July 26, 2026
Saturday, July 25 NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
4:00 PM Theodore Hoas- Monica Bergin
Sunday, July 26 NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
8:30 AM Ihor & Olympia Pasicznyk- Placek Family
Saturday, August 1 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
4:00 PM God’s Blessing & Good Health for All Parishioners
Sunday, August 2 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
8:30 AM Olha Zherebetska – Mariya Palashchuk
UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE FOLK FESTIVAL: On Sun., Aug. 23, at 12:00 PM, the Ukrainian American Sport Center Tryzub(County Line and Lower State Rds., Horsham, PA) invites you to the Ukrainian Independence Folk Festival 2026. Commencing at 1:30 PM, , a BBQ and cool refreshments for all ages will be plentiful. Admission: $20; Free for children to age 14. Info: 267-664-3857; info@tryzub.org; www.tryzub.org. $2 of each paid admission goes to Humanitarian Relief in Ukraine. Review the website for possible offsite parking instructions.
WHY COOK WEDNESDAYS!: “Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will hold the 3rd and last of their Why Cook Wednesday Dinners for the Summer with a Ukrainian Festival Food, Take-Out Dinner on Wednesday, August 12th. Order from a menu of festival foods including; a Holubtsi Dinner with 2 piggies, 3 pyrohy and green beans for $12.00, a Kovbasa Dinner with Kielbasa & Sauerkraut, Hard Roll and 3 Pyrohy for $10.00, Pagash – 3 Cuts for $6.00 or a whole tray of 12 for $22.00, Pyrohy – 6 for $6.00 or a dozen frozen for $10, Cabbage and Noodles for $4.00 a pint, and Piggie 6-Packs for $18.00. Desserts available at our bake sale. Pick-Ups from 4:00 to 7:00pm in their school hall on the corner of North River and West Chestnut Streets, near the General Hospital Parkade in Wilkes-Barre. Take-Out Only and Pre-Orders are strongly encouraged. Place your order by calling the School Hall Kitchen (570) 829-3051. Tickets will also be sold for a Basket Raffle. Remember…When Baba Cooks, Everybody’s Happy!”
ASK FATHER A QUESTION? What is the Dormition Fast and when did it start?
Just like the Feast of Resurrection (Easter), there is a preparation period which lasts 40 days (The Great Fast). The preparation period for the Feast of the Dormition of Holy Mother of God is a two week preparation/penitential period, which begins August 1st of each year. As the Great Fast ends with the Dormition of Christ on the Cross (Good Friday), we prepare for our Blessed Lady’s Dormition and her resurrection and ours, even though we don’t experience it yet in time. This preparation period is not only for her feast, but also to prepare us for our dormition and resurrection and to lead us to heaven. BUT Father, can you explain this in English? The Dormition of the Mother of God is the day that she died. The Blessed Mother was put in a tomb. Thomas-aka Doubting Thomas, the Apostle, was not present at her death and burial, he asked to see where she was laid and when they arrived at the tomb they found it was empty and filled with the aroma of roses. Roman Catholics call this day the Assumption of the Mother of God because her body was taken to heaven. HOW DO WE KEEP THIS FAST PERIOD? The traditional fast is a period of 14 days no meat and dairy. The fast is voluntary. Just like Lent we can omit meat perhaps on Wednesdays and Fridays, if we choose.
NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
The Holy Apostle Peter, with the Lord’s permission, gets out of the ship and walks on the water; then he yields to the movement of fear and begins to drown. The fact that he decided upon such a singular act, hoping in the Lord, deserves no reprimand-otherwise the Lord would not have allowed him to do this. The reprimand came because he did not sustain the original state of his soul. He was filled with inspired hope in the Lord’s ability to do anything, and this gave him the boldness to entrust himself to the waves. Several steps were already made along this new path-it was necessary only to stand more firmly in hope, gazing at the Lord, Who is near, and at the experience of walking in His strength. Instead, he gave himself over to human thoughts:“ The wind is strong, the waves are great, and water is not solid”- and this shook loose and weakened the strength of his faith and hope. Because of this he broke away from the Lord’s hands and, left to the operation of nature’s laws, began to drown. The Lord rebuked him: O you of little faith, wherefore did you doubt? Matthew (14:31), showing that in this lay the entire reason for his danger. Behold a lesson for all who undertake something, great or small, with the aim of pleasing the Lord! Keep your first state of faith and hope, from which a great virtue is born-patience in doing good which serves as the basis for a God-pleasing life. As long as these dispositions are maintained, inspiration for laboring on the path begun does not go away, and obstacles, no matter how great they may be, are not noticed. When these dispositions weaken, the soul is filled with human reasoning about human methods of preserving one’s life and conducting the affairs one has begun. But since these human methods always turn out to be powerless, fear enters the soul, how should one act? From this comes waverings about whether or not to continue and in the end one completely turns back. Here is what you must do: If you begin, persevere-chase away troubling thoughts, and be bold in the Lord, who is close. –From St. Theophan the Recluse
There are no Altar Candles for this month.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: God’s Blessings to David Youells, Paul Hoover and Mary Oshirak who are celebrating birthdays this month.
WOMEN’S SOCIETY CLOTHES & BOOK SALE: The Women’s Society will be holding a Clothes and Book sale on Friday July 31st from 9-4 and Saturday Aug 1st from 9-2. If you know of a business that can display this announcement, please take a flyer from in the back of the church. Your help in getting this information out to the public is greatly appreciated.
LABOR DAY FOOD FESTIVAL:
Transfiguration of Our Lord Church is holding a one day Food Festival on Saturday, September 5th from 11-4pm. Homemade Pyrohy, Haluski, Potato Pancakes, Clam Chowder, and Sausage sandwitches. Can you hear the polka music playing!! Save the date.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 