Orthodox Observer - February 2001 by Orthodox Marketplace

VOL. 66 – NO. 1179

http://www.observer.goarch.org E-mail: observer@goarch.org

FEBRUARY 2001

LEADERSHIP 100 Sets Membership, Grants Records by Jim Golding

NAPLES, Fla. — The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund’s annual conference exceeded all expectations in the number of new members drive and the designation of the largest amount in grants ever, nearly $2 million, for the coming year. A spirit of renewed enthusiasm for the Fund characterized the Jan. 10-14 gathering.The conference, chaired by Gus Stavropoulos and its worthy causes, and drew a record 350 participants. Highlights included presentations led by Archbishop Demetrios on Orthodoxy and a Bible study, with Archbishop Iakovos participating, and a very well-attended forum on E*trade by CEO Christos Cotsakos. Since last May’s conference in Washington, the membership ranks of Leadership 100 have swelled from 318 to the current total of 528 – a 66 percent increase, while contributions for the past year topped $4.5 million, nearly triple the 1999 figure. “We have exceeded every goal, every

D. Panagos

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS and Archbishop Iakovos sign copies of the Orthodox Study Bible presented to new members after the Bible study.

expectation, breaking every record to persist in our high calling of service to Jesus Christ our Lord,” said Leadership 100 Chairman Arthur Anton. “We are alive with

a commitment and zeal never seen before.” This has enabled the organization to dramatically increase the amount of grant

dollars to various Church ministries. Leadership officials also presented the first payment of a $10 million scholarship grant for Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology, which was approved last year, to Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou who spoke at a Leadership 100 breakfast on the school’s progress. This initial payment will provide full scholarships to 14 students studying at the school. Archbishop Demetrios, in his keynote address Jan. 12 to the conference participants, said the “dramatic jump in membership is a given for building boldly for the future.” In another forum, His Eminence said the increase “is not simply an increase in numbers, but a connecting and reconnecting of a number of people with the Church. The achievement of last year is an achievement going beyond numbers, it is an achievement of faith producing a tremendous energizing of the members of Leadership.” Mr. Anton and other members of

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ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS Participates in Inaugural Prayer Service

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TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – More than 35-thousand attended the traditional ceremony of the blessing of the waters by Archbishop Demetrios, in Spring Bayou.

Record Numbers Attend Tarpon Springs Epiphany Celebration u ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS greets President George Bush following the Ecumenical Prayer Service in Washington’s National Cathedral.

WASHINGTON – Archbishop De metrios was among the honored guests at the inauguration of President George W. Bush on Jan. 20 and participated in the following day’s Inaugural Prayer Service. He was seated along with other invited guests on the inaugural platform outside the Capitol where he witnessed President-elect Bush take the oath of office.His Eminence read the 23rd Psalm

at the service and also offered a brief prayer near the end of the ecumenical event held at Washington National Cathedral. President and Mrs. Bush Vice President and Mrs. Richard Cheney, their families and members of the Cabinet were in attendance. The Archbishop also attended several other Inauguration Weekend-related events.

LEADERSHIP 100 SPECIAL FEATURE Archbishop’s Encyclical u 11 Archdiocese News u 2-3, 6 Challenge u 29 Classifieds u 28 Clergy Update u 25 Commitment 2000 u 32 Cotemporary Issues u 9 Diocese News u 24-25 Diocese of Atlanta u 31 Ecum. Patriarchate u 4

Story on page 3

Greek section u 13-17 In Memoriam u 27 Lettersu 10 Opinionsu 10 Orthodoxy Worldwide u 26 Parish Profileu 20 Peopleu 20 Scholarships u 23 Viewpointu 9 Voice of Philoptochosu 30

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A R C H D I O C E S E

FEBRUARY 2001

N E W S

Annual Celebration of Greek Letters and Culture NEW YORK — More than 700 persons attended a special program honoring Greek Letters and culture Feb. 1 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they had the opportunity to view the recently dedicated Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art and to hear a presentation by Dr. Helen C. Evans on Byzantium and the Transforming of Cultures. Dr. Evans is the curator for Byzantine art at the museum and over the years has sought to encourage awareness of the greatness of Byzantium.

relating to Byzantium’s power to change culture through its effect on art by transforming it from an emphasis on statues, to iconography; through architecture by taking the Roman basilica style and transforming it to St. Sophia in Constantinople and the “masterpieces of many small Byzantine churches.” The Archbishop also said there was “a great leap” in music, philanthropy and human life in general during the period, citing St. Basil the Great’s institution of the hospital and emphasis on care for widows, the homeless, orphans and slaves. “Transformation belongs to the very nature of Byzantium,” he said. Following his comments, Archbishop Demetrios called Archbishop Iakovos to the podium where he spoke briefly about the treasure of Greek Letters. D. Panagos

p ARCHBISHOPS Iakovos and Demetrios at the podium.

DR. HELEN EVANS

MARY AND MICHAEL Jaharis with Archbishops Demetrios and Iakovos at the reception preceeding the lecture.

Archbsihop Demetrios admires various chalices that are part of the Jaharis’ galleries.

D. Panagos

She curated the award-winning exhibition “The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era (8431261 AD).” Much of her slide presentation consisted of prime examples of art from this era, including iconography and architecture. In reflecting on her presentation, Archbishop Demetrios said Byzantium’s culture has “the power to continue beyond any limits of time. This event does justice to what this treasure is.” He noted the central parts of change D. Panagos

ETApress

Audience members (below left) listen intently to Dr. Evans presentation on the transformation of art during Byzantium’s middle period;

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Guests admire an example of Byzantine art.

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FEBRUARY 2001

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N E W S

Archdiocese Schools Celebrate Three Hierarchs, Greek Letters at Cathedral NEW YORK – More than 300 area Greek parochial school and Greek afternoon school students and their parents celebrated the Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs, patrons of education and Greek Letters, at the Archierarchal Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Cathedral on Jan. 29. Archbishop Demetrios officiated at the service, assisted by the Very Rev. Savas Zembillas, chancellor, Rev. Dr. Robert Stephanopoulos, cathedral dean, Fr. Angelo Gavalas, assistant, and Deacon Nectarios Morrow. Bishop Philotheos Meloa stood in the altar. The liturgy featured a choir comprised of students from the Cathedral School. In his homily, His Eminence told the students, “Today is your day” and that the feast celebrates “three of the greatest minds that appeared on earth. The Three Hierarchs – Sts. John Chrysostom, Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, were giants in wisdom and learning, excelling in “a wide range of fields and disciplines” in addition to theology. He said the present day Greek schools continue the legacy of the Three Hierarchs as they strive for excellence in education. “I invite people from abroad to visit our schools and to look at our programs and tell me if these schools are not considered among the top in education.” His Eminence exhorted the students to ponder “what it means to be a genuine Orthodox Christian and what it means to offer the witness of to contemporary American society.” He concluded, “Let’s honor the three hierarchs, the greatest of leaders, people of the word and of action, who were inspired by the ultimate teacher – Jesus Christ.” Following the service Archbishop Demetrios presented certificates to students who scored 100 percent on the re-

Menelaos Panagopoulos and Eleni Sarafoglou. A. Fantis Parochial School, Brooklyn: George Dikeakos. S. Ellenas Parochial School, Brooklyn: Georgia Davanelos.

Afternoon Greek School students

STUDENTS HONORED – (above) Parochial and afternoon school students who received certificates for the perfect Regents exam scores with Archbishop Demetrios. (right) His Eminence distributes the certificates as Mrs. Makedon calls out each name.

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St. Nicholas, Flushing: George Papasimakis, Andriana Mavidis, Maria Litsakis and Dean Kalogiannis. St. Demetrios, Astoria: Constantinos Stavrakis. St. Irene Chrysovalantou, Astoria: Maria Katelas. Holy Cross, Brooklyn: Vasilios Karagianis. Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas, Staten Island: Michael Mavroudis, Jovanna Tannousis and Konstantina Frantzeskakis. Holy Trinity, Hicksville: Chryssanthi Karachalios, Tania Vavilis and Theodore Stotis. St. Markella, Wantagh: Angeliki Pappas and Markella Papoulis. St. Paraskevi, Greenlawn: Leo Mourelatos. Annunciation, Buffalo, N.Y.: Eleni Petrou. St. John the Theologian, Tenafly, N.J.: Joanne Dekis

cent New York State Regents Greek language exam. Children then attended a luncheon, hosted by the Cathedral.

Day School students St. Demetrios School, Astoria, N.Y.: Chris Mantzios, Adriana Karantzes, Ekaterina Valiotis, Hariklia Patsonikolis, Gregory Metropoulos, Panagiotis Halkidis and Xenia Thomopoulos. Jamaica Day School: Theodore Messinis, Anna Philippides, Kalliopi Ziangos and Peter Konidaris. Transfiguration School, Corona, N.Y.: Maria Nicolaou and Katherine Skaris. Greek American Institute, Bronx: Sofia Kavakoglou and Barbara Karagiannis. W. Spyropoulos Day School, Flushing:

Tar po n Spr ing owds R n Epiphan ay arpo pon Spring ingss Cr Cro Reea ch R Reecord Numbers o on Epiphanyy D Da TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – Tens of With temperatures in the 60s (and a thousands welcomed Archbishop Demewater temperature estimated at 54 detrios to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area in grees) a bit cool for this part of the counearly January for the traditional Epiphany try, the youths were poised to jump in for celebration, the largest of its kind in the the prized wooden cross. United States. Moments before, St. Nicholas choir The weekend of events began with his member Joanna Frangos, 16, released the arrival Jan. 5 at Tampa International Airwhite dove symbolizing the presence of port where he was met by several area the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism. parishioners and young girls in traditional His Eminence then blessed the wacostumes who presented him with a bouters and flung the cross. In an instant, the quet of roses. waters churned with the frantic moveHe responded with joy at their gesture ments of 98 arms and legs thrashing about with, “As they say, you are the flowers.” as each boy maneuvered to grasp the The Epiphany services began with cross. Orthros at St. Nicholas Cathedral, folA short while later, Luke Pappas, 18, lowed by the Divine Liturgy and the son of Louis and Nancy Pappas, emerged aghiasmo (water blessing) ceremony holding the cross. It was the third time he commemorating Jesus’ baptism in the has dived and his last year of eligibility. Jordan River. Archbishop Demetrios and He held up the cross victoriously and Bishop Alexios co-celebrated the liturgy, emerged from the water to receive the assisted by a dozen priests and deacons Archbishop’s spiritual blessing, then was D. Panagos from the Tampa Bay area and other parts VICTORIOUS DIVER Luke Pappas sits on the shoulders of fellow divers who carried him back to carried through the streets on the shoulof the state and region, including Fr. St. Nicholas Cathedral after the event. (below). JOANNA Frangos holds the dove. ders of the other divers who proceeded Tryfon Theophilopoulos, dean of St. to the church. Nicholas Cathedral; Fr. John Katsoulis, assistant. Retired Bishop For the past two years, participants in the cross dive have Iakovos of Catania attended the service in the altar. been required to attend religious classes on the ceremony’s sigOther clergy from the Northern Pinellas County Ministerial nificance. They must also be Orthodox Christians in good standAssociation also attended the service. ing and take part regularly in the sacrament of confession. The traditional procession then took place from the catheA dance festival followed at the park near the bayou. Dance dral through downtown Tarpon Springs to Spring Bayou, where groups from parishes in Florida and other states took part and Archbishop Demetrios continued with the aghiasmo service, then performed dances from various regions in Greece. read a prayer over the boys taking part in the dive for the cross. “It was a very beautiful day, both liturgically and because of A record attendance of about 35,000 persons assembled the number of people who attended, said the Archbishop’s deaaround the bayou and 49 teen-age boys climbed into nine dincon, Nectarios Morrow, who was taking part in his first Epiphany ghies from where they dived for the cross that Archbishop celebration in Tarpon Springs. “It was amazing when we came Demetrios gently tossed into the water. down to the bayou, just to see all the people around it.” ¿

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FEBRUARY 2001

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE A Message of Unity and Peace to the Orthodox World and All Humanity t

he Orthodox prelates convened at the Phanar upon the invitation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew from Dec. 23 to 27, to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ. The prelates and representatives of the Orthodox Churches, during their meetings under the chairmanship of Patriarch Bartholomew, expressed their desire to hold similar meetings more often in the future, to discuss issues affecting Orthodoxy and the relationship among their respective Churches. They also decided to establish three inter-Orthodox bodies: • An association of Orthodox theological schools at the university level. • A committee to look into contemporary issues such as bioethics. • A committee on liturgics to eliminate disparities in liturgical practices between jurisdictions. Also, in an effort to bring peace and unity to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, they sent a message to the people of Bulgaria urging unity. The prelates also sent a plea to all secular authorities in countries where Orthodox Churches exist, urging them to respect the age-old traditions, canons and structure of the Orthodox Church, especially as they pertain to their local administrative structure, and to the ownership and use of holy sites and properties. On Christmas Day, the various Church prelates and representatives concelebrated the liturgy at the patriarchal Church of St. George at the Phanar. The

HIS ALL HOLINESS Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew leads hierarchs representing Orthodox Patriarchates and autocephalous Churches from around the world in a procession outside the historical Church of St. Sophia in Nicaea, Asia Minor. Next to His All Holiness, is Patriarchal Great Archdeacon Tarasios.

ECUMENICAL Patriarch Bartholomew and the prelates of the Orthodox Churches around the world concelebrate the Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day 2000, at the Patriarchal Church of St. George.

next day, they celebrated liturgy at the historic church of St. Sophia in Nicaea, Asia Minor, site of the 7th Ecumenical Council in 787. The church is now a museum. During the service, the message of the prelates was read, which was approved earlier at their meetings, in Constantinople. During these festivities, the publication of the Treasures of Orthodoxy by the publishing house ‘Ekthotiki Athinon,’ was presented by the Patriarch. The volumes record the 2,000 years of church life and it was made possible through the generosity of Archon George Christopoulos, president of Ekthotiki Athinon. – N.M. ¿

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ANTONIOS TRAKATELLIS, a member of the European parliament, professor at the University of Thessaloniki and brother of Archbishop Demetrios, recently was invested as an archon Hartophylax by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in a ceremony at the Patriarchate.

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OTHER NEW Archons invested at the Patriarchate, all from the Diocese of San Francisco, were bestowed the following offikia: Panayiotis Karagiannis, Maestor; Angelos Stamatellatos, Hartoularios; Athanasios Stephanopoulos, Depoutatos; and Christos Kamages, Architekton

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

A R C H D I O C E S E

N E W S

Stewardship Reaches New High in 2000 Ôhe Department of Stewardship Ministries reports the total number of contributions to the National Ministries has reached almost $9.9 million in 2000, an increase of nearly $885,000 over the previous years. According to the Department of Stewardship Ministries director, the Very Rev. Gabriel Karambis, the year-end total reached $9,899,878. Efforts to build support for the national stewardship effort have improved over the past years because of a greater effort to promote the National Ministries with the support of the diocesan metropolitans and bishops, and members of the National Stewardship Committee and Department of Stewardship Ministries. The future focus of national stewardship will be to expand the National Ministries to a higher level of activity and service to the faithful.

The department also continued to grow internally, constantly analyzing to determine not only where it has been and where it is now, but also where it is going and where it should be going. It also continues its efforts to work with parishes in each diocese, and to improve its administrative procedures and increase efficiency, Fr. Karambis explained. The future remains the greatest challenge for the National Stewardship Ministries, especially in funding the ever-expanding programs. “We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent believing that what we are doing is enough and that it should be enough to support all the needs of the church,” he said. “We are amazed at how little we acquire, and yet at the same time how much we are able to accomplish with that which we receive.”

Metropolitan Youth Choir Organized NEW YORK – Archbishop Demetrios, recently announced the establishment of an Archdiocesan Metropolitan Youth Choir and encouraged the full participation of area parochial and afternoon schools. On Jan. 30, the Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs, after meeting with the organizing committee, His Eminence expressed his enthusiasm for the formation of the Metropolitan Youth Choir and was satisfied that the financial means were available for its establishment.

The Youth Choir will be composed of students from the community day and afternoon schools in the Metropolitan area. Ms. Maria Koleva, who has been appointed as the choir director, is a graduate from the Vienna Musical Academy and the Tchaikovsky State Academy of Music. Created with the Archbishop’s approval and initiative of Maria Makedon, acting director of the Office of Education, the choir will meet at the Hellenic Cultural Center of the Archdiocese in Astoria.

Niarchos Foundation Awards Grants to Greek Education, Ionian Village NEW YORK – The Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation has awarded grants to the Department of Greek Education and Ionian Village totaling $300,000. The grant to the Department of Greek Education and Culture will be used to develop audio visual and testing materials and other publications for use in the department’s education program. In acknowledging the generosity of the Niarchos Foundation, Acting Director Maria Makedon said the Department proposal was based on a three-year project to develop materials and curricula for the teaching of Modern Greek and their Greek Orthodox cultural heritage to American-born children of Greek descent, ages 5-14. The grant to Ionian Village, which has been attended by more than 15,000 teen-agers and youngsters since 1970, will be used in two areas according to Director Michael Pappas: $75,000 will go towards providing resources to enhance the educational aspects of the program and for a library and learning center, including books, maps, computers and soft-

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ware, video equipment and materials, costumes and musical instruments; $125,000 will pay for extensive renovations and improvements on the camp facility, including general repairs and painting, window replacement, air-conditioning installation, office and staff housing improvements, pool refurbishing, kitchen improvements, and general repairs and equipment upgrades at the medical center. The work is expected to be completed by June 30, in time for this summer’s program. Established in 1996, the international component of the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation supports charitable activities in four primary program areas: arts and culture, education, health and medicine and social welfare. Foundation grants include, as appropriate, funds for operating and program support as well as funds for selected capital projects and endowments. Foundation directors include: Sir Dennis Weatherstone, Philip S. Niarchos, Spyros N. Niarchos, Andreas C. Dracopoulos, Alois Jurt and Donald M. Harrison. ¿

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FEBRUARY 2001

Orthodox Christians Begin Great Lent Feb. 26 L-100 Provides Scholarship Grant to Ionian Village NEW YORK – More than 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, including some 6 million in North America, will begin the Lenten season with the ‘Triumph of Orthodoxy” on the First Sunday of Great Lent, March 4, to commemorate the restoration of Holy Icons to the Church in the Ninth Century. Great Lent starts Monday, Feb. 26, in preparation for Easter, the most sacred and holy day of the Orthodox Church’s ecclesiastical year. This year Easter, for the Christian Churches of the Eastern and Western traditions, both will celebrate April 15. Archbishop Demetrios who also serves as chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) will con-celebrate the Archierarchal Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of Orthodoxy with fellow SCOBA hierarchs at Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral in New York (319 East 74th St.) beginning at 9:30 a.m. Metropolitan Christopher of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada, will preach the homily and seminarians will chant the Matins. In their Sunday of Orthodoxy encyclical to the faithful the SCOBA hierarchs ask: “As we observe this season of Holy Lent in prayer and fasting, as we anticipate its culmination in the joyous light of Pascha, and as we affirm unity in our tradition, worship and faith, we exhort you, the faithful, following the God-inspired words of St. Paul, to ‘ put on… compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, forbearing one another…and forgiving each other’, (Colossians 3:12).

Orthodox Lent Orthodox Christian Lent always begins on the Monday, before the Sunday of Orthodoxy (this year on Feb. 26). It is designated as “Clean Monday,” the day of cleansing or purification when the faithful begin a spiritual and moral purification through fasting, prayer, meditation, repentance, attending Lenten religious services and partaking of the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. Services during the Lenten period are especially beloved by Orthodox faithful. They include the Compline, the Liturgy

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of the Presanctified Gifts, the Salutations to the Virgin Mary and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil compiled in the 4th century.

Sunday of Orthodoxy The historical significance of the Sunday of Orthodoxy dates to 787 A.D. when the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea decreed the restoration of the icons as a means for the spiritual growth and formation of the Christian ethos and character in the likeness and image of God and His saints. In 843 A.D. when the icons were finally restored in the churches, the first Sunday of Lent was designated as a day for thanksgiving and doxology. It came to be known as the “Sunday of Orthodoxy,” calling the faithful to a rededication to the Orthodox Christian faith, as received from the Apostles. The Declaration of Faith is recited by the clergy and the congregation following a procession of Icons throughout the church.

Young Adult League Highlighting the celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy at Holy Trinity Cathedral will be the participation of 100 young adults from the various SCOBA jurisdictions in the Divine Liturgy. Arranged by the youth departments of the SCOBA members, 20 of the young people will take part in the procession of Icons. Following the service, the young people will gather in the Cathedral Center for a dialogue with the SCOBA hierarchs. Participating hierarchs: Archbishop Demetrios, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Archbishop Victorin, Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada; Metropolitan Christopher, Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S. and Canada; Metropolitan Nicholas, American CarpathoRussian Orthodox Diocese in the USA; Archbishop Vsevolod, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA; Archbishop Peter, Orthodox Church in America; Bishop Antoun, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos. Participating priests and deacons: The Rev. Ilia Katre, vicar, Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America; The Rev. Dr. Robert G. Stephanopoulos, Deacon Nektarios Morrow, Deacon George Zugravu and Deacon Robert Buczak. ¿

Leadership 100 has provided a $50,000 grant to be used for scholarships to the Ionian Village program. As a result of the generous grant, more than 30 $1,500 scholarships will be awarded for the summer 2001 program. The scholarship awards will be made based on financial need. To be eligible, applicants must be between 12-18 years of age, Orthodox Christians, and first-time participants in the Ionian Village program. Only one scholarship recipient per family. The application deadline is April 15, 2001. “This scholarship will help make it

possible for young people who could otherwise not afford the registration costs to attend the program,” said Ionian Village director Michael Pappas. “In addition, we want to encourage parishes and Philoptochos chapters to continue to offer scholarships on the local level. Our goal is to make it possible for every young person to have the opportunity to experience Ionian Village.” For scholarship information and application contact the Ionian Village office at (212) 570-3534 or e-mail ionianvillage @goarch.org. ¿

Office of Education Holds Annual Spelling Bee The Spelling Bee Competition among New York-area parochial day and afternoon Greek school students took Dec.19 at Archdiocese headquarters. The Archdiocesan Office of Education coordinated the Spelling Bee Competition, in cooperation with The Daily News, which

students received a Certificate of Award and a small icon from Archbishop Demetrios. Participants in the finals will receive a plaque in addition to a Daily News Spelling Champion team jacket. The 2000-2001 National Spelling Bee will be held in Washington, D.C., during May/June.

Orthodox Observer

SPELLING BEE participants each received a certificate from the New York Daily News, sponsor of the citywide competition, and a CD on the Divine Liturgy from the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries

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TOP WINNER - Konstantinos Kouzinoglou, spelling bee winner, with Office of Education acting director Maria Makedon, Fr. Mark Leondis, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and Ann Prokop, teacher at the Greek American Institute in the Bronx, who presented the words during the Bee.

sponsors the annual New York City Spelling Bee as a community service. Results of the Dec. 19 event were as follows: Konstantinos Kouzinoglou, an 8th grade student at the William Spyropoulos Day School in Flushing, N.Y., was the winner. Lemonia Mavrogeorgis, an 8th grade student at the A. Fantis Parochial School in Brooklyn, N.Y. was the runner up (alternate). Konstantinos Kouzinoglou will participate in the Daily News’ Citywide Championship Finals during March. The winner received a summer camp scholarship from the Archdiocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and all

Names of the other students and their schools who participated in the competition are as follows: Dorian Antonopoulos, School of the Transfiguration, Corona; Yiannis Koroneos, St. Demetrios School, Astoria; Maria Hatgipetros, D & G Kaloidis Parochial School, Brooklyn; Georgina Dellas, Soterios Ellenas Parochial School, Brooklyn; James Kolotouros, The Greek American Institute, Bronx; Niki Tsismenakis, The Three Hierarchs Parochial School, Brooklyn; Steven Agiovlasitis, The Cathedral School, New York; Maria Dimas, Jamaica Day School, Jamaica. ¿

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

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A lifetime lifetime of of memories! memories! A ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS with Fr. Nicholas Graff (left) and Fr. Theodosian

N. Furris

St. Photios Feast Day Celebrated February 11 ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. Archbishop Demetrios visited Jacksonville and St. Augustine for the first time for the Feast day of St. Photios. Also taking part were 18 Archons and 250 other faithful from all over the U.S. who attended the Divine Liturgy and banquet. Many children from several area parishes welcomed his Eminence at the airport in Jacksonville. During his weekend stay, he attended the meeting of the board of trustees, who later M. Kaleres presented him with a silver CHILDREN SURROUND His Eminence upon his arrival in Jacksonville. staff in honor of his visit. At the Sunday Divine Liturgy, he was giving of yourself to mankind without assisted by the Very Rev. Nicholas Graff, hope of constant recognition or reward pastor of St. John the Divine Church and but because our Lord did so.” “His Eminence words echoed in all director of St. Photios Shrine board; Fr. Nikitas Theodosion, pastor of Holy Trin- our heart regardless of age,” commented ity Church in St. Augustine and Shrine Vice Admiral Michael Kalleres (U.S. Navy Ret.), who was .among the hundreds in chaplain; and about 10 other clergy. Following the service, a banquet took attendance. “It struck me as a great set of place where Archbishop Demetrios deliv- standards for our Faith.” In his encyclical in honor of the Shrine ered the keynote address. The Archbishop made three key points regarding the faith: and Feast Day of St. Photios a few days “We are a Church and Faith of the prior to the event, Archbishop Demetrios Logos,” he said, emphasizing that com- stated, in part: As both a chapel and a museum the munication must be two-way between clergy and laity and that one-way com- Shrine represents two essential qualities munication, such as a sermon not dis- of our Greek Orthodox communities. First, it accentuates the primary role cussed, allows no connection between of worship and faith in each of our lives. Second, it affirms the significant contribution of our Greek heritage to our parishes and organizations in America. This coalescence of faith and history, this inseparable and enduring link between our spiritual and cultural heritage assists us in offering a crucial witness of the inheritance that has been granted by the Father, revealed by the Son, and preserved by the Holy N. Furris Spirit. In his Epistle to the A WORSHIPPER venerates the icon of St. Photios. Colossians the Holy Apostle Paul refers to this gift of redemption, transthe priest and faithful. “We are a church and faith of all five formation, and life as the inheritance of senses,” noting that the iconography, scrip- the saints in the light (Colossians 1:12). Thus, our St. Photios National Shrine tural readings, hymnology, incense, Holy Eucharist and other actions during the Di- is properly named, not only in commemovine Liturgy that involve all of one’s senses. ration of a great luminary of the Church He also said that Orthodox Christians who has been proclaimed Equal-to-the“must truly love mankind,” to properly Apostles, but also in affirmation of our practice the faith. “We are a faith of phi- calling to let the radiant light of our inherlanthropy, “ he said. “This is not just giv- itance shine before others so that they may ing money to charity or to the squeegee see our good works and glorify our Faman who washes your windshield. It is ther in heaven (Matthew 5:16). ¿

Summer in Greece! Please check the program you are interested in: ____ Summer Travel Camp, Ages 12-15 • July 2-20, 2001 ____ Byzantine Venture, Ages 16-18 • July 26 - August 13, 2001 ____ Spiritual Odyssey, Young Adults 19 and older • July 15-30 2001

Name ______________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________________ Phone _______________________________ E-Mail ________________ Parish Priest/Community ________________________________________ 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

The 2001 YEARBOOK of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ORDER NOW and pay only $18 an incredibly valuable resource offering up-to-date information for Orthodox Christians on the following: ✓ Descriptions & contact information for all Archdiocesan departments and Dioceses ✓ Complete listings and contact information for all Archdiocese parishes & clergy ✓ 2001 monthly calendar with Orthodox Saints & Feast days ✓ Contact & website information for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew plus the Holy Synod, Metropolitanates and monasteries of the Ecumenical Patriarchate ✓ Listings of over 160 web sites of special interest to Orthodox Christians ✓ Contact information for other jurisdictions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America ✓ Special Resource Section which includes ◆ Pastoral guidelines for fasting, weddings, baptisms, funerals & memorials ◆ Listings of press, radio & television programs of special interest to Orthodox Christians ◆ Contact information for cultural, educational and ethnic federations & organizations ◆ Listings of Byzantine, Classics & Modern Greek Studies college & university programs

YEARBOOK 2001

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ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 8

FEBRUARY 2001

GOTelecom Wins Three Awards for Recent Videos

The GOYA of The Archangel Michael Church of Roslyn Heights, NY started their December 27th day trip to New York City with a visit with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. His Eminence welcomed the goyans with kind words and presented each an icon of the Panagia. Pictured with the goya members are advisors Eleni Raptis, Sara Savva & Despina Tsoumas, Fr. Jim Kordaris, Assistant Priest at Archangel Michael Church, and Anna Vrettos & Kathy Peters of the Benefits Office who are also members of the Archangel Michael community.

ST. BASIL ACADEMY NICHOLAS ROYCE of Hollywood, Calif., a long-time promoter of Orthodox Christianity in Southern California, accepts the award for GOTelecom at the awards ceremony. Next to him is actress Margaret O’Brien. They both were honored with individual awards.

LOS ANGELES – Greek Orthodox Telecommunications Inc., (GOTelecom), has received two Communicator Awards for its video programs “St. Basil Academy: A Legacy of Changed Lives,” and “Decades of Faith: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America-1860-2000.” Decades of Faith also is the recent recipient of the Southern California Motion Picture Council Golden Halo Award of Excellence. The Communicator Awards, a national awards program, recognizes outstanding work in the communications field. Entries are judged by industry professionals that look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the entire industry. The Golden Halo Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry and the performing arts. “ St. Basil Academy: A Legacy of Changed Lives ” received the Award of Excellence for Religious/Inspirational Programming, an honor given to only 10 percent of entries. It was produced by GOTelecom in association with the Academy, where young needy children find protection, shelter, education and most importantly, the warmth of Christian love and the security of a home.

Fox Sports commentator Pat Summerall donated his talents to host the program. Among the highlights are testimonials by the children. For more information about the video, contact St. Basil Academy, 845-424-3500. Decades of Faith premiered at the Clergy-Laity Congress banquet in Philadelphia where it received a standing ovation. It presents a decade-by-decade retrospective of significant moments in the Greek Orthodox experience in America through a collage of still photographs, official documents, speeches of former archbishops and includes a personal message from Archbishop Demetrios. Decades of Faith received the Communicator Award of Distinction, an honor presented to 15 percent of entries. Additionally, Greek American entertainer and Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Nicholas Royce of Hollywood, Calif., who nominated the program for the Halo award, himself received the Golden Halo of Excellence for his humanitarian service and contribution to entertainment. This video is available for a minimum donation of $25 plus $6 shipping and handling. For more information, contact GOTelecom — 212-570-3588.

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There’s a Mission on the Hudson by Clio Nicolakis

A mission brewed on the banks of the majestic Hudson River this past summer, as the four founding members of “Mission-onthe-Hudson” gathered at St. Basil Academy. Agatha Pihakis of Alabama, Carnation Tsonakas and Cynthia Pearl, both of Michigan and Jason Frangenes of Connecticut held the inaugural mission trip and planning week at the Academy. They immersed themselves in hard labor, cleanups, redecorating, and pitching and reorganizing years of accumulation in the Academy’s main administrative building, and other buildings throughout campus. Mission-on-the-Hudson was conceived when Pihakis and Frangenes spent a week on campus last year during Camp Good Shepherd. Cognizant of the great need, particularly manpower, to properly maintain more than 250 acres and over 25 buildings of this rural, wooded estate, they decided to return this summer to make a positive difference. “I saw what a beautiful facility St. Basil Academy is and the many projects that need to be done and decided to do something about it” said Pihakis, when asked why she decided to organize Mission-onthe-Hudson. Staying on campus and working as true stewards of Christ, they immersed themselves fully in the life and toils of Academy work. They tackled closets, discarded useless materials and maximized the guest quarter facilities of the Main building. Attics, storage rooms, classrooms were all searched and assessed. Working off a project wish list provided by the Academy’s staff, they happily tackled the messiest jobs. Mission-on-the-Hudson’s president, Carnation Tsonakas, said, “I feel so proud to be part of such a program. I hope we can make a difference in the life of these children, our children of the Academy.” Year after year, thousands of individuals, Philoptochos chapters, AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope chapters support the children’s residential program of the Academy. These children come from broken homes and live at the Academy, their “safe haven,” for either 10 or 12 months a year. At the Academy, they find an Orthodox home, comfort, security and a generous family of staff and fellow residents, things that may or may not be readily available in their own family situations. While the needs of the students are the priority of the financial contributions

of the Academy, maintaining the lesserused 80-year old buildings becomes more difficult, on a tight budget, with a limited staff. Hence, the need for volunteer stewards, who can give talents in addition to their monetary gifts, to help the Academy. According to Fr. Constantine L. Sitaras, executive director of St. Basil Academy, “volunteers have always been an integral, vibrant part of the life of our St. Basil Academy. Philoptochos members, trustees, scouts, clergy, young adults and so many others have contributed their time and talents to help the Academy become what it is, through tutoring, music lessons, catering, and cleanup projects. If it wasn’t for volunteers, we would never be able to welcome the over 4000 visitors a year to our Academy.” “Mission-on-the-Hudson’s goal is to formally establish an on-going annual mission trip to the Academy, in order to help the Academy tackle projects that are too burdensome for the normal staff,” says Pihakis. Plans are currently under way for the first trip in 2001, from March 29 through April 1, a four-day diakonia weekend during Lent. According to Jason Frangenes, “there are so many talented Orthodox professionals out there, who want to give more of their time, but may not have the luxury of going on a mission trip overseas. Mission-on-theHudson allows these types of individuals to dedicate themselves to a worthy cause, without disrupting their normal schedule”. Committee member, Cynthia Pearl emphasized that “we want to model our mission after successful programs such as OCMC, Project Mexico or Habitat for Humanity, where short-term volunteer work teams establish the building blocks for whole new communities.” Especially with the development of the new Retreat and Conference Center facilities at the Academy, Mission-on-theHudson will allow individuals more opportunities to come to the Academy to participate and witness their philanthropy in action. Mission-on-the-Hudson is truly a beautiful expression of charity and love for St. Basil Academy and its worthy mission of helping children in need lead healthy, wholesome, changed lives. Individuals interested in becoming charter team members in 2001 Mission-onthe-Hudson should contact the Academy at (845) 424-3500 or stbasil@bestweb.net for more information or for an application for the 2001 program. ¿

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 9

VIEWPOINT

SoulPollution

by Fr. Angelo Artemas

California electricity, education reform and music – what do these three things have in common? They are currently the biggest dilemmas in America. Why music? The Recording Academy negotiating with Eminem on his recently performance at the Feb. 21 Grammy Awards. Eminem, who received numerous award nominations for his Marshall Mathers LP. Marshall Mathers (his real name), his initials being M&M), is known for his controversial lyrics. Not one of the songs on his second release can be performed on network television without being “bleeped.” It is a long-standing tradition of the Grammys that nominated artists perform a piece they have been nominated for. Referring to Eminem’s lyrics as controversial is being polite. He denigrates women and gay people, and takes cheap stabs at Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Carson Daly and the boy bands. Eminem has been nominated precisely because most critics agree he is vulgar, but concede that he is creative and funny. Perhaps he is creative and funny much like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay and Chris Rock were creative in their stand-up comedy routines. But being nominated for a music award is a big stretch — vulgar comedian, yes; but musician, not really. Music today is itself controversial. Parents who would rather have their children listen to N-Sync, Backstreet Boys, Christina, Britney and Jennifer Lopez listen closely. The most sexually charged and suggestive genre of music today is not Rock n Roll or Heavy Metal, but Pop, R&B and Country. The most violent and rebellious genre of music today is again not Rock n Roll or Heavy Metal, but Rap. Guess who is the biggest consumer of Rap music – middle to upper class middle school and junior high white boys. Believe it or not, children today are better off listening to Metalica and Creed than to N-Sync and J-Lo. PBS is currently running a Jazz documentary. One of the nice features of Jazz music is its ability to get people off the couch, and to sometimes even uplift the soul. Rhythm and Blues promotes empathy and overcoming daily struggles. Ball-

room and most Greek dance music promote fellowship with others and dignified physical movements. Even Rock n Roll and Metal music mostly promote questioning and searching for identity. But Country music promotes drinking, Pop and R&B promote sex, and Rap promotes violence. This is a generalization but, too often, it holds true. Unless music is good for the soul, why is it necessary at all? What is missing in so many people they have a need for noise pollution? Who has not experienced being stopped at a traffic light while the music in the adjacent car is pumping blood through the heart muscles of everyone within 50 yards, even though the windows are closed? Who has not gotten into a car with a teenager and experienced the synchronized eight-decibel sound of the stereo as the ignition sparks combustion? Who claims they go to bars and clubs to meet nice women or men when they can’t even speak to each other over the hormone-laced loudspeakers? The irony is that many young people complain that church music is boring. Of course it is, because it has the exact opposite effect than the music being listened to the other seventy hours of the week. Overdosing on meaningless and negative music renders spiritual and uplifting music unintelligible. Brain researchers are discovering more and more that music has chemical affects on brain wiring. A 1997 study by Japanese researchers showed that repetitive incantations stimulate the brain’s hypothalamus to bring on feelings of serenity. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania refer to this kind of research as neuro-theology. Future research is likely to show that repetitive listening to Eminem, DMX and Dr. Dre stimulates anger and violence, while repetitive listening to R. Kelly and Toni Braxton stimulates hormonal flow. The problem with going from negative music to uplifting music is that it is not an easy transition. In between, withdrawal and silence is necessary. The period of Great Lent for Orthodox Christians is a time of silence and solitude. Perhaps among the things that Orthodox faithful should considering “giving up” for lent is their music. Even the tapes and CDs of church music that play before services could be turned off to allow real moments of www.observer.goarch.org faithful silence before worship services. Many have argued, “I can’t give up my music, it WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONS, COMMENTS makes me feel good!” MuAND YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM sic may make you feel MUST INCLUDE YOUR MAILING something, but it is not alADDRESS AND DAYTIME NUMBER ways good. Give your brain a rest from noise e-mail: observer@goarch.org pollution, and just maybe Tel:(212) 570-3555 - Fax:(212) 774-0239 you’ll hear God.¿

“

Give your brain a rest from noise pollution, & just maybe you’ll hear God.

”

A Practical Guide for After the Honeymoon by Fr. Jerry Hall

Every year the Orthodox Church in the United States consecrates thousands of weddings. Clergy receive permission from their diocesan bishop to perform the marriage sacrament, and later the names of each couple married are recorded at Archdiocese headquarters in New York. One may be amazed to notice the large number of marriages in the statistical charter of the Archdiocese. In the Archdiocese’s 2000 Yearbook, page 107, we discover that 117,548 marriages were officially performed in the Orthodox Church between the years 1976 and 1998. Over the same period, out of these 117,548 marriages, 16,354 ended in divorce. Of course, we do not have records of couples who separated, nor do we have records of those who were divorced by the decree of the court but not authorized by the official church. Most bishops and their clergy, aware of the divorce epidemic in our times, have invested countless hours and substantial amounts of money to provide material for educating couples before they enter married life. They have initiated programs for premarital counseling and to impart practical and useful printed material to the couples. Thus, candidates for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony may have at least an elementary knowledge of what married life entails. Lately, at the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Clergy Syndesmos started a post-marital program for newlyweds. The program was initiated with a book titled, After The Hon-

eymoon: How to Maintain a Happy Marriage, by Dr. Peter M. Kalellis, a professional therapist. Clergy continue to use this book, inviting couples to see and share the realities of married life. This educational effort already has saved many couples from seeking lawyers and ending up in divorce court. Today, individuals or couples can benefit greatly from this small and reasonably priced book, which beyond any doubt could help prevent conflicts between couples or avert an impending divorce. The book’s purpose is to encourage and strengthen newlyweds to have deeper, stronger, and more fulfilling relationships with their mates. Any reader of this book, regardless of how long she or he is married, will rediscover aspects of marriage that make the difference: faith and trust, mature love, self-image, sexuality, in-laws, parenting, spirituality, and money management. But, more importantly, the reader will gain ideas and inspiration to help make the most of the marriage. Peace and passion, contentment and commitment, security and satisfaction–all can be found simply within a hundred pages of this book. For a personal copy of After The Honeymoon. How to Maintain a Happy Marriage, send a check of $12.95 to cover postage and write to:SYNDESMOS129 S. Union StreetAkron, OH 44304-1590 For five copies or more, call Fr. Jerry Hall at (330) 434-0000 for a discount. Fr. Hall is pastor of Annunciation Church, Akron, Ohio. ¿

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 10

FEBRUARY 2001

EDITORIAL

Time for Spiritual Combat “It is time to enter spiritual combat, to overwhelm evil forces, to do the full armor of self control, to match the comeliness of angels, and to speak openly before God…,” exhorts the doxastikon for Cheesefare Sunday – the last day before the onset of Great Lent. It serves as the sounding trumpet call for all Orthodox Christians to enter the annual 40-day period of religious fasting, watchfulness and prayer. Great Lent often becomes a very difficult season for many of us. It is a period of self-discipline and self-denial; a period when we can’t eat certain foods or do certain things. Many of us view this 40-day journey to the “feasts of feasts” as an annual Lenten struggle, a time that requires us to set restraints and to exercise a certain amount of will power of our lifestyles. One major aspect of this Lenten struggle is fasting. This is the effort to avoid those foods, thoughts and actions that might be harmful to the body and soul. Great Lent itself is based on the example of the 40-day fast of Jesus, as related to us in the Gospel of St. Matthew (4:2). As we prepare to embark once again on this spiritual journey to the empty tomb, we call yet another serious matter to your attention: the matter of hunger, and not simply that of fasting. How many of us can claim a personal experience with hunger: We encounter it only when viewing television news, or when reading newspapers and magazines or, for those of us who live and work in large cities, through encountering the occasional homeless person begging for food on a street corner. But many of us are not aware of the thousands of human beings around the world who truly suffer the daily

Values under siege t

Editor, No nation whose divorce rate has reached epidemic proportions and whose problems with juvenile delinquency are among the worst in the world can continue to exist. Nor can we build a better society with shoot-outs daily on our streets. Many suggest that the problem of loss of respect for the law cannot be reflected. This is a negative concept. As Andrew Jackson once said, “One man with courage makes a majority.” We must begin today to attack and rid ourselves of those forces that are destroying the family structure, which is paramount to a cohesive society dedicated to abiding by the law. We must see to it that all those justly found guilty and sentenced serve their full time. Further, men and women engaged in violent and horrendous crimes and murders must be eliminated from society. We must see

pains of an empty stomach. And few of us are moved to the point of taking a positive course of action that would give substance to our emotion or our desire to help. Millions of malnourished adults in Asia and Africa are doomed to live and work far below their normal capabilities. Many are victims of economic systems that do not provide adequate homes or incomes for individuals and families. In other instances, natural causes such as droughts and other severe weather contribute to the problem. A week before the onset of Great Lent, we heard in the Gospel reading for Meat Fare Sunday how Christ identified Himself with the poor. “I was hungry and you gave me to eat” (Matthew 25:35), Christ said in referring to His Father’s blessed ones who aid the poor. “I was hungry but you would not feed me” (Matt. 25:42), he refers to the damned who remain indifferent to the plight of others. We are given two choices then, to be numbered by God among the blessed ones responding to the mandate of Christ and to the desperate cry of the hungry, or to be numbered by God among those who will “be sent to eternal punishment.” (Mat. 25:46). During Great Lent 2001, let us all make the decision to be numbered by God among the blessed by assisting in any way possible those who are less fortunate than us. St. Peter clearly states: “If you hurt your brother because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died!” Great Lent is our challenge not our struggle. It is a time to enliven our faith, to strengthen our weaknesses and to assure ourselves once again of the truth that, following every struggle of the Church, there is victory and triumph.¿

to it that our police officers are the best money can buy and we must support them in their endeavors to enforce the majesty of the law. Perhaps we can most decrease the chances of a breakdown in law and order by demanding a removal from the bench of those magistrates and judges refusing to enforce the law where offenders are involved. Above all else, we can eliminate the breakdown of law and order by re-examining our priorities. For example, we must instill in both our younger and older generations respect for one another, love of the law and fair play, and the realization that all of us have a stake in making this country the best in all areas of our lives. Certainly the curtailment of violence on our televisions would help to de-emphasize the breakdown of law and order in this once God-fearing nation with its people respecting the majesty of its laws and respecting one another. John A. Micklos Baltimore, Md.

Priest shortage t

Editor, Currently we have a shortage of Greek Orthodox priests. This is something we cannot control. There has to be a calling. Seminarian education is expensive and demanding. Being a priest has many rewards, but also some challenges like counseling people during crises and difficult periods in their life. We are living in a very secular and materialistic culture and this may be the reason for the shortage of priests. Let us pray that more Greek men have a calling to the priesthood. William S. Andrews Chicago, Ill.

Letter in every issuet

Editor, It seems that in every issue of the “Observer” that arrives, there is a letter from a Fran Glaros in the Letters to the Editor. I’m sure that her comments are both timely and pertinent, however I’m sure that other readers views are just as timely and pertinent but cannot be printed because of space limitations. I have what may be a solution to this why not give her a by-line and a column? George W. Kolettis New Port Richey, Fl. Ms. Glaros is a prolific letter writer and has something to say. We welcome and encourage letters to the editor from our readers on appropriate topics and space will be allocated accordingly. – editor

Tragic death t

Editor, The death on Dec. 19 of His Beatitude the Patriarch Diodoros, came as a double tragedy. It robbed the Church of his strong leadership at a time of the greatest crisis in the Patriarchate’s history since the Crusade and diverts attention to a succession that is vitally important to the governments of the region. However, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is accustomed to surviving crises. In the 6th century Persian invaders sacked Jerusalem and destroyed every Church in the Holy Land. (The Persians spared only the Church of the Nativity when they saw mosaic Icons depicting the Magi.) In the 7th century the Islamic Invasion brought the Holy Land under Muslim control, tolerant under Arabs and repressive under Turks. In the 11th century, the Crusaders sacked Jerusalem for the second time in its history. Slaughtering the Orthodox as well as Muslim and Jewish populations, the Crusaders dispossessed the Orthodox Patriarch and established a Latin Patriarch in his place. Only the Muslim reconquest 110 years later, led by Saladin and a largely Christian Arab and Kurdish army, finally reestablished the Orthodox Patriarchate. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Catholic powers of Europe forced the Ottoman sultan to grant Rome effective control of the Holy Place until order was reestablished by Tsarist Russian military victories in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the poverty of the Church exposed Arab Orthodox to an intense and well-financed

campaign of proselytization by Catholics and Protestants, offering education and financial inducements in exchange for conversion, that threatened the existence of an Orthodox flock. The 20th century saw five wars fought in the Holy Land and the rise of militant Jewish and Muslim nationalism that threatens to alienate an Orthodox Christian community. Nevertheless, confident in the faith founded by Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Patriarchate looks forward to meeting the challenges of the 21st century. Patrick N. Theros Former Ambassador to Qatar Washington, D.C.

Teaching values t

Editor, Regarding, View Point, by Fr. Artemas: Married With Children, Melrose Place, Alley McBeal, and all the other low morality television shows, are only to make dollars, not to educate young people. Today no one cares what the public views as long as they make the big bucks. While I agree with most of the comments about these television shows, we must first remember, who allows these young people not only to act in these so called films and movies on TV, but for our children who are at home (under parents supervision) to watch such trash in their homes? A child will only do what he’s allowed to do, when he has proper supervision. Today, parents not only allow these children to watch such garbage, but some parents actually sit and watch with them. Many children are allowed to have television and CD players in their own rooms, where no one knows are cares what they view, as long as they are out of the parents hair and then the parents can relax and watch their own garbage. This is no way to raise loving, caring responsible children. Children need guidance and if we fail to guide them, then we will continue to have unruly, disrespectful children, who will grow up to do the same to their children. Thus one generation becomes worse than the last. Things have got to turn around and parents have got to take back control of the home and the children that were entrusted to them by our Heavenly Father. To do less is to ignore God and His teachings. We can’t accept the corruption of the world and honor God at the same time. We have to take a stand and be responsible for the children we brought into this world. They don’t ask to be born, but if we choose to be parents, then we should do the very best job we can in bringing those children up in a loving and caring home, where they learn respect for their bodies and their minds as well. Life is tough, but with the right loving and God fearing parents to teach them, 90 percent of these children will turn out great. Anything worthwhile is worth working for. And our children should be our first concern, once we choose to be parents. If we fail to teach, then we as parents have to live with their failures for the rest of our lives. And one day, we will have to answer for what we did as well as what we failed to do. Fran Glaros Clearwater, Fla.

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

Archiepiscopal Encyclical Feast of the Three Hierarchs and the Day of Greek Letters

PAGE 11

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Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

he ancient Greek historian Diodoros, reflecting on the blessing of life, con cludes somewhere that “the good life is the gift of education that comes from literacy.” So great was this scholar’s love of letters that he commends for us the inscription over the door of the library in Thebes, which read, “Medicine for the soul.” It is precisely in this spirit that the Church greets once again the return of the Feast of the Three Hierarchs as the Day of Greek Letters. For St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom were themselves preeminently learned men who imbibed and sanctified the age-old legacy of Hellenistic philologia, of love for words. Indeed, these three saints distinguished themselves as hierarchs precisely because of their skill as ones who were “rightly teaching-orthotomountes-the word of [God’s] truth,” as exegetes and expositors of the divine Scriptures. Each one in his own unique and characteristic way exhibited a love and a respect for words and a facility of expression on such a high level that the Church has accorded each with a special title indicative of their achievements as scholarly pastors of the flock of Christ. Seriousness and sensitivity for language mark the mind of the Three Hierarchs and of the leading figures in the intellectual history of Hellenism. In this regard our sacred legacy of Greek letters contrasts sharply with the modern world. We are told nowadays that talk is cheap, and a favorite way to trivialize the ideas of another is to characterize them as “mere semantics.” For the three great exponents of Christianized Hellenism, however, no such casual attitude towards words is possible. St. John extols the words of the Scriptures as “divine charms” which amend the passions of the human soul; he even goes so far as to chastise his congregation for paucity of books in their homes (Homily 32 on John 4:14). For the Golden-mouthed Father, every syllable and letter of divine revelation is meaningful, and much profit is to be derived from consideration of even the slightest detail, since “nothing is placed in the Holy Scriptures without a reason” (Homily 50 on John 7:25). In this loving attention to words, St. John has a close companion in St. Basil. In his philological inquiries, St. Basil is a student not only of matters divine, but also of the hidden things in the hearts of men. In one place he declares that “words are truly icons of the soul” (Epistle 9), and elsewhere he tells St. Ambrose of Milan that “we have become acquainted with you, not by having your bodily characteristics imprinted upon our memory, but by coming to know the beauty of the inner man through the variety of his words” (Epistle 197). St. Basil has a great love for the well-turned phrase and a deep appreciation for the careful use of language as a window to wisdom, wherever it be found. His writings drip with quotations from the ancient Greek poets and philosophers, and he is comfortable quoting Sophocles alongside Solomon in support of his arguments (cf. Epistle 8). Above all, St. Basil admires St. Gregory the Theologian, whom he hails as “the mouthpiece of Christ” (Epistle 8). So great is St. Gregory’s facility with words that in his Theological Orations he moves freely between linguistic arguments of profound complexity and poetical flights of praise that rival the finest hymnody of the Church in beauty. Indeed, excerpts of the Theologian’s sermons have been taken over almost verbatim into the Church’s liturgical life. The writings of these three extraordinary men form a small library that is truly “medicine for the soul.” Their lives and writings attest to the deeply held conviction expressed by St. Gregory, that “the first of our advantages is education…and even that external culture which many Christians ill-judgingly abhor” (Oration 43, On Saint Basil). Immersed as they were in the treasures of Greek Letters, the Three Hierarchs strove to fulfill the Apostolic command, to bring every thought into captivity in the service of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:5), demonstrating by their love for words their surpassing love for the Pre-eternal Word, the Son of God. Throughout all our parishes and Archdiocesan institutions, may the students, the teachers, and the supporters of Greek Letters be blessed with “the good life” through the gift of education, the gift of literacy in our Hellenic and Patristic heritage, through the intercessions of these Three Holy Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers of the Church of Christ.

With paternal love in Christ,

ÿ Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America

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ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 12

R R E E L L A AT T II N N G G

T TO O

FEBRUARY 2001

T T H H E E

htiaF

Faith of Orthodoxy and Orthodoxy of Faith

efore putting on the sacerdotal vestments to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, the priest has to say the service of the “kairos,” the order of preparation, before the royal gate of the holy altar. by Fr. Dumitru Macaila

One of the prayers that makes up this service is the troparion for the Sunday of Orthodoxy, which is said before the icon of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. Since it epitomizes quite comprehensively the “history” of our creation and salvation, I render it here in its entirety: “Before Your pure icon we bow, O Good One, asking for forgiveness for our sins, Christ our God.” By your good will, You have ascended upon the Cross in the flesh to rescue us, whom You created from the yoke of the enemy. Therefore, with thanks we cry out to You, our Savior, You have filled all things with joy, having come to save the world. Let me emphasize from the very beginning that, besides being an extremely concise summary of our Orthodox Christian faith, this troparion makes a point that cannot be made or claimed by any other religion, viz, our God, our Creator and Savior Jesus Christ, who has come to save the world, has “filled all things with joy.” Yes, He has done this because joy was one of the genuine attributes of life that were lost by our ancestors’ fall, since genuine joy vanished from their life as soon as they chose rebelliousness as the natural way to reach our God. Since our ancestors have been victimized by our archfiend’s artful deception, God sent His Only Begotten Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, “to rescue us … from the yoke of the enemy.” While foretelling His death, resurrection and ascension, Christ told His apostles: “Therefore you now have sorrow but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take away from you.” It is a joy that cannot be given by this world, it is the unspeakable joy that stems from Christ’s resurrection, and no one can remove it from us. Not only that, but He showed us the way, the only way that unmistakably can enable us to go to the Father when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Here is what the footnote in the Orthodox Study Bible has to say about this verse: “The way we reach the Father is forever established through the Son. Jesus is the truth because He is the unique revelation of the Father, who is the goal of our journey through life. Christ is the life, the uncreated eternal life manifest in the flesh so that we might have life. Because of this, ‘No one comes to the Father except through the Son.’ While aspects of goodness and truth are found among all people by virtue of their being created in the image and likeness of God, salvation comes through Christ alone.” This point is made even stronger by St. Paul’s words: “For when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.”

By nature human beings, even if they didn’t know Christ, by being inspired by God’s grace that “blows where it wishes,” do comply with God’s law in their conscience when they do good. This is what St. Paul identifies as the natural law written in their hearts, and it is in accordance with this law that God will judge them. By the same token, to do evil is tantamount to working against the “law” of our conscience.

The greatest evil

incarnate, is tantamount to trying to become as God by themselves, as our ancestors tried after being deceived by the serpent. It is not the way of grace, it is the way of deception, and its aim is the estrangement from God, eternal perdition. Christ, both God and Man, was totally obedient to His Father’s will, despite the fact that, as God, He knew everything, since He is omniscient. We cannot decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong, while completely disregarding the revealed will of God. It is diabolically anti-Christian. It was Christ who taught us is the way, and as long as one consciously rejects His way, one stands no chance but to walk in darkness.

The greatest evil one can make is to reject Christ, after knowing Him, after receiving from Christ through baptism a new nature, or what God intended our human nature to be had it remained unblemished by sin. Example of Job A case in point: In late August and early September last year, some 1,000 religious I want to remind you of Job’s case. leaders gathered for the United Nations- He is one of the Old Testament’s Gensponsored Millennium World Peace Sum- tile characters who was seen to be righmit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. teous. God tests Job by asking unanswerThe affair, hosted by Bawa Jain from able questions: “I will question you and India, was financed by Ted Turner, who you shall answer Me. ‘Where were you seized the opporwhen I laid the tunity to demean foundations of the the Christian faith earth?” “Jesus is the truth and reminded This incipient those attending because He is the unique question is followed he turned away by a litany of more revelation of the Father, from Christianity than 135 questions when he discovthrown to Job that who is the goal of our ered it was “intolremain unanjourney through life.” erant because it swered, uncovering taught we were Job’s weakness and the only ones goignorance. ing to heaven.” Job cannot even presume to know The term “tolerance” was their fa- God’s mind and ways. All Job can do in vorite word and they touted it ad infini- the end is to submit to a power beyond tum throughout the summit — toler- his knowledge and understanding. This ance, to wit, for all religions but not for in not what the above-mentioned summit Christianity. did, despite the claim that “what they beAll those present (there was an Or- lieve is part of a greater wisdom.” Wisdom, thodox hierarch in attendance), agreed yes! But it is a wisdom enlightened not by that all religious groups must realize that God’s grace, but by hell’s darkness. what they believe is part of a greater wisThey didn’t seem to be inspired by dom and in not unique to them. a holy fear of God, but by an arrogance In fact, one of the Jain organizers that stems from Lucifer’s rebelliousness, told Insight magazine: “What we need claiming to answer all the questions to engage in is an education factor of thrown to them, yet completely discardthe different religious traditions and the ing God’s answers offered us through different theologies, philosophies and Christ’s Incarnation. practices. That would give us a better unWhy do these people and their entire derstanding, and then I think we have ilk hate Christ – the Creator of all that exto deal with the claims of absolute truth ists – so fiercely? Simply because through– we will recognize there is not just one out human history He was the only hisclaim of absolute truth, but there is truth torical Person Who could say, “I am the in every tradition. That is happening way, the truth, and the life. No one comes more and more when you have gatherto the Father except through Me.” ings such as these.” This is the absolute truth and conDid you find at least a shadow of a term spicuously there can be no other “way,” related to Christ or His teaching in the above quote? What they state clearly is they neither “truth,” worth the time of day. St. Paul points out clearly, “There is want to educate people that no religion can claim to possess the absolute truth, since one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is above all, “there is truth in every tradition.” They base their assertions not only and through all, and in you all.” All other religious beliefs that conon heathenized reasoning, but also on a reason that is vehemently opposed to sciously reject Christ, are nothing but plain deceptions, when compared with the revealed Word of God. This way of reasoning comes from the religion written with the blood of the the pit of hell. One cannot do religion Son of God, shed on the Cross for the in good faith, while diabolically disre- salvation of the world, for the sanctifigarding these scriptural words: “God, cation of human history. It was St. Paul who at various times and in various ways who made this point again: “But what spoke in time past to the fathers by the things were gain to me, these I have prophets, has in these last days spoken counted loss for Christ.” As Ted Turner and his cohorts of “reto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom ligious and spiritual leaders” want to be also He made the world, who being the their own god and their final authority, brightness of His glory and the express they must explore every possible way to image of His person, sat down at the avoid facing Christ, yes, the absolute truth of God! As the religious and spiritual leadright hand of the Majesty on high.” To completly disregard this scriptural ers of the first century who rejected truth, to treat Christ as if He was never Christ, they are of their father, the devil.

Gamaliel’s advice They never conceived to pay attention to Gamaliel’s wise advice given to the Council’s members who arrested the Apostles who were proclaiming Christ: “I say to you, keep away form these men and let them alone, for if this plan or work is of men, it will come to nothing, but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even by found to fight against God.” Yes, our faith, our Christian faith is of God, but instead of sharing in it, they chose to fight against God, as did the scribes and the Pharisees of the first century, and in every “legally” possible way, they try to command us “that we should not speak in the name of Jesus.” This is our faith; this is the Orthodox faith we celebrate on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. We are not supposed to keep the light of our faith “under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” After entering the whirlwind of salvation brought by Christ, to compromise one’s faith by silent agreement to an anti-Christian statement is tantamount to embracing the way of deception that leads to one’s own destruction. Writing on the holy icons whose veneration was restored on the Sunday of Orthodoxy at Constantinople in 843, Fr. George Florovsky points out: “The holy icon of Christ is … an efficient sign and token of Christ’s abiding presence in the Church, which is His body. As the teachers of the Church have taught us, an icon, in a sense, belongs to Christ’s personality itself. The Lord is there, in His holy images. In fact, on this Sunday, we do celebrate the Church of the Incarnate Word: we celebrate the redeeming love of the Father, the love crucified of the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit made visible in the whole company of the faithful, who did already enter into heavenly rest, into the joy everlasting of their Lord and Master. Holy icons are our witnesses to the glory of the kingdom to come, and already present.” This is the Sunday of restored joy, this is the sacred, ultimate meaning of the faith of Orthodoxy, and this is the pristine Orthodoxy of the Christian faith. Holy icons are witnesses to the glory of the kingdom to come that is already present in our hearts. No other religion can claim to crown our earthily struggle with the nonperishable, everlasting joy in God’s kingdom. ¿

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ÅÔÏÓ 66

ÖÅÂÑÏÕÁÑÉÏÓ 2001

ÁÑÉÈÌÏÓ 1178

ÔéìÞ êáé ìíÞìç ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí ôïõò äáóêÜëïõò ôùí ó÷ïëåßùí ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò äÞëùóå ãéá ìéá áêüìç öïñÜ ôçí õðåñçöÜíåéá êáé ÷áñÜ ðïõ íïéþèåé êÜèå öïñÜ ðïõ áíáöÝñåôáé óôá ó÷ïëåßá ìáò êáé ôï õøçëü ôïõò åðßðåäï êáé æÞôçóå áð’ üëïõò íá åíôåßíïõí ôéò ðñïóðÜèåéÝò ôïõò þóôå «...ôá éäñýìáôá áõôÜ ôçò ìÜèçóçò êáé ôçò áãÜðçò íá óõíå÷ßóïõí íá ðñïóöÝñïõí ôï Üñéóôïí». ÌåôÜ ôï ðÝñáò ôçò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò êáé ôçò áèñüáò ðñïóÝëåõóçò ôùí ìáèçôþí êáé ìáèçôñéþí óôç Èåßá Êïéíùíßá, ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò õðïâïçèïýìåíïò áðü ôçí äéåõèýíïõóá ôïõ Ãñáöåßïõ Ðáéäåßáò ê. Ìáêåäþí, âñÜâåõóå ôïõò ìáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ó÷ïëåßùí ðïõ áñßóôåõóáí óôéò åîåôÜóåéò ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò ãëþóóáò áðïíÝìïíôÜò ôïõ åéäéêü äßðëùìá. Áêïëïýèçóå ãåýìá ãéá ôïõò ãïíåßò äéäáóêÜëïõò êáé ìáèçôÝò ðïõ ðáñÝèåóå ç Öéëüðôù÷ïò ôïõ Êáèåäñéêïý.

ÁÑ×ÉÅÐÉÓÊÏÐÏÓ ÄÇÌÇÔÑÉÏÓ: «Åßóôå ôï Öùò ôïõ Êüóìïõ...» ôïõ Óôáýñïõ Ç. Ðáðáãåñìáíïý

ÍÅÁ ÕÏÑÊÇ—Ìå ðáíçãõñéêü ôñüðï ãéïñôÜóôçêå êáé öÝôïò ç ãéïñôÞ ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí ôçò Åêêëçóßáò ìáò êáé óõã÷ñüíùò ç áëëçëÝíäåôç ãéïñôÞ ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí. ¹ôáí ç ãéïñôÞ ôçò ìÜèçóçò êáé ôçò ðáéäåßáò, ç ãéïñôÞ ôùí ìáèçôþí êáé ôùí äáóêÜëùí, ç ãéïñôÞ ôùí ó÷ïëåßùí ìáò. ÁíÞìåñá ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí, 30 Éáíïõáñßïõ ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò ðñïÝóôç Áñ÷éåñáôéêÞò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò óôïí Áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêü Êáèåäñéêü Íáü ôçò Áãßáò ÔñéÜäáò, ôçí ïðïßá ðáñáêïëïýèçóáí ìáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôùí çìåñçóßùí êïéíïôéêþí ó÷ïëåßùí ôçò ìçôñïðïëéôéêÞò ðåñéï÷Þò óõíïäåõüìåíïé áðü ôïõò äáóêÜëïõò êáé ãïíåßò ôïõò. ÅíôõðùóéáêÞ êáé ðñùôüãíùñç Þôáí ç óõììåôï÷Þ óôç Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ÷ïñùäßáò ðïõ áðáñôßæïíôáí áðü ìéêñïýò ìáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôïõ íçðéáãùãßïõ ôïõ Ó÷ïëåßïõ ôïõ Êáèåäñéêïý ðïõ Ýøáëáí ìå áêñßâåéá êáé åõëÜâåéá êáè’ üëç ôçí äéÜñêåéá ôçò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò. Ôï ãåãïíüò óçìåßùóå éäéáßôåñá ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò êáé åîÝöñáóå ôçí Ýêðëçîç áëëÜ êáé ôçí éêáíïðïßçóÞ ôïõ êáé åõ÷áñß-

Ç Äñ. ¸âáíò, åí ìÝóù ôùí Áñ÷éåðéóêüðùí Äçìçôñßïõ êáé Éáêþâïõ.

óôçóå ôá ðáéäéÜ ôïõ íçðéáãùãßïõ ôçò ÷ïñùäßáò. «Åßóôå ôï öùò ôïõ êüóìïõ» åßðå ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò óôá ðáéäéÜ ðïõ ðáñáêïëïýèçóáí ìå åõëÜâåéá ôçí Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ðáßñíïíôáò áöïñìÞ áðü ôçí åõáããåëéêÞ ðåñéêïðÞ ôçò çìÝñáò. «Ï êáèÝíáò áðü ìáò åßíáé Ýíá öùò. Ï Èåüò êáëåß ôïí êáèÝíá áðü åìÜò íá åêðÝìðïõìå êáé íá áêôéíïâïëïýìå áõôü ôï öùò ìå ôá ëüãéá ìáò êáé ôéò ðñÜîåéò ìáò... ÷áñåßôå óÞìåñá áõôÞ ôç ìåãÜëç

Äçì. ÐáíÜãïò

ãéïñôÞ ôçò ðáéäåßáò, ôçò óïößáò, ôçò ãíþóçò, ôçò ðëçñïöïñßáò êáé ôçò ðñïüäïõ», åßðå. Ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò ìßëçóå åîÜëïõ åí óõíôïìßá ãéá ôï Ýñãï êáé ôï ðáñÜäåéãìá ôùí ôñéþí ÌåãÜëùí Éåñáñ÷þí áíáöåñüìåíïò óôï ôåñÜóôéï óõããñáöéêü, äéäáêôéêü áëëÜ êáé öéëáíèñùðéêü ôïõò Ýñãï, ôïíßæïíôáò üôé ç ìßìçóç ôïõ ðáñáäåßãìáôüò ôùí åßíáé ç êáëýôåñç ìáñôõñßá ðßóôçò óôç óçìåñéíÞ ÁìåñéêáíéêÞ êïéíùíßá. Áðåõèõíüìåíïò óôïõò ìáèçôÝò êáé

Ç Âáóéëüðéôá ôùí ÄáóêÜëùí Ôï áðüãåõìá ôçò ßäéáò ìÝñáò ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò ðáñÝèåóå äåîßùóç óôçí Ýäñá ôçò ÉåñÜò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ðñïò ôéìÞí ôùí åêðáéäåõôéêþí, äáóêÜëùí êáé äéåõèõíôþí ðáñïõóßá ôïõ Ãåíéêïý ÐñïîÝíïõ ôçò ÅëëÜäáò óôçí ÍÝá Õüñêç, ê. Äçìçôñßïõ ÐëáôÞ, ôïõ Ãåíéêïý ÐñïîÝíïõ ôçò Êýðñïõ ê. Âáóßëç Öéëßððïõ êáé ôïõ Åêðáéäåõôéêïý Óõìâïýëïõ ôïõ ðñïîåíåßïõ ê. Íßêïõ ÍéêïëéäÜêç. ÊáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôçò äåîßùóçò ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò Ýêïøå ôçí ðáñáäïóéáêÞ

u óåë. 15

ÁÑ×ÉÅÐÉÓÊÏÐÉÊÇ ÅÃÊÕÊËÉÏÓ

ÅïñôÞ ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí Ðñïò ôïõò ÓåâáóìéùôÜôïõò êáé ÈåïöéëåóôÜôïõò Áñ÷éåñåßò, ôïõò ÅõëáâåóôÜôïõò Éåñåßò êáé Äéáêüíïõò, ôïõò Ìïíá÷ïýò êáé Ìïíá÷Ýò, ôïõò ÐñïÝäñïõò êáé ÌÝëç ôùí Êïéíïôéêþí 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. Áäåëöïß êáé ÁäåëöÝò åí ×ñéóôþ, Ï áñ÷áßïò ¸ëëçíáò éóôïñéêüò Äéüäùñïò, áíáëïãéæüìåíïò ôçí åõôõ÷ßá ôçò æùÞò, óõìðåñáßíåé óå êÜðïéï óçìåßéï üôé «ï êáëüò âßïò åßíáé äþñï ôçò ðáéäåßáò ç ïðïßá ðñïÝñ÷åôáé áðü ôç ãñáììáôéêÞ ìüñöùóç». Ç áãÜðç ôïõ ëïãßïõ áõôïý ãéá ôá ãñÜììáôá Þôáí ôüóï ìåãÜëç, þóôå íá ìáò óõíéóôÜ íá ðñïóÝîïõìå ôçí åðéãñáöÞ «ÖÜñìáêï ãéá ôçí øõ÷Þ», ç ïðïßá åõñßóêåôï ðÜíù áðü ôçí åßóïäï ôçò âéâëéïèÞêçò ôùí Èçâþí. Ìå áõôü áêñéâþò ôï ðíåýìá ç Åêêëçóßá ìáò ÷áéñåôßæåé áêüìç ìéá öïñÜ ôçí ÅïñôÞ ôùí Ôñéùí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôçò ÇìÝñáò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí. Äéüôé ï ÌÝãáò Âáóßëåéïò, ï ¢ãéïò Ãñçãüñéïò ï Èåïëüãïò êáé ï ¢ãéïò ÉùÜííçò ï ×ñõóüóôïìïò Þôáí êáô’ åîï÷Þí ëüãéïé Üíäñåò ïé ïðïßïé áðåññüöçóáí êáé åîáãßáóáí ôç ìáêñáßùíç êëçñïíïìéÜ ôçò ÅëëçíéóôéêÞò öéëïëïãßáò, ôçò áãÜðçò ãéá ôá ãñÜììáôá. ÐñÜãìáôé, áõôïß ïé ôñåßò Üãéïé Üíäñåò äéåêñßèçóáí ùò éåñÜñ÷áé áêñéâþò ëüãù ôçò éêáíüôçôüò ôùí íá «ïñèïôïìïýí ôïí ëüãïí ôçò áëçèåßáò ôïõ Èåïý», ùò åîçãçôáß êáé áíáëõôáß ôçò Áãßáò ÃñáöÞò. Ï êáèÝíáò ôïõò ìå ôïí îå÷ùñéóôü êáé ÷áñáêôçñéóôéêü ôïõ ôñüðï åðÝäåéîå ôçí áãÜðç êáé ôï óåâáóìü ãéá ôá ãñÜììáôá êáèþò êáé ìéá åõêïëßá åêöñÜóåùò óå ôÝôïéï õøçëü âáèìü, þóôå ç Åêêëçóßá íá áðïíåßìåé óôïí êáèÝíá êÜðïéá åéäéêÜ ðñïóùíýìéá ôá ïðïßá êáôáäåéêíýïõí ôá åðéôåýãìáôÜ ôïõò ùò ëïãßùí ðïéìÝíùí ôïõ ðïéìíßïõ ôïõ ×ñéóôïý. Ç óïâáñüôçôá êáé ç åõáéóèçóßá ãéá ôç ãëþóóá äéáêñßíïõí ôç äéáíüçóç ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí çãåôéêþí ìïñöþí ôçò ðíåõìáôéêÞò éóôïñßáò ôïõ Åëëçíéóìïý. Áð’ áõôÞ ôçí Üðïøç, ç éåñÜ ðáñáêáôáèÞêç ìáò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí Ýñ÷åôáé óå Ýíôïíç áíôßèåóç ìå ôï óýã÷ñïíï êüóìï. ËÝãåôáé óôéò çìÝñåò ìáò üôé ôá ëüãéá åßíáé öèçíÜ, êáé üôé Ýíáò óõíçèéóìÝíïò ôñüðïò ãéá íá åõôåëéóèïýí ïé éäÝåò êÜðïéïõ áíèñþðïõ åßíáé íá ÷áñáêôçñéóèïýí ðáé÷íßäéá ëÝîåùí. Ãéá ôïõò ôñåßò üìùò õðÝñìá÷ïõò ôïõ åê÷ñéóôéáíéóìÝíïõ Åëëçíéóìïý äåí éó÷ýåé ôÝôïéá ðñü÷åéñç áíôéìåôþðéóç ôçò ãëþóóçò. Ï ¢ãéïò ÉùÜííçò åêèåéÜæåé ôéò ëÝîåéò ôçò Áãßáò ÃñáöÞ êáé ôéò áðïêáëåß «èåßá

öÜñìáêá», ðïõ çìåñþíïõí ôá ðÜèç ôçò áíèñþðéíçò øõ÷Þò. Ðñï÷ùñåß ìÜëéóôá áêüìç ðéï ðÝñá êáé êáôáêñßíåé ôï ðïßìíéü ôïõ ãéá ôçí Ýëëåéøç âéâëßùí ðïõ ðáñáôçñåßôáé óôá óðßôéá ôïõò. Ãéá ôïí ×ñõóüóôïìï êÜèå óõëëáâÞ êáé êÜèå ãñÜììá ôçò èåßáò áðïêáëýøåùò Ý÷åé íüçìá êáé ðïëý êÝñäïò ìðïñåß íá áíôëçèåß áðü ôçí åîÝôáóç áêüìç êáé ôçò ôåëåõôáßáò ëåðôïìåñåßáò, äéüôé «ôßðïôå áðü üóá ðåñéÝ÷åé ç Áãßá ÃñáöÞ äåí åßíáé åêåß ÷ùñßò êÜðïéï ëüãï» (Ïìéëßá 50 óôïí ÉùÜííç 7:25). Ó’ áõôÞ ôçí ðñïóï÷Þ êáé áãÜðç ôïõ ãéá ôéò ëÝîåéò ï ¢ãéïò ÉùÜííçò ï ×ñõóüóôïìïò åß÷å ùò óõíïäïéðüñï ôïõ ôïí ÌÝãá Âáóßëåéï. Óôéò öéëïëïãéêÝò êáé öéëïóïöéêÝò ôïõ áíáæçôÞóåéò, ï ÌÝãáò Âáóßëåéïò åñåõíÜ ü÷é ìüíï èÝìáôá ðïý Üðôïíôáé ôçò èåüôçôïò, áëëÜ åðßóçò êáé èÝìáôá ôá ïðïßá êñýâïíôáé óôéò êáñäéÝò ôùí áíèñþðùí. Óå êÜðïéï óçìåßï äéáêçñýóóåé üôé «ïé ëÝîåéò óôçí ðñáãìáôéêüôçôá åßíáé åéêüíåò ôçò øõ÷Þò» (ÅðéóôïëÞ 9), êáé óå êÜðïéï Üëëï óçìåßï ëÝãåé óôüí ¢ãéï Áìâñüóéï ÌåäéïëÜíùí üôé «óå Ý÷ïõìå ãíùñßóåé ü÷é åðåéäÞ ôá ÷áñáêôçñéóôéêÜ ôïõ óþìáôüò óïõ Ý÷ïõí åíôõðùèåß óôç ìíÞìç ìáò, áëëÜ åðåéäÞ ãíùñßóáìå ôçí åóùôåñéêÞ ïìïñöéÜ ôïõ áíèñþðïõ ìÝóù ôçò ðïéêéëßáò ôùí ëÝîåþí ôïõ» (ÅðéóôïëÞ 197). Ï ÌÝãáò Âáóßëåéïò äåß÷íåé ìåãÜëç áãÜðç ãéá ôçí üìïñöá äéáôõðùìÝíç öñÜóç êáé âáèéÜ åêôßìçóç ãéá ôçí ðñïóåêôéêÞ ÷ñÞóç ôçò ãëþóóáò ùò ðáñáèýñïõ ðïõ ïäçãåß óôç ãíþóç, üðïõ êé áí áõôÞ ìðïñåß íá âñåèåß. Ôá ãñáðôÜ ôïõ âñßèïõí áðïóðáóìÜôùí ðáñìÝíùí áðü áñ÷áßïõò ¸ëëçíåò ðïéçôÜò êáé öéëïóüöïõò, êáé ìå ìåãÜëç Üíåóç ðáñáèÝôåé áðïóðÜóìáôá áðü ôï ÓïöïêëÞ äßðëá ó’ áõôÜ ôïõ Óïëïìþíôïò ãéá íá õðïóôçñßîåé ôéò áðüøåéò ôïõ (ÅðéóôïëÞ 8). Ï ÌÝãáò Âáóßëåéïò èáõìÜæåé ðåñéóóüôåñï áðü üëïõò ôïí ¢ãéï Ãñçãüñéï ôïí Èåïëüãï, ôïí ïðïßïí áðïêáëåß «óôüìá ôïõ ×ñéóôïý» (ÅðéóôïëÞ 8). Åßíáé ôüóï ìåãÜëç ç åõêïëßá ôïõ Áãßïõ Ãñçãïñßïõ ìå ôéò ëÝîåéò, þóôå óôïõò Èåïëïãéêïýò ôïõ Ëüãïõò êéíåßôáé åëåýèåñá ìåôáîý ãëùóóéêþí åðé÷åéñçìÜôùí õðåñü÷ïõ óõíèåôüôçôïò êáé ðïéçôéêþí õìíïëïãéêþí ðôÞóåùí, ïé ïðïßåò óõíáãùíßæïíôáé óå ùñáéüôçôá ôçí åêëåêôüôåñç õìíùäßá ôçò Åêêëçóßáò. ¼íôùò, áðïóðÜóìáôá ôùí êçñõãìÜôùí ôïõ Áãßïõ Ãñçãïñßïõ ôïõ Èåïëüãïõ Ý÷ïõí ðåñÜóåé ó÷åäüí áõôïëåîåß óôçí ëåéôïõñãéêÞ æùÞ ôçò Åêêëçóßáò. Ôá ãñáðôÜ ôùí ôñéþí áõôþí åîü÷ùí áíäñþí óõãêñïôïýí ìéá ìéêñÞ âéâëéïèÞêç, ç ïðïßá åßíáé ðñÜãìáôé «öÜñìáêï ôçò øõ÷Þò». Ï âßïò ôïõò êáé ôá ãñáðôÜ ôïõò áðïäåéêíýïõí ôç âáèéÜ ðåðïßèçóç, ôçí ïðïßá åîÝöñáóå ï ¢ãéïò Ãñçãüñéïò, üôé «ôï

u óåë. 14

ÓÅËÉÄÁ 14

ÏÑÈÏÄÏÎÏÓ ÐÁÑÁÔÇÑÇÔÇÓ

ÖÅÂÑÏÕÁÑÉÏÓ 2001

Ï ÁÃÉÏÓ ÌÁÑÊÏÓ Ï ÅÕÃÅÍÉÊÏÓ

Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò áíáêïßíùóå ôçí äçìéïõñãßá ÐáéäéêÞò ×ïñùäßáò

Ï ãåííáßïò ðñüìá÷ïò ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò

ïí ÉáíïõÜñéï ìÞíá åïñôÜóáìå ìéá óåéñÜ ìåãÜëùí åïñôþí, ÐáôÝñùí êáé ÄéäáóêÜëùí ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ Åêêëçóßáò. Óôéò 19 Éáíïõáñßïõ ôéìÜ ôçí ìíÞìç ôïõ íÝïõ óôýëïõ ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò, ôïõ Áã. ÌÜñêïõ ôïõ Åõãåíéêïý, «õðÝñìá÷ïõ ôïõ ðáôñþïõ öñïíÞìáôïò» êáôÜ ôïí éåñü õìíùäü ôçò Åêêëçóßáò ìáò. Ï ¢ãéïò ÌÜñêïò ï Åõãåíéêüò, ìÝãáò õðåñáóðéóôÞò ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò ôïí 15ï áéþíá, õðÞñîå Ìçôñïðïëßôçò ÅöÝóïõ êáé ìå ôçí ÷Üñç ôïõ Èåïý áìýíèçêå ëåêôéêÜ ôçí áãßá Ïñèïäïîßá ìáò áðü ôçí «Âáâõëþíåéïí» áé÷ìáëùóßá ôçò ÄõôéêÞò Ðáðùóýíçò. ôïõ êáè. Ãåùñãßïõ ÌðåìðÞ

Ãéá ôïí Üãéï ÌÜñêï ôïí Åõãåíéêü Ýãñáøáí ï áåßìíçóôïò êáèçãçôÞò ìïõ óôï ÐáíåðéóôÞìéï Áèçíþí ÉùÜííçò ï Êáñìßñçò êáé Áããëéóôß ï Ivan N. Ostroumoff, ï ïðïßïò áó÷ïëåßôáé ìå ôçí Óýíïäï ôçò Öëùñåíôßáò. Áîéüëïãï ðüíçìá óõíÝãñáøå ï Åðßóêïðïò Èåüöéëïò Êáíáâüò, Ìçôñïðïëßôçò Ãüñôõíïò êáé Ìåãáëïõðüëåùò (1989). ÁëëÜ ôï óçìáíôéêüôåñï Ýñãï óõíåãñÜöç áðü ôïí ëáìðñü èåïëüãï êáé éóôïñéêü ôïí êáèçãçôÞ Íéêüëáï Ð. ÂáóéëåéÜäç õðü ôïí ôßôëï «Ï ¢ãéïò ÌÜñêïò ï Åõãåíéêüò êáé ç ¸íùóéò ôùí Åêêëçóéþí» (Áäåëöüôçò Èåïëüãùí «ï ÓùôÞñ», ÁèÞíáé 1983). Ðñüêåéôáé ãéá ìéá ëáìðñÞ ðñïóöïñÜ óôçí Éóôïñßá êáé ôçí Èåïëïãßá. Ãéá íá êáôáíïÞóåé êáíåßò ôçí æùÞ êáé ôï Ýñãï ôïõ Áãßïõ ÌÜñêïõ ôïõ Åõãåíéêïý, ðñÝðåé íá áíôéëçöèåß ôï ðñüâëçìá ôùí ðçãþí, äçëáäÞ ðñÝðåé íá ìåëåôçèïýí ôá Ýñãá ôïõ, áëëÜ êáé ôá ðñáêôéêÜ ôçò Óõíüäïõ ÖåññÜñáò-Öëùñåíôßáò. Ôá ÐñáêôéêÜ, ôá ïðïßá êñÜôçóå ï ÌÝãáò ÅêêëçóéÜñ÷çò ôçò Åêêëçóßáò Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò Óßëâåóôñïò Óõñüðïõëïò, èåùñïýíôáé óÞìåñá áîéüðéóôá êáé áíôéêåéìåíéêÜ. ÏðùóäÞðïôå ï ëåãüìåíïò «¼ñïò» ôçò åíþóåùò õðÜñ÷åé êáé óÞìåñá óôçí ËáõñåíôéáíÞ ÂéâëéïèÞêç ôçò Âåíåôßáò, åéò áéþíéá áéó÷ýíç, åêåßíùí ïé ïðïßïé õðÝãñáøáí ôÝôïéï áíôéðáôåñéêü êáé áíôé-Ïñèüäïîï êåßìåíï. «Åõãåíéêüò» Þôáí ôï ïéêïãåíåéáêü åðßèåôï êáé ðñïöáíþò öáíÝñùíå ôçí åõãåíéêÞ êáôáãùãÞ ôïõ. Ï ðáôÝñáò ôïõ ïíïìÜæïíôáí Ãåþñãéïò Åõãåíéêüò êáé Þôáí äéÜêïíïò êáé äéåõèõíôÞò ôçò Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞò ÂéâëéïèÞêçò. Ç ìçôÝñá ôïõ ïíïìÜæïíôáí Ìáñßá, êüñç ôïõ åõóåâïýò éáôñïý ËïõêÜ. Ôï âáðôéóôéêü üíïìá ôïõ ÌÜñêïõ Þôáí ÌáíïõÞë êáé ãåííÞèçêå óôçí Êùíóôáíôéíïýðïëç ôï 1391 Þ ôï 1392. Ï ðñþôïò ôïõ äÜóêáëïò õðÞñîå ï óïöüò ðáôÝñáò ôïõ êáé áñãüôåñá ï Ìçôñïðïëßôçò Óçëõâñßáò ÉãíÜôéïò ï «×ïñôáóìÝíïò». Åðéðñüóèåôá ìáèÞôåõóå ðáñÜ ôïõò ðüäáò ôïõ ìåãÜëïõ ¸ëëçíá öéëïóüöïõ Ãåùñãßïõ Ãåìéóôïý Þ ÐëÞèùíïò êáé íåáñüò áêüìç åêëÞèç íá äéäÜîåé óôçí ðåñßöçìç Ðáôñéáñ÷éêÞ Ó÷ïëÞ Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò. ÐïëõìáèÞò, ìå ëáìðñÞ äéáëåêôéêÞ éêáíüôçôá, áëëÜ êáé ìå ôáðåéíïöñïóýíç êáé óùöñïóýíç ü÷é ôõ÷áßá. Óå çëéêßá 26 åôþí, åêÜñç ìïíá÷üò óôçí íÞóï ôçò Ðñïðïíôßäïò Áíôéãüíç. ÄéÝíåéìå ôá õðÜñ÷ïíôÜ ôïõ óôïõò öôù÷ïýò êáé áöéÝñùóå ðëÝïí ôïí åáõôü ôïõ óôçí æùÞ ôçò Åêêëçóßáò. ¸ëáâå ôï üíïìÜ ÌÜñêïò, ìå ôï ïðïßï Ýãéíå ãíùóôüò ãéá ôïõò çñùéêïýò áãþíåò ôïõ õðÝñ ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò. Óôçí ÌïíÞ ÌáããÜíùí ÷åéñïôïíåßôáé äéÜêïíïò êáé ðñåóâýôåñïò. Êáé ôï 1437 ï Áã. ÌÜñêïò ÷åéñïôïíåßôáé Åðßóêïðïò ÅöÝóïõ êáé áìÝóùò ïé ÐáôñéÜñ÷åò ôçò ÁíáôïëÞò, äçëáäÞ ï Áëåîáíäñåßáò, ï Éåñïóïëýìùí êáé ï Áíôéï÷åßáò ôïí åðéëÝãïõí êáé åêëÝãïõí ùò áíôéðñüóùðï ôùí óôçí óýíïäï ÖåññÜñáò-Öëùñåíôßáò. Ï ÁõôïêñÜôïñáò ÉùÜííçò Ç´ ðßóôåõå üôé ç óùôçñßá ôçò ÂõæáíôéíÞò Áõôïêñáôïñßáò, èá åðéôåõ÷èåß ìå ôçí âïÞèåéá ôçò ÐáðéêÞò Åêêëçóßáò êáé ìå ôçí óôÞñéîç ôùí çãåìüíùí ôçò Äýóçò. ÌÜôáéåò åëðßäåò. Ï óåìíüò êáé óõíåôüò ðáôÝñáò ôïõ, áõôïêñÜôïñáò ÌáíïõÞë Â´ Ðáëáéïëüãïò, ó÷åäüí óýóóùìïò ï ëáüò êáé ï êëÞñïò êáé ïé ìïíá÷ïß äåí åíÝêñéíáí ôçí óýãêëéóç Óõíüäïõ óôçí Éôáëßá. ÅðéðëÝïí ç êáôÜóôáóç óôç Äýóç äåí Þôáí Þñåìç êáé åéñçíéêÞ. Ïé çãåìüíåò ôçò Åõñþðçò âñßóêïíôáí óå óõíå÷Þ ìåôáîý ôùí äéáìÜ÷ç, êáé ç èÝóç ôïõ Åðéóêüðïõ Ñþìçò, äåí Þôáí éó÷õñÞ, êáèüôé ôïí 14ï êáé 15ï áéþíá õðÞñ÷áí äýï êáé ôñåßò áíôßðáëïé ÐÜðáé ôáõôï÷ñüíùò. Ôüóï äå ç Óýíïäïò ôçò Êùíóôáíôßáò ôçò Åëâåôßáò (1414-18), üóï êáé ç Óýíïäïò ôçò Âáóéëåßáò ôçò Åëâåôßáò (1431) äåí åíÝêñéíáí ôçí áðüëõôç áõèåíôßá êáé åîïõóßá ôïõ ÐÜðá ôçò Ñþìçò. Ï ÐÜðáò ôçò Ñþìçò ÅõãÝíéïò Ä´ ÷áñáêôÞñéóå ôçí Óýíïäï ôçò Âáóéëåßáò «óõíáãùãÞí ôïõ ÓáôáíÜ», ç äå Óýíïäïò ôçò Âáóéëåßáò ôïí åêÞñõîå «ó÷éìáôéêüí». Óå áíôéðåñéóðáóìü ï ÐÜðáò ÅõãÝíéïò Ä´ óõãêÜëåóå ôçí Óýíïäï ôçò ÖåññÜñáòÖëùñåíôßáò, ðñïóðáèþíôáò íá áðïäåßîåé óôçí ËáôéíéêÞ Äýóç, üôé Ý÷åé ôçí äýíáìç êáé ôçí åîïõóßá íá åðéâÜëåé ôçí Ýíùóç ìå ôçí Ïñèüäïîç Åêêëçóßá ôçò ÁíáôïëÞò.

ÌÝóá ó’ áõôü ôï èëéâåñü êáôÜíôçìá ôçò Äýóåùò êáé ôçí ëõðçñÞ êáôÜóôáóç ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ ÁíáôïëÞò óõíÞëèå ç ðåñßöçìç Óýíïäïò ôçò ÖåññÜñáò, ìå åðßóçìç Ýíáñîç ôçí 9ç Áðñéëßïõ 1438, áëëÜ ðñáãìáôéêÞ Ýíáñîç ôùí åñãáóéþí óôéò 8 Ïêôùâñßïõ ôïõ ßäéïõ Ýôïõò. Ëüãù üìùò ëïéìïý (åðéäçìßáò ðáíþëçò Þ Üëëçò áóèÝíåéáò) ç Óýíïäïò ìåôåöÝñèç óôç Öëùñåíôßá ôïí ÉáíïõÜñéï êáé ÖåâñïõÜñéï ôïõ 1439, êáé Ýëçîå ìå ðáíçãõñéêÞ Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ôçí ÄåõôÝñá 6 Éïõëßïõ 1439, óôïí Êáèåäñéêü Íáü ôçò Öëùñåíôßáò. ×ïñïóôÜôçóå ï ÐÜðáò êáé áðáããÝëèåé óôá ÅëëçíéêÜ êáé óôá ËáôéíéêÜ ôï Óýìâïëï ôçò Ðßóôåùò ìå ôçí ðåñßöçìç ðñïóèÞêç «êáé åê ôïõ Õéïý» (Filioque). ÐñùôáãùíéóôÝò óôçí Øåõäï-åíùôéêÞ Óýíïäï ôçò ÖåññÜñáò-Öëùñåíôßáò õðÞñîáí ï ðåñéäåÞò Âõæáíôéíüò ÁõôïêñÜôïñáò ÉùÜííçò Ç´ Ðáëáéïëüãïò, ï ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò ÉùóÞö, ï ïðïßïò áíôéóôÜèçêå óôéò áðáéôÞóåéò ôïõ ÐÜðá íá ôïõ öéëÞóåé ôï ðüäé, ï õðåñößáëïò ÐÜðáò ÅõãÝíéïò Ä´ êáé ï áëáæþí ÊáñäéíÜëéïò Éïõëéáíüò Êáéóáñßíé. ÐñÝðåé íá ðñïóôåèåß êáé ôï üíïìá ôïõ Ìçôñïðïëßôç Íßêáéáò Âçóóáñßùíïò, ï ïðïßïò õðÝãñáøå ôïí áðáñÜäåêôï «üñï» ôçò åíþóåùò êáé ðáñÝìåéíå óôçí Éôáëßá êáé ðñïÞ÷èç óå ÊáñäéíÜëéï ôçò ÐáðéêÞò Åêêëçóßáò. Åêåßíïò, üìùò, ï ïðïßïò áíáäåß÷èçêå êáé áðåäåß÷èç ðñáãìáôéêüò «áóôÞñ» ôçò Óõíüäïõ êáé äç «¸îáñ÷ïò ôçò Óõíüäïõ», õðÞñîå ï Áã. ÌÜñêïò ï Åõãåíéêüò, ï çñùéêüò, áêïýñáóôïò, áíõðï÷þñçôïò êáé áäÝêáóôïò Ìçôñïðïëßôçò ÅöÝóïõ. Õðåñáìýíèçêå ôçò ðßóôçò êáé ôçò ðñÜîçò ôçò Ïñèüäïîçò Åêêëçóßáò ìå óáöÞíåéá, êáèáñüôçôá, áêñßâåéá êáé áêáôáìÜ÷çôï óèÝíïò. ÐÜíôá âÜóåé ôçò Áãßáò ÃñáöÞò êáé ôùí èåüðíåõóôùí ÐáôÝñùí êáé ÄéäáóêÜëùí ôçò Åêêëçóßáò. ÐáñÜ ôáýôá ïé Âõæáíôéíïß áíôéðñüóùðïé ìå åðéêåöáëÞò ôïí ÁõôïêñÜôïñá õðÝãñáøáí ôïí ó÷åôéêü «¼ñïí» äå÷üìåíïé ôçí ðñïóèÞêç «êáé åê ôïõ Õéïý» (Filioque), äå÷üìåíïé ôçí äéäáóêáëßá ôçò ÑùìáéïêáèïëéêÞò Åêêëçóßáò ðåñß Êáèáñôçñßïõ Ðõñüò, ðñïóÝôé äå êáé ôçí ÄõôéêÞ äéäáóêáëßá üôé ïé ôéìùñßåò êáé ïé áìïéâÝò áêïëïõèïýí áìÝóùò ìåôÜ èÜíáôïí êáé ü÷é êáôÜ ôçí ôåëéêÞ êñßóç óýìöùíá ìå ôçí Ïñèüäïîç äéäáóêáëßá. Ôï ðñùôåßï ôïõ Åðéóêüðïõ Ñþìçò Ýãéíå êé áõôü äåêôü. Ïé Ðáðéêïß áíáãþñéóáí ôçí äåýôåñç èÝóç óôïí ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò. Ôá Üæõìá ðáñÝìåéíáí óå ÷ñÞóç óôçí ÄõôéêÞ Åêêëçóßá. Ùò ðñïò ôïí êáèáãéáóìü ôïõ Üñôïõ êáé ôïõ ïßíïõ óôç Èåßá Åõ÷áñéóôßá ç Ïñèüäïîç áíôéðñïóùðåßá åðÝìåéíå óôçí ÷ñÞóç ôçò «ÅðéêëÞóåùò». Ç ÄõôéêÞ Åêêëçóßá êáé ç ÄõôéêÞ Èåïëïãßá åß÷áí íéêÞóåé êáôÜ êñÜôïò. ¹ôáí, üìùò ìéá «Ðýñåéïò» íßêç. Äéüôé, ï ðñáãìáôéêüò íéêçôÞò Þôáí ï Áã. ÌÜñêïò ï Åõãåíéêüò. ÁñíÞèçêå íá õðïãñÜøåé ôïí «¼ñï» ôçò åíþóåùò êáé åðÝóôñåøå óôçí Êùíóôáíôéíïýðïëç èñéáìâåõôÞò. Ôá Ðáôñéáñ÷åßá ôçò ÁíáôïëÞò, ï êëÞñïò êáé ï ëáüò ôïí åß÷áí áíáêçñýîåé èñçóêåõôéêü êáé åèíéêü Þñùá. Ðåñß ôï 1440-41, áðÝóôåéëå ôçí ðåñßöçìç Åãêýêëéü ôïõ «Ðñïò ôïõò áðáíôá÷ïý ôçò ãÞò êáé ôùí íÞóùí åõñéóêïìÝíïõò Ïñèïäüîïõò ×ñéóôéáíïýò». Ç åðéóôïëÞ áõôÞ áðïôåëåß ìéá èåïëïãéêÞ ðáñáêáôáèÞêç ôïõ áãßïõ áõôïý Áñ÷éåñÝá ðñïò ôïõò Ïñèïäüîïõò üëùí ôùí åðï÷þí êáé äéáãñÜöåé ôéò ðåñéìÝôñïõò åðß ôùí ïðïßùí ðñÝðåé íá êéíåßôáé êÜèå Ïñèüäïîïò ×ñéóôéáíüò óôéò ó÷Ýóåéò ôïõ ìåôÜ ôùí Ëáôßíùí. Ï Áã. ÌÜñêïò ï ÅöÝóïõ õðÞñîå ðïëõãñáöþôáôïò óõããñáöÝáò. ÐëÞñç êáôÜëïãï ôùí óõããñáììÜôùí ðåñéÝ÷åé óôï åîáéñåôéêü âéâëßï ôïõ ðåñß ôïõ Áã. ÌÜñêïõ, ï Åëëçíïáìåñéêáíüò êáèçãçôÞò Äñ. Êùíóôáíôßíïò ÔóéñðáíëÞò (Áããëéóôß, Èåóóáëïíßêç, 1974). Ï Áã. ÌÜñêïò åêïéìÞèç åí Êõñßù ôï 1444, ï ìáèçôÞò ôïõ êáé ðéóôüò ößëïò ôïõ êáé êáôüðéí ï ðñþôïò Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Êùíóôáíôéíïõðüëåùò ï Ãåþñãéïò Ó÷ïëÜñéïò üñéóå áðü ôï 1456, üðùò øÜëëåôáé áêïëïõèßá óôç ìíÞìç ôïõ óåâáóôïý êáé ðñïóöéëïýò äéäáóêÜëïõ ôïõ. Ôïí ÖåâñïõÜñéï ôïõ 1734 Ýãéíå êáé ç åðßóçìç áíáêÞñõîç ôïõ ÌÜñêïõ óå Üãéï ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ Åêêëçóßáò áðü ôïõí ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç Óåñáöåßì. ÉåñÜ Áêïëïõèßá åéò ôéìÞ êáé ìíÞìç ôïõ áãßïõ ÌÜñêïõ óõíÝãñáøáí ï Üãéïò Íéêüäçìïò ï Áãéïñåßôçò ôïí 18ï áéþíá êáé ï Áãéïñåßôçò ìïíá÷üò ÃåñÜóéìïò Ìéêñáãéáííáíßôçò (ÁèÞíáé, 1964). Ï éåñüò õìíùäüò ôçò Åêêëçóßáò ìáò åðéâåâáéþíåé ôï ãåãïíüò ãñÜöïíôáò üôé ç íßêç ôïõ Áã. ÌÜñêïõ åßíáé ç íßêç ôçò Åêêëçóßáò: «¼íôùò áýôç Ýóôéí ç íßêç, ç ôïí êüóìïí íéêÞóáóá, ç Ïñèüäïîïò ðßóôéò çìþí...». Ï ê. Ãåþñãéïò Ó. ÌðåìðÞò åßíáé êáèçãçôÞò Ðáôñïëïãßáò, óôçí É. ÈåïëïãéêÞ Ó÷ïëÞ ôïõ Ôéìßïõ Óôáõñïý.

ÍÅÁ ÕÏÑÊÇ—Ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò áíáêïßíùóå ôçí äçìéïõñãßá ðáéäéêÞò ÷ïñùäßáò ôçò ìçôñïðïëéôéêÞò ðåñéï÷Þò ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ÁìåñéêÞò. Ç åðéôñïðÞ ðïõ áðáñôßóôçêå ãéá ôçí äçìéïõñãßá, ïñãÜíùóç êáé óõíôïíéóìü ôçò ÷ïñùäßáò åðéóêÝöèçêå ôïí Óåâáóìéþôáôï óôï ãñáöåßï ôïõ ôçí çìÝñá åïñôáóìïý ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí Ôñßôç 30 Éáíïõáñßïõ, ôïí åíçìÝñùóå ãéá ôçí ðñüïäï ôùí åíåñãåéþí ôçò êáé äÞëùóå üôé ôá ìÝëç ôçò åðéôñïðÞò Ý÷ïõí Þäç åîáóöáëßóåé áðü éäéùôéêïýò ðüñïõò êáé óõíåéóöïñÝò ôçí ïéêïíïìéêÞ âÜóç ðïõ áðáéôåßôáé ãéá ôçí äçìéïõñãßá ôçò ÷ïñùäßáò. Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò äÞëùóå éäéáßôåñá éêáíïðïéçìÝíïò ôïíßæïíôáò üôé ç åðéôñïðÞ äåí ðáñïõóßáóå áðëÜ ìéá ðñüôáóç áëëÜ ôçí óõíüäåõóå ìå ôïõò áðáñáßôçôïõò ïéêïíïìéêïýò ðüñïõò þóôå óå óýíôïìï ÷ñïíéêü äéÜóôçìá íá ãßíåé ðñáãìáôéêüôçôá. ÅîÝöñáóå åðßóçò ôçí åõ÷Þ ãéá Ýíá áðïôÝëåóìá ãéá ôï ïðïßï èá ìðïñïýìå óýíôïìá íá åßìáóôå üëïé õðåñÞöáíïé. Ç ðáéäéêÞ ÷ïñùäßá ôçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò èá áðáñôßæåôáé áðü ìáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôùí êïéíïôéêþí çìåñçóßùí êáé áðïãåõìáôéíþí ó÷ïëåßùí ôçò ÌçôñïðïëéôéêÞò ðåñéöÝñåéáò êáé ç ìïõóéêÞ äéåýèõíóç Ý÷åé áíáôåèåß óôçí ìïõóéêïäéäÜóêáëï ê. Ìáñßá ÊïëÝâá. Ç ê. ÊïëÝâá åßíáé áðüöïéôïò ôçò ÌïõóéêÞò Áêáäçìßáò ôçò ÂéÝííçò êáé ôçò ÊñáôéêÞò ÌïõóéêÞò Áêáäçìßáò Ôóáúêüöóêé ôçò Ìüó÷áò. ¸÷åé ìáêñÜ ðåßñá äéäáóêáëßáò ìïõóéêÞò, ðéÜíïõ êáé ÷ïñùäßáò. Ç áñ÷éêÞ åðéëïãÞ ôùí ìáèçôþí êáé ìáèçôñéþí ðïõ åðéèõìïýí íá óõììåôÜó÷ïõí èá ãßíåé óôá êáôÜ ôüðïõò ó÷ïëåßá óýìöùíá ìå ðñüãñáììá ðïõ Ý÷åé Þäç êáôáñôéóèåß êáé ïé åíäéáöåñüìåíïé ãïíåßò èá ðñÝðåé íá åðéêïéíùíÞóïõí ìå ôïõò äéåõèõíôÝò ôùí ó÷ïëåßùí ôïõò. Ç õðåýèõíç åðéôñïðÞ ôçò ðáéäéêÞò ÷ïñùäßáò ðïõ äçìéïõñãÞèçêå êáô’ åðéèõìßá ôïõ ÓåâáóìéùôÜôïõ êáé ìå ôçí ðñùôïâïõëßá ôçò äéåõèýíïõóáò ôïõ Ãñáöåßïõ Ðáéäåßáò ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ê. Ìáñßáò Ìáêåäþí èá Ý÷åé Ýäñá ôï Ðïëéôéóôéêü ÊÝíôñï ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò óôçí Áóôüñéá êáé áðïôåëåßôáé áðü ôïõò åîÞò: Åðßôéìïò Ðñüåäñïò: Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò Ex-Officio ÌÝëç: Èåïö. Åðßóêïðïò Áðáìåßáò ê. ÂéêÝíôéïò, ÄéåõèõíôÞò ôïõ Åëëçíéêïý Ðïëéôéóôéêïý ÊÝíôñïõ ôçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò, êáé Ìáñßá Ìáêåäþí, äéåõèýíïõóá ôïõ Ãñáöåßïõ Ðáéäåßáò. ÅêôåëåóôéêÞ ÅðéôñïðÞ: Ðáíßêïò ÐáðáíéêïëÜïõ, ðñüåäñïò – Ãåùñãßá ÊáëïåéäÞ, áíôéðñüåäñïò – ÄçìÞôñéïò Ãéáííáêüðïõëïò, ãñáììáôåýò – ÆùÞ ÊïõôóïõðÜêç, ôáìßáò. ÌÝëç ïé: Ðßôåñ Êñåêïýêçò, Çëßáò ÊïõëïõêïõíäÞò, Ãåþñãéïò Ìåëéêüêçò êáé Íßêïò Ðáößôçò. Ùò äéïéêçôéêÞ âïçèüò ôçò åêôåëåóôéêÞò åðéôñïðÞò äéïñßóôçêå ç åêðáéäåõôéêüò êá. Áèáíáóßá Ößëéïõ.

ÁÑ×ÉÅÐÉÓÊÏÐÉÊÇ ÅÃÊÕÊËÉÏÓ óåë. 13 ðñþôï áðü ôá ðëåïíåêôÞìáôÜ ìáò åßíáé ç ðáéäåßá ... áêüìç êáé áõôÞ ç åîùôåñéêÞ ðïëéôéóôéêÞ êáëëéÝñãåéá ôçí ïðïßá ðïëëïß ×ñéóôéáíïß áäéêáéïëïãÞôùò áðïóôñÝöïíôáé» (ÁöÞãçóç 43, Ãéá ôïí ÌÝãáí Âáóßëåéïí). ÂõèéóìÝíïé êáèþò Þôáí óôïõò èçóáõñïýò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí, ïé Ôñåßò ÉåñÜñ÷åò ðñïóðÜèçóáí íá åêðëçñþóïõí ôçí ÁðïóôïëéêÞ åíôïëÞ, íá áé÷ìáëùôßóïõí «ðáí íüçìá åéò ôçí õðáêïÞí ôïõ ×ñéóôïý» (Â´ Êïñéíè. 10:5), äéáäçëþíïíôáò ìÝóù ôçò áãÜðçò ôïõò ãéá ôá ãñÜììáôá ôçí õðÝñï÷ç áãÜðç ôïõò ãéá ôïí Ðñïáéþíéï Ëüãï, ôïí Õéü ôïõ Èåïý. Åõ÷üìåèá ïé ìáèçôÝò, ïé äéäÜóêáëïé, êáé ïé õðïóôçñéêôÝò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ãñáììÜôùí üëùí ìáò ôùí åíïñéþí êáé ôùí Áñ÷éåðéóêïðéêþí éäñõìÜôùí íá åßíáé åõëïãçìÝíïé ìå Ýíáí «êáëüí âßïí», ìÝóù ôïõ äþñïõ ôçò ðáéäåßáò, ôï äùñï ôçò ãñáììáôéêÞò ìïñöþóåþò ìáò óôçí ÅëëçíéêÞ êáé ÐáôåñéêÞ êëçñïíïìéÜ, ìÝóù ôçò ìåóéôåßáò ôùí Ôñéþí áõôþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé Ïéêïõìåíéêþí ÄéäáóêÜëùí ôçò Åêêëçóßáò ôïõ ×ñéóôïý. Ìå ôçí åí ×ñéóôþ ðáôñéêÞ áãÜðç,

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ÌáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôùí ó÷ïëåßùí ìáò ðáñáêïëïõèïýí ìå êáôÜíõîç ôçí Èåßá Ëåéôïõñãßá ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí, óôïí Êáèåäñéêü Íáü ôçò Áãßáò ÔñéÜäïò. Óôç ðñþôç óåéñÜ ïé ãåíéêïß ðñüîåíïé ôçò ÅëëÜäïò êáé ôçò Êýðñïõ ê.ê. ÐëáôÞò êáé Öéëßððïõ.

óåë. 13 âáóéëüðéôá êáé ôï íüìéóìá Ýðåóå óôïí ðáëáßìá÷ï åêðáéäåõôéêü êáé äéåõèõíôÞ ôùí ðñïãñáììÜôùí ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ôïõ Áãßïõ ÄçìÞôñéïõ ôçò Áóôüñéá ê. ÔéìïëÝïíôá Êüêêéíï. Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò êáëùóüñéóå ôïõò åêðáéäåõôéêïýò êáé åðáßíåóå ôï Ýñãï êáé ôéò áêÜìáôåò ðñïóðÜèåéÝò ôïõò. ×áéñåôéóìïýò áðçýèõíáí ïé ðñüîåíïé ôçò ÅëëÜäïò êáé ôçò Êýðñïõ, ï åêðáéäåõôéêüò áêüëïõèïò óôï Åëëçíéêü ðñïîåíåßï ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò ê. ÍéêïëéäÜêçò, ç äéåõèýíïõóá ôïõ Ãñáöåßïõ Ðáéäåßáò ôçò É. Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò ê. Ìáêåäþí êáé ç ðñüåäñïò ôïõ óõëëüãïõ åêðáéäåõôéêþí «ÐñïìçèÝáò» ê. ÅëÝíç Ãáëßäç. ÓõãêéíçôéêÞ Þôáí ç áíáöïñÜ ôçò ðáëáßìá÷ïõ åêðáéäåõôéêïý ê. Ìáñßáò ÌáõñïãéÜííç, äáóêÜëáò óôï ó÷ïëåßï Áñãýñéïò ÖÜíôçò ôïõ Brooklyn, ðïõ õðçñåôåß ôá ó÷ïëåßá ìáò ãéá 32 ïëüêëçñá ÷ñüíéá. Ç ê. ÌáõñïãéÜííç áíáöÝñèçêå óôéò ðñïóðÜèåéÝò ôçò êáôÜ ôçí äåêáåôßá ôïõ ’60, íá åããñáöåß óôçí äéäáóêáëéêÞ Áêáäçìßá ôïõ Áãßïõ Âáóéëåßïõ êáé ôçí óõìâïëÞ ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ Éáêþâïõ óôçí åðßôåõîç ôïõ óêïðïý ôçò. «ÐÝôõ÷á ìå ôç âïÞèåéá ôïõ Èåïý üëïõò ôïõò óêïðïýò êáé ôïõò óôü÷ïõò ðïõ Ýèåóá óôç æùÞ ìïõ ùò Üíèñùðïò êáé þò äáóêÜëá –åßðå– äåí åßìáé ðëïýóéá áëëÜ æù êáé áéóèÜíïìáé óáí ðëïýóéá... åý÷ïìáé íá âñåèïýí íÝïé Üíèñùðïé íá óõíå÷ßóïõí ôï Ýñãï ðïõ åðéôåëïýìå ìå ðüíï êáé áãÜðç ôüóá ÷ñüíéá».

Óôï Ìçôñïðïëéôéêü Ìïõóåßï Ìéá ðñùôüôõðç, ëáìðñÞ êáé áñ÷ïíôéêÞ åêäÞëùóç äéïñãáíþèçêå öÝôïò ôçí 1ç Öåâñïõáñßïõ ðñïò ôéìÞí ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí óôï Ìçôñïðïëéôéêü Ìïõóåßï ôçò ÍÝáò Õüñêçò áðü ôçí ÉåñÜ Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞ ÁìåñéêÞò, êáé éäéáßôåñá áðü ôï Ãñáöåßï Ðáéäåßáò, ÷ïñçãåßá ôïõ æåýãïõò Ìáßñçò êáé Ìé÷áÞë Ôæá÷Üñç. Ç åêäÞëùóç óôçí ïðïßá ðáñåõñÝèçêáí ðÜíù áðü 700 Üôïìá, ðåñéåëÜìâáíå äåîßùóç êáé ðåñéÞãçóç óôéò áßèïõóåò ÅëëçíéêÞò êáé ÂõæáíôéíÞò ÔÝ÷íçò ôïõ Ìïõóåßïõ ðïõ öÝñïõí ôï üíïìá ôïõ æåýãïõò Ôæá÷Üñç, ðïõ áöéÝñùóå êáé ÷ñçìáôïäüôçóå ôéò áßèïõóåò áõôÝò þò ìüíéìá åêèÝìáôá ôïõ Ìïõóåßïõ. Áêïëïýèçóå äéÜëåîç ôçò Äñ. Helen Evans, ðïõ åßíáé Ýöïñïò ôïõ Ìçôñïðïëéôéêïý Ìïõóåßïõ ãéá âõæáíôéíÜ åêèÝìáôá êáé äéáêåêñéìÝíç Âõæáíôéíïëüãïò, ìå èÝìá «ÂõæÜíôéï: Ç ôÝ÷íç ôçò Ìåôáìüñöùóçò Ðïëéôéóìþí». Ç ïìéëÞôñéá óôçí äéáíèéóìÝíç ìå äéáöÜíåéåò ïìéëßá ôçò ðáñïõ-

óßáóå ìÝóù ôçò ãëõðôéêÞò, áñ÷éôåêôïíéêÞò êáé åéêïíïãñáößáò ôçí äõíáìéêÞ ôïõ ôïõ Åëëçíï÷ñéóôéáíéêïý ðïëéôéóìïý íá ìåôáìïñöþíåé êáé íá ìåôáìïñöþíåôáé áããßæïíôáò êÜèå ðôõ÷Þ ôçò êïéíùíéêÞò æùÞò êáé äéáôçñþíôáò óõã÷ñüíùò óôïé÷åßá ðïõ åðéôñÝðïõí óôïí ìåëåôçôÞ íá äéáðéóôþíåé ôçí óõíÝ÷åéá äéá ìÝóïõ ôùí áéþíùí.

Ï ê. Âáóßëåéïò ÁíôùíéÜäçò õðçñÝôçóå ùò äéåõèõíôÞò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí Ó÷ïëåßùí óôçí ðåñéï÷Þ Washington, D.C.

GREECE From NEW YORK BOSTON To ATHENS/THESSALONIKI

...on sale

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Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ìå ôçí åêðáéäåõôéêü ê. Ìáñßá ÌáõñïãéÜííç.

Ï Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò åêöñÜæïíôáò ëßãåò óêÝøåéò ìåôÜ ôç äéÜëåîç äÞëùóå üôé ôçí âñáäéÜ ÷áñáêôÞñéóå «áñ÷ïíôéÜ» êáé ôüíéóå üôé «...ç ìåôáìüñöùóç åßíáé Þ ßäéá ç öýóç ôïõ Âõæáíôßïõ». Åðßóçò áíáöÝñèçêå éäéáßôåñá óôçí ìåôáìüñöùóç ðïõ åðåôåý÷èåé óôï ÂõæÜíôéï ü÷é ìüíï óôéò ôÝ÷íåò áëëÜ êáé óôçí ðñïóÝããéóç óôç æùÞ ôïõ áíèñþðïõ ãåíéêþôåñá ìå êýñéá åêäÞëùóÞ ôçò ôçí öéëáíèñùðßá. Áêïëïýèùò ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò êÜëåóå ôïí Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï ðñþçí ÁìåñéêÞò ê. ÉÜêùâï óôï âÞìá. Ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÉÜêùâïò áíáôñÝ÷ïíôáò óôï ðáñåëèüí ìßëçóå ìå èÝñìç ãéá ôçí äéáôÞñçóç êáé ðñïþèçóç ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò Ãëþóóáò êáé ôïõ Åëëçíéêïý ðïëéôéóìïý áëëÜ êáé ôçí «óéùðçëÞ ìåôáìüñöùóç ôçò öõëÞò ìáò ðïõ áíÜìåóá óôïõò áéþíåò ìðïñåß íá Üëëáîå ðïëéôéêÝò ìïñöÝò áëëÜ âáèéÜ ìÝóá ôçò ðáñáìÝíåé ç ßäéá», åßðå ÷áñáêôçñéóôéêÜ. Åêôüò áðü ôïí Áñ÷éåðßóêïðï ÉÜêùâï ðáñåõñÝèçêáí äéðëùìáôéêïß åêðñüóùðïé ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò êáé ÊõðñéáêÞò Äçìïêñáôßáò, Üíèñùðïé ôùí ãñáììÜôùí êáé ôùí ôå÷íþí, êáèçãçôáß, áêáäçìáúêïß, ï Èåïö. Åðßóêïðïò Ìåëüçò ê. Öéëüèåïò, ï Èåïö. Åðßóêïðïò ÎÜíèïõ ê. ÄçìÞôñéïò êáé ðïëëïß êëçñéêïß ôçò Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞò. Ôçí ðáñïõóßáóç ôïõ ðñïãñÜììáôïò êáé ôçò êýñéáò ïìéëÞôñéáò Ýêáíå ï Ðáíïó. Áñ÷éìáíäñßôçò êáé êáèçãçôÞò ôçò ÈåïëïãéêÞò Ó÷ïëÞò ôçò Âïóôþíçò Éùáêåßì Êïôóþíçò.

379

APRIL-MAY-JUNE

195

FEBRUARY-MARCH

454

JUNE-JULY-AUGUST

• Our Special Sale Ends March 4th, 2001 • Olympic Airways still pays 10% commision • * Fares are O/W based on R/T purchase •The above Special Promotion Fare Apllies from 94 U.S. Cities • Restrictions apply • For more information check your CRS or call Olympic Airways or Fax:(212) 735-0337.

Ç ÄÉÊÇ ÓÏÕ ÅÔÁÉÑÉÁ © ORTHODOX OBSERVER

Ç Áñ÷éåðéóêïðÞ ôßìçóå ôçí ìíÞìç ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôá ÅëëçíéêÜ ÃñÜììáôá

Ç ÏìïãÝíåéá ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò Washington, D.C., ìå ðñùôïâïõëßá ôïõ Ãñáöåßïõ ôïõ åêðáéäåõôéêïý Óõìâïýëïõ ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò Ðñåóâåßáò ôçò ÏõÜóéãêôïí êáé ìå ôç óõíåñãáóßá ôïõ ðïëéôéóôéêïý óõëëüãïõ ÐñïìçèÝáò, êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ó÷ïëåßùí ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò, äéïñãÜíùóå ðáíçãõñéêü åïñôáóìü ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí, óôç ìåãÜëç áßèïõóá ôçò Êïéíüôçôáò Áã. Ãåùñãßïõ Bethesda, Md. ôçí ÊõñéáêÞ 28 Éáíïõáñßïõ 2001. Ôçí åêäÞëùóç ðáñáêïëïýèçóáí ðÜíù áðü 400 Üôïìá êáé ôçí ôßìçóáí ìå ôçí ðáñïõóßá ôïõò ïé éåñåßò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí êïéíïôÞôùí ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò Washington, D.C., ï ðñåóâåõôÞò ê. Á. ×ñéóôüðïõëïò åê ìÝñïõò ôçò ÅëëÜäáò, ï åðéôåôñáììÝíïò ôçò ÊõðñéáêÞò Ðñåóâåßáò ê. Ã. ÓáêáëÞò, êáé Üëëïé åîÝ÷ïíôåò ¸ëëçíåò êáé Åëëçíïáìåñéêáíïß. Ôï ðñüãñáììá ðïõ ïñãÜíùóå êáé ðáñïõóßáóå ï ê. ÅììáíïõÞë ÂáóéëÜêçò, óõíôïíéóôÞò Åêðáßäåõóçò óôç Ðñåóâåßá ôçò ÅëëÜäáò, åß÷å ùò êÝíôñï ôïõò Ôñåßò ÉåñÜñ÷åò êáé ôï ìåãÜëï ôïõò Ýñãï óôç äéÜäïóç ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò. Ôï ìåãáëýôåñï üìùò ìÝñïò ôçò åêäÞëùóçò Þôáí áöéåñùìÝíï óôçí ôåñÜóôéá óõìâïëÞ ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ãñáììÜôùí, êáé éäéáßôåñá ôçò ÍåïåëëçíéêÞò ëïãïôå÷íßáò óôç óçìåñéíÞ ìáò æùÞ. ÐÜíù ó’ áõôü ôï èÝìá Ýãéíå ìéá óýíôïìç áíáäñïìÞ óôçí éóôïñßá ôçò ÅëëçíéêÞò ðïßçóçò áðü ôïí 9ï ì.×. áéþíá, ìå åéäéêÞ áíáöïñÜ óôç äçìïôéêÞ ìáò ðïßçóç, êáé óôçí ÊñçôéêÞ ëïãïôå÷íßá ôïõ 17ïõ áéþíá. ÌáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôùí åëëçíéêþí ó÷ïëåßùí ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò, êáèþò êáé Üëëá ðñüóùðá, êõñßùò åêðáéäåõôéêïß, áðÞããåéëáí áðïóðÜóìáôá åðéöáíþí ÅëëÞíùí ðïéçôþí (Óïëùìü, ÐáëáìÜ, Óéêåëéáíü,

ÓåöÝñç, Ñßôóï êáé Åëýôç), Ýíôå÷íá óõíäåäåìÝíá ìåôáîý ôïõò ìå óýíôïìåò åîçãÞóåéò áðü ôïí åéóçãçôÞ ôïõ ðñïãñÜììáôïò ê. ÂáóéëÜêç. Ïé ðáéäéêÝò ÷ïñùäßåò ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ó÷ïëåßùí Áãßïõ Ãåùñãßïõ, Bethesda, Md. êáé ôçò Áãßáò Áéêáôåñßíçò Falls Church, Va. áðÝäùóáí ãíùóôÜ ìåëïðïéçìÝíá ðïéÞìáôá ôùí éäßùí åðéöáíþí äçìéïõñãþí ðñïóèÝôïíôáò ìéá åõ÷Üñéóôç ìïõóéêÞ ðáñÝíèåóç óôï üëï ðñüãñáììá. Áîéïóçìåßùôç õðÞñîå êáé ç óõììåôï÷Þ ôïõ åîáßñåôïõ ðñùôïøÜëôç ôïõ Êáèåäñéêïý Íáïý ôçò Áãßáò Óïößáò ê. ÓôÝëéïõ Êïíôáêéþôç, ï ïðïßïò Ýøáëå ìå ôïí âïçèü ôïõ äéáëåãìÝíåò ÂõæáíôéíÝò õìíùäßåò ùò ðåéóôéêÜ äåßãìáôá ôçò óõìâïëÞò ôçò ÂõæáíôéíÞò åðï÷Þò óôç äéÜäïóç ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí. Ôï ýöïò êáé ç ðïéüôçôá ôçò ðïëéôéóôéêÞò áõôÞò âñáäéÜò åíôõðùóßáóå êáé èá ìåßíåé áîÝ÷áóôç åìðåéñßá óå üëïõò üóïõò ôçí ðáñáêïëïýèçóáí. ÁðïôÝëåóå ìïíáäéêÞ åõêáéñßá ãéá ôá ðáéäéÜ êáé ôïõò ìåãÜëïõò ðïõ Ýëáâáí ìÝñïò, íá ôïíþóïõí ôï åèíéêïèñçóêåõôéêü ôïõò öñüíçìá êáé íá áéóèáíèïýí ðåñÞöáíïé ãéá ôïí åèíéêü èçóáõñü ðïõ êëçñïíüìçóáí. Áîßæïõí èåñìÜ óõã÷áñçôÞñéá óå üëá ôá ðñüóùðá ðïõ óõíÝâáëáí êáé âïÞèçóáí óôçí åðéôõ÷ßá ôçò ùñáßáò áõôÞò åïñôÞò ðñïò ôéìÞ ôùí Ôñéþí Éåñáñ÷þí êáé ôùí Åëëçíéêþí ÃñáììÜôùí. Éäéáßôåñá áîßæïõí óõã÷áñçôÞñéá óôïí ê. ÅììáíïõÞë ÂáóéëÜêç ðïõ ïñãÜíùóå êáé ðáñïõóßáóå Ýíá ôüóï ðñùôüôõðï êáé åìðíåõóìÝíï ðñüãñáììá. Ìéá ðñáãìáôéêÜ Üñéóôç áñ÷Þ ðïõ åðéâÜëëåé óõíÝ÷åéá áëëÜ êáé ìßìçóç.

1-800-223-1226

www.olympic-airways.gr ÏËÕÌÐÉÁÊÇ ÁÅÑÏÐÏÑÉÁ• Ç ÄÉÊÇ ÓÏÕ ÅÔÁÉÑÉÁ

ÓÅËÉÄÁ 16

ÏÑÈÏÄÏÎÏÓ ÐÁÑÁÔÇÑÇÔÇÓ

ÖÅÂÑÏÕÁÑÉÏÓ 2001

Ðáíïñèüäïîï ìÞíõìá åíüôçôáò êáé êáôáëëáãÞò ÅÓÔÅÉËÁÍ ÏÉ ÐÑÏÊÁÈÇÌÅÍÏÉ ÔÙÍ ÏÑÈÄÏÎÙÍ ÅÊÊËÇÓÉÙÍ ÁÐÏ ÔÇ ÍÉÊÁÉÁ ÔÇÓ ÂÉÈÕÍÉÁÓ ôïõ ÍéêïëÜïõ Ìáããßíá

Þíõìá åíüôçôáò êáé êáôáëëáãÞò ðñïò üëï ôïí Ïñèüäïîï êüóìï êáé ðñïò üëç ôçí áíèñùðüôçôá, Ýóôåéëáí ïé ÐñïêáèÞìåíïé ôùí Ïñèüäïîùí Åêêëçóéþí êáôÜ ôçí ðñüóöáôç óõíÜíôçóÞ ôïõò óôçí Êùíóôáíôéíïýðïëç. Ïé Ïñèüîïé ÐñïêáèÞìåíïé óõíÞëèáí óôï ÖáíÜñé ìåôÜ áðü ðñüóêëçóç ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ïõ ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïõ, áðü 23 Ýùò 27 Äåêåìâñßïõ 2000, óôá ðëáßóéá ôùí åïñôáóìþí ãéá ôá 2000 ÷ñüíéá áðü ôçí ãÝííçóç ôïõ ×ñéóôïý. Ïé ÐñïêáèÞìåíïé êáé ïé åêðñüóùðïé ôùí Ïñèïäüîùí Åêêëçóéþí, êáôÜ ôçí óýóêåøç ðïõ åß÷áí óôï ÖáíÜñé, õðü ôçí ðñïåäñåßá ôïõ ÐáôñéÜñ÷ïõ Âáñèïëïìáßïõ, êáé ìåôÜ áðü åêôåíåßò óõæçôÞóåéò, áðåöÜóéóáí üðùò ïé ðñïêáèÞìåíïé óõíÝñ÷ùíôáé êáôÜ ôï äõíáôüí óõ÷íüôåñá ãéá äéáâïõëåýóåéò ðÜíù óå èÝìáôá ðïõ áðáó÷ïëïýí ôéò áíÜ ôïí êüóìï Ïñèüäïîåò Åêêëçóßåò. Åðßóçò áðïöáóßóèçêå íá óõóôáèïýí ôñßá äéïñèüäïîá óþìáôá: 1. Ïìïóðïíäßá ôùí Ïñèüäïîùí Èåïëïãéêþí Ó÷ïëþí ðáíåðéóôçìéáêïý åðéðÝäïõ. 2. ÅðéôñïðÞ åîåôÜóåùò ôùí ðñïâëçìÜôùí ôçò âéï–çèéêÞò êáé Üëëùí óýã÷ñïíùí èåìÜôùí ðïõ ðáñïõóéÜóôçêáí ðñüóöáôá êáé ÷ñÞæïõí ôçò ðñïóï÷Þò ôçò Åêêëçóßáò. 3. ÅðéôñïðÞ ëåéôïõñãéêþí èåìÜôùí, ðñïò Üñóç áíåðßôñåðôùí äéáöïñïðïéÞóåùí ìåôáîý ôùí Åêêëçóéþí óôï ÷þñï ôçò ëåéôïõñãéêÞò. Ìå óêïðü ôçí åðßôåõîç åéñÞíåõóçò êáé êáôáëëáãÞò óôçí Ïñèüäïîç ÂïõëãáñéêÞ Åêêëçóßá áðïöáóßóèçêå íá áðåõèõíèåß ìÞíõìá ðñïò ôïõò Ïñèüäïîïõò

Íéê. Ìáããßíáò

Ï ÏÉÊÏÕÌÅÍÉÊÏÓ ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò Âáñèïëïìáßïò êáé ïé ÐñïêáèÞìåíïé ôùí Ïñèïäüîùí Åêêëçóéþí óõëëåéôïýñãçóáí óôïí éóôïñéêü íáü ôçò Áãßáò Óïößáò óôç Íßêáéá ôçò Âéèõíßáò.

ôçò Âïõëãáñßáò. Áðïöáóßóèçêå áêüìç üðùò ïé óýíáîç ôùí ðñïêáèçìÝíùí áðåõèýíåé Ýêêëçóç ðñüò ðÜíôáò üóïõò Ý÷ïõí åîïõóßá óôéò ÷þñåò üðïõ õðÜñ÷ïõí Ïñèüäïîåò Åêêëçóßåò, üðùò óÝâïíôáé ôïõò áðü áéþíùí éó÷ýïíôáò êáíüíáò, êáèþò êáé ôéò äïìÝò ôçò Ïñèïäüîïõ Åêêëçóßáò, ôüóïí ùò ðñïò ôï äéïéêçôéêü óýóôçìá ôùí ôïðéêþí åêêëçóéþí üóï êáé ùò ðñïò ôçí êôÞóç êáé ÷ñÞóç ôùí éåñþí ôüðùí êáé ðåñéïõóéþí áõôþí.

ÁíÞìåñá ôùí ×ñéóôïõãÝííùí ïé ÐñïêáèÞìåíïé êáé ïé åêðñüóùðïé ôùí Åêêëçóéþí óõëåéôïýñãçóáí óôïí Ðáôñéáñ÷éêü Íáü ôïõ Áãßïõ Ãåùñãßïõ óôï ÖáíÜñé êáé ôçí åðïìÝíç óõëåéôïýñãçóáí óôïí éóôïñéêü íáü ôçò Áãßáò Óïößáò óôç Íßêáéá ôçò ÌéêñÜò Áóßáò, ðïõ ëåéôïõñãåß óÞìåñá ùò ìïõóåßï. Ðñüêåéôáé ãéá ôïí éóôïñéêü íáü óôïí ïðïßï óõíÞëèå ôï 787 ì.×. ç 7ç ÏéêïõìåíéêÞ Óýíïäïò. ÊáôÜ ôçí äéÜñêåéá ôçò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò áíåãíþóèç ôï ìÞíõìá ôùí

ÐñïêáèÞìåíùí ôùí Ïñèüäïîùí Åêêëçóéþí ðïõ åãêñßèçêå êáôÜ ôçí óýóêåøç óôï ÖáíÜñé. Óôá ðëáßóéá ôùí åêäçëþóåùí Ýãéíå êáé ç ðáñïõóßá ôïõ ìíçìåéþäïõò äßôïìïõ Ýñãïõ «Ï Èçóáõñüò ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò» ôçò ÅêäïôéêÞò Áèçíþí, óôï ïðïßï áðïôõðþíåôáé ç äéó÷éëéåôÞò ðïñåßá ôçò Åêêëçóßáò. Ç õëïðïßçóç ôïõ Ýñãïõ Ýãéíå ìå ôçí êáèïñéóôéêÞ óõìâïëÞ ôïõ ðñïÝäñïõ ôçò ÅêäïôéêÞò Áèçíþí, ¢ñ÷ïíôïò ôïõ Ðáôñéáñ÷åßïõ ê. Ã. ×ñéóôüðïõëïõ.

ÁäåëöïðïéÞèçêáí ïé ðüëåéò ôçò Íßêáéáò ôçò Âéèõíßáò êáé ôçò Íßêáéáò ôïõ Íïìïý Ëáñßóçò Ìå ôçí åõëïãßá ôïõ Ïéêïõìåíéêïý ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç Âáñèïëïìáßïõ «Ìáæß æïýìå óÞìåñá ìéá éóôïñéêÞ çìÝñá ìå ôï íá åõñéóêüìåèá åéò ôçí Íßêáéá äéá ìéáí áêüìç öïñÜí», åßðå óôçí ïìéëßá ôïõ êáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôçò ôåëåôÞò ôçò õðïãñáöÞò ôïõ ðñùôïêüëëïõ ôçò áäåëöïðïéÞóåùò ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò ê. Âáñèïëïìáßïò áíáöåñüìåíïò óôçí ðáñïõóßá ôïõ ðñßí ëßãåò ìüíï ìÝñåò óôçí Íßêáéá óôï óõëëåßôïõñãï ôçò 26çò Äåêåìâñßïõ 2000 ìå ôïõò ÐñïêáèÞìåíïõò ôùí Ïñèïäüîùí Åêêëçóéþí. Êáé óõíå÷ßæïíôáò ï Ðáíáãéüôáôïò åßðå: «ÁéóèÜíïìáé ìåãÜëç éêáíïðïßçóç êáé óõãêßíçóç ãéá ðïëëïýò ëüãïõò. Ðñþôïí, äéüôé áõôÞ ç ðüëéò óõíäÝåôáé éóôïñéêþò ìå ôï ÃÝíïò ìáò, ìå ôçí Ïñèüäïîïí ðßóôç ìáò, ìå ôçí èñçóêåßá ìáò». «Êáé ôþñá, óõíÝ÷éóå ï Ïéêïõìåíéêüò ÐáôñéÜñ÷çò, æïýìå Ýíá Üëëï éóôïñéêü ãåãïíüò, ôçí áäåëöïðïßçóéí ôùí äýï Íéêáéþí. Ôçò Íßêáéáò ôçò Âéèõíßáò êáé ôçò Íßêáéáò ôïõ Íïìïý Ëáñßóçò. Åßíáé Ýíá ôïëìçñü êáé ãåííáßï âÞìá ç áðüöáóéò áõôÞ ôùí äýï äçìÜñ÷ùí êáé ôùí åêáôÝñùèåí äçìïôéêþí óõìâïýëùí êáé åõ÷üìåèá ôï ðáñÜäåéãìá áõôü íá ôï ìéìçèïýí êáé Üëëåò ðüëåéò. ´Å÷ïõí âÝâáéá Þäç ðñïçãçèåß Üëëåò ðüëåéò óôçí Ôïõñêßá êáé ôçí ÅëëÜäá êáé ï áðüç÷ïò áõôþí ôùí áäåëöïðïéÞóåùí êáé ç óõìâïëéêÞ óçìáóßá áõôÞò ôçò ðñÜîåùò äåí åîáíôëåßôáé –õðïãñÜììéóå– ìüíï ìåôáîý ôùí äýï

öÝñíåé êïíôÜ ôïõò áíèñþðïõò ðáñáìÝíåé áíåîßôçëï óôç ìíÞìç ôïõò». Ç óçìåñéíÞ Íßêáéá ôïõ Íïìïý Ëáñßóçò, ïíïìÜóèçêå Ýôóé ôï 1924, ìåôÜ ôçí ÌéêñáóéáôéêÞ êáôáóôñïöÞ êáé ýóôåñá áðü ðñüôáóç ôïõ äáóêÜëïõ Äçì. Ðáðáãéáííüðïõëïõ, åéò áíÜìíçóç ôïõ ðïëéïý÷ïõ ôçò Ëáñßóçò Áã. Á÷éëëåßïõ, ï ïðïßïò þò åðßóêïðïò Ëáñßóçò åß÷å ëÜâåé ìÝñïò óôçí Á´ ÏéêïõìåíéêÞ Óýíïäï óôç Íßêáéá ôçò Âéèõíßáò, ôï 325 ì. ×. – Í. Ì.¿

Íéê. Ìáããßíáò

Ïé äÞìáñ÷ïé ôçò Íßêáéáò ôçò Âéèõíßáò êáé ôçò Íßêáéáò ôçò Ëáñßóçò ìå ôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç Âáñèïëïìáßï õðÝãñáøáí ôï ðñùôüêïëëï áäåëöïðïßçóçò ôùí äýï ðüëåùí.

ðüëåùí êáé ôùí äýï ÷ùñþí, áëëÜ èá åßíáé åõñýôåñïò êáé èá åðåêôáèåß ìå ôçí âïÞèåéá ôïõ Èåïý, ï ïðïßïò åßíáé ï ¢ñ÷ùí ôçò åéñÞíçò, åéò üëá ôá ÂáëêÜíéá, ôá ïðïßá äéøïýí ãéá åéñÞíç êáé áäåëöïóýíç ýóôåñá áðü ôá üóá äõóóÜñåóôá êáôÜ êáé ìåôÜ ôçí åìðüëåìïí êáôÜóôáóéí ìÝ÷ñé êáé ðñïóöÜôùò». Ï Ôïýñêïò äÞìáñ÷ïò ôçò Íßêáéáò (Iznik) Zeyenel Abidin Turan óôç ÷áéñåôéóôÞñéá ïìéëßá ôïõ áíáöÝñèçêå óôçí ðïëýðëåõñç óçìáóßá ôçò áäåëöïðïéÞóåùò ôçò éóôïñéêÞò ðüëçò ôçò Íßêáéáò ìå ôçí Íßêáéá ôïõ Íïìïý Ëáñßóçò.

Áðü ôçí ðëåõñÜ ôïõ ï ¸ëëçíáò äÞìáñ÷ïò ôçò Íßêáéáò Ñßæïò Êùí. ÊïìÞôóáò áðåõèõíüìåíïò ìå óåâáóìü óôïí Ïéêïõìåíéêü ÐáôñéÜñ÷ç ôïí åõ÷áñßóôçóå ðïõ ðåñéÝâáëëå ìå ôüóç áãÜðç êáé ôüóï åíäéáöÝñïí ôçí êßíçóÞ ôïõò óõìâÜëëïíôáò êáèïñéóôéêÜ «þóôå íá ãßíåé ðñÜîç áõôüò ï ðüèïò ï äéêüò ìáò». «¸÷ù ôçí ðåðïßèçóç –êáôÝëçîå– üôé ïé åðüìåíåò ãåíéÝò èá ìáò åõãíùìïíïýí ãé áõôÞ ìáò ôçí ðñïóðÜèåéá. Áõôïß ðïõ èÜñèïõí ìåôÜ áðü åìÜò ðñÝðåé íá æÞóïõí ìå åéñÞíç êáé áðåñßóðáóôá íá åñãÜæïíôáé ãéá ôçí ðñüïäï êáé ôçí åõçìåñßá. ¼,ôé

Íéê. Ìáããßíáò

Öýôåøáí óõìâïëéêÜ ôï äÝíôñï ôçò öéëßáò óôï ðñïáýëéï ôïõ éóôïñéêïý íáïý ôçò Áãßáò Óïößáò.

ÖÅÂÑÏÕÁÑÉÏÓ 2001

ÏÑÈÏÄÏÎÏÓ ÐÁÑÁÔÇÑÇÔÇÓ

ÓÅËÉÄÁ 17

Ìïíáäéêüò ï åïñôáóìüò ôùí Èåïöáíåßùí óôï ìïíáäéêü Åëëçíéêü ×ùñéü ôçò Öëüñéäáò ôïõ ÄçìÞôñç ÐáðáãéáííÜêç

ÔÁÑÐÏÍ ÓÐÑÉÍÃÊÓ – Ðéóôïß óôéò ðáñáäüóåéò, ôá Þèç êáé ôá ÝèéìÜ ìáò, êáé ìå âáèý ôï áßóèçìá ôçò Ïñèüäïîçò ðßóôçò, ïé ïìïãåíåßò ôçò Öëüñéäáò ãéüñôáóáí ãéá ìéÜ áêüìç ÷ñïíéÜ ôçí çìÝñá ôùí Èåïöáíåßùí, óôï ìïíáäéêü Åëëçíéêü ×ùñéü ôùí ÇíùìÝíùí Ðïëéôåéþí ôï ÔÜñðïí Óðñßíãêò. Ïé ôñéÞìåñåò åêäçëþóåéò Üñ÷éóáí ôçí ðáñáìïíÞ ôï ìåóçìÝñé, ÐáñáóêåõÞ 5 Éáíïõáñßïõ, ìå ôçí Üöéîç êáé ôçí õðïäï÷Þ ôïõ Óåâ. Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ ÁìåñéêÞò ê. Äçìçôñßïõ, ðïõ ðáñáäïóéáêÜ ðáñåõñßóêåôáé êáé çãåßôáé ôùí åïñôáóôéêþí åêäçëþóåùí. Áêïëïýèçóå ãåýìá ðïõ ðñáãìáôïðïéÞèçêå óôçí êïéíïôéêÞ áßèïõóá ôçò Áãßáò ÔñéÜäïò óôï Êëéáñãïõþôåñ, êáé ôï ßäéï âñÜäé ôï êáèéåñùìÝíï åðßóçìï äåßðíï ôçò Á×ÅÐÁ ðïõ ðáñáôßèåôáé ðñïò ôéìÞí ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ. ÁíÞìåñá ôùí Èåïöáíåßùí ìå ìïíáäéêÞ ëáìðñüôçôá êáé èñçóêåõôéêÞ êáôÜíõîç ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò ÁìåñéêÞò ðñïÝóôåé ðáíçãõñéêÞò Áñ÷éåñáôéêÞò Èåßáò Ëåéôïõñãßáò óôïí Êáèåäñéêü Íáü ôïõ Áãßïõ ÍéêïëÜïõ óôï ÔÜñðïí Óðñßíãêò, óõíåðéêïõñïýìåíïò áðï ôïí Èåïö. Åðßóêïðï ÁôëÜíôáò ê. ÁëÝîéï êáé ôïí Èåïö. Åðßóêïðï ÊáôÜíçò ê. ÉÜêùâï. ÌéÜ çëéüëïõóôç êáé æåóôÞ ìÝñá, óå áíôßèåóç ìå ôéò áìÝóùò ðñïçãïýìåíåò, áëëÜ êáé ôï ãåãïíüò üôé óõíÝðåóå çìÝñá ÓÜââáôï óõíÝâáëáí óôçí ðïëý ìåãÜëç óõììåôï÷Þ êüóìïõ, ðïõ îåðÝñáóå ôéò ôñéÜíôá ÷éëéÜäåò ðéóôþí áð’ üëç ôçí åõñýôåñç ðåñéï÷Þ ôçò ÔÜìðá, áëëÜ êáé áðü ðïëëÜ Üëëá ìÝñç ü÷é ìüíï ôçò Öëüñéäáò áëëÜ êáé áð’ üëç ôçí ÁìåñéêÞ áêüìç êáé áðü ôïí ÊáíáäÜ. Ï åïñôáóìüò ôùí Èåïöáíåßùí ðáßñíåé Üëëùóôå äéáóôÜóåéò ðïõ îåðåñíïýí ôá üñéá ôçò ÏìïãÝíåéáò ìå ôçí óõììåôï÷Þ ðëÞèïõò áíèñþðùí äéáöüñùí åèíéêïôÞôùí, èñçóêåýìáôïò Þ êáôáãùãÞò. ÌåãÜëç Þôáí åðßóçò êáé ç äçìïóéüôçôá ðïõ äüèçêå áðü ôá áìåñéêáíéêÜ ôïðéêÜ ìÝóá åíçìÝñùóçò, êáèþò ç çìÝñá ôïõ åïñôáóìïý ôùí Èåïöáíåßùí èåùñåßôáé éäáßôåñï ãåãïíüò ãéá ôçí ðåñéï÷Þ, Üîéï ìåãÜëçò êÜëõøçò. ÌåôÜ ôï ðÝñáò ôçò È. Ëåéôïõñãßáò ó÷çìáôßóôçêå ðïìðÞ ìå åðéêåöáëÞò ôïõò ðåíÞíôá êáé ðëÝïí íÝïõò ïé ïðïßïé èá âïõôïýóáí ãéá ôçí áíÜóõñóç ôïõ

Ôéìßïõ Óôáõñïý áðü ôçí èÜëáóóá. Áêïëïõèïýóáí ÷ïñåõôéêÜ óõãêñïôÞìáôá áð’ üëç ôçí Öëüñéäá êáé ôïí ÊáíáäÜ, ïé ìáèçôÝò êáé ìáèÞôñéåò ôïõ äçìïôéêïý ó÷ïëåßïõ ôïõ Áãßïõ ÍéêïëÜïõ, ôá åîáðôÝñõãá êáé óôç óõíÝ÷åéá ï Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò êñáôþíôáò ôïí Ôßìéï Óôáõñü, óõíïäåõüìåíïò áðü ôïí Èåïö. Åðßóêïðï ÁôëÜíôáò ÁëÝîéï êáé áðü ôïí éåñü êëÞñï ôçò ðåñéï÷Þò. Ç ðïìðÞ êáôåõèýíèçêå ðñïò ôçí åîÝäñá óôï êÝíôñï ôïõ êïëðßóêïõ Óðñßíãê Ìðáãéïý. Ëßãï ðñßí áñ÷ßóåé ç éåñÜ áêïëïõèßá ôïõ Áãéáóìïý ôùí õäÜôùí êáé ôçò êáôÜäõóçò ôïõ Ôéìßïõ Óôáõñïý, ï Óåâáóìéþôáôïò Áñ÷éåðßóêïðïò, åõëüãçóå ôïõò íÝïõò, åõ÷üìåíïò êáëÞ åðéôõ÷ßá, ïé ïðïßïé óôç óõíÝ÷åéá âïýôçîáí óôç èÜëáóóá ãéá íá ðÜñïõí ôéò èÝóåéò ôïõò óôéò âÜñêåò ðïõ ó÷çìÜôéæáí çìéêýêëéï ìðñïóôÜ áðü ôçí åîÝäñá üðïõ êáé èá ãéíüôáí ç ôåëåôÞ. Ç óôéãìÞ ðïõ ðåñßìåíáí ôá ðëÞèç áëëÜ éäéáßôåñá ïé íÝïé Ýöçâïé ðïõ ðñïåôïéìÜæïíôáí êáéñü ôþñá, Þñèå áíáðÜíôå÷á ãñÞãïñá êáé îáöíéêÜ. Âïýôçîáí ìå ïñìÞ óôá íåñÜ êáé óå ëßãåò óôéãìÝò Ýíáò óÞêùóå øçëÜ ôï ÷Ýñé ôïõ êñáôþíôáò ôïí Üóðñï îýëéíï óôáõñü. «Ç óêÝøç ìïõ åßíáé íá óðïõäÜóù óôçí ÈåïëïãéêÞ Ó÷ïëÞ ôïõ Ôéìßïõ Óôáõñïý ôçò Âïóôþíçò...» äÞëùóå ï 18÷ñïíïò Ëïýçò ÐÜððáò, ï ïðïßïò áíÝóõñå ôïí óôáõñü áðü ôçí èÜëáóóá . «¹ôáí ç ôåëåõôáßá ìïõ ðñïóðÜèåéá öÝôïò êáè´üôé åßìáé äåêáï÷ôþ ÷ñïíþí êáé ãéá íá âïõôÞîåéò ðñÝðåé íá åßóáé áðü äÝêá-åîé ìÝ÷ñé äÝêá-ï÷ôþ. Ôï íá áíáóýñåéò ôï Óôáõñü äåí åßíáé áðëþò ôý÷ç, åßíáé ç ìåãáëýôåñç åõëïãßá ðïõ óå áêïëïõèåß óå üëç óïõ ôçí æùÞ». ÌåôÜ ôçí êáôÜäõóç ôïõ Ôéìßïõ Óôáõñïý áêïëïýèçóå õðáßèñéï åëëçíéêü ãëÝíôé ôï ïðïßï ïñãáíþèçêå áðü ôçí åðéôñïðÞ ôïõ åïñôáóìïý ôùí Èåïöáíåßùí, ìå åëëçíéêïýò ðáñáäïóéáêïýò ÷ïñïýò ðïõ ðáñïõóßáóå ìéá ðëåéÜäá ïìïãåíåéáêþí ÷ïñåõôéêþí óõãêñïôçìÜôùí, åíþ ôï âñÜäõ ôï Óõìâïýëéï ôïõ Êáèåäñéêïý Íáïý ôïõ Áãßïõ ÍéêïëÜïõ ðáñÝèåóå äåßðíï ðñïò ôéìÞ ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ Äçìçôñßïõ, êáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôïõ ïðïßïõ ôéìÞèçêáí üëïé üóïé óôÝêùíôáé áñùãïß óôéò ðñïóðÜèåéåò êáé ôï Ýñãï ôçò ôïðéêÞò êáé éóôïñéêÞò êïéíüôçôïò ôïõ Áãßïõ ÍéêïëÜïõ. Äçì. ÐáíÜãïò Ïé åïñôáóôéêÝò åêäçëþóåéò ïëïêëçñþèçêáí ôçí ÓáñÜíôá åííéÜ íÝïé çëéêßáò 16-18 åôþí âïýôçîáí öÝôïò óôá íåñÜ ÊõñéáêÞ 7 Éáíïõáñßïõ ìå Áñ÷éåñáôéêÞ Èåßá Ëåéôïõñôïõ êïëðßóêïõ Óðñßíãê Ìðáãéïý ãéá ôçí áíÜäõóç ôïõ Óôáõñïý áöïý ãßá ðïõ åôåëÝóèç óôïí Éåñü Íáü ôïõ Áãßïõ ÉùÜííïõ óôçí ÔÜìðá. ¿ ðñþôá ðÞñáí ôçí åõëïãßá ôïõ Áñ÷éåðéóêüðïõ Äçìçôñßïõ.

Ç ÄÉÊÇ ÓÏÕ ÅÔÁÉÑÉÁ

Ãéüñôáóáí ôá ÈåïöÜíåéá êáé óôá íåñÜ ôïõ ðïôáìïý ×Üíôóïí ETA Press

Ëßãï ìåôÜ ôçí ôåëåôÞ ôçò êáôÜäõóçò ôïõ Óôáõñïý. Äéáêñßíïíïíôáé ï ÐáíôåëÞò Êáôïðüäçò êáé ðßóù ôïõ ï ÂáããÝëçò Ìðßóêïö êáé ï ÃåñÜóéìïò ÂáããåëÜôïò.

ETA Press

Ï ÐáíôåëÞò Êáôïðüäçò (ôñßôïò áðü áñéóôåñÜ) áíÝóõñå ðñþôïò ôïí Óôáõñü áðü ôá ðáãùìÝíá íåñÜ ôïõ ðïôáìïý ×Üíôóïí, óôçí ôåëåôÞ ÊáôÜäõóçò ðïõ Ýãéíå óôï ÌðÜôåñé ÐÜñê.Äßðëá ôïõ äéáêñßíïíôáé ï áéäåóéìþôáôïò ð. ÉùÜííçò Ñüìáò êáé ï ößëïò ôïõ Íßêïò Ôæßêáò.

ÍÅÁ ÕÏÑÊÇ – Méá ðáñÜäïóç ðïëëþí åôþí óõíå÷ßóôçêå êáé öÝôïò óôï ÌðÜôåñé ÐÜñê, üôáí ôÝóóåñéò ïìïãåíåßò êïëõìâçôÝò, ôéìþíôáò ôç ìåãÜëç ãéïñôÞ ôçò Ïñèïäïîßáò, áøÞöéóáí ôá ðáãùìÝíá íåñÜ ôïõ ðïôáìïý ×Üíôóïí êáé âïýôçîáí ãéá íá áíáóýñïõí ôïí Óôáõñü. Ï ð. ÉùÜííçò Ñüìáò, éåñáôéêþò ðñïúóôÜìåíïò óôï ãñáöéêü åêêëçóÜêé ôïõ Áãßïõ ÍéêïëÜïõ, óôçí ðåñéï÷Þ ôïõ «Ãïõüñëíô ÔñÝéíô ÓÝíôåñ», óõíå÷ßæåé ôçí ðáñÜäïóç ôùí ðñïêáôü÷ùí ôïõ êáé ãéá 16 ÷ñüíéá ïñãáíþíåé ôçí ôåëåôÞ ôçò êáôÜäõóçò ôïõ Óôáõñïý óôï ðïôÜìé. Ôïí Óôáõñü áíÝóõñå ôåëéêÜ ï íåáñüò ÐáíôåëÞò Êáôïðüäçò ðïõ Ýðåóå ðñïò ôçí êáôåýèõíóç ôïõ Óôáõñïý êáé äåí Üñãçóå íá ôïí áíáóýñåé. Ï ÐáíôåëÞò, ìåôÜ ôï êáôüñèùìÜ ôïõ åßðå üôé Þôáí êÜôé ðïõ Þèåëå íá ôï êÜíåé áðü ìéêñüò êáé æÞôçóå íá ìçí îå÷íïýí ïé íÝïé ôçí ðáñÜäïóç êáé ôç èñçóêåßá. ÁíÝöåñå ìÜëéóôá üôé Þëðéæå íá ìïéñáóôåß ôçí åõëïãßá ìáæß ìå ôïí ößëï ôïõ Íßêï Ôæßãêá, ìå ôïí ïðïßï êáé åß÷áí ó÷åäéÜóåé íá âïõôÞîïõí ãéá íá áíáóýñïõí ôïí óôáõñü. Ôï ðëÞèïò ôùí ðéóôþí, ðïõ êáôÝêëõóå êáé öÝôïò ôï íáü êáé áêïëïýèçóå ôçí ðïìðÞ ðñïò ôïí óçìåßï ôçò êáôÜäõóçò ÷åéñïêñüôçóå èåñìÜ ôïí íéêçôÞ êáé ôïõ Ýäùóå ôéò åõ÷Ýò ôïõ ãéá êáëÞ ðñüïäï. ÁíáìåóÜ óôïõ ðéóôïýò Þôáí êáé åðéóêÝðôåò áðü ôçí ÅëëÜäá, ôçí Êáëéöüñíéá êáé ôçí Âïóôþíç. ¿

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 18

FEBRUARY 2001

Membership and Grants Records Set in L-100 Conference u

page 1 Leadership 100 credited Archbishop Demetrios with infusing a new spirit of enthusiasm, spirituality and vitality into the organization. He called the Archbishop “the key factor in the success of the Millennium Membership Drive,” which was chaired by Stephen Yeonas of McLean, Va. He added, “Next is the Metropolitans and Bishops who attended our meetings, the Board of Trustees who hosted dinners and all members of Leadership.” He also praised the efforts of Mr. Yeonas and Leadership 100s Executive Director Fr. Alex Karloutsos, “who worked so diligently.” The new total also reflects 14 previous members who were reinstated through the efforts of John Marks of Chicago, who was specially tasked with bringing lapsed members back to the endowment fund through the Keeping the Promise Drive.

Membership increases fund Mr. Yeonas, in his report to the organization’s general assembly meeting, said the large membership increase represents “a big factor for future growth” and that it’s not inconceivable the endowment fund could reach 1,000 members in five years, which would mean a significant boost in the amount of income from the Fund available for grants.

“

there can be no Orthodox ethos without philanthropy. Orthodoxy and philanthropy deals with recognizing the human being and loving the human being as the image and likeness of God.

”

NEW MEMBERS of Leadership 100 with Archbishop Demetrios and Archbishop Iakovos at the annual conference in Naples, Fla.

students will be geographically dispersed and represent each diocese. The full scholarships cover four years at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Metropolitan Methodios, presiding hierarch of the Diocese of Boston, commended Leadership 100 for its support of the scholarships, and asked that the organization consider supporting a chair in Church history or biblical studies at the school. Other hierarchs attending the conference consisted of Metropolitans Iakovos, Maximos and Anthony, and Bishop Alexios of Atlanta. In his report to the assembly, Fr. Karloutsos noted that “people are excited” about Leadership 100s progress. “They see we’re focused and serving the Church.” He continued, “Leadership has to think globally and ecumenically. I do believe a miracle occurred this past year because people have become enthusiastic about serving the Church.” Fr. Karloutsos also called for reaching out to younger members of the Church.

He called Archbishop Demetrios the number one factor for the drive’s success, “because of his extraordinary spiritual leadership. He exudes love, compassion and feelings,” he added, and also praised the 50 Leadership 100 members active in the recruiting effort, as well as Fr. Karloutsos. “Fr. Alex is the architect of the plan. Without him we would not be able to accomplish it.” Grant Committee Chairman Bert Moyar said this year’s available total of $2 million for grants is about $500,000 higher than for last year (see related story).

D. Panagos

Mr. CHRISTOS COTSAKOS, Chairman and CEO of E*Trade.

Business forum

Mr. BERT MOYAR

Peter Christopoulos

“We have become much more philanthropic,” Mr. Moyar told the general assembly of the Endowment Fund. He added that efforts are being made to “focus on helping the Archdiocese put itself administratively in a better position to lead the faithful.” Mr. Moyar also noted that the scholarships for Hellenic College-Holy Cross

The business forum led by Christos Costakos, chairman and CEO of E*Trade, one of the four largest online investment firms in the world. The forum drew a large number of attendees, who praised it as the highlight of the conference. Mr. Costakos gave participants a wideranging view of online investing and marketing, of the multi-faceted services available through his company, and of future possibilities through the Internet. “The Internet is permanent and will change our lives forever,” said Mr. Costakos. “It will fuel vast product changes and growth.” George Stamos, vice chairman of Deutschbank-Alex Brown, served as forum moderator.

Inquiry workshop Leadership members also took part

Professor CHARLES MOSKOS

Peter Christopoulos

in an Orthodox inquiry workshop led by Archbishop Demetrios. He discussed Orthodox spirituality and identity as consisting of worship and prayer, fellowship, preaching the gospel and philanthropy. Regarding philanthropy, the Archbishop commented, “there can be no Orthodox ethos without philanthropy. Orthodoxy and philanthropy deals with recognizing the human being and loving the human being as the image and likeness of God.” His Eminence also observed that, in today’s society where many feel they are being philanthropic by merely writing a check to a charitable institution, he said the Church’s view of philanthropy is to also reach out with love to the individual human being. “it is possible that perhaps you love humanity and hate your neighbor” in today’s society, Archbishop Demetrios said, citing a passage from a work by 19th century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Hellenism forum Members also attended a forum on Hellenism led by Professor Charles Moskos of Northwestern University, and a presentation on interfaith marriage by Fr. Charles Joanides, director of the Department of Interfaith Marriage.

Education forum An education forum featured Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, president of Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology, who spoke of the contributions of Greek heritage to education and gave an update on progress at the school. He also expressed gratitude to Leadership 100 and the National Philoptochos for their strong support of the school.

Fulfilled pledges Other events included the presentation of the True Vine icon to new mem-

Peter Christopoulos

bers attending their first conference, and the Obelisk award to those fulfilling their $100,000 pledges. These consisted of Archbishop Demetrios, Dr. Elias and Stella Adamopoulos, Salisbury, Md.; Lou and Kiki Anderson, Kiawah Island, S.C.; Andrew and Maria Andron, Garden City, N.Y.; Gus and Ann Chafoulias, Rochester, Minn.; Gust and Anne Feles, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Nicholas and Irene Fifis, Singer Island, Fla.; Connie and Christine Lapaseotes and family, Bridgeport, Neb.; Paul and Mary Ann Mallis, Pasadena, Calif.; Clara Nicon, Seattle; Chris and Joan Panopoulos, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Michael and Marguerite Parlamis, Tenafly, N.J.; John and Ermioni Spanos, Falls Church, Va.; John and Chris Staurulakis, Aventura, Fla.; William and Linda Stavropoulos, Midland, Mich.; Costas and Joanne Trataros, Staten Island, N.Y.; and Theodore and Penelope Vlahos, Kewanee, Ill. The grand banquet, which concluded the annual conference, included brief comments by Archbishop Demetrios, Archbishop Iakovos and Greece’s ambassador to the U.S., Alexander Philon, who each had high praise for Leadership 100 members and their accomplishments. “We can see this group developing into something, the gathering force for whatever is best in our Orthodox community. “Along with our recognition that everything comes from God,” the Archbishop continued, “and based on what he gave us, we can offer this great achievement knowing that we have a Church from top to bottom of people dedicated, serving and doing anything to produce excellence.” Referring to Archbishop Iakovos, who established the Fund, Archbishop Demetrios said, “We should feel very special that our Archbishop who gave nearly 90 years of his life to the Church, feels happy and proud. This is an evening for such a man of gigantic stature.” Commenting on the successful event that had just concluded, former Chairman of Leadership 100 George Kokalis of Phoenix commented to the Observer, “this is the finest conference Leadership has ever had. Our new membership goal is achievable. I feel it right here,” he said, pointing to his heart. He added, “Archbishop Demetrios did an outstanding job. With his spirituality, love, faith and kindness, he is bringing us together. Also, the Metropolitans and clergy are seeing Leadership in a new light. They are all supportive. I’m looking forward to the next conference.” ¿

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 19

New Members Have High Praise for Organization’s Causes by Jim Golding

LEADERSHIP 100 Chairman Arthur Anton leads D. Panagos photos a discussion of Executive Committee members. Millennium Membership Drive Chairman Stephen Yeonas. Archbishop Demetrios and Fr. Alexander Karloutsos during a lighter moment at the general assembly meeting. u

NEW MEMBERS are the life-blood of an organization and Leadership 100 got a massive infusion over the past year through the success of the Millennium Membership Drive, chaired by Stephen Yeonas of McLean, Va. A series of dinners at the diocese and local levels hosted by regional chairmen and with the strong support of each diocese’s Metropolitan or Bishop, has enabled Leadership 100 to add more than 200 members to its roster since the last annual conference in May 2000. The new members represent every diocese and varied fields and professions, but all share a common characteristic in their love for the Church and desire to support its National Ministries. A small sampling of opinions from some new members attending Leadership 100’s conference attests to that fact. Over the years, Charles Cotros of Houston has offered strong support to his local church, but welcomed the opportunity to become involved at the national level. “I’m very impressed with the movement that Archbishop Iakovos has started and that Archbishop Demetrios has continued,” Mr. Cotros said. “It’s a great movement,” he continued, “one that needs to be supported by more people. I have spent time talking to some people who I know should be participating because it’s a great cause.” He is especially interested in support of Holy Cross-Hellenic College. “Holy

2001Grants The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund will award about $2 million in grants this year to several organizations and ministries of the Church. The grants listed below total about $1.12 million. The remaining amount has been deferred until the Leadership 100 Executive Board meeting in May, when additional grants will be awarded. Recipients and amounts already approved: Hellenic College/Holy Cross Religion and Environment Seminar, $25,000; Archdiocese Development Office, $380,000; Management training seminars, $50,000; Home mission parishes, $141,000; Web Site Development Project, $367,000; Youth ministry Teen Video Series, $75,000; Department of Camping Ministry, $15,000; Ionian Village Scholarship Program, $50,000.

Cross needs all the help we can give it.” James Speros of Berkeley Heights, N.J., called the conference “outstanding. I thought it was a tremendous source of pride and joy to have both Archbishop Demetrios and Archbishop Iakovos there. It was a special time to be at the conference and to witness the leadership of our Church and how the Archbishop approaches everyone with love and kindness. While he said he had many reasons for joining Leadership 100, Mr. Speros emphasized that he strongly believes in the concept of stewardship, “of giving of one’s time, talent and treasures.” “I didn’t have a lot of money growing up and I appreciate all that God and Christ has given us.” He recalled that several years ago his

daughter was ill with a rare blood disease from which she almost died and that he prayed before the icon of Christ at his home parish, Holy Trinity Church in Westfield, N.J., and she later recovered “I’ve always said I could never give back enough to the Church for what God has given us, I can never put a price on it.” So the desire to “give back to the Church and to Christ” served as another reason to join. Nick Bapis of Salt Lake City said he joined because “one of the causes we should be behind is support of the seminary so we can generate priests knowing how to deal with people.” He also had high praise for the recent conference, saying he was “very inspired by His Eminence’s words and speeches.”

2000 Grants Leadership 100 awarded the following grants for the entire year, which totaled about $1.19 million. Archdiocese Technology Infrastructure, $299,592; HC/HC Scholarship Program (first year), $169,470; IOCC, $156,800; Retired Clergy Pension Supplement, $140,000; Home Mission Department, $111,000; HC/HC National Summer Tour Program, $100,000; Orthodox Christian Mission Center, $65,000; Ionian Village scholarships, $51,000; Internet Ministries Department, $27,965; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Resurrection Service, $25,000; Retired Clergy in Need, $20,600; Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute Campus Ministry Program, $22,500; Metropolitanate of Central America and Caribbean scholarships, $5,000. ¿

LEADERSHIP MEMBERS listen attentively at the Orthodox Inquiry forum.

D. Panagos

John Koliopoulos of Palos Park, Ill., described the conference as “terrific.” He said he joined because of the Endowment Fund’s support for Holy CrossHellenic College. “It’s reinforcing what’s there,” he said. “A lot of young men are looking to go into the priesthood and this gives them a better opportunity.” His wife, Janet, said she was “very impressed with the quality of the people involved, the message I heard and the direction the group is taking with regard to our Church in America.” Manuel Loupassi of Richmond, Va., and his wife, Carol, are both active in their local chapter where he helped revitalize Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral endowment fund, and Mrs. Loupassi serves as the Philoptochos chapter president. Mr. Loupassi, who had been approached by Stephen Yeonas, said his main reason for joining was his belief in the endowment fund and spending the income. He also said how the fund is structured also was appealing. Charles and Deborah Fekos of Pittsburgh spoke with four persons — Archbishop Demetrios, Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, George Chimples — and Louis Nicozisis, about joining the organization. Mr. Fekos said of the Naples gathering: “It was a wonderful, very spiritually uplifting conference,” adding, “We love Archbishop Demetrios. His spirituality is second to none.” He said that he joined Leadership 100 in memory of his mother, Irene P. Vagianos Fekos who, along with her sister, Kalliope Spanos, were founding members of Holy Cross Church in Pittsburgh. He also noted that his mother’s uncle is St. Anthimos Vagianos of Chios who died in 1960 and was canonized. Dr. Manuel T. Tzagournis of Columbus, Ohio, former dean of the Ohio State University Medical School, said he joined “because I have 12 grandchildren, all in my city, and I want them to have a Greek Orthodox Church that’s strong and that will help them through life. That includes training priests, and maintaining a strong national organization and local church in every community in America. New members Hercules Sotos and his wife, Mary, of Greenwich, Conn., were exuberant about the Florida conference, particularly the Bible study conducted by Archbishop Demetrios with Archbishop Iakovos. “This was so inspiring,” she said. I’m on cloud nine. In church, I don’t get the inspiration. What we need is interpretation. He (Archbishop Demetrios) has really brought Christ to us. What we have lacked was interpretation. This is how to reach young adults.” Reflecting on the membership drive’s results, Mr. Yeonas attributed its success to two key factors: “Number one was the Archbishop because of his extraordinary spiritual leadership,” said Mr. Yeonas. “He exudes love and compassion.” The second factor was the committee of 50 persons involved in recruiting around the Archdiocese and the leadership of Fr. Karloutsos, who held recruiting events throughout the country, Mr. Yeonas added. “The new members want to see us increase our grants and not to sit on money,” he said, adding that he expects each new member to become active in recruiting and “bring in at least one new member.” Mr. Yeonas also said that Leadership 100 Chairman Arthur Anton has asked committee members and all diocese and state chairmen to stay on another year to keep the organization in place. “If we reach 600 members,” the Endowment Fund’s next goal, “it’s not inconceivable that we might reach 1,000 in five years,” he added. ¿

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 20

PEOPLE u E*Trade CEO gives $1M Christos Cotsakos, chief operating officer of E*Trade online brokerage and a former parishioner of St. Athanasios Church in Paramus, N.J., recently donated $1 million to his hometown church where he had served as an altar boy as a youth. Mr. Cotsakos, who now resides in northern California, gave an initial donation of $25,000 in September 1999 after learning of the damage caused to the church by Tropical Storm Floyd. Since then, Mr. Cotsakos has given sums totaling about $1 million for paying off the community center mortgage, for elderly and youth programs, for covering a shortfall from last May’s Greek festival because of rain, for the installation of the iconostasis, and for the installation of a state-of-the-art computer system. He was recognized for his philanthropy in a Nov. 17 feature article in the Bergen (N.J.) Record by staff writer Evonne Coutros. In the interview, parish priest Fr. Apostolos Panos told the newspaper “this is a true example of Christos acknowledging his good fortune with his home parish, which he has never forgotten.”

u Bestowed award The U.S. Coast Guard awarded its Superior Achievement Award, its highest honor for civilians, to Nick E. Mpras, of Falls Church, Va., for his leadership and management of the Bridge Administration Program. He saved more than $100 million through his management initiatives. Mr. Mpras is the only civilian in the Coast Guard managing a nationwide operation and regulatory program. A member of St. Katherine’s church, he currently serves as assistant chanter.

u Publishes book on boxer Michael N. Ververis, former member of the Pittsburgh Diocese Council and fiveterm member parish council president at St. John the Forerunner Church in Youngstown, Ohio, has published a biography on Rocky Marciano, the only heavyweight-boxing champion to retire undefeated, in 1956. Mr. Ververis, a retired journalist and newspaper editor, and lifelong sports fan, wrote his 240-page paperback book after meeting the late boxer’s parents in 1971. Marciano died in a plane crash in 1969. It is based on taped interviews with the parents, other family members and friends of Marciano. The book sells for $15.95 and can be ordered from Mr. Ververis, at 923 Greyledge Place, Youngstown, Ohio 44511.

u Receives second Fulbright Thomas Xenakis, longtime parishioner of Three Hierarchs Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., has received a second Fulbright scholarship, to study iconography and fine art in Thessaloniki, Greece. On his first Fulbright, Mr. Xenakis studied the monks on Mount Athos and has since pained icons and fine art paintings combining the spiritual essence of life with the world that challenges us.

u Serves feast Michael Petrakis of Rocky River, Ohio, recently served 1,500 free turkey dinners at his restaurant to the poor, the lonely, senior citizens, and regular customers. The free feast is Mr. Petrakis’ way of giving thanks for all he has in his adopted community.

FEBRUARY 2001

A Community That Reflects Orthodoxy in America

n interesting mix of Orthodox Christians comprises St. George community. In addition to the core group of Greek immigrants and the mostly American-born generation, about 25 percent of the church’s membership consists of Orthodox representing varied backgrounds. They include Palestinians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Russians, Ukrainians, Romanians and Egyptians and other Arabs. “For me, St. George is the Church in America,” Fr. Platanis said. “It is under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, yet it serves every Orthodox group.” Fr. Platanis conducts services mostly in English, though he does about a third of the liturgy in Greek.

PARISH

thodox faith and Greek language. Unable to afford a church building, they used a local Episcopal church for services and visiting priests would come from Roanoke, Va., Nashville, and Chattanooga, Tenn. Fr. Demetrios Cassis of Roanoke celebrated the first liturgy in 1935. More immigrants came to find work Knoxville in the 1930s as the result of the establishment of a New Deal program, the Tennessee Valley Authority, created to address the perennial flooding problems in Tennessee and Alabama from the Tennessee River.It has Knoxville as its starting point. During World War II, the establishment of the Oak Ridge atomic plant brought nuclear physicists and engineers

The Sunday school has an enrollment of 80 children, and the Greek school has nearly 30. Fr. Michael also ministers to about 40 students at the University of Tennessee through the Orthodox Christian Fellowship. He arrived in Knoxville three years ago from Kitchener, Ontario, where he pastored Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Prior to his ordination, he served in the Ionian Village office at the Archdiocese. The parish’s outreach to the greater community includes a homeless meal ministry and the “Theotokos Fund.” Fr. Platanis explained that 10 percent of the proceeds of all parish fund-raising events go to this fund, which is used to

profile

Name: St. George Greek Orthodox Church Location: Knoxville, Tenn. Diocese: Atlanta Size: 240 Families Founded: 1935 Clergy: Fr. Michael A. Platanis (Holy Cross ’90) Noteworthy: parish has wide representation of Orthodox Christians. Knoxville has attracted such diverse groups because of its multi-faceted economy. This major city of eastern Tennessee, with about 175,000 population, is an important center for education (the home of the University of Tennessee), medicine and pharmaceuticals, government (the U.S. Department of Energy at nearby Oak Ridge), high tech, business, tourism (gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood), and transportation. Parishioners are represented in most of these sectors. Harry Moskos editor of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, e a s t e r n Tennessee’s major daily newspaper, also is a parishioner and an Archon. According to church records, the first Greek Orthodox family to settle in Knoxville was the Nicola Cazana family, around 1915. Shortly afterward, the Regas, Cavalaris, Caracostis and Kampas families arrived and more followed. The city was a railroad center then, which drew many Greeks who came to work in that industry or who established businesses. Most became restaurateurs, but there was one Greekowned photo studio in those early days. Fr. Michael noted that most of the first Greek immigrants to Knoxville came from the region of Evrytania, followed by the town of Nafpaktos. In 1934, members of the original families founded the St. George Hellenic Community Club to keep alive their Or-

ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH to the parish. It was at Oak Ridge that the uranium used to make the Hiroshima bomb was enriched. By 1946, the community had grown enough to support its own building and the parish bought an old Baptist church building near downtown. This facility served members’ needs until 1968 when they built the existing Byzantine-style church on a multi-acre site on the city’s west side. An interesting characteristic of the church’s interior is that its

KNOXVILLE

iconography consists of mosaics. While most parish members live in and around the city, a number of families come from outlying communities, some from as far as southern Kentucky (Middlesboro) about an hour away near the Virginia border. A few years ago, several parishioners living near the eastern end of the state in the “tri-cities” area of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport formed a mission parish that has become Holy Trinity Church in Bluff City, about 90 minutes from Knoxville. St. George Church offers a number of ministries as well as an outreach program. These include a senior citizens group, GOYA, a bookstore and a Philoptochos chapter. “We have a very active Philoptochos who have won many, many awards,” said Fr. Michael.

help local people meet basic needs such as food, clothing and other essentials. The parish also attracts many Orthodox Christians from other parts of the country, in a way, because of the city’s location at the convergence of three Interstate highways – I-81, I-40, and I-75. Vacationers to Florida, especially, stop in Knoxville and attend services at St. George. Many non-Orthodox from the region are attracted to the church for the Greek festival held Columbus Day weekend in October. “The Greek festival is one of the biggest cultural events in Knoxville,” said Fr. Michael. “It is well-attended by the greater community.” During the spring, the church hosts a “Mediterranean Gala,” a one-day event that also brings the general public. While the two events contribute a large amount of revenue, the parish’s main income source is from stewardship. A recent highlight in the life of the St. George community church has been the completion and dedication of the new parish hall at the church complex. It houses an auditorium, classrooms and offices. In October, Bishop Alexios of Atlanta officiated at the new facility’s dedication ceremony. In reflecting on his ministry at the parish, Fr. Michael said, “It’s been a very, very good beginning. It’s a real blessing to be here.” He describes St. George community as “a very friendly, warm parish. Everyone is willing to work together.” — compiled by Jim Goldng

FEBRUARY 2001

H C / H C

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

R E P O R T

Environment Office Established BROOKLINE, Mass. — Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology has established an environmental office to serve as the base for environmental analysis and ecumenical action for the Church in America. It is the first permanent office for the environment at an Orthodox seminary. According to school officials, there is a movement of environmental involvement among religious organizations based on their realization that their mission cannot be completely realized if they do not pay attention to and act on the crisis facing our earth and its inhabitants. Among representatives in the fields of science and religion, there is an expanding and parallel realization that people coming from different traditions and belief systems can and must find a common ground for environmental action. There has been no greater understanding or commitment to action than that coming from the leadership at the highest level of the Orthodox Church. As a result of the dynamic vision and leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, there have been six yearly seminars, three shipboard symposia, and an educational retreat in Istanbul. Clergy, scientists, journalists, political leaders, and lay people have come together to participate in all these actions. These efforts have mainly been concentrated around Europe and particularly the Balkan area. There was also a highly significant conference in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1997, during the Ecumenical Patriarch’s official U.S. visit. Coordinated by Fr. John Chryssavgis of HC/HC, and Dr. Robert Lange of Brandeis University, with Manuel Stefanakis as program director, the Environment Of-

fice of HC/HC has a three-tiered mission: • On the Campus Level, to coordinate environmental actions, raise the level of understanding and consciousness of environmental concerns, and facilitate the linkage of students and members of the campus community with environmental organizations, issues, and activists from Boston and Brookline, situating HC/HC in its actual relationship to the urban environment where it exists. • 2) On the Parish Level, to network with Orthodox parishes, especially (but not only) those of the Archdiocese to encourage the establishment of practical programs and educational curricula. • 3) On the National and International Levels, the office will create opportunities for Orthodox participation when theologians and scientists join to discuss the environment in the academic, ecumenical, and international arenas. The office will originate actions, call meetings, publish news and information that will assist and encourage efforts bridging religious denominations, and reach out to the traditionally non-religious in government, education, and the professions. Those involved will create its mission, program, and vision as they work with it and develop it. Their challenge will be to develop the proper role for the office as a provider of services and as a source of education and motivation within the Orthodox Church. For more information, contact Lisa Boston, associate coordinator, at The Environment Office, c/o Hellenic College/ Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA 02445; Tel.: (617) 850-1361; Fax (617) 850-1460; E-mail: environment_office@ hchc.edu ¿

Baptism, Church Dissent Examined at Annual Meeting BROOKLINE, Mass. — The annual meeting of the Orthodox Theological Society in America, held June 1-3 at Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology, focused on several issues, including baptism and dissent. The Society is composed of Orthodox theologians in North America who meet annually to discuss issues and topics of theological and ecclesial significance. This year’s sessions were devoted to “Baptism and ‘Sacramental Economy:’” An Agreed Statement of the North American Orthodox Catholic Theological Consultation (June, 1999), Orthodox Identity in America, the forthcoming SCOBA Pastoral Encyclical on the millennium, and Dissent in the Church.

Archbishop Addresses Society Archbishop Demetrios, a member of the Society, paid tribute to the work of the organization in sustaining open dialogue among Orthodox Churches in America. His Eminence charged the members to take seriously their obligation to maintain and extend theological literacy among the faithful. Jaroslav Pelikan, Sterling Professor Emeritus of History at Yale, and a Society member, delivered the annual Georges Florovsky Lecture. His lecture, “Tongues of Men and of Angels: The Quest for a ‘Rhetoric Pleasing to God’ from Socrates to the Christian Fathers,” on the relationship between virtue and rhetoric was well received. Fr. Demetrios J. Constantelos, a past president of the Society, addressed the members on the first evening with a lecture on “Byzantine Church Philanthropy and Its Echo in the Latin West.” A significant session of the annual meeting was held on Dissent in the Church, in which a

panel responded to a case study of a parish divided over its future. Panelists included Metropolitan Methodios of Aneon and Presiding Hierarch of the Diocese of Boston; the Rev. Dr. Robert Arida, Dr. Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Dr. Robert Haddad and Dr. Lewis Patsavos, who served as moderator. Other topics of the three-day meeting included a discussion on the mutual recognition of baptism by the North American Orthodox and Roman Catholic Bilateral Consultation led by Metropolitan Maximos of Aenos and Presiding Hierarch of the Diocese of Pittsburgh; and the Most Rev. Rembert Weakland, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Milwaukee; Orthodox identity in America led by Professor John Erickson and Rev. Dr. Theodore Stylianopoulos; and a discussion of the forthcoming SCOBA Pastoral Letter on the Millennium led by the Rev. Nicholas Apostola. The closing session was devoted to a retrospective and prospective analysis of the work and purposes of the OTSA.

Officers reelected During the meeting, Society members re-elected the present officers: Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, president; Dr. Paul Meyendorff, vice president; Dr. John Behr, secretary, and Dr. Anton Vrame, treasurer. The Society, in which membership is by application, also approved the following new members: Metropolitan Methodios of Aneon, Irina Abadjieva; the Revs. Robert Athas, Vasilios Bebis, Emmanuel Gratsias, Demetri Katos and Savas Zembillas; the Rev. Drs. Demetri Demopoulos, Pavlos Koumarianos, Nicholas Krommydas, Dumitru Macaila, Nicholas Manikas, Brendan Pelphrey, Mark Sietsma, and Frank Marangos; and Markos Nickolas, Dr. Kimberly Patton and Dr. Vera Shevzov.¿

PAGE 21

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CYPRUS CHILDREN’S FUND

SCHOLARSHIPS Cyprus Children’s Fund Scholarship Awards National chairman and president of the Cyprus Children’s Fund of America Inc., Peter J. Pappas and Alexandra Lappas, chairperson of the Makarios Scholarship/ Theodore & Wally Lappas Awards, have announced that this year approximately 15 scholarships of $1,500 each will be given to qualified applicants from the combined four endowments of the funds. Fund assets consist of about $500,000 and are managed by the Investment Committee of the Cyprus Children’s Fund and the Makarios Scholarship Foundation through Prudential Securities. The number of scholarships and their dollar amounts may vary annually based on the return of the investments and the number of qualified applicants. The major award of the Cyprus Children’s Fund is the Makarios Scholarship/Theodore & Wally Lappas Award which was created in 1983 by the great benefactors of Cypriot children, the late Theodore & Wally Lappas for $200,000 and is now continued by their daughter Alexandra Lappas. Applicants for all scholarships listed below must be enrolled in September 2001 as full-time students in an accredited U.S. college or university in the United States.

Makarios Scholarship/Theodore & Wally Lappas Awards The Makarios Scholarship/Theodore

& Wally Lappas Award is accepting applications for the fall semester of 2001 until April 30. All applicants must be Greek Cypriots born on the island of Cyprus with permanent residence on the island and must be citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.

Makarios Scholarship/Thomas and Elaine Kyrus Endowment Applications for the Thomas and Elaine Kyrus Endowment are also available for Greek Cypriot students from the town of Morphou or originally from there.

Makarios Scholarship/Peter G. and Bess Kolantis Decker Award Applicants for the Peter G. and Bess Kolantis Decker Award are also available for Greek Cypriots students, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus who are enrolled, or will be enrolled in September 2001 full-time at an accredited U.S. college or university.

Cyprus Children’s Fund Scholarship Endowment

By GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY

Applications are available by written request from the Cyprus Children’s Fund.Deadline for all submissions is April 30.Requests should be addressed to: Cyprus Children’s Fund, Inc. 13 East 40th Street, New York, NY 10016. Tel. (212) 696-4592 or (800) 775-7217.¿

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SCHOLARSHIP WINNER – EOCS National Chairman George N. Boulukos presents a check to Eagle Scout George M. Tsiatis as the winner of the eighth annual scholarship program. Also shown are Fr. Demetrios Lokis of St. Nicholas Flushing, and scoutmaster George Vlahakis.

The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting [EOCS] Scholarship Committee has announced the recipient of the eighth annual national scholarship. The winner is George Minas Tsiatis, Little Neck, N.Y., a member of Boy Scout Troop No. 268 sponsored by St. Nicholas Church, Flushing, N.Y. He was selected from a large number of applicants from throughout the United States. The EOCS Scholarship program is offered to high school Boy and Girl Scout se-

niors of the Eastern Orthodox Church, who have earned the Eagle Scout Award for boys or the Gold Awards for girls. The committee evaluates the candidates on their involvement in their church, school, Scouting, community, and scholastic achievements. For information and applications for the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting Scholarships, contact EOCS Scholarship Chairman, 862 Guy Lombardo Avenue, Freeport, N.Y. 11520. Deadline for applications is May 15 of each year. ¿

the 10-year anniversary Scholarship Gala on May 11 at the New York Hilton. Some 1,500 persons are expected to attend. Applicants must be high school seniors. Deadline is Feb 28. For more information, to volunteer, or to obtain a scholarship application, visit our Website at www.HTSFund.org or call 212-333-7456; 212-986-6881 or write to: Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund, Attn. Nick Katsoris, 823 Eleventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10019. ¿

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Hellenic Times to Award more than $100,000 in Scholarships NEW YORK—The Hellenic Times will award more than $100,000 in scholarships this year to Greek American students across the country. Since the establishment of the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund in 1990, more than $500,000 has been distributed to college and graduate school students. Last year the Fund received more than 1,000 applications representing the 50 states, Canada and Greece. The scholarships will be awarded at

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FEBRUARY 2001

DIOCESE Worcester Cathedral Helps Orthodox Orphanage WORCESTER, Mass.—St. Spyridon Cathedral held its annual children’s Christmas party on Sunday, Dec. 17 as part of its Sunday school’s Kids-Helping-Kids program, designed to help programs for children sponsored by the Orthodox Church. This year’s party collected gifts to support Hogar Rafael Ayau Orthodox orphanage in Guatemala. The Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage is associated with the Antiochian Orthodox Church and International Orthodox Christian Charities. It is administered by the nuns of the Monasterio Ortodoxo Lavra

25 Year Celebration OAKMONT, Pa. – Parishioners of Dormition of the Theotokos Church recently honored the Very Rev. Polycarp Ramaes for his 25th anniversary as pastor. He was commended for his efforts to beautify the church with Byzantine iconography. Guests included Pittsburgh Diocese Chancellor John Panagiotou, and AHEPA chapter President George Mervosh. Parish Council President Dimitri Tsambis presented a baptismal font to the parish in Fr. Ramaes’ honor.¿

Mambre in Guatemala. Mother Ines and the nuns at the orphanage welcome orphans or lost, abandoned, and battered children. At present, there are 150 children at the orphanage, whose ages range from newborn infants to 7-year olds. Cathedral members placed a large cardboard chimney in the hall for the collection of gifts. It was expected the donations would pour over the top of the chimney. At the end of the party, donations of toys, stuffed animals, clothing, disposable diapers, arts and crafts items, and icons were shipped to the orphanage in fourteen large cartons. At previous Christmas parties, the Sunday School’s Kids-Helping-Kids program had supported the Hellenic Cardiac Unit at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, the Philoxenia House of the Boston Diocese, the Orthodox Children’s Home in California, the FLOXA Christmas Card campaign, the Orthodox Food Pantry in Worcester, and the SIDS organization in memory of a younger parishioner. In addition to the Christmas party, the program supports Saint Basil Academy with its Gift Of Love envelope at the Cathedral’s annual Vasilopita luncheon.

Test of Faith

Mission Parish Formed in Michigan TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Orthodox Christians living in the remote northwestern corner of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula have realized their dream of forming a viable community with the recent creation of a mission parish. Through the efforts of many local Orthodox and Bishop Nicholas of Detroit the Traverse City Orthodox Mission Parish has taken root over the past year. Services have been held once a month, either on Saturday or Thursday evening, at the local Grace Episcopal

Church. As many as 11 visiting priests have celebrated the Liturgy. Members also established a church school, choir, monthly newsletter. Bishop Nicholas officiated at services that drew more than 200 persons. Last July 23, he performed a Liturgy, baptism and chrismation. To attend church in the past, Orthodox Christians faced driving 2 ½-hour drives to parishes in Grand Rapids, Muskegon or Saginaw; three hours to Lansing or 4 ½ hours to Ann Arbor.¿

EOCS Holds 40th Anniversary Retreat at HC/HC

Orthodox Observer

Fr. Costas Constantinou, pastor of St. Demetrios Church, Merrick, N.Y., holds the annual water blessing service Jan. 7 at the boat slips of Wantagh Park on the south shore of Long Island. One high school senior, John Strifas, son of Demetra and Demetrios Strifas of Bellmore, braved the frigid water temperature and chunks of floating ice to dive successfully for the cross. Unlike

MEMBERS OF Traverse City’s mission parish attend their first community picnic last summer.

balmier parts of the country, Long Isand cross divers face more challenging conditions that serve as a test of faith. In addition to Merrick, other Long Island parishes where divers jumped into icy waters included Assumption Church in Port Jefferson. Four divers jumped into Long Island Sound and parishioner Demetrios Constantinides retrieved the cross. ¿

Corrections • The Nativity Icon that was published on the last page of the Observer’s last issue, from St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago is by the hand of iconographer Athanasios Clark. • A caption on page 24 of the December-January issue misidentified the president of the Jamaica senior citizens center. It should have read Catherine Kouvaris. • A photo published with a story about a new mission parish in Walla Walla, Wash., did not go with the story. It was of a mission parish in Kenmore, Wash. • In the article about the National Presbyters Council in the previous issue of the Observer, the name of Fr. Anastasios Gounaris of Indianapolis was not included in the list of names of diocese representatives. He is with the Diocese of Detroit.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting (EOCS) recently held its’ 40th annual Scout religious retreat at Holy Cross Hellenic College. The EOCS, created in 1960 by The Standing Conference of Eastern Orthodox Bishops of America (SCOBA), is responsible for providing Scouting religious activities for youth on a national level, and for creating, expanding, and enhancing Eastern Orthodoxy among its Boy and Girl Scouts. The fall retreat officially opened with a welcoming prayer by the Very Rev. Gerasimos Makris, director of Student Life, the host for the weekend. The retreat program was developed and directed by the Holy Cross seminarians and students. Clergy faculty members volunteered their time to hear confessions from the Scouts and provided a spiritual experience and training for the seminarians’ future endeavors. The boy camped on the front lawn of the college overlooking the city of Boston, while the girl camped in the classrooms. After a lenten dinner, the Scouts and their leaders were treated to a huge campfire directed by the seminarians who led the group in songs and stories. Several students entertained the Scouts with a string quartet, a highlight of the event. The day’s activities ended with discussion groups divided into age groups and led by the seminarians. The more than 100 Scouts attending

represented 12 units from the New York area. The retreat’s success was attributed to Fr. Gerasimos, whose leadership and enthusiasm sparked the program. He also recruited 25 seminarians and students to assist for the weekend. This was the 40th annual continuous retreat sponsored by the EOCS since its inception. Sunday brought the retreat to a close with the Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Chapel with most Scouts partaking in Communion. After church services the retreat concluded with the final assembly, where recognitions and thank you’s were given. Students were presented patches of this anniversary retreat, and Fr. Gerasimos received commemorative mugs for himself and lead seminarian Michael Tervo. Retreat Chairman Tony Triant of New Jersey was recognized for his many years of retreat chairmanship and a number of Scouts earned the Alpha Omega Religious Scout Award. The next major events sponsored by the EOCS will be the 30th annual Boy Scout Camporee at St. Basil Academy, in Garrison, N.Y., and the third annual Girl Scout Camporee at Camp Sacajawea, Farmingdale, N.J. Both events will be held this spring. For information on the EOCS and their events, contact Chairman George N. Boulukos, 862 Guy Lombardo Ave., Freeport, N.Y. 11520. ¿

Gala to Benefit Three Institutions BOSTON – The professional/cultural organization AXION held a dinner-dance gala on Feb. 17 to benefit three worthy causes: the Hellenic Cardiac Fund for Children at Boston Children’s Hospital, the Hellenic American School in Lowell,

Mass., and St. Basil Academy. Event organizers have set a goal of $30,000 from the “SnoBall.” The black-tie optional event took place at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Boston, beginning at 8 p.m.

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

AROUND THE USA OCMC Sunday School Lessons Available ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Three new OCMC Sunday School lesson plans are available to use with the OCMC Lenten Coin Boxes to teach youth more about Orthodox missionary work around the world. The lessons are divided by age levels, are easy to use, relevant, and thought provoking. Designed to raise mission awareness, each lesson uses New Testament quotes to emphasize the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and Orthodox missions. Lessons are complete with discussion questions and follow up activities. Objectives and goals are clearly defined on a separate teacher’s sheet. This is the second year the OCMC has offered Sunday school lessons to accompany the lenten coin boxes. The high school lesson delves deeply into the outward display of our Orthodoxy within our day-to-day life and boldly asks, “Would a stranger know you are Christian just by things you do?” The modern reality of religious persecution in other parts of the world is considered as the lesson mentions places where people face severe persecution for choosing Christianity instead of the traditional religions of their homelands. The lesson returns to the Great Commission and challenges each student so that their life will strive to reflect Orthodoxy and the rich tradition of missionmindedness or Orthodox forefathers had. The Grades 4-8 lesson used the theme of “being fruitful Christians” and asks why we should be like the good soil and bring forth good fruit.

Using examples of life in India, we look at the richness of our Orthodox belief and come to understand why people choose a life of hope and peace. Even in 2001, new Orthodox believers suffer persecution because of their choice to be Christian. Skits bring together the theme of fruitfulness as groups choose skit ideas from “the idea box” and reflect the theme of “bearing good fruit” to non-Christians in the missionary context. The pre-K through Grade 3 lesson introduces nine Orthodox missionary kids who serve with their parents in the mission field. The work missionaries do is simply presented to introduce missions to young children. Pictures of Orthodox missionary kids help to make them familiar to the students. The lesson uses the Bible passage of the mustard seed to remind us to be fruitful like the mustard seed. A class project of growing a plant with a picture of the missionary kids on the cup helps remind them of their growing Church, which is spreading around the world. The project acts as a reminder to pray for Orthodox mission kids who live with their parents in faraway countries and spread the Orthodox faith. Please contact OCMC today to order the 2001 Lenten Coin Boxes and Sunday School lesson plans for your Sunday School, and help teach our children more about Orthodox Missions.

PAGE 25

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AHEPA Family Prepares for 79th Annual Convention WASHINGTON — The AHEPA family will hold its 79th Annual Supreme Convention at the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort & Country Club, Las Croabas, Puerto Rico, July 25-28, 2001, announced Supreme President Johnny N. Economy. It is the first time a supreme convention will be held in Puerto Rico. “The AHEPA family is excited about Puerto Rico,” said Economy. “It’s an attractive location and the resort provides our conventioneers with a variety of activities to do. We also hope Puerto Rico will attract our youth, bringing them together for a week of sharing in Hellenism amid a beautiful setting.” According to Economy, U.S. Ambassador to Greece R. Nicholas Burns and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos tentatively are scheduled to attend the convention and speak at the Grand Banquet, Friday, July 27. “We are thrilled that both Ambassador Burns and Mayor Avramopoulos have expressed interest to attend,” said Mr. Economy. “Both are ecstatic about the possibility of speaking at the banquet.” It would be the mayor’s first time to attend a supreme convention and Ambassador Burns’ second. The ambassador was the keynote speaker of the 1998 Supreme Convention Grand Banquet in Orlando, Fla. Business sessions will take place from Thursday, July 26 to Saturday, July 28. Families can arrive in Puerto Rico as early as July 22. “We want Puerto Rico to be a family vacation for the delegates too,” said

Board Chairman A. Steve Betzelos. “That’s why we are encouraging them to take advantage of the sleeping room availability starting on July 22.” He added that the resort is “family friendly,” offering Camp Coqui, a supervised camp for children ages three to 13; babysitting services, horseback riding, snorkeling, arts and crafts, nature walks, and of course, swimming off the beaches of Palomino Island. For reservations contact 800/ WYNDHAM, or call El Conquistador directly at (787)863-1000. Room rates are $125 per night plus occupancy and resort taxes. The cut-off date for reservations is June 25. AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with chapters in the United States, Canada, and Greece and sister chapters in Australia. It was established in 1922 by visionary GreekAmericans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA has joined with the NAACP and B’nai B’rith to fight discrimination. The mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ideals of Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence. The AHEPA family consists of four organizations: AHEPA, Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena. For more information about the 79th annual Supreme Convention, or how to join the AHEPA family, please contact AHEPA Headquarters, 202/232-6300. For instant information visit www.ahepa.org.

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CLERGY U P D A T E Ordinations To Diaconate: Alexander Chetsas – Metropolitan Methodios – St. John Church, Boston, 01/07/01 George Zugravu – Archbishop Demetrios – Holy Trinity Cathedral, New York, 01/01/01 To Priesthood: Dn. Bill C. Gikas – Bishop Dimitrios Holy Trinity, Westfield, N.J., 01/28/01 Assignments: Rev. Protopresbyter George A.

Alexson – Annunciation Cathedral, Atlanta, 02/01/01 Rev. Hieromonk Anastasios Garaboa – St. Nicholas Church, Fort Pierce, Fla., 02/01/01 Offikia The Office of Economos was bestowed upon Father Donat Suciu by Metropolitan Isaiah – 01/14/01 Retired Rev. Presbyter Constantine J. Chokanis – St. Nicholas Church, Fort Pierce, Fla., 12/31/00

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 26

FEBRUARY 2001

Born of Heart An Orthodox Orphanage Offers Hope to Guatemala’s Abandoned by Elizabeth M. Economou

Today, the lives of many—once abandoned—children from Guatemala are changing not only for the better, but forever. At this writing, 63 children from the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage, the official orphanage for the entire country, in the heart of Guatemala City, have been adopted by Christian parents—many Orthodox—and there are another 40 adoptions pending. But the success behind this gated haven of love—thriving amid poverty, drugs, and danger—is a reflection of great faith and great love. Since 1998, the OCMC, the mission and evangelism agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA) has been sending two short-term mission teams per year to the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala City. It has also been instrumental in raising awareness among Orthodox couples who are interested in adopting children.

History In the late eighties, Madre Ines, a former Roman Catholic nun, returned to her native Guatemala, having found Orthodoxy. She was joined there by Sister (now Mother) Maria, another former Roman Catholic nun who had escaped during the revolution in the Philippines and who was also a newcomer to Orthodoxy. With their common faith, they set out to fulfill their dream of establishing the only

Children receiving the Holy Eucharist

Orthodox presence in Guatemala by opening the “Lavra Mambre Monastery,” (the Mother’s monastery). Shoring up enough funds was essential to keeping the “lavra” up and running, so they started a small business, growing and packaging mushrooms for medicinal purposes. Soon, Mother Ivonne, a biologist, also came to be a part of the fledgling monastery. And with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Antonio of Mexico (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Guatemala), the “lavra” opened a naturopathic medical clinic in Guatemala City as an outreach to the community.

As if there wasn’t enough to do. Some eight years later in 1996, the government of Guatemala approached Mother Ines and asked that she assume

full responsibility for a decrepit orphanage in the center of seedy Guatemala City Abandoned infants hope for a family of their own started back in 1857 by her great-great grandfather, Rafael Ayau, and taken over we didn’t count on was how much it gave go to the Hogar to see their adoptive chilin the early 1970’s by the Guatemalan gov- to our lives.” dren before the actual adoption is finalernment. This scenario is unique in that the ized, noting that the child or children After closing for several years, on Au- Lebanese Orthodox couple from Ohio won’t have to be re-adopted in the U.S. gust 9th, 1996, the Hogar Rafael Ayau was agreed to adopt the two boys without any Currently Lia and Dean Prodromitis turned over to the Antiochian Orthodox prior knowledge. “We didn’t know any- of Tarpon Springs, Florida, are waiting to Archdiocese of Guatemala and received thing about them and we didn’t care, we finalize four adoptions they have in the by Madre Ines, the Abbess of the Lavra just thought that the Lord would guide us.” works. Within a month or two they will Mambre Monastery, who accepted the And despite a string of bureaucratic be the new parents to Ronald (10), Angel government’s plea. snags from the Guatemalan government, (8), Jocelyn (6), and Gelvin (5), siblings The Hogar, which means home in the Koncz’s say they never reconsidered who have been at the Hogar for more than Spanish, “is able to treat the whole person,” their decision to adopt. “If it took ten years two years. she says. “God has given us the means to to bring them home that’s what we were Lia had first read about the Hogar in treat the brain, to stimulate the neurons going to do,” says Cheryl Koncz. an Orthodox Christian Mission Center so the brain will be better organized and Mary Lynn Pac-Urar an adoption at- (OCMC) brochure a couple of years ago, and then the capacity for learning is available torney considers herself the “go-between” recalls: “it really struck me, so I saved it in a in many areas. God has given us the mate- for the adoptive couple and the Hogar. folder, and when we were totally committed, I went back to that folder—I just felt rial means through all of spiritually that’s where we needed to be.” you to feed and clothe His In fact, according to OCMC Project children. God has given us Coordinator Andy Lekos, nearly 25 adopbig hearts to love His chiltions from the Guatemalan orphanage can dren as our own. God has be attributed to team members. given us our orthodox faith and His Church to heal the Meanwhile, it seems all who enter this soul. God has given His haven of love are transformed. “It’s the children a second opportupresence of God. He is right there. When nity through their adoptive you’re in Church and you hear the chilparents so they can learn to dren sing and you feel their fingers just love Him as Father and fluttering around you, you feel like you much more, to continue are in the presence of something very what we have started here.” holy,” says Lia Prodromitis, “and you see And while there is no these children who may not be beautiful shortage of love at the or- Children at play on the grounds of the orphanage by our standards, and yet all you see is phanage, coming up with She also helps the adoptive couple with beauty… they take your breath away and necessary funds to keep it their dossier: a series of documents includ- take away your heart.” She adds, “I did not give birth to these going is challenging. ing a home-study—a recommendation by Today a staff of 80 in- a social worker or licensed agency—, let- children, but five years ago something cluding teachers, therapists, ters from the police department stating that started in my heart, some little seed that nannies and cooks, among the couple doesn’t have a criminal history, God may have planted there, and even others, care for some 150 medical and financial records, and power though they weren’t born from me, I felt children, ranging from new- of attorney, for the Guatemalan authorities. that they were a part of me for a long time. borns to 13 years of age, from According to Pac-Urar, who has assisted The next best thing to giving birth is to throughout Guatemala, and in nine adoptions so far, the rather elabo- say they were part of my heart.” from different ethnic back- rate process—from the time the parents For more information contact: Madre Ines grounds. In fact, simply pay- begin to strongly consider adoption to the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage; Section 2619 P.O. Box 02-5339 Miami, FL 33102ing for the daily needs of the adoption itself—takes about one year. orphanage and covering payShe also encourages both parents to 5339 email Homeayau@ufm.edu.gt ¿ roll, costs more than $ 20,000 per month. What’s more, the demand according to Madre Ines is so great that children are often turned away because of overcrowding. “We have to say no to the judges all the time.” Infants, however, are never rejected at the orphanage because they are the most vulnerable, says Mother Ines. While the nuns at the Hogar are willing to place the younger children with committed Christian parents, even if they are not Orthodox, they prefer to place the older ones with Orthodox families because they have come to identify so closely with the Orthodox Church. This past July, after 12 years of marriage, Cheryl Koncz of Ohio, and her husband Jerry adopted Roberto age five and Christopher age three from the Hogar. “We just felt that the Lord had another plan for us and the Hogar was perfect because it allows us to give something back throughout the rest of our lives, but what Dean and Lia Prodromitis with their new family: Jocelyn, Gelvin, Angel, and Ronald

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

In Memoriam Fr. John C. Poulos PLANO, Texas – The Rev. John C. Poulos, who served as pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Lansing, Mich., before retiring in 1993, died Jan. 14 after a lengthy illness. Fr. Poulos was born in Nafpaktos, Greece on Oct. 18, 1934. He came to the United States in 1955 and attended Holy Cross School of Theology, graduating in 1960. That same year, he married Alexandra Pontikes of Lombard, Ill., a graduate of St. Basil’s Greek School Teachers College. He pursued graduate studies at Michigan State University and attended Chateau de Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland. He was ordained as a deacon April 12, 1962 in Gary, Ind., by Bishop Meletios of Christianoupolis, and as a priest Aug. 19, 1962 by Archbishop Iakovos in Chicago.

Fr. Poulos was assigned to Holy Trinity in Lansing, the only parish he served as priest, on Sept. 1, 1962. He was bestowed the offikion of confessor by Archbishop Iakovos in July 1964, who also bestowed upon him the offikion of protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on May 18, 1985. Survivors include Presbytera Alexandra of Plano; two daughters, Elaine, and Maria; a son, Constantine; five grandchildren; a sister, Dr. Zoe Athanson of Hartford, Conn.; and a brother, attorney Antonios Poulos of Nafpaktos. Services took place at Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, with the Rev. Nicholas Katinas, pastor, officiating. Fr. James Bogdan spoke on behalf of Bishop Nicholas of Detroit and Fr. Luke Kontgas represented Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver.¿

John Rousakis John Paul Rousakis, native Savanahian, and a leading figure in the political, civic, business and religious life of Savannah died Dec. 11 following a three-week confinement in Memorial Medical University Center. He was 71. Mr. Rousakis served as mayor of Savannah, having been elected five terms for a total of 21 years. Because of his strong leadership, Savannah entered a new and unprecedented economic growth, both via new businesses coming and tourists finding the renewed beauty of this historic city. A major project of rebuilding the rundown riverfront within the city limits into a paved promenade, bounded on the landside by many shops that attracted a booming trade. He was called “Savannah’s cheerleader” for championing attractions. The 1996 Atlanta Olympics held the boating events in Savannah primarily because of Rousakis’ influence. As mayor he was active in the organization of League of Mayors in America. He was popular with the mayors and was elected two terms as chairman. In May 2000, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. By recommendation of Archbishop Iakovos, Patriarch Demetrios appointed Rousakis into the ranks of Archon of the

Throne and He installed into the Order of St. Andrew. As a youth, Rousakis attended Bible school at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox parish in Savannah. He also attended afternoon language classes, served in the altar, sang in the choir, was elected to the parish council and served two terms as its president. In business, Rousakis operated a successful insurance agency. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Lattimore Sparks Rousakis, a son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Diana; three daughters: Rhonda Rousakis, Thea and son-in-law Thomas Blanton, Tina Harper, three sisters, several grandchildren and an aunt ,Sophie Lebbey. Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 18 at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist by the invitation of Diocese Bishop Kevin Boland due to renovations under way in St. Paul’s and due to the popularity of former mayor. Officiating at Trisagion services were Fr. Nicholas Capilos of St. Paul’s and Fr. John Caparisos. Bishop Alexios of Atlanta officiated at the funeral, assisted by Fr. Capilos, Fr. Caparisos, Fr. Adrian Pollard of St. Mary Magdalen parish, OCA; Fr. Trivelas, and Deacon Mark Pakes of Dallas, Mr. Rousakis’ nephew. ¿

Angeline P. Caruso CHICAGO – Angeline P. Caruso, 78, a former interim superintendent for the Chicago Public Schools during the early 1980s, died November 8 of complications from heart disease. A product of Chicago public schools, Miss Caruso dedicated her entire career to that district, first as a teacher in 1944, and retiring some 40 years later after a stint as interim superintendent. Miss Caruso’s first administrative job was as principal of McDade Elementary School from 1961 to 1965. She later became a district and associate superinten-

dent. From 1979 to 1981 she served as interim superintendent, inheriting a school system on the verge of financial collapse. Throughout her life, Miss Caruso was active in several volunteer organizations, serving on the boards of directors for the National PTA and the Midwest Boys Club, as well as serving as a Girl Scout leader. She earned advanced degrees at Northwestern University and Harvard University. Survivors include her sister Marian Panos, and two brothers, John and George Caruso. Services were held in Palos Hills.

PAGE 27

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ORTHODOX OBSERVER

Youth Ministry

challenge

Parents Voice Let’s Talk About Sex

scends a biological or social contract. It is where the couple learns to love in a Divine way. It is where the couple experiences the love of the Holy Trinity. This love can only be experienced through the Sacrament of Marriage. Marriage is a permanent commitment before God. A commitment to love your spouse forever. Marriage is one of the few remaining things we still have from Paradise, from before the Fall (when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were thus expelled from the Garden). The great thing about marriage is that through the spiritual relationship of love you can still remain in Paradise. How young is too young to discuss sex? I believe the earlier the better. If we choose not to discuss sex with our young people until they are in their teen years, it might be too late. The most important thing to remember here is boundaries. We need to help our young people set boundaries before they get caught up in “the heat of the moment.” This way, their decision can be a well thought out one. In other words, we need to help them come up with a plan before the difficult situation arises. If we do not teach our young people about sex and sexuality, where will they learn it? They will learn about sex from the media, the schools, their friends and peers. Now is the time to address these issues. Now is the time to teach our young people what the Church believes and teaches about sex. And now is the time to reach our young people — if we don’t now, we might never. ¿

Denver YAL Committee Prepares for National Conference Plans are under way and in full force out West, as the Denver Diocese prepares to host the 19th annual Archdiocesan Greek Orthodox Young Adult League National Conference! This year’s conference will be held from July 5 - 9, 2001, at the rustic Westin Westminster (just minutes from downtown Denver). “We’re really working hard to strike the right balance between the spiritual and the social sides of the conference”, says conference chair Demetri Zannis, “and I think we’re locking in the right program to hit this goal.” This year’s conference theme, Journey Through Life’s Milestones, sets the tone for the workshops. These sessions will revolve around 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

key issues that young adults face as they journey through the different stages of their lives – from career, to marriage, to community leadership, and much more. Keeping Christ and Orthodoxy at the center of this journey will be the focus, and the workshop format allows for further discussions following the lectures. Plus, plans are in place for conference attendees to enjoy a full day in beautiful and historic Breckenridge, Colo. This scenic mountain town offers something for everyone – from hiking and whitewater rafting for the adventurers, to shopping and browsing through galleries for those who simply wish to relax. The day in Breckenridge is just one of many activities being planned to promote fellowship and fun among Greek Orthodox young adults. Go to www.yal2001.org to register, or to get more information about the conference. This website will be updated regularly as conference details unfold. Or call 303/808-6314 to request that a registration and information packet be mailed to you.

Email: youthoffice@goarch.org

What’s Up htiw?evoL by Melissa Bazos

by Fr. Mark Leondis

hroughout the years, one of the most difficult issues to discuss with our young people is sex. This taboo subject of sex and sexuality has by far been the most neglected topic for discussion with our youth. I would like to briefly outline the Orthodox Christian understanding concerning sex, as well as discuss the importance of addressing this topic with our young people. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it . . . and God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.’” Genesis 1:27-28; 31) In his book, Radical Respect: A Christian Approach to Love, Sex and Dating, Jim Burns writes: “God created man and woman. He created their bodies, minds, and spirits. His hand was involved in every aspect of their being, and their sexuality was a big part of their being. Notice that when God created light, darkness, the earth, vegetation, stars, birds, fish, and animals, ‘God saw that it was good’ (Genesis 1:1-25, RSV). Yet when God made a partner for Adam, ‘it was very good’” (Genesis 1:31, RSV). Sex was created and instituted by God. He created it to be good. God is not the great killjoy of sex. He wants us to experience sex, but in the contents of marriage. We must instill in our young people that God created sex to be very good, but on his terms. The Sacrament of Marriage tran-

PAGE 29

You know how it happens, you catch his eye from across the room he looks at you and suddenly you’re drawn together and you think this is it, the one — LOVE. Well, that might work well for Cinderella or even Julia Roberts, but is that what love really is? Today’s society has taken a simple word such as love and turned it into a here today gone tomorrow feeling. Love is no longer considered permanent. You can love today and hate tomorrow. We have taken love and made it synonymous with lust, possession and money. So, if all of this is not love…what is? Our Orthodox Christian faith teaches us “God is love” and without Him we have nothing. It does not say Justin Timberlake or Sarah Michelle Geller is love and without them we are nothing. Loving God is not one sided; our love for God cannot even begin to compare to his love for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave us his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not parish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This is unconditional; it is not only for the rich, famous or beautiful. We are all rich, famous and beautiful with Christ and that is how we should see others. God calls us to, “…love one another as I have loved you…” (John 13:34) He doesn’t say love the person with the best car or the best hair. We are called to see Christ in the eyes of every person we encounter from our parents and friends to the homeless and criminals. We are all children of God. He calls us all to be walking icons of His love to all we meet. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). This is very different than our ‘what’s in it for me’ society teaches. It is not difficult to love those who love us such as family or friends. It is not even that difficult to show love those who are in need by volunteering at a soup

Movie Review by Fr. James Pavlow

Movies are one of the most accessible forms of visual entertainment. From and Orthodox perspective, movies can be difficult to review as most movies have something contrary to Orthodox teachings. We cannot be puritanical in our approach to movies; what we need to be is discerning. We should know if something is inappropriate or not. If we view something that is not proper, we should not condone it in our minds or hearts. A good review on a movie does not necessarily mean that everything in the movie is to be condoned for Orthodox Christians. The following review will look at both the quality of the movie and the quality of the moral message.

Castaway NNNN In Castaway, Tom Hanks portrays a man who is stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. He has to learn how to

kitchen or retirement home. But He wants us to love those who don’t love (or probably don’t even like) us. Christ loved those who persecute Him. Some of the greatest persecutors of Christ turned to be the greatest saints of out church for example Saint Paul. These saints were brought to the church through the steadfast and patient love of Christ. Love is not always easy even with those who love us back. It patiently waits. Think about this, every day God loves us and waits for us to invite Him into our lives. In Corinthian 13, St. Paul uses the following words to describe love, “…suffers long… bears all things…endures all things.” This is not the easy ‘give your yiayia a hug’ love. It is hard. Love is a choice. At every moment of the day, we can choose to approach people with Christian love or not. Now, I know what you’re all thinking — okay that’s Christian love but what of romantic love. Well believe it or not, it is the same thing. It has nothing to do with a moment but an eternity. True romantic love is not based on roses, sex, and everything always being perfect. Love is work in any relationship. True romantic love invites Christ into the relationship to work and strengthen the bond between the couple. So, when you’re looking for someone to date — don’t just look at the physical—look for someone with the same principles as you. So, let me tell you about the greatest love story ever written. It’s the story of a man loving people so much that he gave his life for this love. So great was this man’s love that he never gave up on any of his children. At times, he even looks foolish by loving those who hate, persecute and even those of us who constantly ignore Him. But in the end when the credits are rolling on this love story — true love never fails. (Corinthians 13) ¿

survive by himself. Hanks character whose life had been run by the clock needs to set aside everything he has held true and learn to make a life on this island. This movie shows steadfast perseverance against insurmountable odds. Imagine what it would be like to be in this situation: stranded on an island, no real contact with the outside world, away from all the modern conveniences. This is exactly what some of our saints did. They voluntarily placed themselves in the wilderness for years to become closer to God. Even though there is little reference to God in Castaway, this movie chooses an ending that is the correct moral choice as opposed to what the audience would have preferred. If you want to know what that choice was, go see the movie, as I would definitely recommend this film for everyone. Castaway is an enjoyable movie for all. Hanks gives a wonderful performance. The movie is absolutely beautiful to watch full of sunsets, storms, waves crashing, and palm trees blowing in the wind. You should definitely try to catch it on the big screen to fully appreciate it.

PAGE 30

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

The Voice of

FEBRUARY 2001

Philoptochos

NEW YORK — The Hellenic CollegeHoly Cross benefit dinner honoring the National Philoptochos Society drew more than 350 to Flushing Meadows on Jan. 27. Church benefactors Dimitrios and Georgia Kaloidis, owners of Terrace on the Park, the dinner’s location across from the site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs, were the evening’s hosts. The program featured a video presentation on the philanthropic efforts of Philoptochos, musical presentations by the HC/HC Byzantine Choir, and brief remarks by the Sisterhood’s National President Eve Condakes, school President Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou and Archbishop Demetrios. Those attending the $150-a-plate affair included school faculty and administrators, trustees and many New York area supporters. Several Archdiocesan District parishes sponsored tables and were represented by their clergy and local Philoptochos leaders. Over the years, Philoptochos, at the national, regional and local levels, have contributed more than $1.4 million to the school. “These are the ladies who are out there toiling and are not recognized,” stated major sponsor George Safiol of Weston, Mass. Mrs. Condakes noted in her speech that the Philoptochos Society has been involved in supporting the school since its founding in the late 1930s. “… Our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers – with great and caring love – have stood by this blessed institution, and have assisted the administration, the faculty and the staff with a host of resources and services.” She continued, “It is an undeniable fact that the Greek Orthodox women of Philoptochos have provided more scholarship money to the school, than has any other single source. Without the help of Philoptochos, I have been told by many of the clergy they never would have graduated. “My beloved friends, Mrs. Condakes continued, “Our scholi on the ‘Holy Hill’ in Brookline is a place of reverence and mystery. It is the sacred place where future priests of our Archdiocese are trained, educated and initiated into the mysteries of the faith. We honor these men who will serve the living temple of

God, who will serve our needs and the needs of future generations. “Our Philoptochos is pleased to stand by this institution, thousands of our Philoptochos women labor in their local chapter, offering what they can. Their contributions have helped sustain the ministries of our Holy Archdiocese for over seventy years.” In his address, Fr. Triantafilou, likened the National Philoptochos and Holy Cross to the analogy of a spacecraft, stating the institutions “soar into orbits of edifying human life on many levels.” He said that the Philoptochos members challenge themselves to reach the design goal of their mission and that “together, they will reach every orbit necessary to meet the needs of Christ and His people.” Fr. Triantafilou drew his analogy

ETApress

HC/HC-Honors National Philoptochos with Benefit Dinner

D. Panagos

Orthodox Observer

from his days at dean of Annunciation Cathedral in Houston, the city that serves as home for NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Center, which was in the national spotlight for most of the two decades he served the community. In his response, Archbishop Demetrios praised “the wonderful combination of Philoptochos and Holy CrossHellenic College celebrating Greek letters and the Three Hierarchs,” whose feast day would be celebrated within a week. His Eminence said that the characteristics of the Three Hierarchs, Sts. Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory the Theologian, share in common with Philoptochos and the learning promoted at the school. “They were starts in presenting philanthropy and in presenting letters in theology,” he said. Referring to the “genius of the Greek

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS presents the icon of the Holy Cross to Mrs. Eve Condakes. With them are School president Fr. Triantafilou and event Chairman Mrs. Georgia Kaloidis. (top)

THE BYZANTINE CHOIR of HC/HC performed a short program of hymns and songs. (above) FR. TRIANTAFILOU praises Philoptochos for its support of the seminary and college. (left)

Orthodox people in America” in pursuing the theological and cultural sides of philanthropy, he said there is increasing recognition of what Orthodoxy is about. “We are the carriers of the Hellenic/ Orthodox tradition of love, of culture, and of constant offering,” the Archbishop

said. ‘We are the rich carriers of an unheard of heritage.” His Eminence also called on those attending to “intensify your role of becoming a community of benefactors,” and that he hoped all the Church’s communities become “communities of benefactors.” ¿

Boston Diocese Board Holds Luncheon

Ann Arbor Chapter Helps the Needy ANN ARBOR, Mich.— St. Nicholas Church chapter members recently held their 7th annual Yassou Golf Tournament as part of their Community Care ministry. Held at Eagle Crest Golf Club in September, a dinner open to the public followed the tournament. Seventy-five golfers participated in this event, along with 32-hole sponsorships. The outing raised $5,126, which was given to the Mott Children’s Hospital’s Child and Family Life Program. The money will help fund activities and support for patients and their families while at the hospital in an attempt to make them more comfortable. The program also tutors the patients and provides entertainment to help patients and their families cope with the stress of a hospital stay.

The Community Care project for October was Operation Christmas Child. A total of 144 shoeboxes full of new Christmas toys and clothes were sent to children in need all over the world. The St. Nicholas Philoptochos Community Care project for November was the annual spaghetti dinner on Nov. 2, which raised $1,108. These funds will be used to purchase food certificates for the needy in the Ann Arbor area. The very busy fall season was capped by an extremely successful holiday bake sale. Members made and sold 700 pans of spanakopita and 463 pans of baklava. The profit of almost $12,000 will be divided between charities that the chapter supports, as well as a donation to the St. Nicholas New Church Building Fund. ¿

Eve Condakes, Christina Karavites, Diocese president; Metropolitan Methodios; George Chatzimichelakis, consul general of Greece; Dr. Tania Lingos, guest speaker; Standing: Leo Condakes, Diane Miminos, lunch chairman; Olivia Sintros, lunch chairman; Katerina Economou, vice consul; Dr. Andrew Webb.

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Boston Diocese Philoptochos Board recently held a charity benefit luncheon attended by Metropolitan Methodios and hundreds of Philoptochos women and guests.

Dr. Tania Lingos spoke on “Your Health, Your Future.” Board members Diane Miminos of Andover, Mass., and Olivia Sintros of Lowell, served as luncheon co-chairmen.

FEBRUARY 2001

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

PAGE 31

DIOCESE OF ATLANTA Archbishops ‘Open the Doors’ of Naples (Fla.) Church NAPLES, Fla. – Following the successful four-day Leadership 100 Conference, Archbishop Demetrios and Archbishop Iakovos celebrated the service of the thyranoixia (opening of the doors) of the new St. Katherine’s Church. The church was built in little more than a year ; construction began Aug. 2, 1999 and ended Aug. 20, 2000, according to Fr. William S. Kehayes, protopresbyter. The ceremony culminated a process that began in 1993 when Archbishop Iakovos and Fr. Kehayes broke ground on a former athletic field for a new community center adjacent to the church. It has served as the parish’s worship center for about seven years until the Jan. 14 event. Fr. Kehayes, who is observing his 50th year as a priest, had officially retired after serving churches in Orange, Bridgeport and New London, Conn., Detroit, and Rochester, N.Y., but was called upon by Archbishop Iakovos to help the Naples community establish a church. Located on a five-acre tract between a canal and a lake partly owned by the 200member parish, the church was built at a cost of $2.2 million and has a capacity of up to 400. The church filled to capacity following the procession for the first Liturgy.

Archbishop Iakovos delivered the main homily, stating he was “deeply moved by what I have seen today” and reminisced about the progress the parish has made over the years. He recalled that, at the 1993 beginning, he had hoped “out of this groundbreaking may rise a glorious, living church, and today we see it.” Archbishop Demetrios praised “the glory of God for this magnificent, majestic house.” In addition to the Archbishops, Metropolitan Maximos, presiding hierarch of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop Alexios of Atlanta, Fr. Alexander Karloutsos and retired priest Fr. Peter Atsales also were present. Fr. Kehayes announced at the end of the liturgy that, in honor of both Archbishops, Leadership 100 member Gus Stavropoulos, who had chaired the justcompleted conference, would donate the funds to purchase the iconostasion for the church. Other iconography work also remains to be accomplished before the interior is complete. After the service, the parish hosted a reception and luncheon in honor of the Leadership 100 members in attendance.¿

THYRANOIXIA SERVICE – Archbishop Iakovos and Archbishop Demetrios conduct the service of the opening of the doors, along with parish priest Fr. Kehayes, as board President...................... unlocks the doors. D. Panagos photos

A majestic view of St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church, the grounds and the Cultural Center in the background.

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS, joined by Bishop Alexios of Atlanta, Fr. William Kehayes, Fr. Alexander Karloutsos and Dn. Nektarios Morrow, during the Divine Liturgy.

HUNDREDS ATTEND the Divine Liturgy that followed the thyranoixia.

PAGE 32

ORTHODOX OBSERVER

FEBRUARY 2001

2000 TOTAL COMMITMENT PARISHES ARCDIOCESAN DISTRICT: • Holy TrinSomersworth, NH • St. Spyridon Church, Newity Church, Ansonia, CT • Holy Trinity Church, port, RI • Annunciation Church, Cranston, RI The Department of Stewardship Ministry Bridgeport, CT • Assumption Church, Danbury, • St. Nicholas Church, Rutland, VT. extends its gratitude to all the parishes listed CT • St. George Church, Norwalk, CT • St. BarDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO: • Holy bara Church, Orange, CT • Archangels Church, Transfiguration Church, Anchorage, AK • Holy which have faithfully supported and completed the Stamford, CT • Holy Trinity Church, Waterbury, Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix, AZ • St. Katherine “2000 TOTAL COMMITMENT PROGRAM” CT • St. George Cathedral, Hartford, CT • St. Church, Chandler, AZ • Assumption, Scottsdale, Demetrios Church, Bristol, CT • Saint Basil the AZ • St. Haralambos Church, Peoria, AZ • Holy of the Archdiocese of America. Great, New Haven, CT • St. George Church, New Cross Church, Belmont, CA • St. Demetrios Britain, CT • Saint Sophia Cathedral, WashingGreek Orthodox Church, Concord, CA • Aston, DC • Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, sumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Long “Our Lord continues to bless us all!” Southampton, NY • Archangel Michael Church, Beach, CA • Annunciation Church, Modesto, CA Roslyn Heights, NY • Annunciation Church, New • St. Nicholas Church, Northridge, CA • St. York City, NY • Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Katherine Church, Redondo Beach, CA • St. Very Rev. Father J. Gabriel Karambis York, NY • SS. Anargyroi Church, New York City, John the Baptist Church, Salinas, CA Director of Stewardship Ministry NY • St. Eleftherios Church, New York City, NY • St. Barbara Church, Santa Barbara, CA • St. • St. George - St. Demetrios Church, New York Spyridon Church, San Diego, CA • AnnunciaCity, NY • St. George Tropeoforos Church, New York City, NY • St. Gerasimos Church, tion Cathedral, San Francisco, CA • St. Nicholas Church, San Jose, CA • St. Basil Church, New York City, NY • St. John The Baptist Church, New York City, NY • St. Nicholas Stockton, CA • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Vallejo, CA • Nativity of Christ Church, Church, New York City, NY • St. Spyridon Church, New York City, NY • St. Demetrios Ignacio, CA • St. Demetrios Church, Camarillo, CA • St. Nectarios Church, Covina, CA Cathedral, Astoria, NY • St. Nicholas Church, West Babylon, NY • St. John Church, Blue • St. Paul Church, Irvine, CA • St. Constantine & Helen Church, Cardiff-By-The-Sea, CA Point, NY • Zoodohos Peghe Church, Bronx, NY • Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Brook- • St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Downey, CA • St. Basil Church, San Jose, CA • St. lyn, NY • Holy Cross Church, Brooklyn, NY • Three Hierarchs Church, Brooklyn, NY Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, Elk Grove, CA • St. Gregory of Nyssa Church, El • Transfiguration Church, Corona, NY • St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, NY • St. Cajon, CA • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Honolulu, HI • St. George Church, EuDemetrios Church, Merrick, NY • St. Paraskevi Church, Greenlawn, NY • St. Paul Cathe- gene, OR • Holy Trinity Church, Spokane, WA. dral, Hempstead, NY • St. Demetrios Church, Jamaica, NY • Holy Trinity Church, New DIOCESE OF ATLANTA: • Annunciation, Mobile, AL • Holy Trinity Church, Rochelle, NY • Assumption Church, Port Jefferson, NY • Church Of Our Saviour, Rye, NY Clearwater, FL • St Demetrios Church, Daytona Beach, FL • St. John the Divine, Jackson• Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Church, Staten Island, NY • Prophet Elias Church, Yonkers, ville, FL • Holy Trinity Church, Maitland/Orlando, FL • St. Stefanos Church, St. PetersNY • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Jackson Heights, NY • Saint Sophia Church, Al- burg, FL • Holy Mother of God Church, Tallahasse, FL • St. John the Baptist Church, bany, NY • St. George Church, Kingston, NY • St. Nicholas Church, Newburgh, NY Tampa, FL • St. Nicholas Cathedral, Tarpon Springs, FL • St. Catherine Church, West • Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Poughkeepsie, NY • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Palm Beach, FL • SS. Markella & Demetrios Church, Ft. Walton Beach, FL • St. John The West Nyack, NY • St. George Church, Schenectady, NY • St. Basil Church, Troy, NY Theologian Church, Panama City, FL • Annunciation Church, Pensacola, FL • St. George • Assumption Church, Windham, NY • Transfiguration Of Christ Church, Mattituck, NY Church, Hollywood, FL • St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, Sarasota, FL • St. Eliza• Holy Trinity Church, Hicksville, NY • Holy Cross Church, Whitestone, NY • St. Markella beth Greek Orthodox Church, Gainesville, FL • St. Andrew Church, Miami, FL • St. Mark Church, Wantagh, NY • Holy Cross Church, Middletown, NY. Church, Boca Raton, FL • Holy Trinity Church, St. Augustine, FL • Holy Trinity Church, DIOCESE OF NEW JERSEY: • Holy Trinity Church, Wilmington, DE • SS. Peter and Port Charlotte, FL • Annunciation Cathedral, Atlanta, GA • Holy Trinity Church, Augusta, Paul, Frederick, MD • St. George Church, Ocean City, MD • St. Theodore Church, Lanham, GA • Holy Transfiguration, Marietta, GA • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Monroe, LA MD • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Annapolis, MD • Annunciation Cathedral, Balti- • Holy Trinity Chapel, Biloxi, MS • St. Barbara Church, Durham, NC • SS. Constantine & more, MD • St. Nicholas Church, Baltimore, MD • St. Demetrios Church, Baltimore, MD Helen Church, Fayetteville, NC • Dormition Of The Theotokos Church, Greensboro, NC • St. George Church, Bethesda, MD • St. Anthony Church, Vineland, NJ • St. George • St. George Church, High Point, NC • Holy Trinity Church, Raleigh, NC • St. Nicholas Church, Asbury Park, NJ • St. Nicholas Church, Atlantic City, NJ • St. Thomas Church, Church, Wilmington, NC • Annunciation Church, Winston-Salem, NC • St. Katherine’s Cherry Hill, NJ • St. Andrew Church, Randolph, NJ • St. Nicholas Church, Newark, NJ Church, Burlington, NC • St. Nektarios Church, Charlotte, NC • Holy Trinity Church, • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Orange, NJ • St. George Church, Clifton, NJ • St. Charleston, SC • Holy Trinity Church, Columbia, SC • Transfiguration Church, Florence, Demetrios Church, Perth Amboy, NJ • Holy Trinity Church, Westfield, NJ • St. Demetrios SC • St. Nicholas Church, Spartanburg, SC • St. John The Baptist Church, Myrtle Beach, Church, North Wildwood, NJ • St. Nicholas Church, Wyckoff, NJ • St. Barbara Church, SC • Holy Resurrection Church, Hilton Head, SC • St. George Church, Knoxville, TN. Toms River, NJ • Holy Trinity Church, Egg Harbor Township, NJ • Evangelismos Greek DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH: • Annunciation Church, Akron, OH • Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Philadelphia, PA • St. Sophia, SS. Faith, Hope & Agape, Jeffersonville, Church, Canton, OH • SS. Constantine & Helen Cathedral, Cleveland, OH • SS. Constantine PA • St. Luke Church, Broomall, PA • St. George Church, Media, PA • Annunciation & Helen Church, Mansfield, OH • St. Paul Church, North Royalton, OH • St. Demetrios Church, Elkins Park, PA • St. George Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA • St. Demetrios Church, Church, Rocky River, OH • St. Demetrios Church, Warren, OH • St. Nicholas Church, Upper Darby, PA • The Nativity of the Theotokos, Fredericksburg, VA • St. Nicholas Church, Bethlehem, PA • All Saints Church, Canonsburg, PA • Evangelismos Church, Easton, PA Virginia Beach, VA • Transfiguration Church, Charlottesville, VA • St. Peter Church, • Presentation of Christ Church, East Pittsburgh, PA • Koimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Erie, Danville, VA • St. Katherine Church, Falls Church, VA • St. Elpis Church, Hopewell, VA PA • Evangelismos Church, Farrell, PA • St. Mary’s Church, Johnstown, PA • Holy Trinity • St. George Church, Lynchburg, VA • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Newport News, Cathedral, Camp Hill, PA • Annunciation Church, Lancaster, PA • Annunciation Church, VA • Annunciation Cathedral, Norfolk, VA • SS. Constantine & Helen Cathedral, Rich- McKeesport/White Oak Boro, PA • St. Spyridon Church, Monessen, PA • Holy Trinity Church, mond, VA • Holy Trinity Church, Roanoke, VA • Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Winches- Pittsburgh, PA • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Reading, PA • Annunciation Church, ter, VA. York, PA • Holy Cross Church, Stroudsburg, PA • St. John Church, Charleston, WV • St. DIOCESE OF CHICAGO: • St. John The Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, IA • St. George Church, Huntington, WV • Assumption Church, Morgantown, WV. George Church, Des Moines, IA • Transfiguration Of Our Lord Church, Mason City, IA DIOCESE OF DETROIT: • Annunciation Church, Little Rock, AR • Holy Trinity • Holy Trinity Church, Sioux City, IA • St. Demetrios Church, Chicago, IL • Assumption Church, Fort Wayne, IN • Holy Trinity Church, Indianapolis, IN • Panagia Pantovasilissa, Church, Chicago, IL • Holy Trinity Church, Chicago, IL • St. Andrew Church, Chicago, IL Lexington, KY • Assumption Church, Louisville, KY • St. Nicholas Church, Ann Arbor, MI • St. Basil Church, Chicago, IL • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Palos Hills, IL • St. • Annunciation & Agia Paraskevi, New Buffalo, MI • St. George Church, Bloomfield Hills, George Church, Chicago, IL • Holy Taxiarchai - St. Haralambos Church, Niles, IL • St. MI • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Westland, MI • St. Nicholas Church, Troy, MI Athanasios Church, Aurora, IL • Three Hierarchs Church, Champaign, IL • St. Demetrios • Holy Cross Church, Farmington Hills, MI • Assumption Church, Flint, MI • Holy Trinity Church, Elmhurst, IL • St. John The Baptist Church, Des Plaines, IL • Assumption Church, Church, Grand Rapids, MI • Annunciation Church, Kalamazoo, MI • Holy Trinity Church, East Moline, IL • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Swansea, IL • St. George Church, Lansing, MI • St. George Chruch, Southgate, MI • Annunciation Church, Muskegon, MI Dekalb, IL • SS. Peter & Paul Church, Glenview, IL • All Saints Church, Joliet, IL • St. • St. Demetrios Church, Saginaw, MI • St. George Church, Sault Ste. Marie, MI • Nativity George Church, Rock Island, IL • St. Nicholas Church, Oak Lawn, IL • All Saints Church, Of The Virgin Mary Church, Plymouth Township, MI • St. John Church, Sterling Heights, Peoria, IL • Holy Cross Church, Justice, IL • St. Demetrios Church, Waukegan, IL • Holy MI • SS. Theodoroi Church, Gloversville, NY • Annunciation Church, Buffalo, NY • St. Apostles Church, Westchester, IL • St. Nectarios Church, Palatine, IL • Saint Sophia Church, Vasilios Church, Watertown, NY • St. Nicholas Church, Jamestown, NY • Annunciation Elgin, IL • Annunciation Cathedral, Chicago, IL • Ascension of Our Lord Church, Church, Vestal, NY • St. Catherine Church, Ithaca, NY • Holy Trinity - St. Nicholas Church, Lincolnshire, IL • St. George Church, Schererville, IN • SS. Constantine & Helen Cathe- Cincinnati, OH • Annunciation Church, Dayton, OH • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, dral, Merrillville, IN • St. Demetrios Church, Hammond, IN • St. Andrew Church, South Middletown, OH • Holy Trinity Cathedral, Toledo, OH • Annunciation Church, ChattaBend, IN • St. Iakovos Church, Valparaiso, IN • The Twelve Holy Apostles Church, Duluth, nooga, TN • Annunciation Church, Memphis, TN • Holy Trinity Church, Nashville, TN. MN • St. Mary’s Church, Minneapolis, MN • Holy Anargyroi SS. Cosmas & Damianos, DIOCESE OF DENVER: • Archangel Micheal Church, Colorado Springs, CO • AsRochester, MN • St. George Church, St. Paul, MN • Assumption Church, Town & Coun- sumption Cathedral, Denver, CO • St. Nicholas, Grand Junction, CO • SS. Peter & Paul try, MO • St. Nicholas Church, St. Louis, MO • St. Nicholas Church, Appleton, WI Church, Boulder, CO • Saint Catherine Church, Greenwood Village, CO • St. John The • Assumption Church, Madison, WI • Annunciation Church, Milwaukee, WI • SS. Baptist Church, Craig, CO • SS. Constantine & Helen Church, Boise, ID • Assumption Constantine and Helen Church, Wauwatosa, WI • Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church, Racine, Church, Pocatello, ID • St. Dionysios Church, Overland Park, KS • St. George Church, WI • St. Spyridon Church, Sheboygan, WI. Shreveport, LA • Annunciation Church, Kansas City, MO • Assumption Church, Bayard, DIOCESE OF BOSTON: • Holy Trinity Church, Norwich, CT • St. Athanasius The NE • Annunciation Church, Lincoln, NE • St. John The Baptist Church, Omaha, NE • St. Great Church, Arlington, MA • Annunciation Cathedral, Boston,, MA • St. Nicholas Church, Elias the Prophet Church, Santa Fe, NM • St. George Church, Albuquerque, NM • St. Clinton, MA • Holy Trinity Church, Fitchburg, MA • St. George Church, Centerville/Hyannis, George Church, Oklahoma City, OK • Holy Trinity, Tulsa, OK • Transfiguration Church, MA • St. Nicholas Church, Lexington, MA • St. George Church, Lowell, MA • Transfigura- Sioux Falls, SD • St. Nicholas Church, Corpus Christi, TX • Holy Trinity Chruch, Dallas, tion of Our Saviour Church, Lowell, MA • St. George Church, Lynn, MA • St. George Church, TX • St. Demetrios Church, Fort Worth, TX • Assumption Church, Galveston, TX • AnNew Bedford, MA • Annunciation Church, Newburyport, MA • St. Demetrios, Weston, MA nunciation Cathedral, Houston, TX • Assumption Church, San Angelo, TX • Saint Sophia • St. George Church, Pittsfield, MA • Taxiarchae Church, Watertown, MA • SS. Constantine Church, San Antonio, TX • St. Andrew Church, Lubbock, TX • St. John The Baptist Church, & Helen, Webster, MA • Annunciation Church, Woburn, MA • St. Nectarios Church, Euless, TX • St. Nicholas Church, El Paso, TX • Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Roslindale, MA • St. Gregory the Theologian, Mansfield,, MA • St. George Church, Bangor, Austin, TX • St. John the Theologian Orthodox Church, Webster, TX • St. Athanasios the ME • St. Demetrios Church, Saco, ME • Holy Trinity Church, Concord, NH • St. George Great, San Angelo, TX • Transfiguration Church, Ogden, UT • Assumption Church, Price, Church, Keene, NH • St. Nicholas Church, Manchester, NH • St. Vasilios Church, Newport, UT • Holy Trinity Cathedral, Salt Lake City, UT • Holy Trinity, Casper, WY • SS. Constantine NH • St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Portsmouth, NH • Assumption Church, & Helen Church, Cheyenne, WY.