MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — Two parishes in Northwest Indiana have dedicated their Lenten journey to praying for those who have left the Catholic Church and for their return to the fullness of the faith through the intercession of the Mother of God, Searcher for the Lost.Father Andrew Summerson, administrator of St. Michael Parish in Merrillville and of St. Mary Parish in Whiting, initiated this Lenten campaign, which involves praying a moleben for this intention at both parishes under his pastoral care. READ MORE.
LORAIN, Ohio — A single spark can get a fire going. Parishioners of St. Nicholas Parish and the 240 people who gathered for their evening of outreach and fellowship March 1 were testimonies to this fact. Supported by their priests, Fathers Jan Cizmar and Andrew Nagrant, parishioners worked for several months to plan, prepare and publicize the event, called “Rediscover Your Roots: A Journey through Central Europe,” which included a Vespers service with Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma, a traditional ethnic meal and the screening of the first documentary for Horizons Media. READ MORE.
We prepare for every important event in our life psychologically, whether it is a vocation, such as marriage or priesthood, or even for the more mundane events, like a vacation. Our Byzantine Catholic Church responds to this psychological need with Great Lent, a preparation for the summit of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even before Lent begins, the church offers five weeks with thematic Gospel readings that allow us to enter slowly into this intense ascetical process of Lent. READ MORE.
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — Engaged couples who plan to marry in the Byzantine Catholic Church are invited to the Eparchy of Parma’s Pre-Cana Weekend at St. Joseph Parish, 8111 Brecksville Road, April 6-7. The weekend is sponsored by the Marriage and Family Ministry of the Eparchy of Parma, headed by Father Thomas J. Loya, in cooperation with the Tabor Life Institute. READ MORE.
PARMA, Ohio — Youth ministry can be a daunting task, but it no longer has to be. A youth ministry pilot program in Northeast Ohio began last fall, aimed at creating a template for all regions in the eparchy. The Eparchial Youth Commission set out requirements for the program, which include holding meetings at least every other week and varying meeting content, so that teens get a combination of church teaching, group discussions, service projects and fellowship. READ MORE.
CLEVELAND — Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. The Saint Mary Byzantine Catholic School community embraced these words during Catholic Schools Week, celebrated nationwide Jan. 27-Feb. 2. Each day of this past Catholic Schools Week, St. Mary School focused on a theme central to Catholic education: community, students, vocation, nation, faculty and family. READ MORE.
In the pre-Lenten cycle of services, we sing at Matins: “Open to me the doors of repentance, O Giver of Life/for my soul rises early to pray toward your holy Temple” (Stichera after Psalm 50 Lenten Triodion). This verse sets the stage for our Lenten journey of prayer during the 40-day fast, which is characterized by a striving for re-entry into paradise, a time when God and man were united in intimate friendship. This re-entrance into paradise is characterized in liturgical terms: a return to the temple or the heavenly Jerusalem. READ MORE.
LIVONIA, Mich. —Aiden Saunders can’t believe it’s already been a year since he received a new heart and got a second chance at life. "It’s pretty crazy,” he said. “It’s gone by so fast.” Last winter, Aiden, then 13, was rushed to the hospital with acute heart failure. After emergency surgery that saved his life, he was placed on a heart transplant list. Astoundingly, a donor heart arrived within less than 24 hours and, after successful transplant surgery, Aiden spent the subsequent months regaining his strength and returning to his normal teen life, including his favorite sports. READ MORE.
LIVONIA, Mich. — Aiden Saunders and his family are celebrating an exceptional anniversary this month, one that they attribute to the power of prayer. On March 16, the high school student and parishioner of Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Parish will mark his one-year anniversary with a new heart. READ MORE.
As we begin our journey through the Great Fast this week, there are many things that we should call to mind, including almsgiving. The act of giving alms is an ancient one and makes up one of the three pillars of Lenten discipline, the others being prayer and fasting. There are many reasons why we are asked to give of our financial treasures. Charity is certainly the first goal of almsgiving. It is through the exercise of charity toward those less fortunate than ourselves that we can grow in concern and ultimately in love of our neighbors. Charity, otherwise referred to as love, is the greatest of the three theological virtues, the others being faith and hope. READ MORE.
CHICAGO — In the tradition of past Horizons’ pilgrimages, the upcoming journey to Rome will be dedicated to the Mother of God, represented in two famous Byzantine icons reserved in the Eternal City. The first is an icon of the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus holding a Gospel book, said to have been painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. This icon, known as the Protectress of the Roman People, or “Salus Populi Romani” in Latin, arrived in Rome from Crete in 590 AD. READ MORE.