Press Releases
Find updates on recent events, announcements, and initiatives of the Office of Pastoral Life. Each release offers a record of our shared work, moments of gathering, and opportunities for growth in ministry within the life of the Church.
Archbishop Mark Invites the Church to Sustain Thriving in Ministry
For more than a decade, I have watched priests and clergy wives in the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania discover something essential through Thriving in Ministry: those who serve the Church need trusted companions along the way.
Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life Invites Clergy to 2026 Pastoral Retreat
Registration closes Tuesday, Sept. 1 for four-day gathering centered on prayer, fraternity and long-term flourishing in pastoral ministry. Photo on the right: The interior of New Gracanica Monastery, where participants in the 2026 Office of Pastoral Life Pastoral...
OCA Clergy Wives Blessed by Renewal and Fellowship at Antiochian Village
Thirty-three clergy wives from across the Orthodox Church in America gathered at Antiochian Village for the 2026 Clergy Wives Retreat, a four-day experience centered on rest, renewal, resilience, and fellowship in Christ.
In Final Days of Retreat Registration Metropolitan Tikhon Appeals to Whole Church: “Support Clergy Wives’ Renewal”
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon is encouraging dioceses, parishes, clergy, and faithful throughout the Orthodox Church in America to support clergy wives who wish to participate in the inaugural Office of Pastoral Life’s Clergy Wives Retreat, “Come Away and Rest,” July 27–30, 2026, at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.
OCA Clergy Invited to 2026 Office of Pastoral Life Pastoral Retreat
Clergy of the Orthodox Church in America are invited to register for the 2026 Office of Pastoral Life Pastoral Retreat, which will take place September 29–October 2, 2026, at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake Retreat Center in Mundelein, Illinois.
Strong Parish Support Fuels Early Registration for First Clergy Wives Retreat
Clergy wives from across the Orthodox Church in America are registering for the 2026 Office of Pastoral Life Clergy Wives Retreat, “Come Away and Rest,” which will be held July 27–30, 2026, at Antiochian Village Conference and Retreat Center in Bolivar, Pennsylvania.
Financial Health Initiative Begins Second Cohort with Expanded Participation
The Office of Pastoral Life of the Orthodox Church in America has launched the second cohort of the Financial Health Initiative, a program designed to support the financial well-being and stability of its clergy households. Cohort 2 began June 1, 2026, with 36 clergy...
Registration Now Open for First OCA-Wide Clergy Wives Retreat
SPRINGFIELD, VA — Registration is now open for the 2026 OCA-Wide Clergy Wives Retreat, hosted by the Office of Pastoral Life of the Orthodox Church in America. The retreat will take place July 27–30, 2026, at the Antiochian Village Conference and Retreat Center in...
Office of Pastoral Life and Clergy Wives Ministry Host Lenten Retreat for Widows of Clergy
By Matushka Deborah Belonick On Saturday, March 28, 2026, the Orthodox Church in America’s Office of Pastoral Life, through its Clergy Wives Ministry, hosted an online Lenten retreat for widows of reposed clergy. The Very Rev. Dr. Steven Voytovich presented on the...