Interviews

When Dia Drossos first stepped foot into the United Nations Headquarters, she felt the gravity of the location, what it stands for, and the important work conducted on its grounds.  “Standing in the U.N. headquarters

Most Orthodox Christians in America have little experience of martyrdom. Inalienable religious freedom is a given. Almost all believers feel safe parking their cars outside of their churches, hanging crosses around their necks, and speaking

For 14-year-old Stephen Mueller, the 2026 junior division champion of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, taking gold means much. A rising high school freshman from Greeley, Colorado, Stephen is this year’s junior winner of

Faith as a young person in 2026 is complicated: America’s religious and secular attitudes seem to flourish in a paradoxical parallel, Orthodoxy continues to gain visibility as its online popularity grows, and culture continues to

Though Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik grew up worlds apart in their respective hometowns of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan and Kharkiv, Ukraine, the two were nevertheless raised in the same Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. Now

On Sunday mornings, Abby Vlahos’s day begins before most people are awake. She rises with her nine-year-old son, Cosmas, who wakes at dawn. Then it’s full speed–active play, movement, conversation, a walk–before most people have

Every Sunday morning at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines, IL, a small group of children gather in a classroom. The room, intentionally quiet and calm, is filled with soft voices,

Though fewer than 1% of Americans serve in the U.S. military, an even smaller group walks beside them–Orthodox Christian military chaplains. This ministry, rooted in faith while shaped by the realities of military life, remains

At 11 years old, in 1941, little Anna Marakas climbed onto the organ bench in the choir loft at then Assumption Church in Oakland, California, and began to play. 85 years later, she is still

How do holiness and the arts intersect? Presvytera Cally Kordaris answers this question through her work as the founder and Artistic Director of Cold Spring Dance Company. Cold Spring Dance brings world-class dance to the

Orthodox Marketplace is the official e-commerce platform of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America—built to connect parishes, ministries, and families with trusted, faith-centered resources, from GOARCH ministry materials to carefully curated liturgical and devotional goods

In communist Albania, atheism was enshrined in the constitution. Owning a copy of the Gospel was enough to land a person in prison for a decade–if they were lucky. Churches had been destroyed, clergy executed,

Liturgies of the Wild: Myths That Make Us (Sentinel, 2026) is a superbly breezy yet broad-ranging book by popular mythographer and Orthodox Christian thinker, Martin Shaw. Promising to furnish readers with “stories and ideas to

Michael N. Bapis was born and raised in Salt Lake City, a place where being Greek Orthodox meant you belonged to something small, but so strong. The strength of his commitment to his faith is

Lebanese twin brothers Charbel and Giovanni Lteif began an Instagram account with a mission of bearing witness to the beauty of Middle Eastern Christianity. In just two years, their platform has reached a following of

“Africa … missions.” Those were the words Tess Emanuel typed into her computer’s search bar one summer afternoon, not knowing exactly what she was looking for—only that she wanted something more. That simple search would

Reserve tickets for Moses the Black, starring Omar Epps, Wiz Khalifa and Quavo here. The movie is scheduled for release to theaters nationwide January 30.   > Read also: Fr. Samuel Davis attends premier of

How does a saint become recognized as a saint? Seeking to answer this question, Char Mansfield and Byron Walker are working to recover the memory of a woman whose holiness was once praised by Christ

A crowd of faithful gathered on a concrete wharf as His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America offered an Agiasmos, or Blessing of the Water, over a fleet of sponge and fishing boats. At the end

When meeting Angelo Kircos—whether in person or across a Zoom screen—you feel the exuberance and joy of a man who has spent his life in service to his church, his family and his faith.  At

John Georges is the CEO of Georges Enterprises, a diversified holding company based in New Orleans with interests in distribution, real estate, and hospitality. In 2013, he and his wife, Dathel, purchased The Advocate, today

Ahead of our piece Convert crisis?, the Orthodox Observer spoke with Fr. Evagoras Constantinides to gain insight into how Greek Orthodox priests are responding to U.S. Orthodoxy’s influx of converts.  > Read: Convert crisis? Clergy,

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). As a step toward educating Orthodox Observer readers about the ordination of men with disabilities, Fr. John Chryssavgis answered questions from the Observer‘s Managing Editor Corinna Robinson. Fr. Chryssavgis is Archdeacon

Today, June 19, 2025, we reshare this April 9, 2025 interview in recognition of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Here, the Orthodox Observer’s Dr. Claire Koen spoke with the Rev. Fr. Samuel Davis to discuss his work as director the Apostolic Mission to the African Diaspora. Currently the assistant priest at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and National Shrine, Fr. Samuel is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. Keep reading to learn how the unique experiences of Black communities in the United States complement, and allow a deeper understanding of, the Orthodox Tradition.