by St. John Maximovitch Our father among the saints, John Maximovitch, was a diocesan bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) who served widely from China to France to the United States. Countless miracles have been attributed to this holy bishop, both during his lifetime and since his repose. ASONA entreats his assistance as we raise funds and prepare to build. Some people are saying: “The time is not come to build the Lord’s house.” Among them are many who are buying houses for themselves, who live in their own houses in full satisfaction of their material needs, or who are selling their homes to move into better and better dwellings, increasing their assets. … [Read more...]

This coming Nov. 18-21, 2026 ASONA will host the 3rd Annual AZ Liturgical Practicum. The Venerable Vigil V A L U A B L E , V E R S A T I L E , V E X A T I O U S November 18-21, 2026 Location: All Saints of North America Church 18700 N. 107th Avenue Unit 5 Sun City, AZ $300 in person/$200 via livestream CLICK HERE TO REGISTER The schedule available shortly. Watch this space! Hotel Information Both hotels seem to have the best deal through Super.com SPEAKERS   Fr. Patrick O’Grady | Fr. Christopher Horsley | Fr. Daniil Millwood Fr. Patrick O'Grady - A renown expert on Orthodox liturgics, Fr Patrick served as a Protestant pastor for 25 years and an Orthodox priest … [Read more...]

by Fr. James Coles We do not build churches merely because we need more room. We build them because man needs a place where his heart can be gathered into the presence of God. A church is a place where heaven touches the earth, where we stand together before Christ, where our children learn to pray, where the departed are remembered, and where the Holy Mysteries sanctify our whole life. When a parish grows and we build, we are not simply constructing a larger building; we are preparing a larger dwelling place for prayer, for communion, and for the generations who will come after us. We build with gratitude for those who came before us, with love for those who stand beside us today, and with … [Read more...]

On September 14, the men's group of ASONA - St. Theodore's Recruits - held their 2026 Camping in the Pines adventure. Led by Deacon Joseph Peck, the camping event took place in Lakeside, AZ, on the land of one of the founders of St. Herman's Mission, Adam Hague, and not far from the St. Herman of Alaska Mission run by parish friend, Fr. Michael Vallecillo. Several members of St. Herman's parish also participated in the adventure. And an adventure it was. The campers all had the chance to see the grounds where St. Herman's mission originally celebrated Divine Liturgy "under the pines" (starting in 2018). It rained a bit every day in the White Mountains that week, but mostly it was a cool, … [Read more...]

Why Orthodox Christianity Requires Icons Orthodox Christianity does not regard icons as optional religious decoration. Their necessity arises from the Church’s confession of Jesus Christ: the eternal Word of God truly became flesh, entered history, possessed a visible human face, and remains forever the God-man. The defense of icons is therefore not fundamentally an argument about art. It is an argument about the Incarnation, the nature of Christian worship, the sanctification of matter, and the difference between objective revelation and the private constructions of the imagination. The Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in AD 787 defended the making and veneration of holy icons while … [Read more...]

Is mental imagery good or bad in spiritual life? Fr. Sergei answers the question for Orthodox Christians, and anyone else who needs to know, once and for all. By Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov Just as there can be a properly trained voice, there can be a properly trained soul. —Fr. Alexander Elchaninov This presentation is based on the research that I undertook for a book titled Imagine That… : Mental Imagery in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Private Devotion, published in paperback in February of 2009 with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco. The work is an analytical comparison of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox attitudes toward mental imagery. In this … [Read more...]