Reverend Father Thomas G. Schaefer – Obituary

Reverend Father Thomas G. Schaefer of Pittsburgh, Pa. unexpectedly fell asleep in the Lord on July 3, 2021 while vacationing in California. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. on July 7, 1951, the only child of the late Gerard and … Continue reading →

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Read the latest posted issue of the Byzantine Catholic World online at https://bcw.archpitt.org/ CURRENT POSTED ISSUE: Sunday, July 05, 2015 (Vol. 60 No.9) NEXT ISSUE DATE: SUNDAY, July 26 SUBMISSIONS DUE TO bcw@archpitt.org click here for Publication Guidelines click here for 2015 Publication Schedule … Continue reading →

	November 2023
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 22nd Sunday After Pentecost 22nd Sunday After Pentecost November 1, 2023 Gal 6:11-18 Lk 16:19-31 See more details Cosmas and Damian Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian Unmercenaries November 1, 2023 The holy unmercenary wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian (303). The holy priest-martyr Theodore Romza, Bishop of Mukachevo, brave defender of the Byzantine Catholic Church, killed by the Soviets A.D. (1947). See more details • •	2 St Akindynos & Others St Akindynos & Others November 2, 2023 SS. Akindynos, Pegasius, Aphdonius, Elpidephorus, and Anempodistus, Martyrs, suffered martyrdom for the Faith in Persia under King Sapor II about A.D. 345. See more details •	3 St. Acepsimas & Others St. Acepsimas & Others November 3, 2023 SS. Acepsimas, Bishop of Hanita in Assyria. Joseph, Presbyter, and Aithalus, Deacon, were imprisoned, tortured, and put to death by King Sapor II of Persia. Renovation of the Church of St. George the Great-Martyr, in Lydia, where his Relics are reposed. See more details •	4 St. Joannicius St. Joannicius November 4, 2023 Our venerable father, Joannicius the Great, a native of Bithynia in Asia Minor. He was in turn a soldier, a solitary hermit near Mt. Olympus, possessed the gift of prophecy and worked miracles. He opposed the Iconoclasts, died at age 94 in A.D. 846. SS. Nicander, Bishop of Myra, and Hermas, Presbyter, were put to death at Myra in Lycia in Asia Minor, Date uncertain. See more details •
5 SS Galaction & Episteme SS Galaction & Episteme November 5, 2023 SS. Galaction and Episteme, a Christian husband and wife who were converted and baptized during a persecution, after which each retired into a monastery. They confessed the Faith at Emessa in the reign of Decius, Emperor. SS. Patrobas, Hermias, Linus, Gaius, and Philologus, from among the 70 Apostles. See more details •	6 St. Paul the Confessor St. Paul the Confessor November 6, 2023 Our holy father, Paul, Archbishop of Constantinople, Confessor, strenuously upheld Catholicism against the Arians, but fell victim to the bigotry of the Emperor Constantius. In banishment he was left without food and was strangled by the Arians with his own Omophorion A.D. 350. See more details •	7 33 Martyrs of Melitene 33 Martyrs of Melitene November 7, 2023 SS. Hieros and Others with him, Armenian Christians, 33 in number, suffered at Melitene under the Emperor Diocletian in the first years of the 4th Century A.D. Our holy father, Lazarus, wonderworker, fasting in the hills of Galilee. See more details •	8 23rd Sunday after Pentecost 23rd Sunday after Pentecost November 8, 2023 Eph 2:4-10 Lk 8:26-39 See more details Archangel Michael & All Angels Archangel Michael & All Angels November 8, 2023 Synaxis of St. Michael the Archangel and all Angels. (Feast from the time of Constantine the Great, Emperor) See more details • •	9 SS Onesiphorus & Pophryius SS Onesiphorus & Pophryius November 9, 2023 SS. Onesiphorus and Porphyrius, Martyrs. Porphyrius was of the household of Onesiphorus spoken of by St. Paul in his 2nd Epistle to Timothy (2:16-18). They preached the Gospel towards the close of the 1st century. Tradition says they were tied to wild horses and torn to pieces. Our venerable mother, Matrona, died in peace A.D. 466, having lived 100 years. Venerable, Theoktista, of Lesbos Island. See more details •	10 St. Erastus & Others St. Erastus & Others November 10, 2023 SS. Erastus, Olympus, Rodeon, Sosipater, Tertius, and Quartus, Apostles. Erastus was converted by St. Paul and one of his helpers (Acts 19:22). Sosipater was a kinsman and disciple of St. Paul (Rom. 16:21). Quartus was a disciple of the Apostles, mentioned by St. Paul (Rom. 16:23). See more details •	11 SS Menas, Victor, & Vincent SS Menas, Victor, & Vincent November 11, 2023 SS. Menas, Victor, and Vincent, Martyrs, suffered martyrdom A.D. 296. St. Stephenida, Martyr, endured death A.D. 213. Our venerable father, Theodore Studite, Confessor, Hegumen-Abbot. He resisted the Iconoclast Emperor at Constantinople, was banished four times, and ended his days in exile, aged 80, A.D. 826. See more details •
12 St. Josaphat St. Josaphat November 12, 2023 St. Josaphat, Priest-Martyr, Archbishop of Polotsk, was the first of the Orientals to be canonized at Rome A.D. 1867. Born at Vladimir, Poland A.D. 1584, at twenty he entered the Order of St. Basil, became a priest and was consecrated Archbishop in Lithuania. By his zeal he effected many conversions. In spite of warning, he visited the parish at Witepsk where the Schismatics cruelly put him to death for the Faith A.D. 1623. Our holy father, John the "Almoner," a native of Cyprus Island, distributed all his possessions among the poor, yet he left seventy churches in Alexandria in place of the seven he found there, during the reign of Emperor Heraclius. He died in Cyprus A.D. 619. Our venerable father, Nilus, lived with the Solitaries of Mt. Sinai; died at Constantinople sometime after A.D. 430. See more details •	13 St. John Chrysostom St. John Chrysostom November 13, 2023 Our holy father, St. John the Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, most famous of both the Greek and the Latin Church and one of the four great Doctors of the Orient, called "Golden-Tongued" because of his eloquence. The Catholic Church honors him as the "Heavenly Patron of Ecclesiastical Orators." He revised St. Basil's Divine Liturgy. He suffered deposition and exile for his firm stand against the dissolute life at the Court of the Emperor Arcadius and Honorius. He died at Comana in Cappadocia, at the age of 62, A.D. 407 (Confer January 27 and 30.) See more details •	14 Philip Apostle Philip Apostle November 14, 2023 1 Cor 4:9-16 Jn 1:43-51 See more details •	15 24th Sunday After Pentecost 24th Sunday After Pentecost November 15, 2023 Eph 2:14-22 Lk 8:41-56 See more details SS Gurias, Samonas, & Habib SS Gurias, Samonas, & Habib November 15, 2023 SS. Gurias, Samonas, and Habib, Martyrs, at Edessa in Syria, were beheaded A.D. 299 under Emperor Diocletian. See more details • •	16 Matthew Apostle - Evangelist Matthew Apostle - Evangelist November 16, 2023 St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. His early Apostolic work was concerned with the Jews for whom he wrote his First Gospel in their own Aramaic tongue. He was martyred in Africa by fire. See more details •	17 St. Gregory St. Gregory November 17, 2023 Our holy father, Gregory, "Taumaturgus," i.e., wonderworker, Bishop in Neocaesarea: died A.D. 270 in the reign of Emperor Aurelian. Tradition states that he was instructed concerning the Holy Trinity by the Theotokos and St. John the Evangelist. See more details •	18 SS Plato & Roman SS Plato & Roman November 18, 2023 SS. Plato and Roman, Martyrs: the former suffered death A.D. 296; the latter A.D. 304. See more details •
19 St. Obadiah St. Obadiah November 19, 2023 St. Obadiah, Prophet, is of the Twelve Minor Prophets, having lived in the ninth century B.C. St. Barlam, Martyr, was a pious peasant who was imprisoned and tortured for the Faith at Antioch A.D. 304, in the persecution under Diocletian and Galerius, Emperors. See more details •	20 St. Gregory the Decapolite St. Gregory the Decapolite November 20, 2023 Our venerable father, Gregory of Decapolis, suffered much in the Iconoclastic persecution underthe Emperor Leo the Armenian. Our holy father, Procius, Archbishop of Constantinople, was a disciple of St. John Chrysostom. He died A.D. 446 in the reign of Theodosius the Younger, Emperor. See more details •	21 Entrance of the Theotokos Entrance of the Theotokos November 21, 2023 Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. (This Feast was introduced in Constantinople about the year A.D. 700.) See more details •	22 25th Sunday After Pentecost 25th Sunday After Pentecost November 22, 2023 Eph 4:1-6 Lk 10:25-37 See more details St. Philemon & Others St. Philemon & Others November 22, 2023 SS. Philemon and Others with him, Apostles, were disciples of St. Paul the Apostle, suffered martyrdom A.D. 68 under the Emperor Nero. St. Cecilia, one of the most famous Virgin-Martyrs; she converted her betrothed and his brother to Christianity. She was seized and suffocated with the stem of a heat bath in her own mansion. She died probably in the reign of Emperor Septimus Severus. See more details • •	23 Amphilochius & Gregory Bishops Amphilochius & Gregory Bishops November 23, 2023 Our holy fathers, Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, and Gregory, Bishop of Agrigentum. The former died about A.D. 400, the latter about A.D. 600. See more details •	24 St. Catherine St. Catherine November 24, 2023 St. Catherine, Great Virgin-Martyr, after confessing the Christian Faith, was scourged for a long time with scorpions and suffered martyrdom by beheading A.D. 250 under the tyrant Maximin Daza, Emperor. St. Mercurius, Great Martyr, martyred A.D. 250 during the reign of Decius, Emperor. See more details •	25 SS Clement & Peter SS Clement & Peter November 25, 2023 Our holy father, Clement, Pope of Rome (third after St. Peter the Apostle), was cast into the Black Sea with an anchor around his neck probably A.D. 100 under Trajan, Emperor. Our holy father, Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, put to death by the order of Emperor Mzximin Daza, A.D. 311. See more details •
26 St. Alypius the Stylite St. Alypius the Stylite November 26, 2023 Our venerable father, Alypius, Stylite, who remained on his lofty perch 53 years and attained the age of 118, A.D. 608. Dedication of the Church of St. George in Kiev. See more details •	27 James the Persian Martyr James the Persian Martyr November 27, 2023 St. James the Persian, Great-Martyr, suffered a fearful martyrdom A.D. 421, under the Persian ruler Varanes V. He was progressively cut to pieces, first fingers, then toes, hands, feet, arms, legs were successively cut from his living body, while he praised God in Psalmody. Our venerable father, Palladius See more details •	28 Stephen Venerable Martyr Stephen Venerable Martyr November 28, 2023 St. Stephen, "the Younger." Venerable Martyr suffered martyrdom with Three Hundred and Forty-Three other Christians, victims of the fury of the Iconoclast Emperor Constantine Copronymus A.D. 766. St. Irenarchus, and Seven Women, Martyrs, who suffered death with him A.D. 292. See more details •	29 SS Paramon & Philemon SS Paramon & Philemon November 29, 2023 SS. Paramon and Philemon, martyrs: the former martyred during the reign of Emperor Decius, A.D. 250; the latter under Aurelian, Emperor. Our venerable father, Bessarion. Venerable, Acacius, spoken of in "The Ladder of Perfection." See more details •	30 Andrew Apostle Andrew Apostle November 30, 2023 St. Andrew, the "First-called" Apostle, brother of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles. He was a disciple of St. John the Baptist. Tradition has it that he was crucified on a cross shaped in the form of an X at Patras in Achiia (Greece) A.D. 60, under the reign of Nero, Emperor. See more details •