St Olympia Orthodox Church - Week of 4 20 2025

Dear Faithful,

Please see the attached bulletin (thank you, Peggy!). There is an excellent walk-through of Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, Holy Saturday, and Pascha. This is what it is all about. Our entire faith, our entire life, everything centers around these blessed and holy days.

As it says in the bulletin, these services are not "dramatic re-enactments" or "ritual reproductions" but rather the "deepest spiritual and liturgical penetration into the eternal meaning of the saving events of Christ, viewed and praised already with the full knowledge of their divine significance and power."

Some additional announcements: 

- The pregnancy center in Watertown sent us a very heartfelt Thank You card for the baby goods that we donated (see attached)

- I will be available to hear confessions before and after all services, or by appointment, through Wednesday night

- Holy Unction on Wednesday night is a sacrament. Ideally, you should not eat or drink anything after noon. The non-Orthodox will be anointed with blessed oil instead of sacramental unction 

- If anyone would like to bring a Lenten dish on Wednesday (after the Unction/Healing service) it would be much appreciated

- Between Friday night and the start of the Paschal service, we will be keeping vigil at the tomb. Sign-up here for a 90 minute slot 

- Following the midnight service, I will be blessing Pascha/Easter baskets (see attached handout from Fr. Joel Brady)

Be assured of my prayers for you and your family as we journey together to the Holy Pascha!

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Gregory

--

Rev. Gregory Fedorchak, Ph.D.

Parish Priest - St. Olympia Orthodox Church

34 N Main St., Norwood, NY 13668