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Prayers for All
In your prayers please continue to remember Metropolitan Antony, Archbishop Daniel, Fr. Gregory, our church family and catechumens (Rob & Stacy, Greg & Shannon and children, William, Cameron, and Rebekah), visitors and inquirers, expecting mothers and their babies, new mothers and babies, the betrothed, the married, the sick, the poor, travelers, those impacted by war and calamities, our country, and all those in need.
Catechumen / Inquirer’s Class
The catechumen’s class will meet again on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, at 7:00 pm. All are welcome! A video link will be be provided for those who can't make it in person.
14th Sunday after Pentecost - Sunday, 6 September 2026
This coming Sunday is the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. Commemorated on this day is the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Colossae (4th c.); Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius, and their companions (311); Martyrs Romulus and others (2nd c.); Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna (3rd–4th c.); Venerable Archippus of Hierapolis (4th c.); Venerable David (6th c.); Hieromartyr Maxim Sandovich (1914) among others.
The readings for this day are:
Please join us for Vespers on Saturday, 5 September 2026, at 6:00 PM; the Prayers of the Hours on Sunday, 6 September 2026, at 8:45 AM; and the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, 6 September 2026, at 9:00 AM.
Vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos
Please join us for Vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos on Monday, 7 September, at 7:00 PM.
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On September 8, the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the birth of the Virgin Mary to her righteous parents, Joachim and Anna. This feast opens the Church's liturgical year, which begins on September 1, and it does so fittingly: before we come to the birth of Christ, we come to the birth of the one who would bear Him.
Joachim and Anna are remembered for their long years of childlessness and their steadfast prayer, much like Abraham and Sarah, or Zacharias and Elizabeth. Their story reminds us that God's promises often unfold on His timeline, not ours, and that barrenness — whether of body, circumstance, or spirit — is never the end of the story. In their old age, their prayers were answered, and the child given to them became the living bridge between the Old Covenant and the New: through her, the One who would save His people from their sins entered the world.
The Church calls this feast "the beginning of our salvation," for in the birth of Mary, the way was prepared for the Incarnation itself. It is a feast of quiet joy and hope, a reminder that God is always at work, even when we cannot yet see the fruit of our prayers.
Your Nativity, O Virgin, / has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! / The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, / has shone from you, O Theotokos! / By annulling the curse, / He bestowed a blessing. / By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.
— Troparion for the Nativity of the Mother of God
Beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year — 1 September
The Orthodox Church begins its liturgical year on September 1st with the Feast of the Indiction, fixed by the First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325) and tied to Constantine the Great’s decree of religious freedom for Christians. September also carried Old Testament resonance as the month of harvest and thanksgiving (Exodus 23:16), and, per Holy Tradition, it was the day Christ entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah, proclaiming “the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:16-21) — the start of His public ministry. From here the Church’s yearly cycle unfolds, from the Nativity of the Theotokos (Sept. 8) through the Twelve Great Feasts to the Dormition the following August.
Some families place an icon on the front porch the evening before, so Christ is the first to “enter” the home in the New Year — a reminder that He enters our lives first. Others plant a tree or bless their home for the year ahead.
May the Lord bless the beginning of this new ecclesiastical year for our whole parish family!
Parish Picnic and Parish Patronal Feast Day
Join us on Sunday, 20 September 2026, as we celebrate our Parish Patronal Feast Day with our annual Parish Picnic! After the Divine Liturgy, stay for good food, fellowship, and fun for the whole family as we give thanks for our patron saints and the life of our parish community. Bring a dish to share if you're able. All are welcome!
Note: Our parish feast day is 26 September, the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (2nd c.). As there is no single day on which all Four Holy Evangelists are commemorated together, our parish celebrates the Feast of St. John the Apostle as its patronal feast day.
St. Charitas Pantry Donations
As a reminder, collections are continually being taken for the St. Charitas Pantry located at the parking lot entrance. We are collecting any non-perishable food items and small toiletry items. Items can be placed in the bins in the restroom hallway. See LeeAnn F. or Caitlin C. for more information.
Coffee Hour Sponsors
Thank you to all who have signed up to sponsor our coffee hour fellowship following the Divine Liturgy every Sunday. It is greatly appreciated. And thank you to Tracey Hand for organizing this endeavor.
If you would like to join the rotation at any time, please see Tracey Hand for more details.
Here are the sponsors for September 2026:
If you would like to join the rotation at any time, please see Tracey Hand for more details.
Here are the sponsors for September 2026:
