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Orthodox Memorial Services and Panakhyda in Tampa Bay

When someone we love falls asleep in the Lord, the Orthodox Church does not leave the family to grieve alone. We pray. We pray at the grave, on the fortieth day, at one year, on the anniversary, and on the Soul Saturdays the Church has set aside for this purpose. St. Michael serves families across Tampa Bay who carry the names of their departed and ask that those names be spoken aloud before the altar.

This page explains what an Orthodox memorial service is, how to request one, and the ancient traditions that accompany our prayer for the departed.

How to Request a Memorial Service

  1. Call Fr. Stephen Siniari at 727-777-4450 to schedule the memorial
  2. Submit the names of the departed (see “Submitting Names” below)
  3. If you wish to bring kolyvo (boiled wheat), let Fr. Stephen know so he can bless it

Fr. Stephen serves families throughout Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Brandon, and the surrounding communities. If you cannot travel to the parish, call and we will speak about what is possible.

Panakhyda: the Memorial Service Itself

The Panakhyda (Панахида) is the Orthodox memorial service for one who has fallen asleep in the Lord. Its name comes from the Greek pannychis, meaning “all-night vigil,” because the early Church kept watch in prayer through the night for the departed. Today the service is shorter, but its spirit is unchanged: we stand together before God and ask mercy for our beloved dead.

The Panakhyda consists of psalms, the Trisagion prayers, the funeral troparia, the litany for the departed, and the singing of “Memory Eternal” (Vichnaya Pamyat, Вічная Пам’ять). The priest holds a censer; family members hold lit candles. The names of the departed are read aloud at the litany. The whole service takes about twenty minutes, and may be served at the grave, in the church before or after the Divine Liturgy, or in the home.

The Forty-Day, One-Year, and Anniversary Memorials

The fortieth day after death holds a special place in Orthodox tradition. The number recalls the forty days the Lord spent in the wilderness, the forty days of Great Lent, and the forty days between Pascha and the Ascension. On the fortieth day the parish gathers for a Panakhyda to set the soul fully into God’s keeping. Families typically plan the memorial for a Sunday close to the actual date so the parish can pray together after the Divine Liturgy.

On the first anniversary the parish prays a Panakhyda again, marking the close of the first year of mourning, when the family has walked through every season, every feast, every birthday and holiday without their loved one.

After the first year, the family may request a memorial each year on the anniversary of the death. Many families also request memorials on the deceased’s birthday, name day, or the day of their patron saint. The Church prays for her departed as long as her children remember them.

Soul Saturdays: Memorial Saturdays of the Year

Several Saturdays in the Church calendar are set aside as Memorial Saturdays (Поминальні Суботи), sometimes called Soul Saturdays, when the Church prays for all her departed together. The chief ones on the Revised Julian Calendar we follow are:

  • Meatfare Saturday, the Saturday before pre-Lenten Meatfare Sunday
  • The second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent
  • Radonitsa (Радониця), the Tuesday of Bright Week after Pascha, our day of joy with the departed
  • Trinity Saturday, the day before Pentecost
  • Saint Demetrius Saturday, in early November

On these days the Church reads long lists of names. If you wish to have your departed remembered, submit their names ahead of time so they may be included in the parish list.

Submitting Names of the Departed

The names of the departed are written on small slips of paper called pomyaniki (поминальники) and given to the priest before the Divine Liturgy. They are read silently during the Proskomedia (the preparation of the Holy Gifts at the altar) and aloud at the litany for the departed.

When submitting names:

  • Use baptismal names (the name given at Baptism), not nicknames. “Mary” not “Mae”; “Michael” not “Mike”; “Іван” not “Ваня.”
  • Write clearly, in either English or Ukrainian
  • Mark the list “For the Departed” (За упокій) so it is not confused with the list of the living
  • Speak with Fr. Stephen if your situation calls for guidance (those who died outside the Church, the unbaptized, those who ended their own lives)

You may submit a list once and the parish will hold the names for repeated commemoration, or you may bring a fresh list each time you visit.

Kolyvo: the Boiled Wheat Tradition

At a memorial it is an ancient custom to bring kolyvo (коливо), a dish of boiled wheat sweetened with honey and decorated with raisins, almonds, and powdered sugar shaped into a cross. The kolyvo is placed before the icon stand during the Panakhyda, blessed by the priest, and shared by all afterward.

The wheat is the Lord’s own image of the resurrection: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The grain is buried, it appears to die, and it rises as bread. So it is with our departed. The honey is the sweetness of the Kingdom. Eating the kolyvo together binds the living and the dead in one body, the Church.

If you have never made kolyvo and would like to bring some for a memorial, the women of the parish are glad to help. Ask after Liturgy.

Memory Eternal

At the close of every memorial service the priest sings, and the whole parish answers:

Memory eternal. Memory eternal. Memory eternal. Вічная пам’ять. Вічная пам’ять. Вічная пам’ять.

We are asking the eternal God, whose memory holds all that ever was, to keep our beloved dead forever in His own remembrance. To be remembered by God is to live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does our loved one need to have been a parishioner of St. Michael? No. Fr. Stephen serves memorials for Orthodox Christians whose families ask, whether or not the departed was a member of the parish.

Can a memorial be served for someone of another Christian tradition? Speak with Fr. Stephen. The Orthodox Panakhyda is the prayer of the Orthodox Church for her baptized children. For a beloved who was not Orthodox, Fr. Stephen will guide you to an appropriate form of prayer.

Is there a donation for a memorial service? A donation to the parish is customary and is discussed with Fr. Stephen privately. Financial circumstances are never a barrier to having a memorial served.

Can the memorial be in Ukrainian? Yes. Services at St. Michael are offered in Ukrainian, English, or bilingually, whichever brings the family closest to prayer.

Can the memorial be at the cemetery? Yes. Fr. Stephen serves graveside memorials throughout Tampa Bay. Call to arrange.

Serving Families Across Tampa Bay

St. Michael serves Orthodox families throughout the region. If you live nearby, see our pages for Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, and Brandon for driving directions and the closest landmarks.

Contact Us

Fr. Stephen Siniari, Parish Priest Parish line: 727-777-4450 Email: st.michael.uoc.pinellas@gmail.com

St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church 9201 60th St, Pinellas Park, FL 33782

TimeService
9:30 AMHours and Confession
10:00 AMDivine Liturgy (Ukrainian and English)
~11:30 AMCoffee and fellowship; memorials by arrangement

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