Agape News June 2010

Agape News June 2010

PARISH LIFE We honor our High School, College and Masters Program Graduates Sunday School Attendance Awards

PASTORAL MESSAGE Dear Parishioners, Once again it is that time of year when the efforts of the parish turn to a few events that seem to define our June: Greek Fest and the Golf Outing. In addition, this year we are preparing for our children s trip to the Ionian Village. With so much energy put into these activities, we often don t have the opportunity to be truly united in faith. Yes, we come to service and offer our prayers, but many of those in the temple are often preoccupied with other things. On Memorial Day, though, it was quite the contrary. At both cemeteries, something unusual happened. Instead of me going to each grave and having a few there present, we traveled as a group; and, we prayed together for each others loved ones. It didn t matter that it rained a little or that the mosquitoes were out. It didn t matter that the ground was a little muddy. We came together to join our prayers for those who have been transferred to Heaven. We allowed ourselves to not only go through the motions, but to engage our hearts. We acted as family, joined together in faith, hope and love. This experience felt timeless to me as I m sure it did to those who were there with me. I could feel the comfort that each family received, not from my presence, but from the presence of the Church, as the body prayed together. Let this become the way we are to be not worrying about what s next but being involved in what s now. In His Service, Rev. Father Jon Boukis Proistamenos

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Congratulations to our kids with near perfect Attendance!!! With 2 Absences Tony Stopoulos and Stephanie Theofilis With 1 Absence Shebah Chirackal With Perfect Attendance!!! Vasilia Boukis Naina Biju Ninan Naveen Biju Ninan Peter Stopoulos PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Have you offered your 2010 Dues? It s that time of year again. Please offer your 2010 dues ($20 per member) to the Philoptochos so that we may support the national ministries. It is important that we have as many members as possible so that our witness at the national level is as bright as possible. Urgent - We would like to have our cookbook available for sale at the 2010 Rummage Sale - please submit your recipes to Helen Haney today!!! Contact: Litsa Gregory (309)755-0164

GREEK CULTURAL FESTIVAL Do you want to be a sponsor of the Greek Fest? Sponsors get Food Tickets!!! FESTIVAL BENEFACTOR Gift of $200 Sponsor will receive: $50 in Food Coupons Name listed on Sponsor Sign FRIEND OF THE FESTIVAL Gift of $100 Sponsor will receive: $25 in Food Coupons Name listed on Sponsor Sign Once Again Sponsored by: ASSUMPTION TRIVIA NIGHT Trivia Night at the Assumption Fellowship Hall Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. DETAILS 5:30 p.m. Doors Open - 6:30 p.m. Start Time $10 Registration per person - Teams of 8 Cash Bar First and Second Place Cash Prizes Bring your own snacks or buy a Greek Pastry RSVP TO JOHN ASAP (309)314-0328

ST. PAUL Celebrated June 29 th Paul, the chosen vessel of Christ, the glory of the Church, the Apostle of the Nations and teacher of the whole world, was a Jew by race, of the tribe of Benjamin, having Tarsus as his homeland. He was a Roman citizen, fluent in the Greek language, an expert in knowledge of the Law. For this cause, from the beginning, Paul was a most fervent zealot for the traditions of the Jews and a great persecutor of the Church of Christ; at that time, his name was Saul. In his great passion of rage and fury against the disciples of the Lord, he went to Damascus bearing letters of introduction from the high priest. His intention was to bring the disciples of Christ back to Jerusalem in bonds. As he was approaching Damascus, about midday there suddenly shone upon him a light from Heaven. Falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" And he asked, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And that heavenly voice and brilliance made him tremble, and he was blinded for a time. He was led by the hand into the city, and on account of a divine revelation to the Apostle Ananias, he was baptized by him, and both his bodily and spiritual eyes were opened to the knowledge of the Sun of Righteousness. And straightway- O wondrous transformation! - beyond all expectation, he spoke with boldness in the synagogues, proclaiming that "Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 9:1-21). As for his zeal in preaching the Gospel after these things had come to pass, as for his unabating labors and afflictions of diverse kinds, the wounds, the prisons, the bonds, the beatings, the stonings, the shipwrecks, the journeys, the perils on land, on sea, in cities, in wildernesses, the continual vigils, the daily fasting, the hunger, the thirst, the nakedness, and all those other things that he endured for the Name of Christ, and which he underwent before nations and kings and the Israelites, and above all, his care for all the churches, his fiery longing for the salvation of all, whereby he became all things to all men, that he might save them all if possible, and because of which, with his heart aflame, he continuously traveled throughout all parts, visiting them all, and like a bird of heaven flying from Asia and Europe, the West and East, neither staying nor abiding in any one place - all these things are related in the Book of the Acts, and as he himself tells them in his Epistles. Having completed the work of his ministry, he likewise ended his life in martyrdom when he was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero, at the same time, some say, when Peter was crucified.

SERVICE SCHEDULE June 6 Sunday 2nd Sunday of Matthew 9:00 a.m. Orthros 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy June 9 Wednesday Small Paraklesis (6:00 p.m.) June 13 Sunday 3rd Sunday of Matthew 9:00 a.m. Orthros 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy June 20 Sunday 4th Sunday of Matthew 9:00 a.m. Orthros 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy June 27 Sunday 5th Sunday of Matthew 9:00 a.m. Orthros 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy June 29 Tuesday Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul 9:30 a.m. Orthros 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΙΕΡΩΝ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΩΝ 6 Ιουνίου Κυριακή Κυριακή Β του Ματθαίου 9:00 π.μ. Όρθρος 10:00 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 9 Ιουνίου Τετάρτη Μικρή Παράκλησις 6:00 μ.μ. 13 Ιουνίου Κυριακή Κυριακή Γ του Ματθαίου 9:00 π.μ. Όρθρος 10:00 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 20 Ιουνίου Κυριακή Κυριακή Δ του Ματθαίου 9:00 π.μ. Όρθρος 10:00 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 27 Ιουνίου Κυριακή Κυριακή Ε του Ματθαίου 9:00 π.μ. Όρθρος 10:00 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 29 Ιουνίου Τρίτη Απόστολοι Πετρός και Παύλος 9:30 π.μ. Όρθρος 10:00 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία

J CHURCH. Sunday Monday Tuesday 1 U N 2nd Sunday of Matthew Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Family Worship Coffee Hour 6 7 8 Prayer Service 9:00am at the East Moline Correctional Center E 3rd Sunday of Matthew Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Family Worship Coffee Hour 13 Greek Cultural Festival 4th Annual Golf Tournament at TPC Deere Run 14 15 Pastry Packaging Day 2 0 1 0 4th Sunday of Matthew Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Family Worship Coffee Hour 5th Sunday of Matthew Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Family Worship Coffee Hour 20 27 21 22 Prayer Service 9:00am at the East Moline Correctional Center 28 29 Feast of Saints Peter & Paul Orthros 9:30am Divine Liturgy 10:00am

CALENDAR Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 2 3 4 5 6:30pm - Parish Council Meeting Assumption Trivia Night Fundraiser 6:30pm 9 10 11 12 Paraklesis Service 6:00pm 16 Greek Cultural Festival Set-up Day 17 Greek Cultural Festival 5pm - 11pm 18 Greek Cultural Festival 12 Noon - 11pm 19 23 24 25 26 30 Fasting Symbols Strict Fast Wine and Oil Allowed Fish Allowed Fast Free

DIAKONIA Prosforo Schedule June 6 Marena Panousis June 13 Georgia Kouris June 20 Cathy Diakogeorgiou June 27 Kulla Anggeloplos Coffee Hour June 6 Not Yet Reserved June 13 Not Yet Reserved June 20 Not Yet Reserved June 27 Christina Reed Sunday Gospel and Epistle Readings June 6 Gospel Matthew 4:18-23 Epistle Romans 2:10-16 June 13 Gospel Matthew 6:22-33 Epistle Romans 5:1-11 June 20 Gospel Matthew 8:5-13 Epistle Romans 6:18-23 June 27 Gospel Matthew 8:28-34, 9:1 Epistle Romans 10:1-10 Parish Council Ushering Teams & Schedule St. Matthew St. Mark St. Luke St. John 9:15 Celia Lubbers Cathy Diakogeorgiou Steve Arvanitis Bill Theofilis 9:40 Nick Passini Michael Haney John Thodos Deno Kandis 9:55 Diane Lamacki Abraham Chirackal John Stopoulos Georgia Lovejoy June 6 St. John June 13 St. Matthew June 20 St. Mark June 27 St. Luke

ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΙ ΠΕΤΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΥΛΟΣ Οι Πρωτοκορυφαίοι Απόστολοι ΠΕΤΡΟΣ και ΠΑΥΛΟΣ 29 Ιουνίου Ο Πέτρος καταγόταν απο τη Βηθσαϊδά της Γαλιλαίας και ήταν γιός του Ιωνά, αδελφός του αποστόλου Ανδρέα του Πρωτοκλήτου και ήταν ψαράδες στη λίμνη Γεννησαρέτ. Είχε νυμφευθεί στην Καπερναούμ, όπου έμενε οικογενειακά, μαζί με την πεθερά του. Ψαράς στο επάγγελμα, ήταν τύπος αυθόρμητος, ορμητικός, και η ζωή του κοντά στο Χριστό τη μαθαίνουμε απο τα τέσσερα Ευαγγέλια, ενώ την αποστολική του δράση, απο τις Πράξεις τών Αποστόλων. Έγραψε και δύο Καθολικές Επιστολές, μέσα στις οποίες, να τί προτρέπει στους χριστιανούς: "Νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε, ο αντίδικος υμών διάβολος ώς λέων ωμυόμενος περιπατεί ζητών τίνα καταπίη". Δηλαδή εγκρατευθείτε, γίνετε άγρυπνοι και προσεκτικοί. Διότι ο αντίπαλος και κατήγοράς σας διάβολος, σαν λιοντάρι που βρυχάται, περιπατεί με μανία και ζητάει ποιόν να τραβήξει μακριά απο την πίστη για να τον καταπιεί. Μετά την Ανάληψη του Κυρίου, ο Πέτρος, δίδαξε το Ευαγγέλιο στην Ιουδαία, στην Αντιόχεια, στον Πόντο, στην Γαλατία, στην Καππαδοκία, στην Ασία και τη Βιθυνία. Κατά την παράδοση (που σημαίνει ότι δεν είναι απόλυτα ιστορικά διασταυρωμένο) έφτασε μέχρι τη Ρώμη, όπου επί Νέρωνος (54-68) υπέστη μαρτυρικό θάνατο, αφού τον σταύρωσαν χιαστί, με το κεφάλι προς τα κάτω. Ο δε Παύλος γεννήθηκε στην Ταρσό της Κιλικίας και στην αρχή ήταν σκληρός διώκτης του χριστιανισμού. Όμως, με θαύμα γνώρισε το Χριστό και έγινε ο μεγαλύτερος κήρυκας του Ευαγγελίου, θυσιάζοντας μάλιστα και τη ζωή του γι αυτό. Ονομάστηκε Απόστολος τών Εθνών, και τη ζωή με τις περιπέτειες του θα τα δεί κανείς, άν μελετήσει τις Πράξεις τών Αποστόλων, αλλά και τις 14 Επιστολές του στην Καινή Διαθήκη. Ο Παύλος θέλει κάθε χριστιανός, όπως και ο ίδιος, να αισθάνεται και να λέει: "ζώ δε ουκέτι εγώ, ζή δε εν εμοί Χριστός".Δηλαδή, δε ζώ πλέον εγώ, ο παλαιός άνθρωπος, αλλά ζεί μέσα μου ο Χριστός. Και ακόμα, "τα πάντα και εν πάσι Χριστός". Να διευθύνει, δηλαδή, όλες τις εκδηλώσεις της ανθρώπινης ζωής μας ο Χριστός. Ο απόστολος Παύλος υπέστη μαρτυρικό θάνατο (χωρίς αυτό να είναι απόλυτα διασταυρωμένο) δι αποκεφαλισμού στη Ρώμη.

PARAKLESIS The Small Paraklesis to the Theotokos is a service in which we offer our prayers to the Blessed Mother of God in which we ask her to pray on our behalf to the Lord. Our supplications are for health, guidance and deliverance from adversity. It is through her prayers that we are saved, for she is closer to the Lord than you or I, and we know through many miracles that her prayers are heard. Please take a moment and prepare a list of those for whom you would like to have prayers offered - bring the list to the Paraklesis and offer your prayers with the whole community. For those who cannot come, know that the Church is open and that prayers are being offered for all of us. Again we pray for mercy, life, health, peace, safety, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of sins of the servants of God

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP An Orthodox Pilgrimage to The Holy Land October 1-13, 2010 Tour Leader - The Very Rev. Father Peter Costarakis Assisted by - Rev. Father Jon S. Boukis Tour Includes: Round Trip Airfare between Boston, MA and Tel Aviv 7 Nights at the Regency Hotel in Jerusalem 1 Night at the Ron Beach Hotel in Tiberias 1 Night at the Plaza Hotel in Sinai, Egypt (St. Catherines) 2 Nights at the Intercontinental Hotel in Jericho Daily Breakfast and Dinner All Sightseeing and Entrance Fees Israeli Departure Tax Sinai Visa Fee Portage and Tips for Guide, Driver and Hotel Staff Rate: $2,799 per person (including tax - based on double occupancy) Single Supplement: $500 Non-Refundable Deposit of $350 due by July 15, 2010 If you are interested, please see Fr. Jon

Agape News SPONSORS The Agape News is made possible by the generous support of the following parishioners: Fr. Jon, Presbytera Doreece and Vasilia Boukis Fr. Basil Papanikolaou John Arvanitis Dr. Steve, Aimee, Nick and Zoe Arvanitis Michael and Nancy Avgenackis George Bagatelas Paul and Christine Bagatelas Family Theodore and Karen Bagatelas In Memory of Jimmy Boukis Steve, Vaso and Lynn Boukis Kleo Caras Victor and Judy Cherevko Marcus and Barbara Paraskevi Gerogiadis Couch Miltos and Cathy Diakogeorgiou The Fotiadis George and Maria Georgiadis Mary Giovanis Litsa Gregory Tom P. Gregory Pete and Arlene Gust Mike and Helen Haney Michael Evangelos Karfaridis Helen Kouris Christina Iskos Reed James Jannes Frank and Ellen Kaldis Deno and Dr. Ann Kandis Family Mike and Terri Kandis Mr. and Mrs George J. Kontos Sherry and George Kontos Joyce Coughlin and JoAnn Kontos Alex, Diane and Jim Lamacki Tom Lingris and Judy Larson Bob and Bessie Lemen Peter and Sue Lingris Roger, Georgia and Elianna Lovejoy Roger, Celia, Alex and Kristin Sophia Mihalopoulos Michael and Roseanne Monn Ninan Family George and Nancy Polios Mrs. Helen Panouses and the Olvera Family Spiro and Carol Pappaspiros Christ and Helen Petaros Steve and Nancy Pyevich St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Congregation In Memory of Nickolaus, Halina, Andrei and Nickolaus Jim and Kristel Stopoulos Tony and Joan Stopoulos Bill and Tracey Theofilis and Family Rick and Maria Krakos Thompson John and Mary Velon For an annual donation of $25, your name could appear as a supporter of this invaluable ministry. Support is offered for the Ecclesiastical Year (beginning and ending September 1st).

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Assumption Greek Orthodox Church 4900 Kennedy Drive East Moline, Illinois 61244 Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID E. Moline, IL. Permit No. 153