The Trophy-Bearer A monthly publication of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church New Castle, Pennsylvania October 2017 Volume I, Issue 2

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1 The Trophy-Bearer A monthly publication of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church New Castle, Pennsylvania October 2017 Volume I, Issue 2 Saint Matrona of Chios the Wonderworker October 20th

2 ΙΕΡΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΥ SAINT GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 315 W. Englewood Avenue - New Castle, PA Church: (724) Fr. Michael A. Gavrilos - Parish Priest FrMichael@stgeorgenewcastle.org Parish Council Members President Sotiri Kolovos Vice-President John Christou Treasurer Nicholas Ligerakis Secretary Melissa Sotiriou Artie Christou Deno Neofotistos Helen Ritchie Marie Smilek Elias Tsiris Service Times Please Check the Monthly Calendar for Services Services Times Unless Otherwise Noted Sunday Orthros: 8:15 a.m. Sunday 9:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday Orthros: 8:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday : 9:30 a.m. Evening Services: 6:00 p.m. Information for The Trophy-Bearer If you would like an article, or photos in The Trophy-Bearer, submit them electronically to Fr. Michael (FrMichael@stgeorgenewcastle.org) by the 15th of the month. 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. Michael so that he will be able to visit them.

3 Fr. Michael s Message Christ is in our Midst! We live in a world where things are constantly changing. Every year during the month of October, it seems that change happens to everything around us. The weather tends to go from being very hot to cool, crisp, fall weather; all types of food and drink have a pumpkin spice variation to it; we put away our summer clothes and swap them out for our fall and winter clothes; we no longer invite people over for a backyard barbeque but rather we invite them over to watch football; the foliage begins to change colors which causes us to put away our lawn mowers and weedwhackers, and bring out the rakes and snow blowers. As humans, we are constantly changing as well. Our lives always have something going on, as soon as we complete one task, the next one seems to be knocking on our door. One area that has not been mentioned yet but should be ever changing is our spiritual lives. Our faith, our Orthodox Faith, is a great gift that has been given to all of us. However, one thing that we have to realize is the fact that it is not a simple task that we can complete in a few hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. It takes the entirety of our lives to continually change the way we live, and to grow closer to Christ. Every year we need to change to have a deeper love, understanding, and appreciation for all that God has given to us. Christ has been, currently is, and will always be, the same. He does not change, we are the ones that are called to change. Matthew 17:2 states that, Jesus was transfigured before them; his face shining as the sun, and is garments became white as the light. Often times this verse is not interpreted correctly. The reader assumes that Christ was changed in front of his disciples Peter, James, and John. However, knowing that Christ does not change, we know that the disciples with Him on Mount Tabor were the ones who experienced a change and were able to see Him in a new way. What can we do in our daily lives to be continually changing in order to grow closer to Christ? Set time aside every day to pray, sit quietly and reflect, read the Bible and other spiritual books. Attend Church ON TIME on Sunday as well as other feast days to worship. Participate in the other ministries of the Church: Sunday School,, Philoptochos, Festival Help, etc. Follow the fasting periods of the Church; Wednesday & Friday, Great Lent, Holy Apostles Fast, the Dormition Fast, and the Christmas Fast. For every step that we take towards changing our lives, we have the inspiration to know that Christ takes leaps towards each and every one of us. Change can be instant or arduous. It is up to us to put our lives in Christ s hands, ascend with Him to Mt. Tabor, and allow a transfiguration to take place within our heart and soul. With Love in Christ, Fr. Michael A. Gavrilos

4 1 October 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Festival Follow -Up Meeting Myrrhstreaming icon at Saxonburg Monastery 10:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m Fr. Michael in Boston for HC/HC Alumni Meetings First Day of Sunday School St. Luke the Evangelist Great Vespers at St. Demetrios Warren St. Demetrios Vigil for Holy Protection 7:00 p.m

5 November 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Fr. Michael away at the National Presbyters Retreat October 31-November 3rd Great Vespers Archangel Michael Campbell 7:00 p.m. Holy Archangels St. Nektarios St. John Chrysostom Holy Unction Nativity Fast Begins 8:45am Orthros & 9:30 am St. Matthew 8:45am Orthros & 9:30 am Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple Thanksgiving Day St. Katherine St. Andrew

6 COVER ICON Saint Matrona of Chios the Wonderworker October 20th Saint Matrona was born with the name Maria in the village of Volissos in Chios in the 13 th or 14 th century. Her parents, Leon & Anna, were pious Christians & highly respected. Maria was the youngest of 7 children. From her youth, she showed to have much knowledge & love for God, causing her to despise all transitory pleasures & attachments to the world. When the time came for her parents to arrange her marriage, she refused because she wanted to remain a virgin. To avoid this marriage, she left Volissos & went to an area overlooking the village, called Katavasis. Here she began her spiritual struggle by fasting & prayer. Soon other nuns joined her. Her parents searched everywhere to find her. After locating her, they convinced her to return home. Maria complied with her parents' wishes, except for one she refused to wed. Her parents, seeing that she still desired to lead a monastic life, gave her their consent to pursue her ambition. When Maria's parents died, she distributed the farmland she inherited among her sisters & returned to Katavasis. The rest of the inheritance she received from her parents was distributed to the widows & orphans, & whatever remained she used to later build a church with great care that she dedicated to the Savior Christ. Her food was simple & brought to her by one of her sisters. After three years she left Katavasis & went to the capital of the island, where there were many women's monasteries. Upon visiting the different monasteries, Maria found a small secluded one consisting of three nuns: a mother & her two daughters. The nuns, realizing her sincerity, immediately welcomed her into their home. At this point Maria received the monastic schema & her name was changed to Matrona. Matrona surpassed the other nuns in her devotion, spirituality, & understanding. Her sincerity convinced other girls to come to this monastery & lead the same type of life. The church itself was small, & so the abbess agreed with Matrona's plan to enlarge it. When the church was completed, the abbess of the monastery died. The nuns then elected Matrona as the new abbess. She showed charity to the poor, wept continuously out of love for God, acquired all the virtues & grew in her eros towards God. For this she was able to heal the sick by the grace of God, & even raise the dead. After the Genoese conquered the island of Chios, they plundered the island & the monasteries, including the monastery of Matrona. When one of these foreigners attempted to attack a nun of the monastery in a lascivious manner, the Saint prayed for divine help, & the assailant was found dead. Having compassion towards this man, the Saint prayed for life to return to him, saying to him: "Why have you dared, O mindless man, to pursue this undertaking? Arise. & from henceforth do not undertake such mindless deeds." Having said this, life returned to him. This miracle became known to all, & even the foreigners, having heard of the miracle & received it in a devout manner, changed in their wild character & became calm towards the inhabitants of Chios, no longer bringing harm to anyone. After these events, Matrona dreamt of her own death. She suffered from an illness for seven days. In the seven days she advised the other nuns as a mother would advise her children. She received Holy Communion & reposed in peace, then buried in the monastery's church, in which she had spent the greater part of her life. Numerous miracles occurred after her death & till this day. Many people with all manner of afflictions come to the church & are cured through her intercessions. In the village of Katavasis, there was a church built to honor the place where Saint Matrona had first started her spiritual struggles. Later, a larger church was built & the smaller one was used as a cemetery chapel. The Holy Monastery of Saint Matrona was built by the noble Roidis in 1470 near the village of Mesa Didima. He originally intended to build a summer villa; however, Saint Matrona appeared to him in a dream & instructed him to build the monastery instead. His sisters were the first two nuns to enter the monastery. The abbot of the monastery during the Turkish Occupation was Saint Nikephoros of Chios. Nikephoros wrote the 24 Hymns of Saint Matrona. Today, four nuns dwell in the monastery. SOURCE:

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8 Saint George Greek Orthodox Church 315 W. Englewood Avenue New Castle, PA 16105