Welcome! The University of Chicago OCF is an RSO dedicated to the history, study, and of course practice of Orthodox Christianity. We welcome anyone interested in any part of the faith, whether it be out of curiosity, inquiry, or practice.

Additionally, we support Orthodox Christians on campus, particularly during fasts and celebrations. For example, we typically get together to make dishes for the Easter feast, as well as cook lenten meals together in the weeks prior.

We are a part of the Orthodox Christian Chaplaincy services of Saint Makarios the Great Orthodox Mission in Hyde Park, and our advisor in Father Philip Maikkula.

Weekly Lunch and Reading Group –

We will be meeting for lunch on a weekly basis for the 2026-27 academic year, at a time to be determined – stay tuned! In addition to eating together and catching-up, we will be reading through a text together. We will be starting St Ignatius of Antioch’s letters, available here. Please see the calendar for details, and join our email list for weekly emails including the most up-to-date information. Everyone and anyone is welcome to join!

Church Services

OCF members attend a number of different Orthodox churches throughout the city, including Saint Makarios the Great Orthodox Mission that meets close to the UChicago campus. If you are moving to Hyde Park and will be attending, or if you just want to visit an Orthodox Parish, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Special Activities

Social Activities - Each quarter, OCF members get together for a night that's dedicated to fun and fellowship. Past favorites include baking banana bread, watching movies, exploring Chicago's neighborhoods, and trying out new restaurants. While we always have one "official" night each quarter, members often find themselves sharing meals together or just spending time together--ask around to see if anything is going on!

Service Projects - OCF is active in both University-sponsored and OCF-sponsored service opportunities. The Hyde Park & Kenwood Interfaith council is involved in many initiatives in the neighbourhood in need of volunteers – from food insecurity, to homelessness, to refugee and immigrant support – and we support members in finding ways to serve the community.

Guest Speakers - We invite a number of guest speakers to speak on campus. Please see the calendar for upcoming talks. Past visitors include: Archbishop JOB, Fr. Thomas Hopko, and Bishop Alexander Golitzin.

Monastery Trips - Each year, we try to plan at least one retreat to a monastery, usually during Advent or Great Lent. In the past, we've visited St. John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Monastery in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Holy Dormition Monastery (Romanian Episcopate) in Rives Junction, Michigan.

Lenten Efforts During Great Lent, OCF meets daily for prayer and Presanctified Liturgy is served weekly on campus. Members get together often to attend church services during the week and to make special "field trips" to deanery Vespers services and other special Lenten services and events.

Note: Our UChicago email list is our primary means of keeping in touch. The calendar may be out of date or wrong in some cases, so if you'd like to know what's going on, please subscribe — it's easy to unsubscribe too!

Open the legacy OCF calendar. If it is unavailable, please check the UChicago email list for event information.