Orthodox Jurisdictions

Orthodox Daily includes daily scripture readings from multiple Orthodox Christian jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction may follow slightly different liturgical calendars and reading cycles, reflecting the rich diversity of Orthodox Christian tradition.

The badge letters O G A R S RO B C appear next to readings throughout the app to indicate which jurisdiction's calendar is being followed for that particular reading.

Why Multiple Jurisdictions?

Orthodox Daily includes readings from multiple jurisdictions to serve the diverse Orthodox Christian community. While all Orthodox churches share the same faith and sacraments, administrative and historical factors have resulted in different jurisdictional structures.

By providing readings from multiple jurisdictions, Orthodox Daily helps you:

  • Follow the readings specific to your parish's jurisdiction and calendar
  • Understand the liturgical variations between jurisdictions
  • Appreciate the unity-in-diversity of Orthodox Christian tradition
  • Prepare for services when visiting parishes of different jurisdictions

Which Jurisdiction Should I Follow?

The jurisdiction you follow should generally match the parish you attend. If you're unsure which jurisdiction your parish belongs to, ask your priest or check your parish's website.

Orthodox Daily currently displays readings from all available jurisdictions. The badge letters make it easy to identify which readings correspond to each jurisdiction.

If you attend a parish that uses the Old Calendar (like ROCOR), pay special attention to readings marked with R. If your parish uses the New Calendar, focus on readings from A G or O.

In a future update, you'll be able to select your preferred jurisdictions in your account settings to customize which readings are displayed.


Orthodox Church in America O

Short Name

OCA

Calendar Type

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

About

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an autocephalous (self-governing) Eastern Orthodox Christian church with territory in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America G

Short Name

Greek Orthodox

Calendar Type

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

About

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is an eparchy (regional diocese) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople serving the United States.

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America A

Short Name

Antiochian

Calendar Type

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

About

The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is an archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, serving the United States and Canada.

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia R

Short Name

ROCOR

Calendar Type

Hybrid (Old Calendar for fixed feasts, New Calendar Paschalion for moveable feasts)

About

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church. ROCOR uses a hybrid calendar system: fixed feasts follow the traditional Julian Calendar (Old Calendar), which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, while moveable feasts follow the New Calendar's Paschalion (Easter calculation).

This means, for example, that ROCOR celebrates the Nativity of Christ on January 7 (Julian December 25, offset by 13 days) rather than December 25.

Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America S

Short Name

Serbian Orthodox

Calendar Type

Old Calendar (Traditional Julian)

About

The Serbian Orthodox Church follows the Old Calendar (Julian) for all feasts, both fixed and moveable.

Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America RO

Short Name

Romanian Orthodox

Calendar Type

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

About

The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America uses the Revised Julian Calendar and follows Romanian liturgical traditions.

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church B

Short Name

Bulgarian Orthodox

Calendar Type

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

About

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church uses the Revised Julian Calendar and follows Byzantine liturgical traditions.

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA C

Short Name

Carpatho-Russian

Calendar Type

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

About

The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese uses the Revised Julian Calendar and follows Russian liturgical traditions.


Understanding Calendar Differences

One of the primary differences between jurisdictions is the calendar system used:

New Calendar (Revised Julian)

Used by Antiochian, GOARCH, and OCA jurisdictions. The Revised Julian Calendar aligns with the Gregorian calendar for dates (through 2799 AD), meaning fixed feasts like Christmas are celebrated on December 25. The Paschalion (calculation of Easter and moveable feasts) follows the traditional Orthodox method.

Old Calendar (Traditional Julian)

Used by ROCOR and other traditional calendar jurisdictions. Fixed feasts are celebrated according to the Julian calendar, which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. This means Christmas is celebrated on January 7 (Julian December 25).

Hybrid Calendar

ROCOR uses a hybrid approach: Old Calendar (Julian) for fixed feasts, but follows the New Calendar's Paschalion for calculating Easter and moveable feasts. This maintains the 13-day offset for fixed feasts while keeping Easter synchronized with other Orthodox churches.