NOTE: CORONAVIRUS PROTECTION MEASURES IN PLACE.
SERVICES BEING CONDUCTED ONLINE ONLY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES 

JOIN US FOR COFFEE HOUR ONLINE TODAY FOLLOWING LITURGY!

Miss seeing everyone? We thought so! And we can fix that! Nothing can stop Holy Trinity hospitality!! Join your Holy Trinity family and friends tomorrow after Liturgy for our First-Ever Holy Trinity Virtual Coffee Hour!

While we are doing our best to observe the recommended and required coronavirus restrictions, it's great to be able to join online for worship services, especially during this holy season of Lent. Wouldn't it be nice if we could actually see and talk with one another like we do at Coffee Hour afterwards? Well, thanks to the wonders of video conferencing, we can!

This morning, join us online for worship (8:15am Orthros/9:30am Liturgy) on our website at HolyTrinityPgh.org/live. Then, at 11:00, use the Zoom video conference instructions below to log on to our first-ever "Virtual Coffee Hour!" Grab your own coffee or tea at home and stay in your church clothes or come casual. We're looking forward to seeing everyone!

HOLY TRINITY VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR INSTRUCTIONS:

1. COFFEE HOUR GOES FROM 11:00-11:45 a.m.

2. BRING YOUR OWN COFFEE!

3. HOW TO JOIN:

To join by video on your computer/laptop (best option to see everyone), tablet or cell phone (it must by video capable):

    Join the Zoom Meeting by using your browser to visit:

    https://goarch.zoom.us/j/586730083

    You may be asked to install the Zoom video app. Do it - it's safe and really handy these days! No account needed to join someone else's conference call.

    Or, if you already have Zoom installed, launch it and join Meeting ID: 586 730 083

To join by phone only (no video):

    Join the Zoom Meeting by dialing 646-876-9923

    When prompted, enter Meeting ID: 586 730 083

See you there!

UPDATE CONCERNING THE CURRENT COVID-19 VIRUS PANDEMIC AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES ENACTED AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH: UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, PARISHIONER ATTENDANCE AT SERVICES IS NOT PERMITTED. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN WORSHIP BY ATTENDING ONLINE ONLY at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/live. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR FULL SCHEDULE OF SUNDAY AND LENTEN SERVICES AS PUBLISHED IN THE HERALD AND LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE CALENDAR. FOR THE LATEST INFOFMATION ON CORONAVIRUS MEASURES AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, VISIT https://www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/coronavirus.

Welcome to Holy Trinity Church's Live Video and Audio Broadcast Ministry

Whether you are unable to attend Liturgy today due to church closures, you are home-bound or are watching from an area where there is no church nearby, it is our joy to be able to welcome you into the worship life of Holy Trinity Church. Today we are blessed to worship from our Saint George Chapel. For a complete list of Sunday and Lenten services, please see our online calendar at HolyTrinityPgh.org/calendar.

Send Photos of Photos of Your “Church of the Home!”

Want to make Sunday Liturgy and Lenten services special? Set aside a space and a family practice of your own “Church of the Home.” Rise on time and get dressed as you normally would for church. Refrain from eating as you normally do (seniors and medical needs excepted). If you have a home censer, light it and go around and cense the home. Then create a special “Church of the Home” in front of your television, computer, tablet or even phone by placing some icons, a Bible, a lit candle or other religious items nearby. Stand and sit as if you were actually present in the church. And to show we’re not alone, please think about sending a photo of your gathering to broadcast@HolyTrinityPgh.org. It might appear in the next Herald! Thank you, and remember, “God is with us!”

Services This Week - ONLINE ONLY

- Mon. Mar. 30, 6:30pm: Great Compline

- Wed. Apr. 1, 6:30 pm Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts

- Fri. Apr. 3, 6:30pm: Service of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

“Faith and Family WEEKDAYS” This Week

Until further notice, our “Faith and Family Weekdays” in-person activities are suspended in recognition of the current pandemic situation. But nothing can stop us from one of the most powerful feature of this ministry: Daily Prayer Partners! Please use this time of “stay-at-home” isolation to remember your prayer partner every day! Please keep the promise.

Lenten and Holy Week Schedules of Services – ALL STILL ON AS SCHEDULED – ATTEND ONLINE

The March issue of The Herald contains a complete schedule of services for Lent.  Please post it in a conspicuous place in your home. Make a family plan and circle the services you are able to attend ONLINE and place them on your schedule and on your phone’s calendar! The Holy Week schedule will be posted as soon as we receive guidance from our Metropolitan regarding acceptable liturgical practices under the current coronavirus restrictions. Remember, as the hymn from the Book of Psalms tells us during the Great Compline service, “God is with us.” Lent provides us a special time to be with Him, whether in church as usual or in our homes these days.

Lenten Resources Available on the Internet

Looking for educational or inspirational information and resources for Lent? Try one of the best religious sites on the Internet: the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. To visit the general site, go to www.goarch.org/lent. There you will find Lenten messages, scriptures, prayers, articles, hymns, videos and more.

Visitation Ministry Reaching Out to our Holy Trinity Family!

Our Visitation Ministry has helping hands and time to reach out to those who may need some support during this challenging time. Currently we are concentrating on our parishioners who are elderly, homebound, chronically ill, feeling lonely, grieving loss of a loved one, and/or need some extra home support. We are asking you to contact our Visitation Ministry coordinator, Amy Armanious (412.628.0973) or email visitation@holytrinitypgh.org for assistance. Please leave a voicemail with your full name and phone number so Amy can return your call as soon as possible. We are offering to pick-up pharmacy medication refills, grocery store items, and take-out meals. We can cook simple homemade meals, meet transportation needs in our local community, and run short errands. We have team members in our Phone Call Ministry who are dedicated to calling individuals at regular times throughout the week, or once a week for those who need an encouraging word and a prayer.  Our Bereavement Support Team is offering phone calls to those who are grieving loss of a loved one and need a listening ear for support. Also, our Visitation Ministry coordinator is willing to assist families with community resources for extra help in the home. We are here to provide spiritual care and our helping hands. Don't hesitate to contact us for your own needs or needs of a loved one. We have Visitation Ministry team members ready to serve in many different ways. May we all stay safe and healthy these next weeks ahead asking God for His protection and guidance. No one is alone... we are all just a phone call or email away. If anyone is interesting in volunteering their helping hands and time, please contact Amy. Our Visitation Ministry Team is always in need of volunteers. Thank you!

Non-Perishable Grocery Donations Being Accepted at Holy Trinity for Distribution to the Needy

Want to help those in need during this crisis? How about picking up a few extra groceries? While we are all being asked to stay home/restrict our outside activities, most of us still need to make occasional trips for groceries. The needy of the Hill District do not always have that opportunity and could use some help. Thanks to Dr. Chris and Kathy Balouris, we are able to provide it. Here’s how it works. Next time you go to the grocery store, pick up a few extra non-perishable food items. Canned soups, pork and beans, vegetables are in-demand, but use your discretion. Then, even though our Holy Trinity offices and campus are closed to outside visitors, please drive by the main entrance of the church and drop off your items in the labeled bin by the office entrance. They will be collected on a daily basis and be delivered by Chris and Kathy to the FOCUS center in the Hill. Thank you for reaching out with love to our neighbors in need!

Holy Trinity Church and Holy Trinity Center - Closed to Outside Visitors

Please note that until further notice, Holy Trinity Church and Holy Trinity Center will be closed to outside visitors due to the COVID-19 Virus. Postal mail and deliveries will continue to be accepted.  

Philoptochos Cookbook – Submission Deadline This Tuesday

Our Holy Trinity Philoptochos announces the final call for submissions of recipes for their new cookbook by this Tuesday, March 31. Recipe submission forms can be found in the March edition of the Herald. Please call/text Maria Georgiadis Athanas at 724-991-5129 or mariapgeorgiadis@gmail.com with any questions.

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES – Please volunteer your family or group to help

Please see Mike Kritiotis today, or contact him at 412-518-0588, or at mkritiotis@gmail.com to sign up your family/group/ministry for either of these two worthy causes! Thank you, good and faithful servants of Christ!

• 1. One Date Still Available to Feed the Homeless at Pleasant Valley!  Holy Trinity has a long-standing commitment to serve meals to the men at Pleasant Valley homeless shelter.  This organization, near our old neighborhood on the North Side, provides overnight accommodations to 30 homeless men, 365 nights each year and relies totally on volunteers to feed the men. The date of Sunday, September 13 is still available. Our volunteers will prepare and bring the cooked food to the shelter, where they serve it at 8:00pm.
• 2. Sign Up to Provide Bag Lunches for Needy Families.  It’s time once again to get your group or family together for a meaningful day of giving to the poor and hungry in our region. Sponsored through the Orthodox outreach of the “Neighborhood Resilience Project”, the 2020 weekly schedule of delivering 140 lunch bags to our less fortunate neighbors every Saturday of the year, has many open dates available. Holy Trinity Church’s participation has been critical in fulfilling this goal in the past, and we are grateful for our parishioners’ renewed generosity this time around.

Upcoming Lenten and Paschal Dates – STILL ON AS SCHEDULED PENDING FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Wondering about Lenten and Paschal dates? Here’s a helpful guide to some of the important events coming up. Mark them on your calendar!

-        Saturday of Lazarus: April 11

-        Palm Sunday: Apr 12

-        Holy Week: Apr 13-18

-        Holy Friday Apr 17

-        The Great and Holy Pascha: Apr 19

Welcome to the Sundays of Lent and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil

During the Sundays of Lent, the Orthodox Church changes from using the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom to the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil. Why do we do that and what are the differences? To most outward appearances, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil differs very little from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and those wishing to follow the service in the Divine Liturgy book may use the regular book to do so. The primary difference is in the prayers said by the priest in the later part of the service and the hymn “All of Creation” (“Epi Si Heri”) which replaces the usual “It Is Worthy” (“Axion Estin”) after the Consecration of the Holy Gifts. Why the change? In general, the prayers of St. Basil are more penitential, and therefore lend themselves to the Church's liturgical preparation for important holy days; hence, their use during Great Lent and on the eves of Nativity and Theophany. During this service, as the priest offers the prayers, there may be times when the choir completes its hymn and the priest is still offering the prayer. During this season of increased prayer and spiritual attention, please use those times to follow along with the prayers with your own heart and immerse yourself in this beautiful worship experience. Rather than “wait for” the priest to finish the prayers, join him in the prayer of your own heart! The large green Holy Trinity Divine Liturgy books indicate where the changes in those prayers are, and you may follow them to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of their beauty and meaning. A blessed Lent to all!

[May 5-June 23] Festival Cooking – IT’S BACK! (PENDING FURTHER CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS)

Mark your calendars NOW with these important dates! Our goal is to get at least 30 people each day so that we may finish on time!  The festival is bigger than ever and can only work if EVERYONE gives at least a few hours of THEIR time for OUR festival! Look over the dates and times below…you’ll see both evening and daytime hours, during the week and on the weekend. Everyone’s help is needed!

• Tuesday, May 5, 9:00am-6:30pm – Kourambiethes
• Tuesday, May 12, 9:00am-9:00pm – Apricot Rolls
• Tuesday, May 19, 9:00am-9:00pm - Koulourakia
• Tuesday, May 26, 9:00am-9:00pm – Galaktoboureko
• Tuesday, June 2, 9:00am-9:00pm – Finikia
• Tuesday, June 9, 9:00am-9:00pm – Finikia/Karithopita
• Tuesday, June 23, 9:30am-8:30pm – Diples

To the Faithful Stewards of Holy Trinity Church

In times such as these, we have a unique opportunity to put our best foot forward and demonstrate to the world that our trust is in God and He is still in control.  There are so many needs out there and we as a Church still have a responsibility to give of our time, talents and treasures.  God continues to bless us and as the “church” we need to find ways to maintain our responsibility of supporting the church, especially during this time.

     Since we are not able to physically meet on Sundays, you might be wondering how do I continue providing my offerings/pledges/capital campaign contributions?  Well there are a couple of ways to do that.  The first way is you can continue to mail it to the church. Please ensure to place your offering/capital campaign envelopes in an outer mailing envelope before placing them in the mail.  The second way is to use the online method on the church’s website:  Go to www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/give, or from the home page click on the Online Giving Tab, then click Give, then simply enter your information.  The church still has to pay bills and function as it normally does, so we encourage you to pick one of these methods and please remain faithful in your Stewardship. COMING SOON: Fast and easy donations on your mobile phone via a Stewardship app or via text giving! Watch for details!

      Lastly, since visitations are discouraged during this time there are still a number of ways to stay connected to each other:  phone calls, emails, texts, FaceTime, Skype, etc.  We encourage everyone to reach out to members of our church family and let them know they are being thought of, prayed for and most importantly loved. And, of course, continue to worship together in spirit online with our regularly scheduled worship service as they are broadcast online at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/live.

      We all have a responsibility to demonstrate the love of Christ to one another, so let’s continue to find ways to do that and remember the words in 1 John 4: 9-11:  “In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Thank you again for your continued devotion and service to God, His Church and the community at large.

          With love and prayers for Christ’s blessings,

           The Holy Trinity Stewardship Ministry