St. Luke Byzantine Catholic Church
Ruthenian Eparchy of Parma
Liturgy Schedule
Liturgies
Sundays: Divine Liturgy -10:00 am
Saturdays: Great Vespers - 4:30 pm
Wednesday, August 30 - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, September 6 - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, September 13 - Festal Vespers at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, September 20 - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, September 27 - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
Holy Days
Feast Eve: Festal Vespers - 7:00 pm
Feast Day: Divine Liturgy - 7:00 pm
See Liturgy details below to reconfirm the
current Holy Day schedule.
Mystery of Repentance:
By appointment
To schedule an appointment, contact Fr. Michael at
Liturgy for the Deceased:
Contact Fr. Michael to offer a Divine Liturgy or Panachida for a deceased loved one.
Beheading of John the baptist
The Commemoration of the Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John is on August 29.
Liturgies:
Monday, August 28 - Festal Vespers at 4:30 pm
Tuesday, August 29 - Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am
The Commemoration of the Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John is on August 29.
Herod Antipas (son to the Herod who slew the children of Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth) was ruler of Galilee when John the Baptist was preaching. Herod was married to the daughter of Aretas, an Arabian prince. But Herod, an evil sprout of an evil root, put away his lawful wife and took Herodias as his concubine. John the Baptist stood up against this lawlessness and strongly denounced Herod and Herod cast John into prison. At a feast in honor of Herod’s birthday, his stepdaughter Salome danced for him. Herod was so taken with her dancing and being drunk on wine, offered her anything including half of his kingdom in front of his guests. Salome was persuaded by Herodias to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod gave the order, and John was beheaded in the prison and presented to Salome on a platter.
God’s punishment quickly befell this group of evil doers. Prince Aretas, avenging his daughter’s honor, waged war against Herod with his army and defeated him. The defeated Herod was exiled and with Herodias lived lives of poverty and humility.
Saint John’s martyrdom is commemorated on this day because a church was dedicated on this day to the Forerunners beheading by the emperor Constantine and his mother Helena.
Troparion (Tone 2)
The memory of the righteous is celebrated with praise, but for you, O Forerunner, the Lord’s testimony is enough. You were shown to be more honorable than the prophets since you were deemed worthy to baptize in the waters the Lord you had proclaimed. Therefore, you fought for the truth, and with joy proclaimed the food news to those in Hades, that God has appeared in the flesh to take away the sins of the world and to grant us great mercy.
Kontakion (Tone 5):
The glorious beheading of the Forerunner was part of God’s saving plan that the coming of the Savior might be announced even to those in Hades. Let Herodias mourn for she sought a lawless murder because she loved neither the Law of God nor eternal life, but only this false and fleeting life.
BIrth of the Theotokos
The Feast of the Birth of the Theotokos is celebrated on September 8.
Liturgies:
Thursday, September 07 - Festal Vespers at 7:00 pm
Friday, September 08 - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
The Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the lineage of David, and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, she was of royal birth by her father, and of priestly birth by her mother. In this, she foreshadowed Him who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Her parents were quite old and had no children. Because of this they were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility they prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in their old age by giving them a child, as He had once given joy to the aged Abraham and his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac. The Almighty and All-seeing God rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their expectations and all their most beautiful dreams. For he gave them not just a daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only with temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just one daughter, and she would later give them just one grandson-but what a daughter and what a Grandson! Mary, full of grace, blessed among women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Altar of the Living God, the Table of the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God’s Holiness, the Tree of the Sweetest Fruit, the Glory of the race of man, the Praise of womanhood, the Fount of virginity and purity-this was the daughter given by God to Joachim and Anna. She was born in Nazareth, and at the age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young womanhood she returned again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter heard the Annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure virgin body.
Troparion (Tone 4):
Your birth, O Virgin Theotokos, heralded joy to the universe; for from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. Removing the curse, He gave the blessing, and by destroying Death, He granted us eternal life.
Kontokaion (Tone 4):
At your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Your people, delivered from the guilt of their faults, celebrate your birth and cry out: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos and Sustainer of our Live.
Exuctation of the Holy Cross
The Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on September 14.
Liturgies:
Wednesday, September 13 - Festal Vespers at 7:00 pm
Thursday, September 14 - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
Two events in connection with the Honorable Cross of Christ are commemorated on this day: first, the finding of the Honorable Cross on Golgotha and second, the return of the Honorable Cross from Persia to Jerusalem. Visiting the Holy Land, the holy Empress Helena decided to find the Honorable Cross of Christ. An old Jewish man named Judah was the only one who know where the cross was located, and constrained by the empress, he revealed that the cross was buried under the temple of Venus that Emperor Hadrian had built on Golgotha. The empress ordered that this idolatrous temple be razed and, having dug deep below it, found three crosses. While the empress pondered on how to recognized which of these was the Cross of Christ, a funeral procession passed by. Patriarch Macarius told them to place the cross, one by one, on the dead man. When they placed the first and second cross on the dead man, the dead man lay unchanged. When they placed the third cross on him, the dead man came back to life. BY this they knew that this was the Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ. They then placed the Cross on a sick woman, and she became well. The patriarch elevated the Cross for all the people to see, and the people sang with tears. “Lord have mercy!” Empress Helena had a silver case made and set the Honorable Cross in it. Later, the Persian Emperor Chozroes conquered Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took the Lord’s Cross to Persia. The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years. In the year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius defeated Chozroes and with much ceremony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem. As he entered the city Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly was unable to take another step. Patriarch Zacharias saw an angel preventing the emperor from bearing the Cross on the same path that the Lord had walked barefoot and humiliated. The patriarch communicated this vision to the emperor. The emperor removed his raiment and, in ragged attire and barefoot, took up the Cross, carried it to Golgatha, and place it in the Church of the Resurrection, to the joy and consolation of the whole Christian world.
Troparion (Tone 1):
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance. Grant victory to your Church over evil and protect Your people by Your cross.
Kontakion, (Tone 4):
Christ our God, who were willingly raised upon the cross, grant Your mercies to the new people who bear Your name. By Your power grant joy to the Church. Give her victory over evil with Your invincible trophy, the weapon of peace, as an ally.The Dormition of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15.