www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Holy Week and Easter at St. Nicholas in Homestead

HOLY WEEK SERVICES 2007

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Homestead, Pa

Friday, March 30 � Pre-sanctified Liturgy����. .�����7:00 pm

Saturday, March 31 � Feast of the Raising of Lazarus�..����..9:00 am

Vespers for the Feast of the Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem�.6:00 pm

Sunday, April 1- PALM SUNDAY:

- Blessing of Palms and Pussy-willows�.����...��.8:45 am
- Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem��������...9:00 am
- Lenten Mission � St. John the Baptist, East Pittsburgh..�3:00 pm

Monday, April 2 - Pre-sanctified Liturgy �����...�����7:00 pm

Tuesday, April 3 - Pre-sanctified Liturgy ��...��������7:00 pm

Wednesday, April 4
- Pre-sanctified Liturgy ����..�����8:00 am
- Mystery of Holy Unction �.�����..�7:00 pm

Thursday, April 5
� Vespers and Liturgy of St. Basil the Great �.....9:00 am
- Service of the 12 Gospels �������.�7:00 pm

Friday, April 6
� Royal Hours of Good and Holy Friday�....��....8:00 am
- Vespers and Placing of the Holy Shroud ���..7:30 pm

Saturday, April 7
� Vespers and Liturgy of St. Basil the Great & Feast of the Annunciation��..9:00 am
- Resurrection Matins �...���������8:00 pm

Blessing of Paschal Foods (Adult and Children) after Resurrection Matins

PASCHA � FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
- APRIL 8, 2007 - 9:00 AM

Monday, April 9 - Bright Monday
- Resurrection Matins���... 8:00 am
- Divine Liturgy������..9:00 am

Tuesday, April 10 � Bright Tuesday
� Resurrection Matins��.�.8:00 am
- Divine Liturgy��..................9:00 am

Why was my post censored?

All I did was say that we left St. John Cathedral because the Revised Liturgy is so horrible and that almost no one sings anymore and that we are going to St. Elias until they are forced to take the Revised Liturgy there. And then I am going to St. Nicholas in Homestead.

Are we only allowed to praise the Revised Liturgy on the byzcath forum?

Not only are life-long Byzantine Catholics being forced out of our churches by Archbishop Basil's New Liturgy we are not even allowed to talk here about why we are leaving. Shame on this forum!

"Why was my post censored?"

Your post was censored because it contained uncharitable comments about our Archbishop.

"Are we only allowed to praise the Revised Liturgy on the byzcath forum?"

Quite obviously not. However charity towards others especially our hierarchs is expected.

"almost no one sings anymore"

I have served at the Cathedral since Professor Thompson became cantor and introduced the new music and I certainly heard most of the people singing.

"Not only are life-long Byzantine Catholics being forced out of our churches by Archbishop Basil's New Liturgy we are not even allowed to talk here about why we are leaving. Shame on this forum!"

Let us be clear no one is being forced out. If you leave you do so of your own choice. One can stay and accept the new translation or stay and fight it or leave. Those are the choices available. You are not forced to do any of them but you must choose one of them.

And for the record you can talk all you want about why you are leaving the Byzantine Catholic Church just make sure you do it charitably.

Fr. Deacon Lance

The above schedule looks just like my Ruthenian parish's schedule for Holy Week.

Of course, one may choose to enter Orthodoxy for reasons unrelated to the Revised Translation of the Divine Liturgy.

I personally believe that we shouldn't flee the Byzantine Catholic Church because we don't like the new translation. We should stay and work with it or try to work to undo it, if that if your cause, but don't enter Orthodoxy seeking a refuge -- you may find that there are things you don't agree with there, as well.

Enter Orthodoxy if you believe the Orthodox Church to be the True Church of Christ. If you believe that communion with Rome holds the fullness of the Church of Christ, then remain Catholic. These are real reasons; "I don't like the new translation" is not one of them, in my opinion.

"Are we only allowed to praise the Revised Liturgy on the byzcath forum?"

By what I have seen on Byzcath.org, the overriding sentiment seems to be strongly opposite "praising" the Revised Liturgy.

I notice that the schedule indicates the Annunciation being celebrated on Holy Saturday morning(April 7). Am I correct in my interpretation of the schedule that this is an 'old calendar' parish?

Steve

"I notice that the schedule indicates the Annunciation being celebrated on Holy Saturday morning(April 7). Am I correct in my interpretation of the schedule that this is an 'old calendar' parish? "

St. Nicholas Church in Homestead is a parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of Johnstown, and observes the Julian Calendar.

Prof. J. Michael Thompson
Byzantine Catholic Seminary
Pittsburgh, PA

What's the schedule for Holy and Great Week at St. John's Cathedral. Rutehian Metropolia?

Ungcsertezs

I don't know what the Cathedral's schedule is, but I do know that there is nothing keeping a Ruthenian church from having a full Holy Week schedule. Here are two examples.

Christ is Risen!

Our family split our time between St. Elias in Munhall and St. Nicholas in Homestead. Both were wonderful. Especially Resurrection Matins at St. Nicholas. Once the Revised Divine Liturgy is mandatory in all parishes we will be forced to stop going to St. Elias. We will probably wind up at St. Nicholas. It is a shame that Archbishop Basil is forcing people out of the Byzantine Catholic Church.

Those of us who are former parishioners at the cathedral have started keeping track of the numbers of cars in the cathedral parking lot. On Palm Sunday there were maybe 25 cars in that lot. On Good Friday it looked like even less than that. On Easter Sunday there were maybe 30. I talked to someone who did go there and she said the cantor sang pretty much by himself. It was not like it use to be when everyone used to sing.

Why can�t the archbishop see that he is chasing away all the people with his reforms?

Is his ultimate goal to close all of our parishes?

I don�t think I�ll post here again. I�m tired of the moderators deleting any posts that oppose the New Byzantine Order.

I read some of these posts with interest. The Greek Orthodox church in the U.S. and in Greece and Cyprus relies solely on the chanter, chanters or choirs. The congregation rarely joins in.

Alice

Yes, Alice, that is the custom in Greek churches, and in many Russian churches as well. I was once even scolded by a nun at a Russian Orthodox church for the heinous crime of of singing along with the choir, albeit is extremely quietly. Supposedly, the people are allowed to join in only for the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. The only reason she heard me was because she happened to pause next to me as the priest gave a blessing.

On to my point. As has been noted numerous times on this Forum, the BCC (and other Churches) have a long and well developed tradition of congregational singing. Yes, some places do have choirs, but is the singing is lead by a cantor, one expects that he is leading the congregation, not singing on their behalf.

Something is definitely wrong.

Dear KO63AP, (sorry, I don't believe I know your real name)

Christ is Risen!

Thank you for your clarification.

God bless,
Alice

This is a problem in my parish as well.

While Greek congregations are often silent, unfortunately, I have heard them sing with great happiness and enthusiasm. This applies particularly to the lovely Canon "I shall open my mouth and sing" to the Theotokos, to the Lamentations on Good Friday evening, in some degree to the Canon "The Waves of the Sea" sung at the same service and repeated at Mesonycticon before the Procession at Pascha, and, of course, to "Christ is Risen".

Fr. Serge