A Parish Companion
Emmanuel Orthodox Church
An Antiochian Orthodox parish worshiping in the ancient Western Rite in Brookfield, Massachusetts. You're more than welcome — you're wanted.
11 Lincoln Street, Brookfield, MA
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Welcome Home
You're more than welcome. You're wanted.
Emmanuel Orthodox Church is a family — a place you can call home. Here you will encounter ancient Christianity, unbroken: the same faith of the Apostles, handed down undivided and unchanged for nearly two thousand years. It's where you can find hope, healing, and purpose. Over the years this family has grown and changed, but one thing will always stay the same: our love for Jesus Christ and for each other.
Regardless of where you are in your journey, you can be confident that you are more than welcome at Emmanuel. We are a Christ-centered community rooted in the ancient faith of the Apostles, where worship, prayer, and fellowship come together.
Whether you are visiting for the first time, exploring Orthodoxy, or searching for a church home, you will find a warm welcome and an invitation to encounter Jesus Christ through the beauty of the historic Christian faith.
“Come and see.”
John 1:46
Join Us in Worship
Sunday Worship
English Office
Matins
8:45 a.m.
Gregorian Rite
Holy Mass
9:30 a.m.
What to Expect at the Liturgy
The liturgy you will experience is the Gregorian Rite, the ancient Roman liturgy of the Christian West, carefully restored and celebrated in full communion with the Orthodox Church. You will find its shape familiar: the procession, the readings, the Creed, the great prayer of thanksgiving, and Holy Communion, most often carried by the quiet, flowing plainsong of Gregorian chant.
This is not a hybrid or a compromise. It is the Orthodox Church praying in the traditional Western voice.
Everything you see and hear is fully Orthodox: the faith of the Apostles, the Creed prayed without the Filioque, and the Eucharist as the true Body and Blood of Christ. Simply be present. Listen. Let the prayers and the silence do their work.
Ancient Faith · Living Church
What We Believe
The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church, founded by our Lord Jesus Christ and established by His Apostles nearly two thousand years ago. Everything begins and ends with Him.
Jesus Christ
At the center of everything is Jesus Christ — the eternal Son of God who became man for our salvation. Through His Incarnation, Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension, He opened the way for us to be united with God. Everything the Church does points us to Him.
The Scriptures
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, read, preached, sung, and prayed throughout every service. We do not separate it from the Church that preserved it: Scripture and Holy Tradition are two expressions of the same apostolic faith.
Worship
The Divine Liturgy is not a performance but the worship of the Kingdom of God. Through prayer, sacred music, incense, icons, and Holy Communion, we join our voices with angels and saints around the throne of Christ.
The Sacraments
God works through physical things because He created both body and soul. The seven mysteries — Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Unction, Marriage, and Holy Orders — are real encounters with His grace.
Salvation
Salvation is far more than being forgiven. Christ came to heal our broken humanity. The Fathers call this theosis — becoming by grace what Christ is by nature: holy, transformed, and filled with His life.
The Saints & the Theotokos
We honor the saints because they are living members of Christ's Body who point us to Him. Above all we honor the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, whose word remains: “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
An Introduction
The Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church numbers roughly 300 million Christians who hold the faith defined by the first seven Ecumenical Councils. She is a family of self-governing churches — Constantinople, Antioch, and many others — united not by a single earthly head but by a common faith and communion in the sacraments, with Christ Himself as her head.
The word orthodoxmeans “right belief and right glory.” From the day of Pentecost to the present she has held the same faith; while the Christian West divided again and again, the ancient Church has continued, undivided and unchanged.
The Western Rite
Emmanuel worships according to the Western Rite of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, which preserves the ancient liturgical traditions of Western Christianity — from the centuries before the divisions of East and West — while remaining fully Orthodox in faith and doctrine. Visitors notice familiar Western elements alongside the timeless theology and sacramental life of Orthodoxy.
“… and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
God With Us, Every Step
Our Story
From a living-room Bible study in West Brookfield to a lasting home at St. Mary's in Brookfield, the story of Emmanuel is a story of seeking — and finding — the fullness of the ancient Christian faith.
West Brookfield2002
A living-room Bible study gathers around a newly ordained priest, Fr. Kenneth DeVoie, and Emmanuel — “God with us” — is born.
The Train Station2002
The young parish holds its first public worship in a remodeled historic train station as trains roar past outside.
West Brookfield2004
Emmanuel moves into the George Whitfield Methodist Church — the first space that truly looked and felt like a church.
Warren2007
On the Feast of Pentecost the parish opens the doors of its own church on the hill, moving from tenant to steward.
The Call of the Fathers2007
Seeking the fullness of the apostolic faith, roughly eighty souls are received together into Holy Orthodoxy in the Antiochian Archdiocese.
St. Mary's, Brookfield2020
The parish begins leasing — and later purchasing — St. Mary's, a fitting and lasting home where the congregation grows again.
God has continued to supply what was needed at each turn. The story is not finished.
Welcome
Planning Your Visit
Entering the Church
As you enter you will notice holy icons throughout the church, which Orthodox Christians venerate with a kiss or bow as an expression of love — not worship. Following the historic Western Rite, you will find an open sanctuary with an altar rail rather than an iconostasis.
Following the Service
Worship involves the whole person — prayer, singing, and responses. You may follow along in the black pew missal, with page numbers for the day given in the bulletin. If you lose your place, those around you will be glad to help.
Holy Communion
The Orthodox Church practices closed Communion, reserved for prepared Orthodox Christians. If you are not receiving, come forward with your arms crossed for a blessing, and afterward all are welcome to receive the blessed bread (Antidoron).
What to Wear
Our only dress code is simple: wear what you would wear if Jesus were coming to your home for dinner. We encourage modest, respectful attire, knowing everyone comes from different circumstances.
A Note for Visitors
If you are visiting, please do not feel you need to place anything in the collection basket. Tithes and offerings are for our members and regular attenders. You would not ask a visitor for money when they come to your home — neither do we. Simply relax, worship with us, and be our guest.
Come and See
We would be honored to welcome you
The best way to know Emmanuel is to come and worship with us. If you have any questions, please reach out to Fr. Christopher — you are more than welcome here.
11 Lincoln Street, Brookfield, MA
Sundays — Matins 8:45 a.m. · Holy Mass 9:30 a.m.
frchris@emmanuelorthodoxchurch.org
(774) 622-7491
May God bless you, and welcome to Emmanuel.