Icon of the Descent into Hades

Great and Holy Pascha:Resurrection of Our Lord

God and Savior jesus Christ

SPECIAL SPONSORS

This space is available for advertisements to help subside the cost of the bulletin. If you know of a business and/or an organization that would like to advertise in our bulletin please contact Fr. Dio-doro for promotional rates. Thank you!*************************************************************************************************Vital Biz Group, PLLC Nicholas Stefaniak III, CPAStrategies for Today’s Business info@vitalbizgroup.comScottsdale AZ 85258 www.vitalbizgroup.com480-526-7909 Office602-577-4991 Cell*************************************************************************************************LOUIE’S ULTRA CLEANERSWWW.LOUIESULTRACLEANERS.COMEco-friendly Dry Cleaning/ Alterations & Repairs/ Wedding Gown PreservationsLeather & Suede/ Household Items4410 W. Union Hills Dr. Glendale, AZ 85308 (623) 582-4470 10855 N. Tatum Blvd. Phoenix AZ 85028

This Week’s Liturgy Schedule Sun. 4/16 PASCHA / RESURRECTION DAY / EASTER SUNDAYSat. 5:00 PM Pascha Vigil Vesper Liturgy of St. Basil the Great Blessing of Easter Food in Parish Hall Sun. 9:00 AM Resurrection Matins with Procession and Divine Liturgy Blessing of Artos Bread Blessing of Easter Food in Parish Hall

Mon. 4/17 Bright Monday9:00 AM Resurrection Matins (Fr. Joe)7:00 PM Divine Liturgy with Procession and 4 Gospel Readings (Fr. Diodoro)

Tue. 4/18 Bright Tuesday 8:30 AM Resurrection Matins & Divine Liturgy (Fr. David) +Tom Garcia by Deacon John & Terry Montalvo

Wed. 4/1 Bright Wednesday (Msgr. Kevin) 8:00 AM Special Intention Thu. 4/20 Bright Thursday No Morning Divine Liturgy Fri. 4/21 Bright Friday 8:00 AM Special Intention (Bishop Gerald) Sat. 4/22 Bright Saturday No Morning Divine Liturgy Sun. 4/23 Thomas Sunday Sat. 4:00 PM Special Intention (Fr. Joe)Sun. 8:45 AM Mysteries of Initiation of Owen Daniel MundalSun. 9:00 AM For our Parishioners, Benefactors and Friends (Fr. Diodoro) Breaking of Artos Bread Thomas Sunday Easter Foods Luncheon after Divine Liturgy

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW LITURGICAL TIMESOne Sunday Liturgy at 9:00 AM starting April 23, 2017After praying, discerning and consulting with the Parish Advisory Council, it has been decided to consolidate the Sunday Liturgies. Beginning Thomas Sunday, April 23, there will no longer be two Divine Liturgies on Sunday. Instead, we will have one Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM. On the same weekend as the above change, we are modifying the time for the Saturday Vigil. Beginning Satur-day, April 22, the Saturday Vesper Liturgy will start at 4:00 PM instead of 5:00 PM. We apologize for the inconvenience these changes may cause. We pray and hope that you will understand that they are necessary to strengthen St. Stephen’s attendance, to welcome visitors to a fuller church,

and to bring us together as a parish family of God.

OUR CATHEDRAL PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE CLER-GY AND RELIGIOUS AFTER THE PASCHA VIGIL VESPER LITURGY ON HOLY SATUR-DAY AND AFTER THE RESURRECTION MATINS AND DIVINE LITURGY ON PASCHA (EASTER SUNDAY) TO ENJOY YOUR BLESSED EASTER FOOD IN THE PARISH HALL.

THOMAS SUNDAY EASTER FOOD POTLUCK LUNCHEON: SUNDAY APRIL 23 On Thom-as Sunday following the Divine Liturgy and Breaking of Artos Bread, we will have an Easter Food Luncheon with ham, kolbasi, paska (bread), Easter eggs, Easter cheese, etc. The cathedral will provide the ham and parishioners are asked to sign the sheet listing what items they will bring. We will celebrate the April birthdays and anniversaries on this day.

Holy Mysteries of Initiation for Owen Daniel Mundal will be on Thomas Sunday, April 23 at 8:45 AM.

Marriage Preparation classes to resume on Saturday April 29 at 1 PM. Meeting in the Pastoral Center.

PARISH ADVISORY MEETING Sunday, April 30, 2017 in the Rectory Office after the 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy.

Life in Christ Adult ECF series to resume on Monday May 23.

CURRENT BISHOP’S APPEAL RECORDParish Goal: $29,700.00 Amount Pledged: $14,328.00 (40 of 108 households pledged)Pledge Payments Received: $12,878.00 Amount Needed to Reach Goal: $15,272.00*Please note that instead of requesting $200.00 per family, the Eparchy is kindly asking for a pledge of $275.00 per family to allow the Eparchy to continue funding programs within our Eparchy. It has been 20 years that we have asked for $200.00 and it’s now time to upgrade that to meet the ris-ing cost of programs from 20 years ago.

SPRING CLEANING RUMMAGE SALE sponsored by the GCU Lodge 999 will be held on Saturday, April 22 in the Parish Hall from 6 AM to 1 PM. Breakfast items and light lunch will be available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit Americare Hospice. You can drop off items in the small hall in the Parish Hall from April 8th - April 21st. Please do not bring any clothes!!! For more information please call Joanie Mahar at 602-920-0607.

MOTHER’S DAY TEA sponsored by GCU Lodge 999 will be held on Saturday, May 13 from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM in the Parish Hall. Donation is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children under age 11. The event will benefit the Lodge 999 Scholarship Fund. Women and men are invited and a light luncheon will be served. For more information contact Joanie Mahar at 602-920-0607.

EASTERN CATHOLIC BIBLE CONFERENCE will be held at our Parish Hall onFriday, May 19th from 6:30 -9:00 PM and Saturday, May 20th from 10 AM – 3:45 PM.The topic will be “The Book of the Beginnings – Genesis in the Easter Christian Traditions.”Information and registration forms are at the entrance of the church

2017 MYRRH BEARERS RETREAT for women and girls will take place at the Francis-can Renewal Center in Scottsdale from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25. Brochures and retreat registration forms will be coming soon. For more information please see Sr. Jean Marie. Brochures are in the entrance to the church.

ALIVE IN CHRIST 2017 This year’s Alive in Christ will be held at Prescott Pine Christian Camp in Prescott, Arizona beginning Thursday, July 6 at 2:30 PM and concluding on Sunday, July 9 at 1:00 PM. The theme of the this year’s spiritual retreat camp is “Theosis Through Liturgy: The Work of the People and Their God.” All applicable forms and payments are due by May 12, 2017. Checks are to be made payable to “Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix”. If you are interested, please pick up one of the yellow forms at the entrance table in church.

Preparations are well under way for the 50th Jubilee Celebration. A special event will be held each month beginning June, 2017 and concluding June, 2018. To date the events in progress are: Thursday, June 22, 2017, Moleben to St. Stephen at 5:00 PM with dinner to follow. All of the clergy from our Eparchy will be present. On Saturday, July 29, 2017, a service project “Feed My Starv-ing Children” is being sponsored. See the fliers to register. During the month of August, you are encouraged to attend one of the Pilgrimages. Let us join in “Proclaiming a Year of Grace.” Next meeting for the 50th Planning Committee is Sunday, April 23rd after the 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy. Committee members are asked to please bring your ideas on the following topic so as to expedite the meeting: Anniversary Booklet ideas: What should format be? What pictures? What articles, etc?

Coming Events – Mark Your Calendars Now

Saturday, April 22- GCU Rummage Sale in Parish Hall: 6 AM - 1 PMSunday, April 23- 50th Parish Jubilee Committee Meeting After 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Sunday, April 23- St. Thomas Easter Food Pot Luck & April Birthday & Anniversaries In Parish Hall after the 9:00 AM Divine LiturgySunday, April 30- Parish Advisory Council Meeting in Rectory Office after 9:00 AM LiturgyTuesday, May 2- Visits to the Sick & Infirmed of our ParishSunday, May 7- ECF Picnic in the Parish Hall after the 9:00 AM Divine LiturgySaturday, May 13- Mother’s Day Tea 11:30 AM - 2 PM in Parish HallFriday, May 19- Byzantine Bible Conference 6:30 - 9:00 PM in Parish HallSaturday, May 20- Byzantine Bible Conference 10 AM - 4:30 PM in parish hall

Our Weekly Gifts to the Lord—May the Lord bless your kindness and generosity!Saturday: 5:00 PM: 12 Sunday: 8:00 AM: 45 Sunday: 10:00 AM: 103Tithes: $1,585.00 Candles: $56.25 Easter Offering: $465. Bishop’s Appeal: $475.00Coffee Social: Gift Shop: $427.90 Home Missions: $5.00 Bake Sale: $25.00Reimbursement from PV Roadrunner LLL: $219.42 Gift Shop: $54.00Total: $2,811.57

Bishop’s Appeal Collection For 4/9/2017$550.00

Fish Fry Net Income: $3,347.95 (Includes Beverage Stand)& Bake Sale Net Income: $60.00 = $3407.95(above amounts do not include expenses)

Q & A…email your questions: Who is the Byzantine Church?

When the Churches of Rome and Constantinople lost communion with one another, attempts to reunite proved unsuccessful for various reasons, but there was a desire to regain unity. The Trans-carpathian region of central Europe stands at the border of East and West and in 1646, Orthodox Christians in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire re-established communion with Rome.

The Holy Protection of Mary Eparchy of Phoenix serves the western United States with the mis-sion of passing on our Eastern Christian Faith and the Byzantine Tradition lived in full commu-nion with the Church of Rome. Founded by immigrants from the Transcarpathian region whose ancestors received the Gospel message in their native tongue, our Church followed this legacy

and began celebrating the liturgical services in English, opening the doors to anyone drawn to Byzantine Liturgy, Theology, and Spirituality. As a result, the 19 parishes and multiple missions from Anchorage to San Diego along the Coast, stretching as far east as Denver and everywhere in between are today comprised of the faithful. Some are descendants of those original immigrants and many are pilgrims to the Byzantine Catholic Church. They may be from a Roman Catholic background, or converts from Protestantism, or have no previous religious affiliation at all, but that which unites them is a love for the Byzantine Catholic Faith handed down from the Apostles to Saints Cyril and Methodius and to our Bishops today. We, the spiritual descendants of the mis-sionary efforts of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, strives to again and again turn our hearts and the hearts of our neighbors in the Western US to Christ our God who enlightens, saves and renews the whole world.

Eastern Christian Bulletin Service -- PO Box 3909 -- Fairfax, VA 22038-3909 www.ecbulletin.com Ph: 703-691-8862 Fax: 703-691-0513

The Lamb Who Was Slain Has Delivered Us from Death and Given Us Life

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Pascha / Resurrection Day / Easter Sunday April 16, 2017 Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Our Bishop, clergy, religious and faithful welcome you to St. Stephen Cathedral. We are delighted that you have joined us for our Divine Liturgy. Our Church follows the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel and passed on to us through the teachings of the Apostles and Holy Tradition.

Saint Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral8141 North 16th Street, Front

Phoenix, Arizona 85020-3950Office: 602.943.5379 Fax 602.997.4093

Website www.stsbcc.orgSunday Divine Liturgy : Saturday 4:00 PM Sunday 09:00 Weekday Services See Bulletintin Served by: Most Rev. John S. Pazak, CSsR., Bishop Most Reverend Gerald N. Dino, Bishop Emeritus; Very Rev. Diodoro Mendoza, Rector , rectorss@eparchyofphoenix.org;Rev. Joseph Hutsko, Vice-Rector – huts1009@gmail.com Very Rev. Archpriest David M. Petras, Retired; Msgr. Kevin McCauliffe, In Residence Deacon John Montalvo - Deacon James Danovich Sister Christopher, OSBM - Sister Jean Marie, OSBM