OCF
BYZANTINE
SAINTS
HOLY SITES
CHRIST
100

Who leads OCF Bible Study?

Isaiah Poe

100

This Byzantine emperor called the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, which affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity.

Constantine the Great

100

This saint, known as the “Wonderworker,” is the patron saint of sailors, children, and is associated with the tradition of Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas of Myra

100

This city, once the capital of the Byzantine Empire, is home to the Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest achievements of Orthodox architecture.

Constantinople

100

This Orthodox feast, celebrated on January 6, commemorates the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River.  

Theophany (Epiphany)

200

What day is OCF soccer this semester?

Sundays at 6

200

This city became the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity after Emperor Constantine moved the Roman capital there in 330 CE.

Constantinople

200

This saint, called “the Theologian,” was one of the Cappadocian Fathers and is celebrated for his writings on the Trinity.

St. Gregory Nazianzus

200

This place, located in Greece, is a monastic republic considered one of the holiest centers of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Mt. Athos

200

In Orthodox iconography, Christ is often shown holding a Gospel book and making a gesture of blessing under this title, which means “Almighty” or “Ruler of All.”

Christ Pantocrator

300

How many OCF chapters are there at universities across the country?

270 +- 20

300

This dispute over the use of holy images in worship divided the Byzantine Empire during the 8th and 9th centuries.

Iconoclast Controversy

300

This early desert father withdrew into the Egyptian wilderness, becoming a model of monasticism in Orthodoxy.

St. Anthony the Great

300

This church in Jerusalem is built on the site traditionally believed to be where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

300

This event, celebrated forty days after Pascha, marks Christ’s return to the Father and his promise to send the Holy Spirit.

The Ascension

400

What does IC XC NIKA stand for?

"Jesus Christ Conquers," signifying Christ's victory over death and sin

400

This title was given to the head of the Byzantine Church, who often clashed with the Pope in Rome over authority.

Patriarch of Constantinople

400

This 4th-century bishop of Alexandria was a fierce opponent of Arianism and defended the doctrine of Christ’s divinity at Nicaea.

St. Athanasius

400

This monastery on the Sinai Peninsula, named after a famous saint, houses the world’s oldest continuously operating library of Christian manuscripts.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

400

In Orthodox worship, this hymn is sung repeatedly during Pascha: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…”

Paschal Troparion (Christos Anesti)

500

When did OCF start at UIUC?

1983, currently we are the largest OCF in the country and only one with our own meeting space

500

This event in 1054 formally divided the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church into two separate branches of Christianity.

The Great Schism

500

This saint from Constantinople, whose name means “Golden-Mouthed,” is remembered for his eloquent sermons and liturgy still used in Orthodox worship today.

St. John Chrysostom

500

This Serbian Orthodox monastery, built into a cliff face in Montenegro, is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the Balkans.

Ostrog Monastery

500

According to Orthodox theology, this term describes Christ’s voluntary suffering and death, which defeated the power of sin and death without coercion.

Kenosis (self-emptying)