
Sunday Divine Liturgy on Regular Sundays is at 10am Divine Liturgy is often preceded by another service when we have the Liturgical/clerical support to do so, or periodically the office of confession.
Sermons and classes can be found on our Youtube channel ProtectionDover.
More catechetical information, in both video and written form, can be found on our educational website www.orthodoxchristianed.org.
Confessions are done 45 minues before eucharistic liturgies (i.e. before mornng, afternoon or evening liturgies), and after any evening service that is not eucharistic (except for Holy Week and Resurrection Bright week, morning or evening, in which we have already squared ourselves with God during Great Lent to focus on only on participating in His life-giving passion (and not on our personal needs which as good Christians, we have taken care of ahead of time). .
April Great Lent (end) and Holy Week Schedule
Sunday March 30 Sunday of the Ladder (St. John Climacus)
9:25am Confession (note, this will be the last week for confessions from Fr. Harry until St. Thomas Sunday, but there is also the Wednesday and tentatively Friday following (see below).
10am Divine Liturgy
Wednesday April 2
5pm Confessions
6pm Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (church)
7:15pm Bible Study (social hall)
Friday April 4
*Note, if Pani Matka needs surgery this morning, which is a possibility, we will not be able to do confessions nor Presanctified Liturgy as I will be bringing her to her surgery.
10am Confessions
11am Presanctified Liturgy
*April 5-12 Fr H on mission trip with FrDn James to help those in Costa Rica. Fr. Silouan celebrating Apr. 6 LIturgy with Fr. Dn. Brian. Fr. Dn. Brian Delp on call for pastoral through week.
*Note, Friday April 4 will be the final day for confessions from Fr. Harry until St. Thomas Sunday, with the possible exception of catechumens.
Sunday April 6 Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt FS
10am Divine Liturgy
PALM SUNDAY April 13
10am Divine Liturgy, blessing and distribution of palms and pussy willow branches
(Fish wine and olive oil are eaten today even on the strictest of fast observations)
GREAT TUESDAY April 15
6pm Bridegroom Presanctified Liturgy followed by Holy Unction with Bridegroom Matinal prayers (only communing Orthodox Christians in good standing may receive this sacrament).
GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY April 17
7pm Candlelight Passion of Christ Matins (Strasti)
GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY April 18
6pm-8pm Crucifixion and Burial of Christ--Great and Holy Friday Evening Vigil (combined service—Holy Friday Vespers with Holy Saturday Matins. The first half of the service has the “inside procession” for the bringing out of the Shroud to the center of the Church, and the second has the outside procession of the Shroud around the Church and all passing under it as they re-enter the Church. Come for as much as you can, it doesn’t have to be the whole time). That being said, for the 7pm service the girls who wish to will be throwing rose petals in the procession and the boys who wish to will have place in the procession.
Great Saturday and Great and Holy Pascha Sunday April 19-20
Sat. 12noon-1:30pm The Harrowing of Hell, Christ’s victorious ascent/rising in soul; First Resurrection Vesperal Liturgy
with Baptisms and Chrismations, liturgically bringing an end to Great Saturday and beginning the Vigil of Pascha. It is the service where, in the middle of the service, we change all things to Paschal décor (from dark to light), and where you bang on the pews or floor (some bring pots and pans to bang) to represent Christ’s conquering of hell. It is also the Liturgy that we serve completely in the nave of the Church before the Holy Shroud. NOTE, if you for reasons of age or health cannot make it to midnight services, Fr. Harry will bless baskets for this occasion after this Liturgy. That being said, one still should not partake of these things until after midnight. Gifts of thanks are welcomed but not expected.
Sat-Sun 10pm-1:15am Midnight Resurrectional Services
10pm people begin to arrive for Paschal services (bring baskets to hall beforehand)
10:30pm Nocturnes
*10:45pm-1:15am Paschal light and procession; Matins beginning at “Tomb” shrine and procession around church and finishing in the church, Midnight Divine Liturgy of Pascha
Following this (not long after 1am), the blessing of baskets in the hall and festal meal from the baskets.
Resurrection Bright Week
Fr. Harry will be at a mandatory meeting from Bright Tuesday until Bright Thursday of this week at the Seminary in New Jersey, where he and the bishops will be praying for you. Please give special intentions for this week to Fr. Harry via text or email, for which he will pray here at our parish also on Friday once he has gotten back. .
Resurrection Bright Friday April 25
10am Resurrection Bright Week Divine Liturgy
April 27 Second Sunday of Pascha: St. Thomas
10am Divine Liturgy
