St. Ann Melkite Greek-Catholic Church

09/01/2026

Happy (Byzantine) New Year 7535!

(We need all the new beginnings we can get.)

08/31/2026

New Melkite bishop for Argentina

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Jean Abou Charouche, of the Society of Missionaries of Saint Paul, until now apostolic administrator sede vacante of the same circumscription, as apostolic exarch for Greek-Melkite faithful resident in Argentina, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of bishop and assigning him the titular see of Myra of the Greek-Melkites.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop-elect Jean Abou Charouche, S.M.S.P., was born on 18 October 1972 in Chiyah, near Beirut, Lebanon.

In 1985 he entered the minor seminary of Saint Paul in Harissa, where he carried out his studies in philosophy and theology. On 29 June 1998 he gave his solemn vows, and on 16 August 1998 he received priestly ordination. He subsequently devoted a large part of his pastoral service to the formation of future religious and priests.

In 2015 he became parish priest of the Cathedral of San Jorge in Córdoba, Argentina. In 2023, the Holy Father Francis appointed him apostolic administrator sede vacante of the Catholic exarchate for Greek-Melkite faithful in Argentina.

08/10/2026

08/05/2026

Bereavement Facilitator Training - New Day Journal

Are you interested in accompanying others through their journey of grief? The Diocese of Norwich is offering New Day Journal Facilitator Training for parish volunteers who wish to facilitate a bereavement ministry in their parish.

Participants will explore the many faces of loss and grief, learn how to guide group discussions, and receive practical guidance for creating a supportive and confidential group environment.

The training will also provide instruction on using The New Day Journal by Maureen O’Brien, O.P., a structured program incorporating prayer, Scripture, journaling, and guided sharing. Each participant must obtain their own copy of the New Day Journal by Maureen O’Brien, O.P. Because the training is interactive and each session builds upon the previous one, full participation in all sessions is expected.

Training Options:

In Person:
Tuesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 10, 2026
10:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
Church of the Resurrection
115 Pond Hill Road, Wallingford

Online via Zoom:
Tuesdays, September 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2026
6:30–8:00 p.m.

Pastor Approval:
Volunteers must receive approval from their pastor before beginning training and starting a bereavement support group at their parish.

Please note: This training is intended for those who feel called to accompany others in their grief journey. Because the focus is on supporting grieving individuals, it is not appropriate for anyone currently experiencing significant or unresolved grief.

For more information and to register:

Liza Roach
860-848-2237, ext. 305
[email protected]

08/04/2026

A new initiative in the Diocese of Norwich.

BROTHERS IN CHRIST WITH BISHOP RICHARD REIDY

Brothers in Christ is a gathering of men who come together to share faith, personal experiences, and meaningful discussion. Virtual fellowship meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. Our first meeting will be Thursday, September 10th, from 7:00–7:45 p.m. Guest Speaker: Bishop Richard Reidy, will speak on the importance of developing and maintaining a strong prayer life.

If you are interested in joining this session and building fellowship and discipleship with other men devoted to Christ, please register by contacting: Liza Roach at [email protected] or (860) 848-2237 ext. 305

08/01/2026

August 1 is the FEAST OF THE PROCESSION OF THE HOLY CROSS

Archpriest David Petras writes of the feast day:

According to the Synaxarion, the feast celebrates the veneration of the Holy Cross in Constantinople. The early days of August were dangerous in antiquity. Because of the heat, many diseases became strong, and so the Cross was displayed in various places in the city for fourteen days. This feast was then introduced into Rus in the fifteenth century.

Today it announces the coming of the great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, approximately forty days from now. I think in may ways we misunderstand the Cross, we equate it with pain and suffering, as a negative sign that Christians were made to be miserable. That is not what St. Paul says in today’s epistle, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)” St. John calls the Cross the glory of Jesus, not because of its ugliness, but because it witnesses to the infinite love of God for his people. Because of love the cross is a “trophy of victory.”

In the Ambon Prayer of the Feast of the Exaltation, we pray, “You are glorified by the exaltation of your venerable Cross and by it accomplish our purification from the pride of demons.” As the people of Constantinople centuries ago looked to the Cross for deliverance from illness, we look at it today as our hope for deliverance from sin and evil.

08/01/2026

Today, Saturday, August 1st, Byzantine Christians begin the fast to honor the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary in preparation for the celebration of her death and bodily assumption in into Heaven.

"Among the saints, a special position belongs to the blessed virgin Mary. Orthodox Christians, like Roman Catholics, venerate or honor the Mother of God, but in no sense do members of either Church assign to her the worship due to God alone. In Orthodox services, Mary is often mentioned as Theotokos. This title was assigned to her by the Third Ecumenical Council held in Ephesus in 431 AD. We do not honor the Virgin Mary in isolation but because of her relationship to Christ. Thus, the reverence shown to Mary, far from eclipsing the worship of God, has exactly the opposite effect: the more we esteem Mary, the more vivid is our awareness of the majesty of her Son, for it is precisely on account of the Son that we venerate the Mother. We honor the Mother because of her Son. The Fathers of the Council of Ephesus insisted on calling Mary the Theotokos, not because they desired to glorify her as an end in herself, apart from her Son, but because only by honoring Mary could they safeguard a right doctrine of Christ’s person.

Anyone who thinks out the implications of that great biblical phrase from the Gospel of John that “The word was made flesh” cannot but feel a profound awe for her who was chosen as the instrument of so surpassing a mystery. When people refuse to honor Mary, only too often it is because they do not really believe in the incarnation. But Orthodox Christians honor Mary not only because she is Theotokos, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God but also because she is the supreme example of synergy or cooperation between the purposes of God and human freedom. God, who always respects our freedom of choice, did not wish to become incarnate without the willing consent of His Mother. He waited for her voluntary response: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me as You have said” (Luke 1:38). Mary could have refused: she was not merely passive, but an active participant in the mystery. If Christ is the new Adam, as the Apostle Paul has written, Mary is the New Eve, whose obedient submission to the will of God counterbalanced Eve’s disobedience in Paradise."

- Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (1934-2022)

07/19/2026

On the Sunday between July 13-19 the Byzantine Church remembers the holy fathers of the first Six Ecumenical Councils.

07/19/2026

Happy feast day!

07/13/2026