TRANSaGRAM. Metropolitan Methodios Visits Transfiguration Church by Cathy Koufogazos, Trans a Gram Editor. In this issue

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1 TRANSaGRAM February 2010 Monthly / Issue No. 2 TRANSFIGURATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Fr. Stephen Lawrence, Pastor Metropolitan Methodios Visits Transfiguration Church by Cathy Koufogazos, Trans a Gram Editor On Sunday, December 27 th, his Eminence Metropolitan Methodios visited the Transfiguration Church to preside over the elevation of our pastor, Fr. Stephen Lawrence, to Father Confessor. Fr. Ted Barbas was also in attendance and assisted in the ceremony. We congratulate Fr. Stephen on achieving this great honor. His Eminence invited the children and staff of the Sunday School, along with the altar boys, to pose for a group photo in honor of the occasion. More on page 7. His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios (back, center), along with Fr. Ted Barbas (back, left), the altar boys, and the Sunday School children and staff, pose with Fr. Stephen (back, right) to congratulate him on his new appointment. A full congregation was also on hand to support Fr. Stephen and to share in the celebration. Photo by Arthur Sparages In this issue Musings Fr. Stephen helps us to prepare for the upcoming Lenten season.. Page 2 Church Events Meet our new Parish Council President; get an update on the church s web site; view photos.. Page 4 Parish Council News Reports up to date information from the Parish Council, including the President s Report, Treasurer s Report, Stewardship, and Parish Ministries. Page 8 Church News Read all of the latest news being reported by our parish groups and committees. Page 12

2 Preparing for the Coming of the King by Fr. Stephen Lawrence MUSINGSMUSINGS TRANSaGRAM February 2010 As I write this, Presbytera Kelley is getting ready to take Alec and Zac down to visit their grandparents in North Carolina. Somehow I have to manage for ten days without them. As if that wasn t hard enough, I have been given a task not just any ordinary task, either. On the same day that Kelley returns, Alec s godparents are arriving in town for Zac s baptism. So I have been given the task of preparing for guests. Now I ve mentioned before how sacred Southern Hospitality is how akin it is to Hellenic φιλοξενία and how my mother ingrained the necessary preparations into me. On top of that, Kelley has made it clear what her expectations are. There is cleaning and dusting and vacuuming. There is washing and folding. There is shopping and stocking and meal planning. There is much preparation to do. And, truth be told, I m looking forward to it. Because during all that preparation, I ll be thinking of our dear friends and the joy their presence will bring us. It will be a labor of love and gratitude because the people I prepare for deserve so much more than Kelley and I can ever provide. Lent is a time that we simplify and reorder our priorities. Lent is a time to catch our breath, clean out our hearts, and prepare our souls. Our King is coming Imagine for a moment, though, that I wasn t just preparing for the coming of dear friends. Imagine if I was preparing for a visit from the President; or if it was the Patriarch who would be entering my home. What if I couldn t count on the forgiveness of friends for my failures as a host? What if everything had to be perfect in order to properly honor my guest? What if it was an Earthly King coming under my roof? What more would my preparations be? In just a few short weeks now, we will be celebrating the coming of the Heavenly King. We will chant gloriously, Come Receive the Light! as we pass the Paschal light. We will celebrate the coming of the Eternal Light into the darkness of our fears and worries. Christ will, once again, be coming to take up residence in the palace of our hearts. Will we be ready? Will all the preparations have been made? Will we be cleansed and purified, put in order and peaceful? Will we give our Jesus the welcome He deserves? At its heart, this preparation is what Great and Holy Lent is all about. We are making ready the abode of our hearts, preparing the palace of our souls for the coming of our King. As we struggle through the challenges of life, it is all too easy to let the care and nurturing of our souls get forgotten in the clutter of worldly demands. Perhaps we pray a little less, judge a little more. Perhaps we are less disciplined in our fasting, and more permissive with our anger. Perhaps we have gotten into the habit of crisis managing our lives spending all our time putting out fires at home, at work, at church. Lent is an opportunity to step away from this roller coaster. Lent is a time that we simplify and reorder our priorities. Lent is a time to catch our breath, clean out our hearts, and prepare our souls. Our King is coming. When Clean Monday dawns this February 15 th, don t look upon the Lenten practices increased prayer and fasting, more frequent church services as difficulties or deprivations. Instead, see them as opportunities to clean the palaces of your hearts, to prepare for the coming of our Heavenly King. Perhaps you ve never attempted many of the Lenten practices; perhaps they seem too daunting. Certainly they can be demanding the reward, though, is of such surpassing worth that the effort is quickly forgotten. This Lenten season, try to add just one more thing to your Lenten efforts come to one service which you have never attended, fast just a bit more strictly, add a few minutes to your daily prayers. Just make the effort to improve, to take one step closer on our path toward our Master s Kingdom. Because Lent should truly become a labor of love and gratitude He whom we prepare for deserves nothing less. May you all have a blessed and spiritually fruitful Great and Holy Lent! Fr. Stephen 2

3 Services, Sacraments and Trisagia For more information, contact the church at Sunday Services Orthros: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Feb Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Feb Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Feb Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Feb Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Special Services Feb. 2 nd (Tuesday)... Divine Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. Presentation of our Lord Feb. 6 th (Saturday)... Divine Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. 1st Saturday of Souls Feb. 13 th (Saturday)... Divine Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. 2nd Saturday of Souls Feb. 14 th (Sunday)... Forgiveness Vespers, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 15 th (Monday)... Great Compline, 6:00 p.m. Feb. 17 th (Wednesday)... Presanctified Liturgy, 6:00 p.m. Feb. 19 th (Friday)... Akathist Hymn, 6:00 p.m. Feb. 22 nd (Monday):... Great Compline, 6:00 p.m. Feb. 24 th (Wednesday)... Presanctified Liturgy, 6:00 p.m. Feb. 26 th (Friday)... Akathist Hymn, 6:00 p.m. CHURCHSERVICES Funerals December 31 st : Helen Georges May her memory be eternal. Baptisms None Weddings None Sacraments Names of the deceased are read the first Sunday of each month. Please send the names to be read in advance, listing the month you would like them read. If you would like the name to be read February Trisagia Andrew Balamotis George Betses George A. Danas Stephen A. Danas Steve Economou Georgia Gerovasilis Anneta Gickas Diomides Gickas Senora Gickas Demetri Hondros Maria Hondros Panagioti Hondros Soultana Kapsouris Dorian Kokas Katherine Kokas Theodore Kokas Stergios Koravos Mary Lellos Yianni Manelas Paraskevi Manolis Daniel Marcus Lorraine Martakos Martin P. Martakos Thalia Milionis David Moulton Donald J. Musgrave Georgia Nicholaides Nicholas Nicholaides Monthly Trisagia in Greek, please include the Greek spelling along with the English. If you have any questions, contact Dyanne Mitropoulis at Vasilike Nicholaides Georgia Rodis Nicholas Savoley Grace Sawyer Andrew Skalkeas George Soulos Andrew Spanos Eva Stavrou Mary Voulgares Steve Xifaris Fr. Steven Yankopoulos Sophie M. Zamanakos Mary Zounes Additional Names Read in January Andrew Andricopoulos Anargyros Vekos Maria Vekos February 2010 TRANSaGRAM 3

4 Interview with John Dristilaris by Cathy Koufogazos TRANSaGRAM February 2010 CHURCHEVENTS 4 Photo by Arthur Sparages We congratulate John on his recent appointment as our new Parish Council President. We took an opportunity recently to ask John some questions about his background and his goals as Parish Council President. Birthplace: Lowell, Massachusetts. Hometown: Lowell. Education Background: Currently I am attending Franklin Pierce University and finishing my Doctorate in Transformation Leadership. I possess a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors Degree in Education. Work Background: Police Lieutenant. Family: Wife Megan and children Olivia, Chloe, and George. Associations/Organizations: Parish Council Member of the Transfiguration Church. New Parish Council Takes Oath of Office On January 3 rd, Fr. Stephen administered the oath of office to the new Parish Council for No election was necessary, since there were six positions and six candidates to fill them. After a year of dedicated service, Andrea Garibaldi decided to step down, and George Bertos added his name to the list of candidates. Church Affiliations: Transfiguration Church. How long have you been a member of the Parish Council? This is my second year. What are the reasons you accepted the nomination for president? To help the parish grow spiritually and leave the same, great legacy for my children that has been left for me. What do you hope to accomplish during your initial term? To get our church more involved with our local community. I would also like to get more parishioners involved in the different ministries of the church. With greater participation comes greater stewardship. Any closing thoughts? My thoughts are never closing. We thank Andrea for her service on the Parish Council over the past year. We welcome George as the newest Parish Council member. Congratulations to George and to the other returning Parish Council members. This year s newly sworn in Parish Council poses with Fr. Stephen. Front row, from left: Nick Pappas, Sandra Gulezian, Angela Hastings, Mary Piper, and Olivia Sintros. Second row, from left: Corinne Dubay, George Bertos, and Christian Zouzas. Back row, from left: Konstantinos Kalabokis, John Dristilaris (new Parish Council President), Fr. Stephen, and Carl Maib. Missing from photo: Tom Amick.

5 Spiritual Enrichment Classes by Fr. Stephen Lawrence What a wonderful experience our Spiritual Enrichment classes have been. We completed our Basic Orthodoxy trial run we ll be beginning a new class in January. More information to come. Over 20 people regularly attend our Christian Bible Fellowship Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. We will have a Marriage Enrichment Series beginning in January with more series to come. Bible Study: How Can We Follow Christ If We Don t Know What He Teaches? Come and explore the Gospel of St. Mark with your parish family! The Gospel of St. Mark is the most action packed of the Gospels and is a great place to start learning the biography and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. You can jump in at any time! When: Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Church Office Closed February 15 th : Office Closed (holiday) Philoptochos Events February 6 th : General Meeting, following Saturday of Souls Service February 7 th : Go Red Sunday March 1 st : March meeting, following Compline Service Spiritual Enrichment Classes February 3, 10, 17, 24: Christian Bible Fellowship, Study, 10:00 a.m. February 6 th : Marriage Enrichment Series, 6:00 p.m. February 14 th : Marriage Enrichment Series, St. Valentine s Dinner, 5:00 p.m. February 17, 24: Lenten Spiritual Enrichment Series, following Presanctified Liturgy Sunday School February 14 th : Sunday School Valentine Bake Sale and Raffle February 21 st : Holy Icon Procession 2/7/2010 Matins: Mark 16:1 8 Epistle: St. Paul s First Letter to the Corinthians 8:8 13; 9:1 2 Gospel: Matthew 25: /14/2010 Matins: Mark 16:9 20 Epistle: St. Paul s Letter to the Romans 13:11 14; 14:1 4 Gospel: Matthew 6:14 21 Marriage Enrichment Series: How Do I Nurture Peace and Joy in My Marriage? Our first Enrichment Series! We ve been meeting for a series of four discussions about enriching our marriages growing closer, understanding, and enjoying our marital bond. Keep St. Valentine s Day open we have a special surprise for you! When: Saturdays (Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6) at 6:00 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 14 th ) at 5:00 p.m. Save the Date GOYA February 19, 26: GOYA Lenten Dinner Discussion, 5:00 p.m. February 12 14: Annual Metropolis of Boston Winter Camp February 26 28: MBC Family Winter Camp Hope/Joy February 17 th : Winter outing at St. Methodios Camp Men s Guild February 4, 11, 18, 25: Men s Guild Prayer Breakfast, 6:30 a.m. Other Church Dates February 2 nd : Fundraising Ministry Meeting, 6:00 p.m.; Choir Practice, 7:00 p.m. February 2, 9, 16, 23: Ladies Group Meetings, 9:30 a.m. February 10 th : Deadline for submissions to the Trans a Gram newsletter April 10 th : Rachmaninoff Vespers Concert, 7:00 p.m. Sunday Epistle and Gospel Readings 2/21/2010 Matins: Luke 24:1 12 Epistle: St. Paul s Letter to the Hebrews 11:24 26, Gospel: John 1: /28/2010 Matins: Luke 24:13 35 Epistle: St. Paul s Letter to the Hebrews 1:10 14; 2:1 3 Gospel: Mark 2:1 12 CHURCHEVENTS February 2010 TRANSaGRAM 5

6 Transfiguration Church Web Site by Melanie Pappas, Webmaster TRANSaGRAM February 2010 CHURCHEVENTS 6 Have you visited the church s newlyredesigned web site at lately? Please drop by the site for all of the latest church news, event photos, and Orthodox faith resources. The site is continually being updated, so please visit often! Recent additions include a Youth Photo Gallery (includes photos from the DOXA Retreat, HOPE/JOY Gingerbread Night, GOYA Christmas Tree decorating, and the Sunday School Christmas Pageant) and a Philoptochos Photo Gallery. Both galleries can be accessed from the home page. Updates have also been made to the individual Parish Ministry pages (Parish Council, Philoptochos, GOYA, HOPE/JOY, VCC, Choir, etc.), so be sure to check them out for recent news and upcoming event information. And, as always, the most up to date church news items are featured on the home page in the blue News & Events box. Please also remember to log on to the site in the event of inclement weather for church service and Sunday School cancellation information. A Weather Alert will be posted on the home page Sunday mornings by 9:00 a.m. (or earlier if possible). In order to keep the web site as current and dynamic as possible, all parishioners are encouraged to send news items and event photos (even if they are only of your kids!) to Melanie Pappas at webmaster@transchurch.org February 21 Reading For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian ( ) and ending in the reign of Theophilus ( ). After Theophilus s death, his widow the Empress Theodora (celebrated Feb. 11), together with the Patriarch Methodius (June 14), established Orthodoxy anew. This ever memorable Queen venerated the icon of the Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other at any time. The web site is not meant to be merely an online version of the monthly Trans-a-Gram with identical information, but rather a constantly growing and changing reflection of the life of the Transfiguration family and all that the church offers to the local community. For this to be successful, we need all parishioners to be fully engaged and committed to perpetuating the web site ministry. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated! Stay tuned in the coming months for the addition of the online Icon Gallery. If you have knowledge or photos of the church s beautiful mosaic icons and the stories they depict and would like to assist with this project, please contact Melanie at webmaster@transchurch.org. The First Sunday of Lent: The Sunday of Orthodoxy confessors and righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: If anyone does not offer relative worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema. Then with common prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty day Fast, she asked God s forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son, Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them. This is the holy deed that all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy. Reading courtesy of Narthex Press

7 Urgent Action Appeal Relief for the Beleaguered People of Haiti For the people of Haiti, the hemisphere s poorest country, life was difficult enough before the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake and its aftershock that devastated the capital of Port au Prince on January 12 th. Since news of the earthquake came to light, many organizations have responded to the help the victims. Please join us as we help the people of Haiti! Make a donation and answer as we Christians are called to do in Matthew 25:34 For I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) staff have been contacting partners active in Haiti and attempting to reach Orthodox parishes on the island to coordinate our response to the growing need. Like many Haitians Photo by Arthur Sparages who have been struggling to reach their loved ones, IOCC is finding direct communication difficult symptomatic of the widespread destruction and ruined infrastructure that is now beginning to be revealed. All donations received will be sent directly to the IOCC from our Transfiguration family. Checks should be made payable to IOCC and earmarked for Haiti Relief. Ideally, we would like all donations to be received by the end of February so that we can send them in a timely manner, but donations received at any time will be accepted. Stay tuned for more communication on relief efforts for the people of Haiti in coming months. If you have any questions, please call the church office at Thank you! (Left): Metropolitan Methodios presides over the elevation of Fr. Stephen to Father Confessor. Fr. Teb Barbas was on hand to assist. Photo Gallery of Recent Church Events Photo by Cathy Koufogazos (Below, left): Philoptochos President Pat Mahoney (right) and Corinne Dubay (left) distribute slices of Vasilopita. (Below, right): Vasilopita gold coin winner Olivia Sintros shows her prize coin and shares some delicious bread with family. Photo by Cathy Koufogazos (Right): Melanie Pappas (far right) assists Toula Sparages (not shown) with leading the Sunday School children in singing a beautiful set of Christmas songs for His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, family and friends during coffee hour on December 27 th. Photo by Cathy Koufogazos February 2010 TRANSaGRAM CHURCHEVENTS 7

8 President s Report by John Dristilaris, Parish Council President PARISHCOUNCIL I would like to begin my first President s Report by thanking all my fellow council members who have the faith in me to elect me as the 43 rd president of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church parish council. As many of you know, my family like many in our great church have deep roots in our parish. To follow in the footsteps of my greatgrandfather, grandfather, and uncle as a parish council president is a great honor. With the mission of Christ in our sights at all times during these past 10 months, the parish council has looked at ways to grow and develop the church, both physically and spiritually. The First Annual Father Stephen s Parish Council Retreat took place last spring. The aim of the retreat was to discuss the elements, importance and understanding of servant leadership as we move forward as a council. Later in the spring, the General Assembly authorized the parish council to reduce the current mortgage on the church by $100,000.00, as well as to install a fire/ smoke/heat detection system in the church to protect the beautiful mosaics and icons that we as a congregation are so proud of. Improvements and updates to the church s website, church grounds, as well as the creation of a Youth Director s position through a generous donation, are just a few of the many steps this council has taken. Also, the council was able to identify ways to significantly reduce utility costs for heat, electric, and telephone by simply changing providers. The parish council instituted, for the first time, the Transfiguration Endowment Fund which will some day support the many ministries of our parish. As we go forward in 2010, one of the council s aims is to become more involved, as a church, in our community. Some of the ideas that have been discussed are the creation of an open lunch kitchen once or twice a month for those in need in our community; a reach out to organizations such at CTI, YMCA, and the Boys/Girls clubs of Lowell in order to use our beautiful facility to its fullest capacity; create a museum to reflect our vast and beautiful Transfiguration history; and sponsor more after church events, such as family dinners, to help promote and facilitate stewardship for our members. In the spirit of transparency, the council will be discussing specific dates during our after church coffee hour to allow parishioners to speak with council members and share their visions, suggestions, and concerns for our parish. In closing, I would like to thank Nick Pappas for his committed service and personal mentoring; Spike Sintros for his countless hours of dedication; my wife for being my wife and the mother of our three children; and members such as Andy Coravos, Nick Nicholaou, and Chris Tournas for their insight, words of wisdom, and support over the past year. I am proud to say that I am the 43 rd president of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church of Lowell my papou would never believe it! February 2010 Treasurer s Report by Carl Maib, Parish Council Treasurer My thanks to Kon Kalabokis for helping out with this month s Treasurer s Report. TRANSaGRAM 8

9 Parish Council Report by Sandra Gulezian, Parish Council Secretary Parish Council Report: December 2 nd Editor s Note: The December Parish Council Report was not printed in the January Trans-a-Gram; therefore, both the December and January Parish Council Reports appear in this issue. The Parish Council met on Wednesday, December 2 nd. Highlights and decisions made at that meeting are summarized as follows: Motion to transfer our savings account balance to a money market in order to increase the interest rate from 0.1% to 1.35%. Motion to host a Christmas Eve reception, coordinated by Olivia Sintros, Mary Piper, and Angela Hastings. Motion to pay Jeanne Brady, parish secretary, a bonus at Christmas. Confirmed the official address of the church as 25 Fr. Sarantos Way and worked with the Lowell Assessor s Office, the Postal service, and local police and fire departments to make them aware of the change. During the meeting, Frank Stevens and Harry Stamas, representing the Men s Guild, made a special request to hang a commemorative plaque near the entrance of the kitchen to honor their members. The Parish Council elected to honor their request to hang the plaque. Ministry reports were presented and highlights include: Events/Fundraising Ministry is looking to participate in the Lowell Folk Festival, to coordinate a Golf Tournament with the Woburn parish, and to participate in a joint fundraiser with the Philoptochos. Stewardship Ministry is preparing for Stewardship Sunday on 12/13. Religious Education Ministry has planned a Marriage Enrichment Series to be held for four consecutive weeks (1/23, 1/30, 2/6 ending on Valentine s Day); more details to follow. Youth Ministry was presented by Micah Hirschy, who distributed a draft calendar of youth events through July Facilities Ministry is looking into changing our phone/internet provider, which will lower the monthly bill by $50 and allow for improved service. Technology Ministry reported that the new computers and other related equipment have been purchased and installment is nearly complete. CPR and training on the use of a defibrillator is scheduled for 1/13 and 1/18 for all Parish Council members, as a requirement for us to receive a donation from Trinity EMS for a defibrillator (value of $2000). Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 6 th, Parish Council Report: January 14 th Our first meeting of the year was held on January 14 th with our new President, John Dristilaris, leading the meeting. Highlights included: John recently gave Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) a tour of our classrooms. They are an organization that runs various programs throughout the year, and they seem interested in our facility. They will get back to us with a proposal which could bring in some good income for the parish. We changed from Verizon to Comcast for telephone, internet and cable TV services. This should improve the quality of our services and save us $400 annually. On April 10 th, the parish will host the Rachmaninoff choir in an event coordinated by Helene Danas. The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be open to the parish and the general public. A committee is being formed to coordinate activities for that evening. The date of the next Parish Assembly is Sunday, May 2 nd. Maintenance Ministry update the baptismal font drain has been cleared, the hot water has been fixed and an estimate will be sought from a carpenter to dry wall the storage closet located next to the walk in closet. Historical Ministry update - the rear hallway in the church basement has been cleaned, painted and some light repairs have been made in order to prepare that area for the hanging of older icons and other historical memorabilia. Stay tuned for more information. Religious Education Ministry update Marriage Enrichment Series dates are 1/23, 1/30, 2/6 and 2/14. All couples are welcome to participate and benefit from these offerings. Continued on page 10 February 2010 TRANSaGRAM PARISHCOUNCIL 9

10 Parish Council Ministries Various Contributors PARISHCOUNCIL TRANSaGRAM February Fundraising Ministry by Angela Hastings Good day, everyone a happy, healthy new year to all. As the coordinator for the Fundraiser/Events Ministry, I am happy to announce that plans are underway to participate in this year s Lowell Folk Festival. The Lowell Folk Festival takes place from July 30 th August 1 st. We are in much need of volunteers to help make this possible. Our next meeting takes place on Tuesday, February 2 nd, at 6:00 p.m. at the church. Please consider attending this meeting to offer your time, ideas and suggestions. My address is angjefhastings@verizon.net if you need to contact me. We have lots to discuss and to plan. Hope to see you at the meeting. Leave a Legacy Brick Campaign by Tom and EJ Amick Many enquiries have been made regarding the status of the Leave a Legacy brick campaign. Yes...it is still possible to purchase bricks. The sale of bricks will continue until all of the spaces in the front and rear entrances are filled with inscribed bricks. The process for inscribing the bricks uses a high intensity laser that transforms the silicone in the brick material to form a very durable glass that will outlast the brick. Many of the parish families have used the bricks to record memorials, anniversaries, christenings, etc. They are a wonderful way to leave a legacy of the special events in your family. The cost is $125 for the Parish Council Report (continued from page 9) Motions: To host a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Sunday, April 25 th, after the Divine Liturgy to honor all volunteers of the parish. To invite Greg Floor to serve as chanter during Holy Week. To begin a Memorial Fund in honor of Helen Georges for the many years she served as our church organist and for her dedicated service to our parish. It is also worthy to note that a Suggestion Box was recently installed outside the church office to seek Mark your calendar! The Rachmaninoff Vespers Concert will take place in our beautiful church on April 10 th at 7:00 p.m. This special performance by the Bowdoin College Choir features seventy voices under the direction of Anthony F. Antolini. After the concert, everyone is invited to a fabulous reception in the church hall. We are looking for volunteers to help organize and deliver a most enjoyable evening. Please contact me if you are interested. Another great event in the making is a Gold Rush party. Do you have any old gold jewelry collected over the years you may be interested in selling? Start going through your jewelry boxes! This social will take place this spring. More information will follow. 4x8 brick and $225 for the 8x8 brick. The revenue from the sale of the bricks goes toward mortgage elimination. If you are interested in purchasing one or more bricks, please contact Jeanne in the church office for an order form, or contact us at or e mail at jtamick@verizon.net. We shall be placing orders with the company this spring once the brick manufacturers begin production. We hope that you will consider supporting the church by taking part in this special opportunity. parishioner feedback. This will be used throughout the year to seek input/feedback on some specific topics, but it may be used at any time, by any parishioner, to inform the Parish Council of issues you wish us to address. Please keep in mind that you are also welcome and invited to attend our Parish Council meetings; this year, we have plans to host monthly Parish Council Open House sessions after the Divine Liturgy. These will be held in the Parish Council room and hosted by Parish Council members on duty on the last Sunday of the month.

11 What Come First Our Needs or God s Needs? by Fr. Stephen Lawrence [Jesus] looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; and He saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. And He said, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had. Luke 21:1 4 In this famous passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples at the Temple in Jerusalem. As they are talking, He looks up at the people bringing their gifts to offer to God. We can assume that the wealthy offered much more than the widow s two pennies; yet our Christ singles her out as the faithful Steward, identifies her as the most generous and faithful of those bringing offerings. Why? What do the widow s pennies have to do with us? The widow gave out of her need. She did not give whatever she had A grateful and blessed thank you to the 201 stewards who were able to promptly complete and return their 2010 commitment cards. The 2010 stewardship commitment cards were mailed mid November 2009, and December 13 th was designated as Stewardship Sunday. The data to the right reflects those stewards who answered the call as of December 31 st. We look forward as we receive each commitment card, in order to grow our ministries and meet our expenses. Once again, thank you to those who have returned your commitment cards, and thank you to those who will return theirs this month. left over after paying her bills, after meeting all of her own needs. She didn t give in a way that didn t impact her lifestyle; her giving was sacrificial. It s not even that she put off luxuries and vacations in order to make her offering she gave up her next meal. Our Lord exalts her example for the simple fact that she put nothing else before God s work. She gave to God first. Our Lord exalts [the widow s] example for Perhaps you can already see where this story leads. Do we make our offerings only from what is left over after meeting all of our own needs? Do we secure all the latest luxuries, set aside our treasure for a rainy day, and have only a few dollars left to offer in gratitude to God? Or do we give as the widow? Do we recognize the importance of our Lord s work? Do we know how much He needs us to be part of His ministry? the simple fact that she put nothing else before God s work. Prayerfully consider this how many of us budget our Federal Taxes? I d hazard the guess that nearly none of us do. Such taxes are simply taken out of our pay before we even begin to decide how to spend our money. We make our budget with what is left over after supporting the work of the government. Is our Lord s work any less important? Or is it only worth our leftovers? Let us resolve to give our Time, Talent, and Treasure from a cheerful and grateful heart. Make your budget after making your offering God s work is worth so much more than just leftovers. Stewardship Report by Olivia Sintros, Stewardship Reporter # of Families Amount Range 272 $0 to $ $301 to $ $601 to $ $901 to $1,200 2 $1,201 to $1,500 5 $1,600 and up Participating stewards to date Total pledged... $93, Received to date... $36, February 2010 TRANSaGRAM STEWARDSHIPCORNER Budget goal... $135,

12 Philoptochos Society by Patricia Mahoney, Philoptochos President CHURCHNEWS TRANSaGRAM February Many thanks to the women of the Transfiguration who have responded to the Philoptochos membership initiative for the calendar year 2010 by returning their stewardship envelopes. We are looking forward to involving all our Transfiguration sisters in meeting the needs of those less fortunate. If you have not already done so, please consider returning your membership envelope. Including your address, if you have one, will speed communication. January Meeting On January 9 th, 25 women and three guests attended our first Saturday morning meeting of the year. Kudos to chefs George Laganas and Arthur Faneros, and to junior chefs Christian Finn, Joey Greathead, and Alec Lawrence, who served delicious pancakes, sausages, and much more. The business meeting followed, where our January and February National commitments were voted, and fundraisers and outreach ministries were reported and discussed. Inasmuch as the last general meeting was in November, the agenda was lengthy and meaningful. After the meeting, our guest speaker, Susan Smith, from the Board of Directors of WISH project and CTI, spoke about what is being done/could be done to help the needy in our local area. Sue complimented Philoptochos on our efforts to meet those needs. Vasilopita: Our traditional Gold Coin celebration was held on Sunday, January 10 th. Thanks to chairlady Corrine Dubay and to Ann Bertos, Georgia Dristiliaris, Christine Faneros, Gail Malliaros Golec, Pat Mahoney, Olivia Sintros, and Annmarie Tsitsipas for cutting and wrapping close to 400 pieces of the vasilopita bread. A special thanks to our famous baker Eleni Stavrou. The proceeds of this event enable us to make a substantial donation to St. Basil Academy in Garrison, NY, which is our National commitment in January. Once again, a generous parishioner donated the gold coin. Seventy one parishioners purchased a piece of the bread this year. The lucky recipient of the gold coin was Olivia Sintros. We wish her good health and blessings in Outreach Nursing Home/Shut-In Visitations: Our Visiting Angels are continuing their visits to nursing homes and shut ins. Please contact the church office or Christine Faneros if you or a loved one would like to have a visit, or if you would like to volunteer. House of Hope: We continue to serve dinner at the House of Hope in Lowell on the 4 th Thursday of the month. Please contact our coordinator Iris Malliaros, at or at Iris Malliaros@uml.edu if you are interested in volunteering. Family Literacy Program: As we clean out our children s bookshelves after Christmas, please consider placing gently used books in our book collection bins. The goal is to collect 1,500 books for the children at our neighboring Charlotte Murkland Elementary School. Pajama Program: Thanks to the generosity of our Transfiguration family and friends, over 100 pairs of new pajamas and 100 new books will be distributed to needy children in our area. Acknowledging Congratulations to Fall Calendar Raffle Lucky Winners: Shyanne Laganas, Melissa Troy (3 times), Susan Pappas, J. Kareores, Elizabeth Bagas (3 times), Faye Lyons, Mel and Agnes Yankopoulos (2 times), Georgia Zamanakos, Elizabeth Tsioulis, Sandra Gulezian, Joan Hart (2 times), Mary Alexakos, Sophia Karabatsos (2 times), Helen Eliopoulos, Mary Mavits, Bill Karayianis, Stephanie Ploof, Joyce Collela, Annmarie Tsitsipas, Jack Mahoney, Lisa Kattar, John Thompson, and Freda Tsoumas. Best Wishes Greeting: Among parishioners also sending Christmas greetings this year and whose name did not appear in the Christmas Card was Ann Dowling. In Memoriam: Philoptochos Sister Helen Georges May her memory be eternal. Up and Coming Next Meeting: Our next meeting will be Saturday, February 6 th.. We will be attending the Saturday of Souls service and then meeting in the Philoptochos Room. In keeping with our tradition, a heart healthy brunch will be served by hostesses Soula Spaziani and Deanne Finn. Our guest speaker will be Presbytera Kelley. The outreach donations are baby wipes, diapers, and adult slippers. The Philoptochos Board will meet at the close of this meeting. Get Your Red On! In keeping with the National American Heart Association awareness initiative, Philoptochos is asking parishioners to consider wearing red on Sunday, February 7 th, to draw attention to the leading cause of death of women in the USA heart disease and stroke. March Meeting: Our March meeting will takes place on March 1 st. We will be attending Compline service with the meeting to follow. The outreach collection will be juice mixes/boxes, dessert mixes, and personal toiletries.

13 Parish Committee Reports Various Contributors Sunday School by Connie Gkolias, Sunday School Director Hello to all and Happy New Year! Let s start the New Year off right come and join us for Sunday School. We have a lot of exciting things planned for you, and your classmates are looking forward to seeing you. Just a reminder to all cancellations for Sunday School are e mailed that morning to parents, are aired on Channel 4, and you can call the church to confirm. Classes are only cancelled in stormy weather, but church services are in session unless otherwise noted. Our annual Sunday School Valentine s Day bake sale and raffle is on Sunday, February 14 th this year. Please support our Sunday School and bring something home to your Valentine. Raffle tickets will be sold on February 7 th and 14 th, with the raffle on the 14 th. Lent begins on February 15 th this year. The Sunday of Orthodoxy is Sunday, February 21 st. Children, please remember to bring your Holy Icons with you on Sunday, February 21 st for your participation in the Holy Icon Procession. We are always looking for Sunday School teachers and volunteers see Connie or Hariklia if you would like to help out. GOYA by Micah Hirschy Youth Director Greetings! I hope that you are all well and have had blessed beginning to your New Year! Along with the beginning of the New Year, January was a month that provided the GOYA with opportunities for fun, fellowship, and to grow in faith. On January 10 th, we had the first of our monthly GOYA Sounding Board Sunday Lunches. Sounding Board is an opportunity for our young people to discuss contemporary issues which they face on a daily basis. The GOYA will meet monthly for Lunch and discussion following the Divine Liturgy. On January 29 th, we had a wonderful time snow tubing at Nashoba. February will also be a great month for youth activities here at Transfiguration and throughout the entire Metropolis. On February 6 th, following the Saturday of the Souls Liturgy, we will be having our pre Lenten Vacation Church Camp! The theme this year is the Holy Prophet Elijah. We will explore through lessons, crafts, and games the importance of prayer and fasting. February 12 th 14 th is the Annual Metropolis of Boston Winter Camp. February 26 th 28 th is the first ever MBC Family Winter Camp. So that we don t spend the entire winter break indoors, Hope/Joy is planning a winter outing to the St. Methodios Camp on Wednesday, February 17 th, for a day of sledding and hiking! Finally, with February this year comes the beginning of Lent. The GOYA will meet Fridays (except February 12 th, when we will be at camp!) for the Akathist service and a small Lenten meal. If you have any questions, thoughts, concerns, or ideas, please do not hesitate to call me at the Church or to e mail me at mixiais@hotmail.com. Hope/Joy by Sandra Gulezian, Hope/Joy Advisor Plans are being made to offer a winter activity during February vacation week. This will either be a day when the kids can go to the Metropolis of Boston camp in NH to go sledding, hiking, etc., or if the weather is not cooperating, we will go to the movies, or do some other activity. Hope/Joy families will receive more information via . Please let us know if you would like to be included on the distribution list so your kids can participate. We would like the Hope/Joy kids and families to get involved in helping the children of Haiti who suffered a devastating earthquake on January 12 th, and who will require support in many ways for the long term. Last year, our It Makes CENTS to Give campaign was very successful in asking the parishioners to donate pennies and loose change. This year, we will be conducting the campaign during the Lenten season and the profits will be earmarked for Haiti Relief. Check out the next edition of the Trans-a-Gram for more details, or feel free to speak with the Hope/Joy advisors or with our Youth Director, Micah Hirschy, who can be reached via e mail at mixiais@hotmail.com. Coffee Hour by Susan Pappas, Coffee Hour Coordinator December 27: Coffee hour sponsored by the family of George Tzanetakos. May his memory be eternal. Continued on page 14 February 2010 TRANSaGRAM CHURCHNEWS 13

14 Parish Committee Reports (continued from page 13) CHURCHNEWS January 3: Coffee hour sponsored by the Tavoularis family in loving memory of their deceased members. Also sponsored by Presbytera Niki Sarantos in loving memory of Fr. John. Anytime you would like to sponsor a coffee hour or volunteer to serve, please let Susan know. She can be reached during the coffee hour, by calling or by at smpappas16@yahoo.com. Men s Guild by Harry Stamas, Men s Guild President On December 15 th, we had a great meeting and Christmas party at Dracut House of Pizza. Thirty three members attended, and the feeling of fellowship was wonderful. The food was great, as usual. We voted to sponsor a dinner in the church hall on February 14 th (Valentine s Day) in conjunction with the Marriage Enrichment Series being offered by the Religious Education Ministry. More information on that series will be disseminated soon. Father Stephen spoke to us about what he sees as a new type of Men s Guild, where we will concentrate on more fellowship and spiritual activities rather than concentrating on fundraising events. Please plan to be active in the Men s Guild in There wasn t an election of officers as no one accepted a nomination at our previous meeting in November, so we will govern the Guild by committees. Thanks to all for allowing me to serve as your president this past year. A special thanks to Frank Photo by Pat Mahoney The Ladies Philoptochos enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast at their meeting on January 9 th. The breakfast chefs pose for a photo. (Left to right): Joey Greathead, George Laganas, Alec Lawrence, and Arthur Faneros. TRANSaGRAM February Contact Information Church Secretary: Jeanne Brady Address: Father John Sarantos Way, Lowell, MA Telephone: Fax: Church e mail: transfig@hotmail.com Web page: Office hours: Secretary: Mon. Fri., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Priest: Mon. Thurs., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or by appointment Priest Father Stephen Lawrence Telephone: E mail: frstephenl@gmail.com Trans a Gram Editor: Catherine Koufogazos Telephone: E mail: cmkouf@verizon.net Web Site Webmaster: Melanie Pappas Telephone: E mail: webmaster@transchurch.org Parish Council Members President John Dristilaris H: C: jdristilaris@yahoo.com Vice President Christian Zouzas H: C: Zouzas@aol.com Treasurer Carl Maib H: C: Carl@maib.us Assistant Treasurer Tom Amick H: C: jtamick@verizon.net Secretary Sandra Gulezian H: C: msgulezian@comcast.net George Bertos H: C: ljsclean@comcast.net Corrine Dubay H: C: ccdubay@charter.net Angela Hastings H: C: angjefhastings@verizon.net Konstantinos Kalabokis H: C: kkalabokis@gmail.com Nick Pappas H: C: Npappas05@comcast.net Mary Piper H: Mary.dukakis@comcast.net Olivia Sintros H: C: osintros@comcast.net

15 Thank You For Your Support For advertising information, contact Nick Pappas at or Dracut Funeral Home 2159 Lakeview Avenue, Dracut, MA (978) Mark Gacek Director Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry Smile with confidence! Evan Coravos General and Aesthetic Dentistry 75 Arcand Drive Lowell, MA Office Hours: Days, Evenings, and Saturdays James F. O Donnell & Sons FUNERAL DIRECTORS since 1884 Serving members of the Lowell and Greek community for over 120 years John W. Crane 276 Pawtucket Street Lowell, Massachusetts (978) Morse Bayliss Funeral Home 122 Princeton Boulevard, Lowell, MA James F. O Donnell, Jr. LARGE enough to Serve All, but Small Enough to Care Privately Owned Pre Need Inquiries Welcomed Walter F. Bayliss, Jr. AD SPACE AVAILABLE Contact Nick Pappas npappas05@comcast.net February 2010 TRANSaGRAM SPONSORSHIPPAGE 15

16 Thank You For Your Support For advertising information, contact Nick Pappas at or SPONSORSHIPPAGE BLUE ANGUS CAFÉ 34 Broadway Road (Route 113) Dracut, MA Bridge Street Suite #22B Dracut, MA Tel: Fax: Web: George A. Malliaros Attorney at Law Trial Practice General Practice AD SPACE AVAILABLE Contact Nick Pappas February TRANSaGRAM 16