ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH 505 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18510 Fr. Daniel Vaskalis, Pastor Jane Togher, Board President Rectory: 621 Vine St., Scranton PA, 18510 (570) 842-3311 Rectory: (570) 344-5917 [email protected] Parish Hall: (570) 344-1522 Diocesan Website: http://www.acrod.org Church Website: www.stnicholasorthodoxscranton.org Camp Nazareth: http://www.campnazareth.org Diocesan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acroddiocese Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Nicholas-Orthodox-Church-Scranton-270842650055874 ***Fr. Daniel Cell: (570) 861-2712 Twitter: https://twitter.com/acrodnews Fr. Daniel Email: [email protected] Youtube: https://youtube.com/acroddiocese SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2018 – SAINT JOHN THE MERCIFUL PARISH CALENDAR Sunday November 25 – Venerable John the Merciful (26th Sunday after Pentecost) 9:30 AM – Divine Liturgy Hymns (Blue Pew Book) – Tone 1, pp. 81-83 Epistle: Ephesians 5:9-19 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 Sunday School for our older students (in the Church) Wednesday November 28 – NATIVITY FAST BEGINS TODAY Friday November 30 – 6:00 PM – Pre-festive Service for the Nativity Fast Sunday December 2 – Prophet Obadiah (27th Sunday after Pentecost) 9:30 AM – Divine Liturgy Hymns (Blue Pew Book) – Tone 2, pp. 84-86 Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-17 Gospel: Luke 12:16-21 Confessions: (30 minutes) Prior to as well as following scheduled services. When you come for Confession, please prepare yourself and sit in the front pew. If you cannot make the scheduled service times, please let me know and we can set up a time that is convenient for you. Thank you! Page 1 Please Keep in Your Prayers Living : Fr. Lawrence Barriger. Fr. Michael Polanichka. Fr. John Gido. Fr. Luke Mihaly. Fr. George Hutnyan. Fr. James Gleason. Fr. Tom Kadlec. Fr. George Dursa. Fr. John Baranik. Fr. Jonathan Tobias. Fr. Michael Rustick. Fr. Nicholas Wyborski. Fr. John Zboyovski. Fr. Robert E. Lucas. Deacon James Phifer. Pani Donna Smoley. Pani Linda Barriger. Pani Constance Miloro. Pani Amy George. Pani Peggy Teklinski. Stephen Barnett. Ann Richardson. Joseph Kacaba. Lorraine Kacaba. Lovie Swingle. Stephanie Bonk. John Brizinski. Bill Wassel. Owen Bonn. Gloria Bracey. Susan Danchak. Michael Danchak. Jada Eiden. Madelyn Hodanich. Margaret Skotlewski. John Hrywnak. Jennifer Hrywnak. Mary Phillips. Johnny Huniyack. Dorothy Bentler. Anna Mae Kuklis. Rose Markiewicz. Karen Rolka. JoyAnn Scarnato. Amy Shimo. Frank Shimo. Russell Spilka. Joan Spilka. Rita Sher. Jeff Thomas. Janet Pugh. Gary Wassel. Elizabeth Dutko. Delores Naglak. Anna Senich. Annette Pivovarnik. AnnMarie Tigue. Michael Coviello. At home : Ann Richardson. Anna Senich. Assisted Living : Michael Andreosky. Susan Danchak. Elizabeth Dutko. Delores Naglak. Eternal Light : In memory of Susan Balisen given by Family. PARISH LIFE FILL UP THE BREADBASKETS OF NEPA! YOUR GIFTS TO GOD AND OUR CHURCH: November 18, 2018 Please remember those families who rely upon food donations to help make ends meet! We have a food $556.00 General Collection donation container in the Church Hall, and we need your $79.00 7 Day Light help to fill this container with non-perishable food items: cans, dry goods, etc. $1,252.00 Pirohi $22.00 Holy Days $285.00 Maintenance and Repairs “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, $7.00 Eternal Light ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared $7.00 Taper Candles for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food…’” $500.00 Memory of Kathryn Stocoski $95.00 Security Camera Donations $2,803.00 Total Collection Page 2 PARISH NEWS - Sunday School (older students only) will be held this morning (in the Church) immediately following Divine Liturgy. Please remember the importance of bringing your children and grandchildren to receive the most valuable education of learning about God and His Church! - The last Sunday School class (for ALL students) until after Christmas will be held on Sunday December 9. - The Altar Society will meet this morning immediately following Divine Liturgy. - SPECIAL COLLECTION: Please note that in taking safety measures to protect our church grounds, we will be installing cameras in the church and the rectory. To defray the cost, we are kindly asking for donations. Thank you for your generosity! - PLEASE NOTE: the 2019 Church Calendars are in and can be picked up in the Church Hall! - OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – The official public notice is given that the XXIV Diocesan Council Sobor will be convened next year (2019) from October 13 (Sunday) until October 16 (Wednesday). Full details with accompanying materials will be issued to each parish in the near future. - Christmas Bake Sale! The Altar Society will have a bake sale on Friday, December 14 (the day of the final pirohi sale before Christmas). We need cookies, breads, candy, and other baked goods! - Christmas Kolachi Sale! The Men’s Club is now taking orders for their famous Kolachi. Rolls are only $8.50 each. The available flavors are: Walnut, Poppy seed, Lekvar, Apricot, and Raspberry (Seedless) Coconut. The pick-up date is Friday, December 14, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Please place your orders as soon as possible! - Our annual Saint Nicholas Day Dinner is scheduled for Sunday December 16 immediately following Divine Liturgy. More information is forthcoming. If you wish to attend, please sign the sheet in the vestibule. Let’s have a great turnout! We are again spreading Christmas cheer to our veterans at the Gino Merli Veterans' Center! There are still a few Veteran stars available in the Church Hall. Because the veterans have difficulty unwrapping gift boxes, the Center has requested that we use gift bags instead. Please return the gift bags (with the star attached) to the Church Hall by Sunday, th December 9 ! Thank you for your generosity! NEWS AROUND THE DEANERY / DIOCESE / COMMUNITY First Annual ACRY Stewardship Drive – His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory has enthusiastically endorsed a new initiative of the National ACRY, its inaugural stewardship drive, to benefit charitable activities both within and outside of the Diocese. He has called upon all parishes of the Diocese to support this philanthropic endeavor of the National ACRY during the season of the Nativity Fast (Advent begins Wednesday November 28, 2018). The deadline is February 10, 2019. Let’s show our support! Bus Trip to NYC! - Scranton’s St. Vladimir Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is sponsoring a Christmastime bus trip to New York City on Saturday, December 8, 2018. There will be several stops in Manhattan: the Ground Zero area for part of our group who have already made advance 911 Museum reservations; Little Italy; the Ukrainian Village on the lower East Side; Bryant Park’s Winter Village housing 125+ holiday vendors in midtown; and, the Christmassy Fifth Avenue area. We’ll have an opportunity to enjoy an Italian lunch, buy some Ukrainian goodies and chachkas, see many beautiful Christmas decorations as only New York City can do it including the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and more. Participants can follow the above itinerary or are free to do their own thing for part or all of the day. The 55 passenger Martz bus will leave from St. Vladimir Church, 428 North Seventh Avenue at 8:00am and departure from New York City for home will be at 8:45pm. A portion of the proceeds will be given again this Christmas to the orphans of St. Nicholas Orphanage in Kolomyia, Ukraine. Cost is $42.00 per person. For additional details and reservations contact Paul Ewasko at 570 563-2275. Check should be made out to St. Vladimir Church and mailed to Paul at 55 Waterford Road, Dalton PA 18414. Page 3 SAINT JOHN THE MERCIFUL, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA TEXT from THE PROLOGUE of Ohrid IMAGE from: www.antiochpatriarchate.org “ Both Saint John born on the island of Cyprus. His father was Prince Epiphanius. John was raised as a true Christian from childhood. At the insistence of his parents, he married and had children. However, by God’s providence, his wife and children passed from this world into the next. Renowned for his compassion and piety, John was chosen as Patriarch of Alexandria in the time of Emperor Heraclius. He governed the Church of Alexandria for ten years as a true shepherd, safeguarding it from pagans and heretics. He was a model of meekness, charity, and love for his fellow men. He said: “If you desire nobility, seek it not in blood but in virtues, for this is true nobility.” All the saints have been distinguished by mercifulness, but Saint John was completely dedicated to this wonderful virtue. Once, while celebrating the Liturgy, the patriarch remembered the words of Christ, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matt. 5:23- Troparion (Tone 8) 24), and he remembered that one of the clergy in that church had a grievance against him. He quickly left the In patiently enduring, you obtained your Holy Gifts, approached that priest, fell before his beet reward, O venerable father. You and begged for forgiveness. And only when he had made peace with this man did he return to the table of persevered in your prayers without ceasing; oblation. and you loved the impoverished and you satisfied them. We entreat you, intercede Another time, as he was on his way to the with Christ God, O blessed John the Church of Saints Cyrus and John, it happened that he Merciful, for the salvation of our souls. met a needy and unfortunate widow who spoke to him at length about her misfortune.