St. Michael's church photo

Welcome to St. Michael's Orthodox Church!

Founded: 1907

Diocese:  Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania

Deanery:  Frackville Deanery


Saint Michael's Orthodox Church in Mount Carmel, PA strives to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything He has commanded” so that all people may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. We do this by witnessing to the fullness of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the peoples of the Coal Region in PA (and by God's grace, beyond the region), and in the power of the Holy Spirit, by revealing Christ’s way of sanctification and eternal salvation to all. We invite anyone interested in authentic Christian worship to come and see, and join us in this labor.

Christ is risen!  Indeed He is risen!

Preparing a Pascha Basket

Wondering what to put in your Pascha basket, or curious why certain items are traditionally included? Father Daniel Ressetar has shared an article with us that provides the details. Take a look at it here on the Educational Items page.

Lenten Appeal

As we continue our Lenten journey, we are reminded that this journey should not be limited to fasting. Each parishioner should consider putting aside each day the money saved from fasting or from giving up something of enjoyment, and use the gold collection plate on the center icon table to donate savings in support of our Annual Lenten Appeal. Donations can also be mailed to or dropped off at the church. Donations will be directed to help with the care of Father John Nightingale. Donations will close on Palm Sunday.

Easter Flower Pledges

We will again be having our annual Pascha flower pledge program. Pledging flowers is a nice way to remember those dear to you at this special time. If you would like to participate, please submit the 2025 Easter Flower Pledge form along with your donation. You can also get copies of the form from any member of the Parish Council.

Pledge forms are due by April 16th, and the pledges will be published on April 27th.

Lenten Mission service at St. Michael's

Our parish will host a Lenten Mission service on Sunday, March 16th, at 5:00 PM as part of a series of Lenten services being held throughout the Coal Region OCA area. These beautiful services provide an opportunity for different parishes to pray together and enjoy fellowship following the service. See the list below for information about all Lenten Mission services being held this year within the Frackville Deanery.

2025 Lenten Mission services:

Saint Tikhon's Summer Camp registration is now open!

Registration for Saint Tikhon's Summer Camp is now officially open, and organizers are also seeking adult volunteers!

Saint Tikhon’s Summer Camp is a one-week, sleep-away, camp program for Orthodox Christian children between the ages of 7 and 17. The camp begins on June 29, 2025 and runs thru July 5th. Applications are due by early May for both attendees and those interested in working at the camp, but campers should apply as soon as possible as available openings are limited.

Campers can register for this year's camp at https://accounts.doepa.org. If you would like to volunteer as a counselor or staff member to help run the camp, you can apply here: https://accounts.doepa.org/counselor_application

Soup Month and Community Soup Day

Since February is Super Bowl month, we want to support our community and make February soup month, and we need your help! During the month, please bring a can of soup, and we'll then provide our collection to the Mt. Carmel Food Pantry at the end of the month during our Community Soup Day on March 2nd, following Divine Liturgy.

Here are some ways you can help to make this effort to help our community a success:

Sign up sheets are in the vestibule.

Annual Parish Meeting

Our 2025 annual parish meeting is scheduled for February 23rd, following Divine Liturgy.

Soul Saturday

The Soul Saturday Liturgy will be held on February 22nd, at 9 AM, to remember the departed. If you have someone you would like to be remembered during the service, please provide the name(s) to Father Aleksey.

Soup Month

Since February is Super Bowl month, let’s also do something to support our community and make February soup month! During the month, please bring a can of soup, and we'll then provide our collection to the Mt. Carmel Food Pantry at the end of the month during our Community Soup Day on March 2nd. More information to come soon!

Envelopes and calendars available

Church envelopes and calendars are now available in the Vestibule.

Blessing of Homes

If you would like to have your home blessed, please contact Fr. Aleksey to schedule a time. In general, he's available weekdays after 6pm, Saturdays before 4pm, and Sundays after 12pm. Also, please see our brief guide for preparing to have your house blessed.

Thanks from Central Susquehanna Opportunities

Our parish was featured in the December 8th edition of the News-Item for our long-standing relationship with Central Susquehanna Opportunities (CSO) and for helping with their annual "Keep Our Kids Warm" coat drive to assist in keeping children, and the rest of the community, warm during the winter season. CSO expressed their appreciation for the years of help the parish has provided, and this year, we were able to collect $750 in donations for them.

Nativity Appeal

The annual Appeal during the Nativity fast is underway to help those in need in the community and to provide support for the seminarians from the Diocese. Donations can be made in the gold dish or by submitting directly to the church. The appeal will run through Sunday, December 22, 2024.

Christmas wish list

Fr. Aleksey is inviting our whole community to express our Christian faith with specific deeds of love. We have an opportunity to make this Christmas season special for the children (all girls) in our "adopted family," which we helped with diapers, baby wipes, and baby formula over the summer.

If you are able and willing, please choose one gift from the Christmas tree in the vestibule, pack it nicely, and bring it back to church by December 22nd.

Christmas Flower Pledge for 2024

As we approach the Nativity, we think about those we care for, both living and departed. The Christmas Flower Pledge is an opportunity to honor those dear to you.

As in prior years, you can pledge a poinsettia at $25 in memory of, or for the health of, a loved one. If you would like to participate, submit this form by December 20th, 2024 along with your donation. The pledges will be published December 29th.

St. Nicholas Day basket raffle

St. Tikhons summer camp flyer 2024 St. Tikhons summer camp flyer 2024

We will have our annual St. Nicholas Day basket raffle drawing on December 1st. Raffle proceeds will be used for church maintenance and in support of local charities. To purchase raffle tickets, fill out the E-Z chance basket raffle form, which is available by clicking the image to the right.

Mail the form and ticket money by November 24th to:

Please share the form with friends, and consider helping cover the cost of the cash prizes, lottery tickets, and gift cards.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Coat drive for the Central Susquehanna Opportunities group

Once again, we are partnering with the Central Susquehanna Opportunities group for a coat drive to help in keeping our community warm. Please bring a new coat to church (any size) for children or adults, or consider providing a donation in the gold dish on the center table. We will be accepting donations until November 10th.

St. Michael’s and Veteran’s Day Celebration

We need help preparing for our November 8th celebration of both St. Michael’s Day and Veteran’s Day, and we would greatly appreciate donations of items for the brunch that will follow Divine Liturgy. Since St. Michael’s Day falls on a Friday this year, we will not be serving any meat. Please see the sign-up sheet for the items needed for the brunch, or check with Sandy.

Clergy Appreciation month

October is Clergy Appreciation month! Please read the letter from His Eminence, Archbishop Mark on this topic to learn more.

Education on the Proskomedia service

We appreciate Father Aleksey educating the parish on the Proskomedia service. Father will be continuing these educational sessions as part of the Liturgy in future weeks.

Two girls standing in the church hall, smiling and holding Christmas cards that they created. They appear in the left half of the frame, and there is a long table to their right, running from the right lower corner to the back center of the frame. There are cards and art materials on the table. Five people are seated at a long table, writing out Christmas cards. The table has a white table cloth and runs from the foreground to the background, with three people seated on the left side and two on the right.

Adopt a family!

Please see the sign-up sheet in the Vestibule to provide diapers, baby formula, and other items to a family in need.

Men’s Group Formation

At the last Diocesan Assembly, His Eminence, Archbishop Mark, suggested that a men's group be formed within our Diocese to provide for the new and old converts, as well as, the cradle Orthodox Christian men, an opportunity for fellowship and spiritual nourishment. We believe this group will be a valuable addition to our diocesan community. The name of the group is Saint Alexis Toth Brotherhood of the DoEPA. Currently, we are in early stages of planning the first event for the men's group. Please see Fr Aleksey if you are interested in participating.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel!

We have started a parish YouTube channel this year in order to live-stream our services for those unable to attend in person: https://www.youtube.com/@SaintMichaelOCA

In order to continue offering the live-streams, YouTube requires that we have at least 50 subscribers. So, please subscribe, and share the link for others to subscribe!

Opportunities and Outreach

While these challenging times are disrupting our lives and causing a lot of stress, please keep a couple of things in mind:

Let's follow our orthodox mission of helping each other!