St. Peter Orthodox Church

Serving Fort Myers and Naples Florida

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St. Peter News Tuesday May 5, 2026

May 5, 2026 by jacobse@usa.com

Christ is Risen!

The Fifth Sunday After Pascha
The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
After-feast of Mid-Pentecost

Martyrs Peter, Dionysios, Andrew, Paul, Christina, Heraklios, Paulinos and
Benedimos; Stephen the New, patriarch of Constantinople

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Photini of Samaria

The holy and glorious Great-martyr Photine of Samaria (also Photini or Svetlana), Equal-to-the-Apostles, encountered Christ at the well of Jacob. Tradition relates that the Apostles baptized her with the name “Photine” meaning “enlightened one.” Her feast days are celebrated on February 26 with those who suffered with her (Greek tradition), March 20 (Slavic tradition), and the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.

Life

The Gospel of John (4:5-42) relates the encounter of Photine, the Samaritan woman, with Christ at Jacob’s well. She repented after a very gentle and wise conversation with Christ and went and told her townspeople that she had met the Christ. For this, she is sometimes claimed as the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

She converted her five sisters (Ss. Anatole, Photo, Photis, Paraskeve, and Kyriake) and her two sons (St. Photinos, formerly known as Victor, and St. Joses). They all became tireless evangelists for Christ.

After the Apostles Paul and Peter were martyred, St. Photine and her family left their homeland of Sychar, in Samaria, to travel to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel of Christ there.

In 66 AD, under the persecutions of Emperor Nero, they all achieved the crown of martyrdom, along with the Duke St. Sebastianos, the close friend of St. Photinos.

Read more on the OrthodoxWiki website.

Services and Events This Week

  • SUN May 03 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  • Wed May 06 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Fri May 07 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
  • Sat May 09 — Parish Council Meeting 10:00am
  • Sat May 09 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
 

Please Fill in Your Pledge Forms

The forms are available on the counter in the Narthex.

 

When You Give to the Good Samaritan Mercy Fund, You Fulfill the Law of Christ

Bear one another's burdens

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galations 6:2)

St. Paul teaches us that God’s law, to love God and neighbor, is fulfilled when we bear one another’s burdens. The Good Samaritan Mercy fund helps us do that by helping parishioners who because of catastrophic circumstances face problems that we can help them with. This year is proving greater than past years so any donation you can make to our fund enables us to carry those burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

All support is local, within our parish. Donations are approved by Fr. Hans and Ron Franklin our Parish Council President. Donations remain confidential.

St. John Chrysostom says those who can give receive their abundance from God in order to give. When we give from our abundance a double blessing occurs — one to the recipient in need, and another to him who gives.

 
St. Peter Orthodox Church Fort Myers FL
 

Click here to go to the DOMSE site
 

Visit the DOMSE Website (scroll to the bottom, fill in the form on the left side) to sign up for “The Light” Newsletter and DOMSE emails.

 

Click here to register

Register on the DOMSE website.

 
St. Peter Orthodox Church Fort Myers FL
 

St. Peter Greeters

Can you volunteer? Please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.

 
Social Hall All Stars
 

SUNDAY COFFEE HOURS – Spring Months 2026

Please note: A fruit bowl, veggie or hummus tray may be added to a week’s menu.

  • May 2026 – Sunday Coffee Hours – Team #2 – Vicki Ullemeyer Group
  • Sunday, May 3 – Coffee and coffee cakes
  • Sunday, May 10 – Mother’s Day – Coffee and muffins
  • Sunday, May 17 – Pot Luck
  • Sunday, May 24 – Coffee and bagels
  • Sunday, May 31 – Coffee and donuts
  • June 2026 – Sunday Coffee Hours – Team #3
  • Sunday, June 7- Coffee and bagels
  • Sunday, June 14 – Coffee and donuts
  • Sunday, June 21 – Father’s Day – Pot Luck
  • Sunday, June 28 – Coffee and muffins

For Special Events/Koliva please contact Barbara Sasen and give her a completed Special Events Form which is found in the lobby of the church.

The Social Hall All Stars are the men and women that make St. Peter’s Social Hall happen. Thank you All Stars!

 
St. Peter Orthodox Church Fort Myers FL
 

MAY

MAY

  • SUN May 03 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  • Wed May 06 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Fri May 07 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
  • Sat May 09 — Parish Council Meeting 10:00am
  • Sat May 09 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
  • SUN May 10 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  • Wed May 13 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Fri May 15 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
  • Sat May 16 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
  • SUN May 17 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  • Wed May 20 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Thu May 20 — Sts. Constantine and Helen Divine Liturgy 9:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Fri May 22 — St Paisios Brotherhood 7:00pm
  • Sat May 23 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
  • SUN May 24 — SUNDAY ORTHROS 8:30am DIVINE LITURGY 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  • Mon May 25 — Finding of the Head of St. John Baptist Divine Liturgy 9:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Wed May 26 — Early Morning Divine Liturgy 6:00am LIVE STREAM
  • Sat May 30 — Great Vespers 5:30pm LIVE STREAM
 
St. Peter Orthodox Church Fort Myers FL
 

Wisdom From The Elders

Live through lowliness of mind instead of going to your death through pretentious pride. Dorotheos of Gaza

Prayer, with all it contains of self-renunciation, has become your real life, which you keep up as though only for the sake of prayer. Tito Colliander

So we no longer pursue plainness and simplicity of life. We no longer value stillness, which helps to free us from past defilement, but prefer a whole host of things which distract us uselessly from our true goal. Venerable Nilus the Faster of Sinai

Parents scold their children for every little thing. It is as if they do not know how to talk to them kindly and quietly. When a parent needs to discipline a child, the child must feel that behind the strictness there is love. It is a great mistake to punish children as soon as they do something wrong, for nothing is achieved that way. Elder Thaddeus(Strabulovich) of Vitovnica

I believe, with the centurion, that if I pray as I ought, and for what I ought, to any Saint: Grant me this, he will grant it to me; Come to my help, he will come ; Do this, and he will do it. This is the simple, firm faith that we must have ! Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt

After the resurrection our bodies will be spiritual, and not earthly ones, everything earthly will remain upon earth. Remembering what our future abode will be, Christians, let us, then, gradually detach ourselves from everything earthly. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt

Current Prayer List

Georgia (Katsigianopoulos)
Donna Eardley (Pateras)
Jack Eardley (Pateras)
Efstrathios Papadopoulos (Pateras)
Vera Pateras Stathes (Pateras)
Maureen (Breitenbach)
Doug (Kucera)
Katrina (Marianthi)
Katherina (Sovjani)
Arsen (Sovjani)
Arion (Sovjani)
David (Sovjani)
Joe (Repya)
Bp. Nicholas
Mary Teresa (Dusckas)
Adam (Krotov)
Ariyon (Sovjani)
Diana (Veraj)
Arjan (Veraj)
Thoma (Sovjani)
Lucia
Ioannes
Stratton (Leopold)
Mary (Copeland)
Robert (Tewis)
Gene (Forderhase)
Ruth (Mudd)
Barbara (Duskas)
Maria (Duskas)
Rachel (Voss)
Ken John (Eaton)
William (Semeretis)
David (Orfanos)
Maria (Orfanos)
William (Long)
George (Chionis 11-1)
Haley
Lydia
Mark (Chionis 11-1)
Katheryn (Chionis 11-1)
Jacob (Chionis 11-1)
Ken (Chionis 11-1)
Maxim (Koco)
George (Tsikistas 8/1)
George (Mourgis 8/1)
Barbara (Sason 8/1)
Arielle (Ghanem 6/1)
Nicholas (Ghanem 6/1)
Christos
Father Demetris
Jamie
Pamela
David
Jessica
Christina (Hildreth)
Dionysios Chapekis)
Nancy (Forderhase)
Kayla (Palantine)
George (3/23 Chapekis)
Penelope (3/23 Chapekis)
Theodora (3/23)
Victor (3/23)
Les (3/23
Lynn (Hurley 1/23)
Linda (Pappas 1/23)
Ekaterina (Chapekis 1/23)
Lee (Hurley 1/23)
Emmanuel (Kalousdis 1/23)
Katherine (Dusckas 1/23)
Vassiliki (Diveris 1/23)
Zena Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Lamia Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Matthew (Contorelli 1/23
Emmanuel (Kaloudis 1/23)
Nicholas
Marlene (Tewis 12/22)
Tina (Johnson 12/22)
Nicholas (De Lorenzo 12/22)
Archpriest Dionysius (Valentine 9/12)
John Presbyter (Jacobse)
Elain Presbytera (Jacobse)
Constantine(Jacobse)
Chrysoula(Jacobse)
Angel (Ghanem 10/22)
Edgar (Chapekis 9/22)
Evthriki (Jacobse 9/22)
Christos (Johnson 8/22)
Jon Paul (Andrew 8/22)
William (Brubaker 8/22)
The People of Ukraine and People of Russia and all those who are suffering in the war

Permanent Prayer List

Kh. Denise (Breitenbach)
Fr. Patrick (Breitenbach)
Bonnie Joseph
Michael (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Katerina (Sovjani)
Frederick (Sovjani)
Arsen (Sovjani)
Irene (Diveris)
Katheryn (Tolkkinen)
Markisia (Long)
Angela (Long)
Marina (Long)
Eleni (Long)
Raphaella (Long)
Joanne (Haley)
Corwin (Dusckas)
Corgette (Troutman)
Irina (Irina)
Lidia (Irina)
Sarina (Ghanem)
Kathy (Breitenbach)
Hope (Isadore)
John (Long)
Pantelis (Tsikita)
Marisa (Tsikita)
Barbara (Dionysopoulos)
Patricia (Evanoff)
Gabriel (Mankus)
Baby Dani (Repya)
Despina (Diversis)
Fredericos (Diveris)
Herman (Kerr)
Innocent (Kerr)
Nicholas (Kerr)
Paola (Jacobse)
Gregory (Yankopolos)
Pauline (Poulos)
Sergio (Kazakos)
Fran (Hansen)
Nina (Krotov)
Franklin (Pyrrson)
Demetrios (Kuchera)
Theodosios (Palis)
Theodora (Webb)
Robert (Smith)
Presbytera Rosy (in Pakistan)
James (Hord)

Founders, Members, Benefactors and Friends Departed this Life

John (Hansen)
Anatoly (Kurdsjuk)
Thareni (Brooks)
Milan Evanoff
Jean (Sam)
Eleni (Pearson)
Richard (Pearson)
Fr. Stephanos (Shagoury)
Panagiota (Bea Chionis)
Anthony (Mourgis)
Anthony (Mankus)
Constantine (Houpis)
Constantine (Joseph)
Mary (Jarvis)
Panagiota Margarita (Palis)
Maria (Ninos)
Soterios (Ninos)
George (Ninos)
John (Katsigianopoulos)
George (Chionis)
Mary (Spiropoulos)
Gregory (Pappas)
Angela (Coran K
Eugene (Rust)
Robert (Jarvis)
George (Corey)
Patricia (Cotsones)
Seraphim (Zolio)
Apostolos
Raymond (Zeena)
Vassilike (Hord)
Helen (Mitchell)
Catherine (Forderhase)

How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.

Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website.

 

Sunday Readings

 
Search the Scriptures
 

EPISTLE

How great are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. (11:19-30)

In those days, the Disciples, who were scattered because of the persecution that aroseover Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, upon coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord.

News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the Disciples were for the first time called Christians.

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the Disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

GOSPEL

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (4:5-42)

At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as He was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His Disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that Thou, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst forever; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir,give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and Thou sayest that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming [He Who is called Christ]; when He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I Who speak to you am He.”

Just then His Disciples came. They marveled that He was talking with a woman, but none said, “What dost Thou wish?” or, “Why art Thou talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man Who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the city and were coming to Him.

Meanwhile the Disciples besought Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” So the Disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him food?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me,and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He said to me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His words. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves,and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

St. Peter Orthodox Church

Filed Under: News

St. Peter Orthodox Church

7470 Hickory Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33967

(239) 221-7537

About St. Peter the Apostle Orthodox Church

St. Peter the Apostle Antiochian Orthodox Church is a church of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.”


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