On Sunday, January 21st the young adults at Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church assembled Emergency Health Kits comprised of items donated by the faithful of our community over the past month as an act of Christian charity and love to the vicitims of the Haitian earthquake (cf. Matthew 25). In what can only be seen as an act of Divine Providence, Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou (dean of Holy Cross Seminary and guest homilist at our Pan-Orthodox Vespers in the afternoon, as well as father of IOCC Exec. Director Dean Triantafilou) was able to personally deliver six boxes filled with assembled kits to the IOCC headquarters in Baltimore that same evening. Glory to God for all things!

On Sunday, February 21st our community celebrated the Sunday of Orthodoxy with an icon procession and the solemn proclamation (Synodikon) of the 7th Ecumenical Council, declaring icons to be worthy of veneration. At the same Liturgy we welcomed our newest catechumen (lit. one who is receiving instruction) Jonathan Dunnavent. We pray that God will bless, guide, and instruct him, as he makes this first step in uniting Himself to the Body of Christ, and our parish community. 

On Sunday, February 14 (Forgiveness Sunday) a quartet from St. Tikhon Seminary sang the responses at the Divine Liturgy. Our parish looks forward to this annual visit, which generates a concrete connection between our community and the seminary. The choir was directed by our "Sponsored Seminarian" Alexei "Derek" Schmidt, along with seminarians Nikolai Breckenridge, Joshua Coolman, & Patrick Henry. We ask God's blessings upon the administration, faculty, staff, and the students and their families of St. Tikhon Seminary, and look forward to hosting the Mission Choir again next year.

On Sunday, January 31st our Sunday Morning Adult Discussion Group (which meets at 8:30am before the Divine Liturgy - all are welcome!) celebrated their patronal feast day of the Three Holy Hierarchs through the Serbian Orthodox custom of the Slava. Larry Smith and Lydia Mantle represented the group and John Barns made the three breads, each unique like our fathers amongst the Saints, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. Through the prayers of these Holy Saints, we pray that God will continue to bless this study group, as they grow in faith, love, and spiritual understanding!

On Sunday, January 10 parishioner Laura Hadginske was presented (for the second year running) with the FOCA Central PA District "Matushka Ann Prislopsky Scholarship". Laura is a junior at Loyola College in Baltimore, MD studying speech therapy. We ask that God continue to bless Laura in her studies and her spiritual growth.

On Sunday, January 10th, clergy and faithful from the five Orthodox parishes of Greater-Harrisburg gathered at City Island Park for the 2nd Annual Great Blessing of the Susquehanna River. After a procession from the entrance of the park the Pan-Orthodox gathering prayed that the "Lord our God may send down the blessing of Jordan" upon the water. The event culminated when a cross made of "blessed" ice was thrown into the river. (Photos courtesy of Kyrill Burnett and John Constantine)

On Tuesday, January 5th our parish hosted a Holy Supper in anticipation of our celebration of our Lord's Theophany. Later in the evening we were joined by even more faithful from our community at the Great Compline and Great Blessing of Water service. We also blessed icons of St. Stephen made by our Sunday School students. May our Lord, "Who blesses and sanctifies all things" allow this blessed water to be an aid to our salvation and the fulfilling of His Gospel, as we drink it, annoint ourselves with it, and consecrate every aspect of our lives (homes, cars, and our very bodies) through it.

On Sunday, January 3rd our parish was treated to another blessing of the Vasilopita at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, as well as a special presentation by Yelena Ambartsumian about a recent visit by Patriarch Bartholomew to her school (Fordham University). During the visit, he made a point to have an audience with the Orthodox students and give them each a blessing. Yelena presented our parish with a commemorative banner from the event. We are thankful for Yelena's thoughtful gift and her willingness to share her experience with us.

On Thursday, December 31st members of our community gathered for a Vesperal Divine Liturgy to mark the feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord, St. Basil the Great, as well as the Civil New Year. Per our parish custom, the Vasilopita (St. Basils bread) was blessed at the conclusion of the service and distributed during the festive potluck which followed. Leavitt Keener received the blessing (and spiritual responsibility) of the coin in his slice of bread! May God bless Leavitt, and each of us, with everything which is necessary for our salvation in this New Year.