[Translator's note: This special announcement includes a rather detailed description of the beautiful services of the Greek Orthodox church during Passion Week, that is, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. It would take many articles to give a full account of the re-enactment of the martyrdom, persecution, crucifixion and the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.]

The hierarchy of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of the Greek community of Chicago has sent The Greek Star the official program of the high masses and daily religious services which are to be held throughout Passion Week, which begins Palm Sunday and ends with the Love Feast on Easter Sunday.

Throughout Passion Week all the evening services, (most of the services in 2this week start in the evening) begin at 7:30 P. M.

During the morning service on Palm Sunday the triumphant entry of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, into Jerusalem as King of Israel will be re-enacted in a magnificent and most elaborate church ceremony.

On Sunday evening, the religious dramatization of the Saviour's life and teachings will begin. This service is of especial interest and beauty because a memorable scene from the Book of Exodus, in the Old Testament, is re-enacted. The church honors Joseph, the all-beautiful, who leaves his cloak in the hands of the Egyptian woman and thus avoids the commission of sin. For this virtuous act of his, God glorifies him and makes him viceroy of Egypt.

On the day following, which is Good Monday, the parable of the Ten Virgins is read and some beautiful chants and hymns are sung very beautifully by the church choir. The church adopted this service in order to exhort her children 3to avoid the indifference and laziness of the five foolish virgins. To the contrary, the faithful are urged to imitate the other five virgins who were prudent and ready to participate in the sacred marriage, the eternal joy of heaven, with Jesus as the divine groom.

On Good Tuesday evening, the service has as its main theme, the life of the prostitute, who foregoes the sinful life and pleasures of the flesh, remembering the pains of purgatory which await all prostitutes and prodigals. On this evening the excellent church choir will sing the exalted and magnificent chant of Kassiani, the repentent woman, which is one of the most moving and best-known church chants, beginning with the verse, "Lord, the woman who submitted to many deadly sins begs you in full contrition for absolution....etc."

Wednesday evening, at 6 P. M., the holy liturgy of the Divine Unction takes place at the church for all those who cannot receive the anointing at home. At the usual time, the service of the last Supper is held, during which Jesus prophesies that one of the twelve disciples will betray him. The washing 4of the disciples' feet by Jesus is also re-enacted.

On Good Thursday, at 10 A. M. Saint Basil's divine service is held. The reading of the life and divine works of Christ on earth is very impressive. The minister reads about the life of Jesus Christ from the New Testament and from the Four Gospels twelve times with regular intermissions, during which appropriate chants are sung by the chanter deacon or choir.

The Holy Cross is brought out from the Holy of Holies and then the crucifixion of Christ is re-enacted in a small but very moving ceremony with the famous chant, "This day Christ is being raised on the cross....etc."

On Good Friday at 10 A. M. the divine service of the Holy Hours is sung and soon afterward the sacred cenotaph of Christ is beautifully decorated with flowers and wreaths. In the evening the soul-stirring funeral lamentations are sung by the choir.

The elaborate and lengthy morning services on Good Saturday which bear the name of Saint Basil's High Mass precedes the grand and magnificent service which announces the victory of Christ over death. The candlelighting and magnificent ceremony which constitutes the climax of all the religious services of Passion Week is a vivid and highly dramatic re-enactment of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ. Exactly at midnight and as the final moment of the midnight mass is drawing near the priest comes out of the Holy of Holies singing, "Come, receive the unfailing light of salvation." The congregation then receives the light, with their candles, which symbolizes divine and spiritual enlightenment. All the faithful greet each other from then on for forty days, that is, until the Feast of the Ascension, with Christ is Risen and the response is, Truly, He is Risen.

Easter Sunday is a day of great rejoicing in all Christendom, but, especially among the Greek Orthodox adherents. From 8-10 A.M. the High Mass in commemoration of the Risen Christ is held, especially for those who are living out-of-town and who did not have the opportunity to witness the ceremony of the 6Resurrection of Christ the previous midnight.

At 3 P. M. the service of the Second Rising of Christ is held which is usually called Agape, or the Love Feast, during which the gospel of the day is read in various languages and the faithful embrace each other.

Special notice of The Greek Star: We observe that a funeral procession around the Greek quarter is not being held as was the case last year. Serious trouble and fights took place last year while the holy procession of Christ's holy cenotaph passed through the Jewish and Italian quarters on the night of Good Friday.

Let us worship God and hold our church services and ceremonies of the Passion in our church. There is no use transforming our services to noisy public spectacles on the streets of the city. God can be best worshipped in quiet and humility without exhibitions and demonstrations. We hope to see all the Greeks 7of Chicago take part in the ceremonies and services of Passion Week.

We are sure that this program and announcement of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will be read with great interest.