+ Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen! +
+ Christos Voskrese! Voistinnu Voskrese! + + Christos Anesti! Alethos Anesti! +
Divine Services
* Saturday, May 16 - 4:30 PM - Vespers / Confessions: 4 PM - 4:20 PM
* Sunday, May 17 - 10 AM - Liturgy: “6th Sunday of Pascha - Sunday of the Blind Man” /
Prayers for the Departed: +James Andrus (11th Year) / +Matushka Judith Horosky (8th Year)
* Wednesday, May 20 - 6:30 PM - Vesperal Liturgy: “Eve of the Ascension” / Confessions: 6 PM - 6:20 PM
* Saturday, May 23 - 4:30 PM - Vespers / Confessions: 4 PM - 4:20 PM
* Sunday, May 24 - 9:30 AM - Liturgy: “7th Sunday of Pascha - “Holy Fathers - 1st Ecumenical Council”
Trisagion Service - +Memorial Day - Armed Services Veterans
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Sunday Liturgy Laity Functions
MAY 17 THIRD HOUR: D. Ilchuk
MAY 17 EPISTLE: (T.B.A.)
MAY 17 COLLECTION: M. Soroka / S. Yakich
MAY 24 THIRD HOUR: Mat. D. Evansky
MAY 24 EPISTLE: C. Corson
MAY 24 COLLECTION: N. Domitrovic / P. Evans
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Prayer List/ Get-Well Greetings
* Marlene Taylor: Heritage Valley Hospital - Beaver Campus
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* PASCHAL SEASON BLESSING OF GRAVES continues when the St. Elijah Cemetery (and other Aliquippa / Hopewell area cemeteries if requested) will be blessed this Sunday, May 17 (1:30 PM). We will begin with a general Panikhida at a central spot and process to each family grave, stopping to sing “Christ is Risen” and bless the grave(s) with Holy Water. Please inform Fr. Bill if the grave marker is new or altered since the last time that grave was blessed - he will add a special “Prayer of Consecration.” The Paschal season blessing of graves will conclude prior to the celebration of the Ascension Vesperal Liturgy on May 20 - please contact Fr. Bill SOON to schedule a specific day / time.
* There is a SHARED COFFEE HOUR downstairs in the church hall this Sunday following the Liturgy - - please bring a snack to share if possible. SCRIP CARDS will also be available to purchase/order.
* We offer our congratulations to the newest member of our parish - AMIR (AHMET) MCCRACKEN who was BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST Wednesday after completing his catechism sessions. +MANY YEARS!
* Fr. Bill will be AWAY FROM THE PARISH from Monday morning until Tuesday evening attending the diocesan clergy retreat at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA. As is always the case, please call his cell phone in the event of an emergency requiring immediate pastoral assistance.
* REMINDER! This Sunday’s Liturgy is the last 10 AM Liturgy until after Labor Day - - we begin 9:30 AM SUNDAY LITURGY START TIMES on Memorial Day weekend (May 24). Don’t be late! All other service starting times throughout the week remain unchanged for the summer months.
* We THANK everyone who helped make last Saturday’s TEA-BASKET PARTY sponsored by the Ladies Altar Society such a wonderful event - it takes MUCH cooperation and effort to make this work!
* Celebrate the grand finale of the 89th season with The Tamburitzans on May 16, 2026, at The Pittsburgh Playhouse at 7pm. For nearly nine decades, this internationally acclaimed group has thrilled audiences with an electrifying blend of music, dance, and storytelling drawn from cultures across the globe. In one unforgettable evening, more than two dozen talented student performers transport audiences through the rhythms, costumes, and traditions of Eastern and Western Europe and beyond. With dazzling choreography, live music, and breathtaking costumes, the show delivers the energy of a concert, the spectacle of a dance production, and the beauty of world culture - making it a perfect night out whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering The Tamburitzans for the first time. Even more inspiring, every performer you see on stage is a full-time college student receiving scholarship support while carrying forward a cultural tradition that has captivated audiences for generations. Join us as we close our 89th season with a vibrant celebration of music, movement, and global heritage. For tickets follow the link:
https://playhouse.culturaldistrict.org/production/105733/performance/105733/seat_selection
* [PLAN AHEAD!] BIBLE STUDY is scheduled downstairs in the church hall on Wednesday, May 27 - 6:30 PM. Please let Fr. Bill know via email or call/text no later than Monday afternoon (May 25) if you plan to participate. Guests are MOST welcome, too!
* Archbishop MELCHISEDEK, and the other Orthodox bishops of Pittsburgh, are asking all of the metro-Pittsburgh Orthodox parishes to take a special collection this Sunday following Liturgy as a Day of Giving for the St. Constantine School of Pittsburgh, located near us in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. As the only Orthodox Christian primary and secondary school in the immediate Pittsburgh area, it provides a vital ministry by offering a high-quality education steeped and formed in our Orthodox Christian faith. While we may tend to think of the school as directly benefitting only its own students, all of our parishes gain when we have better formed and more knowledgeable Orthodox Christians graduating from the school to help grow our local parishes in Christ’s Wisdom. In reality, we are actually strengthening our parishes for the coming decades with young, vibrant new leadership potential! If donating with a check Sunday, please make the check payable to: “St. Constantine School,” NOT our parish. You can also donate directly to the school using your smart phone by using the QR code on the attachment to this e-bulletin. We appreciate your help!
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You are urged to make effort to attend WEDNESDAY (MAY 20) 6:30 PM VESPERAL LITURGY! This Liturgy commemorates the CRUCIAL Holyday of “The Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” that occurred forty days after His Resurrection. COME and HONOR your ascended Savior! This Holyday reminds us that you and I are ALSO assured of the resurrection of our bodies and souls at the Second Coming as members of Christ’s Body, the Holy Orthodox Church!
ASCENSION HOLYDAY TROPARION (Tone 4)
Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God,
granting joy to Thy Disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Through the blessing, they were assured
that Thou art the Son of God,//
the Redeemer of the world!
Laity Liturgy Functions
DATE THIRD HOUR EPISTLE__ COLLECTION____
MAY 3 C. Schulte M.D. Stahoviak I. Yakich / T. Yakich
MAY 10 D. Neill M. Soroka O. Mycyk / B. Nelko
MAY 17 D. Ilchuk (T.B.A.) M. Soroka / S. Yakich
MAY 24 Mat. D. Evansky C. Corson N. Domitrovic / P. Evans
MAY 31 T. Evansky (T.B.A.) T. Fleck / R. Grano
^ Please notify Fr. Bill in advance if you are unable to perform your liturgical function so that a substitute can be found in an orderly manner. Please mark your calendar since we do not send individual reminders.
^ Please contact Fr. Bill if you have any questions about these ministries. New participants are encouraged as well!
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Pastoral Reminders from Fr. Bill
~ Each Wednesday and Friday during this month are DAYS OF FASTING as we abstain from eating meat. (Each Wednesday is a reminder that it was on this day the Judas betrayed our Lord, while each Friday is a remembrance of Christ’s suffering on the Precious Cross for the sake of our eternal salvation.)
~ EUCHARIST PARTICIPATION GENERAL GUIDELINE for the parish: individuals who do not receive Holy Eucharist for three or more consecutive Sunday Liturgies should return for a Private Confession before approaching to receive Holy Communion. Please contact Fr. Bill about this since there is always the possibility of an extenuating circumstance.
~ Only those parish members who participated in PRIVATE CONFESSION since the beginning of Holy Lent 2026 should come forward to receive Holy Communion (Eucharist) during this month – others should come to Private Confession before approaching to receive the Holy Sacrament.
~ We DO NOT KNEEL in private prayer or corporate worship from Holy Pascha (April 12th) until the Great Day of Pentecost 50-days after Pascha (May 31st this year). Also, the Prayer to the Holy Spirit (“O, Heavenly King”) is REPLACED by the Paschal Troparion (“Christ is Risen”) in private prayer and the divine services in the church. This continues until the Vesperal Liturgy for the Holyday of “The Ascension of Christ” - May 20 (6:30 PM).
~ Except for individuals required to EAT / DRINK small amounts out of necessity for medical conditions, Communion recipients are expected to conduct a Eucharistic fast prior to receiving the Sacrament. This means refraining from eating or drinking from midnight until receiving Holy Eucharist. Individuals who find it necessary to eat or drink “larger” amounts on Liturgy days should refrain from receiving Communion that day. The Eucharistic fast for evening Vesperal Liturgies begins following a (light) lunch, continuing until the time of the Liturgy. Children who have not come to First Holy Confession are, of course, exempt from this guideline. Individuals with medical conditions that require a modification of the Eucharist fast should discuss it privately with Fr. Bill.
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^ Please forward your preferred email address to Fr. Bill if you are not receiving the parish E-BULLETINS and other parish informational updates but would like to receive them. Please note that email addresses are not shared. A limited number of copies of each week’s bulletin are put in the vestibule wall pamphlet rack.
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PARISH ON-LINE GIVING
No envelope, no checks, no cash? No problem! ON-LINE giving is always available! Go to our website under “Online Giving” (https://www.holyghostoca.org/onlinegiving) and make your donation today. You even have the option to donate to the General Fund or Memorial Fund, and we will add Special Projects as opportunities arise. There is even an option to make a recurring donation so you can set it and forget it! Please note there is a small credit card processing fee to donate online. Please contact Nicole Domitrovic or Fr. Bill if you have any questions about this on-line method of stewardship
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^ Please remember to contact Fr. Bill any time you, or a loved one who is a member of the parish, is HOSPITALIZED for an extended number of days so that a pastoral visit can be done to administer either Holy Unction or Eucharist at the time of need.
^ Weather permitting, Fr. Bill plans to BLESS GRAVES for the Paschal season at Economy Cemetery on Sunday, May 3 (1:30 PM) and at the St. Elijah Cemetery on Sunday, May 17 (1:30 PM). Please contact Fr. Bill to discuss blessings at other cemeteries (or at these two cemeteries at alternative times) before the Ascension Holyday on May 21.
^ The Parish Life Committee warmly invites everyone to attend a special MOTHER’S DAY COFFEE HOUR downstairs in the church hall immediately following the May 10 Liturgy. Special prayers will be offered that day during the Liturgy for our departed and living mothers as well.
^ We will begin our SUNDAY LITURGY SUMMER SCHEDULE during Memorial Day weekend when the May 24 Liturgy will begin at 9:30 AM. This start time remains through Labor Day weekend in September. This does not affect the start times of any other non-Sunday services.
^ MAY 10 (9AM) CHURCH SCHOOL-TEEN GROUP SESSIONS will be the final classes for this academic year. We will have a special post-Liturgy awards recognition that day as well. Also, we ask for the students and teachers to remain for a group photo as we continue to update our parish’s website photo section.
^ Fr. Bill will be AWAY FROM THE PARISH on Monday, May 18, and Tuesday, May 19, attending the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and W PA (OCA) clergy retreat at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA. As is true at any time throughout the year, please call his cell number in the event of an emergency requiring immediate pastoral attention.
^ Plan ahead - - - Wednesday, May 27 (6:30 PM) is the tentative day for the next ORTHODOX BIBLE STUDY downstairs in the church hall. ALL are invited - - including non-parish guests!
^ The PARISH COUNCIL MEETING originally scheduled for May has been re-scheduled downstairs in the church hall on Monday, June 8 (6:30 PM).
^ Please support the important Ladies Altar Society BASKET-TEA PARTY at the Youth Center on Saturday, May 9 - Noon. Please see the attached flier to this newsletter for more information.
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~ DEATH COULD NOT HOLD HIM ~
“’Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.’” (St. Peter’s speech on Pentecost, Acts 2: 22-24)
Pentecost is still a few weeks away, but we are already called to anticipate it in the above-quoted passage, read in our churches during Bright Week - the week following Pascha. Here St. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, is “making sense” of Christ’s death and resurrection. He offers us the simplest and clearest “explanation” of our Lord’s rising from the dead – “because it was not possible for Him to be held” by death. Divinity, the Source of Life, could not be held by death. Humanity, on the other hand, could be held by death, and was, indeed, “held” by it, – before humanity’s unique union with divinity in the Person of Jesus Christ. When death came up against the God-Man, Who took it on willfully, “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,” it was irreparably damaged, losing its “sting” and its “hold” on all who willfully choose to live and die in Christ.
We Orthodox Christians still die a physical death, but we die differently, just like we live differently - in Christ. The meaning of “death” and “life” is forever changed through Christ’s salvific journey through our life and our death. It is now His kind of death, and His kind of life that we receive - IF we willfully walk the cross-carrying journey with Him. But just talking about it, or reading about it, doesn’t do us much good. We need to try it today, and once again re-connect with the Holy Spirit, that we may experience this new kind of living and dying, not in lonely isolation, but as one belonging to His light-filled Body, the Church. Why? So that we personally know what it means, not to be “held” by death. THAT is the promise of the Third-Day Resurrection of our Savior!
Today, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Holy Ghost Orthodox Church in Ambridge, we should pause in our festivities and reflect thoughtfully on its beginnings.
Shortly after the turn of the century, many Europeans sought to escape the religious and cultural persecutions of the Austro-Hungarian rulers by sailing to America.
Approximately 14 families, including those of John Bowan Sr., Wasil Blishak, Constantine Dzubinsky, Samuel Evans Sr., Daniel Holovach, A. Kohan, Nicholas Kraynak, Theodore Kushnir, Wasil Kuhta, Wasil Towcimak, Michael Turko, and John Zawoysky, settled in the North Side and South Side of Pittsburgh, where they attended St. Alexander Nevsky and St. Michael's Orthodox Churches.
However, these pioneers soon moved on to Ambridge where employment opportunities were greater. The American Bridge Company, which erected its first plant in Ambridge in 1902, offered such security.
Although settled in Ambridge, they continued to attend church in Pittsburgh. Each Sunday morning they walked the railroad tracks, more accessible than the unpaved roads, to Leetsdale, where they boarded a train to Pittsburgh. This continued until the group established a makeshift altar in May's Hall, Third and Merchant Streets, Ambridge. There, under the guidance of the Rev. J. Sechinsky, they continued their religious devotions. A little later, services were conducted in the residence of Samuel Evans, Sr., and still later in a little shelter on a vacant lot near Third and Merchant Streets. The reverends J. Sechinsky, P. Kohanik and Nicholas Koshevich were among the early pastors.
In October of 1907, guided by Fr. Nicholas Koshevich, this determined group purchased two lots at Second and Maplewood Avenue for $1,650. With their hands, they laid the foundation of their long-awaited church. It took them two months and cost approximately $6,000 -- lots, construction and materials included. The American Bridge Co donated steel for the foundation. This contribution so overwhelmed the group that they gathered on the grounds of the American Bridge plant with their icons and glorified the donors with prayers and singing.
On November 27, 1907, the first Divine Liturgy was served in the newly built church basement. Named trustees of the fledgling church were Wasil Blishak, John Bowan Sr. Samuel Evans Sr. and Daniel Holovach. Others who contributed their services were families of Timko Romanov, Paul Romanov, Dimitri Skomsky, Theodore Lapihuska, Timko Guch, Harry Kohanik, Stephen Felk, John Evans Sr., A. Zbigley, Nicholas Kuhta, Theodore Fecik, Wasil Liseyko, Joseph Hafiez, Anton Shpak, Nicholas Kulavchik, N. Polovischak, E. Polovischak, Timko Blishko, Harry Shepella, Michael Roman, John Towcimak, Wasil Zawoysky Sr., Wasil Guch, Michael Psinka and Wasil Hritzik.
On August 21, 1911, the parish was incorporated as the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ghost. The congregation adopted as its patron, the Descent of the Holy Ghost (Spirit) upon the Apostles.
The first recorded christening was that of Nicholas Kuhta on October 27, 1907. The first marriage solemnized in the church was that of Theodore Hopta and Anna Hnath on February 8, 1908.
The parish grew steadily, and soon plans were being formulated for completion of the church. In 1912 a building committee was established. The church was completed in December 1914 at a cost of $14,000. The Rev. Andrew Ivanishin officiated at the first Divine Liturgy in the new edifice. The cornerstone, donated by Samuel Evans Sr., and the newly built church were consecrated by the Most Rev. Archbishop Alexander, assisted by Fr. Ivanishin and visiting clergy. The dream had become a reality. Just one year later, a parish home next to the new church was purchased for $5,100.
Now thoughts turned to the church interior. In 1927, led by the Rev. Damian Krehel, the church commissioned Michael Kupetz, a parishioner, to paint the murals for $2,200.
Two years later the present three bells were purchased. Metropolitan Platon blessed them.
The Great Depression ruled out further improvements until November 27, 1941, when, under the leadership of the Rev. Emilian Skuby, a new iconostas and newly renovated church interior were blessed by the Rt. Rev. Benjamin, Bishop of Pittsburgh and West Virginia. The new iconostas was designed and erected by the famous architect-artist Gennady Gordeyev.
That same year saw the outbreak of World War II, and 1950 brought with it the Korean conflict. Twelve young men of the parish were killed in those wars: Michael Chaykowsky, Edward Chumak, Peter Dudenich, Paul Durniak, John Kucer, Michael Kucer, Frank Pastrick, Steve Pastrick, Nicholas Sapovchak, Michael Sudik, George Torhan and Dimitri Wrobleski.
On November 21, 1954, a crystal chandelier was installed and dedicated to the memory of twelve young men from the parish that gave their lives to the service of their country in World War II and the Korean conflict.
In July 1974 a new parish home was purchased on Pilgrim Drive, Leet Township. The old parish home next to the church was converted into an educational center. There the church school organization, which was initiated by the Senior R Club (FROC) during the presidency of Mildred Erdelyn Mitcheil in 1947, continues to meet.
In February 1975 a fire started in the front of the church, severely damaging one corner of the interior. Fr. Vladimir Soroka and Church Council President Irene Bell led the ensuing restoration.
In 1975 The Holy Ghost Orthodox Youth Center began as a gift. The merged Russian Community Society and Russian Society of St. Michael donated the empty building at 405 Maplewood Avenue that formerly housed the Russian Community Society. A building committee was appointed, led by co-chairmen Frank Markvan and Ted Hritsko. The former building was mostly razed and a new structure erected under the guidance of architect George Ruscitto and builder Jerry Steinmetz Construction Corporation. In 1977, two years after the ownership was transferred to the congregation, the transformed building was opened as a center for both parochial events and public events. Today the Center is a hub our Annual Slavic Festival and other church related activities.
In the early 1990's, the parishioners of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Aliquippa were welcomed as members of the Holy Ghost congregation when their parish was closed.
In November 1996 the congregation undertook one of the most ambitious renovation projects since the founding of the church in 1907. Cupolas of reinforced gold fiberglass replaced the four deteriorating copper cupolas. This project was the centerpiece of a series of renovation projects that included the complete repainting of the interior of the church, enhanced internal and external lighting, and re-pointing the brick exterior of the church. All of these major projects were completed prior to the congregation's celebration of its 90th anniversary in 1997.
The congregation has just completed a 10-year capital improvements plan in time for the parish's 100th anniversary. These projects included all new iconography in the altar, including a new Platitera icon in the apse over the sanctuary, the total refurbishment of the chandelier, renovated restrooms in the church basement, new wall-to-wall carpeting, and new iconography on the proscenium arch above the iconostas.
From the original 14 families the parish has grown to over 200 adults and 30 children.
From those hard working immigrant families who formed the nucleus, to the present pastor, V. Rev. William Evansky, church council, church organizations and congregation, we are deeply indebted. To those now deceased -- May God grant them eternal rest. To those still in our midst--thank you for a job well done! God bless you and guide you in your continued efforts.