About Us
Formation
Our Divine Liturgy
Our Divine Liturgy
This community was formed in 2016 in Fort Mill South Carolina. Fort Mill is minutes from North Carolina and 25 minutes from Downtown Charlotte. Weekly celebration of Divine Liturgy began in 2018 and in 2024 the community became a mission church
Our Divine Liturgy
Our Divine Liturgy
Our Divine Liturgy
We Celebrate The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom - Byzantine (Ruthenian) Rite.
Weekly on Saturdays
During the Great Fast we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St Basil.
Upcoming Services
Our Divine Liturgy
Upcoming Services
- Sat Aug 15 Divine Liturgy @ 4 PM @ St. Philip Neri Ministry Center. (building across from the main church). Potluck after Liturgy
- Sat Aug 22 Divine Liturgy @ 4 PM @ St. Philip Neri Ministry Center.
- Sat Aug 29 Divine Liturgy @ 4 PM @ St. Philip Neri Ministry Center.
August 15
Dormition of the Theotokos
The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. This feast, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ’s mother. It proclaims that Mary has been “assumed” by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her spiritual and bodily existence.
As with the nativity of the Virgin and the feast of her entrance to the temple, there are no biblical or historical sources for this feast. The Tradition of the Church is that Mary died as all people die, not “voluntarily” as her Son, but by the necessity of her mortal human nature.
It is the custom in some churches to bless flowers on the feast of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos.
AUGUST 6
Transfiguration of Our Lord
The transfiguration of Christ is one of the central events recorded in the gospels. The Lord took Peter, James, and John “up to a high mountain”—by tradition Mount Tabor—and was “transfigured before them.”
. . . and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as snow and behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish I will make three booths here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead” (Mt 17.1–92, see also Mk 9.1–9; Lk 9.28–36; 2 Pet 1.16–18).
The Jewish Festival of Booths was a feast of the dwelling of God with men, and the transfiguration of Christ reveals how this dwelling takes place in and through the Messiah, the Son of God in human flesh. Christ’s transfiguration took place at the time of the Festival of Booths, and became the New Testamental fulfillment of the Old Testamental feast in a way similar to the feasts of Passover and Pentecost.In the Transfiguration, the apostles see Who it is Who has suffered for them, and what it is that this one, Who is God, has prepared for those who love Him. This is what the Church celebrates in the feast of the Transfiguration.
The feast of the Transfiguration is presently celebrated on the sixth of August. The summer celebration of the feast has lent itself very well to the theme of transfiguration. The blessing of grapes, as well as other fruits and vegetables on this day is the sign of the transfiguration of all things in Christ.
JULY 20
Feast of St. Elias (Elijah)
The Merciful Lord sent the prophet to appear before King Ahab, and proposed that two sacrificial altars be built: one for the priests of Baal, and the other for the Prophet Elijah who served the True God.The Prophet Elijah told them to call on their gods to consume the sacrificial animals with fire, and he would call on his. Whichever was first to send fire on the sacrifice would be acknowledged as the true God. The prophets of Baal called out to their idol from morning till evening, but the heavens were silent. Towards evening the holy Prophet Elijah built his sacrificial altar from twelve stones, the number of the tribes of Israel. He placed the sacrifice upon the wood, gave orders to dig a ditch around the altar and commanded that the sacrifice and the wood be soaked with water. When the ditch had filled with water, the prophet turned to God in prayer. Through the prayer of the prophet fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, and even the water. The people fell down to the ground, crying out: “Truly, the Lord is God!” Near the end of his life The Lord told him that the next day Elijah would stand in His presence. There was a strong wind that crushed the rocks of the mountain, then an earthquake, and a fire, but the Lord was not in them. The Lord was in “a gentle breeze” (3 Kings 19: 12). Because of his fiery zeal for the Glory of God the Prophet Elijah was taken up alive into Heaven in a fiery chariot.
According to the Tradition of Holy Church, the Prophet Elijah will be the Forerunner of the Dread Second Coming of Christ. He will proclaim the truth of Christ, urge all to repentance, and will be slain by the Antichrist. This will be a sign of the end of the world.
In iconography the Prophet Elijah is depicted ascending to Heaven in a fiery chariot, surrounded with flames, and harnessed to four winged horses. We pray to him for deliverance from drought, and to ask for seasonable weather.
More Details about Us
News
Bishop Kurt Burnette, has granted our Byzantine community a proper name. We will now be known as the Venerable Petro Oros Mission. Father Oros was a Ukrainian priest martyred in 1953 and recently beatified by Pope Francis. Read about him here
More News - Our Mission in the press
Our community was featured in a recent publication by The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh in the Byzantine Catholic World.
https://archpitt.org/most-recent-issues-of-the-byzantine-catholic-world/
Our community was also featured in a recent publication by The Eparchy of Passaic in the Eastern Catholic Life
Our Seminarian
Our budding community has already produced one candidate for Seminary. Read more about his journey here.
Come Join Us
We invite you to come and see who we are and what we are all about as part of the Eastern half of the Universal Church.
More Details about Us
Our Eparchy
This community is forming with the blessing of Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, New Jersey
Clergy
Our Celebrant is Fr. Vasyl Sokolovych, Adminstrator of SS Cyril and Methodious church in Cary (Raleigh) North Carolina.
Our Patron Saint
Blessed Peter Oros (1917-1953) was murdered by the Soviet police for his Greek Catholic faith. He was a young priest who cared deeply for his flock and his Church, and may have been secretly consecrated a bishop.
About the Byzantine Catholic Church
The Byzantine Catholic Church is an Eastern Church in union with Rome; Carpatho-Rusyn in background and is an American Eastern Church. Our Liturgy blends the colors of our many icons with congregational chant and our fragrant incense in prayer.
The big news
Check out the Eparchial Newsletter. Available online, or in print for only $15 per year.
https://www.eparchyofpassaic.com/suscribetoeasterncatholiclife
Come Join Us
We invite you to come and see who we are and what we are all about as part of the Eastern half of the Universal Church.
Member of another church? - Come Join Us
All people are welcome to join us. If you are a visiting Roman rite or Latin Rite Catholic, We invite you to come and see who we are and invite you to participate fully with us in Our Liturgy. Attending weekend Divine Liturgy with us does satisfy your weekly obligation to attend Mass, even a Vigil Divine Liturgy will satisfy regardless of the time of the service. For More information about this you may consult your parish priest or see this letter from a local Roman Catholic Priest for cannon law justification of attendance on Saturday.