NOTE CHANGE IN SCHEDULE:  There will be no 6 pm Liturgy on Bright Monday at St. Nicholas, Swoyersville.  Only one Bright Monday Liturgy:  9 am St. Michael’s, Pittston.  Please disregard what is on the graphic (to the right) for this one change only.  Thank you.

We welcome everyone to join us for Liturgies and services during this holiest time on our liturgical calendar. 

We begin with Palm Sunday, the recounting of Christ’s arrival in the city of Jerusalem for the commemoration of the Passover. We hear of the people greeting our Lord with branches of palms.   In our Eastern Catholic celebration, we distribute blessed pussy willow branches, a traditional substitution for palms which were not available to our ancestors in their Carpathian homeland.

We enter Great and Holy Week, the beginning of the bittersweet journey that our Lord endures because of his great love for us.  His sacrifice is for our redemption.  We journey through the Gospel readings:   Holy Thursday we relive the Institution of the Holy Eucharist; the Last Supper of the Passover meal.  And we continue with our Lord on the way of the cross to Calvary. 

On Good Friday we wince upon hearing retold the cruelty of His crucifixion.  We grieve in sorrow as we re-enact his burial in a symbolic procession to the tomb where an icon of Holy body bearing the wounds of his suffering, is solemnly placed.

On Holy Saturday we await with quiet and reserved anticipation what we are promised will come next, believing but not yet confirmed.  Not until the women arrive at the tomb finding it empty, with the burial linens neatly arranged.   And we hear the angel question who are we seeking?

We celebrate the Feast of Feast known to us as Pascha (Easter) and we hear the beautiful words of the Gospel of John that starts with “In the beginning was the Word…..”. We proclaim and rejoice “Christ is Risen!” “Christos Voskrese!” to the world.  

Bright Monday (Easter Monday), we continue to hear beautiful Gospel Readings of the revelation that death has been conquered and a path to eternal life has been opened to all who believe.

Just as Christ opened new life to all who believe, we symbolically keep the doors of the icon screen open during all of Bright Week.    We celebrate the Feast of Feasts, the most important day of the year for all Christians. Jesus Christ is Victorious !

Pascha Basket Blessing Instructions:   St. Michael’s, Pittston  

Blessing of Food will be at Liturgies inside the Church ONLY

• Before Liturgy starts, place your food baskets on the altar steps (Epiphany icon area)
  
• Uncover your basket before Liturgy begins. 
• Baskets will be blessed towards the end of Liturgy
• The only “Simple” basket blessing without Liturgy is at St. Nicholas, Swoyersville.
• See all Liturgy schedules for exact times

Pascha Basket Blessing:    St. Nicholas of Myra, Swoyersville: 

• 11 am Holy Saturday Simple Pre-Paschal Blessing in the Church Basement Hall
• Easter Sunday after Matins/Resurrection Liturgy