Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule 9 th Sunday after Pentecost August 13-14, 2011 Sat. Aug. 13 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+Dr. Michael Culyba, req. by a friend) Sun. Aug. 14 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Chuck Levkulich, req. by Anonymous) 7:00 p.m. Vespers for the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos followed by Blessing of Flowers Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos Holy Day of Obligation Mon. Aug. 15 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy followed by Blessing of Flowers (+David Milan, req. by Amy Slusarick & David Slusarick) Sixth Hour Service Thurs. Aug. 18 12 noon Sixth Hour Service 10 th Sunday after Pentecost August 20-21, 2011 Sat. Aug. 20 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+George & Ann Checque, req. by Robert Checque) Sun. Aug. 21 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Alexander Mercolini, Jr. req. by Michael, Lara, and Louis Mercolini) 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 http://asacrificeofpraise.blogspot.com/ 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 www.sistersofstbasil.org or call 724-438-8644. Community Service Hours for School Any teen wishing to earn community service hours for school can do so by helping at our upcoming flea market on Sat., Aug. 27. There will be a sign-up sheet in the narthex (vestibule) of the church the weekend before the event for those interested in helping out at this event. For more information or to volunteer to help, please call Michele D Angelo at 412-835-7378 or jdangelo5@verizon.net. Volunteer Help Needed to Clean our Hall Kitchen Due to the recent installation of new air-conditioning units in our church and hall, the hall kitchen has dust throughout its compartments and cupboards. Anyone wishing to help wash and clean the dishes, silverware, cupboards, etc. in our hall kitchen is asked to come on Sat., Aug. 13 beginning at 10 a.m. to our church hall. Depending on the amount of help, the kitchen cleaning should only take a couple of hours. 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. Volunteer Help Needed to Paint the Rectory Porch and Windows Fr. Tom is looking for anyone who would like to help paint the rectory porch and around the rectory windows. The paint is coming off of these areas and will need to be repainted before Winter. If you would like to help with this project, 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. (Dormition) Blessing of Flowers Fr. Tom will bless flowers and herbs both at the vespers service, as well as the Divine Liturgy, for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Flowers and herbs are blessed as a remembrance of the sweet-smelling flowers and herbs that were found in the empty tomb of the Theotokos, Mary, whose body had been taken up to Heaven to be in Heaven with her son, Jesus, after her death. Any parishioner wishing to have flowers or herbs blessed for the feast day is asked to please bring them to either the vespers service on Sunday evening or the Divine Liturgy for the feast day on Monday and Father Tom will bless them.
WEEKLY COLLECTION 2011 August 7 Category Amount 1. Envelopes $ 1,660.00 2. Debt 310.00 3. Loose 11.00 4. Candles 25.00 5. Paul Yanak Memorial 125.00 6. Special Donations 1,145.00 St. Gregory Flea Market Fundraiser **Please note changes** On Saturday, August 27 th from 8 am 3 pm St. Gregory s is hosting a Flea Market Fundraiser in the church hall. With your support this will be a major fundraiser for our church s needs. We are asking everyone to clean out your closets, garages, playrooms and basements and donate items to this fundraiser event. You may bring your items to church before and after Liturgy beginning **Saturday, July 16 th **. The last day to bring your items to church is Sunday, August 21 st. Please bag the items by categories (books, toys, holiday, tools, etc.) and place them in the back of the church basement where category signs will be posted. Following is a list of possible items: TOTAL Deposited $ 3,276.00 Envelopes Debt 1@250 =250.00 2@100 =200.00 1@100 =100.00 1@75 =75.00 2@50 =100.00 2@60 =120.00 1@35 =35.00 1@50 =50.00 3@25 =75.00 3@40 =120.00 1@35 =35.00 Total 7 $310.00 2@30 =60.00 15@25 =375.00 10@20 =200.00 3@15 =45.00 11@10 =110.00 4@5 = 20.00 Total 55 envelopes $ 1,660.00 Average = $ 30.18 Average needed per week to meet expenses prior to fund-raising (based on last year s total expenses including debt reduction expenses) = $2612.70 Widows and Widowers Luncheon The monthly widows and widowers luncheon will be held this Wed., Aug. 17 at 11:30 a.m. at Freddie's II Restaurant, located at 2789 South Park Road, Bethel Park, PA. If you plan on attending, please call Marie Volcheck at 412-833-2026 or Elaine Richardson at 412-854-2093. books (NO encyclopedia sets) lamps jewelry small furniture puzzles DVDS games CDS toys baby items (strollers, etc.) kitchen items (dishes, glassware, etc.) sports equipment small electrics linens (tablecloths, bedding, etc) tools home décor (pictures, frames, knickknacks, etc.) purses holiday items (NO Christmas trees) household items infant & children s clothing ONLY electronics (sound systems, musical, TV s) **All items must be clean and in working condition **Any teen who would like to help with this fundraising event can earn community service hours for school** If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for this fun event, please contact Michele D Angelo at 412-835-7378 or jdangelo5@verizon.net. Thank you in advance for your support! 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 412-321-1071. 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 724-438-7149.
This Week s Reflection The Dormition of the Theotokos The Dormition of the Theotokos is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which commemorates the "falling asleep" or death of the Theotokos (Mary, the mother of Jesus; literally translated as God-bearer), and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. It is celebrated on August 15 (August 28 for those following the Julian Calendar) as the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Dormition not on a fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest August 15. In Orthodoxy and Catholicism, as in the language of scripture, death is often called a "sleeping" or "falling asleep" (Greek κοίμησις; whence κοιμητήριον > coemetērium > cemetery, a place of sleeping). A prominent example of this is the name of this feast; another is the Dormition of Anna, Mary's mother. According to Orthodox and Eastern Catholic tradition Mary, having spent her life after Pentecost supporting and serving the nascent Church, was living in the house of the Apostle John, in Jerusalem, when the Archangel Gabriel revealed to her that her repose would occur three days later. The apostles, scattered throughout the world, are said to have been miraculously transported to be at her side when she died. The sole exception was Thomas, who had been delayed. He is said to have arrived three days after her death in a cloud above her tomb is said to have seen her body leaving to heaven, he asked her "Where are you going, O Holy One?" and then she took off her girdle and gave it to him and said "Receive this my friend" then she disappeared.[2] Thomas was taken to his fellow Apostles and asked to see her grave so that he could bid her goodbye. Mary had been buried in Gethsemane, according to her request. When they arrived at the grave, her body was gone, leaving a sweet fragrance. An apparition is said to have confirmed that Christ had taken her body to heaven after three days to be reunited with her soul. Orthodox theology teaches that the Theotokos has already undergone the bodily resurrection which all will experience at the Second coming, and stands in heaven in that glorified state which the other righteous ones will only enjoy after the Last Judgment.[3] (excerpt from Wikipedia article, Dormition of the Theotokos) 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 724-745-2274 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. ECF Teachers Meeting & ECF Christmas Program Planning Meeting There will be a meeting on Sun., Aug. 14 immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy for all ECF teachers to prepare plans for the upcoming ECF school year and also for anyone interested in helping plan this year s ECF Christmas program. New Seminary Online Courses for Fall 2011 The Byzantine Catholic Seminary has announced that it will offer three new online corses for Fall 2011. 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. 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 1-800-552-4171 now to learn more. 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, 2012. 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 www.metropolitancantorinstitute.org.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus Byzantine Catholic Church 2005 Mohawk Road Upper St Clair, PA 15241 412-835-7800 724-317-6986 (cell) Church Slavonic Divine Liturgies, and ecumenical presentations featuring Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant choirs. For more info: 330-825-2979 or by e-mail: rbenya@neo.rr.com 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: www.stgregoryusc.org Email: 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 724-969-4122 Youth Ministry: Michael Kiss at jandmkiss1@comcast.net or 724-693-8983 Church Founding & Historical Committee: Barb Stasiuk (412-885-2140) Bethany Ministry: Jennifer Kehm at nkehm@aol.com or 724-941-5352 Parish Nurse: Dorothy Mayernik at dorothymayernik@comcast.net or 412-310-0521 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 703-691-8862 or write to Eastern Christian Publications, P.O. Box 3909, Fairfax, VA 22038-3909. 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 412-854-9120 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 412-350-7079 or email kburk@alleghenycounty.us St. Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church Did you know? (financial)
St. Gregory s financial board has recently released the 2010 financial report and set financial goals for 2011. 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 $3600.00 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 $3600.00 Monthly offering needed for the Air Conditioning loan is $1300.00 for a term of five years Monthly average offered from 2010 was $1891.00 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 $240,000 @ 5.5% and 2nd Mortgage of $75,000 @ 0%) The terms of this loan are estimated at $1300.00 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 ($1891.00 a month) 2011 projected debt payments $58,800 ($4900.00 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
Parish Website Under Construction Our parish of St. Gregory Nazianzus has a website currently under construction. To view the parish website go to www.stgregoryusc.org. 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: www.cacpittsburgh.org, check out our Facebook page or call 412-341-4070. Join before August 1 st and receive a $5 discount on your membership.