Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule

Transcription

1 Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule Pascha The Great Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord April 8, 2012 Sat. Apr. 7 8:30 p.m. Resurrection Matins followed by the blessing of baskets Sun. Apr. 8 9:30 a.m. Paschal Divine Liturgy (+Charles Levkulich, req. by Irene Dunny) followed by blessing of baskets Bright Monday Death of St. Methodius, Apostle to the Slavs April 9, 2012 Mon. Apr. 9 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Marie Volcheck, req. by Nancy Romza) Sunday of St. Thomas April 14-15, 2012 Sat. Apr. 14 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+Catherine Wesdock, req. by Andrew & Joan Sakmar) Sun. Apr. 15 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+John Smochko, req. by Steve Guzo) Bright Week Free From Fasting Bright Week, the week after Easter, is a weeklong celebration of the Feast of Pascha, the Resurrection of our Lord, His passing from death to life. Therefore, no fasting is required this week because of the joyful celebration of our Lord s victory over death, which He now graciously shares with all those keeping His commandment of love and united in communion with Him. Help for Those Who are Grieving Family Hospice and Palliative Care is pleased to offer Growing Through Grief Rebuilding Hope, a free 6-week educational/support program for those dealing with the death of a loved one. One program will begin on Wednesday afternoon, April 18 th (1 3 p.m.) at Southminster House in Mt. Lebanon. The evening program will begin Tuesday, April 9 th (6:30 8:30 p.m.) at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Attendance at all six sessions is requested. Pre-registration is required. For further information, please call the Bereavement Dept. at Save the Dates Upcoming events at St. Gregory Church include: First Reconciliation April 28; Upper St. Clair Community Days May 19; Spaghetti Dinner May 20. Junior Tamburitzans Annual Spring Concert The Junior Tamburitzans of South Hills 32nd Annual Spring Concert will take place on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 3pm. The two-hour performance will be followed by a separately priced dinner buffet featuring ethnic favorites. Cash bar, pork roast sale, dessert table, Chinese auction, instant bingo, 50/50, and live dinner music provided by Radost. Come Celebrate Ethnic Heritage & Music with us at Seton LaSalle High School, 1000 McNeilly Rd Mt. Lebanon, PA Concert-Only Tickets: Adults $10; Children/Seniors: $8; Dinner-Only Tickets: Adults $12; Children/Seniors: $8; Save with Concert/Dinner Combo Tickets: Adult $20; Children/Seniors: $14 Show your support for parishioner Kayla Uhrlen, who will perform with the group. For more information contact Mike Shoplik at or mikeshoplik@gmail.com. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Allegheny County Department of Human Services Meeting With County Residents The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) is once again hoping to hear recommendations from county residents about how best to provide services for individuals and families in Allegheny County. Services include those for individuals with mental health concerns; substance use disorders and/or intellectual disability; as well as those related to child welfare; older adults; and basic needs. We will also use these opportunities to talk about developments at the federal and state level, including information related to the governor s proposed human services block grant and funding reductions. You will have an opportunity to talk directly with DHS Director Marc Cherna, and the administrators of the DHS offices that oversee the services listed above. Please join us. These meetings will be held at the Human Services Building (HSB) One Smithfield Street,15222 Lower Level, Liberty Conference Room on Monday, April 23 at 6 p.m. and on Wednesday, April 25 at 1:30 p.m. Call the Director s Action Line at , weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., if: You are in need of special accommodations. Please make arrangements at least one week before the meeting date. You have general questions about the community meetings. You have a concern about a specific case. The DAL will also be available at the meetings. *** Limited parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 4:45 p.m. on April 23 in the lot behind the HSB. No parking is available at the HSB on April 25. The HSB is on several bus routes. Other routes have stops within walking distance. Visit for details.

2 WEEKLY COLLECTION 2012 April 1 Palm Sunday Category Amount 1. Envelopes $ 1, Loose Candles Debt B.C.W Flowers Easter Special Offering Fundraiser Pens Playoff Tix Raffle 2, TOTAL Deposited $ 4, Envelopes Debt 1@80 = @60 = @50 = @50 = @40 = @40 = @30 = @25 = @25 = @20= @15 =30.00 Total 6 envelopes $ @10 = Average donation = $ @7 =7.00 4@5 =20.00 Total 64 envelopes $ 1, Average donation = $ Average needed per week to meet expenses prior to fund-raising (based on last year s total expenses including debt reduction expenses) = $ Pilgrim Vocation Icon Program Our Pilgrim Vocation Icon Program has begun. This program is being conducted in every Byzantine Catholic Parish in the United States. Everyone in every Byzantine Catholic parish in the United States is invited to pray for and encourage others within the Church that they might respond generously to God s call in their lives. We need generous women and men to minister among us as priests, deacons, monastics and sisters. We need people like you to pray for and encourage them. Please sign up today to have the Pilgrim Vocation Icon in your home. You may sign up on the sheet in the narthex (vestibule) of the church. For more information or to volunteer to help, please contact Fr. Tom. Super Bingo St. Elias Byzantine Catholic Church, 4200 Homestead-Duquesne Road, Munhall, is holding a Super Bingo on Sun., April 15. The doors open at 12 noon. Early Birds start at 1 p.m. with regular games to follow. $20 package of 9 cards includes specials (does not include Jackpot or Lucky 7 ) Extra 9-card packages cost $10. Pre-Sale tickets are available and seating will be limited. For more information and tickets, please call or Lenten Bible Study on the Gospel of St. John Due to Fr. Tom s busy schedule during the last week of the Great Fast and Holy Week, the Monday night Bible Study is cancelled for the next three Mondays and will resume on Bright Thursday, April 12 at 7 p.m. in our church hall. Super Saturday Sale St. Pius X Byzantine Catholic Church, 2336 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh (Carrick) is hosting a Super Saturday Sale on April 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors, crafters, and a flea market will be featured. Ethnic Foods & Baked Goods will also be available. A representative of Gold Buyers of Pgh. Will be available for anyone wishing to sell their gold, silver, or platinum jewelry. 25% of sales will benefit St. Pius Church. Orientale Lumen XVI Conference on Laity The Orientale Lumen XVI Conference this year will be held June 18-21, 2012 at the Washington Retreat House in Washington, DC on the theme of Theology of the Laity. We will be honored with the presence of several outstanding speakers. More details about the conference and online registration can be found at the Future Conferences page

3 This Week s Reflection Pascha The Resurrection of Our Lord Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα), also called Easter, is the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew pesach, both words meaning Passover. (A minority of English-speaking Orthodox prefer the English word 'Pasch.') The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the center of the Orthodox Christian faith. Twelve weeks of preparation precede it. This is made up of pre-lenten Sundays, Great Lent, and Holy Week. The faithful try to make this long journey with repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and study. When the feast finally arrives, it is celebrated with a collection of services combined as one. Paschal matins begins with a procession that starts around midnight. The people leave the dark church building singing, carrying banners, icons, candles, and the Gospel. The procession circles the outside of the church and returns to the closed front doors. In Greek practice, the Gospel which tells of the empty tomb is now read. In Syrian practice, following the Gospel reading, the priest beats on the door and takes part in a dialogue with an interlocutor inside the church doors, crying out with the words of Psalm 23 (24): "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be exalted, you everlasting doors, that the king of glory may enter in!" In Slavic practice, neither of these rites is preserved. Next, the Paschal troparion is sung for the first time, together with the verses of Psalm 67 (68) which will begin all of the Church services during the Paschal season. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee from before his face! As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire, So the sinners will perish before the face of God; but let the righteous be glad. This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the grave bestowing life. The doors are opened and the faithful re-enter. The church is brightly lit and adorned with flowers. It is the heavenly bride and the symbol of the empty tomb. The celebrants change to white vestments, the bright robes of the resurrection. The Easter icon stands in the center of the church, where the grave just was. It shows Christ destroying the gates of hell and freeing Adam and Eve from the captivity of death. There constant proclamation of the celebrant: Christ is risen! The faithful continually respond: Indeed he is risen! and censing of the icons and the people. Following the entrance into the church, the Paschal canon ascribed to St. John of Damascus is chanted with the Paschal troparion as the constantly recurring refrain. Matins ends with the Paschal stichera: O day of resurrection! Let us beam with God's own pride! Let everyone embrace in joy! Let us warmly greet those we meet and treat them all like brothers, even those who hate us! Let all the earth resound with this song: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering death by death, and on those in the grave bestowing life! Foods from which the faithful have been asked to abstain during the lenten journey are often brought in baskets and blessed by the priest. This may include eggs, cheese, meat, and a rich, cake-like bread, called Kulitch. These are then eaten after the Divine Liturgy. In Greek practice there is a lamb soup that is shared after the Liturgy. In Slavic practice, foods which were blessed earlier are shared. Another tradition at the feast of the Pascha, is the consecration of a bread stamped with the image of the Cross, or of the Resurrection, named Artos. This special Artos is consecrated at the close of the Paschal Liturgy in memory of the Risen Christ, Who is "the Bread of Life Eternal descended from Heaven and nourishing us with the food of His divine mercies." On the next Saturday, after the Liturgy, it is broken and distributed in the place of Antidoron. The faithful also sometimes exchange Red-dyed egg. The egg symbolizes the renovated life, received through the Blood of Christ. (Excerpt from the Orthodoxwiki article, Pascha, at PENS PLAYOFF TICKET UPDATE The Penguins have clinched a playoff spot and our fundraiser is moving along well. Currently, there are some remaining tickets for sale at the weekend services. To purchase tickets, please see Mike Kiss or call him at Thanks to all of you for participating in this fundraiser. Ninth Annual Day of Reflection for Women The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Office of Religious Education is sponsoring the Ninth Annual Day of Reflection for Women at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, 210 Greentree Road, Munhall on Sat., April 28 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The theme of this year s day of reflection is Living Here and Beyond. Speakers at this year s event include KDKA-TV reporter, Mary Robb Jackson, A. Barbara Coyne, founder of The Dwelling Place, Center for Health, and Anne Kertz-Kernion, owner and artist for Cards by Anne, international greeting card company. The registration deadline for this event is April 18. Cost is $25 (lunch included). To register, please contact Fr. Tom. Day of Recollection and Prayer for Cantors For the first time in several years, the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh will be holding a Day of Recollection and Prayer for cantors. All cantors and assistant cantors are invited to this event which will be held at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, 210 Greentree Road, Munhall, PA on Sat., April 21. The day will begin with Divine Liturgy at 9 a.m. and conclude around 3 p.m. The presenter for the day will be Fr. David Mastroberte, a priest of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, who was a cantor before being recently ordained to the priesthood. The topic for the day will be The Vocation of the Cantor: Theology and Practice. The Paschal season is an especially good time for our cantors to gather, renew fellowship, and experience spiritual renewal. The cost for the day is $10, payable at the door, and includes lunch. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to pre-register, please call O Joyful Light ByzanTEEN Youth Rally 2012 This year s ByzanTEEN youth rally will be held July at the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. Total rally cost per teen is $275 (airfare not included). The deadline to register is June 1. For more information about the rally please go to To register for the event, please contact Fr. Tom for registration forms.

4 St. Gregory of Nazianzus Byzantine Catholic Church 2005 Mohawk Road Upper St Clair, PA (cell) Pastor: FATHER THOMAS J. WESDOCK Website: or ECF Classes: Sundays 10:45-11:45a.m. Confession: By appointment & Saturday at 3-4 p.m. Marriage: at least six months notice; Pre-Cana classes from the Archeparchy Cantors: George Tichi, Michael Pillar, Sylvia Bender, Jeremy Mayernik ECF Coordinator: Carol Planitzer at or Youth Ministry: Michael Kiss at or Church Founding & Historical Committee: Barb Stasiuk ( ) Bethany Ministry: Jennifer Kehm at or Parish Nurse: Dorothy Mayernik at or Fr. Tom s Communion Visitation List If you know of any parishioners who are sick and unable to come to church for an extended period of time, please inform Fr. Tom, so he can call them up and see about putting them on his home communion visitation schedule. Thank you. Please Take Care of Pew Books Just a reminder to take care of our church s pew books. Please do not allow children to rip pages and pull and fray ribbons. These books are expensive, so please take care of them! Eastern Christian Publications Eastern Christian Publications, the company that produces our weekly bulletin covers, has a wide variety of Eastern Christian spiritual, liturgical, and historical books, CD s, and DVD s available for purchase. They have an online catalog available at their website: ecpubs.com. To request a catalog by mail, please call or write to Eastern Christian Publications, P.O. Box 3909, Fairfax, VA Baldwin-Whitehall that works with a multi-cultural population grades K-5. Shifts are available M-F 4:30-7:00 p.m. All volunters must have Act 33/34 clearances. Call SHIM program director - Doris Nagel at ext. 20. Extra Help for People with Medicare Insurance Do you know someone on Medicare, and who has a low income and limited assets? If so, it is possible that they may qualify for financial assistance with their Medicare expenses.there are two programs that help: The Medicare Savings Program, which helps with Part B premiums for individuals with monthly income that is below $1,226 (for a married couple, $1,655); and The Low Income Subsidy, which helps with the Part D premiums and prescription drug copayments for individuals with monthly income below $1,361 (for a married couple, $1,839). To find out more, to obtain an application, or for assistance in completing an application, please call the Allegheny County Department of Human Services at or kburk@alleghenycounty.us Donations for the Poor Collection Container During the four fasting seasons of the Byzantine Catholic Church Year, a blue specially marked container will be located in the narthex (vestibule) of the church to collect donations (non-perishable food items, winter clothing, especially infant clothing, or monetary donations) for the Pittsburgh-area poor. Items and monetary donations collected will be forwarded to the South Hills Interfaith Ministry for distribution in the South Hills and Greater Pittsburgh area. Your help in this endeavor is greatly appreciated! Sponsor a Pro-Life Billboard To help sponsor Pregnancy HELP hotline billboards around Pittsburgh and on the Pennsylvania turnpike, please contact or make a donation to Pennsylvania Foundation for Life at P.O. Box 12741, Pittsburgh, PA Volunteers Needed at South Hills Interfaith Ministries South Hills Interfaith Ministries, 5301 Park Ave., Bethel Park, is looking for volunteers in the following areas: Food Pantry, Thurs., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Fri., 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (twice a month for two hours); Receptionist, Mon. Fri., 9 to 12 or 12 to 3; and Tax Preparation, Feb. 4 Mar. 10. Whether you re looking to give an hour a week or an hour a month, South Hills Interfaith Ministries needs you! For more information, please contact Natalie at Afterschool Volunteers Needed South Hills Interfaith Ministries is looking for volunteers for an after school program in Clothing Collections Taken Year Round at SHIM Families who use SHIM s Food Pantry also are able to shop in the Community Clothing

5 Room, selecting donated clothing items for members of their household. Donated clothing must be clean and free of rips, holes, etc. All sizes are welcome, though there is a particular need now for boys clothing (infant and youth). Clothing donations are accepted seasonally, as follows: Spring/Summer April 1- August 31, Fall/Winter September 1- March 31. Drop off your clothing at the SHIM offices (5301 Park Ave., Bethel Park) between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. St. Vincent de Paul Seeking Household Items and Usable Clothes The St. Vincent de Paul Society Pittsburgh Council is seeking all types and sizes of clothes, shoes, boots, housewares, appliances, etc. To donate call If you only use a white envelope from the offering box and are contributing all you can please continue to do so in that manner since we are making projections from the amounts you offered in the 2012 white and holiday envelopes. Debt Reduction Offering Monthly offering needed for payment on the two outstanding mortgages is $ Monthly average offered from 2012 was $ (decrease by $107.00) Donate Your Car Help Needy Receive Tax Deduction of $500+ Cars for Help, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity, is working to strengthen individual churches and various Catholic charities through vehicle donations. The process is fast, easy, and requires just a phone call or visit to our website. If you would like to donate a vehicle in any condition, even severely broken or crashed, or just have questions, please call us directly at (630) You can also donate your vehicle at With mention of this bulletin, 25% of your vehicle donation proceeds will go directly to St. Gregory Nazianzus parish. St. Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church Did you know? (Financial 2012) St. Gregory s financial board has recently released the 2012 financial report and set financial goals for It is important that our Parishioners understand the facts and goals set forth. Weekly and Holiday Offerings Weekly offering (white envelopes) are able to sustain regular monthly debts. Average envelopes offered each week 61. ( reduction of 4 from 2011) Average envelopes offered in 2012 was 58 (increase by 12) In 2011 after borrowing $46,853 for the heat and cooling system we paid $56,940 in payments for a result of a new year balance $ higher than last January. Principal balance Jan 2012 = $318,098 minus principal GOAL REDUCTION PRINCIPAL 2012 ( $31,045 ) = January 2103 projected balance $287,053 At current interest portion balance $243,098 and payment of $3600 the loan will be completed in 80 months (6.67 years) and the interest free portion $75,000 will be completed 21 months later a total of (8.42 years) JULY 2020 IS OUR OUT OF DEBT DATE Shortfall in 2012 debt payments can be made up in several ways and will be published in the Debt Reduction 5 year plan document ST. GREGORY FUNDRAISING GOALS 2011 FIVE YEAR PLAN (2012 Year 2) To reach the goals of becoming debt free and creating an emergency fund for future repairs the following is being proposed. Organize the Men s club to include all adult men and have them participate with the debt reduction and emergency fund creation IMPLEMENTED

6 Meet monthly to strategically plan the fundraising events IMPLEMENTED Create a annual calendar to distribute to the Parishioners IMPLEMENTED Spaghetti Dinner ($ ) Projected 2012 Christmas Cookie Sale ($ ) Projected 2012 We need your help with suggestions to bring in an additional $11,000 Create several groups of Parishioners to organize events IMPLEMENTED Quarterly diligence done to determine results are on target. IMPLEMENTED ANNUAL EVENTS: Annual debt payments are $43,200. On average the debt envelopes cover $21,500. The shortfall will be taken from the 2012 completed and projected fundraising amounts ( Completed $4800, projected $11,130 ) Still short $ Kolbasi: Easter and Christmas is our largest fundraiser ($14,000) please help to sell or increase the amount you sell. In 2011 the Men s club paid $6,000 towards the shortfall. The primary goal of the men s club is to fund repairs and unplanned expenses from their general fund thus taking the burden from regular contributions. Year 1: St Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church Financial Vision Plan (Five Years) YEAR 2 (2012) Indentify deficiencies in current budget COMPLETED Set goals for Debt Reduction and Fund Raising COMPLETED Examine current envelope contributions COMPLETED Educate Parishioners on financial status and plans for financial stability End 2011 fiscal year without a deficit (accomplished without AC unit) Meet with Liturgical board to plan community days COMPLETED Plan annual Church picnic COMPLETED Super Bowl Pool 2012 ($500.00) COMPLETED Comedy Night: 167 people in 2012 ($ ) Event will happen annually on the last Friday before LENT. GOAL for 2013 in 200 attending. Anyone who has not experienced this event we ask to support it. COMPLETED Penguins playoff ticket raffle: Tickets will be available on March 1 st. Projected revenue for 2012 ($ ) each family is asked to take 10 tickets to sell. On years where the Penguins may not make the playoffs we will consider a cash prize Upper St Clair Community Days ($500.00) Projected 2012 Rummage sale ($ ) Projected 2012 Year 3: Repeat year 1 due diligence Begin additional principal payments on debt to reduce term to goal of 12 years by year 5 ALREADY REDUCED Weekly Envelopes are average 25% more than year one both in number of envelopes (17 more) and average given from 2011 (8.00 more week) Year 5:

7 12 years remain on the outstanding debt Prepare the next 5 year plan Discuss improvements needed to the property???