Everyday Orthodox

Michelle writes children's literature and a blog called "Hopeful Patience," which is about various struggles, including infertility issues. She is the full-time caregiver for her husband and an administrative assistant at an Antiochian parish.

Sam is a graphic designer and documentary filmmaker. His documentary New Men, which is about an Orthodox monastery, inspired his conversion to Orthodoxy. He is currently a 2020 Epicenter Frontier Fellow and a mediocre improv comedian.

Zach Sherman is a veteran high school literature teacher and a father of three. He was born and raised in the Church of Christ, in which he met his wife and began to raise his children. His journey to Orthodoxy began about 6 years ago with reading a seemingly simple footnote in a book. Eventually, he, his wife and children were all received into the Orthodox Church together on Lazarus Saturday of...

Sandra Anderson works in ministry development and has recently written A Handbook of Ministry Resources, Recommendations, and Reflections.

Elissa talks with newly appointed Orthodox missionaries Steve and Theophani Sarigianis. They met at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Massachusetts and found that they share a passion for mission work. Married in 2017, they are about to embark on a great adventure: they're moving to Albania with OCMC!

Nick Nicholson joins us live to talk about the Monastery of Mesa Potamos' new intimate and lively biography of the Romanov family, which is based on diaries, letters, and memoirs never before seen in English.

Get to know Dn. Adam—filmmaker, author, and Ancient Faith podcaster. He's a content creator for the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Laura Jansson is delightful! She's a doula, a childbirth educator, and a mother, living and writing at the intersection of birth and faith. She has lived all around the world and is the author of Ancient Faith Publishing's Fertile Ground.

Bright, bold, and poetic, Laura Lee is a convert to Orthodoxy who, at the height of her career as a CEO, suffered a devastating brain injury. Hear about her battle back, regaining language processing and simple life skills—and the lessons she's learned along the way.

Gail is a retired music teacher and a convert to Orthodoxy. Formerly a pastor in a Charismatic church, Gail had some amazing experiences on the road to the Orthodox faith.

Fr. Ignatius Lozano is a ROCOR priest in Lockhart, Texas—the famous home of Texas BBQ. We talk about his interesting life story, in which a nice American kid discovers Orthodoxy and becomes a ROCOR priest in the middle of rural Texas.

Former New Age Spiritualist and now Orthodox author Veronica Hughes joins Elissa tonight.

Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary choir in Jordanville, NY, and a semi-professional vocalist.

Fr. Ilya fell in love with pilgrimage and has found a way to live the dream: he leads pilgrims on Orthodox Tours to holy sites all over the world! We hear how he found his way into such a life and all about his travels to the Holy Land and Greece, Russia and the Balkans, Italy, Ireland, and Western Europe.

Bobby Maddex is AFR's fearless station manager, and his sister, Molly Sabourin, is the original Orthodox influencer and all-around creative spirit. Hear about their new book club and how these two siblings get along.

Fr. Seraphim talks about his very interesting life and work— from the small mission he's built into a beautiful and strong parish, to a robust prison ministry which carries him all over the state, to his work with the Church in Africa!

Kathryn is the mother of five daughters with a son on the way, and the Senior Advisor to the Illinois Attorney General on issues related to violence prevention and crime victims. She and Elissa talk about how she lives out the faith supporting crime survivors.

Summer is the mother of five, a student of theology, and an autistic woman parenting autistic children. How can our Holy Church welcome and support everyone, no matter their disabilities?

Alexis Pappas works in youth ministries and religious education at her parish in Birmingham, Alabama. Her joy is contagious.

Hannah Vazquez is wife to Will and mother of four, ages 9-2, with one on the way. They live in rural Indiana where they have space to garden and let the kids run free. She enjoys making her home a haven while trying to keep Christ at the center. She has contemplated seeking the kingdom of God while fulfilling her motherly responsibilities for several years and continues to seek and learn—and this...

Christine Hallberg is an Orthodox Christian living in Cary, NC. Chris has played a lot of roles in her life. Wife and mother, actor and educator, movie buff and current church school director. In 2013, at the age of 36, she got one more role she wasn’t counting on—breast cancer patient and survivor. Join us as we discuss the spiritual side of Chris’s journey through breast cancer.

Elissa Bjeletich will be talking with Fr. Nebojsa Pantic, a man who was sure he would never be a priest.

Meet Irene Perez, an iconographer and mom originally from Venezuela. Irene's family remains back home even as Venezuela crumbles. Irene came to the United States and found Orthodoxy through a complex and fascinating path, and today she teaches iconography and is raising her teenage son with her husband, Simon.

Joni is funny and smart, she's a cancer survivor, a mom, and a Sunday School teacher—and she's also an artist with a show opening soon at Fordham in New York City! Joni's father was a renowned iconographer, and her own art uses images and inspiration from Byzantine art and iconography, blending them with modern images to beautiful and profound effect. Check out her art here.

You'll enjoy Elissa's conversation with Dr. Tim Patitsas, ethics professor at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, MA. You'll hear about his upbringing in Kent, Ohio, his relationship with urban planning author Jane Jacobs, his work with Beauty First Films, and a new very non traditional calendar you may want to see.