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

Memorial Today

Memorial prayers will be offered at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy today for the repose of the soul of the servant of God, Presvytera Louella Kostopolos (6 months). May her memory be eternal!

Three Hierarchs Bookstore – Open Today with New Items!

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, including a number of new books and items.

“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.

Festival 2020 Update: Order/Donate Before Supplies Run Out!

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, “HolyTrinityPgh.org/Greek4Home”.

While supplies last – and they’re starting to run low! - 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, “HolyTrinityPgh.org/Greek2Give” 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. To date, generous parishioners and friends of Holy Trinity Church have donated 70 pans already, and 60 of them have already been delivered to the charities and agencies above. Thank you for your offerings of love and gratitude to those in need and those who serve us!

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.

[Oct 3] IOCC Drive-Through Ice Cream Event

Please make plans to attend the IOCC Drive-Through Ice Cream Event to be held on Saturday, October 3^rd from 1:00pm-4:00pm in the parking lot of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. All proceeds will benefit the IOCC’s response in Beirut, Lebanon. Donations can be made by: 1) Bringing a check to the Ice Cream Drive-Through Event 2) Directly on IOCC's website at www.iocc.org/pittsburgh 3) Mailing a check payable to "IOCC" with "Beirut" written in the memo and mailed to: Nicholas Terezis, 306 Marberry Dr, Pittsburgh, PA  15215. For more info, contact Zelfa Khalil (412-417-4706 or zkhalil1@live.com) or Nick Terezis (412-781-1923). All Ice Cream will be donated by Sarris Candies. Enter at the St. Nicholas parking lot (419 S Dithridge St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213) and stay in your car as you drive through to place and pick up your order.

[Oct 4] Church School Resumes Next Sunday, October 4, With Safety Measures In Place

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.

As announced last week, our Church School Staff has met and, in consultation with the Parish Council, has developed plans to resume Church School at Holy Trinity Church next Sunday, October 4. Please be assured the physical safety and spiritual well-being of all students and staff are top priorities as our children continue to know and grow in the love of Christ. Here are some highlights of the measures being taken:

• At Holy Communion, children will be receiving first and then proceed to class, after which the rest of the congregation will be invited forward.
• All students and staff will be required to wear masks at all times while in class.
• Class structure and room locations have been reconfigured in certain cases.
• Class sizes will be limited to observe capacity restrictions.
• Classroom doors will be left open to promote air circulation.
• Hand sanitizer will be available in each room.
• Traffic flow to and from class will be directed to minimize congestion and crowding. Access to upper level is limited to students and staff. Parents and all others are requested to refrain from entering the upper level.
• Young classes will be dismissed and brought by staff to a designated pickup area in the Grand Room.
• Instructional signs will be posted throughout the learning spaces.
• As always, food and drink is not permitted in the classrooms.

All this is subject to change as developments require. Thank you for patience and understanding with these adjustments and for your ever-present support and love for all God’s children! Watch for registration information this week.

[Oct 5] Bereavement Support Group Meeting

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 next monthly Bereavement Support Group meeting on Monday evening, October 5^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@HolyTrinityPgh.org or call 412-628-0973.

[Oct 11] Annual Flu Shot Clinic – More Important Than Ever This Year!

Holy Trinity Church will be hosting its 7^th Annual Flu Shot Clinic in the Grand Room following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 11. 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 3 years and older. The Center for Disease Control states that an “annual influenza vaccination is the most effective method for preventing influenza virus infection and its complications”. Please be sure to bring your insurance card listing your ID# as there is $0.00 Copay with most insurance plans and Rite Aid will handle the direct billing for the majority of insurances. The vaccine cost for those without insurance is $39.99.

[Oct 11] Walk for Missions

Please support the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of Greater Pittsburgh and their annual "Walk for Missions" to be held on Sunday, October 11 in South Park. The funds raised will support the ongoing outreach of the of the Fr. Andrés Girón Orthodox Medical Clinic in the village of Aguacate, Guatemala which ministers to the health needs of the Mayan people in the area who have little or no access to affordable medical care. You can sign up to walk or you can sponsor a walker. See the flyer at the Church Office window or contact Emmanuel Maginas at emmanuelmaginas@gmail.com 

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.

Wish Sofia Steiner a Happy Birthday and Support our Ladies Philoptochos at the same time!

In honor of Sofia Steiner’s 11^th birthday on September 15^th, the Steiner Family has decided to make a donation to the Holy Trinity Ladies Philoptochos. Sofia has always been a generous girl and loves to help those in need. Craig, Nicole, Sofia & Luci Steiner are aware that, due the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the Ladies Philoptochos’ fundraisers had to be cancelled or put on hold this year. The Steiner family has been blessed to have been working during the pandemic and they understand that not everyone was as fortunate. If you are able and would like to join the family in making a donation to this worthy organization in honor of Sofia’s birthday, please make your check payable to “Holy Trinity Ladies Philoptochos” with “Sofia’s Birthday Donation” in the memo line.  This donation will help with the good works of this organization in our community and around the country. Thank you and God Bless 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 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