Our Church

The Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania is a Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. 

The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA), the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

The Orthodox Church in America traces its roots to 1794, when eight Orthodox missionaries arrived in Kodiak, Alaska, bringing the Christian faith to native Alaskans. The mission expanded under key figures like Saint Innocent (Veniaminov), who translated Scripture into native dialects. By the early 1900s, Orthodox communities across North America, initially established by immigrants, unified under a single diocese. However, following the Russian Revolution, ties with the Russian Orthodox Church were severed, leading to a more independent North American Orthodox Church.

In 1970, the OCA, formerly known as the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America, achieved autocephaly (administrative independence) from the Russian Church, marking a significant milestone in its history. The OCA now encompasses parishes across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with a strong commitment to Orthodox unity in North America. It participates in pan-Orthodox initiatives and serves as a full member of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. The Church continues to grow, with many parishes serving non-ethnic communities and conducting services primarily in English.

The Orthodox Church in America operates as a self-governing, "autocephalous" body, which means it has the authority to elect its own Primate, or presiding hierarch, without requiring approval or ratification from any external ecclesiastical body. This independence is foundational to the OCA’s mission of maintaining autonomy while promoting unity within the Orthodox Christian community across North America.

To learn more, please visit oca.org