Parish Mission Statement: To proclaim and live the Orthodox Christian Faith in its fullness as faithful members of the Body of Christ.

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1 VOLUME 42, ISSUE 3 March 2019 REV. FR. CHRISTOPHER H. STAMAS, PASTOR Parish Mission Statement: To proclaim and live the Orthodox Christian Faith in its fullness as faithful members of the Body of Christ. Trivia Night Planned for February 23 Philoptochos Planning the Annual Lenten Luncheon High Speed Internet Coming to the Center March and April are All about Lent Oratorical Festival Set for March 10 Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen Begins Monthly Ministry to the Needy JOY and GOYA Both Active Through Winter Months Volunteers in the Spotlight Christina s House Event at the Center on April 5 MBC Week is July The Pastor s Page Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In some of my recent homilies and talks, I ve been discussing perseverance, the benefits of struggling, and the reward that we receive from that effort. It s true that God rewards us even in this life, that He sees our effort, and gives us the will to not only carry on but also to thrive spiritually a far greater reward than money could ever be. Those efforts that I m talking about are often compared to the efforts of an athlete, a shepherd, or a soldier but it s the comparison to a farmer that I find touches me the most. In farming, the seed always precedes the harvest and that's true in our lives as well. In other words, if you want to reap happiness, then you have to sow seeds by making other people happy. If you want to reap financial blessings, you have to sow financially. If you want to reap friendships, you have to be a good friend first. Sowing seed is not just a one-time effort, it s an important part of everyday life. Instead of focusing on your need, worrying about how it s going to work out and living frustrated, look for ways you can sow a seed. Be more seed-oriented than need-oriented. Can you give an encouraging word to someone who s down? Is there someone you can pray for? Are you investing quality time with your loved ones? If you'll dare to sow a seed in your time of need, God will do more than you can ask or think! In writing his second letter to St. Timothy, St. Paul wrote, And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. We heard that in liturgy just a couple of weeks ago and we all understand what it means literally: farmers should not go hungry but, after all their labor, should feast on their crops. Spiritually, however, the meaning may be hidden to some. St. Paul s point is that those who put in the effort to share the gospel, to be a light in the world, and to model Christian living will see those around them change as well. The rewards of joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment will be ours. God will put those things into your heart. As we will soon begin the Lenten season, my hope, as always, is that you will be that model, train up another generation for Christ, knowing that God Himself will reward that effort. Lent Calls All the Faithful to Worship If there is anything special about the Great Lent, it is that our Church gathers us together four times each week simply to worship. To some, that may sound boring, repetitive, or even unnecessary. If you consider your life s daily activities showering, dressing, cooking, washing, working, driving, exercising one could say the same thing about all of these. The fact is: there s nothing wrong with repetition. Repetition of particular actions is what makes us who we are. As for being unnecessary, consider the same actions mentioned above. Which are not necessary? Worship is what makes us a Church and a philanthropically-minded people who listen, learn, and lead for the benefit of our society. Worship of God teaches not only who He is and what He did but also who we are and what we should do. Worship is the heart, the backbone, and the life-blood of the faithful. Do not for a second think that you are not needed, wanted or called by God and His Church. Worship is necessary. He s waiting to hear your praise!

2 2019 PARISH COUNCIL President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Elizabeth Pappas Frogameni James Athens II Christopher Ciejek Anthony Lalikos Diane Arventos Calliope Hoffman Nicholas Kintgios Nicole Lipp Steven Manioudakis Paul Papadakis Liza Pappas Ilias Roumeliotis Joseph Spano Steve Stathis Cameron Walker COMMITTEE AND ORGANIZATION HEADS Building Fund Committee Choir Director Endowment Fund G.O.Y.A. Advisor Greek School J.O.Y. Over 60 Club Philoptochos Sexton Stewardship Sunday School Office Manager Office Volunteers Despina Varelakis Costa Joan Marcil Andrew Psilakis Chrisoula Mahida Liza Pappas Stephanie Giannakopoulos Marika Hamilakis Dimitra Stathis Ciejek Susan Efremidis Doreen Psilakis Despina Varelakis Costa Sandra Dakis-Fiore Pat Mee Joanne Papadimitriou Mary Anne Pappas Doreen Psilakis Betty Socha The Apostle is the monthly newsletter of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Western Massachusetts, Inc., 22 St. George Road, Springfield, MA 01104, Tel: An online version is also available anytime at our web site: Simply click on Welcome. Philoptochos Annual Author s Tea featuring Linda Cardillo and Deb Rollend Sunday, February 24th $10 pp 12 noon after liturgy This is a wonderful event, not to miss! Please invite your family and friends Tea ~ Light Lunch ~ Desserts Linda and Deb will read from and autograph their new books All proceeds to benefit To subscribe to The Apostle and notifications - go to click on Subscribe to Mailings under the Welcome heading. To reach Sandra in the office, please send an to: stgeorgeculturalcenter@gmail.com 2

3 Dear Fellow Parishioners, The new liturgy books are in. It s a special opportunity for me and my family to have our own personalized books to follow. Its not to late to order one of your own. You can call the office or see me and I will be glad to help you obtain your copy. Notice how the altar shines. Not only because Fr. Chris in there but there have been new energy efficient lights installed. You can t see them from your pews, because of the way they face, but they make the altar shine brighter. I am not sure that you are aware, but every Sunday we have a member of Parish Council in the stoa to greet you as you come to Church. Please be sure to say hello and feel free to ask any questions you may have. I know its early but we wanted you to know Xenophon Beake has agreed to be Glendi chair again this year. He has already started the ball rolling so please start scheduling your workshops. Please consider signing up for, and/or making a donation to the Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen Ministry that feeds the needy in our area. It is a very good cause and we need your help to make it happen. Respectfully submitted Elizabeth Pappas Frogameni Parish Council President 2019 Parish Council Members May God bless their service to His Church! New Members Michael, Anna, Arianna & George Bikas Jennifer Carellas Sophia Carellas Karl & Evangeline Christian Nelson & Karen Giannakopoulos 3

4 March 2, 9, 16 Saturdays of Souls, 9 am in the chapel March 10 Sunday of Forgiveness Vespers, 6:30 pm March 11, 18, 25 Compline (Apodeipnon), 6:30 pm March 25 Annunciation of the Theotokos, 9 am March 13, 20, 27 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 6:30 pm March 15, 22, 29 Salutations to the Theotokos, 6:30 pm 2, 9, 16 Μαρτίου Ψυχοσάββατο, 9 πμ στο παρεκκλήσι 10 Μαρτίου Κυριακή της Συγχωρήσεως, 6:30 μμ 11, 18, 25 Μαρτίου Απόδειπνον, 6:30 μμ 25 Μαρτίου Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, 9 πμ 13, 20, 27 Μαρτίου Προηγιαμένη Λειτουργία, 6:30 μμ 15, 22, 29 Μαρτίου Χαιρετισμοί προς την Θεοτόκον, 6:30 μμ Ο σκοπός της Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστής, είναι να προετοιμάσει τους πιστούς, όχι μόνο για να τιμήσουν, αλλά και να εισέλθουν στα Άγια Πάθη και την Ανάσταση του Ιησού. Το σύνολο του Ορθοδόξου βίου επικεντρώνεται γύρω από την Ανάσταση. [1] Η Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή προτίθεται να είναι το «εργαστήρι», όπου ο χαρακτήρας του πιστού ανυψώνεται και εδραιώνεται πνευματικά όπου η ζωή του επιστρέφει και αφιερώνεται ξανά στην διδασκαλία και τα ιδεώδη του Ευαγγελίου όπου η νηστεία και η προσευχή κορυφώνονται με τη βαθιά πεποίθηση της ζωής όπου η απάθεια και η αδιαφορία μετατρέπονται σε έντονες δραστηριότητες πίστης και καλών έργων. Η ίδια η Σαρακοστή δεν υφίσταται προς χάριν της Σαρακοστής, όπως και η νηστεία δεν γίνεται προς χάριν της νηστείας. Μάλλον, αυτά είναι τα μέσα με τα οποία, και για τα οποία, ο πιστός προετοιμάζει τον εαυτό του για να φτάσει, να αποδεχθεί και να επιτύχει το κάλεσμα από τον Σωτήρα του. Ως εκ τούτου, η σημασία της Μεγάλης Σαρακοστής εκτιμάται ιδιαιτέρως, όχι μόνο από It s taken us some time to get this ministry going but we are now providing about 100 people with a great meal once each month. Thanks to the help of more than 40 people in our community who have volunteered to contribute, cook, and serve a meal and to many, many more who have contributed generously we now have a good treasury from which we ll be purchasing the food, cooking and serving at the Second Congregational Church every few weeks. Sacraments and Funerals On February 2, Sofia Shibley, daughter of Victor & Nicole Shibley, was chrismated into the Orthodox Church. On February 15, Ethel Donahue was laid to rest. On February 18, Paul Kastrinakis was laid to rest in Lenox. Riverdale Imports JOSEPH S. SPANO jspano911@yahoo.com We ve sold quality cars for 30 years and we also buy any car, including antiques τους μοναχούς οι οποίοι αυξάνουν σταδιακά το χρονικό διάστημα της Σαρακοστής, αλλά και από τους ίδιους τους λαϊκούς. Στην Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία, ο ασκητισμός δεν είναι αποκλειστικά και μόνο για τους «συνήθεις» θρησκευόμενους, αλλά και για κάθε λαϊκό άτομο επίσης, σύμφωνα με την αντοχή του. Ως εκ τούτου, η Μεγάλη Σαρακοστή είναι ένα «ιερό Εκπαιδευτήριο» της Εκκλησίας για την συμμετοχή κάθε πιστού ως μέλος του Μυστηριακού Σώματος του Χριστού, της Εκκλησίας. PayPal Donation Button Added to Website Would you like to charge your stewardship? Now, you can simply go onto our website and scroll down to the yellow donation button which will allow you use a credit card to make a donation to St. George. This payment will go through the PayPal system and St. George will be able to retrieve it very easily. You may, if desired, even pay your stewardship this way. 4

5 SUNDAY SCHOOL PREPARES FOR THE LENTEN JOURNEY!!! As we draw closer to the beginning of Great Lent, which is Monday, March 11 th this year, our teachers and students become more focused on their spiritual character. Great Lent is indeed a period when we are encouraged to think about the way we are living, the choices we are making in our life, and how we are responding to the teachings of Christ. As it is a time of preparation for our body and soul, our teachers focus their lessons around prayer, fasting, scripture readings, and almsgiving. Our lessons are focused on the significance of the theme of each of the Sundays of Great Lent. We also have planned many of our usual activities this time of year including joining together in sharing the Psalm 51 prayer on March 3rd, Forgiveness Sunday, just before the start of Great Lent and student participation in the Procession of the Holy Icons on March 24 th, the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Our annual Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) - Coin Box Collection will begin on March 17th and run through Palm Sunday, April 21st. We hope to raise at least $600 so that we can sponsor a priest on a Journey of Faith to the Third World Countries. Parents, the Coin collection boxes will be distributed in class if your child does not bring one home, please stop by the Sunday School office. Our efforts to reach out to the hungry in our community continue. The students in Grades 8 and 11/12 will be making sandwiches for the Springfield Rescue Mission s Operation Sonshine on March 3 rd and March 17 th. Our students have a goal of donating 1000 sandwiches to this organization this year and are working hard to achieve this goal. Our annual local St. John the Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is scheduled on Sunday, March 10 th in the Chapel at noon. This is open to all of our parishioners, and not only to our teachers and family members of our participants. If you have never attended, please mark your calendar and join us. Our guests in the past have been very impressed with the knowledge and talent of our students in grades 7 to 12 and have enjoyed the experience of witnessing their faith. Participation in this festival gives our teenagers an opportunity to learn, write, and speak about their Orthodox Faith, Church, and Heritage. For all in attendance, it enhances our understanding and appreciation of our identity as Greek Orthodox Christians. Our youth ministry program is blessed with remarkable students and parents. Please plan to join us on our journey and support the community. May this Lenten season be a time of renewal and spiritual growth for all of us Despina Costa and the Sunday School Volunteers Please take a moment to look for us and give us a LIKE! stgeorgesundayschoolspringfield It s hard to believe in this day and age, when we have ultrasounds and so much technology to show the progress of a child s growth in the womb that we would still have people claiming that it is not human, not able to feel, or even a real child. The fact is that it is all of those things and, as Christians, we believe life to be sacred. Beyond that, there is not nor has there ever been a reason to abort a child to save the life of a mother. If any complications were to arise, the child could be delivered, not aborted. We realize that this issue is a heated issue nowadays but, as Christians, can there be any other way of understanding why God would come to die for us other than love for humanity? The first person to honor Him in His earthly life was a fetus, when John the Baptist leapt in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth. Just imagine if she, due to her poverty, thought of her son as expendable. So, for those who believe in God s most precious gift human life the Clearway Clinic will be having an Open House at 1259 Columbus Avenue on March 7 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and also on Sunday, March 10 from 2 pm to 4 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Adults and young people are encouraged to attend and to see the good work being offered to young women in need. Poverty, inconvenience, and humiliation should be no reason to take another human life. We re all precious; we re all made by God. 5

6 Joy in March It s hard to believe that winter is almost over and soon we will be enjoying some nice spring weather. With warmer weather on the mind for most of us, why not start thinking about summer plans? This year s St. George Vacation Church Camp is scheduled for July 15th-19th. I hope you can save the dates and join us for a week of faith, fun, and friendships. It is completely free and worth every minute, I promise! More details will follow when the time gets closer. Our next JOY meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 9 from 12:30-2:30 at St. George. I look forward to seeing you. If you are on Facebook check out our St. George JOY page to get our latest news, upcoming events and pictures or check out our JOY bulletin board before entering the large hall. God bless! Stephanie Giannakopoulos Stewardship Pledge Forms Help us stay up to date C JACK REALTY ASSOC. Real Estate Development P.O. Box 476 West Springfield, MA CHRISTOPHER CIEJEK, General Partner If you have not sent in your form, please fill it out today! We use the information to do our budget, update addresses and the bottom of the form informs us as to how you would like to participate in our ministries. The forms are in the stoa if you need one. Thank you. Another Act of Stewardship We extend our thanks to Joanne Papadimitriou for volunteering her time to the church office during the absence of Betty Socha. She saw a need and came forward offering to make time in her busy schedule as a real estate agent to assist other volunteers in the office. Joanne presently prepares the weekly Bulletin and assists with various other office duties as needed. Balancing a career with added responsibilities is no easy task but doing so is but one example of giving of one s time and talent. We recognize and greatly appreciate her gesture of stewardship. Respectfully submitted by Doreen 6

7 The Philoptochos once again will be busy in March. On March 24th we will be hosting our annual Lenten Luncheon benefitting Hellenic College/Holy Cross. We have a wonderful program planned. The 25th of March is a day of two celebrations. It is the Annunciation of the Theotokos and Greek Independence Day. As we sit for a wonderful fish dinner, the children of the Greek School will recite poems and sing songs for Greek Independence Day. Our speaker this year is Frances Levas, former Philoptochos President of the Metropolis of Boston and presently working for Hellenic College/ Holy Cross. Please join us as it will be a wonderful day of fun, friendship and fellowship. We would appreciate any help you can give us for this event - 1. Set-up of the hall Saturday March 23rd 9:30 am. 2. Food preparation, etc. Saturday March 23rd 9:30 am. 3. Clean-up after the dinner. We are always in need of help! If you would like to help in any capacity, please let any board member know. We d love to have you. The Philoptochos Board would like to thank our authors and everyone who attended the Authors Tea in February. It was a beautiful day listening to the readings and enjoying the friendships and food. I would like to thank everyone who made the day possible, the ladies of the board and members of Philoptochos. We thank everyone who paid their Philoptochos stewardship for Please consider joining this amazing organization. It is not your grandmother s or mother s Philoptochos anymore. GOYA News In January, the GOYA went to the Thunderbird s Hockey Game. We overwhelmingly decided to make it an annual event! We want to thank everyone for supporting the Souper Bowl drive for hunger. We were able to raise over $400 for the IOCC. The officers are in the process of updating the schedule for the rest of the year with community service activities as well as more social events. In March, we are planning a GOYA game night on Saturday, March 2nd, The Oratorical Festival will be held in March (date to be announced). Anyone trying to earn the St. Basil award will need to participate. It is also a good way to earn one of the requirements for a MBC Summer Camp scholarship. The GOYA will also be serving at the Lenten luncheon on Sunday, March 24th. We will be sending out an updated schedule in a few weeks. Please look for updates in your and on the GOYA board in the Cultural Center. Thank you for your continued support! George Patrakis, GOYA President If you are young mothers, ask us how you can help. Here are a couple of suggestions: 1. Create a mothers group/playgroup. Come up with a charity you that works for you, i.e. the NICU at Baystate (blankets/ caps). 2. Choose a shelter for woman and children and choose a specific item they may need. We know your time is precious. Consider becoming the Young Mothers Philoptochos. The rewards are heartfelt and appreciated. We would like to wish everyone a beautiful journey though lent as we await the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With Love and Appreciation, Dimitra (Debbie) Stathis-Ciejek and Philoptochos Board 7

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9 Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. George, On behalf of the Committee we wish everyone a blessed year of good health, prosperity, peace and love. A Note of Thanks. On behalf of the Committee I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Sue Gravanis and her family for designating the Endowment Trust to be the recipient of any donations made in memory of her beloved husband John who passed away on December 14, John was a dear friend, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a wonderful parishioner loved by everyone and we will never forget him. May he rest in peace and we again express our appreciation to the Gravanis family for their generosity and support of the Trust. Charitable Gifting In the past issues of the Apostle we presented in brief format two gifting options for donating to a charity: (1) during one s lifetime and (2) a bequest made through an individual s last will and testament. Another option (3) is to make a charity the beneficiary of an IRA (individual retirement account) or other employer sponsored retirement plans. The donor decides whether to donate 100% of the accumulated value or a smaller percentage. This option provides the following tax savings. First, the value of the gift is deductible from the donor s estate and second, the charity does not have to pay any income tax on the funds it receives. The advantage of this option is that it reduces the tax exposure to the estate that otherwise would have to be paid as a result of the funds coming out of a retirement plan. In the next issue of the Apostle another option will be presented using a charitable trust. Portfolio Update What a difference one month makes. December was a terrible month where stock valuations continued to plummet until year s end. However, in early January the Federal Reserve made an about face on raising rates in 2019 taking instead a wait and see attitude, the Government shutdown was resolved at least temporarily, trade negotiations continued between the US and China and many companies reported fourth quarter revenue and earnings that met or exceeded the analyst projections. All of the above contributed in some way to bring back a positive sentiment in the market going forward. As a result of this market upswing the Trust s portfolio from the beginning of the year to date (2/1/19) increased in value by 9.6%. 100 Club Update A new year is starting and we look forward to another record breaking year for membership to the 100 Club. Last year we had the best record since its inception in 2008 with 56 parishioners and friends joining the Club. With your help we look forward to a new record in We as a Committee are very, very appreciative and are ever thankful for the generosity and commitment by so many who continue supporting this fund-raising effort for St. George s Endowment Trust year after year. The following seventeen (17) parishioners have joined the 100 Club starting out in 2019 which is the best record for membership for the month of January: Demos & Ralitsa Axas, Stefanos & Joanna Axas, Peter Coscore, Ray & Ann Judycki, Steve & Anastasia Marangoudakis, John & Liza Pappas, Mary Anne Pappas, Andy & Doreen Psilakis, Gary & Marie Setian, David & Betty Socha, Fr. Chris & Penny Stamas, Kiki Trial, Steve & Eva Trikas, Georgia Williams, Stan & Aphro Wojnar, Anonymous, Anonymous Many, many thanks to all of the above and let s continue setting new membership records in 2019 and beyond. Respectfully submitted, Andy Psilakis 9

10 Save the date! Doors open 6:00 pm Have you ever wondered who prepares thousands of pieces of bulk mail for St. George? Meet Mary Anne s Team Stavroulla Mavroudhis-Koetsch, Carol Domaingue, Nancy Suchak, Penny Kratimenos, Sue Vakakas, Vasiliki Tsitsirides, Bob Granger - brings to bulk mail center Thank you ladies for countless hours of stuffing, sealing, labeling, counting, sorting, folding, The Apostle, Easter, Christmas, General Assembly mailings and too many more to mention. We appreciate your donation of time and talent. Oratorical Festival Set for March 10 Is it difficult to prepare a paper and present it to a lot of people knowing that you re being judged on your reading and presentation! You betcha! BUT, is there a benefit to it? More than you realize! To be faithful, we need to think through our faith, we need to defend our faith, we need to remember that it is the handing down of our faith from generation to generation that has sustained Christianity for 2,000 years! On Sunday, March 10, we will be gathering in the chapel after liturgy to hear our young people present papers for this national competition. Parishes from Maine to Hawaii will send their top three contestants to the regional level then on to the Metropolis level of competition before meeting at the national level. The top orators will win scholarships of $2,000, $1,000, and $500. We strongly recommend that everyone participate who can. It s also a requirement of the St. Basil Award. DESIGNER PURSE BINGO EVENT at St. George Cultural Center Tickets $35.00 Light refreshments will be served All proceeds will benefit Christina s House Designer Purse Bingo is a fun night out. The prizes will be designer bags from Kate Spade, Coach, and Michael Kors. Your ticket includes 10 games of bingo with one purse being won for each game. There will also be ten fabulous raffle prizes. Christina s House is a Christ-centered ministry developed to meet the needs of women and children who are homeless or at risk. We provide transitional housing while encouraging, embracing, and educating those we serve. Heritage Greece Taking Applications Applications for the 2019 Heritage Greece Program, which will take place June 6-23, 2019,in Athens, Greece, are now open! If you are an American College student of Greek descent between the ages of 18 and 26, join Heritage Greece this summer for the experience of a lifetime. To learn more and to see photos frorm previous years, go to: Theodore P. Carellas William G. Carellas Carellas Insurance Agency, Inc. HOMEOWNERS AUTO COMMERCIAL 207 Park Avenue West Springfield, MA

11 END OF THE YEAR CONTRIBUTION RANGE REPORT January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 Dollar Amts. # Givers Total Gift Average , , , , ,30 4, ,77 1, ,00 1, , , , , ,500 1,999 2,500 5,000 10, , ,25 1, , $26, $ Total 163 Council Votes to Fund MBC Campers Again At the December meeting, the Parish Council voted unanimously to fund 100% of the cost of attending MBC, our Metropolis Camp in New Hampshire, for The same rules apply: those who qualify must fulfill at least two (but hopefully all) of the requirements set out by either the St. Sophia or St. Basil Awards for the year If you re not sure what this means but would like to attend in the summer, speak to Mrs. Costa in the Sunday School and she will explain. Last year, we had one of our biggest years but we would like to see even more people participating. By now, most know the drill: come to church, participate in Sunday School and help us carry out our ministries. 11

12 St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Western Massachusetts 22 St. George Road Springfield, MA PRE-SORT STANDARD NON-PROFIT U.S.POSTAGE PAID SPRINGFIELD, MA PERMIT #708 TIME DATED MATERIAL RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED The Flower Stop 540 Main Street, West Springfield, MA For over 10 years, the service provider to St. George Cathedral Visit our website at: ees-security.com We are complete service provider for homes and businesses 1146 Memorial Ave West Springfield, MA Ruby Perakis, Owner St. Pierre Phaneuf Funeral Chapels A Lasting Memory of the Journey Home St. Pierre-Phaneuf Springfield Chapels (413) St. Pierre-Phaneuf Aldenville Chapels (413) St. Pierre-Phaneuf Fairview Chapels (413) Paul A. Phaneuf, Matthew D. Sabat, and Anthony J. Hanke, Directors P.O. Box 1459 MN008-W235 Minneapolis, MN