Collection and Volunteer Schedule for March 21-25th

We are in great need of white tube socks and dried soups.

We will be meeting this week for the collection of donations and for volunteering on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, March 21st, 5-7 pm
  • Thursday, March 23rd, 5-8pm
  • Saturday, March 25th, 8-11 am

Secondary to a confirmed date to fill the 3 cars this Thursday, this add on date is needed. We will need 10 volunteers that day. On Tuesday, March 21st, we will continue packing and getting ready for Thursday.

If anyone has extra fabric bags, i.e., Target bags, please bring them to the sessions so they can be used for packing supplies.

St John of the Ladder, the 4th Sunday of Great Lent

Today, we observe the the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent and our Byzantine Catholic Church commemorates our Father among the saints, John Climacus of the 7th century. He is also called St. John of the Ladder. In addition to the commemoration made today his other feast day is March 30.

As you know, he is called Climacus due to his authorship of the great spiritual work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. In this work, St. John posits describes how we can ascend to God, like the Ten Commandments or the Eight Beatitudes tells us how we will find order in our lives. Chaos –disorder– will never lead us to God but to further chaos and anxiety. Thus, the book outlines 30 steps of the spiritual life as rungs of a ladder leading to heaven. As we climb and gain a new understanding of what it means to live the virtuous life through God’s help and grace, we ascend further towards the Kingdom of God. You can understand why The Ladder of Divine Ascent is required reading for the season of Lent. Hence, now is an excellent time to approach the priest to receive the graces attained in the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession of sins).

St. John’s commemoration on one of the Sundays of Lent is given to us, after the Sunday of the Holy Cross, as a bearer and proponent of Christian asceticism. The ascetic example of the great Saint John inspires us in our Lenten journey.

Sister Vassa explores in this video the meaning of remembering St. John Climacus:

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 3/19, Fourth Sunday of Lent —Parish Mission TODAY
9:00 a.m. +Gregory Levitzky (68th Anniv.) requested by Joseph Levitzky
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish and for +Roman Lutsiuk —Panachyda

Epistle: Hebrews 6:13-20
Gospel: Mark 9:17-31, Tone 8

Monday, 3/20, Ven. Martyrs of the Mon. of Sabbas
9:00 a.m. +Maria Dmytriuk and all family

Tuesday, 3/21, Holy James the Confessor
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Anna Smigelski requested by Sestretsi

Wednesday, 3/22, Holy Hieromartyr Basil of Ancyra
7:00 a.m. +Anna, Volodymyr, Tymofij, Eva (Pan.) requested by Vasyl Ivantsiv

Thursday, 3/23, Holy Martyrs Nicon and companions
9:00 a.m. +Ludmyla Kuchar (Pan.) requested by Emilia Iwaniw

Friday, 3/24, Our Venerable Zacharius
7:00p.m. Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts

Saturday, 3/25, Annunciation of the Mother of God
9:45 a.m. Lytija and Blessing of Bread
10:00 a.m. For the people of God —Anointing-Myrovann

Sunday, 3/26, Fifth Sunday of Lent
9:00 a.m. +Michael Lipcan, Sr. requested by Barbara and Patrick Bagley
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45, Tone 1

Parish announcements

Christ is among us!

This week vigil light is offered by Halia Lodynsky and family in memory of Valentina Kulish Jurczak.

TODAY, Sunday, March 19, Fr. Jonathan Kalisch, O.P. will have a Mission in our Parish. He is going to be in confessional during the Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. at 10:30 a.m.

The remaining SOROKOUSTY will be celebrated in All Souls’ Saturday is May 27. Please take a book found at the entrance of the church, fill it out, place it in envelope, and drop it in the collection basket. Let us remember all our loved ones who have gone to their heavenly reward. Eternal Memory!

Sestretsi will have a Corporate Communion and a meeting on March 26, after the 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy.

Sestretsi will host at the church hall a free egg and bacon breakfast to St. Michael’s parish community on March 26, after 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy. Donations for this event are very much appreciated.

We will be making pyrohy (varenyky) on April 1, We need your help on Friday, March 31 to peel potatoes and Saturday, April 1, to make Pyrohy. Please come and help.

The Panakhyda Service at the Gravesites will take place on Saturday, April 15, at 11:00 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery and Sunday, April 16, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Lawrence Cemetery. Please call the rectory office for appointment.

PYSANKA —Ukrainian Easter Egg Workshop will be held on Sunday, March 26, in the church hall from 1:00 to 3:30 pm. It is open to youth and adults, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your children and grandchildren to learn their beautiful heritage. Free to parish youth and Ridna Shkola students. Charge for class is $10 to others. For more information call Gloria Horbaty at 203-269-5909.

The traditional Easter parish “SVIACHENE” will be held on April 23, following the Divine Liturgy. We will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. We will be running a raffle. If you would like to donate any items to be raffled, please bring them to our church hall on Sundays before our “Sviachene” or on Sunday, April 23. Tickets are $30.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth from 12 to 18. Free for altar boys, and under 12. Also we ask you to donate cakes for desert. We trust that all parishioners will join this parish gathering and through their presence attest to cherishing in our hearts a love for one another which builds our PARISH FAMILY. We will not sell tickets at the door.

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Deacon Daniel Galadza appointed as consultor at the Holy See

Congratulations to Deacon Daniel Galadza!

Today, the Holy See made the following announcement regarding the Eastern Churches office:

The Holy Father has appointed the following as consultors of the Special Commission for the Liturgy of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches: the Reverends András Dobos, rector of the Greek-Catholic Seminary of Nyíregyháza, Hungary; Vartan Kirakos Kazanjian, parish priest of Saint John Chrysostom of the Armenian Catholics in Istanbul, Turkey; Jacob Thekeparampil, director of the Saint Ephrem Ecumenic Research Institute, India; Daniel Galadza, professor of Byzantine liturgy at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome, Italy.

Daniel’s father and uncle are Ukrainian Catholic priests in Canada. The good deacon is teaching in Rome.