What Is Philoptochos?
The word Philoptochos (φιλόπτωχος) comes from two Greek words: philos (friend) and ptochos (poor). Translated, it means "Friends of the Poor" — and that mission of charitable love is at the heart of everything this organization does.
The National Ladies Philoptochos Society was founded in 1931 under the direction of Archbishop Athenagoras and is today one of the largest Greek Orthodox women's organizations in the world, serving those in need through the spirit of Christian love.
Here at St. Porphyrios Parish, our Philoptochos chapter is a small but dedicated group of women who serve the parish and the surrounding Jacksonville community with generosity, prayer, and joyful sacrifice.
Our Patron: St. Maria of Paris
Our chapter is placed under the protection of St. Maria of Paris, born Elizaveta Skobtsova in Riga in 1891. A poet and political activist in her youth, she fled Russia after the revolution and settled among the refugees of Paris, where she took monastic vows in 1932. Rather than enter a cloister, she opened her home on the Rue de Lourmel as a house of hospitality, feeding, sheltering, and visiting the poor, the sick, and the forgotten of the city. When the Nazis occupied France, she and her companions hid Jewish families and helped them escape, until she was arrested in 1943. She died in the gas chamber at Ravensbrück on Holy Saturday, March 31, 1945, and was glorified as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2004. Her words are the charge of our chapter: “Each person is the very icon of God incarnate in the world.”
♡ Our Chapter
St. Porphyrios Philoptochos is a chapter of the Metropolis of Atlanta Philoptochos and the National Ladies Philoptochos Society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. All women of the parish are warmly encouraged to join and participate.
Our Mission: Charity
The mission of our chapter is charity, plain and simple. Following the example of St. Maria, we hold to the Orthodox Christian understanding that caring for the poor and vulnerable is an act of worship. Christ Himself identified with the hungry, the sick, the stranger, and the imprisoned (Matthew 25:35–40), and He told us that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him. Every dollar raised and every hour given by the women of St. Porphyrios Philoptochos goes toward meeting real needs, in our parish, in the Jacksonville community, and through the national Philoptochos relief efforts. Our work includes:
Charitable Giving & Relief
Supporting local families in need, food pantry donations, and contributing to national Philoptochos relief efforts for disasters and crises.
Parish Trapeza (Fellowship Meals)
Organizing and hosting fellowship meals after festal Liturgies and special parish events — a ministry of hospitality as old as the Church itself.
Education & Spiritual Formation
Hosting speaker events, book discussions, and spiritual retreats to deepen the faith and fellowship of the women of the parish.
Support for Church Needs
Raising funds for parish projects, liturgical items, iconography, and supporting the material needs of the parish.
Military Family Outreach
Given our proximity to Camp Lejeune, we take special care to welcome and support military families — especially spouses and children during deployments.
Prayer & Community
Gathering regularly for prayer, the reading of lives of saints, and sisterhood — supporting one another in the Christian life.
Membership
Membership in Philoptochos is open to all women of the parish who are Orthodox Christians in good standing. If you are a catechumen or inquirer and would like to be involved in service while you are preparing for reception into the Church, please speak with the priest — we welcome your heart and your hands.
Annual dues support both the local chapter and the national Philoptochos organization. No woman should feel that financial constraints prevent her from being part of this community — please speak with a chapter officer in confidence.
Get Involved
Whether you are a lifelong Philoptochos member or have never heard of the organization before, we would love to welcome you. Our chapter is young, growing, and full of opportunity to serve.
For information about joining or upcoming events, please contact the parish at philoptochos.outreach@stporphyriosjacksonville.org.
National Philoptochos
The National Ladies Philoptochos Society supports dozens of causes throughout the year, including St. Basil Academy (home for children in need), cancer research, scholarship programs, disaster relief, and international humanitarian aid. Learn more at philoptochos.org.