We are Orthodox Christians.
The name “Orthodox” comes from a union of the Greek words orthos (“straight”, “correct”, “true”, “right”) and doxa (“common belief”, from the ancient verb δοκέω-δοκῶ which is translated “to believe”, “to think”, “to consider”, “to imagine”, “to assume”).[41] The dual meanings of doxa, with “glory” or “glorification” (of God by the Church and of the Church by God), especially in worship, yield the pair “correct belief” and “true worship”.
Together, these express the core of a fundamental teaching about the inseparability of belief and worship and their role in drawing the church together with Christ.
Our parish is a part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which itself is part of the world-wide canonical communion of local Eastern Orthodox Churches, each of which traces its history via Apostolic Succession directly to the One, True, Catholic and Apostolic Church which was founded by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and given to the World via His Apostles on the day of Pentecost.
We believe that which the Whole Church has believed at all times and all places (i.e. our faith is catholic – from the Greek phrase καθόλου (katholou) which is a union of the words κατά meaning “about” and ὅλος meaning “whole” meaning “according to the whole”). The most concise expression of our beliefs is given in the Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light: true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made;
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried;
And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life; Who proceedeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the age to come. Amen.