St. Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)
St. Louis, MO
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You were a disciple of Christ, and a member of the divine college of Apostles. Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ, but by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure Passion: pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas, to grant us peace and great mercy.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever! Happy New Year!
As we enter together into 2025, I would like to take the chance to thank all of you for your involvement in our church; by God's grace and by your support, our Church remains standing as a beacon of light and hope in a world that is coming to be more and more under the influence of evil spirits, so that the words of the Holy Scripture might be fulfilled: "Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. " (Matthew 10:21-22).
Nevertheless, in spite of all the trials and tribulations that are coming from both inside and outside of the Church, we are always reminded to take courage in the fact that our Savior Himself told us: "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The Calendar for the month of January has been posted - you can access either in a printable format (CLICK HERE), or online (available in both English and Romanian - click HERE).
Among the more important events, please take note of the following:
- on Sunday, January 5, and Monday, January 6, we will be celebrating the Feast of Theophany (Boboteaza) with various services (see the calendar for full schedule of services);
- on Saturday, January 11, we will be taking off the decorations that we put up for Christmas and Theophany; we will start at 11 am, and we would appreciate your help; you can sign up below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A4EAEAB28A0FD0-54163481-help#/;
- on Thursday, January 16, at 6 pm, we will have our monthly Parish Council meeting;
- on Wednesday, January 29, and Thursday, January 30, we will be having services (Vigil and Divine Liturgy) to celebrate the Holy Three Hierarchs (Sfinții Trei Ierarhi) - see the calendar for full schedule of services;
The Church School for Children will resume its classes on Tuesday, January 15, at 5 pm.
Likewise, the Bible Study Group will resume its meetings on Wednesday, January 16, at 7 pm, after Vespers.
Please be aware that the 2025 Membership Pledge Lists are now available; if you would like to be part of our community for the next year, please fill out the form available by accessing the following link by clicking HERE.
Finally, please note that we intend to hold the Parish Annual General Assembly on Sunday, February 2, after the Divine Liturgy; furthemore, only those who have fulfilled all the criteria specified in the list of requirements on the Membership Pledge (including their spiritual obligations of coming to Holy Confession and Holy Communion at least once during the past year) will be allowed to vote and be eligible for a position in the Parish Council, as it was announced at last year's Assembly.
After the Sunday Divine Liturgy, you are of course always welcome to join us for the Coffee Hour, generously sponsored by our Church's Aurora Ladies Auxiliary Organization, which is instrumental in all the activities that we undertake in our church.
We hope to see you this coming Sunday, or at the other services and events that will be held at St. Thomas!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Tiberiu Opris
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Important Dates
(click on each date to find out more)
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On January 6th,
the Orthodox faithful celebrate the Feast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one of the Great Feasts of the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Christian Church.
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Praying for each other is a tangible display of our love within the Christian family, a testament to our living faith. Just as our bodies require nourishment, our souls find sustenance in prayer. Scripture echoes this truth—Jesus advises us to 'watch and pray' (Matthew 26:41-42), and St. Paul sought the prayers of his fellow workers (2 Corinthians 1:11). Likewise, in the words of St. James, 'Pray for one another, for powerful and effective is the prayer of the righteous' (James 5:16).
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Therefore, we invite you to pray for our fellow Orthodox Christians:
- For the healing of their soul and body: Priest Andrew, Niculina, Antonia, Patricia, Traian-Constantin, Gheorghe, Mihai, Georgeta, Camelia, Victor, Gavril, Maria;
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For the blessed repose of those fallen asleep in the Lord: Matushka Marie, Matushka Jeanne, Vasile Florin, Priest Thomas;
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NEW - Membership Forms for 2025
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The membership (stewardship) forms are now available; please CLICK HERE to access them and fill it out, and then bring it back to our parish priest.
Please bring in this form before the end of this year so that we can start preparing for the 2025 General Parish Assembly (scheduled for February 2) as soon as possible. |
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Being Involved in the Church
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We're always seeking new ways for members of our parish to be engaged and use the talents that God has entrusted them to help out in "the building of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).
If you would like to help out in any way, or if you have talents that you would like to put in use for the benefit our community, please reach out to Fr. Tiberiu via either email or phone.
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FOCUS Gateway City - January Collection
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For this month, our Church is asked to help supply the FOCUS Gateway City Pantry with the following items:
Boxed Cereal 10-14 oz
Boxed Oatmeal 12 oz
Shelf stable milk 32 oz
Please bring these items to St. Thomas so that we can deliver them to the HQ of FOCUS Gateway City (St. Michael's Orthodox Church).
Thank you!
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House Blessings / Binecuvântarea casei - 2025
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The season of Theophany is a time of renewal, a time to fully acknowledge the One into Whom we have been baptized, which means living a life devoted to loving God and our neighbor, like Him who was voluntarily nailed on the Cross for us.
One of the ways that our faith encourages us to become once again aware of this is to have our houses blessed by the priest, so that the evil spirits that have made their dwelling in there might be banished, thus allowing us to continue to work our salvation through the renewed grace that is gifted to us in this manner.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for a house blessing, please contact Fr. Tiberiu at (314) 226-9331 or parishpriest@stthomasstl.org.
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Bible Study at St. Thomas on the Gospel of
St. Matthew every Wednesday @ 7 pm
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Every Wednesday at 7 pm (immediately following the Vespers service), Fr. Tiberiu will be conducting a Bible Study on the Holy Gospel according to the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.
Participation will be possible both in-person and online; if you would like to join and find out more, please contact Fr. Tiberiu either via email or phone.
The next meeting will take place on January 15; we hope to see you there!
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OCMC - Mission Team St. Louis
Monthly Article
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Vatra Generations Project
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Please help support the restoration of the historic hearth of the Romanian Orthodox faithful in North America, in order to honor the heritage of the Episcopate and to ensure that this treasure will be passed to future generations.
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About us
Are you new here? Learn more about our church family.
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Want to learn more about what's happening in our community?
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Illness or Hospital Visits
In times of illness or hospitalization, it is crucial for Orthodox Christians or their relatives to promptly inform us.
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Thank You to Our Benefactors
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supports and actively participates in the life of our church.
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