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Holy Trinity Church
Publish Date: 2020-08-30
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Holy Trinity Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (724) 266-5336
  • Fax:
  • (724) 266-0703
  • Street Address:

  • 2930 Beaver Road

  • Ambridge, PA 15003
  • Mailing Address:

  • 2930 Beaver Road

  • Ambridge, PA 15003


Contact Information






Services Schedule

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:00 am


Past Bulletins


Worship

Worship in "Green Phase"

Welcome back! We are happy to have our doors open to all of our beloved parishioners and we invite you to join us, safely, in-person to worship! Details below.

 

Coming to Church is as easy as 1-2-3:

1) Wear a mask

2) Sanitize your hands

3) Check-in & Sit in between the blue w/ your family

Our attendance the last two weeks has exceeded 70, meaning that we will begin again having overflow seating in the hall.  Those in the hall will still have the opportunity to worship via the livestream and have an opportunity to receive Holy Communion.  Please join us in person! We will be continuing to live-stream our regularly scheduled services via our public facebook page at www.facebook.com/HTAmbridge at the times listed below.  

 

Our high touch surfaces--seating pews, pangari, check-in table, bathrooms, and entrance door handles are sanitized between each service.

 

Upcoming Services:

Every Sunday - 9am Orthros, 10am Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, September 8th - Great Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos - 9am Orthros & Liturgy

Monday, September 14th - Great Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross - 9am Orthros & Liturgy

If there is a strong desire for more services, please let Fr. Anastasios know.


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Church News

UPCOMING MEMORIALS (Next 2 Weeks): 

  • September 6th - 15yr Memorial for Pano "Pete" Neforos, 3yr Memorial Angeline Neforos
  • September 13th - 6month Memorial for Angeliki Daskalakis

 

CHECK-IN VOLUNTEERS: In the current policies of the metropolis we are required to have a check-in person or team for every service.  We are looking for additional volunteers who are willing to come a little early to check people in and, if able, to help sanitize after the services.  Please contact Fr. Anastasios if you are interested in helping a necessary function during these times.

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL QUESTIONNAIRE: Calling all families to fill out this questionnaire on this year's upcoming Sunday School season.

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE: Sunday School will be starting a little later than usual this year and plans will be forthcoming as we continue to find the best way to minister to all of our students.  Be on the lookout for some online videos about the upcoming feastdays.

 

DELEGATES ANNOUNCED FOR NATIONAL CLERGY LAITY CONGRESS:  Each parish is given the opporutnity to have 4 voting deiegates for the National Clergy Laity Congress.  Our four delegates from our parish are Fr. Anastasios, Angelo Pournaras, Dr. Alexander Vasilakis, and Dr. Dean galitsis.  This year it will be done virtually on September 9th and 10th.  May God send His Holy Spirit down upon these 4 individuals and the delegates from every parish to have our church work towards more and more holiness, by God's grace.

 

EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY: Our Archdiocese Youth & Young Adult Ministry (Y2AM) put together a course to help us better navigate the world of Youth Ministry in this day and age.  It's informational basis can also be applied to almost any ministry that exists, even for adults!  Fr. Anastasios believes this course will help bring positive changes to the ministries we offer at church. Several parishioners have begun or finished the course.  If you are interested in this $75 course, it is half off in the month of August,  Go to this website and use this code: AUGUST50 for 50% off ($37.50).  We recommend purchasing the course while its half off and you can return to it when you have the time to begin taking the course.

 

STEWARDSHIP OF THE GROUNDS: We want to again thank the efforts of Lou & Panagiota Pappan for their work on sealing our blacktop and landscaping and Chuck Ceranic for his work on the landscaping and trees.  These individuals set an example for how to use our time, talent, and/or treasure to keep our Church looking its best for the Glory of God!  If you have ideas for how to improve our Church and grounds, inside, outside, or otherwise, please contact Fr. Anastasios or the Parish Council.

 

ONLINE GIVING & STEWARDSHIP:is now OPEN! Online giving can be found by clicking here!  Please consider your continued support of our church through becoming one of our online giving families.  You can make general contributions and stewardship contributions.

 

REGULAR GIVING: The church is still accepting donations in normal ways through the mail and drop off.  Thank you to all of those who have continued to contribute in these challenging times.

 

Live-Stream: If you don't have a Facebook account, don't worry! You can still access our services right on our website (HTGOC.ORG) or a larger video directly on facebook, learn more by watching the following video: https://youtu.be/QJPpkshi2d4

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Our Calendar

  • Next Two Weeks

    August 30 to September 13, 2020

    Sunday, August 30

    9:00AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Sunday, September 6

    15 yr Memorial - Pano Pete Neforos

    1 yr Trisagion - Angela “Toolie” Zondos

    3 yr Memorial - Angeline Neforos

    9:00AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Tuesday, September 8

    9:00AM Nativity of the Theotokos - Orthros & Liturgy

    7:00PM Parish Council

    Wednesday, September 9

    12:00PM Archdiocesan Clergy-Laity Congress

    Thursday, September 10

    12:00PM Archdiocesan Clergy-Laity Congress

    Friday, September 11

    6:30PM Wedding Rehearsal

    Saturday, September 12

    3:30PM Wedding

    Sunday, September 13

    6month Memorial - Angeliki Daskalakis

    7yr Trisagion - Kathryn Tsacalis

    9:00AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 3rd Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.

Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Προκείμενον. 3rd Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 46.6,1.
Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε.
Στίχ. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 15:1-11.

Ἀδελφοί, γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε, διʼ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε· τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε. Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς. καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη· καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς· καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ, εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα· ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείους μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν· ἔπειτα ὤφθη Ἰακώβῳ, εἶτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν· ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων, ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι, ὤφθη κἀμοί. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δέ, ἀλλʼ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. Εἴτε οὖν ἐγώ, εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτως κηρύσσομεν καὶ οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε.


Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26

At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

12th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 19:16-26

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, νεανίσκος τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ, γονυπετῶν αὐτόν, καὶ λέγων· Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω ἵνα ἔχω ζωὴν αἰώνιον; ‘O δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός. εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωήν, τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς. λέγει αὐτῷ· ποίας; ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπε· τὸ οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ νεανίσκος· πάντα ταῦτα ἐφυλαξάμην ἐκ νεότητός μου· τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ; ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ ῾Ιησοῦς· εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ νεανίσκος τὸν λόγον ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος· ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά. ῾Ο δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι δυσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες· τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι; ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστι, παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά ἐστι.


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Mode

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.
Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for Apodosis of the Forerunner in the 2nd Mode

The memory of the just is celebrated with hymns of praise, but the Lord's testimony is sufficient for thee, O Forerunner; for thou hast proved to be truly even more venerable than the Prophets, since thou was granted to baptize in the running waters Him Whom they proclaimed. Wherefore, having contested for the truth, thou didst rejoice to announce the good tidings even to those in Hades: that God hath appeared in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world and granting us great mercy.
Μνήμη δικαίου μέτ' ἐγκωμίων, σοὶ δὲ ἀρκέσει ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Κυρίου Πρόδρομε, ἀνεδείχθης γὰρ ὄντως καὶ Προφητῶν σεβασμιώτερος, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ῥείθροις βαπτίσαι κατηξιώθης τὸν κηρυττόμενον. Ὅθεν τῆς ἀληθείας ὑπεραθλήσας, χαίρων εὐηγγελίσω καὶ τοὶς ἐν ἅδῃ, Θεὸν φανερωθέντα ἐν σαρκί, τὸν αἴροντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ παρέχοντα ἡμῖν τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 4th Mode

In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."
Ιωακείμ καί Άννα όνειδισμού ατεκνίας, καί Αδάμ καί Εύα, εκ τής φθοράς τού θανάτου, ηλευθερώθησαν, Άχραντε, εν τή αγία γεννήσει σου, αυτήν εορτάζει καί ο λαός σου, ενοχής τών πταισμάτων, λυτρωθείς εν τώ κράζειν σοι, Η στείρα τίκτει τήν Θεοτόκον, καί τροφόν τής ζωής ημών.
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Saints and Feasts

Mgenthroned1
August 30

12th Sunday of Matthew


29_stjohn
August 30

Apodosis of the Feast of the Forerunner


Creation_adam
September 01

Ecclesiastical New Year

For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors decreed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was reissued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an assessment was made of what economic changes had taken place, and a new tax was decreed, which was to be paid over the span of the fifteen years. This imperial decree, which was issued before the season of winter, was named Indictio, that is, Definiton, or Order. This name was adopted by the emperors in Constantinople also. At other times, the latter also used the term Epinemisis, that is, Distribution (Dianome). It is commonly held that Saint Constantine the Great introduced the Indiction decrees in A.D. 312, after he beheld the sign of the Cross in heaven and vanquished Maxentius and was proclaimed Emperor in the West. Some, however (and this seems more likely), ascribe the institution of the Indiction to Augustus Caesar, three years before the birth of Christ. Those who hold this view offer as proof the papal bull issued in A.D. 781 which is dated thus: Anno IV, Indictionis LIII -that is, the fourth year of the fifty-third Indiction. From this, we can deduce the aforementioned year (3 B.C.) by multiplying the fifty-two complete Indictions by the number of years in each (15), and adding the three years of the fifty-third Indiction. There are three types of Indictions: 1) That which was introduced in the West, and which is called Imperial, or Caesarean, or Constantinian, and which begins on the 24th of September; 2) The so-called Papal Indiction, which begins on the 1st of January; and 3) The Constantinopolitan, which was adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453. This Indiction is indicated in their own hand on the decrees they issue, without the numeration of the fifteen years. This Indiction begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church. Since the completion of each year takes place, as it were, with the harvest and gathering of the crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for the production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also keeps festival this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate our Saviour's entry into the synagogue in Nazareth, where He was given the book of the Prophet Esaias to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me..." (Luke 4:16-30).

It should be noted that to the present day, the Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1. This was the custom in Constantinople until its fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter I. September 1 is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate of Constantinople; among the Jews also the New Year, although reckoned according to a moveable calendar, usually falls in September. The service of the Menaion for January 1 is for our Lord's Circumcision and for the memorial of Saint Basil the Great, without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

The sign that thou lovest God, is this, that thou lovest thy fellow; and if thou hatest thy fellow, thy hatred is towards God. For it is blasphemy if thou prayest before God while thou art wroth. For thy heart also convicts thee, that in vain thou multipliest words: thy conscience rightly judges that in thy prayers thou profitest nought.
St. Ephraim the Syrian
ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE.

Wherefore then doth Christ thus reply to him, saying, "There is none good?" Because He came unto Him as a mere man, and one of the common sort, and a Jewish teacher; for this cause then as a man He discourses with him. And indeed in many instances He replies to the secret thoughts of them that come unto Him.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 63 on Matthew 19, 4th Century

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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese News

Archbishop Elpidophoros Moves Forward with ABC on Pension Plan

08/27/2020

While at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros participated in a teleconference call regarding the Pension Plan with the Archdiocesan Benefits Committee (ABC), as well as several Senior Clergy to discuss the ABC's recommendations.

How Camp Has Already Prepared You For The Pandemic

08/27/2020

Sometimes at camp, campers have to adapt to guidelines and schedules they aren't necessarily used to. However, these ultimately allow everyone to thrive at camp and maximize their time there. In this video, Ionian Village's Director of Support and Outreach and school Social Worker Marissa Garoufalis dives into how we can apply camp experience to the current pandemic in order to disconnect, experience, and ultimately rejuvenate during this time.

OO Exclusive: Churches Evacuate Amid California Fires

08/24/2020

Devastating fires are ravaging California. The Orthodox Observer spoke with Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco to get the most current update.
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Ecumenical Patriarchate News

Patriarchal Encyclical For the Indiction

08/27/2020

It is a shared conviction that, in our time, the natural environment is threatened like never before in the history of humankind. The magnitude of this threat becomes manifest in the fact that what is at stake is not anymore the quality, but the preservation of life on our planet. For the first time in history, man is capable of destroying the conditions of life on earth.
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