Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral Sunday, January 3, 2016

St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral Church Office 508-791-7326 Mon.-Fri.: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. www.spyridoncathedral.org Reverend Doctor Dimitrios Moraitis Dean Reverend Father Dean N. Paleologos Dean Emeritus Reverend Deacon Andrew Giourelis Mr. Vasilios Vasiliadis -Parish Council President Email - 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! January 3, 2016 Sunday Before Epiphany Memorials Charles Fotos-40 days Spiros Nemphos 40 days Trisagion Ioannis Gertsios-32 years Coffee Hour Coffee hour is sponsored in loving memory of Charles Fotos, Spiros Nemphos and Ioannis Gertsios by their families Altar Flowers Altar flowers are sponsored in loving memory of Charles Fotos and Spiros Nemphos by their families Sunday Services Orthros 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:45 am Tuesday, January 5, 2016 Blessing of the Waters Orthros-8:30am Divine Liturgy-9:45am Wednesday, January 6, 2016 Holy Epiphany Orthros-8:30am Divine Liturgy-9:45am Thursday, January 7, 2016 Synaxis of St. John the Baptist Orthros-8:30am Divine Liturgy-9:45am Saints of the Day Malachi the Prophet Gordios the Martyr of Caesarea Προφήτης Μαλαχίας Γόρδιος Μάρτυς Saturday, January 9, 2016 Vespers 7:00pm confessions to follow Name Day Flowers Name Day flowers are sponsored for the month of January by Barbara Efstathiou in loving memory of her father,vasilios Douka. Name Day Coffee Hour Vasilios Vasiliadis is sponsoring Coffee Hour in honor of his Name Day

Entrance Hymns Apolytikion Angelic powers were above Thy tomb, and they that guarded Thee became as dead. And Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate Body. Thou hast despoiled Hades and wast not tried thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst grant us life. O Thou Who didst arise from the dead, Lord, glory be to Thee. Ἀγγελικαὶ Δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμά σου, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν, καὶ ἵστατο Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα. Ἐσκύλευσας τὸν ᾍδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ των νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Make ready O Zebulum; Prepare yourself O Naphthali; Cease to flow O River Jordan; Receive the Master who comes to be baptized, in joy. Adam, rejoice with the first mother. Do not hide in Paradise, as before, for He came to see us, even naked, that He might clothe us as we were before. Christ has appeared to renew all creation. 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 In the running waters of the Jordan River, on this day the Lord of all crieth to John: Be not afraid and hesitate not to baptize Me, for I am come to save Adam, the first-formed man. 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 Ἐν τοῖς ῥείθροις σήμερον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, γεγονῶς ὁ Κύριος, τῶ Ἰωάννη ἐκβοᾷ. Μὴ δειλιάσης βαπτίσαι με, σῶσαι γὰρ ἥκω, Ἀδὰμ τὸν πρωτόπλαστον.

PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY NEWS The Philoptochos Society will meet on Tuesday, January 5th, 2016 at 7:00pm GOYA The GOYAns will meet on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 6:30pm. The GOYA group will celebrate the cutting of the Vasilopita! EMBROIDERY CLUB The Embroidery Club will meet on Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 9:00am n the Founder s Court. PARISH COUNCIL The St. Spyridon Parish Council will conduct the Oath of Officers for the newly elected Parish Council members and for the existing Parish Council members immediately following Divine Liturgy on January 10, 2016. Georgia Parafestas Michael Dionis Joan Theros George Panagiotopoulos George Gourousis WHAT'S NEW AT HOLY TRINITY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER Check out Holy Trinity's December 2015 Newsletter at htnr.net on the front page! 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 508-791-8200 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 www.cotsidasculturalcenter.com 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. GREEK SCHOOL Greek School vacation begins Tuesday, December 22, 2015 and classes will resume on Monday, January 11, 2016. Thank you to Mr. Demosthenis Kaloudelis for playing the role of Santa Claus during the Greek School Christmas party. ST. SPYRIDON SPARTANS Sr. Division Basketball The Sr. Division team will be practicing Monday, January 4, 2016 at 7:00pm Basketball Games at Assumption College Saturday, January 2, 2016 at 12:00pm Sunday, January 3, 2016 at 2:30pm Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 12:00pm Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 12:00pm 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 email list to receive the bulletin via email please contact Georgia at the above email address. The Sunday Bulletin can also be viewed on the St. Spyridon website www.spyridoncathedral.org by clicking on the About tab, Weekly Bulletin.

Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Πρὸς Τιμόθεον β' 4:5-8 Σῶσον, Κύριε τὸν λαὸν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου. Στίχ. Πρὸς σἐ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι ὁ Θεός μου. Τέκνον Τιμόθεε, νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν, κακοπάθησον, ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφέστηκεν. Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα λοιπόν, ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτής οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοί, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσιν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσιν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ. ΤΗΕ EPISTLE St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 4:5-8 O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance. Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God. TIMOTHY, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

T Sunday before Epiphany Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 1:1-8 Αρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ως γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ, ἐγένετο Ιωάννης βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ Ιουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ Ιεροσολυμῖται, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο πάντες ἐν τῷ Ιορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. Ἦν δὲ ὁ Ιωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐσθίων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. Καὶ ἐκήρυσσε λέγων ἔρχεται ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν Πνεύματι Αγίῳ. The Gospel Sunday before Epiphany The Gospel according to Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Fasting / Νηστεία No Fasting This Week!

Bible Study Jesus s First Resurrection Wednesday, January 13, 2016 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.

Christmas in New York City Wednesday, December 30, 2015 The Annual Goya field trip took place on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 with approximately 35 children and their chaperones making the 4 hour bus trip to New York City. They visited the Archdiocese of America, Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, and shopped at various locales. They ended their trip by dining at Stamatis Greek Restaurant in Astoria before returning to Worcester.

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 Friday, January 15, 2016 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 508-728-6983. Hope to see you at the next meeting! OPEN TO EVERYONE 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, January 11, 2016 at 7:00pm

The blessing of our homes with the Holy Water of Epiphany is a meaningful way to begin the New Year. This beautiful tradition of our Orthodox Church allows us to start the year off in a most holy way by sanctifying our homes -the place where we spend most of our time. Please have an icon, a list of the living members of your family, a bowl as well as a spring of Basil or some other plant. We will bring the holy water, the cross and a copy of the service so you can follow along. The following days and times are available for house blessings. We ask that you please contact your neighbors to find a day and a block of time that satisfies all of you. For instance, you should contact your neighbors that live on your block, as well as other parishioners who live within a mile of your home, and schedule them either before or after your blessing. This will help us tremendously, especially since there are so many families, and we are still getting to know the neighborhoods around the Church. Please remember to allow at least 30 minutes for each house blessing. These dates are on a first come first serve basis. Contact the Church office to book your time. The available dates and times are as follows: Wednesday, January 6, 12:00pm-9:00pm Thursday, January 7, 12:00pm-9:00pm Friday, January 8, 9:00am-8:00pm Saturday, January 9, 9:00am-7:00pm Monday January 11, 9:00am-6:00pm Tuesday, January 12, 11;00am-6:00pm Wednesday, January 13, 9:00am-5:30pm Thursday, January 14, 9:00am-8:00pm Friday, January 15, 9:00am-4:00pm Saturday, January 16, 9:00am-8:00pm Monday, January 18, 12:00pm-4:00pm Tuesday, January 19, 4:30pm 6:00pm Wednesday, January 20, 11:00am-9:00pm Thursday, January 21, 9:00am 6:00pm Friday, January 22, 9:00am-9:00pm Saturday, January 23, 9:00am-2:00pm Monday, January 25 4:00pm-9:00pm Tuesday, January 26, 8:00am-9:00pm Wednesday, January 27, 8:00am-6:00pm Thursday, January 28, 8:00am-9:00pm

January 6,2016 Join us for crafts, socialization, interaction and fun!

The Parish Council will be taking the Oath of Office on Sunday January 10, 2016 immediately following Divine Liturgy. We would like to take the opportunity to welcome the incoming members: Georgia Parafestas Michael Dionis Joan Theros George Panagiotopoulos George Gourousis..joining existing members: Sideris Angelou Gus Giannakis Demitrios Economou George Economou Eleftherios Teddy Fotos Nick Moudios Nick Paleologos George Taliadouros Christos Tsigas Evangelia Leka Velentzas...and THANK for the bottom of our hearts the outgoing members: Theo Vasilescu Evans Fotos Dean Alexandrou Vasilios Vasiliadis.and a special Thank You to Dean Alexandrou and Vasilios Vasiliadis for Serving on the Parish Council Executive Board.

27 Thank you to those who participated in Stewardship Sunday dispersing of the Stewardship packets and Church Calendar. Those who did not have a chance to pick up their packets personally, they will be mailed out to you. Please fill our all paperwork including the stewardship form as we are implementing a new software and need to update everyone s information. Thank you. 27

2015 Stewardship Report * GOAL Week 2015 Total Stewardship Budget 52 $286.201.36 $270.000.00 * GOAL amount includes the 2015 Stewardship Budget Receipts of $270,000.00. Funds reflect all monies received in 2015 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.