Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2023-08-13
Bulletin Contents
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Bulletin Inserts
Wisdom of the Fathers
Parish News and Events
Calendar of Events

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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (412)366-8700
  • Fax:
  • (412)366-8710
  • Street Address:

  • 985 Providence Blvd.

  • Pittsburgh, PA 15237-5951

Contact Information

Rev. Fr. John Touloumes, Protopresbyter
Proistamenos

[email protected] | 412-366-8700

Rev. Fr. Radu Bordeianu
Assistant Priest

[email protected]

Mary Portellos
Office Administrator

[email protected] | 412-366-8700

Deacon Matthew Palamara
Deacon

[email protected]

Services Schedule

Worship Schedule

8:15 a.m. Orthros

9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Worship Locations:

Sunday worship location: Holy Trinity Church, 985 Providence Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Weekday/Feast Day worship location: St. George Chapel, 8941 Ringeisen Rd., Allison Park, PA

Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Tone

Though the tomb was sealed with a stone by the Jews and the soldiers guarded Your pure body, You arose, O Savior, on the third day, giving life to the world. Therefore, O Giver of Life, the heavenly powers praise You. Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; glory to Your kingdom; glory to Your plan of redemption, O only loving God. (Page 52)

Apolytikion for Apodosis of Transfiguration in the Seventh Tone

You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory, as much as they could bear. Shine also upon us sinners with Your everlasting light, through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Giver of Light, Glory to You! (Page 69)

Seasonal Kontakion in the Seventh Tone

You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, and Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could bear. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the brightness of the Father.
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Saints and Feasts

August 13

10th Sunday of Matthew

August 13

Apodosis of the Transfiguration

August 13

Dorotheos, Abba of Gaza

Saint Dorotheos was born in Antioch, Syria, in the year 506 or 508 A.D. He began his education very early in life and profited from the social statusof his parents. He received a classical education in the Greco-Roman world, which included medical studies, thus allowing him to work as a physician. Despite his great mind, Dorotheos yearned for a life of seclusion in the monastery. He inquired through letters with the holy men Barsanuphius and John (see February 6th) as how to begin the process towards monasticism. Many of these letters exist to this day and provide insight to the life of Dorotheos and his relationship with his mentors.

Dorotheos entered the monastery of Thawatha where Barsanuphius and John lived. His quick mind and advanced education made life in the monastery difficult as he struggled with social encounters and even challenged his abbot when he knew of better ways to run the monastery. This struggle against pride lasted a great while and served as an ongoing lesson for Dorotheos. He worked as assistant to the holy father John and enjoyed this position of communication between John and the rest of the community.

As he progressed in the spiritual life, Dorotheos was given spiritual charge over younger monks to which he was hesitant to accept as he struggled with interactions with others. Despite his reservations, Dorotheos took charge over a young man named Dositheos and taught him the monastic life, a relationship which proved to be difficult but beneficial for both. When John died, Dorotheos left the monastery of Thawatha and founded his own monastery where he took charge of many young monks, training them in the spiritual art.

August 13

Maximus the Confessor

The divine Maximus, who was from Constantinople, sprang from an illustrious family. He was a lover of wisdom and an eminent theologian. At first, he was the chief private secretary of the Emperor Heraclius and his grandson Constans. But when the Monothelite heresy became predominant in the royal court, out of hatred for this error the Saint departed for the Monastery at Chrysopolis (Scutari), of which he later became the abbot. When Constans tried to constrain him either to accept the Monothelite teaching, or to stop speaking and writing against it - neither of which the Saint accepted to do - his tongue was uprooted and his right hand was cut off, and he was sent into exile, where he reposed in 662. At the time only he and his few disciples were Orthodox in the East. See also January 21.

August 13

Tikhon of Zadonsk

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk was born in 1724 into a very poor family of the Novgorod province, and was named Timothy in holy Baptism. In his youth he was sent to seminary in Novgorod where he received a good education and later taught Greek and other subjects. Having received the monastic tonsure with the name Tikhon, in the same year he was ordained deacon and priest, and appointed two years later as rector of the Seminary in Tver. In 1761 he was consecrated Bishop of Kexholm and Ladoga, and in 1763 nominated Bishop of Voronezh, a difficult diocese to administer because of its large size and transient population, which included many schismatics. Feeling the burden of the episcopacy to be beyond his strength, the Saint resigned in 1767, retiring first to the Monastery of Tolshevo, and later to the monastery at Zadonsk, where he remained until his blessed repose. In retirement, he devoted all his time to fervent prayer and the writing of books. His treasury of books earned him the title of "the Russian Chrysostom", whose writings he employed extensively; simple in style, replete with quotes from the Holy Scriptures, they treat mostly of the duties of Christians, with many parables taken from daily life. In them the Christian is taught how to oppose the passions and cultivate the virtues. A large collection of the Saint's letters are included in his works, and these give a wealth of spiritual guidance directed both to the laity and monastics. Saint Tikhon reposed in peace in 1783, at the age of fifty-nine. Over sixty years later, in 1845, when a new church was built in Zadonsk in place of the church where he was buried, it was necessary to remove his body. Although interred in a damp place, his relics were found to be whole and incorrupt; even his vestments were untouched by decay. Many miracles were worked by Saint Tikhon after his death, and some three hundred thousand pilgrims attended his glorification on August 13, 1863. He is one of the most beloved Russian Saints, and is invoked particularly for the protection and upbringing of children.

August 13

Our Righteous Fathers Sergius, Stephanus, Castor and Palamonus

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. First Tone. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16.

Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Gospel Reading

10th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 17:14-23

At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting." As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."

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Bulletin Inserts

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Here Christ is not speaking of that faith which believes in Him undoubtingly and knows Him to be true God, but of the faith (needed) to work miracles. If ye have faith, He said, so exceedingly warm and burning as a grain of mustard seed (for these are its qualities), and if it is believed without a doubt that ye will perform signs, then ye will receive such power, that if ye desire to move the very mountains, ye will move them.
St. John Chrysostom
The Gospel Commentary, edited by Hieromonk German Ciuba, 2002, 4th Century

For a man to have such faith appears simple, but it is, on the contrary, something very lofty, not easily attained by many. Such faith is born of boldness before God; but such boldness comes (only) from pleasing God. Beloved, great labour is needed to acquire, through pleasing God, such boldness before Him that one firmly believes that he will grant all that one asks; as it is written, Ask, and it shall be given to you.
St. John Chrysostom
The Gospel Commentary: edited by Hieromonk German Ciuba, 2002, 4th Century

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Parish News and Events

 

TODAY'S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Summer Teaching Series Continues Today

Each year we pick a theme for a preaching series during the summer months of July and August. This year’s theme is “God is Wondrous in His Saints,” and throughout the series we are sharing the history, stories, miracles and lives of many of the saints found throughout the new iconography here at Holy Trinity Church. The series covers the Holy Apostles, Prophets, Hierarchs and Priests, Hymnographers, Ascetics, Healers, Women and Families. The homily is offered immediately following the Gospel, so please be here by the start of the service at 9:30 so you don’t miss it!

 

Installation of Philoptochos Officers Today

Today following the Divine Liturgy the Board and Officers of our Holy Trinity Philoptochos will be installed. The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that has offered over 90 years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs that make a difference in the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world. Philoptochos fulfills its mission to “help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, those with disabilities and the victims of disasters through its National and Metropolis Boards and its 26,000 members and more than 400 active chapters, nationwide. Philoptochos responds immediately to needs and crises and its philanthropic outreach extends to each area of the country and throughout the world. In 2019, the National Philoptochos distributed $1.7 million in philanthropic aid.

The Board and Officers being installed today are: Marianne Stearns (President), Athena Bober First Vice-President, Constance Bistolas-Walters (Corresponding Secretary), Sherry Clayton (Recording Secretary), Pam Bolkovac (Treasurer), Sandra Schall (Asst. Treasurer), Yvonne Balouris (Advisor), Desi Austin, Polyxeni (Penny) Balouris, Marianne Bonfield, Zelfa Khalil, Anita Maier, Arlene Metropulos, Nicole Steiner and Kathleen (Kit) White. Congratulations to all! Please offer them your support and prayers as they continue to serve the poor, the needy and the Holy Church of Christ in the Lord.

 

Lenten “Open Table” Sunday Hospitality Hour Today: Thank You!

Thank you to all of those who have contributed to the “Open Table” Sunday Hospitality Hour today! Please place your Lenten ready to share plated item on the table located in the Gallery on your way into Liturgy. Please stay for a few moments afterwards and offer to help with clean-up. Thank you!

 

Congregational Card Signing for Homebound Parishioners Today

Please join the Visitation Ministry TODAY during Hospitality Hour in signing cards to celebrate the Feast of the Cincture of the Holy Theotokos (August 31). Feel free to write words of encouragement and blessings to our homebound parishioners and extended family members. These beautiful cards have been specially designed by Nancy Palamara & our Creative Team. Stop by and take a few minutes to reach out with an uplifting word.

 

Attention All Holy Trinity Church School Families – Register for Church School Today – Starts September 10

Please remember to register your children for the 2023-2024 Church School year, which begins September 10. Registration will continue today and next Sunday, August 20 during Hospitality Hour. Along with updating all records, we are asking that each family volunteer to host Snacks & Drinks after class for one Sunday AND fill in a volunteer form for an area of your choice. Our Youth programs depend on the volunteers that dedicate their time and talents to our most precious children. (Don't have a child in our program, but would still love to volunteer, please stop by the registration table and we'll give you a form.)

 

Backpacks for Needy Children – Pick Yours Up Today – Return by Next Sunday, August 20!

Along with FOCUS North America, Holy Trinity GOYA is sponsoring a "Backpack Drive" for needy children in our public schools. The goal is to provide basic school supplies for those who cannot afford them. We have received 100 backpacks, which will be available following the Divine Liturgy today. There is a list of requested school supply items you can purchase anywhere you see fit. Simply sign up for as many backpacks as you would like to fill. In addition to purchasing the items to fill the packs, we ask that you donate $10.00 for each pack when you pick them up to help cover the cost of providing them. Please return to Holy Trinity by August 20 so we can provide them to the school in time. (Note: this philanthropic outreach benefits our local area, as they will be donated to the students of Manchester Academic Charter School in our old North Side neighborhood, where our own parishioner, Vas Scoumis, is the CEO and Principal.)

 

Greek Dance Troupe Practice and Parent Dance Troupe Meeting Today

All groups will practice today during the Hospitality Hour. Also, an important Parent Dance Troupe Meeting will be held today during Hospitality Hour. All parents who have children dancing at the festival are encouraged to attend. We will be discussing the festival schedule and important festival information.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

[Aug 14-15] Services for the Falling Asleep (Koimissis) of the Theotokos

Please note services offered in celebration of the Feast of the Falling Asleep (Koimissis) of the Theotokos:

  • Monday, August 14: Great Vespers at our sister parishes of the Holy Dormition in Oakmont at 6:00pm and at Komissis Tis Theotokou in Aliquippa at 7:00pm. Note: Both parishes feature the beautiful hymns before the Tomb of the Theotokos and a procession around the Church.
  • Tuesday, August 15, 8:30am Orthros/9:30am Liturgy: Services will be held at our Saint George Chapel (8941 Ringeisen Rd, Allison Park) for those who wish to attend locally, and at both Oakmont and Aliquippa as well.

 

[Aug 15] Offices Closed

The offices of the Archdiocese, Metropolis and Holy Trinity Church will be closed on Tuesday, August 15 in celebration of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Hronia Polla!

 

Festival Aprons – Place Your Order by Next Sunday

Show your Holy Trinity pride by wearing a festival apron while you work!  Royal blue aprons, embroidered with our festival logo, are available in two lengths this year. The regular length apron (31”) is $18 and the extra-long length (34”) is $21. Aprons can be monogrammed with your name for an additional $4. To receive your apron in time for the festival, your order must be placed by NEXT Sunday, August 20th. Please contact Paula Valliant [email protected] to place your order.

 

[Aug 13-27] Greek Dance Troupe Practice Schedule

Please plan on having your children attend as many of the dance troupe practice sessions as possible. As a reminder, the groups are HOPE (5 years old through 2nd grade), JOY (3rd through 6th grade) and GOYA (7th through 12th grade). All practices will be held at Holy Trinity Church. Please feel free to reach out with any questions to Eleni Dedousis (412-953-3699) or Victoria Andromalos-Dale (412-496-9128).

  • Sun, Aug 13: All Groups, during Hospitality Hour
  • Thurs, Aug 17: HOPE only 6:00pm
  • Sun, Aug 20: All Groups, during Hospitality Hour
  • Wed, Aug 23: HOPE & JOY 5:30pm / GOYA 6pm
  • Sun, Aug 27: All Groups, during Hospitality Hour

[Aug 20] Blessing of the Our Own Holy Trinity Student Backpacks

In addition to August 20 being the day to return the backpacks we are donating to needy students of the area, we are asking all Holy Trinity students to bring their own backpacks to Liturgy next Sunday, August 20, for a special back-to-school blessing. Our Orthodox Christian tradition holds education in high regard, and we even have the Three Hierarchs (St. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom) as patrons saints of education. So let’s ask the Lord’s blessings on our studies by presenting our study tools before Him as we begin the new year.

 

[Aug 22] Church School Staff Meeting, 6:30pm

Attention all Church School staff: there will be a Church School 2023/2024 Staff meeting on Tuesday, August 22, at 6:30pm. Let’s get ready for a great year of growth and faith in the hearts of the Lord’s precious young people!

 

[Aug 31-Sep 3] Holy Trinity’s Taste of Greece - Labor Day Weekend – August 31 through September 3 – Sign Up to Volunteer Today!

Please mark Thursday, August 31, through Sunday, September 3 on your calendar for our next “Taste of Greece” festival. The Festival Committee is asking everyone, new members, and old hands, young and young at heart, to pledge a donation of their time and talents so that we can continue to grow both the success of the festival and the fellowship with all our Holy Trinity church family members! Sign up at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/volunteer. Thank you, good and faithful servants of Christ! We can’t do it without you!

 

Help Spread the Word About our Taste of Greece Festival with Lawn Signs!

You are an important part of the advertising for our 2023 Taste of Greece Festival!  If you still have your yard signs from last year with days listed as THURSDAY thru Sunday, pull them out and display them! (Please do not use older signs that list a Wednesday start.) If you do not have one, please stop by the Gallery following Liturgy to get one today. Please note that McCandless Township does not permit signs to be placed on public property - only private property with the owner’s permission. Also, all signs must be placed at least 5 feet from the pavement.

 

[Sep 8] World Premiere of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” Special Greek Night Dinner & Movie – Tickets Selling Fast – ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!

It’s back…and filmed in Greece this time! Enjoy it with your Holy Trinity family for the worldwide premiere on Friday, September 8. “My Big Fat Wedding 3” follows Toula as she honors her father’s last wish and takes the whole family to the village where he grew up in Greece. As she tries to track down her father’s childhood best friends, she winds up learning a lot more about her roots and her family along the way. Celebrate the newest release of this movie franchise in great Greek style with your Holy Trinity community! As another Holy Trinity Centennial offering, Philoptochos is presenting a special Greek Dinner and Movie Night celebration starting with dinner at Holy Trinity Church and then the movie up the hill at the Cinemark Theater. Many may remember the great time we had back in 2016 with the release of MBFGW2, complete with Greek food, music, and the parade to the theatre! Let’s do it again! Holy Trinity’s Greek Night package includes 6:00pm Greek dinner at Holy Trinity Church followed by a 7:15pm “Greek Flag Parade” up to the theater for the movie, then back to the Church for dessert & music. We have bought out the entire theater, but TICKETS ARE LIMITED AND ONLY A FEW ARE LEFT! Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available at HolyTrinityPgh.org/events. Opa! (NOTE: Once these tickets sell out, we will start a waiting list. If enough additional tickets are needed, we may be able to add an additional screen. But don’t wait! Get your tickets today!)

 

[Sept 9] Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery – Feast Day

Gerontissa Theophano and the Sisters warmly welcome you to the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery’s Feast Day on Saturday, September 9 beginning at 9:00am.  “Please come with family and friends and spend the day at the Monastery. Browse our icons and handiwork for sale, pastries, as well as frappes at our cafe.” Please RSVP so that the Monastery can prepare adequate hospitality. Kindly call 724-352-3999 or email: [email protected]. Location: 121 St. Elias Ln, Saxonburg, PA 16056. Visitors should be modestly dressed; women are asked to wear long skirts and men are asked to wear long pants.

 

Centennial Ornament – Place Your Order Soon

Our Ladies Philoptochos is offering a special Centennial Ornament to honor 100 Years of Holy Trinity Church! This limited-edition collector’s item measures 2 1/2 inches and is made of cast metal. This will be a wonderful gift for the holidays! Pre-order now to receive the discounted pricing of $20.00 per ornament. All orders must be pre-paid and received by Sunday, October 1, 2023. Use the order form included in the June edition of the Herald or visit HolyTrinitiyPgh.org/store to order by credit card. Additional order forms can be found on the window ledge outside of the church office. Pick up will be on Sunday, November 19th following Divine Liturgy. Proceeds will benefit Philoptochos charities.

 

[Nov 3-5] Save the Consecration Dates and Make Your Reservations Now for the Weekend of Nov 3-5, 2023

Please mark your calendars now and plan on dedicating that weekend to celebrating the once-in-a-lifetime historic Consecration and Centennial of our beloved Holy Trinity Church with your parish family. Tickets and Centennial commemorative items are now available at HolyTrinityPgh.org/centennial. Reserve your tickets today!

 

Visitation Ministry Team Volunteers Needed

The Visitation Ministry is always in need of volunteers to share their talent and time. We need volunteers who may enjoy visiting our homebound family members, designing crafts, baking cookies, transporting individuals to doctor appointments, reading the Bible at the bedside of one who is sick or has poor vision, offering grocery shopping or medication pickup at the local pharmacy, praying for those who are in need, providing a listening ear to those grieving loss, mailing cards to those who need encouragement, and so much more. If you are interested and want to learn more about our Visitation Ministry, please contact Amy Armanious at 412-628-0973 or email [email protected].

 

About Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church

As an extension of our hospitality and outreach ministries, we welcome all who have come to worship with us today. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian, an inquirer to the faith or a first-time guest in an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us and thankful for the opportunity to share and bear witness to this ancient and timeless Faith. In accordance with the holy canons and traditions of the Church, please note that Holy Communion and the other Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) are received only by those who are baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared through prayer, fasting and confession. All others are invited receive the antidoron (blessed bread) and a blessing from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The antidoron is not a sacramental offering but is blessing and a reflection of the agape (love) feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. Please join our parish family for hospitality after the holy services and allow us to meet and welcome you. Interested in joining or learning more about the Orthodox Christian Faith? Please see one of our priests or complete a visitor’s card today!

How to receive: Please remember the following helpful hints aimed at helping to preserve the solemnity and safety of the Holy Mystery. Anyone wearing lipstick should remove it before receiving. Be sure to offer your baptismal name to priest before receiving. Please take great care that the red cloth held by the acolytes (you should not hold it) is fully under your chin, then use the centuries-old practice of receiving: please fully open your mouth, then gently close your lips to make sure the Holy Gifts are securely in your mouth and so that none of the holy and precious Body and Blood of Christ is accidentally spilled. Thank you for your cooperation, and may God have mercy on us all!

 

Upcoming Memorial: Aug 27, Dinos Dickos (10 years)



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