Please find the schedule of services for this week at the link below:

http://stvladimiraami.org/calendars/weekof11-08-15.pdf

God-willing we will serve Divine Liturgy each day this week as well as Evening Divine Services nearly every day. Please join us as your schedule allows!

Thank you to all who worked so hard to make Bishop Peter's visit to St. Vladimir's on November 7 & 8 so successful! The services were sung beautifully and prayerfully, the food was plentiful and delicious, and every other detail was as close to perfect as it could be! Congratulations to the newly-ordained Deacon Vladimir Pyrozhenko and the newly-tonsured Reader Roman Vershynin and to their families! May the merciful Lord grant them many years of service in His Vineyard! Thank you to the ORPR camp families whose children met the bishop with the traditional bread and salt on Sunday before the Divine Liturgy. And to all who labored anonymously for the glory of God: THANK YOU! May the Lord reward you in this life and the next for your service to His Holy Church!

Please note that the dates of the English cycle for December has been changed to December 25-26. We ask your forgiveness for any inconvenience in this regard. Unfortunately this move in unavoidable. Thank you for your understanding.

Please note that no photography will be allowed during Bishop Peter's visit without a specific blessing from Fr. Gregory. If you would like to take pictures please talk to Fr. Gregory. When the bishop visits things can be somewhat like paparazzi at the Oscars. That is not conductive to prayer and will distract the bishop and make him not want to visit us. That is an unacceptable outcome. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions or concerns.

The October schedule of services listed tonight's services as Vespers & Matins for Demetrius Saturday. However, we have had to make a small change to that plan due to various factors outside our control. Tonight's service will be a Pannykhida for the reposed as part of Demetrius Saturday. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Thank you for your understanding and please contact Fr. Gregory if you have any questions.

God willing, on Sunday, November 8 – the feast of the Great Martyr Demetrius, Reader Vadym Pyrozhenko (his baptismal name is Vladimir, so we will call him by that name after his ordination) will be ordained to the deaconate for service at St. Vladimir's.

It is hard to over estimate the importance of the celebration of the Sacrament of Ordination in our parish church. Only the bishop has the grace to perform ordinations – this is something that a priest cannot do. It is a great honor and a great blessing for our parish that Bishop Peter will visit us, and an even greater honor and blessing that he will perform an ordination in our parish. WE MUST PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT!

Please find below two links that EVERYONE should review in preparation for the Liturgy on Sunday, November 8. The first explains the roles of the bishop, the other clergy, and the people during the ordination. VERY IMPORTANT: we need to not “jump the gun” when saying “Axios” - please read that pamphlet carefully. The second explains ordination in more detail.

http://stvladimiraami.org/flyers/ordina ... ctions.pdf

http://stvladimiraami.org/pamphlets/sac ... nation.pdf

Please contact me with questions/concerns/comments. Thank you for taking the time to prepare yourself and your family for this significant event in the life and history of our parish!

Since God willing Reader Vladimir Pyrozhenko will be ordained a deacon this coming Sunday, we will have Liturgy at St. Vladimir's every day for the week following his ordination to allow him to delve deeply into his new obedience and to practice the Divine Services.

Divine Liturgy begins daily at 8:00 a.m. Evening services will be held at 6:00 p.m. each day EXCEPT November 9. November 11 we will read the akathist as is our normal practice.

Please join us as your schedule allows!

Glory to God, 12 pilgrims from St. Vladimir's visited Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV this last weekend and have returned safely. Pilgrimage is an important part of our spiritual lives as Orthodox Christians and something we should try to engage in on some sort of regular basis. Our next parish pilgrimage will be to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY after Pascha. We are considering a pilgrimage for men only to the St. John the Theologian Skete in Hiram, OH (the skete only has lodging space for lodging males) during Great Lent. If you are interested in this potential pilgrimage please contact Fr. Gregory.

Please plan to join us for the next hierarchal visit to St. Vladimir's! Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America will preside at Divine Services for the feast of the Great Martyr Demetrius according to the following schedule:

Saturday, November 7 – Vigil 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 8 – Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START TIMES and please save these dates now to participate in the Hierarchal Divine Services! Please also plan now to partake of the Holy Mysteries on November 8. Our bishops are the successors of the Holy Apostles and every hierarchal visit is an opportunity for the our community to come together and to partake of the One Cup together with the bishop. Although we have the possibility to partake of Holy Communion at every Liturgy, nonetheless, to participate in such an intimate way in a Liturgy led by one of the successors of the Apostles is a rare opportunity for which we really must make time in our busy lives.

Of course we should behave appropriately in church and we believe that everyone WANTS to behave appropriately, but sometimes we don’t know or we forget about the special times in the Divine Service when we should not move about or other important aspects of our worship. We include below a little pamphlet which reminds us of these things, and which also outlines the schema of the lights above the royal doors at St. Vladimir’s (which the outside lamps are lit we should not move about unless it is a matter of life and death). Please review this pamphlet and please see Fr. Gregory with questions. We appreciate sincerely your efforts to behave appropriately in the parish church during the Divine Services!

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/pamphlets ... church.pdf