St. Kosmas and Damianos Church is a multi-ethnic parish of Orthodox Christians. We are Orthodox because our tradition of prayer and worship is rooted in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic undivided Church.
It is important to define our terms. The Orthodox Church was founded by Christ through the Apostles and has maintained a living, historical connection with the Apostolic church through the ordination of its clergy. The fact that the bishop who ordains an Orthodox priest today can trace his ordination historically all the way back to the Apostles, and through them to Christ, is a guarantee that the Orthodox Church was not founded a few centuries or decades ago but by Christ Himself. We call this "Apostolic Succession." It means that the Orthodox Church is the authentic and genuine Church or Body of Christ in the world today. It continues to teach not one man's interpretation of the faith but the complete deposit of faith as it was handed down to the Apostles by Jesus Christ.
One of the distinguishing features of the Orthodox Church is her consistency. The Orthodox Church baptizes by a three-fold immersion as was practiced in the early Church. It still confirms infants at baptism bestowing upon them the "seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." It still brings babies and small children to receive Holy Communion. In the liturgy the deacon still cries out, "The doors, the doors," recalling early days when none but baptized members of the Christian family could participate in the liturgy. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is still recited without the later addition. The Orthodox Church has two distinctive features: (1) her changelessness; (2) her sense of living continuity with the church of the Apostles.
This section of our website gives an overview of the history of our parish, and also introduces you to our Clergy and Staff.
©2024 Sts. Kosmas & Damianos Greek Orthodox Church / Rochester's Orthodox Church
Powered by Ekklesia 360