St. Cyril of Jerusalem Orthodox Church is a mission of the Diocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America. Links for more information: About the OCA Diocese of the South
Our Mission Values
St. Cyril of Jerusalem Orthodox Church has been serving the spiritual needs of those living in Montgomery/North Harris County since 2004. All services are in English.
Below is a list of values that drive the way we live out our spiritual lives as a community.
Living Up to Our True Potential
Every person born into this world has been endowed with the image of God and is therefore capable of eternal life in Christ. Our missions purpose is to lead people to eternal life.
“And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
Liturgy: The Work of the Lord
We hold that the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church is “what comes first” and that all other activities (programs, dinners, festivals, etc.) in the parish are complimentary to the above.
Faith and Works
Every member of the parish, young and old, is called to be a full participant in all aspects of the Church’s life. Each member has an invaluable gift to offer the Body of Christ no matter how simple. After the worship (litourgia) comes the service (diakonia). The service of the Church is the work of the Body of Christ by which the Church is built up.
Spreading the Gem of Orthodox Christianity to the Community
Orthodox Christianity is vitally relevant to the lives of this generation. Orthodoxy in America is not a “religious-cultural museum” but the fullness of the Apostolic Faith--its teachings and traditions handed down from one generation to the next “without addition, without subtraction.” For this reason, we seek at all times and in every way, to share our faith to all those whom we come into contact with.
Our Leadership and Clergy
The Head of the Church
“I am the resurrection, and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Jn 11:25-26 ESV
Our Patron Saint
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, was born in Jerusalem in the year 315. Saint Cyril’s works include twenty-three Instructions (Eighteen are Catechetical, intended for those preparing for Baptism, and five are for the newly-baptized) and two discourses on Gospel themes: “On the Paralytic,” and “Concerning the Transformation of Water into Wine at Cana.”
At the heart of the Catechetical Instructions is a detailed explanation of the Symbol of Faith (The Creed). The saint suggests that a Christian should inscribe the Symbol of Faith upon “the tablets of the heart.”
“The articles of the Faith,” Saint Cyril teaches, “were not written through human cleverness, but they contain everything that is most important in all the Scriptures, in a single teaching of faith. Just as the mustard seed contains all its plethora of branches within its small kernel, so also does the Faith in its several declarations combine all the pious teachings of the Old and the New Testaments.”
Saint Cyril, a great ascetic and a champion of Orthodoxy, died in the year 386.
From the OCA website, for more detail on the life of Saint Cyril, please see the complete article here.
Visiting Etiquette
Please strive to arrive before the posted service time. Calendar
ATTENTIVENESS
Standing is the usual Orthodox posture for prayer. Of course, many people cannot stand for extended periods of time, in which case you are welcome to sit down as you need to. In Orthodoxy, we stress being attentive in the services. While sitting is not the traditional posture for prayer, if we must sit, it is good to sit reverently and attentively, with both feet on the floor rather than sitting in a overly casual way, remembering that we are in a holy place.
CONVERSATION
We ask to withhold any extensive conversation until after the service is concluded. Voices ought never drown out the prayers being read, thus it is better to avoid conversations until afterward.
VENERATING ICONS
Non -Orthodox visitors will notice that it is typical for Orthodox Christians to venerate the icons upon entering the church. One common way of venerating icons is to make the sign of the cross and bow twice, then to kiss the icon, and then to make the sign of the Cross and bow a third time.