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 | Major Kudos! - 05/26/08 Our own Honey Zimmerman and her sister, Mickey Arangelovic, have been inducted into the Tamburitza Association of America Hall of Fame for their lifetime commitment to the preservation and growth of tambura music in America. Honey has her own tambura orchestra, Sarena, which provided entertainment at the recent IOCC banquet; you can find out more about Sarena here. Congratulations to Honey & Mickey on their recognition and for their love and dedication to their musical heritage! |
 | Mothers' Day brunch - 05/18/08 Mothers' Day fell on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women this year, and the men of the parish provided and served a brunch for all the women in the parish. (Special thanks to Mike Russell for planning the meal and doing most of the cooking.) |
 | Noah Royer Baptism - 05/04/08 On Thomas Sunday, we baptized the child o' God, Noah Royer, during the Divine Liturgy. God grant him, his sponsors and his familiy, many years! |
 | Bright Friday Dinner & Dance - 05/02/08 The Bright Friday Dinner & Dance is the social event of the season. With good friends, good food and good music, everybody had a great time. |
 | PASCHA! - 04/27/08 Scenes from Holy Week & Pascha: The Feast of Feasts, the Resurrection of Christ! |
 | Great & Holy Saturday - 04/26/08 Scenes from Holy Week & Pascha: the Vesperal Liturgy on Great & Holy Saturday. |
 | Baptism: Cole Alexander Hammer - 04/26/08 Jon Timko's son, Cole Alexander, was Baptized before the Vesperal Liturgy on Great & Holy Saturday. God grant him, his family and his sponsors, many years! |
 | Holy Friday night: "tomb-hopping" - 04/25/08 Scenes from Holy Week & Pascha. After the Friday evening Lamentations service, members of St Innocent's began a round-the-clock vigil of singing Psalms in front of the tomb of Christ. While this began, several carloads of parishioners went to visit other Orthodox churches in greater Cleveland that were also open all night. This late-night pilgrimage we call "tomb-hopping." It's especially popular with the young people, who don't have as much trouble staying up late. |
 | Holy Friday - 04/25/08 Scenes from Holy Week & Pascha. Some pictures from the services of Great & Holy Friday. |
 | Holy Thursday - 04/24/08 Scenes from Holy Week & Pascha. Some pictures from the services of Great & Holy Thursday. (Special thanks to Lu Timko for providing most of the pictures from Holy Week.) |
 | Sandra Zimmerman Chrismated - 04/20/08 Sandra Zimmerman was received into the fulness of the Faith this evening before Bridegroom Matins. Julie Hall served as her sponsor, and her family was on hand to witness her Chrismation. (Sandy was the last of our recent group of Catechumens to be received. Alas, the rank of Catechumens at St Innocent's is depleted! Pray for more people to find their way to Christ and His Church.) God grant Sandy many years! |
 | Palm Sunday - 04/20/08 On Palm Sunday, our children "with the palms of victory" process with the clergy at the Great Entrance, and the weather allowed us to process outside at the end of the Divine Liturgy. It was a beautiful beginning to the Holy Weeks observances at St Innocent's. |
 | New Sub-deacon - 04/11/08 His Eminence, Archbishop Job, celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified for us on Friday evening. At the beginning of the service, His Eminence invested Jeremy Butler with the orarion and blessed him to serve as a Sub-Deacon in the Diocese of the Midwest. Pictures of the investing can be found at the link. Axios! |
 | 3rd Lenten children's project - 03/30/08 This week the children made cards for our troops overseas and decorated them with stamps and crayons. |
 | Info on St Vladimir's Summer Camp - 03/23/08 Dan & Catrina Kovalak, along with Melissa Tesar, visited St Innocent's from Archangel Michael Church today to talk about St Vladimir's Church Camp. They talked about improvements to the camp and answered questions from parents. Information about the two summer camp sessions will be available at the church (and here on the website, of course) as it becomes available. Our own Natalie D'Fantis will be a counsellor at the camp this summer and also has information. |
 | 2nd Lenten children's project - 03/23/08 This Sunday the children painted small flower pots and wooden flowers to go in them. These will be taken to a local nursing home and given to the residents. There was a lot of fun with the paint, perhaps too much fun in some cases... |
 | Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers - 03/16/08 This year, St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church hosted the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers, which was attended by clergy and faithful from all over greater Cleveland. Fr Patrick Henry Reardon, of All Saints Church in Chicago, was the guest speaker. |
 | Children's Lenten projects - 03/16/08 This year, the church school teachers have put together a series of brief charitable projects for the children of the parish to complete during coffee hour each week of Great Lent. The first project was to decorate cookies to send to the young people who live at the residental home where Kirk Ries works. |
 | Sunday of Orthodoxy - 03/16/08 On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we ask the children of the parish to process with their icons in the great entrance with the clergy. In addition, the weather cooperated this year and the whole congregation made procession around the church. |
 | Noah Royer's first visit to church - 03/16/08 New-born Noah Royer brought his parents to St Innocent for the first time today. There were prayers for him and his mother before Liturgy began. His Baptism will be scheduled soon. |
 | Triumph on ice! - 03/15/08 Jonah Klinar leads Mustangs to tournament championship! |
 | Drama Queen! - 03/14/08 McKensie Kilbane had a leading role in her school play this evening, and over a dozen of her friends from St Innocent's were on hand to see her perform. |
 | Forgiveness Vespers - 03/09/08 A few pictures from Forgivness Vespers, with which we begin Great Lent, and of the ice cream social that followed the service. |
| | Website updates - 03/12/08 A new section of the website has been created: a series of brief audio classes on the newly-published Orthodox Study Bible. The link can be found on the menu to the left. Also, the audio files and related material for the Orthodoxy 101 class can now be found under the Devotional Helps.
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| | Russell family received - 03/02/08 The Russell family -- Michael, Peggy, Molly, Sidney, and Sam -- were received into the fulness of the Faith this weekend with the Baptism of the children and the Chrismation of the whole family. Pictures can be found at the link. God grant all of them, and their sponsors, Mike & Laura Larkin, many, many years! |
 | New crucifix - 02/24/08 The large crucifix at the church, which stood badly in need of renovation, was graciously repainted by Fr Yves Babich, Priest at our sister parish, SS Peter & Paul Church, Lakewood. The corpus, repainted in the Byzantine style, was returned last week and blessed at the end of Liturgy. Thanks to Fr Yves for his generosity and time in undertaking this project for us. |
 | Annual Parish Meeting - 02/24/08 The Annual Parish Meeting of St Innocent's was held after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, 24 February. The meeting, which lasted just under an hour, went well. Persons elected to various offices include:
Parish Council Vice-President: Sam D'Fantis
Parish Council Treasurer: Julie Hall (re-elected)
Parish Council Trustees: Dan Gall (re-electe) and Fred Cassell
Auditing Committee: Lu Timko (re-elected) and Sue Kidd
Nominating Committee: Becky Riffle and Carol Schigel (re-elected). As soon as the Archbishop approves the minutes and candidates, they will be installed formally in their positions. Congratulations to them all. |
 | First Confessions - 02/23/08 Two of our children made their first confessions this year after preparing for it during church school sessions. Molly Russell and James Spoerl made their confessions before Vespers this evening. After Liturgy the next day, there was cake to celebrate. Congratulations to Molly and to James! It's a big step for everyone to take. |
 | Family game night - 02/22/08 Taking advantage of the fast-free Friday in the week of the Publican & Pharisee, several St Innocent families got together for a game night at the church. Board games, cards, puzzles, and lots of fun for young and old. |
 | As many as have been baptized... - 02/10/08 On Saturday evening after Vespers and on Sunday morning during the Divine Liturgy, 9-10 February, five of our eleven catechumens were received into the fulness of the Faith. Ali Lombardo and Hilary Ries were Baptized, and Amy Ries and Lonna and Jared Hendrickson were Chrismated. God grant them and their sponsors many, many years! |
 | Blessing candles on Presentation - 02/02/08 Per tradition, candles were blessed after services for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and distributed to the faithful.
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 | A visit to the Monastery - 01/26/08 Over three dozen members of St Innocent's visited St John's Monastery in Hiram, OH, on Saturday night. We were given monastic hospitality and a brief history of the monastic life and of the brotherhood of St John's. Afterwards, we attended Vespers and Compline with the monks in their chapel. Following that, most of the attendees had a fine dinner at a local barbecue restaurant. |
 | March for Life 2008 - 01/22/08 Bob and Jonah Klinar represented St Innocent's at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., this year. While at the march, they came across some dear friends of ours. Find out who at the link... |
 | A service for life - 01/20/08 The local chapter of ZOE For Life and its supporters gathered at St Innocent's this evening for an Akathist to Jesus Christ and to pray for an end to abortion on this "Sanctity of Life" Sunday, as it is observed in many Orthodox churches in America. Fr John Nakonachny of St Vladimir Ukrainian Cathedral concelebrated the service with Fr Michael; other area clergy were in attendance, too. ZOE charters a bus to take Cleveland area residents to Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life.
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 | As many as have been baptized - 01/20/08 By the grace of God, and through the ministry of her grandfather, the Very Rev Archpriest George Alberts, the child of God, Morgana Elyce Goldie, was Baptized, Chrismated, and joined to the Body of Christ during the Divine Liturgy this Sunday. Photos of the service are at the link. |
| | A little more on the Teen Retreat - 01/24/08 St Vladimir's Seminary has posted an article about the Christmas Teen Retreat which some of our young people attended. There's a nice write-up and a photo gallery with pictures we didn't have previously. You can find the article here: http://www.svots.edu/news/recent/2007-1226-christmasretreat/
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 | Theophany - the Great Blessing of Water - 01/06/08 A few pictures from the Great Blessing of Water on Theophany. |
| | Orthodox Youth Outreach -- One Teen's Experience - 01/04/08 Olivia Morton was interviewed for Ancient Faith Radio about the Christmas retreat our young people went on. You can find her interview, in .mp3 format or as streaming audio, here: http://ancientfaith.com/specials/interviews/
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 | Seven young people attend the SVS Christmas Retreat - 12/26/07 Seven high school age young people from St Innocent's attended the service-oriented youth retreat at St Vladimir's Seminary on 26-29 December. Pictures and details are at the link. |
 | St Innocent welcomes the Mortons - 12/16/07 Richard & Catherine Morton, who have worshipped with us many times over the last year or so, have joined the parish. They come with their children, Olivia and Christian. We're blessed to have you with us! |
| | New member - 12/02/07 Marie Candea, Elena Kelley's mother, who has been worshipping with us for many weeks now, has transferred her membership from St Mary's Romanian Cathedral and has joined St Innocent's parish. We're glad to have you as part of our church family!
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 | Getting ready for Nativity - 12/02/07 The Christmas tree and other decorations were set out after Liturgy today, to get ready for the Nativity of Christ. Thanks especially to all the children that helped to decorate the tree. After the tree was set up, gifts that have been bought and wrapped for needy families in the community were placed under the tree. |
 | 10th catechumen - 12/02/07 Amy Ries's daughter, Lonna, was made a catechumen before Liturgy this morning, joining her mother and brother in preparation for reception into the Church. Currently, St Innocent has 10 catechumens. Do remember them in your prayers as they look forward to their reception into the fulness of the Faith. |
 | Advent church cleaning - 12/01/07 Kudos and thanks to those who had time to help with the semi-annual church cleaning, especially to those who did the difficult work of washing windows, polishing brass, and scraping wax off the floors. The temple was made beautiful in time for Nativity.
Also, we got a special treat as the "First Cousins Club" of the Trivanovich family stopped by and sang Christmas carols for us. |
 | Deacon Gregory Wassen - 11/25/07 Deacon Gregory (formerly known to us as Jarno) Wassen was in town over the Thanksgiving holiday with his wife, Sarah, and baby Cassian, who has grown considerably since he was baptized last January. Deacon Gregory was ordained at St Vladimir's Seminary last September, so this is the first opportunity we have had for him to serve with us since his ordination. |
 | Turkey Hunt 2007 - 11/18/07 For the 6th year in a row, young people from St Innocent's participated in the annual Turkey Hunt, a food collection on the Sunday before Thanksgiving that benefits the needy in Olmsted Falls and Township. The whole collection is distributed through Christians In Acation. Thanks to Bob, Aidan and Georgia Kelley; Linda, Mark and Eric Riha, and their friend Patrick Haynes; Christopher Butler; Veronica Hudak; and Lonna and Jared Hendricks on behalf of people whose lives have been made a little richer for their time and effort. |
 | New altar server robes - 11/18/07 After years beyond anyone's reckoning, the set of gold sticharia that the altar servers have been wearing have been replaced with a new set. Fr Michael blessed the new vestments at the beginning of Liturgy and the young men were able to wear them for the first time. Of course, the servers make the vestments look very fine, and they are glad to have them. |
 | Churching - 11/18/07 Sarah (nee Alberts) and her newborn daugther, Morgana, were churched before Liturgy this Sunday. Sarah attended St Innocent's a few years ago while she was a student at Baldwin-Wallace College. She has since married (husband Chris) and started her family, and they are living on the west side of Cleveland. It's always good to see familiar faces -- and new ones, too! |
 | New members - 11/11/07 St Innocent is pleased to welcome the newly-married Jim and Cassie Clouser to membership. Jim is a recent convert to Orthodoxy, and Cassie grew up in the Greek church in Campbell. Both are trained musicians. They are currently living in Berea. We're glad to have you with us! |
 | New catechumens - 10/21/07 "Blessed is God, Who desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth," says the Priest near the end of the service for making one a catechumen. Today, St Innocent welcomes Mike and Peggy Russell and their three children, Mollie, Sidney, and little Samuel, into the ranks of the catechumens. God grant them the fulfillment of their desire and a blessed place in His Kingdom! |
 | New sermon series - 10/21/07 Fr Michael recently began a series of teachings on the structure and meaning of the Divine Liturgy, which is designed to help everyone understand what we do in church, and why, so that we can participate in it more fully. Today, he performed the Proskomedia in the center of the church and showed everyone what it meant. |
 | Hayride fun - 10/14/07 The weather couldn't've been better for the hayride this year. Great times were had by all. There was fine hay chuckin' and casual eats to make it a memorable day. Also, some live entertainment, face painting and balloon sculpting was an added bonus for the young and young at heart. |
 | Some pictures from the Diocesan Assembly - 10/01/07 Just a few pictures from the recent Diocesan Assembly, for those who'd like to see how it was. |
 | Albanian Missionary running in Detroit Marathon - 10/14/07 George Russell, who has been serving as a missionary in Albania for four years with his wife Pauline and their two children Christopher and Madeline, will be running in the Detroit Marathon on October 21, 2007. He is doing this as a fundraiser for their overall mission with the Orthodox Church of Albania, and specifically for the Soup Kitchen which they have helped establish in Tirana. The Orthodox Church’s Soup Kitchen in Tirana feeds hundreds of the poorest people four times every week. This event is also a means of trying to raise an awareness overall of what the Orthodox Church is doing in missions. Please look at their website www.runforalbania.org to better understand why George is running the marathon, and to see their work in Albania.
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 | They SAY they're pinching pierogi... - 10/11/07 ... but what really goes on? Now you can know. |
 | Bob Klinar completes Chicago Marathon! - 10/07/07 Read what he has to say about it... |
 | Patronal Feast Day - 10/07/07 Every year on the Sunday nearest St Innocent's day, the parish offers a free brunch to the members in honor of our patron, St Innocent. Pictures from the slava celebration in the church and from the brunch afterwards are available at the link. |
 | Fall church school session begins - 09/29/07 The fall session of church school has begun for the younger children of the parish. Pictures of the young 'uns can be found at the link. Church school for the older kids -- and for interested adults -- will be a series of interfaith field trips scheduled over the next few months. Watch the parish website for information on upcoming field trips. |
| | Orthodoxy 101 - 09/29/07 The Orthodoxy 101 class will meet only in the evening on Wednesday, 3 October; there will be no morning class.
Audio recording of the second class has been posted here.
Readings, images, and study questions for the third class can be found here. Please complete the readings before the class.
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 | Male Bonding Party IV - 09/23/07 Fr Michael's fourth annual male bonding party was a great time for all who came. Pictures are at the link. |
 | "Now that we have come to the setting of the sun..." - 09/22/07 Sunset is occuring just after Vespers these days, and the rays of the setting sun struck the crucifix beautifully this evening. |
 | Cookout at St Herman's - 09/16/07 Once a year, parishioners from St Innocent's prepare a cookout at St Herman's House of Hospitality for the hungry and homeless that look to them for support. Thanks to everyone who participated in the cookout, and special kudos to Dave and Bonnie Minich, who organized the event. |
 | Called & Gifted workshop - 09/14/07 Melissa McCutcheon, Paul Pangrace, Fr Gregory Jensen, and Fr Michael attended a workshop in Perrysburg, near Toledo this last weekend. The workshop, entitled "Called & Gifted," presented a spiritual gift inventory that participants took to begin discerning ways in which they may have particular gifts from God which are to be used for building up the community of the Church. |
 | Redesigned Amazon portal - 09/04/07 Amazon recently redesigned their associate's portals, and that means St Innocent got a new one, too. Here you can buy books for upcoming classes and fellowship groups at the church, as well as browse the whole Amazon website. And remember: anything you buy via our shopping portal means St Innocent gets a small rebate on your purchase. Please check it out, via the "Shopping Portal" link at the left side of the page.
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| | New opportunities for community - 09/02/07 Fr Michael will be restarting the men's group, and Melissa McCutcheon will be restarting the women's Bible study, both in the near future. If you are interested in knowing more, or in participating, please contact either Fr Michael or Melissa. More information will be available soon.
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 | Orthodoxy 101 - 09/01/07 Fr Michael will soon begin to offer weekly classes for catechumens, persons interested in learning about Orthodoxy, and adults who want to know more about their faith. The series will be offered at two different times during the week and will run for 13 weeks. It will cover Orthodox faith, practice and spirituality. Classes start on 19 September. Please see the monthly calendar on the Service Schedule page for days and times. Books can be purchased from Amazon via the "shopping portal" link on the left. Please let Fr Michael know you are interested in participating.
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 | Three new Catechumens - 08/26/07 Before the Liturgy on Sunday, three people publicly renounced Satan, confessed their union with Christ, recited the Symbol of Faith, bowed down in worship before Him, and thus became the most recent Catechumens in our parish. Please remember Ali Lombardo, and Amy Ries and her son, Jared, in your prayers, as they complete their journey into the fulness of the Faith. God grant them many years! |
 | Welcome to the Obengs! - 08/19/07 St Innocent is happy to welcome Kalli Obeng and her two sons, Bryce and Xander, into our fellowship. The Obengs come to us from our sister church, Holy Assumption parish, in Canton. Kalli's brother, Kerik Foerg, will also be joining us (but we don't have a picture of him yet). We're glad you're here!
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 | Parish picnic - 08/19/07 In spite of downpours of rain, the annual parish picnic was a great time for everyone. We had use of indoor facilities with a kitchen, and several people thought to bring board games, cards, and dominoes, so adults and kids alike had things to play. Thanks to Dave and Bonnie Minich for the use of the facilities; to Bob Klinar, who manned the grills in the rain; and to everyone who brought side dishes, desserts, games, and themselves to the picnic. |
 | Heritage Days bake sale and garage sale - 08/16/07 St Innocent's participated again this year in the community-wide Heritage Days events by holding a garage sale and a pastry sale at the church. Because our pastries have become well-known, too, a lot of people came just to buy cookies and pastry. Kudos and thanks to all of the women who make these events possible and reaped a good profit for the church! (There are some pictures at the link.) |
 | Annual Golf Outing a swell time! - 07/22/07 Under beautiful skies and on pleasant fairways, the annual golf outing provided a great afternoon for over sixty golfers, who finished the day with a steak dinner and prizes. Kudos to Lauren Timko and the golf committee for an exceptionally fine event! Pictures from the event can be found at the link. |
 | Memory eternal! - 07/06/07 Peter Trivanovich, a member of St Innocent's, passed away suddenly on Thursday, 5 July, late in the morning. He is survived by his wife, Leathian, and a very large family (many of whom are also members of the parish). He was also active in the deaf community in Cleveland. May his memory be eternal!
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 | Bobby Zimmerman goes to camp - 06/27/07 Bobby Zimmerman, Connie Z's grandson, attended a week of summer camp at Camp St Vladimir in June. Reports are that he loved it and can't wait to go back. At the link are a few photos from parents' night, when all the kids put on skits and a talent show. |
 | ANNUAL GOLF OUTING - 06/26/07 Information on this year's St Innocent Golf Outing is posted here on the website. Check it out!
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| | New resources for Orthodox Christians - 06/26/07 Fr Michael will begin posting chapters for two new e-books on this website in the near future. The e-books will be: Orthodox Christian Observance: A Handbook, a practical guide for living the Orthodox Faith from day to day; and The Structure of the Orthodox Temple and its Furnishings, a decription and guide to an Orthodox church in general, and to St Innocent's in particular, explaining why things are set up the way they are and what it all means. Watch for installments to begin soon!
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| | Prayer service for the welfare of our Church - 06/25/07 Per Archbishop Job's request, the faithful of St Innocent's kept Monday, 25 June, as a day of prayer and fasting for the welfare of the Orthodox Church in America, as it resolves the difficulties it currently faces. Thanks to those who came to the evening prayer service and lifted up sincere voices of intercession to the Lord. For those people interested in praying for the welfare of the Church at home, a modified version of the prayer service, approved by the Archbishop, can be had here.
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 | Congrats and farewells - 06/24/07 On Sunday the 24th, we honored the young people who graduated high school this month: Justine Blocksom, Kristen Cassell, and Kathleen Morris, and Michael D'Fantis, who graduated from Dayton College with a degree in mechanical engineering. Also, we bid farewell to the Andy Morriss, his wife Carol Akers, and their daughters Kathleen and Julia. The Morrisses, who were with us for just over two years and have been good friends and parishioners, are leaving for Champaign-Urbana, IL, where Andy will assume an endowed chair at the law school there. |
 | Memory Eternal! - 06/19/07 Ann Stanca, one of our long-time parishioners and a friend to all, fell asleep in the Lord suddenly on 14 June. May her memory be eternal! |
| | Olmsted Falls H S Baccalaureate - 05/30/07 Fr Michael joined the clergy of the other churches in Olmsted Falls and Township for a Baccalaureate service honoring the graduating class of 2007. Rev Jim McClaren (River of Life United Methodist) gave the invocation, Rev Harrison Gapter (All Saints Lutheran) and Rev Robert Cole (St Mary of the Falls Catholic) provided Scripture readings, pastor John Hawkins (Olmsted Family Ministries) gave the sermon, Fr Michael gave the benediction, and Rev Leah Matthews (Olmsted Community) gave the final benediction. The high school's choir and brass ensemble provided music for the occasion, as well.
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 | Mission trip to Guatemala - 05/31/07 Kathleen Morriss, who needed to fulfill a community service project as a graduating senior from high school, organized a mission trip to Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage in Guatemala. Her mother and grandmother were part of the trip, and our good friend, Fr Stephen Ziton, led the group. During the week they were in Guatemala, they helped the orphanage staff with the children and toured the monastery and new orphanage, which are under construction on the shore of Lake Amatitlan, about 45 minutes outside of Guatemala City. There are a lot of pictures from the trip at the link. |
 | Memorial Day - 05/28/07 Fr Michael joined other area Orthodox clergy and Veterans organizations at St Theodosius Cemetery on Memorial Day for the annual service at the Armed Forces Memorial there. |
 | The youngest Christian - 05/27/07 On the feast of Pentectost (which was also the first anniversary of her parents' Chrismation) the Child of God Stella May Dippong was Baptized into the Body of Christ. Many years to her, to her parents, Joe and Nicole, and her sponsors, Subdeacon Michael and Jennifer Porter. |
 | Bright Friday Dinner & Dance - 04/13/07 The annual Bright Friday dinner and dance was a swell time this year, with a catered meal and live music by Fred Zwich and his orchestra. Most everyone found something he or she could dance to, be it ballroom or ethnic dancing. Why, even the kids had the Chicken Dance, but not all to themselves... |
 | Christ is risen! - 04/08/07 Indeed He is risen! "Let us call brothers even those that hate us and forgive all by the Resurrection." A blessed Pascha to all. A few pictures from the Paschal celebration are at the link. |
 | Great Friday night: tomb-hopping - 04/06/07 After the evening service, two further things took place. First, members of the congregation signed up for 1-hour shifts to read the Psalms in front of the tomb. This vigil at the tomb was maintained continuously from Great Friday evening through the Vesperal Liturgy on Great Saturday. While the vigil at the tomb began, over 40 members of the congregation went out to visit other churches which were also keeping vigil at their tombs. This we call "tomb-hopping," and is how pious Orthodox folk go out on the town on Great Friday night. We visited St Theodosius Cathedral (Cleveland), Archangel Michael Church (Broadview Hts), Holy Trinity Church (Parma), and St Sava Church (Parma). There are a few pictures at the link. |
 | Great and Holy Friday - 04/06/07 Some pictures from Vespers and Lamentations on Great and Holy Friday. |
 | Palm Sunday - 04/01/07 A few pictures from our Palm Sunday celebration are at the link. All the children are invited to participate in the Great Entrance with their palms, and we process around the church once at the end of the service. At St Innocent's, all the bundles of palms and pussy-willows are tied up with ribbons to which a small bell is attached. Ringing the bells is actually encouraged throughout the service, children of all ages are happy to comply, and a very joyful noise arises. |
 | Some ancient history - 03/31/07 Fr Michael was ordained to the Priesthood on Lazarus Saturday in 1995. He found some old pictures... from days when he was young... |
 | Lazarus Saturday - 03/31/07 Also on Lazarus Saturday, after the morning Liturgy, several people volunteered their time to put together bunches of palms and pussy-willows to be blessed at Vespers that evening and to decorate the church for Palm Sunday. |
 | Symeon Cambouris Baptized - 03/31/07 During the Divine Liturgy on Lazarus Saturday, the child of God, Symeon Cambouris, son of Dr Nicholas and Daniela Cambouris, was Baptized, Chrismated and was first in line for Holy Communion. God grant him, his family and his sponsors many years! |
 | Reception of Converts - 03/04/07 St Innocent's is very pleased to receive into full membership Michael, Laura, Neil and Reid Larkin, who have been Catechumens for the past several months. Reid was Baptized after Vespers on Saturday evening, and then the whole family was Chrismated during Liturgy on Sunday morning. Please keep the newly-illumined family in your prayers, that God grant them stability and grace, and many happy years in His Church. |
| | Annual Parish Meeting - 02/25/07 Thanks to everyone who took time to participate in the APM. The work of the parish is always done better when many people undertake to do it together. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the well-being of St Innocent’s over the past year in capacities too numerous to mention. Congratulations to those who were elected to positions of responsibility; thank you for your willingness to serve. Persons elected were Dn Michael Timko, re-elected Parish Council President
Dave Minich, Parish Council Secretary
Connie Zimmerman, Parish Council Trustee
Barb van Dusen, re-elected Auditor
Rich Myerly, Nominating Committee.
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| | Lenten Pierogi Sale - 02/19/07 St Innocent's Church will be selling pierogi at the church during Great Lent, every Saturday afternoon from 24 February thru 31 March. Pick-up time will be between 3 and 5:30 p.m. (Pierogi can be picked up after scheduled services, too.) Cost is $5 per dozen. Available pierogi include:
- Potato & onion
- Sauerkraut
- Potato & cheese (not "kosher" for Orthodox fasting) Please call Maria Sarris at 440.234.2935 for more information.
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| | First Confessions - 02/17/07 Ms Spoerl's 2nd grade church school class has been learning about Confession, and this Saturday all the children made their first confessions. Kudos to Lucy Aleksandrovic, Aidan Kelley, Nate Kidd, Maxim Klinar, Bryce Obeng, and Allison Spoerl! In addition, the children put together the coffee hour after Liturgy on Sunday. Thanks to all of them and to Ms Spoerl for a job well done!
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 | Our newest member - 02/08/07 Stella Dippong was born on 8 February to Joe and Nicole. She weighed 6 lbs, 1 oz, and was 18" long at birth. God grant her and her parents many years! |
 | Jonah Kinar, Hockey Star - 02/12/07 On Presidents Day 2007, Jonah Klinar led his Strongsville Mustangs Squirt Hockey Team to a “Melt the Ice”Tournament Championship, with 2 goals in a 6-1 victory over Cleveland Heights. The Mustangs finished the tournament undefeated, by besting Garfield Heights, Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights in the Finale. Jonah finished the tournament with a team high of 4 goals scored. The long and trying season has come to an end , and Jonah would like to thank all of those wonderful people who supported him throughout the season, especially Ray and Judy Budoi, who were in attendance to witness the big victory in the Championship game! |
| | Toboggan Run! - 02/11/07 Several of the young people of the parish got together after Liturgy on Sunday the 11th and went to the Chalet in the Metroparks for an afternoon of tobogganing. Pictures of their outing can be found at the link. Thanks to Lauren Timko for organizing it. |
 | Castaway Bay! - 02/08/07 A whole lot of families from St Innocent's -- over three dozen people in all -- spent a couple of days at Castaway Bay in Sandusky earlier this month. The trip was a family and social event, an overnight stay at a nearyby water park, for fun and to escape cabin fever in snowy February. Everybody had a great time. Kudos to Cindy Klinar, who coordinated the trip! |
 | Thanksgiving for recovery - 02/04/07 Honey Zimmerman, who has been suffering from ovarian cancer, was pronounced clear of the disease by her doctor recently. The parish offered prayers of thanksgiving for her during and after the Liturgy on Sunday the 4th, and her family provided a lunch for the whole parish afterwards. Honey credited her cure to the grace of God and the prayers of her family and friends. May God keep her free from disease and among us for many, many years.
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 | Cassian Wassen Baptized - 02/04/07 St Innocent's was honored to baptized Cassian Wassen, the first-born son of Jarno and Sarah Wassen, who are both currently enrolled at St Vladimir's Seminary in New York. The recently ordained Priest Robert Royer accompanied the family to the church and served as godfather to the baby, and then concelebated the Liturgy, and communed his godson for the first time. God grant all of them many, many years! |
 | A new family at St Innocent's - 02/19/07 Although belated, St Innocent's wants to welcome Tom, Suzan, Gabriel and Mary Virosteck to the parish. They joined us at the beginning of the year. We're glad you're a part of our family!
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 | One swell house - 02/01/07 Westlake High School recently participated in the National City Home and Garden Model Home Competition with other schools from around Northeast Ohio. Westlake took 9 of the 10 places. Lydia Hudak's team, which included her friends Samantha and Seth, placed eighth and the home will be on display at the National Home and Garden Show, Feb. 3-11 and the I-X Center. Stop by the booth to see the homes!! |
 | The Great Blessing of Water - 01/06/07 The young people of the parish took part in the annual Blessing of Water on Theophany this year, gathering around the Priest, learning about the service as it took place, and helping with the Scripture readings. Afterwards, Annette Butler provided brunch for all the youth and their parents. |
| | A small anniversary - 01/05/07 Fr Michael was received into the Orthodox Church by Chrismation on the Eve of Theophany 23 years ago. Since he is now 46, he has been Orthodox for half his life. At the Vesperal Liturgy on the Eve of the Feast, he remembered the late Archimandrite Thomas (Green) who Chrismated him, and his godfather, David Johnson, currently of Solihull, England, and expressed his gratitude to the members of St Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas, TX, for their love and support in bringing him to the Orthodox Church.
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| | Akathist to St Nicholas - 12/06/06 On St Nicholas day in the evening, area clergy and faithful gathered at St Innocent's to sing the Akathist Hymn to St Nicholas. After the service, everyone in attendance was anointed with the holy myrrh that has been flowing from the relics of St Nicholas since his death in the 4th century. Cake and coffee were served afterwards. Thanks to Frs Andrew Harmon, Remus Grama, and Milorad Orlic for their concelebration. Through the prayers of our holy Father Nicholas, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
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 | Oh, who loves Nicholas the Saintly? - 12/05/06 Our children enjoyed observing St Nicholas day this year. On the eve of the feast, during Vespers, they left their shoes in the narthex of the church in hopes of a present from the Saint (so did certain of the clergy). At the end of the service, Tricia Cassell read the story of the Saint's life to everyone, who gathered around the foot of the ambon to hear it. Afterwards, there was a party that included a kind of fruit cake made in St Nicholas' honor. Mother Theonymphi from St Mary of Egypt Monastery was there to accept presents which the children brought to be given away to other children in need. It was a really good time. May St Nicholas keep us by his prayers! |
 | Getting ready for Christmas - 12/03/06 After Liturgy on Sunday, a number of the parishioners, both young and old, decorated the temple and set up the Christmas tree. Honey and Pete Zimmerman made music and everyone sang Christmas carols, including a particularly lively rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." There are a few pictures at the link. |
 | Thanksgiving Eve ecumenical service - 11/22/06 On Thanksgiving eve, Fr Michael joined fellow clergy from the other churches in Olmsted Falls and Township for the annual ecumenical service. This year's service was held at St Mary of the Falls Roman Catholic Church; thanks to Fr Bob Cole and his parish for hosting the event and providing excellent hospitality afterwards.
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 | Annual Turkey Hunt - 11/19/06 The "Turkey Hunt," an annual food drive for needy families in Olmsted Falls and Township, was a success again this year, thanks in part to the young people from St Innocent's who braved steady rain and sleet to collect food door to door. Pictures of the participants, and some pictures of what was collected, are at the link. |
 | Kevin Lytle and Jun Qi married - 11/05/06 On Sunday afternoon, 5 November, Kevin Lytle, a Reader at St Innocent's, and Dr Jun Qi, who is doing post-doctoral medical research at the Cleveland Clinic, were married at St Innocent's. The couple is delaying their honeymoon until the Spring, when they hope to visit Jun's family in China. |
 | Fr Michael's trip to Guatemala - 11/02/06 Fr Michael spent a week in Guatemala with Andy Morriss. Most of the time was vacation, but he also visited the Hogar Raphael Ayau, the orphanage run by Mother Ines, and delivered a contribution from the parish. He was also able to visit her monastery. There are photos at the link. |
 | Running in D.C. - 10/25/06 Our own Bob Klinar recently ran a marathon in Washington. He says, "I wish to extend, to all of my parish family at St. Innocent, my sincerest gratitude for all of the support and encouragement that I was afforded in my efforts to prepare for & complete the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. It was a glorious day, with God smiling on my face and my beautiful family there to cheer me on!!! Thank you to everyone, for your kind words and thoughts.
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| | Bob Royer and Faith Duttko wedded - 10/22/06 On Sunday afternoon, 22 October, Bob Royer and Faith Duttko were wed at St Innocent's. The couple took a Carribean cruise for their honeymoon. God grant them many years!
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| | Fruits of the Diocesan Assembly - 10/15/06 The recent Diocesan Assembly passed one formal resolution, and, in addition, there was a statement from the laity that our own Melissa McCutcheon wrote that was signed by forty-six of the attending lay people. The texts of both of them are at the link. |
 | A new family to St Innocent's - 10/08/06 Dan & Lorie Courey, with their two sons Niko and Ray, have recently joined our parish. They come to us from St George's Church downtown and have recently moved into the neighborhood behind the church. We're glad to have you with us! |
 | St Innocent feast day observation - 10/08/06 On the Sunday nearest St Innocent's day (6 October), we celebrate our patron saint's memory with a Serbian-style Slava celebration. The kolach bread is blessed at the end of the Liturgy, with all the children taking part. Afterwards, we feast, with a catered lunch that was provided free of charge to the parishioners. |
| | Happy anniversary! - 10/06/06 Avram & Ann Stanca celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on 6 October 2006. God grant them many years and much peace, health and happiness in the years to come.
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 | Male Bonding Party III - 10/01/06 Fr Michael's third annual Male Bonding Party was a success: great fellowship among the men; roasted lamb; fine beer, tequila, and cigars; a good fire. Why, even an impromptu poker game broke out. Thanks to all the men who contributed something to the event. For a few pictures, follow the link. |
 | Church school begins! - 09/15/06 On Saturday, we began our fall session of church school with both new teachers & new kids! There are a few pictures at the link. |
| | Kathleen Morriss - 15 minutes of fame - 09/05/06 Our own Kathleen Morriss is featured in this month's edition of Cleveland Magazine. The September issue is dedicated to the area's private schools, & one article profiled 10 private high school students "who are making their mark onstage, in the lab, on the field, in the community and beyond." Kathleen is a senior at Lake Ridge Academy. |
 | Archbishop Job visits St Innocent's - 08/27/06 On Sunday, 27 August, His Eminence, Job, Archbishop of Chicago & the Diocese of the Midwest, made an archpastoral visit to our parish. Pictures & details are at the link. |
 | Heritage Days - 08/17/06 Olmsted Falls Heritage Days is upon us, & with great weather, to boot! The annual celebration in Olmsted Falls & Township begins with a parade, includes a day of city-wide garage sales, live entertainment around town, & other festivities. Being one of the best opportunities to be seen & better known in our community, St Innocent's is there! |
 | New catechumens - 08/13/06 By His grace & love for mankind, our Lord has called to His Church Michael & Laura Larkin & their two sons, Neil & Reid, who were made catechumens this morning before the Divine Liturgy. Pray for them, that their journey into the fulness of Orthodoxy will be fruitful & filled with God's richest blessings. |
 | Aslan is on the move! - 08/07/06 The Vacation Church School found itself on the other side of the wardrobe this week, as over 30 children from St Innocent's & some sister parishes are getting together for a week-long look at the movie based on C S Lewis's classic, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Each day includes prayer, singing, watching a part of the Narnia movie, explanation & commentary by Fr Michael, crafts & games. Follow the link to slide shows of each day's activities. |
 | Getting ready for Heritage Days - 08/03/06 Part of getting ready for the Heritage Days celebration in Olmsted Falls is to bake the kinds of things that only an Orthodox parish can make well: koulourakia, baklava, spanikopita, nut rolls 'n' such. |
 | Golf Outing 2006 - 07/30/06 This year's golf outing was a great time! Despite a rather spectacular cloudburst near the end of the course, people enjoyed themselves, played some good golf, enjoyed live tambouritsa music & a lamb & chicken dinner. Follow the link for a slide show with lots of pictures. |
 | Albanian missionaries home for R & R - 08/01/06 Pauline & Christopher Russell, along with Melanie Linderman, have returned from Albania for a few weeks of rest. Follow the link for a summary of what they've been doing lately & a slide show of pictures from Albania. |
 | Project Mexico - 07/25/06 Fr Michael & his sons, Jeremy & Christopher, were part of a Project Mexico team, 7-14 July. Please follow the link for pictures & some narrative about what they did. |
 | Many years to the newly consecrated Bishop Irenij - 07/15/06 Hieromonk Irinej (Dobrijevic), who has served at St Innocent's in years past, & who is well-known to many in the parish, was consecrated a bishop of the Serbian Church in Belgrade, Serbia on 15 July. Here is a link for some pictures of the event: http://spc.yu/Vesti-2006/07/18-07-06-c.html#sla Although the text is in Serbian, if you click on the pictures, you will get a larger view. A link to the text in English -- but without the pictures -- is this one: http://www.serbian-church.net/Vesti-2006/07/18-07-06-e.html
God grant Bishop Irenij many years in his episcopacy! < |
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