September-October 2017 EPISTLE by Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Paul

THE EPISTLE September-October 2017

GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PAUL 1

Official Publication of

ALEX ORPHANOS………...................................Editor-in-Chief JOAN PRIESTON………………………..............Chairperson GEORGE K. LAVAS.............................................Photographer

Volume LXXI , September-October FR. CHRISTOPHER CONSTANTINIDES, Presiding Priest FATHER CONSTANTIN URSACHE, Presbyter DEACON MATHEW KAKIS ALEX ORPHANOS, Pastoral Assistant

Parish Council Officers & Legal Advisor GEORGE A. VORKAS…….…..............................President GEORGE P. MARINOS...…………......................Vice President FRANCES LUTFY, Esq..........................................Secretary STEPHEN MAKRINOS.....………........................Treasurer JAMES GINIS..........................................................Financial Secretary GEORGE VASILAKIS...........................................Financial Secretary HARRY RAPTAKIS, Esq.……..............................Legal Counsel

Regular Schedule (Beginning Memorial Day One Liturgy until September) Orthros 7:45 a.m. 1st Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m. 2nd Divine Liturgy 10:45 a.m. Ορθρος 7:45 π.μ. A’ Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00 π.μ. B’ Θεία Λειτουργία 10:45 π.μ. Emergency Telephone Numbers Father Constantin Ursache

857-234-1960

Pastoral Assistant Alex Orphanos

781-929-6708

September 3 September 10 September 17 September 24

I Corinthians 16:13-24 Matthew 21:33-42 Galatians 6:11-18 John 3:13-17 Galatians 2:16-20 Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 Hebrews 6:13-20 Mark 9:17-31

October 1 October 8 October 15 October 22 October 29

II Corinthians 6:16-18;7:1 II Corinthians 9:6-11 Titus 3:8-15 Galatians 1:11-19 Galatians 2:16-20

Stewardship Secretary Hermea Drivas

September 1 September 8 September 12 September 13 September 14 September 23 September 26

October 26 516-481-9333 (9-5)

Luke 6:31-36 Luke 7:11-16 Luke 8:5-15 Luke 8:26-39 Luke 8:41-56

CHURCH FEAST DAYS

October 6 October 9 October 15 October 18 October 23

Cathedral Secretaries Nicole Rousakis Mary Marcella

Music Director & Organist Adrienne Stamatas-Borbely

SUNDAY EPISTLE & GOSPEL READINGS

October 28

New Ecclesiastical Year The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary Apodosis of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and EverVirgin Mary Forefeast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross The Conception of St. John the Baptist The Falling Asleep of St. John the Evangelist The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas James the Apostle, son of Alphaeus Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council Luke the Evangelist James (Iakovos) the Apostle, brother of Our Lord The Holy Great Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-streamer The Holy Protection of the Theotokos

Chanter James Tsimis

Thanksgiving...Holiday or Holy Day? As we embark upon the wonderful tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving, and as I write about this great feast and institution of this great country, I always wonder, what can I share with people that they don’t already know. If you watch any television the week before Thanksgiving, the commercials will be flooding your homes; the radio will share jokes, songs and stories which are all about this wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving. So the question that I have asked myself is: Is Thanksgiving a HOLIDAY or a HOLY DAY? As I made my way through different texts and reference sources, it became abundantly clear that this truly is a holiday centered on God – therefore making it a Holy Day! Please allow me to share… On October 3, 1789, President George Washington made the following proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me ʺto recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions.” Then I went to the story of the Pilgrims to see what kind of information I could find there and if it would shed more light on a faith or secular celebration. The story was speaking about the prosperity of the Pilgrims and how they were able to make a living by themselves with the new economic system that had been implemented: And it said: But it wasn’t just an economic system that allowed the Pilgrims to prosper. It was their devotion to God and His laws. And that’s what Thanksgiving is really all about. The Pilgrims recognized that everything we have is a gift from God – even our sorrows. Their Thanksgiving tradition was established to honor God and thank Him for His blessings and His grace. In the Sunday morning service of the Eastern Orthodox Church we start by reading six different Psalms taken from the book of Psalms. These particular psalms are read in order to set the tone of repentance, self examination, thanksgiving for God’s forgiveness and assurance of God’s mighty goodness. As people of many faiths in this country, this one Holiday or Holy Day bridges the gap and brings us together thanking God for His many blessings that He has bestowed upon each and every one of us. It is important for all of us as people of God, not to allow our various beliefs to be a source of division, but a source of strength and unity within the parameters of the belief structure of our faith. God bless you, God bless America, and Happy Thanksgiving. Father Christopher Constantinides 3

FAMILIES IN FOCUS By Fr. Constantin Ursache At a recent conference on family life, Steve Christoforou, the director of the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of our Archdiocese, shared some poignant examples of the types of experiences that influence children’s understanding of church and religion, especially in regard to our actions and the examples that we as parents, grandparents, or other adults, offer to them. For example, when, in trying to convince the kids to go to church, we tell them something like: “let’s go to church for one hour and then we will go do something fun, maybe get ice cream or go to the park”, we teach our children that we think church is boring. Rather, why not share our excitement about and love for participating in the Holy services? Conveying this excitement is often difficult for us to do and can only really be done if we intentionally make the commitment to do it. In my own family, we have talked about how going to church can get boiled down to a series of tasks—ironing clothes the night before, getting dressed, brushing hair, finding shoes, running out the door as the church bells are ringing, sitting still, standing up, being quiet… and so on, to the end of the service. We can easily feel exhausted and overwhelmed by the ‘busyness’ of getting ready for and attending church services and if we are not careful, these can be the feelings about church that we communicate to our children. If we are to teach our children to love the church, and we want our children to continue being involved in the church for the rest of their lives, we must intentionally work to communicate the love we feel for our church-- by our smile and joy on Sunday morning, by our eagerness to prepare for and arrive at church on time, and by our own participation in the Holy services through paying attention, singing along, praying, and by our participation in the Holy Sacraments. The same applies to the ways in which we teach our children at home. First of all, do we have prayer time at home with our children and families, even for 5 minutes a day? If yes, this is a great first step! What does our family prayer time look like, however? Is it something that we rush through because we have to do it, thereby treating prayer as a routine task? Is prayer time a source of family conflict where we are simply constantly trying to get a child to stand still and in the process becoming aggravated, forgetting to lead by example? Or is prayer time a family activity that we all excitedly engage in just as we would for a family movie night or a family game night? In the course of a week or a year, we will probably cycle through all of these different experiences of prayer time, but we should always be working toward the latter. In trying to teach our children about the church and their Orthodox faith, we of course will not always make the right choices, but we must take the time to reflect on what and how we are teaching them, both implicitly and explicitly. Only by understanding what it is we are communicating to our children can we intentionally help them to grown in faith and love. Beloved in Christ, Several weeks ago our beloved Archbishop Demetrios celebrated the Divine Liturgy upon welcoming Fr. Christopher to our community. In his sermon, His Eminence began by stating that Christianity and especially the Orthodox Church are witnessing persecution and martyrdom as never before throughout the world in the last century. While this should not be surprising as our Lord told us that if we choose to follow Him there would be a Cross. We only have to look at the history of the endless challenges and sufferings to the Orthodox Church. The Crusades and schism from the west, the Moslem enslavements which have lasted hundreds of years and in some places continues today and not least, the Communist Revelation of Russia, Romania, and the majority of Eastern European countries. (Greece was just coming out of her hundred year struggle of restoring the islands still under Ottoman rule after declaring her independence.) In the Russian Revolution where every vestige of religious practice was destroyed with more than 25 million souls paying the ultimate price. We rejoice that even the so-called political reporting has not prevented the restoration of the Orthodox Churches, seminaries and monasteries. We pray this continues as a beacon for the rest of the world. However, while Russia, Romania and the other nations suffered through such harsh atheistic practices, there was a prophecy, during the Communist enslavement, which we must pay close attention to, "Today in Russia, Tomorrow in America". I'm sure many will argue, "Are you kidding me?" Let's hear from some remarks of a 20th century priest theologian, Father Seraphim Rose". (He was co-founder of St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Northern California.) "Anyone who looks at contemporary life from the perspective of normal life lived by the people in earlier time say Russia or America or any country in Europe in the 19th century cannot help but be struck by the fact of how abnormal life has become today. The whole concept of authority and obedience, of decency and politeness, of public and private

behavior- all have been drastically turned upside down except in a few pockets of people- usually Christian of some kind- who try to preserve the so called 'old fashion' way of life. Our abnormal life today can be characterized as spoiled, pampered." May I interject the wholesale attacks on our police. Fr. Rose added,"Life becomes a constant search for 'fun' which is so serious of any meaning that a visitor from any 19th century country looking at our present day culture- would think he had stumbled across a land of imbeciles". Fr. warns "that this 'me' generation when it comes to religion, it is a plastic or fantasy form where the self remains the object of worship of brain washing and mind control, of deified swamis and gurus, of a pursuit of UFOs and extra-terrestrial beings of abnormal sites and feelings. And what are we left with.... a 'Disneyland' of fun,( a most un- Christian world) a lack of seriousness.....unaware or barely aware of the real meaning and seriousness of life." Do we not realize the horrible toll of casualties on our youth in drug related statistics. The numbers are growing geometrically each year with no end in sight. Our public servants and judges continue to pursue this 'crucifixion' in the name of freedom and justice and it is pure unadulterated bondage. While the acceptance of Satan's attacks seems dark, there is HOPE and it is not from our civil authorities. Their only concern is to be re-elected. It is up to us to come to the realization that we must change. God has and is allowing our country to suffer so as to seek Him alone, to obey His Holy Laws, to identify with Him alone and to serve Him in obedience and humility as has been the guidance of our Holy Fathers and Mothers throughout the ages. In that way we can overcome our 'crucifixion' and experience His 'resurrection' as the Lord has promised us for and in His Kingdom and no evil power can prevent this. My brothers and sisters, while this matter requires volumes to discuss it is impossible to do so in a few paragraphs.. I invite you to examine the consisted time tested writings of our Holy Fathers, over the centuries available in our bookstore including the works of Fr. Seraphim Rose. Along with many Saints and Elders who have suffered for Christ and His Church, we can find guidance. We must also remember to partake faithfully the Holy Mysteries of His Church. We must be as little children. "Suffer the little children to come unto me." (Matthew 19:14) In one of his last talks Fr. Seraphim told the faithful, "By the prayers of the New Martyrs, may God give us the strength to endure the trials coming upon us and to find in them the resurrection of our souls". Deacon Mathew

September-October 2017 The question I get asked most these days is when the expansion project will get going again. Frankly, it never stopped, we just stalled it to take care of other pressing matters in the Cathedral. We took a step back, and by doing so, we are rejuvenated and just about ready to go again. By the time you read this, the Committee, led by co-chairs, Spyro Georgopalis, John Papachristos and George Michelis have met with Father Chris, updating him on the history of the project and its future. Next steps include reassembling the expansion project committee, and reconnecting all of you with our plans. Two years ago, when this project was approved for exploration, it was both an exciting but nervous time. We are feeling that again! Exciting, because we have the wherewithal to build a community center for our future, encompassing the needs of ALL of our parishioners. It will include classrooms, an elevator/ramps for ease of access, and a new gym. Those are just three of the major improvements we hope to bring you. It will be a nerve racking time as well, since these projects do not happen without the financial support of our parishioners. We are truly blessed to have one of the more breath taking places of worship in the northeast, but we need a first class community center to compliment it. Let me bring you back to when our community decided to go head first, lead by Father Nicholas Magoulias, to transform our church into what it is today with the amazing Mosaic project. We overcame then, and we will do it again. Soâ&#x20AC;Ś..do not hesitate to talk to us about this project, we need your input and support. As the holidays quickly approach, remember those in need. We do what we can to support our families, and our parish, but there are those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have at all. Take a look around the Cathedral, most of organizations are not only involved in making our parish a better place, but are also involved with charities. If you can, please support our ministries in this regard. A bake sale isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a bake sale, those monies go to support the ministries many endeavors. Please give them your support this holiday season. Thank you to all and for your patience, George Vorkas Parish Council President

Gurlides and Comas Awards

Nursery School Apple and Tomato Picking with Fr. Constantin

YOUTH MINISTRY By Alex Orphanos Our Youth Programs are up and running full steam ahead into the 2017-2018 Ecclesiastical Year. We are blessed with so many wonderful programs here at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. We are especially blessed however because of all the hard working volunteers whom spend countless hours working to maintain and improve our youth programs weekly. I would like to thank all our youth advisors, coaches and parent volunteers for all they do to support our youth ministries here at St. Paul, because without them we would not have these wonderful programs. Over the summer we held the annual summer basketball camp sponsored by HAEF (Hellenic American Education Foundation) which was organized by John Caragiorgis. We had children from several of the surrounding parishes come and learn from many elite high school and college coaches. We also had a very successful Vacation Church School program running simultaneously by Catherine Marinos, where several GOYAns volunteered and staffed the program for the younger children of our community. It was a wonderful week and we hope that we can expand this program to a two sessions this year. This year for Athletics we have many teams participating across the soccer, basketball and volleyball leagues of our DAD (Direct Archdiocesan District). We have 3 soccer teams in the GOSL (2 Boys and 1 Girls). We have 9 basketball teams across GOYA and JOY (3 GOYA and 6 JOY) in the GOBL. We will also have two GOYA volleyball teams participate this upcoming Winter/Spring in the GOVL. Our monthly and weekly meetings of our youth groups Little Angels, HOPE, JOY, Jr. GOYA, GOYA are some of the most important ministries we have in our church. Throughout the year please keep a look out for how you can volunteer or support these ministries in any way you can. It takes an army to raise a child and we have many children in our youth programs so any support is welcomed and appreciated. I look forward to an incredible year here at St. Paul’s.

Vacation Church School 2017 By Catherine Marinos Under the guidance of our Youth Director, Alex Orphanos, Vacation Church School 2017 embarked on its 13 th year. This year’s theme was “Gifts of the Holy Spirit”. Throughout the week of June 26 to June 30, the 23 participants delved into the meaning, expression and manifestation of the 7 gifts which are: (1) wisdom, (2) understanding, (3) counsel, (4) fortitude, (5) knowledge, (6) piety, and (7) wonder/fear of the Lord. Each camp day was divided into 4 segments: Orthodox life, music, crafts, and games and snacks. Orthodox life was instructed by Alex and supplemented by music under the direction of Dr. Effie Kymissis and Virginia Pourakis. The children viewed several icons located within the Cathedral that depicted the Holy Spirit, as symbolized in the form of light, a dove, or a flame. The children learned the Prayer to the Holy Spirit and that they need to be humble to receive the gifts. Crafts were made and brought home to amplify the meaning of the gifts. Camp Counselors were present at all times to help supervise the kids and added extra entertainment and fun to the rowdy bunch. Even though the theme was mature, it was a delight to see the children embrace the topic, learn, and enjoy the week. They even participated in the chanting during the visitation of Bishop Sevastianos on the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul on the 29th. Much appreciation goes out to the outstanding staff for their time and talent dedicated to our youth and I’d like to acknowledge the Counselors, who made the week more fun for the kids: Alexis Pagonis, Demetra Menoudakos, Panagioti Menoudakos, Alexander Menoudakos, Marika Mavricakos, Alexandra Yiachos, Carris Lynch, Constantine Marinos and Io Marinos.

Summer Basketball Camp 2017

Vacation Church School 2017

Greek School Graduation 2017

2016-2017 Greek School Graduates Arniotis, Maria; Dallas, Victoria; Kalogiros, Constantine; Koutsothanasis, Maria; Marinos, Ioakim; Moratti, Stefanie; Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Reilly Alexandra; Panas, Maria; Papachristos, Melina; Salouras, Peter; Theofilaktidis, Dimosthenis; Tavoulareas Elias; Vlogianitis, Alexandra; Vorillas Eleni

SACRAMENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 1 THRU SEPTEMBER 30, 2017 Weddings Stephanie Lawless & Nicholas Efthimiades; Genoveffa DeMucci & George Vrotsos; Mary Valinotti & David Rao; Lisa Marie Serrone & Giani Panagiotou; Penelope Sovaras & Gregorios Gianoutsos; Morgan Collins & Ricky Demirakos; Michelle Heintz & Matthew Petrucci; Joanna Szczesniak & Frank Intagliata; Cassandra Vallese & George Zervoudis; Diana Barone & Robert Cankes; Christine Papazicos & Michael Sabato Baptisms Son of Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Stephen Tavoulareas; Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Robert McGregor; Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Shea; Son of Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Cress; Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Salvatore Genovese; Son of Mr. & Mrs. Pietro Scardino Funerals Demetrios Tziamihas; Vasiliki Dulakis; Billie Christie; Spiro Efstathiadis

OXI DAY FOUNDATION HONOREE MR. GEORGE POSSAS

In Washington, DC, on October 26, the 7th Annual Oxi Day Foundation Celebration took place in honor of the courage shown by brave individuals both past and present. Our very own George Possas, Past President of the Cathedral of Saint Paul, was up front and center during the event. In front of the National World War II Memorial, George was honored for being a Greek-American WWII veteran, with its Greatest Generation Award. It was a memorable weekend, starting with a reception at the Greek Ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence and ending a couple of days later with a somber wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery, honoring those Greeks who said OXI and lost their lives in WWII. We are truly honored to have George and his family in our community!

Welcome Reception for Fr. Christopher and Family

College Student Sunday

Fall Festival 2017

St. Paul’s Byzantine Choir October 2017 Adrienne Stamatas-Borbely, Music Director Warm greetings to our St. Paul’s family! Our Choir has resumed its rehearsal schedule, preparing and studying both liturgical hymns for our Sunday services, as well as getting ready for the festive, beautiful, and celebratory music of the Christmas season ahead. As our community can also express, we are grateful for and have always enjoyed singing liturgies with Father Constantin Ursache, and are now also thankful to have this same joy with Father Christopher Constantinides. The beauty of their voices and the demonstration of their faith add to our deep and humble gratitude to be able to participate in these services. As many church musicians joined from their own parishes across the country, St. Paul’s Choir was also honored to participate in National Church Music Sunday in early October. The recognition that was shown to our group by our Clergy and community was meaningful and deeply appreciated. Sharing this day with us were our fellow church musicians, James Tsimis and Virginia Pourakis, who grace our Cathedral with their chanting. Of special note for this day was the recognition that was given to several Choir members for their years of honored service and dedication. Freddie Alvarado, Andrew and Mary Grigoriou, Effie Kymissis, Virginia Pourakis, Mary Procopi, Chris Sikalis, and Georgia Zaphiris are our noted awardees and we thank them for their continued commitment and devotion to our Choir and to our church community. As we proceed through these weeks and months of our church calendar year, we thank you all again for your ongoing consideration of our Choir, and we also extend an invitation to our community members to consider joining us. If you have had musical and singing experience, if you enjoy learning new things, if you enjoy a friendly group of people – give us a try! Rehearsals are instructional, interesting, productive, and enjoyable to attend. Openings are available in all singing parts, and we have room for you, a family member, and a friend. Our Music Director, Adrienne Stamatas-Borbely, can be reached at 516-481-9333, and would welcome discussing the Choir with you. With our continued thanks for the privilege and joy of sharing in and serving with our St. Paul’s family, we wish our fond regards and deepest blessings to all.

Grief and Bereavement Support Group HOW DOES ONE BEGIN ANEW? By Anna Dounelis How do we begin living after a significant loss, particularly that of a spouse? Before there were two, sharing love, family, experiences, and responsibilities. How do we start living again and alone? There is no one perfect answer for everyone, because each person’s grief journey is uniquely their own. It is not easy adjusting to your new life. Each of us must take it one day at a time. Here are some suggestions to help as you face the fear of being alone and the challenge of performing new and unaccustomed tasks. Remember that everything does not have to be learned or done immediately. Be patient with yourself, and take it slowly!     

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You may want to contact your local police department to ask how to better secure your home. Ask others, who also live alone, what they have done to feel safe. Making decisions by oneself can be one of the most difficult things to do. Widows often relied on their spouses to find a good plumber, electrician, auto mechanic, etc. Ask family and friends if they know someone they would personally recommend you contact. If you once shared responsibilities like balancing the checkbook, household chores or cooking, you may find them difficult to do all by yourself. You can ask family or friends to teach you, or you can consider hiring outside help with things like bill paying, housekeeping, or yard work. Remember to take care of yourself. Eat properly and take medications that have been prescribed by your physician. Be realistic about your health and what you are physically capable of doing. For example, don’t put yourself in danger by climbing a ladder if this is unsafe. Talk with people you trust, such as your parish priest, or join a group, such as our parish’s Grief & Bereavement Support Group where you may feel free to express your thoughts, fears and feelings in a private and safe setting. Being with others who understand and can support you may be the greatest gift you can give yourself. Some like to keep a journal. Writing down your fears and feelings can give them clarity, which can also help dispel fears. As you reflect on your writing as time passes, you will notice your progress and learn some things about yourself. You may find you are a lot stronger than you thought you were. As the holidays approach, think about your needs and develop a flexible plan. Allow time to spend with others, to rest, and to remember the good times and the happy memories you made with your departed loved one.

On Wednesday evening, October 4th, the Grief & Bereavement Support Group held its Annual Q & A Meeting with clergy. That evening, we were very pleased to welcome our new priest, Father Christopher Constantinides to our beautiful Saint Paul’s Community, and we thank him for sharing his thoughts and wisdom with us! All are welcome to attend the Grief & Bereavement Support Group meetings that are held monthly throughout the year on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM and at 2:00 PM on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. We also invite everyone to attend the Annual Trisagion Service in the Cathedral by the Panaghia Shrine on Monday, December 18th at 7:00 PM. Please remember to bring the names to be commemorated and your ornaments in memory of your departed loved ones to place on the Memorial Christmas Tree. A reception will follow in the Reverend Nicholas J. Magoulias Cathedral Center.

St. Anna’s Philoptochos—By Kelly Hadjoglou Haass Summer has quickly gone and our ecclesiastical year has begun in full force. As the newly elected Philoptochos President it was my honor to welcome Fr. Chris and Presbytera Angie at the Cathedral’s reception that was given by the Parish Council to welcome them to our St. Paul family. St. Anna’s presented Father Chris with an icon of our patron Saint Anna. The following week St. Anna’s helped with a reception given for our Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. St. Anna’s begins every year with a membership tea which was held on October 10, 2017 where we honored our long-time members. We also welcomed our newest member, Presbytera Angie. Many thanks to our membership chairlady, Marge Lembo and our hardworking board who prepared a delicious array of appetizers and desserts for this event. A job well done! Our next project was on November 6, 2017 when in conjunction with Goya we assembled health kits for the I. O. C. C. Hurricane relief fund. Our last major event for 2017 will be our annual Christmas luncheon, “Christmas at the Manor” which will take place on December 14, 2017 at Westbury Manor. Please save the date. The mission statement of Philoptochos is to promote charitable, benevolent and philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Our Philoptochos is very dedicated to following and adhering to these purposes. One of our biggest and important causes is to be involved in helping to promote the expansion and completion of St. Michael’s home which will now be in Uniondale. We have pledged to give $35,000 over the course of 7 years to sponsor one of the future dementia rooms.I am proud to say that last year our own St. Anna’s donated over $22,000 to support such causes as the completion of St. Nicholas Shrine in Manhattan, St. Basil’s Academy, St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital in Bayside, the I. O. C. C. , Make a Wish Foundation and many other obligations asked of us by National Philoptochos and calls from those in need around us. Our newly elected board for the years 2017-2019 are as follows: President –Kelly Hadjoglou Haass 1st Vice-President - Georgia Vlogianitis nd 2 Vice-President - Georgia Tsempelis Recording Secretary - Catherine Marinos Corresponding Secretary - Joanne Crokos Treasurer - Demetra Jannes Assistant Treasurer - Barbara Stevens Advisor - Callie Papazicos The Stewardship of our 300 members and ongoing support from all of you over the years has helped St. Anna’s continue to grow. We thrive on your ideas, interests, your benevolence and most of all your love for our Beloved Cathedral of St. Paul.

Recipe Club News By: Kathy Boulukos, Chairperson

In the latest edition of the National Herald monthly magazine, “The Women”, an article entitled ”The Uniqueness of Greek desserts” featured the Recipe Club and its success with the four books. The article included three pictures, showing the original founding group, the publications group picture, and a recent picture of the members at large! This timely article should remind our parishioners that their last book, in softcover, entitled “The Complete Book of Greek Cooking”, Harper Collins, is a great book to own, use, and to gift to friends and family. Remember, the holidays are coming! It is sold at our church office at a discount price of $ 18. It is also available online on Amazon and it is also an EBook! As you know, all the earnings from the book are given to our beloved St. Paul for various specific items. Remember: its “ Great to own, great to give!”

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE – PASITHEA CHAPTER #141 Below is the calendar of meetings and events for the Fall of 2017. Please note that our meetings will now be held at 100 Cathedral Avenue (the house next door to the Church) at 8:00 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of the month. November 13, 2017 (Monday) –Honey Party – 7:30 p.m. November 22, 2017 – Meeting to prepare for our Christmas Dinner and gifts for St. Basil’s Academy. December 6, 2017 – Annual trimming of the Christmas Tree and decoration of the Hellenic Room. December 12, 2017 (Tuesday) – Annual Christmas Dinner – 7:00 p.m. in the Hellenic Room. Sons of Pericles, Lord Byron Chapter #233 By: Niko Vorkas

The Sons of Pericles, Lord Byron Chapter #233 were reactivated back in 2015 and as some of you know, we have been active mainly in athletics, but also in supporting other local chapters in their fundraising. We are still a young Chapter and are always looking to add to our ranks, so, if your between the ages of 15 and 28, and are looking to join an organization that not only is built around fundraising and promoting Hellenism, but also around the church, please reach out to me or Alex Orphanos (our Church Youth Director). We are excited to be part of a full AHEPA family here at the Cathedral, AHEPA, Daughters, Maids and the Sons!

AHEPA FAMILY

Daughters of Penelope

Sons of Pericles

Maids of Athena

Boy Scout Troop 568: Successful Summer Camp The annual Boy Scout Summer Camping trip was held during the second week of July. Twenty Boy Scouts and their fathers from Troop 568 spent a week in the fresh mountain air of the Onteora Scout Reservation in the Catskills. During the day, the boys were busy working on their numerous merit badges which included swimming, canoeing, rifle shooting, archery, basketry, leather working and cooking. Evenings included campfires and working on other badges and other camp activities which fostered and developed troop morale. More than 100 merit badges were earned by the boys. The highlight of the week was the annual “Feast”, which features an in camp prepared meal. An annual tradition that has grown over the years, the troop invited the entire camp staff and friends for the dinner. The feast included souvlaki, roasted potatoes, sausages, Greek salad, and desert. Over the years our Troop has earned a reputation amongst Onteora staff for having the best in-camp feast.

Boy Scout Souvlaki Sunday Thank you to the St. Paul’s community for your successful support of the Souvlaki Sunday fundraiser. The funds raised will be used to continue to provide a quality scouting program for our community’s youth. We also hope you enjoyed your lunches…..

Boy Scouts start year with Court of Honor and new Leadership The opening event of the 2017/18 Boy Scout season was a traditional Court of Honor, held on September 28th to recognize scout achievement during summer camp, and to present the new patrol assignments, and leadership positions. The ceremonies commenced with the opening color guard ceremony and an Agiasmos service conducted by Father Christopher and Father Constantin, who proceeded to bless the Boy Scout and Cub Scout Troops that were assembled. The awards ceremony started with the presentation of over 100 individual merit badges that were earned by the twenty scouts that attended the week long summer camp at Onteora in the Catskills. A survey of the most popular badges include; Dan Beard, Fishing, Cooking, Environmental Science, Emergency Preparation, Rifle and Shotgun, Archery, Swimming, Astronomy, and Personal Fitness. Congratulations to all the scouts on their merit badge accomplishments! The ceremonies continued with the formal installation of the newly elected Senior Patrol Leader, Argiris Papadopoulos. His predecessor, Panayiote Menoudakos was promoted to Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. Congratulations to Argiri and Panayiote! Next up were the presentation of the new Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (ASPL’s), Andreas Yioupis, Georgios Cosmas, George Pittas, and Alexander Menoudakos. In addition, the new patrol assignments and roles were issued as follows: Puzzle Cube Patrol ASPL - Georgios Cosmas Patrol Leader – Stavros Cherpelis APL/Quartermaster – Constantine Vasilakis Scribe – Gus Vasilakis Demos Ciar and Horia Panea Patriot Patrol ASPL - George Pittas Patrol Leader - Constantine Marinos APL/Quartermaster – Theophani Baktidy Scribe – Konstantine Parlapanides Librarian - Peter Papangelopoulos Mihnea Panea and David Rovensky Dragon Slayer Patrol ASPL - Alexander Menoudakos Patrol Leader – Harris Cherpelis APL/Quartermaster – Ioakim Marinos Scribe – Andreas Charidemou Historian - Peter Yioupis George Cherpelis and Efstathios Nikou

THE TUESDAY LADIES by Joanne Vagelatos The Tuesday Ladies are a group of dedicated, selfless, talented ladies who meet every Tuesday year round in an atmosphere of love and support. Their mission is to make crafts that they sell in order to support the Religious Education Program at St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral. The sale of their crafts has raised thousands of dollars at the Annual Christmas Boutique held each year on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Among the crafts sold are beautifully decorated Christmas trees and wreaths, beautifully crafted baby blankets and afghans, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books, decorator pillows, hats, scarves and crafted Christmas scenes. The ladies also sell their delicious pastries. PLEASE honor and support these dedicated women during the Christmas Boutique and take the time to walk around to look at their handiwork. You will be amazed with the quality and creativity of their work. You might even find the perfect gift for that special person. For further information, please call Joan Prieston at (516) 825-3420. LIACA October 2017 By Teena Grosinski LIACA's first event of the year was on Saturday, October 7th. Taverna Night was such a success last year, it was brought back by popular demand. The over two hundred people who attended enjoyed the evening immensely. We were delighted Fr. Chris, Pres. Angie and Fr. Constantin were able to join us as well as Deacon Matthew and Diakonissa Betsy. Jenny and Frank Georgiou once again outdid themselves by preparing all the food. The menu was extensive: all Cypriot appetizers, salad, koupes, loukanika, sheftalia, souvla, roasted potatoes and homemade bread thanks to Soteroula's mother, all served Taverna Style. Zivania was passed around by a server in an authentic Cypriot costume. Fruit and Cypriot pastry completed the menu. Wine and soft drinks flowed all evening. The music by Andreas Modenos and the Geminis was wonderful! They had most people up on the dance floor singing along to the music. The evening was a huge success! Please note you are warmly invited to join us at our monthly meetings. We meet in the Hellenic Room the second Monday of the month at 7:30. Hope to see you there!

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