January Usher Duty Sunday, January 7th - Team 1: Maria Olavarria, Kathy Foltz, Tori Foltz, Christine Klimis and Sia Klimis

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1 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2018 Pg. 2 Fr Soteri & Greek School Pg. 3 Philoptochos/Choir/AHEPA Pg. 4 House Blessings Looking into January Monday, January 1st - 10:00am Divine Liturgy Circumcision of our Lord and St. Basil Friday, January 5th - 9:00am Vesperal Divine Liturgy Agiasmo - Blessing of the Water Saturday, January 6th Epiphany - Tarpon Springs Sunday, January 7th - 8:45am St. John the Baptist Vasilopita Sunday Sunday, January 14th - 8:45am Wednesday, January 17th - 5:00pm St. Anthony/Ss. Athanasios & Cyril Sunday, January 21st - 8:45am Sunday, January 28th - 8:45am Three Hierarchs Luncheon Tuesday, January 30th - 9:00am The Three Hierarchs Pg. 5 GOYA and AGAPE Pg. 6 Advertisement Pg. 7 Calendar January Usher Duty Sunday, January 7th - Team 1: Maria Olavarria, Kathy Foltz, Tori Foltz, Christine Klimis and Sia Klimis Sunday, January 14th - Team 2: Kathy Kokkinakos, Panagoula Skoularakos, Vicki Skoularakos and Lia Frantsvog Sunday, January 21st - Team 3: Peter Konstantakos, Nikitas Dritsos, Kali Weaver, Michael Badea and Peter Badea Sunday, January 28th - Team 4: Dora Komninos, Alexis Gonos, Rena Gonos, Vicky Vantsouris and George Vantsouris Please be on time for your Usher Duty. If you are unable to attend, please find someone to fill in for you. Reverend Father Soterios Rousakis, Protopresbyter Reverend Deacon John Pantelis th Street North St. Petersburg, FL fax: office@ststefanos.org

2 FROM THE DESK OF FATHER SOTERI It seems clear-cut and simple. It is clearly stated in the Uniform parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The mission of our church is to: Proclaim and teach the Gospel according to the Orthodox Christian Faith. Sanctify and enhance the spiritual life of the faithful through Orthodox Christian worship. Receive persons into the Church through instruction, baptism and/or chrismation. Do we pay serious attention to this mission? How are we working to make it happen? It has been said by many who have left the church that many churches are ethnic social clubs that play at church and others are churches that also have social activities. We must ask ourselves the all-important question: into which category does our parish fit in? I hope you will work and pray that our congregation is first a church that has dynamic Christ-filled parishioners who also enjoy a variety of social and cultural activities. But the mission is clear. As I stand before God as a priest, especially when I hold the Holy of the Holies in the form of Holy Communion, I must first be the Pastor of the church, leading people to salvation (Theosis) and a personal, living relationship with Jesus Christ. Anything less tramples upon my priesthood and all that is sacred in our Holy Orthodox Church. This is why I am so committed to getting people involved in singing the Divine Liturgy, embracing one another in love as we proclaim that Christ is in our Midst, participating in the Sacramental life of the church and encouraging all to consciously understand what is going on in all of our life enhancing and life giving services. Nothing is more dreadful than a dead church with robotic people going through the automatic motions of religiosity. In our multi-religious society, people have choices as far as church is concerned; they register their choices with their feet. Parishioners either come and connect to the church dynamically or many seek other paths. Are they connected to church and faith? If not, why not? This is my concern. When it comes to those who left us, the church simply must find their spiritual need and fill it. Find their spiritual hurt and heal it. Find their spiritual thirst and quench it. All must play a role in ministry and outreach, not just the professional ordained clergy. All must be involved. Looking to the future, our church must become a sanctuary which embraces all people who wish to embrace Jesus Christ and His Holy Orthodox Church. The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Matthew 9: Greek School News Hope everyone had a nice Christmas break. On December 20th the Greek School had a nice celebration singing traditional songs and the Greek Kalanda. The Greek School commemoration of the Three Hierarchs will take place on January 28th. Please review your weekly bulletins for details. Thank you!

3 PHILOPTOCHOS, CHOIR, AHEPA/DOP Philoptochos Happy New Year 2018! Our Ladies Philoptochos Society celebrated a lovely Christmas luncheon on Saturday, December 16, 2017, with a delicious meal, fellowship, a pianist playing Christmas carols at the Hollander Hotel downtown. Many thanks to Cleopatra Economou and Anna Andoniades for making the arrangements. We also had a very successful bake sale for Christmas. Over the holidays, our Visiting Angels spent some time with St Stefanos shut-ins and brought gifts, donated personal supplies to the female veterans living at C. W. Bill Young (Bay Pines) VA. We visited Anna Stanley at Freedom Square on the occasion of her 100th birthday! In the new year, we will be feeding Pinellas Hope homeless shelter and Ronald McDonald house. Sunday, January 7 will be our Philoptochos Vassilopita cutting and luncheon. Any donation of homemade Vassilopita will be gratefully accepted. Please plan to stay after church to celebrate with us! Our next meeting will be Sunday, January 21 after church. Please join us for this meeting to discuss our Spring plans!!! May you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! AHEPA/DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE Happy New Year to all! We thank everyone who purchased poinsettia plants (in memory or the health of ) to decorate our beautiful St. Stefanos church. Proceeds to benefit St. Stefanos. Our next meeting will be on January 24 th. The Daughters of Penelope are planning an initiation for that night. Please attend this meeting to welcome a new Sister to our Order. Choir notes: Happy New Years and Xronia Polla! In December, the choir sang along with the Sunday school for the Christmas pageant on December 17. Many choir members enjoyed attending Tampa Oratorio Singers performances of Handel's Messiah and Christmas carols at Palma Ceia Presbyterian church. We were joined by members of St. George church in New Port Richey as one of their members, Jim Wilson, also sang. On December 21, the choir went Christmas caroling at Jacaranda Manor, a nursing home near the church, and visited Mimika Fotopoulos and Koula Simonson. This ministry is a very touching one for all of us, reminding us how much God has blessed us! We are continuing to have practices at 7 on Thursday evenings in the choir loft. If you have an interest in praising God in song, please join us! ST PETERSBURG AHEPA FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP: a fun night is planned for Saturday January 27 th. All proceeds will go toward the 2018 scholarships. More information in the enclosed flyer.

4 HOUSE BLESSINGS Saint Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL (727) FAX: (727) Reverend Father Soterios Rousakis, Protopresbyter The Blessing of Homes is an Orthodox Christian custom that is observed by many at Epiphany time, on or around January 6th. Through this custom, the parish priest is invited into one s home to bless it with the Holy Water (Agiasmos) and also to pray for family members, for their health, well-being, sanctification and protection of their homes. The Holy Water is water that is blessed at the Church on the Feast of Epiphany. Those who wish to observe this custom are encouraged to call the Church Office to schedule a visitation or you may fill out the bottom half of this form and mail it back to us. Fr. Soteri will be making visitations from January 8th through January 30th. You will be contacted by telephone to confirm your visitation at a time that is mutually convenient to both you and Father. People who have never had a House Blessing before often wonder what to do when the priest comes, and what happens while he is there. The procedure is a simple one: Welcome the Priest into your home. Turn off the TV and/or stereo and gather your family together in front of your Icons or in a specific room. Be attentive to the prayers being read for you, your family, and your home. When it comes time to bless the home, one member of the family (younger children should be included) should lead the Priest to all the rooms in the house. Other family members should remain in the prayer area until the Priest returns. The Priest will then offer up a concluding prayer. Family members then make the sign of the cross, kiss the blessing cross, and receive a blessing. Please note: a major benefit of the House Blessing is one which gives the Priest and the family an opportunity to get to know one another. Though it is not possible for the Priest to stay more than 10 or 15 minutes and this is because of the number of homes that he must bless on a given day, he will stay at least that long if invited. If you would like him to stay, invite him to sit after the House Blessing ceremony. You may offer him something to eat or drink. Alcohol and sweets are not recommended. If you have any questions about House Blessings please call Fr. Soteri at HOUSE BLESSING REQUEST NAME: PHONE: ADDRESS: CITY: ZIP CODE: PLEASE RETURN TO: ST. STEFANOS HOUSE BLESSING TH ST. N., ST. PETERSBURG, 33710

5 GOYA and AGAPE January 2018 GOYA Newsletter Happy New Year GOYA Families, In December we had our Christmas Party, Community Outreach, Candle Sale and Ham Raffle. At our Christmas party, we had a fun evening of dinner, shopping at Wal Mart for Suncoast Voices for Children and then returning to St Stefanos for our White elephant Gift Exchange and holiday treats. Thank you to everyone who supported our ministry. Congratulations to our Ham Raffle Winners: Marina Getman, Nicky Stamoulis and Veronica Elisseou. On December 27 th -30 th we traveled to Atlanta for the Winter Youth Rally, participating in girls Volleyball and the Bible Bowl. It was a wonderful event filled with faith, fellowship and fun. We made new friends, re-connected with old friends and created lasting memories. Save the date for upcoming events: January 21st Immediately following Sunday School GOYA meeting January 26 th 28 th - Holy Trinity Clearwater Winter Event. Online registration ends January 8th February 9 th -11 th - St Stefanos Greek Festival - Volunteers welcome. This is a great time to get your school volunteer hours. Wishing you good health, happiness, and success in the coming year and always. Kathy Foltz Christine Klimis AGAPE HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL! There will be no January meeting.

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7 January 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 7 St. John the Baptist 8:45 Orthros 10:00 Divine Liturgy Vasilopita Luncheon All Kefi Practice 14 HDF-Orlando 8:45 Orthros 10:00 Divine Liturgy 21 8:45 Orthros 10:00 Divine Liturgy Philoptochos Meeting GOYA Meeting All Kefi Practice 28 Winter Event-Clwtr 8:45 Orthros 10:00 Divine Liturgy 3 Hierarchs Luncheon All Kefi Practice 1 St. Basil the Great 10:00am Divine Liturgy Office Closed 8 15 Office Closed 22 6:30pm Ministry Mtg am Vesperal Liturgy Agiasmos 9 6:30pm Greek School 16 6:30pm Greek School 23 6:00pm Parish Council 6:30pm Greek School 30 3 Hierarchs 9:00am Orthros/Liturgy 6:30pm Greek School 10 10:00am UAW 6:30pm Kefi Practice 17 St. Anthony 5:00pm Orthros/Liturgy 24 6:30pm Kefi Practice 6:30pm AHEPA/DOP 31 6:30pm Kefi Practice 11 7:00pm Choir Practice 7:00pm Sr Kefi Practice 18 Ss. Athanasios/Cyril 7:00pm Choir Practice 7:00pm Sr Kefi Practice 25 7:00pm Choir Practice 7:00pm Sr Kefi Practice 12 HDF-Orlando 10:00am Prayer Group 19 10:00am Prayer Group 26 Winter Event-Clwtr 10:00am Prayer Group 6 Epiphany Services in Tarpon Vespers in Tampa 13 HDF-Orlando 20 5pm HOPE/JOY Outing 27 Winter Event-Clwtr 6pm AHEPA Casino Nite

8 ST. STEFANOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH th Street North St. Petersburg, Florida Return Address Requested