STM Press Announces Several New and Upcoming Publications
Major Liturgical Reprints and New Titles Signal Strong Momentum in Orthodox Publishing
SOUTH CANAAN — St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press has announced the long-anticipated reprinting of Hieratikon: Office Book for Priest and Deacon, with copies expected to hit the shelves by September 1. “Hundreds of hours have been spent on this volume tweaking, editing, and correcting its contents, and we are excited to present the fruit of our labors to you,” said Fr. Mikel Hill, Managing Editor of STM Press.
Covering the daily cycle of services throughout the liturgical year, this first volume of the Hieratikon remains an indispensable resource for priests and deacons. Since its original publication a decade ago, its durable and ornate construction has set a new benchmark for English-language Sluzhebniks. While the earlier edition drew its Psalms from Jordanville’s Psalter for Prayer, it is expected—though not yet confirmed explicitly—that the new edition uses texts from the Holy Psalter, a 2024 STM/SVS joint publication. The Psalter itself indicated its role in preparing the way for future liturgical volumes, as this press release seems to confirm.
Several other titles are also nearing publication, including Service Book for the Faithful, Great Book of Needs: Volume 1, The Festal Menaion, and Orthodox Christian Canons and Prayers. Rather than fully overhauling these volumes, STM Press has preserved the original texts while offering a visual and practical refresh. The Great Book of Needs now comes in a portable 5" x 7.75" format with black and red text and generous margins. The Festal Menaion, re-typeset at 10" x 12", features double columns and improved readability—ideal for a lectern or analogion.
Fr. Mikel also noted ongoing progress on long-term projects, including The Horologion (The Book of Hours), The Holy Gospel, The Holy Apostol, and Services of Holy Week—all of which rely heavily on the Psalter and will likely be brought into conformity with the new Holy Psalter. Encouragingly, STM Press is clearly working toward a liturgical library unified in translation, typesetting, and usability.
A pocket edition of the Holy Psalter, featuring original illustrations, is also in development and hoped to be available by Christmas. While the Press has not confirmed whether it will include the full suite of pre- and post-kathisma prayers and helpful guides, expectations are high. If successful, this edition could eventually overtake the Boston Psalter as the premier psalter for English speaking parishes of the Russian tradition.
For those who missed the announcement, Orthodox Christian Canons and Prayers is envisioned as a second volume to Orthodox Christian Prayers, forming a portable library of prayers to meet every need and occasion of the laymen. Earlier speculation about a softcover edition may now be outdated, as STM recently released a new Gomer Press hardback of Orthodox Christian Prayers for the UK and EU markets—an edition that has also reached U.S. readers. While Gomer was unable to match the soft leather and gilded edges of the Chinese-printed edition, the hardback with red-edged pages was well received. “We prepared ourselves for disappointment,” Fr. Mikel admitted, “but they are beautiful.”
Personally, I had been waiting on a hardback since I first picked up the softcover. When I saw there was a limited hardcover run, I bought three copies and sent a fourth to Rafael of Orthodox Reviews. You can find his review here. The quality is top-notch, and the red edges feel like a nod to the SVIT and Old Orthodox Prayer Book. I'm sure many love the softcover, it's an objectively good prayerbook—simply better in hardcover.
Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Press has been on a roll lately and continues to play a leading role in the organic development of English liturgical texts and practices. With a steady stream of high-quality publications and reprints, STM Press is set to remain a key source of liturgical and devotional texts for Anglophone Orthodox Christians in North America and beyond.
