The Voice PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

Transcription

1 The Voice Volume : 17 Number : 2 Month : February 2017 The Monthly Newsletter of Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE This feast, celebrated on February 2, is known in the Orthodox Church as The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Another name for the feast is The Meeting of our Lord. Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians call the feast, The Purification of the Holy Virgin. About 450 AD in Jerusalem, people began the custom of holding lighted candles during the Divine Liturgy of this feast day. Therefore, some churches in the West refer to this holy day as Candlemas. The Feast of the Presentation concludes the observances related to the Nativity of Christ, a period that opened on November 15 with the beginning of the Nativity fast. DOVES Joseph and Mary were not wealthy, so they took two turtle doves with them to offer as a sacrifice at the Temple. BIBLICAL STORY The story of the Presentation is told in Luke 2: Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews and observed their religious customs. An important custom was for the couple to take their first-born son to the Temple. The baby was taken to the Temple forty days after his birth and was dedicated to God. In addition, if the parents were wealthy, they were to bring a lamb and a young pigeon or a turtle dove to be offered as a sacrifice at the Temple. The custom provided that if the parents were poor, they were to offer two pigeons or two turtle doves for the sacrifice. When Jesus was forty days old, Mary and Joseph took Him to the Temple in Jerusalem. They were not wealthy, so they took two turtle doves with them to offer as a sacrifice at the Temple. As they arrived at the Temple, Mary and Joseph were met by a very old man named Simeon. He was a holy man and was noted as a very intelligent scholar. Simeon spent much time studying about the prophets of Israel. It was during his studies that he learned of the coming of the Messiah. The Jewish people were waiting for the Messiah to come and deliver Israel from their conquerors. From that time on, Simeon spent his time praying for the Messiah to come. He spent many years in prayer. Finally, while Simeon was praying he heard the voice of God. God promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. SIMEON TOOK JESUS IN HIS ARMS AND PRAISED GOD. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took the baby in his arms and blessed the Lord and said: Lord, now let Your servant go in peace according to Your promise, because my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory to Your people Israel." Continued on Page 2

2 Also, in the Temple was Anna the Prophetess. She had been a widow for many years. Anna was about eighty-four years old and spent her time in the Temple worshiping, fasting, and praying. When she saw the Christ Child, she praised God and spoke of him to all who were awaiting the Messiah. After Jesus was presented in the Temple, the family returned to Galilee to the town of Nazareth. The Bible tells us that Jesus grew and became strong, and was filled with wisdom. THE ICON OF THE FEAST The Holy Icon shows that the meeting takes place inside the Temple and in front of the altar. The altar has a book or a scroll on it and is covered by a canopy. The Theotokos stands to the left and is holding out her hands in a gesture of offering. The one hand of the Theotokos is covered by her cloak or as it is known, the maphorion. She has just handed her Son to Simeon. Christ is shown as a child, but He is not in swaddling clothes. He is clothed in a small dress and his legs are bare. Jesus appears to be giving a blessing. Simeon holds Jesus with both hands which are covered. This shows the reverence Simeon had for the Messiah. Simeon is bare headed and there is nothing to show that he is a priest. Some biblical scholars say that Simeon was probably a priest of the Temple or a Doctor of the Law. JOSEPH AND ANNA Joseph offers the sacrifice of a poor family while Anna the Prophetess praises God and "speaks about the Child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem". (Luke 2: 38) Joseph is behind the Theotokos. He is carrying the two turtle doves for the sacrifice. Anna the Prophetess is also standing behind the Theotokos and is pointing to the Christ Child. The words Simeon spoke when he saw the Christ Child are known as "St. Simeon's Prayer". This prayer is sung daily at the evening Vespers services of the Orthodox Church. In the Orthodox Church, both baby boys and baby girls are taken to the Church on the fortieth day after their birth. This is done in remembrance of the Theotokos and Joseph taking the infant Jesus to the Temple. ORTHODOX CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION This Feast of our Lord is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, which is conducted on the day of the Feast and preceded by the Matins service. A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the Feast. Scripture readings for the Feast are the following: at Great Vespers extracts from Exodus 12:15-13:16; Leviticus 12 and Numbers 8; Isaiah 6:1-12, and 19:1,3-5,12,16,19-21; at Matins Luke 2:25-32; at the Divine Liturgy Hebrews 7:7-17 and Luke 2: Page

3 Inside this Issue: Presentation of Christ in the Temple 1 Community Center Ribbon Cutting... 3 Capital Campaign Update... 3 Prepare for Great Lent and Pascha... 4 Saturdays of Souls Begins... 4 Youth Ministries... 5 Parish Announcements... 5 Annual Blood Drive... 5 Church Organizations... 6 Amazon Smile... 7 Family Taverna Night... 8 President s Message... 9 Transitions... 9 Stewardship Message Stewardship List Greek Independence Day Dinner Dance Parish Calendar Church Information Saturday of the Souls Community Center Ribbon Cutting Celebration What better way is there to start the New Year than with the blessing of our recently renovated Parish Community Center? With the finishing touches completed, it is time for everyone in our Parish to celebrate this achievement. The Building Improvements Committee is pleased to invite all parishioners to attend a Ribbon Cutting ceremony following the Divine Liturgy on February 5, We will gather in the Bishop s Walk Corridor and Dining Alcove just before the event. Following brief comments from Parish Council and the Building Improvements Committee, Fr. Mark will lead us in prayer for the blessing of the Community Hall. After the ribbon is cut, everyone is invited to stay and enjoy refreshments. Please join us to commemorate this new chapter in the life of the Parish. Building Renovation Capital Campaign Update Fundraising Goal $644,000 Amount Pledged $380,185 59% of Goal Pledged Families, Organizations & Businesses 166 If you have not yet made a commitment, please consider doing so. Thank you for your consideration and support. Name My Sponsorship Level Address $500 $1,000 $2,500 $5,000 Phone No. $10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $100,000 I will fulfill my pledge: Other Pay entire pledge in Pay quarterly over 2 years. Pay annually over 3 years. Pay annually over 5 years. 3 Page

4 Prepare for Great Lent and Pascha As our journey through Great Lent to Holy Week and Pascha begins on February 27 th, we prepare to celebrate the glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (April 16 th ). An important part of Great Lent is the need for flowers and other items at the many services conducted in Church. The following list includes items and flowers needed for the Divine Services of Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. Please consider sponsoring any of the items and contact Eugene Nicholas, Parish Administrator, at or Thank you for your generosity! Flowers for the Salutations (Xairetismoi). $75 each. 3-3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/24, & 3/31. Garland of flowers for the Icon of the Annunciation. $175 for 3/25. Flowers for the Tray upon which the Cross is carried. $ for 3/19. Daffodils for the Veneration of the Holy Cross. $500 for 3/19. Garland of Flowers for the Icon of Palm Sunday. $175 for 4/9. Garland of flowers for the Icon of the Bridegroom (Nymphios). $200 each 4/9, 4/10, & 4/11. Items needed for Holy Unction. $100 for 4/12. Flowers for the Resurrection Banner (Lavaron). $ for 4/16. Floral arrangements for the Icon Screen (3 vases). $100 each for 4/16. Floral arrangements for the Altar Table (2 vases). $150 each for 4/16. Candles for the Crucifix (3) and for the Epitaphios (12), $25 each for 4/13 & 4/14. Saturdays of Souls Begins Saturday, February 18 TH Entering into the Triodion period (Feb. 5 th ), we know that the Saturdays of Souls services are quickly approaching. On these days, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy and conduct a Memorial Service to commemorate the souls of the departed faithful who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection. Traditionally, the faithful prepare Kolyva (Boiled Wheat) and mix in other ingredients. The faithful also submit the names of their departed loved ones, which the priest commemorates during the Memorial Service. The first Saturday of Souls service will be conducted Saturday, February 18, Forms for submitting the names of your departed loved ones may be found in the current issue of The Voice, and in the Narthex at the Pangari. You are encouraged to bring the names to the Saturday service or return the forms to the Clergy. All names submitted will be commemorated at all three services. The Second and Third Saturday of Souls are February 25 th and March 4 th. The Divine Liturgy, followed by the Memorial Service, will be celebrated on each of these Saturdays beginning at 9:30 am. 4 Page

5 Youth Ministries By: Father William Redmon In February, our GOYA Meeting will be held on February 12 th, following the Divine Liturgy. This will be a brief informational meeting, after which we will decorate cookies with Philoptochos. Our HOPE/JOY Meeting will be held on February 2 nd, at 6:30 p.m. Our January HOPE/JOY Meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather. We are looking forward to seeing all of our members again in February! In January, the GOYA participated in our annual Souper Bowl of Caring ministry, collecting food for our Pantry. Thank you to everyone who contributed! In February, our GOYA will be hosting our annual Taverna Night on February 11 th. This is the largest revenue opportunity for our Parish GOYA and funds most of our charitable and recreational activities through the year. I pray that you will join us for the fun, and know that doing so helps the youth of our Parish to be active in their faith. Through your participation today, you can help build a better tomorrow. In addition to this, it is, as anyone who has attended can tell you, a wonderful time. On February 12 th, our GOYA will be helping Philoptochos decorate cookies for City Gospel Mission. All youth are encouraged to participate in this event, as all Philoptochos members are invited to participate in Taverna Night. It is this kind of fellowship that fosters a strong and Christ-centered Parish. Finally, on behalf of our youth and families, I would like to welcome Fr. Mark to our community. I look forward to serving under his direction, as his Assistant, and to learning from him as he shares his years of experience with me. -Fr. William Parish Announcements Anastasia Maria Walls was born on November 28 th, Proud parents are Soula and Jason Walls. Proud grandparents are Maria and Nikos Palassis. Congratulations to Andrew Diaz, who completed the long, but rewarding journey; and became an Eagle Scout in December Proud parents are Chris and Stephanie Diaz. Zoe Evangeline Callos was born January 8 th, Proud parents are Triffon and Stacey Callos. Proud grandparents are Tom and Trish Callos and Gus and Kathy Leon. Proud great grandfather George Sarros. Congratulations to John Lazares who has been selected as one of the honorees for the Sixth Annual Heroes of Character Celebration. This honor is bestowed on those who live a life as a model citizen and embrace admirable character traits in their everyday life. He will be honored at the sixth Heroes of Character Award Celebration on March 15, Annual Blood Drive Saturday of Lazarus - Σάββατο του Λαζάρου April 8, 2017 (The day before Palm Sunday) Blood Drive April 8: Donors please mark your calendars. It is time to prepare now for our Saturday of Lazarus blood drive. The last day to donate whole blood is February 10. This is in preparation for our Church blood drive on Saturday April 8 (the day before Palm Sunday). 5 Page

6 CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS OVER FIFTY CLUB Ann Jonson We had a good time at our Christmas luncheon. As always, at Christmas time, Alex prepared the food and it was delicious. We had our usual gifts of candy, cookies, etc., as part of our split the pot. Thank you to Georgia Gelis for donating the delicious cake and Mary Simos for donating the wine. Also, thank you to Tina Zaferes for donating the ten poinsettia plants. We played bingo and whoever won got a plant. Marie Tsacalis and I made some candy treats for everyone. We had a fun time making them. We welcomed four new members, Nancy and Jerry Firman, Maria Freeman, and Carol Kalomeres. We hope they enjoyed our luncheon and will come often. I think everyone had a good time. We would like to congratulate Fr. George Parsenios on being ordained into the Priesthood. He has been assigned to St. Demetrios Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He is the son of Lew Parsenios. Our sympathy to the family of Kay Karas who passed away on December 8 at the age of 95. We lit a candle in her memory. May her memory be eternal. Our next luncheon will be on February 18 at Church. DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE Vera Manolakas After the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holidays, it was nice to have a month with relatively few events. In January the Calypso sisters had their monthly meeting and luncheon at Cheesecake Factory. We were able to get through our business fairly rapidly so we could enjoy our lunch. We will be able to announce the winners of the Super Bowl Squares in the March issue. Proceeds this year will go to the Shriners' organization, which does so much to help children. As you enjoy your Super Bowl parties, please remember to save the can tabs. Turn them in to any of the Daughters for delivery to Ronald MacDonald House. This year we will celebrate Easter mid April, so it is not too early to begin thinking of tsourekia, the special Easter bread. Cindy Nicholas is again the chairman of the event. More information on ordering will be in the March issue. Happy Valentine's Day. PHILOPTOCHOS Georgianne Gaz On behalf of our Philoptochos, we thank our Cincinnati community for attending the Welcome Luncheon for Father Mark and Presvytera Ginny on Sunday, January 9. We are thrilled that the parishioners joined the Parish Council and Philoptochos in coming together to celebrate the next stage in our Parish history. Your generosity in support of the Vasilopita donations and auction has surpassed previous years with donations of more than $2,500. Each and every penny of the donations received will go to the St. Basil s Academy. St. Basil s is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese home for children in need, providing a loving Christian environment where resident children are nurtured through childhood. We would also like to thank all of those bakers who took the time to bake the beautiful Vasilopitas that we were able to auction as well as share and eat at the luncheon. This was the largest and most beautiful array of Vasilopitas that we have ever had. And a special thank you to those Philoptochos members and Parish members that assisted in the preparation and serving of the luncheon. Mary Simos, as in many years before, headed up the luncheon preparation. The Aglamesis ice cream was lovingly provided for our Church luncheon by Susie Sansone in memory of her parents, Eva and Pete Demas. The February monthly meeting will take place on Sunday, February 12, after the Divine Liturgy in the small hall. Mark your calendars for Saturday night, April 29, when Philoptochos will host Night Club Night, featuring the Greek-American comedian, Basile. Details to follow and you won t want to miss it! AHEPA Mark Zigoris AHEPA is excited about its programs for the New Year. As noted in the ad on page 13, we are once again cosponsoring the annual Greek Independence Day Dinner/Dance. This will be our first major event of the year and the first time held in the newly re-modeled community center. This event along with our 100 Raffle and Golf Tournament are the major fund raisers of our chapter. We have a proud and distinguished heritage in our commitment to philanthropy, education and promoting our Hellenic culture. 6 Page

7 Last year, community support for our fund-raisers enabled us to contribute over $8,000 to worthy charities, scholarships and the Church. We have made a commitment to make a substantial contribution to the Church on an annual basis. Your support helps us meet our goals. Our reputation for providing excellent food and musical entertainment has been consistent over these many years. We hope to see the whole community turn out for this event. Which, by the way, is the only celebration of a Greek National Holiday in this region. Our Hellenic Culture Committee is actively pursuing a revival of our "Greek Night at the Movies" where we show full length, popular feature films from Greece. More details later. Other news: Our membership is growing with new applicants and we recently initiated George Haralamos in the Order of AHEPA. Welcome George. If you are interested in finding out more about our fraternity, contact President Nick Sarakatsannis, VP George Kalemanis, Sec. Mark Zigoris or any of the brother Ahepans. SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL Peggy Kehayes Sunday Church School has set a goal to implement an annual scholarship to be given to a graduating senior. In order to raise funds for the May, 2017 scholarship, we will hold a Basket Raffle Auction later this Winter. Each SCS class has chosen a theme and we are asking families to donate a new item pertaining to that theme. If you have baskets or containers that you would like to remove from your home, we will gladly accept them. We have begun collecting donations in the classrooms and will continue until February 5. For basket themes or any other questions, please contact Vivian Kapourales, ava369@aol.com. We thank you for your generosity toward this effort!!! Also, it's not too early to be thinking about our Parish Oratorical Festival, which will be held on Sunday, March 12, Please encourage your children to participate! If your child is interested please view the topics by clicking the link here: religioused/sjcof/2017_topics_only.pdf BYZANTINE SCHOOL Tasos Ioannides By the grace of God, we completed in December 2016 our seventh season, during which we had been studying the Eleven Morning Gospels (eothina). It took us almost two years, meeting once a month for about an hour, except during Lent, as well as during some vacation periods. During our January 2017 meeting, we were very happy to have our Proistamenos, Fr. Mark Emroll, join us to bless us for the New Year and to open the discussion of our new topic: The Hymnology of the Cross. It has been said that unlike the incarnation and the human and divine natures of Christ, the Church has not explicitly defined its doctrine about His salvific death on the Cross and His life-bestowing resurrection. The rich liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church has served as the safe depository of the teaching of the apostles and of the ancient church fathers on the mystery of Christ s emptiness on the Cross and in the tomb. We strongly encourage every adult interested in learning more about this topic and its expression in the liturgical services of our Church to join our monthly meetings on the last Thursday of each month, at 7 pm. We look forward to welcoming you! If you are interested in an additional way to help donate to the Church, Amazon has a new program. The program is called AmazonSmile and here are the benefits: 1. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. 2. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Several parishioners have been donating to the Church through Smile.Amazon for the past year. We receive donations quarterly. This is a great way to help our Parish by just shopping at Smile.Amazon. Here are the easy sign up instructions and there is no need for annual renewal: 1. Log in to your Amazon account through: 2. Search & Select as your designated charity: Holy Trinity St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 3. You must always make your purchases through Smile.Amazon for our Church to receive the donation. If you shop Amazon, we hope you will take a moment to look at this program and consider making our Church your designated charity. 7 Page

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9 Parish Council President's Message by Nick L. Sarakatsannis Greetings everyone. Happy New Year! I hope you had a blessed Holiday Season! Wow! Another year has gone by, and I am very humbled and honored to have been elected to serve a second term as your Parish Council President. As I sit down on this rainy morning to construct yet another President s message, I struggle to find the right words. Last year in my first message, I defined the role as the President and as a member of Parish Council. Some of these principal roles include planning, developing, organizing, and implementing stewardship programs and various educational ministries of the Church. When serving on Parish Council we also serve as role models for parishioners and lead by example by attending Church, Parish events, and regularly participating in the sacramental life of the Church. I want to thank the 2016 Parish Council for upholding these roles, and I look forward to working with the 2017 Parish Council members. I would like to thank His Eminence Metropolitan NICHOLAS for ratifying the election results, the General Assembly, and also Council s vote of confidence for leading this year s administrative concerns. I will strive to uphold the dogma, teachings, traditions, holy canons, worship and moral principles of the Greek Orthodox Church, as I publicly attested when Father Mark administered our affirmation of office. I would like to take this time to welcome our new Proistamenos Father Mark and Presvytera Ginny. As you know, last year s Parish Council was tasked with replacing Father Bill who officially retired December 31, His Eminence allowed Parish Council to be a part of the selection process. In meeting with Father Mark and Presvytera we knew that this would be our new Proistamenos. I immediately found two new friends and feel quite comfortable talking and working with Father Mark. I am confident Father Mark will serve our Parish well. I look forward to assisting him in his ministries and helping him to adjust to his new surroundings. We had a very nice welcoming luncheon on January 8, sponsored by our ever supportive Philoptochos Society. They did such a nice job. Father Mark and Presvytera Ginny were welcomed by the whole community with open arms. Thanks to all the volunteers that made this event so special. The renovation in the Community Center/Gym and Bishops Walk Project has been completed. We have been fund raising for this great accomplishment and still need funds to pay off the remaining balance. My vision is to have it paid for by the end of this year. Please continue to send donations in support of this worthwhile project. In closing, I would like to thank the many volunteers who contribute their time, talents and treasures to the many needs of our Church. Take a moment and look around you. We are the stewards of the Church; many of us have been baptized, educated, and married here. We have the most beautiful Church in the city. I am proud to call myself a steward of Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas. Thank you to everyone for your selfless contributions to these efforts. Transitions Baptism: The New Christian: Alexia Sophia Parents: Frank and Jaclyn (Giovis) Wolff Sponsors: James and Katherine Sharko Date: December 27, Page

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11 Stewardship Message By Justin Bates Congratulations!!! We have just completed the most successful Stewardship year in our Parish's history. Thank you all so much for your support!!! While we are still not a fully Stewardship funded Parish, this is an excellent step in that direction. We hope to continue the same success this year. Becoming a fully Stewardship-funded Parish would enable us to use all of our Panegyri profits to grow our internallyfocused and externally focused ministries. For our internally focused ministries, perhaps we could offer to financially support, in part or in whole, our youth who want to attend our Metropolis's Youth Summer Camps or the Archdiocese's Ionian Village in Greece. For our externally focused ministries, perhaps we could expand our food pantry or offer to host career seminars for the local community. The Strategic Planning Team will be working over the coming months to help clarify our Parish's priorities and goals for the future. The work of the Strategic Planning Team can be used by the Parish Council and the Parish General Assemblies to guide our financial decisions around our internally focused and externally focused ministries. But we cannot grow either type of ministry without your continued financial support. If you have not completed a Stewardship card, please do so. And please don't forget to fill in the information about your likes and interests. We intend to use that information this year as we plan activities and events. I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year! 2017 Stewardship List Through Aamodt, Peter & Karen Adinamis, George & Robyn Anastasiou, Demetra Andreadis, Sophie S. Apalodimas, Maria Apostolides, Vasso A. Arvanetes, Gregory & Sandra Ashcraft, Nick & Anne Assaley, Lewis & Patricia Bakiri, Keti & Andrew Murray Batsakis, Chris & Lydia Belitsos, George P. & Peter Q. Wolfe Beltsos, Paul & Jeanna Bender, Robert & Kathy Bertok, Christina Bikas, Michael & Anna Borcoman, Tate & Nicole Bottomley, Stephen & Stephanie Boumis, Peter & Kimberly Brown, Mary Brown, William & George-Ann Bugitzedes, Marian Caneris, Adonis & Ana Maria Caneris, Anthony & Antoinette Caneris, Dr. Onassis A. Caneris, Thomas & Joanna Carumpalos, Constantine Chachoff, Nada Charnas, Terry & Koula Christman, Carl & Becky Christoforou, Mario & Venetia Christopoulos, Vassiliki Chryssovergis, Chris & Cara Cimarosti, Helen Claffie, Sean & Angela Colak, Tony & Joan Colyer, Jeff & Laura Colyer, Keith & Diane Condorodis, Anestis J. & Janeen D. Condorodis, Dr. Constandinos J. & Carolyn Cook, Barbara Cook, Karen Crawford, Jonathan & Sharon Denas, Theodota Diaz, Chris & Stephanie Economacos, Tom & Jennifer Edgington, Paul & Mary Lou Elias, Nick Fawcett, Tracy & Jessica Fekkos, Haralambos & Loella Ann Frangowlakis, Thomas Francis, Dean & Kathy Furkas, Lisa Gaier, Dean Gaier, Jeff & Chris Anne Gaskins, Mark & Kristin Gelis, James & Kathy Georges, Peter & Anna Georgeton, John C. & Ann Georgiton, Nick & Kristy Georgostathis, Gus & Connie Gerros, Mary Ghiz, Leslie Ghizas, John Gionnette, Lena & Mike Glaser, Brian & Stella Greene, David & Maria Hadzivrettas, George M. & Soultana Haralamos, George & Eleni Haralamos, Mike G. & Akrivi Herrmann, Stacy & Dennis Hill, Ann Tasha Hodson, Thomas Hollister, Carl & Cynthia Humbert, DeDe & Randy Iatrides, Steve & Christina Kutsubu Johnson, John & Antigone Jones, James A. & Jo Ann Jonson, Chris C. & Loy Jonson, George N. & Sophia Jonson, James G. & Thelma 11 Page

12 The Parishioners listed here have made a commitment and/or contribution towards 2017 Stewardship. If you have not made your Stewardship Pledge for 2017, we encourage you to do so today. Pledge Cards are available through the Church Office or can be obtained by contacting any member of the Parish Council or the Clergy. Kalemanis, George & Nikki Kalomeres, George C. Kanaris, Christos Kanaris, Kostantinos & Katy Kanelopoulos, Bill Kappas, James P. Karageorge, Dimitri & Athena Karakatsani, Marianthi Karampas, George & Diane Karas, Bill J. & Lynn Karras, Giorgio & Erene Kehayes, Peggy Kehayes, William & Melissa Kellaris, Dr. James & Janice Kladakis, John & Teddi Kontopos, Pete & Katerina Kontopos, Vagelis & Amanda Kontsis, George & Melissa Koros, Kostas & Dina Korvessis, Anthony & Georgia Lydia Kostopoulos, Christos & Erin Kostopoulos, Nikolaos & Dana Kougios, Michael & Alice Kunkemoeller, Thomas & Janice Kurlas, Peter & Lori Kyrios, Tassos & Maria Lambrinides, Ted & Kim Lambrinides, Thomas J. & Mary Ann Landers, Lauren Leslie, Wayne & Peggy Levenderis, Bill & Jill Liston, Robert & Eleni Loukoumidis, George & Stacey Lustig, Elaine & Lowell Makris, Thomas & Ellen Makrozahopoulos, Dimitrios & Joanna Maleas, Pete C. & Pearl Manolakas, Alexander & Vera Marinakis, Bill D. & Evonne Marinakis, Panagiota Masella, Ron & Christine Mavridoglou, George & Penny Mavridoglou, Konstantinos Mavridoglou, Michael & Laura Mavridoglou, Nicholas & Jessica McCullough, Ryan & Kathryn McNulty, Robin & Melanie Megois, Lee S. & Stephanie Merianos, Ted Meyer, Andy & Maria Mikesell, Marco & Aphrodite Mirkopoulos, Nicholas Mirkos, Steve & Edyta Misali, A. J. "Ike" Misali, John P. & Deborah Mohler, David & Angel Morgan, Paul & Mary Morris, John & Christine Mortensen, Danny & Cheryl Moyer, Gabe & Maria Muennich, Sam & Melissa Nakos, Eva Bruhn Neuendorf, David & Patricia Neuendorf, Matthew Nicholas, Eugene & Cindy Nicholas, Nick & Helen Nicholas, Zachary & Nikolia Nichols, Ron & Philanthy Nikias, Vasilia Nitsis, Dimitrius & Leisa O'Neill, Brian & Stephanie Orphanos, Peter & Angela Pagdadis, Sotiris & Stephanie Palassis, Nick & Maria Pantel, Nicholas J. Papaioannou, Thomas & Mary Paparodis, Bess Papasavvas, Nektarios & Sally Papathanas, Harry & Joyce Parsenios, Lewis G. Pascal, Betsy Pascal, James Pavlakis, George & Suzanne Perdikakis, Gus C. Perdikakis, Gus G. & Jo Ann Perdikakis, Lynn Peters, Claire Phillips, Joshua & Katherine Pilipovich, George & Cynthia Ponticos, George D. Prasinos, Jim & Nicki Psihountas, Mary Raptis, James & Maria Redmon, Fr. William & Presvytera Elizabeth Retzios, Thomas L. & Angela Riber, Sam & Filio Riemann, Christopher & Blanca Robbins, Jamie Rodish, Peter & Sue Romanos, Michael & Carla Romero, Evangelia & Eric Peck Saba, Youhana Sajkich, Steven Sakelos, Timothy & Nicole Sampson, Tony & Mary Ann Sansalone, Anthony & Angeleke Sansone, Craig & Susanna Sarakatsannis, George & Marie Sarakatsannis, Nicholas J. & Vicki Sarakatsannis, Nicholas L. & Carla Sarakatsannis, Panny Sarlis, Nikolaos & Vaseleke Sarros, Harry J. Sarros, John H. Schmitz, Thomas & Cathy Schooley, Barbara Schuler, Bill & Julie Schutter, Michael & Lynne Seremetis, Afrodite K. Seremetis, Stratin & Marjory Sideris, Mina Sideris, Nick & Jane Siegel, August C. Simos, Mary Snider, Luke & Dacia Snyder, Milan & Elaine Spanorigas, Nicholas & Becky Sparks, Ryan & Sophia Spirtoff, John & Vicki Stacey, Christine Stanifer, Randy & Eleni Stathis, Angelos & Aspasia Stathis, Lee & Evie Stefanopoulos, Andrew & Carol Stenger, Lauren & Doug Stephan, Charles M. Stephan, Melinda Stephan, Michael Stergiopoulos, Janis Strike, Louis Stringas, Emanuel Takacs, Daniel & Evie Thomakos, Artemis Trester, Ron & Maria Turner, Kent & Carolyn Varnell, Charles & Krista Vasiliou, Demetrios & Gloria Vidas, Cynthia Vlahopoulos, Helen Watson, Douglas & Akrivi Weis, Daniel & Anastasia Weisenborn, Cary & Maria Williams, Jay Wilson, Wallace & Michelle Zaferes, Eleni Zaferes, Patricia J. Zaferes, Patricia P. Zaharopoulos, Dimitra Zigoris, Mark & Irene 12 Page

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14 February 2017 For the most updated Calendar, visit Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 2 Presentation of the Lord into the Temple 8:30 am Matins and Divine Liturgy 6:30 pm HOPE/JOY Mtg :00 am Byzantine Music Training :15 am Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy GOYA Souper Bowl of Caring Community Center Ribbon Cutting Celebration 6:30 pm Orthodox Reading Group 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 10:00 am Byzantine Music Training 7:00 pm GOYA Family Taverna Night :15 am Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Philoptochos Mtg. GOYA Meeting 6:30 pm Orthodox Reading Group 6:30 pm AHEPA Mtg. 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 6:00 pm Parish Council Dinner & Mtg. Dayton GOYA Basketball Tournament 1 st Saturday of the Souls 9:30 am Divine Liturgy and Memorials Dayton GOYA Basketball Tournament 12:00 pm Over Fifty Lunch Meatfare Sunday 8:15 am Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Dayton GOYA Basketball Tournament President s Day Church Office Closed 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 6:00 pm Byzantine School 2 nd Saturday of the Souls 9:30 am Divine Liturgy and Memorials Cheesefare Sunday 8:15 a.m. Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Spring General Assembly Great Lent Begins 7:00 pm Great Compline 6:00 pm Vespers of Forgiveness

15 Clergy Presiding Priest: Rev. Father Mark Emroll Assistant Priest: Rev. Father William Redmon Staff Parish Administrator: Eugene Nicholas Building Maintenance Technician: Craig Sansone Officers Nicholas L. Sarakatsannis, President Nektarios Papasavvas, Vice-President Jessica Mavridoglou, Treasurer Karen Aamodt, Asst. Treasurer Matthew Neuendorf, Secretary Bill Kanelopoulos, Asst. Secretary Organizations and Ministries Philoptochos Society: Georgianne Gaz, President Parish Choir: Janice Kellaris, Director Cantors: Louis Kapourales, Tasos Ioannides, James Raptis, Philanthy Nichols Altar Boys: Father Mark Emroll, Father William Redmon Sunday Church School: Religious Education Team, Peter Aamodt, Chairman Greek School: Alexandros Laftsidis, Director Byzantine School & Byzantine Music Training: Tasos Ioannides GOYA: Father William Redmon, GOYA Ministry Team HOPE and JOY Groups: Father William Redmon, Ministry Team Mothers Club: Sally Papasavvas, President AHEPA: Nicholas L. Sarakatsannis, President Daughters of Penelope: Vera Manolakas, President Over 50s Club: Ann Jonson, President Justin Bates Orthodox Reading Group: Father William Redmon Members Chris Chryssovergis William Buzzy Gaz David Greene George Haralamos Stacey Loukoumidis Dimitrios Makrozahopoulos Our Mission THE VOICE is the official monthly newsletter of Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Our Parish was founded in 1907 and serves Orthodox Christians throughout the tri-state area. Our mission is to reach out to all members of the Community by providing relevant information on the religious, spiritual and cultural life of the Parish; news on the accomplishments of Parish members and organizations, and editorial points of view. The next deadline for submitting news to the "Voice" is February 5, 2017 Submissions can be dropped off or mailed to the Church Office or ed to Our Church website can be found at THANK YOU Outreach/Samaritan Fund: Father Mark Emroll, Father William Redmon, Eugene Nicholas The Good Shepherd Food Pantry: Stephanie Diaz, Maria Freeman, Mary Morgan, Elaine Snyder, Matina Trivett Agios Demetrios Society: Jim Grammas, Maria Panagis PANEGYRI: Eugene Nicholas, Chris Chryssovergis Parish Bookstore: Christina Polychroniou Office Hours: Weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Worship Schedule: Matins, 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy, 9:30 a.m. Other Services as scheduled. 15 Page

16 Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 7000 Winton Road Cincinnati, OH Tel: (513) Fax: (513) NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT NO RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Saturdays of the Souls (Psychosavvata) For Thou, O Christ our God, art the Resurrection, the Life, and the blessed Repose of all those who have fallen asleep in the Faith and unto Thee do we offer up glory, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. February 18, 25, and March 4, 2017 Let us pray for the eternal memory and blessed repose of: Requested by: