orthodox observer - november/december 2003

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER • Vol. 68 • No. 1205 www.observer.goarch.org • e-mail: [email protected]

MERRY CHRISTMASDecember 25, 2003

…and the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us,

full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

To 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 Communi-ties, the Day and Afternoon Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America,

My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We greet once again the arrival of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ with feelings of inde-scribable joy and deep awe. The birth of Jesus Christ was an event of universal proportions and ageless relevance.

In considering the birth of Jesus, we pon-der the infinite love of our Incarnate God the Word, who for us and for our salvation became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

The Nativity of Christ, a beautiful and mi-raculous event, marked in a very real manner

The Nativity of Christ

Today Christ is bornof the Virgin in Bethlehem.

Today, He who knowsno beginning now begins to be,

and the Logos is made flesh.(Hymn from the Orthros of the Feast)

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NEW YORK -- A new important national initiative creating an endowment with the sole purpose of funding the National Minis-tries and Institutions of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and thus advancing Orthodoxy and Hellenism, was launched on Nov. 19.

“Faith: An Endowment for Orthodoxy & Hellenism,” incorporated in New York on Oct. 31, 2003, was organized by nine founding members, with a five-year pro-gram and initial first-phase goal of raising $100 million. The initial founders include George D. Behrakis of Lowell, Mass.; Nicholas J. Bouras of Summit, N.J.; George Coumantaros of New York, Michael Jaharis of New York, Peter T. Kikis of New York, James H. Moshovitis of Washington, D.C.; John G. Pappajohn of Des Moines, Iowa; John A. Payiavlas of Warren, Ohio; and Alex G. Spanos of Stockton, Calif.

Mr. Spanos, a renowned Greek American businessman and philanthro-pist, pledged $10 million at the meeting,

A New Initiative for Supporting and Expanding the Ministries of the ChurchFAITH: AN ENDOWMENT FOR

ORTHODOXY AND HELLENISMexpressing his excitement at “everything we are doing today” and his confidence that the initial goal of raising $100 million discussed at the meeting will certainly be surpassed. With the pledges of the other eight founders, an amount in excess of $20 million has been committed already to the new endowment.

Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, spoke to the group that initiated the Faith Endowment, about the “outstanding qual-ity, dynamism and promising future” of the Greek Orthodox Church in America--“a Church,” he said, “which is the carrier of the immense treasures of Orthodoxy and Hellenism, continuing a long tradition

in which the dedication of benefactors played a decisive role.”

His Eminence characterized the for-mation of the Faith Endowment as “a call and a mission, not a simple campaign, or fund raising effort, but a response to God.” He referred to the Founders as “Champi-ons of Faith,” who have moved dynami-cally at a critical juncture in the history of Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America and in the world. He praised them as generous supporters of Orthodoxy and Hellenism over many years, and as decisive factors in the new endowment, but he emphasized the urgent need to enlarge the circle of donors by utilizing the full potential of the Greek-American community with particu-

lar attention to the younger generation, inviting its members to fully participate in the Church and their Hellenic heritage.

Mr. Michael Jaharis, who was instru-mental in the initiative of the new under-taking, spoke about the tremendous and vital significance of the National Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese for the future of Orthodoxy and Hellenism in this country. “These ministries,” he said, “have been mostly supported and maintained by the ‘Total Commitment’ of the communities, which must steadily increase because of the dramatically grow-ing needs for Orthodox evangelization. A decisive assistance to the ministries of the Church has also been provided by the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund. However, the expo-nentially increasing needs of an expanding and dynamic Church and the necessity of maintaining and enhancing its ministries, as well as continuing to support innovative

the visible and palpable entry of salvation into our world.

As such, it radiated unto the heavens and the far corners of the earth, summoning both angels and shepherds in reverent adoration, alerting the Magi from afar, and inviting people

in love, calling them from across the world to respond with devo-tion and faith.

By entering the world as an infant, our God made known to us, in a very intimate and tender way, the awesome lengths to which He would go in order to offer salvation as a triumph of love, as

an everlasting communion with Him.Those who were blessed to witness first-

hand the miracle of the birth of Christ, whose name is Emmanuel [which means God with us] (Matthew 1:23), were instilled with the insatiable yearning to respond to the love of God through faith, a faith that guided them to the place of His birth, that flooded them with feelings of joy, and that moved them to return to their places glorify-ing and praising God for all they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20).

Like those who witnessed the miracle of the Nativity, we too are recipients of God’s love.

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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 20032 ARC HDIO C E S E NEWS

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DEARBORN, Mich. -- More than 1,000 people attended the ninth National Philop-tochos Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, welcoming Arch-bishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, National Philoptochos President Georgia Skeadas, luncheon Chairman Maria Stav-ropoulos, and special guest Nia Vardalos, star and creator of the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

The luncheon, held every two years in a major U.S. city, provides medical care and financial assistance to critically ill chil-dren and contributes monetary grants to hospitals specializing in children’s ill-nesses. This year’s sponsor was the Detroit Metropolis. Theme was “Being There for the Children.”

Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon a Great Success

The Children’s Medical Fund was established in 1989 on the initiative of Archbishop Iakovos to assist Greek American and Greek children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

Five hospitals in the Metropolis will receive contributions from this year’s lun-cheon. They are: Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital of the University of Ann Arbor, Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, N.Y., Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati.

National Philoptochos President Georgia Skeadas, in her welcoming re-marks, thanked Chairman Stavropoulos, Co-Chairmen Metropolis Philoptochos President Katherine Kotsis and National Board member Anne Feles, and the Me-tropolis of Detroit women for “their labor

of love,” commending them for “creating an extraordinary event.

“The committees and volunteers, lo-cally and nationally, have worked unceas-ingly. We thank the sponsors, the under-writers and everyone who traveled from near and far to attend the luncheon.”

Mrs. Skeadas presented a $25,000 check to the five hospital representatives.

Following the presentations, Mrs. Skeadas announced that Dr. and Mrs. Mi-chael Morykwas made a matching grant of $125,000 to the fund for the five hospitals in memory of Mrs. Morykwas’ mother, Mrs. Steven (Georgia) Galanos and her aunt, Alice Pappas of Detroit.

They were greeted at the podium by Archbishop Demetrios.

Mrs. Skeadas expressed the National Philoptochos’ gratitude for their commit-ment to children and the philanthropic ideals of Philoptochos. Mrs. Morykwas told the cheering audience that her mother has served as president of Annunciation Ca-thedral Philoptochos in Detroit.

The Archbishop, in his comments, said, “This is a celebration of love ema-nating from the Metropolis of Detroit, a milestone – for participation, gathering of funds and superb organization and amazingly enjoyable. I am so proud of the shepherd of the Metropolis of Detroit (Metropolitan Nicholas) and the people around him, working together with a tremendous offering of both male and fe-male volunteers in the Church. What we are doing today is extending the embrace of Christ to the children. Philanthropy has been a sustaining power throughout time. It is the spirit of Philoptochos.”

The Archbishop continued: “The greatest thing we have today is family. In a recent Gallop poll, participants were asked ‘what is the most important real-ity in life? Number one was family – 95 percent of those surveyed! Money was 67 percent. Within the family we have the children…and the spirit of love and offer-

ing is Philoptochos. This is an opportunity to verify our humanness. We must stay that way and glorify Him. Whatever we have and do come from Him.”

Archbishop Demetrios congratulated Nia Vardalos for doing what so many people, including scholars, have tried to do to capture the essence and importance of the family.

Archbishop’s Encyclical ..............u 11Archdiocese News ................u 2-3, 6-9Books .........................................u 26Challenge ...................................u 25Classifieds .................................u 28Clergy Update ............................u 27Ecumenical Patriarchate ...........u 4-5Family Care ................................u 13Interfaith Marriage .....................u 22In the Calendar ..........................u 27Letters .........................................u 10Metropolises News ....................u30-31Mission News-OCMC ................u 27Opinions ....................................u 10Parish Profile .............................u 23People ........................................u 23Religious Education ..................u 18Scholarships ..............................u 14Viewpoint ...................................u 29Voice of Philoptochos ...............u 21

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE u16-17

INSERT - GREEK SECTION

His Eminence presented an original icon of St. Andonios to Nia Vardalos and revealed the secret that Nia’s name is Andonia. The icon was painted especially for Ms. Vardalos and focused on children by including four small children on the icon.

Metropolitan Nicholas proclaimed the spirit of love and generosity that brought every one to the event. He said that same spirit “brought Archbishop Demetrios to us, as our leader at the helm of the ship of the Archdiocese, who guides all of us.”

Metropolitan Nicholas went on to say, “this luncheon is about the children. One thing that binds us, no matter where we are from, is that we were all children once. Each of us needs a sense of caring and compassion and Philoptochos is the extension of nobleness of philanthropy. It gives us a sense of giving and sharing to others. It is our privilege to help the children across the country.”

Ms. Vardalos shared stories about her childhood in Winnipeg, Canada, and her ambition to make theater her lifelong dream.

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HIS EMINENCE also presented Ms. Vardalos with this sterling silver egg.

NIA VARDALOS with Georgia SkeadasAngela Carson

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS and Metropolitan Nicholas present Ms. Vardalos with an original icon.Angela Carson

NEW YORK – Archbishop Demetrios recently issued a statement condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul.

On Nov. 17, two days after the brutal attacks against two synagogues in Istanbul, Archbishop Demetrios vis-ited the Ecumenical Patriarchate and, together with Patriarch Bartholomew, viewed the terrorist destruction at one of the synagogues, visited the Chief Rabbi of Istanbul Isaac Haleva at his headquarters and expressed heartfelt condolences to the Jewish community and the victims’ families.

Two days later, a second terrorist attack against British targets killed 26 people including Roger Short, the Brit-ain’s consul general in Istanbul, with whom Archbishop Demetrios had din-ner the previous day on the occasion of the new Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit to the Patriarchate.

Upon returning to the United States, His Eminence issued the fol-lowing statement:

“I was appalled to witness the ter-rible destruction and senseless loss of life at the two synagogues in Constanti-nople. I share in the deep sorrow of the victims’ families and I strongly condemn these and all terrorist attacks against people at prayer be it Jews, Christians or Moslems, and I urge adherence to the UN resolution (May 31, 2001) that pro-tects and preserves religious sites and cultural heritage around the world.

“In every corner of the universe, mankind is experiencing extremely difficult and unpredictable times. Let us work for peace, religious freedom and tolerance, and pray fervently that the Divine wisdom and love for one an-other will settle and reign in the hearts and minds of all human beings.”

Archbishop Condemns Recent Terrorist Attacks

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2003 3ARC HDIO C E S E NEWS

ATHENS – The Academy of Athens, the premier intellectual institution of Greece, held a special session Nov. 14 to induct Archbishop Demetrios of America “as an abroad-residing member of the Academy of Athens in the Discipline of Theology in the areas of ethics and politi-cal sciences.”

Archbishop Demetrios Inducted into the Academy of Athens

by Stavros H. Papagermanos

The Archbishop had been unani-mously elected as a member on Nov. 28, 2002 in recognition of his valuable contributions.

Professor Gregorios Skalkeas, presi-dent of the Academy of Athens, officiated at a special ceremony and, in the presence of the Academy members offered the of-ficial welcome.

Some 350 guests attended, including many distinguished hierarchs, politicians, academicians and other intellectuals.

Metropolitan Ioannis of Pergamos, also a member of the Academy and representing Ecumenical Patriarch Bar-tholomew, introduced the Archbishop as “the distinguished theologian and preemi-nent hierarch of the Ecumenical Throne, a person who represents perfectly the ecumenical character of theology and the Church.”

Metropolitan Ioannis conveyed the “warm congratulations” of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Archbishop Demetrios accepted the honor and spoke on the topic “I Sought Your Face (Psalm 27:8): Biblical Variations on the Theme of the Quest for God.”

Among the many guests and dignitar-ies were the Archbishop of Athens and All

Greece Christodoulos, Parliament Presi-dent Apostolos Kaklamanis, Minister of Health and Social Services Kostas Stefa-nis, Metropolitan Ignatios of Demetriados, Ministry of Education representative Ioan-nis Konidaris, EU Parliament member and the Archbishop’s brother Professor Anto-nios Trakatellis, members of the Greek Parliament Grigoris Niotis and Kostas Skandalakis, and Ambassador Panagiotis Karakasis. Accompanying Archbishop Demetrios were Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, Archdiocesan Council Vice Chairman Michael Jaharis and his wife, Mary, and Andrew Athens.

Following the ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Jaharis hosted a reception in honor of His Eminence and his guests at the Grande Bretagne Hotel.

Archbishop Demetrios, while in Ath-ens for his induction, met with the coun-try’s religious and political leadership.

The pastoral mission of the Church, care for the family and the youth and the preservation of the Greek-Orthodox traditions in Greece and in America were among the issues discussed during Arch-bishop Demetrios’ meeting with Arch-bishop Christodoulos.

Foreign Minister of Greece George Pa-pandreou held a 45-minute private meet-ing with His Eminence. In a press confer-ence that followed, the Foreign Minister and Archbishop Demetrios spoke of the international prestige and stature of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and how highly it is regarded by political and religious entities around the globe.

His Eminence noted that this prestige and the resulting access of the Ecumeni-

cal Patriarchate internationally, should not –under any circumstances– be com-promised.

Archbishop Demetrios also met with Prime Minister Costas Simitis for about an hour. Issues of common interest included education and preparations for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Mr. Kaklamanis welcomed His Emi-nence and praised the Greek Orthodox faithful in America for their achievements over the years. He also underscored the instrumental role of Archbishop Deme-trios towards unity and peace in the last few years.

The Archbishop also met with Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Magriotis who hosted a luncheon for the Archbishop at

the Foreign Ministry.Meeting with Minister of Education

Petros Efthimiou, the Archbishop dis-cussed issues pertaining to the Archdio-cese schools and assistance that Greece could provide.

The meeting with Minister of Culture Professor Evangelos Venizelos focused on education, cultural identity and the 2004 Olympic Games.

Archbishop Demetrios also had a good meeting with Costas Karamanlis, the New Democracy opposition party leader.

Finally, U.S. Ambassador to Greece Thomas Miller hosted a luncheon at his home in Athens for the Archbishop and a few guests.

HIS EMINENCE addresses the members of the Academy at the induction ceremony.N. MANGINAS

FAITH: AN ENDOWMENT FOR ORTHODOXY AND HELLENISM

programs that promote the faith and heritage, required and inspired the found-ing of the new Faith Endowment.”

Mr. Spanos pointed out that several capable Greek Americans are not par-ticipating in the work of the Church and the Community and there is a need to approach them and involve them in the Faith Endowment initiative. He pledged his efforts to that effect. Mr. Coumanta-ros urged that the new endowment be expansive in its giving, emphasizing phil-

anthropic programs, constantly renewing itself with new donations.

The first phase of the Faith Endow-ment will be characterized by discreet efforts amongst the founders of this new initiative with the ultimate goal to invite the broader community to partake with its full potential in this important endeavor, thus evolving it into a truly national en-dowment for the Church, an endowment worthy of the history and the divine mis-sion of this Church in America.

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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 20034 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2003 5

To Ephesus this ancient city on the west coast of Asia Minor, rich with history of millennia, where the 3rd Ecumenical Council was held in 431 A.D. came Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Nov. 23 and after many centuries officiated at a historic Divine Liturgy, on the ruins of the church of St. John the Theologian. The church was built by Justinian in the first half of the 6th century on the site of St. John’s grave. It was a 130 meters long basilica that followed the cruciform disposi-tion. The ornate columns that once held the six domes of this church still stand today and form the outline of the basilica.

A Historic Liturgy in Ephesus

N. MANGINAS

E C U M E N I C A L P A T R I A R C H A T EE C U M E N I C A L P A T R I A R C H A T E

ARCHDIOCESE of BUENOS AIRES(54-11) 4508-5403

e-mail: [email protected]

Orthodox Christian Mission Center(904) 829-5132

e-mail: [email protected]

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is searching for priests willing to discover or rediscover their true calling to the Holy Priesthood. Priests are needed for parishes like Santiago, Chile; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador; Cordoba, Argentina.

The situation is critical if Orthodoxy is to remain alive in South America. However, with a few experienced priests the prospect for the revitalization of the Greek Orthodox parishes, the development of inter-Orthodox parishes and missionary outreach is enormously positive.A missionary priest would essentially be involved in:• Revitalizing parishes with Orthodox Life, Tradition and Sacraments.• Teaching the Word of God through our Orthodox Faith.• Organizing Parish Councils.• Instituting Stewardship and Religious. Education programs.• Youth outreach.• Training clergy.

is also looking for faithful Orthodox Christians seeking long-term mission service to further the Church’s ministries in the fields of:

• Communications / Public Relations/ Marketing with strong Web skills.• Religious and Secular Education.• Youth Development and Orthodox Life.• Financial Development and Stewardship.• Administration and Office Management.• Social Action, Philanthropy and Missions.

Service beginning at two yearsSpanish and/or Greek are helpful.

“Not that I seek the gift;but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.”

Phillippians 4:17

“Cosmic Grace, Humble Prayer, the Ecological Vision of the Green Patriarch Bartholomew” is an opportunity to read the important addresses and speeches of the Ecumenical Patriarch on the environment.

The Green Patriarch is Leading the Way

by Alexander Zagoreos

His All Holiness has become the leading cleric, and a global leader, on environmental issues, following the lead of his predecessor, Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios.

In promoting a historical Orthodox Christian view of the Creation, His All Holiness shows us that when we harm the environment we are committing a sin against nature.

The message of the book is clear and compelling, but delivered with warmth of spirit that contrasts with many secular en-vironmentalists.

Fr. John Chrys-savgis is the editor of this well organized book, and he has written a concise introduction that outlines the roots of Christian envi-ronmental respon-sibility, summariz-ing the Ecumenical Patriarch’s thoughts on the relationship of faith, human behavior, and the preservation of God’s creation.

Fr. John writes in the introduction: “Perhaps no other church leader in his-tory has emphasized ecumenical dialogue and communication as a primary intention of his tenure. Certainly, no other church leader in history has brought environmen-tal issues to the foreground, indeed to the very center of personal and ecclesiastical attention.”

In the foreword to Cosmic Grace, John, Metropolitan of Pergamon poses the question: What does the Church have to do with an issue such as the environmental crisis of our time? He points out that the “ecological crisis is deeply rooted in theol-ogy, and is above all a spiritual problem.” And therefore, “should undergo a pro-found metanoia (or repentance) in order to undo the damage it has caused.”

It is not inappropriate to note that some of the most environmentally ravaged lands and waters are in predominantly Or-thodox post-Soviet bloc countries, and it is in these regions, visited by Ecumeni-cal Patriarch Bartholomew, that he has highlighted many of his thoughts on our ecological responsibilities.

And what are his views? His All Holi-ness was enthroned on Nov. 2, 1991, and on Nov. 5, 1991 he delivered a speech to the Inter-Orthodox Conference, called “Ecological Responsibility” and said, “the late Patriarch Demetrios expressed the deep anxiety of the whole of the Orthodox world and of every responsible thinking person concerning our environmental di-saster so rapidly overtaking us, for which our thoughtless abuse of God’s material creation is entirely to blame.”

This lays the groundwork for what is to follow in his speeches, but also es-tablishes the continuity of the message of his predecessor. In May 1992, in a speech delivered during the official visit of HRH Prince Philip to the Phanar, the Ecumeni-cal Patriarch suggests the adoption of Sept.

1 as a day of prayer for the natural environ-ment by all Christians, which had already been established in the Orthodox world by Patriarch Dimitrios on Sept. 1, 1989. He went on to say, “We venerate the clothing of St. Nektarios, because the Saint used to wear it. Is it not much more fitting that we should also venerate the flowers and the plants? After all, they enshrine within themselves the energy of God.”

The book follows with speeches and addresses on the life of moderation, asceti-cism, consumption, fasting, conservation, science and technology, environmental justice and ethics, population, beauty and nature, and war and peace.

In a speech in New York at a luncheon organized by Scenic Hudson to present His All Holiness it’s first Global Champion of the Environment Award he summarized his position saying: “God created heaven

and earth as a harmonious totality; conse-quently, we also have to see creation as a harmonious and interdependent whole. For us at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the term “ecumenical” is more than a name: it is a worldview and way of life. Let us love one another. With love, let us share with others everything we know, and especially that which is useful in order to educate godly persons so that they may sanctify God’s creation for the glory of His holy name.”

The modern environmental move-ment in the U.S. started with preserva-tionists John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club), President Theodore Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, and conservationist Gifford Pinchot. Their pioneering work has led to modern environmental organizations and “green” political movements around the world, many of which are very effective.

However, there is a tendency for some of these groups to exaggerate the threats and underestimate the many successes achieved in the past because organiza-tions seem to obtain more support by creating a sense of imminent environ-mental problems.

Thus, there is the danger that secular institutional environmentalism does not properly recognize success, but rather exaggerates the problems, and ultimately divides people.

The Ecumenical Patriarch, on the other hand is leading the Church in the spiritual awareness of the environment and its care, which will broaden the base of support, make us all better stewards of the planet, and unify us.

The leading position of Bartholomew I and his recognition as the “Green Patri-arch” deserves our support and our follow up by actions, not just words. A good start-ing point is to read this book.

Patriarch Bartholomew in his native Imvros.N. MANGINAS


Our nation has just marked the sec-ond anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, events that have left a deep mark on us as a people, transformed our behavior, attitudes and thinking and brought us face to face with the darkness of evil and the reality of death.

As Americans who are Orthodox Christians we are challenged to under-stand these events in the light of our faith and history. Our Church has faced the worst sort of persecution and oppression through the ages. Our Mother Church in Constantinople still exists in an atmo-sphere of intolerance that periodically erupts into inexplicable acts of hate.

Ironically, September brought an-other anniversary. September 5 was the 10th anniversary of the homily of Ecumeni-cal Patriarch Bartholomew addressed to parishioners of the Church of Neohorion on the Bosphorus, whose cemetery was desecrated.

Confronting this horrific deed, His All Holiness spoke of the issues of life and death, love and faith, and courage with words that still resonate today.

These words, over the desecration of that small cemetery halfway across the world, help us to reflect on the equally hallowed Ground Zero now in our midst and indelibly part of our history.

The homily of His All Holiness fol-lows:

Beloved children in the Lord,We have come today as your Arch-

bishop and spiritual leader and we have presided in this holy church of the Virgin Mary Koumariotissa and we have prayed together with you for two reasons: a) the annual feast-day of this holy Church, at which time we also wished to bless in per-son, as is customary, the faithful of this parish, and b) to express first to them, but also, more broadly, to our entire beloved community here, our paternal sympathy and the moral support of the Mother Church following the recent desecration of the graves of our beloved deceased, who held faith in common and who re-pose in the picturesque cemetery of the parish of Neohorion.

Are they reposing? – In a manner of speaking. They are reposing only eu-phemistically, because there are those who dared to disturb the peace even of our dead. Even in their graves they did not leave them in peace. Rather, they smashed the crosses – symbols of our expectation and faith in the Resurrection of the dead – and dug out and profaned their remains.

And the question is raised: Why? For what reason? What fault was it of our dead? To what extent did “we who are alive, who are left” (1Thess. 4:15) insult them, if, in fact, they did this uncivilized – to use a milder expression – act in order to seek revenge against us?

Are we not, in every way, law-abiding citizens of this country? Do we not perform our obligations towards our country to the best of our ability? Do we not honor the name of our country in which we live with honesty, diligent work, our high degree of civilization, our beautiful customs and traditions, and with our rich history?

Have we not suffered enough without being at all to blame, except that we are Greek by origin and Orthodox in faith, and because of this – being a minority, that is – we are regarded as a negotiable crowbar in the relations between neigbhouring and allied countries?

Is it not enough that so few of us have remained here because of this last point? Should we be expected to endure more? Indeed, should this be expected of our

deceased who “are asleep” awaiting the common resurrection?

We are certain that the official state authorities of the country are not in any way involved in this recent sorrowful epi-sode. The government is aware that we never create instances in this land, but, on the contrary, we are a factor of civilization and peace. The government, ultimately, will apply the laws if we give cause and never will it resort to unacceptable and uncharacteristic acts, such as that which is being denounced today.

But those who have contrived and dared such acts must know that they of-fer the worst service to Turkey; that they expose her internationally; that her inter-ests at the highest level are harmed while – perhaps – serving their own interests; that they expose their own selves.

Thus, we call on them to sober up and come to their senses and at least to leave in peace our dead, who are lying awaiting the Second Coming of the Lord, unable to react and defend themselves. Unfortu-nately, it is not the first time the dead have suffered such a cowardly assault.

On the other hand, we, as law-abiding citizens, demand that the esteemed gov-ernment of our country protect all we hold as sacred and holy, our lives and property; and not to allow every adventurer or every hateful fanatic to release his frustrations by destroying Orthodox cemeteries.

This avenue, this method, leads no-where, but only to impasse and vicious circles.

If fanaticism in general blinds, reli-gious fanaticism degrades man and his dignity and stands against freedom, a divine gift, as well as against democracy.

But, taking this opportunity, let us come to the babble written by a part of the press against us and against our Ecu-menical Patriarchate, which, allegedly, cooperates towards the actualization of a “terrible plan!” Indeed! How easy it is for exaggerated and impressive adjectives to be employed! How easy it is for one to be fooled when maintaining things totally without basis and totally unprovable! – especially when speaking on behalf of a non-existent Church, which took over and unlawfully possesses and reaps the benefits of houses of worship which our fathers founded by the sweat of their brow and hard-earned contributions.

For someone to say or write whatever comes from his imagination – so as not to say of out of dishonesty – is very easy and very simple. However, fundamental self-respect and fundamental respect for truth is demanded; and it is the truth, which will make us free (Jn. 8:32).

Not only have we not envisioned the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a second Vati-can or tried to transform it into such, but, on the contrary, we have stated on numer-ous occasions, that even if such an idea were proposed to us we would reject it as being contradictory to the ecclesiology and tradition of the Orthodox Church.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate does not wish to become a state. It wishes to remain only a Church – a Church, however, which is free and respected by everyone – only a religious and spiritual institution, teach-ing, edifying, serving pananthropic ideals, civilizing and preaching love and peace in every direction.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate belongs to the Church, which was founded by the God of love, whose peace “surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). We “pursue what makes for peace” (Rom. 14:19). We believe that “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16), which is why we are not afraid: “perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn. 4:18).

Patriarch RemembersDesecration of Church Cemetery

E C U M E N I C A L P A T R I A R C H A T EE C U M E N I C A L P A T R I A R C H A T E

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The fall meet-ing of the St. Photios Foundation Execu-tive Board took place Oct. 24 at the St. Photios National Shrine.

Executive director the Very Rev. Nicholas Graff, welcomed members of the executive board on behalf of Foun-dation Chairman Archbishop Demetrios. Fr. Graff also welcomed new trustee Fr. George Savas of St. Demetrios Church in Daytona Beach.

Rev. Graff thanked the Shrine’s ad-ministrative assistant, Joyce Brown, who recently retired after 16 years’ service to the shrine.

Fr. Graff announced that the 22nd an-nual Shrine Pilgrimage will take place Feb. 6-8, and that Olympic gold medal winner Bruce Jenner will be the keynote speaker. Mr. Jenner will speak on the “Olympic Spirit.” Nick Furris reported that corpo-rate sponsorship helped secure Mr. Jenner for the luncheon. Dr. Manuel Tissura will chair the weekend’s events.

Foundation Vice President Harry Thomas Cavalaris chaired the meeting and outlined new initiatives for the board. Mr. Cavalaris noted, “The St. Photios Founda-tion Board of Trustees care for the preser-vation of the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine and its history through carefully planned development.”

Mr. Cavalaris delegated the executive board to help develop shrine operations.

Foundation Treasurer Maria Carantzas submitted the financial report. Although the shrine experienced growth, the yearly trend show the summer and fall months generate smaller revenues, and that the staff properly adjusts for this situation.

As a self-sufficient institution, the needs of the national shrine are ongoing and con-tinue to require special assistance.

Facilities Chairman Anthony Megas has activated the committee, including trustee emeritus and shrine architect Ted Pappas, to help oversee various mainte-nance issues and to make preservation of this historic site a priority.

The Archbishop Iakovos Enhance-ment Project chairman, Nick Furris, said efforts continue to promote the enhancement project and the commit-tee will begin fundraising to underwrite the renovations.

Cina Daskalakis, the Shrine Wall of Tribute chairwoman, reported that nine families have contributed to the Wall of Tribute in 2003, and four new subscribers have committed to add their names to be memorialized at the shine.

Marketing committee submitted a re-port recommending the Foundation con-tinue evaluating the various programs.

Operations Manager James Stremanos, reported that National Shrine Church Sup-plies (NSCS) continues to play a valuable role in supporting the Shrine and churches that purchase candles from NSCS directly aid in maintaining the national shrine.

The St. Photios Shrine commemo-rates the first Greek settlers on the American continent and to all the Greek Orthodox pioneers whose love of freedom and desire for a better life for themselves and their children brought them to this New World. The shrine is located on 41 St. George St. in St. Augustine.

The board’s next meeting will be dur-ing the annual pilgrimage Feb. 6-8.

St. Photios Executive BoardUndertakes Development

Ionian Village, a travel abroad/camp program for teenagers from the United States and Canada, is accepting applica-tions for its summer program.

Staff members will be part of a dy-namic and exciting youth ministry team, leading trips to various destinations of reli-gious and cultural significance throughout the Greek countryside.

Additionally, they will organize, facili-tate and supervise activities and daily life at camp. Ionian Village campers range in age from 12 to 18.

While traveling with the camp, partici-pants and staff members will visit numer-ous churches and monasteries, see the original location of the Olympic games at ancient Olympia, venerate the relics of St. Dionysus on the island of Zakynthos, hike to the Acropolis, and visit the historic mon-asteries and town of Kalavrita. Through direct experience, participants will come to a better understanding of the Orthodox Church and Greek culture.

On non-travel days, participants will attend sessions in arts and crafts, athlet-ics, aquatics, music and Greek culture, and Orthodox life.

They will swim in the Ionian Sea or relax on the beach, as well as participate in evening activities such as talent shows, scavenger hunts and our Greek glendi. Year after year, Ionian Village builds faith

and friendships that last a lifetime.Ionian Village Staff applicants must

be Orthodox Christian, 21 years of age or older, and have some experience work-ing with teen-agers. Ionian Village staff members are volunteers and commit to working two 18-day sessions from late June to early August in Greece.

Applicants must work well with oth-ers, love teen-agers and be enthusiastic to spread the word of Christ’s Gospel to the youth of the Archdiocese.

Ionian Village needs applicants with previous camp experience, qualified medical staff (RN or MD), certified lifeguards, people with administrative and Internet skills, as well as good old-fashioned fun loving camp counselors. Working knowledge of Greek is a plus, but not necessary in all cases.

For an application, visit www.ionianvillage.org and download the forms, e-mail us with your name and mailing address indicating you would like a staff applica-tion, or call the number below.

In Christ, Rev. Dn. Constantine Lazarakis. camp

director Ionian Village & National Camp-ing Ministries.

83 St. Basil Rd.Garrison, NY 10524Tel: 646-519-6190Fax: 646-519-6192Email: [email protected].

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Building Communities of Faith and Love:Orthodox Parishes in Worship and Ministry

Part I

IntroductionWhen the Apostle Paul was writing

his second letter to the Christians of Thessalo nike, his heart was filled with joy and gratitude. As indicated by the passage above, he was thankful for this community of believers that was growing abundantly in faith and increasing in love.

by Archbishop Demetrios

First and foremost, this was an Ap-ostolic affirmation that the faithful were being transformed by the power and pres-ence of our Lord. They had heard the Gos-pel message through the preaching and teaching of Paul. They had believed in Jesus Christ–His incarnation, His death, and His resurrection. They had been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. They had committed their lives to the will of God, and now they were building a commu-nity that was characterized by the faith and love that filled their hearts.

These attributes of faith and love were vis-ible in many of the early Christian communities, as believers became powerful witnesses of the Gospel of Christ through the gracious acceptance of others, through faithfulness in persecution unto death, and through authentic lives marked by goodness and holiness.

This was how the Gospel was shared, and this is why the Church grew. In those early parishes, and in parishes down through the centuries, generation after generation has labored with God to create communi-ties of faith and love, where people find and experience the transforming power of faith and the saving love of God. Through worship and ministry, parishes of faith and love have offered life to those dying in sin, the peace of God to those living in turmoil, divine assurance for those struggling with fear and despair, healing for those ill in body and soul, and fellowship to those who are alone.

Today, it is critical that the parishes of the Greek Orthodox Church in America be communities of faith and love. This is our divine calling as communities of believers who are joined together as the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Faith and love are inherent to the identity of your parish, as you gather regularly to worship, to partake of the sacraments, and to minister to one another and to those in need. All that is done in your parish must be focused on growing in faith and increasing in love. When this is happening, people of all ages will come to Christ through our worship and ministry, lives will be changed, hearts and minds will be strengthened, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God (Ephe-sians 4:13a).

Christ at the Center of the ParishIt is the presence of our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, which brings us together in our parishes. It is through Him that we know and experience the immense love that God has for us (John 3:16-18, Romans 5:8-11, 1 John 4:9-11). He is the one we receive through word, sacra-ment, and faith, as we gather in His name. It is His victory over sin and death and His Resurrection, that we proclaim as we offer hope and salvation through the worship and ministry of our parishes.

The centrality of Christ in the parish is clearly revealed to us in the Holy Scrip-tures through the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. Our Lord himself affirmed that the Church would be built upon the confession that He is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16-18).

The Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians states, “For no other

foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (3:11). Christ is the foundation of the Church. The Church exists because He established it upon who He is, upon what He has accomplished for our salvation, and upon the truth and love of God that He has revealed to us.

Thus, the fact that we belong to the Church

and that we participate in it through our local parish is because of Jesus Christ. In Him we have found life and salvation.

Through the grace of God re-

vealed in Him we have been received into the community of believers through

baptism. It is our faith in our Lord that is revealed in our wor-ship, in our participation in the Holy Sacraments, and in our commitment to conform our lives to His teachings and His holiness. This is summarized by St. Paul in his letter to the Colossians where he states, “As therefore you have received Christ Je-sus the Lord, so live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith…” (2:6-7).

We must be connected directly to the One who guides, strengthens, enlightens, and saves. If we are to be and to build com-munities of faith and love, then we must be firmly grounded in Christ, the source of faith and love. He must be the one leading and molding each parish. All of our ac-tivities, endeavors, and plans must reflect an awareness of His divine presence and must be characterized by an offering of the love and life that comes from Him.

As we prayerfully prepare for our Clergy-Laity Congress in 2004, I ask each of you to reflect upon the centrality of Christ in your life and in your parish. Just as faith and love are dependent upon His presence in your life, they are dependent upon His presence in each and every parish of our Greek Orthodox Church in America.

As brothers and sisters in Christ united in His Body, may we call upon our Lord to lead us in building lives and communities that will offer saving faith and transforming love.

37TH BIENNIAL CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS July 25-29, 2004 – New York City

We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing.

(2 Thessalonians 1:3).


2004 Archdiocesan Ecclesiastical Calendars Now Available

A limited number of the new 2004 Ecclesiastical Calendarsare available for the home, office, or as gifts.

These full-color calendars feature icons for each month of the year,feast day hymns in Greek and English, daily scripture readings,

a fasting guide, and the Saints for each day in both Greek and English. The calendars are spiral bound for ease of use and provide an attractive

presentation of our Orthodox faith.

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Fr. Paul Palesty Honoredfor 25th Anniversary of Ministry

The Rev. Paul Palesty of St. Nicholas Church in Flushing, New York, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on Nov. 2 at the Sand Castle catering facility in Franklin Square, Long Island.

by Catherine Tsounis

More than 400 persons from New York, California, Massachusetts and other states attended.

Bishop Savas of Troas, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, assisted by Fr. John Lardas, as-sistant pastor at St. Nicholas, gave the invocation.

“Tonight we are honoring a humble priest dedicated to the Orthodox faith,” Bishop Savas said.

Master of Ceremonies Peter J. Pappas, recalled when he and Fr. Paul worked to-gether to help St. Demetrios Church in Merrick, Long Island, where he served prior coming to Flushing.

Greetings were delivered by Manny Kratsios, parish council president, and Athena Kromidas, principal of William Spy-ropoulos Greek American Day School.

“I deeply admire Presbytera Anasta-sia. She been an inspiration to me from a teenager, guiding me with her wise counsels,” said Marianthi Scamagas Gro-ver, who came from St. Nicholas parish in San Jose, Calif., where Fr. Paul began his ministry.

A poetic tribute was given by Fr. Anastasios Diakovasilis, an international Greek-American poet and an assistant pastor at St. Nicholas.

Fr. Demetrios Iliou, also an assistant pastor at St. Nicholas and a classmate of Fr.

Paul’s, recalled their days together at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, Mass.

“Father Paul is great to work with and always thinks of others before himself,” explained Stephen Cherpelis, a founder of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Archon Dikaiophylax of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle.

Proclamations were read from Con-gressman Ackerman, Assemblyman Saul Weprin and City Councilman Peter Val-lone Jr.

In his response, the soft-spoken Fr. Paul said he is “honored to serve the larg-est Greek Orthodox parish in the United States.

“Every priest should be as blessed. I was given a thriving community. My parishioners have worked with me to expand. We have opened the Doulaveras Preschool Center. A JOY youth organiza-tion for children from the ages of 7-12 years of age was formed. We now number 200 children.”

Fr. Paul continued, “We have big plans for St. Nicholas Church’s expansion project. The Doulaveras Center will be de-molished and replaced by new buildings housing a library. In addition, a cultural center, more classrooms, gymnasium and parking facilities will be built. Our current facility does not meet needs of the com-munity. This is a $3 million project that will be ready in two to three years. The William Spyropoulos School is one of the top 10 best non-public schools in New York City.”

Fr. Paul is married to Anastasia Top-sidelis, a native of the island of Crete. Their two children, Christos Nikolaos and Maria Kiriaki, are college students.

Photos by D. Panagos

FR. PALESTY, flanked by Presbytera Anastasia, Archdiocesan Chancellor Bishop Savas of Troas, St. Nicholas parish council President Manny Kratsios (far left) and other community leaders and event organizers.


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JACKSON, Miss. – The National Council of Churches announced Nov. 4 that it has launched the Millennium Fund to honor Dr. Elenie K. Huszagh who, as NCC president for 2002-2003, has given leadership during a period of turnaround in the organization’s life.

The Fund, which will undergird the Council’s work into the future, was an-nounced as the NCC’s annual General Assembly, meeting through Nov. 6, got under way.

Dr. Huszagh, an attorney and a promi-nent lay member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, took office at a time when the Council was beginning to recover from a period of crisis.

Long plagued by financial woes that reached the breaking point in 1999, the Council had taken firm steps to stabilize its finances.

During Dr. Huszagh’s term, the Coun-cil balanced its budget, while rebuilding its long-term reserves from approximately $2.5 million to nearly $10 million.

To strengthen other dimensions of the organization’s life, Dr. Huszagh orga-nized a special Council-wide look at its basic nature and purpose.

At her initiative, a Substantive Reflec-tion Task Group (SRTG) met throughout the past two years to stimulate conversa-tion on this topic among representatives of the NCC’s 36 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox member communions.

In-depth discussion occurred at the annual General Assembly, the NCC’s high-est policymaking body, which is composed of 280 delegates chosen by their respec-tive communions, and at the Assembly’s Executive Board.

Together, delegates tested each other’s understanding of “what the NCC is, why they come together in the Council, and what they should be doing,” Huszagh says.

She has likened this conversation to the healing that might take place in a fam-ily that had been stressed and fractured by financial difficulties.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Welsh, top ecu-menical officer of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who chaired the SRTG, says, “Unexpectedly, it was an Orthodox laywoman who, in coming to be president of the Council, named the urgency for us to engage in substantive conversation around foundational issues

Millennium Fund Honors Elenie Huszagh’s Legacy as NCC President

in our ecumenical life together.”A legacy of Elenie Huszagh’s presiden-

cy is a Council “that better understands its core values in shaping its future as a community of faith and faithfulness-to the Gospel and to each other as Christian communions,” Welsh says.

Dr. Huszagh also carried this mes-sage of unity widely in the United States, frequently speaking at assemblies of the Council’s member communions. She was delighted with the “uniformly warm and responsive reception” she received, and with “the serious questions and serious listening” about the theme of Christian unity that was at the center of her visits.

She often made a point of reminding communions that the Council is not an independent entity; rather it is 36 com-munions in a relationship of community. “So in bringing greetings to them from the Council, I was really bringing greetings from themselves,” Dr. Huszagh says.

During her tenure as president, Dr. Huszagh also represented the Council internationally. She co-led a major ecu-menical delegation to the Middle East in the spring of 2002.

At the invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches, the group visited Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Is-rael and Palestine, consulting with high-level church and political leaders. Earlier she visited with the Cuban Council of Churches while in Havana as a guest of the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek embassy there.

Dr. Huszagh received several honors during the past two years, partly in recog-nition of her leadership at the NCC. They include an honorary Doctor of Humani-ties degree from Hellenic College/Greek Orthodox Holy Cross School of Theology, Brookline, Mass; appointment to the Speakers Bureau of the Senate Democratic Leadership Conference on the issues of civil rights and diversity initiatives; being named 2002 Ecumenist of the Year by Ecu-menical Ministries of Oregon; and receiv-ing the University of Chicago 2002 Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.

Dr. Huszagh has represented her communion at the NCC in many capacities over the past 24 years, culminating in her service as president. She has served as a Greek Orthodox delegate to the NCC since 1979, except for the years 1989-1992.

NEW YORK – The Archdiocese De-partment of Greek Education has pub-lished two books that contain a compila-tion of the “Comprehensive Examinations in Modern Greek” of the past 12 years (1991-2002).

The publication of these books was made possible by a grant from the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation.

The books, one for students and the other for teachers, include the original tests from 1991 to 2002, more than 200 communication tasks for students’ oral examination, directions for the adminis-tration of both the written and the oral tests, and all pertinent forms.

An appendix of the most commonly used words, verbs, and phrases and basic grammar and syntax accompanies the student copy.

The “Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek” is a foreign language achievement test that assesses student proficiency in speaking, listening, read-ing, and writing.

Its proficiency level is equivalent to a third-year level of most foreign language courses and is written in accordance with

the specifications of the New York State Education Department.

The material contained in the new publications is appropriate for teaching Modern Greek as a second/foreign lan-guage to students in higher grades.

The new publications are offered free parochial and public school students who are preparing for the Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek in the tri-state area (N.Y., N.J., Conn.) to receive credits in a foreign language. All other community schools are entitled to one set upon request.

In addition to the books, the Greek Education Department has made available the Listening Parts of each Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek (two exami-nations per CD).

These CDs may be used for home study by individual students and by teachers in their classrooms. Although the books are offered gratis, the six CDs are sold for the price of $25 per set, which includes postage and handling.

For more information, or to order the books and CDs, call the Department of Greek Education at 212-570-3552.

New Publications and CD from the Greek Education Department


Archpastoral Reflections

Consider Christ’s Presence in Our MidstThe joyous holiday season now at hand presents us

with two significant occasions that we celebrate as families and as communities: the Feast of the Nativity and the arrival

of the New Year.These festive holidays present us with wonderful op-

portunities to cherish the presence of our loved ones and to consider the perpetual presence of Christ in our midst. They

are also important occasions to consider more closely the important question, “How do our relationships with others reflect the infinite love and everlasting peace of Jesus Christ?”

At the foundation of this question rests our belief as Orthodox Christians that God, the Logos, became flesh

and dwelt among us (John 1:14), that He loved us so much that He became one of us, indelibly imparting His loving presence upon the entirety of creation.

This miraculous triumph of love, the Incarnation, continues to affect us; it continues to hold tremendous practical implications for us in our relationships with others since the presence of the Lord Christ in our midst presents us with a paradigm par excellence of love.

These implications are particularly and clearly seen in situations marked by the presence of conflict or hostility in our relationships. In times where there might be discord or friction in our relationships with members of our family, our friends, our spouses, or our children, we may look to the model that Christ offers to us—a model of overcoming conflict through patience, love, and un-derstanding.

Unfortunately, it is all too simple to turn to argument or to coercive tactics with our loved ones in the face of disagreement; it is far more difficult to cultivate an attitude of respect for the other person, rooted in a genuine commitment to understand him or her.

Yet, it is this latter way of relating to others that is the way of Christ, a way of relating rooted in the knowledge that we are all children of God created in His image and likeness, and that His presence imbues all of our relationships with His pure love and peace.

It is this way of relating to others that God revealed to the world perfectly and innocently in the humble birth of His only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is called Emmanuel [which means, God with us] (Matthew 1:23).

In the face of such an incredible blessing, we are challenged to demonstrate our love for others accordingly; we are called to love others with our whole hearts and minds, to allow our souls to be transformed by the love of Christ.

Relating to others, then, is not a simple task. Rather, it is a methodical spiritual discipline that demands our patience in building up one another in faith and in trust; it is also a challenging undertaking that requires us to be voices of cour-age in the face of conflict, boldly confronting abusive or destructive patterns of behavior, which are contrary to the way of God, wherever they might exist.

These voices of courage are especially appropriate to consider during this season of the New Year, a time that inspires genuine love and goodwill not only amidst families and communities, but also amongst peoples and nations throughout our world.

It is my heartfelt prayer that this spirit of love and goodwill, so clearly made manifest in the birth of Christ, may be with you this and every year, and that your relationships with one another might be elevated toward a lasting realization of the perfect love and peace of our Savior Jesus Christ.

by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of AmericaOffer Thanks through Charitable ActionsEDITORIAL

Editor,Concerning the obituary of Fr. A.

Rizos, from 1978 thru 1980 Fr Rizos was the priest and chaplain for the Orthodox parish community at Hellenikon Air Base, Athens, Greece.

We had about 40-50 families. We were composed of Greek-American airmen and soldiers assigned to the base and the great-er Athens area. We also had Americans of Orthodox faith assigned to the foreign service, JUSMAAG, USIS, NATO, and the U.S. embassy.

A large segment of our community was composed of American G.I .s who married Greek women and were raising their families Greek Orthodox. We needed a priest fluent in English and familiar with our American culture. Fr. Rizos filled the bill and was our chaplain and priest, rec-

Editor,This November we observe and re-

member the 40th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death. Though Presi-dent Kennedy was in office little more than 1,000 days, he drove home to Americans the concept of excellence and achieve-ment in all endeavors of life.

Achievements including the Alliance for Progress, the Peace Corps, his civil rights agenda and the space program en-deared Mr. Kennedy to the citizens of this great republic. President Kennedy did not serve in office as long as many other men, but in his short tenure, he articulated the concerns of the less fortunate and the problems of the young. His charisma and image launched numerous men and women into political careers with the feel-ing of unlimited possibility. His beautiful rhetoric, drawing on history, philosophy and responsibility, drove thousands of young people into careers such as teach-ing and the Peace Corps.

He will remain forever a symbol of the great possibilities that can be achieved by men and women with an eye toward excellence. We will remember President Kennedy not for what he accomplished in his short life, but for what he expected of those who came after him.

For many of us, Nov. 22, 1963, be-came a date by which we would measure our achievements and failures.

John MicklosBaltimore, Md.

u Kennedy Influence t

u Another Potter View tEditorI am writing to you on account of the

“Harry Potter” book review in the Septem-ber edition of the Orthodox Observer. I was greatly disturbed to find that Miss Kiri-fides, like many other adults and children has been tricked into believing that Harry Potter is purely a harmless fantasy.

On the contrary, the Harry Potter

anything written before the existence of Christianity, including Greek mythology, drama and the Iliad and the Odyssey, all of which could be said promote pagan-ism and idolatry (and wasn’t Circe, who changed Ulysses’ men into pigs, a witch?). A little over a hundred years ago, L. Frank Baum wrote a series of popular fantasy books that inspired the creation of the 1939 classic film “Wizard of Oz.” It also deals with witches and sorcery, but its deeper meaning of the importance of home and family are what have struck a chord with generation after generation of viewers. Also deserving banning would be the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, with their very dark themes. Much more than literature in the fiction and fantasy genre, is the far greater danger to young people in this generation presented by films and television programs that are mark-edly anti-Christian, including MTV. And for someone such as yourself beginning your high school career, many required readings in high school and college very subtly try to subvert Christian morals. One book that has been banned from many of our nation’s secondary schools, which is

THE most important book one can read, is the Holy Bible. Being well-versed in God’s teachings through the Bible will keep one focused on the faith, and put everything else into perspective. - editor

books open to the unsuspecting reader the alluring, yet extremely dangerous world of the occult, shrouding the seriousness of magic and witchcraft (“Satan worship”) under the veil of fun and games.

In 1999 the author, J.K. Rowling, even admitted that more than one third of her books were based on actual occult prac-tices. Hasn’t God clearly told us from the very beginning that witchcraft, wizardry and all occult practices are an abomina-tion to him? Deut. 18:10-12 states, “There shall not be found among you any one who practices divination, is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necroman-cer. For whoever does these things, is an abomination to the LORD.”

It amazes me why we even contem-plate this matter, as the scriptures plainly instruct us as to what God expects from us. The very fact that such a review could be written by an Orthodox Christian, clearly shows that Rowling’s trap is one of great deception.

As Orthodox Christians, we need to remove these books from our schools, and take them away from our children, because God expects nothing less.

Anysia DumontNinth-grade student

Livermore, Calif.

Your awareness of biblical admoni-tions about witchcraft and sorcery is highly commendable, but the real themes of this fantasy series are good triumphing over evil, the importance of friendships and family. If you were to read J.K. Rowling’s biography by Connie Ann Kirk, you would learn that among the literary influences on her career are J.R.R. Tolkein, who also wrote a popular fantasy series, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, along with 19th century authors Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. If Ms. Rowling’s books should be condemned and banned, then so should many other works, especially

u Remebering Fr. Rizos t

In November and December we observe the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, which give us oppor-tunities to pause and give thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us and that we often take for granted, especially for the gift of His Son.

Our secular-minded society, how-ever, has all but ignored the reasons for these holidays, and has turned them into a day of gluttony and secular pursuits.

In addition to giving sincere thanks to God, we also call to mind the first thanksgiving celebration of the first immigrants to the New World, and the gratitude that all subsequent im-migrants have felt at having arrived in a country where they can be free.

We indulge in the turkey and stuff-ing, or lamb, and other side dishes, but we should also remember those have not had such a festive occasion, includ-ing fellow Orthodox Christians around the world but also our fellow human beings in our own communities, who may or may not be Orthodox.

Jesus makes it a point in His Min-istry to emphasize we should concern ourselves with the poor. He himself was

born in a humble stable. He has called upon us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick or those in prison.

We can do this in a number of ways, such as through support of orga-nizations that include the International Orthodox Christian Charities and other humanitarian organizations.

The National Philoptochos is an-other conduit through which we can offer support. Their annual Children’s Medical Fund drive has successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dol-lars to help Greek Orthodox children afflicted with life-threatening illnesses and diseases.

Locally, many parishes operate or participate in community programs such as soup kitchens, clothing drives or offering shelter to those in need.

Thanksgiving provides us with a festive day in our lives, but we have to think of how to make the lives of others less fortunate more festive.

Through direct action, we can ex-press our gratitude to God by minister-ing to those who are less fortunate.

May you have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.


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THE DIVINE LITURGY CDby THE BYZANTINE CHORALE, Frank Desby, Conductor

ognized by the USAF.We held our services in the base

movie theater every Sunday, prior to the 12 o’clock movie. We used a type folding Iconostasis, we hung icons and we received special permission to have candles in the lobby.

But the rock of our community and our spiritual leader was Fr. Rizos. He was always available for guidance, confession and counseling.

Although retired from the active priesthood in the states he never the less was honored and held in highest esteem by all officers and airmen assigned to the base for his outstanding contributions to the Greek-American community.

I had a wonderful relationship with Fr. Rizos and Presbytera Panagiota. One time I represented the U.S. ambassador at a military affair on the island of Skia-thos, where Fr. Rizos had a home and was conducting the welcome and invocation ceremony. As usual father was a credit to the Orthodox priesthood, to the U.S. and to himself.

I was saddened to read of his death, I and many other military assigned to Ath-ens will always remember his kindness and assistance.

Col. Stanley G. Maratos USAF (Ret.)Former USAF attaché

to the US Embassy in AthensTreasure Island , Fla.

Abounding in Thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7)

To 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 Day and Afternoon Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America,

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, a magnificent occasion when the people of our country gather as families and as communities to thank God for His tremendous blessings.

Thanksgiving Day is a very important holiday in that it is expressive of feelings and thoughts that acknowledge and affirm God as the ultimate source of all goodness. Thus, Thanksgiving is unique among our other national holidays, resonating very distinctly with our Orthodox Christian theology.

The early colonists and indigenous peoples of this land, by inaugurating this day of celebration and praise, bequeathed to us an important tradition that has now be-come a national day of sacred significance. Though their history may be distinct from ours, we have in turn rightfully appropriated the Thanksgiving Day celebrations of our country to our own traditions.

We feel the need to repeat the words of the Psalmist, It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your loving kind-ness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night (Psalms 92:1-2).

Indeed on this important day we thank God for many blessings, but most of all we thank God for the precious gift of life that He has bestowed upon us, and for our capacity to celebrate this tremendous gift with others.

As Greek Orthodox Christians in parishes throughout America, we are called to grow in our awareness of the magnitude of this blessing, and to cultivate in our hearts always a conscious gratitude for the miracle of life, especially on this holiday.

In the time that follows the Thanksgiving Feast, our ministry to others is a reflec-tion of our continual gratitude to God for the gift of life; it is the means by which we translate our gratitude for Him into actions that aim at enhancing and improving the quality of life for all people.

One manner by which we demonstrate this commitment is by directly participat-ing with others in public events and gatherings that affirm the preciousness of life. Such gatherings draw men and women together from all walks of life in a common labor for the progress of human health and well-being and are, in a very real sense, events that emphasize the value of the gift of life, the source of which is our loving and merciful God.

As such, they are true demonstrations of thanksgiving, and ones in which we should be continually participating in order to celebrate life with one another and to express our gratitude as Orthodox Christians to our Creator, who created everyone in His perfect image and likeness.

As you gather with your loved ones during this holiday season, worshiping to-gether in your parishes, and feasting with one another in your homes, I pray that you may all grow in your awareness of the tremendous gifts and blessings which God has bestowed upon each and every one of you, the most basic and precious of which is the miraculous gift of life which we are called to cherish, safeguard, and give thanks for each day of our earthly lives.

May God bless you and your families on this wonderful Day of Thanksgiving, and may God bless America.

Feast of Thanksgiving

†Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America

With paternal love in Christ,

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Easy on Sunday Mornings

“I don’t know about your house but in my household Sunday morn-ings are chaotic!

Can you offer any suggestions as to how I can get my children ready for church in a timely fashion and without so much disorder?”

by Fr. Constantine Sitaras

Family CareCONCERNS & IS SUES Family Care

This is perhaps one of the most asked questions of me. Parents tell me how Sun-day mornings are chaotic. It doesn’t seem to matter how early the parents wake up to get everyone ready for church, there always seems to be turmoil.

The call for help has come from parents of all ages. Even when younger children are easy to get ready on Sunday morning, some in their pre-teen and ado-lescent years become troublesome.

Indeed, this was the situation in my own home.

It isn’t very clear to me why this happens in what seems to be quite a few families, often I think that the evil one in-terferes and causes disruption when our intentions are to seek God.

Let’s not look for blame but rather look towards being resolute with our goal of family worship within the family of our Lord, which is His Church.

When dealing with younger children, don’t give up on getting ready and going to church. Create a routine.

The night before set the clothes out for yourself and your children. Let them know what they will be wearing. Explain to them that tomorrow is Sunday and that you will go to church as a family – make certain you do go. Again, explain the morning routine. The time everyone will wake up. What you will do; what happens at the Divine Liturgy; and what plans, if any, there are for after church.

A large part of sharing in the Divine Liturgy is the fellowship with each other within the parish and being part of a community. Yes, the friends we make in Jesus Christ because of our common faith experience are very meaningful.

Remember, if your children are very young establish evening and morning routines getting ready for church and stick to them. Be gentle but firm and al-ways loving. Consistent behavior and pat-terns are very important, children need to know what to expect and consequences of their behavior.

If your child is a pre-teen or teen-ager they may rebel against the status quo life-style of your family. This is a difficult time for youngsters and their parents.

This age of “in between” childhood and adulthood can cause a great deal of distress on a family. Children have the need to develop their own value system as independent people.

Hopefully, it will be our own Orthodox Christian value system. It has been my ex-perience that this process, though difficult and trying for both parents and teens, is a growth opportunity that ends up being most beneficial in the life of the teen.

It is, at times, an unavoidable neces-sary part of growing up. Certainly attending church and making a commitment to one’s faith is part of that growth experience.

It helps if the teen has friends and looks forward to seeing them and being with them at church. Ideally you want your children to look forward to going to church, to fasting, and praying, and to preparing to receive Holy Communion. For some and hopefully for many families this is the reality. My suspicion is that for quite a few it is not.

What to do? First of all hang in there and be patient, calm and respectful. Teens can be obnoxious in their behavior and their attitude.

Be firm and consistent with some flexibility. Some things for you may be negotiable.

If children grow up going to church on a regular basis, the probabilities are good

they will continue to do so in their adult life. They need to come to that on their own. Even if we try to force them in the long run they will do what they want.

Oh yes, keep them in your prayers. Parents’ prayers are very powerful.

Within our St. Basil Academy com-munity, the children have learned to be at church on time and to participate.

For the most part, they are attentive and fairly well behaved. There is on oc-casion a youngster (usually a teen-ager) who will excuse himself and go to the bathroom or sit when they should stand.

It’s called being passive and teens can be masters of this behavior, which is intended, I think, to torment their par-ents. They do cause stress to us adults but calmly addressing the behavior and the is-

sue of respect does much more good than “yelling and screaming” at them.

Staff knows that they are teaching healthy behaviors by their actions. Be pa-tient and hang in because it does get better. We have seen the fruits of our efforts at St. Basil. It takes time but there is success.

My own son was a teen-ager with a pretty strong personality. He is now in his second year of graduate school and living in a different city away from home.

I asked him “ Why did you torment us about going to church on Sunday mornings when you were a teen-ager?”

He said, “It’s not that I didn’t want to go to church, Dad, it’s just that I didn’t want to do anything. I wanted to sleep in and do nothing. Besides, I go to church now as an adult. You should be pleased about that.”

Needless to say I am. There is hope.Is it easy on Sunday mornings at your

house? Hopefully it is, if it isn’t, know that it can improve.

Behaviors of children can change for the better. It takes patience, guidance, a sound plan and prayer most important of all. If we are committed to being Ortho-dox Christians and to raising our families as Orthodox Christians then one of our goals might be: “going to church is easy on Sunday mornings.”

Following are some practical sug-gestions:

• Set up evening and Sunday morn-ing routines.

• Lay out your children’s clothes the night before.

• Prepare them for the morning plan of family activities.

• Please, be consistent, calm and flex-ible but firm.

• Pray.• Remember, there is hope – just con-

tinue to do what needs to be done.

Fr. Sitaras is executive director of St. Basil Academy.


A blessed Christmas to all,

Serving Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America

T oday the Virgin gives birth

To the One Who is above all existence,

The earth offers a cave

To the One Whom no one can approach;

Angels join with shepherds in giving glory,

And magi journey in the company of a star

For to us is born a little Child –

The eternal God.

Romanos the Melodist, Kontakion on the Nativity

NEW YORK – The Holy and Scared Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has decided to transfer the Parish of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of the Bahamas, which has been under the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Panama and Central America to the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Bahamas Parish under the Jurisdiction of GOA

Applications will be available for the Katina John Malta Scholarship Fund, a new scholarship program established at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America by means of a generous gift from the estate of Katina John Malta.

The donation and the formation of the scholarship program has been done in recognition of the love Katina had for the Church and in honor of the desire she had to help others, especially children and youth.

For the 2004-05 academic year, two scholarships will be awarded in the amounts of $2,000 for each scholarship. Selection of the recipients will be based on the following criteria:

Candidates must:• Be of the Eastern Orthodox faith

(within a jurisdiction of the member Churches of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas – SCOBA), and at the time of application, high school seniors or full-time matriculated students committed to serious study in a degree-earning program at an accredited college or university. Can-didates must also be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

• Be firmly planning to commence or continue attendance at the college or university of their choice in the next academic year.

• Provide evidence to the Scholarship Committee of scholastic standing, includ-ing transcript records with a grade level of at least a B, 85 percent or 3.0 averages.

• Provide a typewritten one-page es-

say setting forth the reason for applying for the award and include as enclosures one Letter of Recommendation, as well as a Letter of Acceptance or Continua-tion from their undergraduate college or university.

• High school seniors must have achieved and must provide proof of a combined SAT score of 1,000. If the SAT is not administered, another measure used by the academic community should be substituted.

• Must submit their application to the Scholarship Committee. At the discretion of the committee, the candidate may be interviewed in person or by telephone.

• Provide evidence of financial need. Preference will be given to candidates who are orphans and to those who are undertaking studies in the sciences, busi-ness and the arts.

• Provide a copy of their federal in-come tax statement or of their parents if a dependent.

Applications are available from the Office of the Chancellor, by phone (212) 774-0513, e-mail at [email protected], or by written request.

Requests and completed applications should be sent to the Malta Scholarship Fund – c/o Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – Office of the Chancellor – 8 East 79th Street – New York, NY 10021. Deadline for submitting applications is April 15.

Applications are also available on-line at: http://www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/administration/chancellor/maltascholarship.pdf

Katina John Malta Scholarship Applications Available

Gioles Scholarships Applications for 2004-05 Scholarship applications from the

George and Naouma (Gioule) Gioles Scholarship Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will be available after Jan. 1.

The Gioles Scholarship Fund was es-tablished in 1997 with a generous gift in memory of George and Naouma Gioles. At least three scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded for the 2004-05 academic year. Selection of the recipients will be based on the following criteria:

Candidates must be of the Greek Orthodox faith (with preference to those of Greek descent) and must be high school seniors at time of application or full-time matriculated students commit-ted to serious study in an undergraduate degree program at an accredited college or university.

Candidates must also be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States and also meet the following re-quirements:

• Plan to attend or plan on continuing their studies at the college or university of their choice in the next academic year.

• Provide required evidence to the Scholarship Committee of scholastic standing, including transcript records with a grade level of at least a B, 85 percent or 3.0 average.

• High school seniors must have achieved and must provide proof of a com-bined SAT minimum score of 1,000. If the SAT is not administered, another measure used by the academic community should be substituted.

• Submit an application to the Schol-arship Committee and be available for an interview at the Committee’s discretion.

• Provide evidence of financial need. Preference will be given to candidates who are orphans and to those who are undertaking studies in the sciences, busi-ness and the arts, with one scholarship reserved for a candidate who has chosen to study journalism.

Applications are available from the Of-fice of the Chancellor of the Greek Ortho-dox Archdiocese by calling (212) 774-0513, by e-mail at scholarships @goarch.org , or by written request.

Requests and completed applications should be sent to the Gioles Scholarship Fund – c/o Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – Office of the Chancellor – 8 East 79th Street – New York, NY 10021. Deadline for submitting applications is April 15.

Applications are also available on-line at: http://www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/administration/chancellor/giolesscholarship.pdf .

S C H O L A R S H I P S


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GARRISON, N.Y. – For many Greek Or-thodox youth and adults visiting St. Basil Academy, the experience is an opportunity to appreciate nature and what they have.

On a typical weekend, especially in the fall, groups of children from communities from the northeast and other parts of the country come to St. Basil’s for retreats, where they can go hiking, engage in sports activities and in the process learn about one

Many Groups Benefit from St. Basil Academy

IT’S NOT Niagara Falls, but this waterfall in the woods at St. Basil Academy was an impressive sight for this group from Long Island.

SUNDAY SCHOOL children and Goyans from Merrick gather in the chapel for a presentation by Harry Theodore, administrative assistant at St. Basil’s, about this ministry of the Archdiocese.

Photos by Orthodox Observer

of the Archdiocese’s important ministries.Fr. Constantine Sitaras, execu-

tive director, said groups have come to the academy in recent weeks from Rochester, N.Y., Fairview, N.J., As-toria, N.Y., and Fayetteville, N.C.

Area Scout groups participate in a weekend camporee sponsored by the East-ern Orthodox Committee on Scouting.

Adult groups also come to the fa-cility to hold retreats. Recently, Philop-tochos members from Worcester and

Clinton, Mass., have been among the church groups spending time there.

The Philoptochos Society has long been the staunchest supporter of the Acad-emy, dating to the 1940s, when the National Philoptochos purchased the site for use as an orphanage. It is no longer an orphan-age, but serves as a home-away-from-home for children who experience hardship.

One recent retreat was held Nov.

1, with about 70 Sunday school and GOYA members and parents from St. Demetrios Church in Merrick, N.Y.

After their 2-1⁄2-hour bus ride, the group assembled at the St. Basil Chapel to start their day out with a prayer led by their pastor, Fr. Nikiforos Fakinos.

The group then received a wel-come from Harry Theodore, admin-istrative assistant at St. Basil’s who briefed them about the Academy and the children who reside there. He also

held a question-and-answer session.Afterward, the group was treated

to a chicken and pork souvlaki lunch.Upstate New York in late October

and early November is awash in bril-liant color as the leaves begin to fall, carpeting the woodlands of the region.

The St. Demetrios group experi-enced the joy of autumn as Fr. Niki-foros led them on a hike through the Academy’s woods along Indian Brook to a small, but impressive waterfall. The hikers had to traverse some slippery, steep terrain and some of the city folks turned back before reaching the falls.

Returning to St. Basil’s main grounds, the young people had the op-portunity to interact with many of the children of the academy, playing bas-ketball, street hockey and softball until late afternoon when it was time to leave.

Fr. Nikiforos said of the visit, “It was

an unforgettable experience of Christian fellowship and we really loved the time that was spent with the advisors and the students at the academy; and the games, retreat activities, and discussions we shared.

“The hike, especially, was a per-fect opportunity for religious instruc-tion,” he said. “Just like hiking, in life itself we have to watch where we’re going and have to avoid the obstacles and temptations that surround us.”

Many young adults also enjoy the benefits of the Academy in various ways in-cluding volunteering to work with the chil-dren or helping with renovation projects.

The next major event to take place at St. Basil’s will be the annual Christmas program on Dec. 20, highlighted by a visit from Archbishop Demetrios. The children of the academy will perform an original play, “The Unseen Gift,”

The play will take place in the gym beginning at 11 a.m., Fr. Sitaras said.


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CHICAGO – Each Christmas the Metropolis of Chicago and the Chicago area ecumenical community celebrate a Christmas open house event at the Metropolis House.

The house gleams with bright Christmas lights and deco-rations, and delicious refreshments prepared and served by the Metropolis Philoptochos.

Carolers sing at the front door as Metropolitan Iakovos greets and blesses every visitor.

CHICAGO

Traditional Christmas Open House

Pittsburgh – Each Christmas, on or near the feast day of St. Stephen the Protomartyr and Archdeacon, Metropolis clergy-families gather for Divine Liturgy, fellowship, and to share their thoughts on the responsibility as today’s devout servants (deacons) of the Lord.

Metropolitan Maximos celebrates the Divine Liturgy in the Metropolis Chapel of St. Photios the Great. Later in the afternoon, the group gathers to enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our Metropolis Philoptochos. The children lis-ten attentively to the Metropolitan’s Christmas stories, and sing and chant traditional Christmas carols in both English and Greek.

Each year our Metropolis family grows with new chil-dren, and new clergy-families. Metropolitan Maximos is personally vested in the children’s overall happiness and spiritual development and growth as he and the children share a common bond of being P.K.s (priests’ kids).

PITTSBURGH

Clergy-FamilyChristmas Gathering

Every year, Metropoli-tan Methodios welcomes children to the Metropolis Center to decorate the Christmas tree. They chant the Christmas hymns, the kalanda and carols, exchange gifts, and enjoy refreshments and fellowship.

Whether they are Goy-ans, members of JOY, or members of the Metropolis dance troop, the young people have the opportunity to interact with Metropolitan Methodios.

Another Christmas tree is placed in the Philoxenia House of the Metropolis.

This is an annual tradi-tion undertaken by the Goy-ans of the St. Nectarios parish in Roslindale.

The Goyans bring the tree to the residence, deco-rate it with ornaments, sing and chant seasonal hymns and carols and visit with the guests who are so far away from home.

BOSTONChristmas

with Children

METROPOLITAN METHODIOS with members of the Metropolis Dance Troupe following the decoration of the Christmas tree in the Metropolis Center.

DUNLAP, Calif. – St. Nicholas Ranch Conference and Retreat Center launched a major fund-raising initiative Dec. 6 in honor of its 25th anniversary. The program was designed to coincide with the feast day of St. Nicholas, and was entitled “Renewal 25.” The goal is to raise $100,000 for renovations and improvements to the Ranch’s facilities over the period from Dec. 6, 2003, to Dec. 6, 2004.

On Dec. 11, a benefit dinner was held at Ascension Cathedral in Oakland to un-veil the new program. The dinner, titled “An Evening in December for St. Nicholas Ranch,” featured a Lenten dinner, and Christmas music by the University of Cali-

fornia Berkeley Chorale.Metropolitan Anthony spoke about the

history of the ranch, followed by a presen-tation about the new Renewal 25 program by the ranch’s executive director, Fr. Paul Schroeder.

St. Nicholas Ranch was founded in 1979, and has served since then as the official confer-ence and retreat center of the Metropolis of San Francisco. In August, the Monastery of the Theotokos the Life-Giving Spring was officially opened on the grounds of the ranch.

Fro more information about St. Nicho-las Ranch or the Renewal 25 program, call (559) 338-2103, or visit the Ranch’s website at www.stnicholasranch.org.

SAN FRANCISCOSt. Nicholas Ranch “Renewal 25” Program

Begins Christmas Season

DETROIT – For the past three years, the Metropolis of Detroit has sponsored a Christmas pageant for the faithful in early December.

Metropolitan Nicholas began this tradi-tion in order to give people a way of coming together in the spirit of love, peace and joy that the birth of our Savior brings to all the world. It also has been a means by which the Metropolis can give something beautiful as a gift to the faithful.

Each year, the young people from the Me-tropolis are encouraged to take a part in the play portion of the pageant. The play changes each year, as does the host parish – giving the children an opportunity to do something new and giving the people a chance to visit other communities. The children also participate in the tree decorating and lighting ceremony that opens the pageant.

Along with the children’s play, a mixed choir from the Metropolis practices with dedication and vigor, providing a beautiful choral presentation. This year, for the first

DETROITMetropolis Sponsors Pageant

time, a youth choir will also sing some favorite Christmas carols. The children and the choir members work hard over a period of many weeks to give the people of the Metropolis this special gift during the Christmas season.

Metropolitan Nicholas has made it a beautiful tradition to give at random a gold cross to one youth who participates in the pageant as well as one member of the choir. Also, the young people make little gift bags for all those in at-tendance.

By offering this pageant and the gifts of Metropolitan Nicholas, the Metropolis of Detroit makes it possible for the faithful to come together as a community to cele-brate the joyful and glorious birth of Jesus Christ and to give to the faithful something from the heart of the Metropolis.


ATLANTA – Metro-politan Alexios encour-ages us to celebrate the Christmas season, the birth of our Lord with a much anticipated winter event for parish families within the eight states of the Metropolis of Atlanta.

What began as a small group of parishes gathering together for fellowship, spiritual nourishment and ath-letics has blossomed into an event that in-volves over 600 Goyans and their advisors from nearly 20 parishes in the Metropolis of Atlanta.

Every year immediately following Christmas we come together in a retreat setting for four days of worship, athletics in the form of basketball and volleyball, a Bible Bowl tournament and great fel-lowship.

This Winter Youth Rally 2003 our Or-thodox Theme is “Claiming Your Faith.” Each church community will bring a banner depicting this theme and a great spirit of excitement in fellowship and sports. Bible Bowl questions will involve the sacraments and each team has spent hours studying and preparing.

This year a new addition will be an opportunity for our young adults to share their talent of song and music with all of us.

The advisors, coaches and parents welcome this opportunity to share their Christmas time with their extended fam-

ATLANTAYouth, Education and Hellenic Culture

ily in Christ, the many parishes of the Metropolis.

The spirit of community framed within Orthodox ethos and fellowship is a weekend of sharing with youth.

Every year the Goyans are inspired with the message Metropolitan Alexios shares with his spiritual children. He en-courages them to grow in Christ and to increase their circle of friends during the Winter Youth Rally.

He challenges them to claim and ap-ply their Orthodox faith not only during the Christmas Season but in all they do. Special guest speakers join us every year to enlighten us with respect to the faith, Hellenic College, Ionian Village and St. Stephen Metropolis Camp.

Visit the Metropolis website: www.at lanta .goarch/youthsi te /winteryouthrally.htm for more informa-tion and a gallery of pictures of all the Goyans.

The Metropolis of New Jersey cel-ebrated its first annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony Dec. 9 with Metropoli-tan Evangelos of New Jersey hosting the event.

Many clergy and their families, along with guests from the Pan-Gregorian Associ-ation, the Metropolis Ladies Philoptochos Society and the Metropolitan’s staff were in attendance.

The evening was filled with the warmth of family togetherness, begin-ning with a Troparion hymn of St. John Chrysostom (the patron saint of the Metropolis) being sung along with other prayers, followed by the lighting of the Christmas tree.

The afternoon Greek School boys from the parish of St. Demetrios, Union, N.J. entertained the gathering with the singing of the kalanda.

Metropolitan Evangelos greeted ev-eryone with his warm and gracious words and thanked all those who worked so hard in making the evening come to fruition.

Children presented Nativity orna-ments and six-year-old Gabrielle Rafael, daughter of Fr. Nicholas and Presbytera Olga Rafael, presented Metropolitan Evangelos with a stocking ornament she made herself.

The Metropolitan gave each child a stocking stuffed with gifts. Giving thanks to God through prayer, along with a gath-ering of love and fellowship, good food and festive decorations, allowed for a truly successful evening.

Metropolitan Evangelos prays that all Greek Orthodox communities here and abroad have a blessed, holy, peaceful and joyous Christmas, with a safe and healthy New Year.

NEW JERSEY

First Tree-Lighting Ceremony

DENVER – The annual Christmas Or-nament Exchange was held this year on Saturday evening, Dec. 6, and brought to-gether nearly 400 ladies from St. Catherine and the Assumption Cathedral.

All of this was to benefit the Champa House – a long-term transitional housing program of the Denver Rescue Mission. Champa House is located in Denver.

They provide assistance for one to two years to single mothers with chil-dren 12 years and younger, giving them spiritual guidance, family leadership and vocational direction.

The Ornament Exchange was started several years ago by the Philoptochos of St. Catherine and held for the first time in the parish’s newly built gymnasium/church hall.

Thirty-nine ladies decorated beautiful tables, each serving as the hostess of their table. Each of the ladies attending brought an ornament to exchange with one anoth-er and a gift for the women and children of Champa House. Guest speakers were Kris Shapiro, director of Champa House, and

Angie Davis, one of the residents.Angie, an unwed mother of two,

inspired all with her personal testimony of the blessings given to her and her chil-dren by our Lord through the support of Champa House. She was once a high school dropout and drug user, now clean; a recipient of a G.E.D. and she just com-pleted her first semester of college near the top of her class.

Both speakers expressed their appre-ciation for the many gifts given to them by the Philoptochos ladies. The nearly 400 gift bags of toiletries and useful personal items are used by the women and children throughout the year.

Frs. Louis Christopulos and Paul Fedec from St. Catherine and Fr. Apostolos Hill from Assumption Cathedral blessed the evening on behalf of Metropolitan Isa-iah who has attended the event regularly, but was visiting another parish.

Chairmen were Phyllis Kennebeck, Elaine McCoy and Vivian Bouzarelis. Val-erie Ranahosseini is St. Catherine Philop-tochos president.

DENVER

An Ornament Exchange Tradition

Co-ChairsPhyllis Kennebeckand Elaine McCoy

with the 400gift bags

offeredto the women

and childrenof Champa House

The Archdiocesan Youth Choir gave a Christmas Concert at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, Dec. 7. A Reception followed at the adjacent Cathedral Center.

D. PANAGOS

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

http://www.atlanta.goarch/youthsite/winteryouthrally.htm

http://www.atlanta.goarch/youthsite/winteryouthrally.htm


There is no place like home during the Christmas - Epiphany season. While crowded subway cars, lined with standing gift carriers, rumble beneath the frosted pavement, holiday flyers frantically search airport labyrinths for parking.

Going Home For Christmas?

by Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Laundry-toting students board free-way stagecoaches, not to mention count-less midnight rails, which stop at every town along the way. Even late afternoon pigeons appear to follow young families walking hastily along their familiar holiday paths.

Whatever the case, the Nativity season always seems to activate in all of us an inner instinct . . . an unavoidable desire to go home.

Numerous hymns chanted during the Nativity cycle allude to mankind’s inner need to return to our spiritual home. “Let us celebrate the forefeast of the Nativity,” insists a hymn chanted on Christmas Eve, “let us go home to Bethlehem in spirit raising our minds on high!”

In yet another hymn of the Forefeast, the purpose of Christ’s Nativity is described as God’s search for His wandering sheep, who, we are told, “became exiles (with-out a home) because of transgression.” “O Supreme God,” humbly petitions the Church, “through Your infinite love make me a citizen of the heavenly homeland!” The hymns link the images of home and Bethlehem with to the Garden of Eden for, in truth, Eden, according to Orthodox theology, is the primordial source of all our homecoming urges!

As such, Jesus is born in order to “open to us the gates of Paradise.”

Mankind has been going home for Christmas since the ordering of the Ro-man census by the Emperor Augustus.

Toady, the holiday census has become synonymous with those familiar sights and sounds that unwrap semi-forgotten memories of childhood surprises.

Images of melting snowmen and swift sled rides down community commons even now send chills down aging backs. While all of us travel home for Christmas, if only in our dreams, we might pause to reflect beneath our tinsel-twinkling pines for a Child resting amid a foil and ribbon clad manger . . . for a Child who left His Father to sojourn among wanders who knew Him not nor knew exactly why the longed for home!

Such is the inner musing of mysta-gogy . . . the proper form of Orthodox Christian education. Mystagogy empha-sizes a lifelong process whereby baptized Christians grow in the image and likeness of God through an active participation of the liturgical services of the Church. While catechesis is often characterized as scholastic, focusing on dogmatic and theological principles, mystagogy draws attention to the integration of these ideas through experience-oriented religious participation. The underlying basis of all mystagogical experience, therefore, is our dependence on the Holy Spirit, the True Educator of the Faith!

While Catechesis is, at best, a paral-lel activity of the Church that focuses on the comprehension of the content of our Faith, mystagogy is capable of uniting the content of our Faith with its charismatic center, thereby correcting the tendency of reducing our spiritual life to mere intel-lectual analysis. “We offer You, O Lord, something better than taxes and money,” insists a hymn sung during the Orthros service of Christmas, “rightful theology expressed in hymns and verse.” This, in

short, captures the essence of mystagogy which unites liturgical experience with religious knowledge!

The mystagogical goal of the Nativity-Epiphany liturgical cycle is the discovery that our soul’s desire to return home can only be satisfied by Christ. Our contem-porary homecomings are profoundly sig-nificant and, create “teachable moments,” whenever we liturgically muse upon those who had gathered at Bethlehem two mil-lennia ago.

He who had His birth in Bethlehem at a time when every Roman subject was returning home to register in the village of their family origin, also desires to be born anew in the hearts of men and women!

For what would it if Christ was a born a thousand times in the historically reduced Bethlehem of our mind and never in the manger of our souls?

The mystagogical message of the Na-tivity hymns is clear! Christmas is more than historical reenactment. It embraces more than even our theological prescrip-tions can accommodate. It is not enough to come home to freshly-spiked eggnog and to toast the good old memories of Christmases past. It is not enough to re-turn home where we friends and family have gathered. It is not enough to attend photo-op Christmas pageants without experiencing the Nativity of Christ, the Incarnation, as a divine invitation to re-turn home to Him!

All other homecomings should find their announcement from this eternal clarion. It is only be gathering our fami-lies around the mystagogical experience of Christmas and Epiphany that we truly come home!

While God was compelled to expel our progenitors from Eden and to pun-

ish them for their sin, He, nonetheless, promised them a redeemer (Gen 3:15) born from a woman’s seed.

During this exile He who had all re-sources of the Universe at His command chose to commune with those He loved by personal visitation. He frequently visited Abraham to prepare him to become the father of a great nation. He visited Moses through a burning bush.

In the darkness of night He visited a young boy named Samuel, calling him to become a prophet unto his people. Finally, He visited the prophet Isaiah and gave him a revelation of the coming Re-deemer. Thus, the entire Old testament is a glow with vivid accounts of divine visita-tion through which the Almighty called, encouraged, rebuked and delivered His people.

The nativity of Christ, however, is much more than any previous visitation.

According to patristic literature, the incarnation, God’s most specific visita-tion, His bodily appearance, was always in God’s scheme. According to St. Atha-nasios, the Incarnation had a three-fold purpose “to reveal himself, to conquer death, and to restore life.”

Through Jesus, therefore, the overall restoration of His creation is accomplished and mankind is invited to return to their primordial home where everlasting com-munion with God is possible. “ is the reason,” writes St. Gregory of Nazianzen, “for generation and the virgin, for the manger and Bethlehem; the generation on behalf of creation, the virgin on behalf of the woman (Eve), Bethlehem because of Eden, and the manger because of the garden.”

The Holy Fathers of the early Church unanimously observed this homecoming

u page 24


WASHINGTON – AHEPA has recently donated $36,000 to St. Basil Academy in Garrison, N.Y., for new windows to the boys’ dormitory.

“We are overjoyed to make this contribution to St. Basil Academy,” said Supreme President A. Jack Georgalas. “We take pride in knowing that we are helping the academy fulfill its mission to the youngsters who entrust their futures in St. Basil’s.”

James A. Poll, chairman of AHEPA’s St. Basil Academy Committee, presented the donation to Fr. Constantine L. Sita-ras, St. Basil Academy’s executive direc-tor, in October.

“Our children have a deep sense of pride and appreciation for the support of our AHEPA,” said Fr. Sitaras. “The AHEPA family is a part of a real, vital, life-trans-forming mission.”

AHEPA Gives $36,000to St. Basil’s for New Windows

The AHEPA family’s history of chari-table giving to the Academy is well docu-ment and includes more than $1.8 million for construction of dormitories and the school building.

James A. Poll presents Fr. Sitaras with a check.

Philadelphia HUC to Honor Archbishop Iakovos

Hellenic University Club of Phila-delphia will present its 2004 Achieve-ment Award to Archbishop Iakovos, former head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America and spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox in the Western Hemisphere from 1959 to 1996.

His Eminence will be honored at the 64th annual dinner dance on Sat-urday, Feb. 7, at the Hyatt Regency, at Penn’s Landing.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Archbishop Iakovos broke new ground by introducing the Orthodox Church into the global ecumenical movement for Christian unity and supporting dialog among different faiths. He advanced education for Orthodox youth through the Holy Cross Seminary and Hellenic College and grew the number of parishes in America. “The efforts of His Eminence resulted in recognition of our religion and our cultural heritage in the United States,” said Steven N. Fooskas, Hel-lenic University Club president.

On Aug. 18, Foulie Psalidas-Perl-mutter Ph.D., Achievement Award Committee chairman and committee members, Judge George Koudelis and

John S. Vodantis and with Fr. Anasta-sius C. Bandy met with the 92-year-old Archbishop, who they described as a spiritual experience.

His Eminence, who no longer accepts honors having already numer-ous national and international awards and more than 40 honorary degrees, agreed to this exception, Dr. Perlmutter said, “because of our intellectual goals, the thriving scholarship fund - about $20,000 annually to undergraduate and graduate students of Greek descent - and because our membership grows each year - now about 300 profession-als in the Philadelphia area.”

To honor His Eminence with a con-gratulatory message in the commemo-rative journal under preparation or to reserve seating contact: Peter G. Pitsakis, vice-president and dinner dance chair-man at [email protected] or (215) 842-6537 Fax: (215) 843-3521. Proceeds benefit The Hellenic University Club of Philadelphia Scholarship Fund.

The club founded in 1936, es-tablished several intellectual, cultural and social purposes that continue to inspire its activities. Since 1971, more than $200,000 has been awarded to more than 115 recipients.

NEW YORK – The snow was falling all night. The first winter blizzard had hit the northeast and the roads were difficult to navigate. None expected Archbishop Demetrios to be in St. Nicholas Church early on Saturday morning for the Divine Liturgy and the feast day of the com-munity’s patron saint.

His Eminence came promptly and following the Liturgy said to the faithful: “No matter how bitter the cold, no matter how bad this blizzard, our hearts are warmed with joy. It is the joy of being with you in this church and this community as we celebrate this sacred day of St. Nicholas. It is the joy, the warmth and the love felt by those in need for whom St. Nicholas cared all his life.”

The Joy of St. Nicholas

At the conclusion, Archbishop Deme-trios awarded the Medal of St. Paul to two-term outgoing parish council presi-dent Emmanuel Kratsios who has served the Church in different capacities since his youth.

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PhiloptochosThe Voice of

NEW YORK – Georgia Skeadas, na-tional president of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society presented a new “shared vision” at the National Board fall meeting. Here are some excerpts from her address:

What is my vision for Philoptochos? It is to expand, to heighten and to

extend our impact, as the philanthropic heart of our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and our Greek Orthodox Church, to new dimensions and to a broader scope both within our Greek Orthodox community, as well as to others in our present-day world.

The pursuit of this vision involves the working together and melding of all generations, in order to give honor and glory to God for the work accomplished through us.

A shared vision, one that is filled with passion, one that is emotionally charged, and one that resounds across the entire Philoptochos organization, at the local, Metropolis and National levels, is the single most important element to ensure

our future success. This shared vision includes a shared

mission, shared goals and shared ideals for our Philoptochos organization. Our mis-sion is to promote charitable, benevolent and philanthropic outreach, to preserve the sanctity of life and family, and to per-petuate and to promote our Orthodox faith and traditions. Our goal is to honor the relationship with God by using our gifts, our abilities, our compassion, our empathy, our faith and our love to make a better world for our family, our Greek Orthodox community and our contempo-rary society.

Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13

Our ideal is to expand and to extend our central theme of philoxenia, which is hospitality, the gift of welcome, the gift of caring for one another, as well as for strangers, to our Greek Orthodox com-munity and the community at large. As you know, the Greek word philoxenia, as translated in the New Testament, literally means “love of strangers.”

I would encourage you to practice hospitality by reaching out to others and by being open to new ideas, new challeng-es and new opportunities. Always keep an open door, an open hand and an open heart. Expanding and extending our out-reach will create new possibilities for us to grow stronger together, as we continue to demonstrate that philanthropy knows no boundaries.

As we enter an era that will secure the continued success of Philoptochos, and as we create an agenda for the future, we must always remember and honor the legacy of Philoptochos. This is a legacy that has been established through seven decades and beyond, and it is one that encompasses a tradition of excellence in dedicated service, devotion and com-mitment… It is imperative that we think beyond the present and into the future, to explore new directions with creativity, enthusiasm and determination.

I would like to extend the outreach of Philoptochos beyond the boundaries of our Greek Orthodox community, by incorporat-

ing new programs that have a more global reach. This goal is consistent with our com-mitment to broaden our horizons and to encourage a more concrete and personal approach to our philanthropic mission.

Our Philoptochos membership continues to be on the rise. An increase of 1,000 members to date from the ex-act date last year is reported.

In order to ensure the continued evo-lution of Philoptochos to meet the grow-ing demands of contemporary America, we must facilitate the introduction of new members into our organization. This new incoming membership should span the spectrum of all age groups, specifically targeting the younger generation. The theme that has been dedicated to this next year is titled The Celebration of the Future Philoptochos. This theme will be the im-petus that will allow us to participate in the active pursuit of establishing a stronger connection between Philoptochos and the younger generation of women, based on a shared mission and a shared set of com-mon goals.

“Always keep an open door, an open hand and an open heart.”NATIONAL PRESIDENT PRESENTS NEW VISION

Dear Ladies of the Philoptochos Society,

With the celebration of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ approaching, it is vital for us to be mindful of the message of this holy season, namely, that He brings peace and goodwill towards men, for He is the incarnate love of God, reconciling humanity to God and people to each other.

This reconciliation and love is the heart of what Philoptochos is and rep-resents. The bonds that connect us as humans, who are created in the likeness of His image, are the bonds of love, love of Our Lord and love of one another. We, the ladies of Philoptochos, are the ambassadors of philanthropy, the mes-sengers of love, kindness and goodwill towards men.

Let us rejoice in the wonderful story of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the year, not only in the month of December.

This is a very special story that has significant meaning for us in every day of our lives. It is the message of hope that says God always remembers His promises and fulfills them in His per-fect timing.

It tells us that God chooses or-dinary people who love Him to do extraordinary things for His kingdom. It encourages us to believe that God can create something great in all of us, even when we believe there is little possibility of that ever happening on our own.

It assures us that with God nothing is impossible. It reminds us that God loved us enough to send His only Son to be with us as a light in the midst of our darkness, and a hope in the center of our hopelessness, in order to bring us into an abiding journey with Him.

The people expected the grand en-trance of a king, but Jesus came quietly to a stable. He was expected to appear only to the wealthy and prominent, but instead He visited the poor and ob-scure. The people looked for fanfare, but it could only be seen in the spiritual realm by the humble.

God loved us enough to come to earth as a human being, to be with

President’s Christmas Messageus, to give us eternal life, to have an intimate relationship with us, and to show us that, no matter how dark our world becomes, His light can never be extinguished.

Thus, it is not enough to celebrate His birth with Christmas lights and dec-orated trees. We must also celebrate it with His love, for it is His love that lives forever in those who love Him enough to share it with others.

Since Philoptochos always repre-sents love, it is most appropriate that we come together at this most special time of the year and reflect on our commitment to share this love with all humankind.

It has been a wonderful joy and a great honor for me to visit many of the most devoted Philoptochos chapters of the parishes of our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that comprise our Greek Orthodox Ladies Philopto-chos Society.

I have been in the presence of an astounding number of our ambas-sadors of philanthropy. I have expe-rienced their love, their support and their great desire to continually work for the glory of God, for philanthropy and for the ongoing growth, success and furtherance of Philoptochos as an even greater National entity.

I look forward to visiting many more Philoptochos chapters across the country, as we enter the year 2004.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you, the Ladies of Philoptochos, for your tireless, devoted and unending efforts for philanthropy. Let us con-tinue our journey together in harmony, peace and love.

May the spirit of Christmas be with you each and every day. On behalf of the National Philoptochos Board, I wish you, your families and your loved ones a very blessed and joyous Christmas. May the spirit of Our Lord guide you throughout the New Year, and always, to bring you renewed reconciliation and love.

With love in Christ,Georgia Skeadas, President

National Philoptochos Society

Children’s Medical Fund Luncheonu page 2

She recalled, “being part of my family meant being part of our Greek Orthodox Church which meant being a part of fund-raising. And for as long as I can remember, Philoptochos women have given their time to raise funds for everything from sponsor-ing orphans to a new roof for the church. No effort was too big or too small for them.”

When Ms. Vardalos completed her acting training she found there weren’t too many jobs that provided an avenue for her to make people laugh and tell jokes about her family.

“So I wrote a play…rented a theater and went to church to hand out flyers,” she said. “And people came, and the show was sold out, and eventually the play was turned into a movie (the larges indepen-dent grossing movie of all time). You can buy TV commercials for $500,000 or you can tell two Greeks and the word will spread. We call it the Greek connection,” Ms. Vardalos said.

She continued, “I believe all this is happening to me because of the support of the Greek community. And that’s why

I’m here! I applaud Philoptochos…there is no greater cause than the comfort financial aid can bring to the families of sick chil-dren. True innocents who deserve to have the best medical care available so that they can grow to be called dreamers just like me. So in answer to the question: Who am I? I’m a Greek woman and philanthropy is what we do.”

During her visit to Detroit, Ms. Var-dalos toured Children’s Hospital of Michi-gan to meet the children. As she ended her three-hour visit, Ms. Vardalos remarked that caring for children is one way she has found to “give back” for all of the wonder-ful success she has experienced.

“Philoptochos is deeply appreciative of Ms. Vardalos time and energy on behalf of the children and our very successful lun-cheon, said Maria Stavropoulos.

Ms. Vardalos was accompanied by her husband and parents.

Since 1989 the National Philoptochos Children’s Medical Fund luncheons have raised an estimated $1.25 million for chil-dren with critical illnesses.

THE ARCHBISHOP, with Metropolitan Nicholas and Bishop Andonios, advisor to the Philoptochos, National Board members, Medical Fund Luncheon organizers and Ms. Vardalos.


Research indicates that the holiday season brings added challenges and stress into our lives. Intermarried couples and their families are certainly not immune to this part of the holiday experience.

Celebrating the Holidays

by Fr. Charles Joanides, Ph.D., LMFT

In fact, because of their different reli-gious and cultural backgrounds, they are especially at risk. This short article will list a few reasons why this might be the case, while also providing intermarried couples with some useful suggestions to help them negotiate these challenges.

Reasons Why. The following reasons begin to explain why intermarried couples are especially vulnerable to encountering challenges around the holidays.

• My work with intermarried couples has taught me that the greater the differ-ences between two spouses’ religious backgrounds, the more potential chal-lenges they might encounter. For example, two spouses from different Christian back-grounds are likely to encounter fewer chal-lenges around the holidays as compared to a couple where one partner is Christian and the other is from a non-Christian back-ground. One Christian spouse married to a Hindu put it this way. “It’s not easy cel-ebrating Christmas…I yearn to celebrate a traditional Christmas…. My husband tries to understand, but I also know this need will never completely be met…. It’s okay, but it’s also a bit sad.”

• Similarly, the greater the differ-ences between two spouses cultural backgrounds, the greater the chances that challenges will emerge. For instance, spouses from different European back-grounds are likely to encounter fewer challenges than couples that have more varied cultural backgrounds. One spouse with an Asian background offered the following observation: “We are deeply in love with one another, but there are some things we can’t always share – especially around many of the holidays.”

• The level of connection that each intermarried partner has to their religious background also impacts the number and intensity of the challenges intermarried couples might encounter. Partners with high levels of connection will experience more challenges around the holidays than couples who have nominal connections to their religious backgrounds. The following observations illustrate this point. “We’re not particularly religious, so the religious holi-days don’t necessary cause us many prob-lems…. I imagine it’s difficult for couples from different religions if they both want to follow their religious traditions.”

• Similarly, partners’ connection to their cultural backgrounds can influence the number and intensity of challenges they will encounter over the holidays. One spouse’s comments illustrate this point. “We’re both first generation – he has a Serbian background and I have a Mexican background. That means that we have strong feelings for our ethnic back-grounds. This makes it hard for us. This is especially true around the holidays.”

Most couples I’ve interviewed have successfully worked through the special challenges that the holiday season brings into their lives. Here are some of the strate-gies that have worked for them. Perhaps they may prove helpful to you.

Communicate with One Another. Before the holidays arrive, almost all cou-ples observed that some quality discussion could prove helpful. One spouse stated, “Don’t assume that you’re always on the same page regarding the decorations, ethnic traditions and church services…. We found this out the hard way the first

year we were married. We failed to have much conversation and ended up argu-ing about almost everything. He wanted to fast, I didn’t. He wanted to attend the Greek Orthodox Church, I didn’t. He ex-pected to be with his family, I expected to be with mine.” Spending some quality time discussing each partner’s needs and expectations should have a positive impact on your efforts to celebrate the holidays.

Respect and Acceptance. Mutual re-spect and acceptance are also important. One spouse’s remarks help explain why. “I’m Christian. He’s Jewish. I don’t expect him to understand what I’m feeling and experiencing during the Christmas season, but I do expect him to be respectful, and he is. I think we’d have to live apart around religious celebrations if we weren’t re-spectful toward one another.”

Emphasize What’s Similar. Inter-married spouses also repeatedly stated that they tend to emphasize their similarities and de-emphasize their differences – es-pecially around the holidays. One spouse from a Protestant background stated, “His Greek Orthodox religious background has many beautiful rituals and traditions. But as beautiful as they may be, they don’t speak to me like my own religious back-ground. So, we don’t spend a lot of time comparing and contrasting whose back-ground is better…. We spend our time celebrating what we share in common and leave the differences alone.”

Educate One Another. Other spouses have stated that the holidays af-ford them an opportunity to share their unique traditions with their partner. These individuals stated that it’s important that intermarried couples spend time helping their partner come to a deeper under-standing of the significance and mean-ing behind one another’s religious and cultural traditions. They further stated that this approach tended to defuse potential misunderstandings and enrich their holiday celebrations. One spouse’s observation illustrates this point. “I’m Southern Baptist, and my husband’s from Greece…. It’s traditional for many people in the south to have black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. But my husband didn’t care for black-eyes peas until I told him it was a way that southerners expressed best wishes to one another for the on New Year. After that, he warmed up to the tra-dition and even helps prepare them each year – Greek style, of course.”

Extended Family Challenges. Others have stated that extended family can some-times present some challenges. “The first year we were married, we went to Spiro’s house for Christmas Dinner…. I decided to make a Jell-O mold. It was always part of our Christmas table…. When I presented it to his mother, she thanked me and placed it on the corner of the table, almost under-neath the rolls. I was hurt, and I told Spiro the next day. He apologized, and stated that while Jell-O molds were not part of his family’s Christmas Dinner; my Jell-O mold would be in the center of our table in years to come…. I know this is silly, but his comments touched my heart.”

Turn to God for Help Regularly. I’ve chosen to save the best suggestion for last, and will end this article with this ob-servation. In couples’ efforts to find some common ground during the holidays, almost without exception the couples I’ve met with have stated that prayer and God’s love often made a distinct positive difference in their efforts to get beyond the kinds of challenges addressed in this article. So, this year, if you happen to en-counter challenges, don’t forget to turn to God, regularly.

INTERFAITHINTERFAITH


Northeastern Kansas’ Witness to Orthodox Faith

ST. DIONYSIOS CHURCH

P A R I S H pro f i l e

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Jobs created by the slaughter of cattle and other livestock attracted the first Greek Orthodox immigrants to this part of America’s heartland.

Beginning in the late 1800s dur-ing the cattle drive era when cowboys from Texas and other nearby states would bring herds of cattle to Kansas City, the meatpacking industry became the key economic activity in the area. The railroads that converged here also were an important source of jobs for these Greeks, who came mostly from Zakynthos, and from the mainland and other islands.

Before 1926, the only Greek Ortho-dox community in the region was in Kan-sas City, Mo., Annunciation Church.

But, as it did with many other com-munities, the Royalist-Venizelist contro-versy that raged in Greece in the teens and ‘20s, caused a rift that resulted in several families leaving and establishing their own parish in Kansas.

According to a parish history, the im-migrants settled in a blue-collar section of Kansas City, Kansas, known as Armour-dale near the Armour & Co. meatpacking plant. They had to overcome prejudice and hostility from the local population that made their lives difficult.

The community took its name from the patron saint of Zakynthos and soon purchased a Methodist church building near downtown Kansas City that served as St. Dionysios’ first home. The first service took place on Good Friday, 1926 with Fr. John Santorinios, the first pastor, who stayed only a few months. His successor, Fr. Vasilios Boutarakos, served from 1927-36 as the first permanent priest.

Disaster struck the community in 1947 and again in 1951.

On the feast day of St. Dionysios, Dec. 17, 1947, fire gutted the church, “leaving only the charred outside walls,” the parish history noted. With an outpouring of contributions and a $40,000 loan, the community restored its church and built a social hall.

But disaster struck again on July 13, 1951, when floodwaters from the Missouri and Kansas rivers flooded Armourdale, destroying the church, homes and businesses of many of the parishioners. Fr. Nicholas told the Ob-server that the icon of St. Dionysios survived the flood and was rescued from the water. One parishioner, on a trip to Greece, brought back a liturgi-cal belt worn by St. Dionysios that is displayed on altar, he said.

After community members rebuilt their church after they recovered from the severe economic hardship caused by the flood.

In 1972, an urban renewal agency pur-chased the building and parishioners built a new church at the present location in Over-land Park in neighboring Johnson County, where many parishioners had settled.

Overland Park, a city of about 112,000, lies just across the state line from Kansas City, Mo., and, with Kansas City, Kansas to its immediate north, comprises a metro area of about 1.6 million population.

The parish consists mostly of Ameri-can-born Greek Orthodox, but there has been an influx of Orthodox Christians from the Middle East, Fr. Nicholas said, including Palestinians and Syrians, and from Eritrea, which until recently was

part of Ethiopia.“We had helped Ethiopians form

their own community,” Fr. Nicholas said. “Now we’re helping the Eritreans.” He noted many of them are well educated and have found jobs in Kansas City.

Parishioners are employed in a wide range of occupations and professions. The Kansas City area is home to Hall-mark Cards and some members are retir-

helping “to bring the community back to-gether in a worshiping environment.”

Fr. Nicholas holds weekday and weekend services, including Great Ves-pers on Saturdays, and invites lecturers to enable parishioners to understand the Orthodox Tradition.

He conducts Bible studies on Wednesday evenings and Sundays af-ter Liturgy, and offers Byzantine chant classes Saturday evenings.

Parish organizations include choir, the Philoptochos chapter and a women’s club that predates the Philoptochos.

Sunday School has about 40 chil-dren enrolled. There is a youth group and a small Greek school that meets after Divine Liturgy.

Fr. Papedo hopes to establish a summer camp program for the youth in the future.

The priest is active in outreach to the greater community as a member of the HOCC (Heartland Orthodox Christian Council), comprised of representatives of the various jurisdictions in the area. Its vision is to establish campus ministries, Fr. Nicholas explained. The organiza-

tion has established a museum in Topeka, the state capital. Metro-politan Isaiah of Denver blessed the museum in August.

St. Dionysios parish sup-ports its ministries equally through stewardship and the annual Greek festival held in June.

Fr. Nicholas states that one of his biggest challenges in the community is “helping

the members to explain what Orthodox Christianity is to the predomi-nantly Protestant communities here. He described the regions church groups as a “hodge podge” that includes reformists, evangelicals and others.

“There is almost an anti-Catholic attitude here,” he said. They’re suspi-cious that we’re some kind of Catholic Church. It’s a very shocking statement to them that we’re the Church that wrote the Bible.”

One of the ways he reaches out to the greater community is through church tours as a means of presenting the faith. He noted, “These (teachings) are new statements to these people.”

Fr. Nicholas and his presbytera, Lois, are parents of two children, a boy and a girl both age 5, which they adopted from the Rafael Ayau Orphan-age in Guatemala.

–Compiled by Jim Golding

Name: St. DionysiosGreek Orthodox ChurchLocation: Overland Park, KansasMetropolis: DenverSize: about 150 familiesFounded: 1926Clergy: Rev. Nicholas C. Papedo (Holy Cross ’84)Web site: www.stdionysios.orge-mail: [email protected]: Oldest Greek Orthodox community in Kansas

OVERLAND PARK

ees from that company and from Procter and Gamble. The area has more than 300 manufacturing firms, including a large General Motors plant.

In addition to the core community of faithful in Kansas City-Overland Park, Fr. Nicholas serves Greek Orthodox Chris-tians living in other nearby cities includ-ing Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas, and Leavenworth, site of a U.S. Army base and a federal prison.

Along with the Greek Orthodox pres-ence, the Kansas City area has Serbian, Antiochian and OCA churches.

Many priests have pastored the church since 1926, with Fr. Theoharis Theoharis having served the longest – 14 years from 1986-2000.

After him there was no full-time priest until Fr. Nicholas arrived in 2002.

He describes his ministry at St. Diony-sios as “fun and challenging” in that he is

PEOPLEuProfessor of Year

The Carnegie Foundation and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education honored Dr. Paris Svoronos, chairman of the Chemistry Department at Queensborough Community College in Bayside, N.Y., as Community college Pro-fessor of the Year at ceremonies in Washing-ton on Nov. 13. Svoronos, who emigrated from Greece in 1973, has been teaching honors and organic chemistry at Queens-borough since 1981. He holds a doctorate in chemistry from Georgetown University. He was featured in a recent issue of the Times-Ledger newspapers in Queens.

uChairman ElectedIOCC Chicago Metropolitan Commit-

tee recently elected Bill J. Vranas as its new Chairman for 2003-04. He succeeds George Dalianis, who has served the or-ganization since its formation. Mr. Vranas has been serving on the executive commit-tee since its inception. He also serves as president of the Hellenic Foundation and is a past president of the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center.

uMall CopMovie producer Andrew Louca of

Merrick, N.Y., has completed a new film, “Mall Cop,” in Albuquerque, N.M., which was shot in October and early November. News of the production appeared recently in The Hollywood Reporter and in the Al-buquerque Journal, in a column written by Harry Moskos. The film is planned for release next September.

uSoCal HonoreesThe Hellenic American Medical and

Dental Society of Southern California honored four California Greek Americans at UCLA on Oct. 18. There were: Los An-geles native John S. Sakellaris, president of the St. Sophia Cathedral board; Harry C. Vournas, of San Gabriel, member of the St. Sophia Foundation; Rodanthi C. Kitridou, M.D., of Pasadena, past president of the medical society and a member of St. Anthony Church; and Sam Harkiss, D.D.S., of Whittier, current president of the medical society. Rosalind Halikis and Helen Lambros are co-chairman of the event.

uComedy TeamGreek American comedians Basile

and Jimmy Santis have released a new musical comedy album, “Men in Skirts.” The two began collaborating on the album since November of last year.

uSt. John’s SeminarHarilaos Daskalothanasis, managing

editor of the National Herald newspaper, held a journalism seminar Oct. 23 for 200 students at St. John’s University in New York. Guests included Katerina Livani and Peter Balodimas. Sigma Chi Beta fra-ternity, Gamma Phi Beta sorority and The Greek Club sponsored the event under the co-chairmanship of Melina Tomeo and Chris Paravalos. Organizers included Greek Club President Stella Nikoloudakis and Professor Catherine Tsounis, Modern Greek program adjunct instructor.

Tenor Nicholas Phan of Ann Arbor, Mich. was one of two representatives from the United States at the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff, Wales. The competition took place June 22-29.

uPhan-tastic


IONIAN VILLAGEIONIAN VILLAGE

IONIAN VILLAGE BUILDS FAITH AND FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAST A LIFETIME!Name_______________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________

City________________________ State _________ Zip_______________

Phone_____________________ E–mail ___________________________

Parish Priest/Community_______________________________________

An OrthodoxSummer Camp in Greece!

An Orthodox Summer Camp in Greece!

Please check the program in which you are interested:

Summer Travel Camp, 7th–9th grades Byzantine Venture, 10th–12th grades

Complete and mail this form to:Ionian Village • 83 St. Basil Rd • Garrison, NY 10524

For more information, visit our website at www.ionianvillage.org, or contact Ionian Village at (646) 519–6190 or via email at [email protected]

Ionian Village is a program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

A Pennsylvania elementary school-teacher and principal of Ukrainian de-cent has bequeathed $50,000 to Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek School of Theology for furthering the education of Greek Orthodox priests.

Mary Turczyn’s scholarship gift, named in memory of her parents, will be awarded to a seminarian of Greek origin to study theology and be ordained in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

“This generous bequest renders the Turczyn family a vital part of the educa-tional process of our School”, said the Rev. Nicholas C. Triantafilou, president of Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology. “This gift is vital because it provides much needed assistance to a deserving seminarian,” he added.

Mary Turczyn was born and raised in Allentown, Pa., and was graduated from Kutztown University with BA degree in elementary education and received her Masters degree from Lehigh University. Besides her long career in education, she also taught citizenship classes to many Greek immigrants.

She was a member of St. Nicholas Church in Bethlehem, Pa., and its senior citizens club, and the Philoptochos So-ciety. Peter Kalandiak, her nephew, ex-plained that Mary’s Orthodox faith played a dominant role in her everyday life. “She lived her faith to the fullest”, he said.

Pennsylvania Educator Donates $50,000 to Train

Priests

as the very essence of our salvation. “The Son of God became the Son of man,” writes St. Irenaeus, “that man might also become the son of God.” “That which is united with God is saved,” insists Gregory of Nazianzen.

The birth of Christ, therefore, is in-deed the beginning of our homecoming, our deification, our becoming god-like. St. John of Damascus once wrote that through the Incarnation, these things were accomplished at once; the assump-tion, the existence, and the deification of humanity by the Word.”

It should also be understood, how-ever, that the Nativity was an assumption of human life, but not yet of human death. Salvation is completed at Golgotha and not at Bethlehem.

However as a noted theologian once said, “Bethlehem is the inscape of Calvary as the snowflake is the inscape of the universe.” Our Lord’s earthly life, therefore, is an or-ganic whole and should not be separated into disunited parts that we approach only through cognitive-lensed microscopes.

This is why the hymns of the church portray Bethlehem as the mystagogical link between heaven and earth.

Going home for Christmas? That is, are we truly responding to our home-coming instinct whenever we board the midnight rail or prepare the customary

culinary holiday delight?Do all our homecomings culminate at

the traditional gift unwrapping ceremony or might we refocus our attention upon the Holy Altar where God’s gifts are truly mangered.

This is the challenge of going home for Christmas-Epiphany. It should not be reduced to a nostalgic spiritual escape but to a conscious response to our Lord’s spe-cial census that reconciles our fragmented human society and mystagogically creates a new social order.

We are not called to live out some “homogensous theological principle” that keeps us in our insulated ghettos of political, economic or ethnic influence but to incarnate this new society, the Church, into the world around us, and to thereby prophetically challenge the existing order!

By sending Hi Son to a frail humanity, lifting it up to the incomparable preroga-tive of union with Himself, God dignified our human nature. “He raised us to the skies,” writes St. Clement of Alexandria, “transporting earth to heaven.” He called us home!

Fr. Marangos is director of the Arch-diocese Department of Religious Educa-tion and professor of religious education and homiletics at Holy Cross School of Theology.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONu page 18

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bar-tholomew has re-affirmed his commitment to ecumenical dialogue and to the work of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and has appealed to Christians of all confes-sions to avoid actions that “stabilize” and “legitimize” disunity among the churches.

The comments were made during the official visit of WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

“We support the efforts of the World Council of Churches and of all other inter-church and inter-Christian organizations. We consider these organizations not as a kind of unity (…) but as an opportunity of dialogue and witness to our hope (…) in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God,” the patriarch stated.

However, the patriarch added “Our Church is opposed (…) to every action which tends to stabilize the existing divi-sion and to promote methods of unity that deviate from the apostolic ideal (…) without returning to the one faith, one baptism, and the one icon of Christ.”

The position of the Patriarchate was confirmed during talks with the Synodi-cal Commission on Inter-Church Affairs, the highest decision-making body of the Patriarchate on ecumenical relations. Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima, a member of the Commission, confirmed the active participation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the ecumenical movement and in the WCC, although he noted that this had been a “costly commitment.”

The moderator of the Commission, Metropolitan Athanasios of Heliopolis, expressed the deep appreciation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the service of the Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, who had been a “theologian of ecumenical space,” and had responded to the concerns of the Orthodox churches with particular sensitivity. In recent years, the Ecumeni-cal Patriarchate has given strong support to the work of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC, established in 1998 following mounting

Orthodox Patriarchate Affirms Commitment to WCC

criticism of the WCC from several Ortho-dox member churches.

The recent terrorist violence in Tur-key was also discussed with the church leadership. The WCC general secretary said that he fully shared the patriarch’s sentiments of profound compassion and sympathy for the victims - Muslim, Jew-ish and Christian - of the recent attacks. He underlined that the visit of the WCC delegation should be understood as “an expression of our commitment to peace and reconciliation, which is at the center of our common Christian faith.”

The tragic events, the general secre-tary stated, “could only strengthen our efforts to overcome religious extremism, and to proclaim that at the heart of the traditions of all the Abrahamic religions is the divine promise of peace and well-being of all humanity and creation.”

The Ecumenical Patriarchate was one of the founding members of the WCC in 1948, and enjoys a “primacy of honor” among the Orthodox churches, related to the ancient status of Constantinople as capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. The visit of the WCC general secretary took place during the feast of St. Andrew, patron saint of the Church of Constanti-nople, and coincided with the traditional visit to the Patriarchate of a delegation of the Roman Catholic Church led by Cardi-nal Walter Kasper.

In addition to private audiences with the ecumenical patriarch and attendance at the liturgy in the patriarchal Cathedral of St. George, the WCC delegation’s four-day program included a meeting with the Armenian Patriarch Mesrop II, and visits to Christian sites in Istanbul, Ephesus and Izmir.

The WCC general secretary was ac-companied by his wife, Dr Elisabeth Raiser, by WCC Deputy General Secretary Georg-es Lemopoulos, and by the Rev. Sabine Udodesku, executive secretary. The Rev. Dr Raiser will retire at the end of 2003. It was thus his last official visit to a member church before he leaves the WCC.


YOUTH MINISTRY e-mail: youthof [email protected] e-mail: youthof [email protected] Chal lenge

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What’s Up WITH

Stress?

by Melissa K. Bazos

I’ll admit it. When it comes to stress-ing, I’m an expert. Right now you’re probably reading this thinking this article was written weeks before it was due. But the truth is, as I am writing, people keep coming in and asking me if I am done yet. I know STRESS!

Although I am past my teenage years, it was then that I began to develop my skills in stressing. In high school, there was a lot of fun stuff to be involved with sports, drama, student council, etc. So, I got involved in everything I could. But also in high school, there was a lot to do: homework, job, helping at home. As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, I was wonder-ing what my future held, dealing with peer pressure, having disagreements with my family… I could go on but you get the pic-ture. And even though your stresses may not be the same as mine were, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

Stress is defined as a mental or physi-cal tension. Think of a rope being pulled from what it is tied to so that it becomes very tight… that’s tension. The tension can be relieved one of two ways. You could either cut the rope from what it is tied to or you can stop what is pulling the rope and move it closer to what it is tied to.

We are that rope. That thing we are tied to is God. What is pulling us is every-thing that happens to us in our life, both good and bad. When things happen in our life, from big life changing stresses (mov-ing, parents getting divorced), to everyday stresses (homework, walking the dog), or even to joyful stresses (graduating, Christ-mas shopping), we have a choice to make. We can cut ourselves off from God or we can move closer to Him.

Cutting ourselves from God is rarely a sudden thing. Sometimes we may not even realize that we have done it. Overtime our busy schedule and daily stresses keep us from praying, going to church, participat-ing in the sacraments, reading the bible… basically from focusing on God. Slowly, we get further and further and the rope gets tighter and tighter until finally it snaps.

Recognizing that the rope is tighten-ing puts you one-step ahead and allows you to take some steps to hopefully keep the rope from snapping. Here are some well-tested strategies to help you:

• Get Some Perspective - When I am really stressed, I really can’t think straight about anything. At that time, I think if I just work a little harder I will get everything done that I want and then my life will be back to normal. Does this sound familiar? As soon as I finish this assignment… as soon as soccer season is over… as soon as the weekend rolls around… I will never

be stressed again. I’ll let you in on a little secret… there will ALWAYS be something that will try to keep you busy, stressed and pulled from your focus on God. To help me, I have people in my life that love me and tell me when they think I might be wearing myself a bit too thin. Sometimes it is a friend, a family member or my priest.

• Pray No Matter What - Saint Basil said you must pray for one hour a day un-less you are really busy then you must pray for two. Now, I’m not asking you to start praying two hours everyday. The amount of time you pray should be worked out with your priest according to where you are in your spiritual journey. But Saint Basil has a good point. At times when we are most stressed, we should be praying more. Unfortunately, what we usually do is pray less. When we turn our back on our prayer life, it makes it very difficult to have a clear view of what we are doing. The best outlook in life is comes when we are close to God. Prayer helps us to do that.

• Remember Trust in God - I could write a whole page on this but quite frank-ly I think Jesus says it best in the Gospel of Matthew 6:25-27, 33-34

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stat-ure… But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

• If the Rope Snaps Fix It - So, what happens if you snap. It happens and we’ve all been there. Well, what could we do with the rope? We can throw it away, tie it to something else or reconnect it. Since we are the rope and Christ is what we are attached to, throwing ourselves away or tying ourselves to something else would not be the best choices for us. What we need to do is reconnect. Our Orthodox Faith gives us the ability to fix this snap and bring ourselves closer to Christ through the Sacrament of Confession. I know it may seem scary but it is a really wonderful way to reconnect ourselves to Christ. Talk to your priest about it. Even if you haven’t snapped, we can all use some strengthen-ing of our rope!

As I wrap up this article, I feel the tension in my rope lessening and I prom-ise myself I will never allow myself to be stressed again. Actually, scratch that. I know I will be stressed again in my life but I will do my best to keep my focus on Christ. When God is our focus, some of what stresses us out, just seems less important and we find the strength to do what really matters. During this holi-day season, as finals, social obligations, sports all hit their peak, take a deep breath and say a prayer and remember what is really important.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Challenge is the Youth & YoungAdult Ministries supplement to

the Orthodox Observer.

Articles re ect the opin ion of the writ ers.Write to: Youth & Young Adult Min is tries, Greek Or tho dox Arch di o cese of Amer i ca,

83 St. Basil Rd., Garrison, New York 10524or email: youthof [email protected]

Parent and Youth Worker’s Corner

Stress surrounds us during the holiday season. Help the young people you work with and their families learn to set priorities during this holiday sea-son by checking on our website (www.youth.goarch.org) in the “for youth workers” section for sessions to assist you.

If you’re not already, sign up for our youth worker listserver! We send weekly resources, ideas and activities for parents and youth workers. To sign up, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Leave the subject blank and in the body of the e-mail type in “subscribe youth” (without the quotation mark). You’ll get con-firmation of your subscription shortly after.

Dave Matthews’ first solo CD was re-leased in September of 2003. People at school could not wait to see what the high-ly acclaimed artist had come up with. The first popular reaction was that this new disc was not as good as his band’s previous CDs, but still a successful attempt. When I first listened to the disc, I did not know the title was “Some Devil;” this allowed me to listen without any expectations as to what the mood would be.

by Dean Dickos

As I listened, several overtones emit-ted from the CD. The first was a morbid and unappreciative outlook on life. The song “Gravedigger” specifically alludes to this feeling. The song presents the wish of a person, that when he dies, he does not want to be buried deep so that he can feel the rain. Was the intention of this song to be morbid and think about death? Or was the writer trying to say that he’s not ready to die, and wants to still feel the life that exists on Earth once he has passed on?

The title of the album, “Some Devil” allows itself to be criticized as well. Once I learned the title of the CD, I went back and gave the title song, “Some Devil,” a closer look. Reading the lyrics while listening to the song, I still was not able to figure out what it meant. It suggests that there is a devil and an angel inside of us, and that he cannot get the devil out. That much makes sense, and up until that point, the “devil” reference is easily understood and comprehended. However, the song then goes on to make reference to his girlfriend,

and how she is the angel inside of him, and he cannot stop thinking about her. This concept alone also makes sense. But when the two thoughts are put together, and mentions of him feeling drunk and drinking more, the listener again has to wonder what the artist was trying to ac-complish with this song.

The background music is phenome-nal. New instruments are presented that are not usually found in pop CD’s. The instruments bring a lot to the disc, giving it a flavor of its own. I do not think this CD presented Christian values. When I first listened to it, I thought I heard God mentioned. However, when I listened to it a second time, I had to reassess that conclusion. As I looked at the lyrics more critically, I realized that I didn’t like what I was hearing. The values discussed did not seem to be ones that I believe and that our Church teaches us.

So if you’re looking for a CD with good rhythmic beats and catchy tunes, Dave Matthews’ new disc might be one worth listening to. However, if you like to analyze songs and get the meaning out of them, and relate it to your own life, I think there are other CD’s out there that you will find more enjoyable. As a first solo CD, it was a good effort, however for future solo discs, I would hope to see better lyric composition and more Christian values presented.

Dean is a senior in high school. He attends Holy Trinity Church in Pitts-burgh, Pennsylvania where he is involved in GOYA. He has gone on a mission trip to Project Mexico and at school, he is in-volved with Habitat for Humanity.

MEDIA REVIEW:DAVE MATTHEWS some devil

Did You Know…PRIORITIES

• Two-thirds of teenagers believe that it is important to be a member of a church.

• Over half of teenagers (53%) believe that the main purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment.

• One-fourth of teenagers believe that what you do for others is more important than what you believe about Jesus Christ.

• 6% of teenagers indicated that it is more important to have a satisfying leisure life than a satisfying job or career.

• St. John Kronstadt wrote, “As you have received everything from God, be ready to give everything back to God, so that having been found faithful in small things you may afterwards be made ruler over many things.”

• Where do you stand? What is most important in your life?

Research taken from Barna Research Group, Ltd. (www.barna.org) Barna Re-search Group is a full-service marketing research company that has been provid-ing information and analysis regarding cultural trends and the Christian Church since 1984.


Anthony M. Coniaris, Those Whom God Calls Blessed: The Beatitudes For Everyday Living. Minneapolis: Light and Life Publishing Co., 2003, 206 pp.

A Readable Journey through the Beatitudes

by Fr. Stanley S. Harakas

Fr. Anthony Coniaris is the most pro-lific writer of Orthodox books in America. This, his latest book, focuses on the in-troductory blessings, “the Beatitudes,” of what might be called charter of the Christian way of life. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in chapters four through seven of the Gospel of Matthew shows the distinctive newness and central way of life of Jesus Christ’s message for humanity.

The Beatitudes form a picture in words of the kind of person God wants us to be, so that we might be among “those whom God calls blessed.”

This book is a rich, very interesting, and readable journey through the Beati-tudes, designed not only to help the ordi-nary Christian more fully understand what Jesus is saying there, but also to motivate the Christian reader to put what He says into practice.

In his hallmark style, Fr. Anthony guides us through every dimension of the Beatitudes by means of an amazing num-ber of stories from both inside and outside the life of the Church. Also characteristi-cally, he presents us with rich resources of biblical and patristic quotations, theologi-cal insights, and references to dozens of contemporary Orthodox theologians and Orthodox and non-Orthodox writers.

With his special genius at unpacking the meaning of Scripture, he knits into every explanation of the Beatitudes his finely honed spiritual insights.

One of the most valuable things about the way Fr. Anthony writes this book is that he demolishes the screen of technical words and ideas that often function as a barrier to comprehending and living the Christian life.

His most important contribution in this book is to clarify and de-mystify many of the words and terms so often found in other writings about the Orthodox Faith, that are left unexplained. An example –one of many that could be mentioned- is the teaching about “the gift of tears.”

Fr. Anthony unpacks its meaning as he discusses Christ’s words, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be com-forted” (Matthew 4:5).

His explanation is wide-ranging, in-cluding those who mourn the loss of a loved one, tears of repentance, empathy with those who suffer, tears of joy, and the tears that express communion with God.

If you do not read many books about the Orthodox Faith, or even if you don’t read the Bible, you can profit a great deal by reading this book. Though it is an ex-planation of the Sermon on the Mount’s Beatitudes, Fr. Anthony’s use of hundreds of quotations from the Orthodox Christian religious writings of our day, will intro-duce you to a library of authors.

You will run across the names of many contemporary and recent authors and read some of what they have written in their books. As a result, you might find other authors who will enrich your under-standing of the faith. But, you could do no better that to start with this book.

Because Those Whom God Calls Blessed is easy and pleasant to read, do not be mistaken: it is a source of deep spiritual wisdom. That’s why you will gain the most from it if you read it at a reflec-tive, meditative pace. To get the drift of each of the chapters, you should read it quickly through.

But the best part is going back over the chapter, thinking and prayerfully plumbing the personal significance of the ideas, stories and quotations. Don’t forget to be attentive to Fr. Anthony’s ordering of all these elements.

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Professor Lewis J. Patsavos’ new book, Spiritual Dimen-sions of the Holy Canons, reflects the very essence and nature of the canonical tradi-tion of the Orthodox Church, namely that the canons are of a spiritual and pastoral dimension, striving for the salvation of the souls of God’s people. This insightful book is accompanied by an index that classifies the Holy Canons for easy reference.

Archbishop Demetrios wrote in the foreword: “The quest for eternal salva-tion lies at the very heart of the Orthodox Canonical Tradition. This book’s chief aim is to elucidate the fundamentals of the canonical tradition by raising the spirit

Holy Cross Professor Completes New Book on Canons

of the law to the surface of our ecclesial consciousness, and, by so doing, to com-municate the essence of a law that is writ-ten “not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 3:3).

Professor Patsavos is professor of Canon Law and director of field educa-tion at Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline.

He also is the author of Entry into the Clergy during the First Five Centuries and Primacy and Conciliarity.

The book is available from Holy Cross Bookstore at 617 850-1230 or 1-800-254-0599 or fax 617-850-1430. Cost is $11.95 plus shipping.

booksbooksQuestions about the Bible? Ortho-

dox Christian Beliefs About the Bible provides Real Answers to Real Questions from Real People.

The second volume in the series “Ex-ploring Orthodox Christianity,” this book records the questions asked by ordinary people in the popular newspaper column “The Religious Question Box” together with Fr. Stanley Harakas’ concise yet “on target” answers to 84 questions.

This book helps Orthodox Christians and other interested persons get an over-view of the Orthodox Church’s approach to the Holy Scriptures.

This volume follows Harakas’ well-known The Orthodox Church:455 Ques-tions and Answers and the first Exploring Orthodox Christianity volume Orthodox Christian Beliefs.

Fr. Harakas explains the approach of Orthodox Christianity to questions and topics such as “What kind of book is the Bible?,” “The Bible Inspired? Inerrant, In-fallible?,” “Reading the Bible with discern-ment,” “Interpreting difficult passages,” “Understanding ‘End Time’ Instruction,” “the Book of Revelation,” “Bible versions,” and it includes discussions of biblical names, places and methods of interpret-ing the Bible.

This book is a down to earth, easily understood and a spiritually rewarding guide to understanding the Holy Bible from the Orthodox Christian perspec-tive.

The book is published by Light & Life Publishing Co. and has been avail-able since mid-November from Orthodox bookstores and online.

Real Questions About the Bible Answered


NEW YORK – “Epiphany: Festival of Lights,” a special production of Greek Orthodox Telecommunications (GOT-elecom), which was broadcast nationally in 2002-03 on local NBC affiliates and the Hallmark Channel, is now available for purchase from GOTelecom.

The program received accolades from Orthodox and non-Orthodox across the country. Nick Furris, producer/director of the special and senior producer of GOTelecom noted, “The response of this program from our faithful across the coun-try has been overwhelming. Each person who viewed the program was touched in a special way.

“Epiphany festival of lights offered us the opportunity to have our rich Orthodox faith visible to all people, of all faiths, in a professional, educating and entertain-ing way.”

This one-hour production presents the timeless truths of Orthodox Christi-anity as it tells the story of the celebration of Epiphany in Tarpon Springs, reaches back in time with an overview of Orthodox faith and traditions, and seeks to foster an understanding of the true personal and universal meaning of Epiphany.

The program includes contemporary

GOTelecom Epiphany Special Available for Purchase

location footage to illustrate and bring to life interviews from several noted Or-thodox theologians and scholars led by Archbishop Demetrios.

Every year the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA selects a faith group to produce a special program for NBC television stations to air during the holiday season. “Epiphany: Festival of Lights,” was broadcast by more than half of the 220 nationwide affiliates including stations in New York, Syracuse, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Cleveland.

The scheduling of this type of pro-gram is dependent upon each affiliate’s recognition of viewer interest. It is most important to note that clergy and lay faithful were influential in securing air-time within their own cities by contacting programs managers nationwide.

To order “Epiphany: Festival of Lights” send $25 plus $6 shipping and handling to GOTelecom, 8 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10021, or call (212) 570-3588.

Major underwriting for this program was provided by the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund. Addi-tional funding was provided by Faith and Values Media.

Ordination to the DiaconateDr. George Bithos –Metropolitan

Isaiah of Denver – Holy Trinity Church, Dallas, 11/09/03

Ordination to the PriesthoodRev. Dn. Costin Popescu – Bishop

Anthimos of Olympos – St. Anthony Church, Pasadena, Calif., 09/28/03

AssignmentsRev. Fr. Stavros Anagnostopoulos

– St. Demetrios Cathedral, Astoria, N.Y. (assistant), 09/02/03

Rev. Fr. Nicholas Dotson – Sts. Peter & Paul Church, Boulder, Colo.,

10/03/03OffikiaArchbishop Demetrios bestowed

the office of Economos upon: Rev. Fr. Stavros Ballas, 10/05/03

Metropolitan Alexios bestowed the office of Protopresbyter upon: Rev. Fr. Dennis Canavos, 10/05/03

Metropolitan Isaiah bestowed the office of Economos upon: Rev. Fr. Pho-tius Bouton, 11/16/03

SuspensionsRev. Fr. James Kyriakakis, 06/27/

03.

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As an Ionian Village staff member you will work with a dynamic team of young adults in sharing the faith with Orthodox youth while visiting significant religious and cultural sites.

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Members of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s (OCMC) board of trustees recently held their biannual meeting where they re-viewed progress and future plans.

Board members, representing many SCOBA jurisdictions from all across the country, continued the process of board development and the refining of its stra-tegic plan.

This gathering included a land bless-ing service for the future home of the Mis-sion Center and a time for staff and board members to get to know each other.

Fr. Martin Ritsi, OCMC’s executive director, inspired the group with a chal-lenge to reach further in goal setting as we respond to the needs of the world, “As a young and growing agency we are doing a great deal, but we have yet to tap into what is possible. We have been charged to ‘Go to all nations,’ as followers of Jesus Christ and we live in the wealthiest country of the world. We bear the apostolic Faith and are direct descendants of the New Testament Church, yet we are still so far from follow-ing through with this high calling.”

Every year the Orthodox Christian Mission Center expands its programs as it works to respond to Christ’s call to preach, teach, baptize, minister to the poor and make disciples of all nations in the most effective way.

The Board approved a 2004 bud-

get, reviewed OCMC’s institutional and program goals for the next two years and reorganized its committee structure. They also discussed the need to continue building awareness of the Mission Center’s role in international mission work among the Orthodox in North America.

A highlight of the event was a service of thanksgiving and blessing of land soon to be home to a more permanent mission center.

OCMC is engaged in a capital campaign to raise funds for program endowments and to build a future mission center.

Frs. Martin Ritsi and John Chakos, OCMC’s executive director and former board president respectively, officiated at the land-blessing service for the soon-to-be home of a new center during the OCMC’s recent Fall Board meeting.

Staff, local volunteers and Board members all gathered for the occasion.

Since its inception as an official of-fice in 1985, the Mission Center has been involved in mission work in over 30 coun-tries including sending missionaries, mis-sion teams, supporting indigenous clergy and offering general financial assistance.

Thanks to a visionary board, a hard-working staff, a multitude of supporters and dedicated missionaries in the field, the OCMC is a vital part of the effort to build up the Orthodox Church all around the world.

OCMC Board of Trustees Fall Meeting Highlights

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2003

MIS SION NEWS

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FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- SCOBA (The Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas) has commissioned a new agency at their fall meeting in New York City.

SCOBA members, under the chair-manship of Archbishop Demetrios, held their fall session Nov. 25 and unanimously voted to approve Orthodox Christian Net-work (OCN) as the newest commissioned agency recognized by SCOBA to serve Or-thodox Christians in America.

OCN is charged with creating a national media presence for Orthodox Christianity in America. The use of this very influential communications tool to raise awareness of Orthodox Christianity is one of the most important proactive steps SCOBA has undertaken to bring an Ortho-dox Christian voice to the varied religious voices on American media today.

Metropolitan Nicholas, head of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, motioned to recognize OCN as a SCOBA agency, and Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America seconded the motion. The hierarchs then voted unanimously to approve OCN’s addition to other SCOBA commissioned agencies including the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and the Ortho-dox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).

OCN Media Director Chuck Powell said: “We can no longer fail to harness the power of media to communicate. This Pan-Orthodox recognition of the good work OCN is already doing will allow our Orthodox churches to build a coordinated

SCOBA Names OCN Newest Agencyand effective communications tool for all our Orthodox faithful. We Orthodox have something important to say to America.”

Fr. Christopher Metropulos, founder of OCN, and the radio program’s co-host, “Come Receive The Light,” presented to the hierarchs the work OCN is doing in growing an Orthodox Christian media ministry.

The radio program is currently heard in 16 cities across the US and available on the internet at www.receive.org. The goal of OCN is to be airing at least once a week in the top twenty five (25) media markets in three years.

Fr. Metropulos states: “This recogni-tion by our Orthodox Bishops will confirm and expand the wonderful support we are already receiving from our Orthodox Christian faithful. I am truly grateful to our bishops for their vision and their encouragement.”

Come Receive The Light is the flagship radio program of Orthodox Christian Net-work (OCN) and is dedicated to spread-ing joy, hope and salvation in Jesus Christ while exploring Orthodox Christianity in contemporary society.

This unique, half hour, radio pro-gram features Orthodox Christian news from around the world, inspirational and encouraging devotionals, exciting radio dramas of the lives of Christian heroes, and a thought provoking interview with a special guest each week.

Orthodox Christian Networks is head-quartered in Ft. Lauderdale and is a mem-ber of the National Religious Broadcasters. Visit OCN at www.receive.org.

ATLANTA – The Archdiocese Pres-byters Council sponsored the biennial National Clergy Retreat outside Atlanta on Nov. 5-7.

Bishop Gerasimos of Krateia was the retreat master and Fr. Costa Sitaras the program facilitator.

“Shepherding the Flock” was this year’s program affording the participants greater insights into ministry and counsel-ing experiences.

Both Bishop Gerasimos and Fr. Sita-ras presented case studies and expanded on various scenarios during this three-day event that resulted in meaningful ex-changes offering our priests opportunities to enrich their ministry.

Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta wel-comed the priests into his Metropolis for this inspirational spiritual reflection, which was chaired by Fr. Jerry Hall. Arch-bishop Demetrios spoke to the priests on Spiritual Fatherhood followed by an uplifting all inclusive discussion touching on a variety of topics from America and its religious expressions to concerns about the Archdiocese in addressing the spiritual needs of all our faithful.

The program was hailed as a most suc-cessful retreat with the hope that more clergy will participate in the forthcoming Clergy Laity Congress in New York and the next Archdiocese Presbyter’s Council National Clergy Retreat in 2005.

National Clergy Retreat Held In AtlantaThe Archdiocese Presbyters Council

met before the retreat began. Fr. James C. Moulketis, Archdiocese Presbyter Council president opened the autumn meeting during which Bishop Savas, chancellor of the Archdiocese presented a report on priestly matters and Fr Michael Kon-togiorgis shared an interesting review of the Registry of the National Church.

The two main topics discussed were the proposed Ongoing Clergy Education program to be implemented at the forth-coming Clergy laity congress next Summer in New York. It’s focus is to have all the priests throughout the nation participate in reading a book selected by Archbishop Demetrios followed up by presentations in each of the Metropolitan Syndesmoi gatherings going deeper into the pre-sented theme.

Fr Chris Metropulos is chairing this effort. Fr. Emmanuel Gratsias is leading a committee on vocations in the Church.

Fr. John Kalomas will head the com-mittee preparing for clergy programs dur-ing the forthcoming Clergy laity congress in New York.

Archdiocese Presbyter Council mem-bers attending this meeting were Frs. Nicholas Bacalis, Timothy Bakakos, Thomas Chininis, William Christ, Louis Christopu-los, Emmanuel Gratsias, Jerry Hall, John Kalomas, Paul Kaplanis, Chris Metropulos, James Moulketis, and George Wilson.

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 Inkjet or Laser and photocopies or clippings of previously published photos are NOT accepted.

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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)

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“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

Orders are now being taken for the 2004 Archdiocese Yearbook, which will be available in early January.

Designed as an easy-to-read, accurate, reference handbook of the Greek Ortho-dox Archdiocese, the 272-page new edi-tion includes updated directories of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Archdiocesan departments and institutions, parishes, and priests, as well as information on Or-thodox, Greek and Greek-American, and related religious organizations and agen-cies throughout the United States.

The yearbook also includes Archdioc-esan registry statistics, pastoral guidelines, and an eight-page color spread of 2003 Archdiocesan, Metropolis, and parish activities and events.

New features of the yearbook include daily scripture readings in the monthly calendar and full-page entries for all of the agencies of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).

The yearbook also anticipates the

2004 Clergy Laity Congress of the Archdio-cese with a reflective article by Archbishop Demetrios of America on the Congress theme “Building Communities of Faith and Love: Orthodox Parishes in Worship and Ministry.”

Limited prepaid copies may be or-dered by calling the Department of Com-munications at (212) 774-0244 or sending check/money order or credit card informa-tion for $18, plus $4 for shipping.

Additional copies in the same order require only $2.00 additional shipping per book.

Make checks or money orders pay-able to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. All parishes of the Archdiocese will receive two complimentary copies in early January.

Orders by mail should be sent to:2004 Yearbook

Department of CommunicationsGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

8 East 79th StreetNew York, NY 10021

Orders Being Taken for 2004 Yearbook

You will hear it at malls, restaurants, movie theaters, schools, offices, board rooms, stadiums, parks and parties. You will hear it almost everywhere. What is it? Foul language. Cursing, swearing, being ob-scene, profane or vulgar is now common.

You Are What You Speak

by Fr. Angelo Artemas

Many words deemed unacceptable in the past are acceptable today. Terms for female dog and posterior of the human anatomy, expressions such as “this s _ _ _ _” (expletive for oral inhalation)” and “p _ _ _ _ _ off” (expletive for urination), expletives that begin with the letters “s” and “f” have become integrated into regular communi-cation. Yet these words and expressions are being used out of context, and are rude and degrading to the speaker and listener.

Obscenities are defined as words that are offensive to acceptable standards, and vulgarities are defined as words used by simple or uneducated people. Are we an uneducated society whose standards have changed?

Linguistic specialists indicate that lan-guage and cognitive abilities are directly linked. Individuals who use clear and so-phisticated language are generally clearer and more intellectual thinkers. Individu-als who frequently use foul and aggres-sive language tend to be more ignorant and destructive. Language is the source of thought, thoughts are the source of ac-tions, actions are the source of behavior, and behavior is the source of character. Foul language facilitates violent behav-ior. Swearing does not alleviate anger and stress, but propels them. As a result our society witnesses verbal encounters erupting into violence.

Could the frequent use of the “f” word be contributing to sexual carelessness and violence? The “f” word is the opposite of

love, and reduces human beings to nega-tive and animalistic behavior. God is love, and the devil is hate. The “f” word is prayer to the devil.

If we think we can subject ourselves to repeated foul language and not be af-fected, we kid ourselves. In the 4th century St. John Chrysostom urged Christians not to use foul language, for words used to glorify God and words used to profane His creation and His people could not come from the same mouth.

He also stressed that the body and blood of Jesus Christ are received by the same lips that we use to speak. Christians therefore should not profane prayer and the Eucharist by using foul language, nor should Christians use hand gestures with fingers to profane themselves or others.

Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus Christ, who is the image of God personified, is also the Word of God. It is the Word of God who was in the beginning creating, it is the Word of God who became flesh (celebrated during the season of the Na-tivity of Christ), and it is the Word of God who saves us from hell. In as much as the Word of God saves the world, our words and actions can either participate in salva-tion or participate in destruction, praise or blaspheme, benefit or hurt.

Our society may have lowered its stan-dards, but Orthodox Christians must not. Words are the vehicle of thought, com-munication and prayer. We must carefully consider whether our language benefits our hearts, minds and souls. It is just as easy to invoke the name of God as it is to use foul language, but the consequences are entirely different.

As we celebrate the Word of God be-come flesh, let us use our words for the glory of God and His creation.

viewpointviewpoint

mailto:[email protected]


MARIETTA, Ga. -- Holy Transfigura-tion Church Thyranoixia (door opening) will take place Saturday, with Archbishop Demetrios officiating.

Orthodox clergy, honored guests, and parishioners will gather in the Upper Platea of the glorious Byzantine Sanctuary.

The church doors will be opened by Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, the Very Rev. Sebas-tian Skordallos, and Fr. George Pallas of Transfiguration Church. The opening of the doors will start a weekend of prayer, thanksgiving, and celebration!

In 1988, faithful Orthodox Christians envisioned a parish in Marietta.

Just 15 short years later, God has blessed Holy Transfiguration in a man-ner never seen before. Once the doors are opened on Saturday afternoon, the eve-ning will be rounded out with a cocktail reception and Thyranoixia Grand Banquet at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel.

Sunday, Jan. 4 will be a special day, as parishioners, clergy, and honored guests,

gather for the first Archieratical Divine Lit-urgy in the new sanctuary.

The weekend celebration will close with a buffet luncheon in our new Fel-lowship Hall.

The $4 million complex consists of Byzantine-style church seating 460 in the main sanctuary and a chapel dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle, the 500-seat, open air Grecian Michael Carlos Amphitheatre, and an industrial kitchen.

Rooted in the traditions of Holy Orthodox churches from the sixth to the eighth centuries, Holy Transfiguration’s classic Byzantine style is designed with a square on the ground level, a cross on the second level, and a 45,000-pound dome on the third, according to Chris Kamages of CJK Design-San Francisco, architect for the project.

The stone, brick, and stucco exterior building, with a tile roof and two copper domes, took four years to design and build and will be the spiritual home to over 230 Orthodox families.

Georgia Church to Hold Door-Opening in January

CHICAGO – The community of the Chicago Metropolis observed the Feast Day of St. Iakovos with a banquet in honor of Metropolitan Iakovos.

A capacity crowd of the faithful filled the Carlisle Banquet Hall in Lombard on Oct. 23, for the banquet sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Clergy Syndesmos.

Along with the Metropolitan, those present included Metropolitan Christo-pher of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese; Bishop Longin of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate of the Serbian Ortho-dox Church; The Very Reverend Deme-tri Kantzavelos, Metropolis of Chicago chancellor; Presbytera Pearl Ann Bithos, president of the Sisterhood of Pres-vyteres, Metropolis of Chicago; Stavroula Skouras, consul for Greek education; Beatrice Marks, honorary national presi-dent, Ladies Philoptochos Society; and Mary Ann Bissias, Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos president.

The Very Rev. Timothy Bakakos, pas-tor of St. Nicholas Church, Oak Lawn, is president of the Greek Orthodox Clergy Syndesmos. He and Fr. John Kalomas, pastor of Holy Cross Church, Justice, Ill., worked together on the arrangements for the evening.

Fr. Bakakos introduced Metropoli-tan Iakovos as the spiritual leader of the Chicago Metropolis, and spoke of the hierarch’s deep faith and dedication to our Lord’s ministry.

His Eminence thanked Fr. Bakakos, the Clergy Syndesmos and the faithful who attended the banquet to honor their hierarch and spoke of the life of St. Iakovos and his works of compassion and caring for those in need. He asked that all the faithful, by imitating St. Iakovos’ Christian deeds, would honor the saint and keep our Lord’s commandments to do good in this world.

Prior to the dinner, the Metropolitan greeted the faithful individually and received their good wishes on His Feast Day.

Community ObservesMetropolitan Iakovos’ Feast Day

BOSTON – Continuing a yearlong celebration of its centennial anniversary, Annunciation Cathedral of New England recently held its centennial anniversary luncheon to honor the church’s youth.

The luncheon, co-chaired by Fay An-dreadis and Annette Kaselis, took place Oct. 19 at the Sheraton Boston hotel after the Divine Liturgy. The luncheon followed a successful centennial banquet in June that drew more than 400 people to the John F. Kennedy Library.

At the luncheon, present and former parishioners who have participated in the church’s youth activities and organiza-tions reminisced about their experiences participating in Sunday School, Greek School, GOYA, Sunday evening vespers, choir, various sports teams and other

youth groups. A video including vintage photographs of longtime parishioners and depicting life at the Cathedral was one of the afternoon highlights.

Invited guests included Archbishop Iakovos, Archbishop Demetrios, Metro-politan Methodios, and other church leaders.

Masters of ceremonies were Bess and Chris Pappas.

In addition to Kaselis and Andreadis, other committee members included: Kalli and Bob Badavas; Mary Critikos; Simone Dodge; Kay Geanakakis; Aglaia Georgountzos; Christopher Gussis; Mary Hatzis; Ann Jeas; Chrissa Kaselis; Popy Ko-shivos; George Niakoros; Dora Orphanos; John Orphanos; Bess Pappas; Chris Pap-pas; Mary Perdikes; and Flora Vekiarides.

Boston Cathedral Celebrating Centennial Year

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – After existing for about 20 months under the name “Hellenic Orthodox Mission of Hernando County, Fla.,” the newest Orthodox Chris-tian Church in the county adopted a new name on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Several months of preparation took place, included a polling of the members and friends of the Mission regarding their preferences for a name. The final choice, however, this past Sunday, according to Mission Council President Connie Morgues “was up to God.”

The decision was made to have the top three preferences be the basis of a service for the choice of the name by lot. The peo-ple indicated a preference for three names: St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theo-logian and Christ the Savior (Feast: The Presentation of Christ at the Temple).

Following the Divine Liturgy, three sheets of paper with three names were shown to the congregation by Morgues, and given to Paul Comradeliest, vice-presi-dent, who folded the papers and placed them in a bowl and the service began.

Sunday school teachers Venice Comradeliest and Maria Bangladesh an-nounced the names of the young people of the church and the sheets on which their names were written were placed in a bowl. From it Council Treasurer Spiros Lemonedes selected the name of one child. Chosen was William Hazivasilis.

Florida Mission ChurchSelects Name, Christ the Savior

Following a specially composed prayer by the pastor, Fr. Stanley S. Harakas, William was led to the front of the church by Council Secretaries Dora Halvatzes and Helen Nicolelis, before a silver bowl con-taining the three names. William selected the name “Christ the Savior.”

The congregation then sang the Doxol-ogy and the special hymn of the Feast of the Presentation of Christ, which is celebrated on Feb. 2 each year. The church will now be known as “Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church.” It is a mission of the Archdiocese in the Metropolis of Atlanta.

Fr. Harakas expressed the feeling that “this was an important step for our fledgling congregation as it seeks to grow and minister to the people of Hernando County.”

A Pan-Orthodox church, the mission attracts Orthodox Christians and others of many different ethnic backgrounds. Its worship services are primarily in English, but included are brief uses of the Greek, Russian, Romanian, Antiochian and other Orthodox liturgical languages.

The Mission began with 36 families in March 2002 and now has 65 Steward member families. The congregation is actively planning for its future at the present time.

The event was followed by a special “country ribs luncheon,” to celebrate the day.

CICERO, Ill. – Orthodox Christian Synergy held its ninth annual symposium “Relationships as Sacrament” on Oct. 25 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.

His subject was relational intimacy: Communion as knowledge.

Among the featured speakers was the Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos, director of Reli-gious Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and adjunct pro-fessor of religious education and homilet-ics at Holy Cross School of Theology.

He spoke on the “Praxis of Agape;” “The Intrinsic Sacramentality of Family.”

Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago and clergy of various jurisdictions also attended.

Fr. Constantine Botsis, clergy head of synergy, welcomed the attendees and

led the group in prayer. Jolynn Ruggerio, president of synergy, introduced the first speaker and Diane Chiligiris-Nickolaou in-troduced the second speaker. There was active audience participation with many questions/answers at the conclusion of the talks.

Orthodox Christian Synergy consists of clergy and lay representatives of Chica-go-area Orthodox Christian parishes who seek to project awareness of Orthodox Christianity to the public at large.

Synergy works with its parent orga-nization, the Orthodox Christian Clergy Association of Greater Chicago headed by Fr. Samuel Sherry, pastor of St. Michael’s Carpatho-Russian Church in Niles, and with the blessings of the Chicago area Orthodox hierarchs.

Orthodox Christian Synergy Holds Ninth Annual Symposium

SYNERGY GROUP – (l. to r.) Fr. Constantine Botsis, Fr. John Mack, Metropolitan Iakovos, Fr. Frank Marangos and Jolynn Ruggerio, president.

[email protected] (212) 570-3555Fax (212) 774-0239

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CHICAGO – The Federation of Greek Orthodox Choirs of the Chicago Metropo-lis held its 46th annual conference at St. Nicholas Church in Oak Lawn Oct. 3-5, which featured the presentation of the Athenagoras Award and the organization’s first 60-year service awards.

Metropolitan Iakovos presented the Athenagoras Award to Nick Chimitris, choir director of Sts. Constantine and Helen Church in Merrillville, Ind., for his contribution and service to church choirs

and to the music ministries of the Ortho-dox Church.

The Metropolitan also presented 60-year service pins to Nik Paloumpis, Helen Fotopoulos, Ida Trakadas, Sylvia Kosmitis, Kay Coules, Harriet Boudouras, Mary Bereolas, Mary Condes and Thomas Gardeakos.

He also presented 50-year pins to several recipients.

The event took place at the banquet help at the Radisson hotel in Alsip, Ill.

Chicago Choir Federation Presents Awards

SAN FRANCISCO – Archbishop Deme-trios last month celebrated Divine Liturgy and attended the 11th annual dinner in honor of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).

Accompanied by the Deacon John Vlahos, His Eminence arrived in San Francisco on Nov. 22, and proceeded to the residence of e Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco and central offices of the Metropolis of San Francisco.

The Metropolitan hosted a reception in honor of the Archbishop, which was also attended by several area clergy and local dignitaries.

The following morning, Archbishop Demetrios celebrated Divine Liturgy at Annunciation Cathedral, with Metropoli-tan Anthony present.

Following a luncheon after the Lit-urgy, the Archbishop returned to the Ca-thedral for a pan-Orthodox celebration of Great Vespers. About 15 area clergy from other Orthodox jurisdictions participated in the service, along with Metropolitan An-thony and Bishop Anthimos.

Following the Vespers, the Arch-bishop proceeded to the Cathedral Hall for the 11th annual IOCC Dinner, a fund-raising event held each year in the San Francisco area to support the ministries of the IOCC.

His Eminence was the featured speaker at the dinner, where he addressed a gather-

San Francisco Metropolis Holds 11th Annual IOCC Dinner

ing of 450 people in attendance. Also at the dinner were numerous dance and music groups from various Orthodox Christian communities of the area representing an array of cultures and traditions.

Speaking on the significance of IOCC and its philanthropic assistance to those in need throughout the world, the Arch-

bishop remarked “Here tonight we cele-brate the achievements of an organization created by the united efforts of Orthodox Christians of this country, an organization that offers the universal language of love, a respected organization that has become a very reliable instrument on which our American government seriously relies.”

More than 450 people attended the 11th annual IOCC Dinner in San Francisco.

ATLANTA – Annunciation Cathedral will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2005, but the parish is not waiting until then to focus on this centennial milestone.

A prelude of activities will lead up to the main event, with the first celebration held the weekend of Nov. 21-23.

Reunion Weekend, and affectionately called “The Old Neighborhood,” planners brought together members of the Annun-ciation parish family from throughout At-lanta and beyond who have been a part of the parish at one time or another.

The Old Neighborhood not only refers to the Greeks of Atlanta who were concentrated in a neighborhood near the church on Pryor Street that was the community’s hub for almost 40 years; it also serves as a metaphor for all who have been connected with the Atlanta commu-nity through its long history.

The memory and fun-filled Reunion Weekend included a sock hop on Nov. 21, featuring music from the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s.

Saturday, Nov. 22, featured a nostalgic trip down memory lane by viewing videos and parish movies of yesteryear, old pho-tographs and memorabilia.

In the evening, the reunion dinner was held at the community center adjacent to the church.

A comedy presentation with parish talent highlighted the evening.

Sunday, Nov. 23, after the second Di-vine Liturgy, a reunion coffee hour took place in the cathedral’s Carlos Hall.

Elaine P. Tissura, parish council presi-dent, and a lifelong member with deep roots in the community, is spearhead-ing the efforts for the 100th anniversary celebration.

Atlanta Cathedral Begins Centennial Celebration

Hierarchal Liturgyat Washington Church

WASHINGTON – Bishop Demetrios of Xanthos celebrated a Hierarchal Di-vine Liturgy Oct. 26 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Church. Fr. Nicholas G.

Manousakis, recently ap-pointed to the parish, assisted.

A high moment of the Liturgy was the vest-ing of Fr. Ma-nousakis to the office of Protopresby-ter. After the ceremony, parishioners expressed their ap-proval with a

resounding “AXIOS!” As they approached to receive the antidoron at the conclusion of the Liturgy, parishioners also extended greetings to His Grace on the occasion of his holy name day.

Following the Liturgy, students of the Greek School gave rendition of com-memorative poems in recognition of the historic “OXI” day. His Grace was guest of honor at a farewell luncheon, hosted by members of the parish council and the Philoptochos Society.

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Met-ropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Constantine T. Mersinas, visiting clergy, local dignitaries, includ-ing Mayor Glenda Glover of Fort Walton Beach, and the Mayor John Thomas of Mary Esther, and hundreds of the faith-ful and friends gathered recently for the groundbreaking and setting of foundation for a new church for Sts. Markella and Demetrios parish.

Florida Parish Building New Home

The new $1.2 million Byzantine Or-thodox Church will be located at Highway 98 and Bryn Mawr in Mary Esther on prop-erty adjacent to the present church.

Metropolitan Alexios noted, “Beyond building a functional and beautiful House

of worship, We are building a lighthouse of faith reflecting God’s presence, a magnifi-cent landmark of God’s love and light for all to behold. Fr. Constantine, his parish leadership, Mr. Kamages, and the commu-nity leaders worked together to achieve such magnificent results.”

A labor of love and perseverance for the last 10 years, the community’s pastor Fr.

Mersinas commented at the July 26 event, “Glory be to God our wonderful people, We have much to give thanks for. We have worked together with focus and resolve and are indebted to our founders.”

Christ J. Kamages AIA, is the prime architect.

“Mr. Kamages’ skill is not only in the design of beautiful landmark buildings but assisting and coaching in all aspects of the project process. He has helped us move forward,” Fr. Mersinas added.

Metropolitan Alexios further added, “I commend Fr. Constantine, his parish leadership, Mr. Kamages, the community leaders and bankers who have worked together to achieve such magnificent Re-sults” Tim Boolas, parish council president and Building Committee chairman noted, “Our contractor diligently to start con-struction. We look forward to occupancy in May 2004, when we will celebrate the ancient early Christian Tradition of the opening of the doors.”

METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony.

A rendition for the new church.

http://www.annunciation.org/

http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/liturgical_texts/vespers.asp

http://www.iocc.org/

NOVEMBER 200332

í B A R T H O L O M E WBY THE GRACE OF GOD ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE,

NEW ROME, AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH,TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH,

GRACE, PEACE, AND MERCYFROM CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, BORN IN BETHLEHEM

At the Phanar, Christmas 2003

Patriarch of Constantinopleí BARTHOLOMEW

Fervent intercessor to God for all

Beloved Brothers and Sisters, Children in the Lord,

By God’s divine dispensation we celebrate once again the great and joyous feast of the birth of the Incarnate Logos of God. The most merciful God, who created man

and endowed him with the gifts of self-consciousness and the capability to know and communicate with others, ultimately destining him to partake in the joy of love, did not abandon man when he rejected God’s love by choosing to grow apart from His Creator.

This choice, made by the first-created human beings, was detrimental. It brought about spiritual death upon humankind, turned life materialistic, and gave birth to the sin of selfishness.

This was a predicament from which humankind could not escape by its own means. It was precisely for this reason that the Logos of God conde-scended to take on flesh and become human; by doing this, He healed human nature so that man, reborn in Christ, would love God anew in the

person of Jesus Christ.This restoration of the loving relationship between humanity and God is

the source of the greatest joy in the universe. It is a present that God offered to humanity and for which the angels sang in the night of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. It is this very restoration that we celebrate joyously and spiritually, sharing, in a certain measure, in all the material gifts given by God to alienated humanity— gifts that constitute a clear indication of God’s love for humankind.

Most of our fellow human beings revel in a state of enthusiasm created by many opportunities which elicit worldly joy. They busy themselves with the enjoyment of abundant riches and numerous entertainments and pleasures with which wealthy countries are replete, all the while forgetting the deeper meaning of the birth of Christ.

At times, even devout and faithful Christians might be misled by the secular notions heralded by others. It is a definite possibility that they might overlook the true meaning of the Incarnation of God’s Logos, Jesus Christ, and that they might decide not to experience deeply this event, which is of tremendous im-portance for our lives.

The great importance of His birth rests on the fact that God took on flesh and becomes human in order to deify man. He took on flesh in order to of-fer humankind the potential for maximum growth, the potential to become

one with God. All human joys and pleasures are very miniscule compared with the joy of partaking in the life of Christ.

Humankind, though, does not occupy itself with this potential. Instead, it contents itself with being mortal and malicious, while setting goals that are very limited and mundane.

It tends to alter the feast of Christmas to a universal feast of seasonal nature, totally anthropocentric and completely cut off from the Church and its Christian content. To counterattack these tendencies, we Christians ought to undergo all labors in an effort to realize consciously the great spiritual meaning of the Incarnation and birth of God’s Logos. This meaning concerns us directly; it affords us the opportunity to partake in the life of Jesus Christ, which is an inconceivable notion for the unfaithful, an opportunity which necessarily fills us with heavenly and inalienable joy. For us to be able to receive this joy and peace though, we must accept this opportunity and its consequences. We must love Jesus Christ, the One who gave us this opportunity; we must seek divine grace and allow ourselves to change under the influence of God’s grace.

Devout Christians,Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born in a cave and was laid in a manger, expects that

we open our hearts to Him, so that He will reside in them, as if inside another cave.From within our hearts, He will guide our thoughts and feelings toward everything

that is good and beautiful. He will become our fellow traveler in life and will illumine our hearts with love and happiness, for happiness is born only of love.

Let us clear our hearts from malevolent addictions, from bad habits, from the bond-ages of our souls, from sin, and from evil intentions; let us purify them by the cleansing qualities of confession, through which our souls become purer than snow.

Then, we will be ready to welcome Jesus Christ with a pure heart and in holy anticipation, as an infant in the manger of our hearts.

Accordingly, in time, through our practice and adherence to His commandments, Christ will be formed in you (Galatians 4:19), to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

We paternally greet you on the occasion of this distinctive day and wholeheart-edly bestow upon all of you our paternal wishes and patriarchal blessings. We pray to Christ, the Prince of Peace, to put an end to the wars and the bloodshed and to bring about peace to our agitated world.

We pray that you, all our beloved children and brothers and sisters, may celebrate these holy days with peace, joy and exultation under the gratifying protection of God, through the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos and of all the Saints.

May the grace and abundant mercy of Jesus Christ, who was born in a cave and was laid in a manger, be with you all.

†Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America

With paternal love in Christ,

Archiepiscopal Encyclicalu page 1

Like the shepherds and the Magi, we too are invited by Christ during this special season to experience the same, living miracle of grace and truth witnessed in Bethlehem centuries ago.

We too have been issued a grand invitation to respond to the love of God in faith, and through that faith to be brought together in communion with Him and with one another.

This is the essence of the miracle of the Incarnation: God is with us. He became flesh and dwelt among us. He is in our midst, offering to our homes and families His abiding love, just as He demonstrated this love to those who witnessed Him in Bethlehem.

He is with us in every moment and aspect of our relationship with Him, in our hopes and in our doubts, in our accomplishments and in our struggles, in our joys and in our sorrows.

Especially, He is with us as we grow in faith and offer testimony to others concerning His abundant love.

He is with us in our communities—communities of worship and ministry that serve Him who became one of us. He is with us in our parishes, which through the Holy Sacraments have incorporated each of us into Him and have made us members of His body, the very body that was born in Bethlehem. He is with us in our Church, which confesses and proclaims Him God Incarnate, full of grace and truth.

As we joyously celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, it is my heartfelt prayer that our hearts may be centered continu-ously upon the magnificent love of God for us, and that we, in turn, may grow continuously in our love for Him and in our faith in His abiding presence.

May you have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year 2004, in the peace and love of God.

PATRIARCHAL PROCLAMATION ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRISTPATRIARCHAL PROCLAMATION ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST

ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ - ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ 2003 ΕΤΟΣ 68 • ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ 1205

Χριστούγεννα 2003...καί ὁ Λόγος σάρξ ἐγένετο καί ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡµῖν

πλήρης χάριτος καί ἀληθείας (Ἰωάν. 1:14)

Πρός τούς Σεβασµιωτάτους καί Θεοφιλεστάτους 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 Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καί ὁλόκληρο τό Χριστεπώνυµον πλήρωµα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀµερικῆς.

Ἀδελφοί καί ἀδελφές ἐν Χριστῷ,

Χ αιρετίζουµε γιά ἄλλη µιά φορά τόν ἐρχοµό τῶν Χριστουγέννων µέ αἰσθήµατα ἀπερίγραπτης χαρᾶς καί θεοφιλοῦς δέους. Ἡ γέννηση τοῦ

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι γεγονός παγκοσµίων διαστάσεων καί διαχρονικῆς σηµασίας. Ἀντικρύζοντας τήν γέννηση τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἀναλογιζόµεθα τήν ἀπέραντη ἀγάπη τοῦ ἐνανθρωπή-σαντος Λόγου καί Θεοῦ µας, ὁ Ὁποῖος γιά µᾶς καί τή σωτηρία µας σάρξ ἐγένετο καί ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡµῖν πλήρης χάριτος καί ἀληθείας (Ἰωάν. 1:14).

Ἡ Γέννηση τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἕνα ἐξαίσιο καί θαυµατουργικό γεγονός, σηµατοδότησε µέ πολύ ἀληθινό τρόπο τήν ὁρατή καί αἰσθητή εἴσοδο τῆς σωτηρίας στόν κόσµο µας. Φωταγώγησε τούς οὐρανούς καί τίς µακρυνές γωνίες τῆς γῆς, συγκαλώντας ἀγγέλους καί βοσκούς σέ εὐλαβῆ λατρεία, εἰδοποιώντας τούς ἀπό ἀνατολῶν Μάγους καί προσκαλώντας ἐν ἀγάπῃ τούς ἀνθρώπους, καλώντας τους ἀπό τά πέρατα τοῦ κόσµου ν‘ ἀνταποκριθοῦν στήν πρόσκληση µέ ἀφοσίωση καί πίστη.

Ἐρχόµενος στόν κόσµο ὡς βρέφος, ὁ Θεός µας προανήγγειλε µ’ ἕναν πολύ ἄµεσο καί στοργικό τρόπο, τίς τεράστιες θυσίες τίς ὁποῖες θά ἔκανε γιά νά χαρίσῃ τή σωτηρία ὡς θρίαµβο τῆς ἀγάπης καί ὡς παντοτινή κοινωνία µαζί Του. Αὐτοί πού εἶχαν τήν εὐλογία νά ζήσουν ἄµεσα τό θαῦµα τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ

Ὁποίου τό ὄνοµα εἶναι Ἐµµανουήλ (ὁ Θεός µαζί µας) (Ματθ. 1:23), ἔνοιωσαν τήν ἀκατάσχετη ἐπιθυµία ν’ ἀνταποκριθοῦν στήν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ µέ µιά πίστη ἡ

ὁποία τούς ὁδήγησε στόν τόπο τῆς γεννήσεώς Του, πίστη πού τούς πληµµύρισε µέ αἰσθήµατα χαρᾶς, καί τούς ἀξίωσε νά ἐπιστρέψουν στόν τόπο τους δοξάζοντες καί αἰνοῦντες τόν Θεόν ἐπί πᾶσιν οἷς ἤκουσαν καί εἶδον (Λουκ. 2:20)

Ὅπως ἐκεῖνοι πού βίωσαν τό θαῦµα τῆς Γεννήσεως, ἔτσι κι ἐµεῖς εἴµεθα ἀποδέκτες τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅπως οἱ βοσκοί καί οἱ Μάγοι, ἔτσι καί ἐµεῖς καλούµεθα ἀπό τόν Θεό αὐτή τήν ἑόρτια ἐποχή νά βιώσουµε τό ἴδιο, ζωντανό θαῦµα, ἕνα θαῦµα χάριτος καί ἀληθείας, τό ὁποῖο ἔγινε στήν Βηθλεέµ πολλούς αἰῶνες πρίν. Ἔχουµε καί ἐµεῖς λάβει τήν µεγάλη πρόσκληση ν’ ἀνταποκριθοῦµε στήν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν πίστει καί µέσῳ τῆς πίστεως νά ἔλθουµε ὅλοι µαζί σέ κοινωνία µ’ Ἐκεῖνον καί µέ τούς συνανθρώπους µας.

Αὐτή εἶναι ἡ οὐσία τοῦ θαύµατος τῆς Σαρκώσεως: ὁ Θεός εἶναι µαζί µας. Ὁ Λόγος σάρξ ἐγένετο καί ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡµῖν. Εἶναι ἀνάµεσά µας, χαρίζοντας στά σπίτια καί τίς οἰκογένειές µας τήν παντοτινή ἀγάπη Του, ὅπως ἀκριβῶς τήν ἔδειξε σ’ ἐκείνους πού Τόν εἶδαν στή Βηθλεέµ. Εἶναι µαζί µας τήν κάθε στιγµή καί σέ κάθε στάδιο τῆς σχέσεως µαζί Του, στίς ἐλπίδες καί τίς ἀµφιβολίες µας, στίς ἐπιτυχίες καί τίς προσπάθειες, στίς χαρές καί τίς λύπες µας. Εἶναι µαζί µας ἰδιαίτερα ὅταν µεγαλώνει µέσα µας ἡ πίστη καί ὅταν προσφέρουµε τήν µαρτυρία τῆς ἀπέραντης ἀγάπης Του στούς ἄλλους.

Εἶναι µαζί µας στίς κοινότητές µας- κοινότητες λατρείας καί διακονίας οἱ ὁποῖες διακονοῦν Ἐκεῖνον πού ἔγινε ἕνας ἀπό µᾶς. Εἶναι µαζί µας στίς ἐνορίες µας, οἱ ὁποῖες µέσῳ τῶν Ἱερῶν Μυστηρίων µᾶς ἔχουν ἐνσωµατώσει σ’ Ἐκεῖνον καί µᾶς ἔχουν καταστήσει µέλη τοῦ σώµατός Του, αὐτοῦ τοῦ

ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΩΝ

σώµατος πού γεννήθηκε στή Βηθλεέµ. Εἶναι µαζί µας στήν Ἐκκλησία, ἡ ὁποία Τόν ὁµολογεῖ καί Τόν διακηρύσσει Ἐνσαρκωµένο Θεό, πλήρη χάριτος καί ἀληθείας.

Καθώς ἑορτάζουµε χαρµόσυνα τήν Ἑορτή τῆς Γεννήσεως τοῦ Κυρίου καί Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος µας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, προσεύχοµαι ὁλοψύχως οἱ καρδιές µας νά µελετοῦν ἀδιάκοπα τήν ὑπέροχη ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ γιά µᾶς, καί ἐµεῖς, µέ τή σειρά µας, νά αὐξάνουµε µέσα µας τήν ἀγάπη µας γιά Ἐκεῖνον καί τήν πίστη µας στήν παντοτινή παρουσία Του.

Εὔχοµαι τά Χριστούγεννά σας νά εἶναι εὐλογηµένα καί τό Νέο Ἔτος 2004 πλῆρες χαρᾶς ἐν εἰρήνῃ καί ἀγάπῃ Θεοῦ.

Μέ πατρική ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγάπη,

ÿ ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής Δηµήτριος

ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ-ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ 20032 ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ-ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ 2003 ORTHODOX OBSERVER 3ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Ημέρα επιμόρφω-σης του διδακτικού προσωπικού είχε χαρακτηριστεί η Τρίτη 4 Νοεμβρίου και το Γραφείο Ελληνικής Παιδείας της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής, παρου-σία του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπισκόπου Αμερικής κ. Δημητρίου, διοργάνωσε ολοήμερο Εκπαιδευτικό Επιμορφωτικό Σεμινάριο στο ημερήσιο Ελληνοαμε-ρικανικό Σχολείο «Βασίλειος Σπυρό-πουλος» στο Flushing της Νέας Υόρ-κης.

Το σεμινάριο παρακολούθησαν εκπαιδευτικοί, οι οποίοι υπηρετούν στα ημερήσια και τα απογευματινά σχολεία της Αρχιεπισκοπικής Περιφέρειας, συμπεριλαμβανομένων και των λει-τουργούντων στις πολιτείες Νέας Ιερ-σέης και Κοννέκτικατ. Κοινό χαρακτη-ριστικό τους η αίσθηση του «ανήκειν» σε μία ομάδα σχολείων με ξεχωριστή προσωπικότητα και αποστολή τα οποία λειτουργούν μέσα στους κόλπους της Ελληνορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας Αμερικής.

Το κύριο θέμα του σεμιναρίου «Υπηρετώντας ως εκπαιδευτικός σε Ορθόδοξο Σχολείο» (On Becoming A Teacher In An Orthodox School) ανέ-πτυξε η Δρ. Christal Chaney, καθηγή-τρια προσχολικής εκπαίδευσης στο Point Park College και διευθύντρια του ημερησίου κοινοτικού σχολείου “Three Hierarchs Eastern Orthodox School” στο Pittsburgh, PA.

Παρουσιάστηκαν επίσης εισηγή-σεις (workshops) για τους εκπαιδευ-τικούς του αγγλικού και του ελληνικού προγράμματος οι οποίοι είχαν την ευκαιρία να ανταλ λάξουν απόψεις

ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΟ ΕΠΙΜΟΡΦΩΤΙΚΟ ΣΕΜΙΝΑΡΙΟ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑΣ

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Σύμφωνα με πρό-σφατη απόφαση της Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνόδου του Οικουμενικού Πατρι-αρχείου η κοινότητα του Ευαγγελι-σμού της Θεοτόκου στις Μπαχάμες η οποία ευρίσκετο υπό την δικαιοδοσία της Μητροπόλεως Παναμά και Κεν-τρώας Αμερικής θα υπάγεται εφεξής στην Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής.

Στην δικαιοδοσία της Αρχιεπισκοπής η Ελληνορθόδοξη

κοινότητα στις Μπαχάμες

μεταξύ τους και να συζητήσουν από κοινού τόσο τα προβλήματα που τυχόν αντιμετωπίζουν καθημερινά στην τάξη, όσο και τις επιτυχημένες τους ενέργειές για την αντιμετώπισή τους.

«Τα εκπαιδευτικά σεμινάρια απο-σκοπούν στο να επιμορφώσουν τους ήδη υπηρετούντες σε κοινοτικά σχολεία εκπαιδευτικούς – να τους ενημερώσουν δηλαδή για ό,τι παιδαγωγικά καινούριο ή καινοτόμο γίνεται σχετικά με την ειδικότητά τους», δήλωσε η διευθύντρια του Γραφείου κ. Μαρία Μακεδών, η οποία είχε και την οργανωτική ευθύνη του σεμιναρίου.

Ο κ. Στέφανος Παπαζαχαρίας, κα-

θηγητής Νεοελληνικής γλώσσας, στο Πανεπιστήμιο του Buffalo της Νέας Υόρκης παρουσίασε το θέμα «Η επι-κοινωνιακή μέθοδος στη διδασκαλία της Νεοελληνικής γλώσσας» και ακο-λούθησε υποδειγματική διδασκαλία. Ο κ. Νικόλαος Νικολιδάκης, σύμβουλος εκπαίδευσης του Υπουργείου Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων της Ελλάδας στη Νέα Υόρκη μίλησε με θέμα τους Ολυμ-πιακούς Αγώνες του 2004 στην Αθήνα. Ο Δρ. Ιωάννης Σιόλας, καθηγητής Παιδικής Λογοτεχνίας στο Πανεπιστή-μιο της Νέας Υόρκης (NYU) μίλησε με θέμα το «Το παιδικό λογοτεχνικό βιβ-λίο».

Η οργάνωση των εκπαιδευτικών σεμιναρίων είναι ευθύνη και έργο του Γραφείου Παιδείας. Στη διάρκεια της δεκαετίας του ’80, τα σεμινάρια απευ-θύνοντο κυρίως στους Έλληνες εκπαι-δευτικούς. Αργότερα, στη δεκαετία του ’90, το Γραφείο συμπεριέλαβε στην περιοχή ευθυνών του και την επιμόρ-φωση των εκπαιδευτικών του αγγλικού προγράμματος των ημερησίων Ελληνο-αμερικανικών σχολείων της μητρο-πολιτικής περιοχής Νέας Υόρκης.

Τα σεμινάρια αυτά διοργανώνονται πάντα σε συνεργασία με τις εκπαι-δευτικές αρχές της Πολιτείας και της Πόλης της Νέας Υόρκης και το Γραφείο Παιδείας της Αρχιεπισκοπής λειτουργεί ως σύνδεσμος μεταξύ των εκπαιδευτι-κών αρχών της Πολιτείας και των 11 ημερησίων σχολείων της μητροπολιτι-κής περιοχής Νέας Υόρκης.

ÄÇÌ. ÐÁÍÁÃÏÓ

Ικανοποίηση για το επίπεδο του σεμιναρίου δήλωσε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος που παρακολούθησε όλες τις εργασίες του.


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ÏËÕÌÐ ÉÁÊÇ ÁÅÑÏÐÏÑ ÉÁ • Ç ÄÉÊÇ ÓÏÕ ÅÔÁÉÑÉÁwww.olympic-airways.gr

Ãéá ðåñéóóüôåñåò ðëçñïöïñßåò áðïôáèåßôå óôïí ôáîéäéùôéêü óáò ðñÜêôïñá Þ óôçí ÏëõìðéáêÞ Áåñïðïñßá

merry christmasand

happy new year

åý÷åôáé óå ïëüêëçñçôçí OìïãÝíåéá

ÊáëÜ ×ñéóôïýãåííáêáé Åõôõ÷éóìÝíï ôï 2003

ÇÏËÕÌÐÉÁÊÇ ÁÅÑÏÐÏÑÉÁ

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Η δημιουργία αποθεματικού ταμείου (endowment) με μοναδικό σκοπό την χρηματο-δότηση των Εθνικών Διακονιών και των Ιδρυμάτων της Ελληνικής Ορθο-δόξου Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής και κατά συνέπεια την προώθηση της Ορθοδοξίας και του Ελ ληνισμού αποτελεί μια νέα σημαντική πρωτο-βουλία η οποία ξεκίνησε στις 19 Νοεμβρίου 2003.

Στις 31 Οκτωβρίου 2003 δη-μιουργήθηκε στην πολιτεία της Νέας Υόρκης αποθεματικό ταμείο με το όνομα «Πίστις: Αποθεματικό Ταμείο για την Ορθοδοξία και τον Ελλη-νισμό» από εννέα (9) ιδρυτικά μέλη, με πενταετές πρόγραμμα το οποίο σε πρώτη φάση προβλέπει την συγκέν-τρωση ποσού 100 εκατομμυρίων δολαρίων. Τα αρχικά ιδρυτικά μέλη είναι οι George D. Behrakis (Lowell, Massachusetts), Nicholas J. Bouras (Summit, New Jersey), George Coumantaros (New York), Michael Jaharis (New York), Peter T. Kikis (New York) James H. Moshovitis (Washington, D.C.), John G. Pap-pajohn (Des Moines, Iowa), John A. Payiavlas (Warren, Ohio) and Alex G. Spanos (Stockton, California).

Ο κ. Spanos, ονομαστός Ελλη-

ΠΙΣΤΙΣ: ΑΠΟΘΕΜΑΤΙΚΟ ΤΑΜΕΙΟΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟ

Μια νέα πρωτοβουλία υποστηρίξεως και επεκτάσεως των διακονιών της Εκκλησίας

νοαμερικανός επιχειρηματίας και φιλάνθρωπος από το Stocton της Καλιφόρνια, υπεσχέθη 10 εκατομ-μύρια δολάρια. Eξέφρασε τον ενθου-σιασμό του για την νέα πρωτοβουλία και την βεβαιότητα ότι αυτή θα υπερβεί το ποσό των 100 εκατομ-μυρίων δολαρίων. Με τις προσφορές των άλλων οκτώ ιδρυτικών μελών, το υποσχεθέν ποσό προς το νέο αποθε-ματικό ταμείο υπερέβη ήδη τα 20 εκατομμύρια δολάρια.

Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκο-πος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος απευ-θυνόμενος προς την ιδρυτική ομάδα του «Ταμείου Πίστεως» (Faith Endowment) μίλησε για την «εξαιρε-τική ποιότητα, τον δυναμισμό και το πολ λά υποσχόμενο μέλ λον» της Ελληνορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας στην Αμερική «η οποία αποτελεί τον φο-ρέα των τεραστίων θησαυρών της Ορθοδοξίας και του Ελληνισμού, συνεχίζοντας την μακρά παράδοση σύμφωνα με την οποία η συνεισφορά των μεγάλων δωρητών πάντοτε έπαι-ζε αποφασιστικό ρόλο».

Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκο-πος χαρακτήρισε την δημιουργία του «Ταμείου Πίστεως» (endowment) ως «...κλήση και αποστολή και όχι μια απλή εκστρατεία ή προσπάθεια συλ-λογής χρημάτων, αλλά ανταπόκριση στην κλήση του Θεού». Ο Αρχιεπί-σκοπος είπε ακόμη ότι τα ιδρυτικά μέλη του νέου ταμείου είναι «Πρωτα-θλητές της Πίστεως» οι οποίοι ενή-ργησαν με δυναμισμό σε μια κρίσιμη συγκυρία στην ιστορία της Ορθο-δοξίας και του Ελ ληνισμού στην Αμερική αλλά και γενικότερα στον

κόσμο. Επιπλέον, ο Σεβασμιώτατος επήνεσε τα μέλη ως γενναιόδωρους υποστηρικτές της Ορθοδοξίας και του Ελληνισμού επί σειράν ετών και ως καθοριστικούς συντελεστές επι-τυχίας του νέου αποθεματικού ταμεί-ου (endowment). Εξάλλου τόνισε την άμεση ανάγκη διευρύνσεως του κύκλου των δωρητών διά της πλή-ρους χρησιμοποιήσεως των δυνατο-τήτων της Ελληνοαμερικανικής κοι-νότητος με ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην νεότερη γενιά προσκαλώντας τα μέλη της να μετέχουν πλήρως στην ζωή της Εκκλησίας και στην Ελληνι-κή κληρονομιά.

Ο κ. Michael Jaharis, ο οποίος υπήρξε σημαντικός παράγων της νέας αυτής προσπάθειας, μίλησε για την τεράστια και ζωτική σημασία των Εθνικών Διακονιών της Ελληνικής Ορθοδόξου Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής για το μέλλον της Ορθοδοξίας και του Ελληνισμού στην Αμερική. Πρόσθε-σε ότι οι διακονίες αυτές έχουν κυρίως συντηρηθεί και χρηματο-δοτηθεί από το υπάρχον πρόγραμμα οικονομικής συνεισφοράς των ενο-ριών, το οποίο πρέπει να αναπτυχθεί με σταθερούς ρυθμούς λόγω των δραματικά αυξανομένων αναγκών διαδόσεως του μηνύματος της Ορ-

θοδοξίας. Σημείωσε ακόμη την ση-μαντική συμβολή του αποθεματικού ταμείου «Αρχιεπίσκοπος Ιάκωβος – Ηγεσία των 100» στην στήριξη των διακονιών της Εκκλησίας. «Εντού-τοις, κατέληξε ο κ. Jaharis, οι πολ-λαπλώς αυξανόμενες ανάγκες μιας διευρυνόμενης και δυναμικής Εκ-κλησίας, η ανάγκη διατηρήσεως και εμπλουτισμού των διακονιών της, καθώς η συνεχής στήριξη νέων προγραμμάτων προωθήσεως της πίστεως και της παραδόσεως απετέ-λεσαν το έναυσμα και κατέστησαν αναγκαία την δημιουργία του νέου «Ταμείου Πίστεως» (endowment).

Ο κ. Spanos τόνισε ότι πολλοί ευκατάστατοι Ελληνοαμερικανοί δεν συμμετέχουν στο έργο της Εκκλησίας και της Κοινότητος και υποσχέθηκε να εργασθεί ώστε να πληροφορη-θούν σχετικά με την νέα αυτή πρω-τοβουλία και να συμμετέχουν στο «Ταμείο Πίστεως» (endowment). Ο κ. George Coumantaros, συνέστησε το νέο ταμείο να φανεί γενναιόδωρο στις προσφορές του, ενισχύοντας ιδιαίτερα τα φιλανθρωπικά προ-γράμματα και ευχήθηκε το ταμείο αυτό να ανανεώνεται συνεχώς με νέες δωρεές.

Σε πρώτη φάση τα ιδρυτικά μέλη του «Ταμείου Πίστεως» (endowment) θα ενεργήσουν διακριτικά με απώτερο σκοπό να κληθεί η ευρύτερη κοινότητα να συμμετάσχει με όλες τις δυνάμεις της στην σημαντική αυτή προσπάθεια καθιστώντας το νέο αποθεματικό ταμείο αντάξιο της ιστορίας και της ιερής αποστολής της Εκκλησίας σε παναμερικανικό επίπεδο.

«Χριστού την Θείαν Γέννησιν» έψαλαν στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο μαθητές και μαθήτριες του Σχολείου του Αγίου Δημητρίου της Αστόρια που ήρθαν στην έδρα της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής για το καθιερωμένο άναμα του Χριστουγεννιάτικου δέντρου.

Τα χριστουγεννιάτικα κάλαντα και οι ύμνοι που αντήχησαν από τα χείλη των παιδιών και του προσωπικού της Αρχιεπισκοπής δημιούργησαν μια ζεστή γιορταστική ατμόσφαιρα χαράς και θαλπωρής. Ο Σεβασμιώτατος μίλησε για το μοναδικό θαύμα της Γέννησης του Χριστού και μοίρασε στα παιδιά μικρά συμβολικά δώρα. Στην φωτογραφία με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο εικονίζονται ο π. Σταύρος Αναγνωστόπουλος και οι συνοδοί εκπαιδευτικοί του Αγίου Δημητρίου κα Πέγκυ Σιμάκου (αριστερά) και κα Γεωργία Καφκά (δεξιά).

«Χριστού την Θείαν Γέννησιν»



ΑΘΗΝΑ — Η Ακαδημία Αθηνών, το ανώτατο πνευματικό ίδρυμα της χώρας, τίμησε στις 14 Νοεμβρίου 2002 τον Σεβασμιώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριο, τον οποίον είχε εκλέξει παμψηφεί ως αντεπιστέλλον μέλος της στις 28 Νοεμβρίου 2002 αναγνωρί-ζοντας το πολύτιμο έργο του.

Τιμή στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο για την πολύτιμη προσφορά του στην Εκκλησία, την Θεολογία και τον Ελληνισμό

ôïõ Óôáýñïõ Ç. Ðáðáãåñìáíïý

Ο πρόεδρος της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών καθηγητής κ. Γρηγόριος Σκαλκέας, παρουσία 350 και πλέον ατόμων που είχαν γεμίσει ασφυκτικά την αίθουσα της Ακαδημίας κήρυξε την έναρξη έκτακτης επίσημης συνεδρίας με απο-κ λειστικό σκοπό την υποδοχή του αντεπιστέλλοντος μέλους της Ακαδημί-ας Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπισκόπου Αμερικής κ. Δημητρίου. Ο κ. Σκαλκέας αφού καλωσόρισε τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο ως νέο μέλος, στην σύντομη εισαγωγή του μίλησε με θέρμη, αγάπη και σεβασμό για τον Ιεράρχη και την προσφορά του.

Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Μητροπολίτης Περγάμου κ. Ιωάννης, ο οποίος είναι τακτικό μέλος της Ακαδημίας και συγ-χρόνως εκπροσωπούσε τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη κ. Βαρθολομαίο παρουσίασε τον «διακεκριμένο θεολόγο» και «εξέ-χοντα Ιεράρχη του Οικουμενικού Θρόνου, στο πρόσωπο του οποίου εκπροσωπείται ως άριστα ο οικουμενικός χαρακτήρας της Θεολογίας αλλά και της Εκκλησίας» σημείωσε χαρακτηριστικά.

ο αμέριστος σεβασμός με τον οποίο σας περιβάλλει ο διεθνής επιστημονικός κόσμος αλλά και το πολυάριθμο ποίμνιό σας στην μεγαλύτερη επαρχία του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου και το ισχυρότερον τμήμα του Ελληνισμού της Διασποράς δικαιώνουν απόλυτα την τιμή της εκλογής σας ως αντεπιστέλ-λοντος μέλους του ανωτάτου πνευματι-κού ιδρύματος της χώρας μας».

Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος μίλησε με θέμα «Εξεζήτησα το πρόσωπόν Σου (Ψαλμ. 26,8): Βιβλικές παραλλαγές στο θέμα της αναζητήσεως του Θεού».

Ο Μητροπολίτης Περγάμου μετέ-φερε τα θερμά συγχαρητήρια και την βαθύτατη ικανοποίηση του Οικουμενι-κού Πατριάρχου διότι όπως είπε «με την δικαία αυτή αναγνώρισή σας τιμάται στο πρόσωπό σας και ο Πάνσεπτος Οικουμενικός Θρόνος, τον οποίον δια-κονείται ως Ιεράρχης».

Σε άλλο δε σημείο της προσφωνή-σεώς του τόνισε: «Η μακρά και πλουσία επιστημονική προσφορά σας καθώς και η όλη προσωπικότητά σας, υψηλού πνευματικού ήθους και υπεύθυνης διακονίας της Εκκλησίας και του Έθ-νους μας, η διεθνής αναγνώριση σας και

Μεταξύ των πολλών επισήμων προ-σκεκλημένων ήταν ο Μακαριώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αθηνών και Πάσης Ελλάδος κ. Χριστόδουλος, ο Πρόεδρος της Βουλής κ. Απόστολος Κακλαμάνης, ο υπουργός Υγείας κ. Στεφανής, μέλη του προεδρείου της Ακαδημίας και άλλοι ακαδημαϊκοί, ο Μητροπολίτης Δημητριάδος κ. Ιγνάτιος, ο εκπρόσωπος του υπουργού Παιδείας κ. Ιωάννης Κονιδάρης, ο αδελφός του Αρχιεπισκό-που Δημητρίου και ευρωβουλευτής κ. Αντώνιος Τρακατέλλης, οι βουλευτές κ.κ. Γρηγόρης Νιώτης και Κώστας Σκανδαλάκης, ο πρέσβης κ. Παναγιώτης

Καρακάσης της Διεθύνσεως Θρησκευ-τικών και Εκκλησιαστικών Υποθέσεων του ΥΠΕΞ, πολλές προσωπικότητες του πνευματικού και πολιτιστικού κόσμου της Αθήνας, καθώς εξ Αμερικής ο Σεβ. Μητροπολίτης Πιτσβούργου κ. Μάξιμος, ο κύριος και η κυρία Μιχαήλ Τζαχάρη, και ο κ. Άντριου Άθενς.

Μετά το πέρας της τελετής το ζεύ-γος Τζαχάρη παρέθεσε δεξίωση στο Ξενοδοχείο Μεγάλη Βρετανία, προς τιμήν του Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημητρίου, κατά την διάρκεια της οποίας οι παρευ-ρισκόμενοι είχαν την ευκαιρία να συγ-χαρούν τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο.

Ο πρόεδρος της Ακαδημίας Γρηγόριος Σκαλκέας απονέμει στον Σεβασμιώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο το τιμητικό δίπλωμα και μετάλλιο.

Στο γραφείο του στη Μονή Πετράκη υποδέχθηκε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αθηνών και Πάσης Ελλάδος κ. Χριστόδουλος τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριο και την συνοδεία του. (από αριστερά) π. Αλέξανδρος Καρλούτσος, Άντριου Άθενς, Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος, Αρχιεπίσκοπος, Χριστόδουλος, Μητροπολίτης Μάξιμος, Εμμανουήλ Τζαχάρης, Τζέρι Δημητρίου και διάκονος Παντελεήμων.

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος ομιλεί στους ακαδημαϊκούς και άλλους επίσημους προσκεκλημένους στην τελετή υποδοχής του στην Ακαδημία Αθηνών. ÖÙÔÏÃÑÁÖÉÅÓ ÍÉÊ. ÌÁÃÃÉÍÁÓ


ΑΘΗΝΑ – Κατά την διάρκεια της επίσκεψης του Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημη-τρίου στην Αθήνα 11-14 Νοεμβρίου που πραγματοποιήθηκε επ’ ευκαιρία της επισήμου υποδοχής του στην Ακαδημία Αθηνών και την εκλογή του ως αντεπι-στέλλοντος μέλους της, ο Σεβασμιώ-τατος είχε την ευκαιρία να συναντηθεί με την πολιτική και θρησκευτική ηγεσία της Ελλάδος.

Με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο ΧριστόδουλοΟ Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος επι-

σκέφθηκε νωρίς το πρωί της Τετάρτης 12 Νοεμβρίου τον Μακαριώτατο Αρχι-επίσκοπο Αθηνών και πάσης Ελλάδος κ. Χριστόδουλο στην Μονή Πετράκη. Κατά την διάρκεια της συνάντησης που πραγματοποιήθηκε σε πολύ εγκάρδιο κλίμα αντηλλάγησαν απόψεις για θέ-ματα της Εκκλησίας και της κοινωνίας σήμερα, θέματα που αφορούν στην ποιμαντική αποστολή της Εκκλησίας και σχετίζονται με την φροντίδα για την οικογένεια, την νεολαία και την προ-στασία και διαφύλαξη των Ελ λη-νορθοδόξων παραδόσεων στην Ελλάδα και στην Αμερική. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος μίλησε για την πρόοδο και εξέλιξη της Ορθοδοξίας στην Αμερική. Στο τέλος της συνάντησης ο Αρχιεπί-σκοπος Αθηνών εκάλεσε τα μέλη της Διαρκούς Ιεράς Συνόδου, που βρί-σκονταν εκεί και επρόκειτο να συνε-δριάσουν αμέσως μετά, να χαιρετίσουν τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής και την συνοδεία του. Τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δη-μήτριο συνόδευαν ο Μητροπολίτης Πιτσβούργου κ. Μάξιμος εκ μέρους της Ιεράς Επαρχιακής Συνόδου, ο αντι-πρόεδρος του Αρχιεπισκοπικού Συμ-βουλίου κ. Μιχαήλ Τζαχάρης, ο κ. Άντριου Άθενς και στελέχη της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής.

Συνάντηση με Γιώργο ΠαπανδρέουΤην ίδια μέρα ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος

Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε τον Υπουργό Εξωτερικών κ. Γιώργο Παπαν-δρέου με τον οποίο είχε κατ’ ιδίαν συνάντηση 45 περίπου λεπτών. Μετά το πέρας της συναντήσεως σε δηλώσεις προς τον Τύπο ο κ. Παπανδρέου ανα-φέρθηκε και στο θέμα που έχει δημιουρ-γηθεί μεταξύ Οικουμενικού Πατριαρ-χείου και Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος και διαβεβαίωσε: «...για το τεράστιο κύρος που έχει το Πατριαρχείο ανά την υφήλιο, τη σημασία που έχει, όχι μόνο για την Ορθοδοξία, αλλά και για την Ελλάδα, η διατήρηση αυτού του σημαντικού κύ-ρους διεθνώς...». Παράλληλα σημείωσε τον δυναμισμό και τις δυνατότητες της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος για να κατα-λήξει τονίζοντας την: «απαραίτητη ανάγκη της στενής συνεργασίας... της ενότητας της Ορθοδοξίας», ενώ σε άλλο σημείο ο κ. Παπανδρέου πρόσθεσε: «Θέλουμε την ενότητα της Ορθοδοξίας, θέλουμε να βλέπουμε την Ελλαδική Εκκλησία να είναι μια πηγή συνεχούς ανανέωσης και παράλληλα το Πατριαρ-χείο, με το τεράστιο κύρος του διεθνώς, πρέπει να δουλεύουν χέρι-χέρι».

Στις δηλώσεις του προς τους δη-μοσιογράφους ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημή-τριος μεταξύ άλλων δήλωσε: «Το Πατρι-αρχείο μας, όπως ανέφερε πάρα πολύ σωστά ο κ. Υπουργός, το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο, έχει ένα τεράστιο διεθνές κύρος... Είναι φανερό το πόσο τεράστιο ρόλο αποδίδουν στο Οικουμενικό Πα-τριαρχείο και εκκλησιαστικές οντό-τητες, όπως η Ρωμαιοκαθολική Εκκλη-σία ή οι Προτεστάντες, αλλά και πολιτι-κές και εθνικές οντότητες».

»Αυτό το κύρος και αυτή η δυνα-τότητα του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου προσβάσεως προς κάθε κατεύθυνση και

εντός της Αμερικής και εντός της Ευρώ-πης, και γενικότερα, δεν πρέπει με κανένα τρόπο να μειωθεί. Με κανέναν απολύτως τρόπο».

Στην ΒουλήΚαλωσορίζοντας τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο

ο πρόεδρος της Βουλής των Ελλήνων κ. Απόστολος Κακλαμάνης εξέφρασε την αγάπη και περηφάνια της Βουλής για την ελληνική ομογένεια και την προσω-πική του ευαρέσκεια για την εκκλη-σιαστική προσωπικότητα του Αρχιεπι-σκόπου που όπως είπε «ενώνει τον Ελληνισμό της Αμερικής υπό την σκέπη και καθοδήγηση του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου...» αλλά και για το τερά-στιο έργο που επιτελείται στις Ηνωμέ-νες Πολιτείες. «Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος» τόνισε, «έχει εξασφαλίσει και ενότητα

λή της Βουλής στο ταμείο βοηθείας των θυμάτων της 11ης Σεπτεμβρίου. Στο σημείο αυτό ο Πρόεδρος της Βουλής σημείωσε ότι η Βουλή των Ελλήνων θα συνεισφέρει και στην ανοικοδόμηση του κατεστραφέντος τότε ναού του Αγίου Νικολάου.

Με τον ΠρωθυπουργόΚατά την διάρκεια της επισκέψεως

του Αρχιεπισκόπου στον πρωθυπουργό Κώστα Σημίτη στο Μέγαρο Μαξίμου έγινε αναφορά σε μια σειρά θεμάτων όπως η πρόοδος στα εν εξελίξει εθνικά θέματα και η προετοιμασία εν όψει των Ολυμπιακών αγώνων. Εκφράστηκε ακόμη η άποψη ότι η πρόσφατη ενδο-εκκλησιαστική τριβή βλάπτει την Εκ-κλησία και τον Ελληνισμό και θα πρέπει να βρεθεί μια λύση το συντομότερο δυνατόν. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος ευχαρίστησε τον κύριο Πρωθυπουργό για το ενδια-φέρον του και τον συνεχάρη για την πολύ θετική εντύπωση που δημιούργησε η Ελληνική Προεδρεία στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Συζητήθηκε ακόμη το θέμα της παιδείας επί του οποίου αντηλλάγησαν απόψεις και έγιναν προτάσεις.

Με τον Κώστα ΚαραμανλήΟ πρόεδρος της Νέας Δημοκρατίας

και αρχηγός της αξιωματικής αντι-πολίτευσης κ. Κώστας Καραμανλής υποδέχθηκε τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο στο γραφείο του όπου συζητήθηκε μια σειρά θεμάτων κοινού ενδιαφέροντος κυρίως σε σχέση με την Ομογένεια, τον Ελληνι-σμό και τον αυξημένο ρόλο της Ορθοδο-ξίας ανά τον κόσμο.

Γεύμα ΜίλερΟ πρέσβης των Ηνωμένων Πολι-

τειών Αμερικής κ. Τόμας Μίλερ παρέ-θεσε προς τιμήν του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπισκόπου κ. Δημητρίου, γεύμα στην πρεσβευτική του κατοικία στην Αθήνα στο οποίο παρακάθισαν μέλη της συνοδείας του Αρχιεπισκόπου, ο πρό-εδρος της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών κ. Σκαλ-κέας και άλλοι ακαδημαϊκοί καθώς και ανώτατοι υπάλληλοι της αμερικανικής πρεσβείας.

Άλλες επαφές και συναντήσειςΕξάλλου, στα πλαίσια της επισκέ-

ψεως του Αρχιεπισκόπου ο υφυπουργός εξωτερικών κ. Γιάννης Μαγκριώτης παρέθεσε στο Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών, γεύμα προς τιμήν του κ. Δημητρίου και σε άλλη ευκαιρία είχε μαζί του συνάν-τηση στο γραφείο του όπου συζητήθη-καν πολλά θέματα που αφορούν στην ελληνορθόδοξη ομογένεια στην Αμερι-κή και πραγματοποιήθηκε αμφίδρομη ενημέρωση για τις εξελίξεις σε όλα τα ζητήματα κοινού ενδιαφέροντος που οι δύο άντρες έχουν συζητήσει και στο παρελθόν, ενώ ιδιαίτερη ήταν η σημασία που δόθηκε σε θέματα παιδείας και διατήρησης της πολιτιστικής ταυτότη-τας των νεότερων γενιών.

Κατά την διάρκεια της συνάντησης με τον υπουργό Παιδείας και Θρησκευ-μάτων κ. Πέτρο Ευθυμίου συζητήθηκαν θέματα σχετικά με την παιδεία των Ομογενών, την λειτουργία των ημε-ρησίων και απογευματινών σχολείων της Αρχιεπισκοπής καθώς και θέματα επιμόρφωσης των διδασκόντων. Πα-ρουσιάστηκαν νέες προτάσεις και ιδέες για μια πιο παραγωγική συνεργασία μεταξύ Υπουργείου Παιδείας και Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής.

Τέλος, θέματα που αφορούν στην προαγωγή της πολιτιστικής ταυτότητος της Ομογένειας στην Αμερική και στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του 2004συζήτη-σε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος με τον υπουργό Πολιτισμού κ. Ευάγγελο Βενιζέλο.

Συναντήσεις Αρχιεπισκόπου με την Πολιτική και Θρησκευτική Ηγεσία

και ομοψυχία μεταξύ των Ελλήνων εκεί οι οποίοι αποτελούν για μας μια δύναμη, μια προωθημένη δύναμη του Ελληνι-σμού». Ο κ. Κακλαμάνης ευχαρίστησε ακόμη για την ευκαιρία να συζητηθούν και πάλι θέματα εκπαίδευσης και είπε: «να συγχαρώ για άλλη μια φορά την Εκκλησία και τις κοινότητες των ομογε-νών μας γιατί έχουν στα χέρια τους την μεγάλη υπόθεση της εκπαίδευσης των παιδιών μας ώστε και την επαφή τους με την πατρίδα, τις αξίες μας, την γλώσσα μας, την θρησκεία μας... να τα διατηρήσουν και να τα μεταφέρουν με τη σειρά τους στις επόμενες γενιές Ελλήνων στο διηνεκές».

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος ευχα-ρίστησε τον κ. Κακλαμάνη για την υποδοχή και ιδιαίτερα την υλική συμβο-

Εγκάρδια υποδοχή από τον πρόεδρο της Βουλής Απόστολο Κακλαμάνη.

Συνέντευξη Τύπου του Υπουργού Εξωτερικών Γιώργου Παπανδρέου και του Αρχιεπισκόπου στο υπουργείο μετά την συνάντηση.

Συνάντηση με το πρωθυπουργό Κώστα Σημίτη στο Μέγαρο Μαξίμου.

ÖÙÔÏÃÑÁÖÉÅÓ ÍÉÊ. ÌÁÃÃÉÍÁÓ


ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος δέχθηκε στις 9 Δεκεμβρίου τον Ελληνο-αμερικανό Γερουσιαστή των ΗΠΑ κ. Πολ Σαρμπάνη, στο γραφείο του στην έδρα της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής.

Κατά την συνάντηση η οποία διεξή-χθη σε εγκάρδιο και φιλικό κλίμα και διήρκεσε μία περίπου ώρα συζητήθηκαν τρέχοντα θέματα κοινού ενδιαφέροντος που αφορούν στην Αμερικανική και διεθνή σκηνή αλλά και θέματα της Εκκλησίας.

Μετά το πέρας της συνάντησης ο κ. Σαρμπάνης δήλωσε σε εκπροσώπους του Τύπου: «Όπως πάντα είχαμε μια ωραία συνάντηση με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο και χαίρομαι για την ευκαιρία να έρθω και να τον δω εφ’ όσον βρίσκομαι στην Νέα Υόρκη. Έχω την έντονη αίσθηση ότι η Εκκλησία μας στην Αμερική βαδίζει μπροστά με τρόπο θετικό και δυναμικό και είμαστε πάρα πολύ ευγνώμονες στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο για την ηγεσία του η οποία συμβάλλει να γίνει κάτι τέτοιο δυνατό».

Ερωτηθείς να σχολιάσει την δίκη της 17 Νοέμβρη ο κ. Σαρμπάνης εξέφρα-

Ο Γερουσιαστής Πολ Σαρμπάνης επισκέφθηκε τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο

σε την ικανοποίησή του για την έκβαση της δίκης λέγοντας: «Είμαι ικανο-ποιημένος βλέποντας ότι η δίκη αυτή έφτασε σε μια κατάληξη και οι άνθρω-ποι αυτοί καταδικάστηκαν. Νομίζω ότι αποτελεί μεγάλο βήμα μπροστά για την Ελλάδα το ότι συνελήφθησαν, δικάστη-καν και καταδικάστηκαν».

Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος εξέφρασε τις ευχαριστίες του για την επίσκεψη του Ελληνοαμερικανού Γερουσιαστή λέ-γοντας χαρακτηριστικά: «Η συνάντησή μας με τον κ. Γερουσιαστή αποτελεί πάντοτε μεγάλη χαρά και ευκαιρία ανταλ λαγής ιδεών. Είναι από τους ανθρώπους που διαθέτουν σοφία σε πολιτικά, διεθνή και πολιτιστικά θέμα-τα. Είναι ένας άνθρωπος ο οποίος συνδυάζει διανοούμενο και πολιτικό. Ήταν επομένως ιδιαίτερα ευχάριστη η ευκαιρία να συζητήσουμε θέματα γενι-κού ενδιαφέροντος, επίκαιρων υποθέ-σεων πολιτικών και άλλων, καθώς και θέματα που βρίσκονται στο κέντρο της προσοχής των σύγχρονων ανθρώπων, εδώ αλλά και σε άλλα μέρη της υφη-λίου».

ΕΦΕΣΟΣ – Στην Έφεσο, την κατά-σπαρτη από ιστορία και πολιτισμό χιλιετηρίδων βρέθηκε ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης κ. Βαρθολομαίος στα τέλη Νοεμβρίου. Εδώ πριν δεκαέξι σχεδόν αιώνες συνήλθε η Γ΄ Οικουμενική Σύνοδος το 431 μ.Χ.

Θεία Λειτουργία στον 14 αιώνων ναό του Αγίου Ιωάννου του Θεολόγου στην Εφεσο

ôïõ Íéêüëáïõ Ìáããßíá

Η πύλη και οι κίονες του παλαιο-χριστιανικού ναού του Αγίου Ιωάννου του Θεολόγου μαρτυρούν και σήμερα την μεγαλόπρεπη τρίκλιτη σταυροειδή βασιλική που έκτισε ο Ιουστινιανός το πρώτο μισό του 6ου αιώνα μ.Χ. πάνω στο χώρο του τάφου του Αγίου Ιωάννου.

Εδώ, στον ιερό αυτό χώρο ο Οικου-μενικός Πατριάρχης χοροστάτησε στην πρώτη μετά από αιώνες, συγκινητική Θεία Λειτουργία. Παρέστησαν ο Μη-τροπολίτης Πριγκηποννήσων Ιάκωβος, ο Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδος στην Κωνσταντινούπολη Π. Καλογερόπου-λος, ο Πρόξενος της Σμύρνης Σ. Σέκε-ρης, πλήθος προσκυνητών από την Νέα Έφεσο του Δήμου Δίου του Νομού Πιερίας, την Μυτιλήνη, άλλες περιοχές της Ελλάδος και την Κωνσταντινού-πολη.

Την παραμονή της Θείας Λειτουργί-ας στην Έφεσο, σε παραδοσιακή μουσι-κοχορευτική εκδήλωση, ο πρόεδρος του Πολιτιστικού Συλλόγου Μικρασιατών Νέας Εφέσου «Ο Ηράκλητος» Ι. Δημη-τριάδης, προσφωνώντας τον Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίο αναφέρθηκε στο σπου-δαίο γεγονός της παρουσίας του Πατρι-

άρχου στην Έφεσο λέγοντας «Οι ημέρες αυτές είναι από τις σημαντικότερες της ζωής μας και θα αποτελούν ένα σημαν-τικό σταθμό, μέσα από τον οποίο η αυστηρή συνείδησή μας θα κρίνει το παρελθόν και θα δείξει τον δρόμο που οδηγεί στο μέλλον... Είναι όντως μια ευλογημένη στιγμή που μας αξίωσε ο Πανάγαθος Θεός να βρεθούμε εδώ στα ιερά χώματα των προγόνων μας και μάλιστα μαζί Σας, για να κοινωνήσουμε την μεγαλοσύνη και την πίστη τους».

Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης κ. Βαρθολομαίος στην ομιλία του επεσή-μανε το γεγονός ότι τα τελευταία χρόνια

τελούνται Θείες Λειτουργίες στην Μι-κρά Ασία λέγοντας χαρακτηριστικά: «Είναι όμορφες εξελίξεις που δεν μπο-ρούσαμε να τις διανοηθούμε πριν από λίγα χρόνια όταν οι σχέσεις Ελλάδος και Τουρκίας ήσαν ακόμη τεταμένες. Εξελί-ξεις οι οποίες ήλθαν ως φυσικό επακό-λουθο της βελτιώσεως του κλίματος στις διμερείς σχέσεις των δύο γειτόνων λαών... Πάντοτε λέγω, διότι αυτό είναι το διαρκές κήρυγμα του Πατριαρχείου μας, ότι οι αντιπαραθέσεις δεν οδηγούν πουθενά, η εχθρότης δημιουργεί αδιέ-ξοδα, καταστρέφει τις ελπίδες και τις προσδοκίες των ανθρώπων οι οποίοι θέλουν να ζήσουν ειρηνικά και δημιουρ-γικά και αντιθέτως η καλή γειτονία και ευρύτερα οι καλές σχέσεις μεταξύ όλων των ανθρώπων καρποφορούν και δημι-ουργούν και οικοδομούν για το καλό όλων των εμπλεκομένων».

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ.– Θερμή υποδοχή επεφύλαξε ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχι-επίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος στην Ελληνίδα Επίτροπο Απασχόλησης και Κοινωνικών Θεμάτων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, κα Άννα Διαμαντοπούλου που βρέθηκε στην Νέα Υόρκη για υπερη-σιακούς λόγους και τον επισκέφθηκε στις 21 Νοεμβρίου στην έδρα της Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής.

Κατά την διάρκεια της συνάντησης συζητήθηκαν θέματα αρμοδιότητος της κυρίας Διαμαντοπούλου, όπως θέματα διακρίσεων, θέματα διαθρησκευτικού διαλόγου και το πως αυτός διεξάγεται στις ΗΠΑ, στην Ευρώπη και αλλού, αλλά και θέματα που αφορούν στην κοινωνική δράση της Εκκλησίας.

«Είχα την χαρά να ακούσω πολλά

Συζήτησαν θέματα διακρίσεων και διαθρησκειακού διαλόγου

πράγματα για την δράση της Εκκλησίας μας στις ΗΠΑ, που θα μπορούσε να αποτελέσει παράδειγμα για πολλές εκκλησίες και όσον αφορά στο μοντέλο διοίκησής της αλλά και στην δράση της», είπε μεταξύ άλλων η κα. Διαμαν-τοπούλου μετά το τέλος της συνάν-τησης.

Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος εξέφρασε την χαρά του για την επίσκεψη της Ελληνί-δας επιτρόπου στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και χαρακτήρισε την συζήτηση και την ανταλλαγή απόψεων πολύ ενδιαφέ-ρουσα. «Είναι όντως πάρα πολύ χρήσι-μο», τόνισε, «να έχουμε και εμείς εδώ μια εικόνα για μείζονα θέματα όπως είναι τα θέματα των διακρίσεων και τα θέματα του διαθρησκειακού διαλόγου...»

Σύντομες δηλώσεις στον Τύπο μετά τη συνάντηση της Ελληνίδας Επιτρόπου στην Ε.Ε. και του Αρχιεπισκόπου.

ÍÉÊ. ÌÁÃÃÉÍÁÓ



Η μεγάλη γιορτή του Αγίου Δημη-τρίου του Μυροβλήτου στις 26 Οκτω-βρίου και τρεις μόλις ημέρες πριν στις 23 του ίδιου μηνός του Αγίου Ιακώβου του Αδελφοθέου είναι δυο ξεχωριστές ημέρες στο εορτολόγιο της Ιεράς Αρχι-επισκοπής Αμερικής. Η πρώτη είναι τα ονομαστήρια του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχι-επισκόπου Αμερικής κ. Δημητρίου και η δεύτερη του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπι-σκόπου Γέροντος πρώην Αμερικής Βορείου και Νοτίου κ. Ιακώβου.

Του Αγίου ΙακώβουΗ Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής γιόρτα-

σε τα ονομαστήρια του Αρχιεπισκόπου Ιακώβου την κυριώνυμη ημέρα του Αγίου Ιακώβου του Αδελφοθέου στον Ιερό Ναό του Σωτήρος στο Ράϊ της Νέας Υόρκης, ενορία στην οποία κατοικεί ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Ιάκωβος και στην οποία πανηγυρίζει το παρεκκλήσιο του Αγίου Ιακώβου που βρίσκεται παραπλεύρως του κυρίως ναού και είναι αφιερωμένο στον αδελφόθεο Ιάκωβο προς τιμήν του πρώην Αρχιεπισκόπου. Εκεί βρέθηκε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος και παρουσία πλήθος κλήρου και λαού προεξήρχε πολυαρχιερατικής πανηγυ-ρικής Θείας Λειτουργίας.

Στο τέλος της λειτουργίας ο Αρχι-επίσκοπος Ιάκωβος βαθιά συγκινημέ-νος εξέφρασε την ευγνωμοσύνη του «...που με αξίωσε ο Θεός να υπηρετήσω αυτόν τον λαό και αυτή την Εκκλησία με όλες μου τις δυνάμεις», είπε.

Του Αγίου Δημητρίου Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος γιόρ-

τασε τα ονομαστήρια του στον κατάμε-

Ονομαστήρια!

στο από κόσμο Καθεδρικό Ναό του Αγίου Δημητρίου στην Αστόρια που πανηγύριζε, όπου προεξήρχε Αρχιερα-τικής Θείας Λειτουργίας.

Το εσπέρας στο παρεκκλήσιο του Αποστόλου Παύλου στην έδρα της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής ετελέσθη Δοξολογία παρουσία επισήμων, και εκπροσώπων των οργανισμών και ιδρυ-μάτων της Εκκλησίας και πλήθους πιστών.

Ο Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδος στην Νέα Υόρκη κ. Δημήτης Πλατής μιλώντας για την δράση του Αρχιεπι-σκόπου Δημητρίου τόνισε δύο βασικά σημεία: «...επειδή είχα το προνόμιο κατά τα τελευταία τέσσερα χρόνια να είμαι κοντά σας, να είμαι δίπλα σας και να μπορώ να αφουγκράζομαι μέσω υμών Σεβασμιώτατε τον παλμό της Ομογέ-νειας θα ήθελα να σας μεταφέρω δημο-σία την ευγνωμοσύνη της Ελληνικής Κυβερνήσεως και διά αυτής ολόκληρου

του Ελληνικού λαού, που έχω την τιμή να υπηρετώ και να εκπροσωπώ, για όσα πράξατε κατά την διάρκεια της δικής σας τετραετούς θητείας. Θα απαριθμή-σω τα δύο κυριότερα, τα οποία από πλευράς πολιτικής τουλάχιστον σημά-δεψαν για την Ελλάδα την πορεία της Ομογενείας. Το πρώτο ήταν η δεξιο-τεχνία με την οποία χειριστήκατε ένα από τα πλέον ακανθώδη ζητήματα της Εκκλησίας αλλά και του Ελληνισμού, το ζήτημα του Καταστατικού Χάρτη της Εκκλησίας. Δεν χρειάζεται να μπει κανείς σε λεπτομέρειες, χρειάζεται όμως να επιμείνω στη ευγνωμοσύνη την οποία εκφράζω προς υμάς για τους

χειρισμούς με τους οποίους κατορθώσα-τε να φέρεται εις πέρας αυτό το σημαν-τικότατο ζήτημα για τον Ελληνισμό...

»Το δεύτερο θέμα το οποίο ακού-μπησε την καρδιά όλου του Ελληνισμού ήταν ο τρόπος με τον οποίο χειριστήκατε εσείς προσωπικά και μαζί σας και η Εκκλησία όλη, το ζήτημα της 11ης Σεπ-τεμβρίου... έχω να πω –κατά τρόπο δημόσιο στους πάντες– την ποιότητα με την αντιμετωπίστηκε ένα τόσο μεγάλο ζήτημα από έναν ηγέτη, τον ηγέτη της Εκκλησίας της Αμερικής. Αυτή η ποιό-τητα συνεκρατήθει απ’ όλον το Ελλη-νισμό, αυτός ο τρόπος με τον οποίο χειριστήκατε Σεβασμιώτατε και τα ανθρώπινα αλλά και τα θεία, και τα θύματα τα ίδια –όσα βρέθηκαν– και τους συγγενείς τους, επί σειρά μη-νών...»

Ακολούθησε ανοιχτή δεξίωση για όλους προς τιμήν του Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημητρίου.

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Ιάκωβος βαθιά συγκι-νημένος ευχαριστεί τον διάδοχό του Αρχι-επίσκοπο Δημήτριο και το εκκλησίασμα για τις θερμές ευχές τους.

Χρόνια Πολλά Σεβασμιώτατε ευχήθηκαν μικροί και μεγάλοι στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο για τα ονομαστήρια του.

ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Η πρώτη χιονο-θύελλα της χρονιάς έφτασε σφοδρή στην Νέα Υόρκη την παραμονή του Αγίου Νικολάου και σκέπασε την πόλη με χιόνι.

Το πρωί της γιορτής του Αγίου Νικολάου, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημή-τριος, όπως άλλωστε είχε προγραμ-ματίσει βρέθηκε και λειτούργησε στον Ιερό Ναό του Αγίου Νικολάου στο Φλάσινγκ της Νέας Υόρκης, την μεγα λύτερη ενορία της Ι. Αρχι-επισκοπής, εν μέσω πλήθους πιστών που αγνόησαν τις αντίξοες καιρικές συνθήκες και προσήλθαν στον ναό.

Παράδειγμα προς μίμησητο έργο του Αγίου Νικολάου

να τιμήσουμε τον Άγιο Νικόλαο».Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος

αναφέρθηκε και στην ζωή και την δράση του Αγίου Νικολάου τονίζοντας τις αντίξοες συνθήκες και τους συνεχείς κινδύνους κάτω από τους οποίους έδρασε προσφέροντας θαλπωρή και φροντίδα.

Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος παρό-τρυνε το Εκκλησίασμα να στρέψει τον νου και τις προσευχές του σε όσους περνούν δύσκολες ώρες και όσους σε διάφορα σημεία του πλανήτη διαβιούν υπό συνθήκες πείνας και ανέχειας.

Αμέσως μετά τη Θεία Λειτουργία

Με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο συλλει-τούργησαν ο ιερατικώς προϊστάμε-νος του ναού π. Παύλος Παλαιστίδης, ο π. Αναστάσιος Διακοβασίλης, ο π. Ιωάννης Λαρδάς, ο π. Δημήτριος Ηλιού, ο π. Νικόλαος Κατσούλης και οι διάκονοι π. Παντελεήμων Παπα-δόπουλος και π. Ιωάννης Βλάχος.

Απευθυνόμενος προς το εκκλη-σίασμα ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος είπε: «Αι-σθάνομαι την ανάγκη να σας ευχα-ριστήσω, να σας συγχαρώ, γιατί όντως παρά τις καιρικές συνθήκες που δεν είναι καθόλου καλές ήλθατε και γεμίσατε σήμερα τον ναό μας για

ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος απένει-με το μετάλλιο του Αποστόλου Παύ-λου στον επί δύο θητείες απερχόμενο πρόεδρο του Κοινοτικού Συμβουλίου κ. Εμμανουήλ Κράτσιο για την πολυ-ετή και αφοσιωμένη υπηρεσία του στην κοινότητα.

Εξάλλου, ο Ναυτιλιακός Ακό-λουθος της Ελλάδας στη Νέα Υόρκη, πλοίαρχος κ. Μιχάλης Σαρλής επ’ ευκαιρία της εορτής του Αγίου Νι-κολάου, του προστάτη των ναυτικών, παρουσίασε στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο τιμητική αναμνηστική πλακέτα εκ μέρους του Λιμενικού Σώματος.

Ο κλήρος της κοινότητας του Αγίου Νικολάου με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο κατά την τελετή της αρτοκλασίας.

Αναμνηστική πλακέτα επ’ ευκαιρία της γιορτής του Αγίου Νικολάου επέδωσε στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο ο πλοίαρχος του Λιμενικού Σώματος Μιχάλης Σαρλής.




ETA PRESS

ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ-ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ 20038 ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

Ἀδελφοί καί τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά,

Κατά θείαν εὐδοκίαν ἑορτάζοµεν καί κατά τό τρέχον ἔτος τήν µεγάλην καί χαρµόσυνον ἑορτήν τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦ σαρκωθέντος Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁ πανάγαθος Θεός, ὁ πλάσας τόν ἄνθρωπον εἰς πρόσωπον µέ αὐτοσυνειδησίαν καί δυνατότητα γνώσεως τῶν ἄλλων προσώπων καί κοινωνίας µετ’αὐτῶν, µέ τόν σκοπόν νά καταστήσῃ αὐτόν µέτοχον τῆς χαρᾶς τῆς ἀγάπης, δέν τόν ἐγκατέλειψεν ὅταν οὗτος ἠρνήθη τήν ἀγάπην Του καί προετίµησε νά ἀναπτυχθῇ χωρίς ἐξάρτησιν ἀπό τόν Θεόν. Αὐτή ἡ ἐπιλογή τῶν πρωτοπλάστων ἔφερεν αὐτούς εἰς τόν πνευµατικόν

θάνατον, εἰς τήν ὑλιστικήν ζωήν καί εἰς τήν ἁµαρτίαν τοῦ ἐγωϊσµοῦ. Ἦτο µία κατάστασις ἀπό τήν ὁποίαν ὁ ἄνθρωπος δέν ἠδύνατο νά ἐξέλθῃ διά τῶν ἰδίων δυνάµεων. Διά τοῦτο ἐνεσαρκώθη καί ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, προσλαβών καί θεραπεύσας τήν

ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, ὥστε νά δύναται καί πάλιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀναγεννώµενος ἐν Χριστῷ, νά ἀγαπήσῃ τόν Θεόν ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ

τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Αὐτή ἡ ἀποκατάστασις τῆς σχέσεως ἀγάπης ἀνθρώπου καί Θεοῦ, ἡ ὁποία εἶναι ἡ πρόξενος τῆς µεγίστης ἐν τῷ

σύµπαντι χαρᾶς, εἶναι ἡ εὐδοκία τοῦ Θεοῦ διά τόν ἄνθρωπον, τήν ὁποίαν ἔψαλλον οἱ ἄγγελοι κατά τήν νύκτα τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τήν Βηθλεέµ. Αὐτήν ἑορτάζοµεν χαρµοσύνως πνευµατικῶς, µετέχοντες ἐν µέτρῳ καί πασῶν τῶν ὑλικῶν δωρεῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρός τόν ἀποµακρυθέντα ἀπ’Αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπον, αἱ ὁποῖαι ἀποτελοῦν δεῖγµα τῆς πρός αὐτόν ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Οἱ πλεῖσται τῶν συνανθρώπων µας ἐνθουσιασµένοι ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν εὐκαιριῶν τῆς κατά κόσµον χαρᾶς καί ὑπεραπησχοληµένοι µέ τήν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν ὑφισταµένων διά τούς πλουσίους λαούς µεγάλων δυνατοτήτων ποικίλων διασκεδάσεων, λησµονοῦν τή βαθυτέραν ἔννοιαν τῆς ἑορτῆς τῶν Χριστουγέννων. Ἐνίοτε δέ κινδυνεύουν καί οἱ πιστοί καί εὐλαβεῖς χριστιανοί νά παρασυρθοῦν ἀπό τήν κοσµικήν ἀντίληψιν τῶν γύρωθεν ἡµῶν, νά λησµονήσουν τό ἀληθές µήνυµα τῆς σαρκώσεως τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ καί νά µή ἐπιδιώξουν τήν βίωσιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐξαιρετικῆς σηµασίας διά τήν ζωήν των γεγονότος. Διότι ἡ µεγάλη σηµασία τῶν Χριστουγέννων ἔγκειται εἰς τό ὅτι ὁ Θεός σαρκοῦται καί ἐνανθρωπίζεται διά νά θεοποιήσῃ τόν ἄνθρωπον. Σαρκοῦται ἵνα προσφέρῃ εἰς τόν ἄνθρωπον τήν µεγίστην δυνατότητα ἀναπτύξεως, τήν θέωσιν. Ὅλαι αἱ ἀνθρώπιναι χαραί καί ἀπολαύσεις εἶναι µικραί συγκρινόµεναι µέ τήν

χαράν τῆς µεθέξεως εἰς τήν ζωήν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὁ κόσµος δέν ἀσχολεῖται µέ τήν δυνατότητα αὐτήν. Ἀρκεῖται εἰς

τό νά εἶναι θνητός καί ἐµπαθής καί θέτει διά τήν ζωήν του στόχους πολύ περιωρισµένους καί εγκοσµίους. Τείνει νά µετατρέψῃ τήν ἑορτήν

τῶν Χριστουγέννων εἰς µίαν παγκόσµιον ἑορτήν ἐποχιακῆς φύσεως, τελείως ἀνθρωποκεντρικήν καί ἀποκεκοµµένην ἀπό τήν Ἐκκλησίαν καί ἀπό τό χριστιανικόν περιεχόµενόν της. Εἰς ἀντίθεσιν πρός τάς τάσεις αὐτάς τοῦ κόσµου ἡµεῖς οἱ χριστιανοί ὀφείλοµεν νά καταβάλλωµεν πᾶσαν προσπάθειαν διά νά συνειδητοποιή-

ÐÁÔÑÉÁÑ×ÉÊÇ ÁÐÏÄÅÉÎÉÓ ÅÐÉ ÔÏÉÓ ×ÑÉÓÔÏÕÃÅÍÍÏÉÓ

σωµεν τό µέγα πνευµατικόν µήνυµα τῆς σαρκώσεως καί γεννήσεως τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Διότι τό µήνυµα αὐτό µᾶς ἐνδιαφέρει ἀµέσως. Μᾶς προσφέρει τήν ἀσύλληπτον διά τόν ἄπιστον δυνατότητα τῆς µεθέξεως εἰς τήν ζωήν τοῦ Θεανθρώπου Χριστοῦ, ἡ ὁποία καί πρέπει νά µᾶς πληροῖ χαρᾶς οὐρανίου καί ἀναφαιρέτου. Ἀλλά διά νά πληρωθῶµεν αὐτῆς τῆς χαρᾶς καί εἰρήνης πρέπει νά ἀποδεχθῶµεν αὐτήν τήν δυνατότητα καί τάς προϋποθέσεις της, νά ἀγαπήσωµεν τόν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τόν δωρούµενον εἰς ἡµᾶς αὐτήν τήν δυνατότητα, νά ἐπιζητήσωµεν τήν θείαν Χάριν καί νά ὑποστῶµεν τήν ἐπίδρασιν καί τήν ἀλλοίωσιν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Εὐλαβεῖς χριστιανοί,

Ὁ ἐν σπηλαίῳ γεννηθείς καί ἐν Φάτνῃ ἀνακλιθείς Κύριος ἡµῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός περιµένει ἀπό ἡµᾶς νά Τοῦ ἀνοίξωµεν τάς καρδίας µας, διά νά κατοικήσῃ εἰς αὐτάς ὡς εἰς ἄλλο σπήλαιον. Ἀπό ἐκεῖ θά κατευθύνῃ τάς σκέψεις καί τά συναισθήµατά µας εἰς ὅ,τι καλόν καί ὡραῖον. Θά γίνῃ συνοδοιπόρος µας εἰς τήν ζωήν καί θά φλογίζῃ τάς καρδίας µας µέ ἀγάπην καί εὐδαιµονίαν, διότι ἡ εὐδαιµονία µόνον ἐκ τῆς ἀγάπης προέρχεται. Ἄς ἀφαιρέσωµεν ἀπό τάς καρδίας µας τάς ἐµπαθεῖς προσκολλήσεις καί αἰχµαλωσίας, τά δεσµά τῶν ψυχῶν µας, τήν ἁµαρτίαν καί πᾶσαν ἐπιθυµίαν κακήν, ἄς καθαρίσωµεν αὐτάς διά τοῦ λουτροῦ τῆς ἐξοµολογήσεως, διά τοῦ ὁποίου λευκαίνονται αἱ ψυχαί ὑπέρ χιόνα, διά νά ὑποδεχθῶµεν ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καί ἁγίᾳ προσµονῇ τόν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν ὡς βρέφος εἰς τήν φάτνην τῶν καρδιῶν µας, ὥστε σύν τῷ χρόνῳ τῇ ἀσκήσει καί τηρήσει τῶν ἐντολῶν Του νά µορφωθῇ Χριστός ἐν ἡµῖν, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς µέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώµατος τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Πατρικῶς χαιρετίζοντες ὑµᾶς ἐπί τῇ εὐσήµῳ ταύτῃ ἡµέρᾳ, ἀπευθύνοµεν εἰς ὅλους ὁλοκαρδίως τάς πατρικάς εὐχάς καί τάς Πατριαρχικάς ἡµῶν εὐλογίας καί δεόµεθα τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῆς εἰρήνης Χριστοῦ ὅπως καταπαύσῃ τούς πολέµους καί τάς ἀνθρωποσφαγάς καί ἐπιφέρῃ τήν εἰρήνην εἰς τόν τεταραγµένον γήϊνον κόσµον, εἰς ὑµᾶς δέ τά ἀγαπητά ἡµῶν τέκνα καί ἀδελφούς εὐχόµεθα νά διέλθετε τάς ἁγίας ταύτας ἡµέρας ἐν εἰρήνῃ καί ἐν πάσῃ χαρᾷ καί ἀγαλλιάσει, ὑπό τήν χαροποιόν σκέπην τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρεσβείαις τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου καί πάντων τῶν Ἁγίων.

Τοῦ δέ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ ἐν σπηλαίῳ τεχθέντος καί ἐν φάτνῃ ἀλόγων ἀνακλιθέντος, ἡ χάρις καί τό πλούσιον ἔλεος εἴησαν µετά πάντων.

Φανάριον, Χριστούγεννα βγ΄

ÿ] Ï Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò ÂÁÑÈÏËÏÌÁÉÏÓäéÜðõñïò ðñüò Èåüí å[õ÷Ýôçò ðÜíôùí ]õì`ùí

orthodox observer - november/december 2003

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