Antiochian Village
The Antiochian Village is a center for Orthodox activities in Bolivar, Pennsylvania, situated upon 380 acres of land in the beautiful Laurel Highlands. Founded in 1978, it is under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and consists of both a conference center and a camp.
Click here to visit the Antiochian Village web site
News from the Village
Bishop Thomas Announces St. Thekla & St. Raphael Pilgrimage
Download the Pilgrimage brochure
There are few places in the United States where you can visit the grave and shrine of a saint of the Church. Did you know that the Antiochian Village is one of those places? St. Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn, the Good Shepherd of the Lost Sheep of America, is buried on the grounds of the Antiochian Village. This year we are expanding the focus of our Annual Pilgrimage to not only include our prayers for the intercession of St. Thekla, but also we will pray the Service of Supplication to St. Raphael that he may intercede on our behalf before the throne of God.
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, and educated in Damascus Syria, Halki, Turkey, and Kiev, Russia, Raphael Hawaweeny found himself virtually exiled in Kazan, Russia. He was making himself of use on the faculty of a school, when he was summoned to the New World by the Syrian Orthodox Benevolent Committee in New York City.
Immigrating in 1895 and serving under the aegis of the Russian Orthodox Mission—then the only established Orthodox hierarchy—he was technically pastor of St. Nicholas Church (later Cathedral) in Brooklyn, NY, but was, in fact, the roving pastor of several dozen tiny, isolated communities spread thinly across the continent.
Summer's Almost Here: Sign Up Your Kids for Camp!
Calling all parents! June is just around the corner, and for schoolchildren, the long awaited season of summer is about to begin. Throughout the Antiochian Archdiocese, the counselors, cooks, and clergy of our church camps are preparing for another busy season. You are urged to sign up your child now since some of the camps fill up quickly, and Antiochian Village sessions are nearly full. If sending a child off to camp is new to you, refer to these Resources for Parents from Antiochian Village's website. More details are also available from the Department of Camping.
Village Hosts Homeschooling Conference for Families
From Thursday to Sunday, April 4-7th, Orthodox homeschooling families from across the country traveled to Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA for the fifth annual Saint Emmelia Orthodox Homeschooling Conference. The conference kicked off Thursday evening with the Akathist "Service to the Mother of God Nurturer of Children," then dinner followed along with a group photo and ice-breaker games. Workshops for both parents and children (ages 3-18) filled both Friday and Saturday, and the four days ended with Sunday's Hierarchical Divine Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Thomas, Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday.
Some of the workshop sessions offered were: a series of iconography workshops for the teens with iconographer, Michael Kapeluck; "The Poetic Way of Teaching Classics" for parents by Dr. James Taylor, from St. Raphael Orthodox Online Homeschool; "Saint Brigid and Secret Giving" for the 5-6 year olds with Jane G Meyer, Orthodox children's author; and "Illustrating the New Testament" by author and publisher of the History Portfolio series, Barbara Shukin.
2013 St. Emmelia Orthodox Homeschooling Conference is April 4-7
Saint Emmelia Orthodox Homeschooling Conference
April 4-7, 2013
Make plans now to bring your family and join us for 3 days and nights of:
- Inspiring Speakers
- Enlightening Workshops
- Lenten Liturgical Services
- Curriculum Vendors
- Comfortable Lodging
- Delicious Lenten Meals
- Family Fun and Fellowship
with other Orthodox Homeschoolers.
Check our website www.antiochianvillage.org for the conference schedule and registration information:
Attention Students! 2013 Antiochian Scholarship Forms are Available
In time for the 2013-2014 academic year, the Scholarships page on Antiochian.org has been updated to include all archdiocesan forms and deadlines, as well as information from other institutions offering scholarships to Antiochian students at both the college or graduate school level.
Students can browse through various options, including a scholarship for a student in the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America, a scholarship from Antiochian Women, several scholarships from the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, scholarships available from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and scholarships for former Scouts. By way of reminder, camp scholarships are also available through the Order of St. Ignatius.
Go here for more information and to download scholarship applications.
