110 Southern Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL 33405 Phone: 561.833.6387 office Email: stcatherine@bellsouth.net Website: stcatherine-wpb.org Fax: 561.833.6391 FEBRUARY 2017 Featuring February Calendar 2 Father Andrew s Thoughts 3 Father Andrew s Photos 4-5 Philoptochos 6-8 Vasilopita Sunday 9 Stewardship 10-12 Sunday School 13-15 Greek School 16-18 Apokries 19 AHEPA 20-22 Greek Festival 23-25 Heart of Greece 26 Volunteers 27 Advertisers 28-34 Please support our advertisers. Their ads help support Saint Catherine buildings, grounds, and ministries.
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2017 South Florida Epiphany Celebration The Archieratical Divine Liturgy, Blessing of the Water and Diving for the Cross Some of the recent blessings at Saint Catherine 4
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Philoptochos Update Hopefully you were able to join us in hearing Dr. Elisabeth McKeen, nationally recognized oncologist, speak at our January meeting. It was an amazingly enlightening experience! We are so privileged to have Dr. McKeen updating us each year on advances in cancer research especially breast and ovarian cancers. It was a pleasure to again host the Vasilopita Sunday reception and we are thankful for all the members and parishioners who contributed homemade pastries as well as those who helped prepare, decorate, serve, and clean up. And thanks to Yianna Kaplanidis who chaired the reception! We have already started the baking of koulourakia for the festival, and we will also bake on Wednesdays, February 1 and 8. You are welcome to join us in the Small Hall at 9:30 a.m. and become a part of this effort on behalf of our beloved Saint Catherine Church! You can contact Popee Valentine if you d like to help set up (February 15 and 16) and/or work at the Festival Pastry Booth (February 17, 18, and 19). Note: Please do NOT come in on the 15 th until we know the time when the products will arrive. After taking a deep breath following the baking, serving, and cleaning, we ll be heading for our annual Charity Luncheon at the Chesterfield Hotel on February 23 for an enjoyable and relaxing afternoon and hope you ll join us there. Olga Gevas (561.744.7429) has tickets. Don t miss the fun! We are so grateful to those women, members, and other parishioners who are able to come in and help on a regular basis. We are also aware that there are many who want to help but who, because of various reasons of health and family circumstances, cannot. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers and are loved and missed. PRAYER OF SAINT JOHN THE MERCIFUL Demetra Galazoudis, Acting President We will soon see, Lord, which of us two will win thy contest; You, who ever gives me good gifts or I, who will never cease distributing them to the poor. For I know well there is nothing of mine that is not owing to Your mercy, which upholds my life. 6
Saint Catherine Philoptochos 7th Annual Charity Luncheon Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 12:30 pm Donation: $50 for tickets: Olga Gevas 744-7429 Chesterfield Hotel 363 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480 7
Let us all do something beautiful for God. Dear Philoptochos Members and Friends: I am borrowing these words from Mother Theresa as a theme for raising the funds for new robes for our Acolytes. Yes, let us do something beautiful! Let s do it now, not next year or the year after! As we have stated, any donation is welcome, and all donations of $100 and over may be made in memory of a loved one. Talk about this project with your friends hopefully your words won t fall on deaf ears. Thank you for the love which you continue to show to Saint Catherine and to those whose needs Philoptochos tries to meet. As we know from Matthew 7:2:...and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. With love and gratitude, Demetra Dr. Elisabeth McKeen speaking to the women of Philoptochos. 8
P H I L O P T O C H O S VASILOPITA SUNDAY, January 15, 2017 9
On behalf of Father Andrew and the Parish Council, the Stewardship Committee extends heartfelt appreciation to you for your generosity to our parish during 2016. 2016 Stewardship Income: $171,133 2015 Stewardship Income: $148,806 2016 compared to 2015: + 22,327 representing a 15% increase over 2015 The $171,133 was received from 250 stewards reflecting an average of $685. This compares to the average of $598 in 2015 based upon 249 stewards. The good news is that the Stewardship income exceeds the budget for 2016 of $150,000; however, it continues to be inadequate to meet the objective of the $200,000 required to cover the operating expenses. Our ultimate goal is to raise our entire operating budget from Stewardship. When we succeed in this goal - unless there is some unforeseen emergency the Parish Council will no longer have to ask for special donations every time there is a need for a repair or new equipment, nor will they have to schedule specific fund raisers for some of these needs. As you prayerfully consider your Stewardship Commitment for 2017, please keep in mind that the expenses of our parish increase each year just as your own expenses increase with items beyond your personal control. With that in mind, it is requested that each person consider an increase to the extent possible above his or her Stewardship commitment for 2016. The Parish Council does its best to control expenses yet there are many expenses beyond their control such as Archdiocese & Metropolis obligations; insurance for the church and our Hellenic Cultural Center; health insurance; and utilities. The Archdiocese & Metropolis obligations in 2016 totaled $55,643. Based upon the 250 stewards in 2016, the first $223 of every donation went toward those obligations. For those individuals who contributed the minimum of $350 and families who contributed the minimum of $500, only $227 and $277 respectively remained for Saint Catherine. Please keep this in mind. In reflecting upon your pledge of time, talent and treasure to Saint Catherine, please open your heart to the church remembering the Lord s words: that where your treasure is, there also is your heart. Matthew 6:21. 10
General Information: 1. A summary of your Stewardship and other donations received during 2016 will be prepared by our Church Bookkeeper, Steve Musgrove, and mailed to you in late January. 2. The March 2017 issue of the Lamplighter will have a listing of 2016 Stewards and will designate those who are Members in Good Financial Standing those whose donations met the minimum of $350 for Individuals and $500 for Families. A few parishioners who have been Members in Good Financial Standing in past calendar years did not qualify for such status in 2016 solely because their donation was based on the prior minimums of $300 and $450. Those individuals and families can achieve that status by remitting the additional $50 between now and February 10. If you are unsure as to whether you donated the 2016 minimum or the pre-2016 minimum, please call the church office at 561-833-6387 to inquire. The Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church Endowment Fund portfolio totals $417,179 at December 31, 2016. The Endowment Fund Committee consists of: Father Andrew Maginas, George Psoinos, and Chris Christoforou who are required to participate in their respective capacity of Proistamenos, Parish Council President, and Parish Council Treasurer; plus the following Trustees elected by the Parish Council: Dimitrios Panagoulias, Donna Ryan, Vicki Sarides, and Demetrios Theodossakos. (There is a vacancy of one Trustee to be filled.) Our financial advisor is Theodore Peroulakis. The Committee meets quarterly. The next meeting will be held on February 26, 2017. 11
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St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church 2017 Sunday School Calendar February 5 February 19 March 5 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 March 19 and 26 April 7 April 8 Family Sundays/No Sunday School/Spring Break Youth Lenten Retreat and Potluck Dinner at 6 pm Folding of the Palms Holy Saturday April 9 April 14 April 16 Easter Egg Hunt/Palm Sunday and lunch Good Friday Family Sunday/No Sunday School Easter May 14 May 21 Mother s Day Brunch/Youth Video and Photo Montage End of Year Sunday School Certificate Presentation Youth Picnic 13
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Tradition ; In keeping with the Greek traditions, Greek school enjoyed singing the Kalanta to St. Catherine families! 16
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Santa s Little Helpers! Saint Catherine Greek School delivered donated toys from our families. Santa s little helpers delivered the toys for the children at Palm Beach Children s Hospital. 18
Annual Apokries Saturday, February 11, 2017 6:30 in the Evening Saint Catherine Hellenic Cultural Center Featuring: Performance by Heart of Greece Costume Parade Best Costume Contest for Adults Kids Zone Surprise Entertainment Dinner Buffet Adults $20; Children under 12 FREE Parishioners 12-18 FREE Guests 12-18 $10 RSVP by February 4 Antigoni panagoulias@yahoo.com (561)758-9262 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, 2017. 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. 20
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A Thank You! from AHEPA Chapter 18 to all who attended the NEW YEAR S EVE PARTY. A good time was had by all in a relaxed and fun-filled family venue. It was good to celebrate together and welcome a New Year with a prayer for good health, many joyful events, and positive wellbeing. To all those who worked to put it together, we also extend a special THANK YOU: President George Magalios who insisted that it be an annual event. John Fragiskakis who worked all day to make this event a culinary treat. Steve Pavlakos who kept everyone on track. Maria Balasis who put together the delicious desserts. The set up/raffle crew including Demetrios Theodossakos, Steve Stogiannis, Susannah Amygdalitsis, Rano Bellas, George Matsoukas, and George Psoinos. Plan to join us again at year end. 22
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Ouzo & Opa Time! The Greek Festival is February 17th, 18th, and 19th! It s countdown and we re getting busy! All hands on deck, we need you! Things to do now: Invite all your friends, neighbors, and workmates to attend. People love our Festival. Become a volunteer by signing up: look out for an email from Saint Catherine/Sign-Up-Genius, put your name down on the list in the Small Hall, or speak to your usual contact. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! If every Facebook user posts Festival news to their own group of friends, the whole world will know! Look for Saint Catherine Greek Festival. If you have a business, boost our post on your page. Posters and flyers are available, put some up at work, and drop them off at businesses you know. Ask your local restaurant to donate food. (List on next page) Join a team to cook, bake, clean, paint, make crafts, or set-up. Things to remember during the Festival: Parking is very tight at Saint Catherine and we need every space we can get for our visitors. On Saturday and Sunday, park at St Juliana s Church/School 4355 S. Olive Ave. and take the shuttle. There is also parking at Locks of Love on Southern Blvd, the old Mavericks High School, and the accountant s office found between the Seven-11 and Café Sapori. Show our guests what a great church family we are! Show them maximum philotimo, give them a big smile, and go the extra mile! Dance a lot and have fun! Enjoy being a part of this amazing event! Thank you for all you do, and see you there! For questions and offers of help, please call: Steve Pavlakos (561) 704 8641, Dora Farsaliotis (561) 289 3098, or Susannah Amygdalitsis (561) 603 8759 24
Ground Beef Penne Pasta Chicken halves - 32 halves/box Cases of Cucumbers Boxes of Tomatoes Boxes of Eggplant Greek Wine Water Bottles Greek Beer Cases of Eggs Carrots Bags of Onions Bags of Potatoes Any amount of the above would be much appreciated and help save costs to the church! 25
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THANKS TO OUR FAITHFUL VOLUNTEERS! Volunteers who assembled the January Lamplighter: Anna Klimantiris Fannie Patsis Evangelia Pikounis Donna Ryan Vicki Sarides Linda Telepas Volunteers who assembled the Stewardship Sunday mailing: Yianna Kaplanidis Anna Klimantiris Evangelia Pikounis Evgenia Theodoropoulos Warm thanks to our koulourakia volunteers of December 29: Sophie Caras Diana Dion Vanya Fragiskakis Elli Kalafatis Diana Patrick Fannie Patsis Evangelia Pikounis Mary Stamboulis The sales of these koulourakia provide funds for the charitable works of Philoptochos. The January 25, February 1, and February 8 baking sessions are for the Greek Festival which provides funds for the works of our Church. We couldn t do it without you! 27
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Lamplighter Official Monthly Publication Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church West Palm Beach, Florida 33405 February 2017 VOLUME NO. 2 EDITOR Father Andrew Maginas Phone: 561.833.6387 Fax: 561.833.6391 Email: 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 Email: 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 561.313.0654 Jimmy Theodossakos 561.371.7447 CHURCH WEBSITE www.stcatherine-wpb.org METROPOLIS WEBSITE www.atlmetropolis.org/ ARCHDIOCESE WEBSITE www.goarch.org Important Info 2017 PARISH COUNCIL Officers President: George Psoinos 561.373.2797 (Cell) Vice President: Jimmy Theodossakos Secretary: Eleni Manolis Treasurer: Chris Christoforou Financial Secretary: Nick Mitsinicos Members Hercules Apostolidis, Maria Balasis-Zahn, Joanne Dalber, Joy Kastanias, Ann Linardos, Ellen Syris ENDOWMENT FUND Vicki Sarides, Recording Secretary PHILOPTOCHOS Acting President: Demetra Galazoudis 561-845-8790 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 561.833.6387 Cantors Dr. Panos Livadiotis Theodore Rougas 561.586.8735 Choir President: Karen Helstrom 561.214.4800 Organist/Director Eirene Werts 561.747.6250 GOYA President: Alexxis Andre 561.267.6931 Heart of Greece Dancers President: Sophia P. Manolis 561.602.3226 Greek School PTO President: Mary Karatzas 561.777.0203 Teacher: Eleni Manolis 561.641.2404 Stewardship Sunday School Director: Antonia Theodossakos Esopakis 561.373.1886 PARISH RELATED ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES AHEPA President: George Magalios 561.523.4888 AHEPA #18 Apartments President: Steve Pavlakos 561.704.8641 AHEPA Family Charities President: George Matsoukas 561.585.0245 Cretan Society President: Pantelis Esopakis 561.351.6980 Daughters of Penelope President: Betsy Pascal 561.626.7772 Senior Citizens Club President: Maria Balasis-Zahn 561.641.2977 35
Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church 110 Southern Boulevard West Palm Beach, FL 33405 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA PERMIT NO. 118 36