The Immaculate Conception Society (Sestretsi) is cordially inviting all St. Michael’s parishioners and friends to attend its lasagna dinner to be held on Sunday, October 6, 12:00 noon, at our church hall. Come to enjoy good food, deserts and the company of parishioners and friends. Tickets are $20.00 for adults and free admission to those under the age of 12. Tickets sellers will be announced at a later date. For more information see Maria Sobko-Treasurer
STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL
REMINDER: Please don’t forget to donate to the Charities Appeal. Forms are designed for each family of our parish. Attached to the form is an envelope into which you can place your contribution. Please enclose the form with your contribution into the envelope and place it into the collection basket during church services. Kindly make checks payable to the
Byzantine Rite Eparchy of Stamford. DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM TO THE CHANCERY OFFICE. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make generous contributions.
September 1 – Happy New Year! – The Beginning of the New Liturgical Year
The beginning of the new liturgical year for the Byzantine Church, that is, our Kievan Church, does not correspond with the civil new year. The ordering of the year, the “indiction” has a long and complicated history which needs some attention to understand how and why we pray the Liturgy the way we do.
This “Indiction” begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church. Since the completion of each year takes place with the harvest and gathering of the crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for the production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also keeps festival this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving.