Cyril and Methodius parish. In the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric, faithful gathered for the Beheading of St. John the Baptist with services that echoed those held in Priboj under the Serbian Church on the same feast. The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America wrapped up its 94th Congress in Florida with practical working sessions focused on parish life and education. May the parishes in Vienna, Sofia, Ljubljana, and Florida be granted steady growth and peaceful worship in the coming months.

Metropolitan Saba ordained a new priest and deacon at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago this week, bringing fresh clergy into the Antiochian Archdiocese in Illinois. Across the ocean, the Romanian Orthodox Church signed on as a key partner with the EU to fund over 200 million euros in centers for vulnerable children. In Slovenia the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije paid a formal visit to Ljubljana for the 90th anniversary of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Church. Meanwhile the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia held a straightforward parish clean-up day at one of its local communities. These ordinary acts of ordination, partnership, visitation, and simple maintenance keep the daily life of the churches moving forward.

The Bulgarian Orthodox parish in Vienna has released its full September service schedule, outlining liturgies and feast-day observances for local faithful. In related Bulgarian news, Patriarch Daniil led a solemn procession through Sofia carrying a relic of the Holy Cross to mark 1700 years since its finding. Meanwhile the Serbian Orthodox Church welcomed Patriarch Porfirije to Ljubljana for the 90th anniversary of the Saints Cyril and Methodius parish there. The Orthodox Church in America marked the anniversary of 9/11 with Metropolitan Tikhon serving a panikhida for the victims in New York. Separately the Romanian Orthodox Church brought young families together in Copenhagen for a diocesan gathering focused on keeping Christ at the center of daily life. These coordinated calendars and quiet gatherings show how parishes keep the rhythm of the church year alive across cities and borders.

The day after the work, I rested in the church and helped for the cleansing before the Dormition. Izbersakhme vsichki police, change the curve to the oltara and subredichme freshly blooming from the hail on Baba Maria. It’s still calm in the morning, but today the cracks hurt, but they deserve it.

Stone church with intricate models and columns supporting everything. I just took a photo, it's impressive how well-ordered everything looks from above.

Metropolitan Saba ordained a new priest and deacon last weekend at the Holy Ascension Cathedral in Chicago, bringing fresh clergy to the Antiochian Archdiocese in Illinois. The modest ceremony drew local families who lingered afterward for coffee and conversation in the church hall. At the same time the Serbian Orthodox Church gathered for the central commemoration of the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac, while the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil reminded believers that the Holy Cross remains the tree of life. In Greece, Metropolitan Timotheus of Thessaly received a warm welcome at Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos. The Romanian Orthodox Church marked another milestone when Bishop Siluan consecrated a new parish church for the Romanian community in Monza, Italy. Small steps like these ordinations and consecrations keep parishes steady.

The Romanian Orthodox Church delegation is set to join youth camp activities planned for 2026, an initiative that brings together young people for prayer, workshops, and fellowship across borders. At the same time, the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the feast of the Beheading of St John the Baptist with solemn services in Priboj, while Patriarch Porfirije traveled to Ljubljana to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Church there. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church observed the Leave-taking of the Nativity of the Theotokos on September 12 with special hymns and gatherings, including the published schedule from its Vienna parish of St Ivan Rilski. In Greece, Metropolitan Maximos of the Church of Greece blessed new school facilities in Ioannina through consecrations that involved local teachers and students. These quiet moments of remembrance and forward-looking gatherings show how feasts and practical plans keep weaving the life of the parishes together.

The new textbook on 17th-century Orthodoxy in Ukraine has just been released, offering fresh research into the life of parishes, monasteries, and theological debates from that turbulent period. At the same time, the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the 90th anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Ljubljana with a visit from Patriarch Porfirije, while the Romanian Orthodox Church joined state officials to launch EU-funded centers for vulnerable children, emphasizing practical charity. In Bulgaria, Patriarch Daniil led a large liturgical procession through Sofia carrying a relic of the Holy Cross to commemorate 1700 years since its finding. These quiet scholarly and pastoral efforts keep older traditions visible across very different contexts. How has a recent book or local study shaped life in your own parish lately?

Greek primary students have put together an English-language book inspired by the life of St. Nikiforos the Leper. The project, supported by the Church of Greece, helped the children practice language skills while learning about patience, faith and care for the sick. In the same spirit of education, Patriarch Daniel of Romania welcomed the Greek Minister of Finance and later spoke with a European Commission Vice-President about closer ties on schooling and social inclusion. Meanwhile the Serbian Patriarch Porphyry traveled to Ljubljana to mark the 90th anniversary of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, reminding everyone of the saints’ role in spreading literacy and Orthodox teaching across cultures. In Boston the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Metropolis opened its Greek Dance Ministry for the new year, blending tradition with active parish life for young people. These fresh efforts show how Orthodox communities keep finding simple ways to pass on the faith through learning and shared memory. What similar youth or school projects are taking place in your own parish this autumn?

Evo jedne lepe bele crkve na zelenoj livadi. Prosto i mirno mesto.

The feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist drew crowds to the monastery in Priboj, where the Serbian Orthodox Church held its central celebration of the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac. Services blended strict fasting with quiet prayers for courage in daily trials. At the same time the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric marked the same day with traditional processions and readings from the Gospels that still feel raw after centuries. In Varna the Bulgarian Orthodox Church opened veneration of a copy of a miraculous icon brought from Mount Athos, while the Church of Greece began the new school year with simple blessings and modest gifts for teachers and children in L. Edipsos. The Romanian Orthodox Church, for its part, hosted talks at Sihăstria Putnei on the Christian family that mixed theology with practical advice from lawyers and parents. Different corners of the Orthodox world, same calendar, same quiet push to live what the feasts ask.

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist was solemnly marked in Priboj with the Serbian Orthodox Church holding a festal liturgy and procession that drew large crowds from the surrounding region. At the same time the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric observed the same feast with traditional services focused on repentance and the saint’s courage. In Transcarpathia the Ukrainian Orthodox Church consecrated a new church at Horodyliv monastery, adding a fresh spiritual home for local believers. Meanwhile the Bulgarian Orthodox Church prepared a solemn litia for the 1700th anniversary of the Finding of the True Cross and brought a copy of a miraculous Athonite icon to Varna for public veneration. These quiet yet steady acts of worship continue across different corners of the Orthodox world. May the communities in Priboj, Ohrid, Transcarpathia, and Varna be remembered in prayer.

A new textbook exploring 17th-century Orthodoxy in Ukraine has been released, offering fresh scholarship on the era’s church life, theological debates, and cultural shifts. The volume draws on archival sources from that turbulent period when Ukrainian lands saw both Cossack influence and tensions with neighboring powers. Meanwhile the Russian Orthodox Church’s Perm diocese held a meeting of assistant deans focused on education and catechesis, reviewing practical ways to strengthen teaching in parishes. The Romanian Orthodox Church saw Patriarch Daniel meet with a European Commission vice-president to discuss expanded cooperation on education and social inclusion projects. In Vienna the Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s St. Ivan Rilski municipality published its full September service schedule, keeping its growing diaspora community anchored in regular worship. These coordinated efforts across distant dioceses show how serious attention to history, schooling, and steady parish rhythm still shapes Orthodox identity today. The textbook’s arrival reminds everyone that careful study of the past directly serves the present work of formation and unity.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church Municipality of St. Ivan Rilski in Vienna has released its full September service schedule, giving parishioners clear times for weekday liturgies, vespers, and feast-day celebrations at the parish church. Meanwhile, the Serbian Orthodox Church saw Patriarch Porfirije welcomed with solemnity in Ljubljana for the 90th anniversary of the Saints Cyril and Methodius parish there. In Romania, the Greek Minister of Finance met with Patriarch Daniel, underlining the long-standing bonds between the two nations and their Churches. The Bulgarian Patriarchate also confirmed that Patriarch Daniel will make an official visit to Jerusalem at the invitation of Patriarch Theophilos. These ordinary rhythms of parish life and quiet fraternal visits keep the local communities anchored. May these Churches and their faithful be remembered in prayer.

Metropolitan Saba ordained a new priest and deacon at Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Illinois last weekend, expanding the clergy ranks of the Antiochian Archdiocese in the Midwest. In Britain, Romanian Orthodox hierarchs issued a firm statement opposing assisted suicide and calling for better care of the vulnerable. The Serbian Patriarch traveled to Ljubljana to mark the 90th anniversary of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Church with local believers. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church prepared a copy of a miraculous icon from Mount Athos for public veneration in Varna. These four dioceses, spread across different continents, quietly continued their ordinary work of serving parishes, teaching the faith, and honoring the saints. The ordinations especially stood out as a simple reminder that the Church keeps growing one person at a time. A quiet sign that the life of the parishes moves forward regardless of the calendar.

Greek primary students in a Chania school have produced an English-language children's book inspired by the life of St. Nikiforos the Leper. The project blends local faith tradition with language learning and was warmly received by both pupils and parents. In parallel, the Kremenets Epiphany Convent of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church launched a new monastery website to share its daily rhythm and history. The Serbian Patriarch Porphyry traveled to Ljubljana to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the completion of the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, joining local clergy and faithful for the celebration. Meanwhile, the Romanian Orthodox Church presented a detailed study of the iconography depicting the life of St. Pahomie at the Bose Orthodox Spirituality Conference. Each initiative quietly links education, heritage, and community across very different settings.

A wooden chapel by the lake at dawn. The light is so soft that it seems as if the silence itself is breathing.

Yesterday I helped with the cleaning before St. Dumitru. I washed the windows of the iconostasis with water and vinegar, and Maria gave me a more stable ladder because otherwise I would lose my balance. In the evening I also put some fresh flowers at the icon of the patron saint, their smell was still felt after I went home.

A Romanian Orthodox Church delegation is set to join youth camp programs scheduled for 2026, building on recent talks between Patriarch Daniel and the European Commission vice-president about closer ties in education and social inclusion. In Britain, Romanian hierarchs have spoken clearly against assisted suicide, stressing the duty to offer care instead. The Serbian Orthodox Church marked the 90th anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Ljubljana with Patriarch Porfirije’s formal visit and central services for the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church highlighted the Holy Cross as the tree of life in Patriarch Daniil’s words and observed the Devotion of the Nativity of the Virgin on September 12. The Church of Greece saw its Metropolitan of Thebes and Levadea take part in the consecration of new school buildings, while the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch held a special event honoring retired teachers and staff in special education across the Bekaa region. These gatherings quietly show how different Orthodox communities keep linking younger generations with steady teaching and practical care.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church Municipality of St. Ivan Rilski in Vienna has released its full September service schedule, giving local faithful a clear calendar of liturgies and feast-day observances through the month. At the same time the Kremenets Epiphany Convent of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church launched a new website to share its monastic life and prayer times with a wider audience. In Greece, Metropolitan Timotheus of Thessali visited students at the start of the new school year, offering encouragement as classes resumed. The Serbian Orthodox Church marked the 90th anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Ljubljana with a patriarchal visit from Patriarch Porfirije. These quiet steps of planning, building, and meeting people where they are keep parish and monastic rhythms steady. May the communities in Vienna, Kremenets, Thessali, and Ljubljana be granted peaceful worship and steady growth in the months ahead.

The church with the white walls and red mosaic appears serene among the trees. I took the photo yesterday afternoon.

Greek primary students have put together an English-language book inspired by the life of St. Nikiforos the Leper. The project grew out of classroom lessons on saints and turned into a simple illustrated reader now shared with other schools. Meanwhile, the Church of Greece hosted Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria in Mani, marking a historic visit that drew large crowds to local monasteries. In Romania, Patriarch Daniel met with a European Commission Vice-President to talk about closer work on education and helping families in need. Over in Serbia, Patriarch Porfirije traveled to Ljubljana to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church with a solemn welcome and liturgy. These quiet efforts in classrooms, pilgrimages, and parish gatherings show how different corners of the Church keep passing on the faith in ordinary ways. May these communities be held in prayer.

Metropolitan Saba of the Antiochian Archdiocese ordained a new priest and deacon at St. George Orthodox Church in Cicero, Illinois this week. The liturgy drew families from several Midwest parishes who came to support the newly ordained clergy and their wives. In related news, the Serbian Patriarch Porphyry traveled to Ljubljana to mark the 90th anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, joining local believers for the festal services. The Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil spoke at a gathering about the Holy Cross as the tree of life, reminding the faithful of its daily importance. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church in America hosted its annual pilgrimage at the Hermitage of the Annunciation, where monks led quiet prayers and talks for visitors from across the country. Simple acts like these ordinations, anniversaries, and pilgrimages keep parishes steady. May the Lord strengthen all these communities in their daily service.