ARK - ΚΙΒΩΤΟΣ Μ ΗΝΙ ΑΙΟ ΔΕΛ ΤΙΟ ΤΗ Σ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔ ΟΞΗ Σ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙ ΑΣ ΤΗ Σ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕ ΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟ ΚΟ Υ

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1 JANUARY / ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ 2019 VOLUME 14, The H ARK - ΚΙΒΩΤΟΣ M ONTHL Y BULLE TIN OF THE ASS UM PTION OF OUR MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS GREEK ORTHODOX CH U RCH Μ ΗΝΙ ΑΙΟ ΔΕΛ ΤΙΟ ΤΗ Σ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔ ΟΞΗ Σ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙ ΑΣ ΤΗ Σ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕ ΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟ ΚΟ Υ Assumption Greek Orthodox Church 111 Island Pond Road Manchester NH Phone: (603) Fax: (603) info@assumptionnh.org Facebook: ASSUMPTIONgocNH Links and Resources Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Boston Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople January 6 th, Holy Epiphany 1

2 Reverend Father Gregory Trakas Office Hours Tuesday & Thursday 1-4 PM or by appointment Parish Council 2018 President... Costa Georgopoulos Vice President. James Folopoulos Treasurer... Peter Xintaras Secretary... Arthur Bakolas Harold Guidicelli Stathis Kapellakis Helen Rainey Anthony Tsekrekas Penny Papastathis Nick Karagianis Kathy Papakostas Kerrie Poplin Philoptochos Board 2018 President...Lucie Skouteris Vice President...Maria Chronas Treasurer...Helen Rainey Recording Secretary..Michelle Kapos Corresponding Secretary..Andrea Moutsioulis Natl. & Local Boards Liaison...Mariana Gasis Advisor...Nancy Mardanes Martha Galanis Evangelia Gregorious Staff Artemis Lazos Secretary...Janet Malin Chanter.Vasilios Rokas Choir Director.Joan Virga YOUTH MINISTRIES Directors GOYA & Jr. GOYA Stavroula Bakolas JOY.....Julie Karagianis Mommy & Me..Ranya Karatzoulidis Altar Boys Jeanne Tsekrekas Assistant Nicole Condodemetraky PARISH SCHOOLS Sunday School Co-Directors... Theohare Kapellakis Ranya Karatzoulidis Greek School Director Alexandra Bruttaniti Teachers Ranya Karatzoulidis Daphne Galatas Dance Instructor Angela Bourassa Fr. Gregory Trakas Sophia Annas James Folopoulos Ellen Healy Nick Karagianis Newsletter Editors Janet Malin Nancy Mardanes Kathy Papakostas Helen Rainey Address Changes Please notify the Church Office if you are moving so that we may update our database. Thank you! Pastoral Home Visitation If a loved one is in the hospital, a nursing home, house-bound for any reason, or in a hospice, please contact Fr. Gregory Trakas at the Church Office to arrange a visit. The Ark is published monthly by the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 111 Island Pond Road, Manchester, NH

3 Parish Priest My Beloved, Blessed Holy 12-Days of Christmas (Agion Dodekaemeron) and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all! Thank you for helping decorate our church for the Holidays and for attending our festal services! Our church definitely looks at its very best and it is even more so when filled with all of you! Christmas may have passed, but the feasts and celebrations have not! This is because Christmas is not only one day! Our Holy Church celebrates Christmas for 7 days! Also, Christmas is only the beginning of a 12-day festive season (Agion Dodekaemeron), which closes with Holy Epiphany. This also means the month of January is full of feasts! The first day of the year is dedicated to the Circumcision of our Lord (eight days from His birth) and the feast of St. Basil the Great. Then follows Holy Epiphany on January 6 th and the feast of St. John the Baptist on the 7 th. We will celebrate the feasts of Saints Anthony and Athanasios in a joint Divine Liturgy on January 17 th. Finally, we will celebrate St. Efthymios the Great on the 20 th, St. Gregory the Theologian on the 25 th and the Three Hierarchs on the 30 th. In our Orthodox Christian faith every day of the year is a feast! We have not reduced our faith to a Sundayonly gathering! The joy of being Christian fills all the days of our lives. However, our busy schedules, the many messages from social & mainstream media and the various events around us, all compete for our time and force us to reduce our prayers and our church attendance. As a result, some choose not to come to church at all. Some others do come, but wish to leave the worship area as quickly as possible. This could be because we have permitted our secular way of life to encroach on and often push aside our religious and spiritual life. Yet, time spent in the Divine Liturgy is nourishment for the soul, it is a pre-taste of the Kingdom of Heaven. It makes sense then, we should be wishing (within reason) for the Divine Liturgy not to end. However, I recognize this is not realistic and I am making a conscious effort to be brief, without being disrespectful to this, the most important Sacrament handed to us by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and formalized mainly by St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. My fellow Christians, it is up to us to resist the trend of times (Rom 12:2). It is up to us to close our ears to the Song of the Sirens, like Ulysses did in his firm pledge to return back home to Ithaka. Like Abraham, who lived almost all his years away from his homeland, and Moses, who wondered in the harsh desert for decades seeking the Promised Land, we are also on a journey far away from home. Our true home is the Kingdom of Heaven, the Garden of Eden the first man and woman got to see, the same place where our Lord has gone to prepare a room for each one of us (John 14:2). However, to make it back to our true home we need to first become sanctified, to wash ourselves from every sin. For this purpose, God in His wisdom set us to a finite journey in this world and ordered us to love HIM more than ourselves and our fellow man like ourselves (Mat 22:37-39). He also gave us His Only Begotten Son to become ransom for our sins and to establish His Holy Church amongst us for our sanctification through Holy Sacraments. As a result, the purpose of our earthly life is to become small saints. Sainthood is not reserved for the selected few, but it is available to all! Therefore, if sanctification is our life s goal and Church Sacraments are our means to accomplish that, then we should be wishing to be in church as often as possible, i.e., worshiping God not only on Sundays but on feast days as well. Please follow our monthly schedule (found under Calendar & Events ) and join us in worship. Together with our ministry to others (including our own families), the worship of God is the most important thing we will ever do in our lives. Finally, praying alone at home is blessed by God. However, participating to the communal thanksgiving of our Church (the Holy Eucharist), is the most fundamental and explicit way to show our love and gratitude to God and become one with Him. Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) is the Sacrament of Sacraments, the ultimate opportunity to unite with our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ during our earthly lives. He asked us to receive Communion in memory of Him (Luke 22:19) and to do so in a group (Matt 18:20). Then, our Church Fathers asked us to do so from very frequently (St. John Chrysostom), to every Sunday (St. John Cassian, St. Makarios Notaras, St. John of Kronstadt), to even daily (St. Symeon the New Theologian, 9 th Apostolic Canon). Receiving Holy Communion every other month, or only 2-3 times per year, is not the way to show we respect our Lord! We respect Him 3

4 when we accept His invitation every time the priest calls us to the Holy Chalice (making sure we have been prepared). We respect Him when we immerse ourselves in our Church s hymns and prayers and for a while we transcend our worldly cares. We respect Him when we come to church prepared to unite with Him and with our fellow Christians inside the Common Cup! My brothers and sisters, our grandfathers and grandmothers did not fail to come to church when the bell ringed. This ring today has been replaced by a Facebook post, a bulletin insert, a text message, an or a call. The invitation however remains the same and it is not coming from the priest but from the Lord Himself. Standing at the dawn of a New Year, let us all renew our commitments! You, to come to church as often as possible and I, not to keep you very long! Happy Name Day to all named after the feast of Holy Epiphany and Saints Basil, John the Forerunner, Anthony, Athanasios, Theodosios, Efstratios, Efthymios, Maximos, Timothy, Ephraim and Gregory, all celebrated this month! With Love in our Newborn Christ, Your Parish Priest, Fr. Gregory NEW YEAR PRAYER Most merciful Lord, You who have granted us so many years of life so far, and You who have deemed us worthy to see yet another New Year, we entreat You, do not count the shortcomings of our past. Your immense goodness granted us yet another chance to do today whatever we have failed to do so far. Bless our efforts. Strengthen our weak nature. Help us with all the ways You know how, as to use the time of this year, and all our remaining years, to fulfill Your Divine Will and Commandments. And on the awesome Day of Judgement, grant that we may appear in front of Your Glory with hands full of the spiritual riches we have gathered with Your own Grace, and allow us to also inherit the everlasting bliss of your Heavenly Kingdom. AMEN! ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΝΕΟ ΕΤΟΣ Πανάγαθε Κύριε, συ που μας χάρισες τόσα έτη ζωής μέχρι σήμερα και μας αξιώνεις να εισέλθουμε και πάλι σε Νέο Έτος, Σε παρακαλούμε, μην υπολογίσεις τις παραλείψεις μας ως τώρα. Η αγαθότητά σου μας δίνει νέες ευκαιρίες, ώστε εκείνο που δεν κάναμε μέχρι σήμερα να το κάνουμε από εδώ και στο εξής. Σε παρακαλούμε, ευλόγησε τις προσπάθειές μας. Ενίσχυσε την αδύνατη θέλησή μας. Βοήθησέ μας με όσους τρόπους Συ γνωρίζεις, ώστε και κατά το έτος αυτό και καθ όλη τη διάρκεια της ζωής μας να να χρησιμοποιούμε την επίγεια ζωή μας όπως Συ θέλεις και παραγγέλλεις. Και την ημέρα της Κρίσεως, αξίωσέ μας να παρουσιασθούμε μπροστά σου με χέρια γεμάτα με πνευματικά αγαθά, τα οποία πετύχαμε με τη δική σου χάρη, ώστε να κληρονομήσουμε και τα άφθαρτα αγαθά της αιωνίου σου βασιλείας. ΑΜΗΝ! 4

5 Parish News Thank you so much for supporting our Annual George Tzimopoulos Memorial raffle! Our winners this year were: Grand prize: Anita Patsos, Second prize: Tasos & Ranya Karatzoulidis, Third prize: Stephanie Ferro, Fourth prizes: Ellen Healey & Nancy Mardanes, Stacy Kastakis, Steve Chakas. Remaining prizes: Michelle Kapos, Hunt Family & Pliakos, John Xintaras Family, Fourka Society, Tina Boujoukos. Congratulations to all winners and thank you to everyone for your participation. Also, a big thank you to all those who ran for Parish Council positions and served in our Election Committee. The names and positions of the 2019 Parish Council will be announced next month after the ratification of results. The new board members will be sworn in this month. The next parish council meeting will be on Monday, January 14 th at 7:00 PM. Finally, we are looking for Stewardship Committee Volunteers to help with a variety of tasks and help coordinate the Stewardship Program. Stewardship is the main source of income for our church and one of its most crucial ministries. We would love your insight, input and assistance. New Horizons Soup Kitchen Our next New Horizons Soup Kitchen visit will be Sunday, January 27 th, from 4:00-6:00 PM. We are always looking for new volunteers to join our group. This is such a rewarding experience; please join us for less than two hours of fellowship with the group from the Assumption Church. If you have questions, please call the Church Office. Thank you! Choir Welcome back to our past Choir Director, Joan Virga, who will be helping us on Sundays! Also, we are looking for volunteers to join our talented choir. All ages are welcome! Do not be shy if you do not have experience. All that is required is your passion and love for Christ, His Mother and His Church! The next choir rehearsal will be Thursday, January 3 rd, at 6:30 PM. Philoptochos News Happy New Year! Our thanks to all who donated money for the poinsettias and wreaths and helped decorate the Church and the Church Hall for the Christmas season. The Church and the Hall looked beautiful, thanks to the efforts of many. Our Philoptochos will host the cutting of the Vasilopita on Sunday, January 13 th, following the Divine Liturgy. Also, our Annual Holiday Social will be held Sunday, January 13 th, at 4:30 PM at the Athens Restaurant. Please RSVP by Monday, January 7 th, and remember to pay your $25.00 annual dues. The next Philoptochos Board meeting will be held Sunday, January 6 th, following the coffee hour. Lucie Skouteris, President Poinsettias Donations Sophia Annas Alexandra Bruttaniti Maria Chronas Mr. & Mrs. Richard Dryer Martha Galanis Mariana Gasis Harry Guidicelli Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Pomerleau Arthur Kamberis Theohare Kapellakis Esther Kereakoglow Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Tsekrekas Nancy Mardanes Andrea Moutsioulis Georgia Palaskas Ellen Healy Kerrie Poplin Amy Schultz Lucie Skouteris Heidi Liolios Christine Zoulias Darlene Xintaras Chryssa Tsatsopoulos Dr. Jennie DiBartolomeo 5

6 Youth Ministry News Our Youth Ministry continues to sponsor the Coffee Hour on the 3 rd Sunday of each month. Your family can help by assisting with set-up, clean-up and/or by offering a baked good or a purchased snack to share. We will be in the Church Hall or Kitchen from 9:30 AM on that Sunday morning for items to be dropped off. Please contact a Youth Ministry director if you would like to help. Also, although our school year is well under way, our teachers look forward to seeing new children join our classes. We welcome new students and encourage all families to bring their children to Sunday School and participate in all our Youth Ministries! IMPORTANT UPCOMING YOUTH MINISTRY DATES & EVENTS TO REMEMBER January 3 rd, Thursday: Greek School classes resume January 10 th, Thursday: Greek Dance classes resume January 6 th, at 10:15 AM: Sunday School classes resume Same day we will celebrate Holy Epiphany and Godparents Sunday January 13 th : Vasilopita Celebration following the Divine Liturgy, all youth families are encouraged to attend January 20 th : Youth Ministry Coffee Hour. Families can assist by offering a baked good or bought snack to share. We will be in the church kitchen/hall from 9:30 AM receive items. Please contact Mrs. Stavroula Bakolas or Mrs. Connie Stamoulis to arrange January 20 th, at 12:30 PM: GOYA MEETING & TRIP TO BOSTON (all aged are welcome) GOYA and family members will depart from Church Hall to visit Philoxenia House in Boston and deliver the "Gifts of Giving" items donated by our parishioners Wishing you a Joyous & Healthy New Year! Fr. Gregory and the Youth Ministry Team Greek School Christmas Celebration

7 Save the Date! January 6, 2019 Holy Epiphany & Godparents Sunday You are warmly invited to attend Godparents Sunday with your Godchild, and to sit together in Church as you participate in the Divine Liturgy and receive Holy Communion as a family. Yiayiades, Pappoudes, Aunts, Uncles &Cousins are encouraged to participate if a Godparent cannot attend. This observance will offer you the opportunity to reaffirm the tie between you and your godchild, a bond which is special in the eyes of the Orthodox Church. The observance of Godparents Sunday enables all of us to reaffirm our faith, unite as a spiritual family and remind us of our Lord s boundless love and sacrifice for our salvation. 7

8 A Prayer for my Godchild A Note to my Godparent/Godparents... Lord Jesus Christ Our God, We thank You for all good things that You have shown upon us from above, blessings seen and unseen and for the sacred task that You have placed before us as Godparents of our spiritual children. Recalling Your words to let the little children come unto You and that it is not the will of our heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish, we beg You to look upon our spiritual children and have mercy on them. Grant them the grace to know You and the desire to serve You. Inscribe their names in Your book of life. Having been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, guide them toward Your blessed commandments and protect them from the attacks of the evil one. Surround them with Your holy and heavenly angels and let no evil thought find a place in their hearts. Forgive us, also, Lord, for all of the ways in which we have neglected, in thought, word or deed, to set an example of repentance and devotion for our spiritual children to follow. Enlighten our hearts and minds with the will and knowledge, from this moment forward, to fulfill our holy calling as the sponsors of our Godchildren s entrance into your Heavenly Kingdom. Amen 8

9 9 Christmas Pageant & Youth Celebration

10 Philoxenia House This month, the Assumption Youth Ministry will sponsor Philoxenia House.. Philoxenia House, founded by our Metropolitan Methodios in 1986, offers a very important ministry. This home away from home hosts children and adults from all over the world, who come to the Boston area for specialized medical treatment. Philoxenia House is graciously supported by the faithful of our Metropolis of Boston. We welcome and appreciate your support! Philoxenia House Gift Wish List Non-perishable food items (Greek or American food items: i.e. coffee, assorted pasta, olive oil, spices, etc.) Household cleaning products (i.e. dish soap, detergent, paper towels, napkins, etc.) Personal care/hygiene products (i.e. toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand soap, shampoo, body wash, etc.) Phone Cards (there are only pay phones for long distance calls in the house). The Philoxenia House collection drive will be held through JANUARY 13th. Collection boxes will be located in the church hall And Youth Center/School Building. Monetary donations to be applied towards the purchase of additional items Please make your monetary donations to: The Assumption Youth Ministry THANK YOU and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! 10

11 Sacraments & Services When planning a baptism or wedding, please check church availability BEFORE booking your reception hall. Thank you! Planning Memorials When planning for a memorial, please contact the Church Office at There is a particular altar wine and incense we use. Please call for details! PLANNED GIVING is a gesture that comes from the heart! Leave a legacy! As you plan your financial future, please remember your parish. There are several types of planned donations to consider. Here are a few of them to consider. In all cases, please consult your financial advisor for more information. Charitable Bequests: Once you secure the well-being of your family, you may choose to include in your will a significant donation to your church. Gifts of Life Insurance: Using a life insurance policy makes it possible to make a major gift while protecting the inheritance of one s heir(s). Gifts of Listed Securities: The gift of publicly listed securities, bonds, mutual fund units or other similar securities is one of the most fiscally advantageous ways to make a substantial donation to a charitable organization because the donor will avoid paying tax on capital gains. The gift of shares or other securities will give rise to a tax credit. It is more advantageous to transfer the securities directly rather than to donate the proceeds collected from selling the securities. This type of donation is advisable to those who wish to make a substantial donation without encroaching on their liquid assets, or to those who own shares or other securities which have significantly increased in value since their acquisition. Charitable Annuities: A charitable gift annuity consists of a donation of money or other assets to a charitable organization in exchange for guaranteed earnings for life or for a determined period of time. 11

12 November Stewardship Mr. & Mrs. William Bruttaniti Mr. & Mrs. Nickolaos Chronas Mr. & Mrs. John Costes Mr. & Mrs. Richard Dryer Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Farmakis Mr. & Mrs. George Gasis Demetrios Georgiadis Mr. & Mrs. Costas Georgopoulos Arthur Kamberis Demetrios Kamberis Mr. & Mrs. Stathi Kapellakis Sophia Koustas Dorothea Koutsavlis Mr. & Mrs. Kostas Makris Georgia Palaskas Candace Papajohn William Papajohn Penny Papastathis Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Pomerleau Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Poplin Mr. & Mrs. Athanasios Tsatsopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Tsekrekas BE GREEN! SAVE PAPER, PRINTING & MAILING COSTS This bulletin can be sent paperless. us at: to sign up for bulletin by ! What is Christian Stewardship? Christian Stewardship is: * learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church * learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work, for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God * our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love * caring for the needs of others * offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us * what a person does after saying I believe as proof of that belief * devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese & metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. As Christian Stewards we are called to give back to God from the first fruits of our labor. We support our parish and its ministries in a deliberate way and not with only what is left over after everything else has been taken care of! Donations in Memory of Evangelia Georgiadis Kaliope Kamberis John & Agorou Kitsis Hercule Nagios George Skouteris John Xintaras, Jr. Thank you for your love to the House of the Lord and Panagia! 12

13 Two (2) Wooden Icon stands: $2,000 each (est.) Church Wish List - Donations Wanted One Hundred (100) Div. Liturgy Pew Books: $20 each (est.) Eight (8) Wooden Chairs for Holy Altar: $800 each (est.) A Granite platform for our historic bell in the rotary: $10,000 (est.) Two (2) Holy Table & Altar Covers Sets (green & blue): $1,800 each (est.) With grateful appreciation for the donation ($2,000) for one Holy Table & Altar Covers Set (red color) to the Ladies of Philoptochos, Soteria Chapter BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISING If you would like to advertise your business card in our monthly bulletin, please contact the Church Office. A business card format, about 2 ½ x 1 ½ will run for a period of 12 months for one set fee of $150 a year. This will help us defray the ever-increasing costs of printing and mailing these bulletins to our homes and at the same time you will be advertising your business to our parishioners and through word of mouth to their friends. This is a great opportunity for all! 13

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15 Road NH NON-PROFIT O G. US POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, PERMIT NO Christmas Pageant