Fr. John Breck, a priest of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), recalled his first encounter with Orthodoxy in an interview published by Words to Youth, a magazine edited by Putna Monastery.
“I had a very profound feeling and the conviction that, at last, I had come home,” the American priest said.
Fr. Breck explained that the encounter which changed his life took place in 1966 during a seminar on Orthodoxy organised by the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches.
After several days of study, he and his wife, Lyn Breck, visited St. Sergius Church in Paris, where they attended their first Orthodox service. Recalling the atmosphere inside the church, the American theologian spoke of the icons, the fragrance of incense, and the beauty of the liturgical chanting.
“Immediately, both Lyn and I were deeply moved by what was truly a sacred space. The walls and pillars were adorned with the faces of the saints, the fragrance of incense filled the church, and in the centre, Fr. Alexis Kniazeff was reading the Gospel according to St. John.”
“We responded to all of this with a profound sense of gratitude and even with tears. For decades, in the Protestant churches we had attended, we had always felt that something was missing,” Fr. John Breck recalled.
The journey to the Orthodox Church
After completing his doctoral studies in Germany, Fr. John Breck and his wife settled in France, where they continued drawing closer to Orthodoxy with the support of the local Orthodox community and Fr. Boris Bobrinskoy, who would later become their spiritual father.
“We were finally received into the Church in November 1973. A great number of Orthodox faithful showed us exceptional kindness during our transition from our Protestant background.”
“The warmth, friendship, and deep faith of the many Orthodox Christians we met in France played a decisive role in our entrance into the Orthodox Church, and for that we remain profoundly grateful,” Fr. John Breck said.
At the conclusion of the interview, the priest also reflected on the importance of prayer in the Christian life, offering a simple piece of advice to those discerning the monastic vocation:
“Pray, pray, pray—and God will never abandon you.”
About Fr. John Breck
Fr. John Breck is one of the best-known contemporary Orthodox theologians in the Western world. Born in 1939 and raised in the American Protestant tradition, he followed an intellectual and spiritual journey that led both him and his wife to discover Orthodoxy and to be received into the Orthodox Church in 1973.
A professor, author, and priest, Fr. Breck has written extensively over the decades on subjects including the meaning of life, prayer, the mystery of the human person, bioethics, and the Christian vocation in the contemporary world. One of his best-known works is The Sacred Gift of Life: Orthodox Christianity and Bioethics.
His wife, Lyn Breck, is a psychologist, registered nurse, psychotherapist, author, and collaborator with Fr. John Breck in bioethics.
Photo: Putna Monastery
