The Russian Orthodox Church has a long-standing legacy of service and missionary work. Its power lies in its spiritual strength.
After the fall of tsarist rule, the Russian Orthodox Church experienced a brief revival. Unfortunately, political rulers sought to undermine its power by undermining its authority.
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History
The Russian Orthodox Church is an important branch of Eastern Christian tradition, grounded in liturgy, prayerfulness, icons and monastic life.
The Church has a rich and varied history, beginning with Kievan Rus’. It was an influential force in Russia’s spiritual development; however, political rulers sought to undermine it.
After a brief respite following the 1917 Russian revolution, Stalinist Russia unleashed relentless persecution on the Church – with many priests being executed. Despite this, Russian Orthodox spirituality survived and thrived.
Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy, commonly referred to as Eucharist, is the central service in Orthodox Church. It’s a communal activity in which believers join their hearts, minds and bodies in celebration.
The Liturgy is traditionally observed on Sundays and Holy Days, though special services may also take place throughout the week with Bishop’s blessing.
Russian Orthodox church Boston emphasizes the communal aspect of worship by having an assigned priest conduct Divine Liturgy in front of the congregation. This serves to underscore the central role community plays in Eastern Christianity’s services.
In the early twentieth century, many Eastern Christians from various countries settled in Boston. Drawn by their Orthodox faith, they began organizing and worshipping together within separate churches.
Music
Russian Orthodox church Boston boasts an impressive selection of both traditional and contemporary liturgical music – an incredible accomplishment for any parish.
Music selections available include settings of hymns and songs from Russian Orthodox church vespers and orthros services, as well as selections from Matins chant and Divine Liturgy services.
These collections are published as a series of books to meet the needs of Orthodox choirs in North America that sing worship services in English.
In the early 20th century, a group of choirmasters and singers founded the Summer Octets to promote Orthodox church singing in English. Their efforts helped raise the visibility of Russian Orthodox church singing in America, attract students, and provide an outlet for public performance of music that wasn’t often heard on concert stages. These choirs had a significant impact on American choral singing today.
Fellowship
The Russian Orthodox Church in Boston is a caring community of Orthodox Christians who cherish their faith. They strive for an intimate connection with Christ through prayer, divine services, reading the Bible, receiving sacraments and acts of charity.
Parishioners from Ukraine, Russian and other ethnic backgrounds make up the parish population. Many were baptized into the Orthodox Church during its early days and remain committed to growing in faith today.
Recently, some parishioners have become engaged in anti-racist activities and other social justice campaigns, as well as helping combat white supremacy. Some of these initiatives were initiated by the fellowship itself or with its leaders’ support.
