St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church, IrvonaNativity of the Theotokos Orthodox Church, Madera
orthodoxclearfield.org • (814) 862-8694 • info@
PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTSTwentieth Week of PentecostOctober 12 – October 18daily Scripture readings
“It is the Christians, O Emperor, who have sought and found the truth, for they acknowledge God…. They show love to their neighbors. They do not do to another what they would not wish to have done to themselves. They speak gently to those who oppress them, and in this way they make them their friends. It has become their passion to do good to their enemies…. This, O Emperor, is the rule of life of the Christians, and this is their manner of life.”
~ Aristides (written around 137AD)
1. UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS
TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke
Saturday, October 17
- NO VESPERS
Sunday, October 18
- Third and Sixth Hours, 9:10am @ Madera
- Obednitsa with Communion, 9:30am (Dn. Mark Oleynik, Celebrant)
- Coffee Hour, following (Tammy S., Sponsor)
- Choir Rehearsal, 11:30am (around)
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius the Notaries, of Constantinople
Saturday, October 24
- Yard Sale set up, 10:00am @ Irvona
- NO VESPERS
Sunday, October 25
- Third and Sixth Hours, 9:10am @ Irvona
- Divine Liturgy, 9:30am (Fr. Edward Hughes, Celebrant)
- Coffee Hour, following (McDonalds., Sponsors)
2. PARISH YARD SALE – If you were in church this morning, you saw that St. Michael’s hall is filled with a plethora of items from the parish house! We will be doing a parish yard sale on November 13th and 14th @ St. Michael’s Hall, with all proceeds from these items going towards the parish fund. See below a schedule for the yard sale:
Sat. 10/24 – Yard sale setup, 10:00am @ St. Michael’s Hall
- Parishioners welcome to purchase a table to set up belongings of their choice to sell for personal yard sale. Additional donations are welcome.
Sun. 10/25 & 11/8 – Parishioners welcome to view and buy existing items. Cost will be donation of their choice.
Fri. 11/13 & Sat. 11/14 – YARD SALE, 8:00am – 3:00pm each day.
- Additional information forthcoming regarding volunteers, cookies, etc.
3. WHAT IS OBEDNITSA? “Obednitsa” is a service that can be celebrated in place of a Divine Liturgy when a priest cannot be present, often called Typika in other places, which we have celebrated in our parish before. It is often led by a deacon, or a lay leader if a deacon is not present. Communion is able to be offered by a pre-consecrated lamb at a previous celebration of the Divine Liturgy (very similar to how the Pre-sanctified liturgies during Great Lent use pre-consecrated lambs). Obednitsa contains many of the same elements of the Divine Liturgy, except for those elements that pertain to the consecration of the lamb itself.
Because communion is being given, regular fasting is still practiced and observed, as normal. We are thankful, even in this way, that we can still gather as a community, celebrate the Lord’s day, and partake of His body and blood.
4. FAMILY SURVEY – Please see the below survey from Kyra Mathewson, the Youth Activities Coordinator for the Archdiocese. Anyone that can fill it out will help the Archdiocese plan appropriate activities for our youth! Thank you!
https://forms.gle/Kw4AZmBnnh4e3V1X6
This survey take 5 minutes or less to complete and will remain open through November 1, 2026.
5. My Life Transfigured – The monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA, has launched a series of new videos, featuring some of the mothers and sisters of the monastery sharing their stories, the joys and challenges of the monastic life, and how they came to be monastics themselves! Mother Christophora, the abbess of the monastery, is featured in this project and her full interview is attached. You can find the other monastics on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/
6. Catechism Classes – Father Mark Meholick will be having online Catechism Classes on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. The classes are through Teams (Microsoft). To get added to the class, email Father Mark at ka3yoi@gmail.com.
7. EVENT: Orpheus Singers on Saturday, October 17th – The parish is invited to attend the first concert of the Orpheus Singers, a chamber choir directed by our own Jacob Mandell, THIS SATURDAY October 17th @ 7:00pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in State College, PA. The concert, titled “A Thousand Beautiful Things”, celebrates the vast array of choral music, from great texts, to vocal jazz, contemporary acapella, to the English Renaissance, World War II France, and much more! Tickets are $15/adults, $10/students, 12 and under are free! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
8. STAY CONNECTED – If you or someone you know would like to meet with Fr. Mark, please call or text the parish number at (814) 862-8694 (you will talk to Vlad S., who will forward your message), email him at frmark@orthodoxclearfield.org, or use the online contact form at orthodoxclearfield.org. If you need to contact Fr. Mark directly, if it be a pastoral emergency, his number is 814-771-5530. Please do not hesitate to reach out or schedule a visit. If illness prevents you from attending church, please let Father know so that he can add you to the parish prayer list and, if needed, arrange to bring the Holy Mysteries to you.