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.

St. Alexis Council Meeting
August 18, 2021
--The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary Church in Waterbury closed and will merge with Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church in Terryville.
--Parishioners will be asked to sign up for a committee at the Annual Meeting. New forms will be created along with the explanation of the duties of each committee.
--The Annual Meeting is slated for November 14, 2021.
--Fence update: The Council is still collecting info to decide on what type of fence to purchase. Father spoke to the owner of the stores next door and will walk the property line with him to discuss the new fence.
--The lawn care company will be contacted for an updated contract regarding the need for weed whacking each time the lawn is cut.
--The church by-laws are due for a 5 year review. A committee will be created (This is at the request of the council and rector).

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, Dayna, Daniel and Gregory.

God grant Many Years! To Kathryn Jankura, Isaac Freeman, and Melissa Josefiak on the occasion of their birthdays; and to Sophia, Nadia and Luba on the occasion of their Name's Day.

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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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Leavetaking of the Nativity of the Theotokos. Sunday before Elevation. Hieromartyr Autonomus, Bishop in Italy (313). Ven. Vassian (Bassian) of Tiksnensk (Vologdá—1624). Translation of the Relics of Righteous Simeon of Verkhotúr’e (1704). Martyr Julian of Galatia and forty Martyrs with him (4th c.). Hieromartyr Theodore of Alexandria. St. Coronatus, Bishop of Nicomedia (3rd c.). Ven. Afanásy of Vysótsk, Wonderworker of Serpukhóv (1395).

Tone 3 Troparion (Resurrection)

Let the heavens rejoice!
Let the earth be glad!
For the Lord has shown strength with His arm.
He has trampled down death by death.
He has become the first born of the dead.
He has delivered us from the depths of hell,
and has granted to the world//
great mercy.

Tone 4 Troparion (Feast)

Your nativity, O Virgin,
has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!
The Sun of righteousness, Christ our God,
has shone from you, O Theotokos.
By annulling the curse,
He bestowed a blessing.//
By destroying death, He has granted us eternal life.

Tone 3 Kontakion (Resurrection)

On this day You rose from the tomb, O Merciful One,
leading us from the gates of death.
On this day Adam exults as Eve rejoices;
with the Prophets and Patriarchs//
they unceasingly praise the divine majesty of Your power.

Tone 4 Kontakion (Feast)

By your nativity, O most pure Virgin,
Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness,
Adam and Eve — from the corruption of death.
And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you://
“The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our Life.”

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

Tone 8

Magnify, O my soul, the most glorious birth of the Mother of God!

Virginity is foreign to mothers;
childbearing is strange for virgins.
But in you, O Theotokos, both were accomplished.//
Therefore all we nations of the earth unceasingly magnify you.

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!

Second Readings of the Epistle and Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (Epistle)

1
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2
by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.
3
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5
and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6
After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
7
After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8
Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11
Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Matthew 19:16-26 (Gospel)

16
Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17
So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18
He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “’You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’
19
’Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “
20
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24
And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
25
When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”