TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES  

Time to Return FOCUS Backpacks – TODAY

Thank you to everyone who so generously took the 98 empty backpacks we at Holy Trinity Church offered to provide for needy local students. In order for the FOCUS ministry to receive backpacks (now filled by you with supplies!) in time to distribute them to the children, we are asking for all backpacks to be returned by TODAY. Please remember that in addition to the supplies, it is requested that a $10 donation be made to cover the cost of the backpack. Make checks payable to “FOCUS”. Please be sure to check your bag in at the designated table in the Grand Room during Coffee Hour today.

[Aug 1-14] Fasting and Schedule of Paraclesis Services  

The Church observes the holy season of the Theotokos, August 1-14, with both prayer and fasting. During that time, we are in a strict fast period in honor of the Theotokos and Mother of God in preparation for her feast of Koimissis (Dormition or Falling Asleep in the Lord) on August 15. According to the canons of the Church, this is a time when we abstain from all meat, dairy, fish, wine and olive oil. Adding the complete purpose to this spiritual preparation, of course, is our participation in an increased prayer life, including the Paraclesis services, Holy Confession and personal prayer. "Paraclesis Services" are beautiful sung services asking for the prayers and intercessions of the Theotokos to her Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All parishioners are encouraged to attend all services, which will be held at 6:30pm at the Saint George Chapel (8941 Ringeisen Rd). Please complete a Paraclesis Names Form to submit prayers for your loved ones and bring it to the services at the Chapel. A copy of the Paraclesis Names Form was included in the July/August edition of the Herald. Additional copies can be found at the church office window or at www.holytrinitypgh.org/documents/worship. The schedule of remaining services is as follows:

- Wednesday, August 7

- Friday, August 9

- Monday, August 12

[Aug 5] Great Vespers and Blessing of First Fruits for the Feast of the Transfiguration

We will celebrate the Great Vespers of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord tomorrow evening, Monday August 5, and in keeping with the wonderful tradition of the Blessing of the Fruits on the feast, it is customary to bring a tray of washed grapes or fruit to be blessed and distributed at the end of the service. In the days of a farming society, this was the first offering back to God from the harvest. Even though they are most often bought from a grocery store today, we should not lose touch with the idea of offering back to God the first fruits of all our blessings! The service will be held at 6:30pm tomorrow at our Saint George Chapel, followed by the Blessing of the First Fruits.

[Aug 6] Divine Liturgy of the Transfiguration at Holy Transfiguration Monastery

The Sisters of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA invite you to attend their Annual Pilgrimage Patronal Feast this Tuesday, August 6. His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel, the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, will serve as the presiding Hierarch. Beginning with the Akathist, “Glory to God for All Things” at 9:30am followed by the 10:00am Hierarchical Liturgy and Blessing of Fruit followed by a 12:30pm Picnic Luncheon. The Sacrament of Holy Unction will be offered at 2:30pm, concluding with 4:00pm light refreshments and the close of the Pilgrimage. The monastery is located at 321 Monastery Ln, Ellwood City, PA 16117. For additional information please visit www.OrthodoxMonasteryEllwoodCity.org.

Church School for 2019-2020 – Please Register Today – Classes Start September 8
Registration for Church School classes for 2019-2020 continues today. You may sign up your child(ren) in the Grand Room during Coffee Hour if they are returning students or new students may sign up online or at the registration table. If you have not yet done so, please do it today. Classes start September 8. Thank you!

Church School Snack and Youth Ministries Volunteer Signup for Parents

All Church School families are asked to sign up for hosting one Church School snacks Sunday. Even if there are multiple children in a family, each family is asked to pick just one Sunday. A list is available in the Grand Room following Divine Liturgy. Also, adult volunteers are needed for various events during the year. Please sign up today. Thank you!

Upcoming Greek Dance Practice Schedule

Attention parents: Please plan on having your 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). The GOYA dance group will be taught by Victoria Andromalos-Dale (412-496-9128). The JOY (third through sixth grade) dance group will be taught by both Eleni and Victoria. Please arrive 5 minutes early and wear comfortable athletic attire. No flip flops allowed in class. All practices from August 13 until the festival are mandatory if you want to dance at the festival. If you are unable to attend one of these practices, please let either Victoria or Eleni know so that they can plan accordingly.

• TODAY, Sunday, August 4: JOY & GOYA during coffee hour
• THIS Tuesday, August 6: HOPE 6:00-6:30pm / JOY 6:30-7:15pm / GOYA 7:15-8:00pm
• Sunday, August 11: HOPE & JOY during coffee hour
• Tuesday, August 13: HOPE 6:00-6:30pm / JOY 6:30-7:15pm / GOYA 7:15-8:00pm
• Sunday, August 18: HOPE, JOY & GOYA during coffee hour
• Tuesday, August 20: HOPE 6:00-6:30pm / JOY 6:30-7:15pm / GOYA 7:15-8:00pm
• Sunday, August 25: HOPE, JOY & GOYA during coffee hour
• Tuesday, August 27: HOPE 6:00-6:30pm / JOY 6:30-7:15pm / GOYA 7:15-8:00pm

[Aug 8 – Aug 11] Festival Cooking Continues – With YOUR Help!

WE ARE COMING DOWN THE HOME STRETCH of our FESTIVAL COOKING 2019!  Please mark your calendars and plan to come and help on the following days. Bring the kids, bring your husbands, bring your wives, bring your friends!  All are welcome...no experience necessary. Tons of light and heavy tasks for all. THANK YOU!

• THIS Thursday, August 8: 5:00pm-9:00pm – Moussaka
• THIS Friday, August 9: 9:00am- 5:00pm - Moussaka
• THIS Saturday, August 10: 9:00am-5:00pm - Moussaka
• NEXT Sunday, August 11: following Liturgy until completed – Moussaka

[Aug 19] New Bereavement Support Ministry: Monthly Group Sessions - Come & Join Us

Our Bereavement Support Ministry Team provides spiritual care to our parishioners and their extended family & friends in time of grief and loss. If you have questions about grief and want to learn and share conversation, then please attend our next Bereavement Support Group session on Monday, August 19^th in the Conference Room. Light refreshments and relaxed fellowship begin at 6:30 pm for those who choose. Then 7:00-8:30 pm is group learning and sharing with our Bereavement facilitators. Feel free to bring a family member and/or friend. Contact Amy Armanious, Visitation Ministry Coordinator with any questions by email at Visitation@holytrinitypgh.org

FOCUS-Pittsburgh Bag Lunches - Sign your Family or Group up for a Worthy Cause 

If you’re looking for ways to get your family/friends/group/ministry together for a meaningful day of giving to the poor and hungry in our region, here’s your chance! Sponsored through FOCUS Pittsburgh, the 2019 weekly schedule of delivering 140 lunch bags to our less fortunate neighbors, every Saturday of the year, has many open dates still available. Please see Mike Kritiotis after Liturgy to sign up for a Saturday that fits your schedule or email outreach@holytrinitypgh.org for available dates. Thank you, good and faithful servants of Christ!

Last Call to Place Your Ad in our Festival Program Book!

If you’ve never submitted an ad before, here’s your chance to do so.  We are looking for NEW SPONSORS to help us meet this year’s goal and hope that you will consider placing an ad, family notice or announcement in this year’s book.  Please contact us at FestivalAds@HolyTrinityPgh.org. We will be happy to design your message for you! Revised deadline for submitting all ads is Monday, August 12th. Submission forms can be found at the church office window. Thank you!

Show your Holy Trinity pride by wearing a festival apron while you work!  Royal blue aprons, embroidered with our festival logo, are available in both adult and children sizes. Cost is $16 for adults and $12 for children. Aprons can be monogrammed with your name for an additional $4. To receive your apron in time for the festival, your order must be placed by August 17^th. Please contact Paula Valliant paulavalliant@gmail.com to place your order.

Help Spread the Word About our Taste of Greece Festival with Lawn Signs and Flyers!

You are an important part of the advertising for our 2019 Taste of Greece Festival!  If you have your yard signs from previous years (undated – saying “Labor Day Wednesday through Sunday”) pull them out and display them! A limited number of lawn signs will be available today in the Gallery if you do not have one. Also, please take some flyers and pass them out to coworkers, neighbors and friends! We all need to pitch in to get the word out!  Thank you!

[Aug 25-Aug 27] Festival Pastry Baking, Cutting & Set-Up – Your Help is Needed!

Please mark your calendars and plan to come and help on the following dates. Bring the kids, bring your husbands, bring your wives, bring your friends!  All are welcome…no experience necessary. Light and heavy tasks for all. THANK YOU!

• Sunday, August 25, following Liturgy - Baklava baking and pastry room & counter set up
• Monday, August 26, 3:00pm-9:00pm – Pastry Cutting
• Tuesday, August 27, 3:00pm-9:00pm – Pastry Cutting and FINAL FESTIVAL SET-UP

[Aug 28-Sep 1] Holy Trinity’s Taste of Greece - Labor Day Weekend – August 28 through September 1

Please mark Wednesday, August 28, through Sunday, September 1 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!

[Oct 13] Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery Fund-Raising Dinner at St. Nicholas Cathedral

On Sunday, October 13, the sixth Annual Dinner Banquet to benefit the Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery in Saxonburg will be held at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Oakland. This year’s event will honor the 25^th Anniversary of the Repose of Gerontissa Taxiarchia and the 30^th Anniversary of the Founding of the Monastery. Tickets for the Dinner Banquet are $125 per person. Please call 724-352-3999 or visit nativityofthetheotokosmonastery.org and click on the https://2019monasterybanquet.eventbrite.com/ link to register online. Holy Trinity’s own Harry Athanasiou will serve as Master of Ceremonies and Jim Balouris will serve as the Live Auctioneer. You won’t want to miss this event!

[Oct 25] Philoptochos Traditional Greek Dance– Save the Date!

Please make plans to support our Ladies Philoptochos by attending a Traditional Greek Dance to be held here at Holy Trinity on Friday, October 25 from 7:30 pm until 11:30 pm featuring live music by Panigiri. Tickets, available for purchase beginning Sunday, September 22, are $15 per person and will include complimentary desserts and coffee. Casual Dress – All Ages – Open Seating – Cash Bar – Hot & Cold Appetizer Platters will be available for purchase.

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 (that’s usually about 9:45am!). 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. Better yet, set your alarm to get you there on time so you don’t miss a single blessing! Thank you.

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 practical or 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 wi-fi and don’t want to exhaust your data plan, try listening to the audio only version instead! There’s an audio-only link on our Live Broadcast page. The audio stream uses minimal data compared to the video stream, so it’s perfect for travelling!

Holy Trinity’s Connect Center
The “Connect Center” is a great resource and contact display prominently located in the Gallery every Sunday and it is for YOU! The purpose is to help EVERYONE in our Holy Trinity community become more informed about the many ministries and opportunities offered here and to make it easier to become involved in all areas of life at Holy Trinity Church. Stop by and check it out or just say hi!

Light of Life Rescue Mission – Employment Opportunities

Since 1952, Light of Life Rescue Mission has been a safe refuge for homeless and hurting people in the Pittsburgh area.  The organization currently has several job positions available. Light of Life offers excellent benefits for full-time staff.  Interested applicants are invited to view the openings and apply at: https://lightoflife.isolvedhire.com/jobs/

Meals on Wheels – Volunteer Delivery Drivers Needed

The Northern Area Multi Service Center (NAMS) is looking for enthusiastic, dedicated volunteers to assist with their county-based Meals on Wheels program. Drivers are needed on Monday, Wednesday or Friday between 9:30am and 2:30pm (time slots can be tailored to meet your availability) to deliver prepared meals to senior’s homes in the community/area of your choice. You must be 21 years of age or older and use your own vehicle. For more information or to sign up for this opportunity, please contact Wendy Allman at 412-781-1176 x2064 or wendy.allman@namsc.com.  

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.

Visitation Ministry Team Volunteers

The Visitation Ministry is always in need of volunteers to share their talent and time. We need volunteers who may enjoy visiting our homebound family members, designing crafts, baking cookies, transporting individuals to doctor appointments, reading the Bible at the bedside of one who is sick or has poor vision, offering grocery shopping or medication pickup at the local pharmacy, praying for those who are in need, providing a listening ear to those grieving loss, mailing cards to those who need encouragement, and so much more. If you are interested and want to learn more about our Visitation Ministry, please contact Amy Armanious at 412-628-0973 or email visitation@holytrinitypgh.org.

 “ONE HOLY TRINITY” – Please Make Your Commitment

Once again, this year’s stewardship pledge card system carries the theme of ONE Holy Trinity. Just like God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, we, the members of Holy Trinity Church, need to join together in love as one to serve the Church and to provide for its critical missions in today’s society. If you have not yet submitted a 2019 pledge card or are new to Holy Trinity, please note that additional pledge cards can be found at the Welcome Table located in the Narthex of the church.  Our member-funded church needs each and every one of us. And remember, a signed pledge card is required as part of maintaining your membership in good standing at Holy Trinity Church each year. We’re grateful to all of you for your commitment. If you have any questions, please see a member of the Stewardship Committee or visit www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/stewardship.

Sunday Coffee Hour Sponsors

Did you know that sponsoring the Sunday Coffee Hour is not just for Memorials? You can sponsor the Coffee Hour in honor of a loved one’s Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation, Baptism, Chrismation or simply out of love for your parish family. Several families can also go in together to sponsor Coffee Hour. Best of all, you will help to support our Ladies Philoptochos who faithfully take care of providing the Coffee Hour on most Sundays. Please contact Marianne Stearns or the church office for more information. Thank you!

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. Following Liturgy, we invite you to stop by our Connect Center located in the Gallery and join us for our Fellowship Coffee hour.

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!

            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) The Church School Staff only is asked to please proceed first to receive from the left-most chalice so they may depart for their classrooms before their students arrive; 2) All other students, parishioners and Orthodox Christian guests, please remain at your place until you are dismissed by the Parish Council down the center aisle only; 3) We respectfully ask women to remove their lipstick before approaching the Holy Chalice; 4) Please wait in the Holy Communion line reverently, prayerfully and quietly without talking; 5) It is traditional as we approach with awe that we make the sign of the Cross  or 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, then 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!

Upcoming Memorial Sept 25: Father John Androutsopoulos (40 days)