Welcome to the website of Saint Ignatius of Antioch Orthodox Christian Mission. We are an Orthodox Christian parish community from all walks of life, age groups and imperfections located in Mesa, Arizona, the largest suburb of Phoenix . Whether you are a guest, an inquirer, or a visitor from another parish, we are pleased you are here! The purpose of our web site is to introduce you to our parish community, and to provide you with a brief overview of the Orthodox Church and faith. Our priest, Father James Coles, is also personally available to answer any questions you may have about Orthodox Christianity, or about your spiritual experience, or personal faith journey.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch Orthodox Christian Mission is a local parish within the Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Our roots are in the ancient patriarchal See of Antioch where “the disciples were first called Christians” – Acts 11:26. We have one priest and three sub-deacons. We currently have close to 100 people on a Sunday, many of us were raised in the Orthodox Church but a large group of us are from Evangelical Protestant backgrounds. If this is your background, if you are from another faith tradition, or struggling to find a stable spiritual faith, you will undoubtedly feel very comfortable experiencing the beauty, reverence and awesome mystery of an Eastern Orthodox liturgical service with our community. Our community was established in 199 and is growing.
Although some of what you experience in an Eastern Orthodox Service may be new to you, you can be assured everything we do and believe as Orthodox Christians – even if it is different from what you have experienced - has deep roots in the oral and written tradition of the early and apostolic Church. St. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2: 15: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” Being Orthodox is precisely this: “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Having said that, our faith is not a static, or a historical faith only – it is a deep, living, vibrant faith that has greatly enriched the Christian experience and spiritual formation of growing numbers worldwide.
All of our services are in English. Normally our service schedule (make sure to check the calendar link for the most up to date schedule), is Vespers (Evening prayer service) on Wednesday nights in the Fall and Spring, beginning at 6:30 PM. and is followed by Bible study. Great Vespers at 5:00 P.M Saturday nights. On Sunday mornings: Matins, the early morning prayer service, begins at 8 A.M.; and Divine Liturgy begins at 9 A.M. We have coffee hour after the services in our Fellowship area.
If you have never attended an Orthodox Christian service before, we have service booklets that allow you to follow the service in text form; or, you can simply experience the primary act or work of the Church, which is the offering of corporate worship through Christ to the Father. You are welcome to join us for any of our services, but please be aware the Holy Eucharist is for Orthodox Christians who have been chrismated, have made recent confessions and are in good standing. Please join us, however, in receiving the Fellowship Bread that is served at the Veneration of the Cross at the end of the Divine Liturgy. If you have any questions about the reasons for this restriction, please feel free to ask Fr. James.
Obviously, this is only a brief introduction to our parish. Although we are an ancient faith, we are also very aware of the needs of our contemporary brethren and spiritual seekers. Many are hungry for authentic spiritual experience and formation within a sacred tradition, with roots in the apostolic church, the church fathers and the Bible. If this is the longing of your heart, we think you will find it at Saint Ignatius of Antioch Orthodox Christian Mission. Please come and join us! |
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