Pillars of Our Faith:
The Jesus Prayer & Holy Fathers
Join us on Saturday, November 7th
***IN A NEW LOCATION***
Dear Fathers and clergy, as well as brothers and sisters in Christ,
We joyfully invite you to the 4th annual one-day monastic retreat, hosted this year by our dear friends at St. George Cathedral located at 917 N. Wood Street in Chicago!
We are blessed to welcome back Hegumen Gabriel and Priestmonk Father Macarius from Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia as our guest speakers.
We started this retreat to share the profound impact of our conversations with the monks of Holy Cross. As St. John Climacus wrote, "Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all men." We deeply appreciate their willingness to bring the approachable wisdom of the Holy Fathers to the world, and we are blessed to share this opportunity with you.
At past events, many of you expressed a desire to dive deeper into the Jesus Prayer. This November the fathers will say some words on the Jesus Prayer in particular, and frequent prayer in general. At the same time, we often hear questions about the Holy Fathers. Who exactly are the Holy Fathers? What is a good place to start? and How can we, as laypeople, weave the wisdom of their writings into our everyday spiritual lives? We are combining both sought-after subjects into one retreat. It is a perfect pairing, for it is impossible either to practice spiritual prayer without the guidance of the Holy Fathers, or to put on the mind of the Holy Fathers unless doing so in a spirit of humble prayer. In the end, they are both about intentionally living our faith.
As always, this retreat is intended as an opportunity for local Orthodox Christians who want to deepen their faith, break bread together, and connect with other brothers and sisters in Christ in edifying one-day fellowship. It is also for our friends and loved ones who might be interested in Holy Orthodoxy and her spiritual treasures.
Please help us by sharing the news of this event with your community and friends!
This is a FREE event. Donations are welcome! Your donations will cover Orthodoxy Today expenses, and proceeds will be put towards the beautification of the new monastery church in Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia, as well as for the construction of new monastic buildings in their growing community.
We look forward to seeing you in a DIFFERENT LOCATION from our past events!
Be sure to save this address to your calendar:
St. George Orthodox Cathedral
917 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622
We joyfully invite you to the 4th annual one-day monastic retreat, hosted this year by our dear friends at St. George Cathedral located at 917 N. Wood Street in Chicago!
We are blessed to welcome back Hegumen Gabriel and Priestmonk Father Macarius from Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia as our guest speakers.
We started this retreat to share the profound impact of our conversations with the monks of Holy Cross. As St. John Climacus wrote, "Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all men." We deeply appreciate their willingness to bring the approachable wisdom of the Holy Fathers to the world, and we are blessed to share this opportunity with you.
At past events, many of you expressed a desire to dive deeper into the Jesus Prayer. This November the fathers will say some words on the Jesus Prayer in particular, and frequent prayer in general. At the same time, we often hear questions about the Holy Fathers. Who exactly are the Holy Fathers? What is a good place to start? and How can we, as laypeople, weave the wisdom of their writings into our everyday spiritual lives? We are combining both sought-after subjects into one retreat. It is a perfect pairing, for it is impossible either to practice spiritual prayer without the guidance of the Holy Fathers, or to put on the mind of the Holy Fathers unless doing so in a spirit of humble prayer. In the end, they are both about intentionally living our faith.
As always, this retreat is intended as an opportunity for local Orthodox Christians who want to deepen their faith, break bread together, and connect with other brothers and sisters in Christ in edifying one-day fellowship. It is also for our friends and loved ones who might be interested in Holy Orthodoxy and her spiritual treasures.
Please help us by sharing the news of this event with your community and friends!
This is a FREE event. Donations are welcome! Your donations will cover Orthodoxy Today expenses, and proceeds will be put towards the beautification of the new monastery church in Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia, as well as for the construction of new monastic buildings in their growing community.
We look forward to seeing you in a DIFFERENT LOCATION from our past events!
Be sure to save this address to your calendar:
St. George Orthodox Cathedral
917 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622
Location
St. George Orthodox Cathedral
917 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622
917 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622
Date & Time
November 7, 2026,
10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
FAQ
I'm a returning guest and I notice this event is in a new location, in Chicago. Where should I park?
For our faithful traveling from the suburbs, we recommend to carpool. You are able to park in the police lot across the street from the cathedral, as well as along Wood or Walton streets. Detailed information will be shared in a separate email sent directly to registered attendees.Why are you hosting this event?
Our one-day retreat in 2024 was so well received that we formed our non-profit and named it after our first event, Orthodoxy Today. Our roadmap starts with our mission. We aim to provide intellectual and theological guidance as well as spiritual nourishment, while bringing together followers of Christ across Orthodox jurisdictions. We offer practical opportunities for the Orthodox Christian community to learn from experts, while also creating meaningful connections and collaborating with each other under the guidance of clergymen facilitators.
Do we just listen to a presentation the entire time?
We invite you to challenge yourself and push your individual boundaries as you explore the retreat topic not only through the lectures of our guest speakers, but also as a shared discussion with your peers and neighbors at your table, via a breakout session moderated by our team facilitator (many of whom are local clergymen).
Will I have an opportunity to ask the speakers some questions?
Yes! We started featuring a Q&A session at the end of the event.
Should I pack lunch?
We offer plenty of coffee and tea to get you started, along with light snacks. Lunch is provided and usually praised! Donations are welcome.
How much does this cost?
This is a free event. We encourage donations.
Why should I donate?
Orthodoxy Today is a young organization, but we are quickly growing. We uncovered a real hunger in the local Pan-Orthodox community for what we do. We want to continue keeping the one-day retreats free, so we ask for your help. In addition, your donation will allow us to plan larger scale events, such as weekend retreats, and youth & adult events.
Will the event end in time for me to make it to Saturday night Vigil?
This event is scheduled to end at 3:30pm. We invite all our dear guests to attend Vigil at the hosting parish at 6pm.
Language
English
GUEST Speakers
Our guest speakers, Hegumen Gabriel and Priestmonk Macarius, are coming from Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia. You can learn more about this monastery and its brotherhood by following this link.
Hegumen Gabriel
Priestmonk Macarius
WHO WE ARE
With a blessing of his Eminence Archbishop Peter (Loukianoff), of blessed memory, and based in the Chicago metropolitan area, Orthodoxy Today originated from our personal, spiritual roots in ROCOR. We are a team of three families, all dedicated to active participation in the Christian Orthodox Church. At our core, we are driven by a calling to serve our community. We strive to nurture each other’s faith while creating a space where Orthodox Christians of all ages and backgrounds can grow together, support one another, and make meaningful connections
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Contact Us
For any additional questions, please contact us via email and we will do our best to respond to you promptly.