Jesus Christ taught us to love and serve all people, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. To understand that, we need to look no further than to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Every time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, it is offered "on behalf of all, and for all." As Orthodox Christians we stand against racism and bigotry. All human beings share one common identity as children of God. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatian 3:28)

Members of our Parish Council are:
Joseph Barbera - Council Member at Large
Dori Kuziak - Council Secretary
Carolyn Neiss - Vice President
Marlene Melesko - Council Member at Large
Kyle Hollis - President
Roderick Seurattan - Treasurer

Pastoral Care - General Information

Emergency Sick Calls can be made at any time. Please call Fr Steven at (860) 866-5802, when a family member is admitted to the hospital.
Anointing in Sickness: The Sacrament of Unction is available in Church, the hospital, or your home, for anyone who is sick and suffering, however severe. 
Marriages and Baptisms require early planning, scheduling and selections of sponsors (crown bearers or godparents). See Father before booking dates and reception halls!
Funerals are celebrated for practicing Orthodox Christians. Please see Father for details. The Church opposes cremation; we cannot celebrate funerals for cremations.

Parish (Interior) Cleanup

We are in need of performing some cleanup in the Sanctuary and Narthex. As we would also like to open up the basement, this needs a good cleaning as well, as it hasn't been used for close to a year and a half. My suggestion is that this happen on Saturday, the 28th, so that we have a "clean" start for the ecclesial New Year. If we begin in the afternoon, we could start with an early Vespers and then go home right after cleaning. If you can participate, please sigh up on the sheet in the back of the church. Thank you.

Support of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry

Donated books located in the back of the nave, or any books from the kitchen may be obtained through a good-will donation to OCPM. Please leave your contribution in the tray located at the top of the stairs to the nave.

Parish Shared Folder

Once again, here is the link to the parish shared folder: 

http://bit.ly/St-Alexis

Archpriest Dennis, Archpriest Michael, Deacon Timothy, Evelyn, Katheryn, Anne, Aaron, Veronica, Richard, Nancy, Susanne, Carol, Alexander, Gail, Vincent, Nina, Ellen, Maureen, Elizabeth, Christopher, Joshua, Jennifer, Petra, Olivia, Jessica, Sean, Sarah, Justin, Valery, Jason, Dayna, Daniel and Gregory.

God grant Many Years! To Stasia PenkoffLidbeck and Sam Jankura (as well as his Name's Day)  on the occasion of their birthdays; and to Anne and Fr Steven on the occasion of their anniversary.

Memory Eternal to Robert Pavlik.

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• Pray for: All those confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and their own homes due to illness; for all those who serve in the armed forces; widows, orphans, prisoners, victims of violence, and refugees;
• All those suffering chronic illness, financial hardship, loneliness, addictions, abuse, abandonment and despair; those who are homeless, those who are institutionalize, those who have no one to pray for them;
• All Orthodox seminarians & families; all Orthodox monks and nuns, and all those considering monastic life; all Orthodox missionaries and their families.
• All those who have perished due to hatred, intolerance and pestilence; all those departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection.

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The Dormition (“Falling Asleep”) of our Most Holy Lady, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary .

Tone 7 Troparion (Resurrection)

By Your Cross You destroyed death.
To the thief You opened Paradise.
For the Myrrhbearers You changed weeping into joy.
And You commanded Your disciples, O Christ God,
to proclaim that You are risen,//
granting the world great mercy.

Tone 1 Troparion (Feast)

In giving birth you preserved your virginity.
In falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.
You were translated to life O Mother of Life,//
and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Tone 7 Kontakion (Resurrection)

The dominion of death can no longer hold men captive,
for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers.
Hell is bound, while the Prophets rejoice and cry:
“The Savior has come to those in faith;//
enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!”

Tone 2 Kontakion (Feast)

Neither the tomb, nor death, could hold the Theotokos,
who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions.
For being the Mother of Life,//
she was translated to life by the One Who dwelt in her virginal womb.

 
Tone 7 Prokeimenon (Resurrection)

The Lord shall give strength to His people. / The Lord shall bless His people with peace. (Ps. 28:11)

V. Offer to the Lord, O you sons of God! Offer young rams to the Lord! (Ps. 28:1a)

Tone 3 Prokeimenon (Song of the Theotokos)

My soul magnifies the Lord, / and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. (Lk. 1:46-47)

(Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing:)

The Angels, as they looked upon the Dormition of the Virgin,
were struck with wonder,
seeing how the Virgin went up from earth to heaven.

The limits of nature are overcome in you, O Pure Virgin:
for birthgiving remains virginal, and life is united to death;
a virgin after childbearing and alive after death,
you ever save your inheritance, O Theotokos.

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! (Ps. 148:1)
I will receive the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the Lord. (Ps. 115:4)
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Scripture Readings for the Feast of the Dormition

Genesis 28:10-17 (Vespers, 1st reading)

10
Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11
So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
12
Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13
And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
14
“Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
15
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17
And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Ezekiel 43:27-44:4 (Vespers, 2nd reading)

27
‘When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God.”
1
Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut.
2
And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
3
“As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”
4
Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.

Proverbs 9:1-11 (Vespers, 3rd reading)

1
Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars;
2
she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table.
3
She has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city,
4
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5
“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6
Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.
7
He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8
Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
9
give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11
For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

Luke 1:39-49, 56 (Matins Gospel)

39
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40
and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41
And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42
Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43
But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44
For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
46
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
56
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.