The seventh Sunday after the Feast of Holy Pascha is observed by the Orthodox Church as the Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. This day commemorates the 318 God-bearing Fathers who gathered in Nicaea in 325 at the request of the Emperor, Saint Constantine the Great, to address the heresy of Arianism together with other issues that concerned the unity of the Church.  

Recognizing the divine Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council as heralds of the Faith after the divine Apostles, the Church of Christ has appointed this present Sunday for their annual commemoration, in thanksgiving and unto the glory of God, unto their praise and honor, and unto the strengthening of the true Faith.

We want to welcome Fathe Basil Sheheen, who is filling in for Father Tom while he is still under his doctor's orders.  Hopefully, Father Tom will be back with us next week.  

Please note that todays service will not be live-streamed,  Sorry for the inconvenience.

We regret to announce the falling asleep in the Lord of the servant of God, Chuck Rossvanes who fell asleep this past Tuesday, June 9 in Cincinnati.  His funeral will take place here at Saint John the Forerunner tomorrow June 14, 2021.  Calling hours will be from 10 to 11 and the funeral at 11 AM at Saint John the Forerunner. May His Memory Be Eternal!

So that we can recognize all of our graduates, either high school or higher education, please notify the office of any graduates.  We will recognize them next Sunday, June 20th.  Thank you.

Our Senior Citizens are hosting the end of the Year picnic in the Church Hall this Tuesday at 12 noon.  Reservations are a must.  Please see Georgia Davis (330-720-8729) for details.

*One case of St John Commandarie communion wine ($175)

It is time to celebrate the graduating class of 2021. Take the time to show your love for those college graduates you know by giving them a call, sending a card or gift, we're taking action to convey your support for them.

GROW

*Gather students

*Raise up Disciples

*Organize Fellowship

*Witnes to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Please think about the students in your life and invest in the relationships you have with them. Please consider a donation today which helps facilitate our efforts.  Donatios can be made to: OCF - Campus Ministry  50 Goddard Avenue  Brookline, MA 02445

St. John Church
4955 Glenwood Ave., Boardman
(just north of Shields Road)

GREEK
GYROS!

GREEK
SOUVLAKIA!

Pick up curbside!

Saturday, June 19 – noon to 3 p.m.
(on-site ordering Saturday only while supplies last)

Pre-Order online June 14-18
www.stjohngreekfest.com

Please see the attached letter from our Metropolitan Savas.

May 19, 2021

Holy Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of Proussa

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” (John 20:19-20)

Χριστός Ανέστη!  Christ is Risen!

Following his glorious Resurrection from the dead, Christ appeared multiple times to his disciples, who repeatedly had a difficult time understanding what they experienced in him.  He came to them bearing the marks of his suffering, but they had been transformed from life-destroying to life-giving.  Only with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost did they begin to understand what his Passion meant and had accomplished, and how his self-sacrifice was necessary for the life of the world. 

The past year has seen much suffering, frustration, confusion, anger, and pain.  Some of us have lost loved ones; some of us were radically diminished by the illness; some of us lost our jobs; many of us missed major life milestones; and all of us have been affected by the restrictions on communal gatherings.  But we've also done much to practice our life-affirming commitment to, in the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).  Our first responders and medical workers have ministered wholeheartedly and heroically.  And, by God's grace, our own sacrifices have enabled us to minimize the deleterious effects of the pandemic among us.

In recent weeks, the reduction in the rate of spread resulting from our masking and distancing, and especially from the availability of safe and effective vaccines and the hard work done by those in the medical and public health communities, has brought us to a point where resumption of activity in our previously accustomed way is possible.  This is reflected in the updated guidelines of the CDC and the adjusted policy guidelines of the boards of health of the respective states within our Metropolis.

Therefore, in accordance with the new recommendations of the CDC, and in step with the policies as they have been promulgated by the respective States,

1. The requirement to wear masks and observe physical distancing within our worship space and at Church events and meetings is lifted for those who have been vaccinated.  As we cannot (and will not) be asking people to demonstrate their vaccinated status for entry into the Church, we must operate on the honor system, trusting that people will be responsible when entering our parishes and participating in parish events.  We implore those who are not vaccinated to remain masked and observe distancing in enclosed public spaces (Churches, halls, etc.) per the current CDC guidelines, and we continue to encourage everyone to consult with their physician regarding receiving vaccination.

2. Just as we implored Christian behavior in the implementation of the policy, we do so now for those who choose to continue to mask and observe distancing within the Churches.  Those who are not vaccinated yet, who are immunocompromised or who cannot be vaccinated but wish to attend in-person services, should be respected and welcomed.

3. All parish communities must provide adequate space for those who need to continue to be masked and observe physical distancing. 

4. If any pandemic-related restrictions remain in your county or state regarding non-worship activities, those restrictions must be observed.

We ask you to continue to pray fervently for those who are affected by the coronavirus: those who have fallen asleep in the Lord, the sick, medical workers, and unemployed.  Each of our parishes will include those who have died during the pandemic – victims, medical workers, and first responders – in their Memorial Day weekend remembrances.

We must also commit to not merely "go back to the way things were," but to move forward with a more healthy approach to our life as Christian Church communities.  Our year of suffering has left us with scars to be healed, but we also rediscovered essential parts of our praxis as a Church community, and like the Apostles we must see in the scars the sacrifice which was necessary for our salvation.  During the pandemic, many communities and families focused on the following priorities which should now be even further developed in the months and years to come:

• Attention to the poor, hungry, homeless, jobless, and needy in our communities. 
• Outreach to the widowed, shut-in, ill, and otherwise socially isolated persons. 
• Attention to prayer & scripture reading in the home. 
• Reliance on voluntary donations (Stewardship) to the parish, instead of fundraisers (festivals and catering). 

Let us strive to be authentic ministers of peace to a wounded world, embodying the Grace of the Holy Spirit and our experience of the pandemic to witness to the life-giving power of Christ's Resurrection.

With Archpastoral blessings and love in the Risen Lord,

+ SAVAS

Metropolitan of Pittsburgh

We are happy to announce that electronic donations are now being accepted on our stjohnboardman.com website. On thelower part of the page, you will notice a donate button. You are now able to make your stewardship payments on the site via paypal. May God bless our Saint John parish.

In the past few months when some have been limited in their ability to physically attend Church on Sundays, we want to thank especially those who have continued to offer their offerings, pledges and donations to our St John Church.  There are a couple of ways to continue contributing to the Church.  The first way is by bringing or mailing your contribution to the Church.  The other way is by donating through our website - stjohnboardman.com.  On the upper right hand corner of the home page there is a yellow "donate" tab.  You can donate through PayPal using this method.  

Lastly, we encourage everyone to reach out to our members of our Church family to let them know that they are being thought of and prayed for, and, most of all LOVED!  For those who who are still not ready to return to in-person services, they may continue to worship together in spirit by streaming on line at our facebook pgae: St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Church @StJohnBoardman.  Thank you and may God bless you and our Saint John family!!

WELCOME TO ALL – We want to welcome everyone to our St. John Parish.  All visitors are asked to kindly sign our guest book.  Although everyone is welcome to worship with us, please note that only Orthodox Christians that are properly prepared may receive Holy Communion. HOLY COMMUNION - One of the most sacred acts an Orthodox Christian participates in is the reception of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy, to receive Holy Communion, one must be prepared through; FASTING; On Wednesday and Friday (Consuming nothing after 12:00 AM on Sunday. PRAYER; Asking for forgiveness of one’s sins and by making frequent use of HOLY CONFESSION.  If one is guilty of serious sin, (A violation of the Lord’s 10 Commandments) one must receive Holy Confession before receiving Holy Communion. ATTENDANCE - We encourage everyone to be on time.  The Divine Liturgy is an all-encompassing the church preparing for Holy Communion also requires us to be present before the epistle and the gospel reading.  

HOSPITALIZATION – Please notify Father or the Church office of any hospitalization, nursing home admissions, or illnesses so that Father can visit and offer the Holy Sacraments to your loved ones.  We do not want to ever deprive anyone support and consolation during an illness. If you desire this information kept confidential, please advise us and strict confidence will be maintained. Please keep in mind that according to Federal Law, hospitals are not allowed to give our personal information such as religious affiliating.  Hospitals will notify the priest or church only if the patient requests the facility to do so.  STEWARDSHIP - An Orthodox Christian Steward is an active participant in the life of the Church. The parish encourages all who accept the Orthodox Faith to become practicing Stewards. Each year the Steward is expected to carefully review his or her personal circumstances and make a commitment of time, talent, and treasure to support the Parish and her Ministries, which in turn support the National Ministries of our Archdiocese, Metropolis, and institutions.  Have you pledged to your Church? Pledge cards have been sent out. Please turn them in so we can continue in the work of the church. Think Stewardship!

We have received our 2021 Church calendars and are awaiting to find homes.  You may pick yours up from the Narthex desk.  May God bless us all as we near the end of this pandemic and what has turned out to be a very unusual 2020-2021 year.

Our secretary and office manager is Joanne Martin. Our new office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 am - 2 pm. Joanne has been a long time friend to Saint John the Forerunner and has bookkeeping experience. She is an asset to our Church family. Welcome Joanne!

Monday, June 14 - Chuck Rossvenes Funeral  11 AM

Tuesday, June 15 - Senior Citizens End of Year Picnic - 12 noon

Thursday, June 17 - Parish Council - 6 PM

Saturday, June 19 - Gyro/Souvlakia Drive Thru Sale - 12-3 PM