TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Memorial Today
Memorial prayers will be offered at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy today for the repose of the souls of the servants of God, George Lalikos (40 days) and Anastasia Vonortas (3 years). May their memory be eternal!
Taste of Greece 2019: Glory to God!
We have been once again blessed with a wonderful and successful festival and we thank God and His faithful servants, the many members and friends of Holy Trinity Church who worked so hard to make it happen. In addition to sharing our food and music, we had the gift of sharing Holy Trinity life and heritage with the tens of thousands of visitors who attended, many of which found themselves standing in inspired awe as they entered or toured our beautiful church. May God continue to bless this community and every sacrifice of love the members of the flock make as we glorify our Lord in all we do and in who we are: “Faith. Family. Community.” "Well done, good and faithful servants!"
WE’RE NOT DONE YET…DON'T FORGET THE FESTIVAL CLEAN-UP TONIGHT!
Isn’t it nice to visit someone else’s house for dinner and then leave the cleanup for them after you’ve left? Well, it doesn’t work that way for the festival, because this is…”GOD’S HOUSE, OUR RESPONSBILITY!” And that responsibility includes cleaning up. After all the crowds leave and the music stops, there is a lot of cleaning up and putting away to do tonight. Please plan on being around at the close of the day tonight to help in every area you can. Even if you have not been able to donate the amount of time or effort you have wanted to because of work, sports or other commitments, tonight is a great time to still pitch in. Bring some work clothes - and bring your volunteer friends and family, too, because we have serious work to do! Thank you, good stewards!
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Festival CLEANUP This Week!!
Attention ALL volunteers: The job’s not done until the cleanup is finished! Our next task is Festival Cleanup Week. Time to get this beautiful facility back in shape after all the excitement of the festival. Please lend a hand. Cleanup times are:
- TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 5pm-10pm
- WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 5pm-10pm
- THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 5pm-10pm
Please go to www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/volunteer and make the commitment from now. Thank you!
Festival Lawn Signs – Collect, Store and Save!
The Festival Committee thanks everyone who placed the lawn signs around the North Hills area. Please help collect them starting tomorrow so we can be good citizens and not leave them out beyond the event. Also, please feel free to store your signs at home and save them for next year, since the committee was insightful enough to remove the dates and simply say “Labor Day Weekend.” If you do not want to store them, you may return them to the church, and you can pick them up again next year. Thank you!
[Sept 7] Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery – Groundbreaking Ceremony
Gerontissa Theophano and the Sisters of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery have invited us to join them next Saturday, September 7 at 10:00am as they break ground to build Panagia’s new home - a new monastery, chapel, and teaching iconography studio. Metropolitan Savas will preside over the groundbreaking ceremony and a lunch will follow. Please RSVP to info@NativityoftheTheotokosMonastery.org if you plan to attend. The monastery is located at 121 St. Elias Lane, Saxonburg, PA 16056.
[Sept 8] Church School Begins Next Sunday
The first day of classes for Church School this year will be Sunday, September 8 at 9:30 with Divine Liturgy and the children’s sermon, followed by classes after Holy Communion. Let's make sure all our parish's children are here and ready to start the school year right by arriving on time for Divine Liturgy at 9:30 and hearing the Church School message following the Gospel.
[Sept 9] 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 scheduled for Monday, September 9 in the Conference Room. Light refreshments and relaxed fellowship begin at 6:30pm for those who choose. Then 7:00-8:30pm 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
[Sept 15] Ladies Philoptochos Meeting
Our Ladies Philoptochos Omonia Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 15th in the Fireside Room directly following Divine Liturgy. Please get a cup of coffee in the Grand Room and then go directly to the Fireside Room where light refreshments will be offered. We look forward to seeing all of our returning members after the summer break! New members are always welcome!
[Sept 21] Greater Pittsburgh JOY Fest 2019
We are excited to announce that on Saturday, September 21, JOY Fest will be held at Holy Cross Church in Mt. Lebanon from 9:30am until 3:00pm. All kids ages 7-12 from any Orthodox parish are invited to attend. The schedule for the day includes breakout groups, themed crafts, games/recreational activities and songs with special guest, Orthodox musician and educator, Khouria Gigi Shadid! To register for the event, please email emmanuelmaginas@gmail.com by September 14th. Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church is located at 123 Gilkeson Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 across from the Galleria.
[Oct 13] Flu Shot Clinic
Holy Trinity Church is hosting its 6th Annual Flu Shot Clinic in the Fireside Room following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 13. Certified immunizing pharmacists from Rite Aid will be here to offer Flu Shots from 11:15 am until 1:30 pm for adult parishioners and children ages 9 years and older.
[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 25th Anniversary of the Repose of Gerontissa Taxiarchia and the 30th 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.
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. 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!