Great Lent is a time of spiritual challenge and renewal — an opportunity to deepen our faith and commitment to Christ. Through prayer, fasting, and reflection, we prepare our hearts for the joy of Pascha.

For a list of services see our full Lenten schedule below.

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Third Sunday of Great Lent Veneration of the Holy Cross

On the Third Sunday of Lent, In the midst of Great Lent, we celebrate the Sunday of the Holy Cross. While not a feast, when we stop and reflect on the Holy Cross we can see how it is notable of its own accord and necessary for our salvation. We are halfway through Lent, and perhaps some of our determination and eagerness for the Lenten journey is waning a bit. That is exactly why the Church Fathers chose this Sunday for us to commemorate the Holy Cross.

Fr. Alexander Schmemann in his book Great Lent reminds us that throughout Great Lent we are crucifying our selves in an effort to live up to this Sunday's Gospel reading from St. Mark’s Gospel, which reminds us of Christ's command: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). Fr. Schmemann goes on to explain that it would do us no good to take up our cross and follow Christ had it not been that He took up His Cross in the first place. "It is His Cross, not ours, that saves us. It is His Cross that gives not only meaning but also power to others.”

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (St. Mark 8:34)

Annunciation of the Theotokos

March 24, 7:00pm — Great Vespers at Annunciation Cathedral, 24 W. Preston St, Baltimore, MD 21201

March 25, 8:30 & 9:30am — Matins & Divine Liturgy @ Holy Cross

In the midst of our Lenten journey, in this time of contrition and repentance, a proclamation of great hope and expectation is heard throughout the Church. Even as our struggles in Lent confront our sin and our powerlessness to overcome it, God sends a messenger to assure us that because of His love and mercy, salvation has been bestowed upon us if only in faith we will receive it.

And so, on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, the Church celebrates this message of salvation delivered to the Virgin Mary by the angel Gabriel. What is this message of salvation? The angel Gabriel tells her: "And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His Kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:31-33). Gabriel explains to Mary the amazing plan of salvation, that the child within her will be born of her and the Holy Spirit and this child Himself will be God.

If you have questions about our church and what we believe, feel free to reach out to Father Joshua, our parish priest!

The Orthodox Church is the One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are a Christ-centered church. In fact, we share an unbroken history with the Faith of the first Christians, and we can trace our history back to the Apostles themselves.

This parish is part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. We are pan-Orthodox. This means our membership includes many who were born into the Faith, as well as many converts. In our parish, all services are fully in English.

Anyone and everyone is more than welcome to join us for services! If you have questions about our church and what we believe, feel free to reach out to Father Joshua, our parish priest!

Upcoming Events

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Usual Service Times

Matins - Sun 8:15am
Divine Liturgy - Sun 9:30am
Vespers/Akathist - Wed 6:30pm
Great Vespers - Sat 5:00pm

This week (full calendar)

Live Streaming

While there is no substitute for gathering together in the mystery of the Divine Liturgy and partaking in Holy Communion, and participating in the other divine services of the Church, if you are unable to attend in person, you are invited to join us via live stream.

Located in Linthicum, MD, Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church is a parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. We began as a mission parish in early 1993 with six families who converted to Holy Orthodoxy. Today, our community numbers over 200 members, about half of whom are converts from several Protestant denominations.

Learn more about our parish…