1,000 British & Celtic Saints Before Augustine: Free PDF Catalogue of the Ancient Celtic Church The Orthodox Church of the Culdees is pleased to release a newly expanded historical catalogue documenting the principal Saints of the ancient British and Celtic Churches before the arrival of Augustine of Canterbury. Download the free PDF here: https://celticorthodoxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Celtic-Saints-Before-Augustine.pdf This […]
Why the Celtic Orthodox Church Is Neither Old Calendar nor New Calendar “Do you follow the Old Calendar or the New Calendar?” It is one of the most common questions we receive. Ironically, it is also a question that does not really apply to the historic Celtic Orthodox Church. The modern “Old Calendar” versus “New […]
From Mount Athos to Celtic Orthodoxy: Restoring Daily Scripture Teaching in the Orthodox Church The daily reading of Holy Scripture remains at the heart of Orthodox monastic life on Mount Athos. Across the Orthodox world, one of the most beautiful signs of renewal is the return to daily Scripture teaching. Not merely occasional sermons, not […]
Biblical Prayer to “The God of Our Fathers” Covenant Prayer, Heavenly Worship, and the Saints in Biblical Christianity “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may […]
One of the most beautiful survivals of ancient Christian prayer is preserved within the classical English liturgical tradition, especially in the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church: “And we also bless Thy holy Name for all Thy servants departed this life in Thy faith and fear; beseeching Thee to grant them continual growth […]
Appendix: “We Have an Altar” — Christ Outside the Camp and the Limits of Ritual Impurity This appendix addresses a narrow but important question: how should Christians understand ancient ritual impurity, especially contact with graves, in light of Christ’s sacrifice, the Melchizedek priesthood, and the New Testament teaching that “we have an altar” outside the […]
Heavenly Participation in Early Christian Liturgy: Praise, Protection, and the Origins of Saintly Petition Heavenly Participation in Early Christian Liturgy: Praise, Protection, and the Origins of Saintly Petition Introduction: Recovering the Language of the Early Church The communion of saints stands as one of the most profound and yet often simplified doctrines of the Christian […]
The Stowe Missal and the Question of Direct Saint-Petition A Manuscript-Critical Reassessment Preface: Context and Purpose of This Study This study forms part of a broader investigation titled: ➡️ “Heavenly Participation in Early Christian Liturgy: Praise, Protection, and the Origins of Saintly Petition”(see: Heavenly Participation in Early Christian Liturgy) The purpose of this article is […]
Celtic Orthodox Rules of the Culdees The Celtic Orthodox Rules of the Culdees preserve one of the most ancient streams of Western Orthodox Christian discipline: prayer, work, fasting, sacred study, charity, obedience, Sabbath reverence, and the ordered life of the Church. These early Culdee Fathers and Celtic Orthodox Church Fathers show that the Celtic Church […]
An Early Culdee Father and the Monastic Life of Menevia Saint David of Wales stands among the earliest and most authoritative figures of the Celtic Orthodox tradition—rightly counted among the Early Culdee Fathers, whose lives preserved the ancient apostolic pattern of prayer, labor, and sacred discipline in the West. Although no separate document titled “The […]
The Celtic Missal (Lorrha–Stowe) Abbot-Bishop Maelruain, Céle Dé (1955–2013) Introduction This page preserves and presents the Celtic Missal as translated and rubricated by +Abbot-Bishop Maelruain, Céle Dé (Kristopher G. Dowling), a faithful laborer in the restoration of Celtic Orthodox liturgical tradition in North America. This work—based on the ancient Lorrha (Stowe) Missal—represents one of the […]
The Historic Celtic Church and Today’s Orthodox Church of the Culdees The Living Celtic Orthodox Tradition: Featured Documentary Watch this short documentary introduction to the Celtic Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of the Culdees, and the living spiritual tradition of the ancient Celtic Church. It introduces the saints, liturgy, prayer life, household worship, Sabbath reverence, […]
As we come to the Seventh Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread—a High Holy Day, it is fitting that we pause in thanksgiving and reflection on the fullness of what has been accomplished in Christ, and what continues in Him. This is not merely a remembrance of something past, but a participation in something […]
Pascha at Dawn: The Firstfruits, the Resurrection, and the Apostolic Pattern of Worship A Living Tradition Rooted in Scripture Before turning to the Scriptures themselves, it is helpful to begin with the living practice of the Church, because the liturgy preserves what the apostles handed down in a continuous and recognizable form. Among Western traditions, […]
Pascha, Not Paganism: A Direct Answer to the Claim That “Easter Is Pagan” A biblical, historical, and practical defense of the Resurrection feast rooted in Passover—not paganism Quick Overview (Key Points at a Glance) 1. Pascha = Passover fulfilled in Christ — not a pagan feast — The Resurrection celebration comes directly from the biblical […]
A Holy Lent Begins In Prayerful Agreement with All Christendom Beloved in Christ, As we enter the sacred fast of Lent, we do so not in isolation, but in agreement with all Christendom throughout the world. From East to West, across ancient liturgies and faithful assemblies, the Church humbles herself together in prayer, fasting, repentance, […]
The Lord’s Prayer by Number Paternosters, Cross-Vigils, and the Forgotten Discipline of Embodied Prayer Modern Christians are accustomed to hearing phrases like “say five Our Fathers” or “ten Hail Marys.” Today these sound casual—almost symbolic. (These are remnants from Biblical, historical, devout traditions. ) But long before later Marian devotions developed, the Church already counted […]
The Crosfigell or Cross-Vigil in Celtic Orthodoxy Sources, Theology, and Practice The early Irish crosfigell—usually rendered cross-vigil—is one of the most striking bodily prayers in the Celtic Christian tradition. It unites the cruciform posture with the Lord’s Prayer, Deus in adjutorium, the Gloria Patri, and the Sign of the Cross, offered directionally to the four […]
THE BIBLICAL LIGHT HAS COME: Why December 25 Belongs to Christ — Even If He Was Born at Tabernacles (the inversion, “the shadow of things to come…”, the photo negative) Why December 25 Belongs to Christ — Even If He Was Born at Tabernacles** A theological, historical, and creation-based defense for honoring Christ on December […]
A reminder as we enter the holy season of preparation and expectation Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, As we enter into the sacred season of Advent, the Church calls us to watchfulness, repentance, fasting, and joyful expectation. Advent is not merely a countdown to December celebrations — it is a spiritual preparation for the […]
ADVENT IN THE HISTORIC CHURCH: THE INCARNATION, THE CELTIC TRADITION, AND THE CONTINUITY OF SACRED TIME Institute of Theology — Celtic Orthodox Church / Priory of Salem INTRODUCTION The following article is prepared for the curriculum of the Institute of Theology, and is offered publicly for the edification of visitors to CelticOrthodoxy.com. It presents a […]
Restoring the Penitential Heart of Celtic Orthodoxy Recovering the Confessional Foundation of the Western and Celtic Liturgies I. The Danger of “Starting Over” A new generation seeks to start over with imported post-Bolshevik forms of Eastern Orthodoxy, claiming that Celtic Christianity somehow died out. Yet those same voices make pilgrimages to Iona, Lindisfarne, Glastonbury, and […]
Is It Scriptural to Use the Prayer Rope (or Rosary)? A Biblical, Israelite, and Apostolic Defense of Counted Prayer, Remembrance, and Ceaseless Praise Most objections to the prayer rope (chotki) or rosary come from a misunderstanding of Scripture, history, and even the prayer life of Israel.In reality, counted prayer, repeated prayer, and prayer tools are […]
Prayer to Jesus in Scripture and Tradition The Church’s prayers, both liturgical and personal, are profoundly Christ-centered. From the rising of the sun to its going down, believers invoke the Holy Name of Jesus—calling upon Him for mercy, help, and salvation. Far from being a later custom, this direct address to the Lord Jesus is […]
The Origin and Continuity of Prayer Beads and Knots Across Christendom Second Article in the Jesus Prayer & Prayer Rope Seriesby St Andrew’s OCC / Rev. Dr. Stephen M. K. Brunswick 1 | From Tassel to Prayer Rope The impulse to mark prayer with a physical sign begins in Scripture itself.The Law of Moses commanded […]