Moscow, April 25, 2017

A new group appeared on Facebook on April 21, dedicated to transporting the Holy Fire throughout America. The group, “Come Receive the Holy Fire!” was created by Fr. Patrick O’Rourke, associate priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle, NY.

“The sole purpose of this group is to facilitate the spread of the Holy Fire as far as possible, and to as many people as possible,” Fr. Patrick writes in the group.

A map has been set up indicating churches that have already received the Holy Fire, and people who are interested in bringing the Fire to their churches. Contact information is provided for users to contact one another and coordinate transporting the Holy Fire from one parish or monastery to another. Thus far, the map shows churches in the Northeast having the Fire, with people throughout the country hoping to bring it to their communities.

To help coordinate bringing the blessing of the Holy Fire to Orthodox churches throughout the United States, please visit and join the Facebook group “Come Receive the Holy Fire!”

The Holy Fire was brought to America this year by the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation and the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. It was ceremoniously greeted at New York’s JFK airport and then officially taken to several Russian Orthodox parishes in New York, and has been spreading out from there. This is the first year that the Holy Fire has been brought to America in such an official capacity, although several readers have reported that the Holy Fire has in fact come to America before.