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The Word - December/January 2017

the wordSts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church

The Holy Visitation of the TenderheartIcon to our Church

A beautiful sense of joy, wonder and anticipation filled our parish when themiraculous myrrh streaming Tenderheart Mother of God Icon finally entered ourChurch at dusk on Friday, November 4th. The fragrance of myrrh almost

immediately began to fill the Church as Fr. Mark processed with the Icon toward the altaras the choir chanted the beautiful, Agni Parthene hymn, "O Virgin Pure."

Many became overcome with emotion as they beheld the Icon for the first time. How couldwe not as we were in the presence of this holy miracle. As Fr. Mark began his message, hetook the icon out of the case and walked around the Church, allowing the faithful to holdout their hands and receive holy drops of golden myrrh directly streaming off of the icon.What a beautiful sight to behold!

We then heard the numerous stories of blessings and healings from the Icon upon so manypeople. And then everyone came forward to be anointed and to venerate the Icon, and toindividually stand face to face with this visible miracle, and to behold its streaming myrrh,which was not only taking place on the actual Icon inside the case, but also could be felt onthe outside glass covering case, and on the outside of the wooden frame on the bottom, onthe sides and on the top of the frame case. While Fr. Mark was talking myrrh also seepedout of the Icon case and was visible on the blue linen cloth covering of the icon stand.

And the Tenderheart myrrh anointing experience was different with different people. Somereported feeling a sense of warmth when they were touched and anointed. Some said theyfelt an unusual energy enter them. Some were astonished and tried to figure out how thestreaming of myrrh was actually happening; some could not describe exactly how they felt;and some were simply in awe of how something so holy and supernatural could be sonaturally and normally in our very presence.

And now beloved, the image of the Tenderheart Icon, of Mary and her Son, Jesus, is frontand center in our minds and in the world as we will soon celebrate Christmas─the birth ofJesus Christ through the holy and pure Virgin Mary. I pray that our faith has beendeepened through the Tenderheart experience and that we will view the miracle ofChristmas in a whole new way, truly believing that our faith...is real. And that Jesus Christis not simply another moral teacher or prophet, but that He is truly God, He performedmiracles, and that He is the Savior of the world,and He loves us and knows us intimately andpersonally. May we believe that Jesus Christ is alife changer. And knowing Him is truly a lifealtering experience…through the prayers andintercessions of His holy, pure andTenderhearted Mother. Amen!

A blessed and joyous Christmas to all,Fr. Christopher

hearingby the

Word ofGod.

Romans 10:17

Faithcomes

byhearing

and

Andover, MA December/January 2017

Get news of additional events andannouncements via email. Go tothe church web sitewww.andoverorthodox.organd sign up to be on ourLISTSERV

Sunday School ChristmasPagent December 11

Vasilopita Sunday - January 8

Women’s Faith & Fellowship December 6: 9 amJanuary 3: 9 am

Morning MeditationsDecember 14: 10 amJanuary 11: 10 am

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Fr. Christopher Makiej,Parish Priest

Dn. Sal FazioDn. Gary KentParish Deacons

Buzz Stapczynski, PresidentJohn Terzakis, Vice President

Jim Panagas, SecretaryCarol DiPietro, Treasurer

Chris AlexandrouDylan Archambault

Sam DiamantisBess Gorman

Nicholas MiminosDavid MurphyValerie Murphy

Tom PantelyPeter Souhleris

Anthony WarrenGeorge Xifaras

Church OfficeKaren Davies

Office AssistantsDorothy Mastromonico & Ann Paris

PhiloptochosOlga Pithis, President

ChanterTelly Papanikolaou

ChoirPres. Katerina Makiej, Director

OrganistDavid Harvey

Altar Boy Co-CaptainsKyros Vergados & Nicholas Makiej

Sunday SchoolPatty Trant, DirectorGreek SchoolVoula Nikitas

Christian Lending LibraryPatti George, Director

GOYA AdvisorConnie Vergados

GOYA PresidentKyros VergadosJOY Advisor

Patty TrantYouthChoir/Women’sFellowship

Pres. Katerina MakiejBook Store ManagerElaine Demetroulakos

Internet MinistryChristopher Primes

AHEPASteven Pithis

Daughters of PenelopeNancy PantazopoulosCollege FellowshipTelly Papanikolaou

Young Professionals MinistryNicholas Miminos

FacilitiesGeorge Perakis

ArchonsArthur C. AntonJames Lolos

Telly Papanikolaou

The WordElizabeth Xaros Bigelow, Editor

Parish Council Notes

Dear Parishioners,

The Parish Council and I wish all of our Parishioners a very Merry Christmas and a NewYear filled with happiness and joy. We thank you for all you do every week of the year tomake our Parish a vibrant and welcoming community.

The month of November was an especially exciting one for us at Sts. Constantine and HelenGreek Orthodox Church. On November 4th and 5th we were blessed with the visit of themiraculous “Myrrh-Streaming” Kardiotissa, the Tenderheart Icon and Fr. Mark from Taylor,PA. Fr. Chris worked tirelessly for several months to arrange for this special spiritual event atour Church. The Parish Council and Usher Teams were on duty to direct and assist the nearly1,000 people who came to hear Fr. Mark’s talk, venerate the holy icon and be blessed withthe miraculous sweet smelling myrrh. In attendence we had our own Parishioners and peoplefrom other Greek Orthodox parishes as well as visitors from other churches in the area. Forthose who came, it was truly a once in a lifetime religious event.

In November we had our annual General Assembly where take care of the administrativebusiness of the Church. The 2017 budget of $524K was approved and over half of thatamount is anticipated to come from Stewardship. It should be noted that we are projected toend 2016 “in the black”. We operate on the financial basis of Stewardship and appreciate theloyal stewards who support our Parish and ministries. The Festival was a success bothsocially and financially. The net income or profit was $51K and this is a $4K increase overlast year. Thanks go to everyone who worked, donated or purchased an ad in the verysuccessful ad book!

We have two Parish Council members who will be leaving the Council at the end ofDecember after many years of loyal and dedicated service, Valerie Murphy and Tom Pantely.They will still be involved in many other areas of ministry in the Church. Please thankValerie and Tom when you see them at Church or Coffee Hour.

December is filled with many Church programs and activities. My favorite is the VesperalLiturgy of Christmas held at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. It is a beautiful and solemn way tocelebrate the birth of Christ. We also get the added enjoyment of singing traditionalChristmas Carols!

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

May God bless you and your family,Buzz StapczynskiParish Council President

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Philoptochos

Dear Church Family,

The Trivia Night was a tremendous success thanks to all of youand our dedicated committee chaired by Colleen Georgian andLisa Primes. With the proceeds, we were able to make our finaldonation to the mortgage elimination. In total, our Philoptochoshas made $4,000 in donations this month including to thePatriarchate, the National Sisterhood of Presvyteras, UNICEF,the General Medical Fund of the National Philoptochos, theMetropolis Faith and Heritage Center, Zoe’s House, and theHellenic Nursing Home in Canton, MA.in addition to our Vinecommitment.

Everyone enjoyed our meeting on November 17th which wasfollowed by a Greek cardio fitness exercise class where weexercised to Greek music.

Our President, Olga Pithis, will host the first meeting of the newyear on February 2, 2017 at 7:00 pm. We will have a briefmeeting followed by appetizers, desserts and fellowship withour sisters in Philoptochos. All women in the parish are invitedto join us.

With sisterly love,Georgiana (Gina) LaFortuneSecretary

The WordVolume 19, Issue 1

Published monthly except August and January bySts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church,71 Chandler Road Andover, MA 01810Phone 978-470-0919vFax 978-470-0239

Periodicals postage paid at Andover, MA.Permit No. 022-997. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Sts. Constantine & Helen Church.

Elizabeth Xaros Bigelow, Editor. [email protected]

Trivia Night

Greek Opa-Size sponsored by Ladies Philoptochos

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Sunday School

Sunday School Updates:November was a busy month for Sunday school. The studentshave been busy learning about their Orthodox faith and how toput God first in their daily lives. We also kicked off our first ser-vice project of the year. The students wrote thank you notes andletters to the servicemen and women stationed overseas. The let-ters and notes were beautiful! Many students told the soldiers thatthey will be praying for their safety. These letters will give hopeand show gratitude to many of our soldiers. Thank you to all theclasses that participated!

Magic of Christmas Giving TreeThis Christmas the Sunday School has adopted a family in need.A Christmas Giving Tree will be displayed in the Atrium untilDecember 13th. The tree is decorated with mittens made by ourKindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten students. Each mitten will lista gift requested by the family. We ask all of our Sunday Schoolfamilies to participate. All you need to do is select a mittenornament, buy the gift and bring your unwrapped gift back to thechurch by December 13th. Please tape the mitten ornament toyour gift and place your unwrapped gifts in the Giving Tree boxlocated in the Atrium. Your gifts will make a huge difference to aneedy family that would not have been able to celebrateChristmas this year. If you have any questions, please contacteither Angela Kulesza ([email protected]) or Steven Robinson ([email protected]).We thank you for yourgenerosity and kindness!

Winter Coat DriveSunday School Winter Coat Drives continues through Sunday,January 1, 2017. Please bring your gently loved winter coats of

ALL SIZES and place them in the box located in the Atrium. Ifyou have any questions, please contact Angela Kulesza at (978)821-9814 or [email protected]

In addition to our service projects, the students are also finalizingpreparations for the annual Christmas Pageant. It is a wonderfultime to enact the birth of baby Jesus. Any student that does nothave a part in the pageant is invited to sing in the chorus. Wehope you can all join us in this joyous celebration!

Sunday School Calendar:· December 4th – Christmas Pageant Rehearsal· December 11th - Christmas Pageant· December 18th – Christmas Pageant Snow Date· December 25th – No Sunday School· January 1st – No Sunday School· January 8th – Sunday School Resumes

Our charitable contributions for December are:· Now through December 11th – Hats and Mittens

drive. We will be collecting brand new hats and mittensfor the Lazarus House. Please place all donations in theHats and Mittens box placed in the atrium.

· December 4th – December 11th – Lazarus HouseChristmas Food drive. Please drop off non-perishablefood donations in the food box located in the atrium.Boxes and cans only, please no glass.

I wish everyone a most blessed Christmas and avery happy and healthy 2017!

In Christ,Patty Trant

Daughters of PenelopeGreetings Sisters and Fellow Parishioners,

I sincerely hope that you all had an enjoyable and blessedThanksgiving with family and friends.

This month on December 9th our chapter will be holding ourannual Christmas Dinner Meeting at Angelica’s Restaurant onRoute 114 in Middleton, MA at 5:45 pm. Please respond if youwill be joining us by calling or texting me at 617-694-1359, oremail me at [email protected]. There will be no moneycollected in advance; however, we will need a firm count byDecember 5th. The cost of the meal including coffee anddessert will be $30.00 per person. We are also requesting thatall attendees to bring an additional $10.00 as a Christmasoffering to St. Basil’s Academy. (This will be in place of aYankee swap…)

I wish you all a Christmas and New Year filled with all ofGod’s blessings for health and happiness!

With Love in Theta Pi,Nancy Pantazopoulos

Fr. Paul Pantelis and parishioner Jack Bigelow were honoredat the Andover Veterans Day Ceremonies at Ballardvale Greenon November 11, 2016. They have been featured in the eighthbook of “Heroes Among Us” which includes Vietnam WarEra Veterans. Parishioner, Stephen Wallingford gave theopening and closing prayers.

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JOY and Junior GOYAWe held our November JOY and Junior GOYA meeting on Sunday, November 13th. The children had a great time and learnedabout our Liturgy and why we attend church every Sunday. Our next church meeting will be held on January 15th.

Thank you to all that donated a frozen turkey to the Lazarus House on November 19th. You helped feed many poor families thisThanksgiving! Without your donations these families would not have had a traditional turkey dinner. Your generosity was greatlyappreciated by the people at the Lazarus House. May God bless you and your families!

Our next JOY and Junior GOYA meeting and outings planned are:

· Christmas Outing – Saturday, December 10th – Making Gingerbread houses at Smolak’s Farm in North Andover.

Please RSVP to [email protected] by December 1st with the number of people attending. Parents andsiblings are welcome to attend.

· Church Meeting – January 15th from 12:00-1:00 pm immediately following Sunday school dismissal. We will meet inthe large, lower-level room.

· Snow Tubing Outing – Saturday, February 18th at the Amesbury Sports Park, Amesbury, MA. Join us for a fun after-noon of tubing and pizza afterwards. Please RSVP to [email protected] by February 6th with the number of peo-ple attending. Parents and siblings are welcome to attend.

I look forward to seeing your beautiful children at the Christmas outing.

All children in grades 1–4 are welcome to attend all the JOY meetings and events. All children in the 5th and 6th grades are wel-come to attend all the Junior GOYA meetings and events.

I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas and a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!

In Christ,Patty Trant

JOY OutingCrescent Farms

October 15

APOKREATIKO (Pre- Lenten)

FAMILY DANCE

special 100th Anniversary style

at our Church Hall

Saturday, February 11

more details coming soon!!

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The BookstoreDear Parishioners,

Phew, what a busy and wonderful autumn at Sts. Constantine and Helen! Can it get any more active?? Yes! We are now entering themost joyful time of the Church year…the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and all the giving and loving that entails. The visitation ofthe Kardiotissa was all that we had anticipated it would be. Father Mark is a wonderful caretaker and spokesperson for this awesomeHoly Icon. His telling of the many miracles attributed to the Kardiotissa were inspiring.

The Bookstore has been busy coordinating the many orders received from Parishioners for the various sizes of the Icon; and thewonderful Sisters of the Holy Protection Monastery in Pennsylvania are working as fast as possible to get the Icons to us forChristmas. However, they are very careful not to assure us that this will happen. Let’s wish them God’s speed and hope for the best.

We also urge you to visit our Bookstore. Hopefully, you will find that special gift for family and friends which will helpcommemorate the season and the Birth of our Savior .

Have a joyful, and meaningful Christmas season. And may the New Year bring us hope that our wonderful Country, along with therest of the World, finds its way to peace and understanding.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!With love,Elaine DemetroulakosDotty Vlamis

An Interview with Presvytera Katerina Makiej(First in a series of 100th Anniversary parishioner interviews conducted by Bess Liponis)

BL: I was impressed with a story you wrote for The Word in 2012 titled, “Growing Up as the Daughter ofan Immigrant Priest and Presvytera”. Do you think that this situation is unusual in our communities?PRES KAT: Well, I don’t know very many daughters of priests but there are some. It certainly is awonderful thing to be able to continue my life in serving the Church and God and being such an importantpart of the services we provide for people. I’m not only the daughter of a priest but also a granddaughter.But, of course, it’s different because I’m the wife of a priest now.

BL: Your mother was an amazing role model for you with many talents. This must have been a tough actto follow.PRES KAT: My mother loved people. She loved my father, and us and people and, of course, she loved singing and music. So, Ithink, like her, I just love people; I love making friends. The kids (my teenagers) know this. They always say when I go to thegrocery store and they are waiting for me in the car, “Mom, did you make a friend in there?” The thing is you are sharing joy withpeople and that’s what Christ did.

BL: Your career as a Presvytera started very young. Chanting hymns with your parents on trips in the car was a wonderful way tolearn. Did you ever rebel that the “songs” you were singing were not on the ‘Hit Parade’?PRES KAT: No, I never rebelled. I loved singing the hymns of our church. We also sang folk songs.

BL: Did you learn to speak Greek before English when you were a child? Or was it simultaneous?PRES KAT: Yes, it was simultaneous. I don’t remember learning one before another because my siblings spoke English and someGreek to me. And my Mom and Dad spoke all Greek to me.

BL: Without a doubt your singing talents have been a huge bonus to our church community. Can you tell us a little about yourtraining?PRES KAT: My parents had beautiful voices so the training started at home. I went to the Boston Conservatory, and after I graduatedI did a lot of singing professionally in New York at different venues. I went to back to Holy Cross to get a Master’s degree inTheological Studies and I learned Byzantine music and how to read it.

BL: Since this interview is about someone who has ‘distinguished him/herself in the interests of Saints Constantine and HelenChurch’, I must ask how you juggle choir, Women’s Ministry, teaching, keeping up with the house and of course, keeping Fr. Chris,Nicholas, Michael and Rocky happy?PRES KAT: Everyone is juggling a lot. I just do it. Once you have children, you have to raise them and you know, some thingshave to take a back seat. You just do it.

BL: Thank you so much for being the FIRST interviewee, Pres Kat. We love you very much and thank you for all that you do for us.

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Visitation of Fr. Mark Leasure with TheMiraculous :Myrrh-Streaming” Kardiotissa(Tender-Hearted) Icon of The Virgin Mary

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Our Anniversary Year is off to a fabulous start! The visitation of the Tender Heart, Kardiotissa, icon was a spectacularevent attended by hundreds. All who witnessed the miraculous myrrh-streaming will agree it was a most blessed eveningfor our parish. Many special thanks to Fr. Chris for making this exceptional event a reality for us all.

You will notice this edition of the WORD includes the first of several interviews that are being conducted among ourparish family. Each issue will feature ‘a parishioner who has distinguished her/himself in the interests of SaintsConstantine and Helen Church’, and what better way to start than with our very own ‘first lady’, Presvytera Katerina!

The first Anniversary Event of the New Year is the Andover Premier of Celebrating a Century of Faith. In this specialdocumentary, the story of our Church will be told. This is a FREE event for all parishioners that will be held on Saturday,January 21 at 1:30pm in our Family Life Center. Come and hear how our Church Founders persevered and made theirdream a reality. Watch how the Church has grown from a few individuals to a few hundred families. This is a red carpetevent not to be missed. View the documentary while enjoying fellowship and delicious, traditional Greek pastries – andbring a friend!

Our annual Glendi will be held on February 11th and will have an Anniversary spin. During the evening, we’ll celebrateour GOYA and recognize those who have served as its presidents over the years. If you were a GOYA president, pleasesend a note to Nick Miminos at [email protected], and be sure to include the year(s) in that office. If youhave photos of GOYA fun, send those along, too. We look forward to welcoming GOYAns from yesterday and today, soplease spread the word. Of course, the Glendi is open to all families of the parish, for an evening of family fun.

We’re currently on the lookout for a volunteer to lead the Anniversary Album subcommittee. If you have experience orfamiliarity with Photoshop, InDesign or other page layout system, please let me know. This will be an ongoing projectduring 2017. Some of the duties include organizing meetings and communications with the subcommittee, reporting tothe Anniversary Committee with updates, and research for album content regarding ministries, congratulatory messages,photo collection and layout. Interested? Contact me at [email protected].

May the joy and blessings of the Nativity of our Lord surround you and your family through the holiday season and bringyou good health, happiness and peace in the New Year. From all of us on the Anniversary Committee: Fr. Chris, EdGeorge, Colleen Georgian, Paula Goodwin, Bess Liponis, Mary Liponis, Valerie Murphy, Nick Miminos, Nancy Patsios,Olga Pithis, and Buzz Stapcynzski, to all of you, have a very Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Happy Anniversary!

Nancy Patsios

We’re thrilled to introduce a specially-designed logo forour Anniversary Year! The original sketches weredrawn by Nicholas Makiej, and the final productcaptures the spirit of our history beautifully. When yousee this logo, you’ll know that a special AnniversaryEvent is taking place.

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December 2016Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox ChurchSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 GOYA Outing

4Orthros 9:00Liturgy 10;00

ChristmasPageant Rehersal

5 6St. Nicholas

Orthros 9:00 amLiturgy 9:30 am

Womens’ Faith &Fellowship 11:30am Brunch Greek

School 4:30 pm

7 8 9 10JOY & Jr. Goya

outing

Wedding 2 pm(Xaros)

11Orthros 9:00Liturgy 10:00

Christmas Pageant

Joy Super Hoops

12 13Greek School

ChristmasKalanda Party

4:30 pm

14 MorningMeditations

10:00 am

15 16 17Christmas Food

Bag Making10:00 am


Joy Superhoops3:00 pm

Goya 6:00 pm

19 20No Greek School

21Parish CouncilMtg. 7:00 pm

22 23 24Verperal Liturgy

of Christmas6:00 pm

HolyCommunion

Christmas Carols

25Christmas

Liturgy 11:00 am

26 27No Greek School

28Men’s Dinner

7:00 pm

29 30 31

Loremipsum dolor

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January 2017Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday1

Orthros 9:00Liturgy 10:00

Feast Day of theCircumcision of

our Lord

2 3 GreekSchool

4:30 pm

Womens’ Faith& Fellowship9:00- 10:30

4 5Eve of EpiphanyVesperal Liturgy

6:30 pm

6Epiphany

Orthros 9:00 amLiturgy 9:30 am

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Vasilopeta

9 10Greek School

4:30 pm

11 MorningMeditatioons10:00-11:30

12 13 14


JOY-JR GOYAMtg.12 noon

GOYA Mtg.6:00 pm

16 17Greek School

4:30 pm

18Parish Council

Mtg. 7:00

19 20 21History of our

Church 1:30 pm


23 24Greek School

4:30 pm

25Men’s Dinner

7:00 pm

26 27 28

29 30 31Greek School

4:30 pm

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Periodical

January 21

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OFFAITH – A DOCUMENTARY

The Andover Premier ofCelebrating a Century of Faith!

It’s been 100 years since Saints Constantine & HelenGreek Orthodox Church was founded, and a lot hashappened since then. Come and hear how the Churchwas established, the challenges overcome andcelebrations shared. Watch how the dream ofimmigrants became a reality. Bring a friend!

FREE ADMISSION

WALK THE RED CARPET

ENJOY DELICIOUS GREEKPASTRIES

SHOWN ON THE BIG SCREENIN THE FAMILY LIFE CENTER

RSVP by

January [email protected]

978-470-0919

********************

January 21, 2017

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

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