fr. christodoulos · on sunday, march rd, members on duty: harry s. oin, steve eckert, mary rankin,...
TRANSCRIPT
1
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Mallard Pic-
tures
2
March Calen-
dar
3
March Service
Schedule
5
Stewardship
Message
7
General As-
sembly Notice
8
Community
News
10
Mardi Gras
Pictures
11
The Trophybearer M A R C H 2 0 1 4
C H U R C H
S T A F F
Parish Priest/Editor:
Fr. Christodoulos
Margellos
Parish Council Presi-
dent: Mary Rankin
Office Secretary:
Candice Kalman
Philoptochos Presi-
dent: Susan Matos
Sunday School Direc-
tor: Dn Paul Speed
LIVING THE FEAST
We have begun the Triodion a period of time spanning the three weeks before Great Lent lasting until
we stand before the empty tomb of the Risen Lord. As we find ourselves, therefore, on the verge of yet
another Pascha, we must collectively ask ourselves, “How have we prayed? How have we fasted? How
have we humbled ourselves?”
All too often, the lessons that we learn at the onset of the Great 40 Days are lost by the time we find
ourselves proclaiming the Resurrected Lord. We are caught up in the preparation of the feast; even attend-
ing the services themselves during Holy Week can become a distraction. Distractions indeed thrive and
the disharmony can be such that, if we give ear to these distractions, they will drown out the message that
the saints, fathers, mothers, and Christ Himself have prepared for us this Lenten season. They are most
sinister when we find ourselves in Church yet consumed with concerns that have no bearing on the true
celebration of the feast. Put simply, we are there but we are not there. We are at Church but not in
Church.
As Orthodox Christians we must never be content with our spiritual station in life. We must always
be engaged in a process of spiritual growth. Indeed, the Fourth Sunday of Lent is dedicated to that master
of spiritual growth, St. John Climacus, the author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Each Lenten season
should form layer upon layer in our spiritual development constantly enlightening us and propelling us to a
new level of communion with the Risen Lord. As we approach the end of Lent and the Holy and Great
Week, there are several concrete steps we can take during this most prayerful time of year:
Attend Services. The services of Great Lent and Holy Week are there for a reason. They exist not to
tell a story of some past event but rather to enlighten and nurture us in the faith. In order for these services
to have meaning for us, however, we must do more than simply listen to them, we must pray. This is why
it is so important to have the book present at all time during the service so that the words the chanter sings,
the priest exclaims, and the readers read, become our words and rest on our hearts rather than simply pass-
ing through our ears. For all of these sacred services we have books available to follow. Especially during
Holy Week, every Orthodox Christian should have in their possession a Holy Week Book from which the
service can be followed.
Bring the Season Home. The season of Lent and Holy Week should not be a discrete event that takes
place at Church but something that permeates every aspect of our life. From our fasting to the tenor of our
conversations, everything should reflect the soberness and magnitude of the feast we commemorate. What
are we filling ourselves with during this season? It does us no good if we fill our bodies with Lenten food
but our souls with candy and sweets. What about reading from one
of the many books with a Lenten theme from our bookstore instead
of watch TV constantly?
Most importantly, live the feast. Engage in acts of philanthro-
py, pray each and every day, keep Christ’s Passion and Resurrec-
tion at the forefront of our lives. We must make every effort not to
abandon our Savior at Golgotha! If we “live the feast” we will be
trimming the wicks and tending to the lamps of our souls like the
wise virgins. Should we neglect to do so, we may find ourselves
shut out of the bridal feast with the Bridegroom saying,
“Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.”
Fr. Christodoulos
MALLARDS GAME
WESTERN METROPOLIS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Sun
M
on
Tu
e
Wed
Th
u
Fri
Sat
1
2n
d S
atu
rday
of
Sou
ls
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 9
:30
a.m
.
2
Forg
ive
nes
s Su
nd
ay
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 1
0:0
0 a
.m.
Sun
day
Sch
oo
l
3
CLE
AN
MO
ND
AY
Gre
at C
om
plin
e:
6:0
0 p
.m.
4
5
Re
ligio
us
Edu
cati
on
9:3
0 a
.m. &
6:3
0 p
.m.
Pre
-San
ctifi
ed
Lit
urg
y: 5
:00
p.m
.
6
7
1st
Sal
uta
tio
n S
erv
ice
to
the
Th
eo
toko
s: 7
:00
p.m
.
8
3rd
Sat
urd
ay o
f So
uls
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 9
:30
a.m
.
9
Sun
day
of
Ort
ho
do
xy
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 1
0:0
0 a
.m.
Sun
day
Sch
oo
l
10
Gre
at C
om
plin
e:
6:0
0 p
.m.
11
Par
ish
Co
un
cil M
ee
tin
g
7:0
0 p
.m. G
reen
Ro
om
12
Re
ligio
us
Edu
cati
on
9:3
0 a
.m. &
6:3
0 p
.m.
Pre
-San
ctifi
ed
Lit
urg
y:
5:0
0 p
.m.
13
1
4 2
nd
Sal
uta
tio
n S
erv
ice
to
the
Th
eo
toko
s: 7
:00
p.m
.
15
16
Sun
day
Gre
gory
Pal
amas
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 1
0:0
0 a
.m.
Sun
day
Sch
oo
l - G
OY
A
17
18
19
2
0
21
3rd
Sal
uta
tio
n S
ervi
ce t
o
the
Th
eo
toko
s: 7
:00
p.m
.
22
23
Sun
day
of
the
Ho
ly C
ross
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 1
0:0
0 a
.m.
Sun
day
Sch
oo
l
24
Gre
at V
esp
ers
for
the
fe
ast
of
the
An
nu
nci
atio
n: 6
:00
p.m
.
25
Feas
t o
f th
e A
nn
un
ciati
on
of
the
Th
eo
toko
s:
Ort
hro
s: 8
:00
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 9
:00
a.m
.
26
Re
ligio
us
Edu
cati
on
9:3
0 a
.m. &
6:3
0 p
.m.
Pre
-San
ctifi
ed
Lit
urg
y:
5:0
0 p
.m.
27
2
8 4
th S
alu
tati
on
Se
rvic
e t
o
the
Th
eo
toko
s: 7
:00
p.m
.
29
30
Sun
day
of
Joh
n C
limac
us
Ort
hro
s: 8
:30
a.m
.
Div
ine
Lit
urg
y: 1
0:0
0 a
.m.
Ge
ne
ral A
ssem
bly
31
Gre
at C
om
plin
e:
6:0
0 p
.m.
Mar
ch 2
014
Fr. C
hri
sto
do
ulo
s o
ut
of
the
offi
ce.
Lead
ing
a re
trea
t in
Sio
ux
Cit
y, Io
wa
4
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Parish Council Minutes
14 January 2014
Members Present: Mike Patramanis, Harry S. Coin, Harry G. Coin, Brad Crosson, Gus Pappas, Mary Ran-kin, Joe Burmeister, Peter Matos, and Steve Eckert
Call to order: Council President Mary R. called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Father Christodoulos led the council in prayer.
Minutes: Joe B. moved and Gus P. seconded to approve the minutes of the December meeting. The motion was approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Gus P. noted a current deficit of about $2,600.00 with only $800 deposited last Sunday. Mike P. moved and Harry S. C. seconded to approve a $5,000.00 transfer from the Festival Fund to the General Fund to meet current expenses. The motion was approved. Harry S. C. proposed the assets portion of the balance sheet be reviewed and updated. Steve E. and Gus P. will work on this with Har-ry S. helping as needed. Mike P. moved and Joe B. seconded to approve the report. The motion was ap-proved.
Foundation Report: Foundation chair Steve E. reported that as of today, the fund’s value is $547,264.49. Father reported that issues regarding the set-up of foundations had arisen within the Metropolis. Steve E. moved and Gus P. seconded to have the matter analyzed and make sure that the Foundation is correctly set up. The motion was approved. Harry S. Coin reminded the council to initiate as of January 2014 a sweep of funds in excess of $500,000.00 into less volatile money markets to protect the amount in the foundation. This is in accordance with the recommendations of the Foundation committee proposed at its October meeting and approved at the October council meeting.
Stewardship: Mary R. reported that pledges for 2014 currently stand at $72,928.00 from 46 households, compared to last year at this time of 44 pledges for $66,000. Year-end statements for 2013 will be sent out this week.
Building and Grounds: Father noted that the thermostat issue continues to be a problem, but with careful monitoring, replacement has been avoided so far. Harry G. Coin noted that the parking lot streetlights were not working at the November Ecumenical Thanksgiving service. Father and Jason Leon will investigate the matter.
Father’s Report:
Father is planning to restart the Senior Citizens Group in the near future. Stan and Kay Coin have offered to assist Father with setting up day trips, luncheons, etc.
The parish continues to field a Young Adult basketball team for the tournament in February in Minneap-olis.
Mardi Gras is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22 A wine-tasting event is proposed for May 3.
Old Business: Gary Coin has updated the parish’s insurance to follow the recommendations of the commit-tee chaired by John Stratton.
New Business: Mary R. welcomed the new members of the council and distributed lists for Sunday Council Duty and for committee chairs. The calendar for 2014 was set.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:31 p.m.
5
MARCH 2014 SERVICE SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 1st 2nd Saturday of Souls Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, March 2nd Forgiveness Sunday Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Cheesefare Sunday Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
Monday, March 3rd Great Compline 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 5th Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:00 p.m.
Friday, March 7th 1st Salutations Service to the Theotokos 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 8th 3rd Saturday of Souls Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, March 9th Sunday of Orthodoxy Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, March 9th Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers Vespers: 5:00 p.m.
Monday, March 10th Great Compline 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12th Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:00 p.m.
Friday, March 14th 2nd Salutation Service to the Theotokos 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 16th Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
Friday, March 21st 3rd Salutation Service to the Theotokos 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 23rd Sunday of the Holy Cross Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
Monday, March 24th Great Vespers for the Annunciation 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25th Annunciation of the Theotokos Orthros: 8:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, March 26th Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:00 p.m.
Friday, March 28th 4th Salutation Service to the Theotokos 7:00 a.m.
Sunday, March 30th Sunday of St. John Climacus Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
Monday, March 31st Great Compline 6:00 p.m.
6
March 2014 Parish Council Sunday Duty List
-Names in Parenthesis indicate team member to arrive by 9:30 a.m.
On Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 members on duty: (Mary Rankin, Mary Kay Eckert), Steve Eckert, Harry S. Coin.
On Sunday, March 9th, 2014 members on duty: (Joe Burmeister, Gus Pappas), Angela Spurgetis, Peter Matos.
On Sunday, March 16th, 2014 members on duty: (Tom Bakeris, Mike Patramanis), Harry G. Coin, Brad Crosson.
On Sunday, March 23rd, 2014 members on duty: (Harry S. Coin, Steve Eckert), Mary Rankin, Mary Kay Eckert.
On Sunday, March 30th, 2014 members on duty: (Angela Spurgetis, Peter Matos), Joe Burmeister, Gus Pappas.
Coffee Hour Hosts for March 2014
On Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 Coffee hour will be hosted by: Mary Kay Eckert & Marguerite Nelson.
On Sunday, March 9th, 2014 Coffee hour will be hosted by: Ted & Debbie Kutsunis.
On Sunday, March 16th 2014 Coffee hour will be hosted by: The family of John Lingris.
On Sunday, March 23rd, 2014 Coffee hour will be hosted by: Darcy Callas & Shan Corelis.
On Sunday, March 30th, 2014 Coffee hour will be hosted by: Mariellen Crosson & Von Lillios
READERS FOR MARCH 2014
On Sunday, March 2nd, 2014: Colleen Matos.
On Sunday, March 9th, 2014: Alexa Florence.
On Sunday, March 16th, 2014: Kay Coin.
On Sunday, March 23rd, 2014: Colleen Matos.
On Sunday, March 30th, 2014: Alexa Florence.
ALTAR BOY SERVICE SCHEDULE FOR MARCH 2014
On Sunday, March 2nd, 2014: Team 1 Gabriel Florence, Ethan Kirkpatrick, Andrew Leon, George Elias, Zach Elias, Gabriel Elias,
Tomas Elias.
On Sunday, March 9th, 2014: Team 2 Nikolas Jacobs, Alek Jacobs, John T. Jones, John Mott, Michael Pyevich, Ben Florence, Peter
Matos, Ian Matos.
On Sunday, March 16th, 2014: Team 1 Gabriel Florence, Ethan Kirkpatrick, Andrew Leon, George Elias, Zach Elias, Gabriel Elias,
Tomas Elias.
On Sunday, March 23rd, 2014: Team 2 Nikolas Jacobs, Alek Jacobs, John T. Jones, John Mott, Michael Pyevich, Ben Florence, Peter
Matos, Ian Matos.
On Sunday, March 30th, 2014: Team 1 Gabriel Florence, Ethan Kirkpatrick, Andrew Leon, George Elias, Zach Elias, Gabriel Elias,
Tomas Elias.
MARCH MEMORIALS
Sunday, March 16th 2014: John Lingris 1 year
7
8
Notification of the Spring General Assembly on March 30th, 2014
Dear St. George Stewards,
On Sunday, March 30th
, 2014, following the fellowship and coffee hour, we will be convening our Spring General Assembly in the Gold Room. Please make every effort to attend.
As a reminder, the General Assembly is a meeting of all members in good-standing. A mem-ber in good-standing is defined by the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese as any person eighteen years of age or older who was baptized according to the rites of the Ortho-dox Church, or was received into the Orthodox Church by Chrismation, who lives according to the faith and canons of the Orthodox Church, who has met his or her stewardship obliga-tion and abides by the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese and the by-laws of the Parish. Members in good-standing, in attendance, constitute a quorum of the General As-sembly.
A new member may vote in the General Assembly provided that they have been in good-standing at least three (3) months prior to the date of the General Assembly. If you would like to vote on any of the motions made during the General Assembly, you must be present. Ab-sentee ballots will not be counted.
2014 SPRING GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA March 30
th, 2014
1. CALL TO ORDER 2. OPENING PRAYER 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL REPORT 4. PRIEST REPORT 5. STEWARDSHIP REPORT 6. PHILOPTOCHOS REPORT 7. MARDI GRAS REPORT 8. FESTIVAL REPORT 9. OLD BUSINESS 10. NEW BUSINESS 11. CLOSING PRAYER 12. ADJOURNMENT
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
I have been approached by some who would like to have a section set aside within our bulletin to notify our pa-
rishioners of those in our community who are sick or in need of prayers. If you know of somebody who should be on
this list please contact Fr. Christodoulos at the church office. 309-786-8163 God Bless!
Ted Bagatelas Katherine Karoules
Helen Spurgetis Elaine Froumis
Steve Spurgetis Dianne Elaine Boardman
Deborah Kutsunis Janice Smirles
9
10
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: Will be on Tuesday, March 11th at 7:00 p.m. in the Green room.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: We will be continuing our classes on Wednesday, March 5th, 12th & 26th. Morning classes meet at
9:30 a.m. & Evening classes meet at 6:30 p.m. We are still working on Saint Porphyrios book “Wounded by Love” All are wel-
come to join us. Come learn about our faith together.
PARISH OUTING: On Wednesday, March 5th our religious education class will be going to see the new movie “Son of God” a
beautiful new movie dealing with the Life of Jesus. We will be meeting at the Regal Cinemas in Moline, IL at 4100 38th Street. We
will be meeting at the theater at 12:15 p.m. Join us for this movie on Christ’s life as a perfect way to kick off the Lenten season.
SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY: Following Divine Liturgy we will do the Procession of Icons. Our Sunday school kids will partici-
pate in the procession. If you would like to bring an icon from home for your child to use please feel free. Otherwise the church
will provide icons for the children. Please have your children in church on Sunday, March 9th for this important day in the history
of the church.
PAN ORTHODOX VESPERS: Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy will be chanted on Sunday, March 9th, at 5:00 p.m. at As-
sumption Greek Orthodox Church in East Moline. All Orthodox faithful are encouraged to attend and co-celebrate this historical
triumph of the Holy Church.
GOYA MEETING: Will be held on Sunday, March 16th at noon in the Library. All GOYA age children are encouraged to attend.
SENIOR GROUP: Beginning in May, St. George will be restarting our Senior Citizens group. We will meet from May until No-
vember, and have a lot of fun activates planned. Keep your eyes open for more information in next months Trophtbearer.
MOUNT ATHOS PILGRIMAGE: This last year with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos I was able to travel to
Greece and go to Mount Athos. I am hoping to go back here soon and have received a lot of interest from men who would like to be
part of a group to go along with myself and a couple of other priest. If you are interested in going to Mount Athos on a monastic
pilgrimage. Please contact Fr. Christodoulos for more details.
OUT OF THE OFFICE: On Monday, March 17th until Thursday, March 20th Fr. Christodoulos will be out of the office. He will
be traveling to Sioux City, IA to hear confessions and lead a retreat. He will be back in the office on Friday, March 21st.
REACHING OUT: In an attempt to reach out to former parishioners of St. George we are asking all members to please call the
church office with any former members who have fallen away from the church. Fr. Christodoulos will then reach out to them.
Please if you have anybody in mind please call the church office or speak with Fr. Christodoulos
KOLYVA FOR MEMORIALS: As many of us know in order to have a memorial in the Orthodox Church we need to have Koly-
va. Because of this we have started offering to make Kolyva for anyone who needs to have one and either does not have time or
does not know how to make them. We will charge $100.00 for a tray and it will be ready for Sundays. Families are welcome to
help with the making of the Kolyva as well. At a later date will also offer a class on Kolyva making so that we can teach more peo-
ple within the community to make Kolyva. For more information on ordering Kolyva contact the church office.
HOSPITAL VISITS: If you or a family member are in the hospital, please call the office. Ever since the change in the privacy
laws, hospitals are reluctant to call churches. Please call us so that we can avoid missing our parishioners in their time of need.
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) TUTORING: Individualized tutoring for those whose first language is not
English is available at St. George at no charge to parishioners. Hour-long sessions are held in the classroom next to the Library and
can be scheduled Tuesday-Friday during the day or at evening. Instruction is tailored to the needs of the student. Call Kathy at 793-
0032 for more information or to schedule a time.
HOUSE CLEANING: One of our New Parishioner's Dehab Debessay from Eritrea is doing house and office cleaning. She is a
mother of seven children and has owned a restaurant and a hotel for over 20 years. Currently she is looking for a work in house and
office cleaning. She is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. In case there is a need for work after 5:00
pm, she is also willing to do the service. Anyone who is interested please call 309-3259663.
EVENING MEAL: For March will be hosted by Nick & Nancy Coin on Wednesday, March 26th.
Community News
11
MARDI GRAS 2014
12
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
2930 31st Ave
Rock Island, IL 61201
Phone: 309-786-8163
Fax: 309-786-8188
Priest Email: [email protected]
Office Email: [email protected]
www.stgeorgeri.il.goarch.org/
LENT AND EASTER DONATIONS: Throughout the
year, many parishioners ask if there is anything special that the
church needs. During Great Lent, Holy Week and Easter there
are items that are necessary for worship. Those individuals or
families wishing to donate towards any of the following items
should contact the church office.
Flowered Frame Nymphios Icon: $150
Flowered Wreath for Holy Thursday: $150
12 Candles for Holy Thursday: $100
Linen White Bed Sheet for Good Friday: $20
Flowered Frame Resurrection Icon: $150
25 Easter Lillies: $15 each
Flowered Frame St. George Icon for Feastday of the
Church: $150