INSIDE THIS ISSUE Fr. Nick s Net

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1 News & Events INSIDE THIS ISSUE Fr. Nick s Net Parish News & Events From the Inter-NET Around the World Pg. 2 Pg. 3 Pg. 5 Pg. 6 HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH STEUBENVILLE, OHIO MARCH 2015 VOLUME VII ISSUE 3 ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE: March Calendar Easter Lily Flyer THE MISSION OF THE HOLY TRINITY PARISH IS TO SEEK AND ACHIEVE ONENESS WITH GOD IN HIS REVEALED SON, JESUS CHRIST THROUGH DAILY SACRAMENTAL AND SACRIFICIAL LIVING. WE WILL STRIVE FOR THE PEACEFUL AND LOVING UNITY WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN CHRIST WHICH MAKES US HIS DISCIPLES. / 1 The Net - March 2015

2 Fr. Nick s Net The Net is the Monthly Newsletter of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church PARISH INFORMATION PARISH PRIEST: FR. NICHOLAS M. HALKIAS PHONE: (740) HOME: (724) FRNICK@HOLYTRINITYSTB.ORG ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: KIM PALUCH OFFICE@HOLYTRINITYSTB.ORG PARISH ADDRESS: 300 SOUTH FOURTH STREET P.O. BOX 788 STEUBENVILLE, OH PHONE: (740) FAX: (740) OFFICE@HOLYTRINITYSTB.ORG WEB: Holy Trinity Church is a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh (pittsburgh.goarch.org) and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ( under the Spiritual Jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( PARISH MINISTRIES John Scavdis Nick Riley Susan Vogagis Rikki Kamarados Don Kronstein Steve Pahides Marianne Balakos George Berris John Josai PARISH COUNCIL President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Asst. Treasurer Asst. Treasurer Connie Shea John Synodinos Tina Van Dijk Philoptochos... Rikki Kamarados Religious Education... Stewardship... GOYA... Rikki Kamarados JOY... Maria Matzorkis HOPE... Maria Matzorkis Choir... Pete Caleodis Library / Bookstore... Mary Romios Senior Citizens... Barbara Lee Maragos Chian Society... John Synodinos Pan-Icarian Brotherhood... Stacey Kotsanis AHEPA... Tommy Kotsanis 2 The Net - March 2015 March 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Christ is in our midst! He is and always shall be! Every second of our life is a precious gift. Having just held the parting services of our two of our parishioners, we have to praise God for every breath that our lungs inhale. Indeed God has counted already the remaining number of each of our heartbeats. It is superfluous to try and delay our ascent to holiness, since the knowledge of our temporary lives continually should remind us to repent. This, of course, is the main reason for Great Lent. It is a wake-up call. No one who truly walks the road of Great Lent can really escape the incredible themes located inside. The main theme is: You are spiritually sleeping. You must be awake and alert, because temptation is everywhere and Christ is coming! It is for this reason that the Orthodox Church employs such a rigorous schedule of fasting, prayer and worship - especially during Great Lent. We go through so much of our lives spiritually unaware of the evil that constantly surrounds us. Whether it is food that tempts us, bad images, time mismanagement, anger, or even complacency in our faith, the Christian should always look to be more aware of the temptations that attack them. Then, once we are aware, we must struggle and strive to avoid those same temptations in order to cleanse ourselves for the coming of our Savior. We cannot rest ourselves on the laurels that we have time. It is one of the greatest tricks of the devil. The lie that God is going to extend our lives is untrue, and the devil uses it to trick many souls from correcting their souls. We must be in constant preparation. There is no easy road; there is only the road of suffering, sacrifice, and martyrdom - like the 21 Coptic Orthodox martyrs that just gave their lives for Christ. That was a life-ending martyrdom. The sacrifice of fasting is a gateway to prepare ourselves for greater sacrifice. After all, if we cannot give up a few foods for 40 days, how could we possibly think that we would give up our lives for Christ? And if we would not strive to give up our lives for Him, is He truly our Lord and God? The martyrdom of those 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians is a true testament to the daily sacrifice to which they were accustomed to living. They didn t wake up and say, I will die today for Christ. They lived constantly giving up for Christ. They gave up: food, shelter, comfort, safety, etc. Their fast and sacrifice for Christ was clearly pronounced well before their heads were brutally severed from their bodies. How many times did they wake up not knowing whether that day would be their last? How many last kisses and hugs did they give to their families? How many final prayers did they offer to our Lord, hoping to find a place where there is no pain, sorrow, nor suffering, but life everlasting? Great Lent, brothers and sisters in Christ, is an opportunity. A second opportunity, so to speak, to prepare our lives for whatever God has planned for us. We don t what it will entail, nor can we see the events that will unfold in front us. Our job is not to predict the future, but to be prepared for it. Like those courageous souls who gave their lives for Christ, may we prepare our souls in Great Lent for the coming of the King - the King that will commit us from suffering to joy. God Bless You All!!!

3 News & Events WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Worship... March Orthros is at 9:00 am and Divine Liturgy is at 10:00 am. Sunday School begins at 11:00 am. We will also be having Hymnology the first Sunday of the month starting at 11:00 am. Wednesday Presanctified Services... March Presanctified Liturgies will be offered every Wednesday at 6:00 pm unless otherwise stated. MARCH These are the services for the month of March please check your schedules and plan to attend. Sunday, March 1 4:00 pm Pan Orthodox Vespers St. John - Wheeling Wednesday, March 4 6:00 pm Presanctified Liturgy Holy Resurrection - Steubenville Friday, March 6 7:00 pm 2nd Salutations All Saints Weirton, WV Sunday, March 8 4:00 pm Pan Orthodox Vespers Holy Transfiguration - Steubenville Wednesday, March Theology on Tap 6:00 pm Presanctified Liturgy Friday, March 13 6:00 pm 3rd Salutations with Special Icon of the Panagia Sunday, March 15 4:00 pm Pan Orthodox Vespers St. Nicholas - Barton Wednesday, March OPA 6:00 pm Presanctified Liturgy Friday, March 20 6:00 pm 4th Salutations Sunday, March 22 5:00 pm Pan Orthodox Vespers Holy Resurrection - Steubenville Wednesday, March Annunciation 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Liturgy Friday, March 27 6:00 pm Akathist Hymn Sunday, March 29 4:00 pm Pan Orthodox Vespers Holy Trinity - Steubenville HAPPY BIRTHDAY The following people will be celebrating their birthday in the month of March: Scott Caleodis 3-01 Despina Vounousakis 3-02 Ralph Zende 3-04 Angela Mastros 3-06 Aimee Simpson 3-07 Eleftheria Klouvas 3-07 Melissa Vostatek 3-12 Pana Mastros 3-14 Maria Terezis 3-19 Gregory Matzorkis 3-20 Joanne McCraley 3-20 Michael Petrides 3-24 Christian Kirsh 3-24 John Synodinos 3-25 Marco Maragos 3-26 George Panagis 3-27 Andrew Matzorkis 3-28 James Balouris 3-29 Jerome Pappas 3-29 If your name was not listed and you had a birthday during this month, please contact the office and we will be happy to place it on our roster for next year. PAN-ORTHODOX LENTEN VESPERS :00 pm St. John - Wheeling, WV :00 pm Holy Transfiguration, Stb :00 pm St. Nicholas - Barton, OH :00 pm Holy Resurrection, Stb pm Holy Trinity, Stb 3 The Net - March 2015

4 News & Events FESTIVAL BAKING CALENDAR Please note: A tentative baking calendar is out for the Month of March. Please note that these dates are subject to change. You will be notified through the weekly bulletin if there is a change. March 03 - Kourambiedes March 10 - Kataifi March 31, April 1 & 2 - Easter Bread SPECIAL SALUTATIONS 4 The Net - March 2015 March 17 - Baklava March 19 - Baklava On March 6th, we will be having the second Salutations service in Weirton, WV at 7:00 pm. Please note the time change from 6 PM at our parish. Then on March 13th, we will be inviting them back to Steubenville for the 3rd Salutations Service, along with our Holy Saints GOYA. During that service there will be a special icon that has been blessed by a Miraculous Icon of the Panagia. This icon is also giving off a beautiful manifestation of blessings. Please come and be a part of this service, and all the services in Lent! GOYA SPRING RETREAT The Metropolis spring GOYA Retreat will take place from March 27th through March 29th at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA. NOTE: This is a change from the original date of March 6-8. The Retreat will begin on Friday evening and continue until Sunday afternoon. The theme this year is Saint Paisios with the Keynote Speaker being Fr. Nicholas Palis. To register, please go online RELIGIOUS EDUCATION GREEK SCHOOL... March 5, 12, 19 & 26 Greek school is scheduled every Thursday from 4:00 pm until 5:00 pm here at the church unless otherwise stated. Check the Bulletin each week for changes. BIBLE STUDY...March 11 & 18 The Bible Study group normally holds it meetings on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 10:00 am. There are going to be Bible Studies on the 11th and 18th of March. We are currently studying The Book of the Revelation of John. FAMILY FUN NIGHT... March 20 Each month Family Fun Night meets at a different location. Our next Family Fun Night will take place on Friday, March 20th at 5:00 pm at the church. PARISH GROUPS AHEPA... TBA The AHEPA Society will now have their meetings scheduled through our Notify-Now system. CHOIR... TBA Rehearsals are held weekly when possible and the times vary. Anyone who would be interested in joining the Choir is welcome to do so. Please contact Pete Caleodis if you are interested in joining. PHILOPTOCHOS... March 5 The next scheduled meeting of the Philoptochos is scheduled for the first Thursday in March. This meeting will be held at Damon s at 12:00 pm. PARISH COUNCIL... March 10 Parish Council meetings are held the 2 nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm at the church unless otherwise stated. OPA... March 18 OPA is our Women s Study Group. Our next OPA gathering will meet on March 18th at 6:00 pm at the church for Presanctified Liturgy and the session will follow afterwards. You don t need to be Orthodox to come. So come on in, invite your friends, and enjoy the fun! THEOLOGY ON TAP... March 11 Each month Theology on Tap meets at a different location. This month Theology on Tap will meet on March 11th at 6:00 pm at the church for Presanctified Liturgy and the session will follow afterwards. EASTER BREAD SALE Philoptochos will be holding our Easter Bread Sale. The pick-up Dates will be April 1st and 2nd Please call Rikki at and leave a message to order yours today. No orders will be taken after March 28 or 500 loaves, whichever comes first. No Walk-Ins or same day FOURTH STREET HEALTH CLINIC For the month of March we are asking for: Bowls, Napkins, Cereal bars, Paper Towels, Coffee Decaf, Plasticware, Coffee Regular, Plates, Crackers, Splenda Packets, Creamer, Sugar Packets, Cups. Please be generous with your supplies as these go to a very worthy cause. JANUARY MONTHLY FINANCIALS January weekly income $4, January weekly expense $4,

5 From the Inter-NET OUR VENERABLE FATHER NICOLAS PLANAS Saint Nicolas Planas was born of devout parents in 1851, on the island of Naxos. From his very earliest years, he was distinguished by his simplicity and piety; he gave away the bread that his mother gave him to the poor in the village, and even gave his clothing to needy children. He married at the age of seventeen and had a son, but his wife did not understand his spiritual aspirations, and continually reproached him. Becoming a widower after several years, he entrusted his son to his parents and, having given the whole family inheritance to a fellow-countryman who was crippled by debt, was able thenceforward to consecrate himself entirely to the Lord s service and, in the middle of Athens, lead the life of the desert ascetics. Ordained priest in 1884, he settled in a small church called St John the Hunter: a parish comprising only eight families, from which he received scarcely any stipend. Humble and lacking any education, Father Nicolas nevertheless became the most popular priest in Athens. For fifty-two years, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy every day in various of the city s churches, and most often in half-ruined country chapels. And what a Liturgy! During the Prothesis, he spent two or three hours commemorating the names of the living and the dead written on thousands of tiny pieces of paper that he had carefully put into bundles and carried everywhere with him. In fact, when anyone gave him names for commemoration with a donation, however small, he remembered them year after year. When he was asked to do so, he celebrated all-night vigils, services of intercession or of Anointing, taking no account of his time or trouble. At the end of his Liturgy, during which he would most often read three or four Gospels, reading slowly and mispronouncing the difficult words without calling forth amusement from those present, he commemorated an interminable list of saints, as though he were not prepared to leave out a single one of the friends of God who were invisibly present. Children and devout souls often saw him levitated above the ground during the Liturgy. These liturgies of the simple Papa Nicolas were truly initiations into the Mystery, which converted the hardest hearts and drew crowds of the faithful, especially when he celebrated all-night vigils in the Church of the Prophet Elisha, where the two celebrated writers Alexander Papadiamantis and Alexander Moraitidis were singers. Like an angel in the flesh, the holy priest was always ready to officiate, wherever the location, and to pray for all: rich and poor impartially. He never kept the money given to him by the faithful until the evening, but gave it away at once to the needy or devoted it to some ecclesiastical work. He was thus able to rebuild his church, give a dowry to orphan girls and finance the studies of poor students. For his own needs, he was content with a few pence, living on a little bread and herbs he had gathered hither and thither, or a glass of milk offered to him by shepherds. His face being constantly illumined by a childlike smile, it was impossible for him to make enemies. He forgave those who stole from him, found excuses for those who did him harm or slandered him, and thus passed through all the sorrows of life by the grace of the Comforter who dwelt within him. When he went along a road, walking slowly and with difficulty because of his endless standing in church, children went with him, women crossed themselves and men removed their hats and stood respectfully aside to give him room to pass. Taxi drivers squabbled about who should take him, certain that it would be a good day for takings. Strict with himself, Father Nicolas was full of tenderness towards the faithful who came to Confession, to find with him the comfort of the heavenly Father. He had insight into the depths of souls and saw the future. One day, a woman gave him [bread] to use for the Divine Liturgy but the Saint refused it, saying: I cannot accept it while you are cohabiting without being married. On another occasion, he drank a bottle of arsenic believing that it was Communion wine, but, protected by divine grace, he suffered no ill-effects. A model of an Orthodox celebrant of the Divine Liturgy - a man whose being and Holy Tradition have become one and the same - a shepherd of the simple and humble, Father Nicolas had so greatly acquired among the people the authority of a new Apostle that, when he gave his soul into God s hands after a short illness on 2 March 1932, with a smile on his lips, a crowd beyond counting came to venerate his mortal remains for three whole days. -Exerpted from: The Net - March 2015

6 Around the World METROPOLITAN TIKHON SPEAKS AT NY MEMORIAL FOR COPTIC MARTYRS His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon spoke at a memorial for the 21 Coptic Christians who were beheaded by ISIS in Libya at Archangel Michael and Saint Mena Coptic Orthodox Church on the evening of February 19, The gathering was hosted by His Grace, Bishop David of New York and New England of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Among those in attendance were His Grace, Bishop Sevastianos of Zela, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, who spoke on behalf of His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios and the Archdiocese. Other attendees included His Eminence, Archbishop Zekarias of the Ethiopian Church; His Eminence, Archbishop Silvanos of the Syriac Church; numerous other hierarchs and clergy from the Oriental Churches; Roman Catholic hierarchs Timothy Cardinal Dolan of New York and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center, NY; Archpriest John Jillions, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America; Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak; civic and political leaders from Staten Island and Brooklyn; and representatives of the New York City Police and Fire departments. Local media and Lauren Green from Fox News also were present. Address of Metropolitan Tikhon at Memorial for 21 Copts martyred in Libya Your Eminences and Your Graces especially Your Grace, Bishop David and all the clergy and faithful of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York and New England: It is with sorrow and yet with hope that we gather this evening to bear witness to the martyrdom of the 21 faithful Coptic Christians who were cruelly murdered by militant extremists. Our sorrow is found in our shared grief with the families and friends of those whose lives were brutally cut down by terrorists; it is a sorrow that is felt in the hearts of all Christians, and indeed, of all who would consider themselves human beings. Nevertheless, it is a sorrow that does not bring us to despair because it is illumined by hope. Our hope is found in the victory of Jesus Christ, manifested by His glorious resurrection, by which He overcame the two fiercest enemies of human life and dignity: death and sin, as Saint Nikolai of Zhicha notes. Our Lord says, In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world [John 16:33]. There are those who would overcome the world with weapons of violence, but this is not our way. There are those who cling to death and to sin in order to bring about more death and more evil, but this is not our way. There are those who blame religion for tragedies such as the one we mourn today, but they are blind to the reality that true believers become such only when their hearts are purified of sin and their lives filled with the light of the Resurrection. Let us, who stand fast in our faith in Christ and His eternal victory, remember that He alone has trampled on death by His own voluntary death. Let us, who are filled with the hope of the resurrection, give glory to God for the martyric witness of the 21 souls who now witness to this victory. And let us, who each struggle in our own way to remain faithful to God, give example in our own lives of those things which we hold dear Peace, rather than violence; love, rather than hate; and forgiveness, rather than revenge. On behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America and on behalf of the clergy and laity of our Church, I express to you and the entire Coptic Orthodox community our love, sympathy and condolences. I have requested the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America to offer commemorations for the souls of those who have been murdered in Libya and to offer prayers for the Coptic Church and for the Egyptian nation. This evening, let all of us offer our prayers for the Egyptian nation and the world-wide Coptic community; let us offer our prayers that we may enter a new time of tolerance and religious peace in Egypt and in the entire region of the Middle East. Let us ask the Lord Jesus Christ to have mercy upon us and upon His whole world. -Taken from: 6 The Net - March

7 The NET-Minders The Parish of Holy Trinity would like to thank the following benefactors for making this Monthly Newsletter possible: Place your ADVERTISMENT HERE Place your ADVERTISMENT HERE In Loving Memory Of Nicholas Mougianis 7 The Net - March 2015

8 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church P.O. Box South Fourth Street Steubenville, OH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE P A I D STEUBENVILLE, OH PERMIT NO. 83 Submissions for THE NET are to be submitted by the 20 th of each month About the Icon on the Cover SUNDAY OF THE VENERATION OF THE HOLY CROSS (3 RD SUNDAY IN LENT) The commemoration and ceremonies of the Third Sunday of Lent are closely parallel to the feasts of the Veneration of the Cross (September 14) and the Procession of the Cross (August 1). Not only does the Sunday of the Holy Cross prepare us for commemoration of the Crucifixion, but it also reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ. As we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24), and will have mortified ourselves during these forty days of the Fast, the precious and life-giving Cross is now placed before us to refresh our souls and encourage us who may be filled with a sense of bitterness, resentment, and depression. The Cross reminds us of the Passion of our Lord, and by presenting to us His example, it encourages us to follow Him in struggle and sacrifice, being refreshed, assured, and comforted. In other words, we must experience what the Lord experienced during His Passion - being humiliated in a shameful manner. The Cross teaches us that through pain and suffering we shall see the fulfillment of our hopes: the heavenly inheritance and eternal glory. The present feast has been placed in the middle of Great Lent for another reason. The Fast can be likened to the spring of Marah whose waters the children of Israel encountered in the wilderness. This water was undrinkable due to its bitterness but became sweet when the Holy Prophet Moses dipped the wood into its depth. Likewise, the wood of the Cross sweetens the days of the Fast, which are bitter and often grievous because of our tears. Yet Christ comforts us during our course through the desert of the Fast, guiding and leading us by His hand to the spiritual Jerusalem on high by the power of His Resurrection. Moreover, as the Holy Cross is called the Tree of Life, it is placed in the middle of the Fast, as the ancient tree of life was placed in the middle of the garden of Eden. By this, our Holy Fathers wished to remind us of Adam s gluttony as well as the fact that through this Tree has condemnation been abolished. Therefore, if we bind ourselves to the Holy Cross, we shall never encounter death but shall inherit life eternal -Excerpted from: