Upcoming Services - Locations: (HT) Holy Trinity Church; (SG) St. George Chapel, 8941 Ringeisen Rd, Allison Park, PA

 - Friday, November 1, 8:30am Orthros/9:30am Liturgy: Saints Cosmas and Damian the Wonderworkers (SG)

Faith & Family Weekdays – Fall 2024

Faith and Family Weekdays is back, and there are many ways for each of to grow in the knowledge and practice of our faith. Ready to learn more about the Bible, about the Orthodox Church, about navigating life’s challenges as a Christian, a woman, or a man? It’s all there. There’s a lot more to church than Sundays, and here is where to find it. Watch the bulletin and check the online calendar at HolyTrinityPgh.org/calendar for details.

THIS WEEK:

• Mon. Oct 28, 7:00pm: “Journey to Fullness” – An overview of the Orthodox Christian Faith for newcomers interested in joining or life-long members yearning to deepen their understanding. Videos and Q&A discussion. This 6-session Fall series will be held on: Oct 28; Nov 4, 11, 18, 25; Dec 2. All are welcome!

• Wed. Oct 30, 6:30pm Vespers/7:00pm: “Explore the Word” - Father Radu leads us through his new book, “Icon of the Kingdom of God.” Drawing on a rich knowledge of scripture, the Church fathers, and theologians, learn what the Church is and what it means to us. Remaining dates are Oct 30; Nov 6, 13, 20; Dec 4, 11.

[Nov 3] Fall General Assembly – Next Sunday

Please plan to attend the regular Fall General Assembly next Sunday, November 3. This Assembly is to review parish life, nominate candidates for the Parish Council and other important committees and hear reports on important parish matters. Please remember that, to vote at an assembly or in elections, you must be a member in good standing as defined in the Uniform Parish Regulations. If you haven’t already, please submit your 2024 Stewardship Pledge Card today! Whether it is attending assemblies, being voted on to Council, taking in a leadership role in a ministry or just getting involved more, the Lord has a calling and a role for every one of us at Holy Trinity Church because you are a part of the Body of Christ and have an important contribution to offer.

[Nov 10] Military Appreciation Day

In observance of Veterans Day, the Visitation Ministry Team requests your prayers and support once again to honor parishioners, family, and community members who have served and are still serving our country in the military. Our tribute on Sunday, November 10^th will include a memorial service for all veterans and fallen heroes, and special recognition of living veterans and active military service members. We will proudly display our military honoree names on the monitors in the Grand Room and Gallery as an offering of love and gratitude for their service. Tables will also be available in the Grand Room for parishioners wishing to bring and display a framed photo of their military honoree(s).  May God bless all those who have served and continue to serve our country.

[Nov 17] Holy Trinity Active Older Adults

Holy Trinity Active Older Adults will visit the Pitt Cathedral of Learning Nationality Rooms Christmas Open House on Sunday Nov 17^th after Liturgy. There will be a Tour of the decorated rooms; Crafts and Demonstrations; Ethnic food; Holiday music; Dance Performances & Shopping. Cost is FREE. We can carpool or find someone willing to drive a minibus that we can rent. Interested? See or call Tasy at 724-612-9145.

Youth Safety Certification Reminder for Adults

Youth Protection Policy Note: All adults involved with youth ministry contact will need to complete the youth safety and protection requirements of the “Policies for the Safety of Youth and Children” of the Archdiocese, Metropolis and Holy Trinity Church. Are you not yet certified? Do you have any questions? Please see our parish Youth Safety Coordinator Victoria Ambrose or email [email protected].

Visitation Ministry Needs Your Help

Currently, we have a few elderly parishioners who are in need of help in their homes. They need regular visits for companionship, light housekeeping, laundry care, and grocery shopping. It would require about 1-2 hours depending on the person's schedule and needs. If you can offer some help and time, please contact Amy Armanious, Visitation Ministry coordinator at [email protected] Or you can contact the church office and ask Amy to call you.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

OUTREACH – Early-Bird Opportunity to Volunteer your Family or Group for the 2025 Bag Lunch Ministry

Do you want to grab a date of your choice to provide bagged lunches in 2025 before they begin to fill up? This is your chance! We now have early access to the 2025 calendar for this well-received and fun project, with the goal of preparing and delivering 140 lunch bags to our less fortunate neighbors every Saturday of the year. This ministry includes various local parishes, and we’re hoping that with Holy Trinity Church parishioners’ participation, this goal will be achieved as early as possible. See Mike Kritiotis or email [email protected] with your preferred Saturday. If you’re new to this, detailed instructions and assistance are available, so give it a try! Thank you for your continued enthusiastic support for this worthy cause to help the poor and hungry in our region.

Stewardship Update – Are You Ready to Cross the “Stewardship Independence” Finish Line?

We have made excellent progress in our shared goal of “Stewardship Independence” in 2024, but we are still missing quite a number of pledges. Are you one of them? As of October 1st, 263 families have submitted pledges for 2024.  This is lower than the number of pledges in 2023 and about 40 short of our goal of 300 Stewardship participants. You can help us reach this historic level of participation for the Stewardship Ministry. The good news is that our average pledge has increased by 33% from last year, so clearly stewards have responded positively to the request to incorporate prior years Capital Campaign contributions into their pledges, but we cannot leave it to “others” to carry the load.  We simply need those that have not pledged yet to submit a 2024 pledge (it’s not too late!), and those who pledged to fulfill their pledge prior to the end of the year.

     What does “Stewardship Independence” mean in action? It is the freedom to use your gifts to fulfill the work of the Gospel like we have never been able to do before. And that means real and concrete actions. From the progress made thus far this year, we are now able to allocate more of our festival income for philanthropic efforts. For example, we are matching the $5,448 in donations made by festival patrons in donation jars from our festival income. This will result in a donation of nearly $11,000 split between the North Hills Community Food Bank and the fire relief efforts in Greece. Our pilgrims who have just returned from Greece can testify that this philanthropic love is sorely needed. And our local outreach puts food on the tables of our very own neighbors right here in the North Hills. We can do more, but we need everyone to be on board. Truly, we are so thankful to all who have submitted pledges and increased their pledge to help Holy Trinity reach this milestone of Stewardship Independence. Please join them. Not sure about your pledge status? Just log on to your Realm account at HolyTrinityPgh.org/realm, scan the QR code above or call the office at 412-377-8700.

In the Hospital? Home-Bound? Please let the Church Office know! 
In today’s age of information privacy, churches are not notified when parishioners are admitted to hospitals, nursing homes or other care facilities. Both those facilities and your church depend on having the church notified by a friend or family member so that pastoral care and outreach can be offered. The same goes for those homebound. If you or any of your loved ones are in any of these situations, please contact the Church Office at 412-366-8700 to request a visit from our priests or our wonderful Visitation Ministry. Also, interested in helping reach out to fellow parishioners in those situations? Please contact Amy Armanious at [email protected].

Welcome, Holy Trinity Guests!

We welcome all our guests to Holy Trinity Church today, whether as visitors from out of town, family members joining others here for worship today or even soon-to-be members here for the first time. No matter what the reason the Holy Spirit brought you here today, we welcome you with open arms and hearts filled with the love of Christ. Please help us welcome you by signing in at the hospitality table in the Narthex, where you will be presented with a yellow lapel Cross to help us know that you're here. And please be sure to stay and enjoy our after-Liturgy Hospitality Hour!

About Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church

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. Please also join our parish family for Hospitality Hour 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!