Author: St. Mary's Orthodox Church

Birthright Lenten Charity Project

One of the pillars of Great Lent is almsgiving, and all the ways you give of yourself, your time, your money, and your energy to help others are welcome. However, if you are able, we ask that you contribute to the project that our parish has chosen for special attention. Birthright is a nonprofit group with a branch in nearby Frackville, PA that helps mothers and their babies throughout pregnancy and afterward. Please see the list below, or download it in PDF form. Donations may be brought to the church hall, where they will be delivered after Lent.

The following items are needed:

  1. Diapers –Newborn, Size 1 and 2
  2. Onesies / undershirt – Size 3 – 6 months and 6 – 9 months
  3. Sleepers – Size 3 – 6 months and 6 – 9 months
  4. Baby wash cloths and towels
  5. Baby bath
  6. Baby lotion
  7. Receiving blankets
  8. Bottles / nipples
  9. Used clothes (in fair condition) – up to Size 2.
    No Baby powder or Baby oil!

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

Father Vjekoslav Jovicic, administrator of the Frackville Deanery, kindly offered Presanctified Liturgy to the faithful parishioners of Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church in Saint Clair on March 10, 2023. An inspiring homily for this Great Lenten season was given by Father Vjekoslav at the end of the Liturgy. Everyone was invited to a light Lenten meal after services.

Archbishop Mark visits St. Mary’s

Archbishop Mark made a Hierarchal visit to Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church in Saint Clair on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the second Sunday of Great Lent commemorating Saint Gregory Palamas. Almost the entire faithful of Saint Mary’s attended the service and listened to an inspiring homily by Archbishop Mark. Immediately after Liturgy, a Lenten meal was provided to the faithful.

Eis Poli Eti Despota!

Lenten Prayer Plan

As we prepare for Great Lent, it is important to think about more than just food. Fasting is an important part of our life as Orthodox Christians, but the other two pillars of Prayer and Almsgiving must not be neglected. To help with the latter, our brothers in the American Carpatho-Russian Diocese have assembled a schedule for reading the entirety of the Psalter throughout Great Lent. The Psalms have been an important part of the Church since the very beginning and constitute much of the Divine Services and the Liturgy. This is a great opportunity to grow better acquainted with the Psalms and to start your own tradition of regularly reading the Scriptures.

Lenten-Weekday-Psalms-2023Download

Craft Fair Raffle Baskets

In addition to donating their time and money to make some delicious homemade food for the Craft and Hobby Fair, the wonderful parishioners of St. Mary’s have assembled an assortment of raffle baskets for you. We will have:

  • Lottery Ticket Basket: A variety of scratch-off tickets from the PA Lottery, maybe even a big winner for you!
  • Skook Basket: A taste of Schuylkill County favorites, including Miller’s Hot Bolognas, Yuengling items, and more!
  • Valentine’s Basket: Sweet gifts for your sweet!
    And my personal favorite…
  • Wargaming and Role Playing Game Basket: Two new tabletop wargame books, Stargrave and Gaslands, the Basic Fantasy RPG rulebook and its monster manual, a nice set of dice, a 10-man squad of Mk IV Space Marines, three multipose Lizardmen, five multipose Halflings (all in 28mm scale), a wooden ‘dungeon’ wall box to display them, plus Gaslands templates, and some 3D printed terrain for both games.
Tabletop role playing and wargames gift basket

On top of that, we will have seven local vendors selling everything from jewelry and clothing to woodcraft, books, and games. Plus the aforementioned homemade halushki, barbecue, hot dogs, and baked goods! There is something for everybody here, so bring the whole family!

And don’t forget to ask for a tour of our beautiful church, including our icons and restored iconostasis, and to learn more about Orthodox Christianity. When the craft fair is over, join us in praising and giving thanksgiving to God at evening Vespers, starting at 4PM.

Iconostasis Restoration

Our church beautification efforts have been featured on WFMZ TV news.

Here are some up close pictures of Mr. Jobrey’s work restoring the iconostasis.

The parishioners have made great efforts beautifying St. Mary’s over the last several years and are continuing to do so. Next up are a new set of icons for the back wall. Why not visit us for Vespers or Divine Liturgy and see for yourself how, more than 120 years later, our parish is still steadfast in its mission to give glory to God for all things! Our parish is growing and we would love for you to join us.

If you would like to help fund further beautification and our missionary efforts, please visit our Craft and Hobby Fair on February 4th! We will have homemade food, merchandise from great local vendors, and prize baskets.

Food for the Craft and Hobby Fair

We are pleased to announce a menu of homemade food available at our Craft and Hobby Fair on Saturday, February 4th.

  • Halushki
  • Barbecue sandwiches
  • Hot dogs
  • Baked goods
  • Coffee, Water, and other Beverages
  • Homemade Pierogies (frozen)

We will also be raffling off several themed gift baskets, with more info to be provided presently.

Prices are TBA. All food and gift basket proceeds will benefit St. Mary’s Orthodox Church.