Father Silviu Bunta, a former student of our Archbishop Alexander and a priest of our diocese, is offering a four-month course on old world Orthodoxy with weekly sessions.  This course will take the place of our normal inquirers/catechumen classes and begins September 1.  Those who attend through all the classes, through December, will be eligible to enroll in the Church as formal catechumens.  We will have a monthly inquirers and catechumen meetings, as the course continues, on the first Wednesday of each month (September, October, November, and December) via zoom.  Inquirers and catechumen candidates are also expected to attend church regularly during that period.  Our local meetings (again, via zoom) will be focused on our parish and local questions about local practices.  The direction of our Archbishop Alexander is that inquirers and catechumens should attend regularly for at least a full year before being considered for baptism or chrismation.  If you have already contacted Fr. Marty about catechism, please contact him via email again and acknowledge your enrollment in this course.

Father Silviu grew up in Romania as an Orthodox Christian and has valuable insights in our life in Christ.  Sign up here: https://www.skool.com/old-world-orthodoxy/about The class is limited to 100 persons.  Catechumens and inquirers: this class is the instructional class for fall 2026.  The cost is $25 per month.  If you need financial assistance, please see let Fr. Marty know ASAP.  The flyer is below.  The diocese is willing to contribute 1/2 the cost (as a reimbursement) after the conclusion of the class.  This means that what is normally $100 (4 months at $25 per month) can be obtained at the cost of $50.  IN ADDITION TO SIGNING UP AT THE SKOOL.COM LINK, PLEASE LET FR. MARTY KNOW VIA EMAIL BY AUGUST 23 IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE, AND ALSO IF YOU WILL WANT REIMBURSEMENT AT THE END OF THE COURSE.

This course will likely fill up quickly, so please register now.

More information:

See Orthodox Christianity in a surprising and refreshing way, as it looks from the Old World!  There is a rare fragrance to it! It is an Orthodoxy of the bones, needful but unsearching, growing but unmeasuring, intentional but peaceful. Orthodoxy in America has made great strides, but it has not yet captured this fully.

“I want to experience the breakthrough Orthodoxy promises me.”
“Keep your focus on Christ, Who is at the bottom of your heart, with patience.”

Because transformation is from Christ. The question is where He waits for you, stably. If you go there, then He can change you, bit by bit. This is the “one needful thing” (Luke 10:42). It is what spiritual life is made of, from its beginning to its “endless end.”

Fr. Silviu has spent almost three decades translating this principle for many in the New World—as a Priest, Father Confessor, Professor, and public speaker. Fr. Silviu’s Skool platform will give you a window into this life. Simply. Practically. In your day to day living. Be part of this community!  Those who sign up before 9/1/26 will get access to an “appetizer” course. Among the topics discussed will be how it applies to prayer and its problems. Worship participation and its preparation. Spiritual struggle. Repentance. Despair. Thoughts and feelings. Education of children. Maturation. Married life. Suffering. Death.

Each week there will be a pre-shared 30-minute lecture on the topic assigned to that week. It will be followed by a 1-hour live QA meeting on Thursday between 7:00-8:00 pm CST (Sep 3 through Dec 17). These are also recorded and shared with everyone enrolled. You can either join the sessions live. Or, watch the recordings. Whichever you prefer.

STAY CONNECTED BEYOND THIS COURSE! After this first course, the conversation will continue on the same platform, through other courses, through webinars, etc.