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Church Directory Update

Church-Directory-update-2023

Liturgy of Saint James Oct 22nd

The Feast of St. James “the Lord’s Brother” falls annually on October 23rd, and it is customary in many parishes for the ancient “Liturgy of St. James” to be celebrated on that day. This year, however, we have been blessed by our bishop to serve the James liturgy on October 22nd, as the Sunday which falls closest to the feast of St. James. 

The St. James Liturgy was the typical parish liturgy of Jerusalem, Palestine, Mount Sinai, Georgia, and parts of the Levant from the 4th century until the time of the Crusades and was prayed almost daily by great saints of the Church such as Cyril of Jerusalem, Sabbas the Sanctified, and John Climacus. It is very distinct from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, with no antiphons at the beginning, the singing of the hymn “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent” at the entrance of the gifts, a unique anaphora, litanies with the refrain “remember, O Lord our God,” the singing of “O Taste and See” at communion, and many, many other diverse and distinct features.

Come, let us pray together on this blessed occasion with these words and songs from Holy Zion, the Mother of Churches

Orthodox Jurisdictions in America

What’s an “Antiochian?” Are there “Pro-ochians” somewhere? Why are there “Georgian” Orthodox parishes over 800 miles from Atlanta? If the Orthodox Church in America used to be the “Russian Orthodox” Church, why are there all of these “Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia” churches dotted all around the American countryside? What do all the acronyms mean? ACROD? OCA? GOA? And what is the relationship of all of these people to one another?

If you find these many names and the jurisdictional situation of American Orthodoxy a bit confusing, you’re not alone! Thankfully, help is on the way to assist us in understanding what is going on here. On Thursday, October 12, at 6 pm, Fr. Isaac Daneviscious of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Altoona will deliver a public lecture on the present ecclesiastical situation of Orthodoxy in America. 

This lecture is open to the public and will be streamed live on our YouTube feed, as well as being available for replay in that format.

St. Nicholas Tree Drive Begins

Every year, the Matthew 25 ministry partners with case workers at Strawberry Fields, who identify area children and their parents that, without your generosity, would not otherwise receive presents at Christmas.

As with our other charitable drives during the pandemic, we have moved it fully online so more parishioners can participate. 

Please review the gift list and help as you are able in order to spread cheer to someone in need. The deadline for dropping off gifts at the church or arranging a contactless pickup is Monday, December 21. Please wrap each gift with the ID tag securely fastened. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Support the Matthew 25 Thanksgiving Drive!

This year, the annual Matthew 25 Thanksgiving Drive goes virtual so you can provide complete holiday meals to 23 families (100 adults and children total) from the comfort of your home. Simply visit the link below and you will be directed to a gift registry where you can make your contributions.

Walmart.com Thanksgiving Drive Gift Registry (registry closed)

In addition, monetary donations are also being accepted, since the Matthew 25 fund is also used to purchase a full-size turkey for each family.

Donate Now

On behalf of our charitable partner, Strawberry Fields, we thank you for your generosity!

Back-to-School Drive Moves Online for 2020

Because of the various education options this fall, Strawberry Fields was unable to furnish the parish with a list of their student clients’ needs until today. Therefore, the Matthew 25 ministry is starting its annual Back-to-School Drive a bit later than usual. But this minor setback has led to an excellent “win-win” scenario: This year, the Drive has moved to amazon.com, where the entire inventory of needed supplies is saved as a gift registry. This allows you to buy supplies—if you are able—from the comfort of your home and have them delivered directly to the church. Moreover, whenever you shop with AmazonSmile, a portion of your purchases are also donated to the parish in the form of cash. (If Holy Trinity is not selected as your beneficiary organization, you can select it here before purchasing from the registry.)

Simply visit the “HTOC Back-to-School Drive 2020” public list and browse the church’s registry. You can sort list items by title, price, or purchased status by choosing the desired option from the “Filter & Sort” pull-down menu. (If a particular entry does not have a “Needs…” comment, only one item is needed.) Next, click “Add to Cart” or “Buy with 1-Click.” Once you are ready, proceed to the checkout screen and follow the instructions to complete your order. When asked for a shipping address, choose the church’s address so it can be delivered directly to the church. When you complete your order, the item(s) will be moved to the “Purchased” section of the church’s list

Please choose free shipping options that ensure all orders are delivered to the church by Wednesday, August 26 (volunteers will inventory items on Thursday, August 27). The gift registry closes on Monday, August 24; any item remaining on the list will be purchased by the church through the Matthew 25 Fund. If you prefer, you may donate directly to the fund (choose the “Matthew 25 Donations” dropdown item) to support the ongoing work of Matthew 25

Thank you for your generosity and loving support of the 43 Centre County children that need our support this year.

Archbishop to Visit this Weekend

His Eminence Archbishop Melchisedek of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania (OCA) will make an informal visit to the parish this weekend. His Eminence will attend Great Vespers on Saturday, July 25 at 6 p.m. and serve for Fr. Ignatius Hunter at the Divine Liturgy in State College on Sunday, July 26 at 10 a.m.

(Father Ignatius will celebrate with the faithful of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, filling in for the vacationing Smith Family.)

Eis polla eti despota!

Have Your Vehicles Blessed

In conjunction with the Feast of the Prophet Elijah—who was carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot—Fr. Ignatius will bless our vehicles (cars, trucks, bicycles, etc.) following the 6 p.m. Sunday, July 19 Vespers and 8 a.m. Monday, July 20, Liturgy. If you cannot attend in-person on these dates, please contact the church office and we will gladly arrange a time for Father to come to your home.

Study Group Sessions Posted Online

The entire Adult Study Group on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril that ran from Pascha to Pentecost is now available on YouTubeFather Ignatius Hunter is soliciting feedback on this past series as well as your ideas for sessions in the fall. Thank you for your interest and participation.

In-Person Services to Resume May 30, 2020

UPDATE (May 26, 2020): With Centre County moving to the Green Phase of Reopening on Friday, May 29, the parish’s full liturgical schedule resumes Saturday, May 30, with heightened cleaning, a reduction in the amount of seating to allow for social distancing, and other temporary measures.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE (March 17, 2020): In-person worship services are suspended until further notice, but parish clergy and volunteers are available to assist you should a pastoral issue or emergency arise. Please continue to utilize the Reader’s Services and other resources posted at holytrinity-oca.org, and check the website often to view the latest schedule. (Also please pray for the Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, who are meeting this Monday to determine if/when liturgical services can resume.)

Additional reflections and information will be included in the April Trisagion being mailed this week. Not yet a member of our mailing list? Send us your address today

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