Chemistry Grad Finds True Calling to Become a Teacher and Religious Sister

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

    A large chunk of the people in my parish have STEM education, if not work outright in STEM fields. It has gotten to the point where it is an in-joke for us that studying math or physics is a prerequisite to becoming Orthodox. Ultimately, the idea that having faith and doing science are incompatible is more fiction than reality. A study from the University of Michigan found that biological and physical science students tend to do better at maintaining personal faith than humanities/social sciences students do.

I've heard that the Orthodox in general (or maybe the Russian Orthodox in particular) are one of America's wealthiest relogious groups.

(Coincidentally I happen to be in SF atm and hung out w/ an Orthodox friend getting a biochem PhD)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

     A large chunk of the people in my parish have STEM education, if not work outright in STEM fields. It has gotten to the point where it is an in-joke for us that studying math or physics is a prerequisite to becoming Orthodox. Ultimately, the idea that having faith and doing science are incompatible is more fiction than reality. A study from the University of Michigan found that biological and physical science students tend to do better at maintaining personal faith than humanities/social sciences students do.

I've heard that the Orthodox in general (or maybe the Russian Orthodox in particular) are one of America's wealthiest relogious groups.

(Coincidentally I happen to be in SF atm and hung out w/ an Orthodox friend getting a biochem PhD)

     I think the Greeks tend to be wealthier than the Russians, but in terms of wealth it is relevant that the Bay Area (which it goes without saying is very expensive) is a historical nexus of Russian Orthodox presence, with six churches being located in San Francisco alone. There's also a huge number of churches in the Northeast. Orthodoxy is just starting to branch out into rural America and find converts among segments of the population that are less well-to-do.

     Incidentally, if you haven't done so yet I strongly recommend you visit Holy Virgin Cathedral.

I know a minimal bit about Russian migration to the West Coast--St John of Shang-Hai and San Francisco and such--and I've visited Brighton Beach (which looked substantially more working-class than the Russian/post-Russian areas of SF I've seen), though didn't look at any (non-Catholic) churches in NYC.

As for Holy Virgin, I might go to church with said Orthodox friend next Sunday in SF, though we had discussed the aforementioned St John instead. Checking the map this morning though, I didn't realize how far away it is... so Holy Virgin might be on the list! I'm actually about an hour's walk from it right now.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

     A large chunk of the people in my parish have STEM education, if not work outright in STEM fields. It has gotten to the point where it is an in-joke for us that studying math or physics is a prerequisite to becoming Orthodox. Ultimately, the idea that having faith and doing science are incompatible is more fiction than reality. A study from the University of Michigan found that biological and physical science students tend to do better at maintaining personal faith than humanities/social sciences students do.

I've heard that the Orthodox in general (or maybe the Russian Orthodox in particular) are one of America's wealthiest relogious groups.

(Coincidentally I happen to be in SF atm and hung out w/ an Orthodox friend getting a biochem PhD)

     I think the Greeks tend to be wealthier than the Russians, but in terms of wealth it is relevant that the Bay Area (which it goes without saying is very expensive) is a historical nexus of Russian Orthodox presence, with six churches being located in San Francisco alone. There's also a huge number of churches in the Northeast. Orthodoxy is just starting to branch out into rural America and find converts among segments of the population that are less well-to-do.

     Incidentally, if you haven't done so yet I strongly recommend you visit Holy Virgin Cathedral.

I know a minimal bit about Russian migration to the West Coast--St John of Shang-Hai and San Francisco and such--and I've visited Brighton Beach (which looked substantially more working-class than the Russian/post-Russian areas of SF I've seen), though didn't look at any (non-Catholic) churches in NYC.

As for Holy Virgin, I might go to church with said Orthodox friend next Sunday in SF, though we had discussed the aforementioned St John instead. Checking the map this morning though, I didn't realize how far away it is... so Holy Virgin might be on the list! I'm actually about an hour's walk from it right now.

     I'm not sure what St. John Church you are referring to as Holy Virgin is where St. John's relics are located. I've visited it a couple of times myself, but I have not had the chance to go there for a liturgy yet.

There should be a cathedral or church of St John of Shang-Hai and San Francisco ("the aforementioned"), although the one Google shows me is suspiciously far from the city, so maybe I'm misremembering my 2018 visit, but I did have a prayer card of his from whatever church I did visit.