My visit to St. George's

I visited the small Russian parish in Cincinnati yesterday for Liturgy. I had been wanting to go for awhile but just hadn't made it yet. It's set in an older neighborhood near Blue Ash.

It took a little while to find it but then I saw the little cupola at the end of the road and parked my car. It definitely reminds me of the small parishes dotted all over Russia. Before I left my house I wondered if I should bring a headscarf, since that is the traditional wear in Europe. Well, my instincts were right as I saw a couple of women hurriedly draping their heads before making the sign of the cross and entering the building.

I tried to slip in unnoticed but it was impossible. Two women turned around and saw me. Trying to avoid a faux pas, I circled my head with a finger and shook my head. No problem...they had a box of scarves right there. A lady handed it to me and said, "Ah, you are American peoples?"
Gee, no give away there right?

When I entered the tiny room I crossed myself and tried to find a place to stand. In most Orthodox churches, people stand for the majority of the Liturgy which can last over 2 hours. It's a bonus if you can find chairs or benches. So I stood there amidst mostly Russian women on the left side while the men stayed on the right. I kept fiddling with my scarf; it wouldn't stay on my head and I was getting very hot standing next to all these women wearing wool clothing.

The choir mostly sang in Russian then some English. It was beautiful. But I couldn't really tell when communion began and ended. I stayed back while most of the others jockeyed for a position. There was no organization to the chaos whatsoever.

After the service I went forth and took the blessed bread. As I went back into the front room for coffee hour, a woman stopped me, pointing to my sweater. I had something on it. I almost flicked it off then realized it was a crumb of the bread. She grabbed it fast and put it in my mouth. Anything that is blessed or sacred is never to fall to the ground or tossed away...like our flag I suppose.


I met some nice people during coffee hour, many who didn't speak good English. But I don't know any Russian save for a few words so I commended them.

Most people assumed I wasn't Orthodox but when I told them they wanted to know all about why I had chosen to do so. Most cradle Orthodox cannot really grasp why Americans want to join their church. I tried to explain about the televangelists, the making a commodity out of God, and reducing the church to an entertainment venue as reasons. I think they understood but I also think many of them have not been exposed to it so could not make a comparison for themselves.

These people truly have faith and don't question it. They don't let the trappings of our society dictate their lives. Maybe that's the bliss of coming to America as an outsider.