Holy Virgin Protection - Russian Orthodox Church in Chicago

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN CHICAGO

SACRAMENT OF HOLY UNCTION

On Mondahy, March 8 at 6:30 PM the office of Holy Unction will be served. This is a sacrament of the Orthodox church in which faithful are annointed with oil for the healing of spiritual and physical infirmities and to cleanse us of sins which we have forgotten (but not purposely concealed). The office is served by a group of seven priests and consists of seven Epistle and Gospel readings followed by a prayer of absolution and annointing.

Books containing the English translation of the service will be on sale at the candlestand.

PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN
(read on weekdays during Great Lent)

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk (full prostration)

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant (full prostration)

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother, for glorified art Thou unto the ages of ages, amen. (full prostration)

O Lord, cleanse me a sinner (twelve times with bows)

(The prayer is then repeated in its entirety with a full prostation)

St. Efraim
St. Efraim

NEW! SAVE THE DATE. On May 2, there will be a concert of the KONOVETS Russian Monastery Quartet from St. Petersburg at 6 PM at the Holy Trinity Serbian catheral (just off the Kennedy Expressway). The group will perform a program of Russian sacred and folk songs. The proceeds of this concert will benefit the Holy Virgin Protection cathedral building fund.

THE TRIUMPH OF ORTHODOXY

On the first Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate the victory over the iconoclasts (condemned by the 7th Ecumenical Council in 787) and the re-institution of icons into the Church. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, a special molieben is served in which the canons of the Church are re-affirmed over past heresies. This ancient rite is served usually only in cathedrals before the icons of the Saviour and the Mother of God and our church is one of only a handful in this country in which this is performed.

Triumph of Orthodoxy Service

FORGIVENESS SUNDAY

Great Lent began with the vespers following Divine Liturgy on Sunday February 14th. As is customary, the church community asked forgiveness of one another before beginning the course of the Great Fast.

Forgiveness Sunday

Beginning of Great Lent

February 12 - A blini masquerade <photos>
Meatfare Sunday - a namesday, awards and bliny! <more>
January 29 - ORPR Tatiana Day Ball <more>
Bishop Peter takes part in enthronement of the new Serbian Patriach <more>
January 19 - the feast of Theophany <photos>
January 17 - Divine Liturgy was concelebrated by cathedral clergy and Fr. Nicolaza from the Georgian Orthodox church in Atlanta, follwed by a Georgian luncheon and cultural program <more>
January 6/7 - The feast of the Nativity of Christ <more>

Welcome to the parish website of the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox church located in Des Plaines, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Our church is a prominent place of worship for all the Russian Orthodox who live in Chicago-land, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana and has as its goal the preservation of the spiritual traditions and the treasure of church services of ancient Russian Orthodoxy.

We are glad you are visiting our site and would like to invite you to acquaint yourself with our church and parish by exploring other pages. We hope to see you in person in our church where you will be able to enjoy the iconographic art and paintings, to hear the splendid singing of our choir and to share in the joy of our Divine Services.

Visit our sister parish St. Innocent of Moscow in Carol Stream at: www.saintinnocent.net

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