St. Luke October 18th, 2013

Monthly OCTOBER 2013 Volume 10

TTT H EH EH E V V V O I C EO I C EO I C E OFOFOF S S STTT. P. P. PAULAULAUL’’’SSS

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IT’S GREEK TIME, IT’S FUN TIME…

63rd Annual Greek Festival

October 10th, 11th & 12th, 2013

Wow! We are at the 63rd edition of our Greek Festival. The hard work of the devoted members of our parish combined with the ex-perience of successful past festivals make us to believe that this edition will be one of the best! The Greek Festival is very important for us, not only as our main fundraiser, but also because is giving us the chance to witness through faith and action to the larger community of Savan-nah and surroundings.

We would like to be known not only by baklava, gyro and bouzouki, but also by our deep-rooted faith, by our spirituality and culture, by our balanced views on life and world, by our beautiful and meaningful iconography and hym-nology in the church. More and more people from the city of Savannah and surroundings are visiting our church. According to the Great Command-ment we have a duty to share with them what we appreciate most, a faith anchored in Bible, a founder who is Christ Himself, a bestowing of the Spirit through liturgical and sacramental life, a Tradition which preserved the teachings of the Fathers, a lifestyle in godliness, and not less important, a joy of life under God’s protection.

Our Greek Festival was, it is, and will be a family oriented event. In our programs, the entire family will enjoy relaxed and instructive time. Parents and children alike will enjoy activities geared to-ward their specific needs. Like in other years, our children troops and the adult dancers will perform in the front of the participants and encourage them to join in. A Greek band will perform on the stage.

The Agora (Market) will offer you and to our visitors the chance to see and buy books, art, clothes, jew-elry, music and many other articles reflecting Greek lifestyle, Orthodox traditions, and every-day prod-ucts on which beauty meets utility. In the Gym and in the Courtyard, a variety of foods, drinks and products will satisfy the needs of the participants. Visitors will be exposed to traditional home-made foods and deserts, prepared with love and dedica-tion by a large number of devoted members of this parish. For those who want to know more about the roots

of Christianity and about the Orthodox faith, church tours will be offered all three days of the Greek Festival. Fr. Vasile Mihai, helped by Chuck Watson and Eddie Lambros will guide the tours and offer ample explanations about the history of this church and of the community and about the place of Or-thodoxy in the Christian world.

The preparations for the Greek Festival started months ago; however, it is not too late to get involved and to volunteer your time in the preparation, setting up and serving people during the three days of the Festival. Please come and spend the time of your life at our Greek Festi-val and lend your hands wherever is needed. Let’s make this 63rd Annual Greek Festival one to be remembered!

See you there! Fr. Vasile Mihai

St. Luke, Apostle and Evangelist

(October 18th)

St. Luke was born in the city of Antioch, probably from a pagan fam-ily. From his youth he applied himself to the study of arts and sci-ences. In order to augment his learning, he traveled in many places of the world. He became famous for his medical skills and for his talent in painting. The Gospel that bears his name shows that he had excellent command of Greek and that he knew Hebrew and Aramaic.

St. Luke was in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion and the res-urrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. After the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended over the disciples and the Christian Church was founded, St. Luke spent time with the twelve and sev-enty disciples of Jesus Christ.

Filled with missionary zeal, St. Luke returned to his town, Antioch. The Synaxarion mentions that on his way back, he preached the good news (evangelion) at Sebaste in Samaria, where he obtained the relic of the right hand of the Forerunner and he took it to Antioch.

It was in Antioch, where St. Luke met St. Paul, who was in his sec-ond missionary journey and then accompanied him in the noble task of proclamation of the Gospel to the people of Greece. St. Luke traveled with St. Paul from Troas to Philippi, and then remained in Macedonia for a few years. During the third journey of St. Paul (58 AD), St. Luke was sent to Corinth to receive the collection made by the faithful there for the needs of the poor at Jerusalem. They went together to the Holy City, strengthening the churches on their way.

When St. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and transferred to Caesarea, St. Luke remained with him and eventually accompanied him to Rome. Their difficult and eventful voyage is described at the end of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 27, 28).

St. Luke wrote the Gospel which bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles in obedience to St. Paul and dedicated the Acts to Theophilus, Governor of Achaia, and a new convert to Christianity. St. Luke’s training as physician allowed him to pinpoint some aspects of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ by underscoring His mercy and compassion for the sinful humanity. St. Luke himself became a beloved physician (Col. 4:14) of souls.

After the death of St. Paul, St. Luke made his way back to Achaia, preaching the Gospel in Italy, Dal-matia and Macedonia. Eventually he became bishop of Thebes in Boeotia, where he ordained priests and deacons and established churches. He healed the sick in soul and body. St. Luke died in Thebes at age of eighty-four. Some Fathers of the Church tell us that, at the instigation of the idolaters from Thebes, he was crucified on an olive tree. Other Fathers believed that he died in peace.

In the tradition of the Church, St. Luke was the first iconographer; the tradition also tells us that he wrote the first icon of the Theotokos during her life-time. Then he wrote other icons of the Theotokos and Holy Apostles, giving rise to the art of iconography, him being honored as the patron of the iconog-raphers.

Fr. Vasile Mihai

St. Luke’s Relics

According to historical sources, the evangelist Luke was born in Antioch, in the Roman province of Syria, and died in Thebes (Greece) at age 84, around anno Domini (A.D.) 150. His body was initially buried in Thebes, but then it was transferred to Constantinople and from Constantinople to Padua, Italy. Saint Luke was a pillar of the Church. Born probably into a rich family, he received a thorough and uni-versal education. He was well versed in Greek and Hebrew, and penned his writings with a style that equalled that of the greatest writers of his age. A medical doctor by profession, Luke was also a painter and, as a member of the select few surrounding Virgin Mary, he received from her a number of holy se-crets connected with the Nativity which later went into his Gospel. He then became Saint Paul's right-hand man and, after the latter's death, a great and indefatigable missionary. We also highlighted how strange it is that we should know so little about this monumental pillar of the primitive Church. He is, in fact, the Evangelist about whom we have the least information. A person's true worth often comes out only after her or his death. Luke's case was no different. As his writings became more popular among the various un-derground churches, the cult of Saint Luke increased, and he became one of the most loved saints. Needless to say, a market developed for his relics, and separate pieces of his body eventually found their way to all the major cities of the Empire: Thebes, Constantinople, Padua, Antioch… Tracing the intricate routes taken by these relics is an impossible task. From the documents available, we may however reasonably assume that our Evangelist died around 150 AD in Thebes, Greece, at the age of 84. That city does in fact boast the presence of a pagan, attic-style sarcophagus hewn out of stone taken from a local quarry. Oriental tradition considers this sarcophagus as the first resting place of the Evangelist. Eventually the relics were transferred to Constantinople during the reign of Emperor Constantius, the son of Constantine. This translation to Constantinople is well-documented. Procopius and Saint Jerome maintain that it oc-curred in the year 357 AD, when Constantius was Emperor. Luke's remains were transferred to Con-stantinople together with those of Saint Andrew, the Apostle, and interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. This church no longer exists, but it was in its time the blueprint for many other churches, including the Basilica of Saint Mark in Venice. A fire damaged the church some years later, but the flames left the coffins of the saints under the pavement untouched. The Emperor Justinian subsequently rebuilt the church in 527 AD, and on that occasion ordered a shrine to be erected around Luke's tomb. Some medieval historians from the West believe that St. Luke's body and the relics of other saints were eventually moved to Padua between the years 361-363 AD with the approval of Julian the Apostate. Julian had received a Christian education in his youth, but subsequently renounced his faith and, once on the throne, set about restoring the ancient pagan religion throughout the Empire. The relics were therefore clearly in danger and might have been removed to a safer place. This, however, has never been proved. Some scholars suggest that the remains were taken to Padua during the iconoclastic rage which swept Oriental Christianity between the years 740-771 AD in order to protect them. Other scholars believe that in 1204, the Crusaders of the IV Crusade stole the relic from Constantinople and transported it to Pa-dova. St. Luke's relics were probably kept at Saint Justina Basilica right from the start because that church was one of the most important in the city, with close connections to the East, and because it was an-nexed to a monastery of Benedictine monks. Around the year 899 AD, however, the body had to be hid-den once again, because Padua was overrun by a horde of barbarians originating from the region around modern-day Hungary.

After the year 900 AD, the relics disappeared from the annals of history. It was only after many years that the Benedictines, while sifting through the ancient memorabilia stored away in the most hidden recesses of their monastery, gradually began to uncover long-lost documents, objects and relics of saints. One day, they came upon a coffin (a rectangular casket made of lead) which appeared to be that of Saint Luke. It was, for them, a long awaited discovery, and the confirmation of various oral and written tradi-tions. The finding occurred amid a flurry of supernatural events, such as mysterious heavenly perfumes, apparitions, and dreams. The day of the discovery, April 14, 1117, is still remembered in Padua. The statement or affidavit describing the finding gives a detailed account of the objects found near or around the coffin: an image of three calves' heads (the ancient symbol of the Evangelist), a double cross impressed on the outside of the lead casket, and a grey marble tablet with the inscription 'S.L. Evang' on it. These findings spurred the abbot of the monastery, Domenico, and the bishop of Padua, Gerardo Offreducci, to leave at once for the near-by city of Ferrara where Pope Alexander III happened to be re-siding at the time, and to have the Pope authenticate the remains. This finding marks the beginning of the veneration of Saint Luke's relics in Padua. The devotion grew and, in 1313, the box containing the relics was placed in a worthier setting: a marble sepulchre erected precisely for this purpose inside a chapel especially dedicated to Saint Luke. The church of Saint Justina became a place of pilgrimage, and the envy of other churches and monaster-ies. In 1562 the construction of a new huge and stately Basilica of Saint Justina was terminated, and Luke's relics were transferred inside the new shrine with great pomp. The relics were placed in their cur-rent location, in the left transept. Recent studies at the Basilica of Saint Justina in Padua, have uncovered what are most certainly the bones of Saint Luke the Evangelist; another case of modern research confirming what tradition already knew for millennia. In 1992, the then Metropolitan Ieronymos of Thebes and Levathia (currently the Archbishop of Greece) requested the return of a "a significant fragment of the relics of St. Luke to be placed on the site where the holy tomb of the Evangelist is located and venerated today". The Roman Catholic bishop of Padua, Antonio Mattiazzo, graciously answered Metropolitan Ieronymos of Thebes and Levathia’s request and underscored the importance of fostering better ecumenical rela-tions between the Eastern Church and Roman Catholicism. The decision also brought with it a moral di-lemma: what proof was there that the relics really belonged to Saint Luke? Before the scientific examination actually got underway, it was decided to set up a preliminary commis-sion, composed by historians, which would collect and examine all the documents available. The com-mission worked for some years, and was able to ascertain some very interesting facts. It discovered that, in 1354, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, had ordered the removal of the skull kept in Saint Justina's. It therefore became imperative to determine whether that cranium, now in the Cathedral of Saint Vitus in Prague, belonged to the rest of the skeleton in Padua. The bishop of Padua lodged a re-quest with the Cardinal of Prague, who gladly agreed to collaborate. The actual scientific examination* began on September 17, 1998, when the massive marble slab cover-ing the sepulchre (2 tons weight!) was slowly removed. The sepulchre was found to contain a lead metal coffin of about 180cm x 48cm, and about 40cm high, with a sloping, triangular shaped cover. The seals, dating from the 16th century, were broken and the lid removed. It was found to contain an almost intact human skeleton, only the cranium was missing. A few days later the cranium arrived from Prague; it fitted perfectly to the topmost neck bone. A number of findings add considerable weight to this hypothesis. First, an eight-armed cross on one of the sides of the coffin. This type of cross is the fusion of the Greek cross and the St. Andrew cross. It was a Jewish-Christian symbol used in charnel houses in Palestine around the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Next to the coffin were found two small lead tablets with inscriptions stating that the body belonged to

Saint Luke. The tablets were made during the Renaissance, but a linguistic analysis of the inscriptions revealed that the texts were conceived before the 4th century. The inscriptions were therefore copied from earlier documents.

The lead of the coffin and the traces of lead attached to the bones were analyzed, and it was found that the saint's body had decomposed inside that particular coffin. Other examinations, such as the palinological analyses performed on the material inside the coffin, revealed the pres-ence of plant-pollens typical of Mediterranean vegetation. The coffin contained, for example, the pollen of Greek pine, which is only found in Greece and the surrounding districts. Moreover, it was found that the coffin and the skeleton were contemporaneous. Endless other tests were carried out, and the results were finally collected in a 750-page vol-ume! Carbon dating was carried out on a fragment of the femur (thighbone) in two distinct laboratories, one in Tucson, Arizona, the other in Oxford, England. The results suggest a date ranging from the second half of the first century to the fourth century. Experts say that solar radiation in the

first centuries of our era was somewhat irregular, so these dates contain a certain degree of error. How-ever, we may safely conclude that the skeleton belongs to the first centuries of Christianity, and not to the Middle Ages. The man inside that tomb was a sturdy-built, 1.63 meters high individual. The bone formation of his feet suggests that he had walked a lot in his life. The analysis of his bones also reveals that he suffered from age-induced arthritis, and that he had also experienced malnourishment in his youth. The curvature of his rib-bones indicates the presence of a pulmonary emphysema. His death took place between the ages of 75 to 85, and his osteoporosis was at normal levels. The DNA of one of his teeth revealed that he be-longed to one of the races inhabiting Syria at the beginning of Christianity, and excluded a Greek origin. In conclusion**, this long and scrupulous examination has added considerable weight to the most ancient sources, that is, that the relics kept in the Basilica of Saint Justina in Padua are really those of Saint Luke; another case of modern research confirming what tradition already knew for millennia. On September 17, 2000, a Roman Catholic delegation, headed by the bishop of Padua and by a monk from the Benedictine Abbey, went to Greece with a rib from Saint Luke's skeleton, the one closest to the heart. It was given to the Metropolitan Ieronymos as a significant relic to venerate in the empty tomb in Thebes. This act was highly appreciated by the Greek Orthodox Church, and the rib was placed in that same ancient sepulcher which, according to ancient sources, was the first resting place of our Evangel-ist. The tomb of St. Luke in Thebes works miracles even today. On December 22, 1997 at 1.30pm myrrh ap-peared on the tomb's marble and since then the interior of the marble sarcophagus is fragrant. Thou-sands and thousands of Christians visit the tomb of St. Luke and venerate his relics.

Compiled by Fr. Vasile Mihai

*Con fo rm, Abs t rac t o f “Gene t i c cha rac te r i za t i on o f t he body a t t r i bu ted to t he evange l i s t Luke” , pub l i shed i n t he P roceeds o f t he Na t i ona l Academy o f Sc iences o f t he Un i ted S ta tes o f Amer i ca on Ju l y 24 , 2001 . The au tho rs o f t he s tudy and members o f t he exami -na t i on commi t tee were : Ch r i s t i ano Ve rnes i , G iu l i e t t a D i Benede t to , Dav id Carame l l i , E r -i ca Secch ie r i , Luc ia S imon i , Emi le Ka t i , Pa t r i z i a Ma lasp ina , Andrea Nove l l e t t o , V i to Te r ib i l e W ie l Mar in and Gu ido Ba rbu ian i . * *Among the sources used i n t h i s a r t i c l e we men t ion : Renzo A l l eg r i , Sa in t Luke ’s Bones , i n t he Messenger o f S t . An thony , Padova , Marc h 2005 ; N i cho las Wade , “Body o f S t . Luke ' Ga ins Cred ib i l i t y ” , The New York T imes , Oc tober 16 , 2001 ; and the webs i te o f t he Bas i l -i ca o f Sa in t Jus t i na (L 'Abbaz ia d i San ta G ius t i na ) , Padua , h t t p : / /www.abbaz iasan tag ius t ina .o rg

St. Thomas

(October 6th)

Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "Twin”) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for disbelieving Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in John 20:28. He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also be-lieved to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Par-thian Empire and India.

Thomas speaks in the Gospel of St. John. In John 11:16, when Lazarus has just died, the apostles don't want to go back to Judea, where Jesus' fellow Jews had attempted to stone him to death. Tho-mas says bravely: "Let us also go, that we may die with him"). In Thomas' best known appearance in the New Testament (John 20:24-29) he doubts the resurrection in flesh of Jesus Christ and demands to touch Jesus’ wounds before being convinced. A famous paint-ing of the Italian master Caravaggio, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, depicts this scene. This story is the origin of the term Doubting Thomas. After seeing Jesus alive, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!". The holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas was born in the Galileian city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of Jesus Christ, he left all and followed after Him. The Apostle Thomas is in-cluded in the number of the holy Twelve Apostles of the Savior. According to Holy Scripture, the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other disciples about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my fin-ger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. "My Lord and my God," the Apostle cried out (John 20:28). "Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles," says St John Chrysostom, "toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations."

Some icons depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas." This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of Thomas." In Slavonic, it says, "The Belief of Thomas." When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts.

According to Church Tradition, the holy Apostle Thomas founded Christian churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Preaching the Gospel earned him a martyr's death. For having converted the wife and son of the prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur [Melipur], the holy apos-tle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord. Part of the relics of the holy Apostle Thomas are in India, in Hungary and on Mt. Athos.

Near Chennai (formerly Madras) in India stands a small hillock called St. Thomas Mount, where the Apostle is said to have been killed in AD 72 (exact year not established). Also to be found in Chennai is the Diocese of Saint Thamas of Mylapore and the San Thome Cathedral, where his mortal remains were transferred. A piece of bone and the lancehead that used to kill the saint, excavated from the tomb, is kept in a monstrance in the museum.

First time the tomb was opened to take some earth to cure the son of ruling king Mahadevan. The sand from the tomb is believed to have miraculous healing powers. Between A.D. 220 and 232 a mer-chant called Khabin removed greater portion of the relics to Edessa, Mesopotamia, on which occasion his Syriac Acts were written.

Eventually, the relics of St. Thomas were transferred from Edessa to the Greek island of Chios. After a short stay in the Greek island of Chios, on September 6, 1258, the relics were “transported” to the West, and now rest in the city of Ortona, Italy. Southern India had maritime trade with the West since ancient times.

The website of the Italian Cathedral of St. Thomas in Ortona clearly states that the relics were stolen from Chios by Leone Acciaiuoli, who commanded three galleys in the fleet of Prince Manfredi. Besides the relics they brought to Ortona the Mesopo-tamian sarcophagus in which the relics were kept in Edessa and in Chios. Today the sarcophagus and the relics are kept under the Altar of the Chapel of the Sacrament (see at the right).

View of the top of St. Thomas’ sarcophagus The Chapel of the sacrament, Ortona, Italy In 1985-1986 students from the University of Chieti and specialists from the Department of the Antiqui-ties studied the relics of St. Thomas and they found the following: the bones belong to a man of age between 50 and 70, with a height of 5 feet 3 inches plus/minus 4 inches, affected by a rheumatic con-dition called today, Ankylosing Spondylitis or Strumpell-Marie disease (a degenerative inflammatory disease characterized by back pain caused by fusion of the spinal column bones), and with a cheek-bone wound made by a sharp object.

St. Thomas is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on October 6. He is also commemorated in common with all of the other apostles on June 30, in a feast called the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles. He is also associated with the "Arabian" (or "Arapet") icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God), which is commemorated on September 6th. Compiled by Fr. Vasile from various sources

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples and to Thomas the Doubter

During Holy Week we were made part of the betrayal, crucifixion and burial of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Then on Holy Saturday we rejoiced not only at His resurrection, but also for our renewed chance of eternal life, as He paid the great ransom for our sins. The two Sundays which follow Pascha are dedicated to commemorating certain episodes that relate to the Resurrection of Christ. The Sunday after Pascha is called in our Byzantine calendar “Sunday of Thomas”, a Sunday in which the Church wants to draw our attention to the attitude of the apostle St. Thomas, an attitude so ingrained in the behavior of many of us, that of passing from a provisionally disbelieving person to a deeply believing one. It may be very interesting to note that after the Resurrection, Christ did not first appeared to the disciples or to St. Thomas, but actually to Mary Magdalene. We may be prompted to think that the de-votion and the deep and unflinching faith of the myrrh-bearing women was rewarded with the first wit-ness of His appearance.. If we read comprehensively the synoptic Gospels we learn that not only St. Thomas doubted the Resurrection, but also the other disciples. St. Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene ran to the disciples to share with them the good news (evangelion) of seeing the Lord, “but when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.” (Mk. 16:11). In the Gospel of St. John (John 20:19-31) we are told that Christ appeared to the disciples, then to Thomas, and concluded with a statement from the Evangelist about the purpose of his Gospel. The first unit tells us that in the evening of the day of Resurrection, our Lord appeared to His disciples as they were gathered together. The doors were shut, and yet, suddenly, Jesus was in their midst; thus He penetrated even into the souls that seemed most shut away from Him. Jesus greeted the disciples twice with, “Peace be with you”; if you wonder why He would repeat the greeting, you may find that there is a nuance between the two greetings. The first time, Jesus is addressing the disciples who were much troubled by the crucifixion and subsequent events. The sec-ond time, He gives them peace so that they may transmit it to other people, for He immediately adds, “As the Father has sent me even so I send you.” Christ gave them the mission to spread His teaching to all nations; also, He equipped them for this mission: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” We usually think that the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. This reading tells us that they received the Holy Spirit one week after the Resurrec-tion, now in a latent form, and later on the Day of Pentecost, coming with great power. In the same way, we the faithful may be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which may lie latent without showing Its workings and power for a long time. Our souls need an awakening and the grace of Pen-tecost in order for the Spirit to be manifested with power. It is never too late to acquire the Spirit and to give it to others. We may not be aware, but God may have plans in store for us. The ten disciples received the mission and were equipped with the Holy Spirit; however, one of the disciples was not there, Thomas, called Didymus (the Twin). Some Syriac and Gnostic sources mention him as Judas Thomas. In John 14:22, where a mention of “Judas (not Iscariot)” is made, those sources actually replaced that appellation with “Thomas” or “Judas Thomas”. The second unit deals with events related to the Lord’s appearance to Thomas. Thomas hears afterward from the other disciples about Christ’s appearance to them. By this time the other disciples have seen and have believed in the risen Lord, but Thomas does not accept their word. Thomas needs physical proof in order to believe. “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” (Jn. 20:25b). The incredulous Thomas is asking more than was offered to the other disciples. Jesus showed them his hands and side, and they re-joiced at the sight of the Lord. But Thomas wants both to see and feel. One can easily perceive in the writing of St. John a sense of disapproval for Thomas’ demand; Jesus had already reproached His audience by saying, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” (Jn. 4:48). This time the sign and the miracle were visible, but were still not enough for Thomas the Doubter. So it seems that Thomas is reprimanded on two accounts: for refusing to accept the word of the other disciples, and for pushing for higher proofs than the visible ones. A week passes, and Jesus

appears once again to the disciples. Interestingly, Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for disbelieving the account of the other disciples, but actually challenged Thomas by offering the crass demonstration of the miraculous that he demanded. This was done because the Lord knew that Thomas, in spite of his chronic skepticism, was capable of being led to the true faith. Jesus invited Thomas to put his finger into the mark of the nails and thrust his hand into his side. He exhorts him not to be faithless, but believing. Thomas comes to belief without probing Jesus’ wounds, turns from a doubter to a believer, and thus joins the others who have seen and believed. Christ does not blame Thomas; the other disciples were not less to blame, for neither did they believe the Resurrection until they had seen the Risen One. Whether or not he intended to do so, the evangelist has given us in the four episodes of chapter 20 four slightly different examples of faith in the risen Jesus. The Beloved Disciple (St. John the Evangelist) comes to faith after having seen the burial linen but without having seen Jesus Himself. Mary Magdalene sees Jesus but does not recognize Him until He calls her by name. The ten disciples see Him and believe. Thomas also sees Him and be-lieves, but only after proofs are offered. Some of the elders of the Church believe that St. Thomas did not doubted the Resurrection of the Lord, but actually the He resurrected in both divine and human natures. The physical touch, the need to feel, were for Thomas the only way to ascertain that Jesus resurrected both Soul and Body, and thus He will be able to carry our human nature to heaven (i.e. salvation). Now that Thomas believes, he answers with a statement of faith and adoration: “My Lord and my God!” For Thomas, Jesus is no longer the Rabbi or the Prophet of Nazareth, but One who has been lifted up in crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to His Father and was glorified in the presence of the Father with the glory which they had before the world was made (John 17:5). It seems so amazing that from the mouth of a skeptic, who became a believer, came a supreme Christological pronouncement in the Gospel of St. John; some commentators believe that this state-ment is the climax of the Gospel of St. John. The combination of the titles “Lord” and “God” eventually became so famous that it passed into pagan literature as Dominus et Deus noster during the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D.) and afterwards was used in addressing the Roman Emperors. Thus, Thomas’ “My Lord and my God!” is closely parallel to “The Word was God” in the opening line of the Gospel of St. John. Thomas is making a profession of faith on behalf of the Christian com-munity. A reflection of this profession is found also in the Book of Revelation: “Worthy are thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…” (Rev. 4:11). The words that Thomas speaks to Jesus are the voice of people ratifying the covenant that the Father has made with Jesus. Those who believed because they saw Jesus earned their conviction through inquisitive acts. Those who believe without seeing are truly blessed; “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet be-lieve.” (John 20: 29b). Jesus is shifting His attention from the disciples, who have seen and then be-lieved in Him, to those who will come to believe in Him without having the chance to see Him, but who will the chance to listen to the witness of the disciples. For generations and generations of Christians, the act of Thomas is not simply a doubt about Resurrection, but the direct and clear proof that Jesus resurrected in both natures (divine and human) and this unique type of Resurrection puts Him in the league with the Father and the Holy Spirit, rather to make Him simply a Prophet or a Teacher. At the beginning of this reading St. John shared about the mission of the disciples and about the power of the Holy Spirit with which they were equipped; the act of St. Thomas moved them from the belief to the conviction. The last unit of Gospel reading bears an air of finality: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book” (John 20:30). For this reason some exe-getes considered those verses to be the conclusion to the Gospel, even though another chapter fol-lows. The statement that Jesus did “many other signs” is comprehensible: St. John restricted his choice to a group that was especially instructive. And those signs were written that you may believe; the Gospel is a testament of faith in which Jesus Christ is not just a learned man, a Rabbi, or a prophet, but Christ, the Son of God, “the helper of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the Savior of the af-flicted, the haven of the traveler and the physician of the sick.” (From a prayer in the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great).

Fr. Vasile Mihai

L i t u r g y o f St . J a m e s

o n O c t o b e r 2 3 r d, 2 0 1 3

With the blessing and the encouragement of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta we will celebrate the Liturgy of St. James on his name day, October 23rd, 2013. On Wednesday, October 23rd, we will have Orthros (Matins) at 9:00am and the Divine Liturgy of St. James at 10:00am. This is an ancient Liturgy of the Orthodox Church and was preserved in both Greek and Syriac form. The Liturgy is as-cribed to James, the Lord’s brother, first Bishop of Jerusa-lem. The Liturgy of St. James reflects the fourth century litur-gical practices of the Christian Church if not earlier. The fact that the Liturgy was used by the Syrian Jacobites, who sepa-

rated themselves from the Church in 451 as well as by the Orthodox, proves that the Liturgy cannot have been composed later than the middle of the fifth century. St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his famous Catechetical Sermons described movements from this Lit-urgy, which shows that this was the Liturgy used at the time. But around 13th to 14th century, the use of the Liturgy of St. James faded away in favor of the Byzantine rite that included the other three Liturgies, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Liturgy of St. Basil and the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy. The Liturgy of St. James is the oldest and longest of the Divine Liturgies used in the Church. This liturgy is much different than the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which we celebrate on regular Sundays; another interesting difference is that the Liturgy of St. James is celebrated in three different areas of the church, part in the Narthex, part on the Solea and part in the Altar.

The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Al-though it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the Liturgy of St. Basil and the Lit-urgy of St. John Chrysostom, it was already spread on other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Arme-nian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St. Basil. Fen-wick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. Cyril of Jerusalem around 370 AD. Today it is the principal liturgy of the Churches of the West Syrian tradition: the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Indian Orthodox Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and the Mar Thoma Church. This is the only Divine Liturgy of the year where the faithful are allowed to receive Holy Communion like clergy, by partaking separately from the elements. This means that the faithful receive the Body of Christ in their hands and then they drink directly from the Holy Chalice.

Please prepare for this Holy Day through prayer and fasting and please attend the Orthros and the Liturgy of St. James, in which you have the privilege to receive communion in the same manner as in the Early Church.

Fr. Vasile Mihai

The Life of Saint Demetrios

(October 26th)

Saint Demetrios was born in Thessalonike, Greece in 270 AD. He came from a wealthy family and because he was athletic in appear-ance and heroic in spirit, he became a high-ranking officer in the Ro-man Army at a very young age. (This is why he is depicted in Byzan-tine icons in military dress, either standing or riding a horse.) He con-sidered himself a soldier of Christ first, and a military soldier second. He spent most of his time as a devout missionary, preaching the Gos-pel at secret meetings and converting pagans to the Christian faith. At one of these meetings, he was captured and placed in front of the Emperor Maximian, who wanted to learn the truth about the conver-sions. Saint Demetrios proclaimed his faith by saying: "...only in Christ do I believe." With that proclamation, Maximian ordered that Saint De-metrios be sent to prison and subjected to the cruelest tortures.

Even though Saint Demetrios was imprisoned, he did not stop preaching the gospel to those who came to see him. In jail, he was visited by his follower, Nestor. Nestor was a man of small stature and had come to ask for his beloved teacher's blessing to fight in the upcoming gladiator games. The em-peror had decided to use the games as a duel between Christianity and paganism by challenging any Christian to a fight against the athletic giant, Leo. With the blessing of Saint Demetrios, Nestor fought and killed Leo. Enraged at the loss of his favorite gladiator, the emperor commanded that Nestor be beheaded on the spot. Recognizing that Saint De-metrios was the inspiring power behind Nestor, the emperor ordered that Saint Demetrios be executed by spear on October 26, 306 AD Christians buried the body of Saint Demetrios at the place of his exe-cution and because of the beautiful scent that emanated from his tomb, he was named Mirovlitis or "The Myrrh Gusher or Myrrh Flowing". The most ancient icons of Saint Demetrios may be found in his temple in Thessalonike where he is the patron saint. This is not just because he was born and died there, but because the people believe it was his intervention that saved the city during many attacks by Slavic nations, the Bul- garians, Arabs, Saracens and others. Even the liberation of Thessalonike during the Balkan wars of 1912 coincide with the feast day of Saint De-metrios on October 26th. In ancient times, the life of Saint Demetrios was commemorated with celebrations that lasted for months. These celebrations where accompanied by many events such as the famous market named "Demetria". Traders and business people from Europe, Egypt, Arabia and Libya came to deal and trade. The festivities were also attended by philosophers, learned men of the time and artists. To this day, Thessalonike hosts Greece's largest international trade exhibition each year.

Fr. Vasile Mihai

Martyrdom of St. Demetrios, Megistou Lavra, Mount Athos

St. Demetrios in Iconography

Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica (in Greek, Άγιος ∆ηµήτριος της Θεσσαλονίκης) was a Christian martyr who lived in the early 4th Century. During the Middle Ages, he came to be revered as one of the most important Orthodox military saints, often paired with St. George. His feast day is October 26 for the Chris-tian who follow the Gregorian Calendar and November 8 for the Christian who follow the Julian Calendar. St. Demetrius was initially depicted in icons and mosaics as a young man in patterned robes with the distinctive tablion of the senatorial class across his chest. Miraculous military interventions were at-tributed to him during several attacks on Thessalonica, and he gradually became thought of as a soldier: a Constantinopolitan ivory of the late 10th century (which is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art) shows him as an infantry soldier. But an icon of the late 11th century in Sinai shows him as before, still a civilian. Another icon from Mount Sinai, from the Crusades period, painted by a French artist working in the Holy land in the second half of the 12th century, shows what then became the most com-mon depiction: St Demetrios, bearded, rather older, and on a dark horse, rides together with St. George, unbearded and on a white horse. Both are dressed as cavalry men. While St. George is often shown spearing a dragon (symbol of greediness), St. De-metrios is depicted spearing the gladiator Lyaeos, who according to legend was responsible for killing many Christians. Lyaeos is traditionally drawn much smaller than Demetrius. In tradi-tional hagiography, Demetrios did not directly kill Lyaeos, but rather through his prayers he emboldened his disciple Nestor who killed the gladiator..

The Relics of St. Demetrios at the St. Demetrios Basilica in Thessalonica

Fresco Icon of St. Nestor, disciple of St. Demetrios

St. De-metrios, Russian Icon of the 12th Century, Golden-Roof Monas-tery of Kiev

Modern Icon of St. De-metrios (by the hand of Constan-tine Youssis)

Relics of St. Demetrios of Thessalonica At the Church of Aghios Demetrios in Thessalonica—also spelled Thessalonike, the holy relics of St. Demetrios are upstairs in the main Church. The Church of St. Demetrios is a five-aisled basilica, with a narthex and a transept. Under the sanctuary and the transept there is the crypt. A chapel of Saint Euthymios is attached to the South-East corner of the church. Very few fragments of the sculp-tural and pictorial (mosaics, wall paintings) decoration of the church, survived the disastrous fire of 1917 but they are representative of the successive phases of the church’s history.

The first church was a small orator, built shortly after 313 A.D. on the ruins of a Roman bath. In the 5th cen-tury A.D., the eparch Leontios founded on the same site a large, three-aisled basilica which was burn down in 626-634. Shortly thereafter, the five-aisled basilica was erected. It was converted into a mosque in 1493, it was restored to Christian worship in 1912 but it was again destroyed in the great fire of 1917. It was rebuilt and started to function again in 1949.

During the restoration of the monument after the fire of 1917, several trenches were opened in the nave and the crypt. Systematic excavations were carried

out in 1946-49.

Restoration of the church was undertaken immediately after the catastrophe of 1917. Work was stopped in 1938 and was again resumed in 1946. The church complex was rebuilt and started to function again as a church in 1949.

In the crypt of Aghios Demetrios, an exhibition is on display to the public. It includes the items that survived the fire of 1917 and those that were brought to light by the recent excavations in the historical monument.

The Church of St. Demetrios in Thessalonica was built over the site of his holy martyrdom—the Roman bath in which he was imprisoned. This bath is preserved to this day in a crypt under the holy sanctuary of the Church. As I pointed out already a great fire broke out in 1917, which destroyed most the city, and this was the cause for the discover of the bath— the floor of the sanctuary having fallen through.

Among other things there was discovered the first chapel built over the place of Aghios Demetrios martyrdom (martyrium) with an earthen vessel planted in the Holy Table, containing earth with human blood—evidently of the holy Martyr. A great marble basin was also discovered which was used to gather the holy myrrh from the grave of the holy Saint of our Lord God.

Aghios Demetrios is known in the holy Orthodox Church as the "myrrh-bearer". St. Demetrios of Thessalonica is one of the very few saints from whose relics, by the grace of God, a fragrant and healing myrrh flowed. Among other great myrrh-bearers we count, St. Nicholas, St. Symeon of Serbia, and St. Nil of Mt. Athos. Compiled by Fr. Nektarios Serfes, Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Boise, ID.

The holy Relics of St. Demetrios at the Church of St. Demetrios in Thessalonica, Greece

New Teams of Acolytes

At St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church we encourage all boys to serve in the Altar, a great honor and privilege offered to those who desire to serve the Lord and His people by be-coming an Acolyte, a rank in the Orthodox Church, along with those of Sub-deacons, Readers, Cantors and Ushers. In past issues of the Monthly Newsletter, “Voice of St. Paul (i.e. February and August of this year), we stressed the importance of the service and the need of commitment from the teenagers and their families. From the oldest times, peoples’ eyes were drawn to the Altar and they could not help but notice the Acolytes who were serving in the Altar. Acolyte service in the liturgical life of the Church is one of prominence and distinction. By serving in the Altar you will be able not only to watch from close all the aspects of the Services and Sacraments, but also to grasp

the inner spiritual meaning of the acts and movements of the Services and that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

With this in mind, you realize how important the Acolyte’s determination is to serve on a regular basis, in a sacred and dignified environment, following well- established guidelines and expressing a proper atti-tude toward service in the House of the Lord. I hope and pray that the Acolytes, the candidates and their parents pay close attention to these exhortations and find in them the motivation to give part of their time and talents for the service of the Lord.

The name Acolyte comes from the Greek word "akolouthos" meaning attendant or follower. So the Aco-lytes are attendants to the bishops or priests and help them help during the various services. The word Acolyte can also be linked with another Greek word "akolytos" which means free (from stain or sin) to enter the Holy of the Holies, the Holy Altar. So it is proper for the Acolytes to be free of sin and have an exemplary behavior not only in the Altar but also in the life of the Parish. During the Liturgy the Acolytes represent the Angels that surround and assist Christ, in the same way as they surround and assist the Parish Priest. In the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, before the proces-sion with the Gospel Book at the Small Entrance, the priest prays,” Master and Lord our God, You have established in heaven the orders and hosts of angels and archangels to minister to Your glory. Grant that the holy angels may enter with us…” Our Acolytes represent the angels and they should be ready to help, be quiet and reverent, have an excellent behavior. These are characteristics the Acolytes’ service and they should strive towards perfection. Being an Acolyte is a special honor for both the boys and their families; to serve in the Altar, the most sacred area of the Church, is a great blessing. With love and dedication many of our boys can serve as Acolytes. The process of calling for the service has ended and now we are at the point of re-organizing the teams, as along the time, acolytes graduated, moved away from the town or feel that at their age they cannot serve anymore; when they are back, they are more than welcomed to serve with us. We will like to underscore, one more time, the need of commitment to serve from the Acolytes and their parents, especially the parents of the younger Acolytes, who are not able to come regularly and in time, unless they are brought to the church by their families. In consultation with the Counselors we divided the Aco-lytes in the following teams: St. Paul: Andoni Sideris, Nikita Magulias, Atha Stathopoulos, Trevor Usher, Eugene Mihai, Vasili Johnson, Alexander Buenostro, Brayden Curry, Alexander Nono, Judah and Canaan McCown. St. Peter: Channing Stroud, Drew Crawford, Timothy, Andrew and Alexander Newport, Zack Sherman, Alex McDonnell, Edward Simon, Vangeli Tsiaras, Niko Nichols, Luke Lambros. Please check the Monthly Newsletters and the Weekly Bulletins to see on what dates you are scheduled to serve. Fr. Vasile Mihai

2013- Food & Wine Tasting sponsored by Philoptochos

St. Paul’s Church Picnic-2013- Liturgy in the Villa Marie Chapel Portable Icon screen built & donated by Eddie Switala

Parish Picnic-2013

GOYA Retreat-2013-Pool Party & cookout hosted by Chris & Sandy Simon & Canine friends!

GOYA Retreat-attending & serv-ing at the Divine Liturgy

GOYA Fundraising Luncheon for Dance Troupe trip

F E S T I V A L B A K I N G

KOURABIEDES

THANK YOU

To all of the ladies and gentlemen of the parish who helped with recent Festival Baking - kourabiedes & baklava. It is a huge task to coordinate and make all of these delicious foods for Festival ~ you all are very much appreciated!

Many thanks to all who were involved in the planning and implementation of what was needed for the St. Paul’s Parish Picnic. It was a lot of work ...but also a lot of fun!!! The weather co-operated once again -we were blest! 150 people attended the picnic and a good time was had by all-good food and fellowship, games & swimming for all!!

CONGRATULATIONS

To the Church Picnic game winners: We had 24 prizes donated so we had lots of winners!! A big thanks to the donors of those gifts! A good time was had by all participating!!

To M/M Joshua Todd & Jennifer(Hansard) Welte on the Baptism of their son, Emmett Paul Welte on Sep-tember 7th, 2013 here at St. Paul’s GOC. Godmother was Viki Stoupenos.

To Daciana Pacuraru and her baby boy, Philip Gabriel Badea on their churching on September 15th, 2013.

To Katherine Poulios and her baby boy, Maddox Daniel on their churching on September 22nd, 2013.

ST. PAUL’S NEWS AND NOTES

Preparation for our Annual Greek Festi-val continues. Please come and help if at all possible. We would love to see some new faces along with the dedicated few who have been so steadfast. We appreciate any time you can give!!!

We will be packaging some of the pastries on Monday & Tuesday, Oct. 1st & 2nd and will need some willing hands on those days-thanking you in advance for your help!!

This year’s Festival will be held on October 10th, 11th & 12th.

Please mark the above dates on your cal-endar and set aside time to help YOUR

Church. We especially need help for those days - so please keep us in mind ! The Greek Festival is St. Paul’s only fund raiser!! It is also an event that is eagerly awaited by the Sa-vannah Community.

As you know, we rely on Volunteer help. Please sign up on the next 2 Sun-days or call the office to give your name and preference of station and time.

THANK YOU!!!!!

CREDIT ACCEPTED

The Bookstore accepts Visa & Master- card, Discover & debit cards for purchases. Parishioners may also make STEWARDSHIP payments or other donations with these cards.

Credit purchases will also be able to be made again this year at the Greek Festival

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church 14 West Anderson St. Savannah, GA 31401 Phone: 912-236-8256 Fax: 912-236-7321

FESTIVAL GIFT CERTIFICATES

Gift certificates for the Greek Festival are available in the office. A great gift idea for your children, friends and neighbors.

FALL TAG SALE: NOVEMBER 2ND

Please join us on Saturday, November 2nd at the Hellenic Center for our Tag Sale. The hours will be from 9am ‘till 5pm.

Please call: Gabrielle Franklin @ 850-819-1271 or Susan

Horner @ 257-0866. for pick up scheduling of large items . Please neatly bag or box smaller items and bring to the Hellenic Center .

St. PAUL’S NEWS AND NOTES PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! A BIG Philoptochos THANK YOU to all who took part in the 11th Annual Food & Wine and Silent Auction. We are lucky to have such a dedicated group of la-dies (and their supportive family

members). I am very proud to say it was a success! We appreciate the donations for the Silent Auctions, the volunteering that went into getting everything prepared for the special day and let us not forget the table skirts that took us to the next level in luxurious looks. I am afraid I might forget someone but from the bottom of our hearts we truly are thankful for everyone's partici-pation big or small---THANK YOU!!!!!!!

PHILOPTOCHOS GENERAL MEETING: October 29th after church. We would like you to join us for good food and fellowship!! Please make arrange-ments to attend!!

REMEMBER after the Greek Festival we will begin collecting for our DRIVES:

*Gather up those gently used coats, sweaters, and jackets *Books for the Memorial Hospital & Backos Children's Hospital *Non-perishable foods and can goods *Tabs from cans for the Ronald McDonald House

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Greek Festival -October 10th, 11th & 12th - please remember to sign up to volunteer there.

Tray Passing: October 6th & November 3rd

Memorial Coffees:

October 20th- 1 year- Cynthia George Hunt 5 years- Mary George October 27th- Philoptochos General Meeting after church In closing, thanks again and again to our Ladies of Philoptochos for being an organization the we can all be proud of! Betsy

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church 14 West Anderson St. Savannah, GA 31401 Phone: 912-236-8256 Fax: 912-236-7321

is coming-get ready!!!!!Children - bring the flyer in this month’s bulletin to the Pumpkin Fest for the Coloring Contest !

We have a TENTATVE date of Sunday, October 27th, 2013 - 4pm ‘till 6pm We need a chairperson and several other people to help with of this event - if no one comes forward we will probable cancel the event. Look for updates in the weekly bulletins or call the office for further information.

. SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday School is off to a great start! We began classes on September 22nd. Sunday School will not meet on Sunday, October

13th, following the Greek Festival.

To receive the Sunday School emails, please make sure Bonnie Danos has your email address. Bonnie’s email address is: bonnie.danos@gmail.com E-MAIL ADDRESSES

We would like to get as many people’s email address as possible so that when we have some current or urgent news to get out to you we may be able to do so. The Church email address is: stpaulsgreekorthodox@comcast.net. We do not give out your information anyone without your consent. Thank you!!

27th

Savannah Greek Festival

Dear Parishioners & Friends of St Paul’s, Our annual fund raiser- The Savannah Greek Festival is just around the corner ! We’re asking you to donate or get others to donate as many of the Raffle tickets sent to you as possible.

Making this year’s festival the best ever should be high on everyone’s list of priorities-it is our main fundraiser for the church. The success of last year’s festival was due to the great efforts of our own people as well as other people in the Savannah area community.

If you are not able to use all of the tickets sent to you for whatever reason, please try to return unused tickets to the Church Office, so we may use them at the Festival. THREE REALLY GREAT PRIZES THIS YEAR:

1ST Prize: iPad2, 16GB w/WiFi 2nd Prize: 26” HDTV LCD w/DVD player 3rd Prize: Play Station 3

Thank You ! The Festival Committee

October 10th, 11th & 12th, 2013

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church

Stewardship Comparison

If YOU have not made a pledge or payment yet this year PLEASE Prayerfully consider making one TODAY. We need everyone’s participation-thank you!

August 2012 August 2013

As of August 31st, 2012 As of August 31st, 2013

Total Collected thru August 2012

$ 73,175.64

Total Collected thru August 2013

81,448.04

Total Pledged thru 8/31/2012

$ 124,965.00

Total Pledged thru 08/31/2013

127,309.00

Total Families who have turned in a pledge card

182

Total Families who have turned in a pledge card

182

Thank you to those St. Paul’s members who have pledged for 2013.

We encourage everyone’s participation in order for our church to fulfill it’s financial obligations and be able to fund the activities and ministries of our church.

October 6th

Ushers: George Polites, Tommy Danos, Jamie New- man, **Pete Simon , Steve Mousourakis, George Donkar & *Frances Spirides Acolytes: Andoni Sideris, Nikita Magulias, Atha Stathopoulos, Trevor Usher, Eugene Mihai, Vasili Johnson, Alexander Buenostro, Bray den Curry, Alexander Nono, Judah and Ca- naan McCown. Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Marie Danos

October 13th

Ushers: Jimmy Stevens, Eddie Lambros, **Chris Simon, Jimmy Anestos, Tom Sideris, *Gabrielle Franklin & Andy Crawford Acolytes: Channing Stroud, Drew Crawford, Timothy, Andrew and Alexander Newport, Zack Sherman, Alex McDonnell, Edward Simon, Vangeli Tsiaras, Niko Nichols & Luke Lambros. Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Faye Goodson

October 20th

Ushers:* Kostas Karfakis, Mary Ann Gonis, George Gonis, **Tony Morris, Billy Norse & Jerry Welsh, Sr. Acolytes: Andoni Sideris, Nikita Magulias, Atha Stathopoulos, Trevor Usher, Eugene Mihai, Vasili Johnson, Alexander Buenostro, Bray den Curry, Alexander Nono, Judah and Ca- naan McCown. Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Anna Maria Goodson

October 27th

Ushers: Jimmy Stevens, Eddie Lambros, Chris Simon, Jimmy Anestos, Tom Sideris, *Gabrielle Franklin & Andy Crawford (*Frances Spirides, **Pete Simon) Acolytes:Channing Stroud, Drew Crawford, Timothy, Andrew and Alexander Newport, Zack Sherman, Alex McDonnell, Edward Simon, Vangeli Tsiaras, Niko Nichols & Luke Lambros Nursery: Open w/parental supervision Bookstore: Mary Ann Gonis

* denotes person(s) opening ** denotes person(s) closing

Pink House Florist Family owned business since 1975 Offering 24/7 phone orders 351-9930 800-354-9930

Flowers for Weddings, Special Occasions, Cut Flowers & Balloons

Church Discount Funeral Package: 5 pieces for $500 Incl: Casket Cover, Heart, Wreath, Spray and Cross

See our website for details @ www.pinkhouseflorist.com

“Get the Best For Less”

ERA Southeast Coastal Real Estate

Office: (912) 927-1088 Cell: (912) 660-6412

Kostas & Paraskevi Petropoulos- Owner/Operators

1425 Dean Forest Rd. Garden City, GA 31405 (912) 234-7505 Phone; (912) 234-7533 Fax

Historic Church Tours of Savannah Day Tours include tour of 9 churches and lunch. Overnite tours and 2 Nite Tours available. For pricing and to book tours call 912-306-5543 or email us @ churchtoursofsav@yahoo.com

Serving hungry Savannahians and visitors for almost 80 years!

301 West Jones Street Savannah, GA 31401 912-349-1000 www.crystalbeerparlor.com

St. Paul’s Hellenic & Cultural Foundation Educate * Promote * Assist * Support

Your Donations are Needed and Appreciated!

ALL TAG SALE- Moving… or just clearing out your Household ...There will be a joint Tag Sale by Philoptochos and St. Paul’s GOC on November 2nd. - We need your donations to make this a successful,

event!! Please contact: Gabrielle Franklin @850-819-1271 or Susan Horner @ 257-0866 to make arrangements for lg item pick-ups or more info. (Please do not bring lg. items to the Hellenic Cntr.)

SAVANNAH GREEK FESTIVAL October 10th, 11th & 12th Mark your calendars!!!

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

Paid Permit No. 179 Savannah, GA.

Place Label Here!

St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church 14 West Anderson Street

Savannah, Georgia 31401

Address Service Requested

October 10th, 11 th & 12th, 2013 Mark your calendars! Please, join us and put your church and its needs on your schedule. This is a community project so let’s all lend a hand…... We depend on YOU ! !