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Coffee Hour
As is true in many Orthodox churches, meals are an important part of our Holy Cross family life. Everyone in the parish contributes to this ministry at some point in the year, whether it is by bringing a dish to share at the Parish picnic or the Annual meeting or by being a regular contributor to the meals each Sunday.
Each Sunday we have several families who provide meals so that the entire parish may have lunch and fellowship together after the Divine Liturgy. Some bring an entree and side dish each to feed about 50 people, some bring enough dessert for the entire parish, and others provide salad or juice. Quantities of food and recipe suggestions with pricing comparisons can be found in the recipe section of this page. Currently this ministry rotates so that each person on this list contributes once every 7 weeks.
We are always looking for more volunteers to provide either the entrees, desserts or salads!
On special Feast days, it is our practice to have a simple meal of soup, bread and salad after the Liturgy. Sometimes dessert is provided as well. So we also have a rotation of people who feel they cannot contribute to the Sunday meals but can occasionally offer these meals.
Separate from these lists, is the rotation of people who bake the Prosphora (altar bread) for each Liturgy and the Artoklasia bread when a Litia & Artoklasia is offered at Vespers. The recipes for these breads, as used at Holy Cross, can also be found below.
Liturgical Recipes
- Artoklasia Bread
The Artoklasia is a service held at the end of Vespers or at the end of Orthros, or even at the end of the Liturgy. Five round loaves of bread are offered by individual faithful as a sign of devotion for personal or family anniversaries such as name days and other occasions bearing close connection with the experience of the Orthodox. The five loaves are reminiscent of the five loaves that Jesus Christ blessed in the desert and by which five thousand of His hearers were fed.
Artoklasia also symbolizes and brings into practice the Agape meals of the very early Christian communities. Then, after the faithful received the Body and Blood of Christ, they would gather in a common meal, thus signifying the brotherly association established between them by their common faith and by their receiving the same sacramental Lord. Also, the Agape meals served a charitable purpose by providing meals to the poorer from among them. Read more…
- Prosphora Bread
Prosphora (literally "that which is offered") is the bread we use for communion and antidoron (the blessed bread). The prosphora baking ministry is for men, women, couples, and families. Baking bread is one of the most essential ministries we can do as Orthodox Christians. A few components are needed for a Divine Liturgy; a priest, laity, bread, wine, antimens. Without bread we can have no communion. It is truly an awesome yet humbling act to bake the bread that the King of Kings Himself will enter into to become His own Flesh to give back to us at the Holy Eucharist. Preparing this bread is a holy service to God.
From pure and simple beginnings of water, flour, salt, yeast, a bread seal, our labor (liturgia) and prayer we obtain an ineffable end. (source)
Lunchtime Resources
Food for Fifty (11th Edition)
by Mary Molt
From the Back Cover:
Food professionals and students are encouraged to use FOOD FOR FIFTY’s recipes and information as the foundation for adapting nearly any recipe to make a quality quantity food product.
- Resource for a broad variety of tested recipes
- Approximately 70 new recipes including non-meat, pasta, bean, and vegetable entrees
- Current HACCP guidelines
- Updated tables, charts, and cooking information
- Enhanced information for planning special meals and receptions
- Expanded glossary of menu and cooking items
FOOD FOR FIFTY Eleventh Edition expertly provides readers with "new tools" to meet the ever-changing dining trends and satisfy the expectations of today’s customer.
Contacts
Kim Shaw, Liaison
Roxann Ashworth
Kim Shaw is the current Parish Council liaison for the food ministry and is assisted by Roxann Ashworth. This ministry falls under the Parish Council. If you are interested in participating in any of these ministries, please use our email form to contact Roxann.
Coffee and Equipment provided by:
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