the Official Newsletter Publication of HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH March 2019 HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

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1 the Official Newsletter Publication of HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH March 2019 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Hillcrest Road Dallas Texas Office Fax htgoc@holytrinitydallas.org Web Site:

2 Holy trinity greek orthodox church Hillcrest Rd. * Dallas, Texas * * Clergy Rev. Presbyter Peter Kostakis, Presiding Priest frpeter@holytrinitydallas.org Clergy Reverend Protopresbyter Reverend Father Mark Pakes, Assistant Priest Christopher Constantinides Reverend Presbyter Presiding John Priest Essa, Retired Reverend Frchristopher@Holytrinity.info Deacon Athanasios Sharpley Reverend Reverend Deacon Deacon Christopher Mark Pakes Stern Administration Administration Tom Priscilla Clark, Administrator Owens tclark@holytrinitydallas.org Church Administrator Liz Strong, powens@holytrinity.info Administrative Assistant lstrong@holytrinitydallas.org Maureen Rakow Laura Groome, Administrative Assistant lgroome@holytrinitydallas.org Financial Assistant mrakow@holytrinity.info Basil Xeros, Neokoros bxeros@holytrinitydallas.org Vickie Wells Executive Demetrios Administrative Buck, Youth Director Assistant dbuck@holytrinitydallas.org vwells@holytrinity.info Torye Morris, Facilities Manager tmorris@holytrinitydallas.org Support Staff Basil Xeros, Neokoros Torye 018 Morris, Facilities Manager Parish Council President Vice President 2011 Parish Council President Harry Tomisides Vice President Treasurer Christopher Bill Zaemes Canellos Treasurer Recording Secretary Sam Jimmy Paulos Horiates Recording Corresponding Secretary Secretary Dimitrios Mary Horiates Ann Trapalis Corresponding Secretary Charles Pappas Perry Alexandris Matt Fossey Members Nick Cimino Wade Stephens Gus Kostas Mary LeBrecht Max Adams George Karahal Monica Ellena Arroyo Fox John John Lymberopoulos Nickolas Nic Carayannopoulos Amelia Fritz Constantine Charles Pappas Mathas James Chappel Peter Hronas Frank Hellen Mihalopoulos Smith James Dolmas Chrisoula Kazanas Michael Dimitri Petridis Tsevoukas Tasos Kaiafas Daniel Shaheen Church Office Hours Monday Thursday 9 a.m. 5 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Bookstore Hours Sundays after Divine Liturgy until 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays 12:30-4:30 p.m. Holy Trinity Church is under the Jurisdiction of The Holy Metropolis of Denver 4550 E. Alameda Ave. * Denver, CO Tel. (303) Fax (303) The Holy Archdiocese of America 8 E. 79th St. * New York, NY Tel. (212) * Fax (212) and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Sunday Bulletin & Ekfonesis All information to be included in the Sunday Bulletin is to be submitted to the office no later than Wednesday at noon. Articles for the Ekfonesis are due by the 15th of the month before. Please submit each article as an attachment to: lgroome@holytrinitydallas.org Ekfonesis March 2019 Memorial Service, Artoclasia Service & 41 Day Blessings All Memorials, Artoclasias, & 40 Day Blessings may be arranged by contacting Laura Groome in the church office at or lgroome@holytrinitydallas.org Sunday Worship Service Orthros 8:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m. Weekdays Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m. 2

3 Pastoral Reflections from Fr. Mark Pakes Give rest, O Christ, among the Saints to the souls of Your servants, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no grieving, but life everlasting. THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TRADITION OF MEMORIAL SERVICES / SATURDAY OF SOULS (Ψυχοσα ββατον) I am often asked about the reason why we have the Saturday of the Souls services. Our Church calendar provides many occasions when we are asked to face up to the reality of death. Good Friday is one such occasion. So is Pascha. Sunday is another. Every Sunday is a little Pascha celebrating Christ s victory over death. On our Church calendar, every year there are special Memorial Saturdays or Saturdays of the Souls which provide another opportunity for us to face up to death, i.e, the two Saturdays preceding Great Lent ( March 2 and 9) the first Saturday of Lent ( March 16) and the Saturday before Pentecost ( June 15). On these Saturdays the Divine Liturgy is celebrated and special prayers are offered for our deceased loved ones. We pray for the dead especially on Saturdays since it was on the Sabbath day that Christ lay dead in the tomb, resting from all His works and trampling down death by death. Thus in the New Testament, Saturday becomes the proper day for remembering the dead and offering prayers for them. When Orthodox Christians pray for departed loved ones, they focus not only on them but also on Christ in Whom they died: Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1). I am the resurrection and the life, He said, he who believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live; and he who lives and believes in me shall have life everlasting. (John 11:25). Memorial prayer services which affirm the reality of physical death and also the reality of resurrection into life eternal play a vital role in healing of grief for the Orthodox Christian. Another kind of memorial was the gathering in the church, and the serving of a meal known as 'makaria' (meals in memory of) that are still held by many in the church hall following burial. Kollyva (Boiled Wheat) Kollyva are closely connected with memorial services for the benefit of one's departed. Their origin goes back to the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate when in 362 AD he withdrew from the market in Constantinople food-stuffs prescribed for the first day of the Great Lent, Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera), and ordered that they be substituted with 'polluted sacrificial food' (sprinkled with blood from animal pagan sacrifices) in an attempt to enforce upon the Christians paganism of which he was an ardent supporter. But Saint Theodore suggested to Patriarch Evdoxios that he ordain boiled wheat (already called Kollyva) as a substitute to Lenten food-stuffs taken from the market by Emperor Julian. Since then kollyva, having become connected with celebrating the memory of saints, were brought to church and were blessed by the priest during memorial prayers known as Memorial Services. The Kollyva are symbolic of the resurrection of the dead on the day of the Second Coming of Christ. Saint Paul said, "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies" (1 Corinthians 15:34), and Saint John, "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (St. John 12:24). Thus, as the wheat is buried in the soil and disintegrates without really dying but is later regenerated into a new plant that bears much more fruit than itself, so the Christian's body will be raised again from the very corruptible matter from which it is now made; however, it will be raised not in is precious fleshly substance but in an incorruptible essence which "will clad the mortal body with an immortal garment", in the words of Saint Paul (1 Corinthians 15:53). The Kollyva (boiled wheat), then, symbolize the Apostolically rooted hope in the resurrection of the dead as the only eventuality that gives meaning and attains the longed perfection on the part of the individual who takes his life to be a divinely ordained meaningful living forever. The names of the departed are remembered in prayer at every liturgy. Names may be given to the priest weekly-if desired- not only of the deceased but also of the living. The list may be given to the priest before the liturgy. 3

4 Saturday of the Souls The Orthodox Church observes four Saturdays of prayer for the souls of those who have died. This year the first three are on March 2, 9, and 16. The fourth is observed the Saturday before Pentecost. The following quotes are from Archbishop Stylianos and were published in The Orthodox Messenger, a publication by the Youth of Australia. From the early times, our Church dedicated Saturday to the souls. It is primarily the day of those who have fallen asleep. And Christians always took care, with memorial services and charitable acts done especially on Saturdays, to stay close to their dead and ask God for their repose and salvation. Even today one will see more people at graves on Saturdays than on any other day But why is Saturday the day of the souls? There are many explanations. The most likely explanation why Saturday was set apart for the departed appears to be that the word "Saturday" - coming from the Hebrew word Sabbath - means rest. And on this day we are praying for the repose of the souls. Saint Mark of Ephesus has this to say: We can do nothing better or greater for the dead than to pray for them offering commemoration for them at the Liturgy. Of this they are always in need The soul senses the prayers offered for it and is grateful to those who make them and is spiritually close to them. March Holy Days Weekday Feasts Saturday, March 9 The 40 Martyrs of Sebaste Monday, March 25 The Annunciation of the Theotokos (one of the 12 Major Feasts) Sundays in March Sunday, March 3 Judgment Sunday; Meatfare Sunday, March 10 Forgiveness Sunday; Cheesefare Sunday, March 17 Sunday of Orthodoxy Sunday, March 24 - Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas Sunday, March 31 - Sunday of the Holy Cross Lenten Days Saturday of the Souls, March 2, 9, 16 Great Lent begin on Monday, March 11; all Lenten services begin this week Mondays Great Compline, 6-7 pm Wednesdays Presanctified Liturgy 6 pm, followed by Lenten Meal Fridays Salutations to the Theotokos, 7 pm (Five Fridays) 4

5 HTGOC Men s Ministry As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 Holy Trinity Men s Ministry will meet the first Saturday of every month in the Boardroom at 9:00 a.m. All men who are members of one of the Metroplex s Orthodox parishes, as well as those who are on the journey to Orthodoxy are invited to attend. For more information about the Men s Ministry group contact: Andy Atalis ( ) Stephen Konstans ( ) or Fr. Mark Pakes ( ) 5

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8 Holy Trinity Greek School of Dallas IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS! Certificate of Attainment in Modern Greek We would like to inform you that Holy Trinity Greek School of Dallas is functioning as a testing center for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Greek. The examination for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek is organized by the Center for the Greek Language of the Aristotelian University of Greece by order of the Greek Ministry of Education. The examination includes both oral and written sections and is available for six different levels of difficulty. Levels A1, A2, & B1 are scheduled on May 12, PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must express their interest to take a test to our school no later than March 1. Registration must be completed by March 18th th. For more information, application forms, or inquiries, please contact Presvytera Alexandra Poulos at htagreek@htadallas.com. George Nikolopoulos Endowment Scholarship The George Nikolopoulos Endowment Scholarship Applications are now available for the Academic school year. Deadline for submission is May 31th. Information for applicants and applications are available on the Greek School website at ( Please submit completed applications and supporting documents to the Holy Trinity Greek School, Attention: Presvytera Alexandra Poulos. For questions, feel free to contact Presvytera: htagreek@htadallas.com. Dr. Nicolas L. Carayannopoulos Endowment Fund Philanthropy Aimed at Supporting Educational Aspirations and Hellenic Culture for the community of The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, Texas Aristia Scholarship To all High School Graduates, whose parents are stewards of Holy Trinity, who have been accepted to a college or university or to those Students who are already enrolled and studying at a college or university and are seeking to complete their undergraduate education, the Committee of the Dr. Nicolas L. Carayannopoulos Endowment Fund invites you to apply for the Aristia Scholarship, awarded annually to one girl and one boy based on demonstrated educational excellence. The deadline for consideration of this scholarship is May 31. Cultural Assistance To promote and underwrite expenses of Parish efforts associated with Hellenic cultural activities Parish groups involved in promoting Hellenic Culture, such as, the Hellenic Dancers, may submit requests for assistance to the Endowment Fund Committee. For more information, you may contact Presvytera Alexandra Poulos: htagreek@htadallas.com 8

9 What is Christian Stewardship? Christian Stewardship is learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work., for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God. our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love. caring for the needs of others.... offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us. what a person does after saying I believe, as proof of that belief. devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. (Williams & McKibben in Oriented Leadership) A steward is one who manages another s property or resources; the Christian, therefore, is a steward of everything he is and has, including his own body and soul, for according to the mystery of salvation, we possess nothing from ourselves, not even our own life and being; all belongs to God and is given to us by the Father through His Son because of the richness of His love and mercy. (from The Theology of Stewardship in Light of Orthodox Tradition by Fr Paul Wesche (Light and Life Publishing)) As Orthodox Christians, we are called upon to be good stewards of all the gifts God has bestowed on us. Our stewardship commitment to our parish should be an expression of gratitude for those many gifts, giving back to God in thanksgiving for the blessings He has given us. Orthodox stewardship is a mindset of thanksgiving. It is not a calculation of "How much do I need to give?", but a reflection on the questions "What am I thankful for?" and "How do I express my thanks to God for His gifts?" The theme of our 2019 stewardship campaign, and stewardship campaigns throughout the Archdiocese, is "All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ" (paraphrasing the Gospel of Mark 9:23). Stewardship is an act of faith. When we believe, stewardship follows. Stewardship is faith in action; action motivated by humble gratitude to God for His blessings in our life. We ask that you prayerfully consider making your commitment toward our 2019 stewardship drive. Please refer to the Stewardship link on the Parish website or contact the church office to make your pledge. Faithfully, The Holy Trinity Parish Stewardship team 9

10 Annual Parish March 25 th Celebration The Feast of the Annunciation & Greek Independence Day Hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek School YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO ATTEND! Sunday, April 7, 2019 Luncheon & Program Following Divine Liturgy Please check the Sunday Bulletins & EMMs The Three Hierarchs Celebration Thank you to all those who attended the presentation in the Sanctuary & To all who came to the Coffee Hour and bought Tiropites! 2019 Three Hierarchs Presenters, Clergy and Teachers Presvytera Alexandra Poulos, Angeliki Paulos, Stephany Martinez, Efstathia Karavatakis, Alexandra Lahiri, Theoni Papadopoulos, Nikolas Karavatakis, Elena Papantonopoulos Back Row: Fr. Peter Kostakis; Maria Davrados, Fr. Mark Pakes, Toula Barelos, Artemis Meletis 10

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12 Cheese Allowed Fish Allowed 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 12

13 Strict Fast 1,11,12,13,14,15,18,19,20,21, 22,27,28,29,29 March 2019 Wine/Oil Allowed 16,17,23,24,26,30,31 13

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15 Holy Trinity Greek School of Dallas IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Certificate of Attainment in Modern Greek We would like to inform you that Holy Trinity Greek School of Dallas is functioning as a testing center for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Greek. The Certificate is equivalent to the English Lower and Proficiency diplomas of the Universities of Michigan and Cambridge. The examination for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek is organized by the Center for the Greek Language of the Aristotelian University of Greece by order of the Greek Ministry of Education. The examination includes both oral and written sections and is available for six different levels of difficulty. Levels A1, A2, & B1 are scheduled at our school on May 21 & 22, Successful candidates at each level will receive an official Certificate of Attainment in Modern Greek. The Certificate may be used for credit at Colleges and Universities. Also, the Certificate can be a valuable asset for those seeking employment with European or other International companies. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must express their interest to take a test to our school no later than February 1, Registration must be completed by March 24thth. For more information, application forms, or inquiries, please contact Presvytera Alexandra Poulos at presvy@holytrinityacademy.com. George Nikolopoulos Endowment Scholarship The George Nikolopoulos Endowment Scholarship Applications are now available for the Academic school year. Deadline for submission is May 30th. Information for applicants and applications are available on the Greek School website at ( Please submit completed applications and supporting documents to the Holy Trinity Greek School, Attention: Presvytera Alexandra Poulos. For questions, feel free to contact Billy Karant, wkarant@gmail.com. 15

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19 HOLY TRINITY CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP The Caregivers will meet on Saturday, March 9 after Divine Liturgy (about 10:30), only if someone is interested in attending the session. If you are a caregiver and would like to meet with us, please contact one of the following: Steve Pakes spakes1@att.net, Bill Lane lanetex@yahoo.com, Presv. Alexandra Poulos presvyalex@verizon.net 19

20 General Interest Coffee Hour Thank you to March s Sponsors! Sunday, March 3 Sunday, March 10 Sunday, March 17 Sunday, March 24 Sunday, March 31 Maids of Athena Benevolent Fund PC Evia Perry Alexandris Stewardship Committee AHEPA General Assembly To volunteer your organization contact Amelia Fritz at amfrtiz1816@sbcglobal.net Please! We need Your Help! The Ribbon Cross Ministry desperately needs more crosses for the Cancer Center. They use approximately per week. Please contact : Katina Politz at

21 General Interest (continued) Parish Registry - Sacraments in February Baptisms: Dowling Deaths: Betty Cromidas (January) Demetrios Raptis Weddings: Netz Charamlambopoulos Mihalapoulos SAVE THE DATE! PLEASE JOIN US! Holy Trinity Greek School joyfully invites you to The Annual Greek School & Parish MARCH 25 TH FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION & GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION Please note the date!! Sunday, April 7, 2019 Luncheon immediately following Divine Liturgy Please check the Sunday Bulletin and EMM for more information! PRAYERS FOR OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN Brandon Bell, USAF Michael Bocan-Collins, PO1, US Navy Thomas C. Bouras, 1st Lt., US Army Jorge Brignoni, Lt., US Navy Nicholas Patitsas, 1st Lt., US Marine Corps Haylie Marie Pike, US Navy Stephen Serniak, Major, USAF Space Command Karl Schlotthauer, US Army 21

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23 Parish Council Schedule March 3 John Lanier Peter Hronas Chrisoula Kazanas Gus Kostas Harry Tomasides Charles Pappas Wade Stephens Dimitri Tsevoukas March 10 Perry Alexandris John Christon Forrest Boaz Nick Cimino Marr Fossey Ellena Fox John Pappadopoulos Frank Sideris March 17 John Lanier Peter Hronas Chrisoula Kazanas Gus Kostas Harry Tomasides Charles Pappas Wade Stephens Dimitri Tsevoukas March 24 Perry Alexandris John Christon Forrest Boaz Nick Cimino Marr Fossey Ellena Fox John Pappadopoulos Frank Sideris March 31 John Lanier Peter Hronas Chrisoula Kazanas Gus Kostas Harry Tomasides Charles Pappas Wade Stephens Dimitri Tsevoukas Do you love OUR church? Do you like meeting new people? Do you have the gift of hospitality? We are the smallest mission of Holy Trinity but we are MIGHTY! Visit the Welcome Wagon to sign up. Text Mary LeBrecht at or mary.lebrect@gmail.com 23

24 EKFONESIS MARCH 2019 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Hillcrest Road Dallas, TX Christian Orthodox Gardens at Restland Holy Trinity Cemetery Lots Available Cemetery plots are still available in the Orthodox Christian Garden at Restland. Prices in the funeral industry continue to rise, so please don't miss this opportunity to secure your family s burial needs. Currently: $4000 For more information call the Church Office at