Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
Fall is just around the corner and that means we need to be thinking about the educational opportunities that our parish will be offering for children, young people, and adults. All of that information is included in or attached to this edition of The Happy Priest, so please read carefully through the entire newsletter. We want you to be able to participate in everything that will be going on this fall.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, August 18 and Friday, August 20
Daily Services
Monday, August 16 to Wednesday, August 18
Orthros 5am;
Vespers 5pm
There will be No Daily Services on Thursday and Friday of this week. Also, if you plan on attending the daily services, it’s generally a good idea to check the day before to make sure that the service will be offered. Sometimes pastoral situations require a change of plans and the service cannot be offered on that particular day.
The Hours
This week, Seth Hart will be at the online chanter’s stand, offering the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours every day on ZOOM. However, he will be away at St. Michael’s Monastery Thursday and Friday, so he won’t be able to stream the Hours on those days.
Schedule: Monday-Friday:
First Hour at 6:45 a.m.
Third Hour: 8:45 a.m.
Sixth Hour: 12:00 p.m.
Ninth Hour: 2:45 p.m.
See the emailed newsletter for login info.
Thursday, August 19
Bible Study at 7:00 p.m.
See the emailed newsletter for login info.
Saturday, August 21
Orthros at 7:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.
Masks will be required at these services.
St. Thomas School at 4:00 p.m.
Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 22
9th Sunday of St Matthew
Orthros at 8:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.
Fellowship Hour at Noon
Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children at Noon
The Akathist will be offered in the cry room or you can log in online. See the emailed newsletter for login info.
St. Thomas School
On Saturday, August 21, Seth Hart will lead the discussion of Chapter 14, Bells and Bell Ringing.
The following link will provide a summary of the material that will be covered:
Church School
Attached to this edition of The Happy Priest is a letter outlining our plans for the 2021-2022 Church School Year. The letter also contains assignments for each class and each Sunday. Please read all of that material carefully and, if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, get in touch with Father Aidan.
Fall Theological Seminar
Attached to this edition of The Happy Priest is a letter about The Fall Theological Seminar, as well as an event that we will be hosting the first weekend in November. Please read all the details and plan on joining us either in person or online each Wednesday evening throughout the fall and on Saturday, November 6.
Online Meeting Participation
Starting Wednesday, September 1, online participation in St. Thomas School, The Fall Theological Seminar, and any parish events or meetings that we host will be limited to folks who live at a distance from the parish (Bastrop, Burnet, and Killeen). However, in order to participate online, each of us will need to make a reservation 48 hours prior to the event by sending an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org. We will also need to keep our cameras on during the event. We will readily make exceptions for folks who have health concerns or other issues, but you’ll need to address that with Father Aidan (just send him an email).
Parish Potluck
Since we currently only have four Fellowship Hour Teams, whenever there is a fifth Sunday in the month, like this month (Sunday, August 29, will be a fifth Sunday), we will have a parish potluck. That means we all need to bring food to share and, rather than eat as individuals or families, we will put all our food together in the kitchen, so folks can get to it easily by just going through the normal line. Sunday, August 29, is a strict fasting day, since it is the commemoration of the Beheading of the Forerunner, but the fast ends once the Divine Liturgy has concluded. So, please be sure and bring several dishes that you can share on the last Sunday of this month.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
The mulch on the playground is a federally mandated safety measure that is designed to keep our children safe. However, the mulch needs to be a certain depth in order for it to work properly. That’s why it’s important that we not allow our children to dig holes in the mulch. Not only is it a tripping hazard for adults, it also creates a dangerous environment for our children. So, if you see children digging holes in the mulch, please direct them to fill in the holes and then move on to other activities.
—
An unworthy priest,
Aidan
The Happy Priest is a publication of Life at a Dead Run Media, which is a subsidiary of One Take Productions. Our IT Guy is Jerry Juliano (“Go, Jerry, Go!”). Our Webmaster is Seth Hart. Our Keeper of Lists is Father Deacon Andrew Wilson. Our Roving Reporter is Brian Fantana. Our corporate team brought home the silver in Roque and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.