Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule

Transcription

1 Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule 11 th Sunday after Pentecost August 27-28, 2011 Sat. Aug. 27 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+Paul Yanak, req. by Sharon Opal) Sun. Aug. 28 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+John Pillar, req. by John & Rosemary Tomko) 7:00 p.m. Vespers for the holy day of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist 12 th Sunday after Pentecost September 3-4, 2011 Sat. Sept. 3 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+Michele Olixa Clayton, req. by Sharon Brecosky) Sun. Sept. 4 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Fr. Bruno Asturi, req. by Family) Seminarian Thomas Slosky Blogspot Sem. Tom Slosky has set up a blog site to keep everyone updated on his seminary progress. The blog site is Annual Pilgrimage Mt. St. Macrina Labor Day Weekend The 77 th Annual Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be held at Mt. St. Macrina, Uniontown, PA., Sept. 3-4, 2011 (Labor Day Weekend). It holds the distinction of being the oldest and largest Byzantine Catholic pilgrimage in the United States. The Sisters invite you to join the many who will come to honor Our Lady of Perpetual Help at this most blessed weekend! For further information, visit or call New Catechist Volunteers Needed Our parish is in need of two new catechists for the upcoming ECF year. Anyone interested in volunteering as an ECF teacher is asked to contact Carol Planitzer or Fr. Tom. Youth Group Coordinator Needed Fr. Tom is looking for anyone interested in joining a team of youth group coordinators at our parish to reactivate our parish youth group. Current members of our youth group coordinator team include Mike Kiss and Stephanie Schmidt. If you would like to volunteer to assist in this endeavor or if you would like to suggest a possible candidate, who you feel would work well in this position, please contact Fr. Tom. Parish Advisory Board Meeting The Parish Advisory Board meeting in our church hall has been rescheduled for Sun., Aug. 28 immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy. All parishioners are invited to attend. Topics of discussion will include Parish 40 th anniversary, Parish Hayride, Adult Education Classes/Bible Study, and other areas of parish concern ECF Classes Registration ECF Classes for the school year will begin on Catechetical Sunday, September 18, with an abbreviated class before our St. Gregory 40th anniversary celebration. Please register your Preschool thru Grade 12 student by ing Carol Planitzer at cplanitzer@comcast.net as soon as possible so that student materials can be ordered. Please include your child(ren)'s grade(s) in school this fall. ***ECF teachers and substitute teachers are needed: If you are interested in teaching or being a substitute ECF teacher, please contact Father Tom or Carol Planitzer. GCU District 1 Meeting There will be a GCU District 1 meeting on Tues., Sept. 13 at St. Pius X Byzantine Catholic Church in Carrick. The speaker for the meeting will be Deidre Stein. Her topic will be Alzheimer Information. All GCU members are encouraged to attend. 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. 98 th Annual Church Festival Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 91 South Mill St., New Salem, PA, will be celebrating its 98 th church festival this Sun., Aug. 28 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. There will be a variety of ethnic foods, raffle baskets, Chinese auction, games, and D. J. Bill Krynak. Everyone is invited! Day of Reflection The Sisters of the Divine Redeemer, 999 Rock Run Rd., Elizabeth, PA, will be hosting a day of reflection on Sat., Sept. 10 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Fr. Mitch Pacwa, EWTN program host, will be offering the reflection, 10 Years Later. Suggested offering for the day of reflection is $30. To register, please call or by sisrosemarysdr@aol.com.

2 WEEKLY COLLECTION 2011 August 21 Category Amount 1. Envelopes $ 1, Debt Loose Candles Paul Yanak Memorial Dormition Holy D ay TOTAL Deposited $ 1, Envelopes 1@150 = @100 = @50 = @40 = @25 = @20 = @15 = @10 = @8=8.00 2@5 =10.00 Total 47 envelopes $ 1, Average = $ Average needed per week to meet expenses prior to fund-raising (based on last year s total expenses including debt reduction expenses) = $ Safe Environment Meeting for Parents of ECF Children All parents of ECF children are asked to attend a meeting with our ECF coordinator, Carol Planitzer, and our ECF teachers regarding the teaching of safe environment lessons in our upcoming ECF classes as required by the Charter for Protection of Youth instituted by the Catholic bishops of the U.S. in This meeting will be held on Sun., Sept. 11 in the church immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy. 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 Help Needed at Mt. St. Macrina for Pilgrimage Preparation The Sisters of St. Basil at Mt. St. Macrina are asking for help in preparing the grounds at Mt. St. Macrina in Uniontown, PA for the upcoming Labor Day weekend pilgrimage. To volunteer to help, please call Volunteers Wanted to Help Make Cakes for Pilgrimage Anyone who is interested in helping to make (or donate) cakes for the upcoming pilgrimage at Mt. St. Macrina is asked to please contact Sue Timo ( or susmartim@verizon.net), who will be making the cakes in our church hall. Your help in this project is greatly appreciated! Encounter of the Eastern Catholic Churches There will be a gathering of Eastern Catholic bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, catechists, cantors, youth ministers, Bible Study leaders, parish organizations, and all interested Eastern Catholics to promote and foster ways in which all Eastern Catholic churches may cooperate more and work together to strengthen our Eastern Catholic presence in the United States. This event entitled, Together in Christ, will take place at the Holiday Inn Cleveland South, Rockside Road, Independence, OH on Sept Transportation to Uniontown Pilgrimage Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in McKees Rocks is sponsoring a 48 passenger bus for Sun., Sept. 4 to the annual pilgrimage at Mt. St. Macrina in Uniontown, PA. Additional seating will be available for anyone interested. Departure from Holy Ghost parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Arrival back in McKees Rocks 8:30 9 p.m. Cost including gratuity is $20. Deadline for reservations Sun., Aug. 28. Call Archieparchial Collection for East Africa Each parish of the archeparchy is being asked to have a special collection to help our African brothers and sisters suffering from the extreme drought in East Africa. This collection will take place at St. Gregory s on the weekend of Aug All proceeds will go to Catholic Relief Services who are working in East Africa. Please pray for them.

3 This Week s Reflection The Beheading of St. John the Baptist In Matthew 14:1-12 we read about the cruel death of John the Baptist. John had publicly reprimanded Herod for taking his brother's wife as his own, so Herod had him imprisoned. Although Herod really wanted John dead, he feared the many people who believed John to be a prophet. [Indeed, we in the Orthodox Church consider him to be the last of the Old Testament prophets.] During his riotous birthday party, Herod was so pleased with the dancing of his wife's daughter Salome that he promised her anything she wanted. Her mother prompted her to say, "the head of John the Baptist on a platter." Even though Herod regretted his promise, he had to abide by it because his guests had heard him. So he commanded that John be beheaded and that the head be given to Salome, who in turn, gave it to her mother. The Orthodox Church keeps this day as a strict fast day (i.e. no meat, fish, dairy, wine or olive oil) as a reminder that we are to live a different style of life that Herod. In memory of this event, some Orthodox Christians keep the custom of not using dishes on this day, since John's head was served on a dish/platter. Instead, only bowls are used. Also, the food that is served on this day should not require the use of a knife, since a sharp instrument was used to behead him. Thus, we are given three ways to remember St. John's beheading: a strict fast, using bowls, eating food that is not cut. This year, incorporate at least one, if not all, of these customs to help your children learn the meaning of this feast day. (compiled by Phyllis Meshel Onest, M.Div. on St. Gregory 40 th Anniversary and Parish Picnic Please Mark Your Calendars Our parish is planning to have a celebration in honor of our parish 40 th anniversary this coming September 18 (Sunday). This anniversary celebration will consist of a special anniversary liturgy in which the founding members of our parish will be honored, followed by a parish picnic for all parishioners. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided by the parish. Side dishes, salads, appetizers, and desserts will be provided as a pot-luck meal by parishioners according to their last name (a sign up sheet for pot-luck items will be placed in the back of church by Aug. 1). The theme of this celebration will be A Celebration of Generations of Faith: St. Gregory Nazianzus Parish 40 th Anniversary. There will be picnic food and games and entertainment for the whole family. Please invite former parishioners you may know to also come and enjoy the anniversary festivities! A short speaking program will follow the anniversary liturgy. Anyone who wishes to share personal memories about St. Gregory s parish and parishioners at the speaking program is asked to please contact Nancy Romza at to share your story and be put on the speaking list. Please mark you calendars for this upcoming parish commemoration. A sign up sheet for this event will be in the narthex (vestibule) of the church starting August 1. New Seminary Online Courses for Fall 2011 The Byzantine Catholic Seminary has announced that it will offer three new online corses for Fall As part of the Certificate of Eastern Christian Studies program, Archpriest David Petras will present the Theology of the Divine Liturgy class this Fall. As electives, Fr. Stelyios Muksuris will offer Theology of the Divine Hours and Dr. Sandra Collins will offer Women in the Old Testament. Courses start Mon., Sept. 26 and run through Fri., Nov. 18. Students can register as part of the certificate program at a cost of $500 per class. Those who wish to audit the class may do so for $350 per class. Info at Online.bcs.edu. Metropolitan Cantor Institute The Metropolitan Cantor Institute will be hosting cantor classes for new and veteran cantors beginning on Sept. 17. Other class dates will be Oct. 15, Nov. 12, Feb. 18, 2012, and March 24, Classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Anyone interested in taking these classes should contact Fr. Tom or go to

4 St. Gregory of Nazianzus Byzantine Catholic Church 2005 Mohawk Road Upper St Clair, PA (cell) Church Slavonic Divine Liturgies, and ecumenical presentations featuring Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant choirs. For more info: or by 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! Pastor: FATHER THOMAS J. WESDOCK Website: saintgregorychurch@gmail.com or frthomas2000@gmail.com 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 cplanitzer@comcast.net or Youth Ministry: Michael Kiss at jandmkiss1@comcast.net or Church Founding & Historical Committee: Barb Stasiuk ( ) Bethany Ministry: Jennifer Kehm at nkehm@aol.com or Parish Nurse: Dorothy Mayernik at dorothymayernik@comcast.net 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. 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 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. Greatly needed items include: spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables (green beans, peas, corn, carrots, spinach etc.), cereals and diapers. Your help in this endeavor is greatly appreciated! St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church Choir Recordings St. Nicholas B. C. Church choir in Barberton, OH is selling recordings of Byzantine Catholic liturgies and hymns. CD s for sale include seasonal chants of the Eastern church, 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 Afterschool Volunteers Needed South Hills Interfaith Ministries is looking for volunteers for an after school program in 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 St. Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church Did you know? (financial)

5 St. Gregory s financial board has recently released the 2010 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 65 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 2010 white and holiday envelopes. Mortgage payments are $ a month and applied to the 1 st mortgage until completed. Then applied to the interest free mortgage when the balance in completed Current 1 st mortgage balance $240,000 but after 5 years $68,603. In 80 months the entire first mortgage will be paid in full 21 months later the $75,000 second mortgage will be paid in full Air Conditioner: Debt Reduction Offering Monthly offering needed for payment on the two outstanding mortgages is $ Monthly offering needed for the Air Conditioning loan is $ for a term of five years Monthly average offered from 2010 was $ Average envelopes offered in 2010 was 45 Shortfall in 2011 debt payments can be made up in several ways and will be published in the Debt Reduction 5 year plan document Terms of the debt payments are determined by the Archeparchy Original Mortgages FIVE YEAR DEBT REDUCTION PLAN (1 st Mortgage balance of 5.5% and 2nd Mortgage of 0%) The terms of this loan are estimated at $ a month for 60 months How we bridge the GAP: Increase the average debt envelopes collected but not at the expense of the weekly envelopes offering reducing in any way. A blend of an increase in debt reduction offerings and fund raising 2010 debt offering equaled $22,700 ($ a month) 2011 projected debt payments $58,800 ($ a month) GAP $36,100 or ( $3008 a month) Fundraising goal $36,100 (without any new debt offerings) Fundraising through Easter is projected to be $16,500 and nearly half way to our goal and it s only April See Annual fundraising ideas and goals for the closing of the GAP potential to be published in a future bulletin

6 Parish Website Under Construction Our parish of St. Gregory Nazianzus has a website currently under construction. To view the parish website go to Thanks to Nick Kiss for getting our parish website online and for updating it with the latest information (including the most recent bulletin editions). This website will help our parish to continue to reach out to our local community and to the world with the Light of Christ shining through our Byzantine Catholic Faith and Tradition. Single, 21 & Over (or know someone who is) Looking for a new way to meet people, make friends, and share good times with others? Check out the Catholic Alumni Club. The group offers activities including parties, picnics, hiking, sports leagues, dinners, trips, community service, and many other great events. For more information, visit our website: check out our Facebook page or call Join before August 1 st and receive a $5 discount on your membership. Foreclosure Help for those in Need If you re worried about foreclosure, there s a place to turn for help. If you re worried about losing your house, you may be eligible for financial assistance, including new emergency federal loans. In fact, a whole host of programs may help you avoid foreclosure and stay in your home. The first step is to call today, because funding is available for a limited time. Call now to learn more.