Holy Cross Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-02-16
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Holy Cross Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 724-346-9937
  • Street Address:

  • 950 Maple Dr

  • Hermitage, PA 16148-2333


Contact Information








Services Schedule

Wednesdays: Daily Vespers 6 pm; Bible Study after

Saturdays: Great Vespers 6 pm; Confessions heard after

Sundays: Matins 9 am, Divine Liturgy 10 am

 


Past Bulletins


Sunday February 16, 2025 - Prodigal Son

     

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Tone

Although the stone was sealed by the Jews, and the soldiers guarded Your most pure body, You arose on the third day, O Savior, giving life to the world. For this reason, the heavenly powers cried out to you, O Giver of Life: Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Your kingdom! Glory to Your dispensation, only Lover of Mankind!

Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Tone

O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave me. Wherefore, I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, "I have sinned before You Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take me as one of Your hired servants."
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20

At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."


Epistle Reading

Sunday of the Prodigal Son
The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20

Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" -- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.


Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Prodigal Son
The Reading is from Luke 15:11-32

The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"


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Wisdom of the Fathers

Thank God every day with your whole heart for having given to you life according to His image and likeness - an intelligently free and immortal life...Thank Him also for again daily bestowing life upon you, who have fallen an innumerable multitude of times, by your own free will, through sins, from life unto death, and that He does so as soon as you only say from your whole heart: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee!' (Luke 15:18).
St. John of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ: Part 1; Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 104-105, 19th century

But if he had despaired of his life, and, ... had remained in the foreign land, he would not have obtained what he did obtain, but would have been consumed with hunger, and so have undergone the most pitiable death: ...
St. John Chrysostom
AN EXHORTATION TO THEODORE AFTER HIS FALL, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

February 16

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -- inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.

Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how great it may be -- that can overcome at any time His love for man.


February 16

Pamphilus the Martyr & his Companions

This Martyr contested during the reign of Maximian, in the year 290, in Caesarea of Palestine, and was put to death by command of Firmilian, the Governor of Palestine. His fellow contestants' names are Valens, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrius, Julian, Theodulus, and five others from Egypt: Elias, Jeremias, Esaias, Samuel, and Daniel. Their martyrdom is recorded in Book VIII, ch. 11 of Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History, called The Martyrs of Palestine.


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Announcements

Emil Hoyt - Memory Eternal

On Sunday February 9th, Emil Hoyt fell asleep in the Lord. Please keep Emil and his family in your prayers. Emil has been a memberof our parish for the past 100 years, and has been a strong supporter over the years. Let us keep his memory eternal by continuing the support and love for the Church that Emil so clearly showed to us. 

Memory Eternal!!!


Wedding of Kevin & Marianthy

Kevin and Marianthy will be joined together and with Christ in the sacarment of Holy Matrimony in our parish this coming saturday Februrary 22nd at 11am. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare to join themself to one another and to Christ. 


Membership Form 2025

You will find at the candle stand the membership form for 2025. It is very important to fill out this form and return it to the parish. These forms, help us keep our records up to date, and properly budget for the coming year. You will a few more question on this years form, such as birthday and anniversery dates. Such information allows Father Spyridon, and the parish to be able to celebrate the milestones of our lifes. 


Saint Emmelia Women’s Group

We are happy to announce a successful start to the Saint Emmelia Women's Group. Many of the women of our parish joined in fellowship and prayer last Tuesday and we pray for many more Tuesdays after this. 

The new ministry for all the women of our community. This ministry provides a time and place for the fostering of relationships of women with each other and ultimately with Christ to our God. Saint Emmelia will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7pm in the home of Fr. Spyridon and Psa. Sarah. 

Why Saint Emmelia? Saint Emmelia is known as "the mother of the saints". Saint Emmelia raised five children recognized today by the Eastern Orthodox Church as saints! Mothers, God Mothers, and all Christians can learn from the Godly example Christ has given us in this His Saint. Saint Emmelia, pray to God for us!

Next Saint Emmelia meeting is February 25th at 7pm, see you there!


House Blessings

Instead of a signup sheet for house blessings this year, Father will contact everyone individually to set up a time for the house blessings. By setting up individual appointments, we hope to be able to accommodate everyone in the parish better. 

Please note that due to illness that has affected the Ickes family and many parishioners, the house blessings are moving slower than anticipated. If you have not yet heard from Father, you will in the coming weeks. 


Bible Study

Every Wednesday, our parish has Bible study! We meet at 6 pm in the church for daily vespers, and then start our bible study right after. Please come, and bring your friends! We will spend the next couple weeks studying the vespers service.


Help Support our Liturgical Worship

By the Grace of God, our parish continues to grow, and we continue to be able to come and experience Christ through the liturgical services and the sacraments. Our parish is in need of support in purchasing items that we use in worship. If you are able, we would greatly appreciate donations to cover the cost of certain items:

Adult Baptismal Gown: $72

Chrismation Brush: $25

Wine: $165 a case

Incense: $55 in bulk

Altar Server Robes: $105 (3 more needed)

Altar Covers: Price to be determined. We could use red and blue (speak with Fr. Spyridon)

If you are interested in providing the funds to cover these items, please leave a memo with your donation stating what item you would like to donate. Thank you!


Prayer List

Please keep the following in your prayers:

Living:

  • Mary Ann 
  • Helen

Departed: 

  • Emil

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Parish Calendar

  • Calendar

    February 16 to March 3, 2025

    Sunday, February 16

    9:00AM Matins

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Wednesday, February 19

    6:00PM Bible Study

    Saturday, February 22

    Saturday of the Souls

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    1:00PM Wedding of Kevin & Marianthy

    6:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, February 23

    🍗 Meat Fare Sunday

    9:00AM Matins

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Tuesday, February 25

    7:00PM Saint Emmelia

    Wednesday, February 26

    6:00PM Bible Study

    Saturday, March 1

    6:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, March 2

    🧀 Forgiveness Sunday

    9:00AM Matins

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    11:30AM Forgivness Vespers

    Monday, March 3

    Great Lent Begins

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Online Donations

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