October 18th, 2026
Stump the Priest: Question: “The Esphigmenou monastery [on Mount Athos] has recently made headlines; what is happening with them and why are the monks being evicted? How do you view Old Calendarists like these monks, who have broken communion with the rest of the Church?” 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: Typikon.
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/pent20.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, October 18th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_october05_t3.htm
Propers for the Feast of St. Jonah (Tuesday, October 20th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_stjonah.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, October 18th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy
1:00 p.m. Akathist to St. Xenia |
| Monday, October 19th | 5:00 p.m. Lesser blessing of the Waters
6:30 p.m. Vigil for St. Jonah |
| Tuesday, October 20th | 9:00 a.m. Liturgy for St. Jonah |
| Saturday, October 24th | 1:00 p.m. Baptism
5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, October 25th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
Altar Servers: All current and prospective Altar servers are asked to register via this link: https://forms.gle/JrZF7sWFSA1HdCBY6 Please list the names and ages of those who would like to server. For children, we ask the parents to fill this out. They must be at least 6 years old. Please fill out the form by September 20th so Fr. David Shepard can plan the next steps. On Saturday October 24th before vigil there will be mandatory training for existing and new servers. If your child does not attend he will not be added to the rotation. We don’t want to exclude anyone, but we want everything to be done decently and in order, as St. Paul tells us.
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, November 7th, at 9:00 a.m.
The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, October 27th, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/cer-fqxi-grz
Choir: The next rehearsal will be held on November 7th, at 12 noon.
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 Classes during the second half of the Liturgy: Beginning October 4th, there will be catechism classes in the trapeza hall beginning after the litany and dismissal of the catechumens. This designed to supplement the catechumen meetings that we do via Google Meets. All catechumens are encouraged to attend. If you are a baptized Orthodox Christian and would like to assist in teaching a catechism class during the liturgy, please reach out to John Mullins.
Our next Catechumen Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 28th, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/cgv-wcog-gao
To sign-up to be a presenter, click here: https://forms.gle/zKZeN8iQAk8Jbzdz6
Sisterhood News: The Next Sisterhood Meeting will be held on Friday, October 23rd, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/aff-advc-ecg
Meal Trains: If you would like to request a meal train, for postpartum, illness, or etc., fill out the following form. Please only request meal trains for yourself and your family. https://forms.gle/quhW82fSQ71EpYYz5
Expectant Mothers: Please fill out the following survey, to help with baby shower planning. https://forms.gle/7xRVg48WBt7h1Q5D6
Make sure to join Sisterhood io group online or join the Sisterhood Telegram channel, 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 July 2026):
Tithes: $179,171.51
Building Fund: $20,367.32
For July 2026:
Tithes: $18,249.47
Building Fund: $3,837.99
Average Monthly Expenses $19,840
Recommended Reading for the Coming Week:
You read “How to Keep the Church Typicon” by St. John of Shanghai, here:
https://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/typicon
Recommended Listening for the Coming Week:
You can the listen to the sermon “St. Tikhon of Moscow,” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://saintjonah.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sttikhon2025.mp3
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 10/18/26 (No Fast): The de Carion, Lardas, and Chebotko families.
Next Sunday: 10/25/26 (No Fast): The Jackson and Nowak families.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 10/24/26 – Team Jessica.
Next (Ending on): 11/7/26 – Team Wilkinson.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 10/17/26: John Mullins.
Next Saturday: 10/24/26: Rdr. Daniel Gonzalez.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 10/18/26: John Mullins.
Next Sunday: 10/25/26: Rdr. Daniel Gonzalez.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 10/18/26: Team C: Mathieu Powell, Seraphim Powell, Constantine Powell, William De Carion, Luka Chrisanthus, and Michael Chrisanthus.
Next Sunday: 10/25/26: Team A: Jonah Companik, Daniel Companik, Jens Yates, John Turner, Alexander Mahecha, and Levi (Nicholas) Moreno.
Commemorations from the past week:
Juliana and Keith (Kyriakos) Chrisanthus’s Wedding Anniversary; Keith (Kyriakos) Chrisanthus’s Name Day – Tuesday, October 13th.
Emiliana Jacques [Catechumen]’s Birthday; Subdeacon Romanos Wren’s Name Day; Choir Patronal Feast – Wednesday, October 14th.
Elena and Kevin Shaw’s Wedding Anniversary; Marina (Alisa) Harris’s Birthday; Giustina Rafaelano Xu & Justyna Charytoniuk’s Name day – Thursday, October 15th.
Emilia Dydyshka’s Birthday / Mason (Dionysius) Boren and Leslie Denise Barnett’s Name day – Friday, October 16th.
John and Ann Nowak & Anna and Chris Howard’s Wedding Anniversary; Constantine Nation’s Birthday – Saturday, October 17th.
Emilia Mullins & Olesya (Ksenia) Kettner’s Birthday – Sunday, October 18th.
If you have corrections or additions, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Prayer Requests:
Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Archpriest Andre Papkov; Priest Benigno Pardo; Deacon Vladimir Trussin; Deacon Jorge Luque-Martin; Deacon James Hall; Presbytera Sarah Trembley; Ann (Sonia) Shepherd; Subdeacon Romanos and Zoe Wren; Nun Haralambia, 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 GallagherMethodius Dan Herghelegiu , 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, Lydia Chernousova, Stephanos Rosseau, Josiah Plumley, Christopher Gulden, Aleksander, soldier Aleksandr, Nathaniel Bhatti, Anna, Cynthia (Melangell) Rausch, Rdr. James Lardas, James Powell, Cristin, Dimitri, Christina, Juliana Blazek, Maria (Nicole) Murphy, Matushka Kara (Mary Magdalene) Hall, Abby (Ruth) Hall, Thekla (Dounya), Panayiotis (Peter) Lardas, Matthew, John Lardas, Ella Pound, Lucia, and the children Caison Elisabeth Kellam, Cassian Shepard, 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: Yelena, Tatiana, Denis, Sophia, Maria, Ivan, and Artem; and Dimitriy.
For newly reposed servants of God: Archimandrite Justin, Cornelia, Taisia, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Nina Bernardi, Magdalena Gore, Marina (Alisa) Harris, Emily Munster, Filofteia Fraczek, Emilia Mullins, Seraphima Smith, and Stephanie Dunn.
Catechumens:
Savita Bhatti; Jessica Palmer; John Ryan Levy; Moses (Grayson) Culton; Aaron Lockhart, Brody Buechner; Domanic Barras; Zoe Michelle Lewis; Caleb Mendez; Christian Chacon; Michael and Grace Venegas; Danielle Meese; Peter Demny, Jon Daniels, Juan Rodriguez, Andrew Skellie, Alejandro Najera, Lucy (Lulu) Berard, Charles Jones, Nolan Jones, Daniel Hoosier, Elijah Masick, Jeremiah Coonen, Maggie Stewart Webb, and Joel, Yeimi (Alicia), and Emiliana Jacques; Adele, Arturo Olmos, Corey Burns, Michelle Hipe, Jackline Mwangi, Katrina Yordy, Rebecca Hull, Andrew Plumley, Jackson Schoonover, Daniel Schoonover, Mark Williamson, Lucia and Jesse Alba.
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, 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 and Barbara Rice, Tony Beavers, Steven Jimenez, Kara Mahand, Carla, Dorothy Daniel, Liam, Peter Hipe, Michelle Schunk, Gabe Kennedy, Janis Hall (Fr. James Hall’s mother), 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: Peter Hipe (Michelle Hipe’s father).
If you have prayer requests you would like announced, please e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Sunday School:
Children, Ages 2-3: Taught by Matushka Genevieve and Elizabeth Cline.
Children, Ages 4-6: Taught by Iryna Chebotko and Hermione Turner.
Children, Ages 7-9: Taught by Mat. Sara Shephard.
Children, Ages 10-12: Taught by Pablo Chong and Rosa Mahand.
Teens and Adults: Taught by Fr. John Whiteford.
Schedule for November 2026 through January 2027:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/november26-january27.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, October 21st, wine, and oil is permitted. On Friday, October 23rd, fish, wine, and oil is 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
