The Epistle September - October 2013
GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PAUL 1
PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY Official Publication of
GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PAUL 110 CATHEDRAL AVENUE HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK 11550 Tel.: (516) 483-5700 FAX: (516) 564-8335 Web-site: www.stpaulhempstead.org e-mail: office@stpaulhempstead.org
FR. LUKE M. MELACKRINOS………...............Editor-in-Chief JOAN PRIESTON………………………..............Chairperson GUS DRIVAS……………………………….........Editor THEANA JOANNON………………………........Editor ERIKA HADJOGLOU- PALMER........................ Layout GEORGE K. LAVAS..............................................Photographer
Vol. LXIII September-October No. 9-10 FATHER LUKE M. MELACKRINOS, Economos FATHER PANAGIOTIS ZOUGRAS, Presbyter DEACON MATHEW KAKIS PParish Council Officers & Legal Advisor
WILLIAM J. LEMBO……..........................................President ANTHONY P. VACCARI…………............................Vice President SPYRO GEORGOPALIS………................................ Secretary GEORGE A. VORKAS............................................... Treasurer GEORGE MARINOS...….......................................... Finance Secretary JOHN HAJISAVA........................................................Finance Secretary HARRY RAPTAKIS, Esq.…….................................. Legal Advisor
Regular Schedule Begins Sunday, September 15, 2013
SUNDAY EPISTLE & GOSPEL READINGS September 1 I Timothy 2:1-7 September 8 Galatians 6:11-18 September 15 Galatians 2:16-20 September 22 I Corinthians 16:13-24 September 29 II Corinthians 1:21-24; 2:1-4 October 6 October 13 October 20 October 27
Luke 4:16-22 John 3:13-17 Mark 8:34-38, 9:1 Luke 5:1-11 Luke 6:31-36
II Corinthians 4:6-15 Luke 7:11-16 Titus 3:8-15 Luke 8:5-15 II Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 Luke 8:26-39 II Corinthians 9:6-11 Luke 8:41-56
CHURCH FEAST DAYS
September 1 Ecclesiastical New Year September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos September 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 15 Two Liturgies Resume September 16 St. Euphemia September 20 St. Eustathios September 22 Sunday School Resumes September 23 Conception of St. John the Baptist September 24 St. Thekla September 26 St. John the Theologian October 1 October 18 October 20 October 26 October 28
Agia Skepi of the Theotokos St. Luke, Apostle & Evangelist St. Gerasimos of Kephalonia St. Demetrios the Great Martyr The Holy Protection of Theotokos
Orthros 7:45 a.m. 1st Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m. 2nd Divine Liturgy 10:45 a.m.
Ορθρος 7:45 π.μ. Α’ Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00 π.μ. Β’ Θεία Λειτουργία 10:45 π.μ.
Emergency Telephone Numbers Father Luke Melackrinos............ Father Panagioti Zougras..........
516-225-1718 718-314-4703
Choir Director and Chanter Dr. Efstratios Demertzis Cathedral Secretaries Nicole Rousakis Helen Caras Stewardship Secretary Hermea Drivas Organist Adrienne Stamatas-Borbely 516-481-9333 (9-5)
2
Our own Criss Angel (Christopher Sarantakos) assists Jim Ginis with picking one of the Early Bird Winners of the Gala Sweepstakes. Thank you to all the high sellers/buyers, Criss included, for helping make the Gala Sweepstakes a success!
Happy New Year! By Father Luke Melackrinos We as Orthodox Christians have a unique experience every year. Nine months into the year, we jump suddenly from the end, back to the beginning. Liturgically, we move from August 31st — the last day of the old year, to September 1st, the first day of the new year. It is part of the goodness of God that He, who has no beginning and no ending, the Eternal Trinity, should take such care to give us a year which begins and ends and then begins all over again. In our human state, we need fresh starts and this is one of them. From the peaks of Pascha, Ascension, Pentecost and Transfiguration, we move back to beginnings, the Nativity of the Mother of God and then in December of the Son of God Himself we start this wonderful cycle all over again. But the Holy Spirit, as we trust Him, will renew this new year to us and give us a whole new understanding of it. “Behold I will do a new thing”, God says through the prophet Isaiah (43:19). The new wine will come to us in new wineskins. The God who has put eternity in our hearts knows our human frailty. He knows that marriages need their anniversaries and all of us, especially children, need their birthdays from year to year. We in the Orthodox Church also hold a special place for the anniversaries of those who have died in Christ. We recall every year the glorious deaths of the saints. But the whole of this is held in a solid framework, the Orthodox Calendar. Through the God-inspired wisdom of our fathers and mothers, we have a beautifully constructed lectionary, which flows through the year, like the streams of an effortless river, blessing whatever they touch. It is significant that the last great feast of the old year is that of the Dormition of Mary, the Mother of God. Her human passing was to heaven’s glory and the first great feast of the new year is her Nativity. It is not that Mary is more important than Christ around which most of the Calendar revolves. Mary is not God. She did not exist from eternity. She is honored in this way because she is our supreme example. She lived a life of complete obedience to God. This is how we end each Ecclesiastical year then begin with our focus on the Holy Cross. The Cross becomes, not just a sign of Resurrection, love and life, but also the ultimate sign of obedience.
As we begin this new year in the life of the Church, let us keep our focus on renewing our obedience to Christ through our active liturgical and sacramental life close to Christ and His love. Ten years have passed since my assignment to the Cathedral of St. Paul and I can easily say these have been the ten greatest years of my life. This is, of course, thanks to all of you. Your tireless efforts and dedication to Christ and His Holy Church are so uplifiting and inspiring. I look forward to another great Ecclesiastical Year with all of you. This fall we have many great community upcoming gatherings, including our annual Blood Drive, the Community Golf Outing, the Family Fall Festival, the Golden Leaves Ball and a fundraiser for All Saints Monastery. Happy New Year! Καλή Χρονιά!
In honor of Joan Prieston: Dear Fatherr Luke and Father Panagioti, My name is Elizabeth Meltzer. My Mom Loralee lived in Garden City Park and I now live in Las Vegas. Mom lost her sight 5 years ago, totally unexpected. I googled churches and temples near 11040 zip code and St Paul appeared. With a phone call and divine intervention, Joan Prieston came into our lives. Joan became a friend to my Mom and a valued family member. My original request was for her to read to my Mom. Truthfully, they chatted a whole lot more than they read. I always joked that they were reading the same book for 5 years. I don’t have sufficient words to express my gratitude for all that she did for my Mom. She is a true angel on earth. We are not members of St. Paul, as a matter of fact we are Jewish. My Mom spent her last years being blind and in terrible pain from glaucoma. Thank you Joan for providing a light in her darkness. God bless you, Elizabeth Meltzer
3
By Father Panagiotis Zougras WELCOME BACK Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” The summer of 2013 has been a very active summer for our youth here at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Summer was kicked off with our Vacation Church School which was run by Cathy Marinos and her very knowledgeable and dedicated staff. The camp filled up to maximum capacity quickly and the children had a great time playing sports, making arts and crafts, learning church hymns to the Theotokos and, most importantly, bringing them closer to God. On the athletic side of things, Coach John Caragiorgis led the 2013 Summer Basketball Camp and was assisted by Floyd Banks, Mark Morse and Bill Savarese. Basketball camp included working on the sport’s specific skill-set, in addition to taking a break from athletics, to include Orthodox life sessions that focused on issues in which the children are dealing with in their personal lives. They learned that many of our saints have been through these difficult times as well in their lives and we learned how the saints overcame those obstacles. This set different examples to the children so they would have the strength to understand how to combat their personal problems in life. The youth also learned team building strategies and respecting their opponents on the court. The camp normally runs for two sessions one in June and one in July. This year there was so much enthusiasm for the program that we decided to add a third week in August. All three sessions were attended by many and they all loved every moment of it. Our Archdiocese also provided a wonderful opportunity for our youth to spend their summer in a very rewarding way. Our Diocese Camp, Camp St. Paul in Connecticut and our Archdiocesan Camp, the Ionian Village which is in Greece, had a tremendous amount of campers from our community. It is truly a blessing for our youth to have this chance to interact with other Orthodox Christians and build long- lasting friendships as they learn more about their faith and build a stronger relationship with God. Both Father Luke and I both attended Camp St. Paul and had the opportunity to hear the children’s confessions and interact with so many children from other Orthodox communities. Even our young adults were there to serve our youth at camp and to make the experience greater. Virginia Pourakis represented our Cathedral
4
as a counselor and the camp was led by two of our very own, Maria Giannopoulos, who is the first female Camp Director, and Vincent Minnucci. All of our youth programs are now beginning in full swing and we have programs for all ages. At the Cathedral, our programs include Little Angels (40 days -4 years), Hope (4-6 years old), Biddy League Basketball Program (5-6 years old), JOY (7-12 years old), GOYA (13-18 years old) as well as the Scout Program. Looking forward to spending another great year with you!
The Chosen People By Deacon Mathew Kakis A few weeks ago, on the evening of Sept 4th, the Jewish faithful, throughout the world celebrated the beginning of their New Year, Rosh Hashanah. September 1, the Orthodox Church, following a similar practice, began the beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year. While the Jewish Calendar is different from ours, the seasons are the same. The Jewish New Year continues through Yom Kippur, the most sacred celebration, The Day of Atonement. A 24 hour period of fasting and constant prayer where the faithful try to remember their sins and confess them to God and beg for forgiveness. A week later begins the celebration of Sukkot or the gathering of the harvest. This feast includes dancing and singing, again with many prayers of Thanksgiving for the blessing of a bountiful harvest. They recall the story of Jacob sold into slavery by his brothers and the eventual way he saved his entire family and brought about the settlement of the Jews in Egypt. Of course, we know of their 400 year enslavement and the uplifting of Moses to lead them back to their homeland and the glorious story of the first Passover or Pascha. I mention these things so that we realize that our Lord, who was a Jew, instituted for us the many celebrations and remembrances we have today. (By the way, Jesus allowed himself to be baptized by St. John as a practice of regeneration and New Life, but never converted). Since we have been baptized into Christ and we desire to follow Him, does
that make us Jewish? St. Paul said that we, as Gentiles, are adopted children of our Father Abraham. What do you think? I get a kick when some of our faithful tend to believe that our Panaghia is Greek or at least a Cypriot. Now let us not take this too far. Remember, the first followers, the first Bishops, Priests and Deacons were Jewish. The vestments that the Orthodox priests wear are taken from the Jewish Priesthood. Why are there no Jewish Priests today? They were all killed several years after Jesus’ Crucifixion by the Roman Army and as such could not ordain any priests as the line of succession was eliminated. Remember that any canonical clergyman can trace his succession from the bishop who ordained him, back to the Holy Apostles and thus, right to our Lord. The prayer book of the Orthodox Church is the Book of Psalms most of them composed by King David with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Our most quoted is the 50th Psalm which is often referred to the Psalm of Repentance. During this period it is prayed by all observant Jews. The Orthodox Church recites the entire Psalter each week and twice during Great Lent. The Prophets spoke in the name of God and always began their prophecies with the words, “the Word of the Lord” or “the Spirit of the Lord was upon me”. The Word is The Logos of Jesus Christ who always existed and through whom all things are made. Of course the Spirit of the Lord is the Holy Spirit. We can easily understand what the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Trinity is in complete union. This communion is present in all places and at all times. This brings us to the question, why don’t the Jewish people accept Jesus as the Messiah? Let us recall our dear patron Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 9. “ I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh who are Israelites” and he continues in this tremendous pain and hurt. He offers to lose his own salvation for the entire Jewish Nation. In the final analysis, we must leave that up to the Lord God for they are and always will be His chosen people. Just be assured that thousands of Jews are fulfilling their destiny to become followers of Christ. I know of several who have been ordained Orthodox Priests, e.g. Father James Bernstein in Seattle and Father Alexander Winogradsky in Israel, to name just two.
From the Parish Council President By William J. Lembo
I hope everyone’s summer was a great one! While most of our after- church programs were on hiatus, our staff and several parish council committees have been very active getting ready for the new Ecclesiastical year and all of the spiritual, educational and social activities that begin anew in September. One of the first changes you will notice is the clean crisp look of our front office. A much-needed coat of paint and a new floor have revitalized this hub of our daily activities. Thank you to Tony Pantelides , Jim Stephens and chairman Mike Gurlides and his Decorations committee for coordinating this renovation and accomplishing it in such a short time. Thanks also go to the group of people who have enabled us to transform the former Audio Visual room into a cheerful nursery school classroom. It was a team effort coordinated by George Hadjoglou with assistance from our Nursery School Director Tara Brennan and committee members George Lavas, Andrea Potaris and Maria Vorkas. On short notice, Tara enlisted Anna and Aris Papangelopoulos, Michele Youpis, James Macigrane, Dimitri Georgopalis, Maria, Niko, Drew & George Vorkas and Dimitri to help get the room ready. Thank you all. Other projects that have been addressed during the summer include the annual refurbishing of the floor in the Father Nicholas J Magoulias Cathedral Center, the repainting of one area in the Cathedral and the repainting of the Hellenic room. Thank you to Tony Pantelides and Isaac for refinishing the gym floor and ensuring that it is safe for our children and for many of our other activities. Adding to our Decoration Committee’s busy summer, was the lengthy process of researching new chairs for our Cathedral Center. Thank you to George Hadjoglou, Julie Raptakis and Steve Makrinos for doing the research. The new chairs should arrive sometime in November. Very generous donations from Gala Sweepstakes winner Barry Neustein and parishioners Chris and Mary Sikalis have made the purchase of the chairs possible. There are so many more projects and programs for which we need funding. May God bless all of our stewards who continue to give generously and to those who support our fundraisers. This enables us to maintain our facility and offer so much in return for your kindness.
5
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Paul Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of Thursday, June 20, 2013 Parish Council Members Absent: Elizabeth Comack, Mike Lazarakis, Tony Pantelides, John Papachristos and George Vorkas. Past Presidents Absent: Andrew Andron, Peter Casimates, Antonia Kourepinos, George Lavas, George Papazicos, William Pappas and George P. Possas. The meeting was called to order by President William Lembo at 8:05PM. Father Luke led all those in attendance in an opening prayer. The meeting minutes from May 14, 2013 were distributed. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Lou Patrickakos and seconded by Joan Prieston. Motion carried. President Lembo thanked Chairpersons Anthony Vaccari and George Zakos on an outstanding job on the Festival and Chairpersons Harry Demiris and Jim Ginis on a great job on the Gala Sweepstakes. The President also thanked all the volunteers for their hard work. President Lembo reported that there will be a Festival Volunteer Dinner on Monday June 24 at 7PM, which will be hosted and donated by the Mavrikis family. President Lembo wished Carol(Kalliopi) DePietto a Happy Name Day and thanked her for the desserts. George Michelis from the Hellenic American Education Foundation presented Father Luke with a $10,000 check for the Summer Basketball Camp. Father Luke and President Lembo thanked George Michelis for the donation. Correspondence: • President William Lembo received a Thank You letter from Presvytera Marilyn thanking the Parish Council for standing honor guard at Father Nick’s’ memorial. • President Lembo received a Thank You letter from Archdeacon Panteleimon for the honorarium he received for the Agape service. • Father Luke received an email from Holy Cross Seminary regarding their 75th Annual Journal; asking if the Parish Council is interested in putting a journal ad in memory of Father George Papadeas and Father Nicholas Magoulias. The Parish Council agreed to refer this to the Seminary Trust Fund. Stewardship Report: President William Lembo presented the following report as of May 31, 2013:
Year Number of Pledges Amount Pledged Average Pledge 2013 761 $417,326 $548.39 2012 704 $353,655 $502.35 2011 713 $344,528 $483.21 Increase (decrease) 57 $63,671 $46.04 6
George Marinos reported that the Stewardship Committee will meet next month to discuss strategies for the remainder of the year. A reminder letter was mailed out to approximately 400 stewards from 2012 that have not yet pledged for 2013. Clergy Report: Father Luke reported the following events and activities: • Father Demetri Carellas gave a lecture on Wednesday, June 19 at 7:30PM. The participants had a fundraiser to pay for his airfare. Father Carellas will be returning on Tuesday, July 30 and Wednesday, September 4. • A Holy Land meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 24 at 8:30PM in the Hellenic Room. • There will be Vespers for Saints Peter and Paul on Friday, June 28 at 7PM followed by a reception hosted by Saint Anna’s Philoptochos. On Saturday, June 29 the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul orthos will start at 9AM and liturgy at 10AM followed again by a reception by Philoptochos. Archbishop Demetrios will not be able to attend Friday night Vespers due to a commitment at the clergy laity in Atlanta. • Father Panagiotis will attend Camp Saint Paul as clergy for the Archdiocese for session 1 and Father Luke for session 4. • Father Christopher Metropoulos of Saint Demetrios in Fort Lauderdale, Florida will celebrate Divine Liturgy with us on Sunday July 14. He will also give a presentation on the Orthodox Christian Network an internet-based radio ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. • Father Luke stated that he will celebrate paraklesis on the last Wednesday of every month at the chapel in Winthrop Hospital. Youth Report: Father Panagiotis reported the following events and activities: • On Tuesday June 25 there will be a Youth Committee meeting. • There will be a Boy Scouts camping trip in the Catskills the second week of July. • Saint Paul had a total of 63 participants at this year’s Olympics; there were 39 children from JOY and 24 from GOYA. Father Panagiotis thanked all the chaperones and coaches, which included Peter Cosmas, Stephanie Danill, Carlos Jorge, Niko Kontoleon, Kosta Koutsothanasis, Mike Lynch, Athena Menoundakos, Andrea Pagonis, Erika Palmer, Maria and George Vorkas.
At this year’s festival GOYA chaired the • lemonade, frappe and Greek yogurt tent and JOY chaired the Italian ice and ice cream tent. • GOYA held elections for the 2013-2014 year. The new GOYA officers are President Dimitri Georgopalis, Vice President Sophia Halicos, Secretaries Demetri Heliotis and Dean Yeostros, Treasurer Drew Vorkas, Board Members Penny Charidemou, Vasiliki Gatzonis and Past President Advisor Niko Vorkas.
Marchelos for donating his DJ services and the Mavrikis family and the staff of Jonathan’s Restaurant for hosting and donating the Volunteer Dinner. Anthony Vaccari stated that total gross revenue for the Festival exceeded $270,000; once the committee receives all the expenses and costs, in addition to reconciling the sponsor donations, vender fees and post Festival receipts, a complete report will be presented.
Golf Outing: George Marinos reported that the Scouts Golf Outing for the Eagle Scout Scholarship Fund will be held on Thursday, June 27 at Towers Golf Club. There is a $175 fee per player for the full day and $100 fee for Tee Sponsors. The Saint Paul’s Golf Outing will be held on Tuesday, October 8 at the Engineers Country Club. There is a $300 fee per player for the full day and a $100 fee per person just for the dinner.
Sweepstakes Committee: • Harry Demiris reported that the sweepstakes budget, which included the early bird drawings, was $61,800; the committee spent $56,077 coming in $5,723 under budget. Prizes were donated by George Lavas, Mike Kakoyiannis, the Demiris family, the Rousakis family, the Vaccari family and the Vorkas family. • Jim Ginis reported that a total of 1,595 raffle tickets were sold, for total sales of $119,799 (this includes donations of $154). There were 109 fewer tickets sold as compared to 2012. During the festival 275 tickets were sold. • Parish Council members who sold more than 15 raffle tickets were Harry Demiris, Bob Donus, Gus Drivas, Spyros Georgopalis, James Ginis, John Hajisava, John Heliotis, Bill Kallinikos, Chris Katehis, Antonia Kourepinos, Gus Kratsios, George Lavas, Bill Lembo, Steve Makrinos, George Marinos, Harry Monioudis, Tony Pantelides, John Papachristos, George Papazicos, Lou Patrickakos, George P. Possas, Joan Prieston, Harry Raptakis, Jim Rigano, Anthony Vaccari, George Zakos, Dino Zografos and Father Luke Melackrinos. • Harry Demiris and Jim Ginis thanked the following non Parish Council members who sold tickets Criss Angel (Christopher Sarantakos), Mary Bassias, Kathy Boulukos, Carol Cassis, Elaine Cassimates, Arthur Coras, Ted Couluris, John Crokos, Nick Eliopoulos, Steve Gianaca, Kay Hadjiyane, Kosmas Jannes, Theana Joannon, John Leondis, Dina Minucci, Jim Panos, Nick Vlachos and Dino Zaphiris. • President Lembo reported that the first prize winner Barry Neustein will donate $11,000 of his prize money back to Saint Paul through the Renaissance Fund to help fund the purchase of new chairs in the Father Nicholas J. Magoulias Cathedral Center. George Hadjoglou and Steven Makrinos will co-chair the Table and Chair Committee.
Festival Report: Anthony Vaccari and George Zakos thanked Mike Kakoyiannis and his company Metromedia Technologies, Inc. for creating and donating the banner, the booklet and the menu and street signs, George
Human Resources Committee: Lou Patrickakos reported that the Human Resources Committee recommends the approval of the salary increases that were deferred at the beginning of the year. The salary increases were approved in this year’s
Treasurer’s Report: Anthony Vaccari presented the Treasurer’s Report as of May 31, 2013; for the Treasurer George Vorkas. Current Liquid Assets Less: Decorations Fund Less: Renaissance Fund Liabilities Net Available Funds
Revenue Expenses Surplus (Deficit) Less Proj Ren & Dec Funds (net) Net Operating Surplus (Deficit)
$421,164 ($72,202) ($24,832) $324,130 $0 $324,130
Month of Year to Date May-13 5/31/13 $194,308 $658,374 ($97,529) ($492,735) $96,779 $165,639 ($1,121) ($906) $95,658 $164,733
Month of Year to Date May-12 5/31/12 $211,947 $599,809 ($459,284) ($108,458) $103,489 $140,525 $0 ($2,385) $103,489 $138,140
A motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report was made by Jim Ginis and seconded by Dean Mavrovitis. Motion carried. Financial Report: George Marinos presented the invoices to be paid. A review and discussion ensued. A motion to pay the invoices was made by Mike Gurlides and seconded by Lou Patrickakos. Motion carried.
7
budget. The total budgeted increases were $9,500. The increases will take effect as of July 2013. Lou Patrickakos made the proposal in the form of a motion, seconded by George Hadjoglou. Motion carried. A motion to adjourn at 9:50PM was made by Dean Mavrovitis, seconded by Carol DePietto. Motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Spyros Georgopalis Secretary, Parish Council
Sacraments Celebrated at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul
June 2013 BAPTISMS
Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Michelis Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Gavaris Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Hochberg Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Son of Mr. & Mrs. D’Andraia Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Dounelis Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Manolakos Son of Mr. & Mrs. Ciar Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Pappas WEDDINGS
Lambros Georgalas & Emily Anne DeLizza Costas Apostolis & Konstantina Frantzeskakis Daniel Vera & Sophia Halaris Joseph Vincent Pumo & Christina Nanavrakis Vasilios Georgopoulos & Christina Catalano Michael Gerard Scavelli & Elina Irene Marika Chris FUNERALS Anastasia Markakis Mary Vasiliades George A. Pourakis 8
July 2013 BAPTISMS
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Glick Son of Mr. & Mrs. Rakis Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Soulantzos Son of Mr. & Mrs. Rigano Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Margolis Son of Mr. & Mrs. Ruediger Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Rotella Son of Mr. & Mrs. A. Samaan Son of Mr. & Mrs. P. Samaan Son of Mr. & Mrs. Calderon Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Pappas WEDDINGS
Gregory Skidmore & Cristina Psaros William Nyholm & Alexia Vardouniotis David Aguado & Stephanie Spica Thomas Fasanello & Valerie Alexandra Giannoulis Michael Spillane & Kristin Vardakis Matthew Gianturco & Maria Lazaridis NO FUNERALS
August 2013 BAPTISMS
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Kocoris Son of Mr. & Mrs. Vanterpool Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Katsos Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Walsh Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Leighton Son of Mr. & Mrs. Michaelides WEDDINGS
George Christodoulou & Jennifer Hutchison Salvatore Anzaldi & Martha Michaels FUNERALS
Gus Drapan Ioannis Tzannes Evangeline Salerno James Matheos
Our Stewardship is Inadequate By The Stewardship Committtee
LIACA By Soteroulla Constantinou, President
“Here we go again! The Church is asking us for money.” How often do we hear that? How many of us are guilty ourselves of this rather familiar refrain? Do we realize, though, that the Church is not a country club nor is she a profit making enterprise? The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, an extension of our very being, our anchor. A truly believing Greek Orthodox Christian loves the Church as his own. He supports the parish according to her needs, not his personal convenience. A devoted sibling, parent or adult child would never tell his loved one. “I’ve given you enough. You’re on your own.” Similarly, a faithful Greek Orthodox would never short change his church. The point is that our parish’s current income is really not enough since expenses and obligations continue to increase. Yes, we do have a few benevolent donors. However, many of us contribute much less than our capacity. We contribute simply what’s comfortable for us, without truly being loving and generous. This type of frugal giving is not genuine stewardship. Genuine stewardship is a tangible expression of our faith. We believe in a loving God who gives of Himself for our salvation. Consequently, Orthodox Stewardship is a loving response where we offer ourselves to Him in return. Giving is a spiritual discipline and we should give out of need to grow spiritually. In fact, generous giving to the Church is a sacramental expression of belief in Christ. But, just how much should we actually give? What guidelines should we follow? Well, here is some serious food for thought. Research indicates that Roman Catholics and Lutherans generally give 2% of their gross family incomes to their respective churches. By comparison, most Greek Orthodox families give only one- half percent of their yearly income. This is unfortunate and ironic when we consider that Greek Orthodox Christians, as a group, are among the most successful financially in America compared to other denominations. We are, in other words, the least generous in supporting our Church! What a contradiction! Therefore, we are suggesting that every Greek Orthodox family contribute at least 1% of its gross income to Stewardship. For example; gross income of $50,000 = $500 ($10 per week) $75,000 = $750 ($15 per week) $100,000 = $1,000 ($20 per week $150,000 = $1,500 ($30 per week) $200,000 = $2,000 ($40 per week) Do Catholics and Lutherans love their churches more than we do ours? Are they better Christians than we are? Let us more strongly affirm our faith and increase our pledges!
We hope you had a restful summer! It’s hard to believe that the time has come to begin planning our calendar and our events for the coming Ecclesiastical Year. We are glad to announce a new addition to our Executive Board. We welcome Mr. Andreas Argyrou who will be taking on the position of Vice President. This year we will start by having a Dinner Dance on Saturday, October 12, 2013. It will be held at Towers on the Green at the North Shore Towers. Please join us at this wonderful social event with your family and friends. It promises to provide delicious traditional Cypriot foods and desserts as well as great company and nice music. Our Bake Sale, which will offer traditional eliopita, kolokithipita and other Cypriot goodies, will be held on Dec. 8, 2013. Our mission is to further our cultural heritage as well as engage in benevolent and philanthropic activities. We support our church as well as provide assistance to people in need and also donate to other organizations such as St. Michael’s Home and St. Basil Academy, the Cyprus Children’s Fund and now the Cyprus Relief Fund. Our annual dues are only $20.00 per family. All Cypriots and friends of Cypriots are encouraged to join our club. We are looking forward to seeing our members and also welcoming new ones. LIACA meets on the second Monday of every month at 7:30 P.M. in the Hellenic Room. For information please feel free to contact Soteroulla at 516-783-9036 or at soty1223@aol.com.
9
Easter Offerings 2013 Peter Adamakos Mary Alchas M/M K. Anderson Maria Antoniou Fotini Argyropoulos M/M George Bici Constantine Boutis Maria Boutis Julie Cachules Lily Christon M/M Paul Chronis Christopher Composto Chyrs Conrady M/M John Crokos M/M James Crowley M/M Andrew Dennis M/M R. Dennis Robert Donus Maria Doulis Anna Dounelis Mark Dulmage Theodore Efstathiou George Efthimiou M/M Robert Esposito Joanne Feldman M/M John Frangos Eustace Georgatos Stephen Gianaca M/M James Ginis Tina Grosinski Demitra Gurlides Katherine Hadjiyane M/M George Hadjoglou Harriet Isaris Peter Jannes M/M William Kallinikos M/M Mike Kalos Sophia Kalovelonis M/M Constantine Kapsour Maris Karasz
G. Kefta M/M Charles Kitsakos Steven Kocoris Nicholas Koumos M/M Stephen Kourepinos Maria Koutsouras Zachary & Olympia Lambrinon George Lambrinos Demetrios Langis Helen Laskas George K. Lavas M/M William Lembo M/M Evans Lizardos M/M Joseph Loise Dorothy Louzis M/M George Lucas Lucia M. Lucas M/M Peter Lynch Soteria Macris M/m Diamantis Madias Pres. Marilyn Magoulias Helen Mahares M/M Stephen Makrinos Athena Margaritis M/M Len Marks M/M Robert Marsh M/M Manny Mavrikakis M/M John Mavrikis Theodosios Mavromichalis Annette Mengepe Pery Michalakis M/M Harry Monioudis Jessica Moschonas M/M Christos Nanos Connie Nappi M/M James Narlis Joseph Nauman M/M James O’Keefe Jr. Cleo Pagiavlas M/M Steven Pallogudis
Kay Pamas M/M Tony Pantelides George Pappas M/M Ed Partridge M/M Tony Pascarella Thomas Pavlides M/M Terry Perperis Dr. & Mrs. Pitt James Plackis M/M George Ploska Mr. Aristedis Pontickio M/M George Possas Carol Pourakis M/M George Pourakis Joan Prieston Michael Prikas Grace Rosalbo Basil C. Sarbanides M/M Paul Sekas Raluca Shields M/M Nicholas Skelos M/M Harry Skiadas Eric & Marilyn Sporrer George Stasinos Helen Stevens Pauline Theodoreu Fanny Tombros Ida Tsairis Kallie Tsigakos M/M Anthony Vaccari M/M Dionisios Vagelatos Faye Varelas Dora Vasiliades John Vavalis James Venieris Ted & May Vlachos Parthena M. Yaakob M/M Apostolos Zaferiou M/M Dino Zografos Pauline Zubulake
The Solon Society By C. Dionysios Dionou The Solon Society is on summer break and will not reconvene until the fall. Our opening meeting will be Thursday, October 10th, when our 2013-2014 season will commence. The Solon Society holds meetings on the second Thursday of the month, unless otherwise indicated. We meet in the Hellenic Room and begin our meetings at 7:30 PM with a dessert buffet, coffee and tea. Lectures begin at 8:00 PM. Dues are $20 for single and $35 for family. We look forward to seeing you at our meetings. 10
St. Anna’s Philoptochos By Soteroulla Constantinou, President
AHEPA By Anton Skrivanek
I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer!
Welcome back to all and hope you had a wonderful summer.
With the new ecclesiastical year upon us I would like to keep you up to date on St. Anna’s news and events. On June 25, 2013, a new administration was sworn in. The new Executive Board consists of: Soteroulla Constantinou –President Callie Papazicos-1st Vice President Georgia Vlogianitis-2nd Vice President Mary Ebbets-Recording Secretary Joanne Crokos-Corresponding Secretary Demetra Jannes –Treasurer Sharon Panos-Asst. Treasurer Athena Kallinikos-Advisor
Also, we are happy to welcome four new board members who will be joining us in the upcoming new term 2013-2015. We are excited to have Kelly Haass, Catherine Marinos, Joanne Hadjiyane and Sophia Dennis joining us in service of our wonderful organization! Please mark your calendar with the following dates: October 8, 2013-Membership Tea November 5, 2013- Lord and Taylor Shopping Event December 8&15 2013-Christmas Wreath Sale December 10, 2013- Christmas Luncheon (Westbury Manor) December 15, 2013-Christmas Bake Sale
Already our new year is upon us. We had a table on Registration Sunday, September 15th, 2013 for information about the AHEPA. Our annual Pasta Dinner is scheduled for Sunday, October 27th, 2013 in the Father Nicholas Magoulias Cathedral Center with a start time of 5:00pm, always a tasty meal and a fun time for all at a nominal charge. The event is open to all. Watch for posters promoting the event with more information. We send our deepest of condolences to the family of Br. Constantinos Drapan who passed away in early August. It is ironic that shortly before his passing, the necessary process for our brother to become a life member (50 years of continuous membership) had been completed. Br. Constantinos was aware of his change of status but had not yet received his congratulatory certificate from AHEPA Supreme and Life membership card. They were presented posthumously to his family following the AHEPA funeral ceremony at his wake. If anyone is aware of news of one of our brothers falling asleep in the Lord, illness, etc. please inform one of our officers. Our officers for the coming year are: C. Dionysios Dionou, President Triphon Kollitides, Vice-President Anton Skrivanek, Secretary Paul Sekas, Treasurer. If you wish to join the AHEPA, please contact one of our officers. We also have an email address to contact us by: ahepa.chapter170@gmail.com. A fun, productive and good year to all.
We look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming events! Please talk to your family and friends about joining this very worthy organization. There is an annual fee of $30.00 and remember, men can now be part of our organization as associate members.
11
12
13
Daughters of Penelope Pasithea Chapter 141 By Fran Lutfy, President We hope that everyone has had a wonderful summer and that we are all rested before the whirlwind, that is our beloved Cathedral begins! First, we want to congratulate Father Luke for his ten year anniversary at our Cathedral. We are so blessed to have fine clergymen and wonderful persons leading us, showing us the way in scripture but also, by example, in how they live their lives! We love you Father Luke, Father Panagioti and Deacon Matthew. This summer brought some really welcomed news to our Chapter. We were advised by the National Organization of Daughters of Penelope that Pasithea was conferred the award for the most new members of any Chapter! We are so excited to have on board some wonderful new members and look forward to an awesome year ahead! Starting Saturday, September 28, Marion Panos, the Vice-President of our Chapter and who is a certified Zumba instructor, will be holding weekly Zumba classes in the Hellenic Room at 2pm. The classes are $8, but we are offering multi-class discounts. Please contact us at pasithea141@aol.com, for information or just come to class! All proceeds from the classes will be donated to our beloved Cathedral. Many of you may remember that in days past, our Church housed the Victory Chapter of the Maids of Athena. The Maids of Athena is a national organization with chapters throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe for young ladies 14-28 years of age and who are interested in Hellenism and Philanthropy. One of the goals of our Chapter will be help young girls network to learn about careers and other opportunities. The first meeting is scheduled for Wed, October 16, in Conference Room C in the basement of the Church at 7:30 pm. This year we are also introducing a new event: A Woman’s Day of Beauty and Health. We have invited professionals to speak on important health and issues that affect ourselves and our loved ones. We will have several vendors who concentrate on the sale of health and beauty products. We will hold a luncheon and a fashion show with women and maybe children’s clothing too! The day of the event is Saturday, May 3 and many more details will follow. Our calendar for the coming year has been mailed and e-mailed to all members. If you did not receive your calendar, please let us know.
14
School of Religious Educatino By Joan Prieston On Sunday, June 16, the 11th Grade completed its religious education with the annual Graduation Program. This year, 19 students received their diplomas from our clergy in the Cathedral before their proud families. For many students this was the culmination of many years of religious education, some from our PreKindergarten program to, finally, our eleventh grade. As is customary, the Scripture Reading was read in Greek by Katerini Seskus while Harry Demiris Jr. read the scripture Reading in English. The Class Speaker was Andrew Monioudis who delivered a speech that was so dynamic, that it impressed our parishioners to its conclusion. In representing his classmates in their religious journey, he expressed their thoughts and beliefs as well as his own. Needless to say, he received rousing applause from our parishioners and his knowledge and ability evoked such pride from our staff and teachers because he was “one of our own”! The graduates and their families enjoyed a delicious luncheon following the program. The annual Staff and Teachers’ Dinner was held in the Hellenic Room on Tuesday, June 18. This event has proven to be very special to all because it affords everyone the opportunity to socialize among themselves. This is quite impossible to do during the school term when their responsibilities as teachers prevent them from doing so. Director, Andrea Potaris, announced the Service Awards as follows: One Year: Alexa Ann Pascarella Nicholas Conte Gregory Vouzianas Anastasia Canell Demitra Sarantakos Katherine Rigano Five Years: Anna Heliotis Fifteen Years: Anton Skrivanek Twenty Years: Bill Potaris Perfect Attendance: Carol Kerler Dina Minucci Andrea Potaris Anton Skrivanek The dinner menu for the guests was extensive and delicious, the atmosphere was merry and all welcomed the “upcoming summer respite” to enjoy the pleasant weather. The Sunday School again was well represented at
our annual Festival. A variety of religious articles were offered to the community and our visitors. The Church Tours were well attended and our knowledgeable staff toured our beautiful Cathedral with explanations about our religion and our magnificent mosaics. The proceeds from the Festival are used to defray our school’s many expenses. Each year all the organizations are responsible to submit their calendar of events for the following year in order to avoid conflicts. The 2013-2014 school calendar was submitted to the Sunday School Executive Board for discussion and was approved for the New Year’s events. The Archdiocese curriculum, which Grades 1-5 use each year, has been ordered. Our own curriculum has been reproduced and is ready for use by Grades 6-11. Jennie Pappas and Joan Prieston serve on the curriculum committee and are always available to update lessons or to create new ones as needed by the teachers. With everything “good to go,” we are looking forward to a productive and successful new school term. Although it seems a bit early, our Holiday Boutique, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 23rd and Sunday, November 24th, is in need of articles for our YiaYia’s Attic. Now is the time to search your attic, basement and garage for the many articles you really don’t need anymore. Think about how “cleaning house” will make additional room for you to enjoy!
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Paul
Golden Leaves Ball Honoring
James N. Georgakis
Past President, Parish Council 2011-2012
Aristidis (Steve) Pontickio Sunday, November 17th, 2013 at 5 o’clock in the Evening to be held at
The Inn at New Hyde Park New Hyde Park, NY Entertainment by The Atlantic Orchestra & The Village Music Makers Black Tie Optional
--- Donation $90 per person
George K. Lavas, Chairman For Reservations, Please Call: Kay Georgopalis 516.967.5232
Marge Lembo 516.678.1939
Cathy Vaccari 516.536.6335
Callie Papazicos 516.655.3600
Maria Vorkas 516.354.6007
15
Vaction Church School By Catherine Marinos What a great week we had! This year’s camp, which ran during the last week of June, was attended by 42 children with the theme, “Give us this day our daily bread”. On the first day, the kids learned the origin of the Lord’s Prayer, the difference between prosphoro and antithoro, what makes the bread special and how we should treat the holy bread. Because Jesus is the bread of life, the lesson on Monday stressed that the bread is not only physical food for our bodies but spiritual food for our soul. On Tuesday, the verse from Mathew 4:4 was read and which states: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” The group was “challenged” with thought questions like, what satisfies you?, what are you relying on to fulfill your needs?, do you wait for things to come to you or do you make them happen? These were related to making God first in our plans. The verse from Mathew 6: 25-34 was also read to stress, that when Jesus went into the desert, He was doing what His Father wanted Him to do and He trusted God to fulfill His needs. Similarly, God gives us everything we need, although we may not realize it. On the third day of camp, the children came up with great ways of showing God that He was first in their lives. Suggestions included; loving our neighbors, praying to Him, trusting Him, following His commandments, reading the Bible and singing hymns. We were so fortunate to have with us Dr. Effie Kymissis who sung to the children a beautiful hymn to the Virgin Mary in Greek and taught them to sing it in English! Higher than the heavens above are you, And you are much purer\ Than the radiance of the sun. You who have redeemed us From the curse which was upon us. The lady of all people, In hymns, do we honor you. Lady and the Mother of Him who saves, Receive the supplications Of the lowly who pray to you. Mediate between us And the one you brought forth, O lady of all people, Intercede for us. Speechless be the lips of impious ones, Those who do not reverence Your great icon, the sacred one Which is called Directress, And was depicted for us By one of the apostles Luke the Evangelist.
16
The lesson on Wednesday also included repenting. This was introduced to tie in with the understanding that we are incapable of surviving without God in our daily life. The children learned that, when we get baptized, we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and we then seek Him constantly by making God a priority. The lesson learned on the fourth day of camp focused on the verse immediately following “give us this day”, which is “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. When we beseech the Lord to guide us with His spiritual food, we also ask for His forgiveness so that we may please Him, praise Him and love Him to receive eternal life. Father Luke spoke to the children and said, “forgiveness tastes good”. He explained Christ’s answer of forgiving someone 7 x 70 times and exemplified this message by sharing a huge candy jar containing 490 m&ms in it and awarding it to the person who came closest to guessing how many there were inside the jar. On our fifth and last day of camp, we revisited the concept of appreciating everything He gives us, the good and the bad, because He knows us better than we know ourselves. We talked about the hardships, the afflictions that the Saints suffered because through this, comes humility and understanding of God’s plan for us and our complete trust in Him. “Give us this day our daily bread” basically means putting God first and trusting that He will provide us with everything if we feast upon His word. This strong message was balanced by light-hearted arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor games and chanting hymns under the guidance of Effie Kymissis, Anthony Englezos and Mary Bassias. I am grateful to them for making this week successful. In addition, I’d like to acknowledge and thank my fantastic group of counselors who assisted; Michael Langis, Eve Rigas, Marianna Doyamis, Lilly Bassias and Lia Pantelides.
George D. Pamas Memorial Basketball Program By George Papazicos This summer marked the fifteenth consecutive year our community has held a Summer Basketball League in memory of George D. Pamas. As in the past, the games were exciting and extremely competitive. We had four teams from our community, including the GOYA Champion Senior Boys, along with a team from St. Paraskevi, led by Father Dimitri Moraites. Our co-commissioners, Spiro Delis, Mike Lembo and Andre Spantopanagos, did a great job balancing the St. Paul teams, instituting new ideas like a three-point shot competition and running the league throughout the summer. Special thanks also go to Tony Antoniou who again graciously donated the pizza and refreshments that all enjoyed following the Championship Game. The Annual Dinner was held at Jonathan’s Restaurant in Garden City Park where the attendees shared memories of both George Pamas and John Koukos. John Pourakis was awarded the inaugural trophy as the summer’s best three-point shooter. He survived three grueling rounds among the 27 individuals who participated in this competition. Kenny Anderson was presented with the 2013 John A. Koukos Memorial Award as the Summer League participant who best exemplified John’s qualities of loyalty, sportsmanship, leadership and athletic ability. Kay Pamas presented the George D. Pamas Memorial Cup to the Blue Team from St. Paul, the 2013 Summer League Champions. The Cup will be on display in our trophy case and has been engraved with the names of the members of the Championship Team --- Tony Antoniou, James Lignos, Artie Montauredes, John Pourakis, George Stamoulis, Gus Stamoulis, Nicholas Stamoulis, Zach Stamoulis, John Vlogianitis and Peter Vlogianitis. Over the years the Program has always been self-sufficient and, through the funds it receives from its participants and benefactors, it has been a generous donor to our community’s fundraisers – the Annual Festival, the Golf Outing, the Boy Scout Outing, the Annual Journal and the Christmas Card. In addition, donations by the Program have enabled the Cathedral to purchase portable baskets and wall mats used in the gymnasium, upgrades to the microphone and speaker system in the Church, and two new flower stands by the Shrine. The Program purchased an Automated External Defibrillator for our community and sponsored the CPR and AED training of over 70 individuals. Just as important, many of the participants go on to serve the community in many ways. The Program was a major donor to Project Renaissance that the Cathedral of St. Paul embarked
on to maintain and preserve its facilities. It also made a significant contribution to the Decorations Project in memory of Father Nicholas J. Magoulias, a key supporter of the Program for many years. Last year it made a gift to the Cathedral of covers for four icon stands. As we came together this year for the Championship Game, we learned of the tragic fire that had destroyed parts of the St. Demetrios Church of Merrick. Father Nikiforos Fakinos participated for many years in our Pamas Summer League and our commissioners, in consultation with Father Luke and the Pamas family, determined that the Program should make a significant donation to St. Demetrios to allow it to purchase items it needed for its altar. This donation was announced at the Dinner and was roundly applauded by the attendees. Through the continued generosity of its participants and other benefactors, the Program hopes to continue to assist our Cathedral and others experiencing significant needs for many years to come.
Thank you to John Mavrikis and his family for hosting the Festival Volunteer Dinner in June. 17
Prestigious Silver Buffalo Award Presented to George N. Boulukos by The National Boy Scouts of America The Silver Buffalo Award is the pinnacle of achievement award that is given to recognize the extraordinary commitment to scouting and to youth by the National Boy Scouts of America. The award is scouting’s highest commendation of the invaluable contributions by outstanding Americans. This was bestowed to our very own George N. Boulukos. The Award was presented at the National Annual Meeting, held at Grapevine, Texas. It is the culmination of many other awards that George has received over the years including the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and the Silver Antelope. George N. Boulukos has been a lifelong Boy Scout, working tirelessly to promote the goals and objectives of the Boy Scouts of America. He was born and raised in Merrick, and resides with his family in Freeport, NY. His father, Nick, was a founder of the cathedral of Saint Paul and George has been a member of the parish from the day it first opened its door in 1950 George has served the Boy Scout program on many levels and has worked within his community and throughout the United States on district, national and international programs and activities. In recognition of his sixty years of service, the National Court of Honor and the National Executive Board selected him to receive the Silver Buffalo Award for all he has done for Scouting and the youth of America. Created in l925, the first Silver Buffalo Award was conferred upon Lord Robert BadenPower, founder of the Scouting Movements and Chief Scout of the World. Some other well known recipients include: Charles A. Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacher, James A. Lovell, Jr., John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Norman Rockwell, Charles M. Schultz, Walt Disney, Hank Aaron, Vince Lombardi, Yogi Berra, Bob Hope, Marian Anderson, Irving Berlin, Art Linkletter, Carlos P. Romulo, Dr. Ralph Bunch, Marian Wright Edelman, H. Ross Perot, J. W. Mariottt, General Colin L. Powell, Bill Gates and l4 presidents of the United States. George is the first Greek American to receive this prestigious award. He has been Chairman of the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting which includes all the Orthodox units in the United States. He is Co-Founder of Desmos which is the international organization of Eastern Orthodox Christian Scouts. His love of scouting and his dedication makes one readily say “Axios”, meaning “Worthy”.
18
Grief & Bereavement Support Group By Anna Dounelis Memorials honor those who have died, but they really are for the living. Each of us have lost people who were very dear and special to us, and although we can’t control loss in our lives, there are ways we can keep their memories alive in our hearts and help with our personal healing. It is important to remember those who have fallen asleep with our prayers and memorial services at church. Memorials are a wonderful way to honor and remember our departed loved ones and can bring us comfort. If someone you love has died, when you’re ready, consider finding some way to honor his or her memory. Creating a memorial can help you cope with your grief, and although you won’t miss your loved one any less, you will create a sense of peace within your heart and mind through something tangible that you can return to, either inside or outside your home. These are just a few ideas: 1. Continue favorite family traditions that you and your departed loved once enjoyed. 2. Plant a tree, a garden of perennial flowers, a bush or shrub and mark it with a plaque, statue, or bench. A simple garden of flowering plants and beautiful foliage can be a place of peace and reflection to honor someone special. 3. Make a donation in memory of your loved one to your place of worship, to a charity or to another worthy cause. 4. Create a special memory scrapbook containing cards, letters and photographs of your loved one. 5. If you enjoy writing, then write a poem or stories about your loved one in a journal. On May 16, 2012, the Grief & Bereavement Support Group held its first spring memorial service in memory of our departed loved ones. It was held outside in front of the dwarf weeping cherry tree, planted to celebrate the lives of all our departed loved ones and marked by a boulder containing a special bronze plaque. This spring, our second outdoor memorial service was held on May 16, 2013. Perennial flowering plants and shrubs were planted around the tree, and the garden was dedicated in memory of our loved ones. The service was followed by a reception in the Hellenic Room. We thank Father Luke, Father Panagioti and everyone who participated for their kindness and generous contributions so that we could create a beautiful garden of remembrance. God bless you all. The Grief & Bereavement Support Group will resume its regular schedule in September with evening meetings on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings of each month at 7:30 PM. The afternoon meetings will be held on the 3rd Wednesday at 2:30 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend!
ΘΑΥΜΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΛΟΥΚΑ ΤΟΥ ΙΑΤΡΟΥ ΣΤΟΝ ΜΙΚΡΟ ΗΛΙΑ
Ο μικρός Ηλίας διεγνώσθη ότι έπασχε από λευχαιμία. Ο π. Σωσίπατρος ο οποίος είναι ο θείος του μικρού αγοριού ήταν επί πολλούς μήνες δίπλα στον ανεψιό του σε νοσοκομείο της Αθήνας μαζί με τον συνεφημέριό του π. Γρηγόριο. Η κατάσταση της υγείας του -μερικών μηνών- βρέφους ήταν πολύ κρίσιμη και οι γιατροί δεν έδιναν πολλές ελπίδες στους οικείους. Ο π. Σωσίπατρος και οι οικείοι του εναπόθεσαν όλες τις ελπίδες τους στον Άγιο Λουκά τον Ιατρό και καθημερινά έψαλλαν την παράκληση του Αγίου ελπίζοντας στο θαύμα. Η πίστη στον Άγιο Λουκά ότι θα επέμβει για άλλη μία φορά θαυματουργικά τελικά ενήργησε και ο Άγιος δια θαυμαστού τρόπου έδειξε ότι είναι παρών και ότι θα θεραπεύσει τον μικρό Ηλία. Το θαυμαστό γεγονός μας το διηγήθηκε ο π. Σωσίπατρος: « Ο μικρός Ηλίας ήταν κάποιων μηνών και οι γιατροί διέγνωσαν ότι έχει λευχαιμία. Εγώ μαζί με τον π. Γρηγόριο κάναμε βάρδιες στο νοσοκομείο που νοσηλευόταν. Παραμονή της κοιμήσεως του Αγίου Λουκά δηλαδή 10 Ιουνίου ο π. Γρηγόριος αργά το βράδυ έφυγε από το νοσοκομείο για να ξεκουραστεί και άφησε εμένα στο πόστο του ...;. Αφού κάθησα δίπλα στον μικρό Ηλία κοιτώντας το παιδί άρχισα για άλλο ένα βράδυ να προσεύχομαι στον Άγιο Λουκά ... - Άγιε Λουκά θεράπευσε τον δούλο σου Ηλία ... Άγιε Λουκά θεράπευσε τον δούλο σου Ηλία ... Άγιε Λουκά θεράπευσε τον δούλο σου Ηλία ...όμως δεν πρόλαβα καλά καλά να τελειώσω την προσευχή μου και χτυπά το κινητό τηλέφωνό μου ...ήταν ο π. Γρηγόριος ο οποίος με μία τρομαγμένη-συγκινημένη- τρεμάμενη αλλά και χαρούμενη φωνή μου λέγει: - π. Σωσίπατρε ... ο Άγιος Λουκάς έκανε και πάλι το θαύμα του!! Τι είχε γίνει; Όταν έφυγε από το νοσοκομείο πήρε ένα ταξί για να τον πάει στο σπίτι που έμενε ...λίγο πριν φτάσουν λοιπόν στο σπίτι ο άγνωστος ταξιτζής ρωτά τον π. Γρηγόριο: -Πάτερ όλα καλά; Ο π. Γρηγόριος απαντά αμήχανα : - Όλα καλά ...; Ο ταξιτζής όμως επιμένοντας ξαναρωτά: -Πάτερ όλα καλά; Ο π. Γρηγόριος μην θέλοντας να συνεχίσει την συνομιλία μαζί με τον άγνωστο ταξιτζή και νομίζοντας ότι τυπικά του έκανε την ερώτηση αυτή μιας και σίγουρα τον έβλεπε στενοχωρημένο απαντά και πάλι κοφτά: -Όλα καλά ...; Και τότε ο ταξιτζής του λέγει: -π. Γρηγόριε αυτό το παιδί που φροντίζετε και ο οποίο δεν είναι δικό σας θα γίνει καλά! Ο π Γρηγόριος σάστισε προς στιγμή και απευθυνόμενος στον άγνωστο τον ρωτά: -Πώς ξέρετε για το παιδί; Για εμένα; Για όλα αυτά; Και ο ταξιτζής του απαντά: -Μην ρωτάς πολλά πάτερ ...;αυτό να ξέρεις, ότι το παιδί που φροντίζετε αλλά δεν είναι δικό σας θα γίνει καλά! Ο μικρός Ηλίας στα χέρια του π. Σωσιπάτρου Με αυτά τα λόγια το ταξί σταμάτησε και ο π. Γρηγόριος συγκλονισμένος έδωσε το χρηματικό αντίτιμο στον άγνωστο.. που όμως γνώριζε τα πάντα. Ο ταξιτζής πήρε τα χρήματα έδωσε τα ρέστα και εξαφανίστηκε. Δεν γνωρίζω εάν ο ταξιτζής αυτός ήταν ο Άγιος Λουκάς ή εάν ο Άγιος μίλησε δια μέσου αυτού του ανθρώπου, αυτό που γνωρίζω είναι ότι ο μικρός Ηλίας από εκείνο το βράδυ, από εκείνη την ώρα άρχισε να γίνεται όλο και καλύτερα ...;ο Άγιος Λουκάς ο Ιατρός τον θεράπευσε!» Ο μικρός Ηλίας είναι άλλο ένα ζωντανό θαύμα του Αγίου Λουκα Αρχιεπισκόπου Συμφερουπόλεως του Ιατρού και Θαυματουργού που αγγίζει και συγκλονίζει κάθε καρδιά.
19
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul
Family Fall Festival Sunday, October 6th , 2013 1:00 pm – 5:00pm After Second Liturgy/ Rain or Shine!! Fun for the Entire Community!!! Gyros & Loukoumades Pastry Shop & Greek Imports Farm Stand, Pony Rides& Petting Zoo
Inflatable Rides, Jumping Castle and Games Crafts, Pumpkin Decorating, Face Painting
W
hen it’s time to make a change in your address…
Call Marie Kratsios
Licensed Associate Broker Relocation Specialist
631.427.6600 ext.316
c.631.875.2844 mariedenisekratsios@danielgale.com mariekratsios.com
Each office is independently owned and operated.
20
The Law Office of Steven Morelli is pleased to announce that
Melanie Donus, Special Education Advocate has joined our Special Education legal team.
Melanie has a 22 year hybrid background in Special Education advocacy, philanthropy, and financial services. Prior to working at the offices of Steven Morelli, Melanie juggled over 13 years of working at Deutsche Bank as a Vice President, launching her own résumé writing business, and supporting the Garden City school district via working on the Special Education PTA executive board as Co-President, serving as a parent member in CPSE/CSE meetings, and on the interview committee for Special Education staff. Melanie has also provided advocacy services to many Greek American families via the Donus family charity, The St. Nicholas Autism Foundation. Melanie has attended countless Special Education meetings with school districts and personally understands the challenges of raising a special needs child, as she is a proud mother of three children with Autism, 10 year old twins, Dimitri and Michael and 5 year old, Maxximus.
*************************************************************************** The Special Education division in the law office of Steven Morelli has one priority: Ensuring that children and adults with disabilities receive the rights that they deserve! Reaching out to us is your first step to a new beginning. Every child deserves an equal opportunity to be the best that they can be – it would be our pleasure to support you.
21
Athena Demetra Menoudakos Licensed Salesperson Garden City Office 102 Seventh Street, Garden City, NY 516.248.6655, c.516.316.4955 athenamenoudakos@danielgale.com
I personally stand ready to assist you in your purchase or sale of the perfect home. Call me at c.516.316.4955
Each office is independently owned and operated.
22
Marathon Bank
• • • • • • •
Event Furnishings Lighting Draping Runways Illuminated Tables/Bars Red Carpet Performers
eventdecornyc.com
• • • • • • •
Artists DJ’s Models Decor Design Centerpieces Event Consulting Audio Visual Services
1-800-468-3562
Special Consideration Pricing for Newark Club Guests 23
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul
N o n - P r o f i t Organization U.S. Postage PAID Hempstead, NY Permit No, 72
110 Cathedral Avenue Hempstead, NY 11550
Proudly serving the community of Saint Paul for nearly two decades, with an emphasis on personalized care, compassion, and affordability
Kallinikos Funeral Services, Inc. Towers Funeral Home, Inc. 2681 Long Beach Road, Oceanside, New York 11572
Funeral Arrangements
Our personalized funeral services are available in most communities of Nassau, Suffolk, as well as the greater New York Metropolitan Area Arrangements for out-of-state and international burials
Pre-need
Arrangements and consultations Irrevocable trust accounts for Medicaid Pre-planning for estate purposes
Our Funeral Home
Our Family of Directors Krissie Kallinikos
George Frangiadakis
William C. Kallinikos
Funeral and pre-need arrangements can be conducted in the privacy of your home
24 Hour Service
Telephone: 1-516 764 5191 Toll Free: 1-877 766-0425 For information and frequently asked questions, visit us at www.TowersFuneralHomeNY.com
24