Parish trip to Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA – December 2019

Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA
Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA

Witnessing to the fullness of the Faith.

On Sunday December 15th with the Arch-pastoral blessing of Archbishop Mark, our parish family gathered early in the morning for a “field trip” to Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Mechanicsburg, PA.  We organized this excursion to help our parishioners see how a vibrant Orthodox community can grow from a small seed planted by faithful Christians.

Parishioners at Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA

As we arrived at Holy Apostles, we were immediately greeted and welcomed by the parish faithful.  The temple was filled with old and young alike. During the Divine Liturgy the parish rector, Fr. Timothy Hojnicki, Chrismated a baby girl recovering from her first heart surgery.  This was the completion of the emergency baptism performed at the hospital on the day she was born. It was beautiful to see the entire community offer prayers on her behalf!

Chrismation of a baby girl recovering from her first heart surgery at Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Chrismation of a baby girl recovering from her first heart surgery at Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA.

After the Divine Services were completed, our faithful were able to socialize and get to know the wonderful people of Holy Apostles.  We participated in judging a gingerbread house competition with donations helping local charities.

Communion at Holy Apostles Church in Mechanicsburg, PA.

Before we left for home, we met with Fr. Timothy (our Dean) to discuss our plans going forward.  Fr. Tim graciously encouraged us to remain faithful in our attendance of Divine Services, and to grow our presence in the community at large. He also volunteered his time to visit with us in the coming months to help steer our vision and educate our faithful.

On the drive home, we discussed the beauty of the Services and shared some ideas on what we need to strengthen our mission in Schuylkill County.

We would like to thank Fr. Timothy and the entire Holy Apostles community for their hospitality and prayers as we prepare to celebrate our Lord’s Nativity!