August Feast, Synaxis of Panagia Prousiotissa Icon
Each year on August 21–22, we joyfully celebrate the Synaxis of the Panagia Prousiotissa, a miraculous icon of the Mother of God revealed during the 9th century and now enshrined in Troy, NC. This sacred feast is a time of prayer, veneration, and gratitude for the Theotokos’s continued protection and intercession. Pilgrims gather to honor her presence with hymns, candles, and heartfelt devotion, commemorating the grace she offers to all who seek her with faith and humility.
Προσευχητικές Ακολουθίες (Proseftikés Akolouthíes)
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Πρωινή Προσευχή (Proiní Prosevfí) — Morning Prayer
Time: Around 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM (First Hour / Orthros)
day begins in thanksgiving to the Holy Trinity for the gift of life and light.
Our morning prayers include:The Trisagion Prayers (“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal…”),
The Prayer of St. Basil the Great,
And the Psalm 50 (51) — a prayer of repentance and renewal.
Through these, we dedicate our minds, hearts, and labors to God before the day begins.
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Παράκλησις στην Υπεραγία Θεοτόκο (Paráklisis stin Yperagía Theotóko) — Supplication to the Most Holy Mother of God
Time: Early evening, around 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (After Vespers)
In the evening, we may occasionally offer the Small or Great Paraklesis — a beautiful supplicatory canon to the Theotokos (Mother of God), seeking her intercession and comfort in all trials.
We chant:
“Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”
and recall her tender mercy, asking her to shelter our souls under her holy protection.Through these hymns and psalms, we unite our hearts with the unceasing praise of the Mother of God in heaven.
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Απόδειπνον (Apódeipnon) — Evening & Night Prayer
Time: Before retiring, around 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM (Compline)
When the day draws to a close, we give thanks to God and entrust ourselves to His mercy before sleep.
The Small Compline (Μικρόν Απόδειπνον) includes:The Creed (Symbol of Faith),
The Canon to the Theotokos,
And the Prayer of St. John Damascene:
“O Master, Lover of mankind, grant me peaceful sleep and deliver me from all temptations of the enemy…”This prayer guards the soul through the night, wrapping the faithful in divine peace.
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Προσευχή Πριν τη Θεία Κοινωνία (Prosevfí Prin ti Theía Koinonía) — Pre-Communion Prayers
Time: Typically Saturday evening or Sunday morning before Divine Liturgy (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM)
approaching the Holy Chalice, we prepare our souls through the Prayers of Preparation for Holy Communion, including:
The Prayers of St. John Chrysostom, St. Symeon the New Theologian, and St. Basil the Great.
A time of quiet reflection and confession, ensuring we receive the Body and Blood of Christ “not unto judgment, but unto the healing of soul and body.”
These prayers awaken reverence and humility, aligning our hearts with the mystery of Divine Grace.