The Church Herald Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church

2053 North Road, NE

Warren, OH 44483

Church Phone: (330) 372-6240 Rectory Phone: (330) 372-9778

Pastor: The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth M. Bachofsky, D. Min.

Email: otecken@yahoo.com—Parish Web Page: www.stnicholaswarren.org

Volume 34 December 23, 2018 Number 52

When the Creator saw that man, who He

had made with His own hands, perish, He was so

moved that, “He bowed the Heavens and came

down.” The Feast of the Nativity is the reconcilia-

tion of Heaven and earth. The birth of Christ has

united those on high and those below. Today God

has come down to earth, and man ascends to

Heaven. Today the invisible God, manifests Him-

self in flesh for the sake of His creation. Let our

souls and lips cry out—Christ is

born, Glorify Him! Today the

Creator has come down into the

full reality of His creation.

The Feast of the Nativity

is a time of joy and celebra-

tion—of much giving—but we

need to ask ourselves, what is

the true meaning of the Feast? If

we look around, Christmas in

the world today is heavily com-

mercialized, and how much do

we as Orthodox Christians con-

tribute to the cheapening of this

great Feast? Today, Christmas is

about everything but Christ. To

a l ot of us, the Feast is just an

opportunity to have a jolly good

time with mulled wine and

sumptuous food. It is important

for us to step away from the

noise and hear the real signifi-

cance of this Feast. In the words

of Isaiah the glorious Prophet:

“...to us a child is born, to us a

son is given; and the govern-

ment will be upon His shoulder,

and His Name will be called

‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty

God, Everlasting Father, Prince

of Peace!” (Isaiah 9:6).

The words of the popular

Christmas carol echo a great

truth, “O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shin-

ing, it is the night of our dear Savior’s birth. Long

lay the world in sin and error pining. ‘Till He ap-

peared and the soul felt its worth…’” It was not

until the coming of the Son of God, that man/the

soul realized his/its true worth, meaning and sig-

nificance. The Mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus

Christ speaks to us of something so deep and im-

possible, today God who fashions everything,

creies and breathes the breath, which at first He

gave to man, now as a babe. The coming together

of God and man is at the heart of this great mys-

tery, this great Feast. The Father of the Church

say, “In the glory of the Incarnation, the Divine

and the worldly are suddenly, triumphantly,

united and transformed.” This Feast is an op-

portunity for every believer to behold the Won-

derful, and be struck with awe because, “today

the King of kings and the Lord of lords, rests in

a cave!”

The Feast of God’s Em-

bracing Love

Christmas is a time

of coming to terms with

God’s all embracing and re-

demptive love for us, in spite

of all our failures and be-

trayals. When we journey to

Bethlehem, this redemptive

love becomes so visible. The

truth is not only that God

became man, not just that

the Eternally Begotten Sec-

ond Person of the Holy Trin-

ity took flesh, but in the

manger lies not only God,

but also ME! God took my

nature for Himself, this is

the all embracing and re-

demptive love! A love that is

so beyond description,

where me, who am but clay,

we, who are but dust, are

made perfect in Christ!

The Feast of the Greatest

Mission

Today is the day of

the greatest mission the

world has ever seen. In the

New Testament you will not

find the word “mission” but

there are numerous refer-

ences to God sending His

Son, and Jesus sending us! The Nativity Feast

proclaims the act of the Father sending His

Only Begotten into the world. The Father does

not send Jesus Christ into the world simply to

speak, but He sends Jesus Christ to share the

life of His people. He sends Christ to give His

life for His people, and to give new life to the

whole world. Christ shares in the sufferings, the

struggles, the hopes and the joys of the people

around Him and the Gospels bear witness to

that on numerous occasions. We too are sent to

Reflections on the Holy Nativity of Our Lord

give our love and our compassion. St. Paul says

that Jesus is sent into the world to “destroy the

power of death, and to bring Everlasting Life to

light!” And so we are sent in order to challenge

the power of death, and to bring life. Our mis-

sion is always more than words—our mission is

the sharing of life—life that transforms another

life.

The Feast of the Greatest Surprise

The greatest thing about Christmas morn-

ing is the surprises of the gifts wrapped and

placed under the tree. As Charles Swindoll so

beautifully put it, “Surprises are woven through

the very fabric of all our lives. They await each

one of us at unexpected and unpredictable junc-

tures.” This Feast is an amazing surprise in that

God Himself decided to become man, “God

comes to us, gives Himself to us, and not only in

deed and action. Our very nature is taken up into

His, and to our mortal frame is imparted a por-

tion of the Divine Life!”

The Feast of God Descending Into Our Real-

ity

The Incarnation is about God becoming

man, God descending into the world, but more

so He descends into the deeper reality of our

hearts—our life! The reality of our weakness.

Christ becomes the very center of our life, the

source of our energy in the world and the pur-

pose of our life in this world. The sin of Adam

banished him from Paradise and today that exile

is banished and man is set free and Christ unites

in His Person what is fallen in man and what is

perfect in His. Today Eden is opened and the

fullness of salvation is made manifest:

“salvation enters the world, and the curse is de-

stroyed!”

The Feast that Refuses to Compel Us

God has given Himself away so com-

pletely that we meet Him in poverty and weak-

ness, with no splendor or glory. The whole of

creation “lives by a love that refuses to bully us

or force us or compel us, it is the love of the Cra-

dle and the Cross!” Christ is “the fire in the

equations” that sustain everything. We live in a

world where power is everything, in fact we are

so obsessed with power that as Christians we

have failed to see the two most vivid images of

love—that of the helpless babe in the manger

and the dying man of the Cross! God empties

Himself in the manger and the Cross. He gives

away all that he is to restore mankind. We live in

Him, from Him, and through Him. God never

held back His love, instead extended it uncondi-

tionally to man. “The Eternal God, utterly un-

knowable, unfathomable, incomprehensible in

His innermost being, deigned to enter into the

sphere of our daily life, to assume the burdens

and suffering fo people like ourselves. He did so

for one purpose only: to rescue us from the con-

sequences of our sinful rebellion against the Au-

thor of Life, and to raise us up from death and

corruption!” St. Athanasius puts it so well when

he says, “He became what we are, so that we

might become what His is!” The Eternal Son of

God “took flesh” and “became man” so that we

might participate now and forever in all the joy

and all the glory of His Divine Life! Bethlehem

points us to Jerusalem, there is no manger with-

out the Cross and Resurrection—all the services

in the Orthodox Christian tradition points to the

salvific sacrifice of Christ and the Glorious Res-

urrection!

* Written by: Mr. Tenny Thomas *

Our Worship Schedule

Sunday, December 23rd 9:30 a.m. The Reading

of the Third Hour.

10:00 a.m. The Sunday Before the Nativ-

ity of the Lord, Tone 5 (Pages 93 & 129). The

Ten Martyrs of Crete are commemorated.

Epistle—Hebrews 11:9,10, 17-23,32-40

Gospel—Matthew 1:1-25

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24TH THE VIGIL

FOR THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD! A DAY

OF STRICT FASTING!

9:00 A.M. THE LITURGY OF ST.

BASIL THE GREAT FOR THE VIGIL OF THE

NATIVITION OF THE LORD (PAGE 130)!

EPISTLE—HEBREWS 1:1-12

GOSPEL—LUKE 2:1-20

1:00—3:00 P.M. CONFESSIONS OF

THE FAITHFUL!

7:00 P.M. THE SINGING OF CHRIST-

MAS CAROLS! THE VIGIL SERVICE WITH

LYTIA FOR THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25TH 9:30 A.M.

THE READING OF THE THIRD HOUR.

10:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE NA-

TIVITY OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR

JESUS CHRIST (PAGE 132)!

EPISTLE—GALATIANS 4:4-7

GOSPEL—MATTHEW 2:1-12

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26TH 9:00 A.M.

THE FEAST OF THE SYNAXIS OF THE

MOTHEROF GOD (PAGE 136)!

EPISTLE—HEBREWS 2:11-18

GOSPEL—MATTHEW 2:13-23

THURDAY, DECEMBER 27TH 9:00 A.M.

THE FEAST OF THE FIRST DEACON AND

MARTYR, ST. STEHEN (PAGE 137!

EPISTLE—ACTS 6:8-15,7:1-5,47-60

GOSPEL—MATTHEW 21:33-42

Saturday, December 29th 4:00 p.m. The Vesper

Service followed by Bible Study Class.

Sunday, December 30th 9:30 a.m. The Reading

of the Third Hour.

10:00 a.m. The Sunday After the Nativity

of the Lord, Tone 6 (Pages 96 & 138). The Vir-

gin Martyr Anysia and Zoticus are commemo-

rated.

Epistle—Galatians 1:11-19

Gospel—Matthew 2:13-23

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1ST 10:00 A.M. THE

FEAST OF THE CIRCUNCISION OF

CHRIST! FEAST OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT!

THE CIVIL NEW YEAR! BLESSING OF THE

VASILOPITA (PAGE 140)!

EPISTLE—COLOSSIANS 2:9-12

GOSPEL—LUKE 2:20,21,40-52

Nativity Celebration!

It is with great joy that we have now

come to the remaining few moments that will

user in the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, God

and Saviour Jesus Christ! Let us all prepare our-

selves to gather together as a Family-in-Christ,

here at St. Nicholas Church to worship the New

Born Saviour, born in a Cave and lay in a Man-

ger, in Bethlehem, for us and for our Salvation!

So that the commemoration and celebra-

tion of our Lord’s Birth will enable us to experi-

ence, the silence, peace, love and joy of this

Feast, we inform you of the following traditions

that will take place in the next few days:

Strict Fasting: Tomorrow has been des-

ignated by our Holy Mother Church as a day of

Strict Fast! This is done in our personal prepara-

tion to maintain the solemnity and holiness of

our Lord’s Nativity! This means that no meat or

dairy products should be included in one’s diet.

Nativity Eve Vigil: The Vigil Service for

Christmas Eve will begin at 7:00 p.m. Father

Ken and faithful in attendance will sing Christ-

mas Carols within the darkened Church, while

holding candles. After the final carol, the Great

Incensing and the Beginning of the Vigil Service

will take place!

Festive Anointing: Holy Oil from the

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem will be used

to anointing faith faithful for the Festal Divine

Liturgy on December 25th! As you are anointed

may it be for the reception of the Blessings of

the New Born King, for our good health and sal-

vation!

At the conclusion of the Liturgy faithful

will be able to come forward to venerate the Icon

of the Nativity of the Lord. The Antidoron will

be distributed, as well, to all the faithful and

guest joining us for the Nativity Divine Liturgy.

Advent Confessions

The most im-

portant spiritual dis-

cipline for the cele-

bration of our Lord’s

Nativity is Repen-

tance! Repentance

was the primary

proclamation of John

the Baptist and the

first words of our

Lord as He began is

Preaching Ministry:

“Repent, for the

Kingdom of God is at hand!” (Mark 1:14). St

Theophan the Recluse tells us that “In the Sacra-

ment of Confession the Lord enters into man by

His Grace, vividly establishes communion with

him, and gives him to taste of all the sweetness of

the Divine!”

Faithful will be able to avail themselves

of the Sacrament of Confession before and after

the divine services, as well as, tomorrow after-

noon from 1:00—3:00 p.m. If you are from our

of town and need to come prior to the Liturgy

Tuesday morning, please come early so as not to

delay the beginning of the Nativity Liturgy!

Come, let us receive this sanctifying grace for

our salvation in Christ our Lord!

The Christmas

Archpastoral Letter

Office of

the Metropolitan

312 Garfield Street

J o h n s t o w n , P A

15906

Christ is Born! Glorify

Him!

Dear Beloved Brothers

& Sister in Christ,

I greet you with joy and love in the Name

of our Incarnate Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Let us give thanks to Almighty God, by whose

grace we have been given the opportunity to

celebrate the Birth of His Son.

Ruth Lock…………………………December 28th

Ray Speicher………………………...December 29th

A Christmas Message

From Our Pastor!

December 25, 2018

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Christos Rozdajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

Christos Yehnateh! Doxa Sathe!

My Dearly Beloved in the Infant Saviour,

Just few weeks ago, as I stopped at a red

light, a 2015 Chevy sedan, had painted on the hood,

in large white letters, “John 3:16!” And as he

passed me the same inscription was written on the

entire trunk of the car.

Many of our protestant brethren will use this

Scriptural quote to support their belief that salvation

was based on faith in Jesus alone. However, we Or-

thodox Christians see, within this Scriptural passage

that reads “For God so loved the world that He gave

His Only-Begotten Son, that whoever believes in

Him should not perish but have Eternal Life!” a

deeper insight into our salvation. In fact, this passage

reflects the central reason for today’s celebration!

In His limitless love for mankind, God be-

came Incarnate, taking upon Himself our weakness,

and all the affects of our fallen condition, so that we

can be saved! To quote the wisdom of St. Ephraim

the Syrian: “The Lord of David and Son of David hid

His Glory in swaddling clothes. His swaddling

clothes gave a robe of glory to human beings.” You

see, the Son of God is a gracious gift to mankind,

and He takes up residence within our fallen world.

He continues, “This dwelling in the midst of Crea-

tion, as a part of it, makes God the Son close to, and

available to, the surrounding creatures in a way that

was not possible before. The presence of the Son

here is a ‘personal’ one that involves Him as a com-

plete whole.” He can taken on our infirmities so that

what was once fallen, corrupt, and alienated, can be-

come rejuvenated renewing us in His image, so that

we can once more enter into communion with Him!

So that we can become “whole” again like Adam

was in his pristine state before the fall within Para-

dise!

If we look around, we find hatred, mistrust,

suffering, and the absence of peace and love in our

homes, neighborhoods, cities, country, and in fact

the whole world. This reality in life makes us cry

out for God’s help, assistance, and intervention.

My beloved ones, despite all the suffering,

sorrow and injustice in our world, today joy and

hope comes to us once more. That’s why at this

blessed time of the year we look forward to the

arrival of the New Born King!

Therefore let us celebrate the miracle of

His Birth. Let kindness come with every gift. Let

compassion, forgiveness and love come with every

greeting. Let our hearts be filled with prayer, char-

ity, and reconciliation for one another.

May all of us, Priests, Panis, Deacons, Sub-

Deacons, Readers, Archons, Parish Officers, Pa-

rishioners (young and old), Friends and Supporters

of the God-protected American Carpatho-Russian

Orthodox Diocese experience the joy and wonders

of the Shepherds and the awe and respect of the

Three Wise Men at the arrival of the Messiah, our

New Born King! Christ is Born!

Greetings from Johnstown with much love,

+Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa

The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox

Diocese of the U.S.A.

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

OF CONSTANTINOPLE

A Christmas Social

E v e -

ryone is cor-

dially invited

to A Christ-

mas Social hosted by

Father Ken &

Pani Mary

Bachofsky!

This 40 year tradition will be held after the conclu-

sion of the Nativity of the Lord Divine Liturgy, in

the Fellowship Hall.

At the social there will be Holiday Hors

d’oeuvres, Cookies, Kolachi, a Beverage and the

traditional Christmas Toast with some Cham-

pagne! There will be plenty of time to socialize,

sing carols, and enjoy the Christian Fellowship

with one another!

It’s the Bachofsky way of celebrating

Christmas with our spiritual family-in-Christ, here

at St. Nicholas! Allow this party to be the begin-

ning of your Christmas Day celebration!

Happy Birthday!

Mia Colon…………………………December 25th

Jim Buzzanco……………………..December 26th

TEST PAGE 5 TEXT

The child in the cold Cave of Bethlehem,

wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, is

non other than the Incarnate Son of God Himself!

Our con-celebration of our Lord’s Nativity draws

us into the great Mystery of Divine and uncondi-

tional love! In this mystery we glimpse the Power

and the Glory of Divine humility as it is related to

everything leading up to the Lord’s birth culminat-

ing in His Cross, Tomb and Glorious Resurrection!

During the last two Sundays of Advent, our

Holy Mother Church, took us on a spiritual trip

down the road leading us to all the ancestors of

Christ, beginning with Adam and ending with St.

John the Baptist. A crescendo of these commemo-

rations occurs when, at last Sunday’s Gospel, the

focus is placed on the genealogy of Christ accord-

ing to St. Matthew. From these commemorations

we become vividly aware and reacquainted with a

history fraught with sin! You see, there is nothing

“clean” or “pure” about the Lord’s background.

The ugliness of sin and the horror of death surround

and permeate God’s preparation for the Incarnation

of His Only-Begotten Son! With the exception of

but a few, those who make possible Christ’s birth

have personal histories, deeply rooted by one or a

combination of sins ranging from idolatry, igno-

rance, duplicity, prostitution, adultery, incest and

even murder. My brothers and sisters, Christ’s birth

does not concur apart from the personal histories

which, when joined together, form the historical

material in which the Pre-Eternal Word and Son of

the Father comes into the world. Many of the sins

of these ancestors of Christ are our sins also! This

feast day becomes a Divine/human endeavor! To

quote St. Athanasius the Great: “God became man

so that man can become like God!” The Sinless

One uniting to our sinfulness to make possible our

salvation!

However, the personal histories of Christ’s

ancestors show that their sin is often coupled with

an authentic faith and desire to repent that ulti-

mately allows God’s will to prevail. This has to be

our resolve as well! This will enable us to grow

into the image of Christ, what the Fathers of the

Church calls “theosis” or “divinization” becoming

like God.

The Nativity of Jesus Christ is a type of

“cross-roads” where God meets humanity, and in

His limited-less love, transforms the fallen human

condition. The Love, Compassion and Mercy of

God lays in a manger in the “House of

Bread” (The meaning of Bethlehem), to feed hu-

manity, who ever so hungers for His Love! It is this

birth of that love into the world that we celebrate

today! The babe in the manger becomes the “Light

of the World,” even when the world is in shambles,

for in Christ the Divine and the human cross paths.

No matter where we are in life, no matter in

what condition we find ourselves, not matter how

far we might have strayed, or how unfaithful and

sinful we are, God, the “Ultimate Lover,” will pur-

sue us in love for all Eternity! God’s love never

stops shinning on us, and never stops searching for

us! “For God so loved the world that He gave His

Only-Begotten Son, so that he who believes in

Him shall have Eternal Life!”

The wonder and mystery of our Lord’s Na-

tivity– its unceasing joy—is bound to a living faith

that is aware of its own doubts and distractions. It is

a living faith that allows us to surrender to God’s

love and care! It is a living faith that brings us into

the saving grace and the very Mystery of God’s In-

carnation—a Mystery beyond nature and our in-

ability to fully comprehend it! It is a Mystery that is

filled with light and wisdom!

It is through a living faith in the Incarnate

God, that we will be able to offer others the wonder

and joy of God becoming a child for the life of the

world, and its, and all of our salvation!

I pray that this year’s celebration of the

Lord’s Nativity will fill all of you and your loved

ones with the joy, peace, and love that the arrival of

the Messiah, Christ our New Born King brings!

Christ is Born!

With much love in the New Born Saviour,

Father Kenneth M. Bachofsky,

Pastor: St. Nicholas Orthodox Church.

Christmas Flowers

The serenity

and dignity of our par-

ish’s celebration of our

Lord’s Nativity is in-

creased due to the

beautifully sanctuary

of our Church! The

majestic beauty of our

sanctuary is second to

none in Warren, Ohio.

This is due to the gen-

erosity of many people

who have contributed to the purchase of the poin-

settia plants that adorn the Altar and Iconscreen,

other liturgical appointments. At this time we

would like to acknowledge the following donors

and intentions that they offer this morning:

For the good health and salvation of the

faithful of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and for

our growth in faith, love and devotion to the Lord!

May the Lord increased the size of our community!

This is being offered by Father Ken & Pani Mary

Bachofsky.

For the good health and salvation of our

children, grand-children and all members of the

Bachofsky, Barriger, Monaco, and Pericco Fami-

lies. This is being offered by Father Ken & Pani

Mary Bachofsky.

In loving memory of our parents: +Libbie &

+Michael Bachofsky and +Robert & +Josephine

Barriger. This is being offered by Father Ken &

Pani Mary Bachofsky.

In loving memory of +Bonnie Delaquila

and deceased members of the Delaquila and

Polivka Families. This is being offered anony-

mously.

For the good health and salvation of the

members of the Delaquila and Polivka Families. This

is being offered anonymously.

In loving memory +Fausto & +Fedele De

Santis. This is being offered by Marilyn Ben & Fam-

ily.

In loving memory of our beloved husband,

father and grandfather, +Nick Ben. This is being of-

fered by Marilyn Ben & Family.

In loving memory of my parents: +Andrew &

+Catherine Steiner. This is being offered by Gerry

Frazeskos.

In loving memory of my brother +Kenneth

Steiner. This is being offered by Gerry Franzeskos.

For the good health and love of Kathy Clark,

Ethyn & Kenley Johns. This is being offered by Mi-

chael & Chrissy Van Valien.

For the good health and salvation of our

Church Family and for all their prayers, love, and

support! This is being offered by Fred, Sonya, Emily

& Jonathan Anzivino.

For the good health and salvation of our fa-

thers, mothers, brothers and sisters. This is being of-

fered by Fred, Sonya, Emily & Jonathan Anzivino.

For the good health and salvation of our chil-

dren: Emily & Jonathan, and for the answer to all of

our prayers. This is being offered by Fred & Sonya

Anzivino.

For the good health and salvation of our god-

children, who bring us such love and joy. This is be-

ing offered by Fred & Sonya Anzivino.

For the good health and salvation of the

Albers, Anzivino, Chaney, Millik, Uhrin, and Bris-

bine Families. This is being offered by Sis Albers.

In loving memory of +George, +Elizabeth,

+Kerya, +Claudia and +Grandparents. This is being

offered by Sis Albers.

In loving memory of my grandfather +Mike

Krupey. This is being offered by Debra Yenchochik.

In loving memory of my grandmother +Ann

Krupey. This is being offered by Debra yenchochik.

In loving memory of the deceased members

of the +Pugh, +Duchnak, Brozier, and +Staviski

Families. This is being offered by Gib & Diana

Pugh.

In loving memory of +Maria Bourekos. This

is being offered by James & Mary Pitinii & Family.

In loving memory of +Nicholas Koutsouras.

This is being offered by James & Mary Pitinii &

Family.

In honor of the Feast Day of Eugenia Kout-

souras, December 24th. This is being offered by

James & Mary Pitinii & Family.

For the good health and salvation of James

Pitinii. This is being offered by Mary Pitinii & Fam-

ily.

For the good health and salvation of Mary

Pitinii. This is being offered by James Pitinii & Fam-

ily.

For the good health and salvation of Lukea

Pitinii, and Nicolette Pitinii. This is being offered by

James & Mary Pitinii.

For the good health and salvation of Evelyn

Koutsouras. This is being offered by James & Mary

Pitinii & Family.

For the good health and salvation of Pam

Levengood. This is being offered by James &

Mary Pitinii & Family.

For the blessings of: Father Ken & Pani

Mary Bachofsky, and of all members of St.

Nicholas Church. This is being offered by Mike

& Alice DeMas.

In loving memory of all the deceased

members of St. Nicholas Church. This is being

offered by Mike & Alice DeMas.

For God’s blessings on the Choir and all

St. Nicholas Church members. This is being of-

fered by Mike & Alice DeMas.

In loving memory of +Anna Kurpey &

+Regina Hopko. This is being offered by Mike &

Alice DeMas.

For the blessings of the Lord upon our

Arkon, Ray Speicher and Dorothy Speicher. This

is being offered by Mike & Alice DeMas.

In loving memory of +Carl DeMas. This

is being offered by Mike & Alice DeMas.

In loving memory of +Dorothy Johnson.

This is being offered by Mike & Alice DeMas.

In loving memory of +Marshall Johnson,

This is being offered by Mike & Alice DeMas.

In loving memory of +Nettie, +John,

+Katherine & +Andrew. This is being offered by

Mike & Alice DeMas.

For the good health and salvation of the

members of the Speicher Family. This is being

offered by Ray & Dorothy Speicher.

For the good health and salvation of the

members of the Linko Family. This is being of-

fered by Ray & Dorothy Speicher.

For the good health and salvation of the

members of the Choma, Kennel, Falibota and

Royal Families. This is being offered by Renay

Choma.

In loving memory of my parents +Nick &

+Kathryn Lazor. This is being offered by Sandra

Kish.

For the good health and salvation of the

Lazor, Kish, Keeley and Gadley Families. This is

being offered by Sandra Kish.

In loving memory of our parents, Mr. &

Mrs. +Peter Bevelaqua. This is being offered by

Mr. & Mrs. David Boich.

In loving memory of our aunt & uncle,

Rev. & Mrs. +Joseph Simko. This is being of-

fered by Mr. & Mrs. David Boich.

In loving memory of +Elizabeth Roberts.

This is being offered by Carol Lee.

In loving memory of +Jennifer Mahaffey.

This is being offered by Carol Lee.

In loving memory of +Victor & +Joann

Gober. This is being offered by Gary & Jill We-

ber.

For the good health and prosperity of the

Gober & Weber Families. This is being offered

by Gary & Jill Weber.

For the good health and happiness of the

members of the Clark, Johns, and Van Valien

Families.

In loving memory of +Frank & +Ann Se-

manco. This is being offered by Mike & Carol

Semanco.

For the good health and salvation of

Mark, Tami and Cassidy Drawl. This is being of-

fered by Mike & Carol Semanco.

Your assistance in providing these beautiful

plants for decoration during the Nativity Season is

greatly appreciated. Such a gracious way being one

of those who “Love the beauty of Your House!” (A

petition from the Divine Liturgy).

We would also like to thank those who help

decorate the sanctuary this past Friday morning.

Your love for the beauty of the House of the Lord

is noteworthy. You are to be congratulated for a

outstanding job!

May the Infant Messiah bless all of you

with peace, good health, joy and salvation for

Many Years! Christ is Born!

Society Christmas Gift

We would like to

take this opportunity to

congratulate everyone

who gave of their stew-

ardship of time and tal-

ent to work in the

Church Kitchen, for our

Internationally Re-

nowned Perohi & Ho-

lupki Dinners, these past

three months! You have

done an outstanding job

and you are to be com-

mended! Your love and

devotion to our steward-

ship of working in the Kitchen is deeply appreci-

ated!

Because of your hard work and dedication a

Special Christmas Gift of $20,000.00 dollars will

be given to our Church for Christmas! May the

New Born Saviour bestow upon all of you with His

abiding peace, joy and all of the blessings of this

Festive Nativity Season in abundance!

The officers and members of the St. Nicho-

las Society would like to extend, to all of our pa-

rishioners, guests and Kitchen Crew, their prayerful

best wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Prosper-

ous New Year!

Our Gifts to the Lord!

One of the many acts of worship conducted

at each Sunday Divine Liturgy, is performed in our

generous donations made during the Church Offer-

ing! This is an excellent way of expressing our

love, devotion to the Lord, as well as our thanks-

giving, for the many blessings received from His

Hands!

We would like to share with you the Church

Offerings from last Sunday: Regular Church Offer-

ing $1,007.0/ Candle Offerings $121.00/ Christmas

Flowers $100.00/ Gas Royalties $19.43/ Total

Church Offerings = 41,247.43.

May the New Born Saviour, Jesus Christ, our

Lord, bless all of you 100 fold for your gracious

gifts offered for the continuing salvic work being

done here at our beloved St. Nicholas Church!!!

Christ is Born!

As we

begin the new

year of 2019 let

us remember the

words of the

Apostle Paul:

“He who sows

sparingly will

also reap spar-

ingly, and he

who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not

reluctantly or under compulsion, for god loves a

cheerful giver!

God is able to provide you with every bless-

ing in abundance. So that you may always have

enough of everything and may provide in abun-

dance for every good work!” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

We encourage all faithful members of our

Family-in-Christ, here at St. Nicholas Church, to

give joyfully, regularly, and generously to our

Church during the course of the year! With every

dollar you give, you keep the doors of our Church

open as we proclaim the Holy Gospel and charitably

minister to those in need! We simply would not be

able to do this without your gracious donations!

Please pick up you box of 2019 Church En-

velopes this morning before you leave for home!

Along with the Church Assessment of $75.00 per

person, and generous offering is also required. The

envelopes system is the only way to enable us to

keep track of providing contributions and budgeting

finances for the year. God bless you 100 fold for

your stewardship of the give from your treasures!

Camp Nazareth News

There have been several parents asking about

the schedule for the 2019 Youngstown Deanery

Camping Session. That will be held from Sunday,

July 28th until Saturday, August 3, 2019! The regis-

tration will begin via the camp website

(CAMPNAZARETH.ORG) beginning on March 1,

2019. Camping fee for our students is $370.00 per

camper. You can take advantage of the “Early Bird

Special” by registering and paying by May, 15, 2019.

There are Camping Scholarships available from our

Church School as well as other programs. If any of

our students need some financial aid please see Fa-

ther Ken.

Take some time out and read all of the infor-

mation from the flyers on the complex bulletin

boards. More info will be printed in future editions

of: The Church Herald.

Special Camp Bulletin

As we now brace ourselves for the winter season we want to give you a preview of a favorite summer

activity, especially for our youth! We are providing this information to afford everyone the opportunity to par-

ticipate in the camping ministry at Camp Nazareth. Flyers are also posted on the bulleting boards of our parish

complex.

Camp Nazareth is eagerly awaiting and preparing for the arrival of the 2019 Summer Camping Season.

Diocesan priest and parents have already been calling to find our the details of the 2019 Summer Camping

Schedule. The 2019 Schedule is posted on the Camp’s website. There is a Save the Date Poster for the camp-

ing weeks included.

Registration for camp will only be able to be done online through the camp’s website—

CAMPNAZARETH.ORG. The online registration system will be up and running starting March 1, 2019. We

ask you to help us disseminate to others who may be interested!

The following are the different information from previous years: 1) the dates for the /Diocesan weeks

have been updated. 2) The fee for camp is: $320.00 per diocesan camper and $370.0 per non diocesan camper.

3) staff applications are due March 15, 2019. 4) If any parishioners are interested in being on the Camp’s

Medical Staff (MD or RN), please have them contact Father Stephen at the camp. The doctors and nurses on

staff each week will receive a stipend of $400.00 dollars and a campership for one of their children or someone

whom they designate.

Remember, for some, coming to Camp Nazareth is a last minute decision, but for many more it is a

planned and highly anticipated event. We encourage our parishioners to “come and see” the blessings in store

for camper during there sessions. You can call the camp for an appointment for a tour or visit the camp web-

site!

The Camp Nazareth Summer Staff positions will be open for registration. You have to be at least 18

years of age at the beginning of the camping session and have completed High School to be considered for any

position on the staff. There are positions available as counselor, head counselor, kitchen staff, maintenance

staff, athletic director, program director (and assistant program director), technology director (and assistant

technology director), Ropes Course Facilitator and Lifeguard. For any of these positions there are internships

available. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to fulfill to earn extra credit in their program of study.

The following are the Diocesan Camping Weeks: Week 1) July 14-20, 2019: Pittsburgh, Mid-Atlantic,

Tri-State; and Washington D.C. Deaneries. Week 2) July 21-27, 2019: New England, New York & New Jer-

sey, Florida and Canada Deaneries. Week 3) July 28-August 3, 2019 Johnstown, Pocono, Southern Tier,

Youngstown and Chicago Deaneries.

Register online starting March 1, 2019 at—campnazareth.org. From the home page, from the 2019

Summer Camp Icon, or From the Diocesan Summer Camp Tab found under the Summer Camp Tab and look

for Camper Registration. Take advantage of the Early Bird Discount, per child, (one time only, not per week)

by registering and paying by May 15, 2019! Registrations after June 15th will incur an additional $20.00 late

fee!

Please consult the flyers for additional information. You will not want to miss this wonderful way of

enjoying the outdoors, in the summer, and increasing your spiritual life coming closer to the Lord and His

Holy Church!

.