ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH Let us therefore strive to preserve the holiness of our souls and to guard the purity of our bodies with all fervor -St. Nicholas of Myra American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Ecumenical Patriarchate Fr. Nicholas Mihaly, Pastor 1123 East Avenue Erie, PA 16503 H: (814) 453-4902 C: (203) 241-1027 nmihaly1013@gmail.com More Information Parish Website: www.stnicholaserie.org Diocesan Website: www.acrod.org Weekly Schedule Sunday, February 3 9:30 AM; Divine Liturgy & Panachida for Dominic & Mary Masenas offered by Denise & Phillip Rewers Tuesday, February 5 6:00 PM; Adult Class www.facebook.com/ StNicholasErie/ Welcome! If you are new to our parish, welcome! St. Nicholas is a welcoming Orthodox Christian parish. As a reminder, only those Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves are invited to receive Communion. For all of our visitors, Orthodox or non-orthodox, please join us for coffee downstairs; meet Fr. Nick & the parishioners! Thursday, February 7 10:00 AM; ACRY Sub Making Saturday, February 9 9:30 AM; Kielbasa Making Sunday, February 10 9:30 AM; Divine Liturgy Sunday, February 10 11:00 AM; Parish Board Meeting Confessions are available thirty minutes prior to Divine Liturgy on the first Sunday of every month; thirty minutes before vespers on Saturday evenings; or by appointment. 1
Senior Camp Our Diocese will be hosting the second annual Senior Retreat at Camp Nazareth May 13-16. Online Registration will begin on February 1, 2019. Visit acrod.org for more information and to register for the Retreat. You may also call the Camp for more information (724) 662-4840. 2019 Pledge Cards House Blessings The house blessing season is upon us! Fr. Nick will be available for house blessings. Please see Fr. Nick to schedule a time to have your house blessed between January 20 & March 1. Upcoming Events March 3-Pre-Lenten Brunch March 11-Great Lent Begins April 28-Great & Holy PASCHA May 13-16-Senior Retreat at Camp Nazareth July 28-August 3-Camp Nazareth Thank You! Many thanks to Lee Anthony and Alan & Kathy Irwin for their generous donations towards a new freezer! Also, a huge thank you to Paul Demyanovich for his donation of a new krupilo, holy water sprinkler, which will be used throughout the year! Don t forget to turn in your 2019 Pledge Cards ASAP. Please see Phyllis Tarasovich if you did not get one. Kielbasa Making & Sale On Saturday, February 9 at 9:30 AM we will be making kielbasa for sale. For this first Kielbasa Sale, we will only take pre-orders. Please fill out the order form and return it to Fr. Nick by February 3. Come and have some fun making kielbasa! Adult Class Our adult class is currently finishing up our reading of The Living God. We will be starting a new book in a few weeks, The Incarnate God, which is about the feasts of Jesus Christ & the Virgin Mary. If you would like to purchase your own copy please see Fr. Nick. This two volume set is available for $30.00. Youth Event: Prosfora Making On Saturday, February 23 at Noon, Fr. Nick will lead a class on the making of prosfora, the bread that is used for communion. Come and learn more about the faith and what goes on behind the scenes of the Divine Liturgy! Special Adult Class: All About Lent Have you ever wondered why the Orthodox have Lent? Do you have questions about Lent but were afraid to ask? Come to our special adult class on Tuesday, March 5 where all of your questions will be answered! 2
Orthodoxy on Tap The next Orthodoxy on Tap will be held Saturday, March 2 at 2:00 PM at Voodoo Brewery in Meadville. Orthodoxy on Tap is a gathering of faith and fellowship for Orthodox young adults. Come and see! Feb 3 Maria Latzer 7 Patricia Joint-Lipchik Birthdays & Anniversaries 20 Atty. Kenneth & Pamela (Ladboda) Vasil-38th Anniversary 23 Rev. Stephen E. Krivonak, III If you would like Many Years to be sung for you or a loved one, please let Fr. Nick know prior to the beginning of Divine Liturgy 3
Parish Prayer List Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. James 5:16 For the Health of Fr. John Baranik, Fr. Lawrence Barriger, Fr. James Gleason, Fr. John Gido, Fr. Tony Joseph, Fr. Robert Lucas, Fr. Michael Polanichka, Fr. Michael Rustick, Fr. Jonathan Tobias, Fr. John Zboyovski, Fr. David Smoley, Pani Donna Smoley, Pani Connie Miloro, Pani Eleanor Pribish, George Arghyrou, Douglas Borkowski, Stephen Brancho, Emma Burkell, John Candia, Sandy Carlisle, Gail Collister, Robert Collister, James DeHaven, Mark DeHaven, Mary DeHaven, Peter Dimitriadis, Helen Douglas, Irene Fendya, Miko Jovanovich, John Kloss, Richard Koerner, Jean Kramer, Don Kuzmin, Olivia Kuzmin, Evelyn McCambridge, Mike McCambridge, Guy McIntyre, Orestes Mihaly, Serge Mihaly, Mark Mizak, Robert Perevuznik, Sr., Barbara Scheibeck, Richard Schrader, Irene Schwab, Elizabeth Skalko, Patricia Slonaker, Isabella Smith, Ignatius Thompson, Vicktor Volpe, Cheryl Walker, David Walker, Jake & Lauren, Steven, Katlyn Wyant, George Yurcan through the prayers of St. Nectarios the Wonderworker & St. Panteleimon the Great-Martyr and Healer For Expectant Mothers Pani Eleni Stagon, Sarah Fucsko, Andrea Heberle, Brenna Mihaly through the prayers of St. Anna, the Mother of the Virgin Mary For the Repose of Bishop Athanasius Akunda, Fr. Nicholas Palun, Pani Magdaline Blaschak, Pani Mary Kundla, Pani Patricia Patrick, Ann Burdick, Lousie Butts, Thomas Candia, Ann DiMarco, Anna Evanisko, Alvin Irwin, John E. Kelley, Dennis Kormos, Kyle Lomme, Shane Murdock, Mildred Paproski, Rade Uzunovski May their memories be eternal! If you have someone you would like to be added to the prayer list, please see Fr. Nick 4
House Blessings 2019 House Blessing season has begun and lasts until the beginning of Great Lent, March 11. Please schedule an appointment with Fr. Nick so that he can come and bless your house with the newly blessed Theophany water. This is also a great time to get to know your priest better and for him to know you better, so keep your calendars open! Turn off all radios and TVs. Take the phone off the hook during the short blessing service. Cell phones should be turned to silent. Just remember to place your phone back on the hook at the end! Close all doors to rooms you do NOT want Father to enter open the doors to the rooms you do want Father to enter. Preparing Your Home for Blessing Your home does NOT have to be spotless, but should be free of clutter on the floor, like toys, which may cause Father to trip. A table should be prepared with a white tablecloth, an icon or cross, a candle and an empty bowl (Father will bring the holy water). A list of names of those you want Father to pray for during the service If you have any items (icons, crosses, etc) that you would like blessed, place them on the table also and let Father know and he will bless them for you. A family member should lead Father through the house. This can be done by your children, if you have any, girls or boys. If you have a pet, they may also receive a blessing. I look forward to visiting each and everyone of you during this special Theophany season! 5
To Ponder We know and are convinced that falling away from the Church, whether into schism, heresy, or sectarianism, is complete perdition and spiritual death. For us there is no Christianity outside of the Church. If Christ established the Church, and the Church is His Body, then to be cut of from His Body is to die. St. Hilarion Troitsky One should not seek among others the truth that can be easily gotten from the Church. For in her, as in a rich treasury, the apostles have placed all that pertains to truth, so that everyone can drink this beverage of life. She is the door of life. St. Irenaeus of Lyons The Church is holy, although there are sinners within her. Those who sin, but who cleanse themselves with true repentance, do not keep the Church from being holy. But unrepentant sinners are cut off, whether visibly by Church authority, or invisible by the judgement of God, from the body of the Church. And so in this regard the Church remains holy. St. Philaret of Moscow apart from the ways of the world. Through the Law, God taught them the concept of holiness: to be set apart. All who did not conform to such a life appeared as wild, savage dogs to the Jewish people. Such was the term they therefore employed. However, there is a distinction here. The Greek word for dog used here is kunarion, which means little dog or house dog, and not wild dog as the Gentiles were frequently called.our Lord was not at all indifferent to the plight of this woman. If understood properly, we can see that he is subtly drawing her toward himself. He is difficult only to the degree to which he knows she can handle it. And the purpose is to exemplify her faith to the world.a wild dog has no place in a home. Its place is outside in the wilderness or even roaming the streets at night. Here, it is as if Christ is calling her a little dog with a subtle smile and a winking eye. A pet is part of the household; while it certainly does not have the rights of a child, it has entered into the realm and under the care of the master s dwelling. https://www.orthodoxroad.com/ the-canaanite-woman/ It was not uncommon for Jews to refer to Gentiles as dogs. In their eyes, the Jews kept the Law of Moses and set themselves 6
CENTRAL REGION DIOCESAN LENTEN RETREAT SATURDAY, April 6, 2019 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM AT St. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH 903 ANN STREET HOMESTEAD, PA SCHEDULE 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy - All Souls Saturday 11:00 am Coffee Social 12:00 noon - First Session 1:30 pm -Lunch 2:30 pm Second Session 4:00 pm Vespers (INCLUDES CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AND LIGHT LUNCH ) COST: FREE WILL OFFERING REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2019 CATHY PAWLIK 10 J Longfellow Drive Munhall,PA. 15120. cmpawlik@verizon.net (412) 461-2110 (412) 889-6702 (Cell Phone) SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL A.C.R.Y. Tear off and return via mail or email information on or before March 10, 2018 Name of Church or Chapter # Number of People Attending* : : *Please attach a list of everyone attending. Send/email to: Cathy Pawlik 10 J Longfellow Drive Munhall, PA. 15120. (cmpawlik@verizon.net) On or Before March 31, 2019. Questions? Contact Cathy Pawlik at cmpawlik@verizon.net (412) 461-2110 or (412) 889-6702 7
CAMP NAZARETH SUMMER CAMP 2019 The time for Summer Camp is Rapidly Approaching!!! The clock is ticking!! REGISTER ONLINE STARTING MAR. 1, 2019!!! ========================================================= Dates for the Summer Camping Program Week 1: July 14-20, 2019 Pittsburgh, Mid-Atlantic, Tri-State and Washington D.C. Deaneries Week 2: July 21-27, 2019 New England, NY, NJ, Florida and Canada Deaneries Week 3: July 28-August 3, 2019 Johnstown, Pocono, Southern Tier, Youngstown and Chicago Deaneries ========================================================= Register Online Starting March 1, 2019 Register at campnazareth.org From the Home Page, From the 2019 Summer Camp Icon, or From the Diocesan Summer Camp Tab found under the Summer Camp Tab and look for Camper Registration. If you are Clergy or a Volunteer go to the 2019 Summer Camp Icon on the Home Page or the Diocesan Summer Camp Tab found under the Summer Camp Tab and look for the paper forms under Clergy/Volunteers. ========================================================== $20 Early Bird Discount Per Child!!!! (one-time only, not per week) Register & pay by May 15, 2019!!!! Online Registration MUST be complete AND payment must be submitted by May 15 in order to qualify for the Early Bird Discount. Registrations after June 15 will incur an additional $20 late fee. When you register online please note that you will still need to submit a paper copy of the Medical Examination Form (i.e. Camper Physical) which must be filled out and signed by a licensed medical professional (licensed physician or physician s assistant). This form will be emailed to you after you complete the online registration process. Payment by check, money order, or credit card is accepted. Checks and Money Orders are to be made payable to Camp Nazareth and sent to Camp Nazareth at 339 Pew Road, Mercer, PA 16137. 8
December 19, 2018 Protocol No. 25/2018 Glory to Jesus Christ! Dear Diocesan Seniors, Our Diocese is pleased to offer its second annual Senior Retreat this year from May 13-16, 2019 at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA. I am calling upon all our Seniors, age 55 and older, to join me at the Camp for 3 days of fellowship and prayer in order to be spiritually rejuvenated. The Retreat is being offered with our Seniors specifically in mind. The central theme of the Retreat is Keeping Your Focus on God as a Senior. The Retreat will help our Seniors navigate the many challenges they face including retirement, transition, health and family all while remaining focused on and committed to our Lord. It will include worship, fellowship, learning, fun, time for reflection and relaxation, and time spent together! The Retreat is designed specifically for you, so Come! if you are of age. Don t miss out on this opportunity for yourselves. Register online at our Diocesan website: acrod.org. There you will also find the Retreat flyer and other necessary information about the Retreat. Alternately, you may print the Registration Form from the Diocesan website and send it in via mail. I am looking forward to spending time with each of you at this second annual Senior Retreat. With blessing I remain Working in His Vineyard with much love, +Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa 9
Thursday, January 31, 2019 Statement on the Sanctity of Life The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America affirms the sanctity of life based on the firm conviction that life begins at the moment of conception. The Assembly remains steadfast in its conviction that any interference in the development of life is a serious issue, and therefore it regularly participates in a variety of relevant events and also releases pertinent statements on the topic. While recognizing that there are rare but serious medical instances where mother and child may require extraordinary actions, the Assembly of Bishops is deeply concerned that the taking of innocent life through abortion has become an acceptable cultural norm. This phenomenon increasingly prevalent throughout contemporary societies was exacerbated by a recent law of the New York State Senate (Bill S.240). The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America categorically denounces these adverse developments that allow for abortion, under certain unjustifiable circumstances, even within the third trimester of existence. The Assembly of Bishops further reminds the faithful that Christ is a beacon of hope in this challenging world. Accordingly, the Church is always prepared and willing to support women who are considering abortion to find alternative avenues to alleviate any burden, physical and spiritual. The Church is ever a mother loving, understanding, nurturing, praying, and protecting all human life. 10
Crumbs from the Table Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." Matthew 15:28 (NIV) Based on Matthew 15:21-28 (NIV) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ACROSS 3. To experience physical or mental pain 5. An adult female human being 7. The Son of God 8. An very large amount of something 9. Unable to be found 10. Small pieces of bread or cake DOWN 1. Animals with four legs, commonly kept as pets, and sometimes used to guard things 2. A female child in relation to her parents 4. To have trust or confidence in something or someone 6. An evil spirit JESUS DAUGHTER SUFFER CRUMBS DEMON WOMAN GREAT FAITH DOGS LOST Copyright Sermons 4 Kids, Inc. All rights reserved www.sermons4kids.com 11
Thirty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost February 3, 2019 St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Kielbasa Sale Pre-Order Form Name: Phone: I am ordering pounds of fresh, homemade kielbasa at $6.00 per pound. Please return this order form to Fr. Nick by Sunday, February 3. Kielbasa will be available for pickup Sunday, February 10. 12