I believe that most would agree that taking home the flame from Pascha is one of the most beautiful practices in the church. The Lord said in the Gospel of John, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. It is this light that we receive year in and year out at the joyous celebration of the His Resurrection. Moreover, we receive it every time that we open our hearts and minds to the Lord in such moments as holy communion, reading the Bible, prayer and service to one another. There is also an interesting component to icons that highlights this particular point. Icons do not have shadows. This is because icons depict the kingdom of God, which is a place of light Thus this notion of light is seen throughout the church, in the Holy Scriptures, in our iconographic depictions of the Gospel and even in our practice of taking home the light on Pascha. Not only is God light, but He also calls us to be light. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord tells us, You are the light of the world Thus, the light that we take home from the Anastasi reminds us of that which the Lord commands us to be; light for the world. We begin the evening in darkness, the Lord gives us His light and we then take that light into the world. This represents the spreading of the Gospel in the world, bringing Christ into our homes and a sign of the joy born from the Resurrection. May God give us the strength to keep that candle burning as we seek to offer His light in the midst of the darkness of this world. Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!...all those who cleaned the church prior to Holy Week...all those who prepared the meal and organized the Saturday of Lazaros Palm Cross making as well as those who helped make the palm crosses...all those who prepared and helped serve at the Palm Sunday Luncheon...all those who helped make, organize and donated luminaries.those who donated the palms and flowers...all those who helped decorate the church and the icons used throughout the week from Palm Sunday to Pascha...all who made special donations for Pascha, Holy Friday, 1 flowers, candles, eggs, the items for Holy Unction, prosfora and other items that were needed during the week...our Chanters, Choir, Parish Council members, Altar Boys, Myrofores, those who carried the kouvouklion and all others who participated and assisted in various ways...those who dyed and wrapped the Red Paschal Eggs...all those who helped decorate the Epitaphios...those who organized the Holy Friday retreat those who organized the drone and fireworks.those who prepared the candles...and all those who helped during the week in any way not mentioned above May the Lord remember us all in His Kingdom! Fr. Perikles
937 Chase Parkway - Waterbury, CT 06708 Phone: 203.754.5189 Fax: 203.759.5622 www.holytrinitywaterbury.org www.facebook.com/holytrinitywaterbury email: office@holytrinitywaterbury.org 203.525.5205 frperikles@holytrinitywaterbury.org 203.232.0791 frdemetriosbelsito@mail.goarch.org Office Hours: Monday Friday 9:00am 1:00pm Mrs. Margo Ricciardi, President, Mr. Anthony Rinaldi, Vice Pres., Mr. Nico Ververis, Secretary, Mr. John Gagas, Treasurer, Mrs. Elaine Dibble, Asst. Treasurer, Mr. Nicholas Gagas, Mr. Nicos Michael, Mr. Richard Pecka, Mr. Brian Peterson, Atty. George Tzepos, Mr. Alex Velezis, Mr. Paul Velezis SUNDAY SCHOOL Mrs. Marianne Boutsioulis, Director, Mrs. Janet Gagas, Asst. Director ALTAR BOYS Mr. Nico Ververis, Dr. Eugene Constantinou CHANTER Mrs. Nora Papoutsis 203.758.9661 CHOIR Mrs. Athena Barchini YOUTH CHOIR Mrs. Janet Gagas PHILOPTOCHOS Mrs. Mary Peterson LEVENTIA Mrs. Antigone Tsipolitis MOMMY & ME Presvytera Cassandra Kallis BASKETBALL PROGRAMS Mr. Alex Boutsioulis, Director 203.271.2929 Midgets (7-10 yrs.) Juniors (11-13 yrs) Intermediates (14-18 yrs) Seniors (18+) GIRLS VOLLEYBALL (8-18yrs) Mrs. Grace Olbrys, Mr. Brett Olbrys, Mrs. Michelle Marnelakis, Ms. Matoula Tsetsos HOPE & JOY (5-11) Mrs. Athena Capobianco, Mrs. Virginia Kotsaftis, Mrs. Grace Morikis GOYA (12-18) Ms. Micaela Gagas GREEK DANCE Mrs. Cassie Skabardonis, Mrs. Grace Morikis GREEK SCHOOL Mr. Pantelis Tinios, Principal 860.274.1704 AHEPA Mr. Paul Velezis Daughters of Penelope Mrs. Sofia Swaby Paideia Mr. Pantelis Tinios Eptahorion Soci. Mr. Alex Velezis Sons of Pericles Mr. Nico Ververis Pan-Macedonian Society Mrs. Nicki Gagas Maids of Athena Ms. Alexandra Gagas Dear Fellow Parishioners, Christos Anesti! Christ s Resurrection fills us with such joy and anticipation of new hope. In this day of instant information, communication, computers, and cell phones, we must remember the fundamentals of being a true Christian. Respect of one another, kindness and love do not need technology, just practice. Life is a challenge on a daily basis for all of us. Let s all be examples of whom our family would be proud. The GREEK FESTIVAL is here!!! Please call and offer some time to volunteer- a few hours, few days, every day. We NEED ALL of you. We are such an amazing community, and this is a perfect opportunity for all of us to pull together and have the best festival yet! Some of you may not be aware that the festival brings in at least 1/3 of our overall budget for the year, which makes it the biggest fundraiser of the year. Please consider joining us - call Carrie in the office or myself to add yourself on the schedule. There is also preparation BEFORE, set up the week of, and breakdown, besides the 4 days of actual festival. This year we have welcomed new faces at our meetings, which has injected us with new ideas, much excitement, and brought us into 2017. Thank you to all of you. If you have any questions, please call one of the chairmen: George Ricciardi, Anthony Rinaldi, or Paul Velezis, Carrie in the office or myself. The 100th Anniversary Committees are working hard already to assure us of a most memorable, exciting weekend. Mark your calendars for November 16, 17,18 2018. Festivities will include a Gala on Friday Night, a Saturday filled with activities, and a banquet 2 on Sunday. His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios will be joining us. Your Parish Council is working diligently to make this weekend within everyone s means to enjoy any and all parts you want to attend. Have you submitted pictures yet? Happy Mother s Day & Happy Father s Day to all the moms & dads in our parish - you deserve all the best! Sincerely, Margo (Mary) Ricciardi Margo Ricciardi Parish Council President kouklamr@hotmail.com or 203.206.1746 Anyone interested in donating a basket for the Basket Raffle, please contact Barbara Tzepos. Monetary donations towards a basket are also accepted - deadline for submissions is May 1st.
Dear Members and Parishioners, Christos Anesti!!! As I write this letter, we have just finished celebrating Pascha, an event and season like no other. I want to thank our Ladies and all who attended our Saturday of Lazaros breakfast and Palm Cross making. Once again over 600 crosses were made for Palm Sunday in only a few hours! Thank you as well for a great Palm Sunday luncheon, with many more than expected in attendance! The draw of great food and great company made our crowd larger than expected. So please be sure to always let us know and make reservations in advance so that we have no worries in accommodating everyone. I hope you were able to take some time this past week to attend some of the Holy Week services. The Holy Friday and Saturday night Resurrection Services were spectacular! The luminaries, a joint LPS and Daughters Of Penelope effort, were so beautiful to see glowing outside on Friday and Saturday nights. Such a busy season! Our 3rd Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction is over, and was again a fun, successful night. Our Chairs Michelle, Marta, and Anna, did tremendous work in getting a vast array of auction items. Managers from our benefitting organization, Love 146, which helps victims of human trafficking were there as well, to help all understand better. Thank you to all for attending. Looking ahead we have the Church Festival on Mother's Day Weekend that is only days away. At the Festival you will see many of our Ladies working the booths and food lines in the Tent and in the Gym. Please support as well any way you can - by assisting for a few hours and by patronizing the awesome food, pastry, plants, and raffles. For those in our Church community, going into college, as well as those in college or graduate school, please check out our scholarship offerings! We are offering six scholarships this year. Please look at the applications for details and requirements. Deadlines are May 15th. Scholarships will be awarded at the June scholarship luncheon. We will end our year with a combined LPS / DOP outing. Details soon available. Thank you all for supporting our efforts and our mission this past year. In May and June, as a chapter we will be donating the proceeds from our Palm Sunday Luncheon to Hellenic College Holy Cross. We will also be donating to two National LPS Programs: the 75th Anniversary Founders Fund (provides financial, medical, and hospice support to older Greek Orthodox adults and their families) and to the Orthodox Christian Fellowship Fund (the official Orthodox campus ministry with chapters throughout the US). On a local level, if you know of someone in need, please contact Father Perry. He will advise our chapter how best we can help. To all the ladies of our Holy Trinity Church: We are a determined group of strong women. We work to help. We have fun. Please join us! With warmest regards, Mary Peterson Mary Peterson, President Ladies Philoptochos Society mary833@hotmail.com Our Sunday School students did a wonderful during Holy Week, both the boys serving on the altar and the girls as myrofores. On Saturday of Lazaros our children helped to weave crosses for Palm Sunday and were treated to an Easter Candy Hunt. Mission Boxes were due back on April 9th. If you haven t turned yours in yet, please do so ASAP! The money collected for the Mission Boxes supports the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. You can read more about OCMC and their mission, visions and values at OCMC.org. Thank you for your generous support. In past years attendance in Sunday School has fallen off significantly after the Festival. I hope you will continue to make an effort to come to church and Sunday School. Our Sunday School Promotion will be held in church on Sunday, June 4th. Upcoming Calendar: May 7: Retreat May 14: No Classes/Festival May 21: Regular Classes/Jeopardy May 28: Memorial Day /Teacher Work Day: No Classes June 4: Sunday School Promotion We wish all of the Moms in our parish a Happy Mother s Day! To all those who celebrate their birthdays in May and June may God bless you on your special day! Congratulations to our graduating High School Seniors! Micaela Gagas, Nicholas Jackson, Sydney Mourges, Christina Middendorf, Zoe Olbrys, Dimitri Tracey, Demi Tzepos and Alexander Tzepos, We wish you the best of luck as you enter college! Marianne Boutsioulis Marianne Boutsioulis, Director Sunday School boutsie5@cox.net 3
Party of the Century for 100th Anniversary: Our next meeting will be on Sunday, June 11th during Coffee Hour. Please see Anthony or Cassandra Rinaldi, Mary Peterson or Elaine Dibble for more info. Hall Rentals: Thankfully, our banquet hall is rented quite often and brings in much-needed income for our church. For parishioners interested in renting the hall or coffee hour room for your own event, please keep in mind we book far in advance (at least 6 months) and to make your reservation as early as possible. We love hearing your family news! If you have any family news that you would like to add to this section, please email Carrie at: office@holytrinitywaterbury.org Top left: Resurrection Vigil; Middle left & top right: Sports Banquet; Bottom left: GOYA Retreat; Bottom right: Holy Week services 4
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With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, we are pleased to ask you to save the dates of November 16, 17 and 18, 2018 for our 100th Anniversary weekend. More info coming soon... GOYA Trip to Boston Our Burn the Mortgage campaign is now underway! Please join us in this effort as we seek to pay off our remaining expansion project mortgage from the early 2000s. Our goal is to burn the mortgage during our 100th Anniversary celebration weekend in November 2018. For more information, please contact John Gagas (Chair), a member of the Burn the Mortgage Committee, or Fr. Perikles. An information pamphlet can be found online at: church website: www.holytrinitywaterbury.org or in our church office. that you can receive your copy of The Spirit instantly when it is completed? No more waiting for your copy to arrive through the mail. It costs us thousands of dollars each year to compile, print and mail The Spirit. Receiving your copy of The Spirit through email helps the church realize substantial savings. To receive your copy of The Spirit through email, please contact Carrie in the church office at 203.754.5189 or email at holy.trinity.greek@snet.net. 6
PLEASE - WE NEED YOUR DONATIONS! Please contact PAUL VELEZIS or JAMES TZEPOS. Where Will You Help? Baking Plants Main Kitchen Set up Tent Bar Basket Raffle Set up Hall Greek Coffee Clean Up Decorations Pastries Serving Dinner Packaging Pastry Taverna Runners Dining Room Loukoumades Dancing Raffle WHEN? Many People Take Time Off From Work to give their time to our Major Fundraiser and Community Outreach of the Year. Please check your schedules! (Mon, Tues. & Wed. May 8, 9, 10 th - Day & Night: Setup) Festival Committee Co-Chairs, Anthony Rinaldi Paul Velezis George Ricciardi, Jr. 7
Practices continue on Tuesday evenings from 6:30p 8:00p & Sunday afternoons from 11:45a 1:15p. Cassie Skabardonis cskabardonis@yahoo.com Grace Morikis gracetzepos@yahoo.com As we say goodbye to our car raffle, we especially need your help in making this year s Greek Festival Raffle a success! The prizes are as follows: 1st Prize : $7,500!!! 2nd Prize: $2,000 3rd Prize - $1,000 4th Prize - $500 Tickets have been distributed. Please help us sell as many tickets as possible. Please contact Carrie in the office with any questions. The Raffle drawing will take place on Monday, May 15th at 7:00pm. Please have all tickets, both sold and unsold, returned to the office no later than Saturday, May 13th. 8
SAVE THE DATE! SONS OF PERICLES 10th ANNUAL HALL OF FAME BANQUET JOIN US IN HONORING MR. PANTELIS TINIOS FOR HIS CONTINUOUS DEDICATION TO ENRICHING THE HOLY TRINITY COMMUNITY Chicken $20 Pasta $10 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 937 Chase Parkway Waterbury, CT SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2017 11:30am RSVP by May 15th: Nico Ververis: 860.944.0418 or nicov89@sbcglobal.net Or Church Office: 203.754.5189 holy.trinity.greek@snet.net *Look for the SOP table on Sundays at Coffee Hour AHEPA Scholarship Luncheon When: Sunday, June 4, 2017 after Sunday School & Greek School Graduation Where: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Banquet Hall 937 Chase Parkway Waterbury, CT Donation: $15.00 Adults, $7.00 Children Please call the Church Office for reservations. Sponsored by GOYA Please come and support our scholarship recipients - all are welcome from the community! Scholarships will be given out at this time...parents and recipients must attend. Parents and recipients must attend! 9
PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION, INC. CHAPTER PINDOS Scholarship Application REQUIREMENTS: *The applicant must be a High School senior attending college in September. *The applicant may be a son or daughter, directly related to a member of Pindos chapter or a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church community. *The applicant must submit a copy of their High School Transcript. *All applications must be submitted by May 15, 2017. PLEASE COMPLETE AND FORWARD ATTACHED APPLICATION TO: Nicholas Velezis, 341 Watertown Road, Middlebury, CT 06762 NAME: ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: DATE OF BIRTH: FATHERS NAME: OCCUPATION: MOTHERS NAME: OCCUPATION: Name of High School Attended: Name of College Attending: I certify to the best of my knowledge that all statements in the application are correct: Applicant s Signature Date: Note: On a separate sheet, compose an essay of not more than 250 words as follows: THE REASONS WHY YOU WISH TO ATTEND COLLEGE to the young ladies who served as myrofores during Holy Week: Eliana Capobianco Gigi DelBuono Victoria Gagas Micaela Gagas Barbara Kotsaftis Alexandra Koulouris Zoe Olbrys Aniela Olbrys Ava Rickenbach Anastasia Skabardonis Gracie Swaby Antonia Tzepos Roula Tzepos Demi Tzepos Chrissie Tzepos Lena Wilson 10
AHEPA & DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE District #7 Scholarship Lunch Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 5:00 PM Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Banquet Hall 937 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708 $25 per person prepaid No charge for Scholarship recipients Scholarship recipients MUST RSVP (attending or not attending) by 6/14/17 Checks payable and mailed to AHEPA chapter 48 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 937 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708 $30 per person at the door Refreshments Available For Reservations contact Penny Pecka at: 203-756-7651 or at ppecka@newhaven.edu Top left: Our Greek Mayor for the Day, Mrs. Katherine Harlamon; Top middle: Keith samples the palms during Saturday of Lazaros; Top right: Saturday of Lazaros; Bottom left: our hardworking Athletic Director, Alex; Bottom right: Greek Mayor for the Day, Kathy Harlamon with her family 11
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WATERBURY AHEPA CHAPTER # 48 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION NAME: ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: DATE OF BIRTH: FATHER S NAME: MOTHER S NAME: Applicant or parent is a member of: (SELECT ONE): Sons of Pericles Daughters of Penelope AHEPA Chapter 48 Names and ages of other children in your residence: Name of High School Attended: High School Seniors: Submit OFFICIAL High School transcript and a copy of the letter of acceptance from the college you will be attending. Letters of recommendation are optional but not required. SAT Score : OR ACT Score : (Seniors must include either one) Name of College Attending: College Students: Submit OFFICIAL college transcript. Letters of recommendation are optional but not required. List other sources and amounts of financial aid which you have received: List any honors or awards which you have received: Extracurricular Activities: (i.e. school, community, athletic, etc.): If you wish financial need to be considered, please describe the circumstances: If additional space is needed, please attach and additional sheet. I certify to the best of my knowledge that all statements in the application are correct: Applicant s Signature: Date: Note: On a separate sheet, compose an essay of your choice of not more than 250 words or an essay on the following topics: High School Seniors: The reasons why you wish to attend college College Students: How will your field of study contribute to your immediate or long-term career plans? 13
The Church is the Body of Christ on earth and carries on His ministry in the world today. For most people, the greatest financial gift we are able to give is what we leave behind when we fall asleep in the Lord. Through a charitable gift, you can have a significant positive effect on the ministries of the Church and those people whose lives are changed because of them. The impact of your gift will be felt for years and generations to come. A charitable gift may also give you substantial current tax benefits as well as estate tax benefits. As you explore the ways by which you can support the ministries of the Church, please know that Fr. Perikles & the Parish Council are available to assist you in any way possible. WAYS TO GIVE Consider making a gift in one of the following ways: Bequest, Matching Gift, Gift of Cash, Gift of Securities, Gift of Life Insurance, Gift of Real Estate, Qualified Retirement Plans, Charitable Gift Annuity, Deferred Gift Annuity, Charitable Lead Trust, Charitable Remainder Trust. Americans give generously to charitable organizations in this manner. In 2009, more than $250 billion was given by individuals through their estates. Planned giving can be very rewarding, allowing to you to see your gift at work while receiving tax benefits now. The material provided here is designed to furnish our Orthodox Christian faithful with general information. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. When considering a charitable gift, be sure to consult professional to ensure that it meets your individual circumstances. DO YOU HAVE A WILL? Though you may not want to consider preparing a will, it will save your heirs significant time and money. With a will you also ensure that your family, charitable, and financial wishes are carried out. Most people who prepare a will also have planning directives. These documents, known as powers of attorney, letters of instruction, and living wills provide guidance about one s wishes for: Medical Care consistent with your Beliefs, Tax-Advantaged & Charitable Financial Planning, Distribution of personal property. A NOTE ON LIVING WILLS When doing your estate planning it is common to also include a Living Will dealing with how medical care will be provided if you are unable to give the instructions yourself. The Archdiocese has arranged for an Orthodox Living Will that can be completed by you and reviewed with your family, doctor and legal advisor. For Orthodox Faithful, it is important that the Living Will reflect your Orthodox Christian beliefs. There are many prayers and observances that can give great comfort to the you and your family. If you have your attorney prepare your living will, we urge you to include language that reflects your Orthodox Christian beliefs. COME AND SEE Giving to the Church is an opportunity to express our thankfulness, to give of ourselves and to grow in grace. Giving is not a substitute for our commitment it is an expression of our commitment. Come and See what we can do together with your support. Come and See the works of God, Who is awesome. Psalm 66:5 HELP IS AVAILABLE Contact Fr. Perikles or a member of the Parish Council to receive more detailed information and resources. Please contact Carrie in the Church Office if you are interested in a brick for our brick walkway. These bricks are a great way to etch your family s name into the history of our church as well as remember a loved one. Bricks are available at cost for $200 (4x8) and $375 (8x8). This is not a fundraiser, but rather a note for those who do not have a brick and may be interested. Want to save paper? Don t like writing checks? We have a great solution for your monthly Stewardship payments! Holy Trinity offers the opportunity to enroll in a program that will deduct your stewardship payments each month directly from your checking account. All we need is a cancelled check and the amount you want deducted each month. You can sign up by visiting the church office you may also call for more information at 203.754.5189. 14
7 The Paralytic Orthros 8:45am, Div. Liturgy 9:45am; Sun. School retreat; Philoptochos; Greek dancing 11:45am 14 The Samaritan Woman Orthros 8:45am, Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Happy Mother s Day! Greek Festival 11am-3pm 21 Saints Constantine & Helen Orthros 8:45am, Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Sun. School Jeopardy; DOP Mtg. 28 Fathers of 1st Council Orthros 8:45am, Div. Liturgy 9:45am; Sun. School Grad Prep; Sons HOF Luncheon 11:30am 1 GOYA Meeting 6:30pm Parish Council Meeting 7:00pm 8 Greek Dancing 15 Raffle Drawing 7:00pm 22 AHEPA Meeting 7:00pm 29 Memorial Day Prayers at Mt. Olivet, Watertown 8:30am, Pine Grove, Waterbury 9:30am 2 Greek School 5:00pm Youth 6:30pm Adults ; Greek Dance 6:30pm 9 Greek Dancing 16 Greek School 5:00pm Youth 6:30pm Adults 23 Greek School 5:00pm Youth 6:30pm Adults 30 Greek School 5:00pm Youth 6:30pm Adults 3 4 5 6 Greek Festival Set-up Day 10 Greek Dancing 11 10am-9pm 12 10am-11pm 13 17 18 19 20 24 Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen! 25 Doxology 9:15am; Feast of the Ascension 9:30am 26 27 10am-Midnight 31 (June 1) (June 2) (June 3) Saturday of Souls Doxology 9:15am; Divine Liturgy 9:30am; GOYA Relay for Life The most up-to-date calendar can be found at: www.holytrinitywaterbury.org/calendar
NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage Paid Waterbury, CT 06701 Permit No. 9 4 Holy Pentecost Orthros 8:45am, Liturgy 9:45am; Vespers of Pentecost 10:45am; Sunday School & Greek School Graduation; Scholarship Luncheon 11 All Saints Day Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Party of the Century Meeting 5 Monday of the Holy Spirit; Doxology 9:15am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; 12 Parish Council Meeting 7:00pm 6 Greek School Picnic 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 2nd Sunday of Matthew Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; Happy Father s Day! 19 20 21 22 23 24 Nativity of Saint John the Baptist 25 3rd Sunday of Matthew Orthros 8:45am; Divine Liturgy 9:45am; District Scholarship Dinner 5:00pm 26 GOYA departs for Wildwood 27 28 29 30 GOYA returns from Wildwood The most up-to-date calendar can be found at: www.holytrinitywaterbury.org/calendar