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.

The Eparchy of Stamford will be sponsoring an Eparchial Family Day retreat on the theme “ Parents as the First Teachers for Their Children who proclaim the Gospel to Them”. The retreat will take place in St. Basil Seminary, Stamford, CT. on November 17. More information, as well as registration forms are in the vestibule.

Adult Faith Formation

“We faithfully celebrate this day with joy, being enlightened by your presence, O Mother of God. Looking upon your pure image we sincerely beg: ‘“Protect us by your holy mantle. Deliver us from all evil, and beseech your Son, the Christ-God, to save us.”’  (Troparion of the Feast)

The Feast of the Protection commemorates the appearance of Mary the Mother of God in the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) in the 10th century. On Sunday, October 1, while multitudes of the faithful were gathered in church, St. Andrew (Andrew of Constantinople) and his disciple, St. Epiphanius, beheld the Virgin Mary above the faithful spreading out her veil over them, signifying her unceasing protection of all Christians. The Blachernae Palace Church was where several of the Virgin Mary’s relics were kept; the relics were her robe, veil and part of her belt that had been transferred from Palestine during the 5th century.

Surrounded by angels and saints, the Virgin Mary approached the center of the church, knelt down and remained in prayer for a long time. Her face was drowned in tears for all the faithful Christians in the world. She asked her Son, Jesus Christ, to accept the prayers of all the people entreating Him and seeking her protection. Once her prayer was completed, she walked to the altar and continued to pray. Afterwards, she spread her veil over all the people as a protection.