Saint Nicholas visits the children of St. Mary's Orthodox Church

On Sunday December 7, 2008, Saint Nicholas visited the children of St. Mary’s at the end of the Divine Liturgy. During the sermon Father David spoke to the children about the life and deeds of St. Nicholas. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, as the children were singing the song “All who love Nicholas the saintly” Saint Nicholas came and gave the children the traditional gifts of gold coins, an orange and a candy cane. He spoke to the children about he importance of being helpful and obedient in their families and of the importance caring for one another.

WOMEN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

On Tuesday, December 9, 2008, the Ladies of St. Mary had their annual pre-Christmas party. The women joined together for a meal at Kazimi’s Restuarant and at the end of the meal had an exchange of gifts. During the exchange, the women either took a gift from a table or a gift from another woman. Some of the gifts were taken many times from one woman after another. At the end some Christmas Carol were sung. A good evening was had by all the 40 women who came for the party.

Childrens' Christmas Pageant

On Sunday, December 21, 2008, the children and teens of St. Mary had their annual Christmas Pageant under the leadership of the Church School teachers. The children read the story of Christ’s Nativity and sang songs in honor of the birth of the Lord. Each child read a part of the Nativity Account and then led in the singing of Christmas songs. Prior to the presentation, the Women of St. Mary lit six candles on the wreath in preparation for the Birth of the Lord, as they had been doing over the previous five weeks, lighting one more candle each week in preparation for the Great Feast.

Bishops unite for Triumph of Orthodoxy

BY ERIN MOODY STAFF WRITER Citizens Voice Published: Monday, March 9, 2009 4:06 AM EDT

WILKES-BARRE — Sprinkling rain kept the children and clergy members from walking outside Sunday, but didn’t stop them from making a slightly shorter Procession of the Icons around the inside of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Wilkes-Barre in honor of the restoration of the icons in 843.

The procession, a part of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, is held annually on the first Sunday of Great Lent, but this was the first year that a Russian bishop and an Antiochian Orthodox bishop met at the church for the services.

The Right Rev. Joseph Thomas, Antiochian bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic and the Right Rev. Archimandrite Tikhon, bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania of the Orthodox Church of America, participated in the services.

Bishops Thomas and Tikhon also celebrated a service at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday morning.

Kyra Zoranski, of Hanover Township, said that almost every priest from the diocese was represented at the Holy Resurrection service and procession, which began at 4:45 p.m.

Bishops Thomas, Tikhon, other clergy members and children walked around the inside of the church carrying icons, which Zoranski explained, are extremely important to the church. They tell stories and serve as visual reminders of the history and teachings of the church, she said.

Between 726 and 843, icons were not allowed, so the Sunday of Orthodoxy is celebrated in honor of the day that icons were restored in the church. Having both bishops together for the service was a way of showing how unified the Orthodox community is.

Visiting clergy members carried icons from their home churches or that belonged to them. Children waved flowers as they carried icons around the church, which was decorated with mosaics, marble and golden images.

While many of the icons were from the church, some children brought their own icons from home, Marina Martin, of Wilkes-Barre said.

This day is important in helping her feel like it is the holiday season, she said. Each Sunday until Easter will have a different theme, and each one helps to emphasis the season.

“For me, if I’m not here, it doesn’t feel like it is Lent,” Martin said.

BISHOP THOMAS VISITS SAINT MARY MARCH 6-8

For the weekend of the Sunday of Orthodoxy Bishop THOMAS visited the parish of St. Mary, Wilkes-Barre. He presided over the Akathist Service on Friday and Great Vespers on Saturday, both of which were sung by the Antiochian Orthodox students who attend St. Tikhon’s Seminary. Following Great Vespers a lenten meal was served in the parish hall.
On Sunday morning Sayidna served the Divine Liturgy with Bishop TIKHON, the OCA bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. It was the first time in the 105 year history of St. Mary that an Antiochian Orthodox and a Russian Orthodox bishop served the Liturgy together in the parish. Bishop TIKHON preached the homily at the Liturgy. This was Bishop TIKHON’s first visit to St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church. At the end of the Divine Liturgy there was a procession of the clergy with the children of St. Mary Church who all carried Icons with all the clergy reading part of the Synodikon of Orthodoxy and the choir singing the Great Prokimenon.
After the Liturgy the entire community came together for a lenten meal in the parish hall. At the end of the meal a birthday cake was brought to Bishop THOMAS to celebrate his birthday which was on that Sunday March 8.
On Sunday afternoon the two bishops, together with many of the OCA and Antiochian clergy, presided over the Service of Orthodoxy at the OCA Cathedral, Holy Resurrection, in north Wilkes-Barre. Before the service began Bishop THOMAS preached the homily. At the end of the Service the children of the Cathedral gave both bishops a gift of roses. A meal followed in the church hall of the Cathedral. This was Bishop THOMAS’ first visit tot he OCA Cathedral.
The entire weekend was a moving experience for all who joined in the celebration of the gift of our Orthodox faith, which unites us all into one, whether we be Antiochian Orthodox or Russian Orthodox. All present hoped for the day of every greater Orthodox unity in America.

CHET & RUTH CHRZANOWSKI RECEIVE CROWNING FOR THEIR 65TH ANNIVERSARY

On Sunday, March 22, Chet and Ruth receive the Holy Crowning to celebrate the 65th anniversary of their marrage. It was a special time for their family and the entire parish. Their original Crowning took place in a small service at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Wilkes-Barre, when the couple eloped to be married secretly since it was not common practice for a Syrian girl to marry a Polish boy. Their marriage was, however, quickly accepted by their families and they both are well-beloved members of St. Mary’s and of their large families.

Third Sunday of Great Lent -- Sunday of the Holy Cross

At the end of the Divine Liturgy on the Third Sunday of Great Lent, March 22, there was a procession carrying the Holy Cross around the Church Temple and then a special Service honoring the Holy Cross.

PALM SUNDAY

To prepare for Palm Sunday the TEEN SOYO and the children, and their families and friends, prepared the palms. The palms were tied together, some with candles, and then were placed in the Church to prepare for the feast.
On Palm Sunday, the palms were blessed and were then distribguted by the children and teens in the Narthex of the Church.
At the end of Orthros, there was the 40th day Churching of Macarius John Meyer, son of Daniel and Elizabeth. Daniel is an Antiochian Orthodox seminary student at St. Tikhon’s Semiary and is assigned by the Archdiocese to St. Mary for his pastoral assignement.
During the Divine Liturgy Father David gave a special sermon to the children telling them about the importance of children in honoring Christ on the First Palm Sunday.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy there was a procession carrying the palms outside the Church which concluded with the reading fo the Orthros Gospel again in the Church Temple.

HOLY UNCTION SERVICE

On Great And Holy Wednesday evening, April 15, the Holy Unction Service was held in the Church. During this Service olive oil, mixed with wine, is blessed to be used to anoint the Orthodox faithful for the forgiveness of sins and for health in soul and body. During the service seven readings are taken from the Apostles and seven readings from the Gospels. At the end of the service the Gospel Book is held over the faithful to pray for their health and forgiveness. Then all the Orthodox people come forward to be annointed on the forehead and hands with the Blessed Oil.

GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY

On Great and Holy Friday, April 17th, the women decorated the Tomb of Christ to prepare for the special services of Great Friday.
During the 3pm Great Vesper Service the Body of Christ is taken down from the Holy Cross and placed in a white cloth. Then the Burial Shroud, the Epitaphios, is carried around the Church and placed in the Tomb, where it received special veneraltion from all the clergy and faithful.
On Great Friday Evening the Lamentation Service was held at 7pm. During this service songs of lamentation are sugn at the Tomb of Christ and then the Shroud is carried in a candle light procession. At the end of the Service the Shroud is placed on the Holy Table where it will remain until the Ascention of Christ in 40 days.

GREAT AND HOLY SATURDAY & HOLY PASCHA

On the morning of Great and Holy Saturday the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil was served. During this Liturgy Laurel leaves are thrown over the floor of the Church Temple as a sign of the victory of Jesus Christ over sin, Satan and death.
Following this Liturgy the children had an Easter Egg hunt outside on the Church lawn in the beautiful sun of that morning.
On Great Saturday evening at 10pm the Nocturn Service was sung, followed by the Rush Service at the doors of the Church, where the Gospel of the Resurrection is chanted, Christ is Risen is sung, and then the doors of the Church are knocked on three times, each time asking “Who is the King of Glory?”
Then the Paschal Canon is sung in the brightly lit Church, full of the glory of the Risen Lord. At the end of the Canon the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom is read.
The Paschal Divine Liturgy follows with special music and antiphons to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. At the end of the Liturgy, eggs and cheeses and meat is blessed. Some of the parishioners of Slavic descent bring their traditional foods in baskets to be blessed.
After this, at about 1:30 in the morning, a special meal is held in the Church hall featuring the meats, cheeses and eggs that the faithful have fasted from during the Great Lent.

MOTHERS' DAY PROGRAM

On Mothers’ Day there was a special breakfast and program to honor all the mothers, grand-mothers, aunts and god-mothers of St. Mary’s. The teens gave flowers to each woman and also served the breakfast which was coordinated by Suanne Moses. Several of the men, led by Andy Kuhl and Drew Mamary, cooked the meal so that the women could be honored. At the end of the meal the children put on a program to honor all mothers.

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES AT ST. MARY ORTHODOX CEMETERY

On Memorial Day, May 25, the parish community came to St. Mary Orthodox Cemetery for the annual Memorial Day Services. Father David served the Trisagion Service for alll the war dead, as well as all the reposed parishioners and their families and friends. Master Sargent Retired Neno Sartino presided over the civil ceremonies with a talk given by Deacon John Karam, the National Anthem sung by Amber Hyder, taps, a memorial bell ringing by John Hyder, and the Ashley Veterans Organization with a 21 gun salute. It was a day full of prayer and remembrance for all the reposed parishioners, family and friends of those who gathered for the service.

JOHN AND SYLVIA MORRASH CELEBRATE THEIR 60TH ANNIVERSARY WITH AN ANNIVERSARY CROWNING SERVICE

At the end of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday May 31, 2009, John and Sylvia Morrash celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary with their family and the people of St. Mary with an Anniversary Crowning Service. All the community of St. Mary congratulated them and wished them Many Years. It was a special opportunity to recognize these two people who have contributed so much to St. Mary’s and to wish them all the blessings of God.