Welcome to Saint Olympia Orthodox Christian Church
COME AND SEE
Saturdays
Great Vespers – 5:00 PM
Sundays
Divine Liturgy – 10:00 AM (9:40 Hours)
with fellowship meal following the services
Wednesdays
Vespers at the Hermitage
See calendar
WORSHIP WITH US ☦︎
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Our Holy Patroness
Saint Olympia the Deaconess of Constantinople
Saint Olympia was a deaconess of the Church in Constantinople, a devoted servant of Christ, and a close spiritual daughter of Saint John Chrysostom. Through courage, generosity, and steadfast faith, she gave her life and resources to the poor, the sick, widows, orphans, clergy, monastics, and all who were in need.
Holy Mother Olympia, pray to God for us.
This Week at St. Olympia
Weekly Bulletin and Message
Posted on August 4, 2026
Dear Faithful,
Blessed Feast of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus!
You can read their remarkable story in this week’s bulletin and call upon their prayers whenever sleep is difficult.
Inside, you’ll also find an inspiring firsthand account of the canonization of Elder Herman of Alaska, as well as a reflection on the glorious Feast of the Transfiguration, which we will celebrate this Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
Please bring grapes, as well as other fruits and vegetables, to be blessed after Liturgy on Thursday morning. This blessing signifies the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness of all creation in the paradise of God’s unending Kingdom of Life.
You can also read a recap of our Parish Feast Day, written by one of our parishioners and posted to the Diocesan website.
Lastly, congratulations to Meg Marie and Drew Lammermann on the birth of their daughter, Ada Marie. May God grant Ada Marie and her family many blessed years!
Have a blessed week and a spiritually profitable Dormition Fast.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Gregory
A Monastic Presence in Our Midst
Mother Sophronia
St. Olympia Hermitage
Just down the road from St. Olympia, Mother Sophronia lives a life of prayer at St. Olympia Hermitage. Her presence is an extraordinary blessing to our parish—a living witness to prayer, obedience, repentance, and the monastic vocation of the Orthodox Church.
Mother Sophronia is a traditional old-style iconographer. The icons of the iconostasis at St. Olympia were written by her hand, as have been other icons received into the life and worship of our parish. Her iconography is not simply decoration; it is sacred work born of prayer and offered to the Church.
Her formation in sacred iconography extends across decades. She began the study of icon painting in 1991. From 1998 to 2003, she attended intensive workshops of the Prosopon School of Iconology, founded by master iconographer Vladislav Andreyev.
From 2000 to 2003, Mother Sophronia also apprenticed as an iconography instructor and retreat director with Sister Jeanette Serra, a longtime associate of Andreyev. In 2005, she continued her studies with Anton and Julia Belov of the Yaroslavl Russia Icon Studio and studied the traditional art of fresco painting with Philip Davidov of St. Petersburg, Russia.
This extensive formation is reflected in the traditional iconographic language that has become such an important part of the sacred space at St. Olympia.
Having a monastic presence so close to our church is a rare gift. Through her prayer, witness, friendship, and sacred work, Mother Sophronia has become deeply woven into the spiritual life of St. Olympia.
Sacred Art in the Life of the Parish
Her Handiwork Within St. Olympia
The iconostasis of St. Olympia bears icons written by Mother Sophronia, making her prayer and craftsmanship part of the visual language of our worship. Icons from her hand continue to enter the life of the parish through blessing, veneration, and prayer.
Her iconographic work surrounds the altar and forms part of the prayerful visual life of every Divine Liturgy at St. Olympia.
Icons written by Mother Sophronia are received not as decoration, but as sacred images blessed, venerated, and incorporated into the worship of the parish.
From Our Parish Life
☦︎
St. Olympia Orthodox Church in Norwood, NY,
is a young, and God-willing growing, community of worshippers
under the Orthodox Church in America,
Diocese of New York/New Jersey.
Parishioners of St. Olympia Orthodox Church come from many backgrounds: American, Greek, Russian, Albanian, Ukrainian, English, Coptic, Hispanic, Native American, and a growing representation from diverse groups. Services are primarily in English, and the music comes from both Byzantine chant and Russian choral traditions.
Our community is cared for by
Rev. Gregory Fedorchak, Ph.D.
Parish Rector
607-427-3286
father.fedorchak@gmail.com
Visit us at
St. Olympia Orthodox Church
34 N Main St.
Norwood, NY 13668