January 18th, 2026
Stump the Priest: Question 1: “Should a house be blessed every year?” Question 2: “What should a family do to prepare for a house blessing and what should they expect?” Click here for the Answer.
If you have a question you would like to ask, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
The Orthodox Term of the Week: Holy Water.
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/pent32.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, January 18th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_january05_sun.htm
Propers for Theophany (Monday, January 19th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_theophany.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:
| Sunday, January 18th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy
1:00 p.m. Vespers for Theophany |
| Monday, January 19th | 9:00 a.m. Liturgy for Theophany |
| Saturday, January 24th | 9:00 a.m. Slavonic Liturgy
5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, January 25th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
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.
The House Blessing Schedule is posted. All dates are tentative, until confirmed, and can be changed to accommodate the needs of the families that have confirmed a date, and so until you confirm a date, you will need to refresh this page to ensure that the dates have not been changed since you last looked at it: https://saintjonah.org/bltn/houseblessings2026.htm
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, January 24th, 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.
Catechumen Get-Together: On Saturday, February 14th, at 3:00 p.m. the Catechumens and those willing to serve as Godparents are invited to share a meal in the parish house.
Our next Catechumen Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 28th, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/dyz-duuz-eof
To sign-up to be a presenter, click here: https://forms.gle/zKZeN8iQAk8Jbzdz6
Sisterhood News: The Sisterhood Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, January 25th, after Trapeza.
Family Promise: We have another opportunity to serve our community by providing meals for the families at Family Promise Montgomery County each day from January 26 to January 30. Families, small groups, or individuals are welcome to participate. It’s always such a blessing to visit with the Guest Center Families.
You can sign up to serve those who are desperately in need of assistance here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D44A5AF28A5F49-61642157-family
Learn more about Family Promise Montgomery County and how they help our community here:
https://www.familypromiseofmc.org/
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 “Metr. Neophytos of Morphou Warns 2026 Could Mark a Decisive Turning Point for Humanity,” by Aaron Hickman, here:
https://orthochristian.com/175014.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can the listen to the sermon “Love, Honor, and Respect,” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://youtu.be/ESSUpvbjpwQ?si=3R2uwtG17ulqv2tl
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 1/18/26 (Fast: Wine, and oil permitted): The Yates, Mullins, and Nowak families.
Next Sunday: 1/25/26 (No Fast): The Turner, Moreno, and J. Shepard familes.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 1/18/26 – Team Nation.
Next (Ending on): 2/1/26 – Team Chebotko.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 1/17/26: Subdeacon Paisios Martin & Seraphim Thompson.
Next Saturday: 1/24/26: Rdr. Moses Munster & Rdr. Daniel Gonzalez.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 1/18/26: Subdeacon Paisios Martin & Seraphim Thompson.
Next Sunday: 1/25/26: Rdr. Moses Munster & Rdr. Daniel Gonzalez.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 1/18/26: Team A: Jonah Companik, Daniel Companik, Jens Yates, John Turner, Alexander Mahecha, and Levi (Nicholas) Moreno.
Next Sunday: 1/25/26: Team B: Alex Kettner, Andrew Kettner, Ivan Kuzmin, Ezra Wilkinson, John West, and Mason Boren.
Commemorations from the past week:
Anniversary of Fr. John Whiteford’s ordination / Angela Daniel, and John Jelinik’s Birthday / Christopher and Amanda Gulden’s Wedding Anniversary / Vassili Ivanov, Basil (Tiergan) Daniel. Emilia Dydyshka Wood, Emma Marsh, Emilia Herghelegiu, Emily Munster, & Eleanor (Emelia) Correa’s Name day – Wednesday, January 14th.
Maximus Walling’s Birthday; Sisterhood Patronal Feast / Seraphim Darnell; Seraphim Linares, Juliana Wilkinson & Julie (Julianne) Maldonado’s Name day – Thursday, January 15th.
Matushka Genevieve Companik’s Name day – Friday, January 16th.
Artem Chebotko’s Name Day; Ezra Locke’s Birthday – Saturday, January 17th.
Panteleimon Michael de Carion’s Birthday – Sunday, January 18th.
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: Archpriest Christopher Stade; Richard Buehning, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Monica (Avie) Walling, Lydia Martin, Rachel Sisco, Photini (Ebony) Jenkins, and Helen Cantao.
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; Caleb Mendez; Travis and Alisa Harris; Christian Chacon; Michael and Grace Venegas.
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, Carla, 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:
No Sunday School due to the Theophany Eve Vigil.
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 Wednesday, January 21st; and Friday, January 23rd, fish, wine and oil are permitted. All other days are fast free.
Click here for Miscellaneous Items of Interest.
St. Jonah Orthodox Church
2910 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX 77388
www.saintjonah.org
281-467-0264
