The Saturday of the Souls, this year, is on Feb 14. The following two Saturdays, Feb 21 and 28, strictly speaking are not Saturdays of Souls, according to the liturgical books, and that is why you won't see hymns about the deceased on those days. Feb 21 is the Saturday of Cheese Week, which each year is dedicated to honor the memory of the holy Ascetics. The next Saturday, this year Feb 28, is the Saturday of the first week of Lent, which is always dedicated to the memory of the miracle of the kolyva by St. Theodore.
In common parish practice, after the first Saturday of the Souls (this year Feb 14), the next two Saturdays are thought of as also being Saturdays of Souls, and folks expect and get a memorial service at the end of liturgy, however inconsistent this is with the liturgical books.
All that having been said, we've appended the special litany and prayer for Saturday of Souls to the end of the Memorial Service on the DCS. You can find it using the menu: Sacraments and Services > Sacraments and Blessings > Memorial.
There are now Quick Links at the top of Vespers, Matins, and Liturgy, as well as a new "Scroll to top" button on the toolbar.
Audio recordings are now played in a new audio player that can be dragged and closed. You will need to refresh your browser and delete the DCS browsing data in your cache. This new feature does not function well on Android tablets using Firefox. We recommend using Chrome browser on Android.
Recordings of resurrectional hymns from the Octoechos are being produced by Eikona. These are recordings of the scores that are currently available on the DCS. They are provided to assist church musicians to learn to sing them well in church. So far Modes 1, 2, 3, and 4 have been completed and are available on the DCS. The rest of the Modes will be added as they become available.
Translation notes for those who are interested:
Translation notes for those who are interested:
The scores and audio recordings of the hymns sung at baptisms and weddings have been updated. Find these using the DCS menu: Sacraments and Services > Sacraments and Blessings.
In response to several requests, augmented versions of Vespers and Matins for the Sep 17 commemoration of St. Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love have been added to the DCS.
New audio recordings of Saturday evening Vespers (resurrectional hymns from the Octoechos) produced by Eikona. Mode 1 and Mode 2 have been completed and are available on the DCS.
The Liturgy Variables are now offered in two separate files, one with Antiphons, and another with Typika and Beatitudes.
The Patriarchal Greek text of the New Testament lessons (Epistle and Gospel) is loaded into the DCS.
There is a new index of the musical scores and audio recordings ("Media Lists") on the Sacraments and Services page.
New scores in Byzantine notation for the Great Doxology and Sunday Troparion in the Eight Modes, produced by Georgios Theodoridis.
New scores in Byzantine notation for the Small and Great Paraklesis produced by Georgios Theodoridis. Also, updated Sunday Matins hymns for the first six modes are now available with audio.
New translation and score for the Lauds Glory of the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (July 16). Update for Mode pl. 2 Sunday Matins is also complete.
The text of the Doxoloxy service for the Greek Revolution has been inserted at the end of the Liturgy files of March 25.
A new and improved translation of the Mode 3 Kathisma, "Tin Oraiotita," has replaced what was known as "Seeing how beautiful." The first instance of this will be on Feb. 19 at Sunday Matins. It will also appear as the final hymn at the Salutations services on the Fridays of Lent. An new score is provided, with the previous version attached.
The services for Nov 2 (Sts. Acindynos, Pegasios, Aphthonios, Elpidophoros, and Anempodistos) have been updated and made festal, in honor of Archbishop Elpidophoros.