I Believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church…

We sometimes think of the Church primarily in terms of our own parish—our worship, our choir, our friendships, our particular joys and difficulties. These things are precious, but the catholicity we confess in the Creed means much more. Through our bishop and our diocese, we share a common life with Orthodox Christians throughout this country and around the world. Their concerns are our concerns, their joys are our joys, and their experiences have something to teach us.

This year’s Diocesan Assembly will take place October 20–23 at Holy Theophany Orthodox Church in Colorado Springs. Clergy and lay delegates from throughout the Diocese of the West will gather with Bishop Vasily for worship, fellowship, and the sometimes less glamorous but necessary work of administering the Church.

I encourage everyone to visit dowoca.org , where the reports prepared for the Assembly will be available. Take some time to read about our parishes, monasteries, missions, and diocesan ministries. You may be surprised by how much is happening beyond our own parish. We are not alone in our challenges—or in our growth. Another excellent resource is oca.org , where you can find Church news, articles, information about our bishops and clergy, the lives of the saints, and the daily Epistle and Gospel readings. Even a few minutes spent with these resources can broaden our understanding of the Church to which we belong.

A word of caution, however, about the internet. There is an enormous amount of material about Orthodoxy online, and not everything claiming to represent the Orthodox faith actually does. An impressive website, a confident voice, or thousands of followers do not guarantee reliable teaching. Social media can turn disagreements into scandals and speculation into apparent fact. Artificial intelligence has made it even easier to produce convincing information that may be inaccurate or entirely invented. Check sources, resist sensationalism, and, when in doubt, ask questions. The Church is not an online personality or a collection of competing opinions.

And remember that even the best website cannot replace personal encounter. Visit another Orthodox parish when you travel. Attend a neighboring parish’s feast day. Meet people whose traditions and experiences differ from our own. You may discover something worth bringing home to St. Nicholas—and you may have something valuable to share with them.

This December, as we celebrate our parish’s 70th anniversary, we will have a wonderful opportunity to experience this larger family of faith. Bishop Vasily plans to join us for our patronal feast, and Fr. Nicholas Denysenko will be serving, preaching, and speaking with us. Let us make the most of this occasion by welcoming our visitors and inviting friends from neighboring parishes to celebrate with us.

Catholicity is not simply a theological term or an administrative arrangement. It is a way of living as members of Christ’s Body, discovering that our life together extends far beyond the walls of St. Nicholas. And the more we enter into that life, the richer our own parish becomes.

— Fr. Stephan