Trans-a-Gram. Inside this issue. Saint Demetrios.. 2. Bylaws revised Family literacy project.. 7. Holy Communion... 8

Transcription

1 Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church October 2007 Monthly / Issue No. 9 Trans-a-Gram Rev. Demetrios T. Costarakis, Pastor Nicholas G. Pappas, Editor Inside this issue Saint Demetrios.. 2 Father Demetri shares with us the story of Saint Demetrios, who was put to death in 306 AD upon the order of Emperor Maximian. The order came after Saint Demetrios provided spiritual assistance to a Christian follower who then killed one of the emperor s gladiators. Bylaws revised The parish voted to adopt a revised set of bylaws as presented by the Bylaw Committee with only two minor revisions during a Special Parish Assembly on Sept. 30 after the Divine Liturgy in the church hall Family literacy project.. 7 The Ladies Philoptochos Society has launched a family literacy project with the goal of providing a bag of books to all 460 pre-kindergarten to Grade 4 students at the McAvinnue School in Lowell. Holy Communion... 8 It s not unusual for Greek Orthodox faithful to wonder how frequently they should receive Holy Communion during the year. If you thought the appropriate answer was two or three times, you might want to read this piece by Macarios Notaras, the 18th-century archbishop of Corinth. Back to School Kindergarten student Olivia Genna takes a break from coloring on the opening day of Sunday School on Sept. 16. Olivia was one of nearly 100 students who had registered for the Sunday School program at the start of the year. Story, more photos Pages 4-5. (Photo by Nick Pappas)

2 The life and times of St. Demetrios PAGE 2 EDITOR S NOTE: Father Demetri chose to publish the life story of St. Demetrios this month in place of his monthly message. Saint Demetrios was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 270 AD. He came from a wealthy family and because he was athletic in appearance and heroic in spirit, he became a high-ranking officer in the Roman Army at a very young age. (This is why he is depicted in Byzantine icons in military dress, either standing or riding a horse.) He considered himself a soldier of Christ first, and a military soldier second. He spent most of his time as a devout missionary, preaching the Gospel at secret meetings and converting pagans to the Christian faith. At one of these meetings, he was captured and placed in front of the Emperor Maximian, who wanted to learn the truth about the conversions. Saint Demetrios proclaimed his faith by saying:...only in Christ do I believe. With that proclamation, Maximian ordered that Saint Demetrios be sent to prison and subjected to the cruelest tortures. Even though Saint Demetrios was imprisoned, he did not stop preaching the gospel to those who came to see him. In jail, he was visited by his follower, Nestoras. Nestoras was a man of small stature and had come to ask for his beloved teacher's blessing to fight in the upcoming gladiator games. The emperor had decided to use the games as a duel between Christianity and paganism by challenging any Christian to a fight against the athletic giant, Leo. With the blessing of Saint Demetrios, Nestoras fought and killed Leo. Enraged at the loss of his favorite gladiator, the emperor commanded that Nestoras be beheaded on the spot. Recognizing that Saint Demetrios was the inspiring power behind Nestoras, the emperor ordered that Saint Demetrios be executed by spear on October 26, 306 AD. Christians buried the body of Saint Demetrios at the place of his execution and because of the beautiful scent that emanated from his tomb, he was named Mirovlitis or The Myrrh Gusher. The most ancient icons of Saint Demetrios may be found in his temple in Thessaloniki, where he is the patron saint. This is not just because he was born and died there, but because the people believe it was his intervention that saved the city during many attacks by Slavic nations, the Bulgarians, Arabs, Saracens and others. Even the liberation of Thessaloniki during the Balkan wars of 1912 coincide with the feast day of Saint Demetrios on October 26th. In ancient times, the life of Saint Demetrios was commemorated with celebrations that lasted for months. These celebrations where accompanied by many events such as the famous market named Demetria. Traders and business people from Europe, Egypt, Arabia and Libya came to deal and trade. The festivities were also attended by philosophers, learned men of the time and artists. To this day, Thessaloniki hosts Greece's largest international trade exhibition each year. Reprinted courtesy of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Elmhurst, Ill. HOW TO REACH US WANTED Pastor: The Rev. Demetri Costarakis Secretary: Jeanne Brady Address: Father John Sarantos Way, Lowell, MA Telephone: Fax: Church transfig@hotmail.com Father Demetri demetric@imail.goarch.org Web page: Office hours: Secretary: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Priest: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Editor: Nick Pappas Telephone: npappas05@comcast.net Volunteers to help serve during the weekly coffee hour. Please call coordinator Susan Pappas at or smpappas16@yahoo.com. Volunteers to provide dinner to mothers and children once a month at the House of Hope. Please contact Lynne Karagianes at Anyone interested in placing an ad in the Transa-Gram to help offset the printing costs. Please contact Editor Nick Pappas at or npappas05@comcast.net for more information.

3 PAGE 3 Schedule of Services Church Services OCTOBER TRISAGIA Sunday Orthros... 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy. 10 a.m. to noon Special Services Oct. 6 (Saturday).... St. Thomas the Apostle Divine Liturgy: 9 a.m. Oct. 18 (Thursday). St. Luke Divine Liturgy: 9 a.m. Oct. 22 (Monday). St. Ignatius Vesperal Liturgy: 6 p.m. Oct. 26 (Friday) St. Demetrios Divine Liturgy: 9 a.m. Baptisms: Sacraments Alexia Coralie, daughter of Peter and Coralie Cote. Godfather: Donald R. Cote Jr. (Sept. 16) Weddings: Na sas zisi! Jeffrey Oliver and Gina Cakounes. Koumbaros: Nick Cakounes/Craig Oliver. (Sept. 15) Anastasia Baltas Vaios Baltas Athena Logothetis Brophy Alexandra Bouras Demetrakis Bouras James Chiklis John Chiklis Theodore Chiklis Stella Contos George A. Danas Stephen A. Danas Vasilios Daoulas Nicholas Dimakis Oreanthe Dimakis Catherine Jais Anna Kanell Soultana Kapsouris Panayis Karatassos Theony Karatassos Stergios Koravos Kostoula Loupis Yianni Manelas Paraskevi Manolis Martin P. Martakos John Pappas Virginia Raras Rabias Alice Raras Constantine Raras Peter Rodis Eugenia Smith Bessie Stroumbos George Stroumbos Marigo Tsatsios Stergios Tsatsios Polita Tsilikounas Steve Xifaris John S. Zamanakos Nicholas G. Zamanakos Gregory Zaralidis Helen Zaralidis Congratulations! Monthly Trisagia Names of the deceased are read the first Sunday of each month. Please send the names to be read in advance, listing the month you would like them read. If you would like the name to be read in Greek, please include the Greek spelling along with the English. If you have any questions, please call Dyanne Mitropoulis at Daisy Georgeou Stella Kouloheras SEPTEMBER TRISAGIA Stephanie Lombardo Theodora Vlahos Stella Kouloheras John G. Laganas Elpida Zeppos Orthodox Life / Bible Study This series will be four to five sessions/ themes each consisting of four to five weeks. The Orthodox Life series is set to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m. The dates for this series will be Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30 and Nov. 6. The theme for the first series will be on The Divine Liturgy: What it is, its tradition and how it is celebrated today. There also will be a weekday Bible Study on the Gospel of John that will meet every Thursday morning at 11 a.m.

4 SUNDAY SCHOOL PAGE 4 Theona Tully reaches for a crayon during the opening day of Sunday School on Sept. 16. Theona is a student in the pre-kindergarten class. (Photo by Nick Pappas) Back in Session New program introduced to Sunday School program By NICK PAPPAS Trans-a-Gram Editor After enjoying the summer vacation, nearly 100 children returned to the parish on Sept. 16 to enroll and participate in the start of the new Sunday School year. Connie Gkolias, Sunday School director, reported that 96 children had registered for the initial Sunday, a figure that traditionally rises in the ensuing weeks. Among the changes this year is the formation of a new group for those students who have graduated from the Sunday School program in the past few years. Cousins Hope Zouzas and Samantha Malone color in their pre-kindergarten classroom. (Photo by Nick Pappas) The new program, which is called Through Our Eyes (TOE), is intended for students in Grades 10, 11 and 12. This group will discuss issues and concerns that you wish to bring up and what the Church has to say about them, said Father Demetri, who noted he had been approached by junior counselors at Vacation Church Camp about starting such a discussion group. This is a group to have questions answered, from the view of our Church, and for you to interact with each other. Otherwise, Sunday School is following the same format as the previous year. (Continued on page 5)

5 SUNDAY SCHOOL PAGE 5 New program... (Continued from page 4) Children are asked to sit upstairs with their parents for the first part of the Divine Liturgy up through the distribution of Holy Communion. Afterward, the children will go downstairs to their respective classrooms for their lessons, which will run until noon. Parents of preschool and kindergarten students are asked to pick up their children from those classrooms at noon, while the remainder of the students will be released at that time. The only exception to that procedure is if the Divine Liturgy is still being celebrated at noon. In that case, the students will remain in their classrooms until the liturgy is over. Here is a brief description of what the children are expected to learn by class: Preschool: The meaning of the Cross and the importance of coming to church. Kindergarten: Parts of the church and holy events. Grade 1: Caring, Jesus, loved ones, the elderly and the Our Father. Grade 2: God as a loving parent and lessons designed for the students to learn how to apply their lives to their faith. Grade 3: Sharing and discussion of the Divine Liturgy. Projects involve Lent, Holy Wheat (sitari) and bringing in the Prosphoron. Grade 4: Parts of the Divine Liturgy, Bible use and feast days. Kindergarten class assistant Nancy Lane offers guidance to Sophia Piper as she completes her lesson on the first day of Sunday School. (Photo by Nick Pappas) Grade 5: Our Christian faith, stories and projects for everyday circumstances. Grade 6: Christian ways of life, tradition at home, in church, Holy tradition, preserving Christ s memory and aspects of the Lenten season. Grade 7: Worship in the Orthodox Church, interior of the church, vestments of the clergy and their significance, stewardship, serving, and responsibility to the environment and to each other. Grade 8: Holy Sacraments and the Teen Commandments. Grade 9: Who is God, who are you and who am I; contemporary moral issues.

6 PAGE 6 CHURCH NEWS Parish adopts revisions to its bylaws By NICK PAPPAS Trans-a-Gram Editor Parishioners adopted a revised set of bylaws with only two minor changes during a Special Parish Assembly on Sept. 30 in the church hall. An estimated 75 parishioners attended the assembly, which was called to act on a proposed set of parish bylaws as recommended by the Bylaw Committee, which was created at the Parish Assembly in April. At the start of the assembly, Bylaw Committee Chairman Frank Stevens explained the committee had three primary goals: to comply with the Uniform Parish Regulations of the archdiocese; to be fair to all parishioners; and to end up with a final document that helps the business of the church run smoothly. The two amendments approved by the assembly were presented by Donna Spanos, who served as a member of the Bylaw Committee. The first added a sentence to the Authority portion of the preamble that stated in the event of a conflict, the UPRs would supersede the parish bylaws. The second amendment deleted the words who are at least 21 years of age from the section that established the eligibility requirements for who can be nominated as candidates for election to the Parish Council. Both were approved on unanimous or near-unanimous voice votes of the assembly. Bylaw Committee Chairman Frank Stevens addresses the Special Parish Assembly of Sept. 30 that resulted in a revision of the parish bylaws. Seated at the table, from left, are Father Demetri, Parish Council President Margo DiBenedetto and Erik Bates, moderator of the assembly. (Photo by Nick Pappas) A substantial portion of the one-hour meeting was taken up by discussion of a proposed amendment to the absentee ballot procedure as recommended by the Bylaw Committee. The committee recommended the procedure that was used in the second Parish Council election of 2007, which became necessary after His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios nullified the results of the December election in response to a protest related to the use of absentee ballots. Under that procedure, absentee ballots only will be made available to parishioners who are ill, confined or incapacitated; or to parishioners who would be at least 100 miles away from the church on the day of the election. Nick Pappas, a former president and longtime council member, presented an amendment that would have allowed any parishioner in good standing to request an absentee ballot from the Board of Elections by mail to be returned by mail. The amendment also stated that no absentee ballots would be permitted to be picked up or delivered by anyone other than the person requesting one. Among the arguments for the amendment put forward by Nick were: The imposed restrictions including one that requires anyone voting from outside the 100-mile radius to have his or her ballot notarized by a notary public were inconsistent with the long tradition of the parish. That those restrictions also sent the wrong message that parish- (Continued on page 7)

7 PAGE 7 CHURCH NEWS Philoptochos begins literacy program By OLIVIA SINTROS Literacy Program Coordinator As a result of an appeal from our National Ladies Philoptochos Society to support family literacy in our community, our chapter has entered into a partnership with the McAvinnue School in Lowell. Our goal is to provide a bag of books for 460 students between prekindergarten and Grade 4. As students become better readers, they are more likely to succeed in school and in life. Realizing the importance of reading at home, we are respectfully requesting that you donate new or gently used books for this purpose. Monetary donations to purchase books and bags will also be gratefully accepted. Book bins have been provided in the upper and lower lobbies of the church for this purpose. As outlined by the National Philoptochos, the goals of the children s literacy outreach program are: To promote motivation, success and enjoyment of reading and oral communication for school age children. Maria Michael and her two children, Andrea and Fay, learn about family literacy program being undertaken by the Ladies Philoptochos Society during the coffee hour on Sept. 23. (Photo by Melanie Pappas) To increase the self-esteem of students participating in the program. To offer meaningful volunteer opportunities for Philoptochos members and others within our Greek Orthodox church communities. To strengthen the ties between generations by providing opportunities for adult tutors and young children to bond through additional instruction, support and encouragement The Transfiguration contact person for this initiative is Olivia Sintros. Parish adopts revisions to its bylaws (Continued from page 6) ioners could not be trusted to act appropriately. And that the goal of the parish should be to make it easier for any parishioner in good standing to vote regardless of whether they would be able to attend church on Election Day. During the course of the discussion, many parishioners rose to speak against the amendment, including Parish Council members Nick Manolis, Ioannis Zaralidis, Andrew Govatsos and Michael Karagianes; Bylaw Committee members Martha Coravos and Daphne Zaralidis; and Dyanne Mitropoulis. Speaking in favor of the motion were Philoptochos President Susan Pappas, Patricia Mahoney, Olivia Sintros and Mary Nicholaides. After about 30 minutes of debate, the proposed amendment was defeated on a voice vote. A motion to then adopt the entire set of bylaws as revised also was approved on a voice vote.

8 PAGE 8 CHURCH NEWS How often should we receive? No need to limit yourself to two or three times a year. By MACARIUS NOTARAS To receive Communion the usual two or three times a year is good and helpful, but to receive Communion more frequently is far better. Remember, the nearer a person comes to the light, the more light he gets. The closer he draws to the fire, the warmer he is. The nearer he approaches sanctity, the more saintly he becomes. In the same way, the more often one draws near to God in Communion, the more one receives light and warmth and holiness. My friend, if you are worthy to make your Communion two or three times a year, you are worthy of making it more often, as St. John Chrysostom tells us, by maintaining your own earlier preparation and worthiness. But what does stop us from taking Communion? The answer is our carelessness and laziness, and we give way to these faults so much that we are not sufficiently prepared to be able to receive Communion. There is another way of looking at this problem, too. People like this do not, in fact, obey God's commandment as they imagine they do. Where did God, or any one of the saints for that matter, bid us communicate two or three times a year? Nowhere is this found. Therefore we must be very sure that, when we obey a command, it is our duty to see that we are obeying it exactly as it says. That is, we must pay attention to the place, the time, the purpose, the method and all the conditions in which it should take place. Thus the good action that we wanted to perform will be perfect in every detail and well pleasing to God. You can see that the same thing applies to the case of Holy Communion. It is both necessary and very beneficial to the soul for a person to receive Communion frequently. It is also in obedience to the commandment of God. It is a good deed well done and well-pleasing to God. On the other hand, to communicate only three times a year is neither in obedience to a command nor a perfect good deed. Because it is not good in itself, its results are not good. Therefore, like all the rest of God's commandments, every one requires the right time, as it says in the Book of Ecclesiastes, For everything there is a season. This is true also with regard to the command about Holy Communion. We must receive the proper time; and that means the proper time is the moment when the priest exclaims, In the fear of God and with faith and love draw near. Is this heard only three times a year? Oh, no. Yet, although everyone must eat two or even three times a day in order that the material body may live, must the unfortunate soul only eat three times a year or perhaps even once? the food that gives it life in order to live the spiritual life? And isn't this completely absurd? Even if this is not the case, I am very much afraid that we may be deriving no benefit from complying with the commandments, because we water them down and spoil them. So we are not keepers of the law, but breakers of the law. Prayers before Communion I believe, Lord and I confess that You are truly the Christ, Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the greatest. Moreover, I believe that this is in truth Your sacred Body and that this is in truth Your precious Blood. Therefore, I beseech You, have mercy on me and forgive me my offenses, both voluntary and involuntary, whether in word or deed, willing or unwilling; and render me worthy to partake of Your sacred mysteries without condemnation, for remission of sins and everlasting life. Amen. Son of God, receive me today as a partaker of Your mystical supper; for I will not speak of the mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You the kiss of Judas. But like the thief I will confess You. Remember me, Lord, in Your kingdom." Prayer after Communion "We thank You, loving Master, benefactor of our souls, that again today You have counted us worthy of Your heavenly and immortal Mysteries. Set us a straight path; make us all firm in reverence of You; keep watch over our lives; safeguard our movements; through the prayers and intercession of the glorious Theotokos and ever-virgin, Mary and of all Your saints. Amen."

9 PAGE 9 Parish Council Church News Stewardship 2007 By MARGO DiBENEDETTO Parish Council President The Parish Council took the following actions when it met on Sept. 12: Tree removal: Motion passed to spend $600 to have the tree removed near the storage container. Hopefully, that will keep out trespassers. Parish software: Council member Jim Murphy will look into QuickBooks financial accounting software for all of the church s accounting needs. Plaques update: Motion passed to correct one of the plaques. One name was omitted in error. Maintenance update: Council member Andrew Govatsos will contact Brookside Mechanical Inc. of Manchester, N.H., to negotiate a maintenance contract. Fire donation: Motion passed to contribute $1,000 to the metropolis effort to raise money to help fire-ravaged Greece. Heart Walk: Motion to donate $250 to the American Heart Association for the Greater Merrimack Valley Heart Walk on Sept. 29. GOYA room: Motion passed to designate a room for GOYA. Next meeting: The Parish Council will next meet on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. Treasurer s Report Here is a brief summary of income and expenses as of Aug. 31 and how they compare to the same period last year: Category Change Stewardship 124, , % Other income 87, , % Total Income 211, , % Expenses 174, , % Balance 37, , % By NICK PAPPAS Trans-a-Gram Editor As we enter the start of the new ecclesiastical year, it s Stewards a good time to review the (2006) status of this year s stewardship program, which for Returned Cards the most part has been lagging behind previous Cards years both in participation Outstanding and income associated with Return it. As of mid-september, Rate 441 families or individuals had submitted stewardship Average cards for 2007, compared Pledge with 452 at the same time last year, which represents a decrease of more than 2 percent Those 441 stewards had contributed or pledged $150, toward the parish s annual budget of $291, This figure is nearly $3,000 less than last year and also represents a drop of about 2 percent. Based on the number of stewards who have participated in the program, the average pledge to date is $341.11, which is up $1.60 (0.5 percent) from the comparable period last year. In order to meet the stewardship income goal of $160,000 set at last year s Parish Assembly, the parish would need to raise another $9, during the final three months of the year. If you have a question about how to participate in this year s stewardship program, please contact the church office at STEWARDSHIP , percent $ (+1.03) 150, ,000 COLLECTED PLEDGED BUDGET

10 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 10 By SUSAN PAPPAS Philoptochos President Philoptochos Society September meeting: Thank you to Clara, Connie and Freda Gkolias and to Joan Union for hosting the potluck supper at our first meeting of the year, with their many raffle prizes and free shampoo. Thirty-four members attended with Diane Ziagos joining that evening. Welcome, Diane. Thanks to our many great chefs who came through once again. During the business portion of the meeting, we voted to send $250 to the National Philoptochos for the fire victims in Greece, $250 to sponsor a hole at the Transfiguration golf tournament, $250 to support the American Heart Association s Heart Walk and $250 to the National Children s Medical Fund Luncheon in California in November. We are blessed to have two of our own ladies who are members on the National Philoptochos Board and will be attending the luncheon: Yiota Simoglou and Daphne Zaralidis. Family literacy program: This meeting kicked off our new program that is being promoted by the National Philoptochos. The objective is to promote literacy by providing a bag of books for all the students in prekindergarten through Grades 4 at the McAvinnue School in Lowell. We are asking anyone able to provide a new or gently used book age appropriate to please drop it off in one of our two drop-off boxes in the church lobby. If you have any questions, please contact Olivia Sintros or Corrine Dubay. No Bake Cake Sale: Thank you to EJ Amick and Sophia Quinn for coordinating this annual commitment to Hellenic College/Holy Cross. As you know, many of our own young men have gone to this school. Thanks to the generous donations of parishioners, we have raised $1,326 so far this year to send to the school. If you have not turned in your envelope, it is not too late. Oratorical Festival The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival topics for 2008 are now available on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Web site ( under the Department of Religious Education. Students in Grades 7-8 (Junior Division) and Grades (Senior Division) are encouraged to begin early on their submissions. More information about the Transfiguration Oratorical Festival will be forthcoming. Camp Preview Ladies Philoptochos Society member Ann Tavoularis sizes up James Hastings and Jonathan Karagozie with a T-shirt that represents what campers receive when they participate in the annual Vacation Church Camp. Among the youth camps planned for the year are: Advent Camp (Nov. 17), Lenten Camp (March 15), Saturday of Lazarus (April 19), Good Friday retreat (April 25) and Vacation Church Camp (July 28-Aug. 1). (Photo by Melanie Pappas) Feast Day of the Elevation of the Cross: Thank you to all who brought in basil and to Mary Nicholaides for coordinating the decorating of the tray. St. Sophia: Thank you to Tina Sarantos, Pat Mahoney, Corrine Dubay and Mary Nicholaides, who provided a light reception after the Vesper service on the Feast of St. Sophia. Fall calendar raffle: The Philoptochos is sponsoring a money raffle card again this year. Elizabeth de la Torre and Helen Gaudet will be mailing out the tickets for this annual fall fundraiser. Remember that you can win more than once in the month. The cost is $5 each and will be sold during October to be drawn every day in November, with the largest prize on Thanksgiving. Philoxenia House: This year we have organized a trip to the Philoxenia House in Brookline on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m.. We will be bringing a potluck dinner to the patients and their families and dining with them as well. They look forward to company, and this is the first time our Philoptochos is coordinating the event. Anyone interested in going should contact Yiota Simoglou. We will be carpooling for rides. Even if you are unable to bring a dish of food, you are welcome to join us and be part of this wonderful philanthropic ministry. (Continued on page 11)

11 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 11 (Continued from page 10) Feast of Sts. Cosmos and Damian: On Sunday, Nov. 4, Philoptochos members are reminded to sit together in the front pews for the memorial service of our deceased members. We will also be holding a basket for the Patriachate, one of our national commitments. Thanksgiving baskets: This year we will be selling pastry trays for Thanksgiving. They will be a little smaller than the Easter ones of the past few years and contain different pastry. The proceeds will benefit the Family Literacy program. Orders will be taken soon. If you have any questions, please contact Eleni Stavrou or Daphne Zaralidis. Annual Benefit Tea: Plans are in the works already for our largest fundraiser of the year. We have brought the Tea back to the first Sunday in December, this year being Dec. 2. Our energetic co-chairwomen are Olivia Sintros and Pat Mahoney. We still need a few committees to be put in place, including the entertainment committee. The first Tea meeting will take place on Monday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Philoptochos room. If you are interested in working on this wonderful project, please let Olivia, Pat or Susan know. Next meeting: Our next meeting will be Monday, Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the Philoptochos room. Our hostesses for the evening will be Yiota Simoglou and Daphne Zaralidis. Our charity donation for the meeting will be crayons and pencils. Watch your mail for our new reminder postcards. By FRANK STEVENS Men s Guild President Men s Guild September meeting: The September meeting was scheduled to be held on Sept. 18. Members were expected to discuss plans for the upcoming Past Presidents Dinner. Questions concerning the proposed revision of the parish bylaws also were to be discussed. Next meeting: The Men s Guild will next meet on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the church hall. All members are encouraged to bring a friend to enjoy an evening with fellow parishioners. Past Presidents Dinner: Originally, scheduled for Oct. 20, the special dinner has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. in the church hall. Tickets will go on sale beginning Oct. 14. Come join together as the Guild honors 11 of its finest. 125 Club: The 125 Club is now open to all who wish to participate. Drawings will be held starting in February. See Marc Gulezian, John Gkolias or Frank Stevens to make sure you re in. Remember this: Lord, help us put You first in everything we do. By MARGO DiBENEDETTO Parish Council President President s Message It is nice to see everyone back from their summer vacations! There are many things that are happening at the Transfiguration this month: the Golf Tournament on Oct. 1, and the baptism of Panteleimon on Oct. 6. Of course, the ladies are still meeting on Tuesdays, and the GOYA has events in the works, as well as JOY and HOPE. Greek School is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Philoptochos is always busy. And, Father Demetri is starting an Orthodox Life series. Please support one or all of these ministries with your presence. Maintenance needs: The Parish Council has been busy throughout the summer. We have spent money on some crucial maintenance items that could not be neglected. Some of these items were unexpected, and there are still pending issues that we are researching. This is one of the many reasons why we need all of our parishioners support. If you have not submitted a stewardship card for 2007, please consider doing so as soon as possible. It s our church and we need to take care of it. Parish Assembly: Please make a note on your calendar on Nov. 4. The Parish Assembly will take place immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Child care will be provided, and a light lunch will be served. By CONNIE GKOLIAS Sunday School Director Sunday School The Sunday School staff welcomed our girls and boys back to Sunday School on Sept. 16. We registered 96 children, but where are the rest of you? Please come join us. We are all waiting for you, and we have a great year planned for you. New class: We have a new class this year for Grades 10- (Continued on page 12)

12 (Continued from page 11) 12, and we are all excited about it. If you have graduated Sunday School, please come and join this group. Volunteers needed: If you would like to help the Sunday School Department, please see Connie or Hariklia Zouzas on Sunday or call Connie at Mark your calendar: Here are some dates to remember: Oct. 7 (Sunday): Father Demetri s teaching liturgy. Nov. 18 (Sunday): Annual Sunday School brunch. TRANS-A-GRAM CHURCH NEWS PAGE 12 Sugar-free pies will also available. Anna Manetta is the chairperson for this event, so please see her if you have any questions. Fall dance: The GOYA will be hosting an Autumn Dance on Oct. 20. Please keep your eye on the weekly bulletin for details. Members wanted: The GOYA would like to extend an open invitation to all GOYA-aged youth. If you are in Grades 7 through 12 and are interested in becoming part of GOYA, please contact the church office with your phone number. If anyone has any questions regarding GOYA, please feel free to contact Jim Murphy during coffee hour. Please support the Sunday School children. By LOUIS STAMAS Assistant Choir Director Choir With the return to regular hours, our choir has returned to the loft, the better to praise God with our voices. The choir is being led by Louis Stamas and Donna Spanos while Toula and Arthur take a well-deserved rest while visiting with family and friends in various parts of the world. The beginning of the ecclesiastical year is an excellent time for those parishioners who enjoy singing the liturgical hymns and responses to come up to the choir loft any Sunday morning or any rehearsal night. Any new members would be more than welcome. By JIM MURPHY GOYA Adviser GOYA The new GOYA year is off to another fast start. We have begun our new year by making a contribution to the Greater Merrimack Valley Heart Walk, which was hosted by Saints Medical Center. We also had a large number of GOYAns who walked under the Dracut House of Pizza team. Apple pies: Back by popular demand, our homemade apple pies. We experimented with a new recipe last year, and it did not go over too well. This year we will revert back to our old, time-tested GOYA recipe. Please plan on preordering your pie on any of the following Sundays: Oct. 7, 14 or 21. The apple pies will be available to be picked up on Sunday, Oct. 28, after Sunday School. By SANDRA GULEZIAN HOPE/JOY Adviser HOPE / JOY The HOPE (Grades K-2) and JOY (3-6) youth groups had a membership drive on Sept. 16, 23 and 30, but if you haven t already joined, you may do so at any time. The first fall Get Together was scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30, after Divine Liturgy, at which time we filled more than 40 backpacks with school supplies to send to those in need. Fall program: We re going to plan other fall activities, including a date in October to go to a farm, pick pumpkins and apples, go for a hayride, etc. We would like to hear from you about ideas for things to do, including charitable events, for the remainder of Group advisers: The HOPE and JOY advisers are Andrea Garibaldi, Sandra Gulezian, Lynne Karagianes and Katrina McCann, but there are many involved parents. list: Feel free to ask for more information or be entered on the HOPE and JOY listing by sending an to msgulezian@comcast.net. Remember that Transfiguration youth is proof that together all things are possible. Through Our Eyes The parish is happy to announce its new ministry for young people who are in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades. Through Our Eyes (TOE) will be a discussion group led by Evan Constantinides, our newly assigned seminarian. All graduates from our Sunday School program are encouraged to come and be involved in this ministry of fel- (Continued on page 13)

13 PAGE 13 (Continued from page 12) lowship, fun and faith. Mortgage Elimination By JIM MURPHY Mortgage Elimination Chairman The responses have slowed down considerably since the initial push on mortgage elimination pledges. We did, however, receive a $10,000 contribution in memory of John and Sophie Zamanakos from their children. May their memory be eternal. Contributions of any size toward this mortgage elimination campaign are always welcome. We need everyone to help eliminate this debt. If we have 239 families contributing $300 per year, we could eliminate this debt in 10 years. If you haven t contributed, please do so. If you can afford to give more than $300, please do so. The key here is the average contribution of $300. No contribution amount is too small. I ask everyone to remember a $300 annual contribution is less than a 83 cents per day. Commitments can be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually. I am asking if you haven t made a pledge, please do so. Hospital/Nursing Home Visits If you or a loved one are not able to come to church to receive Holy Communion and would like a visit, please contact Father Demetri to set up a time. New Seminarian CHURCH NEWS Volunteers needed: We are always looking for new people who are willing to help serve during the weekly coffee hour. If you would like to volunteer to serve, or if you would like to sponsor a coffee hour for any occasion, please call coffee hour coordinator Susan Pappas at , her at smpappas16@yahoo.com or see her any Sunday after the Divine Liturgy. Greek School Greek School has begun once again at Transfiguration after a 10-year hiatus. The school is still accepting students and looks forward to an exciting year. The school is under the direction of Nikki Ladakos, who also is teaching intermediate to advanced Greek. Pamela Murphy is teaching the introductory to beginning class. As of Sept. 11, 17 students had enrolled. The registration fee is $300 per child, and classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. Please keep your eye on the Trans-a-Gram and weekly bulletins for updates on Greek School events and programs. Tuesday Morning Group The Tuesday Morning Ladies Group would like to invite other ladies of the parish to come join them on Tuesdays from about 9:30 a.m. until noon. It s a great place to meet, socialize, enjoy a cup of coffee, bring your ideas for crafts or whatever and enjoy new or old friendships on Tuesday mornings. Lost and Found We wish to welcome Evan Constantinides to our church family. Evan is in his second year at Holy Cross Seminary and is in the master of divinity program. He has been sent to us through the field education program. Please greet him and welcome him to our community. By SUSAN PAPPAS Coffee Hour Coordinator Coffee Hour Sept. 9: Sponsored by the Kouloheras and Zaralidis families in memory of Stella Kouloheras. Sept. 30: Sponsored by Migdalini Siotas in memory of Theodora Vlaxos; also by Joanne Leon, Ernie and Evan Sparages in honor of Arthur and Toula s 50th wedding anniversary. Our parish has a lost and found area, and many things have been left behind. If you are missing anything, please contact the church office. Newsletter Deadline Transfiguration organizations are asked to submit entries for this newsletter as early in the month as possible and no later than the 15th. If at all possible, please submit your material by to Editor Nick Pappas at npappas05@comcast.net. Entries also can be faxed to the church office at or dropped off in the office during normal business hours. It is important that all church organizations be represented in the Trans-a Gram, so please make an effort to participate.

14 CHURCH NEWS IOCC offers aid to fire-ravaged Greece International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) announces an expansion of its ongoing work to provide relief to Peloponnese farmers whose homes and grazing lands were devastated by the August wildfires. PAGE 14 IOCC has focused on providing animal feed because the fires also decimated pastures and grazing land and current assessments indicate this will be a long term problem for farmers. Through donations received from supporters and a recent gift from IOCC Founder John G. Rangos, a total of $200,000 will go towards the procurement and distribution of 250 metric tons of animal feed. Approximately 800 small and subsistence farmers in the provinces of Ileia and Arcadia will receive multiple distributions of the feed. IOCC s aid to farmers began in Ileia on September 8 with the delivery of 170 metric tons of animal feed for farmers with small animals (goats, sheep) and large livestock (donkeys, horses, cattle). Of this amount, 28 metric tons of feed were delivered directly to farmers in isolated mountain villages who were unable to reach distribution centers. IOCC staff found these small and subsistence farmers with the help of local Orthodox priests. The wildfires killed 65 people and destroyed nearly 500,000 acres in forest lands and 4.6 million olive trees. It is impossible to overstate the damage to Greece or its need for a long term commitment of help, said Rangos. As the Orthodox in America rose to the occasion during the crisis in the Soviet Union and civil war in the Balkans, let us now unite our efforts through IOCC to respond to our brothers and sisters in Greece. IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $250 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world. To help in providing emergency relief, call IOCC's donation hotline toll-free at , make a gift online at or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC and write Greece Fires in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box , Baltimore, Md THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

15 SPONSORSHIP PAGE PAGE 15 Thank you for your support AD SPACE AVAILABLE Contact Editor Nick Pappas Lakeview Ave. Dracut, MA

16 SPONSORSHIP PAGE PAGE 16 Thank you for your support AD SPACE AVAILABLE Contact Editor Nick Pappas Tewksbury / Andover Four Highwood Drive (Exit 39, Route 133) Tewksbury, MA Weddings * Rehearsal Dinners * Showers *Christenings * Class Reunions *All Types of Banquets For your personal tour, call Melanie at Ext. 162 Please visit for additional information