UN DEC 4 25th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone 8
- 25тa Неділя після П’ятидесятниці.
- Liturgy. Святa Літургія @ 9:00 AM
- Apostle Eph. 4:1-6
- Gospel Lk. 17:12-19
TUE DEC 6 Feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
- Свято Cв. Миколая Чудотворця.
- Liturgy. Святa Літургія @ 9:00 AM
SAT DEC 10 Moleben to the Mother of God.
- Молебень до Пресвятої Богородиці @ 5:00 PM
SUN DEC 11 Sunday of the holy Forefathers. Tone 1
- Неділя святих Праотців.
- Liturgy. Святa Літургія @ 9:00 AM
- Apostle Col. 3:4-11
- Gospel Lk. 14:16-24
- St. Nicholas Day presentation by our Youth Ministries.
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СЛАВА ІСУСУ ХРИСТУ! СЛАВА НАВІКИ! GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY NOW AND EVER!
CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING: The last monthly meeting of 2022 will be held TODAY during “Coffee and…” in the parish hall. Council members are requested to make every effort to attend this meeting.
COFFEE and…: Thank you to Hryhorii Protsanyn for hosting Coffee and… last Sunday. Hosting today is Maria Ugryn and her family, hosting next Sunday – Sylvia and Maria Sacalos. Thank you to Meroslava Szwez for making bread for last week’s coffee. Thank you to everyone for their continued support of coffee and…
AID for Ukraine: Today is the 284th day of the war and genocide in Ukraine perpetrated by Russia. This is what our heroes need right now: 20 sets of thermal wares – sizes L and M (On sale Costco $10 for 2 pairs), 10 sleeping bags (Amazon $60) or could be used, 10 lightweight blankets new or used (new – Costco $22-25 each), body/hand warmers (Amazon $34 box or Costco), 10 boxes cold/flu medicine ($8/box Costco), 2 boxes Immune support packets (Costco $8), shovel emergency set ($60 Amazon). Please, check the wish list on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2I3LC6NXWNXUF We need monetary donations to cover the cost of shipping as well! Please, help!
LIVE STREAMING of the services in our church comes with a price tag of $650/year. We had very generous donors (Peter and Helen Zeleniuk, Julia (+blessed memory), and Irene Stepanczak) who sponsored live streaming in 2022. As the year 2023 is quickly approaching, we are looking for sponsors to pay for the live streaming once again. Please, let Fr. Andrii know if you’d like to become a sponsor. Thank you!
UOL news: Thank you to everyone who supported the UOL by buying raffle tickets! Winners of the Junior UOL raffle – 1st prize – Christine Melnyk, 2nd prize – Paul Szwez, 3rd prize – Scott Kerry. Senior UOL raffle – 1st prize Bill Sievel, 2nd prize – Adam Platosz.
SAINT OF THE DAY: Great martyr Barbara and Martyr Juliana, at Heliopolis in Syria, are commemorated today. The Holy Great Martyr Barbara lived and suffered during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-311). Her pagan father Dioscorus, was a rich and illustrious man in the Syrian city of Heliopolis. After the death of his wife, he devoted himself to his only daughter. Seeing Barbara’s extraordinary beauty, Dioscorus decided to hide her from the eyes of strangers. Therefore, he built a tower for Barbara, where only her pagan teachers were allowed to see her. By day she was able to gaze upon the wooded hills, the swiftly flowing rivers, and the meadows covered with a mottled blanket of flowers; by night the harmonious and majestic vault of the heavens twinkled and provided a spectacle of inexpressible beauty. Soon the virgin began to ask herself questions about the First Cause and Creator of so harmonious and splendid a world. The desire to know the true God so consumed her soul that Barbara decided to devote all her life to this goal and to spend her life in virginity. The fame of her beauty spread throughout the city, and many sought her hand in marriage. But despite the entreaties of her father, she refused all of them. Barbara warned her father that his persistence might end tragically and separate them forever. Dioscorus decided that the temperament of his daughter had been affected by her life of seclusion. He, therefore, permitted her to leave the tower and gave her full freedom in her choice of friends and acquaintances. Thus, Barbara met young Christian maidens in the city, and they taught her about the Creator of the world, about the Trinity, and about the Divine Logos. Through the Providence of God, a priest arrived in Heliopolis from Alexandria disguised as a merchant. After instructing her in the mysteries of the Christian Faith, he baptized Barbara, then returned to his own country. When Dioscorus learned that his daughter became a Christian, he went into a rage, grabbed a sword, and was on the point of striking her with it. Dioscorus beat his daughter terribly, and then placed her under guard and tried to wear her down with hunger. Finally, he handed her over to the prefect of the city, named Martianus. They beat Saint Barbara fiercely. By night Saint Barbara prayed fervently to her Heavenly Bridegroom, and the Savior Himself appeared and healed her wounds. In the crowd where the martyr was tortured was the virtuous Christian woman Juliana, an inhabitant of Heliopolis. She began to denounce the torturers in a loud voice, and they seized her. Both martyrs were tortured for a long time. Then the steadfast confessors of Christ, Saints Barbara and Juliana, were beheaded. Dioscorus himself executed Saint Barbara. In the sixth century, the relics of the holy Great Martyr Barbara were transferred to Constantinople. Six hundred years later, they were transferred to Kyiv. They rest even now at Kyiv’s Saint Vladimir cathedral.
+ + + CHURCH SCHOOL NEWS + + +
Church School classes will be held today. There will be no classes next Sunday, December 11 because of the St. Nicholas program.
Happy birthday to Jacob who will be celebrating his birthday in the coming week.
Congratulations to Cora Barbara and the 8th-grade class whose patron saint, the holy martyr St. Barbara, is observed today. The students will celebrate the event today in class. May God grant Jacob, Cora Barbara, and the 8th-grade students MANY BLESSED YEARS! MNOHAYA LITA!
The Church School’s annual toy collection for disadvantaged children in the greater New Britain area has begun. Please donate new, unwrapped toys for this very worthy cause. You will find donation boxes in the church hall foyer. After making your donation, please sign a star on the Nativity icon on the wall above the boxes. This collection will continue until next Sunday, December 11.
LOOKING AHEAD – Advent confession for the children of the parish. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN SCHEDULE. Dec. 10 – students in grades 4-8. Dec. 18 – teens and young adults. Father will hear confessions from the teens and young adults after Divine Liturgy. The younger students will have confession during the St. Nicholas program rehearsal. Confession during Advent is a requirement for all Orthodox Christians.
Rehearsal for the St. Nicholas program will be held on December 10 in the church. Information has been sent to all students. All Church School students are expected to attend.