The Parishioners of St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church Welcome Fr. Anthony Evangelatos and his Family to our Community!

Transcription

1 February 2018 The Parishioners of St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church Welcome Fr. Anthony Evangelatos and his Family to our Community! St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church 4 Appleton Street Arlington, MA stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com

2 SAINT ATHANASIUS THE GREAT GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Metropolis of Boston 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA ASKISIS OFFICIAL Publication of St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church Arlington, MA SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE Winter: Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy: 10:00 am Summer: Orthros 8:00 am Divine Liturgy: 9:15 am Proistamenos: Fr. Anthony Evangelatos Assistant Priest: Fr. Aaron C. Walker St. Athanasius the Great is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesial oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of the Metropolis of Boston, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the jurisdiction of The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church in Arlington, Massachusetts strives to be the living witness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our mission as a parish is to practice hospitality (Romans 12:13), as St. Paul so exhorts. Thus it is our rich blessing to strive and bring the Light of Christ to all of God s people, through Orthodox Christian tradition, education and philanthropy. We seek to serve the spiritual needs of our faithful parishioners through the sacramental life of the Church. By means of outreach and faith in God, we continue our growth as a living Church by inviting others into the Orthodox faith through Baptism and/or Chrismation, and educating them through the establishment of our Christian ministries, programs, schools and philanthropic activities. CHURCH DIRECTORY Parish Administrative Assistants Stella Kazantzas & Kathy VanKuilenburg Parish Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am 7:00 pm Friday: 9:00 am 2:00 pm Main Office: (781) FAX: (781) stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com Website: Fr. Anthony franthony@saintathanasius.org Fr. Anthony Phone: (Temporary) (401) Fr. Aaron fraaronwalker@gmail.com Fr. Aaron Cell: (617) PARISH COUNCIL Constandinos Ioakimidis... President A. Paul Tsitsopoulos... 1 st Vice President Mark Ypsilantis... 2 nd Vice President S. Nicholas Kriketos... Secretary Ted Speros... Associate Secretary Stefanos Bouboulis... Treasurer Nikitas Splagounias... Associate Treasurer #1 Peter Stanitsas... Associate Treasurer #2 Parish Council Members:... Athanasios Arvanitis, Antonios Dakopoulos, Vassilios Karras, Vicki Konstandakis, Alexandros Kyrou, Charlie Pappas, and Michael Terzakis PARISH MINISTRIES & ORGANIZATIONS Altar Boys (Acolytes)... Fr. Aaron Walker Cantors/Psaltes.Dimitrios Manolakis and Spyros Prois Choir Director... Stella Pathiakis Greek School Principal... Eleni Giannaki Greek School PTO.OPEN Little Halos Interim Director....Argyro Nikoletos Fellowship Hour Ministry... Vicki Konstandakis Gardening Ministry... S. Nicholas Kriketos GOYA President... Thanos Arvanitis HOPE & Joy.... Eleni Pesiridis & Eleni Splagounias P.E.A.C.E. Ministry... Althea Ioakimidis Philoptochos President... Crystal Iakovou Pine Street Inn Ministry... Randy Fassas Stewardship...Michael Terzakis Sunday School Interim Coordinator..George Makredes Young at Heart Seniors Combined Efforts Metropolis of Boston website... Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website

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4 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: The Lord s blessing! I wish to personally greet all of you through this, my first written communiqué as your new Proistamenos. Please allow me to share a bit about myself and my ministry here at St. Athanasius. Before I continue, I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Parish Council, and all those who have been so kind and welcoming to me and my family during this time of transition. We look forward to meeting more of you as time goes on. I was born in San Francisco, California, where I was raised and lived for 32 years. My family originally attended Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, and later transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral where I spent the majority of my spiritually formative years. I am a graduate of the University of San Francisco where I studied various Romance languages, having majored in Spanish and minored in business administration. After teaching for one year, I entered the officer training program of a local savings and lending institution, and subsequently worked in that industry for ten years. In 1988, I realized that I had a very strong and renewed calling to the priesthood, which I had been suppressing for a number of years. Prior to attending seminary I met Presvytera Themmi who was from Chicago, and had grown up in Lake Station, Indiana, just outside of the Chicago metro area. We married and then headed to Boston for me to attend Holy Cross School of Theology, while Presvytera worked in her pharmaceutical profession. While in Boston, we had our first child, Nikoletta, followed later by our sons, Andreas and Dimitri, and finally by our youngest, our daughter Sophia. Nikoletta is married to a graduate of Holy Cross, Nicholas Livingston, who is currently awaiting ordination to the diaconate. The first parish I served was St. Demetrios in Seattle, Washington as assistant priest for two and one-half years. I was then transferred to St. George in Eugene, Oregon where I remained for four years. In 2001, I requested to be transferred to the Metropolis of Boston in order to be close to the Boston hospital system for a family medical need. I was assigned to St. Spyridon in Newport, Rhode Island where I served for seven years. My most recent assignment was to the Annunciation Church of Brockton, MA where I have served for the 4

5 past nine and one-half years. Regarding my ministry at St. Athanasius, we will always celebrate the full cycle of Sunday services, commencing with Great Vespers on Saturday evenings. The great feasts of our Lord and the Theotokos will be celebrated in like fashion. During the liturgical year I will also celebrate the feasts of major saints with both Orthros and the Divine Liturgy. Great Lent will also include a very full liturgical schedule with the Great Compline, Presanctified Liturgies, and the Salutations to the Theotokos. I strongly believe in the liturgical life of the Church being the very center of our individual lives as well. The various ministries of our parish should also be centered in the liturgical life of the Church, thus making them Christ-centered ministries. If we are to grow in the image and likeness of Christ we must seek Him, first and foremost, through the divine services offered by our parish, which will lead us to seek Him in our daily prayer lives as well. Besides conducting the divine services, I will always strive to be available for your various spiritual needs. Please do not hesitate to call to make an appointment. I am also available to hear confessions each Saturday after Vespers, or during office hours by appointment. Please remember that current privacy laws do not permit anyone outside one s immediate family, including clergy, to seek information about hospitalized or nursing home patients. It is imperative that those admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or rehab facility, authorize the staff to contact their priests, or at least have a family member inform Fr. Aaron or me directly. We will always visit the sick and shut-in s as long as we are aware of them! Beloved in Christ, I look forward to faithfully serving you, and together with you and Fr. Aaron, serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ toward the goal of our mutual salvation. In Christ s love, +Fr. Anthony 5

6 6 St. Athanasius Great Vespers Wednesday, January 17, 2018

7 On Wednesday evening, January 17th, 2018 during the Great Vespers Service for the Feast of Saint Athanasius His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios installed Rev. Fr Anthony Evangelatos as the Proistamenos (Presiding Priest) of our Parish. 7

8 Grateful We would like to thank His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and the area clergy who were present for the installation of Fr. Anthony Evangelatos on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 Rev. Fr. Theodore Barbas Rev. Fr. Paul Bebis Rev. Fr. Vassilios Bebis Rev. Fr. Alkiviadis Calivas Rev. Fr. Peter Chamberas Rev. Fr. Gregory Christakos Rev. Fr. Demetrios Costarakis Rev. Fr. Christopher Foustoukos Rev. Fr. Asterios Gerostergios V. Rev. Fr. Panteleimon Klostri Rev. Fr. Dionysios Koulianos Rev. Fr. Nicholas Krommydas Rev. Fr. Christopher Makiej Rev. Fr. Konstantinos Manetas Rev. Fr. Vincent Minucci Rev. Fr. Demetre Mott Rev. Fr. Athanasios Nenes Rev. Fr. Nikolaos Pelekoudas Rev. Fr. Costin Popescu Rev. Fr. Christopher Stamos Rev. Fr. Anthony Tandilyan Rev. Fr. Demitrios Tonias Rev. Fr. Theodore Toppses Rev. Fr. Anton Vrame Rev. Fr. Aaron Walker Dn. Gerasimos Kent 8

9 APOKREATIKO DINNER DANCE Join us, Saturday, February 3 rd, :00 p.m. Costumes are welcome! Adults $30 Children (12 and under) $15 For Tickets: Betty Dakopoulos (781) Andrea Stanitsas (781) bettydak@gmail.com astanitsas23@yahoo.com James Bouboulis Auditorium Saint Athanasius the Great 9

10 Religious Ed Teen Class SEEKING EDEN The Bible tells the story of the Garden of Eden: God s wondrous creation for Adam and Eve, and by extension, for all of us. It was idyllic, peaceful, and a place where harmony in nature reigned. This contrasts sharply to today s desert setting at that same region, which lies within the Tigress- Euphrates area of Iraq. Finding themselves placed in Eden by God, Adam and Eve only knew the wonders of that perfect world. Today s equivalent might be someone born into a family of riches or royalty, who takes all that is around them for granted. Unfortunately, many of us may be guilty of that same attitude, too. How? 10

11 Religious Ed Teen Class THINK ABOUT ALL WE HAVE AROUND US... A.) God, The Author of All Life, miraculously created everyone and everything: Our amazing physiology, the miracle of newborns, the opportunities and wonders of life, and the freewill for us to think and to do things (which are hopefully pleasing in His sight). B.) In the process of creating the stars and planets, God set the Earth at the precise distance away from the sun to support life, as we know it. C.) God continues to provide our realm with ample sustenance, such as fruits, vegetables, plants, springs of crystal clear water and so much more. D.) Added to that, He has the earth rotating 24 hours each day, so as to provide us periods of daylight and evening. He also has the Earth s axis tilted, thereby enabling the seasons to come and go each year! E.) And how about the Moon? God allows it just enough gravitational force to constantly keep our planet s axis fixed in place. Without the Moon and a stable axis, our global temperatures would wildly soar upwards and fall just as quickly. The oceans would become lakes, and the Earth would be one chaotic randomly rolling sphere. F.) Oh, and God provides the earth with the force of gravity to keep us grounded. Not to mention, it also retains the thin layer of atmosphere we have, and keeps the air we breathe from escaping into outer space. He additionally gave the Earth a strong magnetic field to shield us from harmful incoming cosmic rays and solar winds! There s much more of course, but what cannot be emphasized enough here is that God s amazing miraculous creation of Earth is, and undeniably remains, the perfect jewel amongst so many desolate planets and galaxies... and it s all for our benefit! So, thanking God for all we have been given in our world is the least we should be able to do each day, in return. Moreover, unlike Adam and Eve, we must remain vigilant in rejecting those everyday assaults of temptation, aimed at luring us into going astray, and turning away from our Creator. For as we speak, it is you and I who now dwell in Eden... (From Tenth Grade Notes - George Makredes) 11

12 GOYA News January has been a very fun and exciting month. We kicked off the year by hosting our first Black Light Dance of the year. There was a huge turnout, and everyone had a blast! We believe this year was record breaking, with over 130 kids who attended! We thank everyone who helped set up and make this event possible. We also want to give a special thanks to Stavros Ioakimidis for DJing! We look forward to hosting future dances! Later in the month, we re-elected our Secretary of Minutes due to a recent vacancy in the position. We are proud to announce that the new Secretary of Minutes is Stelia Deligiannidou! Our new officer was given the Affirmation of Office on Sunday, January 21 st, by Fr. Aaron Walker. Stelia D. elected Secretary of Minutes In the upcoming month, we will be attending our yearly Ski Trip. It will take place from March 2-4. It has always been the biggest event in GOYA and with it being just around the corner we are all very thrilled! Sincerely, Joanna Kandaras 12

13 PROJECT MEXICO HOME BUILDING MISSION JULY 6-12, Space is limited. Reserve your Spot! Application Deadline Extended February 28, 2018 Saint Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church 4 Appleton Street Arlington, MA * Orthodox Christian service project in which we get to build a home for a family in need * Participate in the joyful Orthodox community and worship life at St. Innocent Orphanage * Work together as a family in Christ s name, with Orthodox Christians from all over the USA and beyond * Be transformed in heart and soul * Open to all ages!!! Questions? Contact Fr. Aaron Walker 1 (617) fraaronwalker@gmail.com APPLICATION DUE JANUARY 31, 2018 Earlier applicants receive priority Essay 1 paragraph Youth Applicants Only Please share what your hopes are for your Project Mexico experience Reference Youth Applicants Only Please provide the name and contact information of an adult mentor other than your parents that will be a reference for your ability to benefit from and contribute to this project. This could be a coach, teach, or priest, besides Fr. Aaron Application Fee $100 made payable to St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, memo line: Project Mexico Interview Youth and Adult Applicants Meet with Fr. Aaron to discuss the trip 13

14 Parish News Lower Narthex Icon Installation Two original icons belonging to the parish were recently framed and hung in the lower Narthex on either side of Saint Athanasius the Great, our Patron Saint. Both icons were originally donated by the Rempis family back in 1965 at our former house of worship located at 735 Massachusetts Avenue. These two icons, Christ and the Virgin Mary, which are very high quality, were painted by Fr. Theodore Koufos who was born in Boston, MA in Fr. Koufos is a renowned iconographer, who is known for his strict adherence to authentic Byzantine Iconography. The professional custom framing costs were donated by Katherine Kriketos for good health, in honor of her grandchildren. Children's Pangari The pangari areas were organized, deep cleaned, and improved by creating a space that allows parents with their children to light a candle and venerate an icon at the proper height for a child to reach. Additionally, the children's pangari area includes an icon of Christ Blessing The Children which was donated by the GOYANS. The icon was framed and encased with special museum glass by a donor to prevent further damage, preserving it for years to come. 14

15 Parish News Epitaphio Case Installation The original custom crafted wooden Epitaphio glass display case from our former church location at 735 Massachusetts Avenue was installed by the pangari area opposite the kouvouklion (hand carved wooden structure which represents the tomb of Christ). The case was deep-cleaned, repainted, and masterfully installed by Stavros Ioakimidis, who is a master carpenter and long-time parishioner. His great attention to detail and skills made this small but important project a reality. Epitaphios in Newly Installed Case We are now able to once again showcase the beautiful Epitaphio resting inside the case allowing us to venerate it with great respect, humility and love, always reminding us of the sacrifice Christ made for all of us. Epitaphios Additionally, it is important to note that the original Epitaphio of the parish lies beneath the current one that is in view. Both are equally important and great care has been taken to protect both of them for future generations to come. More information on the Epitaphios can be found in the article on Pages in this bulletin. Kouvouklion 15

16 Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fast Free Fish Allowed Dairy Allowed FEBRUARY 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Presentation of 3 Our Lord Orthros 8am; Vespers 6 pm Div. Lit. 9 am 4 GO RED SUNDAY for Philoptochos Heart Health Sunday of the Prodigal Son Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 10 am Philoptochos Sponsors Coffee Hour in honor of GO RED Heart Health Awareness 11 MEATFARE SUNDAY Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 10 am Memorials: +Aphrodite Darrris +Milton Alexis +Kantiana Ladas Goya Ski Meet 12:15 GOYA at King s Bowling 7pm APOKREATIKO DINNER DANCE 7 11 PM st Saturday of Souls St. Haralampos Orthros 9am; Div. Liturgy 10 am Altar Servers Bowling Outing 4pm Vespers 6 pm Happy Valentine s Day American Legion Meeting 7pm 17 2 nd Saturday of Souls Orthros 9am; Div. Liturgy 10 am Vespers 6 pm 18 CHEESEFARE SUNDAY Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 10 am Forgiveness Vespers 5pm 19 LENT BEGINS Clean Monday PRESIDENTS DAY NO SCHOOL OFFICE CLOSED Orthros 9am Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew part 1, 6pm 20 NO SCHOOL WINTER VACATION Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew part 2, 6pm 21 Canon of St. Andrew part 3, 9am NO SCHOOL WINTER VACATION Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:30 pm 22 NO SCHOOL WINTER VACATION Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew part 4, 6pm 23 Pre Sanctified Liturgy 9am NO SCHOOL WINTER VACATION Sautations to Theotokos 7pm 24 3rd Saturday of Souls Orthros 9am; Div. Liturgy 10 am Vespers 6 pm SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 10 am Goya Meeeting 12:15pm Pine Street Inn 5pm Great Compline, 6pm Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:30 pm 16 Little Halos Pre-School in session Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 3 pm; No Classes Winter Vacation Feb Greek School Grades 1 & 2 in session Tuesday and Grades 3 & 6 in session Thursday, 4 6:30 pm; Winter Vacation Feb Adult Greek Dancing Practice Monday Evenings, 7-9 pm Goya Basketball at Ottoson Gym 5 7 pm every Friday Evening except Feb. 23 Catechetical Sunday Church School every Sunday, 10 am

17 Φεβρουαριος 2018 Κυριακή Δευτέρα Τρίτη Τετάρτη Πέμπτη Παρασκευή Σάββατο Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fast Free Fish Allowed Αποκρεατικη Dairy Allowed Βραδια 7 11μμ GO Κ ό κ κ ι ν ο Κυριακη του Aσ ω τ ο υ Γι ο υ Εσπερινο 6μμ υ ρ ι α κ ή τ ῆς Τ υ ρ ο φ ά γ ο υ 17

18 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Do not neglect the commandment of love! Christ-like Love heals all wounds. Christ said, A new commandment I give to you that you love each other, even as I have loved you. By keeping this commandment, we become like Christ, who showed His love in the way he died for us. Although we humans killed him - by a humiliating execution of public torture, gasping for breath, while hanging naked in the air - He kept on loving us to the end, and destroyed death in order to give us His Life. Imagine the love that took! That is true Agape. Christ s love is our model of Christian love. St Maximos the Confessor, whom we commemorate on January 21, said: Do not be conquered by hatred but conquer hatred by love Pray to God sincerely for the one who sins against you. Accept his excuses, or cure your judgmental thoughts by offering your own excuses for him. Consider yourself as the cause of your difficulty, and resolve to endure it until the cloud has passed. Pay attention to yourself, lest it be in you, and not in the one whose behavior has troubled you, there lurks the evil that cuts you off from him; and hasten to make peace with him, lest you forsake the commandment of love. Merely being baptized members of the Church does not make us true Christians. We become true Christians as we learn to follow His loving example - by loving even those who have sinned against us, even those that hate us. True Christians are children of God. True Christians have Christ s Agape Love living in them. On the other hand, if we break the commandment of love, if we return evil for evil, we will become children of hell, according to St. Maximos. Hell is where everyone only cares about himself or herself and for those who they consider to be on their side. The result of this mentality is cutting ourselves off from our brothers and sisters and thus from God Himself, who is the source of true Life and true Agape love. As St. Maximos explains, Love between friends is destroyed when friends envy each other, condemn each other, are suspicious of each other. The commandments of Christ are life-giving. Let us utilize the journey of Lent to cultivate a hunger for keeping Christ s commandment of love for everyone, even those who sin against us. On that note... SAVE THE DATE! FEBRUARY 18, 5:00 P.M. IS FORGIVENESS VESPERS Lent begins with Forgiveness Sunday Vespers. Great Lent is a transformative journey - away from the unhealthy kind of self-love into the Light of Christ s Agape Love. We begin this journey by forgiving everyone, especially all those in our families and in our church family. I encourage you to put this date on your calendar today. Plan to be part of the healing forgiveness ceremony, at 5:00 P.M. on Sunday, February 18, and begin your Lenten journey with hearts free and unburdened from resentment or grudge. Brothers and Sisters, forgive me the sinner! In Christ, 18

19 St. Dionysios of Zakynthos Sets an Example of Forgiveness; There was a deadly enmity between the Mondinos and the Sigouros families. The efforts of St. Dionysios to effect a reconciliation had been in vain. Things had reached a point where murders had been committed and the population was divided into two factions. The incidents between the two families continued to the point where in one of them, the Saint's brother, Constantine, was killed. The murderer, in despair, sought refuge in the Anaphonitria Monastery, without knowing that the Abbot was the brother of his victim. In reply to the Abbot's questioning, he admitted the murder and told him that Sigouros' relatives were pursuing him. Dionysios was plunged into the most profound sorrow, both as a man and as the brother of the murderer's victim. His grief was all the greater because Constantine had been his only brother. However, he said nothing of all this to the murderer, asking him only, in a fatherly way: "Tell me, what wrong had that noble man done to you that you should unjustly slay him?" The Saint, when he had shed tears for the cruel loss of his brother, gave the murderer food and water and spoke to him in an effort to induce him to repent of this grave crime and so escape eternal punishment. Then the Saint lead him out of the Monastery and down to the seashore. There he provided him with the necessary supplies, giving him money and food, and put him on a boat for the Peloponnese. Thus the Saint rescued the murderer of his own brother, demonstrating at the same time his own great forbearance. On the Ephitaphios On Holy Friday the priest removes the Body of Christ from the Cross, wraps it in a white cloth and takes it to the altar. The priest then chants a hymn: "When Joseph of Arimathea took Thee, the life of all, down from the Tree dead, he buried Thee with myrrh and fine linen... rejoicing. Glory to Thy humiliation, O Master, who clothest Thyself with light as it were with a garment." The priest then carries epitaphion, or cloth on which the Body of Christ is painted or embroidered, around the church before placing it inside the Sepulcher, or kouvouklion, a carved bier which symbolizes the Tomb of Christ. We are reminded that during Christ's entombment He descends into Hades to free the dead of the ages before His Resurrection. 19

20 The faithful visit the tomb and venerate the Epitaphios throughout the afternoon and evening, until Matins -- which is usually served in the evening during Holy Week, so that the largest number of people can attend. The form which the veneration of the epitaphios takes will vary between ethnic traditions. Some will make three prostrations, then kiss the image of Christ on the Epitaphios and the Gospel Book, and then make three more prostrations. Sometimes, the faithful will crawl under the table on which the Epitaphios has been placed, as though entering into death with Christ. Others may simply light a candle and/or say a short prayer with bowed head. The Burial of Christ. During Orthros, Lamentations enkomia, or praises, are sung in front of the Epitaphios, as at the tomb of Christ, while all hold lighted candles. The verses of these Lamentations are interspersed between the verses of Psalm 118. The lamentations are divided into three sections, or stases. At the beginning of each stasis, the priest or deacon will perform a censing. At the third and final stasis, the priest will sprinkle rosewater on the Epitaphios and the congregation, symbolizing the anointing of Christ's body with spices. Near the end of Orthros, during the Great Doxology, a solemn procession with the Epitaphios is held, with bells ringing the funeral toll, commemorating the burial procession of Christ. In Slavic churches, the Epitaphios alone is carried in procession with candles and incense. It may be carried by hand or raised up on poles like a canopy. Many Greek churches, however, will carry the entire bier, with its carved canopy attached. The procession may take extremely long routes through the streets, with processions from different parishes joining together in a central location. Where this is not possible, the procession may goes three times around the outside of the church building. The procession is accompanied by the singing of the Trisagion, typically in a melodic form used at funerals. Those unable to attend the church service will often come out to balconies where the procession passes, holding lit candles and sometimes hand-held censers. In many Greek villages the Epitaphios is also paraded in the cemetery, among the graves, as a covenant of eternal life to those who have reposed. At the end of the procession, the Epitaphios is brought back to the church. Sometimes, as the Epitaphios is carried in, it will stop just inside the entrance to the church, so that all who enter the church will pass under it (symbolically entering into the grave with Christ) and then kiss the Gospel Book. In Greek churches, the Epitaphios is then brought directly to the sanctuary, where it remains on the Holy Table until Ascension Thursday. In Slavic churches, it is brought back to the catafalque in the middle of the church (and honored further with more petals, rosewater and incense), where it remains until the Midnight Office at the Paschal Vigil on Great Saturday night. Where the Epitaphios remains in the center of the church, the faithful will continue to venerate it throughout Great Saturday. In the Slavic use, during the Midnight Office, after the Opening and Psalm 50, the Canon of Great Saturday is chanted (repeated from the Matins service the night before) as a reflection upon the meaning of Christ s death and His Harrowing of Hell. During the last Ode of the Canon, at the words, "weep not for me, O Mother, for I shall arise...", the priest and deacon dramatically raise the Epitaphios (which represents the dead body of Christ) from the bier and carry it into the sanctuary, laying it upon the Holy Table, where it will remain throughout the Paschal season as a reminder of the burial cloth left in the empty tomb (John 20:5). 20

21 Each day of Lent, we will aim to read a spiritual reflection from The Lenten Spring by Fr. Thomas Hopko Thursday evenings in Lent: 30 minute talk by Fr. Aaron Conversation on reflections we read that week Discussion of how reflections apply in our everyday lives February 22 6:00 p.m. Great Compline with St. Andrew's Canon followed by 7:00 p.m. Talk by Fr. Aaron: "Let Us Begin with Joy: the Joy of Lent" Discuss reflections 1-4 March 1 Talk by Fr. Aaron: "Open to Me the Doors of Repentance" Discuss Reflections 5-11 March 8 Talk by Fr. Aaron: "Lord, Teach Us to Pray" Discuss Reflections March 15 Talk by Fr. Aaron: "My Soul, My Soul, Arise!" Discuss Reflections March 22 Talk by Fr. Aaron: "Why Have We Fasted?" "Discuss Reflections March 29 Talk by Fr. Aaron: "Our Brother (or Sister) is Our Life" Discuss Reflections

22 St. Barbara's Philoptochos Out of the mouths of babes: Philoptochos just talks about food and what they are going to cook, said one of our very young, alert, and impressionable youth. Shocked! I thought how do I explain to him in simple terms that Philoptochos does so much more. He surely was not interested in the real definition of Philoptochos. So, a few days later I asked him about it and tried to explain that our church is very much like our home and that the Parish Council is like the Daddy of our church and the Philoptochos is like the Mommy. Just like at home everyone has his job.. He had heard enough. Mission Statement: The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc., is the duly accredited women's philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The mission of the Society shall be: To help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disasters... To promote the charitable, benevolent, and philanthropic purposes... To preserve and perpetuate Orthodox Christian concepts and the Orthodox Christian Family... and last but not least To promote participation in the activities of the Greek Orthodox community, with the cooperation of the Parish Priest and the Parish Council; most importantly The charitable work of the Society shall be performed with discretion, courtesy and kindness. In our everyday lives it is easy to forget these values of Philoptochos to be discreet, courteous and most of all to be kind January was a blessed and busy month for our Parish, as well as St. Barbara's. Again, more cooking and planning and receptions. Our blessings are bountiful. We kicked off the month with our annual tradition of cutting the Vasilopita on January 7. Fr. Aaron and Fr. Peter cut the Vasilopita for our past Proistamenoi, our Parish Council Past Presidents, Philoptochos Past Presidents, as well as the Presidents of all our ministries. As we listened to the names, we had a moment to reflect on the people in our lives who had the Vision to start St. Athanasius and to honor their service. In many cases, they were no longer with us and we witnessed their wives, children, and husbands honoring their memory by receiving their piece of Vasilopita. In addition, it was wonderful to see the leaders of our Parish and our Ministries from our young to old. It was a beautiful day for all of us. Through everyone's generosity, St. Barbara's was able to send a donation to St. Basil's Academy in the amount of $ Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Coffee and fellowship hour was sponsored by St. Barbara's Philoptochos. 22

23 St. Barbara's Philoptochos On January 17, we celebrated St. Athanasius Great Vespers with His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, Chancellor Fr. Ted Barbas, and 23 priests from our Metropolis, as well as 1 Deacon. It was truly a beautiful service and celebration. We welcomed Fr. Anthony Evangelatos, our new Proistamenos, who was installed by His Eminence at the conclusion of our Vespers. Please go to our website to enjoy various video clips from the evening. Reception immediately followed the service hosted by St. Barbara's Philoptochos, as well as coffee hour on January 18 after liturgy On Saturday morning, January 20, a combined team from the Parish Council and Philoptochos came together to prepare a delicious Family Sunday Dinner of pastitsio and salad, which was served on January 21. In addition, we prepared the Pine Street Inn meal that will be served this month. God Bless our chefs. We just keep getting better and better! A Big Thank You to the team that helped prepare both meals! Finally, St. Barbara's Philoptochos and our entire St. Athanasius family mourn the loss of our Beloved Sister in Christ, Aphrodite Darris. May Her Memory Be Eternal. For those of us who had the distinct honor and pleasure to have worked side-by-side with Aphrodite, she will be sorely missed. Aphrodite was not only passionate about her Faith and her Parish, she was equally passionate about the ministries of the St. Barbara's Philoptochos, donating not only her time and her money, but most importantly her Heart. Aphrodite, as well as her Husband, Nicholas Darris, were Pure Role Models and Inspirations to all they worked with. We will love them forever! 23

24 Καλή Χρονιά! Happy New Year! Little Halos begun the New Year by following the tradition of baking the Vasilopita and anticipating to find out who will get the lucky coin! Chryssa was our lucky one to win the coin (φλουρί)! During the month of January children learned about winter and polar animals. Children had fun playing in the snow and creating beautiful crafts. In addition they learned about the feast of Saint Athanasius who is the patron Saint of our church and attended the Divine Liturgy. The Feast of the Three Hierarchs (also called Celebration of the Greek Letters) took place on Sunday, January 28th, The Little Halos children performed our daily prayer in Church immediately after liturgy. Registration for the school year has now begun Please contact Argyro Nikoletos, Director, at (781) or at for any further information about our school program. 24

25 NOW ENROLLING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR! 4 APPLETON STREET ARLINGTON, MA (781) A Greek bilingual program which focuses on the Orthodox faith and Greek culture. For more information contact preschool director Argyro Nikoletos, (781) or littlehalospreschool@gmail.com Half day: 8:30am-12:00pm Full day: 8:30am-3:00pm AGES 2YEARS 9 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS OLD EEC LICENCED 25

26 Parish Office News We are here to support the parish as best we can. The office is staffed from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 9:00-2:00 p.m. on Fridays. When public schools are closed because of holidays or inclement weather, the Parish Office is closed. When booking your meetings and events, always call the office at (781) or all important information to or Information is best confirmed when we receive it on the phone during office hours. Lastly, when you are finished using the auditorium and/or classrooms in the evening, please turn off the lights and close all the windows. Dear Parishioners: We sincerely hope you will offer your time & talent to our church by volunteering to occasionally take mail to the Arlington Center Post Office and/or the Bulk Mail Department of the Waltham Post Office, as well as work in the parish office to assist with any projects. Our objective is to accumulate a list of names so volunteers may take turns. Each person would only be asked to do two or three deliveries, which would be spaced throughout the year. Please contact Stella or Kathy at the Church office at (781) Special Announcement page: If you are celebrating any milestones that you would like to share, please send a picture and a few words to be included in the bulletin. Please kathyv@saintathanasius.org. Fellowship Hour on Sundays Be a Sponsor Please consider contributing to our Fellowship Hour after Liturgy on Sundays. We are looking for individuals, families, or ministries to donate baked goods, snacks, or any coffee-related items any Sunday you wish that works for you. If you are able to contribute, please reach out to Vicky Konstandakis, at (617) or leave your name(s) and contact information with Kathy VanKuilenburg, in the Parish Office, (781) We are so grateful for your generosity and support to help the parish. Any baked donations are appreciated, as long as we enjoy them together. Anything provided with NUTS or GLUTEN FREE, please label it clearly for all to be aware and enjoy. 26

27 Save the Date: 44th Biennial Clergy- Laity Congress to be Held in Boston, MA! To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With joy in our hearts as we anticipate the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord, I join with the beloved and respected Hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod and the members of the Archdiocesan Council in announcing that our 44 th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress and the national meeting of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society will convene July 1 to 5, 2018, in Boston, Massachusetts. We offer our sincere gratitude to His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios and the leadership, clergy, and laity of the Metropolis of Boston for their willingness to host the 44 th Clergy-Laity Congress of our Archdiocese and to welcome the leaders of our parishes and organizations from throughout our blessed country. Our theme for the Congress will be All Things Are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ (cf. Mark 9:23). As Orthodox Christians we affirm our faith in Christ, a faith that makes the impossible possible, the unreachable reachable, the non-achievable achievable. We know that our faith in Him leads us in our worship and ministry. We are also led by the example of our Lord in seeing the limitless possibilities of our faith. His life and ministry show us that belief in Him leads to healing, renewal and hope. Belief in Christ defeats the power of sin and death, transfigures our lives, and leads us on the path of salvation. Our unwavering belief in Him as shown through our lives and our ministry will help us overcome any challenges, will extend our witness in new and dynamic ways, and will lead others to Christ and the abundant and blessed life in Him. As we plan our Clergy-Laity Congress, I ask the faithful of our Holy Archdiocese to consider this theme and its implications for our work in our parishes, ministries, organizations, and resources. We also ask all of our parishes to support and send delegates so that we can have full participation in this vital event of our Greek Orthodox Church in America. Our Clergy-Laity Congress is a blessed time to gather in faith, fellowship, and love with a focus on evaluating and planning our work of ministry. May our preparations be guided by the presence of Christ, by the power of our faith in Him, and by our commitment to share the unlimited possibilities and the tremendous power of our faith in Christ. With paternal love in Him, DEMETRIOS Archbishop of America 27

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30 What is Christian Stewardship? Christian Stewardship is learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work, for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God. our active commitment to use all our time, talent, and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love. caring for the needs of others. offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us. what a person does after saying I believe as proof of that belief. devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. Williams & McKibben in Oriented Leadership 2018 Stewardship Campaign 30

31 SAINT ATHANASIUS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY INFORMATION FORM Please complete and return this form to the Church Office 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA Name: Home Telephone: Address: City: State: Zip: I am a new steward: My previous parish was? I would like to receive my monthly bulletin via U.S. mail: or via Member Spouse Children /Age Name: / Mobile Tel: / E mail: / Occupation: / Work Tel: / Family Name 2018 STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE / DONATION I understand it takes approximately $1,000 per active Stewardship family to operate and support the ministries and facility of the St. Athanasius Parish in We would like to pledge $ We would like to pledge $ We would like to pledge $ Weekly (approx. $20/week) Monthly (approximately $85/month) Yearly You can also pledge at Please check those items in which you or a member of your family has some expertise or interest. Place name or initials of the specific family member after each item checked. Bible Study Youth Ministry Office Work Teaching Sunday School Medical/Nurse Greek School/Little Halos Church Choir Art/Design Services Visitation of Elderly/Infirm Reader (in liturgy) Legal Philoptochos Ushering / Welcome Finance Festival Evangelism Architecture Outreach to Community New parents Real Estate Management Soup Kitchen Scouting Electrical Computer Hardware/Systems Computer software Web Design Youth Work Gardening PR / Marketing Construction Mechanical / Plumbing Other Ver

32 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Grant me to see my owns sins And not to judge my brother or sister -from the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim Sometimes, unfortunately, we accept a suspicion against our neighbor, saying, What does it matter if I talk about my suspicions about someone? What does it matter if I listen in on a conversation or spy on someone? When we allow ourselves these harmless thoughts, the mind begins to forget about its own sins and to talk idly about another, speaking evil against him, despising him, and from this, we fall into the very behavior that we condemn. We become careless about our own faults and lose the power to correct ourselves Nothing is more serious, nothing more difficult to deal with, than judging our neighbor. Why do we not rather judge ourselves since it is for ourselves that we have to give an account to God? Volume Twenty-Nine, Number Six, February St. Dorotheus of Gaza If you would like to be added to the Bulletin Mailing list or Sign Up to received Church Blasts, please stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com 32