ARK - ΚΙΒΩΤΟΣ Μ ΗΝΙ ΑΙΟ ΔΕΛ ΤΙΟ ΤΗ Σ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔ ΟΞΗ Σ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙ ΑΣ ΤΗ Σ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕ ΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟ ΚΟ Υ

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1 Greekfest 2016 Greekfest 2016 SEPTEMBER / ΣΕΠΤΈΜΒΡΙΟΣ 2016 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 9 the H ARK - ΚΙΒΩΤΟΣ M ONTHL Y BULLE TIN OF THE ASS UM PTION OF OUR MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS GREEK ORTHODOX CH U RCH Μ ΗΝΙ ΑΙΟ ΔΕΛ ΤΙΟ ΤΗ Σ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔ ΟΞΗ Σ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙ ΑΣ ΤΗ Σ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕ ΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟ ΚΟ Υ Assumption Greek Orthodox Church 111 Island Pond Road Manchester NH Phone: (603) Fax: (603) info@assumptionnh.org Join us on Facebook INSIDE THIS ISSUE Monthly Calendar (Greek)... 2 Ministries List... 3 Parish News... 4 Philoptochos News... 5 Youth News... 7 Stewardship Monthly Calendar (English)

2 ΣΕΠΤΈΜΒΡΙΟΣ 2016 ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ ΤΡΙΤΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ ΠΕΜΠΤΗ ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗ ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ η Κυριακή του Ματθαίου Ορθρος: 8:00 πμ Θεία Λειτ: 9:15 πμ Συνάντηση Συμβουλίου Φιλοπτώχου: 6:30 μμ Στην αίθουσα της εκκλησίας 8 Γέννησις της Θεοτόκου Ορθρος: 8:00 πμ Θεία Λειτ: 9:00 πμ Κυριακή πριν την Υψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού Ορθρος: 8:00 πμ Θεία Λειτ: 9:15 πμ 12 Συνάντησις Διοικητικού Συµβουλίου: 7:30µµ Ύψωσις του Τιμίου Σταυρού Ορθρος: 8:00 πμ Θεία Λειτ: 9:00 πμ 15 Ελληνικό Σχολείο Εγγραφές: 3:30-6:30 μμ Πρόβα Χορωδίας: 6:30 μμ Εκδρομη στην Κατασκήνωση Μητροπόλεως 9:00 πμ 18 Κυριακή μετά την Υψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού Ορθρος: 8:45 πμ Θεία Λειτ: 10:00 πμ Εγγραφές Κατηχητικού Σχολείου 11:30 πμ "ΧΕΙΜΩΝΙΑΤΙΚΕΣ ΩΡΕΣ ΑΡΧΙΖΟΥΝ" 25 1η Κυριακή του Λουκά Ορθρος: 8:45 πμ Θεία Λειτ: 10:00 πμ Κατηχητικό Σχολείο Αρχίζει: 9:45 πμ Ελληνικό Σχολείο Aρχίζει: 3:30-7:45 µµ Αγιασμός στο σχολείο: 5:00 µµ Ελληνικό Σχολείο 3:30-7:45 µµ Συσσιτιο Αστέγων (New Horizons): 4:00-6:00 μμ 2

3 Reverend Father Gregory Trakas Office Hours Tuesday & Thursday 1-4 PM or by appointment Parish Council President... James Folopoulos Vice President... Nick Karagianis Secretary... Mike Rokas Treasurer... Ted Rokas Arthur Bakolas Costa Georgopoulos Harold Guidicelli Peter Lazos Charles Mardanes Kathy Papakostas Penny Papastathis Helen Rainey Philoptochos Board 2016 President...Lucie Skouteris Vice President...Maria Chronas Recording Secretary...Andrea Moutsioulis Corresponding Secretary... Iris Belinsky Treasurer..Georgia Palaskas Assistant Treasurer..Nancy Mardanes Natl. & Local Boards Liaison Mariana Gasis Advisor...Esther Kereakoglow Martha Galanis Artemis Lazos Staff Evangelia Gregorious Secretary...Janet Malin Chanter.Vasilios Rokas Choir Director.Joan Virga YOUTH MINISTRIES DIRECTORS GOYA... Stavroula Bakolas JOY... Julie Karagianis Mommy & Me Ranya Karatzoulidis PARISH SCHOOLS Sunday School Directors N. Condodemetraky & T. Kapellakis Teachers.Nicole Condodemetraky Theohare Kapellakis Ranya Karatzoulidis Rita Gallos Joni Stamoulis Greek School Director George Kitsis Teacher.Alexandra Bruttaniti Advisor.Connie Stamoulis Fr. Gregory Trakas Nick Karagianis Sophia Annas Helen Rainey Ellen Healy Newsletter Editors James Folopoulos Janet Malin Nancy Mardanes Kathy Papakostas ADDRESS CHANGES Please notify the Church office if you are moving so that we may update our database. Thank you! Pastoral Home Visitation If a loved one is in the hospital, in a nursing home, or is house-bound due to an illness, please feel free to contact Fr. Gregory Trakas at the Church office to arrange a visit. Ark published monthly by Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 111 Island Pond Road, Manchester NH

4 Parish News We hope everybody had a blessed summer and we look forward to seeing everyone for the new ecclesiastical year which started September 1st. Winter hours and coffee fellowship will start on Sunday, September 18 th Orthros will start 8:45 AM and Divine Liturgy will start 10 AM. Sunday School registration will take place during coffee hour in the church hall on September 18 th Parish Council The monthly Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday, September 12 st at 7:30 PM Parish Council President My fellow Parishioners, I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone for making this year s Greekfest a tremendous success! I want to express my gratitude to our Chairman Costas Georgeopoulos for once again organizing and seeing that everything leading up to our Festival ran smoothly. The following groups should be acknowledged for their countless hours of time donated to our church, the Ladies of the Philoptochos Society, our Youth Ministries, our cooks in the kitchen and on the grills, our runners who delivered the food to all our food stations in a timely fashion, our set up and breakdown crews, our Ad book committee, our Tour Guides and finally Fr. Gregory along with all the members of Parish Council. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful group who gives of their time to our church! Thank you all, Jim Folopoulos, Parish Council President Parish Priest I would like to thank the Greekfest committee and its chairman Costa Georgopoulos, the board members and president Jim Folopoulos, the ladies of Philoptochos and president Lucie Scouteris, our youth group and their leaders, the sponsors, the donors, the volunteers and all of you, our parishioners, who came to support our church and to help make Greekfest 2016 a big success! September is the beginning of the new Ecclesiastical Year! This new year is a blessing from our Heavenly Father. All of us have a new opportunity - myself as your priest, our boards, our ministry leaders and all of you, the parishioners of Panagia in Manchester - to make a new and 4

5 serious beginning in witnessing, living and spreading the Holy Gospel of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ! The last big feast of the old Ecclesiastical Year was the Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The first big feast of the new Ecclesiastical Year is the Birth of the Virgin Mary! This is not a coincidence! We begin and end the year with the Theotokos. Her miraculous birth from her barren and aged parents, Joachim and Anna, manifests the power of God, who can raise up descendants of Abraham from stones (Matthew 3:9). Her birth begins the unfolding of the eternal and secret Plan of our Salvation conceived through God s Divine Economy. As our Panagia grows up, she enters the Temple, she receives the good news of Incarnation, she gives birth to the Messiah, she watches Him preach, perform miracles, get crucified, resurrected and finally ascend to the throne of our Heavenly Father. Then, Panagia with her Assumption shows what is possible for all of us in the future to join her Son in the Kingdom of Heaven. The beginning of the New Ecclesiastical year also coincides with the beginning of the eternal cycle of nature. The agricultural cycle of harvesting, tilling and sowing is what keeps us alive. We, who live in cities and working office jobs, often forget the abundant blessing of our Heavenly Father manifested in the nature around us! He, who weighted the mountains on a pair of scales (Isaiah 40:12), who stretches the heavens like a curtain, who grows grass for the cattle and brings bread from the earth (Psalms of David 104:2,14), is the One keeping us alive! We often take nature for granted, like we take our lives and our Heavenly Father for granted. To remind us nature is NOT for granted, our Ecumenical Patriarchate has designated September 1st as the Day of the Environment. What does this mean for us? Let s all make an effort to recycle at home, at work, at school, at church and at the next Greekfest! Guarding the creation is part of loving God! September is also the month of the Holy Cross! September 14th, the feast of the Holy Cross, is one of four strictest fasting days of the year, and the day we prepare our body and soul to venerate the biggest symbol of our faith! It is through the Cross Resurrection was made possible! It is through the Cross salvation came to mankind (Galatians 5:11). And it is often with a Cross that we must follow our Lord (Matthew 16:24). Finally, September is the also the beginning of the school year. Our young ones are buzzing like bees in school yards, reminding us of our own youth. We should also be reminded kids are the future of our Church. It is upon us to teach them well, both by talking to them about the Lord and by bringing them to church for services and youth ministries. Finally, our Lord reminds us to try to be pure like them, because to those belongs the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:14). Both the Birth of Panagia on September 8 th and the feast of the Holy Cross on September 14 th are on weekdays. If your schedule allows, please honor these great feasts of our faith by participating to the Divine Liturgy that day. Philoptochos News My first year as Philoptochos President was a wonderful, rewarding experience. Whenever I asked for help, people came forward and gave of their time, talent, and treasure. 5

6 I look forward to another successful year, and hope that we will all work together for the good of our parish and those we serve. Our mission is philanthropic and is an important one. We support our church, local charities, and ministries of the Philoptochos Society at the Metropolis and National levels. Please consider joining our organization and attending our monthly meetings. We welcome your ideas and assistance! Coffee hours begin again on Sunday, September 18. Please contact the church office to reserve a date if you wish to sponsor a regular coffee hour, or a memorial coffee hour. Philoptochos Board members will help you with the setup and cleanup. We also need your help with coffee hours that Philoptochos sponsors especially the cleanup. If we all lend a hand, the burden will not fall on just a few. My sincere thanks to all who donated money for the flowers for the August services held in honor of Panagia, and helped with the preparations for Greekfest and worked at the festival. I hope to see everyone at our annual Autumn Bazaar, which will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30. (See flyer below for details). Please let us know if you can help by volunteering your time, making pastries or donating a gift for the penny sale. The next Philoptochos Board meeting will be held Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 pm. Also, If you are growing fresh basil, please bring it to church for September 14th, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Please call the office to arrange a time to drop it off. Lucie Skouteris, President Greekfest 2016 Thank You to All! On behalf of the 2016 GreekFest Committee, I would like to extend congratulations and gratitude to all the volunteers and donors who contributed in any way in making this year s Greekfest successful. It could not have been possible without each and every one of you! Many of you put in countless hours of planning and months of meetings, while others organized the baking and cooking preparations prior to the event. Many worked tirelessly for days, before, during and after Greekfest. Although many believe the hard work ends Sunday evening at the close of festivities, it does not! All the tables, chairs and supplies that have been set up, now need to be taken down. All the equipment, pots and pans need to be washed and put away as well. So, thank you to EVERYONE, including our Philoptochos members, our young adults, our Parish Council members and all the other volunteers who continued working and cleaning up all week after Greekfest was over! Our sincere gratitude, as well, to all those who supported this event by donating in any way, including our Corporate Sponsors, Ad/Program book donors and sponsors, and the food and supplies donors. It is this combined effort of so many coming together as one for the good our parish that makes me especially proud to be a member of the Assumption Church! With Sincere Appreciation, Costa Georgopoulos, 2016 GreekFest Chairman 6

7 New Horizons Soup Kitchen New Horizons Soup Kitchen is Sunday, September 25 th, 4 6 PM. We are looking for volunteers to join our group. This is such a rewarding experience! Please join us for less than two hours of fellowship with the group from the Assumption Church. If you have any questions, please call the church office at Thank you! Choir On Thursday, September 15 th at 6:30 PM we will be having our first choir rehearsal of the season. Calling all parishioners! We are looking for volunteers to join our talented choir. All ages are welcome! All that is required is your passion and love for our church! Please contact our Choir Director, Joan Virga at or the church office Youth Ministry News Greek School and Greek Dance Greek School registration for all students will be on Thursday, September 15 th from 3:30 to 6:30 PM in the School Building We encourage all parents to register their children for Greek School and for all additional Youth Ministries (Sunday School, GOYA, JOY, MOMMY & ME and Altar Boys). Registration forms for all Youth Ministries will be available that day Greek School classes will begin on Thursday, September 22 nd at 3:30 PM Session One from 3:30 5:00 PM (1 st and 2 nd year Beginners) Session Two from 5:00 6:30 PM (1 st and 2 nd year Intermediate) Session Three from 6:30 7:30 PM (1 st and 2 nd year Advanced) Greek Dance classes will begin in October, schedule to be announced There will be Agiasmos (Blessing of the Water) for all Greek School classes on Thursday, Sept. 22 nd at 5:00 PM in the School Building. All students and their families are welcome! 7

8 Sunday School Sunday School registration for all students will take place on Sunday, September 18 th during coffee hour in the church hall. At that time, children can also register for all other Youth Ministries. Registration forms will also be available on Thursday, September 15 th from 3:30 6:30 PM during Greek School Registration. (Please visit the Youth Ministries Registration table) Sunday School classes will begin on Sunday, September 25 th. All students and parents are asked to meet the teachers in the School building at 9:45 AM. There will be Agiasmos (Blessing of the Water) for our Sunday School in church. All classes will attend church as a group with their teachers Goya - Joy - Mommy & Me - Altar Boys Registration for GOYA, JOY, MOMMY & ME and Altar Boy Ministries will take place on Sunday, September 18 th during coffee hour in the church hall. At that time, children can also register for Greek School and Sunday School. Registration forms will also be available on Thursday, September 15 th from 3:30 6:30 PM during Greek School Registration. (Please visit the Youth Ministries Registration table) Finally, an additional registration opportunity for all Youth Ministries will be on Sunday, September 25 th, during coffee hour in the church hall. MBC Open House & Feast of the Holy Cross Please mark your calendars! Our September Youth Family event will be a day trip to the Metropolis of Boston Camp ( MBC)! Saturday, September 17 th, at 9:00 AM, please meet at the Assumption Church parking lot. From there, we will carpool to MBC, aiming to be there at 9:45 AM for Divine Liturgy at the camp chapel. We will then have a number of fun festivities, including BBQ and diving for the Cross please see the attached flyer! Please RSVP by September 11 th to Stavroula Bakolas at: ssbakolas@gmail.com We look forward to an amazing and blessed year in all our Youth Ministries! 8

9 ASSUMPTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY ANNUAL AUTUMN BAZAAR OCTOBER 29 & 30, ISLAND POND ROAD MANCHESTER, NH SATURDAY 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM SUNDAY 11:30 AM TO 3:00 PM GREEK FOOD AND PASTRY RAFFLES PENNY SALE 9

10 Sacraments & Services When planning for a baptism or wedding, please check the availability of the church BEFORE booking your reception hall. Thank you! Baptism September 24 Zoi, daughter of Stephen & Irene Gordon Funeral August 30 Anastasia Galanis 3-Year Memorial Service September 18 Yvette Podsadowski Leonidas & Helen Chalas 1-Year Memorial Service September 25 Vasiliki Bakolas Donations Fr. Gregory Trakas Memorial Donations In memory of George & Effie Kalantzis In memory of Thomas Lekkas In memory of Mary Mitchell In memory of Vasilios Palaskas Planning Memorials When planning for a memorial, please contact the church office at There is a certain kind of altar wine and incense we use. Please call for details 10

11 Stewardship July Stewardship Contributions Anastasia Ahern Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Bakolas Raymond Buckley Mr. & Mrs. Richard Dryer James Camberis Peter Camberis Mr. & Mrs. Lazaros Kalampalikis Mr. & Mrs. Stathis Kapellakis Esther Kereakoglow Theodora Nakos Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Poplin Helen Rainey Mr. & Mrs. William Semos Mr. & Mrs. John Stergiou Fr. Gregory Trakas Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Tsekrekas Mr. & Mrs. Vaios Tzimas Todd Vanderhayden Betty Xintaras Mr. & Mrs. John Xintaras Pledges paid for 2015 Theodora Nakos Remember please to submit your 2016 Stewardship Pledge Stewardship is our God-given OBLIGATION and the PRIMARY source of income for our church! Seek first God s Kingdom and His Righteousness and all other things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33) And some seeds fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold. (Luke 8:8) Give to Cesar what is Cesar s and to God what is God s. (Mark 12:17) Rich is not the one who has much, but the one who gives much. For what one gives away, he keeps for all eternity. St. John Chrysostom Thank you for your love to the House of the Lord and Panagia! May our Lord bless you hundredfold and remember you in His Kingdom 11

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14 BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISING Anyone with a business that would like to advertise in our monthly bulletin, please contact the Church office. A business card format, about 2 ½ x 1 ½ will run for a period of 12 months for one set fee of $ a year. This will help to defray the ever-increasing costs of printing and mailing these bulletins to our homes as well as advertising your business to our parishioners and through word of mouth, to their friends. This is a great opportunity for all! 14

15 SEPTEMBER 2016 Sunday Monday Tueday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday th Sunday of Matthew Orthros: 8:00 AM Div. Lit: 9:15 AM Philoptochos Board Meeting: 6:30 PM In church hall 8 Nativity of the Theotokos Orthros 8:00 AM Div. Lit. 9:00 AM Sunday before Holy Cross Orthros: 8:00 AM Div. Lit: 9:15 AM 12 Parish Council Meeting: 7:30 PM Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthros: 8:00 AM Div. Lit: 9:00 AM 15 Greek School Registration: 3:30-6:30 PM Metropolis of Boston Camp Outing 9:00 AM Choir Rehearsal: 6:30 PM 18 Sunday after Holy Cross Orthros: 8:45 AM Div. Lit: 10:00 AM Sunday School Registration: 11:30 AM WINTER HOURS START 25 1 st Sunday of Luke Orthros: 8:45 AM Div. Lit: 10:00 AM Sunday School Begins: 9:45 AM New Horizons Soup Kitchen: 4:00-6:00 PM Greek School Begins: 3:30-7:45 PM Agiasmos / Blessing in School: 5:00 PM Greek School 3:30-7:45 PM

16 ASSUMPTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 111 Island Pond Road Manchester, NH NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, NH PERMIT NO Greekfest