Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic
Charleston Chancery, 4407 Kanawha Ave. SE, Charleston, WV, 25304-1734
724-787-9832 (phone); 304-346-0146 (fax, marked "ATTN Bishop THOMAS")
Welcome to the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic, part of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in America. The Diocese of Charleston is led by His Grace Bishop THOMAS and includes more than 30 churches and missions in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Click here for a directory of all the parishes in the Diocese of Charleston.
Click here for an informational PDF for our Diocese, and click here for the make-up and deans of our deaneries.
Click here to learn more about Bishop THOMAS.
Click here to see Bishop THOMAS's schedule.
To contact Bishop THOMAS electronically, email bpthomasjoseph@gmail.com.
Fruitful Labor and A Hierarchal Visit at St. Philip Church + Souderton, PA
Fr. Noah Bushelli, of St. Philip Church in Souderton, PA, writes:
Bp THOMAS Prays over Simeon Nicholas BushelliRecently, we had a blessed pastoral visit from Bishop THOMAS. A unique aspect of this visit was that on Saturday Morning, Sayedna led about 50 of us in a retreat on "Raising Godly Children". We prayed together the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children, then His Grace equipped us with some inspiring stories from his own childhood and some practical resources.
At another visit earlier this year, my family had the blessing of Sayedna praying the 8th Day Naming Prayers for our youngest, Simeon Nicholas.
Brotherhood of St. Joseph of Damascus Clergy Retreat 2009 Report
September 23-25:
Click here for a collection of images from the retreat.
With the Pennsylvania forests’ magnificent change of colors well under way, proclaiming the glory of creation, the clergy of the Diocese of New York and Washington DC, and the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid Atlantic gathered at the Village in late September with Bishop THOMAS for their fifth annual clergy retreat. In attendance with Sayedna were twenty-seven priests and deacons of the Brotherhood, and Mother Alexandra, abbess of St. Thekla Convent and her guest Mother Mariamne.
The retreat was led by one of the Brotherhood’s own – Archimandrite John Abdalah, pastor of St. George Cathedral, Pittsburgh. Bishop Thomas asked Fr. John to discuss the theme “Being a Priest with a Positive Attitude.” During the retreat sessions, Fr. John challenged the Brotherhood to consider three questions about their ministries. The first was what metaphor best reflects their ministry. The second was to ask what person had a significant influence on their ministry. And last was what do we want to be remembered for. As we discovered through the individual and collective answers to these questions, the images of how we see our ministries - now and in the future - profoundly affect the attitudes we portray to others through our day-to-day work in our parishes.
Bishop THOMAS Celebratees the Exaltation of the Cross with St. George, Allentown, PA
“O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, and to Thy faithful Kings grant victory of their enemies, and by the Power of Thy Cross, Protect all those who follow Thee.”
-Troparia Tone 1: Elevation of the Holy Cross
Click here to see more pictures.
On September 10-14, 2009, St. George Church in Allentown, PA lovingly welcomed His Grace, Bishop THOMAS. Bishop THOMAS celebrated the Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross with us and it was a true blessing.
Bishop THOMAS Discusses Education on OCN
On this week's Come Receive The Light podcast: His Grace, the Right Reverend THOMAS (Joseph), a bishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, serving in the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, leads a discussion to the topic - Where We Send Our Children to School.
St. John the Baptist Mission Profiled in the Frederick News-Post
One man’s spiritual journey ends with a congregation’s conversion
Lewistown is now home to Maryland’s first Western Rite Orthodox church
by Ron Cassie of The Frederick News-Post
Last weekend, at a service at St. Basil the Great Orthodox Church in Poquoson, Va., Bishop Thomas Joseph ordained James K. Hamrick into the holy priesthood of the Western Rite Orthodox Church.
It was a moment Hamrick’s congregation in Lewistown has been waiting for since early spring. On April 10, his small flock at the former Charismatic Episcopal Lamb of God Church converted en masse to the Antiochian Orthodox faith, which includes both Western Rite and Eastern Orthodox churches.
At Hamrick’s urging, the 40-member congregation, which worships in a church built in 1883 by Methodists, was officially accepted as an Orthodox mission in March. After preparation, members went through the sacramental rite of chrismation into the Antiochian Orthodox faith. Further highlighting their transformation, the congregation adopted a new name: St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church.
This weekend, Hamrick will lead an Orthodox Sunday Mass for the first time at the church, marking the final step for the 45-year-old priest and his congregation as Maryland’s first Western Rite Orthodox church.
“For the people who have endured a rather long and difficult journey, this doesn’t mark the end, but a fresh new beginning,” Hamrick said. “We’re excited about what God is doing — about being pioneers and evangelists, about bringing Holy Orthodoxy which is the faith of the Apostles and the ancient Church to the people of Frederick County living in the 21st century.”
Diocese of Charleston News Archive
