St. Elia the Prophet Orthodox Church – Akron, Ohio

Read the Latest Weekly Bulletin

Saint Elia — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 20:00:32 +0000

This Week:

Saturday: 5 p.m. Great Vespers and Confessions
Sunday: 9:10 a.m. Hours, 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
See the Parish Calendar for information on additional services and/or events

Please visit the St. Elia Facebook Page for notifications of services or contact us.

The Latest Bulletin:

June 7, 2026

Recent Bulletins:

Join Us for a Fun-Filled Bingo Salad Supper on Saturday, May 2nd!

Saint Elia — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:10:23 +0000

Looking for a great night out with delicious food, fun games, and a chance to win prizes? Mark your calendar for the annual Bingo Salad Supper on Saturday, May 2nd!

Hosted at Saint Elia Orthodox Church in Akron, this evening starts with a chicken salad dinner (vegan option available), drinks, and dessert. Once you’re fueled up, get ready for an exciting night of BINGO, raffle baskets, and a 50/50 drawing.

Doors open at 5:00 PM, with dinner and BINGO running from 5:30 to 8:00 PM, making it the perfect outing for families, friends, and neighbors alike.

Tickets are just $17 for adults and $8 for children ages 5–12, advance reservations only!

Don’t miss your chance to enjoy great food, good company, and a little friendly competition. Grab your tickets and join the fun!

Buy Tickets Now!

Great Lent, Holy Week & Pascha Liturgical Schedule 2026

Saint Elia — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:00:10 +0000

Great Lent

The Lenten Spring has come! The light of repentance! Let us cleanse ourselves from evil, crying to the Giver of Light: Glory to Thee, O Lover of Mankind!

Great and Holy Week

Friday, April 3 – LAZARUS SATURDAY
6:00 pm Vigil of Lazarus Saturday — Beginning of Great and Holy Week

Saturday, April 4
9:00 am Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
5:00 pm Vigil of Palm Sunday — Blessing of Palms and Willows

Sunday, April 5 – PALM AND FLOWERY SUNDAY
9:10 am: 3rd and 6th Hours
9:30 am: Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
5:00 pm: Matins of the Bridegroom

Monday, April 6 – GREAT AND HOLY BRIDEGROOM MONDAY
6:00 pm: Matins of the Bridegroom

Tuesday, April 7 – GREAT AND HOLY BRIDEGROOM TUESDAY
6:00 pm: Matins of the Bridegroom

Wednesday, April 8 – GREAT AND HOLY BRIDEGROOM WEDNESDAY
6:00 pm: The Mystery of Holy Unction (Anointing)

Thursday, April 9 – GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY
8:00 am: Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
6:00 pm: Matins of Great and Holy Friday – Twelve Passion Gospels

Friday, April 10 – GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY
9:00 am: Royal Hours
6:00 pm: Great Vespers and Lamentations

Saturday, April 11 – GREAT AND HOLY SATURDAY
9:00 am: Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
11:30 pm: Nocturnes

Sunday, April 12 – HOLY PASCHA
12:00 am Midnight: Resurrection Matins, Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and Blessing of Artos and Red Eggs, followed by Paschal Basket Blessing in Church Hall
11:00 am: Agape Vespers of Holy Pascha; the Holy Gospel will be proclaimed in different languages.

BRIGHT WEEK

Monday, April 13 – BRIGHT MONDAY
9:00 am: Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Journey to Pascha with the Psalms!

Saint Elia — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:00:23 +0000

It’s almost that time again! This Lent, join the St. Elia Prayer Group as we once again unite to pray the Psalms together throughout the fast, which for Orthodox Christians begins this year on February 23. You do not need to be a member of St. Elia Akron to join. All you need is a Bible and a little bit of time to set aside each day.

The prayer group also offers the opportunity for us to pray for one another, for our parish, and for any special intentions any of us may have.

A St. Elia tradition since 2008

This year, we will continue an annual tradition at St. Elia since 2008 of praying the Psalms together as a parish community during Lent. It’s an opportunity for us to draw nearer to Christ and one another during the fast, as we journey toward Holy Pascha.

The Orthodox Church has traditionally divided the book of Psalms into 20 sections. In our St. Elia prayer group, we will all pray a new section each day throughout the 40 days of Lent, beginning on February 23, so that we will pray through the entire book of Psalms twice during the course of the fast.

As we all join together in praying the Psalms, we can use this opportunity to pray for one another, for our parish, and for any special intentions that any of us may have by sharing prayer requests with one another via email. Additionally, you will receive Lenten reflections throughout the fast via email with quotes from the saints and other edifying material.

To participate, all you need is a Bible and a little bit of time to set aside each day. You can join by filling in the online form below. Shortly before Great Lent begins, you will receive an email with a schedule of which Psalms to pray each day and the names of everyone else who is participating in the prayer group, so that we can remember one another in our daily prayers.

May the Lord bless us as we pray the Psalms together, and may He draw us nearer to Himself and to one another during this Lent. Have a blessed 40 days!

Sign Up Below!

Schedule of Christmas Services 2024

Saint Elia — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:40:13 +0000

Updated Schedule of Divine Services, Christmas 2024

St. Elia the Prophet Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio, decorated in preparation to celebrate the Nativity of Christ.

Monday, December 23:

6 p.m.: Royal Hours of the Nativity of Christ

Tuesday, December 24 – Christmas Eve:

5 p.m.: Vigil of Christmas

Wednesday, December 25 – Christmas Day

9:10 a.m.: Hours
9:30 a.m.: Divine Liturgy

Thursday, December 26:

8:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Saturday, December 28

5 p.m.: Great Vespers

Sunday, December 29:

9:10 a.m.: Hours
9:30 a.m.: Divine Liturgy

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Christos razdajetsja! Christos e Rodi! Mir Boze!

C Rozdectvom Christovim! Christos Gennatai! Masheeh Wuleda! Buon Natale! Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel! Wesoly Swiat! Krisztus Szuletik! Froliche Weinachten! Chestita Koleda!

Diocesan Conference & Ordination of Subdeacon Aaron Gray Information

Saint Elia — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:07:13 +0000

Our parish of St. Elia is honored to host the annual Bulgarian Toledo Diocesan Conference. This significant event will take place over the weekend of October 4-6, 2024, and will be graced by our Father and Archbishop Alexander, the Diocese Clergy, parish lay delegate, and visitors.

Our parish family is strongly encouraged to attend the weekend liturgical services, greet our guests for the Saturday evening social, and celebrate with our newly ordained Deacon Aaron and his family at the banquet on Sunday.

The weekend schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

Join us at 6:30 pm for dinner at Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant, 352 E. Waterloo Rd. Akron. Please RSVP to Popadia Donna if attending.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

9:30 AM: DIVINE LITURGY followed by Memorial service for deceased Bishop, Clergy and/or their wives.

2:00 PM – 4:30 PM: DIOCESAN BUSINESS SESSION IN PARISH HALL

5:00 PM: GREAT VESPERS

6:00 PM: EVENING SOCIAL with great food, beer, soft drinks, and our very own parish Jazz Band! Please plan on attending to welcome our Conference Clergy and guests.

The price is $12.00 per adult, and children under the age of 12 are free. Click here to register online or Sandy Graham can take your pre-paid reservation with a check made payable to St. Elia Orthodox Church. Pre-paid reservations only. Deadline Sunday, Sept. 22.

Social menu: Roast Pork Tenderloin, Baked Beans in bacon and brown sugar, German potato salad, Latke (fried potato pancakes prepared in several traditional European cuisines, including Polish and Hungarian) served with sour cream/applesauce, Dessert, Bread, Beer, and soft drinks.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

9:00 AM: ARCHBISHOP GREETING FOLLOWED BY THE PONTIFICAL DIVINE LITURGY WITH ORDINATION OF SUBDEACON AARON GRAY TO THE DIACONATE.

12 NOON: BANQUET IN PARISH HALL

The price is $17.00 per adult. Children under age 12 are free. Click here to register online or Sandy Graham can take your pre-paid reservation with a check made payable to St. Elia Orthodox Church. Pre-paid reservations only. Deadline Sunday, Sept. 22.

Banquet menu: Boneless Breast of Chicken Piccata (Chicken breast sauteed and topped with a savory sauce of white wine, fresh lemon, and capers)/ Rice Pilaf/ Key Largo Vegetable, Dessert (Carrot cake w cream cheese frosting), Coffee/Tea, and Soft Drinks.

Please see Popadia Donna if you have any questions regarding the weekend.

Pastoral Letter for Christmas from Fr. Don Anthony Freude

Saint Elia — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 01:34:40 +0000

My dearly beloved in Christ,

When everything was ready, “in the fulness of time” (Galatians 4:4), God brought to a decisive turning point the
plan He had for humanity’s happiness.

“God chose us in Him before the world began, to be holy and blameless in His sight, to be full of love;.” (Ephesians 1:4)

God had created humans in His image. To be in God’s image is to be given a share in God’s creative love. It means to be authentically human, to fulfill God’s intention in creating us, we must love —selflessly, creatively. Not to love is to become subhuman. As Paul put it in his famous hymn to love: If I “have not love, I am nothing.”

Sadly, men and women over the years chose self-love over creative love. This choice destroyed them. To regain their human dignity they would need to be shown the way. To this end, God “sent forth His Son,” Who was perfectly in God’s image.

People could see in Jesus what it was like to be gloriously human. Jesus shared their weaknesses, their ordinariness, their uncertainty and fear and pain. Jesus rose above these obstacles by denying Himself and by loving creatively and selflessly.

And He did this as one of us. That is the whole point of the Incarnation —of Christmas. Christmas is the celebration of humanity. Christmas is a ringing proclamation that human life is precious, destined for glory. Christmas says once more that the secret of human fulfillment and happiness is love, human love — the love of men and women created to share the creative love of their Creator.

Let us celebrate this Christmas by fully living the Gift that Jesus has given to us by loving Him and embracing one another in the fullness of His love.

Christ is born! Glorify Him! Yours in the love of our Lord Jesus,

Fr. Don Anthony Freude

60th Annual Diocesan Conference held in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Aaron Gray — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 18:05:03 +0000

The 60th Annual Diocesan Conference of the Bulgarian Diocese of Toledo of the Orthodox Church in America took place Saturday, October 7, and Sunday, October 8, 2023, hosted by St Nicholas Cathedral in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Father Don Anthony Freude and representatives from St. Elia were in attendance.

This year, participants were honored to welcome as a special guest the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon. The conference concluded on Sunday with a primatial Divine Liturgy.

Join us for our Fall 2023 Quarter Auction

Aaron Gray — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 17:00:09 +0000

Don’t miss it! St. Elia Orthodox Church will host a Quarter Auction on Saturday, October 14, from noon to 4 p.m.

A quarter auction is a fun, fast-paced auction where you bid on items using quarters instead of larger sums of money. You may win valuable items for as little as 25 cents!
Shop vendors from 12 to 1 p.m., and then bid on your favorite items beginning at 1.
$10 entry includes one paddle. Additional paddles available for $5 each. All-in paddle, allowing bidder to be in every bid for no additional quarters, also are available.
Must be 18+ to play.
Event includes 50/50 raffle, door prize raffles, and vendor shopping.
Cash and credit cards accepted.
Food and beverages also available for purchase.

Bring your friends and a charitable spirit. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit our parish!

Orthodox Youth Participation at the OCA 20th All-American Council

Aaron Gray — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 21:01:30 +0000

The youth of the Orthodox Church in America played a vibrant part at the 20th All-American Council held in Baltimore, Maryland, from July 18 through 22, 2022. Watch the video below.