MAY Aerial views of St. Haralambos Church at this year s Anastasi Service at the proclamation Christ is Risen! Thanks to John Grammatis!

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1 The MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE (847) Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) MAY 2018 Aerial views of St. Haralambos Church at this year s Anastasi Service at the proclamation Christ is Risen! Thanks to John Grammatis!

2 WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday, May 6 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman 9:30 am Sunday 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Sunday, May 13 Sunday of the Blind Man 9:30 am Sunday 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Thursday, May 17 The Ascension of our Lord 8:30 am Orthros and Liturgy Sunday, May 20 Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Last Day of Sunday Monday, May 21 Ss. Constantine and Helen 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy Sat, May 26 Saturday of the Souls - Ψυχοσάββατον 8:30 am Orthros and Liturgy Sunday, May 27 Pentecost Sunday 9:30 am Divine Liturgy CELEBRATE OUR YOUTH DAY ON JUNE 3! OUR SISTER COMMUNITIES of Ss. Constantine and Helen (Palos Hills, Rockford, Milwaukee, and Merrillville) invite you to Great Vespers on Sunday evening, May 20th, and Divine Liturgy on Monday, May 21st, in honor of the Feastday of Ss. Constantine and Helen. (Liturgy WILL be celebrated at St. Haralambos on May 21st.) OUR SISTER COMMUNITY of The Ascension of our Lord in Lincolnshire, IL invites you to Ss Peter and Paul Church in Glenview for Great Vespers on Wednesday evening, May 16th, and Divine Liturgy on Thursday, May 17th, in honor of the Feastday of the Ascension. (Liturgy WILL be celebrated at St. Haralambos on May 17th.) OUR SISTER COMMUNITY of Holy Trinity in Chicago invites you to celebrate Great Vespers for their parish Feastday on Sunday evening, May 27, and Divine Liturgy on Monday, May 28th. (Liturgy will NOT be celebrated at St. Haralambos on May 28th.) SACRAMENTS AND BLESSINGS MINISTRY TO PERSONS WHO ARE SICK-We urge Orthodox Christians who would like to receive Holy Sacraments but are unable to attend church (hospitalized or at home) to contact the church office so Holy Sacraments can be administered to them. If your loved one is hospitalized please call us, even if the illness is not serious! In a wholistic approach to healing and well-being, a visit from the priest can be very positive. Most hospitals do not inform us when they receive patients from our parish. We depend on you! BLESSINGS OF INFANTS Forty days after birth, a child and its mother come to church to receive a 40 Day Blessing, imitating Christ who was presented in the Temple 40 days after He was born. Please call the church office to arrange this blessing. BAPTISMS Please call the church office to schedule Baptisms. Plan ahead! there are some days when Baptisms are not performed. Keep in mind that there should be only one Godparent and that a child is supposed to be given one name when he or she is baptized. WEDDINGS Please arrange an appointment with Fr. Dean at least eight months before the proposed wedding date to allow time for all necessary marriage preparation. CONFESSION Confessions are arranged by appointment. Please call the church office to schedule Confession. MEMORIAL SERVICES Memorial Services are offered for the eternal rest of persons who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Customarily, these services are offered at 40 days, at 6 months, at 1 year and at 3 years. When three years have passed, the departed are more properly remembered on the Saturdays of the Souls. END OF LIFE ISSUES 1 - A Proper Funeral Conveys Divine Grace to Our Loved One For an Orthodox Christian, a church funeral is a necessity. As we pray, the funeral service brings divine Grace to those who have fallen asleep, for their forgiveness and eternal rest. We should not consider a church funeral to be an inconvenience, out of love, it is our duty. What good reason can there be to deny our loved ones from God s saving Grace and the honor they deserve? Let us honor our parents and relatives with the respect they deserve! 2 - About Cremation Orthodox Christians believe that in the General Resurrection, our bodies and souls will be restored to each other. Cremation is the deliberate desecration and destruction of what God has made, and is viewed as the denial of the Resurrection. In cases where there is intention for the body of a deceased person to be cremated, thus choosing to disregard our understanding of the Resurrection, the honor of a church funeral is not given, either in the church, or the funeral home or any other place. Additionally, memorial services with kolyva are not allowed, since the connection of the kernel of wheat as a sign of the Resurrection has been intentionally destroyed STEWARDSHIP WE ARE THE LOVE OF GOD! 2018 STEWARDSHIP UPDATE As of April 30, families have promised $265, for 2018 Stewardship! Average level of giving is $641! Have you become a 2017 Steward yet?

3 HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Dear Friends and Fellow Stewards, MAY 2018 This year s Holy Week and Pascha Celebrations were wonderful! We were honored by the first visit of Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago, and are happy to welcome him to St. Haralambos. We would like to thank all those persons who worked so hard to make Holy Week so beautiful: the donors, the makers of the palm crosses, the Palm Sunday luncheon cooks and servers, the ladies who decorated the Epitafion, the Altar Boys, Nick Harisiadis our chanter, Nick and Voula Andrews for many many things, the ushers, the Myrofores, Fr George and Deacon John, and everyone who helped! No one celebrates Pascha like the Orthodox! Christ is Risen! With the month of May, our energies also turn to the events surrounding the end of the school year. Graduations, parties, cookouts, Junior Olympics and our Memorial Day Picnic give us so much to be grateful for! Graduation time! May 20 will be the last day of Sunday. Our Preschool s Graduation Program will take place on Friday, June 8. Our Saturday Greek will have its End of the Year Program on Saturday, June 9, and our Afternoon Greek Graduation and Party will take place on Sunday, June 3. You are invited to come and congratulate our children! The Junior Olympics will take place May at Ss. Constantine and Helen in Palos Hills, and we expect to have a huge participation from the young people of St. Haralambos! We all look forward to our annual Memorial Day Picnic, taking place on Monday, May 28 at Johns Park in Glenview. Pack your family and your picnic basket and join us for a great day in the park! Everyone is welcome! GENERAL ASSEMBLY A special General Assembly will be called to order at 7:00 pm on Wednesday evening, May 23 to present an update of our Phase 3 plans, as well as some changes to our Parish By-Laws. There will not be a back up date; we need a quorum on May 23! Please plan to join us! We are also happy to announce that we are working hard and hope to set a groundbreaking date very soon! If you have not made a pledge for this Phase 3 Expansion, please consider doing it now. The Big Greek Food Fest of Niles will take place July We all know how big this event has become, and we are grateful for any help you can offer! Once again, our Raffle Grand Prize is a new Audi A3 Sedan; you can get tickets from the church office. We need everyone s help! CHRIST IS RISEN! With Love in our Resurrected Lord, HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH NILES, ILLINOIS Proistamenos Fr. Constantine P. Botsis Synefimerios Fr. George Lamberis Pastoral Assistant Deacon John G. Suhayda Chanter Nick Harisiadis Parish Council Officers President Richard Kozlowski Vice President..... Nick Andrews 2nd Vice-President... George Giolas Treasurer.... David Loomos Secretary Krystal Ioannou Phase III Chairman... Perry Giannopoulos Stewardship..... George Giolas Audit Committee Chairman George Houpis Budget Committee Chairman... Perry Giannopoulos Building & Grounds Chairman.. Michael Pontikes and Theodoros Karabatsos Decor Committee Chairman...Stephan Aliferakis Finance Committee Chairman.... Tom Sikoral Outreach Committee John Pierce Inreach Committee... Voula Asimacopoulos, and Elaine Loomos Communication Committee...George Giolas Board Chairman...Olympia Bournias Food Fest Chairman. Philoptochos President.... Georgia Litsogiannis PTA Co-Presidents (Afternoon )....Eleni Gonzalez and Mona Giolas PTA President (Preschool)..... Serena Coines PTA Co-Presidents (Saturday )....Melina Papadopoulos and Dimitra Mihalopoulos Greek Principal... Mrs. Anastasia Liapi Saturday Director..Mrs. Andrianna Panayiotou Preschool Director Mrs. Rita Petratos Sunday Directors..Presvytera Georgia Botsis and Anna Sikoral Athletic Director David Loomos Scoutmaster Vasily Zimbrakos Asst Cubmaster John Frake Little Angels..Anastasia Liapi / Presvytera Diana YAL President Christina Botsis GOYA President... Maria Hartas Jr. Goya Advisor Father George Family Night.. Father George Bookstore Manager Jolynn Ruggerio Web Master and IT George Houpis Facebook.. Elizabeth Kotis/Christina Botsis Office Staff.... Barbara Skaouris, Alexandra Grivas, Anna Sikoral Maintenance Staff... Juan Caro and Carolina Contreras IN THIS ISSUE: About our Community (pg 2) Letter from our Priest (pg 3) Announcements (pg 4) About the Ascension (pg 5) First Visit of Metropolitan Nathanael (pg 6) Easter in Pictures (pg 7) Jr. GOYA Lock-in 2018 Big Greek Food Fest (pg 9) Calendar (pg 10)

4 COMMUNITY NEWS WE Are THE LOVE OF God Stewardship in 2018 As we begin year 2018, St. Paul reminds us that we are all called to do whatever we do with all our heart! What value is there in a project that is not our best effort? What value is there in a relationship that is shallow and insincere? What value is there in an offering to God that is not genuine and heartfelt? By now, you have received Stewardship information for Through genuine Stewardship, please empower your church so it can better serve you, your family and all who call upon us! VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL will take place this summer during the week of June This is one of our very popular programs, and everyone has a great experience. Moms and Dads are needed to help! Please mark your calendar and reserve the dates! METROPOLIS of CHICAGO JUNIOR OLYMPICS Youth 7 to 18 years of age are encouraged to participate in the 2017 Junior Olympics. Registration forms are now available in the Church Office. YOU MUST REGISTER BY April 29! Save the dates May 25 to May 27. MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC will take place on Monday, May 28 at Johns Park in Glenview. We welcome everyone: Family Night, Jr GOYA, Sr GOYA, Sunday, Greek, Philoptochos, PTA, Young Adults, Parish Council and all our families to join us for games, food and fun! Bring your picnic basket and plan to have a wonderful time! GRADUATES LIST! Congratulations to all our 2018 High and College Graduates! We would like to compile a Graduates Page with info and a picture of this year s grads! Please contact the church office to let us know about your 2018 graduates! OUR BIG GREEK FOOD FEST OF NILES will take place July this summer, and planning has already begun. Of course, we will need much help, and we are always looking for new ideas and new people to get involved! Please talk to Rich Kozlowski, Perry Giannopoulos, Eleni Kiriazopoulos, Father George or Father Dean if you would like to offer your help. CONGRATULATIONS TO...Katerina Kiriazopoulos, who will begin an internship at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Katerina will be writing a curriculum for Engaging Girls in Stem. Και σε ανώτερα! ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΕΙΣ ΗΜΕΙΣ ΕΙΜΑΣΤΕ Η ΑΓΑΠΗ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ STEWARDSHIP ΔΙΑ ΤΟΥ 2018 Καθώς αρχίζουμε το καινούργιο χρόνο του 2018, ο Άγιος Παύλος μας θυμίζει ότι όλοι καλούμεθα να πράξουμε ό,τιδήποτε με ολη την καρδιά μας. Τι αξία έχει ένα έργο όταν δεν έχουμε προσπαθήσει ολόψυχα; Τι αξία έχει μια σχέση όταν είναι επιφανειακή και ανειλικρινής; Τι αξία έχει η προσφορά μας στον Θεό αφού δεν είναι γνήσιο και ειλικρινές; Θα έχετε λάβει τις πληροφορίες για το 2018 Stewardship. Με την ειλικρινή προσφορά σας προς το Stewardship, παρακαλούμε όπως ενδυναμώσετε την εκκλησία σας δια να μπορέσει να εξυπηρετήσει καλύτερα εσάς, την οικογένειά σας και όλους όσους χρειάζονται την βοήθειά μας! ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΙΑΚΟ ΠΙΚ-ΝΙΚ! Οι οικογένειες του Αγίου Χαραλάμπους: και όλες τις οργανώσεις (Κατηχητικό και Ελληνικά Σχολεία, Family Night, Jr. GOYA, GOYA, YAL, PTA και Φιλόπτωχος) θα έχουν ένα παραδοσιακό πικ-νικ εις το Johns Park εις Glenview τo Memorial Day, 28 Μαίου. Θα διασκεδάσουμε με παιχνίδια, διάφορα σπορτς και καλή παρέα! Φέρτε μαζί σας τα φαγητά σας-διατίθενται ψησταριές! Aς συναντηθούμε όλοι το Memorial Day δια να έχουμε την ευκαιρία να διασκεδάσουμε σαν μια μεγάλη οικογένεια! ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΦΕΣΤΙΒΑΛ ΤΟΥ Το Φεστιβάλ της Κοινότητάς μας για το 2018 θα λάβει χώραν εις τις Ιουλίου, και οι ετοιμασίες άρχισαν. Θα χρειαστούμε βοήθεια εις τον προγραμματισμόν, και πάντα ενδιαφερόμαστε για νέες ιδέες και καινούργιους εθελοντές! Εαν έχετε την ευχαρίστησιν να βοηθήσετε, παρακαλούμε τηλεφωνείτε το γραφείο της εκκλησίας ( ). Ο ΠΡΩΤΟΣ ΛΑΧΝΟΣ θα είναι ένα καινούργιο αυτοκίνητο 2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN ή ένα καινούργιο HARLEY DAVIDSON ή $20,000! Και χρειαζόμεθα την βοήθειά σας δια την πώληση των λαχείων. Οποιαδήποτε βοήθεια είναι πολύ, πολύ εκτιμητέα! OUR 2018 BIG GREEK FOOD FeST...will take place July this summer. Mark your calendar! Please consider planning your vacation before or after our Fest so you can help! OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY 11:00 am Monday, May 28, 2018 JOHNS PARK 2101 CENTRAL ROAD GLENVIEW, IL SEE YOU THERE!

5 THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD IS A CELEBRATION OF OUR ASCENSION! On May 17, we celebrate the Great Feast of our Lord s Ascension into heaven. What happened? In the days after His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples many times and instructed them. On the fortieth day, he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and according to the Gospel of Mark, he was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19) Who is this Jesus? Jesus Christ is not merely a great teacher or philosopher or example to imitate. He is Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father. In him, divinity and humanity are united in one person. He ascends into heaven as God and Man. He is seated at the right hand of the Father and shares in the glory that He had with the Father and the Holy Spirit before all time. And this is important: being God and Man, He brings our humanity into that glory with Him! This is why our church fathers have continuously affirmed that Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect Man. Only someone who is truly both divine and human can bring humans into the life of God; as St. Athanasios taught, God became man so that man could become godlike! There are many who choose to redefine Jesus Christ as merely human, a good teacher or a social activist. But a mere human cannot conquer death and raise us with him to eternal life! We can interpret the words of a merely human teacher however we want, but the words of the One Who has conquered death and ascended into heaven are words of power and authority. The point is not to make Him in our image, to water Him down into someone Whom we can accept and understand on our own terms; instead, we should be lifted up, to ascend and embrace what it means to be a human being in God s own image and likeness. The celebration of the Ascension reveals the great glory and dignity that Jesus Christ has given us. Through His Ascension, we are raised with Him literally to the heights of the heavenly Kingdom. There is perhaps no more powerful sign of our salvation than the Ascension, for it makes clear that our Lord Who has conquered death, the tomb, and hades, has also taken our humanity into heaven, the eternal life of the Holy Trinity. In this Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, we truly become participants in God and partakers of the divine nature by grace. (This is an abridged version of an essay by Fr. Philip LeMasters.) "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:8-9)

6 METROPOLITAN NATHANAEL S FIRST VISIT TO ST HARALAMBOS His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago presided at the Service of the Lord s Descent from the Cross at St. Haralambos on Holy and Great Friday 2018 HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA Many thanks to our photographers John Zouras and Theodoros Daskalopoulos!

7 2018 HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA Altar Boy Anastasi Team Thanks, guys! Agapi at the Agapi Service!

8 JR GOYA LOCK-IN April get ready for the JUNIOR OLYMPICS! Junior Olympics will take place the weekend of May Registration Forms are available in the church office. Register now! Save the Date! ST HARALAMBOS GOLF OUTING! THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 OLD ORCHARD COUNTRY CLUB 700 W. Rand Rd, Mount Prospect, IL

9 SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH I N V I T E S Y O U T O 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE (847) FRI, JULY 13-5 PM to 12 MIDNIGHt SAT, JULY 14-3 PM to 12 MIDNIGHT SUN, JULY 15-3 PM to 12 MIDNIGHT GRAND RAFFLE! FIRST PRIZE: a NEW 2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN! OR A NEW HARLEY DAVIDSON OR $20,000! SECOND PRIZE: $ 2000 THIRD PRIZE: $ 1000 FOURTH PRIZE: $ 500 FIFTH PRIZE: $ 500 HOME-MADE GREEK FOOD! Greek APPETIZERS AND ROAST LAMB! LOUKOUMATHES AND PASTRIES! FESTIVAL DANCERS AND COOKING CLASSES! KID S CORNER! LIVE GREEK MUSIC ALL 3 NIGHTS FEATURING THE RYTHMOS ORCHESTRA!

10 MAY 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 11:30 -Little Angels St. IRENE 8:30 am Orthros and Liturgy 7:30-Bible Study 9:00 am- Saturday Greek 6 THE SAMARITAN WOMAN 9:30 am Sunday 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 7 5:45 pm Family Night 7:30 pm GOYA 8 11:30 -Little Angels 9 7:30 pm Philoptochos Mtg 10 (No Bible Study) 11 12:00pm-Mommy, Yiayia and Me Tea 12 9:00 am- Saturday Greek 13 MOTHER S DAY The Blind Man 9:30 am Sunday 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 14 9:00 am- Pre- Mini-Olympics 6:30 pm Jr GOYA End of Year BBQ 15 11:30 -Little Angels 5:45pm PTA Meeting 16 APODOSIS OF PASCHA -no fasting 17 THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD 8:30 am-orthros and Liturgy 7:30-Bible Study :00 am- Saturday Greek 20 SUNDAY OF THE FATHERS 9:30 am Sunday 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Last Day of Sunday 21 SAINTS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN 8:30 am Orthros and Liturgy 5:45 pm Family Night/End of Year Barbecue 7:30 pm GOYA End of Year BBQ 22 11:30 -Little Angels 23 7:00 pm- SPECIAL GENERAL ASEMBLY 24 7:30-Bible Study Saturday of Souls 8:30 am--orthros and Liturgy JUNIOR OLYMPICS 27 PENTECOST 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 28 MEMORIAL DAY FAMILY PICNIC 29, End of Year Cook-Out :30-Bible Study

11 WE INVITE YOU TO OUR SAINT HARALAMBOS OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY Monday, May 28th 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm JOHNS PARK 2101 Central Road (West of Harlem, East of Shermer Road) Everyone is welcome: Family Night, Jr GOYA, Sr GOYA, Sunday, Greek, Philoptochos, PTA, Young Adults, and all our families We got the hot dogs and hamburgers! You can also bring food to cook on the grill. We can play: Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, and more! SEE YOU THERE! HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE NILES, IL Address Service Requested