The quarterly publication highlighting news and events from the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society Metropolis of Chicago

Transcription

1 The quarterly publication highlighting news and events from the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society Metropolis of Chicago May 2013 Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society Metropolis of Chicago Table of Contents: Words from His Eminence Page 1 President s Corner Page 2 Stay Connected Page 2 Annual Quilt-o-thon Pages 3-6 Lenten Retreat Pages 7-11 Chapter Events Pages Philoptochos Potpourri Pages Calendar of events Page 27 National Commitment Corner Page 27 Mission Statement Page 27 Address page Page 28 And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Matthew 25:40

2 2 Christos Anesti! On behalf of the Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Board we hope you had a beautiful Pascha celebration with your loved ones. As we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we as Orthodox Christians view this time as a rebirth, a new beginning. Finally, spring is here, a sense of renewal is surrounding us in so many directions. We see flowers blooming, trees budding, the chirping of birds, the welcoming sight of longer days; truly all signs of springtime. It is a time when graduations occur; graduates proceed to new endeavors and the next chapter of their lives. Wedding bells ring for new couples as they enter the beginning of a new life together. And I would be remiss if I didn t mention Philoptochos. Philoptochos, a mission we all faithfully support, the common bond which keeps us together as sisters, as we care for the needy, the poor, and the less fortunate. Presently most Philoptochos chapters have held their elections. We say good bye, thank you and express our appreciation to our outgoing officers and board members, who so graciously and faithfully served their chapter and community. We welcome our new officers and board members, and stand by them with the same conviction, support, and respect. We must all as a Philoptochos Society continue our mission of Philoptochos working together, side by side for the glory of God. As I have learned these past 18 months, serving as your Metropolis Philoptochos President, whether serving as president at the National, Metropolis or chapter level, it is an ongoing learning experience. I have found that communication and respect for one another are key issues that we must continue to focus on. There needs to be communication starting from National Philoptochos level disseminated all the way to our chapters and even our Clergy as well. The Metropolis board continues not only to pledge their support to the local chapters, by continuing the implementation of liaisons, but also to educate and mentor. Our chapters need to feel a connection with one another, and be educated with not only the true spirit of Philoptochos but understanding the global outreach of this awesome organization. So, this spring, let us be renewed and reenergized as we enter this beautiful time of year with passion and commitment for Philoptochos and its many ministries. On behalf of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Society, I thank you for your devoted service to Christ and to Philoptochos. May this spring bring a new beginning to all, and may we continue our work in the name of Philoptochos with peace, grace and love. In an effort to Stay Connected, The Metropolis Philoptochos Board has established a liaison program. Every Chapter will be assigned a liaison that will be able to answer questions and provided support as needed. The liaisons are listed below: Netsa Antonakos: Three Hierarchs, Champaign; Annunciation, Decatur Pam Argyris: St. Sophia, Elgin; SS. Constantine and Helen, Rockford; Assumption, Chicago Irene Arsoniadis: All Saints, Peoria and Joliet; St. Mary, Minneapolis; St. George, St. Paul, MN Lena Angelos: St. Demetrios, Elmhurst; Assumption, Hegewisch Georgia Barris: St. Andrew, South Bend, IN Pat Galanis: Assumption, Madison; Annunciation, Milwaukee; SS. Constantine and Helen, Wauwatosa Effie Galetsis: St. Nectarios; St. Athanasios, Aurora, St. Demetrios, Hammond Georgia Gavaris: Annunciation Cathedral; St. George, Chicago, St. George, Des Moine, IA Penny Geavaras: St. John the Baptist; St. Haralambos, Niles; St. Basil, Chicago Pat Gerbanas: St. Demetrios, Chicago; Holy Trinity, Sioux City, IA Cathy Gofis: SS. Constantine and Helen, Palos; Holy Anargyroi, Rochester, MN Christina Hiotis: Holy Trinity; St. George, Schereville, IN; SS Constantine and Helen, Merrilville, IN Marilyn Jemas: St. Nicholas, St. Louis; Assumption, Town and Country, MO; St. Luke, Columbia, MO Olga Paxinos: St. Spyridon; St. George, Rock Island; SS Constantine and Helen, Swansea Georgia Sarlas: St. Nicholas, Oak Lawn; Assumption, Orland Park, Annunciation, Kankakee Kathy Siavalas: St. Spyridon, Sheboygan, WI; Transfiguration of Our Lord, Mason City, IA; St. John the Baptist, Cedar Rapids, IA; Holy Trinity, Fond du Lac, WI Joanne Stavrakas: Sts. Peter and Paul, Glenview, Annunciation, Milwaukee Carol Stamas: Ascension of Our Lord; St. Demetrios, Libertyville; Holy Apostles, Westchester Helen Theodosakis: St. Iakovos, Valparaiso; St. Anthony, Springfield Patty Tsaoussis: Holy Cross, Justice; Assumption, East Moline Marilyn Tzakis: St. Andrew, St. George, DeKalb; Kimisis tis Theotokou, Racine With Sisterly Agape Irene Arsoniadis Metropolis President Help us stay connected. We want to hear from your chapter. us pictures and a description from your events to philoptochos.editor@gmail.com. To post information on the Calendar of Events, christinahiotis@gmail.com 2

3 3 The Annual Metropolis Quilt-a-thon on the south side of Chicago took place on Saturday, April 6, at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Hills, Illinois. It has been named and dedicated as "Maria Pazoles Memorial Quilt-a-thon" by His Grace Bishop Demetrios two years ago, in recognizing Maria's indelible efforts and contributions to this most heart warming and worthwhile project. The project has been supported in part from our Metropolis and mostly from donations and sponsors of the quilts. Although it is a year long project implemented by the diligent efforts of the Quilt-a-thon Committee, many of the quilts are finished on Quilta-thon day by Philoptochos Ladies from the surrounding parishes. A Lenten Lunch is made and served by the St. Helen Philoptochos Ladies. We were blessed this year with the presence of His Grace Bishop Demetrios who visited all the deferent stations to observe the making of the quilts and talk to the ladies. This year, about three hundred quilts were made, one hundred fleeces and one hundred neck roll pillows. The quilts are distributed to various Hospitals and Institutions such as, Children's Memorial, Comers, La Rabida, Hope, Crisis Center, Philoxenia House and more, to be given to children with life threatening diseases and to seriously ill children. By Cathy Gofis Saints Constantine and Helen s of Palos Hills Philoptochos President Janet Koliopoulos, His Grace Bishop DEMETRIOS, Fr. Nick Jonas. Fr. Tom Demedeiros, Fr. Nick Jonas, His Grace Bishop DEMETRIOS, and Quilt-a-thon Committee member, Sandy Smyrniotis 3

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5 5 Each year we are inspired by His Eminence Iakovos and His Grace Dimitri to continue the Metropolis tradition of creating beautiful quilts and fleece blankets for our young brothers and sisters in Christ. The excitement of honoring and highlighting our Lenten Journey as an Orthodox Christian community led by Fr. Jim Dokos and Fr. Dimitri Tobias, motivates us to come together in support of a most fragile population in our Metropolis. President Mary Ann Rasmussen welcomed neighboring Philoptochos members from parishes throughout the Metropolis and thanked Joan Kamberos, Karen Vensen,Tina Milnati and Georgia Barris for leading the effort as co-chairs. A total of 148 quilts were made for distribution to Cornerstone Community Center, U of I Hospital, Stroeger Hospital, and Lurie Children s Hospital. These handmade quilts and fleece blankets ease the suffering from the lifethreatening childhood diseases the young patients endure including homelessness. His Grace Bishop DEMETRIOS with President Mary Ann Rasmussen and volunteers A delicious Lenten luncheon was served chaired by Milly Pappas and Fran Mechales. In Christ's Love, Maryann Rasmussen President SS. Peter and Paul Above: Volunteers help make blankets Pictured Left: Volunteers help in kitchen 5

6 6 All Done...Great Job!! Fr. Dimitri Tobias, President Mary Ann Rasmussen, His Grace Bishop DEMETRIOS, Fr. Jim Dokos 6

7 7 THE HEALING MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH Chicago Metropolis Philoptochos Lenten Retreat Concluding Remarks By Christina Hiotis Board Member Chicago Metropolis Philoptochos Your Eminence, Your Grace, Reverend Fathers, Presbyteres, Distinguished Speakers, Metropolis President, Philoptochos Presidents, & Honored Guests: Good Morning and a very warm welcome to all. We wish to extend a very special thanks to the St. Demetrios Philoptochos President, Mrs. Athina Likouretsos, Philoptochos sisters and all of the St. Demetrios parish community for the exceptional hospitality, warmth, and friendship they have offered in hosting this event. When you truly love and enjoy something you go back for seconds; this is déjà vu for us; because we have come back for the second time to St. Demetrios Church. Therefore, for the second time, we would like to express our gratitude to Fr. Panagioti Malamis and Fr. Andrew Georganas for opening the doors of their hearts and their Church, with joy, to us so we can all pray in fellowship together in this great church hall. We also would like to thank our Metropolis Philoptochos President Irene Arsoniadis for providing guidance and leadership for this Retreat. I would be remiss if, on behalf of our Committee, I did not express our gratitude for the beautifully uplifting and spiritually rejuvenating presentations today by Fr. Dimitrios Kounavis and Mr. Konstantino Mitsopoulos. Thirty one years ago, our spiritual father, our shepherd, and our guide, His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos, laid down the tradition for us to set aside a day, to isolate ourselves from the worldly concerns, to forego the pressures of everyday life, and dedicate ourselves to learn and to reflect. For that, words are inadequate for us to thank him. He introduced holding the Lenten Retreat during the Megale Tessarakoste for us to gain spiritually and to arm ourselves against the temptations from the demons that we all face; to praise the Lord and to rejoice in personally feeling the four virtues of the Megale Tessarakoste: Prayer: Prayer is the balm that heals the wounds and comforts the afflicted. Prayer is that fortress that shields the sufferers of pain, and those who are falsely accused. Fasting: Fasting prepares us physically and mentally to approach our Lord and to find comfort in Him. Repentance: Repentance is our acknowledgment that we have sinned and our resolve not to sin again. Almsgiving: Almsgiving is our offering to fellow human beings, from whatever God s Grace has blessed us. When giving, those who give are blessed by God, as well as those who are given. Your Eminence, I would not be exaggerating, but the truth is, that this day that you have guided us to set aside, provides us spiritual food, it is like an oasis that the thirsty find in the desert, it inculcates in us the four virtues I have described, and it fortifies us with spiritual strength to deal effectively with the temptations we face in our daily lives. Our heartfelt prayers are that the Lord grant you years in health and bless us with your continued guidance. A cordial expression of thanks is also owed to His Grace Dimitrios of Mokissos, for his invaluable assistance and counsel in organizing this Lenten Retreat. 7

8 8 Your Grace, I want you to know that Kathy Siavelis was well prepared and ready with the theme from the beginning of January. After your input, the theme was modified to The Healing Ministry of the Church. Perfect, indeed, for these difficult times we are all living in. For, who better than Christ Himself as our Healer and Protector? Healing encompasses Love. Church is the House of Love. It serves as the Therapeutic Hospital where the sick is healed from his sufferings and pain, by the Shepherd who is the doctor. In the Church, we are healed from whatever afflicts us, whether it is spiritual, physical, or physiological, in the sense that if we are born with an ailment, we are healed with love, support, affection, tenderness, and protection. Therefore, Your Grace, the theme that you provided us for this Lenten Retreat is relevant to these painful days of economic difficulties and spiritual deprivation. All of us, whether we are big or little, old or young, rich or poor, need healing of some sort, and where do we look for this healing??? To our Church, for comfort and for salvation! Going through the days of the Megale Tessarakoste, we constantly have in our minds, The Good Shepherd, The Merciful, Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Healer, who has boundless and endless Love for us; Love that Heals with no exceptions. He Healed and gave Love, and when He needed to, He left the 99 sheep to go look for that one Lost one. That is Love. Because, big or small, we are all lost, and we seek deliverance from our Archipoimena, our Lord Jesus, and His Healing Ministry, which is our Church. We seek Healing and Guidance, cure from what ails us, from our Poimenes; our Priests and our Bishops, who, following in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus, dispense it, as our Shepherds, to us as their flock and their congregation. We thank you and we are very grateful for everything you do for us. May God give you health always. We wish everyone a Kale kai Evlogemene Tessarakoste and may Holy Pascha finds us in good health. 8

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12 12 Saint Spyridon, Palos Heights "BE AN ANGEL FOR ANGELA CAMPAIGN" October was a beautiful and busy month for the ladies of the St. Spyridon Philoptochos Society. We started with our Fall Luncheon on October 7th that was totally dedicated to our young parishioner Angela. Many people helped to make this fundraiser a huge success. The outpouring of good wishes, loving encouragement and kindness has made a profound impact on all of us. The funds generated from this campaign will help Angela get the physical therapy that she needs to improve her condition. Our heartfelt appreciation to our Sister Chapters, and all the individuals that responded with the most caring expression of love and generosity for Angela and her family. By Toula Georgiopoulos President Toula Georgiopoulos presents flowers to Angela Pictured Below: Angela Malfas with her brother Lambro and father. 12

13 13 St Demetrios, Chicago, IL Philoptochos held an awareness for breast cancer at their meeting. Attendees of Breast cancer awareness Attendees of Breast cancer awareness Attendees of Breast cancer awareness Philoptochos also participated in the Feed the Hungry Program. 13

14 14 Ethiopian Orthodox Choir Concert Holy Anargyroi SS Kosmas and Damianos, Rochester, MN Philoptochos Enrollment Sunday Holy Anargyroi Philoptochos Society hosted an Enrollment Sunday Event on Oct 9 th following Divine Liturgy. Philoptochos President Calli Kelly gave a talk defining the mission work of the Philoptochos Society and highlighted the various ways in which both men and women support our society at Holy Anargyroi. During coffee hour; we served loukoumathes and coffee for a free will donation and signed on new members as well as recognized our current members. This is our second year of hosting an Enrollment Sunday which was suggested last year by Father Mark. We have found that by educating our parish about our mission work; we have doubled in our membership, fundraisers, and most importantly, our ability to help others in need. On Sunday January 20 th, Holy Anargyroi Philoptochos Society and Saint George Ethiopian Orthodox Church hosted and an Ethiopian Orthodox Choir Concert right here at Holy Anarygroi. The proceeds from the concert go to Saint Athanasius Theological School in Democratic Republic of Congo which is in danger of closing. His Eminence Metropolitan Nikiforos sent a heart felt plea to his friend, our Father Mark, for financial assistance for the school. We have great gratitude for His Eminence s request because not only did we raise $1,235 dollars for the school; we were blessed in wonderful fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. A special thank you goes to Saint George Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Choir for their Christian love and generosity. The spiritual blessing is ours and the glory is God s! For all things are for your sakes, that grace having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. -Saint Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:15, the Epistle reading on January 20 th. An Afternoon in Paris Fashion Show The fashion show was on March 10, 2013 at Johnny Mango s in Rochester, MN. We shared our Philoptochos spirit with ladies from the Rochester community. Our GOYAns were the wait staff and we donated some of our proceeds to their upcoming Project Mexico trip. It is a wonderful example of how our Philoptochos and GOYA work together towards helping those in need. As I told the guests at the event Ministry starts young in the Orthodox Church. Maria Thomas and Soula Pampori, Holy Anargyroi's longest serving Philoptochos Presidents at eight years each, embrace during our Philoptochos Enrollment Sunday on Oct. 9,

15 15 Saint Mary s, Minneapolis, MN Greetings from Minneapolis! The St. Mary's Philoptochos Society hosted a membership tea on Sunday, February 3rd after liturgy. The tea encouraged every woman of our church to join Philoptochos and be a part of our sisterhood. Those who attended enjoyed a high tea with all the trimmings of tea sandwiches, scones, assorted fruit and a wonderful selection of pastries, cookies and tea cakes. Our chairwomen, Linda Hodge, Lamona Legeros and Debbie Theros would like to thank all who attended and their committee in making this a special afternoon. Next, Philoptochos hosted the annual Sweet Sunday event on Sunday, February 17th. This year the event included an update on the progress of our Chapter Challenge partnership with the Healing House. Healing House is a unique, Christian centered long-term residential recovery program for mothers in need and their children. Healing House directors joined us as guest speakers and the members of our parish generously donated $1,200 from the pastries and fruit provided by Philoptochos members. Thank you to the Sweet Sunday chairwomen, Jeanette Swenson, Mary Anderson, Athena Dascalos and Healing House Steering Committee for organizing the event. Membership tea In March, we hosted the Lenten Retreat on March 15th and 16th. This year's topic "The Sanctity of Life from the Womb to the Tomb" was presented by The Very Rev. John Kowalczyk. Three one-hour sessions were held over the two day retreat. In addition to Fr. John's sessions a kollyva making workshop was offered on Friday evening. April finds our Philoptochos preparing for the many events leading up to Great and Holy Pascha. We wish everyone a Kali Anastasi! 15

16 16 Saint Demetrios, Hammond, IN In February, our chapter celebrated Go Red Sunday. Our mother daughter chairwomen offered heart healthy snacks and breakfast items including homemade yogurt. In addition they shared material about heart health with our parishioners. On March 20 th, chairwoman Nancy Vlahos coordinated a Lenten Potluck for our church community. Members brought their favorite Lenten dishes to share with all who attended. This is an annual event and we are always excited about the many Lenten variations that are shared. Each year parishioners share their recipes and we publish a Lenten cookbook. Our Philoptochos traveled on Saturday, March 30 th to attend the annual Lenten Retreat at St. Demetrios in Elmhurst. It was wonderful to see all our friends and relatives from other chapters in our Metropolis. On April 7 th our Philoptochos Ladies sold Loukoumades as our Lenten fundraiser for Holy Cross College. Our parishioners enjoyed the yummy loukoumades with coffee during fellowship hour. This is always a nice Lenten treat and a great way for our chapter to raise money! We are eagerly awaiting Pascha and the many events and opportunities to support our church. This is also a time for our Philoptochos Ladies to shine literally. Our ladies came together with other parishioners to clean and prep our beautiful Chairwomen, Athena Snarskis and Athena Lyn Harrigan church for Easter. Our Philoptochos members also graciously host the Lenten desserts and coffee after every Salutation service on Fridays. On April 21 st our parish hosted His Grace Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos for the compline vesper services. In attendance were also other area priests and chanters. Our ladies Philoptochos graciously hosted the reception for all after the services. By Georgia Karnezis Pat Vrehas, Kathy Vrehas, Helen Condes, Georgia Karnezis, Ismini Arges, Helen Kounelis, Effie Hanes, Antonia Alexiou and Georgia Chioros 16

17 17 Annunciation, Wauwatosa, WI The Annunciation Philoptochos of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin has been very blessed with the many volunteers who have come forward to help us in our many projects. In addition to our traditional work of philanthropy, we have focused on a few new initiatives. Last Fall the Philoptochos purchased dinners from Annunciation Taste of Greece and treated the residents of the Greek Orthodox Manor. We also supplied gift cards to the Manor manager to assist her in guaranteeing that our residents have all their needs addressed. It was our pleasure to sponsor Father Angelo s trip to Madison to visit the Greek Orthodox students from our Community. Not only did our young adults have a wonderful time interacting with Father, they each received a gift of home baked koulouria from Philoptochos. What a wonderful outreach for our Philoptochos. Lastly, under the guidance of Father David, the Annunciation Philoptochos sponsored a Miracle Makeover at the Salvation Army House in downtown Milwaukee. Over 20 Annunciation volunteers transformed a dorm room into a sunny place for rest. We look forward to working with Father Angelo and Father David to continue these special programs. Fr. Angelo with his volunteers 17

18 18 St. George, Schererville, IN Typically, when we think of the first couple months of the year in the Midwest, we think of them as slow, too cold to do anything, not too much going on.well that s not so true for the Philoptochos of St. George in Schererville, Indiana. We have been doing our best to spread Philanthropy, never mind the weather or the time of year! Here are some of the things we have been involved with: In January, we held our parish Vasilopita to help raise funds for St. Basil Academy. Many of us attended the Metropolis city-wide Vasilopita at St. Nectarios where a lovely time was had by all. In February, we celebrated Go Red for Women s Health with a continental breakfast & presentation. While enjoying low fat, low carb, low sugar breakfast items, we were fortunate to have one of our very own parishioners who is a dentist speak to us about how Dental Health relates to women s health issues. We all left the fellowship room full and informed! In March, we hosted a LENTEN FAMILY RETREAT. The topic this year was Cultivating the fruits of the Holy Spirit. As with our Go Red event, we were fortunate enough to have another one of our parishioners as the keynote speaker. This was a very well-attended event by adults and youth alike. Also in March, we sold delicious Loukoumades made by our Fantastic Loukoumades Baking Team to help support a group of our parishioners who will be attending and walking in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk in June. While those are some of the highlights, the on-going projects are things we do weekly. Such as: Collecting Pop Top tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, Coupons for Veterans, Supplying needed items to the local Food Pantry, and our well-loved Snack Packs program for our college-bound students. Our Ladies are gearing up for our 2 nd Celebration of Tables, it s our Major Spring fundraiser to help our Northwest Indiana Food Bank.. We are looking forward to all the creative talents within our community. Coming Soon: OUR VERY OWN Cook Book more details to come Ladies preparing for the Breast Cancer Fundraiser Feeding The Hungry Walking for a cause Breast Cancer Ribbons Board 18

19 19 St. Luke The Evangelist, Columbia, MO On April 13, we were honored to have Protopresbyter George D. Dragas as our speaker at our Lenten Spiritual Retreat. Fr. George is an expert in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, he has written and translated many books, and is a Professor at both the Greek Orthodox seminary in Boston, MA and the Russian Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY. Together with our guests from St. Louis and Kansas City, we all enjoyed a wonderful and spiritually uplifting day in which we prayed, learned and were inspired. Fr. George talked to us on the topic The Resurrection of the Body According to the Holy Fathers. We left happy and inspired to continue our journey toward a joyous Pascha. On Sunday, February 17, all women at St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church took women's health to heart by wearing red in support of the American Heart Association's "Go Red" campaign. Philoptochos sponsored the event to help raise awareness towards the heart disease, the number one killer of women. We organized coffee hour after church and provided information from the American Heart Association that might save our life or the life of someone close to us. In conjunction with this event, we also hosted a Philoptochos membership drive. The Membership Committee put together a "Go Red Basket of Goodies" that was raffled off at the coffee hour for all Philoptochos members who joined or re-joined the organization this year. It was a successful event supported not only by women but also by men and children. Ina Cernusca presenting a small gift to Fr. George Dragas, Fr. Michael Monos on the right side. In the picture, from front to back: Joie Grant, Aliyana Kardon Arita Travlos, Froso Kallas, Karen Sade, Jean Monos, Ina Cernusca, Vicki Kardon, Smrithi Jacob, Coca Popescu, Koula Kardon, Soula Godas, Sara Zacharias Robin Terzopoulos, Ava Terzopoulos, Julie Kalaitzandonakes, Ileana Constantinescu, Julia Grant, Donna Hoffman, Maria Kalaitzandonakes, Olga Fowler. 19

20 20 St. Nicholas, Oak Lawn IL This past winter was no time for hibernation for the ladies of St. Nicholas in Oak Lawn! Along with the usual grind, our members prepared, celebrated and hosted some major events. On February 8 th, we celebrated the 100 th birthday of our longtime devoted member Ida Sellas. She was presented with flowers in church immediately following the Divine Liturgy and honored with a reception at coffee fellowship hour. Many members of our parish, along with Ida s family came to offer their best wishes of continued health and many more years! We immediately made our preparations for our annual cooking demonstration and luncheon, held on February 16. This year s theme: Horiatiki Kouzina. Attendees were treated to a luncheon of demonstrated items that featured spitisio psomi, taramosalata, fakes, hoirino me selino and yiaourti. The menu was a big hit and was the most well-attended cooking event to date! We even had one of our repeat guests arrange to come in to attend all the way from Georgia!! Ladies preparing our Lenten Fare for our Annual Koulouma Dinner Next, we went on to host our Kathara Deftera Lenten Dinner in March and just came off the heels of hosting our local Oratorical Festival for our young people, where a scholarship award was given to the Senior Division winner and a trip to Fanari Camp given to the Junior Division Winner. Of course, we are now on our journey to prepare for and celebrate Great and Holy Pascha. We would like to extend our wishes to everyone for a blessed Pascha! Καλή Ανάσταση!!! Senior Division Winner Alexander Patsaves, Fr. Michael Constantinides, President Georgia Sarlas, Junior Division Winner Yiannis Tsakonas Elaine Kamberos demonstrates here taramosalata skill. Celebrating a successful event! Seatied left to right: Kulla Vranas, Tasia Manasses, Eleni Stahopoulos, Kathy Angelos, Georgia Angelopoulos, Tasia Panou. Standing left to right: Tasia Platipodis, Doreen Galanes 20

21 21 St. Athanasios, Aurora, IL Assumption, Orland Park, IL St. Athanasios had tons of fun with their Trivia Night Fundraiser held on March 9. Philoptochos Mardi Gras Glendi of Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Orland Park, Illinois. held on March 10 th, 2013 at Georgios Banquet Hall. Pictured Left: Frances Dimitriou, President of Philoptochos welcoming everyone Pictured Below: Kay Phillips and Andrew Dimitriou President Stephanie Altidis poses with the ten amigos. There was a huge fiesta at this table! Listening for the answers to the trivia from the Texans Sitting behind..can t hear, speak up! Members of Philoptochos, Mary Liontakis and Genie Georgacopoulos starting the night of dancing. 21

22 22 SS Constantine and Helen s, Palos Hills, IL St. Helen Women's Philoptochos of Saints Constantine & Helen Church, Palos Hills, Illinois, hosted a "Wine Tasting Seminar" on Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 in the East Room of our church complex. Young and old, men and women, wine experts and wine novices came to learn and taste new wines. We had a beautiful buffet of heavy appetizers, sweets and desserts baked by our ladies from our very own cookbook, "Treasured Recipes and Memories". Vendors sold their wares and donated items to be added to the wonderful raffle that helped raise funds for our charity of choice for the evening. We were able to donate $3000 to the "Martha and Mary House", a joint Pan Orthodox venture for pregnant women who have no where to turn for help with housing and decisions regarding their new baby. A fun time was had by all. Our guests enjoying the buffet Cindy Chmura, Elaine Roupas, Susan Kamberos Deanne Savide back row, Cathy Gofis, Chairperson, Georgia Vouris, Maria Visvardis- front row, President, Janet Koliopoulos and Metropolis President, Irene Arsoniadis 22

23 23 Holy Apostles, Westchester, IL Holy Apostles Philoptochos Lenten Service Project Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. This often-quoted thought of Margaret Mead really came to life at Holy Apostles on April 13 th when 35 multi-generational participants gathered to create and sew 57 dresses for the Dress a Girl Around the World project. About 20 more dresses were cut and accessorized; they await final sewing touches to be added to our collective donation. The dresses made as a result of this project will be sent to villages outside Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, Africa. The mothers or girls who receive these gifts must prove themselves worthy by learning a skill such as sewing or harvesting a garden. Our volunteers filled four Sunday School classrooms to offer their gifts of time, talent, creativity and love as they pulled fabric and trim to sew the colorful cotton dresses, in assembly line fashion. The fabric moved from cutting station, to the pressing station to the seamstresses. Joni Dimitri, owner of Needle N Thread, Karen Chiganos, JoAnn Stubbings, Eleni and Maria Starova were the lead seamstresses. Special appreciation is extended to our eight junior seamstresses who showed great talent and ability to spend their time working for a humanitarian cause. A delicious lunch was provided to refuel the busy workers and to share fellowship. Special thanks to Joni Dimitri who supplied so many of the fabrics and supplies. Three extraordinary seamstresses worked from their homes in their spare time, to sew exquisite dresses, Kathy Beshilas, Mary Flessor, and Joanne Pekras. We are grateful to Cynthia Stathopoulos for organizing the event and to Elaine Katzioris for leading the creative design team. Finally, the inspiration for taking on this project came from our Philoptochos sisters at St. Basil s Church after they made a moving presentation at a Metropolis President s Meeting last year. The mission of Dress a Girl is to make a difference in the lives of women. Volunteers throughout the United States and around the world gather to sew and distribute dresses to girls in need. Dresses travel to impoverished areas of Africa, Central American, and the Appalachian Mountain region here in the U.S. The village pastors of Africa have told the organization that by giving a girl a new dress, it raises her dignity as well as how she is viewed by others. The Dress a Girl label on each dress indicates that this girl is under the care of an organization. Dress a Girl Around the World is a program of Hope 4 Women International, a legal division of Hope 4 Kids International, a 501 faith-based organization. For more information visit, Volunteers preparing garments Volunteers preparing garments Volunteers preparing garments 23

24 24 Ascension of our Lord, Lincolnshire, IL Ascension of our Lord had a coat drive. Guests of the Apokreatiko Glendi Children enjoying the Apokreatiko Glendi Coat Drive to Benefit SEDOL (Special Education District of Lake County). Two of our GOYA members helped Philoptochos deliver over 100 coats! Left to Right: Jaime Duros and Emma Rutkowski Guests of the Apokreatiko Glendi The Ascension of Our Lord Philoptochos had its annual Apokreatiko Glendi on Sunday, March 10 at the Concorde in Kildeer. The money raised goes to support local, national, and international organizations. 24

25 25 Dear Editors, We are delighted to submit our pictures and fact sheet about a new initiative we were inspired to create following the National Clergy Laity conference in Arizona! The excitement of honoring and highlighting October as "Philoptochos Breast Cancer Month" motivated to start what we hope to be an annual tradition for our Metropolis. Three chapters worked together to create an unforgetable evening of support, fellowship and celebration (details in the fact sheet). We had a dietetian as one of the many vendors that participated and offered nutritional advise, gift ideas, etc.. The event is P.O.P - Power of Pink and it was designed in collaboration of three Philoptochos chapters (first of its kind) to benefit the American Cancer Society's (ACS) Patient Navigation Services (PNS) a program that gives free services and support to all women in all communities by removing barriers to receiving health care and treatment. These heroes battling cancer have the opportunity to focus on beating the disease because of the PNS program the American Cancer Society. We did our research and 100% of the designated PNS funds go directly to impact the patients. Hundreds of underserved women battling breast cancer in the Stroger Hospital community received free wigs, prosthesis, bras and services with our gift. The ACS has many programs for the people that fit within our beloved Philoptochos mission and we are grateful for the effort and opportunity to help our fellow sisters. This year we have more churches interested and the planning process is beginning. We are happy to include as many as wish to participate. We hope we can be included in the upcoming Philoptochos Focus addition. We were delayed in sending you this information due to a glitch with the check presentation picture. We wanted to be all inclusive of all the committee and had to wait. Please let me know if you need anything else or if I need to direct this to a different staff member. In Christ's Love, Maryann Rasmussen President 25

26 26 Happy 100 th Birthday to Ida Sellas, pictured here with family members from St. Nicholas, Oak Lawn His Grace Bishop DEMETRIOS of Mokissos and Koula Pitsis. Happy Birthday Your Grace! 26

27 27 May 05/18 St. Nicholas, St. Louis, Mo: Festival of Tables 05/23 St. George, Schererville, IN: Celebration of the Tables Fundraiser June 06/08 Metropolis Chapters Presidents St. Nicholas, Oak Lawn, IL September 09/21 Metropolis Annual Luncheon October 10/02 to 10/06 Metropolis Clergy-Laity Conference at Holy Trinity, Sioux City, IA We, as members of the National Philoptochos Society, are committed to helping those in need. Our chapters support 17 National ministry commitments, which were passed by the delegates at our Biennial National Conventions. The impact of your donations cannot be measured as we endeavor to help those less fortunate. Remember to use the coupon books (which identify which commitment to send in) that have been sent to each chapter, and remit directly to: The National Philoptochos Office 7 West 55 th Street, 7 th Floor, New York, NY For additional information, visit 10/5 St Nectarios Luncheon and Fashion Show 10/12 Children s Medical Fund Luncheon hosted by Metropolis of Pittsburgh 10/19 Holy Apostles, Westchester: Annual Luncheon & Fashion Show at Carlyle 10/19 St. Basil, Chicago: Dress-a-Girl Around the World Project s Sewing Session 10/19 10/20 St. Nicholas, Oak Lawn, Fall Bazaar 10/31 SS Cosmas & Damianos Vespers at St. Demetrios, Elmhurst, IL November 11/01 SS Cosmas & Damianos Liturgy at St. Demetrios, Elmhurst, IL Editors Mission Statement The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. is the duly Accredited women s philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The mission of the Society shall be: To Aid the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of the impoverished persons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the Church through fundraising efforts, And To promote the charitable, benevolent, and philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, through instructional programs, presentations, lectures, seminars and other educational resources; To preserve and perpetuate Orthodox Christian concepts and the Orthodox Christian Family, and through them, to promote the Greek Orthodox Faith and traditions, in accordance with its doctrines, canons, discipline, divine worship, usages and customs; Efthimia Galetsis Christine Voutiritsas To promote participation in the activities of the Greek Orthodox community, with the cooperation of the Parish Priest and the Parish Council. The charitable work of the Society shall be performed with discretion, courtesy and kindness. 27

28 28 Published by: The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society Metropolis of Chicago Place postage here