2/19/20

Council of Orthodox Christian Churches to sponsor Sunday Lenten Vespers

DETROIT, MI [COCC] --  The Council of Orthodox Christian Churches of Metropolitan Detroit (COCC) will hold the first in its annual series of Vespers services on the five Sundays of Orthodox Great Lent on March 8, Sunday of Orthodoxy, at 6 p.m. at the Antiochian Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary, 18100 Merriman Rd., Livonia (between 6 and 7 Mile Rds.).

The Very Rev. Fr. Laurence Lazar, president of the St. John Chrysostom Clergy Brotherhood of Metropolitan Detroit, and other Orthodox clergy from the metro area will preside at the service.  The homilist will be the Very Rev. Fr. William Bartz of Virginia.  The Inter-Orthodox Lenten Vespers Choir, directed by Victoria Kopistiansky, will sing the responses.

As has become a local tradition, children and college students from area parishes are encouraged to bring an icon and be part of the Procession of Icons that highlights the Sunday of Orthodoxy service.

The remaining four services in the series will be held beginning at 6:00 p.m. on:

• March 15  - Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas at St. Stevan Decanski Serbian Orthodox Church in Warren (14235 E. 11 Mile Rd., on 696 Service Dr. W. of Groesbeck) / V. Rev. Fr. Dusan Koprivica, Homilist;
• March 22 - Sunday of the Holy Cross at St. George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral in Southfield (18405 W. 9 Mile Rd., just W. of M-10 & M-39 Freeways) / V. Rev. Dr. George Shalhoub, Homilist;
• March 29 - Sunday of St. John Climacus at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Detroit (20500 Anglin St., at corner of 8 Mile Rd. E. of Dequindre) / V. Rev. Fr. Dimitrie Vincent, Homilist;
• April 5 - Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt at Nativity of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Plymouth (39851 W. 5 Mile Rd., just E. of Haggerty) / V. Rev. Fr. Simion Catau, Homilist.

A free-will offering collection will be taken at each service, the proceeds of which will go to help fund the ministries of the COCC.

Members of the public are invited to attend the services.  For further information, contact the president of the COCC, Olga Liskiwskyi, at (248) 252-8184 or Olgaliss0910@gmail.com.

All are welcome!