Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest
Toledo Chancery, 2656 Pemberton Dr., Toledo, OH, 43606-2903
419-535-1390 (phone); 419-535-7999 (fax)
Welcome to the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest, part of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in America. The Diocese of Toledo is led by His Grace Bishop MARK and includes more than 45 churches and missions in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Click here for a directory of all the parishes in the Diocese of Toledo.
Click here to learn more about Bishop MARK.
To contact Bishop MARK electronically, email editor@antiochian.org with "Bishop MARK" in the subject line.
2009 Parish Life Conference
Come Spend the 4th of July weekend with us in the Greater Cincinnati area for the 2009 Midwest Parish Life Conference. Activities include Fellowship, Christian Education, workshops, and many fun activities for everyone to bond with family, friends, and loved ones.
For complete details, please visit St. James' Parish Life Conference web site by clicking on the links below:
Area Attractions
Enjoy your stay at Sheraton Cincinnati North ($99 per night including free parking). Sheraton Hotel has one of the newest indoor water resorts in Ohio: CocCo Key Indoor Water Resort (Resort rates: $15 per day conference guest special).
Spend fun times at Paramount Kings Island, The Beach Water Park, Newport aquarium (Sharks), Cincinnati Zoo, OmniMax, Museums (Creation, Natural, Children's, Art), and Theaters. Restaurants, shopping centers are within walking distance.
Report from the Midwest Antiochian Women 4th Annual Retreat
Roberta Royhab writes:
Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Monastery, in Rives Junction, MI, is “a place that serves the spiritual needs of the Orthodox Christian community in the United States,” their website reads.
Dormition was a perfect place—a holy place, a “retreat” from the stress of the secular world—for the Midwest Antiochian Women’s retreat that was held there the weekend of May 15-17. The monastery for women is located on 120 acres in a rural area of south central Michigan.
His Grace Bishop MARK of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest joined us on Friday and for a half day on Saturday. Fr. John Abdalah of Pittsburgh, PA, Spiritual Advisor for Antiochian Women-North American Board, served as Retreat Master.
Featured Mission: St. Catherine of Alexandria + Ann Arbor, MI
When a group of Orthodox Christians began meeting once a month in 1999 to celebrate the Divine Liturgy mostly in Arabic, little did they imagine they would grow into a dynamic, all-English-speaking mission comprised of people from all ethnic backgrounds. Located between two large universities, St. Catherine of Alexandria Mission in Ann Arbor, Michigan has become a spiritual home for students and faculty, young and old, “cradle” and “convert.” St. Catherine’s is dedicated to participatory worship, spiritual growth, education, evangelism, and service – but it is best defined by its members’ warmth and hospitality.
From humble beginnings in 1999, this mission grew with fits and starts. For much of its history, it did not have a resident priest and the times and places of worship varied from month-to-month, or even week-to-week. But a core group of dedicated Orthodox faithfully tended to the seedling of the Church that God had planted. Bp. MARK appointed Fr. Benjamin Johnson as its resident priest in 2008.
Featured Parish: Church of the Virgin Mary + Alsip, IL
In the summer of 2003, due to the large number of faithful living in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Metropolitan PHILIP blessed the faithful in this area to move forward and establish the mission of the Church of the Virgin Mary. In December 2004, we purchased the property where we currently worship, in Alsip, Ilinois. In the spring of 2007, His Grace Bishop MARK assigned Fr. Mousa Haddad as the first full-time pastor of the Church of the Virgin Mary in May.
At the Church of the Virgin Mary, our mission is to serve God in all that we do, and to make Jesus Christ a real presence in the hearts of the faithful in Chicago’s Southwest Suburbs. The Virgin Mary is our protector, and she intercedes on our behalf to her Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She stands as our example of faith and commitment to serve the Lord. As she received the calling of the angel Gabriel to bear the Son of God, and to commit her life to the Lord, so we too must receive the word of God, accept His Will, and serve Him to the best of our ability. As we pray in the Divine Liturgy, “Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us!”
