Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church

Bishop Michael and Subdeacon Nektary Lukianov

Photos are on church Facebook page.

The Second Anniversary of Bishop Michael’s consecration with Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am and with a reception to follow.

Bishop Michael at 16th All American Council.

Consecration Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Saturday, May 8, 2010.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, and the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America consecrated Archimandrite Alexander [Golitzin] to the episcopacy at Saint George Cathedral, Rossford, Ohio, Saturday, May 5, 2012.

His Grace, will preside over the See of Toledo and the OCA’s Bulgarian Diocese. The election followed a year-long search to fill the See proclaimed vacant upon the repose of His Eminence, the late Archbishop Kyrill.

Raised at Saint Innocent Church, Tarzana, CA, Archimandrite Alexander received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary. He spent seven years pursuing doctoral studies at Oxford University in England under His Eminence, Metropolitan Kallistos [Ware]. During this time, he also spent two years in Greece, including one year at Simonos Petras Monastery on Mount Athos.    After receiving his Doctorate in Philosophy in 1980, he returned to the US, where he was ordained to the diaconate in January 1982 and to the priesthood two years later. In 1986, he was tonsured to monastic orders. He served OCA missions in northern California and headed the Diocese of the West’s mission committee. In 1989, he accepted a teaching position in the Theology Department of Milwaukee’s Marquette University, a position that he held until recently. Concurrently, he was attached to Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, Milwaukee.

Pascha Photo Gallery on Facebook:

Service at 12PM

“Today, He Who hung the earth upon the waters is hung on a cross…”

Service at 3:PM and Matins with Lamentations at 6:30 PM

Matins of Holy Friday are generally celebrated on Thursday night. The main feature of this service is the reading of twelve selections from the Gospels, all of which are accounts of the passion of Christ. The first of these twelve readings is Jn 13:31-18:1. It is Christ’s long discourse with his apostles that ends with the so-called high priestly prayer. The final gospel tells of the sealing of the tomb and the setting of the watch (Mt 27:62-66).

The twelve Gospel readings of Christ’s passion are placed between the various parts of the service. The hymnology is all related to the sufferings of the Saviour and borrows heavily from the Gospels and the prophetic scriptures and psalms. The Lord’s beatitudes are added to the service after the sixth gospel reading, and there is special emphasis given to the salvation of the thief who acknowledged Christ’s Kingdom.

The first service belonging to Holy Saturday—called in the Church the Blessed Sabbath—is the Vespers of Good Friday. It is usually celebrated in the mid-afternoon to commemorate the burial of Jesus.

Before the service begins, a “tomb” is erected in the middle of the church building and is decorated with flowers. Also a special icon which is painted on cloth (in Greek, epitaphios; in Slavonic, plaschanitsa) depicting the dead Saviour is placed on the altar table. In English this icon is often called the winding-sheet.

Last Supper

Service at 6:30 PM

The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil is served on Holy Thursday in connection with Vespers. The long gospel of the Last Supper is read following the readings from Exodus, Job, Isaiah and the first letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11). The following hymn replaces the Cherubic Hymn of the offertory of the liturgy, and serves as well as the Communion and Post-Communion Hymns.

“Of Thy Mystical Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant, For I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies, Neither like Judas will I give Thee a kiss; But like the thief will I confess Thee: Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.”