Upcoming Services

+Sep 6: Miracles of Archangel Michael, our secondary Altar Feast and basis for our summer festival.  The Rocky Mountain Deanery clergy will concelebrate and meet after the Liturgy.  This will be the first time we've hosted the Deanery in several years, and we're honored.  We need to offer a meal afterward, so let's put out a good spread!

+Sep 8: Nativity of the Theotokos (the Birthday of the Mother of God).

+Sep 14: Elevation of the Cross.

+Sep 23: Conception of St. John the Baptist.  Vespers are followed by a potluck and Parish Council meeting.  No Liturgy.

+Oct 1: Protection of the Theotokos.

Special All Parish Meeting
The Wingate family's move has left a hole in the Parish Council, on which Sdn. Davi served.  There will be a special All Parish Meeting the Sunday after our Festival (Sept. 19) to elect someone to fill out the remaining year of his term.  With that being the sole item on the agenda, the meeting should be exceedingly brief.  In addition to being physically present, a nominee must: 1. Have been to confession and communion in this parish in the past year, 2. Have submitted a pledge form for 2010, 3. Be 18 years of age or older, and 4. Not reside under the same roof as someone who is already serving on the Council.  That leaves the following as eligible nominees:
Blatnick, Ed or Gladys              Nestro, Debbie
Edwards, John or Gabriella        Pino, Lena
Holder, Pavel                            Propes, Mary
Humphrey, Aline                      Savage, Betty
Keller, Evelyn                           Shinovich, Michael
Monchak, Frances                     Stuemky, John
Morley, Judy                           
Pledge forms for 2011 will be included in the Oct. Messenger.
Church School
Church School resumes the Sunday following our Festival, with a special blessing for students and teachers after Liturgy.  With another crop of kids coming of age, there will be two classes this year.  Jordanna and Trevor will teach Mila, Kyria and Caden the OCEC preschool curriculum, while Katrina and Riley will focus on Bible stories with Sava, Anya, Patrick and Markos.  Classes will be held Sunday mornings in the hall during reading of the Hours.  We'd still like one more assistant teacher, to ensure there are always at least 2 adults per class.

Festival News
The Festival is almost here and we still have much to do to prepare.
The following are dates to mark on your calendars:
*Sunday, September 5
Coffee Hour: Festival Meeting. 
During this meeting, assignments and duties will be given and discussed.  If you are not planning on working the festival, please let me know prior to this date.
*Saturday, September 11
10:00 am: Festival Prep.
We need volunteers to help prepare for the festival.  This will include precooking lamb, pork, sarma, and potatoes.  We will also set up the tables, tents, and the spit and prepare anything else that can be done beforehand.  Please bring tents if you have them.
*Sunday, September 12
12:00-5:00pm: Festival
We will have the usual ticket booths by the grounds entrance.  Meals will cost $10.00 a plate (mixed meat or choose one) and will include salad and potatoes.  Deserts will be $3.00 and provided by PCC.  Drinks will be the usual $1.00 and hotdogs and chips at $5.00 for the youngsters.  There will be live music and dancing!  We are collecting canned soda, bottled water and other drinks - please do your part and donate a case.
5:00pm: Clean Up
Once we stop serving food, there's still a lot of cleanup to do.  Dishes must be washed, garbage taken out, tents taken down and tables & chairs put away.  We're all tired by then, but things still have to be tidied up.
The Festival and all the preparations are a wonderful time!  If you haven't participated before, please do so this year!
NOTE: Due to Lisa being ill, please contact Popadija with any questions, concerns, etc: Cell: 214-3675      Email: lelaandmilapowell@gmail.com

Thank You to our Orthodox Greek neighbors for letting us borrow their stage and to Carl Musso Produce for their generosity in donating cabbage. Please show your support for Musso by giving them your business: 35779 Hillside Rd., Pueblo 81006; Ph: 948-3581. You know where to get your chiles! Special thanks to the PCC culinary staff for providing desserts.

July Treasurer's Report
Beginning Balance:       $1249.76
Total Deposits:               4009
Total Expenses:              5102.32
Ending Balance:               156.44
Gain(Loss):                   (1093.32)

For Sale
There is still one, short pew for sale ($140).  It would look nice on your porch or in your front room.  If you can't find a place for it, tell you friends.  We'd like to give it a new home real soon!

Parish Council Senior Warden's Message
The New Year is a time of boundless possibility, and yet it slips by year after year with hardly a notice.  We have liturgy and a blessing, but for most of us it is little more than a minor holiday. We save our enthusiasm for the secular New Year to watch television until midnight and perhaps drink a little too much, but as they say “the magic is gone.” How much different is the way the Eastern Romans and the Jews today approach this time of the year.  The Jews call the New Year the first of the Days of Awe, a time of intense prayer and reflection on the conduct of the last year and its effect on family, nation and Creation itself. Fear and trembling are the rule as they recite the verses of repentance known as selichos each and every morning. All of this leads up to the Day of Repentance and one of the most penitential liturgical cycles of the Jewish year. Prayer is offered on behalf of the departed and the living for forgiveness and a fresh start, to be written into the book of life for another year. Indeed this approach to the coming year is all but absent in our American parishes.  One has to wonder why this is. Is it because we no longer circumcise our male children or eat kosher food that we are exempt? Doesn’t the New Year mark the beginning anew of our experience of the life of Christ on earth? The cycle of feasts begins again, and we are given another chance to repent and change our sinful ways and habits. Together let us embrace the New Year with awe and pray ourselves to be written in the book of Life in Christ.

Memorials
Bids have begun coming in to replace our furnace and AC, a project being sponsored by a donation in memory of the Pavlica family.  The new furnace in particular will be much more efficient than the old one - a 1986-model that uses 175,000 BTUs and runs at 50-60% efficiency.  The least efficient models now on the market are 80% efficient and use only 120,000 BTUs.  Thanks also to Mike & Tamara Montgomery, friends of Helen Mironoff, for donating an antique, hand-written icon of the Hospitality of Abraham in her memory.  It will be placed out for veneration once a suitable protective case has been made for it.  Meanwhile, it rests on the altar.  We're still waiting for our handyman to finish the last details of the kitchen remodel.  Meanwhile, new lights were purchased to replace the broken one overhead.  This additional cost ($40) came from the Mihalso fund.  Finally, the communion wine for the next 6 months or so ($50) was sponsored by the Marino fund.

Around the Grounds
Thanks to Frank for staining the children's play equipment.  Frank has also begun re-painting all the black railings around the grounds.  Thanks to Richard for staining the bell stand a deep red.  It looks really nice, and the wood will last much longer now. 
*Volunteers are needed to clean the church.  There are instructions and a signup sheet in the narthex.  Every family should try it*

Orthodox Cemetery
Now that we've established an Orthodox section at Roselawn Cemetery, the Parish Council has formulated some guidelines to govern our re-sale of plots to the faithful.  The following policies were adopted at their last meeting:
* The plots will be sold for the current market value at the time of purchase, as determined by the prices set by Roselawn for comparable plots (currently $1,250).
* The Parish Council reserves the right to waive any or all costs for a plot if circumstances are compelling.
* Eligibility is open to anyone who is able to receive an Orthodox burial service, along with their spouse, whether Orthodox or not.  [Each plot contains room for two caskets, stacked vertically].
* At the time of purchase, the purchaser will receive an Interment Permit for the designated plot. [St. Michael's remains the permanent "owner" of the real estate, but the purchaser buys permanent interment rights].
* The Orthodox section shall be known as, and dedicated to the patronage of, All Saints of North America (Orthodox Cemetery).
It was decided to forego offering a discount to Stewards of St. Michael's, as this might lead to unforeseen misunderstandings in the future.  The advantage of purchasing a plot in the All Saints section is not to save a buck, but to receive annual memorial blessings.  Anyone with questions about our cemetery, or interest in purchasing a plot, speak with Father.  We have until Dec. 4 to purchase another group of plots if we so desire.  Beyond that, we'll look to consecrate the cemetery after Liturgy on the next Feast of All Saints of North America.

Special Collection
The single most important factor in helping a mission bloom into a full-fledged parish is the presence of a full-time, resident priest.  When Father X. has to work a 9-5 to support his family, parish ministry must come second.  Several years ago, the OCA established the Mission Planting Grant, which enables a parish that is capable of providing its priest with $15,000 to receive a matching grant and give him a full-time salary of $30,000.  Sadly, shortfalls in giving have forced a cut in the number of grants that can be awarded.  Our Sept. Special Collection will go toward the MPG.  There is no administrative overhead, so 100% of what you give will go to support a growing mission.

Painting the Garage
Do you have any exterior paint (preferably white) lying around?  If so, we can probably use it.  It's time to repaint the garage door and trim, which are in pretty bad shape.  This would be a big task for one person, but should be easier with more hands.  If you're willing to volunteer, tell Father and we'll coordinate a date in the next month when several of us can get together and knock it off the "To Do" list.  Then we'll eat pizza!
Bible Study
Our weekly Bible Study and Akathist resume this month and are open to all.  We'll pick up where our study left off before Lent, with the end of Genesis and reunion of Jacob and Joseph (see calendar for readings).  The Akathist begins at 6:30 and lasts about 40 minutes.  We then move downstairs for Bible Study and conclude by 8:00pm.  Father's goal is to offer this service and study every Wednesday evening until Lent, unless there's a midweek feast or saint's day that should be observed instead.  By the end of last year, we had at least 8-10 people in attendance, and all benefited from one another's questions.

From the Archives: Happy Feast!
This month we uncover an early mention of our patronal feast day and accompanying festivities, along with a visit by our first dean (later Met. Theophilus), about whom more next time…
Celebrate Feast of St. Michael. Pueblo Chieftain. Nov. 16, 1906 p9.
The feast of St. Michael, patron of the Orthodox church, will be celebrated Wednesday, November 21, with special services at the church.  Rev. Vladimir Kalneff, pastor of the church will be assisted by Rev. George Shutak of Denver.  The day will be made a general holiday by the members of the church and in the morning there will be a big parade in which all the societies of the church will participate.  Monday and Tuesday will be observed as vigils of the feast.  If it can be successfully arranged it is proposed to have a large banquet on St. Michael's day at which all the members of the church will be seated, according to the custom on such occasions.  The services Sunday at the Orthodox church will be conducted by Rev. George Shutak, in the absence of the pastor who has arranged to visit one of his missions on that day.
Will Conduct Special Services. Pueblo Chieftain.  Dec. 3, 1906 p8.
Rev. M. Pachkovsky, bishop's dean of San Francisco, will arrive in Pueblo today from Denver, accompanied by Rev. George Shutak of Denver and Rev. Vladimir Kalneff, pastor of the Orthodox church of this city.  Rev. Mr. Pachkovsky is on his way to Galveston to attend to matters pertaining to his church and has accepted the invitation of Rev. Mr. Kalneff to be present at the special services which will be held in the Orthodox church in this city next Tuesday.  Rev. Mr. Pachkovsky has jurisdiction over all the churches of his denomination in California and is a distinguished member of the clergy.  He will remain in Pueblo until Tuesday evening, when he will leave for Galveston.  The Orthodox church has not adopted the modern calendar and next Tuesday is counted as Nov. 21.  The feast celebrated Tuesday is in commemoration of the presentation of the Virgin Mary at the temple when she was 12 years old.
*The Powell's wish to express their sincere gratitude to the St. Michael's family for your love and support during Popadija's illness*

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