The Holy Synod has designated this Sunday as Sanctity of Life Sunday in all of the parishes of the Orthodox Church in America. You can read His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon’s proclamation of life ahead of the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.
However, the best way to witness life is by attending the January 24 March for Life in Washington D.C. with your fellow brothers and sisters from Holy Trinityand the Chapel. All expenses will be covered by the parish; simply bring a packed lunch or money for food and/or souvenirs. For more information or to RSVP, email events@holytrinity-oca.org.
The work of Holy Trinity, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, and the Orthodox Christian Fellowship at Penn State is entirely supported by sacrificial gifts from its members, family, and friends. Thank you.
Now, at no cost to you—and at a minimal cost to the parish (on average, less than the price of offering envelopes)—your donations can be withdrawn directly from your checking account, savings account, or payment card (all major networks are accepted).
With just a few clicks, you can set up a one-time or recurring payment. After authorizing the transaction, your donation is immediately recorded alongside your other contributions for the year.
Holy Trinity’s new, updated, and fully-integrated electronic payment system is now available.
Give as a Member
Giving as a member through Realm allows you to log in securely and manage all your donations in one place. Once you are signed in, click on Giving on the left-hand side of your screen.
Holy Trinity’s Vacation Bible School: “Got Fruit?” begins Monday evening, August 5, 2019, and continues through Thursday, August 8 in the Parish Hall. The program includes activities, crafts, songs, and dinner each evening. Our Church School offers VBS free of charge for all children entering Kindergarten through the sixth grade in the Fall (friends/neighbors are especially welcome). Parents are encouraged to register and complete the release forms online as soon as possible.
Galina Mikaelyan, a beloved member of the parish for the past decade, fell asleep in the Lord in her home here in State College yesterday (June 27, 2019). She is the mother of Irina Mikaelian, also a member of Holy Trinity. She was 95.
Parishioners and friends of the family will be received Monday, July 1 at 9 a.m. at Holy Trinity. It will be immediately followed by the funeral service at 10 a.m. and a mercy meal at Irina’s home at 720 West Hamilton Avenue (at the corner with Sparks Street). Preceding the visitation and funeral, parish faithful are also invited to keep overnight vigil with Galina beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 30. A sign-up sheet may be found here (use the side/accessible ramp entrance when entering and exiting the Nave).
Born January 12, 1924, in Moscow, she was the daughter of Boris and Zinaida Aronsky. Galina worked for many years as Professor of English in Moscow State University.
For the past ten years, she lived with Irina’s family. She is survived by Irina, three granddaughters, Maria, Zinaida, and Elizaveta, and eight great-grandchildren. She will be remembered as a loving mother and grandmother, a faithful friend, and a beautiful person.
Fr. David Smith will officiate at the funeral on Monday. The Choir will prepare for the service at a special rehearsal in Trinity House on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. The burial will be in Russia.
Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.
Renowned Orthodox musicians Benedict and Maria Sheehan will conduct a three-day workshop here for the parish the weekend of June 7-9. They will help current and prospective Choir members of all levels reach new levels of mastery and enable the ensemble to sing with “One Mouth and One Heart.” Group training will occur amidst personal breakouts for directors, singers, chanters, and clergy. The goal is to create a worshipful atmosphere full of musicianship, expressiveness, attentiveness, and prayer.
Session I begins on Friday at 7 p.m. with introductions, a lecture, and snacks. The Saturday sessions begin at 9 a.m. and continue through Vespers, with ample breaks for a catered lunch, fellowship, and one-on-one attention. On Sunday, participants will gather at 9 a.m. for warm-ups, and then lead the congregation in responses at the 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy. The workshop concludes with a celebratory coffee hour for the whole parish with an open Q&A with the Sheehans.
The parish is offering this unique opportunity at no cost for all eligible Choir members (i.e., children entering middle school and older). It is made possible from the operating budget, which your sacrificial tithes support. Registration is required either below or in the Narthex so enough food can be purchased. For more information, contact us.
Schedule
Friday
7-9pm — Welcome, Lecture, and Fellowship/Snacks
Church-Building with Choral Singing: What Choral Singing Does for the Christian Person and the Christian Community
Saturday
9-10am — Vocal Technique
10-12pm — Ensemble Technique (how to sing choral repertoire with good individual vocal technique)
12-1:30pm — Lunch
1:30-3:30pm — Break out sessions
Rehearsal Technique (how to learn a new piece, for director and ensemble)
Clergy & Reader Vocal Technique
3:30-4:30pm — Break out sessions
Ensemble Technique
Conducting Lesson for Directors
4:30-5:30pm — Conducting Coaching w/ ensemble
6pm — Vespers
Sunday
9am — Warm-up; Run-throughs
10am — Divine Liturgy
12pm — Celebratory Coffee Hour and Discussion/Q&A with the Sheehans
Choir Workshop Registration Form
Benedict & Maria Sheehan are bringing their uniquely complementary skill sets to a weekend workshop at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church June 7-9, 2019. In intensive sessions they help church musicians of all abilities reach new levels of mastery, with emphasis on how to retain these skills and employ them in an everyday setting. They particularly emphasize the spiritual work of the sacred choral musician, and its connections to ensemble blend, musicianship, expressiveness, attentiveness, and a prayerful ethos.
On Lazarus Saturday (March 31), our Church School is sponsoring a free Pascha preparation workshop for children of all ages. There will be a variety of activities, including baking, crafts, and egg-dying. Bring the whole family!
To aid the parish in transitioning from a long pastorate to what we pray will be another, Fr. David Smith, Priest-in-Charge of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, was hired by the Parish Council as Interim Priest last month. Father David begins a six-month assignment on March 11, the start of Great Lent.
According to Church best practice, an Interim Priest is a clergyman with parish experience who provides pastoral guidance and support to parishes that are between rectors. He creates an atmosphere for the parish to rediscover its mission, vision, and identity while ensuring the community continues its ministry and outreach, as opposed to “coasting” until the new rector arrives. The Interim Priest is not a candidate for the permanent position; instead his charge is to help the new rector assume his role smoothly and effectively.
Father David will be available for pastoral appointments in his Trinity House office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. He will hear the confessions of all the members of the parish—Wednesdays at Holy Trinity and Saturdays at the Chapel. Moreover, his position allows Holy Trinity to conduct weekday services such as Annunciation and other Feasts according to its regular practice, including Clean Week, Holy Week, and Bright Week. On the condition of both our local clergy and the Archdiocese, neither Fr. David’s care of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, nor its current Saturday-Sunday liturgical schedule, will be disrupted. God has planted His vineyard in Snyder County and now is not the time to uproot it, a mere few years before it too can support a full-time priest.
The plan to hire a transitional priest originated as one of three proposals presented by His Eminence Archbishop Melchisedek to the Transition Team during their meetings late last year. As Lent 2019 drew near, this course of action grew in favor as it allows the new rector (who remains known only to God) to move between school years instead of during a time of intense preparation for the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ. Last month, Fr. David sought and received the blessing of His Eminence to serve as Interim. A proposal was then drafted by our local clergy and presented to the Parish Council at its regular February meeting. To aid the Council in making its decision, more than 50 members of the parish offered their feedback at a “Town Hall” meeting that was simulcast live via video and telephone. Hearing unanimous support, Council convened immediately thereafter to hire Fr. David.
The parish asks for your fervent prayers, especially for His Eminence as he vets and assigns the new rector (who will begin September 1); and for Fr. David, who will lead the parish in preparing for his pastorate.
The Parish Council is considering a proposal that will ensure Holy Trinity has pastoral coverage during Great Lent and beyond including the ability for the parish to conduct weekday services, pastoral appointments, regular confessions, and catechesis. While it has the support of His Eminence Archbishop Melchisedek and our local clergy here, the proposal impacts our rector search.
Council will solicit your questions and feedback on this proposal at an open meeting in the nave of Holy Trinity Church this Wednesday, February 20 at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast live via phone and video conferencing for those who cannot attend in person. You may also opt to submit comments and questions ahead of time by contacting us or by calling the Parish Office at (814) 231-2855.
Help fill our vans for the 46th annual March for Life!
Holy Trinity and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit are currently accepting reservations in the Narthex and by email for the annual one-day pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. in support of the unborn. Our vans will depart Friday, January 18 at 6:30 a.m., and return around 10 p.m. RSVPs are required by Tuesday, January 15 so appropriate transportation can be secured.
College students and youth (with their parents) are especially encouraged to attend. As in previous years, all transportation costs are fully sponsored by Holy Trinity.
January 22, 2019 marks the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States, and Orthodox Christians from across the US will be among those gathering in the US Capital on Friday, January 18 to participate in the annual March for Life.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon will join other Orthodox Christian hierarchs, seminarians, and clergy and faithful from around the country in the annual March, which will conclude with the celebration of
Memorial Prayers for the victims of abortion near the US Capital.
The theme of this year’s March is “Unique from Day One.”
The March will begin at noon on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The delegation from Holy Trinity and the Chapel with gather with fellow Orthodox Christian participants at the “Orthodox
Christians for Life” banner, which will be prominently displayed to the right of the stage near Constitution Avenue, between 15th and 17th Streets North West. Metropolitan Tikhon and other hierarchs will be
present on the stage for the opening prayers and presentations prior to the March.
Metropolitan Tikhon also will offer the benediction at the annual Rose Banquet on the evening of the March. General information on the March and the banquet—including details on making reservations—is available on the March for Life web site. Information on Orthodox Christians for Life is also available.
On December 30, Fr. John (center) gathers with the clergy and faithful of the State College community following his last Divine Liturgy celebrated as rector. His tenure here will be marked by substantial growth: in addition to the many who transferred to the parish over his 22 years here, Fr. John personally baptized and/or chrismated more than 180 souls. In the liturgy, we thanked God for Fr. John’s pastorate and prayed that our Lord would continue to add daily those that are being saved, including a new rector.
A the request of Archbishop Melchisedek, the Holy Trinity-Chapel of the Holy Spirit Transition Team met before the end of the past calendar year to create a profile outlining the parish’s organizational culture as well as a set of candidate interview questions for His Eminence to give to prospective rector candidates.
The meeting was held on December 13; the group’s work product was sent to His Eminence, our Chancellor Fr. Bill Evansky, and our Dean Fr. Mark Meholick; it can be viewed below.
Rather than attempting to list the characteristics and viewpoints of a diverse group of parishioners, the profile contains the parish’s mission statement; list of core values; a comprehensive history; budgets for the current year and the previous four; vital statistics including average Sunday attendance and census data; and the 2018 Annual Report, which contains pertinent financial information and ministry reports.
The Transition Team strongly believed that the mission and vision of the parish—and the stewardship that supports it—is the clearest demonstration of the parish’s organizational culture. The parish extends an invitation to all who wishto participate in its shared vision, and the budget declares what the congregation values most. His Eminence received the submission and has promised an appointment of an interim or permanent rector by Annunciation.
