About Us
Dear Friends,
Thank you for visiting the website of our parish, Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church in Baltimore, Maryland. We hope that your search throughout our website will acquaint you with the faith, cultural heritage and rich history of our parish.
Our parish community, founded in 1919, was started by immigrants from the Russian Empire (the territories of modern Ukraine and Belarus) who fled poverty and political strife to start a new life in America. Having come to a new land, our ancestors brought with them their language, customs and their faith – the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith.
Although generations have passed, our parishioners today still piously live the Holy Orthodox Faith and continue the many customs and traditions brought here to Baltimore from the Slavic lands of Eastern Europe. We are thankful for the sacrifices of our ancestors and proud of the heritage they entrusted to us.
Come, open the pages of this website and learn about our parish life here in Baltimore. We truly hope that you find the information both interesting and helpful. Thank you, and may God bless you.
With love in Christ,
Fr. John Vass
Rector
Our Clergy
Meet our clergy and leadership.
Read more >>>
Administration
The Parish Council is composed of elected parish members who manage and oversee the operations of the church and the parish community under the guidance of the rector. Any parishioner who has been a member in good standing with the church for at least three years may run for a position on the Parish Council. The parish council meets monthly, typically at the church hall one evening during the week. The meetings are announced in advance and all Parishioners are welcome to attend.
Elections to the Parish Council are held at each Annual Parish Meeting. The Annual Parish Meeting is held in early December. Official announcements are published inviting all to attend.
In addition to the Parish Council, standing committees such as finance, stewardship, audit, and so on are in place to further support the operations of the church. There are many opportunities for everyone to use their unique gifts to help the parish.
Contact us >>>
Divine Liturgy, Vigil Services and Sermons – Live Stream
Divine Liturgy, Vigil services and sermons are available for viewing remotely on YouTube.
Live Stream >>>
Sermons
Sermons are available for viewing remotely on YouTube. Sermons >>>
Stewardship
Giving thanks to God, we the faithful of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, with sincere gratitude, recognize the sacrifices and accomplishments of our founding Fathers and Mothers most especially at this time of our centennial celebration. With faith and love we reach out to our community, giving witness to the Orthodox faith and traditions which have stood the test of time, and we prayerfully work on building upon the foundation for future generations. To God belongs Glory. Amen.
Read more >>>
Sunday School
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church provides formal classroom instruction on Orthodoxy, Christianity and Moral Issues. The school year begins in the fall after Labor Day and continues through May. The classes are grouped by elementary, middle, and high school grade level of the children to enable the students to progress at a common pace from preschool through twelfth grade. Classes start after Sunday's Divine Liturgy and continue for about 45-50 minutes where we focus on developing the religious, moral, and liturgical awareness of our youth through a comprehensive and multifaceted curriculum that incorporates worship, holy tradition, scripture, iconography, hymnology and discipleship. Our ultimate goal is provide our youth with a solid foundation in the Orthodox faith.
In addition to classroom study, related crafts, projects and charitable activities are prepared. Our youth participates in an annual Bible Bowl where they compete with other local Orthodox churches' Sunday schools in knowledge of Holy scriptures. Also, each year the students participate in the annual Yolka, a Christmas program, which includes a parish family dinner, talent show and a visit from Santa (Father Frost). Visit our Gallery of photos and videos to see these engaging events.
Contact Us >>>
Parish Choir
In the Orthodox Church we use only one musical instrument, created by the hand of God – the human voice. We use our voices to praise God, to glorify Him, to give thanks to Him and to lift our prayers and supplications to His Heavenly Throne. And so, singing in the Orthodox Church is a sacred responsibility not to be taken lightly, grounded firmly in prayer. St. John Chrysostom writes, “When we sing church hymns, we must be careful that we do not pronounce only the words with our tongues while our hearts wander elsewhere.” Every hymn, every phrase, every verse of the church service must be sung prayerfully in such a way that these hymns become our very own words pouring out from our hearts. Read more >>>
Sisterhood of St. Catherine
We are the women of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, organized to support our church and parish life. We care for the tidiness and beauty of our temple, participate in parish events, run charitable activities, and support each other. The Sisterhood is our opportunity to serve God and people. All woman parishioners of our church are encouraged to become members of the Sisterhood.
Contact Us >>>
Brotherhood of St. Alexander Nevsky
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church has an active Brotherhood which supports the parish through benevolent and charitable activities. The Brotherhood sponsors many actitivies at Catherdral Gardens and works tirelessly at the Russian Festival. Their objective is to meet the needs of the church, the clergy and parish and to tend to the general needs of the diocese and of the common church.
Contact Us >>>
Orthodox Cemetery
Cathedral Gardens Cemetery was founded in 1926. Saints Peter and Paul Chapel is located on the grounds at Cathedral Gardens. Services are scheduled at the Chapel for select services and when picnics are planned at the pavilion. Cathedral Gardens comprises approximately 56 acres located in Howard County, Maryland.
Read more >>>
Please contact the Manager for further information and questions about purchase of burial lots.
Contact us >>>
Annual Russian Festival
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church held the first Russian Festival in 1973. Since then, on the third weekend of October, the parishioners come together to celebrate the cultural heritage and rich history of our parish.
During this festive weekend, savor the authentic foods, prepared by the parishioners, browse the import kiosk, visit the children’s corner, and enjoy the dance groups and musical ensembles. Plus, tour the historic church to view the new interior restorations of the structure dating back to the 1860’s!
Read more >>>
Parish History
Initially in 1919, Holy Trinity’s congregation consisted entirely of Russian and other Slavic immigrants who lived in the surrounding Washington Hill neighborhood. They were of various backgrounds; nonetheless, all welcomed a new life in America. From the very beginning, the church was more than a place of worship. It was also a focal point where people could gather and associate with members of their own culture. The parish regularly organized balls, concerts, receptions, picnics, Yolka celebrations and various other social events.
In the opening years of the 21st Century, changes were taking root . The composition of the parish became more diverse. Many new arrivals from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe began settling in the Baltimore region. Recent immigrants from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Serbia and Romania joined our church community and became increasingly active in the life of our parish. Their involvement brought renewed enthusiasm to the life to the parish. By 2019, as many as 10 different languages are spoken by our parishioners.
With parish life thriving, the members looked to ensure our church would be around for many years to come and to be a home for future generations of Orthodox Christians in Baltimore. Knowing that our centennial celebration was not so far away, efforts first started on the outside and structure of the church to be sure our efforts inside the church would be well protected. On the eve of the church centennial, planning for the historic celebration began. Individual committees worked tirelessly on each important element of memorializing this important milestone – renovations, parish history research, celebration, and fund raising. Despite their many varied responsibilities, all of our parishioners were focused on the mission of such an endeavor. The Centennial Celebration was held on May 4, 2019.
Read more >>>