Sunday, December 4, 2022

Feast Day: Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

Nativity Fast

Monday, November 28, 2022 through Friday, January 6, 2023

Message from Father Stefan:

THE NATIVITY FAST HAS BEGUN. Below are the Rules for fasting during the Nativity Fast/Advent. The young, the elderly, pregnant or nursing women, people with medical problems, and those who perform heavy labor jobs, are allowed concessions to the strict rules. It is best to consult with your Father Confessor, parish priest or Elder for personal specifics. With the Lord's help, may we advance spiritually during this fasting period and joyfully greet the grace filled Holy Days.

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow believers and supporters. The Christmas/Nativity Fast begins today, Monday 28th of November until the 6th of January, according to the Old Calendar. Here is a small reminder for the ones who are going to fast.

The rules prescribed by the Church for the Nativity Fast are the same as for the St. Peter's Fast. It is clear that meat, butter, milk, eggs, cheese are completely avoided/banned during this fasting. Besides, the Canon of the Church says that on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the Nativity Fast, fish, wine and oil are not to be consumed and only food without oil is allowed.

On the other days - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, food with vegetable oil is permitted. Fish during the Nativity fast is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on major, and also on church holidays and the days of high saints, but only if those Holy Days fall on Tuesday or Thursday. If the Holy Day falls on a Wednesday or Friday, wine and oil is allowed. From January 2 through January 6, the Fast is intensified and on those days, even on Saturday and Sunday, fish is not blessed to eat.

I wish a pleasant and godpleasing fasting period to all of us!

November 19, 2022

Baptism of Father Stefan and Matushka Tatiana's granddaughter, Salomia.

Triple immersion of newly-illuminated Salomia.

Chrismation: Godmother Anastasia Baranoff and Godfather Deacon Nikolai Ilin.

Icon of Holy Myrrh-bearing Salomia in background.

Andrei V. Fedorov

New Warden/Starosta

We are announcing, with sadness but great gratitude to our long time Church Warden Starosta Ivan Konstantinovich Afanasiev of his resignation from assigned duties as Church Warden due to age, and to health setbacks. We thank him for years of service and dedication to the Parish Family and the Church. Ivan Konstantinovich will always remain in our love and prayers.

He will be replaced until our Annual Parish Meeting by co-opted Parish Council Member Andrei Vladimirovich Fedorov as interim Church Warden, at which time he will be a candidate for that position. We welcome Andrei Vladimirovich Fedorov to the Parish Council and wish him God’s blessings and success in his God pleasing endeavors.

Read article about Andrei and Anna Fedorov in the January/February 2021 issue of the Newsletter - click here

New Choir Director

We greet with open hearts and sincere good wishes our new Choir Director Irina Seraphimovna Shachneva, and wish her God’s blessing and help in her new position. Irina is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area and the broader Russian Community as Director of the Slavyanka Russian Chorus and also to our choir because she has participated with them for a number of years. All the best to Irina and good success!

Father Stefan and Matushka Tatiana welcome their newest granddaughter, Salomia.

Born, Saturday October 15 to Olia and Andrei Schafranek in New Jersey.

We are overcome with grief over the tragic events in Ukraine, for many of us the land of our forefathers, and for some the land where our relatives live today. We pray to the All-Merciful Lord, and His Most-Holy Mother for speedy secession of all hostilities, and for long-lasting peace.

Prayer to the Lord:

O Lord, Lover of mankind, King of the ages and Giver of good things: having destroyed the divisions of enmity and granted peace unto the human race, grant even now peace unto Thy servants, planting within them the fear of Thee and establishing them in love for one another. Quench all strife, and remove all dissensions and temptations; for Thou art our peace and to Thee do we offer up glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Владыко Человѣколюбче, Царю вѣковъ и Подателю благихъ, разрушившiй вражды средостѣнiя и мир подавшiй роду человѣческому, даруй и нынѣ миръ рабомъ Твоимъ, вкорени нихъ страхъ Твой и другъ къ другу любовь утверди: угаси всяку распрю, отыми вся разногласiя и соблазны. Яко Ты еси миръ нашъ и Тебе славу возсылаемъ, Отцу и Сыну и Святому Духу, нынѣ и присно и во вѣки вѣковъ. Аминь.

Click here to print the prayers.

Prayer to the Mother of God:

O much sorrowing Mother of God, more highly exalted than all other of the daughters of the earth, according to thy purity and the multitude of thy suffering endured by thee on earth: Hearken to our sighs and soften the hearts of evil men, and protect us under the shelter of thy mercy. For we know no other refuge and ardent intercessor apart from thee, but as thou hast great boldness before the One Who was born of thee, help and save us by thy prayers, that without offense we may attain the Heavenly Kingdom where, with all the saints, we will sing the thrice-holy hymn to One God Almighty in the Trinity, always now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

О, многострадальная Мати Божiя, Превысшая всѣхъ дщерей земли, по чистотѣ Своей и по множеству страданiй, Тобою на земли перенесенныхъ, прiими многоболезненныя воздыханiя наша и сохрани насъ подъ кровомъ Твоея милости. Инаго бо прибѣжища теплаго предстательста развѣ Тебѣ не вѣмы, но яко дерзновенiе имущая къ Иже изъ Тебѣ рожденному, помози и спаси ны молитвами Своими, да непреткновенно достигнемъ Царствiя Небеснаго, идеже со всѣми святыми будемъ воспѣвати въ Троицѣ единому Богу нынѣ и присно и во вѣки вѣков. Аминь.

Upcoming Services on Livestream (see Schedule of Services tab for details)

Priest Dimitri Jakimowicz of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Stratford, Connecticut, emails weekly church service texts in both Russian and English. Contact him at frdimitrij@gmail.com to request being added to his distribution list.
For Liturgical Texts in English and Slavonic from Holy Protection Russian Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas click here.

Saturday, December 3 6:00pm Vigil Service

Sunday, December 4 9:00am Divine Liturgy - Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple Feast Day

Saturday, December 10 6:00pm Vigil Service

Sunday, December 11 9:00am Divine Liturgy

Saturday, December 24 6:00pm Vigil Service

Sunday, December 25 9:00am Divine Liturgy

Saturday, December 31 5:00pm Thanksgiving Prayer Service Moleben - End of Legal year

Saturday, December 31 6:00pm Vigil Service

Sunday, January 1, 2023 9:00am Divine Liturgy

Message from Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko, Rector

Bring your children to church, learn the services for yourself, listen and pray along with the prayers ---- CARE TO GROW IN YOUR ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FAITH! English language translations of all services are available---take advantage of the hard work put in by others for your salvation.

Father Dimitri Jakimowicz emails weekly translations of upcoming services. You can download the translation into your smartphone and follow the service in English while standing in Church. Contact Father Dimitri at frdimitrij@gmail.com and ask to be placed on his mailing list. Father Dimitri Jakimowicz sends out weekly church service texts in both Russian and English.

For Liturgical Texts in English and Slavonic from Holy Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas click here. https://orthodoxaustin.org/liturgical-texts/

Congratulations to His Grace, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan on being elected First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). Axios!!!Axios!!!Axios!!!

Father Stefan's personal phone message to the new Metropolitan Nicholas, First Hierarch of ROCOR: "Kissing Your Hand! We received with great joy the news of Your Eminence’s high election. We pray God grants you many years in good health and full of God’s Grace to shepherd the Lord’s Flock to salvation. Es Pola Eti Despota!!"

Click here to read the biography of Bishop Nicholas (Olhovsky).