45 Winter St. Newport, NH stvasilios.nh.goarch.org

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1 45 Winter St. Newport, NH stvasilios.nh.goarch.org Fr. Peter A. Day Interim Pastor Lent and Pascha Edition, 2011 Lent begins on March 7, Clean Monday All Sunday Morning Services: Orthros 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 10:15 AM Saturday, Mar. 19 th Sunday, Mar. 20 th Saturday, Apr. 2 nd Sunday, Apr. 3 rd Saturday, Apr. 16 th Sunday, Apr. 17 th Sunday, Apr. 17 th 2 nd Salutations to the Theotokos 5:00 PM Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3 Gospel Reading: Mark 2:1-12 Coffee Hour: Sandra Tselepidakis 4 th Salutations to the Theotokos 5:00 PM Sunday of St. John Climacus Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20 Gospel Reading: Mark 9:17-31 Coffee Hour: Barbara Georgitsis & Marge Kanakis Lazarus Saturday Children s Retreat Orthros 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 10:15 AM Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 12:28-29; 13:1-8 Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45 Palm Sunday Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9 Gospel Reading: John 12:1-18 Palm Sunday Luncheon Service of the Bridegroom 5:00 PM ** A SPECIAL SCHEDULE WILL BE MAILED FOR HOLY WEEK**

2 Waiting for the Bridegroom My brothers and sisters in Christ, Rev. Peter A. Day Lent is already upon us. It seems like we have just finished the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord and the Feastday of our patron Saint Vasilios. We have gone through the transiton of the weeks of the Triodion to prepare ourselves spiritually for the Lenten Fast. Now the Lenten fast is here and we make the journey on the road to the most sacred event of all: the Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. Throughout the Great Lent we prepare ourselves for the events of this most solemn and most joyous time of the Church calendar. The Lenten Fast helps us to refocus our lives so that we will be mindful of our own personal connection to the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord. For through the love of God the Father, the mystery of our own salvation is embraced in the betrayal, the passion, and the Resurrection of His Son. Like the bridesmaids, we await the coming of the Bridegroom with prayer, repentance, and self-control. We ask for God's help to prepare ourselves at this time by reciting the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian: O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to your servant. Yea, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed to ages of ages. Amen. As we make our journey through Lent, we are inspired by the words of St.Ephraim and we are strengthened and guided by the ever-present Theotokos. In the Salutations that we sing during Lent, we hail her with the words: Hail, O Lightning that illumines souls; Hail, O Water cleansing the conscience; Hail, O, Scent of the fragrance of Christ; Hail, Life of the mystical banquet! Hail, Ever-Virgin and Bride. We are guided on our Lenten journey to forsake the aroma of pleasurable foods and to partake of the Scent of the fragrance of Christ and His mystical banquet. By preparing ourselves in this manner, we will be vigilant and ready when the Bridegroom comes. For this reason, we begin Holy Week by singing: "How blessed is the servant whom he finds watchful, but unworthy is he whom he finds slothful. So be alert, my soul, that you not fall asleep, and be given up to death and be shut out of the kingdom." The Bridegroom comes to us with the love of God the Father given freely to us for our salvation. We can decide whether we accept His love, hear His Word, and share in His Resurrection, or whether we forsake His love, ignore His Gospel, and share the fate of the fig tree that withers and dies. We see and experience these contrasts throughout the events of the week, and they call to mind our own relationship to Christ. When we examine the strength of this relationship we can ask ourselves: "Are we like the crowds who extol Him with palm branches on one day, but then we fall away and call for His crucifixion on another day?" We pray that our relationship to Christ is strong and true, so that when we say to one another: "Christ is risen, truly He is risen!" that these words ring with truth in our ears and are embedded with love in our hearts. Presvytera Anthe and I wish all a blessed Lent. Καλή Σαρακοστή. With love in Christ, Fr. Peter

3 Annual Meeting Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 16 th! It was nice to share fellowship over the delicious luncheon prepared by Elaine Nestor. Parishioners were able to share their thoughts, concerns, and goals for the future of our Church. We would like to congratulate the 2011 Parish Council for their commitment and service to our Parish. The new officers for 2011 are Travis Hodgdon as President, Vasilios Georgitsis as Vice President, Jennifer Souliotis as Treasurer, and Laura Mosconas as Secretary. Members of the Parish Council also include Demo Sofronas, John Gioldasis, Frank Souliotis, John Souliotis, Dimitri Tselepidakis, and Gus Tampasis. We extend a big thank you to Dimitri Tselepidakis and family for his years of service as President of our Parish. We appreciate all you have done for us! Parish Ministry Award 2011 It is with great pleasure that the Parish Council has selected the recipients of the 2011 Parish Ministry Award. This year s honorees are Phidias and Alice Dantos of Hanover, NH. They are invited to attend this year s gala awards dinner in June. Phidias assists Fr. Peter in the Altar and does a lot of outside maintenance - front steps, cleaning the cross above the front doors, painting, etc. He and Alice planted various shrubs and bulbs around the Church. Alice volunteers with Readings, and is a member of the choir. Inclement Weather Even though Spring is around the corner, it is important that everyone call the Church answering machine for Church service updates. In case of snowy conditions the answering machine will be updated by 8:30 AM on Sundays. When in doubt, please call. Also, it is fine to call Laura at (603) for updates. Thank You! You may have noticed the addition of a new stereo system downstairs in the Church Hall. We would like to extend our thanks to Dimitri & Sandra Tselepidakis and family for their recent donation of a three-disc stereo system for our Parish. It will be enjoyed by many! Parish Collection The Parish Council is trying to gather as many s of parishioners as possible. This will help us to send out the bulletin and announcements via and save our Parish the cost of postage. It is also much quicker and more efficient. If you have and have not yet received a message from our Church, please forward your to Fr. Peter. In Appreciation for a Generous Donation We would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Demoulas Family and Foundation for their great generosity. Their contribution of $2, will assist us in preserving our Greek Orthodox Church, heritage and culture. We are very grateful to Mr. Telemachus A. Demoulas for his thoughtfulness in establishing the Demoulas Foundation, and for his continued support of our Church. We would also like to thank Angelo Nestor for his continued support and solicitation of this gift Church Calendars The new calendars for 2011 are available in our Church narthex. Please call if you would like one mailed to you. Church Bulletin Sponsorship If anyone is interested in sponsoring the bulletin as part of your stewardship pledge please see Laura. Donations of paper, printing costs, and stamps would be most helpful. It is greatly appreciated!

4 St. Basil s Feast Day/Vespers Scenes from the Feast Day Celebration - January 1 The decorated icon of St. Vasilios carried in procession during Vespers. The V. Rev. Andrew Tregubov (right) presents an icon of St. Basil, written from his own hands, to the parish of St. Vasilios. The V. Rev. Agathonikos Wilson (left) led our Vesperal celebration. We all joined in the singing of the Kalanta for the New Year.

5 Prayer List Please use this list to pray for members of our community who are sick or in need of God s care. Van Gokas Spiro Gokas Lillian Gokas Evelyn Saggiotes Stella Nestor For updates to the list, please contact Fr. Peter. Results of Ladies Auxiliary Raffle The members of the Ladies Auxiliary would like to thank everyone who supported our recent holiday raffle. It was a huge success! The winners of the prizes were: Olive Oil Set Barbara Tampasis Bakeware Set Mary Georgiadis Nativity Egg Stacy Souliotis Necklace Chuck Attardo Handmade Throw George Souliotis Dorr Woolen Blanket Kostas Katsanos Pub Glasses Buzz Kanakis Clown Painting Kristen Anton Pagoda Watercolor Angelo Nestor Blue/White Quilt Evelyn Laskaris Common Man Gift Card Sarah Katsanos Upper Valley Events Center gift certificate - Dr. Michael Tsapakos Pizza Chef gift certificate Demo Sofronas, Dino Vlahakis, Tina Roberts Cash Prize Alice Dantos Sandra s Gourmet Pastry Chrysoula Kontoes Market Basket gift card Paula Ochoa Kathan Gardens gift card Kostas Nastos Debi s Florist gift card Lorraine Coronis Congratulations Yolanda Tselepidakis Panhellenic Scholarship Award and Panhellenic Honors Society member. Yolanda was one of 40 Greek-American students from all over the USA to receive the Panhellenic Scholarship Award. The Panhellenic Awards are offered annually to undergraduate students for scholastic excellence (minimum GPA of 3.5) and for reaching the highest academic achievement while guided by the principles of Hellenism. The award came with a lifetime membership to the Panhellenic Honors Society, a forum that provides a platform for the development of an academic, cultural, and social network. The first Panhellenic Honors Society Conference will take place next June in Chicago. Yolanda plans to attend. The conference will bring all Panhellenic Honors Society members in contact with one another and engage them in a tight group as they prepare to go forward in pursuit of their life endeavors. Yolanda is the daughter of Dimitri and Sandra Tselepidakis of Hanover, NH. She is currently in her sophomore year at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. She is studying Hospitality Management at the Whittemore School of Business. The Chrismation of Matthew Rassias Miles - Please welcome and congratulate Matthew on his entry into the Church on December 19, 2010 through Chrismation and the receipt of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Matthew is the son of William and Helene Miles and the grandson of John and Mary Rassias. Presvytera Anthe Day and Astrini Rassias are his sponsors. Best Wishes God bless Phidias and Alice Dantos on the occasion of their 40 th anniversary of the sacrament of marriage on January 16 th. God grant many, many, many years to Buzz Kanakis on his 90 th birthday on April 10 th. Reminders As part of our Lenten duties to help all of God s children, we are collecting food items for the Food Pantry. For our Pascha decorations, consider bringing in an Easter lily to decorate the altar.

6 In Memory Presvytera Anthe s Mother Xanthippi Falls Asleep in the Lord Please remember in prayer Presvytera Anthe and her family on the passing of the handmaiden of God, Xanthippi Labanaris. Xanthippi (Tsiantas) Labanaris of Manchester, NH, died January 10, 2011, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Manchester, NH on September 22, 1919, she was the daughter of Haralambos and Kalino (Aliapoulios) Tsiantas. As a young girl, she returned to Greece where she lived until her return to the United States in 1955 when the U.S. opened its doors to immigration. Xanthippi made the journey alone until she could prepare the way for her family to join her in She worked at Pandora Industries for many years, until her retirement. She was a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral; she held membership in the Anagennesis Ladies Society and Pan-Macedonian Society. A loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, her family was the center of her life. She was married forty-seven years to Andreas N. Labanaris. He died January 9, Reading and Chanting for Lent and Holy Week We welcome all who would like to assist with reading and singing during the Lenten and Holy Week services. Presvytera Anthe has a list of the readings that will be needed. Please let her know which readings you would like to do. Anyone who would like to help out with the singing please let Fr. Peter know. We will schedule practice sessions before Holy Week. Scholarships Available There are many wonderful scholarship opportunities available for students. Applications will be made available at the church. Some can be accessed via . Many have March 31 deadlines. Some have April and May. Please submit names of all students presently enrolled who are: high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate college students to Pres. Anthe at antheday@comcast.net, or There are three (3) scholarships available on the Archdiocese website under Scholarships that can be downloaded and completed immediately. These three have a March 31 st deadline. They are quite lengthy, so please check them out as soon as possible. One has a $10,000 amount awarded to a student enrolled in a graduate program. Let us know if you need help. We will compile the list, and we will share with all. Please see Pres. Anthe antheday@comcast.net, or Sandra Tselepidakis tselepidakis@yahoo.com for further information. Contact Fr. Peter Day Fr. Peter is available for visitations on the Saturdays and Sundays of the weekends that we have services. Please contact him to schedule a visit: FrPeterDay@mail.goarch.org Fr. Peter will also be making trips to the Newport area during the week, two times per month, for community outreach. His schedule will vary, depending on the community meetings and activities. Choir Practice and Fellowship Please join us at 4:00 PM on the Saturdays of the weekends when services are scheduled. We gather for singing and fellowship. All voices, readers or singers, young or old, are invited to attend and help us prepare for our worship services.

7 Greek Orthodox Churches of New England This newly-published book with stunning photographs and histories of all the parishes of the Metropolis of Boston is available for purchase. The price is $50.00, with $10.00 of that going to the parish. Please see a parish council member. See the World as God s Gift to You Candle, Tray, & Stewardship Collections For your information, as part of the 2011 bulletins, the Month Candles Trays Stewardship Parish Council would like all of our Parishioners to be Jan. $ $ $6, informed of the monthly collections. Feb. $91.00 $ $ Stewardship Sunday Come and see God s many blessings in your life. What is your response to His gifts? In gratitude and thanksgiving, you offer your time, talents and treasure in proportion to what you have been given. Gregory the Theologian writes, You will never overcome God s generosity, even if you give away all that you have. And however much you bring to him, always more remains. Nor will you give anything that is your own; for all things flow from God (Or 14.22). The theme for the 2011 Stewardship Program is Come and See. Come and see the blessings God has bestowed on us. Come see and hear the word of God. Come see, hear, and share our wonderful parish with others. Come and see what the Church can become with your love, support, and faith. The Stewardship 2011 form was mailed in the previous bulletin. Please give your 2011 Stewardship commitment your prayerful consideration. We are called to love God with our entire being our time, talents, and treasure. Thank you! St. Vasilios Church Stewards 2011 Listed below are the parishioners who have made a pledge as of 3/11/2011. Gus & Barbara Tampasis Fred Tampasis Nick Tampasis Vasili & Barbara Georgitsis Demoulas Foundation Jackie Miller Dino Vlahakis Evangelia Davis Arnold Johnson Demo & Georgia Sofronas Frank & Stacy Souliotis Dolly Gokas George & Aliki Souliotis Van Gokas Arthur & Sarah Katsanos Solon & Marge Kanakis Saggiotes Memorial Phidias & Alice Dantos Travis & Laura Mosconas-Hodgdon John & Anna Souliotis George & Jennifer Souliotis Aristotle & Emily Souliotis George & Lindsey Souliotis Lee Lantas Greg & Nancy Tsongalis Charlie Gokas Lillian Gokas Kosta & Sofia Katsanos John & Katie Gioldassis Andy Andrews George & Marion Bakamitsos We appreciate your commitment and continued support of our beloved St. Vasilios, and celebrate that you are part of our Church family.