Parishioners celebrated 88th Name day of St. John's Church. It was a great atmosphere today at St. John's Church. Parishioners brought traditional albanian home made food to celebrate the Church Name day. We also did the 50/50 raffle and gift baskets enjoying the view from the new windows that are being replaced at the fellowship hall. Some pics from the event are posted here.

Many thanks to Paula B. for sponsoring a wonderful Halloween Party for the children (big and small) at St. John Chrysostom!

Our Sunday school students brought their backpacks to church to receive a blessing from Father Dennis as they begin the new school year. All were excited!

Picnic at Neshaminy State Park, Bensalem PA. 

No graduates for our high school class.  Thank you to our Director Steve, our teachers and students. See you in September!!!

Congrats to Vlad and Susan on their 22nd wedding anniversary!

Agape Vespers (also called Vespers of Love) is a Vespers service that continues the celebration of Pascha, typically held in the afternoon on the day of Pascha. At this service the Gospel reading (John 20:19-25) depicts the first appearance of the risen Lord to his disciples, and is recited in many languages (often as many languages as are known by those present in the congregation), symbolising that the glorious resurrection of Christ is proclaimed to all the nations of the world. To this effect, the Gospel pericope is sometimes read from different places within the nave.

In some traditions, red eggs are again distributed to the congregation at the end of the service as a blessing. People who attend this service may also hold lit Paschal candles from the Resurrection service from the night before. It is also a custom to bring small children who were not able to attend the evening service. After this service, people will often continue the celebration of the Resurrection in their homes.

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A little before midnight on the Blessed Sabbath the Nocturne service is chanted. The celebrant goes to the tomb and removes the winding-sheet. He carries it through the royal doors and places it on the altar table where it remains for forty days until the day of Ascension.   At midnight the Easter procession begins. The people leave the church building singing:The angels in heaven, O Christ our Savior, sing of Thy resurrection. Make us on earth also worthy to hymn Thee with a pure heart. The procession circles the church building and returns to the closed doors of the front of the church. This procession of the Christians on Easter night recalls the original baptismal procession from the darkness and death of this world to the light and the life of the Kingdom of God. It is the procession of the holy passover, from death unto life, from earth unto heaven, from this age to the age to come which will never end. Before the closed doors of the church building, the resurrection of Christ is announced. Sometimes the Gospel is read which tells of the empty tomb. The celebrant intones the blessing to the “holy, consubstantial, life-creating and undivided Trinity.” The Easter troparion is sung for the first time, together with the verses of Psalm 68 which will begin all of the Church services during the Easter season.

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee from before his face!Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life (Troparion).This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

The people re-enter the church building and continue the service of Easter Matins which is entirely sung.

We are so happy to welcome Audrey (Amy) to our Church Family.  Many Years!

On Great and Holy Friday the Orthodox Church commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross. This is the culmination of the observance of His Passion by which our Lord suffered and died for our sins. This commemoration begins on Thursday evening with the Matins of Holy Friday and concludes with a Vespers on Friday afternoon that observes the unnailing of Christ from the Cross and the placement of His body in the tomb. The faithful gathered to sing Lamentations.

We had an excellent group of parishioners who arrived at church around 10:00 (ish) to decorate the Epitaphios for this evening's Lamentations.  Thank you so very much, Paula, Fiori, Elisabeth, Dodona, Marjana, Fred, Marinela, Michele, Bella, Olivia, Lilly, Chase, Stephanie, Olivia, Vivian, good Greta, Tatjana, Kathryn, Chris, Donna.  The Epitaphios looks FABULOUS!

When all was done we venerated the tapestry and crawled under the Epitaphios.

The reading of the Twelve Gospels.  These readings relate the last instructions of Christ to His disciples, the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, the dramatic prayer of Christ and His new commandment. The day should be devoted to reading the "Gospel of the Testament" of Christ which He left for all men. The Church services during Holy Week re-enact the events of this Gospel.

The service of the HOLY PASSION of our Lord Jesus Christ. The service is Matins of Friday morning sung by anticipation, on Thursday evening.)

Good Friday celebrates the holy, saving, and awesome Passion of Christ. To take away our sins, Christ willingly endured spitting, scourging, buffeting, scorn, mocking, and purple robe; the reed, sponge, vinegar, nails, spear, and above all, the Cross and Death. The confession from the cross of the penitent thief, crucified with Christ, is celebrated. This service is long, but its content is dramatic and deeply moving for the devout Christian. Participation in the prayers and the historical sequence of the events, as related in the Gospels and hymns, provides a vivid foundation for the great events yet to come. Following are the references of the "Twelve Gospel" readings of this service

We celebrated Jesus Entry into Jerusalem, porcessed with Palms and enjoyed our annual pancake breakfast.  Special thanks to Rose Adams and her family and to Tony from Court Diner for supplying the pancakes and accessories!

Unfortunately not many people were able to attend the Liturgy and Retreat, but those that did had a good time.  Following the instructional Liturgy we went upstairs and made delicious Meshe, Palm Crosses, died eggs and of course enjoyed a slice of pizza - a Lazurus staple.  Thank you to those who came out and helped out!

Today we gathered for the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil  and a procession for the Veneration of the Cross.

Special Thanks to Linda K. for donating the flowers and creating a beautiful arrangement to surround the cross which was donated by +Marci Moore many years ago.  The cross has a relic of the original Holy Cross under the glass.

The Third Sunday of Lent is that of the Veneration of the Cross. The cross stands in the midst of the church in the middle of the lenten season not merely to remind men of Christ’s redemption and to keep before them the goal of their efforts, but also to be venerated as that reality by which man must live to be saved. “He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10.38). For in the Cross of Christ Crucified lies both “the power of God and the wisdom of God” for those being saved (1 Cor 1.24).

Through donations and the hard work of our many volunteers, the Charity & Benevolence Committee was able to host a very successful “street outreach” event. We served lunch and distributed clothes to about 65 people. Father Brooks was able to be a “street minister” in Logan circle with the help of high school and college volunteers.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy saw a very special visitor to our chruch.  Father Dennis Rhodes joined Father Brooks to concelebrate the Divine Liturgy.  It was wonderful to see Father Dennis in the Altar and visit with him during coffee hour. Also today, our Sunday school students took care of all of the jobs during and after the Divine Liturgy.  They were greeters with big smiles and a hearty good morning for our parishioners and visitiors, candle stand change makers, carried the Icon & Meshe for our Nameday celebrants, maintained the lite candles in the stands, took the collection, closed the church.  The students sponsored and set up coffee hour and then headed over to ice skate.Indeed it was a very busy at St. John Chrysostom Albanian Orthodox Church!

Some pictures from Meatfare Sunday

We had a great International Women's Day party!  Many thanks to all who participated and helped on this event, especially to Donna and her family for the great food.  Fiori and Nilda for helping with setting up the tables and various decorations. We also had lots of Albanian Dance Music till midnight. 

Icon Auction Part II.  We had a great participation from our parish on this event. Some pictures are attached here.

Some pics from the blessing of the water and the Icon Auction part I