Protection of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church
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).
We are always happy to greet newcomers, inquirers, and visitors to experience the beauty and depth of Orthodox worship. Our services are celebrated in English.
Protection of the Virgin Mary (PTVM) Orthodox Church is a warm and welcoming parish of the Midwest Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), in communion with the worldwide canonical Eastern Orthodox Churches. His Eminence, the Most Reverend Daniel, is our presiding bishop, and the head of our Church is His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon. Our parish priest and rector is Father Jacob. Learn more about our parish’s leaders.
A place to belong...
PTVM is more than just a place where people come to worship the living God, although that is undoubtedly its primary purpose. We are a vibrant faith community of people of all ages and backgrounds from throughout Northwest Indiana. Here, we strive to:
- Live our faith together: We support each other in our spiritual journeys, offering fellowship, guidance, and encouragement.
- Raise our families in the Orthodox faith: We provide a nurturing environment for children and youth to grow in their faith through religious education, youth programs, and worship deeply rooted in the Orthodox tradition.
- Serve our community: We seek to be a beacon of light and love within our community, offering acts of service and compassion to those in need.
A rich history...
- The Orthodox Church, founded by Jesus Christ and continued by His Apostles, traces its origins to Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2). Over 2,000 years, it has remained faithful to the teachings and traditions passed down from the Apostles and early Church Fathers. Today, with over 200 million members worldwide, the Orthodox Church thrives primarily in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
- Orthodoxy came to America in the late eighteenth century when Russian monks arrived in Alaska. This early missionary work, along with Orthodox immigration to the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, laid the foundation for Orthodoxy’s growth in North America today.
- Our parish was founded in 1911 at 17th Avenue and Fillmore Street in Gary, Indiana. It was originally named “St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church.” From 1959 until December 1998, we were located at 505 E. 45th Ave. in Gary, Indiana.
- In 1968, we changed our parish’s name to “St. Mary’s Eastern Orthodox Church,” and in 1986, we changed it to its current name, “The Protection of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church.”
- We are now blessed to call 8600 Grand Blvd in Merrillville, Indiana, our home, where we serve parishioners from across Northwest Indiana.
We keep faith burning in dark times...
Have no fear. Christ has overcome the world, and granted us eternal life and everlasting blessings in His Kingdom!
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen.”
Excerpt from St. John Chrysostom’s “Paschal Sermon”
Parish Name and Patronal Feast
The Protection of the Virgin Mary
The miraculous appearance of the Mother of God occurred in the 10th century at the Blachernae Church in Constantinople, where some of her sacred possessions were preserved. During an All-Night Vigil on October 1st, Saint Andrew the Fool-for-Christ and his disciple Epiphanius witnessed the Theotokos, surrounded by Saints, praying for Christians and spreading her protective veil over the congregation. This vision symbolized her intercession and protection.
The event inspired the Feast of the Protection of the Virgin Mary, widely celebrated in Russia from the 12th century, with churches and hymns dedicated to the Theotokos. The feast commemorates her miraculous intercession, including deliverance from invaders, and remains a source of hope and prayer for her defense and aid.
We continue to commemorate this feast on October 1st.
Troparion
Today the faithful celebrate the feast with joy,
illumined by your coming, O Mother of God.
Beholding your pure image we fervently cry to you:
Encompass us us beneath the precious veil of your protection.
Deliver us from every form of evil
by entreating Christ, your Son and our God
that He may save our souls.
Kontakion
Today the Virgin stands in the midst of the Church,
And with choirs of saints she invisibly prays to God for us.
Angels and bishops worship.
Apostles and prophets rejoice together,
Since for our sake she prays to the eternal God.