Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: April 7 – 14, 2025

This Week: No meat/dairy/wine on any day of the week; wine allowed on weekend.      

Mon, Apr 7 at 6:00 pm – Great Compline

Wed, Apr 9 at 6:00 pm – 9th Hour & Typika @ St George Cathedral

Wed, Apr 9 at 6:30 pm – Pre-Sanctified & Meal @ St George Cathedral

Fri, Apr 11 at 6:00 pm – Little Compline w/Canon of St Lazarus

Sat, Apr 12 at 8:15 am – Festal Matins ~ Lazarus Saturday

Sat, Apr 12 at 9:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ Lazarus Saturday

Sat, Apr 12 at 10:15 am – Brunch & Decorate the Church

Sat, Apr 12 at 12:30 pm – Children’s Day @ The Chancery

Sat, Apr 12 at 4:00 pm – Confession

Sat, Apr 12 at 4:00 pm – Men’s Prayer Group

Sat, Apr 12 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers ~ Palm Sunday

Sat, Apr 12 at 6:00 pm – Biblical Greek Class

Sun, Apr 13 at 8:45 am – Festal Matins ~ Palm Sunday

Sun, Apr 13 at 9:00 am – Church School (note time change due to Palm Sunday)

Sun, Apr 13 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy w/Palm Sunday Procession

Sun, Apr 13 at 5:00 pm – Confession

Sun, Apr 13 at 6:00 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Mon, Apr 14 at 8:00 am – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy

Mon, Apr 14 at 5:00 pm – Confession

Mon, Apr 14 at 6:00 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Other Notes

(1) PARISH PASCHA CELEBRATION: Gwen and I will be hosting a Parish Pascha Celebration on Pascha afternoon, 4/20, following the joint Agape Vespers service (1:00 pm) at St George Cathedral. We are inviting all parishioners, catechumens, and inquirers to join us in celebrating our Lord’s Resurrection at our home beginning at 3:00 pm. We will be providing the main meat dishes (pulled pork and brisket) but encourage others to bring a side dish/dessert to share. You may also BYOB. Our address is: 16005 W Sheriac Street, Goddard, KS 67052. If you plan to attend, please sign up using the following link so we can ensure we have enough food for everyone: St Mary/Wichita, KS: Parish Pascha Celebration

(2) FESTIVAL PREP: Our annual Mediterranean Festival is coming up on Saturday, May 3. THANK YOU to all who have helped prepare to date. Please note we have multiple workdays in the final 10 days leading up to the festival itself. You can now begin signing up to help on those dates here: St Mary/Wichita, KS: Mediterranean Festival Week Prep Dates – 2025

(3) TEEN SOYO NOT A LOCK-IN: Our teens are invited to sit at the Vigil on Good Friday beginning at 8.p.m. I will be staying all night, and you may stay as long as you like. You may offer to help with the readings when a reader needs a break or pray silently. The teen room will be open for you to take a nap if needed. Parents: This is not a lock-in! There are no games, no running around. I expect the teens to sit quietly and contemplate the love God has shown us. ~ Laura Stanley

(4) PASCHAL BANQUET:  For this year’s Paschal Banquet, the parish will be providing cabbage rolls and fried chicken. We ask all our parishioners to bring a side dish and/or dessert to share with others. As always, people are also welcome to bring their own basket of some of their favorite goodies. Please make sure to pick up after yourself when you leave. 

(5) HUMANITARIAN LENTEN PROJECT: Our Humanitarian Ministry Team is sponsoring a Lenten project to benefit The Treehouse. Please see the link below for more details on the collection, which runs through Pascha (April 20).

(6) GRADUATING IN MAY?: If I have not already contacted you and you/your child is graduating this May, please contact me ASAP. We are preparing to honor all our graduates this year and want to make sure no one is missed.

(7) LAZARUS SATURDAY AT CHANCERY: Our children are once again invited to the Chancery for a special Lazarus Saturday celebration. Please see the linked flyer below for details, including the flyer about the “entrance fee,” which is supplies to benefit The Treehouse.

(8) METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week His Eminence shares his message regarding Fr Lev Gillett (Part 2). Read it here >

(9) TEXT MESSAGE GROUP: Our new text message system through tithe.ly is now up and running. We need anyone who wants to receive text messages from the church to sign up for this service (even if you had already signed up using our previous Remind system). You can join by following these quick steps:

– Text the phone number 855-516-9861 with the following phrase in the message box: STMARYTEXT

– Click on the link sent back to you via text and fill out your name (having your name will make it much easier for us in the future to create separate groups, such as the Parish Council, the Belles of St Mary, etc.).

– Check the box giving permission to receive texts.

– Click the “Submit” button.

Once you have done this, you should be automatically added to our text message list. Contact Fr Aaron if you have any issues.

(10) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: Teach Me Thy Statutes.

(11) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron

Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: December 30, 2024 – January 6, 2025

This Week: No fasting through January 4 on any day of the week; January 5 is a fast day, with allowance for wine/oil.     

Tues, Dec 31 at 5:15 pm – Festal Matins ~ Circumcision of Christ & Feast of St Basil @ St George Cathedral

Tues, Dec 31 at 6:30 pm – Divine Liturgy ~ Circumcision of Christ & Feast of St Basil @ St George Cathedral

Fri, Jan 3 at 8:00 am – Royal Hours ~ Theophany

Sat, Jan 4 – No Confessions

Sat, Jan 4 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers

Sun, Jan 5 at 9:00 am – Matins

Sun, Jan 5 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy

Sun, Jan 5 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers ~ Theophany

Mon, Jan 6 at 8:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ Theophany

Mon, Jan 6 – House Blessings Begin

Other Notes

(1)  FAMILY PROMISE 2025 HOST DATES: The following dates are our scheduled host weeks for Family Promise in 2025. As usual, we will circulate a sign up closer to each date, but we wanted to let everyone know about these dates in advance. Here are the host weeks for 2025: January 26 – February 2; March 30 – April 6; June 29 – July 6; and October 5 – 12.

(2)  BISHOP BASIL ENDOWMENT FUND: The Bishop Basil Endowment Fund supports new missions and parish expansion projects in our diocese, such as land purchase, building projects, or a monetary support for priest of a new mission community. Each year, to honor Bishop Basil on his name-day (January 1), we take a collection for a few Sundays near his name-day. If you would like to donate this year, please contribute by writing a check or making an online donation to St Mary, earmarked: Bishop Basil Endowment Fund. Please turn in your contribution by Sunday, January 12.

(3) 2025 PARISH COUNCIL OFFICERS: The following parishioners were elected as officers of the 2025 Parish Council: Paula Zarich (PC Chair); Tracy Namee (Vice Chair); Darren Minks (Treasurer); and Ken Dannenberg (Secretary). May God grant them many years!

(4) HOUSE BLESSINGS:  Each year it is customary that beginning on Theophany, the Parish Priest is invited to bless parishioner homes with the Holy Water blessed at the January 6 Theophany Divine Liturgy. All parishioners and catechumens are encouraged to sign up for a house blessing. A separate email will be sent this coming week notifying parishioners how to sign up for a house blessing. If you have any questions or concerns following the receipt of that email, please contact Fr Aaron.

(5) PRE-LENT FILM SERIES: Prior to Great Lent 2025, we will have a 7-week Film Series following Wednesday evening services (normally Daily Vespers). The films will begin at 6:30 pm. In January we plan to show the following films: Sacred Alaska (Jan 8); St George the Great Martyr (Jan 15); Amphilochios – Saint of Patmos (Jan 22); and New Men (Jan 29). We will be screening 3 additional films in February.

(6) 20/40 FELLOWSHIP GROUP: The 20/40 Fellowship Group is open to all parishioners and catechumens age 20 – 40 somethingish. Their next gathering will be on Saturday, January 11, at 6:00 pm at White Crow Cider Company (1236 E Waterman).

(7) TEXT MESSAGE UPDATE REMINDERS: If you would like to join the St Mary text message group to receive important updates/reminders, you may do so at any time by texting @stmaryict to 81010. Please note you must include the @ sign to be able to join the group. No one in the group will see your phone number or be able to send you a message except through the parish office. You also will not be able to text others in the group, but will receive messages from the office and can respond to the office.

(8) METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week His Eminence shares his Nativity message. See the link to read it. 

(9) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: Teach Me Thy Statutes.

(10) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

 

Fr Aaron

Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: December 15 – 23, 2024
This Week: The Advent Fast began on Nov 15 and continues through Dec 24.    
Sun, Dec 15 at 5:30 pm – Lord’s Diner
Mon, Dec 16 at 6:00 pm – Advent Paraklesis
Wed, Dec 18 at 6:00 pm – Daily Vespers
Thurs, Dec 19 at 5:30 pm – Parish Council Meeting
Fri, Dec 20 at 6:00 pm – Advent Paraklesis
Sat, Dec 21 – Scroll Deadline
Sat, Dec 21 at 4:30 pm – Confession
Sat, Dec 21 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers
Sun, Dec 22 at 9:00 am – Matins
Sun, Dec 22 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy w/Installation of 2025 Parish Council
Sun, Dec 22 at 11:00 am – Church School
Sun, Dec 22 at 5:00 pm – Church School Christmas Program (see note and flyer below)
Mon, Dec 23 at 6:00 pm – Advent Paraklesis

Other Notes

(1)  ST MARY BOOKSTORE: Please consider stopping by the St Mary Bookstore as part of your Christmas shopping. This year, we have the Christmas Road Nativity game for families (see details below). In addition, the bookstore has many icons, books, crosses, and more for Orthodox Christians on your Christmas shopping list. The bookstore is located next to the main church hall/gymnasium. Nativity Board Game for Families. Appropriate for ages 7+ for 2-6 players. Role the dice and move your pawns across the board according to the dice to arrive at the manger where Baby Jesus is. Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manager. The three wise men arrived from afar bearing gifts. Now it’s your turn to travel to the cave, welcome the new baby, and offer him your commitment to Christian virtues as your gift. Joy and her brother Joe will be your guides. Along the way, you will have the chance to test your knowledge by answering questions on the trivia cards and have fun with surprise cards that pop up unexpectedly. The object of the game is to reach space #75 first. In addition to the trivia cards, there are also 8 Icon cards that will be used when prompted to.

(2) CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: Our annual Church School Christmas Program & Potluck is Sunday, December 22, at 5:00 pm. See the flyer below for more details. Please be sure to bring a little extra than usual for the Potluck as St Michael parishioners have been invited to join us in fellowship that evening.

(3) HUMANITARIAN NATIVITY PROJECT: Our Humanitarian Ministry Team is sponsoring a Nativity project to help re-stock our food pantry that serves several hundred people per year. To learn more details about how you can help, please see the flyer here >

(4) CHURCH HALL OPEN FOR CHRISTMAS: Once again this year the Church Hall will be open for people to celebrate after Divine Liturgy on Tuesday, December 24. The parish will not be providing any food or beverage, but people are welcome to bring their own. As always, please be sure not to drink and drive and to shut the lights off if you are the last person to leave. Please also ensure the doors are locked behind and be sure to pick up any mess you make.

(5) TEXT MESSAGE UPDATE REMINDERS: If you would like to join the St Mary text message group to receive important updates/reminders, you may do so at any time by texting @stmaryict to 81010. Please note you must include the @ sign to be able to join the group. No one in the group will see your phone number or be able to send you a message except through the parish office. You also will not be able to text others in the group, but will receive messages from the office and can respond to the office.

(6) METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week, His Eminence shares “The Nativity & Almsgiving – Part 1.” See the link to read it >

(7) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: Teach Me Thy Statutes.

(8) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron

Beloved in Christ,

PLEASE NOTE THE DAY AND TIME CHANGE FOR THE LITURGY OF THE BEHEADING OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST. IT HAS BEEN MOVED FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING TO THURSDAY MORNING.

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: August 26 – September 1, 2024

This Week: Regular Wed/Fri fasting; Thursday is also a fast day for the Beheading of St John the Baptist.   

Thurs, Aug 29 at 8:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John

Sat, Aug 31 at 4:30 pm – Confession

Sat, Aug 31 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers

Sun, Sept 1 at 9:00 am – Matins

Sun, Sept 1 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy

Sun, Sept 1 – Sun, Sept 8: FAMILY PROMISE HOST WEEK (see below)

Other Notes

(1) FAMILY PROMISE HOST WEEK: St. Mary is hosting families the week of September 1^st to September 8^th. To volunteer, click on the link below. Opportunities for those who would prefer to sign up in person will be available after liturgy on August 18^th and 25^th. Sign up includes providing food for breakfast and snacks, evening meals, a hot breakfast Saturday, transportation to and from the Day House, and spending the night at the church. Thanks for your support of this important ministry. Contact Vicki Jones, 650-0658, with any questions. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A49AAAF2BAAF94-50527273-fpstmary

(2) FELLOWSHIP GROUPS: As noted in a previous email to the parish, beginning in September, our Fellowship Groups will be using an opt-in system. If you wish to continue/start participating in the Fellowship Groups, please contact me by August 29 to receive a September group assignment. Once you opt-in, you will be assigned each month unless you opt-out for that specific month (I will be sending monthly reminders to opt-out, if needed, for the next month).

(3) ARCHIEPISCOPAL VICAR VISIT: Our new Archiepiscopal Vicar, Fr Calinic Berger, will make an official visit to our parish for our festal weekend. He plans to be with us on Saturday, September 7, for Great Vespers, followed by a meeting with the Parish Council. He will then be with us on Sunday, September 8, for Matins and Divine Liturgy, followed by our festal picnic at Edgemoor Park. Please mark your calendars for this festal weekend now–more details will be coming soon.

(4) DAILY VESPERS & BIBLE STUDY: As noted in the most recent issue of The Scroll, we will begin a Wednesday evening Daily Vespers (6:00 pm) and Bible Study (6:30 pm). We will begin with the Book of Genesis. All parishioners are encouraged to attend in person. For those unable to attend in person, we will offer a link to join the Bible Study virtually.

(5) BAPTISMS & CHRISMATIONS: On Saturday, September 7, at 4:00 pm we have scheduled two baptisms and four chrismations of current catechumens. We invite all of our parishioners to attend as we welcome these catechumens as official members of our parish. May God grant them many years!

(6) PARISH PICNIC: On Sunday, September 8, our parish’s feast day in honor of the Nativity (Birth) of the Mother of God, we will have a picnic at 12:00 pm at Edgemoor Park. We have reserved the Rec Center for the picnic in case there is inclement weather. The parish will provide fried chicken and water, but we ask parishioners to bring side dishes, desserts, and other beverages for yourself if you’d like. In addition, we encourage parishioners to bring equipment to play softball. There are also nearby pickleball courts and a skateboard park, for anyone interested.

(7)  METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week His Eminence shares “Your Grace Transforms the Universe (Part 2).” See the link to read it.

(8) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: Teach Me Thy Statutes.

(9) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron

Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: August 12 – 18, 2024
This Week: Dormition Fast August 1 – 14; regular Friday fast on 8/16.   
Mon, Aug 12 at 6:00 pm – Paraklesis Service
Wed, Aug 14 at 4:45 pm – Festal Matins ~ Dormition
Wed, Aug 14 at 6:00 pm – Divine Liturgy ~ Dormition
Thurs, Aug 15 at 5:30 pm – Parish Council Meeting
Thurs, Aug 15 at 7:00 pm – Ladies Bingo Night @ Central Standard Brewing
Sat, Aug 17 – SCROLL DEADLINE
Sat, Aug 17 at 4:30 pm – Confession
Sat, Aug 17 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers
Sun, Aug 18 at 9:00 am – Matins
Sun, Aug 18 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
Sun, Aug 18 at 5:30 pm – Lord’s Diner

Other Notes
(1) DORMITION FAST: The Dormition Fast, during which we prepare for the Falling Asleep (Dormition) and Translation Into Heaven of the Mother of God, began on August 1 and ends each year on August 15. This year, in addition to fasting from meat and dairy products and increasing our almsgiving, we will also celebrate the beautiful Paraklesis Supplication Service the following dates during the fast (at 6:00 pm each date): Thursday, August 1; Wednesday, August 7; Friday, August 9; and Monday, August 12. The fast will conclude with the celebration of Festal Matins (4:45 pm) and Divine Liturgy (6:00 pm) on Wednesday, August 14.

(2)  LORD’S DINER: On Sunday, August 18, we will need volunteers to serve with members of St George and St Mary at The Lord’s Diner from 5:15 – 7:45 pm. If you are interested in being added to the list of potential volunteers, please let me know. You will then receive the monthly email requesting volunteers for our joint service on the 3^rd Sunday of each month.

(3) TEEN SOYO PANCAKE FEED: Our teens have been active this summer, recently visiting Reconciliation Services in KC and volunteering to help them set up their new location. Before that, they visited Oceans/Worlds of Fun. We want them to be able to continue these types of enriching activities, which require them to occasionally host fundraisers. One such fundraiser will be the Pancake Feed on Sunday, August 25, at Coffee Hour. A free-will donation will be taken. Please be generous with your support of our teens!

(4) PLAYROOM MANAGER POSITION available at The Treehouse. Needs: bilingual (English and Spanish) individual, available 15 to 20 hours a week, Monday – Thursday, 2 years childcare experience. Please email references and resume to jaleen@wichitatreehouse.org.

(5) ARCHIEPISCOPAL VICAR VISIT: Our new Archiepiscopal Vicar, Fr Calinic Berger, will make an official visit to our parish for our festal weekend. He plans to be with us on Saturday, September 7, for Great Vespers, followed by a meeting with the Parish Council. He will then be with us on Sunday, September 8, for Matins and Divine Liturgy, followed by our festal picnic at Edgemoor Park. Please mark your calendars for this festal weekend now–more details will be coming soon.  

(6) METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week His Eminence shares on “The Christian Priest.” See the link to read it. He also shares the brief video (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America) of the translation of St Raphael’s relics, and an audio podcast (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America) speaking about the same event.

(7) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: Teach Me Thy Statutes.

(8) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron