Worship Schedule
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
Worship Locations:
Sunday worship location: Holy Trinity Church, 985 Providence Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Weekday/Feast Day worship location: St. George Chapel, 8941 Ringeisen Rd., Allison Park, PA
These Martyrs contested in Persia about the year 330, in the reign of Sapor (Shapur) II, King of Persia (325-379). Acindynus, Pegasius, and Anempodistus, Persian Christians, confessed Christ before the King, and were put to many torments. Aphthonius and Elpidephorus, drawn to the Faith of Christ through the Martyrs, were beheaded with another 7,000. Saints Acindynus, Pegasius, and Anempodistus were at last burned to death. Two churches were dedicated in their honour in Constantinople. As is often the case in church hymns, there is a play on the meanings of the Saints' names here. Acindynus means "unimperilled"; Pegasius is derived from pegazo--"to gush forth"; Aphthonius is derived from aphthonos-"abundant"; Elpidephorus means "hope-bearing"; Anempodistus means "unhindered." These are all Greek translations of their Persian names.
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20
BRETHREN, you know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
5th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 16:19-31
The Lord said, "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazaros, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazaros in his bosom. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazaros to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazaros in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses, and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to them, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"
Faith and Family Wednesdays - November 2014
Join FOCUS Advisory Board member Theodora Polamalu and her husband Troy at an exclusive event to Tackle Poverty as we help working poor families and the homeless here in Pittsburgh! The “Tackle Poverty with the Polamalu’s” Dinner for FOCUS Pittsburgh will be held here at Holy Trinity Church on Thursday, November 20, at 7:00pm. The donation for this fund-raising event are $100. Only 350 tickets will be sold on a ¬first-come-¬first-served basis. Tickets will sell out quickly, so don’t delay! Purchase your tickets TODAY at Coffee Hour today or online at www.focusnorthamerica.org.
SPECIAL NOTICE: |
Holy Trinity Church will receive the special blessing of the first pastoral visit of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios to our new church next Sunday, November 9, accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Savas. Because the Archbishop must depart to return to New York by 11:00, WE WILL START DIVINE LITURGY ON THAT DAY AT 9:00AM. Please plan on being there – and on time – for this historic event. |
Philoptochos Sunday Today
Holy Trinity Philoptochos invites the parish to join the entire Archdiocese in celebrating today - the first Sunday in November - as Philoptochos Sunday. Here at Holy Trinity Church we are celebrating many years of Philoptochos service to our church, our community, our friends and our families. In honor of that event, the Philoptochos will offer an enhanced coffee hour today, and donations collected during a special tray and during coffee hour will be for the benefit of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. There will also be an Artoclasia (Blessing of the Loaves) offered for the feast and a Memorial offered for the departed Philoptochos members. Thank you for supporting the Philoptochos, "The Friends of the Poor!"
SABIKA Jewelry Philoptochos Fundraiser Today
Our Holy Trinity Ladies Philoptochos invites you to a special afternoon Fundraiser featuring SABIKA Austrian Crystal Jewelry today following Divine Liturgy through 1:00pm. The Fundraiser will showcase the New Fall/Winter 2014 Collection and the Classics Collection. Please come and enjoy refreshments while you shop the Beautiful Collections. Create your own style! Begin your Christmas Shopping Early!! Our own Alexandra Mayr-Gracik, Vice President of Design at Sabika, will be there to help you select a timeless design. All proceeds benefit the Philanthropic work of our Philoptochos. Stop by the Fireside Room today and enjoy!
Faith and Family Wednesdays Continues This Week
After a tremendously successful start last season, the “Faith & Family Wednesdays” ministry has resumed its weekly gatherings this month on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Feel like you don’t know enough about your Faith? Want to understand the Bible better? Like to learn more about living an Orthodox life? Want to simply dedicate a portion of your week to worship and growing in Christ? The “Faith and Family Wednesdays” ministry offers guides, teachers and practical experience in all these areas and more. It also provides a great opportunity to spend time around your Holy Trinity family and enjoy worship, fellowship, growth and sometimes just fun! It’s a great way to live and learn your faith between Sundays! Here is a schedule of this week’s “Faith and Family Wednesdays” events. Taking into account feedback from last season, some changes have been made, including narrowing the list of educational offerings to three tracks instead of five. The Worship service for everyone goes from 6:30 to 7:15pm, then sessions go from 7:15 to 8:30pm and you are free to choose any session to attend. If you have not yet participated, this is a great week to start!
Track |
Topic |
- Worship (6:30-7:15) |
Blessing of the Waters and Blessing of the Loaves (Artoclasia) |
- Studies (7:15-8:30) |
Orthodox Book Club: “The Illustrated Jesus Through the Centuries” - Father Radu |
- Growth (7:15-8:30) |
“Understanding Orthodoxy” - Ted Chirpas |
- Orthodox Family Life (7:15-8:30) |
“Making Marriage Better” (Marriage Enrichment for Married Couples) - Father John |
Regular Fall General Assembly - November 16
Please plan to attend the regular Fall General Assembly on Sunday, November 16. An agenda is being mailed in the November Herald. This Assembly is to review parish life, nominate candidates for the Parish Council and other important committees and hear reports on important parish matters. It is vital to the life of a healthy community that all members attend, as these meetings are quite important in the day-to-day life of the parish. Please remember, to vote at an assembly or in elections, you must be a member in good standing as defined in the Uniform Parish Regulations. Also, the requirements to run for Parish Council according to the UPR and the Holy Trinity By-Laws are indicated in the nomination form mailed in the Herald. These include, but are not limited to, being an enrolled member in good standing for three years prior to the date of nomination, having a signed 2014 Holy Trinity Stewardship Pledge card submitted and attending the Metropolis Regional Parish Council Nominees Seminar on November 25, 2014. Whether it is attending assemblies, being voted on council, taking in a leadership role in a ministry or just getting involved more, the Lord has a calling and a role for every one of us at Holy Trinity Church because you are a part of the Body of Christ and have an important contribution to offer. God has already equipped you with it and is waiting for you to step up and use it. Consider it. Pray about it. What's yours?
FOCUS Pittsburgh’s “Tackle Poverty” Dinner to be Held at Holy Trinity – November 20 – Get Your Tickets Today!
Join FOCUS Advisory Board member Theodora Polamalu and her husband Troy at an exclusive event to Tackle Poverty as we help working poor families and the homeless here in Pittsburgh! The “Tackle Poverty with the Polamalu’s” Dinner for FOCUS Pittsburgh will be held here at Holy Trinity Church on Thursday, November 20, at 7:00pm. The donation for this fund-raising event are $100. Only 350 tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Tickets will sell out quickly, so don’t delay! Purchase your tickets TODAY at Coffee Hour today or online at www.focusnorthamerica.org.
FOCUS is recognized as one of the most efficient charities in America, with 93% of all donations to FOCUS go directly to helping those in need! What has FOCUS been doing? In Pittsburgh: FOCUS recently opened a free health center, the first comprehensive Orthodox health care facility in America that provides the uninsured with quality physical and mental health care! The backpack feeding program provides nutritious food each week to 300 underprivileged children enrolled in Pittsburgh public schools. The Job Development Academy has graduated and placed 41 people into careers this year! And across the country, FOCUS provides jobs, housing and other services and activities in 50 cities in the USA and Canada! “Operation Lace Up” has helped 252,000 homeless children go back to school with medical/dental checkups, backpacks, supplies and shoes! And much, much more! Thank you for your support of this vital ministry.
New Year’s Eve Gala – Save the Date!
Plan on spending New Year’s Eve with your Holy Trinity family and friends! Tickets will go on sale on November 9 following Liturgy for the Holy Trinity New Year’s Eve Gala. Contact Harry Athanasiou at 412-292-4205 with any questions.
In the Hospital? Home-Bound? Please let the Church Office know!
In today’s age of information privacy, churches are not notified when parishioners are admitted to hospitals, nursing homes or other care facilities. Both those facilities and your church depend on having the church notified by a friends or family member so pastoral care and outreach can be offered. The same goes for those homebound. If you or any of your loved ones are in any of these situations, please contact the Church Office at 412-366-8700 to request a visit from our priests or visitation ministry. Interested in helping reach out to fellow parishioners in those situations? Please contact the Church Office and offer your time as a visitation volunteer.
Want the Weekly Bulletin sent to your email box? Sign Up Today!
Want to receive the Sunday Bulletin directly via email? Want announcements on Holy Trinity events? Go to www.HolyTrinityPgh.org and sign up today using the sign-up box on the left side of any page!
All Sunday Services Live on Internet
Please be aware that all Sunday services at Holy Trinity Church are now live on the Internet. Unable to attend Sunday services because of travels, illness or otherwise home-bound? You can still participate via Internet via live streaming video. To follow the services online go to: http://www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/live. PLEASE NOTE: "Holy Trinity Church now broadcasts its Sunday services live on the Internet. Your presence in the Church is subject to audio and video recording."
Welcome, Holy Trinity Guests!
We welcome all our guests to Holy Trinity Church today, whether as visitors from out of town, family members joining others here for worship today or even soon-to-be members here for the first time. No matter what the reason the Holy Spirit brought you here today, we welcome you with open arms and hearts filled with the love of Christ. Please help us welcome you by signing in at the hospitality table in the Narthex, where you will be presented with a yellow lapel Cross to help our Holy Trinity family know you're here. Please fill out an information card so we can contact you with any information you may need concerning life here at Holy Trinity Church.
About Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church
As an extension of our hospitality and outreach ministries, we welcome all who have come to worship with us today. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian, an inquirer to the faith or a first-time guest in an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us and thankful for the opportunity to share and bear witness to this ancient and timeless Faith. In accordance with the holy canons and traditions of the Church, please note that Holy Communion and the other Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) are received only by those who are baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared through prayer, fasting and confession. All others are invited receive the antidoron (blessed bread) and a blessing from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The antidoron is not a sacramental offering, but is blessing and a reflection of the agape (love) feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. Please join our parish family for hospitality after the holy services and allow us to meet and welcome you. Interested in joining or learning more about the Orthodox Christian Faith? Please see one of our priests or complete a visitor’s card today!