HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE (847)

Transcript

1 The MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE (847) Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) SEPTEMBER 2012

2 SACRAMENTS AND BLESSINGS BLESSINGS OF INFANTS Forty days after birth, a child and its mother come to church to receive a 40 Day Blessing, as Christ Himself was presented in the Temple 40 days after He was born. Please call the church office to arrange this blessing. BAPTISMS Please call the church office to schedule Baptisms. Plan ahead! there are some days when Baptisms are not performed. Keep in mind that there should be only one Godparent and that a child is supposed to be given but one name when he or she is baptized. WEDDINGS Please arrange an appointment with Fr. Dean at least eight months before the proposed wedding date to allow time for all necessary marriage preparation. CONFESSION Confessions are arranged by appointment. Please call the church office to schedule Confession. MINISTRY TO PERSONS WHO ARE SICK Orthodox Christians who would like to receive Holy Sacraments but are unable to attend church (hospitalized or at home) should contact the church office so Holy Sacraments can be administered to them. Please inform the church office if your loved one is hospitalized! Most hospitals no longer inform us when they receive patients from our parish. MEMORIAL SERVICES Memorial Services are offered for the eternal rest of persons who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Customarily, these take place at 40 days, at 6 months, at 1 year and at 3 years. When services are offered after three years have passed, the departed are more properly remembered on the Saturdays of the Souls. DID YOU KNOW?... OUR CHURCH S TEACHING ABOUT CREMATION The New Testament teaches that the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The body is further sanctified by the incarnation of Christ God becoming Man in the body. Consistent with this teaching, the body is an integral part of the whole person, and the Church teaches and expects the resurrection from the dead of both the body and the soul, when God s Kingdom comes in its fullness. The Church considers cremation to be the deliberate desecration and destruction of what God has made, and insists that the body be buried for the natural process to take place. As the denial of the resurrection, in cases where there is intention for the body of a deceased person to be cremated, a church funeral is not allowed, either in the church, or the Funeral home or any other place. Additionally, memorial services with kolyva are not allowed, since the significance between the kernel of wheat (which must be buried in order for new life to spring forth) and the body has been intentionally destroyed. (from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Yearbook) WORSHIP SCHEDULE September 2012 Sunday, September 2 Saturday, September 8 Birth of the Theotokos 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy Sunday, September 9 9:30 am Sunday Friday, September 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Day of strict fasting) 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy Sunday, September 16 9:30 am Sunday Sunday, September 23 9:30 am Sunday Sunday, September 30 9:30 am Sunday Sunday, October 7 9:30 am Sunday OUR SISTER COMMUNITY of the Holy Cross in Justice invites you to Vespers on Thursday evening, September 13th, and Divine Liturgy on Friday, September 14th, in honor of the Feastday of the Holy Cross. (Liturgy WILL be celebrated at St. Haralambos on September 14th.) OUR SISTER COMMUNITY of the St. Sophia in Elgin invites you to Vespers on Sunday evening, September 16th, and Divine Liturgy on Monday, September 17th, in honor of the Feastday of St. Sophia. (Liturgy will NOT be celebrated at St. Haralambos on September 17th.) 2012 STEWARDSHIP I Am The Vine; You are the Branches As of August 28, 574 stewards have committed $286, STEWARDSHIP is the life-blood of our community. STEWARDSHIP keeps our doors open. STEWARDSHIP sustains our programs and ministries. GOOD STEWARDSHIP comes first from the heart! Help us keep our church vibrant and alive! Have you become a 2012 Steward yet?

3 HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE: 847/ From Father Dean Dear Friends and Stewards, We are so excited about starting off this new church/school year! Let us all be hopeful that it will be a year of progress for our community and spiritual growth for each of us personally! All our Greek school programs are preparing to welcome back our children. We also welcome our new teachers: Ms. Vicky Drossos-Thompson in the Preschool, Ms. Katerini Koutsouris and Ms. Anna Nikolopoulos in the Afternoon, and Ms. Catherine Boznos and Ms. Demetra Komninou in the Saturday. We look forward to a great year! Our Sunday teaches can t wait to see the children and begin sharing their faith and love, as well. Parents, please do not under-value the importance of these programs; they may be the most important lessons your children will ever learn! Our Big Greek Food Fest was quite successful! The Fest grossed almost $320,000, and our church netted almost $150,000! Again let me express my deep gratitude to all our parishioners and friends (you know who you are!) who worked so hard for the good of our church. May the good Lord reward you! As you see on page 5, there will be a presentation at 7:00 pm on September 11 about FOOD ALLERGIES. There has developed a high level of food allergies in recent years, and these allergies are serious, sometimes even fatal! The presentation is given by Lurie Children s Hospital, open to all and free of charge. Plan to attend! I am grateful to many of our friends who have sent donations of $75 for the 75th Anniversary of Hellenic College/Holy Cross. Our goal is to get 75 donors; a few more are needed. There is more info on page 8 Please send your donation to me at St. Haralambos. Your support means a lot! Plan to stay after church on Sunday, September 23 for our annual TAILGATE PARTY! Bring a change of clothes and spend the day in the parking lot, or watching the game indoors. Expect a great and fun day! Our Philoptochos Membership Dinner will take place on Tuesday evening, September 25. Every lady in our parish is invited to join this important and dynamic ladies organization! Finally, we welcome Mr. Nick Gianaris to the Parish Council! Nick was elected at the last meeting to fill one vacancy, and we are happy to have him join us in this capacity! Fr. Dean ΟΙ ΕΓΓΡΑΦΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΙΚΟ ΕΤΟΣ , άρχισαν και συνεχίζονται στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας. Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες στο τηλέφωνο του γραφείου: HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH NILES, ILLINOIS Proistamenos....Fr. Constantine P. Botsis Synefimerios Fr. Chrysanthos Kerkeres Pastoral Assistant Deacon John G. Suhayda Chanter Nick Harisiadis Parish Council Officers President.. George Anastasiadis Vice President Nick Andrews Treasurer..... Perry Giannopoulos Secretary..... Argy Koutsikos Budget Committee Chairman..Perry Giannopoulos Building & Grounds Chairman.. Michael Pontikes and Theodoros Karabatsos Decor Committee Chairman...Stephan Aliferakis Finance Committee Chairman...George Kotsionis Phase III Chairman...Pete Zouras Board Chairman......Tom Zavos Audit Committee Chairman.Evan Houpis STEWARDS IN ACTION Stewardship Com Chairman..Dr. Thomas Bournias Welcome/Hospitality..Jolynn Ruggerio Events/Activities...George Houpis Statistics/Planning.Perry Giannopoulos Outreach/Evangelism..Theodoros Daskalopoulos Philoptochos President Elaine Couris PTA Co-Presidents (Afternoon )....Linda Politis and Maria Hasapis PTA President (Preschool)...Amalia Deligiannis PTA Co-Presidents (Saturday )..Angelo Mihalopoulos and Georgia Pipikios Greek Principal... Mrs. Anastasia Liapi Saturday Director. Mrs. Andrianna Panayiotou Preschool Director.....Mrs. Rita Petratos Sunday Director...Presvytera Georgia Botsis Athletic Director..... David Loomos Scoutmaster George Alpogianis Asst Scoutmaster Sam Parmakis Asst Cubmaster..... John Frake Little Angels......Christina Pappadis YAL President......Christina Pappadis GOYA Co-Presidents......Elias Kondilis and Yianni Karatasios Bookstore Manager Jolynn Ruggerio Web Master George Houpis Office Staff..Barbara Skaouris and Alexandra Grivas IN THIS ISSUE: Letter from our Priest (pg 3) Announcements/Ανακοινώσεις (pg 4) Upcoming Events (pg 5) Fest Photos (pp 6-7) Youth Announcements (pg 8) Reflections on Albania (pg 9) Calendar (pg 10)

4 COMMUNITY NEWS STEWARDSHIP 2012: ABIDE IN ME: I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES Have you become a Steward for 2012 yet? Your Stewardship participation is very important for the well-being of our church; it is our greatest source of financial support! Heartfelt and conscientious Stewardship ensures that our church will be strong and able to minister to the needs of our children and friends, as well as all who turn to the Church for blessings, help and guidance. Stewardship is an expression of our love and appreciation to God for the many blessings we receive. Help strengthen your Church to serve God s people! SAINT HARALAMBOS PHILOPTOCHOS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DINNER will take place Tuesday evening, September 25 in our Community Center. Philoptochos is the official women s organization of the Greek Orthodox Church, and is one of the most dynamic organizations in the life of the church. All the ladies of our community are invited to attend this dinner and become members of our Philoptochos! PHILOPTOCHOS LUNCHEON--The Annual Philoptochos Luncheon for the Metropolis of Chicago will take place this year on Saturday, September 22 at Rosewood Banquets. For reservations, please call the church office ( ). Plan to attend and support the work of Philoptochos! SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS--Sunday begins on Sunday, September 9! Make sure to register your children in this most important program--registration forms are available in the church office! September 9 will be Registration Sunday! Sunday will begin at 9:30 don t be late! GREEK SCHOOL NEWS--Registrations are now being taken for the school year, both for the Afternoon Greek and for the Saturday Greek. Plan to enroll your children in one of our Greek programs, where they can learn about our language, faith and culture, and make friends from the Greek Orthodox Community. Registering our children in these programs is one of the ways that we keep our identity and values alive! A $50 per family discount is being offered on tuition if tuition is paid in full, before the end of September! Why not take advantage of this special discount! Registration forms are available in the church office. ST. HARALAMBOS KINDERGARTEN--There are still a few openings for 3, 4 and 5 year olds in our St. Haralambos Preschool! Don t miss this opportunity to enroll your children in this excellent program. This year, in addition to our excellent daily, bi-lingual school program a two-day-per-week program is also being offered. hours are from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in our Community Center. For more information, please call the church office (847/ ) or visit the Preschool website at Aristotlegreekschools.com SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 9! Register your children now! 4 ΕΝΟΡΙΑΚΕΣ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΕΙΣ ΜΕΙΝΑΤΕ ΕΝ ΕΜΟΙ: ΕΓΩ ΕΙΜΙ Η ΑΜΠΕΛΟΣ, ΥΜΕΙΣ ΤΑ ΚΛΗΜΑΤΑ Δια μέσω του stewardship μας, καθιστούμε ικανή την εκκλησία μας να εκτελέσει το ιερό έργο της συγχώρησης, της θεραπείας, και σωτηρίας. Το ευσυνείδητο stewardship είναι έναs τρόπος να εμμείνουμε εν Χριστώ! Και συγχρόνως είμεθα εμείς που επωφελούμεθα από την γενναοδωρία μας! Καλούμεθα να εμμείνουμε εν Χριστώ! Ας γίνουμε καλοί stewards, με την αφοσίωση μας, την αγάπη και την γενναοδωρία μας καλά και ιερά κλήματα της Αμπέλου! ΠΕΡΙ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΤΙΚΩΝ ΕΥΧΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΜΥΣΤΗΡΙΩΝ ΕΥΧΕΣ ΝΕΟΓΕΝΝΗΤΩΝ ΤΕΚΝΩΝ--Κάθε μάνα και το παιδί της, σαράντα ημέρες μετά την γέννησή του προσέρχονται στην εκκλησία για να λάβουν την Ευλογία των 40 Ημερών, κατά μίμησην του Ιησού Χριστού ο οποίος παρουσιάσθηκε στον Ιερόν Ναόν σαράντα ημέρες μετά την γέννησή του. Παρακαλούμε τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας για να κανονίσετε την ευλογία αυτή. ΒΑΠΤΙΣΕΙΣ Παρακαλούμε όπως τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια να προγραμματίσετε Βαπτίσεις. Σχεδιάστε πολύ ενωρίτερα!-υπάρχουν μερικές μέρες που δεν γίνονται βαπτίσεις. ΓΑΜΟΙ-Παρακαλούμε όπως κανονίζετε συνάντηση με τον π. Κωνσταντίνο τουλάχιστον οκτώ μήνες πριν την προτεινόμενη ημερομηνία του γάμου δια τις απαιτούμενες προετοιμασίες. ΕΞΟΜΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ Οι Εξομολογήσεις κανονίζονται κατόπιν ραντεβού. Δια να προγραμματίσετε εξομολογήσεις, παρακαλούμε τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας. ΜΕΡΙΜΝΑ ΑΡΡΩΣΤΩΝ Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί που θα ήθελαν να λάβουν τα Άγια Μυστήρια και δεν μπορούν να έλθουν στην εκκλησία (βρίσκονται εις νοσοκομεία ή ανήμποροι εις τα σπίτια τους) παρακαλούνται να επικοινωνούν με το γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια να μπορέσουν να τα λάβουν. Παρακαλούμε να επικοινωνείτε με το γραφείο της εκκλησίας εαν κάποιος συγγενής σας είναι στο νοσοκομείο! Τα νοσοκομεία πλέον δεν μας πληροφορούν όταν έχουν αρρώστους από την ενορία μας. ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΑ Επιμνημόσυνες δεήσεις γίνονται για την αιώνιον ανάπαυση των τεθνεώντων. Συνήθως, αυτές οι δεήσεις γίνονται κατά τις 40 ημέρες, τους 6 μήνες, τον 1 ον χρόνο και τον 3 ον χρόνο. Όταν έχουν περάσει τρία χρόνια, είναι πιο αρμόζον να ενθυμούμεθα τους αποθανόντας κατά τα Ψυχοσάββατα. ΝΕΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟΥ--Οι εγγραφές έχουν ήδη αρχίσει διά το σχολικό έτος για το Νηπιαγωγείο, το Απογευματινό Ελληνικό Σχολείο καθώς και για το Σαββατιανό Σχολείο. Σχεδιάστε να εγγράψετε τα παιδιά σας σε ένα από τα Ελληνικά Σχολικά Προγράμματά μας, όπου τα παιδιά μας θα μάθουν την γλώσσα, πίστη και κουλτούρα μας, και θα δημιουργήσουν φιλίες μέσα στην Ελληνoρθόδοξη Κοινότητα. Η συμμετοχή των παιδιών μας στα προγράμματα αυτά, εξασφαλίζει την διατήρηση των αρχών μας και της Ελληνικής μας ταυτότητας!

5 ARISTOTLE AFTERNOON GREEK SCHOOL Tuesdays & Fridays Pre-K through Jr. High Learn Greek with us! We strive to preserve, promote and perpetuate the Greek language, the Greek Orthodox faith and our rich Greek heritage. 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Greek Language Classes 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Greek Dance Classes Το πρώτο κουδούνι Σας ενημερώνουμε ότι η πρώτη μέρα της νέας σχολικής χρονιάς και ο καθιερωμένος Αγιασμός, θα πραγματοποιηθούν την Παρασκευή 14 Σεπτεμβρίου, στις 4.30 το απόγευμα. Καλή σχολική χρονιά σ όλους! THE ARISTOTLE PRESCHOOL- KINDERGARTEN Growing hearts, minds and souls We believe learning should be a fun and exciting process, and strive to address the social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical needs of the whole child. If you re interested, please hurry to secure a place for your child before the school fills! The first day of classes will be Monday, September 17. A daily, bi-lingual Program for 3, 4 and 5 year-olds 9:00 am to 1:00 pm NEW! Tuesday and Thursday Program (for 3 year olds only) Registration has begun for For more information, please call the church office ( ) or visit our website at aristotlegreekschools.com ARISTOTLE SATURDAY GREEK SCHOOL Every Saturday, 9 am to 12:30 Enroll your children in our exciting Saturday Greek. The program covers Preschool, Kindergarten and First through Middle aged students. Dance classes Computer lab September 8 is first day of school ΣΑΒΒΑΤΙΑΝΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ Κάθε Σάββατο, 9:00 π.μ.-12:30 μ.μ. Τάξεις Προνηπιαγωγείου μέχρι και Γυμνασίου Τάξεις Ελληνικών Παραδοσιακών Χορών Χρήση Ηλεκτρονικών Υπολογιστών Πρώτη μέρα της νέας σχολικής χρονιάς: Σάββατο 8 Σεπτεμβρίου 5

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8 Hellenic College Home Holy Cross Home Contact Us A NOTE FROM FATHER DEAN: Holy Cross-Hellenic College in Brookline, MA is celebrating its 75th Anniversary! This is our school, a Greek Orthodox institution of higher learning. Fr. Chris, Deacon John and I are alumni of Holy Cross, and 80% of the Greek Orthodox priests in America are products of Holy Cross of Theology. In addition to preparation for the priesthood, the undergraduate Hellenic College offers 6 majors: Human Development, Management and Leadership, Elementary Education, Religious Studies, Classics and Greek Studies, and Literature and History. We should be proud of our school! Hellenic College/Holy Cross is the only Greek Orthodox institution of higher learning in America. It is where our future priests and lay leaders are educated and inspired. It is the only college in America where students receive an education built upon the foundation of Orthodox Christianity and the ideals of a Hellenic classical education. This school is vital to the life of our Orthodox Church in America. To honor our s 75th Anniversary, our parish has been asked to find 75 donors who can give $75 each. Will you help? For more information, call the church office! Donors! 75 Dollars! 75th Anniversary! Thank you! Fr. Dean GOYA Our teenage group consists of teens from 7th grade through high school. We gather every other Monday and we have discussions, play games, take trips, and perform outreach. Last year we had over 100 kids registered and did some awesome things! We look forward to another wonderful year. You are invited! Join us for our Welcome Back BBQ on Monday, September 17th at 7:30 pm. Family Night/Jr. Goya Family Night is for children 4 years old through 3rd grade and Jr. Goya is for children 4th grade through 6th grade. Join us every other Monday as we play games, learn about our faith, and take some amazing trips. We even provide dinner for children and their families. All are invited! Join us for our Welcome Back BBQ on Monday, September 17th at 5:30 pm! 8

9 MY REFLECTIONS ON THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ALBANIA By Anthony Ruggerio This summer, right after graduating Hellenic College, I had the opportunity to travel to Albania on a mission trip with a group of seminarians lead by Fr. Luke Veronis. This trip was not your typical mission trip. We did not get down and dirty, we did not build a house or church, and we did not spend the night in mud huts. What we did do was take this time to witness the fruits that mission work can bear when approached with love and prayer. Today Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, as well as still being one of the most secular. This is a result of the thirty years of communist rule. Before the communist regime in 1967, Albania was 35% Orthodox Christian. After the Iron Curtain fell in 1991, the Ecumenical Patriarch sent Archbishop Anastasios to see what was left of the church. What he found was 22 priests, a handful of faithful and that less than five percent of all religious buildings and facilities remained standing. Over the last 21 years the Archbishop has resurrected the church in Albania, and this past June was the opening of the new cathedral in the center of Tirana, Albania s capital city. The church in Albania has some of the oldest roots in the Christian faith. St. Paul himself preached to the people of Illyria. But the church was completely destroyed during the communist regime. Fr. Luke spent ten years as a missionary priest in Albania, and was directly involved with this resurrection under the guidance of Archbishop Anastasios. On the first day we arrived in Tirana we had a tour of the new cathedral, which is the most incredible facility I have ever set foot in. From the outside it has a very modern feel to it, but when entering the church you can instantly feel the traditional structure of a byzantine church. Architecture aside, what is really intriguing is the location of the church. It is next door to the socialist party building, the military complex, and across the street from where the secret police were trained during communism. The Archbishop lobbied for this piece of land for ten years before the government gave it to the church for the cathedral. Since Archbishop Anastasios came to Albania he has ordained close to 200 priests and built dozens of churches. The first thing he accomplished was rebuilding the seminary located at the St. Vlash Monastery outside of Durres. During our time we were able to see only a handful of all of the ministries that the Archbishop has developed over the years. These ministries include reaching out to the youth; this is done through the elementary school and high school run by the church, as well as a student center for university students. The church also offers a ministry reaching out to the Gypsy population. This is important because the Gypsies are complete social outcasts in the Balkan culture. They are one of the poorest and least educated demographics in Albania and the church is one of the only groups that has an outreach to them. The Archbishop even offered aid to the Muslim community after a particularly severe earthquake. What is special about Archbishop Anastasios is his approach to life. He has accomplished all of this through three virtues: unwavering determination, an insurmountable amount of love and complete faith in God. One aspect of the church in Albania that is very unique is how fresh it is for the faithful. Although the roots of the church go back hundreds of years, the church in Albania is only 20 years old. It is a huge contrast to the church elsewhere in the world. It is easy to take the church for granted, assuming it will never be taken away. Because the church in Albania is so young, there is a lot that to learn from them. This is a mentality that needs to be manifested in the church no matter where we are. Albania is a perfect example of what Christ intended when he said go out and preach to all nations. My experience in Albania has shown me that this example is a great prototype for all the ministries that our church pursues! 9

10 September 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 3 LABOR DAY 4 5:00 Greek Teachers Mtg 5 7:30 Fest Wrap-up meeting 6 7:30-Bible Study 7 8 BIRTH OF THE THEOTOKOS 8:30 am--orthros and Liturgy 9:00 Saturday Greek (first day) 9 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 1st Day-Sunday 16 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy 23 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy TAILGATE PARTY! 10 St. Haralambos- GOLF OUTING 17 PRESCHOOL First day of classes 5:30p-Family Night 7:30 pm-goya Welcome Back BBQ 11 7:00 pm Allergy Seminar 18 11:30 -Little Angels 4:30 pm Greek :30 -Little Angels 4:30 pm Greek 6:30-Annual Philoptochos Membership Dinner :30 pm Parish Council Mtg 7:30-Bible Study :30-Bible Study 7:30-Bible Study 7:30 p-preschool Open House 14 HOLY CROSS 8:30 am--orthros and Liturgy STRICT FASTING 4:30 pm Greek (first day) 21 4:30 pm Greek 28 4:30 pm Greek 15 9:00 am-saturday Greek 22 9:00 am-saturday Greek 12:00-Annual Metropolis Philoptochos Luncheon 29 9:00 am-saturday Greek 30 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy 10

11 Sunday, September 23rd! After Church Services! St. Haralambos Parking Lot! Plan to join us as we start off our new church year with a TAILGATE PARTY! We will provide hot dogs, charcoal grills, soft drinks, desserts, games for kids, and big screen TV for Da Bears against the St. Louis Rams! All our groups and organizations will present information about who they are, what they do and how you can join! You can bring your food to grill, and a change of clothes to relax! FUN! FOOD! GOOD TIMES! SPEND THE DAY! WATCH THE GAME! HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE NILES, IL Address Service Requested