About Our Community
Our Parish
St. Symeon the New Theologian Orthodox Church of Birmingham, Alabama is a parish of the Diocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America. We are under the episcopacy of His Beatitude, the Most Blessed TIKHON, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada, and His Eminence, the Most Reverend ALEXANDER, Archbishop of Dallas and the South. Our parish Rector is Archpriest Alexander Fecanin.
St. Symeon Orthodox Church was founded in Birmingham in 1977 by a few faithful families and through the blessing of His Eminence, the ever-memorable +DMITRI, Archbishop of Dallas. The present church building was built in 2014. While some of our members are cradle members of the Faith from various cultural backgrounds, the majority are converts to the Orthodox faith. We say to all, "Come and see!" Come and see the Faith once for all delivered unto the saints (Jude 3)!
Our parish is named after St. Symeon the New Theologian, one of only three saints in the Orthodox Church to bear the title "Theologian," given only to those who have truly known God. Born in Asia Minor in 949 AD, he was guided into the spiritual life by St. Symeon the Studite, who counseled him in prayer, asceticism, and conscience-led living. He became abbot of St. Mamas Monastery in Constantinople, where his spiritual writings deeply influenced those under his care. His works, still read by monastics and laypeople alike, emphasize direct personal experience of Christ over mere outward religious observance. St. Symeon’s teachings remain relevant today, calling all Orthodox Christians to a living, experiential relationship with the Triune God.
Our Clergy
The Most Blessed TIKHON
Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada
The Most Reverend ALEXANDER
Archbishop of Dallas and the South
The Right Reverend GERASIM
Bishop of Fort Worth, Auxiliary to the Diocese of the South
What is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ and is the living manifestation of His presence in the history of mankind. The most conspicuous characteristics of Orthodoxy are its rich liturgical life and its faithfulness to the apostolic tradition. It is believed by Orthodox Christians that their Church has preserved the tradition and continuity of the ancient Church in its fullness compared to other Christian denominations which have departed from the common tradition of the Church of the first 10 centuries. Today the Orthodox Church numbers approximately 300 million Christians who follow the faith and practices that were defined by the first seven ecumenical councils. The word orthodox ("right belief and right glory") has traditionally been used, in the Greek-speaking Christian world, to designate communities, or individuals, who preserved the true faith (as defined by those councils), as opposed to those who were declared heretical. The official designation of the church in its liturgical and canonical texts is "the Orthodox Catholic Church" (gr. catholicos = universal).
The Orthodox Church is a family of "autocephalous" (self governing) churches, with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople holding titular or honorary primacy as primus inter pares (the first among equals). The Orthodox Church is not a centralized organization headed by a pontiff. The unity of the Church is rather manifested in common faith and communion in the sacraments and no one but Christ himself is the real head of the Church. The number of autocephalous churches has varied in history. Today there are many: the Church of Constantinople (Istanbul), the Church of Alexandria (Egypt), the Church of Antioch (with headquarters in Damascus, Syria), and the Churches of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Czechlands and Slovak, Albania and America.
There are also "autonomous" churches (retaining a token canonical dependence upon a mother see) in Sinai, Crete, Finland, Japan, China and Ukraine. In addition there is also a large Orthodox Diaspora scattered all over the world and administratively divided among various jurisdictions (dependencies of the above mentioned autocephalous churches). The first nine autocephalous churches are headed by patriarchs, the others by archbishops or metropolitans. These titles are strictly honorary as all bishops are completely equal in the power granted to them by the Holy Spirit.
The order of precedence in which the autocephalous churches are listed does not reflect their actual influence or numerical importance. The Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, for example, present only shadows of their past glory. Yet there remains a consensus that Constantinople's primacy of honor, recognized by the ancient canons because it was the capital of the ancient Byzantine empire, should remain as a symbol and tool of church unity and cooperation. Modern pan-Orthodox conferences were thus convoked by the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. Several of the autocephalous churches are de facto national churches, by far the largest being the Russian Church; however, it is not the criterion of nationality but rather the territorial principle that is the norm of organization in the Orthodox Church.
In the wider theological sense "Orthodoxy is not merely a type of purely earthly organization which is headed by patriarchs, bishops and priests who hold the ministry in the Church which officially is called "Orthodox." Orthodoxy is the mystical "Body of Christ," the Head of which is Christ Himself (see Eph. 1:22-23 and Col. 1:18, 24 et seq.), and its composition includes not only priests but all who truly believe in Christ, who have entered into the Church He founded, those living upon the earth and those who have died in the Faith and in piety."The Great Schism between the Eastern and the Western Church (1054) was the culmination of a gradual process of estrangement between the east and west that began in the first centuries of the Christian Era and continued through the Middle Ages. Linguistic and cultural differences, as well as political events, contributed to the estrangement. From the 4th to the 11th century, Constantinople, the center of Eastern Christianity, was also the capital of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire, while Rome, after the barbarian invasions, fell under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire of the West, a political rival. In the West theology remained under the influence of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) and gradually lost its immediate contact with the rich theological tradition of the Christian East. In the same time the Roman See was almost completely overtaken by Franks.
Theological differences could have probably been settled if there were not two different concepts of church authority. The growth of Roman primacy, based on the concept of the apostolic origin of the Church of Rome which claimed not only titular but also jurisdictional authority above other churches, was incompatible with the traditional Orthodox ecclesiology. The Eastern Christians considered all churches as sister churches and understood the primacy of the Roman bishop only as primus inter pares among his brother bishops. For the East, the highest authority in settling doctrinal disputes could by no means be the authority of a single Church or a single bishop but an Ecumenical Council of all sister churches. In the course of time the Church of Rome adopted various wrong teachings which were not based in the Tradition and finally proclaimed the teaching of the Pope's infallibility when teaching ex cathedra. This widened the gap even more between the Christian East and West. The Protestant communities which split from Rome in the course of centuries diverged even more from the teaching of the Holy Fathers and the Holy Ecumenical Councils.
Due to these serious dogmatic differences the Orthodox Church is not in communion with the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. Some Orthodox theologians do not recognize the ecclesial and salvific character of these Western churches at all, while others accept that the Holy Spirit acts to a certain degree within these communities although they do not possess
the fullness of grace and spiritual gifts like the Orthodox Church. Many Orthodox theologians are of the opinion that between Orthodoxy and heterodox confessions, especially in the sphere of spiritual experience, the understanding of God and salvation, there exists an ontological difference which cannot be simply ascribed to cultural and intellectual estrangement of the East and West but is a direct consequence of a gradual abandonment of the sacred tradition by heterodox Christians.
At the time of the Schism of 1054 between Rome and Constantinople, the membership of the Eastern Orthodox Church was spread throughout the Middle East, the Balkans, and Russia, with its center in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which was also called New Rome. The vicissitudes of history have greatly modified the internal structures of the Orthodox Church, but, even today, the bulk of its members live in the same geographic areas. Missionary expansion toward Asia and emigration toward the West, however, have helped to spread the presence of Orthodoxy worldwide. Today, the Orthodox Church is present almost everywhere in the world and is bearing witness of true, apostolic and patristic tradition to all peoples.The Orthodox Church is well known for its developed monasticism. The uninterrupted monastic tradition of Orthodox Christianity can be traced from the Egyptian desert monasteries of the 3rd and 4th centuries. Soon monasticism had spread all over the Mediterranean basin and Europe: in Palestine, Syria, Cappadocia, Gaul, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Slavic countries. Monasticism has always been a beacon of Orthodoxy and has made and continues to make a strong and lasting impact on Orthodox spirituality.
The Orthodox Church today is an invaluable treasury of the rich liturgical tradition handed down from the earliest centuries of Christianity. The sense of the sacred, the beauty and grandeur of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy make the presence of heaven on earth live and intensive. Orthodox Church art and music have a very functional role in liturgical life and help even the bodily senses to feel the spiritual grandeur of the Lord's mysteries. Orthodox icons are not simply beautiful works of art which have certain aesthetic and didactic functions. They are primarily the means through which we experience the reality of the Heavenly Kingdom on earth. The holy icons enshrine the immeasurable depth of the mystery of Christ's Incarnation in defense of which thousands of martyrs sacrificed their lives.
Excerpt taken from The Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos (Ware), via orthodoxdelmarva.org.
Visitor Information
We welcome all visitors to come and experience the Orthodox Faith at our parish! There will be many things happening, and it may all seem overwhelming at first, but don't worry! Many of our parishioners were once first-time visitors just like you. We are overjoyed to welcome you to our parish, and invite you to ask questions, take any of our free resource booklets, and participate as much as you are able.
A word about communion.
The Eucharist is the heart of the Christian life, one of the foremost means by which each child of God is nourished with God's grace and mercy. The central moment of the Divine Liturgy is the reception of Holy Communion; after all the prayers and preparations have been concluded, the deacon turns to the congregation and says, "In the fear of God, and with faith and love, draw near." However, as with all sacraments (mysteries) in the Orthodox Church, Communion is only open to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with fasting, recent confession, prayer, and the blessing of their spiritual father. Therefore, if you are not an Orthodox Christian, please do not approach the chalice. If you are a visiting Orthodox Christian who plans to receive Holy Communion at our parish, we encourage you to contact us ahead of time and be prepared to answer questions about your jurisdiction, your parish, your bishop, and the last time you went to Confession.
How do the Orthodox worship?
Orthodox worship is characterized by the engagement of the senses. Incense, vestments, and candles are all part the imagery of heavenly worship in the Book of Revelation. You will see colorful vestments and iconography, hear hymns and prayers chanted and sung, smell fragrant incense, and kiss icons and other holy objects. Additionally, our worship is very reverent, constantly striving to mirror the angelic worship happening continuously in Heaven. Everything we see, hear, smell, touch, taste, or do in the Orthodox Church has one purpose and one purpose only: to lead us closer to God. Since God created us with physical bodies and senses, we believe He desires us to use our bodies and senses to grow closer to Him.
Where are the pews?
Standing, kneeling, and prostrating are Biblical postures for prayer and worship. Orthodox Christians traditionally stand during all services, though we know this takes some getting used to. Feel free to sit on the side pews as much as you need. There will be a few times when you may be motioned or asked to move toward the center as our priest and/or deacon come around with the censer. Just remember to relax and try to bring comfortable shoes!
Is there a nursery for the kids?
Our children are our greatest gift from God. We do not have a nursery because we want them to benefit fully from the grace that comes from our services. This can be stressful for those visiting for the first time, but don’t worry; they learn to settle down after time. Feel free to take them back to the vestibule, the cry room, or outside if they are restless. Everyone who has a child (and many in our parish do) understands the struggle, but also knows the great blessing of having our children worship with us.
Who is the "Theotokos"?
Theotokos (meaning “Birthgiver of God”) is the title for the Virgin Mary designated by 3rd Ecumenical Council of the Church in 431 AD. Orthodox love and honor (but do not worship) her because of her love for her Son and Lord Jesus Christ. The honor given to her also expresses our faith: that Jesus Christ is truly human, born of a woman just as we are, yet has always been the Son of God. Thus, we call His mother the “Mother of God” to identify her Son’s divinity.
Who are the Orthodox?
The Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ, taught and shared by His Apostles, and which lives on throughout the world through the operation of the Holy Spirit. Unchanging in dogma, we believe we hold the Faith "once and for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3). You can read more in the section above.
The Orthodox Church in America, or OCA, is the successor of the first mission to North America begun by St. Herman and other Russian monks in Alaska in 1794. The Orthodox Church in America was granted autocephalous (self-governing) status by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970. We are in full communion with the other canonical Orthodox Churches throughout the world.
Is there a book to help me along with the service?
While we do have books with service texts available in the back of the church for use in the services, we generally encourage first-time visitors not to use them, as they can be distracting. Instead, we encourage you to simply absorb the worship around you, experiencing the ancient flow of the services.
What are icons?
Icons are paintings of Christ, His mother, and the Saints. They are kissed and venerated, but not worshipped, as a sign of our belief that Christ God took a physical body and became part of our physical world so we could know Him. Other human beings who unite their lives with Christ become holy, and the image of God shines through them. We honor them as friends of God.
Why are standard prayers used?
Standard prayers and hymns (non-extemporaneous prayers) are offered in our services because these are inspired by the Holy Spirit from the earliest times of the Church. They contain the accumulated insights of many centuries of Christians and are flled with Biblical quotations. They may seem repetitive, but through the repetition, these holy thoughts can become rooted in our hearts and minds. They are chanted and sung rather than spoken because heavenly worship is filled with song. Additionally, it moves our attention from the personality of the reader, so we instead focus on the Word.
How should I dress?
Men, women, and children are asked to dress modestly when visiting an Orthodox Church. For women, please wear a skirt, dress, or long dress pants and a top that provides suitable coverage. For men, please wear long dress pants and a collared shirt. Shorts and t-shirts, especially shirts with designs, are not considered appropriate for worship. While a coat and tie are not necessary, our attire should be fitting of standing before the Lord, and thus should not be too casual or dirty.