Services This Week Wed. Nov. 25 - Orthros 9am/Liturgy 10am: St. Katherine the Great Martyr

Important GOYA TOURNAMENT Meeting Today Attention Holy Trinity GOYAns, Parents and ALL Holy Trinity Families. Holy Trinity Church will be once again hosting a Metropolis Basketball Tournament in 2010. The dates are January 22-24. As before, the help of the ENTIRE Holy Trinity community will be needed. There will be an important Holy Trinity Basketball Tournament meeting today from 12:10-12:30 p.m. Parents will be meeting in the Church Library and GOYAns will be meeting in the 7th-9th Grade Classroom. All GOYAns and Parents are asked to attend, and anyone who is interested in helping with any aspect of the tournament is also invited. Thank you!

Philoptochos Bakes Goods Available for Thanksgiving The Philoptochos is busy preparing their Christmas Bake Sale items, but not too busy to also have some things available for Thanksgiving this week! They will have a limited amount of the following items available for your Thanksgiving table in Coffee Hour today: Spanakopita, Baklava & Kourambiethes. Thanks for supporting the philanthropic ministries of the Philoptochos through your purchase!

A Happy and Safe Thanksgiving to All! As we gather for the national celebration of Thanksgiving, may our merciful Lord continue to shed His bountiful blessings upon our country, our community, our Church and our families! As many people travel during this time, please remember to begin and end any trips with prayers asking for God`s blessings and divine protection on the road and in the air. And see the November issue of the Herald for a special prayer you may choose to use at your Thanksgiving table.

Father Radu at International ConferenceToday Father Radu is participating in an international theological conference in F.Y.R.O.M. (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) this week. We are, as always, honored to have a professor and theologian of his distinction with us as an important part of the ministry team here at Holy Trinity Church and offer prayers for his safe return.

Christmas Party Luncheon for Seniors Sponsored by Philoptochos - December 3 A message from Philoptochos: "The Ladies Philoptochos Society is hosting a Christmas Party Luncheon for ALL seniors of Holy Trinity Church, ages 60 and over. It will start with a Paraclesis Service at 11:30 in the church, followed by the luncheon starting at 12 noon. It you are 60 or over and have not received an invitation, please see Kay Balouris to be added to the list. If you plan on attending, please remember that you MUST call or see Kay (412-766-1263) to reserve a spot and make a lunch choice. It is our gift to honor you, and we look forward to sharing the afternoon with you to celebrate the Christmas season!"

Fast in preparation for the Nativity of Christ - Through December 24 Please remember that the Fast of the Nativity is underway, lasting until Christmas morning following Liturgy. Though the first part of the fast (through December 12) is lighter, the Fast rises to the level of strict fast for the last two weeks (starting on December 13). Fasting, attendance at services, increased attention to our prayer life and participation in Holy Confession are all important parts of our prepare a place in our heart to receive the Lord at Christmas. Please see Father John with any questions you or your family might have about this important tradition or to schedule a time for Confession.

Christmas Gift Tree Tags in Coffee Hour - Gifts Due December 10th The Holy Trinity Philoptochos is once again sponsoring the Christmas Gift Tree project. This popular annual appeal provides us with a direct way to help poor and needy children of the area enjoy not just presents, but the knowledge that someone cares enough about them to go out of the way for a special act of love. The gifts will be offered to the Auberle Home for Children.
GREAT NEWS: Last week 100 tags were placed on the tree, and 75 were claimed by our generous, loving and compassionate parishioners! That is an all-time record in one day! There are still 25 tags lefts this week, so if you missed out, please grabe one today. There is either an indication of what type of gift to buy or what age and gender the child is. As an alternative, you can always visit the Holy Trinity Scrip desk next to the tree and give a Walmart gift card instead of going out and shopping. This benefits both the child and Holy Trinity Church.
REMINDER: THe gifts are to be brought to church and left in the Narthex between now and December 10 - the sooner the better! They do not have to be wrapped; a Christmas gift bag will be fine. May God continue to inspire to us all to such selfless acts of love!

New Years Eve at Holy Trinity This Year! The Parish Council and Events Committee are planning to host a New Year`s Eve celebration at Holy Trinity Church this year. If anyone would like to help with this community celebration, please see Yvonne Balouris or contact her at 724-934-4850 or ybalouris@zoominternet.net. And please put New Year's Eve at Holy Trinity on your schedule this year!

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Community Christmas Card and Holiday Poinsettias Forms Due Dec. 6 The November issue of the Herald contains a form for the Holy Trinity Community Christmas Card. If you would like to include your name in this annual community tradition, please be sure to submit your form and donation to the Church Office by December 6. Also, if you would like to donate one or more flowers in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special person or event, please complete the form and return it to the Church Office with your donation by December 6. Thank you!

Third Annual T.H.E.O.S. Christmas Benefit Concert - December 13 The Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood and the Three Hierarchs Eastern Orthodox School (THEOS) in Carnegie will host the Third Annual Christmas Benefit Concert on Sunday, December 13 at Holy Cross Church in Mount Lebanon at 5:00 pm. Orthodox choirs from various churches around the Pittsburgh region will participate and offer Christmas hymns from around the Orthodox world. A free-will offering taken at the event will benefit the THEOS school.

Holy Trinity Scrip Program - Gift Cards Benefit Holy Trinity Church! Please don`t forget about the Holy Trinity Scrip program. The Scrip Desk is open during Coffee Hour on Sundays and has a valuable selection of gift cards for local and national vendors, such as Giant Eagle, various gas stations, clothing stores and many others. Every purchase you make benefits Holy Trinity Church at no extra cost to you! See the Scrip desk at Coffee Hour for more information.

Upcoming Memorials November 29: Evangelos Komninos; December 13: Deno Fiffas.