The Festival of Faith is an annual three-day retreat at the Alexios Retreat Center, typically held at the beginning of Great Lent. The in-person retreat includes lectures from renowned Orthodox speakers, informal evening gatherings with the speakers and other attendees, time for reflection in nature, and both vespers and Divine Liturgy at the beautiful Panagia Chapel. Attendees are encouraged to enter into an entire weekend of spiritual transformation and Christian fellowship, but single day passes are also available. Whether you are new to Orthodoxy or a lifelong Orthodox Christian, the Festival of Faith offers an opportunity to deepen spiritual beliefs and practices and to build Orthodox community.
Upcoming dates:
March 5-7, 2027
February 18-20, 2028
February 9-11, 2029
About the Alexios Retreat Center:
The Alexios Retreat Center (previously the Diakonia Retreat Center) is a 210-acre Orthodox retreat and conference center tucked among the mountains of Salem, South Carolina. Renamed to honor Metropolitan Alexios, whose vision brought the center into being, the ARC is owned and supported by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta. Attendees to the Festival of Faith will have the opportunity to worship in the breathtakingly beautiful Panagia Chapel, built in a traditional Byzantine architectural style and rising by the side of the center's private lake.
Lodging options for the Festival of Faith include single and duplex cabins and rooms in single-sex lodges. More information about the center and lodging can be found here.