The Parish Newsletter December 2008

THE PARISH NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2008

The Nativity of the Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church 518 869-3932

A parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad www.albanyrocor.org

Mitred Protopriest Wsevolod Drobot The Rev. Fr. Michael Fritz

Deacon Michael Soloviev Subdeacon Andrei Podymow

THE SCHEDULE OF SERVICES AND MEETINGS FOR DECEMBER

Saturday Vigils: 6:00 p.m. Vigils of Feasts: 6:30 p.m.

Sundays & Feasts: 9:30 a.m., Hours; 9:50 a.m., the Divine Liturgy

3 (Wed.) 6:30 p.m. Monthly Q&A about our faith with Fr. Michael Fritz

4 (Thurs.) Entry of the Theotokos

7 25th Sunday after Pentecost (Father Michael Fritz serves.)

14 26th Sunday after Pentecost (Sisterhood meeting)

21 27th Sunday after Pentecost (Church Council meeting)

28 28th Sunday after Pentecost

DECEMBER NAMES’ DAYS May God grant them all many years!

3 Anatoli Shevtchuk

5 Matushka Cecelia Soloviev

7 Katherine Paukova Catherine Taylor

13 Andrew Nedvedek Andrew Federow

Andre Kosovskij Andrew McClure

17 Barbara Nikiforov

19 Deacon Nicholas Drobot Nicholas Milas Nicholas Taylor 30 Daniel Welsh

AXIOS! AXIOS! AXIOS!

Archimandrite George Schaffer, a great supporter of our parish, will be consecrated a bishop on Sunday, December 7, at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. We hope many people will attend to show our love. A festal, buffet-style meal will be served following the services. Anyone who can help with the meal should contact Tasia Fedorov at 459-1253. Also, anyone willing to make a cold LENTEN salad is asked to contact Tasia.

ST. PETERSBURG MEN’S ENSEMBLE

The St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble will perform on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m. at our Church Hall. Though the concert is free, a free-will offering will be taken for them. Fliers are available in the Church Hall for posting in work places, libraries, community bulletin boards, or for friends.

DEADLINE FOR THE JANUARY ISSUE: Thursday, December 25

Please submit articles by e-mail or in writing. Thanks for your cooperation.

Charlie/Vas Murn [email protected]

CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES HAVE BEGUN

If your child wants to attend, contact Matushka Ceclia Soloviev, Tasia Federov, or Reader John (Rick) Schuler. Classes are on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. The remaining 2008 schedule: November 30, December 14 and 21.

ST. HERMAN RUSSIAN ORTHODOX YOUTH CONFERENCE: DECEMBER 23-27

The 2008 St. Herman Russian Orthodox Youth conference will be hosted by St. Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal. The Conference site: the Dorval Four Points Sheraton in Montreal. Cost: $250 per person registered before 12-1-2008. (After 12-1-2008, $300.) Exciting lectures and discussion groups are planned, as well as social activities—AND beautiful services for the feast of St. Herman of Alaska. The Conference is for ages fifteen to young adult. Two groups, one for high school students and one for college students and older, will have some separate lectures and discussion groups. The older group will have their own hospitality room and social hours. College students will be housed in a separate area of the hotel.

To register online go to www.sthermanconference.com .

Information: phone/write: Matushka Nina Lagodich 514 725 0060 or e-mail [email protected]; Anna Feochari Dimitrovas 514 694 6032 or e-mail [email protected].

“THE WORST NOEL” (to the tune of “Jingle Bells”)

Mushing through the snow—just a few more weeks to go,

And I don’t really know just where we’ll get the dough!

In her little fist Mama has a list

Of items that we’ve got to buy so no one will be missed.

Christmas bills, Christmas bills—bigger ev’ry day!

Thinking of the mail next month gives me those nervous chills!

Christmas bills, Christmas bills—oh, so hard to pay!

When those collectors come around I’m taking to the hills!

Merchants cry, “Come on! There’s bargains by the ton!

Don’t look so woebegone—it’s lots of fun, “hoot mon!”**

Just use your charge account for any old amount.

Don’t worry; you won’t have to pay ‘til after New Year’s Day.

Credit cards, credit cards—Hail to Master Charge!

VISA now will help you care for bills both small and large.

Money gone? Carry on! When you’re penniless,

You can still go buy-buy with American Express! (** “hoot mon” = Scottish dialect for “Hey, man!”)

The author of this parody was the late H. Victor Kane, Baptist pastor and friend of your editor. In our materialistic culture his lyrics are pertinent!

Mark your calendars: The 2009 Yolka is set for Sunday, January 11.

December 2008, page 2

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THIS MORTGAGE FUND PLEDGE STATUS REPORT!

It is very important that we not lose sight of our mortgage obligations as we raise money for frescoes for our church. With God’s help, we make our MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS OF $5,071.00! But we have relied on extremely generous donations from members who moved away in recent years, and from family members outside our parish. The table below shows the distribution of regular mortgage fund donations from our parish families. If you are not already pledging, please consider doing so. We are grateful for donations of any size. God bless you for your generosity.

Calendar Year 2007

Monthly Mortgage Pledge per family Number of families

$151 to $375 4

$101 to $150 8

$51 to $100 9

$21 to $50 8

$5 to $20 5

 Total Pledged by 34 Parishioner Families per Month = $3,271  Average Parishioner Family Pledge per Month = $96  34 of Approximately 50 Parish Families Pledging = 68%  Mortgage Payment Spread Over 50 Families = $101per month  Average Monthly Pledge from 4 Former Parishioners = $74  Average Monthly Donation from 6 Non-Parishioners = $70

AN APPEAL FOR OUR ROCOR PARISH IN AFRICA St. Olga’s Sisterhood is collecting money for the Orthodox Parish of the Annunciation in Uganda. Make checks out to St. Olga’s Sisterhood with “Uganda” on the memo line; put cash in an envelope with “Uganda” on the front. Hand either to John Gonyea or Nadja Jernakoff, or mail checks to the church by DECEMBER 7. Collections will also be held in church.

Fr. Christopher Walusimbi is their priest, ordained by Metropoitan Vitaly of ROCOR in 1988 in Montreal. Then he returned to Uganda on Bukasa Island in Lake Victoria to continue missionary work begun by his brother-in-law, Gerasimos Kambites, and his sister Sarah Sempa. He is the first black African priest of ROCOR and serves under Metropolitan Hilarion.

Fr. Christopher assumed a great burden to help children in the Sesse Islands orphaned by AIDS. A married priest, he has had ten children. Sadly his two eldest sons, Alex and George, drowned in Lake Victoria. Fr. Christopher built a magnificent temple of the Annunciation, of stone with a multi-colored Russian style cupola. For the twenty-five years he has run an ambulance service from the island to the mainland forty miles north.

Please be as generous as you can. Thanks. Cgfcb,j!

December 2008, page 3

The drip of a fountain pierces stone, and the gentle Word falling softly day by day on the dead hard heart after a while melts it. St. Pimen the Great

Ya Hear That Gigantic Snoring Sound?!

It’s coming from the Sisterhood and others who made the Fourth Annual “Taste of Russia” a huge success and who now enjoy well-deserved rest!

Helen Markessinis offers heartfelt gratitude to all who provided items for the Baked Goods table and to the Sisters who set it up, with special thanks to Nina Fedorov, Ingrid Knoll and her mother Tanya Purcell, Jeanne Stabinsky, and Barbara Markessinis. Profit from the table: $1,266.00.

Margo Beighey thanks parishioners and their friends for their hard work and dedication. They collected “obesities” of bacon grease; chopped and sautéed 140 pounds of onions, shallots, and mushrooms; cut up and riced 371 pounds of potatoes; balled, rolled, and pinched 7500 Vareniki; combined and rolled 1063 golubtsy; made 100 quarts of Borscht and 220 quarts of Kotleti; and scrubbed veritable “pagodas” of pots and pans!

Nadja Jernakoff adds her appreciation, noting the men and strong boys who set up the hall and cleaned up afterwards, even washing dishes--(Editor’s note: After all, these young guys are husbands-in-training, nicht wahr?); the ladies who staffed the tables; the youth who sang beautifully; the two fine pianists; and our magnificent cooks, without whom all this would not be possible. Profit: a record-breaking $9400+!!! The treasurer is still accepting membership dues of $5 for 2008, though the year’s end is fast approaching. Also, we have set aside January 15 as “Ladies’ Night Out” at a fine area restaurant. More in the next newsletter.

FASTING “FRENCH TOAST” TIP

You can make egg- and milk-free French Toast using Soy Nog (No soy taste!) from your supermarket. Dip the bread both sides briefly in the nog and fry in a well-sprayed skillet. Look for left-over stock of Soy Nog on “clearance” (i.e., real cheap) after the holidays, and freeze to thaw for other fasting times.

The Nativity of the Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church

617 Sand Creek Road

Albany NY 12205