December 7th, 2025
Stuff from the Priest: “What’s Going on in Ukraine? Part 1: The Historical Background.” 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: Chalice and Diskos.
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/pent26.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, December 7th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_november24.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 13th | 10:00 a.m. Baptism
4:00 p.m. Panikhida 5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, December 14th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
Our next Bible Study will be held on Tuesday, December 9th at 7:00 p.m. We will be continuing with our study of the Book of Leviticus, beginning with Leviticus 16:23 through Chapter 18. You can catch up on previous sessions by clicking here. This Bible Study will be held only via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/sci-door-ssh
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
Retreat to Holy Archangels Monastery: We are renting a lodge in which 12 people can sleep, 18 people are allowed to camp around it. The lodge spaces are first come, first serve. The dates are December 12-14. We will be visiting Holy Archangels. The cost is $30 per person, with a maximum charge of $120 per family. It is possible to provide transportation from St. Jonah and supervision for a few kids 12+ if they wish to go and parents cannot attend. For more information talk to Angela Daniel or Svetlana Cherskaya.
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, December 20th, at 9:00 a.m.
The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Friday, December 19th, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/pyp-wpme-mih
Capital Campaign Meeting on Monday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m. via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/cjs-tbhf-gui :::
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 Thursday, December 11th, at 7:00 p.m. via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/ncm-cxdd-uty
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 October 2025):
Tithes: $226,492.69
Building Fund: $40,649.43
For October 2025:
Tithes: $17,393.14
Building Fund: $2,370.80
Average Monthly Expenses $19,840
Recommended Reading for the week:
You can read “The Morning Star Who Heralds the Sun A Homily for the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple,” by St. Theophan the Recluse, here:
https://orthochristian.com/149783.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can listen to the sermon “The Holy Greatmartyr Catherine,” by Fr. John Whiteford here:
https://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons/stcatherine.mp3
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 12/7/25 (Fast: Fish, wine, and oil permitted): The Ely, Krutov, and Jelinek families.
Next Sunday: 12/14/25 (Fast: Fish, wine, and oil permitted): The Koulikova, Anna Howard, and Poputnikova families.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 12/7/25 – Team Wilkinson.
Next (Ending on): 12/21/25 – Team Kara.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 12/6/25: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & Michael Mahoney.
Next Saturday: 12/13/25: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & John Mullins.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 12/7/25: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & Michael Mahoney.
Next Sunday: 12/14/25: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & John Mullins.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 12/7/25: Team A: Jonah Companik, Daniel Companik, Jens Yates, John Turner, and Levi (Nicholas) Moreno.
Next Sunday: 12/14/25: Team B: Alex Kettner, Andrew Kettner, Ivan Kuzmin, Ezra Wilkinson, John West, and Mason Boren.
Commemorations from the past week:
The Newly Illumined: Theodora Risner, Benjamin and Elizabeth Ruby Grosvenor, and their Sponsors: Elena and Constantine Craig, Andrew and Elizabeth de Carion.
Mikhaela Jennifer Diaz Hixson and Rdr. Kodratus Bornejko’s Birthday – Monday, December 1st.
Iryna Poputnikova, Michael Sisco; Elena Medvedeva McCaughan; Marco Maldonado & Monique Jabbour’s Birthday – Tuesday, December 2nd.
Monique (Mary) Jabbour’s Name day – Thursday, December 4th.
Celina (Cecelia) Chalhoub’s Name day – Friday, December 5th.
Ashley (Hermione) Turner’s Birthday; Alexander Liepman, Alexander Mahecha, & Alexander Kettner’s Name Day – Saturday, December 6th.
Katherine Ogorodnik, Katherine Huss, Kateryna Biliuk, Katie Powell & Catherine Whiteford’s Name day; Matthew Callis [Catechumen] & Rdr. Innocent Correa’s Birthday – Sunday, December 7th.
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, 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: Thekla Podrasky, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Matushka Ruth McPherson, 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:
Children, Ages 3-4: Taught by Matushka Genevieve and Elizabeth De’Carion.
Children, Ages 5-6: Taught by Iryna Chebotko and Monica Moreno.
Children, Ages 7-9: Taught by Mat. Sara Shephard and Angela Daniel.
Children, Ages 10-12: Taught by Agustin Rafaelano.
Teens and Adults: Taught by Fr. John Whiteford.
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 8th; Tuesday, December 9th; Wednesday, December 10th; Saturday, December 13th; and Sunday, December 14th, fish, wine and oil are permitted. On Thursday, December 11th, wine and oil are permitted. Friday, December 12th, is a normal fast day.
Click here for Miscellaneous Items of Interest.
St. Jonah Orthodox Church
2910 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX 77388
www.saintjonah.org
281-467-0264
