JANUARY 2011 • Vol. 76 • No. 1262
www.observer.goarch.org • e-mail: observer@goarch.org
Archbishop Decries Attacks on Christians in Cyprus and Egypt
Archdiocese Continues Efforts to Rebuild Church NEW YORK – The Archdiocese, together with the parish of St. Nicholas, served notice on Dec. 6 to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PA), the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Empire State Development Corporation and associated individuals of their intention to sue these agencies over their actions that have prevented St. Nicholas Church, destroyed at ground zero on Sept. 11, from being rebuilt. Under New York State law, a 60-day notice is required before certain claims can be filed against the PA. The legal papers stated that “This claim arises out of the arrogance, bad faith, and fraudulent conduct of the Port Authority in preventing Saint Nicholas from re-building its church at ground zero after it was crushed by a falling tower in the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.” It goes on to state that in March 2009, the PA “summarily disavowed a long-standing agreement” to rebuild the church at 130 Liberty Street. On the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas, Dec. 5, Archbishop Demetrios led a vespers service near the site of St. Nicholas at ground zero. Despite the very cold weather, the very solemn and moving service was attended by nearly 1,000 faithful from the greater New York metropolitan area who joined the St. Nicholas parishioners in a show of solidarity. They came together in worship and prayer to honor their revered saint and demonstrate their resolve and conviction to re-build the historic St. Nicholas church at ground zero. Archbishop Demetrios, in his sermon to those gathered at the ground zero construction site, expressed this unwavering commitment of the Church in re-building St. Nicholas, and the faith, confidence, and trust that with the help of the Almighty God this awesome endeavor will be realized.
Full Epiphany coverage on Page 22
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the Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus (r. 1042-1055) had placed the newly established state institutions of highest learning in Constantinople. This stuttering devotee of Greek antiquity, being an unmatched genius with the immeasurable self-confidence to boot, considered himself to be “in love with knowledge” like no other since the days of the emperor Julian (r. 360-363). Although he had never rejected the dogmas of the ecumenical councils, it was apparent that Psellos held in highest esteem not the holy fathers but the ancient teachers Plato and Aristotle (4th c. BC) along with the more contemporary neoplatonic philosopher Proklus (412-485). A par excellence master of rhetoric himself, Psellos believed that the teacher must be “omnivalent,” i.e., an expert in all the sciences, and indeed he left behind as a writer a voluminous output of proportional breadth. In contrast with subsequent eras, Julian continued to be for many Byzantines
NEW YORK – Following the recent attacks against Greek Orthodox Christians in occupied Cyprus on Dec. 25, Archbishop Demetrios sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Dec. 30 bringing her attention to the “disturbing and painful” event that happened on Christmas Day in the small church of Saint Synesios. He also issued a public statement following the New Year’s Day attack by terrorists on the small Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt that killed at least 21 people. In his letter to the Secretary of State, he shortly describes the forceful interruption of the Christmas Divine Liturgy by “police officers” of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime and decries these actions as a blatant violation of religious freedom and human rights of the Orthodox faithful. He states that these actions are in direct opposition to long established agreements of the Third Vienna Agreement of August 1975, of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Archbishop further stated… “Madame Secretary, we gratefully count on your effective action, so that international laws on religious freedom and human rights are not violated, and similar incidents do not occur again in Cyprus or in any other part of the world.” According to press reports, police invaded the Church of St. Sinesiou in occupied Rizokarpaso, stopped the Divine Liturgy, sealed the church, pulled out the faithful and ordered the priest to take off the vestments of the joyful birth of Christ. And it didn’t stop there. The priest of St. Kyriaki was notified not to go to work. The reason: that they had not filed a request for a permit. Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus rejected this, noting that the typical program for operations in the Occupied Area is submitted at the beginning of each month, to which he added as requested for Christmas services. But this is not the only provocative act of the occupation regime. The occupying authorities prevented the authorized priest of the Church of the Holy Trinity Giallousis from going to the church to celebrate the Divine Liturgy of Christmas. Fr. Konstantinos Papakostas, who once a month goes to the Holy Trinity Church in Rizokarpaso, was ready to go to Rizokarpaso to celebrate the birth of Christ. Fr. Konstantinos is authorized by the United Nations, the EU, Cyprus, the Archdiocese of Cyprus and also from Turkey to conduct services in the Holy Trinity Church. But this time, the Turks said an application should have been submitted a month ago. The local Cyprus TV and radio reported since Christmas evening that troops in
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On the Feast of the Three Hierarchs by Anastasios M. Ioannides, Ph.D.
The feast of the Three Hierarchs was designated as the day of letters, i.e., of education, during a period when Byzantium found itself once again inexorably before the great dilemma: Jerusalem or Athens. It was not, to be sure, the first time that the unceasing admiration of the Byzantines (particularly of the intellectuals) for ancient Greek education had brought them into explosive confrontation with the equally strong Christian faith (particularly of the more numerous body of ordinary citizens). It was destined to be, however, the last, at least until the resurgence in the 19th century of the modern Greek state and of the University of Athens. This crisis, which threatened the much tossed empire with a break-up, could not have arisen at a worse moment, since it had climaxed a few years after the schism with the Western church in 1054. In the eye of the storm was Byzantium’s consul of philosophers, Michael Psellos (1017-1096), under whose control
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A RCHDIOCESE N E WS
JANUARY 2011
Ecumenical Patriarch Recipient of Award 2011 Archdiocese Yearbook Available Online by Lila Prounis
NEW YORK -- Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew recently was awarded the Temple of Understanding’s Hollister Award at its 50th anniversary celebration. Dr. John Chryssavgis, environmental advisor to His All Holiness, accepted the award in his behalf. Other recipients were His Royal Highness Prince El- Hassan of Jordan and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town, South Africa. In accepting the award, Dr. Chryssavgis said, “Over the past two decades perhaps no other worldwide religious leader has persistently proclaimed the primacy of spiritual values in defining environmental ethics. During the same period the world has witnessed alarming ecological degradation. So it would be fair to say the hallmark of the Patriarch’s initiatives and of our own efforts
no less has not been success but humility.” In concluding Dr. Chryssavgis stated that Patriarch Bartholomew stands firm in his conviction that we must reform our lives in simplicity and sharing. If we do , we will hear the Patriarch’s call: we will hear the ocean groan and feel the seal’s heart beat. The Temple of Understanding was founded in 1960 by a pioneering visionary, Juliet Hollister with initial support from Eleanor Roosevelt. The organization works closely at the United Nations with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, which has NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) status. Lila Prounis is the NGO representative of the Archdiocese and serves on the Religious NGO Committee and the Freedom of Religion and Belief NGO Committee in promoting the decade of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace.
Leadership 100 Conference Slated Ted Leonsis, one of the country’s premier business entrepreneurs, Peter Diamandis, the celebrated space pioneer, John McKesson Camp II, noted archaeologist, and Michael Psilakis, executive chef, are the featured speakers at the 20th annual
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Corrections • In the December issue, Bishop Dimitrios of Mokissos officiated at the consecration of Annunciation Church in York, Pa. He told the Observer he was called at the last moment to substitute for Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh. • The photo on page 2 was taken by John Mindala and the correct spelling of the Archon in the background is John Halecky. The correct date for the photo at the St. Nicholas ground zero service is 2001. • In the page 3 article about the return of the orphanage, Halki is the correct location of the closed theological school.
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Leadership 100 Conference at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 24-27. Leonsis, a member of Leadership 100, is the founder, chairman and majority owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which comprises three professional sports teams – the Washington Capitals (NHL), the Washington Wizards (NBA) and the Washington Mystics (WNBA) – as well as Verizon Center and the BaltimoreWashington Ticketmaster franchise. The company also operates Kettler Capitals Iceplex (the Capitals’ training facility and front office) and George Mason University’s Patriot Center. He retired from active management of AOL in 2006, where during the previous 13 years he held a number of senior positions, including vice chairman and president. He retains the position of vice chairman emeritus. Dr. Peter Diamandis is a pioneer in the commercial space industry. He is the chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and launching large incentive prizes to drive radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. Best known for the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for private spaceflight and the $10 million Progressive Automotive X PRIZE
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for 100 mile-per-gallon equivalent cars, the Foundation is now launching prizes in exploration, life sciences, energy, and education. Diamandis is also an international leader in the commercial space arena, having founded and run many of the leading entrepreneurial companies in this sector including Zero Gravity Corporation, the Rocket Racing League and Space Adventures. John McKesson Camp II, a noted archaeologist, is a graduate of Harvard University where he studied the classics; he earned an MA and Ph.D. in classical archaeology from Princeton University. He has taught at Princeton, the ASCS in Athens, DePauw University, Lake Forest College, St. John’s University, University of Maryland and Randolph-Macon College, where he is currently Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Classics as of 2009. Executive Chef Michael Psilakis has acquired many of the food world’s highest honors in the short time he has been on the culinary scene. In 2008 alone, Psilakis was awarded Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and Bon Appetit’s Chef of the Year distinctions and nominated for A-List Chef by Bravo TV. He owns the upscale Greek restaurant, Anthos.
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NEW YORK – The 2011 Yearbook of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is available online at www. yearbook.goarch.org. The 2011 yearbooks will be mailed at the end of January and every parish will receive two complimentary copies. In his letter to the faithful in this new yearbook Archbishop Demetrios stated, “Over the past decade of this new millennium we have, by the grace of God, labored in His vineyard through the establishment of new ministries and the expansion of existing ones. We have constructed new and beautiful edifices of worship, as well as facilities for education, fellowship, and special ministries. We have witnessed the philanthropic spirit of many through their generous donations in all areas of work throughout the Church in America. For this progress and growth we are deeply and truly thankful.” “Attaining to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of
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God (Ephesians 4:13), and further strengthening our sacred bond with our Mother Church the Ecumenical Patriarchate, let us call everyone to come and see (John 1:46), and to enjoy truly what we have been blessed to enjoy in the past years and what we expect to enjoy even more in the year to come.” The 2011 Yearbook is designed as an easyto-read, accurate, reference handbook of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The 276-page new edition includes updated directories of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Archdiocesan departments and institutions, parishes, clergy, religious and secular media resources, a photo section plus additional information. Limited prepaid copies may be purchased by check/money order or credit card for $18 (plus $6 shipping and handling) payable to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Attn: Yearbook – 8 East 79th St., New York, NY 10075, or call 212.774.0244.
Ionian Village Registration NEW YORK – Registration for the 2011 Ionian Village summer camp is now underway for the following programs: • Summer Travel Camp (STC): June 29 – July 18, • Byzantine Venture (BV): July 25 – August 13 • 2010 Camper & Staff Reunion: Boston, April 29 – May 1 • Ionian Village: Journey to Pascha: April 16 – 25 • Spiritual Odyssey for Young Adults ages 19-28: May 30 – June 9 Counselor, clergy and medical staff applications for Summer 2011 are still being accepted. Completed applications are due postmarked by Feb. 1. Faith Scholarship applications are also available. Completed applications are due postmarked by April 1. All registrations and applications can be found at www.ionianvillage.org. For more information about the programs or announcements listed above, please visit www.ionianvillage.org or contact the Ionian Village office at 646.519.6190.
For the Record • Not included in the December parish profile was a former priest of the Madison, Wis., parish, Fr. Joseph Tsougros, the longest-serving priest (1982-2008). The current priest, Fr. Michael, served as an altar boy under him and was encouraged, mentored and assisted through seminary by Fr. Joseph. Under Fr. Tsougros, the parish doubled in size and went from a dues system to a stewardship program. He also ministered to university students through Orthodox Christian Fellowship and computerized the parish’s operation. • The name of Anthony Savas was not included among the Orthodox Christian victims of the Sept-11 attacks listed in the September Observer.
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Deadline for submitting information, articles and photos for consideration for the next issue: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 Photos should be sent as a large format jpg attachment (300 dpi or greater). E-mail to: jim@goarch.org Regular mail: Editor, Orthodox Observer, 8 E. 79th St., New York, NY 10075.
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JANUARY 201!
... Attacks Decried
ENCYCLICAL Feast of Saint Basil and New Year
from page 1 northern occupied Cyprus entered at least seven Greek Orthodox churches, stopped the worship services and threw out the people. In his statement following the New Year’s Day bombing of a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, Archbishop Demetrios stated, “This barbaric act of religious hatred violates every civilized and human sentiment, as well as any and all spiritual values. All people of faith are obliged to absolutely reject this atrocity and this offense against God and humanity. We extend our deepest sympathies, thought and prayers to our Coptic brothers and sisters in Egypt and around the world. Their noble legacy and traditions will not only survive this act of terror, but they shall also endure and flourish, while these despicable acts of terror will be consigned to the dustbin of history.” According to published reports, the terrorist bombing of the Coptic church occurred during the New Year’s service attended by about 1,000 people. Egyptian security forces arrested seven in connection with the attack. President Hosni Mubarak condemned what he called an attack “on all Egyptians” by “foreign elements.” Officials earlier arrested 17 people but 10 were released. Experts blamed al-Qaida. “The technical aspects ... the large number of victims and the threats of al-Qaida in Iraq all point to al-Qaida’s fingerprints,” said Diaa Rashwan, of Cairo’s al-Ahram centre. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security forces investigating the country’s worst sectarian attack since 1999 are focusing on a local group inspired
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CLERGY UPDATE Ordinations to the Diaconate
Thomas (Athanasios) Parthenakis by Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit – Annunciation Church, Buffalo, N.Y. 11/20/10 Pericles Kallis – Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit – Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church, Plymouth, Mich., 12/18/10 Thomas (Athanasios) DeMedeiros – Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, Sts. Constantine & Helen Church, Palos Hills, Ill, 12/19/10
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17)
St. Michael’s Board Archbishop Demetrios visited St. Michael’s Home on Jan. 8 and installed new members of the board of trustees. They include: Fr. Nicholas Anctil (ex officio representing the Direct Archdiocesan District Clergy Syndesmos), Maria Skiadas (ex officio as DAD Philoptochos president), Kerry Agathoklis (ex officio as Metropolis of NJ Philoptochos president), Gus Rogdakis (ex officio elected at the DAD Clergy-Laity Assembly), Cathy Bartzos-Miral, Nicholas Chivily, Nikitas Drakotos, Harry Giannoulis, Catherine Giuliani, Nicholas Karacostas, Efthalia Katos, Savas Konstantinides, Peter Lambros, Haeda Mihaltses, Stanley Sakellson, Nicholas Tjartjalis, and Argyris Vassiliou.
Young Adult Pilgrimage to Turkey Set GARRISON, N.Y. --The Archdiocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries announces the sixth annual national young adult pilgrimage. This year’s program will take place in Constantinople, Ephesus, Smyrna, and Cappadocia May 27-June 5. Bishop Savas of Troas, director of the Archdiocese Office of Church and Society will lead young adults through sites of great historical and spiritual significance to all Orthodox Christians. The journey will begin in Constantinople, where participants will visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the great Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the Church of Christ at Chora, the Monastery of the Zoodogos Pigi (the Life-Giving Spring), the site of the celebrated shrine of the Panaghia at Blachernae, Topkapi Palace, and the great covered bazaar.
In Cappadocia, the itinerary includes 3,500 rock churches identified in the area, along with amazing rock formations and an underground city, Kaymakli. Participants will also travel to the ancient city of Ephesus, where St. Paul founded the Church in 53-56 AD, and where he wrote letters to the Galatians, Philippians and to the Corinthians. “We have been offering these pilgrimages over the past few years to give young adults the opportunity to not only grow in their faith, but have a first-hand experience with our historic Church,” stated Fr. Mark Leondis, the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Full details and registration forms will be available soon at www. youngadult.goarch.org. Space is limited to 30 young adults nd is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ordinations to the Priesthood
Deacon Christodoulos Wallace -- Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey – St. Katherine Church, Falls Church, Va. 12/12/10 Assignments
Fr. Theofanis Degaitas – St. Paul Church, Irvine, Calif. 12/01/10 Fr. Leo Gavrilos – St. Nicholas Church, Appleton, Wis. 12/01/10 Fr. Stephen Karcher – St. Anthony Church, Reno, Nevada 12/12/10 Fr. John Angel – St. Nicholas Church, Newburgh, N.Y. 12/15/10 Fr. John Angelis – Sts. Constantine & Helen Church, Cardiff-by-the Sea, Calif. (interim) 12/20/10 Fr. Paul Kaplanis – Annunciation Cathedral, Atlanta 12/20/10 Deacon Athanasios DeMedeiros – Sts. Constantine & Helen Church, Palos Hills. 01/01/11 Fr. Theodore Roupas – Annunciation Church, Nassau, Bahamas 01/01/11 Offikia
Fr. Evangelos Armatas – Office of Economos, bestowed by Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver 12/12/10 Retired Priests
Fr. John Tavlarides 01/09/11
Photo by George Peet
Retiring Professors Dr. Lewis Patsavos and Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos, longtime professors at Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology, were recently honored on the occasion of their retirement by Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou (center), president. Story on page 4.
Change of Address
To submit a change of address: By phone contact Soula Podaras at 212.774.0235 – e-mail: spodaras@goarch.org – fax: 212.774.0239. Or regular mail to: Orthodox Observer, 8 E. 79th St., New York, NY 10075. Be sure to include old address, new address and name of parish.
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The conclusion of one calendar year and the beginning of another is a time filled with reflection and anticipation. It is a time when we look back over the past year and consider our challenges and joys, our highlights and struggles, and our accomplishments as well as the tasks that are not completed. It is also a time when we look ahead to a new year with a sense of anticipation, contemplating what may come, planning our activities, and hoping for health and happiness. All of this reflection and anticipation is encouraged by a culture around us that celebrates the passing of the year and of time without a deep spiritual connection to the events and commemorations that reflect genuine hope and assurance. As Orthodox Christians we are blessed at this time of year to celebrate two beautiful and holy feasts of the Church which are filled with both reflection and anticipation. Only a few days have passed since our celebration of the Feast of our Lord’s Nativity, a commemoration of the light of truth dispelling the darkness of sin and death and a feast of joy in anticipation of God’s blessings. In a few days we will celebrate the Feast of Theophany, another great occasion filled with light and grace. We will commemorate the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan and the revelation of the Holy Trinity as Christ inaugurated His earthly ministry. On this day we will reflect on the spiritual significance of this miraculous event, and we will anticipate our continuous transformation in the journey of faith unto salvation. Both of these feasts help us to put the passing of time and the beginning of the new year into a proper and spiritual context. This is not simply a non-religious event marking the changing of a number or turning of the calendar. When joined with our festal commemorations as Orthodox Christians, this beginning of a new year, this time of reflection and anticipation is focused on our spiritual lives and on our ministry of prayer and service. In the Feast of the Nativity we are presented with the One who became man for our salvation, and in the Feast of Theophany we are enlightened by the witness of the One who sanctifies our lives with His presence. In His holy birth we receive the gift that should be offered and proclaimed throughout the world, and in His baptism we see the power of the Holy Spirit who also anoints us to share grace and truth through our lives. Thus, we begin a new year with our hearts and minds filled with these celebra-
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JANUARY 2011
HC/HC NEWS
Longtime Professors Retire by John Papson
At the opening ceremony for the ground breaking of the new medical school: (third from left) Dr. Paul Kymissis, with (l.tor.) Dr. Rotstein, CEO of Cheba Medical Center; Professor P McCroie, vice dean of St. George’s University of London, Dr Peristianis president, University of Nicosia; Professor P. Kopeman, principal, St .George’s University; and Dr. A. Chalambous, former dean of the Cyprus Medical Program.
NY Doctor to Lead New Cyprus Med. School by Jim Golding
NEW YORK – The first English-language medical school in either Cyprus or Greece will begin operation this fall at the University of Nicosia under the leadership of a New York psychiatrist and member of the Archdiocesan Advisory Committee on Science and Technology. Dr. Paul Kymissis, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics of the New York Medical College and chief psychiatrist at the Children’s Village in Westchester County, has been named dean of the newly established school, sponsored jointly by St. George’s University of London and the University of Nicosia. Dr. Kymissis, also a member of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Hempstead, Long Island, and Holy Cross Church in Stroudsburg, Pa., told the Observer the new school has been five years in the planning and it expects to draw students from not only Cyprus but also Greece, Russia, Israel, other EU countries, the United States and Canada, among others.. Asked how he was selected as the dean, Dr. Kymissis said “it was a joint decision of the University of Nicosia and also of St. George.” When he said he would be “happy to help in any way,” he was asked to be dean. He said that tuition is expected to be about 25,000 euros a year, with another 8,000 euros for room and board. A new state-of-the-art building to house the medical school is under construction.
Dr. Kymissis, a graduate of the University of Athens School of Medicine, also has a private practice. He will divide his time between his responsibilities in New York and the medical school, where he will be involved in recruiting faculty and students, and teaching. He said there will be about 25 faculty members the first year. According to a press release from Dr. Kymissis prepared by the university, students successfully completing the four-year graduate-entry MBBS (Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in Surgery) program will earn a degree from St George’s that is recognized worldwide. St. George’s University of London is known as one of the leading medical schools in the United Kingdom. The University of Nicosia is the largest private university in Cyprus. Students accepted into this Englishlanguage program in Cyprus will follow the innovative curriculum developed by St. George’s and will have access to the e-learning medical education resources available to students in London. At the same time, they will have the full privileges and state-of-the-art facilities and resources provided by the University of Nicosia. Along with delivering the curriculum, St George’s is also responsible for academic standards and quality assurance of the program, and will be involved in the recruitment of both students and faculty. Further details about the St George’s program at the University of Nicosia and applications can be found at www. nicosia.sgul.ac.cy
ORTHODOX OBSERVER SEEKS PART-TIME ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT The Orthodox Observer, the nation’s largest Greek Orthodox national monthly publication with a circulation of 165,000, is seeking a motivated advertising sales consultant to start immediately. The position is part-time and home-based with visits to national headquarters as necessary. Responsibilities include developing and cultivating new advertisers and agencies, working with current clients, maintaining effective and revenue-generating relationships, assisting in implementation of sales packages and ensuring high levels of service to clients. The candidate must also meet quarterly and annual revenue goals and assist in developing local and national marketing initiatives. Requirements: Bachelors degree, advertising sales experience, strong written and oral interpersonal skills. Print media experience is also required. Excellent negotiation and customer service skills a must in order to close new business and grow existing accounts. Strong knowledge of national and international Greek American market. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel. If you are motivated to think outside the box, are success orientated and self motivated, want to work hard in order to ensure personal and organizational success and have a love for the Greek Orthodox Church, we want to hear from you! Salary – Commission based No personal visits or calls please. Please email your cover letter and resume to: gotel@goarch.org
BROOKLINE, Mass. -- The HCHC community recently gathered for a joyous, yet sweetly sad, celebration in honor of two professors, Dr. Lewis Patsavos and the Rev. Dr. Theodore Stylianopoulos, on the occasion of their recent retirement after each served on the faculty of Holy Cross for more than 40 years. Present at the dinner were Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Methodios, Dr. Thomas Lelon, vice chairman of the HCHC Board of Trustees, the Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou, president of HCHC, family and friends of both honorees, and trustees, faculty staff and students. Among those attending were several students from their first classes. Fr. Stylianopoulos retired as professor of New Testament and the Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology. He is a graduate of Holy Cross and received his Th.D from Harvard University. He is the author of three books: The New Testament: An Orthodox Perspective, vol. 1: Scripture, Tradition, Hermeneutics; Justin Martyr and the Mosaic Law; and The Good News of Christ: Essays on the Gospel, Sacraments and Spirit. He also has produced several publications for the Archdiocese’s Department of Religious Education and more than 70 scholarly articles. Reflecting on his ministry at the dinner, he said in part, in a heartfelt speech, “What I am as an adult person and what I may have achieved of some relative value, I owe to my Lord, my Church and to the School. My special thanks to the students who positively or negatively challenged me to look more deeply into the issues
and to clarify my thinking about the Bible and how it fits with the theology and practice of the Church.” Dr. Patsavos retired as professor of Canon Law. He was also director of the Field Education Program at Holy Cross for 38 years. He received his Licentiate in Theology and his Th.D from the University of Athens and continues to serve as canon law consultant to the Archdiocese and other Orthodox jurisdictions in America. His publications include: Spiritual Dimensions of the Holy Canons; Manual for the Course in Canon Law; Primacy and Conciliarity; and A Noble Task: Entry into the Clergy in the First Five Centuries He gave a moving speech in which he said, in part: “With the departure of Fr. Stylianopoulos and myself from active service on the faculty, this generation of teachers has completed its task. Perhaps the greatest reward of our efforts is the presence today on the faculty of several of our former students. I hope with God’s help to continue to contribute to the life of our School and Church in whatever way is needed and helpful.” An added highlight of the evening was the announcement that Dr. Patsavos’ nephew, Mr. Christos Linardakis of Chicago, has donated to the Archbishop Iakovos Library at HCHC in his uncle’s honor, a rare book, the 1616 edition of a treasury of Byzantine histories ranging from the death of the Emperor Maurice in 602 up to the lifetime of George Pachymeres (1242-c.1320). A famous treatise included in the book is the Breviarum of Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople (c.758-829) who suffered under some Byzantine emperors for his devotion to religious icons.
Professor Conducts National Survey Dr. John Chirban, professor and chairman of the Human Development Program at Hellenic College, is the primary investigator for a national research project, titled Children of Divorce. It will examine the effects of divorce on children and is being conducted with the assistance of Dr. Phil McGraw and his website. To date, over 5,000 people, both divorced parents and children of divorced parents, have responded and provided information, via a questionnaire on Dr. Phil’s website. Information gathered from the research will be used for a book to be published in the future and whose purpose will be to provide insight to parents and children about the effect of divorce on them as well as how to help them deal with the experience of divorce. Of added importance is that two of Dr. Chirban’s students at the college, Marianne Cambas and Denise Hahn, have
been assisting him with the project. They have done this as part of their work in the research methodology class they took with Dr. Chirban. This has provided them the opportunity to learn first hand about the organization and development of research data and understand the process of developing a coding manual for raw data. Dr. Chirban has appeared on Dr. Phil’s show in the past and has been a member of the show’s Advisory Board since its inception. He has taught at Hellenic College for more than 30 years and is the author of several books: Holistic Healing in Byzantium; What’s Love Got to Do With It?; True Coming of Age; Raised in Glory; and Sickness or Sin? Spiritual Discernment and Differential Diagnosis. He is the director of The Institute of Medicine, Psychology and Religion in Cambridge, Mass., and founder of The Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion.
Library Director Consults for Workshop The Very Rev. Dr. Joachim Cotsonis, director of the Archbishop Iakovos Library and Learning Resource Center, member of the Holy Cross faculty and Byzantine art historian, was recently invited by Dumbarton Oaks of Harvard University to participate in and serve as an iconographic consultant for the international Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Seals Workshop. Fr. Cotsonis’ research and publication specialty is devoted to the religious images found on Byzantine seals, of which Dumbarton Oaks has the largest collec-
tion. His presentation was in the session devoted to international standards for images. Dumbarton Oaks gathered numerous international scholars for this event in order to plan for its future digitization of its seal collection. Fr. Cotsonis, who received his M.Div. from Holy Cross and Ph.D from Penn State University, also curated the recent Fotis Kontoglou icon exhibit at HCHC as part of the inauguration of the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture.
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Fr. Tavlarides’ service as an active priest spans the second half of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st, from the era of Archbishop Michael, when President Eisenhower laid the cornerstone for St. Sophia, to Jan. 9, when he was honored by Archbishop Demetrios during the Liturgy at the cathedral.
D. PANAGOS
Fr. Tavlarides Reflects on 55 years in Christ’s Service by Melody Simmons
WASHINGTON – When the Rev. Dr. John T. Tavlarides first entered the altar at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in February 1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower occupied the White House, the game of Scrabble first appeared and Disneyland opened its doors in Anaheim, Calif. Then, Fr. Tavlarides was a young priest with hopes and dreams of leading one of the archdiocese’s premiere ministries in the world’s seat of power. His tenure would stretch to more than five decades before he retired on Jan. 9 in an elaborate church tribute, surrounded by his loving family, parish and Archbishop Demetrios. “How do I tell you about a whole lifetime?” said Fr. Tavlarides, 80, in a recent interview. “My ministry was focused on Christ as the center of our lives who reveals the Father and sends us the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Tavlarides is credited with solidifying the spiritual foundation of St. Sophia, an elaborate Byzantine-style structure located near the landmark National Cathedral, about five miles from the White House. The church gained cathedral status on Sept. 24, 1962 and Fr. Tavlarides has overseen its growth over his 55 years. Most noteworthy, he said, is St. Sophia’s elaborate, 90-plus mosaic icons depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints located throughout the sanctuary. Fr. Tavlarides shepherded the creation and installation of the mosaics, most of them by artist Demetrios Dukas, and curated in part by the late Dr. Paul Underwood, of the Harvard University Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies in Washington. “That part of the building was bare walls,” he said, of the mosaic iconography project that has cost more than $500,000 and taken over 35 years to complete. “We were fortunate to have scholars, Byzantine scholars, nearby willing to come and teach us.” In 2000, Fr. Tavlarides spearheaded the construction of an $8.5 million education center next to the cathedral, to hold what he described as his most prized ministry, Sunday School. “It begins at age 3 and goes through senior year high school,” he said. “It is inclusive of all activities at our church – they all come out of Sunday School. Our church is not a social club. It is centered on a very strong religious education program and it has worked well for us for many years.
“We’re here because of Christ and the Church and not to be social lions,” he added. Fr. Tavlarides said he has seen the Greek Orthodox Church evolve over the decades, from a Greek immigrant-based hub to a more broad mixed flock. “It used to be that if you were Greek, you were Orthodox,” he said. “That’s not true today. We have to work because the retention of anything Greek comes through church, liturgy and Sunday School. I’ve seen our church come into the 21st century … and we bring together many talents.” Fr. Tavlarides said he has met every president between Eisenhower and George W. Bush – he has yet to meet Barack Obama – and he regularly receives invitations to the White House. “One of my great joys is to look on my wall and see those pictures,” he said, of a wall of commemorative photographs with several U.S. presidents, Fr. Tavlarides and visiting Orthodox Church leaders. “They are really the history of the emergence of the Greek Orthodox church in America at the highest level. Each is a story in itself.” Being based in Washington has allowed Fr. Tavlarides to travel in highplaced circles. “I have been around so long that tenure counts,” he explained. “Of the presidents I’ve met, the most political were Nixon and Johnson. Bush Sr. was very cultural and nice and Jimmy Carter was maybe the best educated of them all.” Fr. Tavlarides said he will remain at St. Sophia to serve as dean emeritus of the 1,300-family parish. He said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family that includes Presbytera Harriett, five children and three grandchildren. On the same day he retired, Deacon Dimitrios J. Lee was ordained into the priesthood to serve as an assistant at St. Sophia. When asked what guidance he’d offer to the new priest, Fr. Tavlarides answered in a measured tone, often reserved for sage advice garnered over many years. “The main focus for him is to stay fixed on Jesus Christ as our Lord and all other things will be added on,” Fr. Tavlarides said. “Always try to be true to the Lord and it will be fine.” Melody Simmons is a regional correspondent for the Observer and a member of Annunciation Cathedral in Baltimore. She is a former reporter for the Baltimore Sun and Pulitizer Prize nominee.
Ms. Alexandra Kallin, who founded the Kalleinikion Foundation, presents a check to board President Emanuel G. Demos and Archdeacon Panteleimon. Looking on is Fr. Robert Stephanopoulos, board member.
Kalleinikion Foundation Awards $10,000 Grant to Byzantine Music School by Archdeacon Panteleimon
NEW YORK -- The Archdiocesan School of Byzantine Music received a $10,000 grant from the Kalleinikion Foundation on Oct. 17. This grant constitutes the largest grant the school has ever received. Following a meeting with the Board of Trustees of the Kallinikeion Foundation. Archdeacon Panteleimon Papadopoulos, ASBM director, expressed his deepest gratitude to the trustees for their grant to ASBM and for their support and confidence in the mission of the school. This past October, Archbishop Demetrios established the ASBM at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria, N.Y. As a new ministry of the Direct Archdiocesan District, ASBM’s mission has been to teach Byzantine music to anyone interested with the hope that as students complete the program, there will be individuals capable of chanting the services of the Church within the communities. The Archdeacon commented that, “with this grant the mission of ASBM begins to be realized and the foundation laid for our vast spiritual and musical heritage to bear fruit for the growth and advancement of Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America.” He added, “in this manner ASBM will pay worthy tribute to the memory of Alexandra Kallin, a devout and dedicated handmaiden of God who loved the Greek language and Byzantine Music.” Ms. Alexandra Kallin was responsible for establishing the Kalleinikion Foundation. The grant was given in order to support the school’s mission to train and inspire future Byzantine chanters and to enrich the liturgical life of the Direct Archdiocesan District. The Board of Trustees in attendance were: Emanuel G. Demos-president, Helen Moneo-vice president, Helen Hadjiyannakis Bender-secretary, George S. Tsandikos-treasurer, the Rev. Dr. Robert Stephanopoulos, and Froso Beys. The grant money will be used for the school’s development and its mission. The vision of ASBM is not exclusive to the parish, however, but is also interested in the promotion of Byzantine Music beyond the parish. Most recently this past December, members of ASBM in conjunction with
students from Hellenic College and Holy Cross, participated in a short Byzantine Music concert in honor of Archbishop Demetrios at Fairfield University, in Fairfield, Conn. This combined choir offered a selection of church hymns at the conclusion of the evening’s celebration. It is clear that with the strong support of the Kallinikeion Foundation and other beneficiaries ASBM’s work to teach, promote and preserve Byzantine Music will remain possible. Currently, the ASBM student body is comprised of twenty-five students varying between the ages of seven to fifty. The diversity of the student body is what defines ASBM as a ministry. ASBM students increase their musical talents and offer them in return for God’s glory and the edificaton of His people. While the first semester of class is already in session there are still a number of individuals inquiring to enroll in the second semester which will commence on January 22, 2011. The school’s primary music instructor, Demetrios Kehagias a native of Queens, N.Y. and graduate of the Conservatory of Athens, teaches classes in the traditional manner, that is to say in classes with no more than four students. Small class sizes has been proven to be the most effective way to teach Byzantine music because it allows the instructor to identify difficulties a student might have while simultaneously monitoring each student’s progress. Classes are held once a week and are conducted in both English and Greek depending on the linguistic needs of the students. Students are immediately taught to identify the different Byzantine music characters and their functions and to chant basic scales and exercises. The Archdiocesan School of Byzantine Music encourages all persons interested to enroll now and become future chanters of the Church. One’s enrollment in ASBM in this initial phase is foundational and a symbolic contribution to the future of Byzantine music in this Direct Archdiocesan District and in America. Enrollment is accessible online by visiting asbm.goarch.org or by contacting the Archdiocese directly at (212) 570-3590.
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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese National Calendar of Events for 2011 Editor’s note: This is the first calendar of significant activities taking place in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America at the metropolis level and for the Archdiocesan institutions and organizations. It is not all-inclusive as some organizations and metropolises may not have finalized their schedules for the entire year. Events listed are those received by the Observer in time for the January press date. This calendar will appear annually in the January Orthodox Observer. Dates and locations should be reconfirmed with the particular organization for those planning to attend as the event approaches. Activities and events of local interest, such as pastoral visits, anniversaries, feast day events, etc., are not included.
January
14-17 Metropolis of Denver GOYA Basketball Tournament, Oklahoma City 15-16 Metropolis of New Jersey Folk Dance Festival, Sts. Constantine and Helen Church, Annapolis, Md. 21-22 National Philoptochos Board meetings, Coral Gables, Fla. 21 -23 Metropolis of San Francisco Presbyteres Retreat, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap, Calif. 29 Metropolis of San Francisco Church Music Federation Winter Business Meeting, San Jose, Calif. 27-29 Archdiocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries Orthodox Christian Camp and Youth Worker Conference, Dallas
February
5 Direct Archdiocesan District Project Generation symposium on the environment for high school-age youth, Resurrection Church, Brookville, Long Island 6 The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine’s 29th annual Pilgrimage Luncheon honoring St Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, St. Augustine, Fla. 7-9 Metropolis of New Jersey Clergy Retreat, Maryland Eastern Shore 12 Archdiocesan Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism seminar on parish leadership, stewardship and outreach on the theme “You are a Member of the Body of Christ,” Annunciation Church, Sacramento, Calif. 13 St Augustine House of Worship Tour, including St. Photios National Shrine, St. Augustine, Fla. 16 Deadline for combined February-March Orthodox Observer (lenten issue) 16-17 Metropolis of Denver Clergy Retreat, Denver 16-19 Metropolis of Detroit Clergy Retreat, Detroit 17-20 Metropolis of San Francisco Folk Dance and Choral Festival, Ontario, Calif. 18-20 Metropolis of Atlanta, Hellenic Dance Festival, Greenville, S.C. 18-21 Metropolis of Boston (MBC) Winter GOYA Camp, St. Methodios Retreat Center, Contoocook, N.H. 19 Metropolis of Denver Council meeting, Denver 25-27 Metropolis of Boston (MBC) Winter Family Camp, Retreat Center, Contoocook 24-27 Leadership 100 Conference, Palm Beach, Fla. 26 St. Photios the Great Faith and Learning Symposium at Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology hosted by the Office of Vocation and Ministry, Brookline,Mass.
27 Metropolis of Chicago Greek Orthodox Athletic League championships, St. Nectarios, Palatine, Ill.
March
Metropolis of Denver Regional GOYA lenten retreats (TBA) 10 Pappas Patristic Institute Graduate Student Conference at HC-HC, Brookline, Mass. 11-19 Orthodox Christian Fellowship “Real Break” trip to Constantinople 15-17 Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese, New York 20 Greek Independence Day Parade, Philadelphia, Metropolis of New Jersey 26 Metropolis of Chicago Family Synaxis Lenten Retreat 30 Deadline for April (Easter) issue of the Orthodox Observer 31 Cantonis Chair of Byzantine Studies lecture at HC-HC, “Ekphrasis: Materializing Martyria, Then and Now,” by Professor Vasiliki Limberis of Temple University
April
1 National Philoptochos Board meeting, Troy Mich. 1-3 Metropolis of Denver St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, Boulder, Colo. 2 Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy Benefit Luncheon hosted by Metropolis of Detroit Philoptochos, Troy Mich. 2 Archdiocesan Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism seminar on parish leadership, stewardship and outreach on the theme “You are a Member of the Body of Christ,” St. Haralambos Church, Peoria, Ariz. 9 Archdiocesan Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism seminar on parish leadership, stewardship and outreach on the theme “You are a Member of the Body of
Christ,” St. Katherine Church, Redondo Beach, Calif. 27 Deadline for the May Orthodox Observer 28 Cantonis Chair of Byzantine Studies lecture at HC-HC, “Aquinas in Byzantium,” by Professor Marcus Plested of Cambridge, England 30 Metropolis of Chicago St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, St. Nectarios Church, Palatine, Ill.
May
1-2 Metropolis of San Francisco Council Meeting, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap 2-3 Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy Laity Assembly, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center 5-6 Archdiocesan Council meeting, (location to be determined) 7 Metropolis of San Francisco St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, St. Nicholas Ranch, Dunlap 10-12 Metropolis of Denver Clergy Dinner/Divine Liturgy/ Retreat and Syndesmos meeting, Albuquerque 12-15 Metropolis of Denver Clergy Laity Assembly, Albuquerque 14 Metropolis of New Jersey St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, St. George Church, Clifton, N.J. 14 Metropolis of Detroit St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, (location to be determined) 15-16 Direct Archdiocesan District Clergy-Laity Assembly, Church of Our Savior, Rye, N.Y. 15-17 Metropolis of New Jersey Clergy Laity Assembly, The Venetian, Garfield, N.J. 15 Metropolis of San Francisco Kids ‘n Cancer Camp, St. Nicholas Ranch 16 Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos Conference, Church of Our Savior, Rye 21 HC-HC Commencement, Brookline, Mass. 23 Saint Basil Academy Golf Outing fund-raiser, Garrison, N.Y. 25 Deadline for the June issue of the Orthodox Observer 27-29 Direct Archdiocesan District Youth Olympics, Suffolk County Community College, Brentwood, Long Island 27-29 Metropolis of Chicago Junior Olympics, Palos Hills, Ill. 27-June 5 Archdiocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries National Young Adult Pilgrimage to Constantinople and Asia Minor 28-29 Metropolis of New Jersey GOYA Outdoor Olympics, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, N.J.
June
3-5 St. John Chrysostom National Oratorical Festival, Annunciation Cathedral, Houston 11 Saint Basil Academy graduation, Garrison, N.Y. 11 Direct Archdiocesan District Youth Workers Conference and Open House, (location to be determined) 12-18 Metropolis of Denver Camp Emmanuel-first session, Albuquerque, N.M. 14 Metropolis of Boston Feast of St. Methodios, Cathedral Chapel, Brookline 16-19 Metropolis of Atlanta Clergy-Laity Assembly, New Orleans 18- 25 “Elliniko Horio,” Metropolis of San Francisco Greek Village Immersion Camp, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap 18-28 Crossroad Summer Institute for high school juniors and seniors at HC-HC sponsored by the Office of Vocation and Ministry, Brookline 19-25 Metropolis of Chicago Fanari Summer Camp, Green Lake, Wis. 19-25 Metropolis of Denver Camp Emmanuel, second session, Albuquerque 20 Deadline for the combined July-August issue of the Orthodox Observer 26 St. Photios National Shrine Greek Landing Day celebration, St. Augustine, Fla. 26–July 2 Metropolis of Detroit St. Nicholas Summer CampCamp NaCoMe, Pleasantville, Tenn. 26-Aug. 6 Metropolis of Detroit Summer Camp - Rose City, Mich. 29 Ionian Village first session begins 29–July 3 Session 1, Metropolis of Boston Family Summer Camp, Contoocook, N.H.
July
Archdiocesan Office of Greek Education-sponsored teachers seminar in Nicosia, Cyprus. (date to be determined) 3-9 Metropolis of Atlanta St. Stephens Camp, session 1, Diakonia Retreat Center, Salem, S.C. 4-10 Direct Archdiocesan District Camp St. Paul, Litchfield, Conn., Week 1 4-10 Session 2 Metropolis of Boston Family Summer Camp, Contoocook, N.H. (ages 8-18) 5-15 Crossroad Summer Institute for high school juniors and seniors at HC-HC sponsored by the Office of Vocation and Ministry, Brookline 6–10 National Forum of Greek Orthodox Musicians annual meeting, St. Louis
10–Aug. 6 Metropolis of San Francisco Summer Camp sessions, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap, Calif. 10–16 Metropolis of Atlanta St. Stephens Camp, session 2, Diakonia Retreat Center 10–16 Metropolis of New Jersey Camp Good Shepherd – JOY session, Branchville, N.J. 11–17 Session 3: Metropolis of Boston Family Summer Camp, Contoocook (ages 8-18) 11–17 Direct Archdiocesan District Camp St. Paul, Litchfield, Conn., Week 2 17–23 Metropolis of New Jersey Camp Good Shepherd –GOYA session 1, Branchville 17–23 Metropolis of Atlanta St. Stephens Camp, session 3, Diakonia Retreat Center 18 First session of Ionian Village ends 18–23 Pappas Patristic Institute Summer Program in Patristic Studies at HC-HC 18–24 Session 4: Metropolis of Boston Family Summer Camp, Contoocook (ages 8-18) 18–24 Direct Archdiocesan District Camp St. Paul, Litchfield, Conn., Week 3 24–30 Metropolis of New Jersey Camp Good Shepherd, GOYA session 2, Branchville, N.J. 24–30 Metropolis of Atlanta St. Stephens Camp, session 4, Diakonia Retreat Center 25 19th annual HC-HC Golf Classic at Kernwood Country Club, Salem, Mass. 25 Second session of Ionian Village begins 25–31 Session 5 Metropolis of Boston Family Summer Camp (ages 8-18)
August
1–7 Session 6 Metropolis of Boston Family Summer Camp, Contoocook (ages 8-18) 1–12 Special Program for the Diaconate at HC-HC 8–Sept. 2 Kallinikeion Intensive Greek Language Program at HC-HC 13 End of Ionian Village second session 13–19 Metropolis of Detroit St. Timothy’s Summer Camp, Oswegatchie Educational Center, Croghan, N.Y. 29Deadline for the September issue of the Orthodox Observer
September
8 Fall semester begins at HC-HC, Brookline 11 Archdiocese Commemoration of 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, New York, (times to be determined) 14 HC-HC Feast Day Exaltation of the Precious and Life Giving Cross 16 6th annual HC-HC Tennis Day at Longwood Cricket Club, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 18 Metropolis of New Jersey Holy Cross Celebration, Asbury Park, N.J. Metropolis of San Francisco Senior Camp, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center 24 Direct Archdiocesan District GOYA Day, Holiday Hill, Conn. 26 Deadline for the October issue of the Orthodox Observer
October
Metropolis of Denver Regional GOYA Fall Retreats-TBA Metropolis of Detroit Clergy-Laity Assembly, date, place to be determined 1 Metropolis of Boston Clergy-Laity Assembly 7–9 First Direct Archdiocesan District Greek/folk dance festival, Bridgeport, Conn. 11–14 Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese, New York 13–14 Archdiocesan Council meeting, New York 13–15 Pappas Patristic Institute Fall Conference at HC-HC, “Family and Children in the Patristic Tradition” 15 Saint Basil Academy Fashion Show-Luncheon fund-raiser, Garrison 21 Deadline for the November issue of the Orthodox Observer Order of St. Andrew-Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate annual meetings and installation of new members, New York (date to be finalized)
November
8 Annual seminar for Greek teachers and Greek school principals sponsored by Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education, St. Demetrios Parochial School, Astoria, N.Y. 14 St. Photios National Shrine essay contest for high school seniors 21 Deadline for the December (Christmas) issue of the Orthodox Observer
December
3 National Philoptochos Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon, Greenwich, Conn. 10 Saint Basil Academy Christmas Pageant and Luncheon, Garrison 12–14 Metropolis of Atlanta clergy retreat, Diakonia Retreat Center, Salem, S.C.
JANUARY 2011
The Voice of Philoptochos
Fund-raising Milestone Attained for the Philanthropy Center The Convention delegates of the 2010 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention held in Atlanta enthusiastically endorsed the purchase of a National Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy to fully support its mission to help those most in need and to enhance the organization’s capacity to expand services to the Chapters, Metropolises and to our community. National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas’ report from the Convention stated, “I am humbled to report that from the Convention floor more than $85,000 was raised through donations and pledges by the numerous delegates in less than 45 minutes on Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 “ President Skeadas announced that as of Dec. 31, more than $1 million has been raised through donations and pledges for the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy. This outstanding achievement is an important milestone as the organization embarks on its goal to purchase a building in New York City so that National Philoptochos may have its own home that is a Center of Service. Everyone is encouraged to support this important endeavor!! Become a sponsor today and be part of this landmark event in the history of Philoptochos To make a donation or a pledge for the National Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy, visit www.philoptochos.org or contact the Philoptochos National Office at 212. 977.7770. Center of Philanthropy Fact Sheet History The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society celebrates its 80th year in 2011 as the philanthropic arm of the Archdiocese. Founded in 1931 by then Archbishop Athenagoras, the organization is now comprised of 27,500 members in 485 chapters nationwide. As it reaffirms its mission and commitment for the future, Philoptochos seeks to enhance and expand its role of assisting those most in need through its ministries and programs. At this crossroad in its history and with the blessings of Archbishop Demetrios, the National Philoptochos has begun its campaign to establish a permanent
Detroit Metropolis Philoptochos Plans Major Fund-raiser The Metropolis of Detroit Philoptochos invites all Philoptochos friends and supporters of Philoptochos to hold the date for the upcoming luncheon featuring “The First Lady of Greek Cuisine,” internationally renowned author and Chef, Vefa Alexiadou. This “Afternoon with Vefa” will be held on Saturday, April 2 at the Somerset Inn in Troy, Mich. and will benefit the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy. For additional information contact 248.258.2778. home in New York, the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy, to serve the worthy and noble causes of this important philanthropic organization. Philoptochos supports many ministries and programs including Social Services; Health and Education; Emergency Disaster Relief; Orthodox College Students; Programs and Education for Alzheimers, HIV/AIDS, Autism and Cardiac Health; Retired Clergy and Presbyteres, the Aging, Troops Overseas, the Environment and the Family, Saint Basil Academy, Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology and The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Frequently Asked Questions Why does Philoptochos have to move? We are in temporary, rental space with no long term option. Why has National Philoptochos decided to purchase property? It is essential to have a permanent home to plan for the future and to leave a legacy for those who follow. How was the decision made to establish a Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy? The 375 delegates of the 2010 National Philoptochos Convention enthusiastically endorsed the National Board proposal to establish the Center. Why establish a center in New York? National Philoptochos is chartered in the State of New York and is an integral
part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. How will the Center help Philoptochos chapters and members nationwide? The Center will allow for expansion of services with leadership programs, educational resources, knowledge and expertise working with social services, administrative and organizational support and continued guidance, technical assistance, program development and new liaison teams in each metropolis. When will the Capital Campaign begin and what is the funding goal? The campaign began in July 2010 and by December had raised over $1 Million towards the goal of $4 Million. What is the role of the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy? To enhance the Philoptochos mission to aid the poor, and to provide high quality assistance through social services, educational resources and leadership programs on site and to all Metropolises. What services will the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy offer? National Philoptochos Operations and Administrative Offices • Social Services Office • Archives Library • Information and Referral Hotline • Advocacy Center for Children, women, families and seniors • Conference Facility/Media and Technology Center/Video Conference and Webinar Center • Non–Profit Leadership and Resource Center • Disaster Response Certification/Emergency Financial Assistance • Workplace/Employee Assistance Network/Job Search How can a chapter be helpful? Become a Center Steward; Participate in Center activities; Spread the good word about Philoptochos and the Center How can we contribute? Donate on line at www.philoptochos. org (Philosny@aol.com) or request form from the national office. All contributions large and small are welcome. For more information contact: National Philoptochos Society, 7 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019 or call 212.977.7770
Looking Forward to 2011 Celebrating 80 Years – The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society celebrates its eightieth year as the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in 2011. Under the guidance and leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the National Philoptochos organization is now comprised of 27,500 members in 485 chapters nationwide. As it reaffirms its mission and commitment for the future, Philoptochos seeks to enhance and expand its role of assisting those most in need through its ministries and programs. More information to come on the 80–year anniversary! National Ministry Commitment for Saint Basil Academy – Philoptochos chapters nationwide held the celebration of the annual vasilopita in their church communities which is held to honor the Feast Day of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Basil Academy. Through this important ministry the faithful women of the society offer their strength and devotion to minister with love
SAVE THE DATE National Philoptochos Society Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 Hyatt Regency Greenwich 1800 East Putnam Avenue Old Greenwich, Conn. Hosted by the Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos
to the precious children of the academy. Social Services – January is also the month when chapters support social services. As chapters are aware, the cancer commitment has been combined with social services and we ask our chapters to be generous with their donations since there is great need especially in these difficult economic times. Membership – Chapters are gearing up for the annual Philoptochos Membership Campaign which begins each January. National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas and the Membership Chairmen Kathy Gabriel and Diane Tseckares urge all chapters to expand their outreach efforts to embrace new Philoptochos members and those who may not be active at this time. There is a place for every woman in each Philoptochos chapter. Tips to improve membership are available on the National Philoptochos website www.philoptochos. org under the resources tab.
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Feast Day of Saint Basil Celebrated with Continued Support for Academy Dear National Board Members, Chapter Presidents and Members of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. May the Lord bless you and your families in the New Year 2011 with good health, joy, strength and peace. Each year on the first day of the New Year we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Basil the Great, our Church Father who studied, wrote manuscripts, established a soup kitchen, distributed food to the poor, offered medical assistance and served through love, those in his community. In honor of this feast, the Philoptochos leads us in focusing our efforts toward the Academy of Saint Basil. The Academy is our warm and inviting residence in Garrison, New York where the children are educated in and practice their Greek Orthodox faith each and every day. At the Academy they are embraced spiritually and emotionally and during the day attend excellent schools that offer the best in academic and extracurricular programs. Through the tireless dedication of its director, Fr. Constantine Sitaras, the great commitment of the Board of Directors, the quality care offered by excellent staff, and the faithful volunteer support, the children at the Academy are raised in a nurturing environment. The mission of the Academy is to “facilitate shelter, protection, love and education for our young people so they are able to grow up as healthy, wholesome, well-rounded Orthodox Christians, as well as productive members of society with vision and hope.” For many years since the purchase of the Academy in 1944, the women of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society demonstrate their commitment in many ways especially by organizing the Vasilopita Events in their Church communities. Like Saint Basil the Great offering support to his community, the faithful women of the Society offer their strength and devotion to minister with love to the precious children of the Academy. Every year, in celebration of this Feast Day, you are asked to support the Vasilopita Fund so that the Society may continue its support for this most wonderful Academy. The beneficiaries of your love and compassion are the children of the Academy. This mission is sacred. We ask that you send your contributions from your Vasilopita Event to the National Philoptochos Office, 7 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019. Also, if you are aware of any child who may benefit from the Academy of Saint Basil, please notify your parish priest or call Father Costas Sitaras at the Academy directly. Your sisters in Christ, Aphrodite Skeadas, President Georgia Vlitas and Kalli Tsitsipas, Vasilopita Chairs
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Commentaries and Reflections
Dealing with the Arizona Shootings Editor’s note: The following by Ceena Varghese, resource coordinator for the Archdiocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries on the Jan. 8 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., was send to the listserver of the Archdiocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry to assist Greek Orthodox youth in dealing with such a tragedy and violence. Anton Vrame, Ph.D., director of the Archdiocesan Department of Religious Education, contributed to this article. by Ceena Varghese
Exalted be the God of my salvation, who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above my adversaries; yes, you delivered me from men of violence. (Psalm. 18:46, 48) How do we understand what has happened? As Christians we are to exhibit God’s love, grace, and forgiveness here on earth. Though we canít understand why this happened and why God allows this to happen, we are faced with the challenge to forgive those who carry out these evil acts by remaining in God’s love. We are called to pray for Godís love to be poured out on whoever did this. We are also called to pray for those who have been victims of this shooting as well as their loved ones. Pray for peace and comfort for all who have been affected by the event. When we face situations like these where we see injustice dancing in front of us, we are comforted only through the peace of Christ that is poured out to us. Even Christ had to suffer injustice
Information missing Editor, The December Parish Profile is incomplete . Where are all the facts?? Where is the mention of Fr. Joseph J. Tzougros who served the church from 1982 to 2008 with extreme dedication? What happened in the years between the last mention of 1975 and the year 2008?? Did the church stop functioning? No. After Fr. Dounelis left, Fr. Andrew Koufopoulos served for a short time, before Fr. Joseph’s arrival on Aug. 1, 1982. He served the church while also managing several departments at General Electric Medical Systems. He retired from G.E. in 1995. Father was ordained a priest with a lay profession in 1975 and served several parishes within the Chicago Metropolis before being asked by the late Bishop Timotheos in 1982 to serve Assumption Church in Madison temporarily - which became 26 years. He was always available 24 hours-7 days a week. During his tenure the church added a narthex, built the solea and altar area floors of marble, removed solea railings, added many icons on the walls and ceilings, rebuilt the Sunday School building, restored the church after a fire, used computer programs to organize the church business, plus building the community membership to 190 plus. Along with his parish duties Fr. Joseph served on the Metropolis Council, Clergy Syndesmos of Wisconsin and the Chicago Clergy Syndesmos as treasurer for over 13 years. He has also been on the boards of several charities. It would have been a decent thing to do by you to at least acknowledge the existence of Fr. Joseph in the life of Assumption for the
while he lived on this earth. But his suffering brought us hope because his death has conquered death for us. Through him, we are given a hope and peace that is beyond our understanding. How do we help our children deal with the shootings in Arizona? The first thing is to reassure them that their world is secure by being there for them. Help them understand that God is with us and even if we face problems in this world, God will be there loving us, holding us and comforting us. God will never depart from us. Christ has promised us to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). In addition to assuring the children that God is with us and that our lives will still go on, you must listen to them. Ask them how they feel and be patient. You may even have to help them understand what their various feelings are fear, confusion, sadness, anxiety, etc., these and others can be very difficult for young children to understand. They will likely be feeling everything you are feeling. It’s important to have the children identify and share them. Having done this, pray with them and help them talk to God about all they are thinking and feeling. Negative emotions are hard to admit sometimes. Anger, resentment and hate can easily be emotions we feel, especially given the nature of the event. It is important for each of us to struggle to understand evil, both in ourselves and in others. God is not the source of evil. He has given us free will. He wants us to choose to do good and loving things but sometimes, in our fallen state, we choose to do evil and hurtful things.
many years of love and dedication he gave to the community. Fr. Joseph was the one who supported Fr. Michael to attend Holy Cross, and then to be ordained. This is the thanks Fr. Joseph gets for all he has done. This is submitted to you by his Presbytera Vasiliki and his three children and 10 grandchildren who are extremely dismayed that you would publish an article without checking your facts, and dishonoring this dedicated servant of God by omitting any mention of him in an article about the church he so dearly loved and served. Presbytera Vasiliki Tzougros Waukesha, Wis. Editor, I am writing in regard to the article written of Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, Madison, Wis. I can’t express how deeply disappointed and upset I was when reading this article and finding absolutely no mention of Father Joseph Tzougros and his 26 years of service to our parish. He was the priest that served Assumption for the longest period of time and to just omit that information – is without a doubt, very poor and very inaccurate journalism on your part. Father Joseph was not some sort of insignificant priest that just came and celebrated the service on Sundays and holidays and then packed up his things and went home. He was the type of priest who was there at a drop of a hat when people were in need. He not only drove for 70 miles to Assumption to serve our parish but for a number of those years, was also working full time as an Engineer for General Electric in Waukesha Wis. This distance never interfered with his dedication to our church – he was there whenever he was needed by any of his parishioners.
Therefore, we need to pray for those who engage in evil acts such as this. As Christians we need to pray for our enemies. Our God is a God of forgiveness, mercy, justice, wisdom, truth and love. Some children may wonder about the discussions in the media about the events, from issues of gun violence and regulation to the current tone of American political discourse. Some children may look for easy or simple answers to what are very difficult and complex issues in our society. It is natural to do so. Trying to identify a cause, especially a single cause, for this tragedy helps all of us make sense out of what are apparently senseless events. (As adults, we too may be wondering this. Ecclesiastes 7:10 offers an excellent piece of advice about the folly of looking to the past nostalgically, Do not say, Why were the former days better than these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.) Our task as youth workers, teachers, parents, and guides is not to provide an easy answer to difficult questions. Our task is to help our children - as is appropriate to their age and capacity - to ask the questions, think about them, and look more deeply into our faith Tradition for insight and wisdom so that they can make decisions for their lives when it comes to matters like these. The Bible, the lives of saints, the writings of the Fathers all relate stories featuring violence, anger, and tragedy. We should turn to all of them and read them in the light of the present situation. As we try to cope with this tragedy, let us keep Christ’s words in our minds and teach our children. He said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27). There will never be a more influential servant of God to our church as Father Joseph Tzougros. I am only one of the members of our church that has been serviced and counseled by this man on both sides of the spectrum - in times of hardship and sadness and in times of joy and celebration. This may not be of any concern to a journalist that writes articles to meet the deadline and then goes on to the next article and it’s deadline, but to the friends and family of Father Joseph, it was a stab to the heart. If this is how I feel – how do you think it must feel to the man that was totally omitted? Being the bigger person that he is, he is probably saying, “it doesn’t matter – it’s over and done”, but to my family and I, I find it terribly hurtful and irresponsible on your part. Margo Josheff Madison, Wis.
Marry within Faith Editor, The article by Fr. Charles Joanides – “Consequences and Challenges When Orthodox Marry Non-Christians” – was most important and timely. It is better to marry within your religion and culture. We live in a multi-cultural society and people fall in love. Today’s society adversely affects marriage and the family. The more things a couple shares in common, the stronger the marriage will be. One priest commented that we should instill in our young people that our faith is important and we should discourage them from dating or marrying non-Christians. Another priest said that we have devout Orthodox Christians who are marrying people of other faiths. We cannot just abandon them and not baptize their babies.Eventually, this issue will have to be resolved at the level of a pan-Orthodox Council. William S. Andrews Chicago
JANUARY 2011
ENCYCLICAL
Feast of Saint Basil and New Year from page 3 tions and with the grace and calling we share as the children of God. We begin a new year with opportunities for worship and service as we deepen our communion with God and strengthen our witness to others. We begin a new year in the Lord with a commitment to live each moment in the presence of Christ and to use each day to bring Him honor and glory. We begin a new year reflecting on the revelation of God’s love, on His forgiveness, on our journey, and we anticipate the blessings of His power and grace in days to come. It is also our tradition on this Feast of St. Basil and the inception of the New Year to honor a faithful and beautiful ministry of our Holy Archdiocese, Saint Basil Academy. During this first month of the year we are led by our Ladies Philoptochos Society in collecting offerings to assist in the witness and service of the staff and directors of Saint Basils as they nurture and guide young lives with compassion and faith. This is a ministry of reflection and anticipation. It is a reflection on over sixty-five years of dedicated service and on the numerous lives that have found hope, love, and support at Saint Basils. It is also a ministry of anticipation. All children who come and reside at Saint Basil Academy have a need for an environment that will give them guidance and encouragement and develop their potential. For all of us, we can only anticipate the great and wondrous things that will be accomplished in and through the lives of the children and youth who are blessed by this ministry. On this New Year’s Day and the Feast of our Father and Teacher, Saint Basil the Great, I encourage you to give generously to the work of Saint Basil Academy, and to offer your prayers for those who work diligently and faithfully in the service of our youth and of God. May we also share in the joy of this season of light and life, expecting the great and abundant blessings of God in the coming year as we offer our worship and prayers and as we serve one another and all people in the grace and power of Jesus Christ our Lord. With paternal love in Christ,
† Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America
JANUARY 2011
Scholarships
Scholarship Recipients for 2010 -11 The Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of scholarships awarded for the current academic year (2010-2011) from three scholarship programs administered by the Archdiocese. The “George and Naouma Gioles Scholarship Fund” awarded scholarships to the following students: Antonios Apostolidis (Boonton, N.J.), Christina Guliadis (Ft. Lee, N.J.), Michelle Ioannou (Bayside, NY), Spyridon Mitches (Garrison, N.Y.), Jeffrey Pedersen (Sandy, Utah), AlyssaMarie Robidoux (Natick, Mass.), Kyra Tabak (New Middletown, Ohio), and Nicole Vournazos (Newtown, Conn.). This scholarship fund was established in 1997 with a generous gift from Marian Gioles in memory of her beloved parents, to honor their commitment to their Orthodox Faith, their love of their Hellenic heritage, and their desire to help youth who are orphaned or in need. Scholarships are awarded annually to Greek Orthodox students committed to serious study in degree-earning, undergraduate programs at accredited colleges or universities in the United States. The “Katina John Malta Scholarship Fund” gave out scholarships to the following students: Antonios Apostolidis (Boonton, N.J.), Timothy Cremeens (Windsor, N.C.), Christina Guliadis (Ft. Lee, N.J.), Marie Latsa (Willowick, Ohio), Spyridon Mitches (Garrison, N.Y.), Nicole Ray Muller (West Islip, N.Y), Alyssa-Marie Robidoux (Natick, Mass.), Katherine Soot (Albany, Oregon), and Charity Thatcher (La Mirada, Calif.). This scholarship fund was established in 2002 through a generous gift from the estate of Katina John Malta, in recognition of the love she had for the Church and to honor her desire to help others, especially children and youth of the Orthodox Christian Faith. The scholarship is open to students from all jurisdictions of SCOBA (Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America) reflecting the
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pan-Orthodox nature of this scholarship program. In addition to recipients from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, two are from the Antiochian Orthodox Church (Timothy Cremeens and Charity Thatcher) and Katherine Soot is from the OCA (Orthodox Church in America). The final set of scholarships, awarded from the “Paleologos Graduate Scholarship Fund,” marks the fourth year that awards were granted from this scholarship fund, which was established in 2007. This fund assists students enrolled in graduate studies leading to advanced degrees in academic fields other than theology. Like the Malta Scholarship, this award is open to all students of SCOBA-affiliated churches. Recipients of the 2010-11 Paleologos Graduate Scholarships are: Presbytera Deborah Ann Damaskos (Toledo, Ohio), Christiana Katsifas (Garrison, N.Y.), Athanasios Kokkalas (Bronx, N.Y.), Stephen Liapis (Manalapan, N.J.) and Stephanos Roulakis (New Orleans) all from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Timothy Carroll (Urbana, Ill.), from the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Lindsey Ann Nelson (Easton, Pa.) from the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church, and Marissa Stevens (Masontown, Pa.) from the OCA. The Archdiocese and the Scholarship Committee congratulate all the students who were awarded scholarships and thank the donors for making these awards possible through their continuing generosity and commitment to higher education. And a thank you is also in order for all the members of the Scholarship Committee who provide invaluable assistance to the donors in deciding these scholarships. All three scholarships will once again be awarded for the 2011-12 academic year. Applications and guidelines will be available by the end of January 2011 on the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (www.goarch.org) or by contacting the Archdiocese.
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Deadline Nears for Agris Scholarships BOSTON – The 19th annual Peter Agris Memorial Journalism Scholarships Program is underway and applications are being taken from graduate and undergraduate journalism and communications students from across the United States. Deadline is March 1. For nearly two decades, $350,000 in critical financial backing has been provided to scores of young Greek Americans seeking to present their Hellenic heritage and their Orthodox faith to our nation through careers in journalism and communications. Former recipients now fill the ranks of news anchors, correspondents for major news publications, feature writers and many in the publishing field. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without this scholarship,” said Melissa Lenos of Philadelphia. “I was a 2005 recipient and now I’m in my second year as a tenure-track professor of film studies and communication.” Lenos, one of the 70 former recipients, earned her doctorate in mass media and communications at Temple University and has designed and taught introductory and upper level courses in film, journalism, English literature, popular culture and composition at Temple, the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University. The Alpha Omega Council of New England, which sponsors the scholarship fund together with the Agris family, continues
to provide grants to aspiring journalists of Hellenic roots. Comprised of leading businesspersons of Hellenic ancestry, The Alpha Omega Council continues to honor its late founder, Peter Agris, also the founder and publisher of The Hellenic Chronicle, for 50 years the premier Greek American national English-language weekly newspaper in this country. Agris, who died in 1989, was also an Archon, a trustee of Hellenic College/ Holy Cross School of Theology and an Ahepan. The $5,000 non-renewable scholarships will be presented June11 at the Alpha Omega Council’s 29th Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner. Scholarship applicants must be of Greek American heritage; current full-time journalism or communications majors at the graduate or undergraduate levels at an accredited college or university in the United States; active participants in school, community, church organizations; and have a minimum 3.0 GPA and demonstrated financial need. Candidates may download applications on the Alpha Omega Council’s website at or write to: The Peter Agris Memorial Scholarships Committee, c/o Nancy Agris Savage, 9 Nonesuch Drive, Natick, MA 01760. Applications, transcripts and the required essay must be returned by mail to the above address no later than March 1.
SS. Raphael, Nicholas & Irene Hellenic Orthodox Church Palm Harbor, Florida
A Shrine for Healing The Sacred and Venerable Relics of our Patron Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene are in permanent residence in our Mission Church. A Paraklesis to these Saints for healing of body and soul is chanted every Monday Evening throughout the year. Names of your loved ones may be submitted for prayer. Holy Oil and Holy Water from the Saint Raphael Holy Monastery, Mytilene available upon request. Donations may be made by clicking on to PayPal of our website or by mail. 1010 Riviere Road, Palm Harbor, Florida 34683 Tel: (727)-789-5905 • Fax: (727)-781-3851 Email: saintraphaelchurch@yahoo.com • Website: straphael.fl.goarch.org
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Panagos photos
Spelling bee participants with Archbishop Demetrios at the Dec. 14 district competition.
Direct Archdiocesan District Holds Annual Spelling Bee
Pascha: P ascha: The Resur Resurrrrection ection of Christ
NEW YORK – The annual Direct Archdiocesan District Spelling Bee Competition took place Dec. 14, at Archdiocese headquarters, organized by the district Office of Education. Spelling bee champions from New York Greek American parochial day schools took part and Archbishop Demetrios presented each with a “Certificate of Award” and a silver cross. By spelling the word “debacle” correctly, Morgan Raum, an eighth-grade student at The Cathedral School was pronounced as the winner. Runner-up was Garima Vohra, a seventh grader at the Jamaica Day School in Queens. The other students who took part in this year’s competition were:Eleftherios Letsios, W. Spyropoulos Greek-American School, Flushing; Panagiotis Siozios, St. Demetrios Greek-American School, Astoria; Destevon Aponte, St. Spyridon Parochial School, New York; Constantinos Banagos, DGK Parochial School, Holy Cross, Brooklyn; Nicole Matassa, Greek-American Institute, Bronx; Demetrios Koutsidis, A. Fantis Parochial School, Brooklyn and Evangelos Armatas, School of the Transfiguration, Corona
For the second consecutive year, the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund (HTSF) sponsored the Spelling Bee Competition for the Direct Archdiocesan District. HTSF was founded in 1989 by Nick Katsoris along with John and Margo Catsimatidis. It has since awarded more than 700 scholarships worth more than $2 million to young students. Mr. Katsoris, president of HTSF, who also serves as general counsel for the Red Apple Group and has authored the Loukoumi Book Series for young children, offered each school bee winner $100 and $500 to the district finalist. The Spelling Bee Competitions are sponsored by The E.W. Scripps Company, in conjunction with over 260 newspapers around the world, to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. The Daily News sponsors competitions for public and nonpublic schools in New York City. The Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education coordinates the Spelling Bee Competition for the area parochial day schools. For more information about the spelling bees, visit www.spellingbee.com
Students take their turn at correctly spelling the words they receive.
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National Ministries
Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism: It’s Not Just about Membership by Jim Golding
Stewardship is about membership. Outreach is about building up the body of Christ. For Fr. Jim Kordaris, director of the Archdiocese Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism, his responsibility involves focusing on both tasks. “And we want to build up the Body of Christ in both cases,” Fr. Kordaris said. “Stewardship is not about money. It’s about bringing people together as members of the Body of Christ. It’s not like a club.” In 2009, when Fr. Kordaris was appointed director, stewardship and the outreach and evangelism departments of the Church were combined. Stewardship is no longer under the finance committee of the Archdiocesan Council. The role of the department is to help parishes increase their membership and also the involvement of their people. “People will call us and say ‘we need more money,’ or ‘we need more members,’” the priest said. “They’re missing the idea of why we reach out to people. We’re in the business of salvation. We have to teach them to engage and to reach out to the people.” Engaging and reaching out, Fr. Kordaris says, involves personal visitation, a person-to-person process. “There’s no shotgun approach. There’s more listening than talking,” he said. “If they’re disenfranchised it’s because they feel they’re not being listened to. If they have an issue, we need to respond, ‘Yes we can fix that’ or, if not, why, or not right now. We have to validate the concern.” Outreach and Evangelism was formerly Home Missions and its responsibility was to assist mission parishes, primarily through a grant from Leadership 100 used specifically to support mission parishes. But with the downturn in the economy, the funding ended. However, the outreach and evangelism side of the department, in cooperation with established parishes continues to support new parishes by supplying liturgical items, liturgy books, chanter stands and other supplies. Fr. Kordaris cited a recent example of the parish in Wheeling, W.Va., sending an entire iconostasion to the new parish in Ocala, Fla., pastored by Fr. George Papadeas, who continues to serve as a priest into his ‘90s. “It’s a blessing to see parishes helping outer parishes,” said Fr. Kordaris. “That’s stewardship as well.” He discussed his department’s upcoming activities for the year, including the preparation of the annual stewardship packets of parish resources sent to the communities Another goal is to expand the stewardship training program that involves visits to individual parishes by members of the Archdiocese’s National Stewardship Commission, spearheaded by George Matthews, George Vourvoulias and Bill Marianes, whose efforts were showcased at the Atlanta
Clergy-Laity Congress in July. The commission’s Travel Team also includes various directors of the National Ministries of the Archdiocese who explain the benefit of their particular ministry to the Church. “The idea is to expand training at the parishes and implementing stewardship,” the priest said. Though by and large the program has been successful, there are some parishes, primarily on the East Coast, that have not adopted the program. Fr. Kordaris also noted that some communities that do have stewardship, “have reached a plateau and need help getting to the next level.” He also discussed the parish management software initiative that was put into place in 2010 and that will help individual parishes keep better track of donations, and to help them improve their reporting process to the individual metropolis and the archdiocese more uniformly. The initiative is done in coordination with the Archdiocese Office of Administration, and departments of Finance and Information Technology. The subcommittee is chaired by Nick Sialmas of Beacon, N.Y. The software initiative involves the efforts Greek Orthodox software engineers from Google, Compuware and others from around the country who analyze of software for parish management. It also includes attorney and tax accountants who give of their time and representatives from every metropolis who serve on the committee. “We’ve developed a process that will enable parishes to develop, build and enhance their ministries, by data mining, finding talents and demographics of their people.” said Fr. Kordaris. “It supports priests in their pastoral duties and allows them to reduce duplication of record keeping. “It will have far-reaching impact on how we do ministry as an Archdiocese and at the parish level,” he continued. “It’s all done to better serve the parish and individual parishioners.” Another initiative involves “planned giving” that will help individuals wanting to contribute to the Church through their estate, through wills and trusts and longterm gifts. This involves creating a network of tax and legal professionals in every metropolis to develop a step-by-step program from parishes to implement, Fr. Kordaris explained. “The greatest thing about the effort (of the initiatives) is the willingness of people to offer their time,” he said. “One director doesn’t do it. It takes the committee and subcommittee members and great inter-department cooperation on these initiatives.” Though his department is situated at St. Basil Academy in Garrison, N.Y., Fr. Kordaris stays connected with parish reality as he also functions as pastor of St. George Church on West 54th Street in Manhattan on Sundays. “It’s a blessing,” he said. “It keeps my feet in the reality of the parish. It keeps your ideas practical.”
Archbishop Demetrios of AmericA the first DecADe 1999-2009
T
his beautifully produced book presents a full spectrum of the activities in the life of the Greek Orthodox Church in America from the years 1999-2009, the first ten years of Archiepiscopal Ministry of Archbishop Demetrios of America. The 368-page hard cover book contains 537 photographs, all taken by the Official Photographer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Dimitrios Panagos, and masterfully compiled & edited by Revekka Papadopoulou. Chapters include: Biography, Enthronement, Archpastoral Ministry, Education & Youth, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Official trips, Welcoming Visitors, At the Nation’s Capital, Omogeneia & Cultural Events, September 11-2001, Ecumenical Relations & SCOBA, 40th Anniversary of Episcopacy, and Honors & Degrees.
“A must for every Greek Orthodox parish & home in America.” To order your copy of this book ($75 per copy + $10 S&H) please call 212-774-0244, or email gotel@goarch.org, or complete this order form and mail it to GOTelecom, 8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075.
Yes,_I_want_to_order_______copies Enclosed_is_my_check_for:_$_________________or_I_authorize_GOTelecom_to_charge_my: Exp._date:_______________________ Card_No.:____________________________________________________________________________ Name_on_Card:_______________________________________________________________________ Name:_______________________________________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________________________________ City:___ _______________________________State:___________________
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New Jersey Church Honors Priest on 40th Year WYCKOFF, N.J. -- St. Nicholas Church hosted its 40-year anniversary celebration gala in North Haledon, N.J. on Dec. 10. In addition, the community honored Fr. James Moulketis for his 40th
anniversary ordination into the priesthood and his dedication to St. Nicholas Church. The black tie optional evening included dinner, dancing and silent auction. All proceeds of the evening will benefit St. Nicholas Church.
Illinois Scouts Earn Alpha Omega Award WESTCHESTER, Ill.—Fr. William S. Chiganos and Nicholas Georgiou of Holy Apostles Church recently presented five members of the church with the Alpha Omega Award for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. They were Stephen Berg, Life Scout Troop 216, LaGrange Highlands, Ill; Ethan Parafink, Star Scout Troop 49, Lemont, Ill; Katherine Berg, Ambassador Girl Scout, Juliette, Chicago Area Council, Stefan Parafink, Eagle Scout Troop 49, Lemont and Nicholas Trivelas, Life Scout Troop 65, River Forest, Ill.
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Boston youth retreat Annunciation Cathedral in Boston held a well-attended youth retreat on Jan. 8, which included arts and crafts, learning songs and listening to talks about the faith.
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JANUARY 2011 Paid Advertisement
Children of the cathedral school, with Fr. Frank Marangos, attend the family celebration.
NY Cathedral Celebrates Family NEW YORK – The Cathedral Parents’ Society, a ministry of Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral, held its first St. Nicholas Day Family Celebration on Dec. 10 honoring the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, which was attended by more than 250 parents and children. According to information from Stella Lymberis, M.D., the ministry recently was established by cathedral Dean Fr. Frank Marangos, who began the evening with a Paraklesis service that followed with a recounting of the life of St. Nicholas and the meaning of his generous works. The cathedral contains relics of St. Nicholas that are kept in a special box under glass beneath a very large mosaic icon of the saint. At the conclusion of the service the relic box of St. Nicholas was removed from its glass case and opened for veneration. Cathedral school Greek teacher Athanasia Filiou, with piano accompaniment from Glafkos Kontemeniotis, directed the children in summarizing Greek traditions, singing Greek traditional songs, participating in crafts and decorating a ship model, with the assistance of art teacher Rachel Burgess. In Greece during Christmas, small fishing boats honor St. Nicholas, especially in the islands, with decorations of blue and white lights.
Greek ships carry an icon of St. Nicholas who is regarded as master of wind and tempest. Revered as the great protector, St. Nicholas’ feast is one of great devotion. Many chapels along the coastline of numerous islands are dedicated to St. Nicholas. As demonstrated by the success of the St. Nicholas Day Family Celebration there is a need and an interest among many New York Greek Orthodox families to pass on their Orthodox heritage, Greek traditions and values to their children. The Cathedral Parents’ Society explores parenting challenges and concerns in a Christian context with other parents, clergy and invited speakers. Meetings are led by Fr. Frank Marangos, cathedral dean, twice monthly usually on Thursday mornings. Parents find these conversations engaging, insightful and an important time for reflection during our hectic family lives. Dignitaries present included: Consul General of Cyprus Koula Sophianou, Consul of Greece Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, Mrs. Efthymiopoulos, wife of Dr. Ioannis Efthymiopoulos, director of the Archdiocese Greek Education Department and Stella Kokolis, an executive of the Pan-American Hellenic Federation of Teachers and Greek Teachers Association Prometheus.
Scout Sunday Slated Feb. 6 NEW YORK – Scout Sunday will be observed this year on February 6. It is always observed on the Sunday immediately preceding the 8th of February, unless the 8th falls on a Sunday. The observance of Scout Sunday tradition was started years ago to make people in the Church aware of Scouting, and to allow Scouts to live out of what is pledged each week, The Scout Law says that a “Scout is Reverent” and the Scouts of all ages promise to do their “Duty to God”. These values strengthen youth character in their family, community and faith. In 1960, the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) created and endorsed the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting (EOCS) as part of their youth ministry. This was the first agency created by SCOBA. The EOCS Executive Board encourages all Eastern Orthodox Churches to recognize and celebrate this Boy Scout Centennial
even if their church does not sponsor a Scout unit.
Some Scout Sunday ideas
• If your parish sponsors a Scout unit have them arrive in full uniform. • If the church does not have a Scout program, have the Scouts come in uniform. • Many priests are aware of Scout Sunday and will discuss Scouting at some point of the service. • Have the uniformed Scouts serve at the candle table in the narthex, serve as ushers, help pass the collection tray, help serve during the coffee hour, or follow any suggestions from the parish priest. Eastern Orthodox Religious Scout Awards may be presented on this day and the scouts can organize a Scout Display and recruitment event. For further information on EOCS and on the Observance of Scout Sunday call George Boulukos at (516) 8684050 or e-mail geobou03@aol.com
POSITION FOR NEW DEAN
Hellenic College, Inc. invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of Hellenic College. The application and nomination deadline is December 17, 2010. The selection process is expected to be completed by April 30, 2011. The Dean is expected to assume office on July 1, 2011. Overview: Founded in 1937 and located in Brookline, Massachusetts on 59 scenic acres overlooking Boston, Hellenic College is the only full-fledged Orthodox Christian institution of higher learning in the United States. Under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, Hellenic College, Inc. is comprised of an undergraduate liberal arts and selected professional college, known as Hellenic College, and Holy Cross Graduate School of Theology. Hellenic College offers the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) with concentrations in Classics, Elementary Education, Human Development, Management & Leadership, Literature and History, and Religious Studies. The Graduate School of Theology grants the degrees of Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) and Master of Theology (Th.M.). The institution holds accreditation with New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada. Responsibilities: The Dean of Hellenic College reports to the President. The Dean helps define the character and direction of the College; leads, advocates, and plans new educational initiatives; and serves to sustain the commitment to innovation and excellence in undergraduate teaching and curricular development. The Dean supervises the Faculty of Hellenic College, including personnel procedures, and maintains the College’s academic standards in teaching, research, and service. The Dean provides academic and educational leadership through the exercise of honesty, integrity, flexibility, sensitivity, and decisiveness. The Dean serves as the College’s advocate and liaison to its internal and external constituencies. The Dean serves on the Presidential Executive Caucus and is an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. Qualifications include an earned doctorate degree from an accredited university; an outstanding record of teaching effectiveness and scholarship sufficient to hold the rank of full professor; fluency in written and spoken Modern Greek; excellent communicative and interpersonal skills; a deeply held commitment to the development of students, faculty, and staff; and an appreciation for an understanding of and commitment to the faith and learning mission of the College within the context of Orthodox Christianity and its contribution to the life of our nation. Application: Those interested in candidacy are urged to visit the Hellenic College Web site prior to submitting an application. Applicants should submit a letter of interest detailing relevant experience, accomplishments, philosophy of higher education, curriculum vitae, and a list of at least five professional references with E-mail addresses and telephone numbers. All nominations, inquiries and applications will be confidential until a limited number of finalists are identified for campus interviews, at which point only the names and resumes of finalists will become public. Nominations and applications must be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format to: hellenic-collegedean-search@hchc.edu
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JANUARY 2011
METROPOLIS NEWS
Hundreds of Metropolis of New Jersey youth participated in the 16th Greek Folk Dance Festival in Annapolis, Md.
Metropolis of New Jersey Holds 16th Greek Folk Dance Festival by George Tomczewski
Sr. Aegean Odyssey Dancers, Annapolis, MD, pose for their formal photo.
Dancers from St. Luke, Broomall, PA, perform for the crowd.
St. George, Asbury Park, NJ, Mythos Dancers, hold their 1st place medals.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Metropolis of New Jersey held its 16th annual Greek Folk Dance Festival Jan. 14-16 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Church, the host parish. Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey blessed the festivities, beginning with an opening prayer and a keynote address during the opening ceremonies on Saturday morning. In his address to the dancers, dance directors, parents and Greek dance enthusiasts, the Metropolitan stressed the beauty of this cultural event which brings the youth of our Holy Metropolis together in an exciting and fun-filled event which showcases our beautiful and diverse Greek heritage in the area of dance. Metropolitan Evangelos expressed his gratitude to all of those that had traveled from near and far distances to be part of the annual folk dance festival. The Metropolitan thanked the Fr. Kosmas Karavellas for his many years of love and dedication to the Metropolis of New Jersey Greek Folk Dance Festival and for his unwavering commitment to the youth of the Church. He also thanked Felicia Karavellas, co-chair of the event, all of the volunteers and the entire host parish. The enormous work done by the folk dance festival planning committee, the host parish, and all of the dedicated volunteers ensured that this year’s Festival was even more successful than the previous 15. On Saturday and Sunday, more thanr 400 dancers representing 12 parishes from throughout the Metropolis of New Jersey performed dances from all parts of Greece, Cyprus, and Asia Minor for the audience of parents, grandparents, family, and friends that had filled Annapolis High School auditorium to capacity. All of the dancers did a tremendous job of demonstrating their love of the Greek Culture and all of the hard work they have put in over the past year in order to prepare for this event. Their enjoyment of love of Greek dancing was evident to the crowd as
they enthusiastically cheered every group for their wonderful performances. One highlight was the dinner dance held at the Sts. Constantine and Helen Community Center on Saturday night that was attended by about 600 people. There the true purpose of this event could be seen in the fellowship that was taken place as the youth from the twelve parishes gathered together on the dance floor and danced traditional Greek dances as one large group, demonstrating how their love of the Greek culture and dance united these young people from throughout the Metropolis. This fellowship continued into Sunday morning when all of the dancers, directors, advisors, and families came together to participate in the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Metropolitan Evangelos at the host parish of SS. Constantine and Helen in Annapolis. Metropolitan Evangelos said he hopes the folk dance festival will continue to grow, and continue to attract more and more parishes and dance groups from the Holy Metropolis of New Jersey to participate every year.
Results of the 2011 festival Primary Division
Best Costume: Hara – Sts. Constantine and Helen, Annapolis 2nd place: Hara – Sts. Constantine and Helen, Annapolis 1st place: Demetrakia III – St. Demetrios, Baltimore
Junior Division
Best Costume: Diamantia – Annunciation, Baltimore 3rd place: Ta Ellinakis – St. Nicholas, Baltimore 2nd place: Diamantia - Annunciation in Baltimore 1st place: Elliniki Psihi – Sts. Constantine and Helen, Newport News, Va.
Intermediate Division
Best Costume: Sr. Aegean Odyssey Danc-
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ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ 2011
ΕΤΟΣ 76 • ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ 1262
Θεοφάνεια στο Φανάρι και Αγιασµός των Υδάτων στον Κεράτιο Κόλπο
Mε τη συµµετοχή πλήθους πιστών, Ρωµιών και προσκυνητών, γιορτάστηκανκαι φέτος τα Θεοφάνεια στο Φανάρι, την έδρα του Οικουµενικού Πατριαρχείου στην Κωνσταντινούπολη. Ο Οικουµενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολοµαίος προεξήρχε το πρωί της Πέµπτης 6ης Ιανουαρίου Πατριαρχικής Θείας Λειτουργίας στον Πατριαρχικό Ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου, συλλειτουργούντων των Σεβ. Μητροπολιτών Φιλαδελφείας Μελίτωνος, Σεβαστείας ∆ηµητρίου, Μοσχο-
νησίων Αποστόλου και Ικονίου Θεολήπτου. Μετά το πέρας της Θ. Λειτουργίας ο Πατριάρχης ηγήθηκε της λιτανευτικής ποµπής προς τον Κεράτιο κόλπο, όπου για ένατη χρονιά έγινε ο Αγιασµός των υδάτων διά της καταδύσεως του Τιµίου Σταυρού. Λίγο πριν ο Πατριάρχης ψάλλει το «Εν Ιορδάνη...», αντήχησε η φωνή του µουεζίνη, που καλούσε στην καθιερωµένη προσευχή τους µουσουλµάνους. Ο Πατριάρχης είπε: «Θα περιµένουµε να τελειώσει». Και ευθύς µόλις τελείωσε έριξε τον Σταυρό στα νερά του Κεράτιου κόλπου. Αυτή η κίνηση του Πατριάρχη Βαρθολοµαίου ερµηνεύτηκε από όλους ως σεβασµός στην διαφορετικότητα, ως κίνηση ανωτερότητας. Τον Σταυρό έπιασε ο ∆ηµήτρης Κουζούνης από την Θεσσαλονίκη, µε καταγωγή από την Πόλη. Για πρώτη φορά τουρκικό κανάλι, το NTV, µετέδωσε απευθείας την τελετή του Αγιασµού των υδάτων, στην οποία παρών ήταν και ο Γενικός Πρόξενος της Ελλάδος στην Πόλη Βασίλειος Μπορνόβας.
Παράδοση 105 Ετών ο Εορτασµός των Θεοφανείων στο Τάρπον Σπρίνγκς της Φλόριδας
Συνάντηση Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημητρίου με τον Πρόεδρο του ΕΟΤ στη Νέα Υόρκη ôïõ Íéêüëáïõ Ìáããßíá
Τον Πρόεδρο του Ελληνικού Οργανισµού Τουρισµού Νικόλαο Κανελλόπουλο δέχθηκε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής ∆ηµήτριος στο γραφείο του στην έδρα της Αρχιεπισκοπής στη Νέα Υόρκη. Ο Πρόεδρος του ΕΟΤ συνοδευόταν από συνεργάτες του καθώς και τη Γενική Πρόξενο της Ελλάδος στη Νέα Υόρκη κυρία
Μπαλτά. Κατά τη διάρκεια της συνάντησής τους, ο κ.Κανελλόπουλος και ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής συζήτησαν για τις δυνατότητες ενίσχυσης του τουρισµού αλλά και για την ανάδειξη των θρησκευτικών τόπων. Ιδιαίτερη αναφορά έγινε στα ζητήµατα που συνδέονται µε τις ανάγκες της Οµογένειας. Σε δηλώσεις του ο Πρόεδρος του ΕΟΤ
Σελίδα 18
Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος ∆ηµήτριος επικρίνει σφοδρά τις επιθέσεις κατά Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών σε Κύπρο και Αίγυπτο
óåë. 17
ΤΑΡΠΟΝ ΣΠΡΙΝΓΚΣ, Φλόριδα.- Ο 17χρονος Λούης Πάππας ανέσυρε το Σταυρό από τον µικρό κολπίσκο του Τάρπον Σπρίνκς, της Ελληνικής πόλης της Φλόριδα που είναι παγκοσµίως γνωστή ως πόλη των Θεοφανείων. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής κ. ∆ηµήτριος προεξήρχε του Μεγάλου Αγιασµού και της τελετής της κατάδυσης του Τιµίου Σταυρού µε τη συµµετοχή χιλιάδων κόσµου. Οι εορτασµοί και η κατάδυση του Τιµίου Σταυρού πραγµατοποιήθηκαν φέτος στο Τάρπον Σπρινκς για 105η συνεχή χρονιά. Ο Σεβασµιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής αφίχθει στην περιοχή την προηγουµένη των επισήµων εορτασµών, όπου µεταξύ άλλων δραστηριοτήτων, έλαβε µέρος σε γεύµα που παρέθεσαν κληρικοί στην ενορία της Αγίας Τριάδας στο Κλιαργουότερ. Την ίδια ηµέρα ο π. Βασίλειος Τσουρλής επισκεύφηκε τις αποβάθρες των σφουγγαράδικων στον ποταµό Ανκλοτ κι ευλόγησε τα σκάφη και τους ψαράδες,α όπως και το νερό στο οποίο ταξιδεύουν µε την ευχή για ασφαλή και ευηµερεύοντα ταξίδια. Την εποµένη, στις 6 Ιανουαρίου, οι εορτασµοί ξεκίνησαν στις 8 το πρωί µε τον Ορθρο, τον οποίο ακολούθησε ιεραρχική Θεία Λειτουργία στον Καθεδρικό Ναό του Αγίου Νικολάου. Μετά τη Θεία Λειτουργία ακολούθησε ο Μέγας Αγιασµός των Υδάτων στα νερά του ήρεµου Σπρινγκ Μπαγιού. Ο Σεβασµιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής, προεξήρχε της µεγαλειώδους ποµπής που αποτελούσαν ανώτατοι ιεράρχες της Αρχιε-
πισκοπής Αµερικής, κληρικοί, αξιωµατούχοι και χιλιάδες λαού, Ελληνορθοδόξων Χριστιανών και µη, καθώς και εκατοντάδες µαθητές του σχολείου, ντυµένοι µε τις πατροπαράδοτες παραδοσιακές στολές διαφόρων περιοχών της Ελλάδος. Επίσης ακολούησαν, µέλη χορωδιών, µέλη χορευτικών συγκροτηµάτων από την ευρύτερη περιοχή της Τάµπα. Μετά την παραδοσιακή τελετή, ακολούθησε το µεγάλο γλέντι (φεστιβάλ) των Θεοφανείων µε φαγητό, ποτό, ζωντανή µουσική και χορό.
16
ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ
ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ 2011
Οδύνη Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίου για την επίθεση κατά των Χριστιανών στην Αίγυπτο Επιστολή του στον προκαθήμενο των Κοπτών Σενούντα
ΥΨΗΛΟΒΑΘΜΑ ΣΤΕΛΕΧΗ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΩΠΗΣ ΣΤΟ ΦΑΝΑΡΙ ôïõ Íéêüëáïõ Ìáããßíá
To μέλλον της Ευρώπης αλλά και ζητήματα ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και θρησκευτικών και μειονοτικών ελευθεριών βρέθηκαν στο επίκεντρο της συνάντησης που είχε στο Φανάρι ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος με ομάδα υψηλόβαθμων στελεχών του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης. Συγκεκριμένα το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο επισκέφθηκαν τα μέλη της «Ομάδας Εξεχουσών Προσωπικοτήτων: Ζώντας μαζί στην Ευρώπη του 21ου αιώνα – Πανευρωπαϊκή πρωτοβουλία» του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης: • κ. Joschka Fischer, Επικεφαλής της Ομάδας, πρώην Αναπληρωτής Καγκελάριος και Υπουργός Εξωτερικών της Γερμανίας, • κυρία Emma Bonino, Γερουσιαστής‒ πρώην Υπουργός της Ιταλίας επί Ευρωπαϊκών υποθέσεων, • κ. Timothy Garton Ash, Καθηγητής, εκ Μ. Βρετανίας, • κ. Martin Hirsch, Επικεφαλής της υπηρεσίας πολιτικών υποθέσεων, εκ Γαλλίας, • κυρία Danuta Hübner, Ευρωβουλευτής εκ Πολωνίας, • κ. Vladimir Lukin, πρώην Πρόεδρος της Ρωσσικής Δούμας, κ.Edward Mortimer, Αντιπρόεδρος του «Salzburg Global Seminar», • κυρία Sonja Licht, στέλεχος του Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών της Σερβίας, και • κυρία Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Καθηγήτρια στο Πανεπιστήμιο «Sabancı».
Στις συνομιλίες που διεξήχθησαν σε θερμή ατμόσφαιρα συμμετείχαν επίσης ο Αρχιγραμματέας της Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνόδου Αρχιμανδρίτης π. Ελπιδοφόρος, ο Διευθυντής του Γραφείου Τύπου του Πατριαρχείου Πρωτοπρεσβύτερος π. Δοσίθεος Αναγνωστόπουλος και ο κ. Παντελής Βίγκας, Εκπρόσωπος των Μειονοτικών Βακουφίων στο Συμβούλιο της Γενικής Διευθύνσεως Βακουφίων. «Ήταν μια πολύ διεισδυτική και φιλική συνάντηση. Έδωσε μια ρεαλιστική και θετική αξιολόγηση του πως η Τουρκία αντιμετωπίζει τις μειονότητες, τις θρησκευτικές και εθνικές μειονότητες και η οπτική της Παναγιότητας του ήταν πολύ σημαντική για εμας» μας δήλωσε, αμέσως μετά την συνάντηση, ο κ.Γιόσκα Φίσερ και πρόσθεσε: «Νομίζω ότι διαφορετικές θρησκείες πρέπει να ζουν μαζί ειρηνικά, με μεγάλο σεβασμό και με ελευθερία της έκφρασης, καθώς και με σεβασμό στην θρησκευτική ελευθερία. Νομίζω ότι αυτές είναι οικουμενικές αξίες, και βέβαια βασίζονται στις αξίες της δημοκρατίας και του κράτους δικαίου. Ο Πατριάρχης μας είπε ότι εντυπωσιακά βήματα προόδου έγιναν τα τελευταία δύο χρόνια, πολλά πρέπει ακόμη να γίνουν στο μέλλον, αλλά υπήρξε πρόοδος και νομίζω ότι αυτό ήταν ένα σημαντικό μήνυμα για εμάς» «O Πατριάρχης είναι υπέρ της ευρωπαϊκής προοπτικής της Τουρκίας και βλέπει την Ευρώπη να στηρίζεται σε αξίες, μια άποψη που με υπερηφάνεια βλέπουμε να είναι κοινή σε Ευρώπη και Τουρκία» πρόσθεσε ο κ.Φίσερ.
Παγωμένα Θεοφάνεια στη Νέα Ιερσέη ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ.- Σε κατανυκτική ατμόσφαιρα και με την σκέψη στις παραδόσεις και τα έθιμα των παππούδων και των γιαγιάδων τους εόρτασαν τα Θεοφάνεια τα μέλη της Κοινότητας του Αγίου Γεωργίου Piscataway, μιας από τις παλαιότερες και πολυπληθέστερες Κοινότητες της Ιεράς Μητροπόλεως Νέας Ιερσέης. Οι πιστοί, οι περισσότεροι δεύτερης και τρίτης γενεάς που επιμένουν να μιλούν την ελληνική γλώσσα και να ακολουθούν ευλαβικά την Ορθόδοξη παράδοση, έλκουν την καταγωγή τους από την Κρήτη, τη Μακεδονία, την Κύπρο και άλλα μέρη του μητροπολιτικού κέντρου. Ο Ναός βρίσκεται κοντά στο πανεπιστήμιο Ράτγκερς και το φημισμένο πανεπιστήμιο Πρίνστον του οποίου οι
καθηγητές εκκλησιάζονται στον Άγιο Γεώργιο. Ο Αγιασμός των Υδάτων έγινε σε συνθήκες παγετού, με το θερμόμετρο να δείχνει -6 C και τα νερά του ποταμού Ράριταν να είναι μισοπαγωμένα. «Είθε ο εν Ιορδάνη Βαπτισθής Κύριος να φωτίζει ολόκληρο τον κόσμο και να χαρίζει σοφία, ειρήνη, υγεία, πίστη σε όλους τους χριστιανούς για να ζούμε χριστιανικά, αδελφικά σε αυτές τις δύσκολες εποχές που η ζωή και η πίστη δοκιμάζονται. Ας απολαμβάνουμε τις διάφορες ευλογίες και ευεργεσίες του Τριαδικού Θεού. Καλή Χρονιά και ειρηνικά από το Piscataway της Νέας Ιερσέης σ’ ολόκληρο τον Κόσμο» τόνισε στην ομιλία του ο Ιερατικός Προϊστάμενος του Ναού του Αγίου Γεωργίου Αρχιμανδρίτης Αλέξανδρος Κύλε.
ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΗ.- Την βαθύτατη οδύνη του και τον αποτροπιασμό του για την τρομοκρατική επίθεση στην Αλεξάνδρεια που σκόρπισε το θάνατο σε 23 κόπτες χριστιανούς εξέφρασε στις 4 Ιανουαρίου με επιστολής του στον προκαθήμενο της Κοπτικής Εκκλησίας, Σενούντα Γ’, ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος. Ταυτόχρονα διαβεβαίωσε τον Πατριάρχη Σενούντα για την αμέριστη συμπαράστασή του. «Σπεύδουμε να εκφράσουμε στη Μακαριότητα σας τα ειλικρινή και εγκάρδια συλλυπητήρια μας για την πρόσφατη τρομοκρατική επίθεση έξω από το Ναό των Αγίων της Κοπτικής Εκκλησίας. Οι λέξεις δεν μπορούν να εκφράσουν επαρκώς το σοκ και την θλίψη μας για το μέγεθος αυτής της τραγωδίας. Η ασπλαχνία και η ωμότητα των δραστών συγκλόνισε τους Χριστιανούς και τους ανθρώπους καλής θέλησης σε όλο τον κόσμο. Αυτή η άδικη και αδικαιολόγητη ενέργεια αποκάλυψε σε μας και σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο το μεγάλο τίμημα που οι Χριστιανοί συνεχίζουν να πληρώνουν για την πίστη τους στον Ιησού Χριστό» αναφέρει ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης ο οποίος προσθέτει: «Σε αυτή την ιδιαίτερα δύσκολη στιγμής του
πόνου θα θέλαμε να διαβεβαιώσουμε εσάς και το ποίμνιό σας για την πλήρη αλληλεγγύη και υποστήριξή μας. Θα θέλαμε να γνωρίζετε ότι στεκόμαστε προσευχόμενοι στο πλευρό σας καθώς συνεχίζουμε τη δύσκολη πορεία των Εκκλησιών μας. Όλοι εκείνοι που έχασαν την ζωή τους ας βρουν ειρήνη και ανάπαυση στους κόλπους του Αβραάμ».
Θετική αναφορά Ερντογάν στην επίσκεψη Αρίντς στο Φανάρι Στη σημασία της επίσκεψης που πραγματοποίησε ο αντιπρόεδρος της τουρκικής κυβέρνησης στο Φανάρι, αναφέρθηκε ο Τούρκος πρωθυπουργός Ταγίπ Ερντογάν. Απευθυνόμενος σήμερα στην κοινοβουλευτική ομάδα του κόμματός του στην Άγκυρα, ο Τούρκος πρωθυπουργός τόνισε τις διαφορές του κυβερνώντος κόμματος της Δικαιοσύνης και της Ανάπτυξης (AKP), από τα άλλα κόμματα, στο θέμα της «κατανόησης» και της «αποδοχής» των μειονοτήτων. Ο κ. Ερντογάν υπενθύμισε ότι και στο παρελθόν έχει ο ίδιος συναντηθεί με τον Οικουμενικό πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίο, αλλά και άλλους ηγέτες μειονοτήτων στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, και έκανε
ειδική αναφορά στην επίσκεψη του αντιπροέδρου της κυβέρνησης Μπουλέντ Αρίντς στο Πατριαρχείο. Στην επίσκεψη του Τούρκου αντιπροέδρου Μπουλέντ Αρίντς στο Πατριαρχείο αναφέρεται και ο τουρκικός Τύπος. «Ιστορική μέρα στο Πατριαρχείο», γράφει η εφημερίδα «Χουριέτ» σε πρωτοσέλιδο τίτλο. «Θεωρούμε υποχρέωσή μας την ικανοποίηση των δίκαιων αιτημάτων», είναι ο τίτλος της «Μιλιέτ», ενώ ο πρωτοσέλιδος τίτλος της «Ζαμάν» αναφέρει: «Η πρώτη επίσκεψη στο ανώτατο επίπεδο στο Πατριαρχείο μετά τον Μεντερές». Η «Τζουμχουριέτ» γράφει στην πρώτη σελίδα: «Ο Αρίντς στο Πατριαρχείο».
Αποφυλάκιση του επίδοξου δολοφόνου του Βαρθολομαίου Τον περασμένο Δεκέμβριο αποφυλακίστηκε - μέχρι τη νέα δίκη το Μάιο του 2011 - ο επίδοξος δολοφόνος του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίου, Ισμέτ Ρετσμπέρ. Ο Ρετσμπέρ παρουσιάστηκε χθες ενώπιον του δικαστή του 9ου Κακουργιοδικείου Κωνσταντινούπολης, όπου δικαζόταν με την κατηγορία του σχεδιασμού δολοφονικής ενέργειας κατά του Πατριάρχη, και απέρριψε τις κατηγορίες, ζητώντας παράλληλα την αποφυλάκισή του. Αίτημα το οποίο έκανε δεκτό το δικαστήριο και η δίκη αναβλήθηκε για
τον Μάιο του 2011. Για τον Ισμέτ Ρετσμπέρ ζητείται ποινή κάθειρξης από επτάμισι έως δεκαπέντε χρόνια. Η εφημερίδα «Ζαμάν» αναφέρει επίσης ότι ο εισαγγελέας της Κωνσταντινούπολης ζήτησε η υπόθεση του σχεδίου δολοφονίας κατά του Βαρθολομαίου να συμπεριληφθεί στη δίκη της Εργκενεκόν. Το σχετικό έγγραφο θα αποσταλεί στο 13ο Κακουργιοδικείο Κωνσταντινούπολης, το οποίο δικάζει κατ’ αρμοδιότητα την υπόθεση της Εργκενεκόν.
Για ερωτήματα σχετικά με τον Κανονισμό για θέματα επιλήψιμης σεξουαλικής συμπεριφοράς κληρικών της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής ή για σχετικές καταγγελίες καλέστε χωρίς χρέωση τον ειδικό αριθμό (877) 554-3382 Όλες οι καταγγελίες θα ληφθούν σοβαρά υπ’ όψιν και θα διερευνηθούν πλήρως και με απόλυτη αμεροληψία. Μπορείτε να μιλήσετε Αγγλικά ή Ελληνικά σε εθελοντή ή εθελόντρια.
ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ 2011
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ΟΡΘΟ∆ΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ ORTHODOX OBSERVER
Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ επικρίνει τις επιθέσεις σε βάρος Ἑορτή Ἁγίου Βασιλείου καί Νέου Ἔτους Χριστιανών σε Κύπρο και Αίγυπτο Ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινή κτίσις·τά ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδού γέγονεν καινά. (Κορ. Β΄ 5:17)
ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ - Μετά τις πρόσφατες επιθέσεις σε βάρος των Ελλήνων Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών στην κατεχόµενη Κύπρο στις 25 ∆εκεµβρίου, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής ∆ηµήτριος έστειλε επιστολή στην υπουργό Εξωτερικών των ΗΠΑ Χίλαρι Ρόνταµ Κλίντον στις 30 ∆εκεµβρίου µε την προτροπή να εστιάσει την προσοχή της προς το «ενοχλητικό και επώδυνο» γεγονός που συνέβη την ηµέρα των Χριστουγέννων στην µικρή εκκλησία του Αγίου Συνέσιου. Εξέδωσε επίσης δηµόσια δήλωση µετά την πρωτοχρονιάτικη τροµοκρατική επίθεση κατά της µικρής Κοπτικής εκκλησίας στην Αλεξάνδρεια της Αιγύπτου, στη διάρκεια της οποίας σκοτώθηκαν τουλάχιστον 21 άτοµα. Στην επιστολή του προς την Υπουργό Εξωτερικών ο Σεβασµιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αµερικής περιγράφει τη βίαιη διακοπή της Θείας Λειτουργίας των Χριστουγέννων από «αστυνοµικούς» του ψευδοκράτους και επικρίνει τις ενέργειες αυτές ως κατάφωρη παραβίαση της θρησκευτικής ελευθερίας και των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωµάτων των Ορθοδόξων πιστών. ∆ηλώνει επίσης ότι οι ενέργειες αυτές βρίσκονται σε άµεση αντίθεση µε από προ πολλού υπογεγραµµένες συνθήκες της Τρίτης Συµφωνίας της Βιέννης του Αυγούστου 1975, της Ευρωπαϊκής Σύµβασης για τα Ανθρώπινα ∆ικαιώµατα, καθώς και την Οικουµενική ∆ιακήρυξη των ∆ικαιωµάτων του Ανθρώπου. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος δήλωσε επίσης «Κυρία Υπουργέ, εµείς υπολογίζουµε µε ευγνωµοσύνη στην αποτελεσµατική δράση σας, έτσι ώστε να µην παραβιάζονται οι διεθνείς νόµοι σχετικά µε τη θρησκευτική ελευθερία και τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώµατα, και παρόµοια περιστατικά δε θα λάβουν χώρα ξανά στην Κύπρο ή σε οποιοδήποτε άλλο µέρος του κόσµου.» Σύµφωνα µε δηµοσιεύµατα του Τύπου, η αστυνοµία εισέβαλε στο Ναό του Αγίου Συνέσιου στο κατεχόµενο Ριζοκάρπασο, σταµάτησε τη Θεία Λειτουργία, σφράγισε την εκκλησία, έβγαλε έξω τους πιστούς και διέταξε τον ιερέα να βγάλει τα άµφια του για τη χαρούµενη γέννηση του Χριστού. Και δεν σταµάτησε εκεί. Ο ιερέας της Αγίας Κυριακής κοινοποιήθηκε να µην πάη στη δουλειά. Ο λόγος: ότι δεν είχε καταθέσει αίτηση για άδεια. Από την πλευρά του ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Κύπρου Χρυσόστοµος απέρριψε αυτή τη δικαιολογία, σηµειώνοντας ότι το τυπικό πρόγραµµα για τις λειτουργίες των κατεχόµενων περιοχών υποβάλλεται στην αρχή κάθε µήνα, στο οποίο προστίθεται το αίτηµα για τις υπηρεσίες των Χριστουγέννων. Αλλά αυτή δεν είναι η µόνη προκλητική ενέργεια του κατοχικού καθεστώτος. Οι κατοχικές αρχές εµπόδισαν τον εγκεκριµµένο µε άδεια των αρχών ιερέα της εκκλησίας της Αγίας Τριάδας Γιαλλούση να πάει στην εκκλησία και να τελέσει τη Θεία Λειτουργία των Χριστουγέννων. Ο π. Κωνσταντίνος Παπακώστας, ο οποίος µια φορά το µήνα πηγαίνει στην εκκλησία της Αγίας Τριάδος στο Ριζοκάρπασο, ήταν έτοιµος να πάει για να εορτάσει τη γέννηση του
Χριστού. Ο π. Κωνσταντίνος έχει λάβει έγκριση από τα Ηνωµένα Έθνη, την Ε.Ε., την Κύπρο, την Αρχιεπισκοπή Κύπρου, αλλά και από την Τουρκία να προσφέρει τις υπηρεσίες του στην εκκλησία της Αγίας Τριάδος. Αλλά αυτή τη φορά, οι Τούρκοι έφεραν ως δικαιολογία πως έπρεπε να είχε υποβάλλει αίτηση πριν από ένα µήνα. Η τοπική τηλεόραση και το ραδιόφωνο της Κύπρου ανέφεραν πως από το βράδυ των Χριστουγέννων στρατεύµατα στην κατεχόµενη νήσο εισέβαλαν τουλάχιστον σε επτά ελληνικές ορθόδοξες εκκλησίες, σταµάτησαν τις Θείες Λειτουργίες και πέταξαν έξω τους Ορθόδοξους πιστούς. Σε δήλωσή του µετά την πρωτοχρονιάτικη βοµβιστική ενέργεια κατά της Κοπτικής Εκκλησίας στην Αλεξάνδρεια της Αιγύπτου, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος ∆ηµήτριος δήλωσε: «Αυτή η βάρβαρη πράξη του θρησκευτικού µίσους παραβιάζει κάθε πολιτισµένο και ανθρώπινο συναίσθηµα, καθώς και οποιωνδήποτε και όλων των πνευµατικών αξιών. Όλοι οι άνθρωποι της πίστεως οφείλουν να απορρίψουν απόλυτα αυτή τη θηριωδία και το εν λόγω αδίκηµα ενάντια στο Θεό και την ανθρωπότητα. Εκφράζουµε τη βαθύτατη συµπάθειά µας, τη σκέψη και τις προσευχές µας στους Κόπτες αδελφούς και αδελφές µας στην Αίγυπτο και σε όλο τον κόσµο. Η ευγενής κληρονοµιά και οι παραδόσεις τους δεν θα επιβιώσουν µόνο αυτή την τροµοκρατική πράξη, αλλά πρέπει επίσης να υποµείνουν και να ακµάσουν, ενώ αυτές οι απαίσιες τροµοκρατικές πράξεις θα είναι στο χρονοντούλαπο της ιστορίας». Σύ µφωνα µε τις δηµοσιευµένες εκθέσεις, η τροµοκρατική βοµβιστική επίθεση κατά της Κοπτικής Εκκλησίας κατά τη διάρκεια των υπηρεσιών της Πρωτοχρονιάς, έλαβε χώρα ενώ προσεύχονταν περίπου 1.000 άτοµα. Οι Αιγυπτιακές δυνάµεις ασφαλείας συνέλαβαν επτά άτοµα σε σχέση µε την επίθεση. Ο Αιγύπτιος Πρόεδρος Χόσνι Μουµπάρακ καταδίκασε αυτό που αποκάλεσε «επίθεση εναντίων όλων των Αιγυπτίων» από «ξένα στοιχεία.» Νωρίτερα συνελήφθησαν 17 άνθρωποι, αλλά τουλάχιστον οι 10 αφέθηκαν ελεύθεροι. Οι ειδικοί κατηγορούν την Αλ- Κάιντα. «Οι τεχνικές πτυχές της επίθεσης ... ο µεγάλος αριθµός των θυµάτων και οι απειλές της Αλ-Κάιντα στο Ιράκ, όλα δείχνουν τα δακτυλικά αποτυπώµατα της Αλ Κάιντα», δήλωσε ο Diaa Rashwan, του κέντρου al-Ahram του Καΐρου. Κανείς δεν ανέλαβε την ευθύνη για την επίθεση, αλλά οι δυνάµεις ασφαλείας που ερευνούν τη χειρότερη θρησκευτική επίθεση στη χώρα από το 1999 επικεντρώνονται σε µια τοπική οµάδα εµπνευσµένη από την Αλ-Κάιντα, η οποία όµως δε συνέεται άµεσα µε αυτήν. Αιγύπτιοι αξιωµατούχοι είπαν ότι 97 άνθρωποι τραυµατίστηκαν στην επίθεση, η οποία φαινόταν να πραγµατοποήθηκε από ένα αυτοκίνητο κ αι ένα βοµβιστή αυτοκτονίας. Οι ερευνητές εξέταζαν δύο κεφάλια που βρέθηκαν στο χώρο, ανέφερε το κρατικό πρακτορείο ειδήσεων Mena. Η ασφάλεια ενισχύθηκε στις εκκλησίες σε όλη τη χώρα.
Προσφιλεῖς Ἀδελφοί καί Ἀδελφές ἐν Χριστῷ, Ἡ ὁλοκλήρωση ἑνός ἡµερολογιακοῦ ἔτους καί ἡ ἀρχή ἑνός νέου ἀποτελεῖ εὐκαιρία στοχασµοῦ καί προσµονῆς. Εἶναι ἡ χρονική στιγµή κατά τήν ὁποία κοιτάζουµε τό περασµένο ἔτος καί σκεπτόµεθα τίς προκλήσεις καί χαρές µας, τά σηµαντικότερα γεγονότα καί τίς προσπάθειές µας, καί τά ἐπιτεύγµατά µας ὅπως ἐπίσης καί τά ἐκκρεµῆ ζητήµατα τά ὁποῖα δέν ἔχουν διευθετηθεῖ. Στή χρονική αὐτή συγκυρία, ἀτενίζουµε ἐπίσης τό νέο ἔτος µέ προσδοκία, ἀναλογιζόµενοι τό τί ἐνδεχοµένως θά συµβεῖ, σχεδιάζοντας τίς δραστηριότητές µας καί ἐλπίζοντας ὅτι θά ἔχουµε ὑγεία καί εὐτυχία στή διάρκειά του. Ὅλος αὐτός ὁ στοχασµός καί ἡ προσδοκία ἐνθαρρύνεται ἀπό τήν πολιτιστική ἀτµόσφαιρα γύρω µας ἡ ὁποία πανηγυρίζει τή χρονική παρέλευση ἑνός ἔτους χωρίς νά συνδέεται βαθειά µέ πνευµατικά γεγονότα καί ἑορτασµούς οἱ ὁποῖοι ἀντανακλοῦν ἀληθινή ἐλπίδα καί βεβαιότητα. Ὅµως, ὡς Ὀρθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί, ἔχουµε τήν εὐλογία τήν χρονική αὐτή στιγµή τοῦ ἔτους νά ἑορτάζουµε δύο ὡραῖες καί ἅγιες ἑορτές τῆς Ἐκκλησίας οἱ ὁποῖες εἶναι πλήρεις στοχασµοῦ καί προσδοκίας. Μόνο λίγες ἡµέρες παρῆλθαν ἀπό τόν ἑορτασµό τῆς Ἑορτῆς τῶν Χριστουγέννων, ἑορτή τοῦ φωτός τῆς ἀληθείας πού διαλύουν τό σκότος τῆς ἁµαρτίας καί τοῦ θανάτου, καί ἑορτή χαρᾶς λόγῳ τῆς προσδοκίας τῶν εὐλογιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Σέ λίγες ἡµέρες θά ἑορτάσουµε τήν Ἑορτή τῶν Θεοφανείων, ἀκόµη µία εὐκαιρία πλήρη φωτός καί χάριτος. Θά ἑορτάσουµε τήν βάπτιση τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπό τόν Ἰωάννη στόν Ἰορδάνη ποταµό, κατά τήν ὁποία ἔγινε καί ἡ ἀποκάλυψη τῆς Ἁγίας Τριᾶδος καθώς ὁ Κύριος ἐγκαινίαζε τή γήϊνη ἀποστολή Του. Τήν ἡµέρα αὐτή καλούµεθα νά σκεφθοῦµε τήν πνευµατική σπουδαιότητα αὐτοῦ τοῦ θαυµατουργικοῦ γεγονότος καί να ζήσουµε τήν προσδοκία τῆς συνεχοῦς µεταµορφώσεώς µας στήν πορεία µας διά τῆς πίστεως πρός τήν σωτηρία. Ἀµφότερες οἱ ἑορτές αὐτές µᾶς βοηθοῦν νά τοποθετήσουµε τήν παρέλευση τοῦ χρόνου καί τόν ἐρχοµό τοῦ νέου ἔτους σέ σωστό καί πνευµατικό πλαίσιο. Τό γεγονός αὐτό δέν εἶναι ἕνα µή - θρησκευτικό γεγονός τό ὁποῖο ἁπλῶς σηµειώνει τήν ἀλλαγή ἑνός ἀριθµοῦ ἀπό τό 2010 στό 2011 ἤ τό γύρισµα τῆς σελίδος τοῦ ἡµερολογίου. Ὅταν συνενώνεται ἡ ἀρχή τοῦ νέου ἔτους µέ τούς πανηγυρικούς ἑορτασµούς µας ὡς Ὀρθοδόξων Χριστιανῶν, ἡ χρονική αὐτή στιγµή στοχασµοῦ καί προσδοκίας ἑστιάζεται στήν πνευµατική ζωή µας καί στήν διακονία προσευχῆς καί προσφορᾶς µας. Στήν Ἑορτή τῆς Γεννήσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ βλέπουµε Ἐκεῖνον ὁ Ὁποῖος σαρκώθηκε γιά τή σωτηρία µας, καί στήν Ἑορτή τῶν Θεοφανείων φωτιζόµεθα διά τῆς µαρτυρίας Ἐκείνου ὁ Ὁποῖος ἁγιάζει τίς ζωές µας µέ τήν παρουσία Του. Στήν ἁγία Γέννησή Του λαµβάνουµε τό δῶρο τό ὁποῖο πρέπει νά προσφέρεται καί νά διακηρύσσεται σ’ ὅλο τόν κόσµο, καί στήν Βάπτισή Του βιώνουµε τήν δύναµη τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύµατος τό ὁποῖο µᾶς ἀξιώνει νά εἴµεθα κοινωνοί τῆς χάριτος καί τῆς ἀληθείας σ’ ὅλη τήν διάρκεια τῆς ζωῆς µας. Ἔτσι, ἀρχίζουµε ἕνα νέο ἔτος µέ τίς καρδιές καί διάνοιές µας πληµµυρισµένες µέ τήν ἔξαρση τῶν Ἑορτῶν καί µέ τήν χάρη καί τήν κλήση πού δεχόµεθα ὡς παιδιά τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀρχίζουµε ἕνα νέο ἔτος µέ εὐκαιρίες γιά λατρεία καί προσφορά ὑπηρεσιῶν καθώς κάνουµε βαθύτερη τή σχέση µας µέ τόν Θεό καί δυναµώνουµε τή µαρτυρία µας στούς συνανθρώπους µας. Ἀρχίζουµε ἕνα νέο ἔτος ἐν Κυρίῳ µέ τήν δέσµευσή µας νά ζοῦµε τήν κάθε στιγµή του µέ τήν παρουσία τοῦ Χριστοῦ καί νά χρησιµοποιοῦµε τήν κάθε ἡµέρα µας γιά νά Τοῦ ἀποδίδουµε τιµή καί δόξα. Ἀρχίζουµε ἕνα νέο ἔτος ἐνήµεροι τῆς φανερώσεως τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ καί τῆς συγχωρήσεώς Του, καί ἀναλογιζόµενοι τήν πορεία µας καί τίς εὐλογίες τῆς δυνάµεως καί χάριτός Του στίς ἡµέρες πού ἔρχονται. Εἶναι παράδοσή µας, ἐπίσης, στήν Ἑορτή τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου καί τήν ἔναρξη τοῦ Νέου Ἔτους νά τιµοῦµε µία ὡραία διακονία πίστεως τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς µας, δηλαδή τήν Ἀκαδηµία τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου. Κατά τήν διάρκεια τοῦ πρώτου µηνός τοῦ ἔτους, ἡ Φιλόπτωχος Ἀδελφότητα Κυριῶν µᾶς ὁδηγεῖ στή συγκέντρωση προσφορῶν γιά νά ἐνισχύσουµε τή µαρτυρία καί τίς ὑπηρεσίες τοῦ προσωπικοῦ καί τῶν διευθυντῶν τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου στήν προσπάθειά των νά καλλιεργήσουν καί νά καθοδηγήσουν τίς ζωές νέων παιδιῶν µέ συµπάθεια καί πίστη. Ἡ διακονία αὐτή εἶναι διακονία ἀναγνωρίσεως ἑξήντα καί πλέον ἐτῶν ἀφοσιωµένης ὑπηρεσίας πού ἐδωσε σέ ἀναρίθµητα παιδιά ἐλπίδα, ἀγάπη καί στήριξη µέσα ἀπό τόν Ἅγιο Βασίλειο. Εἶναι, ἐπίσης, διακονία προσδοκίας. Ὅλα τά παιδιά πού ἔρχονται καί διαµένουν στήν Ἀκαδηµία τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου ἔχουν ἀνάγκη ἀπό ἕνα περιβάλλον τό ὁποῖο θά τούς προσφέρει καθοδήγηση καί ἐνδυνάµωση καί τή δυνατότητα ἀναπτύξεως τοῦ δυναµικοῦ των. Ὅλοι ἐµεῖς δικαίως προσδοκοῦµε τά µεγάλα καί θαυµαστά πράγµατα τά ὁποῖα θά ἐπιτευχθοῦν ἀπό τά παιδιά καί τούς νέους πού ἔχουν εὐλογηθεῖ µέ τό δῶρο τῆς ζωῆς τους στήν Ἀκαδηµία τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου. Τήν Ἡµέρα τῆς Πρωτοχρονιᾶς καί στήν Ἑορτή τοῦ µεγάλου Πατρός καί Οἰκουµενικοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου µας Ἁγίου Βασιλείου, σᾶς προσκαλῶ νά προσφέρετε γενναιόδωρα στό ἔργο τῆς Ἀκαδηµίας τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου καί νά προσευχηθῆτε γιά ἐκείνους οἱ ὁποῖοι ἐργάζονται ἐπιµελῶς καί µέ πίστη στήν ὑπηρεσία τῶν παιδιῶν καί τῶν νέων µας ἐν ὀνόµατι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἴθε νά συµµετέχουµε στή χαρά τῆς ἐποχῆς αὐτῆς τοῦ φωτός καί τῆς ζωῆς, προσδοκῶντας τίς ἄπειρες εὐλογίες τοῦ Θεοῦ στό ἀνατέλλον ἔτος καθώς προσφέρουµε τήν λατρεία καί τίς προσευχές µας καί ὑπηρετοῦµε ἀλλήλους καί ὅλους τούς ἀνθρώπους µέ τή χάρη καί τή δύναµη τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ Κυρίου µας. Μέ πατρική ἐν Χριστῷ Σαρκωθέντι ἀγάπη,
† ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἀµερικῆς ∆ηµήτριος
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ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ
Στων Τριών Ιεραρχών τη γιορτή...
Του Αναστάσιου Μ. Ιωαννίδη Καθηγητή Πανεπιστηµίου Σινσιννάτι, Οχάϊο ioanniam@yahoo.com Η γιορτή των Τριών Ιεραρχών καθιερώθηκε σαν μέρα των γραμμάτων, της παιδείας δηλαδή, σε μια εποχή που το Βυζάντιο ξαναβρέθηκε αδυσώπητα μπρος στο μεγάλο δίλημμα: Ιερουσαλήμ ή Αθήνα. Δεν ήταν, βέβαια, η πρώτη φορά που ο αένναος θαυμασμός των Βυζαντινών (ιδίως των λογίων) για την αρχαία Ελληνική παιδεία τους έφερνε εκρηκτικά αντιμέτωπους με την εξ ίσου βαθειά Χριστιανική πίστη (ιδίως της πιο πολυάριθμης μάζας των απλών πολιτών). Έμελλε όμως να είναι η τελευταία, τουλάχιστο μέχρι την αναβίωση του νεοελληνικού κράτους και του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών τον 19 ο αιώνα. Η κρίση αυτή που απειλούσε με διάσπαση την πολύπαθη αυτοκρατορία δεν μπορούσε νάρθει σε χειρότερη στιγμή, μια και κορυφώθηκε λίγα χρόνια μετά το σχίσμα με τη Δυτική εκκλησία του 1054. Στο μάτι του τυφώνα ήταν ο Ύπατος των Φιλοσόφων του Βυζαντίου Μιχαήλ Ψελλός (1017-1096), υπό τον έλεγχο του οποίου ο Αυτοκράτορας Κωνσταντίνος Θ΄ ο Μονομάχος (β. 1042-1055) είχε θέσει τα νεοσύστατα κρατικά ανώτατα εκπαιδευτικά ιδρύματα της Κωνσταντινούπολης. Ο τραυλός αυτός λάτρης της Ελληνικής αρχαιότητας, όντας ανεπανάληπτη ιδιοφυία με εξ ίσου υπέρμετρη αυτοπεποίθηση, θεωρούσε τον ε αυ τό του «ερωτευμένο με τη γνώση» σαν κανείς άλλος απο την εποχή του αυτοκράτορα Ιουλιανού (β. 360-363). Αν και ουδέποτε αρνήθηκε τα δόγματα των οικουμενικών συνόδων, ήταν φανερό πως ο Ψελλός είχε σαν ινδάλματα του όχι τους Αγίους Πατέρες, μα τους αρχαίους Πλάτωνα και Αριστοτέλη (4ος αι. π.Χ.) καθώς και τον πιο σύγχρονο νεοπλατωνικό φιλόσοφο Πρόκλο (412485). Κατ’ εξοχήν μαΐστωρ της ρητορικής ο ίδιος, ο Ψελλός πίστευε πως ο διδάσκαλος πρέπει να είναι «παντοδαπός», δηλαδή κατηρτισμένος σε όλες τις επιστήμες, κι όντως έχει αφήσει πίσω του συγγραφικό έργο ανάλογα ευρύ.
Αντίθετα με κατοπινές εποχές, ο Ιουλιανός εξακολουθούσε να είναι για πολλούς Βυζαντινούς ένας ιδιαίτερα πετυχημένος αυτοκράτορας, τα οστά του οποίου αναπαύονταν στο Ναό των Αγίων Αποστόλων, μαζί με τις σορούς π.χ. του αυτοκράτορα Ιουστινιανού (†565) και του πατριάρχη Γρηγορίου του Νανζιανζηνού (†389). «Τα αυτιά μας βαρέθηκαν πια να ακούουν τους επαίνους της διοί-
κησης του, και πως χαμήλωσε τους φόρους, ή πως διάλεξε σοφούς δικαστές, ή πως πάταξε την παρανομία!» είχε κάποτε διαμαρτυρηθεί ο Ναζιανζηνός. Η «παράβαση» του Ιουλιανού ήταν πώς είχε καταλήξει στο συμπέρασμα πως ο νεοπλατωνισμός ήταν ανώτερος του Χριστιανισμού, και μάλιστα πως η Ελληνική παιδεία ήταν άρρηκτα συνδεδεμένη με δόγματα και αξίες ασυμβίβα-
ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ 2011
στες με την Έκκλησία. Ο Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος (†407) ήταν κι αυτός θιασώτης του πλατωνισμού, προσπάθησε όμως να αποκρούσει τις ενστάσεις του Ιουλιανού με τη γλώσσα της Ελληνικής φιλοσοφίας, χωρίς βέβαια να αρνηθεί την γενικώτερη ασυμφωνία της με το Χριστιανισμό. Ο Βασίλειος ο Καισαρείας (†379), απο την άλλη, άφηνε κάποιο μεγαλύτερο περιθώριο συμβιασμού, δεδομένου πως ο Χριστιανός ήταν σε θέση νά διαλέξει μόνο τα καλά της παιδείας των Αθηνών και να αγνοήσει τα πονηρά. Η έντονη αντίδραση κλήρου και λαού οδήγησε τελικά στην απομάκρυνση του Ψελλού από την Κωνσταντινούπολη, και η καταδίκη του μαζί με την τελική απόρριψη της ιδεόλογίας του Ιουλιανού σφραγίσθηκε με την επέκταση των αναθεμάτων στο Συνοδικό της Ορθοδοξίας το 1077. Το Βυζαντινό πνεύμα της συναίνεσης, όμως, φρόντισε αντί να αποξενώσει την Ελληνική παιδεία, να την οικοιοποιηθεί και να την αφομοιώσει στα πρόσωπα των Τριών Ιεραρχών, την λειτουργική υμνολογία των οποίων φέρεται να συνέγραψε ο ίδιος ο διδάσκαλος του Ψελλού, ο λόγιος και μητροπολίτης Ιωάννης ο Μαυρόπους (†1081). Σε λόγο του προς τους Τρεις Ιεράρχες, ο Μαυρόπους με μια μονοκονδυλιά αναιρεί τις απόψεις και του Ψελλού και του Ιουλιανού: «Πούνε τώρα η πνοή σου, ω σοφέ κατά σάρκα, που μας καυχιέσαι για τις λογικές τέχνες κι επιστήμες, και που μας κομπάζεις αδιάκοπα με τη φλυαρία των ποιητών για τους αίσχιστους θεούς; Δεν βλέπεις τη μελωδική και παναρμόνια σύγκραση του μυαλού προς τον λόγο, και της ρητορίας προς την πράξη; Δεν βλέπεις τους δικούς μου φιλοσόφους και ρήτορες (και ποιητές, αν προτιμάς, δίχως τις ψευτιές και τα κάλπικα) πόσο πολύ διαφέρουν απο τους δικούς σου, ακόμα και στη δική σου ειδικότητα;» Λίγο αργότερα, με νεαρά (νόμο, δηλαδή) του αυτοκράτορα Αλέξιου Α΄ του Κομνηνού (β. 1081-1118), η διοίκηση του υπό γένεση «πανεπιστημίου» ανετέθη αντί στον Ύπατο των Φιλοσόφων, σε τρεις «μεγάλους οικουμενικούς διδασκάλους», διαλεγμένους απο το Πατριαρχείο. Κι εμείς, τη σοφία τους νάχαμε...
Συνάντηση Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημητρίου με τον Πρόεδρο του ΕΟΤ στη Νέα Υόρκη Σελίδα 15 εξέφρασε την ικανοποίηση του από την συζήτηση που είχε με τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δηνήτριο. «Συνάντησα τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο εκπροσωπώντας τον Ελληνικό Οργανισμό Τουρισμού. Φεύγω πιο σοφός, με μεγαλύτερη αισιοδοξία. Ξέρω ότι και η Αρχιεπισκοπή θα μας βοηθήσει στο έργο μας, ένα πάρα πολύ σημαντικό έργο, γιατί ο τουρισμός για την Ελλάδα είναι η ατμομηχανή της ελληνικής οικονομίας. Πιστεύω ότι αυτή η φλόγα της ψυχής, η δύναμη του πνεύματος για εμάς θα είναι ορόσημο στη μεγάλη προσπάθεια μας και με τη βοήθεια του Θεού νομίζουμε ότι η χρονιά, η νέα χρονιά, το 2011, θα είναι μια πάρα πολύ θετική χρονιά για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό, για την πατρίδα» τόνισε ο κ.Κανελλόπουλος. «Ήταν μια πάρα πολύ ωραία ευκαιρία να
ιδωθούμε, να ανταλλάξουμε σκέψεις. Μας ενδιαφέρει πάρα πολύ η ανάπτυξη του τουρισμού» δήλωσε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος και πρόσθεσε: «Όχι μόνο ως τουρισμού αλλά ως τρόπου συνδέσεως της Ομογένειας με την Ελλάδα, με την παράδοση την Ορθόδοξη και την κλασική, την οποία εκπροσωπεί η Ελλάδα και επομένως τέτοιες ευκαιρίες όπως η συνάντηση με τον κύριο Πρόεδρο και τη συνοδεία του είναι πάρα πολύ γόνιμες, πάρα πολύ δημιουργικές και δημιουργούν ένα κλίμα όχι απλώς αισιοδοξίας αλλά ελπίδος για να χρησιμοποιήσω τη χριστιανική γλώσσα, ελπίδος ότι όποιες δυσκολίες και εάν υπάρχουν ποτέ δεν μπορούν να σταματήσουν την πρόοδο και την αποστολή που έχουμε ως Ορθοδοξία και ως Γένος να δώσουμε στον κόσμο ό,τι καλύτερο μπορούμε, ως αλήθεια, ως ειρήνη, ως αγάπη, ως δυνατότητα για κάθε άνθρωπο να ζήσει ευτυχισμένο σε αυτό τον πλανήτη».
JANUARY 2011
19
METROPOLIS NEWS
Metropolis of New Jersey Holds 16th Greek Folk Dance Festival
Dancers from Annunciation in Baltimore dance for the audience. Metropolitan Evangelos greeted every participant in the festival.
from page 14 ers – Sts Constantine and Helen in Annapolis, Md. 3rd place: Sr. Aegean Odyssey Dancers – Sts. Constantine and Helen, Annapolis 2nd place: Demetrakia II – St. Demetrios, Baltimore 1st place: Evangelakia – Annunciation Cathedral, Baltimore
Senior Division
Best Costume: Mythos - St. George, Asbury Park, N.J. 3rd place: Annunciation Hellenic Dancers – Annunciation, Norfolk, Va. 2nd place: Demetrakia I – St. Demetrios, Baltimore 1st place: Mythos - St. George, Asbury Park
Participants
Participating parishes were (names of groups in parenthesis): Sts.. Constan-
tine and Helen, Annapolis (Filia, Hara, Jr. Aegean Odyssey Dancers, Sr. Aegean Odyssey Dancers); St. Demetrios, Baltimore (Demetrakia I, Demetrakia II, Demetrakia III, Demetrakia IV, Demetrakia V); St. Luke, Broomall, Pa. (Senior and Junior Olympians); Annunciation Cathedral, Baltimore (Diamantia, Evangelakia); St. Demetrios, Upper Darby, Pa. (Pegasus Junior and Senior); St. George, Asbury Park, N.J. (Mythos); St. George, Tren-
ton, N.J. (Terpsichorians); St. Nicholas, Baltimore (Ta Ellinakia); Sts.. Constantine and Helen, Newport News, Va. (Fotakia, Elliniki Psihi); Annunciation Cathedral, Norfolk, Va. (Annunciation Zoe Dancers, Annunciation Hellenic Dancers); St. John The Theologian, Tenafly, N.J. (St. John GOYA Dancers); St. Athanasios, Paramus, N.J. (Oi Aetoi). George Tomczewski is the metropolis youth advisor.
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JANUARY 2011
TICKETS TO GREECE ON SALE
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A New Year’s Reflection
20:11 for 2011
The Year of the Sabbath Leader by Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos
“The LORD blessed the Sabbat day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:11) It is significant that the 2011 New Year began on a Sabbath – the one day of the week that we are informed by Holy Scripture God “blessed,” and “sanctified” (Ex. 20:11). But what exactly does this mean? What message does Exodus 20:11 offer a world entering the year 2011? More specifically, what can the 11th verse of the 20th chapter of an ancient Old Testament book say to newly elected Orthodox Christian leaders celebrating the commencement of the eleventh new year of the current millennium? Exodus 20:11 insists that humans cannot find meaning in their work without simultaneously understanding the meaning of “rest” as dependency in God! “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). This is the primary reason why God used the example of His resting on the seventh day of Creation to establish the principle of the Sabbath day rest for His people. In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, God gave the Israelites the fourth of His Ten Commandments. They were to “remember” the Sabbath day and “keep it holy.” One day out of every seven, they were to rest from their labors and give the same day of rest to their servants and animals. This was not just a physical rest, but a cessation of laboring. Whatever work they were engaged in was to stop for a full day each week. Orthodox Christians believe that Sabbath corresponds to the Greek word for Saturday, pronounced “savvato.” Hence, Saturday is the Old Testament Sabbath and Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the first Day of the week that commemorates Christ’s Resurrection. Throughout its history, Orthodox tradition has never considered Saturday as a strict fasting day. Rather, it has emphasized the liturgical practice, especially in monasteries, of celebrating the Divine Liturgy both on the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day. While the number seven (7) in the Old Testament denotes completion, the number eight (8) signifies new beginnings. Consequently, as the old Sabbath was the seal of the old creation, Sunday is seal of the New Creation, the first or eighth day of an entirely new epoch. Passages concerning the 4th Commandment in the Old Testament (Ex. 20:11; Deut. 5:15) unite the concept of God’s Sabbath rest to the liberation of the Israelites out of Egypt after their 400-year period of labor and toil. The main reason that humanity’s rest is assimilated to God’s rest is to show the intrinsic resemblance between man’s nature and God’s (Gen 1:27). It also points towards an eternal rest, wherein intimately united to God’s Will, humanity experiences its highest bliss and the true aim of its being. The Christian Church Fathers of the first and second centuries did not consider the Sabbath day to be a day all Christians were obligated to observe in the strict Judaic sense. The insisted that the Sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday that recalls the new creation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ. The Apostolic Constitutions (fourth century) recommend the observation of the Sabbath as a time for “the meditation upon God’s laws ... not an occasion of idleness, but
an opportunity of piety, for knowledge of God’s power . . . for the inquiry of God’s wisdom, and the grateful praise to His blessings.” Sabbath rest is, therefore, fundamentally the dedication of one entire day, out of seven, to God. Humanity’s dependency on work and energy is shifted, to the work, dominion, power and glory of God. Those who abide by this fourth and longest of all the Ten Commandments provide a powerful sign of their dependency on God. In the final analysis, we are all dependent on God for sustenance and freedom. All other alliances produce enslavement, tyranny, and death. While the secular-minded remain obsessed with technological advances that promise the ability to squeeze larger levels of productivity from ever day, hour and second of time, God-centered leaders dedicate Sabbaths – regular periods of God-centered reflection and prayer throughout the week – to acknowledge their reliance on God’s sovereignty over their lives. We are surrounded by a restless culture, overly pre-occupied with material and emotional success! “There is no peace or rest for the wicked,” writes the prophet Isaiah, “they are like the tossing sea that cannot find rest” (Is. 57:20-21). In such a society, individuals seek a way to bring meaning and significance to their work – defined increasingly as drudgery. Only by accepting the principle of the Sabbath in terms of cooperating (resting) with God can our future work of 2011 be transformed into the sacrament of God’s rest. Such rest, however, must not be understood as a mere absence from labor. The 4th Commandment provides for the possibility of “sanctified work.” Properly used, the Sabbath day and periodic Sabbath periods throughout the week are, indeed, invaluable opportunities for Orthodox Christian leaders to sharpen their ability of uniting the secular with the religious, the profane with the sacred, the world with the Kingdom. Understood in this broader fashion, the precept of the Sabbath involves the consecration of time itself and not merely a day. This is what gives Exodus 20:11significance for Orthodox Christian leaders. Time belongs to God and not to employers or self-centered goals. This is the Orthodox Christian understanding of the 4th Commandment. The limitation of the Old Testament understanding of Sabbath gives way to a more perfect understanding. Through Christ’s Resurrection, Sunday, the New 8th Day of unlimited prospects, is inaugurated. Consecrated time can now be transposed to every day of the week, month, and year. Orthodox Christian leaders would do well to consecrate some of their 2011 weekly time to God in such a way as to develop their ability to understand the vital aspects of their ecclesial duties, goals and objectives as sacred tasks. Faithful parish leaders are characterized by their early arrival to worship services and other important community gatherings. They refrain from performing mundane tasks such as counting collection tray offerings during sacred time. There are three primary components to the consecration of time and work in such a fashion: (a) reflection, (b) reimaging, and (c) re-engagement. Christian leaders may consider allotting a portion of every day to such a Sabbath discipline.
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JANUARY 2011
Church in Western New York Serves Wide Area P A R I S H
profile
Greek Orthodox Church Location: Jamestown, N.Y. Metropolis of Detroit Size: about 100 families Founded: 1921 Clergy: Fr. George Zervos (Holy Cross 1965) E-mail: none Web: www.stnicholasjamestown.org Noteworthy: Greek Orthodox Christians from Albania helped establish the parish. ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
Early years and development Before the parish was created, priests from Buffalo and from Ohio would come to the community to perform services and sacraments, beginning around 1916. A chapter of the Epirotic Society, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, played “a vital role in initiating the church,”
Presbytera Records Byzantine Chant CD by Sophia Nibi
Name: St. Nicholas
JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – Nestled between Lake Chautauqua and the foothills of the Allegheny (Appalachian) Mountains in far western New York state is this small city of about 32,000 people, mostly of Swedish and Italian background, whose biggest claim to fame is being the hometown of the premiere comedienne of the 20th century, Lucille Ball. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the town, located about a dozen miles north of Pennsylvania and some 50 miles from Ohio, was famous as the “furniture capital of the world.” This is what drew the first Greek Orthodox immigrants here. Most were from the region of Korce, Albania, just north of the Greek border. They fled persecution from the Ottoman Turks, according to Fr. Zervos, the parish priest since 2003. Still others soon came from various parts of Greece, including Siatiasta, Thrace and the Peloponnesus. While many worked in furniture manufacturing or in the textile mills also located in Jamestown, others opened restaurants and confectionaries. The region was a popular summer resort due to the presence of Lake Chautauqua and drew many tourists. Over the years, most furniture makers moved away and only a few remain, including one Greek-owned company, El Greco, a baby crib manufacturer with customers in various parts of the U.S. Most parishioners are retirees, descendants of the founding members, Fr. Zervos noted. Members also include a few younger families and some inter-church marriage couples. The Sunday school has 15 children and two teachers. There is no Greek school or Albanian school. “We never had an Albanian or Greek school,” said the priest. “The parishioners wanted to be Americanized.” Services are mostly in English, though some liturgical Greek is used.
PEOPLE
according to a personal reflection written years ago by a charter member, Seraphim Depas. In August 1921, Fr. Chrysanthos Hagipappas of Youngstown, Ohio, visited the community and celebrated the Dormition of the Theotokos service at a local lodge hall. Plans were discussed to establish a church and 17 persons contributed $1,500. An ecclesiastical charter eventually was granted and ground was broken in 1922. Fr. Hagipappas traveled to Jamestown for a few years to hold regular services. On a visit to Albania in 1924, Mr. Depas, at the suggestion of the parish council, contacted Fr. George Joanethis about relocating to Jamestown, which the priest agreed to do. Fr. Joanethis celebrated the first liturgy on New Year’s Day, 1926. He served the parish the longest, for 31 years. He was a friend of Archbishop Athenagoras, who would often visit Jamestown. Also in 1926, the Ladies Erene Society, forerunner of the Philoptochos chapter, was founded. Over the years, the Erene Society has held rummage sales, bake sales, the St. Nicholas Day Luncheon and other fund-raising events with proceeds going to local and international charities. Fr. Jonethis’ son, Terry, started the choir in 1937. Fr. Costas J. Kouklis, who served the community after Fr. Joanethis, led the efforts to build a new church, the present building, in 1965 after a second fire heavily damaged the original structure. Archbishop Iakovos consecrated the new building in May 1968 according to Mr. Depas’ article. Another priest who served the parish for a lengthy period, Fr. Nicholas Rafael, pastored the community for 25 years. Under his ministry he abolished bingo games. Instead, he established the “Yassou” Greek Festival, which has been held annually for the past 28 years. Fr. Rafael also was a leader in the greater Jamestown community. He served on the board of the Jamestown Housing Authority and was an advocate for the poor, the elderly and handicapped people in the community. He also helped to establish St. Susan’s Soup Kitchen with other clergy in the community through a $10,000 gift from the estate of a car accident victim he helped care for and who later died. The kitchen serves hot meals five days a week to the needy. Fr. Rafael died in 2005 and a housing authority senior citizens building was
named in his honor for his work with the elderly. Current era St. Nicholas parish includes a fourcounty area in far western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Some parishioners travel as much as two hours to attend services. Parish income is derived mostly from stewardship, along with the annual festival mentioned previously, every Father’s Day weekend. Prior to arriving at the parish nearly eight years ago, Fr. Zervos, a Detroit native, served parishes in the South for 13 years and in the Chicago area for 12 years. According to information from Presbytera Anastasia, Fr. Zervos was highly involved with the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, serving as the Chicago Diocese coordinator for the first seven years of the program’s existence. Fr. Zervos also is author of The Funeral Services of the Greek Orthodox Church and The Ieratikon – The Sacred Preparatory Services for the Celebration of the Divine Liturgy. These books are used by many priests and are also available at the seminary. At St. Nicholas, the priest holds Bible study classes every Tuesday morning. He has also arranged for the Divine Liturgy to be aired on local cable TV channel 19. “It’s free so we’re going to do it,” he said. The parish participates in some outreach activities. Every two years, the community honors its veterans. The choir, directed by Presbytera Anastasia, participates in the Jamestown ecumenical choir conference and has been voted the best choir in the area, Fr. Zervos noted. “The parish is very well respected locally. Jamestown people accept you for who are,” he said. In describing his parish and ministry, the priest said that “The church is like one family. There’s a lot of faith. You need a lot of faith to survive up here. It’s not a political parish and it’s closely knit. We don’t have new people coming into the parish and everybody has to wear many hats.” He also said parishioners “take their Greek Orthodox faith very seriously here. We’re trying to serve according to principals of Christ, it’s a Christian parish.” — Compiled by Jim Golding
BROOKLINE, Mass. – Presbytera Katerina Sitaras Makiej, wife of Fr. Christopher Makiej, pastor of Sts. Constantine and Helen Church in Andover, recently released her second CD of Byzantine chant, “MYSTICAL,” communion chants of the Orthodox Church in English and Greek. Her first CD, “Ancient Hymns for Modern Times,” featured hymns from Orthros, Vespers, and the Divine Liturgy in English and Greek. In a review of her new release by the Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, retired professor of liturgics at Holy Cross School of Theology, he wrote that the music “is sung splendidly by her with clarity and spiritual fervor in both English and Greek. The sweetness of her voice and the prayerful passion with which she interprets the traditional Byzantine melodies inspire and enable the listener to meditate upon the sublime mystery of the Holy Eucharist through which our Lord Jesus Christ unites us to Himself and to one another in Holy Communion. The dignified tone of the chant has a calming effect and gladdens the heart of the listener. In addition to being a wonderful listening experience, the CD is also a good learning tool.” Presbytera Katerina received her bachelor’s degree from The Boston Conservatory of Music in voice and music education, and her Master’s in Theological Studies from Holy Cross School of Theology where she also studied Byzantine music. She also performs songs of different genres, including musical theater, classical, popular, and Greek art and folk songs. Presbytera also plays piano and composes original songs. Growing up as the youngest of four children of an immigrant Greek Orthodox priest and presbytera, Fr. Nicholas and Irene Sitaras, Katerina enjoyed the chanting and singing of Byzantine hymns and Greek folk songs every day in her home. Her grandfather was a priest in Chios.
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22
METROPOLIS NEWS
JANUARY 2011
Parishes Around the Country Celebrate Epiphany
TARPON SPRINGS PHOTOS: D. PANAGOS
From the frigid waters of Long Island and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, to the Bahamas, the Florida and Texas Gulf Coast, to Southern California, Greek Orthodox parishes held water blessing services and, in some communities, cross diving events. Communities included St. Demetrios in Camarillo, Calif., and St. Spyridon in San Diego; St. Nicholas, Corpus Christi, Texas; Annunciation, Bahamas; St. Demetrios, Merrick, N.Y; St. Nicholas, Tarpon Springs, Fla; and Archangel Gabriel, Traverse City, Mich., where Fr. Iakovos Olechnowicz blessed the steamy frigid water of Lake Michigan, and the St. Mary’s River on the Canadian border.(additional photo on page 29).
23
JANUARY 2011
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Cyber Confession
by Fr. John S. Bakas
What’s the one thing you’ve done no one else can ever know? The mere thought of dredging up some dark and hidden sin, inspires a hard gulping swallow, a pounding heart and perhaps a blush on the cheeks. Unconfessed sin left festering deep in our psyche can cause psychosomatic illness. It gnaws on our conscience and robs us of inner peace and tranquility. Sin simply means missing the mark or misusing the full potential of the gifts God has given us. The Epistle of James chapter 5:16 tells us: “Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much.” The early Christian church believers practiced something that today would be considered radical. They practiced public confession…confessing sins publicly in the context of community. Ove rtime, the practice became unworkable, causing division, scandal and rancor in the church. The church community representative, the priest, was eventually charged with listening to confessions and the Sacrament of Confession developed to fulfill the healing and restorative benefits of confession. What is a sacrament in simple terms? In the broad sense a sacrament is a material, visible act used by God as a channel of Grace for the spiritual and the invisible. The world is made up of “sacraments of the natural order.” A handshake is a sacrament in the sense, that it is a visible clasping of hands to express the invisible, usually welcome and friendship. Our western society has difficulty with the concept of confession and sin. Admitting that we have sinned to a person or group somehow negatively impacts us in a culture artificially propped up with issues of self image and self esteem. It’s not my fault; it is someone else’s, etc., etc. Yet as the saying goes, we need to sometimes “get something off our chests.” We now can do that easily without exposure or repentance. As our culture has degenerated to the absurd, there are now quick convenient and anonymous ways to deal with those nagging indiscretions of ours: cyberspace confessions. It is the Internet confessional. It’s trendy and catching on.
Have some slip-ups to shake loose and can’t or won’t make it down to the parish priest? No problem. Just have them absolved and dealt with by posting them online at an e-confessional. You’re just a few keystrokes away from artificially deleting a guilty conscience. These sites offer others the chance to see what you’ve posted and see if your sins are comparable or as grievous as theirs. What a voyeuristic bonus! The rest of the world can get online and identify with the transgressions of others. And consider the false therapeutic benefits in this system. We can delude ourselves into thinking how very good we are in comparison to others. Who needs a priest or time of prayer and self reflection anymore? We can fool ourselves by thinking we can hide from God. We get trapped into a false reality which accommodates itself to our comfort level of anonymous silence. Yet, divorced from God’s love, mercy and forgiveness, turning our backs on the light who is Christ, the shadows grow dark and deep. We still flirt and are secretly confused by dark thoughts; dark words; dark emotions; dark actions; dark omissions. Yes, we are hiding from the living God, and we are overwhelmed by the shadowy monsters we create by our own sin. True confession before God, whether in the solitude of a repentant heart or before a priest in the Sacrament of Confession, leads to real healing. The confession of a contrite heart restores a right relationship with a relational God. Confession isn’t an information transfer; it is a relational healing. That is why “share-a-sin” on an e-confessional site is such a tawdry distortion of the true spiritual rhythm of confession. Cyber-confession is anonymous. Christian sacramental confession is personal. Cyber-confession is the announcement of wrongs without repentance to an impersonal Web site. Christian sacramental confession is ownership of wrongs and repentance to a personal and caring God. Cyber-confession results in entertainment for others. Christian sacramental confession results in re-connection of damaged relationships with others and with God. Whether or not you go to confession, and hopefully you do, even if you believe that all of this is medieval superstitions and dead and brittle fairytales, at least let the words of this confessional prayer, penetrate beneath any cynicism, anger, and personal bitterness. May these words soften your heart and lead you to a spiritual father who can confirm God’s love and mercy for you. “Most merciful God, I acknowledge that I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what I have done and by what I left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart. I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. Have mercy upon me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to glory of your name. Amen” Fr. Bakas is dean of St. Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles and a faculty member of Loyola Marymount University School of Theology.
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Ways of the Lord
The latest book by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America includes his Keynote Addresses from his first Clergy-Laity Congress in Philadelphia in July 2000 through his address in Washington, DC in July 2008. Also included are addresses given in Athens, Greece, Cyprus, Fordham University and Brookline, MA plus others. The texts presented in this book constitute an humble effort to contribute to such a task, which is the sacred but also demanding work of sharing the Gospel with the people of today; hence, the subtitle of the book ‘Perspectives on Sharing the Gospel of Christ.’” To purchase your copy of “Ways of the Lord” ($24.95 per + $6 S&H)* please call 212-774-0244, or email gotel@goarch.org, or comple the order form below and mail it to GOTelecom, 8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075.
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24
JANUARY 2011
Marriage and Family Challenges Related to Remarriage and Stepfamily Life by Fr. Charles Joanides, Ph.D., LMFT
I received the following e-mail the other day from a brother priest. Since nearly 50 percent of all marriages involve at least one spouse who is remarrying, I thought some of the information I shared in our e-mail exchange would be of interest to other clergy as well as those who are preparing to remarry. Dear Fr. Charles, I have concerns related to our faithful who remarry. This is especially true when the children are teens. It seems to me the problems that these remarried couples have are numerous. In an attempt to be more helpful to these couples, can you help me better understand what special problems remarried couples face? (E-mail respondant) Dear Father S, Christ is in our midst. You should have “concerns.” Remarriages fail at significantly higher rates when compared to first marriages. One primary reason why remarriages fail more often is because remarried couples are encumbered with a host of unique marital and stepfamily challenges that they are often ill-prepared and ill-equipped to handle. Here are some examples of what I mean. Not Enough Time to Adjust to Married Life. When couples remarry, after the honeymoon is over they literally hit the ground running. Suddenly, children’s needs from previous marriages, as well as a host of stepfamily challenges take precedence. These unique needs and challenges rob remarried couples of the time required to adjust to married life and cultivate oneness. Unless couples make a concerted effort to find time for one another, marital satisfaction suffers and, by extension, their stepfamilies also suffer. A Polarizing Effect. Stepfamily architecture creates intense, highly polarized insider and outsider positions that make it much more difficult for these families to coalesce and form a new, stable family unit. For example, let’s suppose that a newly remarried couple which includes a husband who is Greek Orthodox, a wife who is nominally Episcopalian and her two children – both baptized in the Mormon Church – decide to worship in the Greek Orthodox partner’s church. Due to this family’s religious differences, this family will be faced with a host of challenges that can seriously compromise religious and spiritual development and undermine family unity. Some typical challenges this family might encounter are as follows: (1) The children’s biological father might adamantly object to his children worshipping in the Greek Orthodox Church. (2) The children might feel as though they are betraying their father when attending the Greek Orthodox Church. (3) The children’s discomfort could prompt their mother to discontinue family worship in the Greek Orthodox Church. (4) The Greek Orthodox partner might interpret the biological father’s reaction as intrusive and insulting. (5) The Greek Orthodox father might feel betrayed and resent his wife for acquiescing to her ex-spouse’s complaints. Children’s Losses and Loyalty Binds. Children encounter losses and conflicted loyalty binds when stepfamilies form. It is not uncommon for children – especially
older children - to have mixed feelings when trying to form an intimate relationship with their biological parent’s new spouse. In these cases, children often report feeling as though they are betraying their biological mother or father when becoming closer to their parent’s new spouse. This dynamic creates lingering emotional distance between stepfamily members that is not easily bridged. Different Parenting Styles. Differences related to parenting styles creates lingering, often unresolved, tension between remarried couples that undermines marital satisfaction while also undermining remarried couples’ efforts to parent the children in a consistent, effective, supportive manner. With regard to this challenge, the best outcome occurs when couples manage to find some common ground they can agree upon to help them parent the children. This generally occurs after remarried couples have expended considerable time and effort seeking compromise. Conversely, the worst outcome is when couples cannot find any middle ground. In these cases, protracted couple conflict lingers. Shared Family Values. Stepfamilies also encounter challenges in their efforts to establish shared family values and culture. A stepfamily that is comprised of some children who have been baptized and raised in a Greek Orthodox Church and others who have been raised in a Jewish home will likely encounter numerous unique challenges in their efforts to cultivate religious, cultural and family traditions that fit well with all family members. Family Boundaries. Family boundaries tend to also be different in stepfamilies when compared to first-time married couples and their nuclear families. Boundaries in stepfamilies will often extend to include one or more other parents who affect everything from vacation planning to whether children have their homework assignments to whether children will get to go to church camp. How Can the Church Help? Despite these and other challenges, I would argue that the church can be of assistance to remarried spouses, couples and the stepfamilies before and after they form. Here are some examples of how the Church can help. Orthodox Perspective of Marriage. Clergy have a Christ-centered perspective of marriage that can serve to profoundly broaden and strengthen engaged and remarried couples’ perspectives of marriage. For example, when divorced persons desiring to remarry become intimately aware of Christ-like love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, these and other God-given, timeless strategies can prove indispensable to remarried couples in their efforts to cultivate marital oneness and family well-being. Owning Our Past Mistakes. Much of the existing literature related to remarriage indicates that many divorced persons fail to carefully examine the factors that caused their first marriage to end. As a result, many divorced persons end up reliving past mistakes when they remarry. In an effort to avoid this, divorced persons might consider consulting their priest to help them identify how their past mistakes contributed to the slip-slide toward
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JANUARY 2011
Why Connection Counts: Parenting from the Heart
25
Family
Resources for Families
Connections
by George Papageorge, M.A., LMFT
The Property Value Principle
We’ve heard it said that real estate is one of our best investments. According to experts there are three factors that contribute to the value of real estate, as well as helping property maintain its worth during difficult times: location, location, location! As we take a moment to reflect on our parenting efforts and consider viewing our kids as our most valued investment, we find that similar principles apply. Much like the real estate principle, there are three factors that contribute to a child’s sense of value and its ability to maintain its value during rough times (a durable sense of self identity when faced with peer pressure). These three factors that are central to raising healthy kids are: connection, connection, connection! Kids who feel emotionally connected to their families are kids who make healthier life choices, embrace the faith and values that they are raised with, and end up in healthy relationships in their adult lives. This idea of “connection” can become a practical guide and reference point by which we relate all of our parenting efforts—from carpooling to coaching, from daily family prayer time to timely discipline.
Understanding High Risk Behavior in Kids
How important is connecting with our kids? Studies indicate that kids who get mixed up in gang activity are not kids who are looking for a life of violence and crime, but in fact they are kids who are looking for family connection. As we think through the importance of our connection that we have with our kids, another study catches the attention of fathers. The study indicated that girls who report that their fathers are either “physically or emotionally unavailable” are girls who end up being sexually active as teenagers three years earlier than the national average of 16.
The Price of Privilege
A couple of years ago I was reading a popular parenting book, The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine which confirmed what I had experienced working with teens over the past 10 years. Levine puts it this way: “The various elements of a perfect storm—materialism , pressure to achieve, perfectionism, disconnection—are combining to create a crisis in America’s culture of affluence...While many privileged kids project confidence and know how to make a good impression, alarming numbers lack the basic foundation of psychological development: an authentic sense of self. Even parents often miss the signs of significant emotional problems in their ‘star’ children.” The bottom line seems to reveal that this generation of kids has so much that points them to finding their identity in what they have and in what they do, that they end up confused about in who they are.
The Lost Art of Empathy
As we continue to reflect on why connection counts, a central interpersonal task can be found in our ability to tune in to and acknowledge the emotional
experience of the other person, in this case our child. In simple terms, we are talking about empathy. Let’s be sure to note that empathy is meant to work hand in hand with boundaries and limit-setting. Too often empathetic parents have poor boundary setting and boundary setting parents are low in empathy. Another common mix up is when there is confusion between acknowledge and agree. As a result, we track with and acknowledge the child’s emotional view as long as we agree. The opposite pattern is where we run into trouble. As we attempt to tune into the child, we track and offer emotional support up to the point of disagreement. Too often acknowledgement stops because we hold a different view or don’t relate to their experience, resulting in emotional disconnection. The child then experiences this as conditional love.
The Journey of Love
Our awareness to know what they feel is strongly connected to having enough emotional awareness to know what we feel; emotionally aware parents raise emotionally aware children. Empathy is incorporated into our communication through the skill of active listening. Empathy is that journey of love where we are secure enough to leave our frame of reference and travel to the others’ frame of reference in order to understand them and be present with them, resulting in connection and love. Dr. John Gottman, a well-known psychologist and author of the book: Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, speaks of his view of the importance of the parents’ role in the emotional development of their children. Of the thousands of parents and children he has worked with, he states: “Our results tell a simple, yet compelling story. We have found that parents fall into one of two broad categories: those that give their children guidance about the world of emotion and those who don’t.” As we think through ways that we can connect with our kids, we can be encouraged to know that emotional connecting can occur during most conversations and daily activities.
Where Good Psychology Finds Good Theology
As Orthodox Christians, we are blessed to discover that the healthiest and most sensible psychological principles are modeled and taught in scripture and by the Holy Tradition of the Church. The unique characteristic of the
Christian faith that distinguishes it from other world religions is that while other religions speak of mankind finding ways of reaching God, the Orthodox Christian faith offers the amazing grace of God finding ways of reaching us, and not bringing judgment, but love. Interestingly, as we consider the central Orthodox Christian doctrine of the Incarnation, “God became man, so that man can become like God”, (St. Athanasius) we reflect on how God put love and relationship above all else, leaving His frame of reference and entering ours. In Christ’s own journey of love, He emptied and humbled Himself (Philippians 2:7–8) in order to reach us, find us, be with us, and bringing connection. We see God’s great act of empathy! In the Parable of the Good Samaritan we learn about the story of a man who fell among thieves, “A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33. It is in this compassion - it is in this connection - that we allow God to ‘live and breathe’ into our own personal lives, extending into our parenting efforts and into all of our relationships.
Love is a Four Letter Word
In the most basic terms, our kids spell love: T - I - M - E; and if your kids are as active as mine, love can also be spelled: P - L - A - Y. Building on this foundation, we find that our best conversations with our kids occur in their frame of reference not ours. In our willingness and mindfulness to tune in to their world of emotions, we can cultivate a connection from the heart. Parenting from the heart guards us from being fear driven, ego driven or power driven, allowing us to stay connected through all their ages and stages. The profound story of God intersects with the story of mankind with His loving desire to be connected to His people, reminding us why connection counts. George Papageorge is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Pleasanton, California. He works closely with the Metropolis of San Francisco Family Wellness Ministry and has facilitated several clergy couples’ retreats, as well as parish retreats and seminars focusing on meaningful marriage, effective parenting as well as integrating healthy psychology with Orthodox spirituality. In his private practice, he works with families, couples and teenagers. George and his wife, Kim, have two children.
The Family Wellness Ministry is an important part of the work of the Metropolis of San Francisco, providing a broad and innovative way to support the faithful as they struggle to live in a society which predominantly lacks morals and Christian beliefs. Through this ministry, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is brought in a relevant way to address contemporary issues and challenges. The Family Wellness Ministry is working with parishes to develop programs including, mental health education and support, marriage and family enrichment, and parenting. Another component of this ministry is the clergy couples’ program which offers retreats to support priests and presvyteres in their ministries and marriages. The Metropolis is also compiling a mental health resource list to assist our clergy and faithful seeking referrals for additional guidance and professional counseling. For more information on the Metropolis Family Wellness Ministry, please contact Kristen Bruskas at: 415-753-3075. Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child—by John Gottman—explores the emotional relationship between parents and children. The book helps teach children understand and address their feelings, which includes recognizing that dealing with these emotions is an opportunity for intimacy; listening empathetically; helping the child label emotions; setting limits; and problemsolving. Published by Simon & Schuster. The Five Love Languages of Children—by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell—argues that each child expresses and receives love through one of five different communication styles. With the help of this book, adults can discover their child’s primary language and learn how to effectively convey unconditional feelings of respect, affection, and commitment that will resonate in their child’s emotions and behavior. Published by Northfield Publishing.
A Prayer for Neighborhood Families I pray to you, God, for the families of my neighborhood. Visit them. Throw their troubles out of them and bring hope. Make the daily cares that devour the heart disappear. Present solutions to life’s problems. Settle the disturbed relationships among members of different families whom I know or do not know. O Lord, remind the people of our area that You exist, that You are a strong and loving Protector. Keep away, Lord, anything that causes the disappearance of peace from souls, and the escape of sleep from our eyes. Stay a little while more tonight in our neighborhood. Spread peace along with the night. Let the harshness of the day and its struggles not spread over the night too, God. Archbishop Demetrios This prayer is taken from the Table Top Prayer Guide: Volume II, which was recently released by the Center for Family Care. The guide provides a collection of Orthodox prayers and meditations for daily use, for both personal and family prayer time. It can be ordered at www. OrthodoxMarketplace.com
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JANUARY 2011
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The Year of the Sabbath Leader from page 20 Spiritual refreshment begins with reflection. Reflection, however, is not limited to our own past actions, but, more importantly, to the work of God in our lives. Are we conscious of God’s power in our daily routines? Can we feel His moment-to-moment presence in our lives or have we exiled His sovereignty behind the dusty pages of biblical history or the high walls of local sanctuaries? Reflection should, by necessity, lead to the re-imaging of our respective work in terms of God’s original creative intent and will. The third and final phase of a Sabbatical process whereby Christian leaders may sanctify their weekly time and produce inspired work is through re-engagement. It is no coincidence that the commandment concerning the Sabbath was the final precept given to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 31). We serve a God Who models for us what He expects us to do. In so doing, we develop the image and likeness of God in us. Like our Creator, the rhythm of our own personal rest must, in turn, be directed to others. As we have been librated so too we must seek to liberate. This is what Jesus meant when he emphasized that, “man was not created for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man” (Mark 2:27). While the religious fanatics were overly focused on nearsighted, strict Sabbatical regulations, Jesus, on the other hand was busy healing the physically and emotionally enslaved. He was sanctifying time through holy engagement. According to tradition, when the Apostle John was bishop in Ephesus, his hobby was raising pigeons. On one occa-
Marriage and Family from page 24 marital meltdown and divorce. By guiding them to increased insight, forgiveness and repentance, divorced persons can be liberated from any residual guilt and shame they harbor related to the sins and mistakes they made in a former marriage. Collaboration with Professionals. If clergy are not personally equipped to help counsel and educate persons desiring remarriage, at minimum, they may be able to either collaborate with trusted professionals in their local community who have this expertise or simply choose to refer divorced persons to professionals who specialize in helping individuals and
sion an Ephesian elder passed his house as he returned from hunting. When he saw John playing with one of his birds, he gently chided the old bishop for spending his time so frivolously. John looked at his critic’s bow and remarked that the string was loosened. “Yes,” said the huntsman, “I also loosen the string of my bow when it’s not in use. If it always stayed tight, it would lose its rebounding quality and fail me in the hunt.” “And I,” responded John, “am now relaxing the bow of my mind so that I may be better able to shoot the arrows of divine truth.” Israel of old rested in a day. On the other hand, contemporary Orthodox Christian leaders today have the opportunity to be a living sign in their respective communities of how the New Israel “rests” – sanctifies time – in the Person of Jesus Christ. “Come to me, all of you, who labor and are heavy laden,” invites Jesus, “and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). The writer of Hebrews insists that all should “diligently enter into such a relationship” with our Savior (4:11). Such Sabbath rest, however, involves the consecration of hearts, attitudes, bodies, and souls. If we are fortunate to have parish leaders whose faith rests in Him and not in their own work, then our future 2011 labors will not be in vain. In the end, this is the most valuable lesson that the Exodus 20:11 can provide the 2011 New Year. Fr. Marangos is dean of Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral in New York and an adjunct assistant professor at St. John’s University (NY). Visit http://www. thecathedralnyc.org to view the on-line sermon that inspired this article. couples acquire a broader understanding of the inherent challenges they will encounter when they remarry. In either case, prior to remarriage, counseling can prove infinitely helpful to individuals, couples, children and adolescents in their efforts to adjust to stepfamily life. Conclusion Obviously, the best remedy for what I have been discussing is for first-time married people to attend to their spouse’s and marital needs daily. However, when marriages fail, the second best approach is for divorced persons to prayerfully consider the many pitfalls and promises related to remarriage and stepfamily life prior to remarrying. A prayerful, faithful approach can prove indispensable to their efforts to protect and promote marital oneness and stepfamily unity and well-being.
Three Hierarchs Student Awards Ceremony NEW YORK – In conjunction with the Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs on Jan. 30, and in celebration of Greek Letters, the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education has scheduled the following events for the district schools:
Saturday, Jan. 29 – 5 p.m.
An Awards Ceremony will be held at Holy Trinity Cathedral Conference Center (337 East 74 St.) in Manhattan, where Archbishop Demetrios will bestow the Three Hierarchs Award of Excellence to the students who excelled in the Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek in 2010. Anne Prokop, principal of the Greek American Institute, Bronx, will act as the mistress of ceremonies and Maria Zolotas, an educator and school board chairperson
of the Greek Afternoon School “Stephanos and Areti Tserpelis” of St. Nicholas, Flushing, will be the main speaker. The program will also feature a musical performance by students of the St. Demetrios High School, Astoria, with Vagelis Haziroglou conducting. Recognized by the New York State educational authorities, the Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek is developed and administered annually by the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education. Pertinent information is available on www. education.goarch.org
Monday, Jan. 31 – 9:30 a.m.
The Archbishop will officiate at the
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JANUARY 2011
METROPOLIS NEWS
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Phoenix Cathedral Opens Museum PHOENIX – Holy Trinity Cathedral has completed and opened its Hellenic Historical Museum in its community center following nearly a year of planning and space renovation. This project is the result of a seedling effort that began in the early 1990s when parishioner Georgia Hall formed a history committee to collect, identify and preserve photographs, newspaper articles and other memorabilia related to the early families of Greek ancestry in Phoenix. The historical collection endeavor continued in later years under the chairmanship of John Katsenes. In 2008, after months of meticulous photo cataloging and caption and historical text composition, the 127-page “Greeks in Phoenix” book was published through Arcadia Publishing of Charleston, S.C. In early 2010, the historical committee formalized plans to create a museum at the Holy Trinity campus by incorporating as the non-profit Holy Trinity Hellenic Historical Museum of Phoenix, Inc., with members Alexandra Anagnopoulos, Bessie Hotis, Emily Kimmel, Helen Glitsos, Stella Glitsos, Tassie Ladas, Andrew A. Limber, Helen Moschovitis, Fannie Pappas, Harry Pappas, Gregory Skedros and Zella Zannis then becoming the officers and board of directors. Fr. James T. Paris, dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, is an ex-officio director and advisor. Efforts immediately began to convert a
vacant 500 sq. ft. area in the James A. Speros Community Center on the church property into a museum. Extensive remodeling of what had been former office and storage space began under the supervision of Peter W. Zorbas, the owner of a local construction company. Simultaneously, graphics specialist Joseph Belfiore was hired to begin the museum design work, which included the technical enhancing, sizing and positioning of nearly 200 photo exhibits. In addition, Belfiore determined the display layout of such preserved artifacts as a 1940s Greek War Relief pin and the parish council minute books from the 1930s, written in Greek, as well as the later English language records of the 1950s. The newly opened museum depicts the arrival in 1909 of the first persons of Greek ancestry in Phoenix, brothers Charles and Chris Sanichas, who opened downtown fruit and confectionary stores, and continues with pictorial exhibits through the decades leading up to the development of the present Holy Trinity Cathedral and its educational, social and administrative facilities developed in 1973. The visual displays are grouped in seven categories: First Families, Church and Community, The War Years, Civic Leaders, Social Events and Sports, Businesses, and Organizations. “Our mission is to preserve who we were so that the present and future generations will more fully know who they
USAID Awards $26.4 Million to IOCC for School Program BALTIMORE – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded $26.4 million to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for a program in Lebanon that will improve student achievement, expand after-school programs, provide training for public school teachers and upgrade educational facilities in 600 Lebanese public schools over the next four years. The program is part of a $75 million initiative that will be implemented in 1,400 schools in cooperation with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and five other agencies, including the Education Development Center which is managing the entire initiative for USAID. During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Lebanese children were some of the worst affected. Nearly one-third of all civilian deaths and injuries were suffered by children and over half a million children were forced to flee their homes. The conflict also damaged more than 300 schools. IOCC’s presence in Lebanon not only led to an immediate humanitarian response for those impacted by the violence, but also led to subsequent IOCC activities in rebuilding damaged schools. The new program aims to improve public school education and extracurricular activities that are vital to healthy development and the academic success of children. The program also aims to improve student outcomes through teacher training as well as the repair and improvement of school buildings. Science and computer labs will also be equipped as part of the program.
are,” said museum President Andrew A. Limber. “We consider this the first phase of what we envision to be a larger and more encompassing venue in the near future,” he added. A particularly striking feature is at the museum entrance, a nine-foot high, twelvefoot long wall mural created from as especially processed vintage photograph taken during the Oct. 31, 1930 groundbreaking of the first Hellenic Orthodox Church in Arizona at 333 E. Virginia Ave. in Phoenix. “We are grateful for the many people who made the museum a reality,” said Limber. “This includes the professional
Metropolis of Detroit Promotes Greek Language Proficiency by George T. Reganis
“The lingering effects of conflict continue to affect children in Lebanon,” said Constantine M. Triantafilou, IOCC executive director. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to continue this important work and build upon our experience working with schools and communities in Lebanon.” IOCC has extensive experience working in Lebanese schools. Over the past ten years, more than 75,000 students in over 450 public schools in Lebanon have benefitted from IOCC’s work there. The new program will build on models IOCC has developed to engage parents, community leaders, local businesses, and others to provide support for educational programs during and after school. IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented programs in more than 35 countries around the world.
guidance we received from Director James K. Ballinger of the Phoenix Art Museum, and its exhibits designer, David Restad.” Limber continued, saying, “None of this would have been possible without the generous initial funding by Gregory Skedros of Bountiful, Utah, honoring the memory of his late wife, Jenny Pappas Skedros, former Phoenix resident and highly active Holy Trinity member.” The Holy Trinity Historical Museum is open during such special events as the annual Greek Festival, the coffee social hour every Sunday following Divine Liturgy, and by special appointment for individual groups and organizations.
CANTON, Mich. – The Foundation for Modern Greek Studies of Michigan, in collaboration with the C.P. Cavafy Chair and the Modern Greek Program at the University of Michigan, has recently commenced certification of Greek language proficiency in the Metropolis of Detroit. Certificates of “Ellinomateia” were awarded to Greek students of the metropolis who passed the certification exams for proficiency in Greek at the University of Michigan. The presentations were made by Nikos Nikolidakis, consul for Educational Affairs in the Greek Consulate in Chicago, and the parish priests from the students’ communities at the Cultural Center of St. George in Bloomfield Hills. A lecture by Tom Papademetriou, of the Stockton College of New Jersey Department of Historical Studies and director for Hellenic Studies, also took place at the center. He spoke on “The Legacy of Greek Orthodox Christians in Turkey Today.” The Center for the Certification of Proficiency in the Greek Language was established at the University of Michigan in February 2010 in collaboration with
... Attacks Decried from page 3 by, but not directly linked to, al-Qaida. Egyptian officials said 97 people were injured in the attack, which appeared to involve a car and a suicide bomber.
Greece’s Department of Education, the Greek Consulate in Chicago, the University of Thessaloniki , the U. of M. Modern Greek Program, the Metropolis of Detroit, and the Foundation for Modern Greek Studies. The first exams were held May 12-13 with 14 students participating. The Metropolis Greek Language and Culture Committee was established in 1999 by Metropolitan Nicholas, with assistance from the North Central Accreditation Agency and the Department of Education of the State of Michigan. The committee has established a curriculum (K - 8) that unifies the course of instruction taught in the metropolis Greek schools. Students who successfully complete the six years of the Greek Elementary school at their parishes are proficient to take the first level of the Ellinomatheia exams, given each year in May. The Greek Language Committee of the metropolis schools, to strengthen the quality and delivery of the instruction, conducts annual teachers seminars on teaching Greek as a second language. Mr. Reganis is head of the Detroit Metropolis Greek Language and Culture Committee.
Grieving Coptic worshippers, many clad in black, returned to the blood-spattered al-Qiddissine – Two Saints – church for Sunday mass, while riot police and armored vehicles were deployed outside. “ With our soul and our blood we will redeem the holy cross,” the congregation chanted. Security was stepped up at churches across the country.
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JANUARY 2011
Obituaries
Fr George T. Pappas FORT MYERS, Fla. – Fr. George T. Pappas, a retired priest who served Archangel Michael Church in Campbell, Ohio for more than 40 years, died Jan. 2. Fr. Pappas was born in Detroit, on April 15, 1931, to Thomas and Marina Pappas. He attended Assumption Church with his family and was baptized there on Dec. 6, 1931 and given the name George Thomas. He attended public schools in Detroit and graduated from Southeastern High School in 1948. He served as an altar boy from age 4 until graduating from high school and was tonsured a reader by Archbishop Athenagoras. Upon graduating from high school, he entered Holy Cross Theological Seminary in Brookline and graduated in May 1953 with a Master’s of Divinity degree. Pappas married Evangeline Stergiotis of Detroit on May 14, 1953 at the Holy Cross Theological Seminary Chapel with Bishop Ezekiel officiating and Fr. Kokkinakis assisting. He was ordained deacon on Aug. 30, 1953, by Bishop Ezekiel at his home parish of Assumption in Detroit and as a priest by Archbishop Michael on Dec. 6, 1953 at St. Demetrios Church in Astoria. His first assignment was at St. Demetrios Church, where he served as the second priest under Fr. Demetrios Frangos until November 1955 when he was assigned to the newly founded Archangel Michael Church in Campbell, Ohio.
Spero Theros, Archon, Detroit Community Leader Spero Theros, Archon and a leader in the Detroit Greek community for more than 60 years, passed away Dec. 14 while vacationing at his winter home in Flagler Beach, Fla. He was 81. Theros and his wife, Barbara, resided in Grosse Pointe Woods, and established Theros Accounting, servicing hundreds of Greek-American businesses throughout southeastern Michigan for nearly 40 years. They represented many of the businesses and restaurants that lined Greektown for decades and helped give many Greek immigrants their first jobs in America. Some of them have gone on to become leaders of Detroit businesses and industry. Theros would personally visit nearly all of their business clients every month. Born in Corinth, Greece, Theros immigrated to America in 1946. His family established their home on the east side of Detroit. He graduated from Eastern High School in Detroit, and went to work for Briggs Manufacturing and then Chrysler Corp. He received his accounting degree from Walsh College and was a Korean War Navy veteran. His involvement in community ser-
He served there 42 consecutive years until retiring. While living in Astoria, his first son was born, Thomas George. Upon moving to Campbell, his children Maria, Fr. Paul (Apostolos) and Katharine were born. Also surviving are seven grandchildren: Peter, George, Stellanie, Leah, James, Nicholas and Felipe. During his pastorship at Archangel Michael, he received the ecclesiastical titles of ieromnymon, confessor, sakellarios, economos, protopresbyter of the Sixth Diocese, protopresbyter of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, protopresbyter of the Archdiocese of North and South America, protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and megas (great) protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, receiving the Cross of the Patriarchate from Ecumeical Patriarch Bartholomew. During his 42 years at Archangel Michael, the parish grew from 135 families to more than 600 with over 1,500 stewards contributing to the church. He baptized more than 1,200 infants; confirmed 50; married more than 800 couples. Upon retiring on July 1, 1996, Fr. Pappas and Presbytera Evangeline (Angie) lived in Fort Myers, Fla., the past 13 years. When not attending and serving at Annunciation Church, Fr. Pappas served as substitute and temporary priest at 17 churches in the Atlanta Metropolis. A memorial service was chanted Jan. 5 at Annunciation Church in Fort Myers. The funeral took place Jan. 10 at the Archangel Michael Church in Campbell, Ohio. vice grew as he became deeply involved with his church becoming a 30-year parish council member, holding all offices, of the Assumption Church in Detroit (currently located in St. Clair Shores). Theros was also a founder of St. John Church in Sterling Heights as Detroiters moved to the suburbs. Because of his efforts on behalf of the Church, Theros was elevated to the title of Archon in 1998. Active in the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) for almost 60 years, he served as a supreme governor for two years, and was on AHEPA’s National Housing Corporation Board. Locally, he built the Omega 371 Senior Housing Complex in Harrison Township, providing independent living to some 155 senior citizens. He also was instrumental in organizing the Omega 371 Chapter’s Scholarship Fund, which has provided scholarships to college freshman for decades. Survivors include his daughter, Olga (Michael Cardasis), his son, Louis (Patti) and five grandchildren, Michael, Tina, Barbara, Jonathan and Evan. His wife, Barbara, predeceased him in 2009. He was interred on Dec. 20 at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township. Donations in his memory may be made to the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church or the Omega 371 Scholarship Fund, 21800 Marter Road, St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48080.
Three Hierarchs Student Awards Ceremony from page 26 Divine Liturgy commemorating the Three Hierarchs and Holy Fathers of the Church, on Monday, Jan. 31, at the cathedral for
parochial school students, teachers, and administrators. His Eminence will address the students on the life and works of the Three Hierarchs and the importance of our Greek Orthodox heritage.
N.J. Goyans Hold Benefit for Diabetes Research PISCATAWAY, N.J. – It’s so easy to think about global health problems as insurmountable but the Greek Orthodox youth of St. George Church has proven that solutions and help are within reach. GOYA members hosted their 8th annual “Greek Night” on Nov. 20 in the church’s community center. This year’s proceeds benefited the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Mid Jersey Chapter. JDRF is the nation’s leading non-profit non-governmental funder of diabetes research. In a typical year, JDRF donates more than 85 percent of dollars raised directly to research and education. It is because of the commitment of individuals around the world that JDRF can realize its dream for a world that is free of diabetes. The project was the vision of 13-yearold George Exarchakis, now parish youth group member. George, born with a cleft lip and palate, had been through several surgeries and could not understand why poor children around the world couldn’t receive the same life-changing treatments as he did, after seeing a picture in his doctor’s office of children with un-repaired clefts. His solution was simple: to raise money and help children in need. The
idea began with a small goal in mind, to help the Smile Train charity. “Smile Train,” is a non-profit organization that helps poor children around the world receive free cleft lip and palate surgery. GOYA members signed on immediately to help launch the family “Greek Night” idea. With the help of the entire community, business donations and personal contributions the costs for the event were covered entirely, allowing 100 percent of the ticket proceeds going to the cause. The Greek Night event has expanded its scope, supporting many other charities and also influencing other communities to host their own Greek Night. The GOYA chapter has raised more than $100,000 for charities in addition to Smile Train, including the Greek Children’s Fund, Susan G. Komen Cancer Research and the Princeton Child Development Institute for Autism. These events have become a landmark of faith, hope and compassion, while setting a beautiful humanitarian and philanthropic example for others to follow. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matt. 19:14).
On the Feast of the Three Hierarchs from page 1 an especially successful emperor, whose remains were resting in the Church of the Holy Apostles, along with the relics of the likes of Emperor Justinian (†565) and of Patriarch Gregory Nazianzen (†389). “Our ears are long tired of listening to the praises of his administration, and of how he has lowered taxes, or how he has chosen wise judges, or how he has defeated crime!,” Nazianzen had complained once. Julian’s “apostasy” resulted from his conclusion that neoplatonism was superior to Christianity, and more significantly that Greek education was indissolubly connected with doctrines and values that could not be reconciled with those of the Church. John Chrysostom (†407) was also an aficionado of platonism, but for his part he attempted to respond to Julian’s objections using the language of Greek philosophy, never of course denying its more general dissonance with Christianity. Basil of Caesarea (†379), on the other hand, left a somewhat greater possibility of compromise, provided that the Christian was qualified to choose only the positive aspects of Athenian learning, and to ignore the evils ones. The intense negative reaction of both clergy and laity eventually led to the exile of Psellos from Constantinople, and his condemnation along with the final rejection of Julian’s ideology was sealed with the extension of the anathemas in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy in 1077. Yet, the Byzantine spirit of concord endeavored, instead of alienating Greek education, to appropriate it and to transfigure it in the persons of the Three Hierarchs, whose liturgical hymnology is credited to the intellectual and metropolitan John Mauropous (†1081).
In his sermon to the Three Hierarchs, Mauropus with a single stroke of his quill rejected the opinions of both Psellos and of Julian: “Where is your breath now, oh wise one in the flesh, who boasts to us about the rational arts and sciences, and who endlessly brags to us with the verbosity of poets concerning the most shameful gods? Can you not see the melodious and most harmonious conjoining of mind and reason, of rhetoric and actions? Can you not see my own philosophers and orators (and poets if you prefer, without the lies and the fakes), how much they differ from yours, even with regard to your own expertise?” Shortly thereafter, a novella (i.e., a law) by emperor Alexios I the Comnenos (r. 1081-1118) entrusted the administration of the nascent “university” not to the Consul of Philosophers, but to three “great and ecumenical teachers,” selected by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. As for us, may we have their wisdom. Anastasios M. Ioannides, P.E., Ph.D., is associate professor of civil engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. ioanniam@yahoo.com
JANUARY 2011
OCN
OCMC Mission Teams for 2011 Now Forming by Alex Goodwin
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) sent 119 people on short-term mission teams around the world in 2010 to offer a living witness to the Orthodox Christian faith through loving service and fellowship. Orthodox Mission Team opportunities are now available for 2011, and by the prayers of the faithful OCMC hopes that even more people will answer the call to share in a journey of faith by spending one to three weeks abroad teaching the faith, providing health care, participating in outreach, ministering to youth, or helping to build and maintain churches. OCMC is coordinating 13 Mission Teams that will serve in nine countries, including a team for families with children (8 years or older), in 2011. These teams include the following (note that team fees do not include airfare): Kenya – Teaching ($1,540, departs March 19). Share the Faith in Lodwar with the first converts to Orthodoxy in northern Kenya, where the people are considered one of the least evangelized groups in the world. Albania – Mission Institute Teaching Team (cost to be announced, only open to seminary students, departs May 23). Earn credit hours while you are immersed in the daily renewal of faith in Albania, witness the resurrection of the Orthodox Church, and study missiology. Uganda – Healthcare ($1,675, departs June 11). Offer health services to children and adults who have limited access to medical care in western Uganda. Guatemala - Youth Work ($840, departs July 6). Offer a youth camp program in Guatemala City and assist in the daily activities of the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage. Romania - Youth Work ($1,585, departs July 7). Be part of evangelizing and teaching young people in Romania about the faith by participating in a youth camp outside the city of Cluj.
Albania –Youth Work Team open to families ($1,370, departs July 17). Families with children are invited to join Church leaders in Albania and their families and participate in a camp-style program. Alaska – Construction ($1,095, departs July 22). Assist the local community in Bethel and help complete St. Sophia Church. South Korea - Youth Work ($1,700, departs July 23). Teach English at youth camps in Pusan and Chuncheon. Tanzania – Teaching ($1,475, departs July 25). Participate in the annual seminar for church leaders and young adults by offering basic catechism and encouragement to the faithful. Alaska - Youth Work ($960, departs on 7/29/2011) Travel to Kodiak Island and participate in a youth camp program in Old Harbor. Madagascar – Teaching ($1,475, departs on 8/1/2011) Offer catechism to people from isolated villages where Orthodoxy is spreading despite many obstacles. Alaska – Outreach ($960, departs on 8/11/2011) Help with renovations and work on general maintenance for the community of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Hoonah, just miles from Juneau. Tanzania – Healthcare ($1,475, departs on 10/4/2011) Minister to the medical and spiritual needs of children and adults who have limited access to health care services. Consider serving on an OCMC Orthodox mission team. They each provide unique ways to not only serve others but also come to a deeper understanding of the faith and to a closer relationship with Christ. Be open to having your own life transformed by helping to transform the lives of others. Contact Andrew Lekos or Presbytera Renee Ritsi by phone at 1-877-GO-FOR TH (463-6784) or by e-mail at teams@ ocmc.org for more information. Visit http://teams.ocmc.org for additional details about, or to apply for, 2011 OCMC Orthodox Mission Teams.
Fr. Isadore Mayol and the cross divers from St. Spyridon Church in San Diego.
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OCN Begins Internship Program FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Orthodox Christian Network has begun offering-graduate and post-graduate college students internships during 2011. All internships may be done locally or remotely, last for six months and may be renewed. Applicants should send a letter of interest, resume, writing sample where specified and letter of recommendation from their parish priest to the Executive Director at FrChris@ stdemetrios.org. To learn more visit our site at www.myocn.net.
What is OCN?
OCN has been an official SCOBA agency since 2003 and looks forward to working within the context of the new Episcopal Assembly. Commissioned to create a national, sustainable and effective media witness for Orthodox Christianity throughout North America, OCN produces the only nationally syndicated Orthodox Christian radio broadcast, as well as several other outreach programs and web casts including DVDs and Internet-based media, in direct collaboration with sister SCOBA agencies (e.g. IOCC, OCMC, OCF, OCPM, OCEC, EOS), and with various Orthodox Christian jurisdictions and pan-Orthodox, para-church organizations. Its goal is to engage the broader culture of North America with Orthodox Christianity’s rich theological, spiritual and moral heritage, and to thereby strengthen the Orthodox Church’s witness and contribution to the culture in which we live through all present and future formats of media communication.
OCN Internship Opportunities
Expectations from candidates: • Good interpersonal and communication skills. • Be a team player and follow directions carefully. • Internet savvy; Laptop computer preferred. • An interest in business development, finding leads, etc. • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Word and Excel. • Proficiency with Facebook, Myspace, YouTube a plus. • Basic knowledge of music editing software, Photoshop, HTML or Adobe Creative Suite a plus but not necessary. Salary: Unpaid Internship. Hours flexible to your schedule, and a possibility of hiring in the future. Come Receive the Light Intern (Nationally syndicated) Land-based and offered on the Internet Conducts research for stories and long-term projects; books interviews; attends weekly editorial meetings; and helps get the program on the air, which includes performing routine administrative tasks. Applicants should have an interest in the news and be prepared to offer story ideas. A liberal arts background—an individual majoring in religion, history, art, etc. is preferred. In addition to the regular application
items, candidates must submit a writing sample.
Just Thinking Intern
Works with Just Thinking Guest Coordinator on commentaries and opinions; assists with writing headlines. The ideal candidate is a news junkie with a flair for writing and the arts whose first instinct is to go to the opinion pages and read op-eds and essays. He/she should have good news judgment, and writing experience. Experience on a school newspaper is very helpful, op-ed page experience even better.
Internet Radio Station Interns
OCN offers three internet Radio Stations; Rudder, Ark and Anchor. Interns will work directly the station programmers in performing the regular tasks of updating and improving this important offering. Candidates should have working knowledge of Centova Cast but it is not a requirement. Interns will also assist the Executive Director in finding and securing other Internet Radio Stations around the world in various languages
Grant Writing Internship
OCN seeks individuals with strong writing and research skills to assist the Executive Director in the writing and presenting of grant proposals to various Foundations. A good knowledge of 501c3 not for profit corporations is a plus.
Audience Insight and Research Internship: (3 semesters)
Interested in first-hand exposure to media research and strategy? Consider an internship with our team, which acts as an internal research consultant. Interns work closely with staff from across the organization to bring audience insights into the center of decision making. Tasks include analyzing listener habits and demographics, working with surveys, answering research requests from employees. A keen ability to synthesize and present information (written and graphic) is important. Experience with survey work and research is a plus.
Audio Engineering Internship summer semester)
Shadows a Broadcast/Recording Technician to learn the operation of the record centrals and broadcast studios. Has the opportunity for hands-on practice on the technical equipment. Does simple feed recordings and mixes. Candidates with technical experience and/or background preferred.
Communications/Marketing and Branding: (3 semesters)
Assists in the planning and development of activities and materials designed to increase awareness of OCN stations and OCN programming Visit www.Myocn.Net For More Information or Email: Internships@ Myocn.net
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JANUARY 2011
OBSERVER’S CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL SERVICES
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in Athens, Greece
Globe Real Estate Agency is a Greek-American family business of Nicholas George Rousakis, established 1990. Our company has a special sensitivity for Greek-Americans and promises to treat you with the utmost care and respect. We handle all real estate related transactions: sales, rentals, building management, mortgages and financing, legal, insurance and technical support. Call: 011-30-210-600-2809 Fax: 011-30-210-601-7850 Mailing Address: Iroon Polytechniou 8, Agia Paraskevi E-mail: rousakis@hol.gr website: globe-real-estate.com
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ORTHODOX OBSERVER does not endorse, support, sanction, or verify the information or material printed as advertisement unless otherwise specifically indicated. ORTHODOX OBSERVER has no AND affiliation with any of the organizations/companies/advertisers, Ask your parish to forward your name and new address to the listed in, described on or printed, and it makes no representations Observer in order for you to continue receiving the newspaper or warranties whatsoever with regard to those organizations or any IF other organization, entity or person. The ORTHODOX OBSERVER you move but your new home is located in the district reserves the right to edit, categorize, revise, or refuse any display or of the same parish, then list your new address below: NAME ___________________________________________ classified advertisement. In addition, the ORTHODOX OBSERVER has the right to terminate any ad at any time for any reason. Parties ADDRESS ______________________________________ posting ads are responsible for the accuracy and content of their ads. The ORTHODOX OBSERVER wil not be liable for any damages CITY___________________ STATE ______ ZIP________ arising out of errors or omissions. The ORTHODOX OBSERVER wil PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR OLD LABEL not be held liable for any damages of any kind relating to any ad.
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JANUARY 2011
Seeing God In Every Day Life “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Where is God? Do you see Him? If we were asked the question, we might have to stop and think. It might be difficult to see God in our everyday activities or environment. We might not notice God unless He is an “App” on our smartphone, in the “Must-See TV” lineup, or topping the Billboard Top 100 charts. In fact, there are many factors that might block or distract us from seeing God in obvious and not-so-obvious places. In the month of January, we celebrate the blessed Theophany of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At Christ’s baptism, all those around witnessed the fullness of the Holy Trinity. But today, we will probably not encounter the Holy Trinity in such a way. So in what ways can we discover God in our everyday lives? First, you should remember that YOU are created in His image. We all come in
OCF Day of Prayer “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Prayer is powerful and essential part of any Christians life. Imagine the power of prayer from students throughout North America… OCF Day of Prayer is a program that unites the various chapters across North America in prayer. Each year, on the first day of Great Lent (Clean Monday), participating OCF chapters take part in 24 hours of unceasing prayer. Each school takes a one-hour slot to pray for themselves, their chapters and their fellow students. This year’s event will be March 6-7. Visit www.ocf.net for prayer resources and promotional materials to be a part of this worthwhile event! For information on how an OCF Chapter can sign-up for a specific time-slot, please email Presbytera Shyla Hadzellis at shyla@ocf.net
Atlanta Metropolis HDF Set Feb. 18-20
The Metropolis of Atlanta will hold its annual Hellenic Dance Festival Feb. 1820 at St. George Cathedral in Greenville, S.C. Theme will be “On Center Stage with Christ.” Activities will begin with an opening ceremony and spaghetti dinner at the Hellenic Center. The opening ceremony will include introductions of all the parishes attending and a special presentation by the Odyssey dancers. A dance will follow after the ceremony. The HDF itself will take plae at the Hyatt Regency, 220 N. Main St., in Greenville. For more information, call Vicky Reid (864.414.5833, or Lena Trakas, 864.363.8272.
different sizes and packages. But we were created just as God intended. God took
special care in creating mankind in His image. Sometimes it is difficult to see that we are special with bullying, peer pressure, and pop culture’s idea of a “perfect” guy or girl. So remember… every time you look in the mirror…that YOU are a reflection of God’s love and His image. Read Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:5-8 to read about how God created mankind. We can also encounter God by really getting to know our neighbor… they were created in His image too! We can encounter God through our neighbor any time. You might see God in the homeless
Tips on Preparing for Great Lent Great Lent begins on March 7, 2011. Make sure you are ready for this important spiritual journey before the Feast of the Resurrection. Here are five ways to prepare for Great Lent: Prepare for Fasting – Fasting is not a simple task. It is important to talk to your priest about proper fasting in the Orthodox Church. Plus, it is great to have someone to talk to if you are struggling with keeping the fast. Make sure you have a Bible – Studying the Holy Scriptures is a wonderful way to strengthen your spiritual life. Commit to reading the daily Epistle and Gospel every night. Make sure you have a Prayer Book
– Prayer is essential to a strong and healthy spiritual life. It is our direct line of communication to God. Make sure you have a prayer book so that you can pray any time. Get your Church’s Lenten Service Schedule – The beautiful services during Great Lent are a wonderful way to stay on track. Make sure to get your church’s Lenten service schedule and commit to attending a few different church services. It will truly make a difference! Get your Youth Group involved! – Sometimes it is great to have someone to attend services with you. Get your youth group to attend Lenten services and gather in fellowship for a Lenten meal afterward!
OCF - Real Break
For Parents & Youth Workers
The Real Break program provides alternatives to the “traditional” Spring Break for college students. It exists to provide students with the most authentic experience possible, and is modeled as a full Christian lifestyle, which includes fellowship, prayer within community, witness and service. Each Spring, over 100 students attend various trips, both domestic and international, to give of themselves to those less fortunate and to do something “real” for themselves and for God. OCF Real Break has been running since 2,000 with over one thousand students participating in these life-changing opportunities. Past and current trips include: Mexico, Guatemala, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Raphael House, St. Basil Academy, Greece, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Romania, Buenos Aires, Alaska, and more. For more information about Real Break or how to help a student take part in the Real Break program, visit www.ocf.net.
It is important to talk to youth about the tragic shootings in Tucson, AZ. The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries partnered with the Department of Religious Education to provide resources for parents and youth workers to discuss tragedy and violence with youth. Visit the Youth Worker Pulse Archives at www.youth.goarch.org for a list of resources. - Make plans for the 2011 Ionian Village Summer Camp Season. Visit www.ionianvillage.org for details about registration and 2011 camp dates. - Don’t forget to order the Orthodox Christian Teen Survival Guide Pamphlet Series – the newest resource from the Youth Department! The pamphlets are geared toward teens and they cover a variety of hot topics. They are available online for free download at www.youth. goarch.org or purchase printed materials at www.orthodoxmarketplace.com
person on the side of the road, in one of your classmates, or in your own family. God thinks it is important to honor our neighbor…In fact, the Greatest Commandment calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Nature can be pretty amazing, right? Well, remember that God created everything. It is important to take time and enjoy nature and all that God created. You can read more about how God created everything in the book of Genesis. Because God took special care in creating everything we see, we cannot forget to take care of God’s beautiful gift. We must learn how to properly use and replenish what we find in nature, rather than depleting it or polluting it. Last, but certainly not least, we must get involved in the Sacramental Life of the Church. The Holy Sacraments of the Church bring us in contact with God in the most real and tangible way. In order to receive any of the Holy Sacraments, we must commit to going to Church. Jesus Christ, Himself, taught us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst of them. Therefore, as a community of faithful, we must go to God’s house in order to encounter Him!
Teens Can Stop Violence In light of the tragic shootings in Tucson, AZ, it is important to think about the ways that we can stop violence. Unfortunately, we cannot always control the actions of others. But we can make a difference in through our own actions. In fact, we can inspire our peers to do the same! So what are some practical ways we can help prevent violence? Treat everyone the way you want to be treated It’s more than just the “Golden Rule.” It is the Greatest Commandment given to us by Jesus Christ! If we treat others with respect and kindness, we might inspire others to do the same even when you disagree! Talk to your family, priest, or youth worker if you don’t know how to handle a situation. Sometimes it takes a short conversation with a trusted individual to diffuse a situation. Grab a friend and talk about something frustrating rather than responding in a violent way. Don’t consume alcohol or drugs It is a fact that drugs and alcohol can inhibit our ability to make the best decisions. In fact, drugs and alcohol can sometimes amplify our anger and irrational behavior. So in order to make the best decisions, keep your body and mind clear! Do something to let go of stress Everyone deals with stress! School, work, family, and friends can all contribute to our stress levels. In order to prevent that stress becoming dangerous, we can find a healthy way to vent stress. Some ideas might be to exercise, find a quiet place to read, find a hobby that helps us relax. Of course, prayer is always one of the best ways to help redirect our thoughts and to ask God for strength! If you are dealing with more serious issues, make sure to speak to someone who can help or can get you help!
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JANUARY 2011
Academy Christmas Pageant Features a Surprise by Jim Golding
GARRISON, N.Y. – This cast of this year’s Christmas Pageant at Saint Basil Academy included a “celebrity” – Consul General of Cyprus Koula Sofianou. This year’s program featured a firsttime performance of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” an original Christmas opera composed for television in English by Gian Carlo Menotti. It was commissioned by NBC and first performed by the NBC Opera Theatre on Dec. 24, 1951, in New York at NBC studio 8 in Rockefeller Center, where it was broadcast live on television as the debut production of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. It was the first opera specifically composed for television in America. For decades it was a staple of Christmas offerings by the network. It was a program that Fr. Constantine Sitaras, Saint Basil’s executive director, had seen years ago on television and he thought it would be good for the children to perform. It was adapted to their level. Ms. Sofianou starred in the role of the first shepherd. Asked how it came about that she performed in the play, the consul general told the Observer that, when she attended the Christmas pageant the previous year, she was so impressed that she asked Fr. Constantine Sitaras, executive director of the academy, if she could participate in this year’s performance. “He did me a big favor,” Ms. Sofianou said, adding, “I did participate in school plays as a student but Saturday’s opportunity and experience was unique. The children were just wonderful! I was honored to participate.” Briefly, the story takes place near Bethlehem just after the birth of Christ Amahl, a disabled boy who can walk only with a crutch, has a problem with telling tall tales and, occasionally, lying. He is sitting outside playing his shepherd’s pipe when his mother calls for him. After much persuasion, he enters the house but his mother does not believe him when he tells her there is an amazing star “as big as a window” outside over their roof. Later that night, Amahl’s mother weeps, praying that Amahl not become a beggar. After bedtime there is a knock at the
One of the centerpieces created by the children the week before the Christmas program.
D. Panagos photos
The cast with Archbishop Demetrios, Fr. Sitaras, Fr. Constantine Moralis of Annunciation Cathedral in Baltimore, Greek Consul Kyriakopoulos, National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas, Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos President Maria Skiadas and an AHEPA representative.
door and the mother tells Amahl to go see who it is. Later, there is another knock at the door. Amahl is amazed when he sees three splendidly dressed kings (the Magi). They tell the mother and Amahl they are on a long journey to give gifts to a wondrous child and they would like to rest at their house, to which the mother agrees. The mother goes to fetch firewood, and Amahl seizes the opportunity to speak with the kings. King Balthazar answers Amahl’s questions about his life as a king and asks what Amahl does. Amahl responds that he was once a shepherd, but his mother had to sell his sheep. Now, he and his mother will have to go begging. Amahl then talks with King Kaspar, who is childlike, eccentric, and a bit deaf. Kaspar shows Amahl his box of magic stones, beads, and licorice, and offers Amahl some of the candy. The mother returns and Amahl is told to go fetch the neighbors so the kings may be fed and entertained properly. A group of five shepherds arrives and brings olives, quinces and other food. Ms. Sophianou had the speaking role for the shepherds. After the neighbors have left and the kings are resting, the mother attempts to steal for her son some of the kings’ gold that was meant for the Christ child. She is thwarted by the kings’ page. When Amahl wakes to find the page grabbing his mother, he attacks him. Seeing Amahl’s weak defense of his mother and understanding the motives for the attempted theft, King Melchior says she may keep the gold as the
The Three Kings pay a visit on their way to Bethlehem.
Cyprus Consul General Sophianou in her starring role.
Holy Child will not need earthly power or wealth to build his kingdom. The mother says she has waited all her life for such a king and asks the kings to take back the gold. She wishes to send a gift but has nothing to send. Amahl, too, has nothing to give the Child except his crutch. When he offers it to the kings, his leg is miraculously healed. He leaves with the kings to see the child and give his crutch in thanks for being healed. The kings and Amahl then depart for Bethlehem to visit the Christ child. The auditorium was filled to capacity with supporters and friends of the Academy from locations as far as Boston, Arizona and South Carolina. The Consul of Greece in New York, Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, reprised his role as an audience member. Commenting on the pageant after its conclusion, Archbishop Demetrios congratulated the cast and staff “for an outstanding performance.” He called it “The most professional staging we ever saw here” and complimented the consul general for her participation. He also recalled that Cyprus President Dimitri Christofias had visited the academy for three hours during a recent official visit to New York and had lunch with the children. His Eminence also commented on the individually constructed graham cracker
and jelly candy houses that decorated each table as centerpieces. The children of the Academy, along with help from the local young adult group “Friends of the Academy,” from New York and New Jersey, members of the Cephalonian Brotherhood and the Greek Club of St. John’s University in New York made the centerpieces. Following a luncheon, Archbishop Demetrios, National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas and representatives of AHEPA, the Daughters of Penelope and several parishes distributed Christmas gifts to the children. Fr. Sitaras also announced a bequest of $50,000 for the Academy library from the Artemis Davey Fund that had been set up to benefit the library.