08/02/2026
The Paraklesis and the Fast of the Dormition
Beloved in Christ,
As we enter the Dormition Fast, from August 1st through August 14th, we prepare our hearts and bodies for the great Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15th. The Dormition — meaning "falling asleep" — commemorates the end of the Virgin Mary's earthly life and her bodily assumption into the heavenly kingdom, where she reigns as the Queen of Heaven alongside her Son. Far from being a somber occasion, the Dormition is a feast of profound hope: just as Christ conquered death through His Resurrection, so too His Mother, who bore Him in the flesh, is granted to share fully in the victory over death. She who said "yes" to God at the Annunciation, who stood at the foot of the Cross, and who nurtured the early Church in prayer, now stands as the first fruits of our own hope for resurrection and eternal life.
Throughout this fasting period, our parish will gather to chant the Paraklesis — the Supplicatory Canon to the Theotokos — a service unique to this time of year. In it, we cry out to the Panagia as a loving mother who hears our sorrows, our sicknesses, and our anxieties, and who carries them with tenderness before the throne of her Son. The Paraklesis is offered precisely during this fast because, as we prepare to commemorate her falling asleep, we are reminded that she has not truly left us — she continues to watch over her children with maternal care, ever ready to intercede. Come and bring whatever burdens you carry; there is perhaps no more fitting way to prepare for the Feast than to place ourselves, like little children, into her hands.
We fast during these two weeks not out of obligation, but as a spiritual preparation to honor the Theotokos and to draw nearer to her example of humility, obedience, and total trust in God. Traditionally, the fast is kept strictly, abstaining from meat, dairy, and (on most days) fish, wine, and oil, as we intensify our prayer and turn our attention toward the "All-Holy One" who intercedes for us ceaselessly. Just as she treasured the mysteries of Christ in her heart (Luke 2:19), let this be a season when we, too, quiet ourselves to treasure and reflect upon the great mystery of our salvation.
As we begin this sacred journey together, may we greet one another with the traditional blessing of the season:
Καλό Δεκαπενταύγουστο και Καλή Παναγιά! Blessed Fast of the Dormition of the Theotokos and A Blessed 15 Days of August!
Ὑπεραγία Θεοτόκε, σῶσον ἡμᾶς! Most Ηoly Theotokos, Save Us!
Please Note: Paper for the List of Names is available in the Narthax. Please fill out the list only once and all names will be read during the Paraklesis services.
In Christ's Love,
Fr. Gabriel Gadah
