MAY 2012 • Vol. 77 • No. 1275 $1.00www.observer.goarch.org • e-mail: observer@goarch.org

ATHENS – Archbishop Demetrios presented a $500,000 check to Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece on April 10 as a tangible expression of sup-port and solidarity of the Archdiocese and the Omogeneia to the suffering people in Greece. This amount comes from the Relief Fund for the People of Greece that the Archdiocese established on Feb. 15.

The presentation took place during a two-day stopover in Athens enroute to the Ecumenical Patriarchate where the Archbishop took part in the Sanctification of the Holy Myrrh.

Archbishop Demetrios, in a letter ac-companying the check, writes that it is “the first offering to the special programs of the Archdiocese of Athens and the Church of Greece, programs created for the relief of those of our brethren suffering due to the severe economic crisis.”

He also said in the letter that these programs address the areas of need for food, clothing, shelter, medical and phar-maceutical supplies. “This amount is the product of care and love of our parishes and of individuals who responded to our call for solidarity and support of the Greek people during this difficult period.”

Following the 45-minute meeting at the Archdiocese of Athens, Archbishop

í Bartholomew By The Mercy Of God Archbishop

Of Constantinople–New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch to the Holy Clergy and the Pious Plenitude of

the Archdioceses and Metropolises of Our Most Holy Apostolic and Patriarchal Ecumenical Throne

Beloved children in the Lord,Each person, created in the im-

age and likeness of God, is a temple of the Lord. Much more so, those of us who have been baptized in Christ and chrismated with Holy Myrrh, grafted into the good olive tree of the Orthodox Church, are temples of the Holy Spirit that is within us, despite our various sins, both voluntary and involuntary, which alienate us from the Lord. “If we are faithless, yet He remains faithful. He cannot deny Him-self.” (2 Tim. 2.13)

This grace is bestowed on us through the Holy Myrrh because, as St. Dionysios the Areopagite states, the service of myrrh perfects divine knowl-edge and understanding, whereby in a sacred manner our ascent to and blessed communion with the divinity is accomplished.

Through the Myrrh we receive the pledge of the Spirit, from whom every good and perfect gift derive. Our God, who granted the Holy Spirit both in the law and to His Apostles, sancti-fies all those who are anointed with holy myrrh and ranks them among the choir of those saved by grace, if only they preserve their garment of incorruption spotless from all defile-ment and struggle not to disappoint the Holy Spirit, which they received through Holy Chrism. For the myrrh renders the pious faithful familiar to and genuine servants of God; and when we are sealed with myrrh, we are known by the holy angels and by all heavenly powers, being conformed to these.

When we have holiness as the purpose of our existence in this life, we keep the commandments of God in order that the Holy Spirit, the good Comforter, may remain with us all and that we may inherit the heavenly Kingdom of God in accordance with the words: “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1.16)

The Service of the

Holy Myrrh

Patriarchal Encyclical

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Archbishop Demetrios addresses the faithful at the Cathedral in Athens on Holy Tuesday.Dimitris Panagos photo

Archbishop Presents $500,000 to Aid People of Greeceby Stavros H. Papagermanos Ieronymos in a statement to the press,

expressed his gratitude. “It is a very touch-ing day, during Holy Week, during this crisis for our country, for the Archdiocese of Athens and for a large segment of the Greek people. And during this crisis of poverty, unemployment and insecurity we are grateful to have the personification of love from our Sister Church, the Greek

Orthodox Archdiocese of America with the presence of Archbishop Demetrios. I want to say a great ‘thank you’ to the Archbishop, to his co-workers and to the whole Omogeneia, who are so moved to help in this special way. We received a substantial and respectable amount for

Dimitris Panagos photo

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continues the process for the preparation of the Holy Myrrh during a service that takes place in the Phanar once every ten years . (Full coverage on pages 4 and 15.)

MAY 20122 A RCHDIOCESE NEWS

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Hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese at their spring meeting in New York. With Archbishop Demetrios (center), from left: Bishop Sevastianos of Zela, chief secretary; and Metropolitans Gerasimos of San Francisco, Nicholas of Detroit, Isaiah of Denver, Iakovos of Chicago, Methodios of Boston, Alexios of Atlanta, Savas of Pittsburgh and Evangelos of New Jersey.

Holy Synod members

AHEPA Sunday EncyclicalTo the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the

Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philop-tochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Ortho-dox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ἀνέστη!

As this Paschal season comes to a close and we anticipate the celebration of the Holy Ascension of our Lord, we reflect upon the power of His Resurrection and of the truth of the Gospel in the sacred work we are called to do. Before Christ ascended into the heavens He said to His disciples, You shall be my witnesses…to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Together with our Lord’s commission to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), we have been chosen and appointed by God to offer a witness of faith and service

of love throughout the world.On AHEPA Sunday we recognize and

honor the members of our Greek Ortho-dox community in the United States who continue to offer this witness and service through their support for the work of the Church and through numerous philan-thropic, educational and civic programs. For ninety years, the members of the Ameri-can Hellenic Educational

Progressive Association and the orga-nizations of the AHEPA family have created a legacy of service in their local parishes, in the ministries and organizations of our Holy Archdiocese, and on behalf of global issues that impact the witness and work of the Orthodox Church.

Ahepan leadership has also continued to pay attention to the challenging issues

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MAY 2012 3A RCHDIOCESE NEWS

Photos: Dimitrios Panagos

CLERGY UPDATEOrdinations to the Diaconate

George Edward Cassis–Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit–Holy Trinity, Grand Rapids, Mich. 11/19/11.Abell, Christopher Jeffrey–Metropoli-tan Nicholas of Detroit–St. George, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 12/18/11. Michael J. Jeweler–Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver–Annunciation, Kansas City, Kansas 04/01/12.

Ordinations to the PriesthoodRev. Fr. Paul Truebenbach–Metropol-itan Nicholas of Detroit–Holy Trin-ity–St. Nicholas, Cincinnati 01/21/12.

AssignmentsFr. Nicholas Hadzellis–St. Demetrios, Fort Worth, Texas 04/06/12 Fr. Athanasios Michalos–Assumption, St. Clair Shores, Mich. 04/16/12

Returned to status of ClergyFr. Theodore Stavru 01/10/12

from page 1

Dimitris Panagos photo

Archbishop Presents $500,000 to Aid the People of Greecethis ministry of alleviating poverty and we will use it in the best possible way, so as many people as possible can benefit from this expression of love.”

“We are here today in a visit of love and respect for a people who suffer a great ordeal. I am very moved to convey the love and at the same time the economic support of the faithful of the Greek Or-thodox Archdiocese of America,” said His Eminence and also conveyed the heartfelt greetings and blessings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. “Our faithful of the Omogeneia, fully understand that we are supporting people who have a sense of dignity and nobility despite the tough times, and they retain their dignity in all levels,” said the Archbishop.

Following the visit at the Archdiocese, Archbishop Demetrios visited the offices of the NGO (Non-Governmental Orga-nization) of the Archdiocese of Athens, Apostoli, where he met with the director Constantine Dimtsas and his staff.

Mr. Dimtsas made a presentation with reports, photos and video on the programs of Apostoli and answered His Eminence’s questions. Mr. Dimtsas said that Apostoli is operating in a transparent and accountable manner and is open to

NEW YORK – Archbishop Deme-trios recently announced the appoint-ment of Fr. Anastasios Gounaris as dean of Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral.

Fr. Anastasios, who will assume his new assignment as of June 1, has faith-fully served the Archdiocese as a priest for almost 30 years, the past 21 years at Holy Trinity in Indianapolis.

In the official letter to the Cathe-dral Board of Trustees, announcing the appointment of Fr. Anastasios, Chancellor Bishop Andonios, writing on behalf of the Archbishop, stated, “It is our expectation that his presence will be a source of spiritual edification and sanctification to all the faithful, and we are confident that as a Board of Trustees, you will do all you can to assist him in this task. Let us embark upon this new and exciting chapter in the life of Holy Trinity filled with re-

any kind of audit. The evening of Holy Tuesday, the Archbishop officiated at the services of the Bridegroom at the church of St. Dionysius, the Aeropagite in Athens, with more than 500 people in attendance.

FR. ANASTASIOS GOUNARIS

New Dean Named for Archdiocesan Cathedral

Archbishop Demetrios, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece and Apostoli Director Con-stantine Dimtsas discuss the humanitarian needs for the situation in Greece.

Just before the chanting of the Hymn of St. Kassiane, the Archbishop in his sermon spoke about the relevance of Holy Week and the passion of Christ in our world to-day and the certainty of the Resurrection.

newed hope and faith, focusing time, talents and treasures for the future of the Cathedral community.”

Fr. Gounaris was born in New Bedford, Mass., in 1957 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering from the University of Mas-sachusetts – Dartmouth, in 1979.

In September 1980, he entered Holy Cross School of Theology and earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1983.

Following graduation he served as an assistant priest at St. Spyridon Church in New York and, in 1985, was assigned as the parish priest at St. Demetrios Church in Saginaw, Mich.

In 1991 he assumed the pastorate of Holy Trinity Church in Indianapolis where he helped the community build a new church complex.

Father Anastasios is married to Presbytera Maria (Sinodinou) and they have two daughters, Eleni and Katrina, and one grandchild.

Holy SynodCommunique

NEW YORK – The Holy Epar-chial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America concluded its regularly scheduled spring meetings and issued the following statement:

The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese of America convened its regular spring meet-ing on April 25 and 26, 2012 at the Synodal chamber of the Holy Archdiocese in New York, with Archbishop Demetrios of America presiding and the participation of all its members.

The day before the official convening of the Synod, April 24, the members of the Synod completed the English translation from the original Greek text of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chryso-stom which will be submitted to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for approval.

The Holy Synod discussed a number of subjects among them the following:

1. Special aspects of pastoral care and administration of the Holy Archdiocese of America re-lated to clergy and laity.

2. Subjects related to the edu-cation and training of candidates to the priesthood.

3. The upcoming Clergy-Laity Congress of the Holy Archdiocese of America in Phoenix, Ariz.

4. The continuing effort for assistance to needy individuals and families in Greece, beyond the assistance in the amount of $500,000 offered already to the Archdiocese of Athens, which will be used for specific relief programs.

5. Contribution to programs of pastoral care for patients in hospitals.

6. Issues of inter-Orthodox relations and activities.

From the Office

of the Holy Eparchial Synod

NDCChairwoman VisitsNational Democratic Committee Chairwoman and Florida Congress-woman Debbie Wasserman Schultz paid a courtesy call on Archbishop Demetrios during a visit to New York on April 20. They discussed various issues relating to the Church and Ecumenical Patriarchate.

(Orthodox Observer photo)

MAY 20124

from page 1

Therefore, inasmuch as the periodical sanctification of the Holy Myrrh is a vener-ated institution of our Mother Church, our Modesty has, together with the Holy and Sacred Synod, decided that its consecration will be performed this year during the Holy and Great Week of our Lord’s Passion and will take place this coming Holy Thursday. The event will be preceded by the boiling of the Holy Myrrh from Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, when we shall commemorate the sinful woman who anointed the Lord with precious fragrance and who was ultimately shown to be purer than everyone as a result of her great desire for Christ.

The sanctification of Holy Myrrh announced with this Patriarchal Encyclical constitutes a particular blessing for those of us performing, but also for all those who will attend and participate in this service. The Holy Myrrh will be distributed to other Orthodox Churches throughout the world, thereby becoming an unceasing source of sanctification, “a garment of incorruption and perfecting seal, marking those who receive the sacrament of Baptism with the sacred name of the Father and the only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit.”

We ask you, then, beloved children and brothers in the Lord, not to overlook this historical event of the Sanctification of the Holy Myrrh at our Sacred Center and to do your utmost to participate in prayer and spirit, contributing in any way but especially by your presence at the most holy Patriarchal Church from Holy Monday to Holy Thursday, when the inspiring services of the Sanctification will conclude, so that we may all receive the blessing and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as taste the benefits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

May His divine grace and boundless mercy be with you all.

March 16, 2012 † BARTHOLOMEW of ConstantinopleFervent supplicant for all before God

Ecumenical Patriarchate

The Service of the Holy Myrrh

CONSTANTINOPLE – The Sanctifica-tion of the Holy Myrrh (the Chrism Oil used in the Orthodox Church for the Sacra-ments of Baptism and Confirmation) took place during Holy Week at the Ecumenical Patriarchate with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presiding and about 55 Or-thodox hierarchs from around the world participating.

These included representatives from the senior Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Serbia, the Autocephalous Churches of Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania and the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

Archbishop Demetrios traveled to Con-stantinople and also participated.

It was an auspicious celebration that takes place approximately once every 10 years, when the reserve of Holy Myrrh nears depletion. This was the third time Ecumeni-cal Patriarch Bartholomew has presided over the sanctification celebrations.

Holy Myrrh is sanctified to be used in the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Chrism (Confirmation), one of the Seven Sacraments. It is a visible means of the be-stowing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon those who are baptized.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate dis-tributes the Holy Myrrh to the Orthodox Churches throughout the world.

Holy Myrrh is mainly and primarily used in the celebration of the sacrament of chrism administered immediately upon baptism. However, it constitutes a particular and distinct sacrament apart from baptism.

Holy Myrrh is also used for the recep-tion of converts into the Orthodox Church and for those who have fallen away; for the dedication of Churches; the consecration of holy altars; the consecration of holy An-timensions; and for certain other instances of ritual. In the past it was also used to anoint Orthodox emperors during their coronation.

The process leading to the sanctifica-tion of the Holy Myrrh began well in ad-vance of Holy Week when the Ecumenical Patriarch informed the Primates of Ortho-dox Churches throughout the world and extended to them, and other hierarchs, an invitation to attend and participate.

A request was also made to many of them asking for a specific offering of a pre-cious oil or element, which is found in their Eparchy and is mandated for inclusion in the preparation of the Holy Myrrh.

On Palm Sunday, upon the completion of the Doxology, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed the Archon Perfumer George Savits (Archon Myrepsos) and his deans (Myrep-soi) charging them with the responsibility for the chafing of the Holy Myrrh.

They donned full-length white lab coats and the Patriarch placed a silk apron upon the Archon Perfumer and bestowed a cross on all of them.

On Holy Monday, after the Divine Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts, the Pa-triarch approached the adorned Kouvouk-lion (ceremonial canopy) adjacent to the Patriarchal Church of St. George where the cauldrons for the chafing of the Holy Myrrh were placed.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew blessed the beginning of the series of sacred services for the sanctification of Holy Myrrh by holding the Aghiasmos service (the ritual for Holy Water).

The Sanctification of the Holy Myrrh

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew performs the Aghiasmos service for the Holy Myrrh on Holy Monday.

Dimitris Panagos photos

by Stavros H. Papagermanos He then sprinkled the materials that had been prepared, the utensils to be used, and the cauldrons, with the Holy Water. Holding the triple archieratical lit candles, he ignited pieces of old holy icons mixed with kindling which had been placed under each cauldron.

The Patriarch then read from the Holy Gospels. Other hierarchs, clergy of the Pa-triarchal Court and other priests continued the New Testament readings.

This order of readings continued all day throughout Holy Monday, Holy Tues-day and Holy Wednesday.

On Holy Tuesday, after the Divine Lit-urgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Patriarch entered the holy Kouvouklion again as the Lesser Supplication to the Theotokos was chanted, He commemorated all who either with materials, with monetary gifts, or with their labor have contributed for the prepara-tion of Holy Myrrh.

On Holy Wednesday, at the end of the Presanctified Divine Liturgy, His All Holiness once again entered the holy Kouvouklion and, after a brief prayer service, poured rose oil, musk and the remainder of the fragrant oils into the cauldrons.

By the end of the day the chafing of the Holy Myrrh had been completed and it was transferred by the perfumers to large silver vases and small chrismatories.

The Holy Myrrh is prepared from 57 ingredients; olive oil and a variety of fra-grant oils, essences and aromatics accord-ing to an official register of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

These symbolize the diverse gifts of the Holy Spirit which are received by the Christian who is being anointed. The most ancient particular references, concerning the materials for the myrrh, and for the preparation and chafing of the ingredients to be used, date from the 8th century. This is the earliest description we have, and it has been preserved to this day.

On Holy Thursday, after the Orthros held in the Chapel of St. Andrew the Apostle and the vesting of the Patriarch and the Hierarchs, they descended from the Patri-archal Manse to the Patriarchal Church of St. George proceeding in litany with the ringing of the bells.

His All Holiness held a small silver chrismatory (vial for Myrrh) and the most senior of the hierarchs carried a global vase of alabaster containing pre-sanctified Myrrh, from the previous sanctification in 2002, while the second hierarch in seniority carried one with new not as yet sanctified Myrrh. The remainder of the hierarchs bore small silver vessels containing Myrrh prepared for sanctification.

Twenty-four archimandrites, followed the procession in pairs, holding on either side, 12 great silver urns containing Myrrh to be sanctified.

Toward the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and as the con-gregation knelt down in prayer, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sanctified the Holy Myrrh according to the prescribed order.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a proces-sion identical in order to the earlier one was formed.

The hierarchs, representatives of the Autocephalous Churches and the Ecu-menical Patriarch in the center, lined for a photograph followed by the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy.

The alabaster global vases and the other silver vessels containing Holy Myrrh

were deposited in the Patriarchal Repository of Holy Myrrh (Myrofylakion).

This year the following Metropolitans of the Ecumenical Throne and lay people were assigned to comprise the body of those responsible for all the appropriate preparations: Metropolitan Athanasios of the Senior See of Chalcedon presided. Metropolitan Cyril of Imvros and Tenedos, Metropolitan Dimitrios of Sevasteia, Met-ropolitan Theoliptos of Iconium and the Grand Archimandrite Athenagoras as sec-retary, were the ranking clergy appointed.

Lay people appointed were Stefanos Bairamoglou, George Savits (Archon Myrepsos), Joseph Constantinides, Chris-tos Hamhougias, Theodore Messinas, Aris Tsokonas, Constantine Agiannides, and Catherine Malita.

The sanctification of Holy Myrrh is celebrated only by bishops, never by presby-ters. This tradition in the Church is steadfast and unanimous.

With the passage of time however, Catherine Malita, one of several lay people ap-pointed to prepare the Holy Myrrh in the caul-drons during the four–day preparation period. to page 22

MAY 2012 5

On May 12, His All–Holiness Ecu-menical Patriarch Bartholomew, pri-mus inter pares of the entire Orthodox Church, will receive the prestigious “Four Freedoms Award.”

The Four Freedoms Medals are presented to men and women whose achievements have demonstrated a commitment to those principles which President Roosevelt proclaimed in his historic speech to Congress on Jan. 6, 1941, as essential to democracy: free-dom of speech and expression, free-dom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.

In order to keep the legacy of President Franklin Roosevelt alive, the Roosevelt Institute honors outstand-ing citizens who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to these ideals every year.

The impressive ceremonies that mark the awarding of the Four Free-doms medals are held alternately in Hyde Park, N.Y. and Middelburg, the Netherlands, where the Roosevelt Stichting, a private foundation, is re-sponsible for organizing the ceremony in even–numbered years.

Roosevelt’s great–grandfather, James Roosevelt, was of Dutch ancestry, from the area of Middelburg, near the Belgian border.

Her Majesty Queen Beatrix and Prime Minister Mark Rutte intend to be present at the Four Freedoms Awards ceremony on May 12, in the Nieuwe Kerk in Middelburg.

The following is a brief description of the accomplishments of His All Holi-ness from the Four Freedoms Awards website.

Freedom of Worship Medal His All–Holiness Ecumenical Pa-

triarch Bartholomew is nominated for his extraordinary efforts on behalf of religious freedom and his dedication to a dialogue of reconciliation among Christians, Muslims and Jews, which he started together with His Holiness Pope John Paul II.

Bartholomew’s lifetime commit-ment to secure basic religious freedom, not only for the people in his native Turkey, but also for the peoples of central and Eastern Europe, has iden-tified him as one of the outstanding figures on the international scene who is truly dedicated to the meaning and accomplishment of the Four Freedoms.

Patriarch Bartholomew I, also known as the “Green Patriarch” gained worldwide respect for his efforts for the environment. See: www.patriarchate.org

His All–Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, the New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th successor of the 2,000 year–old Christian Church founded by St. An-drew the Apostle, which he serves since 1991, and the spiritual leader of over 250 million faithful worldwide.

As a citizen of Turkey, Patriarch Bartholomew’s personal experience provides him a unique perspective on the continuing dialogue among the Christian, Islamic and Jewish worlds.

He has worked to advance rec-onciliation among Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox communities in former Yugoslavia and has been supportive of peace–building measures to diffuse global conflict in the Balkans and the Middle East.

His All-Holiness has worked to advance reconciliation with the Roman

Ecumenical Patriarch To Receivethe 2012 Four Freedoms Award

Catholic Church, the Anglican Com-munion and other confessions through theological dialogue, while also serving on the Executive and Central Commit-tees and Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches.

He also presided over the his-toric restoration of the Autocephalous Church of Albania and the Autonomous Church of Estonia, while providing spiritual support to many traditional Orthodox countries emerging from decades of wide–scale religious perse-cution behind the Iron Curtain.

He has co–sponsored international peace conferences, as well as meet-ings on racism and fundamentalism, bringing together Christians, Muslims and Jews for the purpose of generat-ing greater cooperation and mutual understanding.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew occupies the First Throne of the Or-thodox Christian Church, presiding in a fraternal spirit among Orthodox Primates.

The Ecumenical Patriarch has the historical and theological responsibility of initiating and coordinating activities among the Churches of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania, the Czech Land and Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, and numerous archdioceses in the old and new worlds.

This includes the convening of councils or meetings, facilitating inter-church and inter–faith dialogues and serving as the primary facilitator and spokesman of Orthodox Church unity. As Ecumenical Patriarch he transcends every national and ethnic group on a global level and has on five occasions convened the leaders of all self-gov-erning Orthodox Churches around the globe, challenging them vigorously to pursue solutions to the challenges of the new millennium, for example, by categorically condemning nationalism and fanaticism.

From 1994–1998, he organized five ecological summer seminars at Halki on Religious Education (1994), Ethics (1995), Communications (1996), Jus-tice (1997), and Poverty (1998).

From 1995-2009, he convened eight international, inter–disciplinary, and inter-religious symposia, bringing together scientists, environmentalists, policy-makers and religious leaders and drawing world attention to the degradation of the Aegean Sea, Black Sea, Danube River, Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, Amazon River, Arctic Ocean, and Mississippi River, thereby earning the title “Green Patriarch” and receiving such environmental awards as the Sce-nic Hudson Visionary Award (2000) and the international Sophie Prize (2002).

His efforts to promote religious freedom and human rights, his initia-tives to advance religious tolerance among the world’s religions, together with his work toward international peace and environmental protection have justly placed him at the forefront of global visionaries as an apostle of love, peace and reconciliation.

In 1997, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the United States Congress.

His English–language publications include:Encountering the Mystery, Doubleday 2008; In the World, Yet Not of the World, Fordham 2009; Speaking the Truth in Love, Fordham 2010; On Earth as in Heaven, Fordham 2011.

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MAY 20126

Holy Week Around the Archdiocese

Dimitris Panagos photo

Dimitris Panagos photoORTHODOX OBSERVER photo

Archbishop Demetrios leads the Resurrection Service at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York.

Bishop Sevastianos of Zela leads the Lamentation Service on Holy Friday evening at St. Demetrios in Merrick, N.Y., with Fr. Nikiforos Fakinos assisting.

Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco with children from Holy Cross parish in Belmont, Calif., attending a Holy Friday Retreat.

Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver infront of the ‘kouvouklion’ on Holy Friday evening at Assumption Cathedral in Denver.

Bishop Andonios places the “Estavromeno,” the icon of the crucified Christ which is hung on the cross, on the “burial cloth” during the apokathelosis service Holy Friday afternoon at St. Michael’s Home in Yonkers, N.Y.

Agape Service at Sts. Constantine & Helen, Westland, Mich. where Metropolitan Nicho-las of Detroit shares the light of Pascha with the children present.

Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago celebrates the Agape service at St. Demetrios Church in Chicago.

MAY 2012 7

PhiloptochosThe Voice of

National Philoptochos President Aph-rodite Skeadas reminds all Philoptochos chapters “to ensure that the Philoptochos mission continues forever, the participa-tion at the convention of all chapters is required and necessary. In this milestone year National Philoptochos celebrates 80 years of dedication and devotion as the heart of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.”

Come to Phoenix July 1 to July 4 to make a difference as we honor our past, reflect on the present and create a future strategy to continue the Philoptochos leg-acy. Convention Chairmen Kathy Gabriel, Jeannie Ranglas and Diane Tseckares plan a gathering to inspire us all as we share spirit, camaraderie and fellowship.

Be there at the opening ceremonies of this convention when Archbishop Deme-trios offers his inspiring Keynote Address to the delegates and President Skeadas reflects on the myriad accomplishments through the past two years.

The Philoptochos General Assembly is the place to learn and participate in discussions on philanthropic, budgetary

Metropolitan Isaiah, Metropolis Philoptochos President Marian Catechis and board members.

Denver Metropolis Philoptochos Honors 74 Women at Luncheon

The Metropolis of Denver Philopto-chos held the first of two “Open the Doors” Luncheons to benefit the National Philopto-chos Center of Philanthropy and to honor the 74 women from Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming who have de-voted 50 years or more to Philoptochos.

The AGAPE Luncheon was held for chapters in the northern region of the Metropolis on March 3, at Assumption Cathedral in Denver in conjunction with a Metropolis Philoptochos Board meeting.

Elaine Cladis served as chairman of this very successful luncheon. Mar-

ian Catechis, Metropolis Philoptochos President was joined by the Metropolis Philoptochos Board members to greet each of the 21 honorees who were present at the luncheon. Metropolitan Isaiah offered special remarks and presented honorees a certificate in gratitude for their love and dedication to the Church and Philoptochos.

Featured guest speaker was Greek-American author Eleni Gage who delighted the audience with her reflections and experiences. Ms. Gage has authored two books: North of Ithaca and, most recently, Other’s Waters.

National Philoptochos celebrates ’80 Years of Philanthropy’ with a series of vignettes recognizing our past National Philoptochos Presidents. We proudly honor the ninth National Philoptochos President, Eve Condakes, and thank her for her service and the following reflections on her tenure as National President from 1998 through 2002.

Mrs. Condakes served as National Philoptochos President under Archbishop Spyridon and Archbishop Demetrios bring-ing her business acumen to the presidency as well as the years of philanthropic service she and her late, beloved husband, Leo Condakes, offered the Church. During her tenure national membership increased, Philoptochos raised enough funds to have a surplus as term’s end and raised awareness of the Philoptochos good works through the establishment of the Voice of Philopto-chos page in the Orthodox Observer and the Voice of Philoptochos video.

Eve remains devoted to Saint Basil Academy that demonstrates Philoptochos’ commitment to children. During her ten-ure tutoring programs were inaugurated and supports were established so that the children could continue through college.

Eve traveled regularly from Boston to the National Philoptochos Office in New York City to oversee the multiple presi-dential responsibilities and also traveled extensively throughout the United States. She is especially grateful for the opportunity to travel around the country to meet the devoted Philoptochos women.

During her tenure Philoptochos insti-tuted the National Ministries Commitment Coupon Book as a major efficiency to pro-

Honoring Our Leaders: Eve Condakesby Christine Karavites

EVE CONDAKEScess chapter contributions; developed and distributed a Domestic Violence Manual prepared by Social Worker Paulette Geana-copoulos; donated $30, 000 to the Ionian Village Appeal and $129,000 to the Septem-ber 11th Relief Fund; initialed Support-a-Mission-Priest program and established a new ministry for the IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities). National Philoptochos also established a program so that new brides received a free membership for their first year.

Mrs. Condakes offers the following advice to members today: “Continue to show the great devotion the founders of Philoptochos showed because Philopto-chos is an organization to be proud of.” As a legacy for the future she states, “I charge all the existing members of Philoptochos to recruit more members and believe sincerely that the dream the founders of Philoptochos had will never die.”

National Convention to Celebrate 80 Years of Philanthropy

and organizational issues as well as hear updates from the National Philoptochos Ministries and share in the chapter pre-sentations and awards.

Three inspirational and informative breakout sessions are planned on the topics of Membership, Leadership and Social Services which includes a panel discussion on domestic violence offered by Erin Callinan, statewide coordinator for the Arizona Coalition Against Domes-tic Violence and Jerald Monahan, chief of police in Apache Junction Ariz., and chair of the Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children.

A convention highlight is the special evening when Philoptochos presents the AGAPE Awards honoring nine outstand-ing Philoptochos women who embody the spirit of Philanthropia and recognizes the “Faces of Philoptochos: Past, Present and Future.”

Visit www.philoptochos.org for Convention registration information and instructions to send photos for the “Faces of Philoptochos” or contact philosny@aol.com.

Metropolitan Iakovos, Joanne Stavrakas and Bishop Demetrios with Joanne’s family.

Metropolis of Chicago Honors Joanne Stavrakas at Testimonial

The “Hat’s Off to Joanne,” testimonial dinner honoring immediate past Metropolis Philoptochos President Joanne Stavrakas was hosted by the Chicago Metropolis Philoptochos board with 250 guests in attendance. Metropolitan Iakovos, Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, Chicago area priests, Philoptochos members, family and friends attended.

Metropolis President Irene Arsoniadis along with Joanne’s son Symeon guided the evening’s program and recognized Joanne for her work with the Metropolis

of Chicago, IOCC, St. Photios Shrine, Saint Basil Academy and National Philoptochos.

Polly Hillier, St. Photios Shrine direc-tor, also attended and presented Joanne with a cross from the St. Photios Shrine Foundation. National Philoptochos Presi-dent Aphrodite Skeadas sent greetings recognizing Joanne for all her many con-tributions, her dedication and commitment to Philoptochos. The evening concluded with Metropolitan Iakovos praising Joanne for her many contributions to Philoptochos and the many other ministries she serves.

National Philoptochos Pascha–to–Pentecost Campaign 2012At this blessed season of giving, Na-

tional Philoptochos asks for your support for the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy so we may continue our mission to offer hope and love throughout the world. Re-member those who have made a difference and honor them by contributing during this special period. Remember your yiayia,

your mother or nouna for their devotion and love for Philoptochos and its mission.

Visit www.philoptochos.org and view the video – “Have You Given?” – to see why you should give today and help us reach our goal. Donations can be made online or sent to National Philoptochos, 7 West 55th

St., New York, NY 10019.

MAY 20128

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PHOENIX – Delegates to the 41st Bien-nial Clergy-Laity Congress and Philopto-chos National Convention taking place in Phoenix from July 1–5, will experience a shorter Congress in an effort to encourage all parishes to be represented by keeping costs down while completing the important work intended for the Congress.

The Congress will be held at the Mar-riott Desert Ridge Resort and Hotel.

It is the right and responsibility for all parishes in the United States to attend and participate in the Biennial Clergy Laity Congress of the Archdiocese.

The Congress, the highest legislative body of the Archdiocese is convened bien-nially and presided over by Archbishop Demetrios of America. Concerned with all matters, other than doctrinal or canonical, affecting the life, growth and unity of the Church, the institutions, finances, admin-istration, educational and philanthropic, the Congress offers the opportunity for members of the Church to vote on issues of concern.

Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Fran-cisco, who heads the Holy Metropolis of San Francisco, met last month in Phoenix with Executive Director of Administration of the Archdiocese Jerry Dimitriou and Con-gress Chairmen Theofanis Economides and Isidoros Garifalakis to discuss plans for the event. Also present were Metropolis of San Francisco Chancellor the Very Rev. Aposto-los Koufallakis, Congress Coordinator Tim Maniatis, local clergy the Very Rev. James T. Paris, Fr. Andrew Barakos, Chairwomen of the National Philoptochos Convention Kathy Gabriel and Diane Tseckares (not able to attend was Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos President Jeannie Ranglas who is also a chairwoman of the conven-tion), Archdiocese and Metropolis staff and local volunteers.

CHAIRMENChairman Theofanis Economidis

resides in Los Altos, Calif. and serves on the Executive Board of the Archdiocesan Council. He is vice president of the Me-tropolis Council, an Archon and serves on the Archons National Council as Regional Commander. He is also is a member of the Leadership 100 Endowment Fund.

Chairman Garifalakis lives in Vancou-ver, Wash., serves on the Archdiocesan Council and on the Metropolis Council as secretary. He is also an Archon and a mem-ber of Leadership 100.

SCHEDULEOn Sunday July 1, a Hierarchal Divine

Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Trinity

Planning Under Way for the Phoenix Clergy–Laity Congress

Cathedral in Phoenix. That afternoon the Exhibit Hall will be open and guests are encouraged to visit the booths to learn more about the ministries and institutions of the Archdiocese and to see the assortment of vendors offering vestments, books, jewelry and more.

The Congress will officially begin on Monday morning, July 2, with the opening session and keynote address by Archbishop Demetrios.

Additionally, the welcoming remarks of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will follow, along with those by Metropolitan Gerasimos, Mr. Economides, Mr. Garifalakis and other dignitaries.

Following the opening session, partici-pants will attend eight different and concur-rent sessions headed by the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod, Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago, Methodios of Boston, Isaiah of Denver, Alexios of Atlanta, Nicholas of Detroit, Savas of Pittsburgh, Gerasimos of San Francisco and Evangelos of New Jersey.

The hierarchs will lead discussion on the keynote address and offer delegates the opportunity for reflections.

The remainder of Monday contains meetings and forums and will conclude with an off-–site western night and folk dance festival performance at Pinnacle Peak Patio, an authentic Arizona destination restaurant.

The schedule on Tuesday, July 3, contains Ministry Workshop sessions, workshops for clergy and presbyteres, and a reception in honor of the 75th anniversary of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology.

On Wednesday, July 4, the Congress Plenary Session will take place. During the session registrants will hear the reports of the committees and offer general resolu-tions. The Grand Banquet will follow.

ADDITIONAL MEETINGSConcurrently taking place with the

Congress is the National Philoptochos Convention. Other organizations meeting during the week include the Order of St. Andrew: Archons of the Ecumenical Patri-archate, Archdiocesan Presbyters Council, National Forum of Church Musicians, Sister-hood of Presvyteres, and Metropolis Clergy Syndesmos.

JOURNAL A journal will be compiled in the fall

that will contain messages, photos, infor-mation and sponsorship ads. Your support is needed. Visit www.clergylaity.org for more information or email: clergylaity@goarch.org.

Clergy-Laity Congress

MAY 2012 9

from page 2

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

During this Paschal season, our hearts are filled with the joy and light of our Lord’s Holy Resurrection. It is in this shared spirit of celebration that we continue our prepa-rations for our 41st Biennial Clergy–Laity Congress, which will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, July 1–5. It is also in the unity and communion that we share in the Risen Christ that we are strengthened and em-powered to go and share with others a mes-sage of hope, renewal, and salvation, and to bear fruit in their lives as they experience the transforming power of God’s grace. This is what we are chosen and appointed to do, not only in the joy of Holy Pascha, but also each and every day of our lives. In our worship, teaching, and service, we are consistently offering the Gospel of truth and love, and we are following the command of God to go and bear fruit.

“We have been chosen and appointed by God to go and bear fruit.” To do this, the

relationship with God that sustains life. We are commissioned with the responsibility to teach our children and youth the ways of the Lord, the precepts and promises of Holy Scripture, and the vital traditions and practices of our faith–all of which bear great spiritual fruit in their lives and lead them to an abundant life in Christ.

We also bear fruit in the lives of others through the service we offer in the name of Christ. Our worship of God through the divine services and through the sacramental life of the Church leads us to go and offer compassionate service to any who are in need. The teaching and actions of Christ in the Gospel are a clear affirmation that we are chosen and appointed to respond to the challenges, suffering, tragedies, and struggles in our world.

Around us we see the specific needs of the people in our communities. We know the burdens of others, and we have an op-portunity to respond in a manner that will bring peace, assurance, healing, and hope. Together, we have the resources to offer dynamic and life – changing ministries that will bear spiritual fruit both now and for eternity.

The priority of worship, teaching, and service in our response to God’s calling to go and bear fruit should be the primary focus of our work as the Greek Orthodox Church in America. It also should be the focus of our Clergy–Laity Congress, so that we are able to plan, evaluate, and equip our Parishes, Metropolises, and National Min-istries with the proper resources, staffing, and direction to accomplish the task God has given to us. Certainly, we are looking forward to a time of worship and fellowship when we gather in Arizona. However, we must also give careful consideration to how we are carrying out this divine calling in all of our work: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:16). In the weeks before our Congress, I ask you to do this. Evaluate how through worship, teaching, and service we are accomplishing our commission to go and bear fruit. Con-sider what more can be done to reach lives and offer the grace of God. Pray for guid-ance and for our shared commitment to His work through our Church. And may we gather in a few months with an openness to God’s will, a resolve to increase our efforts, and a readiness to go and bear fruit that will bring life to others and glory to God.

With paternal love in the Risen Christ,

†DEMETRIOSArchbishop of America

Congress Theme‘Chosen and appointed by God

to go and bear fruit’

Title: Bearing Fruit Through Worship,

Teaching, and Service

facing our Ecumenical Patriarchate. Its ef-forts combined with many other programs that serve the needs of people in the United States, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and around the world offer a witness of the power of faith and love as revealed in the Gospel and as championed in the highest ideals of our Hellenic heritage.

To the members of the AHEPA family, we extend our appreciation for their faith-ful service, and we offer our support and

prayers. We also observe AHEPA Sunday by recognizing the history and contributions of this vital organization. May God bless and guide the members of AHEPA as they continued their noble legacy of Orthodoxy and Hellenism.

† Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America

With paternal love in Him,

AHEPA Sunday Encyclical

Gospel message had to be carried through-out the world, a sacred task we continue today. The primary means for doing this is through our worship. This is our priority as His children, people of faith who expe-rience His presence, affirm divine truth, and offer a witness of the joy and peace we have in Him. Our worship is the greatest witness of God’s love. Thus, we are chosen and appointed by Him to go and bear fruit through our worship. When we combine this calling with the truth, beauty, and joy of our Orthodox services and with the sacramental life of the Church, our witness offers a complete and full testimony of the Gospel of salvation through Christ.

Our witness and our appointment by God to go and bear fruit are also fulfilled through teaching and our educational min-istries. Our Lord directs us to “go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

We are chosen by God to offer guid-ance for the spiritual growth and maturity of believers. We are appointed to engage with the critical issues of our times with instruc-tion based on truth and on the priority of a

Register Now!Clergy-Laity Congressto be held July 1 - 5, 2012www.clergylaity.org

(212) 570-3549 • clergylaity@goarch.org

Chosen and appointed by Godto Go and bear fruit

you did not choose me but i chose youand appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.

(John15:16)

Ὁ Θεός μᾶς διᾶλεξε κᾶι μᾶς ὥριςενᾶ πόρευΘόυμε κᾶι νᾶ φερόυμε κᾶρπόυς

όὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε ἀλλ’ ἐγώ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶςκαί ἔθηκα ὑμᾶς ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑπάγητε καί καρπόν φέρητε.

(Ἰωάν. 15:16)

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MAY 201210

JOHN MINDALA photos

Archons – Order of St. Andrew

SOMERSET, N.J. – Bishop Sevastia-nos of Zela led the ninth Archon Lenten Retreat on the theme “Homecoming” – a reflection on the scriptural narrative of the Prodigal Son. The retreat was held on March 30–31 at the Consistory (headquarters) of the Ukrainian Ortho-dox Church of the USA in Somerset.

His Grace addressed 50 participants at the two–day retreat. Using as resourc-es Rembrandt’s painting, “Return of the Prodigal Son,” Henri Nouwen’s book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, and the Orthodox Faith and Tradition, Bishop Sevastianos elaborated on how the char-acters of the two sons, the younger and older, can be found in each person, and how we need to become like the Father. His Grace emphasized that what the younger and older sons were running from, was the love of God, and entering into the joy of their Father (the Lord).

It was further discussed that it is harder to accept forgiveness and love than to offer them.

That we need to allow God to find us and love us, but also to share in the life of God–to be in communion with Him and sit at His table.

Finally, that we need to adhere the Lord’s saying to be compassionate and merciful as our Father in Heaven is merciful, loving and forgiving others unconditionally.

Archon Peter Skeadas, committee chairman on spirituality, was the re-treat’s organizer. Archons John Halecky, Jr. and James C. Fountas assisted in coordinating the event with the Ukrai-nian Center.

In expressing the participants’ thanks to Bishop Sevastianos, National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D. said, “Every year, we are blessed to have a speaker who deepens our understanding of our holy Orthodox Christian faith.

His Grace eloquently and effec-tively referenced important teachings from the Prodigal Son that we should implement with the ultimate goal of becoming more Christ–like in our daily lives.

His use of the Rembrandt painting was as innovative as it was captivating.”

‘The Prodigal Son’ Serves as Archon Retreat Themeby John Mindala

Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey and National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, M.D., and retreat participants listen as Bishop Sevastianos discusses lessons from the parable of the Return of the Prodigal Son.

Participants in the Archon Retreat held at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Consistory in Somerset, N.J.

The weekend opened with a service of thanksgiving and welcoming remarks in the chapel offered by Archbishop Antony of Ierapolis of the Ukrainian Or-thodox Church in America. The follow-ing morning, Father Taras Chubenko celebrated the Divine Liturgy.

Throughout the weekend, partici-pants were blessed with the generous hospitality of the Ukrainian Center at the Consistory of the Ukrainian Or-thodox Church (under the Ecumenical Patriarchate) in New Jersey.

Metropolitan Evangelos graced the participants by his attendance during lunch and the final session of the retreat and also addressed the gathering with spiritual exhortations.

John J. Mindala is the editor of The Archon newsletter and graphic designer for the Order of Saint Andrew.

HOUSTON – Christopher J. Pappas, Archon Prostatis Ton Grammaton, of Annunciation Cathedral, has been ap-pointed Regional Commander for the Archons of the South Central United States region.

“Archon Pappas has been an active member of the Order of Saint Andrew since 2008 and was indispensible in securing the passage of the religious freedom resolutions for the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Texas State Senate and Texas State House of Representa-tives,” National Commander Dr. An-thony J. Limberakis said.

“His commitment to the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople is exemplary. AXIOS!”

Archon Chris, a member of Lead-ership 100, has over 30 years of op-erational management experience in the restaurant industry and is actively involved both in the general opera-tions of all of the Pappas restaurants

Houston Archon Named Commander of South–Central Regionand in the development of new sites and concepts.

Archon Chris serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Partnership and is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restau-rant Management at the University of Houston.

Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Restaurant Association, the Texas Res-taurant Association, and the Greater Houston Restaurant Association and is an Advisory Board member of Amegy Bank. In 2001, he was inducted into the Texas Restaurant Association Hall of Honor.

Archon Chris received his bach-elor’s degree in mechanical engineer-ing from The University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Maria, have been married 30 years and have five grown children.

BOSTON – The Alpha Omega Coun-cil of New England will present its 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award to Am-bassador Andrew Natsios at its annual banquet on June 2. The same evening, Alpha Omega will honor the memory of its founder by presenting the 20th Annual Peter Agris Memorial Journalism Scholar-ships.Alpha Omega was founded in 1976 by Agris, the late publisher of The Hel-lenic Chronicle and a trustee of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology, Anatolia College, the American College of Greece and a lifelong Ahepan.

Over the last two decades, more than $400,000 has been given in critical back-ing to over 80 aspiring Greek American journalists through this initiative estab-lished by Alpha Omega and the Agris fam-ily.Ambassador Natsios’ career includes service as administrator of the Agency for

Alpha Omega Council to Present JournalismScholarships, Lifetime Achievement Award

International Development, Special Envoy to the Sudan, vice president of World Vi-sion U.S., six terms in the Mass. House of Representatives, Secretary of Administra-tion and Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, CEO of Boston’s Big Dig after the cost overrun scandal, Gulf War veteran and member of the U.S. Army Reserves for 23 years. Former Bush administration Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and former Massachusetts governor. and 1988 presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis, will join Metropolitan Methodios of the Metropolis of Boston, Greek Con-sul General of Boston Elias Fotopoulos, AHEPA Supreme President John Gros-somanides and other notable political and community leaders to recognize Natsios for his global contributions through his work in humanitarian assistance, politics and business.

MAY 2012 11PA N-ORT HODOX NEWS

Stewardship‘Don’t Tell Me the Sky Is the Limit

When There Are Footprints on the Moon’by Bill Marianes

Renowned humorist Will Rogers once concluded: “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” Voltaire reminded us: “Common sense is not so common.” Winston Churchill observed: “There but for the grace of God–goes God.” Come-dian Bill Cosby opined: “A word to the wise ain’t necessary because it’s the stupid ones that need the advice.” Each of these four comments (and this article’s title courtesy of satirist Ashleigh Brilliant) is a paraprosdokian. A paraprosdokian is frequently used by philosophers, comics, politicians and lawyers.

The father in “My Big Fat Greek Wed-ding” would explain this word comes from the Greek word “para” meaning “against,” and “prosdokia,” meaning “expectation.” So a paraprosdokian is a phrase where the latter part is surprising or unexpected given the earlier part.

As a lawyer, I negotiate/argue for a liv-ing and posted near my telephone is the wise counsel: “Never argue with an idiot or fool, because: (1) people listening may not be able to tell the difference, and (2) they will lower you to their level and then beat you with their experience.” If you see me suddenly stop in the middle of a nego-tiation/argument, you’ll now know why.

So what does this great Greek word have to do with my life’s calling of steward-ship? I am reminded of the direct para-prosdokian: “If you have to tell someone you are a gentlemen (or lady), then you are not.” So let me ask you very directly, “If you have to tell someone you are a steward (or see your name on a list of stewards) are you really a steward of God’s blessings?” What is your motivation, and what does it really mean to be a steward?

Dictionaries define a steward as some-one who manages the assets of another. But if a steward manages the resources of SOMEONE ELSE, am I am really manag-ing MY time/talents/treasures? If not, then whose are they?

St. John Chrysostom offers us the answer in his homily “On Living Simply.” He asked if he owned his own mind, body, house or clothes? He concluded that he did not, and that they were only on loan to him from God during his life and would be taken back upon his passing. (You’ll never see a hearse driving down the road followed by a U-Haul trailer.) Thus, St. John Chrysostom clarified that what we really possess during our lives are the virtues that we allow to grow and flour-ish within our souls. He reminded us that these were immortal gifts that God would not take back because He wanted heaven to be filled with virtue.

Hopefully by now we all realize that we are stewards of everything we have because they are really God’s and he has temporarily entrusted the management of them to us. So what will you do with God’s gifts to you? The principal message of our National Stewardship Ministries training is to focus more on what you do with your most valuable asset, your time.

Indeed, my personal paraprosdokian is: “Your actions speak so loudly, that I can’t hear what you’re saying.” So are we walking the stewardship walk, or just talking about it? Are we living the life our Lord called us to live by giving sacrificially of our time, talents, treasures and tithes to God’s work here on this earth?

The parable of the “Talents” from the Gospel of Matthew (25: 14-30) provides us the perfect roadmap. We are reminded that we each have received different tal-ents, but it’s what we do with our talents that determine our future. In those days, “talents” were a unit of economic measure. Today it means something different, but the message is still the same. We are not better because we have more, we are bet-ter because we do more with whatever we have.

Is there anything more you can do for your Parish/Metropolis/Archdiocese and your salvation? Do you have any skills, abilities or things that others in your par-ish and community can use? If so, what’s keeping you from giving of that “talent” and your time to God’s Holy Orthodox Church and those who need you? The parable of the “Talents” assures us that the “payoff” for blessing others with the multiplication of your talents on this earth is to be told “well done good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a little, I will put you over much.”

Who wouldn’t want to improve their odds of the gift of “much” and an eternity of joy with our Lord? God already gave us all our gifts. All we need to do is “pay it forward” and serve our Church and the world. Early 20th century British writer and political thinker G.K. Chesterton of-fered the paraprosdokian: “Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.”

Please take a moment now to reflect on how good a job you are doing being a steward (caretaker) of the gifts God has given you. Examine your last week of 168 hours (10,080 minutes) and ask how many of those hours/minutes did you actually devote to God’s work? Which of God’s gifts did you cause to multiply in the world this past week? What will you do this coming week to share your extraordinary talents for God’s greater glory and your salvation?

I believe that your stewardship is what you do with the gifts God gave you. So what does your salvation account led-ger look like? I do not wish to make you as paranoid as author Tom Clancy, who once said: “I know I’m paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?” Instead, I ask you to reflect on Mother Teresa’s advice: “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

Or consider the advice of Pablo Pi-casso and President Franklin Roosevelt who respectively offered: “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”

Do something today! And God bless you as you pursue your own unique stew-ardship calling. SOTPAETJ (Stay on The Path, and enjoy the journey)

Bill Marianes is the managing partner of the Atlanta office of the McGuire Woods law firm. He serves on the Archdiocese Council, National Stewardship Ministries and as the Atlanta Metropolis general counsel. To learn about the Igniting the Flame of True Orthodox Stewardship 101/201 program that helps parishes implement true Orthodox stewardship, contact Bill at 404-443-5700 or sotpaetj@gmail.com or bmarianes@mcguirewoods.com.

MAY 201212

METROPOLIS NEWS

NORFOLK, Va. – Annunciation Cathedral of Norfolk, Va. celebrated a noteworthy milestone on Feb. 25 by honoring Fr. Constantine Rogakos, Ph.D., for his 50 years of ordination to priesthood and also for his retirement from active ministry. Also honored for her contributions was Presbytera Eleni Rogakos, who has been an active partner in her husband’s 28-year civilian ministry and 22-year military career as a chaplain in the U.S. Army.

He was the first Greek Orthodox chaplain in the U.S. Army when he was commissioned as an army reservist in 1966. He served in locations around the world, including in Vietnam during the height of the war, from 1969 to 1970, and several tours in Germany. During his military career, he received many com-mendations and awards including the Bronze Star, the fourth highest combat award in the Armed Forces. Along the way, he also earned a master’s degree in education from Long Island University and a Ph.D. from California Graduate School of Theology.

He retired from the military in 1988 at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

A gala event, hosted by parishioners Andrew and Sylvia Touzos and Odysseus and Maria Kotarides, drew more than 500 guests, Annunciation parishioners and friends and family members and was held in the Cathedral’s elegantly decorated Hellenic Center.

The tribute to Father and Presbytera Rogakos was a memorable and moving occasion honoring the community’s second–longest serving priest in its 100-year history.

Master of ceremonies was Gus James, a 12-term parish council presi-dent and former AHEPA Supreme Presi-dent who worked closely with Father Constantine throughout his tenure.

James enumerated the many ac-complishments of Fr. Constantine and Presbytera Eleni at the Annunciation, including refurbishment and reaccredi-tation of the Greek School, overhaul of the Sunday School curriculum, creation of a library and establishment of the church’s current performance dance troupe, The Annunciation Youth Danc-

Norfolk Honors Priest for 50–Year Milestone and Retirement

by Lia Russell ers. They helped oversee the expansion of the church facilities and succeeded, through the blessings of the late Metro-politan Silas, for the church to become a cathedral in 1995. They fostered success-ful Bible studies in Greek and English for 19 years. Fr. Constantine also mentored and christened many new converts to the Orthodox faith during his tenure.

Members of the community also spoke fondly of Fr. Rogakos’ legacy of love, learning and benevolence during his 21 years of service in the Cathedral.

“The Annunciation was never a stepping stone for Father Constantine, he became a member of this community – he made this his home,” said former parish council Treasurer John Foussekis.

Former parish council President Andrew Touzos spoke of Father and Presbytera’s willingness to always put the needs of the church and community ahead of their own.

Fr. Ambrose Bitsiadis-Bowers, cur-rent dean of the Cathedral, described the unique partnership in service between Fr. Constantine and Presbytera Eleni, who both are theologians.

Fr. Constantine, born and raised in Gythion, Greece, received his degree in theology and education from the Univer-sity of Athens in 1955. He came to the United States in 1961 to continue gradu-ate studies in education at Columbia University in New York when, under the mentorship of the late Archbishop Iako-vos, he felt a calling to the priesthood.

Fr. Constantine was ordained a deacon in November 1961 at St. George Cathedral in Philadelphia by Bishop Ger-manos and as a priest three weeks later at the Church of Dormition in Brooklyn, N.Y., by Bishop Germanos.

His ministry began in Port Arthur, Texas, where he served at St. George Church until 1966. From there, he moved to St. Nicholas Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, then entered full-time active military duty in 1968. That year, he represented the U.S. military at the Clergy–Laity Conference held in Athens, Greece, placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Rogakoses, who have two grown daughters and two grandchildren, came to Norfolk in 1990, after two years at Annunciation Church in Kansas City, Mo.

Presbytera Eleni and Fr. Constantine Rogakos.

National Hellenic Society

Visit the AHEPA Web site to download application form & detailed program

www.ahepa.orgor for questions please contact program director:

Dr. James F. Dimitrioujfdplato@aol.com

2012 AHEPA Journey To GreeceThe 7th Annual AHEPA / University of Indianapolis

Journey to Greece ProgramIncorporating the Nemean Games

and a special visit toThe Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople

The Order of AHEPA has produced this program with the University of Indianapolis.

The Journey to Greece will run in three sessions in 2012: • Session 1: June 22 - July 6, 2012 • Session 2: June 29 - August 1, 2012 • Sessions 1 & 2: June 22 - August 1, 2012

AHEPA Headquarters: 1909 Q Street, NW. Suite 500Washington, DC 20009 • (202) 232-6300

MAY 2012 13

to page 22

HC/HC NEWS

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Hellenic Col-lege Holy Cross, the oldest and largest accredited Orthodox Christian institu-tion of higher learning in the United States, announced that George D. Beh-rakis will deliver the HCHC Commence-ment address and receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities in rec-ognition of his outstanding professional achievements, his many humanitarian and philanthropic acts, and his life-long and extraordinary commitment and ser-vice to his Hellenic Orthodox Christian heritage.

The HCHC 70th Commencement ex-ercises will be held May 19 at the Pappas Auditorium. Preceding commencement, at 8 a.m., orthros and the hierarchal divine liturgy officiated by Archbishop Demetrios will take place at the Holy Cross Chapel. Bachelor of Arts degrees will be administered to 21 students. Thirty–seven students will receive one of the following degrees: Master of The-ology, Master of Theological Studies or Master of Divinity.

Mr. Behrakis is chairman of Gains-borough Investments, Lexington, Mass. He has distinguished himself in the phar-maceutical industry as a researcher and marketer of asthma and allergy products.

HCHC to Honor George Behrakis, Commencement Speakerby Nayla Daly Mr. Behrakis is the founder of two suc-

cessful companies: Dooner Laboratories and Muro Pharmaceutical Inc

Mr. Behrakis was essential in coor-dinating the arrangements for President Mikhail Gorbachev receiving the 2005 Athenagoras Human Rights Award in his capacity as a founding director of the Gorbachev Foundation of North America. He has continuously answered the call for stewardship of his time, tal-ent and treasure, putting into action the words of our Lord Savior and God in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

Among Mr. Behrakis’ generous gifts are: The George D. and Margo Behrakis Wing for Greek and Roman Art at the Mu-seum of Fine Arts in Boston; the George D. Behrakis Chair in the Field of Targeted Pharmaceuticals and the Behrakis Health Science Center, both at Northeastern University; the George D. Behrakis Hel-lenic Fellowship in Respiratory Allergy at the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center; the George D. Behrakis Fellow-ship in cardiovascular research, support-ing Greek physicians from Greece, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Mr. Behrakis is an archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle. He has served as an archon for 32 years. His service to the

Mother Church and its Eparchy in Amer-ica is as extensive as it is distinguished. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He has served as president of his home par-ish of the Holy Trinity Church of Lowell, Mass.; as vice-chairman of Hellenic Col-lege Holy Cross School of Theology; as chairman of Leadership 100; and as a

founder of Faith Endowment. He also was the force behind the establishment of the St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center, Metropolis of Boston Camp and Retreat Center in New Hampshire.

Mr. Behrakis and his wife of 50 years, Margo, reside in North Tewksbury, Mass. The couple has four married children and nine grandchildren.

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The_latest_book_by_His_Eminence_Archbishop_Demetrios_of_America_includes_his_Keynote_Addresses_from_his_first_Clergy-Laity_Congress_in_Philadelphia_in_July_2000_through_his_address_in_Washington,_DC__in_July_2008._Also_included_are_addresses_given_in_Athens,_Greece,_Cyprus,_Fordham_University_and_Brookline,_MA_plus_others.

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In recent years, a renewed interest in the Byzantine chant of the Eastern Or-thodox Church has been sweeping across the United States. For years, popular and scholarly interest in Byzantine chant lagged behind the more widespread at-tention devoted to liturgy and icons, even though Byzantine music embodies many important aspects of Eastern Orthodox worship, and it embodies the beauty of both Christianity and Hellenism.

Moreover, it has its roots in the earli-est forms of Christian worship. St. Basil the Great, one of the great Fathers of the Church and a leading intellectual of his time, wrote in the fourth century, “Let the tongue sing, and let the mind search out the meaning of what is being said, so that you sing with the spirit and sing with the understanding also.”

Byzantine liturgical music remains today as influential as it was during the time of its creation and as indispensable for Orthodox Christian worship. There is a growing interest to learn more about this musical culture in western societies. Dr. Grammenos Karanos, assistant professor of Byzantine music at Hellenic College Holy Cross, says, “The field of Byzantine Musicology has been growing vastly in the past three decades primarily in Greece, Europe and the United States.”

A crucial development in the scholarly study of Byzantine music was the publica-tion, in the mid-1970s, of the monumental descriptive catalogues of Byzantine and post-Byzantine musical manuscripts held at libraries of Athonite monasteries by Gregory Stathis, world-renowned Greek musicologist. This publication introduced a treasury of original source material that later musicologists have been studying from multiple angles.

A Reawakened Interest in Byzantine Chant

Thanks to current technology and globalization, western musicologists who are exploring Byzantine chant, have easy access to this material through faster communication methods, digitization of manuscripts and online availability of recordings. Dr. Karanos says, “The Greek Psaltic Art is gradually gaining the place it deserves in musicological conferences, doctoral dissertations and other scholarly publications, concerts and recordings.” He hopes to see this musical art become a permanent part of the curriculum in American conservatories and institutions of higher learning.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York recently opened the latest in a series of exhibitions drawing attention to the splendor of Byzantine art and culture entitled “Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition, 7th-9th Centuries.” Cappella Romana, a vocal ensemble, will be per-forming musical compositions from this period at the Metropolitan Museum’s

MAY 201214

because we feel we have the choice and this choice is our concern and not the world’s.

It’s when we feel this way that our flame gets blown out. We’ve al-lowed our hearts to blacken a little like the wick of a candle when its

flame goes out. It sputters and oozes smoke and then the wick

blackens. The light is no lon-ger a pure burning one like a brand new unlit candle.

The Panagia is a can-dle whose flame will never go out. Her purity of soul was imprinted from the

moment of conception. She, as any mortal, was

born with original sin but the path she chose melted all of that away that led to that day the Archangel Gabriel visited her and asked her to be the God–Bearer. She burns so brightly that her flame will never extinguish even after the end times.

We, on the other hand, struggle and make the wrong choice every day. It could be as simple as repeating our negative behaviors: overeat-ing, rudeness, drugs, and whatever else we fall back on that we think warms us in the cold light of our reality.

How can we “re-light the flame” of our souls during these difficult cold

days of our lives? One way is to see the destructive

Commentaries and Reflections

Re–Lighting the Flame When It’s Cold Smaller Parishes Need Help

“Where do we go when we just don’t know?

How do we relight the flame when it’s cold?”

(Serenity by Godsmack)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before oth-ers, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:14-16)

We live during a time when our inner light flick-ers precariously.

Our light flickers be-cause the world around us presents us with many choices: good and bad. These choices determine our path in life.

If we choose to hurt our neighbor or even our enemy then the choice is a dark one.

Many of us choose this path deliberately be-cause of circumstances. It may not be out of vio-lence or vengeance done upon us, it may just be

by Lia Lewis path we are following—like the Prodigal Son’s path from his father’s house to his eventual job as a cleaner of pig sties. This realization of how bad his life had fallen made him “relight the flame” in his heart.

This “flame” led him to home to his Father’s house. He remembered how much his Father loved him and the warmth and comfort that the flame in his heart provided.

Remembering that love also replaced his addiction for the world. It’s not hard to blow out a candle but when you need to relight it, there may not be a match around or worse, it could be really windy making it hard to light the candle.

But a spark happens when two ob-jects are struck together like two stones. One stone is us and the other is Jesus Christ. Once He enters our heart, the flame is relit with such ferocity that the “door” to our heart is reduced to ashes and His flame engulf us in such love that it can never be snuffed out.

Through this entrance, we realize that we are the “light of the world.” God created us in His image and wants us to burn brightly because He loves us un-conditionally. And through this love, He wants us to do His will and glorify Him. So the answer to the question that is quoted above, “How do we re-light the flame when it’s cold,” by striking our hearts on God’s Love and sparking a bonfire to let our “’...light shine before others, that they may see [y]our good deeds and glorify [y]our Father in heaven.’”

Lia Lewis is a graduate of Holy Cross School of Theology. She lives, works and writes in New Jersey. Her member par-ish is Holy Trinity Church in Westfield.

I have a picture of myself opening the door of Jefferson Elementary in Morgan-town, W.Va., when we first moved to this country. It is a mental picture of when I first opened the door of my classroom.

America was the envy of the world. She had just bounced back, perhaps by default, after the great war. Jackson Pol-lock, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, The Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, and Motown followed the British invasion. Dick Clark’s American Band Stand, The Jetson’s, and fast–back–futuristic–chrome Desotos defined America. It was all an amazing rush for a kid whose comparable mode of transportation was a donkey on a rocky-unpaved-dirt road.

This decadent modernism was what attracted the world. My parents were not the exception. This was the land of milk and honey on streets paved with gold bars. The President and the First Lady were royalty. They were the king and queen of a white castle. America quickly became the place for people who wanted to improve their lives–the land of the free and the home of the brave. My parents were the brave and the did it for their children to escape poverty, unstable government, and a chance to dream the improbable.

We, as children, assimilated but my parents suffered culture shock. I don’t think they ever got over it, but they lived the dream through us. One of the casual-

This Month We Honor Our Mothersby Fr. Michael Sitaras ties of this variant culture was the great

American sandwich. If the other children were not strange enough speaking and acting in an unknown language, what they consumed at lunch was other worldly. I learned later that this soft thin square bread with slices of yellow and brown stuffing in the middle wrapped in trans-lucent wax paper was a sandwich. Plastic was not yet mainstream.

The sandwich would be packed in a tin box with a handle, an apple, some cookies, and a thermos bottle on the side. My mother was oblivious of this subcul-ture I was experiencing in the lunchroom. She would pack me homemade crusty bread of undetermined size and shape, feta cheese, olives, bean soup from the night before in a tightly closed glass jar, utensils that she expected to be returned, and a peeled-sliced apple. All of this in one giant-brown grocery bag rolled shut from the top.

As strange as the kids appeared to me, I felt like that to them.

My yearning was too great. I went home and asked my mother, of course, in Greek, “Mama, can you make me one of those sandwiches?” She looked at me with great curiosity and concern, “What is this sandwich?” “You know Mama, it is like meat and cheese inside two slices of bread.” She gave me a diagonal nod and said, “Fine, my son, if you want it I will make it for you.”

So she prepared it ready for the next

day in the same giant now-worn grocery bag.

Waiting with great anticipation, I was about to enter Camelot. This American sandwich was going to thrust me, a poor six-year-old with a buzzed head from Greece, into commonality. I was no longer going to stand out, be different, or strange. No! Now I was going to be like all the other kids who spoke with “O’s” that had two syllables and with “K’s” and “T’s” overly pronounced.

As I unrolled the, now-worn, grocery bag in the lunchroom, the crackling of the paper sounded like fireworks exploding in celebration of victorious emancipation. With half an eye on the kids and half on the cloth napkin I unfolded my assimilation into kid society and opened my American sandwich.

There it was, larger than life, liter-ally. Two thick one-inch slices of crusty bread with an equally thick sliced roast beef laden with garlic and adorned with a thick slice of parmesan cheese all thrust together.

The sandwich was bigger than my head but I didn’t care. I knew that my mother made it for me because we were living the dream together. We were what America was about. They gave up every-thing, sacrificing immensely, for the ones they loved.

We were given this mother and child paradigm by God and nurtured through His divine love. Our model is the filial love

between the Virgin and the baby Jesus. They symbolize the indissoluble bond between a mother and a child. They sym-bolize the incarnation and, in turn, they symbolize salvation. The love between a mother and child is a love that is the es-sence of life itself.

Without this love we are lost. Here is the par excellence filial relationship. Unity, concord, and joy result from that love. It is the love which teaches us how to love others and be tolerant of each other’s misgivings. It is the love that has its basis in the divine love of God.

Of course, my mother learned how to make many great American sandwiches. She was in her day a really good cook but I do reminisce about the sandwich she made for me on that day at Jefferson El-ementary. In May we honor our mothers. They prepared us for life as their love is unsurpassed and unfailing. It is befitting of us to celebrate them as joyously as they celebrated us.

Fr. Sitaras is pastor of Sts. Constan-tine and Helen in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif. He previously served for 10 years at St. Luke Church in East Longmeadow, Mass. He is the son of the late Fr. Nicholas Sitaras who passed away in 2006 and had served parishes from Maine to Florida. His mother, Irene, is now 95 and lives with his sister in Greensboro, N.C. His parents moved from Chios, Greece, to Morgantown in 1960.

Smaller parishes need more as-sistance from the already established churches. However, due to today’s vanishing or lower incomes, many churches cannot even keep up with their own obligations, so how can they assist other churches?

Yes, we need to bring others to our church, but we forget the message we bring to the people, is mostly in Greek, so how can I invite my neighbors to join me when they won’t know what the priest is speaking about? When I married, my husband was amember of the Greek Orthodox church, so he explained many of the things I didn’t understand.

I still don’t speak Greek, but after many years of Greek only, we (Fr. James Rousakis) now speaks English on the first Sunday of the month, which is helpful.

However, a true believer wants to attend church every Sunday, not just once a month.

God tells us to honor the Sabbath, to keep it Holy. There are four Sunday’s in a month, so what does a new guest do when they can’t speak Greek?

Why would they come back? We can’t grow in a new religion unless we know what’s being said.

So it seems we are back to the issue of years past, when we requested more English in the Greek churches.

Do we really want our religion to grow, or do we want to just keep it for the Greeks?

Yes, we need to reach out and help other parishes, but when you can hardly keep up with your own obliga-tions, how can you assist others?

Fran Glaros–SharpClearwater, Fla.

ΕΤΟΣ 77 • ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ 1275ΜΑΙΟΣ 2012

Σελίδα 18

Κυριακή της ΑΧΕΠΑΑ Ρ Χ Ι Ε Π Ι Σ ΚΟ Π Ι Κ Η Ε Γ Κ Υ Κ Λ Ι ΟΣ

Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Εμπρακτη Αγάπη και Συμπαράσταση προς την Ελλάδα

Ο Καθαγιασμός του Αγίου Μύρου

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Κατά τη διάρκεια ολοκλήρωσης των εργασιών της Ιεράς Επαρχιακής Συνόδου της Ιεράς Αρχιε-πισκοπής Αμερικής την 26ην Απριλίου, εξεδώθη το ακόλουθο ανακοινωθέν:

ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΘΕΝ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΕΠΑΡΧΙΑΚΗΣ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΥ

Ἡ Ἱερά Ἐπαρχιακή Σύνοδος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς συνῆλθεν εἰς τήν τακτικήν συνεδρίαν αὐτῆς εἰς τήν αἴθουσαν τῆς Συνόδου τῆς Ἱ. Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς ἐν Νέᾳ Ὑόρκῃ τήν 25ην καί 26ην Ἀπριλίου 2012 ὑπό τήν προεδρίαν τοῦ Σεβασμιωτάτου Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀμερικῆς κ. Δημη-τρίου καί τήν συμμετοχήν ἁπάντων τῶν Μελῶν αὐτῆς.

Τήν προτεραίαν τῆς ἐνάρξεως τῶν ἐργασιῶν τῆς Συνόδου, ἤτοι τήν 24ην τρ. μ., τά Μέλη αὐτῆς εἶχον τήν εὐκαιρίαν νά ὁλοκληρώσουν τήν ἐπεξεργασίαν τῆς μεταφράσεως εἰς τήν ἀγγλικήν τοῦ πρωτοτύπου ἑλλη-νικοῦ κειμένου τῆς Θείας Λειτουργί-ας τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου Χρυσοστόμου, τό ὁποῖον καί θά ὑποβληθῇ εἰς τό Οἰκουμενικόν Πατριαρχεῖον πρός ἔγκρισιν. Ἡ Ἱ. Σύνοδος κατά τήν συνεδρίαν αὐτῆς ἠσχολήθη μέ σειράν θεμάτων μεταξύ τῶν ὁποίων εἶναι καί τά ἑξῆς:

1. Εἰδικαί πλευραί τοῦ ποιμαντικοῦ καί διοικητικοῦ ἔργου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀνα-φερόμεναι εἰς κληρικούς καί λαϊκούς.

2. Θέματα ἐκπαιδεύσεως ὑποψηφίων κληρικῶν.

3. Ἡ προσεχής Κληρικολαϊκή Συνέλευ-σις τῆς Ἱ. Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς ἐν Phoenix, AZ.

4. Ἡ περαιτέρω προσπάθεια βοηθείας ἀπόρων ἀτόμων καί οἰκογενειῶν ἐν Ἑλλάδι, πέραν τῆς ἤδη προσφορᾶς ἐκ μέρους τῆς Ἱ. Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς τοῦ ποσοῦ τῶν $500,000 εἰς τήν Ἱ. Ἀρχιεπισκοπήν Ἀθηνῶν, θά διατεθῇ ἐξ ὁλοκλήρου εἰς συγκεκριμένα προγράμ-ματα ἀνακουφίσεως οἰκονομικῶς πλη-γέντων ἀτόμων.

5. Συμβολή εἰς προγράμματα ποιμαντικῆς φροντίδος ἀσθενῶν εἰς νοσοκομεῖα.

6. Θέματα διορθοδόξων δραστηριοτή-των καί σχέσεων.

Ἐκ τοῦ Γραφείου τῆς Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου

ΑΘΗΝΑ – Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχι-επίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε στις10 Απριλίου (Μεγάλη Τρίτη), τον Μακαριώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αθηνών και πάσης Ελλάδος κ. Ιερώνυ-μο, και του επέδωσε ως απτή έκφραση της συμπαραστάσεως και αλληλεγγύης της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής και της Ελληνοαμερικανικής Ομογενείας προς τον δοκιμαζόμενο Ελληνικό Λαό, επιταγή 500 χιλιάδων δολαρίων, προϊόν του «Ταμείου Αρωγής για τον Ελληνικό Λαό» της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής.

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος στην επιστολή που συνόδευε την επιταγή σημειώνει ότι πρόκειται για μια πρώτη προσφορά στην διάθεση των ειδικών προγραμμάτων της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκο-πής Αθηνών και της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος που αποβλέπουν στην ανακού-φιση των αδελφών μας στην Ελλάδα που υποφέρουν λόγω της οξείας οικο-νομικής κρίσεως και ιδιαίτερα στους τομείς των αναγκών τροφής, στέγης και φαρμάκων. Και προσθέτει ότι: «Η ως άνω επιταγή αποτελεί προϊόν αρωγής των κοινοτήτων και ιδιωτών της Ι. Αρ-χιεπισκοπής Αμερικής, οι οποίοι αντα-πεκρίθησαν εις την πρόσκλησιν αλλη-λεγγύης και στηρίξεως του Ελληνικού Λαού κατά την παρούσαν δυσχερή πε-ρίοδον».

Μετά την συνάντηση στο γραφείο του Μακαριωτάτου που διήρκεσε 45 περίπου λεπτά, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Ιερώ-νυμος δήλωσε: «Για άλλη μια φορά θέλω να πω ένα μεγάλο ευχαριστώ, στον Σε-βασμιώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής

ôïõ Óôáýñïõ Ç. Ðáðáãåñìáíïý

και αγαπητό εν Χριστώ Αδελφόν τον κ. Δημήτριο. Σήμερα είναι ιδιαίτερα συγκι-νητική ημέρα, μέσα στην Εβδομάδα των Παθών, μέσα σε μια κρίση που διέρχεται ο τόπος μας και η Αρχιεπισκοπή Αθη-νών, και μεγάλο μέρος του Ελληνικού Λαού, μια κρίση φτώχειας, ανεργίας και ανασφάλειας, να έχουμε κοντά προσω-ποποιημένη την αγάπη από την αδελφή Εκκλησία των Ορθοδόξων της Αμερι-κής, με την παρουσία του Αρχιεπισκό-που Αμερικής κ. Δημητρίου. Θέλω να πω ένα πολύ μεγάλο ευχαριστώ προς τον ίδιο τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο, στους συ-νεργάτες του και προς σ’ όλους τους Ομογενείς οι οποίοι συγκινήθηκαν και

συγκινούνται και μας βοηθούν με αυτόν τον δικό τους τρόπο. Λάβαμε ένα σεβα-στό ποσό για την διακονία της φτώχειας και θα το χρησιμοποιήσουμε κατά τον καλύτερο τρόπο ώστε όσο το δυνατόν περισσότεροι άνθρωποι να ευεργετη-θούν από αυτή την εκδήλωση της αγάπης».

Ανταπαντώντας ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος τόνισε: «Είμαστε σήμερα εδώ σε αυτήν την επίσκεψη αγάπης και ευλαβείας, σ’ έναν λαό ο οποίος περνά από μια πολλή μεγάλη δοκιμασία. Ιδι-αιτέρως ευχαριστώ τον Μακαριώτατο, ο

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος και ο διευθυντής της ΜΚΟ ‘Αποστολή’ Δημήτρης Δήμτσας.

Σελίδα 16Σελίδα 18

ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΗ – Πραγ-ματοποιήθηκε με μεγάλη λαμπρότητα και ιεροπρέπεια, κατά την διάρκεια της Με-γάλης Εβδομάδος, ο καθαγιασμός του Αγίου Μύρου στο Οικουμενικό Πατρι-αρχείο Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, προεξάρ-χοντος του Παναγιωτάτου Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχου κ. Βαρθολομαίου. Συμμετεί-χαν 55 περίπου Αρχιερείς από όλο σχε-δόν τον Ορθόδοξο κόσμο, συμπεριλαμ-βανομένων Ιεραρχών εκπροσώπων των Πρεσβυγενών Πατριαρχείων Αλεξανδρεί-ας, Αντιοχείας και Ιεροσολύμων, του Πατριαρχείου Σερβίας, των αυτοκεφάλων Εκκλησιών Κύπρου, Ελλάδος, Πολωνίας, Αλβανίας και Τσεχίας και Σλοβακίας. Ο Καθαγιασμός του Αγίου Μύρου αποτελεί ένα ξεχωριστό γεγονός που πραγματο-ποιείται στο Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο σχεδόν κάθε 10 χρόνια πριν τα αποθέμα-

ôïõ Óôáýñïõ Ç. ÐáðáãåñìáíïýΠρός τούς Σεβασμιωτάτους καί Θεοφι-

λεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τούς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καί Διακόνους, τούς Μοναχούς καί Μοναχές, τούς Προέδρους καί Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συμβουλίων, τά Ἡμερήσια καί Ἀπογευματινά Σχολεῖα, τίς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τήν Νεολαία, τίς Ἑλληνορθό-δοξες Ὀργανώσεις καί ὁλόκληρο τό Χριστε-πώνυμον πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς.

Προσφιλεῖς Ἀδελφοί καί Ἀδελφές ἐν Χριστῷ,Καθώς ἡ Πασχαλινή περίοδος ὁδεύει

στή λήξη της καί ἀναμένουμε τόν ἑορτασμό τῆς Θείας Ἀναλήψεως τοῦ Κυρίου μας, σκεπτόμεθα τήν δύναμη τῆς Ἀναστάσεώς Του καί τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου στό ἱερό ἔργο πού καλούμεθα νά ἐπιτελέσουμε. Πρίν ὁ Χριστός ἀναληφθεῖ στούς οὐρα-νούς, εἶπε στούς μαθητές Του: Ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἰερουσαλήμ καί ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καί Σαμαρείᾳ καί ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς (Πράξεις 1:8). Ἐπίσης εἶπε πορευθέντες

οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τά ἔθνη (Ματθ. 28:19). Εἶναι φανερό ὅτι ἔχουμε ἐπιλεγεῖ καί διορισθεῖ ἀπό τόν Θεό νά προσφέρουμε μαρτυρία πίστεως καί ὑπηρεσίας ἀγάπης σ’ ὁλόκληρο τόν κόσμο.

Στήν Κυριακή τῆς ΑΧΕΠΑ ἀναγνω-ρίζουμε καί τιμοῦμε τά μέλη τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου κοινότητός μας στίς Ἡνωμένες Πολιτεῖες πού συνεχίζουν νά προσφέρουν αὐτή τή μαρτυρία καί τήν ὑπηρεσία μέσα ἀπό τή στήριξη τοῦ ἔργου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καί πολυάριθμων φιλανθρωπικῶν, ἐκπαι-δευτικῶν καί ἀστικῶν προγραμμάτων. Ἐπί ἐνενήντα ἔτη, τά μέλη τοῦ Ἑλληνοαμερι-κανικοῦ Ἐκπαιδευτικοῦ Προοδευτικοῦ Συλλόγου καί οἱ ὀργανισμοί τῆς οἰκογενεί-ας τῆς ΑΧΕΠΑ δημιούργησαν μία κληρο-νομιά προσφορᾶς στίς τοπικές ἐνορίες των, στίς διακονίες καί ὀργανισμούς τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς μας, καί γιά λογαριασμό παγκοσμίων θεμάτων πού ἔχουν ἐπίπτωση στή μαρτυρία καί τό ἔργο τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου

ΜΑΙΟΣ 201216 ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ EΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣΒ Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ

ΕΛΕΩ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ – ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΠΑΝΤΙ Τῼ ΙΕΡΩ ΚΛΗΡΩ ΚΑΙ ΤΩ ΕΥΣΕΒΕΙ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΘ’ ΗΜΑΣ ΑΓΙΩΤΑΤΗΣ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΙΕΡΩΝ

ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΘ’ ΗΜΑΣ ΑΓΙΩΤΑΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΟΥ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΥ ΘΡΟΝΟΥ

†

Τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά,

Ἕκαστος ἄνθρωπος, πλασθείς κατ’ εἰκόνα καί καθ’ ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ, εἶναι ναός Κυρίου. Πολύ δέ περισσότερον ὅσοι εἰς Χριστόν ἐβαπτίσθημεν καί ἐχρίσθημεν διά τοῦ Ἁγίου Μύρου καί ἐνεκεντρί-σθημεν εἰς τήν καλλιέλαιον τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας εἴμεθα ναοί τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἀκόμη καί ἐάν διά ποικίλων ἁμαρτιῶν, ἑκουσίων ἤ ἀκουσίων, ἀπομακρυνώμεθα ἀπό τοῦ Κυρίου. «Εἰ ἡμεῖς ἀπιστοῦμεν, ἐκεῖνος πιστός μένει· ἀρνήσασθαι ἑαυτόν οὐ δύναται» (Β΄

Τιμ. β΄ 13).Ταύτην τήν χάριν παρέχει ἡμῖν τό Ἅγιον Μύρον, διότι,

καθώς λέγει ὁ Ἅγιος Διονύσιος Ἀρεοπαγίτης, ἡ τοῦ μύρου τελε-τή τελειωτική τῶν θεουργιῶν γνώσεως καί ἐπιστήμης, διά τῆς

ὁποίας ἱερῶς ἡ πρός τήν θεαρχίαν ἀναγωγή καί μακαριωτάτη κοινωνία τελεσιουργεῖται. Τό Μύρον τόν ἁγιασμόν παρέχει τοῦ Πνεύματος, δίδοται δέ πᾶσι τοῖς πιστοῖς ὡς χρίσμα πνευματικόν, χάρισμα βασιλι-κόν, ἁγιαστικόν ψυχῶν καί σωμάτων.

Δι’ αὐτοῦ λαμβάνομεν τήν ἀπαρχήν τοῦ Πνεύματος, παρ’ Οὗ πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθή καί πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον. Ὁ δέ Θεός ἡμῶν, ὁ καί ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δούς τό Πνεῦμα τό Ἅγιον καί τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις Αὐτοῦ, πάντας τούς χρι-

ομένους μύρῳ θείῳ ἁγιάζει καί κατατάσσει εἰς τήν χορείαν τῶν χάριτι σεσωσμένων, ἐάν φυλάξωσιν ἄσπιλον μολυσμοῦ τόν χιτῶνα τῆς ἀφθαρ-σίας αὐτῶν καί ἀγωνίζωνται ὅπως μή λυπήσωσι τό Πνεῦμα τό Ἅγιον, τό Ὁποῖον ἔλαβον διά τοῦ Ἁγίου Χρίσματος. Ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ μύρου ἐστί τό οἰκεί-ους εἶναι Θεῷ καί δούλους γνησίους τούς εὐσεβεῖς, καί διά τῆς ἁγίας ταύτης σημειώσεως ὑπό ἁγίων Ἀγγέλων καί πάσης ἐπουρανίου δυνάμεως ἐπιγι-νωσκόμεθα, σύμμορφοι αὐτοῖς γινόμενοι.

Τήν ἁγιότητα δέ ἔχοντες ὡς σκοπόν τῆς ὑπάρξεως ἡμῶν εἰς τήν παροῦσαν ζωήν, τηροῦμεν τάς ἐντολάς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἵνα μένῃ μετά πάντων ἡμῶν τό Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ὁ ἀγαθός Παράκλητος, καί κλη-ρονομήσωμεν τήν οὐράνιον Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατά τό «ἅγιοι

γίνεσθε, ὅτι ἐγώ ἅγιός εἰμι» (Α΄ Πέτρου, α΄ 16).Πανίερος οὖν θεσμός τῆς Μητρός ἡμῶν Ἐκκλησίας τυγχάνει ὁ καθαγιασμός

τοῦ Ἁγίου Μύρου κατά διαστήματα, ἀποφάσει δέ τῆς ἡμετέρας Μετριότητος καί τῆς περί ἡμᾶς Ἁγίας καί Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου θά τελεσθῇ τό ἐνεστώς ἔτος κατά τήν

Ἁγίαν καί Μεγάλην Ἑβδομάδα τῶν Παθῶν τοῦ Κυρίου καί θέλει λάβει πέρας κατά τήν προσεχῆ Μεγάλην Πέμπτην. Προηγηθήσεται δέ ἡ ἕψησις τοῦ Ἁγίου Μύρου ἀπό Μεγάλης Δευτέρας ἕως καί τῆς Μεγάλης Τετάρτης, ὅτε καί μνείαν ποιούμεθα τῆς ἀλειψάσης μύρῳ πολυτιμήτῳ τόν Κύριον πόρνης γυναικός, τῆς σωφρονεστέρας πάντων ἀναδειχθείσης, ἐκ τοῦ πολλοῦ πρός τόν Χριστόν αὐτῆς πόθου.

Ὁ διά τῆς παρούσης πατριαρχικῆς ἡμῶν Ἐγκυκλίου ἐξαγγελλόμενος καθα-γιασμός ἀποτελεῖ ἰδιαιτέραν εὐλογίαν δι’ ἡμᾶς τούς ἐπιτελοῦντας αὐτόν, ἀλλά καί διά πάντας τούς παρισταμένους καί συμμετέχοντας, νεμόμενον δέ τό Ἅγιον Μύ-ρον εἰς τάς ἀνά τήν οἰκουμένην ὀρθοδόξους Ἐκκλησίας, καθίσταται ἀδιάλειπτος πηγή ἁγιασμοῦ, «ἔνδυμα ἀφθαρσίας καί σφραγῖδα τελειοποιόν ἐκτυποῦσα τοῖς τό θεῖον Λουτρόν δεχομένοις τήν ἁγίαν ὀνομασίαν τοῦ Πατρός καί τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ καί τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος».

Οὕτω καί ὑμεῖς, τέκνα καί ἀδελφοί ἐν Κυρίῳ, μή λησμονῆτε τό εὔσημον τοῦτο γεγονός τοῦ Καθαγιασμοῦ τοῦ Ἁγίου Μύρου ἐν τῷ Ἱερῷ ἡμῶν Κέντρῳ, φιλοτιμίαν δέ ποιήσασαθε ἵνα συμμετάσχητε αὐτοῦ εἴτε εὐχετικῶς καί νοερῶς εἴτε συντρέχοντες ποικιλοτρόπως εἴτε προσερχόμενοι εἰς τόν Πάνσεπτον Πατρι-αρχικόν Ναόν ἀπό Μεγάλης Δευτέρας ἄχρι τῆς Μεγάλης Πέμπτης, ὅτε τέλος λήψονται αἱ κατανυκτικαί τοῦ Καθαγιασμοῦ τελεταί, λαμβάνοντες εὐλογίαν καί χάριν παρά τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καί γευόμενοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν καί δω-ρεῶν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.

Αὐτοῦ ἡ Θεία χάρις καί τό ἄπειρον ἔλεος εἴησαν μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.

,βιβ΄ Μαρτίου ις΄

Ἀναγνωσθήτω ἐπ’ ἐκκλησίας κατά τήν Ἱεράν Ἀκολουθίαν τοῦ Ἀκαθίστου Ὕμνου, τῇ Παρασκευῇ 30ῇ Μαρτίου ἐ.ἔ.

† Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Βαρθολομαίος

Διάπυρος πρός Θεόν εὐχέτης

τα του προηγούμενου καθαγιασμού εξα-ντληθούν τελείως. Ο εφετινός Καθαγια-σμός του Αγίου Μύρου ήταν ο τρίτος κατά σειρά της Πατριαρχίας του Πατριάρ-χου Βαρθολομαίου. Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος μετέβη στην Κωνσταντινούπολη για τον σκοπό αυτό και έλαβε μέρος στη τελετή του καθαγιασμού.

Το Άγιο Μύρο καθαγιάζεται και χρη-σιμοποιείται στο Μυστήριο του Αγίου Χρίσματος (κατά την διάρκεια της Βαπτί-σεως) ως ορατό σημείο της μεταδόσεως των χαρισμάτων και των δωρεών του Αγίου Πνεύματος προς τους βαπτιζομέ-νους. Το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο δια-νέμει το Άγιο Μύρο σε όλες τις Ορθόδο-ξες Εκκλησίες ανά τον κόσμο.

Η προετοιμασία για τον καθαγιασμό του Αγίου Μύρου ξεκίνησε με την Εγκύ-κλιο του Παναγιωτάτου Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχου με την οποία πληροφορούσε τους Ιεράρχες προέδρους των Ορθοδόξων Εκκλησιών και των Αρχιεπισκοπών και Μητροπόλεων του Οικουμενικού Θρό-νου για την παρασκευή του Αγίου Μύρου, τους καλούσε να συμμετέχουν και σε πολλούς από αυτούς να συνεισφέρουν κάποιο από τα 57 συστατικά που σύμφω-να με την παράδοση χρησιμοποιούνται για την παρασκευή του Μύρου, ή να συ-νεισφέρουν δι’ άλλου τρόπου.

Το Άγιο Μύρο παρασκευάζεται με

βάση το ελαιόλαδο και εμπεριέχει 57 ευώδεις ουσίες και εκχυλίσματα τα οποία συμβολίζουν τα πολλά και ποικίλα χαρί-σματα του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Η παλαιό-τερες πληροφορίες για την συνταγή και σύνθεση του Αγίου Μύρου και ο παλαι-ότερος κατάλογος με τα συστατικά, ο οποίος διασώζεται και μέχρι σήμερα, ανάγονται στον 8ο αιώνα.

Την Κυριακή των Βαΐων μετά το πέρας της Θείας Λειτουργίας έδωσε την ευλογία και το πρόσταγμα στον Άρχοντα Μυρεψό Γεώργιο Σάβιτς και τους άλλους επτά μυρεψούς (που είναι συνήθως φαρ-μακοποιοί ή χημικοί το επάγγελμα) για την προετοιμασία και έψηση του Αγίου Μύρου. Ο Πατριάρχης επέδωσε στους οκτώ συνολικά Μυρεψούς λευκές ποδιές και επιστήθιο σταυρό.

Την Μεγάλη Δευτέρα, μετά το πέρας της προηγιασμένης Θείας Λειτουργίας, ο Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος τέλεσε Αγια-σμό στο Ιερό Κουβούκλιο, ειδικό χώρο δίπλα ακριβώς από τον Πατριαρχικό Ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου, χώρος στον οποίο πραγματοποιείται η παρασκευή και έψη-ση του Αγίου Μύρου. Ο Πατριάρχης αγίασε τους χάλκινους λέβητες, τα δοχεία, τα σκεύη και τα εργαλεία που χρησιμο-ποιούν οι Μυρεψοί. Στη συνέχεια ο Παναγιώτατος αφού άναψε με τα δικερο-τρίκερα τη φωτιά κάτω από τους λέβητες στην οποία τοποθετούνται προς καύση

Ο Καθαγιασμός του Αγίου ΜύρουΣελίδα 15

Σελίδα 17

Φωτογραφία: ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ ΜΑΓΓΙΝΑΣ

Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

ΜΑΙΟΣ 2012 ORTHODOX OBSERVER 17ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ

Λίγο αργότερα, ο ΟικουμενικόςΠατρι-άρχης Βαρθολομαίος κατά τη διάρκεια γεύ-ματος, αναφέρθηκε στη σημασία της ημέρας, τονίζοντας μεταξύ άλλων: «Πράγματι και κυριολεκτικῶς ‘ἡ Χάρις τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύμα-τος ἡμᾶς συνήγαγε’ σήμερον, τήν ἁγίαν καί μεγάλην Πέμπτην τοῦ δισχιλιοστοῦ καί δωδεκάτου ἔτους, εἰς τάς ἱεράς αὐλάς τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου Ἀποστολικοῦ καί Πατριαρχικοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Θρόνου τῆς Κωνσταντινου-πόλεως, ἀπό περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης, προκειμένου ἐν μιᾷ καρδίᾳ, ‘σύμψυχοι’, τό ‘ἕν φρονοῦντες’ νά ἐπικαλεσθῶμεν τό φοβε-ρόν ὄνομα τοῦ Τρισαγίου Θεοῦ πρός καθα-γιασμόν τοῦ Ἁγίου καί χαριτοβρύτου Μύρου, τῆς σφραγῖδος ταύτης τῆς δωρεᾶς τῶν σω-ζομένων!

Διά μίαν εἰσέτι φοράν ἐκφράζομεν τήν χαράν καί τήν βαθεῖαν ἡμῶν συγκίνησιν ἐπί τῇ συνελεύσει ἐνταῦθα πάντων ὑμῶν. Ἤλθε-τε ὡς ‘Ἀπόστολοι ἐκ περάτων’, ἀπόστολοι τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν ὁμολογίας καί μαρτυρίας, ἀπόστολοι τῆς ἐν Πατρί, δι’ Υἱοῦ, ἐν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἀναγεννήσεως λαῶν ὁλοκλήρων καί φορεῖς τῆς ἀποστολικῆς Χάριτος τῆς Ἀρχιερωσύνης, ἡ ὁποία σφραγίζει καί τελει-οποιεῖ τό λειτουργικόν καί ποιμαντικόν ἔργον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ἀλλά καί ὡς μάρτυρες τοῦ μεγάλου μυστηρίου τῆς εὐσεβείας, τό ὁποῖον ὁ Παράκλητος ἐνεργεῖ εἰς τόν χῶρον εὐθύνης ἑκάστου ἐξ ὑμῶν, καί ὡς κομισταί τῆς πίστεως τοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς πεπιστευμένου ποιμνίου.

Τό ἡμέτερον ‘Ὡς εὖ παρέστητε!’, ἀπευ-θύνεται θερμότατον πρῶτον εἰς τούς ἀδελ-φούς ἐκπροσώπους τῶν σεβασμίων καί ἁγιωτάτων Αὐτοκεφάλων καί Αὐτονόμων Ἐκκλησιῶν καί κατόπιν πρός τούς Ἱερωτά-τους Ἱεράρχας τοῦ καθ’ ἡμᾶς Θρόνου. ‘Ἰδού δή τί καλόν ἤ τί τερπνόν, ἀλλ’ ἤ τό κατοικεῖν ἅμα ἀδελφούς ἐπί τό αὐτό’!

Καί ὑμεῖς, ἀλλά και ἡ Χάρις τῶν Ἐκκλη-σιῶν ὑμῶν μετά τῶν προστατῶν των Ἁγίων, πλημμυρίζετε ἀπό ἀγαλλίασιν τήν καρδίαν μας καί ἐκφράζομεν, πέραν τοῦ καλωσορί-σματος, θερμήν παραλλήλως εὐχαριστίαν ἐπί τῇ πρόφρονι ἀνταποκρίσει εἰς τό προσκλη-τήριον τῆς πρωτευθύνου Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Βεβαίως καί ἄλλοι

Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Σελίδα 16και παλαιές εικόνες που δεν χρησιμοποι-ούνται πλέον, διάβασε χωρία από τα Ιερά Ευαγγέλια. Η ανάγνωση των ιερών ανα-γνωσμάτων συνεχίστηκε από άλλους Αρχιερείς και κληρικούς καθ΄ όλη τη διάρκεια της εψήσεως του Αγίου Μύρου μέχρι και την Μεγάλη Τετάρτη.

Την Μεγάλη Τρίτη, Ο Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος, έψαλε στο Κουβούκλιο τον Μικρό Παρακλητικό Κανόνα της Θεοτόκου και μνημόνευσε όλους όσους διά οποιουδήποτε τρόπου συνέβαλαν στην προετοιμασία και έψηση του Αγίου Μύρου.

Την Μεγάλη Τετάρτη, και πάλι ο Πατριάρχης εισήλθε στο Κουβούκλιο και μετά από σύντομη δέηση πρόσθεσε στους λέβητες το ροδέλαιο, τον μόσχο, έλαια κίτρου, δενδρολίβανου, νάρδου, δαφνέλαιο και άλλα ευώδη έλαια και εκχυλίσματα. Το απόγευμα συμπληρώθη-κε η έψηση του Αγίου Μύρου και έγινε η μετάγγιση του Μύρου από τους Μυρε-ψούς σε μικρά και μεγάλα ασημένια δο-χεία και αμφορείς.

Την Μεγάλη Πέμπτη το πρωί ο Όρ-θος εψάλη στο παρεκκλήσιο του Απο-στόλου Ανδρέα και στη συνέχεια σχημα-τίστηκε πομπή προς τον Πατριαρχικό Ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου. Προπορεύονταν ο Τίμιος Σταυρός και τα εξαπτέρυγα, οι πατριαρχικοί χοροί και ψάλται, οι διάκο-νοι και ακολουθούσαν οι αρχιμανδρίτες κρατώντας ανά δύο τους 12 αργυρούς αμφορείς, στη συνέχεια οι Αρχιερείς κατά σειρά πρεσβειών χειροτονίας κρα-τώντας μικρά αργυρά δοχεία. Στη συνέ-χεια της λιτανείας και καθώς χτυπούσαν οι καμπάνες του Πατριαρχείου, ήταν οι αρχιερείς εκπρόσωποι των Πατριαρχείων και Αυτοκέφαλων Εκκλησιών και τέλος ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης κ. Βαρθολο-μαίος κρατώντας μικρή αργυρή μυροθήκη. Μετά την είσοδο στο Ναό οι αρχιμανδρί-τες τοποθέτησαν τους αμφορείς μπροστά από το ιερό βήμα και οι αρχιερείς τα μικρά ασημένια δοχεία πίσω και δίπλα στην Αγία Τράπεζα. Μετά την Μεγάλη Είσοδο ο Πατριάρχης τοποθετεί το αλαβάστρινο δοχείο του αγιασμένου (από προηγούμε-νη φορά) Μύρου δεξιά από το Άγιο Πο-τήριο και το αργυρό δοχείο με το μη-αγιασμένο ακόμη Μύρο αριστερά του Αγίου Δίσκου. Καθώς ο κλήρος και το εκκλησίασμα προσεύχονταν γονατιστοί ο Πατριάρχης καθαγίασε όλα τα δοχεία και τα σφράγισε εις το όνομα της Αγίας Τριάδος.

Λίγο πριν την απόλυση της Θείας Λειτουργίας, σχηματίστηκε και πάλι πομπή όμοια με την προηγούμενη και κατευθύνθηκε στο Μυροφυλάκιο για την εναπόθεση και φύλαξη του Μύρου, εκεί μπροστά στον πύργο της Πατριαρχικής Αυλής, ο Πατριάρχης και οι άλλοι Αρχι-ερείς μαζί με τα δοχεία του καθαγιασμέ-νου Μύρου φωτογραφήθηκαν και μετά πραγματοποιήθηκε η απόλυση.

Το Άγιο Μύρο χρησιμοποιείται κυ-ρίως κατά το Μυστήριο του Χρίσματος, το οποίο γίνεται αμέσως μετά το Μυστή-ριο του Βαπτίσματος, αλλά αποτελεί ξε-χωριστό Μυστήριο της Εκκλησίας μας. Χρησιμοποιείται επίσης για το χρίσμα ετεροδόξων βαπτισμένων χριστιανών που προσέρχονται στην Ορθοδοξία, κατά τον καθαγιασμό της Αγίας Τραπέζης στα εγκαίνια νέων ναών, την καθιέρωση των ιερών αντιμηνσίων, ενώ στο παρελθόν χρησίμευε και κατά την στέψη των αυτο-κρατόρων της Βυζαντινής Αυτοκρατορίας.

Αμέσως μετά τη Θεία Λειτουργία ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης, οι εκπρόσωποι των Εκκλησιών και οι Ιεράρχες του Θρόνου που συλλειτούργησαν έβγα-λαν την αναμνηστική φωτογραφία μπροστά από τον Πύργο, στην αυλή του Πατριαρχείου, όπου βρίσκεται το Μυροφυλάκιο.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΓΕΥΜΑ εἶχον θεσμικήν ὑποχρέωσιν, οὐχ ἧττον καί ἠθικήν ὁμοίαν, νά εἶναι σήμερον μαζί μας, συλλειτουργοί τοῦ μεγάλου Μυστηρίου, τῆς τε Εὐχαριστίας καί τοῦ Μύρου, καί ἐκφρασταί καί μάρτυρες μεθ’ἡμῶν τῆς ἑνότητος τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας, ἀλλά δέν μᾶς ἔδωσαν τήν χαράν αὐτήν. Εἴθε εἰς τό μέλλον νά μετέχουν καί ἐκεῖνοι, ‘ἵνα ἡ χαρά ἡμῶν ᾗ πεπληρωμένη’.Τό Ἅγιον Μύρον, καθώς γνωρίζετε, ἀντικα-τέστησεν ἐνωρίτατα τήν χειροθεσίαν τῶν Ἀποστόλων ἐπί τάς κεφαλάς τῶν νεοφωτί-στων, ὥστε δι’ αὐτοῦ νά λαμβάνουν τό Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Οὐχί μερικάς δωρεάς ἤ χάριτας τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἀλλ’ αὐτόν Τοῦτον τόν Παράκλητον! Αἱ ἀρχαί του δυνατόν νά ἀνα-ζητηθοῦν ἐν προφητικῇ μορφῇ εἰς αὐτήν τήν Παλαιάν Διαθήκην καί δή καί μέ ἐκπληττού-σας λεπτομερείας.

Ὅπως ποτ’ ἄν ᾗ, γεγονός εἶναι ὅτι ὁ Ἐπίσκοπος ἦτο ἀδύνατον νά εὑρίσκεται παντοῦ καί συνεχῶς νά χειροθετῇ τούς ἐκ τῆς Ἱερᾶς Κολυμβήθρας ἀναγεννωμένους. Οὕτω προὐχώρησεν ἡ Ἐκκλησία εἰς τήν θέσπισιν τοῦ καθαγιασμοῦ ἐλαίου μετά πλεί-στων ἀρωματικῶν στοιχείων , διά τοῦ ὁποί-ου καί ἔχριε καί ἐτελειοποίει ἐν πνεύματι τούς νέους Χριστιανούς. Ἐν τέλει τό προνό-μιον καί δικαίωμα παρασκευῆς καί καθαγια-σμοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ χαρακτηρισθέντος πλέον ὡς ‘Μύρου’, ‘Ἁγίου Μύρου’, ἐπεφυλάχθη εἰς τόν Οἰκουμενικόν Πατριάρχην καί ἐντεῦθεν διανέμεται εἰς τάς ἐπί μέρους Ἐκκλησίας καί ὡς σημεῖον ἑνότητος τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, ἑνό-τητος ‘ἐν πνεύματι καί ἀληθείᾳ’ καί κοινωνί-ας μετά τοῦ πρωτευθύνου Θρόνου καί μετα-ξύ των, ὁμοίως ‘ἐν πνεύματι καί ἀληθείᾳ’.

Ὁ ὁμιλῶν ἀνήκει εἰς τούς εὐλογηθέντας ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ μέ τήν χάριν πολλαπλοῦ κα-θαγιασμοῦ ἁγίου Μύρου Οἰκουμενικούς Πατριάρχας. Μετά τόν ἀοίδιμον προκάτοχον ἡμῶν Ἰωακείμ Γ’ τόν Μεγαλοπρεπῆ, ἀπό τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ ὁποίου συμπληροῦνται ἐφέτος ἑκατόν ἔτη, εἰς τούς κάτω χρόνους ἡμεῖς μόνον ἠξιώθημεν καθαγιασμοῦ διά τρίτην φοράν. Δέν ἐπαιρόμεθα, οὔτε μεγαλαυχῶμεν διά τοῦτο.

Ἀντιθέτως, μέ μεγαλυτέραν ταπείνωσιν καί συντριβήν κάμπτομεν καί κλίνομεν τά γόνατα ἐνώπιον τοῦ Δωρεοδότου Θεοῦ, εὐχαριστοῦντες ἀπό κέντρου ψυχῆς καί καρδίας διά τήν ἔκτακτον ταύτην εὔνοιαν καί

δωρεάν. Δόξα τῷ Θεῷ τούτου ἔνεκεν καί πάλιν, καί πολλάκις, καί ἀπειράκις!

Ἀπό τῆς παρελθούσης Κυριακῆς τῶν Βαΐων ‘ἐβάλαμεν Εὐλογητόν’ κατά τό δή λεγόμενον. Τό ἑπόμενον τριήμερον ἐγένετο καί ὡλοκληρώθη ἡ παρασκευή.

Σήμερον, μέ τήν ἐπίκλησιν τῆς ἁγια-στικῆς Θείας Χάριτρος, ἐγένετο ὁ καθαγια-σμός. Τό μέγα καί ἅγιον ἔργον συνετελέσθη. Ὀσμή μύρου Χάριτος, ὀσμή εὐωδίας πνευ-ματικῆς, ὀσμή ζωῆς, ἐπλήρωσε τό Φανάριον καί τήν Βασιλεύουσαν ὅλην, καί ἐντεῦθεν ἀπό σήμερον ἐξακτινοῦται εἰς τά πέρατα τοῦ κόσμου διά νά εὐωδιάσῃ καί ζωογονήσῃ τήν οἰκουμένην. Χαρά μεγάλη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἐπί τούτῳ, χαρά μεγάλη καί ἐπί γῆς! Μυριάδες νέοι Χριστιανοί θά λάβουν ἐκ τοῦ ἁγίου Μύρου τήν θείαν δωρεάν ἐν Εὐρώπῃ καί ἐν Ἀσίᾳ καί ἐν Ἀφρικῇ, καί ἐν Ἀμερικῇ καί ἐν Ὠκεανίᾳ καί ὅπου γῆς Ἐκκλησία Χριστοῦ ὀνομάζεται. Ἑκατοντάδες νέοι Ναοί καί ἅγια Θυσιαστήρια καί σκεύη Ἱερά θά καθιερω-θοῦν δι’ αὐτοῦ. Πολλοί ἐκ πλάνης ἐπιστρέ-φοντες ἐπί τήν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου θά λάβουν δι’ αὐτοῦ τήν βεβαίωσιν τῆς ἀποδοχῆς των.

Πλεῖστα θαυμαστά σημεῖα θά βραβεύσῃ δι’ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παράκλητος εἰς τήν ζωήν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καί τοῦ Λαοῦ τῆς Χάριτος. Πολ-λάς νέας ὁδούς σωτηρίας δι’ αὐτοῦ θά ἐγκαι-νίσῃ. Μέγα τό Μυστήριον! Μέγα τό θαῦμα! Μεγάλη ἡ δωρεά καί ἡ εὐλογία, τῆς ὁποίας εἴθε ὅλοι νά εὑρεθῶμεν ἄξιοι!».

Και τελείωσε το λόγο του ευχόμενος «εἰς ὅλους πλουσίαν τήν Χάριν τοῦ ἐπιφοι-τήσαντος καί σήμερον Παρακλήτου, δαψιλῆ τήν εὐλογίαν τοῦ Ἀχράντου Πάθους τοῦ Μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ καί Λόγου, πλουσίαν τήν χαράν τῆς προσδοκωμένης Ἀναστάσεως. Ὑμεῖς δέ, Ἱερώτατοι καί Θεοφιλέστατοι ἐκπρόσωποι τῶν Ἁγιωτάτων Ἐκκλησιῶν, εἴπατε εἰς τάς Ἐκκλησίας σας τόν ἐγκάρδιον χαιρετισμόν τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως.

Διερμηνεύσατε τήν ἐκτενῆ ἀγάπην τοῦ μαρτυρικοῦ Ἀποστολικοῦ καί Πατριαρχικοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ τούτου Θρόνου. Μεταφέρατε τόν ἀδελφικόν ἐν Κυρίῳ ἅγιον ἀσπασμόν ἡμῶν εἰς τούς Μακαριωτάτους Προκαθημέ-νους τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν σας. Εἰρήνη καί χάρις πολλή πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί προσφιλέστατοι. Καλήν Ἀνάστασιν!»

ΜΑΙΟΣ 201218 ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

Σελίδα 15

οποίος πάντοτε ήτο ένας εξαίρετος Ιε-ράρχης και τιμά την Εκκλησία της Ελ-λάδος, και με την θεολογική του παιδεία αλλά και με την εξαιρετική δράση την οποία ανέπτυξε ιδιαιτέρως σε χρόνους και σε καταστάσεις πολύ δύσκολες, όπως οι παρούσες.

«Είμαι πολύ συγκινημένος διότι μεταφέρω από το ομογενειακό πλήρωμα της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής όχι μόνο την αγάπη αλλά και την οικονομική συμβολή, μαζί με την ιδιαίτερη ευλογία του Παναγιωτάτου Οικουμενικού Πα-τριάρχου κ. Βαρθολομαίου ο οποίος με παρακάλεσε να μεταφέρω θερμότατες ευχές και ευλογίες», πρόσθεσε ο κ. Δημήτριος.

Καταλήγοντας τόνισε: «Ο Ομογε-νειακός μας πιστός λαός έχει πλήρη αίσθηση ότι συμπαριστάμεθα σ’ έναν λαό ο οποίος έχει αξιοπρέπεια, έχει αρχοντιά και παρά τις δυσκολίες που περνάει δεν παύει να έχει αξιοπρέπεια σε όλα τα επίπεδα».

Αμέσως μετά ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε τα γραφεία της Μ.Κ.Ο της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αθηνών «Αποστολή» όπου τον υποδέ-

Αγάπη και Συμπαράσταση προς τον Ελληνικό Λαόχθηκαν ο διευθυντής κ. Κωνσταντίνος Δήμτσας και το επιτελείο του.

Ο κ. Δήμτσας ενημέρωσε με έγραφα στοιχεία, φωτογραφίες και video τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο για το έργο που επιτε-λείται.

Επιπλέον δήλωσε ότι η φιλανθρω-πική οργάνωση την οποία διευθύνει λειτουργεί με πλήρη διαφάνεια και είναι απολύτως ανοιχτή σε οποιονδήποτε έλεγχο.

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος συνεχάρη τον κ. Δήμτσα, το προσωπικό και τους εθελο-ντές για το σπουδαίο και μεθοδευμένο έργο που επιτελούν.

Εξάλλου το ίδιο βράδυ ο Αρχιεπί-σκοπος Δημήτριος προέστη της κατα-νυκτικής Ακολουθίας του Νυμφίου της Μεγάλης Τρίτης, κατά την οποία ψάλ-λεται και το Τροπάριο της Κασσιανής, στον Ιερό Ναό του Αγίου Διονυσίου του Αεροπαγίτου στο Κολωνάκι.

Στο κήρυγμα του προς το πολυπλη-θές εκκλησίασμα ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος μετέφερε «τον εγκάρδιο χαιρετισμό, την πολύ αγάπη και την πλήρη συμπαράστα-ση» της ομογένειας της Αμερικής και ανέπτυξε την ιδιαίτερη σημασία της εβδομάδος των Παθών και της Αναστά-σεως στα σημερινά δεδομένα.

ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ.– Να στείλει επιστο-λές ενημέρωσης για την κλοπή των Ιερών Λειψάνων της Αγίας Αναστασίας της Φαρμα-κολύτριας από την Ιερά Πατριαρχική και Σταυροπηγιακή Μονή Βασιλικών Θεσσαλο-νίκης, αποφάσισε η Αγία και Ιερά Σύνοδος του Οικουμενικού Θρόνου κατά την πρό-σφατη συνεδρία της, προκειμένου να ενημε-ρωθούν οι προκαθήμενοι των Ορθοδόξων Εκκλησιών.

Στόχος είναι να ενημερωθούν οι κατά τόπους Εκκλησίες, έτσι ώστε να ενεργήσουν κατάλληλα, σε περίπτωση που αντιληφθούν κάτι σχετικό με την κλοπή ή κάποιοι επι-χειρήσουν να αξιοποιήσουν το σύνολο ή τμήματα αυτών προς προσωπικό όφελος. Για αυτόν τον λόγο η επιστολή της Ιεράς Συνό-δου, η οποία θα σταλεί και στις διπλωματικές Αρχές χωρών στις οποίες ενυπάρχουν σχι-σματικές εκκλησιαστικές οντότητες, θα συνοδεύεται και από φωτογραφικό και πλη-ροφοριακό υλικό.

«Προσευχόμαστε καθημερινά να βρε-θούν τα ιερά λείψανα της Αγίας μας που ευ-λαβούνται όλοι οι πιστοί. Πρόκειται για μια τραγωδία. Κηρύξαμε τη Μονή μας σε βαθύ πένθος. Απευθύνω έκκληση σε εκείνους που έκαναν αυτή την αποτρόπαια πράξη ιεροσυ-λίας να επιστρέψουν τα ιερά λείψανα της Αγίας Αναστασίας της Φαρμακολύτριας εδώ, στο μοναστήρι της, όπου ανήκουν», δήλωσε ο Μητροπολίτης Μιλήτου Απόστολος, ηγούμενος της Πατριαρχικής Μονής.

Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολο-μαίος και τα μέλη της Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνό-δου εξέφρασαν την συμπαράστασή τους στον Μητροπολίτη Μιλήτου για τη μεγάλη δοκι-μασία που διέρχεται το ιστορικό Μοναστήρι στα Βασιλικά Θεσσαλονίκης. Τα Ιερά Λείψα-να της Αγίας Αναστασίας της Φαρμακολύτρι-ας φυλάσσονταν στην Ιερά Πατριαρχική και Σταυροπηγιακή Μονή από τον 9ο αιώνα και διασώθηκαν μέχρι σήμερα από πολλές επι-δρομές και ποικίλες καταστροφές.

Kλοπή Ιερών Λειψάνων Αγίας Αναστασίας

Κυριακή της ΑΧΕΠΑΑ Ρ Χ Ι Ε Π Ι Σ ΚΟ Π Ι Κ Η Ε Γ Κ Υ Κ Λ Ι ΟΣ

Σελίδα 15

Ἐκκλησίας. Ἡ ἡγεσία τῆς ΑΧΕΠΑ ἐξακολου-θεῖ ἐπίσης νά ἑστιάζῃ τήν προσοχή της στίς προκλήσεις πού ἀντιμετωπίζει τό Οἰκουμε-νικό Πατριαρχεῖο μας.

Οἱ προσπάθειές της, μαζί μέ ἄλλα προ-γράμματα πού ἐξυπηρετοῦν τίς ἀνάγκες τῶν ἀνθρώπων στίς Ἡνωμένες Πολιτεῖες, στήν Ἑλλάδα, Κύπρο, Τουρκία καί σ’ ὁλόκληρο τόν κόσμο προσφέρουν μαρτυρία τῆς δυνά-μεως τῆς πίστεως καί τῆς ἀγάπης ὅπως

ἀποκαλύπτεται στό Εὐαγγέλιο καί στά ὑψη-λά ἰδανικά τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς κληρονομιᾶς μας.

Ἐκφράζουμε τήν ἐκτίμησή μας στά μέλη τῆς ΑΧΕΠΑ γιά τήν πιστή ὑπηρεσία των, καί μέ τή σειρά μας προσφέρουμε τή στήριξη καί τίς προσευχές μας. Ἑορτάζουμε τήν Κυριακή τῆς ΑΧΕΠΑ ἀναγνωρίζοντας τήν ἱστορία καί συμβολή αὐτοῦ τοῦ ζωτικοῦ ὀργανισμοῦ. Εἴθε ὁ Θεός νά εὐλογῇ καί νά ὁδηγῇ τά μέλη τῆς ΑΧΕΠΑ στή συνέχιση τῆς εὐγενοῦς κληρονομιᾶς τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας καί τοῦ Ἑλλη-νισμοῦ.

† ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἀμερικῆς Δημήτριος

Μέ πατρική ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγάπη,

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Η Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής συνεχίζει την προσπάθεια για την στήριξη του δοκιμαζόμενου Ελληνικού Λαού διά μέσου του Ταμείου Αρωγής και την διά-θεση ήδη του ποσού των 500 χιλιάδων δολα-ρίων διά μέσου των προγραμμάτων της Εκ-κλησίας της Ελλάδος (βλ. σχετικό άρθρο σελ. 15). Αξίζει εν προκειμένω να παρουσιαστούν συνοπτικά τα στοιχεία των εσόδων και της βοήθειας που διατέθηκε από το «Ταμείο Αποκαταστάσεως Πυροπαθών Ελλάδος», της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής για τις μεγάλες πυρκαγιές του 2007, στην Ελλάδα.

Η τελική έκθεση παρουσιάστηκε τον περασμένο Φεβρουάριο, σύμφωνα με την οποία τα έσοδα του Ταμείου ήταν $4,072,444.56 συν $63,834.22 από τόκους, δηλαδή γενικό σύνολο εσόδων $4,136,278.78. Από το ποσό αυτό υπήρξαν έξοδα $192,155.00 για την διαφημιστική εκστρατεία και προβο-λή του Ταμείου και της ανάγκης που υπήρχε, όπως καταχωρήσεις σε μεγάλες εφημερίδες για την συλλογή χρημάτων κλπ. Έτσι το τε-λικό ποσό διαθέσιμο για διανομή ήταν $3,944.123.78

Το ποσό αυτό διατέθηκε ως εξής: • 31 Οκτωβρίου 2007 – Διατέθηκε το

ποσό των $ 252,853.00 διά μέσου του οργα-νισμού IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities - Οργανισμός Διεθνούς Ορθοδόξου Χριστιανικής Φιλανθρωπίας) για το πρόγραμμα Livelihood Recovery Project I το οποίο διέθεσε 442 μετρικούς τόνους ζωο-τροφών σε περίπου 1.900 αγρότες και 137 χιλιάδες ζώα στις πληγείσες περιοχές της Ηλείας και της Αρκαδίας.

• 20 Φεβρουαρίου 2008 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό του $1,652,998.98 διά μέσου του οργα-νισμού IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities - Οργανισμός Διεθνούς Ορθοδόξου Χριστιανικής Φιλανθρωπίας) για το πρόγραμμα Livelihood Recovery Project ΙΙ για τη συνέχιση του προγράμματος ανά-καμψης του αγροτικού πληθυσμού των πληγεισών περιοχών. Διατέθηκαν 2.685 τόνοι ζωοτροφών και σπόρου ζωοτροφών από τους οποίους ευεργετήθηκαν 2.000 οικογένειες και 180 χιλιάδες ζώα.

• 26 Αυγούστου 2008 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό των $ 117,322.00 προς την Πυροσβε-στική Υπηρεσία Πύργου για την κατασκευή υποδομών πυροπροστασίας, κατασκευάστη-καν 115 καταφύγια.

• 17 Δεκεμβρίου 2008 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό των $ 494,934.00 για την κατασκευή και λειτουργία του Εδαφολογικού Εργαστη-ρίου «Γεωανάλυση Ηλείας» που βρίσκεται στη περιοχή Λαστέϊκα κοντά στον Πύργο.

Τελική Έκθεση του Ταμείου Αποκαταστάσεως Πυροπαθών Ελλάδος

Το έργο πραγματοποιήθηκε σε συνεργασία με το IOCC, τη Νομαρχιακή Αυτοδιοίκηση Ηλείας, το Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης και άλλους φορείς. Το εργα-στήριο πραγματοποιεί εδαφολογικό έλεγχο τη καλλιεργήσιμης γης, του νερού και του περιβάλλοντος και συμβάλλει στη καλύτερη ανάπτυξη καλλιεργειών για τους αγρότες της περιοχής. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε το ως άνω εργαστή-ριο στις 13 Ιουλίου 2011.

• 17 Δεκεμβρίου 2008 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό των $ 800,000.00 διά μέσου του οργα-νισμού IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities - Οργανισμός Διεθνούς Ορθοδόξου Χριστιανικής Φιλανθρωπίας) για την τρίτη φάση του προγράμματος ανάκαμ-ψης του αγροτικού πληθυσμού των πληγει-σών περιοχών Livelihood Recovery Project ΙΙΙ.

• 9 Φεβρουαρίου 2011 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό των $ 300,000.00 διά μέσου του οργα-νισμού IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities - Οργανισμός Διεθνούς Ορθοδόξου Χριστιανικής Φιλανθρωπίας) για το Πρόγραμμα Αγροτικού Εκσυγχρονισμού, διά του οποίου νέες αγροτικές οικογένειες της Ηλείας βοηθήθηκαν να εκσυγχρονίσουν τις μικρές οικογενειακές τους καλλιέργειες και να τις καταστήσουν οικονομικά βιώσιμες.

• 16 Ιουνίου 2011 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό των $ 144,105.00 προς τον Δήμο Πηνειού ως πρώτη δόση επιχορήγησης προς τον Δήμο για την αποκατάσταση, αναμόρφωση, ανα-δάσωση και προστασία του φυσικού περιβάλ-λοντος γύρω από το «Ιονικό Χωριό», τις κατασκηνωτικές εγκαταστάσεις της Ιεράς Ελληνορθόδοξου Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής κοντά στο Βαρθολομιό Ηλείας.

• 12 Ιουλίου 2011 – Διατέθηκε το ποσό των $ 100,681.03 προς τον Δήμο Πηνειού ως δεύτερη δόση επιχορήγησης προς τον Δήμο για την αποκατάσταση του περιβάλλοντος γύρω από το «Ιονικό Χωριό», τις κατασκη-νωτικές εγκαταστάσεις της Ιεράς Ελληνορ-θόδοξου Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής κοντά στο Βαρθολομιό Ηλείας. Η επιταγή παραδόθηκε ιδιοχείρως από τον Σεβ. Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμε-ρικής κ. Δημήτριο προς τον δήμαρχο Αλέξιο Καστρινό σε ειδική εκδήλωση στο Δημαρχείο στη Γαστούνη.

• 29 Νοεμβρίου 2011 – Διατέθηκε το υπόλοιπο ποσό των $ 81,229.77 προς τον IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities - Οργανισμός Διεθνούς Ορθοδόξου Χριστιανικής Φιλανθρωπίας) για την χρημα-τοδότηση δεξαμενών νερού και εργασίες πυροπροστασίας στην Ηλεία.

O Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος παραδίδει επιταγή ποσού $100,681.03 προς τον δήμαρχο Πηνειού Αλέξιο Καστρινό σε ειδική εκδήλωση στο Δημαρχείο στη Γαστούνη.

Φωτογραφία: ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

MAY 2012 19

“Καί πάλιν καί πολλάκις «Χριστός Ἀνέστη!», ἀδελφοί καί τέκνα ἀγαπητά καί ἐπιπόθητα.Ἀπό τό «ἑφτάλοφο ὅραμα» τοῦ Παλαμᾶ, ἀπό τήν ἕδρα τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου,

ἀπευθύνουμε σέ ὅλη τήν οἰκουμένη, ἐν ἀγάπῃ πολλῇ καί πνευματικῇ ἀνατάσει, αὐτόν τόν πασχάλιον χαιρετισμόν καί τήν διαβεβαίωσιν ὅτι ὁ Χριστός, ἡ ζωή τῶν ἁπάντων, δέν εἶναι πλέον μεταξύ τῶν νεκρῶν, θάνατος αὐτοῦ οὐκέτι κυριεύει. Ἀπόψε, αὐτή τή νύχτα πού τό σκοτάδι της εἶναι πιό λαμπρό καί πιό φωτεινό καί ἀπό τό πιό ἔκπαγλο φῶς, καί ἀπό αὐτό τοῦ Αἰγαίου πού ἐνέπνευσε τόν ποιητή, ἀπόψε, λέγω, δέν μελετοῦμε «τῶν ἄστρων τά μυστήρια», ἀλλά, ἀνεβαίνοντας «ψηλότερα ἀπ’ τόν κόσμο τῆς ἀπάτης», ἀνεβαίνοντας σέ αἰώνια ἐαρινούς τόπους, ἐνῶ συγχρόνως πατοῦμε στήν ἀνθοστόλιστη γῆ τοῦ Ἀπρίλη, αὐτήν πού δέν μπόρεσε νά κρατήσῃ στά σπλάχνα της τόν ἀρχηγόν τῆς ζωῆς, διακηρύττουμε καί ἐξαγγέλλουμε τοῖς ἐγγύς καί τοῖς μακράν, τοῖς χριστιανοῖς καί τοῖς μή χριστιανοῖς, τό μέγα θαῦμα: ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄχι μόνον καταδέχθηκε νά δοκιμάσῃ τόν δικό μας ἀνθρώπινο θάνατο, ἀλλά καί μᾶς ἔδωσε, μέ τήν Ἀνάστασί Του, τήν δυνατότητα νά κερδίσουμε τή δική Του θεϊκή ζωή, νά θεωθοῦμε καί νά συναναστηθοῦμε μαζί Του.

Καί ὁμολογώντας αὐτό τό μέγα καί σωτηριῶδες θαῦμα, δέν εἴμαστε μόνοι ἐμεῖς «πού ἀξιωθήκαμε μιά τέτια πόλη», κατά τόν Ἀλεξανδρινό. Ἀλλά, ὡς ἀπόγονοι γένους παλαιοτάτου, συνοδευόμαστε ἀπό τούς Κωνσταντίνους καί τούς Ἡρακλείους καί τούς ἄλλους εὐσεβεῖς αὐτοκράτορας καί σεβασμίους Πατριάρχας, ἀρχιερεῖς καί μοναχούς, Στουδίτες καί ἄλλους, καί λογάδες τοῦ Γένους, καί ὁμοῦ «μετά πνευμάτων δικαίων τετελειωμένων» ἀνά τούς αἰῶνας διακηρύττουμε στεντορείᾳ τῇ φωνῇ, ἀπό αὐτή τήν Πόλι μέ τήν ἀρχοντιά καί τό αὐτοκρατορικό μεγαλεῖο, ὅτι Χριστός Ἀνέστη!

Καί θά μᾶς μιλήσῃ βέβαια ὁ ποιητής γιά «τούς ἥμερους καί τούς καλούς καί τούς κατατρεγμένους, πού δέν μποροῦν νά κλάψουνε, γιατί πολύ ἐκλάψαν»∙ ὅμως ἀπόψε κι’αὐτοί καί ὅλοι, ὁλόκληρο τό ἀνθρώπινο γένος, δικαιούμαστε νά χαιρώμαστε καί μποροῦμε νά ἐλπίζουμε• ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρά τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ρῆμα∙ ὅτι μείζων ἐστίν ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν ἤ ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ∙ ὅτι ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν ἀρχηγός καί τελειωτής Ἰησοῦς νενίκηκε τόν κόσμον. Λοιπόν, δεῦτε πόμα πίωμεν καινόν, εἶναι Ἀναστάσεως ἡμέρα, δεῦτε λαμπρυνθῶμεν λαοί, Πάσχα Κυρίου Πάσχα. Χριστός Ἀνέστη!”

ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣMAΙΟΣ 2012

Witness the moving service of the Resurrection of Christ in what is known as the largest Greek Orthodox parish in America, St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, NY.

Thousands gather inside and outside the church to hear Archbishop Demetrios of America read the Gospel and proclaim, “Christos Anesti - Christ is Risen!” The faithful raise their lighted candles, joyfully singing together.

Christ is risen from the dead; by death, He has trampled death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life. (Paschal Troparion).

This video presentation, “Christ is Risen! The Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy of Pascha,” was broadcast LIVE around the world in 2011. The narration was added and editing occurred in order for the program to air nationally on NBC during the Paschal season in 2012.To purchase your DVD copy of this

program ($20 per DVD + $6 S&H) please call 212-774-0244, or email gotel@goarch.org, or comple the order form below and mail it to: GOTelecom, 8E. 79th Street, New York, NY 10075.

Produced by

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Witness the moving service of the Resurrection of Christ in what is known as the largest Greek Orthodox parish in America, St. Nicholas Shrine

Thousands gather inside and outside the church to hear Archbishop Demetrios of America read the Gospel and proclaim, “Christos Anesti - Christ is Risen!” The faithful raise their lighted candles,

Christ is risen from the dead; by death, He has trampled death, and to those in the tombs He has

This video presentation, “Christ is Risen! The Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy of Pascha,” was broadcast LIVE around the world in 2011. The narration was added and editing occurred in order for the program to air nationally on NBC

The Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy of PaschaChrist is Risen!

The program has been made possiblewith a grant by Christos Spyropoulos

and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

‘Χριστός Ανέστη’ στο Πατριαρχείο

Φωτορεπορτάζ: ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ ΜΑΓΓΙΝΑΣ

MAY 201220

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METROPOLIS NEWS

OBSERVER photo

Attorney and philanthropist Nick Katsoris, author of the Loukoumi children’s books, makes an appearance with “Loukoumi the Lamb” at a New York-area parish on April 28 where he signed books for more than 30 children. Part of the proceeds from the sale of his books benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and the philanthropic organization Chefs for Humanity. Mr. Katsoris also serves as president of the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund.

Author Visits

The Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey (HDNJ) celebrated its 40th Anniversary on Sunday, April 29, 2012, at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J.

For 40 years HDNJ has researched, preserved and performed the traditional folk dances of Greece here in the United States.

Over 75 alumni and current danc-ers performed dances from throughout the troupe’s history. Segments included dances of the Apokries (Carnival) season

Maryanne Peters photoThe Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey.

40 Years of Music and Dancesuch as Quadrilia from Zakynthos and Vlaha from Naxos, as well as a Pikilia (assortment) of dances from all over the Greek world like Kotsari from Pontos, and Tsamikos from Epiros.

The final segment focused on dances from Crete such as Pentozali, Roumatiani, and the finale, Maleviziotikos. The event also honored founder and executive director, Presbytera Eleni Chakalos, for her 40 years of service and dedication to the troupe.

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – St. Demetrios Church has launched a “Greeks Got Tal-ent” show to encourage young people to strive for excellence.

At its recent debut the program more

Illinois Parish Launches Talent Showthan 200 people, including Metropolitan Iakovos, witnessed 42 children from several nearby parishes who shared their talents. There were two age groups, the 7 to 11–year-olds and the 12 to 18 group.

The younger group winners were: 1st place – Kristjan Gudmundsson, who performed an Irish dance; 2nd – Austin Smith, who sang “Grenade” by Bruno Mars; and 3rd – John Michael Bruzawa, who performed a piano medley of Billy Joel hits.

Winners in the 12–18 category were: 1st-Arminda Downey-Mavromatis, who sang “Rumor Has It,” by Adele; 2nd – Elena Stavropoulos who performed “Sonatina, Op.55, No. 31 Alegro con Spirito on the piano; and 3rd-Frankie Paganis who sang a Greek song, “Eho mia agape mia pliyi.”

St. Photios Shrine GolfTournament SlatedST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A golf

tournament to benefit St. Photios National Shrine will take place June 22 at 2 World Golf Place.

Registration is required by June 4.For more information, contact

the Shrine at 904.829.8205, or e-mail: info@stphotios.com

MAY 2012 21ΜΑΥ 2012

Choir Notes

IOCC News

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. – In recent months, the Federation of Greek Ortho-dox Church Musicians of the Direct Arch-diocesan District recognized some of its church musicians. Federation President Anna Dounelis presented each of the awards to the recipients at their individual parishes, acknowledged their contribu-tions and spoke on the importance of continuing the musical traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and the need to inspire and encourage our young church musicians.

Dr. Efstratios Demertzis, protopsaltis and choir director at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Hempstead, was presented with a framed certificate in recognition of his 45 years as choir director at the cathedral. On each Sunday throughout the year, their choir sings at the cathedral’s two divine liturgies.

Andreas Modenos, chanter at Archan-gel Michael Church in Port Washington, received a Federation Service Award celebrating his ’50 Years’ as a chanter, 30 of which have been at Archangel Michael, as well as the Archbishop Iakovos Distin-guished Service Award from the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musi-cians.

Two young church musicians were selected to receive 2011 Federation Schol-arships: John Brakatselos of the Church of

Church Musicians Honor Members

President Anna Dounelis and Andreas Modenos, Archangel Michael Church.

the Holy Resurrection in Brookville, and Miss Stefani Pappas of Archangel Michael Church in Port Washington.

Mr. Brakatselos is currently majoring in music at Brown University In Rhode Island, and Miss Pappas is a student at Pennsylvania State University where she is studying nutritional sciences, with a minor in vocal music studies.

BALTIMORE – As Greece faces its most severe economic crisis in decades, struggling Greek families are seeking medical assistance more than ever, with the greatest demand coming from elderly retirees whose pensions have been dra-matically reduced by the Greek govern-ment’s austerity measures.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) in cooperation with Apostoli, the social service agency of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Athens, and Doctors of the World–Greece, is re-sponding to the overwhelming need for medical assistance with financial support and medical supplies destined for free clinics in some of the poorest neighbor-hoods in greater Athens.

A shipment of more than $250,000 in medical supplies and equipment such as walkers, crutches, bandages and syringes has been sent to Greece thanks to the generous support of an emergency grant from the National Philoptochos Society. Supplies will be distributed to clinics operated by Apostoli in Athens and by Doctors of the World–Greece in the cen-ter of Athens, in Perama, a port city in the suburbs of Piraeus, Thessaloniki and Chania–Crete.

The city of Perama is considered one of the poorest areas in the metropolis, with almost half of its residents, mostly shipyard workers, unemployed and with-out any health benefits for themselves or their families. IOCC is providing ad-ditional emergency support for a clinic in Perama.

The clinic, which is open seven days a week and staffed by 30 volunteer doctors,

IOCC Sends Medical Aid to Greecenurses, psychologists and social workers, provides a variety of medical services to fi-nancially strapped families with nowhere else to go for their healthcare.

Children make up approximately one-third of the more than 60 patients they see daily, according to Dr. Ni-kita Kanakis, president of Doctors of the World–Greece, with parents relying on the clinic to provide their children with vaccinations and medicine to treat illnesses. “With child poverty in Greece rising and adverse economic conditions showing no signs of improvement, chil-dren have lost one of their fundamental rights–that of access to healthcare and pharmaceutical care.”

Through the support of the Philop-tochos Society and cooperation with Apostoli, IOCC has also provided assis-tance in securing food aid packages for impoverished families and funding for hiring unemployed workers to package food parcels for distribution to needy families through local church parishes.

Apostoli director, Constantine Dimt-sas, is grateful for the generosity of those who have come forward to help but says that the crisis is far from over.

“Your decision shows that the abun-dance of the heart has not disappeared from this world, and that there are still Christian souls that listen to the difficul-ties of fellow human beings and act in accordance.

Despite all the efforts made, requests for help are constantly increasing, as the needs of our fellow human beings continue to grow due to the deepening crisis.”

ORTHODOX OBSERVER SEEKS PART-TIME ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTThe Orthodox Observer, the nation’s largest Greek Orthodox national monthly publi-

cation with a circulation of 165,000, is seeking a motivated advertising sales consultant to start immediately. The position is part-time and home-based with visits to national headquarters as necessary.

Responsibilities include developing and cultivating new advertisers and agencies, work-ing with current clients, maintaining effective and revenue-generating relationships, assist-ing in implementation of sales packages and ensuring high levels of service to clients. The candidate must also meet quarterly and annual revenue goals and assist in developing local and national marketing initiatives.

Requirements: Bachelors degree, advertising sales experience, strong written and oral interpersonal skills. Print media experience is also required. Excellent negotiation and customer service skills a must in order to close new business and grow existing accounts. Strong knowledge of national and international Greek American market. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel.

If you are motivated to think outside the box, are success orientated and self motivated, want to work hard in order to ensure personal and organizational success and have a love for the Greek Orthodox Church, we want to hear from you!

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MAY 201222

exhibition. Cappella Romana performs music covering the entire historical span of Orthodox tradition, ranging from chants written in thousand-year old manuscripts to world-premiere performances of works by living composers. The group’s primary interest is the historical liturgical music of the Orthodox Christian world. Dr. Alexan-der Lingas, founder and artistic director of Cappella Romana and Senior Lecturer in Music at the Center for Music Studies at City University in London, says, “The medieval Byzantine chant we perform has demonstrated for our audiences a beauty and spiritual potency akin to that of ancient icons and prayers.”

from page 13

from page 4

Byzantine Chant

whereas this tradition concerning the pres-byters remains firm, it becomes modified for bishops. This common right of all bishops gradually devolved to the bishops of certain established Churches; to the Patriarchs, and finally only to the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Though every bishop has the hierarchi-cal right to sanctify Holy Myrrh, canon law does not permit him. It appears there are three principal reasons which contributed to this curtailing of the right of bishops to sanctify Holy Myrrh. It was given to the Primates of each ecclesiastical jurisdiction and then ultimately given to the Ecumenical Patriarch. The first of these reasons is the rarity of the elements involved and the dif-ficulty for each bishop to procure them for the preparation of the Holy Myrrh. Second, is the constantly increasing exaltation of the First, or Primate of the broader ecclesiastical jurisdictions.

Third, is the prominent place, with the passing of centuries, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate received form the Patriarchates of the East, and the maternal bond of the Church of Constantinople with the Church-es whose people received the Christian faith from its missionaries.

For photos from the events of the sanc-tification of the Holy Myrrh visit: http://pho-tos.goarch.org/main.php?g2_itemId=5346

Holy Myrrh

NEW YORK – In view of the ongoing assistance to the people of Greece currently under way through the “Relief Fund for the People of Greece,” the following report highlights another major assistance effort by the Archdiocese, the aid given to victims of the August 2007 devastating fires in the Peloponnesus. A final report on the “Greek Fires Relief Fund” established by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in September 2007 was issued at the end of February 2012.

The total amount collected was $4,072,444.56. In addition there was inter-est income in the amount of $63,834.22 for a total income of $4,136,278.78. This amount was reduced by expenses of $192,155.00 relating to advertising in mainstream newspapers for the fundraising effort, bringing the available amount for distribution to $3,944,123.78.

This was distributed as follows: • On Oct. 31, 2007, the amount of

$252,853.00 was distributed through In-ternational Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for the program Livelihood Recov-ery Project I to provide 442 metric tons of animal feed to almost 1,900 farmers and 137,000 animals in areas hardest hit by the fires in Ileia and Arcadia.

• On Feb. 20, 2008, the amount of $1,652,998.98 was gain channeled through International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) to continue the program of recovery and relief to the farmers in phase 2, Liveli-hood Recovery Project II, providing over 2,685 tons of feed along with forage seed benefiting over 2,000 families and 180,000 animals.

• On Aug. 26, 2008, the amount of $117,322.00 was disbursed to the Fire De-

Report Issued on Assistance to Victims of Peloponnese Fires partment in Pyrgos, Ileias to fund the fire protection infrastructure and the building of 215 fire shelters for firefighters of the area.

• On Dec. 17, 2008, the amount of $494,934.00 was disbursed to fund the establishment and operation of the Soil Plant/Laboratory Project “Geoanalysis Labo-ratory of Ileia” which is located in the area of Lasteika, Ileias, near Pyrgos. The project was realized in cooperation with IOCC, the local Prefecture of Ileia authorities and the Aristoteleian University of Thessaloniki. The laboratory helps determine the effects of wildfires on the soil, water and environ-ment and also enable farmers to test their soil for the best suited crops and cultivation methods. Archbishop Demetrios visited this laboratory on July 13, 2011.

• On Dec. 17, 2008, the amount of

$800,000.00 was disbursed through IOCC for the 3rd phase of the recovery and relief to the farmers, Livelihood Recovery Project III, for the continuation of the animal feed and forage seed program.

• On Feb. 9, 2011, the amount of $300,000.00 was disbursed through IOCC for the Farm Modernization Program, to help young families in Ileia modernize their small family farms so they can become viable.

• On June 16, 2011, the amount of $144,105.00 was disbursed to the Mu-nicipality of Pineios, as the first part of a grant for the reforestation, restoration and protection of the environment around “Ionian Village” (the Summer Camp of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) which is located near the small town of Vartholomeo, and is part of the Municipal-ity of Pineios.

• On July 12, 2011, the amount of $100,681.03 was disbursed to the Munici-pality of Pineios, as the second part of the grant for the reforestation, restoration and protection of the environment around “Ionian Village” in Vartholomeo, Ileias. Archbishop Demetrios of America person-ally presented this check to the Mayor of Pineios, Alexis Kastrinos, during a public event in the Town Hall of Gastouni.

• On Nov. 29, 2011, the remainder amount of $81,229.77 was disbursed through International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for the funding of water-tanks and fire prevention activities in Ileia.

MAY 2012 23

Name: Zoodohos Peghe

Greek Orthodox Church

Location: Bronx, N.Y.

Archdiocese District

Size: about 450 families

Founded: Late 1920’s

Clergy: Very Rev. Sylvester Berberis

(Fordham ‘91 Master’s in Theology)

E-mail: frsylvester@zoodohospeghe.com

Web: www.zoodohospeghe.org

Noteworthy: Parish has a strong youth

program.

P A R I S H p r o f i l e

The ‘Life – Giving Fountain’ of the Faith in the Bronx

ZOODOHOS PEGHE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

PEOPLEAward–winning book

BRONX, N.Y. – Unlike the typical scenario where an existing parish estab-lishes a daily parochial or Greek afternoon school, the parish of Zoodohos Peghe actually got its official start several years after the founding of the second oldest parochial school in the nation, the Greek American Institute.

This year, the GAI celebrates its 100th anniversary. The centennial event will be the subject of a separate story in an up-coming issue of the Orthodox Observer.

There were Greek families living in the southern part of the Bronx at that time who established the school – mostly florists and coffee shop owners according to a parish history by Kosmas Bokios.

But the actual church traces its begin-ning to the late 1920s as the Virgin Mary of Zoodohos Peghe, when an influx of hundreds of refugees from Asia Minor settled in the northern borough of New York City, opening bakeries, meat mar-kets, coffee shops, produce markets and other small businesses.

Several “roving priests” served the faithful in those early years, the first of whom was Fr. Neofetos Levantopoulos, the parish history noted.

Later, under Archimandrite Doro-theos Bourazanis, services first took place on the upper floor of a firehouse in the south-central Bronx neighborhood of Melrose. Subsequent priests who served the community included Fr. Vasilios Efthi-miou, (father of retired priest Fr. Milton Efthimiou), who went on to become the priest of Holy Trinity Church (later cathe-dral) in Manhattan, and Archimandrite Athenagoras Cavadas, who eventually

became the Archbishop of Great Britain and Thyateira.

In 1931, the community purchased a nearby former Jewish synagogue for $40,000. The first floor was used as the church and the second floor served the Greek American Institute, though the GAI was independent of the parish and under the auspices of the Federation of American–Societies of Greater New York.

The location served as the communi-ty’s home for more than 30 years until the mid-1960s when racial unrest in that part of the Bronx resulted in a severe drop in membership as many parishioners moved to other parts of the borough and beyond.

Parish leaders discovered another formerly Jewish facility, a closed conva-lescent home in the Pelham Bay section of the eastern Bronx near Long Island Sound, which they purchased from Beth Abraham Hospital for $500,000 with a 10-year mortgage.

As with the previous building, the first floor was used for worship services and the upper floors were reserved for the school that in 1967 merged into one entity with the parish as the “Hellenic Orthodox Community of the Bronx.”

Over the next decade, membership rebounded and the parish started an ex-pansion program.

On May 2, 1976, Archbishop Iakovos officiated at the groundbreaking for the new community center located adjacent to the existing church building.

Following the arrival of Fr. Berberis in 1986 (the first of two tours of duty), pa-rishioners decided to build a new church designed as an Orthodox church building.

The $25,000 they had to start with resulted in the $1.7 million house of worship completed in 1992 that currently serves the parish. It was financed without a loan and there is no mortgage, which Fr. Berberis credited the “immense response” by parishioners.

The adjacent building is now entirely used for the school. In a unique transi-tional act, the Sunday School presented its traditional Christmas Eve pageant in the old church, followed by everyone re-locating to the new church for the Divine Liturgy.

The consecration took place on Nov. 3-4, 2007. Fr. Berberis, a native of Thrace

in northeastern Greece, prior to coming to the United States and Zoodohos Peghe, studied theology at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem where he was ordained a deacon. After arriving in New York in 1976, he studied theology at Fordham University and was ordained a priest in 1981.

After leaving the parish in 1993 for a few years, he served as assistant priest at Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral and as a chaplain to several universities and hospitals, before returning in 2000.

In the interim period, one of the priests who served the parish was Fr. An-donios Paropoulos, who has since been ordained as Bishop Andonios of Phasiane and now serves as the chancellor of the Archdiocese.

Zoodohos Peghe has a strong youth program involving about 100 children in GOYA and JOY, basketball teams and an altar boys guild. The girls basketball teams have won championships in the Direct Archdiocese District basketball league four consecutive years.

Sunday school enrollment is about 70 students and the GAI has 215.

Other ministries and organizations include the Philoptochos, a PTO that supports the school, AHEPA and a branch of the Hellenic American Action Council (HANAC), that serves the elderly and provides meals.

Fr. Berberis also holds Bible studies and retreats during the year. Stewardship is the primary revenue source for the parish, along with the annual Greek festival that takes place the third weekend in June.He describes his parish as “very dynamic, a very loving and caring community. That’s why I came back,” he said.

– Compiled by Jim Golding

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IS youR PARISh...Ready to expand parish participation?Seeking funds for a building project?Wishing to promote Planned Giving?

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to explain how we might be of help.

Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook, au-thored by Nick Katsoris, recently won two World Cookbook Awards in a ceremony that was part of the World Cookbook Fair held in Paris.

The cookbook features favorite child-hood recipes by more than 50 celebrities, won as “Best Charity Cookbook in the United States,” and received the second place World Award. He is also the author of the iParenting Media Award-winning books Loukoumi, Loukoumi’s Good Deeds, Growing up with Loukoumi, and

Loukoumi’s Gift. A practicing attorney, general counsel of the Red Apple Group and president of the Hellenic Times Schol-arship Fund, Katsoris sponsors the annual “Growing Up with Loukoumi Dream Day” contest granting kids the opportunity to spend the day in their dream careers. He also rallies thousands of kids each Octo-ber to do a good deed on National Make a Difference Day by sponsoring “Make a Difference with Loukoumi Day.” In Octo-ber 2009, he visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the first time it served to inspire him to benefit the chil-dren there. A minimum of $2 from the sale of each cookbook is donated to Chefs for Humanity and St. Jude Children’s Re-search Hospital.

to page 24

OBSERVER photo

MAY 201224

Obituaries

Fr. John KefalasSETAUKET, N.Y. – Fr. John Kefalas, 68,

pastor of St. John Church in Blue Point, died April 8, following a lengthy illness. He was born Aug. 2, 1943, in Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended public schools in Brooklyn and Locust Valley, N.Y. He attended Louis-burg College in North Carolina and earned as associate’s degree in history, then en-rolled at Hellenic College and received a B.A. in history and an M.Div. from Holy Cross School of Theology in 1972. He married Anita Sozomenu of Brooklyn and they had three children. Fr. Kefalas was ordained by Bishop Silas of Amphilochia as a deacon in May 1976 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York and as a priest at St. Demetrios in Jamaica, N.Y. He served the parishes of St. George in New York City, Three Hierarchs in Brooklyn and St. John in Blue Point from Oct. 15, 1978 until his death. Funeral services took place April 11 at St. John Church with Fr. Evagoras Constantinides officiating.

Fr. John ArgyrosCORAM, N.Y. – Fr. John Argyros, 88,

retired since 1985, died April 10. He was a former priest of St. Athanasios Church in Paramus, N.J., and had also served at other parishes. He was born Aug., 1, 1923 in An-dros, Greece, and attended public schools in Thessaloniki. He attended theological school at the University of Thessaloniki. He married his presbytera, Eleni Deme-triadou of Komotini, Thrace, in July 1952. She predeceased him in 2001. They were parents of 11 children. He was ordained a deacon and a priest at the monastery of St. Theodora in Thessaloniki in July 1955, and also received the offikia of confessor and oikonomos at the monastery. Fr. Argyros arrived in the United States in 1961. His first assignment was St. George in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where he served from July 1961 to July 1964. He was next assigned to Saint Basil Academy in Gar-rison, N.Y. and served until August 1969. From September 1968 to October 1978, he was pastor of Assumption Church in Port Jefferson, N.Y. He was then assigned to St. Stefanos in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he served two years. From October 1980 until his retirement on Sept. 1, 1985, he served at the Paramus church. Funeral services took place April 24 at Assump-tion Church in Port Jefferson with Bishop Andonios of Phasiane officiating, assisted by Fr. Demetrios Calogredes.

PEOPLEAlumni award winner

Eagle scouts

Completes project

High score

Zachary Aristides Andreadis, the 17-year-old grandson of St. Michael’s Home resident, Paonne Andreadis completed his service project at St. Michael’s in the hopes of obtaining the highest rank of Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout. Zachary is a member of Troop 240 in the Bronx where he serves as its senior patrol leader. Zach-ary a member of Troop 240 Bronx where he serves as its senior patrol leader. When deciding where to perform his service project, Zachary looked to St. Michael’s, the place where his yiayia has called home since May 2008 and where he has spent over 60 hours volunteering with Activities Director Sveltana Ults. Zachary spent time orchestrating the project, securing all the materials and leading his labor crew to complete his mission.

Northwestern University in Chicago recently awarded its 79th annual Alumni Award to Harold V. Anagnos (SCS76, KSM90) of Long Grove, Ill., founder of Lumex Inc., a leading global manufacturer of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and liquid crystal displays. Born in Athens, Greece, Anagnos studied philosophy, logic, and Classical Greek and Latin before immigrat-ing to the United States in 1962. In 1967 he began a career in electronics, and after being promoted eight times, went on to found Lumex in 1980. Anagnos became known internationally as an authority in the field. He also pursued degrees at

Northwestern. He earned a bachelor of phi-losophy in industrial management from the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), then called University College, in 1976 and later enrolled in the Executive MBA program at the Kellogg School of Management. He was named a Kellogg Scholar in Marketing and Sales Management — the first ever to be so honored — for attending the most classes, conferences, and executive seminars in the field of marketing among Kellogg graduates.

Zoe Bousbouras, a member of St. Sophia Church in Albany and its afternoon Greek School recently won the Three Hierarchs Award of Excellence for her per-fect score of 100 on the Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek. The award

* Dionysius W. Copoulos recently was awarded the Eagle Scout rank from the Boy Scouts of America. The Eagle badge is the highest award in scouting. His Eagle project was to organize the construction of a 1.5–mile trail for the Carson City, Nevada, Parks Department in the Sierra Nevada mountains near the outskirts of the city. Dion is a mem-ber of Troop 341 in Carson City and attends

from page 23

St. Anthony’s Church in Reno where he is an altar boy and participates in the St. Anthony Youth Dance Group.

* Stavros A. Stratis recently was award-ed the rank of Eagle by the Boy Scouts of America during an Eagle Court of Honor, convened by Troop 223, Kenner, La., where he is now an assistant Scout master During his Scouting career, Stavros earned all three Eastern Orthodox Scouting Awards: St. George, Chi-Rho, and Alpha-Omega. Stav-ros also earned 25 merit badges, including 12 Eagle badges, during his extraordinary Scouting journey.

was presented at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York.

MAY 2012 25

DETROIT -- The 11th annual Greek Independence Day parade took place on March 25 on Monroe Street in the heart of the city’s his-toric Greektown.

Leading the parade were Met-ropolitan Nicholas Detroit, Metro-politan Ambrosios of Kalavryta and Aigialeia, Greece, Parade President George Reganis and the 2012 Hel-lenic Heritage Award Recipients.

“The community awaits this parade with great anticipation and excitement. It is a demonstration of the legacy of Hellenism and the preservation of Greek culture,” said Metropolitan Nicholas.

Dignitaries included represen-tatives of local, state and federal government.

Prior to the parade, a hierarchal divine liturgy for the Feast of the An-nunciation took place at Annuncia-tion Cathedral.

A press conference and recep-tion for all honored guests followed at the Compuware Building.

The parade included about 1,000 participants marching in 44 groups. The event is an outgrowth of the Metropolis Greek Language and Culture Committee established by Metropolitan Nicholas in 1999. The Committee was established to stan-dardize and accredit Greek schools and add the important element of culture and heritage to education and events. The parade is now a sep-arate nonprofit organization led by its founding chair, George Reganis.

The Detroit parade was brought back after a 50–year absence and has been held for 11 consecutive years.Though it was established in 2000, the parade was held indoors that year due to inclement weather.

The event also attracted the par-ticipation of Canadian groups: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Windsor, Ontario, and the parish’s Terpsichorean Dancers.

The weekend festivities began on March 23 with a preview of the Hellenic Museum of Michigan (www.hellenicmi.org), scheduled to open officially later this year in the Cul-tural Center at 67 E. Kirby, across from The Detroit Institute of Arts (The DIA).

Metropolitan Ambrosios greeted crowds at the museum. A poem recital by Metropolis of Detroit Greek schools was presented and the famous Horeftikos Omilos Ag-iou from Peloponnesus, performed, along with local dance groups. A newly formed Evzones group was the honor guard.

The International Institute, located next to the museum, pro-vided the stage and sponsors were Dr. and Mrs. Ignatios Voudoukis, Astoria Bakery, Agatha Kefallinos and Marchiori Catering. Tours of the Museum, the historic former Children’s Museum of Detroit, and original historic Scherer House were provided. The museum will preserve the heritage and the legacy of ex-traordinary Greek Americans who immigrated to Michigan and present Hellenic history, culture, art and traditions to the community.

METROPOLIS NEWSDetroit Holds Annual Greek Independence Day Parade

The Metropolitans, dancers, The Horeftikos Omilos Aigiou from Peloponnesus; (kneeling left) George Reganis, parade chairman; Dance President Eleni Kaf-entzi. (Standing with Evzones): Basiliki Psihrami,vice mayor of Aigiou; Harry Kotsis, 2011 Hellenic Heritage recipient; Metropolitan Ambrosios, Archimandritis Ieronimo Karma, Metropolitan Nicholas, Nikoleta Spiliopoulou, director of Efforia; Sofia Theodorakopoulou, wife of the mayor of Aigio .

Younger group of the Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade Evzones.

Older Evzones: From the Horeftikos

Omilos of Aigiou, Greece.

Metropolitan Nicholas leads the parade that attracted more than 7,000 people who filled the streets for the stage program at the end of route.

Photo credits : Alex Radulescu

MAY 201226

Do missionaries get married?It has not always been worded so

directly, but the question has been asked of me many times. Finding a spouse while serving on the mission field seems like such a daunting task. Doesn’t be-coming a missionary mean giving up any hope of married life?

Well, it does mean surrendering the right to be married. For that matter, our life in Christ means surrendering every right, and relying instead on his abundant grace. Sure, you might not get married. But God knows what you need. And some missionaries do find their spouse on the mission field.

When I made the decision to move to Tanzania as a long-term missionary, I had to come to terms with the idea of marriage.

Finding an Orthodox Christian woman of my culture who a) wanted to spend her life serving God in Africa and b) was interested in me seemed far beyond impossible. By following God to Africa, I knew that I might be giving up any hope of married life.

That wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was the only decision. The call in my life was clear. I had recently read Archbishop Anastasios of Albania’s reflections on his decision, at age 33, to follow God’s call to Africa. He was apprehensive about the dangers, as I was worried about the idea of never being married. And then The question formed in my mind: “What about the dangers you will face?” Then came the response: “Is God enough for you? If God is enough for you, go! If not, stay where you are.” Then a second question followed: “If God is not enough for you, then in what God do you believe?”

So I went. God has been more than enough. But I have certainly been lone-some.

The toughest aspects of my very good life in Western Tanzania have been loneliness and not having companion-ship of someone from my own culture.

And our God, who knows “it is not good for man to be alone,” was watching out for me.

In 2009, when I was visiting parishes in British Columbia in preparation for missionary service in Tanzania, I met a woman named Daphne Cunningham. Daphne had served as a Protestant

OCMC NewsA Daunting Question Missionaries Face

by James Hargrave missionary in North Africa, and then returned to Canada to get her nursing degree. After becoming a nurse, she intended to return to Africa as a mis-sionary. In the midst of this, she came into the Orthodox Church. As good and right as it was for Daphne to become an Orthodox Christian, she was not aware of Orthodox Christian involvement in missionary work. She thought she had to give up the dream of following God back to Africa.

But then I came along, talking about Orthodox Christian missionary work in Africa. Daphne and I stayed in touch. In 2011, she joined a short-term OCMC Team conducting clinics in various vil-lages of our Archdiocese. Along with fellow missionaries, I helped to host this team.

It was a stressful time to say the least. But Daphne saw her calling, and within two days had determined to return to Tanzania as a long-term mis-sionary. On the last day of clinics, she announced this decision to the whole group.

I was very happy to hear it. In the past two weeks, Daphne and I had worked side-by-side in very trying cir-cumstances, under great stress. Working beside her was pure joy. I liked the idea of being around her for a very long time. Forever, even. And she seemed to like the idea of being around me.

We decided to pursue a relation-ship, and our love has grown from there. On Sunday March 25th 2012, the feast of the Annunciation, I asked Daphne to marry me. She said yes. We’re planning for a wedding in May, and a return to the mission field together later in the summer.

I don’t know what’s ahead. Of course married life in Africa will be tough. But it is clear that God has been with both of us, all along in these past decades, guiding us to seek his face. We have both striven to follow his call, affirming Archbishop Anastasios’ state-ment that because God is enough for us, we are free to go where he sends us.

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official missions agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s last command to make disciples of all nations.

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by Eva Kokkinos

Rise to the Christian Challenge

Many high school and college gradu-ates have long and detailed lists of all the things they want to take with them to their new dorm room or new apartment. We simply can’t forget our favorite pictures, books, or even games. But are we making sure to take God with us? Here are just a few ways that ALL graduates can make God a priority as they transition to a new part of their lives:

1) Find the nearest Orthodox Chris-tian church, pronto!

You would never wait years and years to find a new doctor or dentist or even mechanic in a new area. So why would you put off finding the local Orthodox Chris-tian Church? Speak to your priest to learn about the Orthodox Christian churches in the area of your college/university. Your priest might even know the other priest in that area!

Being a Christian goes beyond “saying” you’re a Christian. That probably seems like an obvious statement. But are we truly living up to the title we have accepted? We must remember that Christians are given a chal-lenge… to stand up and actively participate in the life of the Church, modeling our lives after Christ Himself.

This May, we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord on the fortieth day after His Resurrection.

As we commemorate Christ’s Ascen-sion into heaven, rising up above even death itself, how does one begin to actively

participate in the Christian Challenge? What are some of the ways we can “rise up” above the temptations and challenges of the world and live a life in Christ?

BE PRAYERFULJesus Christ always found time to pray

and give thanks. For example, Christ went to the desert for 40 days to pray. He also prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to his betrayal and arrest. Prayer is a very simple, but important way you can emulate Christ. Prayer is also an active way in which you can build and strengthen your relation-ship with Christ. You can pray virtually any time and anywhere.

BE KINDJesus Christ showed mercy and kind-

ness, even to those who were outcast by society. There are many examples in Holy Scripture that show the importance of reaching out to your neighbor. Look up the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

You can also look at the life of someone like St. Basil the Great. So whether you en-counter new students, old friend, or even an enemy, we are called to be kind and serve ALL of our neighbors.

Remember, we have all been created in God’s image.

Most importantly, Christ was sent by

God for all mankind… friends and foes.

BE AN EXAMPLEJesus Christ talked the talk AND walked

the walk. He showed us how to be all of the things that God wants us to be. The Saints are also incredible examples of people who, through piety, faith, love for God, accomplished the extraordinary. If you see someone being bullied, stand up for them.

If your friend is struggling to make the right decision, be a role model. If you have talents, make sure to use them! Your example can help people see that it IS pos-sible to live a Christian life.

Eva Kokinos is a 2003 graduate of Holy Cross School of Theology. She currently serves as the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit.

Spring is typically the time of the year when many people feel motivated to make changes and improvements. As the weather begins to improve and we aren’t confined to our homes, we start those long-overdue projects we couldn’t take care of in the wintertime.

Many of us make home improve-ments or get our landscape ready for our gardens. We also get rid of things that we don’t need… simplifying and organizing our lives.

The Resurrection of our Lord fills us with hope, joy, and a renewed spirit to live our faith in word and deed. So why not take this time to do a little Spring Spiritual Tune-Up? Here are a few sug-gestions for taking this springtime (or anytime) to simplify and organize your spiritual life:

1) Organize your schedule: Spring is that time of year that we tend to have a new schedule. It might be a new school semester or a new season of sports. Spring tends to be a news season in our liturgical life as well. After attending the Lenten, Holy Week, and Pascha services, it is easy to “take a break” from worship. But make sure to organize your schedule with worship and prayer as a priority. Making worship and prayer essential parts of our lives will help us keep all other things in order!

2) “Tidy up” your life: Spring is that time of year when people throw out or remove things that tend to clutter up the house. We always feel wonderful when we’ve cleaned up our homes, de-clut-tered our garages and basements, or we

Spring Spiritual ‘Tune-Up’have cleaned up the landscape in order that people can see our beautiful homes. Chances are there are some things in our lives that we could “tidy up” to feel that sense of renewal. We can clean up the things we say and way we speak to others. We can also tidy up our actions, thinking about how our actions affect us and those around us. We might even “tidy up” our circle of friends, choosing to spend more time with those who help us grow closer to God.

3) Donate to those who need: After all of our spring cleaning, we might see that we have things that we don’t use.

Many people choose to donate extra clothes, toys, and other gently used items to those who are less fortunate. As we de-clutter our spiritual lives, we might realize that we have more time to serve our “neighbor.” So, we can donate our time, talents, and treasures with those who are less fortunate than you.

4) Work on your “spiritual” fitness: Winter can take its toll on our physical fitness. There are the few and dedicated who brave the elements to go to the gym or go for a jog. But most of us tend to stay in… Beginning with Great Lent, Or-thodox Christians come out of “hiberna-tion” by working on spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This spring, why not continue working on our spiritual disciplines? We can continue to have a more dedicated prayer life. We can continue to observe the remaining fasting periods of the liturgical year. Of course, we can continue our commitment to service and philanthropy.

FOR YOUTH WORKERS AND PARENTS

• Don’t forget to sign up for the YOUTH WORKER PULSE! This is the weekly listserv of the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Subscribers will receive valuable tips, tools, and resources for creating a successful and transformative youth ministry experience. Sign up today at www.youth.goarch.org.• Are you on FACEBOOK? If you are a member of Facebook, you can visit us on our GOYA and Young Adult Min-istries fan pages! Search for GOYA – Greek Orthodox Youth of America or Greek Orthodox National Young Adult Ministries and BECOME A FAN TODAY!

Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20

Soon school will be out for summer break. Most kids are already thinking… “Where are we going for vacation?” or “What am I going to do with my friends?” Out of all of the places in the world, why should I choose to attend summer Church camp? It is a question that some young people ask their parents, youth workers, and friends. But talk to any young person who has at-tended an Orthodox Christian summer camp. Chances are they will tell you that there is nowhere else they would rather be than at camp. Ultimately, summer camp can be a transformative experience in the life of a young person. Orthodox Christian sum-mer camps offer young people the unique opportunity to live in an Orthodox Christian community of their peers...worshipping, learning, sharing, and having a great time.

So why would anyone choose to go to an Orthodox Christian summer camp? Here are a few reasons why it can be a positive, transformative, and life-changing experience:

• Campers learn about worship. More importantly, campers actively participate in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. Campers learn about and partici-

Why Choose a Summer Camp?

pate in Orthodox Christian Worship, like morning/evening prayers, prayers before meals, Divine Liturgy, and participation in the Holy Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession.

• Campers learn how to confidently and effectively express their faith as an Orthodox Christian. Expressing one’s faith to others can be a difficult aspect of being a Christian. So it is important to learn how to Witness your faith as an Orthodox Chris-tian. Camp provides a safe and educational environment for campers to participate in sessions about Orthodoxy, Team-Building Activities, and Leadership Activities.

• Campers learn how to serve God, serve each other, and to serve all of their “neighbors.” From daily cabin clean-up to local and international philanthropic proj-ects, campers truly learn how and why we Serve and take care of our neighbor.

• Campers are able to live in an Or-thodox Christian community of peers and HAVE FUN. Orthodox Christian summer camps are filled with incredible activities that are enjoyed in Fellowship; canoeing, sports, arts and crafts, music, hanging out with friends, making new ones, and much more. For a list of Orthodox Christian camps in the Archdiocese, visit www.go-arch.org/archdiocese/departments/youth/camping.

Taking God with You After Graduation2) The Bible… Don’t leave home

without it!It is quite possible you will be in

an area that does not have an Orthodox Church nearby. Or, you might not be able to get to Church as often as you would like. This doesn’t mean our prayer life has to be put on hold. Make sure to take your Bible and a prayer book with you to school. It is important to maintain and grow in our devotion to prayer and study of the Scripture.

3) Icons… Keeping Christ in our sight, in our minds, and in our hearts.

Iconography is incredibly beautiful and inspirational. It is so much more than artwork. It is yet another way we are reminded about the lives of Christ, as well as the lives of the saints. Use your icons to create a home iconostasis. Select a special place to mount or set your icons where

you can offer prayers. Having this constant presence in your dorm or apartment is a wonderful way to keep yourself focused on your commitment to Christ.

4) Find or start an OCF chapterOCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship)

is the official campus ministries organiza-tion of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. OCF provides college students with that on-campus presence of religious educa-tion, worship, service, and Christian fel-lowship. This is imperative since that connection to the Church can be lost after leaving high school. Find out if there is a chapter on your campus. Visit www.ocf.net. No chapter on your campus? No problem! Be a leader and start a chapter. Speak to the local priest and contact OCF to inquire about starting a chapter!

MAY 201228

METROPOLIS NEWS

CASPER, Wyo. – Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Casper will cel-ebrate its 50th anniversary as a parish June 1–3. The parish will welcome Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver to a weekend of worship, festivities, and events. The celebration of this Golden Anniversary will happen during the Feast of the Pentecost, the Church’s name day. Metropolitan Isaiah will preside at the Divine Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls on June 2, as well as the Hierarchal Di-vine Liturgy on Sunday morning, June 3. The parish is also planning a gala dinner and dance for Saturday night with Met-ropolitan Isaiah serving as the guest of honor and keynote speaker. Fr. Stephen T. Ziton has been serving the community of Casper since August 2010. “We are a small but vibrant community with a rich history and many loving members. We welcome Metropolitan Isaiah and invite all past members of the parish to join us in celebrating our Golden Anniversary of bringing the Light of Christ to Central Wyoming.” Members of Holy Trinity parish are preparing a printed program with historical photos and memories of the families which will be shared on this special weekend. For more information on this celebration of faith, family and community, contact Fr. Stephen T. Ziton at the church office (307) 237-9969 or (208) 252-3125, or by e–mail at: pater-stephen@yahoo.com.

Wyoming Church to Celebrate 50 Years

The parishioners of Holy Trinity Church gather in front of the iconostasion for a community photo.

MAY 2012 29

by Presbytera Ourania Chatzis

FAMILY PHILANTHROPY PROJECTS

Here are some family philanthropy projects that can be done in your parish, community or right in your own home.

Make friendship boxesFamilies can decorate a shoe box for

children in a family shelter, then fill them with a card and fun items — unused fast-food toys, school supplies, stickers, small stuffed animals, small notepads, Play dough, card games, small puzzle books, and so on. Contact your local family shelter to find out how many boxes are needed.

Deliver mealsDeliver meals to the homebound

Meals on Wheels needs your help deliv-ering hot, nutritious meals at lunchtime, Monday through Friday, to the elderly and those with limited mobility. Volun-teers deliver much more than a meal – they bring a smile and kind words, relieve isolation and provide peace of mind for the elderly and their caregiv-ers. Visit www.mowaa.org to find the program near you.

Plant treesFor $10, your family can receive a

Trees for Life Adventure Kit (including tree seedlings, instructions and a tree starter carton). Your $10 also means 10 fruit trees will be planted in a develop-ing country. Planting your seedlings with your child can be a tremendously meaningful activity. Visit www.treesfor-life.org for details.

About a year ago, when I was standing in the hallway of the X–ray department waiting for my father to come out of the examination room, my eyes caught sight of a framed photo with a verse that made an impression on me and has stayed with me ever since. It read, “Life’s not about waiting for the storms to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Most of us would agree that dancing in the rain isn’t exactly our idea of a good time; after all, it means we have to submit to getting wet and maybe cold too. How we wish we could just avoid the rain, either by holding an umbrella or running quickly to our destination point! How many of us willingly allow ourselves to get wet? Even as we look at all that is new in the welcoming season of spring, how many of us accept all of the changes? Don’t we wish we could just skip over the rain and the insects and just have warm, bright sunshine, knowing all along that flowers, trees, grass, and all that lives need water to grow effectively?

Trusting GodThe seasonal weather changes are

comparable to the seasons of life. “There is a season for all things . . . a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; . . . a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccle-siastes 3:2–4).

Yet do we welcome all that life brings? Do we trust enough in God? I dare say no, at least not wholeheartedly, though maybe if we did, we would find joy and inner peace.

The “seasons” of our lives have many parts, including our day-to-day relation-ships with family members, friends, and co-workers, as well as the unexpected events that occur and the people whom God allows us to encounter. How do we react or respond, especially to things that are out of our control? Do we have love in our hearts for our neighbour?

Let us consider Christ and how He welcomed all people, all circumstances, and everything that may have been unexpected He engaged each person; He never turned anyone away regardless of how He was treated. And when it came time for Him to be arrested, He accepted this too; He trusted God in all things. What an example for us!

What did Christ do when He heard the sad news that His friend St. John the Baptist had been killed? “He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.” (Mat-thew 14:13) But when He realized that the multitudes were following Him and they were hungry after a long day, He didn’t say, “Leave me; I want to be alone now,” even though His disciples thought it would be best for Him to do so.

Instead we see Christ’s empathy for the people, how He looked beyond Himself and His own needs. In His mercy He healed the sick among them, and He fed them with the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. So did Christ willingly accept the unexpected? Did He put His wishes aside for the sake of others? Yes, of course He did. This may have seemed easy to do, a nice little story, but His whole life was truly an act of love, of selflessness, and of surrendering His will.

Likewise, within our own families, whatever joys, conflicts, or even illnesses we may experience, they are there to help mend our spiritual infirmities and lift up our hearts to God, who will take them as His own, relieving us of our burden: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

Learning To Be SimpleSo how can we trust more in God? One

important way is by learning to be simple. This is not easy to do, but it does make life easier by relieving us of unnecessary anxiety, which can have effects as harmful as those of radiation. It is an ascetic exercise to release the control we falsely believe that we have over our own lives and the lives of our family members, especially our children. When they are young, we worry excessively about their safety, and as they grow older

we can easily become obsessed with what and who they will become. We inadvertently teach them to become anxious due to our own anxieties.

Releasing control is a necessary step in trusting God. After all, as parents, we must always remember that, even though God has entrusted us with the sacred task of caring for our children, they ultimately belong to Him.

In fact, it is in and through the eyes of a child that we can learn how to simplify our own lives. As adults, if we’re honest, we’ll admit that children can teach us a lot about what life is truly about. They have few expec-tations; when they wake up in the morning, they are ready to take on the coming day, and when it comes to the changing seasons, they just look around in awe.

Have you ever observed the joy in a child’s face as it splashes around in a puddle in the rain or makes snow angels on a winter’s day? Children just take the changing weather as a part of life, as if they instinctively know that God is taking care of everything. They are much more insightful than we are in accepting God’s will. I will never forget my experience at a children’s hospital where I had the blessing to work for two years. I was able to observe the children, many with terminal illnesses, walking or playing in the hallways with smiles on their faces, pulling along their IV poles without a single complaint. This was remarkable to me. If a child can endure, who are we to complain?

The seasons of our life provide the perfect opportunity for each unique soul to remember the simplicity of a child and become vigilant in its efforts to love and trust God. Then we can affirm what is hap-pening in and around us; we can surrender our desire to take charge and instead accept in what He allows, trusting in His loving embrace and receiving strength during our times of weakness. In this way, when the storms pass, we can rejoice and give thanks to Him who is the Author of Life.

“Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

Presbytera Ourania Chatzis is a licensed pharmacist in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She is married to Fr. Stavros Chatzis, who is

FAMILY QUOTEI bow my knees before the Fa-

ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God.

— Ephesians 3.14-19

the priest at Holy Cross Church in Windsor. She is a graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit and has a master’s in theological studies from Holy Cross School of Theol-ogy. The mother of two children, she serves as her parish Sunday school coordinator and teacher; manages the church bookstore ministry and, in 2001, she served on a short-term mission team to Romania.

Putting Your Trust in God: Learning How to Simplify Life

APRIL 201230

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1) Conventional photographs: We accept Color or Black & White photos, printed

on photographic paper. Photographs should be sharp and clear. Pictures printed on color printers, either Ink-jet or Laser and photocopies or clippings of previously published photos are NOT accepted.

2) Digital photographs:We accept digital pictures if they conform to the

following specifications: • Minimum resolution 1600 pixels wide x 1200

pixels high (approx. 2 mega pixels, digital cameras should be set to high resolution, high quality. If you scan a standard photograph -usually 4x6”- use a minimum of 300 dpi. We discourage scanning your own photos, send the actual photo.)

• File format JPEG or TIFF (JPEGs are smaller files and easier to e-mail, TIFFs are better quality)

• Color mode RGB, color depth minimum 8-bit.• Image files placed within any word-processing file

or any other application are not accepted.• Digital pictures can be submitted by e-mail, DVD/

CD-ROM, (Disks can not be returned).• E-mail to: observer@goarch.org • lefteris@goarch.

org. In the subject line write only the word “photos” VERY IMPORTANT: Attach the image files and do not

include them in the body of the e-mail or they will not be usable.3) Please include information about the photo(s);

place, time and event as well as the names of all persons shown, left to right.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING PHOTOGRAPHS

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Archbishop Demetriosof AmericA

the first DecADe 1999-2009

This beautifully produced book presents a full spectrum of the activities in the life of the Greek Orthodox Church in America from the years 1999-2009, the first ten years of

Archiepiscopal Ministry of Archbishop Demetrios of America. The 368-page hard cover book contains 537 photographs, all taken by the Official Photographer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Dimitrios Panagos, and masterfully compiled & edited by Revekka Papadopoulou.

Chapters include:Biography, Enthronement, Archpastoral Ministry, Education & Youth, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Official trips, Welcoming Visitors, At the Nation’s Capital, Omogeneia & Cultural Events, Sep. 11-2001, Ecumenical Relations & SCOBA, 40th Anniversary of Episcopacy, and Honors & Degrees.

Chapters include:Biography, Enthronement, Archpastoral Ministry, Education & Youth, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Official trips, Welcoming Visitors, At the Nation’s Capital, Omogeneia & Cultural Events, Sep. 11-2001, Ecumenical Relations & SCOBA, 40and Honors & Degrees.

“A must for every Greek Orthodox parish & home in America.”

All proceeds to benefit “Archbishop demetrios benevolent fund.”

2012 YEARBOOKof the Greek Orthodox

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institutions information and other valuable resources.

Only $18, plus $5 shipping and handlingCall 212.774.0244

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MAY 2012 31

METROPOLIS NEWSRain Doesn’t Dampen Spirit of Boston Parade Marchers

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, assisted by Metropolitan Methodios, cuts the ribbon to mark the commence-ment of the annual Greek Independence Day Parade on April 22. Also shown are grand marshals Consul General of Greece Ilias Fotopoulos, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, Themis Karatzis, president of the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of New England, and four-time Olympic medalist Pyrros Dimas. Not shown, Despina Gavrilidis, Federation board member, and City Council member Rob Consalvo.

Boston’s Annunciation Cathedral of New England.

(photo courtesy of Metropolis of Boston/Boston Federation of Hellenic American Societies.

Hellenic Society

of Boston College.

Holy Apostles-Sts Peter & Paul, Haverhill, Mass.

St. John the Baptist

Church, Boston.

St. Vasilios Church, Peabody, apparently escorted by some “elite hoplites.”

Some students from Massachussetts Institute of Technology.

Boston University’s Hellenic Association.

St. Catherine of Braintree, Mass.

St. Nektarios, Roslindale.

A salute to Thessaloniki’s 100th Anniversary of Liberation.

Omicron Phi Alpha (OPA!!) Fraternity.

St. Spyridon Cathedral School, Worcester.

P H O T O S B YChryssa Golding

cd

32 MAY 2012

The Metropolis of Atlanta at a Glance

Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta

List of Communities

Editor’s note: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Con-stantinople, consists of more than 500 parishes in the United States and the Bahamas, apportioned within eight metropolises and the Direct Archdiocesan District. The Metropolis of Atlanta, led by Metropolitan Alexios, includes the southeastern and southern states and extends from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Louisiana-Texas border, a distance of about 1,100 miles, and from the Virginia-North Carolina border to the tip of Florida, about 825 miles.

General InformationNumber of communities: 74

(Source: Archdiocese Yearbook, Metropolis website and Metropolis officials)

Geographic entities: North Carolina, the eastern portion of Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana (except for the Shreveport area in the northwest part of the state).

Approximate area: about 332,360 square miles.Largest parish: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Charlotte, N.C.Mission Parishes: Greek Orthodox Mission, Ocala, Fla.Monastic Communities: Paracleton, Abbeville, S.C.; Panagia Pammakaristos, Lawsonville, N.C.; Annunciation, Reddick, Fla.; Panagia Prousiotissa, Troy, N.C.; and Panagia Vlahernon, Williston, Fla. Other Institutions: The Archdiocesan institution of St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine in St. Augustine (indicated by Cross symbol). The Orthodox Christian Mission Center also has its headquarters in St. Augustine.Chancellor: V. Rev. George J. Tsahakis.

Major Ministries The Diakonia Retreat Center, Marriage/Family Outreach, Church Music Federation, Youth, Education and Hellenic Culture,

Hellenic Dance Festival, Disaster Relief, Philoptochos, Archangel Michael Honors, Website.

Contact InformationAddress: 2489 Clairmont Rd., N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329

Tel.: (404) 634-9345e-mail: info@atlmetropolis.org • www.atlmetropolis.org

Source: Archdiocese yearbook and Me-tropolis of Atlanta(Note: Numbers indicate the cities and towns with Greek Orthodox commu-nities. The following cities have either more than one parish or an additional chapel: Charlotte, N.C.; Miami, Fla., and Tarpon Springs, Fla. Atlanta is the seat of the Metropolis headquarters and the location of Annunciation Cathedral).

North Carolina1. Wilmington (St. Nicholas), 2. Fayetteville (Sts. Constantine and Helen), 3. Raleigh ( H o l y Trinity), 4. Dur-ham (St. Barbara), 5 . B u r l -ington (St. Katherine), 6. Greens-boro (Dor-mit ion of t h e T h e -otokos), 7. High Point (St. George), 8. Winston-Salem (Annunciation), 9. Mooresville (St. Luke), 10. Charlotte (Holy Trinity Cathedral, St. Nektarios), 11. Asheville (Holy Trinity)

Tennessee12. Bluff City (Holy Trinity), 13. Knox-ville (St. George)

South Carolina14. Greenville (St. George Cathe-dral), 15. Spartanburg (St. Nicho-las), 16. Columbia (Holy Trinity), 17. Florence (Transfiguration), 18

Myrtle Beach (St. John the Baptist), 19. Charleston (Holy Trinity), 20. Bluffton (Holy Resurrection)

Georgia21. Savannah (St. Paul), 22. Brunswick (St. George), 23. Augusta (Holy Trinity), 24.Watkinsville (St. Philothea),

25. Cumming (Sts. Raphael, Nicho-las & Irene). 26.

Mar ie t ta (Holy Transfiguration), 27. Peachtree City (St. Christopher), 28 Macon (Holy Cross), 29. Columbus (Holy Transfiguration)

Florida30. Jacksonville (St. John the Divine), 31. St. Augustine (Holy Trinity; also site of St. Photios National Shrine) 32. Daytona Beach (St. Demetrios), 33. Melbourne (St. Katherine), 34. Ft. Pierce (St. Nicholas) 35. Hobe Sound (St. John Chrysostom), 36. West Palm Beach (St. Catherine) 37. Boca Raton (St. Mark), 38. Ft. Lauder-dale (St. Demetrios) 39. Hollywood (St.

George), 40. North Miami (Annuncia -tion), 41.Miami (St. Sophia Cathedral, St. Andrew), 42. Naples (St. Katherine), 43. Ft. Myers (Annunciation), 44. Port Charlotte (Holy Trinity), 45. Sarasota (St. Barbara), 46. St. Petersburg (St. Stefanos), 47.Tampa (St. John the Baptist), 48. Winter Haven (St. So-phia), 49. Clearwater (Holy Trinity), 50. Palm Harbor (Sts. Raphael, Nicholas & Irene), 51. Tarpon Springs (St. Nicholas Cathedral, St. Michael Chapel), 52. Mait-land/Orlando (Holy Trinity), 53. New Port

R i c h e y (St. George),

54. Spring Hill (Christ the Sav-

ior), 55. Lecanto (Archangel Michael),

56. Gainesville (St. Elizabeth the Wonderwork-

er), 57. Tallahassee (Holy Mother of God), 58. Panama

City (St. John the Theologian), 59. Destin (St. John’s Chapel),

60. Ft. Walton Beach (Sts. Markella and Demetrios), 61. Pensacola (An-

nunciation),

Alabama62. Gulf Shores (St. Athanasios), 63. Daphne (Presentation of the Virgin Mary Chapel), 64. Mo-bile (Annunciation), 65. Mont-

gomery (Annunciation), 66. Birmingham (Holy Trinity-

Holy Cross Cathedral), 67. Huntsville (Holy Cross-Sts. Constan-tine and Helen)

Mississippi68. Biloxi (Holy Trinity), 69. Jack-son (Holy Trinity-St. John the Theolo-gian)

Louisiana70. New Orleans (Holy Trin-

ity Cathedral), 71. Baton Rouge (Holy Trinity), 72. Monroe (Sts. Constantine and Helen).