S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H. Glad Tidings

Transcription

1 St. Paul, MN March 2010 Volume 16, Issue 3 A Word from Father Rick S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Glad Tidings It s Not Too Late A s we enter into the month of March this year, there is still five weeks before Great and Holy Pascha. That means there is plenty of time to make use of Great and Holy Lent (Megali Tessarakosti) as period of return toward our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Now the devil and his demons will be telling us exactly the opposite, pointing out all our shortcomings and failures in the spiritual life. He ll say, You have not fasted properly, you have succumb again to your habitual sin, you have not attended the extra worship services as you planned, so just give up forget it. You ll never make it. We cannot listen to Satan, who is the father of lies. Because it is not too late, in fact it is never too late to return to God. So how can we make the most of the time left in the Journey to Pascha? Things to Remember First Patriarch Bartholomew, in his Catechetical Homily for Great Lent, pointed out one of the lines from a hymn in Forgiveness Vespers that says, begin the time of fasting with joy, submitting ourselves to spiritual struggle. He goes on to say, Therefore, what is demanded is a joyful disposition in order to embrace fervently the spiritual struggle of this period of contrition in purification and prayerfulness. Fasting, abstinence, frugality, restriction of personal desires, intense prayer, confession, and similar ascetic elements are essential to the period of Great Lent and should not be considered burdensome obligations or unbearable duties that result in despondency or dejection. These literally constitute a prescription for salvation. And encourage us to surrender to all forms of greed and ignore the challenges of commercial advertising, which constantly promotes new and false necessities. Inside: Registry, pg. 3; Parish Announcements pgs. 4-5; Youth News pg. 8 Fr. Vasile Catalin Tudora, in his article titled Fasting Abundantly, states that Fasting is not only about giving up, but it is actually more about gaining, about being able to reach things that are possible only through spiritual exercise. He implies that many people reduce fasting/abstinence to their own frivolous renunciations such as giving up chocolate and abstaining from Facebook. However, true fasting involves radical sacrifice of essentially good things, e.g. food. Fr. Vasile goes on to say that, Controlling the body through fasting directs the entire human being towards God, because a body subdued by fasting brings the human spirit freedom, strength, sobriety, purity and keen discernment (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov). In a paradoxical way by starving the body the entire human being is nourished spiritually and is able to ascend on high, to contemplate lofty things and to put the heavenly higher than the pleasant and pleasurable things of life (St. John Chrysostom). Finally, Fr. Tudora adds, we don t want however to reduce the experience of fasting to a mere vegetarian diet. As St. Basil the Great advises, True fasting lies in rejecting evil, holding one s tongue, suppressing one s hatred, and banishing one s lust, evil words, lying and betrayal of vows. (Continued on page 2)

2 Glad Tidings Page 2 (Continued from page 1) Practical Stuff for Lent So how can I apply these principles in a practical way? My first suggestion is to consult your spiritual father. Each person is unique, with his/her own strengths and weaknesses, with his/her own life context, and at a different point in spiritual maturity. Therefore, advice and guidance with regards to ascetical practice will vary from person to person because of their unique needs and challenges. Having said that, I would offer the following general guidelines: Crawl before you walk, walk before you run, and run before you try to fly. In other words, the spiritual life is progressive. Start slow, build a solid foundation before adding more layers of difficulty or complexity. Fasting- Do not eat meat, dairy or fish. Reduce overall consumption. Try skipping a meal or two per day. Fast from sinful words & actions. Don t make up your own fasting rules! Follow the Church s wisdom. If you ve never fasted before, start with meat, then progress to abstention from dairy products, then fish, then oil. Reduce overall intake of food because there is always the danger of over-indulgence even with fasting foods. Prayer- Seek to pray every day. Use an Orthodox prayer book to guide your prayer but also incorporate your own words and experiences. Say the Jesus Prayer repeatedly throughout day using prayer rope, Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner and cleanse me. Say the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim at least once each day. O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power and idle talk. Rather, give to me Your servant a spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother and sister. For You are holy always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen! If you re not in the regular habit of prayer, you will have difficulty starting and maintaining even 10 to 15 minutes. It s better to do five minutes of prayer every day than to do thirty minutes once per week. Worship- Plan to attend Lenten services each week: Saturday and Sunday Vespers, Monday Compline, Wednesday Presanctified Liturgy, Friday Akathist Hymn. Again, start slow and build but we must be more than mere Sunday morning worshippers. A person who does not attend any Lenten worship services is missing a huge opportunity and will never understand the true spirit of the season of joyful sorrow. In addition, seek opportunities to serve and participate more within the worship services themselves by volunteering to read, chant and sing. Almsgiving- Take time and money you have saved through fasting (i.e. not eating as much, not going out to restaurants and other entertainment as much, etc.) and give it away to serve the poor and the needy. Volunteer to work hands on to help the lowly in society. This is where we will meet Christ. Our current Lenten lecture series on Missions is raising awareness about these opportunities. Quiet Time- Turn off the television, radio, computer, internet, etc. Sit down for meals with family. Do not participate in entertaining/celebratory activity. The joyful sorrow mentioned above is the experience we have during Lent where we are sad when we separate ourselves from our idols through asceticism. This sadness may compound when we, in turn, begin to see the sinful state of our life. However, at the same time, we begin to experience light and joy as we awaken to God s presence in our life. The extremely busy and hectic pace of life in modern society will hamper this process. Slow down! Reading- Seek to read daily the Holy Scripture. If you re not in the habit, start with the gospels, reading one chapter per day. You can also follow the Lenten lectionary of Church which pre- (Continued on page 6)

3 Registry January 19, 2010 Births Benjamin, born to Jackie & Marc Hertz Memorials St. Paul, MN Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours Mondays-Friday 9:00 AM--3:00 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) Page 3 December 6, 2009 Festal Icons Needed Ethel-Athanasia (4 years) Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $50.00 per icon. The icons are displayed in the church nave and are put out for veneration on the Feast Day of the Saint or event they represent. To donate an icon, fill out a form (found on the bulletin board by the kitchen) and return it to the office. Flight Into Egypt Theotokos Tree of Jesse Archangel Gabriel Lori Kurtyka, Administrative Assistant (651) Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President (507) chadwick@ptslaw.com Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Rebekah Moll, Youth Minister (763) Around Town The Symposium of Romanian Orthodox Spirituality entitled: Nicaea and Constantinople: A Confession of Faith, Witness and Source of Unity will take place on Saturday, March 6, 2010 from 12:30-4:30 pm in John Roach Center Auditorium, on the University of St. Thomas Campus 2115 Summit Ave, St. Paul. Participants will hear five different lectures offered by five theologians, as well as enjoy question and answer periods. Alongside is a display area with icons and cultural artifacts representative of the Romanian spiritual experience. The event is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, please visit Following the symposium, St. Stephen s Church in South St. Paul invites all MEOCCA Clergy and parishioners to Great Vespers at 6 pm, followed by a Romanian Lenten dinner. All are invited! Andrea Faches, Sunday School Director (507) afaches@msn.com Stella Hofrenning, Greek School Director Jennifer Argeros, Glad Tidings Editor Sue Gnetz and Sandra Thole, Loaves and Fishes Coordinators suegnetz@yahoo.com, quadmom196@yahoo.com Submissions for upcoming issues are due by the 11th of the preceding month.

4 Glad Tidings Page 4 Parish Announcements 1135 Summit Update The home next door to the church is still for sale. The list price is now $1,249,000. We ask everyone to pray that the Lord enlighten and inspire any person (or group of persons) to consider purchasing the home and donating it to the parish. Many good possibilities exist for using the home to enhance or expand our ministries. Orthodox Media The Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) produces the Come Receive the Light (CRTL) weekly radio broadcast. Through OCN, we have own online radio station, accessed through our parish website. This station is not yet being used to its fullest potential. We need a station manager to help us make full use of the station. If interested contact Fr.Rick. The CRTL program which broadcasts Saturdays at 5:00pm on KKMS 980AM. You can also listen on the internet anytime along with an array of other Orthodox Christian programming on Ancient Faith Radio also has excellent programming: Please make use of these excellent resources. Year End Stewardship Statements Statements were mailed out recently. Please check your statement for accuracy and call Lori at the parish office to clarify or correct any errors. Photography & Photos We encourage everyone to take pictures at our various parish events. They are a great way to preserve memories of wonderful experiences and serve to create and keep a historical record. Please your pictures to photos@stgeorgegoc.org so we can upload them to our parish online album Stewardship 2010 Update So far 72 families have pledged $106,517 for an average of $1,479. And 47% of our stewardship goal is pledged. The theme Come & See reminds us of Jesus words to the Apostle Andrew when he asked, Where are you staying? After Jesus asked them, What do you seek (John 1:38-39). Jesus says to each one of us, Your true desire is to find God, your Creator. Come follow me and you will see Him. Thus we must move, change and grow in order to find God. We cannot remain static. The same is true of our stewardship of God s gifts. We must grow in our sacrificial & generous offerings of Time, Talents and Treasures to Him in the life of the Church. Lenten Lecture Themes Set Wednesday lectures will be on Melody of Prayer: The Meaning of the 8 Tones and Friday lectures will be on Missions: The Universe is our Parish. Please consider hosting a Lenten meal. Loaves & Fishes St. George served close to 125 people during a very cold and snowy night. Thanks to all volunteers who came out in the snow to help serve. We appreciate all our cooks, servers and clean-up volunteers. We will be serving again in April and all are welcome to serve those who are less fortunate. Daughters of Penelope News Our next meeting is Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. Please remember to give your 2010 dues to Secretary, Georgia A. Erich if you have not already done so. We are still collecting addresses for our Eurydice Chapter 21, District 14 and Supreme Headquarters.

5 St. Paul, MN Page 5 Parish Announcements Philoptochos Update Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 2nd at 1:30 p.m. The February meeting was canceled due to unfavorable winter road conditions. Sunday, March 7 we will have a special tray collection to help support the operational costs at Holy Cross/Hellenic College. Please remember to give your free-will Philoptochos membership offering to Sandra Thole, Treasurer. National Philoptochos President, Aphrodite, Skeadas, and her committee are working to launch the National Membership Serve List by September. As a result, we are collecting the addresses of the Philoptochos ladies. Pie Sale Fundraiser Discontinued The Parish Council voted at its February meeting to discontinue the Pie Sale fundraiser for St. George. In recent years, we have cut back the fundraiser from two to one sales because of a steep decline in revenues caused by increasing competition. The most recent sale netted the church less than $2,000 and the effort expended to continue the fundraiser did not seem commensurate with the reward. If you ve any questions or would like more details, feel free to contact Eric Chadwick or one of the other members of the Parish Council. Practical Stuff for Lent Fasting- do not eat meat, dairy or fish; reduce intake; skip a meal or two per day; Fast from sinful words & actions. Prayer- pray each day; use prayerbook; say Jesus Prayer throughout day using prayer rope; Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim each day; attend Lenten worship services each week: Sat. Sun.-Vespers, Mon.-Compline, Wed.-Liturgy, Fri.-Akathist; seek opportunities to serve & participate more in worship. Almsgiving- take time & money you would spend on yourself and give it away to serve the poor & needy. Quiet Time- turn off tv and radio; sit down meals with family; do not participate in entertaining/celebratory activity. Reading- read one chapter per day from Scripture (start w/ gospels); follow lenten lectionary of Church (Genesis, Proverbs, Isaiah); read lives & teachings of Saints & Church Fathers; attend bible study. Repentance- participate in Sacrament of Confession. Online Resource for Lent The Archdiocese has a special web site dedicated to this holy season. Find resources for prayer, reflection, worship and more. This site (lent.goarch.org) has special articles on the Sundays and disciplines of Lent, fasting, and prayer. Listen to hymns, follow the daily Scripture readings, prepare for special services and observances, and order resources to help you through your Lenten journey. Scholarships Available from the Archdiocese Applications are now available online for the three scholarship programs administered by the Archdiocese Office of the Chancellor. Visit archdiocese/administration/ chancellor/scholarships to download information and applications on the Gioles and Malta Scholarships, and the Paleologos Graduate Scholarship. The deadline for all applications is April 20, 2010.

6 Glad Tidings Page 6 Father Rick continued from pg. 2 scribes readings from Genesis, Proverbs, Isaiah. Again start slow and steady. It s better to read one chapter each day than to read thirty chapters once per month. You can also read the lives and teachings of Saints and the Church Fathers. Start attending bible study in order to better understand what you are reading and apply to your life. Repentance- Confess your sins to God each day in prayer. Forgive those who have hurt you by word or by deed. Apologize and ask for forgiveness from those you have hurt. Participate in the Mystery of Penance. Many people do not participate regularly or at all in the Sacrament of Confession. The reasons may vary but the reality is they cut themselves off from one of the most powerful vehicles of God s grace and forgiveness. There are only three sacraments we can receive on a regular basis: The Eucharist, Holy Unction and Holy Confession. All three are intimately linked together, so receiving one or two without the other is spiritually inappropriate and dangerous because we are trying to lay hold of God on our own terms. This is the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. Perhaps the Sacrament of Confession is the most difficult for people to approach because it practically requires deep faith and trust in another person. We come before that person and open up our hearts and minds to share the most intimate and deeply personal aspects of our life. We hope that the priest will handle these matters with sensitivity, respect and care while seeking to bring God s forgiveness and guidance into the situation. Placing faith and trust in the spiritual father is an indispensable element of maturing in faith towards God. Some may be hesitant to receive the Mystery of Penance because they re not sure what is going to happen. Let me say that Holy Confession is conducted in the church temple, with just the confessor (priest) and the penitent (repentant person) present. We start in the narthex by the candles reading the petitions and prayers (Trisagion and 50 th Psalm) of the brief service. Then, the two either stand or sit at the front of the nave (near the icon of Christ) while the penitent confesses. The priest will often ask questions to better discern the matter in order to give the best advice/feedback. If appropriate, after the confession is complete, the prayer of forgiveness is read by the priest over the penitent who kneels before the icon of Christ. I hope this information may be helpful. Final Thoughts The time will pass quickly and before you know it Holy Week will be upon us. Take advantage of the time of Great Lent. It s kind of like the Spring training the baseball players are doing in Florida and Arizona right now. They are devoting extra time for weight-lifting, drills, practices and scrimmages while listening to the coaches and other players help them improve their techniques and strategies before the regular season begins. Remember, it s not too late for us to begin the heavy lifting of prayer, the drilled discipline of fasting, the practice of heavenly worship here on earth, the scrimmage of battling poverty and hunger, while reading about traversing the spiritual life from the experts who preceded us. Finally, it s not too late to talk with and listen to our coaches, our spiritual fathers and mothers, give us individual instruction as they seek to help prepare us for the regular season of living in Christ our Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, it s never too late to return to God. Amen! Blessed Rest of Lent and Holy Week, +Fr. Rick

7 St. Paul, MN Page 7 YOUTH NEWS UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS.Festival of Nations The Greek School children and teen dance groups are practicing every Sunday after Liturgy. If you want your child to join either dance group, contact Stella Hofrenning. All other information is posted on the Festival of Nations board in the Social Hall. Photos from the 2010 Metropolis Western Region Basketball Tourney - February 5-7, 2010 Overland Park, MO. Father Rick proudly presents the parish youth participants of this year s Oratorical Festival, held January 31, (below) Please put the following dates on your calendar: Saturday, March 13th - Dance auditions at the International Institute Sunday, March 28th - Greek Independence Day dance performances (Please note this date change) Thursday, April 29th - Children dance performance at the River Center Saturday, May 1st - Children and teen dance performances at the River Center Lenten Youth Activities A reminder that there are youth talks/activities every Friday night beginning at 7:30pm during Lent following the Lenten services (and during the adult lectures).

8 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No. 177 Phone: Fax: Web Site: Weekday Worship Schedule REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES Compline Services 6pm on Mondays, March 1, 8, 15, 22 Ninth Hour and Presanctified Liturgies 5:30pm and 6:00pm on Wednesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24 Akathist/Salutations 6:00pm, Fridays, March 5, 12, 19 Holy Week 7:00pm Bridegroom Service, Monday, March 29 9:00am Presanctified Liturgy, Tuesday, March 30 7:00pm Bridegroom Service, Tuesday, March 30 3:00pm Holy Unction Service, Wednesday, March 31 7:00pm Bridegroom Service w/holy Unction, Wednesday, March 31 Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: (September May) Saturday 5 pm Orthros: Sunday 8:30 am 8:15 am Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:45 am 10:00 am Sunday School: (September - May) 9:30 am

9 March 2010 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30pm NINTH *12:30pm Symposium HOUR +6:00pm on Orthodox +6:00pm +6:00pm AKATHISTOS Spirituality at St. COMPLINE *1:30pm PRESANCTIFIED SERVICE Thomas University SERVICE Philoptochos Mtg. LITURGY *5:00pm Radio *7:00pm Catechism *7:30pm LENTEN *7:30pm LENTEN Program KKMS980am Class MEAL & LECTURE MEAL & LECTURE +6:00pm VESPERS at St. Stephen Rom. + STRICT FAST OF GREAT LENT RD SUNDAY +40 MARTYRS OF LENT - OF SEBASTE VENERATION OF CROSS +6:00pm +8:15am +6:00pm COMPLINE AKATHISTOS ORTHROS SERVICE +5:30pm NINTH SERVICE *9:30am Sunday HOUR *7:00pm Jr.GOYA School Classes *7:00pm Youth +6:00pm Youth- Winter Retre *5:00pm Radio +10:00am LITURGY & Family Ministry Mt*7:00pm Bible PRESANCTIFIED *7:00pm Parish *7:30pm LENTEN Program * Youth Sunday Study at Fr. Rick's LITURGY Council MEAL & LECTURE KKMS 980am + Offering for Holy *7:00pm Catechism Home *7:30pm LENTEN +5:00pm VESPERS Cross Seminary Class MEAL & LECTURE + STRICT FAST OF GREAT LENT TH SUNDAY OF LENT - ST. JOHN CLIMACUS +9:30am Divine +8:15am Liturgy w/ Fr. John ORTHROS +6:00pm Chagnon in Eau *9:30am Sunday +5:30pm NINTH AKATHISTOS Claire, WI School Classes HOUR SERVICE +10:00am LITURGY +6:00pm *5:00pm Radio Daylight Savings +6:00pm PRESANCTIFIED *5:00pm Spiritual *7:30pm LENTEN Program Time Begins COMPLINE LITURGY Life Cmte MEAL & LECTURE KKMS 980am *11:30am Acolyte SERVICE +5:00pm VESPERS Training *7:30pm LENTEN *6:00pm GOYA *11:30am Parish *7:00pm Catechism MEAL & LECTURE Youth- Bowling & Assembly Class Lenten Lock-in + STRICT FAST OF GREAT LENT TH SUNDAY GREEK +LAZAROS OF LENT - ST. INDEPENDENCE SATURDAY MARY OF EGYPT DAY +8:00am ORTHROS +8:15am +5:30pm NINTH +9:00am LITURGY ORTHROS +6:00pm HOUR +ANNUNCIATION *9:30am Sunday COMPLINE +6:00pm *10:30am Youth School Classes SERVICE PRESANCTIFIED +8:00am ORTHROS Cleaning & Retreat +10:00am LITURGY LITURGY +9:00am LITURGY *5:00pm Radio *11:30am Choir *7:00pm Catechism *7:00pm Stewardsh *7:30pm LENTEN Program KKMS980am Practice Class Cmte MEAL & LECTURE +5:00pm VESPERS + STRICT FAST OF GREAT LENT PALM SUNDAY +ST. INNOCENT- * Bishop Demetrios +9:00am APOSTLE TO Visit PRESANCTIFIED AMERICA +8:15am LITURGY +3:00pm HOLY ORTHROS UNCTION SERVICE +10:00am LITURGY *12:00pm Ahepa +7:00pm +7:00pm +7:00pm Fish Dinner BRIDEGROOM BRIDEGROOM BRIDEGROOM *Greek IndependenceSERVICE SERVICE SERVICE w/ Holy Celebration Unction *4:00pm LENTEN VESPERS at St. Herman OCA + GREAT AND HOLY WEEK + + STRICT FAST OF GREAT LENT + Coming in April GREAT & HOLY PASCHA BRIGHT/RENEWAL WEEK No Fasting 6 - STS. RAPHAEL, NICHOLAS & IRENE - Bright Week Breakfast 10 - Metropolis Oratorical Festival St. George Parish Feastday Celebration 25 - ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST Festival of Nations St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN Rev. Father Richard Demetrius Andrews -- Phone: (651)

10 WEDNESDAYS THEME: Melody of Prayer- The Meaning of the 8 Tones by Fr. Richard Andrews DATE February 17 February 24 March 3 March 10 March 17 TOPIC Introduction & 1 st Tone 2 nd Tone & 3 rd Tone 4 th Tone and Plagal 1 st Tone Plagal 2 nd Tone and Varis Tone Plagal 4 th Tone and Conclusion FRIDAYS THEME: Missions- The Universe is our Parish by various speakers DATE TOPIC SPEAKER February 19 FOCUS- Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve Fr. Nicholas Kasemeotes February 26 Ecological Musings from the Garden Dr. Vigen Guroian, PhD March 5 IOCC- International Orthodox Christian Charities Dan Christopulos, MDiv March 12 OCPM- Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Fr. Duane Pederson March 19 OCMC- Orthodox Christian Mission Center Nathan Hoppe, MDiv 6:00PM 7:30PM 8:00PM 8:30PM 8:45PM SCHEDULE Lenten Service Lenten Community Meal Lecture Q&A Conclude Wednesday s Theme: Melody of Prayer- The Meaning of the 8 Tones Byzantine music is an integral part of Orthodox liturgical worship. The music is composed of eight modes or tones that give a rich depth to the fabric expressing our theology according to melody. We will examine the eight tones, their meaning and message through their words & music. The lecture series will be led by Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews. Friday s Theme: Missions- The Universe is our Parish Parochialism is an attitude that thinks the Christian faith begins and ends in our local parish. However, St. John Chrysostom ( 407) said that the universe should be our parish, not the other way around. Therefore, we are challenged to minister not just to our own parishioners but to people everywhere in the world. Borrowing Fr. Luke Veronis essay title ( we seek to open our eyes to people in need outside our parish. This year s speakers will help us reflect on how we can reach out to them on a local, national and international level. Meal Hosting Any individual, family, committee, or group is encouraged to sponsor a Lenten Meal. Please sign-up. (over)

11 Biographies of Speakers: Fr. Richard Andrews is pastor/priest of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in St. Paul, MN (since 1999). He is a graduate of University of Minnesota (BS 1988) Minneapolis, MN and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (MDiv 1994) Boston, MA. Fr. Rick is also a writer/commentator for OrthodoxyToday.org, a volunteer chaplain with the St. Paul Police Department, and the clergy supervisor for the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry of Minnesota. Fr. Rick served Holy Apostles parish in Chicago ( ) and Dormition of Theotokos parish in Racine, WI ( ). He is married to Presvytera Jane and they have one son, Theodore. Fr. Nicholas Kasemeotes was born in Houston, TX and raised in Milwaukee, WI. He received his B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 1978 and his Master of Divinity at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Fr. Nick served St. Nicholas parish in St. Louis, MO ( ) and Holy Anargyroi in Rochester, MN for 25 years ( ). During those years he was as a staff chaplain for the Mayo Clinic and visited 3 prisons. He helped found the Philoxenia Houses Ministry in Rochester in In 2009, Fr. Nick became the Philanthropy Coordinator for FOCUS North America, a new Pan-Orthodox organization helping the needy. He has 3 children: Elizabeth, Emily & Evan. Vigen Guroian, Ph.D. is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia and author of ten books on Ethics, Morality and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Two books are Christian meditations on gardening, Inheriting Paradise (Eerdmans, 1999) and The Fragrance of God (Eerdmans, 2006) and are his favorite writing. His book, Rallying the Really Human Things (ISI, 2005), is a collection of Dr. Guroian s essays on literature, politics, education, and ethics. Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination (Oxford, 1998), received national press and media attention. His first book, Incarnate Love: Essays in Orthodox Ethics (Notre Dame, 1987) is a favored text in college and seminary courses. His latest book, The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key (Eerdmans, 2010) is forthcoming. Professor Guroian s books will be available at church this weekend and in our bookstore and on Amazon.com. He is Senior Fellow of the Center on Law and Religion of Emory University, Permanent Senior Fellow of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum, and an ongoing Fellow of the Wilberforce Forum under the Prison Fellowship Ministries founded by the honorable Chuck Colson. He lives in Culpeper, Virgina with his wife June. They have two adult children, Rafi and Victoria. Dan Christopulos is a native of Cheyenne, Wyoming and received a BS in Sociology from the University of Wyoming in 1979 where he was an All-Conference place kicker in football and played in the 1976 Fiesta Bowl. After receiving his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1983, he participated in parish ministry for 17 years. During that time he spent almost 3 years in the mission field in East Africa. With a Masters in Social Work, Dan is currently is the Development Director for International Orthodox Christian Charities, the official humanitarian relief agency of Orthodox Christians in the United States. He and his wife Patty reside in Minneapolis where she manages Light and Life Publishing Company. Fr. Duane Pederson spent 47 years ministering in prison and on the streets and was called "the minister of Hollywood Boulevard". He served 26 years as a protestant clergyman and was called a leader of the Jesus People Movement in Hollywood in the 60's and early 70's. He converted to Orthodoxy in 1989 and was ordained deacon and priest July 1991 to serve prisoners and the homeless. Fr. Duane is the Founding Director (Emeritus) of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM). He is an author and editor of numerous books, including "Prison Ministry Training Guide" which is used by many Christian denominations as their introductory volunteer guide to prison ministry. Fr. Duane moved to MN in 2005 and continues to travel on behalf of the SCOBA OCPM. Nathan Hoppe- Nathan has served as an Orthodox missionary in Albania for more than 11 years. He teaches Patrology and other subjects at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy. He directs the Central Children s Office of the Orthodox Church of Albania and student ministry at the University of Tirana, he also leads the OCMC missionary team in Albania. Nathan was born and raised in Colombia, South America where his parents continue to serve as missionaries. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Nathan married his wife Gabriela, a native of Albania, in January of Gabriela is a graduate of the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy and the University of Tirana. In addition to being a wife, mother and homemaker she plays a key role in the Central Children s Office. Together they lead a team of 25 Albanian Orthodox youth to Kosovo each year where they hold friendship camps for about 1800 Muslim Albanian children. The Hoppes have three children, Tristan (12), Katherine (9) and Daniel born in January.

12 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA THANK YOU TO OUR STEWARDSHIP PLEDGERS FOR 2010 We thank the following people who have made a financial commitment to our parish by signing a stewardship card for If you have not yet done so, there is still time to join these fellow parishioners. Cards are available in the narthex or office. The Stewardship Committee Ronald & Reva Adkins Ms. Diane Anastos James M. & Maria Andrews Fr. Richard & Pres. Jane Andrews John & Marina Antoniou Steve Arsenault & Minda Pearson Bob & Anna Baffa Mr. Philip Barbatsis John & Alexis Bighley Peter & Susan Boosalis Tina & Jeff Bovis-Fuller Drs. George and Shannon Canas Mr. James Canelake Eric Chadwick & Andrea Faches Mr. & Mrs. Cokinos Alexander & Brenda Dascalos David & Penny Davidson Mr. & Mrs. Dimitri Dokos Mr & Mrs Scott Drikakis Pendy & Jeanne Eliou Ms. Barbara Fillion Miss Kally Fuller Chris & Mary Georgantones Mr. John Georgolopolos Richard and Sue Gnetz Warren & Kiki Gore Mr. & Mrs. John Grant Robert and Lani Hattling Eleni Hoffhines Peter & Stella Hofrenning Misael & Lisa Jordan George and Rita Kanavati Mr. Richard Kanavati Dimitrios & Dimitra Kaniamos Bill & Stacy Katsiyiannis Ms. Dina Kiprose Christ Kontenakos Peter & Aristea Kontinakis Taki Kostopoulos John Lake Thomas & Dawn Lampros John & Ingrid Larson Paul & Wendy Loudas Miss Georgia Lucas Jon & Stacey Maier Mrs. Mary Makredes Michael & Margery Makredes Ms. Georgia Mann Ms. Jo Ann Mann Michael and Christine Manos Milton and Lucille Marinos Dan & Jackie Matuska Mrs. Patricia McAdams Angie & Adam McMahon Frank & Angela Mortari Mr. Chris Panayoton Mr. Tasso & Carey Pappas Milam & Maria Paraschou Presvytera Miriam Paraschou James & Sally Pathos Spero & Lana Payton Bill & Theologia Pitsavas Dimitri & Sofia Pitsavas Dr. Nicholas & Effie Psimos Steve & Rallou Rice Steve & Katherine Ryan Luke and Krisandrea Rylander Clark & Denise Smith Mr. James S. Theros Sandra & Gordon Thole Dean & Dena Tortorelis Kostas & Naomi Tsantir Mersina & Jason Van Cleave Dr & Mrs Peter & Sonia Vellis Joseph Weiser Ms. Lily Zahariades Mr. Steve Zeece Sr. * List is as of

13 St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Parish Council Mtg. Minutes, Jan. 14, 2010 Attendees: Christ Kontenakos, Diane Anastos, Frank Mortari, Frank Nemeth, Jason Barbes, Jim Theros, Joe Weiser, Paul Pliakas, Sophronis Mantoles, Stacy Katsiyiannis, Tom Lampros, Fr. Rick Andrews Absent: Eric Chadwick I. Call to Order, 7:00: Due to the president s absence, Paul Pliakas, VP, presided. II. Opening Prayer / Oath of office: Administered oath to Frank Nemeth and Chris Kontenakos III. Submission of Minutes: Minutes from three past meetings were reviewed. Motions were made, seconded and approved for minutes submission: Frank Mortari moved, Jason seconded for December 10, 2009 monthly Council meeting; Diane moved, Jason seconded for January 10 officer elections meeting; Frank Mortari moved, Stacy seconded for November 2, 2009 dedicated meeting regarding the property donation. IV. Treasurer s Report: Frank Mortari reviewed the Bank of accounts. The Pass-Thru account will also be used as Rental Property Account. The minimum balance for an account is $2,500 or bank fees are assessed. Frank reviewed the Dec 2009 Financial report and noted that December stewardship income exceeded budget. Excluding memorial income, the 2009 expenses exceeded income by $24,679. Frank Mortari reviewed a new Rental Property Profit and Loss Report. It was suggested to note related legal fees on this report. V. Father s Report Father distributed and reviewed the purpose of several documents for the: Uniform Parish Regulations, Welcome to the Parish Council brochure, Ministerial Activities (priest duties) listing, Parish Council Nominee Seminar material, Pastoral Contact & Visitation Policy, 2010 Listing of St. George Committees and Ministries, (requested the council members to submit him corrections) 2009 Annual Stewardship report, Oratorical Festival Final Report. Fr. Rick spoke to the parish council about the importance of stewardship financial giving to the Church. Father stated that he will be giving 10.5% of his gross salary as stewardship to God in the life of the Church with thanksgiving. He asked the parish council to join him in becoming pledging stewards, giving generously and sacrificially to God in His Church, and to do this asap in order to set a positive example as leaders of the parish. He highlighted some pledge report details, 137 donations were received by people who completed pledge cards and an additional 108 donations were given by people who don t pledge. Fr. Rick thanked all for the support during his recovery from spine surgery and advised that his recovery continues to be on schedule. He has now returned to work nearly full-time. Fr. said that he informed the owners of the property next door that the council decided not to rescind first right of refusal and the owners expressed concern that the right may be discouraging buyers. There was discussion about the Council s commitment to turnaround feedback regarding any offer very quickly and likely in less time than allowed. Because MEOCCA shares the St. George federal ID, Fr. Rick announced the new MEOCCA board members and asked the council to approve them and continued use of the ID#. Joe moved to do so and Diane seconded, motion passed. 1

14 Regarding the Oratorical Festival Final Report, Fr. said it s been widely regarded as an unqualified success and the approach considered the new model for future host parishes to follow. The donations resulted in net revenue of over $4,000 which was donated back to the Oratorical scholarship fund. VI. Committee Reports a) Property Management: Chris Kontenakos and Jimmy Theros reported that Title Insurance was procured and the deed filed. The transaction is now complete and the donor and donor s lawyer are satisfied. Two of the four units are available for rent at this time. An options analysis or a medium/long-term plan will be written in the coming months. b) Building & Grounds: The snow removal situation is now resolved. There was separate discussion to remove or cover the electrical panel in the social hall and not to store items in the elevator vestibules due the danger and appearances. VII. New Business a) Youth Sunday: Tom Lampros advised that Pres. Jane is coordinating a Youth Sunday event on March 7 th & one has been held in sometime. The Council will be asked to help advise the students that day and let them perform and learn about as many duties as possible. b) Basketball Tournament 2010 & 2012: Stacy advised that a bus has been reserved for the Feb 5 trip to Kansas City. Donations from the American Legion ($1,000) and other anonymous will be used to keep the cost at around ~$31 per rider, Stacy moved that up to $500 from the St. George Youth 2010 budget parish be spent toward the bus, Chris seconded, motion passed. There are 25 confirmed riders. Fr. Rick advised that St. George would host the Youth Basketball Tournament in Logistics such as final date definition, court and hotel reservations are needed. Chris, Sophronis and Tom volunteered to be on a committee. c) Parish Assembly Meeting: Paul reported a Parish Assembly was needed in February or March as usual. March 14 th was selected and audit board report would be a key agenda item. d) Godparent/Child/Newcomer Sunday: Paul said that Jan 31 was the defined date. (Same day as Oratorical Festival.) Sophronis, Paul and Stacy volunteered to contact newcomers to invite them. e) Status Update on Pending Capital Projects: Altar table Fr. advised that the table top needed design changes for a required marble top and that would increase the estimated cost by ~$1500. Cemetery Monument Fr. has not yet been able to meet with cemetery staff due to his surgery, so no update yet. Saint George Icon Framing no update but carver has suggested that due to focused work on completing the altar table, it would be difficult to engage in detailed planning for a while. VIII. Unfinished Business a) Donor Recognition Policy: Frank Mortari reviewed some background about the need for a policy. The Council discussed the background, intent and specific wording of the draft policy previously distributed. It was decided to have a separate meeting and a review of the policy to finalize the wording for the benefit of the new board members. IX. Adjournment and Closing Prayer, 10:25 All documents and reports submitted at the meeting are on file with the original copy of the minutes at the church. 2