Epistle Reading: Romans 15:1-7

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:27-35

Wednesday, July 29Vespers 6 pm

Saturday, August 1Great Vespers 4 pm

Sunday, August 2Divine Liturgy 9:30 am

Front & Welles Streets Nanticoke, PA 18634 Front & Welles Streets Nanticoke, PA 18634 www.stjohnsnanticoke.org www.stjohnsnanticoke.org ✢ stjohnsnanticoke@gmail.com

Rev. Fr. Adam R. SextonRev. Fr. Adam R. Sexton, Acting Rector570.735.2263 offi ce 570.735.2263 offi ce ✢ 570.702.9036 cell

Reader Joseph P. PaprotaReader Joseph P. Paprota, Council President & Choir Director 570.829.4112 570.829.4112

July 26, 2009

Schedule of Services

St.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchOrthodoxChurchinAmericaAParishoftheDioceseofEasternPennsylvaniaOrthodoxChurchinAmericaAParishoftheDioceseofEasternPennsylvania

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St.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchOrthodoxChurchinAmericaAParishoftheDioceseofEasternPennsylvania

St.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchSt.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchOrthodoxChurchinAmericaAParishoftheDioceseofEasternPennsylvania

St.John the Baptist Orthodox ChurchOrthodoxChurchinAmericaAParishoftheDioceseofEasternPennsylvania

(Ps.107:9) heard the prayer of his servant. On May 1, 1828 a molieben for travelers was

served, and Father Jacob, his father, Yegor, (now tonsured as reader for the Atka Church), and his matushka, Anna, set out for Alaska. Travel in those days was never easy. Nevertheless, aided by prayer and confi dence in God’s providence, the Netsvetov family arrived safely in Atka over a year later, on June 15, 1829. Having “no worry about his life” (Mt. 6:25 ff), the holy one endured manifold tortures of cold, wet, wind, illness, hunger and exhaustion, for to him life was Christ (Phil 1:21). Showing himself as a “rule of faith,” his example brought his people to a deep commitment to their own salvation. Being fully bilingual and bicultural, Father Jacob was uniquely blessed by God to care for the souls of his fellow Alaskans.

For Father Jacob the services of the Church were life: life for his people and life for himself. When his fi rst six months had ended (end of 1829), Father Jacob recorded that he had baptized 16, chrismated 442, married 53 couples, and buried 8.

In March of 1836, his precious wife, Anna, died; his home burned to the ground in July; and his dear father, Yegor, died of an undetermined illness in 1837. In his journal Father Jacob attributed all to “the Will of Him whose Providence and Will are inscrutable and whose actions toward men are incomprehensible.” He patiently endured hardships and sufferings. He saw in these misfortunes a call from God to even greater spiritual struggles.

Father Jacob continued to serve his far-fl ung fl ock of the Atka parish until December 30, 1844. A new zeal had taken hold of him, and it was then that St Innocent appointed him to head the new Kvikhpak Mission in order to bring the light of Christ to the people of the Yukon. Here, Father Jacob

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Troparion-Tone4Righteous Father Jacob, adornment of Atka and the Yukon delta, offspring of Russian America, fl ower of brotherly unity, healer of sickness, and terror of demons, you offered yourself as a living sacrifi ce to bring light to a searching people. Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved!that our souls may be saved!

“settled’ in the wilderness of Alaska. He learned new languages, embraced new peoples and cultures, devised another alphabet, built another church and Orthodox community, and for the next twenty years, until his health and eyesight failed, continued to be an evangelical beacon of the grace of God in southwestern Alaska.

In spite of failing health, Father Jacob joyfully celebrated the Church’s cycle of services. He died on July 26, 1864 at the age of 60 and was buried on the third day at the entry of the chapel.

This brief history has recounted the basic chronology of the saint’s life and labors, but we must not neglect to relate his other deeds. In 1841, Father Jacob encountered a group of women from his fl ock in Amlia who had fallen victim to certain demonic infl uences and teachings. He payed them a visit. One of the women was paralyzed, semi-conscious and unable to speak. He began the fi rst prayers of exorcism. He then left.

During the night he was notifi ed that the woman had begun to speak but incoherently. He came immediately to her and performed a second exorcism. This time, she sprang out of her bed and stood next to the saint, joined her prayer to his, and accompanied them with prostrations. She regained full consciousness, a state of health and true reason.

Once, Father Jacob was preaching in a village, where the local chief resisted the Word of God forcefully. But the saint, calm and full of the Holy Spirit, continued to sow the seeds of right belief and piety. After many hours, the chief fell silent and fi nally came to believe. The villagers, in solidarity with their leader, also joyously expressed their belief in the Triune God and sought Holy Baptism.

There are many other deeds and wonders which he performed, many known and many more known only to God. Pray to God for us St. Jacob!

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✢Intercessory Prayer ✢Announcements

✢ HolyTrinityBazaar: Holy Trinity Church in Wilkes-Barre will hold its 43rd Bazaar on the Parish grounds, 401 E. Main St., TODAY! Sunday, July 26, 4pm -10pm; Live Music, Food, Theme baskets, bake sale and more.

✢ HealingService: On July 27 at 6 pm at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church will welcome His Grace Bishop Tikhon will serve a Healing Service with an annointing of oil from St. Panteleimon’s Holy Relics. All are invited to attend.

✢ 12thAnnualSt.Tikhon’sGolfTournament: Saturday, August 22, 2009 at Jack Frost National Golf Course in Blakeslee, PA. $80 per Golfer includes lunch, green fees, cart, sleeve balls, steak dinner, refreshment, prizes and awards. Call Bernard Golubiewski 825-4780 for more information.

✢ Raffl es:Be sure to sign up for the Labor Day Basket Raffl e fi lled with food for your Labor Day gathering. See Helen Conor for tickets and info. We also have a queen size quilt being raffl ed, Tickets are $2 or 3 for $5. Tickets available in the church parlors on our bookstore counter. The drawing will be held Oct. 4 - Just in time for the really cold weather.

✢ Coffee Hour today is provided by Pearle Zupko and Mary Paprota. Thank you, Pearle and Mary.

TheLiving✢ All of our shut-ins and those in nursing homes:

Mary Staniorski MaryAnn KremenicJohn Kremenic Mary RuduskiMary Zaleta Margaret MeshHelen Kasian Mary Zupko

✢ Those who lie in sickness:John Lipinski Margie SokolDaria Yackimowicz John Matushka Olga Michael CalabroMelanie Hoats Smith Karen SchinskiCheryl Connaghan Helen DargiewiczMary Zupko Susan ShiposkiFor the Health of Helen Connor’s FamilyHelen Elena

NewlyDeparted✢ Irene Miszczuk

PreparingforIllumination✢ Allen Uhas, Jr.

TheFaithfulDeparted✢ July 26 John Wanchisen (1984)

July 27 John Patrician (1983)July 31 Helen Kobal (1977)

George Thomas (1985)

✢

EternalLight✢ For the Health of Mary Staniorski

CrossVigil✢ In Memory of John Staniorski

AllOtherVigils✢ For the Health of Mary Staniorski✢ In Memory of Anna Fedock and John Staniorski

✢Candle Off erings ✢EternalLight

For the Health of Mary Staniorski

CrossVigilIn Memory of John Staniorski

AllOtherVigilsFor the Health of Mary StaniorskiIn Memory of Anna Fedock and

John Staniorski

ForOurCollegeStudentsForOurCollegeStudents✢ Justin CunardJustin Cunard Jessica Yackimowicz Jessica Yackimowicz

Charlotte EbertCharlotte Ebert Devon Wolfkiel

BirthdaysBirthdays✢ July 26July 26 Jack Sarochinsky (1918)

July 27July 27 Zachary Breck (1990?)

AnniversariesAnniversaries✢ July 30July 30 John & Pamela Paprota (? year)John & Pamela Paprota (? year)

Father Jacob (Netsvetov) of Alaska was born of pious parents in 1802 on Atka Island, Alaska. His father, Yegor Vasil’evich Netsvetov was a Russian from Tobolsk. His mother, Maria Alekseevna, was an Aleut from Atka island. Yegor and Maria had four children who survived infancy. Yegor and Maria were devoted to their children, did all they could to provide them with the education which would help them in this life as well as in the life to come. Jacob yearned for a different kind of success, a success that the world might consider failure for “the righteous live forever, their reward is with the Lord” (Wis. Sol. 5:15). And so, when the family moved to Irkutsk in 1823, Jacob enrolled in the Irkutsk Theological Seminary and placed all his hope in Christ by seeking fi rst the Kingdom of God (Mt. 6:33).

Jacob was tonsured as a Subdeacon on October 1, 1825. He married a Russian woman named Anna Simeonovna, and in 1826 graduated from the Seminary with certifi cates in history and theology. On October 31, 1826, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and assigned to serve the altar of the Holy Trinity-St Peter Church in Irkutsk. Two years later, on March 4, 1828, Archbishop Michael, who had earlier ordained Father John Veniaminov (St Innocent), elevated the godly deacon Jacob to the Holy Priesthood. This, however, was no ordinary ordination. Father Jacob yearned to return to his native Alaska. And the all-good God, who (satisfi es the longing soul and fi lls the hungry soul with goodness”

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Potatoe Pancakes This Friday! July 31

On July 31 we will begin our fi rst bi-weekly

Potatoe Pancake Sales in the church basement.

See Olga Sulewski for more information.

GET ‘EM WHILE THEIR HOT.