St Olympia Orthodox Church - Week of 4 06 2025

Dear Faithful,

Blessed Feast of St. Innocent of Alaska!

This rugged missionary saint captures the spirit of the North Country. It is said that St. Innocent went blind from prolonged exposure to the harsh weather conditions. Imagine traversing hundreds of miles of dangerous, unpredictable open sea in a one-man kayak—just to reach a single remote community, often one that spoke an entirely different language.

As he writes in his catechism, "Indication of the Way" (which is well worth the read): “But what in the world, what sciences or art, or what consolations are acquired by us easily, quickly, and without toil?” His physical blindness did not slow him down. Rather, his relentless love for Christ and for his people carried him forward, unwavering, until the end.

Attached is the bulletin (thank you, Peggy). I did a double take when I saw Lazarus Sunday and Palm Sunday on there already—hard to believe we're that close. Here is the schedule for Holy Week along with an (attached) Invitation for Pascha that you can share with friends. More information about different paschal traditions and the services of Holy Week will be coming soon!

I hope you can join us for Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday and the Akathist service on Friday.

May God bless and keep you,

Fr Gregory

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Rev. Gregory Fedorchak, Ph.D.

Parish Priest - St. Olympia Orthodox Church

34 N Main St., Norwood, NY 13668