Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church 146 Third Avenue, Rankin, PA 15104 Pastor: Very Reverend Nicholas Ferencz, PhD Cantor: Professor Jerry Jumba Parish President : Carole Bushak
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever! Slava Isusu Christu! Slava vo v’iki!
Rectory Phone: 412 271-2725. E-mail: [email protected] Hall Phone: 412-294-7952 WEB: www.stmichaelsrankin.org
FEBRUARY 21, 2021 SUNDAY OF THE PUBLICAN AND PHARISEE WITHIN THE FEAST OF THE ENCOUNTER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Sun., Feb. 21 Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. Within the Feast of the Encounter. Great-martyr Theodore the General. Prophet Zechariah 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy. Oath of Office of the Newly Elected Parish Council (for those who didn’t make it last week) Blessing of Candles Panachida: February Perpetuals: 2/4 Mary Mesko. 2/13 Anna Horgas. 2/25 Father Peter Buletza
There is No Fasting this Week, Sun., Feb 21 through Sat., Feb. 27
Sun., Feb. 28 Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Apostle Onesimus of the 70 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy. Sat., Mar. 6 1st All Souls Saturday. Monk Timothy. Archbishop Eustathios of Antioch 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy and the reading of the Hramoty (List of the Deceased) Sun., Mar. 7 Sunday of Meat-fare. The Last Judgment. Finding of the Relics of the Martyrs of Eugenia 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Panachida: March Perpetuals: 3/1 William Dorogy. 3/7 Rose Marie Novak. 3/8 Anna Bonga. 3/11 Stephen and Mary Sefchick. 3/12 Irene Simonoff. 317 Michael Lesko, Sr. 3/29 Ron Lesko. Mon., Mar. 8 Martyred Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna 6:30 PM Monthly Parish Council Meeting Rescheduled from March 1.
Holy Mystery of Confession: I will be available for Confessions after the Divine Liturgy, when the church is more private. Or, you can make an appointment and we will arrange an appropriate time. Please just contact me. PEOPLE STUFF Prayer List: Deceased: Joseph Merlo. Kathy Bonnano. Anna Senich. Maria Hart Living: Father Joe Cervo. Father George Livanos. Father Patrick. Mother Christophora and the nuns of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Kristina Anatakis. Dana Andrade. Gloria Andrade. Gregory Michael Aurilio. Georgia B. Chastity and Jeff Bache. David Banosky. Brandon. Walter Bolbat. Donald Bodnar. John Bonnano, Rob &
Page 1 of 4 Carol Bonnano. Jaime Budesa. Barbara Bournios. Jim Burkhart. Nicholas Burkhart. Barbara Chappie. Rebecca, David & Bradley Our Gifts to God and our Noah Cozad. Mary Ann Crouse. Delores Cubakovic. Martha Church Danchak. Glenn Davies. Christina Duranko. Nicholas Duranko. Sunday, February 14, 2021 Margaret Dorogy. Breanne Glass. Dorothy Glass. Eddie Gombos. Attendance 15 Jennifer Hartrick. Joseph Hlavac. George Hrabchak. Raymond Communions 9 Hrabchak. Shirley Hrubic. Zhensan Huang. Kevin and Karen Ianni. Gary Ingelido. Andrea Kerkentzes. Jeanne Lesko and family. Bobby Collections Malackany. Marina. Joan Martell. Sharon Mascilak. Ed McCreanor. Monthly 55.00 Jake McLaughlin. Zoe Mehalik. Helen Mihalik. Teresa Onuska. Sunday 327.00 Frank Palmieri. Bob Perevuznik, Jr. Millie Phillips. Robert Petro. All Votive Candles 116.00 Bernice Siudak. Terry Slezak. Milton and Thelma Supak. Diana Blding Maintenance 145.00 Terezis. Bobby and Dee Triffanoff. Carol and Ernie Vallozzi. Josh Dioc Membership 7.00 Walendziewicz. Paul & Valerie Yednak. Edward Yoon. Jeanne and Major Building Repairs 100.00 Jim Zajac. Prosphora Bakers: Trudy Trifanoff. Delores Cubakovic Total Offerings: 750.00 and their intentions. Also: Chase Vlad, Gianna Vlad, Laura, Sharita, Update: Building and Repairs all who have contracted the virus, all who care for them, and all First- Donations which are available for Responders, and all who are working in the Health and Medical upcoming repairs to date are $5416! Fields during this time of crisis. God bless your generosity!
F(E)ASTING All Souls Saturdays. The 1st All Souls Saturday is this Saturday, March 6. We will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and read the Lists of the Deceased (Hramoty) as we pray for our deceased loved ones. I encourage you to turn in your list as soon as you can, to make sure that your loved ones are remembered at all 5 of the All Souls Saturdays.
PARISH STUFF New! The Monthly Parish Council Meeting, originally scheduled for Monday, March 1, has be moved to Monday, March 8. It will still be held at 6:30 PM. Reminder! Sandwiches for the Homeless: We will be making the lunches on Friday, March 12, starting at 56 PM. If anyone would like to volunteer to help cart the lunches up to the NRC in the lower Hill District on Saturday morning, please let me know. Update! Building and Repairs Donations which are available for upcoming repairs to date are $5416!
DIOCESE, DEANERY AND ADDITIONAL STUFF New! 53rd Annunal Ukrainian Easter Egg Sale at Ss Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 220 Mansfield Blvd., Carnegie, PA 15106. Sunday, March 28, 2021, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Pysanky displays, including Specialty Eggs – Goose, Ostrich, wooden and more! Ukrainian Foods, Folk Arts and Crafts, Basket Raffles, Door Prizes. MUCH, MUCH More! For more info, contact the parish at 412-527-5359, or 412-279- 2111. Www.orthodoxcarnegie.org. Https://www.facebook.com/OrthodoxCarnegie/ New! Ukrainian Easter Egg Workshop! Saturday, March 20, 11 AM – 2 PM OR 3 PM – 6 PM. Ss Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 220 Mansfield Blvd., Carnegie, PA 15106. Class size is limited this year due to compliance with Covid guidelines. Reservations! Call Michael at 412-527-5359, or contact the parish at www.orthodoxcarnegie.org.
Page 2 of 4 Just as New! Annual ACRY Lenten Retreat Please read the notice from Metropolitan Gregory about this year’s On Line Retreat! NOTE: You will find a flyer on the hall bulletin board about this retreat! Dear Reverend Fathers and parishioner: With the Lenten Triodion period beginning this coming Sunday, our thoughts necessarily turn to the upcoming Season of the Great Fast. Each year we look forward to this opportunity for spiritual growth and renewal which comes from actively embracing all that this holy season has to offer. Each year, our Diocese, through the stewardship of the National Sr. ACRY, has offered opportunities for our faithful to gather together in Spiritual Retreat, during Great Lent at various regional locations. They have been well received and appreciated by those who participated. This year, however with the continuing reality of the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is not possible for us to offer our Annual Retreat Program as we have in the past. However, I am pleased to inform you that we will do so in another format. On Saturday April 3, 2021 we will hold a Diocesan-Wide Lenten Retreat for adults and teenagers using the online Zoom Platform. It will begin at noon and will be 90 minutes in duration. It will include a keynote presentation and a Q & A discussion. Fr. Jonathan Bannon will be the keynote speaker and his presentation is entitled Nepsis-Watchfulness: Being Attentive in a Distracted Age. In blessing the ACRY to proceed with a virtual format this year, I am fully aware that many of us as clergy and certainly our parishioners are pretty much “zoomed-out.” However, I feel strongly that not gathering our faithful together is not a prudent option. Using the technology at hand, we can still gather as a Diocese and receive spiritual profit from what I know will be an excellent presentation. To make this a more communal event, local parishes with large enough facilities and internet connectivity may wish to consider participating as a group from their parish. You must register by March 21, 2021: Please be sure that anyone who will be participating from home via Zoom, registers online at http://www.acrod.org/retreat by March 21, 2021. Grateful for your anticipated assistance in promoting the upcoming Lenten Retreat, and bestowing my Archpastoral Blessing, I remain, Working in His Vineyard, + Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa
HOLY MARTYR BLAISE, BISHOP OF SEBASTE Christina Duranko, CPA February 11/24. From www.oca.ord Offering Tax Services I have worked with taxes for over The holy martyr Blaise (Blasius), Bishop of Sebaste, four decades. Now that I am retired, I would was known for his righteous and devout life. Unanimously like to offer my services to other members chosen by the people, he was consecrated Bishop of of our parish to help with their income Sebaste. This occurred during the reign of the Roman and/or property taxes this year, for anyone emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Licinius (307-324), that may need the help. fierce persecutors of Christians. Saint Blaise encouraged his I am making this offer to parishioners and flock, visited the imprisoned, and gave support to the their families at no cost. martyrs. Because of the Covid crisis, I plan to do this Many hid themselves from the persecutors by going off by phone or other remote drop-off or to desolate and solitary places. Saint Blaise also hid himself connection. away on Mount Argeos, where he lived in a cave. Wild If you would like to speak with me about beasts came up to him and meekly waited until the saint
Page 3 of 4 finished his prayer and blessed them. The saint also healed sick animals by laying his hands upon them. The refuge of the saint was discovered by servants of the governor Agrilaus, who had come to capture wild beasts to loose on the Christian martyrs. The servants reported to their master that Christians were hiding on the mountain, and he gave orders to arrest them. But those sent out found there only the Bishop of Sebaste. Glorifying God Who had summoned him to this exploit, Saint Blaise followed the soldiers. Along the way the saint healed the sick and worked other miracles. Thus, a destitute widow complained to him of her misfortune. A wolf had carried off a small pig, her only possession. The bishop smiled and said to her, “Do not weep, your pig will be returned to you...” To the astonishment of everyone, the wolf came running back and returned his prey unharmed. Agrilaus, greeting the bishop with words of deceit, called him a companion of the gods. The saint answered the greeting, but he called the gods devils. Then they beat him and led him off to prison. On the next day, they subjected the saint to tortures again. When they led him back to the prison, seven women followed behind and gathered up the drops of blood. They arrested them and tried to compel them to worship the idols. The women pretended to consent to this and said that first they needed to wash the idols in the waters of a lake. They took the idols and threw them in a very deep part of the lake, and after this the Christians were fiercely tortured. The saints stoically endured the torments, strengthened by the grace of God, their bodies were transformed and became white as snow. One of the women had two young sons, who implored their mother to help them attain the Kingdom of Heaven, and she entrusted them to the care of Saint Blaise. The seven holy women were beheaded. Saint Blaise was again brought before Agrilaus, and All I really Need to Know I again he unflinchingly confessed his faith in Christ. The governor ordered that the martyr be thrown into a lake. The learned from Noah's Ark saint, going down to the water, signed himself with the Sign I received this from a parishioner. of the Cross, and he walked on it as though on dry land. Thanks, John Don't miss the boat. Addressing the pagans standing about on shore, he Don't forget that we're all in the same challenged them to come to him while calling on the help of boat. their gods. Sixty-eight men of the governor’s retinue entered Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah the water, and immediately drowned. The saint, however, built the ark. heeding the angel who had appeared to him, returned to Stay fit. When you are 600 years old, shore. someone might ask you to do Agrilaus was in a rage over losing his finest servants, something REALLY big. and he gave orders to behead Saint Blaise, and the two sons Don't listen to critics, just get on with of the woman martyr entrusted to him. Before his death, the what has to be done. martyr prayed for the whole world, and especially for those Build your future on high ground. honoring his memory. This occurred in about the year 316. For safety sake, travel in pairs. The relics of the Hieromartyr Blaise were brought to Two heads are better than one. the West during the time of the Crusades, and portions of Speed isn't always an advantage; the the relics are preserved in many of the lands of Europe [and snails were on board with the his memory traditionally honored there on February 3]. cheetahs. When you are stressed, float awhile. We pray to Saint Blaise for the health of domestic Remember that the woodpeckers and animals, and for protection from wild beasts. termites inside were a larger threat than the storm outside. No matter the storm, when you are one with God there is a rainbow waiting.
Page 4 of 4