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The Orthodox West
A resource for the Orthodox Saints of Western lands
"...We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..."
Founded 2021 A.D. | Lincolnshire, England
Founded 2021 A.D. | Lincolnshire, England
Introduction
Iconography
Iconographic resources for the Western saints are needed now more than ever. Many Western saints lack any iconic representation and those that do are often hard to find. If you are interested in contributing to the growth of this project, please consider aiding us in acquiring iconographic representation for our Western fathers and mothers.
Hagiography
Faithful historians and friends of the saints have taken great care to preserve knowledge of the holy acts of those who shined forth in Western lands. We aim to compile these stories and ask for other Orthodox faithful to aid us if possible.
The Divine Liturgy in the Languages of the West
German (EP) German (Antioch)
Irish Swedish
French Italian
Finnish Spanish
Dutch Polish
Norwegian Portuguese
Welsh (Partial for Laity)
Mission
The Orthodox West is a website created to aid the mission of Orthodox Christianity within Western Lands. As the Orthodox Church grows, Roman catholics and protestant Christians are finding their way back home to Orthodoxy. We hope to contribute to the mission of the Church by giving faithful Orthodox who reside in the West the resources to commemorate the their holy Orthodox saints of the Patriarchate of Old Rome within the Byzantine Rite. Through hagiography, iconography, and hymnography, it is our hope that our Holy Fathers and Mothers of Latin Orthodoxy will intercede for us and assist in the growing Orthodox mission. The "Western" Saints or "Latin" Saints are those faithful saints who fell under the jurisdiction of Old Rome, before the Great Schism. The glorius new saints of the West are also included, such as Saint Sophrony of Essex, Saint Maria of Paris and Saint Alexander Schmorell of Germany.
Hymnography & Synaxarion
The vast majority of resources on The Orthodox West are geared towards remembering the Western saints through hagiography and introducing the Western saints into the Byzantine services of Matins, Vespers, Paraklesis, and Liturgy. The Latin Synaxarion project is intended to be an unofficial companion to the standard Byzantine synaxarion. It can give Western Orthodox Churches the ability to remember their beloved Latin saints alongside the universal fathers of the standard calendar and synaxarion.
Further Details:
What is the criteria for the different sections of the website?
Saints are categorized by their ecclesiastical, cultural, and geographic homeland. It's important to echo the words of Archpriest Fr. Andrew Louth, who said that the Western Saints are not categorized by their race or ethnicity, but by their belonging to a certain Church in the Orthodox communion. For example, saints found on England's page are Saints of England, not English saints. Some of the greatest saints of the English territory came from all over the Christian world, such as St Aidan (Irish), St Alban (Romano-Briton), St Augustine of Canterbury (Italian), Saint Sophrony of Essex (Russian) and St Theodore of Tarsus (Greek/Syrian).
I am interested in aiding the Western Orthodox project, what resources do you need?
We are always looking for help from iconographers and hymn writers. You do not need to be a master. Is there a saint of the West that means a great deal to you and needs icons or hymns written for them? With prayer, fasting, and love for God's saints, perhaps you may be called to paint an icon or write hymns to glorify the work of God's saints. We would be grateful for the help!
Are all the saints here Orthodox?
All the saints on The Orthodox West are "pre-schism" (before the year 1054 a.d.) or are modern Orthodox saints, such as Saint Sophrony of Essex, who lived and served in the West recently. All of the saints here lived and died in communion with the Orthodox Church. As many wise Orthodox faithful know, the year 1054 is somewhat of an overly simplified date by which we determine the schism of Rome from the Orthodox Church. Ongoing debate continues among scholars and clerics as to when Rome truly drifted away--was it sooner or later than 1054? Were different self-governing Churches in the West more or less Orthodox around the 11th century? Did other Orthodox Patriarchates (such as Antioch) continue to commune Latins into the 12th century? These questions are beyond our scope, of course. It is important to be cautious, and so 1054 a.d. is currently the accepted date of a sunder in communion that we will use.
Are the creators of this website faithful Orthodox?
Yes, the creators and editors of this website are Orthodox Catholic Christians living in the British Isles, Western Europe, and the United States under canonical Bishops and Metropolitans.
The Orthodox Catholic Church
Communion
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Diocese of Western Europe
Ecumenical Patriarchate, Diocese of Western Europe
Russian Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of Western Europe
Antiochian Orthodox Church, Diocese of the British Isles and Ireland
Antiochian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Germany
Serbian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Great Britain and Scandinavia
Ecumenical Patriarchate, Diocese of Western Europe
Russian Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of Western Europe
Antiochian Orthodox Church, Diocese of the British Isles and Ireland
Antiochian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Germany
Serbian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Great Britain and Scandinavia
Diocesan Information
The major jurisdictions of Western Europe and Americas:
Patriarchate of Constantinople
Patriarchate of Antioch
Patriarchate of Moscow
Patriarchate of Romania
Patriarchate of Serbia
Patriarchate of Constantinople
Patriarchate of Antioch
Patriarchate of Moscow
Patriarchate of Romania
Patriarchate of Serbia
Dedication
Monk Joseph Lambertson, the Psalmist of North America
The Orthodox West will always remember and dedicate our work to the Monk Joseph (Isaac) Lambertson of ROCOR. Monk Joseph served tirelessly throughout his life to translate the texts, hymns, and services of the Orthodox faith for the mission in North America and Western Europe. He was the Psalmist at the Synodal Cathedral in New York City, and faithfully tended to the cycle of daily services. In addition, he wrote and composed hymns for the Latin Saints for use in the Byzantine-rite, including a number of Paraklesis services. The Monk Joseph reposed on Friday, January 27th, 2018. We ask that you remember him, especially on January 27th, the day of his repose, every year. Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, may the Monk Joseph strengthen us and the mission in Western Europe and in the Americas.
The Orthodox West will always remember and dedicate our work to the Monk Joseph (Isaac) Lambertson of ROCOR. Monk Joseph served tirelessly throughout his life to translate the texts, hymns, and services of the Orthodox faith for the mission in North America and Western Europe. He was the Psalmist at the Synodal Cathedral in New York City, and faithfully tended to the cycle of daily services. In addition, he wrote and composed hymns for the Latin Saints for use in the Byzantine-rite, including a number of Paraklesis services. The Monk Joseph reposed on Friday, January 27th, 2018. We ask that you remember him, especially on January 27th, the day of his repose, every year. Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, may the Monk Joseph strengthen us and the mission in Western Europe and in the Americas.
Our Patrons
Saint Theodore of Tarsus
According to the historian and hagiographer Saint Bede: Saint Theodore of Tarsus--who came to the West from the lands of the East--was "the first archbishop whom all the English obeyed." Glory to God for having sent us such a pastor, and may the West be filled with Bishops like Saint Theodore of Canterbury in the coming days of the triumphal return of the Orthodox faith to the lands of Europe and Britain.
Saint John Maximovitch
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“Holiness is not simply righteousness, for which the righteous merit the enjoyment of blessedness in the Kingdom of God, but rather it is such a height of righteousness that men are filled with the Grace of God to the extent that it flows from them upon those who associate with them. Great is their blessedness; it proceeds from personal experience of the Glory of God. Being filled also with love for men, which proceeds from the love of God, they are responsive to men’s needs, and upon their supplication they appear also as intercessors and defenders for them before God.” [Read More]
-Saint John Maximovitch, Bishop of Western Europe; Defender of the Western Saints and Restorer of the Liturgy of Saint Germanus of Paris
-Saint John Maximovitch, Bishop of Western Europe; Defender of the Western Saints and Restorer of the Liturgy of Saint Germanus of Paris
Further Questions and Answers
Can I use the hymns found on this website?
Certainly. We will differentiate which hymns are officially recognized and which are independently written by devoted Orthodox Christians. If you see any independently written hymns, they may be wonderful for use in private readers services or you could bring them to the attention of your priest!
Is every image on this website "Orthodox"?
Though all the saints are pre-schism and part of the Orthodox communion, not all the images are. The images used for each region are sometimes modern pictures. Some of the crosses on each page are from the 12th century, but reflect a style that was common before the schism. Some medieval Western illuminations of saints are post-schism from the 12th/13th century--this is due to a lack of icons. As the faithful contribute Orthodox icons of these blessed saints, we will update the website. Our hope is to have all the saints represented by Orthodox icons and images as we progress.
Certainly. We will differentiate which hymns are officially recognized and which are independently written by devoted Orthodox Christians. If you see any independently written hymns, they may be wonderful for use in private readers services or you could bring them to the attention of your priest!
Is every image on this website "Orthodox"?
Though all the saints are pre-schism and part of the Orthodox communion, not all the images are. The images used for each region are sometimes modern pictures. Some of the crosses on each page are from the 12th century, but reflect a style that was common before the schism. Some medieval Western illuminations of saints are post-schism from the 12th/13th century--this is due to a lack of icons. As the faithful contribute Orthodox icons of these blessed saints, we will update the website. Our hope is to have all the saints represented by Orthodox icons and images as we progress.
All The Saints of Lincolnshire
Pray For Us!
Further Dedication
to the
Holy Elders and Unknown Saints
of
The Holy Monaster of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Amalfinon)
