Saint Clair, Pennsylvania
We made the front page of our local paper. Our beautification project continues with the restoration of our icon screen and the installation of new iconography in the near future. Glory to God for blessing our church with parishioners who work hard to bring the truth and beauty of Holy Orthodoxy to the community!
We are pleased to announce a menu of homemade food available at our Craft and Hobby Fair on Saturday, February 4th.
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.
On Saturday, January 14, 2023, the faithful of Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church in Saint Clair gathered together to commemorate the Feast Day of the Theophany. Divine Liturgy with Great Blessing of the Water was celebrated by Father Joseph Ramashvili. A parish luncheon and fellowship was held and enjoyed by all who attended.
The faithful families of Saint Mary’s enjoyed the beautiful singing of the Typika service in the absence of having a Priest or Deacon. Many exciting projects in the upcoming year are planned as the church continues to thrive and grow in faith and numbers.
Christ Is Born!
Glorify Him!
St. Mary’s Orthodox Church will be hosting a Craft and Hobby Fair on Saturday, February 4, just in time to buy a one-of-a-kind or handmade gift for your Valentine’s sweetheart. (Sure, the Orthodox calendar commemorates St. Valentine in July, but what are you gonna do?)
The fair runs from 10 AM to 4PM, followed immediately by Vespers (evening service – all are encouraged to attend and give right worship to God).
Admission is free to the general public. Vendors, please see below. Food and drinks will also be available, with proceeds to benefit St. Mary’s.
Throughout the day, we will also be giving tours of our church, with special emphasis on the holy craftmanship of our icons. Learn about how icons are made, why they look the way they do, why we venerate them and the holy persons they represent, and their history back to the earliest days of Christianity.
We are looking for artists, creators, and craftsmen of all types to vend at the fair. Paintings, sculptures, woodwork, ceramics, metalwork, decor, and clothing are just a few examples. Remember that this is also a hobby fair, so games, toys, trains, models, and the like would also be welcome. Please, no merchandise that would cause scandal or insult to the Church.
Tables are six feet long and may be purchased for $40 each. The church hall will be open from 8AM for setup. Please contact us by email or call Mike at (570) 417 5097 to inquire.
As you prepare for Christmas, St. Mary’s is also getting ready for this joyous celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether or not you’ve ever been here before, each of you are invited to join us as we worship and sing praises to our good God who loves mankind.
Our celebrations begin on Wednesday, December 21 at 6 PM when we hold our Akathist to the Theotokos. An akathist is a fancy Greek term meaning “unseated (i.e. standing) hymn” and Theotokos means “Mother of God,” our patroness, St. Mary. This beautiful veneration of the Virgin Mother is an excellent way to prepare for Christmas as it centers our thoughts on the truly important meaning of the holiday, the miraculous incarnation of God in the flesh. This is a short service and is also a good introduction to Orthodox prayer.
Christmas Eve, Saturday December 24 at 4PM is our vespers service. Vespers is an solemn evening service in preparation for the Lord’s Day. Begin your holy evening in our parish as we pray, hymn, and give thanks to God for the birth of His Son.
On Christmas, Sunday December 25 at 9:30 AM, we will celebrate with our Typika service. Typika is a variation of our usual Divine Liturgy served without a priest (St. Mary’s is a small parish and we share priests with other local parishes, so we don’t always have one on hand, but that doesn’t keep us from worship!). Afterwards, join us for fellowship and coffee before you head home to exchange presents.
If you are looking for a place to celebrate Christmas — even if you haven’t been to church in a long time, or have never been there before — God and our parish family would love to welcome you this special time of year and for every day afterward!
Due to the winter storm, we are changing the date of the pierogi sale to Saturday, December 17, 2022.
Saint Mary’s celebrated Divine Liturgy with Father Vjekoslav Jovicic on All Souls Saturday on October 22, 2022. A Panikhida for all the departed souls of Saint Mary’s was held after Divine Liturgy. Father Vjekoslav gave the Blessing before a light lunch was served.
On October 1, St. Mary’s celebrated the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God with Divine Liturgy. This feast commemorates the miraculous intercession of the Virgin Mary during the pagan Rus attack on Constantinople in the 860s AD. The Blessed Mother has interceded for Christians in battle many times before and since then. As Orthodox Christians, we often have recourse to the Theotokos in our battles against foes of both flesh and spirit, remembering what Christ’s word on the cross: “Behold your mother!” (John 19:27).
St. Mary’s celebrated the Exaltation of the Precious Cross with Vespers and Divine Liturgy. After Liturgy, we met for our monthly parish luncheon.
