Dear Pastors, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Glory be to Jesus Christ!  Glory Forever!

We pray that God is blessing your ministry and allowing you to grow in Christ.  We wish to offer a rare opportunity for you to participate in special blessing from God coming to our area on Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

On that date, several nuns of the St. Elizabeth the New-martyr Convent of Minsk, Belarus, will be visiting our Parish.  They bring to us their prayers and special talents of love and devotion to Almighty God to share will all of us. The work of these nuns began in Byelorussian hospitals in the 1990’s.  It originated from the Sisterhood that has been serving in the Republican Psychiatric Hospital, mental house for adults, a home for children with special needs and one of the city’s hospitals. In addition to this, they help homeless people by taking care of them on a farm about 30 kilometers from Minsk.  To support themselves and their ministries, they have shops, which produce candles, ceramics, paint icons and make priest’s vestments, embroideries, woodwork and metalwork. 

But all of their hard work is not enough; there is more they could do for the poor, if they had the means.  Christ tells us in St. Matthew’s Gospel, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”  [Matt. 25:40]  This is where we all come in, to share from our rich and bounteous blessings we have received from a loving God with these loving Sisters of Mercy. 

Please join His Grace, Bishop Tikhon, Fr. David and the Parishioners of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, and the Sisters from St. Elizabeth Convent of Minsk for an evening of praise and blessings.  Great Vespers for the Feast of Holy Transfiguration of our Lord with the Blessing of Fruit, at 6:00 P.M., followed by a Lenten meal and talk by the Sisters of St. Elizabeth’s Convent.  In addition, there will be many items available for you to purchase made by the hands of these Holy Women.  The nuns will have a display from Noon until the time of services for your benefit.

If you cannot join us, will you consider a love offering to benefit the St. Elizabeth Convent of Minsk, Belarus?

May God richly bless you and the Faithful of your church.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. David Mahaffey and the Faithful of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.