REMINDER: HOLY TRINITY CHURCH IS STILL IN “GREEN PHASE!”
50% Capacity. No Reservations Required. No Age Limits (Welcome Back Seniors!).
Masks And Physical Distance Still Required. Visit HolyTrinityPgh.Org/coronavirus for details.

TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Summer Teaching Series Sermons: “The Great Cloud of Witnesses”

Saint Paul, in referring to the models and heroes of the Faith who inspire us and provide us with models to learn from and emulate, says “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12.1). Though many of us are at least somewhat familiar with many popular saints of the Orthodox Christian Faith, the great cloud Saint Paul speaks of is wide and varied. It is both appropriate and beneficial, therefore, that we take time to refresh the faithful members of the community on who some of the members of this family of the Faith are, what they mean for us and what they do for us. This year our “Summer Teaching Series” will focus on 8 of those saints as main features, with others brought in along the way. This week Father John will share Saint Juliana the Merciful of Lazarevo, a late 16th century saint from Russia. Watch for more to come over the remainder of the summer during this informative 8-week series.

Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday - Today

Today we will honor Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday. The Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry serves those who are incarcerated and their families. They provide visitation, Orthodox publications, Bibles, prayer books, icon prayer cards and catechism courses. Information will be provided on how to support this ministry, whose Executive Director is now Niko Petrogeorge, who was with us for a number of years at Holy Trinity Church.

Remember Your Holy Trinity Offerings – Texts Instead of Trays!

The lifeblood of Holy Trinity Church’s financial well-being is Stewardship: the free-will offerings of our parish family. For many years additional offerings have been collected each Sunday through the passing of trays, but with our current COVID-19 modifications, that practiced has been suspended. Want to still make the offering you normally would when attending services? It’s easy – just text it! Whether you are in-person or online today, grab your phone and send a text with the amount you want to donate to Holy Trinity’s dedicated donation line at 833-955-2176. You will receive a confirmation link immediately via text. If this if your first time, it will ask for your payment information (credit card or checking account). After that is set up, for future donations simply text the amount to 833-955-2176. In fact, if you save that phone number in your contacts as something like “Holy Trinity Text Donations,” it will be really easy to remember it. With all the changes around us, we’re trying to make it as easy as possible for you to continue to support your church. For more information on other ways to give, see the announcement below. Thank you, good stewards and friends of Holy Trinity Church!

Outdoor Coffee Hours Continue

From our Philoptochos: This Sunday and next Sunday, we will host coffee hour outside under a large tent. We have been blessed the last 5 Sundays for coffee hour with no rain!  It was nice seeing everyone and physical distancing, of course. We have sanitizer everywhere in church and outside for coffee hour.

“Faith and Family WEEKDAYS” This Week

• Daily: Prayer Partners. Have you remembered your prayer partner every day? Especially in these times! Please maintain the prayer partner you received in January. When we are all together again, we will distribute new cards.

[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 this 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 Holy Trinity Church this year (instead of the Saint George Chapel as usual, due to the space requirements of “Green Phase”). Please complete a Paraclesis Names Form to submit prayers for your loved ones. Copies of the Paraclesis Names Form can be found in today’s bulletin and at the church office window or at holytrinitypgh.org/documents/worship. The schedule of Paraclesis services is as follows. Additional Vespers for the feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and Koimissis of the Theotokos are also included.

- Monday, August 3

- Wednesday, August 5 (Great Vespers of the Transfiguration of the Lord)

- Friday, August 7

- Monday, August 10

- Wednesday, August 12

- Friday, August 14 (Great Vespers of the Koimissis/Falling Asleep of the Theotokos)

Take the Koimissis Challenge! 15 Days to Rebuild and Renew

As we all continue to deal with the uncertainties of the changing world around us, Christians are called to be certain about our Faith and our unchanging dedication to living our life in Christ and His Holy Church. During the first 15 days of August, the Church offers us a special time of fasting, prayer and preparation to celebrate the Falling Asleep (Koimissis) and taking into Heaven the Most Holy Theotokos. This year let’s use those 15 days to rebuild and renew ourselves and our community. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

[Aug 5/6] Great Vespers and Divine Liturgy and Blessing of First Fruits for the Feast of the Transfiguration

For many years faithful from the area have gathered at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Due to the pandemic this year, that public celebration is not being held. We will celebrate the Great Vespers of the feast at Holy Trinity Church on Wednesday, August 5, at 6:30pm, followed by the Blessing of the Loaves/Artoclasia. Then on Thursday, August 6 (8:30am Orthros/9:30am Divine Liturgy) we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord followed by the wonderful tradition of the Blessing of the Fruits. 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! No able to attend in person? You have two choices. The Sisters of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City invite you to join them via livestreaming for their Annual Patronal Feast on August 6, with Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00am followed by Vespers at 3:00pm with a Paraclesis and Prayers for the Sick. For more information please visit their website at www.OrthodoxMonasteryEllwoodCity.org or their streaming channel at youtube.com/EllwoodCityChapel/live. Services will also be livestreamed from Holy Trinity Church at HolyTrinityPgh.org/live at the times indicated above.

[Aug 14/15] Great Vespers and Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Koimissis/Falling Asleep of the Theotokos

It is a local tradition to attend one of our sister parishes of Koimissis Tis Theotokou in Aliquippa or Dormition of the Theotokos in Oakmont to celebrate their nameday, but due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, they will not be held this year. We will celebrate the Great Vespers of the feast at Holy Trinity Church on Friday, August 14, at 6:30pm, followed by the Blessing of the Loaves/Artoclasia. Then on Saturday, August 15, (8:30am Orthros/9:30am Divine Liturgy) we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Feast of the Koimissis/Falling Asleep of the Theotokos. Services will also be livestreamed from Holy Trinity Church at HolyTrinityPgh.org/live for those not able to attend in person.

Festival 2020 Update: Have You Ordered/Donated Yet?

As announced on July 12th, out of an abundance of caution for our parish volunteers, our tens of thousands of guests and the community around us, the decision has been thoughtfully and prayerfully made by parish and festival leadership that Holy Trinity Church will not be hosting a public, in-person Festival this year, but will postpone the event until Labor Day weekend 2021. We believe this is in fulfillment of our “Faith. Family. Community.” vision statement by Preserving our Faith, Protecting our Family and Respecting our local Community. However, thanks to the dedicated labors of our Holy Trinity parishioners, a limited amount of full-pan foods are available for purchase. They are available through the "Greek4Home" ordering website. While supplies last, full ready-to-bake pans of Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pita) and Tiropita (Greek Cheese Pita) are available for only $99. That means you can enjoy our wonderful festival food at home! Buy them now to take and bake at home for family gatherings, graduation parties, or to bake and share with others. Each pan has 28 pre-scored servings. The pans are 20” X 13” and are expertly wrapped in premium protective freezer paper. Just unwrap, follow the basic cooking instructions and enjoy! But that's not all! Through our "Greek2Give" ordering website, you can also donate a pan of food to a worthy cause! During the COVID-19 crisis, some of our neighbors are having a tough time making ends meet. The first-responders and “heroes” at our hospitals, safety services and social agencies have sacrificed of themselves to protect us. And some local churches are struggling just to survive. With your help, pans of our existing inventory of spanakopita and tiropita will be delivered to local organizations, churches, hospitals, agencies and the Neighborhood Resilience Project, an Orthodox Christian ministry in the Hill District, at no charge as gifts of love from you and the Holy Trinity family.

Non-Perishable Grocery Donations Still 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 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 is 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 drive by the main entrance of the church and drop off your items in the labeled bins. Donations will be collected daily 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!

Need Yard Work Done? Hire a GOYAn!

Are you in need of someone to do yard work? Holy Trinity GOYA is here to help! Our teens are ready for hire, and why not offer the work to youth from within our parish rather than others? Please send your contact information to GOYA@HolyTrinityPgh.org or call Presvytera Becky at 412-875-5195 with a description of the work you need done. You will be provided with the list of GOYAns willing to come and do the work for you! Thanks for providing the opportunity for our teens to put themselves to work.

[Sep 15] Holy Trinity Golf Outing

Attention golfers: put the 2020 Holy Trinity Golf Outing on your calendar for Tuesday, September 15. Contact Dean Passodelis at DPassodelis@jonespassodelis.com for information. Flyers can also be found at the church office window.

We Need Your Help To Help Those In Need!

Our Outreach Ministry has numerous opportunities throughout the year to share your blessings with those in need. Please consider volunteering as a family or ministry group to help our neighbors and those less fortunate. Contact Mike Kritiotis at 412-518-0588 or at outreach@HolyTrinityPgh.org to sign your family/group/ministry up for either of these two worthy causes! During catastrophes, the need in our communities multiplies. This is such time. Also note: Because of the pandemic, these are now done in a contactless manner! Thank you, good and faithful servants of Christ!

• Just One Last Date Still Available to Feed the Homeless at Pleasant Valley! Holy Trinity Church 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. One last date, assigned to our church, Sunday, September 13 is still available. Our volunteers will prepare and drop the cooked food off at the shelter, contact-free, where they serve it at 8:00pm.
• Sign Up to Provide Bag Lunches for Needy Families. Sponsored through the Orthodox outreach of the “Neighborhood Resilience Project” in the Hill District, the 2020 weekly schedule of delivering up to 140 lunch bags to our less fortunate neighbors every Saturday of the year, still has open dates available. Holy Trinity Church’s participation has been critical in fulfilling this mission in the past, and we are grateful for our parishioners’ continued generosity.

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!

To the Faithful Stewards of Holy Trinity Church

In the past few months when some have been limited in their ability physically meet on Sundays, many thanks go to those who have continued to offer their offerings, pledges, and capital campaign contributions. We have expanded out opportunities to do so and now have a number of ways. The first way is that you can continue to bring or mail your donations to the church using the offering/capital campaign envelopes. The second way is Give By Web - the online method on the church’s website. Go to HolyTrinityPgh.org/give, or from the home page click on the Online Giving Tab. The third way is Give By Text, which is as easy as sending a text with the amount you would like to donate to 833-955-2176. You will receive a confirmation link immediately via text. The fourth way is Give By App using the Vanco GivePlus app, found in the App Store and on Google Play. Find information on it and more at HolyTrinityPgh.org/give-info. Lastly, we continue to 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, for those still not able or ready to return to in-person services, they may continue to worship together in spirit online with our services as they are broadcast online (made possible through your offerings of love) at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/live. Thank you and God bless you, faithful stewards!

Please Support Our Local Orthodox Monasteries

During this challenging time, please remember to show your support to our local Orthodox Monasteries. We depend on their prayers and they depend on our essential support. You can make an online charitable contribution or simply mail your donation to the monastery. Their contact information is listed below. Thank you for your offerings of love!

• Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery: 121 St. Elias Lane, Saxonburg, PA 16056-9615

Website/Online Donation: http://www.nativityofthetheotokosmonastery.org/donate

• Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration: 321 Monastery Lane, Ellwood City, PA 16117-6531

Website/Online Donation: http://www.orthodoxmonasteryellwoodcity.org/giving

• St. Gregory Palamas Monastery: 934 County Road 2256, Perrysville, OH 44838-9529

Website/Online Donation: http://sgpm.goarch.org/Monastery/

Holy Trinity Church in “Green Phase”

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Savas, we are so thankful to be able to continue welcoming our Holy Trinity family back to worship in-person and together as a community in the Church. As previously announced, we are now in the “Green Phase.” This means some important things for our worship and community life:

• Greater Attendance Levels: We can accommodate up to 50% (approximately 200 people) of our capacity. Reservations are no longer required, but sign-in at entry will be to comply with contract tracing requirements.
• Age Restrictions Lifted: Our beloved senior members 65 and over are no longer restricted from attending, provided they are free from any illness, symptoms or conditions that would put them in a high-risk category.
• Masks and Physical Distance: Masks are still required, and safe levels of physical distancing will still be practiced in both seating and moving around. PLEASE RESPECT THESE PRECAUTIONS AND BE SURE YOUR SEATING IS PROPERLY DISTANCED. ALSO PLEASE DO NOT CONGREGATE IN THE NARTHEX.
• Veneration: The faithful may return to their customary practice of venerating icons and sacred objects if they choose, or they may continue to reverence them by bowing, depending on their comfort level.
• Holy Communion: As stated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, “The Mother Church of Constantinople knows empirically from its two-thousand-year existence that Holy Communion is ‘the antidote to mortality’ and remains firm in its Orthodox teaching regarding the Holy Eucharist.” As such, parishes are free to return to their customary parish practice of customary method of distributing and receiving the Holy Gifts.
• Coffee Hour and Meetings May Resume: We are free to resume holding Coffee Hour and meetings, provided that we respect the 50% capacity and physical distance guidelines.

Most important: As the members and families of our beloved parish community make the choices that best suit their needs, we need to understand that these choices will vary with time. And there are some who will still not be able to return for a while who need our support and understanding. As a community of believers walking in the love of Christ and the peace of the Holy Spirit, we are all asked to keep in mind the words of Saint Paul when it comes to meeting the needs of others: “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6.2).