VOL. 65 NO. 1177
NOVEMBER 2000
http://www.goarch.org/goa/observer E-mail: observer@goarch.org
Millennium Visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Detroit Faithful Welcome His All Holiness by Stavros Papagermanos
DETROIT Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew successfully concluded his first pastoral visit to the Diocese of Detroit the weekend of Nov. 10-12. The Ecumenical Patriarch s 2½ days in the area included visits to four communities and two hospitals, a doxology and a great vespers service, a youth rally, treeplanting ceremony. He also attended breakfasts, luncheons and dinners with thousands of faithful, received numerous bouquets and held young children in his arms. Throughout his visit, he expressed the Mother Church s love and care toward the faithful in America in some 15 speeches and addresses. It was a blessed and enlightening weekend for the flock of the Diocese of Detroit who did not have the opportunity to welcome His All Holiness during his 1997 Patriarchal visit in the U.S.
Arrival
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HIS ALL HOLINESS addresses the thousands of faithful who congregated at the Compuware Arena in the suburbs of Detroit, for the Partiarchal Divine Liturgy.
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His All Holiness arrived at Pontiac International Airport midafternoon of Friday, Nov. 10. Archbishop Demetrios and the host hierarch, Bishop Nicholas of Detroit, boarded the plane to welcome the Ecumenical Patriarch. Hierarchs of the Archdiocese, area priests and a crowd of some 200, many of whom were children, warmly and enthusiastically welcomed the Patriarch as he exited the aircraft. Bishop Nicholas welcomed His All Holiness and expressed the thirst of his flock to see and meet their Ecumenical Patriarch, the leader and pillar of Orthodoxy all over the world.
Archbishop Demetrios, in his welcoming remarks expressed the jubilation and spiritual uplifting felt by all the faithful in America, especially those in the Diocese of Detroit. We welcome you Your All Holiness, welcome to your people ... we welcome you not only as the Ecumenical Patriarch but also as our father, as the pre-eminent leader of Orthodoxy. We also welcome the citizen of the world who is ecumenical not only in title but also in substance, the man who is the lighthouse of Orthodoxy and radiates the light of the Gospel.
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PATRIARCHAL VISIT Archbishop s Encyclical u 1`1 Archdiocese News u 2-5,13, 31 Bible Guide u 24 Challenge u 29 Clergy Update u 7 Diocese News u 8, 30 Ecumenical u 23 Greek section u 15-18 In Memoriam u 27 Interfaith Marriage u 9
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Leadership 100 u 5 Opinions u 10 Orthodoxy Worldwide u 6 Parish Profile u 20 People u 20 Relating to the Faith u 24 Religious Education u 14, 26 Retired Clergy u 21 St. Basil Academy u 3, 7 Voice of Philoptochos u 19
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
MARY JAHARIS cuts the ribbon opening the Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Demetrios and Micahel Jaharis look on.
Patriarch Makes One-Day Stop in New York by Jim Golding
NEW YORK Following his Nov. 1012 weekend pastoral journey to the Diocese of Detroit, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew came to New York on Nov. 13 to receive an award from one of the nation s oldest environmental organizations for his work in advocating Christian stewardship for the earth and its resources. His All Holiness also met with clergy from the region and other parts of the nation and with Archdiocese staff, and attended the opening of the Jaharis Galler-
ies for Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archbishop Demetrios, who with Bishop Nicholas welcomed the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians to Detroit, warmly greeted the Patriarch at Archdiocese headquarters early Nov. 13, where he presided over the Divine Liturgy for the Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom in the Chapel of St. Paul. Afterward, Patriarch Bartholomew addressed the staff and attended a recep-
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Detroit Welcomes Ecumenical Patriarch u page 1
Christ to others.
Doxology
Your people, your flock, hierarchs, priests, deacons, clergy and laity alike welcome you with deep reverence, infinite love and respect and eagerly await your patriarchal blessing. His All Holiness, in greeting the crowd, expressed the great joy of the Mother Church toward the Church in America for maintaining the beautiful and redeeming traditions of our Orthodox heritage... in which one can encounter all of the traditions, of the world. He continued, We congratulate you for protecting the sacred heritage of the Orthodox faith, which is a precious and priceless treasure discovered by many, who turn to the Orthodox Church to gain what we have inherited from our fathers.
Clergy Reception Following the Patriarch s arrival, dio-
cese clergy and their families greeted him at a welcome reception at St. George Church in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. In his greeting to them, he acknowledged the importance and the difficulty of their ministry, given the circumstances and the environment of this country. He urged them to sow more seed in the hearts of the people so that more of it can grow and reminded them of the necessity for love and unity and Christian obedience and cooperation with their Bishop and Archbishop. Let us, all of us, united amongst us and with Christ, proclaim the Gospel of love and our Orthodox faith, so that all our brothers can rejoice in the joy of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Orthodox Observer
MORE than 200 assembled in a hangar at Pontiac airport to welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as he arrived for his first pastoral visit to the Diocese of Detroit.
Leadership 100 Dinner Later that evening, members of Leadership 100, who held board and executive committee meetings coinciding with His All Holiness s visit, offered a dinner in his honor. In his remarks at the dinner, the Patriarch expressed his joy in finding the Church in America and the omogeneia in peace and of the same mind around His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. He further elaborated on the importance of unity, which does not preclude the free expression of the differences of opinion, a necessary component in achieving unity. His All Holiness expressed gratitude to Leadership 100 for helping to ease the
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THE ARCHONS of the Ecumenical Patriarchate presented the Patriarch with a symbolic gift entitled Millennium Global Peace.
Church s fiscal problems, and for their love and respect for the Mother Church. He spoke at length of his appreciation for Archbishop Iakovos foresight and initiative in establishing Leadership 100.
Youth Rally and Breakfast
PATRIARCH Bartholomew plants a tree in Detroit’s Celebration park
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Shortly before noon the Ecumenical Patriarch arrived at the Annunciation Cathedral in a downtown section of Detroit known as Greek Town, where he presided over a doxology of welcome and thanksgiving. Several area religious and civic leaders attended, including Michigan s lieutenant governor, Richard Posthumus, Congressman and Mrs. David Bonior, heads of various SCOBA jurisdictions and other Church leaders. Adam Cardinal Maida of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit presented His All Holiness with a large three-paneled Byzantine icon. The Patriarch, in his address to the congregation, referred to the Mother Church s mission to spread and commu-
DIRECTOR & MANAGING EDITOR: Stavros H. Papagermanos EDITOR: Jim Golding (Chryssoulis) ADVERTISING: Ioanna Kekropidou ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Irene Kyritsis CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Nicholas Manginas Elizabeth Economou
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On Nov. 11, more than 1,200 young people welcomed the Patriarch at a breakfast at Sts. Constantine and Helen Church in Westland, Mich. The enthusiasm and the apparent love of the young generation energized the Patriarch and all those present. Groups of young boys and girls offered a program of traditional dancing for the Patriarch, who enjoyed every moment, interacted with many young people and revered the moments he lifted young children and babies in his arms. In his address to the group, Patriarch Bartholomew said that true joy is a gift from the Lord to those who have a clean heart and that is why children who have a clean and pure heart are able to be illuminated with joy and radiate the joy of
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nicate the message of Christ s Gospel to all peoples. In this mission he said, the role of all Orthodox Christians, and in particular those in this country, is very important because their example and lives can either attract and appeal to, or repel others. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) He further elaborated and said that: this country which is willing and eager to try every new teaching, every new theory and every new faith, is awaiting from you the genuine orthodox life, as a prototype (as a model) which she s ready to try.
Archon s Ecumenical Luncheon Immediately following the doxology the Archon s of the Order of St. Andrew hosted a luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club, paying tribute to the Ecumenical Patriarch. Dr. Anthony Limberakis, the Order s national commander, in his address to the participants pledged that: our diakonia in the service of our Lord and Savior not only includes our sacred mission as Defenders of the Faith, but also the role as facilitators of unity through love and forgiveness. The Archon s presented the Patriarch with a symbolic Boehm Porcelain Globe entitled Millennium Global Peace as an expression of the universality of Orthodoxy and the dynamism of His All Holiness in the pursuit of the Ecumenical Patriarchate s worldwide mission: Spiritual revival, Orthodox unity, Christian rec-
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A R C H D I O C E S E
DETROIT VISIT uuu onciliation, interfaith tolerance and coexistence, protection of the environment and a world united in peace, justice, solidarity and love. Patriarch Bartholomew spoke of diakonia as a basic characteristic and quality of every Christian and as the core value of the Archons.
Tree Dedication and Hospital Visit Early in the afternoon, amidst very chilly temperatures, a few dozen school age children and city officials warmly welcomed the Ecumenical Patriarch at Celebration Park, across from Detroit Children s Hospital. The Patriarch participated in a short ceremony, organized and funded by GOYA in conjunction with the Greening of Detroit Organization, where he dedicated a grove of trees, planted one and entrusted the youth present to care for it. He promised to return and check on it. The planting not only commemorated the patriarchal visit but also initiated the Detroit Greek Orthodox Diocese s participation in the city s 300th anniversary next year. Afterward, Patriarch Bartholomew visited nearby Children s Hospital, where he spent time with young patients, offering his paternal blessings, prayers and encouragement.
Great Vespers St. John Church in Sterling Heights, Mich. was filled to capacity for the Saturday evening Great Vespers, with participation by the Patriarch, accompanied by Archbishop Demetrios, Bishop Nicholas of Detroit and the other Archdiocese hierarchs, and Metropolitans Meliton of Philadelphia and Chrysostom of Myron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Using the vespers as an example of preparation for the next morning s Divine Liturgy, and the example of St. John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus Christ, His All Holiness centered his homily on the importance of spiritual preparation, and cleansing of the soul so the faithful can accept Christ and the love that He offers in their hearts.
Grand Banquet That evening, a grand banquet the Ecumenical Patriarch s honor took place at St. Nicholas Church in Troy, Mich. Bishop Nicholas, in his welcoming remarks, reported that faithful from all seven states of the Diocese were present at the dinner, including as far as Arkansas, the most distant state. These people, His Grace emphasized, are grateful as they feel the care and love and the guidance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In the person of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the bishop continued, we see the continuation of the long and glorious history of our Church; we come face to face with the fathers and the saints of the great Church of Constantinople. The program also included greetings by Cyprus ambassador to the U.S., Erato Kozakou-Markoulis, and the Consul General of Greece in Chicago, Gabriel Koptsidis. Archbishop Demetrios called the occasion a dinner and a night of love and he summarized the feelings of people of the Diocese, feelings of amazement and thankfulness to God for the presence of His All Holiness, a presence which the Archbishop felt was energizing and revitalizing to the people. The Archbishop, expressing his thoughts on the ecumenical aspect of the Patriarch, said the term is the Patriarch s basic apostolic identity and who, true to
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Environmental Group Presents Award to His All Holiness by Jim Golding
NEW YORK Since 1989, when Patriarch Demetrios designated Sept. 1 as a Day of Prayer for the Environment, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been at the forefront of concern for humanity s stewardship over the earth and its resources. From his accession to the patriarchal throne in 1991 to the present day, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has taken the lead among religious leaders in raising the consciousness of people around the world about the importance of caring for the environment. The Green Patriarch as he is known in Europe, made the issue a cornerstone of his month-long tour of the U.S. in 1997. He has sponsored dialogues and symposia to promote his concerns on the ecological dangers in Eastern Europe, the Danube and the Black Sea, as well as to discuss the need to bring moral and spiritual forces around the world to strengthen stewardship of the environment. Following his Nov. 10-12 weekend visit to the Detroit Diocese, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew traveled to New York to receive an award for his efforts from one of this nation s oldest environmental groups. Scenic Hudson Inc., a Poughkeepsiebased nonprofit organization founded 36 years ago to protect the Hudson River Valley, presented His All Holiness with its International Visionary Award for Environmental Achievement at a luncheon at the Manhattan Club attended by nearly 200, including Gov. George Pataki and William K. Reilly, former head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ned Sullivan, executive director of Scenic Hudson who presented the award, referred to the Patriarch a man of action in the world who encourages dialogue among scientific, environmental and local communities to strengthen international environmental stewardship. The Ecumenical Patriarch is dedicated to raising awareness about the critical threats to the waters of the world and his work is inspiring we are honored to be presenting such a great leader with our international award. Both Gov. Pataki and Mr. Reilly, who
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HIS ALL Holiness with luncheon Chairman Marjorie Hart, William Reilly, former EPA director; and Scenic Hudson Executive Director Ned Sullivan.
also is a former president of the World Wildlife Fund, praised the work of His All Holiness in marshaling the spiritual value that religion can provide to inspire positive action in protecting the environment. In his address during the luncheon, Patriarch Bartholomew noted that For many years, the Orthodox ecumenical Throne has devoted itself to the service of the protection of the environment. With great interest and sincere anxiety, we have followed the efforts to address the destructive side effects of humanity upon the world of nature With much fear we realize the dangerous consequences of human apathy concerning the survival of Creation, including the survival of humankind itself. It is for this reason that I accept this award in the name of my illustrious predecessor, Patriarch Dimitrios. He is the one who invited the entire world to offer, together with the Holy Great Church of Christ, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, prayer of thanksgiving, but also of petition regarding the protection of God s gift of Creation. The Patriarch also said that humanity s refusal to face life and the world as God s gift lies at the root of pollution and its sin against the world.
Unfortunately, humanity has become intoxicated by its technological possibilities and behaves tyrannically toward the environment Avarice and excessive exploitation, with no regard for their consequences, are a usual phenomenon. He called upon society to consider the Orthodox approach to ascetical life, which he said is not an escape from society and the world, but a way of self-sufficient social life and behavior, which leads to the reasonable use and not the abuse of material goods. The patriarch said the opposite view leads to consumerism, excessive drawing from the productive ecosystem, reversal of its balance, its destruction, and, in the long run, inability to survive and thus destroys the environment of our fellow human beings. He called upon humanity to repent over past mistakes regarding the environment. After receiving the award, Patriarch Bartholomew presented Scenic Hudson officials with a hand-painted parchment by a monk from Mount Athos depicting the Garden of Eden inscribed with God s charge to Adam and Eve to work and keep the garden, in producing material goods, but keeping its integrity.
St. Basil Academy, GOTelecom Produce Videotape GARRISON, N.Y. - Hall of Fame sportscaster and Fox Sports NFL analyst Pat Summerall recently visited the campus of St. Basil Academy to host a new promotional videotape being produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications (GOTelecom), the television ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in association with St. Basil Academy. The program is titled St. Basil Academy: A Legacy of Changed Lives. The weeklong taping, which began Sept. 18, features stylized filming and videotaping of archival photos, campus photography, interviews with staff and volunteers and video footage of day-to-day activities. The highlight of the video is the one-on-one interviews with the children of St. Basil Academy, who candidly express their feelings about this program. In contacting Pat Summerall to host the video, producer Nicholas J. Furris explained who St. Basil is and what he offered to the lives of children everywhere. St. Basil Academy is an institution that fulfills his ministry. Mr. Summerall expressed gratitude in having the opportunity to visit the campus and offer his talents to help. Fr. Constantine Sitaras, executive di-
Orthodox Observer
FR. SITARAS looks on as the GOTelecom crew and Pat Summerall prepare to tape the presentation on St. Basil Academy.
rector of St. Basil s, in commenting about the purpose of the video, stated, Christ is among us. He works in all ways and He is here on this campus. We hope and pray that this video will help inform our faithful about the Academy and describe to
them our future goals for expanding the campus to include a retreat center where Orthodox Christians can gather in a peaceful, God-centered atmosphere. For more information about St. Basil Academy call 845-424-3500.
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
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Archdiocese District Holds Clergy-Laity Assembly byJim Golding
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Delegates from parishes of the New York Archdiocese District elected new representatives to the Archdiocesan and District Councils at their annual Clergy-Laity Assembly. The participants, who came from as far as Schenectady, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn., also heard several parish ministry and archdiocesan ministry reports. In his opening comments to the Assembly, Archbishop Demetrios reminded the delegates about four characteristics of the Church taught in the Book of Acts. He listed the teaching of the Apostles as the adherence to the truth; koinonia, the attribute of being together in fellowship; the Church as a eucharistic community offering worship to God; and adherence to prayers as an orientation and connection to God on a daily basis. His Eminence said, No matter how close we are (to these characteristics) there is always room for improvement. We need to focus on these things and not get lost on things that divert our attention. The Archbishop said the meeting presented an opportunity to develop the sense of a larger community, rather than be parish-centered, and to work in harmony as a Church. We are called at the end of our work to say that today we have been the Church At Work, in action, in growing, in producing. He urged a greater effort in developing youth programs through the many parochial schools of the diocese, citing the great success of the annual San Francisco Diocese dance festival in drawing large numbers of the region s youth. He called for similar programs in the diocese, including music festivals and athletic events, and family development programs. His Eminence also encouraged increased worshiping possibilities such as feast day vespers. It helps to increase unity, he said. It is very gratifying to see 25 priests taking part in a service.
ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS leads opening prayer for Clergy-Laity Assembly
Elected representatives The following were elected to the Archdiocesan Council and District Council: Archdiocesan Council: Fr. James Moskovites of Annunciation Church, Manhattan, Dr. Anthony Harovas of Manhattan and Bill Kallinikos of St. Paul Cathedral, Hempstead. Diocesan council (11 lay members) Paul Pavlou, Assumption, Danbury, Conn; Eleni Jiavares, St. Spyridon, Manhattan; Dr. Leo Haralampidis, St. George Cathedral, Hartford; Stephen Cherpelis, St. Nicholas, Flushing, N.Y; Georgia Lambrinos, St. George, Schenectady; Dean Mihaltses, Church of Resurrection, Glen Cove, N.Y; Helen Kohilakis, St. John, Blue Point, N.Y; Demetra Kean, Holy Trinity, New Rochelle, Chris Papachristos, Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, Conn; Demetrios Hartofilis, St. Demetrios, Astoria, N.Y; and Michael Marks, Church of Our Savior, Rye, N.Y.
Chancellor s report The Very Rev. Savas Zembillas noted that 22 ordinations have taken place in the last 14 months. One priest was assigned to the Archdiocese District. The District has 67 communities served by 74 priests. One issue of concern is the changing demographics of some Manhattan churches. Some parishes are fading away. The average age in some is distressingly high and many people largely have moved out to Long Island or Connecticut. The chancellor also noted he is paying regular visits to the Holy Cross School of Theology campus to encourage seminarians to serve in the district once they are ordained.
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Executive Director of Administration Jerry Dimitriou said the Archdiocese had a debt at the end of last year of more than $5 million, but that with nearly $3 million raised and savings through staff reductions of $1.3 million, the deficit should be eliminated early next year. He also said significant cost cutting has resulted through the use of enhanced technology. With a major computer upgrade completed, Mr. Dimitriou said the goal is to distribute information electronically throughout the Archdiocese. We re looking for additional funding to put a computer in every parish that doesn t have one, he added.
Stewardship The Very Rev. Gabriel Karambis, director of the Archdiocese stewardship office said total giving through stewardship is about $730,000 above last year s amount, but that a number of parishes have difficulty meeting their 15 percent assessment to the national Church.
Orthodox Observer
Fr. Karambis report brought a response from Georgia Lambrinos, parish council president of St. George Church in Schenectady, who expressed the sentiments of many smaller communities. Ms. Lambrinos said diminishing memberships at smaller parishes translate to decreasing revenue. We can t afford total commitment, she said, noting that a high percentage of her church s parishioners are older. She invited Archdiocese officials to visit her parish to help increase support for the Church s programs. We are very positive about the Archdiocese, she said We would like to see a visit as soon as possible. We desperately need you for our church not only to stay open, but also to encourage our youth. Ms. Lambrinos comments prompted Archbishop Demetrios at the end of the meeting to encourage parishes to charter buses to visit the Schenectady parish as a gesture of unity and fellowship. Go to Schenectady, or to any parish to enlarge the scope of our connection of our family of Orthodox in this country, he said. We are so blessed.
St. Michael s Home Fr. Andonios Paropoulos, the director, called St. Michael s one of more viable institutions of the Church, but that it is seen as primarily a New York institution, although several residents come from states as far as Illinois He said the institution is self-sufficient, never having received a subsidy from the Archdiocese, and has a waiting list of six. But the problem it faces is the limit on the level of care it can give the elderly. St. Michael s is licensed as an adult home and can house only those who are able to care for themselves, unlike a nursing home. Last year we transferred 12 to nursing homes, he said. This year we have transferred 14. It can be a very traumatic experience for them. The residents have all their lives worked for the Church. It s only fitting their last years on this earth should be in a church environment. Fr. Paropoulos said he hopes the Home can eventually offer 150-175 beds, with different levels of care so residents can be moved to different sections as their needs for additional care increase. Most don t want to live with their children, they want some degree of independence, he said. Fr. George Stavropoulos, pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Hicksville, commented, the greatest need today is for this age the old people.
Greek Education Acting Director Maria Makedon reported that a new parochial school, St. Nicholas School-in San Francisco has joined the Archdiocese school system, but that two other schools closed due to de-
clining enrollment. She also said her department is completing a nationwide study on the need for Greek teachers Discussion focused on declining enrollments and shrinking financial support. We need to focus attention on sources of funding for paideia, said Fr. James Kalogrides, pastor of St. Nicholas Church in West Babylon, N.Y. Families leave communities and there are fewer children, said Ms. Makedon. We must open our programs to non-Greek children to sustain our schools. But one delegate, speaking in Greek, said it would be a big mistake to the open doors to anyone who is not Greek. They must be Greek Orthodox, he said. Another man, from Jamaica, N.Y., suggested combining parochial schools in Queens. With 500 children, you can pay teachers better and have stronger programs. The whole topic is very, very important and represents a chronic situation, said Archbishop Demetrios. This was always the case, as if it was a malaise. We are trying to deal with the thing as seriously as possible; a few basic decisions soon, he added. Theoretically, we should be in a position to be self-supporting, we should have whole system in place. Objectively it s unthinkable that we are still struggling with this kind of paideia program. His Eminence also noted that the Rassias Project undertaken in 1998 has not been forgotten, but it presented aspects that didn t work in past, and other provisions that have to be correlated to other conditions not yet in place.
Youth Ministry Archdiocese District Youth Director George Hazlaris told the Assembly there is a need for increased Christian education among the youth, saying it is the bottom core of where we need to focus. We need to follow through at the parish level, he said. There is an amazing amount of children in basketball leagues; but we re not selecting coaches and people to work with youth in a proper manner. He continued, We need to teach people how to minister, focus on the gospel; train youth workers how to be youth workers. Our youth don t relate to the church liturgically; the liturgical experience is not conveyed to our kids. It is not enough to preach about drugs and alcoholism. In practice our kids aren t there. We have to radically do something to change the way our kids think about the liturgy.
Interfaith Marriage Director Fr. Charles Joanides reported that a manual for clergy and lay leaders on interfaith marriage issues has been completed. The manual is the result of his research over the past two years into the Greek Orthodox experience in America. Fr. Joanides also noted he receives a large amount of feedback through the Internet and chat rooms. He said many families and spouses find their needs have been neglected and that people told him they feel like outsiders, marginalized.
St. Basil Academy Director Fr. Costa Sitaras-said current enrollment is 29 students and discussed challenges he faces in providing a proper environment for the children to achieve their potential. Several come from other parts of the country, including nine from Illinois. He also said efforts to establish a retreat center at St. Basil s are succeeding with more than 6,300 people visiting the Academy since January; 25 percent of them from other parts of the United States.
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L-100’s Archdiocese District Dinner Sets Record NEW YORK The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund s efforts to increase membership took a giant leap Oct. 10 with the Archdiocese District recruitment dinner hosted by Michael Jaharis and Peter Dion. The New York Archdiocese District dinner resulted in a record number of new members, said Leadership 100 National Chairman Arthur Anton of Boston.
bership is a sign of a blessing from God. Observing that the dinner location of the Daniel restaurant, one of the city s four top-rated eateries, he drew a comparison with Daniel, one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, who described the vision of the Son of Man coming in the clouds, the first reference to one of Christ s titles. God became one of us, living basi-
Orthodox Observer
ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS sets a spiritual tone for the Leadership dinner as he discusses the importance of the organization to the mission of the Church.
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DINNER CO-HOST Michael Jaharis welcomes guests and highlights the endowment fund’s support for various ministries of the Archdiocese.
Thirteen new members joined the organization and seven others completed their commitment, bringing the total number of members to 52, the most of any diocese. New York has recruited more members in the past 10 years than in the previous 10 years, Millennium Membership Drive Chairman Stephen Yeonas said, adding, The real importance of the campaign s success is due to the efforts of Peter Dion, Michael Jaharis and their New York co-Chairman John Catsimatidis. Mr. Yeonas also said the additional members will make it possible for Leadership to provide grants of more than $3 million a year. At the dinner, which included several present Leadership 100 members, co-host Michael Jaharis noted in welcoming remarks that Archbishop Demetrios has made it possible for Leadership 100 to grow. Mr. Jaharis also praised the endowment fund s director, Fr. Alex Karloutsos for his unique ability and great supporting staff. In his comments, the Archbishop thanked the endowment fund s members for their very personal sacrifice and said the dramatic, astonishing increase in mem-
cally by serving, said Archbishop Demetrios. What better quality for Leadership 100 members as those who serve. The Archbishop cited two recent examples of Leadership 100 s providing support for Church ministries a $175,000 grant to create the Department of Interfaith Marriage and the $10 million scholarship offering to students of Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology, to enable qualified seminarians to study without the burden of student loans. His Eminence added, If we had the means we could have at least double the number of priests. His Eminence also thanked Messers. Dion and Jaharis for their sponsorship of the dinner. You treated us like royalty, he said, but we shouldn t forget we are the royal priesthood. In concluding remarks, Mr. Jaharis thanked the Archbishop for the enthusiasm he has generated for Leadership 100, You realize the potential that exists, he said. Among new members at the dinner who joined Leadership 100 were Dean and Steven Kyriakos, sons of retired priest Fr. Peter Kyriakos, former pastor of Holy Trinity Church in New Rochelle, N.Y.
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COOK UP A FUND-RAISING SUCCESS IOCC Emergency Response to Victims in Israel
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BALTIMORE (IOCC) - Victims of the crisis that began two months ago in the Holy Land have begun receiving emergency assistance through a project announced by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). IOCC has delivered emergency medical supplies, food and other relief aid valued at $20,000 to children and families affected by the turmoil in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, the West Bank and Gaza. More than 1,500 people will benefit from the emergency supplies that will be distributed through seven hospitals and community organizations. More than 3,600 people have been injured in hostilities that began in September. Many of the injuries, according to IOCC Jerusalem representative Nora Kort, have resulted in head, neck and chest trauma. Tragically, many of the injuries have resulted in permanent disabilities, she reports. The St. John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem, which has seen patients seeking treatment for eye injuries, is one of the institutions that will receive assistance from the IOCC project. In addition to those injured, the disturbances have begun to exact an economic toll on the population, with many Israeli and Palestinian businesses forced to close and tourism, a mainstay of the economy, dramatically curtailed. The fighting has also come during the annual olive harvest that is a central cash crop for many Palestinian towns and villages. Even if efforts to restore the peace are successful, with the violence prevent-
ing many Palestinians from harvesting the olive crop, the effects of the skirmishes are sure to be felt for months if not years ahead. To this end, IOCC will also work with partners in the region to provide direct assistance to families and the elderly who have been adversely affected and are in need of assistance. Emergency provision of food, personal care items and medical supplies will be distributed in the West Bank. IOCC is appealing for donations to provide emergency medical supplies, food and other relief aid. To make a contribution, visit the IOCC website at www.iocc.org or call toll-free (877) 803 4622. Gifts to the Holy Land Crisis Relief Project may also be sent to IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225. IOCC, the relief and development organization of Orthodox Christians worldwide, began working in Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1997. In addition to the emergency relief effort, IOCC implements projects in education, computer training, small-enterprise development and the rehabilitation of schools in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Despite difficult working conditions and restricted travel, IOCC staff continues to implement the school rehabilitation and training projects. IOCC is an implementing partner of Action By Churches Together, an alliance of churches and relief agencies responding to emergencies in more than 50 countries. Contact Mark Hodde at International Orthodox Christian Charities, 711 W. 40th Street, Suite 306, Baltimore, MD 21211; Tel: (410) 243 9820; Fax: (410) 243 9824; E-mail: publicrelations@iocc.org
Medical Team Helps Orthodox in Uganda by Lori Gaydosh
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Nine members of a multi-denominational Christian medical outreach departed for Kampala, Uganda, organized by Dr. James Lacey. Consisting of three physicians, a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, a nurse, two pre-medical students and one kindergarten teacher, we met the last member of our team - one more physician at the Namungoona Orthodox Compound. Metropolitan Jonah of the African Orthodox Church graciously received our team and we settled into our home for the next two weeks. (I do not use the term home loosely. As a member of the 96 Kenya team, returning to Africa did feel like coming home.) We had a lot of work ahead of us. Forty boxes of donated medical supplies had to be sorted and repacked so that our group of 10 could divide into two teams of five. Thanks to the help of people from the local community and a group of Greek missionaries, we were ready to start work at the Namungoona Orthodox Hospital the next day. Two days at the hospital resulted in treating approximately 200 patients and performing seven minor surgeries. Nevertheless, it was the start of the learning process for our American medical team on how to cope with very limited medicines and equipment quite a difference from the States. These flexible attitudes and thought processes had to continue and grow as we headed to the outlying communities. As a medical professional, one learns to diag-
nose and treat. But when you have no lab to help make a diagnosis and an incomplete pharmacy for treatment, you must rely on your God-given talents. Facing rampant diseases such as AIDS and malaria was frustrating, but less complicated problems such as diabetes and heart disease were even more frustrating since there could be no long term follow up. Although these problems could be treated back in the States, a caring smile and prayer were sometimes all we could do. The caring smiles and prayer were not just for the patients. Our team learned to be supportive of each other. The lines of people waiting to receive care never seemed to end. The reality of the situation hit us the hardest when we left behind more than 200 because we ran out of time and medicine. We heard the Metropolitan quietly say, I m sorry my brothers and sisters as we drove away from the village. In less than two weeks we had seen 1,600 patients. Some members of our team stayed for two more weeks and were joined by additional medical personnel. More medicine was being purchased and different villages would be visited. In all, the OCMC Medical Outreach in Uganda was able to see over 2,800 total patients. As medical professionals - and most importantly, as Christians - we laid aside our religious, racial and ethnic differences and helped one another. I pray there are many more teams to come. Lori Gaydosh is a physician s assistant from Aspinwall, Pa., and a participant of numerous short-term teams.
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
ST. BASIL ACADEMY
Chicago Diocese Youth Minister to St. Basil Academy by Clio D. Nikolakis
GARRISON, N.Y. A team of 22 high school youth representing 12 Chicago Diocese parishes recently traveled to St. Basil Academy to initiate what they hope to be an annual Diocese youth service trip. Team members were responsible for raising their money and sharing the mission of the service trip to their communi-
PAGE 7
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Mr. Georganas added, seeing the team come together in a spirit of service to the Lord was a true joy. Participants on this project stayed in the AHEPA dormitories on campus, which were recently refurbished to accommodate a growing number of overnight guests, visitors and retreatants at the Academy. In addition to the service offerings, these Chicago youth participated in
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CHICAGO GOYANS at St. Basil Academy
ties, said Diocese Youth Director Andrew Georgana. The Goyans raised more than $20,000 to make the trip. Fr. Constantine Sitaras welcomed the visitors to campus upon their arrival on Aug. 1. The group completed projects that included painting the chapel exterior, organizing and cleaning the administration building attic, collecting many bags of clothing for brethren in need, cleaning rooms and closets and other tasks. Fr. Costa commented, The Academy was blessed with the enthusiasm of this group, who helped us complete some long-awaited chores.
Paraklesis services and five group discussions, in order for the team to express their faith to each other, learn more about Greek Orthodoxy, and themselves. These sessions allowed them to come closer to God and each other, noted Mr. Georganas. For these youth, the trip was not all work as they made several day trips into New York City, where they visited the Archdiocese and tourist spots including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the World Trade Center, Radio City, NBC Studios, Times Square and Yankee Stadium. The trip concluded with Sunday Liturgy at Church of Our Savior, in Rye, N.Y.
CLERGY U P D A T E Assignments: Rev. Presbyter Paul Bebis,-to St. Nicholas, Enfield, Conn., 10/09/2000 Rev. Presbyter Gregory Coo, to Annunciation Church, Sacramento, Calif. (assistant), 10/15/00 Rev. Economos Michael Kouremetis, to St. George Cathedral, Manchester, N.H., 11/01/00 Rev. Presbyter James W. Kordaris, to Archangel Michael Church, Roslyn Heights, N.Y., 6/01/00 Rev. Presbyter Constantine Simeonides, to Tarpon Springs, Fla. (assistant), 11/01/00 Rev. Presbyter James Tsoulos, to St. George Church, De Kalb, Ill., 11/01/00 Ordinations to the Deaconate: Adam Metropoulos, by Metropolitan Methodios, at St. George Church, Lynn, Mass., 10/01/2000 Nicholas Andrews, by Metropolitan Anthony, at St. John the Baptist Church, Las Vegas, Nevada, 08/20/00 to Priesthood: Deacon Paul Bebis, by Metropolitan Methodios, at Holy Trinity Church, Norwich, Conn., 10/08/00 Deacon Nicholas Andrews, by Archbishop Demetrios, at Annunciation Cathedral, Houston, 09/24/00
Dn. Constantine Simeonides, by Metropolitan Maximos, St. Paul Church, N. Royalton, Ohio, 08/06/00 Retired Priests: Rev. Protopresbyter Gerasimos Rassias, Holy Trinity Church, Wilmington, Del., 07/01/00 Very Rev. Archimandrite Stephen N. Mazaris, Holy Trinity Church, Canton, Ohio, 10/18/00 Rev. Protopresbyter Demetrios N. Treantafeles, St. Nektarios Church, Palatine, Ill., 11/01/00 Deceased Priests: Rev. Presbyter Constantine Andreou, (retired priest), d. 09/28/00 Rev. Protopresbyter George T. Scoulas, Sts. Peter & Paul, Glenview, Ill., 10/18/00 New Parishes: Sts. Raphael, Nicholas & Irene Greek Orthodox Church P.O. Box 588 Cumming, Ga. 30045 St. Silouan the Athonite Greek Orthodox Mission P.O. Box 247 Walla Walla, Wash. 99362 Phone No. (509) 529-0306
Mail this form to: Ionian Village, 8-10 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021. Or contact us at: Tel.: (212) 570-3534 Fax: (212) 570-3569 E-mail ionianvillage@goarch.org Web page: www.Ionianvillage.org Ionian Village is a program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
PAGE 8
news
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
DIOCESE
NOVEMBER 2000
Illinois Parish Honors Houston Cathedral Hosts Archbishop for Dedication Weekend Priest of 40 Years PALOS HILLS, Ill. Sts. Constantine and Helen Church celebrated 40 years service by its pastor, Fr. Byron Papanikolaou with his beloved Presbytera Xanthipe, Oct. 15. The Divine Liturgy was followed by a tribute to Fr. Byron by assistant pastor Fr. Nicholas Jonas. Fr. Byron then spoke to the people he has ministered to who filled to capacity. Over the years, he has baptized or chrismated 3,441 persons, married 1,700 couples, buried 1,676, and made more than 75,000 visits to hospitals, prisons and nursing homes. A reception, sponsored by the St. Helen s Philoptochos, followed in the Pierre Demets Auditorium.
Clergy Attend LA Veterans Day Events LOS ANGELES Two Orthodox chaplains participated in Veterans Day ceremonies Nov. 9-10. The Very Rev. John E. Constantine, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps., delivered the invocation in a Nov. 9 ceremony at the West Los Angeles Healthcare Center. Fr. Constantine also is assistant priest at St. John the Baptist Church in Anaheim. Archpriest Jerome Cwiklinski, a U.S. Navy chaplain at Camp Pendleton, delivered the invocation and benediction at the 41st World War II Veterans Salute at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks in Hollywood Hills. Orthodox activist Nicholas Royce of Hollywood arranged for the clergy participation.
Church Raises Funds for Orthodox Charities
PALOS HILLS, Ill. Sts. Constantine and Helen parish held its 16th annual Orthodox Charities Weekend, Sept. 30Oct. 1, which included a record setting Bike/Run/Walk-A-Thon and a Blood Drive that drew many participants. Several bake sales preceded the Orthodox Charities Weekend. The recipients this year of the funds raised will be the following charities: Cooley s Anemia , International Orthodox Christian Charities, Orthodox World Missions, and the needy of our greater community. The Bike/Run/Walk-A-Thon was extremely productive with 141 participants who spent their Saturday in a spirit of Christian fellowship. The Blood Drive on Sunday saw over 60 participants who gave for the personal account of Christine Marx, a 5-year-old parishioner who has recovered from cancer. Over 50 volunteers were present for these events. Adding to the weekend was Metropolitan Nikita of Hong Kong, visiting from Southeast Asia and celebrating Divine Liturgy. The Orthodox Charities Weekend program is part of Project Diakonia a ministry that brings together all the community s philanthropic programs.
HOUSTON Annunciation Cathedral recently added not one, but three new facilities to its sprawling complex and Archbishop Demetrios traveled there in late September for a pastoral weekend and dedication services. The centerpiece of his Sept. 23-24 visit was the blessing services for a Byzantine fresco chapel, an educational center and an athletic center. The latter two projects were part of a $9 million construction program begun in 1997. The Archbishop also gave interviews to Houston Chronicle Religion Editor Richard Vara, and to local PBS reporter Ernie Manous. He spoke at length with the Chronicle about the Orthodox Christian faith and its presence and ministry in America. It is an absolute necessity for this Church, if it is going to be genuine, to reach out continuously, the Archbishop said in the interview. By reaching out, I don t mean any propaganda attempts. I mean reaching out, spreading out and sharing with other people what you have. Describing his approach to Church leadership, His Eminence said, If you don t love the people, no style can save you. If you don t deal with the truth, you will be caught up in very negative things and you are not going to be saved. You
ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS, accompanied by Metropolitan Isaiah, Fr. Eugenis (at right), Fr. Triantafilou and other clergy and faithful, proceed to the Byzantine fresco chapel.
rine Church in Greenwood, Colo., served He was impressed with what we have accomplished and encouraged us to confrom 1987-97. Other participating clergy included the tinue to serve as a beacon of Orthodoxy Very Rev. Gabriel Barrow, pastor of St. John in Houston. At the banquet that evening, Archthe Theologian Church in Webster, a former satellite parish of the Houston ca- bishop Demetrios compared his presence thedral, Fr. David Eckley of Sts. Constantine there to being in a sea moving in a beauand Helen Church in Port Arthur, Texas; tiful wave of faithful people. He said the Fr. George Thanos of Assumption Church weekend s events transformed mere brick in Galveston and Fr. and mortar into a holy place and that he Stelios Sitaras, both felt the presence of God here. Metropolitan Isaiah remarked that former assistants at Annunciation; Very Rev. the Holy Spirit is not only opening up Dositheos, abbot of Holy the way for salvation of Orthodox ChrisArchangels Monastery; tians (in Houston), but is also helping Deacon Nektarios Mor- them embrace others outside the faith and row, a native of Waco, bringing them into the faith. Fr. Eugenis stressed the importance Texas, and currently Archbishop Demetrios of the commitment to stay and grow in deacon; and Deacon the community. Here we grow, here we Nicholas Andrews, whom grow, he repeated several times. We all His Eminence ordained grow through pain, we sometimes miss the to the priesthood on mark, but we must keep trying. Fr. Triantafilou said that more sacriSept. 24. fice will be needed to spread the faith in After blessing the cathedral Saturday the years to come and challenged the paHIS EMINENCE blesses the new Annunciation Cathedral Athletic morning, the Arch- rishioners to always excel. Center. At right are Fr. Triantafilou, Abbot Dositheos, Metroplitan Fr. Christopulos recalled the first bishop and other parIsaiah and Fr. Barrow. ticipants went across priests to serve the community in its early hears when the church occupied a have to be always genuine, sticking to the the street to St. George Chapel and the wooden building at another location. adjacent Lewis Festival Center to dedicate truth, acting honestly, respecting and lisFr. Kalpaxis said when he was first those facilities. tening to everybody. assigned to the community, he prayed for He attended an interfaith breakfast on Ribbon cutting ceremonies Sept. 23 with area Orthodox clergy and Returning to the other religious leaders hosted by Metro- main cathedral complex, politan Isaiah and the International Ortho- which occupies an entire dox Christian Charities. An estimated 465 city block, the congregapersons attended. tion assembled at the Later that morning, Archbishop Deme- courtyard for a series of trios officiated at the parish s blessing ser- ribbon cuttings and vices and dedications, assisted by Metropolidedications of the adjatan Isaiah, presiding hierarch of the Diocese cent Polemanakos Eduof Denver, with Fr. Andrew Eugenis, the cational Center, the Athpresent dean and proistamenos, and Fr. letic Center, and the parBrendan Pelphrey, assistant pastor. For three of the 11 priests who took ish hall that has underpart in the weekend s events, the special gone a major expansion, occasion was a homecoming. They were for the final blessing cerformer proistameni and deans: Frs. emony. That afternoon, George Kalpaxis, Nicholas Triantafilou and Archbishop Demetrios WITH METROPOLITAN Isaiah and Archbishop Demetrios are Lou Christopulos. former and present proistameni and deans, Frs.Triantafilou, Kalpaxis, Fr. Kalpaxis, former pastor of St. met with more than 100 Christopulos and Eugenis. Nicholas Church in Baltimore and now young people of the retired, served as pastor of Annunciation community for a straight talk session, spiritual cement to unite a divided parwhere he reminded them that family, ish and that he saw the church join tofrom 1954 to 1966. His successor was Fr. Triantafilou brothers and sisters, parents, grandmoth- gether to move ahead. The weekend program also included (1966-87), newly appointed president of ers and grandfathers, cousins and life, suna video presentation written and narrated Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of shine and our Church are gifts of God. It was an honor and a privilege to by attorney Steve Petrou, a former TV news Theology, who in the early 1970s with Presbytera Diane established Annuncia- have His Eminence here, Fr. Eugenis told reporter for the local CBS affiliate station, tion Orthodox School, now one of the the Observer, first of all as my professor and prepared by James Stamos. The Redevelopment Dedication Commost prestigious private schools in the city. at seminary and as the spiritual father of Fr. Christopulos, pastor of St. Kathe- the whole Orthodox Church in America. mittee was chaired by Gus Pappas.
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 9
Marriage
I N T E R F A I T H
Parenting Challenges Interfaith Couples Face by Fr. Charles Joanides, PhD., LMFT
Most couples decide to begin a family after a few years of marriage. Along with the typical challenges that intra-faith couples face, interfaith couples can expect to encounter additional challenges before or just after the first child arrives. In order to discuss these challenges, this subject will be presented in two parts. This is part one.
Meet Joe and Elena Joe (28), a civil engineer and Elena (29), an elementary school teacher have been married four years. Joe is a cradle Episcopalian, attends services sporadically, but continues to retain membership in the Episcopal Church. Elena considers herself a second generation Greek-American, and is an active member of her church. They have two children, Nicole (2) and Jason (3 months). They describe their marriage as being stable and happy, but state that they have faced numerous marital difficulties related to their religious and cultural differences over the past several years. When asked to describe some of these challenges, Elena begins. When I look back at the past four years of marriage, there are a number of really good memories, but there have also been a number of difficulties. But maybe one of the most upsetting things for me has been our inability to come to terms with our religious and cultural differences. We re both strong willed people, and I guess that hasn t helped. Joseph agrees and elaborates. I don t know, it didn t really concern me when Elena wanted to get married in the Greek Orthodox Church. I sort of understood that it was important to her and her family. But some of our major problems began developing when we started thinking about having children. That s probably true, remarks Maria. Before the children, when we attended church, we kind of alternated and attended both churches. And while I ll admit that the services in the Joe s church didn t always do that much for me, I went because I knew it pleased Joe and my inlaws. But when we started thinking about having children that s when things began to get more complicated. After Nicole was born, I assumed we were going to baptize her, and indeed, all our children in the Greek Church, and I guess that s when things got bad between us. It turns out that Joe needed to talk about this decision more, and I considered the decision made, and didn t want to talk about it. Looking back now, I think Joe thought I was being real stubborn, and this made him angrier. But I was really afraid that if we talked about this, he would talk me into baptizing our children in his church. And the thought of this possibility really upset me. At this point, Joseph says, Yeah, we really had some very heated arguments. And it s not that I was necessarily against baptizing the kids in the Greek Orthodox Church, because I think our churches are very similar. But my main complaint is she arrived at this decision with her folks and kept me out of the loop. I guess I always knew that our kids would attend the Greek Orthodox Church, because Elena s with the children more, and she s always taken the lead regarding religion. But when I found out that she and her folks had made the decision together - without including me - that really got to me, and I resisted the whole idea. It got so bad at one point, Elena continued, that I left the house one night after a particularly heated argument and
went to my parents home. Thankfully, my father encouraged me to return home and work things out with Joe. So, I returned home with some reluctance, and that night we had our first serious discussion about this issue. We decided to baptize Nicole and our other future children in the Greek Orthodox Church. That was kind of hard for me, and it s still kind of hard on me, stated Joe. As the children have grown, we ve all but stopped attending the Episcopal Church, and almost exclusively attend the Greek Orthodox Church. We do this because we want what s best for their religious upbringing. Joe pauses for a moment and then continues. It s also been kind of hard
because I m feeling more and more like the odd-man-out when it comes to our family s religious life these days. The fact that I can t really participate in an active way at church with my family, and that I often feel more like the visitor kind of hurts. While I have thought of converting, I m just not ready to leave my religious tradition behind - who knows, maybe I ll never be ready. Elena offers the last comment by stating, Every time I think about this sacrifice that Joe made for me and the kids, I m really grateful to him. I don t think I could have made the same sacrifice.
faith couples that attend our churches have certain personal needs that are related to their religious and cultural backgrounds. One of these needs, is to share their religious and cultural heritage with their future children. Since both spouses come from different religious, and sometimes, cultural backgrounds, meeting this need can be difficult. Young couples efforts to meet this need can also generate some personal distress and marital conflict. Joe and Elena s experiences suggest that intergenerational coalitions can sometimes develop between couples and extended families. These can adversely affect
My Viewpoint on this Subject
u page 30
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ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 10
EDITORIAL
The Patriarch s Spiritual and Social Concerns The most well-traveled Ecumenical Patriarch in history came to the United States for his third official visit in midNovember, greeting large numbers of his flock in the Detroit Diocese and bringing the Mother Church s message of love and caring to the faithful. His All Holiness also made a oneday stop in New York to receive a special award recognizing his efforts over the years to raise world consciousness on the plight of the earth s environment. The International Visionary Award for Environmental Achievement from the Scenic Hudson organization honors him as one of the foremost religious leaders who presents Christianity s message of humanity s responsibility to exercise good stewardship for God s creation. Whether it is the waters of the Bosporus and Sea of Marmara a short distance from the Phanar, the Danube River, the Black and Baltic seas, Eastern Europe and beyond, the potential for ecological disaster is never far from His All Holiness thoughts. His influence has had an effect on other religious leaders. For example, on Nov. 20, representatives of faith groups from the United States at international treaty negotiations on global warming at The Hague, Netherlands calling on the Clinton administration to negotiate a strong treaty addressing the issue of reducing pollution from burning fossil fuels. Among those signing the open letter to the president was Archbishop Demetrios, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ and other Christian groups including the Baptist and Methodist Churches. The patriarch has called such pollution a sin and reminds us the wages of sin is death, As His All Holiness told the more than 200 persons gathered at the Scenic Hudson luncheon honoring him, he believes it is his first duty to stimulate the human conscience to realize that when humans utilize the resources and the elements of the planet, that they do this devoutly and in a Eucharistic way. Part of his New York stay included
uuu
pastoral contacts with Archdiocese staff and about 100 clergy, where he discussed sharing the Orthodox faith with others and maintaining that faith in a free society where challenges confront Orthodoxy. He said the Church has a responsibility to become conscious of her ecumenical character and carry out missionary work to people of varied backgrounds, noting that efforts to preserve the beauty of the Greek language, manners, customs and traditions are praiseworthy, but discernment is needed when addressing non-Greeks about the faith. Opening the Church to American society requires the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, enlightenment and the grace of God if it is to bear fruit, the Patriarch said, citing examples of others who have brought the faith to various parts of the world including Sts. Cyril and Methodios and those of our modern day who bring the faith to Africa and Asia. Patriarch Bartholomew acknowledged the difficulty of keeping and imparting the faith in an open, tolerant society where all religions have an equal footing, where truth has become relevant and where institutionalized attitudes contradict the teachings of God s law on abortion, unnatural relations, illegal acquisition of wealth, anthropocentrism and secularism. He sounded an alarm against social perceptions that all religions are vehicles of the truth, that all churches are roads to the truth and that each man finds his own personal way to God. He said these draw away from Orthodoxy s basic teaching that Christ is the only bearer of the truth and that the Orthodox Church is the only bearer of truth in fullness. Patriarch Bartholomew s refocused our attention where it should be: that the task of the Church is to bring the faithful into communion with Christ and that we must not be led astray by false teachings as we strive to follow a higher set of standards as we live our daily existence.
Editor, The article, Task Force on Disabilities, Mental Health (July-August, 2000) went a long way towards awareness and a call for action in the area of disabilities within the Greek community. A minor correction: Stephanie Spanos M.D., our medical consultant is a psychiatrist, who, in fact was given a special recognition award by the New York State Alliance for the Mentally Ill for her contribution to mental health in the Greek-American community. Also, Father John Chryssavgis, professor of Theology at Holy Cross School of Theology, serves as theological adviser for the Task Force. Thank you for your excellent and important article. Maria Zachmanoglou, Ph.D. Greek Alliance for the Mentally Ill New York, NY Editor, I read your informative and interesting Task Force on Disabilities: Mental Health. The issue of disability is one we of Greek background have shunned in the community. In our ancient expressions, we sense the aversion to matters of disability. In the United States, in the Nineties, with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we see that the disabled, according to law, are to be afforded all opportunities given to any other individual. Disabilities are now a civil rights movement. It behooves our Greek Orthodox Church to make our churches accessible to all members of our congregation and to acquire ramps so that all our citizens may enter His holy church. We immediately need to establish a committee on disabilities, as other Christian churches have. Above all, we need to be aware, as we presently are not, that people have special needs and that the Church of Christ must always welcome everyone with open arms. Phaedra V. Damianakos New York City
u Thanks to Ionian Village t
u Disabilities and mental health t Editor, It is with both pleasure and concern that I am responding to the July-August 2000 article Task Force on Disabilities, Mental Health. Disability issues are dear to my heart since my twin sister and I were born with cerebral palsy. Through my own experiences, I know the importance of spreading awareness and educating people on the subject of physical and mental disabilities. I d like to express my sincere appreciation to all the individuals that have been active in this worthy cause. An extremely important issue for me is that lack of accessibility to our Greek Orthodox churches. When you are confined to a wheelchair or walk with the help
of canes, it is not possible to climb a large number of steps. In almost all of our churches, my sister and I cannot enter because there are no ramps or special lifts. Unfortunately, we are often deprived the privilege of participating fully in worship and social activities of our church because of lack of accessibility. I urge more dedicated people, including those with disabilities to work together in removing the many barriers that prevent the disabled from living normal lives. To attain this goal, we need to live in a supportive community that understands our needs and is willing to make a difference. Elena Anadolis Beechhurst, N.Y
uuu
Editor, This past summer, Presbytera Krissy and I had the good fortune of traveling with six of our high school students from the church to the Ionian Village for the Byzantine Venture Program (ages 16- 18). Neither my wife nor I had attended Ionian Village in our youth. This was also the first time that our community had sent campers to be a part of the Summer Program. Having participated in numerous camp programs in years past though, I can sincerely say that we were all extremely pleased with the quality and the focus of this Archdiocesan Ministry. It is with this thought in mind that I am writing to offer fitting praise to Mr. Michael Pappas, the director of this ministry, and the summer 2000 staff. From the insightful discussions and well-thought and entertaining activities to the over-organized (if there can be such a thing) outings to Mega Spilaion, Patras, Zakynthos, and Olympia, the nineteen days were amazing. To think, in par-
NOVEMBER 2000
...
ish life we find coordinating 30 Goyans challenging, just imagine the skills it takes to oversee a travel program abroad for 300 (the largest group in recent years if I am not mistaken)! It truly was a remarkable and memorable venture for us all. Traveling abroad with such a dynamic staff was a wonderful experience for our youth, not to mention my wife and me. I look forward to next year s program, expecting an even larger group of the youth from our parish to be in attendance, knowing full well what treasures await them on the shores of the Ionian Sea. There is not a child in our parish, not to mention the Archdiocese, who would not be spiritually and culturally enriched and uplifted after just three weeks. Many more years of success to Mr. Pappas and thank you to the entire 2000 staff that so thoughtfully shared their time and talent with the youth of our parish, and His Church in America. Fr. Christopher Flesoras Assistant pastor, Church of the Holy Cross Belmont, Calif.
u Be a good neighbor t Editor, The parable of the Good Samaritan is a very eye opening message, as to how we can help, not only those in need such as the hungry and homeless, but we can also serve in our church and in our community. Today, it seems that everyone is so busy earning the almighty dollar, that they seldom take the time to know their neighbor, much less find out if he s needy or not? This is sad indeed. Thinking back to when I was a child living in a small town in Texas, I can t imagine any neighbor even 10 miles away who was in need that did not get helped by the neighbors. They didn t call a government agency and say, I think the people next door are hungry, but they got together and provided what the neighbor needed. How do we show Godly love, if we leave the feeding of the hungry to someone else? We can t be true Christians or neighbors and ignore the folks in need. In Hebrews 12: 14, it states, Make ever effort to live at peace with all men and to be Holy; without holiness no one will see God . So how can we say we are Holy or trying to be Holy, if we fail to be neighbors to those in need? Today, many people don t even help their own parents, but send them to a nursing home for strangers to care for. Of course, there are many cases, where they have no choice, if the elderly need round the clock care. We actually hurt ourselves and fail to teach our children real love, when we ignore our aging parents. These people have lived and can teach us so much, if we are willing to learn from them. So we can be a good neighbor even to our own people, as well as the folks next door. We have so many opportunities to do good and we always think it s easier to let the other guy do it. But we must remember, if the other guy does it, he gets the reward and God will not know us when the final Day of Judgment comes. Fran Glaros Clearwater, Fla.
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
Archiepiscopal Encyclical Thanksgiving Day 2000 O Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever. Psalm 30:12 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 Day and Afternoon Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America, On this uplifiting day in this great land of America, the heart of the nation beats with thanksgiving for the bounty of blessings bestowed upon this country of faithful by the Almighty God. Across the land in towns and villages, cities and municipalities, families and friends gather together for meaningful rituals of celebration and praise acknowledging the One from Whom all good things come. This national holiday of Thanksgiving strikes a responsive chord of the human heart to the benevolence of God. This feast day extends an invitation for each soul yearning to express and expand the spirit of loving appreciation for the manifest goodness of the Creator. It grounds and re-affirms the belief of the presence of God s guiding hand in the course of history and in the journey of human lives. It speaks to the unity of God and His creation, to the fact that He is with us. To this Almighty and loving God Who is with us, we express today our feelings of gratefulness that inundate our souls: We are deeply thankful for our own existence. He brought us into being out of nothingness. In the run of millions of years each one of us comes, by the will of God, into the world and is given the unique gift of life. We are deeply thankful to God for the generations preceding us, for the people who kept alive the wonderful traditions of our Orthodox faith and Hellenic culture. We are deeply thankful for the many gifts offered daily to us, gifts of health, food and prosperity, things that make life a treasure of blessings in this nation and land of freedom, opportunity and promise. We are deeply thankful to God for the people who live with us: family, relatives, friends, colleagues and fellow citizens. It is a great gift to have our lives enriched with the presence of human beings around us. We are deeply thankful to God for calling us to become members of His Orthodox Church and thus opening to us the unique way to salvation, to the ultimate union with Christ. We are deeply thankful to God for becoming one of us, inhabiting our earth, partaking of our food, breathing our air, walking our own streets, and offering His promise to us, Know that I am with you always to the end of time (Matthew 28:20). In view of such an amazing abundance of gifts on this Thanksgiving Day, let each of us sing: It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare your loving kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute And on the harp, With harmonious sound. For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your Hands. Psalm 92:1-4.
PAGE 11
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O.OBS
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
NOVEMBER 2000
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
A R C H D I O C E S E
PAGE 13
N E W S
Orthodox Observer YAL Conference Archbishop Demetrios addresses participants of the Archdiocese District Young Adult League Conference held near Orange, Conn., Oct. 6-8. The conference drew nearly 120 participants, who heard several speakers and took part in fellowship programs during the event.
HC/HC Alumni Assn Plans Year’s Projects BROOKLINE, Mass. Holy Cross-Hellenic College Alumni Association welcomed the new president Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou and discussed upcoming projects at the organization s first board meeting of the academic year in October. Topics included Alumni Day activities planned for May 16-17. Anniversary classes to be honored will be 1951 and 1976. Reunion celebrations will include the graduating classes of 1961, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1996 and 2000. Members also discussed redeveloping communications between the alumni and the school, adding three lay representatives from both schools to the Alumni Association Board, and re-establishing the association newsletter. Other activities at the Oct. 19 meet-
ing included a trisagion service for deceased alumni officiated by Association President Fr. Peter Karloutsos. Those attending the meeting included Frs. Dennis Strouzas, vice president; Elias Velonis, secretary; Dimitrios Antokas, treasurer; and Eleni Geanon, Alumni Office coordinator. Diocesan representatives included Fr. Nicholas Katinas, Denver; Fr. Peter Costarakis, San Francisco; Fr. Thomas Chininis, Boston; Fr. James Gordon, Chicago; Fr. George Chioros, New Jersey; Fr. George Livanos, Pittsburgh; and Fr. Steve Dalber, Atlanta. Lay representatives included Phyllis Meshel Onest, religious education director of the Pittsburgh Diocese, and William Adams, Student Government Association president.
CBS Special Includes Greek Orthodox Segment NEW YORK - CBS will air a repeat of An American Christmas, a National Council of Churches in Christ program that includes a segment by the Archdiocese. The program, will air nationally Dec. 24 from 11:35 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. EST. The special will also be broadcast on the Odyssey Network on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 9:30-10:30 a.m. and again at 2 a.m., Dec. 28. The segment, produced by Greek Orthodox Telecommunications (GO Telecom), was filmed at the Holy Trinity
Cathedral in New York, St. Paul Chapel at Archdiocese headquarters, and at Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology, Brookline, Mass. Archbishop Demetrios opens the segment with Byzantine iconography, Orthodox hymnology and readings, and invites the viewer to celebrate Christmas through the glorious lens of Orthodox Christianity. An American Christmas is produced by the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, in cooperation with the National Council of Churches and the National Interfaith Cable Coalition.
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ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 14
NOVEMBER 2000
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The Perfect, Perfect Storm? Learning to Overcome Administrative Shipwreck by Fr. Frank Marangos
One of the most recent popular films was adapted from a best-selling novel, The Perfect Storm. Written by Sebastian Junger, the novel describes the experiences of individuals who encountered the deadliest hurricane in recorded history. The October 1991 storm left seven men dead in the Atlantic. Among them, they left eight children fatherless. The viewer is left to ponder what could have been done to avoid such a devastating storm? The Perfect Storm provides those engaged in the safe navigation of the Church, the contemporary Ark of Christ, an opportunity to reflect on how we avoid and prepare to encounter spiritual and administrative storms in our parishes. How do we maintain unity, direction and purpose and avoid spiritual dissention and mutiny? What can parish leaders do to avoid the consequences associated with administrative storms? Chapter 27 of the Book of Acts describes a compelling story of another voyage. Although the Perfect Storm ends in tragedy and is anything but perfect, the dangerous sea-voyage described in Acts 27 concludes without the loss of life. It is the perfect, perfect storm for it provides St. Paul the opportunity to proclaim the message of God s sovereignty. St. Paul s final voyage has long been acknowledged as one of the most instructive documents of ancient seamanship. Some view the story as an allegory about the stormy course of life and the
vivid description of how to endure personal tempests and great trials. A combination of opinions perceive the storm as a literary vehicle used by St. Luke to represent Satan s opposition to Paul s evangelical mission. According to St. John Chrysostom, the ship that carried Paul and 275 passengers may be compared to the Church. He suggests the storm-centered narrative provided Paul an opportunity to teach and lead. For Chrysostom, the entire episode was the result of reckless leadership. The centurion and the captain of the vessel needed a skillful pilot. He indicates that Paul steered as a pilot not a vessel of the earthly kind, but the Church of the whole world, having learned of Him (God) Who is Lord also of the sea. St. Paul s leadership principles are like those of a skilled pilot who steers not by the art of man but by the wisdom of Spirit. Chrysostom warns that because the Church, like a ship, encounters many shipwrecks, many waves, and many spirits of wickedness, it needs skillful pilots. There are four principles of inspired leadership that the contemporary Greek Orthodox Christian leader can glean from Acts 27. Leaders should emulate the four techniques Paul uses to save the lives of his fellow shipmates from their recklessness: crew not cargo, spiritual guidance not individual reliance, unity not mutiny, and sacramental nourishment not humanistic proficiency.
Introduction
According to Luke who, as Paul s personal physician might also have been a
passenger , the journey took place after the fast, which most certainly refers to Yom Kippur in late September. Luke describes weather conditions associated with St. Paul s voyage as uncooperative. The winds, he writes, were against us. (27:4) Paul warns Julius, the centurion commanding the vessel, not to proceed. I can see that the voyage is going to be disastrous, he insists, and bring great loss to ship, cargo and our lives! (27:10) Paul recommends that they winter in Crete and wait for the storm to pass. The centurion instead listens to the ship s captain and crew who decide by majority vote to proceed. Luke suggests the crew s motivation was greed. For Chrysostom, the true prisoner on the ill-fated ship was not Paul but rather those bound by the passion of the money and possessions. The love of money and self, he argues, is more grievous than all bonds! Unfortunately, the crew in Acts 27 prefers to sail for Rome where they could sell their cargo rather than spend several winter months in a small Cretan harbor.
Principle One: Crew not Cargo.
The second-leg of the voyage began safely, but a violent storm quickly appeared and caused the vessel to be driven by its force. The contrary gale symbolizes humanity s fundamental condition. While considering ourselves masters of our own direction, we are often tossed about by various winds and forced to modify our selfnavigation. The crew initially focused their attention on cargo and profit, but fear of shipwreck redirected their attention.
Recognizing that life is more precious than fortune, the crew did what would have been unthinkable toss some cargo and expensive tackle overboard. The storm replaced the crew s arrogance with an attitude of modesty. Like the ship s crew, Christian leaders should routinely evaluate the focus of their attention and modesty of their actions. Sometimes we should heed Paul s advice and winter in the port of Fairhaven. That is, leaders should regularly pause for retreat, introspection, assessment and evaluation of strategic plans and, if necessary, make spiritual course-changes. Financial prudence is important but administrative ministry goals should be defined by the degree they nurture relationships with God and each other, not by the profit they provide. Parishioners are more valuable than profits and leaders should never allow the cargo of parish life, or the arrogance of believing they are the masters of their own destiny, to take precedence over fellow crewmembers safety. The cargo we often treasure above relationships with co-workers and constituents must be jettisoned if we want to safely navigate the turbulent waters of Christian ministry. The kinds cargo we protect might include financial portfolios, ethnic pedigree, occupational prestige, administrative power, and ecclesiastical position. Sometimes a community s buildings and grounds get more attention than its parishioners.
u page 26
ÅÔÏÓ 65
ÍÏÅÌÂÑÉÏÓ 2000
ÁÑÉÈÌÏÓ 1177
Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïò óôçí ÅðéóêïðÞ Íôéôñüéô ôïõ Óôáýñïõ Ç. Ðáðáãåñìáíïý
ÍÔÉÔÑÏÚÔ Ìå áðüëõôç åðéôõ÷ßá ïëïêëçñþèçêå ç ôñéÞìåñç ðïéìáíôïñéêÞ åðßóêåøç ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïõ óôçí ÅðéóêïðÞ ôïõ Íôéôñüéô. Ôï öèéíïðùñéíü êñýï êáé ï óõííåöéáóìÝíïò êáé ìïõíôüò ïõñáíüò äåí åìðüäéóå ôï ðëÞèïò ôùí ðéóôþí ðïõ óõãêåíôñþèçêáí íùñßò ôï áðüãåõìá ôçò ÐáñáóêåõÞò 10 Íïåìâñßïõ óôï áåñïäñüìéï Pontiac ãéá íá õðïäå÷èïýí ôïí ðíåõìáôéêü ðáôÝñá ôïõò êáé çãÝôç ôùí åêáôïìõñßùí Ïñèïäüîùí ×ñéóôéáíþí óå üëç ôçí ÏéêïõìÝíç. Åêåßíï ôï áðüãåõìá ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Ýöèáíå óôçí äéêÞ ôïõò ÅðéóêïðÞ, óôçí äéêÞ ôïõò ðüëç, ìå ìïíáäéêü óêïðü íá ãíùñßóåé ôï ðïßìíéü ôïõ, íá åõëïãÞóåé ôïõò ðéóôïýò, íá ÷áñåß êáé í áãêáëéÜóåé ôá ðáéäéÜ, íá åêöñÜóåé ôçí áãÜðç êáé ôç óôïñãÞ ôçò ÌçôÝñáò Åêêëçóßáò óå üëïõò. Óôçí üøç ôïõ áåñïóêÜöïõò ðïõ ìåôÝöåñå ôïí Ðáíáãéþôáôï êáé ôç óõíïäåßá ôïõ, îÝóðáóå Ýíá ðáñáôåôáìÝíï ÷åéñïêñüôçìá, õøþèçêáí ïé óçìáßåò êáé ôá ðáíü, Üíáøáí ôá öëáò êáé ôá öþôá ôùí öùôïãñÜöùí êáé ôá ðáéäéÜ ìå áãêáëéÝò ãåìÜôåò ëïõëïýäéá ðëçóßáóáí óôç óêÜëá ôïõ áåñïðëÜíïõ. Ìå ðñüóùðï öùôéóìÝíï áð ôç ÷áñÜ ðïõ åêðÝìðåé üôáí êáíåßò ìåôÜ áðü ðïëý êáéñü áíôéêñýæåé áãáðçìÝíá ôïõ ðñüóùðá, ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò áãêÜëéáóå ôá ìéêñÜ ðáéäéÜ ðïõ ãÝìéóáí ôçí áãêáëéÜ ôïõ ìå áíèïäÝóìåò.
ÄÇÌ. ÐÁÍÁÃÏÓ
ÈåñìÞ õðïäï÷Þ åðåöýëáîå ôï Íôéôñüúô óôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ê. Âáñèïëïìáßï.
ÐñïçãïõìÝíùò åß÷áí áíÝâåé óôï áåñïðëÜíï ãéá íá õðïäå÷èïýí ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò êáé ï Èåïö. Åðßóêïðïò Íôéôñüéô ê. Íéêüëáïò ðïõ Üëëùóôå ùò ôïðéêüò éåñÜñ÷çò Þôáí êáé ï ïéêïäåóðüôçò. Ìüëéò ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò ðëçóßáóå ôï õðüóôåãï ðïõ åß÷å ïñãáíùèåß ùò ÷þñïò õðïäï÷Þò, ÷áéñÝôçóå ôïõò ÉåñÜñ÷åò, Ìçôñïðïëßôåò êáé Åðéóêüðïõò, åêðñïóþðïõò ôùí äéïéêçôéêþí óùìÜôùí ôçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò êáé ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüéô, ôïí Ãåíéêü Ðñüîåíï ôçò ÅëëÜäïò óôï Óé-
êÜãï ê. ÃáâñéÞë Êïðôóßäç êáé Ýãéíå äÝêôçò ôçò áãÜðçò êáé ôïõ åíèïõóéáóìïý ôïõ óõãêåíôñùìÝíïõ ðëÞèïõò áðü ôéò åëëçíïñèüäïîåò êïéíüôçôåò ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò. Ç åðßóêåøç áõôÞ ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç åß÷å éäéáßôåñç óçìáóßá ãéá ôçí ÅðéóêïðÞ Íôéôñüéô êáé ôïõò ðéóôïýò ôçò áöïý êáôÜ ôçí äéÜñêåéá ôçò Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞò åðéóêÝøåùò ôïõ 1997 äåí êáôÝóôåé äõíáôÞ ç åðßóêåøç ôïõ ÐáíáãéùôÜôïõ åêåß. ¹ôáí ÷áñáêôçñéóôéêü üôé ðïëëïß ôáîßäåøáí êáé áðü ôéò åðôÜ ðïëéôåßåò ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò, áêüìç êáé áð ôï ìáêñéíü ¢ñêáíóáò. Ðñïóöùíþíôáò ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü Ðá-
ôñéÜñ÷ç êáôÜ ôçí ÜöéîÞ ôïõ ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÄçìÞôñéïò åßðå: «Ðáíáãéþôáôå, êáëùóïñßóáôå óôïí ëáü óáò... Óáò õðïäå÷üìåèá óÞìåñá ùò ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ìáò ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç, ôïí ðáôÝñá ìáò, ôïí çãïýìåíï ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò áíÜ ôïí êüóìï... Õðïäå÷üìåèá ôïí Üíèñùðï üëïõ ôïõ êüóìïõ ãéáôß åßóôå ï Üíèñùðïò êáé ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò üëïõ ôïõ êüóìïõ. Ï Üíèñùðïò ðïõ åêðÝìðåé ôï öùò ôïõ Åõáããåëßïõ. Ï ëáüò óáò, áðü ôá ìéêñÜ ðáéäéÜ ìÝ÷ñé ôïõò ìåãÜëïõò, áðü ôïõò áñ÷éåñåßò ìÝ÷ñé ôïí ôåëåõôáßï äéÜêïíï ôçò Åêêëçóßáò, óáò õðïäÝ÷åôáé ìå âáèýôáôç åõëÜâåéá, áðÝñáíôç áãÜðç, óåâáóìü êáé áíáìïíÞ ôùí üíôùò ðáôñéáñ÷éêþí óáò åõëïãéþí. Êáëþò Þñèáôå Ðáíáãéþôáôå!». Óôïí ÷áéñåôéóìü ôïõ ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò åîÝöñáóå ôçí «ìåãÜëçí ÷áñÜ» ôçò Ìçôñüò Åêêëçóßáò «äéá ôçí óõíÜíôçóßí ìáò êáé ôçí êïéíùíßáí ìáò ìáæß óáò äéüôé ãíùñßæïìåí üôé êñáôåßôå ôáò ùñáßáò êáé óùôçñßïõò ðáñáäüóåéò ôïõ Ïñèïäüîïõ ÃÝíïõò ìáò åéò ôçí ìåãÜëçí áõôÞí ×þñáí...».
Õðïäï÷Þ Êëçñéêþí
ÁìÝóùò ìåôÜ ïé êëçñéêïß ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüúô êáé ïé ïéêïãÝíåéÝò ôïõò õðïäÝ÷èçêáí ìå åíèïõóéáóìü ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç óå ìéÜ èåñìÞ ôåëåôÞ ðïõ äéñãÜíùóáí óôïí É. Íáü ôïõ Áã. Ãåùñãßïõ óôï Bloomfield Hills. Óôïí ÷áéñåôéóìü ôïõ ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò áíåãíþñéóå ôçí âáñýôçôá êáé ôç äõó÷Ýñéá ôïõ Ýñãïõ ôïõ êëÞñïõ äåäïìÝíùí ôùí áíôßîïùí ðïëëÝò öïñÝò óõíèçêþí óôçí ÁìåñéêÞ, áëëÜ ðñïôñÝðïíôáò ôïõò íá óõíå÷ßóïõí ôï Ýñãï ôïõò åßðå: «...ðñÝðåé íá
u óåë. 16
ÁÑ×ÉÅÐÉÓÊÏÐÉÊÇ ÅÃÊÕÊËÉÏÓ
ÇÌÅÑÁ ÔÙÍ ÅÕ×ÁÑÉÓÔÉÙÍ 2000 «Êýñéå ï Èåüò ìïõ, åéò ôüí áéþíá åîïìïëïãÞóïìáß óïé» Øáëì: 29:13 Ðñüò ôïõò ÓåâáóìéùôÜôïõò êáé ÈåïöéëåóôÜôïõò Áñ÷éåñåßò, ôïõò ÅõëáâåóôÜôïõò Éåñåßò êáé Äéáêüíïõò, ôïõò Ìïíá÷ïýò êáé Ìïíá÷Ýò, ôïõò ÐñïÝäñïõò êáé ÌÝëç ôùí Êïéíïôéêùí Óõìâïõëßùí, ôéò Öéëïðôþ÷ïõò Áäåëöüôçôåò, ôá ÇìåñÞóéá êáé ÁðïãåõìáôéíÜ Ó÷ïëåßá, ôçí Íåïëáßá, ôéò Åëëçíïñèüäïîåò Ïñãáíþóåéò êáé ïëüêëçñï ôï ×ñéóôåðþíõìïí ðëÞñùìá ôçò ÉåñÜò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ÁìåñéêÞò. Ó áõôÞí ôçí ÷áñìüóõíç çìÝñá ôçò ìåãÜëçò ÷þñáò ôçò ÁìåñéêÞò ç êáñäéÜ ôïõ Ýèíïõò ÷ôõðÜåé óå ñõèìïýò åõãíùìïóýíçò ãéá ôçí áöèïíßá ôùí åõëïãéþí ðïõ ï Ðáíôïäýíáìïò Èåüò ÷Üñéóå ó áõôÞ ôç ÷þñá ôùí ðéóôþí áíèñþðùí. Óå ïëüêëçñç ôçí ÁìåñéêÞ, óå ðüëåéò êáé ÷ùñéÜ, óå äÞìïõò êáé êïéíüôçôåò, ïé ïéêïãÝíåéåò êáé ïé ößëïé óõãêåíôñþíïíôáé óå ìéá óåéñÜ áðü åïñôáóôéêÝò åêäçëþóåéò, ðñïóöÝñïíôáò åõ÷áñéóôßåò óôïí ¸íá áðü ôïí ïðïßïí ðñïÝñ÷åôáé ðáí áãáèüí. ÁõôÞ ç åèíéêÞ åïñôÞ ôùí Åõ÷áñéóôéþí åõáéóèçôïðïéåß ôÞí áíèñþðéíç êáñäéÜ óôÞí áíáãíþñéóç ôùí åõëïãéþí ôïõ Èåïý. ÁõôÞ ç åüñôéá çìÝñá áðåõèýíåé ìéá ðñüóêëçóç óå êÜèå øõ÷Þ ðïõ æçôÜåé íá åêöñÜóåé Ýíôïíá ôï ðíåýìá ìéáò âáèåéÜò åõãíùìïóýíçò ãéá ôçí ðñïöáíÞ áãáèüôçôá ôïõ Äçìéïõñãïý. Èåìåëéþíåé êáé åðéâåâáéþíåé ôçí ðßóôç óôçí ðáñïõóßá ôïõ ïäçãçôéêïý ñüëïõ ôïõ Èåïý óôç äéáäñïìÞ ôçò éóôïñßáò êáé óôçí ðïñåßá ôçò áíèñùðßíçò æùÞò. Ïìéëåß ãéá ôçí åíüôçôá ìåôáîý ôïõ Èåïý êáé ôçò äçìéïõñãßáò Ôïõ, ïìéëåß ãéá ôï ãåãïíüò üôé Åêåßíïò åßíáé ìáæß ìáò. Ó áõôüí ôïí Ðáíôïäýíáìï êáé Áãáðþíôá Èåü, ï Ïðïßïò åßíáé ìáæß ìáò, åêöñÜæïõìå óÞìåñá ôá áéóèÞìáôá åõ÷áñéóôßáò ôá ïðïßá ðëçììõñßæïõí ôéò øõ÷Ýò ìáò: Åßìåèá âáèýôáôá åõãíþìïíåò ðñïò Áõôüí ãéá ôçí ýðáñîç ðïõ ìáò ÷Üñéóå. Ìáò Ýöåñå óôç æùÞ åê ôïõ ìçäåíüò. Óôç äéÜñêåéá åêáôïììõñßùí åôþí êáèÝíáò áðü ìáò äéÜ ôïõ Èåïõ Ýñ÷åôáé óôïí êüóìï êáé ëáìâÜíåé ôï ìïíáäéêü äþñï ôçò æùÞò. Åßìåèá âáèýôáôá åõãíþìïíåò ðñïò ôïí Èåüí ãéá ôéò ãåíåÝò ðïõ ðñïçãÞèçêáí ôçò éäéêÞò ìáò, ãéá ôïõò áíèñþðïõò ðïõ êñÜôçóáí æùíôáíÝò ôéò èáõìÜóéåò ðáñáäüóåéò ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ ðßóôåþò ìáò êáé ôïõ Åëëçíéêïý ðïëéôéóìïý ìáò.
Åßìåèá âáèýôáôá åõãíþìïíåò ðñïò ôïí Èåüí ãéá ôá ðïëëÜ äþñá ðïõ ðñïóöÝñïíôáé êáèçìåñéíÜ ó åìÜò, äþñá õãåßáò, ôñïöÞò êáé åõçìåñßáò, äçëáäÞ ðñáãìÜôùí ôá ïðïßá êáèéóôïýí ôç æùÞ Ýíá èçóáõñü åõëïãéþí ó áõôü ôï Ýèíïò, ó áõôÞ ôç ÷þñá ôçò åëåõèåñßáò, ôùí åõêáéñéþí êáé ôùí õðïó÷Ýóåùí. Åßìåèá âáèýôáôá åõãíþìïíåò ðñïò ôïí Èåüí ãéá ôïõò áíèñþðïõò ðïõ æïõí ìáæß ìáò: ïéêïãÝíåéá, óõããåíåßò, ößëïõò, óõíáäÝëöïõò êáé óõìðïëßôåò. Áðïôåëåß ìåãÜëï ÷Üñéóìá ôï íá ìðïñåß ç æùÞ ìáò íá åìðëïõôßæåôáé ìå ôçí ðáñïõóßá áíèñþðùí ãýñù ìáò. Åßìåèá âáèýôáôá åõãíþìïíåò ðñïò ôïí Èåüí äéüôé ìáò êÜëåóå íá ãßíïõìå ìÝëç ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ Åêêëçóßáò Ôïõ êé Ýôóé ìáò Üíïéîå ôï ìïíáäéêü äñüìï ðñïò ôç óùôçñßá, ðñïò ôçí õðÝñôáôç Ýíùóç ìå ôï ×ñéóôü. Åßìåèá âáèýôáôá åõãíþìïíåò ðñïò ôïí Èåüí äéüôé Ýãéíå Ýíáò áðü ìáò, äéüôé êáôïßêçóå óôçí ãç ìáò, ãåýèçêå ôçí ôñïöÞ ìáò, áíÝðíåõóå ôïí áÝñá ìáò, ðåñðÜôçóå ôïõò äñüìïõò ìáò êáé ìáò Ýäùêå ôçí õðüó÷åóç, «éäïý åãþ ìåè õìþí åéìß ðÜóáò ôÜò çìÝñáò Ýùò ôçò óõíôåëåßáò ôïõ áéþíïò».(Ìáôè: 28:20) Åí üøåé áõôÞò ôçò åêðëçêôéêÞò áöèïíßáò äþñùí, áõôÞ ôÞí ÇìÝñá ôùí Åõ÷áñéóôéþí, áò øÜëëåé ï êáèÝíáò áðü ìáò: «Áãáèüí ôü åîïìïëïãåßóèáé ôù Êõñßù êáé øÜëëåéí ôù ïíüìáôß óïõ,¾øéóôå, ôïõ áíáããÝëëåéí ôü ðñùß ôü åëåüò óïõ êáé ôÞí áëÞèåéÜí óïõ êáôÜ íýêôá åí äåêá÷üñäù øáëôçñßù ìåô ùäÞò åí êéèÜñá. üôé åõöñáíÜò ìå, Êýñéå, åí ôù ðïéÞìáôß Óïõ, êáé åí ôïéò Ýñãïéò ôùí ÷åéñþí Óïõ áãáëëéÜóïìáé». Øáëì: 91:2-5 Ìå ôéò êáëýôåñåò åõ÷Ýò ìïõ íá ðåñÜóåôå ÷áñïýìåíá ôçí ÇìÝñá ôùí Åõ÷áñéóôéþí, äéáôåëþ ÌåôÜ ôçò åí Êõñßù áãÜðçò êáé ðáôñéêþí åõ÷þí,
ÿ ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ÄçìÞôñéïò
ÓÅËÉÄÁ 16
ÏÑÈÏÄÏÎÏÓ ÐÁÑÁÔÇÑÇÔÇÓ
ÍÏÅÌÂÑÉÏÓ 2000
Ìå åðéôõ÷ßá åóôÝöèç ç ðïéìáíôïñéêÞ åðßóêåøç ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïõ óôçí ÅðéóêïðÞ Íôéôñüéô ôïõ Ìßôóéãêáí u óåë. 15 óðåßñåôå ðåñéóóüôåñïí ïñèüäïîïí åõáããåëéêüí óðüñïí, þóôå êáé ìåôÜ ôçí åðéäñïìÞí ôùí ðôçíþí íá ìÝíåé êáé ìÝñïò áõôïý äéá íá öõôñþóåé êáé êáñðïöïñÞóåé óôéò êáñäéÝò ôùí óõíáíèñþðùí óáò».
Äåßðíï ôçò Çãåóßáò ôùí 100
Ôï ßäéï âñÜäõ ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ðáñáêÜèéóå óå äåßðíï ðïõ ðáñÝèåóå ðñïò ôéìÞí ôïõ ç «Çãåóßá ôùí 100», ïé åñãáóßåò êáé óõíåäñéÜóåéò ôçò ïðïßáò åß÷áí ðñïãñáììáôéóèåß íá ïëïêëçñùèïýí ìå ôçí Üöéîç ôïõ ÐáíáãéùôÜôïõ. ÊáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôïõ äåßðíïõ ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò åîÝöñáóå «ôçí ðáôñéêÞí êáé Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞí åõáñÝóêåéá äéÜ ôï üôé åõñßóêïìåí ôçí ÏìïãÝíåéáí åéñçíåýïõóáí êáé ïìïíïïýóáí ðÝñéî ôïõ ÉåñùôÜôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ ÁìåñéêÞò, ôïõ áãáðçôïý çìþí áäåëöïý åí ×ñéóôþ êáé óõëëåéôïõñãïý êõñßïõ Äçìçôñßïõ». Ìéëþíôáò ðåñáéôÝñù ðåñß åíüôçôïò ôüíéóå üôé «...äýíáôáé íá óõíõðÜñîç ôüóïí ç åëåõèåñßá ôçò ãíþìçò, üóïí êáé ç åíüôçò», êÜíïíôáò åéäéêÞ ìíåßá óôçí Áñ÷éåñáôéêÞ ðñïóåõ÷Þ ôïõ Êõñßïõ ðïõ æÞôçóå «ßíá þóéí Ýí» ïé ðéóôåýïíôåò Áõôüí. ÅðéðëÝïí ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò åðáßíåóå ôá ìÝëç ôçò Çãåóßáò ôùí 100 ãéá ôç äéáêïíßá ôïõò: «... äéáëÝîáôå áõôü ôï ùñáßï Ýñãï íá ðñïóöÝñåôå åéò ôçí Åêêëçóßá ðïëëÜò çèéêÜò êáé õëéêÜò õðçñåóßáò êáé ðñÜãìáôé ôáò ðñïóåöÝñáôå. Ùò åê ôïýôïõ óáò áíÞêåé äéáêáßùò ôï ðñùôåßïí ôçò ôéìÞò êáé ôùí åõ÷áñéóôéþí ìáò». Êáé óõíÝ÷éóå: «ÉäéáéôÝñùò äÝ åõ÷áñéóôïýìåí åõãíùìüíùò ôïí Éåñþôáôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïí êýñéïí ÉÜêùâïí ôï áãáðçôüí çìßí êáé ãåñáñüí áäåëöüí êáé óõëëåéôïõñãüí, ôïí ó÷üíôá ôçí ðñùôïâïõëßáí ôçò éäñýóåùò ôçò ãíùóôÞò õðü ôçí ïíïìáóßáí Leadership 100 ïñãáíþóåþò óáò...»
Ðñüãåõìá Íåïëáßáò
Ôï ðñùß ôïõ ÓáââÜôïõ 11 Íïåìâñßïõ ðåñéóóüôåñïé áðü ÷ßëéïé äéáêüóéïé íÝïé êáé íÝåò, ðáéäéÜ, Ýöçâïé êáé íåáñïß åíÞëéêåò, óõãêåíôñþèçêáí óôçí êïéíüôçôá ôùí Áãßùí Êùíóôáíôßíïõ êáé ÅëÝíçò óôï Westland ôïõ Ìßôóéãêáí óå Ýíá ðñüãåõìá Íåïëáßáò, ðáñïõóéÜæïíôáò Ýíá ðëïýóéï êáé åõ÷Üñéóôï ðñüãñáììá ìå ðáñáäïóéáêïýò ÷ïñïýò, ôñáãïýäéá êáé áðáããåëßåò. Áðåõèõíüìåíïò óôç íÝá ãåíéÜ ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Âáñèïëïìáßïò êáé ìéëþíôáò ãéá ôçí áëçèéíÞ ÷áñÜ ðïõ åßíáé äþñï Èåïý åßðå: «...óåéò ôá ðáéäéÜ, ôá ïðïßá óõíÞèùò Ý÷åôå êáèáñÞ êáñäéÜ, åßóèå ÷áñïýìåíá êáé ÷áñßæåôå åéò ôïõò ãýñù óáò ôçí äéêÞ óáò ÷áñÜ, ôçí ïðïßá ëáìâÜíåôå áðü ôïí ×ñéóôü. Åßíáé óðïõäáßï Ýñãï áõôü, ôï íá óêïñðÜò ãýñù óïõ ôç ÷áñÜ», êáé óõíÝ÷éóå íïõèåôþíôáò êáé ðáñïôñýíïíôáò ôïõò íÝïõò ìå ôá ëüãéá ôïõ Áðïóôüëïõ Ðáýëïõ, íá ðñÜôôïõí êáé íá áêïëïõèïýí «üóá åßíáé áëçèéíÜ, óåìíÜ, äßêáéá êáé áãíÜ...».
ÏéêïõìåíéêÞ Äïîïëïãßá
Ëßãï ðñéí ôï ìåóçìÝñé ôçò ßäéáò ìÝñáò ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò óõíïäåõüìåíïò ðÜíôá áðü ôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï ÄçìÞôñéï êáé ôïí Åðßóêïðï Íôéôñüéô Íéêüëáï áöß÷èç óôïí Êáèåäñéêü Íáü ôïõ Åõáããåëéóìïý ôçò Èåïôüêïõ óôï Íôéôñüéô, üðïõ ðñïåîÞñ÷å ïéêïõìåíéêÞò äïîïëïãßáò ðáñïõóßá èñçóêåõôéêþí êáé ðïëéôéêþí áñ÷þí ôïõ Íôéôñüéô ìåôáîý ôùí ïðïßùí ï áíôéêõâåñíÞôçò ôçò ðïëéôåßáò ôïõ Ìßôóéãêáí Richard Posthumus, ï âïõëåõôÞò David Bonior, åêðñüóùðïé Ïñèïäüîùí Åêêëçóéþí ôçò SCOBA êáé åêðñüóùðïé Üëëùí ÷ñéóôéáíéêþí äéêáéïäïóéþí. Ï Ñùìáéïêáèïëéêüò áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ôïõ Íôéôñüéô ÊáñäéíÜëéïò Adam Maida ðñüóöåñå óôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ôñßðôõ÷ç âõæáíôéíÞ åéêüíá. Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò óôçí ïìéëßá ôïõ áíáöÝñèçêå óôçí áðïóôïëÞ ôçò Ìçôñüò Åêêëçóßáò íá äéáäþóåé ôï ìÞíõ-
4.000 ðåñßðïõ ÷éëéÜäåò ðéóôïß ðáñáêïëïýèçóáí ôçí Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞ Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá óôï óôÜäéï Compuware ôïõ Íôéôñüúô.
ìá ôïõ Åõáããåëßïõ óå üëïõò ôïõò áíèñþðïõò, áðíáôá÷ïý ôçò ãçò. Ðáñáêéíþíôáò äå ôïõò ðéóôïýò ãéá ìéá íÝá áñ÷Þ åßðå: «Äéáéóèáíüìåèá... üôé ç ìåôáíÜóôåõóéò ôüóùí Ïñèïäüîùí åéò üëá ôá ìÝñç ôçò ãçò åíÝ÷åé êáé ìéá åéäéêÞ áðïóôïëÞ... üðùò ðáñïõóéÜóïõí åéò ôïõò óõíáíèñþðïõò ôùí âéùìÝíçí ôçí Ïñèüäïîïí åí ×ñéóôþ æùÞ, þóôå üëïé íá åßäïõí áõôÞí êáé íá äýíáíôáé, åÜí èÝëïõí íá ôçí áêïëïõèÞóïõí». Êáé óå Üëëï óçìåßï óõíÝ÷éóå: «Ç ìåãÜëç áõôÞ ×þñá, ç ïðïßá áðïôåëåß ðëÝïí ôçí íÝáí ðïëý áãáðçôÞí êáé äéêáßùò ðáôñßäá óáò, ç ïðïßá äåí óáò åìðïäßæåé íá áãáðÜôå êáé ôçí ãåíÝôåéñÜí óáò êáé íá áêïëïõèåßôå ôçí ðßóôéí ôùí ðáôÝñùí óáò, ç ïðïßá ìå ðïëý íåáíéêüí åíäéáöÝñïí êáé åíèïõóéáóìüí ðñïóäÝ÷åôáé êÜèå ôé íÝïí êáé äïêéìÜæåé åéò ôçí ðñÜîéí êÜèå íÝá äéäáóêáëßá, êÜèå íÝá èåùñßá, êÜèå íÝá ðßóôç, ðåñéìÝíåé áðü óáò ôçí ãíÞóéáí ïñèüäïîïí æùÞí, ùò Ýíá ðñüôõðïí ôï ïðïßïí åßíáé Ýôïéìç åéò óçìáíôéêüí âáèìüí íá äïêéìÜóåé. Äåí æçôåß áðü óáò íá ìéìçèåßôå ôá ðñüôõðá Üëëùí Åêêëçóéþí êáé ðßóôåùí, äéüôé áõôÜ ôá Ý÷åé äïêéìÜóåé êáé âåâáßùò äåí ôá Ý÷åé áðïññßøåé, áëëÜ áéóèÜíåôáé üôé ëåßðåé áðü áõôÜ ç ðáñïõóßá ôçò Èåßáò ×Üñéôïò...».
Ãåýìá ôùí Áñ÷üíôùí
Ôçí Äïîïëïãßá áêïëïýèçóå ãåýìá ðïõ ðáñå÷þñçóáí ðñïò ôéìÞí ôïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ïé ¢ñ÷ïíåò ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý Ðáôñéáñ÷åßïõ ôïõ ÔÜãìáôïò ôïõ Áãßïõ ÁíäñÝá. Ï Äñ. Áíôþíéïò ËõìðåñÜêçò ðñïóöùíþíôáò ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ôüíéóå ôçí õðüó÷åóç ôùí Áñ÷üíôùí üôé: «... ç äéáêïíßá ôùí ìåëþí ôïõ ÔÜãìáôïò äåí ðåñéïñßæåôáé óôçí éåñÜ áðïóôïëÞ ôïõò ùò õðåñáóðéóôÝò ôçò Ðßóôåùò, áëëÜ åðåêôåßíåôáé, äéåõêïëýíåé êáé ðñïùèåß ôçí åíüôçôá äéá ìÝóïõ ôçò áãÜðçò êáé ôçò óõã÷þñåóçò». Ïé Áñ÷ïíôåò ðñüóöåñáí óôïí Ðáíáãéþôáôï ìéá óõìâïëéêÞ õäñüãåéï óöáßñá áðü ðïñóåëÜíç ðïõ öéëïôå÷íÞèçêå ãéá ôïí óêïðü áõôü êáé öÝñåé ôïí ôßôëï «Ðáãêüóìéá ÅéñÞíç åðé ôç ×éëéåôßá», ùò Ýêöñáóç ôçò ðáãïóìéüôçôïò ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò, ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý Ðáôñéáñ÷åßïõ êáé ôçò áðïóôïëÞò ôïõ. Ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Âáñèïëïìáßïò óçìåßùóå üôé: «ôï Ïéêïõìåíéêü Ðáôñéáñ÷åßï åßíáé èåóìüò çëéêßáò äÝêá Ýîé áéþíùí, äåí åßíáé èåóìüò åîïõóßáò, áëëÜ èåóìüò õðçñåóßáò ïíïìáæïìÝíçò åéò ôçí åêêëçóéáóôéêÞ ãëþóóá äéáêïíßá ...» êáé ùò ôÝôïéïò èåóìüò åßíáé áðüëõôá óýìöùíïò ìå ôçí äéáêïíßá ðïõ ðñïóöÝñïõí ïé ¢ñ÷ïíôåò, äéáêïíßá ðïõ áðïôåëåß ôïí ðõñÞíá ôùí äñáóôçñéïôÞôùí ôïõò.
Äåíäñïöýôåõóç êáé åðßóêåøç óå Íïóïêïìåßï
Áêïëïýèùò ç ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞ ðïìðÞ Ýöôáóå óå ðÜñêï ôïõ Íôéôñüéô, üðïõ ðá-
ñÜ ôï ôóïõ÷ôåñü êñýï ôïí Ðáíáãéþôáôï áíÝìåíáí áñêåôÝò äåêÜäåò íåáñþí ìáèçôþí êáé ìáèçôñéþí êáèþò êáé áîéùìáôïý÷ùí ôïõ Íôéôñüéô êáé ôçò ôïðéêÞò ÏñãÜíùóçò Ðñïóôáóßáò ÐåñéâÜëëïíôïò. Ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ìßëçóå óôïõò íÝïõò êáé íÝåò ãéá ôï ÷ñÝïò üëùí Ýíáíôé ôïõ öõóéêïý ðåñéâÜëëïíôïò ðïõ ï Èåüò ÷Üñéóå óôïí Üíèñùðï, áöéÝñùóå ìéá äåíñïöõôåßá êáé öýôåøå ìáæß ôïõò óõìâïëéêÜ Ýíá äÝíäñï, æçôþíôáò áð üëïõò íá ôï öñïíôßæïõí êáé íá ôï ðïôßæïõí ãéáôß üðùò åßðå èá åðéóôñÝøåé êÜðïôå ãéá íá äåé ôçí ðñüïäü ôïõ. ÁìÝóùò ìåôÜ åðéóêÝöèçêå ôï Íïóïêïìåßï Ðáßäùí ôïõ Íôéôñüéô üðïõ åõëüãçóå ôïõò ìéêñïýò áóèåíåßò Ýøáëëå ôï áðïëõôßêéï ôùí Áãßùí Áíáñãýñùí êáé ðñüóöåñå äõü ëüãéá óôÞñéîçò óôïõò óõããåíåßò ôïõò.
ÌÝãáò Áñ÷éåñáôéêüò Åóðåñéíüò
Ï É. Íáüò ôïõ Áã. ÉùÜííïõ óôçí ðåñéï÷Þ Sterling Heights, Þôáí êáôÜìåóôïò áðü ðéóôïýò ôï åóðÝñáò ôïõ ÓáââÜôïõ. Åí ìÝóù êáôÜíõîçò êáé èñçóêåõôéêÞò åõëÜâåéáò ôåëÝóôçêå ÌÝãáò Áñ÷éåñáôéêüò Åóðåñéíüò, ðáñüíôùí åêôüò ôïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç, ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ ÁìåñéêÞò ê. Äçìçôñßïõ, ôïõ åðéóêüðïõ Íôéôñüéô ê. ÍéêïëÜïõ, áñ÷éåñÝùí ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò êáé ôùí Ìçôñïðïëéôþí ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïõ Ðáôñéáñ÷åßïõ Öéëáäåëöåßáò ê. Ìåëßôùíá êáé Ìýñùí ê. ×ñõóïóôüìïõ. Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïò ìßëçóå ãéá ôçí áíÜãêç ðñïåôïéìáóßáò ôïõ áíèñþðïõ ãéá ôçí «óõíÜíôçóç ìåôÜ ôïõ Êõñßïõ», üðùò ï åóðåñéíüò åßíáé ðñïåôïéìáóßá ãéá ôçí Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ôçò åðïìÝíçò ìÝñáò êáé üðùò ï ¢ãéïò ÉùÜííçò ï Ðñüäñïìïò ðñïåôïßìáæå ôïõò áíèñþðïõò ãéá ôïí åñ÷ïìü ôïõ ×ñéóôïý Ýôóé ðáñüôñõíå ôï Åêêëçóßáóìá óå ðñïåôïéìáóßá êáé åôïéìüôçôá «äéá ôï áéþíéïí ìÝëëïí ìáò» ðïõ ðñïåôïßìáóå ãéá ìáò ï Èåüò.
Åðßóçìï Äåßðíï
Áñãüôåñá ôï ßäéï âñÜäõ ðáñåôÝèç åðßóçìï äåßðíï ðñïò ôéìÞí ôïõ ÐáíáãéùôÜôïõ óôçí êïéíüôçôá ôïõ Áã. ÍéêïëÜïõ ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò Troy ôïõ Ìßôóéãêáí. Ï Èåïö. Åðßóêïðïò Íôéôñüéô ê. Íéêüëáïò óôçí åéóáãùãéêÞ ôïõ ïìéëßá áíöÝñèçêå óôçí åðéèõìßá ôïõ ëáïý ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò íá ãíùñßóåé áðü êïíôÜ ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç êáé óçìåßùóå üôé ðáñüíôåò åêåßíç ôçí âñáäéÜ Þôáí ðéóôïß êáé áðü ôéò åðôÜ äéáöïñåôéêÝò ðïëéôåßåò ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò, áêüìç êáé áðü ôçí ìáêñéíÞ ðïëéôåßá ôïõ ¢ñêáíóáò. «Áõôïß ïé Üíèñùðïé, Ðáíáãéþôáôå, åêöñÜæïõí ôçí åõãíùìïóýíç ôïõò äéáóèáíüìåíïé ôçí öñïíôßäá, ôçí áãÜðç êáé ôçí êáèïäÞãçóç ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý Ðáôñéáñ÷åßïõ....», êáé óõíÝ÷éóå: «óôï ðñüóùðï ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ê. Âáñèï-
ëïìáßïõ áíáãíùñßæïõìå ôç óõíÝ÷åéá ôçò ìáêñÜò êáé åíäüîïõ éóôïñßáò ôçò Åêêëçóßáò ìáò êáé áíôéêñýæïõìå êáôÜìáôá ôïõò ÐáôÝñåò êáé ôïõò Áãßïõò ôçò ÌåãÜëçò ôïõ ×ñéóôïý Åêêëçóßáò ôçò Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò». Ôï ðñüãñáììá ðåñéåëÜìâáíå ÷áéñåôéóìïýò ôçò ðñÝóâç ôçò Êýðñïõ ê. Åñáôþ ÊïæÜêïõ-ÌáñêïõëÞ êáé ôïõ ãåíéêïý ðñïîÝíïõ ôçò ÅëëÜäïò óôï ÓéêÜãï ê. ÃáâñéÞë Êïðôóßäç. Ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò ÷áñáêôÞñéóå ôç âñáäéÜ ùò «Ýíá äåßðíï áãÜðçò» åêöñÜæïíôáò Ýôóé ôá áéóèÞìáôá ôïõ ëáïý ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüéô «áéóèÞìáôá åõãíùìïóýíçò óôïí Èåü ãéá ôçí ðáñïõóßá ôïõ ÐáíáãéùôÜôïõ». Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò åîÜëëïõ åîÝöñáóå ôéò óêÝøåéò ôïõ ãéá ôçí ïéêïõìåíéêüôçôá ôïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ëÝãïíôáò üôé «ï üñïò Ïéêïõìåíéêüò áðïôåëåß âáóéêÞ áðïóôïëéêÞ éäéüôçôá ôïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç óôçí ïðïßá ï ßäéïò áíôáðïêñßíåôáé åõñéóêüìåíïò óõíå÷þò åí áðïóôïëÞ óýìöùíá ìå ôçí ðñïôñïðÞ ôïõ Êõñßïõ ðïñåõèÝíôåò ìáèçôåýóáôå ðÜíôá ôá Ýèíç » êáé ðñüóèåóå üôé ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Âáñèïëïìáßïò áðïôåëåß «Ýíáí ïéêïõìåíéêü öÜñï ðïõ åêðÝìðåé óõíå÷þò ôï öùò ôïõ Åõáããåëßïõ êáé áãêáëéÜæåé ïëüêëçñï ôïí êüóìï». ÓõãêéíçìÝíïò áðü ôçí áõèüñìçôç Ýêöñáóç áãÜðçò êáé åíèïõóéáóìïý ôïõ êüóìïõ ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò, åêöñÜæïíôáò ôá âÜèç ôçò êáñäéÜò ôïõ åßðå óôïõò ðáñåõñéóêïìÝíïõò: «Ãé áõôü Þñèá. ¹ñèá ãéá íá óáò äù êáé íá óáò ðù üôé óáò áãáðþ. ¹ñèá í áêïýóù ôéò öéëïäïîßåò, ôéò ðñïóäïêßåò êáé ôéò åëðßäåò óáò. Ôï Ïéêïõìåíéêü Ðáôñéáñ÷åßï óå óôåíÞ óõíåñãáóßá ìå ôçí ÉåñÜ Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞ ÁìåñéêÞò èá ðñÜîåé ôï êáëýôåñï äõíáôüí ãéá íá áíôáðïêñéèåß ôùí ðñïóäïêéþí óáò». Ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò ìßëçóå áêüìç ãéá ôïõò éó÷õñïýò äåóìïýò ìåôáîý ôçò Ìçôñüò Åêêëçóßáò êáé ôçò ÉåñÜò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ÁìåñéêÞò ðïõ üðùò åßðå «åßíáé óôåíüôáôïé êáé áäéÜññçêôïé, êáé äõíÜìåèá íá åßðùìåí áðü áíèñùðßíçò ðëåõñÜò áìïéâáßùò åðùöåëåßò». Éäéáßôåñá ôüíéóå ôï óçìáíôéêü ñüëï ðïõ êáëåßôáé íá ðáßîåé ç Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞ ÁìåñéêÞò óå óôåíÞ óõíåñãáóßá ìå ôï Ïéêïõìåíéêü Ðáôñéáñ÷åßï óôçí áíÜðôõîç ôïõ éåñáðïóôïëéêïý Ýñãïõ ôüóï åíôüò áëëÜ êáé åêôüò ôùí ÇíùìÝíùí Ðïëéôåéþí. «ÓÞìåñïí ôçí èÝóéí êáé ôçí ðáãêüóìéïí áßãëç ôçò ÂõæáíôéíÞò Áõôïêñáôïñßáò êáôÝ÷åé áóöáëþò ç ÌåãÜëç ÁìåñéêáíéêÞ Äçìïêñáôßá ôùí ÇíùìÝíùí Ðïëéôåéþí» óçìåßùóå ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò èåùñþíôáò ôï ãåãïíüò áõôü ùò åõêáéñßá ãéá ôçí ðåñáéôÝñù äéÜäïóç ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò.
Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞ Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá
Äåí äßíåôáé óõ÷íÜ ç åõêáéñßá íá ðáñáêïëïõèÞóåé êáíåßò ìéá Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞ Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ðñïåîÜñ÷ïíôïò ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç, çãÝôç ôçò áíÜ ôïí êüóìï Ïñèïäïîßáò. Ôï ÓôÜäéï Compuware Arena, ìéóÞ ðåñßðïõ þñá áðü ôï êÝíôñï ôïõ Íôéôñüéô ìåôáìïñöþèçêå ôï ðñùß ôçò ÊõñéáêÞò 13 Íïåìâñßïõ óôï ìåãáëýôåñï ÷þñï ëáôñåßáò óå ïëüêëçñç ôç ÷þñá. Êáèþò ç ðïëõìåëÞò ÂõæáíôéíÞ ÷ïñùäßá Ýøáëëå ôïí ¼ñèñï 4.000 ðåñßðïõ ðéóôïß áðü üëåò ôéò ðïëéôåßåò ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüéô, ðñïóÝñ÷ïíôáí ìå åõëÜâåéá ãéá íá ðáñáêïëïõèÞóïõí ôçí Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá êáé íá äïýí áðü êïíôÜ ôïí ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ôïõò. Ïé íáïß ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò äåí ëåéôïýñãçóáí åêåßíç ôçí ÊõñéáêÞ Ýôóé þóôå íá ìðïñÝóïõí üëïé íá ðñïóÝëèïõí. Ôçò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò ðñïåîÞñ÷å ç Á.È.Ð. ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïò. Óõëëåéôïýñãçóáí äå, ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò, ï Åðßóêïðïò Íôéôñüéô Íéêüëáïò, ïé åê Ðáôñéáñ÷åßïõ Ìçôñïðïëßôåò Öéëáäåëöåßáò Ìå-
u óåë. 18
ÍÏÅÌÂÑÉÏÓ 2000
ÏÑÈÏÄÏÎÏÓ ÐÁÑÁÔÇÑÇÔÇÓ
ÓÅËÉÄÁ 17
Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïò ãéá ìéá ìÝñá óôçí ÍÝá Õüñêç ÍÅÁ ÕÏÑÊÇ. Ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò êáëùóüñéóå ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ê. Âáñèïëïìáßï óôçí ¸äñá ôçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ôï ðñùß ôçò ÄåõôÝñáò 13 Íïåìâñßïõ, ôåëåõôáßá çìÝñá ôçò ðïéìáíôïñéêÞò åðßóêåøçò ôïõ ÐáíáãéùôÜôïõ óôéò Ç.Ð.Á. Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ÷ïñïóôÜôçóå ôçò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò óôï ðáñåêêëÞóéï ôïõ Áðïóôüëïõ Ðáýëïõ, åð åõêáéñßá ôçò åïñôÞò ôïõ Áãßïõ ÉùÜííïõ ôïõ ×ñõóïóôüìïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ïõ Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò. ÌåôÜ ôçí Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ôï ðñïóùðéêü ôçò ÉåñÜò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò åß÷å ôçí åõêáéñßá íá ëÜâåé ôçí åõëïãßá êáé íá áêïýóåé ôïõò ðáñáéíåôéêïýò ëüãïõò ôïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç êáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá óýíôïìçò äåîßùóçò. «Ç èÝóéò áðü ôçí ïðïßáí õðçñåôåßôå ôçí Åêêëçóßáí, åßðå ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò, åßíáé ðïëý óðïõäáßá êáé õðåýèõíïò. Äéüôé üëáé áé åíôïëáß ôïõ ÉåñùôÜôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ êáé ôçò ÉåñÜò ôïðéêÞò Óõíüäïõ åêôåëïýíôáé áðü óáò. ÅðïìÝíùò ï æÞëïò óáò, ç ôá÷ýôçò óáò êáé ç áêñßâåéÜ óáò áíôáíáêëïýí åéò üëçí ôçí Åêêëçóßáí. Áíôéóôïß÷ùò êáé ïé åõãåíåßò ôñüðïé óáò, ôï åêêëçóéáóôéêüí Þèïò óáò, ç åõðñïóçãïñßá óáò, ç ðñïèõìßá óáò ðñüò åîõðçñÝôçóéí ôùí ðéóôþí ìåôáöÝñïíôáé ùò ôñüðïò, Þèïò, ðñïèõìßá êáé ëïéðÜ åéò ôçí Åêëçóßáí. Áêüìç êáé ç éäéùôéêÞ óáò æùÞ åðçñåÜæåé ôçí åéêüíá ôïõ ëáïý äéÜ ôçí Ïñèüäïîïí Åêêëçóßáí». Êáé ìéëþíôáò ãéá ôï êáèÞêïí êáé ôçí áíÜãêç ãéá éåñáðïóôïëÞ åßðå: «Ç Åëëçíïñèüäïîïò Åêêëçóßá, ç ðïëõðëçèåóôÝñá ìÜëëïí ôùí åéò ôáò ÇíùìÝíáò Ðïëéôåßáò äñáóôçñéïðïéïõìÝíùí Ïñèïäüîùí Åêêëçóéþí, Ý÷åé êáèÞêïí íá óõíåéäçôïðïéÞóåé ôçí ïéêïõìåíéêüôçôÜ ôçò êáé íá åñãáóèåß éåñáðïóôïëéêþò ôüóïí ìåôáîý ôùí ïìïãåíþí üóïí êáé ìåôáîý ôùí åíôïðßùí, ïé ïðïßïé áíáæçôïýí ôçí ïñèüäïîïí áëÞèåéáí êáé ðßóôéí». Óå Üëëï äå óçìåßï óõíÝ÷éóå: «Åßíáé êáéñüò ëïéðüí, åö üóïí Þäç ç Åëëçíïñèüäïîïò Åêêëçóßá çíäñþèç êáé åóôåñåþèç åéò ôáò ÇíùìÝíáò Ðïëéôåßáò, íá óêåöèþìåí, íá áðïöáóßóùìåí êáé íá åíåñãÞóùìåí ìßáí Ýíôïíïí óôñïöÞí ðñïò ôçí éåñáðïóôïëÞí ôüóïí ðñïò ôïõò Ïìïãåíåßò, üóïí êáé
ÍÉÊ. ÌÁÃÃÉÍÁÓ
Ìå áíèïäÝóìåò êáé ñïäïðÝôáëá õðïäÝ÷èçêáí ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç óôçí Ýäñá ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ÁìåñéêÞò ïé ìáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôïõ ó÷ïëåßïõ ôïõ Êáèåäñéêïý.
ðñïò ôïõò áëëïãåíåßò. Åäþ åéò ôçí ÁìåñéêÞí ôï åíäéáöÝñïí äéá ôçí èñçóêåßáí åßíáé Ýíôïíïí, ï ëáüò äéøÜ êáé ðñïóöÝñïíôáé åéò áõôüí åêáôïíôÜäåò øåõäïäéóêáëßáé. Åéò Ýíá ôüóïí Ýôïéìïí áãñüí ðñÝðåé íá óðáñåß ï ëüãïò ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ Ðßóôåùò». Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÄçìÞôñéïò ðñïóÝöåñå óôïí Ðáíáãéþôáôï óõìâïëéêü äþñï åê ìÝñïõò ôïõ éäßïõ êáé ôïõ ðñïóùðéêïý, Ýíáí êñõóôÜëéíï áåôü ãéá íá êïóìåß ôï ãñáöåßï ôïõ. Ôï ìåóçìÝñé ï Ïéê. ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ðáñáêÜèéóå óå ãåýìá ðïõ ðáñÝèåóå ðñïò ôéìÞí ôïõ óôï Metropolitan Club ç ÐåñéâáëïíôïëïãéêÞ ÏñãÜíùóç ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò Scenic Hudson, ðïõ óêïðü Ý÷åé ôçí ðñïóôáóßá ôçò êïéëÜäáò ôïõ ðïôáìïý ×Üíôóïí. Ïé äéïñãáíùôÝò áðÝíåéìáí óôïí Ðáíáãéþôáôï ÄéåèíÝò Âñáâåßï ãéá ôçí äéïñáôéêüôçôá êáé ôá åðéôåýãìáôÜ ôïõ óå èÝìáôá ðñïóôáóßáò ôïõ ðåñéâÜëëïíôïò. Ôï áðüãåõìá ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò óõíáíôÞèçêå ìå ôïõò êëçñéêïýò êáé ôéò ðñåóâõôÝñåò ôçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêÞò ÐåñéöÝñåéáò êáé
ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò ÍÝáò ÉåñóÝçò óôï Êáèåäñéêü Íáü ôçò Áãßáò ÔñéÜäïò óôï Ìáí÷Üôáí, üðïõ áíÝðåìøå åõ÷áñéóôÞñéï äÝçóç êáé äïîïëïãßá êáé åêöþíçóå âáñõóÞìáíôç ïìéëßá ãéá ôï Ýñãï êáé ôçí áðïóôïëÞ ôïõ êëÞñïõ. Ïé êëçñéêïß åß÷áí ôçí åõêáéñßá íá áðåõèýíïõí åñùôÞìáôá êáé íá ëÜâïõí äéåõêñéíßóåéò áðü ôïí Ðáíáãéþôáôï åðß ðïéìáíôéêþí èåìÜôùí. Ôï ßäéï âñÜäõ ðñáãìáôïðïéÞèçêáí ôá åãêáßíéá ôùí ìïíßìùí áéèïõóþí ÂõæáíôéíÞò ÔÝ÷íçò óôï Ìçôñïðïëéôéêü Ìïõóåßï ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò, ðïõ öÝñïõí ôçí åðùíõìßá ôùí äùñçôþí Ìáßñçò êáé Ìé÷áÞë Ôæá÷Üñç. Ï ê. Ìé÷áÞë Ôæá÷Üñçò åßíáé ï áíôéðñüåäñïò ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêïý Óõìâïõëßïõ ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò êáé ðéóôüò
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Åêðáéäåõôéêü - Åðéìïñöùôéêü ÓåìéíÜñéï ãéá Åêðáéäåõôéêïýò
ôÜîåéò 4ç ìÝ÷ñé 7ç ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: ãéá ôéò ôÜîåéò 3ç ìÝ÷ñé 8ç THE NEW SOCIAL STUDIES TEST: ãéá ôéò ôÜîåéò 3ç ìÝ÷ñé 8ç COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: ãéá ôéò ãõìíáóéáêÝò ôÜîåéò ÅéóçãçôÞò ôïõ Óåìéíáñßïõ ãéá ôïõò ´Åëëçíåò åêðáéäåõôéêïýò Þôáí ï ê. Ìáíüëçò ÂáóéëÜêçò, óõíôïíéóôÞò åêðáßäåõóçò ôïõ Õðïõñãåßïõ ÅèíéêÞò Ðáéäåßáò & ÈñçóêåõìÜôùí óôçí Ðñåóâåßá ôçò ÅëëÜäáò óôçí ÏõÜóéãêôïí. Ï ê. ÂáóéëÜêçò, ï ïðïßïò Ý÷åé áó÷ïëçèåß åéäéêÜ ìå ôç äéäáóêáëßá ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò ùò äåýôåñçò ãëþóóáò, ðáñïõóßáóå ôç óåéñÜ ôùí âéâëßùí «ÌÁÈÁÉÍÙ ÅËËÇÍÉÊÁ» ôïõ Ðáéäáãùãéêïý Éíóôéôïýôïõ, ôçò ïðïßáò åßíáé êáé ï âáóéêüò óõããñáöÝáò. Ï ê. ÂáóéëÜêçò óõìðëÞñùóå ôçí åéóÞãçóÞ ôïõ ìå ìßá äåéãìáôéêÞ äéäáóêáëßá ðáñáèÝôïíôáò óõã÷ñüíùò ðáñáäåßãìáôá ãéá ôç äéäáóêáëßá ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò ìå ôñáãïýäéá. Ôï ÓåìéíÜñéï, ôï ïðïßï ðáñáêïëïýèçóáí ðåñéóóüôåñá áðü 300 Üôïìá, ìåôáîý áõôþí éåñåßò, åêðáéäåõôéêïß êáé êïéíïôéêïß ðáñÜãïíôåò, åðé÷ïñçãÞèçêå áðü ôï õðåýèõíï Ãñáöåßï ôçò Ðïëéôåßáò ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò ãéá ôçí åðéìüñöùóç ôùí åêðáéäåõôéêþí ôùí ìç-äçìïóßùí ó÷ïëåßùí, êáèþò åðßóçò êáé ôçí ÉåñÜ Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞ êáé ç óõììåôï÷Þ ôùí åêðáéäåõôéêþí Þôáí äùñåÜí.
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Ôï Ãñáöåßï Ðáéäåßáò ôçò ÉåñÜò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò äéïñãÜíùóå ðñüóöáôá ïëïÞìåñï Åðéìïñöùôéêü ÓåìéíÜñéï ãéá ôïõò åêðáéäåõôéêïýò ôùí çìåñçóßùí êáé áðïãåõìáôéíþí êïéíïôéêþí ó÷ïëåßùí ôçò åõñýôåñçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêÞò ðåñéöÝñåéáò. Ôï Åðéìïñöùôéêü ÓåìéíÜñéï Ýëáâå ðñáãìáôïðïéÞèçêå óôéò 13 Ïêôùâñßïõ óôï çìåñÞóéï Åëëçíïáìåñéêáíéêü Ó÷ïëåßï ôçò Êïéíüôçôáò «Ìåôáìüñöùóç» óôçí Êïñþíá, õðü ôçí áéãßäá ôïõ ÓåâáóìéùôÜôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ ÁìåñéêÞò ê. Äçìçôñßïõ, ï ïðïßïò êáé åêÞñõîå ôçí Ýíáñîç ôùí åñãáóéþí ôïõ. Óêïðüò ôïõ åêðáéäåõôéêïý áõôïý óåìéíáñßïõ Þôáí ç åíßó÷õóç êáé ç âåëôßùóç ôùí ðñïãñáììÜôùí äéäáóêáëßáò, ôüóï óôá çìåñÞóéá üóï êáé óôá áðïãåõìáôéíÜ êïéíïôéêÜ ó÷ïëåßá. Ôï óåìéíÜñéï ðåñéåëÜìâáíå åðôÜ åíüôçôåò/workshops. ¸îé ìå áíôéêåßìåíï ôï áããëéêü ðñüãñáììá ôùí çìåñçóßùí ó÷ïëåßùí êáé Ýíá áöïñïýóå ôçí åðéìüñöùóç ôùí ÅëëÞíùí äáóêÜëùí. ´Åôóé, ïé åêðáéäåõôéêïß ôïõ áããëéêïý ðñïãñÜììáôïò ôùí çìåñçóßùí ó÷ïëåßùí åß÷áí ôçí åõêáéñßá íá ðáñáêïëïõèÞóïõí ï êáèÝíáò áíÜëïãá ìå ôçí åéäéêüôçôÜ ôïõ ôá åîÞò workshops: KINDERSAY: ãéá ôéò ôÜîåéò ðñïíçðéáãùãåßïõ êáé íçðéáãùãåßïõ LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS: ãéá ôçí 1ç êáé ôç 2á ôÜîç HABITAT ECOLOGY LEARNING: ãéá ôéò
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ÓÅËÉÄÁ 18
ÏÑÈÏÄÏÎÏÓ ÐÁÑÁÔÇÑÇÔÇÓ
ÍÏÅÌÂÑÉÏÓ 2000
Ôá ïíïìáóôÞñéá ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ Äçìçôñßïõ Ç ÉåñÜ Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞ ÁìåñéêÞò ãéüñôáóå ãéá äåýôåñç ÷ñïíéÜ öÝôïò ôá ïíïìáóôÞñéá ôïõ ÓåâáóìéùôÜôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ ìáò. Ôï ðñùß ôçò 26çò Ïêôùâñßïõ, ôïõ Áãßïõ ÌåãáëïìÜñôõñïò Äçìçôñßïõ, ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò ðñïåîÞñ÷å Áñ÷éåñáôéêÞò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò óôïí ïìþíõìï Éåñü íáü óôçí Áóôüñéá ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò, ðáñïõóßá ðïëëþí åðéóÞìùí êáé åêðñïóþðùí
ÄÇÌ. ÐÁÍÁÃÏÓ
ÐáéäéÜ ìå áãíü ÷áìüãåëï åõ÷Þèçêáí óôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï ãéá ôá ïíïìáóôÞñéá ôïõ.
ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò êáé ÊõðñéáêÞò ðïëéôåßáò êáé ðëÞèïõò êüóìïõ ðïõ êáôÝêëõóå ôï íáü áðü üñèñïõ âáèÝùò êáé ðáñáêïëïýèçóå ìå åõëÜâåéá ôçí êáôáíõêôéêÞ Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá êáé åõ÷Þèçêå õãåßá êáé ìáêñïçìÝñåõóç óôïí ðíåõìáôéêü ðáôÝñá êáé ðïéìÝíá ôïõ. Éäéáßôåñç Þôáí ç ðáñïõóßá óôç Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ôïõ ÌáêáñéùôÜôïõ Áñ÷éåðé-
Ï ÁÑ×ÉÅÐÉÓÊÏÐÏÓ Áëâáíßáò ÁíáóôÜóéïò óôïí É. Íáü ôïõ Áãßïõ Äçìçôñßïõ óôçí Áóôüñéá ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò áðåõèýíåôáé óôï Åêêëçóßáóìá áíÞìåñá ôïõ Áã. Äçìçôñéïõ. Äßðëá ôïõ Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò
óêüðïõ Áëâáíßáò ê. Áíáóôáóßïõ ðïõ óõíäÝåôáé äéá ìáêñü÷ñïíçò öéëßáò ìå ôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï ÄçìÞôñéï. ÌåôÜ ôç Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá, ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò åãêáéíßáóå êáé ðåñéçãÞèçêå ôçí áíáêáéíéóìÝíç êïéíïôéêÞ áßèïõóá ôçò êïéíüôçôáò ôïõ Áã. Äçìçôñßïõ.
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M åôáöïñÝò Måãáëýôåñç
Ýêèåóç çëåêôñéêþí óõóêåõþí ìå ñåýìá ÅëëÜäïò. Øõãåßá, ÐëõíôÞñéá, óôåãíùôÞñéá, êïõæßíåò, ôçëåïñÜóåéò, âßíôåï, êëéìáôéóôéêÜ, ìéêñïóõóêåõÝò êïõæßíáò.
áðü ôï ðñùß õðåñ÷õëßóåé áðü áíèïäÝóìåò ðïõ êáôåõèáíáí ç ìéÜ ìåôÜ ôçí Üëëç. Ôï áðüãåõìá ôåëÝóôçêå äïîïëïãßá óôï ðáñåêêëÞóéï ôïõ Áðïóôüëïõ Ðáýëïõ óôçí Ýäñá ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéêïðÞò, áóöõêôéêÜ ãåìÜôï áðü êëçñéêïýò, éåñÜñ÷åò, ðéóôïýò êáé ìáèçôÝò ó÷ïëåßùí ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò ðïõ Þëèáí íá åõ÷çèïýí óôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï. Ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ðñþçí ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÉÜêùâïò óõãêéíçìÝíïò ï ßäéïò, ìßëçóå ìå ðïëý èÝñìç êáé áãÜðç ãéá ôï ðñüóùðï ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ Äçìçôñßïõ êáé óõãêßíçóå üëï ôï åêêëçóßáóìá. ×áéñåôéóìïýò êáé åõ÷Ýò áðçýèõíáí ï Ãåíéêüò Ðñüîåíïò ôçò ÅëëÜäïò óôç ÍÝá Õüñêç ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò ÐëáôÞò, Ãåíéêüò Ðñüîåíïò ôçò Êýðñïõ óôçí ÍÝá Õüñêç ê. Âáóßëåéïò Öéëßððïõ, ï ðñùôïðñåóâýôåñïò ÅììáíïõÞë Ãêñáôóßáò, ðñüåäñïò ôïõ Óõìâïõëßïõ ÐñåóâõôÝñùí ôçò áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêÞò ðåñéöÝñåéáò ï áíôéðñüåäñïò ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêïý Óõìâïõëßïõ ê. Ìé÷áÞë Ôæá÷Üñçò êáé ç ðñüåäñïò ôçò ÅèíéêÞò Öéëïðôþ÷ïõ Áäåëöüôçôïò ê. Åõáíèßá ÊïíôÜêç. Óå ãéïñôéíÞ áôìüóöáéñá áêïëïýèçóå äåîßùóç êáé ìéá óõíå÷Þò êé áôÝëåéùôç óåéñÜ åðéóêåðôþí, åðþíõìùí áëëÜ êáé áðëþí áíþíõìùí áíèñþðùí ðïõ ðåñíïýóáí íá åõ÷çèïýí êáé íá ÷áéñåôßóïõí ôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï, ðïõ üñèéïò êáé ÷áìïãåëáóôüò äÝ÷ïíôáí ìå åõãíïìùóýíç ôéò åêäçëþóåéò áãÜðçò êáé óåâáóìïý ôïõ ðïéìíßïõ ôïõ.
áðü ÅëëÜäá óôçí ÁìåñéêÞ. ÐñïóùðéêÜ áíôéêåßìåíá, áõôïêßíçôá, Ýðéðëá, åìðïñéêÜ öïñôßá.
ÄÇÌ. ÐÁÍÁÃÏÓ
Ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò êáé ï Ìáêáñéþôáôïò Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò Áëâáíßáò ê. ÁíáóôÜóéïò ìå ôïõò êëçñéêïýò êáé ìÝëç ôïõ Ä.Ó. ôçò êïéíüôçôïò ôïõ Áã. Äçìçôñßïõ êáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôùí åãêáéíßùí ôïõ áíáêáéíéóìÝíïõ êïéíïôéêïý êÝíôñïõ.
Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò óôï Íôéôñüúô u óåë. 16
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ëßôùí êáé Ìýñùí ×ñõóüóôïìïò êáèþò êáé ïé åî ÁìåñéêÞò áñ÷éåñåßò Ìçôñïðïëßôåò ÊñÞíçò ÉÜêùâïò, Áßíïõ ÌÜîéìïò, ÁíÝùí Ìåèüäéïò, ÐñïéêïíÞóïõ ÉóáÀáò, ÔõÜíùí ÐáÀóéïò êáé ï åðßóêïðïò ÎÜíèïõ ÄçìÞôñéïò. Ç ÂõæáíôéíÞ ÷ïñùäßá õðü ôçí äéåýèõíóç ôïõ Äñ. Ãåùñãßïõ ÌðéëÜëç êáé ìéá äåýôåñç ðïëõìåëÞò ÷ïñùäßá áðïôåëïýìåíç áðü ìÝëç ÷ïñùäéþí ôùí ôïðéêþí êïéíïôÞôùí õðü ôçí äéåýèõíóç ôïõ Ãåùñãßïõ ÑÜðôç óõíÝâáëáí óôç äçìéïõñãßá êáôáíõêôéêÞò áôìüóöáéñáò óå Ýíá áöéëüîåíï êáôÜ ôá Üëëá ÷þñï. ÊáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôçò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò ðñáãìáôïðïéÞèçêå ç åéò äéÜêïíïí ÷åéñïôïíßá ôïõ ÉùÜííç ÍÜóóç áðü ôï ÓéêÜãï, áðüöïéôïõ ôçò ÈåïëïãéêÞò Ó÷ïëÞò ôïõ Ôéìßïõ Óôáõñïý, ï ïðïßïò ðñüóöáôá óõìðëÞñùóå ìå åðéôõ÷ßá Ýíá ÷ñüíï ðñïóöïñÜò êáé õðçñåóßáò óôï Ïéêïõìåíéêü Ðáôñéáñ÷åßï. Ï Ðáíáãéþôáôïò ÷åéñïôïíþíôáò ôïí íÝï äéÜêïíï ôïí ïíüìáóå ×ñõóüóôïìï, åð åõêáéñßá ôçò åïñôÞò ôïõ Áãßïõ ÉùÜííïõ ôïõ ×ñõóïóôüìïõ ôçí åðï-
ìÝíç êáé åõëðéóôþíôáò üðùò åßðå, íá êçñýîåé ôïí Èåßï Ëüãï.
Ãåýìá Öéëïðôþ÷ïõ
ÁìÝóùò ìåôÜ ôç Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá, ôï ôìÞìá ôçò Öéëïðôþ÷ïõ Áäåëöüôçôïò ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüéô ðáñÝèåóå ãåýìá ãéá üëï ôï åêêëçóßáóìá. Ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò åîÞñå ôï öéëáíèñùðéêü Ýñãï ôçò Öéëïðôþ÷ïõ êáé ôçí óõìâïëÞ ôùí ìåëþí ôçò óôçí Åêêëçóßá êáé ôçí êïéíùíßá ãåíéêüôåñá. Åõ÷áñßóôçóå éäéáßôåñá ôçí ê. ÄÝóðïéíá Íßêïëáò, ðñüåäñï ôïõ ôìÞìáôïò ôçò Öéëïðôþ÷ïõ ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüéô êáèþò åðßóçò êáé ôïí ê. Ðßôåñ ÊáñáìÜíï, éäéïêôÞôç ôùí áèëçôéêþí åãêáôáóôÜóåùí Compuware üðïõ äéåîÞ÷èç ç È. Ëåéôïõñãßá êáé ôï ãåýìá ãéá ôçí äùñåÜí ðñïóöïñÜ ôïõ ãåýìáôïò. Ôï âñÜäõ ôçò ÊõñéáêÞò äùñçôÝò êáé åõåñãÝôåò ôçò ÅðéóêïðÞò Íôéôñüéô ïñãÜíùóáí åõ÷áñéóôÞñéï äåßðíï êëåßíïíôáò Ýôóé ôçí Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞ ðïéìáíôïñéêÞ åðßóêåøç óôï Íôéôñüéô. Ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò áíá÷þñçóå áñãÜ ôï âñÜäõ ãéá ôçí ÍÝá Õüñêç.
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
The Voice of
PAGE 19
Philoptochos
National Board Convenes for First Meeting of New Session by Georgia Vlitas
Archbishop Demetrios convened the 2000-2001 National Philoptochos Board on Sept. 29, beginning their meetings with a prayer followed by his keynote address to members of both the National Board and the Archdiocesan Council. Afterward, National President Eve Condakes, reappointed to a second term by His Eminence, officially opened the session. Mrs. Condakes rendered her official acceptance to her reappointment as National Philoptochos President in her address. Archbishop Demetrios offered wise counsel to the women present and then announced the nominations of the Executive Board members. At the end of the nominations, a motion was made and unanimously passed that the following will comprise the Executive Board: Eve Condakes, president; Maria Logus, first vice-president; Kathy Gabriel, second vice-president; Froso Beys, third vice-president, Susan Regos, secretary; Aspasia Melis, Greek Secretary; Aphrodite Skeadas, treasurer; Pauline O Neal, assistant treasurer; Honorable Yorka Linakis, legal advisor; Kassandra Romas, parliamentarian; Helen Demos, protocol officer, and immediate past National President Mimi Skandalakis, advisor to the Board. The executive board is joined by the following: Sophia Altin, Georgia Antinopoulos, Frances Bissias, Theodora Campbell, Dr. Maria Michell Caras, Eula Carlos, Patty Chacopoulos, Helen Collis, Carol Contos, Irene Costakis, Penelope Dambassis, Mary Diamant, Beck Demery, Anna Demetrakas, Dolly Demetris, Beatrice Douvres, Marika Drakotos, Bessie Drogaris, Vasiliki Feldmar, Anne Feles, Renee Gahagan, Tula Gallanes, Tarsi Georgas, Pat Gogos, Anne Gustave, Dr. Joanne Hologgitas, Nora Iliadis, Georgia Kaloidis, Anita Kartalopoulos, Efthalia Katos, Elaine Kevgas, Terry Kokas, Penny Korkos, Antonia Kourepinos, Helen Lambros, Nellie Logothetides, Argeria Logus, Helen Loukedis, Helen Malachias, Cleo Maletis, Maryann Mihalopoulos,
NATIONAL PHILOPTOCHOS EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS
NATIONAL PHILOPTOCHOS BOARD MEMBERS
Helen Misthos, Esther Mitchell, Angela Morris, Celeste Moschos, Marjorie Moyar, Helen Nicozisis, Bessie Papigiotis, Helen Patronis, Evelyn Pavloglou, Marissa Payiavlas, Faye Peponis, Christine Peratis, Helen Peterson, Mary Plumides, Dorothea Prodromidis, Lila Prounis, Mary Rhodes, Demetra Safiol, Vickie Scaljon, Arlene Siavelis, Sofia Shane, Kula Sosangelis, Faye
GOLD Ministry: Giving Orthodox Love Daily CHARLOTTE, N.C. Twelve separate programs make up the GOLD Ministry of the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Holy Trinity Church. Philoptochos President Laura Nixon relates the beginnings of the coordinated effort: Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, who greatly influenced this undertaking, helped us to invite about a dozen of the various local service organizations in our area to set up displays in our fellowship center. In conjunction with a luncheon of soup and crusty rolls, our parishioners heard each group s presentation of their mission and their needs. Then each church member could sign up for whichever organization they wished to assist. The result, Giving Orthodox Love Daily, includes the following programs: ·Adopt A Nursing Home: Companionship for nursing home residents. ·The Alexander Children s Center: Helps emotionally disturbed children. ·Crisis Assistance Ministry: Helps families in economic crisis. ·Drivers for Senior Citizens: Provides transportation to appointments and activities.
·Eco Women s Transitional Home: Helps previously incarcerated women in a transitional home setting. ·Faith Community Partnership: Coordinates church resources with community service needs. ·Habitat For Humanity Mentor Program: Tutors children of working lowincome families. ·International Orthodox Christian Charities: Worldwide humanitarian assistance. ·Loaves and Fishes: Provides emergency food to those in crisis. ·Nevins Center: Helps mentally impaired adults to become self-reliant. ·Prison Ministry: Weekly visitations for ministry and support. ·Rebound: Provides a structured program for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. These combined programs create a network of services to the community at large, and truly fulfill the mission of the Philoptochos Society to help feed the hungry, visit the sick, minister to those in prison, and help our fellow human beings as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught.
Orthodox Observer
Orthodox Observer
Spanos, Mary Spirou, Lena Spyropoulos, Joanne Stavrakas, Maria Stavropoulos, Martha Stefanidakis, Kathy Theofilos, Chrysoula Tomaras, Lenore Trigonis, Diane Tseckares, Kalli Tsitsipas, Eva Vardakis, Effie Venduras, Georgia Vlitas, Lori Voutiritsas, Eleni Zaferes and Billie Zumo, past National Presidents Katherine Pappas, Beatrice Marks, Dionisia Ferraro, Dina Skouras Oldknow; and the diocese presidents, Loula C. Anaston, Stella Capiris, Harriet Matthews, Despina Nicholas, Christine Karavites, Elaine Cladis, Ann Woodward, Mary Ann Bissias, and Ronnie Kyritsis, who are joined in an ex-officio
capacity by the Daughters of Penelope Grand President Betty Benjou and the Presvyteres Sisterhood President Angie Constantinides. Following the election and announcement of appointed members the business session recommenced with the reading of the last National Board minutes by Aspasia Esther Mitchell and the convention plenary report presented by Convention 2000 Chair Elaine Kevgas. Kassandra Romas updated the new board on the resolutions passed at the Convention and awaiting His Eminence s approval, followed by Dolly Demetris Convention Host Committee CoChair with a brief report. A recess was called in order for the members of the National Board to participate in a joint luncheon with Archbishop Demetrios and Archdiocesan Council members. Business sessions reconvened with committee reports and a presentation by Fr. Costas Sitaras, director of St. Basil Academy, who updated the Board on the status of the institution. Nellie Logothetides, social services chair, introduced Paulette Geanacopoulos, CSW National Philoptochos social worker, who announced that the NY State Grant of $45,000 for domestic violence had been renewed to the Philoptochos Society. Ms. Geanacopoulos also explained that the clients they assist could be emotionally disturbed, homeless, destitute, victims of domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse or ill. The diocese presidents then reported on the status of their dioceses since the recent Clergy - Laity Congress. The days events concluded with an announcement by President Condakes that the next Philoptochos Children s Medical Fund Luncheon would take place in Oak Brook, Ill., on Nov. 3. Susan Regos, secretary of the National Board, was the general chairman with Chicago Diocese President Mary Ann Bissias and National Board member Lori Voutiritsas, the luncheon co-chairs. The two-day sessions concluded with the completion of the diocese presidents reports, committee reports and an open question and answer forum, conducted by First Vice-President Maria Logus, where thoughts, ideas and recommendations were presented. Following a closing prayer, President Condakes adjourned the first sessions of the National Philoptochos Board.
N.J. Chapter Supports “Tie a Ribbon for a Cure” Program WESTFIELD, N.J. Holy Trinity Church Philoptochos held a major fundraiser in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Titled Tie A Ribbon for A Cure, the program involves the purchase of pink ribbons to be tied around a tree or lamp post in front of parishioners homes. The ribbons are hung in honor of or in memory of those whose lives have been touched by the disease. According to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the pink ribbon has become the international symbol for breast cancer awareness. It also represents our courage, support, and hope for a cure, and helps to remind people of the need for regular self-exams and mammograms. In 1999, the program raised $1,500 for the North Jersey Affiliate of the Foundation through the sale of breast cancer awareness Christmas ornaments, pink rhinestone ribbon pins, pink ribbon em-
broidered handkerchiefs, donations, and the standard pink ribbons. Fr. Dimitrios Antokas reminded the parishioners what the ribbons represented, and suggested holding a Healing Service (Efchelaion) for those whose lives have been forever changed by the disease. The Fall 2000 newsletter, for the CURE, features Holy Trinity Philoptochos Treasurer Tiffany Kominos Corbett in the Survivor Spotlight. She offers 13 tips on what to do upon learning that a friend or relative has breast cancer. Ranging from preparing dinner, providing transportation to treatment appointments, to the all-important need for prayer, the suggestions enable those around a breast cancer patient to offer constructive, targeted support in difficult times. For more information, contact the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation at www.breastcancerinfo.com or 908277-2904.
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 20
PEOPLE
u Condakeses honored
National Philoptochos President Eve Condakes and her husband, Leo, of Swampscott, Mass., were feted Oct. 27 by the Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee at its annual dinner dance Oct. 27 in New York. The couple was honored for their many decades of devotion and commitment to the Greek Orthodox Church. HANAC was founded in 1972 and develops and administers many social service projects for the city s needy.
u Chairman retires
Thomas C. Kyrus, retiring chairman of the Cyprus Children s Fund was recently honored at a farewell reception in New York by National Chairman and President Peter J. Pappas and the Board of Directors.
u Reelected to office
Fr. Steven J. Vlahos of St. Demetrios Church in Wildwood, N.J., recently won reelection as vice chairman of the state Board of Human Services. He has been reappointed to the board twice by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman after his initial appointment in 1990.
u Talk on healing
Theologian, educator, pastoral counselor and psychologist Dr. Kyriaki Karidoyanes Fitzgerald of Massachusetts recently addressed the sixth annual symposium of Orthodox Christian Synergy, An Orthodox Perspective on Healing at St. Andrew Church in Chicago in mid-October. Dr. Fitzgerald holds an M.Div. degree from Holy Cross School of Theology and a Ph.D. from Boston University.
u Surgeon honored
Hellenic American Medical and Dental Society of Southern California honored Dr. Michael J. Patzakis at the University of Southern Calif., Nov. 4. Dr. Patzakis is a professor and chairman of the USC Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Proceeds benefited the society s scholarship fund.
u Half-century mark
Holy Trinity Church in Bridgeport, Conn., recently honored Sophie Frangenes for her 50 years service to the parish as organist and choir member. Fr. Demetrios A. Recachinas presented her with a commemorative plaque at a luncheon.
u Named to board
Salt Lake City business and civic leader Theodore S. Sargetakis recently was appointed to the board of the Hellenic Cultural Association Museum and Library. The museum/library was dedicated in May 1992. Mr. Sargetakis also is active in the Cretan Clubs of Utah.
u In ‘Who’s Who’ Concert pianist and visual artist Eleni Traganas of New York recently was selected for inclusion in Who s Who in the World and Who s Who of American Women. Ms. Traganas was trained at The Julliard School and has performed and lectured extensively in Europe, and displayed displayed her award-winning works at the National Arts Club and elsewhere.
NOVEMBER 2000
Ark-La-Tex’s Greek Orthodox Community
T
ucked away in the corner of northwestern Louisiana, St. George Church is the only parish in the Deep South under the Denver Diocese. This Greek Orthodox community in Shreveport, a city of about 390,000, originally was part of the Charlotte Diocese until the late 1960s. With its location only 15 miles from the Texas border, with cultural and economic ties to that state and its proximity to Houston, then the seat of that diocese before it was relocated to Denver, the church petitioned and received approval to transfer to that jurisdiction. The region is commonly known as Ark-La-Tex because the state lines of
PARISH
goal, the establishment of a Greek Orthodox church. St. George was founded in 1919 and visiting priests began to hold worship services.
Constant expansion Over the next 40 years, the story of St. George Church has been one of building and expansion. The community bought a private home near downtown Shreveport in 1924 for conversion into a house of worship and purchased a nearby site, the church s present location, in 1933. Construction began a year later. Within five years, the church was completed and consecrated. More parcels of land next to the church were acquired for
With the establishment of mission parish, we became more prone to welcome converts, to reach out more, said Fr. Bessinas. We don t want to be known for baklava and souvlaki. The mentality of the younger generation is not that they want to be known for having roots, wherever they came from, but what I want to be identified with first is my Orthodox Christian faith. He continued, That s what going to help our parish grow, for the sake of the gospel. The mission parish really opened our eyes.
Strong stewardship program For the past four years, stewardship has accounted for 100 percent of
profile
Name: St. George Greek Orthodox Church Location: Shreveport, La. Diocese: Denver Size: about 105 members Founded: 1919 Clergy: Fr. George Bessinas (Holy Cross 90) Noteworthy: Operating budget funded entirely through stewardship ST. GEORGE CHURCH Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas intersect a few miles outside the city. We have parishioners who come from all over the Ark-La-Tex, as far as two hours away, said Fr. Bessinas a native of Veroia, Greece, who came to the United States in 1982 as a high school exchange student in Seattle. Members live in Longview and Texarkana, Texas, an hour to the west and north; Ruston, La., an hour east; and Alexandria, La., about two hours to the southeast. The one s who live that far away come more frequently that some who live in town, he said.
future expansion in 1940. An activities center, built in 1957, functions as the parish hall, with meeting rooms and catechism school classrooms. The parish occupies an entire block, including an open field used for picnics. The church building has two levels. There is handicapped access for anyone unable to use main entrance on second level. Ramps and an elevator at ground level provide access to the narthex.
Demographically diverse
Most parishioners are American born, of Greek background, along with a growEarly years ing number of converts. Half the houseThough small in number, St. holds have at least one convert, said the George s parishioners are a dedicated priest. Sometimes they both are. Famigroup who generously support their lies comprise about half the membership, with the remainder consisting of retirees. church, Fr. Bessinas noted. The present parishioners are mostly According to information from the priest, the first known Greek Orthodox in professions, with many educators, doctors, lawyers, and engineers repreimmigrants to come to sented. Shreveport arrived about There are not many young 1912. Most came from adults, Fr. Bessinas said. They Asia Minor, especially go away for college. Our present from New Ephesus.. Shreveport and future growth will have to Others emigrated from come from outside. mainland Greece. Most We consider ouroperated restaurants. selves a pan Orthodox In 1916 several leadchurch, he continued, ing businessmen noting that the comfounded The Hellenic munity realized it American Beneficial Sowould have to inciety Socrates, whose clude all Orthodox main purpose was to offer finanChristians. Seven cial assistance to its members in the years ago, group of event of a misfortune. In 1917 the charter of Socrates dissatisfied parishioners left and went to was amended so the society could de- the Antiochian Church and started a mission parish with a dozen families; velop as a religious organization. The parish now has members of RusAll member benefits, and any funds collected, were set aside for the sian, Serbian, Palestinian, Georgian Romasociety s newly envisioned mission and nian and Ethiopian backgrounds.
the funding for the church s operating budget, supplemented by donations. The average pledge is almost $900. We give 11 percent of our budgeted income to the national ministries of the Archdiocese, and we will increase it by 1 percent each year until we reach 15, said Fr. Bessinas. There is no Greek festival, but a Greek Night is held in certain years as a fund-raiser. It is a semiformal family event open to the public that includes a dinner dance, silent auction, a dance group; and a band. open to the public. All proceeds go to a building fund.
Varied ministries St. George Church offers several special ministries. Orthodoxy 101 is a class for newcomers to the Faith and potential converts that meets twice a month; It provides ongoing education even for our own Orthodox Christians who have lapsed or those who want to continue to learn more of their faith, Fr. Bessinas said. There also is weekly Bible study every Wednesday night, and Orthros 101 every other Tuesday. There is no Greek school, but the priest said the community is planning to start one that will be offered by AHEPA. We realize growth is coming from converts and we try to present church for its Orthodox faith, then the Hellenic and cultural heritage aspect. The parish has an active GOYA chapter.
Outreach to greater community As part of his ministry, Fr. Bessinas attends many public events.
u page 23
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 21
R ETIRED CLERGY “The Secret Of Thanksgiving” by Fr. William G. Gaines
Thanksgiving is the consumate American ho1iday. Other nations may have celebrations related to the harvest, but they are not specifically thanksgiving events; celebration best describes them. In fact, our American Thanksgiving does not have its roots in the cycle of seed time and harvest at all. Its beginnings are in a thanksgiving for which there was no bounty of earth. Really, it was to show gratitude for survival after a bitter and harsh winter and, in anticipation of a repetition of that cruel winter that had taken nearly half the colony of Puritans. Thanksgiving is American We share it on1y with our sister nation to the north, Canada -which observes its Thanksgiving Day in October, before the snow fall. However, we can not be so naive as to believe they celebrate in church. Only a few churches are even open on this day. Instead, some families will make the excuse that they were having a big dinner at their house, and they just couldn t get to church. That is as much as saying that those who are at worship have little or nothing to get ready for. And besides, it can be done. There are many women who will somehow manage to have time to give thanks in God s house. But this has become a day when huge numbers of people draw aside to think of their blessings. In some way, at some moment in the great day, they will pause. Their prayer may be only a murmur of the heart, maybe only a breath they can t find a way to put into words, but a few will stretch the capacity of their hearts to realize the blessings they share with those they love. Today, we must realize that it s the thankful heart that puts joy into this day. Even if we choose the ceremonies of football and enormous dinners, the joy and the
excitement come when we remember that there is a Giver. There is One who gives and gives and gives. He gives us freedom of body and soul. He gives us the family that upholds us and fills us with love. He gives peace and satisfaction in the midst of the turmoil and pressures of life. He gives us a sense of accomplishment that says our labor and our love are worthy contributions to society. He permits us to serve in his kingdom, and even says that the gifts we bring will help someone else be grateful to him. Most of all, he permits us to live out our gratitude in lives of faithful service. He says that our gratitude can change the lives of others and enable them to share his love. There is one idea that we Christians cannot easily shake from our minds: If life is given to us, if blessings are shown to us, then the secret of life meaning and value are more in the Giver than in the gift itself. The gift inspires the song of thanks. A long time ago on a tiny island in the Mediterranean, a man sat in lonely exile, banished to a desolate place because of his faith in Christ, far from those with whom he yearned to share the glory of God. With nothing to make his life rich, nothing to bring joy, nothing but the threat of life-long loneliness, he wrote a letter that was somehow smuggled off that island. In that letter, he wrote a song of thanksgiving. It ends this way: Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. (Revelation 19:6) That may be the secret of Thanksgiving, not that we are blessed, but that even in our blessedness the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Fr. Gaines is president of the Retired Clergy Association.
Greek Orthodox Chaplain Retires The navy enables a priest like myself to serve all of God s people. In that setA TV ad campaign for the U.S. Army ex- ting we re all God s people. I was there to horts young viewers to Be all that you can assist them regardless of what they were, white or non-white, Greek or non-Greek. be, in hopes of enticing them to enlist. The role of a chaplain is In 1974, Fr. James C. all embracing. Moulketis decided he He had planned to wanted to do all he could stay in the Reserves for do for his Church and another year, but decountry. He joined the Nacided to leave now to deval Reserve while serving as vote his attention to a pastor of St. Barbara s major renovation project Church in Toms River, N.J., at his parish. and was commissioned in Looking back on his 1975 as a lieutenant junior service, Fr. Moulketis regrade. called two experiences in After completing particular that stand out Chaplain School in Newrelieving Fr. Bartz in port, R.I., he spent the next Okinawa in 1992, which 24 years serving as a chapenabled him to worship in lain in various assignments and locations around the CAPT. (Fr.) JAMES MOULKETIS an Orthodox chapel and experience a dynamic minworld, ranging from North istry; and an assignment to Carolina to Suda Bay, Crete, to Okinawa, Suda Bay for three weeks. Just being there Japan and 29 Palms, Calif. Last month, Fr. Moulketis, who also among our own people, interfacing with pastors St. Nicholas Church in Wyckoff, Greeks at the naval base was very meanN.J., retired with the rank of captain. He ingful for me, he said. At the change of is the highest-ranking Greek Orthodox command ceremony, the commander priest in military and the first Greek Or- asked him to offer prayer in Greek. Fr. Moulketis formal retirement certhodox clergyman to become a captain in Naval Reserve. Rev. George Paulsen was emony took place at the Chaplain School the first active-duty Greek Orthodox priest in Newport Oct. 14 and was attended by his wife, Evangeline and two daughters, to attain this rank. As a child I always had the dream that Stephanie and Irene; New Jersey Diocese ministry in the military was something I Chancellor Fr. Alexander Leondis, and Frs. wanted to experience; to serve people of Constantine Sitaras of St. Basil Academy, our nation as well as people of our George Poulos of Stamford, Conn., and Peter Balkas of Newport. church, said Fr. Moulketis. by Jim Golding
jackson actiooneers 1/4 neg.
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NOVEMBER 2000
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ATHOS ICONS would like to inform the readers of the Orthodox Observer that ATHOS WORKSHOP will ship direct to individual parties from Greece at the published prices until a distributor is appointed for that area. For a list of Icons and new reduced prices please contact us by Tel./Fax: 1-860-423-4707 Email us at hellenic@neca.com or write to us for a brochure at Athos Icons, P.O. Box 554, Mansfield Center, CT 06250 WASHINGTON - The fifty-ninth meeting of the North American OrthodoxCatholic Theological Consultation took place at Saint Paul s College in Washington, DC, from October 26 to 28, 2000. Discussions focused on recent developments in relations between the churches and the filioque. The meeting was presided over by Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh (Orthodox co-chairman) and Bishop Dale Melczek of Gary, in the absence of Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, the Catholic co-chairman. After examining a number of developments in the lives of the two churches, Rev. John Long, SJ, offered a detailed account of the meeting of the 8th Plenary Session of the International Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church that took place in Emmitsburg, Md., in July 2000. This was followed by a presentation and analysis by Fr. Brian Daley, SJ, of the two recent documents of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith: the declaration Dominus Iesus and the note on the expression sister churches. Metropolitan Maximos commented on these matters from an Orthodox perspective. The Consultation also continued its long-range study of the filioque question. This is the insertion of the phrase and the Son into the Latin form of the NiceneConstantinopolitan Creed for liturgical use at the beginning of the second millennium; this development has long been seen as a key issue preventing the reestablishment of full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Two presentations were made on the Holy Spirit in the Syriac tradition: Notes on the Holy Spirit in East Syriac Christianity by Professor Susan Ashbrook Harvey, and St. Ephraem the Syrian on the Holy Spirit, by Fr. Sidney Griffith. Fr. Alexander Golitzin read his paper, Adam, Eve and Seth: Pneumatological Reflections on an Unusual Image in Gregory of Nazianzus Fifth Theological Oration.
The Consultation also examined the revised version of the text, The Filioque Clause in Ecumenical Perspective, originally drawn up by a group of theologians from eastern and different western traditions when they met at Schloss Klingenthal near Strasbourg, France, in 1978 and 1979. It was decided to continue this study at the Consultation s next meeting, which is to be held at St. Vladimir s Orthodox Seminary in Crestwood, NY, in late May 2001. The North American Catholic-Orthodox Theological Consultation is sponsored jointly by the Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of America. It was the first official dialogue between the two churches, founded in 1965 and predating the international dialogue by 15 years. Another body, the Joint Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops, has been meeting annually since 1981 to discuss pastoral issues between the two churches. In addition to the two co-chairmen, the Orthodox members of the Consultation include the Rev. Thomas FitzGerald (secretary), Archbishop Peter of New York, the Rev. Nicholas Apostola, Professor Susan Ashbrook-Harvey, the Rev. Alkiviadis Calivas, the Rev. James Dutko, Professor John Erickson, the Rev. Alexander Golitzin, the Rev. Emmanuel Gratsias, Dr. Robert Haddad, Professor Lewis Patsavos, the Rev. Paul Schnierla, the Rev. Robert Stephanopoulos, and Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos (staff). Additional Catholic members are the Rev. Brian Daley, SJ (secretary), Msgr. Frederick McManus, the Rev. George Berthold, Professor Thomas Bird, the Rev. Peter Galadza, the Rev. John Galvin, Sister Donna Geernaert, SC, the Rev. Sidney Griffith, ST, the Rev. John Long, SJ, the Rev. David Petras, Professor Robin Darling Young, and the Rev. Ronald Roberson, CSP (staff).
PARISH PROFILE u page 20
The parish also assists the Habitat for Humanity chapter in Shreveport, with Philoptochos serving meals to the volunteers. In August he was asked to bless one of the new homes, which received publicity in the local newspaper, the Shreveport Times. We told them we re experts at that, remarked Fr. Bessinas. The parish also is considering sponsoring a Habitat house along with several other local churches. St. George also takes part in a food bank that is housed across the street at a Methodist church. Other efforts include clothing drives for Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
Fulfilling ministry Fr. Bessinas also participates in events at Louisiana State University-Shreveport and at Northwestern State University. He has lectured on iconography at a local art museum, and conducted church tours and given other presentations on Orthodoxy to the public, including newspaper and television interviews. He describes his ministry as fulfilling and challenging at the same time it s fulfilling because I find joy in what I do; it s challenging because there is so much to do; so much our Church offers that we have to convey to the community, the wealth and truth of the Orthodox faith. compiled by Jim Golding
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Faith
NOVEMBER 2000
R R E E L L A AT T II N N G G T TO O T T H H E E Thanksgiving—To Offer Thanks to God Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (II Cor. 9:15)
by Rev. Dr. Dumitru Macaila
No recurring idea makes more conspicuously manifest the nature of biblical faith than does the concept of thanksgiving. Throughout the Scripture thanks is offered to God, with three insignificant exceptions (Luke 17:9; Acts 24:3; Romans 16:4). Yes, thanks is always rendered to God, but this occurs only within the context of the covenant relationship, prompted by a concrete act of the conditional promises made to humanity by God within human history. In the Old Testament, thanksgiving or gratitude forms the special note of the book of Psalms. But Israel s gratitude rings throughout her history. We read in I Chronicles 16:4 that King David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel. (See also verses 7, 8, 41; 1 Chronicles. 23:30; 25:3; Nehemiah 12:46). Solomon (II Chronicles. 5:13; 7:6), and Hezekiah (II Chr. 31:2), as well as the returned exiles (Neh. 11:17; 12:24, 27, 31, 38, 40), continued this practice. To give thanks played an essential role in the cult of Israel. All the processions on the way to Mt. Hermon filled the air with songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 42:4). Entrance into the temple was accompanied by thanksgiving: Let us come before His face with thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2; 100:4). The service of worship contained songs of gratitude also: Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises on the harp to our God (Psalm 147:7). Even sacrifices were accompanied by thanks (Jonah 2:9). Judgments were made with thanksgiving before the altar of God (Psalm 26:7). The twelve tribes of Israel went up to Jerusalem to give thanks to the name of
the Lord (Psalm 122:4). The underlying element of Israel s thanksgiving was her faith: Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1; See also parallel texts: Psalm 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1 et all). Israel thanked God because He remained faithful to His covenant with her. God s faithfulness was made manifest in many ways: He protected the nation and the individual from their enemies (Psalm 28:7; 35:18); He delivered the needy from judgment (Psalm 109:30), from prison (Psalm 142:7), and from death (Psalm 30:12; 86:12). In His righteous judgment God put down the wicked and exalted the godly (Psalm 140:13), and He forgives the sinful people (Isaiah 12:1; Psalm 30:4). God is to be praised for His wonderful provision for His people (Psalm 111:1; 145:10). These were God s mighty works of faithfulness to His covenant, and the way Israel chose to answer was one of gratitude for His covenantal love. In fact, Israel s gratitude was the condition for the proper fulfillment of her covenantal obligations. Israel s willingness to obey the laws of the covenant was born of such a gratitude to God. St. Paul the Apostle says: But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (Galatians 4:4). Unfortunately, when the fullness of the time had come, Israel could not grasp that only in the power of the Gospel she could come to fulfillment of the law. Israel was not ready to heed and to comply with St. Paul s exhortation: Thanks be to God for His indescribable
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gift! (II Cor. 9:15). Thanks be to God for the Incarnation of His Only-Begotten Son, the only One Who could bring us salvation from the death of sin! We profess that Christ is true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made Man. As the sinless Son of God, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). He lived His entire earthly life giving thanks to His Father even to the point where He reached the Eucharistic crux on the hill of Golgotha. Since Christ often prayed alone, few of His thanksgivings are preserved in the written Sacred Tradition Holy Scripture. (See Mat. 15:36; John 6:11; Mark 14:23 and the parallel texts). Yet, in Revelation 7:12, the exclamation of the angels resonated throughout the New Testament: Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Those who were blessed to know Jesus in the flesh thanked God for His work (Luke 17:16), and for His person (Luke 2:38). Those who followed Jesus, St. Paul par excellence, unceasingly gave thanks to God for that which was worked by His power (Romans 1:8; 7:25). St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles and the greatest missionary of the Christian Church, thanked God for Christ, His indescribable Gift, (II Cor. 9:15), for a share in God s kingdom (Col. 1:12; II Thess. 2:13), for strength to proclaim the Gospel (I Tim. 1:12), for special spiritual gifts (I Cor. 14:18; Rom. 14:6), for physical sustenance (I Cor. 10:30), for earthly joys (I Tim. 4:3), for the spread of the faith (II Cor. 2:14), for the love and the faith of his followers in Christ (Rom. 6:17; I Cor. 1:4), and for the guidance of God (I Cor. 1:14). These are but a few among many others scriptural verses that express heartfelt thanksgiving poured out to God for that which God, through Christ in the Holy Spirit, was accomplishing in the early Church. The gratitude of the holy authors was a pristine answer to God s concrete action within human history. For this reason the New Testament authors urged their fellow Christians to be thankful also (Col. 3:15; Eph. 5:4). As strange as it may seem, this exhortation to be grateful is tantamount to a more fervent call to faith, viz., a call to
recognize that which God has done, to receive the benefits of His actions, to nurture such benefits in the soul, and to witness to them to the world. It means to be able to say with Paul: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20). Only where gratitude was present was there true faith (Rom. 1:21), for gratitude was the only faithful response possible to God s gift in Christ (I Cor. 15:57). The very power to give thanks was given through our Lord Jesus Christ and thanksgiving were to be rendered through Christ s power (Col. 3:17) and in His name (Eph. 5:20). Commenting on the verse from Ephesians 5:20, Blessed Jerome pointed out: This is to be understood in a double sense, both in adversity and in good times to give thanks always for all things. Even the heathen, the Jew, the publican, and the Gentile give thanks in good times. But the second sense of giving thanks is seen in the special gift of Christians to give thanks to God even in seeming adversity... The greater virtue is to give thanks to God precisely amid those very dangers and afflictions. ( Epistle to the Ephesians. ) So, the Christian was to abound in thanksgiving (Col. 2:7), to pray with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2; I Tim. 2:1), to witness to the Gospel by being comprehensibly thankful (I Cor. 14:1617). In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (I Thes. 5:18). As Paul so responded, and as he preached the Faith as no one else did, the power of the Gospel would spread to generate new thanksgiving (II Cor. 9:1112; 1:1), all to God s glory (II Cor. 5:15). To give thanks to God unceasingly means to truly believe in Christ. I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes (Matthew 11:25). St. John Chrysostom writes: He gives thanks for them that believed. Christ gives thanks to His Father, the only source of knowledge, for opening the hearts of the babes to communicate the hidden reality of the Kingdom. Christ said: Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of heaven (Mat. 19:14). Unless one is as innocent as the little children, unless one gives thanks to God for the indescribable gift of salvation bought by Christ s bloodshed on the Cross, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
HOLY SCRIPTURE READINGS PHILOPTOCHOS- COOK BOOK NEGATIVE 2X3
DECEMBER ................................. 1 F ........... 1 Cor. 14:20-25; Lk. 20:19-26 2 S .............. Rom. 11:2-12; Lk. 12:32-40 3 SUN ......... Eph. 2:14-22; Lk. 18:35-45 4 M ............... Gal. 3:23-4:5; Mk. 5:24-34 5 T ............... Gal. 5:22-6:2; Lk. 11:27-30 6 W .............. Heb. 13:17-21; Lk. 6:17-23 7 Th ........ 2 Thes. 2:13-3:5; Lk. 21:28-33 8 F .......... 2 Thes. 2:13-3:5; Lk. 20:19-26 9 S .............. Rom. 11:2-12; Lk. 12:32-40 10 SUN ........... Eph. 4:1-7; Lk. 13:10-17 11 M ............. Gal. 5:22-6:2; Mk. 8:11-21 12 T ...................Eph. 5:819; Jn. 10:9-16 13 W ............. Eph. 6:10-17; Mk. 8:30-34 14 Th ............ Eph. 6:10-17; Mk. 9:10-15 15 F ............. 2 Tim. 1:8-18; Mk. 2:23-3:5 16 S .................. Gal. 3:8-12; Jn. 10:9-16
17 SUN ......... Col. 3:4-11; Lk. 14:16-24 18 M ......... 1 Tim. 5:1-10; Mk. 9:42-10:1 19 T ............ 1 Tim. 5:11-21; Lk. 10:2-12 20 W .......... Heb. 10:32-38; Mk. 9:33-41 21 Th ........ 1 Tim. 6:17-21; Lk. 10:17-27 22 F ............ Gal. 3:23-4:5; Lk. 10:24-32 23 S ............... Gal. 3:8-12; Lk. 13:19-29 24 SUN .............. Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40; Mt. 1:1-25 25 M .................... Gal. 4:4-7; Mt. 2:1-12 26 T .............. Heb. 2:11-18; Mt. 2:13-23 27 W ............ Acts 6:8-7:5; Mt. 21:33-42 28 Th ............ Titus 1:5-14; Lk. 14:25-35 29 F .............. Heb. 2:11-18; Mt. 2:13-23 30 S ......... 1 Tim. 6:11-16; Mt. 12:15-21 31 SUN ............. 2 Tim. 4:5-8; Mk. 1:1-8
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
DO YOU WANNA DANCE FULL PAGE
PAGE 25
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 26
NOVEMBER 2000
Learning to Overcome Administrative Shipwreck u page 14 Principle Two: Divine direction not personal opinion.
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Engulfed by hurricane winds, the ship was swept for days without benefit of stars or sun and neither passengers nor crew knew where they were or where they were going. Fatigue, seasickness, hunger and despair began to take its toll. Luke states, they had all lost hope of being saved. (Acts 27:20) At this point of utter helplessness, servant-centered leaders often emerge. It was now possible for St. Paul to redirect the crew s attention to the God to whom he belongs and whom he serves. Paul s confidence did not lie with the cargo s financial stability nor captain and crew s expertise, but on his relationship with Jesus. In the midst of this terrible storm God sends an angel with a message of hope and Paul s response is to minister to a despairing crew. Servant leadership is what many refer to as situational leadership. It differs from positional leadership as it is based on what leaders want to do for their constituents rather than what they demand of them. Because the epistles of St. Paul were fundamental to Chrysostom s spiritual formation, the orator suggests that Church leaders should, likewise, remain faithful to his example and council. St. Paul is sailing with us even now, Chrysostom insists. He admonishes us even now to take heed against evil men, boasters, lovers of money who will enter the ship. Chrysostom warns, such men are more grievous than all storms. Unlike the centurion in Acts 27 who listened to the advice of the avaristic captain and crew, he suggests listening to St. Paul and avoid harm and loss. Paul s admonition to the crew is as valuable today as it was then. Leaders would do well to study his New Testament epistles that focus on the spiritual and administrative life of early Christian communities. If we spend time in such prayerful reflection prior to our parish council deliberations, we will become proficient in hearing Paul s advice challenging us to become leaders that more humbly serve and teach our constituents concerning our Lord.
Principle Three: Unity not mutiny
Though the crew tried desperately to control their course, the ship had been adrift and ravaged by the storm more than two weeks. On the 14th night around midnight, crewmembers pretending to lower an anchor from the bow actually attempted to abandon ship. Perceiving the pretense of their actions, Paul warns the centurion unless these men return, we will not be saved! He sternly warns the centurion that individual crewmembers must not be allowed to desert. Tragically, a vast majority of church communities are replete with stories of parishioners abandoning ship. When financial storms or winds of administrative controversy rise to gale strength, families as well as individual parishioners frequently leave the church in search of more tranquil settings. Others, confronted with differing opinions or a perceived lack of personal notoriety for their work or financial contributions leave the church to make a public statement of their disapproval. There are many lifeboats that tempt us to abandon ship whenever difficulties arise. Paul s warning should therefore certainly resonate within all of us whenever we are tempted to flee from the gales that we encounter.
If we are to truly be a eucharistic family, our focus should be on the entire Church s crew s safety, not on ourselves. We should remain on board in spite of the storms. Only in this way can we be saved.
Principle Four: Sacramental nourishment not humanistic proficiency
St. Luke notes the crew had not eaten anything for 14 days. Chrysostom insists the reason they had not eaten was because Fear possessed them and did not let them have a desire for food. At this point of lost endurance, Paul encourages all 276 passengers on board to eat. The meal to which Paul invites the crew, however, provides more than merely physical sustenance. It consists of the message God provided through His angel. Crew and passengers were nourished by a feast of hope rather than succumbing to a fast of fear. Having heard Paul s message, the crew uncharacteristically jettisons the remaining cargo. By lightening the ship, the possibility of deliverance is hastened. Although this meal should not be too closely associated with the supper Jesus had with his disciples, it nonetheless conveys similar implications. Confidence lies in sacramental nourishment rather than personal proficiency. While hardly any crewmembers were Christians, the meal that was shared as night was turning into dawn was no ordinary festivity. Luke suggests it was associated with worship and prayer, a meal of spiritual refreshment. It was an occasion of spiritual nourishment, hope and encouragement in the providence of God. The significance of this cannot be overstated. We, too, should jettison the cargoes weighing down our families and parishes. Greed, pride, adultery, addiction, avarice, idolatry, self-centeredness, anger, competition are all examples of hazardous cargoes. Unfortunately, all too often we encounter parishes, religious institutions and even families adrift, directionless, and sinking due to such cargo. Perhaps the heaviest cargo is our own inflated egos. We are challenged by Paul to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Our initiatives should be developed and pursued in obedience to God. The grain of this world should be replaced with the wheat of the Liturgy. Leaders should frequent the Eucharistic Cup. In doing so we acknowledge the feebleness of our own strength and witness to our utter dependence on the life-giving energy of Christ s Body and Blood. The Eucharistic meal creates a stillness in a world racked by self-centered winds of postmodern tempests. St. Paul s final shipwreck did not result in loss of life. The ship, however, was destroyed on the rocky shores of Malta (Acts 28:1). The island, ironically, lies near Sicily. Miraculously, even though the ship had been blown for hundreds of miles off course, it still ended up near its original destination. This was surely, the perfect, perfect storm!
Conclusion
As we have seen, an allegorical synthesis of Acts 27 provides the basis of four leadership prescriptions. Leaders are always needed in time of crisis, danger and storm. We must make certain that such leadership is not encumbered with self-interest but motivated by divine calling.
u page 30
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
In Memoriam Fr. George Scoulas GLENVIEW, Ill. The Rev. George J. Scoulas, 73, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Glenview, Ill., died Oct. 18 at a local hospital following an illness. He served the parish as pastor since February 1974. Fr. Scoulas was born to John and Mary Scoulas in Miami on Oct. 13, 1927. The family also lived in North Carolina and Chicago, where he completed high school. He entered Holy Cross School of Theology and graduated in 1950. He also studied at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in the late 1960s. He married the former Maria Massas of St. Louis on Aug. 23, 1956, and was ordained a deacon Sept. 1, 1957 at St. Nicholas Church in St. Louis by Bishop Ezekiel of Nazianzos. The bishop ordained him to the priesthood at the parish on Aug. 24, 1958.
Fr. Scoulas also served Evangelismos parish in Little Rock, Ark., and St. Nicholas in Pittsburgh before his assignment to Glenview. He also was a long-time Orthodox Christian Mission Center Board member, from the Center s inception and has been instrumental in its development through his dedication, vision and active participation. Survivors include Presbytera Mary Katherine, daughters Alexandra and Katherine, and other relatives. Divine Liturgy and funeral service took place Oct. 21 with Metropolitan Iakovos of the Diocese of Chicago officiating. Contributions may be made to the Reverend George J. Scoulas Memorial Fund, c/o Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, 1401 Wagner Rd., Glenview, IL 60025.
George Christopher SAN FRANCISCO Former Mayor George Christopher died Sept. 14 at age 92. Mr. Christopher was born in Aghios Petros, Arcadia, Greece and came to America at age 2. He was the son of a vendor and as a youth delivered papers for the San Francisco Examiner, then worked at the paper as a copy boy and in the accounting department, eventually becoming payroll clerk. Evenings, he attended Golden Gate College and earned a degree. After graduation he went into business, acquiring a defunct dairy and built it into the Christopher Milk Company. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1944. Mr. Christopher served as mayor from 1956 to 1964 and was a delegate to the United Nations and an advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce. His many honors and decorations include the offikion of Archon Protonotarios from Patriarch
Athenagoras. He also was decorated by the governments of France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Greece. As mayor, he helped bring the Giants baseball team to San Francisco, and hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev when he visited the city as part of his U.S. tour in 1959. He also expanded the city s international airport, revitalized the financial district, built 14 libraries and made the construction of Candlestick Park possible. Mr. Christopher left politics in 1966 after losing a bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination to Ronald Reagan. Mr. Christopher lay in state at the City Hall Rotunda on Sept. 18. Funeral service took place at Holy Trinity Church Sept. 19 with Metropolitan Anthony officiating, assisted by several priests. Burial was in the Greek Orthodox Memorial Park in Colma, Calif. His wife, Tula, preceded him in death.
Emmanuel Couloucoundis
Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and longtime member of the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral board Emmanuel Couloucoundis died Oct. 30 at age 74. Mr. Couloucoundis was born in Marseille, France, in 1925 and came to the United States in 1957. He worked with the Kouloukoudis family shipping business until starting his own shipping company in the late 1960s. In addition to his church-related activities, Mr. Couloucoundis was a trustee for the Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies Program at Queens College in New York. Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, John and Sonya; several grandchildren; and brothers and sisters. His wife, Cleopatra, preceded him in death in 1998.
Dr. Christ T. Kopan TOLEDO, Ohio Dr. Christ T. Kopan, an optometrist more than 40 years who was a life member of the Archdiocesan Council under Archbishop Iakovos and an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, died Sept. 15 at age 83. He was born in Sheboygan, Wis., in 1916. His family moved to Chicago in 1921. After serving in World War II under Gen. Omar Bradley, he returned to Chicago and pursued graduate studies in optometry at Northern Illinois College.
Maria Katinas
TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. Maria (Potsos) Katinas, mother of Fr. Nicholas Katinas of Dallas, mother-in-law of Fr. Thomas Paris of Oakland, Calif., and grandmother of Frs. James Katinas, and Paul and James Paris, died Sept. 16 in California after a brief illness. She was a member of Philoptochos and was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Emmanuel Katinas. Services took place Sept. 21 at Assumption Church in Town and Country. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
After graduation he practiced in Chicago and Aurora, Ill. After his marriage in 1950 to Katherine Saltos of Toledo, he relocated there and became active in Holy Trinity Church, serving as parish president. Dr. Kopan also was active at the diocesan level. He served as president of AHEPA. Survivors include by his wife; brothers Gus and Andrew; sisters Demetra and Virginia; sons Thomas, Michael, Gregory and Dean and their wives; and several grandchildren and other relatives. Bishop Nicholas of Detroit officiated at the funeral and gave the eulogy.
Harold W. Frank
BOCA RATON, Fla. Harold W. Frank, a founder and organizer of St. Mark Church died Aug. 12. He was a New York University graduate and was vice president of the American Securities Corporation and president of the Corporate Board Traders Club in New York Inc., from 1970-76. Survivors include his wife, Emerald, four children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
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Youth Ministry
challenge
Essentials for a Youth Worker by Fr. Mark Leondis
T
he essentials for serving as a volunteer youth worker include: availability, a sense of calling, like being around young people and have a personal prayer life. Young people want youth advisors to be available to them, both in and out of Church. Many times we have the mind set that we have to wait for the young people to come to Church. An available youth worker will go visit the young persons at their homes, their schools, athletic events, etc. Effective youth ministry will not take place only within the Church. One cannot minister effectively to young people without being available to them. Availability means the willingness to open our heart up to young people, allowing them to see that we, too, are mortal. Youth workers must have a sense of calling. If we don t truly believe that we are called to do His work, and that our work is a sacred call, then we better reconsider what we are doing. Has God really called us to do this work? Volunteers who have a sense of calling view themselves as walking alongside Jesus in their ministry. Most people would agree that in order to be an effective youth worker, one must like being around young people. And just as important, they need to know that you like spending time with them. One of the best ways to show young people that you really like them is do things with them that are not required of you. It is most essential for a youth worker to be actively participating in the Sacramental life of the Church, as well as having a personal prayer life. How can we tell young people about going to Church, receiving Communion, fasting, and reading the Bible, if we do not first practice these ourselves? If our young people graduate high school and have not become active members of the Church, even though they have never missed a GOYA meeting, than I believe we have failed. The most important thing to remember is that our job is not to entertain them, but to help guide them in becoming active members of the Church. Who can be a volunteer? The answer is anyone who is willing to make themselves available to young people, believes that they have a genuine calling to minister, enjoys spending time with young people and someone who is committed to the teachings of the Orthodox Faith. When Jesus called the first four disciples, He told them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Even though this was not the first time that the four disciples had heard of Jesus and His ministry, . . . they immediately left their nets and followed Him . . . (Matthew 4:). Wouldn t it be wonderful if we could just approach any potential volunteer in a parish whom we want on the youth ministry team and say, come Challenge is the Youth & Young Adult Ministries supplement to the Orthodox Observer. Articles reflect the opinion of the writers. Write to: Youth & Young Adult Ministries, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 8 East 79th Street, New York, N.Y. 10021 or email: youthoffice@goarch.org
PAGE 29
and join , and immediately they would join? Unfortunately, recruiting volunteers is not that easy. Many times we just end up using anyone we can find who is willing to help. Below are a few ideas that might help you get started in your recruitment process. With the parish priest heading this process, look for qualified role models among active parishioners. Serving our young people is a sacred call and can often times be difficult. Make sure that your parish youth workers are committed to the Church. The parish priest should give his blessing for each individual chosen to work with young people. Ask the youth group themselves who they would like to have as a leader (role model). Make sure that the young people themselves find the volunteer Christ-centered, interesting and likeable. Get a list of names of potential volunteers from the parish council and when you approach them, let them know that the parish council recommended them. Ask them in person, rather than placing a phone call it s much harder to turn someone down face to face . They should: Be active sacramental members of the Orthodox Faith Enjoy-spending time with young people Be responsible adults Attend a leadership-training program offered by the parish priest and parish youth director (contact the National or Diocese Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for more details). Don t forget to: Have a background check performed on each individual who works with young people. Even if the potential advisors are active members of the parish, this background check should be conducted. Contact your local Department of Child Safety and Care for further details. Obtain at least two references from qualified people who work with the potential advisors/youth workers These steps will get you started with your goal of recruiting volunteers. For more information, please contact the National Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at (212) 570-3560 or by e-mail at youthoffice@goarch.org.
ATTENTION! COLLEGE STUDENTS COLLEGE CONFERENCE December 27-31, 2000
Antiochian Village, Ligonier, Pa. Come join over 200 college students, graduated high school students and young adults, at the 11th Annual Orthodox College and Young Adult Conference. Come see old friends and make lots of new ones. The all inclusive registration fee is only $150, based on four-person occupancy. Scholarship funds are available to those in need. Highlights include: Daily worship, nightly activities, workshops, seminars, an afternoon on the Challenge Course, and much more!
What s Up
Email: youthoffice@goarch.org
Hey, Don t Just Sit There
by Paul Zaharas
C
ERTAINLY I m not the only one, but I must admit that I ve let my mind wander a little in Church on Sunday mornings. The time I spent with friends the night before, the homework that s due the next day, the football game later that afternoon. So many different things creep into my mind as I sit there in a pew all dressed up. After all, why should I pay close attention, the Liturgy seems to be the same thing I ve sat through a hundred times before. All too often the Church becomes for us just a place we go rather than something that we are a part of. We must realize, however, that when we talk about Church, we aren t necessarily talking about the building, the clergy, or even the services. Instead, we are talking about ourselves, because we, along with the bishops and priests, make up the Church. Think about it. Without the people, the church building remains quiet. Without the people, the priest cannot conduct the Liturgy alone. Without the people there is no Church. Realizing that we are an essential part of the Church, we can see how important our role is in what goes on at the Divine Liturgy. This being the case, on Sunday mornings we can t just sit there. The Divine Liturgy is a time for us to come together as Orthodox Christians and worship God as a community. Jesus says in the book of Matthew, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them (18:20). Gathering together we form the Body of Christ. As a community of believers we express our love for one another, and for Christ Himself. Knowing this, we have a better idea as to why we are in Church on Sunday mornings. But what are we supposed to do while we are there? As I said before, it is sometimes easy to let our minds wander during
the Divine Liturgy. With all of the pressures that we face in our lives today, it can be difficult to stay focused on what is going on around us. Over the centuries, however, the Church has realized that sometimes it is hard to concentrate. As a result, we have been given many different things to draw us back into the Liturgy. If we simply become aware of our surroundings, the Divine Liturgy fills each of our five senses. With our eyes we see the icons that teach us and remind us of the presence of Saints. Our ears hear the important words of the prayers and the beautiful singing of hymns. We experience the sense of touch when we make the sign of the cross and when we venerate the icons. We smell the fragrant incense that is offered up to God. And finally, we taste the Communion as we receive the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In each of these ways we are drawn into the Divine Liturgy and we participate more fully when we are aware of them. Further, we are not in Church on Sundays to watch the clergy pray. We are encouraged throughout the Liturgy and directed by the various petitions to also pray. When the priest or deacon says, For peace in the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord, he is telling us exactly what we should be doing-praying for peace, stability, and unity. Or when he says, For travelers by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord, we should be praying for the salvation of the travelers, the sick, the suffering, and the captives. It is important to remember that the Divine Liturgy is not a magical show that is conducted by the clergy. It is rather, a common act of worship by all the people, clergy and laity. We as members of the Body of Christ are a necessary part of the Church, and the Divine Liturgy is an opportunity for us to actively participate in worshiping God. For this reason, on Sunday mornings we can t just sit there.
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DIOCESE OF ATLANTA ORTHODOX OBSERVER
high school seniors, wore traditional Greek attire of embroidered vests and blouses, sashes and other finery and performed Grecian dances from different Mediterranean regions. It s in my blood, said Doris Klonaris, who sat smiling and clapping as the children - including three of her grandchildren danced. This a pleasure, seeing my children s children doing a dance I learned as a child. Speakers, including Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., (R-Tenn.) and Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, praised Greek families of East Tennessee for how they have enriched this region. I live nearby and feel this is a second home, said Ashe, grasping a proclamation declaring it to be Bishop Alexios Day. St. George Greek Orthodox Church, organized in 1937, features stunning Byzantine mosaic iconography. Members occupied their first church building on Broadway in 1946. The church now sits on a portion of Kingston Pike dubbed Church Row because of the presence of many houses of worship spanning various faiths. In this street of churches, St. George is one of the oldest here and one with about the most vibrant congregations, Ashe said of the parish that has 250 to 300 families. While more than 60 percent of the membership is of Greek ancestry, increasingly attendees are from other ethnic origins such as Serbian, Egyptian and Middle Eastern. Fr. Platanis succeeded the Rev. Presbyter Andrew Koufopoulos, who was transferred to Durham, N.C. He celebrated his first liturgy last October. We re dedicating this new facility as a place of teaching and instructing and raising good children, he said, before adding that Greek Americans rank high among the number of educated Americans. There are more presidents, vice presidents and deans of colleges who are of Greek ancestry or from Greece. It is no accident. A people of a classical world love what is true, and truth is revealed in education. University of Tennessee Law School student Chris Wimberly, son of Knox County Circuit Court Judge Harold Wimberly, spoke about his studies and travels - including archaeological throughout Greece. Author, historian and Knoxville NewsSentinel columnist Wilma Dykeman outlined parallels between residents of Greece and East Tennessee. It begins with a deep-seated sense of government, with a deep-seated sense of people, she said. It begins with a deepseated sense of democracy. Among the other similarities Dykeman noted are warm spirits, appreciation for the majesty of mountains and love of family. It is surely at Olympia we see our kinship, a celebration of sports, she said, joined in laughter by others. The spirit of the Vols (nickname of University of Tennessee athletic teams, the Volunteers) is familiar. Dorothy Dot Talcott of Newport spoke of her late husband s fondness for Greek culture. The pair, married by a Greek priest in 1953 in Athens, became familiar with what they initially called wayside shrines in the 1970s during Ralph Talcott s tenure as director of the Fulbright Program in Greece. Dot Talcott has served as a Red Cross officer and, like Ralph Talcott, was a U.S. Foreign Service officer. Many in the hall Saturday evening saw
NOVEMBER 2000
New Wing room Expands More for learning Horizons for St. George by Jeannine F. Hunter News-Sentinel staff writer
Vikki Alexander was all smiles at church. The 13-year-old, a member of Knoxville s St. George Greek Orthodox Church, sat at a banquet table flanked by her parents, two teachers and her principal, Clifford David from Cedar Bluff Middle School. And Vikki wouldn t have it any other way. This is an evening to recognize our teachers, Vikki said, waving her hand toward the other tables where the church youths sat with relatives and educators. We often applauded the students, but I am grateful for this chance to say thank you to teachers. Greeks love education, and I am glad we had this event. From Catechetical School, Greek language, parochial, private and public school systems, teachers were among the guests of honor at a banquet Sept. 9 at St. George where the Rev. Presbyter Michael A. Platanis, 37, is parish priest. He was appointed by His Grace Bishop Alexios, who was chosen to head the Diocese of Atlanta in March 1999. The Diocese of Atlanta, under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, encompasses 65 parishes in seven Southeastern states, including Tennessee, the Carolinas and Alabama. Bishop Alexios was in Knoxville that evening for the community dinner held in the church s new educational wing and community hall expansion, a project started more than three years ago. The original building was constructed in 1970. Deep down there is a feeling of family, Alexios said. We feel we belong to one another. It is part of the Hellenic spirit and celebrated throughout the ages and not just among those people who are Greek. There are no strangers here. We all belong to this beautiful family. On Sunday Alexios blessed the building in a ceremony replete with prayers, scriptural readings and anointing with holy water. It preceded a luncheon served by the parish s Philoptochos Ladies Society chapter. Philoptochos - which means friend of the poor - is the country s largest organization of Greek Orthodox women. Its philanthropic work ranges from assisting the hungry, supporting the education of young men going into the priesthood, and addressing health care and social issues such as domestic violence and AIDS. At this event the mood was festive and reflective.
Traditional dances
Boys and girls, first-graders through
Bishop Alexios of Atlanta officiates at the blessing service for the new educational wing of St. George community in Knoxville, Tenn.
the entire weekend as a commemoration of the church s progress in education and indication of its growth. This creates a place where our church members can come and participate in activities, said Dr. James Kotsianas, a former parish president. Current parish president Mike Nassios said, This signifies a need for young people to be educated spiritually and otherwise, and it shows this is a vibrant, growing community always expanding with Orthodox Christians whether they are of Greek descent or other ethnic groups. As people cleared out of the hall fol-
lowing Sunday s luncheon, Bishop Alexios engaged in many conversations. When church matriarch Helen Pappas introduced herself as a woman who no longer could serve in the church like she once did, the bishop responded, There is an expression we have that says, If you re rich, sell everything and buy an old person, because from them you can get the wisdom and valuable experience. ¦ Her response, God has been with me. Nodding, Bishop Alexios said, This revisits what I was saying earlier. This is a style of life. We don t have religion, a system, but a style of life.
INTERFAITH MARRIAGE u page 9
a couple s marital satisfaction, and their relationship with extended families. Being aware of these types of possible trouble spots can certainly be advantageous. Most marital difficulties and divorces occur during the first seven years of marriage. Understanding these and other potential pitfalls can assist interfaith couples during this most vulnerable period. A
prayerful awareness and consideration of the challenges cited in this and the next article can help these couples find mutually satisfying resolutions to these and other challenges as they consider parenthood. For more information log onto the Interfaith Marriage Web site at www.interfaith. goarch.org, or the two Interfaith Marriage Chat Rooms at www.chat.goarch.org.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION u page 26
All too often, Christian leaders are measured in terms of their ability to raise financial resources. Although the ability to motivate people to share their resources and monetary assets is important for the viable administration of any Christian institution, the message of Paul s voyage is clear. Crew should always take precedence over the cargo. Our attention must always focus on the individual s needs. Financial portfolios, endowments and gifts should never eclipse a person s value. Like the crew, storms afford us the opportunity to assess our priorities. Ironically, shipwreck can be avoided by placing our trust on God s will rather than on our own professional abilities, and divine guidance rather than personal reliance. The intention of Acts 27 is not to exalt Paul s character but rather to demonstrate God s sovereignty. The narrative s primary purpose is to describe the amazing confidence that St. Paul exhibited concerning his ministry. God had informed him he would stand
trial in Rome. Rome signified the possibility of witness and evangelization. Paul s courage was a result of spiritual confidence in God s Word. The apostle s inspired character and servantcentered leadership were the direct result of his conviction that his ministry had a divinely appointed destination. His leadership was, therefore, predicated on divine guidance and not on personal preference or proficiency. Our prayerful examination of the perfect, perfect storm described in Acts 27 can help us focus on the most valuable leadership principles: the Eucharist, not the economy; spiritual guidance, not self-reliance; unity, not self-perseverance or insurrection, and the crew, not the cargo. The contemporary Orthodox Church needs servant-centered leaders inspired by wisdom, fortified by sacramental nourishment, enlightened by Christian zeal and energized by God s purpose. In the end, the central message is that deliverance and rescue belong to God. The Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos is director of the Archdiocese Department of Re-
NOVEMBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
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Patriarch Makes One-Day Stop in New York u page 1 tion in his honor. You serve the Church in positions of great importance and responsibility, therefore, the zeal, speed and precision with which you perform your duties reflect upon the whole Church, he told the gathering at the Archdiocese. The Lord said, Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. These words are meant for all of us. They are addressed, however, in a particular way to those who represent the Church, those with whom people interact when they come for whatever reason to the offices of the Church. His next stop was the luncheon in Midtown Manhattan in his honor hosted by Scenic Hudson Inc., a 36-year-old organization dedicated to the preservation
of the Hudson River Valley, where he received Scenic Hudson s International Visionary Award for Environmental Achievement. Those in attendance included Gov. George Pataki. (See related story). Following the luncheon, more than 100 clergy and presbyteres assembled at the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral for a mid-afternoon doxology and meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew. Following his exhortation he conducted a question-and-answer session, then bestowed a personal blessing on those present. The visit concluded Monday evening with the opening of the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Speaking to more than 500 guests gathered at the dinner, Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum said, Mary and Michael Jaharis have made possible the proper installation of a collection that in-
AT HOLY TRINITY Cathedral following the doxology with members of the clergy.
N. Manginas
N. Manginas
ECUMENICAL Patriarch Bartholomew with Archbishop Demetrios and Archdiocese staff.
spired two of the Museum s greatest exhibitions The Age of Spirituality in 1978 and The Glory of Byzantium in 1997. In his remarks, His All Holiness said, Through the addition of the Mary and Michael Jaharis Byzantine Galleries you (Mary and Michael) have given a full expression of Hellenism, namely Hellenism s uninterrupted continuity from antiquity through Byzantine times to highest evolution in today s civilization. We thank God for the inauguration of the beautiful exhibit and all those who toiled and contributed to its realization, as well as those whom we honor with their presence at this ceremony, he continued. The Byzantines immortalized two of God s attributes, namely, wisdom and peace, in two of our biggest monuments, i.e., Saint Sophia and the Church of St. Irene. We wholeheartedly wish that the Lord reward you and yours with His wisdom and peace and His very essence,
which is love. In commenting on the visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Archbishop Demetrios said: This has been an outstanding opportunity for the Orthodox faithful to personally meet the Patriarch, to listen to him, to pray with him and to receive his paternal blessings. At the same time, His All Holiness was obviously touched by seeing the Orthodox people in Detroit and New York. He wholeheartedly congratulated them for their achievements on the religious, cultural and social levels, a generous congratulatory gesture that coming from a Patriarch like Patriarch Bartholomew constitutes a powerful inspiration and motivation for further development ahead. After the event, His All Holiness departed for a long flight to Katmandu, Nepal, where he was to take part in a conference of the World Wildlife Fund, which was also attended by Britain s Prince Philip, a former WWF president.
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BA RTHOLO M EW COMPLETES DETROIT PA S TO RAL VISIT Archdeacon Gerasimos of the Archdiocese. A Byzantine choir under the direction of Dr. George Bilalis, and a second large choir, comprised of choir members from local communities, under the direction of George Raptis, contributed to the creation of an uplifting spiritual experience. An unexpected and moving part of the Liturgy was the ordination to the diaconate of John Nassis of Chicago, a graduate of Holy Cross Seminary who has served for a year at the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Unbeknown to him, His All Holiness announced his new name, Chrysostomos, in memory of St. John Chrysostom who s feast day was to be celebrated the next day and, as the Patriarch explained, would be a fitting expectation of him to proclaim the message of the Gospel.
u page 3 his identity and calling, is in a continuous condition of mission as he fulfills the proclamation of the Lord go and make disciples of all nations. He further added that Patriarch Bartholomew is an ecumenical light constantly emitting the light of the Gospel and embracing the whole world. His Eminence recounted a story from their Children s Hospital visit earlier in the day, in which the parents of two premature babies in the Intensive Care Unit who were not Orthodox and probably had not heard of a Patriarch before, asked the hospital staff if the Patriarch could bless the infants in the ICU. The Patriarch immediately agreed, said His Eminence, who described the image of His All Holiness leaning over the beds of two tiny premature African-American babies. The Archbishop said this was indicative and representative of a Patriarch who is truly ecumenical. When the Ecumenical Patriarch stepped to the podium, moved by the outpouring of love and enthusiasm of the people said: This is why I came. I came to see you and tell you I love you. I came to listen to your aspirations and expectations. We, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in close cooperation with the Archdiocese of America, shall do our best in order to fulfill your aspirations, your expectations and your hopes. The Patriarch Bartholomew spoke of the strong ties of mutual love, mutual understanding and mutual support between the Mother Church and the Archdiocese. He also spoke of the great and important role that the Archdiocese of America is called to play, working in close cooperation with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in developing missions both inside and
Philoptochos Luncheon outside the United States. He referred to the long history of the Church of Constantinople, which has always been at the forefront of mission work all over the world for more than 16 centuries. The position and the international prestige once attributed to the Byzantine Empire it is now occupied by the Great American democracy of the United States. That fact in conjunction with the free exchange of ideas and openness to all religions in America the Patriarch viewed as an opportunity to further the Orthodox faith in this country.
Patriarchal Divine Liturgy It is not often most Orthodox Christians have the opportunity to attend a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy. In Plymouth, Mich., about 30 miles from Detroit, the Compuware Ice Arena, owned and operated by a Greek-American computer magnate Peter Karmanos, was
transformed into the largest Greek Orthodox place of worship in the country. The ice was covered with large rubber floor mats and a 40-by 50-foot stage was erected for the altar and the solea. As the Orthros service proceeded, an estimated 4,000 faithful from the area s 17 parishes filled the arena seats. Local churches did not hold services on Sunday so that everyone could attend the Patriarchal Liturgy. The service was celebrated by Patriarch Bartholomew, and concelebrated by Archbishop Demetrios, Bishop Nicholas of Detroit, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia and Metropolitan Chrysostom of Myra, and Metropolitans Iakovos of Krinis, Maximos of Ainou, Methodios of Aneon, Isaiah of Proikonisos, Paisios of Tyanon and Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthou. Also concelebrating were diocese clergy and four deacons. including the Great Patriarchal Archdeacon Tarasios and
The diocesan Philoptochos chapters held a luncheon at an adjacent arena for all faithful who participated in the Liturgy. Patriarch Bartholomew praised the Philoptochos for their philanthropy and good works not only within the diocese but also their work and contributions to the Church and the society over the years. In the person of National Philoptochos President Evanthia Condakes he thanked all the members and donors who make the work of Philoptochos possible. He especially thanked the Diocese of Detroit Philoptochos and its president, Despina Nicholas, for offering the luncheon and a monetary donation to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He also thanked Peter Karmanos Jr. for underwriting the luncheon. A dinner hosted by the Great Benefactors of the Diocese concluded the Patriarch s visit in Detroit. The patriarchal party departed late Sunday night for New York.
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ORTHODOX OBSERVER
NOVEMBER 2000
ARCHDIOCESE CELEBRATES FEAST DAY OF ST. DEMETRIOS Name Day Reception His Eminence s name day activities concluded at Archdiocese headquarters with a doxology service at the Chapel of St. Paul, which was filled to capacity with well-wishers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including parochial school children and special guests. Among them was Archbishop Iakovos, who spoke movingly about his successor. A reception followed where hundreds of faithful came to pay their respects to Archbishop Demetrios.
(D. Panagos photos) SCENES FROM NAME DAY EVENTS (Clockwise, from top, left) Archbishop Demetrios addresses Archdiocese staff and visitors at Archdiocese chapel. Accepts a proclamation from Gov. George Pataki honoring him for his name day. Leaves chapel with Archbishop Iakovos. Talks to parochial school children. Presented with gift from visitors.
Archbishop of Albania Optimistic about Church’s Future When Archbishop Demetrios celebrated the Feast Day of St. Demetrios, his name day, Oct. 26 at St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, he was joined by Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, whom he introduced to the standing-room-only congregation following the Liturgy. The two hierarchs have been acquainted for some 50 years. His Beatitude spoke to the faithful about the remarkable progress the Church has made in the former communist, predominantly Moslem nation. Whatever we do, we don t do in our name but in the name of Christ, said Archbishop Anastasios. He told of the difficulties he encountered upon being named to head the Church eight years ago, and related examples of how Orthodox Christians suffered for their faith over the years, with many worshipping in secret and hiding icons in their homes for fear of being discovered. But he said the Orthodox managed to keep the flame of the faith alive. There always were communities that have been like lit candles, the Archbishop noted. There are many unknown martyrs in the mountains who have not been properly recognized yet. He explained that a major reason for the Church s success in re-establishing a strong Orthodox presence in the country has been the continuous outreach to people who need help. I think always it s not just candles and prayers but to show love to those who have nothing, the Archbishop told the attentive audience, who responded to his brief talk with warm applause. After the service, Archbishop Demetrios presented $1,000 contribution from the parochial schools of New York for Albanian church schools. At a reception for Archbishop Demetrios later in the day, Fr. Luke Veronis, who
D.Panagos
ARCHBISHOP Anastasios presents Archbishop Demetrios of America with a gift on the occassion of His Eminence’s name day, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, at St. Demetrios, Astoria.
heads the Albanian Church s seminary in Tirana, and first arrived as a missionary to the country in 1993, commented on the current situation. Electricity and food shortages were among the hardships faced, but things have improved. When I first arrived in country seven years ago, the only thing to eat in the winter was leeks. Now you can get anything that s available in Greece or Italy. Fr. Luke said that, in the past nine years, 75 new churches have been built and 200 have been rebuilt after falling into decay during the 40-year communist era. Additionally, some 120 new clergy have been ordained. In addition to spiritual progress, he explained that the Church also has worked to improve the Albanian people s lot physically, through the establishment of what has become the most modern medical fa-
cility in Albania. The seminary has grown to about 200 students and, while the government has discriminated against Archbishop Anastasios in the past, Albanians have begun to realize that the Church s presence has benefited the country. People s lives have been drastically changed, said Fr. Luke. The atheist politicians can t understand why a 63-year-old professor-priest would come to Albania. But we really feel it s a blessing. Fr. Luke said the hardships he and other missionaries in the country have imposed a forced asceticism that has made him grateful for things he previously took for granted. It makes you appreciate things like electricity and water, he said. In America, life is too comfortable.
His Beatitude told the Observer he is grateful for the assistance that the faithful in the United States and around the world have provided and continue to send. We need everything, he said, not only church buildings, but things relating to health, education, social work and culture. Everything is welcome. His current priorities include creation of more programs to serve the faithful. Meanwhile, it seems all who come to Albania are overwhelmed by the progress that has been made there. His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, said in November 1999, for all who do not believe in miracles at the end of the 20th century let them come to Albania and see for themselves what has been done here. We glorify God because it is not our own work it is His Grace that gives all these fruits, said Archbishop Anastasios with consummate humility. Yet, despite the hardships, Archbishop Anastasios draws strength and enthusiasm for his mission from countless examples of devout faith and generosity among the people he serves. In fact, he recalled an anecdote that poignantly encapsulates the generosity of true Orthodoxy. As he was preparing to leave Greece, on a recent trip, for Albania, he received word that two elderly sisters were insistent upon seeing him. During their meeting at the airport, the sisters gave Archbishop Anastasios a gift of four million drachmas approximately $10,000 for a young women s boarding school in Albania. They explained that their brother Ioannis was killed during WWII and the money came from his government pension, which they had never used. The real Church history is written by unknowns; this is Orthodoxy, says Archbishop Anastasios, and he adds, I m very optimistic about the future.