St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 1

ST. THEODOSIUS ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL

733 Starkweather Ave.Cleveland, Ohio

Mailing:8200 Biddulph RdBrooklyn, OH 44144T 216.741.1310F 216.741.7275

www.sttheodosius.org

• Archpriest John Zdinak

Dean

• Archpriest Pavel Soucek

Retired/Attached

• Subdeacon Theodore Lentz Sacristan

• Reader Julius Kovach Ecclesiarch & Choirmaster

Divine ServicesEve Sundays & Feast Days

5:00 PM Confessions6:00 PM Great Vespers

Sundays and Feast Days

8:40 AM 3rd and 6th Hour

9:00 AM Divine Liturgy

AmboFebruary 25, 2007

1st Sunday of Great Lent

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Glory to God for All Things!

St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 2

1st Sunday of Great Lent - Sunday of OrthodoxyToday we commemorate the "Triumph of Orthodoxy," the restoration of the holy icons in the reign of the holy Empress Theodora (February 11). Holy Empress Theodora was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Theophilus the Icono-clast (829-842), but she did not share in the heresy of her husband and secretly vener-ated the holy icons. After the death of her husband, St Theodora governed the realm because her son Michael was a minor.

She convened a Council, at which the Iconoclasts were anathematized, and the venera-tion of icons was reinstated. St Theodora established the annual celebration of this event, the Triumph of Orthodoxy, on the first Sunday of the Great Fast. St Theodora did much for Holy Church and fostered a firm devotion to Orthodoxy in her son Michael.

When Michael came of age, she was retired from governing and spent eight years in the monastery of St Euphrosyne, where she devoted herself to ascetic struggles, and reading books that nourished her soul. A copy of the Gospels, copied in her own hand, is known to exist. She died peacefully around the year 867.

Welcome VisitorsOur parish welcomes you and thanks you for joining us in worship and praise this morning.

While only Orthodox Christians may approach the chalice for Holy Communion, everyone is welcome to partake of the Holy Bread after Liturgy.

You are also invited to join us for fellowship in the Parish Hall following Liturgy.

Parish Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting for the year 2006 will be held on Sunday April 29, 2007. The late date is due to account-ing changes initiated as a result of the 2005 Meeting as well as an early Pascha this year, April 8. Please note April 15 is Thomas Sunday and Grave Blessings and April 22 is the International Buffet.

LENTEN VESPERS 20073/4 - LORAIN - SS. PETER & PAUL

3/11 - CAMPBELL - ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST3/18 - MOGADORE - ST. NICHOLAS

3/25 PARMA - HOLY TRINITYSunday of Orthodoxy

CELEBRATE TODAYFebruary 25 at 6:00 PM

St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral

3256 Warren Rd.

LENTEN RETREAT FACILITATED BY PROTOBRESBYTER THOMAS HOPKO

MARCH 17, 2007ST NICHOLAS, MENTOR

FIND REGISTRATION FORMS IN THE NARTHAX OR E-MAIL

sttheocemetery@yahoo.com TO REQUEST A .PDF COPY

Thank You for Your Continuing Donations to the Cathedral Roof Fund. As of February 18, 2007, $43,786 has been collected toward the $50,000 goal.

REMEMBER TO LISTEN TO “COME RECEIVE THE LIGHT” ON RADIO AT WHK, 1220AM TODAY AT 2:30 PM. OR VISIT WWW.RECEIVE.ORG

Since the rest of society likes to consider this month "love" month with a perver-sion of St. Valentine's Day, why don't we consider February to be "Show Orthodox Christian Love" month. A suggestion: During February, express your love to your Orthodox brothers and sisters by introducing yourself--using first and last name--to at least one unknown person each week. Everybody likes to be acknowledged. Speak to them and you will be rewarded with a big smile! and their self- introduction.

Some of us have been doing this for a while: you could send a "Valentine" to one of our dear ones who can't join us. The list of Shut-ins and Nursing Home folks is available at the Parish Hall or the Cemetery Office.

EOWG IS PLANNINGA LENTEN RETREAT ON MARCH 3RD. SEE JUDY GARTMAN OR KAREN FELON TO LEARN MORE.

TIME TO START SOLICITING DONATIONS FOR THE INTER-NATIONAL BUFFET ON 4/22! SEE SONYA VORELL FOR DE-

TAILS AND TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE COMMITTEE!

LENTEN ADULT STUDY focusing on the spiritual journey/purpose of Great Lent is being organized by Will Oprisko. It will include contemplation of "Great Lent" by Alexander Schmemann and "The Lenten Spring" by Thomas Hopko. Write goprisko@jcu.edu for details.

St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 3

Prayer Requests

Departed: Michael Sacco +1/12/07Irene Kobelak +1/24/07

Ill-afflicted:Fr. Stephen JulaHelen BaldnerMary MarhefkaJohn ClementsEileen EschukHenry & Julia GrabowskiJohn & Ann ShulevaJan TkaczJeanne TwitchellBilly J SpurlockJames SheehanJulia ZimmermanMary WazevichValentina PonomarenkoNatalie PonomarenkoRoy A. BaldnerMichael & Jennifer TurczykHelen KozakNick JarachovicMarshall ProckMary Ann SilberhornMargaret Rusynyk

Maura & Will Oprisko & UnbornChildEmily & Jason Grimes & Unborn Child

Upcoming Events February 25 -Sunday of Orthodoxy @ St. Mary’s March 3 - EOWG Retreat March 4 - Lenten Vespers @ Ss. Peter & Paul, Lorain March 11 - Lenten Vespers @ St. John Baptist, Campbell March 17 - Lenten Retreat @ St. Nicholas, Mentor March 18 - Lenten Vespers @ St. Nicholas, Mogadore March 25 - Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos March 25 - Lenten Vespers @ Holy Trinity, Parma April 8 - Pascha

2006 and 2007 Dues

$250.00 per Adult member (18 and older)

per year.

Coffee Hour & Greeters SchedulesCoffee Hour Hosts: Greeters:2/25 Mat. Cindy Zdinak Paul Pangrace & Karen Felon3/04 Mary Swit,Tammy Ponomarenko Steven & Eileen Bondor3/11 Joyce Tabeling Debbi Pinta & Joyce Tabeling3/18 Patti Sankovic, Natalia PricinovskisPaul Pangrace & Maca Tyler3/25 Maca Tyler & Judy Schwind Steven & Eileen Bondor

ST. RAPHAEL, BISHOP OF BROOKLYN COMMEMORATED FEBRUARY 27

Saint Raphael, a man of angelic name and apostolic fervor, was influenced by many cultures. He was born and raised in the Middle East, educated by Greeks at Halki, and by Russians at Kiev, and he spent the last nineteen years of his life as a mis-sionary in North America.The holy bishop was born on or about November 8, 1860. Fleeing Damascus due to religious persecutions, Michael and Mariam Hawaweeny went to Beirut where the saint was born and baptized with the name Rafla. They returned to Damascus in 1861, and sent their son to elementary school. Although the boy was a good student, his father could not afford for him to continue his studies. Providentially, Deacon Athanasios Atallah (later Metropolitan of Homs) arranged for Rafla's acceptance as a student of the Patriarchate of Antioch in order to prepare for the holy priesthood.In 1879, Rafla was tonsured a monk by Patriarch Hierotheos and became his personal attendant. Later, he was sent to the Theological School at Halki, where he was ordained to the diaconate in 1885. Upon graduation, Deacon Raphael returned to his homeland and accompanied the Patriarch of Antioch on his pastoral visitations to various parishes.The saint's thirst for knowledge was so great that he asked the Patriarch to permit him to continue his theological education in Russia, promising to return as the Patriarch's Russian-language secretary. Deacon Raphael was accepted at the Theological Academy at Kiev, and in 1889 he was appointed as head of the Antiochian representation Church (metochion) in Moscow. At the request of the Patriarch of Antioch, he was ordained to the holy priesthood, then raised to the rank of Archimandrite.

The Antiochian Patriarchate had been under the rule of foreign bishops since 1766. Father Raphael wrote many articles urging that the administration of the Church of Antioch be returned to its native clergy and people. His outspoken criti-cisms led Patriarch Spyridon to suspend Father Raphael from priestly functions. Eventually, St. Raphael was persuaded to ask the Patriarch's forgiveness. The Patriarch reinstated him, but transferred him to the canonical jurisdiction of the Church of Russia. While teaching at Kazan's Theological Academy, Archimandrite Raphael was invited to come to New York to become the pastor of that city's Syro-Arab Orthodox commu-nity.St. Raphael arrived in New York on November 2, 1895 and soon established the church of St. Nicholas. The parish later moved to Brooklyn. In addition to his pastoral duties there, he was given responsibility for all the scattered children of Anti-och in North America. He spent the rest of his life traveling across the continent seeking out Orthodox Arabs and gather-ing them into a harmonious spiritual family in the Church. He baptized their children, blessed their marriages, and buried their dead. He was a beloved spiritual father who organized many parishes and provided priests to serve them. At the time of St. Raphael's death, the Syro-Arab mission had 30 parishes and 25,000 faithful.St. Raphael was the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America (1904). He was also a tireless laborer who strove to build up the Church (I Cor. 14:12). He was a man of prayer who was consumed with zeal for the house of the Lord (Psalms 68:9). On February 27, 1915, he rested from his labors and fell asleep in the Lord. By his holy prayers, may we be accounted worthy of the heavenly Kingdom. Amen.http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/straphaelcanonized/lives/oca_short.htm

Note that February donations made using the monthly “Special Collec-tion” envelope will be directed to the Mission Fund of the Midwest

Diocese. March designation will be for the Cleveland Deanery.

2006 Dues must be paid in order to vote at

the Annual Meeting

Parish Council News The next Parish Council Meeting is 6:00 PM, Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at Ridge Manor. Any parish member is welcome.

Sunday February 251st Sunday of Great LentSunday of Orthodoxy9:00 AM Divine Liturgy6:00 PM “Triumph of Orthodoxy” Service at St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral

Monday February 265:30 PM Finance Committee at Ridge Manor

Tuesday February 27

Wednesday February 286:00 PM Pre-sanctified LiturgyPotluck following Liturgy

Thursday March 111:00 AM Faith Enrichment at Ridge Manor

Friday March 26:00 PM Pre-sanctified LiturgyPotluck following Liturgy

Saturday March 3Memorial Saturday9:00 AM Divine Liturgy6:00 PM Great Vespers

Sunday March 42nd Sunday of Great Lent9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 5:00 PM Lenten Vespers at Ss. Peter & Paul in Lorain

St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 4

Addressee

St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral

8200 Biddulph Rd

Brooklyn, OH 44144

Weekly Schedule

Prayer for the DepartedO God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Par-don every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth.For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, to-gether with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen.