Our Parish Ministries

Children’s Catechism—The Russian Orthodox saint Theophan the Recluse tells us, “Of all holy works, the education of children is the most holy.” The parish has been blessed to develop a vibrant catechetical program for young children, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which facilitates their exploration of a relationship with God in ways appropriate to their ages and stages of development.

Auburn Mission—At the direction of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, regular liturgies and occasional fellowship gatherings are offered for the faithful in Auburn. Click here for a link to the webpage of the Auburn mission.

Philoptochos—“Philoptochos” is a Greek word that means “Friend of the Poor”. Jesus Christ affirmed the commandments to care for the poor in the Mosaic law and the prophets who subsequently emphasized these commandments. Although men can also participate in this ministry, it is led by the women of the parish.

AHEPA—An acronym abbreviating “American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association”, AHEPA’s original purpose was the integration of Greek immigrants into the culture of the United States and their social success within that new culture. Today, AHEPA focuses on raising money to provide scholarships for the higher education of young adults from the parish. AHEPA is a ministry of men of the parish.

Food Festivals—Currently, the parish’s food festivals are primarily a way to raise funds for capital improvements to the parish facilities and secondarily a way to share the cultural traditions of the Greek immigrants who founded the parish. Many of these traditions have been shaped or influenced by the Orthodox Christian faith. If and as the parish becomes healthier over time, the more these funds can be directed to philanthropic works.

Altar Servers—Both boys and adult men are invited to assist the priest during worship. This ministry is currently limited to males because the female diaconate is not currently active within the Church as it was in centuries past.

Choir + Chanters—The human voice is the greatest musical instrument ever created. Those who have been gifted with vocal ability are encouraged to join one or both of the parish choirs, the role of which is to lead the people in their responses during worship. One choir practices the traditional two-part harmony of the Byzantine chant tradition. The other incorporates Western musical influences with the use of instruments like a keyboard or organ and 3/4 part harmonies.

Parish Council—The parish council is a group of faithful elected by the parish to assist the presbyter in his leadership of the parish. Parish council members’ duties include assisting with the oversight and administration of parish affairs and ministries, preparing budgets, collecting revenue, paying expenses, and adhering to the Charter and Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese.