Ukraine Assistance - If you want to help those in Ukraine impacted by war, you may do so through International Orthodox Christian Charities, IOCC Ukraine

Church Directory - I want to compile a church directory with the address, telephone number and email address of parish members. If you want your contact information published in the directory I will need your permission as this directory will be available to other parish members who have provided authorization to make thier information available in the directory. Designated members of the Mission Council may use this information to execute a "Phone Tree" when the need for rapid dissemination of information arises. I will contact all concerned via email with additional information.

Minutes for June Mission Council Meeting with parish financial report are posted to the bulletin board in the Fellowship Center.

Epistle Reader Schedule - Going forward - as assigned by Alan Harper Jr.

Call for Readers - Orthodox Christians interested in reading the epistle during the Divine Liturgy, please see me.

Altar Servers - Schedule - Going forward - any of the following may serve with the blessing of the Priest: Evan Parhas, Basil Parhas, Philip Radon, Ethan Cantey, Viktor Aronov, Alan Harper Jr., Austin Woods, Sherman Sweeney

Call for Altar Servers - Male Orthodox Christians, age seven and up, interested in serving the altar, please see me.

Mission Council - Next scheduled meeting Tuesday, August 16, 6:30 pm at the church. Mission Council members unable to attend in person, may participate via Zoom with my blessing.

Workday - Every third Saturday of the month beginning at 9 am., unless otherwise noted. We usually finish around 1 pm, but any amount of time you may give is greatly appreciated. Our next Workday is Saturday, August 20.

I came across the following in a recent edition of The Orthodox Word, (Vol. 56, No. 4 (333), July–August, 2020) on the life of Hieromartyr Andronicus. It never ceases to amaze me how applicable the words of the saints of God from times gone by are to our present situation in the world. Enjoy, be admonished and edified. 

In the end, this war [WW I] will change the entire map of the modern kingdoms of Europe. Yes, it comes to mind involuntarily that the present war is the apocalyptic war foretold by the Savior Himself, as a harbinger of His glorious Second Coming: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places (Matt. 24:7). Therefore, beloved children in the Lord, it behooves us to gather all our strength so as not to give victory to the enemy attack against us. First of all it is certainly incumbent on each and all to deeply realize, as did the ancient Ninevites, that the Lord is sending such a grievous trial on us for our sins, as deserving of this. Our sins truly cry out to heaven. People have always sinned on earth and committed iniquities. But what exists now did not exist before. Now, people not only sin and renounce God, but are proud of this, as if it is proper. They extol vice and apostasy from God as correct. Truly, people now bow down before the gods of debauchery, drunkenness, fame, riches, honors, and pleasures. By doing this, they take delight in idol worship, like the ancient Hebrews who were punished by God for their idolatry—rejected by God, and scattered throughout the whole world. Things have been bad in God’s world and in our homeland. But they were not baser than now. People are laughing and swearing at the sacred testaments of our fathers and grandfathers, at virtue and purity of life, and at our immaculate Faith…. This is our iniquity and our apostasy from God, and we ac knowledge it all as our grievous sin before God. Let us cast away the merriment and light-mindedness of our usual everyday commotion, and let us regain our spirit before the great events unfolding in our life in accordance with the ways of God’s providence. Let the places of amusement, entertainment, and every kind of debauchery be empty. This is not the time for them. Let there not be feasting in a time of plague! Let there not be shameless dancing on one side of the fatherland, when at the other end and beyond its borders our own brothers will shed their blood for us! In the name of their bloody struggle, let all the faithful be strict toward themselves. Let everyone piously observe a fast, pray, do good deeds, and practice abstinence before God.