Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit Orthodox Church
Archpriest Steven C. Kostoff
4285 Ashland Ave, Cincinnati OH 45212 - (513) 351-0907
Parish Council, Women's Lunch, Reading Circle

February 2, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
 
Filling Out the Parish Council
 
With our Annual Parish Meeting scheduled for this coming Sunday, I need to report that we are still short one member for the Parish Council 2012; and that we also need two alternates.  Is anyone interested in running/serving on the parish council for 2012?  Or, would you like to nominate someone?  The council member will be expected to take on the ministry of inreach/outreach (charity assistance within and without the parish).  Basic qualifications are:
 
- Being an active participant in the Sacraments of Confession & Communion
- Fulfilling one’s financial obligation to the parish by being a pledging member
- Having been a member of our parish for two years
 
Please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested.

 
Child Care for Parish Meeting

Child Care in the Education Center will be provided for the children of parents who desire to attend the meeting.  One more adult is needed to assist in this.  Please contact either Terrie Sauer or me, if you are willing to offer your time and energy for this child care.

 
Parish Reports
 
The intention is to provide at least the majority of the various parish reports before the meeting – either later today or tomorrow.

 
Women’s Fellowship Lunch - From Presvytera Deborah:
 
We are hoping to begin a “Women’s Fellowship Lunch.”  It is a bring your own lunch and we will meet at the church at 12:00 on the first Thursday of each month beginning on Thursday, March 8.
 

Reading Together
 
For the first of our “Three Evenings With Chekhov,” beginning on Monday, February 6, we will read “Panikhida,” “Vanka,” and “Ward No. 6,” concentrating on the last of these works.  I will be using the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation.  We will meet in the library in the education center.  We will move elsewhere if there are too many of us.
 
 
Parish Meeting Wrapup, Super Sunday?, In the Hospital

Feb 7, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
 
Annual Parish Meeting
 
As scheduled, we held our Annual Parish Meeting yesterday.  It was better attended than last year’s meeting, but we still suffer from a lack of over-all parish participation. This means that the “state of the parish” discussion that these meetings are intended to be, is missed by many of you who make up the parish membership.  We were hoping that the child-care provided yesterday would help younger parents to attend, but that also did not provide a needed solution.  Perhaps we will do better next year …
In reporting on the meeting, I will limit myself now to informing everyone of the new parish council members for 2012:
 
President – Frances Fowler-Collins
V. President – Mickey Callender
Treasurer – Steve Joachim
Secretary – Melissa Payne
Financial Administrator – Brian Farison
Communications – Ellyn Gillette
Inreach & Outreach – Steve Mayhugh
Young Adult Group – Johnothon Sauer
Alternate – Jeannie Markvan
 

Just A Thought …
 
The Super Bowl is over and is now history.  May they rejoice in New York.  May the lamentation in New England be short-lived.  The game itself is very long, lasting over three hours usually, I believe.  That is about as long, if not a bit longer, than our Paschal celebration, which I, in response to our secular society’s “Super Sunday,” like to call the real Super Sunday.  However, what I find quite incredible is the “pre-game” programming.  If I have this right, it started at 12:30 p.m., but the game began at 6:30 p.m.  That means there were six hours of game preparation!  What could possibly be discussed, analyzed, and commented on for six hours that was not already addressed in the two-week “pre-festal” preparatory period?!  Did we learn what each player ate for breakfast on game day and then analyze the digestive pattern of each player from a scientific commentator?
 
Whatever.
 
The thought that came to me was this:  If you are one of those who “tune in” early for the pre-game, I would ask: how early?  Once that time period has been determined, I would suggest offering as much time to the “pre-service” reading of the Acts of the Apostles” before the actual paschal services begin this year.  This reading goes on, at least theoretically (depending on how many readers sign up), for hours also.  Different atmosphere, though.  Reading the Holy Scriptures in a dark and quiet church is also something of a “warm up,” though not nearly as analytical as what you may hear on the television.  As the Acts are Holy Scriptures, there are no superfluous words.  No commercials either.  The reading creates an atmosphere that prepares us for the explosive services to follow.
 
Or, you may want to consider the “warm up” on each and every Sunday – the Lord’s Day – since each and every Sunday is actually rather “super” for us as Christians.  This warm-up is in the form of  the third and sixth canonical Hours that are read before the Liturgy.  This only lasts for twenty minutes.  But the Hours also prepare us for the Liturgy to follow.   The Hours and the Liturgy combined are not nearly as long as the Super Bowl game itself.
 
Just a thought generated on Super Bowl Sunday.

 
Hospitalized Parishioner
 
I just received a phone call from Datrice Kristof that her daughter Jasmine is in the hospital in Orlando FL.  She is a member of the Finneytown High School band, and she was on a field trip with the band.  The cause for her hospitalization stems from her diabetes.  Datrice will be leaving shortly for Orlando to be with Jasmine and bring her back home as soon as possible.  Please keep them both in your prayers.



Feb 9, 2012
Men's Monastery Pilgrimage - First hand account of the journey, with slideshow, on our Monasteries page.


Baptism, Kairos Thank You, A Healthy Heart and Lenten Fasting

Feb 10, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,

Of Water and the Spirit
 
Tomorrow morning Miles Fleisch will be baptized into Christ and the life of the Church. The service will begin at 10:00 a.m.
 
Receiving Thanks
 
We received the following letter from the Kairos Prison  Ministry:
 
We are so grateful for your gift of $466 to the Kairos Prison Ministry.  Through your donations, the ministry is able to pursue its mission of ministry to those who are impacted by incarceration.  Through the grace of God, and enabled by your gifts, we are working to bring persons lost in shame, guilt, unforgiveness, and hatred to know the healing and saving power of Jesus Christ, and a new way of life.
 
John Corrigan
Financial Secretary
Kairos of Ohio
 

A Healthy Heart
 
Just read an interesting article (that seemed legitimate enough as a detailed study) about the best foods that one can eat to help fight against heart attack – still the number one killer of both men and women in our nation.  The list included:
 
Oranges
Kale
Garlic
Red wine
Dark chocolate
Sardines
Lentils
Almonds
Pomegranates
 
How many of these foods are non-lenten?  In fact, the food culprits that remain highest on the list of “bad for the heart” are meat and dairy products for all of the saturated fats that they contain.  Other “public enemies” on the list include:  bagels, pizza, cookies and soda.  Overwhelmingly, these are the very foods that we fast from during Great Lent!  Great Lent is healthy for both soul and body. For the soul because we consciously practice self-restraint and discipline, absent from our culture unless practiced for reasons of health and beauty.  For the body, because the non-lenten foods that we eat are major contributors to cardiovascular diseases that often enough culminate in heart attacks.
 
Thank God for Great Lent – a godly and healthy way of living for both soul and body!
 

Scriptural Reading
For Sunday’s Liturgy:
 
Epistle:   I COR. 6:12-20
Gospel:  LK. 15:11-32
 
 
 
Directory, Birth Announcement, Reading Circle, Stewardship News

Feb 18, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,

Parish Directory

We have re-released our new Parish Directory 2012 in the same format as that of 2009.  Perhaps this version will prove to be easier to print and use.  It has been carefully updated to include all of our new parishioners; and hopefully with any updates of our longer-standing parishioners.  Whatever the case may be, it will have to do for the time being!   Copies will be available for parishioners who do not have access to electronic mail.

New Life!
 
This morning, Natalie Joachim gave birth to a baby boy – Nicholas.  Both mother and baby are doing well.  We thank God for a safe delivery!

One Last Evening With Chekhov
 
This coming Monday evening – 2/20 – will be our third and final session for discussing the short stories of Anton Chekhov.  We will discuss a trilogy of “ecclesiastical tales:”  “The Bishop,” “The Student,”  and “Easter Night.”  These are marvelous stories permeated with an Orthodox ethos that should make for a good discussion. If you have these stories, please think about reading them and joining our reading circle even if you haven’t as of yet.
 
Stewardship Committee
 
Our committee, formed last year, will continue to meet throughout 2012.  We need to explore the best approach to bringing our entire community to an awareness of supporting the parish financially.  We are aiming at a biblical generosity that leads to everyone taking on their fair share in that necessary task.  We are concerned about the long-range future of our parish, and its financial stability in the years to come as a new generation emerges with that responsibility.  If you ever have any questions or concerns about stewardship and would like to direct them to the committee, please feel free to do so through me.  We will address all such questions or concerns at our meeting and then get back with you.
 
The Stewardship Committee will  meet on Thursday, February 23, at 10:00 a.m.
 
Scripture Readings
 
At Sunday’s Divine Liturgy
 
Epistle:  I COR. 8:8-9:2
Gospel:  MATT. 25:31-46


Updated February 27, 2012!
Updated February 27, 2012!
Feb 27, 2012
GREAT LENT RESOURCE SECTION RELAUNCHES - Newly refreshed and greatly expanded for 2012, featuring GETTING STARTED IN GREAT LENT with key articles by Abp Kallistos Ware, Fr Alexander Schmemann, Fr Thomas Hopko and others, plus new pages covering Lenten Worship, the Sundays of Lent, the Weekday Services of Great Lent, with helpful sections On Lenten Fasting and The Sacrament of Confession. Designed for easy navigation, this is a helpful guide for us on our Journey to Pascha!

Presanctified Liturgy, Church School Procession w/Icons, more

Learn about the Sunday of Orthodoxy
Learn about the Sunday of Orthodoxy
March 2, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
I hope that everyone has been having a fruitful first week of this year’s Great Lent.
 
First Presanctified Liturgy
 
This evening (6:00 p.m.) we will celebrate the first of our lenten Presanctified Liturgies.  For the rest of Great Lent they will be on Wednesday evenings.  As is our tradition, we will have a lenten potluck dinner to follow in the church hall.  If you could bring a lenten dish or a beverage to share, that would be greatly appreciated.
 
As we will be receiving the Eucharist this evening, we need to prepare through prayer and fasting.  Fasting through the day is encouraged, at least from a lenten lunch until the reception of the Eucharist.  Based on their age, parents can choose an appropriate time from which their children will fast before the service.  Always feel free to discuss any of this with me.
 
Church School Procession With Icons
 
The first Sunday of Great Lent is approaching.  Our Church School children will process with icons into the church following the Liturgy as we commemorate the Sunday of Orthodoxy and the restoration of icons following the iconoclast heresy of the 8th-9th c.  The Seventh Ecumenical Council – accepted by both the Christian West/Rome and the Christian East/Constantinople – convened in Nicea (787) and formulated a doctrinal statement in support of the liturgical and personal use of the sacred icons of the Church.  The icons, beginning with the icon of Christ, are venerated with all due solemnity, as our veneration of the image passes to the prototype, according to St. Basil the Great.   We hope to have many of our Church School students participating!
 
Mark That Date!
 
Our Lenten Retreat is scheduled for Saturday, March 31.  Our guest speaker will be Dr. Peter Bouteneff of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.  A flier with all the details will be prepared for early next week.  Please mark the date, and participate in and support an important event in the life of your parish.
 
Scripture Readings at Sunday’s Liturgy
 
Epistle:  HEB. 11:24-26,32-12:2
Gospel:  JN. 1:43-51
 
The homily, as announced earlier in the week, will deal with EX. 1-4 – the call of Moses and the theophany in the Burning Bush.
 
“Spring Ahead”
 
Next Sunday, March 11, we “spring ahead” and lose an hour as we revert back to Daylight Savings Time.

March 8, 2012
GREAT LENT RETREAT - COMING MARCH 31, 2012 - We are very excited to be hosting Dr Peter Bouteneff of St Vladimir's Seminary for a most timely retreat topic:

SWEETER THAN HONEY:
Living the Truth in an Age of Relativism

$15 adult registration - Free for College Students
Child Care Provided - Brunch and Lunch included


Full info, retreat schedule, downloadable retreat flier, and online registration on our Retreat Page. We hope to see you there!

Confession Scheduling, Upcoming Schedule, more

March 10, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
Confess Your Sins Before the Lord
 
We have just about concluded the first two weeks of Great Lent, and only a few parishioners have been to Confession.  A scheduling/logistics nightmare is in the making.  If you can come to Confession at a different time than before or after the Saturday evening Vespers, that would be greatly appreciated.  It is of great help to me also, if you schedule your confession ahead of time.  That allows me to understand my own time commitments and schedule.
 
A request I have this year:  If you have established the pattern through the years of coming to Confession at the biblical “eleventh hour” (or our secular “last minute”), I am urging you to break that pattern this year, and to not wait until the very end of Great Lent or even to spill over into Holy Week.  Having confessed our sins, received the forgiveness of God, and experienced that peace before Holy Week seems to me a good thing.
 
The Weekend Ahead
 
Friday evening – Akathist at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday – Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.; Memorial Service for the departed to follow
                   Parish Council Meeting at 4:00 p.m.
                     Great Vespers & Confessions at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday – Second of Great Lent; Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.
 
Scriptural Reading for Sunday’s Liturgy:
 
Epistle:  HEB. 1:10-2:3
Gospel:  MK. 2:1-12
 
We will continue with our second homily on the Book of Exodus, ch. 7-13 (The plagues, the Passover, and the Exodus)
 
The Witness of a Missionary
 
Our friend, James Hargrave, a missionary in Tanzania whose ministry we support, will visit our parish on Sunday, March 18, and give us an update on his missionary work during the post-Liturgy discussion.
 
Catechumens to Enter the Church
 
We are anticipating the entry into the full communion of the Church of three of our currents catechumens – Nicole Lyons, Steve Miller and Jennifer Daniels (catechized in our church last summer though currently attending Holy Trinity/St. Nicholas with her fiancé) - on the Feast of the Annunciation, Sunday, March 25.  Their respective sponsors are Di Carter, Paul Gansle and Nika Boyd.
 
Register Early
 
Please register as soon as possible for the parish Lenten retreat on Saturday, March 31.  It is very helpful for our over-all planning.

PLEASE REGISTER EARLY!
PLEASE REGISTER EARLY!
The Third Week, Confession, Sisterhood, more...

Sunday of the Cross
Sunday of the Cross
Sunday of the Cross
March 14, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
Thy Precious Cross
 
As we continue the joyful celebration of the Fast, we cry aloud:  Keep us all in peace, O Lord, deliver us from every snare of the enemy and in Thy surpassing love count us worthy to venerate with love Thy precious Cross, through which Thou grantest to the inhabited earth Thy mercy, O Thou who alone are most merciful.
 (Matins, Wednesday in the Third Week)
 
As we approach the Sunday of the Cross, as reflected in the hymn above, this evening we will serve the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Lenten pot-luck dinner.
 
On Friday evening, the Akathist Hymn, Pt. III, will begin at 7:00 p.m.
 

Confession of Sins
 
I will be in the church on Saturday morning, from 9:00 – Noon hearing the confessions of our Church School students.  There is space for others to “sign up” as of now.  Parents who bring their children, may also stay for Confession at the same time.
 
 
Sisterhood to Meet
 
The St. Catherine Society (Sisterhood) will hold a short meeting this coming Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the church hall.  The intention is to link the meeting with Great Vespers to follow at 6:00 p.m.  All of the “sisters” of the parish – i.e. all of the women of the parish – are encouraged to participate.  Please direct any further questions to Jeannie Markvan.
 

Speaking of Great Vespers, attendance “lately” – including the first two Saturdays of Great Lent – has been sparse.  This Saturday’s Great Vespers will be an ideal time to reverse that unfortunate trend.  For at the conclusion of the service, the decorated Cross will be brought into the midst of the church in procession, there to be venerated by the faithful, as we are approaching the Third Sunday of Lent – the Sunday of the Cross.
“The fool said in his heart, ‘There is no God’”
 

Attached is a flier announcing what sounds like a potentially interesting lecture at Xavier University next Monday evening, March 19.  The topic is Atheism, as told from the perspective of what I would imagine will be a Roman Catholic scholar.  Presvytera and I intend on attending.  Please let me know if you would like to join us.
 

Retreat Registration
 
Please sign up as soon as possible for our upcoming Lenten retreat.  Online registration is available here.

 
Confession, the Cross, Voice of a Missionary, more

The Mystery of Confession
The Mystery of Confession
The Mystery of Confession
March 17, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,

Time to Confess
 
Another reminder that I will be here at the church Saturday (3/17) morning from 9:00 – Noon, to hear the confessions of our Church School students (and parents).  As of now, only one family of three is scheduled for a definite time, and that is 10:30 a.m.  Others have contacted me to let me know that they plan on coming.  If you would like to  reserve a more definite time, that would be fine with me.  Please contact me at your convenience. There are some articles and helps on preparing for Confession here.

 
“Before Thy Cross”
 
The decorated Cross will be brought into the center of the church during the procession at the end of Great Vespers on Saturday evening.  Hopefully, we will have a good share of our parish faithful here to “meet” the Cross and venerate it as we enter the fourth week
of Great Lent – the Week of the Cross – in anticipation of Holy Week itself.
 
Journey Through Exodus
 
The third of our five Lenten Sunday homilies on the Book of Exodus will be given on the upcoming Sunday of the Cross.  The homily will cover chs. 14-18, concentrating on the monumental event of the crossing of the Red/Reed Sea and its typological significance for the New Testament.  Also the events in the wilderness that are types of the Cross of the Lord will be commented on.
 
Scriptural Readings at Sunday’s Liturgy
 
Epistle:  HEB. 4:14-5:6
Gospel:  MK. 8:34-9:1
 
The Voice of an Orthodox Missionary
 
Our friend, James Hargrave, will address the parish on Sunday during the post-Liturgy discussion about his missionary experiences in Tanzania this past year.  He will first briefly speak with our Church School students immediately following Communion, and then return to the church to speak to the parish.  It should be quite exciting to hear from a genuine missionary “out in the field” and about his high and low points in bringing the Gospel to the people of Tanzania.  After James’ talk, we will place a basket in the church to collect any donations that you would like to offer him in support of his work.
 
Eagerly Awaiting Your Registration
 
Please excuse the repeated reminders, but it would be great if you signed up for the Lenten retreat “sooner than later.”  We have had a trickle up to now, that we hope will soon become a flood.

Register online on our Retreat page!
 
 
Confession, Retreat Reservations, Shelest Piano Recital, more

Register Online for our Retreat!
Register Online for our Retreat!
March 22, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,

Another Saturday of Confessions
 
Setting aside a block of time for hearing confessions was pretty effective last Saturday, with more than a dozen persons availing themselves of that opportunity.  Therefore, I will try that again this Saturday, also from 9:00 a.m. – Noon.  At 10:00 a.m., however, we will have the first part of the Service of Reception of our Catechumens.  That should last between 20-30 minutes, and anyone is encouraged to be present.  The actual chrismations will occur on Sunday morning at the Liturgy.  If you would like to reserve a time slot for confession this coming Saturday morning here at the church, please contact me as soon as possible.

 
Awaiting Further Reservations for Lenten Retreat
 
Reservations are trickling in for the Retreat on March 31.  Please add yourself to that stream as soon as possible.
 
We are looking for adult volunteers who will rotate in hopefully short shifts to keep an eye on our child care in the church education center. Please contact Alexis Callender about this.


 
Bright Friday Event
 
There has been some enthusiastic talk about a Bright Friday event here in the parish (Friday, April 20).  But such an event will need some good organization.  Do we have two possible co-chairpersons for a Bright Friday event?  Please let Fr. Steven know.


Dmitri and Anna (Polusmiak) Shelest to give Dual Piano Recital
Sun. 3/25 3pm, Greaves Hall, NKU,
Tickets $10, $7 for students w/ID, reception following.

Anna and Dmitri are dear friends and former parishioners, and are globally renowned pianists who have performed to universal acclaim at Carnegie Hall, and throughout Russia and Europe. This concert is a special farewell performance in honor of departing NKU President James Votruba, and a rare opportunity to see them perform locally.

More info, with links and phone number to order tickets available on our Parish News page.



March 22, 2012
Dmitri and Anna (Polusmiak) Shelest to give Dual Piano Recital - Sun. 3/25 3pm, Greaves Hall, NKU, Tickets $10, $7 for students w/ID, reception following. 
Anna and Dmitri are dear friends and former parishioners, and are globally renowned pianists who have performed to universal acclaim at Carnegie Hall, and throughout Russia and Europe. This concert is a special farewell performance in honor of departing NKU President James Votruba.
Visit Dmitri and Anna's website here.
Full concert info on NKU's website here.
Or call 859-572-5464 for tickets.
You can order Anna's recordings here.
(Her most recent is available on iTunes.)


March 26, 2012
SPECIAL BENEFIT DINNER to support the Hogar Rafael Ayau Capital Program. Fri April 27, 2012, in Toledo, OH. Full info and online ticket ordering on our Hogar page.
This Week\'s Schedule, Retreat Reminder, more

March 28, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
 
The Presanctified Liturgy will begin this evening at 6:00 p.m. A Lenten pot-luck dinner will follow in the church hall.  Because the floor in the church hall has already been mopped in preparation for Saturday’s retreat; we are going to try and sit together as closely as possible this evening at the tables with the chairs already down on the ground.
 
Canon and Life of St. Mary of Egypt
 
We will chant, as prescribed, a part of the Canon of St. Andrew tomorrow evening, beginning at 7:00 p.m.  During the Canon we also read the entire Life of St. Mary of Egypt.  Are there two readers who would volunteer to each read a one third of the Life, and I will read the remaining third?  Please let me know.
 
No service on Friday Evening
 
There will be no service on Friday evening as we prepare for Saturday’s retreat.  The Liturgy on Saturday morning will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Scroll down for other recent news...


April 3, 2012
Retreat Recap - Thank you to everyone who attended our 2012 Lenten Retreat with our guest speaker, Dr Peter Bouteneff of St Vladimir's Seminary. Very special appreciation to our Retreat Committee, and to all those who helped with setup, cleanup, meals, and child care. We feel it was a solid success for the parish, and were very happy to make many new friends among our visitors. Watch for audio of the two talks coming soon!


image
April 4, 2012
LENTEN CLEANUP!
Volunteers Needed!

A great opportunity to give of your time for the beautification of our Church!
 
Great time for fellowship and children of all ages are welcome! Young children must have someone to assist them throughout the day.
 
Date: Lazarus Saturday, April 7th
Time: After Divine Liturgy – About 11:30AM-3PM

Indoor and Outdoor Projects
Something for Everyone!
Light snack/lunch provided!

With an older building and a growing parish the need for volunteers are greater than ever! The old saying of "many hands make light work" rings true.

Feel free to contact me by
email (hcallender@cinci.rr.com)
telephone (513 403 8172)
 
In Christ,
Mickey Callender

Printable Cleanup Flier in PDF format with more info.

Presanctified Liturgy, Confession, Our Growing Parish, more...

April 4, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
Today dead Lazarus is buried, and his sisters sing in lamentation:  but
Thou, in Thy divine foreknowledge, hast predicted what should come to
pass .  ‘Lazarus sleeps,’ Thou hast prophecied to Thy disciples, ‘but I go
to raise up him whom I created.’  Therefore we all cry to Thee:  Glory
to Thy mighty power.

                   (Wednesday of the Sixth Week, Matins sessional hymn)
 

Have You Been to a Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts Yet?
 
This evening at 6:00 p.m. we will serve the last of our Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts for this year’s Great Lent.  Have you been to one of these services yet this year?  This service is peculiar to Great Lent and is not celebrated at any other time of the liturgical year.  At this service we receive the Eucharist as the heavenly manna that nourishes us and satisfies our hunger after a long day of fasting and waiting.  This somewhat replicates the experience of Israel wandering through the wilderness after the Exodus event, and finding the manna that God providentially provided for them. This in integral to the whole Lenten experience.  Following the service, we share a Lenten pot-luck meal together and the fellowship of each other’s company.
 

Have You Been to Confession Yet?
 
I was hoping – and continue to hope – that everyone would come to Confession before Holy Week.  I will be at the church today, tomorrow and Friday if anyone would like to schedule an appointment.  The upcoming weekend is extremely full with a baptismal Liturgy on Saturday morning and the Vigil for Palm Sunday on Saturday evening; together with preparations for the Chrismations on Sunday morning.  Forty days seems like a fair amount of time to set aside a small bit of time for the important act of confessing one’s sins.  We often call this prioritizing with God in mind.
 

Our Parish Continues to Grow
 
This weekend we will receive the Wheelock family – father and mother Matthew and Amanda; and children Noah, Jonah, and Ruby – through Baptism and Chrismation.  The children will be baptized and chrismated on Saturday morning (the baptismal Liturgy will begin at 9:00 a.m.); and Matthew and Amanda will be chrismated on Sunday morning at the Palm Sunday Liturgy.  Their sponsors will be Stephen and Emma Wendland.


Supporting St.Vladimir’s Seminary
 
This past weekend we hosted what turned out to be a very successful retreat – at least in my estimation, though others have expressed the same over-all assessment to me.  We were treated to a series of insights on topics ranging from Truth and relativism, to proclaiming and searching for signs of Christ in our contemporary culture,  from our guest speaker, Dr. Peter Bouteneff, associate professor of systematic theology at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York City.  Ralph informed me that he is going to set-up a website feedback form to allow those who would like to offer an over-all assessment of the retreat.
 
On Sunday, Dr. Bouteneff spoke briefly but eloquently about the life and vision of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, one of the premier seminaries within the entire international Orthodox world.  As a follow-through – and having spoken to others about this – we will have a basket by the Cross this Sunday to collect any donations that you may be willing to make for the support of the seminary.  Since we have not had a Lenten “basket by the Cross” as of yet, this basket will serve that role this year.
 

Parish Cleanup, Lazarus Saturday, April 7
  Volunteers Needed!

A great opportunity to give of your time for the beautification of our Church!
 
Great time for fellowship and children of all ages are welcome! Young children must have someone to assist them throughout the day.
 
Date: Saturday April 7th
Time: After Divine Liturgy – About 11:30AM-3PM
Light snack/lunch provided!

We need a lot of volunteers in the following areas:

Clean inside:
  Church pews, dust window sills, vacuum floors, polish candle stands, and assist Fr. Steven in the Alter area.
  Hall floors swept and mopped, windows sills cleaned, windows cleaned, highchairs cleaned, tables and chairs wiped down.
  Bathrooms (all four) need to be cleaned and well stocked
  Kitchen and refrigerator cleaned and floor mopped.
  Changing of burned out light bulbs and dusting the chandeliers

Outdoor clean-up projects:
  Yard work - trimming bushes, pulling weeds, trash cleanup lots of mulching. We will need several wheelbarrows, some garden rakes, hedge trimmers and garden gloves.
  Helping cleaning the outside of the windows

Also needed are volunteers to provide the snack/lunch and clean up the dining area!

With an older building and a growing parish the need for volunteers are greater than ever! The old saying of "many hands make light work" rings true.

Feel free to contact me by
 email (hcallender@cinci.rr.com)
telephone (513 403 8172)
 
In Christ,
Mickey Callender

Print out our LENTEN CLEANUP FLIER as a reminder for this Saturday!


Retreat Survey, Red Easter Eggs, more...

April 5, 2012
Dear Parish Faithful,
 
Just received this from Ralph Sidway. For those who attended the Retreat, I encourage you to participate in the survey set up on our website.
 
Dear Fr Steven,
 
I have created an email survey on our website to gather feedback on our Lenten Retreat. As with the Stewardship Survey, people can respond anonymously if they wish. Let me know if you have any edits or changes you wish to make.
 
http://christthesavioroca.org/retreatsurvey.html
 
in Christ,
Ralph
 
Ralph H Sidway
huntsidway@mac.com
 
 
Bright Red Easter Eggs
 
We need parishioners to sign up and commit to preparing and dyeing two dozen or more eggs for blessing following the midnight Paschal Liturgy.  The red dye will be provided.  There is a sign-up sheet in the church hall and the packets of dye will be found there.
 

Airplanes Back Then?
 
On a recent test, one of my students wrote that “Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilot!”  Advanced as Roman technology was in the 1st c. A.D., I remain skeptical of the procurator having such a skill.  Words that sound alike – homonyms – do not always mean the same thing.  Earlier, a student wrote that the Holy Spirit spoke through the profits!  (Perhaps he was thinking of Trinity broadcasting).  Now that I am on the subject, another student just wrote under the definition of “garments of skin,” that God clothed Adam and Eve in “animal pelts.”  Would that be squirrel, fox, beaver? Grading tests does have its moments of new discovery.


Scroll down for more recent parish news . . .


 

Now HERE'S someone we can ALL VOTE FOR!
Now HERE'S someone we can ALL VOTE FOR!
April 8, 2012
VOTE NOW!

To Help Elias win
a wheelchair-accessible van!


Vote here now!!!

- You can VOTE EVERY DAY, now through May 13!
- 5 Bonus Points for using code 889 and 850!
      (One time bonus for each code)
- Use the SHARE Button (below) to tell your friends and family!




Dear Parish Faithful,

 
Please read this request from Stephen and Emma Wendland on behalf of Elias and the entire family.  Hopefully, we can all do our best to “make this happen!”
 
Fr. Steven
 
 
Fr. Steven,
 
 
As you are aware, one of our greatest needs right now is obtaining a wheelchair accessible van for Elias. There is much that he has not been able to do, such as going to Church, because of the difficulties and time constraints involved in breaking down his chair and other equipment and then setting it up again and doing the same to return home again. Elias only has a few hours in between respiratory treatments, when he needs to be home. Needless to say Elias does not enjoy the simple in life, like going to the park or the store to pick up a gallon of milk with mom or dad.

There is a voting contest through the 'National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association' and they are giving away new vans for the three with the most votes. Emma and I put Elias' profile up and am asking you to forward the link to as many people as possible so that they can vote everyday. You get 5 extra votes for visiting a local dealer and putting in the code from that website. The local codes are 889 or 850 which are for two dealers in the Cincy area. Here is the direct link to vote for Elias:
 
http://www.nmeda.com/mobility-awareness-month/heroes/ohio/liberty-township/745/elias-wendland
 
This would be an answer to our biggest prayer and need right now, but we need the help of as many people that we can get to commit to doing this everyday and getting as many others to do it as well.
 
In Christ,
 
Elias and family


Use the SHARE Function to post on Facebook, Tweet, and email your friends and family!
Vote Daily from Now to May 13!

Remember, VOTE DAILY FOR ELIAS!!!
Remember, VOTE DAILY FOR ELIAS!!!
About Life Moving Forward and the
Wheelchair-Accessible-Van Giveaway:


Local Heroes (and Elias is our Little Hero!)

May is National Mobility Awareness Month and we are celebrating Local Heroes all across North America. We will be giving away a minimum of three Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles to a caregiver, veteran or person with a disability that is dealing with or overcoming mobility challenges.

National Mobility Awareness Month

Starting this year, the month of May is recognized as National Mobility Awareness Month. The purpose of this declaration is to bring attention to and show the world how people with disabilities can live an active, mobile lifestyle. Supported by national spokesperson, Mike Savicki, and utilizing the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association network of members, the goal of National Mobility Awareness Month is to educate the public that:

  • People with disabilities constitute the 2nd largest minority in the United States.
  • Over 18 million people in the U.S. and Canada have mobility issues.
  • 6 million of those are veterans.
  • There are mobility equipment manufacturers, dealers, driver rehabilitation specialists and other professionals in your community dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities.
  • Automotive mobility solutions are available for people with disabilities enabling them to enjoy active, mobile lifestyles

Learn more here.


Children/Family Lenten Ministry 2012

March 17, 2012
Saturday, March 24, beginning at 4:00pm - Join us for a very special combination of Ministries, benefiting the homeless, as well as children in Africa.  Full info plus links to sign up, and a YouTube video describing the Kid's Against Hunger ministry on this special page...