"I long all the same for my Christ, my holy love, who is steadfast to those who love Him.” St. Gregory the Theologian
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As Orthodox Christians, we are on a journey that is often filled with struggles. So often, we look for sanctuaries that serve as a refuge from the world and feed our spiritual lives, such as we have here in our beloved Holy Apostles' home. But, unfortunately, the demoniacs (those possessed by an evil spirit) from Sunday's Gospel reading were driven by dark forces that led them to unholy places, dark sanctuaries in which they dwelt. There, the men possessed could not break free of the terrible cycle that had taken over their lives. As we know, many of us live like this—not enslaved by actual demonic forces, but by the fears, passions, and temptations that enslave and take over. But, as Father Dahdal reminded us in his sermon, there is an answer to finding our way out of this situation: "Remember, when Jesus said 'Go!' they [the demons] left. With our faith, we have to ask Him always to tell the demons to go and stay away." And so we must always turn to Christ and ask Him to assist us in our struggles, for as Orthodox Christians, we know that a journey of faith that does not offer a path out of needless suffering and of authentic transformation is not a path worth taking.
To listen to Father Dahdal's entire sermon, please click on the video.
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"When you are about to pray to our Lady the Holy Virgin, be firmly assured, before praying, that you will not depart from her without having received
mercy." St. John of Kronstadt
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Holy Apostles, family, and friends, we are about to enter into the fifteen days of the Dormition Fast leading up to the Feast day of The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos on August 15th. This feast honors our beloved Holy Mother, and the two weeks preceding the feast represent a time of spiritual prayer, reflection, and fasting. Therefore, as we prepare our hearts for the Feast of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, let us use these days to reflect on our beloved Theotokos with questions such as: "What can we learn from her love for God and her submission to His will?" "How did her choices and the way that she lived her earthly life affect ours?" "How does she continue to impact the world since her Dormition?"
During this holy time, the Church offers prayer services called the Paraklesis to the Theotokos. In the Paraklesis services, we offer our prayers for others by asking the Holy Theotokos to intercede and pray to her Son for them. The hymns for the service reflect our imploring for the healing of our souls and bodies. We invite you to join us for the services during the Dormition Fast.
To view our 2021 Dormition Fast Service Schedule or submit prayer requests for the Paraklesis services, please click on the button below. Please submit all Parkalesis names by 1pm the day of the service.
We wish our Holy Apostles family a blessed Fast, and may the Holy Theotokos intercede for us all!
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Sunday, August 1st, 2021
8:15|9:30 AM
Orthros & Divine Liturgy
"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:9-10
+6th Sunday of Matthew
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Monday, August 2, 2021
7:00 PM
Small Paraklesis
"O good Lady, we implore you, quickly come unto our aid, when we cry out to you with faith. Hurry to intercession, and hasten to supplication, O Theotokos who protect now and ever those who honor you."
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“Prayer is a lantern unto our feet and a star leading us on the way to heaven.” St. Theophan the Recluse |
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Prayer and Candle Requests
If you would like to have your living or departed loved ones commemorated during the Divine Liturgy, or if you cannot attend a church service and would like to light a candle, please click on the buttons below. All requests should be made by 7 pm the night before the service.
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Saturday, July 31st | 10:30 am
Sacrament of Baptism
Cole, Son of Michael & Ann Cameron Schieber
Sponsor: Rebecca Schieber
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"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10
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A new week has begun, and with it, a new opportunity to offer the first fruits of your labor to Our Lord. Without you, our Holy Apostles family cannot continue to operate or minister without your generous financial support. When we come together, we are one faith, one family, one Holy Apostles. If you'd rather give digitally for the weekly tray offering, you can do so with one easy click below:
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The Shepherd (Full Movie)
Looking for a family-friendly new Orthodox movie to watch? Try watching "The Shepherd." Based on a true story, Mavrogenis, a kind shepherd, hears Father Fotis' preaching about the straight path people have to follow in order to find Heaven and see God. The shepherd takes Father Fotis' words for granted one day, and just before he starves to death, he is found by a local monk. Mavrogenis recovers in the Monastery and finds a path to Christ as he witnesses a miracle beyond his comprehension.
To watch the movie in full, please click on the video.
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15th Annual Holy Apostles 5K Family Run & Walk
Have you accepted the challenge? Holy Apostles, family, and friends, we need you! Take the challenge today and join and jog, run, or walk for a cause. This year you can participate in person on July 31, 2021, at 8:30 am at Holy Apostles, or you can run, jog, or walk with friends or family from any location and send us your times and snap a pic. You need to register either way, and there is still time left to register! All proceeds raised go to benefit the Philoxenia Charities of the Mayo Clinic. To register to participate, please click on the link below! We hope you'll join us for fun, fellowship, and raising money for this worthy cause!
This year we challenge you to rise to the occasion and help us break our fundraising record! There are several ways you can participate in our event:
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In-person participation: We invite you to join us in person at Holy Apostles on July 31, 2021, at 8:30 am. There will also be a 25-yard children's dash, and morning refreshments will be provided. Race t-shirts will be given to the first 200 participants.
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Virtual participation: We recognize that many of you may not be able to join us in person, so we invite you to complete the 5K by yourself, with family, or friends between July 31 and August 15, 2021, in your own way and time (e.g., on a treadmill, in your neighborhood, on a trail, etc.).We ask all off-site participants to upload their times by using the button below. You will also have an opportunity to upload a picture or video, which we will share on social media and in our Holy Apostles communications as every effort we do together, we do so as one Holy Apostles family.
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Pledge Father Nicholas Georgiou: As our beloved Father Nicholas Georgiou continues to grow stronger in health every day, he will join us in completing the 5K walk off-site. We are so excited that Father Nicholas will be with us in spirit and heart, and we are looking for your pledges to support his efforts!
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Pledge Any Participant: This year, you can pledge your family and friends who will participate in-person or off-site. Each dollar pledged will go to our fundraising efforts and support those we love in our Holy Apostles community.
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Make a Donation: If you are unable to participate in any of the ways listed above, you may also offer a goodwill donation to get us closer to our goal and help all the families at the Philoxenia Charities, Mayo Clinic.
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Become a Sponsor: If you or your business would make a donation of $100 or more, you will receive special mention at the race as a sponsor of this year's Holy Apostles Family 5K Walk and Run.
We hope that you will join us by participating, pledging, or donating to this worthy cause! To register to participate (in-person or off-site), to pledge Father Nicholas Georgiou, to pledge a participant, to donate or sponsor to upload off-site times and photos, or to learn more about the Philoxenia Charities, please click on the buttons below.
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The Holy Apostles family picnic will be held on Sunday, August 15, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Dormition. This year the menu includes chicken or pork shish kabobs, hog dogs, and pastitsio. There is no need to bring sides or dessert as all food will be provided! There will also be games and prizes for the youth.
Orthros will begin at 8:45 and the Divine Liturgy will follow at 10:00 am that day. Please remember that shorts are not allowed in church. To help ensure there is enough food for all, please make your reservation by clicking on the button below. There will also be an opportunity to sign up in person, on Sundays, after church in the multipurpose room through August 8th. If you have any questions, please contact the picnic committee by clicking HERE. To see pictures from previous picnics, be sure to click on the button below!
Make plans with family and friends to attend the Holy Apostles picnic to enjoy a tasty meal and the fellowship of being together again on August 15. We look forward to seeing you then! Together we are one faith, one family, one Holy Apostles.
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Lampros Ministry
Holy Apostles is excited to announce a new ministry, Lampros, for Freshman through Senior college students. The kick-off event will be a BBQ and bonfire bash will be tomorrow Thursday, July 29th, at Holy Apostles. So come join us and enjoy food, friendship, and fellowship.
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Volunteer to Host Fellowship Hour
We need your help Holy Apostles Family! We can't do this without you and we NEED families to sign up. Let's give back to our home. Please consider volunteering to host an upcoming Fellowship Hour. Your generosity allows our Holy Apostles' family and friends to gather together and welcome visitors to our parish. We are currently in need of hosts for Sundays throughout the summer.
Fellowship Hours can be hosted by individual families, multiple families, or ministry groups.
To host a Fellowship Hour or to view the latest hosting guidelines, please click on the buttons below.
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Stewardship Committee - June Update
Our Stewardship Committee is challenging every family and member of Holy Apostles to offer their time, talent, or treasure and unite as one. So far, we have reached 79% of our goal of total pledges and 68% of dollars pledged. We thank all who have already pledged, but Holy Apostles needs everyone's help to reach our goals.
Click below to see the Stewardship Report as of May 31st and to give back to our beloved home today:
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OYPC 2021
The Orthodox Young Professionals Conference is a 4 day, 3 night conference hosted by the Young Adult Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. Young Orthodox Christians from across the country and all jurisdictions are invited to join together in fellowship and fun. This year's event will take place in Austin, Texas from August 19-22 and the keynote speaker will be Father Stephen Freeman.
What is a Young Professional?
A young adult who is beyond the college years navigating through the daily struggles of life as an Orthodox Christian in their mid-twenties through thirties. Being an Orthodox young professional means striving to glorify God in everything we do. Whether your professional is on Wall Street, in an elementary school, in a hospital, in a coffee shop, or as a church youth director, we are right where Christ wants us to be at this moment in our lives. Through prayer we can encounter Christ in what we do each day and spread His Word in our daily work.
To learn more about the conference or to register, please click here.
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2021 Parish Festival Calendar
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago is pleased to share a list of upcoming parish festivals held across the Metropolis! The calendar will be updated frequently as more parishes submit information. To view the list of upcoming festivals, please click HERE.
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Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church
2501 South Wolf Road
Westchester, IL 60154
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