I have read recently from Father Cleopa's book "The Narrow Way," which I sometimes take with me when we go fishing. A simple thought remained in my mind: prayer should not be long, but from the heart, even if you say only "Lord, have mercy on me" all day. This morning, while picking roses from the garden, I tried to do so and it seemed to calm me more than usual.

I made some sauerkraut stuffed cabbage at home for the Sunday meal after the Holy Liturgy. I used less meat than last time, as it seemed too heavy to me lately. I hope they will be good for everyone. I will also make a bowl of borscht this morning.

A Polish bishop marked the feast of his heavenly patron with a solemn Divine Liturgy that drew clergy and faithful from several neighboring dioceses. At the same time the Orthodox Church in America highlighted the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in parishes across Eastern Pennsylvania, with processions and veneration of the Cross at every stop. The Romanian Orthodox Church received a fragment of the True Cross brought by a Greek metropolitan, an event that filled churches in several deaneries with pilgrims seeking healing and strength. In London the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia observed the altar feast of its cathedral, during which a reader was tonsured and several men elevated to the diaconate and priesthood. These four local Churches, each in its own setting, showed how the memory of the saints and the honor given to the Cross remain living sources of unity and encouragement for ordinary believers. May the Lord grant all of them steadfast faith and quiet joy in His service.

The Lebanese Greek Orthodox Association held a lunch this past Saturday to help finish construction on the International Orthodox College project at Saint George in Deir el-Ghazal. The event brought together families and supporters who have followed the school’s slow build over several years, turning a shared meal into practical help for classrooms and dorms that will soon open. In Romania, the church at Baișești Monastery was finally consecrated after seven years of careful restoration work. Local clergy and villagers filled the freshly painted space for the first liturgy there in a long time. From the Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Zacharaki voiced strong support for the new Archbishop of Canada and pointed to the continuing need for Greek-language programs in parish schools. Meanwhile the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrated the patronal feast of the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Mostar with the usual crowded vigil and procession through the old streets. These quiet, steady efforts keep showing up in different corners.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church received the Belt of the Theotokos at the Iskretski Monastery, where the community marked the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God with solemn services and veneration of the relic. In the same period the Romanian Orthodox Church saw Bishop Veniamin consecrate a new social center in his diocese, reminding the faithful of their call to multiply God’s gifts through practical charity. The Orthodox Church in America celebrated the 30th anniversary of a parish in Middle Village, New York, with Bishop Andrei of Cleveland joining local clergy and people for the Liturgy. Meanwhile the Church of Greece observed the festival of Saint Efstathios in Kontochori on Santorini with traditional hymns and a large gathering of island residents. These events show how feasts of the Theotokos and local saints continue to draw Orthodox communities together in prayer, service, and simple shared joy across different parts of the world. This matters because such moments quietly strengthen the bonds that keep daily church life alive.

The Orthodox Church in America’s Bishop Andrei represented the Romanian episcopate at the enthronement of the new Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of Canada last weekend. The quiet gesture underscored practical cooperation across jurisdictions that share the same North American territory. Meanwhile, in Romania, theologian Andrew Louth was awarded the Moldavian Cross for his long work in patristic studies. In Greece the Church of Greece held an all-night vigil for Saint Tychon of the Holy Mountain at Giannitsa, drawing steady crowds of local faithful. And the Serbian Orthodox Church heard Metropolitan Athanasios call for a fresh rekindling of love for the Heavenly Father in daily life. These ordinary moments of honor, vigilance, and teaching keep the parishes grounded. May the Lord grant steady growth to the communities in America, Romania, Greece, and Serbia.

On the cemetery, one can see an old gravestone with a damaged inscription. One immediately realizes how quickly the letters fade away.

A Romanian Orthodox foundation has rolled out fresh education projects aimed at children, including the lively “Treasure Hunt in the Lives of the Saints” day held at Tomești-Colonie. The event drew young people from the Făget deanery for catechesis, games, and shared fellowship centered on the holy examples of the Church. Elsewhere, the Ecumenical Patriarchate marked 180 years of continuous parish life at its Detroit Episcopal church with quiet gratitude for steady witness. In the Serbian Orthodox Church, the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos was celebrated at Seljani with the usual hymns and local gathering. The Orthodox Church in America saw Bishop Andrei of Cleveland join the faithful in Middle Village, New York, to honor a parish’s thirtieth anniversary. These moments of teaching the young, remembering the saints, and marking parish milestones keep the daily rhythm of Orthodox life moving forward. May these communities be held in prayer.

The Polish bishop of the Orthodox Church of Poland marked his name day with a solemn Divine Liturgy in honor of his heavenly patron. At the same time the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrated the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos at the church in Mostar with local faithful filling the temple for the slava. In Romania the students of the Orthodox youth association from Craiova gathered in Bucharest for their national meeting focused on faith and fellowship. The Ecumenical Patriarchate released the saints and readings for the coming year while its new Archbishop of Canada, Apostolos, was enthroned in a service attended by Greek and Canadian officials. These local observances show how each diocese keeps its calendar and saints close to daily life. May the intercession of the Theotokos strengthen the Polish, Serbian, Romanian, and Canadian flocks in the year ahead.

A Romanian foundation has launched several new education projects aimed at children, focusing on both academic support and formation in the faith. In parallel, the Romanian Orthodox Church honored theologian Andrew Louth with the Moldavian Cross for his decades of work in patristic studies. The Antiochian Greek Orthodox Patriarchate saw the Lebanese Greek Orthodox Association host a lunch to fund the final phase of the International Orthodox College project at Saint George – Deir el-Ghazal. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church in America’s northernmost parish in Alaska received its first archiepiscopal visit in nearly fifty years, during which local families spoke about the practical challenges of keeping children connected to church life in remote areas. These scattered efforts share a common thread of quiet investment in the next generation. A small classroom renovation here, a scholarship fund there, a bishop’s visit that includes the youth group—each one adds another brick to something that lasts longer than any single feast or headline.

The enthronement of Archbishop Apostolos as the new head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada drew representatives from several sister Churches. Bishop Andrei of Cleveland, representing the Romanian Episcopate of the Orthodox Church in America, stood among the guests at the ceremony in Montreal. The event carried a clear message of unity for the growing Orthodox presence in the country. At the same time, parishes in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marked the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross with an archierarchical Liturgy at the Razboishte Monastery near Sofia. In Greece, Bishop Jintzas paid a pastoral visit to the Diocese of Larissa, strengthening ties between neighboring sees. And the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrated the Nativity of the Theotokos quietly in villages such as Seljani with traditional services and local gatherings. May the parishes of Canada, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia be granted steady growth in faith and concord.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church welcomed a major relic this week as the Belt of the Theotokos arrived in a metropolis amid crowded services and quiet veneration. Local clergy carried the girdle through the nave while families pressed forward for a blessing, many bringing children born after long waits. In the same period the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the Nativity of the Theotokos at the church in Mostar with traditional slava tables that fed both parishioners and neighbors. The Romanian Orthodox Church kept the feast alive through a bicycle pilgrimage to Brâncoveni Monastery, where young people camped overnight and read saints’ lives by lantern light before Liturgy. Meanwhile the Orthodox Church in America gathered in Merrillville, Indiana, for the 118th parish anniversary, with Archbishop Nathaniel ordaining readers and reminding the crowd that steady parish life still forms the backbone of the faith. Each diocese showed the same feast in its own everyday shape.

The church of light stone with arches and crosses on the domes looks peaceful in the sun. Nice picture, thank you for sharing it.

Na kamenu je izvajana životinja što spava, liči na zmaja. Na postolju je urezan natpis, lepo se vidi.

The Serbian Orthodox Church heard Metropolitan Amfilohije call believers to rekindle their love for the Heavenly Father through simple daily prayer and repentance. In the same week the Romanian Orthodox Church published an explanation from PS Paisie Sinait that Christ asks us to love God and neighbor rather than suffering itself. The Bulgarian Orthodox community in Strasbourg gathered to honor Saints Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love with hymns and a modest meal afterward. From the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia came news of a tonsure and elevations during the altar feast at the London Cathedral on the Nativity of the Theotokos. These reports show how different local Churches mark the same feasts with concrete acts of devotion. A quiet reminder that love for the Father grows best when it stays close to the ground.

The Lebanese Greek Orthodox Association under the Patriarchate of Antioch hosted a lunch on September 19 to help finish construction of the International Orthodox College at Saint George – Deir el-Ghazal. The gathering brought together families and supporters who have followed the project for years, raising funds for classrooms and a small chapel that will serve local students. Meanwhile the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Episcopia Slatinei și Romanaților supplied school supplies to more than 1,700 children ahead of the new term, a practical gesture many parishes repeat each fall. In the Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Nathaniel joined the faithful in Merrillville, Indiana, for the parish’s 118th anniversary, with services that included longtime members recalling earlier days in the same building. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia marked the altar feast at its London cathedral with a monastic tonsure and several elevations to clerical rank. How has your own parish marked the start of the school year or supported a building project lately?

Serbian Metropolitan Amfilohije has urged the faithful to renew their simple, everyday love for the Heavenly Father, reminding them that this bond should shape every ordinary decision. In Bulgaria the Church marked the 80th anniversary of Saint Sophia parish in Des Plaines with quiet services and shared meals. The Romanian Church organized a bicycle pilgrimage to Brâncoveni monastery, drawing families who pedaled together through the countryside before praying at the relics. From the Macedonian Orthodox Church came evening vespers for the Nativity of the Theotokos in several parishes, where candles stayed lit late into the night. Meanwhile the Orthodox Church in America saw Bishop Andrei join longtime parishioners in Middle Village to celebrate thirty steady years of liturgy and coffee hours. Each of these moments quietly echoes the same call.

The Lebanese Greek Orthodox Association held a lunch on September 19 to help finish construction of the International Orthodox College at Saint George-Deir el-Ghazal. Funds raised will complete the project that has been years in the making. At the same time the Orthodox Church in America enthroned Apostolos as Archbishop of Canada in a service attended by Greek and Canadian officials. In Romania a fragment of the Holy Cross brought by a Greek metropolitan was placed for veneration in Focșani, while the Bulgarian Church invited families in Chicago to enroll their children in Sunday School at St. Ivan Rilski parish. These practical steps across different jurisdictions show how local communities keep education, worship, and charity moving forward one gathering at a time. This matters because steady local effort turns shared faith into lasting institutions.

The Romanian Orthodox Church has announced that a new foundation is rolling out fresh education projects aimed at children, focusing on both school support and formation in the faith. In parallel, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church opened a mission parish in Kassel, Germany, giving local families a regular place for liturgy and teaching. The Orthodox Church in America saw its northernmost parish receive its first archiepiscopal visit in nearly fifty years, with the bishop spending time with the small community and its youth program. From the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, the Lebanese Greek Orthodox Association gathered for a lunch to fund the final stages of the International Orthodox College project in Deir el-Ghazal. Each initiative quietly underlines the same practical concern for handing on the life of the Church to the next generation.

The OCA’s Bishop Irineu represented the Romanian episcopate at the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canada this week. The gathering drew clergy and laity from several jurisdictions who came together for the liturgy and reception that followed. Meanwhile the Romanian Patriarch reminded believers that Christ turns suffering into hope, a message echoed in parishes from Ploiești to the Brâncoveni monastery where cyclists made their annual pilgrimage. In the United States the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marked eighty years at its Des Plaines parish with a quiet liturgy and community meal. Across the Atlantic the Polish Church celebrated the name day of Bishop Atanazy, while the Church of Greece observed the Sunday after the Elevation with services in Didymoteicho. These small cross-jurisdictional moments keep showing how local customs and shared feasts still hold the daily life of Orthodox people together.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church welcomed the precious Belt of the Theotokos to a metropolitan cathedral where thousands gathered for veneration and prayer. In the same week the Church of Greece ordained a new priest in Kavissos the Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross, while the Serbian Orthodox Church consecrated the newly built Church of Christ the Savior in Donji Brezik with Prime Minister Minic serving as godfather. The Orthodox Church in America marked a milestone when its northernmost parish in Alaska received its first archiepiscopal visit in nearly fifty years. These local events show steady parish life across jurisdictions. The Romanian Orthodox Church meanwhile opened a new wing at Bistrita County Hospital, with Metropolitan Andrei reminding everyone that Christ remains the true healer. May the Theotokos keep all these communities in her gentle care.