St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, Saint Paul, MN 854 Woodbridge Street, St. Paul, MN 55117

www.saintmarymn.org

Pari sh prie st :

Mircea

Vasiu

of f ice (651)488-5669

cel l (734) 497-4544

Emai l :

frmirceavasiu

@yahoo.com

În timpul de trecere de la

un an la altul se fac tot felul

de evaluări, se fac bilanţuri,

dar, în general, aceste eval-

uări şi bilanţuri sunt legate

de cele materiale, de pro-

gresul economic. Mai puţini

oameni fac bilanţul vieţii lor

duhovniceşti. Dorim ani mai

buni fără ca noi să fim mai

buni. Dorim ani mai bogaţi în

cele materiale fără ca noi să

fim totdeauna mai bogaţi în

fapte bune. Dorim multă fer-

icire, dar nu suntem totdeau-

na în legătură directă cu

Izvorul fericirii Care este

Dumnezeu. De aceea, noi

trebuie să ne gândim, în

primul rând, că fiecare an pe

care îl primim de la

Dumnezeu ca an al vieţii no-

astre este un an al mâ-

ntuirii.

Cum răscumpărăm

timpul pierdut?

Sfânta Scriptură a Noului

Testament ne arată că timpul

este, acum, timpul mântuirii,

timpul întoarcerii noastre spre

Dumnezeu şi al unirii noastre

cu Dumnezeu prin rugăciune,

prin pocăinţă şi prin fapte

bune. Timpul mântuirii: "Iată,

acum, vremea potrivită!", zicea

Apostolul Pavel. "Iată timpul

mântuirii" (II Cor. 6:2).

Continuare pag.3

U N AN NOU AL

MÂNTUIRII

JANUARY 2018

The bulletin

O PEN YOUR HEART

TO THE LORD!

The prayer book to the

Church, the Plaster, reminds

us that “the Lord is my light

and my salvation”(Psalm

27,1) . In Him the psalmist

finds refuge and and consola-

tion in the time of need. His

gift is especially the strength-

en of heart. For this reason,

the psalmist has one wish

only: to wait on the Lord, to

sing Him praises and above all

to offer Him “sacrifice of joy in

His tabernacle” (27,6)

(cont.page 2)

Click here for

CHURCH CALENDAR

SUNDAY SCHOOL

every Sunday

From Jan 7, 2018

At 11:00am

Christmas page 4

Coming page 6

St John DINNER

page 7

For HOUSE BLESSING

Contact Fr. Mircea to

schedule an appointment

H a p p Y N eW Y e a R !

“Waiting” on the Lord is also the spir-

itual path for anyone who needs and

courage from God.

Most of the time, modern man becomes

trapped in his own self. In his fear and

self-centeredness he does not pour his

heart to God anymore. Is it because God

is not perceived by him as his friend,

anymore? Did man forget how to ex-

press himself? Or perhaps the evil

turned us into skeptics? Many could be

the answer to these questions. Each one

must review his spiritual status and

personal needs. To be able to break the

cocoon of our isolation, we need to cry

for God’s help “Lord have mercy on me,

the sinner!”

Before we even ask for anything, let’s

not forget to set the eyes of our heart

upon the amazing sight of God, to bow

down before Him and thank Him for

every single breath He gives to us. No

other place facilitates this kind of inner

dialogue with God more than His tem-

ple, that is, the church.

There in His house, we are called to of-

fer Him sacrifice of praise and sacrifice

of joy. Then, “by giving we shall re-

ceive”. Let’s resolve that on the begin-

ning of e new ecclesiastical year, that

we will wait on the Lord and offer Him

our heart! In return, the Psalm say “He

shall strengthen or hearts!”

PAGE 2 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

O PEN YOUR HEART TO THE

LORD!

We would like to thank everyone

who brought food for the CHRISTMAS

Reception. Your effort is appreciated

and we enjoyed the delicious food and

pastries.

Mulţumim tuturor persoanelor care

au adus mâncare şi prăjituri pentru

recepţia de CRĂCIUN.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK all

our members and supporters for their pray-

ers, steady support and love, for paying

dues and making sacrifices to show how

much they care. Likewise, we wish to

thank all those who served the parish in

Council, Ladies Auxiliary, Church activi-

ties or any other capacities. May God, who

sees your sincere efforts bless you with His

Grace and brighten your life during the

coming year and forever!

VA MULTUMIM!

We would like to thank our chair-

persons and St Nicholas Dinner

Sponsor: Pasha Bortnova and Con-

stanta Korolchuk, to all hard work-

ing volunteers for their help prepar-

ing and serving the food, set up the

tables & cleaning after dinner.

From the bottom of our hearts

we thank you all for your sup-

port and donations.

Evaluarea timpului pentru creştini

este, deci, mai întâi o evaluare duhov-

nicească - să punem început bun pentru

anul în care am intrat. Început bun are

înţelesul de mai multă evlavie, mai

multă rugăciune, mai multă dorinţă de

fapte bune, făcând aşa, sfinţim timpul.

Sfântul Apostol Pavel zice, de ase-

menea: "Răscumpăraţi vremea, că zilele

sunt rele" (Efeseni 5:16). Adesea, când

în viaţa noastră sau în istorie se adună

multe răutăţi, toate acestea nu trebuie

să-l conducă pe un creştin la disperare,

ci la mai multă nădejde în Dumnezeu

decât în propriile sale puteri, ale omu-

lui limitat şi trecător.

Răscumpărarea timpului. Ce

înseamnă răscumpărarea timpului?

Cum răscumpărăm timpul pierdut? Îl

răscumpărăm prin pocăinţă, regretând

răul pe care l-am săvârşit şi hotărându

-ne să facem mai mult bine. Să cerem

iertare lui Dumnezeu pentru timpul

pierdut, pentru timpul neroditor, tim-

pul cuvintelor fără rodire duhov-

nicească, timpul trecut fără a

săvârşi fapta cea bună, timpul

petrecut fără lumină în conştiinţă şi

fără iubire în inimă. Această

răscumpărare a timpului pierdut se

poate face numai în lumea aceasta.

Nu se mai poate face după ce am

trecut din lumea aceasta la cele

veşnice. De aceea, Apostolul nea-

murilor îndeamnă zicând: "Iată

acum vreme potrivită".

Răscumpărarea înseamnă, aşadar, o

ridicare din starea de cădere şi un

început nou de viaţă, pentru a

răscumpăra timpul pierdut.

Tâlharul de pe cruce, prin

pocăinţă, în ultima clipă a vieţii

sale, a răscumpărat timpul

pierdut; iar alţii au pierdut într-o

clipă mântuirea, ca de plidă

tâlharul din stânga Mântu-

itorului, sau Iuda Iscarioteanul,

care L-a vândut pe Iisus. Totul

depinde de ce legătură sau atitu-

dine duhovnicească avem noi cu

Dumnezeu, cu Hristos-Împăratul

veacurilor.

U N AN NOU AL MÂNTUIRII

PAGE 3 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

PAGE 4 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

We would like to thank Psa An-ca Vasiu & Silvia Panait who prepared the Christmas pro-

gram with our children this year and to all the parents who brought their children for

Christmas program.

CHRISTMAS

DONATIONS

Anca Basinger $ 35

Victor & Elena Glava $100

Adriana Valcu Lisman $150

Irinel and Ovidiu Ardeleanu $100

Octavian Cornea $ 100

John and Constanta Korolchuk $100

Virginia Cornea $ 50

Carmen & Viorel Herea $ 75

Silvia Antonescu $ 40

Petre & Vera Didenco $100

Rodica Barcan $100

Tudor and Maria Felea $100

Remus &Stela Felea $ 20

Adrian & Cora Pirvu $ 40

Dumitra Neacsu $ 20

Cezar & Silvia Panait $100

Pasha & Alexandru Bortnov $100

Andrei & Ana Bortnov $50

Vasin Dorin $50

Georgeta Poliac $100

Michael Nesseth $25

Romell & Maria Alaman $100

Cleopatra Cabuz $200

Juliann & Gerald Larson $100

Donovan Michael $1,500

Corina Tasi $200

Constantina Beyers $ 100

Crenguta Ochian $250

Gabriel & Iolanda Petre $ 300

Ivans Veronica $100

Alina & Radu Rimbu $50

Ann Bongard $100

Bogdan and Mihaela Baurceanu $100

Anca Zamfirescu $50

John & Georgia Omorean $100

Victor& Maria Bejinariu $50

Serban and Elena Simian $100

Liliana Badea $25

Fr. Mircea & Psa. Anca Vasiu $100

Ecaterina Jancik $50

Livia Lucia Stângu $200

Catalina Morarasu $200

Doina & Adrian Nistor $200

Speranta Teisanu $ 25

Mihai & Paula Pascutoi $50

Tudor Maria $100

Dorina & Mihai Vincze-Turcean $100

Elaine Graf $100

Cristian and Doina Neculescu $100

Elena Tudor $ 25 - Pledge Donation

Ron Bongard $ 200

2017 MEMBERSHIP (payed last month)

Larson Juliann Gerald Larson

Rimbu Alina Dorin Vasin

Bortnov Ana Bortnov Andrei

Alexa Stefan Alexa Mărgelusa

Feraru Mariana Bobeica Gheorghe

Grigore Nicolae Manciu Nicholas

Nistor Adrian Nistor Doina

Herea Carmen Untura Iuliana

Pirvu Adrian Cora Pirvu

Ardeleanu Ovidiu Ardeleanu Irinel

Spaeth Adam Spaeth Cristina

Liuba Didenco Didenco Fiodor

Anonymous $ 400 - Pledge donation

Catalina Morarasu $ 150

Dan & Stefania Luca $ 200

Juliann & Gerald Larson $ 100 - for their 50th wedding

anniversary

Mike & Paula Pascutoi $ 40 - Pledge donation

Anca Zamfirescu $ 100 - Pledge donation

Daniela & Viorel Gheorghe $ 100- IMO loving parents

Ana Westervelt $ 50 - Sunday Schools supplies

James McCormick $ 40

Victoria Ewbank $20

Diana Trifa $ 500

Mary Zeimet $ 100 - IMO her mother

Ann Marinkov $ 25 - Pledge donation

Petru & Vera Didenco $ 100

Corina &Alex Hansen $ 20

ABOUT THE CALENDARS /

DESPRE CALENDARE

Calendarele de perete $10 – se

pot procura de Epitropi =

administrator al unui bun, în

special al unei biserici (în spate,

la lumănări)

American wall calendar – are

FREE and are now available

from the Trustees = a layman who

takes care of the secular business

of running a church.

PAGE 5 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN

.ORG

MONTHLY OFFERINGS

WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

If you would like to donate, win-

ter clothes nonperishable food for

FOCUS, please bring it at the par-

ish hall on Sunday. Also, if you

would like to DONATE WIN-

TER CLOTHES and shoes for

FOCUS, please contact Fr. Mircea

Vasiu.

F.O.C.U.S. MINNESOTA

PAGE 6 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

On 12/17, 2017 – donate de Nicolae & Anastasia Bolboceanu pentru sănătate;

On 12/24, 2017 – donated by Basinger family for good health of their family;

On 12/25, 2017 – donate de familia Grigore ca mulţumire adusă lui Dumnezeu;

On 12/26, 2017 – donated by James McCormick for good health;

On 12/31, 2017 – donate de Irina & Eugen Turcu pentru sănătatea familiei;

On 01/01, 2018 – donated by Neculescu family for good health of their family;

On 01/06, 2018 – donated by Ivans IMO Eugen & Sanda - – Dumnezeu să-i odihnească în pace!

On 01/07, 2018 – donated by Maria Felea IMO her faterh Ion –

Dumnezeu să-l odihnească în pace!

On 01/14, 2018 – donated by Feraru family IMO their father Marin –

Dumnezeu să-l odihnească în pace!

CANDLES IN THE FRONT AND INSIDE THE ALTAR

1. House blessing – starting on January 6, 2018 – to schedule an appointment, please call

Fr. Mircea at 734-497-4544. On Saturday, January 13 – in Rochester MN from 9:00am.

2. Cooperative Catechism WINTER/SPRING 2018 (free courses) – every Monday night

7:00pm – 9:00pm, starting with January 08, 2018 at St George Greek Orthodox Church –

1111 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN 55105. For more information go to www.stgeorgegoc.org.

PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE: http://www.nicks-trip.org/meocca/registration_form4.htm

3. Parastas service for Fr. Mihai Cerghizan on Sunday, January 21 after Divine Liturgy

4. Ladies Auxiliary Meeting – Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 12:30pm

5. St. John Dinner at 12:30 pm – Sunday, January 28, 2018 For more details see the flyer or

our web site www.saintmarymn.org

6. SYNOD - General Assembly – Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 11:30 am (Divine Liturgy at

9:30am)

A DONATION FOR

ALTAR CANDLES IS

$ 50

COMING EVENTS

http://www.saintmarymn.org/bulletins/2018/St John Dinner 2018_357.pdf

WHILE WAITING FOR THE PRIEST

On a festive tablecloth please set a bowl

with fresh water, a candle and an icon or

a cross and the list of names (Dyptics or

Pomelnic) of all the living members of the

household to be remembered in prayer.

Please turn TV or radio off and refrain

from smoking during service. If you are

having guests, please explain to them

what this means and invite them to pray

with us.

CUM AŞTEPTĂM VIZITA

PĂRINTELUI?

Pe o faţă de masă, aşezati un vas cu apă

rece, o lumănare, o icoană sau o cruce şi lista

(pomelnicul) cu numele celor vii din familie.

Vă rugăm opriţi televizorul sau radio. Dacă

aveţi musafiri, explicati-le semnificatia

slujbei şi invitaţi-i să participe la rugăciune.

La sfârşitul rugăciunii, luaţi lumănarea şi

conduceţi pe Părintele prin camera, ca să fie

sfintite.

Every New Year is a new beginning! We are now about to elect a

new Council and we need new ideas. The Nominating Committee for

the new Parish Council has been appointed. The members of the com-

mittee will present to the Parish Assembly – Synod – a list of members

to be approved for this service. WE NEED FAITHFUL MEN AND

WOMEN OF ALL PROFESSIONAL AND SKILLS, in order to have

an affective and capable council next year. If you are a member and

like to be part of St. Mary Parish Council next year, please contact one

of the nominating committee: Fr. Mircea, Georgia Omorean, or Adrian

Pîrvu. Thank you.

House Blessings Binecuvantarea Caselor de Boboteaza

and sprinkles the faithful. To empha-

size the reality, a strong Orthodox tra-

dition at the time of Theophany is for

the faithful to invite the priest to their

home to bless it with the Holy Water.

Thereby, the sanctifying waters of Jor-

dan are brought into each and every

home to make holy its structure and

inhabitants.

Fr. Mircea will start to bless hous-

es on Friday, January 6 through

February 4, 2018. Pentru a stabili da-

ta si ora pentru sfinţirea caselor, vă

rugăm să sunaţi pe Pr. Mircea Vasiu @

651-489-5618 sau 734-497-4544 sau

scrieti un mesaj la frmirceava-

siu@yahoo.com. Vă mulţumim!

Binecuvântarea casei este o ierurgie prin care

Biserica vine în casa noastră. Crucea de pe

Sfântul Altar este adusă în casa noastră, iar casa

este sfinţită cu aghiasma mare; se fac rugăciuni

pentru familie, pentru binele lor şi binecuvân-

tarea anului în care am intrat.

The home blessing is a sacred service when the

Church comes into our home. The Cross from the

Holy Altar will be brought on our family table

and the house will be blessed with Holy Water.

During the Feast of Theophany we also cele-

brate the Agiasmos or Holy Water Great Blessing

service. Remembering Christ’s Baptism and

cleansing of Jordan River, we ask Him and the

Holy Spirit to cleanse and sanctify the water of-

fered Him. Then the priest takes the holy water

We need your input! 2018 Parish Council

PAGE 8 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

PAGE 9 THE BULLETIN WWW.SAINTMARYMN.ORG

Tinerilor din parohia noastră, care au participat anul acesta la vestirea Naşterii Dom-

nului în casele credincioşilor, prin frumoasele colinde tradiţionale de Crăciun, dar în

acelaşi timp mulţumim şi celor care ne-au primit în casele lor.

This year, the caroling group donated $ 1,000 to our parish.

Împreună cu Grupul de Colindători am strâns anul acesta suma de $1,000 pe

care am donat-o parohiei Sf. Maria. LA MULŢI ANI!

C O N V O C AT I O N

In compliance with the Constitution and By-laws of The Romanian Orthodox Episco-

pate of America (ARTICLE IX, SECTION 25), we hereby call to order:

The Parish Annual General Assembly of St. Mary, St Paul, MN, to

convene on Sunday, February 11th, 2018 at 11:30 am at social hall.

The following agenda will be presented:

1) Invocation of the Holy Spirit.

2) Roll Call of the 2017 membership

3) Approval of the Agenda

4) Selection of two (2) tellers (to count the votes).

5) Reading of the minutes of the last meeting of the Parish Council.

6) Discussion and approval of oral reports given by the parish priest, Council & aux-

iliary presidents.

7) Financial Report for 2017 given by the treasurer and auditors.

8) Recommendations of the Parish Council.

9) Proposed Budget for 2018.

10) Election of the 2018 Parish Council.

11) End of the Assembly / Closing Prayer

L A C OLIND AT