January 4th, 2026
Stump the Priest: Question: “Did Christmas originate from a pagan holiday?” 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 Unction.
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/pent30.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, January 4th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_wkbfnat_december22.htm
Propers for the Nativity of the Lord (Wednesday, January 7th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_nativity.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:
| Tuesday, January 6th | 9:00 a.m. Royal Hours of Nativity
10:00 a.m. Vesperal Liturgy of Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Holy Supper 6:30 p.m. Nativity Vigil |
| Wednesday, January 7th | 9:00 a.m. Liturgy for Nativity |
| Saturday, January 10th | 10:00 a.m. Baptism
5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, January 11th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
We will be taking a special collection to help the suffering people of the Canonical Church in Ukraine this Sunday (and on the first Sunday of each month). If you write a check, or send in a payment electronically, please put “Ukraine” in the memo line. We will send the money to Metropolitan Onuphry.
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, 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.
Our next Catechumen Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 14th, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/zmi-yjuv-hyw
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 “Address at the “Defending Faith and Freedom on Capitol Hill” Conference by Bishop Theodosius of Seattle,” here:
https://www.synod.com/synod/engdocuments/enart_bpfeodosydefendingfaithandfreedomoncapitolhill.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can the listen to the sermon “Roots,” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://saintjonah.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/holyforefathers2024.mp3
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 1/4/26 (Fast: Wine, and oil permitted): The Kettner, Kravtsov, and Gore families.
Next Sunday: 1/11/26 (Fast: Wine, and oil permitted): The Yates, Mullins, and Nowak families.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 1/4/26 – Team Eugenia.
Next (Ending on): 1/18/26 – Team Nation.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 1/3/26: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & Michael Mahoney.
Next Saturday: 1/10/26: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & John Mullins.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 1/4/26: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & Michael Mahoney.
Next Sunday: 1/11/26: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & John Mullins.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 1/4/26: Team B: Alex Kettner, Andrew Kettner, Ivan Kuzmin, Ezra Wilkinson, John West, and Mason Boren.
Next Sunday: 1/11/26: Team C: Mathieu Powell, Seraphim Powell, Constantine Powell, William De Carion, Luka Chrisanthus, and Michael Chrisanthus.
Commemorations from the past week:
Tiffany Yates’ Name day / Gregory (Tyler) Pemberton, Dennis Daniel, and Juliana Wilkinson’s Birthday – Monday, December 29th.
Daniel Sommer, Daniel Gonzalez & Daniel Companik Name day; Rdr Gabriel’s Birthday – Tuesday, December 30th.
Christopher Gulden’s Birthday’s Name Day – Thursday, January 1st.
Matushka Tatiana Trussin’s Birthday – Friday, January 2nd.
Juliana Chrisanthus’s Name Day – Saturday, January 3rd.
Naomi Gulden, Josiah Plumley, Jessica Kravtsov, Levi Walling, Rebekah Edith Peña, Ezra Wilkinson, Ezra Locke, Eva Bottiglieri, Ruth Rafaelano, Rebecca Jackson, Abby (Ruth) Hall, Rachel Sisco, Sarah Carlisle, Richard (Ibrahim) Chalhoub, Jesse Kuykendall, Matushka Sara Shephard, Jesse Mussa, Noah Charytoniuk; Anna Krutova’s Birthday – Sunday, January 4th.
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:
Anna Levy, Monica (Avie) Walling, Sophia Scott, Lydia Martin, Rachel Sisco, and Photini (Ebony) Jenkins.
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:
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, January 5th; and Tuesday, January 6th, wine, and oil are permitted. On Wednesday, January, 7th, we break the fast, and there is no fasting until the eve of Theophany, Sunday, January 18th.
Click here for Miscellaneous Items of Interest.
St. Jonah Orthodox Church
2910 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX 77388
www.saintjonah.org
281-467-0264
