Category Archives: Church

In our church

Upcoming Services for the Month of January 2012

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  • Sunday, January 1, Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Father’s day)
  • Friday January 6, Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Day Before Christmas)
  • Friday January 6, Vespers with the blessing of the badnjak at 6 PM (Christmas Eve).
  • Saturday January 7.,Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Nativity of Jesus Christ-Christmas).
  • Sunday January 8. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Synaxis Of The Most Holy Theotokos).
  • Monday, January 9. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM. (St. Stephen, Archdeacon).
  • Saturday, January 14. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM. (Circumcision of Our Lord, St. Basil The Great, New Year).
  • Sunday, January 15. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM.
  • Wednesday, January 18. Holy Liturgy with Blessing of Water at 10 AM (Feast of the Holy Cross).
  • Thursday, January 19. Holy Liturgy with the Great Blessing of Water at 10 AM (Theophany-Epiphany-Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ).
  • Friday, January 20. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Synaxsis of St. John, Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist).
  • Sunday, January 22. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM.
  • Friday, January 27. Liturgy at 10 AM (St. Sava).
  • Sunday, January 29. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (St. Sava celebration)

In our Holy Church Holy Liturgy is served every Sunday and on great feast days (those days are written in red letters in the calendar) beginning at 10 AM.

There is an evening service in our Church every Saturday, during the all fasting periods,starting at 6PM. This is a good opportunity for those preparing for a Holy Communion to have a confession.

Eight Annual Orthodox Men’s Retreat of St. John The Baptist

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With the Blessings and support of our Bishops, and the support of our parishes and parish clergy, Very Reverend Father Taras Krochak, and Reverend Father Timothy Charpko – St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Congregation, Reverend Father Ibrahim Chahoud – Antiochian Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Reverend Father Obrad Filipovic – Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Simeon, Reverend Father Demetrios Rougas – St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Congregation, Very Reverend Father Larry Reinheimer – St. Peter the Aleut OCA Congregation, and Very Reverend Father Michael Lupu – St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Congregation, the Orthodox retreat committee invite you to the seventh annual Orthodox Men’s Retreat of St. John the Baptist – 2010.
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Through you, Parish Priests and Parish Council Presidents, we invite all men of good faith to the fifth annual Orthodox Men’s Retreat of St. John the Baptist, which will be held from April 9-11, 2010 at the Sanctum Retreat Centre, Caroline, Alberta. The fee for this years retreat is $ 200.00 to $ 300.00 per individual, depending on the room (see attached)
The theme of this years retreat will be “How do Orthodox Christians Evangelize?” The quest speaker for this years retreat will be Reverend Father Joseph Huneycutt.

Upcoming Services for the Month of January 2011

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  • Sunday, January 2. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM. St. Ignatios of Antioch
  • Thursday, January 6. Vespers with the blessing of the badnjak at 6 PM (Christmas Eve).
  • Friday, January 7. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Nativity of Jesus Christ-Christmas).
  • Saturday, January 8. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Synaxis Of The Most Holy Theotokos).
  • Sunday, January 9. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM. (St. Stephen, Archdeacon).
  • Friday, January 14. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM. (Circumcision of Our Lord, St. Basil The Great, New Year).
  • Sunday, January 16. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM.
  • Tuesday, January 18. Holy Liturgy with Blessing of Water at 10 AM (Feast of the Holy Cross).
  • Wednesday, January 19. Holy Liturgy with the Great Blessing of Water at 10 AM (Theophany-Epiphany-Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ).
  • Thursday, January 20. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (Synaxsis of St. John, Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist).
  • Sunday, January 23. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM.
  • Thursday, January 27. Liturgy at 10 AM (St. Sava).
  • Sunday, January 30. Holy Liturgy at 10 AM (St. Sava celebration)

In our Holy Church Holy Liturgy is served every Sunday and on great feast days (those days are written in red letters in the calendar) beginning at 10 AM.

There is an evening service in our Church every Saturday starting at 6PM. This is a good opportunity for those preparing for a Holy Communion to have a confession.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

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On Wednesday July 7, 2010 our Holy Church celebrates Nativity of St. John The Baptist. fr. Obrad will serve the Holy Liturgy starting at 10am.

Here is what about this holiday says in Prologue:

Six months before his appearance in Nazareth to the All-holy Virgin Mary, the great archangel of God, Gabriel appeared to Zacharias the high priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. Before he announced the miraculous conception to the unwed virgin [Mary], the archangel announced the miraculous conception to the childless old woman [Elizabeth]. Zacharias did not immediately believe the words of the herald of God and this is why his tongue was tied with dumbness and remained as such until eight days after the birth of John. On that day, the relatives of Zacharias and Elizabeth gathered for the young child’s circumcision and for the sake of giving him a name. When they asked the father what name he wishes to give to his son and being dumb, he wrote on a tablet: “John.” At that moment his tongue became loosed and he began to speak. The home of Zacharias was on the heights between Bethlehem and Hebron. The news of the appearance of the angel of God to Zacharias was spread throughout all of Israel, as well as of his dumbness and the loosening of his tongue at thee moment when he wrote the name “John.” The news concerning this even reached Herod. Therefore, when Herod sent soldiers to slay the children throughout Bethlehem, he directed men to the hilly dwelling place of the family of Zacharias to kill John also. However, Elizabeth promptly hid the child. Enraged, at this King Herod sent his executioners to Zacharias in the Temple to slay him (for it happened that it was Zacharias’ turn again to serve in the Temple of Jerusalem). Zacharias was slain between the court and the temple and his blood coagulated and petrified on the stone pavers and remained a perpetual witness against Herod. Elizabeth hid with the child in a cave where she died soon after. The young child John remained in the wilderness alone under the care of God and God’s angels.

St. Tzar Lazarus of Serbia and All Serbian Martyrs – Vidovdan

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On Monday, June 28, 2010 our Holy Church remembers St. Tzar Lazarus of Serbia and All Serbian Martyrs – Vidovdan.

Lazar was one of the Serbian noblemen who ruled the Serbian empire after the death of Tsar Dushan. After the death of Tsar Urosh, Patriarch Ephrem crowned Lazar as the Serbian king. Lazar sent a delegation to Constantinople with the monk Isaiah to implore the patriarch to lift [remove] the anathema from the Serbian people. He fought against the Turkish powers on several occasions. Finally, he clashed [fought] on the Field of Blackbirds [Kosovo Polje] on June 15, 1389 A.D. against the Turkish Emperor Amurat where he was beheaded. His body was translated and interred in Ravanica, his memorial church [Zaduzbina] near Cuprija and later was translated to Ravanica in Srem and from there, during the Second World War (1942) was translated to Belgrade and placed in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Archangel Michael where it rests today incorrupt and extends comfort and healing to all those who turn to him with prayer. [In 1989, on the occasion of the six-hundred year anniversary of his martyrdom, St. Lazar’s relics were again translated to the monastery of Ravanica in Cuprija]. St. Lazar restored the monasteries of Hilendar [Mt. Athos] and Gornjak. He built Ravanica and Lazarica [in Krusevac] and was a benefactor of the Russian monastery St. Pantaleon [Mt. Athos] as well as many other churches and monasteries.

The Sunday of Holy Pentacost

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[Acts 2:1–11; John 7:37–52; 8:12]

The economy of our salvation is accomplished! The operation of all the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity have now come into effect to accomplish it. What God the Father has willed, the Son of God fulfilled in Himself, and the Holy Spirit has now descended in order to impart it to the faithful. For our salvation is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ (I Pet. 1:2). For this sake we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, obliged, to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19–20). Those who do not confess the Most Holy Trinity cannot participate in the saving action of Its Persons and thus receive salvation. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and undivided, granting us confession of Itself! “O Father Almighty, and Word, and Spirit, one nature united in three Persons, transcendent and extremely divine! Into Thee have we been baptized, and Thee shall we bless throughout all ages.”

(source: St. Theophan The Recluse “Thoughts  for each day of the year”)

Commemoration Day – Saturday May 22, 2010

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Here is what St. Theophan the Recluse teaches us about commemorating prayer:

Nobody is lazy in commemorating his own parents; but it is also necessary to commemorate all Orthodox Christians, and not only on this day, but at all times, in every prayer. We ourselves will be there, and will need this prayer like a poor person needs a piece of bread and a glass of water. Remember that prayer for those who have passed away is strong through its communality, in that it comes from the entire Church. The Church breathes prayer. Just as it is in nature, when during pregnancy a mother breathes and the strength she receives from this breath passes on to the child, so also in the order of grace, the Church breathes a prayer which is shared by all, and the power of the prayer passes on to those who have passed away, held in the bosom of the Church, which is made up of the living and the dead, the militant and the triumphant. Do not be lazy—zealously commemorate all of our departed fathers and brothers whenever you pray. It will be your alms for them.

Fr. Obrad will lead the service beginning at 10am

SAINT BASIL OF OSTROG

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Above entrance to St. Basil Monastery, Bijeljina

Basil was born in Popova, a village in Hercegovina of simple and God-fearing parents. From his youth, he was filled with love for the Church of God and when he reached maturity, he entered to the Monastery of the Dormition (Assumption) of the Birth-giver of God in Trebinje and there received the monastic tonsure. As a monk, he quickly became renown because of his genuine and rare ascetical life. Saint Basil took upon himself mortification upon mortification each one heavier and more difficult than the last. Later, against his will, he was elected and consecrated bishop of Zahumlje and Skenderia. As a hierarch, he first lived in the Monastery Tvrdosh and from there, as a good shepherd, strengthened his flock in the Orthodox Faith, protecting them from the cruelty of the Turks and the cunning ways of the Latins. When Basil was exceedingly pressed by his enemies and, when Tvrdosh was destroyed by the Turks, he moved to Ostrog, where he lived an austere ascetical life, protecting his flock by his ceaseless and fervent prayer.(*) He died peacefully in the Lord in the sixteenth century, leaving behind his incorruptible relics; incorruptible and miracle-working to the present day. The miracles at the grave of St. Basil are without number. Christians and Muslims alike come before his relics and find healing of their most grave illnesses and afflictions. A great people’s assembly (pilgrimage) occurs there annually on the Feast of Pentecost.