OCTOBER 2012

St. George Orthodox Christian Church 5311 Mercer Street Houston, TX 77005 (713) 665-5252

What could be more enjoyable than a perfect fall day, with bounce houses, a dunk tank, delicious grilled foods, children, games, cotton candy, watermelon and snow cones??? Not much, unless you g o t t o s h a r e t h a t d a y surrounded by our family at St. George!

On Sunday, September 23, our community shared in a festive day of food, fun and fellowship following the Divine L i t u r g y. C h i l d r e n a n d parishioners of all ages enjoyed the day filled with good old fashion fun. Tents were hoisted and grills were set up for cooking. Many brought their own meats such as kabobs and burgers. The Fellowship grilled delicious hot dogs as well. Inside the hall Rosalie

Abercia gave a video presentation of the the history of St. George. It was amazing to see how our community has developed over the years. We owe much to those who have labored so that we may have the beautiful church community we have today. Back outside under the warm sun, certain lucky members sat in the dunk tank and heckled as picnic goers through a ball at the target. No one was safe - from parish council members to the priests - the dunk take took many victims.

Many thanks go to our St. John the Divine Fellowship and especially our Picnic Chairperson Cynthia Salczenko who labored tirelessly to see that no detail was missed. We truly appreciate all those who donated their time and talents to make it such an enjoyable time. We hope to have more activities like the picnic to bring our St. George family together in such a delightful fellowship.

The Divine Liturgy for Children: An Interactive Guide for Participation in the Divine Liturgy helps the youngreader to participate in the Divine Liturgy and become more actively involved. Through illustrations, a picture glossary and side column comments, the reader is directed to listen for various hymns, prayers, and readings, to look for certain actions and is encouraged to participate at his/her level. Its companion book, The Divine Liturgy Activity Book: A Child’s Introduction to the Meaning of the Liturgy, provides fun activities to teach children about the meaning of the Liturgy.

What’s New in the BOOKSTOREby Ike Spiker

More picnic fun...More picnic fun...

Thank You to All Those Who Have Made Their 2012 Pledge to St. GeorgeIf you have not made your 2012 pledge and would like to do so please pick up a card in the Church Office.

GEORGE & IRENE ABERCIA JOHN & NADINE EIDMAN MIKE & ANNETTE KALEEL MIKE & ADRIENNE PERKINSLOUIS & ROSALIE ABERCIA PETER & MARGO ELGOHARY LEE KAPETANKIS LORETTA PRONTKARONALD & KAREN ABERCIA ABDALLAH & DANA EL-RASSY ISSAM & JANET KARADSHEH GEOFFREY & MARYELIXA QUALLSOMAR & MONA ABOUDAHER HERMAN & SUSAN ENGELHARDT GABRA & JOAN KATRIB NANCY RISK

RAMI ALMUALEM JORDAN EVANS ADELA KAWAS PAUL ROZDILSKYCHRIS & SHERRY ANGELO GARY & OLGA FAOUR STEVE & MELISSA KEAN BADIA SAA

GERALD ANGELO KEN & SHIRLIE FAOUR FR. SYMEON & JING KEES RAJA & STEPHANIE SAAHELEN ANGELO FAYEZ & ROULA FARAH CLEOPHUS KENNEDY MARWAN & RULLA SABA

JAMES & KRISTEN ANTON HANI & NADA FARAH HATEM & YVETTE KHALAF AMER & ROULA SABBAGHANTONE ARAJ EDWAR & VIVIAN FARES JANAN & MAHIR KHALAF ELIE & SANAA SABER

MICHAEL & AMANDA ARAJ RONALD & PEARL FORD SADALLAH & HIYAM KHALAF ESSA SACKLLAHNABIL & GINGER ARWADI ADEL & THERESE FOTEH TANYA KHALAF GEORGE & NUHA SACKLLAH

ROBERT & SAMMIE ARWADY EDWARD & NATALIE FOTEH TARIQ & HANNA KHALAF JIMMY & TRACY SACKLLAHGEORGE & LARA AYOUB FUAD & AFAF FOTEH MOSES & JANETTE KHANO SHAWKI & NINA SALAMEHRAYMOND & LAILA AZZAM ISSA & AFAF FOTEH EISA & NAHIL KHAWAJA JEFF & CYNTHIA SALCZENKO

AIDA BABA MUFID & SUHAILA FOTEH HANNA & LAMICE KHAWAJA ATA & LINA SALEKFARAH & LEILA BABA MAY FREIHA FOUAD & YOLA KHOURY GEORGE & DEENA SALFITIFUAD & HALA BABA SLAVA & GALINA GABRIELOV KHALIL & LYDIA KHOURY RIMA SALIBA

FUAD & CARMEN BABA JASON & MARY GAMEL STEVEN & HALA KHOURY CHARLIE & KERI SAMANISSA & LAYLA BABA AIDA GANIM WILLIAM & DOROTHY KHOURY PETER & LORI SEDRAKJAD & MAHA BABA EISA & LAILA GANIM ALEXANDER & IYA KOROSTELEV KARIM & GIHAN SEMINE

JULIA BABA JOHN & JENNIFER GANIM MARIE KROLLS-DAVIS FR. JAMES & GIZELLE SHADIDKHALID & ROALA BABA NADER & EMILY GANIM SOPHIA MAFRIGE FR. JOSEPH & ANITA SHAHDAMAHER & GINA BABA RICKY & SANDY GANIM VICTORIA MAFRIGE JOSEPH & AMY SHAHDA

MANSOUR & NARIMAN BABA WAGIH & GLORIA GENDI LINDA MAKDISSI GORDON & ROULA SHAHINMASAD & SYLVIA BABA HELEN GHEBREMICHAEL WILLIAM MALLOY IBRAHIM & SAWSAN SHATLEH

SANA'A & GEORGINA BABA JOSEPH GHEBREMICHAEL MIKE & ELAINE MANIHA JOHN & SUSIE SOBCHAKHISHAM & FARIDA BADEEN HABEEB & FATEN GNAIM JAMES MARKS LISA SPIKER

SAMIRA BAJALIEH SHADEE GNAIM FOUAD MEKDISSI GHASOUB & ABEER SROURSAM BARBAR ANDREW & RIMA GRANADO RAYMOND & CHRISTINE MERHEB MARK & MIRABELLA STILKENBOOM

THOMAS & KIMBERLY BARROW GEORGE & MICHELINE HADDAD SAMMY & KIMBERLY MICHAEL WILLIAM & LORA TODCARLOS & MARWA BECHARA SOUHEIL & MARIANA HADDAD BENJAMIN & LAYLA MOODY JUAN TORRESDN. JOSEPH & LUBA CARTER BILL & LINDA HAIDAMOUS NABIL & MARIA MOUBAYED SAMIR & GRACE TUMA

PATRICIA CHEMBERLIAN JOSEPH & MIRIAM HALABI HELEN MOUSA HELEN VARCADOSSAMMIE CHRISTOPHER GEORGE & IRMA HALLACK JUDY MOUSA CAMILLE WARD

CYNTHIA CLICK MAURICE & MYRNA HANNA GHASSAN & AMAL MUFARREH MARWAN & SAMIA YAZBECKROBERT CLICK MICHAEL & KAROL HANNA MARWAN & DIMA MUFARREH GEORGE & SANDRA ZAIBAQERIC COLEMAN ROBERT & SUSAN HEIMBAUGH NICK & SONIA MUFARRIGE ISAM & FAIKA ZAID

TRUDY COMPANION BOYD & TARI HOEKEL LEE & DOROTHY MURR MAZIE ZAIDISSA & ROSE COOK CHRIS & ANASTASIA HOGAN MICHAEL & MARY MURR RIMA ZANANIRI

MARIANTHI CORONEOU CHRISTINA IVAN ALBERT & CAROLYN NAHAS ISSA & KAMRA ZANAYEDMADELINE DE JEAN JOHN & TARA IVASCU DANIEL & SHERYL NAMEE SAMI & YUSRA ZANAYED

ANTOINE & VICKI DEEB TAWFIQ & AIDA JALLOUQ MICHAEL & DANIELLE NASRA JOHN & TERESA ZASTANYNADIA DEEB CHRIS & ELIZABETH JANDA GEORGE & AMAL NASSAR MURSHED & LINA ZAYED

ELENA DRAGAN MARIAN & SYLVIA JANTEA YACOUB & KARIMEH NASSAR MIKE & JAMIE ZEIBAQEDWARD DUMONT JOAN JONES STEPHEN & ULANA OWENS GREG ZRAKE

GEORGE & MONA DUNA JOSHUA & DIALA JORDAN JACK & NATALIE PARKS JANE ZULOVICHGHASSAN & BASMA DWAIRY ANTHONY & HEIDI KAIM ELIAS PEREZ

FR. CHRISTOPHER & KATARINA EID HENRY & MARLENE KAIM HELEN PERHOSKY

“As many as have been baptized into Christ...”BAPTISMS

“Memory Eternal”FUNERALS

Charitina was the only daughter of her Christian parents, who were slaves to the prosperous Roman merchant Claudius. Although persecution towards Christians were rampant at this time, Claudius and his wife showed kindness and mercy to their humble slaves, embracing them as friends would. Since they had no children of their own, they especially cared for the young Charitina, loving her as a daughter.

When in her teens, Charitina lost her parents to an illness that spared her and her benefactors. Upon this grievous outcome, Claudius and his wife assured the girl that she would be well taken of, granting her freedom and promising that she would be free to worship her God in any way she desired. They also hoped to adopt Charitina as their own. The only thing needed was permission from the Roman government.

Once Claudius sought this permission and provided all that was necessary to fulfill the legal requirements, the resolution of the adoption was within grasp, until a clerk found a barrier. According to Roman law, no Roman could adopt a Christian slave, lest she grow to marry a Roman and “contaminate” the race. Frustrated and furious, Claudius took the matter to the senate, where he had many allies. They bickered on the issue, with those against the adoption arguing that the law must be followed precisely, and any exception for one man would open a slew of similar cases and result in a huge mess.

The senate left it up to Dometius, the head of a certain commission, who held intense hatred for the young, innocent Charitina. He declared that she must deny Christ and embrace the idols, or else lose her life. She refused to disavow her Lord and was thus sentenced to death. She suffered through awful and ghastly tortures, including the uprooting of her teeth and nails. She fell asleep on Oct. 5, 290.

August 26Nadean Abla Ankar

Parents: Joe & Nancy AnkarGodparents: Ramiz Billeh & Vanessa Garcia

September 12Christian Nassif

Parents: Charles & Maria NassifGodparents: Jeremiah Nassif & Jessica Nassif

August 31Mia Alexandra Dababneh

Parents: Haitham & Lisa FotyGodparents: Basel Haddadin & Jennifer Ellamaa

September 28Abla Khalaf

1/24/1931 - 9/26/2012

September 29Julia Baba

8/28/1934 - 9/26/2012

“Thou art illumined. Thou art sanctified... ”CHRISMATIONS

September 13Narius

Sponsor: Gerald Angelo

The Holy Martyr Charitina - October 5The Holy Martyr Charitina - October 5

OCTOBER 47:00 - 9:00 pm

PASADENA At the Home of

Dr. Souheil & Mariana Haddad(14227 Marina Bay Lane)

CYPRESSThe St. George Community is blessed that our beautiful church is centrally located At the Home ofand a prime location for bringing people Sabine Zahrtogether. However due to active schedules,

(8226 Polished Stone Circle) heavy traffic and a large perimeter, the Church must sometimes bring herself to your doorstep. To better serve the needs of the parishioners and our church family, we are reinstituting our Outreach Program. There are four "areas" that have been targeted which include Kingwood, Sugar Land, Pasadena and Je r sey Village/Cypress.

Outreach will be held the FIRST THURSDAY of EACH MONTH at a parishioner's home. The informal evenings will begin at 7 p.m. and will last until approximately 9 p.m. The purpose is to give parishioners living in the area a chance to join together in fellowship with the priest in their midst. While each Outreach may differ slightly, the format will begin with a bit of social time followed by a discussion/question & answer session led by the priest.

On the Feast of the Birth of the Theotokos, S e p t m b e r 8 , S t . George held its annual Gourmet Luncheon in the Fellowhip Hall. Over 120 tickets were sold for the very tasty and elegant event.

The doors opened at 11:00 am with a cooking presentation from our own St. George cooks Kim Barrow and Dr. Nada Farah. These ladies presented delicious recipes including a butternut squash side, a fruit and nut salad, and an appetizer made of a phyllo dough dish filled with mushrooms. Johann Schuster, Gourmet Chef at Charivari Restaurant in Houston then prepared a Chilean sea bass. While he made it look very simple, much work and effort was given by the Gourmet Luncheon committee to duplicate the recipe to serve over 100 plates. The meal was complemented with wine and dessert. Fr. James gave concluded with presentation over the Feast Day. Thank you to all who labored tirelessly to make the luncheon such a delicious and delightful event.

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