Orthodox Observer - July/August 2007

JULY–AUGUST 2007 • Vol. 72 • No. 1232

www.observer.goarch.org • e-mail: observer@goarch.org

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World’s Orthodox Youth Come Together at the Ecumenical Patriarchate CONSTANTINOPLE – The Orthodox Youth of the world came together in this ancient city of Christendom in the middle of the summer, for a gathering of great enthusiasm, youthful anticipation, intellectual and spiritual challenge and Christian fellowship.

by Stavros H. Papagermanos

It was the second (International) Orthodox Youth Conference, organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, under the auspices and blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and held at the Istanbul Hilton Conference Center July 1116, under the general theme: “Members of the Church - Citizens of the World.”

The first Youth Conference was held in June 2000.

More than a thousand young men and women participated in this Conference from all the Eparchies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the world, from North and South America, Europe, Greece, the Far East as well as from sister Orthodox Churches, such as the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and the autocephalous churches of Moscow, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania, Czech Lands and Slovakia, Finland and Estonia. Also represented were the monastic communities, other Christian Churches and confessions, Orthodox theological schools and academies, institutes and seminars, international Church organizations and international youth associations,

His All Holiness opened the Conference on July 11. In the beginning of his speech to the participants the Patriarch addressed the issue of the term Ecumenical – for the use of which the Patriarchate has been and continues to be attacked and beleaguered – clarifying its present relevance and its historical origins he said: As you know so well, our Patriarchate is not a “national” Church, but rather the fundamental canonical expression of the ecumenical dimensions of the Gospel message, and of its analogous responsibility within the life of the Church. This is the reason that the Church Fathers and the Councils have given it the name, “Ecumenical.” The loving care of the Church of Constantinople exceeds any linguistic,

2nd ORTHODOX YOUTH CONFERENCE

PHOTOS D. PANAGOS

SALUTATION OF HIS ALL HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX YOUTH CONFERENCE

A PROTECTION OF CHRISTIANS UNSHAMABLE, INTERCESSOR TO OUR HOLY MAKER, UNWAVERING, PLEASE REJECT NOT THE PRAYERFUL CRIES

OF THOSE WHO ARE IN SIN.

INSTEAD, COME TO US, FOR YOU ARE GOOD; YOUR LOVING HELP BRING UNTO US, WHO ARE CRYING IN FAITH TO YOU:

HASTEN TO INTERCEDE AND SPEED NOW TO SUPPLICATE,

AS A PROTECTION FOR ALL TIME,

THEOTOKOS, FOR THOSE WHO HONOR YOU.

(Kontakion, Small Paraklesis Service)

ECUMENICAL Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Demetrios of America greet and bless conference participants.

cultural foundations and local Christian Churches.

The young men and women of the Omogeneia in Constantinople who hosted the event, worked diligently to prepare all the details of the conference under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima.

Archbishop Demetrios of America led a contingent of about 125 young people from the Holy Archdiocese of America.

Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago and Maximos of Pittsburgh, as well as Archdiocese Chancellor Bishop Savas of Troas were also present.

ARCHDIOCESAN CHOIR Performs in Cyprus 32 3

cultural, ethnic and other similar barriers.

She embraces all without regard to such considerations. So let it be self-understood, that all of you who are here for this gathering, that you should rightly feel at home in your own house. Indeed, this is what we would say – that this City and the Phanar are truly your home, the house of your father.

Further in his address His All Holiness analyzed the general theme of the conference members of the Church–citizens of the World and reminded all of their

It is with great emotion and much fatherly joy that we welcome all of you, beloved youth, to our historic City, which has been for centuries the Center of the Holy Mother and Great Church of Christ.

As you know so well, our Patriarchate is not a “national” Church, but rather the fundamental canonical expression of the ecumenical dimensions of the Gospel message, and of its analogous responsibility within the life of the Church. This is the reason that the Church Fathers and the Councils have given it the name, “Ecumenical.” The loving care of the Church of Constantinople exceeds any linguistic, cultural, ethnic and other similar barriers.

She embraces all without regard to such considerations. So let it be self-understood, that all of you who are here for this gathering, that you should rightly feel at home in your own house. Indeed, this is what we would say – that this City and the Phanar are truly your home, the house of your father.

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Patriarch Meets with American Bible Society Leaders Archdiocese to Celebrate The American Bible Society has been steadily building a strong relationship over the past several years with both the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States and in Greece and the Greek Bible Society.

A recent visit to emphasize this fruitful partnership was made to Constantinople

by American Bible Society President the Rev. Dr. Paul Irwin to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

An outcome of the cooperative relationship has been the successful publication of The Children's Bible Reader in both English and Greek, first introduced at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's Clergy-Laity Convention in Nashville last summer.

After the visit Dr. Irwin commented: "It was both a blessing and an honor to be able to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and bring greetings from the American Bible Society and the United Bible Societies (UBS) fellowship."

Thomas Durakis, director for publishing services at the Bible Society, added: "It was very special that we were also able to attend the name day services for His All Holiness in the Patriarchal Church of St. George."

The visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate was arranged by Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit. "This visit was an opportunity for His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to see first-hand the manifold fruits that this partnership has borne", said Metropolitan Nicholas.

"We look forward to fostering this collaborative partnership with the American Bible Society."

Metropolitan Nicholas is a member of the American Bible Society Board of Trustees. Those in the Bible Society

Archbishop Demetrios’ 40 YEARS of Hierarchical Ministry

VISITING ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE – With Patriarch Bartholomew (second from left) are Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, Fr. William Bartz and American Bible Society President the Rev. Dr. Paul Irwin.

delegation accompanying Metropolitan Nicholas were: Fr. William J. Bartz, a captain in the U.S. Navy and senior Orthodox military chaplain in the armed services, Thomas Durakis, and Rev. Dr. Richard Jeske, Bible Society director for ecumenical relations.

The Bible Society delegation also visited the Greek Bible Society in Athens, Greece. The American Bible Society has been working on various projects with Michail Chatzigiannis, general secretary of the Greek Bible Society.

During the visit, the American group

met with a team of New and Old Testament professors who are working on the Orthodox Study Bible project which, when completed, will be a valuable resource for Orthodox faithful around the world.

Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its lifechanging message.

The American Bible Society Web site is www.americanbible.org

The Archdiocese cordially invites its faithful members to attend the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in honor of Archbishop Demetrios' 40 Years of Hierarchical Ministry on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. at the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral.

A reception will follow in the Cathedral hall. The event also celebrates the 8th anniversary of the Archbishop’s enthronement as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

His Eminence was consecrated as titular Bishop of Vresthena on Sept.

17, 1967, in Athens, Greece. He was elected Archbishop of America on Aug. 19, 1999, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate convened by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Archbishop Demetrios was enthroned as the spiritual leader of 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on Saturday, Sept.

18, 1999. His Eminence, primate of the Church in America and exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is the sixth archbishop since the Archdiocese was established in 1922.

The Holy Trinity Cathedral is located at 319-337 East 74 th St. in New York.

Prayers for Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Victims Religious Freedom of the NEW YORK – Archbishop Demetrios has asked that prayers be offered for comfort and strength for the families of the victims, the injured, and those traumatized as a result of the bridge collapse incident in Minneapolis on Aug. 1.

One of those listed as missing includes a Greek Orthodox Christian, Christine Sacorafas, a member of St. Mary's Church in Minneapolis.

"This is a terrible tragedy," said Archbishop Demetrios following a telephone conversation with the relatives of Christine.

"The last time anyone heard from Christina was when she called the Church on her cell phone. She called to tell them she was running late but was on her way to offer Greek dance lessons to the parish's children. We continue to pray for her and for those who are still missing."

During Sunday services at St. Mary’s Church, hundreds of parishioners prayed for Ms. Sacorafas. Hoping for a miracle, Fr. Paul Paris said he would not speak of her in the past tense. Ms. Sacorafas moved to the Minneapolis area from California three years ago, was going through a divorce and had a serious boyfriend, her father said. She had forged a strong bond with the church.

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Christine Lee Sacorafas, 45, was born and raised in Detroit, the eldest of two girls. She is a second generation of Greeks that emigrated to the U.S. from Samos. She moved to San Diego with her family shortly after graduation from high school.

There Christine was very involved in her church, singing in the choir and volunteering. Christine moved to Minnesota in the winter of 2004.

She became involved in the St. Mary's Church community and joined the Daugh-

ters of Penelope where she served on several committees. She was also involved in starting up a Greek folk dance group for the children at the church.

Christine made all the Greek costumes for the children, which they wear at Greek festivals. For the Sacorafas family, history of the most devastating kind seems to have repeated itself. Forty-one years ago, while driving on a freeway, Nick Sacorafas was rear-ended by a truck and hurled backwards with such force that he broke the back seat in two with his head.

Twenty years ago, the younger of his two daughters, Cynthia, then 22, skidded while driving on a rainy road, was thrown from the car and suffered a head injury so severe that her parents have spent over a million dollars on her medical needs. They continue to care for her.

As the Sacorafases made their way to Minneapolis from their home in Encinitas, Calif., they joined other families wrenched by the tragedy.

And as the families of the five victims whose bodies have been found and as families of the missing were dealing with their private grief, this city so jolted by the disaster was seeking public ways to try to heal.

DIRECTOR & EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Stavros H. Papagermanos EDITOR: Jim Golding (Chryssoulis)

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Ecumenical Patriarchate Presented at Oxford

OXFORD, UK – The Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos, executive director of Communications for the Archdiocese, presented a paper at Oxford University on July 23 titled Resolving the Religious Freedom Issue of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The presentation was one of several topics discussed among 35 theologians and political scholars from the United States invited to participate in the Oxford Round Table held July 22-27 on the topic of “Separation of Church and State: The Decline and Fall?”

The Oxford Round Table is a unique forum, not a conference in the conventional sense, but an opportunity to discuss important policy questions over a five-day period in a collegial, think-tank atmosphere that affect nations and states worldwide.

In his paper, Fr. Marangos detailed basic issues affecting the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and emphasized that the Oxford Round Table “is a valuable international opportunity to discuss these issues and to clarify the historic importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an international and diachronic Christian institution.”

His paper will be published in the Oxford Round Table Journal.

In addition to his presentation, he moderated a panel on the topic “The Limitation of Conscience,” and gave participants a newly developed CD-ROM, funded by the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, that focuses on the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the issue of religious freedom.

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Archbishop Demetrios Inaugurates New Teacher Seminar in Cyprus NICOSIA – Archbishop Demetrios opened a special Teacher Training Seminar at the University of Cyprus on July 5 at the invitation of the Republic’s President Tassos Papadopoulos.

“It is with great joy that I welcome His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios to our campus,” said Dr. Stavros Zenios, rector of the University of Cyprus, “for you have always been an inspirational bridge of understanding and fellowship. I am pleased that this educational collaboration will provide a way for our school to extend itself beyond the limits of Cyprus.”

“This is a very special educational program that begins today,” said Archbishop Demetrios in his opening remarks at the University’s newly constructed auditorium.

“It is a noble attempt between Cyprus and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese which I anticipate will enhance the instruction of the Greek language to second and third generation English–speaking students in America.”

The seminar spanned for almost two weeks and included daily instruction and cultural events and visits.

This second visit of the Archbishop Demetrios to Cyprus, also included a number of noteworthy meetings with religious, political and educational leaders.

On July 3, Archbishop Demetrios attended an awards ceremony in honor of former U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes and former U.S. Congressman John Brademas, at the Presidential Palace. The two prominent Greek Americans received the highest honor of the Republic, the Great Cross of Makarios III. Sarbanes and Brademas played a leading role in Washington in support of Cyprus' rights and particularly in the implementation of a military embargo on Turkey after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Prior to the ceremony Archbishop Demetrios met privately with Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus and President Tassos Papadopoulos.

The four-day visit of the Archbishop began with a meeting with Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus who later hosted a luncheon in honor of Sen. Sarbanes and Congressman Brademas. The Archbishop also met with Demetris Christofias, president of the Parliament of Cyprus, Dimitrios Rallis, the Ambassador of Greece, and Ronald, L. Schlicher, the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus. A number of important religious, political and cultural issues were discussed.

The highlight of the Archbishop’s visit to Cyprus was a concert in the evening of July 5, by the Metropolitan Youth Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

THE ARCHDIOCESAN Youth Choir performs in the garden of the presidential palace.

DIGNITARIES and teachers attend the seminar’s opening ceremony at the University of Cyprus.

of America, hosted by the First Lady of Cyprus Fotini Papadopoulos at the Presidential Palace.

“It was a magical night,” said Archbishop Demetrios after the impressive and moving performance of the 38 children choir under the direction of its conductor Maria Kolevas. The ensemble with the participation of a few Cypriot musicians offered a musical voyage of Greek, Cypriot and American songs and liturgical hymns in the majestic setting of a fragrant Mediterranean night.

The concert, attended by some 700 people, was organized as a benefit for the philanthropic organization of Greek Ladies “Mana,” a childcare center for working mothers, established in 1935 in Nicosia.

PHOTOS D. PANAGOS

ARCHBISHOP Chrysostomos of Cyprus who was elected to the throne of the Apostolic Church of St. Barnabas, explains to Archbishop Demetrios of America the challenges he faces.

AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (l to r) Archbishop Chrysostomos, Mrs. and Mr. Paul Sarbanes, First Lady and President Tassos Papadopoulos, former President George Vassiliou, Mrs. and Mr. John Brademas and Archbishop Demetrios.

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ECUMENICAL

PATRIARCHATE Members of the Church – Citizens of the World

CONCLUSIONS 11-16 July 2007 1. The Eucharistic and eschatological identity of the Church does not release us from our responsibility and witness in history and the world. The eschatological nature of the Church is incompatible with an anti-canonical and anti-historical eschatology. The phrase “not of the world” does not refute the phrase “in the world” but in fact strengthens and directs it toward eternity. Through the Eucharist, the Church is placed at the end, while at the same time in the very center of history.

2. Mission belongs to the identity of the Church. It is more of an ontological feature, an expression of the Church’s Trinitarian constitution and life, rather than merely relating to its operation and activity. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of witness. Christian mission has no hidden agenda and no intention of proselytism.

We are witnesses of salvation in Christ, and everyone is free to decide accordingly. This Orthodox missionary ethos already exists within the worship of our Church and we ought to discover it anew. Participation in the Divine Liturgy must become a fundamental source for authentic missionary inspiration and activity.

3. Since the heart of the Church beats in the Holy Eucharist, the Divine Liturgy is always a spring of salvific experience and knowledge. For this reason, we must not only understand the liturgical life of the Church but also experience the liturgical ethos of the Church as the core of our life.

The mystery and sacraments of the Church also guide us toward respect and protection of God’s creation, namely toward a Eucharistic relationship with the natural environment.

4. The miracle of saintliness adorns the life of the Church throughout the ages.

The communion of saints includes those that have experienced the presence of God, those that have suffered like Christ, spiritual fathers and mothers, both known and unknown workers of the Gospel and martyrs of the faith, true revolutionaries, authentic prototypes of Christian life.

Saintliness was and remains the criterion of our salvation.

5. The expression of the Eucharistic existence of the Church and the proposition of Orthodoxy to the modern world is the “civilization of being,” namely freedom as love and love as freedom. Christ is the true liberator, the Truth which sets us free.

The Christian understanding of personhood resists the modern glorification of the individual, as well as the restriction of the human person within the vast, impersonal framework of a global economy and mass communication.

6. Functioning as the place of “culture for the human person,” the Orthodox Church currently presents an invitation and challenge, offering a new proposal for life and freedom in response to the dramatic impasses of our world. Far from dogmatisms, absolutisms and superficial ethics, the Church witnesses to the Word of the Cross and the Resurrection and renders this Word contemporary, existential and timely. Faced with “confusion of the heart” and the overturning of values, our Church promotes the truth of life in Christ, genuineness in interpersonal relationships and respect for human rights; it encourages volunteerism, cultivates respect towards the natural environment and a Eucharistic approach to the world, expressing a word of hope before anthropological and bioethical dilemmas as well as the utilitarian logic of science and of technology.

PHOTOS D. PANAGOS

7. Faced with modern globalization, the Church is called to embrace her ecumenical elements, to resist the dynamic pressures towards inhumane conduct resulting from the preeminence of economic considerations and the dwindling of societal achievements, to participate in a globalization that retains a human face, and to operate as a place beyond economic vindications, and as a culture of solidarity and love, where particular cultural identities are not only preserved but also operate as a vehicle for communion and participation.

8. The Church’s response and stance toward that other great challenge, namely secularization, must not be an inevitable secularization of the Church. The Church can reveal its soteriological role only by remaining faithful to its Eucharistic identity, namely to what it ontologically is, which is always so much more than what it does and says in the world. If the Church identifies itself with the world, then it loses its power to save and impoverishes its word of prophesy and discernment.

9. We Orthodox youth consider the Church as the ideal place for the development and respect of freedom in the human person. Thus, as a communion of relations, the Church should promote particular pastoral care for disenfranchised youth. In so doing, the Church must remain faithful to its founder and His particular care for “those who labor and those who are burdened.” The Church must collaborate with all social means and contribute in solidarity to supportive institutions, embodying everywhere and always the love of the Good Samaritan, an instinctive affection for the ailing. Christian philanthropic intervention is neither abstract nor impersonal.

10. In our age, family relationships are increasingly described in sociological and legalistic terms. However, we believe that the family must be perceived anew and alternatively within a Christian perspective, far from narrow institutional parameters, in order to be understood, within the authentic ecclesiastical and eschatological dimensions, as a laboratory of salvation and theosis, as an icon of the Church.

11. We know that, as youth, we are the focus of the Church’s spiritual concern

and care. Amid the chaos of definitions and meanings of the term “youth,” we hear the words of Christ and the Church: “Come to me.” We are certain that the response to this invitation offers a solution to the existential problems that torment us. One such current problem is loneliness, one of the most common human experiences through the ages but especially manifest in contemporary societies with the disfunctionality of human relations and the absence of solidarity. In response to this loneliness, the Orthodox Church calls for active participation in the life of the Church, where the Truth is not just “something” but “someone,” not something grasped or understood by the intellect, but rather communion and relationship with Christ and our fellow human beings.

12. Our conference also dealt with the issue of sexual relationships and the authentic function of sexuality and eros.

Presentations brought to light the complexities, as well as the anthropological and psychological roots of sexuality. Discussions revealed the difficulties encountered by young people with regard to sexuality and faithfulness to the ethos of freedom in Christ. There was discussion about a realistic approach to the subject of premarital sex in the pastoral ministry and theology of the Church. Apart from eros as the mutual encounter and commitment of two persons, the conference stressed the significance of Christian marriage as the place where a relationship between man and woman is fully consummated in the “mystery of love,” the authenticity and preservation of which we must continually strive for.

13. Many participants expressed their respect for the vocation of monasticism and the value of asceticism. The subject of abstinence in asceticism, defined within a Christian context and meaning, was discussed. It was stressed that the relationship with ourselves and with others is always connected to the image that we have of the human person and the meaning that we attribute to existence. When we see ourselves and others as mere machines, then we act and react mechanically. When we consider blissfulness as the object of life, then we exploit everyone and everything as

a means to achieve blissfulness. However, when we regard ourselves and others as icons of God, we discover asceticism as a source of freedom, then our attitude towards ourselves and others is no longer possessive but loving. For, life in Christ is not possession, but relationship.

14. Particular reference was made to contemporary forms of entertainment and leisure. Young people cannot sweepingly reject modern means of enjoyment, so long as these do not offend the human person.

Many participants emphasized that this subject should not be approached with detailed prescriptions or strict guidelines with regard to their way of life. Furthermore, there was objection to a spirituality that guides and isolates youth, developing within them a sense of introversion and an attitude of elitism. An Orthodox Christian, as an ecclesial being who draws the fullness of his or her identity from the final days, cannot remain isolated within the self-sufficiency of personal belief or ethical purity, indifferent to or uninspiring for the rest of the world. We believe that a Christian is someone “on fire” – creative and loving, open and dynamic, illuminating and affirming life.

15. In an age of communication and a society of information, Christians are called to use with prudence and confidence all the capabilities offered by new technologies for the spreading of the Word of the Gospel, always endeavoring to transform impersonal trajectories and forms of contact into an opportunity for personal communion and parallel enrichment. In the chaos of information, the Gospel of the incarnate Word of God, which is in fact closer to each of us than we are to ourselves, invites us to a life of genuine personal communication through which alone can satisfy the spontaneous need of an individual for communion with other persons and which is always blessed with the presence of the Triune God. 16. In our conference, we ascertained the value of dialogue as the real acceptance of the other and the real respect of their freedom with his or her differences.

We consider the word “openness” – to what

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JULY- AUGUST 2007

You are not alone!

Niki Polychronakis Chania, Crete We can’t help but be enthusiastic as we become aware that we are all one, we are all brothers and sisters even if we speak different languages.

The Orthodox Observer had the opportunity to speak to many of the participants of the 2nd Orthodox Youth Conference. Here are some of their comments.

– S.H.P Archbishop Irinaios of Crete Archdiocese of Crete, Greece It is a great initiative which brings young orthodox people of the world together. In this conference we feel that the distances are eliminated, we feel that America and Crete come closer together and I think this is very important and I feel gratitude towards our Ecumenical Patriarchate which despite the adversities it faces; it felt it a priority to organize this conference.

Fr. Job Getcha Dean of St. Sergios Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris I think this is a great event in the life of the Church because it gathered young people from all over the world. I think it is very important for the youth to know each other, to listen to each other, to see the common problems and questions that are raised in their lives, to see also the diversity of the Orthodox Church, that the Orthodox Church is not only what they experience in their local parish but it is something much broader.

The theme Members of the Church, Citizens of the World is also a very challenging. Young people are not only members of Church but they are living in the world. How to live our Christian lives today? All the speakers of this conference try to answer this challenging question.

Many more questions are raised as we go forward: dialogue, participation, communion, liturgical life, ritual life… and I feel that we will be able at the end of this Conference to come away with a common statement.

Dimitris Papadimitriou Iraklion, Crete It is a very important event, for most of us it is the first time we participate in something like this and it is important to see Ecumenicity of our Church and our Orthodoxy. One understands and feels that he is not alone, but has people who might differ culturally, but we have Christ in common. Through this [conference] we become a society of individuals, of persons; we understand we all belong to great big family.

Pam Angelopoulos New Jersey I am very impressed to see all different people from all around the world congregate and have one thing in common which is our Orthodoxy. They have such courage to go up and ask questions at such a young age. I commend the young people who came here and ask questions and are concerned about our faith and have taken the step to come to Turkey.

I am looking forward to all the presentations and the trips.

Constantinos Delikonstantis Professor of Philosophy and Theology, University of Athens It is a very important event as the Youth of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from around the world meets here and realizes the value of the Center of Orthodoxy for the identity of Orthodoxy. We all realize the great strength of Orthodoxy, which is exactly this – the unity within diversity, we are all different with different traditions but with one orthodox faith which unites us.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate is strengthened by the presence of so many young people here to continue its offering as the center of orthodoxy. It is also an important event in terms of academic and scientific offering with many important speakers and presenters and it will contribute towards many contemporary issues. Orthodoxy should not be marginalized, it has to face the cultural process and not be closed in a sacramental ghetto. This is an opportunity for all of us to witness our faith in the contemporary world.

Archbishop Demetrios of America called upon the youth yesterday to invest their dynamism within the Church. I can see already some key words in forming messages, words like participation, witness, openness.

Mary Long New York It is very encouraging to see so many young people gathered, people who are so articulate in their faith and theology and to come together for fellowship. I think the rest of the week will be interesting as we get to know each other and start forming opinions and recommendations, It looks good and hopeful.

Photini The Singapore, Metropolis of Hong Kong I think the conference is really good, it is really nice to be able to meet the Ecumenical Patriarch, our archbishops and bishops and it is very important for us to address these issues as the youth of today. I find there is a need for religious education and instruction for many people and I hope this conference helps us get a better perspective.

Bishop Savas of Troas Chancellor, GOA Simply that so many young people came together from throughout the Orthodox world on relatively short notice, is an inspiring witness to the dynamic character of our orthodox youth who so attentively follow a demanding and engaging schedule. The participation is really impressive and the questions are pointed and intelligent. It is an opportunity for our young people to see that they are part of a bigger picture and their faith and interest in the Church are shared by millions of other young people and that it is not only about the older generation or just fundraising events but it’s about engaging the identity of the Church, it about their life and the genuine mission of the Church.

Zafira Samantzi Constantinople We are all very emotional as we welcome so many young people from around the world. I feel blessed to be able to contribute to this with all my might.

Ebeid Bishara Palestine I am Palestinian from Nazareth but I am here on behalf of the Metropolis of Arkalohorion of Crete. I am a student of theology at the University of Thessaloniki.

Since I arrived here, I feel I experienced for the first time Pentecost. It is like celebrating Pentecost for the first time. I see all the young people from around the world and as we recited the Lord’s Prayer in all different languages I got great joy and strength, it gave me hope for a better future.

Symeon Tan Singapore, Metropolis of Hong Kong A lot of issues are being raised and discussed and some of them are very deep.

Most importantly I think this conference makes us realize things are not all pretty and nice. There are a lot of things that we have to examine and think about as Orthodox Christians.

Archimandrite Dositheos Kanellos Abbot, Holy Monastery of Tatarni in Karpenisi, Greece This 2nd Orthodox Youth Conference is one of the greatest successes of the Patriarchate especially when the role and the ecumenicity of the Patriarchate are being doubted. Keep in mind, that two days ago when they tried to bring down the banner which includes the word Ecumenical, the banner remained up only due to the Patriarch’s steadfastness who in effect said that I will bring down only if they force it upon us in writing. It is simply a great success, just the fact that a thousand young people are present in a place of martyrs, where the Patriarchate survives under adverse conditions, facing a lurking hostility which sometimes surfaces, but other times we do not realize it as we live in democratic countries, this alone is a success attributed personally to the Ecumenical Patriarch. It can be viewed as a real miracle especially amidst the Turkish elections. I admire the vivacity of these young people who all have orthodox life experiences but also have questions and doubts… I see in their eyes the commitment to a Christian life wherever they live, wherever there is an orthodox parish, wherever there is an orthodox church because there is the center of the earth, there lives our holy faith.

Deacon Paul Zaharas Denver The gathering of this International Youth Conference is extremely beneficial for the youth from America and from other parts of the world in that they able to gather together in the name of Christ, have fellowship with one another as they are gathered here in Constantinople. Here the Church and the history of the Church become more alive for them, because they are experiencing the continuity of the Church. We are benefiting from the knowledge and the sharing of the various scholars and speakers who are touching on issues pertinent to our every day orthodox life; missions, ecology, spirituality and the like.

Eva Kokinos Detroit, Mich.

What it is already accomplished, in this second day of the conference, is to show the youth of America and the youth from around the world the real global face of Orthodoxy. The fact there are so many young people here shows that this Orthodox youth of the world is large and powerful and can do many wonderful things. I think that these sessions and workshops will help us all learn more about our Orthodox faith and the different aspects of it. It is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to discover the community that we have and to get to know each other and to feel this unity as orthodox young people.

Catherine Chisnall Bahamas I come from the Bahamas, which is a very small community, the only Greek Orthodox parish there, so when I come to conferences like this it makes me feel I am part of a bigger picture and able to understand issues on a bigger landscape, it makes more sense.

I find this city fascinating, and to be here discussing our Orthodoxy is wonderful. I have met people that are passionate about their faith, I’ve heard talks that have challenged our minds working in new ways and I am so glad I am here, it is my first time but it won’t be my last time in the city.

MEMBERS of the Archdiocese Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Demetrios of America.

JULY- AUGUST 2007

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Patriarch Teoctist of Romania Falls Asleep in the Lord Archbishop Demetrios expressed his "deep condolences" at the news of the death of Patriarch Teoctist, the spiritual leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church who passed away on July 30 at age 92. “The departure of the beloved and late Patriarch Teoctist can be nothing less than a deeply felt wound for the pious Romanian people both here and abroad,� said Archbishop Demetrios.

"The Patriarchs, as the spiritual fa-

thers of our Autocephalous Churches, hold a special significance for the people of God. They look upon these Elders of the New Israel as living touchstones for the communion of God and man.

Much like Abraham, Jacob and Moses, they are invested with a unique role that transcends the limits of the individual, and encompasses the spiritual yearning of an entire people. May the memory of Patriarch Teoctist be eternal."

His funeral was held Friday, Aug 3.

Archdiocese at Ecumenical Anniversary Event

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OBERLIN, Ohio – More than 300 attendees from 80 Christian communities and organizations spent five days at Oberlin College in mid-July observing the 50th anniversary of the first Faith and Order Conference of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States.

The NCCCUSA is an ecumenical organization of 35 of America's Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, historic African American and traditional peace churches.

The member groups represent 45 million faithful Christians in 100,000 congregations in all 50 states.

As an act of remembrance and commemoration, the July 19-23 conference had historic significance for the ecumenical movement in the United States.

Among the participants were six men and women who had attended the first conference in 1957.

At the time, the Greek Orthodox delegation was led by Bishop Athenagoras Cavadas, then-president of Holy Cross School of Theology and, most notably, included the Rev. Dr. Georges Florovsky.

As reported by one participant of that conference who also attended this one (many thanks to the Rev. John George Huber for his permission to extract this quote from an article he wrote for the January 1958 edition of The Seminarian, A Student Journal of Theological Opinion and Discussion of the Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis: “In a service of ecumenical worship, Bishop Hans Lilje (past president of the Lutheran World Federation and a guest speaker) delivered an address that shook the Eastern Orthodox delegation to the point of making a formal protest.

The Lutheran bishop’s primary point was the denouncement of defining unity as mere uniformity or the achievement of a humanly contrived monolithic institution.

Instead, he stressed the centrality of Christ and the importance of purely theological factors. He also flatly denied that a solution to unity lies in a return to Rome, and then swung his most lethal blow: “We reject the notion that the Church needs that sort of historic guarantee of her continuity which is supposed to be given in the apostolic succession of bishops.�

That did it. The following morning, Bishop Athenagoras (Cavadas), the Orthodox delegation chairman, defended the necessity of the historic episcopacy, and then read the official position of his Church: The Orthodox Church teaches that she has no need to search for a ‘lost unity,’ because her historic consciousness dictates that she is the Una Sancta (“Mian Aghian,� “One, Holy�) and that all Christian groups outside the Orthodox Church can recover their unity only by entering into the bosom of that Church which preserved its identity with early Christianity.�

The witness of the Orthodox delegation, now as then, is a witness to the truth

of the Faith. The Archdiocese has been represented in the NCCCUSA for decades, and with the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was one of two participant bodies at the Oberlin conference.

The Orthodox delegation representing the Archdiocese included Fr. Mark Arey (Ecumenical Office), Dr. Aristotle Papanikolaou (Fordham University), Dr. Helen Creticos Theodoroupoulos (Loyola University Chicago), Dr. Anton Vrame (Hellenic College/Holy Cross and director of religious education), and a graduate student at Harvard, Christopher Tsichlis.

In addition to the OCA delegation, there were three other students, two from the OCA and one from the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Also present was Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, NCCC associate general secretary for International Affairs and Peace, helped to coordinate the participation of the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox delegates.

The Oriental Orthodox delegation was led by Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Orthodox Church, who himself has been elected president of the NCCCUSA for the next quadrennial session.

Among the many presentations, Dr. Papanikolaou gave an paper that illustrated the remarkable continuity and consensus that has existed in the Orthodox tradition on the principle of divine-human communion not simply as the goal of theology, but as the very first principle upon which all theological thinking is grounded.

He emphasized that in the Orthodox Faith, a sense of authentic otherness and difference is grounded in the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This Trinitarian theological component remains one of the most important contributions of the Orthodox Church to the ecumenical movement.

Throughout the discussions in small groups and the informal gatherings, the input of the Orthodox representation often challenged and inspired many of the participants.

There was also time for meaningful exchange with other Christians of diverse faith perspectives, whose insights were very much appreciated by the Orthodox.

The tone of the conference was peaceful and without much controversy, except for a few references to the recent statement of out of the Vatican that caused a stir in the secular press.

Although the Roman Catholic Church is not a member of NCCCUSA, there was ample representation the clergy and lay theologians, including Cardinal Avery Dulles of Fordham University. All in all, the presence of the Orthodox Church in these meetings is vital to maintaining good relations and contacts with the people of the land we live in. But even more so, it provides an ongoing opportunity to bear witness to the truth of the Orthodox Faith and share that truth in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation.

JULY- AUGUST 2007

American College of Greece Bestows Honorary Doctorate to Archbishop

D. PANAGOS

AMERICAN College President John S. Bailey (left) with Archbishop Demetrios and Dr. Derek Bok.

ATHENS, Greece – The American College of Greece bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, to Archbishop Demetrios on June 30, during an impressive commencement ceremony at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus.

Dr. John S. Bailey, president of the American College, presented the award.

According to the citation Archbishop Demetrios was honored for his “intellectual leadership, inspiration,” and for his “untiring service to others.” The Archbishop’s pastoral work during the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy was particularly noted as some of his “finest moments of ministry.”

“We pray for the continued success,” added Dr. Bailey, “of the inspired and tremendous work that you are offering to all people, beyond the robust limits of the Greek Orthodox community in America.”

“I am deeply thankful for this great honor,” said Archbishop Demetrios in accepting the award. “It is a privilege to be associated with a school that pursues academic excellence, reconciliation and deep understanding of people of various origins.”

His Eminence also said that the honor was not only personal but it reflected on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Omogeneia of the United States at large.

Speaking also in Greek, the Archbishop addressed the graduates by making reference to the Feast Day of Saint Paul.

“Like this great Apostle,” he urged, “do not ‘overly focus on what is behind, but press on toward what lies ahead,’ (Philippians 3:13) and draw upon our Hellenic tradition always seeking the maximum and the optimum in whatever you do in life!”

Prof. Sissela Ann Bok, philosopher and scholar at Harvard University, who was also honored, was the keynote speaker.

Among those in attendance were her husband and President of Harvard Dr. Derek Bok, officials from the American Embassy of Greece and other dignitaries.

A total of a thousand students graduated from the school’s undergraduate and graduate divisions and almost seven thousand people were in attendance.

Later that evening the American College hosted a private dinner in honor of Archbishop Demetrios and its other guests at the Intercontinental Hotel.

 page 4 is different, to other Christian confessions, to other religions, to other civilizations, and to our fellow human beings in general – as the essential definition of our identity. Apart from sharing and participation, openness expresses a profound vision for Orthodox youth. An isolated Orthodoxy does not correspond to our most authentic traditions and fails to express the ethos of ecclesiastical freedom, also ignoring universal values which the Church has substantially worked to create. No possibility for real Christian witness can exist in the contemporary world without this sense of openness.

17. We believe that our Christian identity of openness not only obliges us to co-exist with others but is also able to nurture them. Therefore, we cultivate our own particular identity, aware that this is how we can best understand and accept the particularity of others. By respecting differences in others, we discover unexpected aspects of our own personality.

In honest dialogue with others, who are different, we do not betray our faith but in fact make it better known to others. The future does not belong to the disinterested or half-hearted; it belongs to those who love their tradition and therefore respect the traditions of others.

18. We know that, as members of the Church, we both convey and continue a tradition spanning two millennia. This means that we ought to discover in depth the Orthodox ecclesiastical way of life, familiarizing ourselves with the historical forms of expression within the Church and simultaneously preserving and protecting without corruption the elements of our ecclesiastical tradition in our age in order to convey them to the next generation in an equally authentic, intelligible and practical manner. As Orthodox young men and women, we demonstrate our conviction that the Church provides for us both existential support and a refuge for life.

19. We wish to offer our Christian witness in our own dynamism and our own way, respecting our own priorities. We do not wish to be considered simply as the “future of the Church,” marginalized from contemporary developments, but instead desire to contribute in the present to what is happening now, to participate energetically in the pastoral, communal and liturgical life of the Church. As youth, we have distinctly pronounced existential concerns and social sensitivities, a developed sense of conflict and disappointment in life, which adults have ceased to notice. We do not believe in simple prescriptions for the exercise of our freedom. We are convinced that each of us possesses priceless gifts and compassionate potential, which through divine grace may be multiplied in the Church for the body of Christ and for the general good.

20. We express our warm gratitude to the venerable head of Orthodoxy, namely the authentic, dynamic and the especially youthful Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for the opportunity he granted us to participate in this conference, as well as for the heartfelt Abrahamic hospitality and cherished experiences of these days in the Queen of Cities. We close the conference with the indelible and illumined figure of the Patriarch in our hearts and minds! Moreover, we address fervent thanks and congratulations to the conference President, Metropolitan Gennadios, to the members of the organizing committee and to all those who contributed visibly or invisibly to the success of this ecumenical synaxis. We express our sincere desire that the near future will bring the third Orthodox Youth Conference, in which we believe that more presentations should be assigned to younger conference participants.

JULY- AUGUST 2007

SALUTATION OF HIS ALL HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX YOUTH CONFERENCE  page 1 The convocation of this Conference, under the general title, “Members of the Church – Citizens of the World” constitutes the fruit of the fervent love of the Mother Church for you, Her younger members. However, it is also the result of the vigilant attentiveness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for all matters that pertain to your spiritual needs and concerns.

My beloved children, the Church is not just an institution – some kind of organization or association. It is a Body, one wondrously depicted by the Apostle Paul – a life-giving and life-bearing Body – the Theanthropic Body of our Lord Jesus Christ! Listen to what the endowed-withthe-wisdom-of-God Apostle says in his Epistle to the Ephesians, namely that God the father has given His Son “to be the head over all things to the church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Saint John Chrysostom emphasizes the truth that Christ, when He became incarnate, “took upon Himself the flesh of the Church” (Homily before the Exile 2, P.G. 52,429), and that Christ Himself has become the Firstfruits and Head of the Church. We, all of the faithful – the members of the Church, are members of the Body of Christ, even as St. Paul underscores in

selves still struggling on this earth, as for those who have finished their course and find themselves translated to the celestial Jerusalem. Therefore we are the cells, the members of the eternally living and glorified Body of Christ! One is the foot, another the hand. One is eye, another the tongue, another a lung, stiller another a bone, then another the skin, and on and on – each one in proportion to the position and responsibility of each in the Church, and in proportion to the grace that each has received from God, each and every one in constant communion with the Head, which is their Savior. This communion, signified in the Mysteries and by obedience to the Faith, and the love which is the ontological bond between the All-Holy Head and the Body of the Church, secures life and health, that is, salvation and sanctification. But at the same time, as the great Paul has said, we are members of one another. As all of us are conformed to the will of the Divine Head, and our mutual love and respect for the personality and gifts of each increases, the balanced and healthy function of the Body is assured. We already understand how a cancer grows in the human body, when a member, or more exactly, a cell, begins to grow in a way that is not in proportion to the rest – without regard to its relation to the other members – and we know the

PANELISTS (left to right) Archimandrite Dositheos Kanellos, Professor Konstantinos Delikonstantis, Ms. Xanthi Morfi and Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima.

another place in the same Epistle to the Ephesians: “for we are members of His Body” (Ephesians 5:30). In another place, the Epistle to the Colossians, the Divine Apostle affirms: “and He (Christ) is the Head of the Body of the Church” (1:18).

Again, in First Corinthians he writes: “For just as the body is one, and possesses many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are slaves or free.... Now you are the Body of Christ, and members in particular” (Corinthians 12:12-13, 27). And again, in the Epistle to the Romans he states: “For just as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same function, so we, being many, are one Body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12: 4,5).

Therefore in perfect concord with the affirmations just presented, we experience a wondrous reality – One Body, Which has as it Its Head the Hypostasized OnlyBegotten Son and Logos of God, Whose members are all those who have believed in Him, have been baptized in His Name, and have become partakers of His lifegiving Body and precious Blood Which was shed for the life of the world and its salvation – as much for us who find our-

PHOTOS D. PANAGOS

catastrophic results.

And this is how in the Body of Christ, no member is allowed to behave in an individualistic way or to develop in a way that is unrelated to the rest, in a selfish, self-willed way, without regard for the pious and faithful conformance to the commandments of the Head. Otherwise, the healthy function and genuine communion of love and the unity of the faith of the other members becomes infected. And by either ignorance or malice, the cancers of disorder, disarray, strife, schism, heresy, and in the final analysis the severing from the Body of Christ, occur with result the eternal death.

Therefore, the Apostle Paul insists with great emphasis: “And truly, the body is not one member, but many…. the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary, and those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor…. God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, so that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffers, all the mem-

bers suffer, or one member is honored, all the members rejoice. Now you are the Body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:14, 21-23, 24-26).

As members, then, of the Church, my young friends, you are also members of the Body of Christ. Each one of you has – irrespective of gender – a personal and a personal role in the Theanthropic Body, in proportion to the grace and talent that God has already given you, or that He is going to entrust to you in the future. What is needful is that you become aware in a timely fashion of your talent and your spiritual gifts. Thus, you will be able to fulfill you personal role and your obligations that God expects of you as members of the Body of the Church. And there is a way to be certain of these things – as you respond willingly to your feelings of responsibility by saying from the depths of your heart: “Behold! Here am I , Lord! Speak Lord!

Thy servant hearkens!”

As for your interpersonal relations, and those you have with the other members of the Church, the Lord expects that you should walk in the communion of love, in mutual respect, replete with every sentiment of brotherly and sisterly solidarity. Walk in such a way that the joy of theirs is your joy! Let the problems of others – their struggles, their sorrow, their anxiety, their pain—be yours! And not out of social convention or in a condescending way, but with fervent and genuine love!

Listen to this story from the Gerontinkon, the collection of the sayings of the Ascetical Fathers, when someone asked a hermit what really signified love. That Man of God answered thus: “Love is this – if I see a leper on the road and I say to him, ‘Come, my bother! Take my healthy body and give me yours!’ This is love.”

When you think of such a measure of love, then you understand how much road we have to travel to achieve such a love! But don’t lose heart! Fight diligently the fight within the framework that the Lord and the Fathers have established. There, the love of God will come upon you as a gift that crowns your efforts.

Contemporary people – and you already know this – suffer from an inconsolable loneliness. Without a conscious Church life, there awaits only the cry; “I am alone... Alone! Alone and opposed even to myself.”

People who live this kind of tragic existence are clearly shut off in a selfimposed isolation. This individualistic, egocentric way of life has no desire to even try to exceed itself – to excel beyond their Ego – and make some sacrifice or suffer self-deprivation for the sake of another human being. This kind of life is already a very real torment, and has arrived at that point where one could say along with the atheist existential philosopher: “The other person is my hell!” (John Paul Sartre).

However, my good spiritual children, the person of faith has other presuppositions, has other horizons. These are based on our brotherhood in Christ; they are what binds us together with our fellow Christians. Consider, if you so wish, the tradition that we have lived through the ages until this very day – the tradition of Romiosyne and Orthodoxy – as much in this place as in all the world!

The parish, the community, was the commons of our Brotherhood centered around the Temple, the Holy Altar and the Divine Liturgy, as an axis around which not only the personal and the family life, but also the communal and social life of all parishioners turned. The Church bell, whether it tolls with joy or tolls in sorrow, stirred and moved everyone, and all



JULY- AUGUST 2007

World’s Orthodox Youth Experience the Ecumenical Patriarchate  page 1 personal place and particular role within the divine-human body of the Church, according to the gift that each has been given or will be entrusted with in the future by God. His All Holiness invited the young people to recognize and embrace their unique talent and role in the Church in order to willingly and responsibly respond to the calling of God. Following the opening ceremony the Patriarch hosted a dinner for all participants in the Conference Center Hall, during which he called on Archbishop Demetrios of America to address the young men and women. The Archbishop spoke on the idea of the youth participating more and playing a more determinative role in the life and the matters of the Orthodox Church. “The Church expects an increased offering from our youth similar to the activity and energy they display in the fields of education, athletics and the arts,” he said and added: “…our youth is not simply and only the future, as it is often said, but it is mainly the present and we should expect from our young people complete and active involvement in the work of the Church.”

The Pan Cretan Youth Choir offered a musical selection at the conclusion of the evening and in other later occasions.

The work of the conference was held simultaneously in three languages, Greek, English and French and included presentations, panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

Sacramental and spiritual life, missionary ethos, globalization, secularization, family, loneliness, sexuality were only a few of the subjects of the many and

 gathered together to share in the joy or the sorrow. Whether it were a celebration – a wedding, a Baptism, or any other happy occasion; or whether it be a funeral or a sad occasion, all were drawn to the Church and around the Church.

But also the leaders of the Church Community, both clergy and lay, were vigilant over all the people of the community, and all the people were respectful to them, and considered seriously their opinions. You might say that now things have changed quite a lot in the realities of Community life. The growth of huge populations in Church Communities, the divergence and distance that we experience in large cities: all these seem to the parishioners as belonging to the past. We cannot deny that this is a problem and a serious one! But problems exist so that we can confront them, and confront them not only on the basis of our intentions and abilities, but most of all, on the basis of our Almighty God, His Only-Begotten Son, the Christ, Who is the Head of the Body, as well as in the Holy Spirit, Who is the Soul of the Church.

But the picture of the Church, Beloved, as the Body of Christ, and of us as its members, is revealed, made tangible and is lived most wondrously in the Divine Liturgy. Again, we seek illumination from the great St. Paul. In the First Epistle to the Corinthians he says: “The Cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (Corinthians 10:16,17).

When we commune of the One Cup and partake of the Mysteries of our master’s Body and Blood, we not only

THE AMERICAN delegation to the 2nd Orthodox Youth Conference with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

various presentations and ensuing discussions in the days that followed. Speakers and participants dealt with a great variety of contemporary topics and revealed the creative intensity of the youth as members of the Church and their dynamic dialectic as citizens of the world.

The conference provided a forum for participants to become acquainted with one another, offering them the opportunity for communication and dialogue.

Many were visiting for the first time the Mother Church and had the opportunity to personally meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch.

The participants visited the Phanar and participated in the Sunday Divine Liturgy. Visits to the Theological School of Halki, the Church of Hagia Sophia and the other ancient monuments of the city were also part of the itinerary.

An open air concert by the internationally acclaimed singer George Dalaras was scheduled as a closing for Sunday, the last night of the conference at the fortress Rumeli Hisari. While all the necessary permits and arrangements were secured well in advance by the Patriarchate, the Turkish authorities unfortunately decided, just the day before, to cancel the concert

citing security concerns. The Second Orthodox Youth Conference brought to the consciousness of people coming from different cultural environments, the ecumenical dimension of Orthodoxy, its unifying power and, at the same time, the richness of each of the individual traditions. They experienced the Ecumenical Patriarchate not as a national Church but as an embodiment of the ecumenical spirit and universal dimensions of the Gospel of Christ, where the ethnic, linguistic and cultural expression of its members is never undermined but only enhanced and established as an instrument of society.

become joined to the Body and Blood and Soul of the God-Man Jesus Christ, we become joined to the body and blood and souls of one another! We become living members of the eternally Living Lord Who arose from the dead, but we also become members of one another! All who partake of the Table of the Lord treasure in their own bodies the Very Body of Christ! In their veins runs the Very Blood of Christ!

In their hearts is found the Very Faith in Christ! And in their souls the Very Grace of Christ brings sanctification!

Everyone equally tastes Christ’s holy love and all hold in common the expectation of our blessed hope in Christ Jesus.

This is why the Divine Liturgy is the preeminent manifestation of the great ontological truth that we Christians are brothers and sisters. Yes! We are not alone, bereft of siblings! When we confess God to be our Father and His Church to be our Mother; when we commune from the Chalice of Life – of the Body and Blood of the One Who was Incarnate and Crucified for us and Arose from the dead – of the Only-Begotten Son of God, we possess not only a larger circle of brethren, and larger family – we have become part of His greater and only true Life-giving Body! Indeed, this Body grows with any human being who becomes member of the Church. And it is the desire of Its Head that it should grow unceasingly, ever-flowing in accordance with the commandment given to His Holy Disciple and Apostles: “Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (St. Matthew 28:19,20). This is the one obligation that weighs upon the shoulders of all Christians.

And here, beloved daughters and sons on the Lord, we must leave off, satisfied that we have at least hinted at the depths which lie before us all as members of the

Church, and the attendant responsibilities and obligations. Now we must move on to the second part of our Conference’s theme: “Citizens of the World.”

There can be no doubt that for we who bear the Name of Christ, “our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20), as once again St. Paul, the Teacher of the Churches, underscores.

And it is abundantly clear that “here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

But beyond this, with the exception of monastics and hermits, the rest of us Christians, and we are the vast majority, we live and move among the organized societies of the world: in cities, cultures and nations, with distinct cultural conditions and self-understood obligations. All of us have a passport, and we all receive certain protections from worldly authorities and many shared goods and services. We are citizens of particular countries that convey certain obligations and privileges.

Of course, the world is no Paradise and the condition of the world is not ideal for Christians, inasmuch as in accordance with the unequivocal and diachronic message of the Evangelist John, “the whole world lies in evil” (1 John 5:19). You know that, the world has not accepted Christ as its ruler; it has another ruler, hinted at by the Lord shortly before His Passion when He said, “Now the ruler of this world is cast out” (St. John 12:31), i.e., the devil.

Consequently, it is expected that in the world we should have tribulation and that we might face unjust hatred. Our Lord Himself made this known to us: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have conquered the world!”

(St. John 16:33).

And again: “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the

world, but I have chosen you from the world – this is the reason that the world hates you” (St. John 15:18,19).

Now this reality does not force us to retreat from the world – this is a special grace bestowed on very few – on those called to monasticism – but it should give us a critical stance vis-à-vis the world. Let us be in the world, but let us not be in line with the evil purposes of the world. Think of the fish, how they are not made of salt, in spite of the fact that they live and swim in the salt-filled sea.

Besides, as Our Lord Christ has said, addressing His Heavenly Father in His High Priestly Prayer at the Last Supper, “I have given Your word to them, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that Your preserve them from the evil one” (St. John 17:14,15).

Moreover, the quality of being a Christian impels us, while we abide in the world, that we should be law-abiding citizens, unless the law comes into a direct clash with the will of God. If some demand of the state should completely contravene the will of God, then let us stand firm with the Apostolic word of the Chief Apostle, St. Peter, who said: “We must obey God, rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Did not Christ pay the tax of the half shekel – the tax for the Temple in Jerusalem, as is reported by the Evangelist Matthew? The Lord told Peter to catch a fish, and there in the midst of the fish’s belly were the coins, enough for the Lord Himself and for Peter (St. Mathew 17:2427). Likewise, the Lord declared to us: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (St. Matthew 22:21). Foolish anarchy is foreign to the spirit of the Gospel.

But beyond this, it must not escape our

 page 20

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Which is the Oldest Church?

This is a historical response to the recent declaration of Pope Benedict XVI who, in reference to his 2000 document “Dominus Iesus” written when he was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that Christian denominations were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities. Pope Benedict referred to the Orthodox churches as having “many elements of sanctification and of truth” but were “wounded” because they did not recognize the primacy of the Pope.

If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an exmonk of the Catholic Church in 1517.

by Rev. Miltiades B. Efhtimiou

If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.

If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.

If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.

If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England, founded by Samuel Senbury in the American Colonies in the 17th century.

If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1606.

If you are of the Dutch Reformed Church, you recognize Michelis Jones as the founder because he originated your religion in New York in 1623.

If you are a Methodist, your religion was founded by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1774.

If you are Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York in 1829.

If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.

If you are Christian Scientist, you look to the year 1879 as the year in which your religion was born in Boston and look to Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as the “Church of the Nazarene,” “Pentecostal Gospel,” Holiness Church,” or “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past hundred years.

However, if you are Roman Catholic, your church shared the same rich apostolic and doctrinal heritage as the Orthodox Church for the first thousand years of its history, since during the first millennium these two churches were one in the same.

Lamentably, in 1054, the Pope of Rome broke away from the other four Apostolic Patriarchates (which include Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem).

He created this break by tampering with the original Creed of the Church, thereby making the pope infallible. The idea of infallibility became a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century at Vatican I Council, thus separating the Church from the tenets of early Christendom.

It is not enough to claim that your church began with the Apostles. The catholicity of your church, be it Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Congregationalist, Dutch Reformed, Methodist, Mormon, or Christian Scientist, must truly identify with “Catholic.”

This word is a Greek word used in the Creed which means that your church identifies with those early communities of Antioch, Corinth, Alexandria, Jerusalem and Rome that existed more than 2,000 years ago.

It must include the adherence to orthodox doctrine and belief that those early communities held, and formulated later in Councils.

This then should be the format for all meaningful ecumenical dialogue, in the spirit of He, who once said “that they may be one” (John 17:21).

Rev. Dr. Miltiades B. Efthimiou is a retired priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

He is a protopresybter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He served as Ecumenical Officer for SCOBA. He holds a Ph.D. in Medieval History.

Christianity, Service or Spiritual Power?

Religion is always interested in character. Character is what we are. In its good sense it means moral strength.

by Rev. William Gaines

Everybody knows that integrity of character is the essential of good homes, good municipalities, good nations.

When you get clear down to the bottom of our problems today, you will find behind all of them some failure in character.

It is my own belief there is very little relation between what modern people call character and the kind of life Christ wanted to produce in the world.

Character for us is static and means an achieved moral position; life He produced was dynamic and meant steady growth.

What modern people mean by character is generally man-made, while what he sought in human life was much too

high and difficult for people to create it by themselves. Religion is always interested in ideals.

They are the stars to which we hitch the wagon of character. They represent humanity’s moral aspiration and always lie a little beyond the rim of actuality.

The world of our time is simply full of fine people with great ideals. One is thankful for them, but one has to ask some questions about idealism: • How are people going to be enabled to reach their ideals?

• What do ideals mean in any actual situation?

• How are you going to interest people in ideals who lack them?

Religion is always interested in service. Every time in Christian history when there has been a corresponding wave of spiritual power that has swept a country or a city, there has been a corresponding

 Festival experience Editor My participation in the National Finals of the Oratorical Festival, hosted in Miami from June 15-17, has been one of the best experiences of my life.

The hospitality of the wonderful committee of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church really impressed me. They had planned down to the last detail how to make our stay as exciting and pleasant as possible. I was very happy and exuberant to be there.

I represented the Direct Archdiocesan District in the senior division and the other 17 speakers represented the Metropolises of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco.

It was such a wonderful thing to meet people who shared my interests and goals in life. At the farewell reception we were all very sad to say goodbye and go our separate ways, but I was also happy and very grateful to have met such admirable friends. The experience I received there extends so far beyond being a national finalist. I feel very fortunate to have met such wonderful people.

The values I brought back home with me are the ones that are most cherished.

I don’t know what God has in store for my future, but I do know that my achievements in life have come through Him and I hope that God’s strength will guide me in all my ways.

Evelyn Doudalis Hempstead, N.Y.

 Let God judge  Editor, Recently, MSNBC News Services – July 10, 2007, had an article (Jesus formed only one church) quoting the Pope about the Catholic position on other Christian Churches.

Orthodoxy: “....Orthodox Churches were defective......they (Orthodox) lack something because they do not recognize the primacy of the pope; a defect, or a wound that harmed them.”

All Christian Churches: “....other Christian denominations....were not true churches....therefore did not have the ‘means of salvation’.”

Based on these comments, only the Catholics shall be saved. I do agree on one thing that the Pope said: “...dialogue cannot be an occasion to accommodate or soften what you actually understand yourselves to be”. I believe that our Orthodox Church has already changed too much in order to accommodate others.

With the push to become “one church”, what is our church's response? If anyone in our church wishes to convert to the wave of philanthropy in its wake.

Christ was hard on people who said “Lord, Lord” and did nothing.

He said the judgment would be hard on all of us if we didn’t care for the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the hungry.

What broadly we call “social service” occupies the time of great numbers of the finest people in this whole world. But is this what Christ believed needed to be done most for people: No, He sought primarily to release the power of God in people’s lives.

Christ was the greatest servant humanity ever had, but we must look well and see how little of it was dependent

Catholic Church, go ahead. But let the Orthodox people remain Orthodox. And if any Catholic (or anyone else) wishes to convert to Orthodoxy, God bless them, they are welcomed.

My personal hope is that each Christian church follows the words of Christ as stated in the Bible; and let God do the judging when the time comes.

Spyros Sipsas Moorpark, CA

 God at prom response Editor, In the June 2007 edition of the Observer, there is a 23 word letter published regarding “God at Prom”. It appears that there may have been an article regarding “the prom” that this letter is in response.

Although the letter I am responding to was short and simplistic, it speaks volumes. Honestly my initial reaction was “you’re kidding, right?” I thought the notion of being an Orthodox Christian meant more than being an ostrich and burying your head in the sand to avoid dealing with realities, or pretending certain realities do not exist. I could not believe I was reading such nonsensical statements, like “(the prom) is where you lose your heritage and your soul”. Wow. Do people really believe this crud? This sounds like the makings of a fundamentalist (and quite ignorant) attitude. Then the author stated “We should have matchmakers” – whoa! I think he has identified (yet again) a demographic that needs to be ministered to with more substantive and meaningful lessons about being Orthodox that go beyond superficial expressions. As adults, and especially the leaders of youth groups, we should think more of young adults and children. The fact is, God is at the prom. He resides in every heart and soul of the young adults that attend. I think much more of our children than the other author’s statements reflect.

If we have done our job and instilled in our beautiful and pure children how they may be the only “gospel” another may see (and many other such character building facts of who they are and the dignity they bring) the Prom can indeed be a wonderful experience, as it was meant to be. Do we really think that our children are helpless at the prom? Give them some credit!

If that author and we too, cannot trust our children at the prom, when will we start? If we trust them at GOYA getaways, AHEPA’s daughters and sons conventions, and the like, it would indeed be most hypocritical if we do not trust them at the prom. The only thing I question is: what and how are we “really” teaching them?

George N. Patides St. Petersburg, FL upon what facilities he had or how much money he had in his pocket.

His service lay primarily in being able to communicate to people a certain quality of living based on his own faith and experience of God. He deeply changed the people about him, and then welded them into a company who should continue His work and transmit that same power to people throughout the world.

Immense varieties of lesser services sprang from this great service.

Fr. William Gaines is a retired priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

JULY- AUGUST 2007

Communicating the Faith RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: When Christians Disagree

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 13:35 In the late l800s two Baptist deacons living in Mayfield County, Kentucky had a severe disagreement. One Sunday, one of the deacons put up a small wooden peg in the back wall so the minister could hang up his hat.

by Rev. Frank Marangos

When the other deacon discovered the peg, he was outraged that he had not been consulted. Before long, the church took sides and eventually split.

According to legend, to this day one can find in Mayfield County the Anti-peg Baptist Church.

There is a church in Louisiana with a roof that is green on one side and red on the other. This was done to accommodate members of the church who adamantly wanted green and others who desired the color red.

The disagreement was so intense that the parish was going to split over the issue.

Fortunately, a compromise was reached.

Unfortunately, the red and green roof is a monument in the local town of the disunity within the body of Christ.

What happens when Christians disagree? If we are honest, many stories similar to the preceding two accounts can be narrated describing the painful ill effects of conflict within and among local parishes and their respective religious denominations.

Churches and local parishes have actually split when individuals divide on competing sides and charge each other with being traitors to or impersonators of the “true” faith!

There are many reasons why Christians go through such times of disagreement. While valuable dialogue does and should occur over important issues pertaining to the sound teachings of the church, more often than not, many disagreements germinate from misunderstandings and petty issues.

When Christians allow their disagreements and dialogues to escalate into public debate and confrontation, however, the Body of Christ is often scarred and the reputation of the Church is stained. In John 13:35 Jesus taught his disciples that they were to be known by the love that they express for one another.

In the great Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:23-24) Christ told his listeners that if one were to approach the altar and remembered something against another they should leave their offering until they are reconciled.

In his letter to the Philippians (4:1-7) St. Paul underscores the value of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount admonition by providing a description of two women who worked side-by-side in a Christian community but unfortunately fell into the trap of disagreement.

What undoubtedly began as a small argument, however, soon burgeoned into a division that affected the entire congregation.

In light of passionate objections expressed by Orthodox Christians over recent declarations by Catholic theologians concerning the constitution of the authentic Church, I believe a brief examination of the short biblical pericope concerning Euodia and Syntyche might prove beneficial.

Although Euodia and Syntyche lived more than 1,900 years ago, their story is a wonderful model – providing wise rules of engagement - for the style and manner in which Christians should handle their internal disputes.

"I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche,” insists Paul, “that they agree with each other" (Philippians 4:2). Here in the midst of his letter to the church in Philippi St. Paul passionately exhorts each of two fellow workers to end their disagreement.

While there is little mentioned about the exact nature of the disagreement, their contention was significant enough for Paul to publicly address it.

He realized that, left unchecked, disagreement leads to relational fracture.

Paul was so concerned about the issue of disunity that he wrote the Letter to the Philippians, in part to address the subject.

Paul describes Euodia and Syntyche as "women who contended at my side in the cause of the gospel" (4:3).

From this we may infer that they were prominent members, perhaps deaconesses, of the religious community.

As such, their respective responsibilities in the Church made the contention between them all the more harmful. It is significant that Paul addresses both women equally, showing, as is the case in most disagreements, that each needed to provide spiritual room for the other.

He directs them to "agree with each other," but not just any kind of agreement.

For Saint Paul, the true solution to their disagreement can only be discerned "in the Lord" (4:2).

Disagreements, in other words, are never resolved when either party attempts to usurp the exercise of power by outwitting or outstating the position of the other.

Contentions, according to St. Paul, are not overcome through seeking our own way, but in and through Christ. In his attempt to help bring about the reconciliation between Euodia and Syntyche he, nonetheless, invites the assistance of others: "I ask you, loyal yokefellows, to help these women" (4:3).

While the exact identity of the "loyal yokefellows" is unknown we may correctly infer that St. Paul is calling on others to help settle the dispute of Euodia and Syntyche by accepting the following valuable yet often difficult advice: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" (Philippians 2:1-2).

St. Paul’s admonition is as useful today as it was during the time of the ancient Church for it provides the only honest way to support unity in the body of Christ. It is only through mutual encouragement and not in resentment expressed through combativeness that unity is ultimately achieved.

Consequently, he advocates four ways that such encouragement may be used for building divine accord. He begins by describing the encouragement found in Christ’s own example.

St. Paul’s unwavering conviction of the reconciling power of encouragement is absolute. He exhorts the Church at Philippi to reject the rivalries that separate

 page 30

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JULY- AUGUST 2007

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HIMARA, Albania – Hellenicare, the global humanitarian organization held its dedication ceremony June 15 at the city’s health care unit for the dedication of a new diagnostic laboratory.

Himara’s mayor, Vasil Bollano, and director of medical affairs of Hellenicare, Dr. Charles Kanakis Jr., participated in the event. The laboratory, through the support from Hellenic Aid and private fundraising efforts, will enhance the medical services offered at the government-run health care center.

The laboratory includes an ultrasound unit, biochemical analyzers, microscopes, autoclaves and other equipment. An x-ray unit is also schedule to be delivered in the near future.

“Andrew A. Athens, president of Hellenicare, who could not be with us today, expresses his support, saying ‘we are happy to assist the people of Himare through the donation of this laboratory equipment,’ said Dr. Kanakis.

Mr. Athens, who in his visit to the region in 2005, found the clinic without any equipment for doctors to perform laboratory tests made a pledge that Hellenicare would help secure diagnostic equipment for the health center.

“Now the doctors have the tools in

which to enhance the medical services they offer,” continued Dr. Kanakis The development of laboratory services at the Himara Health Care Unit is a component of hellenicare’s health program in Albania.

In January 2007, Hellenicare was awarded a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide mobile medical unit services, training to physicians and nurses and community public health education in the Vlore region. Hellenicare is also working with Diakonia Agapes and University Research Corporation in conducting this health outreach program.

“Together with our new laboratory, and the services provided under the USAID grant, we will have a greater impact of increasing access to medical care for people living in rural villages,” said Dr. Charles Kanakis, director of medical affairs. In November 2003, Hellenicare, with the support of Archbishop Anastasios, refurbished a medical center in Jorgucat, Albania with diagnostic equipment and an operating support system.

For more information about the reception, please contact Hellenicare’s Chicago office at 312-337-7243 or via email at info@hellenicare.org.

Holy Eparchial Synod Acts to Defrock Priest NEW YORK – According to an official announcement the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese convened June 26 as a Spiritual Court of the Second Instance to hear the pending case of the suspended priest, Nicholas Katinas.

The Holy Synod, after careful examination of the recommendation of the Spiritual Court of the First Instance of the Direct Archdiocesan District, decided in accordance with the Holy Canons of the Church, to propose the defrocking of the

aforementioned clergyman.

This decision, according to canonical procedure, will be submitted to the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate which has the final authority to decide on the matter and issue a decree of defrocking.

During the same meeting the Holy Eparchial Synod examined carefully, and with special pastoral care, other issues relevant to the clergy of the Archdiocese and made the appropriate decisions.

13

JULY- AUGUST 2007

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Ernie & The Big Newz Fox TV’s news anchor in New York Ernie Anastos has written a unique children’s book about the adventures of a TV reporter to encourage young journalists, titled “Ernie & The Big Newz”, published

by New World Books/NK Publications. The author has also launched a colorful interactive website (ernieandthebignewz.com) with videos and helpful tips for budding reporters. “I want to inspire children to follow their dreams and become all they can be and help make the world a better place,” says the popular New York anchor.

Anastos is donating proceeds from the sale of his book to benefit a highly recognized national children’s charity. Ernie Anastos has 25 years experience in broadcast journalism and is an honored member of the New York State Broadcaster's "Hall of Fame." He has won 30 Emmy awards and nominations, including "Best Newscast in New York" and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award for excellence. As a seasoned anchor and reporter.

JULY- AUGUST 2007

A Tiny Parish in the Heart of the Rockies in Wyoming CASPER, Wyo.– While no information is available as to what factor influenced the first Greek immigrants to settle in central Wyoming where the Great Plains meet the Rockies in the early 1900s, perhaps many factors may have played a role.

Wyoming, after all, ranks third in the nation in the total number of sheep and lambs, and second highest in wool production.

But most likely it was a combination of factors–railroad building, which attracted thousands to the Midwest and Western states, or perhaps coal mining and natural gas and oil

P A R I S H

Over the years, the parish has undertaken many fund-raising activities such as bake sales and the church is free of major debt.

Holy Trinity today

The present day parish consists mostly of second and third generation Greek Americans and several families who immigrated from Lebanon. As a result, during the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Cusulos leads the Lord’s Prayer in Greek, English and Arabic.

Because it is such a small parish, Fr. John, a native of Sioux Falls, S.D., who moved to Denver at age 12, also has a lay

The parish supports itself primarily through the Stewardship Program.

Since there are so few members, there is no Greek festival.

He considers his biggest challenge to be providing programs for the small number of young people.

“It’s difficult when you only have a couple of kids of GOYA age. We’re too small to have a basketball team and too small to have a GOYA.” Recently, Fr. John reinstituted the Church School which has an enrollment of eight. There is no Greek school. Some parishioners of Holy Trinity Church live beyond the

p ro f i l e

Name: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Location: Casper, Wyoming Metropolis: Denver Size: about 66 families

Running for governor Greek-American John Georges recently announced plans to run for governor of Louisiana. This 46-year-old, New Orleans-born businessman leads all candidates with over $5.6 million in his campaign account (his own money). His father, Dennis, a native of the Peloponnesus , fought in the Greek resistance during World War II. Following in the footsteps of his father (who is now deceased), John became president of the Greek community in New Orleans and, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, led the rebuilding of Holy Trinity Church in New Orleans. He was responsible for the distribution of $5 million in relief funds for thousands of Greek families.

Graduates from Phillips Stephen Edward Stapczynski graduated from Phillips Academy Andover with honors on June 3, 2007. He will attend Georgetown University in Washington D.C. where he plans to study East Asian Languages and Political Science. Stephen is the son of Buzz and Sandy (Duci) Stapczynski; he has one brother, Niko. They are active members of Sts. Constantine and Helen Church in Andover where Stephen is a regular altar server, church reader, and attends Sunday School. His maternal grandparents are Kostas and Smaro Duci, who came to this country from Istanbul and settled in Somerville, Mass. in the 1950’s. His grandfather was the cook at Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline for many years and resided there his first two years in America.

Music scholar honored Recently Byzantine music scholar Dr. Diane Touliatos has been the recipient of several prestigious awards for her research and work in Byzantine music. Diane is a professor of music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her research has focused on Eastern Medieval chant, ancient Greek music, and women composers. Diane’s awards are a curator’s professorship to complete a major catalog for the National Library of Greece and a Distinguished Pioneer of Innovations Award from the Riga’s Charta of Greece Diane recently received the distinguished curator’s professorship from her university.

Founded: 1964 Clergy: Fr. John Cusulos (Holy Cross M/Div. ’81, University of New Mexico MA in Counseling, ’96) E-mail: jcusulos@hotmail.com Noteworthy: One of three parishes in Wyoming.

HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH production, which have been major economic activities, along with agriculture, or the production of Trona, used in making glass and also packaged as baking soda, or Bentonite, used in cosmetics, toothpaste and fighting forest fires. Whatever the reason, soon the small number of Greeks opened their own restaurants and other businesses.

According to information from Fr. Cusulos, they represented many regions of Greece and were a tightly knit group and would visit each other’s homes to celebrate birthdays and name days.

For most of the 20th century, they had no church and would be ministered to as a mission community by priests from established parishes such as Cheyenne, the capital, about 180 miles to the south.

An AHEPA chapter (No. 159) was established in 1928, followed by a Daughters of Penelope chapter.

Then, in the early 1960s, Fr. James Tavlarides, the priest in Cheyenne, helped the community to organize as a parish and directed the construction of the present church building, built with donations from Orthodox Christians and with a major gift from AHEPA. The building was designed by a second generation parishioner and architect and the parish council designated the church basement as “AHEPA HALL.” The first priest assigned to the parish was Fr. Artemis Mandakis.

profession. He is a full-time professional counselor and an addiction therapist licensed by the State of Wyoming with his own private practice.

He also is the longest serving priest in the community. He was first assigned to Holy Trinity in June 1985 shortly after being ordained and remained until 1988.

bounds of Casper. In fact, Fr. John is responsible for approximately the northern half of Wyoming, a state of about 97,000 square miles and a population of about half a million.

On occasion, he visits the town of Worland, about 170 miles to the northwest, which has an Orthodox chapel and a few Greek Orthodox Christians. Along the way, he passes another small town with the interesting name of Thermopolis, so named because it is considered to be the site of the world’s largest mineral hot springs.

Active outreach ministry

CASPER

He went on to serve other small parishes and worked on his Masters degree at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, which he completed in 1996. In the interim years, the community was served by Fr. Peter Leventis, who is now retired and living in the Casper area.

Fr. John returned to Casper in November 1996. He describes the parish as “a very friendly church community” who are also active in Casper, second largest city in Wyoming with a population of about 60,000. They include doctors, CPAs, dentists, nurses, engineers, major business owners and contractors.

One parishioner, Dr. Louis Roussalis, served as vice president of the Denver Metropolis Council and is an Archon.

In addition to his duties as the parish priest and his private counseling practice, Fr. John’s outreach ministry includes service on a number of service organizations.

He has served as president of the Casper ministerial association and sits on various interfaith committees that provide for the needs of the poor.

“Everything from rent, to food, gasoline and health care for the homeless,” he said.

In addition, Wyoming Gov. David Freudenthal appointed him to the Children and Families Initiative Advisory Committee, tasked with identifying problems with families and children in Wyoming and how to address them.

The mayor of Casper named Fr. John to the Governor’s Drug Court Team, which opened a special court in the city relating to drug cases. He is also active on the Interfaith Committee of Pre-Marital Counseling, comprised of all ministers in the Casper area who offer this counseling.

31 — Compiled by  Jimpage Golding

ΙΟΥΛΙΟΣ–ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ 2007

ΕΤΟΣ 72 • ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ 1232

Η Ορθόδοξη Νεολαία της Οικουμένης στην αγκαλιά της Μητρός Εκκλησίας ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΗ – Ορθόδοξοι νέοι και νέες απ’ όλο τον κόσμο συνήλθαν στα μέσα του καλοκαιριού στη Βασιλίδα των πόλεων ανταποκρινόμενοι στο κάλεσμα του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου που συγκάλεσε το Β΄ Διεθνές Συνέδριο Ορθοδόξου Νεολαίας μεταξύ 11 και 16 Ιουλίου. ôïõ ÓÔÁÕÑÏÕ Ç. ÐÁÐÁÃÅÑÌÁÍÏÕ Το δεύτερο αυτό παγκόσμιο συνέδριο (το πρώτο έγινε το 2000) που οργανώθηκε με ευθύνη του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου και υπό την αιγίδα και ευλογία του Παναγιωτάτου Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχου κ. Βαρθολομαίου, χαρακτήρισε ο νεανικός παλμός, ο νεανικός ενθουσιασμός και τα έντονα αισθήματα ορθοδόξου χριστιανικής αδελφοσύνης. Συμμετείχαν πάνω από χίλιοι ορθόδοξοι νέοι και νέες από όλο τον κόσμο και συγκεκριμένα από την Πόλη, από την Ελλάδα, τις χώρες της Ευρώπης, τις χώρες της Άπω Ανατολής, τις χώρες της Βορείου και Νοτίου Αμερικής, τα Πατριαρχεία Αλεξανδρείας, Αντιοχείας, Ιεροσολύμων, Μόσχας, Σερβίας, Ρουμανίας, Βουλγαρί-

 óåë. 18

ΔΗΜ. ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Η ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΣΩΤΗΡΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ

Μ

έσα στη σωµατική νωχέλια του καλοκαιριού η Εκκλησία µας προβάλλει, ως µιά δροσερή νοητή όραση και πνευµατική ανάταση, τη µεγάλη εορτή της Παναγίας µας. Τον δεκαπενταύγουστο, ή όπως το ονοµάζουν πολλοί «το Πάσχα του καλοκαιριού», αποτελεί ένα σπουδαίο εορτολογικό σταθµό του εκκλησιαστικού ενιατού. Η κορυφαία αυτή εορτή είναι για ολόκληρη την Ορθοδοξία και ιδιαίτερα για µας τους Έλληνες, που ευλαβούµαστε την Θεοτόκο κατά τρόπο ξεχωριστό, µιά ευκαιρία να εκφράσουµε περισσά την τιµή µας προς το ιερό Της πρόσωπο, κι αυτό διότι η προσωπική και εθνική µας ζωή είναι συνυφασµένη µε την υψηλή σκέπη και προστασία της Μεγάλης Μάνας του κόσµου. Μεγάλα προσκυνηµατικά κέντρα της χάρης Της (Τήνος, Πάρος, Βέρµιο, κ.ά.), θα γίνουν και φέτος πόλοι έλξης χιλιάδων πιστών. Ακόµα πλήθος άλλων ναών αφιερωµένων στην σεπτή Της Κοίµηση θα πανηγυρίσουν λαµπρά και θα τιµήσουν όπως πρέπει την έξοδό Της από τον κόσµο και την είσοδό Της στην αιωνιότητα και την ατέρµονη δόξα. Το ιερό πρόσωπο της Θεοτόκου αποτελεί, σύµφωνα µε τήν ορθόδοξη θεολογία µας, µέρος του απερινόητου µυστηρίου της Θείας Οικονοµίας. Μετά τόν Τριαδικό Θεό Αυτή κατέστη το κύρο πρόσωπο, το οποίο συνέβαλε ουσιαστικά στην υλοποίηση του σχεδίου της σωτηρίας του ανθρωπίνου γένους. Εκλέχθηκε από το Θεό ανάµεσα σε εκατοµµύρια

άλλα κορίτσια, αµέτρητων γενεών, ως η καθαρότερη και αγιότερη ανθρώπινη ύπαρξη, προκειµένου να γίνει Θεοτόκος. Οι Πατέρες της Εκκλησίας µας λένε πως για την υλοποίηση του σχεδίου της σωτηρίας του ανθρωπίνου γένους, ο Θεός έδωσε τον Υιό του τον µονογενή και η ανθρωπότητα έδωσε την Παναγία. Στο ιερό πρόσωπο Εκείνης έγινε η µεγάλη συνάντηση Θεού και ανθρώπου. Μέσα στο πάναγνο σώµα Εκείνης έγινε η µεγάλη καταλλαγή (Έφεσ. 2: 26) και από αυτό ξεκίνησε η σωτηρία του ανθρωπίνου γένους, η αναδηµιουργία και η θέωση του πεπτωκότος ανθρώπου. Ο µεγάλος Πατέρας της αρχαίας Εκκλησίας Ειρηναίος (+199) παραλλήλισε και σύγκρινε τη Θεοτόκο µε την προµήτορα του ανθρωπίνου γένους, την Εύα, ώστε να δείξει τη διαφορά µεταξύ τους. Η παρθένος Εύα δεν έκαµε καλή χρήση των θείων δωρεών και δυνατοτήτων, που είχε λάβει από το Θεό, αλλά τα χρησιµοποίησε για το κακό και την καταστρατήγηση του θείου θελήµατος. Η αιτία και η ρίζα της ανταρσίας αυτής υπήρξε ο εγωϊσµός και η έπαρση. Αν εκείνη υπήρξε φορέας της αλαζονείας, η Παναγία υπήρξε το πρότυπο της υπακοής και της ταπείνωσης. Ο ιερός πατήρ τονίζει πως «...η Εύα (έπρεπε) να αποκατασταθή εν τη Μαρία, ίνα µία παρθένος να γίνη συνήγορος άλλης παρθένου και να εξαλείψη την ανυπακοήν της ίδιας της παρθενικής υπακοής»( Ειρ. Επιδ. Αποστ. Κηρύγµ ατος 32,33). Επίσης ο άγιος Κύριλλος Ιεροσολύµων (+386) έγραψε πως «∆ια παρθένου

της Εύας ήλθεν ο θάνατος, έδει διά παρθένου, µάλλον δε εκ παρθένου φανήναι την ζωήν»(Κυρίλ. Ιερ. Κατήχ., 12,...). Η ευλογηµένη ρήση Της πρός τον άγγελο του ευαγγελισµού «ιδού η δούλη Κυρίου γένοιτό µοι κατά το ρήµα σου» (Λουκ.

1:38) αποτελεί σαφώς την πεµπτουσία της συµβολής Της στο έργο της εν Χριστώ σωτηρίας του κόσµου. Το πρώτο ανθρώπινο πλάσµα, στο οποίο αποκαταστάθηκε η ανθρώπινη φύση στην αρχαία προπτωτική της µορφή και ωραιότητα, υπήρξε η Θεοτόκος. Με την επέλευση του Αγίου Πνεύµατος κατά τον Ευαγγελισµό (Λουκ. 1:35) καθαρίστηκε από τον ρύπο του προπατορικού αµαρτήµατος, τον οποίο έφερε και Αυτή εκούσα, ως µέτοχος της ανθρωπίνης φέσεως, καθιστώντας Την πλέον άµωµη κηλίδος ώστε, να δεχτεί στα αγνά σπλάχνα Της το «πυρ της θεότητος» και να µην καεί. Από τότε έγινε η «κεχαριτωµένη», η αγιοτέρα ύπαρξη µετά τον Τριαδικό Θεό. Στο πρόσωπό Της έγινε η απαρχή της λυτρώσεως του κόσµου και της θεώσεως του ανθρώπου. Η επί γης ζωή της Παναγίας µας υπήρξε ένας συνεχής αγώνας και προσφορά για τη σωτηρία του ανθρωπίνου γένους. Αυτό το γνωρίζει πολύ καλά ο πιστός λαός του Θεού, γι’αυτό αποδίδει στην Θεοτόκο, από την αρχαιότητα ως σήµερα, ύψιστη τιµή, τη µεγαλύτερη, µετά τον Τριαδικό Θεό. Πρέπει να σηµειωθεί εδώ, πως µόνο η Ορθοδοξία µας αποδίδει την δέουσα τιµή στη Μητέρα του Κυρίου µας. Ο παπισµός την ανήγαγε

αυθαίρετα σε θεό, έφτασε µάλιστα σε σηµείο να βεβηλώσει τελευταία και το µυστήριο της Αγίας Τριάδος, οµιλώντας για ...Αγία Τετράδα! Αντίθετα ο προτεσταντισµός απορρίπτει κάθε τιµή στο πρόσωπό Της! Το πρώτο δεκαήµερο του Αυγούστου είναι αφιερωµένο στην Παναγία µας. Οι Ορθόδοξοι πιστοί, συµµετέχουν καθηµερινά στις ακολουθίες των υπέροχων Παρακλητικών Κανόνων, νηστεύουν, εξοµολογούνται, κοινωνούν. Τρέχουν µε δάκρυα στα µάτια να εναποθέσουν σε Αυτή τις δυσκολίες και τα βάσανα της ζωής τους. Την παρακαλούν µε ζέση ψυχής να ελαφρώσει τον βαρύ ζυγό τους, διότι πιστεύουν ακράδαντα πως η γλυκειά Θεοµάνα και µετά τη σεπτή Της Κοίµηση συνεχίζει να αγαπά και να νοιάζεται για τους ανθρώπους. Μέσα στην µεγάλη καρδιά Της υπάρχει χώρος για τον κάθε άνθρωπο, όχι µόνο για τους πιστούς αλλά και για τους αµαρτωλούς και ασεβείς, ακόµα και για τους υβριστές Της! Η µακάρια θέση Της κοντά στον Υιό Της και Θεό µας Ιησού Χριστό, της δίνει την ευχέρεια να προσεύχεται για τον καθένα µας, για κάθε µας πρόβληµα. Τα αποτελέσµατα των βοηθειών Της είναι απτά. Άλλωστε, όπως ψάλλουµε στόν περίφηµο Μικρό Παρακλητικό Κανόνα, «Ουδείς προστρέχων επί σοι κατησχυµένος από σου εκπορεύεται, αγνή Παρθένε Θεοτόκε, αλλ’ αιτείται την χάριν και λαµβάνει το δώρηµα προς το συµφέρον της αιτήσεως». Λάµπρου Σκόντζου - Περιοδ. Πειραϊκή Εκκλησία

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ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

ΙΟΥΛΙΟΣ–ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ 2007

Διδακτορικό για τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο από το Αμερικανικό Κολλέγιο ευχές και ευλογίες του Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη, του Αρχιεπισκόπου Αθηνών και πάσης Ελλάδος και του Μητροπολίτου Πειραιώς, στην επαρχία του οποίου βρίσκεται αυτό το στάδιο. Θερμά ευχαριστώ, θερμά συγχαρητήρια, ο Θεός μαζί σας». Την αποχαιρετιστήρια ομιλία προς τους αποφοίτους με θέμα την ανιδιοτελή προς το κοινωνικό σύνολο προσφορά έκανε η φιλόσοφος, κοινωνιολόγος και ανθρωπιστής Δρ. Sissela Ann Bok, μελετητής του Κέντρου Πληθυσμού και Ανάπτυξης του Πανεπιστημίου Harvard, η οποία τιμήθηκε επίσης με διδακτορικό δίπλωμα. Στην τελετή παρευρέθη και ο σύζυγός της, ο επί σειρά ετών πρόεδρος και καθηγητής του Harvard Δρ. Derek Bok, ο επιτετραμμένος της Αμερικανικής Πρεσβείας και άλλοι επίσημοι. Το βράδυ, η διοίκηση του Αμερικανικού Κολλεγίου παρέθεσε τιμητικό δείπνο στο Ξενοδοχείο Intercontinental.

ôïõ ÓÔÁÕÑÏÕ Ç. ÐÁÐÁÃÅÑÌÁÍÏÕ ΑΘΗΝΑ – Επίτιμος διδάκτωρ Ανθρωπιστικών Σπουδών του Αμερικανικού Κολλεγίου Ελλάδος ανακηρύχθηκε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος στις 30 Ιουνίου, κατά τη διάρκεια μεγάλης και εντυπωσιακής τελετής αποφοίτησης του Αμερικανικού Κολλεγίου στο Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας στο Νέο Φάληρο. Τον τίτλο απένειμε στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο ο πρόεδρος του Κολλεγίου Δρ. John Bailey σύμφωνα με την ομόφωνη απόφαση του Συμβουλίου των Επιτρόπων την οποία ανέγνωσε ο πρόεδρός του Peter Thun. Αποδεχόμενος την τιμή ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος εξέφρασε τις θερμές του ευχαριστίες και καταχειροκροτούμενος είπε σχετικά: «η τιμή αυτή δεν είναι προσωπική αλλά αντανακλά στην Ομογένεια, στα εκατομμύρια των Ελλήνων εκτός της Ελλάδος αλλά και στις χιλιάδες των φοιτητών μας εκτός Ελλάδος». Απευθυνόμενος δε προς τους χίλιους περίπου αποφοιτούντες, αλλά και στις χιλιάδες γονέων, συγγενών και φίλων που παρευρέθηκαν στην τελετή, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος ανέφερε την παρότρυνση του Αποστόλου Παύλου «τα μεν όπισθεν επιλανθανόμενος, τοις δε έμπροσθεν επεκτεινόμενος» (Φιλ. γ΄ 14), και σύστησε στους νέους καθώς αρχίζουν ένα νέο στάδιο της ζωής τους να βλέπουν μπροστά και αντλώντας από την ελληνική κληρονομιά να επιδιώκουν πάντοτε το μέγιστο και το άριστο. Κλείνοντας ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος είπε: «Επιτρέψτε μου να σας μεταφέρω τις

ÅÉÄÉÊÅÓ ÐÑÏÓÖÏÑÅÓ

1 åùò 30 Óåðôåìâñßïõ 2007

NEW YORK ATHENS/THESSALONIKI Μετ’επιστροφής

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535 Απλή μετάβαση

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399

Éó÷ýïõí åéäéêÝò ôéìÝò áðü 192 ðüëåéò ôùí ÇÐÁ Ìå $140 ðåôÜôå óå ïðïéïäÞðïôå óçìåßï åíôüò ÅëëÜäïò

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες αποτανθείτε στον ταξιδιωτικό σας πράκτορα ή στις Ολυμπιακές Αερογραμμές

ΤΟ ΚΟΛΛΕΓΙΟ

ΔΗΜ. ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Το Αμερικανικό Κολλέγιο Ελλάδος είναι μη κερδοσκοπικό εκπαιδευτικό ίδρυμα που ξεκίνησε τη λειτουργία του το 1875 στη Σμύρνη της Μικράς Ασίας. Αποτελείται από πέντε τμήματα: To Pierce College (Γυμνάσιο/Λύκειο), το Deree College και το Junior College (τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση), το Graduate School (μεταπτυχιακές σπουδές) και τη Σχολή Συνεχιζόμενης και Επαγγελματικής Εκπαίδευσης (School of Continuing and Professional Studies). Το Αμερικανικό Κολλέγιο Ελλάδος είναι πιστοποιημένο από τη New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) και είναι μέλος της EAIR.

Επίσκεψη στον ασθενούντα Αρχιεπίσκοπο Χριστόδουλο ΑΘΗΝΑ – Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε στις 29 Ιουνίου τον Μακαριώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αθηνών και Πάσης Ελλάδος κ. Χριστόδουλο στο Αρεταίειο Νοσοκομείο της Αθήνας, όπου ο Μακαριώτατος νοσηλεύονταν μετα από χειρουργική επέμβαση. Εξερχόμενος του Νοσοκομείου ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος δήλωσε προς τους δημοσιογράφους: «Τον είδα, ήταν σε καλή διάθεση, ο Μακαριώτατος είναι άνθρωπος ακλονήτου πίστεως στο Θεό και εκπληκτικού θάρρους και γι’ αυτό το λόγο αντιμετωπίζει αυτή τη δυσκολία της ασθενείας του μ’ έναν τρόπο ο οποίος είναι όντως παράδειγμα γι’ όλους μας. Και το λέω αυτό μεταφέροντας την εντύπωση από την Αμερική, διότι αυτή ακριβώς είναι η εικόνα που έχουμε εκεί και είναι εικόνα πάρα πολύ σημαντική. Έχει την αγάπη όλου του κόσμου, έχει την αγάπη των ομογενών μας και τις προσευ-

χές όλων, και πιστεύουμε ότι εδώ ισχύει αυτό που γράφει ο Απόστολος Παύλος –που τον τιμούμε σήμερα ιδιαιτέρως– «Τοις αγαπώσιν τον Θεόν πάντα συνεργεί εις αγαθόν». ( Ρωμ. 8,28) Γι’ αυτούς που αγαπούν το Θεό ότι και να γίνει είναι εις αγαθόν, γι’ αυτό είμαστε βέβαιοι ότι κι αυτή η δοκιμασία του Μακαριωτάτου θα είναι ακριβώς εις αγαθό, γιατί είναι ο άνθρωπος ο οποίος όντως αγαπάει το Θεό και τον λαό του Θεού, εις τον οποίο ο Θεός τον τοποθέτησε». Επί πλέον ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος κάλεσε και εξ ονόματος της Ιεράς Επαρχιακής Συνόδου όλους τους Ορθοδόξους Χριστιανούς της Αμερικής να προσευχηθούν στον Πανάγαθο Θεό υπέρ ταχείας και πλήρους αποκαταστάσεως της υγείας του Αρχιεπισκόπου Χριστοδούλου. Ο κ. Χριστόδουλος πρόκειται να ταξιδέψει στις 18 Αυγούστου στο Μαϊάμι όπου θα υποβληθεί σε μεταμόσχευση ήπατος.

Απόφαση της Συνόδου για καθαίρεση του ιερέα Νικολάου Κατίνα ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ – Ακολουθεί επίσημο ανακοινωθέν της Ιεράς Επαρχιακής Συνόδου: «H Ιερά Επαρχιακή Σύνοδος της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής συνεδρίασε σήμερον 26ην Ιουνίου 2007 ως Δευτεροβάθμιον Πνευματικόν Δικαστήριον δια να εκδικάση την εκκρεμούσαν περίπτωσιν του εν αργία τελούντος ιερέως Νικολάου Κατίνα. Η Ιερά Επαρχιακή Σύνοδος κατόπιν προσεκτικής εξετάσεως της υπό του Πρωτοβαθμίου Εκκλησιαστικού Δικαστηρίου της Αμέσου Αρχιεπισκοπικής Περιφερείας αναφοράς και προτάσεως, και μετά πολλής λύπης κατέληξε εις την υπό των Ιερών

Κανόνων εν προκειμένω επιβαλλομένην απόφασιν καθαιρέσεως του εν λόγω κληρικού εκ του ιερατικού βαθμού. Η απόφασις αυτή, κατά την κρατούσαν κανονικήν τάξιν, θα υποβληθή εις την Αγίαν και Ιεράν Σύνοδον του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου, το οποίον έχει την αρμοδιότητα, αφού την εγκρίνη, να προβή εις έκδοσιν της σχετικής τελεσιδίκου πράξεως καθαιρέσεως. Κατά την ιδίαν συνεδρίασιν η Ιερά Επαρχιακή Σύνοδος εξήτασε μετά πολλής προσοχής και ιδιαιτέρας ποιμαντικής φροντίδος θέματα αφορώντα εις τον κλήρον της Αμερικής και έλαβε τας επ’ αυτών δεούσας αποφάσεις».

ΙΟΥΛΙΟΣ–ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ 2007

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ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ ORTHODOX OBSERVER

Ο ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΥΠΡΟ ΛΕΥΚΩΣΙΑ – Τη δεύτερη επίσκεψή του στην Κύπρο πραγματοποίησε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος στις αρχές Ιουλίου προσκεκ λημένος του προέδρου της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας Τάσσου Παπαδόπουλου. Η επίσκεψη πραγματοποιήθηκε με αφορμή δύο γεγονότα που αφορούν την Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής. Πρώτον την πρόσκληση της Μητροπολιτικής Χορωδίας Νέων από την πρώτη κυρία της Κύπρου, κ. Φωτεινή Παπαδοπούλου· και δεύτερον την έναρξη του πρώτου επιμορφωτικού προγράμματος για εκπαιδευτικούς της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής στο Πανεπιστήμιο της Κύπρου. Μετά την άφιξή του στην Κύπρο στις 3 Ιουλίου, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε τον Μακαριώτατο Αρχιεπίσκοπο Κύπρου κ. Χρυσόστομο ο οποίος μετά τη συνάντηση δήλωσε: «Με πολύ μεγάλη χαρά υποδεχόμεθα για μια ακόμη φορά τον Σεβασμιώτατο Άγιο Αμερικής … γνωρίζουμε τους αγώνες που κάνουν στην Αμερική για τα θέματα του ευρύτερου Ελληνισμού αλλά και ιδιαίτερα της Κύπρου, όπου έχουμε το μεγάλο εθνικό πρόβλημα». Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος στις δηλώσεις του επαίνεσε το έως τώρα έργο του Αρχιεπισκόπου Χρυσοστόμου και πρόσθεσε: «Είναι πολύ ευτυχής σύμπτωση ότι αυτή τη φορά συνδυάζεται ο ερχομός μας με την παρασημοφορία δύο πραγματικά εκλεκτών ανθρώπων της Ομογενείας, του γερουσιαστή Πολ Σαρμπάνη και του βουλευτή Τζον Μπραδήμα, οι οποίοι όχι για ένα ή δύο χρόνια αλλά για πολλές δεκαετίες έχουν βρεθεί στην πρώτη γραμμή για το Κυπριακό θέμα με συνέπεια και ανυποχώρητη διάθεση. Επίσης έχουμε την χαρά κι έχουμε μαζί μας γύρω στα σαράντα παιδιά από την Αρχιεπισκοπική παιδική χορωδία μας, τα οποία θα τραγουδήσουν στο Προεδρικό Μέγαρο με πρόνοια της κυρίας Παπαδοπούλου. »Είναι μεγάλη η συγκίνηση μας διότι βρισκόμαστε για μια ακόμη φορά σε αυτό το νησί, διότι αυτό το νησί και όταν ακόμη είναι υπό κατοχή έχει μια προσφορά στον κόσμο, μια προσφορά ειρήνης και δικαιοσύνης και επικρατήσεως των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Ευχαριστούμε εκ των προτέρων για τις ευλογημένες ώρες που θα περάσουμε εδώ». Την ίδια μέρα ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος

ΔΗΜ. ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Η ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ Μητροπολιτική Χορωδία Νέων με τη χοράρχη Μαρία Κολέβα.

Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε τον Πρόεδρο της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας κ. Τάσο Παπαδόπουλο στο γραφείο του στο Προεδρικό Μέγαρο και είχε μαζί του ιδιαίτερη σ υνάντηση μιας περίπου ώρας. Εξερχόμενος ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος δήλωσε: «Είμεθα και σε μια συνεχή φάση αγώνος ώστε να υπάρχει το ταχύτερο η επιθυμητή λύση. Οι συζητήσεις μας λοιπόν είναι πάντοτε σε αυτό το επίπεδο και με αυτό περιεχόμενο… μας συνδέουν όλο και πιο πολύ με τον λαό μας εδώ τον Κυπριακό, μέρος του οποίου αποτελεί ένα πολύτιμο κομμάτι της Ομογενείας μας στην Αμερική. Οι Κύπριοι μας της Ομογενείας της Αμερικής είναι στο προσκήνιο της δράσεως της Ορθοδοξίας και του Ελληνισμού στην Αμερική και στο κέντρο των συνεχών προσπαθειών, μέσω της Αμερικανικής πολιτικής ώστε να βοηθήσουμε στη λύση του Κυπριακού». Αργότερα ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος παρεκάθισε στο επίσημο δείπνο που παρέθεσε ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας προς τιμήν των ελληνοαμερικανών Πολ Σαρμπάνη και Τζον Μπραδήμα. Στην αρχή του δείπνου ο πρόεδρος κ. Τάσος Παπαδόπουλος παρασημοφό-

ρησε τους δύο επιφανείς ελληνοαμερικανούς με τον Μεγα λόσ ταυρο του Τάγματος του Μακαρίου του Γ΄ για την μεγάλη προσφορά τους στην υπόθεση της Κύπρου. Παράλληλα ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε τον Πρόεδρο της Βουλής των Αντιπροσώπων κ. Δημήτρη Χριστόφια ο οποίος τον υπεδέχθη θερμά

και τον ενημέρωσε για την πρόσφατη πορεία του Κυπριακού. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος πραγματοποίησε εθιμοτυπικές επισκέψεις στην Ελληνική Πρεσβεία της Λευκωσίας και στον πρέσβη της Ελ λάδος στην Κύπρο κ. Δημήτριο Ράλλη, αλλά και στην Αμερικανική και στον πρέσβη των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών κ. Ronald L. Schlicher.

ÍÅÁ ÕÏÑÊÇ-ÁÈÇÍÁ ÊÁÔ’ ÅÕÈÅÉÁÍ ÐÔÇÓÅÉÓ ×ÙÑÉÓ ÓÔÁÈÌÏ ÊÁÉ ÌÅ ÊÁÍÏÍÉÊÁ ÄÑÏÌÏËÏÃÉÁ

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ΤΗΛΕΦΩΝΕΙΣΤΕ ΜΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΓΙΑ ΑΛΛΕΣ ΕΙΔΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΟΡΕΣ • ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΙ

ΤΟ ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΣΤΑΘΕΡΟΤΗΤΑΣ

ΔΗΜ. ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Ο ΠΡΟΕΔΡΟΣ της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας Τάσσος Παπαδόπουλος παρασημοφόρησε τους ελληνοαμερικανούς γερουσιαστή Πολ Σαρμπάνη και βουλευτή Τζον Μπραδήμα,

ASTORIA OFFICE

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ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ

Συναντήσεις με την πολιτική ηγεσία ΑΘΗΝΑ – Ξεχωριστές συναντήσεις με εκπροσώπους της Ελληνικής Πολιτείας πραγματοποίησε ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριος κατά την σύντομη παραμονή του στην Αθήνα, πριν και μετά το ταξίδι του στη Κύπρο. Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος επισκέφθηκε στις 10 Ιουλίου την Υπουργό Εξωτερικών της Ελλάδος κυρία Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη στο γραφείο της στο Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών με την οποία είχε κατ’ ιδίαν συνάντηση, μετά το τέλος της οποίας ο Σεβασμιώτατος περιορίστηκε να πει ότι «όταν βρίσκονται η Υπουργός Εξωτερικών κι ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής πάντα έχουν να συζητήσουν πολύ σοβαρά, πολύ ουσιαστικά θέματα που αφορούν τον Ελληνισμό γενικότερα». Λίγο νωρίτερα η πρόεδρος του Ελληνικού Κοινοβουλίου κυρία Άννα Μπενάκη-Ψαρούδα υπεδέχθη τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο στη Βουλή. Στη συνάντηση που πραγματοποιήθηκε σε πολύ φιλικό και φιλόξενο κλίμα, συζητήθηκαν θέματα που αφορούν την Ομογένεια στην Αμερική, προγράμματα νεολαίας

και το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο. Την προηγουμένη ημέρα 9 Ιουλίου, ο Σεβασμιώτατος Αρχιεπίσκοπος πραγματοποίησε επίσκεψη στην Υπουργό Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων κυρία Μαριέττα Γιαννάκου. Κατά τη διάρκεια της συναντήσεως ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος παρουσίασε ορισμένες δυνατότητες συμβολής της Ελληνικής Πολιτείας στην περαιτέρω στήριξη της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας στα εκπαιδευτικά ιδρύματα της Αρχιεπισκοπής. Συζητήθηκαν θέματα νεολαίας και παιδείας και η επ’ αυτών συνέχιση της συνεργασίας μεταξύ του Υπουργείου Παιδείας και της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής. Στις 2 Ιουλίου ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος είχε επισκεφθεί τον υφυπουργό εξωτερικών αρμόδιο για θέματα Αποδήμου Ελληνισμού κ. Θεόδωρο Κασσίμη. Συζητήθηκαν θέματα που αφορούν στο κοινό ενδιαφέρον της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής και της Ελληνικής Πολιτείας για την Ομογένεια αλλά και στις πρωτοβουλίες που προτίθενται να λάβουν για την στήριξη της Ελληνικής γλώσσας και του ελληνικού πολιτισμού.

ΙΟΥΛΙΟΣ–ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ 2007 Η Υπουργός Εξωτερικών Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη ευχαριστεί τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο για τον τόμο με τα ελληνικά και ρωμαϊκά εκθέματα του Μητροπολιτικού Μουσείου της Νέας Υόρκης.

Φωτογραφίες: ΔΗΜ. ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Η Πρόεδρος της Βουλής Άννα Μπενάκη- Ψαρούδα υποδέχεται τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο. Με τον Υφυπουργό Εξωτερικών Θεόδωρο Κασσίμη στο γραφείο του.

Συνάντηση με την υπουργό Παιδείας Μαριέττα Γιαννάκου.

Η Ορθόδοξη Νεολαία της Οικουμένης στην αγκαλιά της Μητρός Εκκλησίας  óåë. 15 ας, και τις λοιπές αυτοκέφαλες Εκκλησίες της Κύπρου, της Ελλάδος, της Πολωνίας, Αλβανίας, Τσεχίας και Σλοβακίας, Φιλανδίας και Εσθονίας. Την προεδρία του συνεδρίου έχει αναλάβει ο Μητροπολίτης Σασίμων κ. Γεννάδιος και την οργανωτική εργασία έφεραν επιτυχώς εις πέρας οι νέοι και νέες της Ομογένειας της Πόλης. Την Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αμερικής εκπροσώπησαν 125 περίπου νέοι και νέες, υπό την ηγεσία του Σεβασμιωτάτου Αρχιεπισκόπου Αμερικής κ. Δημητρίου ενώ παρευρέθηκαν οι Μητροπολίτες Σικάγου κ. Ιάκωβος και Πίτσμπουργκ κ. Μάξιμος, καθώς και ο πρωτοσύγκελος της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Επίσκοπος Τρωάδος κ. Σάββας. Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης κ. Βαρθολομαίος κήρυξε την έναρξη των εργασιών του Συνεδρίου στο συνεδριακό κέντρο του Ξενοδοχείου Χίλτον της Πόλης. Ο Παναγιώτατος στην εναρκτήριο ομιλία του διευκρίνισε από την αρχή την σημασία και την ιστορικότητα του όρου «Οικουμενικό», εξ αιτίας του οποίου τόση πολεμική κατευθύνεται εναντίον της Μητρός Εκκλησίας. Είπε χαρακτηριστικά: «Το Πατριαρχείον μας, όπως γνωρίζετε, δεν είναι μία «εθνική» Εκκλησία, αλλά η δομική κανονική έκφρασις των οικουμενικών διαστάσεων του ευαγγελικού μηνύματος και της αναλόγου εκκλησιαστικής ευθύνης. Δια τούτο και οι Πατέρες και αι Σύνοδοι το ονόμασαν Οικουμενικόν. Η στοργή της

Εκκλησίας της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως υπερβαίνει γλωσσικούς, πολιτιστικούς, εθνοφυλετικούς και άλλους παρομοίους φραγμούς, και καλύπτει αδιακρίτως πάντας. Είναι αυτονόητον, λοιπόν, ότι όλοι σας διακαιούσθε, επιβάλλεται θα ελέγομεν, να αισθάνεσθε, ευρισκόμενοι ενταύθα, ‘σαν στο σπίτι σας’. Η Πόλις και το Φανάρι είναι όντως το σπίτι σας, ο οίκος του πατρός σας». Στη συνέχεια ο Πατριάρχης ανέπτυξε το θέμα του Συνεδρίου «Μέλη της Εκκλησίας – Πολίτες του κόσμου» και υπενθύμισε στους νέους την προσωπική τους θέση και τον προσωπικό ρόλο του καθενός μέσα στο θεανθρώπινο σώμα της Εκκλησίας, ανάλογα με το χάρισμα που έχει λάβει ο καθένας τους από τον Θεό. Ο Παναγιώτατος κάλεσε τους νέους να συνειδητοποιήσουν εγκαίρως το ιδιαίτερο τάλαντο τους και να ανταποκριθούν πρόθυμα και με αίσθημα ευθύνης στην κλήση του Θεού. Μετά το τέλος της πρώτης αυτής ημέρας ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης παρέθεσε δείπνο για όλους τους συνέδρους και ζήτησε από τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής Δημήτριο να απευθύνει λίγα λόγια προς τη νεολαία. Στο χαιρετισμό του ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος τόνισε τη μεγάλη ανάγκη όπως η συμμετοχή της ορθοδόξου νεολαίας στη ζωή της Εκκλησίας να φτάσει σε ποσοστά δυναμισμού και ενέργειας στα επίπεδα που παρατηρούνται σε άλλους τομείς στους οποίους ενεργοποιούνται οι νέοι άνθρωποι όπως ο αθλητι-

σμός, η εκπαίδευση και οι καλές τέχνες. «Πρέπει η νεολαία μας, είπε, να φτάσει στα ίδια επίπεδα συμμετοχής, προσφοράς και επιδόσεως στην Εκκλησία όπως στους άλλους τομείς όπου δείχνει την ικμάδα και τη δυναμικότητά της όπως στους τομείς της εκπαιδεύσεως και του αθλητισμού», και συμπλήρωσε ότι «η νεολαία μας δεν είναι απλά και μόνο το μέλλον, όπως συχνά λέγεται, αλλά είναι πρωτίστως το παρόν, κι αυτό μας λέει ότι πρέπει να περιμένουμε από τη νεολαία μας πλήρη και ενεργό ανάμιξη στο έργο της Εκκλησίας». Κατά τη διάρκεια του δείπνου η Χορωδία της Παγκρήτιας Σύναξης Νέων παρουσίασε μουσικό πρόγραμμα με επιλογές γνωστών τραγουδιών από την παραδοσιακή και έντεχνη μουσική παράδοση ενθουσιάζοντας το ακροατήριο. Τις ημέρες που ακολούθησαν ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης δέχθηκε σε ιδιαίτερες ακροάσεις ομάδες νέων από διάφορα μέρη του κόσμου. Το Συνέδριο διεξήχθη παράλληλα σε τρεις επίσημες γλώσσες, Ελληνικά, Αγγλικά και Γαλλικά με μετάφραση που υπήρχε συγχρόνως και στις τρεις γλώσσες από ειδικά ακουστικά και περιέλαβε παρουσιάσεις, περιόδους συζητήσεων, ερωταπαντήσεων και δημοσίου διαλόγου. Η μυστηριακή και πνευματική ζωή, το ιεραποστολικό ήθος της Εκκλησίας, η παγκοσμιοποίηση, η σύγχρονη οικογένεια, η μοναξιά και η σεξουαλικότητα

ήταν μερικά μόνο από τα θέματα του συνεδρίου η συζήτηση επί των οποίων αποκάλυψε «τη δημιουργική ένταση και διαλεκτική» μεταξύ της ιδιότητας των νέων ως Μελών της Εκκλησίας και ως Πολιτών του Κόσμου. Το Συνέδριο έδωσε τη δυνατότητα αλληλογνωριμίας, επικοινωνίας και διαλόγου και την ευκαιρία γνωριμίας με τη Μητέρα Εκκλησία και με τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη. Οι σύνεδροι αν και προερχόμενοι από διαφορετικούς πολιτιστικούς κόσμους αντιλήφθηκαν «την οικουμενική διάσταση της Ορθοδοξίας και την ενοποιητική της δύναμη» και κατάλαβαν ότι το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο ενσαρκώνει το οικουμενικό πνεύμα και τις παγκόσμιες διαστάσεις του Ευαγγελίου, όπου η εθνική, γλωσσική και πολιτιστική έκφραση των μελών όχι μόνον δεν υποβαθμίζεται, αλλά εμπλουτίζεται και καθίσταται εργαλείο κοινωνίας. Παράλληλα με τις εργασίες πραγματοποιήθηκαν επισκέψεις στη Χάλκη, στη Μονή της Χώρας και στην Αγία Σοφία και το πρωί της Κυριακής έγινε Εκκλησιασμός στον Πάνσεπτο Πατριαρχικό Ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου στο Φανάρι. Ατυχώς η μεγάλη συναυλία του Γιώργου Νταλάρα που είχε προγραμματιστεί από το Πατριαρχείο να γίνει στο κάστρο Rumeli Hisari ως το πανηγυρικό κλείσιμο του Συνεδρίου και για την οποία είχαν εξασφαλιστεί από καιρό όλες οι απαραίτητες άδειες, ακυρώθηκε την τελευταία στιγμή από τις Τουρκικές αρχές οι οποίες προφασίστηκαν λόγους ασφαλείας.

ΙΟΥΛΙΟΣ–ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ 2007

19

ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΣ ORTHODOX OBSERVER

Καταχειροκροτήθηκαν τα παιδιά της Αρχιεπισκοπικής Χορωδίας Νέων ΛΕΥΚΩΣΙΑ – Με πολύ συγκίνηση και ενθουσιασμό έγινε δεκτή η μουσική βραδιά που παρουσίασε στο προαύλιο του Προεδρικού Μεγάρου της Κύπρου η Αρχιεπισκοπική Μητροπολιτική Χορωδία Νέων της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής το βράδι της 5ης Ιουλίου. «Νύχτα γεμάτη όνειρα, νύχτα σπαρμένη μάγια», χαρακτήρισε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος την βραδιά χρησιμοποιώντας τον παροιμιώδη πλέον στίχο του Διονυσίου Σολωμού, προσθέτοντας ότι: «θα μεταφερθούμε με τις φωνές των παιδιών σ’ ένα κόσμο στον οποίο θα θέλαμε να ζει όλος ο κόσμος, ένα κόσμο αθωότητας, ομορφιάς, γαλήνης, δικαιοσύνης και αγάπης. Θα το ζήσουμε ως

Νύχτα γεμάτη όνειρα

ΚΑΤΑΜΕΣΤΟΣ από κόσμο ο κήπος του Προεδρικού Μεγάρου όπου εμφανίστηκε η Αρχιεπισκοπική Χορωδία Νέων. Στη βήμα απευθύνει χαιρετισμό ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος.

συμμετείχαν 38 συνολικά παιδιά από την Αμερική υπό τη διεύθυνση της κυρίας Μαρίας Κολέβα, συνοδεία μικρής ορχήστρας Κυπρίων μουσικών. Παρουσίασαν ένα μουσικό ταξίδι με αγαπημένες μελωδίες των Θεοδωράκη, Χατζιδάκι, Μαρκόπουλου, Κουγιουμτζή, Λάγιου, Τόκα και άλλων που συγκίνησε το ακροατήριο και απέσπασε παρατεταμένο και θερμό χειροκρότημα. Ακολούθησε δεξίωση στους κήπους του Προεδρικού Μεγάρου. ΕΠΙΣΚΕΨΗ στον Πρόεδρο της Βουλής Δημήτρη Χριστόφια.

Φωτογραφίες: ΔΗΜ. ΠΑΝΑΓΟΣ

Ο ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ Χρυσόστομος καλοσωρίζει τον Σεβασμιώτατο στην Κύπρο.

όνειρο και με τη μουσική ως μαγεία, αλλά θα το ευχηθούμε και ως προσευχή για να γίνει πραγματικότητα». Η εκδήλωση, που είχε φιλανθρωπικό χαρακτήρα παρουσιάστηκε υπό την αιγίδα της πρώτης κυρίας της Κύπρου, συζύγου του Προέδρου της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας κυρίας Φωτεινής Παπαδοπούλου και του Αρχιεπισκόπου Αμερικής με σκοπό τα έσοδα να διατεθούν υπέρ του Σωματείου Ελληνίδων Κυριών «Μάνα», το οποίο φροντίζει και περιθάλπει άπορα παιδιά της Κύπρου από το 1933. Τη συναυλία παρακολούθησαν ο ίδιος ο Πρόεδρος της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας κ. Τάσος Παπαδόπουλος, ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος

Κύπρου κ. Χρυσόστομος, πολλοί επίσημοι της Κυπριακής κοινωνίας και ένα πολυπληθές ακροατήριο που ξεπέρασε τα 700 άτομα. «Αυτά τα παιδιά αποτελούν την καρδιά του Ελληνισμού που πάλλεται δυνατά έστω κι αν βρίσκεται χιλιάδες μίλια μακριά από τα πατρογονικά εδάφη», τόνισε η κ. Φωτεινή Παπαδόπουλου και συνεχάρη τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο, τον οργανωτικό υπεύθυνο της Χορωδίας κ. Πανίκο Παπανικολάου για την καθοριστική συμβολή τους αλλά και όλους όσους συνέβαλαν στην επιτυχία της βραδιάς. Στην παράσταση της Αρχιεπισκοπικής Μητροπολιτικής Χορωδίας Νέων

Το πρωί της 5ης Ιουλίου πραγματοποιήθηκε στη νέα πανεπιστημιούπολη του Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου η τελετή έναρξης του Επιμορφωτικού Προγράμματος για Εκπαιδευτικούς της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής που άρχισε φέτος και αποτελεί προϊόν συνεργασίας του Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου και της Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής. Ο πρύτανης του Πανεπιστημίου, καθηγητής Σταύρος Ζένιος στο χαιρετισμό του τόνισε ότι το Πανεπιστήμιο έχει θέσει ως στόχο «να καταστεί πανεπιστήμιο όλων των Κυπρίων πολιτών» με διεθνείς προδιαγραφές αλλά και να «δημιουργήσει ένα βήμα διαλόγου, αλ ληλοκατανόησης και συνεργασίας των κοινοτήτων και μειονοτήτων του νησιού, για να αναδειχθεί η Κύπρος ως φάρος ευρωπαϊκών ιδεωδών στο μεταίχμιο των πολιτισμών, και γέφυρα αλληλοκατανόησης μεταξύ Ανατολής και Δύσης». Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος στο

Επιμορφωτικό Πρόγραμμα Δασκάλων

Η ΠΡΩΤΗ Κυρία της Κύπρου Φωτεινή Παπαδοπούλου προσφέρει αναμνηστικό δώρο στον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο.

Ο ΔΙΕΥΘΥΝΤΗΣ του Γραφείου Παδείας της Ι. Αρχιεπισκοπής Αμερικής, Δρ. Ιωάννης Ευθυμιόπουλος με τους εκπαιδευτικούς που έλαβαν μέρος στο σεμινάριο.

χαιρετισμό του τόνισε ότι «ως Αρχιεπισκοπή πρέπει να κάνουμε κάθε προσπάθεια για να επιτύχουμε την καλύτερη δυνατή διδασκαλία των ελληνικών» και ευχαρίστησε τους δασκάλους για τις τιτάνιες προσπάθειες που καταβάλουν για το σκοπό αυτό. «Αποβλέπουμε στο νέο αυτό πρόγραμμα με πολύ μεγάλες ελπίδες … και είμαστε ευγνώμονες για την προσφορά και την ευκαιρία που δίνεται στους δασκάλους να μετέχουν μιας δοκιμασμένης μεθόδου διδασκαλίας και εκμάθησης της Ελληνικής», κατέληξε. Ο Υπουργός Παιδείας και Πολιτισμού της Κύπρου κ. Άκης Κλεάνθους τόνισε την βούληση της κυβερνήσεως να θεσμοθετήσει το νέο επιμορφωτικό πρόγραμμα. Το πρόγραμμα διήρκεσε ως τις 19 Ιουλίου και εκτός από τις καθημερινές εκπαιδευτικές ώρες συμπεριλάμβανε συμμετοχή σε πολιτιστικές εκδηλώσεις και ξεναγήσεις.

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PatrIARCH’S SALUTATION  page 9 attention; the world and everything in the world bears the markings of transience, as the Apostle Paul has emphasized, “for the form of this world is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31). Therefore, our stance toward the vagaries of life and the world ought to be informed by these words of the Apostle, “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remains that both they those that are married be as though they were not; and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that purchase, as though they possessed not; and those that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fabric of this world is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).

This day, my young friends, every Christians finds him or herself facing challenges from the world that are stronger than those in the past. Today the world has become a “large village”, a single neighborhood. Distances have been reduced to virtually nothing. In a twenty-four hour span you can find yourself from one end of the earth to the other. From our City to Africa; from London to New Zealand; from St. Petersburg to the Desert; from Beijing to New York. And with the swifter media of communication: telephone, radio, television, Internet –one corner of the world can instantly speak with another. When else have human beings had such convenient and instantaneous access to information? There are tremendous dimensions to this reality. And when else have human beings had the whole world at the tips of their fingers, through all these means of information dissemination?

Truly, this is a double-edged sword.

There is good, and there is bad, and it seems worse when you consider how much the twenty-four hour news stream pours into our homes.

Likewise, the formation of international coalitions, association and unions, like the European Union, which we hope and pray will not delay the accession of Turkey, limit the significance of national boundaries, with the consequence that the movement of persons between different countries can happen without all of the paperwork of the past.

On the other hand, the collapse of the system that stretched the Iron Curtain between East and West has opened wide pathways of communication between two formerly estranged worlds.

In the light of everything above it may be asked: What is the position of the Christians and indeed of the young Christian in this new reality? Should one shut oneself off, indifferent to what is happening all around? You might say: ‘Let the world go its own way; I am okay within my own small world’ But this is a desertion – a denial of one’s responsibility to other human beings! Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (St. John 1:29), as St. John the Baptist witnessed. Christ came as Light for the world, to save the world. “I have come as Light for the world, so that every person who believes in Me might not remain in darkness…for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (St. John 12:46,47). And not only this, but He delivered His own flesh up to death “for the life of the world” (St. John 6:51), “so that every person Who believes in Him should not perish, but possess eternal life” (St. John 3:16). All of this operates in us as well, in proportion to our responsibilities to the world, for we have been called to be “the light of the world” (St. Matthew 5:14).

We have received this commandment from the Lord, “So let you light so shine before other people, that they may see your good works and glorify you Father Who is in Heaven” (St. Matthew 5;16).

JULY- AUGUST 2007

So then, let us maintain a lofty feeling of responsibility to world. We will not become secularized. We will not identify ourselves with the world and with its sin.

We will not become the world, but we will employ a gracious use of the world, and a discriminating and logical use of this world’s tools, which can be put, as Western Christians say, “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” “to the greater glory of God, and which can assist in drawing many people to Christ, for many still are ignorant of the Savior and the Gospel.

Let us not forget, that the majority of humankind really does not have even an idea of Christ and His Gospel. Is it not tragic that the so-called “golden arches” of McDonalds have more relevance in the modern world than the Sign of the Cross? Let us be aware that the Christians are today only 1/3 of the world in terms of population.

Therefore, there is no justification for us to forget our spiritual obligation towards millions of souls. Likewise, we should be interested in the earthly problems of our fellow human beings, and make them at least the objects of our prayers. Oftentimes we will be able to helpful in material ways, as in a natural disaster. It is very moving how after the catastrophic tsunami of 2004, funds were collected through radio and television – through radiothons and telethons – in many countries around the world, and these funds were distributed to those in need. Using the media, and having the information about the ecological crises that are wreaking havoc throughout the creation of God, we are in a position of working with various activists to bring to a halt the evil, to the degree possible, of climate change and global warming. We know that televisions, radio, the press, the Internet do not by definition always serve that which is evil and sinful. Equally well, we can use them as pulpits of the Christian Truth and as trumpets heralding the Gospel of love. Through the telephone we can stay in close contact with many brothers and sisters and bring them comfort and strength, even though they might live in far distances.

It is worth noting the love that the contemporary Saint, the Elder Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia and of Athens, had for the radio and the telephone. He built a radio by himself in his monastic hut in Malakasa, so that he might listen to the shows of the Ecclesiastical Radio Station of Greece.

And what of him as the Shepherd by telephone? Whenever the Holy Spirit urged him, through a spiritual vision, he would dial up a spiritual child who was in need of his encouragement, and he would call anytime, 24 hours a day! How many souls were spared falls and shipwrecks! How many were saved from dangers and severe problems, because of his sacrifice of his personal and monastic tranquility, as he took the time to call and prevent these very problems, even at the expense of his own fragile health. Now this is a paradigm of how we can use the things of the world in a way that demonstrates the love of God, for the sake of our brother and sister, our fellow human being.

Well, we desire to burden you with no more. We believe that we have given some points for further and deepen discussions of the dual quality of being both Members of the Church and Citizens of the World.

As for the rest and more important, we pray that you should be “taught of God” (St. John 6:45), that the Holy Spirit might inform your hearts unto salvation. We thank all of you from the bottom of our heart for your attention and express the praise and esteem of the Church for all who in one way or another have contributed openly or privately with the organization and success of this Conference.

“The Grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. My love in Christ Jesus is with you all” (1 Cor. 16:23,24).

Archbishop Christodoulos to Receive Liver Transplant

D. PANAGOS

ARCHBISHOP Demetrios with members of the Greek press outside the Aretaion Hospital in Athens.

ATHENS, Greece – Upon arrival in Greece in late June to receive an honorary doctorate from the American College of Greece, Archbishop Demetrios visited Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all Greece at the Areteio Hospital of Athens where he was recovering following intestinal surgery.

In his statement after the visit, Archbishop Demetrios said that Archbishop Christodoulos expressed his deep appreciation for the outpouring of love coming

from all places of Greece and abroad. "He faces his illness with absolute faith in God and with amazing courage and hope," added Archbishop Demetrios.

"I urge all Orthodox Christians in America to join me and the entire Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese in praying for a speedy and full recovery of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos." Archbishop Christodoulos is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Aug. 18, where he will undergo a liver transplant.

SCOBA Agencies Discuss Communications Efforts FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Communications representatives of several agencies of the Standing Conference of Canonical Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) met recently in Ft. Lauderdale to discuss ways to communicate more effectively concerning the various ministries of SCOBA. Representatives of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), The Orthodox Christian Missions Center (OCMC), Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), Orthodox Christian Network (OCN), and The SCOBA Commission on Technology met at the headquarters of OCN at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Ft. Lauderdale for an initial meeting to meet each other and to discuss the various communications challenges each agency faces.

The meeting was chaired by Fr. Christopher Metropulos, executive director of OCN. Some of the topics discussed were how our agencies can cooperate more closely in supporting the work of our sister agencies and what each agency has found to be effective ways to share with our Orthodox faithful the ministry of that particular agency.

We also discussed opportunities for cooperation in our communications efforts throughout the year.

In light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech and how several SCOBA agencies, working together, helped provide a powerful Orthodox Christian witness during this difficult time. This meeting was meant to lay the ground work for clear lines of communications and techniques that will allow our SCOBA agencies to collaborate more closely in the future in communicating our unique messages to as wide an audience as possible.

One of SCOBA’s intended goals is to provide a unified witness of our Orthodox faith to the communities we serve.

It is evident from this initial meeting of SCOBA communication heads that we can accomplish so much more working together than we can apart.

For information visit www.scoba.us.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). Founded in 1992, IOCC has delivered more than $250 million in development, self-help, and emergency aid programs in 33 countries around the world.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the official campus ministry program of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).

OCF works to nurture and strengthen love for Jesus Christ and His Church in its fullness at this most critical juncture of human life. OCF supports 240 local chapters throughout North America and involves hundreds of college students through its programming, including the College Conference and Real Break.

Additional information on all the OCF programs can be found on the OCF website, www.ocf.net.

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official international mission agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). Its purpose is to encourage, support and facilitate the establishment and development of self-supporting, Eucharistic Orthodox Christian communities worldwide, thus incorporating the person into the fullness of a life in Christ.

Orthodox Christian Network (OCN), is the official media agency of SCOBA, the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, and develops effective ways to use modern media to raise awareness of our Orthodox faith in the minds of the general population and to be an “assistant” to local parish priests in keeping our faithful attached to the Church between worship services. OCN produces the nationally syndicated radio program Come Receive The Light and the 24 hour internet based radio ministries of The Ark and The Rudder. For more information, go to www.receive.org .

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BISHOP Andonios and IOCC Executive Director and CEO Constantine M.Triantafilou with children during a recent visit to Ethiopia where the IOCC has built a free clinic.

IOCC Announces Completion of Medical Clinic in Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (IOCC) – Modern medical care for expectant mothers is nonexistent in many parts of Africa.

But the residents of Woliso, Ethiopia will now be able to receive such care along with preventive medicine for malaria, typhoid, dysentery, and other common African ailments. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the Baltimorebased humanitarian aid organization for Orthodox Christians, has just completed the construction of a free medical clinic in Woliso, a western highlands town of 37,000 about 77 miles from the capital city of Addis Ababa.

The medical clinic, whose construction was funded by the Philoptochos Society and a group of private donors, will have a fulltime staff of one physician, two nurses and one lab technician.

While the town has a hospital, it is overburdened providing medical services not only to Woliso but also to the surrounding villages. “We are expecting this clinic to receive hundreds of patients every day because the clinic will mean access to medical assistance for people—particularly children--who have no access for basic medical problems,” said IOCC head

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Children will be treated for common illnesses such as diarrhea and parasites caused primarily by poor hygienic conditions. The clinic will also offer workshops for mothers to improve their families’ sanitary habits.

“I am thankful to God that I was able to be part of this project which will positively impact the lives of so many children,” says Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, director of the Department of Philanthropy at the Archdiocese.

“I am deeply grateful to Philoptochos and those individuals who generously responded to this need, and I hope that this will be the first of many projects we do on the African continent,” he continued.

It was on a previous trip to Ethiopia that Bishop Andonios saw first-hand IOCC’s extensive USAID-funded program to educate Ethiopians in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $250 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries.

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JULY- AUGUST 2007

Presbytera Maria Mourikis Pittsburgh Cathedral Celebrates Centennial Receives Ministry Award

by Metropolis of Boston Presbytera Maria Mourikis was recently honored by Metropolitan Methodios with the 2007 Metropolis of Boston Ministry Award during the 21st Annual Dinner attended by more than 700 faithful from throughout New England.

For 58 years Presbytera Maria Mourikis was the partner of her beloved husband, Fr. Spyro of blessed memory.

The year was 1947–Spyros and Maria met in July and were married in August. Ordination to the diaconate was in September and to the priesthood in October.

In January, they were assigned to the St. George parish in Cape Cod until Father’s retirement in 1991–43 years of untiring dedication to their beloved community. In her loving way, Presbytera Maria, a Philoptochos lady, served on the sick committee and visited parishioners in hospitals, nursing homes, or their own homes.

She taught Sunday School, offered help to adults with disabilities and other special needs, sang in the choir for more than 20 years, served on the board of the Cape Cod chapter of the Church Women united.

Archbishop Iakovos gave her the St. Paul Medal of Honor for her dedicated service. Her service and leadership were also noted and rewarded by Governor Dukakis and Sen. Edward Kennedy.

In her quiet demeanor, Presbytera Maria has served with grace, honor and devotion to God, her husband, her family and her community. She was the beacon that sustained a good Priest because she invested her life so that he could answer God’s calling and complete his mission.

She is loved and respected by all who know her. Most especially she has been and is loved, admired and respected by her immediate family: Daughters: Sophia and her late husband, George Sarhanis; Loukia and her husband, Dr. Robert LoPresti; Deborah and her husband, Demetrius Tasoulas.

Grandchildren: Chrissa Maria Kaseli and husband John; Jonathan Thomas Sarhanis; Mara Nicole Sullivan and her husband James; Hope Mariel Lo Presti; Stacey Maria Tasoulas. And, her great granddaughter, Sophia Maria Kaselis.

Boca Raton Church Holds Greek Week Camp BOCA RATON, Fla. – More than 135 youths were involved in the 6th annual Greek Week Camp at St. Mark Church.

Campers enjoyed daily discussions with the clergy, Greek dance, arts & crafts, Boca Raton Police Department K9 & Bomb Squad visit, amusement park rides (rock wall climbing, water slides, jump house and pony rides) and a field trip with three full charter buses to the Miami Seaquarium.

Also there were daily homemade Greek lunches (pastichio, spanakopita, tiropita and desserts).

Wrapping up the week, Olympic games and awards along with a Greek American Idol and Karaoke Contest were organized. A total of 35 adults and youth counselors and volunteers that made this the best summer kick off camp!

They came by boat. They came seeking a better life in America for themselves and for their families.

They came with a willingness to work hard and a passion for their adopted country. These are the Greek immigrants that settled in Pittsburgh. This is the legacy they left us.

From the steel mills and the smoke stacks of the sooty, gritty Pittsburgh of the early 1900s to the academic and medical centers of Oakland today, the parishioners of St. Nicholas Cathedral, past and present, have left their mark.

Unlike other immigrants that arrived in American in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Greeks, by comparison, were small in number and the Orthodox faith almost unheard of.

Because they proved to be industrious, thrifty, willing to work long hours and take care of their own, early Greek immigrants to Pittsburgh easily fit into the “Protestant work ethic” that was such a predominate way of life in western Pennsylvania.

Democracy, freedom and a strong work ethic were the ties that bound these early Greek immigrants to the Yankee establishment.

With waves of immigrants leaving their homes for a strange land that offered them unlimited possibilities, Greeks did everything they could to provide for themselves and their families, and be able to send a little money back to the “old country.”

Many Greek immigrants were experienced seamen, without fear of climbing the tall masts of sailing ships.

With the Industrial Revolution in full force, they were encouraged to come to Pittsburgh where this ability provided many Greeks with work painting the giant smoke stacks of Pittsburgh’s large steel mills, painting its many bridges, helping to construct many tall office buildings and assisting this unrivaled industrial city to grow.

Long hours and hard, dangerous work became a way of life for early Greek immigrants.

But for all they were trying toe accomplish, they also understood that to sever all items to their past was to lose their identity.

Retaining their Orthodox faith was a way to hold on to that identity. With this, the Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh was formed.

The recent centennial festivities attracted more than 400 to the grand banquet at the cathedral’s social hall where Archbishop Demetrios spoke about the accomplishments of the immigrants from Greece in the early 1900s and their dedication in establishing a Greek Orthodox presence in their newly adopted country.

It was also an occasion where Fr. Sarantos Serviou, dean of the cathedral, and parish council President Dr. George Bellios were given the opportunity to unveil for Archbishop Demetrios and visiting guests and dignitaries, the results of a $3.3 million capital renovation, which includes a newly restored sanctuary, narthex, nave, community center and a much-needed elevator.

Archbishop Demetrios recognized the past presidents of the cathedral and presented them with certificates of service.

He also recognized the numerous dignitaries in the audience, including

CATHEDRAL Dean Fr. Sarantos Serviou addresses the congregation as Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Maximos stand in front of the Royal Door on the solea.

ARCHBISHOP Demetrios address the gathering during the celebration in the community center.

a representatives of the mayor of Pittsburgh, who represented the cathedral with a proclamation of the City Council.

The following day, Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Maximos concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with

other clergy participating.

A reception followed in the community center and Greek School children and the St. Nicholas GOYA Dancers performed.

The Sunday School and “60 Club” also participated in the program.

Lynn, Mass. Choir Wins 1st Prize at Choral Event LYNN, Mass.–“Applause, Applause and the rest of it was like a dream” said soprano Kay Delios when her choir of St. George Church was announced as the 1st Place winner recently s at the second annual “Sing Out for Child Abuse” choral competition.

The annual competition/concert was held at Sacred Heart Church in Bradford, Mass., and was hosted by the Haverhill Exchange Club and H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Home of Haverhill as a fundraiser for Abused Children.

The judges rated the choirs on criteria that included diction, organization, tonality, emotional connection and musicality.

The St. George Choir chanted the Dr. Tikey Zes arrangement of “Soma Christou” and then wowed the audience with

a Broadway Medley including “Give My Regards to Broadway” from their Holiday Pops show. Karla Kelley accompanied the group with precision.

Alto, Catherine “Tina” Scoulogenis greeted many well wishers after the competition and thanked them for their support. “The experience of competing against other strong choral groups was exciting! There was a lot of preparation for only two numbers,” she said.

The church was filled with about 700 spectators and singers.

John Arambages, St. George choir director, donated the $500 first prize back to the charity and said, “What we do is truly a labor of love like so many of my counterparts here from all religious denominations.”

23

JULY- AUGUST 2007

New England Faithful Celebrate Metropolitan Methodios’ Anniversary BOSTON – It was indeed a joyous family event, an inspiring celebration.

They came from throughout New England and every parish in the Metropolis.

by Sophia Nibi

Clergy and laity, faithful of all ages and all walks of life filled the Annunciation Cathedral of Boston on Wednesday, July 18, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ordination of Metropolitan Methodios as a hierarch of the Church. He was ordained to the Episcopate on July 18, 1982.

During the Divine Liturgy where Metropolitan Methodios presided together with Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, 12 clergymen participated including the Rev. George Daskalakis, dean of the Cathedral, who was a classmate and roommate of Metropolitan Methodios when they were students at the seminary, and the Rev. Thomas Chininis, president of the New England Clergy Brotherhood and pastor of St. Philip’s Church in Nashua, N.H. The campers and staff from the St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center in Contoocook, N.H., traveled to Boston by buses to participate in this historic event in the life of Metropolitan Methodios and the Metropolis of Boston.

The spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Family of New England remembered Archbishop Iakovos during the Divine Liturgy and in his remarks following the service.

Referring to the beloved hierarch of blessed memory who served as dean of the Boston Cathedral and then led the Archdiocese for many years, he said, “I believe I am the only hierarch who was ordained to all three ranks of the priesthood by Archbishop Iakovos. I consider that fact a great honor.”

Metropolitan Methodios served as an Archdeacon to Archbishop Iakovos for six and a half years.

METROPOLITAN Methodios of Boston.

When he was ordained to the priesthood, he was assigned to the St. Spyridon parish in Washington Heights, N. Y., where he served until the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected him an auxiliary bishop in 1982.

Two years later, he was elected Bishop of Boston and assumed his pastorate on April 8, 1984, enthroned by Archbishop Iakovos at the Annunciation Cathedral of Boston.

For more than 23 years, Metropolitan Methodios has guided the Metropolis of Boston with inspired leadership, admired vision, and tireless work, creating many innovative new programs in the historic Metropolis.

The Philoxenia House, Marriage Preparation Seminars, the St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center are just a few of his accomplishments. Yet, the Metropolitan credits the people, the flock he has shepherded for a quarter century –clergy

What can fill the Grand Canyon?

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The answer to this question can be seen in the hearts of a group of faithful Greek Orthodox Christians gathering in northern Arizona.

In America thousands of tourists pass through the national forest where the Grand Canyon is located to see its awe, but millions more are plagued by a chasm of emptiness that can be referred to as the “spiritual Grand Canyon.”

Just 75 miles south of the second most visited national park in America is the Greek Orthodox Mission of Northern Arizona, whose faith surpasses the dearth of spiritual fulfillment that inflict so many citizens of our beautiful country.

Since 1998 under the guidance of the Archdiocese, the faithful of Flagstaff, Arizona have persevered to share the truth with the local community and now it is the time that all should be informed of such zealous apostolic efforts.

Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco inherited the 50-year-old missionary movement of two Greek families who labored to establish an Orthodox spiritual community where one never before existed.

The Metropolitan has challenged the faithful to share the pure sacred treasure of Christianity with the non-believers, at the same time maintain the roots of the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The purity of Christ’s message is so securely founded on truth that it permeates all time and is able to responsibly address such contemporary issues as abortion, human cloning, the breakdown of the family, youth, young adult, and adult drug addictions and the list goes on.

The Orthodox community in Northern Arizona has reached out by visiting the sick and afflicted monthly, by organizing a pan-orthodox summer camp, by establishing a vibrant college ministry program at Northern Arizona University under the auspices of Orthodox Christian Fellowship, by sending missionary teams down to Mexico to help the needy, by offering educational seminars lead by such speakers as Fr. Thomas Hopko and Mother Ines Ayau, and by providing a taste of Greek culture through the annual Glendi dinner dance.

Since 2002 when Fr. Nicholas Andruchow was assigned as the first fulltime Greek Orthodox priest, the mission’s presence has stabilized and prospered by doubling the number stewarding families, increasing annual stewardship by 300 percent and by maintaining an annual budget of $100,000.

Recently Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, the president of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, held a retreat for the community.

and laity– for his achievements.

With characteristic humility, and while responding to Fr. Daskalakis remarks quoting a patient at the Philoxenia House, Metropolitan Methodios said, “You, the clergy and the laity established the Philoxenia House and all the programs in our Metropolis.”

When he was thanked by Fr. Thomas Chininis on behalf of the clergy, Metropolitan Methodios responded by praising and thanking his “brother priests, who love our Church and who work tirelessly in their communities, ministering to the people and promoting Orthodoxy.”

On behalf of the clergy, as a token of their “profound love, respect and admiration,” Fr. Chininis presented a gift of liturgical candelabras to Metropolitan Methodios.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the congregation attended a reception in the Cathedral hall where they had the opportunity to greet and congratulate Metropolitan Methodios.

The campers from the Faith & Heritage Center enjoyed pizza, salad and refreshments prior to departing for Contoocook to resume the summer camp activities.

Before they left the Cathedral, Metropolitan Methodios spoke to the campers in the hall. He has been visiting the camp frequently, talking with the campers and staff, enjoying a baseball game, and constantly looking for ways to create even more programs at the Faith & Heritage Center.

Metropolitan Methodios and all the faithful in New England are looking forward to the upcoming construction of the retreat house by the lakeside of the 200-acre facility.

Also under construction soon will be a special cabin for children with special needs, made possible through a generous grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

He emphasized how the Church is not dependant on the square footage of sanctuary or the number of class rooms in the community center but rather on the Christ like unity of the faithful.

Fr. Triantafilou commended the Flagstaff faithful on the strength and steadfastness of the church that has already been built.

He clearly communicated the fact that the faithful believers as described by St. Peter, (1 Peter 2:5) makeup the solid Greek Orthodox Church in Northern Arizona.

It is true the community known as the Greek Orthodox Mission of Northern Arizona is in the process of raising funds to build a permanent physical location, but let that not overshadow the existence of the Church that already ministers to more than 50 families and nearly 150 souls that hold the belief that Orthodox Christianity is the true path to salvation.

The expectation when one learns of this missionary effort is that you will be encouraged, assured, and inspired that the Orthodox Christian Faith is the answer to America’s “spiritual Grand Canyon” that is waiting to be filled by God’s pure and undefiled love.

To support or learn more about the missionary efforts in Northern Arizona visit their web site at www.GOMONA. org or write to the Greek Orthodox Mission of Northern Arizona, P.O. Box 2164, Flagstaff, Arizona 86003

Orthodox Humanitarian, Campus Ministries Join Forces To Help Poor DES PLAINES, Ill. – Pathways Awareness Foundation is honoring St. John the Baptist Church in Des Plaines with a $1,000 Junior Open Hearts Awards for their efforts to welcome children with special needs into their faith community.

A group of parents of children with disabilities at St. John the Baptist parish created an adapted worship experience for their children using the guidance of a special education teacher.

The short-term goal is to give the children the opportunity to participate in a faith based service, to familiarize them with the church environment, and to make the religious experience meaningful and comfortable for them.

The long-term goal is to have the children participate in a regular Sunday worship service program, to gain acceptance and understanding from the community as a whole and to serve as a model of inclusion for other Greek Orthodox parishes. “Our small program has benefited everyone involved in many ways. It has forged new relationships and made the entire community more aware and sensitive to those among us with disabilities,” said Eleni Patos, a parent involved in the program.

Seven-year-old Petros Patos, who participates in the children’s program, submitted a drawing of his church as part of the Junior Open Hearts Award application.

St. John the Baptist Church will use the award to purchase sensory materials and a sensory table, craft supplies, and adaptive religious education books and tapes for the children’s program.

Since 1996 Pathways Awareness Foundation has been working with Chicago area congregations to promote inclusion in worship through the Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors program. An integral part of this inclusion movement is the annual Inclusion Awareness Day and the Open Hearts Awards program.

The Open Hearts Awards recognize Chicago area houses of worship for outstanding inclusion efforts.

Winning congregations receive up to $1,000 to provide accommodations so that all members can participate in spiritual, educational and social activities.

For more information about the Pathways Awareness Foundation Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Program or to enter the Open Hearts Awards, call 1-800955-2445 or visit www.pathwaysawareness. org/open. Pathways Awareness Foundation, 150 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL raises awareness about early detection, early intervention and inclusion of children with physical movement concerns.

Chicago Choir Federation Begins Rehearsals for 50th Anniversary St. Demetrios Church of Hammond, Ind. will host the Senior and Youth Choir Conference on Oct. 12-14.

John Douglas will be the conductor and Michael Doran will be the organ accompanist. They will sing a composite of Liturgical Music from Nick Maragos, Michael Petrovich, John Revezoulis and the Doxology of Spyro Stamos.

2

JULY- AUGUST 2007

In Memoriam Fr. Leonidas Kotzakis The Very Rev. Leonidas (Lukas) Kotzakis, 74, of 1445 Unita Drive, Green River, passed away on Friday, June 8, at the Castle Rock Convalescent Center where he had been a resident for the past two years.

He had been a resident of Rock Springs, Wyo. since 1963.

He was born on Oct. 20, 1932 in Crete, Greece, the son of the late Polyrios and Androniki Amargialakis Kotzakis. He attended the elementary school of his home town and the high school of Pompia in Heraclion and graduated from high school in 1952.

The following September, he registered at the ecclesiastical school of Canea, Crete Greece.

Upon his graduation from this school, he was drafted for military service and served in the Greek army from January 1955 to December 1956.

In April 1957, he was called back to Egypt by His Holiness Christopher, the late patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa, on the recommendation of Dr. Constantine Kotzakis, uncle of Fr. Kotzakis, Fr. Kotzakis was ordained deacon on June 12, 1957, in St. Savas Cathedral in Alexandria by Metropolitan Leontoupoli Constantine. As deacon, he served at the Cathedral of St Savas.

He also served in the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and the Incorporale Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Alexandria, Egypt and later was sent to Odessa, Russia as assistant to the patriarchal vicar and learned the Russian language.

Having fulfilled the task bestowed upon him, he entered the Russian Orthodox Theological Academy in Zagoraki (Moscow) to further his training in theology.

During his studies, he assisted His Holiness Alexios, patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia, as well as other Russian Orthodox Churches. He served as Archdeacon to the late Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa. Following two years of study in Russia, he returned to Alexandria for a few months and then, with the blessings and recommendations of the late Patriarch Christopher to Archbishop Iakovos, Fr. Lukas was called to America to serve the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States. He arrived in the United States on January 28, 1960 and studied Theology at Holy Cross Theological School in Brookline until September of 1962.

During his studies, he assisted Bishop Athenagoras of Elea and Bishop Maletios. Fr. Lukas served as a deacon at the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Cambridge, Mass. and also taught at the Greek School there.

On Nov. 3, 1963, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Gerasimos of Avidou in the Church of Sts. Amargyri Cosmas and Damian in Marlboro, Mass. and was assigned to pastorial duties in Rock Springs, Wyo. He also served the Greek Orthodox people in Green River, Rawlins, Evanston, Kemmerer, Hanna, Saratoga and Superior, Wyo. On Dec. 16, 1982, Fr. Lukas was conferred to the title of Archimandrite by Archbishop Iakovos. He was a member of

the Pancretan Association of America, The Philoptohos Society, The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, Ahepa Lodge and the Sweetwater County Ministerial Association.

Survivors include one sister Maria Mavrakis of Crete, and three nephews, Angelo Mavrakis, Manolis Andrew Tzortzakakis and Michael Tzortzakakis all of Crete, Greece; and all of his many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Nick Kotzakis; and one sister, Eleni Tzortzakakis.

Funeral service was held June 14 at the Holy Trinity Church in Rock Springs with Fr. Makarios Mannos officiating.

The family of the Very Rev. Lukas Kotzakis suggests that donations in his memory be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 14, Rock Springs, Wyo. 82902

Presb. Sophronia Tomaras Presbytera Sophronia Nickolaou Tomaras passed away on June 21 after a brief battle with lung cancer.

Presbytera was born Jan. 14, 1930, in Chicago to Charles (Kyriakos) and Alexandra Nickolaou. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Fr. Anthony Tomaras, daughter, Presbytera Irene Supica; son, Charles (Kyriakos); son-in-law, Fr. Stephen Supica; two granddaughters Sophronia and Elizabeth, her sister, Mary Bolas; and many nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

Presbytera graduated from the Koraes Greek American Parochial School in Chicago in 1943. She earned a B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1948 at the age of 18. She received B.E. and M.E. degrees from the University of Puget Sound in 1964 and 1970, and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1980.

She married seminarian Euripides Anthony Tomaras in 1956. They lived in Greece more than two years during her husband's theological studies at the University of Athens, after which Fr. Anthony was ordained in Chicago.

They moved to Oakland, Calif., where Father Anthony served as assistant priest, and then to Tacoma, Wash., in 1960, serving at St. Nicholas Church until 1979, and then at the All Saints Camp and Retreat Center until 1990.

In 1979, she and Fr. Anthony started the St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Mission Church in Pasco, Wash., to which they traveled twice monthly until 2000. They estimated they drove360,000 miles in service to the Mission Church.

Presbytera's professional career was at the Tacoma Public Schools. For 26 years she was an elementary teacher, a research assistant, a senior editor of the district's curriculum tests and a director in staff development for the Office of Research and Evaluation, retiring in 1989.

Presbytera's true calling was in service to the church. Over the years, Presbytera taught Sunday School, played the organ, and conducted icon painting education for both adults and children.

She chaired the Diocesan Religious Education Commission for many years, visiting parishes and conducting seminars for church school teachers.

She was on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan National Curriculum Committee, for which she authored “Called By God and Peer Pressure.”

She authored the annual Teachers' Planbook/Lectionary for the Archdiocese Department of Religious Education and translated 80 hymns into English for her groundbreaking hymnal “The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.”

She impacted hosts of people with her loving acceptance, knowing their weaknesses yet loving them unconditionally.

Her faith was strong and sure, leading her as she guided others in so many ways.

She followed her faith and gave thanks to God for the good and the bad.

Her response to adversity was always, “Thank God, and expect good to come of it.” May her memory be eternal!

The funeral was at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle on June 26 with Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco officiating, assisted by Orthodox clergy of the area.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Nectarios Church, 627 W. Bonneville St., Pasco, WA 99301. Presbytera was known to many of her Internet correspondents as “Cyberprez.” Visit her memorial website at http://www.christianmemorials. com/tributes/sophronia-tomaras

Fr. John H. Paul Fr. John H. Paul, 76, a retired priest who previously was pastor at St. Nicholas Church in Ann Arbor, died July 2.

He was born Aug. 24, 1930 in Binghamton, N.Y. and attended public schools there.

He enrolled at Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology and earned a BA in theology.

He married Eva J. Miller of Charlotte, N.C. in 1971 and became ordained in September 1971 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Charlotte by Bishop Aimilianos of Harioupolis. He served there for two years before being assigned to Ann Arbor, where he served until his retirement. He held the offikia of economos and protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, bestowed by Archbishop Iakovos.

Fr. Dean Timothy Andrews Rev. Dean Timothy Andrews, (Constantine Andrews Arvanitis) passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 18, having offered a life of dedicated service to the Archdiocese. He was 93.

Born in Salem, Mass., Fr. Timothy graduated from Gordon College in Boston in 1937 with a BA in theology. He studied

at the University of Athens, and graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School in Pomfret Conn. in 1942.

He received a graduate degree in library science from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn N.Y. in 1945, and an MA in psychology and library science from Columbia University in New York in 1950.

Fr. Timothy was ordained to the priesthood on July 4, 1953. His first parish assignment was at St. Sophia’s in San Antonio.

He was a full-time and substitute priest in more than 130 churches throughout the country and was also the first priest assigned to serve St. Catherine’s in Quincy Mass., St. George, Bethesda Md., and St. Mark, Boca Raton Fla. He is probably the most noted librarian in the history of the Archdiocese, working first at the Pratt Institute and New York Public Library, as director of the Grove City University Pennsylvania library, and government librarian for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington.

He was the principle organizer and director of libraries at Hellenic CollegeHoly Cross in Brookline.

He also developed the St. Basil Academy Library in Garrison N.Y. and the libraries of the Archdiocese in New York.

His intellectual contributions include important translations, bibliographies, and articles in numerous periodicals.

Fr. Timothy is survived by his loving wife, Presbytera Maritsa Andrews, who he married on Feb. 1, 1953, his children and son-in-laws and grandchildren: daughters P. Zoe Stavri and her husband, William F. Polsgrove, Stephanie C. Andrews and her husband, Marc A. White Jr., and his son, Christopher G.T. Andrews, and his beloved grandchildren, Marina A. White, Marc A. White III, and Alexandra L. White. and his brothers, George Arvanitis, William Arvanitis and his wife, Penny; Ernest Arvanitis and his wife, Helen; and his sister, Sophie Demitrack and her husband, George.

His father, Andrew Arvanitis and wife Zoe, sister, Chrysoula; and brother, Dimitri, all preceded him in death. He has several nieces and nephews and friends, colleagues, students and former parishioners.

Funeral services were held Saturday, July 21 at Holy Cross Chapel at Hellenic College.

Famed Russian Choir to Launch First North American Tour After acclaimed performances throughout Europe including Notre Dame de Paris, UNESCO Hall, and the Vatican Hall Auditorium, the celebrated Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir will launch an unprecedented North American Good Will Tour in September. The Sretensky Monastery Choir ( www.sretenskychoir.com ) will make its American debut in a one-night only engagement at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (70 Lincoln Plaza) on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 8 p.m.

Under the direction of artistic director and conductor Nicon Zhila, the 42-man a cappella choir will offer a program of Byzantine and Russian chants, folk songs and Russian romances.

Following its New York debut, the Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir will play the following dates throughout the United States and Canada: BOSTON–Sept.

6, TORONTO–Sept. 8, CHICAGO–Sept. 9, WASHINGTON–Sept. 12, and SAN FRANCISCO–Sept. 14.

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JULY- AUGUST 2007

While coaching my daughter’s soccer team a few years back, I invited Katherine, an accomplished high school soccer player, to work with my ten-year-old girls for one practice.

After teaching them a trap-and-kick exercise, she gathered the team together and told the girls, “You have to keep practicing this drill, but you must realize that practice doesn’t make perfect.” Several kids raised their hands and replied, “My mom said if I practice my violin, I will become perfect,” or “If I practice my dance steps, I will become perfect….”

by Fr. Tom Tsagalakis

Katherine looked at them and said that what they have been told was a lie. I held my breath waiting for this sixteen-year-old girl’s explanation. She boldly said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent.” That bit of wisdom resonated within my heart and is an important model for our spiritual lives.

Practice makes permanent! Indeed, our patterns and behavior will set into motion the direction of our lives. The way we pray and prioritize our spiritual life, the way we speak, the way we love, the way we respond to conflict; all have been consciously or unconsciously practiced over the years and have become a permanent part of our life.

We often find ourselves practicing what the world tells us is important as found with the daily bombardment of commercials, music, news, self-help books, fad diets, products, and ideas that can present a treasury of empty promises.

We are told we will be happy, sexy, rich, or successful if we simply purchase a certain product, take an energy supplement, read a particular book, subscribe to a tested financial plan, or try the next exciting “special offer.”

Our life then becomes a continuous search for the next thing that will fulfill us–the next thing that will bring us happiness.

What are we practicing and making permanent? Is it a cycle of false hopes, wishes, and worries? Or are we practicing patience, compassion, and love?

Jesus tells us that the eye is the lamp of the body and our body will be full of light if our eye is clear.

Our eyes and ears are the gateway

For the Orthodox Family...

Practice Makes Permanent to the soul. Just as the practice of eating healthy food helps nourish a healthy body, what we practice receiving with our eyes and ears impacts the health of our souls.

How are we engaging with our family? What are we watching? What music are we listening to? What conversations are we having that help strengthen our relationship with God and one another?

The information we digest will impact and shape us, whether we know it or not.

As Orthodox Christians, we must be vigilant and watchful of the messages we receive and careful of the words that we speak to one another.

All have a vital influence upon our souls. We must be intentionally mindful of what actually feeds the soul – resisting words, images, and conversations that distract us from living a life of true holiness.

The church implores us to be selective about what we see, hear, and do, as we strive to make choices that edify our souls.

We are invited to examine what we practice in our lives, to see where we devote our time, energy, and thoughts. We need to take a hard look at our schedules, our PDA’s, and our day planners.

Are we spending enough uninterrupted time with our families? Are we eating meals on the run? Are we taking time in prayer to be still with God? Are we reaching out to others who are in need?

St. Paul encourages us to wake up!

He says, “The hour has come to awake

out of sleep… The night is nearly over and the day is at hand. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12) To “wake up” is to turn off the TV and have a conversation with your spouse and children. To “wake up” may prompt you to hand an apple and a smile to a homeless person.

To “wake up” will motivate you to attend Divine Liturgy on time and with full awareness that you are in the presence of God. To “wake up” is to re-examine your life and seek confession and forgiveness.

Let us not go through life asleep–falling into habits of laziness and complacency.

But let us live intentionally seeking Christ and all that is holy and good.

Everyday, we are given the chance to be transformed and made anew.

This week, make it a point to notice what you look at, what you listen to, what you read, and what you say. St. Basil says, “We should not be deceived by the corrupting delights of this world, but rather become strengthened in the desire to attain the treasures of the world to come.”

Consider practicing and making permanent the action of love, the gift of compassion, and the practice of being truly alive.

Our Lord constantly reminds us that

2 He wants to help us write a new story of life centered in His love, His will, and His purpose.

God will transform our relationships and He promises to restore us and help redirect our path to a new way of living.

Jesus says, "Behold, I (Jesus the Son of God) make 'all' things new."

He is speaking to each one us. He offers us transformation from old to new, from broken to whole, from sorrow to joy, and from death to life.

May we "show up" and "wake up" so we can become renewed people living out this promise as we practice loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Mother Maria of Paris said, “However hard I try, I find it impossible to construct anything greater than these three words, ‘Love one another’–only to the end, and without exceptions: then all is justified and life is illumined”.

Remember: Practice makes permanent!

Fr. Tom Tsagalakis serves as the priest of Holy Apostles Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church in Shoreline, Wash. He is also an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University and maintains a private practice as a marriage and family therapist in Seattle.

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES:

Family Gospel Lessons To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ and how we are called to live as Orthodox Christians, we must read His Word. The Family Gospel Lesson is meant to guide your family through the Church year according to the Sunday Gospel readings.

It is our hope that, through this resource, families will make reading the Gospel a priority in the preparation for Divine Liturgy. To access these lessons, visit www.familyaschurch.org and click on the “Our Resources” link.

Family Activity Corner: Athletes for Christ We are called to “practice” our faith in order to make it “permanent” in our life. This is not a task that makes it onto our daily to-do list–merely to check off when we have completed it.

It takes a constant discipline to make faith a living presence in our lives, but as Orthodox Christians, this is what we are called to do.

Just like a runner has a training plan that builds him or her up for the big race, as “athletes for Christ,” we need to have a similar regimen. But how do we prepare for the most important race in our life?

On Sept. 1 we begin the new ecclesiastical (or church) year. Around this time, our children head back to school and the lazy days of summer are replaced with a hectic new family schedule.

Before getting caught up in all of this, take time to sit down as a family and discuss how you will train as “athletes for Christ”.

To begin, here are some questions and discussion points. Add or adapt them as best fits your family.

Who are some athletes that we admire? Why do we admire them?

How do you think they train to get their bodies and minds in shape for competition? (Hint: you could go to the Internet and actually look up some of the training schedules of these athletes in your favorite search engine).

Athletes spend a lot of time practicing to excel at their sport.

What does it mean to be an “athlete for Christ”?

How have we been "training" so far in our lives? How can we train more?

Who can we look to for examples? (the saints–perhaps, have each member of the family choose one saint to learn about as an example of an athlete for Christ) Remember, good athletes need a coach. The coach makes sure they progress safely and guides them every step of the way.

Your family coach should be your parish priest or spiritual father. Contact him and he will guide you in the process.

Being an athlete for Christ may seem hard to fit into your busy schedule, but once you start to run the race you will find more strength that you knew you had.

On Running the Race In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (9:24) This scriptural passage is most meaningful to Christians who are running the race toward salvation. Just as athletes continuously train, preparing their mind and bodies for competition.

Christians are called to preapare continuously on their spiritual training, or "asepsis," so that they will receive the ultimate crown, the ultimate medal, salvation.

Training for this crown, although, can be more difficult than any other physical challenge we set out upon in this life. It is a daily training through prayer, fasting, meditation, participating regularly in the Sacramental life of the Church. In this training, we must put aside ego, pride, and selfishness and allow humility, patience, peace and love to enter into the core of our being. The crown of the athlete will remain in this life, but the crown for those who truly become Athletes for Christ will be the crown of everlasting life.

— Fr. Mark Leondis

26

The Voice of

JULY- AUGUST 2007

Philoptochos

Katherine Pappas Offered Distinguished Service to the Greek Orthodox Church Mrs. Katherine Pappas died May 12, 2007. She was the wife of the late Judge John C. Pappas. Born and raised in the Boston area, she was the daughter of the late Athanasios and Vasiliki Plakias. She is survived by five children, Valerie Sapounakis, Georgia Pappas, Diana Hamilton, James Pappas, and T. Peter Pappas, 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a daughter, Sophia Martha Tiros and a son, John C. Pappas, Jr. Archbishop Demetrios presided at the funeral service of Mrs. Pappas on May 17 at the Annunciation Cathedral in Boston. He was assisted by Metropolitan Methodios, Metropolitan of Boston; Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco and area priests. In his words of condolence to the family, Archbishop Demetrios stated, “As we bid farewell to this beautiful woman of grace and kindness, we recall her dedicated service to her family, her Church, to those in need, and to the vision and purpose of the Philoptochos Society. We pray for the repose of her soul and memory eternal.”

In offering the funeral eulogy, Metropolitan Methodios recounted Mrs. Pappas’ service to the Church and the community: “….Katherine Pappas was loved and

respected. She was admired and revered not only by the Omogenia (the Greek American Community), but by the greater American Community. As one of the hymns we chanted today reads, she was an ‘image of the ineffable Glory of God.’ She will be remembered for her support of the arts – the Museum of Fine Arts, The Science Museum, the Boston Symphony and the Boston Opera. A dedicated Church woman, she will be remembered for her life long support of this Cathedral parish and the Community of St. Catherine in Quincy which is now building a beautiful Church in Braintree, on property previously owned by the Pappas family. The Community was given the name St. Catherine, (let us remember), in honor of Katherine Pappas.” “…She will be remembered as a faithful supporter of the Hellenic Nursing Home, the EOK and the Volunteer Women, and many other organizations.” “…Katherine was the first woman ever to receive the Alpha Omega Council’s Life Achievement Award and the first Orthodox Christian woman, to be honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews.” “…She was an “Archondissa” not only because she was bestowed this patriarchal designation by Patriarch

Athenagoras, but because she was an archondissa. She was truly someone very special. She was someone who stood apart. She radiated beauty. Not only physical, but she manifested an inner beauty, a beauty that emanated from her heart and soul. She defined dignity, kindness, goodness, wholesomeness, and other virtues far too many to enumerate.” “…Who can ever forget her lifelong dedication to philanthropy? I refer not only to her 30 years as a member of the Philoptochos society or her 8 years of sterling leadership as President of the National Philoptochos, but I speak of the countless acts of philanthropy that no one knows about and the hundreds of people she helped without fanfare or publicity.”

In Metropolitan Methodios’ closing remarks to Katherine’s family, he said, “She was a special woman.

She was the epitome of elegance. She was a great person.

May God grant her rest in His Kingdom, and may He embrace your entire family in His loving care. “ “May you live long lives to remember her and your beloved father both of whom bequeathed to you a covenant of excellence and commitment to the eternal values of our Greek Orthodox Faith and Cultural Heritage.”

KATHERINE Pappas with Archbishop Iakovos, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Deputy Greek Minister of Education Chrysostomos Karapiperis at the opening of Ionian Village in 1970.

KATHERINE Pappas makes a presentation to Archbishop Iakovos for St. Basil’s Academy. She and her husband, Judge John Pappas, were strong supporters of the Academy.

DR. ANTONY G. Borden, commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate-Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, presented a gift to Mrs. Pappas in 1984 in recognition of her achievements.

KATHERINE PAPPAS: Fourth National Philoptochos President Katherine Pappas was appointed the fourth National Philoptochos President by Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory in 1974.

Mrs. Pappas had devoted many years of service to Philoptochos in various capacities and served as president from 1974 – 1982. Under her leadership the national organization flourished and expanded its philanthropic work.

IN LOVING MEMORY (1974 – 1982)

by Christine Karavites

In the 1970’s, national humanitarian and educational programs were undertaken and Ecumenical activities were a high priority. Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Photios National Shrine became national Philoptochos projects.

A Cardiac Program for Greek children was launched, and Philoptochos participated with the Archdiocese in assisting Greek Cypriots after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus by developing and undertaking the Cyprus Foster Parent Program.

The organization expanded its participation in Church Women United with three ladies appointed to represent Philoptochos and the women of Philoptochos continued to embrace the entire world by giving support to those devastated by the Guatemalan earthquake; Hurricane Agnes; Cambodian refugees and the Italian and Greek earthquakes including Salonika.

From 1976-1978 Philoptochos reached a new level of giving by contributing an estimated one million dollars to various worthy causes.

In the 1980’s, the National Philoptochos participated in a year-long celebration of the United Nation’s “Year of the Child” and joined with AHEPA in the “Ride for Life” to support finding a cure for Cooley’s Anemia.

During Mrs. Pappas’ tenure, Philoptochos celebrated its 50th Anniversary 1931-1981. Special activities included

KATHERINE Pappas (right) with then First Lady Barbara Bush and National Philoptochos President Beatrice Marks.

a Philoptochos Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate where Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios of blessed memory offered an Artoklasia to celebrate the visit; an ecumenical tea held at the Greek Archdiocese in June 1981 and a gala luncheon attended by nearly 1,000 women at the Hotel Pierre in November.

To mark this 50-year milestone, Philoptochos established an endowment to fund many Hellenic College/Holy Cross scholarships and published a 50th anniversary album.

Mrs. Pappas received numerous honors including being named Alpha Omega’s First Woman of the Year where she was recognized for her contributions to the Greek Orthodox Church and the National Philoptochos; being one of the first women appointed to the Archdiocesan Council; receiving the patriarchal designation as Archondissa from the late Patriarch Athenagoras; serving as a trustee for Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology and receiving the Medal of St. Paul from Archbishop Iakovos.

Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, bestowed the Metropolis Service Award on Mrs. Pappas in 2005.

Georgia Skeadas, National Philoptochos president, offered the following remarks when she informed the membership of the falling asleep in the Lord of our Honorary Past National Board President, Mrs. Katherine Pappas: “As President of the National Philoptochos Society, Mrs. Pappas has been an inspiration to each and every Philoptochos member. She had offered an inestimable life of unparalleled service to her family, her Church, and the community at large. Under the leadership of Mrs. Pappas, a true visionary, the Philoptochos Society not only continued and expanded its philanthropic outreach, but embarked on several innovative programs designed to make the Society a vehicle for all Greek Orthodox women to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Archbishop Iakovos had said of Mrs. Pappas’ service: “The Philoptochos Society’s outreach in the areas of philanthropy and social and moral concerns in the local community, our Archdiocese, across the nation and in Greece and other parts of the world has been successful, perhaps even indescribable. Most importantly, it bears the seal of the sensitivity and refinement that is the hallmark of your loving soul as a Greek Orthodox churchwoman.”

Mrs. Pappas had served with a loving spirit and a passion for excellence, along with a deep commitment and devotion to the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. May her memory be eternal.

JULY- AUGUST 2007

Challenge Ruining Your Breakfast?

YOUTH MINISTRY

You just ruined my breakfast.

This is not the most pleasant thing to hear when one sits down to eat. Yet as I sat down in the McDonald’s to eat my breakfast that morning in downtown Los Angeles, this was the first thing said to me by a man at a nearby table. You just ruined my breakfast.

by Jordan Henderson

What would cause this guy to say something like this to me, a person he had never met?

I was participating on the very first Orthodox Youth Outreach mission trip.

A small group of us - me and three high school students–walked through the downtown area of Los Angeles to find a homeless person to take out to breakfast.

I have to admit, even as one of the chaperones on the trip, I was a little anxious. What will these homeless people say when we offer to share a meal with them?

Will they be offended? Disinterested? Perhaps more to the point, what will other people say?

As my small group walked along the sidewalk, we came across a man in ragged clothes with a long beard sitting by the road.

“We’re trying to find a place to eat cheap.

Can you point us in the right direction?” He pointed to the nearby McDonald’s. “Would you like to join us? Our treat.”

He seemed surprised, but got up and came with us. His name was Robert, and he told us he had been on the streets for many years. We walked into the restaurant and all ordered breakfast. Just as I was about to introduce myself and try to get to know him, a voice came from the next table. You just ruined my breakfast.

I looked up to find a man glaring at me as he sipped his coffee. What was that supposed to mean? As I looked at him, it was immediately clear.

He did not come into this restaurant to eat next to a dirty homeless man like Robert. My first reaction was to become angry. Who does this guy think he is? I

PARENTS and YOUTH Workers Corner If you haven't already, sign up for the Youth Worker Pulse, a weekly listserv with resources for religious educators. See www.youth.goarch. org.

Young Adults: The National Young Adult Retreat is coming Sept.

14-16 in Brookline, Mass.; and the Annual Young Adult Pilgrimage is happening Nov. 2-10. For more information on either event, see www. youth.goarch.org.

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, 83 St. Basil Rd., Garrison, New York 10524 or email: youthoffice@goarch.org

2

e-mail: youthoffice@goarch.org

wanted to tell him what an ignorant and ridiculous thing that was to say. Yet just as I opened my mouth, I looked across the table at Robert.

He didn’t react at all. He just sat there.

He looked as if this was the kind of thing he had heard innumerable times before – so many times, perhaps, that he no longer reacted to it. I looked back at the man next to us in silence.

How many times do we encounter people like Robert in our lives? What is our response to such people? Do we make cruel statements like this because they are dirty or smell bad? Do we assume that they are lazy and deserve to be on the streets?

Or perhaps even worse, do we simply walk by and ignore them? Can you think of anything worse than spending years of existence where people simply ignore you and pretend not to see you? This is the life of so many poor and homeless people throughout the world.

As Christians, we are called to respond differently. We are called to follow the example of Christ, Who never failed to reach

out and offer comfort to the poor, the lame, the sick, the wounded, and all those who were looked down on by society. He didn’t ignore them. He didn’t simply give them some money and walk away. He didn’t merely accuse them of being lazy or irresponsible.

Instead, He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7), and offered them His love.

This way of approaching the poor offers a very challenging example: if Jesus, being God incarnate and having created

Is it HIP to give?

Bono. Oprah. Angelina Jolie. Just a few of the celebrities that have received publicity for their acts of charity. Bono plugs Live 8; Oprah has a girls' school in Africa; Jolie donates to African educational and charitable funds. Seems like these days it's in style to be giving, although it's something our Church has done from the very beginning. Giving goes back to the Old Testament, when God instructed His people to tithe (a fancy word meaning onetenth of something). Everyone was to give the first 10 percent of their earnings to Him, which, back then, meant land, animals, agricultural products, etc. Tithing showed that they owed their lives and livelihoods to Him, and thanked Him for all His gifts.

(Check out Genesis 14, Deuteronomy 18, and Numbers 18 for more on tithing.)

Jesus Christ also taught about giving, emphasizing that it's a way of life - something we do for others, expecting nothing in return. For us as Christians, giving is a mentality that we adopt- not just a single project that we carry out on a Saturday afternoon once a year. There are some other things that Christ and the Church teach about giving: Stewardship: All we have, whether money, possessions, or talents, is from God. Ultimately, He is the owner of them all, and we are merely stewards or caretakers of His things. So when we give to a charity, or donate, or volunteer, we are merely giving back what already belongs to Someone else.

Thanksgiving: We show God our thanks by offering back to Him what He has give to us. And His ultimate gift to us, for which we are thankful, is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world, was crucified, and rose from the dead out of love for us!

Offering: While sometimes we give

G in Culture

out of our own abundance, there might be times in our lives where it's hard to give.

In these situations, we have the opportunity for our faith in God to grow stronger.

Remember the widow who gave the last of her money to the poor (Mark 12:41-43)?

She was blessed by Christ, who also said that the more we give to others, the more will be given back to us (Luke 6:38).

Today, we have many opportunities to

the whole world, can lower Himself in this way, how much more ought we to do the same, when we come across the poor and the rejected in our own lives.

Orthodox Youth Outreach is a program that offers students the opportunity to do just that.

We coordinate mission trips that give students the opportunity not only to learn about poverty and help the poor, but to personally interact with them and to see the image of God within them.

When this happens, all the stereotypes we have of the poor fade away. They cease to be the poor, the homeless, the bums, the other –instead, we come to see them as our brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing in the same humanity that Christ took on for our salvation.

As we ate our breakfast that day, I experienced a small glimpse into the rejection felt by Robert each day of his life. At first, the statement from the man at the table next to us made me angry.

But as I reflect on it now, I just try to make sure that I respond in a radically different way when I come across people like Robert in my own life.

Jordan Henderson is the program director of Orthodox Youth Outreach, a short-term mission agency of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. For more information, visit www.orthodoxyouthoutreach.net give. You may say, I'm just a teenager, what do I have to give? If you think creatively, you will realize you do have something to offer back to God and to others: * Time * Talent, gift, skill * Money * Enthusiasm, commitment, caring Before running and donating all your money to Live 8, look in your own backyard for opportunities to give.

• Local organizations like food kitchens and homeless shelters need your help.

(Check out www.dosomething.org, www. volunteermatch.org, and http://www.compassionatekids.com for more info.)

• Think about what you can do at your school (volunteering time to mentor, reaching out to a new student, or helping at an after-school program.) Also, within our Church, we have many organizations that help serve people all over the world: • IOCC: This is our own charity organization, sponsored by all the Orthodox jurisdictions in America. IOCC provides aid directly to many countries around the world, including Romania, Russia, the Republic of Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Ethiopia. Check out their website at www.iocc.org • Philoptochos Society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese – this is our church's philanthropic organization that aids the needy in many ways, and each Metropolis has its own chapter (www.philoptochos. org).

• Want to volunteer and have handson contact with the less fortunate? Try Project Mexico (www.projectmexico. org), Orthodox Youth Outreach (www. orthodoxyouthoutreach.net) or Real Break (www.ocf.net/realbreak) if you're in college.

• Your own parish has needs…be creative (setting up a parish website, serving food at the luncheon, preparing hospital kits for those who are sick, etc.) Talk to your priest to see how you can help.

28

JULY–AUGUST 2007

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2) Digital photographs: We accept digital pictures if they conform to the following specifications: • Minimum resolution 1600 pixels wide x 1200 pixels high (approx. 2 mega pixels, digital cameras should be set to high resolution, high quality.

If you scan a standard photograph -usually 4x6”- use a minimum of 300 dpi. We discourage scanning your own photos, send the actual photo.) • File format JPEG or TIFF (JPEGs are smaller files and easier to e-mail, TIFFs are better quality) • Color mode RGB, color depth minimum 8-bit. • Image files placed within any wordprocessing file or any other application are not accepted. • Digital pictures can be submitted by e-mail, CD-ROM, Zip, Floppy Disk (Disks can not be returned) • E-mail to: observer@goarch.org. In the subject line write only the word “photos” VERY IMPORTANT: Attach the image files and do not include them in the body of the e-mail or they will not be usable.

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2

JULY- AUGUST 2007

Choir Federations Hold Summer Conferences Four of the regional church music federations held their annual conferences over the summer.

San Francisco Metropolis: This Metropolis's church music conference was held in Seattle June 14-17.

Host parish was the Church of the Assumption, assisted by members of St. Demetrios and Holy Apostles. The liturgical setting of Steven Cardiasmenos was sung for the Divine Liturgy, with excerpts from his Greek Liturgy, plus new music in English that incorporates adult and youth choirs.

Steve serves as guest conductor, accompanied by Anita Mottola (both from Holy Cross in Belmont Calif.).

A youth choir was led by Presbytera Pat Tsagalakis of Holy Apostles in Shoreline, Wash. A chant group was led by Elaine Palaiologos from St. Katherine in Redondo Beach, Calif.

Denver Metropolis: This church music conference also was held June 1417 weekend, in Ogden, Utah. Host parish is Transfiguration. The mass choir sang the liturgical setting of Frank Desby for the Divine Liturgy, and guest director was George Miller, choir director at the Holy Trinity Church in Salt Lake City.

During the conference, a chant workshop was presented by Chris Gianopoulos of St. George Church in Albuquerque, N.M. For the second year, a youth music workshop is being presented by Presbytera Alexandra Poulos of Holy Trinity Church,

Dallas, and Tia Athens of Prophet Elias Church in Salt Lake City.

A set of music reading workshops surveying liturgical choral and chant compositions was chaired by Haldor Howard of St. George Church in Oklahoma City.

Detroit and Pittsburgh Metropolises: The Mid-Eastern Choir Federation celebrated its 60th Anniversary Convention in Columbus, Ohio the weekend of July 19-22.

Pana Mastros of Steubenville, Ohio, was guest director, as the group sang the bi-lingual liturgical setting of Chris Zervos for the Divine Liturgy.

Annunciation Cathedral of Columbus was the host parish. A day-long Church Music Institute preceded the Convention on Thursday, July 19.

Atlanta Metropolis: The Southeastern Federation convened for its 31st annual conference July 26-29 at St. Paul's Church in Savannah, Ga. Chris Kypros served as guest conductor, and the group sang the Zervos bilingual liturgical setting. Chris is choir director/organist for the Annunciation Cathedral in Norfolk, Va. Chris Zervos from Holy Trinity Church in Toledo, Ohio served as guest organist for the conference.

Annual Meeting of the National Forum: This Archdiocese-wide yearly meeting was hosted by the Metropolis of Boston's Church Music Federation on July 4-8 in Boston. Delegates attended from each of the eight metropolises.

D. PANAGOS

St. Paraskevi Feast Celebrated in Greenlawn, NY Hundreds of faithful attended the vespers for St. Paraskevi on July 25 at the St. Paraskevi Shrine Church in Greenlawn, N.Y. (Long Island area).

Archbishop Demetrios presided, with assistance from Fr. Dimitrios Moraitis,

pastor; and the participation of about 20 clergy from the area.

In his homily, the Archbishop praised the parishioners for their dedication to the community’s social outreach program in the Greenlawn area.

Greek Children’s Fund Celebrates 5th Annual “Greek Night at Shea” The Greek Children’s Fund hosted it 5th annual Greek Night at Shea Stadium on June 1, which was attended by more than 3,500 Hellenes who celebrated Greek Heritage Day. The GCF is a not for profit philanthropic organization whose funds benefit Greek, Cypriot and Greek-American children battling with cancer and life threatening illnesses.

This event is held annually as an effort to raise money for pediatric patients who need assistance. The event raised more than $20,000 and was well supported by the Greek community.

Before the NY Mets played the Arizona Diamondbacks, dancers from St. George Piscataway GOYA from New Jersey, the Chian Federation of Astoria, William Spyropoulos School of Flushing, and St. Demetrios Dance group from Astoria performed folk dances in traditional costumes on the field.

The Greek Children’s Fund honored individuals from the community who have been great supporters of the organization and presented them with the Mets Spirit award.

Amongst the honorees were representatives from Schneiders Children’s Hospital; Jason Siedman, Bryan McGuire, Lori Lacastro and Aspasia Gounaris. The GCF is affiliated with Schneiders Children’s

Hospital and has set up an endowment fund with the hospital to help children who need assistance.

Other honorees included Costas Eliades , parish council member of the St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, Demetra Gianakopoulos; Director of St. Demetrios Goya, Betsy Sideris; Assistant Principal of St. Katherines of St. Demetrios Astoria; Barbara Kolis Miciotta , Anjelica Mantikas and Dimitri Hilas; members of the St. Barbara’s Agape Group in Merrick, Bill Paloympis from the Diplatanos Society, Anna Karacostas; President of the William Spyropoulos PTA, Owen and Peggy Neubauer, Kristen Villano , Katie Compofiori, and two youngsters, Nicholas Kehayas and Peter Drakopoulos.

Assemblyman Michael Giannaris and his wife, Claire, who are great supporters of the GCF attended the event and was honored by the organization on the field.

Stanley Matthews, founder of the Greek Children’s Fund could not attend the event. However, his son, and Vice President of the GCF, Sam S. Matthews was present.

In December 2008, the GCF will celebrate its 25th anniversary. It recently opened a satellite office at 31-17 23rd Avenue in Astoria, NY.

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Tel.: ( 212 ) 0-3 • Fax: (212) -023 If you have questions regarding The Archdiocesan Clergy Sexual Misconduct Policy or want to report a complaint of clergy misconduct, call the toll-free hotline (877) 544-3382 All complaints will be taken seriously and allegations will be investigated fully and impartially. Callers may speak with a male or female volunteer in either Greek or English.

D. PANAGOS

ST. NICHOLAS students of the theater troop with Fr. Paul Palesty, the school’s Principal and theater teacher George Kanellopoulos and the schools benefactor Stephanos Tserpelis.

Greek School Theater Troop Wins Festival Participation The Theater troop of the ‘Stephanos and Areti Tserpelis’ Greek Afternoon School at the St. Nicholas Parish in Flushing, N.Y. has a long history of theater performances and successes.

This year the 19- member theater troop performed an old Greek comedy, first in their school stage and then in

the “Stathakeion Center” of Astoria, N.Y. They entered and won participation in the Eighth Student Theatre Festival organized annually by the School of Education of the University of Crete. Twenty-five candidate schools from 12 countries competed for the nine places. The festival took place in Rethymnon, Crete July 9-13.

Kaffes Named Valedictorian of GWU's Graduate School of Political Management On Saturday, May 19, Andrew G. Kaffes received the Henry D. Paley Award as Valedictorian of the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at The George Washington University. He graduated with a Master's of Arts degree in Political Management with concentrations in Lobbying and Corporate/Trade Association Public Affairs.

Andrew (at right) is pictured with his daughter, Maria; and Dr. Steven Billet, Chief of Staff and Director of the Legislative Affairs and PACs Program at GSPM. Dr. Billet, a tremendous Philhellene, worked several years for former U.S. Representative John Brademas of Indiana.

Andrew, a former public affairs director for AHEPA, started A.G. Kaffes & Associates, LLC, a government relations/communications consulting firm, in June.

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JULY- AUGUST 2007

COMMUNICatING tHE FaItH 

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by laboring for the welfare of all. "Make my joy complete,” he insists, “by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:2-4).

It is indeed significant that Paul does not urge the women to base their concord in the negotiation of finding common ground in opinions or perspectives.

Rather, he is concerned that they exhibit respectful agreement with one another because of their shared submission to their Lord.

The Greek word used “to agree” implies humility and the seeking of common interest. It does not include an attempt to cajole acquiescence to a viewpoint. If Jesus is Lord, then our common interest is that of Christ.

Secondly, encouragement is "any comfort from his love." "Comfort" can be translated "incentive" with the added element of tenderness. God tenderly gives us the incentive to display the love He extends to us.

When believers love each other with the love of God, divisions begin to cease and unity trough honest dialogue unfolds.

"Above all,” instructs Paul, “clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3:14).

The third way that encouragement overcomes the negative result of quarrels is through the unifying indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Churches are made up of diverse groups, from varied backgrounds, race, economic, and educational levels. The only way that such diversity can be unified is through the binding love of God's Spirit.

St. Paul refers to this as the "fellowship with the Spirit." This refers to the work and presence of the Holy Spirit in us. God dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit enables us to live in unity with each other.

In like fashion, Paul exhorted the Ephesians "to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3).

The fourth and final unifying quality of encouragement is compassion.

The compassion that we receive from God should inspire and characterize the way we treat one another.

By responding with gentle tenderheartedness instead of rushed challenges towards each other, escalation can be avoided and progress toward better understanding and unity can be advanced.

Despite the brevity and lack of detailed information about the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche, we gain great understanding into Paul's heart concerning the unifying grace of compassion.

Holy Scripture intends that we capture this posture of taking the high road in dealing with disagreement, by always seeking unity in always expressing compassion towards another’s situation. Jesus Himself is the archetype of encouragement that leads to unity.

Christ's attitude of sacrificial reconciliation is ultimately based on the willingness to give up personal privilege in order to serve others.

According to Paul, “being in very nature God, Christ did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:6-7) Christ was willing to set aside many of the privileges of being God to become

human. As God in the flesh, he humbled himself to the point of the excruciating pain of crucifixion (2:8), setting aside his own interests for the sake of others. Saint Paul exhorts readers of every age to be Christ-like in the way they treat disputes: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5-8).

Concord is vital to the success of the Church’s mission to the world. This is the reason why St .Paul urges Christians to conduct themselves “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ . . . so whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27) As individual members, we advance this work by creating unity, and we set it back when we cause division. Accordingly, we should strive to stand firm in unity in order to advance the work of the gospel.

What was the outcome of the disagreement between Euodia and Syntyche?

We have some indirect historical evidence that perhaps they did reconcile.

Early in the second century the church in Philippi wrote to St. Polycarp inquiring information about another bishop who was arrested and taken to Rome. While their actual letter is lost, Polycarp's reply is preserved.

He commends the congregation in Philippi as "having followed the example of true love and having helped on their way, as opportunity offered, those who were bound in chains."

Polycarp adds, "I rejoice also that your firmly rooted faith, renowned since early days, endures to the present and produces fruit for our Lord Jesus Christ."

These words could only be spoken about a congregation that had somehow developed and maintained godly unity.

Can we conclude from this statement that Euodia and Syntyche resolved their differences? While the answer is lost in history, Saint Polycarp's letter gives us some indirect reassurance that they actually did.

As we read the commentaries of journalists and listen to the sound-bites of TV pundits concerning the views of Christian leaders and theologians throughout the globe debating the issue of what constitutes the nature of the “true” Church let us take the time to seriously ponder the rules by which our passionate yet refined engagement with one another’s views and opinions will occur.

Conflict has consequences. What then will be written about our respective Church communities years down the line?

Will we, like the community of Philippi, bear the fruit of polite reconciliation, a dialogue of love and truth, or will we be known like the Anti-peg Baptist parish of Mayfield County, Kentucky or the multi-colored roof church of Louisiana for fostering the troublesome weeds of unproductive quarrel?

It is interesting to note the literal meaning of the names of the two women of Philippi. While the name Euodia means “fragrance,” the name Syntyche refers to one who is “fortunate.” I, for one, am certain that if we follow Paul's rules of engagement when, as Christians, we disagree, putting to good use the four qualities of Christ-centered mutual encouragement, the seeds of humble dialogue will indeed blossom into the fortunate fragrance of a deep and lasting fellowship of love.

This, in the end, is what Jesus Himself considers the most vital characteristic of authentic Christianity!

The Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos is executive director of the Archdiocese Department of Communications.

Communications Surveys The Department of Communications is running a series of surveys on issues and topics of the day that affect Orthodox Christians and society at large. The regular survey presents an opportunity for readers to interact with the Archdiocese and offer their responses to the various issues. To complete the survey and submit a response, please go to the website http://www.goarch.org/surveys

Survey on Faith and the Environment Issues concerning the environment and, most especially, global warming have recently dominated public conversation. Numerous surveys such as the Poll on Religion and the Environment conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2004) have demonstrated a relationship between religion and environmental action. The following survey focuses on questions pertaining to the degree in which the Orthodox Faith influences personal opinion, involvement and civic responsibility towards these issues.

1. To what degree does your Orthodox faith affect your views on the environment?

2. Which of the following environmental activities have you engaged in over the past year?

3. What is you view on Global Warming?

4. What is your view on general environmental issues?

5. Do you believe the Orthodox Church affects public attitudes about environmental issues in the United States?

PAST SURVEY RESULTS The survey in the previous issue on “Views on Spiritual Life” received the highest response rate to date of any previous survey.

Data in bold indicates the two highest response percentages for each question.

On a scale of 1 (not satisfied at all) to 100 (very satisfied), how satisfied are you with your life in general?

0-20 –7 % 21-40 – 4 % 41-60 – 10 % 61-80 – 29 % 81-100 – 50 % On a scale of 1 (not satisfied at all) to 100 (very satisfied), how satisfied are you with your spiritual life?

0-20 –9 % 21-40 – 4 % 41-60 – 13 % 61-80 – 37 % 81-100 – 37 % How many times have you attended Church services in the past month?

Less than once – 14.29 % 1 – 10 % 2 – 10 % 3 – 11 %

4 – 25 % 5 to 7 – 19 % 8 to 10 – 7 % More than 10 – 4 % How many years have you been a member of the Orthodox faith?

Less than a year – 4 % 1 to 3 years – 10 % 3 to 5 years – 4 % 5 to 10 years – 8 % 10-20 years – 11 % 20 to 30 years – 13 % 30 to 50 years – 26 % More than 50 years – 23 % What is your age?

20 or younger – 3 % 21-30 – 14% 31-40 – 22% 41-50 – 26% 51-60 – 22% 61-70 – 9% 71 or older – 5%

Six Honored at Annual Long Island Event NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. – Six persons were honored July 8 at the annual Greek American Night at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater of Eisenhower Park.

The event has been sponsored for the past 20 years by Canon USA and each year several Greek Americans from Nassau County, Long Island, are recognized for their achievements and contributions to the betterment of their communities.

This year’s honorees are: Denise Hadjoglou, who has served endless hours as president of the Philoptochos of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Hempstead (Her koumbaro, George Lavas, accepted in her absence); • Georgia Pavlou, co-founder, along with her husband, Andreas, of the Pins for Pauly Foundation, on behalf of the organization, which has helped 78 children afflicted with childhood leukemia; • Nick Stathopoulos, a committee member and donor for Memorial Sloan Kettering Save the Children and City Harvest, which has contributed food to

homeless people for 25 years. He also has helped raise money for his hometown in Greece and has done community work for the surrounding Greek communities.

(His wife, Dedie Stathopoulos accepted in his absence).

• Stanley Neamonitis, parish council president of St. Michael’s Church in Roslyn and past parish council member. He has been active in his community for 20 years and is one of its original members. He also has taken on the project of building the parish’s new church in Port Washington.

• Lucille Savva, president of the Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Philoptochos Council and a GOYA coordinator. She has been a loyal contributor every year to the Greek American Night through their family business, the Harvest Diner.

• Tasso Koumoulis, past president of Church of the Resurrection parish Council in Brookville, a member for over 20 years, festival coordinator and a Boy Scout leader for many years.

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JULY- AUGUST 2007

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Books

California Women Write Book of Essays REDONDO BEACH, Calif. –This volume consists of a series of columns written by and for the women of St. Katherine Church in Redondo Beach, California in the parish monthly bulletin, The Wheel of Faith, since 2002. The authors have provided, often through relating very personal experiences, a blend of hope, comfort, faith, advice, and humor.

As stated in the Introduction, they “touched our hearts, inspiring us by showing their deep devotion to our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. And so, by their example, they are truly today's Women of Faith.”

A sample of the individual essay titles demonstrates the diversity of material contained in these chapters: Parenting Then and Now, Divorce, Healing Through Faith, Prosfora, Our Holy Offering, Be Anxious for Nothing, My Father's Love, and Confessions of a Greek Festival Solicitor.

A Woman's Wisdom - A Collection of Essays Written by Women of St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, Redondo Beach, California, edited by Angie Schwitters Published by St. Katherine Church, 110 pp (www.stkatherinegoc.org), $12 The book concludes with the story of the life of the parish's patron, St. Katherine, who has served as role model for Christian women through many centuries.

Credit for suggesting and encouraging women to write the column goes to the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Michael Courey who, as the editor notes, “continues to be a positive and supportive force.”

A Woman's Wisdom would be an ideal gift for Orthodox women (and men).

Ordering information can be found on the parish web site: www.stkatherinegoc. org.

Cyprus Children’s Fund Elects New Officers NEW YORK – Cyprus Children’s Fund has announced the appointment of a new national chairman and president to succeed the outgoing head of the organization, Peter J. Pappas, and other members of the executive committee.

When he joined the Cyprus Children’s Fund 12 years ago, Peter J. Pappas, a noted New York philanthropist and entrepreneur, spearheaded the establishment of the Cyprus Children’s Fund Scholarship Endowment, a fund aiding meritorious students of Greek and Greek Cypriot origin.

Eight years later he was elected national chairman and president of the Cyprus Children’s Fund, a nonprofit organization established in 1974 to address the needs of the refugee children.

An Archon, Mr. Pappas, serves the Archdiocesan Council and as trustee of the prestigious Leadership 100 Endowment.

New officers

The new national chairman and president, Savas C. Tsivicos, received a strong recommendation from the chairman and board members for his involvement and unfaltering support of the cause of the children.

Mr. Tsivicos, a native of Paphos, Cyprus, is president of Paphian Enterprises Inc., a New Jersey-based general contracting company.

From 1999 through 2003 he served as president of the Cyprus Federation of America, an umbrella organization representing all Cypriot Americans. He has served for several years as vice president of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus and in 2003 he was elected alternate president.

He joined the Cyprus Children’s Fund in 1989 and has served as vice president for a number of years. His service is defined by strong focus and support on the organization and its purposes. He is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a member of the Archdiocesan Council.

Peter Papanicolaou, elected as first vice president, was born and raised in Nicosia, Cyprus. Mr. Papanicolaou holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in construction engineering and management.

Currently he serves as the president of the Cyprus Federation of America, an um-

brella organization for Cypriot Americans.

He is also the President of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Youth Choir, member of the Queens College advisory board, St. Basil’s Academy board and a member of CyprusU.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Nicos Zittis was elected as second vice president of the organization. Mr. Zittis was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, and holds a post MBA Certificate in Marketing from Rutgers University as well as an MBA in International Business and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering.

He is a currently a business analyst with LYNX Network Services. He was a twoterm president of the New Jersey Cypriot Association Salamis and is currently serving as chairman of the Cyprus Federation of America Philanthropic Committee. He also served as third vice-president of the Cyprus Federation of America.

Constantia Pavlou was reelected to the post of treasurer. Mrs. Pavlou was born in Famagusta and is a graduate of the Teachers College in Nicosia.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Hunter College and a Master of Arts in education from St. John’s University. She was worked as an educator during the past seventeen years in the public elementary education, has developed Greek bilingual curriculum and authored books.

She serves on the Cyprus Children’s Fund Board since 1975, is a board member of the Pancyprian Association of America, and a former president of the Ladies Division of the United Cyprians of America.

Assistant Treasurer Jason Psillakis was born in New York and raised in New Jersey.

Dr. Psillakis completed his education at Rutgers University and his dental education (D.D.S) including residencies and fellowships as well as his M.S. specialty training in prosthodontics at Columbia University’s School of Dental and Oral Surgery/Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

Dr. Psillakis is a full time assistant professor of Clinical Dentistry (prosthodontics) at Columbia University and also maintains a private practice at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside Dental Faculty Practice.

Elena Chambous, a certified financial planner with Morristown Financial Group in New Jersey, holds the position of secretary. She joined the Cyprus Children’s Fund Board in 1994.

ORATORICAL Festival participants with Archbishop Demetrios of America.

Oratorical Festival Winners JUNIOr DIVISION

SENIOr DIVISION

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mains: What possible role can angels play in our lives today? After all, we don’t need to be saved from a pit of hungry lions like Daniel. Or do we? Never have there been so many evil forces at work in the world.

Terrorism has threatened our society and hindered our lives. War rages in Iraq. Life threatening diseases like AIDS and cancer plague the world. As teenagers, we are exposed to temptations everywhere we turn. The internet contains dangers that can seriously harm us.

Television programs influence our desire for material goods. I pods and cell phones have captured our interest, and displaced our relationship with God. Our lives are invaded by a constant battle to choose between good and evil.

Temptations, like Daniel’s lions, are ready and able to devour us and tear our souls apart. Where will we find the strength to stand up to so much evil in the world?

God has not left us alone to fight in our journey. He has sent us the angels.

Though invisible, they are all around, helping us in our battle. God has granted every individual, family and nation, a Guardian Angel; a faithful friend to guide and protect us. In the Baptismal service, we hear: “Yoke unto his life a shining Angel to deliver him from every plot directed against him.” Imagine an angel to love us despite our faults and weaknesses; to rejoice in our good deeds and grieve when we stray; an angel to receive and deliver our prayers to God for our salvation.

We may not see the angels with our eyes, but we can see them with our faith.

We must open our hearts and minds to the faithful guides that guard us under their wings and direct our path to heaven.

ing. Athanasios, the young chosen of the Lord, selected his weapon of choice wisely, perseverance. There is only one way, only one weapon used, which outshines the others, in his defense of our Orthodox Church; that way, that weapon was perseverance.

Athanasios attended the first Ecumenical council in Nicaea in 325 A.D. There he brilliantly refuted all of Arius’s false doctrines. He successfully held high the bronze Serpent, once carried by Moses in the wilderness, Which healed all who looked on It, Which restored all to the true faith, Which is Jesus Christ, the co-eternal and only begotten Son of the Father. Jesus Christ Himself spoke of this when He said, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up…” (John 3:14).

And again, “…when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32).

As Athanasios himself proclaimed, the eternal Son of God has need of no man to demonstrate His own divinity. The fact that Athanasios, as Moses before him, endured criticism, insult, attack, exile, and threats of death from his own people, all of his perseverance only served as a vessel for the Son of God to demonstrate the truth to all men. Athanasios persevered against all manner of attack from the devil because he knew, “The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 26:1). The Lord and Father, Whom Athanasios knew, The Lord and Son, Whom Athanasios defended, The Lord and Spirit Whom Athanasios revealed is a co-ruling Trinitarian Warrior, for it is written: “The Lord is a Warrior; the Lord is His name” (Exodus 15:3).

JUNIOR Division winners, Stephanie Gergoudis: first place; Angelique Boutzoukas: second place and Alexander Sotiropoulos: third place.

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Atlanta Metropolis Successfully Hosts National Oratorical Festival MIAMI–The 24th annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival was held June 16 at St. Sophia Cathedral in Miami.

The finalists and their families arrived on June 15 and stayed at the InterContinental Hotel at Bayside Park in Miami. The official gathering began that evening with a Paraklesis at St. Sophia Cathedral where Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta and Fr. Stavroforos Mamaies, the Cathedral dean, welcomed the finalists and their families.

Following the welcome dinner everyone was given the opportunity to get acquainted with one another, before returning to the hotel for a good night’s rest.

After Orthros on Saturday morning and the opening prayer by Archbishop Demetrios and welcome greetings from Fr. Mamaies and Religious Education Department Director Dr. Anton Vrame, previous Oratorical Festival metropolis and district finalists took turns introducing each speaker who subsequently took his/her turn at the podium.

Theme for the 2007 Oratorical Festival was “The Menaia.”

One of the most popular topics in the Junior Division was: “St. Katherine is remembered by the Church as being a defender of the Faith and Martyr. Her Apolytikion reads, ‘For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.’ How does the life of Saint Katherine inspire you?”

One of the Senior Division topics was: “’There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light’ (John 1: 6-8). Talk about how, through his life and through his actions, St. John the Baptist bore witness to the Light, Jesus Christ.”

After the luncheon, Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Alexios presented awards to all 18 finalists.

Beginning with the Junior Division, first place honors and a $2,000 college scholarship were awarded to Stephanie Gergoudis (Archdiocesan District, St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, N.Y.), second place and a $1,500 college scholarship was presented to Angelique Boutzoukas (Atlanta Metropolis, Holy Trinity Church, Clearwater, Fla.) and third place with a $1,000 college scholarship was awarded to Alexander Sotiropoulos, (Chicago Metropolis, St. Spyridon Church, Palos Heights, Ill.).

Receiving Honorable Mention and a $500 U.S. Savings Bond were: John Damianos, (Boston Metropolis, St. Nicholas Church, Portsmouth, N.H.); Alex Magerko (Denver Metropolis, St. Catherine Church, Greenwood Village, Colo.), Irina Haralambis (Detroit Metropolis, St. George Church, Southgate, Mich.) Maria Romas (New Jersey Metropolis, St. George Church, Bethesda, Md.) Cristina Dickos, (Pittsburgh Metropolis, Annunciation Church, Akron, Ohio) and Haroula Kyriacou (Metropolis of San Francisco, St. Nicholas Church, Northridge, Calif.).

The Senior Division recipient of first place honors and a $2,000 college scholarship was Mark Huggins (Detroit Metropolis, Annunciation Church, Memphis, Tenn.)

Asimina Boutzoukas (Atlanta Metropolis, Holy Trinity Church, Clearwater, Fla.) was awarded second place honors and a $1,500 college scholarship, and receiving third place honors and a $1,000 college scholarship was Miltiadis Constantine (Pittsburgh Metropolis, St. John the Forerunner Church, Youngstown, Ohio).

Honorable Mention recipients receiving a $500 US Savings Bond in the Senior Division were: Evelyn Doudalis (Archdiocesan District, St. Paul Cathedral, Hempstead, N.Y.), Christina Mitkonis (Boston Metropo-

ORATORICAL Festival participants with Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Alexios, Fr. Stavroforos Mamaies, Fr. John and Presbytera Margaret Orfanakos and Dr. Anton Vrame.

THE WINNING SPEECHES Junior Division Winner Stephanie Gergoudis

Senior Division Winner Mark Patrick Huggins

“Commander of the Heavenly Host, we the unworthy beseech you..

Deliver us from all danger…”

“Shining forth with the works of Orthodoxy, you quenched every false belief…”

(Apolytikion of synaxis of the Archangels)

(Kontakion of Saint Athanasios)

What role do ANGELS play in our way to salvation?

St. Athanasios defended the Orthodox faith

“No evil shall befall you… for He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” These beautiful words from psalm 91:10 remind us that God sent the angels to protect us on our difficult path of life, and to guide us on our road to salvation.

When I was a little girl, I wondered, where are the angels? Why can’t I see them? I imagined them to be heavenly creatures that existed only in fairy tales. I pretended to catch them in the air, and made a wish that would surely come true. I didn’t understand the true meaning of angels. As I grew older, I learned that angels are messengers that reveal the will of God to man.

God created angels to be the spiritual representatives that act on our behalf, and serve as a bridge between Him and us. In Hebrews 1:14 we read: angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation.”

The Bible is filled with narratives that describe the role of angels. We need not look any further than the iconostasi to find two important examples. Archangel Michael makes the righteousness of God known to man.

He is the one who cast out Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Archangel Gabriel, the angel of Redemption, brought the wondrous news to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. My favorite narrative was when God sent his angel to save the Prophet Daniel from the jaws of seven hungry lions. (Dn. 6:22) Though there are countless stories from the Bible, the question for us re-

Athanasios is a warrior; Athanasios is his name (adapted from Exodus 15:3). When Moses first sang this verse in its original form, as it appears in Exodus 15:3, he was not celebrating St. Athanasios; instead Moses originally sang of the Lord Who granted the Exodus to the children of Israel.

We all know the story; under Joseph Israel prospered in Egypt, but later, when Moses and Aaron tried to lead them out, Pharaoh refused. So, the Lord actively delivered His people from oppression. Almost 2000 years later, God’s people were once again in slavery and oppression at the hands of a new Pharaoh, Arius, in a new Egypt, Constantinople.

Arius, like Pharaoh, had control of Egypt; Arius, though, was more subtle than Pharaoh. He was simply a highly favored priest with great influence, rather than a dictator or commander.

The core of Arius’s teaching was that Jesus Christ was created by God the Father; he conceded that Jesus was created as divine, and even created before everything else, but he insisted that the Christ was a created being. This small distortion, this detail threatened to disrupt the Unity of the Trinity, and therefore demolish the Church from the inside out. Arius’s insidious teaching acted as a poison, slowly moving throughout its host until the entire organism was infected.

However, the Lord did not abandon His people; instead He chose a young boy, as Moses had been, to lead His people on a second Exodus out of the darkness of Arius’s teach-

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lis, St. Spyridon Cathedral, Worcester, MA), Katerina Rallis, (Chicago Metropolis, St. John the Baptist Church, Des Plains IL), Dallas Holbeck (Denver Metropolis, Prophet Elias Church, Holladay, Utah) Kyra Limberakis (New Jersey Metropolis St. Luke Church, Broomall, Pa.) and Caroline Youlios (San Francisco Metropolis, St. Nicholas Church, Northridge, Calif.).

All the participants also received a plaque honoring their achievements along with a certificate personally signed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios.

After all the finalists received their awards, Archbishop Demetrios spoke about the exceptional quality of all the speeches.

In a surprise announcement His Eminence said each participant would receive a cash award from FAITH: An Endowment For Orthodoxy and Hellenism. The two first place speakers would each receive $2,000; the second place finalists would each receive $1,500, the third place speakers in each division would be awarded $1,200 and each finalist who received Honorable Mention would receive $1,000. The participants were extremely grateful to His Eminence for the generous award, whereby he added he hoped they would use it towards pursuing academic studies.

The next event planned by the host committee was a boat tour of Miami where one could view the city skyline, historic homes and the magnificent palm trees of Miami. Participants and their families then enjoyed a “Celebration Party” at Villa Woodbine, hosted by John and Evangeline Scurtis.

A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Sunday morning at the St. Sophia Cathedral. After the Liturgy, Archbishop Demetrios invited Stephanie Gergoudis and Mark Huggins to deliver their first place talks to the congregation.

Before departing for home everyone was treated to a farewell luncheon.

At neighboring St. Andrew Church, Metropolitan Alexios invited Asimina and Angelique Boutzoukas, the second place speakers to deliver their talks. The host committee was headed by Very Rev. Stavroforos Mamaies, Mrs. Evangeline Mekras Scurtis and Dr. Elaine Lailas, who produced a memorable weekend.

The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, a program of the Department of Religious Education of the Archdiocese encourages and motivates teenagers to speak about their faith and, at the same time, develop their communication skills.

Although Fr. John and Presbytera Margaret Orfanakos serve as Archdiocese co-chairmen, there are countless others whose efforts each year enable the Oratorical Festival to flourish. While the 2007 Oratorical Festival year concludes with the Archdiocese Finals, planning for 2008 has already begun. It is important to note that the encouragement for the children to participate in the Oratorical Festival is at the parish level. All teenagers should be encouraged to participate as part of the parish religious education and youth ministry programs.

The 2008 Topics will be posted by the Department of Religious Education on its website at www.religioused.goarch. org by September. This year 204 parishes throughout the Archdiocese held a parish Oratorical Festival; thirty-eight being from the Metropolis of Atlanta. Our prayer is that many more will participate next year.

Anyone interested in listening to the speeches may do so, by going to the Website of the Orthodox Christian Network at: www.receive.org. Once you hear these finalists, you will understand why so many faithful are enthusiastic and committed to the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival.