Holy Ghost Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church

April 2013

holyghostbpt — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:42:05 +0000

Parish members and I have been traveling Sunday evenings to points north, south, east, and west to participate in evening Lenten Vespers services at various Orthodox churches throughout Connecticut. It’s always a great time for fellowship with brothers and sisters we’ve not seen for awhile.

On April 7th, we gathered at the recently built beautiful St. Dimitrie Romanian Orthodox Church in Easton. At the reception following the service, we clergy agreed to be panel presenters for “The Pew” (a take-off on the popular TV show, “The View”). For awhile, I played the panel’s antagonist (or “protagonist” from my point of view!), and was dubbed by my fellow clergy with the moniker “Whoopi” [Goldberg] for playing devil’s advocate.

Filed under: Pastor's Corner

March 2013

holyghostbpt — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:47:29 +0000

What a joy it was to have Father John Jillions as the homilist for the Vespers service at our parish on March 24, 2013 on the first Sunday of Great Lent, commonly called the “Triumph of Orthodoxy.” Father John now is Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, but is also an old friend from our days at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. As we served together, I could not help but reflect upon how good God has been to us over the years, and what a privilege it was to be together again for this occasion.

I also was grateful that Fr. Steven Voytovich led the choir that evening, and that 16 fellow clergy came to celebrate. Most of all, I was proud of our hardworking parishioners, who hosted a wonderful evening for hundreds of our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters from around the Connecticut area.You can relive the evening by watching a video here:

Filed under: Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s Corner February 2013

holyghostbpt — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:32:23 +0000

This month our whole community witnessed the baptism of our newest member “Chase Andrew” February 17, 2013. The baptism occurred within the context of the Sunday Divine Liturgy, and rightly so, for baptism is not a private ceremony, but rather a community event. When we are baptized, we not only die to our sins and rise to new life in Jesus Christ, we also join the Church. We become “members of one another,” as St. Paul says in his epistle. Welcome, little Chase, to Holy Ghost Orthodox Church!

But, the baptism could not have occurred if Ed Moyer and his son hadn’t dug out a pathway to Holy Ghost Church following the blizzard of 2013, Storm Nemo, which dumped more than 3 feet of snow around our church and even closed us down Sunday, February 10th. Up to one week after the storm, the city still hadn’t plowed East Main south of Boston Post Road. Thanks to Ed Moyer and his son for digging us out!

Filed under: Pastor's Corner

January 2013

holyghostbpt — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:47:45 +0000

Dear Friends,

Are you seeking a church home? If so, we welcome you to Holy Ghost parish.

We have a long history here in Bridgeport, Connecticut (founded in 1894) and an even longer history as part of the ancient Christian faith. As Orthodox Christians we have been handed down the faith presented by Jesus Christ to His apostles and successively passed on to generations for more than 2,000 years. We are keeping and living that same faith today!

The word “Orthodox” means “right teaching” and “right praise” and you will find both in our community. As far as “right teaching,” we follow the inspired Holy Scriptures, the writings of the holy saints who have witnessed to our Lord, and the decisions of the councils of the ancient Church, whose participants untangled points of dispute among Christians and defined the proper teachings about God the Father, and His Son and Holy Spirit. As far as “right praise,” we are nourished by the services of the Church, which are replete with biblical references and ancient hymns passed down from early Christians. And, every week, we gather on Sunday to receive our Lord’s Body and Blood in Holy Communion.

Although immigrants from Russia and Slavic countries originally founded our parish, bringing with them their Orthodox Christian faith, nowadays times, places, and faces have changed! Our congregation is multi-national and multi-generational. We find ourselves now situated in an inner city that needs the grace of God, and our members have developed a special ministry to the poor and needy in response.

In short, we are Christians trying to live as Jesus taught. We are striving to live the faith He handed down to His Apostles.

It would be impossible for me to express in a short space the long history of the Orthodox Church or the richness of its teaching and the depth and beauty of its services. I can only invite you, as the Apostle Philip said to his friend Nathaniel: “Come and see!” (John 1:43-46). You are always welcome to our parish, God’s house.

Sincerely, with love in our Lord, Father Steven J. Belonick

Filed under: Pastor's Reflections Tagged: bridgeport, Bridgeport Connecticut, christian, CT, greek, holy ghost, orthodox, orthodox christian, orthodox church, russian