about matrona ministries

Matrona Ministries provides Orthodox Christians with tools and services to spiritually navigate the challenges and struggles of daily life in contemporary culture. The ministry offers three types of services and programs for Orthodox spiritual growth designed for both clergy and lay people:

  1. Orthodox Christian Life inventories and commentaries which are found on this website.
  2. Coaching/Mentoring from an Orthodox Christian perspective.
  3. Parish retreats and presentations on a variety of topics.

 

About the Founder, Paul P. Karos

Mr. Karos has had an extensive 30-year career in the financial industry. He and his wife Cindy have three children.  He was diagnosed at age 8 with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, that has now taken 98% of his vision.  He has performed and participated in a variety of ministries in the Orthodox Church. Mr. Karos has led retreats for men’s groups, youth and family programs, parish communities, pilgrimages to Mount Athos, and parish council strategic retreats. He is trained as a Prepare/enrich marriage facilitator and has worked in pre and post marriage counseling working with priests assisting with couples within respective parishes. In 2006, Mr. Karos began working with prison ministries, involved in both Bible studies as well as one-on-one prisoner mentoring. He develops and maintains the Orthodox Christian Life inventories and commentaries found on this website.  Mr. Karos earned his Masters of Arts in Applied Orthodox Theology from The University of Balamand, Lebanon, through the Antiochian House of Studies.  He also earned his B.S. of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1984.

Some examples of retreats Mr. Karos has led:

  • Keynote Presentations:
    • Antiochian National Parish Life Conference Grand Rapids Michigan (3 talks), Suffering, Joy, Climbing the Mountain
  • Men’s retreats
    • Bishop Basil of the Antiochian Arch Diocese. Wichita men’s retreat.  Topic ‘Passions and Virtues.’
    • Antiochian Village men’s retreat. Two years in a row.  Topics were ‘Foundation and Pillars of Life’ and ‘Passions and Virtues.’
    • St. George Antiochian men’s retreat, West St. Paul Minnesota. Topic ‘Passions and Virtues.’
    • Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Portland. Topic ‘Foundation and Pillars of Life’
  • Family camp retreats:
    • St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church family camp retreat, Minneapolis Minnesota. Topic ‘Passions and Virtues.’
    • Antiochian Village family camp. Topic ‘Passions and Virtues.’
  • Youth retreats/presentations:
    • GOYA St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church Minneapolis Minnesota. Four separate weekend retreats.  Topics were ‘Foundation and Pillars of Life,’ ‘Passions and Virtues,’ ‘Vocation,’ and ‘Repentance.’
    • SOYO St. George Antiochian West St. Paul Minnesota. Two separate weekend retreats.  Topics were ‘Foundation and Pillars of Life,’ and ‘Passions and virtues.’
    • Chicago Metropolis of the Greek Orthodox Church GOYA Basketball Convention. Main banquet keynote speaker two separate years.
    • St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church Palos Heights Illinois, Foundation and Pillars of Life
  • Chicago Metropolis of the Greek Orthodox Church spring clergy retreat with Metropolitan Iakovos. Presented on suffering and the foundation and pillars of life.
  • Parish retreats
    • Arch Angels Greek Orthodox Church Stamford Connecticut. Topic ‘Foundations and Pillars of Life’
    • St. George Antiochian/Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Churches Indianapolis, Foundation and Pillars of Life
    • Arch Angel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church Hibbing Minnesota, Passions and Virtues
  • Parish council strategic retreats. Weekend in format.
    • St. George Antiochian West St. Paul.
    • St. George Greek ST. Paul Minnesota.
    • Holy Trinity Greek, Thunder Bay Canada.

Many other presentations to various church groups, schools and businesses.

To learn about the precious life story of St. Matrona, simply do a search for St. Matrona of Moscow.  You will find many accounts of her life.

I became aware of her story from a monk on Mount Athos.  I am very touched by her as she was born blind, with no eyeballs.  It is encouraging to me, a blind person, that God works through all of us, no matter our circumstances.

She is highly venerated in Russia.  Pilgrims wait several hours every day to venerate her relics.  Many miracles are being reported around her intercessions.