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 About Our Parish
We are an English-language mission parish of the Serbian Orthodox Church Diocese of Western America. We are located in The Dalles, Oregon, which is in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge area, approximately 75 minutes from Portland.  Photos of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge Area Our Bishop is The Right Reverend Maxim, Bishop of the Diocese of Western America. Formerly the Bishop of Hum in Serbia, he was enthroned on July 30, 2006. His Grace holds a doctorate in the field of Dogmatics and Patristics from the University of Athens, speaks five languages (Serbian, Greek, Russian, English and French), and is accomplished in both art and music, having studied painting at the French Academy of Fine Arts in Paris and having been a member of a choir directed by the renowned Serbian musicologist, Prof. Dimitrije Stefanovic. Bishop Maxim is a disciple of the highly respected Serbian theologian, His Grace Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic), who in turn was a disciple of the great Archimandrite Justin (Popovic) of Celije. At the time of his election to the See of Western America, he was professor at the Theological Faculty in Belgrade and editor of its Theological Journal. Our priest, Fr. Luke Hartung, was born in America but, after 5 years of studies in Thessalonica, Greece, he was ordained in Serbia by His Eminence Amfilohije, Metropolitian of Montenegro and the Coast Lands.
The Dormition of the Theotokos parish is a newly formed community, having begun services in the home of our priest in June, and celebrating our first Divine Liturgy on July 20th, 2004. Our parish currently consists of 13 families as of this September, though already three local inquirers have been made catechumens and are diligently progressing through the Orthodox Catechesis in preparation for Holy Baptism and Chrismation. Being few in numbers—although perhaps not desirable from a "worldly" perspective—truly has its blessings. As a family, we are learning to grow together and become united in Christ; rejoicing with one another in our joyful times; grieving with one another in our sorrows; learning to love, strengthen and encourage one another, as members of the One Body of Christ. And by God’s grace, we are building up His Church in a land where it had not existed before, that it may be a "light in the darkness" and "city set upon a hill".
Our parish is located just on the edge of city limits, down a one-way street, in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood. The mission’s 3+ acres are generously covered with many trees, including pine, maple and oak, as well as an array of forest animals. The past summer’s most frequent visitors were a mother deer and her fawn triplets. Our priest and his family live next-door to the parish chapel and trapeza (refectory) and are hopeful that as the community grows, more families will move to the neighborhood, and that a small community would form naturally around the Church.
Another great blessing to our parish is the close proximity to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. John the Honorable Forerunner. Only a 45-minute drive from The Dalles, the traveler crosses over the Columbia River, and then travels north into the charming hills and mountains of Goldendale, WA. The holy monastery was founded in 1995 by the Athonite Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Monastery and is a tranquil haven of unceasing prayer which fills one with an immediate presence of the heavenly realm and, wonder at the beauty of God’s glorious creation. The monastery’s founding sisters are nuns who came over from Greece to America only 9 years ago, but who have adapted well to their new mountainous environment and language. Besides these, many Orthodox converts from Protestantism have come, to "take up the cross" of monastic life, who, having denied themselves, have given up their home and family, have found their true life "hidden in Christ". "We give unceasing thanks to God, Who has planted the vine of our mission so close to such a well-spring of grace, and Who has blessed us with a close relationship with these sisters and their holy Abbess." | |||||||||
