September 13th, 2026
Stump the Priest: “Since Christ forbids us to make oaths (Matthew 5:33-36),why does the Orthodox Church allow them?” 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: Icon Corner.
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/pent15.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, September 13th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_sspeter&febronia_pent15.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, September 19th | 5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, September 20th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy
1:00 p.m. Vigil for the Nativity of the Theotokos |
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.
We will do prayers for the beginning of the Church School Year, and bless the students with Holy Water at the end of the Liturgy.
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, September 26th, at 9:00 a.m.
The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, September 29th, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held via Google Meets:
https://meet.google.com/yuo-qafj-wcg
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 Thursday, September 17th, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/aya-womn-icw
To sign-up to be a presenter, click here: https://forms.gle/zKZeN8iQAk8Jbzdz6
Sisterhood News: The Next Sisterhood Meeting will be held on Friday, September 18th, at 7:00 p.m., via Google Meets:
https://meet.google.com/mfv-cyzt-bcc
Family Promise: St. Jonah will host meals for homeless families at Family Promise the week of September 28. See Hermione Turner if you would like to provide a meal.
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 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 listen to “Lecture 11: Evolution” by Fr. Seraphim (Rose), here:
https://saintkosmas.org/s/OrthodoxSurvivalCourse-Lecture11-FrSeraphimRose.pdf
Recommended Listening for the Coming Week:
You can the listen to the sermon “Ss. Peter and Febronia of Murom and the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity,” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://www.saintjonah.org/podcasts/sermons/sspeter&febronia.mp3
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 9/13/26 (No fast): The Turner, Moreno, and Lickwar families.
Next Sunday: 9/20/26 (No fast): The Beauoin, Meissner, and Yates families.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 9/12/26 – Team Eugenia.
Next (Ending on): 9/26/26 – Team Nation.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 9/12/26: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & Jonah Companik.
Next Saturday: 9/19/26: John Mullins.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 9/13/26: Rdr. Codratus Bornejko & Jonah Companik.
Next Sunday: 9/20/26: John Mullins.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 9/13/26: Team B: Alex Kettner, Andrew Kettner, Ivan Kuzmin, Ezra Wilkinson, John West, and Mason Boren.
Next Sunday: 9/20/26: Team C: Mathieu Powell, Seraphim Powell, Constantine Powell, William De Carion, Luka Chrisanthus, and Michael Chrisanthus.
Commemorations from the past week:
Natalia Chandonia, Natasha Gulden, Nataliya Nation, & Natalie Peña’s Name day – Tuesday, September 8th
Culton Moses Grayson, Moses Abishai Bhatti, & Moses Munster’s Name day & Zoe Wren’s Birthday – Thursday, September 10th.
Savita Bhatti [Catechumen], and Valentina Ivanov’s Birthday – Friday, September 11th.
Lyudmyla Solovey’s Birthday; Brianna Ivanyo’s Name day – Saturday, September 12th.
Joel Jacques [Catechumen]’s Birthday – Sunday, September 13th.
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 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, 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, 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: Fr. Alexander Fecanin, George Vilcu, John Ely, Theresa, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Callandra Maldonado, Emilia Herghelegiu, Nina Bernardi, Magdalena Gore, Marina (Alisa) Harris, Faith Simmons, Emily Munster, Filofteia Fraczek, Emilia Mullins, Seraphima Smith, and Stephanie Dunn.
Catechumens:
Savita Bhatti; Jessica Palmer; John Ryan Levy; Moses (Grayson) Culton; 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, and Rebecca Hull.
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, 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: Jacob Huss (John Huss’ brother); James Ballentine (Marcus Ballentine’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. David Companik.
Schedule for August through October 2026:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/aug-oct2026.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, September 16th; and Friday, September 18th, 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
