Welcome!

We welcome with great joy everyone to this holy celebration of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem today.

No Church School Class Today

It has been a Holy Trinity tradition for many years that we do not have class on Palm Sunday to allow families to be in Liturgy from the beginning to the end and then proceed to the Palm Sunday lunch as a family. It is also a nice break for our Church School staff as we all prepare for the great spiritual adventure of Holy Week. Classes will resume on the Sunday of St. Thomas (April 23).

About Receiving Holy Communion Today

Please see the note at the end of bottom of these announcements for information on receiving Holy Communion. This is a sacred act not to be taken lightly or out of habit, but received with “Fear of God, Faith and Love” by those Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared, especially during this Lenten season. If you have not prepared or are uncertain about receiving, it is better to not receive today and to see one of our priests after the service for spiritual assistance and guidance. For those who do receive, please remember the following helpful hints aimed at helping to preserve the solemnity and safety of the Holy Mystery: 1) Please remain at your place until you are dismissed by the Parish Council; 2) We respectfully ask women to remove their lipstick before approaching the Holy Chalice; 3) Please wait in the Holy Communion line reverently, prayerfully and quietly without talking; 4) It is traditional as we approach with awe that we make the sign of the Cross and bow down with a “metanoia” as an act of humility before the Lord; 5) Be sure to offer your baptismal name to priest before receiving; 6) Please take great care to place the red cloth under your chin and to fully open your mouth so that none of the precious Body and Blood of Christ is accidentally spilled, and to dab your lips on the cloth afterwards so none of the Holy Gifts are left on other objects. Thank you for your cooperation, and may God have mercy on us all!

GOYA Community Palm Sunday Fish Luncheon Today  

The GOYA is sponsoring its annual Community Palm Sunday Luncheon today following the Divine Liturgy. Traditional fish meals will be served, as today's great celebration of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem is celebrated by the Church with a lightening of the fast for a day prior to Holy Week. Those who pre-purchased their tickets in the past few weeks have guaranteed seating. All others will be admitted on a space-available basis. Thanks for supporting for this community event and our teens!

Philoptochos Pascha Bread Sale Pickup Today

The Philoptochos is pleased to fulfill the Pascha Bread orders today after Liturgy. Additional items may be available as well for those who did not order ahead. Pick up some to add to your Paschal meal! Thanks for supporting the ministries of our Philoptochos.

GOYA Lenten Soups: Last Week!

The GOYA is today offering the last of their popular, delicious and affordable selection of Lenten Soups! These freezer-to-microwave/pot-to-table offerings are still only $7 each. They are all cooked in accordance with Orthodox strict-fasting tradition, so in addition to helping support our youth ministries; they give you a helping hand in planning your Lenten menu! Thanks for stopping by each week!

Visitation Ministry Needs Your Help! 

Today during the Palm Sunday Luncheon, please visit the Visitation Ministry table display in the Gallery. We are asking for volunteers to deliver Pascha gifts to our homebound parishioners beginning Palm Sunday and throughout Holy Week. If you have time to deliver even one gift it is very much appreciated. We are also asking for donations towards purchasing the items for our Pascha gifts. If you have a homebound loved one who would enjoy a Pascha card and/or gift, then please visit our table display today and we will add their name to our list. Or if you are interested in learning more about offering your talent and time with our Visitation Ministry, then contact Amy Armanious at visitation@HolyTrinityPgh.org

Services This Week

A complete schedule of services for Holy Week can be found in today’s bulletin, in the April issue of The Herald and online at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org.

Holy Week Schedule and Live Services Online

The complete schedule of Holy Week services at Holy Trinity Church is online in two places. As always, check the online calendar at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/calendar for all parish events. Also, a downloadable PDF of the entire Holy Week schedule is available on the front page of our website. Remember, if you are not able - for good reason - to fulfil your calling to attend the Holy Week services in person, they will be broadcast live on www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/live.

Lenten Fasting: A Tool for Spiritual Growth

During Lent, known as the "Season of Repentance," and now in Holy Week, the Church offers encouragement for us to dedicate ourselves to additional prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Please take note that, according to the holy canons of the Church, Holy Week is a time of strict fast (no meat, dairy, fish, etc.) all the way through the Resurrection Liturgy on Saturday evening. It is, however, important to remember that fasting is not the ends, but a means, given to us all as part of our spiritual toolkit in preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection here and for eternal life in the Resurrected Christ! (A special note to our seniors: any kind of fasting must take into consideration medications and doctor’s instructions so your fasting does not create medical issues – it is intended to bless, not make us weak or sick. Please see our priests with any questions.)

Welcome to Our 2017 “Seminarian in Residence”

Continuing our tradition of hosting a seminarian for Holy Week, today we welcome Demetri Constantine back to the community. Please be sure to introduce yourself and speak with him following services this week. Welcome, Demetri!

Holy Week Starts Tonight!

Holy Week is set aside as its own special period for us to learn about and participate in the events of the Lord’s Holy Passion, Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection. Some people have the blessing to travel to the Holy Lands and see the very places where Jesus walked. For us as Orthodox Christians, that very same reality and participation is to be found in the services of Holy Week: The Bridegroom Services on the evenings of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday; The Service of the Twelve Gospels and Passion and Crucifixion of Christ on Holy Thursday; the Entombment and Praises on Holy Friday and the glorious victory of the Resurrection at Pascha. Don’t miss out - join millions of Orthodox Christians throughout the world in this Holy Week of Orthodox tradition and faith in Christ! "Kali Anastasi!"

Holy Week Books Available at our Bookstore

If you do not already have one, please be sure to stop by our Three Hierarchs Orthodox Bookstore to pick up your copy of the Holy Week/Easter Service book from Patmos Press. This book contains all of the services for Holy Week and Easter in the original Greek text with the Modern English translation on opposing pages. All paragraphs are arranged to correspond to both languages, making it easy to follow the services in either language. This invaluable book is a great aid in participating fully in the services of Holy Week and are reasonably priced at only $21.00 each. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lynda Areheart at 412-561-7795.

Lenten and Paschal Donations Still Needed

The following items are still needed for the celebration of the special services during Holy Week and Pascha. If you would like to sponsor or donate any of these items, please submit the form, which can be found at the reception window of the Church Office, along with your donation as soon as possible. If an item has already been donated, your donation may be used for Epitaphion flowers or other needed items. Donations will be acknowledged in the Herald following Pascha unless otherwise indicated on your donation form. Thank you!

- Flowers for the Epitaphion (any amount) many needed

- Paschal Lilies to decorate the church for the Resurrection Service ($20 ea.) many needed

- Bay Leaves for Holy Saturday morning Resurrection Orthros service ($100) 1 large basket

- Communion Wine for Holy Week and Pascha ($200 per case) or ($20 per bottle)

[Apr 14] Help Decorate the Epitaphion on Holy Friday
As we prepare to celebrate Pascha, please consider taking the day off from school or work on Holy Friday. School excuses from the Father John will be available for those who attend and help. All ages are invited to come to the church and help with decorating the Kouvouklion (which contains the Epitaphion - Tomb of Christ) with flowers immediately following the 9:30am Service of the Royal Hours (the service lasts approximately one hour).  Please come to make this one of your offerings of dedicated love and service to the Lord as we honor His Holy Passion in His Holy Church. (NOTE: This is a FAMILY opportunity, not a “drop-off” event. Young children must be supervised by a responsible adult.)

[Apr 14] Holy Friday - Please Submit Names of the Departed for Commemoration

If you have names of your beloved departed ones that you would like commemorated, please be sure to submit their names before the Holy Friday evening service. Prayers will be offered for them in front of the Epitaphion on Holy Friday. A form was included in the recent Herald and they are also available in the Narthex. The Holy Friday Trisagion Names form is also available on our website as a fillable PDF form. (Please note: there are no Memorial services permitted from Palm Sunday through the Sunday of St. Thomas - April 23 this year.)

[Apr 15] Come to the Anastasi Services and Dinner! – Saturday Evening
Don’t forget to make plans to attend the Resurrection Orthros, Liturgy and Dinner at Holy Trinity Church on Saturday evening/early morning of Pascha. Following the liturgical celebration of the Resurrection, join your family, friends and other members of Holy Trinity to break the fast and celebrate the Feast of Feasts! Free-will offerings will be accepted for this community celebration.

[Apr 16] Agape Vespers Candy Hunt
The Church School ministry is again sponsoring the annual Paschal Candy Hunt on the lawn of the church (weather permitting) on Pascha following the Agape Vespers Service at 12:00 p.m. All the children are invited to come for this beautiful and bright service. It is an especially good way for those with small children who are not able to attend the midnight service to share in a special celebration of Pascha. NOTE: Parent volunteers are needed to help coordinate this event. Please contact Presvytera Becky to volunteer (PresBecky@HolyTrinityPgh.org).

[Apr 20] Senior Fellowship Lunch and Meeting

The Senior Fellowship Ministry will meet on Thursday, April 20 at 11:30 am. This month we will be joined by Ms. Jaime Piccola, a visiting home nurse practitioner. She will talk to us about her profession and why we as seniors may see them on occasion. As always we will contribute a small casserole, salad, fruits and desserts to share along with the comradery among us. Coffee and water are provided. Guests and visitors are welcome to attend.

[Apr 22] Metropolis of Pittsburgh Saint Photios Awards Banquet

His Eminence Metropolitan Savas invites all the clergy and laypersons of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh to celebrate and give thanks for its honored devout stewards of faith, time and talents at the Fourth Annual Saint Photios Awards Banquet, Saturday, April 22 at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square, 300 West Station Square Dr., Pittsburgh, PA. 4:00 pm Hors d’oeuvres, 5:15 pm Dinner. Donations for tickets are $75 per person for adults, $25 for children, and net proceeds benefit the Metropolitan’s Benevolent Fund. Reservations can be made by calling Mary Doreza at 412-877-3415. Please make plans to celebrate all the awardees, including Holy Trinity recipients, Stella Athanasiou and George Lalikos.

[Apr 14 & Apr 17] Offices Closed Holy Friday and Bright Monday

The offices of the Archdiocese, Metropolis and Holy Trinity Church will be closed on Holy Friday and Bright Monday in observation of these sacred days.

Donation Needed

Do you have a Keurig® Single Cup Coffee Maker that you no longer use? Holy Trinity would greatly appreciate the donation of a gently used Keurig® that would be useful for small group meetings or to offer hospitality to weekday visitors to the church office. To offer your donation, please contact the church office at 412-366-8700. Thank you!

Festival Ad Book Volunteers Needed

The Festival season is quickly coming upon us. Last year's Festival was a banner event for our Holy Trinity community. With your help, we made tremendous strides last year. We are seeking volunteers to join the 2017 Festival Ad Book committee. Please contact Al Backeris or Connee Bistolas to join the Ad Book campaign or email inquiries and interest to festivalads@HolyTrinityPgh.org.

Festival Cooking Schedule: April/May

It’s time! Festival cooking is here. Please mark these dates on your calendar, put them in your phone, hand them on your refrigerator, or do whatever you need to be sure to be there…and remember to invite some friends! Watch for more dates all the way through July in the April edition of the Holy Trinity Herald!

Need Physical Assistance to Receive Holy Communion?

Do you require physical assistance to receive Holy Communion? The Holy Trinity Parish Council and Hospitality Ministry team would be glad to help. Please indicate you require help when your row is dismissed and they will provide someone to accompany you and provide assistance and safety.

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 our new and wonderful Visitation Ministry. Also, interested in helping reach out to fellow parishioners in those situations? Please contact Amy Armanious at visitation@HolyTrinityPgh.org.

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!