The Parish Community of Saint John ~ New York City

The Parish Community of Saint John, a small, intentional progressive Christian faith community rooted in the church of the apostles, is a ministry of the Saint John of Kronstadt Western Rite Centre in New York City, established in 2002.

Our jurisdiction, the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America, was established in 1892 under the authority of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, as an Orthodox Western Rite missionary archdiocese, centered in the upper midwest and Western Ontario. 

In 1910 our Metropolitanate and Archdiocese became self-governing. Although we are no longer in formal communion with any other Orthodox jurisdiction, we strive to maintain cordial, respectful, neighborly relationships with other faith communities.  Still a comparatively small jurisdiction, we have approximately 70 active clergy and seminarians in the United States, Australia, and Canada.

As our Archbishop has said, if we remain true to our history, our mission probably has something to do with being an authentic, apostolic church that travels in this world lightly enough to develop spiritual friendships with people and places that hunger for God.  Our task, insofar as we are able in this world, is to assist the Holy Spirit in growing Christians in the rich soil of the gospel and apostolic tradition.

In our parish community, we celebrate the presence of the Holy One of Israel.  We do what Jesus does because we are embodied with Him.  We are resolved to be attentive in prayer and caring toward all.