As I did last winter the church storm cam is up and running.
It is cold in New England
Language of faith
The Prince Albert Daily Herald, Canada
The Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Prince Albert traditionally holds all its sermons in the Ukrainian language – but that’s changed. It has recently started holding one Sunday ceremony a week in English.
“We want to open our doors to everyone,” said Rev. Michael Lomaszkiewicz. “And language is the tool of communication.”
It has been evident that younger generations have been few in attendance at all Sunday services for any faith and the Ukrainian Orthodox church realizes that.”
The expansion to English-language services will aid attendance by allowing access to those who otherwise may not understand the nuances of the service, he added.
“We want the young people we have and others to feel comfortable praying with us as well as understand us,” said Lomaszkiewcz.
The church still adheres to all its traditions but believes that a few ceremonies in English may help a few people who don’t understand Ukrainian hear and understand the words of God easier.
“It doesn’t hurt our traditions,” said Lomaszkiewcz. “The lord gave us the gift of being able to speak different languages.”
The Holy Trinity Orthodox church will also be holding their annual Epiphany Eve Service on Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. in English. The Epiphany is a traditional annual event that involves blessing members of the churches homes with holy water. The service will start with the blessing of the water then a holy supper to follow.
Balkans freeze as Russia cuts gas supply
Russia’s decision to cut gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine on Wednesday hit the Balkans hard as a deep freeze descended on much of the region.
Tens of thousands of households were left without heat because of a pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine that has left more than a dozen countries with dwindling energy supplies in the coldest months of the year.
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Blessing of the Water includes prayer for everyone in the Valley
The prayer service relates to the feast of Holy Theophany, the baptism of Jesus, where water plays a prominent role, and revelation of the Holy Trinity.
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Spirituality helps teens cope with chronic illness
Two recent studies, conducted by Michael Yi and Sian Cotton in University of Cincinnati (UC), investigated how adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may use spirituality to cope with illness.
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Confession varies among world’s major religions
But there are many differences in the process. Some faiths distinguish between major and minor sins. Some faiths say you should confess to God through a priest, while others admonish the faithful to take their confessions directly to God.
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War takes toll on Gaza children
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January 9th ~ St. Fillan of Strathfillan
St Fillan was the abbot of a Fife monastery and retired to Glen Dochart and Strathfillan near Tyndrum in Perthshire. At an Augustinian priory at Kirkton Farm adjacent to the West Highland Way, the priory’s lay-abbot, who was its superior in the reign of William the Lion, held high rank in the Scottish kingdom. This monastery was restored in the reign of Robert I of Scotland (Robert the Bruce), and became a cell of the abbey of canons regular at Inchaffray. The new foundation received a grant from King Robert, in gratitude for the aid which he was supposed to have obtained from a relic of the saint (an arm-bone) on the eve of the great victory over King Edward II’s English soldiers at the Battle of Bannockburn. The saint’s original chapel was up river, slightly northwest from the priory and adjacent to a deep body of water which became known as St Fillan’s Pool.