Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Transcript

1 Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral Sunday, December 13, 2015

2 St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral Church Office Mon.-Fri.: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Reverend Doctor Dimitrios Moraitis Dean Reverend Father Dean N. Paleologos Dean Emeritus Reverend Deacon Andrew Giourelis Mr. Vasilios Vasiliadis -Parish Council President - frdimitri@spyridoncathedral.org Metropolis of Boston WELCOME Welcome to the Saint Spyridon Cathedral in Worcester, Massachusetts. We are honored that you have chosen to worship with us today. It is our hope that your visit here will bring you many blessings from God. Please be sure to tell us if you are visiting or if you are new to our community. Our Church Family worships the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and every Sunday, the Lord s Day, we commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to live the Holy Gospel in accordance with the Orthodox Faith; towards sanctification through God s grace in worship, the Divine Liturgy and the Sacraments: glorifying God through all joys and struggles; and as a Church Community, in Christian love, we seek to do His will so that through His mercy, we may attain His Kingdom. We are blessed to have the slippers of St. Spyridon, which are located in the narthex of the Church, please be sure to venerate them. We pray you have a blessed day and that you visit with us again soon. Also, please remember that one must be an Orthodox Christian in order to receive Holy Communion. If you would like to embrace the Orthodox Faith, please see Father Dimitrios Moraitis. May God Bless you! December 13, 2015 Eleventh Sunday of Saint Luke Trisagion George Hatjopoulos-9 years Coffee Hour Coffee hour is sponsored in loving memory of George Hotjopoulos by the Hatjopoulos family and the Drosidis family Altar Flowers Altar Flowers are sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Nick Karas in honor of St. Spyridon Happy Name Day Spyridon, Spiros, Spiridoula, Sunday Services Orthros 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:45 am Stewardship Sunday Today Please don t forget to stop by the designated tables to pick up your Stewardship packets today. The calendar is included in the Stewardship packet. Reminder Please turn off your cell phones during services. Saints of the Day The Holy forefathers of Christ, The Holy Martyrs Eugene, Eftratios and THANK Auxentios, YOU St. Herman of Alaska Happy Name Day THANK YOU On behalf of the Sakellarides family, we wish to thank all parishioners for the overwhelming outpouring of support we received to honor Fr. Emmanuel s memory during this time of mourning.

3 Entrance Hymns Apolytikion Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world. You justified the forefathers in faith, and through them betrothed yourself, aforetime, to the Church taken from out of the Gentiles. The saints boast in glory. For from their seed, there exists a noble crop, who is she who without seed has given You birth. By their intercessions, O Christ our God, save our souls. For The Memorials Keep Thy servants in remembrance, O Lord, since Thou art good; and do Thou forgive every sin in this life; for no man is without sin, except for Thee Who art able to grant rest even unto him who has departed hence. Saint Spyridon O Father, God-bearer, Spyridon, you were proven a champion and Wonder Worker of the First Ecumenical Council. You spoke to the girl in the grave and turned the serpent to gold. And, when chanting your prayers, most sacred One, angels ministered with you. Glory to Him who glorified you; glory to Him who crowned you; glory to Him who, through you, works healing for all. Kontakion On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young Child Who * before the ages is God. Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Ἐν πίστει τοὺς Προπάτορας ἐδικαίωσας, τὴν ἐξ Ἐθνῶν δι' αὐτῶν προμνηστευσάμενος Ἐκκλησίαν. Καυχῶνται ἐν δόξῃ οἱ Ἅγιοι, ὄι ἐκ σπέρματος αὐτῶν, ὑπάρχει καρπός εὐκλεής, ἡ ἀσπόρως τεκοῦσά σε. Ταῖς αὐτῶν ἱκεσίαις, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, σῶσον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. Αγίου Σπυρίδωνος Της Συνόδου της πρώτης ανεδείχθης υπέρμαχος, και θαυματουργός Θεοφόρε, Σπυρίδων Πατήρ ημών, διο νεκρά συ εν τάφω προσφωνείς, και όφιν εις χρυσούν μετέβαλες, και εν τω μέλπειν τας αγίας σου ευχάς, Αγγέλους εσκες συλλειτουργούντας σοι Ιερώτατε, Δοξα τω σε δοξάσαντι, δόξα τω σε στεφανώσαντι, δόξα τω ενεργούντι διά σου πάσιν ιάματα. Kontakion Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν Προαιώνιον Λόγον, ἐν Σπηλαίῳ ἔρχεται, ἀποτεκεῖν ἀπορρήτως. Χόρευε ἡ οἰκουμένη ἀκουτισθεῖσα, δόξασον μετὰ Ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν Ποιμένων, βουληθέντα ἐποφθῆναι, παιδίον νέον, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων Θεόν.

4 PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY NEWS Philoptochos Christmas Senior Outreach Program The Christmas Senior Outreach Program is underway! Members of the Philoptochos will spread Christmas cheer by visiting homebound seniors of our Parish family and provide gifts to the residents of Holy Trinity Nursing Home. If you would like to donate please see Helen Stamoulis or Helen Panagiotopoulos or send in your donation to the church address c/o Helen Stamoulis or Helen Panagiotopoulos. Please contact the church to give the name of your homeboundloved one. Thank You THANK YOU On behalf of the Sakellarides family, we wish to thank all parishioners for the overwhelming outpouring support we received to honor Fr. Emmanuel s memory during this time of mourning. WHAT'S NEW AT HOLY TRINITY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER Holy Trinity is pleased to announce the appointment of Renee Kublbeck, Director of Nursing. Renee comes to us from Beaumont Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and with 14 years experience as Director of Nursing and 23 years experience in long term care. Renee lives in Holden with her husband and three children. This week Holy Trinity continues its Holiday Season festivities. The Greek Ladies Philoptochos will be serving lunch to our residents on Thursday, December 17. The residents look forward to their visit every month, which is always a fabulous event! HOLY TRINITY HOSPICE Holy Trinity Hospice offers exceptional care for individuals facing serious illnesses and those at the end of life. We provide individualized care for your loved ones in their place of residence, whether that be at home, in an assisted living or at a nursing facility. We would be honored to help you through your difficult time. If you would like further information, please call our office at and ask for our Hospice Director, Beth Miller or our Community Liaison, Ursula Hanus. COTSIDAS CULTURAL CENTER Web Site The web site for the rental of the Cultural Center can now be accessed at Note that Parishioner rental rates are priced considerably lower to those advertised to the General Public, (Hall $850, Founders Court $300). Rental rates for Cathedral Affiliates (AHEPA, Epirotic Society, Union Hristohorafiton, etc) are half of the Parishioner rate. There is no charge for rentals to Cathedral Ministries (Philoptochos, GOYA, Holy Trinity etc.). For more information contact Mike Dionis or Jim Voyiatzis through the Cathedral office. Hope Cemetery Plot Hearing The City of Worcester has scheduled two public hearings to deal with the cemetery master plan to expand the Orthodox section of Hope Cemetery as it completely full. The Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of Central Massachusetts is urging everyone to attend 1 of 2 public hearings. Monday, December 14, 2015 at 6:30pm in the Esther Howland Chamber in Worcester City Hall. CEOC website: CEOC.US GOYA Christmas Party on Tues., Dec :30pm THE GIVING TREE Please consider sponsoring a child in need this Holiday Season by selecting an ornament from the Giving Tree located in the Founders Court and making a child s wishes come true. Thank you for your generosity. GREEK SCHOOL The Greek School Christmas Party will be held on Wednesday, December 16 during school hours with a special visit from a very special guest!. Please submit any news, updates, fliers and photos you would like to see in the Sunday Bulletin to: gvp@spyridoncathedral.org Also if you d like to be added to the list to receive the bulletin via please contact Georgia at the above address. The Sunday Bulletin can also be viewed on the St. Spyridon website

5 Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς 3:4-11 Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν. Ἀδελφοί, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ. Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία, διʼ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός. ΤΗΕ EPISTLE St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11 Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers. Verse: For you are just in all you have done. BRETHREN, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

6 T 11th Sunday of Luke Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 14:16-24 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην Ἄνθρωπός τις ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου εἰπεῖν τοῖς κεκλημένοις ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστι πάντα. καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς παραιτεῖσθαι πάντες. ὁ πρῶτος εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ ἔχω ἀνάγκην ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε ζεύγη βοῶν ἠγόρασα πέντε, καὶ πορεύομαι δοκιμάσαι αὐτά ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε γυναῖκα ἔγημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν. καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγειλε τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα. τότε ὀργισθεὶς ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπε τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους καὶ χωλοὺς καὶ τυφλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ δοῦλος κύριε, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, καὶ ἔτι τόπος ἐστί. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμοὺς καὶ ἀνάγκασον εἰσελθεῖν, ἵνα γεμισθῇ ὁ οἶκος μου. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κεκλημένων γεύσεταί μου τοῦ δείπνου. Πολλοί γὰρ εἰσιν κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δέ ἐκλεκτοί. The Gospel 11th Sunday of Luke The Gospel according to Luke 14:16-24 The Lord said this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'" Fasting / Νηστεία The Christmas or Advent Fast has started. Please abstain from meat and dairy, but fish is allowed.

7 Bible Study Jesus first Resurrection Wednesday, January 13, 2015 at 7:00pm in the Tonna Room Fr. Dimitrios Moraitis will be leading a Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew. If you wish to learn about the Bible, please come to this informative presentation.

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10 December 16 Christmas Come join the festivities for Holiday cheer and socializa-

11 JOY CHRISTMAS PARTY Friday, December 18, 2015 at 5:00pm JOY festivities and merriment will abound during this JOYful gathering! Junior Orthodox Youth- JOY JOY is a wonderful program for children in grades 3-6 (ages 7-12). The group s name is very appropriate to describe the spirit that radiates from the children who attend the gatherings. It has proven to be both popular and very successful in achieving the goals of church ministry for children and lead children to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The JOY ministry program provides wholesome and fun activities to its participants while supporting the efforts of the family to impart a positive value system on its children. JOY meetings are an opportunity to participate in wholesome fellowship with peers and adult advisors who offer friendship and emotional support. Meetings are conducted in an informal, relaxed atmosphere that provides balance to the more formal experience of worship services and religious educational classes. The discussion segments of the teachings, songs, games, craft projects and other activities reflect and enhance the spoken message in a developmentally appropriate manner for the children of this age. JOY meets once a month, typically a Friday evening, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Usually snacks and refreshments are offered, a topic for discussion, and a craft that coordinates with the theme of the night. We begin and end each meeting with a prayer. Please join the JOY group at the next meeting December 11, 2015 at 5:00pm on the church premises. Simply come in, introduce yourself and sit in with the rest of the children to share some joy and fellowship. If you would like more information, please contact Olga Fotos at Hope to see you at the next meeting! CHRISTMAS PARTY TODAY Sunday, December 13, 2015 at 1:00pm 880 Main St. Worcester, MA 01610

12 By Nick Kotsopoulos Telegram & Gazette Staff Hope Cemetery Plot Hearing The City of Worcester has scheduled two public hearings to deal with the cemetery master plan to expand the Orthodox section of Hope Cemetery as it completely full. The Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of Central Massachusetts is urging everyone to attend 1 of 2 public hearings. Monday, December 14, 2015 at 6:30pm in the Esther Howland Chamber in Worcester City Hall. CEOC website: CEOC.US WORCESTER - While cemeteries are often associated with the past, the city is looking to the future for Hope Cemetery. Working with the Hope Cemetery Commission, the city has initiated a master plan process for the historic 168-acre, municipally owned-and-operated cemetery, with an eye toward shaping its future so it will be able to meet the needs of the community over the next 20 years. In particular, the master plan will look at potential expansion opportunities at Hope Cemetery and what the future demand for burial plots might be, in light of a growing trend in the number of cremations and different types of burials. "We're looking to shape the future of Hope Cemetery by looking at its historical past and where we're going in the future," said Robert C. Antonelli Jr., assistant commissioner for public works and parks. "There have been many changes over the years in the types of burials, and we are looking to the public to help us redefine the cemetery so we can get it where it needs to be 20 to 30 years from now." The BSC Group and Cemetery Helpful Solutions have been hired to do the master plan for Hope Cemetery. The first public information-gathering session was held Monday night at City Hall and another one is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Dating back to 1854 and located in the southern end of the city off Webster Street, Hope Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places. "Hope Cemetery is a great historic space with a lot of tradition," said William D. Wallace, chairman of the Hope Cemetery Commission. "This is a very important conversation for us if the cemetery is going to be able to meet future expectations." David Crispin, who is with the BSC Group, said five areas have been identified at Hope Cemetery for potential expansion. As a result, he said, Hope Cemetery is in a much better position to meet future demands compared to many other communities which are running out of space in their municipal cemeteries. "Worcester has an upside in that (Hope Cemetery) still has some real estate to work with," Mr. Crispin said. Mr. Antonelli said it is premature to estimate how many additional plots could be created through an expansion of the cemetery or how many years that would extend its life. He said that will be determined by future burial demand. Mr. Crispin said while the trend in New England has been for more cremation burials, the demand for full casket burials is still expected to remain steady. "We don't really have any numbers at this time," Mr. Antonelli said. "That is why we are looking for input from the public on what's important to them." The Rev. Dimitrios Moraitis, dean of the St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, said Hope Cemetery plays a big part in the local Orthodox community, adding there is a great need for more burial space. "We are facing a big dilemma in finding burial lots for our faithful," Rev. Moraitis said. "Some are in panic mode about where they are going to be buried. This is our cemetery. My people, my faithful see Hope Cemetery as the place where they end up." In an effort to double the number of potential new burial plots, Rev. Moraitis suggested that the expansion areas be designed in such a way to accommodate so-called "double-depth casket" burials, in which one casket is placed on top of another, as opposed to "single casket" burials where they are placed side by side. This would make for better use of the land and create twice as many gravesites," he said.

13 Please join us for an informative meeting to discuss topics concerning Grecian Festival 2016 All are welcomed to participate in discussing our upcoming festival. Monday, December 21, 2015 at 7:00pm We would like to take this opportunity to thank a special group of ladies and gentlemen that continuously help the office with the enormous amount of bulk mailing that is sent during this very busy season. We appreciate your hard work and devotion to our Cathedral and without the effort of the many persons it requires to accomplish this monumental task, it would be impossible. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

14 Please join us to celebrate the New Year in the Cotsidas Cultural Center 7:30pm-2:00am $100.00/adult $25.00/child 12 and under Contact Leka Velentzas at to reserve your table

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16 2015 Stewardship Report * GOAL Week 2015 Total Stewardship Budget 49 $274, $ * GOAL amount includes the 2015 Stewardship Budget Receipts of $270, We suggest you budget your Stewardship contribution as you do your monthly home expenses Our Cathedral must meet the Financial needs of its ministries and annual operating budget by way of its Christian Stewardship Program. It is each and everyone's responsibility to accept honor and support your role as a Contributing Steward. Please pledge your Required Stewardship Contribution now, if you have not done so. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.