Trans-a-Gram. Inside this issue. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior; which is Christ the Lord. A Christmas message..

Transcription

1 Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church December 2007 Monthly / Issue No. 11 Trans-a-Gram Rev. Demetrios T. Costarakis, Pastor Inside this issue A Christmas message.. 2 Did you ever stop to realize that Christmas the day that marks the birth of Jesus is the only birthday we celebrate where we are the ones who receive gifts? In return, all He asks is that we commit ourselves to Him and to his teachings each and every day of our lives. Parish Assembly... 4 A proposal to transfer $75,000 from a parish savings account to reduce the principal on the mortgage was defeated, 30-21, at the Nov. 4 Parish Assembly. Parishioners also gave their approval to a $320,210 operating budget for 2008 and learned who is running for the six, two-year seats on the Parish Council on Dec. 9. Advent Camp The parish kicked off its youth camp program with an Advent Camp on Nov. 17. About 50 campers and counselors from both inside and outside the parish participated in the all-day event. Stewardship Sunday... 8 Father Demetri and the Stewardship Committee are asking all parishioners to bring their completed stewardship cards for 2008 to church on Dec. 9. During the Divine Liturgy, Father Demetri will say a special prayer over all the pledge cards to mark our commitment to our Lord and to His Church. Nicholas G. Pappas, Editor For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior; which is Christ the Lord.

2 PAGE 2 Time to put Christ back in Christmas By FATHER DEMETRI COSTARAKIS Pastor How many of us remember celebrating our birthdays? We can look at pictures and videos of ourselves when we were too young to remember and see who was there, how much fun we had, and of course, the presents we received. As toddlers, we all received the same gifts such as clothes and toys that a child might like. Then, as we grew older, our birthdays turned into a shopper s nightmare. I can remember growing up and my mother asking: What do you want for your birthday this year? And, of course, I would want the latest toy/game or the coolest clothes that were popular at the time. When it came time to blow out the candles and open the presents, what I asked for and what I received were almost the same thing. Maybe the color of the shirt was not to my liking, but the brand name that I wanted was there. The toy or game might not have been exactly what I asked for, but needless to say I still got that toy. Now, an important question needs to be asked. What birthday did you celebrate, and while enjoying that special occasion, did you not receive one gift? What party have you gone to where everyone is opening gifts on your birthday and at your party? Has this happened? Do you know if it has ever happened to a friend or relative of yours? I don t think so. Then why does this happen to Christ, our Lord? On Dec. 25, we will come together and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; yet we are the ones who open all the gifts. We are the ones running around the malls for more than 24 days especially the last couple of days before Christmas trying to find that special gift that everyone is hoping for. What has happened to the Feast of Christmas? Have we all forgotten the real message of what took place in that cave almost 2,000 years ago? We must remember that the greatest gift was given to us on that day. Christ came into the world as an infant. And through Him, we would receive the greatest gift of all our salvation. He constantly gave when he walked on this Earth. He ultimately gave up Himself for the salvation of the world, and instead here we are asking each other what we want for Christmas. Since it is the birth of Christ that we are celebrating and traditionally we give gifts to the person whose birthday it is, what gift can we present to Christ, since He has everything, all creation? What can we possibly give Him? The answer is YOU! That s 100% of YOU! Your love for your neighbor, parishioner, whoever! Your love for your Church. YOUR LOVE. That is the greatest gift any of us can offer Him, not only on Christmas Day, but every day we are blessed with. It is OK to continue giving gifts to others on Christmas Day, but remember that the greatest gift of all is your love. Love is free! It doesn t cost a thing. Let us put Christ back in Christmas! + Father Demetri HOW TO REACH US WANTED Pastor: The Rev. Demetri Costarakis Secretary: Jeanne Brady Address: Father John Sarantos Way, Lowell, MA Telephone: Fax: Church transfig@hotmail.com Father Demetri demetric@imail.goarch.org Web page: Office hours: Secretary: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Priest: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Editor: Nick Pappas Telephone: npappas05@comcast.net Volunteers to help serve during the weekly coffee hour. Please call coordinator Susan Pappas at or smpappas16@yahoo.com. Volunteers to provide dinner to mothers and children once a month at the House of Hope. Please contact Lynne Karagianes at Anyone interested in placing an ad in the Transa-Gram to help offset the printing costs. Please contact Editor Nick Pappas at or npappas05@comcast.net for more information.

3 PAGE 3 Church Services Schedule of Services DECEMBER TRISAGIA Sunday Orthros... 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy. 10 a.m. to noon Special Services Dec. 6 (Thursday)... St. Nicholas Divine Liturgy: 9 a.m. Dec. 12 (Wednesday). St. Spyridon Divine Liturgy: 9 a.m. Dec. 24 (Monday)... Christmas Eve Royal Hours, Great Vespers, Divine Liturgy: 9 a.m. Dec. 25 (Tuesday)... Nativity of Christ Orthros: 9 a.m. / Liturgy: 10 a.m. Caliope Antonakis Pantelis Antonakis Arthur (Duke) Arvanites Anastasia Baltas Vaios Baltas Paul Bogis George A. Danas George P. Danas Katherine G. Danas Stephen A. Danas John Darveris Spike Darveris Bill Katsirubas Peter Koniditsiotes Stergios Koravos Amalia (Emily) Kostoulakos Crystal E. Laganas John G. Laganas Scott John Laganas Mary Lellos Peter Lellos Sana Loulakis Yianni Manelis Paraskevi Manolis Funerals: Sacraments Maria (Adamakos) DeMarco Martin P. Martakos Debra (Laganas) Dion James Maverick Danny Favas Peter J. Mitropoulis Sophie Chiklis of Lowell (Dec. 10) James Pappadopoulos of Chelmsford (Dec. 10) May their memory be eternal! Monthly Trisagia Names of the deceased are read the first Sunday of each month. Please send the names to be read in advance, listing the month you would like them read. If you would like the name to be read in Greek, please include the Greek spelling along with the English. If you have any questions, call Dyanne Mitropoulis at Oratorical Festival The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival topics for 2008 are now available on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Web site ( Students in Grades 7-8 (Junior Division) and Grades (Senior Division) are encouraged to begin early on their submissions. More information about the Transfiguration Oratorical Festival will be forthcoming. Helen Finocchiaro Charles Gefteas Spiros (Phil) Georges Anna Monoxelos Mary Monoxelos Donald Musgrave Leonidas (Lennie) Georges Panagiota Pouleas Demy Glentzakos Jack Glentzakos William Gordon Mark Gkolias Gramatiki Hadzithakis Michael Hadzithakis Soultana Kapsouris Virginia (Raras) Rabias Alice Raras Constantine Raras Angelo Tsilikounas Nicholas Tsilikounas Elias Vekos Steve Xifaris Special Donation James and Ethel Veves are donating $1,000 in loving memory of their parents, Arthur and Helen Veves, and George and Jenni Liakos, and their siblings Peter, Ted and Petro Veves, Betty Vafiades, Peter and James Guduras, and Tessie Karabatsos: Ladies Philoptochos Society ($400), Men s Guild ($400) and Christmas offering/flowers ($200).

4 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 4 Parish Council Treasurer Christopher Selvaggio brings parishioners up to date on the state of church finances during the Nov. 4 Parish Assembly in the church hall. Seated next to Chris are Parish Council Secretary Matthew Blake and Father Demetri Costarakis. (Photo by Nick Pappas) Parish Assembly Parish rejects mortgage transfer, approves 2008 budget By NICK PAPPAS Trans-a-Gram Editor P aying down the mortgage. A proposed operating budget for The field of candidates for the annual Parish Council election. Those were among the major topics of discussion for the estimated 50 parishioners who gathered Nov. 4 for a two-hour Parish Assembly in the church hall. The first major item of discussion was a proposal to transfer $100,000 PARISH COUNCIL CANDIDATES The following six candidates will be elected to two-year terms at the Dec. 9 election. A seventh candidate withdrew his name, thereby eliminating the need for a full election. Matthew Blake Jim Murphy Margo DiBenedetto Chris Tournas John Gkolias Demetrios Tsichlis from the $126,000 in the parish s primary certificate of deposit when it matures on Dec. 26 to reduce the amount of money owed on the mortgage, which at the time of the meeting stood at $533, If approved, the transfer would have left the parish with about $116,000 in its largest savings account. One of the arguments made in favor of the motion was that it didn t make financial sense to be paying out a higher rate of interest on the mortgage than the parish is receiving in its savings accounts. The parish is currently paying an interest rate of 6.25 percent on its (Continued on page 5)

5 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 5 Parish Assembly... (Continued from page 4) mortgage with Enterprise Bank, while the interest rates on its three certificates of deposit range from 2.6 percent to 4.98 percent. Several parishioners spoke against the motion, saying that while it would be beneficial to reduce the mortgage, they were worried the church wouldn t have enough money left in reserve in the event of an emergency. One parishioner pointed out the church was in need of many repairs and that it would have difficulty getting another mortgage should an emergency arise. It also was noted that money is still needed to upgrade both the kitchen and church hall. Both the kitchen and church hall were part of the original building project plans, but neither was undertaken before the authorized spending limit of $3.2 million was reached. After considerable debate on the motion, an amendment was introduced to reduce the requested transfer from $100,000 to $75,000. That motion was defeated by a vote of The other major item of discussion was the proposed budget for 2008 that was presented by Parish Council Treasurer Christopher Selvaggio. The $320,210 budget represents an increase of $29,166.04, or 10 percent over the current year s spending plan, in part due to a tripling of the line item for anticipated maintenance. Last fall, the assembly approved a budget that contained $10,000 for maintenance, but actual spending this year had reached nearly $23,000 by the end of September. As a result, the council recommended budgeting $30,000 for maintenance in Parish Council President Margo DiBenedetto delivers her annual report at the Parish Assembly on Nov. 4. Frank Stevens, seated at left, served as moderator for the assembly. (Photo by Nick Pappas) The only amendment offered during the budget presentation was to increase the salary of the parish priest by 5 percent instead of the 3 percent recommended by the full council. After some discussion both in favor and opposed to the motion as well as over the appropriateness of even addressing that issue at an assembly a substitute motion was approved to return that item back to the full council for further consideration. The full budget then was approved excluding that line item. Board of Elections member Sandra Gulezian announced that seven parishioners had expressed an interest in running for six, two-year seats on the Parish Council in the Dec. 9 election. Incumbents Matthew Blake, Margo DiBenedetto, John Gkolias, Jim Murphy and Chris Tournas were joined by Dave Malek and Demetrios Tsichlis. George Malliaros chose not to seek re-election to another term. Prior to finalizing the ballot, however, Dave withdrew his candidacy, leaving six candidates for six seats. As a result, one parishioner will be chosen on Dec. 9 to cast a single ballot, making the election official. Toward the end of the meeting, Parish Council President Margo DiBenedetto presented her annual report to the parish. (Her report is available under President s Report on Page 12 of this Trans-a-Gram.) Parishioners also heard from Father Demetri, who reviewed the number of sacraments that had taken place this year before reminding everyone that one of the tenets of our church is to love and respect each other. If we don t have love for each other, he said, we have nothing. Before adjourning, parishioners voted to defer the presentation of all reports from representatives of the many parish organizations to the spring Parish Assembly in April 2008.

6 PAGE 6 CHURCH NEWS Advent Camp first in yearlong series By OLIVIA SINTROS Camp Coordinator We are thankful for the 50 campers and GOYA counselors who participated in Advent Camp on Saturday, Nov. 17. What a wonderful way for our youth to begin to prepare for the coming of Christmas. Father Demetri began the morning with a prayer service followed, of course, by a lovely array of morning snacks displayed by Angela Hastings, our camp snack and lunch lady, and her dedicated assistant Alice Danas. Our campers rotated through their sessions with some new twists. Paula, Demetri, Diane and Nick staff members from the Metropolis of Boston youth program were on hand to present Orthodox life, fun and games, and arts and crafts. The campers certainly responded to their youth and enthusiasm. The next time you get a chance, ask a camper you know about how to spell C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N? Campers and counselors gather around Father Demetri during the parish s Advent Camp on Saturday, Nov. 17. An estimated 50 campers and counselors participated in the camp, the first of five planned between now and next summer s Vacation Church Camp. (Photo by Arthur Sparages) A constant, as in all previous camps, were the melodic children s voices that could be heard under the direction of our own Miss Toula. And, of course, what would camp be without the group photo by Arthur Sparages. Thanks to all our Transfiguration family members and to our new friends from the Metropolis for providing a great day. Save Saturday, March 15, 2008, for our Lenten Camp experience. National Philoptochos Medical Fund Luncheon a major success By YIOTA SIMOGLOU National Board Member The National Philoptochos Children s Medical Fund Luncheon took place on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Newport Beach, Calif. The proceeds ($500,000) from the luncheon will benefit Children s Hospitals not only in the Metropolis of San Francisco, but also across the United States. Archbishop Demetrios praised the philanthropic work of the Ladies Philoptochos Society and challenged all women to become a part of the organization. Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco extended his heartfelt appreciation to the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos Board and its tireless effort in organizing such a successful event. Yiota Simoglou, Daphne Zaralidis and Marialena (Selvaggio) Maughan enjoyed a few moments of sightseeing along the California coast following the National Philoptochos Board meeting on Nov. 9 in Newport Beach, Calif. (Photo by Ioannis Zaralidis)

7 PAGE 7 FINANCIAL NEWS End-of-year balance looking decent By CHRISTOPHER SELVAGGIO Parish Council Treasurer As most of you realize, the holiday season is fast approaching and we have entered the final quarter for the church s fiscal year. At our Parish Assembly last month, I reported to those in attendance that at the close of September our general account had a balance of $35, This figure, which represents a decrease in revenue of only $700 when compared to September of last year, is significant for many reasons. First, the 2007 figure does not include any of the income from our past food fair; also, this figure has been achieved in a year in which we have seen a decrease in our stewardship pledges. However, when considering all of the maintenance issues we have dealt with during the year, 2007 hasn t been as bad as it started out back in February and March. In reporting out the proposed budget for 2008, it was noted that to meet our operating expenses and our financial obligation for our church, our stewardship and mortgage elimination pledges for the new fiscal year would need to total at least $200,000. Over the next few weeks, as you receive your pledge cards for 2008, I ask that you keep these figures in mind. With your generosity and help, we can all work to help our MORTGAGE UPDATE 2007 Here is a summary of payments made against the principal of our parish s mortgage since the start of the year. At that time, the mortgage amount stood at $570,141.78: DATE PAYMENT NEW AMOUNT Jan. 28 $1, $568, Feb. 28 $1, $566, March 31 $1, $565, May 1 $1, $563, May 14 $13, $550, June 7 $1, $549, July 2 $1, $547, July 24 $10, $537, Aug. 2 $1, $535, Aug. 31 $ $534, Sept. 27 $1, $533, Oct. 29 $1, $532, YEAR TO DATE $37, N/A church meet its financial obligations. Thank you for your continued support toward our church. I wish you and your family a holy and healthy holiday season! Mortgage contributions have slowed considerably By JIM MURPHY Mortgage Elimination Chairman As the year comes to a close, please consider making you mortgage elimination payment before Dec. 31 to take advantage of the tax deduction. Pledges have slowed dramatically over the past few months. Based on the current mortgage payments and the lack of participation in the mortgage elimination program, I am anticipating a shortfall in If participation in this program does not increase, the mortgage payments are going to have to come from the operating account, which will put additional strain on the operations of our parish. We need EVERYONE to help elimi- nate this debt. Remember the key here is an AVERAGE CONTRIBU- TION of $300. No contribution amount is too small I ask everyone to remember a $300 annual contribution is less than $0.83 per day. Commitments can be paid monthly, quarterly, semiannually and annually. If you haven t made a pledge, please do so.

8 PAGE 8 FEAST DAY OF THE MONTH I bring you good tidings of great joy Nativity of Christ told in the writings of Matthew, Luke. T he Feast of the Nativity of Jesus is one of the most joyful days of the Orthodox Church. It ranks next to the greatest holiday, the Resurrection of Jesus. The Feast of the Birth of Jesus is also known as the Incarnation of Christ. This means that Jesus became a man and came into the world to save us. We also refer to this joyous feast as Christmas. The story of the Nativity of Christ is beautifully told in the Holy Scriptures. The story is found in Matthew 1:18-25 and in Luke 2:1-20. No matter how often the Birth of Jesus is told, we realize that it is an important event. As the story is told by the Apostles, the Roman Empire was powerful. The Romans had conquered much of the then known world. Judea and Samaria, what we know today as Israel, were included in their conquests. Emperor Augustus ordered that a census be taken in all his lands. He needed to know how many people lived in the empire so he could tax them. Everyone had to go to the town of their family s origin to register for the census. This meant that Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. They were descendants of King David and Bethlehem was the City of David. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth and it was a great distance from Bethlehem. It was about 100 miles over very rugged roads. Moreover, Mary was expecting the baby and it was almost time for her to give birth. Bethlehem was a small town and there were many descendants of David who had come to register for the census. By the time Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem there was no place for them to stay. Joseph tried very hard to find a place to sleep that evening. There was no room at the inn. Finally, Joseph found a cave-like place where they could rest. This place was used by shepherds to protect their sheep in stormy weather. It was here that Mary gave birth to Jesus. The baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the straw in the manger. Now, that night the shepherds were out in the fields guarding their sheep. Suddenly, there was a bright light which startled the shepherds. The light was so bright that it turned the night into daylight. Of course, the shepherds were frightened. Nothing such as this had ever happened. Soon an angel appeared and calmed them. The angel said: "Fear not for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior; which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:11-12). Then a larger group of angels appeared. They praised and glorified God and sang, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men (Luke 2:14). When the angels finished singing, they disappeared and the light began to fade. It became dimmer and dimmer until it was dark again. The shepherds were awed. They didn't know what to do. Finally, they decided to leave their flocks of sheep and go to Bethlehem. They decided that they wanted to see for themselves what the angels had told them. When they got to Bethlehem, they found Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus. They fell to their knees and adored Jesus. Some Wise Men came from the East for they knew of the coming of Jesus. They had seen a star that told them that a new king had been born to the Jews. They followed the star and were looking for the child. At this time the governor of Judea was King Herod. He was a wicked man and was feared and hated by the people. When Herod heard about the Wise Men looking for the child, he invited them to his palace. Herod asked the Wise Men to find the child so that he, too, could worship Him. But Herod was lying. He did not want anyone to take his place. The Wise Men went on to look for Jesus. The Star led them to Jesus and Mary. When the Wise Men found Jesus, they fell to their knees and worshipped Him. They gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Wise Men left but did not return to Herod. They had a dream that warned them that Herod wanted to harm Jesus. Instead, they returned to their native country by a different route. Courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Web site.

9 PAGE 9 Parish Council Church News Stewardship 2007 By MARGO DiBENEDETTO Parish Council President The Parish Council took the following actions when it met on Nov. 15: Winter maintenance: Will check into renting or purchasing winterized door mats so the ice melt will not be tracked into the carpeting. Also agreed to get an estimate from a plate glass door company for putting a metal strip between the glass doors leading to the patio in order to keep rain water out. Sound system update: A new sound system will be purchased this month. The current system cannot be repaired. Chandelier needs: Will review options for the chandeliers: replace, refurbish or clean. By NICK PAPPAS Trans-a-Gram Editor Father Demetri and the Stewardship Committee Stewards have designated Dec. 9 as (2006) Stewardship Sunday, the Cards day all stewards are asked Returned to return their completed stewardship cards for Cards On that day, all the Outstanding cards will be collected by Return the Parish Council and Rate placed on an offering tray, and Father Demetri will Average conduct a special prayer Pledge service during the Divine Liturgy over our commitment to our Lord and His Church percent $ (-0.73) Church bookstore: A glass display cabinet has been ordered to house our church bookstore. Other items also will be available for purchase. Tea donation: A motion was made to make a donation to the Ladies Philoptochos Society s Annual Benefit Tea on Dec. 2. The motion passed. Christmas gifts: A motion was made to purchase religious Christmas gift items for the Sunday School students. The motion passed. Thanksgiving donation: A motion was made to make a donation to Project Helping Hands. The motion passed. Treasurer s Report Here is a brief summary of income and expenses as of Oct. 31 and how they compare to the same period last year: Category Change Stewardship 137, , % Other income 114, , % Total Income 252, , % Expenses 224, , % Balance 27, , % This Sunday is dedicated to spiritually reinvigorating and renewing our commitment to the Church in preparation for the challenges we will face in the New Year 2008, Father Demetri wrote in a letter mailed to parishioners. The letter makes reference to next year s operating budget of $320,210, which means the cost of running the church per day next year will be $877. We ask that you prayerfully consider your 2008 Orthodox Christian Stewardship Pledge, commensurate with your resources and your gratitude for the bounties and blessings our Lord has bestowed on you, he wrote. Parishioners who will not be able to attend church on Stewardship Sunday are asked to return their card by mail to the church office by that time STEWARDSHIP , , ,000 COLLECTED PLEDGED BUDGET

10 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 10 By SUSAN PAPPAS Philoptochos President Philoptochos Society November meeting: Thank you Annmarie Tsitsipas and Elizabeth de la Torre for providing the refreshments for the general meeting on Nov. 19. Twenty-one members attended. During the meeting we voted to donate $500 to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and $250 to National Sisterhood of Presbyteres Benevolent Fund, which are our two November National commitments, and $500 to the St. Methodios Faith and Retreat Center, which is our November Metropolis commitment. We then voted to donate $150 to UNICEF and $100 to the General Medical Fund, which are our December National commitments. We also voted to cover the cost of the pizza for the HOPE and JOY Family Night on Dec 14. We are sending $25 to the Toys for Tots Christmas program and $250 to Renal Vision for its gala to be held in January for renal transplant research at Brigham and Women s Hospital. We will also be ordering Philoptochos pins at a cost of $5 apiece for anyone who would like wear the Philoptochos symbol proudly. Fall calendar raffle: Thank you to Elizabeth de la Torre for organizing this year s fall fundraiser. The entire list of winners will be published in the January Trans-a- Gram. Christmas card: Thank you to Cathy Economou and Corrine Dubay for coordinating the Transfiguration Christmas card. Watch your mail for a beautiful card with your church family s Christmas greetings. Thanksgiving pastry trays: Thanks to Eleni Stavrou, Daphne Zaralidis, Annmarie Tsitsipas, Christine Faneros, Pat Mahoney, Elizabeth de la Torre, Diane Ziagos and Presbytera Gloria Costarakis, Corrine Dubay, Lynne Karagianes and Olivia Sintros for baking and wrapping the pastry trays for the Thanksgiving holiday. Fifty-four trays were sold with proceeds to benefit our literacy project. Annual Benefit Tea: The 54 th -annual Benefit Tea, Tea, Bags and More, will be held Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. in our church hall. The donation will be $25 for adults and $10 for children under 12. The afternoon promises to be one of surprises and entertainment for all. Your generous support is what enables our Philoptochos chapter to continue its philanthropic initiatives. Let s make this year a sellout. Tickets will be sold at the door. Adopt-a-Family project: Nancy Lane, Ellen Dobi and Martha Simpson are coordinating this year s project of Brunch Time Sunday School Director Connie Gkolias reads off the name of one of the winners of the holiday raffle, which took place at the end of the annual Sunday School brunch on Sunday, Nov. 18, in the church hall. Parishioners were treated to a choice of hot and cold breakfast entrees during the annual fundraiser. (Photo by Nick Pappas) collecting Christmas gifts for local shelters. There are 121 mothers, fathers and children for whom we will provide Christmas joy. Please select a name during the coffee hour and be generous while shopping. The gifts we provide will be the only things these people will be receiving. It can be fun to team up with a friend to shop. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated. The deadline for returning the wrapped gifts is Sunday, Dec. 16. Nursing home/shut-in visitations: With the holiday season upon us, we must not forget our nursing home and shut-in parishioners. Christine Faneros, chairlady of the visitations to the sick and elderly, welcomes any parishioner who wishes to help. The Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of the Merrimack Valley also will be celebrating Divine Liturgy at D Youville Manor on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 10 a.m., where some of these parishioners reside. Please join us. Christmas decorations: On Saturday, Dec. 8, our church will be decorated for the Christmas season. Thank you to all the parishioners who support our flower collection in the spring. It is through these donations that we are able to decorate the church all year long. Family literacy program: Our Literacy Outreach Program is in full swing. The goal is to provide a bag of books to the 475 pre-kindergarten to Grade 4 children at the McAvinnue School in Lowell, which equals 1,425 books. At publication time, we had more than 1,000 (Continued on page 11)

11 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 11 (Continued from page 10) books. A special thanks to Varvara and Boris Stanchev for counting and organizing the books. Keep those books coming. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated. Vasilopita: Our traditional gold coin celebration will be held on Jan. 6, Chairing this event will be Mary Nicholaides. We will start collecting names on Sunday, Dec. 9. The donation is just $20 per piece, and the proceeds of this event enable us to give a substantial donation to St. Basil s Academy, which is one of our National commitments, each January. Please see Susan Pappas if you wish to participate. Next meeting: Our next meeting will be Saturday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. in the Philoptochos room. Our hostesses for the morning will be Kathy Allen and Ellen Vercontaire. The outreach collection for the month will be diapers and cereal. Watch your mail for our reminder postcards. By FRANK STEVENS Men s Guild President Men s Guild November meeting: Thanks to our good friends at Dracut House of Pizza for providing gourmet nourishment for our Guild brothers. Plans for a number of winter activities were discussed, as well as a motion to donate $300 to Project Helping Hands, this year providing Thanksgiving meals to 750 needy Lowell-area families. Members also were reminded to continue to support Harry Stamas efforts for men s winter coasts for the homeless shelter. This drive will continue through November. As per Guild bylaws, nominations were opened for officers for Elections will take place at the Christmas meeting. Christmas meeting: You will want to be with us on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at the Dracut House of Pizza for our annual Christmas social, featuring a social hour, choice of menu, door prizes and our election of officers for Last year, 40 members joined together for a fun evening let s see if we can get 50 this year! Christmas raffle: You will be receiving raffle tickets in the mail shortly after Thanksgiving. We respectfully urge all parishioners to participate in this important Guild fundraiser by purchasing tickets and/or donating raffle items. Last year, 45 prizes were awarded, including a digital camera and several cash prizes. Parishioners able to donate prizes should bring them unwrapped to the church no later than Dec. 16, as the raffle will take place at the coffee hour on Dec. 23. Be a winner! Join the fun! Helping Hands Nick Manolis, second from left and owner of Dracut House of Pizza, gathers with Transfiguration friends and family in preparation for delivery of 788 turkey baskets the most ever to needy families for Thanksgiving as part of his 14thannual Project Helping Hands. Joining Nick are, front row, Margo DiBenedetto, Voula Manolis and Vickie Stevens; back row, Elias Manolis, Ioannis Zaralidis and Frank Stevens. Veterans honored: Forty-nine names of living veterans were read by Father Demetri at a prayer observance in their honor on Sunday, Nov. 11. If we missed you, please accept our apology and be sure to let us know the name (s). 125 Club: Brisk activity is reported for the 125 Club. Spots are being taken rapidly. Don t miss out! Reserve your spot now by seeing Treasurer Marc Gulezian or Secretary John Gkolias. Winter gala: Be sure to be available on Jan. 13, The Guild has organized an event that you will not want to miss! On Sunday, Jan. 13, from 5-11 p.m. (Monday is a holiday), the Guild will honor its past presidents with an awards dinner followed by an evening of entertainment with JC s Golden Oldies. Tickets for the event will go on sale on Dec. 1. More details will follow in fliers beginning Dec. 1. Don t forget Jan. 13. Remember This: It s not the things you do at Christmastime, but the Christmas things you do all year through. (Continued on page 12)

12 (Continued from page 11) CHURCH NEWS Transfiguration Church a vital community in which to share our love of God. PAGE 12 By MARGO DiBENEDETTO Parish Council President President s Message As 2007 comes to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who works so hard to keep our church a vibrant community. I also would like to recap the highlights from my speech made during the Nov. 4 Parish Assembly. It is my review of the Transfiguration Church 2007: This year definitely had some challenges, but I am proud that we have tried to overcome them. There have been many accomplishments and positive additions. The first one obviously is Father Demetri and Presbytera Gloria coming here to serve. The many other accomplishments are: Greek School Hosted the District Oratorical Contest HOPE/JOY startup Golf tournament Successful food fair Church camps Orthodox Life series and Bible study Through Our Eyes program for teens Trans-a-Gram bulletin for children Cancer walk and heart walk Christmas gifts for 165 needy people It has also been a year of maintenance, maintenance, maintenance! There are many items that the Parish Council has addressed throughout the year and there are still many more issues that require immediate attention. The following is a list of where some of your stewardship money is spent: Repair church ceiling Video camera system Choir loft rooms repaired and painted Roof, gutters, and chimney repaired Fire extinguishers inspected, recharged and replaced Elevator inspection New kitchen faucet Dumpster rental for cleanup New thermostat for basement Repair of HVAC units in addition Please keep all these things in mind when you fill out your 2008 pledge card. Not only do we need a monetary pledge, we also need your time and talent to keep the Merry Christmas! By CONNIE GKOLIAS Sunday School Director Sunday School Annual brunch: We would like to thank all the Sunday School teachers and assistants who helped with our annual Sunday School brunch, which was a huge success. Also, thank you to the kitchen crew and parents who helped us and to all who donated a raffle gift. Thank you for supporting our Sunday School children. Christmas pageant: Our annual Christmas pageant is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 23, in which all the children will participate. As we enjoy our Christmas holiday, let s remember the true meaning of Christmas the birth of Jesus. Date to remember: The Sunday School bake sale is scheduled for Feb. 10. By LOUIS STAMAS Assistant Choir Director Choir Annual conference: The name of our regional federation has changed to the Metropolis of Boston Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians. This year's annual conference was hosted by the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Providence in Cranston, R.I., the weekend of Nov Federation concert: The federation's annual Christmas Concert will be presented in honor of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his elevation to the Episcopacy. The concert will take place on Sunday, Dec. 23, at 4 p.m. at the Annunciation Cathedral in Boston. The concert will feature a chorus comprised of Metropolis of Boston church musicians accompanied by pipe organ, harp and string orchestra. Familiar face: Our own assistant choir director, Donna Spanos, will be singing in a wonderful Christmas concert (Continued on page 13)

13 PAGE 13 (Continued from page 12) on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Union Congregational Church in Groton Center, with performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. It will also be performed on Monday evening, Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m. Donna will soon begin working with our Sunday School students on Sundays at the beginning of Divine Liturgy. More details to follow. By JIM MURPHY GOYA Adviser GOYA CHURCH NEWS December events: The GOYA was scheduled to decorate the Christmas tree on Dec. 1. Members also plan to sponsor half the cost of the gingerbread houses during the upcoming Family Night on Dec. 14 and are looking forward to decorating some houses themselves. Please plan to join the GOYA for an evening of fun with our family and friends. Family Glendi: Please mark your calendar: The GOYA will co-host a Family Glendi with the Andover GOYA on Jan. 19. Please keep your eye on the weekly Trans-Notes and next month s Trans-a-Gram for more details. New members wanted: The GOYA is always looking for more participants. If you are in Grades 7 through 12 and are interested in becoming part of GOYA, please contact the church office with your phone number. By SANDRA GULEZIAN HOPE/JOY Adviser HOPE / JOY Family night: HOPE, JOY and the entire Transfiguration parish invite you to join us on Friday, Dec. 14, from 6-8 p.m. for Family Night. Those who preregister can look forward to decorating a gingerbread house with their family. We will be serving pizza, soda and some other light refreshments. If you would like to register, please msgulezian@comcast.net or call prior to Tuesday, Dec. 11. Please don t miss out on this opportunity to come together as a church family. Holiday greetings: Merry Christmas to all from the HOPE and JOY youth groups. We are 45 members strong, and new members are always welcome to join. list: If you would like to be added to the HOPE/ JOY distribution list, please msgulezian@comcast.net or call me at Special Guests A delegation of 20 residents from the Huntington in Nashua, N.H., visited our church on Nov. 16, where mosaic artist Robert Andrews gave a short presentation on the design and installation of the mosaics. He is currently engaged in a threeyear project in San Francisco. (Photo by Arthur Sparages) Hellenic Dancers The parish-based dance group plans to resume meeting and practicing in January. Updated information will be available in the weekly Trans-Notes and the January Trans-a-Gram. By SUSAN PAPPAS Coffee Hour Coordinator Coffee Hour Nov. 4: Sponsored by Timothy Koufogazos, his children and grandchildren in memory of his wife, Madeline. Nov. 11: Sponsored by the Men s Guild in honor of all our veterans. Volunteers needed: We are always looking for new people who are willing to help serve during the weekly coffee hour. If you would like to volunteer to serve, or if you would like to sponsor a coffee hour for any occasion, please call coffee hour coordinator Susan Pappas at , her at smpappas16@yahoo.com or see her any Sunday after the Divine Liturgy. Greek School Christmas program: The Greek School is pleased to announce it will present a Christmas program on Dec. (Continued on page 14)

14 CHURCH NEWS PAGE 14 (Continued from page 13) 16 during the coffee hour. Please plan to attend and see how well the youth of our parish have learned our Greek language. The school is still accepting students from Grade 1 and up. As always, please keep your eye on the weekly bulletins for updates on Greek School events and programs. Winter Camps The Metropolis of Boston has set the dates for next year s winter camps at the St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center in Contoocook, N.H. The JOY winter camp is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 8-10, while the GOYA camp will take place the weekend of Feb The GOYA camp will be followed by an optional two-day winter chant camp. If you are interested in attending either of the winter camps, please call or smfhcenter@boston.goarch.org. Hospital/Nursing Home Visits If you or a loved one are not able to come to church to receive Holy Communion and would like a visit, please contact Father Demetri during normal business hours to set up a time. Tuesday Morning Group The Tuesday Morning Ladies Group would like to invite other ladies of the parish to come join them on Tuesdays from about 9:30 a.m. until noon. It s a great place to meet, socialize, enjoy a cup of coffee, bring your ideas for crafts or whatever and enjoy new or old friendships on Tuesday mornings. Newsletter Deadline Transfiguration organizations are asked to submit entries for this newsletter as early in the month as possible and no later than the 15th. If at all possible, please submit your material by to Editor Nick Pappas at npappas05@comcast.net. Entries also can be faxed to the church office at or dropped off in the office during normal business hours. It is important that all church organizations be represented in the Trans-a Gram, so please make an effort to participate. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

15 SPONSORSHIP PAGE PAGE 15 Thank you for your support AD SPACE AVAILABLE Contact Editor Nick Pappas Lakeview Ave. Dracut, MA

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