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ST. PAUL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 4548 Wallings Road • North Royalton, Ohio 44133-3121
(440) 237-8998 · (440) 237-4386 fax
E-mail address: [email protected]
www.stpaulgoc.org A Parish under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh
THE MESSENGER A Monthly Publication of St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church MAY 2016
INSIDE
CLERGY REFLECTIONS
MINISTRIES OF THE CHURCH
MONTHLY CALENDAR
PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES
STEWARDSHIP NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
YOUTH NEWS
Christ is Risen!
Χριστός Ανέστη! Χριστός Ανέστη εκ νεκρών, θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας, καί τοίς εν τοίς μνήμασι, ζωήν, χαρισάμενος. Christos anesti ek nekron, thanato thanaton patisas, ke tis en ti mnimasi zoi, harisamenos. Christ is Risen from the dead! By death He has tram-pled upon death, and to those in the tombs He is, be-stowing life. Glory to His third day Resur-rection! We worship His third day Resurrection!
PAGE 2 THE MESSENGER
St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church ~ North Royalton OH
The following ministries are the lifeblood of our parish and perform many activities to promote the growth of our church. Your participation in these organizations makes our community more spiritually complete.
Philoptochos Stephanie Ocker Coffee Socials Pam Sitter Festival Michael Lignos John Trihas Messenger Editor Elaine Nackowiz Welcome Committee Helen Dadas Choir Director Vaso Boukis Cantor Nicholas Bodle Organist Matthew Walters Bookstore Jim & Karen Sullivan
ST. PAUL FAMILY MINISTRY COMMISSION Chairman HOPE / JOY Father Michael Gavrilos GOYA Coordinator Father Michael Gavrilos OCF Maribeth Lekas Altar Boys Father Michael Gavrilos Religious Education Presv. Nicole Keares Bible Study Frank Chirakos Father Costas Keares Women’s Study Group Elaine Poulos VCS Amber Rahas Annoula Tsonton Greek School Kathy Glaros Greek Corner Maria Karlatiras PTO Debbie Gemelas Senior Fellowship Maria Regan Hellenic Dance Director Eleni Johnson
Deadline for all articles and Organization Minutes is the 1st of the month. Please keep this in mind! Items can be e-mailed to [email protected].
Like our PAGE to keep up to date
on the happenings of our parish. Even if you are not on Facebook, you can view our postings on the Home page of our website.
CLERGY
Priest Rev. Fr. Costas P. Keares, Proistamenos
Assistant Priest Rev. Fr. Michael A. Gavrilos
ECCLESIARCH Bruce W. Trakas
PARISH COUNCIL President John Trihas Vice President Michael Lignos Secretary Rhonee Trakas-Iula Financial Secretary Dennis Diamond Treasurer George Anagnostou
Anthone Colovas Stephanie Ocker Alex Dadas Nicolas Parianos Arthur S. Karas Irene Pontikos Jason Kouvaras William Regan Thalia Marakas Dr. Michael Saridakis
OFFICE SECRETARY/BOOKKEEPER Elaine Nackowiz CUSTODIAN Antonios Moraitis LEGAL ADVISOR Ken Boukis NEOKOROS Tom Sperellis
STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Bylaws John Trihas Catering / Leasing John Trihas/Arthur Karas Family Ministry Thalia Marakas Finance Michael Lignos Home Michael Lignos Human Resources Alex Dadas
Membership S. Ocker / J. Kouvaras Public Relations Father Costas Keares Stewardship Dennis Diamond Ways & Means Irene Pontikos Real Estate Management Arthur S. Karas
SPECIAL COMMITTEE: Vision Dr. Michael Saridakis John Trihas 50th Anniversary Co-Chair Kathryn Tirpodis
Telephone: (440) 237-8998 Fax: (440) 237-4386 Catering: (440) 582-1083 Website: www.stpaulgoc.org Office E-Mail: [email protected] Fr. Costas E-Mail: [email protected] Fr. Costas Cell: (440) 669-1316 Fr. Michael E-mail: [email protected] Fr. Michael Cell: (412) 737-1376
MAY 2016 PAGE 3
Pastoral Reflections by Father Costas
Beloved parishioners, I greet you with the proclama-tion of our faith, CHRIST IS RISEN! CHRISTOS ANESTI!
We’ve traversed the period of Great Lent and now we rejoice in the season of our Lord’s glorious Resurrec-tion. Christians in the first century had a strange cus-tom. When one of their fellow Christians would die, they would march in procession to the graveyards, singing joyous hymns, and then they would place lau-rel wreaths on the graves, the same wreaths that the Greeks would use to crown the victors of athletic con-tests. Why did they do this? Because they believed that through Christ Jesus, all his followers have re-ceived victory over the power of death!
We see this same idea when we hear the Resurrection-al hymns of Pascha. In one such hymn chanted at the Holy Saturday morning at the Vesperal Liturgy, Hades is crying out in despair: “I wish I had not received Jesus, for He has broken my power. Christ has shattered the gates of hell, and He has raised up the souls which I have held captive!”
This is what we celebrate on Pascha! The day of Resur-rection! The day of Salvation! VICTORY! The day of ultimate victory of good over evil, hope over despair, light over darkness, joy over sadness, life over death! Easter is a day for new beginnings! For the good news of our Lord’s glorious Resurrection offers each one of us an opportunity to see life from a fundamentally new perspective, to begin life with a fresh and new start!
As a noted theologian writes, “With Christ’s Resurrec-tion everything was made new again; everything was re-stored! From that point on, the question posed for every human being has been whether or not to participate in this restoration.”
We see once again that Christ gives us the freedom to choose. If we choose to participate, really take part, in Christ’s Resurrection, our perspective on life radically changes! We can never remain discouraged, we can never lose hope, we can never despair, for we know that Christ is Risen and He has defeated evil. He has overcome sin. He has annihilated death itself! Through His resurrection, He has given us new and eternal life.
Another hymn of Pascha, again chanted on Holy Sat-urday morning, has Hades groaning, “My authority has been broken down. The Shepherd who was crucified has
raised Adam, and I have been deprived of all those whom I held captive. He who was crucified has cleared the tombs!”
These hymns emphasize the common theme of ulti-mate VICTORY. Evil and sin, pain and suffering, sor-row and death may threaten us, and even darken our perspective in life. But if we can remember that the overall war has already been won we can rest assured of the outcome; Christ is victorious.
Christ is Risen, and thus good shall prevail over evil. Christ is Risen, and thus hope shall prevail over des-pair! Christ is Risen, and thus light shall prevail over darkness. Christ is Risen and thus joy shall prevail over sadness. Christ is Risen and thus life shall prevail over death!
This is why, if we choose to participate in this resur-rection, we enter into a new beginning and a victori-ous life!
Think of a few examples of people we will hear about during Holy Week, people who entered into the new life that resurrection brings. Among the apostles of Christ, Judas betrayed Jesus, and because he didn’t stay around to see the resurrection, he fell into despair and committed suicide. In contrast, although the other apostles all abandoned Christ and felt shame and des-pair, they did not give up. Even Peter, the head of the apostles, denied knowing Christ three times, yet after he witnessed the Resurrection, he became a new per-son. From a fearful coward into a bold preacher, living a life in Christ and ultimately dying for His Master! Peter and the apostles became new creations in Christ!
Think of the thieves crucified on either side of our Lord. One rejected any possibility of resurrection, and died in anger, bitterness, and hatred. The other, alt-hough he accepted that he was receiving a just pun-ishment for his crime, still looked at Christ with hope, crying out, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Even though this condemned man lived an evil life, in his last moment he longed to participate in our Lord’s Resurrection and with the cry, “Remember me in your kingdom,” discovers paradise.
Mary Magdalene was a broken, defeated woman the Gospels describe as being possessed with seven de-mons. Her love and faithfulness for our Lord, howev-er, transformed her life from one of wretchedness into one of meaning. She was the first to see the Risen Lord, and thus became an apostle to the apostles, sharing the joy of resurrection with others!
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PAGE 4 THE MESSENGER
Our Parish Her Life & People
New Arrivals March 16th
Congratulations to Dr. Kristina (Wolf) & Dr. Lucas McGuire on welcoming their first child, Kaia Elizabeth, weighing 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 18.5” long.
Funerals
May Her Memory Be Eternal April 21st Anna Koulioufas We would be happy to announce a special occasion in this column. All you need to do is notify the office at 440.237.8998 or [email protected].
St. Photios Award Recipients In the spirit of thanksgiving for the dedicated work rendered by the faithful, the Metropolis of Pittsburgh recognized volunteers from all the parishes in the Me-tropolis. The volunteers selected for this award from St. Paul are Maria Regan and Elaine Poulos. Maria Regan and her late husband Andrew, who
passed away February, 2011, have been active members of the St Paul community since its incep-tion. In the late 70’s to early 80’s, she helped organize a nursery so parents could attend church while their children were cared for. Ma-ria has been part of the church’s Grecian Festival and the festival
baking committee for over 20 years. She is currently chairperson of the St Paul Senior Fellowship Ministry and has been on its board for many years making it one of the most active senior groups in the area. She organizes the monthly Kafenion, tours and day trips throughout the year, and a lovely luncheon honoring couples in the parish celebrating 50 or more years of marriage. She also is a part of the Sunday Greeters Committee of the parish. Maria is also an active mem-ber of Philoptochos, Daughters of Penelope, and a Cretan Club board member. Maria is always there to lend a hand wherever she is needed. Elaine Poulos has been an active and faithful member
of St. Paul Community with her focus on education and being an active Philoptochos member. She served as a Sunday School teacher for many years which segued into teaching an adult catechism class on Sundays. Elaine initiated the Vacation Church School program which continues to this day, and in which she continues to teach. She
also volunteers at the Good Friday Youth Retreat and leads a women's adult book study each Fall and Spring. She also is a substitute bible study leader. She has been an active member of Philoptochos serving on its board and assisting at many events and fundrais-ers. She also enjoys visiting home-bound parishioners or those in nursing homes to pray with them. She and her husband John have three children, Gus, Chrissy and Grace.
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Even the Roman Centurion, who actually participated in Christ’s crucifixion, came to believe and partake of the Resurrection, thus ending his life not as an anony-mous Roman soldier in history, but as St. Longinos, a saint of the Church!
Here lies the central message of Pascha and Christ’s Resurrection! No matter who we are or what we have done in life, no matter how many times we've denied Christ or even rejected Him, no matter how many times we've fallen into our common sins or even seri-ous transgressions, Pascha Sunday commands us nev-er to despair, for our Lord’s Resurrection gives us hope for a new life and a fresh start!!!
We can’t stay hopeless when we know that we have a God who loves us so much that He willingly dies in our place for us! We have a God who not only endured betrayal, denial, humiliation, rejection, and the most cruel form of death on the Cross, but a God who will-ingly descended into the deepest darkness of Hades to wrestle with the Evil One and break His bonds over us, destroying his power of sin, evil, and death!
For those of us who choose to participate in this resto-ration of life, in this resurrection from the dead, then joy and peace and hope will be ours. We will live abundant lives in the power of Christ and in the victo-ry of His Resurrection!
TRULY HE IS RISEN! ALITHOS ANENSTI!
MAY 2016 PAGE 5
Youth News
LITTLE ANGELS / HOPE / JOY / GOYA ~ Little Angels continues to meet the first and third Wednesday mornings each month from 11:00 AM—12:30 PM in the teen room with Presvytera Maria. Contact Presvytera Maria at ma [email protected] if you are interested in participating in the group or looking for more in formation.
~ In honor of Mother’s day, our GOYAns will gather on May 7th to prepare corsages to be distributed to all the ladies who have played a motherly role in our lives (i.e., Moms, grandmothers, aunts, etc.) ~ GOYA will hold a car wash fundraiser on May 14th from 11:00 AM—2:00 PM at Drug Mart (see flyer). ~ The next GOYA meeting will be Sunday, May
15th following Sunday School in the Teen Room. Elections for the 2016—2017 GOYA officers will take place. For more information on the responsibilities of being an officer, see Father Michael.
~ JOY (Session 2) and GOYA (Session 3) will attend the Metropolis Summer Camp Program. Parish scholarship available to those who are active in the program and whose families are stewards of the parish. See Father Michael for more details.
Salute to the Graduates SUNDAY, JUNE 19TH
Dear High School and College Graduates,
Please fill out this form and return to the church office
or e-mail to [email protected] by May 13th to be recognized for your achievements on Graduate Sunday and to be highlighted in the June issue of the Messenger. You can also complete the form online at www.stpaulgoc.org/Ministries/GOYA. Please be sure to forward a picture.
Name
School/College you will graduate from
Honors and awards received
School you plan to attend
Intended Major
BE SURE TO INCLUDE A SENIOR PICTURE!!!
PAGE 6 THE MESSENGER
Sunday School Director Update ~ Presvytera Nicole
Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! We hope you had a blessed Pascha with your families! There were many opportunities for the children to participate in the Christ's Passion as well as the joyous Resurrection. Thank you to Tammy Parianos and Wendy Kouvaras for chairing the Holy Friday Youth Retreat. And to all the volunteers who helped to make it a special day for the students. Thank you to Annoula Tsonton, Tina Asmis, Liz Po-padiuk and Joy Rambo for guiding the Myrofores at the two Holy Friday Services. Thank you to all the children who rang bells during the Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy. Thanks also to Christina Downing, Tammy Parianos, Katina Anagnostou, Vicki Douzos for planning the Easter Egg Hunt for all the children. Now we look onto May and finishing up another year of Sunday School! Please continue to attend. May 8th, of course is Mother's Day and a regular class day. On May 15th, we have designated it as Kindness Sunday, as we participate in the 50 Acts of Kindness for our church's anniversary. All classes will be making cards or writing notes to troops currently serving in a very dangerous location in the Middle East. Please make sure to have your children come to thank them for their service and bring them some joy. Then on May 22nd, our final day, we will have recognition in church followed by Sunday School family picnic on the deck. We hope you join us - teachers, parents and students - on this day! I also want to thank Cathy Gaudio for handling the attendance sheets each and every week this year. Be-cause of that, we are able to recognize those with per-fect and great attendance. Thank you to our wonder-ful teaching staff! You have made it so easy for me to lead. Your commitment and support throughout the year has been so appreciated. A huge thank you to Éva Karas and Vera Lindemann for working along with me and their willingness to handle anything needed. I really appreciate all you have done. Wishing you all a wonderful and restful summer!
St. Paul Hellenic Dancers Eleni Johnson
Hellenic Dance Director
Xristos Anesti! Christ is Risen! With Spring upon us it also marks the increase of dance practices! The festival will be here in a blink of an eye and we have a lot to do to get ready for our July performances! All the dancers (in all three groups) are working hard to learn and enhance the steps to all the dances! The instructors are very pleased with the pro-gress the groups are making and are so appreciative of the time the dancers have put into learning all the steps! It is good at this point for me to remind all of our dancers and families that good attendance is ex-tremely important as we move into these last few months of our program, as well please remind your dancers that while at practice it is necessary that they give their instructors their full attention and respect so the instructors can teach and the dancers can learn. A huge thank you to everyone that helped at “Costume Measuring Day”. The patience and support of all the parents is so much appreciated from all the instructors! Costume measuring and assigning is a very large task and our instructors put a lot of time into making sure each child has a costume that fits them for the Festival. Dressing 90+ kids is a huge and necessary undertaking and my appreciation goes out to the instructors as well!! Our Junior and Senior Dancers will once again be per-forming at the Annunciation Cleveland Festival this year. We are performing on Friday night May 27, 2016 at 6:30 PM. Come cheer our dancers on!
UPCOMING PRACTICES: May 15
May 22
June 5
June 12
June 26
June 28 **
June 30 ** ** Immediately following VCS
As always. if additional practice times are added we will let you know as soon as possible. Happy Spring!
MAY 2016 PAGE 7
Greek School News ~ Kathy Glaros
ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN!
We hope you and your families had a blessed Easter as we celebrated Christ's gift of eternal life. Easter is what our faith is all about! The school year is winding down and now more than ever we need to remind our students that their hard work and effort will pay off when they write their ex-ams. Our dedicated and enthusiastic teachers continue to work hard serving the needs of our students and preparing them for their finals. We want all our stu-dents to perform at the highest level possible. There are some important dates that I would like to highlight:
MONDAY, MAY 16TH
Final Exams
MONDAY MAY 23RD
End of the school Year Party
Parents/Teachers Conferences
Certificate of Promotion
SUNDAY MAY 29TH
Graduation Ceremony Monday
JUNE 13—15
Greek School Summer Camp We are down to FOUR WEEKS of school left in the year. Time has flown by so quickly this year! It has been an exciting year of learning and growing here at St. Paul Greek School. I would like to thank you for your faith, trust, and commitment to our mission. We respect and appreciate all your sacrifices you make. Congratulations to our sixth grade graduates. They have been wonderful leaders and we will miss them. May you continue to grow and mature as life-long learners. Congratulations – “Και εις ανώτερα” Και πάντοτε να προοδεύετε στην ζωή.
Inti Cerrato Alexia Glaros Pete Rahas Alexandra Rodopoulos Irene Sevastis Demitria Tsonton
Xριστός Ανέστη!
About the Exhibition This summer, National Geographic will bring an ex-traordinary cultural experience to Washington, D.C. THE GREEKS: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great is an exceptional journey through 5,000 years of Greek history and culture. This exhibition features more than 500 priceless treasures—many of which have never been on display outside of Greece. Washington, D.C. is the only east coast museum to host the exhibit.
PAGE 8 THE MESSENGER
MAY 2016 PAGE 9
50 Years of Fashion
VINTAGE FASHION SHOW AWARD WINNERS “The 70’s”
We want to thank you for supporting the Philoptochos' recent 50 Years of Fashion Luncheon and Fashion Show. It was a wonder-ful day of honoring our St. Paul Parish's 50th Anniversary in a fun and memorable way. We appreciate your attendance and participation at this event. Your generous support helped to raise more money for the charities that we sup-port throughout the year. We are so pleased to share that we raised more than $8,000.00! Thank you again for your love and generosity.
~ Presv. Nicole Keares and Stephanie Ocker
PAGE 10 THE MESSENGER
IN MEMORY OF: Michael Alex by Rose Ellen Alex
Chris, Georgia, and Tom Chubokas by Randy and Mary Kay Crider
Jack Collaros by Christina Collaros Sabetta
Leah Dadas, Paul Dadas, Cathy Dadas Manolas, and Christ and Sally Collaros by the Mike Dadas family
Leah Dadas by Christina Downing
George Elliott by Rae Elliott
Irene and Chester Ewald by Annamari Perko
Aristi Kalucis and Mary Kalucis Zanoudakis by the Kalucis family
William, Anna, Kalliope, Pantelis, John, Gus, and Dan by Nick and Connie Katsaros
Anna Koulioufas; John and Katherine Zander; An-thony and Maria Koulioufas by Tom Koulioufas
Louis Lekas by Tessie Lekas
Stergos and Stella Makiaris, Michael Makiaris by the Cooke and Makiaris families
Mary and John Peters by Rita Fourmas
Bill K Pontikos by Irene Pontikos
Theodore Steffas by Sophie Steffas
Kocona Vruvas by Denise Kisner
John Vedouras by Emily Vedouras
The Marakas & Emanuel families by Thalia Marakas
Effie Pappas by Ellen Daniels
Jim and Dena Katelanos by Mary and Tony Forde
FOR THE HEALTH OF: For the health of her family by Anonymous
Anthony, Thomas, Maria, Nichols, George, Anna, Maria and Jim by Tom Koulioufas
Mary Collaros by Christina Collaros Sabetta
The Dadas Families by the Mike Dadas family
Niketas and Bill by Nick and Connie Katsaros
The Forde Family by Mary and Tony Forde
The Kriaris and Mazzeo families by Demos and Joanna Kriaris
Thank you!!! We take this opportunity to thank those who have made donations in memory of or in honor of their loved ones to-wards the flowers that were purchased to decorate our church throughout Lent and Pascha.
Tired of dodging all the potholes? Tired of tripping in the parking lot? We will discuss the scope
of the parking lot improvement project.
Your input is needed!
A light meal and babysitting
will be provided
MAY 2016 PAGE 11
CHURCH SERVICES
All Sundays 8:15 AM Orthros
9:30 AM Liturgy
Sunday School
Following Holy
Communion
2
0
1
6
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 Pascha
11:00 AM Egg Hunt
11:30 AM Agape Service
2 St. George
8:30 AM Orthros
9:30 AM Liturgy
5:30 PM Greek School
3 9:00 AM Festival Baking
7:00 PM Home Committee
4 5
7:00 PM Bible Study
6 Life Giving
Fountain
8:30 AM Orthors
9:30 AM Liturgy
7
3:00 PM Wedding
4:00 PM St. Photios Banquet in Pittsburgh
8 Mother’s
Day
Sunday of Thomas
12:-00 Chrismation
9
9:00 AM Festival Baking
5:30 PM Greek School
10 9:00 AM Festival Baking
6:30 PM Philoptochos General mtg.
11
7:00 PM Parish Council Meeting
12
7:00 PM Bible Study
13 14
11:00 AM GOYA Car Wash at Drug Mart
2:00 PM Baptism
15
Sunday of the Myrrh Bearers
12:00 PM Greek Corner
12:30 PM Baptism
GOYA Mtg.
Dance Practice
5:00 PM Special General Assembly
16
9:00 AM Festival Baking
5:30 PM Greek School
17
9:00 AM Festival Baking
18 19
7:00 PM Bible Study
20
7:00 PM Great Vespers at Sts. Constantine and Helen
21 Sts.
Constantine and Helen
9:00 AM Orthros
10:00 AM Liturgy at Sts. Constantine and Helen
22
Sunday of the Paralytic
Sunday School recog-nition/picnic
12:30 PM Baptism
23 9:00 AM Festival Baking
5:30 PM Greek School
24
9:00 AM Festival Baking
25 26 1:30 PM Senior Fellowship Kafenio
6:00 PM IOCC Banquet
7:00 PM Bible Study
27 28
9:00-11:00 AM Trisagia at St. Theodosius Cemetery 1:00 PM Baptism
29
Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
30 Memorial Day
Office closed
10:00 AM Trisagia at St. Theodosius Cemetery
31
9:00 AM Festival Baking
Bright Week ~ Fast Free Week
Father Costas on Pilgrimage
Father Costas on Pilgrimage
Father Costas on Pilgrimage
PAGE 12 THE MESSENGER
CHURCH SERVICES
All Sundays 8:15 AM Orthros
9:30 AM Liturgy
2
0
1
6
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 2 3 4
5
Sunday of the Blind Man
1:30 PM Golf Outing followed by Family Picnic Pine Hills in Hinckley
6
7
6:30 PM Philoptochos End of Year Dinner
8
7:00 PM Parish Council Meeting
9 Holy
Ascension
8:30 AM Orthros
9:30 AM Liturgy
10 11
12
Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council
13 14 15 16 17 18 Saturday
of Souls
8:30 AM Orthros
9:30 AM Liturgy
19 Pentecost
Father’s Day
20
9:00 AM Festival Baking
21
9:00 AM Festival Baking
22 23 24 25
26
All Saints
27 28
12:00 PM Dance Practice
7:00 PM Great Vespers
29 Holy
Apostles Peter and Paul
8:30 AM Orthros
9:30 AM Liturgy followed by luncheon
30
12:00 PM Dance Practice
9:00 AM—2:00 PM Greek School Summer Camp
9:00 AM—12:00 PM Vacation Church School
Father Michael at Metropolis JOY Summer Camp at Camp Nazareth
MAY 2016 PAGE 13
Notes from the Choir Loft Xristos Anesti ~ Alithos Anesti On Holy Tuesday, we were blessed to sing a new version of the Hymn of Kassiani. We pray that all of you who were in attendance were inspired by it and enjoyed it as much as the choir enjoyed learning it. The hymns of both Good Friday and Pascha are so beautiful and spiritually uplifting that all choir members love the fact that Christos Anesti and Soma Christou are sung for forty days. We shall be working with the 50th Anniversary committee to see what role our choir will play in making this year an unforgettable one—we’ll keep you posted. The choir’s Act of Kindness is to gather items for veterans; both male and female. Any parishioner wishing to assist us in accomplishing this deed, please see one of the choir members for a list of suggested items. We invite members of our St. Paul family who can carry a tune to join us in praising our Lord through our rich Orthodox hymnology. Everything is written in phonetics/Greek, so language is not an issue. Please see any choir member or Vaso Boukis about becoming a member of our special ministry.
AFGHAN PROJECT: 20 NEW AFGHANS! Our Ladies Philoptochos continues our wonderful tra-dition of presenting every newborn in our community with a handmade afghan at their 40-Day Bless-ing. Each afghan donated has a tag that indicates that it was hand-made by Philoptochos and a card with the donor’s name as well as the children’s book “What Do You See at Liturgy” enclosed as a memento of this special occasion. If you would like to create baby af-ghans they should be approximately 30 x 36 inches knitted or crocheted in washable yarn. Our Ladies Philoptochos is also creating afghans for our homebound parishioners. These lap afghans are given to our homebound parishioners who welcome a visit from our Philoptochos ladies. If you know of an-yone who would enjoy such a visit, please let us know. Each lap afghan should be approximately 40x48 inches knitted or crocheted in washable yarn. Last month Maribeth, Steve, Michael and Andrea Lekas were fortunate to visit Alice Lamakos who was celebrating her 93rd birthday and now resides in Des-tin, Florida. Alice presented 20 exquisite afghans that can be seen in the photo. There were so many af-ghans, that we needed to ship them back to Cleve-land in two large boxes! Alice was the former co-chair of the Afghan Minis-try for many years since inception. We wish to ex-tend a warm thank you to Alice Lamakos for her years of service and talent donating over 75 handmade af-ghans to our ministry to date! Monetary donations are also accepted in lieu of hand-made afghans to offset the costs of this project. Please contact Maria Lovejoy 330.220.3213 or Maribeth Lekas 216.408.6070 if you are interested in assisting with our Afghan Ministry.
OCF—ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP—WINTER ACTIVITIES GALORE! OCF is the National Campus Ministry Program for Orthodox college students. Greater Cleveland has four active OCF Chapters that include students from CWRU, JCU, CSU, BWU, and CCC. OCF plans meet-ings and various events for the college students each month providing free food and admissions. In addi-tion, OCF has begun to plan events for the summer
that are open to all Orthodox College students, includ-ing those returning home for the summer. Please have your students checkout the OCF Cleveland page on Facebook for events in the Cleveland area. Our St. Paul Philoptochos reaches out to our college students by mailing them OCF Connect Kits. Connect Kits are mailed to our St. Paul college freshmen that include an Orthodox Study Bible, reading guides, prayer books, guides for finding a local OCF chapter, OCF travel mug filled with delicious homemade kou-lourakia, as well as other fun goodies for our college students. Please forward email and college snail mail addresses for any St. Paul college Freshmen and/or to donate, please contact Mary Steve [email protected] or Maribeth Lekas [email protected]. We will continue to deliver Connect Kits during the Spring Semester throughout finals week.
PAGE 14 THE MESSENGER
SAINT PAUL ANNUAL
GRECIAN FESTIVAL
July 14—17, 2016
Ad Form
The St. Paul Grecian Festival will be distributing an ad booklet again this year. During the course of this spec-tacular four day event, over 25,000 people attend. Please consider placing an ad for your business or a personal message. All ads will be in black and white unless otherwise indicated.
$ 150 Full Page (8 x 10.5) B & W
$ 100 ½ Page B & W
$ 75 ¼ Page B & W
$ 30 Business card B & W
$ 400 Inside front cover color )
$ 400 Inside back cover color $ 500 Outside back cover color $ 500 2 x 4 banner w/color under tent*
(*includes ½ page B & W ad in book plus link to your website)
TIPS FOR ADVERTISEMENT: We can enlarge/shrink almost any ad to fit the size
you desire
Submit a clean, wrinkle free ad
Ads will be in black and white
Business cards can be used
We can help design your ad
For more information, email [email protected] or call the church office at 440-237-8998.
Name:
Telephone:
E-mail: Amount Paid:
Personal Message:
Submit ad and make payment at: http://stpaulgoc.org/festival/sponsors
or make check payable to Saint Paul Grecian Festival and mail to the church office along with this form to:
All Ads due by June 30, 2016
MAY 2016 PAGE 15
50th Anniversary Historic Committee and Commemorative Album
Projects
The Historic Committee would like to create compre-hensive archives that will document the life and activi-ties of our community during over the past 50 years. Due to the volume of information that is being anticipat-ed, some information will be used in the 50th Anniver-sary Commemorative Album that is being produced, while the rest will become part of the archival records of our community. Here’s how you can participate:
COMMEMORATIVE ALBUM SPONSORS The Album will serve as a wonderful way for parish-ioners to congratulate or memorialize friends and fam-ily members. See form on this page for details. If you have any further questions, you can direct them to the following individuals: 50th Anniversary Historic Committee, Chairman Ken Boukis: [email protected], 216.696.1076 50th Anniversary Commemorative Album, Presbytera Nicole Keares: [email protected], 440.638.4808
Do you have family and friends who have moved away, but would like to at-tend our 50th Anniversary Celebrations? Their address and/or email can be sub-mi tted through our websi te (www.stpaulgoc.org/forms/contact50) or by calling the church office with the information.
St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church North Royalton, OH
50th Anniversary Commemorative Album
We welcome you to be a part of our Commemorative Album by placing a Memorial or Congratulatory Ad Gold Page $500
Full Page $250
Half Page $150
Quarter Page $100
Electronic version preferred ~ SEND TO [email protected]
Payment requested with your Ad
Make checks payable to: St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church
(indicate 50th Album Ad in Memo section) 4548 Wallings Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133
All Ads will receive a complimentary Album
Ad deadline – June 30, 2016 Questions? Contact Ad Chairmen
Dean Asimes or Steve Gallas at [email protected]
Name Address Phone Email —————————— CUT ———————————
St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church 4548 Wallings Rd., North Royalton OH 44133
RECEIPT
Donation to: St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church ~ 50th Anniversary Purpose: Commemorative Album Ad Date:
Amount $ Signature: Dean Asimes and Steve Gallas, Ad Chairmen
Like our Facebook PAGE for more information on the 50th Anniversary celebrations: https://www.facebook.com/saintpaul50/
PAGE 16 THE MESSENGER
Stewardship News
St Paul Greek Orthodox Church is in a Severe Cash Crunch
I am taking a moment to connect with you about our beloved St. Paul Church. Together we are the church and brothers and sisters in Christ. Over the years, your generosity has helped us build and grow. We are truly grateful for your gifts of time, talent and treasure. Now, we need everyone’s help! Each year your Parish Council works hard to develop an honest budget, one that allows the church to meet the spiritual needs of its parishioners and to do so in a financially responsible manner. This year, as in the past, the Council has prepared a budget that is as fru-gal as possible. The reality is that the outside sources of revenue that the parish has relied on for years are diminishing, and the reliance on or our pledge system has to increase. We have a wonderful caterer. At its peak, catering produced $100,000.00 for our church. However, now it brings in only about half of that as the catering business has dramatically changed and companies are not sponsoring parties the way they once did. Oil well revenues were once at $40,000.00 and have completely dried up due to oversupply that has led to rock bottom pricing. It is becoming increas-ingly difficult to manage our cash flow. As a result, operating cash is desperately low and for the first time in years we have had to borrow from our capital im-provement account to pay our current bills. So you may ask; what can I do?
COME TO CHURCH REGULARLY Are we devoting our time in a way that is pleasing to the Lord? Attending church regularly (yes even in the summer) is one way to insure that we are doing so. If you have not been to church in a while we welcome you back with open arms. The Orthodox Divine Lit-urgy may have been written centuries ago, but amaz-ingly still can add so much meaning to our lives to-day. Holy Week will be upon us shortly. Challenge yourself to attend one of the services that you may have not attended in past years. Come experience the Passion that our Lord endured for us on Holy Thurs-day evening or the beauty and power service to com-memorate the resurrection at the midnight service on Saturday.
SHARE YOUR TALENTS “Those that seek the Lord shall not want of any good thing.” For sharing ourselves, the Lord rewards us in ways not only in our afterlife but also here on earth. The Lord has blessed each of us with amazing talents, and when we share those talents for the good of the church the rewards are great.
INCREASE YOUR PLEDGE BY $8 PER WEEK This is why we are asking for your help. St. Paul is our church. It provides the spiritual basis of our lives. We should be proud to support it with our offerings. St. Paul currently has 475 member units. (A member unit may consist of a family or simply of one person). It may sound outrageous, but if each member unit would increase its offering by $8 per week, St. Paul would be able to meet its operating expenses through its stewardship program alone. Of course, not all member units could afford to give $8 more per week. Some may wish to give more, others less. Still, it would be a remarkable achievement for our parish to be able to meet our operating expenses thru our pledge system. As a start, and as an example, the members of our Parish Council will be increasing their pledges by $8 per week. You can establish a recurring payment through the St Paul web site or by setting up an automatic bill pay on your bank web site. Call the church office should you need more information. Lastly, we all know that our parking lot is in dire need of repair. The Home Committee has been working hard to develop a plan to replace it. A special Gen-eral Assembly meeting to unveil the plan will be held on Sunday May 15th at 5:00 PM. A light meal will be provided. On behalf of the entire Stewardship Committee we express our sincere gratitude. Thank you.
Dennis Diamond Stewardship Chairman of St. Paul Parish Council
MAY 2016 PAGE 17
Η Ελληνικη Γωνια
Αγαπητοί μου φίλοι πιστή όπως πάντα σας καλοσορίζω και αυτό τον μήνα στο τακτικό μας
ραντεβού. Κοντά στις γιορτές των αγίων πριν μερικές δεκαετίες, καθιερώθηκε σε όλη την υφήλιο τη δεύτερη Κυριακή του Μάη, να γιορτάζεται η γιορτή της Μητέρας. Η γιορτή αυτή είναι μια εκδήλωση
θαυμασμού, σεβασμού και ευγνωμοσύνης στο αγαπημένο πρόσωπο που μας έφερε στον κόσμο. Η ωραία αυτή εκδήλωση είναι ο ελάχιστος φόρος, που δίνουμε στην μητέρα μας για τις άπειρες φροντίδες της να μας αναθρέψει σωματικά, να μας στολίσει ψυχικά και να μας δώσει τα εφόδια για τον σκληρό αγώνα της ζωής, αλλά και γιά την αυτοθυσία, την απέραντη στοργή και αφοσίωση που δείχνει για τα παιδι της. Πραγματικά ! Δεν νομίζω να υπάρχει πιο όμορφη λέξη, πιο γλυκία, πιο τρυφερή, απ την λέξη ΜΑΝΑ. Στο άκουσμά της ξυπνά ο κόσμος, όλη η ζωή και όλη η πλάση. Για κάθε άνθρωπο είναι το παγκόσμιο, το αιώνιο σύμβολο ΑΓΑΠΗΣ. Η μάνα πλασμένη τέτοια απ'τον Θεό, πλάσμα τρυφέρο, με το αδύναμο, μα ηρωικό της σώμα, τα απαλά χέρια, την θερμή φωνή, την πιο γλυκιά καρδιά είναι από τα μεγαλύτερα δώρα, που μας χάρισε ο Δημιουργός. Διότι εκείνη διάλεξε ο Θεός για να συνεχίσει το έργο του, το θείο έργο της δημιουργίας. Πολλοί καλλιτέχνες την ζωγράφισαν και την τραγούδησαν! Τελειώνοντας μ'ενα ποίημα για όλες τις μανούλες ! Κυρίες μου ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ. "Μητέρα! Όλη η ζωή γεμάτη είναι από σένα, κρατώ μέσα στο βλέμμα μου την πρώτη σου ματιά,αυτή που μου 'δειξε στοργή γεμάτη με λατρεία,όταν στον κόσμο βγαίνοντας, με πήρες αγκαλιά ". Ραντεβού τον άλλο μήνα. Με αγάπη Μαρία Καρλατήρα (Μαράκι) ΕΛΑΤΕ ΝΑ ΤΑ ΠΟΥΜΕ ΑΠΟ ΚΟΝΤΑ ΚΑΘΕ ΠΡΩΤΗ ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΤΟΥ ΜΗΝΑ
Featured in our Bookstore
KEEPING THE LIGHT BURNING: MEDITATIONS FROM PASCHA TO PENTECOST This small gem contains a series of daily Epistle and Gospel readings, as well as medi-tations for the Eastern Orthodox faithful that keep the spiritual momentum achieved at Easter through the celebration of Pentecost. The Lord's flame continues after His resurrection. This book is an aid or tool to keep alive the same awe one experienced in the preparation for Easter.
ILLUSTRATED LIFE OF THE THEOTOKOS FOR CHILDREN The authors, two veteran Orthodox reli-gious educators, have told the beautiful sto-ry of the Theotokos in a fascinating way that will attract and hold the attention of chil-dren of all ages. Magnificently illustrated. Excellent for use at home and school. Based on the Bible, the Synaxarion, and Sacred Tradition.
MARY, WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the an-gel’s timeless proclamation to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among wom-en” (Luke 1:28). Every generation of Christians must contemplate these angel-ic words, for Mary is the Theotokos and Mother of Our Lord. Through its worship services, the Church gives us many opportunities to consider the place of the Mother of Jesus Christ in our lives. The beautiful Paraclesis service, sung every day during the Virgin's Lent, offers the perfect vehicle to do just that. If you have a longing to make the Theotokos a greater part of your life to bless her, as commanded by Gabri-el these thoughtful contemplations will encourage and profit you immensely.
CHRISTINA’S TRUE HEROES Follow Christ and the Church through each stage of Holy Week—from the Sat-urday of Lazarus to the Agape service with this full-color guide. The author pinpoints the relevance and meanings of the services, hymns, and scripture readings. Special features on each page illuminate icons, traditions, and history. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
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CLEVELAND, OHIO
Address Service Requested
ST. PAUL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 4548 Wallings Road
North Royalton, OH 44133-3121