St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, Saint Paul, MN 854 Woodbridge Street, St. Paul, MN 55117
www.saintmarymn.org
Hristos a
Inviat !
Parish priest :
Mircea
Vasi u
of f ice (651)488-5669
cel l (734) 497-4544
Emai l :
frmirceavasiu
@yahoo.com
C ALEA CRUCII SPRE
INVIERE
"Iată a venit prin Cruce bucu-
rie la toată lumea" (din Cântările
Învierii)
Hristos a înviat!
Cu sufletele si inimile pline
de bucurie vom prăznuim Învi-
erea Domnului curând, cea mai
mare sărbătoare din calendarul
bisericesc, care înseamnă pentru
noi creştinii "omorârea morţii,
sfărâmarea iadului şi începătura
altei vieţi veşnice"
În fiecare an, Sânta Biserică
care ne-a renăscut şi ne susţine în
călătoria spre veşnicie, ne poartă
pe urmele Mântuitorului. Astfel,
ea ne ajută nu doar să retrăim
învăţături şi minuni, ci să ne
identificăm cu adevărat cu “calea”
sau modul de viaţă al Domnului.
Şi ne întrebăm: De ce trebuie să
trecem prin aceste exerciţii duhov-
niceşti in fiecare an? Mai întâi
trebuie să întelegem că prin
APRIL 2019
The bulletin
T HE SUNDAY OF
GREAT LENT
On the fourth Sunday in Lent,
we commemorate the memory of
Saint John Climacus, author of
“The Ladder of Divine Ascent”.
The “Ladder of Divine Ascent” is
the sum total of all the virtues
which lead us to heaven. Saint
John writes that this composition
cannot be made of one virtue
alone, just as “the diadem of the
King is not made of only one pre-
cious stone.” At the top of his lad-
der of thirty-rungs, Saint John
places three noble virtues Faith,
Hope and Love. (count. page2)
Sfântul Botez noi am intrat într-
un nou mod de viaţă: cel duhov-
nicesc, adică cel al lui Hristos.
Acest mod de trăire sau “cale” es-
te modalitatea prin care ne lăsăm
transformaţi din omul cel vechi,
plin de păcate în cel nou, care es-
te înnoit de Duhul Sfânt datorită
pocăinţei.
Într-adevar, pentru omul
credincios Paştile ca şi toate du-
minicile şi sărbătorile de peste an
sunt momente de înnoire su-
fletească, de întărire cu
putere dumnezeiască în lupta
cu ispitele şi greutăţile vieţii.
Apoi, de fiecare dată când
retrăim praznicele sau posturile,
noi ne indentificăm nu numai cu
învăţăturile Domnului, ci şi cu
Însuşi Hristos, deoarece în trăi-
rea practică El vine la noi şi ne
întăreşte. Postind facem lo cunei
trăiri dependente de Cuvântul lui
Dumnezeu, mai mult decât de
cele biologice. (continuare pag. 3)
Click here for
APRIL CALENDAR
Programul Slujbelor
din Săptămâna Mare
page7
Fish Dinner
page4
Summer
Camps page 2 & 4
Lenten Retreat
page 4
SPOVEDANII
in Postul Mare
CONFESSIONS In fiecare
Vineri la 6:30pm (sau
după slujbă)
Sâmbătă după Vecernie
- 5:00pm
Duminică de la 9:00am
- 9:40am
Saint John was born in 525 AD and went
to Mount Sinai at 16 years of age to live a
spiritual life. At 19 he traveled to the desert
of “Tholas” where he spent 40 years in pray-
er and meditation. It was there he wrote the
“Ladder of the Divine Ascent” which is the
“rule” of the monastic communities. The
book contains three basic segments: Break
with the World, Practice of Virtues, and the
Struggle with Passions through a Contem-
plative Life. The spiritual struggle of the
Christian life is a real one, “not against flesh
and blood, but against . . . the rulers of the
present darkness . . . the hosts of wickedness
in heavenly places . . .” (Eph. 6.12).
The fifth Sunday in Lent, we commemo-
rate Saint Mary of Egypt, whose life story is
one of the most moving in the chronicles of
Christianity. Her story shows us God’s grace,
love, mercy and forgiveness. Forgiveness of
the Lord is giving through genuine repent-
ances and sincere change in our life. It is
God’s answer to us at times when we are
burdened with guilt, fear and despondency
because of wrongdoings. Satan makes us feel
like we have been thrown into a trash pile by
God, being forgotten and unworthy to enter
God’s Holy Church and receive His love.
God’s love redeems and restores us constant-
ly. Saint Mary of Egypt lived on 4th century
and she was the repentant harlot. Mary tells
us, first of all, that no amount of sin and
wickedness can keep a person from God if
he truly repents. Christ himself has come
“to call sinners to repentance” and to save
them from their sins (Lk 5.32).
Saturday of Lazarus; Lazarus was
born in Bethany the son of Simon the Phar-
isee. Christ was a close friend to Simon and
visited his home frequently thus the chil-
dren of Simon, Lazarus, Martha and Mary,
became close friends with Jesus. As the Ho-
ly Passion of Christ approached the mys-
tery of the Resurrection had to be foreseen.
Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from
the dead and then the son of the widow of
Nain on the way to the cemetery. Christ
knew that Lazarus had died and was al-
ready four days in the tomb. The Lord came
to Bethany to raise his dear friend from the
dead and to solidify, to the people, that He
is the Son of God. The miracle of the raising
of Lazarus provoked the hatred of the
Scribes and the Pharisees, thus they decid-
ed to kill them both. After the Resurrection,
Lazarus traveled to Cyprus and became the
Bishop of Kitium. He lived there for 30
years until his second and final death.
I pray that your Lenten Journey be
Blessed with peaceful and serene days.
May the Holy Theotokos protect you from
the subtle attack of Satan during the Holy
Season and may we all be worthy to cele-
brate His Holy and Glorious Resurrection.
PAGE 2 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
The CAMPING PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE ROMANIAN ORTHODOX
EPISCOPATE of America are an extension of the Church's sacred ministry to her young
people. Students are given both the knowledge and encouragement necessary to build a
strong spiritual life which will be of great benefit to them throughout the years to come.
The camps programs (at “Vatra Românească” Great Lakes, MI) are:
CAMP VATRA for seniors - age 14-17, JUNE 30-13
for juniors - age 11-13, July 21 – Aug. 3 For more information please go at http://www.roea.org/summercamps.html or contact Fr.
Mircea.
Postind (cu rugăciune si fapte bune) vreme
de 40 de zile, noi nu mai suntem singuri ci cu
Dumnezeu. Îl urmăm pe Hristos, care a postit, s
-a rugat şi a înfruntat pe diavolul, birundu-i
ispitirile. Astfel cu ajutorul Domnului, calea
crucii, este preschimbată în bucurie.
Pentru noi, creştinii ortodocşi, Postul Mare
(11Martie-28Aprilie) este perioada de pregătire
pentru Învierea Domnului, dar şi pentru învi-
erea noastră (schimbarea noastră) din patimi si
păcate, pentru asemănarea cu Dumnezeu. Pos-
tul este o perioadă complexă şi necesită nevoiţă
si luptă duhovnicescă personală, lupta cea bună
contra păcatului (si trebuie să ştim care sunt
păcate – nu doar cee ace dorim noi să credem că
sunt). Postul include participarea la slujbele
speciale de peste săptămână care se fac in Sf.
Biserică, citiri sfinte, fapte de milostenie şi jerfe
reale pentru întreţinerea Bisericii. Suntem
chemaţi să ne lepădăm de păcate prin Spoveda-
vie sinceră. Iar încununarea postului este
unirea cu Hristos, prin Împărtăşirea cu Lui
Sf. Trup si Sânge, şi desigur intrarea cu
vrednicie în lumina şi bucuria Învierii.
Pocainta, unită cu credinţa şi cu
răbdarea, ne conduce treptat nu numai la
maturitate duhovnicească ci si la curăţia şi
sfinţirea vieţii. Crucea însemnă jertfă, iar
jertfa “asumarea crucii” presupune
suferinţă izvorâtă din dragoste… de aceea
avem nevoie de cruce, jerfă şi suferinţă – iar
imitarea lui Hristos presupune aceste lucruri
Dorindu-vă tuturor să petreceţi Sfintele
Sărbători ale Învierii Domnului cu pace şi cu
sănătate, mă rog Mântuitorului Iisus Hris-
tos, Biruitorul morţii, să vă binecuvinteze pe
toţi, să vă dăruiască putere şi curaj în pur-
tarea crucii de fiecare zi şi să reverse în su-
fletele voastre bucuria Învierii Sale.
PAGE 3 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
Parking Lot Project
DONATIONS
Ron Bongard $ 1,000 parking lot
IMO his mother Ann
Irinel & Ovidiu Ardelean $ 500 Parking
lot
Dear parishioners, friends and supporters,
we reached the final stage of our parking lot
project. After the city’s approval we finally
found a company to build it. In February at
the General Meeting (Synod), we decided
to go forward with this project. The total
price for it is around $80,000 .
We need your financial help to finalize
this project. Please make donations toward
it (please mention on “memo” - parking lot
project. We will come with more details
soon, but we are counting on your support.
PAGE 4 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
Palm Sunday Fish Dinner
Masa de Peste de Florii
Donated by Georgia & John Omorean IMO Ann Marinkov
Sunday, April 21,
2019 - 12:30pm
Din Menu:
Baked fish with
mamaliga &
garlic sauce
Caviar salad
Pommes nature (boiled
potatoes) with gravy /
Cartofi natur cu sos
Green salad, bread & fruits
ORTHODOX SUMMER CAMP
Is by God’s grace the crown jewel of our Youth
Ministry program. Our schedule includes worship,
swimming, sports, horseback riding, high and low
ropes courses, religion groups, campfires, candle
making, crafts, presentations on missions, boating,
and more! We rent Camp Wapogasset in
Amery, Wisconsin. The camp is located just 75
minutes Northeast of St. Mary’s.
Summer Camp Dates:
June 29-July 5, 2019
For 3rd through 12th graders in fall. Early bird discount $430 (4/17-5/4) /
Standard fee $ 480 (5/5-5/24)
Please visit our Camp website for more information
and registration: www.stmaryscamp.com
Camper Registration runs from April 17 and
closes in the final workdays of May 24.
LENTEN RETREAT
(for adults & children) -
Rugăciune si convorbiri
duhovniceşti în Postul Mare -
Saturday, April 06, 2019 from
11:30am "Redeeming the
Time: the Church Calendar
as a Practical Tool for Per-
sonal and Family Spiritual
Growth."
With Rev. Fr. Andrew Morbey
from OCA Cathedral in
Minneapolis
2019 MEMBERSHIP
Elena Simian $ 150
Serban Simian $ 150
Olga Kabulia $ 75 (retired)
Prascovia & Alexandru Bortnov $ 300
Anca & Dan Sima $ 300
Anonymous $ 400
Liliana Badea $ 25
Ron Bongard $ 1,000 parking lot
Irinel & Ovidiu Ardelean $ 500 Parking lot
Tudor Elena $ 20
Speranta Teisanu $15
Juliann Larson $ 100
Leonard Mihai $ 150
Virginia Cornea $ 30
Nicholas Manciu $ 80 Pledge donation
PAGE 5 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN
.ORG
MONTHLY OFFERINGS
WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
Repentance is reconciliation
with the Lord by the practice
of good deeds contrary to the
sins.
NEWLY BAPTIZED
Welcome to the Orthodox Christian
World! Congratulations to Raluca Sima & Thomas
Zimmermann on the Baptism of their son
Christopher Danut Rolf. Naşi Ana Laura
Corina Sima – La mulţi ani!
FLORI PENTRU SF. MORMANT SI SF. PASTI
EASTER FLOWERS OFFERINGS
We are looking for donators for flowers for the Tomb of our Lord and
Easter Sunday ($25/$30) each pot). Please contact the epitrops and
give your offering in time. Flowers may be taken home on Easter Sun-
day following the Divine Liturgy.
Căutăm sponsori pentru florile pentru Sfântul Mormânt al Domnului şi
Sfintele Paşti. Pretul este de $25/$30 un ghiveci. Florile pot fi luate
acasă după Sfânta Liturghie din Duminica Învierii.
THE SCHEDULE FOR DUNAREA CHIL-
DREN’S DANCE GROUP for F.O.N.
Next practices at 1pm:
April 7, 14
FUTURE EVENTS :
May 5, 2018 at 11:00 AM: Festival
of Nations at River Center Roy Wil-
kins Auditorium
PAGE 6 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
We would like to thank to Ardeleanu family for flow-
ers decoration on the Sunday of the Holy Cross .
CANDLES IN THE FRONT AND INSIDE THE ALTAR
1. Pomenirea Morţilor /Great Lent MEMORIAL SERVICES - SATURDAY, April 6 &
20 at 9:30am
2. PALM SUNDAY FISH DINNER – April 21, 2019 – after Divine Liturgy
3. April 22– 27 - HOLY WEEK – Special Ser-
vices in Church (see Calendar…)
4. Blessing of the Water – Sunday, MAY 5
5. MOTHER’S DAY DINNER – May 12, 2019 –
after Divine Liturgy
6. Spring Fest/PICNIC - SUNDAY, June 16, 2019
On 02/24, 2019 – donate de Larisa Iurcu pentru
sănătatea familiei şi ziua de nastere a sotului Alexandru si a
mamei Elena - La mulţi ani!
On 03/10, 2019 – donated by Ardeleanu family for Emanuel 39th birth-
day - La multi ani! And for help from above;
On 03/17, 2019 – donated by Gabriela Jancik IMO Vir-
gil Ristea - Dumnezeu să-l ierte!
On 03/24, 2019 – donate de Cristian Westervelt pentru
sănătate
A DONATION FOR
ALTAR CANDLES IS
$ 50
COMING EVENTS
Sluja de PASTI
Holy PASCHA Service APRIL
28, 2019 12:00 am (midnight) &
10:00 am Divine Liturgy
(si binecuvantarea cosurilor
FESTIVAL OF NATIONS 2019
DUNAREA: Saturday May 4 - show time is 11 am sharp.
IZVORASUL: Saturday May 5 - at 1:00PM & 4:00 PM additional time at World Stage
PLAI DE DOR: Sunday May 4 - at 2:00PMat Roy Atrium Stage & 3:00PM at World Stage
Please, all dancers requested to report to designated performing areas 1 hour to ½ hour before the show times.
PAGE 7 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
Holy Wednesday, April 24 - at 7:00 pm - Holy Unction / Sf. Maslu (Spovedanii)
Holy Thursday, April 25 - at 6:00 pm - Pavecerniţa Mare & Spovedanii
- at 7:00 pm - 12 Gospel reading
- Denia celor 12 Evanghelii
Holy Friday, April 26 - at 9:30 am - Royal Hours /Ceasurilor Împărăteşti
- at 6:00 pm - Vespers / Vecernia
- at 7:00 pm - Lamentation of Our Lord /
- Denia Prohodului
RESURRECTION SERVICE - Sunday, APRIL 28 at midnight ( 12:00 am) &
Blessing of the baskets / binecuvantarea cosurilor
RESURRECTION LITURGY - Sunday, APRIL 28 at 10:00am &
Blessing of the baskets / binecuvantarea cosurilor
2nd Day of Pascha - Monday, APRIL 29 at 10:00am - Divine Liturgy
We would like to THANK to ladies who helped us at
Lenten Dinner Sunday, March 31, 2019 to all who
prepared the food and to all the priests and faithful who
came.
HOLY WEEK & PASCHA SCHEDULE
PROGRAMUL DIN SAPTAMANA MARE SI SF. PASTI
L enten Vesper
& Dinner
SPOVEDANIILE ÎN POSTUL MARE - În perioda Postului, Spovedanii se pot
face Vineri seara la 6:30pm sau după slujbă, Sâmbătă seara dupa Vecernie,
sau Duminica dimineaţa de la 9:00 am - 9:40am.
În acestă perioadă, când ne aducem aminte de preţul plătit de Domnul pe Cruce,
pentru fiecare dintre noi, să ne arătăm şi noi dragostea pentru El, sprijinind Sfânta Sa
Biserică. Vă rugăm să trimiteţi darul dragostei pentru una sau mai multe dintre
următoarele:
At this time of Holy Pascha, when we remember the price that our Lord has paid for
each of us on the Cross; let us show our love for Him, by supporting His Holy Church.
You may send your gift of love for one or more of the following:
Name
Enclose find my donation to Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church:
Pascha (Easter) Donation …..……….………… $
Parking lot project Donation …..……….…….. $
Parish Dues (membria $150)………...…..…... .. $
Altar Needs (see below*) …..……………..…… $
PALM SUNDAY BRANCHES $70 ……………….. $
SFINTELE PASTI (paine & vin).……………….….. $
*Altar bread and candles, communion wine, oil for candles (olive oil only),
charcoals, Incense - PLEASE talked with Fr. Mircea for details (The Church us-
es special wine & bread for Holy Communion & Sf Pasti, candles etc…)
Thank you for your kind expression of love and faith! May God repay your family
with His Heavenly gifts! HRISTOS A INVIAT!
PLEASE CLIP THIS COUPON and bring it personally to the church or mail it (with the en-
velope enclose) along with your donation.
VĂ RUGĂM SĂ TĂIAŢI ACEST CUPON şi să-l aduceţi personal sau să-l trimiteţi alături de
donaţia Dvs. (cu plicul inclus)
PRAYER LIST / POMELNIC
For the living (Vii): For the Deceased (Morţi)
PAGE 8 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG
DARUL MEU DE SF PAŞTI - MY GIFT FOR THE HOLY PASCHA