St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral (https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderNevskyCathedral/) (http://www.sanocpgh.org/)

The Cathedral Messenger

Orthodox Church in America Archbishop Melchisedek Diocese of Western Pennsylvania Archpriest Bill Evansky (Acting Admin.)

September 2020

Thy Birth, O , Has Proclaimed Joy to the Whole World

A homily of the abbot of the Great and Holy of Vatopedi, Archimandrite Ephraim, in the of the monastery at the Feast of the Mother of God on September 8th.

The Panagia has a central place in divine worship. Feasts of the Mother of God frame the ecclesias:cal year; it begins with the feast of the Birth of the Theotokos, and ends with the feast of the placing of the Holy Girdle of the Theotokos. Today is a cause for spiritual joy and rejoicing, my dear brothers and fathers, for today we celebrate the birth of the ever-virgin and God- bearing Maria, that most fragrant flower who sprung forth “from the root of Jesse.” We celebrate the “birthday of universal rejoicing,” which cons:tutes the “entrance of all of the feasts and the prelude to the mystery of Christ,” according to St. Andrew of Crete. Birth, which became the agent of the rebirth, of reconstruc:on, and the renewal of all things. Today she is born who will give birth, in :me and in an incomprehensible and strange fashion, to the :meless and pre-eternal God the Word, the Creator and Savior of the world. In the Old Testament there are many passages that foreshadow, prefigure, and prophesy Her. She is the comple:on, the fulfillment of the Old Testament pedagogical prepara:on of humanity for its acceptance of the incarnated Savior God. Our Panagia was prefigured by the burning bush in Moses’s vision, by the God-wriQen plaques and the tabernacle of the Law, by the heavenly manna, by the golden seal, by the lamp and the , the blossoming rod of Aaron, by Jacob’s ladder, the wool of Gideon, Daniel’s uncut mountain, the fiery furnace which with its fire cooled the Three Children, as well as by the

This month’s newsletter is sponsored by the church.

1 Holy of Holies in the tent of witness. The Theotokos is the borderline between the Old and the New Testament. For the Old Testament, she was the message of the prophets, the hope of the righteous; while in the New Testament she becomes the sweetness of the angels, the glory of the apostles, the courage of the martyrs, the delight of the venerable, the boast of humanity, which is why she is glorified by “every genera:on.” All of crea:on awaited her birth. Our Panagia is the “fruit of crea:on” according to St. Nicholas Kavasilas, she is the measure that all of crea:on is to aQain. Just as the tree exists for its fruit, in the same way crea:on exists for the Virgin and the Virgin for Christ. The Fathers emphasize that not only people, but also the heavens and the earth, all of visible and invisible crea:on were created for the spotless Virgin. When God, at the beginning of the ages, fixed his gaze on His crea:on, He said that it was “very good,” He essen:ally saw before Him the fruit of all crea:on, the All-Holy Theotokos, and His praise was truly the “good report of the Virgin.” On this day, all crea:on receives a from the birth of our spotless Lady. “This new crea:on,” was not simply the greatest woman on earth, nor the greatest woman of all periods, but it was she who alone could draw heaven to earth, to make God into man. The creator God the Word created human nature in such a way that when He needed to be born, He would be born from His mother. The invisible and unseen God comes to earth through her and becomes visible; He is united and communes with crea:on in a more substan:al and united manner. Through His human nature, He unites all of crea:on in His hypostasis and divinizes crea:on. The unique and unrepresentable God takes on the “form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7), human flesh and a ra:onal soul, lives among men and walks upon the earth. The “One who is unable to be held” will fit into the virginal womb of the Theotokos, such that His All-Holy Mother will be regarded as the “land that held Him who could not be held.” Today Anna’s barrenness is overcome and the “keepsake of all the world,” as St. Cyril of Alexandria described her, is born. Many :mes in the Old Testament, God made a similar miracle: with Sarah the wife of the patriarch Abraham, with Rebecca the wife of Isaac, with Anna the mother of the prophet Samuel, with Elizabeth the mother of the prophet and forerunner John the Bap:st. But today’s miracle is very different from these miracles. The children of the aforemen:oned mothers, whose barrenness was miraculously cured, might have been virtuous and holy, but only Mary the child of Anna and was “the one who was full of grace,” and was made, unbelievably for both men and angels, the Mother of God. Our Panagia was not born through a virginal, supernatural concep:on, as the Roman Catholics mistakenly believe, but aber natural rela:ons between Joachim and Anna. Anna’s natural barrenness was overcome thanks to God’s immediate interven:on as an answer to the prayers of the righteous grandparent’s of God. The elderly Joachim and Anna came together without any fleshly aQrac:on or pleasure, but only out of obedience to God. In this way, with this ac:on they put a stamp on their chas:ty. In this way, the Virgin was conceived, “chastely in the bowels of Joachim and Anna.” That she was conceived chastely means that the way she was conceived was pure. However, in order for the Virgin to be free of the ancestral sin, to have had an immaculate concep:on, she would have had to have been born of a virgin, as Christ was. In order to bear such a child, the righteous grandparents of God revealed an unshakeable faith, unswerving pa:ence, they fed the hope that does not put to shame, they had great endurance in the prayer that God would fulfill their request. And they did not endure their barrenness for a short period. The tradi:on says that Anna conceived the Theotokos aber fiby years of barrenness.

2 This stance of the grandparents of God should be an example for all of us, my dear brothers and fathers. It’s not only our lay brothers, who are unable to conceive children, who should not lose their trust in God for, “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27), but for us also and all the faithful who fight the “good fight.” We oben give up, or grow impa:ent in our struggle and say that we haven’t realized anything, we don’t sense grace, we get anxious. So, saddened as we are, our zeal is quenched, we slacken our figh:ng spirit and our asce:cism. We mustn’t be this way, though, my brothers. What would have happened if, because God didn’t respond immediately to their prayers, the grandparents of God had stopped calling on Him and believing that they would receive? What if they had stopped calling out, beseeching God, hoping? What great pa:ence and strength they showed for so many years! So as to develop the spiritual “need for great pa:ence,” St. Isaac the Syrian lived the lessening, the absence of divine grace, the pains of noe:c warfare, for thirty years. He received a constant stream of divine grace aber these long years of bloody baQle and pa:ence. We refer to this, especially for us monks, who were called to receive the fullness of grace. Pa:ence in sorrows is necessary, faith in the promises of God, perfect obedience to the will of God and hope, for we “always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). God knows when it is in our interests to give us His inexplicable, unexplainable, and priceless divine gib, His divine grace as a constant state. “Spiritual gibs come upon us,” Abba notes, we don’t decide when and how we receive them. In fact, before God gives us some blessing, a gib, He oben tests us with a tempta:on, the result of which determines whether or not we’re found worthy to receive this divine gib. We note this, also, in the grandparents of God who, when the :me approached for God to give them a child, He allowed them to be tested even further. It was the Feast of Tabernacles, and when they went to the temple to offer gibs the Rubin shamed them by telling them that they weren’t worthy to offer gibs to God, as they hadn’t had any children for Israel. The grandparents of God were very saddened aber this, but they did not despair. They took refuge in “deep prayer,” Joachim went to the mountain and Anna went to the garden, and their prayer was finally heard, when the angel of the Lord informed each one individually that the concep:on would take place, along with the birth of a child that would be known throughout the world. And so we, too, my dear brethren and fathers, let us show ungrudging pa:ence in our sorrows and in tempta:ons, which God allows for our own good and spiritual growth. I pray that our Lady Theotokos and the grandmother of God Anna, who have the gib of healing barrenness, might heal our barren hearts, lacking spiritual good works, so that God might send His sweetest divine grace into our hearts, which beau:fies, renews, destroys death, and saves man from corrup:on.

3 Schedule of Divine Services September 2020 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Aug. 30 Aug. 31 1 2 3 4 5 12th Sunday Church New After Year (St. Alexander (Indiction) Holy Baptism Nevsky) 1:00 pm Hours 9:10 am Great Vespers Liturgy 9:30 am & Confessions 5:00 pm 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13th Sunday Forefeast of Nativity of Leavetaking After Pentecost the Nativity the Theotokos of the Nativity (Miracle of the Hours 8:40 am of the Archangel Michael Liturgy Theotokos at Colassae) Great Vespers 9:00 am Great Vespers Hours 9:10 am and Confessions & Confessions Liturgy 9:30 am 7:00 pm 5:00 pm 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 14th Sunday Exaltation of After Pentecost the Cross (Forefeast of the (Strict Fast) Exaltation of the Hours 8:40 am Cross) Liturgy 9:00 am Hours 9:10 am Liturgy 9:30 am Great Vespers Great Vespers & & Confessions Confessions 5:00 pm 5:00 pm 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 15th Sunday Leavetaking of After Pentecost the Exaltation of (Greatmartyr the Cross Eustathius) Great Vespers Hours 9:10 am & Confessions Liturgy 9:30 am 5:00 pm

27 28 29 30 Oct. 1 Oct. 2 Oct. 3 16th Sunday Protection of After Pentecost the Theotokos (Martyr Hours 8:40 am Callistratus) Liturgy 9:00 am Hours 9:10 am Great Great Vespers Liturgy 9:30 am Vespers & Confessions 7:00 pm 5:00 pm

4 No Choir Rehearsals this month.

SANWA Announcement

October 9 December (TBA)

November 13

Tentative Pierogie-Making Schedule

Church School Note

We continue to work on a plan to hold church school. We will send an update when available. Feel free to email any questions or comments to Ann Hershey at [email protected].

Gift Shop

Following the CDC guidelines, there are no service books in the pews. If you would like your own copy to bring with you, see Sylvia Hanna. She will order the quantity needed. We have been out of sympathy cards, so they are on order. With the plans for Sunday School evolving, you may want to look at some of our learning items for children. If you need something to be ordered, leave a note on the counter, or email Sylvia: [email protected]

5 ! Clip and insert in prayer book to pray for those in the prayer list ! !! !! ! ! Prayer! List ! ! ! ! ! ! (All names should be submitted to one of the Cathedral for commemoration at the divine services.) ! ! ! ! For Health and Salvation:! Eleanor! Haley Marie! with child For the Newly! Departed: Archpriest Andrew ! GeorgeLarissa! with! child Matushka Virginia! Archpriest Michael ! Gregory! Taisia and child! Lyudmila ! Hieromonk Patrick ! Gregory! Lauren and! children David! Gregory ! Naomi! Marilyn and! family Jean! Matushka Susanne Vladimir Regis Matushka Larissa Cindy Matushka Anastasia! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Due to our current circumstances, the tables for assigned epistle and hours readers, greeters, and collection counters, and brunch group schedule have been omitted in this edition of the Newsletter.

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!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! "! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! "! ! The Troitsa candles offered by Sylvia Hanna for the health and well-being of Subdeacon Gregory Kattouf.

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!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! 6 ! This program puts everything at your fingertips! The St. Alexander Nevsky Fundability enrollment code is 95LD128L8215, and the program is simple and straightforward to register. If you have any questions, please contact Lory Nescott (412) 367-8264 or [email protected].

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Women’s Choice Network Fall Fundraiser Date and Time: Tuesday, October 13, 2020; 6:30pm – 9:00pm

Location: The Chadwick (In-person event with social distancing protocols) 10545 Perry Highway, Wexford, PA 15090 St. Alexander Nevsky will again be an underwriter of this event. Please respond to Eileen Glisan by Sept. 13 if you can attend. Let's have a good showing of support from our parish. There is no cost to attend the banquet; there will be a collection taken at the event. Remember that this is the network's yearly opportunity to raise funds that go directly to support programs and services provided to clients. Come hear the incredible story of Rebekah Hagan whose amazing journey later led WCN to launch a new life-saving service called Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). There is also a Virtual Banquet beginning at 7:30 p.m. for those who prefer to participate from home. Note: If the in-person event is not able to be held due to the state of the pandemic in October, we will try to sponsor a “watch party” for 40 people in the church hall.

8 State of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Physical Facili:es – From Roy Glisan Throughout the pandemic, many parishioners have not had the opportunity to regularly par:cipate in aQending services, so I felt that it was important to update everyone on upcoming maintenance projects so that you know why we need your con:nued support. A number of maintenance efforts are either star:ng or about to start to take care of problems that are arising either from age, damage from the elements, or from normal wear and tear. All of the efforts require spending significant resources and are necessary to keep the Cathedral looking like it should and preserving it for future genera:ons. Lower Level Doors Council has authorized an expenditure of $3100 to repair and replace hardware on the doors which have been problema:c and at :mes has impacted the security of the building. Steve Romanchik will coordinate this work. Repairs to Brickwork and Other Items The following work is expected to be approved at our September Council mee:ng at a cost of approximately $21,000. This work is an:cipated to be coordinated by a sub-commiQee of Council:

• Spot point the brickwork in the front of the church which has deteriorated. Spot point all interior masonry walls on the flat roof por:on of the building.

• Clean the front steps and retaining wall with masonry detergent followed by a pressure wash. • Aber spot poin:ng of the masonry walls on the roof, the cement block will be coated with an elastomeric coa:ng system. The brick will be coated and sealed with a high-quality water repellant system.

• Clean and paint the exposed structural steel above the ground level entrance as well as the hollow metal door and frame to the leb of the entrance.

• Apply joint sealants to interior wall flashing joints on the roof, sidewalk joints, and steps leading up to the church.

• Refinish the stairs to the basement of the church and provide a non-slip coa:ng to the stairs and landing. Repairs to Pews Several of the pews have damaged fabric, some from wear and some from the use of irons to remove wax buildup. Based on pricing from the supplier, we es:mate that the total cost of this work will be approximately $4,000. Fran Balog is coordina:ng this effort. Electrical Repairs Work is on-going to replace power feed to outside ligh:ng poles that have lost power. Experiments are currently underway with LED specialty lights that can be subs:tuted in the outside light poles to provide good ligh:ng at a frac:on of the power consump:on. All of the outside photo-eyes have been replaced to make sure that the lights mounted to the church shut off when it is daylight. Fran Balog has been coordina:ng all of this work and has maintained close contact with the electrician to make sure that the solu:ons are appropriate.

9 Dead Trees

There are a number of dead trees on the property that can poten:ally pose a risk to people or buildings including buildings of our neighbor. We are in the process of gekng a bid on removing dead trees and pruning dead sec:ons of other trees. We will likely approve doing this work sooner rather than later since the costs of not doing the work could be magnitudes higher than the cost to do it should a tree fall and hit the Cathedral. Fran Balog is coordina:ng this work.

Domes

The domes are in need of a good exterior cleaning; however, we have not goQen any recent bids to do this yet.

Security System

Discussions have been underway to install a security system at the Cathedral. Some pricing has been received (approximately $10,000), but there are more details to be worked out. As an example, we may want to replace the exterior upper and lower doors as part of this which would cost an addi:onal $25,000. Ray Steeb and Steve Romanchik are developing the plan.

Fire Alarm System

Early this year we had to replace the fire alarm panel and some of the components to ensure a working system at a cost of nearly $10,000.

Rectory

The rectory is being evaluated to determine what is needed to make sure it is in move in condi:on for a new family when the :me comes. Overall, the rectory is in good condi:on, but two of the bathrooms are in need of renova:on. Frank Namisnak is heading up a commiQee to study and recommend improvements to the rectory that will be considered by Parish Council.

General Cleanup Outside

The bedding and shrubs around the cathedral need to be weeded, cleaned up, shrubs trimmed, mulch added, etc. We have relied a lot on people like Fran Balog and a couple of others (all senior ci:zens) to do much of this in the past. This summer with the pandemic and extreme heat, it has not been prac:cal for people to do this. Our grass cuQer/landscaper will be submikng a cost to do this work for us and as long as it is a reasonable cost, we will proceed.

Online Streaming

Paul Dille has been working on developing the total costs and specifics of installing the necessary equipment to provide the capability of online streaming of the services. It is likely that we may be able to have something in place in the not too distant future. We will need a couple of volunteers to be trained in the opera:on of the equipment and who are willing to aQend to the system during the services so that those not able to aQend will have a quality experience watching from remote.

Pulling Together During the Pandemic

I want to thank everyone who has volunteered to help with the services during this pandemic. There are people helping to make sure that things are clean, track who is aQending each service, taking temperatures, ligh:ng candles, coun:ng collec:ons, singing in small groups and last but certainly not least, I want to thank the clergy and servers who have made the best out of a trying situa:on. We are fortunate to be able to have services every week and on the major holy days; the people who have been able to aQend have surely benefited from the services.

10 Special Church Events

The Dormition of the Holy Theotokos, celebrated on August 15th

The Plaschanitsa of the The Plaschanitsa with the Dormition of the Holy “ not made by hands.” Theotokos

Welcome Octavian Raymond!

Octavian Raymond Papariella Born on July 31, 2020 8 pounds 2 ounces 20 inches long Tai, Justin, Max and Octavian are all fine.

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