Welcome

Welcome to the official website of the
Orthodox
Church of the Mother of God,
Joy of all the Sorrowful

We are a growing parish in the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
We are in historic Mays Landing, New Jersey, easily reachable near where Route 40 meets Route 50 in Atlantic County


Street address:
Orthodox Church of the Mother of God
115 Hudson St.
Mays Landing, New Jersey 08330


Temporary Rector:

V. Rev. Dr. Matthew Searfoorce

207 Myrtle Ave
Turnersville, NJ 08012


Our Bishop:

The Right Reverend Michael

Bishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey


Sunday Mornings

Sunday Mornings (9:30 AM – Church School is before Liturgy during school year, except first Sunday of each month) Private Confession – Half hour before any service 9:40 AM – Hours (9:45 AM – General Confession on the first Sunday of each month, except during Great Lent) 10:00 AM – Divine Liturgy  – Holy Communion… Read More

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Christmas Celebration

We will celebrating the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in the Flesh with a liturgy  on Monday, December 25 at 10:00 am. This is a very important Holy Day in the course of human Salvation, and I hope everyone will be here for the services. Christ is born!                … Read More

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Archbishop Michael visit and St. Nicholas Day Celebration

Next Sunday,  December 10th, Archbishop Michael will be visiting our parish.  This coincides with our annual St. Nicholas Day celebration. The Sisterhood will be hosting a luncheon, the cost of which will be $10 per adult attending, payable at the door. Please invite your family and friends to attend this special event of our parish!

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Our Church Building

Photo of our Church

Our Church Building

Our church building, and the services celebrated within it, are from the tradition of the Church, from the vision of St John the Apostle, as well as the Old Testament Temple. The interior of the Orthodox Church buildings are particularly styled to give the experience of the unity of all things in God. They are not constructed to reproduce the upper room of the Last Supper, nor to be simply a meeting hall for people whose life exists solely within the bounds of this earth. The church building itself, is an image of the world.

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About the Patron of our Parish

(the Icon of the Mother of God “the Joy of All the Sorrowful”  is Commemorated on July 23, October 24, and November 19)

About the Patron of our Parish

By Helen Creticos Theodoropoulos

Deep within the heart of the Church, in the place where sorrow and joy meet and where our bitter tears are kissed away by a mother’s love, we encounter the Most Holy Mother of God. The Church in its devotion to the Ever-Virgin Mary has always known that she is a mystery and a gift given to us by God. The Theotokos is a mystery that can be experienced and encountered, and yet never explained or described in words of logic and science, and she is a gift that brings radiant joy and comfort in the midst of darkness and need. Through the centuries the Church has expressed its love for her through countless hymns, has praised her in its most exquisite poetry and song, and has portrayed her in its most beautiful and beloved icons. No other saint is the subject of so much devotion, and no other saint has so many miracles attributed him or her.

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Purpose

Purpose

As the local community of the Church of the Mother of God, this parish, exists for the purpose of worshiping God according to the Holy Scriptures and Tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church, to encourage union with God among the members of the parish, to seek out the lost, the searching, and the un-churched and to strive to bring them into union with the Church, to provide religious education to its members and potential members, provide charitable aid, and to defend, promote, and witness to theOrthodox Christian Faith in southern New Jersey.

This website is a tool to help in this purpose. Primarily to publicize our existence in southern New Jersey, and hopefully, encourage people to “come and see”.  

The many pages on this website contain information we hope is helpful. 

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