HOLY TRINITY. APRIL 2009 Volume 39 Issue 4 THE MYSTICAL SUPPER ΑΓΙΑ ΤΡΙΑΣ. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Wilmington, Delaware

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1 HOLY TRINITY APRIL 2009 Volume 39 Issue 4 THE MYSTICAL SUPPER ΑΓΙΑ ΤΡΙΑΣ Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Wilmington, Delaware

2 The Official Publication of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 808 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, Delaware Telephone: (302) Fax: (302) His Eminence Metropolitan EVANGELOS of New Jersey, Hierarch Rev. Fr. Costa G. Christo, Ph.D., Protopresbyter Dino Charalambides, Youth Director (cell) Susan Kelleher, Church Secretary (home) Anargyros Liparos, Protopsaltis PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS Spiros Mantzavinos, President - (302) Thomas Diamanty, First Vice President -- (302) Georgia Halakos, Second Vice President (302) Nick Karavasilis, Parish Council Treasurer - (302) Virginia Karablacas, Parish Council Secretary - (302) Constantine Caras James Maravelias Sophia Fotakos Milt Misogianes (610) Michael Kirifides Chris Papachrysanthou Christos Kotanidis Catherine Stathakis (410) Athena Ladas George Tsavalas Executive Parish Council Meetings - 1st Tuesday of every 7PM Parish Council Meetings - 3rd Tuesday of every 7PM CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS Mailing Coordinators James Michael & Crew (856) Philoptochos Maroula Haralambidis, President GOYA Alisa Raisis, President Sunday School Helene Krikelis, Director Greek School Costas Fountzoulas, Director HOPE/JOY Club Eleni Karakasidis & Amelia Maidanos Sr. JOY Maria Kotanidis Lil Angels Playgroup Julie Tsakumis YAL George Tsakataras, Coordinator (610) Altar Boys Michael Sanford, Director Terpsichorean Dance Troupe Dino Charalambides St. Elpida Anestis Logothetis Choir Anthony Pantelopulos, Director Altar Guild Helen Doukakis, President AHEPA Dimitri Dandolos, President Daughters of Penelope Anna Maria Anagnostou, President (610) Hellenic University Club George Rassias, President The Heart Club Dean Lomis, President Vacation Bible School Sophia Fotakos, Director Editorial Staff - Ayia Trias Costas Fountzoulas Web Site Dino Charalambides Adult Bible Study (Wednesday AM) Fr. Stamatios Ganiaris Adult Bible Study (Thursday PM) Basil Savopoulos Church Office Address: greekorth@comcast.net Fr. Costa G. Christo s Church Address: frguschristo@comcast.net For pastoral emergencies - you may call Fr. Christo (cell) Holy Trinity Website Address: ALL ARTICLES & ANNOUNCEMENTS MUST BE IN THE OFFICE BY THE 15TH OF EACH MONTH. THESE ARTICLES & ANNOUNCEMENTS CAN BE DROPPED OFF, ED, FAXED OR U. S. MAIL.

3 The Pastor s Letter April 2009 Dear Parishioners: CHRIST is our Pascha. He is our passage from eternal death to life everlasting. Let us gather in Church during Holy and Great Week orderly and with fear of God, with faith and love. Let us assemble in the Spirit of God to participate sacramentally in the saving Passion and perfect and complete Resurrection of our Lord, Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Our Paschal Lamb does not come from any earthly marketplace. Our Paschal Lamb is the very Son of God, who is concretely found upon the Heavenly and Celestial Altar in the Mysteries of the Kingdom -- the Holy Eucharist, His very Body and Blood. Although the Resurrection occurred over 2,000 years ago, it is still accessible to us and we participate in it uniquely and dynamically by the action of the Holy Spirit upon the local Church. Allow Christ the Bridegroom to be your ever-present companion on your journey to His Father. Be vigilant. Do not distance Him from your souls because He comes like a thief in the middle of the night to claim you. Prepare yourselves through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, repentance, forgiveness, and the reading of the scriptures to receive worthily the King of Glory under the roof of the house of your soul. Inscribe Salvation and the Light of the World upon the tablet of your heart and make Him the welcomed guest as He wishes to be forever. The Resurrection of Christ has cosmic proportions. It not only renews life upon the earth, but also the entire universe. For Christ the PANTOCRATOR (the All- Sovereign Master of the Universe) is the creator and redeemer of all that was, is and shall be. In His Humanity, the ancient curse of death and corruption, which gripped nature in all its aspects, is eradicated once and for all. The sure sign of this is tasted and experienced in the Church via her sacraments (foremost the Eucharist); and this shall become a visible reality for all that exists to experience after Christ s Second and Awesome Coming. Then He shall make all things new and reign over His creation as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever. Do not miss out! See you in Church and especially during Holy and Great Week and Pascha! KALH ANASTASH! Have a Good Resurrection! The Lord s Servant, Απρίλιος 2009 Αγαπητοί µου Ενορίτες: Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ είναι το Πάσχα µας. Αυτός είναι το πέρασµα από τον παντοτινό θάνατο στην αιώνια ζωή. Ας συγκεντρωθούµε στην Εκκλησία κατά την διάρκεια της Μεγάλης Εδοµάδας µε τάξη και φόβο πρός τον Θεό, µε αγάπη και πίστη. Ας συγκεντρωθούµε εις το Πνεύµα του Θεού για να λάβουµε µυστηριακώς µέρος εις το σώζων Πάθος και στην τέλεια και πλήρη Ανάσταση του Κυρίου µας, του Μεγάλου Σωτήρος Ιησού Χριστού. Ο Πασχαλινός αµνός µας δεν έρχεται από καµµία γήϊνη αγορά. Ο Πασχαλινός αµνός είναι αυτός καθ εαυτός ο Υιός του Θεού, ο οποίοςευρίσκεται στερεώς και αιωνίως επανω στον Ουράνιο Βωµόν, εις τα Μυστήρια του Βασιλείου η Θεία Ευχαριστία, το Αίµα και Σώµα Του. Αν και η Ανάστασις συνέβη πάνω από 2000 χρόνια, είναι ακόµη προσπελάσιµη σε εµάς, και συµµετέχουµε σ αυτήν µοναδικώς και δυναµικώς δια µέσου της ενέργειας του Αγίου Πνεύµατος εις την κάθε τοπικήν Εκκλησίαν. Επιτρέψατε στον Χριστό Νυµφίο να είναι ο παντοτινός συντροφός σας στο ταξείδι σας πρός τον Πατέρα Του. Να είσθε άγρυπνοι. Μην αποµονώνετε τις ψυχές σας από Αυτόν γιατί έρχεται στο µέσον της νυκτός σαν κλέφτης να σας πάρη. Να προετοιµάζεσθε δια µέσου της προσευχής, νηστείας, ελεηµοσύνης, µετανοίας, συγχωρήσεως, και αναγνώσεως των γραφών ώστε να αποκτήσετε επαξίως τον Βασιλέα της όξας κάτω στην ψυχής σας. Εγγράψατε την Σωτηρίαν και το Φώς του Κόσµου στον πίνακα της καρδιάς σας κάνοντάς τον τον ευπρόσδεκτο επισκέπτη σας, όπως εξ άλλου επιθυµεί να είναι για πάντα. Η Ανάστασις του Κυρίου έχει τεράστιες διαστάσεις. Όχι µόνο ανανεώνει την ζωή επί της γής, αλλά επίσης και την ζωή όλου του σύµπαντος. Γιατί ο Χριστός ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΑΣ (Παντοδύναµος Κυρίαρχος Αφέντης του Σύµπαντος) είναι ο δηµιουργός και λυτρωτής όλων όσων υπήρξαν, υπάρχουν και θα υπάρχουν. Στην Μεγαλοψυχίαν Του, η αρχαία κατάρα του θανάτου και διαφθοράς, οι οποίες περιέσφιγγαν την φύση σε όλες τις εκδηλώσεις της, έχουν εξαφανισθεί δια παντός. Η ασφαλής απόδειξις αυτού λαµβάνει χώρα στην Εκκλησία µας δια µέσου των µυστηρίων της (ιδιαιτέρως αυτό της Ευχαριστίας) και αυτό θα γίνη ορατή πραγµατικότητα για ολα τα υπάρχοντα στην ευτέρα και Θαυµαστή Παρουσία του Χριστού. Τότε θα ανανεώση όλα τα πράγµατα και θα βασιλευση σε όλα τα δηµιουργήµατά Του σαν ο Βασιλέυς των Βασιλέων και ο Κύριος των Κυρίων για πάντα. Μην αµελήσετε να πάρετε µέρος! Θα σας δώ στην Εκκλησία αλλά ιδιαιτέρως την Μεγάλη Εβδοµάδα και το Πάσχα! ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ! ΚΑΛΗ ΑΝAΣΤΑΣΗ! Ο Υπηρέτης του Κυρίου, + Protopresbyter Constantine G. Christofis, Ph.D. Proistamenos +Πρωτοπρεσβύτερος ρ. Κώστας Γ. Χριστοφής For Spiritual Insights see Father Costa s Blog located at

4 April 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 5pm Greek School 6:30pm Presanctified Divine Liturgy. 2 7pm Bible Study 6pm Dance Practice 3 7pm Akathyst Hymn. 4 Dr. Phillip Mamalakis presentation about the Orthodox Christian Family in Contemporary America. Community Center. See special flyer for more information. Philoptochos DC Trip 5 The Fifth Sunday of Holy and Great Lent. The Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt. Orthros 9am. Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great 10am. Youth and Adult Sermons offered. One Year Memorial for Helen Vermeychuk. Altar Guild membership drive during the coffee hour. 12n GOYA Mtg. 6 5pm Greek School 7 7pm Daughters of Penelope Meeting 8 12:30pm Bible Study 5pm Greek School 6:30pm Presanctified Divine Liturgy. 9 1Ppm Heart Gathering 6pm Dance Practice 10 9am Presanctified Divine Liturgy. 11 SATURDAY OF LAZARUS Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 10:00am Palm Crosses Preparation after services HOPE/JOY Lentem Retreat 12 PALM SUNDAY Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 10:00am No Sunday School classes today. Bridegroom (Nymphios) Service 7:00pm 13 HOLY AND GREAT MONDAY Presanctified Divine Liturgy 9:00am Bridegroom (Nymphios) Service 7:00pm 14 HOLY AND GREAT TUESDAY Presanctified Divine Liturgy 9:00am Bridegroom (Nymphios) Service & Hymn of Kassiani 7:00pm 15 HOLY AND GREAT WEDNESDAY Presanctified Divine Liturgy 9:00am Sacrament of Holy Unction (Eucheleon) 5:00pm 16 HOLY AND GREAT THURSDAY Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil (Mystical Supper) 6:00am. Passion Service, Reading of the 12 Gospels & Procession with Holy Cross 7:00pm 17 HOLY AND GREAT FRIDAY The Royal Hours 9:00am Service of Descent from the Cross (Apokathelosis) 3:00pm Service of Lamentations (Epitaphios) 7:00pm 18 HOLY AND GREAT SATURDAY Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil 8:00am. Vigil Before Resurrection (Pannychis) 11:15pm. Resurrection Service, Paschal Orthros & Paschal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 12:00am 19 HOLY and GREAT PASCHA Agape Vesper Service 11:00am Egg Hunt for children following the service 20 5pm Greek School 21 7pm Philoptochos Meeting 22 12:30pm Bible Study 5pm Greek School 23 The Feast of St. George the Great Martyr. Orthros 9:15am. Divine Liturgy 10am. 7pm Bible Study 24 The Feast of the Zoodochos Peghe. Orthros 9:15am. Divine Liturgy 10am. 6pm Dance Practice 25 Bright Week: April 20 th -25 th Totally Fast Free Christ is Risen! C risto;~ janevsth! Truly He is Risen! jalhqw`~ janevsth! 26 The Second Sunday of Pascha. The Sunday of St. Thomas the Apostle. Orthros 9am. Divine Liturgy 10am. Sunday School classes resume. 1pm the celebration of the Thomas Baptism. 27 5pm Greek School :30pm Bible Study 5pm Greek School 7pm Church Organizations Presidents Meeting 30 7pm Bible Study

5 Απρίλιος 2009 Κυριακή ευτέρα Τρίτη Τετάρτη Πέµπτη Παρασκευή Σάββατο 1 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο 6:30 µ.µ. Προηγιασµένη Θεία Λειτουργία 2 7µµ Μελέτη Βίβλου Ενηλ. 6µµ Πρακτική χορού 3 7µµ Ο Ακάθιστος Ύµνος 4 Παρουσίαση ρ. Φίλιππου Μαµαλάκη της Ορθόδοξης Χριστιανικής Οικογενείας στην Σύγχρονη Αµερική στο Κοινοτικό Κέντρο. Πληροφορίες στο ειδικό διαφηµιστικό. Ταξείδι Φιλοπτώχου στο DC 5 Πέµπτη Κυριακή της Ιεράς Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστής. Της Αγία Μαρίας Αιγυπτιώτισας Όρθρος 9 π.µ. Θεία Λειτουργία Αγίου Βασιλείου 10π.µ. Κήρυγµα Νέων και Ενηλίκων. Ετήσιο Μνηµόσυνο Ελένης Βερµουτσούκ. Εκστρατεία για νέα µέλη του Σωµατείου Ιερού κατά την διάρκεια του καφέ. 6 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο 7 7 µµ Συνάθροιση Θυγατέρων Πηνελόπης 8 12:30 µµ Μελέτη Βίβλου Ενηλ. 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο 6:30 µ.µ. Προηγιασµένη Θεία Λειτουργία 9 1 µ.µ. Συνάθροιση Αειθαλών Νέων 6µµ Πρακτική χορού 10 9πµ Προηγιασµένη Θεία Λειτουργία 6µµ Πρακτική χορού 11 Σάββατο του Λαζάρου. Όρθρος 9 π.µ. Λειτουργία Αγίου Ιωάννου Χρυσοστόµου 10π.µ. Προετοιµασία σταυρών από φοίνικες µετά την ακολουθία 12 Κυριακή των Βαΐων Όρθρος 9 π.µ. Θεία Λειτουργία Αγίου Ιωάννου Χρυσοστόµου 10π.µ. Αργία Κατηχητικού Ακολουθία του Νυµφίου 7:00 µ.µ. 13 Μεγάλη ευτέρα Προηγιασµένη Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00π.µ. Ακολουθία του Νυµφίου 7:00 µ.µ. 14 Μεγάλη Τρίτη Προηγιασµένη Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00π.µ. Ακολουθία του Νυµφίου και Ύµνος της Κασσιανής 7:00 µ.µ. 15 Μεγάλη Τετάρτη Προηγιασµένη Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00π.µ. Μυστήριον του Ιερού Ευχελαίου 5:00 µ.µ. 16 Μεγάλη Πέµπτη. Εσπερινός, Θεία Λειτουργία Μέγα Βασιλείου, Μυστικός είπνος 6:00 π.µ. Ακολουθία Παθών, Ανάγνωσις 12 Ευαγγελίων, Περιφορά Σταυρού 7:00µ.µ. 17 Μεγάλη Παρασκευή Βασιλικές Ώρες 9:00π.µ. Ακολουθία Αποκαθηλώσεως 3:00µ.µ Ακολουθία Επιταφίου 7:00µ.µ. 18 Μεγάλο Σάββατο Εσπερινός, Θεία Λειτουργία του Μ. Βασιλείου 8:00π.µ. Παννυχις 11:15 µ.µ Ακολουθία Αναστάσεως, Πασχαλινός Όρθρος & Θεία Λειτουργία του Πάσχα του Αγίου Ιωάννου Χρυσοστόµου 12:00 Μεσάνυκτα 19 ΑΓΙΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ Ακολουθία Αγάπης 11:00 π.µ. Αναζήτηση αυγών από τα παιδιά µε τα την Θεία Λειτουργία 20 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο 21 7µµ Συνάθροιση Φιλοπτώχου 22 12:30 µµ Μελέτη Βίβλου Ενηλ. 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο 23 Μεγαλοµάρτυρος και Τροπαιοφόρου Αγίου Γεωργίου Όρθρος 9:15 π.µ. Θεία Λειτουργία 10π.µ. Μελέτη Βίβλου Ενηλ. 7 µµ Λαµπρή Εβδοµάδα: Απριλίου 20 η -25 η Αρτήσιµη. Χριστός Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη! 24 Της Ζωοδόχου Πηγής Όρθρος 9:15 π.µ. Θεία Λειτουργία 10π.µ. 6µµ Πρακτική χορού εύτερη Κυριακή του Πάσχα. Του Αποστόλου Θωµά. Όρθρος 9 π.µ.. Θεία Λειτουργία 10πµ. Κατηχητικό ξαναρχίζει. 1.µµ Βάπτισις Θωµά 27 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο :30 µµ Μελέτη Βίβλου Ενηλ. 5µµ Ελλ. Σχολείο 7 µµ Συνάντηση Προέδρων Οργανισµών Εκκλησίας 30 7µµ Μελέτη Βίβλου Ενηλ

6 President s Column Dear Parishioners, Kudos to the Greek School, its students and teachers for the wonderful Greek Independence Day program! We should all be proud of our Greek School. Let me also thank our hard working volunteers who finished the festival food preparations. These industrious workers finished preparing the food one month earlier than last year! There are many who contributed to this effort. So, in order not to risk forgetting someone by trying to list everyone let me humbly say thank you to everyone who helped. As I outlined last month, the Parish Council is keeping a close eye on Church expenses in order to ensure that we are being good stewards of our resources, especially in these difficult economic times. To understand what we face, allow me to place into context how much our basic, fixed operating expenses are. In 2008, it cost an average $50,000 per month to operate the Parish - more than $1,600 per day. This $50,000 per month average includes basic items like paying salaries, utilities, health insurance, youth group expenses, routine maintenance, publishing weekly and monthly bulletins, etc. I wish every month we received an equal amount through stewardship pledges and other donations. We don t. Instead, we rely on festival revenue for a significant percentage of the church s annual operating funds. That leaves us extremely vulnerable to the weather or just poor attendance. Please know that we still need your help. If you have not filled out a stewardship card, please do so as soon as possible. Knowing how much we can expect in stewardship is critical so that we can plan appropriately. We also need your help with this year s Festival. The more Festival volunteers we have, the better positioned we will be to have a successful Festival. As always, please contact any Parish Council member or me if we can be of any assistance. In addition to my phone number listed in the front of the bulletin, please feel free to me at spiros.mantzavinos@verizon.net. Thank you. Αγαπητά Μέλη της Κοινότητας, Μπράβο στο Ελληνικό Σχολείο, τους µαθητές και τις δασκάλες για το όµορφο Πρόγραµµα για την εορτή της 25 ης Μαρτίου 21! Πρέπει όλοι µας να είµαστε υπερήφανοι για το Ελληνικό Σχολείο µας. Επίσης, ας µου επιτραπεί να ευχαριστήσω όλους τους εθελοντές που µε σκληρή τους εργασία τελείωσαν την προετοιµασία του φαγητού του Φεστιβάλ. Εφέτος, αυτοί οι εφευρετικοί εργάτες ετελείωσαν το φαγητό ένα µήνα ενωρίτερα από πέρσι! Πολλοί συνεισέφεραν σε αυτήν την προσπάθεια. Έτσι για να µην αδικήσω κανέναν προσπαθώντας να τους θυµηθώ όλους λέω ταπεινά ευχαριστώ σε όλους που εβόηθησαν. Όπως υπογράµµισα τον περασµένο µήνα, το Κοινοτικό Συµβούλιο παρακολουθεί στενά τα έξοδα για τυχόν υπερβολές, ώστε να αποδειχθούµε καλοί οικονόµοι µε τα έσοδά µας σ αυτούς τους δύσκολους καιρούς. Για να καταλάβουµε τι αντιµετωπίζουµε, σας παραθέτω τις λειτουργικές δαπάνες µας εν συντοµία. Το 2008, ξοδεύουµε για τη Κοινότητα δολάρια µηνιαίως-κάτι περισσότερο από δολλάια ηµερησίως. Αυτά τα δολάρια περικλείουν βασικές ανάγκες όπως µισθούς, νερό, ηλεκτρικό, ζέστη, ασφάλειες υγείας, οµάδες νεότητος, συντήρηση, και χαρτικά για τις εβδοµαδιαίες και µηνιαίες ανάγκες µας. Θα επιθυµούσα να εισπράτουµε κάθε µήνα ένα ίσο ποσό από την οικονοµική συνεισφορά σας και άλλες δωρεές. Όµως, εξαρτώµεθα κατά πολύ από τις εισπράξεις του φεστιβάλ για τα λειτουργικά έξοδα της εκκλησίας. Αυτό όµως και η µικρή συµµετοχή µας αφήνουν εξαιρετικά ευάλωτους σε δύσκολους καιρούς. Παρακαλώ να καταλάβετε ότι χρειαζόµαστε ακόµη την βοήθειά σας. Παρακαλώ συµπληρώστε την σχετική κάρτα συνεισφορά σας το συντοµώτερο δυνατόν. Έγκαιρη γνώση των οικονοµικών συνεισφορών σας είναι κρίσιµη για τον προγραµµατισµό µας. Ακόµη χρειαζόµαστε την βοήθειά σας για το Φεστιβάλ. Όσο περισσότεροι βοηθήσουν τόσο το καλλίτερο για την επιτυχία του. Ως συνήθως, µπορείτε να επικοινωνήτε µε οποιοδήποτε Μέλος του Συµβουλίου αν χρειάζεσθε βοήθεια. Πλήν του αριθµού τηλεφώνου µου που είναι καταχωρηµένο στην εξώφυλλο του ελτίου της Εκκλησίας µπορείτε να επικοινωνήσετε στο spiros.mantzavinos@verizon.net. Ευχαριστώ. Spiros Mantzavinos Σπύρος Μαντζαβίνος

7 Stewardship The Lord endows each of us with personal gifts, talents and material possessions. Orthodox Christian Stewardship reminds us that we have a trusteeship over these gifts, talents and material possessions, not an ownership. Stewardship means giving back to God a portion of what He has given us. Your Church needs to meet the financial needs of its annual ministries and operating budget. Our parishioners are Stewards of Holy Trinity Parish, rather than dues payers. To the best of our abilities, we all accept direct responsibility for the financial support and progress of our Church and its mission. If you have not already done so, please return your annual pledge commitment card to the church office. Give the matter of your Orthodox Christian Stewardship Commitment your most serious and prayerful consideration. Your stewardship amount should be a spiritual expression of gratitude and love to God. Holy Trinity Registry for April 2009 Churching's: Shelly Guardascione and baby Talia ~ March 1 Magdalene Psihalinos and baby twins George and Anna ~ March 1 Maria Burritt and baby Christian ~ March 29 Baptisms: Alexander Constantine Hall ~ March 7 Funerals: Viola Nicholas ~ March 4 ~ (in Dover, DE) Christopher Davis ~ March 14 ~ (in Dover, DE) Constantinos "Dino" Kotzamichalis~ brother of Helen Karablacas ~ (in Portland, OR) Konstantinos Katsirmis ~ (in Greece)

8 Christ is Risen! Youth Director News As we will soon enough greet each other in the upcoming weeks, but for now we continue to prepare for his triumphal return. We will hopefully spend a lot of time in church together over the next few weeks, and I hope that we can all learn a little bit more about what these services mean to us and understand how they bring us closer to God. The GOYAn's have been slowly preparing themselves for the upcoming Holy Week. Every Monday during Lent a few gather to hold a Compline and give thanks to the Lord. They read psalms and prayers (in both English and Greek) to give praise and to honor our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ. They read or sing prayers to the Theotokos on Friday nights during the Salutation services. Now comes the Journey through Holy Week. I borrow the term from a publication from the Archdiocese, because we are truly undertaking a Spiritual Journey during this week. We can attend church services every day, and hear readings and stories from Holy Scripture that help us understand who Jesus was, how we benefited from his coming, and how we can become closer to our faith. I ask that GOYAn's take time out of their busy schedules and try to attend some of these services. Most are not too long, and how cool would it be to receive Holy Communion on Holy Thursday before you even went to school! We can even receive Holy Unction to cure our ailments and spiritual illnesses. Some services may even seem strange to you; all the more reason to attend and experience the beautiful services that our church holds every year. All this to prepare ourselves for the glorious resurrection of our Lord! I am truly blessed to be able to attend all these services. I look forward to seeing you all during the week, and if you want to participate in the services, let me know, and we can find ways for you to get the most from attending these services. Looking forward to spending Holy Week with you all, Your Servant in Christ, Dino Charalambides, Youth Director Cell Phone use in the Sanctuary... Unless you are expecting a phone call from GOD ~ Please turn off your cell phones until the close of the service.

9 April Altar Boy Schedule Please remember to find an alternate if you cannot make your assigned week. Any boys, ages 10 and up interested in serving at the Altar this year please call Mike Sanford at (610) , or see him before or after Liturgy. Chrysostom 4/5 & 4/26 Constantine Fournaris (C) (302) Antonio Fessaras Theodore Fessaras George Tsaganos Dimitri Tsaganos Steven Constantinou Yianni Zerefos Basil 4/12 Peter Stevens (C) (302) Yanni Janelli Larry Kirifides Lazarus Kirifides George Kamenakis Alex & Dino Matulas Gregory 4/19 Yanni Kaliakin (C) (610) Christopher Grivas Dimitrios Kaliakin George Fountzoulas Billy Halakos Nikolaos Dandolos Serving this month... Epistle Readers: April 5 ~ Jamie Kostas April 12 ~ Dimitri Kaliakin April 19 ~ Jamie Kostas April 26 ~ Yanni Kaliakin Narthex Duty: April 5 ~ Group 2 April 12 ~ Group 3 April 19 ~ Group 1 April 26 ~ Group 2 Coffee Hours: April 5 ~ Altar Heart April 12 ~ Parish Council April 19 ~ Easter NO Coffee Hour April 26 ~ Daughters of Penelope If you or your family would like to sponsor a Coffee Hour please contact the Church Office to arrange it. ( ) April 5 April 12 April 19 April 26 If you would like to be added to the list of Prosforon Offerers, please call Dimitra Lempesis at the number listed below, or, if at any time you wish to offer the Prosforon without being added to the list, please feel free to bring it in on any Sunday that you wish. Prosforon Offerers for April Katina Galanakis Maria Kromedas Sophia Psaltis Klairy Karas Maria Papanicholas Vasiliki Kromedas Niki Karaoglanis Katina Zographos If you cannot meet your scheduled date please contact Dimitra

10 Dear Parishioners, Religious Education News Time to line up, Senior High students first, Nursery last. Keep your voices down. Hold your icons high for all to see. Two by two, no pushing, stay in line... here we go! Thus began the students entrance in the Procession of Icons on Orthodoxy Sunday, March 8, the first Sunday of Great Lent. The children were orderly and respectful as they followed the priests and altar boys around the church, lined up on the soleas and participated in the service. Once again, the procession of the icons had taken place with the Sunday school students playing an important role in its commemoration. Following the second Salutations service, parishioners and guests gathered in the AHEPA room to hear the speeches from the participants in the Junior and Senior High Division of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Each speaker captured the attention of the audience with the eloquence and depth of the delivery of their chosen topic. The winners from each division will progress to the next phase of the Oratorical Festival that will take place at St. Luke s Church in Broomall, Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 25. You can find the presentations of all the participants in the following pages of this issue of the Church newsletter. Our thanks to the following: Emcee: Mr. George Tsakataras Judges: Rev. Fr. Stephen Hutnick Mr. John Lazare Mr. James Stockwell Timekeeper: Mr. Dino Charalambides Photographer: Mr. Costas Krikelis Oratorical Festival Committee: Rev. Fr. Gus G. Christo Presbytera Georgia Christo, the primary coordinator of the Festival who made it all possible Mrs. Susan Kelleher And to the students who participated, thank you for the time and effort you put into your papers. Your parents are very proud of you and so is the entire Holy Trinity Community! CONGRATULATIONS! WELL DONE! The Sunday School Calendar for April is: April 5 April 12 April 19 April 26 Regular Sunday/Youth Sermon/Fifth Sunday of Great Lent St. Mary of Egypt/Movie for Grades 1-12 in the Community Hall PALM SUNDAY/Family Worship Sunday/No Sunday School HOLY AND SACRED PASCHA Regular Sunday/St. Thomas Sunday A BLESSED EASTER TO ALL Yours in Christ, Helene Krikelis Sunday School Director

11 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival ~ March 13, 2009 NAME Chrysanthe Christo Dimitri Kaliakin Christina Sanford Division Winner NAME Myrophora Christo Division Winner Junior Division Speakers (7 th, 8 th, & 9 th grades) TOPIC St. John of Damascus wrote, What the book does for those who understand letters, the image does for the illiterate. (Treatise I, Against the Iconoclasts). What is the proper relationship between the images one sees and the lifestyle one leads? The Ancient Greek word agon or agonas was used to describe athletic activities. It was employed by early Christians to describe the way a Christian should live. How does the effort to live a Christian life resemble an athletic activity? Senior Division Speakers (10 th,11 th,& 12 th grades) TOPIC I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5 LXX) In light of the entire text of Psalm 130, what is hope and for what do Christians hope? Maria Sanford Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in his recent book Encountering the Mystery, writes, the freedom of God determines and defines the freedom of humanity (p. 126). In what sense does the freedom of God determine and define the freedom of humanity, and what are the practical consequences of this connection?

12 Reverend Fathers, Presbyteras, Honorable Judges, Fellow Speakers, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Evening. I hope I get an A on my math test! I hope my team wins our soccer match! I hope I win the lottery! We have all been caught saying at least one of these phrases one time or another. The key word that all of these statements have in common is the word hope. What does hope mean? According to Webster s dictionary, hope is an expectation of [ ] success. This is true. We expect to get the A on the test, for our team to win, and, yes, to win the lottery. Why not? However, according to James Mays, Christian author of the book Psalms, hope is defined as waiting. Waiting? Well now let s rephrase the second half of the topic question, what do Christians wait for? To put it simply, we as Christians wait for Christ s second coming, glory, and judgment and we pray for entrance into His Holy and life-giving Kingdom. In essence this is what Psalm 130 prays. Psalm 130 is commonly read during this time of Great Lent, especially during the Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy. Psalm 130 is among a collection of songs of ascents. In the Orthodox Study Bible ascents are also known as graduals. In her services of worship, the Church ascends by degrees to the heavenly holy of holies, for worship is an ascent of the heart and mind to the Holy Trinity in adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. These graduals or ascents help us on our journey through Lent and lead us toward our goal, which is Pascha. Author Mays also describes Psalm 130 as a succinct but powerful expression of the theme that is the heart of Scripture: the human predicament and its dependence on divine grace. Basically, do not put your hope in this world. Psalm 130 prays: Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord The depths refer to this world. We hope and wait for God who is not of this world to come down and break into ours. We pray this all the time in the Lord s Prayer, [ ] on Earth as it is in Heaven. The psalmist also cries out: Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy. Only God can forgive us and save us. God has promised us He will save us and we put our hope in His Word that He will do just that. For there is forgiveness with You. If God was not a merciful God there would be no hope for us, we would all be condemned. But God is a good and loving God and this Psalm reminds us as Mays says: Divine Forgiveness will be fulfilled in the freedom that belongs to the children of God. Patriarch Bartholomew also describes hope in his book, Encountering the Mystery. Hope is essential for life. Just as the body cannot live without oxygen and the soul cannot live without faith, life cannot exist without hope. Basically if there is no hope then we are dead and we have nothing to live for and this time of lent leading to Pascha would be meaningless. Patriarch Bartholomew also writes in his Lenten Encyclical: The divine economy of salvation is certain. For God is the one who provides everything with depth of wisdom and loving-kindness. And the deposit of our labors is secure, for we surrender all of our life and hope to the incarnate Word. Therefore, in order to Hope we must first trust in the Lord for He knows what s best for us. Now going back to the beginning, is it then wrong for us to hope to get the A or to win the lottery? No, because these can be honorable requests. We hope for the A in order to do well in school and to succeed in an honorable vocation. And winning the lottery in order to create or fund a charity is a good thing. As a community of faithful Orthodox Christians we all have hope, and the ultimate hope is salvation. We all are waiting to be with God for eternity! Thank you. Respectfully Submitted by Myrophora Christo I struggled up the last hill in my run. I was very tired, and I knew there was only one way I was making it up that hill. I prayed, Help me, Lord, to make it up this hill, because I know I can only finish this run with Your help. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. There are many similarities between being an athlete and being a Christian. Both require strength, dedication, consistency, lots of hard work, abstinence, being kind to others, and the following of certain rules. It takes a lot of strength and training for me, as a runner, to do well in a race. Similarly, it takes a lot of spiritual strength, and a lot of work to acquire that strength, to fight temptation, to stand up to atheists or, even more challenging, to defy heretics, who challenge the Orthodox Faith. If I want to be the best runner I can be, I need to train consistently. I can t just go out every few months, when I feel like it, and expect to get faster. To run my best I must run at least every few days. Becoming more Christ-like is comparable to this. How can you expect to draw near to God if you only talk to Him a few times a year, when it s convenient for you? After all, in 1st Thessalonians 5:17, St. Paul tells us that we must pray without ceasing. Being both an athlete and a Christian require abstinence. Athletes need to eat certain foods, and avoid others, to heal and strengthen their muscles, so that they can be the best they can be. As Christians, we not only abstain from eating certain foods at certain times during the year, including the current season of Great Lent, but we always try to abstain from un-godliness by not having mean, slandering or blasphemous words and thoughts. When I began to run about two years ago, I could barely run a mile. Over time, however, I have gotten stronger, and at the peak of my training last fall, I could run about 4 miles relatively easily. Similarly, faith in God grows over time. It can be hard for us to put all our trust in God and God alone, but we must keep trying our hardest to trust Him, and believe that He will never give us any more than we can handle, for the only way to get stronger both physically and spiritually is to go a little further and pray a little harder than you think you can. Both God and the finish line are always closer than we think. In 2nd Timothy, 2:5, we read, and also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes by the rules There are rules for both athletes and Christians. Athletes should not cheat by doing things like tripping up an opponent, or taking a shortcut in a race. They should also congratulate those who beat them, and tell those they beat that they did a good job. As Christians we are supposed to be kind and merciful to all, give alms, pray, read the Bible and follow the Great Commission, Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations. (Matthew, 28:19) Also, we must follow the ten Old Testament commandments, and the two commandments Christ gives us in Matthew 22: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. I don t like running uphill, but I do it because I know it will make me stronger. Lent is the spiritual equivalent of hills. Neither is a whole lot of fun, but they both make me stronger, and both have their reward. No human is perfect, so there s always room to be more like Christ, and more room for athletic improvement, so I m still running up those hills- both the physical and spiritual. Respectfully Submitted by Christina Sanford

13 Reverend Fathers, Presbytera, Honorable Judges, dear parents and friends, Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a great athlete and a great Christian? The two, very closely tied together, require much love, patience and perseverance. However the end results will be worth the effort! When you first start thinking about playing a sport you must think of the proper skills you must practice to play a part in the sport. When you first begin to play a sport you will start to notice your weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses because without them we would be infallible and of course there is no infallible person. When you discover this weakness or weaknesses, you then have a choice. You can either work hard to overcome your weaknesses, or you can take the lazy approach and simply ignore your weakness, don t work on them, and never achieve your goals. When we are born, we are already labeled with Original Death. This fallen state is a weakness that we must work hard to remove from our life. Playing a sport will take a certain level of commitment. Whether it be attending practices, games, or working on your own, there will always have to be an amount of compromise to get better at the sport. As Christians, we must commit to a life of God. To become good at a sport you cannot just work for a day or a week and expect results. Christians cannot just pray, read the Bible, go to church, and lead a holy life once every so often. This commitment, towards God and a Godly life, must last all of your life. Another important trait of a true Christian and successful athlete is perseverance. I myself have been playing the sport of soccer for 8 years now. I have had to work from day one to increase my level of play. It has not been easy, but there is a certain love of sport, that if you can attain, will keep you working. The same holds for a true Christian. In Hebrews 12 verses 1-3 we hear Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Whenever we are involved in a sport, there are times for practices and times for competition. We practice our faith by reading the Bible and praying daily. On Sundays, and other special times like preparing for Easter, we must go to Church. We can not just state that we are Christians and never practice our faith. There will also be times when our faith is put to the test- when we must compete to stay on the path of God. These are the times where we are tempted to do something wrong, thus hurt our relationship with the Lord. The competition we face is the devil. The devils ambitions, in our lives, are to make us turn away from the Lord. We must be strong! If we can overcome this challenge posed by the devil and by the opponent there is a prize for our efforts. The prize we seek, during our life, is to be like God- striving to be as close to Holiness as possible. The overall reward we seek is a place in Heaven, a place beside God. Just like an athlete we must have the perseverance, the commitment, the belief, and the love to be able to reach our goals. Respectfully Submitted by Dimitri Kaliakin Reverend Fathers, Honorable Judges, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Evening. When I was a young child beginning school I remember being taught my ABC s and my 123 s because these were basic skills. Likewise, when I was baptized as an Orthodox Christian I was taught many things about the spiritual life or my life in Christ. I learned the basics about going to Church on Sundays, like lighting my candle in the narthex, making the sign of the cross, and kissing or venerating the icons. I remember wondering as a little kid what were the icons all about. What is an icon? Why do we use them? Now I realize that icons are God s way of communicating to Christians what it means to be made in His image and likeness and why it is important to work for our salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. First, what is an icon? An icon is a depiction of Christ, Panaghia, a saint, or a scared event that happened during the life of Jesus Christ on earth. Some icons can really provoke deep emotions from a person. An example is the icon of the Crucifixion of Christ. This icon shows the suffering of our Savior Jesus Christ on the cross giving his life for the forgiveness of our sins. This icon also gives a person a feeling of sadness and humility. By looking at the ultimate sacrifice the giving of one s life for another one cannot help but feel extreme sadness and awe. It also speaks to those who have forgotten that God sent His only begotten Son so we could be with him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Icons are in our Churches and in our homes and lives to help us continue to live the gospel message to preach and teach the world what it means to be a Christian. We have many examples in history of believers who did something special for Christ. Saint Constantine the Great is one such example. Constantine had become the senior ruler of the Roman Empire but had to defeat Maxentius, his rival, in order to control the entire empire. He had to fight a battle that did not favor him winning. However, Constantine had a Christian mother who prayed for his success and during the battle he had a vision of an image. It was a cross that had the following on it: BY THIS YOU SHALL WIN, EN TOUTO NIKA. Constantine immediately told his army to paint this image on their armor and they won the battle. Saint Constantine showed us that we must take what God is communicating to us and really listen because God is the Way to our salvation. The saints in general show us how a Christian life should be lived. Saint Paul refers to the saints as clouds of witnesses. They each show us different ways that lead to God. In the same way, icons show us how to live a life devoted to Christ, how to be a Christian witness and become a living icon. In a recent weekly church bulletin, on the back page it explained: Icons are more than depictions of saintly people and holy events. As a part of our spiritual life in Christ, icons are meant to help us become reflections of Christ. Just as we look in a mirror and see if we perfectly combed our hair and brushed our teeth, praying with icons help keep us focused on living a Christian life. Icons in effect, promise us that if we use them correctly and take a good look at ourselves while praying with them then we will be able to see the Lord brought to life in our actions, and one-day share in the comfort of the Kingdom of Heaven. Thank You. Respectfully Submitted by Chrysanthe Christo

14 Freedom. It s something that many of us take for granted. We are blessed to live in a land where we are granted religious, political and personal freedoms. Yet there is another kind of freedom that no government can give or take- the freedom of God, the freedom that gives us free will to accept or deny Christ, to choose what path we take, and to live in the Kingdom. This evening I will talk about how the freedom of God defines the freedom of man, and two of the consequences - Salvation and Sin. That the freedom of God defines the freedom of man was established when God said Let us make man in Our Image and Likeness. (Gen. 1:26) According to the Fathers of the Church, the image of God that is in each person is the highest part of one s being, the spiritual intellect. It is through this that one can know about God and have union with him. The Image and Likeness we re created in is what distinguishes man from the rest of creation and makes us fully human. Above all, it gives man the capability to distinguish between right and wrong and choose between the two. We know that God is free to do as He pleases, indeed Creation itself was an act of God s free will. Since mankind is created in His Image and Likeness, we have free will. The Orthodox Church perceives created in His Image and Likeness to mean that man was created perfectly suited in knowledge, grace, strength and free will to carry out God s will. However it is in a potential sense because we must choose to fulfill what we were given by God. When Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden they made a choice. They chose to disobey God and now, while we still have free will and are made in His Image, that Image has been distorted, although not destroyed by the fall. Our freedom has many consequences, including our salvation. Ephesians 2:8 says For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. God has freely given us the gift of grace and salvation. He freely sent His Son to die for us all and freely gives us His grace. Yet, despite being given these, salvation is not automatically ours. We must choose of our own free will to accept the gifts God has given us. God cannot force us to accept these gifts; because we have been given free will to choose for ourselves, we must decide. We make this decision throughout our lives. You, or your parents, chose it when you were baptized. Every time you partake of any of the Sacraments you are choosing it. Everyday you have to choose it on a lesser level. Do I do whatever I want no matter how evil and repulsive to God it may be? Or, do I choose the path that leads to God and salvation? Just as salvation is freely offered, so must we accept it of our own volition. Another consequence of free will is the subject of a question that is often asked of Christians. How can there be evil and sin in the world if God is all-good and all-loving? Sin is a grave consequence of free will and there is sin in the world because God is a God of love. God created Adam, Eve and their descendants to both serve and love him. Of course He could have created beings that were forced to serve Him and do His will. However then they, and we couldn't have loved Him. Love cannot be forced. It must be chosen. When we were given free will, we were given another choice besides loving and serving God. We were given the power to choose sin. This was the risk that God took when He gave us free will, but without that risk there could not have been any love. We are the ones who have created sin by our choices. Not God who is all-good. St. Gregory of Nyssa said Sin does not exist in nature apart from free will; it is not a substance in its own right. God could not have created anything that was evil because God is all good; therefore everything He created must be good in itself. Our choices and attitudes are what have created sin. Bishop Kallistos Ware wrote. Evil resides not in the thing itself, but in our attitude towards the thing- that is to say in our will. Because we are created in God s Image and Likeness we have free will. We are given the freedom to make the mundane choices of what to wear or eat, but more importantly, we have the freedom to choose life over death. The freedom God has given us requires us to exercise it to choose salvation. It has horrible consequence of sin. But there we too have a choice to choose sin or to step away from it. This freedom is a gift from God- a gift that we can either use to bless or curse our lives. Respectfully Submitted by Maria Sanford

15 SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC When: Saturday, May 16, :00-7:00PM Where: YMCA Hanby Outdoor Center Food 35 Chestnut Road Wilmington, DE Games What to Bring: your self your family Entertainment & your extra lawn chairs DIRECTIONS to the PARK: 202 North to Silverside Road / Right onto Silverside Road, follow to Marsh Road. / Left onto Marsh Road follow to Chestnut. / Right onto Chestnut Street. / Hanby Outdoor Center is a half mile on your left. (See Map) PLEASE RSVP to the (302) by Friday, May 8

16 APRILIOS H MEGALH EBDOMAS KAI TO AGIO PASCA SABBATON TOU LAZAROU Orqro~ Qeia Leitourgia tou Agiou Iwannou tou Crusostomou Etoimasia staurwn me bagia 12 KURIAKH TWN BAIWN Orqro~ Qeia Leitourgia tou Agiou Iwannou tou Crusostomou H Akolouqia tou Numfiou 13 AGIA KAI MEGALH DEUTERA Qeia Leitourgia twn Prohgiasmenwn Dwrwn H Akolouqia tou Numfiou 14 AGIA KAI MEGALH TRITH Qeia Leitourgia twn Prohgiasmenwn Dwrwn H Akolouqia tou Numfiou kai to Troparion th~ Kassianh~ 15 AGIA KAI MEGALH TETARTH Qeia Leitourgia twn Prohgiasmenwn Dwrwn To Ieron Eucelaion 16 AGIA KAI MEGALH PEMPTH Esperino~ kai Qeia Leitourgia tou Megalou Basileiou (O Mustiko~ Deipno~) H Akolouqia twn Agiwn Paqwn kai ta 12 Euaggelia 17 AGIA KAI MEGALH PARASKEUH Ai Megalai Wrai H Apokaqhlwsi~ O Epitafio~ Qrhno~ 18 MEGA SABBATON Mega~ Esperino~ kai Qeia Leitourgia tou Megalou Basileiou Pannuci~ H Anastash~, Orqro~ Anastasew~, kai Qeia Leitourgia tou Agiou Iwannou tou Crusostomou 19 AGIA KAI MEGALH KURIAKH TOU PASCA H Akolouqia tou Megalou Esperinou th~ Agaph~ Partu paidiwn meta thn Akolouqia th~ Agaph~ 9.00 PM PM 9.00 PM PM 7.00 MM 9.00 PM 7.00 MM 9.00 PM 7.00 MM 9.00 PM 5.00MM 6.00 PM 7.00 MM 9.00 PM 3.00 MM 7.00 MM 8.00 PM MM PM PM

17 HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA SCHEDULE 2009 APRIL 11 SATURDAY OF LAZARUS Orthros Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Palm Crosses Preparation after services 12 PALM SUNDAY Orthros Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Bridegroom (Nymphios) Service 13 HOLY AND GREAT MONDAY Presanctified Divine Liturgy Bridegroom (Nymphios) Service 14 HOLY AND GREAT TUESDAY Presanctified Divine Liturgy Bridegroom (Nymphios) Service & Hymn of Kassiani 15 HOLY AND GREAT WEDNESDAY Presanctified Divine Liturgy Sacrament of Holy Unction (Eucheleon) 16 HOLY AND GREAT THURSDAY Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil (Mystical Supper) Passion Service, Reading of the 12 Gospels & Procession with Holy Cross 17 HOLY AND GREAT FRIDAY The Royal Hours Service of Descent from the Cross (Apokathelosis) Service of Lamentations (Epitaphios) 9:00am 10:00am 9:00am 10:00am 7:00pm 9:00am 7:00pm 9:00am 7:00pm 9:00am 5:00pm 6:00am 7:00pm 9:00am 3:00pm 7:00pm 18 HOLY AND GREAT SATURDAY Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil Vigil Before Resurrection (Pannychis) Resurrection Service, Paschal Orthros & Paschal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 19 HOLY PASCHA Agape Vesper Service Egg Hunt for children following the service 8:00am 11:15pm 12:00 midnight 11:00am

18 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church presents... Date: 04/04/2009 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm Breakfast and Lunch provided Dr. Mamalakis will present a one day seminar beginning at 10:00am and ending approximately at 4:00pm. To reserve your seat please R.S.V.P. to the church office by April 1 st The Orthodox Christian Family in Contemporary America Holy Trinity Community Center 808 N. Broom Street Wilmington, DE By Dr. Phillip Mamalakis of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Boston, MA

19 March 12th at the Emmanuel Dining Room George Tsakataras and his fellow members of the Delaware Chapter of Villanova Law School Alumni sponsored the meal on Thursday, March 12th, serving lunch to 160 men, women and children. Thank you George and friends for your very generous donations and time again this year! On April 12th, Palm Sunday, the meal will be sponsored by Renos and Nikkie Tsakataras. If you would like to help out that day or if you would like to sponsor a month with your family, friends or church organization, please contact Nikkie Tsakataras at or Tina Ganiaris at New sponsors are always welcome! The Emmanuel Dining Room is located in the Old Asbury Church at 3rd and Walnut Streets. Our monthly sponsors donate and serve the luncheon meal on the 12 th of every month from noon until 1 pm. Come and join in on the fun while contributing to this worthwhile cause. Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter! Holy Trinity Food Pantry SPECIAL LENTEN FOOD DRIVE UNDERWAY AS FOOD SHORTAGES NOW REPORTED AS CRITICAL PLEASE HELP!!! HOW??? Whenever you come to Church please bring with you one non-perishable food item. Just one canned food item from each parishioner will fill our bins and more deliveries can be made to reach the growing number of our neighbors who are daily trying to put food on their table. In this Holy Season of Lent, what could be more Christian than to help feed the poor and the growing number of working poor? We are made aware repeatedly in the Bible that sharing with the poor is what we are to do. Holy Trinity has made this very convenient for you by setting up food bins in the Narthex and by the Church office. Any non-perishable food item is accepted and much appreciated, such as: Soups, fish, vegetables, meat, fruit, (any canned item), cereals, sugar, rice, pasta, cranberry sauce, baby food, coffee, tea, gravies, etc. Any food item that will not spoil. Last month deliveries were made to the Sunday Breakfast Mission by Steve Nicholas and to St. Stephen s by John Lazare. Holy Trinity is part of the Wilmington Food Network and we have been recognized as a very import link in this ever-growing need to feed our neighbors. We want to thank you and wish you a Happy Easter. Christos Anesti From John, Tina, Nikki & Steve

20 Daughters of Penelope Dear Sisters, The next meeting of the Daughters of Penelope, Xanthus #149 will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 7:00 pm in the AHEPA Room. We will be distributing our 25 and 50 Year Membership Pins and will be holding our regular business meeting. At the meeting we will be discussing our latest fundraisers Selling pans of Spanakopita and Red Dyed Eggs for Easter. We are looking forward to seeing you all at this meeting. Here is a list of upcoming activities: Past President s Dinner for Sisters Kathy Kehagias, Anamaria Anagnostou & Virginia Karablacas. Details to be announced. May 5 - Meeting - Wine(d) Down, Election of Officers May 18, 19, 20 - Pasta Flora Remember if you ever need a ride to a meeting or function, call a fellow sister, we would be glad to pick you up. We look forward to seeing you soon. Yours in Theta Pi, Konnie Koninis If you have not paid your dues, please use the coupon below and mail your check for $30.00 to Robin Hayes. Make checks payable to Daughters of Penelope. PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Kali Sarakosti! As always, March was very busy for the ladies of the Philoptochos. We held the Annual Philoptochos Memorial service on March 8 th, the Sunday of Orthodox. I would like to thank Fr. Costa and Anargyros for making the kollyva. We held our March Board meeting on March 9 th and made plans for the rest of the year. On March 15 th, we sold Loukoumades as our Lenten fund raiser. I would like to thank all the parishioners for supporting us in our work. On Wednesday, March 18 th, we held our annual Lenten Covered Dish Supper after the Presanctified Liturgy. I want to thank Fr. Costa, Fr. Stamatis and Presbytera Joan, and Fr. George and Presbytera Mary for joining us and all the ladies for the delicious dishes. On Sunday, March 22 nd we passed a tray benefiting our Holy Cross Hellenic College. Thank you to all who contributed. As the days get longer and warmer, our thoughts move towards spring. We at the Philoptochos have a very full schedule and I would like to tell all of you about it. On April 4 th, we will be traveling to Washington, DC to view the cherry blossoms and visit Mount Vernon. I hope you are all available to join us. As other years, we will be baking our delicious Easter Bread. Please look for the flyer in this bulletin and get your orders in. Our next Board meeting will be held on April 7 th at 6:30pm in our Philoptochos Room on the balcony. On Good Friday, we will be decorating our Lord s Epitaphio, please join us. This year we will be holding elections for our Board of Directors. The Elections will be held on May 19 th at 7:00 pm. Please contact any Philoptochos member if you are interested in becoming an officer, it is very rewarding work. As summer approaches, we are starting to think of our Festival. The ladies of the Philoptochos will be baking our delicious pastries on May 18 th and May 19 th in the morning, please join us. This year our Annual Spring Fund raiser will be a fashion show, luncheon and bid and buy. It will be held on Saturday, May 9 th. The ladies of the Philoptochos are hard at work planning. Come and update your spring wardrobe. Please look for the flyer in this bulletin for all the details. We are also accepting donations towards the cost of this event. If you would wish to donate, please contact me or any Philoptochos member. Kali Anastasi, Maroula Haralambidis **Lastly, I would like to remind all Philoptochos members that dues are due. If you have not paid, please use the form below. Thank you.** NAME: Dues: $30.00 payable to Daughters of Penelope Mail to: Robin Hayes P. O. Box 368 Cheswold, DE Name: Dues - $25.00 Make check out to the Philoptochos Society and send to: Vickie Karakasidis 264 East Pittsfield Street Pennsville, NJ 08070