January Featuring. 110 Southern Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL Phone: office

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1 110 Southern Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL Phone: office Website: stcatherine-wpb.org Fax: January 2017 Featuring January Calendar 2 Father Andrew s Thoughts 3 House Blessing Schedule 4 St. Anthony the Great 5 Philoptochos 6-8 Stewardship 9-11 Vasilopita Sunday 12 Epiphany 13 Sunday School Greek School 18 AHEPA 19 New Year s Eve 20 Greek Festival Heart of Greece 26 Volunteers 27 Advertisers Please support our advertisers. Their ads help support Saint Catherine buildings, grounds, and ministries.

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5 The Stewardship of St. Anthony the Great January 17th But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your words; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:13-36). In this passage from the holy Gospel according to John, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls all those who would accept Him to a life lived in the world without being of the world. The Christian Orthodox believer is called to live a unique and distinctive life in the world. These unique and distinctive qualities of the faithful are shown by their lifestyle and ethical life which must be ideal! Around the middle of the second century in the early Church, when Christian life reached a low point, some Christians, both men and women, reacted to this by raising their person standards of austere Christian life. They practiced chastity, celibacy, poverty, prayer, and fasting. These Christian people aspired to live the angelic life. Many of them lived alone or in special houses as a community. By the middle of the third century, they began fleeing the world and going to the desert, where they established permanent habitations, whether by themselves or in small groups. They became known as the anchorites (from ~: departure, flight); the hermits (from ~: desert); and the monastics (from ~: alone; for a monastic who lives in the presence of God alone ). The one who exemplifies the finest example of this type of commitment is the Desert Father, St. Anthony the Great. St. Anthony was born into a wealthy family. When his parents died, he and his sister shared their wealth. Since the sister was a minor, he made sure she was cared for and then gave away all his portion of the inheritance to the poor ad went into the desert to live the life of asceticism. St. Anthony had taken to heart the words of the Lord:...sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me (Mark 10:21). Many people imitated his example; they went and lived close to him, thus populating the desert. St. Anthony is considered the father of Orthodox Monasticism, for his kind of monasticism, that of living alone with God as his only companion, remained the most cherished monastic ideal for the monks of the Christian Orthodox Church throughout the ages. Though few of us are called to follow the monastic life, each of us is capable of emulating the example of stewardship shown by the life of St. Anthony the Great. In his life, we see a person with great faith and the dedication to follow the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; he is a man who loves, honors, and respects his parents; he shows a loving concern for his sister; we recognize his humility to give all he possesses to help the poor; and we witness a spiritual giant who teaches Learn to desire humility, for that will cover your sins. All sin is hateful to God, but the most hateful of all is pride of heart. Do not consider yourself learned or wise, or all your toil will be lost and your ship will arrive empty at the shore.if you have great power, threaten no man with death; know that according to nature you also are subject to death and that each soul takes off its body as its final clothing. 5

6 Saint Catherine Philoptochos 7th Annual Charity Luncheon Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 12:30 pm Donation: $50 for tickets: Olga Gevas Chesterfield Hotel 363 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480

7 PHILOPTOCHOS BULLETIN For your attention and/or help! January 15 Vasilopita Sunday please bring in your homemade pastry to adorn our coffee table. January 17 Philoptochos Luncheon and meeting at 12 noon. Elisabeth McKeen, M.D. will speak on advances in diagnosing and treating breast and other cancers. Everyone is invited to attend the luncheon and hear Dr. McKeen speak. We are very fortunate and delighted to have Dr. McKeen with us again this year! January 25...and the following two Wednesdays February 1 and 8 we will be baking KOULOURAKIA for our Festival. The dough will be ready at 9:30 a.m. Please join us for work and fun! Philoptochos has undertaken to provide new robes for our Akolytes. If you would like to participate, any donation is welcome, and all donations of $100 and over may be made in memory of a loved one. If you are interested in joining us in this project, please speak to Father Andrew. Our SAINT CATHERINE FESTIVAL is on February 17, 18, and 19. Repackaging and set up for the Philoptochos Pastry Booth will be done on February 15 and 16. Please contact Popee Valentine to schedule the days and hours when you will be available to help. 7

8 CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS OF THE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL POINSETTIAS WHICH ADORNED THE SOLEA OF OUR CHURCH AT CHRISTMAS Father and Presbytera Maginas Ted and Mary Athanasakes Mary Ann Babnis Kathy Vidas Bafitis Stella Bafitis Maria Balasis Dorothy Cabarle Sandra and John Caruso Sue Chiungos Joanne Dalber Katina Fasul Fragiskakis Family Demetra Galazoudis Dr. Peter, Olga and Ariadne Gevas Constantia Gulis Rita Hatzikostas Elli Kalafatis Katherine Karagianis Kastanias Family Haroula Larmer Ann Linardos Helen and Emanuel Logothetis Nick Lucas Louis and Helen Nicozisis Angie Heon Nys Norman and Helen Owens Andreas Pandazedes Diana Patrick Fanny Patsis Hope Peroulakis Alex Pflieger Evangelia Pikounis Valli Polisena Helen Poulos Maria Poulos Donna Ryan Saint Catherine Choir Vicki Sarides Sister Theodosia Mary Stamboulis Stavraka Children Linda Telepas Fotini Troupos Eirene Werts YOUR LOVED ONES WERE REMEMBERED IN PRAYER BY FATHER ANDREW AT THE LITURGY ON THE SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. MAY THEIR MEMORY BE ETERNAL! 8

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10 STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY IS JANUARY 22, 2017! Your Saint Catherine Stewardship Committee reminds you that Stewardship Sunday is on the horizon. Please bring your filled-out, signed pledge form to hand in at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on January 22. If you did not receive a form in the mail, a copy can be found in this newsletter or in the Church Narthex. We would like to highlight a few key considerations as you work towards making your commitment to Saint Catherine for 2017: First and foremost, please increase the amount of your pledge if you are financially able to do so *. We are all aware that the expenses of our daily lives go up each year, and the same is true of our church. Next, please note your specific talents and areas of interest on the form. We are actively seeking new people to lead, and participate in, our parish s ministries. And finally, if you have not done so previously, please consider making an upfront dollar commitment for the year, and then fulfilling it on a regular basis (i.e. weekly, monthly, or quarterly) throughout the year. * Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Increasing Your Stewardship Pledge (including time and talent as well as $$) 10. Your pledge helps to fund Christian education and other critical programs benefitting youth and young adults that are absolutely crucial to our future growth; what better way to set an example for our children than to make sacrificial giving to our church a major priority in our lives! 9. The parish can better manage expenditures and cash flow throughout the year if they know the amounts and timing of stewardship income. A more proactive approach of planning ahead may aid in reducing the number of special requests for money when the parish is faced with an unexpected expense. 8. A larger allocation of funds is needed for ongoing maintenance of our aging buildings. 7. Currently, the average stewardship pledge at Saint Catherine (around $650) falls well below the median amount of a typical Orthodox parish in this country. 10

11 6. Increasing Stewardship as a percentage (%) of total income would lessen our dependence on fund-raising as a primary source of funding for our ministries. 5. All of us need to shift our view of stewardship towards a spiritual discipline meant to deepen and enrich our personal spiritual growth in the Orthodox faith. 4. Increasing your personal stewardship will inspire you and give you a greater sense of personal ownership and commitment in the ministries of Saint Catherine. 3. People who practice forms of sacrificial giving such as tithing or pledging a percentage of income to God actually experience less anxiety about money in their lives by trusting God to provide what they need; 2. Stewardship (sacrificial giving) is Biblical! In the earliest times of the Old Testament, as noted in Exodus and beyond, the ancients were instructed to offer their first [and finest] fruits to God, not just the leftovers. The early Christian Churches, as described in the New Testament (particularly in the Book of Acts and the Epistles of St. Paul), practiced stewardship in very serious ways, and also viewed it within the context of the same Eucharistic worship that we practice today; and finally True stewards recognize above all that every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from God, the Father of lights [James 1:17]. This causes them to desire to give back to God in gratitude for His mercy and for their countless blessings, as well as to reach out a helping hand to those in need. In 2017 your Saint Catherine Stewardship Committee will continue to work toward developing a stewardship culture within our parish. Recognizing that this will be a process and not an event, we invite you to join with us in becoming (or remaining) faithful servants of God and His Church. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY TO SAINT CATHERINE MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR! 11

12 Welcome Parishioners and Guests Come Celebrate Vasilopita Sunday January 15, 2017 The Blessing and Distribution of The Vasilopita Followed by a reception of pastries and coffee hosted by Philoptochos in the Hellenic Cultural Center. Your generous donations will benefit Saint Basil s Academy. Philoptochos is accepting donations of pastries. 12

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14 St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church 2017 Sunday School Calendar January 1 and 8 January 6 January 7 February 5 February 19 March 5 March 19 and 26 April 7 April 8 April 9 April 14 April 16 May 14 May 21 Family Sundays/No Sunday School Epiphany Pan Orthodox Epiphany Celebration and Luncheon Donuts for Dads during Sunday School Snack Time Family Sunday/No Sunday School/Festival Sunday of Orthodoxy Procession Bring your favorite icons to Sunday School Family Sundays/No Sunday School/Spring Break Youth Lenten Retreat and Potluck Dinner at 6 pm Folding of the Palms Holy Saturday Easter Egg Hunt/Palm Sunday and lunch Good Friday Family Sunday/No Sunday School Easter Mother s Day Brunch/Youth Video and Photo Montage End of Year Sunday School Certificate Presentation Youth Picnic 14

15 Christmas Candlelight Nativity Program and Dinner 15

16 More Candlelight Nativity 16

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18 Annual Apokries Saturday, February 11, :30 in the evening St. Catherine s Hellenic Cultural Center Food and Fun for the whole family Featuring: Performance by Heart of Greece Costume Parade Best Costume Contest for Adults Kids Zone Surprise Entertainment RSVP by February 4 Antigoni panagoulias@yahoo.com (561)

19 2017 AHEPA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION CRITERIA The criteria for qualifying for the Scholarship are as follows: (1) (a) be related by blood or marriage to an Ahepan who is currently a member of Palm Beach Chapter18, a member of the Leda Chapter of the Daughters of Penelope, or be a member of the Sons of Pericles or Daughters of Athena; (b) the Ahepan or Daughter of Penelope to whom the applicant is related, or if the applicant is a member of the Sons of Pericles or Daughters of Athena, the applicant himself/herself, must be a current and active member in good standing of the particular Organization continuously for a period of at least 2 years prior to the application date with all dues paid in-full under the rules of the particular Organization, and (c) have attended at least four Chapter meetings during the past 12 months prior to the application date; (2) a student graduating from high school who has been accepted into an undergraduate program, post-secondary or vocational institution, be currently matriculating in an undergraduate program, or be attending a post-secondary/vocational institution; (3) an active participant in the St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church community for a period of two or more years in a row; (4) an applicant who has been awarded an AHEPA Chapter 18 Scholarship in each of the prior two years must wait one year before becoming eligible to re-apply, and no student who has received a total of three Chapter 18 Scholarships is eligible to reapply, and (5) all applicants who are chosen to receive a Scholarship must be present at the awards ceremony unless excused from doing so by the Scholarship Committee Chairman. Please be aware that the fully completed Application must be received in the AHEPA Chapter 18 or St. Catherine Church office no later than Friday, May 19, 2017, and, if mailed, must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, May 16, The Application may be hand-delivered to the Church office, but must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. on May 19th. Any application not fully completed or received late will not be considered. 19

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22 It s Nearly Here! Time to go shopping for those comfortable shoes..for all that dancing, cooking, and serving next month at our 42nd Greek Festival! Here are some things you can do the support the festival before it even arrives: Become a volunteer by signing up at or speaking to your usual contact for your favorite area. Let the world know and share all those social media posts you see. Put posters and flyers up at work or club house. Ask the businesses you know if they ll sponsor or donate food. Enclosed with this Lamplighter is a set of sponsorship forms. Invite all your friends, neighbors, and workmates to attend. Join a team to cook, bake, clean, paint, make crafts, set-up. Things to remember during the festival: Parking is very tight at St Catherine and we need every space we can get for our visitors, otherwise they might not come back next year. Park at St. Juliana s Church/School, 4355 S. Olive Ave., and take the shuttle over to the Festival or have someone drop you off. Show our guests maximum philotimo, give them a big smile, and go the extra mile! We re a church, so keep in mind WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) Dance a lot and have fun! Enjoy being a part of the big, crazy, St. Catherine family! 22

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25 Thank you for reviewing the sponsorship information for the 2017 Greek Food and Wine Fest If you have any questions, please contact: Susannah at (561) or Christina at (352) or Mail your form and payment to: Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church Attn: Festival Advertising Committee 110 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL Church office: (561) Greek Festival Food Donations Ground Beef Penne Pasta Chicken halves - 32 halves/box 4 cases of Cucumbers 25 boxes of Tomatoes 5 boxes of Eggplant Greek Wine (Nethos brand) Water Bottles Greek Beer - 8 cases 4 cases of Eggs, 20 dozen/case Carrots 8 bags of Onions 80 count Potatoes Any amount of the above would be much appreciated and help save costs to the church! 25

26 Heart of Greece Dance Group Order a Heart of Greece T-shirt Today! Show your love and support for the Heart of Greece Dance Group by ordering your very own Group t- shirt! If you pre-order now the cost is just $15 for dancers and just $20 for supporters. Toddler, Youth, and Adult sizes available. Wear them to events, parades, and the festival! Please send your orders to HeartOfGreeceDanceGroup@gmail.com. Practice, practice, practice Dancers are hard at work practicing for our upcoming performances at the Greek Food & Wine Fest at our very own Saint Catherine s Church. Our performances will be featured all throughout the weekend both on stage and in the tent. Don t forget to come check us out! 26

27 A great big Thank You! from GOYA to Steve and Pat Pavlakos for all you do, and to the Philoptochos Ladies for their generous Christmas Gift! THANKS TO OUR FAITHFUL VOLUNTEERS! Volunteers who worked on mailing the December Lamplighter: Elli Kalafatis, Vlasia Michaels, Annette Mitchell, Evangelia Pikounis, Fannie Patsis, Evgenia Theodoropoulos, Donna Ryan, Linda Telepas. Volunteers who worked on the Christmas mailing and the mailing for the Parish Council Elections: Vanya Fragiskakis, Vlasia Michaels, Hope Peroulakis, Evangelia Pikounis, Christina Riebman, Vicki Sarides, Linda Telepas. We couldn t do it without you! To our dear snowbird winter residents, please notify the church office by phone ( or when you have returned to Florida so that we can update our files and begin sending mailings to your Florida address. Thank you! 27

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29 South Palm Dental Unhappy with your smile? Wish your teeth were straighter, nicer and brighter? Apprehensive going to the dentist? South Palm Dental is a state-of-the-art dental office. It features a soothing, beautiful, and elegant environment, using the latest technology with the strictest sterilization protocols. Come and visit for a free consultation! Exam, X-Ray, and Cleaning (D1110) for only $69 Dr. Lena Habib s passion for dentistry is demonstrated in her impeccable work and attention to every detail. She treats her dental patients with compassion, honesty, and respect, just as she would treat a family member. Conveniently located at 555 N. Congress Ave, Suite 303, Boynton Beach, FL Third floor of the Chase Building, by the south entrance to the Boynton Beach Mall Call us now for an appointment:

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33 Compliments of Dr. John S. Ledakis John S. Ledakis, DDS, Director Restorative Robert Goldman, DDS, DSC Periodontics & Implants Robert A. Gittess, DDS Endodontics 4512 N Flagler Drive / Suite 301 / West Palm Beach, FL / ledakis@aol.com FOR SALE 232 Seabreeze Ave, Palm Beach $4.5M 1140 Spanish River Rd, Boca Raton $1.5M 114 Lucia Ct., Jupiter $1.3M 222 Tresana Blvd #48, Jupiter $699K 4201 Washington Rd., West Palm Beach $438K Call for more details! 33

34 ELAINE MAGINAS, REALTOR RE/MAX MASTERS 3307 Northlake Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens, FL CELL: (561) Presbytera Eleni Maginas We offer expertise, professional advice, and service in buying and selling real estate. Waterfront Properties Single Family Homes Condominiums Townhouses Short Sales Ten percent of all commissions has always gone to the ministry of the Church. Become a Saint Catherine advertiser in the PLACE YOUR AD HERE LAMPLIGHTER published ten times a year. Full Page $60.00 per month 1/2 Page $35.00 per month 1/4 Page $25.00 per month Card Size $15.00 per month 34

35 Lamplighter Official Monthly Publication Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church West Palm Beach, Florida January 2017 VOLUME NO. 1 EDITOR Father Andrew Maginas Phone: Fax: FrAndrewMaginas@mail.goarch.org DEADLINES All editorial copy and pictures for publication in the Lamplighter should be sent to the office by the 10 th of the preceding month. PARISH ADMINISTRATOR Angela Leuice stcatherine@bellsouth.net CHURCH CARETAKER David Germán CHURCH OFFICE HOURS September May Mon - Thurs: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Closed Lunch: 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Closed Fridays year round FATHER ANDREW S OFFICE HOURS Mon - Thurs: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm AFTER HOURS EMERGENCIES Father Andrew Jimmy Theodossakos CHURCH WEBSITE METROPOLIS WEBSITE ARCHDIOCESE WEBSITE Important Info 2016 PARISH COUNCIL Officers President: George Psoinos (Cell) Vice President: Jimmy Theodossakos Secretary: Ellen Syris Treasurer: Chris Christoforou Financial Secretary: Nick Mitsinicos Members Hercules Apostolidis, Joanne Dalber, Joy Kastanias, Ann Linardos, Eleni Manolis, Diana Patrick ENDOWMENT FUND Vicki Sarides, Recording Secretary give us a call PHILOPTOCHOS Acting President: Demetra Galazoudis Corresponding Secretary: Mary Stamboulis Recording Secretary: Popee Valentine Treasurer: Diana Patrick Membership Chairman: Joanne Dalber Board Members: Sophie Caras, Sue Chiungos CHURCH MINISTRIES Acolytes Spiritual Advisor: Father Andrew Maginas Cantors Dr. Panos Livadiotis Theodore Rougas Choir President: Karen Helstrom Organist/Director Eirene Werts GOYA President: Alexxis Andre Heart of Greece Dancers President: Sophia P. Manolis Greek School PTO President: Mary Karatzas Teacher: Eleni Manolis Stewardship Diana Patrick Sunday School Director: Antonia Theodossakos Esopakis PARISH RELATED ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES AHEPA President: George Magalios AHEPA #18 Apartments President: Steve Pavlakos AHEPA Family Charities President: George Matsoukas Cretan Society President: Pantelis Esopakis Daughters of Penelope President: Betsy Pascal Senior Citizens Club President: Maria Balasis

36 Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church 110 Southern Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA PERMIT NO