Sunday Services Orthros 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM Church School Following Holy Communion Week Day Divine Liturgy Orthros 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM Evening Services Consult Echo Calendar or Weekly Bulletin for times.
Holy Trinity’s Mission Statement: To worship and glorify God, by promoting the teachings, of the Greek Orthodox Faith. To encourage all members' participation through our Greek culture, educational programs, community outreach and fundraising activities while serving God, our community and humanity
PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS USHERING TODAY:
Emmanuel T. Yakumithis-Kristin Dzikowski-Kathy Chaka-Andrew Cleaver
EPISTLE READERS ARE: Greek: Socrates Papageorgiou ; English: Andrew Cleaver
THIS WEEK’S ALTAR FLOWERS ARE SPONSORED ANONYMOUSLY.
THE PROSFORA, the Eucharistic Bread, prepared on behalf of the worshipping faithful, was offered today by Helen Matthews and Anthe Christides. Thank you and God Bless you!
We will be having the Sunday School Christmas Pageant today after Divine Liturgy. Please stay afterwards for a Community Christmas Brunch in our Veronie Community Hall. There will also be a, "Special Guest!"
We would like to extend a large welcome to His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas! Thank you to His Eminence for worshipping with us today and helping us prepare for our Lord's Birth!
THIS WEEK AT HOLY TRINITY:
Tuesday, December 24th: Office Closed at noon, Christmas Eve Vesperal Liturgy 6 PM
Wednesday, December 25th: Office Closed, Christmas Orthros 9 AM, Liturgy 10 AM
Thursday, December 26th: Office Closed
Friday, December 27th: Office Open, Saint Stephen Feast Day Orthros 9 AM, Liturgy 10 AM
Sunday, December 29th: GOYA Christmas Party 7 PM
Pantry Update: As we prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ, we hopefully open our hearts to thosearound us that are in need. Please consider donating food items or monetary gifts to our Church Pantry. The most needed items this month are: boxed cereal, Peanut butter, jelly, boxed mac and cheese, and shelf stable milk. Thank you, Holy Trinity and have a blessed Christmas and New Year!
Sunday School Christmas Tree: Because of our current renovation, the Sunday School Christmas Mitten/Scarf Tree is located in the upstairs classroom hallway. Please bring our donations there. Thank you for your support!
IS YOUR 2024 STEWARDSHIP OBLIGATION CURRENT? We’re in our last month of our 2024 Stewardship Campaign. Is your pledge current or paid in full? If not, please do so if you’re able. We appreciate everyone’s support to make this campaign the best ever. Also, thank you to all of you who have turned in your 2025 Pledge card. If you haven’t, there are some on the candle stand to fill in.
AHEPA Super Bowl Blocks - The Super Bowl blocks are now available! We will be selling the block tickets for $15 a square with 100 blocks available. First and third quarter winners receive $125, half time winner receives $250 and the final score wins $500. The officers will have tickets after Sunday Liturgies or you can call Tony Capranica at 419-540-1150 for tickets.
Attention: Warm Hands to Warm Hearts (WHWH): The winter months are our busy season. As always, we are in need of yarn. Let the happy holiday colors inspire you. Besides yarn, we are in SERIOUS NEED OF SEWERS. Contact us if you can help. Due to the holidays, our December meeting is cancelled. Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 28th, at 1:00 PM in the Veronie Community Hall. For questions or more information, please contact Maria Petros at (419) 473-2387 or Elena Perry at (419) 265-6275.
SAVE THE DATES for Project Mexico 2025 -- July 17-23! There’s still time to join the Project Mexico 2025 team! We are now a team of 12, but there’s still a slot for YOU to help build a home for a deserving family at Project Mexico, July 17-23. Visit https://www.projectmexico.org/volunteerHB25 to register for Project Mexico 2025. Be sure to choose Holy Trinity Toledo as your team. Have questions or need help registering? Talk to Elainie Lillios ([email protected]) or Michael Thompson.
Young people interested in Project Mexico, READ ON! -- The FOrCE (Forming Orthodox Christian Evangelists) Leadership 100 Grant Fund for Homebuilding Grant is an exciting opportunity for those interested in joining Project Mexico at NO COST! This grant introduces participants to the diverse opportunities available at Hellenic College Holy Cross, as well as Project Mexico's enriching summer internship program, helping you explore future paths in the Church and service. This grant is available exclusively to individuals who are not currently attending Hellenic College Holy Cross (HCHC) and who have not received this grant in the past. For more information about the FOrCE Grant and to apply, visit https://www.projectmexico.org/force-initiative
Greek School in person: We would like to know if there is interest in once again starting a Greek School which will meet in person at the Cathedral. Some of you signed up in September but we misplaced the signup sheet. Another one is in the hall. Please sign up if you are interested. Sofia, our choir director, would like to start Greek School in January.
YAH Trip planned to beautiful Savannah, GA. The YAH Trip is open to everyone in the community, including family and friends. The dates are Sun., June 8, 2025 to Sat., June 14, 2025. Cost is $950 per person. A $75 per person deposit will be due to reserve your seat. Deadline for the deposit is January 15, 2025. First come, first serve - we are unable to hold any seats without a deposit. Final payment will be due by April 1, 2025. Please, see Faye/Gene Haberman or Kris Reder for details and to pay your deposit.
Byzantine Music Fellowship continues! All are welcome to join this chanting ministry that sings Paraklesis services to the Theotokos on the third Friday of each month. The group will rehearse the third Tuesday of each month, 7-8pm in the Veronie Center. The final fall rehearsal date will be on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Contact Elainie Lillios at [email protected] with questions.
ALTAR FLOWERS ARE NEEDED FOR: June 29th. Cost is $50 for 2 beautiful vases. It’s a great way to show your support in honor or memory of someone and beautify our altar too! Call the Church office if you’re interested.
Upcoming Memorials: December 29th - Father Chris W. Hadgigeorge - 9 years (Trisagion); Ann Mulopulos – 1 year; William Kakmis – 1 year; January 5th – Mary Kanios - 1 year; Nick Kanios – 10 years; January 19th –Nicholas Lillios – 14 years; Emile Mantzakides – 10 years; Sam Dedes – 9 years; Maritsa Loizos – 3 years; George Georghaki-27 years; Haralambia Georghaki-25 years (Trisagion)
This year's Pageant will be December 22nd. After the Pageant there will a Parish Council Sponsored brunch! See the flyer for details.
Come and celebrate the New Year with your fellow Parishioners and enjoy a delicious chicken dinner prepared by Harry Dean and his faithful helpers. See the flyer for details
Come build a house for a family in need with Holy Trinity!
Come celebrate Theophany with our fellow Orthodox Christians from Toledo!
Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fisherman all-wise, by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them, drawing all the world into Your net. O Loving One, glory be to You.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking spices, which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered His words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40.
BRETHREN, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundation, whose builder and maker is God.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Sunday before Nativity
The Reading is from Matthew 1:1-25
The book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
On the Sunday that occurs on or immediately after the eighteenth of this month, we celebrate all those who from ages past have been well-pleasing to God, beginning from Adam even unto Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos, according to genealogy, as the Evangelist Luke hath recorded historically (Luke 3:23-38); we also commemorate the Prophets and Prophetesses, and especially the Prophet Daniel and the Holy Three Children.
This Saint, who was from Rome, was a most comely, wealthy, and virtuous maiden, the daughter of Praepextatus and Fausta. It was her mother who instructed her in the Faith of Christ. The Saint was joined to a man named Publius Patricius, who was prodigal in life and impious in disposition, but she was widowed after a short time. Henceforth, she went about secretly to the dwellings of the poor and the prisons where the Martyrs of Christ were, and brought them whatever was needed for their daily subsistence. She washed their wounds and loosed them from their fetters, and consoled them in their anguish. Also, because the Saint, through her intercessions, has healed many from the ill effects of spells, potions, poisons, and other harmful substances, she has received the name "Deliverer from Potions." Since the fame of her deeds had spread about, she was arrested by Diocletian's minions, and after enduring many torments she was put to death by fire in the year 290.
