Looking Ahead at St Mary (August 4 – 11)
Beloved in Christ,
Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.
THIS WEEK: August 4 – 11, 2025
This Week: We follow the Dormition Fast through August 14.
Mon, Aug 4 at 6:00 pm – Paraklesis Service to the Mother of God
Tues, Aug 5 at 4:45 pm – Festal Matins ~ Transfiguration
Tues, Aug 5 at 6:00 pm – Divine Liturgy ~ Transfiguration
Wed, Aug 6 at 6:30 pm – Belles of St Mary Meeting @ Church
Fri, Aug 8 at 6:00 pm – Paraklesis Service to the Mother of God
Sat, Aug 9 at 4:00 pm – Men’s Prayer Group
Sat, Aug 9 at 4:30 pm – Confession
Sat, Aug 9 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers
Sat, Aug 9 at 6:00 pm – Chant Class
Sun, Aug 10 at 9:00 am – Matins
Sun, Aug 10 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
Sun, Aug 10 at 5:00 pm – 20/40 Fellowship Meeting @ White Crow (1236 E Waterman)
Mon, Aug 11 at 6:00 pm – Paraklesis Service to the Mother of God
Other Notes
(1) DORMITION FAST: August 15 is the great feast of the Dormition (“Falling Asleep”) of the Mother of God. In preparation for that feast, we follow the Dormition Fast August 1 – 14. During that fast, in addition to the extra services and increased almsgiving, we abstain from meat and dairy products on all days of the week, as well as wine on all days except on Saturdays and Sundays, when it is allowed. Fish and wine are both allowed on August 6, for the great feast of Transfiguration.
(2) SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE: As noted in a previous email to the parish, we are collecting supplies/money to buy supplies for Carpenter Place Children’s Home (Carpenter Place Children’s Home | Wichita, KS). Please see the linked flyer for more details. To make a monetary donation, you can give a check/cash to Joan Ferris, Justine Nightingale, or Tracy Namee by Sunday, August 10; or you can donate through our website ( Donate to St. Mary).
(3) TEEN PANCAKE FUNDRAISER: Our Teen SOYO group will host a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on Sunday, August 17, during Coffee Hour. In order to prepare, our teens need to sign up for different jobs on the 17th, such as making egg casseroles, mixing the pancake batter, flipping pancakes, setting up, cleaning up and anything else that comes up. Be sure to have your teen see Laura Stanely in the Fellowship Hall after Liturgy on August 10 to sign up.
(4) ORTHODOXY ON TAP: On Sunday, August 24, from 5-8 pm, Orthodoxy on Tap meets at Old School Tap House in Kechi. In addition to the fellowship, Warren Farha (of 8th Day Books) will be speaking about CS Lewis and Orthodoxy. Everyone is invited to attend!
(5) 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.
(6) METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week His Eminence does not have a specific teaching, but asked us to share with you the highlights of the recent Convention from the Antiochian Archdiocese website: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
(7) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would liketo 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
