


The Eastern Catholic Churches
St. Pope John Paul II said the Church must “breathe with both lungs” referring to the Eastern and Western spiritual traditions that developed within the Church Jesus Christ founded on Peter and his successors (Mt. 16:18-19), so that the world might know and believe that God is a loving Father who cares about each and every one of us (Jn. 17:23), and wishes everyone to be saved and to understand the truth (1Tim. 2:4). This truth, powered by our dynamic worship, also sets us free to live joyful lives, prompting us to go out on mission, actively seeking to serve those in the broader community, as well as invite others to experience the joy our Lord gives through liturgical worship grounded in apostolic tradition. The Omaha Byzantine Catholic Community seeks to embody this spirit with a thriving Eastern Catholic presence in our city and beyond.

The Catholic Church is made up of 22 individual "ritual" Churches, with their own distinct liturgy and customs. As a whole, “Eastern Catholics,” as they are called, make up roughly 2% of the entire Catholic Church in communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. However, though relatively small in number, through our rich liturgy and spirituality, Eastern Catholics have an important role to play in communicating the extravagant love of God through His Son Jesus Christ, not only fostering unity and understanding between Eastern and Western Christians, but between those of various religions.

Fasting in the Eastern Church
Fasting is a large part of our Eastern Christian heart and mindset. One can consider that there are the "levels" of fasting/abstinence. As a reminder, we are to keep at least the minimum of what our churches ask of us to the best of our ability (generally, no meat on Wednesdays and Fridays on all days of the year) Below are further "levels" and ideas to incorporate into our lives as we continue to grow spiritually and can take on more and more.
(Note: In Level 3 and 4, “oil” refers specifically to olive oil. “Fish” is generally meant to mean anything with a backbone, so shellfish is permitted (including lobster and shrimp!)
If this is your first year, we recommend Level 1 or Level 2. Once he knows what you are doing, the enemy will put roadblocks and potholes in your way. Don’t worry if you forget or miss a day, just start again.
Level 1: This is the minimal requirement to observe during the Fasts.
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The first day of the Great Fast, abstain from meat, eggs, and dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream) products.
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On all Wednesdays and Fridays during the Fast, abstain from meat.
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On Good Friday, abstain from meat, eggs, and dairy products.
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During the year, fast from meat every Wednesday and Friday
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Thank you for visiting the Omaha Byzantine Catholic Community. We hope that our site highlights the beauty of the Catholic Faith - particularly the Eastern lung of the Church. Please feel free to read more about our community on this site, or come experience the Divine Liturgy. We would love to greet you and share with you our love for Jesus Christ and His mystical body, the Church. Please contact us if you would like to know more, or get involved.
Our Divine Liturgies and Typikas are scheduled for Saturdays at 4 PM at St. Gerald Chapel, 7857 Lakeview St, Ralston, NE 68127. These services fulfill your Sunday obligation whether you are Byzantine or Roman Catholic.
All Souls liturgies are for deceased relatives and friends. The list of the deceased will be sung at every All Souls liturgy.
Send names of deceased relatives and friends to wmihalo@gmail.com and they will be included in our All Souls liturgy.
The Panachida is a memorial service for the dead, which is celebrated fairly frequently in the Byzantine Catholic Church. Like all our services for the departed, it provides an opportunity to pray for the soul of the one who has died, asking God to grant them rest and forgiveness of all their sins, and also serves to comfort and console those left behind. The name comes from the Greek pannychis, meaning an all-night vigil (from the Metropolitan Cantor Institute
https://mci.archpitt.org/liturgy/Panachida.html
All of our liturgies are sung in English.
We hope that you can join us!
Liturgical Schedule February through May, 2023. All of our liturgies start at 4 PM on Saturday.
Schedule for June-Sept. 2023
Date Type of Liturgy
6/3 Divine Liturgy
6/10 Typika
6/17 No liturgy scheduled
6/24 Typika
7/1 Divine Liturgy (Saints Peter and Paul, holy day, June 29).
7/8 Typika
7/15 Typika
7/22 Divine Liturgy (St. Elijah–Blessing of Cars, holy day, July 20).
7/29 Typika
8/5 Divine Liturgy (Transfiguration holy day, August 6–Blessing of Fruits)
8/12 Typika
8/19 Divine Liturgy (Dormition of the Theotokos holy day, August 15–Blessing of Flowers).
8/26 Typika
9/2 No Liturgy Scheduled
9/9 Divine Liturgy (Nativity of Theotokos holy day Sept 8)
9/16 Divine Liturgy (Exultation of the Holy Cross holy day, Sept. 14)
9/23 Typika
9/30 Divine Liturgy
Notes:
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June 29 and August 15 are holy days of obligation. The other holy days do not require attendance at Divine Liturgy or Mass. We do not have any liturgies scheduled on holy days.
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We do not have any liturgies scheduled on June 17 and Sept. 2.
We hope that you can join us!