God s and that we do not have anything to give to God that isn t already His. The session posed a question

Transcription

1 Christ is in our midst! I m writing this reflection from Litchfield, CT, while I serve at Camp Saint Paul (CSP). CSP is our diocese s camp for youth ages Priests from throughout our diocese are asked to come to camp and to serve a week. Our responsibilities include celebrating the daily Orthros and Vespers services, offering prayers before meals, offering Holy Confession and leading sessions pertaining to our faith. The sessions are called Orthodox Life (OL). These sessions are meant to be practical discussions on the bible, church tradition and contemporary issues. This year s theme for camp is Love the Lord your God with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul and your neighbor as yourself, (Gospel of Luke). This quote comes right before the Lord gives the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is a beautiful theme that has had a great impact on the campers, counselors and everyone involved at the camp. The first few days of the week focused on the heart. Practically speaking, we are invited to love God with our heart above all. In other words, our faith is not supposed to only be an academic or philosophical exercise. The Christian Faith is meant to be lived, flowing first, from the heart. I want to briefly share with you a comment from a young camper in one of my sessions. The theme of the session was, My son, give me your heart, (Proverbs 23). We started out the session discussing that everything in life is God s and that we do not have anything to give to God that isn t already His. The session posed a question to the campers, If everything is God s, what can we give Him? They made the connection and realized that above all, God wants our heart. In other words, He wants us to fall in love with Him freely and to approach Him with humility. As Saint John says in his Epistle, we love Him (God), because He first loved us. 1 After we began our discussion, the camper raised his hand and said something profoundly honest, Father, I understand the concept of giving God my heart, but I don t always do that. Saint Paul, in his letter to the Romans (7:15), describes this young man s sentiment like this, For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I desire to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. In other words, sometimes we can understand our faith in our minds, but not always live it out with our heart. It was a timely comment by this young man, because, earlier that same morning, the camp director, Father Elias, shared with us a beautiful prayer that can help in moments like these, Lord I believe, help my unbelief. Father made the point that on the journey of life, many moments like these will come along; moments in which our mind comprehends a particular teaching of our faith, but we do not always live it out. Oftentimes, when it comes to faith, our heart knows that God is present, but it is our mind that has some catching up to do. If we experience moments like these, may we also say with humility, Lord I believe, help my unbelief! Let us first try to give God our heart, so that someday, with God s help, our mind will have the opportunity to catch up.

2 ΙΕΡΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΤΡΙΑΔΟΣ 937 Chase Parkway - Waterbury, CT Phone: Fax: office@holytrinitywaterbury.org frperikles@holytrinitywaterbury.org frdemetriosbelsito@mail.goarch.org Office Hours: Monday Friday 9:00am 4:00pm Mrs. Margo Ricciardi, President, Mr. Anthony Rinaldi, Vice Pres., Mr. Nico Ververis, Secretary, Mr. John Gagas, Treasurer, Mrs. Elaine Dibble, Asst. Treasurer, Mr. Nicos Michael, Mr. Richard Pecka, Mr. Brian Peterson, Mrs. Cassie Skabardonis, Atty. George Tzepos, Mr. Alex Velezis, Mr. Paul Velezis SUNDAY SCHOOL Mrs. Janet Gagas ALTAR BOYS Mr. Nico Ververis, Dr. Eugene Constantinou CHANTER Mrs. Nora Papoutsis CHOIR Mrs. Athena Barchini YOUTH CHOIR Mrs. Janet Gagas PHILOPTOCHOS Mrs. Mary Peterson LEVENTIA Mrs. Antigone Tsipolitis MOMMY & ME Presvytera Cassandra Kallis BASKETBALL PROGRAMS Mr. Alex Boutsioulis, Director GIRLS VOLLEYBALL (8-18yrs) Mrs. Grace Olbrys, Mr. Brett Olbrys, Mrs. Michelle Marnelakis, Ms. Matoula Tsetsos HOPE & JOY (5-11) Mrs. Athena Capobianco, Mrs. Virginia Kotsaftis, Mrs. Grace Morikis GOYA (12-18) Mr. Andrew Forte GREEK DANCE Mrs. Cassie Skabardonis, Mrs. Grace Morikis GREEK SCHOOL Mr. Pantelis Tinios, Principal SCOUTING Mrs. Laura Jeanne Petrakopoulos AHEPA Mr. Paul Velezis Daughters of Penelope Mrs. Sofia Swaby Paideia Mr. Pantelis Tinios Eptahorion Society Mr. Alex Velezis Sons of Pericles Mr. Nico Ververis Pan-Macedonian Society Mrs. Nicki Gagas Dear Fellow Parishioners, I hope you are all enjoying this hot summer weather and are all safe. We are all so busy with parties, picnics, and vacations. Please don t forget your church whenever possible. We will be waiting for you. Since my last letter, we witnessed Sunday School & Greek School graduations. Congratulations to all those children & parents. Thank you to all our teachers who dedicate their time to teach. Thank you also to the Directors, Anthony Rinaldi & Deacon Demetri for all their work this past year. Welcome back to Janet Gagas, who will be the Director for the upcoming year. Thank you to all those who volunteered on the main buffet in the gym for the Greek Festival. Without all of you, including Elena from Maine and Latra from Massachusetts, it wouldn t have run so smoothly. See you same place, same time next year! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Congratulations to Cassandra Rinaldi on being honored with the Agape Award from National Philoptochos in Boston at the Clergy-Laity. We are so proud - and so well deserved for all you do! Congratulations to all our students who received scholarships from the AHEPA/ Daughters of Penelope, Ladies Philoptochos, Pan Gregorian, and Pan Macedonian. A job well done. Keep up the great work! Did you sign up for the 100th Anniversary Glendi at Quassy on August 18th? $50 per person and includes appetizers, drinks & dinner! Live music and dancing. It is sure to be a memorable night. The deadline to sign up is July 2 30th. If you have not yet donated to Burn the Mortgage, please consider doing it now. If we all contribute, our goal will be attained. Call Carrie in the office if further paperwork is needed. John Gagas, Father Perry, or any Parish Council member can assist you with any questions. Many of you have asked me where you get tickets to the events of the 100th Anniversary Weekend. An RSVP will be necessary for Friday & Saturday as we get closer to the date. The Grand Banquet will be different. You will receive a formal invitation with an RSVP card. This card must be sent back with the exact names of who is coming and your payment. Some of you will have free tickets depending on the tier of your donation to Burn the Mortgage. Your name still must be on the card regardless of whether a payment is expected. There is a DEAD- LINE date the card must be received by. Forgive me for being blunt, but this is not our normal event when people can just decide to stay on that same morning, at the last minute. THERE WILL BE NO EX- CEPTIONS! Please be aware and send the card back in a timely manner. Anyone interested in helping to plan the Grand Banquet, we ll have a planning meeting on Sunday, July 29th. As always, call or me with any concerns. Have a blessed summer! Sincerely, Margo (Mary) Ricciardi Margo Ricciardi Parish Council President kouklamr@hotmail.com or

3 Our theme for the 100th Anniversary is simple, to Build on the Past With a Vision to the Future This theme has guided all of our efforts, meetings and preparations. In order to simplify our program, we have focused on the Burn the Mortgage Capital Campaign; not because it is the most important element of our celebration, but because it makes possible a more exciting and edifying weekend and a more stable future for our community. This is a team effort. We need as much participation from our entire community as possible. Our campaign makes possible a brighter future for our community and facilities by freeing up much needed money in our annual budget for upgrades. Please see below for the basic details of our 100th weekend. The Party of the Century! Committee has been diligently planning a fun evening at the Wyndham Hotel in Southbury. To quote them, bring your dance moves! Through the unanimous support of our 100th Anniversary Committee, and strong request by our POC Committee, this event has been subsidized to make the tickets affordable for our families. Without subsidy, tickets would have been $80/person instead of $40/person. We thank the POC committee for their hard work planning and organizing an event that is sure to be a great time. Our 100th Committee has organized an event on Saturday that honors our past. We will celebrate Vespers at our old church on Maple Street. Afterward, we will head over to the Mattatuck Museum. Artifacts from our old church as well as Greek artifacts from our 100 year history in Waterbury will be on display. We will be honoring our past priests, Parish Council presidents and Philoptochos presidents. This event will be free of charge. Our weekend culminates with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, our Grand Banquet and Burn the Mortgage ceremony. We need your continued support to make this event as affordable as possible. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios will be joining us, we will be honoring those who have served our community, enjoying a presentation by our youth, offering stories and experiences from our 100 year history, etc. This momentous day cannot be missed! This is going to be a fitting cap to an unforgettable weekend. We only have three months to go! We need your enthusiasm, time and continued support. Please consider donating to our Burn the Mortgage Capital Campaign. Please join us at all of the events see you November 16,17 & 18! 3

4 Aug. 18 th Glendi on Quassy Beach at 6:00pm Join us for a fun night of food, drink & dancing on the beach with live music! Cost $50 per person; includes appetizers, drinks (beer & wine, soda, water and a signature cocktail) & dinner Sign ups a MUST contact the church office. (Quassy Amusement Park 2132 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762) Sept. 16 th Church Picnic at Quassy Join us after church on Sunday September 16 at 11:30am for our Cross-Dive, food, rides & fun at our annual church picnic. No charge. (Quassy Amusement Park 2132 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762) Oct. 14 th Brick Walkway & Icon Unveiling Join us as we unveil the 100 th Anniversary bricks and bless the new granite Icon of the Holy Trinity immediately following Divine Liturgy. A procession will begin inside the church to the walkway. Light fare will be served during coffee hour after the blessing. - - Party of the Century! BRING YOUR Dance MOVES! * * *

5 - Vespers & Reception * * * I shall bow down and worship in Your holy temple, and I will give thanks to Your name! Psalm Divine Liturgy & Grand Ban uet - * * * - 5

6 We are looking for old artifacts to display at the Mattatuck Museum during our 100th Anniversary weekend. We are looking for things like old icons, Hellenic artifacts brought over from Greece, etc. We are especially looking for artifacts with a Waterbury and Greek connection. Do you have a historical photo from a restaurant downtown? How about an old menu from your family s restaurant? If you have a potential item, please contact Penny Albini or the church office to discuss. At our Vespers service on Saturday November 17, we are asking our past altar boys, specifically those who served in the altar at our Maple Street church, to serve for Vespers. Please plan to join us that evening to serve in the holy altar and to assist Fr. Perikles with the service. $10,000 or greater Donation* Assist with "Burning the Mortgage" at the Grand Banquet 6 Tickets to "The Party of the Century" 6 Tickets to the Grand Banquet 1 Page in the Commemorative Album 2 Yearbooks 2 DVDs $5,000 to $9,999 Donation* 4 Tickets to "The Party of the Century" 4 Tickets to the Grand Banquet 1 Yearbook 1 DVD 6 $2,000 to $4,999 Donation* 2 Tickets to "The Party of the Century" 2 Tickets to the Grand Banquet 1 Yearbook 1 DVD $1,000 to $1,999 Donation* 1 Ticket to "The Party of the Century" 1 Ticket to the Grand Banquet 1 Yearbook 1 DVD *Includes a leaf on the Recognition Tree if you do not already have one and for new donors. Tickets to events will also be sold separately.

7 (2010 through July 15, Does not include memorials. Please contact the church office with corrections.) AHEPA Chapter 48 Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Albini Mrs. Maria Alekshun Dr. Todd Alekshun Mr. Theodore Bilis Mr. & Mrs. Alex Boutsioulis Mr. John Boutsioulis Mr. & Mrs. George Bratsis Mr. & Mrs. William Broadbridge Mr. & Mrs. Valerio Capobianco Atty. & Mrs. Mark Carrington Ms. Stavroula Chekas Mrs. Stella Condaris Dr. & Mrs. Eugene Constantinou Mr. & Mrs. John Crowell Daughters of Penelope Mr. & Mrs. Ralph DelBuono Mr. & Mrs. Mark Dibble Ms. Stephanie Dibble Dr. & Mrs. Paul Eleftheriou Mrs. Catherine Frantzis Mr. & Mrs. John Gagas Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Gagas Mr. & Mrs. Steven Gagas Mr. & Mrs. Costas Galanis Miss Anna Georgetson Mr. & Mrs. Christos Glynos Mr. & Mrs. William Grammaticas Ms. Mary Haralambos Mrs. Katherine Harlamon Fr. Perikles & Pres. Cassandra Kallis Mrs. Demetra Kaloidis Ms. Katerina Karavasili Mr. & Mrs. George Kavadas Mr. Thomas Kiriako, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Kotsaftis Mr. & Mrs. Dean G. Kotsaftis Mrs. Diane Kotsaftis Mr. George C. Kotsaftis Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Lacman Ladies Philoptochos Society Mrs. Jean Ladopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Greg Lainas Mr. & Mrs. Adam Mantzaris David, Noreen & Lou Manzo Mrs. Sofia Markakis Mr. & Mrs. Nicos Michael Hon. & Mrs. Socrates Mihalakos Ms. Adrianna Mihalek Fr. Stephen & Pres. Diane Natsis Mr. & Mrs. John Nicholas Mrs. Athanasia Nicholas Mrs. Eleonora Papoutsis Mr. & Mrs. Richard Pecka Mr. Richard Pecka, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Brian Peterson Mr. & Mrs. George Petrakopoulos Dr. & Mrs. Ehsan Qadir Mr. & Mrs. George Ricciardi Mr. George L. Ricciardi Mr. Nicholas Ricciardi Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Rinaldi Mr. & Mrs. Edward Rocco Mr. & Mrs. Chris Skabardonis Mrs. Carrie Smernoff Mr. George Stambouloglou +Mrs. Catherine Symons Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Tracey Mr. & Mrs. James Tsitso Atty. & Mrs. George C. Tzepos Mrs. Demetra Tzepos Dr. & Mrs. George Z. Tzepos Mr. & Mrs. James Tzepos Mrs. Koulla Vasiliou Santiago Mr. & Mrs. Alex Velezis Col. & Mrs. James A. Velezis +Mrs. Martha A. Velezis Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Velezis Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas A. Velezis Mr. & Mrs. Paul Velezis 7 Mr. & Mrs. Spiros Velezis Mr. & Mrs. Steven Velezis Mr. Nico Ververis Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Ververis +Mr. & Mrs. George Voulgaris Mr. Dean Voulgaris Mr. Peter Voulgaris Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Wilson Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Ziogas

8 Many thanks from the teachers and students to Deacon Demetri and Anthony Rinaldi for their leadership this past year. Many thanks to Marianne Boutsioulis and Pam Finnan for their many years of service and for teaching the Preschool/Kindergarten Class and John and Athina Ververis for teaching 7/8th grade this past year. Mike and Mia Rickenbach will be the new Preschool and Kindergarten teachers! We welcome Dr. George Tzepos and Dr. Eugene Constantinou as the new teachers for the High School Class. I am humbled to take on the role of Sunday School Director this year and step down from teaching. Please consider being a Sunday School teacher this year, we need volunteers for Grades 5&6 and 7&8 as well as substitutes to make this a successful year for your children. Sunday School will have Registration and Open House on September 16, so please be Dear Members and Parishioners, Our new Ecclesiastical Year for our Church is right around the corner! The church new year in September marks the start of the New Year for our Ladies Philoptochos Society chapter. We will have our first meeting on Sunday, August 19th, at which we will finalize our calendar of events for the upcoming year. We are starting the year sooner than usual because our most significant fundraiser, our Mini Food Festival, will be earlier to accommodate the 100th Anniversary activities. The Mini-Food Festival will be on Saturday, October 20th - only two months away! We will be organizing early and need you to be on the lookout for opportunities to contribute to this very important event, whether it is in ingredients, cooking and baking, or helping with the set-up. We serve food and desserts to many customers from not only our Church, but from the greater Waterbury area. This event allows us to continue our philanthropic work in our community and on a national and international level. I am proud and honored to say congratulations to our own Cassandra Rinaldi, the winner of the National Philoptochos AGAPE award for our Direct Archdiocesan District. She is one of nine recipients in the entire Archdiocesan Philoptochos family. One winner is chosen from each of the nine districts throughout Philoptochos. Further details from the AGAPE award ceremony held July 4th in Boston, including the presentation of the Award with His Eminence, are elsewhere in this edition of The Spirit. Our chapter has nominated very dedicated and very worthy members in prior years but this is the first time one of our members has received national recognition for her dedication, hard work, and love of the Church and of helping people. CONGRATULATIONS CASSANDRA!!!! I am excited to work again this year with all of you, and to continue to strengthen our group of amazing women. We continue to work to fulfill the Mission Statement of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, which in summary is to aid those in need, promote the works of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and promote the Orthodox Faith and traditions, and to participate in our Greek Orthodox community in concert with our Parish and its Council. To all the ladies of our Holy Trinity Church: Won t you consider joining us to support this worthy mission? With Warmest Regards, Mary Peterson Mary Peterson, President Ladies Philoptochos Society mary833@hotmail.com sure to send your child to class that day to meet their new teacher and to verify their information. Sunday School classes will begin on September 23rd. Please see the planned calendar for the year. The theme this year is the Holy Cross. Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 Enjoy the rest of your summer! Wishing everyone who celebrates their Birthday in August a very happy day! Respectfully, Janet Gagas Janet Gagas, Director Sunday School janetgagaspt@gmail.com 8

9 - Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 16 Dec. 23 Dec. 30 Jan. 6 Jan. 13 Jan. 20 Jan. 27 Feb. 3 Feb. 10 Feb. 17 Feb. 24 March 3 March 10 March 17 March 24 March 31 April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 June 2 June 9 June 16 Open House & Registration 1 st Day of Classes /Godparent Sunday ½ Day; Blessing of the Icon & 100 th Anniversary Brick Walkway : Thanksgiving Basket Drive : Thanksgiving Basket Drive : Thanksgiving Basket Drive : Thanksgiving Basket Drive No Classes; 100 th Anniversary Retreat ; Christmas Choir Practice : Christmas Choir Practice; Angel Tree No Classes; Greek School Christmas Program Christmas Readings & Carols No Classes Shortened Classes; Vasilopita Retreat Retreat ½ Day; Sunday of Orthodoxy No Classes; Greek Independence Day Program No Classes; Palm Sunday No Classes; Pascha No Classes; Greek Festival No Classes Scholarship Luncheon Sunday School Promotion 9

10 Office Hours: Carrie s hours in the office have changed. Please note the office is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9am-4pm. It will be closed every Tuesday. Thank you! Congratulations to Giovanna DelBuono & Alex Boutsioulis for having their ducks picked in the Naugatuck Duck Day event. Of the 13,000 ducks floating down the river, we had two winners from our church! Thank you to all who purchased ducks for our annual GOYA fundraiser. Congrats to Victoria Gagas, who has been accepted to the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts. She will complete her High School years attending this preparatory boarding school. She is the daughter of John and Janet Gagas and the granddaughter of Steve and Nicki Gagas. Congratulations to Elena Alexandra Persico, who received her "Blood Stripes. She has moved up in rank to Corporal in the United States Marine Corps and is a Non- Commissioned Officer. Congratulations and best wishes to our very own Teresa (Ladopoulos) Nakouzi, the reigning Mrs. Connecticut America, who will be competing for the title of Mrs. America 2018 on August 25 in Las Vegas, NV! We are always looking for more photos for The Spirit. Please your photos from church events to office@holytrinitywaterbury.org. We love hearing your family news! If you have any family news that you would like to add to this section, please Carrie at: office@holytrinitywaterbury.org. Hall Rentals: Thankfully, our banquet hall is rented often and brings in much-needed income for our church. For parishioners interested in renting the hall, our coffee hour room, or gym for your own event, please keep in mind we book far in advance (at least 6 months) and to make your reservation as early as possible. Commemorative Album Ads are now due, absolute deadline of July 31, Forms are available in the church office. Please see Penny Pecka with any questions you may have regarding Ads. 10

11 At this time we would like to thank the following individuals who have made contributions in Loving Memory of: from M/M Anthony Rinaldi, Ms. Adrianna Mihalek, M/M Steven Gagas, Holy Trinity Athletic Committee, Dr. & Mrs. George Barchini, Carmen Dichillo, the Botelle Family, Andrea & Fannie Vlahakis, the Knowlton Family, John & Judith Robinson, Mitch & Debbie Chester, Susan & Edward Grudzien, M/M Richard Pecka, Charles & Wendy White, Ken & Janet Meyer, Paul Egee & Jack Barker, Mrs. Stella Condaris, Bill & Carolyn Starchak, M/M Theodore Michaelides, Mrs. Anastasia Stambouloglou, Mrs. Toni Coukis from Mrs. Anastasia Stambouloglou Contributions are current as of July 15, Any contributions received after that date wil be listed in the September Spirit. Pamela Kotsaftis to John D Antonio Sponsor: Jean DelBuono June 2, 2018 Katerina - the daughter of Antonios & Sabina Glynos Sponsors: John & Olga Glynos June 24, 2018 Grey - the son of Matthew & Kirsten Velezis Sponsors: Steven Velezis & Julianne Rowland July 7, 2018 Niko - the son of Paul & Heather Mouzas Sponsors: Katerina & Steve Curtis July 15, 2018 Eftihios Steve Sfinarolakis - July 2, 2018 Αιωνία η Μνήμη αυτού, Memory Eternal! 11

12 Kristina Dibble graduated Cum Laude from Marist College with a bachelors degree in biology. She is the daughter of Elaine and Mark Dibble and the granddaughter of Demetra Tzepos. Alexandra Gagas has completed her CFY, Clinical First Year. This is considered a residency for Speech Language Pathologists. She now has the title of Speech Language Pathologist, Certificate of Clinical Competence. She has accepted a full time position in the Aurora School District in Colorado. She is the daughter of John and Janet Gagas and the granddaughter of Steve and Nicki Gagas. Christina Forte graduated from Salve Regina University. She just passed her NCLEX and now is certified BSRN. She will be working at St Francis Hospital in the Emergency Department by the end of July. Niko Kotsaftis graduated from Penn State University with a degree in energy engineering. Niko is a member of the Society of Energy Engineers, American Association of Drilling Engineers & Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Niko is the son of Dean & Gina Kotsaftis and the grandson of Andrew Kotsaftis. Spencer Mourges graduated in May 2018 from East Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He has accepted a position at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. Spencer is the son of Steve & Cheryl Mourges. Anastasia Vithoulkas Persico graduated from Post University Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting. She is recognized on the National Society of Leadership and Success. Sarah Qadir just finished a yearlong internship in Kuchner Dermatology. She graduated last May from Georgetown University with a BA in French and minors in Biology and Modern Greek Studies. Sarah will be attending the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in August. Sophia Qadir completed the Master in International Develop program in the School of International Affairs at Science Politique (Sciences Po) in Paris, France. While in school she was a member of the Human Development Research Initiative and a member of the Strategic Watch Team where she researched and drafted articles on contemporary subjects related to international development. Sophia will be working in Morocco. Stephanie Qadir graduated in May from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and a minor in entrepreneurship. While in school Stephanie was a writer and features editor for Her Campus, a global online community for college women, worked as a media intern, and as a marketing intern for companies in the Madison area. Stephanie is currently living and working for a media company in Chicago. Sarah, Sophia, & Stephanie Qadir are the daughters of Dr. Ehsan & Georgia Qadir. Robert George Tzepos graduated with a bachelor of science in Chemistry from Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts in May of For the past four years Bobby was selected to be on the Undergraduate Research Team for chemistry. With this opportunity he went to New Orleans this past spring to present at the American Chemical Society Conference. Bobby continues to live in Boston with his brother Dean and is in the process of interviewing. He 12 will be pursuing further education in chemistry. Bobby is the son of George & Barbara Tzepos & the grandson of Demetra Tzepos & Joyce Biscoe. Elenna Beati graduated with high honors from Chelmsford High School in Chelmsford, MA. She is planning to attend College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in the fall. Elenna is the daughter of Mark & Karen (Condaris) Beati and the granddaughter of Mrs. Stella Condaris. Christina Constantinou, daughter of Eugene and Anna Constantinou. granddaughter of John and Evdoxia Badas and Christodoulos and Nafsika Constantinou, graduated with high honors from Oxford High School in Oxford. Christina was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society Member, Link Crew, and student government officer. She was a member of the gymnastics team all 4 years and was captain for the last 3 years. She was also a member of Unified Sports, serving as captain her senior year. She received the CT Unified Sports scholarship from CT Special Olympics among other scholarships. Christina will be attending the UCONN School of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Storrs, majoring in Physiology and Neurobiology and minoring in Spanish. Andrew Forte graduated from Wolcott High School in June. He will be attending UCONN in the fall to study Computer Science Engineering. Melissa Hallas, granddaughter of Fran Hallas, graduated from Holy Cross. She will be attending Emmanuel College in Boston, pursing a career in the medical field. Alexandra Koulouris, daughter of Jim and Julie Koulouris and granddaughter of Constantine (Gus) and Linda Koulouris and Robert Hespelt, graduated with honors from Holy Cross High School. Alexandra was a member of the National

13 Honor Society and graduated in the top 10% of her class. Alexandra will be attending Stonehill College in Easton Ma, where she earned the Presidential Scholarship. She will major in English with a course concentration in Pre-Law. Carolyn Osvald graduated from Wolcott High School in June and plans to major in Elementary Education at Southern CT in the fall. During her 4-year high school volleyball career, she was named to the All-NVL team as well as All-State! She received the award for Best Offensive Player and holds the record at Wolcott High School for most blocks in a season as well as in a career. Carolyn is the daughter of Ferenc & Debbie Osvald and granddaughter of Stella Page. Peter Rickenbach, son of Michael and Mia and brother of Charles and Ava, graduated with High Honors from Nonnewaug high school. He was President of the National Honor Society, and member of the National Music Honor Society (Tri-M) and National History Honor Society. He won the National School Orchestra Award and was first chair violin and captain of the varsity football and varsity basketball teams. He also served as Vice President for GOYA. Peter will be attending Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY in the honors program this fall. Valerio Capobianco graduated from St. John s School in Watertown & will be attending Holy Cross High school in the fall. Valerio is the son of Valerio & Athena Capobianco & the grandson of Spiros & Lola Velezis. Andreas Effes graduated from West Side Middle School in Waterbury. Andreas is the son of Vassos & Kim Effes and the Grandson of Thekla Effe. Andreas was an honor student all 3 years of middle school, a member of the Boys Baseball team all 3 years, & Co-Captain of the Boys Baseball team in 8th grade. Andreas will be attending Holy Cross High School in the fall. Congratulations! Alexander Forte graduated from Tyrell Middle School in Wolcott in June. He ll be attending Wolcott High School in the fall. Christina, Andrew & Alexander are three of the children of Maria Forte & the grandchildren of Eleni Floros. Anthony Massih graduated from John F. Kennedy Middle school in Southington, CT. He will be attending Southington High School in the fall. Anthony is the son of Marcelle Zeitoun. Niko Morikis, the son of Tom & Grace Morikis, graduated from Kennedy Middle School in Southington. He ll be attending Southington High School in the fall. Dionysios Zante Persico graduated from Woodbury Middle School with High Honors and is currently in the top five of his class with High Honors recognition at Kaynor Technical School. He has accepted his trade in Plumbing. He has also graduated from The State Police Cadet Academy. Dionysios is the son of Anastasia Persico & Lou Persico and the grandson of Georgia Vithoulkas. Andreas Sorosiak of Morris, CT graduated from Rumsey Hall School on June 2, Andreas finished as one of the seven original "charter members" attending Rumsey since kindergarten. Some of Andreas' fondest memories of Rumsey will be the opportunity to attend a school with students from around the world and making long-lasting friendships. He will continue his secondary education as a sophomore (IV Former) Day Student at Canterbury School, in New Milford, CT this coming fall where he is looking forward to continuing his interest in mathematics, science and playing squash. Andreas is the son of Mark & Barbara Sorosiak. Join us on Wednesday August 8 at 7:00pm (following Paraklesis service) for our Summer Book Club. Available on This book has established itself as a modern spiritual classic. It is written by an Orthodox Archbishop for people who have never prayed before and has been read and loved by persons at all levels of spiritual development. Anthony Bloom, the son of a Russian diplomat, became a physician, monk and archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain earning the respect and affection of countless people worldwide because of his deep humanity and tireless witness to the Gospel. 13

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. -James 5:14 If you or your loved one is sick, in the hospital, or need a priest, please contact Fr. Perikles so that he can make a pastoral visit. Our church is here for you 24/7. Please consider sponsoring a coffee fellowship hour. Supplies: a can of coffee, a gallon of milk, juice, and pastries. Our church provides the paper goods. If you donate the supplies, we can even host it for you! Sign up for a Sunday on the bulletin board. For questions, contact Carrie in the church office. Did you know that you can receive your copy of The Spirit and other church related news in your inbox? No more waiting for snail mail. To join our church listserv, please contact Carrie in the church office at or at office@holytrinitywaterbury.org. You can also sign up on our church s website Download the Daily Readings App: or visit 14

15 to our very own Cassandra Mihalakos Rinaldi, who received the AGAPE Award (All Generations Accomplishing Philanthropic Endeavors) from the national Philoptochos! Cassandra was honored during a breakfast at the Clergy-Laity in Boston on Wednesday, July 4th. Below please find the letter from our local Philoptochos Chapter, which nominated Cassandra for this deserving award: It is my pleasure to nominate Cassandra Rinaldi as our Agape Nominee. She has been a very active member of Chapter # 008 for 25 years. She is an active member of our community. She has taught Sunday School for numerous years, was instrumental in starting our Volleyball program for the girls grade 5 thru High School and coached the Varsity team to championships. She is a Social Worker and has been very helpful in assisting Father Perikles Kallis to find resources for all members of our greater Waterbury community when the need arises. Cassandra has been instrumental in implementing a Thanksgiving Basket Drive. This involves organizing the Sunday School classes to donate specific items dependent on their grade and then having our 7th and 8th grade class create the baskets for donation to local DCF (Department of Children and Family Services) families. Our Ladies donate gift cards to complete the baskets. Cassandra also organized an Angel Tree at Christmas to secure donations/presents for teenage children in DCF. Cassandra is also known as the koularakia queen. She, as well as her husband, organizes the ladies of our entire community to roll and twist and bake the cookies for the entire three, eight hour days that are needed to bake for our annual 15 4 day festival in May. These cookies are the first to sell out at our festival, there can never be enough! Our Chapter for the past 10 years hosts a smaller festival, where Cassandra is once again in charge of the cookies. She is also the Co-Chair for the event in charge of advertising and soliciting donations. Our mini Festival has been a success due to the numerous donations. Cassandra has a very generous heart. This led her to start a Charity Dance held at our church. This dance encompasses all generations where you can hear Jazz, Big Band, Country and the latest hip-hop music. It is an event to look forward to with all the proceeds being donated to local charities or to help our children who attended Project Mexico. Cassandra is a very worthy candidate for this award. It was a unanimous decision by our Chapter to nominate Cassandra. She leads by example with her generous heart, willingness to donate her time and effort and her strong desire to help those in need. She truly epitomizes our mission statement. She is our AGAPE Winner.

16 Ανακοινωθέν της Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνόδου Ὡλοκληρώθησαν αἱ ἐργασίαι τῆς συνελθούσης ὑπό τήν προεδρείαν τῆς Α. Θ. Παναγιότητος, εἰς τακτικάς συνεδρίας τήν Πέμπτην, 19ην, καί τήν Παρασκευήν, 20ήν Ἀπριλίου 2018, Ἁγίας καί Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου, κατά τάς ὁποίας ἐθεωρήθησαν ἅπαντα τά ἐν τῇ ἡμερησίᾳ διατάξει ἀναγεγραμμένα θέματα, ἐφ ὧν καί ἐλήφθησαν αἱ προσήκουσαι ἀποφάσεις. Τό Οἰκουμενικόν Πατριαρχεῖον, ἔχον, κατά τούς Θείους καί Ἱερούς Κανόνας καί τήν μακραίωνα ἐκκλησιαστικήν τάξιν καί Ἱεράν Παράδοσιν, τήν μέριμναν πασῶν τῶν ἀνά τόν κόσμον Ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν καί τήν εὐθύνην τῆς πανορθοδόξου ἑνότητος, ἰδιαιτέρως δέ ἔναντι τοῦ λαβόντος τήν σωτήριον Χριστιανικήν πίστιν καί τό ἅγιον Βάπτισμα ἐκ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Ὀρθοδόξου Οὐκρανικοῦ λαοῦ, ὡς ἀληθής μήτηρ Ἐκκλησία αὐτοῦ, ἠσχολήθη διεξοδικῶς μέ τό θέμα τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐν Οὐκρανίᾳ καταστάσεως, ὡς ἔπραξε καί εἰς προηγουμένας συνοδικάς συνεδρίας, ἀπεδέχθη αἴτημα περί ἐκχωρήσεως αὐτοκεφαλίας ἀπό μέρους ἐκκλησια- -στικῶν καί πολιτικῶν παραγόντων, ἐκπροσωπούντων πολλά ἑκατομμύρια Ὀρθοδόξων Οὐκρανῶν, καί ἀπεφάσισε τήν ἐπ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ σύνεγγυς ἐπικοινωνίαν μετά τῶν λοιπῶν ἀδελφῶν ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν πρός ἐνημέρωσιν καί συντονισμόν. Ἐν τοῖς Πατριαρχείοις τῇ 22ᾳ Ἀπριλίου Αποφοίτηση στον Άγιο Βασίλειο Η απονομή έγινε από τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο, ο οποίος δεν αναμένετο να παρευρεθεί λόγω του ότι νωρίς το πρωί της ίδιας ημέρας είχε επιστρέψει στη Νέα Υόρκη από την Κωνσταντινούπολη, πλην όμως διήνυσε 80 περίπου μίλια για να φθάσει εγκαίρως στην εκδήλωση. Εκτός από τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο στην εκδήλωση παρευρέθηκαν ο Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδας στη Νέα Υόρκη Κωνσταντίνος Κούτρας, η Πρόξενος της Ελλάδος στη Νέα Υόρκη Λάνα Ζωχιού και ο Αρχιμανδρίτης Κωνσταντίνος Μώραλης, αντιπρόεδρος του διοικητικού συμβουλίου. Αριστερά αο Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδας Κωνσταντίνος Κούτρας και ο Σεβασμιώτατος με τη νεαρότερη απόφοιτο του νηπιαγωγείου Alia James 16

17 Saturday, September 1, :00am at Uponastar Farm After the blessing we will spend time with Father Perry enjoying the company of our animal companions while reflecting on our lives & relationships with God s creation. Please join us! Light refreshments will be served. Please dress accordingly, with comfortable, close-toed shoes. Please RSVP with Carrie at office@holytrinitywaterbury.org or Mia at Hosted by Mike & Mia Rickenbach Uponastar Farm, 354 Weekeepeemee Road, Woodbury **We ask that you bring a donation of a sealed package/box of cat treats or dog treats so we can donate to our local shelter.** Sunday, Sept. 2nd Registration Continues & Classes begin: Tuesday, Sept. 4th Sunday, Sept. 16th Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 23rd 17

18 22nd Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament Hawks Landing Country Club ~ 201 Pattonwood Drive, Southington Registration begins 11:00am / Lunch 12:00pm / Start 1:00pm Get a group of friends together for a fun day of golf right after Church! Tee sponsors are needed - $100 per tee flag; forms available in the church office. Make checks payable to: AHEPA Chapter 48, 937 Chase Parkway, Waterbury Contact Church Office for more info at office@holytrinitywaterbury.org Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church ~ 937 Chase Parkway, Waterbury Car Registration $ No cut off date; Park with your friends Food, Music, Raffle, 50/50, Trophies For more information call: Holy Trinity

19 Sunday, September 16th after church Quassy Amusement Park 2132 Middlebury Road, Middlebury Tickets will be available for youth to purchase to go on rides but they must be signed up ahead of time to get the discounted price. Otherwise, it will be full price. Reservations should be made with Carrie in the church office: or More info to come. 7:00pm ~ Holy Trinity Banquet Hall $30 per person; includes hors d oeuvres & a family style meal Open to the public; proceeds help benefit the AHEPA Scholarship Fund Please make reservations beforehand with tables or 8 or 10 so we can plan accordingly. For tickets: or office@holytrinitywaterbury.org 19

20 Make your Reservations Now! Godparent Sunday Brunch Sunday, October 7th following Church $12 per person (Children under 5 are free) Deadline for reservations: September 25th Walk ins will be $15 If there is anyone you wish to be seated with please let us know when you make your reservations! For reservations contact Koulla Yalanis at You may also call Carrie at the church office Do you LOVE the food at the May Greek Festival? Come for lunch, Come back for dinner! Offering: Gyro, Chicken, Moussaka, Pastitsio, Spanakopita, Tiropita, Greek Salad, Greek Bean Soup and more! Pastries available for the Holidays: Baklava, Diples, Finikia, Rice Pudding, and other Greek goodies - 20

21 Please contact Sofia Swaby at or for reservations. $35.00 per person Proceeds will benefit the Daughters of Penelope Scholarship Fund. Save the date for GOYA s first meeting of the new Ecclesiastical Year. Tuesday, Sept. 4th at 6:30pm Elections will take place so please plan on being there! Among items discussed will be our Car Show, Columbus Day outing & more! For more info, please contact Paul Velezis or Carrie in the office. 21

22 July 29 Doxology 9:40am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Eptahorian Picnic & Meeting ; Grand Banquet Mtg Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am 6 Transfiguration of our Lord Doxology 9:20am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am; Blessing of the Grapes 10:30am Paraklesis 6:30pm 7 8 Paraklesis 6:30pm Book Club 7:00pm 9 10 Paraklesis 6:30pm Office Closed Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Party of the Century Meeting 13 Paraklesis 6:30pm Parish Council Meeting 7:30pm Office Closed 14 Vespers of the Dormition in Danbury Office Closed 15 Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos & Ever Virgin Mary Doxology 9:20am Divine Liturgy 9:30am 16 Office Closed th Anniversary Glendi on Quassy Beach 6:00pm 19 Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Philoptochos Meeting 26 Orthros 8:30am Divine Liturgy 9:45m; Altar Boy Training Vesperal Liturgy Beheading of Saint John the Baptist 6:30pm 29 Commemoration of the Beheading of the Holy & Glorious Prophet, Forerunner & Baptist John Sept 1 Blessing of the Animals 11:00am in Woodbury The most up-to-date calendar can be found at:

23 2 Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Greek School Registration 3 Labor Day Office Closed 4 Greek School Begins 5:00pm youth 6:30pm adults GOYA Meeting (Elections) 6:30pm Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; AHEPA Golf Tournament 11:00am 10 Parish Council Meeting 7:00pm 11 Greek School 5:00pm youth 6:30pm adults Exaltation of the Holy Cross Doxology 9:20am Divine Liturgy 9:30am 15 GOYA Car Show 11am-3pm 16 Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am Sunday School Registration & Open House; Cross Dive & Church Picnic 23 Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Sunday School Begins Greek School 5:00pm youth 6:30pm adults 24 AHEPA Dinner of the Month 7:00pm 25 Greek School 5:00pm youth 6:30pm adults (Car Show Rain Date) Orthros 8:30am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Sunday School; Koulourakia Baking The most up-to-date calendar can be found at:

24 NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage Paid Waterbury, CT Permit No