THE SAINT SPYRIDON VOICE APRIL 2020 Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church P.O. Box 427 Newport, RI 02840 tel: (401) 846 -0555 www.stspyridonchurch.org Livestreamed Services: Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, I won’t hide from you my great disappointment that we April 12th will not be together in the flesh to commemorate and re- Palm Sunday live the life-giving and saving Passion and Resurrection of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, as we April 12th - 14th normally do for Holy Week and Easter. Is there any Bridegroom Services more beautiful experience in the world than Holy Week April 15th and Easter in the Orthodox Church? However, as you can see in the following communique from the Holy Holy Unction Service Synod, due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the only April 16th ones allowed in the church for these services are the Liturgy Commemorating priest, chanter, and one acolyte. Everyone else will need to observe the days at home. It will not be the same. It the Mystical Supper will be a very different kind of Pascha. 12 Gospels Service Nonetheless, this can be a uniquely beautiful Holy Week April 17th and Pascha. In some churches there has been more Royal Hours liturgical participation, not less, with people restricted to their homes. People in separate locations are using Un-Nailing Service technology to offer readings and chanting that all blend Lamentations together in one service, making for an unusual but beautiful and spiritual worship experience that is also April 18th live streamed for more people to enjoy. When Holy Saturday Liturgy congregational attendance is not allowed, you can April 19th always view our parish’s services on our website. Great and Holy Pascha As much as possible, let’s do these Holy Week services together, even though we are each in our own homes. I PAGE 2 THE SAINT SPYRIDON VOICE hereby invite you - YES, YOU - everyone in our church family - to take a turn reading a psalm or other reading in the holy week services. You can sign up for these by messaging me ([email protected]) and Nicholas Gvosdev ([email protected]). Every Orthodox Christian home is a church! That is a profound and sacred reality. The Christian home is a dwelling place of God, because he dwells in each of us, and in our home we live out the “sacrament” of daily life. Through the coronavirus crisis, God is inviting us to build up our home-churches. The power of the home church was revealed to Presvytera Amelia and me, one year when - We missed the Holy Light! We had always experienced this service at midnight, and it didn’t occur to us that the parish we were attending at the time celebrated Anastasi and the sharing of the light before midnight! When we entered the church in our fresh Pascha suits and dresses and Pascha candles, it was well after the priest had emerged from the altar and sung “Come and receive light…” We didn’t even hear the first singing of Christ is Risen. We were crest-fallen. We stayed for the Liturgy and received Holy Communion, but something was missing. When we got home, I had an inspiration. I disappeared upstairs and then descended to the living room with a lit Pascha candle chanting “Come and receive light from the unwaning light, and glorify Christ, Who is Risen from the dead.” The light was passed to Presvytera’s and all the children’s candles and we sang “Christ is Risen” with joyful smiles and the light of Christ’s Resurrection shining in our eyes. I encourage each of you to approach this Holy Week even more passionately than usual. The links to the texts will be emailed out each day, so you can follow along during the live streaming or read them on your own. Pray the services; stand up for the Gospel, the Crede, the Our Father; whenever you would stand in Church. Spruce up the icon corner in your living room. Create an icon corner if you don’t have one. Tidy that room ahead of each service. Place the tablet or phone with the live stream directly in the icon corner. The sights and smells of church can be brought to your home to remind you of the feeling of being in church. Get candles and light them, placing them in a bowl of rice or sand as you enter the worship space in your home. If you have incense, use it. If you don’t, all you need is charcoal, a hand censer (or a small ceramic bowl lined with aluminum foil) and incense. These can be ordered and arrive via UPS in three days from: store.ancientfaith.com, and many other sources. Create an oil lamp from a glass jar with water at the bottom and olive oil on top of the water. A float with wicks that are easily replaced comes in a pack together for five dollars from the same online sources. Within this edition of the St. Spyridon Voice you will find several articles on observing Holy Week and Easter at home. Please check our church website for more ideas, links and articles. APRIL 2020 PAGE 3 Will we experience these services as a uniquely memorable and blessed Holy Week or just a big bummer? That will depend on what we do to invite the Holy Spirit into our home- church this Holy Week. May the Lord strengthen our faith to sing and proclaim joyfully … Christ is Risen - Truly He is Risen! Хрістос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! ¡Cristo ha resucitado, verdaderamente ha resucitado! Hristos a inviat! Adevărat a înviat! Χριστός Ανέστη - Αληθώς Ανέστη! HOLY EPARCHIAL SYNOD COMMUNIQUE NEW YORK – On Monday, April 6, 2020, the Holy Eparchial Synod convened, via tele- conference, in order to discuss significant matters that affect the Archdiocese of America, and unanimously decided the following: 1. The sacred services of our Orthodox tradition for Holy Week and Easter will continue to be observed in the Parishes and the Monasteries following the directives of the local Metropolitans and in accordance to the mandates of the respective State and Health authorities. Therefore, the “closed-doors” policy will be strictly enforced, the services will be broadcasted via the internet and they will be celebrated only with the participa- tion of the priest, the chanter, and the acolyte. 2. Abiding by the regulations of the aforementioned State and Health authorities, there will be absolutely no distribution of the traditional material offerings to the faithful, including palms, candles, Holy Unction, flowers, eggs and the Paschal Light. 3. Spiritual guidance may be provided remotely using technological means, but the Sac- rament of Holy Confession and the Prayer of Absolution cannot be offered via the tele- phone or via electronic media. 4. This year’s National Clergy-Laity Congress will be held through an internet telecon- ference forum on a date to be announced in the near future. FROM THE CHIEF SECRETARIAT OF THE HOLY EPARCHIAL SYNOD PAGE 4 THE SAINT SPYRIDON VOICE S AINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH www.stspyridonchurch.org, (401) 846-0555 Reverend Fr. Aaron Walker [email protected], (617) 733-1045 Fr. Aaron’s Office Hours Tuesday and Thursday 2-5pm, Friday 12-3pm; and other days and times by appointment. Other Visits: Visits to shut-ins and businesses by appointment. Please let me know if you would like a visit, house blessing, or to meet at the church I am reachable by cell phone.—I check messages throughout the day. I am always available for emergencies. Church Secretary, Kathy Lewis Saleh: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12 to 5:30, Friday 11 to 4, [email protected] Parish Council President: Greek School: Loula Eliopoulos & Eleni Gia Harrigan Anagnostopoulos Chanters: TBD VOICE: Choir Director: Zoe Adamedes Editor—Aliki Cooper ([email protected]) Organist: TBD IT Team: Leon Amarant Religious Education: Marianne Menas Stewardship: Gia Harrigan Affiliated Organizations Philoptochos President: Zinovia Canale AHEPA President: Basile Panoutsopoulos JOY Advisor: Sandy Giannopoulos Daughters of Penelope President: Soup Kitchen: Elaine Brown Ellen Anagnostos Hellenic Dancers: Anna Kyriakides Island of Skiathos Organization: St. Spyridon Bookstore: Christina Logothets Despina Haralambidis SERVICE TIMES Sunday Winter Hours, Weekday Services Matins 9 am Divine Liturgy 10 am The Saint Spyridon Voice is a monthly publication of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church, 390 Thames St., Newport, RI 02840 APRIL 2020 PAGE 5 HOLY WEEK SERVICES (UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE ALLOWED IN CHURCH) Service times posted on our website: stspyridonchurch.org/holy-week Saturday, April 11 Lazarus Saturday, 9am Matins, Vespers before Palm Sunday, 5pm Sunday, April 12 Palm Sunday, Matins 8:45am, Divine Liturgy 10am Bridegroom Service, 6pm Monday, April 13 Bridegroom Service, 6pm Tuesday, April 14 Bridegroom Service – Kassiani, 6pm Wednesday, April 15 Sacrament of Holy Unction, 3pm Thursday, April 16 Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, 8am Holy Passion of the Lord (12 Gospels), 6pm Friday, April 17 Royal Hours at the Cross of Christ, 8 am Removal of Christ from the Cross - Apokathilosis, 3pm Lamentations, 6pm Saturday, April 18 Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, 9am Pre-Resurrection Service, 11:30pm Resurrection Service, 12 midnight Paschal Liturgy of St John Chrysostom Sunday, April 19 Agape Vespers of Pascha, 11am Monday, April 20 Paschal Matins, 10am Tuesday, April 21 Paschal Matins, 10am Wednesday, April 22 Paschal Matins, 10am Thursday, April 23 St. George, Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy, 10am Friday, April 24 Friday of Bright Week—Life Giving Spring, Matins 9:00am Divine Liturgy, 10am PAGE 6 THE SAINT SPYRIDON VOICE S T SPYRIDON EMAIL LIST In the midst of uncertain times we are happy to announce St.