Clergy Wives:
Connect, Encourage, Support
The Clergy Wives serves as a program of the Office of Pastoral Life, dedicated to connecting, encouraging and supporting clergy wives across the Orthodox Church in America.
St. Matushka Olga
St. Matushka Olga (Feb. 3, 1916 – November 8, 1979) was a Yup’ik Eskimo woman who lived in Kwethluk, Alaska. She served as a clergy wife, a midwife and a confidante in her village, caring especially for women. In love and prayer, she supported the spread of Orthodox Christianity. The Orthodox Church in America proclaimed her glorification on November 8, 2023.
Holy Matushka Olga, pray for us.
Learn more about the Glorification of St. Olga.
St. Xenia
Saint Xenia lived during the eighteenth century, but little is known of her life or of her family. She passed most of her life in Petersburg during the reigns of the empresses Elizabeth and Catherine II.
Xenia Grigorievna Petrova was the wife of an army officer, Major Andrew Petrov. After the wedding, the couple lived in Saint Petersburg. Saint Xenia became a widow at the age of twenty-six when her husband suddenly died at a party. She grieved for the loss of her husband, and especially because he died without Confession or Holy Communion…
To continue to learn more about St. Xenia, click here.
Projects
Newsletters
Directories
Clergy Wives Prayer List
Diocesan Point People (DPP)
Retreats & Workshops
Clergy Widows
History of Clergy Wives
In July 2020, following the first clergy-wives online retreat, His Grace Bishop Alexei encouraged the retreat facilitators to form a group representing the voice of OCA clergy wives. With the blessing of Bishop Alexei, eight women volunteered to initiate this group, committing to meet every other week to lay a firm foundation for a new and meaningful initiative within the church.
Mission
Our mission is to provide relevant, Christ-centered, spiritually-nourishing, and feedback-based programs to connect, encourage, and support clergy wives of the Orthodox Church in America in order to champion their gifts in serving the Orthodox Church.
Purpose
Our purpose is to regularly advise the OPL and Central Church Administration on the needs and unique challenges of clergy wives, facilitate programs with church leadership for them, and connect, encourage, and support clergy wives.
Vision
Our vision is to be a support to every clergy wife in the Orthodox Church of America.
Empowering Spiritual Caregivers
Upcoming Events
Stay Connected and Engaged with Our Calendar of Events. Explore Workshops, Retreats, and Community Gatherings Tailored to Support Your Spiritual Journey and Professional Development.
Connect With Us
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We’d love to have a more complete contact list of clergy wives in the Orthodox Church in America. If you haven’t received communications from us, please submit/update your contact information here: