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 4 April 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. The Philoptochos Lenten Luncheon Comes at a Critical Time for HCHC Christina s House fundraiser to be held at Center St. George Gears up for Holy Week and Pascha Loaves and Fishes Ministry Begins Monthly Commitment for the Needy Volunteer in the Spotlight: Eleni Gouzounis Adults and GOYAns Host Trivia Nights Sunday School and GOYA Want Your Extra Clothes JOY is All About Fun in the Son! Palm-Folding April 19 The Pastor s Page I saw this bumper sticker above for the first time only recently. At first, I laughed because I know that it s true. Jokes are only funny if there s an element of truth in them. The reality is that one almost cannot compare the standard that the Orthodox Church promotes versus any other Christian denomination. Some examples include: the complexity of language, the length of services, the quantity of fasting days, the difficulty of founding documents, the lack of entertaining worship in a modern sense, and much more. Now, does the high standard mean that Orthodox Christians are better Christians? No, I m not suggesting that at all because the fact is that most of us and I ll put myself first here do not live up to the standard that the Church calls us to. At the same time, the reason I m a priest is because I firmly believe with all my heart that the standard is still the best standard all these years later. If I thought for one second that a lower standard would be better for spiritual growth, I would like to think that I would have embraced that lower standard. The problem with the high standard is that the Scriptures actually say that Christianity is about lightening the load, the responsibilities, and the requirements that religion held people to. This is true, especially as it relates to Judaism. The requirements of the 613 Mosaic Laws were unbelievably difficult to fulfill. This is the standard by which Christianity was compared, not the standard of do nothing but feel good about yourself. My point is this: I like to point to the Orthodox standard of living for myself and for you as something to aspire to. I think it s good for us, beneficial in every way but what I will not do is criticize you for failing because I ve failed also. May God bless you on your Lenten journey. Icon Workshop Returns to St. George on May It s been a few years since we ve had Chris Gosey, a Byzantine iconographer from Manchester, New Hampshire, joining us here at St. George. That s not due to a lack of effort on our part, however. Chris has been extremely busy flying around the country and doing workshops for parishes in the Midwest and South. You might say that his business and ministry are really taking off. Fortunately for us, he was able to carve out some time to come. On the weekend of May 16-19, Chris will be here to lead a group and share his talent with us. Beginners are still more than welcome. Everyone leaves with a completed icon and everyone learns how serious this artform is. It is like a weekend retreat in some ways. The cost is $225 per person but the experience is invaluable. Register now and join us!

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 Shari Patrakis 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. 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 Lenten journey is upon us. Please be very diligent in attending not only Sunday Liturgy but the additional services during the week as well. It is a time to focus on the way we live and the choices we make. We hope you can join us for some fun for good causes coming up. Christina s House, a Christian ministry centered around the needs of women and children who are homeless and at risk, is holding a fundraiser. Designer Purse Bingo is being held at the Cultural Center Friday, April 5th. starting at 6 PM. All proceeds will benefit Christina s House. Tickets are available in the office. Dancing with Heart, hosted by St. Luke, in partnership with Shriners Hospital, will be held on Saturday, May 11th, 7pm, at the Cedars Banquet Hall in Springfield. It is so much fun and for such a worthy cause. I will be happy to assist you in obtaining tickets. The internal audit committee presented their quarterly report to the Parish Council and outside of a few housekeeping items, things are in good order. High speed internet has been in the works for a while and I am happy to report that it is almost complete. The routers are in place and the site to site device is being installed. As always please see any one of the Parish Council members with your questions, concerns and ideas. We are always here for you. Respectfully submitted Elizabeth Pappas Frogameni Parish Council President Wise Words Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God. New Members Angelique Fiske Antonios C. Jannakas 3

4 April 1, 8, 15 Small Compline, 6:30 in the chapel April 3 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy at Holy Trinity, 6 pm April 5, 12 Salutations to the Theotokos, 6:30 in the chapel April 10, 17 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 6:30 pm in our chapel April 20 Saturday of Lazaros, 9 am in the chapel A Holy Week schedule will be sent out to all parishioners. You may also find it on the Internet. Each evening, the services will begin at 6:30 pm in the Cathedral Church. Loaves and Fishes Off to a Great Start On February 21, our first group got together to prepare a meal at the Second Congregational Church. We fed close to 150 people. The first group consisted of Penny and Phil Goncalves, Kathy and Gus Mouneimneh, Penny and Fr. Chris Stamas. It was, for sure, a learning experience as we needed to figure out the menu, the quantities, the costs, and timing for the 5 o clock dinner. The menu consisted of chicken with mushrooms and onion sauce, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, salad, bread rolls, cinnamon rolls for dessert, and milk or water to drink. We already have other groups scheduled for March 21 (dinner) and for April 4 (lunch). We would also like to sincerely thank the many, many people who have contributed generously to this ministry. One generous donor gave us $1,500! Others have given well into the hundreds of dollars, covering the cost of a complete meal. Thank you! Riverdale Imports JOSEPH S. SPANO jspano911@yahoo.com We ve sold quality cars for 30 years and we also buy any car, including antiques 1, 8, 15 Απριλίου Μικρόν Απόδειπνον, 6:30 στο παρεκκλήσι 3 Απριλίου Προηγιασμένη στην Αγία Τριάδα, 6 μμ 5, 12 Απριλίου Χαιρετισμοί, 6:30 μμ στο παρεκκλήσι 10, 17 Απριλίου Προηγιασμένη, 6:30 στο παρεκκλήσι μας 20 Απριλίου Σάββατο του Λαζάρου, 9 πμ στο παρεκκλήσι Θα στείλουμε το πρόγραμμα της Αγίας Εβδομάδος σε όλα τα μέλη. Μπορείτε να το βρείτε και στο διαδίκτυον. Κάθε βράδυ, οι ακολουθίες θα ξεκινήσουν στις 6:30 στο Καθεδρικό Ναό. Folding Palms on April 19 It s a great family tradition for a lot of people each year: we get together for a delicious potluck dinner and we fold the palm branches into crosses for Palm Sunday. This event is one of those few events when adults and children can enjoy the same activity and really accomplish something beneficial for our community. We would love to see you, your spouse, your children and grandchildren all down at the Center at 5:30 pm or whenever you can make it. The whole event takes a couple of hours depending on the amount of help we have. So, make the time to join us and help us prepare for a very important day. 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 TEACHERS DISCUSS YOUTH CHALLENGE On Sunday, March 31 st, Father Chris and Elayne Gumlaw will lead our volunteer staff through a presentation and group discussion addressing How Can We Keep Our Young People Interested In Church. The Orthodox Church faces a challenge in forming a new generation of faithful Christians. We are not alone in facing this challenge as we have observed the reality around us that many young people are falling away from the Church and the belief in Christ. We will be discussing practices we can implement in our ministry program that can counteract some of the key challenges that our young people face in today s secular age. We are looking forward to this presentation. We wish to congratulate the participants in this year s Oratorical Festival - Maria Fareti, Tessa Ebreo, Prem Mahida, Thomas Nicholson, Demetrios Patrakis, and Joseph Mantis and Justin Mantis in the Junior Division (Grades 7 to 9) and, Irini Mahida, Evan Manioudakis, George Patrakis, Toni Perakis and Alexandra Moutafis in the Senior division (Grades 10 to 12). See page 10 for a photo of the group. These students all prepared and delivered very well thought out presentations on a variety of topics that touch the lives of many in today s society comparing early monastics to today s athletes, what it means to love one another as Christ loved us, living our faith and handling our money, our responsibility to protect the natural world (water, wheat, wine, oil),the behavior of today s politicians: piety or manipulation, and science vs religion clash and harmony. Having done the necessary research, along with their own knowledge, our students spoke with great passion and referred to their life experiences that were relevant to the topic they selected. It was so enlightening and rewarding to see that their understanding of their faith is so strong and to witness their ability to communicate their beliefs so openly and with so much passion. We are so proud of every one of them. We extend our best to Tessa Ebreo and Toni Perakis who will be advancing to the Metropolis competition in Brookline in early May. We also wish to thank Mary Perakis for organizing this year s festival, along with our judges Maria Piepergerdes and Sandra Fiore and scorekeeper, Steve Perakis. Our Journey through Great Lent continues, and we can t emphasize enough how important it is to bring our students to church every Sunday both attending the Divine Liturgy and our Sunday School program. Whether it be to learn about the final days before our Lord s resurrection, or about the life experiences of one of our Saints or Holy Fathers, or simply to recharge their spiritual battery, there is no other commitment on a Sunday morning that can replace our Divine Liturgy and Sunday School program. We hope to see continued participation by our students in our Holy Easter preparations and church services including our annual Lenten Potluck and Palm-Making Event on Friday evening, April 19 th, Holy Week Services including Holy Unction on Holy Wednesday afternoon, April 24, and Myrrhbearing girls, ages (5-13) in our two services on Good Friday afternoon and evening. Of course, our dedicated altar boys are welcome to serve at every service as in past years. Being a part of these services and activities really brings to light the true meaning of Christ s Resurrection. We have launched this year s OCMC Coin Box Collection. We are making a big push to achieve our goal is to raise at least $600 to be able to sponsor one of the priests who will be traveling to Kenya to continue the efforts of His Grace Bishop Athanasius Akunda, who passed away in early January this year. Father Athanasius was a fellow classmate of Father Chris at Holy Cross in Brookline and had spent the last 13 years in South Africa where His efforts touched so many lives with faith, teaching it with literature, engaging the youth and building churches. While we have not achieved this goal of $600 in the past several years, we are making a special request this year to all of our students and families to donate generously. We will be collecting the boxes through Palm Sunday, April 21, and very much appreciate your support. When sending the box back to us, please consider putting the box inside a bag to avoid the loss of coins as your child carries the box to class. On behalf of the entire Sunday School staff, we thank you for sharing your children with us and extend our best wishes for a Blessed Easter to all of our students and families, Despina Costa and the Sunday School Volunteers Prayer Assembling Writing Bible Study Singing in worship Hospitality Confession Fasting Journaling Inspirational Reading Ministry Teaching Meditative Prayer Giving Generously Solitude/Listening Scripture Memorization 5

6 C JACK REALTY ASSOC. Real Estate Development P.O. Box 476 West Springfield, MA CHRISTOPHER CIEJEK, General Partner Joy in April It s hard to believe that we only have two more JOY meetings until summer vacation. In March, we had a great time taking advantage of the snow in the back of the Center. The kids made at least thirty runs down the hill and had a ball! With the warmer weather upon us, please join us for some spring cleanup inside and outside. Feel free to bring gloves and be sure to dress appropriately. We will be meeting Saturday, April 6, from 12:30-2:30 at St. George. A friendly reminder, this year s St. George V a c a t i o n Church Camp is scheduled for July 15th-19th. I hope you can join us for a week of faith, fun, and friendships. It is completely free and worth every minute. More details will follow when the time gets closer. If you are on Facebook, check out our St. George JOY page to get our latest news, upcoming events and pictures. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding JOY, I m always available and willing to hear new ideas. Please feel free to contact me at: stavroula.giannakopoulos@gmail.com. I hope everyone has a blessed Easter with their families. I m grateful for. 1) Early wakeups because it means I have children to love. 2) A house to clean for I have a place to live. 3) Laundry because I have clothes to wear. 4) Dishes to wash for I also have food to eat. 5) Crumbs under the table because it s a sign of family. 6) Grocery shopping for I have money to provide for us. 7) Toilets to clean because we have indoor plumbing. 8) Lots of noise for I also have people in my life. 9) Endless questions about homework because my kids brains are growing. 10) Being sore and tired in bed because I m still alive! 6

7 We wish all our friends and family a very Happy April and Happy Spring. Our final journey through lent will bring us to our long awaited resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we celebrate his resurrection, let us remember those who are less fortunate and in need of loving care. The Philoptochos wishes to thank all who have donated to our many charities. We recently delivered countless socks, undies, toiletries, men s clothing and food to our many charities. Throughout the year we will continue collecting donations as food is always needed. During the month of April, Philoptochos will begin the clothing drive for women returning to the work force. Please drop off gently used clothing, shoes and purses to the center. Philoptochos thanks everyone in advance for your kind donations. We would like to encourage everyone to attend our annual Lenten Luncheon. Its success is due to all who support the mission of Philoptochos. I would like to thank, in advance, the Philoptochos board for all their efforts. You are all amazing women. All your hard work pays off each year. We would like to thank Liza Pappas and the Greek School for their beautiful presentation celebrating Greek Independence Day. Frances Levas, Director of Development and former Metropolis President, will speak about the school and how important it is to our Church here in America. As many of you know, all the proceeds of the luncheon benefit Holy Cross/Hellenic College. Our three speakers at the Go Red Event in February Upcoming events: 1. The Metropolis of Boston is hosting An Evening with Maria Loi, Greek food ambassador, restauranteur, author, healthy life style expert. Dr. Stefanos Kales will also be speaking on the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. It will be held at St. Demetrios Church in Weston. More information will be posted on the Philoptochos bulletin board. 2. The Table Top Social is back. The date of the event is: Sunday October 6 th. More information to come soon. We wish everyone Kali Anastasi and Happy Easter. With Love and Appreciation, Dimitra Stathis-Ciejek and the Philoptochos Board ST. GEORGE VOLUNTEER NIGHT Have you ever wondered what you can do to help out at St. George? We will graciously accept your help on Thursday, April 4, beginning at 5 pm at our first volunteer night this year. Our focus is to continue replacing the ceiling tiles on the main level including the hallway, the gift shop, and more, if we have the help. Bring your work gloves and energy. We will provide face masks for those removing tiles. If you are able to join us, please see David Costa or contact him at , so that we also have a headcount for dinner that will be served. Thank you in advance. 7

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9 Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. George, On behalf of the Committee I extend to all parishioners and friends a blessed and safe Lenten season. Charitable Gifting In the past three Apostle issues we presented, again in a brief format, gifting options for donating to a favorite charity: (1) during one s lifetime, (2) a bequest made through an individual s last will and testament and (3) making the charity the beneficiary of an IRA (individual retirement account) or other employer sponsored retirement plans. Option 4 - This selection allows a donor to name one s favorite charity as the recipient of their life insurance benefits. If the policy is a cash value policy donors may have access to the cash value during their lifetime. This however reduces the potential benefits for the charity, after the donor s passing. From a tax benefit standpoint the remaining proceeds that are designated for the charity can be deducted from the donor s estate thereby reducing the estate s tax liability. Another option will be presented in the next issue of the Apostle. Portfolio Update The market s upswing continued into February from the beginning of the year after suffering the worst December since Some reasons for the market s improvement are that the Federal Reserve is standing pat on raising rates, for now, trade negotiations between the US and China is showing some progress and President Trump postponed a deadline for raising additional tariffs on Chinese goods imported to the US as he had originally demanded. Many economists and businessmen remain optimistic on the economy and the resilience of the stock market after the dreadful December The Trust s portfolio of assets has increased in value by 12.2% from the beginning of the year to the end of February (2/28/19). 100 Club Update On behalf of the Committee I welcome the following 8 longtime supporters and members who again joined the Club in February. Their continued support and generosity is awesome and greatly appreciated: Charlie & Virginia Ciantra, Peter & Zoe Demos, Thea Katsounakis, Gus & Maria Levanos, Philip & Evangelia Loukellis, Angelo Metzidakis, Bessie Metzidakis, and Pons Tougias. The following is a list of the 25 parishioners who have joined the 100 Club from the beginning of the year: Demos & Ralitsa Axas, Stefanos & Joanna Axas, Charlie & Virginia Ciantra, Peter Coscore, Peter & Zoe Demos Ray & Ann Judycki, Thea Katsounakis, Gus & Maria Levanos, Philip & Evangelia Loukellis, Steve & Anastasia Marangoudakis, Angelo Metzidakis, Bessie Metzidakis, John & Liza Pappas, Mary Anne Pappas, Andy & Doreen Psilakis, Gary & Marie Setian, David & Betty Socha, Fr. Chris & Penny Stamas, Pons Tougias, Kiki Trial, Steve & Eva Trikas, Georgia Williams, Stan & Aphro Wojnar, Anonymous, Anonymous Heartfelt thanks to all of the above for their support, commitment and generosity to the Trust year after year. I have no doubt that 2019 will be another record breaking year in membership. PLEASE JOIN US! Respectfully submitted, Andy Psilakis Chair, Endowment Trust Committee Sacraments and Funerals John Katsounakis was laid to rest on March 1. Michael Patsouris was laid to rest on March 4. Louis Bouffides was laid to rest on March 5. May God rest their souls. On February 17, Nuria Sotiropoulos churched her daughter. On February 24, Michelle and Kosta Giannakopoulos churched their daughter. 9

10 E leni Gouzounis, one of our most faithful volunteers, dedicates herself to keeping the church clean and orderly each week. Working with our sexton, Sue Efremidis, she is the one responsible for creating the iconic sand images that greet us each week. Visitors remark on how beautiful they are and ask if they are created with a stamp. It takes a long time to sift the sand before the creating can begin. She makes sure that the floors are vacuumed, sometimes coming after her nursing shift at the hospital or staying long after services are done. She is also responsible for dating and drawing in the welcome book in the lobby of the church. The area in the basement outside the restrooms was also organized and made more inviting by Eleni. Thanks to her for making our day a little more special. Kosta and Michelle Giannakopoulos pose with Fr. Chris as they bring their little daughter for her 40-day blessing. One of our Largest Groups Ever Participates in Festival While we hear that many churches have few, if any, participants in this event, we had 12 participants in this year s St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. It was a tremendous accomplishment for our community and it came on a day when it snowed and sleeted on Sunday morning. Participating this year were: Toni Perakis (senior division winner), Joseph Mantis, Demetri Patrakis, Evan Manioudakis, George Patrakis, Irini Mahida, Maria Fareti, Tessa Ebreo (junior division winner), Justin Mantis, Thomas Nicholson, Prem Mahida, and Alexa Moutafis. It was an outstanding effort. Great job! On March 2, our GOYA got together with some of the GOYAns from St. Luke to have their own Trivia Night. We also had a potluck dinner and enjoyed some great discussion with everyone. Trivia Question What is the week after Pascha called? Theodore P. Carellas William G. Carellas Carellas Insurance Agency, Inc. HOMEOWNERS AUTO COMMERCIAL 207 Park Avenue West Springfield, MA Bright or Renewal Week Answer:

11 St. George Parishioners: the GOYA needs your help! As you start your spring cleaning, the GOYA will be collecting gently used clothing, shoes, pocketbooks, and accessories. This FUNDrive Fundraiser supported by Savers, enables community-based non-profits to host donation drives and convert clothing and household goods into revenue. For the rest of March, April and the first part of May, the GOYA will be collecting items every Sunday. We will supply people with a garbage bag to fill. GOYA members will be available after church in the cultural center collecting donations. The money we make will be used to support GOYA activities and charities. Thank you for your support. In March, the GOYA held a Trivia Night. We would like to thank Father Chris and Presvytera Penny for putting together the trivia questions and running the game night. A good time was had by all! Thank you to everyone who donated can goods for the needy. April will be a busy month! More details to come. On March 24th, many of us will be assisting the Philoptochos Society with their annual Lenten Luncheon. As usual, we will be assisting with serving meals. We hope that this event is a huge success. On Saturday, April 6 th, the GOYA will be getting together to clean the church in preparation for Pascha. Please join us also on Friday, April 19 th, to help fold palms for Palm Sunday. As we go through Lent and Holy Week, it is a time for us to become closer to Jesus as we follow His journey to the Resurrection. Please look for updates in your and on the GOYA board in the Cultural Center. George Patrakis, GOYA President END OF THE YEAR CONTRIBUTION RANGE REPORT January 1, 2018 to March 13, 2019 Dollar Amts. # Givers Total Gift Average $ $ $5, $ , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Total 236 $64, $ Council Funds MBC Campers 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