Schedule of Services

An All-Night Vigil

An All-Night Vigil (Greek: αγρυπνία - agrypnia, "without sleeping"; Slavonic: Vsenoshnoe Bdenie) is a combination of multiple services whose makeup varies significantly according to regional and local tradition. In the Byzantine tradition, the service lasts through the night, consisting of the entire liturgical cycle, culminating in the Divine Liturgy. In Slavic tradition, it does not last all night but normally includes Vespers (or Great Compline), Matins and the First Hour, and it is the standard Saturday evening service. When the Vigil is celebrated, the particular rubrics for its constituent services are altered.

One of the unique characteristics of the Vigil is that Small Vespers (different from both Daily and Great Vespers) is served earlier in the evening (usually this service is only done in cathedrals and monasteries, however). This practice originated so that the monks could observe a shorter form of vespers at the canonical time (sunset), have their evening meal, and then later begin the All-Night Vigil (which includes the fuller form of Vespers). Additionally, the inclusion of the Litia and Artoklasia has as its purpose the sustenance of the faithful as they attend a service which may last eight or more hours through the night, when done in the full traditional manner.

Length of All night Vigil - about 2 hours

The Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the primary worship service of the Church. The Divine Liturgy is a eucharistic service. It contains two parts: the Liturgy of the Catechumens, sometimes called the Liturgy of the Word, at which the Scriptures are proclaimed and expounded; and the Liturgy of the Faithful, sometimes called the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated; the faithful then partake of them in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The Prothesis (or Proskomedia), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

Length of Liturgy - about 1 1/2 hour

The Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the primary worship service of the Church. The Divine Liturgy is a eucharistic service. It contains two parts: the Liturgy of the Catechumens, sometimes called the Liturgy of the Word, at which the Scriptures are proclaimed and expounded; and the Liturgy of the Faithful, sometimes called the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated; the faithful then partake of them in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The Prothesis (or Proskomedia), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

Length of Liturgy - about 1 1/2 hour