While most American Christians celebrated the Resurrection on March 31 this year, Orthodox Christians around the world have continued their lenten journey to the Lord’s Resurrection for a bit longer. We are arriving at the bright Feast of Feasts, the Pascha of our Lord just before midnight on May 5 and our Paschal celebration continues after that! We are glad you have found us and we invite you to visit our parish particularly during these holy days! You can learn more about making an actual visit to St. Athanasius here. You can also take a peek inside our church by checking our our parish YouTube channel. Watching a service is no substitute for actually being present, but we invite you into our “virtual space” if that helps you get a sense of what we do in our services. The Schedule for Holy Saturday, Pascha, and beyond can be found below (and our full online calendar–updated through June–can be found here.)

• April 4: Holy Saturday
  • 10am Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday
  • 1220pm Festal Meal of Bread & Wine (and juice)
  • 1130pm +Paschal Service begins+
• April 5: Holy Pascha
  • Midnight Paschal Procession, Matins, & Paschal Liturgy
  • 245am Paschal Meal in Hall and in Tent
  • 1pm Pascha Parade forms in Wilmore
  • 2pm Pascha Parade Arrives with Blessing of Cars
  • 205pm Agape Paschal Vespers
  • 240pm Paschal Picnic (until dusk)
• April 6: Bright Monday & St. Athanasius Day (observed)
  • 10am Paschal Liturgy with Hymns for St. Athanasius & Procession
  • 1140am Festal Breakfast & St. Elizabeth Service Project
• April 7: Bright Tuesday & St. Alexis Toth
  • 11am Paschal Matins
  • 630pm Paschal Vespers @ St. Nina Mission in Berea (with Picnic)
• April 8: Bright Wednesday & St. John the Theologian
  • 630pm Paschal Vespers
  • 7pm Paschal Memorial for Stephanie Smith
  • 730pm Paschal Bonfire & Food
• April 9: Bright Thursday
  • 5pm Paschal Vespers
  • 7pm Men’s Night at Carl’s (grilling and more)
• April 10: Bright Friday & Life-Giving Spring
  • 7am Paschal Liturgy
• April 11: Bright Saturday & Ss. Cyril and Methodius
  • 10am Paschal Liturgy @ St. Nina Mission in Berea
  • 230pm Orthodox Hike @ Pinnacles in Berea
  • 430pm Vespers on East Pinnacle in Berea
  • 630pm Cathedral Vigil for St. Thomas Sunday (Nicholasville)
• April 12: St. Thomas Sunday (AntiPascha)
  • 930am Liturgy with Procession (followed by Sunday School & Lunch…)

We also welcome those who are in (or close to) Madison County to consider a visit our St. Nina Mission, which helps extend the reach of the Orthodox Faith along the I-75 corridor and Wilderness Trail. We are drawing people from Somerset, London, Corbin, and beyond. (In March, St. Nina acquired a new space–our first location that is entirely our own–at 213 Pauline Drive # 5, Berea, KY. We are now serving weekly Tuesday night services at 630pm and plan to add more regular services in the near future.)

Below is a collection of photos from April 2024 (up until Holy Week,) showing the full range of liturgical, educational, missional, and social life in our parish, including our welcoming of His Eminence Archbishop Alexander, who presided over the Ordination of Priest Giorgi Lomsadze, who will come alongside our rector Fr. Justin and our associate in ministry Fr. David. We hope these photos and the depth of our Faith inspire you to visit St. Athanasius Orthodox Church or our St. Nina Mission during this upcoming, glorious season of church life! If you have questions about our calendar or any aspect of our Faith or parish life, please reach out to our rector and senior pastor Fr. Justin at fr.justin@bluegrassorthodox.org.