Catechism at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church
What to Expect
“Attend the services of the Church constantly; never abandon them, especially on feast days. There you will find what your soul needs.” St. John Chrysostom
The most important part of catechism is being present at the services. The Divine Liturgy, Vespers, and feast days are where we truly learn the faith, not only through words but through prayer, worship, and the grace of God at work in His Church. Everything else flows from that experience. The classes, readings, and discussions help you understand what you see and hear, but nothing replaces standing before God with His people in prayer. Catechism is not just about information. It is formation, learning to live the Orthodox life of prayer, repentance, and love in communion with Christ and His Church.
When and Where
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
Our catechism sessions are recorded each week so you can listen and stay connected if you miss a class. Recordings are posted on our website and on all major podcast platforms under St. Mary Magdalene Bible Study.
Listening to the classes is helpful, but remember that true learning happens most deeply through prayer, worship, and presence in the services.
The Cathechism Guide
“Do not neglect reading the divine Scriptures; it is the wellspring of salvation.” - St. John Chrysostom
Our Catechism Guide is a series of articles designed to explain the Orthodox faith and help you learn how to live as an Orthodox Christian. These articles walk through what the Church teaches, why it matters, and how it becomes part of daily life through worship, prayer, fasting, confession, the sacraments, spiritual guidance, and life in the parish.
The guide is not meant to be rushed through all at once. Read it slowly and prayerfully as you attend services, come to catechism classes, and begin living the rhythm of Orthodox life. The goal is not just to learn information, but to understand the faith well enough to actually live it.
Please reach out regularly to Fr. Stephen or Anthony with questions by text, phone call, or email. Email is usually best because it gives us time to respond clearly and thoughtfully. Also, make sure you are reading through the articles, since many of the questions that come up during catechism may already be covered there.
We ask all catechumens to read through the articles carefully, bring questions to class, and let the life of the Church teach them through both study and experience. The Orthodox faith is learned with the mind, but it is also learned by prayer, worship, repentance, and participation in the Body of Christ.
RSS Feed of All Catechism Classes
Each of our adult Bible study classes is available to stream or download through your favorite platform. Subscribe via RSS, find us in your preferred podcast app, or listen directly on Apple Podcasts. Stay connected and deepen your understanding of the Orthodox faith, wherever you are.
Listen to Each Catechism Bible Study
Subscribe and listen to our classes on your favorite podcast platform:
Direct Catechism Class Recordings
Catechism Video Library
These videos are additional resources to help reinforce the catechism recordings above. I selected them because they explain certain aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith in ways that may help clarify or deepen what we are discussing in our catechism sessions. More will be added in time so stay tuned.