6/7.14. A Word from Father Rick. in this issue. Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, the youth section of this newsletter.

Transcription

1 6/7.14 St. V O L U M E 2 0, I S S U E 6 / 7 J U N E / J U L Y George Greek Orthodox Church St. Paul, Minnesota A Word from Father Rick in this issue Regis tr y P.2 Cont a ct I nf o P.3 Paris h News P.4-5 Youth Ne ws P.6 Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, Christ is Risen! I can still say that as of the writing of this letter to you. I hope that everyone has been greeting each other with this foundational statement of our Orthodox Christian Faith. We say it up through the 39 th day of Pascha (this year Wednesday April 28 th ). Then, of course, on the 40 th day we celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord. On the 50 th day we celebrate the Great Feast of Pentecost (this year Sunday June 8 th ). Looking back on our activities this past month, I would like to thank all of the attendees at our Spring Parish Assembly meeting on April 27 th and especially for their support of the James W. Nickitas Youth Video Contest. They authorized the transfer of his $15,000 bequest from our parish to the Archdiocese so it can be matched 2 for 1 by the Leadership 100 Endowment. The contest is for all youth across the US to create short videos about the Orthodox Faith. Judges will evaluate the videos and recognize the top three who will be awarded scholarships from the newly created fund. This is an excellent way to honor Jim s memory and generosity. We thank his children, Peter Nickitas and Athena Priest for their support of this initiative. I would also like to thank all the volunteers who worked at the Festival of Nations May 1-4 under the leadership of Tom Lampros. Great job everyone! I offer my congratulations to our high school and college graduates: Tim Loudas, Katharine Chadwick, Sophia Creamer, Antigone Delton, and Cassandra Kapetanakis. Please see their accomplishments and future plans in the youth section of this newsletter. Speaking of our youth, I look forward to working with our new part-time youth minister, Ioana Ciuta. The parish council recently approved her hiring and she will begin her duties on June 1 st. Ioana is a very faithful, committed and intelligent young lady and I am sure that she will do a great job working with our youth and their parents to improve our youth activities and programs. To learn more about Ioana, see her short biography in the youth section of this newsletter. Please give Ioana your whole-hearted support through prayer and volunteerism. By the time you receive this newsletter, registration for the Summer Youth Camp will have closed. However, we look forward to another great week of learning, fellowship and fun with all kids and counselors at Camp Wapogassett in Amery Wisconsin June 28 th through July 4 th. James Nickitas generosity has also provided a camp scholarship fund for those campers, whose families have financial need. Please contact me directly for assistance. Another generous family has placed our youth high on the priority list. The John Pitsavas Memorial Scholarship was established by his parents, Bill and Theologia, to assist a worthy college student each year for writing a thoughtful essay. This year s theme is Why is it important to attend and participate in Divine Liturgy every Sunday throughout the year? All college students, from incoming freshmen to seniors (Fall 2014) are eligible to participate. Please contact me for an application form. Deadline for submissions is August 15 th. Right after camp, I will travel to Philadelphia for the Biennial Archdiocese Clergy-Laity- Philoptochos Assembly July 6-9. I am pleased that Steve Arsenault will be a delegate representing our parish and his wife, Minda Arsenault will be representing our Philoptohos chapter. Like camp, clergy-laity provides the opportunities for Orthodox Christian fellowship and learning with people from across the country. Please pray for safe travels and an edifying experience for all participants. We hope to bring back reports for the benefit of our parish community. Finally, I want to continue to remind everyone of our upcoming 75 th Anniversary celebration in year Planning is underway and guided by our co-chairs Dawn Lampros and Denise Smith. We encourage and welcome everyone s ideas and input. There is lots to do even at this stage so please jump in and join our committee. The next meeting is Tuesday June 10 th at 6:30pm. In preparation for the Feast, please see the short reflection on Pentecost on page 2. Truly He is Risen! +Fr. Rick

2 How many of you have a dog? Even if you do not, you may notice dogs doing something around certain people, especially their owners. They often fall down to the ground and roll over onto their back. You may think they are looking for a good tummy rub but actually they are expressing submission or obedience. It is a concrete way of saying you re in charge; I m not. Orthodox Christians have a particular way of expressing our submission and obedience to God. We do this in a small way by bowing our heads. Repeatedly throughout the various worship services we hear the priest or deacon say, Let us bow our heads to the Lord. This petition occurs right before a prayer in which we usually ask for something. We ask for things from God because we realize: 1) that we are powerless to obtain them and, 2) God has the power to grant/give them. Bowing our heads is physical way of expressing our words and emphasizing that we don t necessarily deserve what we ask for. In other words, bowing our heads is an expression of humility before God. God, you are greater than me. I need you. In a greater way, we express our submission and obedience to God by bending our knees or kneeling. At every Divine Liturgy, during the Small Entrance of the Gospel, we sing Come let us bow down to Christ and worship Him the Son of God It comes directly from Psalm 95:6-7 Oh come let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His Hand. The words used are proskyneisomen or worship, and prospesomen which literally means to fall down. (proskynetarion Why Kneel Before God & Purpose/Meaning of Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost = shrine; proskynetis = pilgrim) Before each Kneeling Prayer, the priest or deacon will say, On bended knee let us pray to the Lord. What will we be asking for from God in these prayers? The First Kneeling Prayer acknowledges that Jesus Christ Himself kneeled when praying to His Father in the Garden of Gethsamene (Luke 22:41). The prayer goes on and we ask God to 1) Hear us, 2) Accept us, 3) Forget our sins, 4) Purge our sinful thoughts, 5) Make us worthy to return to Him, 6) Visit us, 7) Free us from the Devil, 8) Make our lives secure in His holy/sacred laws, 9) Entrust us to a guardian angel, 10) Gather us into His Kingdom, 11) Grant us forgiveness, 12) Cleanse us by the Holy Spirit. In the Second Kneeling Prayer we ask God to 1) Teach us how to pray and what to pray for, 2) Govern my life, 3) Make known the way I should walk, 4) Grant wisdom, 5) Renew my spirit, 6) Make my mind firm, 7) Not be fooled by worldly delights, 8) To desire enjoyment of future/ heavenly treasures, 9) Grant mercy, 10) Sanctify/make us holy, 11) Extend a helping hand, 12) Accept our prayer. The Third Kneeling Prayer, interestingly, is for our departed loved ones, in which we ask God to: 1) Give rest to their souls, 2) Place their spirits/names in the book of life, and 3) Forgive their sins. No doubt this final prayer is also for us as we anticipate the time when we will leave this earthly life and join our departed loved ones. Now kneeling down in worship in church and saying the words are only two of three components in being submissive, obedient and humble before God. The third element is the actions of our life once we walk up into the social hall and out the doors back to our homes and daily life. God will have a difficult time hearing us if we never talk to Him in prayer each day. He cannot accept us if we do come to Him. He cannot forget our sins if we keep committing the same ones over and over again. God cannot purge our sinful thoughts if we keep holding on to them. He cannot make our lives secure if we keep ignoring his sacred and holy commandments. He cannot forgive us if we do not forgive others. God can cleanse us if we bathe in the Sacrament of Holy Confession. He can teach us how to pray and what to pray for, if we regularly practice prayer. He can grant wisdom, renew our spirit and make our mind firm, if we read daily from His required textbook the Holy Bible. God extends His helping hand to us all the time, but we must make an effort to stretch out our hand to Him. The last fifty days we have celebrated with great joy the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we remember His victory over sin and death, let us kneel down with the Apostles and Disciples, to receive the Paraklete, the Comforter, God s Holy Spirit. Let us remember that we too can be victorious over sin and spiritual death by joining ourselves to Christ, to become like Him. However, we can imitate Christ, we can have Him live in us, only by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can do nothing good without Christ and the Holy Spirit. Let us be inspired to wear holes in our pants and put callous on our knees as we fall down before God the Father. Let our hearts and minds also fall down in humility before the Holy Trinity and help us to be humble before our neighbor. Amen. Thank you, Sunday School Director and Teachers! Thank you to Sunday School Director Lani Hattling and all the teachers and staff for the hard work and dedication this past school year. We appreciate your efforts and preparation on behalf of our children! Pre School: Kelly Barbes Kindergarten, 1st Grades: Lisa Jordan & Georgia Panopoulos-Bruer 2nd & 3rd Grades: George Canas & Christine Balasis 4th, 5th, 6th Grades: Stephen Kanavati 7th, 8th, 9th Grades: Anastasia Mastrogiorgis & Eleni Christoforides Senior High: Nick Kanavati & Vicky Paraschou page 2

3 St. Paul. MN Registry 40 Day Churching April 27 Weddings April 27 Anna Mantonles and her child, George. Welcome and congratulations to father Sophronis, brother Andreas and papou Milton Marinos. Sophia Christoforides and Andreas Sitorengo Koumbaro Konstandinos Teligades Eleni, Sophia & Yeoryia Christoforides at Sophia's wedding to Andreas Sitorengo on April 27th Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours M,W,Th, F 9:00 AM 2:00 PM Tues. 12:00 5:00 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) fatherick@stgeorgegoc.org Administrative Assistant (651) office@stgeorgegoc.org Jon Kennedy, Parish Council President (651) jdkennedy@comcast.net Ioana Ciuta, Youth Minister iciuta@comcast.net Lani Hattling, Sunday School Director (763) lanihattling@gmail.com Stella Hofrenning, Greek School Director (651) hofrenni@augsburg.edu Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Glad Tidings Editor Andrea Faches & Eric Chadwick, Loaves and Fishes Coordinators afaches@msn.com Submissions for upcoming issues are due by the 11th of the preceding month. page 3

4 Parish News 75th Anniversary Plans The 75th Anniversary planning committee will meet on Tuesday, June 10 at 6:30. We welcome more volunteers to help in various capacities for this special event. For more information, contact Dawn Lampros or Denise Smith. St. George Stories for the History Books: please send Georgia Ehrich your St. George stories. Save the Date June 21 The next Stewardship committee sponsored event at the Bighley home on Saturday June 21 st. Greek Festival Aug. 16 & 17 Penny Davidson has graciously agreed to be the chairperson but would welcome a co-chair to help lead this effort. Plan on being a big part of this year s festival. Many hands make LIGHT work. A volunteer sign-up online will be available soon. We will also have yard signs and ways to help before the festival posted soon. Opa! Grand Old Day June 1 This is a great fundraiser for the Youth to be a part of. We need 2-4 adults and at least 8 youth for this event to be safe and successful. If we have more than 8 we could do shifts! If you can spare a few hours after Church, please let Lani know at or lanihattling@gmail.com. Family Nights June 7 and July 12 Will be held at St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Please mark your calendars! If you have any questions, please contact Lani Hattling at or lanihattling@gmail.com. New Youth Minister The parish council recently approved the hiring of Ioana Ciuta as our new part -time youth minister. We look forward to working with her. Start date TBD. Check out the Youth Page to learn more about Ioana. Saturday Vespers has ended for the Summer. We will resume in the Fall. Check website, newsletter, bulletin, calendar and Facebook for weekday services. Philoptochos News Philoptochos Decades Birthday Party is Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 6:00 p.m. at Fabulous Fern's. Call President Reva J. Adkins at or Vice President Mary E. Makredes at for reservations. Mother s Day Thank You The ladies of Philoptochos Chapter wish to thank all those who supported and participated in the Mother's Day fundraiser. It raised $ and it will be used to fund their philanthropic activities. We are on vacation during June, July, and August. Next meeting: Tuesday, September 09, 2014, 1:30 p.m. Happy Summertime! AHEPA/Daughters of Penelope News AHEPA Night Out is Thursday, June 19, Call President Joe Weiser for reservations. We are on vacation during May, June, July, and August. Next meeting: Thursday, September 18, May their memory be eternal Presbytera Bess Macres passed away on April 30. Her funeral was on May 3. Peter Calott passed away on May 9. His funeral was on May 16. Our Sympathies to Jeff Fuller on the death of his mother Emmy Shanoff, grandmother of Kally & Adam Fuller. She reposed in the Lord April 27 th. May her memory be eternal! A Baby is Born Congratulations to Michael & Tamara Merkouis for the birth of their son Matthew on May 5th. Congrats also to big brothers: Demetri & Nicholas. Parish Assembly Results The 2013 Board of Auditors Report and Financials and the transfer of the James W. Nickitas Estate to the Archdiocese for Youth Video Contest were approved. The Board of Elections elected members are Stella Hofrenning, Irene Loudas, Mary Makredes & Georgia Panopoulos. The Board of Auditors elected members are Diane Anastos, Paul Loudas & Frank Mortari. The Archdiocese Clergy Laity representative elected is Steve Arsenault. Hagia Sophia by National Geographic This program offers an extraordinary history of the construction of Hagia Sophia, the Patriarchal Cathedral church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from December 537 to May 1453, it can be viewed online: embed/2jbrmhrvce0. Referred to as The Great Church of Christ, the magnificent edifice was the largest cathedral built up to that time, and remained so for a thousand years. Stewardship If you have not already, please complete and submit your 2014 pledge card. Also, please consider making a contribution at this time. Credit card contributions can be made online through our website. Please consider an automatic monthly check from your bank mailed to the parish. Thank you for your support! page 4

5 St. Paul. MN Roselawn Cemetery Prices for 2014: Single marker grave $2,000-15% = $1,700 SGGOC price. (Limited availability) 2 marker grave lots = $3,600-15% = $3,060 SGGOC price. 2 monument grave lots = $6,400-15% = $5,440 SGGOC price. For more info, contact church office or Tom Lampros. Find Us on Facebook- for up to date news and information, please visit our parish Facebook page. Just type in the parish name and you ll notice a photo of Thank You Festival of Nations Volunteers the front of the church. Facebook is a powerful communication tool. Need Photos If anyone took photos of any recent parish event, please them to photos@stgeorgegoc.org. We'd like to include them in the newsletter and on the website. Thanks for sharing! James W. Nickitas Video Contest Approved At the April 27th meeting, the parish assembly unanimously approved the proposal of the Archdiocese for this video contest, called "Orthodoxy in Motion." His family supports the proposal and the transfer of the $15,000 estate bequest from St. George Church to the Archdiocese in order for the Leadership 100 program to provide a 2 for 1 matching grant. These monies are different and separate than the James W. Nickitas Camp Scholarship Fund which remains intact within the community of St. George Church. Festival of Nations was a huge success again this year. The 2014 Greek Café raised approximately $16,500 to benefit St. George and its ministries. This event is only possible with the help of many volunteers. Approximately 50 parishioners and extended family friends volunteered to help May 1-4. Thank you! The festival requires well over 250 hours of work to prep, set up, organize, cook, serve, clean up and haul everything back to the church. Again, thank you. If you were not able to help this year, please help next year, great fun. The Festival of Nations is a really nice event organized by the International Institute of Minnesota to help it fund its mission through linguistically and culturally accessible services for new Americans or support programs for recent immigrants. See the following link for more information about the Festival of Nations and IIM: festival-of-nations/. Additional volunteers staffed the Greek School s Bazaar booth which was a huge success. The three dance troops representing all ages from our parish did a wonderful job celebrating the heritage that many of us share. Theologia Pitsavas Competes in Metropolis Oratorical Festival Topic Athletes of the Church: Why are the martyrs of the church characterized as great athletes? Every step aches, every heaving breath is a stab to the lungs, and every trickling drop of sweat is a tormenting reminder of exhaustion. Yet with every blow of pain the runner is closer to the finish line. This marathon is the reason she has sacrificed countless hours, trained intensely, and given up all other desires. She has dedicated her life to running in preparation for this marathon. This marathon will not only test the athlete s physical limits, but also her love and passion for running. The martyrs of the church are characterized as great athletes. This is because of the many qualities that they share with athletes, as well as the similar motivation and endeavors that athletes and martyrs have. When juxtaposing the martyrs of the church to athletes, many similarities can be found between them. Sacrifice, practice and focus are some of the qualities that martyrs and athletes share. Martyrs are Christians who have sacrificed their own life for their faith, much like athletes who sacrifice so much for their sport. Martyrs practice the Orthodox faith through prayer, fasting, and worship. Athletes practice when they exercise and train. And lastly martyrs must disregard all temptations that conflict with their faith, as athletes must when desires arise that prevent them from performing their sport to the best of their ability. Martyrs and athletes also share a passion and drive that tirelessly propels them towards their purpose. Martyrs practice the Orthodox faith because of their love for Jesus Christ. When their faith is tested and they are tortured, their love and belief in God overrides their pain. They die in honor of God s name because the recompense of eternal life is the ultimate objective of their effort. In the case of athletes, the love that they have for their sport is the fundamental source of motivation. They fight through the physical pain and hardships that come along with athletics in order to attain a victory, which is the optimum reward for athletes. There is, however, one difference between the rewards procured by athletes and martyrs. While athletes will receive a very earthly reward, for example a medal or trophy, martyrs will be remunerated with eternal life. The parallels drawn between martyrs and athletes can be very heartening. Owing to the fact that athleticism has been a part of human culture since ancient times, people already possess the traits of athletes that can transform into those of martyrs. Using Orthodoxy as the prism of focus, these traits transform and we too may become as super athletes in life and in our faith. page 5

6 St. George Youth New Youth Minister: Ioana Ciuta Ioana and her family immigrated to the United States when she was one year of age, and grew up at St. Mary Romanian in St. Paul. There, Ioana leaned to chant hymns for the Holy Liturgy and Vespers, and actively participated in church Sunday School as a student and later as an assistant teacher. Growing up, she had a rigorous music education in violin, viola, and piano, later gaining admission to the School of Music at the University of Minnesota for viola lessons during high school. While in high school she participated in the PSEO program, earning an Associates of Science from Century College. She is currently working toward her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Ioana and her family moved to St. George last year to have Fr. Rick as their spiritual Father. At church, she continues to learn to chant and also substitutes Sunday School classes as needed. Ioana expresses great enthusiasm for the Youth Ministry program at St. George, and looks forward to getting to know the families of our parish. She can be reached at iciuta@comcast.net. Grand Old Parking Fundraiser: Sunday June 1 st after Liturgy. This is a great fundraiser for the Youth to be a part of. We need 2-4 adults and at least 8 youth for this event to be safe and successful. If we have more than 8 we could do shifts! If you can spare a few hours after Church, please let Lani know at or lanihattling@gmail.com. Vacation Church School - for children ages preschool through 5th grade to attend Vacation Church School at St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church June from 9am 12pm. This year Paul's Journey to Athens is celebrated and kids will discover why he is such an important part of our Church. Each day will be filled with music, games, interactive learning about our faith and of course a healthy snack. Spend the morning with your friends from church and build new friendships, too. To register or get more information please smgocvcs@gmail.com. Summer Church Camp Camp week is June 28 - July 4 and is held at Camp Wapogasset in Amery, Wisconsin. Register is now closed. Youth entering grades 3 through 12 in Fall of 2014 are eligible to attend. The James W. Nickitas Camp Scholarship Fund is available to help those in need. Please contact Fr. Rick for more info. Family Night: Saturday June 7th will be at St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Details regarding the Saturday, July 12th will be in the church bulletin. Please mark your calendars! If you have any questions, please contact Lani Hattling at or lanihattling@gmail.com. John Pitsavas Memorial Scholarship: a $1000 scholarship will be awarded to the best essay based on the question: "Why is it important to attend and participate in the Orthodox Divine Liturgy every Sunday throughout the year?" Please contact Fr. Rick for an application form. All youth from St. George who will be attending college in Fall of 2014 are eligible to compete. Congratulations Graduates!: We honor and recognize our 2014 graduates and wish them all of God's blessings in the future endeavors. Katharine Chadwick (Salutatorian) graduates from LeSeur-Henderson HS and will attend Xavier University; Sophia Creamer from Harding HS and will attend University of South Dakota; Cassandra Kapetanakis from East Ridge HS and will attend Century College; Antigone Delton (Valedictorian, first in her class) from St. Paul Central HS and will attend Vassar College; Tim Loudas from University of Wisconsin Madison (BS Mechanical Engineering) & Eau Claire (BA Physics) and will work for RJA Dispersions. Pascha Candles Fundraiser The Junior High Sunday School students Lenten Almsgiving initiative was a success! The students would like to thank all of the Parishioners who supported their efforts. The children sold out of the 21 Paschal Lambathes they created. The donation will be sent to IOCC for the people of Greece will be matched by the Jaharis Family Foundation- doubling the children's efforts to 420 dollars. Look for their Lambathes next year as the children have committed to making this an annual project! page 6

7 St. Paul. MN Archimandrite Cleopas Strongylis Elected Metropolitan of Sweden NEW YORK The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople elected unanimously today the Very Reverend Archimandrite Cleopas Strongylis Metropolitan of Sweden and All Scandinavia. His Grace Metropolitan elect Cleopas Strongylis has been serving as the Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral in Boston, Massachusetts. His Eminence Archhbishop Demetrios of America upon the announcement of the election stated: We congratulate His Grace, Metropolitan-elect of Sweden and All Scandinavia, Cleopas Strongylis on his election and wish him strength and grace from above as he will shepherd parishes in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be always with the newly elected Metropolitan in his new diakonia. Metropolitan-elect Cleopas was born in Nea Smyrni, Athens, in He completed his primary education in Athens and was then admitted on scholarship to the Rizareios Ecclesiastical High School from where he graduated in He furthered his studies at the Theological School of the University of Athens, graduating in 1988, and then attended a two-year graduate studies program in Canon Law at the same University. His Grace continued graduate studies at Durham Theological School, in England, where he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in In 1994 he graduated summa cum laude from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, in Brookline, Mass., with a Master s degree in Sacred Theology. He continued with doctoral studies in the Old and the New Testament at Boston University Theological School and Harvard Divinity School. In 1996 he was awarded a Doctorate of Theology from the Theological School of the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki. He was ordained a Deacon in 1989 and a Presbyter in August 1992, by Metropolitan Cleopas of Thessaliotis, Greece, who also bestowed upon him the offikion of Archimandrite. While at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, he worked as personal theological secretary of Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, who at the time was serving as President of Hellenic College / Holy Cross. Immediately afterwards, he was appointed Director of the Department of Registry and Adjunct Professor of Patristics, teaching at the Seminary s graduate school for three years. In December 1996, he was appointed as the Presiding Priest of the parish of Transfiguration in Corona, NY, where he served until 2004, and then to the Greek Orthodox Community of Holy Trinity, in Lowell, Mass., ( ). Since March 2009, His Grace has been serving as Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral in Boston, and has also served as Director of Greek Education for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston. During his service in New York and Boston he taught at high school and college levels. He has published nine books and many papers in various prestigious theological and historical journals. He is fluent in Greek, English and Hebrew and has knowledge of Latin, French and Italian. Bishop Elect Cleopas is a seminary classmate of Fr. Rick The most "remote" Orthodox Church in the world It is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and it is located in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth - in Antarctica - and more specifically on King George Island in the South Pole. Built in 1990, entirely from Siberian pine wood and its design reflects the traditional Russian architectural style, and its interior can accommodate up to 30 people Because the weather conditions in Antarctica are difficult, with strong winds, heavy snowfalls and rainfalls, the trunks of the trees were fastened with special chains, while a special lining inside protects the Church from rain water. The priest of the Church says: "This church, only by its presence here says a lot. For every believer, not only for Russians but mainly for foreigners; the existence of a church in the middle of nowhere indicates unequivocally the presence of God in Antarctica or even better I would say - God is everywhere"... For the record, it is worth noting that two Russian couples have been married in the Holy Trinity of Antarctic; believing that their choice, brings them - if nothing else thus far - very good luck. page 7

8 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 177 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota Phone Fax Glad Tidings June/July 2014 A HISTORIC MEETING Learn about the purpose of the historic meeting between Pope Francis and Ecumentical Patriarch Bartholomew in Jerusalem. REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: (Sept. - May) Saturday 5:00 pm Orthros: Sunday 8:15 am Sunday School: (Sept. - May) following Communion Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:30 am

9 July 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) 3 SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) 2 +ST. JOHN (MAXIMOVITCH) OF SHANGAI SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) 4 SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) 5 +ST. ATHANASIOS OF MT. ATHOS 6 +4TH SUNDAY MATTHEW 9:30am- LITURGY 7 +ST. KYRIAKI pm-8pm Family Night SUNDAY OF HOLY 6:30pm Parish FATHERS Council Mtg. 12pm Acolyte Training 4pm-7pm Feed the Hungry (FOCUS MN) 20 +6TH SUNDAY MATTHEW +PROPHET ELIAS/ELIJAH 4pm-7pm Feed the Hungry (FOCUS MN) 27 +7TH SUNDAY MATTHEW +ST. PANTELIEMON 4pm-7pm Feed the Hungry (FOCUS MN) ST. MARY MAGDALENE & ST. MARKELLA 23 +RIGHTEOUS HANNAH ST. MARINA 9am-3pm Church Safety & Security Seminar (Progressive Baptist Church) 24 +ST. CHRISTINA DORMITION OF ST. ANNA 19 +ST. MACRINA 26 +STS. PARASKEVE & HERMOLAOS 31 COMING IN AUGUST 1-15 Dormition Fast 6 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD 15 DORMITION OF THEOTOKOS GREEK FESTIVAL 29 BEHEADING OF FORERUNNER St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN

10 1 +7TH SUN. PASCHA - HOLY FATHERS 11am-3pm Grand Old Day Parking June 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat PENTECOST+ 11am KNEELING PRAYERS 4pm-7pm Feed the Hungry (FOCUS MN) ALL SAINTS 4pm-7pm Feed the Hungry (FOCUS MN) NO FASTING 5pm Loaves & Fishes (Faith Lutheran Church) 7pm Parish Council Mtg. 9am-12pm Vacation Church School (St Mary's Greek) ND SUNDAY MATTHEW 4pm-7pm Feed the Hungry (FOCUS MN) 10 NO FASTING 17 9am-12pm Vacation Church School (St Mary's Greek) 24 +NATIVITY OF FORERUNNER 11 +APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW/ NATHANIEL- Patriarch's Nameday NO FASTING 6pm Philoptochos Decades Dinner (Fabulous Fern's) 18 9am-12pm Vacation Church School (St Mary's Greek) STS. ONOUPHRIOS & PETER OF ATHOS NO FASTING 19 +APOSTLE THADDEUS/JUDE & ST. PAISIOS 9am-12pm Vacation Church School (St Mary's Greek) NO FASTING 20 9am-12pm Vacation Church School (St Mary's Greek) pm VESPERS 6pm-8pm Family Night 14 NO FASTING 21 5pm-9pm Community Social (John & Alexis Bighley's) 28 SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) 9:30am Divine Liturgy (Eau Claire, WI) 29 +STS. PETER & PAUL SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) 30 SUMMER CHURCH CAMP (Camp Wapo) St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN

11 St. George Greek Orthodox Church Parish Council Meeting Agenda April 08, 2014 Attendees: Fr. Richard Andrews, President Jon Kennedy, Vice President Alexis Bighley, Secretary Sophronis Mantoles, Treasurer Dan Simon, Assistant Treasurer Frank Nemeth, Steve Arsenault, Nanette Gomez, Eleni Hoffhines,, George Mastrogiorgis, Joe Weiser. Absent: Phyllis Kapetanakis, Tom Lampros. I. Call Meeting to Order 6:35pm II. Opening Prayers and readings 6:40pm III. Educational Enrichment Session Lenten Weekday Services by Fr. Rick 6:50pm IV. Investment committee report: Given by James Theros. a. Jim presented the new plan with Morgan Stanley financial management. Morgan Stanley charges a 1% standard fee. Recommendation from the committee to move with the outside management firm. Alexis Bighley made a motion to move forward with the investment committee's proposal, motion was seconded by Joe Weizer. Motion carried unanimously. V. Submission of past Council Meeting minutes a. The minutes from the March 17th meeting were reviewed a motion was made by Nanette, seconded by George to approve the minutes and the motion passed unanimously. VI. Treasurer s Report a. Dan Simon reported. Treasurer s report was accepted unanimously by Council. Motion made by Joe Weiser, seconded by Nanette Gomez. April 8, 2014 Parish Council Meeting - Treasurers Report VII. Committee Reports a. Stewardship Report (Alexis Bighley) i. Seminar by Mr Robert Chantler was very educational. ii. Motion made by Alexis, Seconded by George to accept the report into the minutes. Motion carried unanimously. b. Welcome and Outreach Committee (Jon Kennedy) i. A list of activities was passed around. A stronger report will be made in the coming meetings. c. Missions and Benevolence Discussion (George Mastrogiorgis) i. Alexis reported on the Habitat for humanity activity. Great activity, hard work but rewarding. Something to consider as a group. ii. George mentioned a discussion with Focus for the Church to sponsor one dinner this year and try to sponsor 3 dinners next year. This needs to go in the budget for iii. A suggestion was made by Father to donate $ for the prison ministry. A motion was made by Nanette seconded by Alexis, the Motion carried unanimously. iv. Donation for the Archdioceses oratorical festival for the Metropolis. This will be handled by the committee. d. Audit Committee Discussion (Steve Arsenault). i. Steve described how the audit is performed, gave the committee a brief review of how the report is generated. Described changes from the past, and new methods moving forward. ii. Need for written procedures for treasurer. 1

12 iii. Deacon is a non supported application. Need to move to the new archdioceses program. iv. No major problems were found. Motion was made by Joe seconded by Alexis to accept the Audit committee report. The motion carried unanimously. e. Greek Festival Discussions (Jon Kennedy). i. There are 7 people on the committee VIII. New Business a. Status and proposal for youth Minister and administrative position discussion. (Fr. Rick and Alexis). i. Dual track effort to get a qualified person for the administrative position. ii. Youth Ministry position is still open. Getting some activity on an Orthodox bulletin Board. Discussion took place on the Youth Ministry and the fact the parents need to take a more active role. Discussion carried for a few minutes. Can we solicit help from the Archdiocese s. Youth activities are still taking place but we need a more active role. Fr. to setup a volunteer draft position description and post it in Glad tidings and the bulletin. George to lead a discussion. b. Parish Feast Day discussion: i. A dinner is planned Jason Barbas will be preparing the dinner for Tuesday the 22 nd. ii. Service is scheduled for Bright Wednesday. c. Holy Week and Ushering discussion electronic sign up Fr Rick, Jon, Alexis. i. Alexis passed an electronic sign up ushering schedule for the rest of the year. The schedule should be structured. Substituting is allowed. A point was made about the additional pressure on parish council members. Motion was made to agree to the plan proposed by Alexis to have two council members per week to sign up for one week a month each to be head ushers. Motion seconded by George Mastrogiorgis. Motion carried unanimously. ii. Holy week schedule discussion took place. The Holy week schedule will be circulated electronically. d. Spring Parish Assembly meeting outline. i. Meeting on April 27 th. The assembly outline was passed around by Fr. e. Occasional co-celebrant i. Discussion took place for Fr. To lead until a committee is formed. f. Legislation agenda for the Ecumenical patriarchate i. Contact our senator's with letter that was send out. ii. Father Rick's PhD program: IX. Father presented his schedule to the board. Alexis asked Fr. To share his tentative schedule. X. Other Business Archdiocese s Clergy laity July 6 th through the 9 th. Father vacation time Summer camp June 28 th through July 4 th. Spring cleanup date to be setup. Adjournment and Closing Prayer 09:05pm 2

13 St. George Parish Members are invited to a Pleasant Summer evening of Fun, Fellowship & Food Saturday, June 21 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM Summer Parish Get Together Light Dinner served at 5:30pm Hosted by the St. George Stewardship committee and Alexis & John Bighley 926 Kohlman Lane Maplewood, MN Pontoon rides weather permitting Please RSVP by at office@stgeorgegoc.org or call the church office at by no later than Friday, June 13

14 Sophia Creamer Harding High School IB & Honor Roll Attending University of South Dakota, Vermillion majoring in History Cassandra Kapetanikis East Ridge High School in Woodbury Attending Century College to become a Chiropractor. Katharine Chadwick LeSeur-Henderson High School Salutatorian Attending Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio Antigone Delton St Paul Central High School Valedictorian, National Merit Finalist Attending Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY -majoring in French and Sociology Tim Loudas Physics and Engineering Dual Degree: Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering from U of WI-Madison, College of Engineering Bachelor of Arts, Physics (Math Minor), UW-Eau Claire Plan to start working as an engineer for RJA Dispersions LLC, Hudson, WI