Jesus Christ teaches us to love and serve all people, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. To understand this, we need to look no further than to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Every time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, it is offered "on behalf of all, and for all." As Orthodox Christians we stand against racism and bigotry. All human beings share one common identity as children of God. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatian 3:28)

To Our Guests
Throughout our services, we use the more formal "thy" and "thou" or what is commonly referred to as King Jamesean English.  The Lord's Prayer is recited as follows:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, as on earth as it is in heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the Evil One.

Please join us after Liturgy for refreshments and hospitality.

Pastoral Care - General Information

Emergency Sick Calls can be made at any time. Please call Fr Steven at (860) 322-2906, when a family member is admitted to the hospital.
Anointing in Sickness: The Sacrament of Unction is available in Church, the hospital, or your home, for anyone who is sick and suffering, however severe. 
Marriages and Baptisms require early planning, scheduling and selections of sponsors (crown bearers or godparents). See Father before booking dates and reception halls!
Funerals are celebrated for practicing Orthodox Christians. Please see Father for details. The Church opposes cremation; we cannot celebrate funerals for cremations.

Members of our Parish Council are:

Marlene Melesko - President
Sarah Senetcen - Member at Large
Boris Doph - Treasurer
Dierdre Cottergarfield - Vice President
Luba Martins - Secretary

Mission Statement
St. Alexis Orthodox Christian Church is a local English speaking community of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) on the shoreline of Connecticut.

St. Alexis exists to:

• Call all people to Christ
• Worship as a community 
• Experience the joy of Christ in our lives 
• Share this joy with those around us 
• Educate people about the Truth and Presence of Orthodoxy 
• We offer the love of Christ to those in need, both in word and action.

Annual Meeting

Our meeting will take place after Liturgy on Sunday, November 15th. As per our ByLaws,

A voting member of the Parish shall fulfill the following requirements:

• By virtue of their Baptism and Chrismation, the parishioners (OCA Statutes; Section 5, subsection a) are members of the Body of Christ and must strive to live in accordance with their high calling (Ephesians 4:1). No one can be a member of the Parish if he openly betrays the teaching of the Orthodox Church, or if he leads a life or acts in a manner condemned by the Holy Canons as incompatible with the name Orthodox Christian (OCA Statutes; Section 5, subsection b, c);

• be at least 18 years of age; and

•  at least once per year partakes of the Sacraments of Private Confession and Communion in the Parish; and

• regularly Fulfills annual stewardship obligations as may be established by the Parish within the calendar year.

If you have a question as to whether you are eligable to vote in the meeting, please talk with Fr Steven. 

If you have business or a resolution you would like to bring before the parish, please present it to myself or Marlene Melesko by Nov 1st so that it may be added to the meeting agenda.

Wall Calendars

I will not be ordering wall calendars for the parish this year, as there are number of online locations that provide the same information (including our parish website). If you prefer a paper wall calendar rather than online, the can be ordered from St Tikhon's Monastery Press, Ancient Faith Bookstore or Vestal Publishing Company, just to name a few locations.

https://orthodoxdaily.net

https://orthocal.info

Upcoming Events

The Diocean Assembly takes place the 23rd and 24th of this month. Joseph Boruch is our deligate this year. I will be gone beginning 22nd as I will be at the new mission, St Olga of Alaska, to give my presentation on Mother Olga. I will be back late on the 24th. There will be no vespers on Saturday evening the 24th. I will still still be in contact while in VT, so if you need anything please don't hesitate to reach out.

Nativity Fast

The Fast begins on 16th (the evening before, to be exact). Please take the opportunity to use this time to offer your confession, and to focus on acts of outreach, and attending to your prayer life.

Support for Ukrainian Refugees

Again we pray that we may be made worthy of founding in our Diocese a monastery in honor
of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, let us pray to the Lord!

Pray for: All those confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and their own homes due to illness; for all those who serve in the armed forces; widows, orphans, prisoners, victims of violence, and refugees;

All those suffering chronic illness, financial hardship, loneliness, addictions, abuse, abandonment and despair; those who are homeless and dispossesed, those who are institutionalize, those who have no one to pray for them;

All Orthodox seminarians & families; all Orthodox monks and nuns, and all those considering monastic life; all Orthodox missionaries and their families.

All those who have perished due to hatred, intolerance, predjudice; pestilence and natural disaster; all those departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection.

Please let Fr. Steven know via email if you have more names for which to pray.

• Departed:  
• Clergy and their families: Fr Sergei B, Fr Vladimir, Fr Vladimir, Fr John, 
  Fr Alexander
• ​Catechumen: Joshua Figueroa
• Individuals and Families: Luba, Suzanne, Rosemary,  Daniel & Dayna, Kristen, Victor, Susan, Gregory, Nina
• Birthdays and Name’s Days this Month: Vinny Melesko (B-10/8), Marlene Melesko (B-10/12), Victor Hohenbart (B-10/20), Greg Jankura (B-10/24), Joe Boruch (B-10/24),
• Anniversaries this Month:  
• Expecting and Newborn:  
• ​Traveling:
• ​Sick and those in distress: Nancy, Boris, Glenn, John, Joan, Sharon, William, Sharon, Alexander, Olga, Christine, Tatianna, Stormy, Maria, Blanche, Jeremy, Jenna, Eugenia

Today’s commemorated feasts and saints

19th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 2. Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council. Ven. Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople (1379). Holy Apostle Philip of the Seventy, one of the Seven Deacons (1st c.). St. Theophanes the Confessor and Hymnographer, Bishop of Nicæa (ca. 850). Ven. Theophanes, Faster, of the Kiev Caves (Near Caves—12th c.). Ven. Leo of Optina (1841). Synaxis of the Optina elders. Virgin Martyrs Zenaΐda and Philonίlla, of Tarsus in Cilicia (1st c.).

Again we pray for those who have lost their lives because of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East: that the Lord our God may look upon them with mercy, and give them rest where there is neither sickness, or sorrow, but life everlasting.

Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, for those who are suffering, wounded, grieving, or displaced because of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

Again we pray for a cessation of the hostilities against Ukraine and the Middle East, and that reconciliation and peace will flourish there, we pray thee, hearken and have mercy.

Again we pray thee, O Lord our God: We are all called to be the branches of the spiritual vine that grew from the seeds of the Orthodox Faith that our missionary fathers, Herman and Innocent and their companions, planted and nurtured among the native peoples of Alaska, a vine that bears fruit to this day throughout our land, as we imitate the virtues of those husbandmen, of the many saints known only to God, of the Martyr Peter the Aleut, and of our Mother Olga of Kwethluk; through their intercessions, O Lord, hear us and have mercy!

Again we pray thee, O God our Savior: Look with favor upon us, the families and spiritual children of the peoples who came to our land from the old world and brought with them the Orthodox Faith, which they held fast and nurtured in their labors in the mines and mills and on the farms of this new land, and among the challenges of its great cities; we pray thee, O Lord, hear us and have mercy!

Again we pray thee, O Lord our God: We have thy Mother as the Protectress of Orthodox Christians in our North American lands; as we joyfully celebrate her patronage and her miracles, we pray thee, O Lord, through her intercessions, in all our challenges, hear us and have mercy!

Tone 2    Troparion    (Resurrection)
When Thou didst descend to death, O Life immortal,
Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead.
And when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead,
all the powers of heaven cried out://
“O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!”

Tone 8    Troparion    (Fathers)
Thou art most glorious, O Christ our God,
Who hast established the Holy Fathers as lights on the earth.
Through them Thou hast guided us to the True Faith.//
O greatly compassionate One, glory to Thee!

Tone 2     Kontakion    (Resurrection)
Hell became afraid, O almighty Savior,
seeing the miracle of Thy Resurrection from the tomb!
The dead arose! Creation, with Adam, beheld this and rejoiced with Thee,// 
and the world, my Savior, praises Thee forever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

Tone 6    Kontakion    (Fathers)
The Son Who shone forth from the Father
was ineffably born, two-fold in nature, of a woman.
Having beheld Him, we do not deny the image of His form,
but depict it piously and revere it faithfully.
Thus, keeping the True Faith,//
the Church venerates the icon of Christ Incarnate.

now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 6    Kontakion (Steadfast Protectress)
Steadfast Protectress of Christians, 
Constant Advocate before the Creator; 
despise not the entreating cries of us sinners, 
but in your goodness come speedily to help us who call on you in faith. 
Hasten to hear our petition and to intercede for us, 
O Theotokos, for you always protect those who honor you!

COMMUNION HYMN
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! 
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous; praise befits the just! Alleluia (3X)

The following is Book 3 of the Ancient Practices series.

Summary of In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson

In Constant Prayer is a Christian spirituality book in which Robert Benson explores the ancient practice of the Daily Office—praying at fixed times throughout the day—as a practical way to live out the biblical call to “pray without ceasing.” Rather than viewing prayer as occasional or spontaneous, Benson argues that prayer can become the framework that shapes everyday life.

Main Idea

Benson's central message is that constant prayer does not mean praying continuously every waking moment. Instead, it means cultivating an ongoing awareness of God's presence through a regular rhythm of prayer. The Daily Office, practiced by Jews, early Christians, monks, and many churches throughout history, provides this rhythm.

Key Themes

• The Daily Office as a spiritual anchor: Fixed-hour prayer connects ordinary daily activities with the presence of God, creating a bridge between the mundane and the sacred. - Prayer as practice, not performance: Benson emphasizes that prayer is less about achieving spiritual perfection and more about faithfully showing up. Even when prayer feels dry or difficult, the practice itself is transformative. - Joining the prayer of the wider Church: The Daily Office reminds believers that they pray alongside Christians around the world and across generations, participating in a continuous stream of worship. - The importance of structure: Just as habits shape other areas of life, a regular schedule of prayer helps form a deeper relationship with God and keeps spiritual life from being dependent solely on feelings or circumstances.

Benson's Approach

Rather than presenting a theological treatise, Benson writes in a personal, conversational style. He shares stories from his own struggles and experiences, acknowledging that maintaining a prayer rhythm can be challenging. His goal is to encourage readers to experiment with the Daily Office and discover how it can deepen their spiritual lives.

Takeaway

The book's overall conclusion is that spiritual growth comes not primarily through dramatic experiences but through faithful, repeated practices. By stopping regularly throughout the day to pray, believers can develop a greater awareness of God, find stability amid life's distractions, and participate in an ancient tradition that has sustained Christians for centuries. In one sentence: In Constant Prayer is an invitation to adopt the ancient discipline of fixed-hour prayer so that communion with God becomes woven into the rhythm of everyday life.