St. Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA)
St. Louis, MO
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February 2024
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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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Dearly Beloved,
Christ is in our midst!
Starting from this month, we will be switching the format of our newsletter from a weekly to a monthly one. The change will not be dramatic, but it will be less time-consuming for those few volunteers who have stepped up to help us with its editing and publishing.
For the month of February, we will be keeping up with our usual schedule for the most part; if you’d like to see the schedule of our Church in a printable format, instead of a Google Online Version, you will find the link at the bottom of this announcement.
Please do take note that I will not be in St. Louis between February 19-23, since I will be attending the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate Clergy Conference and Retreat in Phoenix, AZ. In case of medical emergencies during that time, please contact Fr. Thomas Nichols from St. Basil’s Orthodox Church at (830) 637-9971.
We will also continue our traditional custom of House Blessings, until March 15. If you would like to have your house blessed in the new year, please call or text me at (914) 525-0758 or email me at fr.topris@gmail.com.
I would also like to remind you that the new financial pledge (membership) forms for 2024 are now available on our website (CLICK HERE for the link), alongside having printed versions for distribution at the kiosk at the church.
It goes without saying that we continue to need your support and involvement in all the aspects of the church, since YOU are the church, and the church building and all that we have belongs to all who are part of the church, you and me both. We are called to be stewards of what God has entrusted to us, our gifts, or talents, and use them for the benefit of the community, so that like in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), those gifts might be multiplied, and that we may receive our reward from the Lord.
Finally, please note that we will be having our Parish General Assembly on February 25 this year, after the Divine Liturgy. If you have been a member for the last year, please make all the effort necessary in order to ensure your participation at this important event in the life of our Church.
As always, please make sure to double-check the Google Calendar on our website (https://www.stthomasstl.org) before coming to one of these services or other events, since at times there may be changes or cancellations to the schedule, due to unforeseen circumstances or unexpected events.
After the Sunday Divine Liturgy, you are of course also invited to join us for the Coffee Hour, generously sponsored by our Church's Aurora Ladies Auxiliary Organization. This group will have its first meeting for the new year 2024 this coming Sunday, February 4, after the Divine Liturgy. All AURORA members, please try to make all possible efforts to attend. Thank you for your hard work!
We hope to see you this Sunday, as well as at the other services held at our Church!
In Christ,
Rev. Fr. Tiberiu Opriș
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Friday Feb 2nd
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Meeting of the Lord
8:00 am – Matins
(Reader's Service)
6:00 pm – Great Vespers
(Reader's Service)
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Saturday Feb 3rd
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8:00 am – Third and Sixth Hours, Typika
(Reader's Service)
5:00 pm – Great Vespers
6:00 pm – Mystery of Holy Confession
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Sunday Feb 4th
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Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
(The Greatest Commandment of the Law)
8:45 am – Matins
10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
11:30 pm – Sunday School
1:00 pm – AURORA Ladies Meeting
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Monday Feb 5th
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6:00 pm – Daily Vespers
(Reader's Service)
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Tuesday Feb 6th
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8:00 am – Daily Matins
(Reader's Service)
6:00 pm – Daily Vespers
(Reader's Service)
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Wednesday Feb 7th
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8:00 am – Daily Matins
(Reader's Service)
6:00 pm – Daily Vespers
(Reader's Service)
7:00 pm – Catechism Class
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On February 2nd
The Orthodox faithful celebrate the Feast of the Meeting of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple.
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Financial Pledge Form for 2024
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The new financial pledge (membership) forms for 2024 are now available on our website. We also have printed copies available at our Church. Please fill them out and return them as soon as possible. Thank you for offering your time, talent, and financial support to St. Thomas!
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Pan-Orthodox Youth Retreat 2024
February 17
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TRAVEL THE WORLD
Youth on a Mission
For children in grades K – 8
Sign up to get your travelling papers and learn about five missionary countries where the Orthodox Church is growing through the efforts of missionaries and the support of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
See, Taste and Feel what it is like to live in Fiji, Guatemala, Romania, South Korea and Uganda as an Orthodox Christian.
Special: Parents Open Discussion – Help your children grow in the Faith.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The season of Theophany is a time of renewal for us, 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, as Christ did, going so far as to be nailed to the Cross for us all.
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 being given to us in this manner.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for a house blessing,
please contact Fr. Tiberiu at
(914) 525-0758 or fr.topris@gmail.com
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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). In the words of James, 'Confess your sins to one another, and 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 as such:
- For the healing of their soul and body: Mariana Magdalena, Hermina, Flori, George, Dianne Elizabeth, Aurica, Flora, Niculina, Antonia, Maria, Florica, Georgeta, Tatiana, Constantin Florin, Ioana.
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For the blessed repose of those fallen asleep in the Lord: Archpriest Michael, George, Archpriest Moses.
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For the progress in the Orthodox faith of the catechumens at our Church, and in all the Orthodox Churches, and for whom we pray at each and every Divine Liturgy, that they may be numbered among God's chosen flock: Michaela (Jacqueline) and Dymphna (Teresa).
In your mercy, you could also pray for the non-Orthodox Christians who:
- are suffering from various illnesses and afflictions: Diana, Bryan, Alexander, Chanda, Brianna, Haley, Andy, Luigi, Mandy, Dominic, Magdalena.
- have departed from this life: Adrian.
Please continue to pray also for the people who are impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, and also for all those who are suffering from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, especially for the following:
Archimandrite Teofil, Protosyngellos Ioan, Protosyngellos Roman, Priestmonk Avraam, Nun Nicodima, Nun Nicolaida, Nun Tavita, Nun Iustina, Nun Veronica, Sister Maria, Sister Floarea, Sister Dorina, Sister Elena, Gabriel with his family, Roxana with her family, Priest David with his family.
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Help needed
Avem nevoie de ajutor
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Sound Technician - Enhance church acoustics.
Photography/Videography - Capture moments during services and events.
We're always seeking new ways for members to engage. Feel called to serve in these or other roles? Or have skills to benefit our community? Please reach out to Fr. Tiberiu via email or phone.
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Andrei Ștefănescu, the FOCUS (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve) representative for our Church, has set u p a collection bin for your donations in the social area of St. Thomas. We will periodically take your donations to St Michael's Orthodox Church, the HQ of FOCUS - St Louis / Gateway City. This is a great opportunity to put into practice what we hear preached at Church, so all of us are highly encouraged to participate as much as it is within our power, thus allowing Christ to work in and through us (the Liturgy after the Liturgy).
As part of the FOCUS Gateway City Pantry and Clothing Closet Rotation, our Church has been asked to bring the following items only:
- Big soup cans 18 oz
- Small soup cans 10 oz
You can also make a monetary donation if bringing these items to Church is not possible.
Please also note that FOCUS Gateway City recently launched a initiative meant to attract monthly sponsors who would commit to donating at least $25/month, in order to increase their income and be able to expand. In order to find out more, please access their website.
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FOCUS Gateway City Supper Serving Empty Slots
Please note that there are six suppers that have remained unfilled for the month 2024:
- February 11
- March 17
- May 12 and 19
- June 16
- July 21
- November 10
If you would be interested in helping to serve a supper to our brothers and sisters in need in St. Louis, please let Fr. Tiberiu or Andrei know, to see if there would be the potential for us to sign for serving at least one supper this year.
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Helping our Orthodox Brothers and Sisters in Alaska
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Each Sunday until April 1, our Church will be taking a collection for the Orthodox Diocese of Alaska, according to the decision taken at the 2023 ROEA Congress, so that we may be fulfilling the task of loving our impoverished neighbors who are struggling to preach the Gospel under very difficult conditions.
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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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