Adult Catechism begins this Sunday (September 15)

Discover a Church that has withstood 2,000 years of changing politics, fashionable trends, and cultural adaptation by continuing to practice and preach the Christianity of the early Church.  Find a two-thousand-year history of consistent theology, reverential worship, and salvation through the fullness of living as Christ taught and the Apostles witnessed.  Learn how the early Church worshipped, what the Old and New Testaments tell us about the early Church, and how the Church continues to live scripturally then and today. Embrace the Christianity you know in your heart.  Come and see the early Church.

Class meetings begin on Sunday, September 15, and continue through March 9, 2025. We will use Rev. Michael Shanbour's “Know the Faith” and prepared handouts. Classes meet in the small hall shortly after Sunday fellowship. For more information, please contact Fr. Christopher Flesoras at frchris@saintanna.org.

September 15, Welcome!

  • Welcome to the Orthodox Church

  • Overview of Study

September 22, Lesson 1

  • A Walking Tour of our Sanctuary

September 29, Lesson 2

  • What is the Church? (Handout)

  • Shanbour, Chapter 1: the Church

October 6, Lesson 3

  • Worship, Prayer, the Jesus Prayer, and a Prayer Rope (Handout)

  • Shanbour, Chapter 2: Grace           

October 13, Lesson 4

  • Shanbour, Chapter 3: Salvation

  • The Aim of the Christian Life (Handout)

October 20, Lesson 5

  • Shanbour, Chapter 4: Justification by Faith      

  • The Rites of Christian Initiation (Handout)

October 27, Lesson 6

  • Shanbour, Chapter 5: Tradition and Scripture

  • What Orthodox Christians Believe (Handout)

November 3, Lesson 7

  • Shanbour, Chapter 6: The Eucharist and Liturgical Worship

  • Introduction to the Liturgical Day (Handout)

November 10, Lesson 8

  • The Liturgical Day Continued…

  • Great Vespers, Compline, and Orthros (Handout)

November 17, Lesson 9    

  • The Liturgical Day Continued…

  • The Divine Liturgy (Handout) 

November 24, NO CLASS

December 1, Lesson 10

  • Shanbour, Chapter 7: Ordination and Priesthood

  • The Ordained Ministries (handout)

December 8, Lesson 11

  • Shanbour, Chapter 8: Confession and Repentance

  • The Mystery of Confession (Handout)

December 15, Lesson 12

  • Holy Unction & Anointing (Handout)

December 22, 29, & January 5, NO CLASS

January 12, Lesson 13

  • Shanbour, Chapter 9: Icons, Veneration, and Worship

  • Revisiting the Holy Sanctuary

January 19, Lesson 14

  • Shanbour, Chapter 10: Intercessions of the Saints

  • Canonization (Handout)

January 26, Lesson 15

  • Holy Relics (Handout)

February 2, Lesson 16

  • Shanbour, Chapter 11: Veneration of the Virgin Mary

  • Most Holy Theotokos intercede for us! (Handout)

February 9, Lesson 17

  • Asceticism, Monasticism, & Chastity (Handout)

February 16, Lesson 18

  • Sacrament of Marriage & Family Life (Handout)

February 23, Lesson 19

  • Orthodox Christian Missions (Handout)

March 2, Lesson 20

  • Orthodox Christian Stewardship (Handout)

  • Prayer for our Catechumens (after the Liturgy)

March 9, Lesson 21 March 9

  • Preparing to be received into the Church (Handout)

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2024 Festival Weekend Church Tours & Talks


Saturday

1 PM        Welcome to the Church of Saint Anna – An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Faith (Rev. Fr. Seraphim Ivey, Saint Anna Parish)

2 PM        The Native Missionary Movement in Asia and into the Fullness of Faith (Fr. Joby Kurien Thomas, Believers Eastern Church, India)

4 PM          Byzantine Art & Architecture of the Orthodox Christian Church (Jessica Rentz, ABD, The Catholic University of America)

5 PM        Great Vespers

6 PM        Welcome to the Church of Saint Anna – An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Faith (Rev. Fr. Seraphim Ivey, Saint Anna Parish) 

8 PM        Health & Healing in the Eastern Orthodox Church (Rev. Fr. Christopher Flesoras, PhD, Saint Anna Parish) 

9 PM        Questions and Answers about the Orthodox Christian Faith

 

Sunday

Noon       Welcome to the Church of Saint Anna – An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Faith (Rev. Fr. Seraphim Ivey, Saint Anna Parish) 

2 PM        The Native Missionary Movement in Asia and into the Fullness of Faith (Fr. Joby Kurien Thomas, Believers Eastern Church, India)

4 PM        The Intimacy of Prayer (Rev. Fr. Christopher Flesoras, PhD, Saint Anna Parish)  

6 PM          Byzantine Art & Architecture of the Orthodox Christian Church (Jessica Rentz, ABD, The Catholic University of America)

7 PM        Questions and Answers about the Orthodox Christian Faith

 

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Blessing of the Phaouropites (this Sunday)

At the close of Liturgy on Sunday, September 1, we will celebrate the Feast of St. Phanourios with the blessing of the phanouropites or bread of St. Phanourios. "Little is known of the holy Martyr Phanourios, except that which is depicted concerning his martyrdom on his holy icon, discovered in 1500 among the ruins of an ancient church on Rhodes, when the Moslems ruled there. Thus, he is called "the Newly Revealed." The faithful pray to Saint Phanourios, especially to help them recover things that have been lost. Because he has answered their prayers so often, the custom has arisen of baking a Phanouropita ("Phanourios-Cake") as a thanks-offering.” If you would like to prepare a bread, helpful links are found below: https://miakouppa.com/recipe-phanouropita-or-fanouropita/ http://miakouppa.com https://leitesculinaria.com/51410/recipes-greek-cake.html

Please place the bread on the table set on the sole (in front of the icon of Christ).

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The Feast of Ss. Joachim and Anna & the Roseville Greek Food Festival (VOLUNTEER)

A feast of our beloved parish, which commemorates both Saints Joachim and Anna, will be celebrated on Monday, September 9.   We also celebrate our festival on the Saturday and Sunday closest to this feast.  Historically, it is a weekend on which we will welcome thousands of our friends and neighbors to our Church campus to explore our Orthodox Christian faith, receive our hospitality, enjoy our cuisine, and celebrate our cultures and faith.  Simply, it’s a beautiful weekend of prayer, fellowship, and food, and as one of the recently departed stewards noted, a weekend that further shares the blessings of Saint Anna with the Roseville community that so needs her example, love, and prayers.

Our festival team, made up of stewards from near and far, have been working for months in anticipation of September; God bless them for all of their efforts! At this time, I invite and encourage you to volunteer this weekend.  Please click here to volunteer

For those newer to our community and the Orthodox Christian Faith, this is one of the bestknow your fellow parishioners and ways to get to share the love of Christ that you’ve found in the Church.  




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Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage: the Grand opening of Casa Cuna San Felipe

Below is a note from Isabella Pucilowski, one of our young adults who participated in a volunteer team at Project Mexico this summer. We thank her and all the volunteers for their stewardship just over the border.  

May our Lord continue to bless the ministry of Fr. Nicholas, the staff, and the children at Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage. And when the time comes, we also look forward to supporting Isabella when she returns to Mexico.  

+fr. Christopher 

__________



Fathers and friends, thank you so much for supporting me so that I could participate in Project Mexico’s homebuilding trip this summer! My experience there was so memorable that I plan to return long term. The Orphanage is growing, which is wonderful, and with growth comes need. They recently celebrated the grand opening of Casa Cuna, their infant orphanage (and the first Orthodox Infant Orphanage in North America!). This is wonderful news as it means they can welcome more children! This also means they must build more housing for the female staff.

Please see the email attached from Father Nicholas if you are interested in donating to their building fund for female staff housing! Thank you so much!



- Isabella Pucilowski

GRACIAS EN TODO



Project Mexico welcomed you along with over 250 guests to our 16-acre ranch in northern Baja on Friday, June 28th, to celebrate the grand opening of Casa Cuna San Felipe, the only Orthodox Christian Infant Orphanage in North America. This landmark event marked a significant milestone in our mission to provide a safe, nurturing environment for vulnerable infants.



The grand opening ceremony was a joyous occasion, blessed by nearly a dozen Orthodox priests from parishes around the world. Their presence and prayers underscored the deep spiritual commitment and global support for our mission.



Casa Cuna San Felipe stands as a testament to our dedication to the care and well-being of orphaned infants, providing them with a loving home grounded in Orthodox Christian values. This new facility will offer these children not only a place to live but also a foundation of faith, love, and security.



As our ministry continues to grow, so do our needs for additional housing. One of our most pressing needs is the construction of long-term housing for our female missionaries.  The project will cost between $150,000 - $200,000.  These dedicated women play a crucial role in the day-to-day care and upbringing of the children, and providing them with suitable housing is essential to the continued success of our mission.



We invite all our supporters and those who believe in our cause to contribute to our Nanny Housing Fund at the button below. Your generous contribution will help us build the necessary housing to support our missionaries and ensure the continued care of the children at Casa Cuna San Felipe.



In Christ,



Father Nicholas Andruchow

Executive Director and Priest




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