Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-05-18
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

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Fifth Tone

English: Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life. Greek: Χριστός ανέστη εκ νεκρών, θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας και τοις εν τοις μνήμασιν, ζωήν χαρισάμενος. Phoenetics: Christós anésti ek nékron, thanáto thánaton patísas, ke tis en tis mnímasi zoín harisámenos. (Page 74)

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

The joyful news of Your Resurrection was told to the women disciples of the Lord by the angel. Having thrown off the ancestral curse, and boasting, they told the Apostles: death has been vanquished. Christ our God is risen, granting to the world great mercy. (Page 53)

Apolytikion for Mid-Pentecost in the Eighth Tone

At the middle of the feast, refresh my thirsty soul with the flowing waters of piety. For You cried out to all, O Savior, "Let him who thirsts come to me and drink." You, O Christ our God, are the Fountain of Life, glory to You.

Kontakion for a Memorial Service in the Eighth Tone

English: Remember, O Lord, as You are good, your servant(s), and forgive every sin he (she,they) have committed in this life. For no one is sinless except You, who have power to grant rest to those who have fallen asleep. Greek: Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, ὡς ἀγαθός, τοῦ (τῆς, τῶν) δούλου (δούλης, δούλων) σου, καί ὄσα ἐν βίῳ ἥμαρτεν (ἥμαρτεν, ἥμαρτον) συγχώρησον· οὐδείς γάρ ἀναμάρτητος, εἰμὴ σὺ ὁ δυνάμενος, καί τῷ (τῇ, τοῖς) μεταστάντι (μεταστάσῃ, μεταστάσι) δοῦναι τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Eighth Tone

Though You descended into the grave, O Immortal One, yet You destroyed the power of Hades, and arose as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women "Rejoice," and giving peace to Your Apostles, O You Who grants resurrection to the fallen. (Page 74)
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Saints and Feasts

May 18

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

One of the most ancient cities of the Promised Land was Shechem, also called Sikima, located at the foot of Mount Gerazim. There the Israelites had heard the blessings in the days of Moses and Jesus of Navi. Near to this town, Jacob, who had come from Mesopotamia in the nineteenth century before Christ, bought a piece of land where there was a well. This well, preserved even until the time of Christ, was known as Jacob's Well. Later, before he died in Egypt, he left that piece of land as a special inheritance to his son Joseph (Gen. 49:22). This town, before it was taken into possession by Samaria, was also the leading city of the kingdom of the ten tribes. In the time of the Romans it was called Neapolis, and at present Nablus. It was the first city in Canaan visited by the Patriarch Abraham. Here also, Jesus of Navi (Joshua) addressed the tribes of Israel for the last time. Almost three hundred years later, all Israel assembled there to make Roboam (Rehoboam) king.

When our Lord Jesus Christ, then, came at midday to this city, which is also called Sychar (John 4:5), He was wearied from the journey and the heat, and He sat down at this well. After a little while the Samaritan woman mentioned in today's Gospel passage came to draw water. As she conversed at some length with the Lord and heard from Him secret things concerning herself, she believed in Him; through her many other Samaritans also believed.

Concerning the Samaritans we know the following: In the year 721 before Christ, Salmanasar (Shalmaneser), King of the Assyrians, took the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel into captivity, and relocated all these people to Babylon and the land of the Medes. From there he gathered various nations and sent them to Samaria. These nations had been idolaters from before. Although they were later instructed in the Jewish faith and believed in the one God, they worshipped the idols also. Furthermore, they accepted only the Pentateuch of Moses, and rejected the other books of Holy Scripture. Nonetheless, they thought themselves to be descendants of Abraham and Jacob. Therefore, the pious Jews named these Judaizing and idolatrous peoples Samaritans, since they lived in Samaria, the former leading city of the Israelites, as well as in the other towns thereabout. The Jews rejected them as heathen and foreigners, and had no communion with them at all, as the Samaritan woman observed, "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9). Therefore, the name Samaritan is used derisively many times in the Gospel narrations. After the Ascension of the Lord, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the woman of Samaria was baptized by the holy Apostles and became a great preacher and Martyr of Christ; she was called Photine, and her feast is kept on February 26.

May 18

Holy Martyrs: Peter, Dionysius, Andrew, Paul, Christina, Heraclius, Paulinus and Benedimus

These Saints all contested in martyrdom during the reign of Decius (249-251)- Peter was from Lampsacus in the Hellespont. For refusing to offer sacrifice to the idol of Aphrodite, his whole body was crushed and broken with chains and pieces of wood on a torture-wheel; having endured this torment courageously, he gave up his soul.

Paul and Andrew were soldiers from Mesopotamia brought to Athens with their governor, there they were put in charge of two captive Christians, Dionysios and Christina. The soldiers, seeing the beauty of the virgin Christina, attempted to move her to commit sin with them, but she refused and, by her admonitions, brought them to faith in Christ. They and Dionysios were stoned to death, and Christina was beheaded.

Heraclius, Paulinus, and Benedimus were Athenians, and preachers of the Gospel who turned many of the heathen from their error to the light of Christ. Brought before the governor, they confessed their Faith, and after many torments were beheaded.

May 18

Euphrasia the Martyr of Nicea

May 18

Julian the Martyr

May 18

Stephen I, Patriarch of Constantinople

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Tone. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 11:19-30.

In those days, those apostles who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabos stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea, and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
The Reading is from John 4:5-42

At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."

Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to him.

Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony. "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this is indeed Christ the Savior of the world."

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Bulletin Inserts

    Weekly Bulletin - Sunday, May 18, 2025

    Weekly Bulletin - Sunday, May 18, 2025

    Weekly Bulletin - Sunday, May 18, 2025

    2025 Festival Cooking Schedule

    2025 Festival Cooking Schedule

    Please join us as we continue preparing delicious food and pastries for our 2025 TASTE OF GREECE Festival! The key to finishing our cooking day goals is to have 30-35 volunteers each time - why not be one of them! Mark your calendars - there is a time and day to fit everyone's schedules.

    Holy Trinity Golf Outing - Monday, June 9, 2025

    Holy Trinity Golf Outing - Monday, June 9, 2025

    The annual Holy Trinity Golf Outing will be held on Monday, June 9 at Wildwood Golf Club in Allison Park. The deadline for reservations and sponsorships is May 31. Proceeds benefit Holy Trinity Church. All are welcome!

    Pittsburgh Greek Festivals Guide - Summer 2025

    Pittsburgh Greek Festivals Guide - Summer 2025

    It's a great tradition, and it's here again: 36 days of Greek Festivals in the Pittsburgh region, so plan well and you can eat Greek all summer!

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Here is love! Here is teaching! Here is acquiescence! Here is a model! ... Those who love they also serve. If you want to find out how great your love is towards God, then measure your obedience to the will of God, and you will immediately learn.
Bishop Nicolai Velimirovic
Prolog, 7 Sept., B #80, 706.

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Parish News and Events

 

TODAY'S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Welcome Home Father John and Mount Athos Pilgrims!

Today we welcome Father John and all pilgrims home from their travels to Mount Athos. We are happy to have you back!

 

Memorials Today

Memorial prayers will be offered at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy today for the repose of the souls of the servants of God, Demetrios Danis (20 years) and George V. Gatsiopoulos (10 years). May their memory be eternal! The Danis family will sponsor the Hospitality Hour today.

 

Church School Graduation & Picnic – TODAY

Please note that today will be the last day of Church School for this semester. All students are asked to attend and sit with their class during Liturgy. Following the service, the Church School will have a graduation celebration and picnic lunch. Registration will also be available for the 2025/2026 Church School year. Attention parents: Help is needed with the picnic. Please contact Presvytera Becky to volunteer. Thank you!

 

Holy Trinity Dance Troupe Meeting - TODAY

Today the Dance Troupe will be having a very important informational parent’s meeting during Hospitality Hour. Please get your snacks and go to the Conference Room. The parents of all new and returning dancers are asked to attend. We will review our summer schedule as well as share information related to the Folk Dance Festival that we are hosting.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Faith & Family Weekdays

Faith and Family Weekdays is back, and there are many ways for each of us 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..

THIS WEEK:

TOMORROW – Monday, May 19, 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. The 6-session Spring series dates are May 19, 26; June 2, 9, 16, 23. All are welcome!
 

FESTIVAL COOKING! 

Please join us as we continue preparing delicious food and pastries for our 2025 TASTE OF GREECE Festival!  The key to finishing our cooking day goals is to have 30-35 volunteers each time - why not be one of them!  Mark your calendars - there is a time and day to fit everyone's schedules.

THIS Tuesday, May 20, 9:00am-9:00pm – GALAKTOBOUREKO

Tuesday, June 10, 9:00am-9:00pm –DIPLES

Tuesday, June 17, 9:00am-9:00pm – PORTOKALOPITA

Tuesday, June 24, 9:00am-9:00pm – TIROPITA

Wednesday, July 16, 9:00am-9:00pm – SOUZOUKAKIA

 

[May 24] Holy Trinity Cemetery – Community Clean-Up Day – This Saturday!

Please make plans to join us this Saturday, May 24th from 9:00am until 2:00pm for Community Clean-Up Day at Holy Trinity Cemetery (8941 Ringeisen Rd, Allison Park, PA 15101). Volunteers are asked to help with the general Spring cleaning of the Cemetery grounds. Bring your lawn & garden tools and a pair of work gloves! Topsoil will be provided for those parishioners who would like to work on their family’s individual graves. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Rain date, if needed, will be Sunday, May 25th  (12:00-4:00pm). All help is appreciated! Questions? Please call Bill Fiedler at 412-364-1545.

 

[May 25] Hospitality Hour – OPEN TABLE Next Sunday – Please Bring an Item to Share!

Next Sunday, May 25th, there will be an OPEN TABLE Hospitality Hour. Please bring something plattered and ready to serve and share! There are several open Sundays coming up, so check out the Sign-Up board today. Even when we have an OPEN TABLE, we need people to set up and clean up.  We are encouraging “Simple Summers”, so it is not necessary to have elaborate spreads. Let's all chip in! Please volunteer via email to [email protected].

 

[May 26] Memorial Day Service for Veterans

Please gather in front of the Holy Trinity Cemetery War Memorial at 10:00am on Monday, May 26 as we hold a special ceremony to honor and remember our veterans. Please note that this service is to commemorate veterans; it is not a general memorial service for all the departed. That will be held according to Orthodox tradition on the Pentecost weekend Saturday of Souls (June 7th this year) with a Divine Liturgy and Memorial at the Saint George Chapel. Memory Eternal!

 

[June 1] Spring General Assembly
Our regular Spring General Assembly will be held on Sunday, June 1 following Divine Liturgy. Please plan to be present to participate as part of fulfilling your membership at Holy Trinity Church! An agenda was included in the June edition of the Herald. This Assembly is to review parish life and hear reports on important parish matters. It is vital to the life of a healthy community that all members attend, as these meetings are quite important in the day-to-day life of the parish. Please remember, to vote at an assembly, you must be a member in good standing as defined in the Uniform Parish Regulations which includes, but is not limited to, having submitted a signed 2025 Holy Trinity Stewardship Pledge card. Whether it is attending assemblies, 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.

 

Upcoming Greek Dance Troupe Practice Schedule

Our Dance Troupe will begin its practices to prepare for the Festival starting in June. If you have any questions, please reach out to Victoria (412.496.9128) or Eleni (412.953.3699). The groups are as follows: HOPE- 5 years old-2nd grade, JOY-3rd grade to 6th grade, GOYA 7th grade-12th grade. The practice schedule is below.

·         Sunday, June 1: HOPE, during Hospitality Hour

·         Thursday, June 5: ALL Groups; 6:00pm

·         Tuesday, June 10: ALL Groups; 6:00pm

·         Sunday, June 15: HOPE, during Hospitality Hour

·         Tuesday, June 17: ALL Groups; 6:00pm

·         Sunday, June 29: HOPE, during Hospitality Hour

Holy Trinity Greek School Registration is Still Open But Filling Quickly

There are only a few spots left for the 2025-2026 Greek School year! Registration is open for children ages 4 - second grade (as of 9/1/25). Log into Realm to register today! Don’t have a Realm account? Email [email protected] for more assistance. Registration closes on 6/1 or once all spots have been filled. For more information, email us at [email protected].

 

Bereavement Support Ministry - Helpful Resources

The Bereavement Support Ministry provides spiritual listening and spiritual care to our parishioners and their extended family and close friends in times of grief and loss of a loved one. It is a part of the Visitation Ministry which has the mission of reaching out to our sick, homebound and bereaved parishioners. Grief is a universal part of the human experience... however, it is often overlooked and misunderstood. Sometimes we have questions of what normal grief looks like and may need to share our concerns with an expert who understands that each grief experience is unique. Your need for respect, confidentiality and privacy are the core values of our Bereavement Ministry. To learn more about the grief journey and/or to receive a mailing of simple, easy reading materials, please contact our Visitation Ministry Coordinator Amy Armanious at [email protected]   Amy is available to meet in-person, virtually or via a phone conversation.  Or you can see her at Hospitality Hour following Divine Liturgy.

 

[June 9] Holy Trinity Golf Outing

The annual Holy Trinity Golf Outing will be held on Monday, June 9 at Wildwood Golf Club. A registration flyer was included in the May edition of the Herald. Additional copies can be found at the church office window. The deadline for reservations and sponsorships is May 31. Proceeds benefit Holy Trinity Church. All are welcome!

 

[June 23] Active Older Adults Ministry - Pittsburgh Pilgrimage: Shrines of Pittsburgh Tour

Pilgrimages to our historic overseas countries feature many ancient Orthodox Christian sites, but Pittsburgh also has a rich religious history dating back to the early years of immigration, including many sites belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. Please make plans to join our Active Older Adults Ministry for a Pittsburgh Pilgrimage to the “Shrines of Pittsburgh” on Monday, June 23rd from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Bus will pick up and drop off at Holy Trinity. Visit St. Anthony’s Chapel of Troy Hill which houses 5,000 relics (known to the Roman Catholic public as the largest collection of relics outside of the Vatican) and a rare set of life-sized carvings depicting the Stations of the Cross. Then lunch at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (included in cost). Followed by visiting St. Stanislaus Polish Cathedral founded in1875 and designed by Frederic Sauer in Baroque style with magnificent stained-glass windows from the Royal Bavarian Art Institute. A presentation by the church historian about the church and the “Strip District” will be provided. Then shopping in the Strip District (including Stamoolis Brothers). The cost is $40.00 per person. Everyone, old or young, is welcome to take the trip. For more information, please see or call Tasy McCann at 724-612-9145.

 

Stewardship 2025 – We Reached the Summit – Let’s Be Sure Not to Slide Back Down!

Thanks to the dedication and offerings of so many faithful stewards, 2024 was a record year for Holy Trinity Stewardship. As we strove together for “Stewardship Independence” we reached levels never seen before. Glory to God and many thanks to the faithful stewards who stepped up to the challenge! Now it’s time to keep it going!

    This year, let’s maintain and grow as our theme for 2025 calls us to be “Stewards of God’s Blessings.” If you pledged last year, please grow that pledge to keep up with our increasing expenses in 2025. If you have not pledged before, ask our Stewardship Chairperson, Andrew Fournaridis, any questions you have. And whether new or renewing your pledge, there are two ways: 1) Use a 2025 Stewardship pledge card or 2) Go online to your Holy Trinity Realm account (see below) at HolyTrinityPgh.org/pledge. And there are many ways to give: in person via cash; in person or by mail via check; online at HolyTrinityPgh.org/give; via text by texting HOLYTRINITYPGH to 73256; via the Realm app on your phone; and the giving kiosk in the Narthex. Remember, “Stewardship Independence” is not a one-time goal; it is a lifetime commitment to keep Holy Trinity Church vibrant, growing and bearing witness to Holy Orthodoxy for all!

 

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!

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