Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church / Clinton Township, MI

WELCOME, NEWCOMER!

St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church

Divine Liturgy Schedule:
Saturday: 4:00 pm (Vespers and Divine Liturgy)
Sunday: 8:30 am (Slavonic / English mix)
11:00 am (English)
Holy Days: 9:00 am & 7:00 pm

Served by: Father Joseph Repko, Pastor, Subdeacon Phillip Dinsmore and Subdeacon Lazarus Der-Ghazarian

FAQ's:

Q. Is this a Catholic church?
A. Yes. The Byzantine Catholic Church is an eastern branch of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church initiated by Christ in the first century.

Q. Is this church in communion with the Pope of Rome?
A. Yes, the Byzantine Catholic Church is governed by our Metropolitan Archbishop who is in full communion with the Pope of Rome. We maintain the apostolic succession of the Church which Christ initiated with Peter and the rest of the apostles, We are fully recognized by and in complete communion with the Pope of Rome. St. John Paul the Great praised our unity and diversity which the Eastern Catholic Churches bring to the Catholic communion by calling the Eastern and Western Catholic Churches the "Two Lungs of the Church."

Q. Can I receive communion here?
A. Yes, if you are a baptized practicing Catholic or Orthodox Christian who believes that the bread and wine is truly the body and blood of Christ, have made a confession in the last year, and have fasted (at least one hour) before receiving communion.

Q. What should I do to receive communion by mouth?
A. In the Byzantine Tradition, communion is received under both forms (the bread and the wine) simultaneously by mouth by a small spoon. The recipient needs only to tilt the head back slightly, keeping the tongue in the mouth, and the priest will drop the particle into the mouth. There is no contact with the spoon

Q. Can I receive the other sacraments in this Church by this priest?
A. Yes, if you are a baptized practicing Catholic you can receive the following sacraments (which in the Eastern Tradition are called Mysteries) by contacting the pastor.

• Confirmation
In the Byzantine Tradition this is called Chrismation because of the holy oil or "chrism," used to anoint the one being chrismated. Byzantine Catholics are chrismated at the time of their baptism, usually in infancy. At this time, they also receive Holy Communion. The fully initiated is encouraged to be fed on the bread of life every Divine Liturgy from this point onward. Although some follow a Latin influenced custom of celebrating a First Solemn Holy Communion at the age of reason.

• Confession (Reconciliation)
Is received privately before or after Liturgy or by arrangement with the pastor. Confession is approached from a medicinal rather than a legal perspective in the Eastern Tradition. Penitents are encouraged to fully confess their sins just as a sick person must fully disclose his ailments in order for his doctor to find the correct diagnosis and remedy.

• Holy Communion (Eucharist)
In Holy Communion we receive the true body and blood (Jn 6:48-69) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, Holy Communion is a real encounter with the living God. Holy Communion brings forgiveness of sins and enables us to become partakers of the Divine Nature (2 Pet 1:4).

• Matrimony (Marriage)
Known in our Eastern Tradition as the Mystery of Crowning because of the crowns worn by the bride and groom during the celebration of their marriage service. These crowns symbolize joy, but also crowns of martyrdom, dying to oneself for the love of the other, since marriage involves a self-sacrifice on both sides. They also indicate that bride and groom, married in Christ their King, themselves are a king and queen established in the Lord to build up their own kingdom (family) to glorify their sovereign God and Father.

• Holy Orders
Only a baptized member of a particular Church can receive Holy Orders in that Church. In the Eastern Church, there are Major and Minor Orders. All of the orders are seen to be participations, in varying degrees, in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ because all contribute in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Divine Liturgy. The Major Orders are Bishop, Priest, and Deacon. The Minor Orders currently in use in the Byzantine Church are Sub Deacon and Reader.

• Anointing of the Sick
In our Eastern Tradition, this mystery is not considered extreme unction. Instead, it can be administered as often as needed for the health and salvation of Christians.

Q. What is the ethnic culture of this parish?
A. Many parishioners here are descendants of Eastern European immigrants - Slovak, Hungarian, or Carpatho-Rusyn (Similar to Ukrainian from a small region in the Carpathian Mountains) - who founded St. Nicholas in 1921 in Detroit.

Q. Must I belong to the same ethnic group to become a member of this church?
A. Absolutely not! This is a multi-ethnic Church made up of Americans from various backgrounds. Old ethnic traditions are now fully incorporated in our modern Byzantine Church life so that all can participate and celebrate in common our Byzantine Catholic Liturgical feasts and traditions. All are welcome to attend Liturgy as practicing Catholics or Orthodox or as visitors from other denominations.

Q. What is the significance of the icon “screen”?
A. The icon screen is the traditional separation of the sanctuary from the nave, symbolic of the curtain in the Old Testament temple which separated the faithful from the Holy of Holies, which only the high priests could enter.

Q. What is the significance of the three-bar cross?
A. The three-bar cross differs from the typical Christian symbol in that it includes two additional crossbars. The shorter top bar is where the Bible says the Romans inscribed, “King of the Jews.” The diagonal bar at the bottom is the foot bar on which Christ's feet were nailed. It is on a diagonal with the top pointing in the direction of the good thief on Christ’s right during His crucifixion to symbolize that the thief went up to heaven.

Q. Why does the priest face the altar and not the people?
A. During Byzantine services the priest faces the altar to emphasize the fact that, besides leading the faithful, the priest is worshiping God along with them. Therefore, their focus should be on the altar (where God is), which usually faces the East, considered the direction of light considered the direction of light which symbolizes the direction from which our Lord will return in His second coming (Matt 24:27).

Q. Why are the Cantors located where they are?
A. The role of the Cantor is to lead the faithful in the appropriate hymns in the proper tones as prescribed for various feast days and liturgical seasons. The Cantor stands at the back of the Church or (off to the side) because he/she is not to be a focal point or entertainment, but for his/her voice to carry forward for the faithful to hear and follow.

Q. Why do Byzantine Catholics make the sign of the cross from R to L, and so often? When do they make the sign?
A. The sign of the cross is made from right to left mirroring the blessing of the priest. This blessing from right to left is the most ancient form of the sign of the cross. Also, going from right to left reminds us that after our Lord completed His work on earth, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. Byzantine Catholics make the sign of the cross during the Liturgy anytime there is a reference to the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Q. Why don't Byzantine Catholics kneel on Sunday?
A. Byzantine Catholics, following the direction of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea (325 A.D.), do not kneel on Sundays because it is the day of celebration of the Lord's Resurrection. Thus, kneeling, a penitential act, is avoided because of the joyous nature of the Lord's day.

Q. What is the significance of the incense?
A. The use of incense during the Divine Liturgy today can be traced back to early Christian worship mirrors both the Old Testament Temple worship and the eternal heavenly worship. Incense symbolizes our prayers ascending to God (Rev 8:4)

Q. What is the significance of the vestment colors?
A. The priest wears different colored vestments for various services, according to the particular feast day being observed or for a special intention.
White or gold = for joy and Resurrection
Green = for the Holy Spirit and new life
Blue = Feasts of the Theotokos (St. Mary)
Red or purple = For days of penance or fasting
Red = For martyrs

Q. What is the significance of the different services?
The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Our regular Divine Liturgy, with an Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) attributed to St. John Chrysostom. This is celebrated each Sunday outside of the Great Fast (Lent).

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great: An expanded Divine Liturgy service, with an Anaphora attributed to St. Basil the Great. This is celebrated during the Great Fast, the feast of St. Basil, and a few other pre-festive periods.

Vespers: An evening prayer service. Each week, on the eve of Sundays (Saturday Evenings) Vespers are combined with the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom so that the faithful can hear all of the proper hymnography for that weekend’s feast and also receive Holy Communion. A shorter Reader’s Vesper service is offered on most Wednesdays
Q. Why are Vespers sometimes offered, instead of Divine Liturgy, on the eve of Sundays (Saturday evenings)? Does it still count for my Sunday/weekend obligation?
A. The Divine Liturgy is in part a celebration of and participation in the Resurrection of Christ, which is appropriate on Sundays. Therefore, Vespers is more appropriately offered (in some parishes) on Saturday evenings instead. Yes, attending the Saturday evening Vesper service, according to Catholic canonical law, does fulfill the Sunday/weekly obligation for Catholics.

For more information about the Byzantine Catholic Church see www.stnicksdetroit.com