Church Telephone: (781) 585-8907 (Note: telephone messages are checked on Saturday evenings only; for a quicker response, please use our email address)
Church Address: 261 Main Street, Kingston, MA 02364
Church Email: stmarkofephesuskingstonma@gmail.com
Donations: PayPal or Credit Card
Administrator and Dean: Archpriest Vasily Lickwar
Priests: Archpriest John T. Bacon and Fr. Kevin Kalish
Parish Council President/Church Warden: Catherine Condrick
Divine Liturgy begins at 10:00 AM (Third Hour begins at 9:30 AM)
Great Vespers & Confession: 5:00 PM on the 1st Saturday of every month
Reader's Vespers: 5:00 PM on the 3rd Saturday of every month
St. Mark of Ephesus Orthodox Church is blessed with a small, but actively participating congregation. We are a warm, family-oriented body of faithful believers and our members are of all age groups and we embrace many cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The parish conducts a regular and traditional cycle of Orthodox liturgical worship throughout the course of the year, and participates regularly in several community charitable ministries such as on-going charities to aid local shelters, grocery collections for our on-going food pantry, and visiting the ill and shut-ins in our community. All these inititatives are supported by the free-will offerings and volunteer assistance of the parishioners.
Weekly Liturgical Calender
Monday, August 15: The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary (One of the 12 Great Feasts of our Holy Orthodox Church)
Tuesday, August 16:Afterfeast of the Dormition; Translation of the Image "Not-made-by-hands" of our Lord Jesus Christ from Edessa to Constantinople (Third feast of the Savior in August)
Wednesday, August 17: Martyr Myron; Blessed Theodoretus, Enlightener of the Lapps
Thursday, August 18: Martyrs Florus and Laurus; Venerable John of Rila
Friday, August 19: Martyr Andrew Stratelates and his Companions
Saturday, August 20: Repose of Hieromartyr Protopresbyter Alexander Hotovitzky (1937); Holy Prophet Samuel
Sunday, August 21: Apostle Thaddaeus of the 70; Martyr Bassa (Vassa); Venerable Avramy of Smolensk; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM (3rd & 6th Hours at 9:30 AM); Celebrant: Archpriest John T. Bacon - Fellowship Hour Host: the Dubrovsky Family
For today's scripture readings, please click on the following link: https://www.oca.org/readings
Remember in prayer: ill & shut-in: Daniel H., James, Ellen, Priest Ceraphim Mitchell, James, Luis, Ramon, Maria, Marya, Paul, Simon, Alban Frank, Robert, Mat. Eleanor, Priest Antony, Reader George, Alexandra, Conor, Peter, Alexandra, Marilyn, Reader Daniel; Catechumens: Kaitlyn, Judith, Ryan, Rebecca, Ari, Selah, Matthew, Robert; the kidnapped Hierarchs Metropolitan Paul (Boulos Yazigi) & Archpriest John (Yohanna Ibrahim); the suffering Christians of Egypt and Syria; deployed: Andrew; for the cessation of hostilities in the Ukraine; Newly-departed: Robert Andrews, Matushka Anne Hopko, Reader Dr. George S. Bebis
Icon: Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
Parish Announcements
Memory Books for the Church School Library: A few memory books are still available for purchase on the bulletin board in the bookstore. Once you have chosen a book, please write the full name of the person whom you wish to remember on the envelope, place your money inside and give it to Catherine. When the books arrive, an ex libris sticker, in memory of your loved one, will be placed inside the book. The books will be kept on the bookshelf in the church school library for our children to read and enjoy and check-out to borrow and take home; all books may be borrowed for two weeks. Thank you for your generous support.
We continue to collect items for distribution to those in need via a local food pantry. Please leave the items you wish to donate in the large blue bin located in the nave of the church. It is important that we continue to care for those in need during these difficult times.
The Parish Council will meet on Thursday, September 22 at 6:00 PM
Church Cleaner for the month of August: The Haddad Family
Upcoming Events September, October & November:
1st Day of Church School: Sunday, September 11
Annual Harvest Fair & Pie Contest: Sunday, October 23 (Rain Date: Sunday, October 30)
Icon: Image of Christ "Not-made-by-hands"
The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary
Commemorated on August 15
Today flowers are blessed in church, and people keep them in their homes. During times of family strife or illness, the flower petals are placed in the censer with the incense, and the whole house is censed. See the Prayer at the Sanctification of any Fragrant Herbage.
Troparion - Tone 1
In giving birth you preserved your virginity, in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.
You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.
Kontakion - Tone 2
Neither the tomb, nor death could hold the Theotokos, who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions. For being the Mother of Life, she was transalted to life by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb.
If you would like to read more about this feast, please click on the following link: