St. John Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church (House Springs, Missouri)

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St. John Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church
Jurisdiction Jurisdiction
Diocese Diocese
Deanery Deanery
Status Active/Defunct
Location hq
Date Founded Founded
Liturgical language(s) language
Official website website


Interior of St. John Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church
St. John Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church is a parish in the Diocese of Chicago and Detroit of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. The parish was founded as an English-speaking community and has been at its present location since 1985. In the past ten years the parish has also become a spiritual home for the growing number of Russians in the St. Louis area. Its patron saint is St. John Chrysostom.

The priest, Fr. Christopher Stade, and his family are American converts to Orthodoxy. They welcome all who sincerely desire to experience and to live the Truth of the Holy Orthodox Faith, which is above all earthly boundaries and nationalities.

In addition to the regular Saturday evening vigil service and Sunday morning Liturgy, there are many other services on weekdays, as scheduled. The primary language of the services is English, but on Sunday mornings the Divine Liturgy is served in both Slavonic and English.

Exterior of St. John Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church

Fr. Christopher meets with parishioners, inquirers, and visitors on a one-to-one basis for instruction in the Orthodox faith, and to discuss and answer questions. Please feel free to contact him at any time.

The church is located in Jefferson County about 15 miles southwest of the city, only a 30-45 minute drive from almost any point in the Saint Louis area. The church is situated on 20 acres of land on a wooded hillside with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and valley.

On the church property there are three other buildings, in addition to the church and hall. They contain a church office, Chrysostom Press, and seven apartments which parishioners rent. This provides a continuous Orthodox presence all week long. A small parish cemetery is located on one of the beautiful meadows next to the woods. At the bottom of the church hillside is a spring and a pond. Next to the church is a large open field which is used for the annual festival, picnics, and other outdoor events.

St. John's Bookstore has a large selection of English and Russian books, as well as church music, crosses, icons, and other Orthodox items. The bookstore is located in the church office building, with an additional large display in the hall near the entrance of the church. The bookstore is open after all daytime services and on weekdays. To visit on weekdays, please call ahead to the church office at (636) 677-4333 to make sure someone is there.

There is an active and growing Russian community within the parish, including an annual Russian festival at the parish in September, celebrating Russian culture and cuisine. This is a major fund raiser for the church. Parishioners perform traditional folk dancing and singing and serve their favorite ethnic foods.

External Links