December

Events Are In Sequence - Please Scroll Down

Christmas Vigil And Dinner

The table is set for the Holy Supper Ritual. This celebration proceeds the Nativity vigil and commemorates the Old Covenant which ends with the birth of Jesus. Unleavened bread is broken and eaten with wine. Also garlic and twelve fasting food ( no meat or dairy) dishes are served.

Each year the Christmas story is read from the gospel of Matthew.

Next the Parishioners sing the Troparion and Kontakion for the Feast of the Nativity.

Father Andrew blesses the wine, bread, and honey.

Unleavened Bread called Oplacki is distributed to all.

After the Holy Supper ritual, the food is blessed and served. This custom originates in Eastern Europe and is shared by both Orthodox and Roman Catholics.

Following the meal, the Vigil of the Nativity is celebrated.

Church School Christmas Presentation

This Sunday, St. Luke Parish held its annual Christmas Presentation. It began with a song from out "Toddler Class of Stars".

Our little drummers (ages 3-5) then entertained us with the "Little Drummer Boy" and "Jingle Bells".

Next up was "Joy to the World" and "O Come Alll Ye Faithful" by our ages 6-9 children.

Our Grades 5 and 6 classes presented a short play entitled "No Room At The Inn".

The last presentation was a short play based on "Where Love Is, There Is God Also" by Leo Tolstoy by our 7th and 8th grade classes.

Our thanks go out to all the children and their teachers for the wonderful Christmas presentation.

Missionary Visit

Floyd Frantz stopped in at St. Luke's on his way back to Romania. He is a OCMC missionary working with the diocese of Cluj establishing substance abuse programs. Fr. Andrew and Floyd were recently teaching a substance abuse educational program at St. Herman's Seminary in Alaska.

New Iconography Installed

The new drapery wall design nears completion. This cloth symbolizes the table cloth of Christ's table at the heavenly supper and the Old Testament temple veil which Christ opens to us, inviting us into the Holy of Holies.

Garden Center Visit For December

Fr. Andrew had a book of stories about St. Nicholas and asked the clients to pick out one for him to read. The story of St. Nicholas and the sea was chosen.

Fr. Andrew passed out gold coins to everyone, imitating how St. Nicholas did this to help the poor.

As always, cookes were enjoyed by all.

New Cabinets Installed

This week our new cabinets were installed. Here ia a photo of the cabinets installed in our conference room.

Here is photo of Father Andrew with the new kitchen cabinets and serving island. This is part of our project to upgrade the fellowship hall. These provide us not only with a new serving area but also give us much needed storage space.

View of the wall cabinets.

Images From Alaska

Father Andrew in Anchorage on his way to Kodiak. Taken from a window in Anchorage airport.

Father Andrew lecturing on Alcoholism and the family at St. Herman's Seminary in Kodiak Alaska. He is one member of the team with Floyd Franz from OCMC.

The team with Floyd Franz. Notice the sun setting. It is about 3 PM in the afternoon. The sunrise is at 9:30 AM.

Group photo of the student body of St. Herman's seminary in front of the Seminary Chapel.

St. Herman's Seminary Chapel. It is a replica of the first Orthodox Church in Kodiak where St. Herman attended the Liturgy. Father Andrew concelebrated the Liturgy on old calendar St. Catherines day

A Visit From St. Nicholas

For this month's children's sermon, Father Andrew read a story about the life of St. Nicholas.

After the story, St. Nicholas paid a visit and gave the children golden chocolate coins.

Father Andrew with St. Nicholas.