This week! Every day! See This Week's Schedule on the right. Take note of the Pre‑Sanctified Liturgies. This month they are every Wednesday morning and Friday evening. For the Friday evening liturgy, plan to fast from noon / lunchtime onward.

The Stultzes are looking to lead a conversation / brainstorming session next Sunday afternoon (March 9th) at 3:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. A key component to launching a mission is having families that are interested in doing so. Please consider being part of this meeting if a mission has been something you like the idea of helping with, or at least make your interest known to them.

Monday, March 3rd

Great Compline with the

Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 4th

Great Compline with the 

Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

at 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 5th

Ninth Hour

at 8:45 a.m.

Presanctified Liturgy

at 9:00 a.m.

†††

Great Compline with the

Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

at 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 6th

Great Compline with the

Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

at 6:00 p.m.

Friday, March 7th

Ninth Hour

at 5:45 p.m.

Presanctified Liturgy

at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 8th

St. Theodore

Hours

at 8:40 a.m.

Divine Liturgy

at 9:00 a.m.

†††

Great Vespers

(livestreamed)

at 5:00 p.m.

followed by

Confessions

Sunday, March 9th

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Matins

at 8:00 a.m.

Divine Liturgy with Icon Procession

at 9:00 a.m.

(livestreamed)

followed by

Fellowship

†††

Mission Talk

at 3:00 p.m.

On Saturday, March 1st, Xenia (Olivia) Scott will have her baby shower here in our Fellowship Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more details see Ruth (Emma) Long or Julianna Hill.

Next Sunday is Forgiveness Sunday and the beginning of the Great Fast (vegan). Plan ahead! See the front of this bulletin along with the March & April calendars. Beginning with Saturday, March 1st, we’ll have nine straight days of services.

This week is a special service on Tuesday, February 25th. Angel, Juji, and Bryce will be baptized into Christ!  We will have a time of fellowship afterwards, so bring something to share.

Paula Daubert reposed in the Lord this past Thursday. The viewing and the funeral will be here at St. Michael’s.

On Wednesday, February 26th there will be Visitation at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Panikhida at 7:00 p.m.

On Thursday, February 27th there bill be Visitation again at 10:00 a.m. followed by the Funeral at 11:00 a.m. The burial will be at All Saints Cemetery immediately after the funeral.  We will then return to St. Michael's for a fellowship meal.

Register ASAP for summer camp. See below for the links.

Summer Camp Registration Announcement

Summer Camp Registration

Take note of the link in the weekly email - Elizabeth Clause has put together a list of fasting ideas for families. If you have a favorite you want to share, let her know.

Next Saturday (February 22nd) is our shorter youth group in the Fellowship Hall at 4:00 p.m.

Next Saturday is the eve of the Sunday of the Last Judgment. See the excerpt on the opposite side for more details about this day. There will be a Vespers which will include the commemoration of our February departed on Friday at 6:00 p.m. (watch for an email from Father this week.) On Saturday at 9:00 a.m. we will have a Divine Liturgy that will commemorate all of the parish departed that we have on record from 1973. 

We will have our regular weekday Vespers & Divine Liturgy this week.

Weekday Vespers is on Tuesday, February 11th at 6:00 p.m. with fellowship following (please bring a snack to share.)

Wednesday morning (February 12th) we will celebrate Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.).

Last call - if you are willing to be a delegate for our parish at the 21st All-American Council of the OCA in Phoenix, AZ from July 14-18th please speak with me.

We need one or two volunteers to help with the maintenance and upkeep of our vacuum cleaners.  Duties include normal maintenance such as emptying the canisters and changing filters.  Please speak with Chris Carey for more information.

We will have our regular weekday Vespers & Divine Liturgy this week.  Vespers is on Tuesday (February 4th) at 6:00 p.m. with fellowship following (please bring a snack to share.) On Wednesday morning (February 5th) we will celebrate Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.  (Hours at 8:40 a.m.)

Next Saturday (February 8th) the first of two youth group meetings this month will take place. This one is at 3:00 p.m.  Parents, please bring some food & snacks to share.

Archimandrite Sergius, Abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery will be with us next weekend (Saturday, February 15th) along with the miracle working icon of St. Anna - please make plans to be here for this special weekend! His first talk will be at 1:00 p.m. and the second one at 3:00 p.m. He’ll share a short reflection after Great Vespers and be with us for Liturgy on Sunday, too. Catechumens - this is the author of the required Lenten reading Acquiring the Mind of Christ.

Note: Volunteers are needed to help with the snack break in between the two sessions - charcuterie, desserts, and beverages. Please see Madrecita to sign up.

Note 2: I will not be hearing confessions after Great Vespers on Saturday since my family is hosting Abbot Sergius.  Please plan on seeing me for confession after Tuesday Vespers or make an appointment during the week.

This month’s youth group meeting is next Saturday (January 18th) at 3:00 p.m. (Only one meeting this month.) Volunteers to help provide a meal are appreciated - see Emmelia Peck.

The men meet this Tuesday (January 14th) in the Fellowship Hall right after the 6:00 p.m. Daily Vespers. The women meet this Friday (January 17th) at 7:00 p.m. in Perpetua (Colleen) Shatley's home.  

Please see Madrecita to schedule a house blessing. They can be done until Great Lent begins and then after Pascha as well.

Holy Water that was blessed last week for Theophany is now available in the candle room. Feel free to help  yourself! Holy Water bottles are available at the bookstore for $1.00 each.

Tuesday, March 25th

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

On the Eve of the Nativity (December 24th), we will have our traditional pre-Vigl meal (note that Vigil is at 6:30 p.m.). A link to sign-up was sent out via the parish email. If you missed the email, Madrecita has a print-out of what we still need for the meal.

Looking ahead, Theophany falls on a Monday this year (January 6th). The Vigil for Theophany will be on Sunday evening (January 5th) at 5:00 p.m. Please plan to be there with your families - we will bless the waters during the Vigil and also process around blessing everyone present as well as the Church, Church School, and our fellowship hall (and everything in between). We will also bless waters at the end of Divine Liturgy on Theophany. Be sure and bring containers to take some home. Holy Water bottles are available at the bookstore for $1 each.

Please help on January 23rd & 24th! Madrecita has a sign-up list for volunteers as well as food items needed.

Ring in the New Year here at St. Michael’s. The gathering will begin at 7:00 p.m. on December 31st in the fellowship hall. Please bring your favorite drink and snack to share. There is a sign-up list available - see Emmelia Peck. Feel free to bring a game to play or your favorite musical instrument.

Please note the various services we have for the Nativity this year:

• Royal Hours of the Nativity will be on Monday evening at 6:00 p.m.
• Newly added is the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. This liturgy is like that of Holy Saturday and includes 8 Old Testament readings.
• The time of the Nativity Vigil on Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.  The time is a half hour earlier than it was in prior years.
• On Christmas Day, Hours will be at 8:40 a.m. followed by Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.

The date for the annual parish meeting has been set for Sunday, January 12th. Watch for a meeting packet in the coming weeks. As a reminder, to be a voting member requires one to be in good standing.

Weekday Vespers is on Tuesday, December 17th at 6:00 p.m. We have a weekday Liturgy on Wednesday morning, December 18th at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.), and this Friday, December 20th we will sing the Akathist Hymn for the Nativity of Christ at 6:00 p.m.

There will be an initial planning meeting headed by Alice Morjana today in order to start preparing for the Diocesan Assembly (January 23rd & 24th) at which the bishop, priests from our diocese, and a parishioner from each parish (delegate) will attend. We need plenty of help - On Thursday the 23rd we provide a meal and host the "wine & cheese" social. On Friday morning after Divine Liturgy, there will be a vegan brunch provided. We will need volunteers to help host & provide set-up and clean-up for all of these phases.

This year, the All-American Assembly for the Orthodox Church in America is being held in Phoenix, Arizona from July 14-18. These assemblies are held once every three years and a representative from our parish will need to attend with me (and my family). The parish covers the travel, hotel, and meals (if you take your family, you'll need to cover their expenses.) There is an equivalent to a youth camp offered for the kids if someone does want to take their family. Please let me know ASAP if you are willing to be considered as our representative. We will need an alternate as well.

We have several Nativity Fast giving opportunities - Please help donate to Eastside HUB See the list near the containers in the hallway to the Fellowship Hall. Donations can be made online or in the basket for the Veteran’s grocery gift cards. Donations to the Good Samaritan Fund always are welcome and needed. On Sunday, December 15th, Church School children will be soliciting for donations to help provide livestock to families in poverty here in the US and around the globe.

As always, fasting seasons are a good time to catch up on confession and get back in the habit if it has dropped off. (Per our bishop and guidelines confession should be on a regular basis, more or less monthly.) Father is available after all Vespers services and the Akathist services as well. He is also available by appointment before those services or at other times during the week.

Weekday Vespers is on Tuesday, December 10th at 6:00 p.m.  We have a weekday Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning (December 11th) at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 AM), and this Friday, December 13th we will sing the Akathist Hymn for the Nativity of Christ at 6:00 p.m.

The December Youth Group meeting is Saturday, December 14th at 2:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Please note that there is only one Youth Group meeting this month.

The December Men’s group meeting is Tuesday, December 10th after Weekday Vespers. Please bring something to share (potluck).

Please consider a donation to our annual Veterans gift-card fundraiser. Gift cards to grocery stores can placed in the basket in the Narthex or a direct donation to the fund works as well (we’ll buy the gift cards with those funds.)

Please help and join one of our primary volunteer teams: Fellowship Hour, Cleaning, and Service Duty (Candle Room / Usher). Sign-up sheets are on the display case across from the restrooms, outside the fellowship hall. 

Note: It will be assumed everyone is staying on their current teams - new sign-ups will be added to the current teams or extra teams will be added if we have enough volunteers. See Juliana Peck or Madrecita Emilia if you desire to make changes.

We have an opening for Treasurer and a general Council Member. Each position is for a 3-year term. Serving on the council requires one to be in good standing as defined by our by-laws as well as a blessing from Father. Please see Fr. Dn. James or Ruth Kendall to nominate yourself or another (best to ask Father before nominating another as well.)

Please help donate to Eastside HUB - toiletries, underthings, socks, hats, coast, sneakers, etc. See the list near the containers in the hallway to the Fellowship Hall.

Fr. Timothy Hojnicki will lead a prayer service of thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day at 9 :00 a.m. Also, take note of the Thanksgiving prayer in this bulletin - use it before enjoying your Thanksgiving Day meal.

Please join Sdn Thaddeus as he leads a weekly Bible Study on Thursday, November 21st at 7:00 p.m. in our Fellowship Hall.   We will continue with Luke 24:13.

Zoom Information: 

Topic: St Michael's Adult Bible Study
Time: Nov 21, 2024 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82611538516?pwd=7hmPc8lauUv2aTrHv5i9mVVeBzYoqP.1

Meeting ID: 826 1153 8516
Passcode: 784354

Please be mindful of how you park in the neighborhood. Parking on both sides of the street makes it difficult for the residents to get through or pull in & out of their driveways. We had a neighbor voice their concern this last weekend because they were stuck.

It is time to start our volunteer drives for 2025. All who are physically able are encouraged to volunteer their time in some way. Three of those ways are:

• Hospitality team for Fellowship Hour - Help host Fellowship Hour (every 10 weeks)
• Cleaning team - Help clean the Church, bathrooms, and hallway (every ~7 weeks)
• Service duty team - Help with the candle room, communion line, usher during Divine Liturgy on Sundays every (every 4 weeks)

Sign-up sheets are now on the display case in the hall of the Narthex.

The November Calendar is out! Copies are in the Narthex as well as online. Take note that the time changes next weekend and our Parish Feast Day is Friday, November 8th.

On Tuesday, October 29th we will have Weekday Vespers at 6:00 p.m. followed by fellowship - bring a snack to share. Divine Liturgy will be on Wednesday, October 30th at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40).

The monthly men’s group meeting will be in the fellowship hall on Tuesday , October 15th after Vespers. Please join the GroupMe if you have not yet, and see Jeff Kendall for details.

The youth group meeting for Saturday, October 26th will instead be an outing! The youth will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm. If you missed his email, see Dan Peck for the details.

We will commemorate the October departed on Saturday, October 19th at 4:15 p.m. Please reply to Father’s email that will be sent out later this week if you wish to add a name to the commemoration list.

The October Parish Council meeting is on Thursday, October 17th at 6:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, October 15th we will have Vespers at 6:00 p.m. (no fellowship in the hall due to men’s group). Wednesday, October 16th we will have Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.). 

Please help us by donating gift cards to grocery stores or donating for the purchase of them. Place a donation in the veteran’s offering basket or make a donation online (choose Veteran’s Fundraiser in the dropdown box.) Please see Sam Sylvest if you have any questions.

It is time to prepare for this year’s pumpkin decorating fundraiser! Please take a pumpkin to decorate and bring it back for the fundraiser voting on October 27th. The funds this year will go to the IOCC. International Orthodox Christian Charities is an organization that offers emergency relief and development program worldwide. They are currently active in the areas hit by the recent  hurricanes and in war-torn areas such as Ukraine.

On Tuesday we will have Great Vespers and Fellowship at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday will be Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.). 

Next Saturday, October 12th at 4:00 p.m. is the Youth Devotional.  Please see Dan Peck with any questions.

Reminder: No snack or meal at this meeting since it is the shorter one. Vespers is at 5:00 p.m., so please dress appropriately for the service - not casually.

Take note that the printed copy of the October calendar is now available in the narthex (entrance hall to the Church temple.)

We will have Church School and Foundations Class (Catechism) at 11:30 a.m.  Please allow teachers and children to go first in the fellowship meal line.

All are welcome to Foundations Class. Catechumens should be striving to attend every class. Our high-school aged students are strongly encouraged to attend as well.  Download The Orthodox Way of Life class text book if you have not already.

October 1st (Tuesday) is the feast of the Protection of the Theotokos. We will celebrate with Great Vespers and fellowship on Monday, September 30th at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday morning will be Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40) At the end of liturgy there will be a blessing of head coverings for those who are interested.

This week we have Vespers on Tuesday, September 24th at 6:00 p.m. and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, September 25th at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.).

The “big” youth group meeting is coming up on Saturday the 28th at 2:30 p.m. Please bring food to share and have a change of clothing for Vespers.

The women of the parish will be meeting at Bisrat Gabriel’s home On Friday, September 27th at 7:00 p.m. Please see Bisrat or Mat. Anna for more details. All the women of the parish are invited, including catechumens. Please bring a vegan snack to share.

This week we have Vespers on Tuesday, September 17th and Liturgy on Wednesday, September 18th. We will have fellowship and a celebratory meal after Vespers for the baptism.  

The Faith, Hope, & Love girls group will be meeting on Tuesday for the Vespers service and a brief sharing of the lives of these saints (Martyrs Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, & Love.)

The wedding of Jacob Neal and Kristin Roberts is at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, September 15th.  On Tuesday, Septamber 17th at 5:00 p.m., Liliya Anastasia Minnich will be baptized. All are welcome to the ceremonies!

Those who partake in communion should line up on the sides, next to the windows. Those in line on the choir side will commune from either chalice (Dn. James or Fr. Silouan). Those on the confession side will go strictly to that side’s chalice (Dn. Nicholas). There are a few who will come up the middle aisle due to age or health related reasons. No one else should. We are aiming to keep the middle aisle free as the “exit.”

Sunday, September 15th was “meet the teacher” day for Church School. Classes will formally begin next Sunday, September 22nd.

Our Foundations catechism class will also begin on Sunday, September 22nd. Our high-schoolers are encouraged to attend Foundations and all adults are welcome.

Our September Parish Council meeting will be Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 p.m.

Youth Group will be meeting twice a month now - next week will be a shorter meeting, a devotional time at 4:00 p.m. (No meal with this meeting.)

The Diocesan Fall Teen retreat will be held during the weekend of October 18th-20th. Registration for participants is closed, but counselors are still needed. https://accounts.doepa.org

Sunday, September 15th marks our first day of Church School. Foundations class begins the following weekend on the 22nd.

Note that our men’s group launch is after weekday Vespers on Tuesday, September 10th. Contact Jeff Kendall for details.  (Also see  Father's email.)

Since the Men's Group will be meeting in the Fellowship Hall, there will be no fellowship after Vespers. 

We will commemorate our September departed next Saturday, September 7th at 4:15 p.m. Watch for the usual email from Father.

At the end of this week we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross. We will have a full Vigil (Vespers & Matins) on Friday evening (September 13th) at 6:00 p.m. The vigil includes a litya and anointing as well. A festal liturgy will be on Saturday morning (September 14th) at 9:00 a.m. with Hours at 8:40 a.m.

Rather than weekday vespers on Tuesday, Jacob Neal will be baptized. Stick around for food and fellowship afterwards!

Please remember that we prepare for communion by fasting, prayer, and confession.

Fasting - We should be striving to keep all the fasting days, but in this case, fasting is specifically in reference to preparation for Divine Liturgy - unless blessed for health reasons, we should be abstaining from all food and drink from midnight until after communion. An exception is made for young children as well, but they should be having a simple breakfast, such as cereal, or a snack.

Prayer - We should be keeping a normal prayer rule, but there are also appointed prayers for when we are going to commune. These “Prayers Before Holy Communion” are found in most prayer books and also in our service books. Try to pray, at a minimum, three of these special preparatory prayers.

Confession - We should be confessing our sins regularly. When was the last time you took part in the sacrament of confession? Let the Holy Spirit be poured out upon you and renew your baptism.

Due to the iconography work, there will be no weekday services this week.

September starts off with a bang! We have not only a lot of liturgical activity, but all the parish ministries begin again. Take note of all the key dates on the September calendar.

This Saturday, August 17th we will have a Reader's Vespers led by our deacons. On Sunday, August 18th instead of Matins at 8:00 a.m., we will have Hours at 8:40 a.m.  Divine Liturgy will be served by Fr. Immanuel Pratsinakis.

This week we only have the festal services. During the week of August 19th there will be no weekday services. The following week shows a Tuesday Vespers (August 27th) but this has been cancelled because the iconography for the front wall will be installed!

Please remember we have an offering basket on the buffet section of the Fellowship Hall. We have a Fellowship Hour fund that those offerings are put into. Those offerings are used to supplement families or individuals who are less able to provide meals when it is their team’s turn.

We have 2 mealtrains going - please help out our families with newborns - see the emails sent by Father.

No Tuesday Vespers this week since we will be having Great Vespers on Monday and Divine Liturgy on Tuesday due to the feast. As part of the Dormition Fast, we will pray the Paraklesis to the Theotokos on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

We now have a shroud for the Theotokos. A case is currently be prepared for it and will hang opposite of the one of Christ. We will use it this year - a tomb will be setup for the Theotokos,  amentations will be sung, and a procession around the Church will be done as part of the full Vigil service on Wednesday evening, August 14th - don’t miss this! It is like Holy Friday but for the Mother of God.

Please remember with the addition of Dn. Nicholas, we now will have three chalices too commune from.  Come up the sides as usual, and individuals and families can filter off to me in the center. The central analogion (stand with the icon) will be moved aside during communion to allow ample space.

We celebrate the great feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord this week - Monday, August 5th is Great Vespers with Litya and Anointing at 6:00 p.m. and Tuesday, August 6th is Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. (prayers of the 3rd & 6th hours at 8:40 a.m.) As is tradition, bring a basket of fruit to be blessed at the end of Liturgy on Tuesday.

Take note that the great feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord is around the corner. It falls on Tuesday, August 6th. Plan ahead to be at Divine Liturgy and also bring a basket of fruit to be blessed.

This Dormition Fast begins this Thursday, August 1st and lasts until the Great Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God on Thursday, August 15th. In addition to fasting from meat and dairy, let us be mindful of increasing the other ascetic endeavors as well - prayer and almsgiving.

This week we have Tuesday Vespers at the usual time of 6:00 p.m. with fellowship and snackluck afterwards (please bring something to share if you stay).

We also will have a weekday liturgy on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. (hours at 8:40 a.m.).

Next weekend is also the wedding of our own Xenia (Olivia) Long. She and Alexander Scott will be betrothed and crowned by Archbishop MARK at St. Michael's at 3:00 p.m. All are welcome to the ceremony; the reception is only for those who submitted an RSVP.

Archbishop MARK will be with us next weekend. We will have a hierarchical liturgy in which Sbdn. Nicholas DiDonato will be ordained a deacon. Be watchful next week as we might begin that day to have three chalices during communion. We’ll be working out the logistics of how that will look and flow over the next several weeks.

This week we have Tuesday Vespers at the usual time of 6:00 p.m. with fellowship and snackluck afterwards (please bring something to share if you stay).

The next women’s get together is at the Whalen’s house this Friday, July 19th at 7:00 p.m.

This week we have Tuesday Vespers at the usual time of 6:00 p.m. with fellowship and snackluck afterwards (please bring something to share if you stay). We will also have a weekday Liturgy on Wednesday morning, July 10th, at 9:00 a.m.

The next council meeting is Thursday, July 11th at 6:30 p.m.

Next Saturday (July 13th) is our prayer service for the July departed. Watch for Father’s usual email to submit requests.

Thank you to all who participated at camp and especially to the volunteers. We easily had the most involved parish both staff and camper wise. Glory to God, and again, thank you!

Many in our parish, families and individuals alike, are part of the St. Tikhon’s Summer Camp this week - a number have already gone ahead to prepare. Please keep all the camp participants in your prayers.

Please remember to dress appropriately for worship services, no matter how hot. With the exception of the very young (babies / toddlers) shorts or other types of revealing clothing are not proper. It is ok to bring a change of clothing for fellowship time afterwards.

Note that we have no services this week due to church camp. We will resume next week with a weekday Vespers and Liturgy on Tuesday the 9th & 10th respectively.

In celebration of Pentecost, this is a fast free week! Enjoy the fast free Wednesday & Friday.

Saturday, June 29th is the feast of the Apostles Peter & Paul. We will celebrate with Great Vespers on Friday, June 28th at 6:00 p.m. and Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.  (Hours at 8:40 a.m.)

There will be no weekday services this week.  They will resume on Tuesday, June 26th with Weekday Vespers and Fellowship.

Next weekend we celebrate the “birthday” of the Church, Pentecost! Next Saturday’s Great Vespers will be festal with a Litya and anointing. On Sunday, we'll have Festal Matins and Divine Liturgy followed by a celebratory Fellowship Hour.  Then we'll come back to the Church for Kneeling Vespers. As a reminder, during the entire time from Pascha until Pentecost there is no kneeling or prostrations. With Kneeling Vespers, we begin again and also reintroduce the “O Heavenly King” prayer back into our prayer rules. 

On Friday, June 21st at 2:00 p.m., Madrecita will have the Church open. If you have time, come and help us decorate for Pentecost.

The June parish council meeting is scheduled for Sunday the 16th following Fellowship Hour.

Sunday the 16th is the Father’s Day potluck. The women will host the men.

We will commemorate our June departed at the end of Great Vespers on Saturday the 15th. Father will send out an email midweek, please reply if you wish to add a name to the list.

On Saturday, the 15th, the Youth Choir will meet at 2:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The Youth Group will meet afterwards at 3:00 p.m.

The next women’s fellowship will be held on Friday, the 14th, at the Najemy’s at 7:00 p.m Check with Anna DiDonato, Bisrat Gabriel, or Laura Najemy for details.

This week we celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord! Great Vespers with Litya & Anointing will be Wednesday the 12th at 6:00 p.m., and the Divine Liturgy on Thursday the 13th is at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.).  Note that there is a potluck after liturgy.

The Tice family is inviting the parish to Sophia’s baptism on Saturday, June 15th at 10:00 a.m. A celebratory meal will follow, but please RSVP by June 10th for the meal (see the emails Father sent.)

There is one final play date remaining for this summer.  It will be on Friday, August 9th at Nichols Park in Landenberg, PA from 9:00 am to approximately 1:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Clause and family are hosting.

If you took a paper copy of the June calendar already, please correct the following: Liturgy for the Ascension is 9:00 a.m., not 9:00 p.m., and there will be a Great Vespers for the feast of the Holy Apostles on Friday, June 28th at 6:00 p.m.

The Great Feast for the Ascension of our Lord is around the corner. Note that we have Great Vespers with Litya & Anointing on Wednesday, June 12th at 6:00 p.m. and the Divine Liturgy on Thursday, June 13th at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40 a.m.).

Please give a warm welcome to Fr. Emmanuel Pratsinakis next weekend. He’ll be substituting for Fr. Silouan serving both Matins and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning.

Thank you to all our men who made our Mother’s Day potluck a success and for serving and cleaning-up well.

We have a weekday Vespers service & “Snackluck” fellowship onTuesday at 6:00 p.m. Father is available for confession before and after the service.

Note that our next youth group meeting is two weeks away on Saturday the 25th at 3:00 p.m. For those that are part of the youth choir, there will be a rehearsal beforehand at 2:30 p.m.

Our annual Pascha Egg hunt is planned for next Sunday, May 19th. Also note that there will be no Church School classes that day.

All women of the parish are invited to the monthly fellowship at the Koehler’s home on Friday, May 17th at 7:00 p.m.  Please ask or see the weekly email for their address.

We have two Panikhidas for the 40th day of repose.

The first was held today (May 12th) for the Mitered Archpriest Emil Minkovich. His wife, Matushka Natalie recently joined our parish. We should continue to pray for Matushka Natalie and the departed Fr. Emil.

The second will be held tomorrow (May 13th) for Edward Hojnicki Jr. at 5:00 p.m. here at St. Michael’s. Everyone is invited.

Holy Week begins!  See the full schedule on the bulletin or on this web page. Separate printouts are also available in the Narthex. Don’t forget about Agape Vespers and the festal potluck on Pascha Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

There are several sign-up sheets in the Narthex.  Please add your name!

Note that Archbishop MARK will be with us Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Let us gather around our bishop and worship!

Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are next weekend! We have several services this week (see This Week's Schedule on this page) but especially note the baptism service on Saturday morning with a potluck following. Catechumens John Plumley and Patrick Finlaw will be baptized. Also note that we have a litya and anointing during Great Vespers next Saturday evening.

Holy Week will be a busy time, please see me for confession no later than Holy Tuesday (April 30th).

This is our final week of Great Lent! Holy Week begins with Bridegroom Matins on Sunday, April 28th. Please check the Holy Week schedule and try to be here for all the services that you can. Note the visit by Archbishop MARK on Monday, April 29th and Tuesday, April 30th.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll be using this platform to broadcast Divine Liturgies onto the television now in the  Fellowship Hall.

Father and family are headed up to St. Tikhon’s for confession on Thursday. There will be no services on Thursday the 18th or Friday the 19th this week. Also note that the Wednesday services have
changed: Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday will now be at 9:00 a.m. (9th Hour & Typica at 8:45 a.m.). Matins with the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the life of St. Mary of Egypt will be
on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. instead of on Thursday.

Thank you to all who helped in one way or another last week with Ed Hojnicki's funeral. Those two days were “nonstop” and showed the impact of Ed’s life on our parish and the community. Despite the worldly recognition that he earned, he reposed well in the Lord - in humility, his eyes on the Lord, and with the hope of the resurrection to come.

Our April parish council meeting is scheduled for this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

The compline service scheduled for Tuesday, April 9th at 6:00 p.m. is cancelled.

Here are the latest arrangements for Ed Hojnicki's funeral:

Monday, April 8th: Viewings and Panakhida

• 1st Viewing: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Break
• 2nd Viewing: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
• Panikhida: 7:00 p.m

We will have snacks and drinks available in the fellowship hall throughout the afternoon. A "mealtrain" is setup - please signup if you can help bring snacks, drinks, or volunteer time to setup / cleanup. https://www.mealtrain.com/potlucks/zn30kr

Tuesday, April 9th: Viewing and Funeral

• 3rd Viewing: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m.
• Burial at All Saints Cemetery

A mercy meal will follow at Minquadale Fire Hall. All are welcome! The main meal is provided, but deserts are welcome.  

Minquadale Fire Hall, 129 E Hazeldell Ave, New Castle, DE 19720

This coming Saturday, April 20th, our Women’s Group is meeting at 3:00 pm. in the Fellowship Hall.

That same weekend, the girl’s group, Faith, Hope, & Love will have their retreat to St. Nina’s.

This Sunday is the Liturgy of St. Basil. If you are using one of the service books to follow along, note the transition at the litany for the catechumens - turn to pg. 81.

Take note of all the services this week. It is a lot, but let us all push ourselves to attend all we can, even if it is for part of the service. Yes, it is hard, but this ascetic labor aids in our salvation.

Take note that the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim of Syria is available on the website.  Keep a copy if you don’t have the prayer memorized, and add it to your daily prayers throughout Lent.

This Saturday. Fr. John Parker of St. Tikhon's Seminary will be sharing on "The Slavery of Liberty."  There will be two sessions - 1:30 to 2:45 and 3:15 to 4:30.  St. Tikhon's Seminary Choir will sing Great Vespers at our usual time of 5:00 p.m.  A reception potluck will be held in the Fellowship Hall afterwards.

Bring your icons! Remember that we do a procession to cap off Divine Liturgy next Sunday, but this time Archbishop MARK will lead us!

We still need Counselors & Staff for the upcoming summer camp. Please register ASAP!

Archbishop MARK will be with us March 23rd and 24th for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Let us gather around our bishop in worship! He is Christ in our midst, we should all make every effort to be here!

Plan ahead: Saturday, March 16th the entire youth group meets in the Fellowship Hall at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 17th Faith, Hope, and Love (girls) meets at the Clause home.

The Parish Council meeting for March is on Thursday, March 7th at 6:30 p.m.

Soul Saturdays are a common feature in Great Lent, with the first one occurring on Meatfare Saturday (Saturday, March 9th). We’ll celebrate one of them this year, commemorating our departed for March with Soul Saturday Vespers on Friday, March 8th at 6:00 p.m. and Divine Liturgy on Saturday, March 9th at 9:00 a.m.

In two weeks, we’ll celebrate St. Theodore’s Saturday on March 23rd and commemorate all of the parish departed and loved ones (annual commemoration of the departed). Father will email midweek for requests. 

This fall there will be a diaconal vocations program hosted at the cathedral in Philadelphia. If you have an interest in pursing the diaconate, please see Father.

This week is a fast free week - a respite as we head towards Great Lent. Enjoy some meat and dairy on Wednesday and Friday.

A new women’s group is forming up! Anna (Susanne) DiDonato and Bisrat Gabriel will be leading it; it begins this Friday, March 1st at 7:30 p.m. The first meeting will be at Anna DiDonato’s home, please bring a snack to share. Contact Anna for more information: susanne.didonato@gmail.com.

Please see the flyer at the entrance of the Fellowship Hall. You can also check out the Orthodox Tours website. The tours are lead by Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky, an OCA priest up in Binghamton, NY. 

Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. we have Weekday Vespers and fellowship - please bring a snack to share if you will be staying to fellowship.

Registration for the diocesan Summer Camp is now full!  However, registration will open up again tomorrow (Monday, February 26th) at 6:00 p.m.  Go to the registration link  at that time if you are still interested in registering.  The camp is at St. Tikhon’s Monastery & Seminary from June 30th - July 6th. Once again, there is no charge for all the children of our diocese.

Note: We still need kitchen help and camp counselors.  If you can't volunteer for the entire week, please consider volunteering for one or two days.

Note that the next Faith, Hope, & Love get together is at the Kendall’s next Saturday, February 24th at 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. we have Weekday Vespers and fellowship - please bring a snack to share if you will be staying for fellowship.

Our February prayers for the departed are scheduled for Saturday (2/10) at 4:15 p.m. If you would like to add someone to the departed list, please reply to the email that will be sent later this week.

Join us on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for Weekday Vespers and fellowship with a “snackluck” following. 

This week we celebrate the Great Feast commemorating the Meeting of our Lord in the Temple. Let us worship together on Thursday, February 1st at 6:00 p.m. (Great Vespers with Litya and Anointing) and Friday, February 2nd at 9:00 a.m. (Divine Liturgy with Hours at 8:40 a.m.). There will be no Bible Study this week due to the Great Feast.

Our diocese is having a single-day women’s retreat on March 2nd. A link to the flyer was provided in the weekly email and a printed one can be found at the fellowship hall entrance. Speak with Madrecita Emilia for more details, she’ll be going!

Join us on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for Weekday Vespers and fellowship with a “snackluck” following.

The January youth group meeting will be held on Saturday, January 27th at 3:00 p.m.

One man and at least two women are needed to be counselors at the upcoming Teen Retreat.  The retreat will be held on the weekend of February 9th - 11th. Please consider volunteering!

Join us on Tuesday for Weekday Vespers and Fellowship. A “snackluck” will follow the half-hour service.

Or memorial service for the January departed is on Saturday the 13th at 4:15 p.m. Watch for the email and reply if you have a request.

Phoebe Koehler, daughter of John & Grace Elizabeth will be baptized next Saturday the 13th at 10:30 a.m.

A grave-side panikhida will be held at All Saints Cemetery for Nikolay Vladimirov on Wednesday, January 3rd at 11:00 a.m. 

The funeral for Christine Minnich will be on Tuesday, January 2nd, at Noon. The viewing will take start at 10:30 a.m. Both the viewing and funeral will be at St. Michael's.

Note that we will begin celebrating Matins as a permanent addition to our Sunday services starting Sunday, January 7th.

Join us on Tuesday, January 2nd for Weekday Vespers and Fellowship. A “snackluck” will follow the half-hour service.

The parish council meeting is this Thursday, January 4th at 6:30 p.m.

Note the various services at the end of this week: Royal Hours, Theophany Vigil and Theophany Divine Liturgy with the Great Blessing of the Waters.

Reminder - bring your containers to collect Holy Water!

Our nomination committee for this year is Fr. Dn. James and Elizabeth Clause. We have three positions open for election, each with a 3-year term: Vice President, Financial Secretary, and a general Council Member position. All three of the current council members in these positions - John Hill (VP), Susan Skomorucha (FS), and Chris Carey (CM) have said they are willing to be re-elected. If you would like to run for one of the positions, please speak with Fr. Dn. James or Elizabeth.

Anyone desiring to run for a position need to be in good standing as defined by our bylaws and have Father’s blessing.

Please arrive early to bring your dish and help setup. Everything should be in place to begin by 5:00 p.m. (so by 4:45 at the latest).

Please consider an offering to help needy Veterans. Offerings can be designated online, on your check, or placed in the specially designated basket.

Due to the frigid weather and safety concerns, the parish council voted to postpone the annual parish meeting until Sunday, February 4th during Fellowship Hour. Use this link to the meeting packet, to download the agenda and other reports. Please take this extended opportunity to review these materials prior to the meeting. 

The packet also includes a blank Statement of Intent form.  If you have not turned in your signed form yet, you can print it, sign it, and bring your signed copy to church.  There is a collection box for them in the Fellowship Hall.  This will help save time getting the meeting started. 

7th- 12th grade - see the link in the weekly email. February 9 - 11. Counselors needed as well. See the weekly email update for links.

We will celebrate the Nativity Vigil after Holy Supper, at approximately 7:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy for the Nativity is Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. No potluck is planned for Fellowship Hour, but coffee will be available and if anyone wants to share some Nativity goodies, they are welcome to.

Pardon the temporary ugliness of our back wall, which has been prepped for the iconography install. Next Sunday it will look very different, glory to God!

We will pray for our December departed next Saturday (December 2nd) at 4:15 p.m. Father will send out his usual email mid-week allowing for requests to be added.

Plan ahead! We’ll be celebrating the feast day of St. Nicholas soon. Great Vespers will be Tuesday evening, December 5th, at 6:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy will be at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, December 6th, followed by a potluck (fish day).

Fr. Timothy Hojnicki will be presiding over the services this week beginning with the Moleben on Thanksgiving day through the Divine Liturgy on Sunday.

Please note that there will be no confessions on Saturday, November 25th and no Church School or  Foundations Class on Sunday, November 26th.

We’ll be decorating this week on Tuesday, November 28th - Daria (Dana) Diehl is coordinating. See her in person or text her at (412) 445-7556. Helpers are needed to put up all of our Nativity décor!

A Moleben of Thanksgiving will be offered at 9:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Fr. Timothy Hojnicki will preside.

This week is one of our Great feasts, the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Holy Temple. We have Great Vespers with litya and an anointing at 6:00 p.m. on Monday evening (November 20th). Tuesday morning (November 21st) we have Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. with a potluck to follow (Fish Day).

We have quite a collection of items again in the Lost & Found basket - see the table in the bookstore area.

Next week, Mark Linnehan will be joining us on behalf of the diocese. A new program has been launched called “Heavenly Host” which encourages our youth to grow in their Orthodox faith.

The Nativity Fast begins this week! We will enter the fast with a “Lenten” Vespers on Tuesday evening (November 14th) at 6:00 p.m. and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning (November 15th) at 9:00 a.m.  Fellowship time will only be after Vespers on Tuesday.

This week the Holy Synod unanimously proclaimed the glorification of the Righteous Olga of Alaska.

St. Olga of Alaska, pray to God for us!

Veteran’s Day was yesterday (November 11th) - Thank you to all who have served our country in the armed forces!

Note that next Friday, November 10th is our Faith, Hope and Love girls group outing. The outing will be from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. See Anna Wales for details.

Next Saturday, November 11th at 2:00 p.m. is our full youth group meeting in the Fellowship Hall.

Our November Parish Council meeting is Thursday the 9th at 6:30 p.m.

Thank you to all who participated. We raised over $1200 for Paws & Affection!

Our patronal feast is this week!  Make plans to join us for Great Vespers with Litya and Anointing on Tuesday evening (Novmber 7th) at 6:00 p.m. and for Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning (November 8th) at 9:30 a.m.  Father will share a children’s homily and following the service we’ll have a potluck with festivities for our children.

REMINDER: Father can provide school excuse letters; email him to receive one.

Join Sbdn. Thaddeus as he leads a weekly Bible Study this Thursday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. in our Fellowship Hall.  This week we will be start at Luke 5:27.

Videos of earlier classes have been posted to the Facebook group that the we use to livestream services. 

Zoom Information for Tonight's Class:

Topic: St Michael's Adult Bible Study
Time: Nov 16, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87089435049?pwd=Y0ZwaVhKUkFYSWtYc1NoU3pUMyt3UT09

Meeting ID: 870 8943 5049
Passcode: 533721

We’ll have a Weekday Vespers on Monday evening (October 30th) at 6:00 p.m. and a weekday liturgy commemorating St. John of Chicago on Tuesday morning (October 31st) at 9:00 a.m. There will be no official fellowship time after Vespers, but we will have a small potluck after Liturgy.

The November calendar is now available. It is a busy month! Note our patronal feast, youth events, and other services throughout the month.

There is now seating upstairs in the loft.  Please be advised that no children should be upstairs without adult supervision.

Thank you to all who have donated thus far. Today (November 12th) will be our final day to receive donations to help our seminarian.

Join Sbdn. Thaddeus as he leads a weekly Bible Study this Thursday, October 26th at 7:00 p.m. in our fellowship hall.  This week we will be start at Luke 2:36.

Videos of earlier classes have been posted to the Facebook group that the we use to livestream services. 

We’ll have the pumpkins set out next weekend and do another fundraising contest.  More details to come next weekend!

Join us on Tuesday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m. for Weekday Vespers and fellowship. A “snackluck” will follow the half-hour service.

The October parish council meeting is this Thursday, October 12th at 6:30 p.m.

Join Sbdn. Thaddeus as he leads a weekly Bible Study this Thursday, October 12th at 7:00 p.m. in our fellowship hall

Videos of the classes will be posted to the Facebook group that the we use to livestream services. 

We’ll prayer for our October departed next Saturday (October 7th) at 4:15 p.m.

The first meeting of the youth group will be October 14th at 2:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Parents, please check your email to fill out the forms. See Dan Peck for any questions.

The Ss. Faith, Hope, & Love girl’s fellowship meets on October 7th, 6:30 p.m. at the Clause residence.

Join Subdeacon Thaddeus for Adult Bible Study starting Thursday, September 28th. We will meet every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will be studying The Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

These books were both written by the same man, Luke the Physician. Luke, a Gentile Christian, wrote the books for another Gentile Christian named Theophilus so that he would “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” In the Gospel, Luke gives a carefully compiled history of our Lord Jesus Christ, his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. In Acts, he continues with the history of the early Church from its humble beginnings in Jerusalem to its spread to the very heart of the empire, Rome itself.

We will study the books in order, from beginning to end, one section at a time just as they flowed from Luke's pen. As we read, we will pause frequently to reflect on the meaning of what we are reading and what implications it has for our lives. This is where we will have an opportunity to share our knowledge, experiences, and insight with each other. We will also consider the commentaries of the Church Fathers. This way of working together makes each meeting fairly self-contained, so if you need to miss a few meetings, you can easily rejoin the group later.

Everyone should bring a Bible to class. The Orthodox Study Bible is highly recommended, but not necessary.

Matthew Minnich’s family (his wife Catherine and his children - Matthew Jr., Maddison, and Jeffery) will be initiated into the Orthodox faith next Saturday the 23rd. All are invited and a meal will be provided afterwards.

Foundations will begin next week - Sunday, September 24th - rather than this weekend.

Don’t miss out on the Great Feasts due to school - Father can provide school excuses for children who miss class due to attending Liturgy. Next up, our patronal feast day on November 8th - this should be near Pascha level importance for us all!

Michael will be baptized this coming Saturday at 11:00 a.m. If you plan to stay for the fellowship meal afterwards, please RSVP by Tuesday, September 12th.

Just a reminder that if you have any outstanding IOUs, Please make them good.

Additionally, please consider rounding up anytime you purchase a book. That helps us keep our library stocked with new books.

We will pray for our September departed on Saturday, the 9th at 4:15  p.m. Watch for the email this week to submit requests.

This week we celebrate the Exaltation of the Life-giving and Precious Cross of our Lord. Great Vespers is on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., and Divine Liturgy with a children’s homily is on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. (Hours at 9:10 a.m.). The feast day is a strict fast, so no fellowship after Vepsers and no potluck after Divine Liturgy.

From Maria Sue: Thank you to all who volunteered and contributed their time, treasure, and talent to this past week’s Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition. Your work is a blessing to many.

Help support our future clergy! Can you be a St. Tikhon’s Sustainer? The Seminary is looking to have consistent donors, donating on a monthly basis. Any amount is welcome.

https://www.stots.edu/donate

Note that our educational classes begin on September 17th. The Foundations Class will be covering the OCA’s new digital book, Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs. All adults are welcome!

In preparation for Church School this fall, Anna Wales sent out an email last week asking for all parents to reply. If you received it, and have not yet replied, please do so ASAP. If you did not receive it, and have a child who is 4 or older, please let her know you did not receive the email or email her at wales.anna@gmail.com.

Note that we have several weekday liturgies and their corresponding Vespers services - 3 weeks in a row! See the front of the bulletin and our September calendar.  This week it is the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29th). Next week it is a great feast - the Birthday (Nativity) of the Theotokos (September 8th). The week after is yet another great feast - the Exaltation of the Lifegiving and Precious Cross of our Lord (September 14th).

Take note of a number of new books in our bookstore from a recent Ancient Faith order. We pass along our cost, which is cheaper than buying from them directly. Please consider rounding up your purchase to help us stock the library.

On Labor Day weekend, after Fellowship Hour on September 3rd, we’ll be getting the floors cleaned and waxed, We will need to put away all the chairs, tables, and children’s items that are in the hall - the entire floor area needs to be clear. Likewise, we’ll need help getting everything out and setup again on Thursday, September 7th before and/or after Great Vespers so all is in place for the potluck on Friday the 8th.

Stephanie and Jeremy Riley are happy to announce the birth of their son, Michael James Riley. A mealtrain is setup, please see the weekly email for the link or ask one of our hospitality team members. May God grant Michael and his family many years!

Our parish grounds need some “T.L.C.” - lots of weeds are popping up and even some poison-ivy (south altar exit).  Please see John Hill if you would like to volunteer.

We still need a couple of volunteers - one for the main meal and one for desert. Please see the poster board in the Fellowship Hall.

On Monday evening (August 14th) at 6 p.m. we will begin our commemoration of the Dormition of the Mother of God with Great Vespers, including litya and anointing.  A celebratory Divine Liturgy will be served on Tuesday morning (August 15th) at 9:30 a.m. (Hours at 9:10 a.m.). Last week we brought fruits to be blessed in celebration of our Lord's Transfiguration; this time please bring flowers and/or herbs to Tuesday's Divine Liturgy in celebration of Dormition - a table will be at the front.

We will pray for those departed in August next Saturday, August 12th at 4:15 p.m. Watch for an email this week of those names on record and to make a request.

This week we have Weekday Vespers and fellowship with a vegan “snackluck” this Tuesday, August 8th at 6:00 p.m. On Friday, August 11th,  the small Paraklesis to the Theotokos will be served, also at 6:00 p.m.

Cædmon Stultz will be baptized on Saturday, August 26th at 10:00 a.m.  All are invited!  (Baptism service only.) A small, celebratory potluck will follow.

The August parish council meeting is next Thursday (August 10th) at 6:30 p.m.

Next weekend we celebrate the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord (It falls on Sunday this year.) We will have a “Lenten” potluck (fish day) - please bring something to share in celebration.

Calendar addition! At the end of Liturgy on Sunday, August 27th, we will have our back to school prayers as well as a blessing of backpacks.

Elizabeth now resides at the memory care unit of Kutz Senior Living, 1221 Lodge Lane, Apt.108, Wilmington, DE 19809. Visitors are welcome, mornings are best.

Please note our weekday Vespers will be held on Wednesday this week at 6:00 p.m.  We will have a liturgy & potluck on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. (Hours at 8:40).  We will be commemorating the Great Martyr and Unmercenary Healer Panteleimon.

The August calendar is now available. Note the Dormition Fast services as well as the Great Feasts.

Last Sunday Cædmon Earendel Stultz was born. Many years!  A mealtrain has been setup for Enoch & Lily. See the weekly email for the signup link or check with Laura Whalen.

Take note of our new books and prayer ropes along with other prayer corner items.

Please gently blow out the candles. Wax tends to get sprayed on the stands and even the floor if they are blown out too hard.

Next Saturday (July 15th) we will pray for our July departed. Watch for an email in a few days to submit requests.

Photine (Celeste) Davis is having her baby shower in the fellowship hall on Saturday, August 5th from Noon to 4:30 p.m.  Please see the weekly email update to RSVP and access the registry.

Phew! What a week, glory to God! Thank you to all who devoted their week to the camp this year. We literally could not have had camp if not for the time and talents invested by you all.

Due to the inclement weather this week (July 16th), the vehicle blessing procession in commemoration of the Holy Prophet Elijah will be moved to July 23rd.  The vehicle blessing procession will be at the end of Divine Liturgy. We’ll go around the parking lot blessing all vehicles of all kinds (includes bikes, skate boards, etc.).

Thank you to all who continually donate towards our Good Samaritan Fund. As next Sunday (July 2nd)  is the first Sunday of the month, please consider an extra offering to this fund.

Note that we celebrate the feast of Saints Peter & Paul this week. Great Vespers will be on Wednesday, June 28th at 6:00 p.m., and Divine Liturgy will be at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 29th.
(hours at 8:40). A potluck fellowship will follow - please bring
something to share if you plan to stay.

Father Silouan uses an opt-in email service to send out his communications (such as the Weekend Update) to the parish.  This is a different service than the parish Listserv.

To sign up, click on “The Latest” in the menu above.  Then click on "Email Signup" which is the first item in the drop-down menu.

Don’t forget you can give tithes and offerings online, including designated funds. There are two ways to do this.  First, you can use the green "Give" button on Father Silouan's "Weekend Update" emails.  Second, you can use the menu on this page.  Click on "The Latest," then click on "Church Connect."  Finally click on the blue "Give Online" button.

In anticipation of Archbishop MARK's visit, the adult altar servers will be doing a cleanup of the altar on Thursday, June 22nd at 7:00 p.m.

Anyone else who would care to help out will be more than welcome to join us!

Please note that Archbishop MARK will be with us for Vespers and Liturgy next weekend. Let us give our usual warm welcome to him and gather round him in worship. If you would like to confess next Saturday, please schedule a confession before Vespers.

We will have Tuesday Vespers and fellowship with a “snackluck” this week at 6:00 p.m.

Attention all cleaning volunteers - we now have a new checklist to use. A copy is under the glass in the Candle Room and some extra printed copies are in there as well.

Rafael and Roel Gabriel will need transportation back from Church Camp a day early (Friday, July 7th). If anyone can accommodate them, please let Father know.

This week we will have vespers on Wednesday, June 14th instead of Tuesday, and we will celebrate a weekday liturgy on Thursday morning (June 15th). 

Thank you to all the Saint Michael’s volunteers who contributed to this past week’s Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition. Your efforts have brought comfort, sustenance and hope to needy families in our community.

- Sue D’Orazio

Due to our usual volunteers traveling, we need some others to volunteer to pick up the leftover baked goods for these dates:

• June 24th
• July 1st
• July 15th - Just one more date needing a volunteer.
• July 22nd

All pickups are at 8:45 p.m.

Panera is located at 2311 Concorde Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803. Please let Father know if you can help with one or more of the dates.

We are looking to get the St. Michael’s Sisterhood re-established. Anne Riley has offered to co-chair. We need an energetic younger woman willing to co-chair with her. Contact Father if you are interested in helping lead.

June’s parish council meeting is this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday Vespers resumes this week at 6:00 p.m. - As usual, fellowship with a “snackluck” will follow and Father will be available for confession before and after Vespers.

Take note that this week is a Fast Free week in celebration of Pentecost. Next Monday (June 12th) the Apostle’s Fast begins.

Attention all women: Sue D’Orazio is coordinating the Father’s Day potluck, which is next Sunday. Please contact her with details on what you can bring or how you can serve.

All those who still have not submitted their summer camp paperwork, please do so by the end of this week!!!

Troy (Constantine) & Ekaterina Bergwall are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Margarita. She was born on Tuesday, weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Please continue to keep the family in prayer as they recover. A mealtrain has also been organized for them.

Next Sunday, June 4th, we celebrate the Great Feast of Pentecost during which John Koehler will be Chrismated! Make plans to join us on Saturday evening, June 3rd,  for a festal Great Vespers that will include a litya service - an anointing and blessed bread.

Thank you to all who expressed their sympathy at the passing of my mom. The outpouring of love is appreciated. We look forward to being back home and celebrating Pentecost with you all.

     -Father & Madrecita

No Tuesday Vespers this week as Father will not be available.  Tuesday Vespers will resume on June 6th.

Join us on Tuesday, May 16th for vespers & fellowship at 6:00 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to cook or provide take-out for approximately two homeless families. You will deliver meals to 2501 Milltown Rd (across from St. Michael’s) on Monday, June 5th, Tuesday, June 6th, and Thursday, June 8th at 6:00 p.m.

Please sign-up on the poster board in the Fellowship Hall. Details will follow. See Maria (Sue) D’Orazio for questions - 512-781-5435 suemariedorazio@gmail.com with questions.

The baby shower for Ekaterina (Kate) Bergwall will be held on Saturday, May 13th, at 11:00 a.m. in the church Fellowship Hall. Please see Father’s weekly email for links to RSVP.

Volunteers are needed to help in a regular rotation for transporting Eric (Moses) Jennings to and from services, particularly Sunday morning. He lives off Maryland Avenue in Wilmington. Please let Christopher Carey know if you can help.

We have some new stock from St. Tikhon’s! Not only are there some new books now on display, but also two hand carved wall crosses (in the display tower), some beeswax votive candles, and incense for your prayer corner.

No Tuesday Vespers on May 2nd due to Madrecita’s surgery. We will tentatively resume on May 9th.

Perpetua (Colleen) Shatley sends her thanks as we were able to collect enough items during Great Lent to make six full “Welcome Baby” baskets for expecting mothers.

John Hill has organized an outdoor work day. Please take note of the sheet that John has printed out with a list of work to do and items (e.g., tools) to bring. The workday is scheduled for next Saturday, May 6th at 9:00 a.m. Please come and help!

Note: If you have a needed tool, please bring it, even if you won't be doing the work that requires it.

John Hill has organized an outdoor work day. 

Demetrios (Jim) Petrides reposed in the Lord late Thursday evening. His funeral will be Monday, May 1st.  The viewing will begin at 11:00 a.m., and the funeral will begin at 12:00 noon.

Tuesday Vespers resumes! Join us at 6:00 p.m for Vespers and and a snack based fellowship afterwards.

(Note: There will no Tuesday Vespers on May 2nd due to Madrecita’s surgery.)

Magdelina (Lily) Stulz’s baby shower is this coming Saturday (April 29th) at 11:00 a.m. in our fellowship hall. Ekaterina (Kate) Bergwall has hers on Saturday, May 13th, at 11 :00 a.m. also in our hall. Please see Father’s weekly email for more information.

Rdr. John (Ed) Ross is helping coordinate the men for the potluck on Mother's Day (May 14). Please see him about what you can bring or do to help make it a special day for all of our mothers and God mothers.

Prepare for Holy Unction as well as Pascha by washing yourself clean through the sacrament of repentance - Father is available immediately before or after services on Monday & Tuesday and by appointment Monday - Wednesday.

Please plan to be at Agape Vespers on Pascha Sunday at 3:00 p.m. We will continue our celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection with a potluck feast.

Note the various services this week - Lenten Vespers on Tuesday evening, Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday morning, and then the Liturgical rocket launches with ten days in a row of services. The launch begins with Vespers on Friday to prepare for Lazarus Saturday. On Saturday morning we will celebrate a Baptismal Liturgy to welcome three of our catechumens fully into the Faith. We then launch our celebration of Palm Sunday. Holy Week begins next Sunday evening with Archbishop MARK leading Bridegroom Matins of Holy Monday (Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m.).

At the end of Vespers on Friday, April 7th we will commemorate our April departed. As usual, watch for an email and reply to add names.

Bridget (Tess) Plummer has a friend who will be butchering a certified organic, grass-fed cow mid-April. Thus far, about half the cow is spoken for by those in our parish. Please speak with her if you are interested in purchasing a portion.

The diocese has launched the spring fundraiser for the seminarians. Please help! Designate your offering (online or physically) for the Seminarians.

Please check out the April calendar and note all the Holy Week services.

The sign-up sheets are now available in the Narthex for:

• The Holy Friday Tomb Watch
• The 15 Old Testament readings read during the Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy
• The reading of the Book of Acts on Holy Saturday evening

Note the various services this week - Lenten Vespers on Tuesday evening, Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday morning, Canon of St. Andrew & Life of St. Mary of Egypt on Wednesday evening, and the Akathist to the Theotokos on Friday evening. 

Father is available by appointment this Thursday, March 30th for confession or to chat from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

We will be hosting Mission Vespers next Sunday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m.

A lot of help is needed. Please see the emails that have been sent thus far or speak with Alice Morjana or Madrecita Emilia.

Take note! We celebrate this Great Feast beginning with Great Vespers this Friday, March 24th at 6:00 p.m. We will have Divine Liturgy (St. John Chrysostom) at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 25th.

Next weekend, on Sunday, March 19th at 4:00 p.m., our sister parish of Saint Herman of Alaska in Glen Mills, PA will be hosting mission vespers. Their rector, Fr. John Perich, is the curator of the St. Tikhon’s Museum and the reliquary for the OCA, so they have an impressive collection of relics. They also will be having a special speaker, seminarian Fr. Herman Belt. (Note: We will be hosting Mission Vespers on Sunday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m.)

On Saturday, March 11th, the dean of St. Tikhon's seminary, Fr. John Parker, will be joining us to host our 2023 Lenten Retreat.  He will speak towards offering ourselves in the service of Christ.  Additionally, eight seminarians that compose the St. Tikhon's Mission Choir will be traveling down with him.  They'll be our speakers for the second session! Each of them will speak about "hearing the call," and sharing a little about themselves.  

This year the retreat will begin at Noon, with a potluck lunch to welcome all of them.  The schedule is as follows:

Saturday:

Noon - 1:00:  Lenten Potluck Lunch 
1:00 - 2:30: Fr. John Parker 
2:30 - 3:00: Break
3:00 - 4:30: Seminarians share 
4:30 - 5:00: Break
5:00 - 6:00: Great Vespers sung by the St. Tikhon's Mission Choir
6:00 : Lenten Potluck Dinner and fellowship with Fr. John and the seminarians

Sunday:

Homily by Fr. John Parker and Divine Liturgy sung by St. Tikhon's Mission Choir.  

Thank you to all who have donated!  There are some items that we still need:

• Boys outfits
• Girls onesies
• Hooded towels
• Baby wash and lotion

Please be reminded that we are celebrating St. Basil the Great’s liturgy today. If you follow along with one of the new service books, begin with the St. John Chrysostom liturgy section, but turn to page 81 when we begin the “Litany of the Catechumens” (when the catechumens go forward).

Father will be available at the Church this Thursday, March 23rd for confession or to chat from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.  Please make an appointment.

A variety of Lenten reading is available. We have Meditations for Great Lent by Archimandrite Vassilios for $10 (several excerpts in past bulletins are snippets from this book). Fr. Thomas Hopko’s Lenten Spring is on clearance for $7.

It was agreed at the parish meeting to add a $500/month line-item to our budget to hire someone to clean the Fellowship Hall and Church School (contract labor). Anyone interested should email Father at frsilouan@stmichaelsdelaware.org. Please include your qualifications. The Parish Council will make a decision at the next meeting on March 9th. NOTE: This cleaning is in addition to the hard work done by our volunteers.

Next Sunday, bring your favorite icon for the procession in remembrance of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

We have services everyday this week! On Monday, February 27th we begin the beautiful Canon of St. Andrew of Crete which continues on Tuesday, February 28th and Thursday, March 2nd.  We have two Presanctified liturgies this week, both at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1st and Friday, March 3rd.  Both presanctified liturgies are followed by Lenten potlucks. If you plan to commune at the Presanctified Liturgies, please remember to fast from midday on.

Father will be available at the Church this Thursday, February 23rd for confession or to chat from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please make an appointment.

The Lost & Found basket in the Fellowship Hall next to the Food Pantry shelf is still quite full, mostly with children’s clothing.  It is now sitting on the counter at the bookstore.  Please see if you recognize anything in it.

Please remember to clean-up after yourself and your children. Dispose of your trash or recycle waste in the appropriate containers and wipe up any messes.

Join us for Cheesefare Vespers and fellowship (with a light potluck) this Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Vespers this Tuesday marks the beginning of the use of the Lenten prayer of St. Ephraim.

Join us for Vespers and fellowship (with a light potluck) this Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

Thank you to all the Saint Michael’s volunteers who contributed to this past week’s Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition. Your efforts have made such a difference to needy families in our community.

Please consider a monthly donation to the Good Samaritan Fund. As mentioned in the annual meeting, over $20,000 passed through this fund last year helping many that were in need in our parish.

Any in need are welcome to help themselves to the Food Pantry in our Fellowship Hall. It is well stocked at the moment.  Also, feel free to take food from the food pantry to give to someone you know who is in need.

Tabby Wojciechowski and her dog are looking to be a roommate, or to find affordable accommodations. She is looking to make the move ASAP.  Please contact her at tabbywoj@udel.edu if you can help.

Every year just before Great Lent there is a fast free week, it is now upon us!

The Panera Bread on Concord Pike in the Fairfax Shopping Center will now be donating their leftover breads and sweets to us on Saturday evenings. Thank you to Emmelia Peck for setting this up! Emmelia would appreciate help in fetching the leftovers, especially when she is unable to. For example, she and Sbdn. Basil will be out of town next weekend, on February 11th. Please let her know if you can help.

Church School and Foundations class were cancelled on February 5th due to the All Parish Meeting.  They will both resume on February 12th at their normal times.

Please submit all of your forms, and adults please perform your background checks and referrals.  We need these ASAP - Father can accept them.

There will be no Tuesday Vespers this week as we will have Great Vespers on Wednesday, February 1st at 6:00 p.m.  Divine Liturgy will be on Thursday, February 2nd at 9:30 a.m. followed by a potluck. 

Out church women will be going country line dancing at The Grand on Friday, February 3rd, from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. There is a $7 entrance fee.  See the email updates for the link to sign-up.  Please contact Elizabeth Clause for more details.

If you can’t make it to confession after Tuesday or Saturday Vespers, please note that Father is available by appointment during other times of the week, including before both Vesper services.

Church Open time will resume during Great Lent.

We will have a talent show and dinner next Saturday, February 18th. Vespers will be moved up to 4:00 p.m. The Talent show and Potluck will follow afterwards. Please sign-up if you will be there. See Dan Peck with any questions. Please consider scheduling your confession before Vespers or during the week.

We have Tuesday Vespers with snacks and fellowship this week at 6:00 p.m. Note that we also have a “Daily” Divine Liturgy this week at 9:00 a.m. followed by fellowship and a potluck.

The January Panikhida is next Saturday, January 21st. As usual, an email will be sent containing all the names.  Please reply if you would like to add one.

Please see Madrecita Emilia to schedule a house blessing. Father and family are available this Sunday evening and Monday evening.

I have updated our “Wish Book” of liturgical items. New to the book is a Litya tray to replace our current one, which is not in good condition. Donations can be made towards this fund either by designation on your offering or made online.  Your donation toward an item does not have to be the full amount.

Please refrain from leaning on the walls in the Nave that have iconography on them, and please encourage children to show respect for them as well. Thank you.

Coming soon! Stay tuned for more details. A preliminary hike is planned on the afternoon of Sunday, January 8th at White Clay Creek Preserve Park.

Our January parish council meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, January 4th at 7:00 p.m.

Our annual all-parish meeting will be held on Sunday, February 5th, during Fellowship Hour. Additionally, we will have the election of corporate Trustees pursuant to Title 27, Section 101 of the Delaware State Code. Postings will be on the doors for the minimum 10 days required before our annual meeting. The Trustees to be voted on are:

• Brian Burns (Fr. Silouan)
• Richard Peck (Sbdn. Basil)
• Susan Skomorucha

Please download and review the meeting packet before Sunday.  This will help speed up the meeting and save paper.  There will be a limited number of paper copies of the packet at the meeting.

Our current slate of nominees is listed below.  Please let Fr. Dn. James or Mark Bunitsky know if you have additional nominations.

• President (3-year term): Laura Najemy
• Vice President (1-year term): John Hill
• Treasurer (2-year term): Sbdn. Basil Peck (re-election)
• Secretary (3-year term): Rdr. Andrew Ashton
• Financial Secretary (1-year term): Susan Skomorucha (re-election)
• Council Member 1 (1-year term): Alice Morjana
• Council Member 2 (2-year term): Sue D’Orazio (re-election)
• Council Member 3 (3-year term): Luke Wales
• (Non-Council) Auditors: (3-year term): Jon Whalen & Sergey Baldytchev (both re-election)

Tuesday Vespers and fellowship with mini-potluck resumes this week on Tuesday, January 3rd at 6:00 p.m.

No Church Open hours are scheduled for this week.  Also, no Church Open hours will be scheduled during January due to house blessings. Father will be available during our normal service times (before or after Vespers services) or by appointment during the week.

We have a busy week this week that culminates with the Great Feast of Theophany on Friday morning. Join us for Keenan’s baptism as well as the Blessing of the Waters and a celebratory potluck.

• Royal Hours at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 4th
• Festal Matins with anointing at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 5th
• Great Feast of Theophany at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, January 6th

The January calendar is now available. House blessing season will be starting up after Theophany, which is Friday, January 6th. Scheduling for house blessings will begin next weekend.

The Church will be open this Thursday, December 22nd from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Father will be available by appointment for confession and/or to chat.

We will have a “light” Fellowship Hour next Sunday since many families have plans right after the service. If you plan to stay, please register online. A link was sent with the weekly email.

Join us on Tuesday, December 20th for a Nativity Daily Vespers and fellowship. A small potluck will follow the half-hour service.

The teams have been formed! If you still need to be plugged into a team, please let Juliana (Carolyn) Peck know. For 2023, the teams have been expanded and a Potluck day has been assigned for every month. Helpers have also been assigned for set-up and clean-up on the potluck days, but please remember to wash and take your serving dishes.

The Church will be open this Thursday, December 8th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

We will celebrate Great Vespers with Litya & Anointing at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 5th. Divine Liturgy will be on Tuesday, December 6th at 9:30 a.m. followed by fellowship and a visit by St. Nicholas!

If you like to use offering envelopes, please pick up a box at the candle room. Please be sure to record your name next to the number on the box that you take

In accordance with our new bylaws, a nomination committee has been formed. Fr. Dn. James and Mark Bunitsky comprise the committee. Please let them know if you are willing to serve or would like to nominate someone to serve on the council in addition to the names below. They will verify if the nominee and add them to the list. Keep in mind that one must be in good standing in order to serve on the parish council. Good standing requires that the member:

1. Is a baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christian;
2. Is at least eighteen (18) years of age;
3. Partakes of the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion in this Parish regularly;
4. Submits a signed statement of intent to be a voting member of the Parish;
5. Has been a parishioner of this Parish for a prior consecutive 3-month period; and
6. “Good standing” is determined solely by the Rector.

This initial election also sets up rolling, 3-year terms so that in subsequent years only a few are up for election. For example, in 2024 only Vice President, Financial Secretary, and a general Council Member will be elected. Currently those willing to be elected are:

• President (3-year term): Laura Najemy
• Vice President (1-year term): John Hill
• Treasurer (2-year term): Sbdn. Basil Peck (re-election)
• Secretary (3-year term): Rdr. Andrew Ashton
• Financial Secretary (1-year term): Susan Skomorucha (re-election)
• Council Member 1 (1-year term): Alice Morjana
• Council Member 2 (2-year term): Sue D’Orazio (re-election)
• Council Member 3 (3-year term): This could be you!!!
• (Non-Council) Auditors: (3-year term): Jon Whalen & Sergey Baldytchev (both re-election)

We are at 63 attendees. If you have not signed-up yet, please see the link in the weekly email or let Father or Madre know you are going to attend. Based on the sign-ups we should have plenty of food, but we could use some more loaves of fresh baked bread. Some sparkling drinks for the children to participate in the toast with would be appreciated as well.

The Church will be open this Thursday, December 1st from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Father will be available by appointment for confession or chat.

Please note that choir rehearsals to review hymns for Nativity and Theophany are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. next Saturday, December 3rd and for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 17th.

In addition to Tuesday Vespers this week, we will celebrate Liturgy on Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. (Hours at 9:10 a.m.) with a potluck to follow.

As we progress through the Nativity Fast, please consider a donation to:

• Good Samaritan Fund - Our Good Samaritan fund is depleted, which is a good thing! Help us build it back up for this holiday season.
• Seminarian Appeal - Archbishop MARK has sent out a letter asking us to help our seminarians. We currently have four of them, 3 with families. We will take up a special offering on Sunday, December 11.  If you would like to contribute now, please designate “Seminarians.”  The final day of this appeal will be Sunday, December 11th.
• Veterans - Please help support the purchase of grocery gift cards for local veterans. Donate online or designate “Veterans” on your check or an envelope.  The final day of this appeal will be Sunday, December 18th.

Fr. Timothy Hojnicki will be leading a service of prayer on Thanksgiving morning at 10:00 a.m.

Thank you to all the Saint Michael’s volunteers who contributed their time, talent, and treasure towards the Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition.

Our monthly parish council meeting is this Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Church open time is 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. this Thursday, November 10th. If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Thank you to all who decorated pumpkins as well as to all who donated. We raised just over $2,100 for the Brasowski family! Glory to God!

We will not be having Church Open hours this week.  Please contact Father if you need to make an appointment the first half of this week.

Our celebration of our guardian and defender, our heavenly intercessor Archangel Michael is this Tuesday, November 8th. We will dedicate our renovated Church School space and have activities geared towards our children. Let us all worship and celebrate together!

There will be no church open time this week.  Please contact Father Silouan if you need to make an appointment.

Join us at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 25th for Daily Vespers and fellowship. A small potluck will follow the half hour service.

Please remember to bring your decorated pumpkin next weekend. Preferably set it up before or after Great Vespers on Saturday, October 29th. The Fundraising event for the Brasowski’s will occur during fellowship hour on Sunday, October 30th.

Photine’s (Celeste Bond’s) Bridal Shower is this Friday at 4:30 p.m. in our Fellowship Hall - all women are invited

It’s time to volunteer for 2023!  Sign-up sheets are now available for cleaning, service duty (candle desk), fellowship hour, and prosphora baking.

We will be having an All-Parish meeting on Sunday, November 6th during Fellowship Hour to adopt new bylaws. See the weekly email for the link to the PDF or ask for a printed copy at the candle
desk. Please contact Father with any questions.

Next weekend (October 22nd & 23rd) Archbishop MARK will be with us for Vespers and Liturgy (with potluck following.)

The church will be open on Thursday, October 20th from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (note the time change). If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

This week Daily Vespers and Fellowship will be on Monday, October 17th at 6:00 p.m. We will have a Daily Liturgy service on Tuesday morning, October 18th, at 9:00 a.m. followed by a potluck.

Olga (Kendreia) Rhine works with a downtown ministry aiding inner city youth in Wilmington, and they need help. Want to help out? Talk to Olga and learn more about it.

Please help support the purchase of grocery gift cards for local veterans. Donations will be collected now through December 18th.  There are three ways to donate to the effort:

1. Online.  A giving category "Veteran's Fund" has been set up in ChurchTrac.
2. By check.  Please designate "Veterans" on your check.
3. With cash.  Place cash in a labeled envelope.

Thank you to all who helped paint and clean during our Church Beautification Day on Saturday, October 8th.

Church will be open on Thursday, October 13th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (note the time change). If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

The “Cloud of Witnesses” will be a wall of icons for our children to venerate composed of icons currently in our Church. Due to the iconography project, most of the small icons will be removed.  Please place a sticker on any icons you wish to either take home or have placed elsewhere, such as the candle room.

Volunteers are still needed to cook or provide take-out for approximately two homeless families. You will deliver meals (no contact) to 2501 Milltown Road (across from St. Michaels) on Monday, November 7th,, Tuesday, November 8th, and Thursday, November 10th at 6:00pm. Please sign up on the poster board in the Fellowship Hall at the beverage table. Contact Maria (Sue) D’Orazio at 512-781-5435 or suemariedorazio@gmail.com with any questions.

Note that we are having Daily Vespers on Wednesday this week (October 5th at 6:00 p.m.) and a Liturgy on Thursday morning (October 6th at 9:30 a.m.). Daily services will vary this month. They can be found on the October calendar.  Printouts are available in the narthex.  

As a reminder, Church School will be held outside or where possible while renovations continue downstairs. The flooring will be installed this week. Over the next month the partitions and furniture will follow.

• HELP! - More items (whiteboards, bulletin boards, etc.) need to be removed. Please take a moment to lend a hand in sorting out the items, or take an item.

• Icons - As a reminder, the plan for all the icons currently on our walls entails many of them becoming the “Cloud of Witnesses” downstairs. Some icons will be kept here in our temple, but most will be used for our children. A sticker system will be used to determine the use of the icons.

For the past several years we have taken a collection for our veterans towards gift-cards that will be purchased and dispersed by one of our own veterans, Sam Sylvest. Over the next couple of months,
please consider a donation towards this temporary fund.

The October parish council meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, October 6th, at 7:00 p.m.

Someone is trying to impersonate Father using a fake email address with “rev” in it. The emails he uses for ministry are frsilouan@stmichaelsdelaware.org and frsilouanburns@gmail.com. Any request for money or funds will always be through the Church.

The October calendar is now available.  Take note of the change-up in “Tuesday” Vespers services.  Two liturgies have been added for October. There are two significant saints celebrated, so the "Tuesday" Vespers has been moved to match with the eve of those days.

Archbishop MARK has sent us a thank you letter for the donations we have made to the diocese. The letter will be available in the Narthex.

The Church will be open this Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Join us on Tuesday for Daily Vespers and fellowship. A small potluck will follow the half-hour service.

Church school is tentatively scheduled to begin next week if the weather is good (Outdoor class). Foundations class will resume next week rain or shine.

The flooring has been removed in the basement / Church-school area. Please stay out so that glue or other debris does not end up tracked upon the new carpet.

Don’t forget you can give tithes and offerings online, including gifts designated funds. Use this link to go to the online giving page.

No Daily Vespers on Tuesday September 13th, but we will have Great Vespers! Join us.

This week we celebrate the Exaltation of the Life-giving and Precious Cross of our Lord. We will have Great Vespers with Litya and Annointing on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:00 p.m., and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, September 14th at 9:30 a.m.  A vegan potluck will follow the Divine Liturgy.

Want to prepare something for a potluck or Fellowship Hour? We have funds available to help! Check with Father or Sbdn. Basil Peck.

The parking lot will be closed until Friday this week for resealing and striping. If access to the Church is needed, please contact Father to make arrangements.

There will be no Tuesday Vespers or Church Open Time this week due to the Great Feast.  Father is available for confession our counsel befor or after Vespers and also by appointment.

Thank you to all who volunteered and contributed to this past week’s Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition. Your efforts have brought comfort, sustenance and hope to needy families in our community.

Our September council meeting is Thursday (September 8th) at 7:00 p.m. Our nominees for next year’s council are encouraged to attend.

We will pray for our September departed on Saturday the 10th at 4:15 p.m. Watch for the usual email with the list of names Father already has and to submit any requests

Please make plans to celebrate and worship with us this week and next. The Great Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos will be on Thursday, September 8th.  The Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross will be on Wednesday, September 14th.  Great Vespers with Litya and Annointing will be held at 6:00 p.m. on the evening before each feast day.  Divine Liturgies will be held at 9:30 a.m. on the day of each feast.  Potlucks will follow both Divine Liturgies.

Join us for Vespers & fellowship on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Please bring a snack or a light meal to share.

The Church will NOT be open this coming Thursday (September 1st). Father is available by appointment on Tuesday, August 30th (AM or PM).

Foundations class begins on September 11th. Come deepen your understanding of Orthodox Christian theology and the sacraments.

The finalized September calendar is now available online and a stack of printed ones is located in the Narthex. Please note our Great Feast days this month and let us worship  together.

Note that Monday, August 29th commemorates the beheading of St. John the Baptist and is a strict fast day.

Our food pantry (shelf in the Fellowship Hall by the beverage tables) is well stocked. Please be sure and help yourself or help someone else.

Join us for Vespers & fellowship on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Please bring a snack or light meal to share.

The Church will NOT be open this coming Thursday. Father is available by appointment during the afternoon of Tuesday the 23rd .

Our 2022 Annual Parish Meeting is around the corner (October). Offices that need to filled are: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Trustee (Buildings & Grounds).

Please note that we will conclude Liturgy on Sunday, August 28th, with special prayers for all students and teachers. Don’t miss out! Bring a backpack or bookbag to be blessed too!

Did you know you can subscribe to our parish calendar on your smartphone? Find our calendar page under “The Latest” tab on our webpage and click on the iPhone or Google Calendar buttons to subscribe.

We had a good turnout for a Monday morning last week (Great Feast of Dormition) - let’s build on that! Please note the upcoming significant liturgical days we’ll be celebrating and let us worship together!

On Saturday, August 6th we welcomed two new members to St. Michael's.  Photine (Celeste) Bond was welcomed into the Church by the sacrament of Chrismation.  Theophan (Mahcia) Davis was welcomed into the Church by the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation.  May God grant health, happiness, and many blessed years to Photine and Theophan!

Due to Ned's funeral, instead of a full Panikhida to commemorate the August departed, we will pray a Lity for the Departed at the end of Great Vespers on the 13th. As usual, all of  the departed each month are commemorated at each Divine Liturgy.

Ned’s funeral will be held on Saturday, August 13th. The viewing will be at 9:00 a.m. and the funeral will begin at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at All-Saints Cemetery and a mercy meal will follow in our fellowship hall.

The Church will be open on Thursday, August 11th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

Join us for Vespers & fellowship on Tuesday, August 9th. Please bring a snack or light meal to share (Fish day!).

The August parish council meeting is on Thursday, August 11th at 7:00 p.m.

Join us for Daily Vespers & fellowship on Tuesday, August 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Please bring a snack or light meal to share.

The Church will be open on Thursday, August 4th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

Just a reminder that Father Silouan's email announcements to the parish are sent from an opt-in email service.  If you don't sign up for the service, you will not receive the emails.  To sign up, click on "THE LATEST" in the menu at the top of this page.  Then click on "Email Signup" which is the first item in the drop-down menu.

Our iconographer has scheduled August 9th - August 12th to install the icons for the upper walls.

Volunteers are needed to cook or provide take-out for approximately two homeless families. You will deliver meals (no contact) to 2501 Milltown Rd (across from St. Michael’s) on Monday, August 29th, Tuesday, August 30th, or Thursday, September 1st, at 6:00pm. Please sign up on the poster board in the Narthex. Details will follow. See or call Maria (Sue) D’Orazio with any questions. Cell: (512)781‑5435 Email: suemariedorazio@gmail.com

We will celebrate Great Vespers next Friday, August 5th at 6:00 p.m. and the Feast of the Transfiguration at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday the 6th. It will be a more festive liturgy than normal as we bring some of our catechumens fully into the Church.

Tuesday Vespers and fellowship will resume Tuesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m. Note that this will be a Great Vespers and also include healing prayers and an anointing with oil blessed over the relic of St. Panteleimon.

A number of our young adults have volunteered to host Fellowship Hour on July 24th. Thank you! The rest of the year is covered now.

The Church will be open  on Thursday, July 28th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

On Saturday, July 23rd, there will be a choir rehearsal at 3:30 p.m.

It has been a few months since the prayer list was refreshed. Many of the names have been removed that were over a month old. Please let Father know if you would like someone put back; and of course, any new requests are welcome.

No Tuesday Vespers this week. We will resume on Tuesday, July 12th.

The Church will be open on Thursday, July 14th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

Volunteers are needed for the Fellowship Hour on July 24th.  Please let Father and Juliana (Carolyn) Peck know if you are willing to volunteer.

An All-Parish Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, July 24th during the fellowship hour. We will primarily discuss expanding the parking lot.

Take note that the Apostle’s Fast begins Monday, June 20th and lasts through Wednesday, June 29th.

Some old and new selections have been added.

Also, the "IOU" box has a collection of slips now.  Please remember to "make it good" when you are able.

Note that the next Tuesday Vespers will not be until June 28th - it will be a Reader’s Vespers celebrating the Apostle’s Peter & Paul followed by a Reader’s Panikhida for Arsenius Peck.

The Church will be not be open again until Thursday, June 30th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

The Church will be open this Thursday, June 16th from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Father will be available by appointment for confession or to chat.

Please mail the rest of your applications (health portions) ASAP.

The new chandeliers are up and operational!  There are a few bugs to work out with the big chandelier (dimming currently not working.)

From Sue Marie D’Orazio: Thank you to all the Saint Michael’s volunteers who contributed to this past week’s Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition. Your efforts have made such a difference to needy families in our community.

Please help yourselves to the extra Sunday School lessons in the Narthex. They are good for all ages and a nice way to review the Gospel.

Next week is the Father’s Day Potluck. The women are hosting in hopes of teaching the men a lesson on how to properly host Mother’s Day. Please see the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.

Take note that this week is fast-free in celebration of Pentecost!

The current plan is to rent a U-Haul to remove the remaining items from the church basement on the morning of Saturday June 11th. We will need probably four strong men to help with lifting & carrying. If there is something you would like, but couldn't figure out how to get it to your house, we could possibly (depending on mileage) deliver it when we take unwanted things to Goodwill. There will be sign-up forms in the Narthex on Sunday. If you can help with this phase, please contact Elizabeth Clause (elizabeth.clause@gmail.com).

If there is enough interest, we will attempt to have some summertime play-dates/meet-ups for the children of the parish.  Families who participate will be responsible for "hosting" two gatherings in the course of the summer, which can be as simple as: "We are meeting at the Lums Pond Playground this Tuesday from 9:30-12:30, bring a sack lunch." If we can make it happen, perhaps we can get a group for a Blue Rocks Game or a museum visit. Here's a link to the Google Form: https://forms.gle/UBaCjYok8UQrgS7D8 This info will be valuable for planning events that are convenient & interesting.

As we are finishing up the school year, we would like to invite the youth of St. Michael's to share their gifts with us in a cultural evening - music, oration (poetry or prose), dance, etc, on the evening of the Feast of the Ascension, June 2nd, 6:30pm, at St. Michael's. Adults, please bring a heavenly potluck dish to share. Please email me (elizabeth.clause@gmail.com) if your student would like to participate and the details of what they will
perform, to be listed in the program.

His Eminence, Archbishop MARK will be with us for Great Vespers and Liturgy this coming weekend. (July 30th and 31st.)  In addition to the normal Fellowship Hour volunteers, all are encouraged to bring a favorite dish to share.

Congratulations to Sylvia Bachinsky (University of Delaware), Cole (Eustace) McElmurray (University of Delaware) and high-school graduates Emma Long and Christian Afeworki.

The flooring is now finalized - note the wood floors upstairs and the new carpet in the stairwell. A few other spot fixes were performed as well.

Next up: Update of our emergency lighting and install of the chandeliers.

This week the Church will be open on Thursday, May 26th from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

St. Tikhon’s Memorial Day Pilgrimage is back! While there are events throughout the weekend, the main day is Memorial Day itself - Monday, May 30th. The miraculous Iveron icon will be present.

Next Sunday (May 22nd) we will celebrate our graduates! Sylvia Bachinsky graduated from UD back in January, Cole (Eustace) McElmurray has just graduated from UD, and that will be his final Sunday with us.  Emma Long graduates from high-school. Any others? Let Father know!

Two of our expecting mothers are no longer expecting - we have two new baby girls: Rachel Shatley gave birth to Emery Cedella (Thais) and Christina Tice gave birth to Emilia Barbara. Meal-trains have been set-up (see Listserv and Father’s weekly email) - please help!

Volunteers are needed to cook or provide take-out for two homeless families. Meals will be delivered to to 2501 Milltown Rd (across from St. Michaels)
on Monday, June 6th, Tuesday, June 7th, or Thursday, June 9th, at 6:00 p.m. Please sign up on the poster board in the Narthex.

Contact Maria (Sue) D’Orazio 512-781-5435, suemariedorazio@gmail.com with any questions.

Please be mindful that the post communion prayers are being read while we are venerating the cross at the end of service. It is proper for us to not only hear them but listen - making them our own.

The parish council meeting for May is this Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00 p.m.

On Monday, May 9th we will begin the new chandelier installation. The current one will be removed so the support structure can be analyzed and a plan put in place to install the new one.

Our flooring project continues tomorrow (Monday, May 9th). The choir loft will have the same wooden floors installed and the stair well will be refreshed with new carpet.

There will not be a set time for St. Michael’s to be open this week, but Father is available by appointment. Father will be out of town Wednesday afternoon and most of Thursday due to required continuing education by the diocese.

We will pray for our departed next Saturday, May 7th. Watch for the usual email requesting names in addition to those already in our metrical book.

The diocesan summer camp is July 3 - 9 this year for children ages 7 - 17.  To sign-up, please find the forms on the website: www.sttikhonscamp.org.

Note: Counselor application forms must be postmarked by May 20, 2022.  Camper registration forms must be postmarked by June 23,2022.

• Bridegroom Matins - served Sunday through Tuesday evening as a reminder to be prepared; to be watchful for the Bridegroom’s (Our Lord’s)  coming, for none of us know our day and hour of repose.
• Pre-Sanctified Liturgy of Holy Tuesday - A reminder of the Final Judgment and the return of our Lord at the end of time.
• Holy Unction - The sacramental prayer of healing as well as the uniting of the sufferings of our body and soul with that of Christ.
• Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil - celebrated on Holy Thursday morning - the Last Supper and institution of the Eucharist as well as our Lord’s betrayal and arrest.
• Passion Gospel Matins - celebrated on Thursday evening - the crucifixion of our Lord as accounted for in all four Gospel accounts. After the 5th Gospel reading, the cross is processed out and placed in the middle of the Church and then the body of our Lord is placed upon it.
• Royal Hours - Recounting the Passion of our Lord through Old Testament prophetic readings, the Epistles, and the Gospel.
• Holy Friday Vespers - The burial of our Lord: the removal of the body of Christ from the cross and wrapped in a winding sheet by our children. The
placing of the burial shroud in the tomb.
• Holy Friday Matins - the Lamentations - A service of lament over our Lord’s death but also of wonder as “a tomb holds Him who holds creation in the hollow of His hand.” During this service the Myrrh Bearing Women (any of our nicely dressed women and girls) sprinkle rose water upon the tomb and toss rose petals around it. Towards the end of the service we will process with the shroud around the exterior of the Church. After the conclusion of the service, the “Tomb Watch” begins - the Psalter being read before our Lord’s tomb throughout the night.
• Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil - The vesper’s portion emphasizes the “harrowing of Hades” - our Lord’s defeat of sin and death, and includes 15 Old-Testament readings prophesying our Lord’s resurrection. This service transitions us into the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. After the Epistle Reading, while “Arise, O God, and judge the earth” is sung, the clergy and servers switch to white vestments and all the cloths in the Church are changed over to white.
• Great and Holy Pascha - the evening begins with readings from the Acts of the Apostles and formally begins at 11:30 p.m. with Nocturns.

Please note that the potluck has been removed from the 3:00 p.m. Agape Vespers on Sunday, April 24th. We will have a celebratory St. Thomas Sunday (May 1st) potluck and egg hunt.

The funeral for Dolores will be on Holy Wednesday, April 20th. The viewing will be open to the public at 10:30 a.m. and the funeral will be at 12:00 noon.

Two weeks from today we’ll have already celebrated Pascha! It is tradition to prepare a food basket that will be blessed after the Paschal Liturgy. Please
see the guides printed in the Narthex.

We will have services on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Wednesday, April 13th, will be our last evening Pre-Sanctified service this year, at 6:30 p.m. (the final one will be Holy Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.) There will be a Lenten potluck following the service.

Friday, April 15th is Great Vespers for Lazarus Saturday, and Saturday, April 16th is Lazarus Saturday, when we will have a baptismal Divine Liturgy and receive five of our catechumens as full members of the Body of Christ. A Lenten potluck will follow this service as well.

More April calendars and Holy Week schedules have been printed and are available in the Narthex.  The calendar and schedule are also available on the Church Calendar page of this web site.

St. Michael’s will be open on Thursday, April 14th from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

St. Michael’s will be open on Thursday, April 7th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Please note that choir practice for Holy Week and Pascha is scheduled for next Saturday (April 9th) at 3:30 p.m.

Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex on the table. We still need volunteers for the reading the Book of Acts and the reading of the Gospel in different languages for Agape Vespers.

St. Michael’s will be open on Thursday, March 31st from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Next Sunday (April 3rd) is the first Sunday of the month, when we take up an extra offering for the Good Samaritan Fund. The struggles of the Fast have led a number of individuals to use it. Please help keep it well funded.

Please remember Jim Hicks and Anna Herko love to have visitors. Both facilities are completely open with only a mask mandate. Both of them also can leave their facilities but need someone to drive them.

Next Saturday, April 2nd, is “Memorial Saturday.” At 4:00 p.m. we will commemorate all of the departed of the parish that we have a record for (everyone in our Metrical book) and any requests. Watch for a separate email for this commemoration.

This week we have two Presanctified Liturgies - Wednesday and Friday, both at 6:30 p.m.

At the end of our Presanctified Liturgy on Friday (April 1st) we will pray for all those departed in April.  Watch for an email requesting names on Monday.

St. Michael’s will be open on Thursday, March 24th, from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Fr. Victor just shared with us that these are happening again. Next weekend’s is at the cathedral, St. Stephen’s, in Philadelphia.

Due to Father’s Clergy Peer Group next Thursday, St. Michael’s will be open on Tuesday instead from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Please notify Alice Morjana ASAP if you plan to attend any portion of the Saturday retreat. It is this Saturday (March 19th). namorjana@aol.com

Schedule:
• Arrival time: 10:00 Coffee/snack and fellowship
• Session 1: 10:30 - noon
• Lunch : 12:00- 1:15
• Session 2: 1:30-3:00
• Molieben to St. Anna: 3:15
• Vespers: 4:00pm.

Take note that Great Vespers will be at 4:00 p.m. due to the retreat.

St. Michael’s will be open from 1 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 10th.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

We are trying to get a good idea of how many will attend the talks by Abbot Sergius on Saturday, March 19th. If you have not yet, please email Alice
Morjana if you plan to attend. namorjana@aol.com

Next Sunday (March 13th) is the Sunday of Orthodoxy - be sure and bring a favorite icon. We’ll be having a procession at the end of Liturgy.

This week we have a service every evening Monday - Friday at 6:30 p.m. See the front page or calendar.  If you plan to commune at the Pre-Sanctified Liturgies on Wednesday and/or Friday, please remember to fast from around Noon.

Note: We will have a Lenten potluck following each Pre-Sanctified Liturgy.

A number of options to aid those in Ukraine are now available. Archbishop Mark has asked that we send relief via the partnership that has been made between our Church (OCA) and the Polish Orthodox Church. The link has been provided via our email newsletter and can be found on the OCA website as well.

We will commemorate the March departed at the end of the Pre-Sanctified liturgy on Friday (March 11th).  It will be a Memorial Litya. Watch for an email this week.

Join us for our final Daily Vespers until after Pascha. This is a special one! Cheesfare Week is “semi-Lenten.” Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.  Fellowship with a “snack-luck” will follow in the hall.

St. Michael’s will be open from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 3rd.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Next Sunday we will take up an offering for the Good Samaritan Fund. This is done on the first Sunday of every month, but offerings are welcome to this fund at anytime (works online as well.)

We have a section of Lenten reading in our library, and we now have a cart prepared at the bookstore.

Acquiring the Mind of Christ by Abbot Sergius is available in the bookstore and the library. This will be the theme for his talks on March 19th.

Just like last week, in cleaning out all our meats, lets clean out all our dairy based foods - bring them to share.

Next Sunday, March 6th,  after everyone has had a chance to eat, we’ll have Forgiveness Vespers. Please make it a point to stay and attend this very important service and entrance into the Great Fast

It grieves me to share that Amanuel Kiflemariam unexpectedly reposed in the Lord late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.  He was 49 years of age and leaves behind his wife and children. The funeral is being planned for this Saturday, the 26th. The viewing will be at 8:30 a.m. with the funeral beginning at 10:0 a.m.   

May his soul dwell with the righteous.

Join us for a prayerful service on Tuesday, February 22nd at 6:00 p.m.  Fellowship with a “snack-luck” will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

St. Michael’s will be open from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 24th. If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

It’s that season! The pussy willows are beginning to bud.  Now is the time to cut them and store them (moist refrigeration) if you plan to do so for Palm Sunday.

Don’t forget we have a library downstairs! Take advantage of it and check out a book to read for Great Lent.

Next Sunday (February 27th) is our final day to have meat until Pascha. Let’s make it count - bring a yummy, meaty dish to share.

Join us for a prayerful service on Tuesday at 6 PM. Fellowship with a “snack-luck” to follow in the Fellowship Hall.

St. Michael’s will be open from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on Thursday February 17th.  If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Note that this week is a fast free week! After this, we start to ease into our Lenten fasting routine.

A movie on the life of St. Nektarios will have a one day, one time showing on March 21st at 7 p.m. 

Thank you to all the Saint Michael’s volunteers who contributed to this past week’s Family Promise meals program for homeless families in transition. Your efforts have brought comfort, sustenance and hope to needy families in our community.

A word of thanks to Christine Roberts who helped us procure 100 COVID rapid test kits, which were given out during Fellowship Hour today.

Back to normal this week - join us for a prayerful service on Tuesday, February 8th at 6:00 p.m. Fellowship with a “snack-luck” will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

St. Michael’s will be open from Noon to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 10th. If you would like to see Father for confession or just to chat, please make an appointment.

Every year Fr. Jonathan Bannon prepares a nice graphic chart with a breakdown of “Our Journey to Pascha.” The Journey begins next week! Copies are available in the narthex.

We will be celebrating this great feast of our Lord on Tuesday evening & Wednesday morning. Join us for Great Vespers at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.  A potluck will follow the Divine Liturgy - note that is a “Fish” day.

NOTE: At the end of Liturgy on Wednesday we will have a candle blessing. A table will be setup at the front - bring your candles to be blessed. 

St. Michael’s will not be open this week due to the feast and a Clergy Peer Group meeting that Father will be attending. (Father is available for appointments at the Church on Thursday morning.)

Daily Vespers & Fellowship will resume next week (Tuesday, February 8th) as we have Great Vespers on Tuesday of this week.

Please see Madrecita Emilia to schedule a house blessing. Our evening schedule is full, but we do have spots during the day, and we can do them after Pascha too!

Daniel Peck sent this email out on the Listserv this last week, in case anyone missed it:

You are invited to attend the first ever Saint Valentine's Concert. The event will take place after Vespers on Saturday the 5th of February. If you are curious, I will be wearing a suit jacket and trying to look snazzy, and my wife won't try that hard and will easily outdo me. Vespers is being moved to 4:00 p.m., and the event will begin shortly after: refreshments will be at 5:30 with the performances from 6:00 -7:00 p.m. You must be 10 years old or older in order to attend/perform. We hope you will consider performing, but either way, please fill out this form as your RSVP:

https://bit.ly/valentineconcert

We are planning on providing childcare for ages 3-9, let me know if you are able to volunteer. We are leaving our infant home with a babysitter. I am sure any young adult who helps would appreciate a donation! Up to you, but perhaps $20 an hour? Please reach out to me if you have any questions!

djpeck@gmail.com

Love,
Dan Peck

Archimandrite Sergius, the abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery, will be joining us on the weekend of March 19th and 20th to lead a Lenten retreat.

There will be no Daily Vespers this week due to the flooring installation.

St Michael's will not be open this week due to the flooring installation.

The wood flooring is going in this week!  Everything needs to be moved back at the end of the week before Vespers next Saturday.  Altar setup (men please) will be held on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.  The rest of the Church (everyone who is able) please come and help on Friday at 7:00 p.m. or Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Join us on Tuesday for a prayerful Vespers service. I will be available to hear confessions as well. Fellowship time with a light/snack potluck will be held afterwards.

Family Promise Volunteers are needed to cook or provide take-out for approximately two homeless families. Please sign up on the poster board in the Narthex or contact Maria (Sue) D’Orazio.

St. Michael’s will be open on Thursday the 20th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Reserve a slot by emailing or texting Father or let him know in person.

The new wood flooring is being installed in the church during the week of January 24th. Everything in the Church (from the Candle Room all the way through to the Altar) has to be moved out to the hall on Sunday afternoon the 23rd.

Additionally, (almost) everything needs to go back at the end of the week before Vespers on the 29th. We’ll likely have two sets of times for the move back - Friday evening the 28th and Saturday morning / early afternoon the 29th-more details later on the move back.

It is time to formalize some of the groups mentioned at the All Parish meeting in November. In addition to our current service groups, please let Father know if you are interested in being part of one or more of the following:
• Community Outreach (the local poor & needy)
• Homebound / Nursing Home Outreach (for our own)
• Maintenance / Inspection
• Gardening
• Hospitality (providing meals, hosting showers, etc)
• First Responder (hospital or crisis)

A binder is now on the glass cabinet in the narthex (entrance). This is a wish list of items we could use - altar server vestments in the colors we lack, gold chalices, censer stand, etc. If you are willing to sponsor an item please let Sb.Dn. Basil Peck or Father Silouan know.

Please remember to check under the baby's seat when you are about to leave Fellowship Hour. Some of the little ones leave quite the mess!

We will have an All-Parish Meeting on February 6th during Fellowship Hour to discuss the Heavenly Vision progress and Ivan, the iconographer from St. Tikhon’s, will be here to lay out Phase 2.

The next St Michael's Church Open day will be Tuesday, January 4th from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have.  You may also feel free to pray silently on your own. Reserve a slot by emailing or texting Father or let him know in person.

Daily Vespers  will resume on Tuesday, January 4th at 6:00 p.m. - join us for a prayerful Vespers service. I will be available to hear confessions (before & after.) Fellowship time with a light/snack potluck will be held afterwards.

Our 2022 calendars have arrived! Please feel free to take one from the stack in the Narthex.

There is no fasting until the Eve of Theophany (Wednesday, January 5th) which is a strict fast.

Coats, scarves, and caps that are in good condition are now being accepted (box in the entrance to the Fellowship Hall.)  They will be donated to those in need.

Note that next Sunday (December 26th) we will have a Potluck after Divine Liturgy - share those leftover Christmas dinners!

St. Michael’s will be open from 9:00 a.m. - Noon this coming Thursday the 23rd. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have. You may also feel free to pray silently on your own. Reserve a slot by emailing or texting Father or let him know in person.

Instead of Daily Vespers this Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., the Akathist for the Nativity will be served. All are welcome to come and sing along

St. Michael’s will be open from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. this coming Wednesday the 15th. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free to pray silently on your own. Reserve a slot by emailing frsilouan@stmichaelsdelaware.org or let me know in person or by text.

As a reminder, we have a fund to help those who are in a tight spot as well as some other resources. If you are struggling, please speak with Father - we are family, and we bear one another’s burdens.

Coats that are in good condition are now being accepted (box in the hall to the Fellowship Hall.) They will be donated to those in need.

The donation bags are now available! Two dozen were put together - thank you to everyone who made it happen.  Please take one only if you see a homeless person on a regular basis and can pass it on.

If you still need to to sign up for our new email communication platform, click on this link.

Beginning in 2022 we will begin using a new software system that has a suite of features - Accounting, membership management, giving management as well as online giving support, event management, etc. One of the neat features is everyone can have a personal login which allows you to access your information as well as update it and even add a photo.

Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. join us for a prayerful Vespers service. I will be available to hear confessions (before & after). Fellowship time with a light/snack potluck will be held afterwards.

Our December Parish Council meeting is this Thursday, December 9th at 7:00 p.m.

We will have our traditional celebration during coffee hour on December 5th. The children of the parish should bring their costumes to change into after liturgy. Adults, please bring a bag of treats to hand out. Additionally, a volunteer to tell the story of St. Barbara to the children is needed and an older man willing to play the role of St. Nicholas (Feastday on 12/6) is needed as well. Please contact Elizabeth Clause ASAP.

Olga Maloney is managing our Google Docs directory and is looking to make sure it is as accurate as possible for 2022. Please let her know if you have had any change of address, phone number, or a new addition (with name & birthday). Email Olga at: olgamaloney1@gmail.com and please be sure to copy me at frsilouanburns@gmail.com.

The Akathist Hymn originally scheduled for Friday, December 3rd has been moved Thursday, December 2nd.  The time is still 6:00 p.m.  I will be available for confession as well.

This week through next Sunday we will finish up collecting goods for the Blessing Bags to give to the homeless and/or needy. Items can go in the box at the Fellowship Hall entrance and monetary donations to help purchase items for the bags can go in the collection plate (memo: Blessing Bags.)

The finished blessing bags will be available to parishioners (i.e. kept in cars) to give to a person in need.

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, there will be no Daily Vespers or Church Open hours this week.

The Annual All-Parish Meeting will resume on December 12th during Fellowship Hour so we can discuss the renovations and finalize our plan. 

The Great Feast celebrating the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Holy Temple falls on a Sunday this year - next Sunday! We will have a Litya Service next Saturday, November 20th as part of Great Vespers.

The Nativity Fast begins Monday, November 15th. The Church calls all of us to greater ascetic living for our salvation and in preparation to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

St. Michael’s will be open from 9:00 a.m. to Noon this coming Thursday, November 18th. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free to pray silently on your own.

Join us for a prayerful Vespers service this Tuesday, November 16th at 6:00 p.m. . I will be available to hear confessions (before & after). Fellowship time with a light/snack potluck will be held afterwards.

Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. join us for a prayerful Vespers service. I will be available to hear confessions (before & after). Fellowship time with a light/snack potluck will be held afterwards.

How are you serving? Sign-up sheets to host fellowship-hour, clean the facilities, service-duty, and to help bake prosphora are now available. Email Father if you want to be part of the Gardening / Outdoor Beautification group or the Nursling Home / Homebound Outreach.

Basil and Emmila Peck are hosting a potluck get-together at their house on the 13th. All singles are welcome! Please see either one of them for more details.

St. Michael’s will be open from 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. this coming Wednesday the 3rd. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any  requests you have, or feel free to pray silently on your own

On Tuesday, November 2nd at 6:00 p.m. join us for a prayerful service. I will be available to hear confessions and for fellowship afterwards.

The feast of the Holy Archangel Michael is quickly approaching. Monday, November 8th, we will celebrate with Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. (Hours at 9:10 a.m.). A fellowship and potluck will follow.

Several new books are available. Father is requiring all the catechumens to read “Arise, O God” by Fr. Andrew Damick - it’s a short read, explaining the  Gospel from the original Christian (Orthodox) perspective. The new service books (Liturgy / Vespers) are also available from St. Tikhon’s.

We are holding a class on the foundations of the Orthodox faith.  It is being held Sunday mornings in the sanctuary during church school time (at the ringing of the bell). 

There will be no Foundations Class on Sunday, December 12th due to the All-Parish Meeting.  We will resume on Sunday, December 19th when Father Silouan will be teaching on The Church: Its Structure and How the Theotokos Is an Integral Part.

St. Michael’s will be open from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. this coming Wednesday (October 20th). Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free to pray silently on your own.

Attention to all the ladies of our parish! A meet and greet will be held for Madre Emilia in the Fellowship Hall after Vespers on Saturday the 23rd. Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share. Please confirm with me that you will attend - email alusakm@gmail.com. I look forward to seeing you all there.

- Alice Morjana

Next Saturday is Memorial Saturday of St. Demetrius. We will have our October Panikhida service at 4:15 p.m. Please joins us to pray for all those departed  this life before us. I’ll send an email out on Tuesday morning with a list from our Metrical book and also welcoming requests.

Note the different day and time! St. Michael’s will be open from 9:00 a.m. - Noon this coming Thursday, October 14th. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free to pray silently on your own.

Thank you to all the Saint Michael's volunteers who contributed their treasure, time, and talents to this past week's Family Promise meals program. Your work is a blessing to many.

-Maria (Sue) D’Orazio

The Annual All-Parish Meeting will be held Sunday, November 14th. Please mark your calendars and plan to be present at Fellowship Hour. There will be no Church School or Foundations Class on that Sunday.

This next Thursday (October 7th) is our parish council meeting. It will be at 7:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall.

Note the different day and time! St. Michael’s will be open from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. this coming Wednesday (October 6th). Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free to pray silently on your own. If you need to meet with me at a different time, please let me know. I’ll do my best to accommodate you.

The next singles meet-up is at Basil & Emmelia Peck’s home after Vespers next Saturday (October 9th). Please let Emmelia know if you plan to attend.

On Tuesday, October 12th at 6:00 p.m. we will begin having Daily Vespers. Join us for a prayerful service. I will be available to hear
confessions afterwards.

Next Sunday, October 10th, during Church School time, Father Silouan will begin a a class on the basics of our faith - “Foundations.” It will cover subjects such as God, Humankind, the Trinity, each of the Sacraments, etc. Come and deepen your understanding of our Faith. This class is required for catechumens. First class: The True God.

Veteran’s Day is approaching! It’s time again for us to begin collecting funds for our needy veterans. Please place your offering in the Sunday offering plate. If it is cash please use an envelope with “VETS“ written on it and your name, if you would like it to be recorded. If it is a check, please make it payable to St. Michael’s (memo: "VETS"). We will buy $25 Acme gift cards and donate them to the Veterans Hospital where they'll be distributed before Veterans Day on November 11th. Thank you for your compassion for those who served our country.

St. Michael’s will be open from 9:30 a.m. until Noon this coming Wednesday (29th). Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free pray silently on your own. If you need to meet with me at a different time, contact me.

Thank you to all who have so willingly supported the renovations at the rectory and even contributed towards it. We are thrilled with the results; it is starting to feel like home.

Several submitted reviews this last week, thank you! We could use a few more - this is a great opportunity to evangelize by sharing your journey to Orthodoxy or how your life was changed here at St. Michael’s.

Next week His Eminence, Archbishop Mark will be with us. We will have a potluck - please bring some good fixin’s - Juliana Peck will help coordinate; let’s aim for a good balance of greens, meats, sides, and sweets. If you can prepare an ethnic speciality, please consider doing so.

There will be a funeral here on Saturday, September 25th at noon (viewing will tentatively begin at 11 a.m.).  Lily Bandak is originally from San Diego, CA, but was under the care of family here and will be buried in Newark. I will serve the funeral and we’ll need some help with the choir and for hospitality.

Update from Father Silouan (9/20/21):

Please disregard my announcement in the bulletin and yesterday at the end of Liturgy. The funeral director called just a moment ago and shared that the family has decided to have the funeral elsewhere. That being said, no choir or hospitality help will be needed. Thank you to all who were planning on being there.

Sunday School (K - 12) launched last week. It begins around 11:30 AM - listen for the bell at that time.

St. Michael’s will be open from 9:30 a.m. until Noon this coming Thursday, September 23rd. Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free pray silently on your own.

Juliana Peck will conduct a workshop on Saturday, October 16 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. All choir members are expected to attend, and anyone else interested is also welcome.

There is still plenty of space - check your pantries or add an extra item or two to your basket next time you shop.

Here are a few suggestions, but certainly donations are not limited to this list:
• Clif Bars/ Energy or Protein Bars
• Canned soups with easy open tops (eg Amy's Organic)
• Soups in boxes with plastic lids (eg Pacific)
• Various soups in paper cups with easy tear-off tops
• Salmon, tuna, or chicken in cans*
• Brown rice
• Dried peas or lentils
• Canned tomatoes, beans, jars of pasta sauce
• Whole grain and gluten free pasta
• Other healthy options

St. Michael’s will be open from 9:30 a.m. until Noon this coming Thursday (16th). Father will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have, or feel free pray silently on your own.

Those who volunteered, please have your meals prepared for delivery for the three families being sponsored.

I can be reached at frsilouanburns@gmail.com or through the website.  If you want to give out my number to someone outside the parish, please use the number on the back of this bulletin or what I have on the website, which is (302) 283-9335. This number reaches my cell and can be texted, but it is screened.

We had two prayer lists being maintained (the bulletin and what was used at services were separate lists) and are now down to one - the one on the back of the bulletin. If your name or the name of a loved one was inadvertently dropped, please let me know.

Things are still in progress at the rectory and my office is literally boxed & piled up at the moment. I have a tentative Daily Vespers on the calendar for next week - that will not happen. I’m going to aim for October. Having said that, it would be nice to have a few people willing and able to chant the service. The plan is to do them at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays. If you are interested, even if you have no experience, let me know. I’ll work with you to help prepare you for when we do start.

We will have Great Vespers with a Litya Monday evening (13th) at 7:00 PM. Divine Liturgy will be served at 9:30 AM on Tuesday (14th) morning. A potluck lunch & fellowship time will follow - please bring something lenten as this Great Feast is always a fasting day

I will have the Church open on various days of the week from 9:30 AM until Noon. (See the calendar for tentative dates.)  I will be available for counsel, confession, to pray for you or any requests you have including prayer for others; or feel free to light a candle and pray silently on your own or any combination of the above.

I would be happy to schedule an appointment to meet anyone who would like to do so at your home, the coffee shop, or at the Church (if the normal times I have it open don’t work for you) for confession, communion, counseling, a social visit, etc. Just ask! 

The diocese has asked all of the parishes to take up an offering to help our two seminarians - Dn. John Black and Bill Rusk. They are both at St. Vladimir’s. Please consider donating next weekend - we’ll take up a separate offering and split the donations between the two gentlemen. Checks should be made payable to St. Michael’s but noted for the “Seminarian Appeal.”

This Saturday (9/4) marks the 40th day of repose for Pearl Minnich. We'll have a panikhida for her on Sunday (9/5) after Divine Liturgy.

Additionally, we’ll have a service for the departed on the 11th for any reposed in the month of September (of years past), for 9/11, and any requests. I’ll send out an email to the parish later this week requesting names for the list.

The elementary ages will begin Sunday School next Sunday (September 12th) at 11:30 a.m. during Fellowship Hour. We need a volunteer for the Junior High / High School ages - a curriculum is available. Stay tuned for an Adult Education class (Book or Bible Study) beginning in October.

NOTE: I need to meet any catechumens and inquirers.  Please reach out to me during Fellowship Hour.