IN THIS ISSUE February/March 2015

Transcription

1 IN THIS ISSUE February/March 2015 Great Lent and Holy Week Fasting Guidelines Sunday Services Matins.. 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m. Church School 9:20 a.m. Saturday Services Confession... 4:30 p.m. Great Vespers... 5:00 p.m. Church Contacts Fr. Aaron Warwick, Pastor Fr. John Baize, Attached Fr. Deacon James Kallail Melissa Shippy, Program Director Diana Peterson, Admin. Asst. Phone - (316) Fax - (316) Memory Eternal Ernest Namee Ask Abouna Question to Fr. Aaron Cook's Corner Kid s Edition Spectacular Soups Question of the Month Valentine s Day Outreach Alaska 2015 Spiritual Travel Mediterranean Festival 2015 Festival work dates Plus...From the Ministry Teams & Celebrations, and Bits and Pieces Facebook The Scroll thescrollnews@yahoo.com St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church 344 S. Martinson Wichita, KS Rev. Fr. Aaron Warwick Website:

2 Fasting Guidelines for Great Lent and Holy Week Prayer and Almsgiving We will offer additional prayer services during Great Lent. In addition, we should look for opportunities to help those in need during this holy season. Judging Others While we should always avoid judging others, we are especially careful not to judge during Great Lent. Most especially, we should remember that due to health or other concerns some people have been blessed to follow a diet less strict than outlined below. We remember it is not our place to judge another s servant (Romans 14:4), and the kingdom of heaven is not about food and drink (1Corinthians 6:13, 8:8, and 10:30; Colossians 2:16-17: Hebrews 9:10). Our only concern during the fast is improving our own spiritual life and relieving those who are poor or needy (Isaiah 58:3-12). Traditional Dietary Restrictions Surrounding Great Lent Week after the Sunday of Publican and Pharisee (Feb. 1-8): No Fasting Week after the Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Feb.8-13): Regular Wed/Fri. Fast Week after Judgment Sunday/Meatfare Sunday (Feb ): No meat, but fish and dairy products allowed on all days including Wed. and Fri. Great Lent begins on February 23, the Monday after Forgiveness Sunday/Cheesefare Sunday, with the following guidelines throughout Great Lent and Holy Week: Meat - Abstain from all meat including beef, chicken, lamb, port, veal, buffalo, etc. Dairy - Abstain from all dairy including milk, cheese, butter, eggs, yogurt, cream, etc. Fish - Abstain from any fish with a backbone. This does not include shellfish. Wine and Oil - Permitted on February 24 (St John the Baptist), March 9 (40 Holy Martyrs) and all Saturdays and Sundays (though no oil is permitted on Great and Holy Saturday) Fish, Wine and Oil - Permitted on March 25 (Annunciation) and April 5 (Palm Sunday) Total Fasting - Complete abstinence from all food and drink is kept by those capable on Great and Holy Friday ( April 10) and on the first day of Great Lent (February 23)

3 Memory Eternal Ernest J. Namee Ernest J. Namee fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, November 18, Ernest was a lifetime member of St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church. Ernest was born March 17, 1928, in Worcester, Massachusetts to Joseph and Saleme Kallail Namee. He moved to Wichita, Kansas as an infant. He attended Allison Elementary, East High and graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in Music. He married Donna Saigh Namee on October 6, He is survived by his wife, Donna; children, Roberta Namee, Leslie Namee, Christina Abou-Faissal, Joseph Namee (Jackie); grandchildren, Grace, Simon, Hannah and Faith Abou-Faissal, Sophia, Luke and Reese Namee. Ernest was retired and owner of Namee Wholesale, Inc. in Hutchinson, KS for 20 years. He retired in He loved sports and was an avid Shocker fan. He was on the original St. Mary softball team. He loved to travel coast-to-coast and often took long road trips in his RV. He had a passion for car and horse races. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He was blessed with a 54 year marriage to the love of his life, Donna. His family and church meant everything to him. He was very proud of his children and grandchildren. He had the voice of an angel and sang and directed the church choir. As the son of immigrants, he grew up in the Delano area of Wichita at a time when being a first generation American was difficult. The language and foods were different than most Kansans were familiar with. As his Grace, Bishop BASIL, said at his Trisagion service, it created a generation of characters whose personalities were large and bold. Ernest fit this description with his generous spirit, loud voice, and ever-present cigar. He would give someone in need the shirt off his back. He was our character and will be deeply missed. Ernest was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Sam Namee. A memorial is established with St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church. Memory Eternal!

4 Stevens engagement On May 18, 2014, Theodora Stevens and Padelis Kabiotis were engaged. Theodora is a member of our parish and is the daughter of Gene and Randa Stevens. Padelis is the son of Photinos and Mary Lemontzis Kabiotis from Montreal, Canada. They will be married in the summer of Many Years! Stevens engagement On June 28, 2014, Gabriel Stevens and Alannah Saikaley were engaged. Gabe is a member of our parish and is the son of Gene Stevens and Randa Haddad Stevens. Alannah is the daughter of Charles and Majida Saikaley from Ottawa, Ontario Canada. The wedding is schedule in the fall of Many Years! Surprise Party On November 23, 2014 Esther Henry was surprised with a 90th Birthday party. Her sister, Mona flew in from Chicago to celebrate this special occasion. Esther is a lifetime member of our parish. She served on the Parish Council, Sunday School, Choir and is a member of the Belles. Many Years!

5 ASK ABOUNA At the suggestion of several people over the past years and the recent urging of Ro Kallail, I have decided to run a series of Ask Abouna sections in The Scroll. I hope this provides an opportunity for us to learn more about our faith. Please do not be shy to submit your questions to The Scroll staff or to me directly. Unless someone REALLY wants to take credit for a question, we will leave all questions anonymous. We received several questions for this issue of The Scroll, but I will answer only one question because its explanation is fairly long and important! The other questions will be saved for future issues of The Scroll. QUESTION: How would you explain to my non-orthodox friends that Jews are not the chosen people? ANSWER: Way to start Abouna off with a softball question!!! In all seriousness, this question (and answer) is essential to our understanding of the Bible and our own faith. To address this issue, we turn to the Bible. In the beginning, in Genesis 1, God created everything. As the story of Genesis unfolds, we learn that not only did God create the world and all humanity, but that God interacts with every human society. In other words, God is the God of all people. Look at the story of Noah, for example. Noah was not Jewish there were no Jews until Abraham, who came much later in the Genesis story. The Bible purposefully introduces God in this way as the God of all human people and societies for a very specific reason. With this introduction, the Bible indicates that although it will mostly focus on God s interaction with the Jews, the message of the book should be seen within purview of God s love for all humanity. In Genesis 11 and 12, the biblical story focuses in on Abraham and his descendants. As we know, most of the rest of the story of the Old Testament is then about the Jews. Why? Because God did choose them. However, we should read the Bible to see not only WHO God chose, but WHY He chose them and WHAT this means. First, let s tackle why God chose the Jews. The answer is simple: He chose them because He wanted to reveal Himself through them. The Bible is clear: The Jews (or even more specifically, Abraham) did absolutely nothing to deserve God choosing them. God initiated the covenant with the Jews. God rescued them from slavery in Egypt despite them complaining against God. He delivered them from the wandering in the wilderness despite their grumbling. To be succinct, God chose the Jews not because of their behavior, but in spite of it! As part of choosing them, God gave the Jews His Law (the Mosaic Law) so they would know exactly WHAT He wanted. This now gets us to the WHAT part of the answer. What did God desire by choosing the Jews? He wanted all of the nations to see His love, forgiveness, and mercy. He wanted all people to come to know Him as the one true God. As I was thinking about this question, I heard Deuteronomy 10:14-21 at Vespers, which provides a beautiful description of God s intention. Moses said to the sons of Israel: Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it; yet the Lord set His heart in love upon your fathers and chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as at this day. Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner therefore; for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cleave to Him, and by His name you shall swear. He is your praise; He is your God, Who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen.

6 Cont. from previous page I will highlight a couple of things from this passage: (1) No reason is given for God choosing the Jews. God is introduced here (as everywhere in the Bible) as supreme, and no reason is needed to justify what He does. That means no one could claim they deserved God choosing them! (2) Immediately after saying God chose the Jews, Moses tells them to circumcise their hearts, meaning they are to cut off all sin from themselves so they can be a reflection of God to others. (3) To properly reflect God, the Jews must behave like God. And Moses is clear about how God behaves: He loves the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger in other words, anyone who is weak, needy, vulnerable, or disenfranchised. We all know the Bible did not end with Deuteronomy, so we continue with the story. Briefly, the Israelite nation becomes a complete mess because the Jews do not behave like God, but act like other nations who were unaware of God s Law. They appoint kings. They worship idols. They commit adultery. They steal. They murder. Most importantly, they neglect to take care of the needy and vulnerable, and for this reason God punishes them by sending them into captivity and allowing the destruction of their nation. Like a good father, however, God punishes not to permanently destroy, but to correct and instruct. This is the theme of all the prophets in the Old Testament. Through the prophets, God tells the Jews He will eventually restore them when He sends His Messiah. Notably, however, God says that at the same time He will redeem all the nations (referred to collectively in the Bible regularly as Gentiles). He will ensure all human beings not just the Jews have an opportunity to repent and to live according to God s teaching. The New Testament, of course, proclaims Jesus is that promised Messiah. Consequently, the theme of restoration of both Jew and Gentile forms the core of the New Testament story. As a result, the New Testament emphasizes the fulfillment of the whole purpose of the Jews being chosen in the first place! Remember, they were chosen so God could use a people on earth to draw everyone towards Himself; so they could see just how loving and merciful God truly is. The New Testament, therefore, stresses equality among Jews and Gentiles in the sight of God. The end of the biblical story (the New Testament) reminds us of the beginning of the biblical story (Genesis 1 11). Specifically, God s interaction with the Jews, and the written record of the Bible, is meant to be seen within the purview of all humanity because God created, interacts with, and loves all people. In short, the problem most people have with understanding God choosing the Jews is that they misunderstand what it means to be chosen. They think it means the Jews are somehow better than everyone else or were deserving of being chosen. They frequently do not realize that the privilege of knowing God s Law and interacting directly with Him also creates a responsibility to be a reflection of God to others. As Orthodox Christians, we would be wise to remember this lesson. The fact we inherited the richness and depth of ancient Christianity puts a responsibility on our shoulders. We are to behave like Jesus at all times so that those who are weak or needy or vulnerable would come to know God s love for them!

7 February and March can be difficult months to be kids. The weather starts to warm a little, teasing at the warmth to come with Spring, but long stretches of cold weather still keep you inside. By this time, fun ways to spend time in November and December are starting to lose their luster. So, for all you kids, here is a special edition of the Cook's Corner, featuring some fun kid-friendly activities that you and your family can do together to pass the days until it's time again to go outside and play! Like with other issues of The Cook's Corner this year, these recipes were originally published in The Teen SOYO Cookbook in the early 1990's. Play Dough From the kitchen of Megan Patterson 1 C. salt ½ C. cold water 1 C. hot water 1 C. cornstarch Mix salt and hot water in pan. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch to cold water. Pour cornstarch mixture into boiling salt water mixture. Stir vigorously. Cook over low heat. Stir until mixture is stiff. Remove from heat and cool. Knead until stiff. Dries and hardens in 2 days. Will turn white. Can be painted with enamel. Crystal Garden Mixture From the kitchen of Megan Patterson 1 C. salt A few small pieces of brick 1 C. bluing 3 Tbs. ammonia 1 C. water food coloring Put the pieces of brick in the bottom of a shallow (disposable) pan. Mix salt, water, and ammonia in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the brick pieces. Add a drop of food coloring here and there on the mixture. Over the next couple of days, crystals will form and grow to be a color and interesting garden. Face Paint From the kitchen of Marie Patterson cornstarch water muffin tin food coloring cold cream In each cup of the muffin tin, mix 1 tsp. cornstarch, ½ tsp. water, ½ tsp. cold cream and a couple drops of food coloring, a different color for each cup of the tin. Stir until mixed well and color is incorporated. Clean muffin tin immediately when done using paint.

8 Question of the Month Compiled by Sheila Cairns On Valentine s Day we take time to celebrate the love in our lives. What do you do, or what have you done, (an annual tradition or one special occasion, perhaps) to celebrate Valentine s Day? Cathy Fairbanks: We usually get take-out and stay home. I ve made heart-shaped cakes, too. Dottie Voth: Being widowed, I was left to celebrate Valentine's Day with chocolates and a valentine card for my children and grandchildren, and perhaps a monetary cash gift for the grandchildren when they were living in other states, which was more convenient. This was pretty traditional. Tanya Husselmann: In my family, when I was growing up, Valentine's Day was always special. My mom made each of us heart-shaped pancakes before school. I carried on the traditional pancakes for years. We still try to do pancakes when we can. (Not easy, with the boys in others states. They do get pancakes every time they are home.) Rick's parents always sent a candy basket and card for everyone. Rick and I have continued that in our boys special boxes. Our daughter sometimes picks out her own. :) Dick Zarich: Shirley and I are in our seventies now, no cards or presents to each other, we just go out and have fine lunch. Tony Jacobs: The Valentine s Day tradition we keep is helping the kids make handmade cards for their friends and delivering them. Fr. Deacon James: Ro always makes dinner on Valentine s Day. It is usually by candlelight and we have filet mignon with a special dessert. For Christians, Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate the love of God. That love was shown to us in the life and death of Our Lord and the life and death of martyrs like St. Valentine. This is a love with a depth of commitment that goes deeper than any other love in that it surpasses even the desire to survive. It is the love of a God willing to suffer so that his creatures could know salvation. It is the love of a man willing to risk death so that others can know eternal life. The world's standard for love is a warm gushy feeling, characterized as a flimsy cardboard card, but God's love is best exemplified by the thick bloodstained boards of the cross. God's standard for love is the ultimate act of giving one's life for the one that is loved. We must always remember that the love that we Christians experience and share is obviously different from what the world knows. We may give flowers, candy and cards just like the world, but those tokens are expressions of a deeper love. They are expressions of love that is measured by the standard of God's love. --Bishop Demetri (Khoury)

9 THE SCROLL Next Issue Will Cover ~ April/May, 2015 Deadline to Submit News ~ March 15, 2015 On Website ~ March 27 Available in Foyer ~ March 29 Send news to: thescrollnews@yahoo.com THE BELLES PARISH COUNCIL From the Ministry Teams The Belles had their Annual Christmas Party in December at the home of Shirley Ellis. It was a wonderful evening with food and fellowship. They will do a third Artisan, Craft Fair and Bake Sale on October 17, The name was changed to the Belles Baazar at their meeting on January 11 hosted by Elham Laham. The Belles will host a chicken dinner on February 15 for Meatfare Sunday. At their next meeting, the Belles will make cookies for the Marketplace at the Mediterranean Festival to be held on May 9, Parish Council The following four candidates were elected to a two-year term on the Parish Council: Darren Minks, Tana Salome, Nick Steinbrink, and Paula Zarich. They will join the following five returning council members to form the 2015 Parish Council: Claire Dannenberg, Vicki Jones, Tracy Namee, Matt Oller, and Dick Zarich. May God grant them many years! SHINING LIGHT PROGRAM Our parish has been very busy over the past couple of months. Below is a brief update on happenings within the Shining Light program. Kid s Club On Saturday, December 6 th, we celebrated the feast day of St. Nicholas. After Liturgy, a pancake breakfast was served. The kids also helped package over 100 emergency kits for IOCC and received St. Nicholas treat bags for their hard work. We will have two more Wednesday education nights (on February 4 th and 18 th ) before Great Lent and Pre-Sanctified Liturgy begins. Teen SOYO In December the teens enjoyed a Christmas party at Laser Quest, followed by snacks and gingerbread house making. We kicked off the new year with a joint bowling and go kart outing with the teens of St. George. Our garage sale fundraiser was a great success and brought in $1,214 to send our teens to Project Mexico. Thank you to everyone who contributed items. OCF & 20/40 During the fall semester, our college students received a personal visit as well as a care package on behalf of their St. Mary parish. 20/40 held a kickoff barbeque and went to a Thunder hockey game. For the month of February, we are planning a retro movie night. Leadership Academy The students of Leadership Academy have been very busy. This fall, we finished our garden for the season and have transitioned into working on our Lemonade Day business. Lemonade Day is a nationwide program sponsored by Google for Entrepreneurs and is designed to teach business and life skills to youths. Stay tuned for more information on when the Leadership Academy Lemonade Day stand will be up and running. We honed our public speaking skills by giving a presentation to the Parish Council over Lights on After School, which is a nationwide initiative sponsored by the After School Alliance. The past few months we have also worked on community service projects, learned about what it means to be proactive and learned about the Fruits of the Spirit. Finally, we celebrated the changing seasons with a Fall Harvest Party and wrapped up the semester with a Christmas Party.

10 CHURCH SCHOOL March 15 ~ Spring Break: No Class April 5 ~ Palm Sunday: Class April 12 ~ Pascha: No Class May 10 ~ Dinner: No Class May 17 ~ Last Day of Classes HUMANITARIAN TEAM Humanitarian Ministry Team 2015 Calendar of Events Take a sneak peek at all the activities that the HMT will sponsor in 2015! Pick a few or pick several of the activities that you would like to participate in as St. Mary continues to lend a helping hand to those in need at home and around the world. The Food Pantry is a year-round project, so please watch the weekly bulletins for items that are needed. There will also be a display in the parish hall for how to deposit monetary donations. If you have any questions, or would like to become a member of this ministry team, please contact Helen Stitt. January 18 th : Humanitarian Sunday collection tray for our Food Pantry February 22 nd - March 29 th : Lenten Project for ICT SOS Fresh Start Bags (watch the bulletin for the project description and for a sign-up display in the hall.) April 19 th : Humanitarian Sunday collection tray for our Food Pantry May 17 th : The HMT hosts Holy Bread and Coffee Hour June 7 th : Humanitarian Sunday collection tray for our Food Pantry July - August: School Supplies Collection Drive for Franklin Elementary School (watch the bulletin for a list of needed supplies and dates of this event.) September 20 th : Humanitarian Sunday collection tray for our Food Pantry November - December: Christmas Project TBD December 20 th : Humanitarian Sunday collection tray for our Food Pantry December (TBD): Volunteers needed for the DUI Impact Center Candlelight Vigil Items for the Food pantry Fruit cups Vienna sausages Cup-O-Soups Crackers Ravioli

11 Our Project is divided into two parts. The first is towards the ultimate establishment of Regional Camping and Learning Centers. Metropolitan JOSEPH s vision is to offer programs throughout all of North America that focus on Orthodoxy: our way of life, our worship, and our faith. We must reach out to children and adults of all ages. Our goal is to promote, inspire and develop our Holy Orthodox Faith which, like the mustard seed in Christ s parable, will grow and thrive. The second part of this Project is the establishment of Monastic Communities. Monasteries are where the Gospel is lived on a daily basis. The monks and nuns within the walls pray for us and the world unceasingly. Monasteries are also where we go for spiritual nourishment and refreshment and into a place of beauty and holiness. Overseas, Antiochian Orthodox monasteries are plentiful but, in North America, they are sorely lacking. The goal is to make Antiochian Orthodox monastic communities prevalent across our continent. Metropolitan JOSEPH s vision is to encourage and inspire us to plant the seeds for this Project. Antiochian Orthodoxy was planted in North America over 100 years ago when our blessed St. RAPHAEL (Hawaweeny) arrived in the United States, having traveled as a priest from Russia This past year s project The Antiochian Women presented His Eminence with a check for $283,055.55, the total monies raised to date to Help the Orphans of War in Syria. This is the largest figure ever raised in the history of the Antiochian Women in just one year. One hundred percent of these funds were given directly to the Antiochian Patriarchate and used for the orphans.

12 Spectacular Soups Please enjoy these recipes. One is from the Teen SOYO Cookbook, published in the 1990's. The other one is a recipe I found online a few years ago that has quickly become one of my favorites. Happy Cooking! Megan Patterson Meatball-Vegetable Soup From the kitchen of Jana Laham Featured in the Teen SOYO Cookbook 1 lb. lean ground beef ¾ C. finely crushed soda crackers 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce ½ C. skim or 2% milk 2 C. (16 oz. can) chopped tomatoes, undrained 3 C. water 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 or 2 medium potatoes, cubed 2 beef bouillon cubes (optional) 1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce 1 bay leaf 1tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. black pepper Combine beef, crackers, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Form into small meatballs. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, place meatballs on it, and bake at 350 degrees until brown, turning once. Remove meatballs from cooking sheet, drain on paper towel, and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in stockpot, cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chicken Barley Soup (A heart-healthy and diabetic-friendly soup!) 1 boiler/fryer chicken (2-3 lbs), cut up 8 C. water 1-1/2 C. chopped carrots 1 C. chopped celery ½ C. medium pearl barley ½ C. chopped onion 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules 1 tsp. salt (Optional) 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning ½ tsp. black pepper ½ tsp. rubbed sage In a large stockpot, cook chicken in water until tender. Cool broth and skim off fat. Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones; discard bones and cut meat into cubes. Return meat into pot along with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for one hour or until vegetables and barley are tender. Discard bay leaf. Yield: 5 servings (about 1-1/2 quarts). This soup also freezes really well. So, you can make ahead when you have time, freeze it, and then thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator before heating it up and serving.

13 2015 Spiritual Travel Walk the Path of the Saints July 30 August 10, 2015 Plan now to join other Orthodox Christians for Spiritual Travel to America s Holy Land and walk where the saints took Orthodoxy to the Last Frontier. Guided by Mary Ann Khoury, Coordinator of Outreach Alaska. *Sitka the Jewel and the base of St. Innocent of Alaska Kwethluk on the Kuskokwim visit the grave of Matushka Olga Bethel, Alaska St. Sophia Russian Orthodox Church Home of our Kansas Sponsored seminarian, Father Elia Larson Homer -Travel the Kenai with stops in Alyeska, Kenai, etc. Visit museum and Antiochian Mission with shopping on the Homer Spit. Kodiak Monk s Rock Coffee House, Holy Resurrection Cathedral and the relics of St. Herman, St. Innocent Academy, St. Herman Theological Seminary, Pillar Mountain, Kodiak Fishing, Museums, Seminary Archives, Touring, Whale watching. August 7-10 Spruce Island Pilgrimage-leaving from Kodiak Harbor Anchorage Native Heritage Museum, Anchorage Museum of Art, Farm and Art Market, Anchorage Zoo, Matanuska Glacier, St. Innocent Orthodox Cathedral with Akathist served by V. Rev. John Zabinko, Dean. Eklutna Spirit Houses Museum, Church, and Gift Shop Eagle River and Wasilla Being planned by FOS Tours. Estimated price on current costs - $3,500 Double Occupancy Add $900 for Single occupancy = $4,400 $500 per person deposit due by February 28, 2015 *Sitka will be priced separate from the travel package and will be added for those who want to include this in their Alaska experience. This option will extend the travel to August 12 with time in Sitka being on August 10 and 11. More information will be on the website soon To be informed of the planning, contact Mary Ann Khoury at maktoob@cox.net

14 Mediterranean Festival 2015 Saturday, May 9, 11:00am-8:00pm The 2015 Mediterranean Festival is quickly approaching! The upcoming months will be filled with hard work, fellowship and, God willing, great success. The purpose of the Festival is to: Meet the financial needs of our vibrant parish ministries while also allowing us to serve our local community by donating a portion of our proceeds. Allow us to share our faith and our heritage with the community. Provide many opportunities for fellowship for the entire parish as we work together toward a common goal. This is the only fundraiser we do as a parish, and its success is based upon the dedication of each one of us. The vision for the Festival is to create a premier community event to increase our financial ability to serve our parish and those around us. That vision can only be achieved if we all work together. We ll be updating you frequently on dates that help is needed to prepare the food and to set up for the Festival. There is something for everyone of all skill levels to help with! The Festival committee has been working hard to make this year s Festival the most successful one yet. We are excited to rollout a new sponsorship program. We are reaching out to local businesses and asking them to consider sponsoring our event in exchange for free advertising. This is a great way to reduce our costs and increase our revenue! If you know of a business you think might be interested in a sponsorship, please contact Dennis Fairbanks or Mike Zarich. We are also working on improving the décor of the Festival, adding new entertainment and activities outdoors, and streamlining some of our processes to lighten the load for the workers. In addition, we will have two new gas grills, which will be an exciting change for our grillers! One of the most exciting changes for the 2015 Festival involves our charitable giving. In the past, we ve given a specific dollar amount to the charity we ve chosen for that particular year. However, the Parish Council has approved us to give 10% of net proceeds from the Festival to the designated charity. This will provide us with the potential to double the amount we ve been able to give in the past! The charity we re supporting this year is The Alzheimer s Association Roth Project, which provides music therapy to Alzheimer s patients. It is a very worthy organization and we are proud to be supporters of it. Stay tuned for more information as the Festival approaches. The cooking dates have been published, and everyone is encouraged to help. If you ve never rolled a grape leaf or buttered phyllo dough, we ll show you how! Join us for fun and fellowship as we work together to make the 2015 Festival the most successful one yet! Mediterranean Festival Work Days Preparation for the 2015 Mediterranean Festival is underway! Listed below are cooking dates established by the Festival Committee. Everyone s help is needed! Join us for fun and fellowship as we prepare for our parish s annual fundraiser. Saturday, January 24, 9:00am: Clean parsley Saturday, January 31, 8:00am: Make kafta Thursday, February 12, 5:00pm: Core and steam cabbage Saturday, February 21, 9:00am: Roll cabbage Saturday, February 28, 9:00am: Roll grape leaves Saturday, March 14, 8:00am: Make kibbee Saturday, May 2, 8:30am: Make baklawa Sunday, May 3, after Liturgy Set up the hall and classrooms Monday May 4 thru Friday May 8 LOTS TO DO!! DETAILS TO COME SOON.

15 BIRTHDAYS February 2 Jerry Stitt 3 Beverly Taylor 6 Anna Jacobs 6 Ethan Pike 8 Linda Farha 1 Simone Warwick 13 Julia Jacobs 15 Sophia Jacobs 20 Hannah Faissal 21 Marie Patterson 21 Kyle Shaheen 22 Zachariah Oller 23 Jana Laham 27 Nicholas Kallail 28 Sarah Husselman March 2 Joey Salome 5 Ephraim Oller 6 Lula Christos 7 Bob Laham 7 Juliette Abdayem 7 Jude Namee 7 Aidan Hewitt 8 Heather McKenzie 9 Cliff Bragg 13 Cathy Fairbanks 13 Lydia Oller 15 Tracie Abdayem 17 Matthew Namee 20 Matan Mulugeta 21 Chet Shippy 24 Nickolas Kosjer 26 Dennis Fairbanks 27 Tracy Namee 29 Paula Zarich ANNIVERSARIES February 12, 1989 February 24, 1968 March 7, 1949 March 17, 1973 March 19, 1981 February Tony and Micheline Abdayem Bruce and Joan Ferris March Abdallah and Juliette Abdayem Dennis and Cathy Fairbanks Marcus and Shirley Kosjer

16 About The Scroll The Scroll is the news magazine of St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church, 344 S. Martinson, Wichita, KS, It was first published in March of 1974 as a newsletter and has evolved to its present magazine-style format. The Scroll includes information about our Orthodox Christian faith as well as news of our parish community. Deadline dates for publication are listed in each issue of The Scroll and also in the weekly church bulletins. Inquiries and news items should be sent to: thescrollnews@yahoo.com or to the above church address C/O The Scroll. All news must be received by the announced deadline dates. Submitted material may be edited for content and space limitations. All items submitted should include the name of the person sending the material as well as identifying the original source of previously published pieces. LOOKING AHEAD February 14 Valentine s Day February 15 Meatfare Sunday February 22 Cheesefare Sunday February 23 Great Fast Begins March 1 Orthodox Sunday March 8 Daylight Savings Time Begins March 15 Scroll deadline March 17 St. Patrick s Day Happy St. Valentine s Day March 25 Annunciation of the Theotokos March 27 Scroll on Website March 29 Scroll in Foyer Happy St. Patrick s Day