The wisdom of the Holy Church always amazes me! As written in “The Year of Grace of the Lord” by A Monk of the Eastern Church SVS press 1980: “In the liturgical year, we are called to relive the whole life of Christ. Liturgical life is not an end to itself; it is but a means of reaching the Kingdom of God which is “within us” Our taking part in the liturgical year is empty and illusory if the outward cycle is not matched by an inner cycle, and if the events of Christ’s life that each feast represents do not find themselves mysteriously renewed in our soul. The liturgical year is for us, a special means of union with Christ and one another because as we travel from Christmas to Pascha,-Pascha to Pentecost as a church family we unite ourselves to Christ in His birth, and His growth to Christ suffering, to Christ dying, to Christ in triumph and to Christ inspiring His Church.”
The parish of St. Alexis has had a Christ inspired 2013-14 year. As in any family we experienced growth: Fr. Steven included more services in our weekly calendar of worship. Father has introduced the parish to the worship of “Akathist” as we learn more about our Saints. We have had growth in the ministry of the choir. We have been blessed to have Susan Lukianov share with us her musical talents in the continuing development of liturgical singing.
In November several of our family attended a retreat in Lenox Ma, sponsored by our brothers and sisters of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Danbury. On November 20 2013 we prayed “give rest to the soul of Your departed servant J. Robert Martin” our beloved brother in Christ. Memory Eternal!
Together we journeyed through Advent to a glorious Christmas Feast. As we entered into 2014 there was the blessing of the waters of Long Island Sound and several attended a prelenten retreat with Dr. Albert Rossi at our sister parish Holy Ghost Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in Bridgeport.
We gathered as a family to begin our journey to Pascha with words of reconciliation at the Forgiveness Sunday Vespers. At this time we also kept in prayers our sister Sarah Luft a UCONN student who traveled to Cape Town through the study abroad program. She had the experience to work with the Electoral Operations team in the Western Cape Provincial Office of IEC. A quote from her blog: “On a day to day-to-day basis here, I am confronted by the contrast of the most beautiful and the most unbeautiful. There is the simple and pure beauty of the landscape of Ubuntu, of the peoples’ warmth and resilience, and yet the extreme pains of poverty and destructive traces of apartheid still littering the country. I never guessed I’d be learning about issues of equality, of human dignity of socioeconomic status, and of conflict resolution alongside electoral processes.”
The Lenten journey was enhanced by a full cycle of services and finally the joy of Pascha as we sang “Christ is Risen”
In April Michael and Dori Kuziak hosted our church family in the farewell thanksgiving celebration for our dear brother and sister in Christ; Christine and Raymond Boyd. They were founding members of the parish, they contributed to every aspect of church life at St. Alexis, and they were instrumental in establishing the mission statement of the parish. We congratulate them on Raymond’s new employment and the recent marriage of their son Lieutenant Samuel and Angela Boyd. Samuel was “a son” of St. Alexis parish and at the wedding his brother Andrew who is the chairperson of the Department of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry of the OCA, stated that Sam” lives through the people he loves” Please pray for Samuel for he will again be deployed in a few weeks. We also sing Many Years to Dr. Alexis Boyd who is to be married in October. We thank God for this blessed family and will miss them so very much!
We congratulate our college graduates: Anastasia Elliott who graduated from Connecticut College and Thomas Brubaker who graduated from Roger Williams. “Many Years” to these wonderful young adults!
In June we honored our high school graduate and recipient of the St. Alexis scholarship, Katie Jankura who is attending Eastern Connecticut State University. She is the daughter of Greg and Christine Jankura.
As with all families there are times of changes: Our beloved sister in Christ; Susan Egan, who devoted many hours and years to the success of the church school program, has retired from that service to the church. She is thanked in so many countless ways for her devotion and caring to the children of the parish.
In June we not only experienced the joy of Christ in our lives through the Feast of Pentecost but also sharing this joy with those around us as Fr. Steven blessed the”garden’ named (Food for All, Garden) This is a continued outreach program of the parish. We have been blessed that we also share this experience with the New England Diocese as we have been generously honored by a grant through the “Parish Grant Initiative Program” sponsored by the Diocese. The garden has grown extensively and this year over 3700 pounds of produce have been harvested. The fresh produce is distributed to the guests at the food pantry held at Holy Advent Episcopal Church on Wednesday evenings. Margaret Larom of the Holy Advent Episcopal Church in Clinton is the coordinator and does an extraordinary ministry. The blessing of the garden and sharing this experience with our Episcopal neighbors helps to fulfill a mission of St. Alexi’s parish: to educate people about the truth and presence of Orthodoxy. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). When a tomato plant produces the first tiny green tomato, we experience joy. The first tomato is a promise of more to come (the first fruit)! So it is with the resurrection of Jesus. He is the “first fruit” He is the promise that those who live with Him will also rise.
We also at this time had an opportunity to complete a parish survey. This provided insights into the future needs and directions of the parish
In July we again had to wish Many Years with our tears as we blessed the departure to Jacksonville, Florida of Frank, Stephanie, Annie, Frankie and Charlie Ruperto, Stephanie’s father Sal Faro also accompanied them. We will miss them and miss watching these beautiful children grow to become amazing Orthodox Christian adults.
We celebrated as families do at the renewed good health to many parishioners who had been ill. Thank you dear Lord!
In July one of our youth: Matthew Kuziak was a participant in the Appalachian Service Project (ASP). His team was in Matewan, WV. This was his first year and he worked hard at fixing homes with new ceilings, painting, and installing siding. He commented “that to see the finished house and the smile on the homeowner’s faces made it all worth it!”
Fr. Steven and John and Joan Skrobat attended the Small Parish Forum in Byesville Ohio. It was an event sponsored by the Archdiocese of the Western Pennsylvania OCA and Diocese of the Midwest. The forum focused on the needs and continued development of small parishes. St. Alexis parish survey results were a good outline for our attendance. The forum focused on the awareness of the community’s strengths and weaknesses, future direction in light of local circumstances and re-commitment to an active spiritual life. Topics discussed: Parish Revitalization Profile,(case studies), Foundations and Fundamentals of Worship and Liturgical Singing, Charitable Outreach, Evangelism in the 21st Century, Communicating your parish: Web sites etc.
In August we concluded the Liturgical year with the knowledge that we offered the love of Christ to those in need both in word and action we celebrated with fellowship and love at the annual parish picnic.
September 2014 A New Liturgical Year!
We pray the Church New Year-Troparion: “ O Lord, maker of the universe, who alone has power over seasons and times, bless this year with your bounty, preserve our country in safety, and keep Your people in peace. Save us through the prayers of the Mother of God”
On September 14, 2014 the Church celebrates the The Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross. “The cross is the protector of the whole world; the cross is the splendor of the Church; the cross is the glory of kings, the Cross is the support of the faithful; the Cross is the glory of angels and the terror of demons. Today the Cross is exalted and the world is sanctified”. On this day at St. Alexis parish Dori Kuziak a long time seeker had the tracing of the cross upon her forehead, heart, hands and feet with the Holy Chrism as she was received into the Orthodox faith. So important a day, a penitential feast near the beginning of the Liturgical New Year is an ideal time for spiritual direction and the preparation of spiritual goals and discipline. The cross is so vital in the world of TODAY. Many Years Sister in Christ Katherine!
On a beautiful day; September 20th the Parish of St. Alexis ventured into a heartwarming event: A Tag and Bake Sale. It was an event that took incredible virtues to make it a success. The virtues of patience, understanding, caring and love were what Stacia Penkoff-Lidbeck displayed as she lead us through the tasks of sorting through all the treasures donated by parishioners, organizing items into categories, and pricing items, setting up items for sale and selling. Irene Kaiser coordinated the bake sale. Incredible baked goods and homemade canned items were graciously donated. It was days of good work for the parish. It was an ideal time for Fr. Steven to give tours of the church and information about Orthodoxy and the parish of St. Alexis as visitors requested. Visitors to the sale were aware that profits were going to be donated to the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Pantry and Our Community Cares Food for All Garden.
The council also allocated the remainder of the proceeds toward church school and future local outreach needs. Many visitors to the sale asked questions about the church, about the Orthodox faith, talked about how organized they found the sale, how helpful the parishioners were and the good prices on items. It was a day of fellowship for the parish and an opportunity to see our mission statement at work. We truly experienced the joy of Christ in our lives and shared this joy with those around us.
