Blog Posts
Our first hospitality story comes from Katelin Williams:
"I am a thirty-year-old recent Orthodox convert who lives in Kentucky. I married my wonderful husband last October in 2024, and as of June this year, I am a new mother to my vibrant and sassy son. To say there have been trials is an understatement, but in those trials, we have found the most supportive people.
It’s nearly the end of the year, and fundraising season is upon us. Over the next few weeks, we hope to make the case that you’ll want to support Axia. Here’s the start!
One of our Notable Women of Orthodoxy died recently. We wanted to share with you the eulogies from her funeral, to give you a sense of who we lost and what she meant to the church and what she will continue to mean to the church for generations to come. Here are two reflections from her parish priest and from a former student of hers:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Glory to Jesus Christ.
Samira Zaki Doherty, an Egyptian-born Coptic Orthodox woman, lived a life of intense prayer and unimaginable holiness. She possessed a unique and close friendship with Coptic Patriarch, St. Pope Kyrillos VI (Cyril VI), before and after his passing. It was through this friendship that many miracles and spiritual occurrences transpired in her life and in those around her.
Our first in our new series on Hospitality is by Jenna Funkhouser:
I am fifteen years old, volunteering on the streets of my hometown of Portland, Oregon, that February. A houseless man sees me shivering and offers me his own gloves. His gentle care and goodness shatter me. Suddenly, Christ is standing before me.
Our gratitude goes to Sherry Mohr, who uncovered this prayer by the Empress Theodora Palaiologina (13th century). It is found at the start of the Typicon of Lips, a handbook and last will and testament of the Empress for the organization and protocols of the convent she led.