Our Faith
St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church of Naples, FL is a parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, functioning under the oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios , the Presiding Hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta , which is a Holy Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Our foundations date to the time of Jesus Christ. There are more than 300 million Orthodox Christians throughout the world.
“The Orthodox Church is Evangelical but not Protestant, Orthodox but not Jewish, Catholic but not Roman. It is pre-denominational, not “non-denominational.” It has believed, taught, preserved, defended, and died for the faith of the Apostles since it was established on the day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. It is the true vine of Christ.” It is universal!
Church of the Holy Wisdom, Constantinople (circa. 1450)
Through an unbroken lineage of Bishops and Church Councils, dating to the time of Christ, we confess the same faith as the Holy Apostles in every Eucharistic celebration:
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of
God, begotten of the Father before all ages;
Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten,
not created, of one essence with the Father
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven and was incarnate
of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
and suffered and was buried;
And He rose on the third day,
according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
And He will come again with glory to judge the living
and dead. His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life,
Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the
Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who
spoke through the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the age to come.
Amen
“This is the faith of the Apostles! This is the faith of the Fathers! This is the Orthodox faith! This faith has established the universe!” - Proclamation from The Sunday of Orthodoxy
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” - Jude 1:3
“… “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10: 8-10