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LORAIN, Ohio — St. Nicholas Parish ended the calendar year with a parish-wide decision to embrace the challenge of going forward with the mission of Christ.
At a series of parish meetings, held Nov. 30-Dec. 1, parishioners reviewed the parish philosophy and mission statements. Particular attention was paid to the importance of sharing the faith with younger generations. They agreed that this challenge is far more important than any financial challenge facing the church today.
Prayer was identified as the top priority. While the parish already has shown commitment to the Byzantine Catholic liturgical life and has been praying Vespers and Matins on weekends, the parish intends to gradually implement Vespers and Matins for the 12 major feasts.
Parishioners committed to more online outreach and will host screenings of the “God With Us” faith education series in the parish hall Jan. 8, 15, and 22. The series will feature Father Sebastian Carnazzo’s presentation, “Baptized into Christ.”
The children’s Eastern Christian Formation program has also been experiencing renewal. The parish had opted for a home-schooling program in previous years, due to a decline in membership, but group classes resumed this fall.
Parishioners also agreed to embark on a $70,000 fundraising effort for roof and parking lot repairs.
Parishioners did not delay in putting their priorities into action. On Dec. 6, the feast of St. Nicholas, after receiving Communion, parishioners were anointed with St. Nicholas Manna. They learned about the manna, or myrrh, from the first sticheron of Vespers.
Two days later, the parish held its annual St. Nicholas Celebration Dinner. The annual Feast of St. Nicholas Sale, which makes a significant contribution to the annual parish budget and enables the parish to maintain stability, was held Dec. 14. Volunteers, including parishioners and community members, had worked for months to prepare the food.
Caption: Parishioners of St. Nicholas in Lorain, Ohio, join in a team effort to make pierogis ahead of their annual St. Nicholas sale (l. to r.): Susan Druga, Robert Terleck, Erna Kodman, Debra Obergas and Linda Vanca. (Photo: Madeline Zaworski)
As published in Horizons, Dec. 29, 2019.
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