THE GREAT FEAST of THEOPHANY (Jan. 6)
The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, and 'the Worship of the Trinity made manifest'
This Great Feast, which follows 12 Days after the Nativity (hence the "12 Days of Christmas"), continues the Church's living commemoration of Christ's Incarnation, specifically, his baptism by the Holy Prophet and Forerunner John in the River Jordan, which immediately preceded his going out to the lost sheep of Israel, "preaching the Gospel and healing every disease."
As of this posting on January 2, we still have 17 places availabla in our online signup for the Divine Liturgy on January 6. Our Festal Schedule below includes links to the special liturgical texts for the Feast, in case you are celebrating at home.
Be sure to explore our Theophany Festal Resource Page as well, with numerous articles and other features.
Great Feast of Theophany (Jan. 6)
- Tue. Jan. 5, 7:00pm - Festal Vespers
- Wed. Jan. 6, 9:30am - Divine Liturgy
The Iconography of Holy Week & Pascha
presented by Fr. Andrew Tregubov
Two Consecutive Sundays:
April 11 & 18, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Join us via Zoom for a special presentation by one of Orthodoxy's premier iconographers, who is the iconographer of our parish church.
More info with bio, video, and link to sign up on our special 2021 Lenten Zoom Retreat Page.
We hope you can join us!
GREAT LENT CONTINUES THRU APRIL 23
Explore our Great Lent Resources, with numerous updates for 2021 so far (and more to follow, God willing).
Sections include:
- Lenten Worship: the Sundays of Lent, and the Weekday services
- The Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete
- On Lenten Fasting
- On Confession and the Sacrament of Repentance
- Making Lent Real in the Orthodox Home
- Suggested books and reading, with links
- Plus literally dozens of rich, practical articles and helps for this holy season...
Download our 2021 Great Lent Schedule in PDF format:
- complete with all special Lenten services,
- plus fasting references,
- our Holy Week & Pascha schedule,
- and edifying articles and helps for our Lenten effort!
Also view our complete Great Lent schedule through our pop-up calendar below, and sync your phone, tablet, PC or Mac with just one click!
As of now, all our Lenten weeknight services and Great Vespers on Saturday evenings will be open to the public.
Come and see, and make the Lenten Journey to Pascha with us!
We hope to see you soon!
HOLY WEEK:
Explore our Holy Week Resource Section
Includes Reader's Services and links to order service books
Online Signup required for services w/asterisk *
All other services open to the public - Come and see!
Sun. April 25, 7:00pm - Bridegroom Matins
Mon. April 26, 7:00pm - Bridegroom Matins
Tue. April 27, 7:00pm - Bridegroom Matins
Wed. April 28, 7:00pm - Service of Anointing *
Thu. April 29 - GREAT & HOLY THURSDAY
- 9:30am - Vesperal Liturgy (Institution of the Eucharist)
- 7:00pm - Matins w/12 Passion Gospels
Fri. April 30 - GREAT & HOLY FRIDAY
- 9:00am - Royal Hours (and at 10am, 11am, & Noon)
- 3:00pm - Vespers (Descent from the Cross)
- 7:30pm - Matins w/Lamentations & Procession *
Sat. May 1 - GREAT & HOLY SATURDAY
- 9:30am - Vesperal Liturgy (15 OT Readings)
- 11:30pm - PASCHA NIGHT *
- Nocturns, Paschal Procession, Matins, Divine Liturgy
- Nocturns, Paschal Procession, Matins, Divine Liturgy
Sun. May 2 - PASCHA
- 2:00pm - Agape Vespers
- Gospel read in many languages
- Explore our Pascha Resources
Mon. May 3 - BRIGHT WEEK BEGINS
- 9:30am - Paschal Divine Liturgy
All services open to the public, except those marked with asterisk * (signup required)
Dear Parish Faithful,
Bright Week is Receding -
We are drawing near to the end of that first post-paschal week that we call "bright," because of the light that bursts forth from the empty tomb of Christ. It is certainly a challenge to keep alive the paschal spirit that so brilliantly pervades the Church at the Paschal Liturgy. One way of maintaining an awareness of the Resurrection of Christ, is to carefully read through the resurrectional narratives at the end of the four Gospels.
As a parish, we will have a Zoom Bible Study of John 20 on Monday evening, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. to do precisely that. These are remarkable accounts that bear careful study. Please join us for this zoom session! I will send the link out on Monday morning.
- Fr. Steven
PASCHA to PENTECOST
Join us for this vibrant season as we learn from the Risen Lord Jesus for Forty Days through His Ascension in glory, followed by the Great Feast of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
Explore our Pascha to Pentecost Resource Section...
Service Books for Holy Week & Pascha
OCPC / OCA
Service books for Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha, featuring the official texts of the OCA.
These books do not only allow you to follow the unfolding of the service, but also to prepare by studying the texts of the services ahead of time. Each booklet is a convenient 4" x 6" with heavyweight paper cover.
For special hardcover Holy Week service books, see also our Holy Week Section.
Subject to availability...
- Forgiveness Sunday Vespers
- Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, The
- Feast of Palms, The
- Bridegroom Services of Holy Week, The
- Holy Friday Matins
- Vespers of Holy Friday
- Matins of Holy Saturday
- Great and Holy Saturday Divine Liturgy with 15 OT Readings
- Paschal Service, The
- Vespers of Pascha, The
NEW CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES PAGE,
+ ONLINE SIGNUP FOR DIVINE LITURGY
Since the COVID-19 virus seems to be with us for the foreseeable future, we have moved our former temporary virus news update page to a permanent Coronavirus Guidelines Page for easier and more visible navigation.
Links to the new location are visible from the Subpage Menu at the top of the Home page, from the Feature Banner on the Home page, and fron the Schedule panels on the Home page and the Worship Schedule page.
Explore this wealth of resources, which is much more than a mere archive of our parish communications on the Coronavirus, as it features extensive resources on keeping the Divine Services at home, writings and prayers on the Coronavirus, prayer lists, and some beautiful new icons to encourage us all as we continue this long struggle.
The first major update since moving the Coronavirus Guidelines Page is the launch of our Online Signup for Divine Liturgy Services. This special, password-protected page is designed to simplify the process for parishioners to sign up to attend the Divine Liturgy, while limiting attendance to the currently mandated 30 person limit. At present, we will only require signups for the Divine Liturgy. Vespers and evening services will be "open," unless we begin to consistently top the 30 person limit, at which time we may require signups for Vespers as well.
Thank you for your understanding as we continue to respond to the Coronavirus requirements.
Keep Calm, and 'Lord have Mercy!'
2021 STEWARDSHIP APPEAL & ONLINE PLEDGE FORM
Our Annual Stewardship Appeal begins the week of October 18, and, as with recent years, we once again are providing a simple and quick Online Pledge Form which takes less than a minute to complete. You will receive a pop-up confirmation of the successful submission of your pledge, as well as a confirmation email, with a link should you wish to edit your pledge.
With the unpredictable duration of Covid-19, and so that our finance team may have plenty of time to develop our 2021 Budget, we ask that parishioners submit their pledges by Sunday, November 15.
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (July 18)
New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth & Nun Barbara
- Sat. July 17, 6:00pm - Great Vespers
- Sun. July 18, 9:10am - Hours & Divine Liturgy
- Social Hour following Liturgy
Special Liturgical Texts for this weekend
Service of the Typika (Readers Service, General Text)
Fellowship Hour Restored
As announced, we will also have our first post-pandemic Fellowship Hour following the Liturgy on Sunday, July 4. There is at least a faint echo of the early Christian "agape meal" in "breaking bread" (and drinking coffee!) together following our communion together as a parish in the Eucharist. I hope this will afford us the time to re-establish friendships that may have been put on hold during the pandemic, and/or making new acquaintances - there are new members in the parish!
'NORMAL TIME' AND 'ALL SAINTS'
After the Pascha to Pentecost period (the Pentecostarion), we return to so-called "normal time" in the life of the Orthodox Church, which leads off with the Sunday of All Saints (the Sunday after Pentecost), followed by the Sunday of All Saints of North America. (Actually, this is the Sunday of All Local Saints, so each nation has its own commemoration, Russia Greece, Romania, Serbia, etc.)
The day after All Saints is always the beginning of The Apostles' Fast, which, because its beginning is determined by the date of Pascha, has a variable duration, lasting until the Feast of the Chief Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29. (This year the Apostles Fast is only one day!) We will celebrate Saints Peter and Paul with a Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Monday, June 28, at 6:00pm.
And with that we enter into the middle of Summer and "normal time," which is anything but "normal," as we live in between Christ's Ascension and His Second and Glorious Coming, and we celebrate the Divine Liturgy at least every Sunday. There are also great saints commemorated throughout the summer months, including our beloved St John Maximovitch, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco (July 2) and St Herman of Alaska (August 9). Plus there is the beautiful Dormition Fast and Feast the first half of August, and the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ (August 6).
Here is a partial list (with links) of some of the great saints coming up in July:
- Unmercenary Wonderworkers Cosmas & Damian (July 1)
- St John Maximovitch of San Francisco (July 2)
- All Saints of North America (Sun. July 4)
- Ven. Andrew Rublev the Iconographer (July 4)
- Ven. Anthony of the Kiev Caves, Founder of Monasticism in Russia (July 10)
- Greatmartyr Euphemia the All-praised (July 11)
- St Olga, Equal of the Apostles (July 11)
- Equal to the Apostles St. Vladimir, Enlightener of Rus (July 15)
- Royal Passionbearers Tsar Nicholas II and his family (July 17)
- New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and the Nun Barbara (July 18)
- Uncovering of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov (July 19)
- Ven. Macrina, sister of St Basil the Great (July 19)
- Holy, Glorious Prophet Elijah (July 20)
- Myrrhbearer and Equal of the Apostles Mary Magdalene (July 22)
- Dormition of St. Anna, Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos (July 25)
- Holy Olympias (Olympiada) the Deaconess of Constantinople (July 25)
- St Jacob Netsvetov, Enlightener of the Peoples of Alaska (July 26)
- Greatmartyr and Healer Panteleimon (July 27)
- Apostles of the Seventy and Deacons: Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, & Parmenas (July 28)
- Apostles of the Seventy: Silas, Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus, & Andronicus (July 30)
In one important way, this year we do enter into "normal time," as the last of our coronavirus precautionary measures are falling away as of July 4: no masks required, no signup for Liturgy, and the return of our Fellowship & Coffee Hoiur after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. We hope you will join us in this time of restoration and thanksgiving!
Explore the links above, and sync our calendar to your smart phone, tablet or PC. We hope to see you soon!
SUMMER BIBLE STUDY BEGINS JUNE 30
Parish Bible Study to Begin - Our first session will be on Wednesday evening, June 30, following Vespers, which begins at 7:00 p.m. We will read and study The Acts of the Apostles. We will cover Ch. 1 at our first session. We will try and have an "in church" session," either in the Education Center or the Church Hall. We will also make the class available on zoom.
Full info here... Plan on joining us through the Summer!
THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS,
plus other August feasts and saints
August begins with the Dormition Fast, the two week period leading up to the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos on August 15th. This unique Fast/Feast is one of the most beloved seasons of the Church Calendar, as we celebrate the translation to Life of the Mother of Life.
Also celebrated on August 1 is the Procession of the Cross of the Lord, and also the Seven Maccabaean Martyrs.
During the Dormition Fast we also celebrate the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6, and the glorification of St Herman of Alaska on the 9th. For St Herman this year, we are chanting the Akathist to St Herman early on Monday morning, August 9, at 7:00am. "Come O Feast Lovers!"
Our parish's main Feast Day, the Image of Christ "Not Made By Hands" (the Holy Mandylion) is celebrated on August 16; you can explore this fascinating collection of extensive Orthodox resources on the Holy Mandylion (a special PDF handout from our 2019 Fall Retreat on the Shroud of Turin, with embedded links to books, articles, videos and more.)
Other great saints of August include:
- Ven. Zosimas & Sabbatius, Founders of Solovki Monastery (Aug 8)
- Priestmartyr Alexander Hotovitzky, who labored in America (Aug 20)
- Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons, disciple of the St Polycarp of Smyrna, who was in turn a disciple of the Apostle and Evangelist John (Aug 23)
- Neo-Martyr Cosmas of Aitolia, Equal of the Apostles (Aug 24)
- Martyrs Adrian and Natalia, one of the most beloved examples of married saints (Aug 26)
- Venerable Poemen the Great, one of the great Desert Fathers of the early Church (Aug 27)
- Venerable Job of Pochaev (Aug 28)
- Venerable Moses the Black, another one of the great Desert Fathers (Aug 28)
Numerous other saints can be found in your wall calendar, and on the OCA website, or on our Home page, where we have a link to the Saints and Readings for the Day.
The Beheading of St John the Baptist is commemorated just before the end of the month and the Church Year, on August 29. Even though it falls on a Sunday this year, it is still a Strict Fast day, though wine and oil are allowed for the Lord's Day.
ST HERMAN OF ALASKA SUMMER FEAST
For our beloved first saint in North America, we will be chanting the Akathist to St Herman early Monday morning, August 9, at 7:00am! Rouse youselves and join us as we honor this humble monk who "moved mountains" by his great faith!
Be sure to explore our extensive resource section on St Herman, which was greatly expanded again last year for the 50th anniversary of his glorification. Numerous books, articles, videos and more make this page an excellent introduction to this wonderworker of the Alaskan wilderness.
O holy Father Herman, pray to God for us!
As we have done for many years now, we will chant the beautiful Akathist of Thanksgiving, 'Glory to God for All Things' to welcome the Church New Year:
Tuesday, August 31, 7:00pm
Read some of Fr Steven's meditations on this beautiful Akathist service:
- 'Glory to You, for every step of my life'
- To Begin That Interior Renewal
- Begin the New Year with Thanksgiving
Learn more on our special Church New Year page with the edifying story behind this beloved Akathist, plus more reflections, and quick links to order the Akathist on CD or by digital download.
FEASTS AND SAINTS IN SEPTEMBER
Following the Church New Year on the 1st of the month, September leads us quickly to two of the Great Feasts, and through the celebration of numerous saints and events which should be "household names" for Orthodox Christians.
The two major feasts of September are the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos (Sept. 8), and the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (Sept 14). Check our Worship Schedule page or Home page for our service schedule for these.
Refer to your St Tikhon's wall calendar for easy reference, or visit the OCA website, where you can browse through the saints day by day or search by specific name or date. Our special page with Today's Readings and Saints lets you keep up right from our Home page.
- Ven. Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves (Sept 2)
- Prophet Zachariah & Righteous Elizabeth, parents of St John the Baptist (Sept 5)
- Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Colossae (Sept 6)
- The Righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim & Anna, parents of the Theotokos (Sept 9)
- Ven. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Monastery (Sept 11)
- Founding of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sept 13)
- Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope and Love (Sept 17)
- St Dimitry of Rostov (Sept 21)
- Conception of St John the Baptist (Sept 23)
- New Martyrs of Alaska (Sept 24)
- Protomartyr Thekla, Equal to the Apostles, who traveled with the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys (Sept 24)
- St Silouan of Mount Athos (Sept 24)
- Ven. Sergius of Radonezh (Sept 25)
- St John the Theologian (Sept 26)
Of course, there are many, many more saints to learn about! The saints are our elder brothers and sisters, reigning with Christ in heaven and interceding for us!
FALL ADULT CLASS BEGINS MON. OCTOBER 25
- Six Monday Evenings through Nov. 29
- We will be studying 'For The Life of the World - Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church'
- Full info and links for the text and study guide on our special page
CHURCH SCHOOL IS NOW IN SESSION!
Learn more and download our weekly newsletter here!
Late registrations welcome! Contact Fr Steven or Terrie Sauer.
THANKSGIVING SCHEDULE AND SPECIAL MEDITATIONS
Thanksgiving Day Divine Liturgy: Thursday, November 25, 9:30am
This year Thanksgiving Day falls on the Leavetaking of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, adding a festal dimension to the Liturgy.
We hope you can join us!
And be sure to explore our Meditations for Thanksgiving, featuring reflections by Fr Steven, and special articles by Fr Alexander Schmemann, Fr Thomas Hopko, Fr Roman Braga, plus much more...
ADVENT RETREAT ANNOUNCED FOR DECEMBER 4
*** CHANGED TO ZOOM ONLY DUE TO COVID
Our sister parish in Dayton, St. Paul the Apostle, has announced a spiritual retreat to be held Saturday, December 4, 10am to 4pm.
10am - Dn Vitaly Permiakov, "Thou didst come and save us: Liturgical Celebration of Nativity & Theophany in Antiquity & Today"
1pm - Fr Bogdan Bucur: "The Ancient of Days Born as a Young Child: Christmas, the Real Deal"
Please direct questions and requests to join to office@stpdayton.org
NATIVITY FAST: the 4th Week, Dec. 5 - 11
Download our Nativity Season Schedule, also available in church
Full Nativity Schedule is also posted on our Online Pop-up Calendar (above)
Explore our NATIVITY of CHRIST Resource Section
• Mon. Dec 6, 9:30am - Divine Liturgy (St Nicholas)
• Tue. Dec 7, 7:00am - Akathist to St Nicholas
• Thu. Dec 9, 9:00pm - Compline
Service of Small Compline with the Canon for Holy Communion
JOIN US FOR THE FEAST OF ST NICHOLAS
Monday, December 6, 9:30am - Divine Liturgy
- Special Liturgical Texts for St Nicholas
Tuesday, December 7, 7:00am - Akathist Hymn to St Nicholas
- Download the Akathist to St Nicholas
- Explore our NEW St Nicholas Resource Page, with videos, articles, and much more
And be sure to join us for our
Annual St Nicholas Day Pageant and Charity Dinner
- Sunday, Dec. 12, following the Divine Liturgy, in our Parish Hall
- Presented by our Church School
- Proceeds to benefit local charities
We will have our Annual Charity Dinner during Coffee Hour on December 12th following the church school play. We will be serving 4 kinds of soup, bread, salad and dessert. The suggested donation will be $5.00 per person or $20.00 per family. Please bring correct change or a personal check made payable to the church. We will have lids for the soup containers if you want to take your meal home to enjoy later.
St. Nicholas will make a guest appearance following the play with a special treat for all the children! ❤️
Looking forward to Celebrating St Nicholas Day with our parish family on December 12th!
CHRISTMAS COAT DRIVE
"He who has two coats, let him give one to him who has none." (Luke 3:11)
- Donate your gently used (or new) coats to help neighbors in need
- Ladies' purses also needed!
- Now through Sunday, December 12
Per Bob Markvan's announcemernt after Liturgy on Sunday, November 21, we will have a bin set up through Sunday, Dec 12th, collecting any coats and women’s purses that you no longer need.
We will donate all we collect to the Freestore Food Bank on Liberty Ave in downtown Cincinnati. Bob has participated in this annual coat drive now for 4 years and says these are much needed for the community there especially as prices soar on everything. Please look through your closets...
In this new COVID world, there are more people that are relying on the foodbank for not only basic daily nourishment but also essential needs (winter coats, personal care items) for their families as they find themselves unemployed for the first time. Right now, most people that are coming to the foodbank are those that have donated and volunteered in the past. They are now on the other side where they are seeking assistance for the short term. This could be your neighbor, your friend, your family member. The community demand exceeds supply and The Freestore Foodbank needs our help more than ever.
FALL ADULT CLASS 2021
For the Life of the World - Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church
SIX MONDAY EVENINGS
October 25 - November 29
Read Fr Steven's concluding article for this year's class...
Per the description from Holy Cross Orthodox Press, this book “imparts a much-needed roadmap for navigating modern-day challenges with the wisdom of the Orthodox spiritual tradition. It delves into such critical issues as racism, poverty, injustice, human rights, reproductive technology, bioethics, and climate change.“
Join us for the Feast of St Nicholas!
Monday, December 6, 9:30am - Divine Liturgy
- Special Liturgical Texts for St Nicholas
Tuesday, December 7, 7:00am - Akathist Hymn to St Nicholas
- Download the Akathist to St Nicholas
- Explore our NEW St Nicholas Resource Page, with videos, articles and much more!
And be sure to join us for our
Annual St Nicholas Day Pageant and Charity Dinner
- Sunday, Dec. 12, following the Divine Liturgy, in our Parish Hall
- Presented by our Church School
- Proceeds to benefit local charities
We will have our Annual Charity Dinner during Coffee Hour on December 12th following the church school play. We will be serving 4 kinds of soup, bread, salad and dessert. The suggested donation will be $5.00 per person or $20.00 per family. Please bring correct change or a personal check made payable to the church. We will have lids for the soup containers if you want to take your meal home to enjoy later.
St. Nicholas will make a guest appearance following the play with a special treat for all the children! ❤️
Looking forward to Celebrating St Nicholas Day with our parish family on December 12th!
BAKING FOR A CAUSE
Calling all Christmas Cookie Bakers. We are collecting Christmas Cookies for Lydia’s House (in packages of a dozen) for December 19.
You may bring to the church for Laura Menze Green to pick up or you may take them directly to Lydia’s House. Please contact Laura for more information.
FLOWERS FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD
Here is a wonderful ministry carried out by Erin Lockridge. Please read what Erin writes about this in her guest reflection on my Orthodox Christian Meditations blog.
The flower bouquets will be available at the For the Life of the World Cafe (formerly Moriah Pie) here in Norwood as long as they remain in season. The principle of purchase is "pay-as-you-can."
- Fr. Steven
Dear Parish Faithful,
~ Fr Steven
- Explore our NATIVITY of CHRIST Resource Section, with articles, videos, suggested books, and more...
- Then visit our THEOPHANY Resources to learn about the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan...
- Schedule subject to change — Sync our parish calendar to your device(s) and check weekly on our Schedule page!
Click to enlarge...
VIRTUAL MARCH FOR LIFE - Thursday, January 28
Join the Virtual March for Life led by Met. Tikhon, Thursday, Jan. 28, 7:30pm ET via any of these links:
Our webservant has been catching up on a momentous and full year, and the results are starting to be posted on our Photo Gallery page!
First up is a delightful look back at a year of new beginnings, with highlights from weddings, baptisms, new members, feasts, and more. Watch for additional galleries to be posted in the days ahead.