Welcome!

Place your mouse over the date in the calender to see the service or event schedule.

A beautiful young woman named Sonia Daly, inspired by her own high school experience, had a dream that one dya, Orthodox Christian children in Boston area would benefit from a strong academic and spiritual education founded in the teaching of the Orthodox Church. Just barely 18 years old, but with enough determination to light the world on fire, Sonia set out to make this dream a reality. She gathered up faithful from around the region and started the Theophany School, which opened its doors to 17 beautiful children in September 1997.

Sonia's dedication to her Church and her unwavering faith are what guided the School as it grew. Sadly, our dear friend Sonia passed away in early 2008 at age 32. We wish to continue her mission by picking up the torch that she carried so faithfully, and to build on her dreams for Theophany School.

To get more information about the school or find out how you can help with this event, please visit our website www.TheophanySchool.org

The teens of the diocese will be attending a Pawtucket Red Sox game on Monday the 30th. Tickets are $10 each. See Tim Markatos or Father Joseph for details.

Do you know why the first day of September marks the beginning of the Church year? We are accustomed to think of January 1st as the beginning of the year. But the tradition of computing the start of a new year with autumn was common to the lands of the Bible and to all the lands around the Mediterranean. The summer harvest was at an end, the crops were stored, and people prepared for a new agricultural cycle. It was an appropriate time to begin a new year.

Many of the hymns for the first day of the Church year state that the coming year is God's to give and God's to bless -- A YEAR OF THE LORD! These hymns take their theme from Psalm 65, a psalm of praise to the Creator Who is awesome as the Holy Lord but who richly sustains the earth with His abundant goodness.

"Bless, O Lord, the crown (that is, the beginning) of the year with Your goodness!"

The goodness of the Lord is His love, mercy and grace, The Church's prayer is that the coming year will be a year of grace, a year blessed by God. Each year can be a year of grace, a year blessed by God. The prayers and hymns of the Orthodox Church not only recite the wonderful works of God in creation and history for our salvation but also frequently offer guidance about how to make each year a year of grace, a year of the Lord.

The service for the new year along with the blessing of water, which traditionally takes place the first of every month, will be on Tuesday (“new year’s eve”) at 7:30 pm.

Your prayers are requested for Metropolitan PHILIP who departed for the Middle East on August 9th to attend the meetings of the Holy Synod of our Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East which are scheduled to be held at Saint Christopher Monastery in Ma'arat Saydnaya (near Damascus) beginning Tuesday.

The theme for the PLC next year (Hyannis, June 17-19) and the Convention (Chicago, July 24-31) as well as the creative festivals is Be mindful, O Lord, of the priesthood, the diaconate and every priestly rank (from the Anaphora of St. Basil the Great). The topic for the Bible Bowl will be the Gospel of Saint Matthew. For more information, check out www.antiochian.org/festivals

Last month the Antiochian Village Bookstore and Gift Shop went “live” with its new online store. The ability to offer this has been made possible in large part by the efforts of Mother Alexandra of the Convent of St. Thekla, and fulfills a vision for our store which has been discussed for the past few years. Through her efforts, and with the help of a parishioner in Johnstown, PA, the store has entered the 21st century. The “brick and mortar” store at the Heritage and Learning Center is being managed and maintained by a retail management software program thus making the launch of the online component possible.

Initially, the online store is offering a wide array of quality Orthodox Christian books as well as many other titles related to spiritual and personal progress. The selections include a broad scope of books for students of the faith at all levels, for families, for children, and more. They also carry select titles of works published by the Archdiocese Department of Publications. In the near future, we will begin adding a variety of gift items including icons, prayer ropes, jewelry, and many other goods.

http://store.antiochianvillage.org

On the Feast of Transfiguration, Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in Crestwood, NY launched a new website, with a fresh, inviting look, more audio and video content. Find the new site at our old address: www.svots.edu, but, be prepared for dramatic, eye-catching changes. When you get to the new site, be sure to explore the Upcoming Events section, which features Orthodox Education Day 2010, "Many Cultures, One Faith," Saturday, October 2nd, with alumnus Archpriest Michael Oleksa from Alaska as our keynote speaker.

Summer isn’t over yet, but we are already gearing up for September. Mark the following in your calendars:

• August 31 - for the Liturgical New Year: Indiction Service & Blessing of Waters, 7:00 pm.
• September 7 - Evening Liturgy for the Nativity of the Theotokos, 6:00 pm.
• September 9 - Akathist for Children (a beautiful way for parents to offer prayers as their children begin a new school year.) Service at 7:00 pm
• September 12 - Meeting after coffee hour to discuss the proposed changes to our constitution.
• September 13 - Evening Liturgy for the Exaltation of the Cross, 7:00pm.
• September 18 - Sonia’s Run (5K) for Theophany School, West Roxbury, 9:00 am: Runners and Volunteers, go to http://soniasrun.org/
• September 19 - First day of Church School, 12:30pm
• September 27 - Annual Parish Meeting, 7:00 pm.
• Plus, weekday Vespers and Matins as announced.
• October 2 - Education Day at St. Vladimir's Seminary: Many Cultures, One Faith
• And coming soon, an evening discussion of The Walk, by Richard Paul Evans (a New York Times bestseller.)