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” – Final Installment Today

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. Today’s final installment is a bit of a surprise – someone you might not expect!

Blessing of the Backpacks … and Computers! … for all Students – Today Following Liturgy

Attention all students and parents: take the prayers of the Church and the blessings of God with you back to school this year, whether you are attending in-person or online. Those who have brought their backpacks – or even laptop computers! – will be asked to take places after Liturgy, physically distanced, of course, for a special blessing for the start of the school year, most likely outside on the main lawn depending on the number of students. Even those of our college students who will be studying online instead of on campus are welcome, because they certainly need the blessing, too!

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!

Three Hierarchs Bookstore – Open Today!

Please note that our Three Hierarchs Bookstore will be open today following Divine Liturgy. Be sure to stop by and browse our great selection of books for all ages, icons, greeting cards and so much more!

“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.

Offices Closed for Labor Day

The offices of the Archdiocese, Metropolis and Holy Trinity Church will be closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

Festival 2020 Update: Have You Ordered/Donated Yet?

As announced on July 12^th, 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.

[Sep 14] Bereavement Support Group Meeting – Special book gift for all those who attend

Our Bereavement Support Ministry Team provides spiritual care to 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 monthly Bereavement Support Group meeting on Monday evening, September 14^th in the Conference Room. Light refreshments and relaxed fellowship begin at 6:30pm for those who choose. Then 7:00-8:00pm is group learning and sharing with our Bereavement facilitators. Feel free to bring a family member and/or friend. Physical distancing, wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer upon entering, and signing-in are expected of each participant so that all may feel safe and respected. Contact our Visitation Ministry Coordinator Amy Armanious with any questions at email Visitation@holytriniitypgh.org or call 412-628-0973.

[Sep 15] Holy Trinity’s 2020 Golf Outing – Registration Deadline Extended

It’s time once again for the annual Holy Trinity Golf Outing, to be held this year on Tuesday, September 15, at Diamond Run Golf Club located in Sewickley, PA. Registration includes a Boxed Lunch, golf cart, 18 holes of golf, Outdoor Live Grille Dinner, the opportunity to win prizes, a Putting Competition and a Million Dollar shot. The Golf Outing registration form can be found at the Church Office window. Email your registration with Player’s names to Dean Passodelis (DPassodelis@jonespassodelis.com). Registration deadline has been extended to Thursday, September 10. Everyone is welcomed!

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 this worthy cause! Available now: 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.

Church School Plans Underway for October Start

One beautiful translation of Proverbs 22.6 says, “Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.” That is a powerful reminder of the responsibility we have as parents, teachers, and an entire church community to fulfill our calling to teach our children to love the Lord and follow in His ways. It is, therefore, not an option even in these times to simply abandon that calling. Our Church School Staff is working on developing plans to resume Church School at Holy Trinity Church in October. Details will be announced in the coming weeks. Be assured it will be with the physical safety of all students and staff as a top priority, along with the well-being of their beautiful souls, which need to know and grow in the love of Christ. Thank you for your support and love for all our children.

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 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? The needy of the Hill District could use some help. Thanks to Dr. Chris and Kathy Balouris, we are able to provide it. 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 email your contact information to GOYA@HolyTrinityPgh.org 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.

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!

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).

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

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

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

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

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

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