THEOPHANY services coming up!

Fast free season continues until and including Wed. Jan. 4th. 

Thurs. January 5th 


Complete fast from mid-day in preparation for communion


7 pm --- Vesperal liturgy and blessing of water
                                           FESTAL meal (all foods allowed)

Sun. January 8th   


Matins, Liturgy and lunch as usual

followed by BLESSING OF THE FRASER RIVER at Derby Reach Park 

Farleys Open House CANCELLED Fri. Dec 30th

Open House Friday 30th CANCELLED

Folks, due to stomach flu at our place, we are sadly going to 




have to CANCEL


our planned open house this Friday Dec. 30th. 


Please pass the word to anyone you know who might have 


intended to be there,


especially those who aren't online.

Meals for the Family P.

Robyn B

BABY P IS HERE!!!!!!

So, mommy, daddy and Zeke need some meals! I will be taking them some food tomorrow, but I need some more volunteers for a couple of weeks...

Please e-mail me at smallbyrd@gmail.com or call/text me at 604-897-8847 as soon as possible to let me know what days you are available. E-mail would be better for me since I can't have my cell phone with me at work, but I can respond to e-mails. I will, however, check my cell occasionally on my breaks.

Thanks in advance!!

Robyn

CHRISTMAS at St. Herman's-- NOTE special times!

Wed. Dec. 21 7 pm:   Vespers and CONFESSIONS. 

Sat. Dec. 24   6PM   CHRISTMAS EVE VIGIL: 

** Note: if you have not yet made your Advent confession and cannot come Wednesday Dec. 21 after vespers, please arrange to see Fr. Lawrence before Christmas Eve vigil on Saturday night.

If there is no other alternative, Fr. Lawrence will hear confessions after the Christmas Eve vigil but not on Christmas morning before liturgy.

Sun. Dec. 25  9 AM  CHRISTMAS DIVINE LITURGY


NO coffee hour after liturgy at church, but see Eileen if you want to pop by a Christmas brunch with fellow members in Langley, or Rhiannon for the same in Surrey.

Fri. Dec. 30th  1PM to lateish in the evening..... Fr. Lawrence & I want to invite all of you to drop by our Open House.

Prayers and Christmas wishes to those who must travel out of town to visit family at this time. See the rest of you at church!

St. Herman's North Star Post Office is OPEN!

BRING YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS TO CHURCH! 

• Address clearly to your fellow members
• place in the post box in the library
• they will be sorted for delivery by me, and delivered at coffee hour with help from anyone willing
• I originally said the delivery would be Sunday the 18th, but so far there are no cards! So I'm thinking the delivery will be Christmas eve and Christmas day. 
• Any donations you would like to make can just be put in the box along with the cards. This will go to the building funds. Donation is not necessary to have your cards delivered. 

Blog problems

I'm trying to get Fr. Richard signed up with permissions/author status, but he isn't receiving the e-mail from Blogger. And now all the other authors have vanished from the settings page (behind the scenes, as it were).

I've posted a question on the blogger forums, but meanwhile if you are an author, will you try to sign in to the blog and let me know in the comments on this post if you are able to get access or not?

lost keys found

Hi,

We found a set of keys at church on sunday, two different car brands are represented on the key ring. we have them at the church. respond here or contact me (David) or...someone else, and they will be at church this sunday or you can pick them up from me.

Old Apples and Mr. Prepared

Update: I think I'm all set! Thanks very much to everyone who offered or contributed.

Hey, you know that closet full of bottles you keep meaning to take to recycling depot but just can't seem to find time for? Guess what! I can help! That is, maybe we can help each other. I've recently racked off some cider I made and I'm beginning to realize that I'm going to need more bottles than the measly pile I've collected in my pantry. If you have some bottles you're looking to get rid of I would gladly trade a few pints of cider for your bottles. I'm looking for around forty 355ish mL bottles. If we can do business give me a call!

Yours,

Andrew Seraphim

Ps. As mead nears completion I'll also be begging for wine bottles...

Anyone want a Christmas card post office at church?

graphic from this site:

http://oholy.net/stherman/FollowingNoStar.html

Who will help me, said the Little Red Hen? :-)

An idea I've had for a long time-- not primarily for a fundraiser, but it may make a little on the side. 

The last few years at Christmas we have tried to use the hall as a post office for member to member cards. The parish has grown so much that this is unwieldy, and we do end up with a lot of cards that never get picked up.

SO, this December I propose we open the "North Star Post Office" (name from the St. Herman tropar we sing after vespers) on, say, the first Sunday in December. 

We will need:

Crafty folk who can make a mailbox (and donation box) and a sign for the library window. We encourage folks to drop their cards for fellow members in the mailbox, and gladly accept any donations great or small. 

Volunteers to deliver the mail at coffee hour on the Sunday before Christmas, as well as any that get left over to the following weekend (Christmas Eve and Day) because the addressees were absent the first weekend.

I will personally commit to sorting and rubber-banding the cards on Sat. Dec. 17th, when I will be at the church for choir practice anyway. 

I always felt this could be a nice fundraiser/awareness stunt for camp if kids were to do the delivery. But it could also be for the building fund or Diakonia.

So-- who's in? The more volunteers to deliver, the quicker we can share them out by alphabetical order and hopefully get them all delivered before people leave for the day.

And I am all thumbs, so there is a BIG need for someone with the talent to make a presentable mailbox.

Women’s Annual

Advent Quiet Day

Saturday, December 3

at 11:30 AM

at Theresia's house in the country.

Akathist at 12:00 noon

followed by lunch.

Please car-pool, bring some Lenten Food (fish allowed) to share, bring your craft supplies, take a walk,and RELAX.

Pick up a handout with directions at church

Group Voice Coaching

Hello St. Hermans! I have been asked by a couple of folks who are already doing voice lessons with me if I would do some group voice coaching, and I have been encouraged by our fearless choir leader, Rd. Gregory, to do this for the benefit of our choir and church.

Why would you want to join us? here are a few great reasons to come to a voice coaching with me.

1. Learning. You will learn technical vocal skills which are applicable to any situation including reading aloud in church, chanting the psalms, or singing in choir. we will focus on skills required for individuals, such as breathing techniques and tone production, as well as technical details regarding choral singing such as listening. I will also teach a short segment on conducting gesture for those who are learning to lead choir, and for those who are learning to follow the director.

2. Economical The fee for this two hour session will be $20 per person, which is 1/4 the rate of a private lesson, and if you ask nicely I will bring us a snack for the break time, probably egg nog and coffee because it's good for your vocal chords.

 3. Personal growth/fun Singing is an intensely vulnerable act, and learning some technique will give you more confidence which will enable you to sing better, which will serve our community and our God. I will give you tools that will give you confidence, even by acknowledging the difficulty of singing in front of others, we can grow together and trust each other a bit more and incrementally improve our individual and group sound.

 I will be offering this at my house, where I have two pianos, and a coffee grinder, likely on a saturday afternoon that we do not have choir practice.

 NOTE: this is OPEN to ANYONE in the church, if you want to learn how to sing, want to join the choir, or are a reader and want some tips on vocal production and projection. Also, we need at least six people for this to happen, and a maximum of twelve so each person can have enough specific attention to make it worthwhile.

 I am thinking Nov 19 or 26, between 1:30 and 3:30 (which of course will preclude eggnog, as it is fasting time, though coffee will still be available)

 Also, if anyone else is interested in Private Voice Lessons, feel free to talk to me at church, though I think the best introduction and sample would be this group coaching. If you have any questions or suggestions, email me or leave a comment here.


And for those who wonder why I should be leading something like this, I have a BA in Voice and am almost finished my B.Ed in choral music.

David Pasivirta

the visit

More furniture to give away

ANOTHER update from Wendy Thurs Oct.27: 

I thought this was going with the apartment but apparently not.  It is an absolutely beautiful, custom-made magogany (my guess, at least that's what it looks like) 3 piece unit; when you the doors you can put in a large TV.  It is probably 7 or so feet high and 6 feet wide.
 I have a teacher friend coming tonight to look at it but would love for St. Hermanites to get it!-- Wendy M


(Ed. note from MatD  : it looks to me  by these proportions that it is actually at least 8 feet wide, not 6. Also, I believe one or both of the desks are now spoken for as well)

UPDATE: Wendy says the carpets, the sideboard and the lamps are now spoken for. 


There is also an older but working fridge to be given away. 


Wendy M. sends these pics. She needs the furnishings gone asap. She also has a number of smaller household items, so if you are in want of anything, give her a shout.

These furnishings are of very good quality, and if you need them they are yours; if you are able to give an offering of gratitude, large or small, please make it to either Diakonia or to the building fund. Possibly some of the smaller items can be saved to be sold at a parish fundraising fleamarket next year; if you are able to store any items for such, please let Kai know.

Contact Wendy via her number in the parish directory.

Episcopal visit & reader tonsuring with Bp. Irenee this Sunday Oct. 23rd

Don't forget to bring some monastic-friendly dishes for his Grace Bp. Irenee this Sunday, as he does not of course eat any meat. Fish, cheese and eggs are fine.

 Vl. Irenee prefers to serve very simply, especially with the heavy schedule and health challenges he has had while serving as our Archdiocesan episcopal administrator this past year. He only arrives at YVR after 10 pm Saturday night, and I believe the current plan is for him to vest quietly in the altar during matins, which begins as usual at 9:30. This is followed by something less than full hierarchical liturgy, but including the tonsuring of our own Gabe F. as reader.  (However, there will be a little of the hierarchical music sung at some point.)

Please pray for Vl. Irenee as he travels and for Gabe as he prepares for tonsuring to this ministry in the church.

Memory Eternal to the Igumen Symeon (Edward) Weare of Kamloops

We have just had word of Fr. Symeon's repose. Some of the older members of our parish will remember him-- long, long ago there was a youth group pilgrimage to the interior to visit his small monastic home. He was a monk in the Anglican church for many years and was received into Orthodoxy and if I recall correctly tonsured immediately after by Bishop Seraphim at Holy Resurrection Church Vancouver; Father Lawrence was his sponsor. Gareth and Arlee H of course have been in closer touch with him than anyone else, I believe both before and after their sojourn here in the lower mainland. I have no information about the funeral as yet, but we will of course do a trisagion at Wednesday vespers.

Free Furniture

Say the Havelings:




We're trying to find new homes for three bookcases.  


They are in good condition, each with six moveable shelves. 6ftx3ftx1ft. 


Mahogany laminate finish. Anyone who wants one can just come and take 'em. 


Sooner is better. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


And here at Chez Farley we also have furniture to give away-- in our case, a country style 


kitchen-dining table and four Windsor style chairs.  


Birch top and seats, white legs. There is a leaf, with the leaf in the table can seat six. 


The white paint is pretty banged up, so if you fancy fixing it up or don't mind it being like 


that, it's yours if you can take it away. 

Diakonia

I am pointing...to the right of the screen and see...nothing. Seems at least to my computer that things have changed a bit on our blog! So, I am now pointing up, to the Diakonia tab...if you press that you will then see what I am pointing to on the right...the Diakonia blog! And if you pop over there, you will see what was just written.

Eastern Valley Orthodox Open House!

Hey folks! for those of you who are planning on making the trek out to chez Jordan, we've got a handy little potluck sign up sheet for you to assign yourself a dish.  This way we don't end up with 14 bags of chips for dinner.  It's pretty easy to follow.  If it's complicated and you can't make heads or tails of it, just shoot me an email -victoriarosejordan(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll add your item to the list myself.

 Potluck Sign Up Sheet!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15gCrRKj9UgfjEFwXiBc1h_oTdX3jBU4TsxaFAWE4wgc/edit?hl=en_US

Pascha 2011

Ryder Lake 2011

sweet child o mine

Labour Day BBQ

Hey Folks! BBQ Time! Its at our house (David, Laurenn and Zeke and baby2 Pasivirta) , we live in the trailer at the church. Fr. Lawrence will bless our house at 3:30, so the party starts at 3. Bring your own meat and beverages, we will provide salads of sorts. Bring your friends, your lawnchairs and your frisbee, we have a large lawn. -the Famille Pasivirta OH! Zane pointed out that I forgot what day it was happening. today! labour day, monday, september 5. sorry about that lack of detail.

Starting September at St. Herman's!

We have begun the Church New Year!

This Sunday after liturgy, we will be blessing all students and teachers, including homelearners.

Next Wednesday, Sept. 7th, 7 pm there will be a

Vesperal Liturgy for the Nativity of the Theotokos

Please fast from noon before receiving communion, and bring FESTAL foods to share after the service.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

also, the September Calendar is available at church now; the bulletin will be available this weekend as well.

and, heads up, it will soon be time to update our parish directory.


See you at church!

Aug. 7-15th Busy Summer week at St. Herman's!

DON'T FORGET these dates! Calendars are available at church, along with the August news bulletin.

TUES. Aug. 9th  7 pm.     Akathist to St. Herman This is our patron saint's feast day!

FRI. Aug. 12th   7 pm. Men's night at Zane's (Aldergrove)  AND Women's sewing group at Melissa's in Brookswood (Langley)

SAT. Aug. 13th 10 am  DIAKONIA card-making bee for anyone interested. You don't have to know how-- just show up and be willing to work! Cards will be sold to benefit Doctors without Border.

then the usual 7 pm vespers,

and

SUN. Aug. 14th  9:30/ 10 am Matins/liturgy as usual

last day of Dormition fast

**NOTE:  please only bring strictly Lenten foods to share at lunch after liturgy this week. Not everyone is able to keep the fasting rules strictly at home, but please during the fast no meat, cheese, fish or dairy at church lunches.

MON. Aug. 15th 7 pm Dormition Vesperal Liturgy. Total fast from mid-day before receiving communion tonight. FESTAL meal afterward, all kinds of food permitted.

This week at St. Herman's Transfiguration liturgy 9 AM Saturday

TODAY the Dormition fast begins, and runs to Sunday Aug. 14th inclusive.

TRANSFIGURATION liturgy 

will be served 

SATURDAY AUG. 6th 

at 9AM (note early time!)

FISH is permitted at the meal afterward.

Please note that the meal Sunday Aug. 7th will be strictly Lenten foods only-- no meat, dairy or fish with backbone (shellfish & seafood permitted.)

urgent moving help needed tomorrow AM

Says Mike: We only have a moving truck from 


7am until noon, so there's no reason anyone needs to miss the bbq!

• Michael LaRoy needs help!
  
  I know most of the gang is probably heading to the BBQ at the Lerches in Chilliwack at 1 PM, but if you can possibly give Mike any assistance, he is moving from his current Vancouver location to another Vancouver location. 
  
  Says Mike: We only have a moving truck from 7am until noon, so there's no reason anyone needs to miss the bbq!
  
  so please FB him or give him a call if you can help!

SPECIAL this week-- VESPERS will be held at Kai & Theresia's at the BBQ!

NO 6:30 PM VESPERS AT THE CHURCH THIS SATURDAY! 

Last year, we talked about having vespers -at- the annual BBQ at Kai & Theresia's on the mountain in Chilliwack-- since more of the parish, and guests, were there than were able to get back to the church in Langley for vespers.

This year, we FORGOT about that idea till just now!  And so it did not get into the July calendar and bulletin. SO you are hearing it here!

Saturday July 30th 

ANNUAL RYDER LAKE BBQ 

at Kai & Theresia's

starting at 1 PM 

VESPERS at the BBQ at 6:30 PM 

SEE YOU ALL THERE!!!!

Diakonia Fundraiser

Diakonia invites all who would wish to participate, to come to the first of many card making gatherings at St. Herman's on August 13. The time of the event will be confirmed in a few days. The cards made will be for the benefit of Doctors Without Borders who are currently on the ground in the refugee camp in Kenya which swells with 1000 new daily arrivals. We also invite you to view the Diakonia blog...pointing to the right...there it is! All news about the famine, about the relief efforts, about our own cup of water given in the name of the Lord, can be found there.

Summer has finally arrived here in the Lower Mainland and we begin to think of Christmas. Christmas cards made in love and sold for the benefit of those who thirst.

a weekend in fort langley

The W's are wanting to head to the Okanagan this Friday night but, Echo the husky is not invited.  He is easy going, super friendly and would like a companion.  You can have a little mini get away in the heart of Fort Langley.  Good walking trails.  A great bookstore/ coffee shop.  Lots of good people watching on the weekend.  Or you can rest on the chaise lounges.   Email Ramona for more info.

Remember in Prayer

For those of you know know Mark Northey, his brother (who also happens to be my cousin's husband) had a motorcycle accident a couple weeks ago.  He is alive - thank God! - but had some serious damage done to his knee.  Mark has informed me that his brother (Dave) had surgery last week and is on the road to recovery.

If I might ask my church family to remember Dave and Christina in your prayers as they work together towards Dave's recovery and rehabilitation.

Many thanks,
little macrina

Orthodox Ecumenism

From Father Lawrence:

Orthodox Ecumenism

             Recently an Anglican friend of mine was speaking with me about the possibility of opening a west coast chapter of the Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius, an Anglican-Orthodox group, and this started me thinking about our Orthodox involvement in Christian ecumenism.  Orthodox have been involved in this work of witness since the beginning of what would become the World Council of Churches in the 1920s.  It has always been a delicate balancing act for us Orthodox, balancing our desire to cooperate with our Christian brethren, and our commitment to the truth that Orthodoxy is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church confessed in the Creed.  In this ongoing ecumenical work, we have many partners and friends.

            Perhaps our closest friends are in the Coptic, Armenian and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches—the so-called “non-Chalcedonians”, who accept the first three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea, Constantinople and Ephesus, but reject the Council of Chalcedon, asserting that it is Nestorian (an assertion we Orthodox reject).  Theologians from all our churches have recently reached agreements about Christology (the original cause of the schism in the fifth century), but other problems remain.  Despite tremendous good will between (for example) Copts and Orthodox such as the O.C.A., we remain out of communion, so that Orthodox may not partake of Communion in Coptic churches.  This, however, does not hinder a warm fellowship between us.

            Next come our Roman Catholic friends, and the Orthodox maintain a warm but unofficial dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.  Virtual agreement has been reached about the historically-contentious filioque clause of the western Nicene Creed (basically, they have now agreed with us), but the problem of the papal primacy remains the largest stumbling block.  As long as the Bishop of Rome continues to insist on the right of universal ordinary jurisdiction throughout the world (i.e. the right of governing every single episcopal see), no real further progress is possible toward sacramental communion.  As with our Coptic friends, we remain out of communion with them until this is resolved.

            Our Protestant friendships are also important, especially our long-standing and warm relationship with the Anglican Communion.  The Anglican insistence upon ordaining women and their current decisions to bless same-sex marriage have chilled these historic relations considerably.  Our dialogue with Anglicans especially is made problematic by the current de facto schisms in that Communion.  As Anglicans themselves continue to sort out what they believe, Orthodox will respond accordingly.

            What can we at St. Herman’s do in the meanwhile?  First of all, we can pray for our Christian brothers and sisters, that all who love Christ our God will be united in the truth (i.e. in the fullness of the Orthodox Faith).  Also, we can continue to talk with them, and work together in whatever social causes we can.  Finally, we must be patient, and not jump ahead of where we are.  Former attempts at prematurely establishing inter-communion (such as promoted by the Orthodox Sergius Bulgakov) did not bear fruit, and were in retrospect seen to do more harm than good.  Perhaps the difficulties of persecution, when it comes, will do more than previous ecumenical strivings.

Furniture available from Wendy

10 foot by 10 foot couch.  It is in three pieces, two 7 foot long pieces joined by a corner piece, making it L-shaped.  I also included a close-up of the fabric; it's basically beige with blue squares.  It was just recovered a year or so ago so it is in perfect condition but too big for where my Mum is moving.


Thanks for putting it out there; she is prepared to give it away.  Wendy M.

Here is a picture of a large green chair, in a kind of velvety material; it is at least 3 feet across the front. There are two identical chairs (altogether) like this one.  

There is also a dining room table, which may be hard to see but it is mahogany coloured and includes two captain chairs with blue vinyl coverings.  (Mum gave away the other chairs because she wanted a change.)

Hope these can help someone out there! Thanks for your help,

Wendy

Annual Ryder Lake BBQ

just a reminder that this is coming up on the 

last Saturday in July-- July 30th. 

at the Lerches', 

1 pm till 6 pm or so

more details on the poster at church. 

car mechanic wanted

Hello All,
After a long drive across the continent, our car needs a little tender loving care (and a safety inspection) from a good car mechanic. We are wondering if you might be able to recommend a good and affordable car mechanic somewhere in the Lower Mainland (preferrably in Vancouver).
Thanks for your help,
P&B

Apostles' Feast vesperal liturgy Tues. June 28th

Fr. Lawrence has returned from vacation-- many thanks to the deacons and everyone else who kept the services going these past ten days!

Tomorrow  

Tuesday June 28th  

we serve 

VESPERAL LITURGY at 7 PM 

in honour of the Apostles Peter and Paul

The meal afterward will  have FISH PERMITTED but not meat or dairy, as the feast itself falls on the regular Wednesday fasting day.

ps later this week we have been invited to join St. John of Shanghai parish at their Canada Day picnic on Friday July 1st. Unfortunately Fr. Lawrence & I cannot go, but Fr. Lawrence will be serving Saturday morning for their parish feast day, as Fr. Justin is on vacation. For more details of both the Friday picnic and Saturday service go to the St. John's website. 

Trailer Available for Rent

Short note from Parish Council:

The trailer will be available to rent as early as July 1st. The rent is $700 per month plus utilities and plus maintenance of the church grounds.

If you are interested in renting the trailer please contact Sid Ketel.

Thanks!

CHANGE in June service schedule

Due to circumstances beyond our control,
WEDNESDAY VESPERS services WILL NOT  be served 
during Fr. Lawrence's vacation June 14th-27th.


Saturday vespers on the 18th and 25th WILL  be led by the deacons or readers.

In case of pastoral need during Fr. Lawrence's vacation, please contact Dn. Gregory or Dn. Kurt. If you should need a priest, they will arrange it.

Blessed feast of Pentecost to you all, and see you when we get back! --Mat Donna.

This coming week at St. Herman's June 2011

PENTECOST this weekend!

Don't forget that on Sunday after lunch at 1PM 
there will be the service of KNEELING VESPERS


ALSO, Please try to get your confession in this Saturday at vespers, as
Fr. Lawrence will be leaving on vacation the following week

and will not return until the vesperal liturgy Tuesday June 28th on the eve of feast of the Apostles

While Fr. Lawrence is away, in case of pastoral need, please contact one of our deacons. If you need a priest, they will arrange it.  

More Wedding Celebration!

For all of those who did not

1) get the Facebook invite
2) get the St. Herman's calendar
3) get a face-to-face invitation

I will be hosing a post-wedding Bridal Shower for Lisa Steenburgh (formerly known as Nalos) on Sunday, June 5 @ 1:00 pm Chez Hall.  There will be some snacks and games and a grand ol' welcome for our new extended family member!!

Anyone interested in helping setup is welcome to join me IMMEDIATELY after church (I may even feed you!).  RSVP by email: savoirwhy [at] gmail [dot] com.

Hope to see you there!

This coming week at St. Herman's

Just a reminder of

1. Healing service after liturgy this Sunday
2. Ascension Eve, Wed. June 1 is a fast day. However, we will serve VESPERAL LITURGY Wed. evening, followed by a FESTAL meal (all foods allowed.) Therefore, please eat fasting foods before noon on Wed., and abstain from all food after your noon meal before receiving communion.
3. Friday June 3rd is also a fast day, as are the Wed. & Fri. of the week following. More fasting details and other items for June will be posted in the bulletin next Sunday; till then, the Google calendar to the left and the hard copy calendar at church this weekend will provide some information. 

 

Welcome Daniel Pryadko!

Andriy and Hannah Pryadko joyfully welcomed their new son, Daniel, born in the early hour of the morning May 20. 

They are joined by Makariy, Patrick, Lydia and Matushka Ana, and everyone is happy to see the new little addition.

Both mom and baby are doing well, though quite tired!  She did have enough fortitude, though, to text me first thing this morning with the update.

St.Arseny Orthodox Camp 2010

pascha 2011

Heading Home

After an absence of almost five years (we had hoped it would be no more than two), Phil & I are set to return home at the end of the month. We will be very happy to introduce you to the two gorgeous additions to our family, as well as to catch up with old friends and meet all the new ones!

We look forward to the opportunity to live near our Church home and dear dear friends, and we are also hoping that locating ourselves there will enable Phil to continue on in his studies and contribute more fully to the life of the Church in B.C. (Let it be known that he is not intending to start another mission. He is happily just a "lay guy.")

Our move back to B.C. is taken as somewhat a leap of faith, since as of yet we have no employment secured and do not know where we will live. For this reason, I am posting this news here, hoping that perhaps some of you may be able to help ease our transition from New York to B.C.

Phil and I are both looking for work. Phil has many years experience working with developmentally disabled adults and is primarily looking for work in that field, but if other job opportunities arise he is open to considering them as well. I have experience teaching ESL and coordinating ESL programs for immigrants and would like to continue doing so, hopefully part-time.

We are also looking for a home. It will come as no surprise to those who know us that we would like this home to be both close to church and close to friends (close to work is not bad either...). We are wondering if anyone might know of housing possibilities that might suit a family of 4, or perhaps if any of you have suites you would like to rent out.

In addition, if we cannot secure housing before our arrival, we may also be in need of a temporary home. I will be arriving with the girls ahead of Phil, who will be driving out with our stuff. He should be arriving no later than June 10 (but hopefully sooner!).

If you have information you would like to pass on, please speak to Angelina or Br. Cyp to obtain our contact information.

Most of all, please keep us in your prayers, as we prepare for this move while juggling two girls and the end-of-semester crunch.

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Biss

Anointing Service after Liturgy Sunday May 29

From the days of the apostles, the Church has always asked the Lord to heal its sick, anointing them with oil and laying hands on them with prayer, even as St. James directs in James 5.  The Lord never fails to respond to the prayer of faith, bringing His power upon those who humbly seek Him, whether for the healing of physical or spiritual ills.

Following the directions St. James gives (which presuppose a many presbyters in the local church), the Church’s service books envision seven presbyters gathering together for this service.  Now that the Church (with its presbyters) is more spread out, it is not always possible for seven presbyters to gather together for this service, and the service books recognize this also, allowing the rite to be used by a single presbyter (the norm in most parishes), in an abbreviated rite. 

St. Herman’s (with its single presbyter) will follow this pattern.  At the conclusion of Liturgy on May 29, immediately before the final blessing and dismissal, Fr. Lawrence will offer the customary prayers for the blessing of holy oil and then will lay hands on and anoint any who come forward for prayer.

The Anointing Service can be served anytime.  Recently it has become customary to have the service on Holy Wednesday, where it (sadly) functions as a kind of substitute for sacramental confession.  The typikon knows nothing of this custom, which must be considered a liturgical aberration, especially since it interrupts the flow and progress of the Holy Week services, in which we journey with our Lord from Palm Sunday to the Cross.  (It is for this reason that Archbishop Seraphim once directed his clergy not to serve the Anointing Service on Holy Wednesday, but at other times.) 

We will serve the Anointing Service several times during the Church year.  We serve it now in response to the request of Bishop Irenee, who has discerned a need for healing in the parishes of the archdiocese at this time.

Tiffany's shower info reposted to the top-- this coming Sunday!

Let the Showers Begin!

Ladies of St. Herman's and affiliates, hear ye, hear ye!
Pull out your calendars and mark the date: We have planned a Bridal Shower for Tiffany Wolters and would like to invite you to come and celebrate!

(click picture to embiggen)

Questions?  Feel free to email Macrina Hall or Sofia (aka Kristy) Duran for more info.

Hope to see you there!

palm sunday 2011

HOLY WEEK SERVICES

 These are also listed in the Google calendar in the sidebar. 

Unless otherwise noted, 

Mon- Fri evening services begin at 7PM

** special note: NEW this year 5PM Holy Thursday Vesperal Liturgy   

There will only be a SHORT meal break between this liturgy and the Gospel Service at 7 pm, so please: 

• fast from noon before receiving communion 
• bring ONLY food that is READY TO EAT and requires no cleanup-- such as peanut butter sandwiches 

We will endeavour to keep this meal quiet and reflective, by listening in silence to readings as we eat. 

Mon. Apr. 18	7 pm Bridegroom Matins
Tues. Apr. 19	7 pm Bridegroom Matins
Wed. Apr. 20	7 pm PreSanc Lit. & meal
Thurs. Apr. 21* note Liturgy new this year	**5:00 pm St. Basil Lit & meal        7 pm 12 Gospels
Fri. Apr. 22	7 pm Shroud Veneration & Overnight Vigil
Sat. Apr. 23	9 AM St. Basil Liturgy    10 PM Baptism 11:30 PM PASCHA
Sun. Apr. 24 PASCHA	NO morning service 4 pm Paschal Vespers          & parish BBQ

Sun. 9:30 Matins & Liturgy	Palm Sunday Fish allowed
Mon. Apr. 18	Bridegroom Matins
Tues. Apr. 19	Bridegroom Matins
Wed. Apr. 20	PreSanct. Liturgy & meal
Thurs. Apr. 21* note Liturgy new this year	**5:00 pm St. Basil Lit & meal        7 pm 12 Gospels
Fri. Apr. 22	Shroud Veneration & Overnight Vigil
Sat. Apr. 23	9 AM St. Basil Liturgy    10 PM Baptism 11:30 PM PASCHA
Sun. Apr. 24 PASCHA	NO morning service 4 pm Paschal Vespers          & parish BBQ

Sun. 9:30 Matins & Liturgy	Palm Sunday Fish allowed
Mon. Apr. 18	Bridegroom Matins
Tues. Apr. 19	Bridegroom Matins
Wed. Apr. 20	PreSanct. Liturgy & meal
Thurs. Apr. 21* note Liturgy new this year	**5:00 pm St. Basil Lit & meal        7 pm 12 Gospels
Fri. Apr. 22	Shroud Veneration & Overnight Vigil
Sat. Apr. 23	9 AM St. Basil Liturgy    10 PM Baptism 11:30 PM PASCHA
Sun. Apr. 24 PASCHA	NO morning service 4 pm Paschal Vespers          & parish BBQ

Sun. 9:30 Matins & Liturgy	Palm Sunday Fish allowed
Mon. Apr. 18	Bridegroom Matins
Tues. Apr. 19	Bridegroom Matins
Wed. Apr. 20	PreSanct. Liturgy & meal
Thurs. Apr. 21* note Liturgy new this year	**5:00 pm St. Basil Lit & meal        7 pm 12 Gospels
Fri. Apr. 22	Shroud Veneration & Overnight Vigil
Sat. Apr. 23	9 AM St. Basil Liturgy    10 PM Baptism 11:30 PM PASCHA
Sun. Apr. 24 PASCHA	NO morning service 4 pm Paschal Vespers          & parish BBQ