September 2013 The Messenger Newsletter of St. John s Greek Orthodox Church 1000 Spruce, Pueblo, CO 81004 PO Box 3011, Pueblo, CO 81005 May God keep everyone well in order to continue to keep St. John the Baptist Church alive and vibrant for future generations to embrace and enjoy. Schedule of Services and Important Days September 1 9:30 Divine Liturgy September 8 9:30 Divine Liturgy and the Ordination of Thomas Lynch to the Diaconate September 15 9:30 Divine Liturgy September 22 9:30 Divine Liturgy September 29 9:30 Divine Liturgy Prosforo schedule Coffee Hour September 1 Connie Presvytera Ashley September 8 Presvytera Ashley Luncheon provided by St. John s & St. Michael s September 15 Pam September 22 Anastasia September 29 Penny We are almost to the day when we will be speaking to Deacon Thomas Lynch. September 8, here we come! St. Michael s Church will be joining us for Divine Liturgy and will be providing the desserts and drinks for our luncheon. St. John s will be providing the main dish, salad, and bread. And it s always good to have Metropolitan Isaiah here with us. Deb Nestro s Mom Deb has had cataract surgery and is now seeing the world more clearly. Yes, mother and daughter are both named Deb so it could get confusing! At any rate, Mom Deb says that s why we haven t seen her recently. Now that she is seeing better, we ll be seeing her! We re looking forward to that! Gus Vlahavas is finally out of rehab! Whew! He is now recuperating nicely at daughter Beth s home. Maybe we ll be seeing both Gus and Nonie back here one of these days. Church School is scheduled to start on September 15. We still are in need of one or more teachers. Sometimes it s much easier to undertake a task if you do it with a partner so recruit a friend and volunteer! The statewide commemoration of the Ludlow Massacre and Coalfield War begins on September 19 at El Pueblo History Museum. The opening reception for CHILDREN OF LUDLOW, Life in a Battlezone, 1913-1914, will be September 19 from 5 to 8pm. Opening remarks will be at 6 pm. There will also be hors d ouvres, live music and a cash bar. Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom. - Confucius - Merry Browne Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world. - Thomas Carlyle
ASK YIAIA Dear Yiayia, Why do some Orthodox Priests wear a cassock, while some simply wear a clergy shirt with a white collar? Dear Wondering, From Wondering In some countries such as Greece and Russia, you would likely see all clergy wearing a cassock. Here in the United States, you will find some Orthodox clergy wearing a cassock and some wearing a clergy shirt with a white collar. Priests are called to be in obedience to their Bishop. The Bishop will let his Priests know what he desires them to wear. Some Bishops want all of their Priests in cassocks and some want them all in clergy shirts with white collars. Some Bishops are comfortable with their Priests wearing either one. Here in the Metropolis of Denver, Metropolitan Isaiah is comfortable with his Priests being dressed either way. If you were to look in on a Priests meeting in this Metropolis, you would see clergy dressed both ways. Even at special events in this Metropolis you will see some clergy wearing cassocks and some wearing suits (with a white collar). Thanks for asking. Yiayia is always ready to answer your questions. Yiayia Pam Jacobsen s cousin, Carrie, who lives in Athens, sent her the following message: In Albania, yesterday TV showed a video where Albanians were destroying and getting all the icons, etc., out of a Greek Orthodox Church and they were hitting the priest. I fear a war against Christians is beginning. I (Marge) have been to Carrie s home for dinner and have shared emails with her. She is a shining example of a wonderful Christian lady. I am very worried for all the Christians overseas. Penelope s Corner The 52,000 residents of Chios rely on the remote Greek island s sole hospital to help them stay healthy, but austerity measures put into effect by the Greek government have dramatically cut funding and crippled the medical institution s ability to function. Doctors and medical staff struggle daily to care for patients without essential medical supplies like surgical gloves, syringes, vials for blood samples and suture needles that the hospital can no longer afford to supply. IOCC responded to the urgent need with more than $740,000 in medical supplies delivered to Skylitsion General Hospital of Chios. The government-run hospital serves the medical needs of young and old living on Chios and the neighboring islands of Psara and Oinousses. Shortages in medical supplies are plaguing public hospitals across Greece and threaten access to quality health care that some of the most vulnerable Greeks the elderly, chronically ill patients, and the poor-are dependent upon for their well-being. IOCC continues to respond to Greece s deepening crisis and is part of a larger, multifaceted relief effort by IOCC that includes supplying fresh food to protect the nutritional needs of poverty-stricken Greeks, and providing aid to institutions caring for people with disabilities, orphans, and the elderly.
YOU ARE INVITED Saturday, October 19, 2013 Pueblo Historic Union Depot 5:30 Cocktail hour and silent auction 6:30 Traditional Greek Banquet 7:45 Greek Dance Performance Cash Drawing for $1000, $500 and $250 Adults - $50 Under 12 - $10 By October 12th (After Oct. 12 Adults $60 Children - $15) Call 252-9446 to make reservations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please reserve Adult Tickets Children s Tickets Enclosed $ for Ticket Reservations Unfortunately, I cannot attend but am enclosing $ as a donation Please mail the above to: St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church P.O.Box 3011 Pueblo, Colorado 81005 All proceeds go to the operating costs of the church