Resources
Live Liturgical Services
The best way to learn the liturgy is to take part in in - preferably in several different environments (parish, cathedral, and monstery; different chant traditions, etc.). Live-streamed liturgies can help make this possible, and are also useful when for special reasons (such as an epidemic) it is not possible to attend in person.
Live Liturgy - Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical services
Byzantine Leaflet series
These short and well-done leaflets are available from the Byzantine Seminary Press.
1. Devotion of Byzantine Catholics to the Mother of God (###)
2. Byzantine Easter Traditions: the blessing of Easter foods (April 1976)
3. Byzantine Catholics and the Feast of Pentecost (May 1976)
4. Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us! A short historical sketch of the famous Byzantine icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (August 1976)
5. The traditional Byzantine celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord (December 1976)
6. An Explanation of the Byzantine Rite Liturgical Practice of Observing All Souls Saturdays (####)
7. The Veneration of the Holy Shroud, according the the Byzantine Rite tradition (April 1977)
8. The Veneration of the Precious and Life-giving Cross, according the the Byzantine tradition (September 1977)
9. The Byzantine Rite celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord, with the tradition blessing of water and the blessing of homes (December 1977)
10. Mirovanije, the anointing with holy oil: a traditional custom of the Byzantine Rite (February 1978)
11. The Dormition of the most holy Mother of God ("Uspenije" - "Assumption") according to the Byzantine Rite (August 1979)
12. The Blessing of Candles on the Feast of The Presentation of our Lord in the Temple (####)
13. The Great Forty Days Fast / The Great Lent: a traditional custom of the Byzantine Rite (March 1979)
14. The Iconostasis: a characteristic feature of the Byzantine Catholic Church (October 1979)
15. Saint Nicholas, Patron of the Byzantine Catholic Church (December 1979)
16. The Veneration of Icons in the tradition of the Byzantine Rite (February 1980)
17. Palm Sunday, according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (March 1980)
18. Feast of the Holy Transfiguration and the blessing of fruits, according to Byzantine Rite tradition (August 1980)
19. The Divine Liturgy of our father St. John Chrysostom, according to Byzantine Rite tradition (November 1980)
20. The Divine Liturgy of our father St. Basil the Great, according to Byzantine Rite tradition (January 1981)
21. The Holy Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, according to Byzantine Rite tradition (March 1981)
22. The Creed (Symbol of Faiith) according the the Byzantine Rite tradition (September 1981)
23. Prostopinije: the liturgical chant according to the Carpatho-Ruthenian tradition (####)
24. Poklony: the penitential service with prostrations, according the the Byzantine Rite tradition (March 1982)
25. The Veneration of Saint John the Baptist, according to the Byzantine tradition (June 1982)
26. The Apostles of the Slavs: Ss. Cyril and Methodius, co-patrons of Europe (November 1982)
27. Prayers to the blessed Mother of God, according to the Byzantine tradition (####)
28. Spiritual songs according to the Carpatho-Ruthenian tradition (May 1983)
29. Vespers: the evening liturgical prayer, according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (July 1983)
30. The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (June 1984)
31. Matins: morning services, according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (October 1984)
32. Christian Burial according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (January 1985)
33. Resurrection Services according to the Ruthenian tradition (March 1985)
34. Ss.Cyril and Methodius, the apostles and teachers of the Ruthenian people (May 1985)
35. The Liturgical Year, according to the Byzantine tradition (August 1986)
36. The Immaculate Conception: The Conception of St. Anne, when she received the holy Mother of God, according to the Ruthenian tradition (September 1986)
37. The Holy and Great Thursday, according to the Byzantine tradition (March 1987)
38. The Observance of Sunday, according to the Ruthenian tradition (April 1987)
39. Bishop Theodore G. Romzha: a victim of Soviet persecution (May 1987)
40. Bishop Paul J. Gojdich, OSBM, our valieant confessior of the Faith (July 1987)
41. Bishop Basil Hopko, our "prisoner for the Lord" (October 1987)
42. Bishop Alexander Chira, fearless witness of Christ (January 1988)
43. Bishop Basil Takach: commemorating the 40th anniversary of his death (May 1988)
44. The Feast of the Annuncation of the most holy Mother of God (Byzantine tradition) (March 1989)
45. Strasti: services of the holy Passion of our Lord, according to the Byzantine tradition (April 1989)
46. The Akathistos Hymn of Praise of the Most Holy Mother of God (####)
47. Holy Mysteries: the Sacraments in the tradition of the Byzantine Rite (October 1989)
48. Holy Christening: Baptism according to the practice of the Byzantine Rite (January 1990)
49. Holy Christmation (Confirmation) according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (####)
50. The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (May 1990)
51. Iconography: sacred painting in Subcarpathian Ruthenia (December 1990)
52. The Holy Mystery of Penance (Confession) according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (March 1992)
53. The Holy Eucharist The Mystery of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (####)
54. The Entrance of the Virgin Mary into the Temple, according to the Byzantine Rite tradition (October 1992)
55. Carpathian miraculous icons: The weeping icon of Mariapovch (December 1992)
56. The Holy Mystery of Matrimony, according to Byzantine Rite practice (####)
57, Anointing of the Sick: the Mystery of the Holy Oil (####)
58. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the Byzantine Rite (September 1993)
59. Carpathian miraculous icons: The weeping icon of Klokochovo (October 1993)
Academic & Instructional Programs
- Metropolitan Cantor Institute (Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh)
66 Riverview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Phone: 412-461-1676
Website: mci.archpitt.org
E-mail: mci@archpitt.org
Offers Saturday programs for cantors of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, covering cantor basics as well as continuing education. Classes are conducted at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary.
- Byzantine Catholic Seminary
3605 Perrysville Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Phone: 412-321-8383
Website: www.bcs.edu
Video: Forming Leaders for the Church
Fully accredited institution offers academic courses in liturgy, chant and theology; open to cantors as well as seminarians and theology students. More about the seminary.
Workshops and Conferences
- Archeparchy of Pittsburgh Office of Religious Education
3605 Perrysville Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Phone: 412-322-8773
Fax: 322-8737
Website: www.archpitt.org/religious-education/
E-mail: mdobos@earthlink.net
Sponsors enrichment workshops, educational programs and conferences throughout the year, such as the Byzantine Spirituality Conference (fall) and Women’s Day of Spirituality (spring)
Internet-based Mailing Lists
- cantors
For cantors in the Byzantine Catholic Church. Also servers as a distribution list for music from the Metropolitan Cantor Institute.
Apps and software
The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ohio) recently released a smartphone app for Apple iOS and Android that includes:
- daily epistle and Gospel readings according to the Byzantine lectionary used in our church
- a short biography of the daily saint(s) on our calendar, together with their troparion and kontakion
- news, videos, and other resources
Eastern Christian Publications also has a free Byzantine prayer app for Apple and Android devices, with:
- The Daily Office and Daily Vespers with changeable texts
- Theosis ezine and weekly Sunday Bulletin covers
- Other daily spiritual reflections plus Saint-of-the-Day icon
Search for "Eparchy of Parma" and "ECPubs" in the Apple Store or on Google Play. Both are highly recommended.
Sources for Liturgical Books and Music
- Byzantine
Seminary Press
3605 Perrysville Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15214
(412) 322-8307
http://www.byzantineseminarypress.com/
source for Byzantine Catholic liturgical books, as well as the Bokshai Prostopinije - Eastern Christian
Publications
P. O. Box 146, Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 691-8585
http://www.ecpubs.com/
publisher of Father David Petras' Typikon, as well as prayer books and service books - Light
and Life Publishing
4818 Park Glen Road, Minneapolis, MN 55416
(888) 925-3918
http://www.light-n-life.com/
good source of Orthodox service books and liturgical writings
Ruthenian and Carpatho-Russian Churches:
- Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh
- Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukačevo (Ukraine)
- Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Prešov (Slovakia)
- American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese
Websites with Collections of Prostopinije
- Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia (unofficial site)
- Holy Ghost
Byzantine
Catholic Church (Philadelphia,
PA)
Chant and choral music.
Websites with Collections of Choral Music
General Music Theory
- Music Theory and History Online
- Teoria - Interactive music theory drills
Liturgical Chant
- Essay
on the Development of Orthodox Chant
From liturgica.com - good introduction to chant history - Psalom
-
Orthodox Chant Documentation Project
A site for musicologists, scholars and researchers in in liturgical chant - Byzantine
Chant
From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Bulgarian and Armenian Liturgical Music
- Georgian Chant
- Romanian
Chant
as well as other chant traditions, such as Valaam - Serbian Chant
- Syrian Chant
- The Podoben Project
Liturgical Theology, Texts and Translations
- Liturgical
worship and music from Judaism to Christianity
From liturgica.com - good general introduction to liturgical history - Anastasis
Liturgical translations from the Greek by Achimandrite Ephrem Lash - Orthodox
Liturgical Texts and Resources
A wide collection of texts and services, especially for celebration without a priest - Synaxis
- Library of Eastern
Orthodox Resources
A well-organized site with many valuable offerings and links, including the Chant Documentation Project, Typikon Project, and Church Slavonic Resources - Theology-Liturgy
From Holy Trinity Cathedral (San Francisco, CA), Orthodox Church in America
Lives of the Saints
- The Prologue from Ochrid
Standard Orthodox collection of daily saints' lives and homiles
Paraliturgical music
- The Pisennik Project
Excellent collection of paraliturgical hymnody from the Carpathian mountains.
Rusyn History and Culture
Miscellaneous Links
- The Early Church Fathers
- Liturgy
and Music of the Orthodox Church
An extensive collection of links from Ivan Moody - Monachos.net
Byzantine liturgy, monasticism, music and theology - Orthodox Arts Journal
Articles and news for the promotion of traditional Orthodox Christian liturgical arts