POTSDAM -- St. Olympia Orthodox Church will hold a Vespers of Love service on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. followed by a dinner of ethnic foods associated with Easter at Trinity Episcopal Church in …
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POTSDAM -- St. Olympia Orthodox Church will hold a Vespers of Love service on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. followed by a dinner of ethnic foods associated with Easter at Trinity Episcopal Church in Potsdam.
All are welcome.
This short service dates back many centuries and proclaims the Gospel in as many languages as possible, said a press release from the church. It also features ancient Paschal hymns that will presented by a small chant choir. Volunteer readers for foreign languages are most welcome -- just bring a bible in that language.
All Orthodox Churches (Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Antiochian, etc.) celebrate Easter (Pascha) one week later than Christian denominations in the West. In addition to the Vespers of Love, St. Olympia Orthodox Church will also have services for Holy Week every day from now until April 28.
There is a small, but thriving Orthodox Christian population in the North Country, the press release said. The congregation worships in a chapel attached to a home in Potsdam and sometimes on the SUNY-Potsdam campus. As of last July, the parish has a full-time resident priest, Fr. Peter Irfan, who also specializes in prison ministry.
St. Olympia Orthodox Church held its first worship service in 2012 on the SUNY-Potsdam campus.
The local community is a mix of people from various ethnic backgrounds including converts and the service is in English.
For more information, contact Fr. Peter Irfan at fatherpeter777@yahoo.com.