TRANSaGRAM. The Elevation of the Venerable and Life Giving Cross In this issue

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1 TRANSaGRAM September 2009 Monthly / Issue No. 8 TRANSFIGURATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Fr. Stephen Lawrence, Pastor The Elevation of the Venerable and Life Giving Cross Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, Lord have mercy. It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place. Reading courtesy of Narthex Press In this issue Musings Fr. Stephen discusses our legacy and new beginnings. Page 2 Church Events The 16 th annual VCC celebrates heroes of the Old Testament; Fr. Stephen offers new Spiritual Enrichment classes; participate in the AHA s Heart Walk. Page 4 Parish Council News Reports up to date information from the Parish Council, including the President s Report, Parish Council Report, Treasurer s Report, and Stewardship. Page 6 Church News Read all of the latest news being reported by our parish groups and committees. Page 9

2 Our Life Together in Christ by Fr. Stephen Lawrence MUSINGSMUSINGS 2 Now that all the official hullabaloo is behind us, I look forward to the quieter days and months ahead as we get to know one another. I am overjoyed by the prospect of working with all of you to restore a dynamic, vital spiritual life to our parish family to recover the life giving peace of Christ in our midst. These are exciting times for our parish, what His Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios, called a new chapter. We are indeed setting forth on another leg of our journey toward our Lord s Kingdom but I don t want us to ever lose sight of the contributions of our past. We have a rich 85 year legacy here at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. Nothing we ever do is without debt to our founders our fathers and mothers in the Faith who sacrificed and worked to establish this Household of God in Lowell, MA. So whatever our future is to be, it must be built on the legacy of our past. We must honor that legacy by being faithful to the Faith of our fathers and mothers. In the coming months, I d like to use this space to talk about our journey where we re headed and why, and what our life together in Christ will look like in the years to come. We ll talk about what it means to be a church, what it means to be Christ s Church. We ll talk about what responsibilities we have as members of the Transfiguration parish family the obligations we have to each other, the sort of life we are to live together. We ll also talk about what privileges we have as members of this parish the awesome privilege of worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth, as well as all the benefits of being part of a loving, supportive family. September is the perfect time for new beginnings it is the beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year (the Church Year) as well as the beginning of the school year. Many of our programs run from September to June. So this new chapter couldn t be beginning at a more appropriate time. In the coming months we will Sunday Epistle and Gospel Readings 9/6/2009 Matins: Mark 16:1-8 Epistle: St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 16:13-24 Gospel: Matthew 21: /13/2009 Matins: Mark 16:9-20 Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18 Gospel: John 3:13-17 see a renewal of our spiritual life. I encourage as many of you as are able to attend one of the Bible Studies [see page ##]. We will have both a morning and evening class to accommodate as many schedules as possible. I cannot emphasize enough how critical it is that we commit to a lifelong study of Scripture. If we claim to follow Christ, we must, at the very least, have some idea of who He is and what He did. September is the Of course, our Faith is not, and never has been, simply about knowing about Christ. It is most intimately about knowing Christ, about having a life giving relationship with Him. Orthodoxy is not about ideas of Christ; it is about experiencing Him really and truly. It is about living life with God, with His joy, with His peace. So we ll also have a class on living an Orthodox life. We ll talk not just about the practicalities of praying, fasting, and almsgiving we ll also take on the questions of how to find meaning and fulfillment in today s world, of how to find true hope and peace in Christ. perfect time for new beginnings... It is with a great sense of hope and expectation that I look toward our future. Hope, because there are so many loving, devoted servants of God in our midst. Expectation, because I await Christ s promises that all things are possible through Him, that He will build His people up, that He will be wherever two or three are gathered in His name. Come, Lord, come. We await Your mercy. We await Your love. We await the Transfiguration of Your Transfiguration Church. May Your Light be seen in us! Fr. Stephen 9/20/2009 Matins: Luke 24:1-12 Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20 Gospel: Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 9/26/2009 Matins: John 21:14-25 Epistle: St. John's First Universal Letter 4:12-19 Gospel: John 19:25-27; 21:24-25

3 Services, Sacraments and Trisagia For more information, contact the church at Orthros and Divine Liturgy Reminder: Starting on Sunday, September 6 th, the Orthros and Divine Liturgy resume their regular schedules. Orthros: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Sept Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Sept Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Sept Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Sacraments Baptisms August 16 th : Sophia and Joseph dasilva, daughter and son of Gary and Jennifer dasilva We congratulate Sophia and Joseph in becoming two of our newest Orthodox Christians. Monthly Trisagia 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 in Greek, September Trisagia George Abodeely Katherine Abodeely Faye Barakis John Barakis Georgios Bouris Athanasia Chakalis Christy Chiklis Nicholas C. Chiklis Sophie Chiklis Peter Contos George A. Danas Patricia Danas Stephen A. Danas Aphrodite Dukakis George Dukakis Helen Finocchiaro Alyce Giavis Elvira Kaknes Emmanuel Kaknes Ernest Kaknes Dr. George Kaknes Richard Kaknes Dr. Theodore Kaknes William Kaknes Soultana Kapsouris Pauline Koniditsiotes Stergios Koravos Arthur Koulios Charles N. Koulios Stella Kouloheros Scott John Laganas Yianni Manelas Additional Names Read In August Special Services Sept. 1 (Tuesday)... Indiction Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 8 (Tuesday)... Nativity of the Theotokos Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 14 (Monday)... Exaltation of the Holy Cross Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 16 (Wednesday)... Ss. Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love Vespers, 6:00 p.m. Sept. 17 (Thursday)... Ss. Sophia, Faith, Hope, and Love (Chapel Nameday) Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 21 (Monday)... Paraklesis, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 24 (Thursday)... St. Thekla and St. Silouan Liturgy, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 28 (Monday)... Paraklesis, 9:00 a.m. Funerals July 7 th : Eugenia Marcus July 22 nd : Georgia Manikas May their memories be eternal. please include the Greek spelling along with the English. If you have any questions, contact Dyanne Mitropoulis at Paraskevi Manolis Lorraine Martakos Martin P. Martakos Fevronia Mavrelis Thalia Milonas Demetrios Molivas Peter Nassios Helen Pappas Frances Proyous Peter Proyous Michael Saxonis Cornelia Sigalos Photine Sintros Spiros Sintros Esther Stamas George L. Stamas Vaios Raras George Betses Elizabeth Dristiliaros Ifghenia Stamas Louis P. Stamas Peter L. Stamas Shirley Stamas Dr. Theodore Stamas Dr. Theodore Stamas, Jr. Lambriny Yankopoulos Paskale Yankopoulos Paul Yankopoulos Fr. Steven Yankopoulos Steve Xifaris Gregory Zaralides Helen Zaralides Angie Ziogas Maria Ziogas Stavros Ziogas CHURCHSERVICES 3

4 16th Annual Vacation Church Camp (VCC) by Olivia Sintros CHURCHEVENTS The Heroes of the Old Testament Moses, Esther, Noah and the Three Youths were the main characters in the Old Testament stories told by Fr. Stephen to the 90 Vacation Church Camp (VCC) campers and their counselors this summer. We thank Fr. Stephen for his guidance and patience as well as his story telling, which kept the young people on the edge of their pews during Orthodox Life. We once again thank Toula Sparages for her 16 years of dedication to the music component of VCC as she brilliantly connected the songs to this year s Old Testament theme. We also thank Jill Laganas for her 16 years of dedication to arts and crafts. Among other things, each camper added an icon to his/her home altar. Have you ever seen an icon of Noah s Ark? We thank our resident photographer Arthur Sparages for his 16 years of photographing the campers and camp activities. We thank the food service team, under the direction of Angela Hastings, who serve the snacks and lunches with style each year. A special thanks to the Parish Council, the Philoptochos, the Men s Guild members, as well as to Beth and Charlie Koravos, who supported the food service with time and treasury. And what would summer camp be without the ice cream truck? Other special thanks go to Dylan and Concetta Archambault, who treated everyone to a favorite ice cream treat. We thank the dedication of parishioners Susan Mitchell, Joanne Kalabokis, Alexandra Martakos, and Christina Coravos, who served as group counselors along with a myriad of junior counselors too numerous to mention many of whom began as campers themselves. We thank Mike Kaplan from the Yimittos Candle Co. (formerly owned by the Dristiliaris family), who made a guest appearance to explain to the campers how the We thank Ann Tavoularis for her many, many years of candles for our church are made. As always, we give thanks to the staff of the St. performing t shirt magic by measuring on Monday Methodios Faith and Heritage Center for hosting us and delivering t shirts on Wednesday. on a very rainy Friday field trip. 4 Athletics Music VCC Group Photo Orthodox Life Arts & Crafts Photos Arthur Sparages We thank Philip Lane and cousin Mike Wiseman, who coordinated a fun and organized athletic session each day.

5 Spiritual Enrichment Classes by Fr. Stephen Lawrence Now that a new Ecclesiastical Year is upon us, we have a number of spiritual enrichment opportunities. Every parishioner is invited to our inaugural classes. Orthodox and non Orthodox friends are welcome, as well. 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. When: Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Starting Sept. 9 th! Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Starting Sept. 14 th! Where: Transfiguration Church Basic Orthodoxy: Who is God? Who am I? What is Life all about? Come learn the basics of our Faith. For the beginner or the lifelong expert. Come explore the basic concepts of our Tradition and learn what it means to grow into the fullness of Christ. We ll take Orthodoxy from the beginning what does it mean to be a Christian? How does a believer live his/her life? Join the conversation and learn what Freedom in Christ is all about! When: Thursday Evenings at 7:00 p.m. Starting Sept. 3rd! Spiritual Enrichment Series: A Family Night to worship together, eat together, and learn together. (Coming Soon) We ll meet together for this Topical Series about our Faith to explore questions about the nature of the Church, the Christian Life, and God s plan for our lives. More details as planning progresses! CHURCHEVENTS Where: Transfiguration Church Heart Walk Join the Transfiguration Church Family team as it participates in the Merrimack Valley Heart Walk on Saturday, October 3 rd, at the Sampas Pavilion in Lowell. In 2008, we had 18 walkers. Let s try Sunday School Registration and Classes September 13 th : The Sunday School Registration deadline is Sunday, September 13 th. September 20 th : The first day of Sunday School begins on Sunday, September 20 th. Philoptochos Retreat October 17 th : The Philoptochos Retreat will be held on Saturday, October 17 th, from 9:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m. to increase our participation this year. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk gets under way at 10:00 a.m. Parishioners can register during the coffee hour by seeing Susan Pappas. Or, register online at heartwalk.kintera.org/ merrimackvalley/transfiguration. Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Heart Association. Transfiguration Dinner Dance Save the Date November 7 th : The Transfiguration Church will host A Celebration of 85 Years dinner dance on Saturday, November 7 th, at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover, MA. 5

6 President s Report by Nick Pappas, Parish Council President PARISHCOUNCIL It s hard to believe that summer has come and gone at least what there was of it but here we are once again at the start of a new ecclesiastical year. While summer is intended as a time of relaxation, there was quite a bit of activity here on Fr. John Sarantos Way over the past few months: Fr. Stephen installed: First and foremost, during the Great Vespers of our Feast Day on August 5 th, His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios formally installed Fr. Stephen Lawrence as our new pastor. More than 200 parishioners including about a dozen priests from across the metropolis were present for this historic evening. Afterward, as has been a Transfiguration family tradition for decades, several generations of the Dristilaris family hosted a reception downstairs in the church hall. Youth director hired: Micah Hirschy, pastoral assistant and youth director for the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN., is expected to begin serving this month as our part time youth director. Micah is a graduate of both Hellenic College (2004) and the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (2007). The hiring of a part time youth director was made possible through a generous donation by parishioners John and Elaine (Zouzas) Thibault, who have agreed to fund the position at $30,000 over each of the next two years. Please join us in thanking John and Elaine for funding this critical position in our parish. Special Parish Assembly update: A Special Parish Assembly called for July 26 th to reaffirm a previous assembly vote to transfer $100,000 from a maturing certificate of deposit to the principal of our mortgage did not convene due to the lack of the required 100 person quorum. Still, I would like to thank the 60 parishioners who took the time to show up on a Sunday in July to conduct this important piece of business. The Parish Council is expected to consider bringing this motion forward again at the annual Parish Assembly in November. 85 th anniversary celebration: Our Fundraising Ministry continues to solidify plans for the upcoming observance of our parish s 85 th anniversary on November 7 th at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover. Ta Pethia have been booked to provide the musical entertainment for what promises to be a memorable evening. More details to come. Men s Guild meeting: On September 8 th, the Men s Guild is conducting an important meeting that could go a long way in determining whether the organization will continue to exist as an integral part of our Transfiguration Church family. All current members and just as importantly potential future members are urged to attend. The future of the organization could depend on it. Parish Council retreat: On behalf of the Parish Council, I would like to thank Fr. Stephen for conducting an all day council retreat on Saturday, August 8 th, including lunch. The session went a long way in reminding us what is required of each of us to truly serve you as members of the Parish Council. 6 Left: Fr. Stephen, Presbytera Kelley, and son Alec pose with His Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios, after Fr. Stephen s official installation on August 5 th as Transfiguration Church s new parish priest. Below: Metropolitan Methodios, visiting clergy, and members of the Parish Council join Fr. Stephen to welcome him to the Transfiguration Church. Photos Arthur Sparages

7 Parish Council Report by Sandra Gulezian, Parish Council Secretary The Parish Council met on June 23 rd. Highlights from the meeting include: A motion to schedule a special parish assembly on July 26 th to discuss the second motion that carried at the parish assembly on June 7 th, regarding applying $100,000 to the mortgage. Getting an estimate from a landscaping/plowing company. Contacting NAS Electric to draw up a contract for the fire protection system. Fundraising committee planning an 85 th Anniversary Party at Indian Ridge Country Club. Communications committee reported Melanie Pappas as new webmaster. Fr. Stephen s report included focusing on religious education and reinvigorating the ministries of the parish. At the meeting held on July 14 th, highlights included: A motion to start a Historical Ministry to preserve, protect and display some items in the back hallway of the church hall. Notice that we will receive a $10,000 bequest on behalf of Mary Kiafis, who was a member of the Holy Trinity church and who passed away about a year ago. Date of Fr. Stephen s installation service and reception on August 5 th. Donation of automated external defibrillators by Trinity ambulance. Motion to start a Technology Ministry, as we are underpowered in the area of technology. At the meeting held on August 4 th, highlights included: Establishing November 1 st as the second parish assembly of the year. Agreement to accept the request to use the church parking lot/hall for the crew of the movie The Fighter from August 13 th 15 th for an agreed fee and with sufficient security. Motion to switch our utility company from National Grid to Glacial Energy, which could save us $2,300 per year. Motion to pay NAS Electric in 3 installments as described in the contract. Facilities committee is seeking bids from companies to seal the cracks in the back parking lot. Motion to accept the automated external defibrillator by Trinity ambulance and to receive training. On Monday, September 10 th, a special Parish Council meeting was called to consider a donation for a part time Youth Director for the next two years. The Youth Director will work closely with Fr. Stephen and the Parish Council to support the youth ministries of the parish, including GOYA, Hope/Joy, the Altar boys, and Sunday School. The Parish Council voted to accept the donation of $30,000 per year from John and Elaine Thibault. We look forward to welcoming the new Youth Director, Micah Hirschy, sometime in September. Treasurer s Report by Konstantinos Kalabokis, Parish Council Treasurer The following is the summary of income and expenses as of July 31, 2009, and how they compare to the same period last year. Category Change YTD Stewardship $106, $111, % YTD Income $210, $216, % YTD Expenses $209, $205, % PARISHCOUNCIL 7

8 What is Stewardship? by Fr. Stephen Lawrence STEWARDSHIPCORNER Since there is some confusion about what exactly Stewardship is, I have decided to include a short column in the next few newsletters explaining the Biblical concept of Stewardship. Of course, that means we have to first get rid of some false ideas about Stewardship it is not just about money, nor is not at all about money. It is, most simply, about our relationship with our God and our world. Let me explain The concept of Stewardship is not a new movement in the Church, even though the term is new to many of us. Stewardship goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. Stewardship Report by Olivia Sintros, Stewardship Reporter As of August 10th there are approximately 410 families that have pledged their commitment for this year s Stewardship. Much of Jesus s teaching was about being a proper Steward of God s Creation He even told a number of parables about Stewardship (we ll talk about them in later columns). So let s go back to basics. Stewardship... is, Stewardship translates the Greek word οικονομία which we are more accustomed to translate economy. It comes from two Greek words meaning home ( οίκος ) and manage ( νομέω ). So the most most simply, about our relationship with our God and our world. basic sense of Stewardship is to manage the resources of a household. It is this sense of the word that underlies a basic Biblical understanding of what we mean by Stewardship. As we explore this concept in the coming months, we ll find that Stewardship is all about managing the Household of God. Next month what exactly is the Household of God? Participating stewards to date Total pledged , Received to date , Budget goal , 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 Parish Council Members President Nick Pappas H: C: Npappas05@comcast.net Vice President Carl Maib H: C: Carl@maib.us Treasurer Konstantinos Kalabokis H: C: kkalabokis@gmail.com Assistant Treasurer Tom Amick H: C: jtamick@verizon.net Secretary Sandra Gulezian H: C: msgulezian@comcast.net John Dristilaris H: C: jdristilaris@yahoo.com Corrine Dubay H: C: ccdubay@charter.net Andrea Garibaldi H: C: Andre1g@comcast.net Angela Hastings H: C: angjefhastings@verizon.net Mary Piper H: Mary.dukakis@comcast.net Olivia Sintros H: C: osintros@comcast.net Christian Zouzas H: C: Zouzas@aol.com 8

9 Philoptochos Society by Patricia Mahoney, Philoptochos President As newly elected Philoptochos President, it is an honor and a privilege to report the activities of our philanthropic ministry. As we prepare for a new ecclesiastical year, Philoptochos will continue to support our parish as well as many other charities at the local, metropolis, and national levels. We need each of you to help us with your time, talent, and resources as we support all these programs. The work of Philotopchos is not seasonal. During the summer months, activities such as Graduate Sunday, Vacation Church Camp and our Transfiguration Name Day involved many of our ladies. Our sincerest thanks to all the ladies who participated for their commitment to our parish and its youth. Philoptochos extends its congratulations to our new pastor, Fr. Stephen. We look forward to his spiritual guidance and leadership as we journey together. Name Day: On Wednesday, August 5 th, Georgia Dristiliaris and Daphne Easton hosted a lovely reception attended by 225 people after the Vesper service and Fr. Stephen s installation by His Eminence. Many thanks to all the Dristiliaris family for their generosity and commitment to such a wonderful tradition. Thanks to Corrine Dubay, Angela Hastings, Susan Pappas, Olivia Sintros, and Sophia Quinn for helping with the family with preparations. A special thank you to Mary Nicholaides for ordering the Artos and to Susan Pappas, Joan Pappas, Helen Georges, Angie Rigs, Maria Tournas, Sophia Karamanolis, Olivia Sintros, Mary Tsoumas, Aphrodite Tsoumas, Demi Botos, Mary Nicholaides, Athena Houpis, and Carol Rodis for their donations. On Thursday morning, August 6 th, after the Divine Liturgy, our ladies served a light lunch attended by about 45 people. Thanks to Susan Pappas, Spike and Olivia Sintros, Angela Hastings, Corrine Dubay, Cathy Economou, and to Maria, Charlies, Sophia, and Spero Tournas for all their help and support. Many thanks to the parishioners who so generously supported the church s Name Day with food and pastry. Board Meeting: The first meeting of the new board took place on Sunday, August 23 rd, after the Divine Liturgy. The agenda included the goals, calendar, and some new initiatives for the coming year. First Mailing: All Philoptochos members will be receiving two mailings during the ecclesiastical year. The first will arrive in early September with a calendar of events for the first half of the year. Members who would like e mail reminders for meetings, please contact Jill Laganas at jilllaganas@yahoo.com. Membership: Our membership drive is on going. A warm welcome is extended to the following new members: Daphne Easton, Gail Malliaros Golec, Virginia Kimball, and Daphne Koulongis. In Memoriam: Eugenia Marcus, our beautiful sunshine lady, will be sadly missed. May her memory be eternal. No Bake Cake Sale/Hellenic College/Holy Cross: Sophia Quinn and Maria Tournas are the chairladies for this year s annual No Bake Cake Sale. A donation envelope is included in the mailing. The funds collected are sent to Holy Cross School of Theology for seminarian scholarships. Over the years, many young men from the Transfiguration have attended the school and have received these scholarships. There will be a basket collection on Sunday, September 13 th, for your donation; you can also mail it directly to the church. Please remember that we also need basil and some fall flowers for the Elevation of the Cross. Anyone who has cut basil should bring it to church on September 13 th. Save the Date September 23 rd : First General Meeting. Our first general meeting of the ecclesiastical year will be Wednesday, September 23 rd. Connie, Clara and Freda Gkolias will be hosting an Italian Pot Luck. Dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Come to enjoy the fellowship and to hear about the plans for the upcoming year. October 3 rd : Merrimack Valley Heart Walk. Get your sneakers ready! The Transfiguration Church Family is walking to make a difference. Susan Pappas is the Transfiguration coordinator. Look for more information soon. October 17 th : The Philoptochos Retreat. will be held on Saturday, October 17 th, from 9:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Look for more information soon. December 6 th : The 56 th Annual Benefit Tea will take place on Sunday, December 6 th, at 2:00 p.m. Look for more information soon. Philoptochos is alive and well and our work is more important than ever. With all of us working together toward our common goal to aid those less fortunate, we can and will make a difference. CHURCHNEWS 9

10 Parish Committee Reports Various Contributors CHURCHNEWS 10 Sunday School by Connie Gkolias, Sunday School Director Hello to all our girls and boys! Summer is coming to an end and I m sure you are all excited about going back to school and to your fall activities. Well, Sunday School is resuming on Sunday, September 13, and your teachers have a great year planned for you. To all our dedicated parents: Please come and attend the Divine Liturgy with your children at 10:00 a.m., and after Holy Communion, we will have Sunday School classes until 12:00 p.m. If church is late, we will continue our studies until church is over. We all need to work together to teach our children the Greek Orthodox faith. Registration forms have been sent out; please return them to the church by mail, or bring them to church on September 13 th. So, girls and boys, call all your friends and let them know that we will be starting on September 20 th. Please call Connie Gkolias if you have any questions at See you on September 20 th! Hope/Joy by Sandra Gulezian, Hope/Joy Advisor For those families with children entering Sunday School in grades K 6, please consider this to be your invitation to attend the Hope/Joy Picnic on Sunday, September 13 th, at 3:00 p.m., at the Gulezian home (18 Daisy Lane, Tyngsboro, MA). This will be a potluck picnic where everyone can bring their favorite dish to share. We will be going on a hike through the back woods; there will be lots of outdoor activities and a treasure hunt, as well. For more details, please msgulezian@comcast.net. Beginning in October, we will be coordinating a drive for fall/winter clothes for the Lowell Wish Project; more details will come in the next issue of the Trans a Gram. We will also be participating in Advent Camp during November, and we hope to carry on the tradition of the Family Gingerbread night in December. We are excited to report that we have a new addition to our Hope/ Joy advisors this year. Please join us in congratulating and thanking Daphne Kouloungis for stepping forward to assist with this important ministry in the church. She joins Andrea Garibaldi, Katrina McCann and Sandra Gulezian. We sincerely hope that all families with children in grades K 6 will consider joining the Hope/Joy listing this is a great opportunity for your kids to get to know one another better and for us as parents to do the same. Men s Guild by Harry Stamas, Men s Guild President We hope that everyone had a great summer, whatever little there was of it. By now, I believe everyone knows that the Men s Guild is having a tough time surviving as an organization of the church in its current structure. Surely, we all believe that it is an organization worth saving, as it has been very supportive of the church for more than 30 years. The question is, what can we do to attract new members and new ideas to bring about a transfiguration of the group? I have discussed some ideas with Fr. Stephen. But, we need more men to come forth and help us to reorganize. Specifically, we need the next generation to tell us what we need to do to make it an organization they would like to be a part of. I am extending an invitation to all the men aged 18 and over to attend our next meeting on Tuesday, September 8 th, at 6:30 p.m. in the church hall. At this meeting, we will have a discussion on how we can save the Transfiguration Men s Guild. Think about the problem, and try to bring a suggestion as to what you would like to see us do as a group. We need your support! Choir by Louis Stamas, Choir Director Each year, we know the summer has unofficially ended, and a new church year has begun, when the choir returns to the choir loft on Sunday mornings. As such, we are putting out our usual urgent plea for new members, since the start of a new church year is the ideal time to join the choir. As a reminder, no previous musical experience is necessary to become a choir member. You don t need to read music, and you don t need to read Greek! (it s all written in phonetics!) Any parishioner is welcome to come up and give it a try no strings attached! Coffee Hour by Susan Pappas, Coffee Hour Coordinator August 9 th : Coffee hour sponsored by Demi Flanagan and Helen Kalivas in loving memory of Eugenia Marcus. August 16 th : Coffee hour sponsored by Mary Moskovites, Mary Nicholaides and Mary Tsoumas in honor of their Name Day.

11 Thank You For Your Support For advertising information, contact Nick Pappas at or Morse Bayliss Funeral Home 122 Princeton Boulevard, Lowell, MA LARGE enough to Serve All, but Small Enough to Care Privately Owned Pre Need Inquiries Welcomed SPONSORSHIPPAGE Walter F. Bayliss, Jr. 11

12 Thank You For Your Support For advertising information, contact Nick Pappas at or SPONSORSHIPPAGE BLUE ANGUS CAFÉ 34 Broadway Road (Route 113) Dracut, MA Mama s Italian Restaurant 1140 Lakeview Avenue Dracut, MA