December 21st, 2025
Stuff from the Priest: “Contrary to Nature: A Response to “Would the True “Nature” Please Stand Up?”” Click here for the Article.
If you have a question you would like to ask, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
The Orthodox Term of the Week: Spear.
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/pent28.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, December 21st):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_december08.htm
You can find propers for other upcoming Liturgies by clicking here, and upcoming Rubrics for services by clicking here.
Schedule of Service for the Coming Week:
| Saturday, December 27th | 5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, December 28th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
St. Herman’s Conference: The St. Herman Conference 2025 for the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America will be held from December 29, 2025, to January 2, 2026, at Camp Mohawk in Alvin, TX, hosted by St. Jonah Parish in Spring, TX. Check-in is from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM on December 29th, with the conference ending at 9:00 AM on January 2nd. You can register here: https://sthermandcma.regfox.com/st-herman-conference-dcma-2025
St. Jonah Winter Camp: Teens 11-18 years old are welcome to join St. Jonah Winter Camp. It will be held from February 13th though the 16th in Alvin, TX. At camp we will celebrate the Meeting of the Lord Vigil and Liturgy and talk about the meaning of this feast day. The program also includes faith Q and A, sports, games, crafts, survival skills class and campfires. You can register at the camp website stjonahcamp.org. 18 and older can participate as volunteers. Camp registration fee is $110 per person and will go up to $150 closer to the start of the camp. Please talk to Fr. John or Svetlana if you need a scholarship.
Yolka: We will have our Christmas Yolka on Sunday, January 11th, after the Sunday Liturgy. Please share your unique talent at this year’s Christmas Yolka concert! It can be an individual performance or a group one. Both kids and adults are welcome!
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, December 20th, at 9:00 a.m.
The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Friday, January 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/xgt-zbob-zfo
Catechumens: If you are a catechumen, or are not a catechumen, but would like to participate in classes for Catechumens, be sure to join the Catechumen io group online.
You can also join the St. Jonah Catechumen group on Telegram.
Our next Catechumen Meeting will be held on Monday, December 29th, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/tps-umcc-vzi
To sign-up to be a presenter, click here: https://forms.gle/zKZeN8iQAk8Jbzdz6
Sisterhood News: The Sisterhood Council’s Next Meeting will be on Friday, January 16th, at 7:00 p.m. via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/oow-dkxq-fyc :
The Sisterhood has pierogies for sale in the freezer, $5 for a package of 6.
You can become a Sisterhood member by filling out membership forms online, the paper forms located in the trapeza hall bulletin board. Make sure to join Sisterhood io group online to be up-to-date with all Sisterhood news and announcements.
Brotherhood News: You can join the Brotherhood io group online to keep up with all Brotherhood news and announcements, or follow their Telegram channel.
Parish Finances:
Calendar year to date total (01 January thru November 2025):
Tithes: $251,970.39
Building Fund: $47,836.42
For November 2025:
Tithes: $25,477.70
Building Fund: $7,186.99
Average Monthly Expenses $19,840
Recommended Reading for the week:
You can read “Political scientist says congressional outreach and high-level U.S. statements signal possible shift in response to persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” here:
Recommended Viewing for the week:
You can watch Catherine Whiteford’s speech at the Day of Action in Washington, D.C., here:
https://youtu.be/XZAE9tfdlGk?si=TgGMyhd2n3iZm7ah
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 12/21/25 (Fast: Fish, wine, and oil permitted): St. Nicholas Potluck.
Next Sunday: 12/28/25 (Fast: Fish, wine, and oil permitted): The Hixson, Cammack, Linares families.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 12/21/25 – Team Kara.
Next (Ending on): 1/4/26 – Team Eugenia.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 12/20/25: Subdeacon Paisios Martin & Seraphim Thompson.
Next Saturday: 12/27/25: Rdr. Moses Munster & Rdr. Daniel Gonzalez.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 12/21/25: Subdeacon Paisios Martin & Seraphim Thompson.
Next Sunday: 12/28/25: Rdr. Moses Munster & Rdr. Daniel Gonzalez.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 12/21/25: Team C: Mathieu Powell, Seraphim Powell, Constantine Powell, William De Carion, Luka Chrisanthus, and Michael Chrisanthus.
Next Sunday: 12/28/25: Team A: Jonah Companik, Daniel Companik, Jens Yates, John Turner, and Levi (Nicholas) Moreno.
Commemorations from the past week:
John & Lydia West’s Wedding Anniversary; Luciana Wilkinson’s Birthday – December 15th.
Sebastian Callis, Helen Ma, James Powell & Rebecca Jackson’s Birthday – December 16th.
Mother Barbara (Watts), John Watts, Gennady Ivanov & Barbara Koulikova’s Name Day; Bethany McLaughlin’s Birthday – December 17th.
Nicholas Lee Mullins and Artem Chebotko’s Birthday – December 18th.
Nicholas Lee Mullins, Jens (Nicholas) Yates, Omar (Nicholas) Chalhoub, Nikolai Lay, & Nikolai Pino’s Name day – December 19th.
Seraphim Darnel’s Birthday; Filofteia (Jayden) DeRosia’s Name Day – December 20th.
Vassili Ivanov & Anastasia Martynenko Wedding Anniversary; Christina Marie Companik & Mitzi Lickwar’s Birthday – December 21st.
If you have corrections or additions, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Prayer Requests:
Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Archimandrite Benedict (Nelson); Archpriest Andre Papkov; Priest Benigno Pardo; Deacon Vladimir Trussin; Deacon Jorge Luque-Martin; Presbytera Sarah Trembley; Ann (Sonia) Shepherd; Subdeacon Romanos and Zoe Wren; Denise (Leslie) Barnett; Demetra Durham; Sophia (Cynthia) Hirsch; Joan Marie Pennings; Katherine Garbett Casanova; Renee (Ann) Nahlous; Maximus (Garrett) and Merilee (Mary) Eidson; Rozanne (Anne) and Jerry (John Herman) Spires; Michael Murphy; Valentin, Rada and Florentina, Olga, Nathaniel (Barrett) Mahand, Eliasious, Rdr. John Economou, Robert McIsaac, Galina Lay, Lisa (Euphemia) Bornejko, Cosmas (Spencer) Burton, Jeffery Gallagher, Savva (Tyler) Barrett, Dennis Tilley, Rdr. Gabriel Peña, Nun Barbara (Watts), John Watts, John Lickwar, Sophia Drobot, Mikhaela (Jennifer) Diaz, Svetlana, Gerald Campbell, Elizabeth De Carion, Daniel McLellan, Lydia Chernousova, Stephanos Rosseau, Josiah Plumley, Christopher Gulden, Aleksander, soldier Aleksandr, Nathaniel Bhatti, Anna, Cynthia (Melangell) Rausch, Rdr. James Lardas, Kristina Crain, James Powell, Cristin, Daniel Gonzalez, Dimitri, Christina, Juliana Blazek, Maria (Nicole) Murphy, and the children Caison Elisabeth Kellam and Anna Krutova, who are ill.
For Nikolai, who is struggling.
For Justin and Nadezhda who are suffering persecution.
For the safety and salvation of those in Ukraine: Vladimir, Yelena, Tatiana, Denis, Sophia, Maria, Ivan, and Artem; and Dimitriy.
For newly reposed servants of God: Richard Buehning, Valentina Bovtenko, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Catherine (Katie) Powell, Anna Levy, Monica (Avie) Walling, Sophia Scott, Katherine Huss, Lydia Martin, Rachel Sisco, Photini (Ebony) Jenkins, Matushka Genevieve Companik, and Juliana Wilkinson.
Catechumens:
Howard Segal, Deborah and Alexander Gessell, Savita Bhatti; Jessica Palmer; Thomas Maroney, Nolan (Silouan) Boe, Nicholas Bruschi; Kristofer Sean Hutter; John Ryan Levy; Richard Risner; Hunter Jones; Andres Lynch; Cameron Winters; Gregory (Tyler) Pemberton; Moses (Grayson) Culton; Caleb Greene; Daniel and Faith Simmons, Matthew, Veronica, Addison, Sebastian, and Christian Callis; Noah Plasek; Brody Buechner; Jeremy Figaro; Domanic Barras; Alexis Prater; Michael Crain; Zoe Michelle Lewis; James and Case (Cassian) Cammack.
Non-Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Aiden, Shawna Hiu; Misty; Harold Wren; Melissa Munster (Moses Munster’s mother); Heather Tolliver (Melissa Holloway’s daughter); Gene and Beth Beggs, Scott and Carol Phillips, Ana Crespo, Liza, Aida Diaz, Antonio, John Lay, Jennie Mobley, Kathleen Sorrentino, Andrea Engelke, Robin Nicole Thomson McMillin, Julie Nelson, Charlotte LeBlanc, Kent and Nicoline, Lara Regis, Ana Maria, Sean, Audrey, Bob Richardson, Dylan DeRosia, Phillip Rice, Tony Beavers, Steven Jimenez, Kara Mahand, and the children Evan-Marie, Ava and Evelyn, who are ill.
For the Bruto da Costa family, Ken, Christina, Aki and family; and Johnnie, Damon and Elisabeth Myers, and their child, Dorothy, James Franklin and his family, Marcie Dark, Tim, Karen, Taylor, Lindsay, Jon, Alex, and Andrew Burns, Audrey and Michael Morgan, Michelle Brazzil, Robbin Russell, Naseem Bhatti, and Hurucaan Valerio.
The newly departed: Carlos Rogerio Garcia (Ana Lickwar’s Father).
If you have prayer requests you would like announced, please e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Sunday School:
St. Nicholas Celebration
Schedule of Services for November 2025 through January 2026:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/november25-january26.htm
You can also see our online parish calendar of events and services here:
https://saintjonah.org/calendar/
Fasting in the Coming week: On Monday, December 22nd; Tuesday, December 23rd; Thursday, December 25th; Saturday, December 27th; and Sunday, December 28th, fish, wine and oil are permitted. Wednesday, December 24th is a normal fast day. On Friday, December 26th, wine and oil are permitted.
Click here for Miscellaneous Items of Interest.
St. Jonah Orthodox Church
2910 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX 77388
www.saintjonah.org
281-467-0264
