The Yevshan Ukrainian Vocal Ensemble cordially invites you to a 20th year Jubilee Concert on Sunday, October 20th, 2:00 pm at St. Patrick – St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church, 285 Church Street, Hartford. Tickets ($20.00/adults and $10.00/children) will be available at the door. For more information, please call 203-380-2892 or 860-521-4914.
The Eparchy of Stamford will be sponsoring an Eparchial Family Day retreat on the theme “Parents as the First Teachers of Faith for Their Children, who Proclaim the Gospel to Them.” The retreat will be held at St. Basil Seminary, Stamford on November 17th. More information, as well as registration forms are available in the vestibule.
STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL
REMINDER: Please don’t forget to donate to the Charities Appeal. 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.
SEE SOMETHING – SAY SOMETHING: Dear Parishioners, the physical property of this Parish consists of five separate buildings. These buildings belong to you, take pride in them. If you see something broken or damaged, please pass the information on so that it can be fixed. Tell Father Iura, send an email to the Parish, or drop a note in the collection box at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, so that we can repair/fix what is wrong. Suggestions for improvement are also happily accepted. Thank you.
Adult Faith Formation
Why does the priest kiss the altar?
The liturgical custom is one of the oldest, dating back to the 4th century. Before celebrating every Mass the priest (and deacon) approach the altar and kiss it. To some this practice seems rather odd, as altars are material objects of stone or wood and don’t seem to warrant any particular reverence. What is the significance behind this ancient custom?
Kissing holy and sacred objects has been part of various world religions for thousands of years. The practice comes from cultures where the kiss was viewed as a sign of respect or used as a greeting and was naturally applied to objects that represented the divine. As Christians developed the liturgy they adapted customs from their own culture and gave them new significance. Kissing the altar was one of them and was quickly attached to the actions of the priest at Mass.