Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Twelve Apostles
№. 116
ON THE OCCASION OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dear Fathers,
As we celebrate this Independence Day weekend, let us join together in giving thanks to Almighty God for the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America.
With grateful hearts, we remember the blessings of liberty, the sacrifices of those who have served our nation, and the enduring gift of religious freedom that allows us to worship God openly and faithfully.
A Service of Thanksgiving, published only yesterday, has been provided through the Office of the Metropolitan, and is available on the website of our National Church: https://www.oca.org/cdn/PDFs/synod/OCA-250-Anniversary-wout-bleed.pdf
I ask all of you that it be prayed at the end of Vigil or Vespers on Saturday, July 4, or immediately following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 5. May this Service of Thanksgiving renew our commitment to pray for our country, its leaders, and all its people. May God bless the United States with wisdom, justice, peace, and unity, and may He guide us to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in service to our communities and our nation.
God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
DANIEL
Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest
The Orthodox Church in America
