Glory to Jesus Christ!
Protection of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church
A parish of the Diocese of the Midwest, in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), serving Northwest Indiana since 1911
Thank you for visiting the Protection of the Virgin Mary (PTVM) Orthodox Church website. We are located in Merrillville, Indiana.
Our parish is more than just a place where people come to worship the living God (although it is first and foremost that!). PTVM is a vibrant faith community of people of all ages and backgrounds throughout Northwest Indiana who are living their faith together and raising their families in accordance with the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the canons of the ancient Holy Eastern Orthodox Church.
Services
We invite you to join us for one of our liturgical services. Be sure to check our calendar for specific service times, but below is our regular schedule:
Great Vespers: Saturday @ 6pm
Divine Liturgy: Sunday @ 10am
Confession: Before or after Vespers or by appointment with Fr. Jacob
All services are in English
We live stream many of our services on Facebook
Our Events
Check out our calendar and our latest updates to learn more about opportunities to worship and connect.
Contact Us
Our parish is located in Merrillville, Indiana, south of US-30 on Grand Blvd (near Winfield).
Address:
8600 Grand Blvd
Merrillville, IN 46410
Church Office #: (219) 947-4748
Contact our priest, Fr. Jacob:
Cell #: (219) 384-6826
Email: frjacobvansickle@gmail.com
Welcome
We are delighted to welcome you to Protection of the Virgin Mary (PTVM) Orthodox Church! Our community is made up of both lifelong (cradle-born) Orthodox Christians and those who have embraced the faith later in life (converts), and we are always happy to greet newcomers, inquirers, and visitors.
Our liturgical services are conducted in the English language. Service books are available in the pews to help you follow along with the prayers and hymns.
Following the Sunday Liturgy, we warmly invite you to join us for coffee hour and fellowship.
We look forward to praying together. If you have any questions about the service or the Orthodox faith, please feel free to ask.
Discover the Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church is evangelical,
but not Protestant.
It is orthodox,
but not Jewish.
It is catholic,
but not Roman.
It isn’t non-denominational —
it is predenominational.
It has believed, taught, preserved, defended, and died
for the Faith of the Apostles
since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.
Ministries
We are blessed with many ministries where we serve our parish family, local community, and beyond
