Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit Orthodox Church
Archpriest Steven C. Kostoff
4285 Ashland Ave, Cincinnati OH 45212 - (513) 351-0907
Monthly Calendar with smartphone sync


Today's Scripture  |  Today's Saints  |  Today's Prologue

New to Orthodoxy? Visit our About Orthodoxy section, ideal for inquirers and seekers!

And watch our services via livestream on our YouTube Channel. Come and see!

 


  • 19

    Jan

    Sunday
    Ven. Macarius the Great
    9:10AM Hours
    9:30AM Divine Liturgy
    7:00PM St. Katherine's Sisterhood Meeting
  • 20

    Jan

    Monday
    Ven. Euthymius the Great
    7:00PM Vespers (St. Maximus the Confessor)
  • 21

    Jan

    Tuesday
    Ven. Maximus the Confessor
    6:45PM Choir Rehearsal
    7:00PM Inquirers Class
  • 23

    Jan

    Thursday
    Hieromartyr Clement
    7:00PM Vespers (Blessed Xenia of Petersburg)
  • 24

    Jan

    Friday
    Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg
    7:00AM Akathist to St. Xenia of Petersburg
    Fast
  • 25

    Jan

    Saturday
    St. Gregory the Theologian
    9:00AM Postpartum Brunch
    6:00PM Great Vespers
  • 26

    Jan

    Sunday
    Ven. Xenophon, Mary, Arcadius, & John
    9:10AM Hours
    9:30AM Divine Liturgy
    4:00PM-6:00PM FOCUS Meal Serving and Food Pantry at CTS
    6:00PM Young Adult Group meet at the Kostoff's
  • 27

    Jan

    Monday
    Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom
    7:00PM Vespers (Sts. Ephraim and Isaac of Syria)
  • 29

    Jan

    Wednesday
    Translation of the Relics of St. Ignatius the Godbearer
    7:00PM Great Vespers
    Fast
  • 30

    Jan

    Thursday
    Three Holy Hierarchs
    9:30AM Divine Liturgy (Three Hierarchs)
    9:00PM Compline
  • 1

    Feb

    Saturday
    Martyr Tryphon

    4:00PM TORCH Vesperal Gathering
    6:00PM Great Vespers
  • 2

    Feb

    Sunday
    Zacchaeus Sunday
    MEETING OF THE LORD
    9:10AM Hours
    9:30AM Divine Liturgy
Parish Ministries and Church School

 

FOCUS Cincinnati Chapter

Facing the Needs of our Neighbors... Together

 

Thank you for your constant support to this ministry!!!!!!

 

Yours in Christ, 
Charlene Myers,  Director,  FOCUS, Cincinnati


 

'TORCH'

Teen Orthodox

Revealing Christ’s Hope

 

Join our Parish Youth Group,  'TORCH',  led by Rhett & Jenny Harkins — please contact them for more info.

 

Our vision is to engage more with our teens, who are willing and open to sharing the real challenges and questions of their current contexts.  Our goal in attaining this vision is to provide more for our teens:  More outings, events, and possibly even more gatherings. 

 

This active ministry meets weekly during the Church School Year, from September through May.  Learn more on the TORCH page


image

 

CHURCH SCHOOL

This year we are studying The Old Testament, classes began on September 15, 2024.

 

Late registrations are welcome!  Please contact Fr Steven or our Church School Director, Terrie Sauer.


 

INQUIRERS CLASS

For those who are attracted to the Orthodox Church and who would like to take the "next step" in drawing closer, this class is essential. If you are interested, please contact Kevin Rains or Fr Steven.


Sanctity of Life Sunday 2025

Met. Tikhon at the 2024 March for Life
Met. Tikhon at the 2024 March for Life

 

SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY, 2025

 

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon has announced Sunday, January 26, 2025, as Sanctity of Life Sunday to be observed in parishes of the Orthodox Church in America.

 

As stated on the OCA's announcement, "Sanctity of Life Sunday falls two days after the annual March for Life, scheduled for Friday, January 24, 2025... Participants in this year’s march will be members of the Holy Synod of Bishops, representatives from the stavropegial seminaries, and Orthodox Christians from across the country... You are invited to join His Beatitude and other Orthodox faithful from across the nation in commemorating the victims of abortion and standing in witness to the sanctity of life... For more information, including location addresses and a full schedule of events, please visit the Orthodox Christians for Life website."

 

Read the full announcement and Met. Tikhon's message here.

 

For more on the Orthodox witness to and advocacy for the sacred gift of life, visit our Sanctity of Life page.

MORE News and Features

LIVESTREAM MINISTRY

We livestream on our YouTube channel most of our services, including Great Vespers on Saturday evenings at 6:00pm, and the Hours & Divine Liturgy at 9:10am on Sunday mornings. As always, we invite you to "come and see" and join us in person, but we hope our livestream ministry may be a help and blessing whenever needed.


PRAYERS & AID FOR UKRAINE

  • Message from Met. Tikhon on Peace in the Ukraine
  • UNICEF Update; ways to donate to aid for children in Ukraine
  • Articles & Commentary on the war
  • Suggested prayers for the suffering during the conflict,
  • Visit our UKRAINE RELIEF PAGE...

From our 2022 Pilgrimage
From our 2022 Pilgrimage
From our 2022 Pilgrimage

 

MONASTERY

PILGRIMAGES

 

St. Katherine Sisterhood was blessed to visit Holy Dormition Monastery in Rives Jct MI, October 13-15th, 2023.

 

The monastic life is alive, vibrant, and a central dynamic force in the life of the Orthodox Church, and has been since the early 4th century, with roots going back to the Apostolic period, and even to many of the Old Testament prophets, such as Elijah.

 

Did you know there are nearly a hundred Orthodox monasteries spread across North America? We are fortunate to have a few monasteries in our region, only three to four hours away, and we make a group pilgrimage to one of them each year. Some of our parishioners have even become monastics! 

 

See our special page on monasticism, and contact Fr Steven if you are interested in learning more.


 

America's Newest Saint:

 

MATUSHKA OLGA

OF ALASKA

 

DECEMBER 31, 2024: Announcement Regarding Matushka Olga’s Canonization and Feast Day

AUGUST 16, 2024: New article and icon added...

 

Joyous News! - The Orthodox Church in America has issued an official proclamation announcing the glorification of Matushka Olga of Alaska. She is now numbered among the saints whose names are on the ecclesiastical calendar! Please read the Proclamation on our Midwest Diocese website.

 

Explore our new Special Resource Page for Matushka Olga, with more info, icons, and video, and which we hope to greatly expand over the coming years.


Our Bishops

 

His Beatitude, The Most Blessed

TIKHON
Archbishop of Washington,

Metropolitan of All America and Canada,

Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

Metropolitan Tikhon's Biography

Read Metropolitan Tikhon's Message for Pascha

 

His Eminence, The Most Reverend

DANIEL
Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest,

Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

Archbishop Daniel's Biography

Read Archbishop Daniel's Message for Pascha

New Parish Photo

Our Parish Family, Autumn 2023!
Our Parish Family, Autumn 2023!
Our Parish Family, Autumn 2023!

 

PARISH FAMILY PHOTO PROVIDES 'TEACHABLE MOMENT'

Hope you were here this past Sunday, October 22, for the taking of our parish photo, our first one since 2017! A large group was indeed present, and the results are posted here, and on our Welcome Page, Photo Gallery, and Stewardship Page.

 

Following the photo, a perhaps understandable outburst of cheering and clapping broke out since it took some patience to set things up "just right," but here is a reminder that neither cheering nor clapping is appropriate for any services or events in the nave of the church.

 

Special thanks to Subdeacon Ron (Myron) Skulas for his photographic skills.

Contemporary Classics of Orthodox Literature

 

Read Fr. Steven's important new article, an "apologia" and guidepost on some of the great Orthodox writers and books of the 20th century, those pillars on whom our contemporary Church and writers stand. — Excerpt:

 

Contemporary Classics of Orthodox Literature

 

by Fr. Steven Kostoff


...A steady Orthodox reading discipline/program is essential in today's world perhaps more than ever. We are so ideologically bombarded from so many disparate quarters, that we need to remember who we are and what we believe! I am writing, though, with a particular concern in mind: Perhaps we are only - or mostly only - reading the most contemporary literature...

 

I want to make a heartfelt plea for the great writers who nurtured me, who nurtured an entire earlier generation or two, and who wrote the classics of twentieth century Orthodox literature. This is a great literature that placed Orthodoxy on the "map" both in America and in Europe and beyond - into Russia and other parts of the world. I strongly believe that we need to read these classics of the twentieth century, because these are the very books that served as the foundation for others to build on. These were books that allowed Orthodoxy to emerge from its sheltered ethnic communities; books which revived an abiding and lasting focus on the Fathers of the Church; books which completely restored the apostolic vision of the Liturgy and the Eucharist; and books that penetrated deeply into our genuine spiritual Tradition with the insights and practices that lead us to lives of holiness...

 

Read the complete article, with an extensive book list and brief line about each title...

 

Onine Parish Giving

Secure, easy, online giving.

Give towards your pledge, or make a simple donation.

Learn more and get started here  . . .

Recent Featured Stories, Events and more

Get to know us through recent parish news and feature articles...


 

CELEBRATING 30+ YEARS

On June 30, 2020, the parish celebrated Fr Steven & Presvytera Deborah's 30 years of ministry here at Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit. View some wonderful images from the special program and meal, and read some of Father Steven's reflections on this significant anniversary.

AXIOS! and Thank you, Father Steven and Presvytera, and may God grant you Many Years!!!

View photos on our Photo Gallery...

 

For Our Daily Rule

Today's Scripture, Saints & Prologue

- The daily readings right here on our website

 

PODCASTS on the SCRIPTURES:

The Path - Daily scripture & commentary, inspired by the Saints

 

Search the Scriptures - Accessible Bible study for busy people

 

Daily Orthodox Scriptures - Reading Through the Bible in One Year

 

The Whole Counsel of God - Verse By Verse Through The Scriptures


PARISHIONER DELIVERS TALK AT ORTHODOX CONFERENCE

 

Christ the Savior parishioner Natasha Frasch delivered a talk at the 2019 conference, Speaking the Truth in Love, held at St Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary in South Canaan PA over the November 7-9 weekend.

 

You can learn more about the conference here, and listen to and download the presentations at Ancient Faith Radio.

SPECIAL VIDEO ON OUR ICONOGAPHER,

FR. ANDREW TREGUBOV

Dear Parish Faithful,
 
I just discovered this wonderful YouTube video featuring our parish iconographer, Fr. Andrew Tregubov, explaining the traditional method and theory behind icon painting. Quite fascinating. It is relatively short and very nicely produced. Please take the time to watch this. I invited Fr. Andrew to the parish many times, but he always had to decline because of his responsibilities in caring for his parents and in-laws. His wife, Galina, hand stitched our burial shroud that we venerate during Holy Week.
 
With Fr. Andrew as our iconographer, our parish is blessed with some of the best iconography being created today in North America. 
 
Fr. Steven

MONDAY MORNING MEDITATIONS

Fr Steven's book is available through the church office/bookstore, and online.

"For almost twenty years now, parishioners at Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit in Cincinnati, and friends in Christ from places near and far, have been receiving from Father Steven his 'Monday Morning Meditations' via email, or have been visiting his Orthodox Christian Meditations Blog. Now at long last a selection of Father Steven's reflections have been published in book form by Kaloros Press!"

Learn more on this special page, and purchase at the church, or order online here.

 

Parish Icon - The Holy Mandylion

The Patronal Icon of our Parish, by the hand of Fr. Andrew Tregubov
The Patronal Icon of our Parish, by the hand of Fr. Andrew Tregubov
The Patronal Icon of our Parish, by the hand of Fr. Andrew Tregubov

The 'Image Not Made By Hands'

Celebrated on August 16 - Learn about our Parish Patronal Feast, the Miraculous Image of Christ associated with it and its amazing story, through these special resources:

Read this OCA article about the history and feast of the 'Image Not Made By Hands', the 'Holy Mandylion'.

 

UPDATED FOR 2024! - Download our Orthodox bibliography on the Holy Mandylion and the Shroud of Turin 

This special PDF handout was originally produced for our 2019 Fall Retreat on the Shroud of Turin, and contains embedded links to books, articles, videos and more.

More Parish Features and Info for Newcomers . . .

 

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION — From our Church School program, to our Summer Bible Study, Fall Adult Classes, and Spiritual Retreats, and more, Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit offers many opportunities for deepening our faith while growing in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Come and join us!


 

MONASTIC MATTERS  —  Monasticism is essential to the life of the Orthodox Church. Did you know there are about 100 Orthodox monasteries in North America,  several within only a 3-4 hour drive from us? Explore some unique features, videos and articles on Orthodox monastic life, including our annual Parish Monastery Retreats, and much more. On our Monasteries page...


An Ideal Guide to the Liturgy . . .

The DIVINE LITURGY of the ORTHODOX CHURCH
Meaning, Preparation & Practice

by Archpriest Steven C. Kostoff

 

Third Edition, with a new Epilogue by the author

 

Seekers, catechumens and Orthodox faithful alike will be blessed by this trustworthy and inspiring guide to the Divine Liturgy and the Life in Christ, composed by our pastor, a faithful presbyter of the Orthodox Church in America.

 

Paperback, 64 pages, full color cover.

Reduced price, only $7.99! Learn more and order here...


 

WELCOME - LET'S GET ACQUAINTED! — Get to know us through photos of parish life and of new members to Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit. Also, photos honoring Fr Steven's 30 years at Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit. All this and much more on our Photo & Video Gallery page.


 

PARISH MINISTRIES  —  Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit members serve in various capacities within the church, and our parish helps support various ministries in our local neighborhood, as well as regionally and even internationally. Our Ministries page describes this vibrant area of parish life in more detail. Select ministries have their own pages with additional information. If you're wondering where you might put your God-given talents to work, this is a good place to start!