Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

Русская Православная Церковь Святителя Николая

 

PO Box 37, McKinney TX 75070                                  Rector:  Priest Seraphim Holland

Church Phone: 972-658-5433                                                         seraphim@orthodox.net

Web: https://www.orthodox.net/                                                        Cell: 972 658-5433

Blog: https://www.orthodox.net//redeemingthetime

 

 

 

 

"The ... founders, benefactors, and the brotherhood of this holy temple ...
May the Lord God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages." (From the Divine Liturgy)

 

Aug 2009.

 

We are in the midst of building a small, but expandable temple in McKinney, Texas. We are a small, close-knit and friendly parish, which has grown slowly over the years. We are trying to take the next step, and move away from our temporary rented location which we have been in for 15 years. We have always had the means to pay all our bills; we have never been in danger of not being able to honor our obligations. We planned carefully, and after acquiring land about two years ago, I talked to my flock honestly about our means and the need for additional income, and they responded well, but we are at the point where we need some help from others. We are at a critical, exhilarating and dangerous point in our history.

 

We have had a protracted approval process, but have finally received approval from the city, after agreeing to several expensive additional requirements construction started in July and we anticipate finishing sometime in the late fall or early winter, 2009.  The "additional requirements" mean, with a conservative estimate, that we will exhaust our entire building fund (we had hoped to have a small buffer of perhaps $20,000 to help us through lean times after we build) and will need at least $28,000 more cash. This figure does not include any improvements we wish to make to the temple, such as an iconostasis and icons (we have local Orthodox artists who are our friends who will do this, and they will be helpful with their fees, but they need to also make a living).

 

We wish to raise, if it be God’s will, $40,000 by asking 400 benefactors to give us alms of $100 or more each. We want to give our benefactors something back for their alms. Like the Apostle Peter, “Gold and silver have (we) none”, but we offer you our perpetual prayer.

 

We have created a permanent “Benefactors Diptych”, with a list of all benefactors’ names and their immediate families, whether they be Orthodox or not, living or reposed, which will be perpetually passed from rector to rector. These benefactors and their loved ones will be prayed for as long as our parish lives. We are already using this document to commemorate in any liturgy all Orthodox, and pray also for non-Orthodox. We will also establish a yearly “Benefactor’s day”, during which we will serve the Divine Liturgy and have a Moleben and Panikhida, as appropriate, for all benefactors.

 

Please send us the names and religion of your immediate family (spouse, children) with your alms. You will have our gratitude and our parish’s perpetual prayer, long after all of us have passed on to the next life.

 

If you know of anyone else who has good will towards our parish, please let them know of our fund raising initiative, or send me their email or postal address, and I will contact them.

 

You may see news about our building progress at  https://www.orthodox.net//aboutus/building-fund.html

 

Postal address: PO Box 37, McKinney TX 75070 (checks made out to “St Nicholas Orthodox Church”)

 

Email: Priest Seraphim Holland – seraphim@orthodox.net

 

This document is also at: https://www.orthodox.net//aboutus/benefactors-appeal-2009-08.doc   https://www.orthodox.net//aboutus/benefactors-appeal-2009-08.pdf