St. Mary of Egypt
ORTHODOX CHURCH
Parish News
April 26, 2026
The Myrrh-Bearing Women
TO OUR VISITORS
Welcome! We hope your time with us is healing and worshipful. Please note that, although we have much respect for other Christian traditions, Holy Communion is reserved for properly prepared members of the Orthodox Church. Everyone is invited to partake of the blessed bread after the conclusion of the Liturgy. May God’s blessing be upon you!
Hymns in Today’s Liturgy
Resurrectional Apolytikion (Tone 2)
From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Apolytikion of Joseph of Arimathæa (Tone 2) The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundredfold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John Climacus, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.
Apolytikion of the Myrrh-Bearing Women (Tone 2) Unto the myrrh-bearing women did the Angel cry out as he stood by the grave: Myrrh-oils are meet for the dead, but Christ hath proved to be a stranger to corruption. But cry out: The Lord is risen, granting to the world Great Mercy.
Kontakion of Pascha (Tone 8)
Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice, and giving peace unto Thine Apostles, O Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.
Apolytikion of Mary of Egypt (Tone 8)
Through thee, the divine likeness was securely preserved, O mother Mary; for thou didst carry the cross and follow Christ. By example and precept thou didst teach us to ignore the body, because it is perishable, and to attend to the concerns of the undying soul. Therefore, doth thy soul rejoice with the angels.
THE EPISTLE
Acts 6:1–7
In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministry. And the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said: “It is not right that we should forsake the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. And we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Próchoros, and Nikánor, and Tímon, and Parmenás, and Nikólaos a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
THE GOSPEL
Mark 15:43–16:8
At that time, Joseph of Arimathæa, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the Kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if He were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether Jesus was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that He was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen shroud, and laid Him in a tomb, which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back — it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a long white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He is risen; He is not here; see the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him, as He told you.” And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
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UPCOMING AT ST MARY OF EGYPT
Saturday
Reconsecration Liturgy 09:00 @ Ss. C&E
Spring Vintage & Handmade Fest 10:00 @ Franklin, IN
Sunday
Setup 08:30 @ Friedens
Orthos & Divine Liturgy 09:00 @ Friedens
Fellowship 11:15 @ Friedens
Sunday School 11:45 @ Friedens
Takedown 12:15 @ Friedens
Tuesday
Adult Education / Catechism 19:00 @ Scotts'
Wednesday
Book Study 19:00 @ Google Meet
Saturday
Dementia & Alzheimer's Seminar 10:00 @ St. George
Sunday
Setup 08:30 @ Friedens
Orthos & Divine Liturgy 09:00 @ Friedens
Fellowship 11:15 @ Friedens
Sunday School 11:45 @ Friedens
Takedown 12:15 @ Friedens
Men of St. Mary 13:00 @ Stor-a-Lot
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On the Road: We are now meeting in Hayden Hall at:
Friedens United Church of Christ
8300 S Meridian St
Indianapolis, IN 46217
///fluent.cheaply.scrawl
for Orthros & Divine Liturgy at our normally scheduled time of 09:00. Please arrive at 08:30 to help set up.
Our mailing address is:
St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church
480 N Town Center Rd PMB 210
Mooresville, IN 46158-1379
Food for Hungry People: If you set aside money this Lent for the poor, please either send it in via Realm or write a check to the parish; either way, please be sure to put “Food for Hungry People” in the memo line.
Franklin Vintage Fest: The Ladies of St. Mary will have a 10'×10' booth at the Spring Vintage & Handmade Fest in Franklin 2026‑04‑25 10:00–17:00. Please make plans to volunteer for a shift that day.
Book Study: Sdn. Mark's book study is now on Wednesday evenings at 19:00 and has a different Google Meet link.
Ladies of St. Mary: Our AOCWNA meeting for May will be to attend the Alzheimer's & Dementia Symposium being presented by St. George, Fishers. Please register here to attend. Afterwards, the ladies will take Fr. Peter to lunch for his birthday.
Movie Night: There will be a one-time-only showing of El Tonto por Cristo 2026‑05‑31 17:00 at the Kan-Kan Cinema & Bar. Tickets can be purchased here. Please plan to join us that evening.
2026 Parish Life Conference: Registration is now open for our 2026 PLC. Hosted by St. Matthew, North Royalton, it will be held 2026‑06‑17–2026‑06‑21 at the Best Western Plus Strongsville Cleveland. Register today!
Freedom Fest: We will once again have a booth at Freedom Fest in Greenwood 2026‑06‑27 17:30–22:00. Please register here to volunteer to help.
Realm: Giving in Realm has now been implemented. There are presently three ways to give via Realm:
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Log into Realm and select “Giving”
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Visit https://onrealm.org/StMaryEgyptOrth/Give in your browser
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Text STMARYINDY to 73256, followed by your gift amount, to give online through text.*.
At present, we have 3 people who have received Realm invitations who have yet to respond. If you have not yet received a Realm invitation or have misplaced yours, please contact Fr. Peter. If you need help signing in or have general questions, please contact Kendra.
Building Program: We have signed an agreement with Northpointe Engineering & Surveying for $34,000 to obtain easements for sewage, water, stormwater drainage, and road expansion. More updates will be issued as work progresses.
Fellowship Hour: This week, group D (headed by Carrie Ventura) will oversee Fellowship Hour; next week, group A (headed by Amal Hanania) will oversee Fellowship Hour. If you are not currently in a provider group and would like to join, please contact Amal. If you’d like to bring something one Sunday, please feel free!
We will continue to collect funds to send our kids to summer camp. Please give generously to allow them to meet other Orthodox Christians their age and to have the experience of a lifetime.
Please also remember that, as guests of Friedens UCC, we do not currently have the use of a kitchen so everything we bring in must be taken out when we leave. We must also be finished in plenty of time to clean up and take down so that we are out of the building by 12:30 sharp.
Following Along: When you enter the church, please be sure to pick up a service book and follow along with the Liturgy. Our goal is that everyone will be familiar with the music and everyone will participate in the Liturgy to the fullest extent possible.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Canned Food: We are continuing to collect low salt and low sugar canned goods for Johnson County Senior Services. At this time, they are also in need of instant potatoes, spaghetti sauce, cereal (all kinds), soup beans (like pinto and navy), and boxes of mac and cheese. Please contact Aimee Robinson or Kathy Evans for more information.
Hair Styling: Morgan Beaven is a professional hair stylist who is willing to offer a discount for her services, especially to our senior ladies who have trouble getting out and about. Please contact Morgan for more information.
Benevolence: In these increasingly tough economic times, we are constantly being approached by those in and around the community asking for financial help. If you would like to donate towards this cause, please contact Amal.
DATES TO REMEMBER
25 Apr Spring Vintage & Handmade Fest Franklin, IN
25 Apr Reconsecration Ss. Constantine & Elena
30 Apr–3 May Weathering Hardships Homeschooling Conference Antiochian Village
2 May Alzheimer's & Dementia Seminar St. George, Fishers
22–25 May Family Camp Antiochian Village
17–21 Jun Parish Life Conference North Royalton, OH
20–23 Aug Do You Want to Be a Priest? Antiochian Village
4–6 Sep DoxaMoot Raleigh, NC
8–11 Oct Centennial Celebration St. George
PARISH PRAYER REQUESTS
Living:
Metropolitan Nicholas, Archpriest Athanasius, Archpriest James, Archpriest Petar, Archpriest Philip, Archpriest Zachariah, Sdn. Alexander, Sdn. Mark (05‑04), Abraham, Adam (05‑13), Alexander, Amira, Aurora (06‑08), Bonnie (05‑13), Caitlin (12‑08), Cara (05‑13), Carl (04‑26), Connie (05‑24), Elen, Elena, Evgueni, Hannah, Ioanna, Jeremy (05‑08), John (05‑14), Julia (05‑24), Kelly, Lee, Lynn (05‑25), Lynn (05‑25), Meriana (05‑20), Michael (08‑01), Morgan (12‑15), Nikolai, Tanya, Zach (05‑24)
Departed: Mark (05‑10), Ava (05‑13), Joseph(05‑22), Ed (2022)
Please, notify Fr. Peter of any new prayer requests by Wednesday for inclusion in the bulletin.
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SYNAXARION
On 26 April in the Holy Orthodox Church, we commemorate the Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Amasea with Venerable Glaphyra; and Stephen, bishop of Perm.
On this day, the third Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the holy Myrrh-bearing women. And we also commemorate Joseph of Arimathæa, the secret disciple, and Nicodemus, the disciple by night.
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Christ is brought myrrh by the wise women disciples;
And to them, I bring a hymn as myrrh in offering.
TThe women went to Christ’s tomb on Holy Pascha to anoint His body, only to discover it empty. We know the names of only eight of these women: Mary the Theotokos, the “mother” of James and Joses, who were the sons of Joseph the Betrothed from his previous marriage (Matt. 27:56 and Mark 15:40); Mary Magdalene; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna the wife of Chuza; Salome the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Susanna; and Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. Joseph was a rich and noble man, and a member of the Privy Council of Jerusalem. He dared to ask Pilate for the undefiled body of our Savior, which he took and buried in his own new tomb. Accompanying Joseph to the sepulcher was Nicodemus, a Jerusalemite who was one of the leaders of the Pharisees. Nicodemus brought 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to scent and embalm the body of Christ.
By the intercessions of the holy Myrrh-bearers, Joseph of Arimathæa and Nicodemus, and all Thy Saints, O Christ God, have mercy on us. Amen.