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, Helen Balouris (2 years). The family is sponsoring cookies and coffee at today’s luncheon. May her memory be eternal!

September 11 – 20^th Anniversary Commemoration Today

For many of us, the tragic events of September 11, 2001, seem like yesterday, even though they were 20 years ago. For most of our college students and young adults, and all our grade school and high school students, those events happened before they were born, so they are merely a historical reference, not a lived reality. Today, as we offer as 20-year commemoration of those terrible days and pray for those lives lost and tragically affected, it is incumbent upon us all to do so for two reasons: 1) That we as Americans who were alive in those times never forget, and 2) That our children and future generations learn about and learn from those attacks and remain on guard. May we all place our ultimate hope and faith in the Lord, and may we always pray for our leaders and those who protect us, so they may, as the Divine Liturgy says, “serve and govern in peace that through the faithful conduct of their duties we may live peaceful and serene lives in all piety and holiness.” God bless America! Never forget!

“THANK YOU!” Community Luncheon Today – Everyone is invited!

Today our Parish Council is hosting a complimentary community luncheon in celebration of and thanks for two big events this week. Please stay for this double-celebration today as we celebrate them as a parish.

1) CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, FATHER RADU! This past Friday, September 10, was Father Radu’s 15^th Anniversary as the Assistant Priest at Holy Trinity Church. He and Presvytera Loredana arrived here in 2006, along with their two children at the time, Stefan and Ana. Father Radu celebrated his first Divine Liturgy with us on Sunday, September 10, 2006, and he has faithfully served this community continually ever since. Father Radu also just completed a summer of tending to the Holy Trinity flock while Father John was on sabbatical, and for that we also thank and honor him today.

2) THANK YOU FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS! Even though the pandemic presented many changes and challenges, our community was able to adapt and succeed at opening our Greek Festival doors to the community around us this year as a drive-through event, with much success and many positive comments from those who attended. As a community we all thank the Festival Committee for their tireless work, and today the Parish Council and Festival Committee also thank all our faithful and dedicated volunteers whose many months, weeks and hours of sacrificial work made it all possible, with God’s blessings. Please join in the celebration today. Free-will offerings will be accepted.

Church School Registration for 2021-2022

Registration for Church School classes for 2021-2022 begins today. Please sign up your new or returning child(ren) during Coffee Hour. The first day of Church School classes will be next Sunday, September 19. See Presvytera Becky for information.

Church School Snack Signup for Parents

All Church School families are asked to sign up for hosting one Church School snacks Sunday. Even if there are multiple children in a family, each family is asked to pick just one Sunday. A list is available in the Gallery following Divine Liturgy.

Services This Week:

- Monday, September 13, 7:00pm: Great Vespers of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (Holy Cross - Mt. Lebanon)
- Tuesday, September 14, 8:15am Orthros/9:30am Divine Liturgy of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (our sister parish of Holy Cross Church in Mt. Lebanon, 123 Gilkeson Rd, Pittsburgh PA 15228).

- Friday, September 17, 8:30am Orthros/9:30am Divine Liturgy – Saint Sophia and her daughters, Faith, Hope and Love. Services held at Saint George Chapel (8941 Ringeisen Rd, Allison Park PA 15101)

[Sep 12] Sign Up for House Blessings – Offered in September from Now On – Deadline September 12

At the beginning of the year, Metropolis of Pittsburgh clergy were prohibited by the Metropolis from offering the traditional house blessings for pandemic safety reasons. As a result, House Blessings are now being offered in September. This moves the annual blessing from the beginning of the civil new year (Jan. 1) to the beginning of the Church’s Ecclesiastical New Year (Sep. 1) and in proximity to the Feast of the Holy Cross (Sep. 14). This practice has been blessed by the Metropolis and adopted by many parishes, especially those in cold weather climates, such as Pittsburgh, resulting in fewer weather cancellations and safer travels for the clergy. As usual, please visit our website at HolyTrinityPgh.org/events to sign up for the time slot allocated to your area. Deadline is September 12.

[Sep 13] Bereavement Ministry Meeting - Tomorrow

Please make plans to join us for our next monthly group gathering tomorrow, Monday, September 13. The Holy Trinity Bereavement Support Ministry Team provides spiritual care to our parishioners and their extended family & friends in times of grief and loss of a loved one. Due to the Festival, our monthly bereavement support group gathering will be held on the second Monday evening of September. Fellowship & Light Refreshments begin at 6:30pm followed by Group Support, Learning and Conversation from 7:00-8:00pm. All are welcome to participate in group sharing or observe through quiet time with others who care. To learn more about our Bereavement Support Ministry and/or our private support sessions, please contact Amy Armanious at visitation@HolyTrinityPgh.org

[Sept 19] Church School Begins – Next Sunday

The first day of classes for Church School this year will be next Sunday, September 19 at 9:30am with Divine Liturgy and the children’s sermon, followed by classes after Holy Communion. Let's make sure all our parish's children are here and ready to start the school year right by arriving on time for Divine Liturgy at 9:30am and hearing the Church School message following the Gospel. You may sign up your new or returning child(ren) beginning TODAY during Coffee Hour.

[Oct 8-10] YAL Conference To Be Held in Pittsburgh, Liturgy Hosted at Holy Trinity Church

The Metropolis of Pittsburgh invites all Orthodox Young Adults of all Jurisdictions (ages 18-35) from around the country to enjoy a weekend of faith & fellowship in an immersive experience which will include workshops, keynote speaker Dr. Albert Rossi, Liturgical services, outreach projects, social events around Pittsburgh and more! For additional information and registration visit https://y2am.pittsburgh.goarch.org/ya/2021-yal-conference Questions? Contact Alyssa Kyritsis at akyritsis@pittsburgh.goarch.org.

Also, please note that Holy Trinity Church has the honor of hosting the Young Adults from the conference on Sunday, October 10. Please be here to welcome and encourage the faithful men and women who are striving to keep Jesus Christ first in their life as they learn and grow in their Orthodox Christian Faith.

Host Ministries/Families Still Needed for Bag Lunches - Please volunteer your family or group to help!

Please see Mike Kritiotis today, or contact him at 412-518-0588, or at outreach@holytrinitypgh.org to sign up your family/group/ministry for this worthy cause to help the poor and hungry in our region. Sponsored through the Orthodox outreach of the “Neighborhood Resilience Project”, the 2021 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.

Stewardship Update

The 2021 Holy Trinity Stewardship Pledge Cards have been distributed and all Holy Trinity Stewards should complete one immediately. If you have not yet received a 2021 pledge card or are new to Holy Trinity, additional pledge cards can be found at the Welcome Table located in the Narthex of the church. And remember, a signed pledge card is required as part of maintaining your membership in good standing at Holy Trinity each year. We are grateful for your commitment. Questions? Contact Stewardship Co-chairmen Mike Kritiotis or Ted Stewart or email stewardship@HolyTrinityPgh.org.

Holy Trinity Church Completion and 2023 Consecration Campaign: Have You Pledged Yet?

Plans are now being developed to complete the necessary items so Holy Trinity Church can be consecrated by the end of 2023, as was approved by the General Assembly last November.  The plans provide for completing all 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 more appropriate seating to replace the temporary chairs in the Church. The approved plan to raise the needed monies for the project over the next 3 years 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 now paid off the mortgage.  We have asked that all our members pledge what they are able to over the 2021–2023 timeframe to fund the completion of our Church for its Consecration in 2023.  We are very pleased to report that we have received pledges from 144 families thus far!  If you haven’t done it already, please fill out the center section of the “ONE HOLY TRINITY” Pledge Card with your Church Completion and Consecration Campaign pledge amounts for 2021-2023.  If you need a new Stewardship card to fill in the center section, please see Jim Balouris, Charlie Petredis or George Dickos or stop in the Church Office.  As we’ve stressed, the most important aspect of this Campaign is participation by everyone! Please do your part as a member of the Holy Trinity family on this important project – you will be glad you did!  If there are any questions in the meantime, please see Jim, Charlie, or George above.  May God continue to richly bless His Holy Church!

Visitation Ministry Reaching Out to our Holy Trinity Family!

Our Visitation Ministry has helping hands 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 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 ways. May we all stay safe and healthy, 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!

Holding a Ministry Activity or Committee Meeting at Church? Reservations Required!

Our community and its ministries are growing! If your ministry or committee is planning a meeting or activity and you are planning to hold it at the church, please note that reservations for rooms and event spaces are required. Please call the Church Office at 412-366-8700 and speak to our Office Administrator, Mary Portellos. There have been times when all the spaces have been filled, so your cooperation helps ensure every group that needs a place has one and helps minimize space conflicts. We have a beautiful facility – let’s work together so everyone who needs it can use it. Thank you!

Welcome, Holy Trinity Guests!

We welcome all our guests to Holy Trinity Church today, whether as visitors from out of town, family members joining others here for worship today or even soon-to-be members here for the first time. No matter what the reason the Holy Spirit brought you here today, we welcome you with open arms and hearts filled with the love of Christ. Please help us welcome you by signing in at the hospitality table in the Narthex, where you will be presented with a yellow lapel Cross to help our Holy Trinity family know you're here. Following Liturgy, we invite you to join us for Fellowship Coffee hour.

About Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church

As an extension of our hospitality and outreach ministries, we welcome all who have come to worship with us today. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian, an inquirer to the faith or a first-time guest in an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us and thankful for the opportunity to share and bear witness to this ancient and timeless Faith. In accordance with the holy canons and traditions of the Church, please note that Holy Communion and the other Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) are received only by those who are baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared through prayer, fasting and confession. All others are invited receive the antidoron (blessed bread) and a blessing from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The antidoron is not a sacramental offering but is blessing and a reflection of the agape (love) feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. Please join our parish family for hospitality after the holy services and allow us to meet and welcome you. Interested in joining or learning more about the Orthodox Christian Faith? Please see one of our priests or complete a visitor’s card today!

Order of receiving: 1) The Church School Staff only is asked to please proceed first to receive from the left chalice so they may depart for their classrooms before their students arrive; 2) All Church School students will then be dismissed by the Parish Council down the center aisle only. 3) All other parishioners and Orthodox Christian guests will then be dismissed by the Parish Council down the center aisle only.

How to receive: Please remember the following helpful hints aimed at helping to preserve the solemnity and safety of the Holy Mystery. In approaching the Holy Chalice, we respectfully ask anyone wearing a mask to fully remove it as you approach the Holy Gifts and do not replace it until you have received antidoron, so that the Body and Blood of Christ are not spread on the mask and discarded. Also, anyone wearing lipstick should remove it before receiving. For all those receiving, please wait in the Holy Communion line reverently, prayerfully, and quietly without talking. It is traditional as we approach with awe that we make the sign of the Cross or bow down with a “metanoia” as an act of humility before the Lord. Be sure to offer your baptismal name to priest before receiving. Please take great care that the red cloth is fully under your chin and to fully open your mouth so that none of the precious Body and Blood of Christ is accidentally spilled. Thank you for your cooperation, and may God have mercy on us all!