FAITH AND WORSHIP
Our Mission
​
Our parish is a living witness of Jesus Christ, serving the spiritual and physical needs of all people, through worship, outreach, and education.
​
​
Our Vision
Fostering an Orthodox Christian environment that encourages parishioner engagement, increasing public awareness of our faith and of our parish as a spiritual home, and nurturing and growing our stewardship commitments.
Epiphany
On January 6th, The Feast commemorates the Baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity.
Please visit this link to learn more about the Epiphany of our Lord.
Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on March 25th each year. The Feast commemorates the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would become incarnate and enter into this world through her womb.
​
The Feast of the Annunciation in the Greek Orthodox Church also marks a day of national celebration for the people of Greece and those around the world of Greek descent. It was on March 25, 1821 when Greece officially declared its independence and began the revolution that would eventually give the nation its freedom after 400 years of rule by the Ottomans. In addition to the services for the Feast, festivities and parades are held and official proclamations are offered throughout the world in recognition of Greek Independence Day.
Sacraments
​
These sacraments are central to the spiritual life of Orthodox Christians, and each
is accompanied by specific liturgical rites and prayers. The sacraments are seen as
essential means through which believers experience and receive God's grace in
their journey of faith.
​
Phanouropita and
St. Phanourios
The holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr Phanourios is commemorated on August 27th.
St. Phanourios is known for assisting the faithful in revealing lost objects, directing or revealing actions that should be taken, restoring health and similar situations. The saint's name sounds similar to the Greek verb 'phanerono', which means to 'reveal' or 'to disclose'.
When a lost object is discovered, or when prayers reveal what is needed, a symbolic cake called a phanouropita is baked and brought to the church where it is blessed by the priest and then distributed among the parishioners. A Phanouropita (or fanouropita) is a small lenten (vegan) cake that can be baked any day of the week, except on Sunday. It traditionally consists of 7 or 9 ingredients representing the seven Holy Sacraments of the Church or the nine angelic choirs.
​​
Lent
Great Lent marks the forty days leading to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (the 40 days before Holy Week, which is the week when we remember Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
​
To learn more about The Salutations and the Role of the Theotokos in Great Lent, please click here.
Holy Week and Easter
Holy Week begins with the Saturday of Lazarus and includes Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Great Saturday, and concluding with the great and glorious Feast of Easter (Pascha).
Orthodox Easter takes place between April 4th and May 8th, following the first full moon after Passover. In 2024, Easter will be celebrated on May 5th. Orthodox Easter always falls after the Jewish celebration of Passover because, according to the New Testament, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
​
Learn more about the Holy celebrations by clicking here.
​
The Transfiguration of Christ and Blessing of the Grapes
The Transfiguration of Christ is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated annually on August 6th. Traditionally, the harvest season begin on the Transfiguration. The first grapes are brought to the Church for a blessing and are distributed to the parishioners.