Hronia Polla to all! 2013 is going to be a tremendous year for our beloved community.

Transcript

1 The Voice of St. Anthony Hronia Polla to all! 2013 is going to be a tremendous year for our beloved community. A year filled with hope and joy as we are, and continue to be, abundantly blessed by our Lord. We have had an auspicious beginning indeed! On the evening of January 16 th and on January 17 th we celebrated the Vespers and Feast Day of our beloved patron St. Anthony the Great. Our Feast Day celebration is always special, but this year we received even greater blessings in our parish on these two days. In addition to our Vespers and Liturgy services, we celebrated the moving and beautiful Ordination of Deacon Andreas MacLean. The Holy Spirit was present as His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos elevated Deacon Andreas to the next rank of Priesthood (Presbyter or Priest). This sacramental act, through the laying on of hands (heirotonia), took place in the Divine Liturgy at the point of the Cherubic Hymn just after the Great Entrance. The Ordination of a Priest happens at this moment in the Liturgy, because the main function of the Priest is to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and the Sacraments of the Church. Once again, as a community, we proclaim Axios! (worthy) to Fr Andreas. May God bless him and his family as they begin their ministry in the Lord s Vineyard. On the evening before (January 16 th ), at the conclusion of the Great Vespers Service, his Eminence bestowed the Offikion (office) of Economos on me. This is a very special blessing I received with humility and gratitude. Of course, I was happy to receive this spiritual honor, but I was especially grateful that this honor was an experience we shared together, you and I, on our Feast Day. It is important that we all share in these blessings from God as a community. Anything that we achieve as a community is for all of us to share. And the glory always belongs to God. That evening and in the following days, I have been repeatedly asked a number of questions I would like to address. It is my hope to shed some light on elevation to the Office of Economos. First, I would like to address the meaning of the title Economos for a Priest. It is important to reiterate that, through the Sacraments, all Priests are equal. However, there are various ranks of Priesthood. The titles of priest include: Archimandrite, Protopresbyter, Economos, etc. These ranks of Priest denote honorary titles, administrative authority and responsibility. These ranks that I mentioned have precedence over other priests of lower ranks when they perform services together. Inside This Issue Winter Continued on Page 4 March 2nd Mardi Gras Party Invitation 2013 Pasadena GreekFest Preparations Underway Philoptochos 2013 St. Anthony Debutants

2 ST. ANTHONY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 778 S. ROSEMEAD BLVD. PASADENA, CA (626) Fax (626) CLERGY Rev. Fr. Peter Stratos Rev. Fr. Christos Kanakis ADMINISTRATION Alma Vorgias, Secretary Vicki Kades, Communications Sunday Services Orthos 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Church office hours: Monday Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 Noon Closed on Saturday & Sunday Publication Reminder: The Voice of Saint Anthony deadline is the 10th of the preceding month. Please submit announcements electronically to Vicki Kades at St. Anthony's reserves the right to edit, alter or reject any content. Thank you to Stephanie Soewers for editing the monthly bulletin. Thank you to all that regularly contribute photos to the monthly newsletter: Judie Christopoulos, Vicki Kades, Maria Karras, and Esther Vavoulis. 2 PARISH COUNCIL President Ted Vavoulis, Vice-President John Buzas, Secretary Christiann Siatras, Treasurer John Patzakis, Assistant Treasurer Tashia Vagenas Parish Council members: Joseph Akrotirianakis, Philip Ted Attalla, Chris Bicos, Pete Gallanis, Tom Grafos, Dean C. Pappas, Yvonne Riley Christiann Siatras, John Tsouvalas, John Vidalakis, Perry Vidalakis PAST PRESIDENTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Andrew Demopoulos, Chairman LADIES OF PHILOPTOCHOS Fontaine Malisos CHOIR Jim Hronas SUNDAY SCHOOL Irene Albeck GOYA Esther Vavoulis JR. GOYA Terese Caire GREEK SCHOOL Anastasia McClain, Director GREEK DANCE Esther Vavoulis, President MOMS N TOTS Sophia Syrengelas Presbytera Jessica Kanakis VIPs Pantele Xanthos To any of our church groups, please go to our website and you will be able to contact us!

3 3

4 Fr. Peter s Message Continued From Cover Second, what changes are realized by the Priest receiving the Offikion? The following words are inscribed on the Offikion Certificate that I received that help answer the question:...accordingly, the Reverend Economos Peter Stratos is entitled to wear the Epigonation and a Pectoral Cross and take his place among the Senior Clergy according to both his Offikia (office) and his date of Ordination to the Sacramental Priesthood. What is an Epigonation? It is literally, something upon the knee. It is a rectangular piece of stiff cloth suspended from the belt and reaching to the knee. This vestment is one of distinction, and is worn by the bishop and/or the priests of higher rank. It signifies the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. As the celebrant places it on his belt while vesting, he recites the following prayer: Gird your sword at your thigh, mighty one, in your splendor and beauty. Stretch out your bowstrings, go forth and prevail in the cause of truth, gentleness and justice, and may your right hand lead you to wondrous deeds. (Psalm 45: 3-4) symbol of our Faith. The Priest, before putting on the Cross when vesting, says: If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34) I hope and pray that the answers to these questions will help you all to better understand the meaning of the Offikion of Economos I received during our Feast Day. May God continue to bless our beloved community of St Anthony now and always and forever. In Christ, Fr. Peter Finally, I will describe the Pectoral Cross. This Cross is an adornment made of special metal and can be decorated with precious stones. It is worn over vestments and hangs by a gold or silver chain upon the breast. This is a reminder that those who wear the cross are carrying Christ in their heart. It also represents the Parish Council Installation ~January

5 see, the festival is a large operation and everyone s help is needed to make this event the constant success it is from year to year. Whether you can give one hour of your time or take on a major role on the festival committee, all volunteers are appreciated! We are all looking forward to Saint Anthony's Pasadena GreekFest' This year the festival is scheduled for September 20, 21 & 22, 2013 at Santa Anita Park. The first meeting was held in late January in our beautiful new community center. It was very well attended and many great ideas were presented. We would love for you to join the festival committee. Please let us know if you are interested in ownership of any part of our community festival. You can Louis Kades at LKades@gmail.com if you would like more information about joining or helping the festival committee. We hope to get our whole community behind this event to continue its great success. The festival committee has started planning and preparing much earlier for the festival this year, to give ourselves every opportunity to achieve success at Pasadena GreekFest 2013! We are planning on incorporating many new ideas and ways to include the whole family. There are many opportunities to help before, during and after the festival. There are several areas that you can bring your expertise. Help is needed in marketing, sponsorships, festival newspaper, the various booths, cooking and baking, food procurement, administration, entertainment, operations and logistics. As you can Pasadena GreekFest' 2013 September 20, 21 & 22 5

6 Moms N Tots St. Anthony Moms n' Tots is a faithbased program for moms/parents of young children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. The program is structured to provide interactive activities related to various themes in the Orthodox Church. Weekly activities include: prayer, stories, music & movement, crafts, and playtime. We also have various field trips, playdates, and class parties planned. Day! March is a special month, as we begin Great Lent. We have fun and meaningful activities planned throughout Lent for the kiddos to participate in! Teachers: Sophia Syrengelas (sophiajammie@gmail.com) Pres. Jessica Kanakis (dimitrak23@gmail.com) This ministry provides parents and children a wonderful opportunity to build new friendships with other families in our parish. We have been blessed with 16 successful years of this muchneeded ministry in our parish and look forward to another year of faith, friendship, and fun with Moms n' Tots. We are so excited to start our program in our beautiful new classroom! If you are a parent or caregiver with a little one, please join us Wednesdays, 10:00-11:30 a.m., in Room 1! In the month of January, the children learned about how God made the world, celebrated the Feast Day of St. Anthony, and went on a field trip to a local indoor playground. February will be our month to learn about Sharing God's Love and how to be a nice friend. We will also celebrate God's love for us in honor of Valentine's 6

7 St. Anthony Book Club Athanasius: The Life of Antony Forward by Scott Cairns Come one, come all and join St. Anthony s book club. We just completed the book The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer. In honor of our church s Patron Saint, we will be reading the book, The Life of Anthony written by St. Athanasius. We meet monthly at 7:00 pm on Fridays in the conference room in the community center. Hope to see you at our February gathering. Books will be available at the meeting. Athanasius: The Life of Anthony costs $13. Our St Anthony s evening Bible Study meeting takes place every Monday at 7pm in the Board Room of our parish hall. All are welcomed to attend! For further information, and to be added to our list, please contact Anastasia Kalivas, akalivas@lifegivingspring.com. At the last meeting we had an introductory video about the life of St. Anthony. Here is the link to that video: Future meetings Friday March 15 Friday April 12 Friday May 10 Friday June 14 Sunday School Students Don t forget to bring your stewardship envelope to church on Sundays! GOYA Basketball The 2013 GOYA Basketball season is just around the corner. The first game of the season will be on Sunday, February 24 th, at St. Sophia Cathedral. Come out and support our youth and community at these exciting basketball games! If you have any questions regarding GOYA Basketball, please contact League Representative John Paziouros. (626) ioannis.paziouros@yahoo.gr St. Anthony Basketball Game Schedule Sunday, February 24th, at St. Sophia, Los Angeles Saturday, March 2nd, at St. George, Downey **Sunday, March 3rd, Home Game vs. St. John, Anaheim Sunday, March 10th, at St. Katherine, Redondo Beach **Sunday, March 24th, Home Game vs. St. Basil Saturday, March 30th, at Assumption, Long Beach **Sunday, March 31st, Home Game vs. St. Nick, Northridge **Home Games are at South Pasadena Middle School 1500 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena, CA

8 Sunday School News & Photos from the Christmas Program Stewardship Envelopes Students have been given stewardship envelopes to encourage them to become a vital part of being a steward of the church. Start with a small amount, and as they grow older they may want to increase their stewardship. It is not the amount put into the envelopes but the spirit it is given. As they prepare their envelopes, discuss how the money is used: upkeep of the church and community center, ground beautification, utilities, etc. A basket will be placed in the narthex for their envelopes as they exit for Sunday school. Sunday all students are requested to bring an icon for the procession in the church. Saturday, April 27, is Lazarus Saturday. Families attend Divine Liturgy, followed by breakfast and making palm crosses for the next day, Palm Sunday. A tradition that has been on hold for the past few years is pancakes made lovingly by fathers of Sunday school. Look for details as the date nears. Thank You From Irene Albeck Thank you for the icon, cross and kind words I received prior to Christmas. My joy is being a part of your life and marveling at your wonderful children. May God protect them and keep them safe always. Your are great parents as you navigate them through your devotion to the church, their education and development of their moral character. Preparing for Pascha THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OBSERVES PASCHA IN THREE PARTS "TRIODION" Part I-Triodion begins February 24, Part II-Great Lent, begins March 18 (Clean Monday), Part IIIHoly Week-April 29. March 24 is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. On this 8

9 Greek Dance The St. Anthony dancers perform Diakonia projects year round. Diakonia is a service or ministry for Christ and His Church. It literally means to work through dirt and dust, and our ancestors did a lot of that! They rolled up their sleeves and got to work, especially for others. When you are serving others, you are serving God s people, and when you are serving God s people, you are serving Lord Himself. Our Faith and our works are inseparable just as love is inseparable from action. We roll up our sleeves to pray hard, we roll up our sleeves to work hard, we roll up our sleeves to cook well, and we roll up our sleeves to dance well. Our ancestors taught us that good and honest work is most fulfilling when its goal is to provide for the well-being for others. tural traditions of our ancestors, we must also roll up our sleeves by putting action into our faith and more faith into our actions by helping those in need. Here are some photos of the St. Anthony dancers performing for senior citizens at Regency Park Oak Knoll, Assisted Living & Memory Care. The audience enjoyed the children very much, and the children equally enjoyed sharing our Greek culture with them. As we come together to honor the rich cul- 9

10 ΤΑ ΝΕΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟΥ Ιανουάριος Το Ελληνικό Σχολείο εύχεται σε όλη την κοινότητα του Αγίου Αντωνίου Καλή κι Ευτυχισμένη Χρονιά 2013! Καλωσορίσαμε τον καινούγιο χρόνο με την κοπή της παραδοσιακής βασιλόπιτας (δια χειρός Γεωργίας Τριπόδη) και με αγιασμό στις τάξεις από τον πατέρα Χρήστο. Αναπάντεχο, όσο και ευπρόσδεκτο, πρωτοχρονιάτικο δώρο για το σχολείο μας: η γενναία χρηματική δωρεά της οικογένειας Ανδριανοπούλου, η οποία θα διατεθεί για την αγορά απαραίτητου εκπαιδευτικού υλικού. Τους ευχαριστούμε από καρδιάς για τη γενναιοδωρία τους και τη διαρκή τους συμπαράσταση στο σχολείο μας. Πράγματι, αισθανόμαστε ευτυχείς να απολαμβάνουμε την αμέριστη ηθική και υλική υποστήριξη όλων των οικογενειών του σχολείου μας, η οποία αποτελεί τον καλύτερο οιωνό για μια νέα χρονιά γεμάτη παιδεία και πρόοδο. Η σπουδαιότητα του παιδευτικού έργου φωτίζεται ιδαίτερα με αφορμή την ιερή επέτειο της εορτής των Τριών Ιεραρχών (30 Ιανουαρίου), ημέρας των Ελληνικών Γραμμάτων. Για να τιμήσουμε τη γιορτή, το ελληνικό σχολείο προσφέρει τον κυριακάτικο καφέ την Κυριακή, 27 Ιανουαρίου,, μετά τη Θεία Λειτουργία. Μήνυμα για την ημέρα των Τριών Ιεραρχών Μαριάννα Νικολαΐδου και Ελένη Τσαγγούρη Στις 30 Ιανουαρίου γιορτάζουμε τους Τρεις Ιεράρχες, τον Μέγα Βασίλειο, τον Άγιο Γρηγόριο τον Ναζιανζηνό και τον Άγιο Ιωάννη τον Χρυσόστομο, οι οποίοι τιμώνται ως οι προστάτες των Ελληνορθοδόξων Γραμμάτων και των ελληνικών σχολείων.οι Τρεις Ιεράρχες, επιτυγχάνοντας την σύζευξη της αρχαιοελληνικής σοφίας και γλώσσας με την ορθόδοξη πίστη και παράδοση, προσέδωσαν στην παιδεία μας τον ανθρωπιστικό και ηθοπλαστικό σκοπό της. Οι Τρεις Ιεράρχες, όπως και ο Άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός και όλοι οι πρωτεργάτες της νεότερης ελληνορθόδοξης παιδαγωγικής, δεν ήθελαν ένα σχολείο, το οποίο απλώς μεταδίδει ξερές γνώσεις, αλλά επιδίωξαν τη μόρφωση που πλάθει χαρακτήρες. Ο παιδευμένος ανθρωπισμός, όπως τον συνέλαβαν και τον βίωσαν οι Τρείς Πατέρες, είναι μία τρισδιάστατη πορεία ζωής: - πνευματικός και διανοητικός ανθρωπισμός, με προσήλωση στην έρευνα και τη σπουδή. - έμπρακτος ανθρωπισμός προσφοράς, φιλανθρωπίας και κοινωνικού έργου. - ιδεολογικός και κοινωνικός ανθρωπισμός, ως αντίβαρο στη διαφθορά των ισχυρών και στήριγμα των αδυνάτων. Αυτό το κληροδότημα των Τριών Ιεραρχών προσπαθούμε να διαφυλάξουμε στα ελληνικά μας σχολεία, ακόμη και στη σημερινή εποχή της βαθιάς οικονομικής και κοινωνικής κρίσης. Η διατήρηση και ανάπτυξη της ελληνικής μας ταυτότητας, μέσω της γλώσσας και της παιδείας, μας δίνει τα εφόδια να σταθούμε μέσα στη διεθνή κοινότητα με αυτογνωσία και αξιοπρέπεια, αλλά και με πνεύμα αποδοχής και σεβασμού των άλλων. Ιδιαίτερα εδώ στο εξωτερικό, οι ελληνικές κοινότητες έχουν χρέος να προωθούν την ελληνική παιδεία στους κόλπους της εκκλησίας, καθώς η ελληνικότητα και η ορθοδοξία μαζί είναι τα στοιχεία που μας καθορίζουν, και χωρίς αυτά η ταυτότητά μας θολώνει, παραμορφώνεται και αλλοιώνεται μέσα στο ισοπεδωτικό κλίμα της παγκοσμιοποίησης. Η διατήρηση της ελληνικής μας γλώσσας, η γνώση της ιστορίας μας, η μεταλαμπάδευσή του πολιτισμού μας στα παιδιά μας είναι χρέος μας απέναντι στις παρελθούσες και στις μέλλουσες γενιές. Θα ήταν πολύ βαρύ να αποτύχουμε. Στη σημερινή μας γιορτή, όλοι εμείς στο Ελληνικό Σχολείο του Αγίου Αντωνίου σας καλούμε να μας πλησιάσετε, να γνωρίσετε την αποστολή μας, να μας βοηθήσετε! Φεβρουάριος: Αρχίζει η υποβολή αιτήσεων για τις Εξετάσεις Επάρκειας της Ελληνομάθειας, Οι φετινές εξετάσεις πιστοποίησης ελληνομάθειας θα διεξαχθούν Τρίτη έως Πέμπτη, Μαΐου, στο εξεταστικό κέντρο για τη Νότια Καλιφόρνια, Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, UC Irvine ( κατά το εξής πρόγραμμα: Τρίτη, 14 Μαΐου: Επίπεδα Α1 (για παιδια 8-12 ετών), Α1 (για εφήβους και ενηλίκους), Α2, Β1, Τετάρτη, 15 Μαΐου: Επίπεδα Β2, Γ1, Πέμπτη, 16 Μαΐου: Επίπεδο Γ2 Οι προφορικές εξετάσεις διεξάγονται αμέσως μετά τις γραπτές. Αιτήσεις συμμετοχής γίνονται δεκτές από 1 Φεβρουαρίου έως 22 Μαρτίου 2013 (η προθεσμία είναι τελική). Αιτήσεις συμμετοχής και σημαντικές οδηγίες για τη διαδικασία των αιτήσεων διατίθενται στην ιστοσελίδα: Οι ενδιαφερόμενοι μπορούν να προμηθευθούν τα σχετικά έντυπα και από το γραφείο της Εκκλησίας. Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες παρακαλούμε επικοινωνείστε με τη δασκάλα του Σχολείου μας: Ελένη Τσαγγούρη Tel: (626) Fax: (626) staseleni@earthlink.net Συνιστούμε επίσης στους υποψηφίους να συμβουλευθούν την ιστοσελίδα του Κέντρου Ελληνικής Γλώσσας: όπου θα βρούν λεπτομερείς πληροφορίες σχετικά με το πρόγραμμα Ελληνομάθειας, τα επίπεδα γλωσσικής επάρκειας, την εξεταστική διαδικασία και υλικό προετοιμασίας. Όπως κάθε χρόνο, μαθητές του σχολείου μας θα συμμετέχουν στις εξετάσεις για το διεθνώς αναγνωρισμένο αυτό πιστοποιητικό που εκδίδεται από το Κέντρο Eλληνικής Γλώσσας του Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης. Τους ευχόμαστε από καρδιάς Καλή Επιτυχία! Μάρτιος Εορτασμός 25ης Μαρτίου. Καλούμε όλη την κοινότητα του Αγίου Αντωνίου να τιμήσει μαζί μας την επέτειο της Εθνικής Ανεξαρτησίας.Η τελετή θα λάβει χώρα την Κυριακή, 24 Μαρτίου 2013, στο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο, αμέσως μετά την Θεία Λειτουργία. Θα παρατεθεί νηστήσιμο μεσημεριανό γεύμα με συμβολικό αντίτιμο-δωρεά. Τα έσοδα της ημέρας θα διατεθούν για την ενίσχυση του Ελληνικού Σχολείου, το οποίο έχει πληγεί από τις αυστηρές περικοπές των δαπανών για την παιδεία στις οποίες έχει προβεί η Ελληνική Κυβέρνηση για το τρέχον σχολικό έτος. Κυριακάτικος καφές: Το ελληνικό σχολείο θα προσφέρει τον καφέ μετά τη Θεία Λειτουργία όλες τις Κυριακές του Μαρτίου. Ευχαριστούμε θερμά τους γονείς που συνεισφέρουν ποικιλότροπα σε αυτές τις εκδηλώσεις φιλοξενίας. 10

11 GREEK SCHOOL NEWS January: We wish to the whole St. Anthony community a happy and peaceful New Year. We welcomed 2013 in our classes with the traditional vasilopita, prepared by our teacher Georgia Tripodes, and with ayiasmos by Father Chistos. We are very happy to acknowledge generous monetary donation by τhe Andrianopoulos family which will be used towards much needed educational materials. We thank Mr. and Mrs Andrianopoulos from the heart for their generosity and continuous support of our school. Indeed we are very fortunate to enjoy unconditional material and moral support by all the families of our school. Such a happy collaboration between parents and teachers is the best omen for a New Year of learning and progress. The importance of our educational mission is particularly felt on the occasion of the feast day of the Three Hierarchs (January 30), patrons of the Greek Orthodox letters. To celebrate this special day the Greek School hosted the coffee hour on Sunday, January 27. A message on the day of the Three Hierarchs by Marianna Nikolaidou and Eleni Tsaggouri On January 30 th we honour the Three Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory Nazianzenus, and John Chrysostom, patron saints of the Greek Orthodox letters and Greek schools. Bringing together the language and wisdom of Greek antiquity with the Orthodox faith, these erudite church fathers shaped a humanistic and morallyoriented education. The Three Hierarchs, as well as their successors Saint Kosmas Aetolus and other pioneers of modern Greek Orthodox pedagogy, did not accept the idea of the school as mere seminary of detached knowledge, but pursued study towards the cultivation of character. An educated humanism, as conceived and practiced by the holy Three Hierarchs, follows three important life directions: -spiritual and intellectual humanism, focusing on research and study - applied humanism, engaging in charity, service and social work -ideological and activist humanism, confronting corruption and supporting the weak. This valuable legacy of the Three Hierarchs we strive to safeguard at our Greek schools, even amidst the present dire circumstances of economic and social crisis. The preservation and development of Greek identity, through language and education, equips us to claim our place in the global community with awareness and dignity but also with a spirit of acceptance and respect for others. Outside of Greece in particular, the Greek communities have the duty to promote Greek education within the life of their Orthodox church. Greekness and Orthodoxy together are our defining traits; without either of them our identity becomes blurred, misshapen, and eventually vanishes under the leveling influences of globalization. The preservation of our language, the study of our history, the transmittance of culture and tradition to our children, is the debt we owe to generations past and future. It would be a grave shortcoming if we failed. February Applications accepted for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek 2013 The yearly exams for the internationally recognized Certificate of Attainment in Greek, issued by the Centre for Greek Language, University of Thessaloniki, will take place on Tuesday through Thursday, May 14-16, at the Southern California examination center, Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, UC Irvine ( The schedule is as follows: Tuesday, May 14: Levels A1 (for children 8-12 years), A1 (for youths and adults), A2, B1, Wednesday, May 15: Levels B2, C1 Thursday, May 16: Level C2 Applications for participation are accepted from February 1 till March 22 (deadline is final!). Application packages and important guidelines on the application and examination procedure are available at: or at the Church Office. For more information please contact our school teacher: Eleni Tsaggouri Tel: (626) , Fax: (626) staseleni@earthlink.net Candidates are strongly encouraged to visit the site of the Center for Greek Language: to obtain detailed information on the Certificate of Attainement, the different levels of language proficiency, and the examination procedure, as well as to download preparatory materials As every year, students from our school will be participating in these important exams. We wish them from the heart Good Luck! March Celebration of Greek Independence Day, March 25 We invite all members of St Anthony to commemorate with us the Greek Independence Day. The celebration will take place on Sunday, March 24, at the Community Center immediately after church. A lenten luncheon will be available for purchase. All monetary donations will be used to support the Greek School which has been negatively affected by the severe fund cuts in education currently instituted by the Greek government as part of its austerity policy. Sunday coffee hours The Greek School will be hosting the Sunday coffee hour for the entire month of March. We are grateful to the parents who have offered to help in various ways with these hospitality events. As we celebrate the day of the Three Hierarchs, we at the Saint Anthony Greek School invite all to approach us, learn about our mission, support us! 11

12 ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟΥ GREEK SCHOOL Monday Night Classes The Greek School Program welcomed 2013 in our classes with the traditional vasilopita, and with ayiasmos. Friday Night Classes 12

13 Philoptochos Happy New Year to all in our community! Philoptochos members have had a busy few months. We have organized activities, raised funds, donated to worthy causes and even served a few meals. These are a few of our accomplishments: December: *A very successful Benefit Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Huntington Langham Hotel. Approximately 500 attendees. *Served dinner to the homeless at Union Station, Pasadena. *Presented watches to all male residents at Trinity House. *Donated a computer for residents use at Trinity House. *Sent a Holy Cross gift certificate to Charleton Trumpower, our assigned seminarian. *Met National Ministry financial commitment to the General Medical Fund. Our monthly meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. We welcome you with open arms. More information and a membership form is on the next page. Before closing, we would like to thank an anonymous donor who contributes every year to support our mission of feeding the homeless at Union Station. His generosity and the spirit in which it is given is the true meaning of philanthropia. Please contact Irene Albeck if you would like to serve dinner at Union Station on the first Wednesday of the month. *Helped needy families enjoy the Christmas season. January: *Served dinner to the homeless at Union Station, Pasadena. *Hosted Vasilopita in our church hall. Thank you to Evelyn Kefalas and Yiota Poulos for preparing the delicious vasilopita. *Hosted dinner following Great Vesper Service on the Eve of the Feast of St. Anthony. *Hosted the luncheon for the faithful following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with the Ordination of Rev. Deacon Andreas MacLean on the Feast Day of St. Anthony. *Met our January National Ministry Commitment to the National Philoptochos Medical Relief Fund and to the Metropolis St. Nicholas Ranch. As you can see from above, Philoptochos makes a difference in our community. If you are not a member of Philoptochos but have been thinking of becoming one, now is a time to join during our annual membership drive. Suggested dues are $50, though you may contribute more if you wish. 13

14 14

15 15

16 16

17 2013 St. Anthony Debutants 2013 St. Anthony Debutants and their Escorts: Katerina Dupas and Peter Stratos, Christina Vavoulis and Gregory Karapoulios (Assumption, Long Beach), Danae Pappas and Christian Balas, Ana Dewar and George Dupas, Katherine Vavoulis and Niko Balas. Greek Heritage Society 17

18 St. Anthony 2013 Pledged Members as of January 31, Rev. Peter & Pres. Aida Stratos 2.Rev. Christos & Pres. Jessica Kanakis 3.Adamopoulos, Peter A. & Virginia 4.Albeck, Irene 5.Albeck, Mark Gregory 6.Ananiades, Katerina 7.Anastasiadou, Vasileia 8.Andros, Gus & Lorena 9.Angelos, James & Sophia 10.Anton, Gus & Helen 11.Apostolos, Dr. Margo K. 12.Arapostathis, Mary 13.Artenos, Dina & John 14.Aspiotes, Georgia 15.Athanasoulis, Chris & Tina 16.Athans, Tina & Dean P. 17.Attalla, Philip "Ted" 18.Balas, Argiro Julie & Dino 19.Bante, Alexis 20.Becronis, Christina 21.Bissias, Peter N. 22.Blaszcak, Frank & Georgia 23.Bonorris, Donna & Pete 24.Boulgarides, Athena 25.Bowers, Connie & Teree 26.Broussinos, Angeliki & Chris 27.Burkard Jr., Frank J. & Penelope 28.Buzas, Nicholas 29.Caire, Terese & John 30.Christodoulelis, Jimmy & Tanya 31.Christodoulides, Loucas & Andri 32.Christopoulos, Judie & Gus 33.Christy, Angene 34.Courlas, Marianna & Angelos 35.Dallas, Gregory & Petra 36.Demetriades, Demetrios & Elizabeth 37.Demopulos, Michael 38.Dupas, Theodore & Evangeline 39.Efstathiou, Theodora & Dean 40.Floutsis, Penny & Ted 41.Fuerst, Nicolette & Jay 42.Gallagher, Eleni & Matthew 43.Gelt, Brian & Pana 44.Giakas, Vasilike 45.Gittings, Maria & Brian 46.Grafos, Thean & Steven 47.Grafos, Tom & Tania 48.Grover, James & Maria 49.Guzman, Helen & Rich 50.Haralambos, Aliki, 51.Haralambos, Anthony & Kathleen 52.Haralambos, Tom & Page 53.Harper, Chris & Stella 54.Herrera, Kathryn 55.Horaites, James 56.Hronas, Maria & James W. 57.Jacovides, Helen 58.Kalivas, Anastasia 59.kalivas, Pota & George 60.Kallas, Mark & Debra 61.Kaplanis, Peter & Joan 62.Kappos, Anthia Marie 63.Karatzas, Chris 64.Karras, Maria & Demos, Nick 65.Katem, Basil N. 66.Katsafados, Theoni & Pete 67.Kefalas, Evelyn & John 68.kefallinos, Vicki & Nick 69.Kiotas, Alex & Stavroula 70.Kleinsasser, Ian 71.Kokoris, Maria & Nickolas 72.Koudanis, Helen & George 73.Kypreos, Maria & James 74.Lagousis, Ted & Kendra 75.Lakon, Valerie & Peter P. 76.Lappas, Virginia & Dino 77.Ledbetter, Mark & Phaedra 78.Levandis, Melissa & George 79.Loutsos, Anna & Georgia & John Grajeda 80.Lucas, Katherine 81.Lynch, Patrick Thomas 82.Macris, Catherine & George 18

19 83.Malahatis, Mike & Sofia 84.Malina, Dorothea 85.Malisos, Fontaine 86.Manousadjian, Sonia 87.Mechalas, Bess 88.Messerotes, Vera 89.Mobayen, Chrissa & Syrus 90.Moreno, Eva Elizabeth 91.Mowrey, Robert D. 92.Nichols, Joyce & James 93.Nicolaidis, Nicolas 94.Nunez, Alyssa & Angel 95.Panagiot, Harry & Anastasia 96.Panagiotacopulos, Aliki & Nick 97.Pappas, Dean C. & Jennifer 98.Pappas, Hope & Constantine 99.Pastis, Leah & Arry 100.Pastis, Louis & Natalia 101.Pastis, Patricia 102.Pastis, Gust 103.Patzakis, John & Andrea 104.Pegadiotes, Stan S. 105.Perris, Christina 106.Perris, Georgia 107.Petrossian, Stacy & Rafic R. 108.Plumtree, Martha & Wayne 109.Russo, Rebecca A. 110.Samaltanos, Spiros 111.Scolinos, Michael & Stephanie 112.Shankwiler, James & Alexandria Darras 113.Siatras, Christiann & Christos 114.Skondras, Demetrios 115.Stephens, Kenny & Maria 116.Tisopoulos, Laki & Tara 117.Tobia, Gary 118.Treantafelles, Andrew & Georgia 119.Treantafelles, George T. & Helen 120.Treantafelles, Ioannis K. 121.Tripodes, Nikitas & Dena 122.Tripodes, Steven G. 123.Tsevdos, Alice 124.Tsouvalas, John & Jenny 125.Udria, Juan & Mary 126.Vagenas, Alex & Tashia 127.Vagenas, Constandinos 128.Vagenas, John & Georgia 129.Vagenas, Peter & Mindy 130.Vagenas, Peter K. & Eleni 131.Vavoulis, Ted & Esther 132.Vidalakis, John & Diane 133.Vorgias, Zacharias & Alma 134.Wojcik, Radoslav M. & Pamela 135.Xanthos, Pantele J. 136.Yagjian, Michael & Anita 137.Zarifes, Peter & Tina Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this stewardship list. Please forgive us if there are any errors or omissions. The printed list is from the date above. Any stewardship additions or changes that were made after the above date will not be added or corrected in this issue. Please contact Alma at the Church office if there are any errors, omissions or questions. 19

20 Saint Anthony s Greek Orthodox Church 778 South Rosemead Blvd. Pasadena, CA Return Service Requested Non-Profit US Postage PAID Arcadia, CA Permit No 390 Have you signed your 2013 Stewardship Pledge Card? THE GREAT BLESSING OF WATER: MEGAS AGIASMOS Epiphany, one of the oldest and most important Feast days of the Orthodox Church, commemorates the manifestation of the Holy Trinity which took place at the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. 20