SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A brand-new Eastern Orthodox elementary school is opening up in Scottsdale this fall.
Eastern Orthodoxy traces its roots back to Christ and the acts of the apostles, but became distinct from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 during the Great Schism.
Only about 1% of American adults identify as Orthodox Christian. Over the last 10 years, however, more and more parishes have been popping up, including here in Arizona.
“What a lot of people are turning to is a tradition and authentic expression of the person of, we would say, Jesus Christ, that is not really given to different political trends. We’ve lived in many different empires and many different ages,” said Father Jacob Saylor with the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.
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The interest in Orthodoxy has grown so much in the Valley that there is a new Orthodox K-3 school opening up in Scottsdale to meet demand. It is the first of its kind in the Valley.
“There’s a lot of new families coming into Orthodoxy, families that are, I say, Orthodox-curious in trying to learn about the faith and interested in the faith,” said Tina Kanelos Jones, the head of school at Arizona Christian Academy.
ABC15's Josh Kristianto has the full report in the player above.
