A Community Is Born
The desire to formally establish a Greek Orthodox Community in the Greater Bridgeport area was fostered by the faith and love of the Greek immigrant in the New World. He recognized the need to organize in the realm of a Koinotita a Community, that the Greek immigrant can properly prepare the foundation of retaining the treasures of his Divine heritage, which is to be inherited by his children and grandchildren down through the ages, without innovation or distortions. The Hellene knew that it was imperative to act if he did have the sincere pathos to "keep the traditions," his identity, and not be assimilated as one, lost in the great "melting pot" of nationalities. His identity was important, for without it he would do a disservice to his new home in the New World; without it, he could never be an inspired personality worthy of his citizenship. The immigrant had an obligation, an image to project, a heritage and culture which gave birth to the "American way of life. "
It was this fervent desire, therefore, that had motivated two Founding Fathers, Mr. Nicholas Vlantes and the late Aristides Angelopoulos, to journey to New York City to meet with the Dean of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Archimandrite Methodios Kourkoulis, and discuss with him the formation of a Greek Orthodox Community in Greater Bridgeport, Connecticut. He offered his blessings and words of encouragement and agreed to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in Bridgeport, that he would also speak to the Communicants who would be served in the area.
As a token of thanksgiving and glorification to Almighty God for His many and bountiful gifts, the Immigrant displayed the vast wealth of his Faith and Love, taken from the Treasures of his Divine Heritage, by selecting the most apropos American holiday, the Day of Thanksgiving 1912, to praise the Lord. The first Divine Liturgy in Bridgeport, Connecticut was celebrated that memorable day by the Very Reverend Archimandrite Methodios Kourkoulis, in the Russian Orthodox Church on Hallett Street. It truly was a day of thanks-
giving, a day of praise and glorification, of humility and inspiration, for the Greek immigrant recognized the significance of his heritage and obligations to it. He was now the missionary, the "new apostle" to "Go ye and preach to all nations. "
He did not wait any longer. He dreamed occasionally, when he wasn't planning, but overcame tremendous obstacles and problems that were encountered. There were many, but where God is the Architect, the task, though trying and difficult , is simple, and he knew that he could not lose.
It was the 6th day of April 1913, when following a regular :meeting of the Pan Hellinios Enosis, eleven members remained to discuss the formation of the Greek Orthodox Community of Greater Bridgeport. These eleven members were joined by an additional seven, to compose a committee of eighteen, which were under the direction of Nicholas Vlantes and Aristides Angelopoulos. This Committee of Organization approached the Rev. George Kalogiannis, Pastor of the Annunciation Church in Stamford, to request that he serve the spiritual needs of the Parish until a perma-
NICHOLAS VLANTES
Annual Meeting of the Pan Hellenic Union
Father Kalogiannis agreed to conduct Liturgical and Sacramental services once a month, celebrating the Divine Liturgy for the first time in May 1913, following which, the first Church Board of Directors was elected, consisting of seven members: Nicholas Laios, president; Nicholas Vlantes, vice-president; George Molones, secretary; Aristides Angelopoulos, treasurer; and directors, George Giannouracos, Andrew Demotses, and Anastasios Farfaras.
On November 8, 1913, the Reverend Dionysios Papadatos was assigned the pastorate of the new Community. Not having a church of their own for their Ecclesiastical and spiritual requirements, the Committee obtained the facilities of the Y.M.C.A., where on the 21st of November, Divine Liturgy was first celebrated by Father Papadatos. The Community of Holy Trinity continued services at the Y.M.C.A. through one and a half years.
the formal establishment of a Greek Orthodox Community in Bridgeport. With the approaching Holy Week and Easter holidays, the Committee commenced its search for larger facilities, less strained than those at the Y.M.C.A. The Church of the Holy Trinity Episcopal was obtained. It was here, Good Friday of 1914, that Holy Trinity first held its outdoor procession symbolical of our Lord's Descend into Hades. This procession was followed by a multitude of Greek Orthodox communicants coming from various towns and villages throughout Connecticut.
Under the presidency of Mr. Elias Linardakis, 1914 second president of Holy Trinity, a Constitution was prepared and the Parish was incorporated. Thus the communicants of Holy Trinity were able to visualize the fulfillment of their labors. Only the purchase or construction of a permanent House of Worship remained to complete the first act in the life of the Community of Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
1913—1914
Church Members
books of the New Testament in the Christian Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are accounts of the life, ministry, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each Gospel providesa uniqueperspectiveon theseevents:
Matthew: Written by oneof Jesus' disciples, Matthew focuses on Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, presenting him as the Messiah and the rightful kingof Israel.
Mark: Traditionally attributed to Mark, who was a companion of the apostle Peter, this Gospel emphasizes Jesus' actions and miracles, portraying him as a powerful and compassionate figure.
Luke: Written by Luke, a physician and companion of the apostle Paul, this Gospel emphasizes Jesus' concern for the marginalized and provides a detailed account of his life, teachings, and interactions.
John: Written by the apostle John, this Gospel focuses on the divinity of Jesus, presenting him as the eternal Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among humanity.
What is a Gospel?
Meeting Christ, Understanding, and Being Transformed From “Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs”
Written by Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko
What is a Gospel? When we think
about “the Gospel” in the Divine Liturgy, we picture it as an event when God’s word is proclaimed from one of the four evangelists so that we meet Christ. Just before we are to hear the Gospel, the priest echoes the words the risen Christ in the midst of his disciples: “Peace be with you” (John 20:26). Thus assured that the LORD is present, we respond, with joy, “and with your spirit!” Our perspective differs from some Protestants, who frequently think of the gospel reading as instruction, and as raw material for the brain and for the preacher’s exposition. And from other Protestants, whose gospel readers instruct the congregation to “listen for the word of the LORD,” as though the position of the listener were to discern and judge, searching for something meaningful in a conglomerate of human words. Instead, we Orthodox anticipate the Word heard as something to be joyfully and obediently received, and as accompanied by the living presence of the incarnate
Word, God the Son. Worship, then, draws us into God’s presence, and the Gospel-book is celebrated as the central focus of the “Little Entrance” a dramatic encounter with the living God in the Liturgy. (Some have wrongly thought that the two “entrances” refer to the emergence of the priest and others from the altar, into the congregation; instead, they are called “entrances” because we enter into God’s presence.) Thus, the priest prays on our behalf: “O Master, Lord our God, Who hast appointed in heaven ranks and hosts of Angels and Archangels for the ministry of Thy glory: Cause that with our entrance may enter also the holy Angels with us serving Thee, and with us glorifying Thy goodness.” God takes the initiative, speaking to us, and inviting us to approach him more deeply, by means of the Gospel. Even the fact that the Gospel is chanted reminds us of this solemn meeting: this is God’s own “everlasting” or “eternal gospel” (Rev 14:6) and does not require a dramatic performance by an emotive reader, or the critical discernment of the listener, to (Continued on page 10)
make its mark. Because of all this, the reading of the Gospel is an audience with God, for which we stand, as we honor the presence of Christ in our midst. He is with us, speaking divine words. But the Gospel is also written in human words for human ears. Thus, when we hear “the gospel,” or “good news” (Greek, evangelion) proclaimed, it is helpful to contemplate the Gospels themselves. What is a gospel, what is its genre, and how does it do its work on the faithful? Which first-century conventions of writing did the four Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs 112 Notes evangelists follow, and which did they modify? What expectations should we have
of it, as we begin to read and to listen? Already we are the recipients of significant steps of interpretation that have taken place in the Church long before we hear the words proclaimed. After all, passages have been selected (both as part of the canon of the Bible, and as an item in our lectionaries), and they have been translated from Greek (with the occasional word of Aramaic) into English. But selection and translation only go part-way in making the words plain to us. The homily will also help us to understand, and to respond to the words, as in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra, when the Jewish people returned from their exile and
heard God’s Word afresh: “So [Ezra and his helpers] read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense and helped [the people] to understand the reading” (Neh 8:8).
The Unique Character of the Gospels
Questions concerning the shape, scope, and purpose of the gospel are actually quite complex, because when we try to compare the four gospels with other kinds of literature, we
kind. Whenever we try to understand any kind of literature, we compare it with something that we know: if I pull an envelope with a transparent address window out of my mailbox, I anticipate a bill or a check, because I have seen these kinds of things before. The problem is, we can’t find pieces exactly like the gospels anywhere else in the ancient or the contemporary world. In fact, some scholars have pointed out that the gospels (like our faith in general) are countercultural: while they are like some ancient genres, their authors have deliberately rejected the idea that the Roman emperor and his empire were a “gospel,” literally, “good news” for the world. The Greek word evangelion, “good news,” was typically used to promote the coming of the Emperor, as he assumed control of conquered nations. Heralds ran ahead, proclaiming the “gospel” of his arrival! Alexander the Great, for example, considered himself an ambassador for peace and civilization as good news for the “barbarian” Jewish people – and did not understand why they would not readily adopt the habits of the gymnasium, the theater, and pagan sacrifice! Many ancient pagan readers, when first encountering a Chris-
tian written gospel, or hearing the word during a ing. And they would have had those expectations both fulfilled and shattered. Jesus, in the Gospels, is proclaimed as King, but not a king like Caesar. Some might have thought that they were reading a “history” when they saw, as a first item, Matthew’s genealogy (Matt 1:1–17), or Luke’s own reference to how he did research: Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you Notes were instructed. (Luke 1:1–4) Still others might have assumed they were reading a bios or biography of a hero, especially when noticing Mark’s focus on Jesus and his virtuous death. And a few might have thought in terms of classical poetic drama, as they heard the striking introduction to John’s Gospel. Certainly, there are elements of all these ancient genres (history, ancient biography, drama), especially biography, in our gospels. The
Gospels as Doxology However, the Gospels do not simply present biographies of Jesus to entertain and edify us, as was the function of ancient bioi (“lives” or “biographies”).1 Rather, we hear from Justin Martyr (see below) that from the very beginning of the Church, the apostles’ memoires of their Master formed a key part of the worship service. The Gospels, then, were doxological, in that they “gave glory” to God, and had their natural home in the liturgy, rather than around the family hearth as a performance, or in the classroom as a lesson. The Gospels go far beyond entertainment, information, or education. They are written, as John explicitly tells us, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30). They are written, as Matthew implies by his allusions and quotations of the Old Testament, to disclose God’s final act in the long history of Israel (and of the world, as a whole). They are written, as Luke shows at the end of his Gospel, that we might fall down with the early disciples and worship the righteous, crucified, risen, and ascended One (Luke 25:42). They are written, suggests Mark, that we might understand that the true Messiah was one who suffered and died, and showed the whole world, not just the Jewish people, what it really is to be “the Son of God.” (Mark 15:39) The Unique Message of the Gospels
Mark begins his Gospel in 1:1 by speaking about “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” This seems to be his title for his book, and it is clear he expected his reader to understand what he meant. After all, until the Gospels were written, the apostles had verbally proclaimed the “gospel” of Jesus in Christian assemblies, and when they couldn’t be personally present, their “memoires”
He is with us, speaking divine words. But the Gospel is also written in human words for human ears. Thus, whenwehear“the gospel,” or “good news”
about Jesus were read in the worship gatherings. Those who listened expected to hear about what Jesus had done but knew that the response they had should go beyond simply reflecting upon his life, emulating it, and honoring him, as one would after hearing a biography read. To those who
were critical of Christianity in the mid-second century, Justin Martyr explains the liturgical place of the apostolic witness: And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoires of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as 1 Those who are interested in a detailed connecƟon of the gospels to the ancient genre of biography may consider reading the book called Christobiography Memory, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels, by Craig S. Keener (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2019). Though not Orthodox, he has many wise and informaƟve things to say. Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs 114 Notes long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.2 Memoires for Our Understanding The memoires, then, which came before our gospels, were based on the verbal tradition of (Continued on page 13)
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the apostles, and were read alongside the Old Testament passages that were used to proclaim Christ at that time, just as Jesus used the witness of the Old Testament to open the minds of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). Certainly, the early memoires, and then the four written Gospels were interested in history, as were the Law and the Prophets, for God has acted in time and space. However, they are not “histories” in the contemporary sense, for they do not strive for disinterested “reportage.” Instead, they present Jesus as unique as the culmination of what God had done in Israel and the world and as the beginning of God’s new creation. Even more significantly, they do not simply list Jesus’ activities, but deliberately move to a climax, which is his passion, resurrection, and ascension. Consider how Jesus explained to the two on the road to Emmaus, and then to the apostles as a whole, that the Law, Prophets, and Writings proclaimed his climactic sacrifice: These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then he said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:45–47) Like Jesus’ selfproclamation here, and the subsequent oral apostolic witness (collected in the early memoires), the gospel accounts have a particular shape and purpose. In Mark, more than 50% of the material is the passion narrative! When St. Paul sums up the “gospel” for the Christians in Rome, he does not emphasize the life and teachings of Jesus (which no doubt the Romans knew) but the Gospel concerning God’s Son, the Messiah, crucified and risen, who is Lord! (Rom 1:3–4). For the earliest Christians, then, the good news was a proclamation of the Messiah who died and who rose again, and who is the divine Lord. They were the first to rejoice, as we do, that “God is the Lord (indeed, the Lord Jesus is God) and has revealed himself to us!” The gospel writers, each in their own way, show how Jesus fulfils God’s purposes for Israel, and the whole world, and how he begins a new chapter in God’s ongoing drama with his people. History and theology are brought together, tracing the grand story of his incarnate life among us, with the aim of transforming those of us who hear all these stories. As Fr. Ted Stylianopoulos puts it, “At the transformative level, one has the possibility of being grasped and changed by the power of Christ’s love itself as one fervently embraces the Lord and his words of love in faithful obedience and practice.”3
