Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church > about

A Welcome Message From Fr. Robert, Pastor of St. Nicholas Church

We extend to you that traditional greeting to you among Eastern Orthodox Christians- Glory to Jesus Christ!

We are delighted that you found our website. Perhaps you used a search engine or were referred to it by a friend. I prefer to think that the Lord has led you here. Now it is for us to discover why!

A little about our Parish

St. Nicholas Church was founded 11 years ago to serve Orthodox Christians in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Our parish community is comprised of a wonderful blend of people who are seeking to be led by the Spirit of the Lord to the Kingdom of Heaven. Some have come to us as converts to Christianity and Orthodoxy. Others come from ‘traditional’ Orthodox backgrounds (Ukrainian, Carpathian, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Greek, Bulgarian, Antiochian, etc.) In the past year, we have been blessed to welcome a newly settled group of Orthodox Christians from Eritrea, who attend our services faithfully. Because of this diversity, and our desire to worship God fully ‘in Spirit and in Truth’, we celebrate all of our services in English and use traditional congregational chants so that those in attendance can fully participate. Our parish is diverse regionally as well. Some people routinely travel up to one hour each way to attend services – coming from significant distances to participate in our church life. Their sacrifice inspires us all.

Being a part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, under our eparchial bishop His Eminence Archbishop Antony, allows us to fully participate in the emerging life of the Orthodox churches of the United States and welcome those who may have their spiritual roots in other Orthodox lands, while valuing the unique contributions to the tradition of Orthodoxy that emerged from Kievan Christianity (Ukraine) for over 1000 years.

Orthodox Christianity is about communion with God and, by His grace, growth in holiness. Our primary means of growth in this spiritual process is through our participation in the Sunday Divine Liturgy and related services like Saturday evening Vespers. We attempt to celebrate the services as fully as possible, while remaining reasonable and faithful to the order set forth by the Church for us. Our efforts include weekly Vespers and Divine Liturgy, and special services for the Feasts of the Church. As participants in the Church and in response to our calling to pray and make intercession for those in need, each Wednesday we celebrate a Moleben service (a service of intercession) wherein we pray for individuals and general needs as they are brought to us. If you know of any such needs for which you wish us to pray, please send me an email (click to email), call the parish or drop your request in the mail. Our Sunday Liturgy always concludes with a fellowship meal coordinated by our Hospitality Group – everyone is welcome and there is no charge.

Ministries

St. Nicholas Church takes the process of personal spiritual growth seriously, and our Religious Formation service group sets forth programs of religious education for youth and adults to that end. We welcome guest speakers for special talks, including an annual presentation at the Virginia Festival of the Book, and offer periodic parish retreats. We also set aside special days to help those with special interests or needs to seek their spiritual path – such as the special evenings of reflection and ministry to young parents and families. We anticipate offering in home bible studies and other programs on a regional basis in the coming months.

From the beginning of our parish life, we have sought the intercession of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, our patron, to teach us how to live out a corporate life of Christian charity. We try to reach out to others in need – and have been led to assist individuals as well as local, national, and international charitable initiatives through volunteer efforts and financial support. We are also trying to partner with other ministries, churches and service organizations in the community to work together for the common good of those in need. We have found that as we have tried to open to God’s leading, we have been blessed with many wonderful opportunities to meet others, and in doing so, experience God’s saving grace through the love of those we were trying to serve.

Our parish tries hard to serve those who come to the Charlottesville area to study and work at the University of Virginia. Our pastor and parishioners have been active in supporting the UVA Orthodox Christian Fellowship (and in the past that at James Madison University), to help those who relocate to our area to find spiritual support and a spiritual home. We also offer a simple library and bookstore/gift shop to provide helpful resources to those seeking the unique objects of interest that characterize Orthodoxy, including books, candles, icons, incense and other items.

Pastoral care is available for those in need. As our local hospitals are popular destinations for quality medical care, we are sometimes called upon to minister in these situations to those who have sought treatment there. We welcome this opportunity to serve – please contact us if we can be of service to you.

For those who are New to Orthodoxy

We welcome your inquiry into the Orthodox way!

We have a number of resources to help you discover what the Orthodox Church is and how you can relate to it. In the ‘New to Orthodoxy?’ section of this website, you will find answers to some common (and not-so-common) questions that interest Christians and non-Christians alike. There you will find discussions about topics such as the Orthodox doctrine of salvation, the role of the Virgin Mary and the Saints, the structure of the Church, Church history, icons, liturgy, etc. As we develop this area we hope you will find that this information helpful to you.

We have found our engagements in dialogue with Christians of other faiths to be very enriching. Often during these turbulent times, in the course of our discussions we have found that many people have deep needs and questions about their faith. Sometimes people seek out the Orthodox Church because they have learned that Orthodoxy has held firmly to the ancient Christian faith and moral teachings. As pastor, I welcome your inquiry about how the Orthodox teachings and way of Christian life might shed some light on your own spiritual journey.

May God be with you,
  Rev. Fr, Robert Holet

Rev. Fr. Robert Holet is the Pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church. He belongs to the Canonical Jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. The bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA are in Full Sacramental Communion with His All-Holiness, BARTHOLOMEW Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch and all of the the North American Orthodox Churches who participate in the Standing Committee of Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA).