Update for the week Thursday, April 28 - Wednesday, May 4, 2016
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
HOLY THURSDAY, 4/28 - Vesperal Liturgy 7:00 am; Washing of the Feet 6:45 pm, Twelve Gospels 7:00 pm
+ Special note: Please bring flowers to put by the cross, as a measure of devotion and honor. This is a beautiful tradition in other churches, and we’ve been doing it at St. Mary for a couple of years now.
HOLY FRIDAY, 4/29 - Children’s Retreat 9:30 am-12:30.
+ Royal Hours 1:00 pm; Unnailing Vespers 3:00 pm; Lamentations with Procession to Central Square 7:15 pm,
+Teen Vigil overnight, from Lamentations until Saturday’s Vesperal Liturgy, for all youth grades 7-12
HOLY SATURDAY, 4/30 - Vesperal Liturgy 9:00 am, with the scattering of bay leaves and flowers, fifteen readings from the Old Testament, and chrismation of the catechumens, followed by coffee reception.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, 4/30-5/1 - Vigil/Rush Service 10:00 pm; Resurrection Matins 11:00 pm; Great and Holy Pascha Divine Liturgy 12 midnight, followed by Paschal festivities (with plenty of food) in the church hall.
THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE
SUNDAY, 5/1 - Joint Agape Vespers (Baouth) at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham 11:00 am.
+ Diocese of Worcester and New England Scholarship deadline for application. Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who are a member of any of the Antiochian Orthodox Churches in the Diocese of Worcester and New England, are faithful and active Orthodox Christians whose high school records indicate a potential for being successful in an accredited college, and who are in need of financial assistance. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be received by the Scholarship Committee Chairperson by May 1, 2016. Any questions should be directed to Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
HABITAT FOR BOB – We need you to help longtime St. Mary's parishioner Bob Kowalik with yard work on Saturday, May 14 (rain date is May 21) from 9:00 am-12 noon, or 1:00 pm-4:00 pm. Tasks include bush removal, pruning, raking, mulching, planting, and more. Please come properly dressed for physical work & getting dirty – bring your own gloves, plus any tools that might be helpful. Breakfast will be provided starting at 8:30 for the morning crew, and lunch will be provided starting at 12:30 for the afternoon crew. Bob lives in Chelsea, MA; the address will be provided to those who sign up. To sign up contact Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com)
THEOPHANY SCHOOL BENEFIT EVENING – Theophany School will hold its 16th annual Benefit Evening, including an auction, on Sunday, May 22 at 4:00pm, at St. Demetrios Orthodox Church, 57 Brown St., Weston. To learn more visit http://theophanyschool.org/news/events/16th-annual-benefit-evening
+ Auction item donations are being solicited for this event, from individuals or businesses. If you or someone you know has a service, business, or item that you would be willing to donate, please contact Kate Arnold at katherine.arnold@gordon.edu or 978-270-8093.
REMINDERS
CANDLES FOR CHILDREN - Due to fire safety concerns, children under the age of 14 will not be allowed to hold lit candles during Holy Week. The Church has bought new electric candles for use by these children and any other person who would prefer not to hold a lit candle. You may purchase the candles for $2.00 each or borrow them from the Bengarri. If you borrow the candles, please be sure to return them to the box on the Bengarri when the service is over so others may use them for future services. Thank you for your cooperation, and may God bless you richly during our liturgical celebration throughout Holy Week.
VESPERS – On Saturday, May 7 we will have monthly Great Vespers at 5:00 pm at St. Mary, followed by Young Adult Fellowship night.
WOMEN’S CLUB – The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be Monday, May 9 at 7:30 pm at the church.
BIBLE STUDY - The Bible Study group will meet on Thursday, May 12, at 7:00 pm. For information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE -
Francis Maria Scholarship - Several $2500 scholarships will be awarded to students attending an accredited 4-year college. See the Archdiocese Scholarship page, www.antiochian.org/scholarships. Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2016.
Antiochian Women’s Scholarship - Scholarships are available to females 25 years of age and older in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese, actively involved in their parish and who demonstrate need. The application deadline is June 1, 2016. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@cnyhondas.com with any questions.
Nicholas G. Beram 50th Scholastic Achievement Awards - Awards are available for high school seniors of our Arab American Community planning to attend a 4 year college full time. Applications are available in the Church office or on-line at www.stjohnd.org/ngberam (note corrected address). Application deadline is June 1, 2016.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 pm at the church.
CHURCH SCHOOL GRADUATION – Graduation ceremonies will be held on Sunday, June 5. There will be no classes during Holy Week (on April 24 and May 1); the only Church School classes remaining will be May 8 and 15.
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - Pre-Conference activities will be held on Saturday June 11 at St. George Church (8 Lowell St. Lawrence, MA). This day will include judging of the Creative Arts Festival, and Oratorical Competition, as well as various meetings and Luncheon.
The Parish Life Conference, which will include Liturgy, Awards Lunch, Bible Bowl competition, Keynote Speaker and break-out workshops, as well as a lively dinner and dance to end the day, will be held a Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church on 71 Chandler Rd. in Andover on Saturday, June 25.
For more information and to register go to www.stgeorgelawrence.org/conference.
RIDES TO CHURCH FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS - Do you live near a college or university? Are you able to offer a ride to and from St. Mary Church for a student? Are you a college student in need of a ride? Contact St. Mary’s Young Adult Ministry at 617-564-3344 or rides@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org to sign up or to learn more!
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED – New teachers will be needed next fall for Kindergarten/Grade 1 (2 teachers), grade 2/3, and the Teen Discussion Group for grades 9-12 (1 or 2 teachers). Please contact Barbara Shoop at barbara@dsaarchitects.com to volunteer or to learn more.
COFFEE HOUR MADE EASY! - To make sponsoring a Coffee Hour a little bit easier, St. Mary’s will be offering a delivery service through “Instacart”, for the basic foods necessary to host a Coffee hour. Simply select a date, mail a check to the office and we will order the food and have it delivered to the church on that Sunday between 9:00 and 10:00 am. You will need to be at the church to accept the order and you will be required to set up for the coffee hour and clean up both the kitchen and hall at the end of the coffee hour. Two menus will be offered. Menu one will include: bagels, mini muffins, fruit, hummus/Syrian bread, juice and coffee for $160. Menu two will include: bagels, juice and coffee for $70. Prices DO NOT include a 20% tip for delivery and are subject to change based on current market pricing of items. Cream cheese, peanut butter, jam and coffee creamer are included with each menu. As usual, St. Mary’s will provide the plates, cups, napkins, utensils, serving platters, and sweetener for coffee. If you are interested in taking advantage of this service and signing up for a coffee hour please contact the office at 617-547-1234 or e-mail secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
+ In addition to the sign-up sheet, our contact Barbara in the church office and the Instacart option, we also have LINDA ARNOLD serving as our volunteer Coffee Hour Coordinator. Her contact information is MMarmee52@aol.com and 978-270-0346. Please feel free to let her know of your interest and be open to hosting a coffee hour especially if you have not done so in the past. She will be happy to guide you through the process!
ABBA VILLAGE - Applications are available for Market Value, Tax Credit and Section 8 apartments in AABA Village in West Roxbury. Please have them call Vivian Haidar at 617-325-1913 and an application will be mailed. AABA Village is a multi-cultural community with many residents of Syrian/Lebanese descent. Amenities include on-site Resident Service Coordinators, accessible laundry rooms, sun room, game room, and library/computer labs. There are weekly and monthly activities including yoga, massage, The Ride and the Boston senior shuttle.
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY, HE IS RISEN!
English: Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!
Arabic: Al Maseeh ‘Am! Ha’an ‘Am!
Greek: Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!
Slavonic: Khristos Voskrese! Vo Istinu Voskrese!
Romanian: Hristos a Înviat! Adevǎrat a Înviat!
Tigrinian: Kristos Tensiu! Behake Tensiu!
Cantonese: Gaydolk Folkwoot Leew! Ta Koksut Folkwoot Leew!
Armenian: Krisdos Haryav ee Merelotz! Orhnyal Eh Haryootyoonun Krisdosee!
Spanish: Christo ha Resucitado! En Verdad ha Resucitado!
Amharic: ChristosTenesa! Bergit Tenestwall!
Text and voice recordings for these and other languages: http://www.srbigham.com/en/langues.html