The Orthodox Vision - June 2012 Issue #268

JUNE 2012 THE ORTHODOX VISION 1

June 2012

IN THIS ISSUE Unity in Christ and

One Another The call for unity is not something that we are in need of only today, but it is something that St. Paul was preaching to the Christians in Corinth during his own time.

by Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas

Pentecost ...And there appeared to them cloven tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Spirit gave them utter-ance." (Acts 2:3-4)

Come and See. John 1:46

JUNE 2012 THE ORTHODOX VISION 2 SUMMER SUNDAY LITURGY HOURS (JUNE-SEPTEMBER) ( ) 9:45 11:15 A.M

LITURGY HOURS / ()

ORTHROS: 8:30 DIVINE LITURGY, SERMONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS: 9:45AM 11:30AM SATURDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY HOURS / & :

8:30 AM

LITURGIES Saturday June 2 Saturday of Souls- 9:00 am

Sunday June 3 Pentecost Sunday

Monday June 4 Holy Spirit - 9:00 am

Friday June 29 Peter and Paul and the

Synaxis of the Holy Apostles - 9:00 am

2 - 9:00 3 4 -9:00 29

- 9:00

EVENTS / ACTIVITIES -Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 1, 2 & 3 our

GREEK FESTIVAL

-Monday, June 11th- Greek School Graduation at

5:00 pm

-Sunday, June 17th- Presentation of Scholarships and

honoring all Graduates

SAVE THE DATES -September 23, 2012Annual Champagne Brunch, sponsored by Philoptochos

-October 19, 2012 our Annual Wine and Food Tasting

MEMORIALS Sunday, June 10th 40 Days: Philip Petron & James Mellas

1 year: Angelus Papageorge

10 years: Philip Daston

Sunday, June 24th 6 months: Peter Christakos

3 years: Anthony Zervos

10 years: Frossie Trigonis

10 40 : & 1 : 10 :

24 6 : 3 : 10 :

Happy Fathers Day!

T he idea of Father's Day was conceived slightly

more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spo-

kane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother's Day

sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her

father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who

was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June

was chosen for the first Father's Day celebration June 17,

1910, proclaimed by Spokane's mayor because it was the

month of Smart's birth.

The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers

was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Father's

Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it per-

manent. There are 70.1 million (estimated) fathers across the nation. Submitted by Vicky Andriotis source: census.gov


W e live in a

society that is

c o n s t a n t l y

faced with division and

factionalism, Sometimes

we even experience this

division within our own

Parish, often for the most

trivial of reasons. On the

night when the Lord gave himself

up for the life of the world, He

prayed for the unity of those

believers the Father had given him

so that they might be one with Him

and the Father: I in them and thou in me, that they may become

perfectly one, so that the world may

know that thou hast sent me and

hast loved them even as thou hast

loved me (John 17:20-24). St. Paul asks his fellow Christians who

are quarreling about whom they

belong to: Is Christ divided? He

tells them we belong to the same

Lord. We are all fellow workers

with God. I cannot help but ask this

same question tat St Paul asks us.

Are we, as Orthodox Christians,

working to realize this vision of

Unity in the Church and among one

another?

A problem Orthodox Christians

may be facing more and more in

todays modern world is the struggle to remember what it means

to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We proclaim this dogma when we recite the

Creed of Faith during the Divine

Liturgy, but do we really mean

these words when we say, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic

church?" These words designate

our Church as the Church founded

by Christ through the Spirit on the

day of Holy Pentecost.

Each of these four terms is

essential, like the cornerstones of a

well-built building. How can we

preserve these four cornerstones of

the Churchs identity - Unity, Hol iness , Cathol ici ty, and

Apostolicity - in a world where

different racial, ethnic, and cultural

communities, with diverse world

outlooks, demand to be recognized

and demand opportunities to

express their different and differing

identities?

In the Orthodox understanding of

ecclesiology, the Body of Christ,

the Ecclesia, cannot be conceived of existing in isolation from Unity,

Holiness and Apostolicity, because

without them, the Church would

not be truly Catholic, which means

universal. Catholicity is the

fundamental mark of the church

where Christians receive the

fullness of truth and salvation in the

life of Christ. What does this mean

for us as Christians in our parish? It

means that when we come together

to celebrate the Eucharist, we are

united with each other through the

one body of our Lord

Jesus Christ. Our

a c t i o n s a n d

relationships towards

one another, therefore,

should reflect this

reality of unity. Our

identity as Orthodox

Christians transcends

whatever cultural and

social boundaries we

may encounter in our

lives. We continue to be

united in faith and

worship and love.

The call for unity is not

something that we are in

need of only today, but

it is something that St.

Paul was preaching to

the Christians in Corinth during his

own time. He tells the Corinthians

not to be divided over who is chief

amongst them because there is only

one head which is Christ. As

Orthodox Christians we are united

in Christ. The unity of the Church

is likened to the seamless robe of

Christ which we must preserve. St.

Ignatius of Antioch states, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is

the Catholic Church.(Ign. Smyr. 8) Being united in the Holy Trinity

and in Christ does not mean losing

our own individuality. During the

Divine Li turgy, a f te r the

Consecration of the Lamb, that is,

after the offered bread becomes,

through the descent of the Holy

Spirit, the Body of Christ, the Priest

takes the Lamb and breaks into four

pieces saying, The Lamb of God is broken and shared, broken but not

divided. Just like the lamb of God, which is broken and distributed to

all believers but is never divided

and never consumed, we as

partakers in the mystery of the

Eucharist are distinct persons but

united in Christ. There is one flesh

of the Lord, one cup, one altar as

there is one body of Christ. It is in

(Continued on page 4)

Unity in

Christ and

One Another by Father Andreas

Vithoulkas

Sunday School Commencement Ceremony 2012 photo courtesy of Vicky Andriotis


.

, , . , , : , , , , , , , . , , , , . ,

, , , . (. 20-24)." ; ( . 13) . . , , ; , , ;

,

, , , , ; .

, . - ,, - , , , .

, , , ,

this way that the body of Christ is multiplied indivisibly and is totally present in each member of the Church.

The Orthodox Church is also icon of the Holy Trinity

where creation is renewed and reborn in the image of

God. The church's mode of existence based on the

Trinity, therefore symbolizes this idea of unity in

diversity. Within the model of the Holy Trinity, three

distinct persons make up the single God Head: Father,

Son and Holy Spirit. This unity does not mean losing

our own individuality. Rather it means that we are

created as unique individuals made in the image of

God, who is the source of all life. There is a difference

between being distinct and being divided.

As the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church we are proclaiming the inner universal Truth that is

inherent in our faith. The Apostles experience the all truth at Pentecost, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is the experience of glorification or theosis.

According to the Pentecostal experience, the Church is

Catholic in the sense that it possesses the totality

(catholou) of the right faith (Ortho-doxia). It contains the healthy teachings in combination with right deeds (ortho-praxia), passed from Christ to his Apostles then spread all over the world, at all times,

without restrictions.

These healthy teachings are the dogmas and traditions of the Orthodox Church that act as guides in

order to lead individuals to the same Pentecostal

revelation experienced by the Apostles. Moreover, it is

through the "right way" of life or "ortho-praxia" that

leads us to this experience of Theosis, which can only

be achieved through unity in Jesus Christ and with one

another.

(Continued from page 3)


, , . , , . ; , , . . , , .

, , . 1:10 , , , , , , . , . , . . , . , " , ."(. . 8)

, , . , , , , , , () ,[3] , , , ,

.[4] , , , , . , , , . " " , .

. , , . , , . , , . .

, . , . , , () (). " " " " (, -). , , , , .

H " " . , , .

1] In John S. Romanides , THE ECCLESIOLOGY OF ST. IGNATIUS OF

ANTIOCH, At lan ta 1956 h t tp : / /www. romani ty.org/h tm/

rom.11.en.the_ecclesiology_of_st._ignatius_of_antioch.01.htm#s4[2] The old translation was: The Lamb of God is broken and distributed; broken but

not divided. He is forever eaten yet is never consumed, but He sanctifies

those who partake of Him http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/liturgy_hchc ,[3] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=meli%

2Fzw&la=greek#lexicon [4] http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/

liturgy_hchc-el



Pentecost by Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South

"A nd there appeared to them cloven tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: and they began to speak with divers tongues, ac-

cording as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts

2:3-4)

Following His Ascension, when the Savior fulfilled

His promise and sent the

Holy Spirit, the Com-

forter appeared to

Christs followers as tongues of fire. As a

result of the Spirits op-eration the disciples

spoke in languages for-

eign to them and were

guided as to what to say.

It is extremely signifi-

cant that on the day of

Pentecost the manifesta-

tion of the Holy Spirit

should take the form of tongues, and that the first re-

sults of the disciples baptism of the Holy Spirit should be the ability to speak in languages other than their

own.

First, it affirms the universal character of Christs mission, one which was wrought for all nations, result-

ing in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, the Divine Services sing of Pentecost

in terms of being a reversal of that which took place at

the Tower of Babel (Genesis, chapter 11). "Of old the

tongues were confounded because of the audacity in the

building of the tower, but now the tongues are made

wise because of the glory of Divine knowledge. There

God condemned the impious because of their offence,

and here Christ hath enlightened the fishermen by the

Spirit. At that time the confusion of tongues was

wrought for punishment, but now the concord of

tongues hath been inaugurated for the salvation of our

souls." ("Glory now and ever," verse for the Aposti-cha at Pentecost Vigil) "Once, when He descended and

confounded the tongues, the Most High divided the

nations; and when He divided the tongues of fire, He

called all men into unity; and with one accord we glori-

fy the All-holy Spirit." (Kontakion for the Feast)

At Babel a false unity established out of pride led to

a scattering of all men, confusion among the citizens of

the earth. Diverse "tongues," in this case, became indic-

ative of divisions, mans inability to understand God, his fellow man and environment. On Pentecost, howev-

er, the many "tongues" of the Divine Spirit became a

sign and source for unity, a profound unity established

through love for Christ that can only be granted by God

Himself.

Of great significance as well is the fact that the

fruits of the disciples labors on Pentecost was the addi-tion to the Church of about three thousand souls. (Acts

2:41) Here we begin to understand what our Lord

meant when He told His chosen ones that they would

henceforth be fishers of men. Hearing about such a

large number of individuals brought into the Church by

Peter and the eleven, we

recall that during

Christs earthly ministry it was only when the

disciples obeyed His

will that they caught

such an enormous catch

of fish that their "net

brake." (Luke 5:4)

"Blessed art Thou, O

Christ our God, Who

hast shown forth the

fishermen as supremely

wise by sending down

upon them the Holy

Spirit, and through them didst draw the world into Thy

net. O Befriender of man, glory be to Thee." (Troparion

for the Feast).

What happened on that fiftieth day after our Lords resurrection was the filling of the disciples with the

Holy Spirit, their transformation into the Church. Pen-

tecost is the day of the Churchs founding. From this point in time the disciples were empowered to do what

our Lord told them: "As my Father hath sent me, even

so send I you." (John 20:21)

The record of what the disciples did from the day of

their "empowerment" is clearly a matter of history. We

know that even in St. Pauls time the Gospel had gone as far as Spain in the West and we are told as far as In-

dia in the East. By the beginning of the fourth century

the Emperor Constantine not only stopped the persecu-

tion of Christians but gave the Church an official status.

Christians to some measure, by this time, occupied eve-

ry city and town. And there were still those who were

willing, if necessary, to give their lives for Christ. From

that time as well, the Church never lost its conviction

that Jesus had given it the strict mandate to "catch" the

entire world, to bring all men into His net. The disci-

ples and those who came after them were con-vinced that their message, committed to them by Christ,

was vital, a matter of life or death. This is why they

were able to convince so many, because they them-(Continued on page 7)


selves were convinced.

Speaking of our contemporary

situation, it can be said that some-

where along the line, many

Church members have lost this

sense of urgency with regard to

the Faith. Orthodox Christianity

has become, for not a few of its

adherents, simply the national reli-

gion of certain people, part of their

culture, their ethos. The very

thought of Orthodoxy being of

vital importance because the

worlds salvation depends on it, is utterly alien to numerous individu-

als.

But, thanks to the inspiration of

the Holy Spirit, many in the

Church have come to understand

the profound implications of

Christs words to His disciples on a particular occasion, when they

could do nothing for a man who

needed healing: "Bring him to

me."

The Church in our own time is

regaining its deep commitment to

this command relative to the entire

world: "Bring him to me." We

must bring those in need of heal-

ing and who is not in need of the healing that Christ brings? to our Lord, the only true Physi-

cian of souls and bodies.

Let us take time then and ana-

lyze to what extent we have been

able to comply with Jesus com-mand. If the truth be told, given

the number of Orthodox in this

country and the resources now

available, we have not lived up to

our potential in terms of making

new disciples. At least one reason

for any apparent failures lies in

our own lack of conviction. We

must ask ourselves, therefore, are

we convinced, each of us individu-

ally, that our Orthodox Christian

Faith is the most precious thing

that we possess, that it is absolute-

ly essential for those with whom

we come in contact to know about

it? By and large, according to how

we live day to day, many of us

would have to answer "no" to the

above questions. And yet for the

Body of Christ to grow the answer

must be "yes." We cannot impart

to others what we ourselves do not

have. Christianity is so maximalis-

tic in terms of what is expected of

man we speak of being cruci-fied with Christ and losing our

lives for His sake and the Gospels that for anyone to believe the claims of its adherents, the Faith

must be seen lived out by those

who preach it. Thus, relative to the

Feast of Pentecost, our own mis-

sion in the United States begins

with an appreciation for what has

already been given: "the seal of

the gift of the Holy Spirit." At our

Chrismation, which is our personal

Pentecost, the same Spirit was be-

stowed for our enlightenment and

transformation, so as to empower

us to be "invincible warriors" and

witnesses for the Faith as were

Christs disciples 2000 years ago. (Festal hymns taken from The

Pentecostarion published by Holy

Transfiguration Monastery, Bos-

ton, MA.) Submitted by Father Andreas Vithoulkas Article by

Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the

South source: The Dawna Pub-lication of the Diocese of the South

Orthodox Church in America May

1999


Feast of the Holy, Glorious, and All-Praiseworthy Chiefs of

the Apostles, Peter and PaulCommemorated June 29

T he divinely-blessed Peter was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He was the son of Jonas and the brother of Andrew

the First-called. He was a fisherman by trade, unlearned and poor, and was called Simon; later he was renamed

Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jonas; thou

shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)" (John 1:42).

On being raised by the Lord to the dignity of an Apostle and becoming inseparable from Him as His zealous disci-

ple, he followed Him from the beginning of His preaching of salvation up until the very Passion, when, in the court of

Caiaphas the high priest, he denied Him thrice because of his fear of the Jews and of the danger at hand. But again,

after many bitter tears, he received complete forgiveness of his transgression.

After the Resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Antioch, and certain parts

of Asia, and finally came to Rome, where he was crucified upside down by Nero, and thus he ascended to the eternal

habitations about the year 66 or 68, leaving two Catholic (General) Epistles to the Church of Christ.

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, a Pharisee, born of a Pharisee, and a disciple of Gamaliel, a

Pharisee and notable teacher of the Law in Jerusalem. 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

(Continued on page 8)


(Acts 22:3-4).

In his great passion of rage and

fury against the disciples of the

Lord, he went to Damascus bear-

ing 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 mid-

day there suddenly shone upon

him a light from Heaven. Falling

on the earth, he heard a voice say-

ing to him, "Saul, Saul, why perse-

cutest 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 ac-

count of a divine revelation to the Apostle Ananias (see

Oct. 1), 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! - be-

yond all expectation, he spoke with boldness in the syna-

gogues, 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 ston-

ings, 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 stay-

ing nor abiding in any one place - all these things are

related incident by incident in the Book of the Acts, and

as he himself tells them in his Epistles.

His Epistles, being fourteen in number, are explained

in 250 homilies by Saint John Chrysostom and make

manifest the loftiness of his thoughts, the abundance of

the revelations made to him, the wisdom given to him

from God, wherewith he brings together in a wondrous

manner the Old with the New Testaments, and expounds

the mysteries thereof which had been

concealed under types; he confirms the

doctrines of the Faith, expounds the

ethical teaching of the Gospel, and

demonstrates with exactness the duties

incumbent upon every rank, age, and

order of man. In all these things his

teaching proved to be a spiritual trum-

pet, and his speech was seen to be more

radiant than the sun, and by these

means he clearly sounded forth the

word of truth and illumined the ends of

the world. Having completed the work

of his ministry, he likewise ended his

life in martyrdom when he was behead-

ed in Rome during the reign of Nero, at

the same time, some say, when Peter

was crucified.

The Icon of the Holy Apostles, Peter

and Paul- The Orthodox Church has a beautiful presen-

tation of the importance and prominence of the Apostles

Peter and Paul with the icon that shows both Apostles

standing together holding an image of the Church.

Both Apostles, being chosen by our Lord, were in-

strumental in the establishment and growth of the early

Church through their boldness, spiritual strength, and

wisdom. Thus they are recognized as "pillars" of the

Church, having offered all even unto death for the sake

of the Gospel of Christ.

In the icon, the Apostle Paul, the great missionary of

the early Church, is holding a Gospel book, while the

Apostle Peter offers a blessing with his right hand. At

the top of the icon is the is a semicircle, representing the

divine realm. Rays extend in the semicircle representing

the blessings and presence of God upon His two chosen

heralds of the True Faith.

Orthodox Christian Celebration of the FeastThe Feast and commemoration of the Apostles Peter and

Paul is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John

Chrysostom which is conducted on the morning of the

feast and preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service. A

Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the

day of the Feast. Prior to this day, the Orthodox Church

observes the Apostles' Fast, a period of fasting that be-

gins on the Monday after the Sunday of All Saints. This

Sunday is always one week after the Sunday of Pente-

cost, so the length of the Apostles' Fast varies from year

to year depending on the date of Pascha.

Submitted by Father Andreas Vithoulkas Source: goarch.orgScripture readings for the Feast of Peter and Paul are the following: At Vespers: 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1

Peter 1:13-19; 1 Peter 2:11-24 At the Matins: John 21:15-25.

At the Divine Liturgy: 2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9, Matthew

16:13-19.



The Father's

Eyes

B ob Richards, the former

pole-vault champion, shares

a moving story about a

skinny young boy who loved foot-

ball with all his heart. Practice after

practice, he eagerly gave everything

he had. But being half the size of

the other boys, he got absolutely

nowhere. At all the games, this

hopeful athlete sat on the bench and

hardly ever played.

This teenager lived alone with his

father, and the two of them had a

very special relationship. Even

though the son was always on the

bench, his father was always in the

stands cheering. He never missed a

game.

This young man was still the

smallest of the class when he en-

tered high school. But his father

continued to encourage him but also

made it very clear that he did not

have to play football if he didn't

want to.

But the young man loved football

and decided to hang in there He was

determined to try his best at every

practice, and perhaps he'd get to

play when he became a senior. All

through high school he never

missed a practice nor a game but

remained a bench-warmer all four

years.

His faithful father was always in

the stands, always with words of

encouragement for him.

When the young man went to

college, he decided to try out for the

football team as a "walk-on." Eve-

ryone was sure he could never

make the cut, but he did. The coach

admitted that he kept him on the

roster because he always puts his

heart and soul to every practice, and

at the same time, provided the other

members with the spirit and hustle

they badly needed.

The news that he had survived

the cut thrilled him so much that he

rushed to the nearest phone and

called his father. His father shared

his excitement and was sent season

tickets for all the college games.

This persistent young athlete nev-

er missed practice during his four

years at college, but he never got to

play in a game. It was the end of his

senior football season, and as he

trotted onto the practice field short-

ly before the big playoff game, the

coach met him with a telegram.

The young man read the telegram

and he became deathly silent. Swal-

lowing hard, he mumbled to the

coach, "My father died this morn-

ing. Is it all right if I miss practice

today?" The coach put his arm gen-

tly around his shoulder and said,

"Take the rest of the week off, son.

And don't even plan to come back

to the game on Saturday."

Saturday arrived, and the game

was not going well. In the third

quarter, when the team was ten

points behind, a silent young man

quietly slipped into the empty lock-

er room and put on his football

gear. As he ran onto the sidelines,

the coach and his players were

astounded to see their faithful team-

mate back so soon. "Coach, please

let me play. I've just got to play to-

day," said the young man. The

coach pretended not to hear him.

There was no way he wanted his

worst player in this close playoff

game. But the young man persisted,

and finally feeling sorry for the kid,

the coach gave in. "All right," he

said. "You can go in."

Before long, the coach, the play-

ers and everyone in the stands could

not believe their eyes. This little

unknown, who had never played

before was doing everything right.

The opposing team could not stop

him. He ran, he passed, blocked,

and tackled like a star. His team

began to triumph. The score was

soon tied. In the closing seconds of

the game, this kid intercepted a pass

and ran all the way for the winning

touchdown.

The fans broke loose. His team-

mates hoisted him onto their shoul-

ders. Such cheering you never

heard. Finally, after the stands had

emptied and the team had showered

and left the locker room, the coach

noticed that this young man was

sitting quietly in the corner all alone

The coach came to him and

said,"Kid, I can't believe it. You

were fantastic! Tell me what got

into you? How did you do it?"

He looked at the coach, with

tears in his eyes, and said, "Well,

you knew my dad died, but did you

know that my dad was blind?" The

young man swallowed hard and

forced a smile, "Dad came to all my

games, but today was the first time

he could see me play, and I wanted

to show him I could do it!"

Like the athlete's father, God is

always there cheering for us. He's

always reminding us to go on. He's

even offering us His hand for He

knows what is best, and is willing

to give us what we need and not

simply what we want. God has nev-

er missed a single game. What a joy

to know that life is meaningful if

lived for the Highest. Live for HIM

for He's watching us in the game of

life!

Submitted by Vicky AndriotisAuthor Unknown


Our Parish by George Mourizakis -Parish Council President

A s of this writing, festival preparations are

under way at full speed. With less than two

weeks remaining, the anticipation is growing

for the big event.

I would like to thank all parishioners who stayed

with us for our spring General Assembly. We elected

a new By-Laws committee, as our local by-laws need

to be brought up-to-date. If you have any additions or

recommendations, please feel free to bring them to my

attention, or to member of the Parish Council, and we

will convey them to the committee. It is a long

process , but it is also long overdue. We are also

restarting another important project, which is the re-

establishment of the Stewardship committee. As I

mentioned at the General Assembly meeting, we have

to focus our attention towards stewardship from un-

churched Orthodox Christians and people who are no

longer attending church regularly. We also have to list

and prioritize our future projects and plan for them

financially. We must ensure the continuance of our

community for the next 100 years in Bridgeport. We

owe this to the future generations of our parish

I also mentioned at the assembly that we are already

making plans for the celebration of the 100th

anniversary of the first Liturgy at Holy Trinity. Our

first Liturgy as a parish was conducted on November

30, 1913.

We had the most wonderful visit to St. Pauls Cathedral in Long Island. Over 95 people, traveling

either by bus or by car, came together to venerate the

tearing icons of Panagia and St. Nicholas and marvel at

the wonderful Cathedral of St. Paul. The Philoptochos

chapter of St. Paul had a beautiful reception for all of

us and made all of us feel welcome. We are thankful

for their hospitality. Somehow, we feel a connection

between our two churches, with the common

denominator being Father Andreas. The most amazing

of all was the gift that was presented from Fr. Luke to

Father Andrea for Holy Trinity, which were the relics

of Saint Barbara. It is such a blessing for our Church to

have relics of this Saint amongst us.

Thank you to all who came with us. I can tell from

this trip that we should organize another one soon.

Perhaps the next one will be to Saint Nectarios Monastery. I can see that our parishioners thirst for

religious pilgrimages and visits.

We just had our Sunday school graduation. All

organizations are planning their end-of-year trips or

gatherings, and soon everyone will be planning and

enjoying their summer vacations. I hope you

remember that our church never sleeps, and that, of

course, services continue throughout the summer.

Even if you are visiting a place far away, please make

sure you visit a local Orthodox Church. School

graduations are next. I hope to see you all at our

Festival.

Thank you and God bless.

Sunday School Elementary Oratorical photo courtesy of Vicky Andriotis

Festival of Tables photo courtesy of Alicja Loukrezis


,

,

,

. .

. .

. , . , .

, 100 .

100 . 30 1913.

. 95 . . , , .

- . .

, .

. 20

, . - . .

.

Preparing for Our Festival photos courtesy of Cristina Hasiotis


If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right. - Bill Cosby

GOYA - by Nicole Pettas and Evan Yiannoulis -

Co-presidents

T he trees are all dressed in

their best green outfits, the

birds are chirping and hop-

ping from branch to branch, the

flowers are blooming, the children

are playing outdoors, and the stu-

dents are on overdrive with final

exams. All are indications that

summer is just around the corner.

As our school year approaches its

conclusion, as our Sunday school

year is soon to be over, so is our

GOYA year!

We at GOYA had a very busy

and an amazing year! Exciting,

fun, rewarding, yet demanding and

at times challenging! Through it all

we were very successful, and we

are so proud of what we have ac-

complished. Our latest events, the

Mothers Day coffee hour was of-fered by GOYA and we hope all

Mothers had a wonderful day. Our

last fund raising activity was the

Car Wash, and we would like to

thank all parishioners for their con-

tinuing support.

We would like to thank

Father Andreas, our Advisors, our

parents, all organizations, and all

parishioners for their support at

every level. Thank you for encour-

aging us and for believing in us.

We could not have done it without

your help.

Special thanks go to our fellow

GOYANS, our friends, for choos-

ing us and allow us to represent

you. Thank you for your hard

work, your sense of humor when it

was needed the most, for your ded-

ication, and your friendship. It was

an honor and a privilege to work

with you, and get to know you all

at a personal level.

We wish our senior graduating

GOYAns the best of luck in all

your future endeavors.

Our best wishes to everyone for

a Healthy, Happy, Safe, and fun

summer. In Christ, Nicole Pettas

and Evan Yiannoulis

Sunday School by Eva Vaniotis -Director

S unday school presented Graduation diplomas to

21 children in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades

who completed their requirements in Sunday

school. Father Andreas

Vithoulkas presented the book

Hear Me to each graduate to keep them informed on

Orthodoxy and use it during

their future years. Parents

and grandparents were called

up to stand next to their

graduate and receive a flower

that was given out that day.

Certificates were given to all of our Sunday school

children. Perfect Attendance and Year Pins were

given to the children who met the Archdioceses requirements.

Elementary Oratorical Certificates were given to all

participants from grades 3, 4, 5, 6. Parish Certificates

were given to participants in the Saint John

Chrysostom Oratorical.

Teachers, Aides, and Substitutes were

recognized for volunteering their time, effort , and

devotion to educate our children in Orthodoxy .

Many thanks to our PTO. Their support is

tremendous! Year Pins, certificates, flowers for the

teachers, and of course, PIZZA were provided after

graduation. Thank you, again.

Congratulations to the sixth graders for holding a

Mock Baptism on May 13 as an end of the year project

directed under the teacher Gloria Tallcouch.

Invitations were extended to the younger children to

promote knowledge on the Baptismal Sacrament.

Baby doll was named Nicole.

Although our Holy Trinity GOYA was unable to

join the Crop Walk this year, the donations were

tremendous and the Council of Churches wants to

thank those who made donations to help those in need.

Best wishes to all for a happy and a healthy

Summer.


When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry. William Shakespeare

Ladies Philoptochos

Society Kalliope Tsitsipas-President

A s another year comes to a

close , we would like to

thank all of the Philopto-

chos ladies who work tirelessly

throughout the year on a variety of

projects and events that help to en-

sure we not only meet our commit-

ment to our beloved Holy Trinity,

but that we continue to support our

National Ministry Commitments,

which are many.

A special and heartfelt thank you

is especially warranted during this

time of year, when so many hands

have helped to prepare the pastries

and man the booths that help to make our annual Olympiad Festival

a success. Thank you to all of you

for your love and dedication to our

Philoptochos and to our Church.

Kai tou Hronou!

This years Festival of Tables was a success, thanks to our won-

d e r f u l

hostesses for all their hard work,

and for the guests who supported

their tables. Everyone did a won-

derful job decorating their tables.

All the proceeds raised during this

event were used to fund all the bak-

ing for our 2012 Olympiad festi-

val.

Once again, we would like to

thank everyone for their generosity

during our relief efforts for Greece.

On the morning of May 15th, we

were able to send our second ship-

ment of over 50 boxes of clothing

and food . This time, the recipient

was the Archdiocese of Athens. A

very special Thank You to the ladies who helped us fold, sort, bag,

and box every single item that was

donated. They include:

Miranda Baker, Eleftheria Fatsi,

and Helen Spyrou. Although we

temporarily suspended the collec-

tion of items for this project (due to

space limitations for the festival),

when our collection resumes, we

will be asking for food and per-

sonal hygiene products, which is

currently the greatest need. Your

generosity for this project has been

staggering, and we are very grate-

ful. God bless you all!

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do

not have the same function, so we,

being many, are one body in Christ,

and individually members of one

another. Having then gifts differing

according to the grace that is given

to us, let us use them..." - Romans

12-6 NKJV

Athletic Department by Pericles Koutroulas -Director

O n behalf of the

A t h l e t i c

Committee, I

would like to thank the

players of our Senior and

Intermediate Divisions who came out

to play in the AHEPA Basketball

Tournament. Although the competition was tough and

fierce at times, our guys did a great job representing

our community with good sportsmanship. Also, I

would like to thank Sam Papadopoulos, Gus Agortsas,

and Lee Tsouris for helping out in the snack bar. This

was the second straight year that our gym hosted the

tournament.

The 2nd session of volleyball concluded on Friday

May 18th. The girls and boys had a wonderful time

playing volleyball, enjoying the variety of themes, and

fellowship with one another. Thank you to our

coaches, Stella Katsetos and Steve Tsorvas, and all the

volunteer parents for making this session fun and a

success.

P lease fee l f ree to emai l me a t

[email protected] or call me at 203 556-0489

with any questions, concerns, and/or ideas.

May 15, 2012Second Shipment of our relief efforts- Over 50 more boxes on their way

to Greece. photo courtesy Vicky Andriotis


"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty." - Unknown

Greek School by Eleni Limberis, Director

. 11

, , . , , , , , , .

28 , , / , 25 . . . . / 8 .

, , ,

, , . . .

Congratulations to all Graduates

The End of Another School Year

A nother school year has come to its end. On

June 11, we will celebrate the end of the

school year and the students will receive

their certificates, diplomas, honors and plaques. With

the help, understanding and support of our church,

Father Andreas, PTO, Parish Council and parents the

operation of our school went well.

During the year our students presented a few pro-

grams for the October 28th, Christmas, Greek letters

celebration, Clean Monday, and March 25th. They

participated in the Greek Parade in New York City.

Thus our children understand the particularities of the

Greek Orthodox Tradition by participating. Also our

children - every Monday and a lot of times on

Wednesday learn to dance. And of course like other

years our 8th grade students will participate in the

2012 Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek

in New York State. During the summer time it will be very beneficial

for the children to keep up with the language to read

simple stories and review and encourage them to talk

with grandparents, other relatives or friends who

speak the language. Also listening to Greek music and

songs Have a nice and joyful summer with your children

and your families. Thank you! Ka Eleni

Walk a Little Slower, Daddy

"Walk a Little slower, Daddy." said a little child so small.

I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they're hard to see;

So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up, You're what I want to be.

Then I will have a little child who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;

So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you! - Author Unknown


To be a successful father . . . theres one absolute rule: when you have a kid, dont look at it for the first two years. Ernest Hemingway

Daughters of

Penelope by Helen Yeotsas - President

T hanks to everyone for coming out to support our Mother's Day Flower, Bake and

Gift Sale once

again this

year! It was a

w o n d e r f u l

event and

many Sisters

w o r k e d

together to

make it a success! Thank you to

all who supported or worked on

this event. In May, we also

celebrated AHEPA Day and

commemorated our deceased

Brothers and Sisters with a

mnimosino and coffee hour in

church. We are not quite done

with this year's activities, as we

prepare to help at the church

fest iva l wi th the Greek

Traditional Foods "Deli" booth

once again. We hope everyone

plans to buy their Greek products

at the festival once again. We are

also planning for our end of year

Luncheon and Meeting on June 9

at Viale Ristorante in Bridgeport.

Details will be mailed to all

members, but we do plan to honor

some of our Sisters for their many

years of service to our chapter.

In June we also plan to give out

scholarships again to students

from our Holy Trinity family. It's

one of our most important goals,

to be able to provide these much

needed funds each year.

Preference is given to students

who have some ties to the

AHEPA/Daughters family. We

take a short break over the

summer, but start working again

to help our Brothers in the

AHEPA at their Taverna in

August.

We had a wonderful, busy and

productive year once again,

welcoming many new Sisters to

our chapter. We've worked on

many fundraisers, but all the

while giving back to our

community, whether through our

National and District obligations,

or through our efforts in the

Greater Bridgeport area or here at

home. We hope to continue this

trend, continuing to grow this

chapter, and uphold the ideals of

our organization. As a reminder

to all, the objectives of the

Daughters of Penelope are to

promote Hellenism, Education,

P h i l a n t h r o p y , C i v i c

Responsibility, and Family &

Individual Excellence. The

D a u g h t e r s o f P e n e l o p e

encourages and promotes loyalty

to the country in which they live;

cultivates the ideals and traditions

o f He l l e n i s m; p r o mo t e s

opportunities of education;

promotes the spirit of cooperation

and works closely and in harmony

with the whole AHEPA Family.

Please see me or any of the

Daughters for information on

joining or for an application. Our

e m a i l i s

daughters@holytrinitybridgeport.

org. Hope you all have a

wonderful summer!

AHEPA by John Bochanis, President

T he Bridgeport Chapter of AHEPA

was recently awarded AHEPA

District 7 Chapter of the Year.

The award was presented at the AHEPA

District 7 Convention held on May 5th in

Newport, Rhode Island. Our Chapter is

proud of this recognition, which was

awarded based on increase in membership and activi-

ties to support the AHEPA goals of philanthropy and

cultural activities.

Our Chapter would also like to welcome our new-

est members Theodore Manalis, David Dugiello, and

Christian Waldron.

Taverna Night news: The annual

Taverna Night sponsored by the

Bridgeport Chapter of AHEPA, will

take place on Friday, August 24th,

starting at 7:00p.m. at Penfield Pa-

vilion, Fairfield Beach. Tickets are

$10.00 per person, due to occupancy

limitations it is highly recommended

to purchase tickets in advance. For

tickets, see any AHEPA member.

To become a member of AHEPA or for infor-

mation concerning Taverna Night please contact

AHEPA Bridgeport Chapter President John Bochanis

at 203-394-8001 or [email protected]


M any thanks to the GOYAns for

their presentation of beautiful

roses to all the mothers of our

Parish on Mother's Day. Also, for the

very nice coffee hour presented by the

GOYAns for all the Parish following

services. Many thanks to the Daughters

for their Sale on Mother's Day, which

helped us select lovely plants, flowers,

baked goods, or handmade gifts for our

loved ones.

A most interesting lecture was held in our Parish

sponsored by the AHEPA, Daughters of Penelope,

Cultural Association, and Parish Council. Professor

Sathis Kalyva, Yale University Professor, spoke on the

Greek Civil War. We thank Michael Bouloubasis for

chairing this event and the Daughters and AHEPAns

for providing the refreshments.

Congratulations to our Athletic Committee for their

end of the year celebration that was held on Saturday,

April 21st. The afternoon was filled with good food

and fun. Of course, we congratulate our players who

received individual awards and we are proud of all

those who participated in any way in our teams. Many

thanks to the Coaches and our Athletic Director, Perry

Koutroulas.

Congratulations to all those who sponsored tables at

the recently held "Festival of Tables. Each individual table was outstanding, and a lot of thought went into

the themes which were just great. The proceeds will be

used for the baking expenses of the Festival.

Congratulations to Stella Capiris,

who was elected to serve on the

Direct Archdiocese District Council

by the delegates to the Direct

Archdiocese District Clergy-Laity

Assembly recently held in New York.

Congratulations to Vickie (Vlastaris)

and Jason Hoffman on the birth of

their baby boy, David Constantine.

The proud grandparents of their first

grandchild are Christine and Gus

Vlastaris. Na sas zisse.

Co n gr a t u l a t i on s t o P a u l i n e

Pe t r akopo u los , dau gh te r o f

C h r y s a n t h e a n d A n d r e a s

Petrakopoulos on her recent

engagement. Also, congratulations to

Vasiliki Yiannoulis, daughter of

Anna and Dino Yiannoulis, upon her recent

engagement to Luis Rovas. We wish both couples

"happy planning. Congratulations to Maria Pertesis, daughter of John

J. and Chrysoula Pertesis, who recently graduated from

Quinnipiac University with high honors and a

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. She has accepted an

offer with one of the top accounting firms in the nation,

Delottte & Touche, and will begin her new career in

September. We are all very proud of her

accomplishments. Kai eis anotera!

The Community lost many of its dedicated

parishioners this past month and we extend our deepest

sympathies to the following families: the family of

Petros (Peter) Roussas, a dedicated parishioner...the

family of Maria Golfis, a loving parishioner for many

years, the family of James Mellas who served many

years as a volunteer, the family of Philip Petron, a

devoted Church member. May all their Memories be

forever eternal!

Around the

Parish- by Stella Capiris

Daughters of Penelope Mothers Day Sale photo courtesy of Maria Pertesis

Preparing for our Festival photo courtesy of Cristina Hasiotis

Festival of Tables photo courtesy of Alicja Loukrezis


PENTECOST SATURDAY OF SOULS SATURDAY JUNE 2, 2012

COMMEMORATIVE OF: NAMES OF DECEASED

2 2012

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2012 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bpt. Ct Publishing &Design-Vicky Andriotis-05/17/2012

AHEPA J. Bochanis 203-254-7595

AROUND THE PARISH S. Capiris 203-259-7344

[email protected] ATHLETIC PROGRAM P. Koutroulas 203-556-0489

[email protected]

CANTOR G. Bakes 203-374-8561

CHOIR P. Leask 203-258-9160

[email protected]

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

CULTURAL ASSOCIATION V. Hatzis 203-268-7231

[email protected] DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE H. Yeotsas 203-374-1729 [email protected] ECCLESIARCH D. Trigonis 203-374-0725

FORCC E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013 [email protected]

GOYA N. Pettas 203-925-0189

E. Yiannoulis 203-372-6591

GREEK PAIDEIA L. Protopapas 203-929-1582

GREEK SCHOOL E. Limberis 203-371-6305

[email protected]

GREEK SCHOOL DANCE GROUP E.Limberis 203-371-6305 [email protected] M. Cook 203-375-9329

HISTORIAN & ARCHIVES ROOM S. Capiris 203-259-7344

[email protected] INTERIOR COMMITTEE B. Pappas 203-268-8907

JR. CHOIR J.Bogardus 203-736-6501

LIBRARY H. Vittorio

L. Protopapas

203-375-0670

203-929-1582

MAINTENANCE G. Hatzis 203-261-3247

L. Tsouris 203-334-2781 MEDIA-COMMUNICATIONS A. Loukrezis 203-268-5377

[email protected]

OLYMPIANS (GOYA) F. Papachristos 203-380-0566

P.T.O. M. Gountas 203-650-3246

[email protected]

PARISH COUNCIL G. Mourizakis 203-373-0580

[email protected] PHILOPTOCHOS K. Tsitsipas

[email protected]

203-926-0137

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

[email protected]

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE S. Karagiannis 203-820-1975 SCHOOL BOARD V. Boudreau 203-734-6754

[email protected]

SENIOR CITIZENS G. Agortsas 203-372-1015

STEWARDSHIP A.J. Metsopoulos 203-292-6418

R. Arvanitis 203-226-4140

[email protected]

SUNDAY SCHOOL E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

[email protected] INTERNET MINISTRIES/WEBSITE/ FACEBOOK/TWITTER/E-BULLETIN

V.Andriotis 203-371-6856

[email protected]

Church Office Eleni Limberis

Email: [email protected] Office: 203.374.5561 Fax: 203.374.5770

Hours: Monday Friday: 9:00am 4:00pm Sundays after Services: 12:00pm-1:00pm

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The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport,

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature. Mark 16:15

Robert Arvanitis 226-4140 Michael Bouloubasis 336-2116 Stella Capiris 259-7344 Phil Georgas 257-7452 Argyris Karagiannis 260-6124 A.J. Metsopoulos 292-6418

John Mihalakopoulos 261-4732 George Mourizakis 373-0580 Chris Papachristos 380-0566 Peter Tsimbidaros 334-2578 Scott Vereb 520-2781 Constantine Vlamis 268-5464

Parish Council Newsletter Editor Vicky Andriotis

Newsletter Staff

Eleni Limberis George Mourizakis

Father Andreas Vithoulkas Vicky Andriotis

Father Andreas Vithoulkas, Presbyter [email protected]

phone: 917-334-4192

Services Sunday: Orthros 8:30am

Sunday School Special Services: 10:00am-10:15am Divine Liturgy,Sermons, Announcements:

9:45am 11:30am Weekday Services,Orthros,Divine Liturgy:

8:30am

Summer Sunday Services (June-September): Orthros 8:45am

Divine Liturgy,Sermons, Announcements: 9:45 - 11:15am

651 Villa Ave. Fairfield, CT 203-384-8176

www.androsdinerfairfield.com

Joanna Bolovinos,GRI,CRS Realtor / Certified

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[email protected] t. 203.255.6101 x375 888.248.7488 c. 203.545.1704 f203.254.0166 www.williampitt.com

[email protected]

PGK LAW

631-258-3933

PETER G KARAYIANNIS

ATTORNEY AT LAW

JUNE 2012 THE ORTHODOX VISION 20 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604

Address Service Requested

The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity

June 2012

Issue #268

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The Orthodox Vision - June 2012 Issue #268