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The Saint Anastasia Fellowship (SAF) has partnered with FOCUS North America to launch a spiritual support initiative for individuals and families affected by substance use and behavioral addictions.
The collaboration introduces a recurring Paraklesis service—a supplicatory prayer canon—integrated with the Sacrament of Holy Unction. The service will be celebrated at the chapel of Saint Herman at FOCUS Cleveland. Held in honor of Saint Anastasia the Deliverer from Potions (Pharmakolytria), the service offers an anchor of spiritual restoration for the Northeast Ohio community.
Cleveland continues to face unprecedented challenges from the opioid crisis, leaving local families fracturing under the weight of dependency. Recognizing that sustainable recovery requires a holistic approach, this joint effort provides a sacred space for intercessory healing, reconciliation, and community solidarity.
“Healing is difficult; we can only start with prayer,” said Fr. Anastasios, the service’s officiating clergyman. “May Saint Anastasia intercede for all of us.”
The prayer service marks the first phase of the Saint Anastasia Fellowship’s offerings at FOCUS Cleveland. While this initial phase introduces liturgical and sacramental support, FOCUS hopes to explore a second phase—a specialized, peer-based support group—in the near future to complement the spiritual framework with structured, communal support.
“Many of our residents are in active recovery. Offering spiritual support as part of their journey is vitally important,” said Kirk Ries, Center Director of FOCUS Cleveland. “Partnering with SAF to offer the intercessions of Saint Anastasia for our residents, staff and community is a beautiful way to bring hope and healing to those struggling with addiction.”
At the heart of the initiative is the Paraklesis, traditionally chanted in times of acute distress. Prayers are directed to Saint Anastasia, historically revered as a protector of those suffering from affliction. During the service, the names of loved ones are read aloud, and attendees receive the sacred anointing of Holy Unction for the healing of soul and body.
“As a native Clevelander, bringing the Saint Anastasia Fellowship to my hometown is deeply personal,” said Adriana, Program Manager for the Saint Anastasia Fellowship. “I see the devastation the addiction crisis has brought here, but I also know the incredible resilience of our people. By combining the spiritual traditions of our Orthodox faith with future peer-based support, we are building a localized network of recovery that heals our neighborhoods from the inside out.”
The Paraklesis services will be held at the chapel of St. Herman at FOCUS Cleveland and are open to all residents, families, and neighbors, regardless of religious background. Service schedules will be published on both organizations’ websites.
“We’re excited to see this new service offered to the people of Cleveland. In time, I hope and pray that FOCUS can partner with SAF in more FOCUS cities across the country,” said Steven Christoforou, Executive Director of FOCUS North America and member of the SAF Advisory Committee.
About the Saint Anastasia Fellowship A ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan District, the Saint Anastasia Fellowship offers an Orthodox Christian approach to addiction recovery. By combining contemporary clinical practices with Scripture, Tradition, and the wisdom of the Church Fathers, the Fellowship provides education, outreach, intercessory prayer, and peer support to individuals and families. This ministry is made possible through a generous grant from Leadership 100.
About FOCUS North America A ministry affiliated with the Assembly of Bishops, FOCUS North America makes Christ’s love visible by uniting Orthodox Christians to serve the poor. FOCUS Cleveland is one of thirteen FOCUS Centers operating across the country. Begun in 1977 as a monastery offering services to the poor and unhoused, Saint Herman’s House of Hospitality became a FOCUS Center in 2012. FOCUS Cleveland has grown significantly in the last fifteen years, adding two new buildings and doubling its housing capacity, serving homeless men and the local community by providing emergency and transitional shelter, hot meals, clothing, and path-to-stability services.
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