Publish-header
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-06-11
Bulletin Contents
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Bulletin Inserts
Wisdom of the Fathers
Parish News and Events
Calendar of Events
Allsaint
Organization Icon
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (412)366-8700
  • Fax:
  • (412)366-8710
  • Street Address:

  • 985 Providence Blvd.

  • Pittsburgh, PA 15237-5951

Contact Information

Rev. Fr. John Touloumes, Protopresbyter
Proistamenos

fjt@HolyTrinityPgh.org | 412-366-8700
Rev. Fr. Radu Bordeianu
Assistant Priest

FrRadu@HolyTrinityPgh.org
Mary Portellos
Office Administrator

office@HolyTrinityPgh.org | 412-366-8700

Services Schedule

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

Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Eighth Tone

From on high You descended, O merciful One, and accepted the three-day burial to free us from our passions. Glory to You, O Lord, our life and resurrection. (Page 54)

Apolytikion for All Saints in the Fourth Tone

Adorned in the blood of Your Martyrs throughout all the world as in purple and fine linen, Your Church, though them, cries unto You, O Christ God: Send down Your compassions upon Your people; grant peace to Your commonwealth, and great mercy to our souls. (Page 75)

Apolytikion for Apostle Bartholomew in the Third Tone

O Holy Apostles, intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offenses.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Eighth Tone

The world offers You, the author of all creation, as the first-fruits of nature, the God-bearing martyrs. O most merciful, by their intercessions, through the Theotokos, maintain Your Church in perfect peace.
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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
June 11

The Sunday of All Saints

Honouring the friends of God with much reverence, the Prophet-King David says, "But to me, exceedingly honourable are Thy friends, O Lord" (Ps. 138:16). And the divine Apostle, recounting the achievements of the Saints, and setting forth their memorial as an example that we might turn away from earthly things and from sin, and emulate their patience and courage in the struggles for virtue, says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every burden, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).

This commemoration began as the Sunday (Synaxis) of All Martyrs; to them were added all the ranks of Saints who bore witness (the meaning of "Martyr" in Greek) to Christ in manifold ways, even if occasion did not require the shedding of their blood.

Therefore, guided by the teaching of the Divine Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition, we the pious honour all the Saints, the friends of God, for they are keepers of God's commandments, shining examples of virtue, and benefactors of mankind. Of course, we honour the known Saints especially on their own day of the year, as is evident in the Menologion. But since many Saints are unknown, and their number has increased with time, and will continue to increase until the end of time, the Church has appointed that once a year a common commemoration be made of all the Saints. This is the feast that we celebrate today. It is the harvest of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world; it is the "much fruit" brought forth by that "Grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died" (John 12:24); it is the glorification of the Saints as "the foundation of the Church, the perfection of the Gospel, they who fulfilled in deed the sayings of the Saviour" (Sunday of All Saints, Doxasticon of Vespers).

In this celebration, then, we reverently honour and call blessed all the Righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Shepherds, Teachers, and Holy Monastics, both men and women alike, known and unknown, who have been added to the choirs of the Saints and shall be added, from the time of Adam until the end of the world, who have been perfected in piety and have glorified God by their holy lives. All these, as well as the orders of the Angels, and especially our most holy Lady and Queen, the Ever-virgin Theotokos Mary, do we honour today, setting their life before us as an example of virtue, and entreating them to intercede in our behalf with God, Whose grace and boundless mercy be with us all. Amen.

Philbartbarnabas
June 11

Bartholomew the Holy Apostle

Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, and had Galilee as his homeland; this is all that is known of him for certain according to the history of the Gospels. Concerning his apostolic work, certain say that he preached in Arabia and Persia, and especially in India, bringing to them the Gospel written by Saint Matthew, which had been written originally in Hebrew, and which was found there one hundred years later by Pantaenus, formerly a stoic philosopher and later an illustrious teacher of the Christian school in Alexandria (see Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., 5: 10). Other accounts say that he went to Armenia. According to some, he ended his life by being crucified, or by being flayed alive, in Albanopolis (Urbanopolis) of Armenia. This also confirms an ancient tradition preserved by the Armenians. According to some, Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same person, because the Evangelists who mention Bartholomew do not mention Nathanael; and John, who alone mentions Nathanael as one of the Twelve, says nothing of Bartholomew. Indeed, Bartholomew is a patronymic, "son of Talmai," which means "bold, spirited" (see also Jesus of Navi 15:14; II Kings 3:3), and Nathanael could have had this as a surname. According to the Synaxarion of the Menaion on April 22, however, it is Simon the Zealot and Nathanael who are the same; the Evangelists who mention Simon the Zealot (or "the Canaanite") do not mention Nathanael.

Philbartbarnabas
June 11

Barnabas the Holy Apostle

Saint Barnabas, one of the Seventy, was from Cyprus, of the tribe of Levi, and a fellow disciple with Paul under Gamaliel. He was called Joses, but was renamed Barnabas, which means "son of consolation," perhaps to distinguish him from the Joses called Barsabas and surnamed Justus (Acts 1:23). Saint Barnabas had a field, which he sold and brought the money to the Apostles (Acts 4:36-37). Before the conversion of Saul to Paul, it was Barnabas who was the leader of the Seventy Apostles, the first in preaching and chief spokesman. After Saul's vision on the road to Damascus, it was Barnabas who joined him to the Apostles when the others, because of Saul's reputation as a persecutor of the Church, still feared him (Acts 9:26-27); again it was Saint Barnabas who conscripted Paul as a preacher, bringing him from Tarsus to Antioch after the stoning of Stephen, to assist in spreading the Gospel (Acts 11:25-26). Saint Barnabas preached the Gospel in many places, traveled together with Paul, and finally was stoned to death by the Jews in his native Cyprus. During the reign of Zeno, in the year 478, his sacred relics were found, having on his chest the Gospel according to Matthew written in Greek by Barnabas' own hand. This Gospel was brought to Zeno. Because of this the Church of Cyprus received the right of autonomy, and its archbishop was given the privilege, like the emperor, of signing his decrees and encyclicals in vermilion.

Axion_esti
June 11

Revelation of the Hymn Axion Estin to a monk on Mt. Athos by the Archangel Gabriel

The Synaxis of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated today for the following reason: In 980, during the reign of Emperor Basil II, when Nicholas Chrysoberges was Ecumenical Patriarch, the holy Archangel Gabriel appeared in the guise of a monk to the disciple of a certain elder living in a hermitage belonging to the Monastery of Pantocrator on the Holy Mountain. During Matins, after the monk had chanted the customary hymn, "More honorable than the Cherubim...," composed by Saint Cosmas the Hymnographer, the Angel chanted the same hymn, but with the following prelude: "It is truly meet to call thee blest, the Theotokos, the ever-blessed and all-immaculate and Mother of our God." Marveling at the hymn's beauty, the monk asked his visitor - who appeared also to be a monk - to record this new text in writing, which the Angel did by miraculously inscribing the words on a piece of slate, using only his finger, and straightway he vanished from sight. This slate was brought to the Church of the Protaton, and from thence to Constantinople, to the imperial court and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as evidence of the miracle. Henceforth, this version of the hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos began to be chanted in the Divine Liturgy in all the churches. The place where the miracle took place is now called Adein, from the Greek word which means "to sing." The icon itself, before which this hymn was first chanted, is called "the icon of the Axion estin" ("It is truly meet") and it is kept in the sanctuary of the Church of the Protaton on the Holy Mountain.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Tone. Psalm 67.35,26.
God is wonderful among his saints.
Verse: Bless God in the congregations.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:33-40; 12:1-2.

BRETHREN, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

Gospel Reading

The Sunday of All Saints
The Reading is from Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30

The Lord said to his disciples, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first."

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Bulletin Inserts

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Peter ... put to Him this question in behalf of all the world ... For He had required of the rich man these two things, to give that he had to the poor, and to follow Him. ... For the forsaking was done for the sake of following, and the following was rendered easier by the forsaking.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 64 on Matthew 19, 4th Century

But He seems to me here to intimate also the persecutions. For since there were many instances both of fathers urging their sons to ungodliness, and wives their husbands; when they command these things, said He, let them be neither wives nor parents, even as Paul likewise said, "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart."
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 64 on Matthew 19, 4th Century

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Parish News and Events

TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Memorials and Trisagion Prayers Today

Memorial prayers will be offered at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy today for the repose of the soul of the servant of God, Julia Welsh (11 years). Trisagion prayers will also be offered for the repose of the souls of the servants of God, Emmanuel Giakouminakis (6 years) and James, George and Stella Paras. May their memory be eternal!

 

Greek Dance Practice Today

Greek dance practice will be held today following Divine Liturgy. The Hope dance group (kindergarten through second grade) will be taught by Eleni Dedousis (412-953-3699) and the Joy and Goya dance group will be taught by Victoria Andromalos Dale (412-496-9128).

 

GOYA After-Church Car Wash and Cookie Sale

The GOYA teen ministry will be holding an After-Church Car Wash and Cookie Sale today, starting immediately after Liturgy and continuing to 1:00pm. Get your car in shining summer condition and support our teens at the same time! Thanks!

 

Festival Cooking Today– Pastitsio

Please plan to stay following Divine Liturgy today to help us prepare Pastitsio. We plan to work until approximately 4pm, but any amount of time that you can offer is greatly appreciated. Everyone is welcomed and everyone’s help is needed!

 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 
[Jun 12-13] Festival Cooking This Week – Pastitsio – YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

Attention Holy Trinity Volunteers, Stewards and Festival Fans: Please be there this Monday and Tuesday for the weekly Festival Cooking Session as we prepare Pastitsio. Hours are from 9:00am to 9:00pm each day or as much of it as you can make. Everyone is welcomed and everyone’s help is needed. On-the-job-training is free! Questions? Contact Paula Valliant at 412-445-4119.

 

Festival Cooking Schedule: June/July – NEW DATES!

It’s time! Festival cooking is here. Please mark these dates on your calendar, put them in your phone, hang them on your refrigerator, or do whatever you need to be sure to be there…and remember to invite some friends! Please note that these are NEWLY REVISED DATES that are different from previously published dates and times.

 

Date

Day

Times

Food Item Being Prepared

June 11

Sunday

After Liturgy-4pm

Pastitsio

June 12

Monday

9am-9pm

Pastitsio

June 13

Tuesday

9am-9pm

Pastitsio

July 7

Friday

8am-9pm

Souvlakia

July 8

Saturday

9am-5pm

Souvlakia

July 20

Thursday

9am-9pm

Moussaka

July 21

Friday

9am-9pm

Moussaka

July 22

Saturday

9am-5pm

Moussaka

July 23

Sunday

After Liturgy-until done

Moussaka

 

 

[Jun 13] FOCUS Summer Feeding Program – VOLUNTEER TODAY!

Beginning this Tuesday, June 13, Holy Trinity Church will become a FOCUS Summer Feeding Program host site. Each Monday through Friday from June 13 through August 11 a team of local volunteers from Holy Trinity and other area churches and organizations will gather here to prepare lunches for delivery to food-insecure children at the Carnegie Library Extension on Pittsburgh’s Northside. Volunteers are needed to prepare and distribute the meals. You can sign up to volunteer at www.focusnorthamerica.org/summerfeeding or by calling the church office at 412-366-8700.

 

[Jun 15] Prayer and Panera – Saint Nikodemos Men’s Fellowship

The Saint Nikodemos Men’s Fellowship hosts this morning session of prayers and Christian fellowship. The group will meet at church promptly at 7:00 a.m. this Thursday, June 15 for a 15-20-minute morning prayer and scripture, then moves up the hill to Panera for 30-45 minutes of coffee, breakfast and Christian men’s conversation.

 

[Jun 15] Senior Fellowship Meeting

You won't want to miss the next meeting of the Senior Fellowship Group scheduled for this Thursday, June 15. In addition to the wonderful luncheon provided by the collective donations of those attending, the group is planning a cruise for the summer, guest speakers and displays of collective arts. All age and genders are welcome to attend. As always, a small casserole, salad. dessert, etc. are provided by those in attendance for an early (11:30-12:00) lunch. Any questions - please call Joyce Countouris - 412-366-1498, Georgian Bounos - 412-761-6953, or Tina Fiedler - 412-364-1545.

 

[Jun 26] Holy Trinity Golf Classic

It’s time once again for the annual Holy Trinity Golf Classic, to be held this year on Monday, June 26, at Diamond Run Golf Club. The event features a “Million Dollar Shootout” and a Silent Auction. If you are unable to golf, please consider joining us for a delicious dinner and the opportunity to bid on some exciting Silent Auction items. Proceeds benefit the Holy Trinity Capital Campaign. Contact Anthony Loomis for information at anthonytloomis@gmail.com.  See the registration form included in the May/June Holy Trinity Herald or find additional copies at the Church Office window.

 

Philoptochos 2017 Dues 

The Philoptochos kindly reminds all ladies of the parish that their 2017 Philoptochos stewardship is now due.  The recommended donation is $30 per member.  In order to be eligible to participate in the upcoming elections, your stewardship must be paid by June 18th.  Please make checks payable to "Holy Trinity Philoptochos" with a memo of "2017 stewardship" and mail to the church office.  Please contact Joanne Germanos (7germanos@gmail.com) or Penny Balouris (pennybt66@gmail.com) for more information.

 

Upcoming Memorials

June 18: Evdoxia Danis (40 days), James Phaturos (1 year); July 2: George Beckas (40 days), Themistocles Balouris (15 years).

 

Upcoming HOPE Greek Dance Practice Schedule - June

Attention parents: Please plan on having your young children attend as many of the Greek Dance teaching sessions as possible. The HOPE dance group (kindergarten through second grade) will be taught by Eleni Dedousis (412-953-3699).

Tuesday, June 13: 7:00pm          Wednesday, June 28: 6:00pm

Tuesday June 20: 6:00pm           Friday, June 30: 6:00pm

Friday, June 23: 6:00pm

 

Holy Trinity’s Taste of Greece - Labor Day Weekend – August 30-September 3

Please mark Wednesday, August 30, through Sunday, September 3 on your calendar for the next “Taste of Greece” festival. The Festival Committee is asking everyone, new members and old hands, young and young at heart, to pledge a donation of their time and talents so that we can continue to grow both the success of the festival and the fellowship with all our Holy Trinity church family members!

 

Festival Ads Available: Space is Waiting for You!

The Festival Ad Book is back and is looking for your support. Please consider placing a business ad or personal listing. Ads start at $175 for a quarter page and go to $550 for a full page, with center and cover spots available at higher prices as well. A personal family/personal line is only $50. Application Forms can be found at the church office window. For more information, contact Al Backeris at 724-263-3622 or Connee Bistolas at 412-999-0111.

 

Something to Think About

It takes $1,700 to keep our church's doors open each day of the year. Our ultimate goal is to cover our community's operating expenses through our stewardship contributions. So, if every steward who hasn't reached this level yet, made it their personal aim to "sponsor a day", our ultimate goal will be accomplished! Something to think about.

 

Note for Summer Travel - Don’t Forget Church! 

Where we travel, whenever we go, we take our faith with us, for as it says in the Psalms, "God is with us!" Keeping that in mind, please remember to plan ahead and check for the location of the nearest Orthodox Christian Church if you will be staying over a Sunday. There are two great web sites to check: our own Archdiocese (www.goarch.org) and Orthodoxy in America (www.OrthodoxyInAmerica.org), a multi-jurisdictional listing of all Orthodox parishes. Also, for major trips such as overseas travels, please feel free to stay following antidoron and ask Father John to offer a special blessing to your family for your travels. Remember, "God is with us" always. Let’s not forget to invite Him!

 

Vacationing or Travelling with No Church Nearby? Watch and Listen Online!

As noted above, we should all try to find a nearby Orthodox Church when we’re travelling or vacationing, but sometimes that’s just not possible. So, for the next best thing, join your church family back here at Holy Trinity by watching or listening online! Find us at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/live. Hint: It’s best to watch by clicking the online video broadcast, but it you’re in the car or not on wifi and don’t want to exhaust your data plan, try listening to the audio only version instead! There’s a link just below the video screen on our Live Broadcast page. The audio stream uses minimal data compared to the video stream, so it’s perfect for travelling!

 

Summer Sermons Reminder - Be Here on Time! 

Please remember that during the summer months, when there is no Church School, the sermon is offered at its proper liturgical place following the Gospel. Much as we are all reminded how important it is to arrive for the start of Divine Liturgy, perhaps there are times of genuine, urgent need that prohibit our personal on-time arrival. If you arrive during the sermon, please remember to enter quietly and wait until the end of the homily to find a seat. Thank you.

 

Did You Know?

Almost 100 of us have not yet submitted a pledge card for 2017! Of that number, 72 haven't submitted a card but continue to make donations. A signed pledge is needed every year for a member to be in good standing.  If you haven't yet, why not complete your commitment? Pick up a new card today.  Stewardship pledge cards can be found on the Welcome Table located in the Narthex of the church or ask any Council member for one.

 

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 friend or family member so that 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!

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Calendar of Events

  • Upcoming Holy Trinity Church Events

    June 11 to June 26, 2017

    Sunday, June 11

    8:15AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM + Julia Welsh - 11 year Memorial

    10:45AM + James, George and Stella Paras Trisagion

    10:45AM + Emmanuel Giakoumanakis Trisagion (6 years)

    11:00AM GOYA Community Car Wash

    Thursday, June 15

    7:00AM Prayer and Panera - St. Nikodemos Men's Fellowship

    Sunday, June 18

    8:15AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM + Evdoxia Danis Memorial (40 days) + Coffee Hour

    10:45AM + James Phaturos Memorial (1 Year)

    Tuesday, June 20

    6:30PM Parish Council

    Saturday, June 24

    8:30AM Orthros/9:30am Liturgy: Nativity of St. John the Baptist (SG)

    Sunday, June 25

    8:15AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    Monday, June 26

    Holy Trinity Golf Classic - Diamond Run

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