Orthodox Christian Life

The Ecumenical Patriarch attended an interfaith ceremony at Georgetown University on Oct. 25 with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, DC, Georgetown President John J. DeGioia, Thomas A. Reynolds III, chair of Georgetown’s Board of Directors, and Georgetown University students.

Resources

Georgetown Orthodox Christian Fellowship

Georgetown OCF is an active student community group on campus with a close relationship with Orthodox Christian Life. Join our Facebook group!

For nearly 50 years Orthodox Christian Life has served students at Georgetown University, giving strong support to the students and faculty of many different faith traditions present on campus. While remaining true to its Roman Catholic and Jesuit roots, the university has continually sought to offer ministry to those of other religious backgrounds, enhancing the spiritual lives of those who use the services of the Office of Campus Ministry. 

Our first service is for the beginning of the academic year, where all present are individually blessed with Holy Water. Liturgy is the primary expression of the Orthodox faith, and thus Orthodox Life at Georgetown centers on liturgical services. During most of the academic year, we gather weekly for vespers in Copley Crypt Chapel. Vespers, an evening prayer service, reflects the Orthodox Liturgical calendar and marks Holy Days and Saints Days. During Great Lent, we hold the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts so that students have an opportunity to receive communion on campus. On Sundays, students are encouraged to attend Liturgy at one of the two local Orthodox churches. For Pascha, the university provides transportation to and from those churches for midnight services.

For inquiries, please contact orthodoxlife@georgetown.edu.

Thanks to a generous gift from Georgetown Board of Directors member Michael Psaros (B’89) and Family, the Orthodox Chaplaincy is the first chaplaincy in the Office of Campus Ministry to be endowed with a named Chaplain. The Orthodox Christian Chaplaincy Director Fr David Pratt holds the His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I Orthodox Chaplaincy chair.

Copley Crypt Chapel Reopens

Orthodox Christian Vespers Services, Catholic Masses, and other prayer services take place in the beautiful Copley Crypt Chapel (pictured below). Chapel, originally constructed nearly 100 years ago, reopened in Fall 2021 after a multi-year renovation project.

New Icons of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Andrew, in addition to a new iconostasis with Christ the Pantocrator, The Theotokos, St John the Baptist, and St Mary of Egypt were added as part of the renovation. We plan to offer Divine Liturgies for our Orthodox Students in the Copley Crypt.