U.S.A., April 20, 2026
114 people were received into the Church at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, CA. Photo: Patristic Nectar
Hundreds or even thousands of people were received into the Orthodox Church throughout Lent, and particularly on Lazarus and Holy Saturdays.
In March, it was reported that just one diocese of one jurisdiction—the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the Midwest—had more than 1,100 catechumens, and the story was similar in other dioceses and jurisdictions.
Some churches spread Baptisms out over several weekends in Great Lent, while dozens of parishes reported that they received 10, 20, 50, or even more than 100 people into the Church at one time.
Perhaps the largest single reception occurred at St. Andrew Orthodox Christian Church (Antiochian) in Riverside, CA, where Fr. Josiah Trenham serves as rector, and which has been growing rapidly for years already.
There, 114 people were baptized into the Orthodox Church on Holy Saturday, reports Patristic Nectar, a publishing platform founded by Fr. Josiah.
31 were received at Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church (Antiochian) in Salt Lake City. Photo: Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church
Other social media reports gathered by OrthoChristian (though certainly not an exhaustive list) include:
Lazarus Saturday:
● 14 received at St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church (Antiochian), in Elizabethtown, KY
● 27 received at St. Katherine Orthodox Church (OCA) in Carlsbad, CA
● 12 received at St. Maria’s Orthodox Church (OCA) in Hamilton, Canada. The service was celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa
● 19 received at St Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church in Jacksonville, NC
● 11 received at St. Paul Orthodox Christian Church (Antiochian) in Naples, FL
● 18 received at St. John Chrysostom Antiochian Orthodox Church in Fort Wayne, IN
● 24 received at St. Peter Orthodox Church (Antiochian, Western Rite) in Fort Worth, TX
● 14 received at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (OCA) in McKees Rock, PA
● 22 received at Holy Cross Orthodox Church (OCA) in Kernersville, NC
● 33 received at St. Sava Orthodox Church (OCA) in Allen, TX
34 people were received at Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Bluff City, TN. Photo: Frederica Mathewes-Green
Holy Saturday:
● 34 received at Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Bluff City, TN
● 31 received at Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church (Antiochian) in Salt Lake City
● 11 received at St. Sava Orthodox Church in Allen, TX
● 14 received and 7 new catechumens at St. Susanna Orthodox Mission (OCA) in Sonora, CA
● 26 received at St. Mark Orthodox Church (OCA) in Rochester Hills, MI
Bright Saturday:
● 13 received and 26 new catechumens at St. John Orthodox Church (Greek) in Amarillo TX
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe and Gab!
