Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

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.

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!

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.

The entire Adult Study Group on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril that ran from Pascha to Pentecost is now available on YouTube. Father 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.

More than 20 families have been joining Holy Trinity’s Conference Call line each night at 6 p.m. to hear the readings of Great and Holy Week. Tonight, because of the unique solemnity of the Twelve Passion Gospels service (Matins of Holy Thursday), Frs. Ignatius and David have decided to celebrate the full service and simulcast it in high-definition at Holy Trinity’s webpage, the Chapel’s homepage, and the Facebook accounts of both Holy Trinity and the Chapel.

Parishioners without a computer or internet access may continue to use the Conference Call line at (508) 924-5540 to hear each broadcast (see the remaining schedule below). Note, we will continue using the Conference Call line for the remaining readings.

To prevent the evil one from stealing our Paschal joy (and festal foods!), baskets will be blessed during Saturday’s Open House from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. To participate, place your basket on the table outside the main doors of the church for Father to bless while you offer your personal prayers and meditation. As with the other Open Houses, clergy will strictly limit access to the Nave to ten people at all times (thank you in advance for your cooperation). 

Parishioners may also arrange a time through the Parish Office by email or phone (814-231-2855) for Father to bless your family’s basket before the front door of your home. Similar to home blessings, you will receive a time to place your basket outside; Father will ring the doorbell when the service is complete. 

Join Father Ignatius Virtually this Wednesday at 7 p.m. for an interactive reading of the life of St. Mary of Egypt on her names day. Parents with their children are especially encouraged to join by computer to familiarize themselves with video teleconferencing should an online Holy Trinity Sunday School be formed in the near future. All are welcome to join and participate. 

All Orthodox Christians—clergy and laity—of the Pittsburgh area are invited to a retreat being sponsored by the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and W. Pa. (OCA) at the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, located in Rostraver Twp./Belle Vernon at 222 Mary Street, on Saturday, February 8, 2020.

Presenter Archpriest Steven Voytovich will speak on the topic “Our Life in Christ in 2020,” a topic which is especially appropriate as we reflect on the 50th anniversary of the Canonization St. Herman of Alaska this year. The retreat will begin with an Akathist Prayer Service to St. Herman at 10:00 a.m.; lunch will be included; the retreat will end at approximately 2 p.m. Registration is $10.00; please make the check payable to the “Archdiocese of Pgh and W PA – OCA” and mail it to: “Archdiocese of Pgh and W PA (OCA), P.O. Box 1769, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066-1769.”

RSVP’s must be received at the chancery no later than Tuesday, February 4. Please provide a name and contact information with the check should it become necessary to contact you.

Please email Archpriest William J. Evansky, Chancellor, at (frbill158@verizon.net) or call (724-266-5009) if you have any questions.