Dissident Mama, episode 11 – Nora Kowalchek

In episode 11, I interview Nora Kowalchek, who is known in online Orthodox circles as “Mother of Five.” She’s just a normal person doing normal things like working, being a wife, owning a home, and raising kids, but she also is ardently committed to rearing her children in the practices and faith of Orthodox Christianity. This is a very abnormal thing to do in our intensely worldly society, where nearly everything is pitted against children to mature into godly men and women. It takes much dedication, time, prayer, and selflessness to remain committed to the raising of the Church’s next generation of laity and leaders, hence, Kowalchek’s motivation to resist the covid rules of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

She sees these jurisdiction directives as both detrimental to the salvation of her son and daughters and to the future of the Church as a whole. So Kowalcheck decided to voice her heartfelt opposition to the guidelines implemented by the OCA bishops, not because she wants to be a rebel to authority, but because she knows she must take a stand for what is right - to defend the even higher authority of truth.

If you’re not Orthodox, don’t be scared. Kowalchek and I do a brief “Orthodoxy 101,” which may be of interest to you as far as intellectual inquiry goes. Plus, the greater themes of our discussion speak to the battle that’s happening in American Christianity as a whole and the greater society: faith vs. man, self-determination vs. collectivism, corporate gathering vs. radical individualism, freedom vs. tyranny, the “Great Unreason,” as Jack Kerwick called it, vs. true reason.

Speaking of that, here’s Kowalchek’s popular essay, “The Loss of a Generation,” which struck a chord with many other Orthodox parents who share her concerns about the OCA directives, especially the wording of Archbishop Alexander from his March 10 statement: “This is not a season of trial in which to test one’s piety through unreasonable faith.” Since when was faith in God unreasonable? Interestingly, I cannot find the Archbishop’s original statement on the OCA website or pretty much anywhere on the Internet, other than the full text posted on the St. Athanasius Orthodox Church’s Facebook page.

Also of interest is Father Peter Heers’ interview with Archimandrite Savas Agioreitis. The two discuss “the holiness of the Temple and Holy Things,” and why Christians should stand up for the Holy Canons and what they say about kissing icons, communal worship, and receiving the Eucharist.

Kowalchek mentioned St. Mark of Ephesus as one historic example of a Christian who challenged bishops when they strayed from the faith. Even though he was a devout monk, we lay people can still look to his dogmatic, polemic theology as a guide to how we too can be “the conscience” of the hierarchs.

Of note is Kowalchek’s blog Jacob’s Story, which is about her struggles with having lost a child. She says writing about her son’s death and its ramifications helps her to find her way “through the fog … in spite of grief.” It’s a beautiful site, filled with trials and triumphs, heartache and happiness, and compassion and kindness. It may speak to you if you have lost a son or daughter, or know someone who has.