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

Philoptochos Sunday – Today

Today we celebrate “Philoptochos Sunday” here at Holy Trinity Church, a day on which we and parishes around the Archdiocese celebrate many years of Philoptochos service to our Church, our community, our friends, and our families. In honor of this event, the Philoptochos will host a Memorial for departed members and a special collection for the benefit of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In lieu of Philoptochos members passing the trays as we usually do, there will be a tray placed in the Narthex and at Coffee Hour for donations. If you choose to write a check, please make checks payable to: Holy Trinity Philoptochos. Because of social distancing, members are being asked to remain seated with their families this year, instead of sitting together as a group. Thank you for your continued support!

TODAY: SPECIAL FORUM HOSTED BY HOLY TRINITY CHURCH – “Racism: A View from The Heart”

You won’t want to miss this very important forum on the experiences of and responses to racism. It’s not like anything else you’ve seen on the issue. Rather than discussing it from the point of view of politics or policies, this forum will look at it as seen from the hearts of Orthodox Christians. A distinguished panel of varied professional and personal backgrounds will speak and answer questions. The event will be held at Holy Trinity Church TODAY from 6:30pm until 8:30pm. Hear the presentations and ask your questions in one of two ways: 1) In-Person in the Holy Trinity Grand Room; 2) Online via Zoom Video Conference. Advance registration is required at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/events. Please note that in-person attendance is capacity-limited and requires safe practices. Registration closes 2:00pm today.

“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.

Church School Continues with Safety Measures in Place

With thanks to our dedicated Church School staff, the love and support of all our parents, and the enthusiastic response of our children, our 2020-2021 Church School ministry is off to a great start. 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 are required to wear masks at all times while in class.
• Class structure and room locations have been reconfigured in certain cases.
• Class sizes are limited to observe capacity restrictions.
• Classroom doors are being left open to promote air circulation.
• Hand sanitizer is available in each room.
• Traffic flow to and from class is being directed to minimize congestion and crowding. Access to upper level is limited to students and staff, with the exception of the parents of the Pre-School and Kindergarten classes, who may enter the upper level to retrieve their children if necessary; Parents of all others are requested to refrain from entering the upper level.
• Children are being dismissed and brought by staff to a designated pickup area in the Grand Room at the end of class at 11:30am.
• Instructional signs have been posted throughout the learning spaces.
• As always, food and drink are not permitted in the classrooms.

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

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 over 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!

[Nov 2] Bereavement Support Ministry: Group Get-Together TOMORROW “Preparing for the Holidays”

Holidays bring mixed feelings for those experiencing a loss especially loss of a loved one. It doesn’t matter whether the loss was recent or for many years. As Orthodox Christians we are reminded that God is ever-present with His love and care. Memories of our missing loved ones can be comforting as we hold onto our hope in Christ. Our Bereavement Support Ministry provides spiritual care to our parishioners and their extended family and friends in time of grief and loss. Our next group get-together will be TOMORROW, Monday evening, November 2^nd in the conference room. Our discussion topic will be centered around “preparing for the holidays” as we give ourselves permission to grieve. Please bring a photo of your loved one as we share their lives with each other. Light refreshments and relaxed fellowship begin at 6:30pm for those who choose. Then 7:00-8:00 pm is group learning and sharing with our Bereavement facilitators. Physical distancing, wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer upon entering room, and signing-in are expected of each participant so that all may feel safe and respected. Contact Amy Armanious, Visitation Ministry Coordinator with any questions by email at visitation@holytriniitypgh.org

[Nov 10] Regular Fall General Assembly – REGISTER TODAY

Please plan to attend the regular Fall General Assembly on Tuesday, November 10^th beginning at 6:30pm. Please see the agenda included as an insert into today’s bulletin. This Assembly is to review parish life and hear reports on important parish matters. It is vital to the life of a healthy community that all members attend, as these meetings are quite important in the day-to-day life of the parish. Please remember that to vote at an assembly you must be a member in good standing as defined in the Uniform Parish Regulations, including having a signed 2020 Holy Trinity Stewardship Pledge card submitted. Whether it is attending assemblies, serving on the Parish Council, taking in a leadership role in a ministry or just getting involved more, the Lord has a calling and a role for every one of us at Holy Trinity Church because you are a part of the Body of Christ and have an important contribution to offer. God has already equipped you with it and is waiting for you to step up and use it. Consider it. Pray about it. What's yours?

[Nov 13-14] GOYA Fall Virtual Retreat

The Metropolis of Pittsburgh’s GOYA Fall Retreat will be held virtually this year from Friday, November 13^th through Saturday, November 14^th. Father Nicholas Manuel of Annunciation GOC in Akron, will explore the journey from the head to the heart, diving into authenticity, and how to find our genuine self in Christ through stillness. This retreat will be free to attend and will take place via Zoom. For more information or to register, please visit www.y2am.pittsburgh.goarch.org.

[Nov 14] Young Adult Fall Retreat – “In Your Presence, there is Fullness of Joy”

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh Y2AM, the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese and the Ukrainian Orthodox League invite all Young Adults to attend an online Fall Retreat. Speakers for the retreat will include His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa, Fr. Stephen Loposky, Fr. Gregory Jensen and Fr. Anastasios Athanasiou, along with other Young Adults. The Fall Retreat will be held on Saturday, November 14 from 9:30am-12:00 noon and from 6:30am until 8:30pm online via Zoom. Attend as your day permits. Sign up at tinyurl.com/2020YAFALLRETREAT. Register now! It’s free! 

[Nov 17, 18 & 19] Neighborhood Resilience Project – Hosts a Journey of Hope & Resilience

This year has been quite remarkable for the Neighborhood Resilience Project. They have moved into a new building, created new programming to support medically underserved communities during COVID-19 and continued providing food, clothing, free health care, acute support after gun violence, micro-community interventions and leadership development to the region. Join them in celebrating the accomplishments of 2020 with their “Journey of Hope and Resilience” on Tuesday, November 17, Wednesday, November 18 and Thursday, November 19 from 6:00pm-9:00pm each night. You can take a tour through their facility, learn about their programs, and meet the people who make the work possible. The event is free to attend and donations will be requested at the event. Group Tours are scheduled 10 minutes apart to allow for physical distancing. Each tour will run for approximately one hour. To attend, please sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4fafa82ca0f8c34-journey to choose your preferred date and time. You can schedule up to 7 people in your group. NRP is located at 2038 Bedford Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15219. 

[Nov 24-30] Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery – Online Auction

The Sisters of the Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery invite everyone to participate in an Online Auction. This new and exciting fundraiser is in lieu of their Annual Dinner Banquet, which was cancelled this year due to the pandemic. You can browse their hand-made items, register and bid online at: www.biddingowl.com/NativityTheotokos beginning at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, November 24 until the auction closes at 12:00 noon on Monday, November 30. You can also make a donation to their Capital Campaign by visiting www.NativityoftheTheotokosMonastery.org. Thank you!

Calling All Spero’s Books: Please Come Home!

Attention Church School parents and students: Spero needs your help! If you have borrowed any books or DVD’s from the St. Spyridon Children’s Library, please return them by next Sunday, November 8. Since the library is currently closed to visitors, please drop your returned items into Spero’s drop box located right outside of the Library. Thank you!

“Feed the Homeless” – 2021 Dates Now Available at Pleasant Valley Shelter – Sign Up Today!

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 following dates in 2021 are available, to prepare and deliver the food (due to covid-19 restrictions, we are to drop off the food curbside) - these are all Sunday evenings, and food needs to be there by 7:45pm. (Also, we do have parishioners who have expressed interest in helping families with delivering the food to the shelter.) Available Dates: March 14; May 9; July 11; Sept 12; and Nov 14.  Please see Mike Kritiotis today, or contact him at 412-518-0588, or at outreach@holytrinitypgh.org to sign up your family/group/ministry.

Church School vs Holy Trinity Community Fall Food Drive – Take the Challenge!

During the month of November, Holy Trinity Church School is once again holding its Fall Food Drive…but this year there is a special twist: it’s Church School vs the Community! All month there will be two food collection bins in the Gallery during Coffee Hour: one for Church School collections and the other for the rest of the community. Which will collect more? We’ll see! At the end the winner will be announced and a special award given, but the real winners will be those in need who will receive food supplies as we approach the winter months. Items will be donated to the Orthodox Christian ministry at the Neighborhood Resilience Project in the Hill District, which Holy Trinity has been supporting actively since its founding at FOCUS Pittsburgh many years ago. See the enclosed list of food items and thanks for taking the challenge!

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).

Holy Trinity Church 2023 Consecration/100th Anniversary Planning Begins

We all feel very blessed to worship in and through an amazingly beautiful Church facility. According to Orthodox Church tradition, however, a Church is not truly complete in the eyes of our Orthodox Faith until it has been fully consecrated by the local hierarch. We are pleased to report that the Parish Council has recently approved a plan to present to the General Assembly for approval at its November 10, 2020 meeting to complete the necessary items in order that Holy Trinity Church can be consecrated by the end of 2023. This is historically significant because 2023 celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Holy Trinity Church.

The plan provides for completing all of the items required for consecration including: completing the remaining iconography in the Church and Narthex; installation of numerous items of handcrafted ecclesiastical wood furnishings, most notably a permanent iconostasis and required new Holy Altar table; Altar furnishings and other liturgically required  items for the Consecration; and possibly more appropriate seating to replace the temporary chairs in the Church. The estimated budget for the project will be explained at the upcoming Assembly.

A very realistic plan to raise the needed monies for the project over the next 3 years has been developed. It comprises a combination of funds from the Greek Festival and catering income, as well as parishioner donations, and all without incurring loans or bank financing, so we will remain debt-free having paid off the mortgage this year. Once this project is approved, we are praying that all of our members will pledge what they are able to over the 2021–2023 timeframe to fund the completion of our Church for its Consecration. With God’s blessing, together we certainly have this within our means to finish what we started when we originally broke ground here in 2011. More details will be presented at the November 10 General Assembly! If there are any questions in the meantime, please feel free to speak with Jim Balouris, Charlie Petredis or George Dickos.  May God continue to richly bless His Holy Church!