Holy Week 2023 Church Services

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Welcome

Sermonettes

By Rev Fr Andrew J Demotses
Over the years, Father Andrew produced over 500 sermonettes or meditations in both written and recorded formats. This is a small collection of those recordings. Listen »

Service of Proskomide

Since the early Church, the Office of Oblation (Proskomide) has been a service of offering gifts to God in preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion in the Divine Liturgy. The congregation gives the names of the living and dead for whom they want the priest to pray. Please present the name(s) to be commemorated to the sexton in the narthex at the beginning of the Orthros Service.

Artoklasia

Artoklasia, which means “breaking of bread” is a special prayer service offered by an individual or family typically on a Feast day or special family occasion. The service takes place at the end of the Divine Liturgy or at Great Vespers. It includes hymns, petitions and prayers for health, well-being and strength to endure all of life’s difficulties. The five loaves are reminiscent of the five loaves that Jesus Christ blessed in the desert and by which five thousand of His followers were fed. Please call the church office at 978-531-0777 to schedule an Artoklasia.

Memorials

Kollyva is an offering of boiled wheat that is blessed liturgically in connection with the Memorial Services in Church for the benefit of one's departed, thereby offering unto God, as it were, a sacrifice of atonement for the dead person, and in honor of the Sovereign Lord over life and death. (40-day Kollyva is traditionally most important) A TRISAGION is also a brief memorial service read in church or at a  gravesite (without Kollyva). There is a small group of volunteer ladies that have been preparing the Kollyva at St Vasilios for many years. Whatever small profit remains from their devoted ministry is donated to various capital projects of our parish, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of assistance over the many years. Please call the church office at 978-531-0777 in advance to schedule a Memorial Service.