Welcome to Saint Aphraim
6200 Indian Run Parkway, Alexandria, VA 22312 | Sundays @ 11:00AM.
Sunday Services
Our Sunday service starts at 11:00 am.
In accordance with Psalm 119, verse 164, “Seven times in the day have I praised thee for thy judgments, O Righteous One,” the Syriac Orthodox Church set the times for prayer to seven: Evening or ramsho prayer (Vespers), Drawing of the Veil or Sootoro prayer (Compline), Midnight or lilyoprayer, Morning or saphro prayer (Matins), the Third Hour or tloth sho`in prayer (Prime, 9 a.m.), the Sixth Hour or sheth sho`in prayer (Sext, noon) and the Ninth Hour or tsha` sho`inprayer (Nones, 3 p.m.). The Midnight prayer consists of three qawme ‘watches’ (literarily ‘standing’).
The ecclesiastical day begins in the evening at sunset. For example, Monday starts at sunset on Sunday evening. Hence, Monday’s evening (ramsho) and compline (sootoro) prayers, are actually performed on Sunday in our modern reckoning. Today, even in monasteries, the evening and compline prayers are said together, as also the Midnight and Morning prayers, and the Three, Six and Nine O’Clock prayers, reducing the times of prayer to three.
About Us
Syriac Orthodox Churches are one of the most ancient Christian Churches tracing its roots to the Church of Antioch. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts of the Apostles 11:26). Apostle Peter is believed to have established a church in Antioch in AD 37, the remnants of which are still in Antakya (the modern name of Antioch), Turkey.
We invite you to join us in prayers on our Sunday service at 11 am. Throughout this site, you will find information regarding our Church activities and events. Saint Aphraim Church is located in Alexandria, VA. If you would like directions to our Church please click here.
We thank you for dropping by our website today. We look forward to seeing you at our Church or at our upcoming events.
Visiting
Please reach out to us via email staphriam@soc-dc.org or via telephone 571.278.7768. You can attend our Sunday service in person at 6200 Indian Run Parkway, Alexandria, VA 22312
Have Kids?
Our Sunday school for kids ages 7-10 is now on Zoom! please contact staphraimdc1@gmail.com to register your child.
Get Connected
Contact us via email staphriam@soc-dc.org or via telephone 571.278.7768
Service Times
Our Holy Liturgy and/or Sunday Services are held at 11:00 AM Sunday morning.
Our FAITH AND DOCTRINE
Fulfill the spiritual and emotional needs of All
The faith of the Syriac Orthodox Church is in accordance with the Nicene Creed. It believes in the Trinity, that is one God, subsisting in three separate persons called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three being of one Essence, of one Godhead, have one Will, one Work and one Lordship. The special aspect of the First Person is His Fatherhood, that of the Second Person His Sonship, and that of the Third Person His Procession.
The Syriac Orthodox Church believes in the mystery of Incarnation. That is, the Only Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, took to Himself a body and became man. It further believes that at the time of Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit came upon her and cleansed her of all natural impurity, filling her with His grace. Then the Only Son of God came down and entered her immaculate womb, and took to Himself a body through her, thus becoming a perfect Man with a perfect Soul. After nine months, He was born of her and her virginity was maintained contrary to the laws of nature. It further believes that His true Godhead and His true Manhood were in Him essentially united, He being one Lord and one Son, and that after the union took place in Him, He had but one Nature Incarnate, was one Person, had one Will and one Work. This union is marked by being a natural union of persons, free of all separateness, intermixture, confusion, mingling, change and transformation.
The Syriac Orthodox Church calls Mary yoldath aloho, ‘Bearer of God’, because she gave birth to Christ, God truly incarnate.