St. Mary e-Newsletter for Friday, October 16, 2020
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
Every Sunday Orthros is at 8:45am, followed by Divine Liturgy at 10:00am. Members of St. Mary’s laity may attend Sunday services in rotation, with appropriate physical distancing throughout the nave. Complying with the Governor’s order, we are permitted 46 people per service (including altar servers, ushers, and chanters). The list of voting members is subdivided into four parts, and members in each part will receive an invitation on a Tuesday afternoon, by telephone or by email, to attend on the following Sunday. When you receive an invitation your response is requested by noon the following Friday.
Please visit our church webpage under “News,” “COVID-19 Safety
Directives and Policies” (https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/news/covid19safety) to review the procedures for attendance.
You will notice that we do not take up a collection, either during the service or via collection trays at the Bengarri. This is in compliance with a directive from the
Archdiocese, intended to limit contact and the touching of surfaces. To make a donation to the church you can mail a check (St. Mary Orthodox Church, 8 Inman St,
Cambridge MA 02139) or donate through eGive: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/assets/files/stewardship/eGive-instructions.pdf
All the Divine Services held in St. Mary’s Church can also be seen live-streamed at www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live or www.facebook.com/stmarycambridge or www.youtube.com/stmarycambridge
Monday–Saturday you can join Morning Prayers on Zoom with James & Brooke Wilcox. They write: “Morning Prayer has now become part of our daily routine, where we are joyfully able to participate with others in the St Mary’s community, including Fr. Antony who has recently come alongside to lead us each morning. And thanks to the power of the internet, and the influence of other participants, we now have people joining us each morning from Chile, Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York City and other portions of Massachusetts as well. We are always happy to add more!”
We run morning prayers for 15 minutes each morning, Monday through Saturday, beginning at 8:45am: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/377381275 password: 28052020
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sound System
We are currently raising $15,000 to replace key elements of our sound system that are breaking and to improve the sound quality both in-person and on the live stream. To make a donation, visit this web page: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/audio-upgrades . Please note: When paying using your bank account, 100% of your donation goes to St. Mary’s. When paying by credit card, you will be asked to pay a 2.6% processing fee in order for St. Mary’s to receive your full donation.
Trisagion Prayers
On Sunday, October 25 Trisagion prayers will be offered for all those departed in October.
Young Adults
For 4 weeks we will be holding a space for a book club/discussion group. Please fill out the second part of the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFZNq3QscxMXBeICYmJEf3TOctcMmh7kA0kFIsx_sllsFUHw/viewform so we can get some input about which book you would like to talk about.
Choir News
Attention Church Musicians! The Department of Sacred Music is offering weekly on-line classes this Fall from 8pm-10pm on a variety of topics. Here’s the schedule for the remainder of October:
· Tuesday, October 20: Pitching from the Priest (VSMI Recording with live chat – Kh. Nancy Hanna Long)
· Tuesday, October 27: What to Sing and Chant while Singing and Chanting
Orthros pt. 2: Troparia after Psalm 50 - The Great Doxology (Live – Fr John El-Massih, Greg Abdalah)
To register, go to https://mailchi.mp/32ad35bc051d/bringing-sacred-music-into-your-living-room-in-4145053?e=%5bUNIQID%5d
Church School
Please email Deno at takles67@yahoo.com if you would like to register your child for church school. It’s not too late! Children who were registered last year have their registration rolled over to this year. We have a full staff who have already begun work. We are grateful to God and the parish for providing just what we need.
Enquirers Class
The St. Ignatius Catechetical Group – Enquirers’ Class began meeting virtually on Monday, September 28 at 7:00pm, over the church’s Zoom account. Enrollment will be open until October 26. The group is for non-Orthodox adults who are interested in exploring the Christian Faith as it has been – and continues to be – understood, preached, and lived by members of the Holy Orthodox Church. Bob Kowalik will be teaching the group. If you would like to participate, please get in touch with Bob: phone 617-889-3436 or r.kowalik@comcast.net. For those seeking to be received into the Orthodox Church, participation in the group and Fr. Antony’s blessing are required.
Orthodoxy 102
Orthodoxy 102 is an adult education class designed for Christians who have spent many years in the Orthodox church, but have never had any formal teaching on the theology and liturgical structure of Eastern Christianity. This is the second year the class is being offered. It will meet weekly to journey through the structure of the Divine Liturgy, while taking an in-depth look at Scripture, the Ecumenical Councils, our iconography, and the meaning and application of Orthodox theology. If you would like more information or want to join, please email drjamesis@gmail.com. The class begins at 7:00pm every Monday on Zoom.
Parish Council Elections
If you are interested in serving on the Parish Council please speak to Mary Winstanley O’Connor or Fr. Antony by November 1. To be eligible to serve you must be a member of St. Mary’s for two years and in good financial standing.
People Helping People
A number of parishioners have made known their desire to help people who need assistance. The church office is keeping a list of volunteers. Call the office if you would like your name added to the list of volunteers. There can’t be too many.
If you know of anyone who needs any sort of help call the church office (617) 547-1234 to make the connection. Remember, many people are ashamed/afraid to ask for help. Keep your eyes and ears open and ask about needs with kind concern.
REFLECTION
The Holy Spirit accomplishes all wonders and miracles. By the same Spirit power is given to one, and to another works of power. You have only to speak with faith, and need have no anxiety as to the fulfillment of the word; the Holy Spirit will care for this.
St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
Prayer is more essential to us, more an integral part of ourselves, than the rhythm of our breathing or the beating of our heart. Without prayer there is no life. Prayer is our nature. As humans we are created for prayer just as we are created to speak and to think. The human animal is best described, not as a logical or tool-making animal or an animal that laughs, but rather as an animal that prays, a eucharistic animal, capable of offering the world back to God in thanksgiving and intercession.
Bishop Kallistos Ware