This year, St. Michael Women will be sending out a Nativity Greeting to all our parish members. This isn’t just a greeting card – a portion of the proceeds of this year’s Nativity card will be going to the CLERGY WIDOWS FUND. These women who have dedicated their lives and their families to the church will always be our “Khourie” / “Presvitera” / “Matushka” – even after they suffer the loss of their priest-husbands. This fund will cover some of their needs for utilities, food, shelter.
The order form for the Nativity Greeting has been mailed out. If you would like your name on the St. Michael Nativity Card, please fill out the form and return it no later December 15, 2024. Please make your donations out to St. Michael Women and write ‘Nativity Card’ in the memo. You also have the option to donate via VENMO.
Please help to provide Thanksgiving Meals to Independence House in Hyannis, which provides services to battered women and their children.
Please register to pick up a few items the next time you are at the grocery store.
Please consider donating your time to help package the items on Sun, Nov 24 and to help with delivery on Mon, Nov 25.
If can’t shop for any of the items, please consider donating funds to help us with the purchase of food to supplement what is being generously donated.
Thank you for your support of St. Michael’s outreach and its programs.
Attention St. Michael’s Families – Church School will be starting again on Sunday, September 15. We are very excited to get back together and begin working on this year’s theme of The Gospel of Luke and Acts! As in past years, church school will be held every Sunday during Orthros. We have a lot of fun and all children of all ages are welcome to attend!!! To help us break the students into age groups, please complete the registration form below by September 7. If you have any questions, please contact Ned Chatelain at nedchatelain@gmail.com Macrina and Ned
It’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL time of year again! Cataumet Village, a transitional housing facility in Falmouth, supports families coming out of homelessness. These clients, mostly mothers and children, are getting ready for back to school and need our help. We are filling backpacks for 15 children this year and collecting items and monetary donations to be brought to St. Michael by August 18. Add your name for the items you would like to purchase to the list:
The bin for the school supplies is next to the bookstore. We will purchase what’s left. Please help to fill the backpacks on August 24 before Vespers. We will deliver the backpacks on August 25. If you’re not able to purchase the supplies, please consider making a monetary donation to St. Michael Outreach with Backpack Blessings in the memo.
As always, thank you for your generosity as we care for those in need. If you have any questions, please see Anastasia or Soraya.
The Outreach Team currently has a project creating personal care blessing bags for those in need. We plan to donate 25 blessing bags to the Falmouth Police Department for the program they have distributing care packages to those without homes or in need as they come across them on the job. Any questions or for more information please see Macrina Stewart, Soraya Bandeli, or Michelle Moeck.
We are requesting your help getting the items needed for this project!
Please drop off items at the church in the box marked “Outreach”
List of Items Needed:
Toothbrushes
Travel size Toothpaste
Band-Aids
Travel Size Deodorant
Lip Balm
Mylar/Survival Blankets
Mini Neosporin/Antibiotic
Ointment Packets
Socks
Body Wipes
Bottles of water
Granola Bars
Small Bags of Nuts
Granola
Feminine Care Products
Please grab a tag on the bulletin board outside the Nave of what you’d like to contribute so we can avoid getting duplicate items. Please return items by April 7th. We will assemble bags on April 21st after coffee hour.
Candles are used in the Orthodox Church as symbols and offerings during the liturgical services. In our parish we use traditional 100% beeswax tapers. (Note: Traditionally, oil-burning votive lamps are used in the Orthodox Church. However, vigil candles are often used, for reasons of convenience.)
In a general sense, the lighting of a candle in Church symbolizes the life of a Christian person. Until a candle is lit it is cold and hard. Once lit it is warmed and softened and then consumed by the flame. In the same way, we human beings can be spiritually “cold and hard” until our hearts and minds are “warmed and softened” by the grace of God. When we, faithful Christians, allow ourselves to become “on fire” with God’s love we can be consumed by that divine love in a beautiful and powerful way.
In a more particular and specific sense, the lighting of a candle in Church is an offering. The faithful purchase candles, thus making a monetary offering to the Church, and then they light those candles as an offering of prayer. Traditionally in Orthodox Churches candles are set in stands in significant parts of the Church, usually near a particular icon of Our Lord, His Mother, or a particular saint or group of saints. At this time we do not have candle stands near icons, but that might be a worthy goal. When we offer a candle by lighting it and placing it in a particular place in the Church we should simultaneously offer a prayer. For example, we may light a candle and place it to burn near an icon of a particular saint and, at the same time, ask that saint’s intercession before God on behalf of our self or a person for whom we wish to pray. We, also, may light and place candles as offerings of prayer on behalf of the departed. Additionally, candles may be lit not only as petitions asking for God’s blessings to be given, but as prayerful offerings of gratitude for blessings already received.
Yours in Christ, Subdeacon Joseph, with information shared with permission from Saints Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church
