THE PARISH NEWSLETTER MARCH 2013 - Albanyrocor.org

THE PARISH NEWSLETTER MARCH 2013
The Nativity of the Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church 518 869-3932
A parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad www.albanyrocor.org
Rector: Protopriest Fr. Alexis Duncan Protopriest Fr. Michael Fritz
Protodeacon, Fr. Michael Soloviev
The calendar grid appears on the paper edition and the parish website.
MARCH NAMES’ DAYS May God grant them many years!
10 Alexander (Kirk) Hoffman Alexander Kristie
13 Kira Milas (February 28 o.s.) 26 Nikiforov Popov
14 Antonina Shevtchuk 30 Alexei Nikiforov
17 Viatcheslav Boitchenko Alexei Vepritskiy
18 Conon (Conner) McClure Alexey Glazyrin
19 Helene Potthoff Patrick Henry
Helene (Jean) Henry Patrick Soloviev
THE TIKHVIN BALL—Friday, March 1, 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm at the Church Hall
Formal Dinner and Dancing. $50.00 per person, $40:00 per student.
All proceeds will go entirely towards sending youth to Russia for a summer
work project to a restore the 16 th century Monastery of the Entrance of the
Mother of God in Tikhvin. Deadline for reservations has been extended.
Please order and purchase tickets from RaeLynn Gonyea at 695-6865.

CHURCH SCHOOL DATES FOR THE SPRING 2013 SEMESTER
February 24 March 10 & 31 April 14 & 21 May 12 (& 19 make-up date)
Youngest kids: ages 4-8 Middle group: ages 9-12 Older kids: ages 13-18
Classes are held at 8:30 am before the Liturgy at the Church Hall. Please
tell any families of potential new students. So be there on February 24!
RUSSIAN WINTER FESTIVAL—Saturday, March 2, 11 am to 4 pm
This annual event will be held at the Italian Community Center of Albany
located at 257 Washington Avenue Ext., in Albany. It is sponsored by the
New Russia Cultural Center. Admission prices are $7 for adults and $3 for
children ages 5 to 12. Children under 5 years of age are admitted free.
Musical Performances
Volnitsa, a Folk Group Art-Trio from Moscow, performs popular and rare
Russian folk songs. Both improvisational arrangements and chamber spirit
makes it kind of “Russian jazz”. (See article below) The Kozak Family Trio is
a world-renowned musical group. Valentina, Alexander, and Olyia have
been in the United States since 1990. Valentina holds numerous world
titles, including “Distinguished Artist of Belarus” and the “Best Performer of
European Folklore” (Bratislava, 1986). Barynya, a Russian music, dance
and song ensemble, was established in 1991 in New York City. The Golden
Rooster Ensemble was founded in Brooklyn NY in 1997 by Russian folk
singer Irina Zagornova in her desire to preserve Russian folk traditions. This
group of 12 kids of different ages has been learning to sing and dance
traditional Russian music using folk instruments such as bayan, balalaika,
violin, guitar, and other instruments.
Competitions and Contests
Tchaikovsky Piano Competition Russian Poetry Recital Contest
Nadezhda Obukova Vocal Competition Braided Hairdo Contest
For more info, go to www.newrussiacenter.org., then to “Winter Festival”.
March 2013, page 2
MORE ABOUT “VOLNITSA”
This folk group (see above) will perform after Coffee Hour on Sunday,
February 24. The concert is free, but donations are appreciated. This arttrio
lends new sound to well-known, old Russian music masterpieces. Their
audiences have enjoyed Kalinka, Barynia, and other folk songs, as well as
classical pieces by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, and Lyadov freshly rendered
with balalaika contrabass, balalaika prima, bayan, a rare vocal timbre,
and electronic sound. They dare to play folk music as they understand
and love it—without pathos and pretense, but with love and humor.
CHANGE OF MAILING ADDRESS FOR MARGO BEIGHEY
Margo does not have a post office box any longer. Please send mail to
her at 1 B Red Maple Lane, Clifton Park NY 12065. Her telephone number
remains the same: 371-7758.

PASCHAL SALE—Thursday, March 28, 11 am to 6 pm
This is another big fund-raiser both for the Sisterhood and for our parish.
Margo Beighey says that you will be called to contribute baked goods.
Please also tell her what hours you can work on the day of the sale.
Golubtsy Making—call Margo Beighey at 371-7758 to volunteer.
Tuesday, March 5: about 10 am 4 or 5 people are needed for about
6 hours for preparation.
Wednesday, March 6: At 8 am, 2 people to boil cabbage and devein.
At 9 am, 6 people to mix meat, make balls, roll golubtsy and bake
them. We should be done with these around 3 pm.
At 5 pm, 2 people to bake at the hall until about 7:30 pm.
Thursday, March 7: Around 10 am, 1 person to make the sauce.
Friday, March 8: At 7 pm, 7 or 8 people needed to package golubtsy.
Chocolate Egg Making—call Rae Lynn Gonyea at 695-6865 to volunteer.
Chocolate Eggs for the Paschal Sale will be made at the Church Hall on
Saturday, March 16 from 9 am to 3 pm. March 2013, page 3
Pre-paid order forms will be mailed and available at church and the hall
MACARONI & CHEESE—4 servings
This recipe not only sounds delicious; but compared to restaurant mac &
cheese, it has less than half the calories, less than one-third the fat, and
just slightly more than one-eighth the sodium!
2 cups elbow macaroni, fusilli, or cavatappi pasta
2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp flour 2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar ½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated Gruyere or other Swiss cheese ¼ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup panko bread crumbs ¼ cup grated Parmesan Pepper to taste
1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until just al dente.
Drain and reserve the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Sprinkle in the flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually
whisk in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, 5
minutes. Add the Gruyere, Cheddar, and mozzarella, and stir until
melted. Cut the heat, add the yogurt and cooked pasta, and toss.
3. Heat the broiler. Pour the mixture into an 8” square baking dish. Top
with bread crumbs and Parmesan, and season with black pepper.
Broil until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO COFFEE HOUR HOSTESSES
Please check and mark down any supplies that are needed for the next
Coffee Hour. This will prevent last minute trips to Hannafords. Thank you.
DEADLINE FOR THE APRIL NEWSLETTER ISSUE: THURSDAY, MARCH 28
Charlie Vas Murn, Editor BACVAS@dishmail.net

FLEA MARKET AT CHURCH
We are hoping to have a Flea Market on Saturday, June 8. Tables will
be available for rent. Start putting aside your unwanted or no-long-used
items for the sale if you are interested in participating. More information
will be published in this space as it becomes available.
AMIDST WINTER’S COLD, LET’S IMAGINE NEXT SUMMER’S CHURCH PICNIC
It will again be at Cook Park in the Village of Colonie, as it had been for
a few years. The date will be Sunday, August 11. CROCC is in charge.
Stay tuned for updates. For now, some of us will settle for spring’s arrival.
PARISH NEWS BY EMAIL IS AVAILABLE
Natasha Smelova is managing the parish news e-mail distribution list.
Those interested to be added to the list should email her at
webmaster@albanyrocor.org.
PARISH RECTORY UPDATE FROM OUR TREASURER
The closing on the parish rectory is planned for Monday, February 25.
The parish is taking a mortgage loan for $100,000 for 15 years at 3.75%
interest rate. Our monthly mortgage payment will be $730. We are also
spending all monies donated to the Rectory Fund plus all existing church
reserved savings; nevertheless, the Building Fund, the Fresco Fund, the
Sisterhood treasury, the Brotherhood treasury, ROCC’s treasury, the School
fund, and CROCC’s funds remain untouched. After the closing and after
all the February bills are paid, our checking account will have a balance
of only $1000. (In the past, a balance of $10,000 was usually maintained.)
Otherwise, we shall not be able to pay all our bills. Additional donations
to the Building Fund, the Fresco Fund, the Rectory Fund, and the Clergy
Salary Fund are always appreciated.
(Editor’s note: Grateful as we are to God for the growth and progress in
our beloved parish, such growth and progress can understandably be
scary. Accordingly, your editor offers his recollection of living in New York
City in the mid-1960’s as the “Big Apple” was preparing to host the World’s
Fair. Roads in the Queens area were torn up. Driving was frustrating. In
the midst of the mess, a gigantic sign listed the officials in charge of the
effort. Below was appended a message urging patience and concluding
with “YOU CAN’T MAKE AN OMELET WITHOUT BREAKING SOME EGGS.” We
all would do well to heed the same adage now.)
March 2013, page 4
MOVIE AND A DINNER
On Wednesday March 16 at 6:00 pm everyone is invited to bring a
covered dish and watch a family-friendly movie in the Church Hall. That’s
during Cheese-fare Week when no meat is eaten, but we may have all

sorts of dairy products, eggs, fish, and cheeses. We’ll use paper plates to
avoid dishwashing. Join us for a nice evening before the Fast starts!
THE PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY
In Orthodox Churches the Presanctified Liturgy is served every
Wednesday and Saturday during the Great Fast. Contrary to popular
opinion, this is not to be served in the evening but in the morning. The
liturgical cycle has a prepared order of services that are all interrelated,
and this Liturgy fits into that cycle as a morning service. Unfortunately
some jurisdictions have begun to serve the Presanctified exclusively in the
evening, disrupting this cycle. That being said, it is possible, with the
bishop’s blessing to serve the Liturgy in the evening for the sake of those
who must work; however, the fasting requirements are stringent, and
many find it equally difficult to fast all day as a preparation for Holy
Communion. With extreme economy (i.e., exception to the rule) it might
be possible to eat a reasonable breakfast but to take no other food the
rest of the day and to have nothing to drink after noon.
During the Fast, the Liturgy is not served except on Saturday and Sunday
with the thought that the Liturgy is a majestic and triumphant event and
reserved for days of rejoicing. On weekdays of Lent, therefore, we
concentrate on repentance and mourning over our numberless sins;
however, to keep us from falling into despair, the Holy Fathers gave us the
Presancitified Liturgy as a comfort during the Fast. It is, during the week of
spiritual labor, an occasion to strengthen ourselves on the Holy Mysteries
and have a spiritual solace. The Presanctified Liturgy is of ancient origin
recalling the days of persecution when Christians partook daily of Holy
Communion and even in some instances were blessed to keep the Holy
Gifts in a home in order always to be prepared in the face of martyrdom.
In our parish we will serve the Presanctified Liturgy every Wednesday
and Friday morning at 7:00 am. On Friday, March 29 a special choir from
Holy Trinity Monastery will sing the Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30 pm. We
may adjust the schedule to allow for a few occasions when we may serve
the Liturgy in the evening as the need arises. That will be announced via
email as well as at Sunday Liturgies.
BIBLE STUDY
Beginning in March we shall have two study sessions per month. On the
first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm Archpriest Michael Fritz will
teach a Bible Study, and Fr. Alexis will lead a study group on the fourth
Wednesday at 7:00 pm—later to be changed to the third Wednesday
after Lent. Fr. Alexis group will discuss contemporary matters of Russian
Orthodox spirituality. All parishioners are encouraged to participate in
either or both study sessions. In March the sessions will be on March 6 and
March 27. March 2013, page 5

THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING: SUNDAY, MARCH 24 after the Divine Liturgy.
All members should be sure that their dues are paid up-to-date. Thanks
THE PASSIA SERVICE
Every Great Lent, all Orthodox Christians are called to strengthen their
prayers and spiritual struggles. Like an athlete, the Christian must perform
soul-strengthening tasks in order to become stronger and more equipped
to withstand the various temptations we all face; therefore, the Holy
Church offers a variety of services that bring to mind our need for
repentance. On each Sunday of Lent it is advisable to serve a service,
unfamiliar to many, known as the Passia. The word probably is derived
from “passion” since it concentrates on the sufferings of the Lord for our
sake. It is a Vespers service with an added Gospel reading and an
Akathist to the Passion of Christ. It is a very beautiful and moving Lenten
service full of symbolism and a heightened sense of compunction. At the
beginning of the service, the large Crucifix is placed in the center of the
church, and before it is read the Akathist and the Gospel. This service was
especially popular in the Ukraine and Belarus. There the villagers would
hasten to the church to participate in singing the Lenten melodies to offer
their sighs before the Lord. Our own beloved Fr. Wsevolod requested that
we revive the service for use in our community. The service will take place
on the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, March 31, at 5:00 pm.
March 2013, page 6
Nativity of the Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church
617 Sand Creek Road
Albany NY 12205
In this issue:
The Tikhvin Ball
Annual Parish Meeting
Paschal Sale schedules—sale and preparations
Russian Winter Festival
A healthier Mac & Cheese recipe just in time for Cheese-fare Week
The Passia Service & the Presanctified Liturgy
Bible Study and contemporary Russian Orthodox Spirituality