Diocesan News
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Lackawanna Parish Celebrates Church Slava and Church School Slava of St. Sava
Lackawanna, NY - On Sunday, January 22, His Grace Bishop Mitrophan visited Lackawanna and presided at the annual celebration of the combined temple slava of St. Stephen, and the church school slava of St. Sava. Following the Liturgy the kolach for the St. Stephen slava was blessed in the church. Before the dinner the kolach for the St. Sava slava was blessed in the hall. The annual St. Sava Program followed the dinner.
Shenango River Blessing
Hermitage, PA - A new tradition began in the Pan Orthodox community of the Shenango Valley in Northwest Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 22, 2012 as parishioners from the local Orthodox parishes gathered Sunday afternoon at the Shenango River for a Theophany celebration and the blessing of the Shenango River. The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River in western Pennsylvania. It also briefly flows through small portions of northeastern Ohio.
Among the clergy was also the Serbian Orthodox priest, Fr. Milovan Katanic of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Hermitage who also serves as President of the local Clergy Association of the Shenango Valley. This new tradition in the life of this pan Orthodox community sparked much interest and all the clergy were very pleasantly surprised at the many faithful who came and took part in this celebration.
As Fr. Calinic Berger aptly stated to the news media that were present, "... through Christ's baptism all creation is blessed....He came not just to save man, to save fallen man, to save sinners, but to re sanctify the whole creation. To give it a new genesis--a new descent of the Holy Spirit."
Monongahela River Blessing
Carmichaels, PA - With the archpastoral Blessing of His Grace Bishop Dr. Mitrophan, every year during the celebration of the Feast of Theophany, parishioners and friends of the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania gather on the banks of the banks of the nearby Monongahela River under the Masontown Bridge for the annual river blessing. This year the blessing took place following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, January 22, 2012.
The annual blessing of the Monongahela River is recognition of renewal by Christ identified with His Baptism by John in the River Jordan many centuries ago. The blessings of homes and individuals with holy water at this time of the year are further celebrations of the Feast of Theophany and recognition of the renewal in Christ that spreads throughout the world.
Father Rodney Torbic
 Молебан Светом Кнезу Лазару | |
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On this day, the Church commemorates:
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