Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

Please note that because of deteriorating weather conditions this afternoon and evening, tonight’s service at Holy Trinity has been cancelled. We will begin chanting the second part of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 7pm.

The month of March includes two of the feasts of the most famous of Celtic saints, St. David of Wales (March 1) and St. Patrick of Ireland (March 17), the latter himself a native Britain whose culture today would be classified as Welsh.

To commemorate those saints, and other early Christian holy men and women of the lands around the Irish Sea, Archimandrite Deiniol of the Monastery of the Church of the Holy Protection, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales (Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarchate) will speak this Thursday (March 7) at 7:30 p.m. at Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, PA.

Fr. Deiniol will speak on “Early Celtic Saints and Holy Wells: An Early St. Patrick’s Day Commemoration,” at the Refectory, Second Level of the Elaine Langone Student Center. His visit will be co-sponsored by the Bucknell Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the Catholic Campus Ministry, and the Protestant Chaplain’s Office.

A native Welsh speaker from Anglesey, Fr. Deiniol converted to Orthodoxy four decades ago, and after becoming a monk was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of blessed memory. Since then his work has included highlighting the legacy of early Christian saints of the British Isles to an increasingly “post-Christian” society in Wales.

His talk will focus on holy wells as an introduction to the living traditions of early saints of lands around the Irish Sea, who often were viewed as extended family members of centuries-old cultures in enduring historic landscapes. Traditions of early saints from the region also influenced immigrant cultures in America and elsewhere, as well as current re-imaginings of “Celtic Christianity,” while pre-Schism Celtic saints are again being venerated by the Orthodox Church.

All are welcome to attend this talk, which is free.

For further information on this event, please contact the OCF faculty co-advisor, Prof. Alf Kentigern Siewers, at siewers7518@gmail.com

Answering a call from the Holy Synod of Bishops,  strongly encouraging all clergy and laity to attend, Holy Trinity will provide free transportation to the 41^st March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 22. The trip is being coordinated by our campus and Sunday School ministries, and all are welcome to travel with us.

The rally is held on the National Mall beginning at noon. This year our group will park at nearby Union Station so we can immediately meet up with our fellow Orthodox Christians participating in the peaceful demonstration. We will join them in the march up to the Supreme Court where a prayer service will be led by Metropolitan Tikhon.

Holy Trinity’s two 15-passenger vans will depart from the church parking lot promptly at 6 a.m., and return at 10 p.m., stopping each way at the Sheetz in Duncannon at 7:30 a.m./8:30 p.m. to pick up and drop off Chapel members. Participants should wear warm clothing, pack a lunch, and bring money for a dinner stop on the way home.

RSVPs to info@holytrinity-oca.org by Wednesday, January 16 are required.

As widely reported in the media on Friday, December 14, 2012, twenty-six individuals—twenty of whom were elementary school children—perished at Sandy Hook School, Newtown, Connecticut, when a lone 20-year-old gunman entered the school and opened fire on students and faculty alike.

Upon learning of the tragedy, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, released the following letter to the faithful on behalf of the entire Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America.

His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek (the bishop who oversees Holy Trinity) added his personal condolences in the midst of this scene of horror. He called upon the parishes in the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania to offer extra prayers for those who have lost their lives and for the “weeping and the grieving” left behind now facing the daunting task of going on with their lives.

Holy Trinity will conduct a memorial service for all those slain in this massacre following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, December 16. During the liturgy itself, our community will also offer special petitions on behalf and for all those impacted by this terrible tragedy.

For more information, please contact info@holytrinity-oca.org.

Late last night (November 28) the Centre Daily Times (CDT) ran an article with an unfortunate headline, “Man charged with stealing $1.50 from church,” which was later picked up by foxnews.com and other news outlets. While the CDT article paints a more complete picture of what transpired than what ran elsewhere, important details were also omitted. Holy Trinity reported each of the four break-ins to police and has cooperated with authorities who in turn decided to prosecute for the benefit of the accused.

Interested parties may contact me directly at frjohn@holytrinity-oca.org. Thank you.

– Fr. John Reeves