2020 september final · 2020. 9. 1. · page 2 ministry happenings philoptochos donation...

2020 SEPTEMBER WORD 1

“And the Word became flesh & dwelt among us, full of grace & truth.”

~John 1:14

Liturgies & ReadingsUpcoming Services

for SeptemberPage 2

Ministry HappeningsPhiloptochos

Donation OpportunitiesPage 6

Effie FourakisElektra Fourakis

Parish CouncilBeyond 50UpdatesPage 3

September Name Days

CalendarPage 12

September 2020

N A T I V I T Y O F C H R I S T G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H

The WordThe Word

Outreach MinistrySack LunchesFace Masks

Page 8

Elektra FourakisNovember 14, 1997 – August 23, 2020

Elektra was born and baptized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UCSF hospital on a rainy day in November, with unprecedented thunder and lightning, causing a titanic shift in our lives. The weeks and months after Elektra’s birth were the most difficult time of our lives, second only to the pain we feel now.

Elektra was born during the height of FDF-prep time for the Minoans. Her first open heart surgery was scheduled for the week after FDF. Vasilis met with the Minoans, offering a substitute director to take the groups to FDF. They said no way, no FDF without us. That support, and the support of our entire

Nativity community, helped carry us through those early days of uncertainty, the periods of Elektra’s illnesses and hospitalizations and especially now as we say goodbye to our Shining Star.

We never gave up hope for Elektra. God blessed us with over 22 years of love and a joy that could not be diminished by her condition. We walked a fine line between babying her and pushing her. She knew she had a very serious condition but she didn’t let that interfere with her plans. Elektra did not dwell on her health or her limitations and she led a full, happy, accomplished life. She spent many days and nights in the hospital. I slept by her bed every night and she made the best of it planning movies and coloring together, like a sleepover. She was essence of bravery and considered herself a Heart Warrior.

Continued on Page 14

2 2020 SEPTEMBER WORD

All Divine Services on Sundays and weekdays begin with Orthros at 8:30 am followed by the Divine Liturgy.

All services will be streamed on Facebook Live.

September Services and Readings

Sept 6 Sun 13th Sunday of Matthew I Corinthians 16:13-24 Matthew 21:33-42

Sept 8 Tues Nativity of the Theotokos Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

Sept 13 Sun Sunday before Holy Cross Galatians 6:11-18 John 3:13-17

Sept 14 Mon Exaltation of the Holy Cross I Corinthians 1:18-24 John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30

Sept 20 Sun Sunday after Holy Cross Galatians 2:16-20 Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

Sept 26 Sat Falling Asleep of St. John the Theologian I John 4:12-19 John 19:25-27; 21:24-25

Sept 27 Sun 1st Sunday of Luke II Corinthians 6:1-10 Luke 5:1-11

Connect • Engage • Grow

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving CrossSaint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, “Lord have mercy.” It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.

https://www.nativityofchrist.org/services-live-stream/

https://www.nativityofchrist.org/services-live-stream/


Parish Council UpdateConnect • Engage • Grow

Warmest greetings to you and your families from the Parish Council. We hope and pray that everyone continues to be healthy and safe.

It is often said that people, companies, and organizations are measured not by how successful they are in avoiding challenges, but rather in how successful they are in responding to them. I think we can all agree that nearly every aspect of our society is being measured by that standard right now. And that includes our beloved Nativity of Christ. With that in mind, I would like to share with you a few examples of how I believe our parish is rising up to successfully meet the challenges of the moment.

As a result of the pandemic, it would have been easy and convenient for our parish to stop, or at least “slow down,” on many of the important initiatives we established for ourselves this year. And who would have blamed us? But, amidst all of the uncertainty and, more importantly, under the backdrop of our Beyond 50 Strategic Plan, let me tell you what we’ve accomplished.

• We have donated more than one thousand sack lunches to St. Vincent’s, in order to feed the less fortunate. This is an ongoing program and a beautiful example of our continued service to the poor and needy. A huge thank you to all those involved!

• We have added 20 new Stewards to the Nativity family this year and are actually trending ahead of our forecasted financial goal. Thank you to the efforts of our Stewardship Committee and to all of our amazing Stewards! We are truly blessed with a dedicated community.

• We have reinvested in our beautiful campus and facilities. In addition to the new floors and paint that were already added to the lower level of the administration and classroom building, we are now embarking on a project to add new flooring to the upper level as well. This was made possible by the generosity of a parishioner who was inspired by the work already done. We have also approved a renovation of the kitchen in the large hall. Again, this was made possible through generous donations by fellow parishioners and the use of dedicated restricted funds. We can’t wait for the moment to welcome everyone back so that they can see the results!

• Finally, we have taken the necessary steps to protect the church from any unforeseen financial distress. As was reported previously, we have temporarily suspended double payments on the parish home and have built up our unrestricted reserves to more than $200,000.

I’d like to end by acknowledging that, in light of our good news, we have also experienced profound loss during this time. The recent passing of two pillars of our Nativity community – Charles Walters and Loula Fourakis, was difficult, but I hope and pray that we are making them proud with all of the good work we are doing. What is even more challenging is the very recent falling asleep of our beloved Elektra Fourakis. She has been a joy and inspiration to our community her entire life. We grieve together with the Fourakis family and wish them God’s grace as they mourn the loss of two dear family members. May all of their memories be eternal.

Please feel free to reach out to me, Father John, or any member of the Parish Council with questions and/or comments. Oh, and we’ll accept compliments too!

Please continue to stay safe. God bless you all.

In Christ’s love –

Steve Rouman


Accomplishments in First 8 MonthsWe finished the first eight (8) months of our 60 month (Five Year) Beyond 50 Plan.

We have accomplished many actions to reach our Goals despite the pandemic!

Expand and Continue Service to the Poor and Needy Community Outreach Ministrya. Confirmed volunteer opportunities at three Marin County charities.b. Recruited volunteer teams (Before March in person volunteering

occurred).c. Made St. Vincent de Paul bagged meals (More than 1,000 thus far).d. Developed logo for volunteer shirt. e. Created labels to put on bagged meals and hygiene kits (Made with

Love from Nativity of Christ).f. Making 200 hygiene kits for homeless.g. Ordered name tags for volunteers.h. Philoptochos, Youth, and Outreach Ministries coordinated to help the

poor and needy.

Beyond 50

Initiate New Church Membership Growth Strategies a. Welcome Ministry: Had first New Stewards

dinner in January. Fiftieth Anniversary Book almost finished, so that welcome baskets can be created for New Stewards. Considering virtual receptions in light of continued pandemic restrictions.

b. Narthex Greeters Ministry: Had a total of 28 Greeters in this growing ministry to welcome people to Church. Due to pandemic, new volunteers recruited to welcome and perform safety procedures. Twelve more new volunteers for a new total of 40, now in the Narthex Greeter Ministry.

Enhance and Improve Internal OperationsGood Governance Materials and Training, Software, and Applications a. Developed first draft of policy and procedures

manual, including an emergency evacuation plan.

b. Researched, proposed, and accepted Zoom to be installed in February to allow parishioners to participate in ministries from home. Now used for many of our ministry and parishioner communications due to pandemic.

c. Researched One Call Now to be the additional new communication tool to relay information by text and voicemail to parishioners.

Expand and Increase Support for Existing Parish Ministries a. Renovations of Classroom and Office Building: Floors, painting,

electrical completed to improve the safety and functionality of our facilities for all our ministries, but especially the youth ministries (GOYA, Sunday School, GEM). This fall planning to replace floor in upper classrooms.

b. IT and Media upgrades in classrooms: TVs purchased and IT and electrical connections made or improved.

c. Greek Experience Ministry: Changed name from Greek School to Greek Experience Ministry (GEM) to better implement the Beyond 50 Plan for this ministry.

d. Other Ministries: Most have adapted to virtual meetings to accomplish some of their Beyond 50 Goals.


Above Photo from https://www.vinnies.org/need-help/hungry/

https://www.vinnies.org/need-help/hungry/





Beyond 50Connect • Engage • Grow

The Power of FaithWe don’t know when or how the viral pandemic that assaults the world will ultimately subside. However, what we do know is that if we want to keep the bright and glorious presence of God burning within us, we will do well to take to heart this teaching of Mother Teresa: “To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” The oil that we must continue to put into the lamp of the Holy Orthodox Faith is twofold: 1) our personal faith that God loves each and every one of us and cares for each and everyone one of us, and 2) that the difference between the rich and the wealthy is that the rich count their dollars but the wealthy count their blessings.Please consider giving your Stewardship online at https://www.nativityofchrist.org/resources/.

Develop and Increase Financial Resources 1. Stewardship Ministry: Developed improved

materials, Stewardship is above last year in new Stewards, amount pledged, and amount received.

2. Beyond 50 Campaigna. Developed materials to visually explain the

Beyond 50 Plan and initiate personal visits. b. Had first training for parishioner personal

visits.c. Developed pledge sheets, reporting and

tabulating sheets for volunteers and the Church Office.

d. Campaign on pause and might start virtually if we are not able to visit parishioners in person soon.

Enhance and Improve FacilitiesMain Kitchen Remodel: Plans completed. Source of funding is restricted funds, including Beyond 50 Funds, as approved. Demolition has started. Demolition is followed by the painting of the walls and ceiling frames, new lights, new ceiling tiles, water pot filler by stoves, additional handwashing sink, new cabinets in kitchen and laundry room, and stainless steel countertops. Many improvements will help us in continuing our temporary food permits from the Marin Health Department because of cleaning and new hygienic surfaces. The Beyond Plan also has an average of $50,000 a year in maintenance. Maintenance is a part of most major projects.

Stewardship

https://www.nativityofchrist.org/resources/

https://www.nativityofchrist.org/resources/


Board OfficersDina Camamis, President, 415-456-6336, [email protected] Cathy Selmi, Vice President, 415-246-1760, [email protected] Medan, Treasurer, 707-529-7441, [email protected] Meehan, Recording Secretary, 415-497-7674, [email protected] Kosmas, Corresponding Secretary, 415-999-0897, [email protected] Hunter, Advisor, 415-497-8300, [email protected] Members: Connie Captanian, Carol Economy, Cindy Daifotis, Vickie Hatos, Karen Keller, Stassie Sideris, Susan Stockton, Patrice Trevoledes, and Stacey Weeks

Upcoming Philoptochos DatesTuesday, September 1, 6:30 pm: General Meeting, via ZoomSeptember 1-27, 2020: Whistlestop Mask Project

PhiloptochosConnect • Engage • Grow

Whistlestop Mask ProjectFor those who don’t know, Whistlestop is a community non-profit providing key services to those in need, including meals, transportation, connection, and virtual classes. Since the pandemic, new services include distributing masks.

Mask makers: We need your skills to make 100% cotton masks. All thumbs? You can still do your part.

From September 1-27, we will also be collecting fabric for mask-making. Fabric needs to be 100% cotton, no blends or knits. Quilting cotton is perfect. Whistlestop prefers the fabric be at least a yard long and 42-45” wide, to maximize the number of masks made from each piece. Drop fabric and masks in the bin outside the Church Office. Monetary donations are also accepted. Write your check to Philoptochos, with Whistlestop Mask in the memo line.

Contact Irene Meehan (see flyer on page 7).

Feeding the HomelessOn August 22, Philoptochos and Community Outreach, in furtherance of our Beyond 50 Plan, sponsored another round of bag lunches for the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul. It showed the best of us: multi-generational, fun, and filled with love. Many thanks to those who offered their time and treasure. Special thanks to Marina Medan for the donation of her marvelous cookies, and to Dina’s special friends, Lainey and Amaya Scott, for decorating the bags.

It’s a New YearThat the last months have been strange is an understatement. We’ve all been affected by Covid-19, some more than others, but no one more than those already in need. Philoptochos, in response, will be gearing up with gusto. But to be effective, we need the participation of all.

How can you help? Say yes. Yes, I will offer my time. Yes, I will make a donation. Yes to membership. Yes to a call to action. A phone call, an hour, the price of a weekly coffee … multiply that and there’s little we can’t accomplish. But we can’t do it without you.

mailto:[email protected]











Travel size bottles of ... -Liquid hand soap-Shampoo-Conditioner-Hand Sanitizer-Tooth Brush-Tooth Paste-Socks-Shaving Razor-Shaving Cream-Granola Bars-Non-Perishable Single Use FoodItemsBonus Items: -Moist Towelettes (Single Use)-Sewing Kit-Gum-Beanie-Chapstick-Gloves/Poncho-Sunscreen & Aloe Vera

Nativity of ChristNativity of ChristHygiene Kit DriveHygiene Kit DriveAbout the Downtown Streets

Team & Marin Mobile Care

Downtown Streets Team is avolunteer work experience program

for those experiencinghomelessness that provides men

and women with the resources theyneed to rebuild their lives.

Marin Mobile Care is their Marinoutreach program, that brings

mobile showers to those in need.

With our support of 200 kits,they will be able to continue

offering these services tothose who need it most.

What to donate:

Donate by bringingDonate by bringingsupplies to thesupplies to the

church office bychurch office bySeptember 10thSeptember 10th











What to donate:













What to donate:



Donate by bringing supplies to the

Church Office by September 10.

Place in the box outside the Office if

no one is there.











What to donate:



Outreach OpportunitiesConnect • Engage • Grow

PhiloptochosPresents

WhistlestopMaskProjectSeptember1-27,2020

Fabric,Dollars,orYourOwnHandmade100%CottonMasksAccepted

ForinformationonWhistlestop,fabricrequirements,andwheretodonate,seePhiloptochosarticleinthismonth’sWord.

OrcontactIreneMeehan,415-497-7674,[email protected].


Outreach: A Message from St. Vincent de PaulConnect • Engage • Grow

Masks for St. Vincent de PaulWe thank our college bound parishioner, Scout Matthew Frey, for making more than 175 masks as part of his Eagle Scout project for Nativity of Christ to donate to St. Vincent de Paul in San Rafael. His contribution was graciously received at Nativity of Christ by St. Vincent’s volunteer coordinator, Meredith Parnell. May our Lord continue to keep us all safe and healthy!

Now more than ever, our Marin County community is relying on the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin (Vinnies) to help make ends meet. And, in turn, Vinnies is relying heavily on volunteers to help us fulfill our mission to p r e v e n t h u n g e r a n d

homelessness for seniors, veterans, and families in Marin. People like you!

Despite a sharply increased need and the many challenges of Covid-19, Vinnies remains hard at work on the frontlines. We are continuing to field hundreds of calls for rental assistance to prevent people from falling into homelessness and to meet with our unhoused clients for help with things like bus tickets, car registration, and security deposits for housing. And, most critically, we are feeding people every day with the help of individuals, families and institutions like Nativity of Christ. We are proud of the fact that since our Free Dining Room opened in 1981, we have served breakfast and lunch 365 days a year, despite power outages and pandemics, and we could not have done it without our volunteers!

Thank you for helping us continue our mission as a volunteer-drive organization to feed, house, and care for Marin’s most vulnerable residents!

Stay Safe,

Meredith Parnell, Volunteer CoordinatorSt. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin


Outreach UpdatesConnect • Engage • Grow

Through the efforts of our volunteers and generous parishioners, between February and August, Nativity of Christ provided more than 1,200 sack meals to St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room in San Rafael to distribute to the needy. In August, GOYA families and Philoptochos each coordinated a sack meal project, and in the months ahead, we hope to have other ministries participate.

St. Vincent’s free dining room is open year round, seven days a week. Meals are given to anyone who asks - folks who are housed but have lost income due to Covid-19, people who are living on the street, and people who are the working poor. Moreover, St. Vincent’s has seen an increase in families asking for lunches. Due to the overall increase in need, Nativity of Christ strives to increase its sack meal contributions to twice monthly to meet our Beyond 50 Plan goals.

The scheduled sack meal projects in September are on Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 26, both starting at 11:30 am at the Nativity of Christ Church. Social distancing and other safety measures are practiced. If you would like to donate toward the purchase of the food, please mail a check to the church and earmark it for the “Sack Lunches.” Donations of food items are also welcome, including peanut butter, jam, apples, oranges, or small individual bags of chips or cookies. Please feel free to contact Cheryl Messner ([email protected]) with any questions or to volunteer for the September 4 or September 26 sack meal projects.




Sunday SchoolConnect • Engage • Grow

Register, Register, Register!Please register here https://forms.gle/XikrGRhHBAyMcpk16 for Sunday School and join Google Classroom.

gwtvfk4 9th - 12th Grade 6a7ckgs 5th - 8th Grade eyh3r2j 2nd - 4th Grade nxxf5yv PreK - 1st Grade

Important updates come through both channels and knowing how many students to expect per grade level groups allows teachers to plan accordingly. Theme/FocusOur first semester theme is the Divine Liturgy. We will be talking about what we see and do in church at Liturgy, how the Liturgy is the work of the people, our role in Liturgy and more.

Classes will continue to discuss the scripture readings and saints of the church throughout the year. More updates weekly via email and Google Classroom and of course our Nativity of Christ Word Bulletin.

Orthodox Greetings/WishesYou know we greet one another on Pascha/Easter with Christ Is Risen, Truly He Is Risen, but did you know we have other greetings throughout the year? Here are a couple!On Name days: When we celebrate our name day, we do say Happy Name day, but did you also know we wish one another “Many Years” or in Greek, Chronia Polla?Can you think of other times when we wish a person “Many Years”?And we are really saying: May God grant you many years!Everyday: We can say “Christ is in our Midst” and the response? “He is and ever shall be!” What a beautiful greeting as it states our faith that we believe in a living God!

WelcomeWelcome to another year of Sunday School at Nativity of Christ! Until it is safe to return to campus, our classes will continue to be virtual on Zoom.

We are excited to see your children online each week at 11 am. Links will be sent out on Sunday mornings. Relatives and friends are welcome to join the fellowship and learning each week.

Staff NewsCongratulations to Andy Stenros on securing her first public school teaching job. Although she is moving to Scotts Valley, she will continue to teach our Nativity High School students via Zoom. We know she will do very well and we also know that the Scotts Valley School District is gaining an amazing teacher whose students will be very blessed under her guidance.

Help NeededWe are looking for community members to join our teaching team. Responsibilities include planning lessons, teaming with other teachers, facilitating activities and discussions on Zoom. Please email Christina or Andy at [email protected] if you can assist as a substitute or if you would like to join our staff permanently.

https://forms.gle/XikrGRhHBAyMcpk16











The Dormition of the TheotokosConnect • Engage • Grow

How to donate to the Nativity of Christ from your IRA if you are over 72 (born after 7/1/1949)Using a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a great way for folks over 72 with an IRA who need to withdraw funds to meet a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) to contribute to Nativity’s operating fund or Capital Campaign fund. The money you contribute to Nativity using a QCD is not included in your adjusted gross income on your tax return, which is a better option than listing the donation as a simple charitable contribution. According to the IRS:

A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is generally a nontaxable distribution made directly by the trustee of your IRA (other than a SEP or SIMPLE IRA) to an organization eligible to receive tax deductible contributions. You must be at least age 70½ when the distribution was made. Also, you must have the same type of acknowledgment of your contribution that you would need to claim a deduction for charitable contribution.

A Lasting Gift for the Church – (Planned Giving)A bequest or gift through your will is one of the simplest ways to make a lasting gift to the Church. Please consult your financial advisor for advice. A suggested wording: I hereby bequeath the sum of $___________ as a charitable bequest to the Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church of Novato (Tax ID23-7122395) to be used for charitable purposes of the Church.

On Saturday, August 15, a beautiful Divine Liturgy was celebrated, and we thank Peter and Maria Passaris for offering the Blessing of the Loaves (Artoklasia) for the health and wellbeing of their family and the entire community. May the Panaghia continue to guide and protect our community!


It is the practice of our Church to give the name of a Saint to a newborn child. By assuming the name of a Saint, we honor the Saint, and we also provide the new Christian with an example worthy of emulation. The Saint then becomes the Patron of the child, and we pray that through the Saint’s intercessions, God will guide and protect the child throughout the child’s life. Each month we will be acknowledging in our monthly bulletin, those celebrating their name day.If by chance we accidentally missed someone’s name day, we ask that you please contact the Church Office so that we may correct our records. We extend our prayers to all those celebrating their name day in September and beseech our heavenly Father to grant them many years!

Sept. 1: St. AthenaAthena LoweAthena PutrusSept. 1: St. AfroditiEffie FourakisSept 5: Sts. Zacharias and Elizabeth Lisa AdamsElizabeth FarmerZachary GeorgesonElisabeth MunteanLiz RoumanElizabeth XydasBetty Zootis

Sept 7: St. KassianiDoris WoodsJenny WaltersSept 9: Sts. Joachim and AnnaAnna BalopoulosAnna CordellosAnnie GarverAnn GeorgeAnn GigounasAnna KoskinarisAnna KozasAnna StratakisAnna SmyrniAnna WildermuthAnn YioulosSept 11: St. EvantheaEvanthia Pappas

Sept 13: St. AristidesAri BoosalisSept 14: Exaltation of the Holy CrossStavros FourakisSteve RoumanSept. 17: St. SophiaSophia EliopoulosSofia GeorgesonSofia KakleasSophia MetallinosSophia MontoyaSophia PassarisSophia RizzutiSophia StathisSophia StathisSophia Simos

September Name DaysConnect • Engage • Grow

Sign up at www.escrip.com so a percentage of all purchases made at eScrip merchants will be donated to Nativity of Christ. Participating merchants contribute each time your families make a purchase. There are no receipts to collect or vouchers to buy. It is hassle free, and every purchase counts! The Group ID for Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church is 500021821.

Did you know you can use AmazonSmile to support Nativity of Christ? Start your shopping at www.smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church.

http://www.escrip.com/

http://www.smile.amazon.com/

http://www.escrip.com/

http://www.smile.amazon.com/


September 2020 Calendar



Elektra graduated from high school in 2017, receiving an award for her resilience and determination. While in high school Elektra started her own dog treat business. She received academic scholarships from Nativity, Polirinia Cretan chapter, the Pancretan Association of America and Dominican University. She learned sign language and last year got her driver’s license and an independence she thoroughly enjoyed, with her bright red Kia Soul driving her scooter and hearing dog Cleo to classes every day. She completed three years at

Dominican University of California studying Global Public Health. She was very opinionated about anti-vaxxers, face masks, voting and social justice. Her dream was to become a pediatric cardiac nurse, inspired by so many wonderful nurses she met over the years.

A highlight of Elektra’s life was Greek dance. Elektra was extremely shy and would not speak in class, but she could command the attention of hundreds of people when she danced her solo at the festival and FDF. She loved swimming and floating at the beach in Crete, Lake Camanche, our pool and Hawaii. She attended 22 FDFs and in 2010 performed one month after her 2nd open heart surgery at 12 years old.

We were blessed to spend the days leading up to her death at Lake Camanche doing her favorite things: swimming, boating, floating and camping. During the day she floated in the water, in the kayak or on the stand-up paddle board with our dogs Max and Cleo. We got to experience the perfect vacation and the happiest days of our family life and we will always cherish those memories.

Elektra’s death was untimely for us but not unexpected. She taught us that being physically challenged does not mean you are disabled. She taught us to experience and be grateful for every moment. She tried to do so many things but her body just couldn’t keep up. She had spunk, she was sassy, she was stubborn and she was a spitfire.

She is our shining star.

She is our hero.

She will live forever in our hearts.

Elektra Fourakis Connect • Engage • GrowContinued from Page 1


2020 Pledged Stewards of Nativity of Christ (As of August 26 2020)

Presiding Priest Fr. John & Pres. Stephanie Kocolas

Priest Emeritus Fr. Constantine & Pres. Kay Efstathiu Pres. Evelyn Adams

Aaron, Steven & Eva Adams, Bill & Lisa Αnderson, Frances Angelonides, Peter & Arlene Antonis, Chris & Keri Arango, Pat Argyres, Andreas & Joanne Baird, Maria Balopoulos, Michael & Anna Batbie, Donald & Barbara Bechaka, Sonia Bertolina, Ronald & Elaine Bizani, Alexandra Blasingame, David & Katina Bryan, Keith & Karry Brzycki, Jeffrey & Tracy Langley Botaitis, Demetri Burrows, Bill & Floretta Camamis, Dina Capetanos, Bill & Chrisoula Captanian, Ted & Constance Castro, Jeff & Joanna Catel, Paraskevi Ceglarz, Jason & Alexandra Orologas Cerecedes, Frank & Dawne Chyrklund, Chris & Elaine Constantin, Gus & Mary Jane Corcoran, Bruce & Fran Cordellos, Dennis & Anna Couch, George & Katherine Cummings, Nathan & Daphne Cunningham, Kenn & Elaine Daifotis, Kimon & Cindy Degaitis, Julia Della Cella, Joesph & Kathryn Kalabokes Delfino, Kenn & Carrie Delis, Nicholas & Stephanie Demakas, George Diamond, Jason & Vickie Economy, Carol Efstathiu, Paul & Kristin Eggleston, Philip & Angela El-Far, Karim & Jasmin Eliopoulos, Sophia Evind, Thomas Fafoutis, Diane Ferber, John & Pamela Flohr, Dave & Diane Fotinos, Vivian Franklin, Alexandra Friedman, Peter & Katina Pantazes Fuss, Patrick & Susan Andrek Gagas, Charles & Claire Galamakis, Argyris & Chrissy Zotalis Gasparini, Daniel & Alexis

Gavallos, Constantina Gavallos, Victor D. George, Pete & Ann Georgeson, George & Debbie Georgeson, Trevor & Louise Geron, Diana Gikkas, Pete & Vickie Hatos Gikkas, Stephanie Giusti, Nonie Grey, Constance Haginicols, Charles & Amalia Hajopoulos, Kathy Hall, Bryan & Paula Plessas-Hall Hanis, Jim & Stella Haralambopoulos, Constantine & Ria Haris, Nico & Niki Haritoudis, Stamatia Harris, Helen Harvey, Robert & Elaine Hawes, Nikolaos Hawes, Shyrle Hawes, Warren & Chryse Hontalas, Chris & Susan Hontalas, Frank & Evie Hundley, Courtney & Marilyn Hunter, John & Rose Iannios, Demetrios & Manulani Kakleas, Jon & Michelle Kalabokes, Chris & Vicki Kalabokes, Matthew Kamages, Alex & Sherry Kamages, Christ & Patricia Kambur, Jim & Joanne Kanas, Nick & Carolynn Karavolos, Michael Katsaros, Eleni Katselis, Anthony & Karin Kavantjas, Diane Keller, Edward & Karen Knapp, Derek & Megan Papedo Kocolas, Andoni & Alexia Kokalis, George & Debbie Kosmas, Anthony & Anthonia Kosturos, John Kozas, Anna Kozas, Tom & Angie Kozas, Nonda & Nicole Kuvelis, Dean & Denise Lagios, Michael & Sheila Lendaris, Antonia Lendaris, George Livanos, Nicholas & Patricia Lynn, Tom & Lucy Madias, Alex & Robyn Madias, Constantine & Marti Madias, Michael & Laurie Madias, Theodore Mandanis, Marjorie Manesis, Alexandria Mantalvanos, Alex & Maria Margaronis, Anastasi & Maya Marshall, Philip & Kathy Mavrantonis, Antoni & Maureen Maguire

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THE WORD SEPTEMBER 2020

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