THE ORTHODOX WAY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER Best way to experience Orthodox Christianity is to Come and see! (John 1:39, 46) FEBRUARY - APRIL 2019
CONTENTS Contact information 1 Regular schedule 2 General messages 3-4 Prayer Corner 5-6 Special Dates 7 Schedule, Feb. April 8-13 Scheduled Memorials 13 Announcements 14-16 Upcoming Events 17-19 Flower Donations 20
RECTOR Priest Aleksey Paranyuk RECTORY PHONE # (973) 256-0314 EMAIL priest.aleksey@gmail.com OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday 9AM-2PM Any other time by appointment Always call before coming, as the priest may be out of the office Like us on: www.facebook.com/stjohnsingac Follow us on: www.instagram.com/stjohnthebaptist.singac #OrthodoxSingac For articles, schedule, latest news, announcements, and more visit: www.singac.com 1
REGULAR SCHEDULE OF SERVICES (Unless otherwise announced) Saturdays Great Vespers 6PM confessions after Vespers Sundays Sunday School 9AM Divine Liturgy 9:30AM Feast Days (weekdays) Eve of Feast Day, Festal Vespers 7PM Feast Day, Liturgy 9AM Tuesdays Evening Service 7PM Bible Study 7:30PM FINANCIAL REPORT Oct. 2018 Nov. 2018 Dec. 2018 Income: $7,063.50 $4,424.00 $18,130.21 2 Expenses: $16,875.95 1 $11,885.64 $11,537.63 +/ -$9,812.45 -$7,461.64 $6,592.58 1 includes new roof and gutters for the rectory 2 includes pierogi sales of $2,373 + ShopRite cards sale Ever wanted to make an online donation? Now you can! Visit http://www.singac.com/donations 2
If you are in need be it financially, materially, emotionally, or spiritually please do not hesitate to talk to Father Aleksey or any of the Parish Committee members. While our Needy Fund will not break the bank, we can offer financial help, albeit limited. We can also cook meals for each other in case of unforeseen events. And be present and supportive for a simple conversation. Let us grow together in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you are a regular parishioner, meaning you actively participate in the divine services and other events of the parish life, but are not yet a registered member, would you consider becoming one? See Father Aleksey with questions about what registered membership means to the parish and to you. If you are a registered member, but do not actively participate in the divine services and the various events of the parish life, consider stepping up your participation! (after all, membership means active participation) See Father Aleksey how you can do it. BIBLE STUDY got Bible? Want to understand what it says? There is only one thing to do join us on Tuesdays at 7:30PM. TALKS WITH TEENS. Once a month, Father Aleksey meets with the youth of our parish. We discuss the principles of 3
our faith, read some books together, and learn from each other. If your teens would like to join our group, please email Fr Aleksey. Teenagers and young adults are welcome! Thank you to Chuck Covello for donation of cedar mulch for all the flower beds around the church, educational center, and the rectory. The donation was made in memory of Demetry and Anastasia Bayda. PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS Ø Thurs., Feb. 21 at 7:30pm Ø Thurs., March 21 at 7:30pm Ø Thurs., April 11 at 7:30pm 4
P RAYER C ORNER Prayer Corner is for your prayer requests. This is an opportunity for us to pray for each other daily. Please remember the names listed below when you pray at home. PRAYER FOR THE LIVING Remember, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Your eternal mercies and compassion, for whose sake You became man and willingly endured crucifixion and death for the salvation of those who rightly believe in You. You rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father, looking down on the humble petitions of those who call upon You with their whole heart. Incline Your ear and hear the prayer, which I, Your unworthy servant, offer You for all Your people as a spiritual fragrance. Save, O Lord, and have mercy on Your servants: Vladimir Daria Larissa Marina Harris Lukas Geneva Richard Mark John Mary Walter Olga Jocelyn Shelly Mat. Natallia Ioann Katerina Helena Fr Aleksey PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED Remember, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: Lillian Beskid Olga Baldowski Kenny Kulick Archpriest George Burdikoff (d. 04.15.93), served our parish in 1972-92 5
P RAYER C ORNER Forgive all their sins, both voluntary and involuntary. Grant them a portion of Your eternal blessings and the delight of the everlasting and blessed life. Remember, O Lord, all our departed fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, all family members, friends, and neighbors, all Orthodox Christians who lie here and everywhere in the world in the hope of the Resurrection and eternal life. Grant them to live with Your saints in the Light of Your Presence. Have mercy on us also, for You are good and love mankind. Amen. Christians pray for each other and ask each other s prayers. In doing this they fulfill God s command to love one another, and actualize in a powerful way the fact that they are members one of another in Him (Ephesians 4:25). For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, says St Paul, so it is with Christ. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27). The body of Christ, which Christians compose as members of Christ in His Church, cannot be broken by anything. We can sever ourselves from the body because of our sins, but we cannot be separated from it by anything else. The Apostle Paul again says it most adequately: For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). - Fr Thomas Hopko, The Lenten Spring, page 57. If you would like submit names for the Prayer Corner, please notify Father Aleksey. 6
S PECIAL D ATES BIRTHDAYS Eric Allmendinger March 3 Father Aleksey Paranyuk March 30 Happy birthday! Many and blessed years! BAPTISMS Alexis Juliana Fischtrom December 1530 Many years to the child of Christ and to her parents! FUNERALS Lillian Beskid d. 12.08.2018 Olga Baldowski d. 12.27.2018 Kenny Kulick d. 01.11.2019 May they rest in peace and rise in glory with our Lord Jesus Christ. Memory eternal! P.S.: I do not post birthdays and anniversary dates here without your express permission. Hence, if you would like your or your relative s special dates posted, let me know. There is a new and easy way for you to support our parish. It s called Amazon Smile. If you like shopping on Amazon.com (and who doesn t?) visit http://www.singac.com/amazonsmile to find out how you can join in on the fun. In short, the way you shop or the deals you get on Amazon remain the same, but as you are making another splurge, Amazon contributes to our parish! 7
S CHEDULE F OR F EBRUARY - A PRIL The schedule is subject to change Check regularly: www.singac.com & facebook page: www.facebook.com/stjohnsingac/ FEBRUARY Feb. 2 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions Feb. 3 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy Feb. 5 Tuesday 7:00pm Akathist Hymn to Jesus Christ 7:30pm Bible Study Sunday of Zacchaeus Feb. 9 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions Feb. 10 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy Feb. 12 Tuesday 7:00pm Akathist Hymn to St John the Baptist 7:30pm Bible Study Feast of Meeting of Jesus Christ in the Temple Feb. 14 Thursday 7:00pm Festal Vespers with Litya Feb. 15 Friday 9:00am Divine Liturgy Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee Feb. 16 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions Feb. 17 Sunday 9:30am Teaching Liturgy, part 1: Proskomedia Fast-free week Feb. 18-24 Feb. 19 Tuesday 7:00pm Akathist Hymn to St John the Baptist 7:30pm Bible Study 8
S CHEDULE F OR F EBRUARY - A PRIL Feb. 21 Thursday 7:30pm Parish Council meeting Sunday of the Prodigal Son Feb. 23 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions Feb. 24 Sunday 9:30am Teaching Liturgy, part 2 Meatfare week last week meat is allowed Feb. 25-March 3 Feb. 26 Tuesday 7:00pm Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children 7:30pm Bible Study MARCH March 2 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions March 3 Sunday 9:30am Teaching Liturgy, part 3 11:30am Maslenitsa - potluck Cheesefare week meat not allowed, dairy still allowed March 4-10 March 5 Tuesday 7:00pm Akathist Hymn to Jesus Christ 7:30pm Bible Study Forgiveness Sunday March 9 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions March 10 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy 11:30am Vespers with the Rite of Forgiveness & Prayers at the beginning of Great Lent Great Lent March 11-April 19 March 11 Monday 7:00pm Great Compline with the Canon of St Andrew 9
S CHEDULE F OR F EBRUARY - A PRIL March 12 Tuesday 7:00pm Great Compline with the Canon of St Andrew March 13 Wednesday 9:00am Presanctified Liturgy 7:00pm Great Compline with the Canon of St Andrew March 14 Thursday 7:00pm Great Compline with the Canon of St Andrew March 15 Friday 7:00pm Panikhida (Parastas) 1 st Sunday of Great Lent: Triumph of Orthodoxy March 16 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & General Confession March 17 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy & kids procession with the icons March 19 Tuesday 7:00pm Lenten Small Compline 7:30pm Bible Study March 20 Wednesday 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy March 21 Thursday 7:30pm Parish Council meeting March 22 Friday 7:00pm Panikhida (Parastas) 2 nd Sunday of Great Lent: Saint Gregory Palamas March 23 Saturday 9:00am Memorial Liturgy 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions March 24 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy March 26 Tuesday 7:00pm Lenten Small Compline 7:30pm Bible Study March 27 Wednesday 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy March 29 Friday 7:00pm Panikhida (Parastas) 3 rd Sunday of Great Lent: Veneration of the Cross March 30 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions March 31 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy 10
S CHEDULE F OR F EBRUARY - A PRIL APRIL April 2 Tuesday 7:00pm Lenten Small Compline 7:30pm Bible Study April 3 Wednesday 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy April 5 Friday 7:00pm Panikhida (Parastas) 4 th Sunday of Great Lent: Saint John of the Ladder Feast Annunciation of the Theotokos April 6 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions April 7 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy April 9 Tuesday 7:00pm Lenten Small Compline 7:30pm Bible Study April 10 Wednesday 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy April 11 Thursday 7:30pm Parish Council meeting April 12 Friday 7:00pm Panikhida (Parastas) 5 th Sunday of Great Lent: Saint Mary of Egypt April 13 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confessions April 14 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy April 16 Tuesday 7:00pm Lenten Small Compline 7:30pm Bible Study April 17 Wednesday 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy April 18 Thursday 7:00pm Unction (Healing) Service. Соборование April 19 Friday 6:00pm Small Compline for Lazarus Saturday 7:00pm Panikhida (Parastas) 11
S CHEDULE F OR F EBRUARY - A PRIL Lazarus Saturday April 20 Saturday 9:00am Divine Liturgy 12:00pm Parish Spring cleaning day in preparation for Pascha Entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem: Palm Sunday April 20 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & General Confession April 21 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy & Procession with willow branches and palms Great and Holy Week, April 22-27 April 24 Wednesday 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy April 25 Thursday 9:00am Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil 7:00pm Matins with 12 Passion Gospels April 26 Friday 3:00pm Vespers & the Rite of Entombment 7:00pm Matins with the Lamentations April 27 Saturday 9:00am Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil 5:00pm 1 st Blessing of Paschal baskets 11:30pm Midnight Office (Nocturns) PASCHA CHRIST IS RISEN! April 28 Sunday 12:00am Paschal Matins & Procession, and 2 nd Blessing of Paschal baskets 10:00am Paschal Liturgy & 3 rd Blessing of Paschal baskets 12:00pm Egg hunt Paschal Bright Week fast-free week April 28-May4 12
S CHEDULE F OR F EBRUARY - A PRIL April 29 Monday 9:00am Paschal Liturgy May 4 Saturday 6:00pm Great Vespers & confession May 5 Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy The schedule is subject to change Check regularly: www.singac.com & facebook page: www.facebook.com/stjohnsingac/ SCHEDULED MEMORIALS FOR FEBRUARY APRIL March 3 April 7 Mary Skrabits & Conrad Skrabits, given by Walter Skrabits Anna Drelick, given by Marth & Jean BEQUESTS Throughout the United States, religious institutions are finding themselves in a declining membership. This in turn makes it more difficult for them to meet their rising financial obligations. St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Church is among these. Unfortunately, the cost to operate St John s continues to rise every year and as a result the financial burden weighs heavier on membership. This appeal is extended to you as parishioners and friends of our parish, so that you may help ensure the future stability of St John s for the coming generations. One way of doing this is to seriously consider including St John s in your will. No amount of money is too small, when it is used to further the future of Orthodox Christianity. Thank you and may God bless you! 13
A NNOUNCEMENTS NOTE: Since this newsletter contains images of the holy Cross and/or icons of the Lord or the saints, please do not simply throw it away once you are done with it. You can either burn it and bury the ashes in the ground or throw them into a river, or return the newsletter to Father Aleksey. Thank you. DEADLINE for the next newsletter (May-July 2019) is April 20 th, 2019. If you would like anything included in the next newsletter anniversary, prayer list, news, memorials, etc., please call Father Aleksey at (973) 256-0314 or drop him an email at priest.aleksey@gmail.com. Early submissions are more than welcome. FELLOWSHIP & COFFEE HOUR is one of the opportunities for us to grow closer as a community. In the past, around 5-6 of the same people signed up to host the coffee hour (lately this number has increased thank you!). While we are thankful to those who volunteer, we would still like to encourage everyone (especially men, don t worry, serving coffee is masculine enough) to participate in hosting the fellowship hour. What are the benefits of hosting it? We learn one of the basic Christian virtues servitude, in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who said, The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). There is nothing challenging or hard about hosting a coffee hour after the services. You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like. Thanks be to God, we have enough families that if each family signed up for a single Sunday, everyone would host no more than 1-2 coffee hours a year! Let s try it and see what happens. Our gratitude goes out to those who hosted the Fellowship Hour in November-January: Daria Selepouchin, June Witty, Nadezhda Popova, Natalia Ross, Mariya Paranyuk, Janeen Allmendinger, Jennifer, Barbara Preciado, 14
A NNOUNCEMENTS and Carol Stryker. Thank you! May the Lord bless your service to your neighbors. To be a Christian means to live selflessly for the sake of others, in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the ways we do this is by feeding the hungry, those who unlike us, for whatever reason, are unable to afford food. St John the Baptist Church participates in St Agnes Food Drive, which is run by St Agnes Episcopal Church in Little Falls, and we rely on your donations. If you would like to donate non-perishable foods, we have a collection basket in the vestibule, by the stairs to the choir loft. Every bit counts, and it does make a difference in people s lives. PRAYER SERVICE TO THE MOTHER OF GOD, NURTURER OF CHILDREN If you are a parent, grandparent, godparent, uncle or aunt, whether you have children or not, if you care for them and for the future generations, then this service is for you. Every last Tuesday of each month, at 7pm, we have a special service to the Mother of God, asking her intercessions before her Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ, for our children. And as a son, we know He hears the prayers of His Mother. Join us in prayer. Support St John s while shopping for grocery! Buy the ShopRite shopping cards from us. They are as good as 15
A NNOUNCEMENTS cash. They do not cost you anything extra, but St John s makes 5% from the amount sold. For every $5,000 sold, the church makes $250. Please call Vickie Duin at (973) 694-5844, or see her or Julie Riker any Sunday after the Liturgy. The cards come in the denominations of $25-50-100. During the Holy Week and Pascha, I will be looking for volunteer readers for some of our services. If you know how to read, you qualify! I will go over all the readings with the readers. Here are the service: Friday, April 26, at 7PM Matins with the Lamentations. Each reader will have 15 verses to read. Holy Saturday, April 27, at 9AM Liturgy. There are 15 Old Testament readings, you ll a choice of one of them. Paschal Liturgy, April 28 at 10AM a Gospel reading in a language you know (I will do English J). I will post sign up sheets during the Great Lent on our website and in the narthex (vestibule) of the church. 16
U PCOMING E VENTS TEACHING LITURGY SERIES This year once again we will have a series of three liturgies. On February 17, Father Aleksey will serve a service called Proskomedia in the middle of the church, a service that is usually in private by the priest in preparation for the Liturgy. During Proskomedia the holy Gifts the bread and wine are prepared for the consecration during the Liturgy. While preparing the Gifts, Father Aleksey will explain what is going on and why. On February 24 and March 3, the second and third parts of the Teaching Liturgy will be served. During these, Father Aleksey will stop during the Liturgy itself and give some historical background and explanations to words and actions we go through in the divine service. NEW JERSEY DISTRICT FOCA BEEFSTEAK DINNER Friday, February 22 at 7PM The Russian Hall 46 Woodhull Avenue, Little Falls, NJ Tickets: $50 for adults, $40 for children under 16. Ticket deadline is February 11 Please make checks payable to: NJ District FOCA For any questions or to reserve tickets, please contact Stephen Wasilewski at (201) 960-4352. Send checks to Stephen Wasilewski at 163 west 31 st street Bayonne, NJ 07002 17
U PCOMING E VENTS MASLENITSA A traditional celebration before the beginning of Great Lent. On March 3, after the third and final part of Teaching Liturgy we will feast with blini (Russian-style pancakes), herring, salmon, caviar, sour cream, and other deliciousness. This will be a potluck-style fellowship and coffee hour, with blini provided. More information will be announced in church as we draw near the day. SAINT ANNA S ANNUAL SALMON DINNER Friday, March 29. Doors will open at 4PM. Take out will be available at 5PM. Dinner will be served at 5:30PM. Tickets: adults - $18, children - $9, children under 6 free. For tickets, please contact Vickie Duin at 973-684-5844. SINGAC R CLUB PALM SUNDAY VESPERS This year is the turn of our own Singac R Club to host annual FOCA Palm Sunday Vespers. On Sunday, April 21, at 4pm we will welcome the faithful, clergy and laypeople, from other parishes. Everyone is welcome to join us in prayer. Afterwards Singac R Club will provide a lenten meal. ST JOHN THE BAPTIST BEEFSTEAK DINNER A fundraiser for our church s HVAC unit, which has to be replaced before the summer. When: Friday, May 3 (time will be announced later). Where: The Russian Hall, 4 Woodhull Ave, Little Falls, NJ 07424. 18
U PCOMING E VENTS Tickets: adults - $50, children under 16 - $40. For tickets, please contact Gregory Karol at 973-725-2902, email Father Aleksey at StJohn.Singac@gmail.com or see them both in church. THE GIFTS OF LOVE PROJECT for the National FOCA this year is for Saint Tabitha's Orphanage in Africa. Please be on the lookout for further information a bit later from our Singac R Club on how you can participate. COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECT Another FOCA event, is tentatively set for March 30 at SS Peter & Paul Church in Bayonne. Each chapter will be donating money for the food supplies and on March 30 we will get together to assemble food packages that will be shared with food pantries in the towns where our donating chapters are from. Each chapter is asked to donate $200 for the food supplies. And each available pair of hands is asked to participate. CARPATHO-RUSYN SOCIETY (NEW JERSEY CHAPTER) A lecture by Dr Nick Kupensky on Saturday, April 6, at 1:30PM, at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, 285 French Hill Road, Wayne, New Jersey. Dr Kupensky will discuss Carpatho-Rusyn writer Andrii Karabelesh and his book "On the Brink of Death: Notes from Fascist Concentration Camps. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served after the lecture. 19
Anyone wishing to have flowers on our Altar in memory of a loved one, for someone s health, to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, or for any other special occasion PLEASE SEE: BARBARA PRECIADO Or call her at (973) 299-9457 We need flowers for our church every Sunday! Thank you for your support of St. Anna s Altar Society and for your help in beautifying our church Altar. The following people have made flower donations in August- October: Nov. 4 For the good health and recovery of Tanya Broome, given by her mother, Irina Gozick Nov. 11 In memory of the passing of Paul Dubowchik, given by his wife, Betty Dubowchik Nov. 25 In memory of Anthony Stefanelli, and Olga and Michael Kostiak, given by wife and daughter, Marie Stefanelli Dec. 2 In memory of Michael Handago, given by his daughter, Paulette Handago Elsey Dec. 16 In memory of Zinnovia and Gregory Holovyak, given by their granddaughter, Zinnie Gillies Dec. 23 In memory of Julia and Charles Ramesdorfer, given by the Cerasuolo Family Jan. 13 In joyous celebration of Michael and Anastasia Romeo s one year wedding anniversary, given by their loving mother, Maria Jan. 20 In memory of Dorothy Holod Basalyga, given by her sister, Betty Dubowchik Also, in memory of Michael Paul Handago, given by his sister, Paulette Handago Elsey