Welcome all visitors of St. John’s. We are happy to see you again.

Sun. July 15, 2007 - 8:20 - 8:50 am. Hours/Confession. 9:00 am. Divine Liturgy Tone 6. The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Birthgiver of God at Blachernae, (V cent.) Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Root of Jesse.” Prayer for travelers. Coffee Hour.

Mon. July 16 - Martyr Hyacinth of Caesarea in Cappodocia. Saint Anatolius, recluse of the Kyiv Caves Monastery. Icon of the Most holy Theotokos “The Milk-Giver” 1 Corinthians 9:13-18. Matthew 16:1-6.

Tue. July 17 - Saint Andrew, archbishop of Crete. Saint Andrew Rublew the iconographer. Martyrs Tsar Nicholas II his family Empress Alexandra, their children Alexis, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and those with them.

1 Corinthians 10:5-12. Matthew 16:6-12

Wed. July 18 - Saint Athanasius of Mt. Athos and his six disciples. Hieromartyr Stephen, bishop of Rhegium, disciple of Apostle Paul, and with him Bishop Suerus and the women Agnes, Felicitas and Perpetua Corinthians 10:12-22. Matthew 16:20-24. Fast Day.

Thu. July 19 - Saint Sisoes the Great of Egypt. Uncovering of the relics of holy Princess Juliana of Olshansk. Venerable Sioes of the Kyiv Caves.

1 Corinthians 10:28-11:7. Matthew 16:24-28.

Fri. July 20 - Saint Thomas of Mt. Maleon. Venerable Acacius of Sinai.

1 Corinthians 11:8-2 Matthew 17:10-18 Fast Day

Sat. July 21 -Appearance of the Kazan icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Holy-Great Martyr Procopius of Caesarea in Palestine. Ukrainian Day Festival. 5:30 pm. Great Vespers. Romans 13:1-10. Matthew 12:30-37

Sun. July 22 - 8:20 - 8:50 am. Hours/Confession. 9:00 am. Divine Liturgy. Tone 7. Hieromartyr Pancratius bishop of Taormina in Sicily. Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna on Crete. Ukrainian Day Festival.

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Priest: Let us be attentive! Peace be with you al! Reader: And with your spirit! Priest: Wisdom!

Reader: The Prokimen on tone 6. O Lord, save Thy people / and bless Thine inheritance! Verse: Ti Thee, O Lord, will I call. O my God, be not silent to me! Priest: Wisdom!

Reader: The reading from the letter of Apostle Paul to the Romans.

Priest: Let us be attentive Reader: Brethren, we then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one heart glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Priest: Peace be with you reader.

Reader: And with your spirit. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Verse: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most-High will abide in the shadow of the heavenly God!

Verse: He will say to the Lord: “My Protector and my refuge; my God, in whom I trust!”

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Happy Birthday: July 15 Joseph Okrepkie, 19 Dorotha Cenesky,

29 Sue Klym, 22 Paul Laszko, 22 Marion Kaspryk, 23 Justin Klym.

Happy Anniversary: July 17 Natalia and Kevin Corwin.

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Serving for forty years in the longest tenure of any Patriarch in history, Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem not only participated in history-making events, but he created ecclesiastical history in the course of his Patriarchate that had far-reaching effects in orthodoxy, influencing us to the present day. His presence is still felt in Jerusalem, the Holy City kept holy through the efforts of men such as Juvenal who challenged powerful figure in both church and state to assure the permanence of Christianity in general, and Orthodoxy in particular, in a land where political and civil unrest have been the rule and not the exception century after century.

The four decades of rule as Patriarch spanned the year 420 to 460 AD During these years Juvenal crowded events that had a profound effect on the Orthodox faith and assured its permanence and prominence in a sector not noted for its hospitality to Christians. Without men of Patriarch Juvenal’s caliber it is quite possible that the Holy Sepulcher, Christendom’s most sacred shrine, might very well have been obliterated. Because of his many confrontations with influential men of the Church, every Patriarchate is indebted to him for its position of strength in the world community.

Juvenal became Patriarch in the reign of Theodosius II, the first of a succession of monarchs who respected him for his devotion to duty and left him to his own deices when he made it clearly evident that Orthodoxy concerned itself much more with the spiritual than the temporal welfare of man. He combined profound theology with astute diplomacy in winning the high regard of church and state dignitaries in an era when it was difficult to please one and not offend the other. A detailed account of his participation in councils, synods and other weighty affairs during his long term takes up considerable space in church records. Through all these matters he served notice that while his office was open to one and all, its central purpose was to work the will of God, to which he was dedicated with an iron will of his own.

At odds with the Bishop of Caesaria over territorial jurisdiction, Juvenal managed to maintain harmony with all bishops of Orthodoxy in the interest of keeping a united front in the face of common enemies outside of the Church. A fundamentalist, he preserved the guidelines set forth by early church fathers with his compelling presence at the Third Ecumenical Synod of Ephesos in 431 AD. He was considerably prominent on other great synods to follow, including the (Robber) Synod of 449 and the all-important Synod of Chalcedon in 451. At Chalcedon he won over the Patriarchate of Antioch as the latter’s support to establish the Patriarchate of Jerusalem as the fourth greatest ecclesiastical center of the Christian world.

Juvenal condemned the heretical Nestorianism with such vehemence that in 453 an ill-considered plot was made on his life. But the assassination attempt failed, although the terrorist did kill his deacon and three of his priests. This shameful deed created chaotic conditions beyond Juvenal’s control, and his fanatical enemies drove him into exile. He remained at Constantinople until the Emperor Marcian guaranteed his safe return to Jerusalem. Among his first acts after returning from exile was his vigorous endorsement of monasticism. He assumed this sponsorship with such enthusiasm that the monks of the monastery, dedicated to Euthymios the Great, issued a proclamation commending the Patriarch as a true man of God. Juvenal had officiated at the opening ceremonies at that monastery on 7 May 429, after which he had a chapel erected in memory of the first martyr, St. Stephen.

When Juvenal and the empress met at the dedication of the Church of Vlaherna, dedicated to the Mother of God, the empress asked the Patriarch if he could return the garments of the Theotokos Virgin Mary. The garments were all that were found in the empty tomb at the base of the garden of Gethsemane and were jealously guarded, but the generous Patriarch granted the ruler’s wish. In a career highlighted by unifying the celebration of Christmas, the dates of which had been in conflict for many years, Patriarch Juvenal earned sainthood many times over.

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THE TRUTH: Nothing can be clearer or mightier than the truth - just as nothing is weaker than falsehood, through it be shaded by ten thousand veils. For even as it is easily detected, it easily melts away. But truth stands forth unveiled, for all who seek to behold her beauty. She seeks no concealment, dreads no danger, trembles at no plots, desires not glory from the many, is accountable to no mortal thing, but stands above them all. Truth is the object of ten thousand secret plots, yet remains unconquerable; and she guards all those that run to her - as in a secure fortress - by her own exceeding power.

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Perhaps the greatest mistake clergy and their families make, is the forgetting that evil exists in our world and our parishes are not immune. In the Orthodox parish there many be one or more persons who, because of the machinations of the Evil One are hell-bent on destroying the church in the form of the priest. We are talking here about a destruction that goes beyond disagreement. These persons utilize all their energy directing it in a vicious, obscene campaign to destroy the priest and/or discredit him and his family.

This syndrome has been identified and the phenomenon named by

G. Lloys Rediger, a minister, and counselor to clergy who specializes in pastoral issues. He termed this disgrace, the ’Clergy Killer’ phenomenon.

Unfortunately, his expertise is relevant to the Orthodox. Rediger believes that churches are not handling this problem effectively and so the message must be made available to individual clergy. In order to survive the ’priest killers’, Rediger says clergy must change their thought patterns, stating that priest must believe it is possible for someone to want to destroy them. Today, nothing is sacred, and this is just the beginning. He urges priests to recognize the danger signals and patterns of behavior which are inherent in ’clergy killers’. Awareness of the negatives should be just that: awareness, education, understanding. The joy of priesthood should never be influenced by this evil illness. Is the idea that someone may want to destroy you (the priest) or your family unbelievable? Astounding as it may seem, it is true. It is not a mentality of ’us vs.them’ as we so often see in our parishes, where patience, love, courtesy and cooperation are key issues. This is a serious disorder nurtured by evil and a distorted mental consciousness.

There are certain characteristics which identify the ’clergy killers’ Rediger refers to them as the ’Five D’s’: Destruction, Determination, Deceitfulness, Demonic or Twisted (mental) Disorder, and Denial. The ’Sixth D’ is Discernment: that which the clergy man must see and understand.

As Rediger points out, the person intent on destroying the priest is not interested in mercy criticizing. He or she insists on pain and destruction utilizing whatever form they need to reach their goal. Their agenda has priority. Yet, these same people in most cases, endear themselves to the parish community. Often they are the ’most religious’ of parishioners. They are active in parish life serving on committees, getting elected as board members, running the women’s societies, singing in choir, etc. Many times they are the first to volunteer. Sometimes they appear to be the most ’charitable’ of parishioners, a ’good example’ to other. This is their façade. Make no mistake, they are intent on making their plans work. But, as Rediger says, they have patience willing to bite their time, literally ’go underground’ or even change tactics. They will however, continue to subvert, intimidate and network. They are deceitful, using manipulation, camouflage, and misrepresentation.

One tactic is to accuse others of their own tactics. Rediger concludes that these individuals are demonic and/or mentally disorders depending, he says, on how you define their behavior within a framework of your own experience. Rediger agrees that regardless of the interpretation, these ’priest killers’ are attracted to spiritual leaders as both symbols and scapegoats for their own problems. When such mental disorder is not identified and treated, it manifest itself in evil and destructive motivations. Finally, Rediger nails the problem by saying the denial of well-intentioned clergy serves to promulgate their purpose. Often these tortured souls receive carte blanch for their actions because of the love and spirituality that exists in parish life. The priest is not supposed to get upset, get angry, or feel the negative. This is fuel for their destructive fires which they lay hold on with great force. Finally, discernment falls back on the priest (and the parish) - education and enlightenment is the start to averting these determined evildoers. “Killing” clergy in the form of stress aiding the decline of health: mental, spiritual and physical. /Source: Canadian Orthodox newspaper, The Herald 2006/

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Did you know that Alex Rodriguez, a New York Yankees player is Orthodox? For a list of other famous Orthodox Christians you can check out this link

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Free Baseball game for all Basketball players. Sunday, August 19th see the Binghamton Mets, complements of the Orthodox / Catholic Basketball league. A 1:00 PM game OPEN to everyone! Bring your family and friends. All players are free and anyone else that wants to come will get our special $6.00 ticket rate. Please let our sports Directors, Jeff Hatala, Peter Hatala, or Nick Tarcha, know if you will be attending. This is an open outing, so if you have not seen a B-Mets game yet, this is a good time to spend an afternoon with other Orthodox Christians form local parishes.

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Future Event. Please mark your calendars.

Tue. July 17 - 6:30 pm. Choir rehearsal.

Wed. July 18 - 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Ukrainian Dance Practice.

Sat. July 19 - 10:00 am. Ukrainian Dance Practice.

Fri. July 20 - 6:00 pm. Ukrainian Dance Practice.

Mon. July 23 - 7:00 pm. Board meeting.

Fri. Aug. 14 - 7:00 pm. Sr. UOL meeting in the board room.

Thu. Aug. 23 - 7:00 pm. 61^st UOL Convention Meeting.

Sun. Aug. 26 - Jr. UOL meeting, following Divine Liturgy.

Sun. Sep. 9 - 12:30 - 4:00 pm. Party in the Park.

Sat. Sep. 22 - Annual Golf Tournament.

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Please let Father know who is in need of visiting, prayers or receiving of sacraments. Visits can be any time.

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Saturday, July 21, Noon - 10:00 pm . Work session start at 9:00 am.

2:30 pm. Church and museum tour. 4:00-5:30 pm St John's Choir and Dancers 5:30 pm. Vespers. 4:00 - 7:00 pm. Bill Flyn (Cool 100) Life.

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Bend: Jeff Nyschot’s Groove.

10:00 - 11:00 pm. Clean - up.

Sunday, July 22, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. 9:00 am. Divine Liturgy. Work session start at 8:00 am. 2:30 pm. Church and museum tour. 2:00 - 6:00 pm. Band: Joe Stanky & His Cadets. 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Clean - up.

Sign-up sheets for working are at the Memorial center. Fliers are also available for you to take and post in your neighborhood. Please remember to sell your raffle tickets to others and return the stubs as soon as possible. In addition, please send in your “Ukrainian Day Expense Fundraiser” donation.

Dear Parishioners, anyone who would like to donate a basket of cheer for our Ukrainian Day Festival please contact Jennifer Hatala 723-9435

or Carolyn Hatala 785-5391. Thank you.

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Ukrainian Day Fundraiser Update - This year we are trying to raise enough in donations to fund the expenses of Ukrainian Day so that the entire proceeds from the event will benefit the Parish. Our goal is to raise $14,000. To date, 17 parish families have donated $3,670. Thank you! We still have a way to go. Anyone wishing to contribute may leave a donation in the church office or see Bob Onysko, Mark Hatala or Bill Scannell Thank you for your support.

BAKE SALE - UKRAINIAN DAY FESTIVAL - Please plan to bake your specialties for the Ukrainian Day Bake Sale. This year the bake sale has been expanded, and we will be selling baked goods on both Saturday and Sunday! Please bake as much as you can to support both days. Contact Phyllis Hatala (729-4359) or Linda Zapach (723-7681) with questions or suggestions

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Join your neighbors in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease at the annual Alzheimer’s Association’s Memory Walk. The event raises public awareness, and funds for local services for people with the decease, their families, and caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association’s memory Walk is the largest national fundraising event for support programs for Alzheimer’s disease Memory Walk 2007 will take place on September 16, 12:00 noon at Ostinningo Park in Binghamton. For more info please call: /607/ 785-7852

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Pray for the sick. The Lord said: “Do unto others as you would want them do unto you.” So if we will be sick, we will ask help from God, we will ask priests and people to pray for us. In order for the Lord to listen to us when we are sick, we need to pray for those who are sick. O Lord our God, Who by Your Word alone healed all diseases; Who cured the Mother-in-law of Apostle Peter of fever; Who chastises with pity and heals according to Your goodness; Who are able to put aside every malady and infirmity: Do You the same Lord, now relieve Your servants: Fr. Michael Michalopolos, Audrey and Eugene Klym, Valerie Melnychenko, Kevin Terpak, Emilia Lewkowicz, Mildred Charnetsky, Mary & Walter Gulachok, Mary Gormish, Olga Gooley, Mary Ford, Mary Mihalko, Margaret Klish, Marlyn Klish, Cypryan Klish II , Sophia Malowicky, Genevieve Sadowitz, Michael Sr. Duby, Anne and Karen Girnis, Paul Laszko, Julie Sadowitz, Catherine Dobransky, Pelahia Kit, Charles Stasko, Stephania Moroz, Mildred Bogdan, Wasyl Krawecki, Meghan Scannell, Olga Drost, Marion Kaspryk, Nicholas Corba, and cure them of the sicknesses which grieves them; lift them up from their beds of pain, sending down upon them Your mercy; and if it be Your will, give to them health and a complete recovery. For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

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With the blessing of the Council of Bishops, the Office of Youth & Youth Adult Ministry and Mission and Christian Charities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA announce its Missionary trip to St. Sophia Seminary in South Bound Brook NJ. for High School aged teenagers. The High School Mission Trip to St. Sophia’s will take place August 5-12, 2007. St. Sophia Seminary was established in 1976. The Seminary is in major need of remodeling and has been under constriction for over a year. We are pray that you will be able to join us on this ground-breaking trip to act upon the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For application please see Father.

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Please give Father any information or announcements that you would like to publish in the Sunday’s bulletin, before Friday of that week. This way all parishioners will know about St. John’s events. Thank you.

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Dear brothers and sisters for those who do not attend confession (repentance)

and Holy Communion, please participate in these sacraments. This is for your own salvation, for the remission of sins and life everlasting. Please do not wait till the last minute, it could be too late. We never know when God will call us.

Today we are here tomorrow we will go into eternity, and will stand before God’s judgment.

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The 61st Ukrainian Orthodox League (UOL) Convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Arena in downtown Binghamton from July 30-August 3rd, 2008.

St. John the Baptist Sr. and Jr. UOL chapters are hosting several hundred conventioneers from all over the nation. This is a great financial undertaking. We are inviting you to consider sponsoring one of the funding opportunities listed on the attached sheet. General contributions are also welcome.

All sponsors will be recognized in the Convention Yearbook and on St. John The Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church website. Your sponsorship will help us to host a wonderful convention for these special visitors to our community. If you are sponsoring through your business, it will provide your business with increased visibility on local, regional and national levels.

The UOL is a national organization that promotes and strengthens the Orthodox faith and its Ukrainian culture. It also provides charitable donations to local, national, and worldwide organizations and funds for seminarians and young adults attending college. In addition, our local chapter members serve in leadership roles in our church, do mission work, and participate in community affairs. Thank you in advance for your consideration and support of our organization. Please contact me at the above number for more information or to coordinate your sponsorship or gift today

Sincerely, Pam Scannell Convention Chair

2007 Opportunities

Promotional Convention Advertisement $300.00

Hospitality night $300.00

Promotional Banquet Favor $200.00

2008 Opportunities

Welcoming Gift $300.00

Nametags and Lanyards $150.00

Wednesday Hospitality Night $500.00

Holiday Inn Arena

Thursday Brunch $1720.00

Holiday Inn Arena

Thursday Event-Ukrainian Picnic $2700.00
On the 18th floor of the State office bldg

Thursday evening beverages

St. John’s Social Club Friday Event-TBD $4700.00

Holiday Inn Arena

Saturday Banquet and Ball $7500.00

Holiday Inn Arena ballroom

Sunday Farewell Luncheon St. Mary’s Sisterhood

At St. John’s Memorial Center

Convention Yearbook Printing $1000.00

A group of individuals or businesses can join together to sponsor an event or convention expense. All donations can be mailed to the above address.

Checks are payable to 61st UOL Convention.

Senior and Junior UOL Chapters

St. John the Baptist Ukrainian

Orthodox Church, Johnson City, NY.

61st Ukrainian Orthodox League Convention

July 30th-August 3rd, 2008 “THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ILLUMINES ALL” /Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts/

Pam Scannell, Convention Chair 754-1554. 2000 Clover Dr Vestal, NY 13850