Mar c h 2 0 1 5 w w w. H o l y Tr in i ty B r id ge p o r t . o rg I s s u e N o . 3 0 1

The O

fficia

l Mon

thly

Publ

icatio

n of

Holy

Trin

ity

March 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and Oil Allowed Dairy,Eggs, and Fish Allowed

1 Sunday

of Orthodoxy -

PanOrthodox

Vespers at Ho-

ly Trinity

4:00pm

Martyr Eudocia

Andonina the

2

2nd Monday of

Lent

Martyr Hesy-

chius

Nicholas

Planas

3

2nd Tuesday

of Lent

Martyrs Eutro-

pius, Cleonicus

and Basiliscus

Theodoretos the

Holy Martyr of

4 Presan

ctified Litur-

gy/

6:00-7:30

PM 2nd Wednesday of

5

2nd Thursday

of Lent

Conon the Gar-

dener

Mark the As-

cetic

6 2nd

Salutations

7:00-9:00

pm / 2nd Friday of

Lent 42 Mar-

tyrs of Amorion

7

Second Satur-

day of Lent

7 Hieromartyrs of

Cherson

Lavrentios of

Megara

8

Sunday of St.

Gregory Pala-

mas

Theophylact ,

Bp. of Nicome-

dea

9

40 Martyrs of

Sebastia

Caesarios the

Righteous

10

3rd Tuesday of

Lent

Martyr Quad-

ratus of Corinth

and the 5

Anastasia of

11 Presa

nctified/

Liturgy

(seniors)

10:00 am Seniors Meet-

ing: 1:00pm

12

3rd Thursday

of Lent

Theophanes the

Confessor

Symeon the

New Theologi-

13 3rd

Salutations

7:00-9:00

pm /

3rd Friday of

14

Third Saturday

of Lent

Benedict of

Nursia

Euschimonus the

Confessor

15

Sunday of the

Holy Cross

Philoptochos

Lenten Lunch-

eon after Ser-

vices

Martyr Agapius

& Companions

16

4th Monday of

Lent

Martyr Sabine

Christodulus the

Wonderworker

17

4th Tuesday of

Lent

Alexis the Man

of God

Patrick, En-

lightener of

Ireland

18 Presa

nctified Lit-

urgy/

6:00-7:30

PM 4th Wednes-

day of Lent

19

4th Thursday

of Lent

Martyrs Chry-

santhus and

Daria

Demetrios the

New Martyr

20 4th

Salutations

7:00-9:00 pm/

4th Friday of

Lent

21

Fourth Saturday

of Lent

James the Con-

fessor

Thomas, Pat. Of

Constanstinople

22

Sunday of St.

John Clima-

cus

Hieromartyr

Basil of Ancy-

ra

Kalliniki &

Vassilisa the

Martyrs

23

5th Monday of

Lent

Martyr Nicon &

the 199

Anatolios &

Protoleon the

Martyrs

24

5th Tuesday of

Lent

Forefeast of the

Annunciation

Bp. Artemon

25 Service

9:30 am

Annuncia-

tion / o/ Seniors Meet

@1:00pm/

Greek School

March 25th

Program Cele-

bration

26

5th Thursday

of Lent: The

Great Canon

of Saint An-

drew of Crete

Synaxis of the

Archangel Ga-

briel

26 Martyrs in

Crimea

27 Akath

ist Hymn

7:00-9:00

pm /

5th Friday of

Lent

Matrona of

Thessalonica

28

5th Saturday of

Lent: The

Akathist Hymn

Hilarion the New

Herodion the

Apostle of the 70

29 Sun-

day of St.

Mary of Egypt

Greek Inde-

pendence Day

Parade New

York City

30 6th

Monday of

Lent / John

Climacus Sos-

thenes Apollos,

Cephas, Caesar,

& Epaphrodi-

tos, the Apos-

tles of the 70

31

6th Tuesday of

Lent

Hieromartyr

Hypatius

Metropolitan

Innocent of

Moscow

MEMORIALS:

Sunday March 8 Demetra Bothos - 6 months

Sunday March 22 Dimitrios Bletsas - 1 year

Sunday March 29 Petros Taxilataridis - 1 year

:

8 - 6 22 - 1

29 - 1

MARCH 2015 3

The Lord my Creator took me as dust from the earth and formed me into a living creature, breathing into me

the breath of life and giving me a soul; He honored me,

setting me as a ruler upon the earth over all things

visible, and making me the companion of the angels.

But Satan the deceiver, using the serpent as his

instrument, enticed me by food; he parted me from the

glory of God and gave me over to the earth and to the

lowest depths of death. But, Master, in compassion call

me back again. From The Sunday of Forgiveness Vespers

O n t h e Su n d a y o f

Forgiveness, the las t

Sunday before the Great

Lent, we are reminded of something

that we usually try not to think of:

our mortality. We hear the ancient

words from Scripture, Then God

formed man out of dust from the

ground, and breathed in his face the

breath of life; and man became a

living soul (Gen 2:7). These are strange words to the modern person.

Why should we remember our death

when all the world cries "Life" to us?

We are urged to think positive

thoughts, to feel good about

ourselves, to reach for the stars, to

"be all that you can be." It is

annoying to be reminded that this full

life will someday end. No. Forget all this dust and ashes

talk. Let us keep things in their places, simple and safe -

life now, while there is life; death later, when there must

be death.

Death is a fact of this life no matter how much we

dent it. But this realization does not mean we should

despair. St. Paul exhorts us to no longer fear death

because we have the hope of the Resurrection (1 Thess.

4:13). For Christians, death is not the end of the story.

The Gospel puts things into perspective - it allows us to

think about the unthinkable. The Lenten story begins

with an uncomfortable stirring of the ashes of existence

and forces us to consider our sin, our guilt, to

"Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Amid the many, busy and distracting events of our lives,

the quiet hours of Lenten worship are certainly needed.

Lent, taken seriously, provides us with greater

opportunity for solitude, more time for reflection and

meditation as we journey through our particular

wilderness to Holy Pascha. Through fasting and prayer

we tune out the noise or static of the world and become

more in tune with God. We need this time to consider

how we are doing and to evaluate our relationship with

each other and with God. Great Lent is that traditional

time of the year when we are urged to probe into the

deeper corners of our being.

During this time of Great Lent we are also reminded

of other timeless truths from Scripture: that we are

created in the image and likeness of God, and that

through repentance we are able to

return to our original purpose in life,

to regain our lost relationship with

God. Repentance is coming to our

senses, like the prodigal son did, and

seeing ourselves as we really are.

Repentance is facing up to the

powerful desires within us to deceive

- to deceive others and ourselves.

But repentance is not only

recognition; it is also repudiation.

Often, getting caught in a sinful act

will produce feelings of remorse,

anguish, regret, and sorrow, but

unhappiness is not repentance.

Repentance is realizing ones inadequacy and surrendering to

Gods mercy. Genuine repentance means that the direction of our lives

has changed. It means we have come to our senses and

we arise and return to our God. We ourselves must be

changed!

And we can't do this on our own. Our bonds of

captivity are too strong for us to break on our own. In

our sin, we simply do not have the power to direct our

own repentance. Power to repent comes from God's

decision to save. I doubt very much if the prodigal son

would have gone home to an elder brother, but going

home to a loving father is an altogether different matter.

The relationship of love makes all the difference.

This culminates in a glorious day of Resurrection. The

Good News that Christ came to tell us is this: that,

because of Jesus Christ, neither ashes nor dust are the

last word. I wish to all of you and your families a

blessed and fruitful Lent!

The Last Word by Father Andreas Vithoulkas

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.

MARCH 2015 4

.

, , , , , , . , , , , , . , .

T , ,

: , , , . (. 2, 7) . ; , , , " ". , ! , , , . , -

- , . .

. . , ( , , , , 1 . 4, 13). . . , , .

, , , . , , , , ,

.

. , - , . .

, , . , , . , . . , , , . . . ,

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to your servant.

MARCH 2015 5

, . ! . . , . , , .

, . .

. , , .

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sin and not to judge my

brother, for You are blessed from all ages to all ages. Amen

G OYA has been really busy the last few months.

Thank you to all those who donated towards our

Bears from the Heart project it was a great success and the children of the Ronald McDonald house

loved all the bears we made. It was such a great feeling

to know we put a smile on a sick childs face.

We have been working with the Sunday school mak-

ing icons for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. We have lots of

fun things in the works, so we encourage those who have

not yet joined GOYA to come down and join us for our

events, we would love to have you. We also encourage

you to bring friends and have them join. Everyone is

welcome.

D espite a snowstorm the

day before, January 25th

found many of the choir

and Sunday school students to-

gether in church for the second

singing of the liturgy. The music

was conducted by our Junior Choir

Director, Joanna Bogardus.

Later that day, the senior choir

traveled to St. Johns Episcopal Church in Bridgeport to take part in the Ecumenical

Service of Worship sponsored by The Council of

Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Selections of music

were offered by the following churches: Holy Trinity,

The Bethel AME Church Praise Team, The Choir of

Stratford United Methodist Church, The Latin Band of

St. Charles Borromeo Church, The United Congrega-

tional Church Chancel Choir and The Norma Pfriem

Childrens Choir. Holy Trinitys selections were the

Great Prokimenon and Esimiothi ef imas. Clergy from the area, including Father Andreas, also participat-

ed in the program. At the conclusion of the service,

upon exiting the church, members of the congregation

were invited to dip their hand in a bowl of water and

take a small stone to take with them as a remembrance

of their baptism. The service was a very interesting

learning experience as to the different variations of

Christian musical worship and a wonderful opportunity

for a gathering of the community.

Choir by Carol Vaniotis

GOYA Eleni Demestihas & Chrysoula Vlamis

GOYABears from the Heart Project

MARCH 2015 6

What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart

W ith all this snow and cold

that has come our way, I

can't wait for the spring

to arrive, although seeing the white

fluffy stuff and how happy the kids

get makes it all better.

We are looking forward to many

activities and events coming up in

March. They are as follows:

-Sunday of Orthodoxy March 1st We are collaborating with the

AHEPAns to serve a marvelous

brunch.

-On the 11th of March, we have a

5pm meeting.

-Sunday, March 15th - We are

welcoming Mr. Evan and ten of the

children from St. Basils . We will

exchange the gifts then and enjoy

Philoptochos' luncheon. We will

have the children sit together with

the youth from the Academy, and

Pater Andreas will have a

discussion with all the kids in the

Aegean Hall.

-We will offer a Lenten meal and

dessert after Xerestismoi services

on Friday March 20th.

-We will serve a delicious meal

after the Greek school program on

March 25th.

We are looking forward to the first ever lock down retreat that Mr. Hallas has been planning with

grades 5th to Goya age. PTO will

serve the youth dinner and

breakfast.

-Last but not least, Sunday, March

29th is the New York Greek

Independence Day parade. PTO has

booked a bus. We would love to see

our youth participate in this please

see K Limberis for information.

PTO by Effie Vlamis, President

O ur basketball season is wrapping up and our

playoff games will be the weekend of the 28th.

Our Varsity team will make the playoffs.

Youth and JV will depend on the draw in the first

round. Its been a great season for all the

teams, and weve watched them grow both as players, team mates and as teams.

Volleyball will continue to play into

mid-March. They are enjoying successes

as a team, individually and growing in

athletic skills.

Save the date for our Awards: April

19th (not the 26th as previously posted).

We are working on our hall of fame event for Nov

7th and looking forward to this first annual event! If

you have information on past sports or pictures from

the CEOBL please contact Chris Danas at 860 916

3777 or cjdanas@gmail.com.

Our player of the month is Emmanuel Andriotis.

Manny is a forward on our Youth team, and is in his

final year in that division. He is a dedicated player

who attends every game and practice, and sets a good

example for some of the younger kids. Manny is also

an active participant in the life of the Church. He has

served as an Altar boy since the age of

6, is in his 8th year of Sunday School,

which he attends faithfully, and has

been a member of the JOY/HOPE

group. Outside of Church, Manny plays

baseball in the North End Little League,

plays the trumpet for his Middle

Schools band, and recently was one of

only three 6th graders who were select-

ed to present their science projects at

the 8th grade science fair. Congratula-

tions to Manny. We wish him well in

all his future endeavors.

I would like to thank the volunteers that help out

every week. This league depends on everyones con-tribution. A special thanks to all the parents, whether

its coaching, or manning the door or snack bar, or

transporting players to the games and practices, we

couldnt do it without you!

Athletic Department by Chris Danas , Director

MARCH 2015 7

S pring is approaching and all of us will start feel-

ing, little by little, nature's rebirth with the

blossoming of flowers. Everything around us is

changing. Even our mood. Enough with the winter.

The daylight is getting longer and longer, we enjoy

more sunny days, versus the wintery gray days with the

snow coming with every other one! This is no doubt

why the ancient Greeks started the new year in March!

In February, we had two events; Tsiknopempti and

the Loukoumades, both to support the fundraiser efforts

for the St Nicholas National Shrine. A lot of you may

ask, "Why should we give money for the little Church

in New York? After all, they got money from donations

for the September 11 fund. " All of us remember that

terrible day when terrorists changed our lives; a nice

sunny day when thousands of innocent people left us for

another angelic place, where people live in peace. How-

ever, when you think it over, you will see that there are

a lot of reasons why all the Greek communities have to

help for this work.

To begin with , it has been so many years and many

legal fights with the City Hall of New York City, to get

something that we had every right to, since we owned

it to begin with, and we finally got the approval to re-

build the St Nicholas Church. It is not in its original

place, but in a new, better one - at Ground Zero. For

this reason alone ,we should donate money. That is, for

the importance of having a Greek Orthodox presence at

Ground Zero. Visitors from the entire world will see and

have the opportunity to light a candle in our St Nicholas

Church! The goal is to rebuild, furnish, and endow this

new church by 2016 - the 100th Anniversary of the orig-

inal Parish of St Nicholas.

As a Greek and as a Philoptochos member, I feel

pride in the knowledge that our organization played a

part in the building of the Shrine and in knowing that

our name will be recorded in a book at the site. We will

become part of history! The Shrine, as a wel-

come for all, will have the Icon of Panayia reaching Her

arms out, comforting all who visit. (This is how archi-

tect Calatrava conceived of the design of the St Nicholas

Church). The $40 million needed for the rebuilding

stem from the cost of materials, labor, the architect fees,

and the legal expenses, which after so many years accu-

mulated to a large sum. We will continue to collect

money from everyone who is willing to offer any

amount for the Church of St Nicholas - a house of wor-

ship for the Greek Orthodox Community and a place of

prayer and solace for all people.

I have to thank all of you, members and non-members

of our Philoptochos, who defied the snow and the

"Siberian cold" to come and support our events for St

Nicholas. Thank you very much. From Tsiknopempti

alone, we collected $ 965.00. THANK YOU FROM

THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

Note: We regret that The Loukoumades had been can-

celled due to the snow and extreme cold. We will try to

find another date. I love Loukoumades and I don't want

to miss it.

Upcoming Events: February 27: First Salutations of

Virgin Mary - Philoptochos will serve coffee and des-

sert. March 1st : Sunday of Orthodoxy - at 4:00

PM we have the Vespers at our Church, with all Ortho-

dox Churches; a Lenten dinner, offered by Philoptochos,

will follow. March 10th: Board eeting at 6 :00 PM.

Regular meeting: 7:00 PM.

March 15th: Lenten Luncheon, all the proceeds will

go to Holy Cross College.

March is the month of baking for Easter Bake Sale.

This year Easter is on April 12, 2015 . Please be prompt

with your orders. Call Kalliope Tsitsipas at (203) 926-

0137 , the Church's office or Lena Protopapas at (203)

929-1582. Thank you.

Philoptochos by Lena Protopapas , President

MARCH 2015 8

T he Oath of Office was given to the following Par-

ish Council members by Father Andreas follow-

ing Liturgy on January 25th: Peter Angelopoulos,

Sylvia Bal, Michael Bouloubasis, Stella Capiris, Philip

Georgas, Perikles Gountas, Peter Krayiannis, Christos

Papachristos, Pericles Rountos, Peter Tsimbidaros,

Constantinos Vlamis, Nicholas Vlamis. At the end of

Church Services, the Parish Council adjourned to the

Conference Room to meet with Father Andreas to elect

their officers. Following opening prayer by Father An-

dreas, the following nominations took place. President:

Constantinos Vlarnis; Vice-President: Christos Papa-

christos: Treasurer: Michael Bouloubasis; Secretary:

Stella Capiris; Assistant Treasurer: Perikles Gountas;

Assistant Secretary Philip Georgas. Our gratitude and

thanks for his dedicated service to former member of the

Parish Council-A. J. Metsopoulos.

We survived the "January Blizzard of'2015. On Tues-

day, January 27th, after the roads were opened only lo-

cally in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, lo and behold

we saw on Channel 7 our own Leo Pertesis being inter-

viewed as he stated that his diner "Andros" would be

open by 12 noon on that day as he called his employees

to return to work. He did a great job answering the re-

porter's questions. Unfortunately, we still are suffering

from more snow days.

The AHEPA and Daughters had their combined meet-

ing in January to cut their Vasilopeta . The lucky winners

for the coin were Nick Fatibene for AHEPA and Cindy

Waldron for the Daughters. Good luck to both of them.

Fortunately, the snow held off so that the Daughters

could present their annual Penelope's Cafe Luncheon and

we all celebrated Godparents Sunday with a lovely luncheon. Winners of the Koulouraki Contest'(judged by the GOYAns) were (1) Helen Yeotsas, (2) Cindy Wal-

dron, and (3) Angela Rountos. Many thanks to the

Daughters for continuing to perpetuate the memory of the

26 lives lost in Newtown by also lighting on this day 26

Vigil Candles in their memory.

Many thanks to the ladies who worked on the recep-

tion for the St. Dionysios celebration. The coffee hour

was most delicious with a wide assortment of homemade

pastries. Monies collected that day were donated to the

Church.

Many thanks to the anonymous donor who donated

new Bibles to the Sunday School third grade, which were

recently distributed by Father Andreas to all the children

in that grade with the admonition by him to be sure and

use these Bibles - lots of good stuff within the covers."

A Memorial was held for all deceased teachers, help-

ers, students of our Sunday and Greek Schools. Also, an

Artoklasia was prepared for the health of our teachers,

helpers, and students of our Sunday and Greek Schools.

We thank them all for their dedication.

The Celebration of The Three Hierarchs, on behalf of

the Greek School and Sunday School Departments, was

presented in an essay read by Kalista Hainsworth. Proud

parents are Theodore and Sophia Hainsworth, and the

proud grandparents are Peter and Pauline Halkias.

Congratulations to Greg and Georgette Kapetaneas on

the birth of their baby boy, Nicholas. Na sas zisse.

Perastika and get well wishes are extended to Chrysoula Vlamis, who is recovering from pneumonia,

and to Stephanie Bellas, who is recovering from her re-

cent fall. So nice to see Janice Pavlides Hayes back in

Church. She recovering from knee surgery.

The Community extends its deepest sympathy to the

family of Andrea'Billie' Lycoudes upon her recent death.

She was a devoted mother and grandmother and she will

be deeply missed by her children and adoring grandchil-

dren. Also, our deepest sympathy to the family of

George Kalander. George was a long-time parishioner of

our Church , faithfully attending Sunday Services. Our

deepest sympathy to Manny Machado on the loss of his

brother, and to Sophia Maragos on the loss of her father.

The Community extends its deepest sympathy to Father

Peter Orfanakos (from St. Barbara Church-Orange) and

family on the loss of their beloved son. May all of their

memories be forever eternal.

Around the Parish by Stella Capiris

AHEPA by John Bochanis , President

T he Bridgeport Chapter of AHEPA recently elected Nick Fatibene as its new treasurer. Nick has been a member of AHEPA for many years, and we congratulate him in his new position. Many thanks to outgoing treasurer ,Steve Kyratsous, for his service as treasurer of the Bridgeport AHEPA Chapter.

The Bridgeport Chapter of AHEPA will be participating with the PTO in sponsoring a luncheon to be held after

church on March 1st. The Bridgeport Chapter of AHEPA will be preparing Fasolada to be served after church.

To become a member of AHEPA please contact us at 203-394-8001 or ahepa@holytrinitybridgeport.org

MARCH 2015 9

The Lord measures out perfection neither by the multitude nor the magnitude of our deeds, but by the manner in which we perform them.

T hank you to everyone who

made our Penelopes Caf a success. We would like to

congratulate Helen Yeotsas who

w o n o u r

K o u l o u r a k i

contest, along

with Cin dy

Waldron and

Angela Rountos

as our runners

up! We thank

our bakers and

our GOYAns, who served as

judges. Looking forward to next

years contest!

We have begun our Acts of

Kindness in memory of the victims

of the tragedy in Sandy Hook. It

will be our prayers and our acts

that will honor these innocent souls

who lost their lives. These small

acts of kindness are to make a

difference in people who need a

hand, a kind gesture, or something

that will just make a difference for

them.

We also have two mini-drives

planned this month. We have a

mini-drive for pet food supporting

the Animal Center in Newtown,

which will take place on March

8th. Another drive is for toiletries,

which will support the Center for

Family Justice in Bridgeport.

Boxes will be set up in the back of

the church on these two Sundays

only. If you wish to contribute to

these causes, please contact any

DOP member or me. See our

flyers for more information.

Look out for our annual Spring

Raffle supporting our scholarship

fund. We will be raffling gift cards

to local grocery stores, just in time

for the Easter holiday! Each ticket

is only $1 with ten prizes to be

drawn on April 5th (Palm Sunday).

We are continuing our work with

the Council of Churches and the

Trumbull Gardens Community

Alliance. Events are planned for

the first Monday of every month.

Information on upcoming events

will be forthcoming.

Please look out for the date for

our March meeting. It is being

changed so as not to conflict with

church services held during Lent.

During this meeting, we will be

discussing our Acts of Kindness

and all upcoming activities.

Please visit us at http://

h o l y t r i n i t y b r i d g e p o r t . o rg /

daughters.html.

O u r c h a p t e r e m a i l i s

daughters@holytrinitybridgeport.or

g. Lastly, Like us on Facebook

at Daughters of Penelope -

Bridgeport "Hermes" Chapter 41,

District 7. Please consider being a

part of our group. We would love

to have you!

Daughters of

Penelope by Kathy Yiannoulis ,

President

H appy Lent! Congratulations to all our 3rd

Graders who received their Bibles. They are to

bring it to Class every Sunday and keep it in

good condition. I also, thank the donor who donated the

Bibles, who would like to remain anonymous.

March 1st is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. All, the

children will participate in the procession this year.

Also, the children made their own icon pictures in class

and GOYA helped mounting them onto the wood. I am

so proud of all of our kids, and after Sunday of

Orthodoxy, they can take their icons home.

On March 22nd, we will have a Didactic Service for

the children. Please have all children arrive by 9:45 and

report directly to the Aegean Hall.

On March 27th, we will hold a Sunday School

"Lockdown Retreat. All children, 5th Grade and up, are encouraged to attend. Children will attend Friday night

Salutation to the Virgin Mary Service. The PTO will

serve a Lenten dinner. Children will be supervised 1:7

ratio (One Chaperone to 7 children). Parents are

welcome to stay as well. Guest Seminarians are

scheduled to attend. Breakfast will also be served in he

morning. Please contact me at 203-522-5022 to RSVP.

We are currently preparing for the Oratorical Festival.

I am encouraging the children from 5th Grade and up to

participate. We will hold a Parish Oratorical for grades 7

-10, and then move up to the District Level.

More information will be given in each classroom. It

would be nice to have a student from Holy Trinity win!

We can do it !

Sunday School by Tom Hallas, Director

MARCH 2015 10

Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness

in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."

T he month of

February has

fallen on us

like a ton of bricks!

Last year, it seemed

like the snow would

never end, but to our

surprise , this year it

even worse. It ap-

pears like the snow

has no end, and it

keeps on coming.

Although , I'd have

to say we are lucky

because the forecast has been wrong, and we have got-

ten less accumulation. Still, we haven't stopped plow-

ing and sanding the grounds. It just doesn't appear like

its going to end. Furthermore, as if we didn't have enough with the weather, the heat in the gym failed

during the most frigid of days. Well, it took a few

days to get parts, but we did fix the heat, and the

grounds are clear of the snow. We were very lucky the

plumbing wasn't affected. As we move into Lent and

the month of March comes along, hopefully the sun

will shine some warmth on us.

Lent is well underway by now, and we have much

need of a few items in order to prepare ourselves for

Pascha. There is a donation form in this issue of the-

Vision that serves as a guide. Also, any early steward-

ship donations, with all these expenses we have in-

curred from the winter frost, are truly appreciated.

Please allow your generosity to fill our voids in any

way possible. March the month which is an indica-tor that Greek independence day is near. We will once

again have a bus going, so reserve your seat. It gets

filled pretty quickly. Join us this year, either on the

bus or if you drive at 5th Ave. in Manhattan, to cele-

brate the Greek independence parade.

Thank you to Christopoulos Designs for donating

some really nice cabinets in an effort to beautify our

grounds. They are very much appreciated.

Be safe stay warm. With happiness, hope, and hu-

mility.

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VISION . .

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Our Parish by Constantinos Vlamis , Parish Council President

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA

HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

DIRECT ARCHDIOCESAN

DISTRICT

January 6, 2015

Beloved Brothers and Sisters:

We would like to wish you and your families a blessed New Year. We were blessed that we had the opportunity to

usher in the new year with our Church family at our annual New Years Eve dance.

We would also like to congratulate the newly elected Parish Council Members for 2015, and thank those who came

out to vote for this years Parish Council Elections. Your continued support and commitment to our Church are very much appreciated, and we are grateful for all that your do.

We would like to acknowledge that there may have been some miscommunication and misunderstandings during the

election process in December. We sincerely apologize to anyone who may have been affected, and assure you that it

was not our intention to upset or offend anyone. We value each and every parishioner of our community, and we are

fortunate for your continued participation in the life of our Parish. Please be assured that we are reviewing proce-

dures in hopes of avoiding any misunderstandings in the future.

We thank you for your continued support and wish you a blessed and joyous new year! Xronia Polla!

In Christ,

Father Andreas The Parish Council the Elections Committee

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2015 .

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The Orthodox Christian Family: A Dwelling of Christ and a Witness of His Gospel. (42nd Clergy-Laity Congress)

4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 Tel: (203) 374-5561 Fax: (203) 374-5770

Web: www.holytrinitybridgeport.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/holytrinitybridgeport Twitter: www.twitter.com/holytrinitybpt

MARCH 2015 12

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis. Source: Pantanassa Monastery. Paraphrased from: "Year 4 Feasts ."

Kids

Cor

ner

Great Lent Great Lent has begun. During Lent we fast. Fasting helps us to remember

God. It is hard to be good like our Lord Jesus and the Saints but fasting

helps us try. Every Friday night of Lent there is a special service to Panagia.

The first Sunday of Lent is called Sunday of Orthodoxy . There was a time when

some people in the Church didn't want the holy icons. The Fathers of the Church

struggled to keep the holy icons in our churches and homes. We remember them on

this day and we thank God for our Orthodox faith, for the saints, and for the holy

icons.

On the second Sunday, Saint Gregory Palamas helps us think about drawing near to

God with moments of silence and quiet.

On the third Sunday, the Sunday of the Holy Cross, the priest will lift the Holy

Cross, decorated with flowers and then he will carry it around the church. This is to

remind us that the Cross of Christ gives us strength and helps us. We venerate the

Holy Cross with deep respect.

On the fourth Sunday, the Sunday of Saint John Climacus, we will hear the story of

a father whose son is very sick. The father asks our Lord Jesus to help him but He

does not have much faith. Our Lord Jesus helps the father with his faith and makes

the son well. Saint John Climacus wrote a book that helps people be more disciplined

and move away from bad habits, and other things that bring us closer to God.

Finally, on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt, we will

hear our Lord Jesus preparing His disciples for what is soon to happen, His betrayal

and sufferings, Crucifixion and Resurrection.

MARCH 2015 13

Greek School 2015 - MARCH 2015

25 , 25 2015, @ 5:00 MM

.

: 29 2015

Our Greek School Program celebration, for the Greek Independence Day, will take place on, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015, AT 5:00 PM

Reception with dinner by the PTO

Our Greek Parade in New York is on: Sunday March 29, 2015

/ .

Students must wear: Blue and White outfits or Greek National Costumes if they have any.

MARCH 2015 15

MARCH 2015 16

MARCH 2015 17

the LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS Annual Lenten Luncheon

Sunday, March 15, 2015 Directly after services

to benefit Holy Cross School of Theology and Hellenic College

Save the Date

MARCH 2015 18

MARCH 2015 19

$5.00

To order, please call either Holy Trinity203.374.5561, Kalliope Tsistsipas at 203.926.0137, or Lena Pro-topapas at 203.929.1582 by March 29th. Pick up will be Saturday, April 4th from 10:30am and 1:00pm,

and on Sunday, April 5th after services : 12:00pm to 2:00pm.

Lazarakia

for Saturday of Lazarus

$1.00 each

THE COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF GREATER BRIDGEPORT

invites you to our annual Spring Fling Saturday, April 25, 2015

6:00 to 9:30 PM

Livefrom Broadway to Bridgeport At United Congregational Church, 877 Park Ave, Bridgeport

Act I

6:00 Reception in Pilgrim Hall Featuring delectable appetizers & drinks

(wine, beer, soda)

Act II

2015 Faith & Community Award

Honoring

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Act III

LIVE From Broadway to Bridgeport - R.E.S.P.E.C.T!!

Broadway performers from The New Paradigm Theatre

Tickets are $65 per person. Order on line at www.ccgb.org

or Contact Chris @203-334-1121 ext. 243 chrisseeger@ccgb.org

Bring your own picnic-style supper & drinks

To enjoy during the show

INVITE FRIENDS! fill a half or whole table

(Tables seat 8)

Ample and Secure Parking

2015 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bpt. Ct Publishing &Design -Vicky Andriotis-2/17/2015

The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604

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

Taki Angelopoulos 767-0783 Sylvia Bal 814-2131

Michael Bouloubasis 336-2116 Stella Capiris 259-7344 Phil Georgas 257-7452

Periklis Gountas 690-1765 Petros Karayiannis 631-258-3933

Chris Papachristos 380-0566 Pericles C. Rountos 268-7173

Peter Tsimbidaros 334-2578 Constantinos Vlamis 268-5464 Nick Vlamis 459-0521 All are codes are 203, unless otherwise

specified.

Parish Council Newsletter Editor

Vicky Andriotis

Newsletter Staff

Eleni Limberis Father Andreas

Vithoulkas Vicky Andriotis

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

historian@holytrinitybridgeport.

org

HOSPITAL MINISTRY S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

JR. CHOIR J. Bogardus 203-736-6501

MAINTENANCE G. Hatzis 203-260-5359

L. Tsouris 203-334-2781

NURSING HOME MINISTRY S. Capiris 203-259-7334

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

P. T. O. E. Vlamis 203-268-5464

pto@holytrinitybridgeport. org

PARISH COUNCIL Constantine Vlamis 203-268-5464

parishcouncil@holytrinitybridgeport. org

PHILOPTOCHOS L. Protopapas

philoptochos@holytrinitybridgeport. org

203-929-1582

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

publicity@holytrinitybridgeport. org

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE S. Karagiannis 203-820-1975

SENIOR CITIZENS V. Hatzis 203-268-7231

STEWARDSHIP Pericles C. Rountos 203-268-7173

Stewardship@holytrinitybridgeport. org

SUNDAY SCHOOL T. Hallas 203-522-5022

sundayschool@holytrinitybridgeport. org

INTERNET MINISTRIES-WEBSITE- FACEBOOK-TWITTER

-BULLETIN-VISION

V. Andriotis

vicky@holytrinitybridgeport. org

ALTAR DIRECTOR P. Bozikis 917-692-2317

AHEPA J. Bochanis 203-254-7595

AROUND THE PARISH S. Capiris 203-259-7344

aroundtheparish@holytrinitybridgeport. org

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR C. Danas 860-916-3777

athleticprogram@holytrinitybridgeport.

org

BOOKSTORE V. Andriotis

vicky@holytrinitybridgeport. org

CANTOR G. Bakes 203-374-8561

CHOIR P. Leask 203-258-9160

choir@holytrinitybridgeport. org

CULTURAL ASSOCIATION V. Hatzis 203-268-7231

culturalassociation@holytrinitybridgeport. org

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE K. Yiannoulis 203-372-6591

daughters@holytrinitybridgeport. org

ECCLESIARCH D. Trigonis 203-374-0725

FORCC E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

GOYA E. Demestihas 203-380-2923

C. Vlamis

GREEK SCHOOL E. Limberis 203-371-6305

greekschool@holytrinitybridgeport. org

GREEK SCHOOL DANCE GROUP E. Limberis 203-371-6305

greekschooldance@holytrinitybridgeport. org

Church Office

Eleni Limberis Email: Email@holytrinitybridgeport. org

Office: 203. 374. 5561 Fax: 203. 374. 5770 Hours: Monday Friday: 9:00am 4:00pm Sundays after Services: 12:00pm-1:00pm

On the Web -www. holytrinitybridgeport. org Bookstore Online -bookstore. holytrinitybridgeport. org

Shopping shop. holytrinitybridgeport. org On Facebookwww. facebook. com/holytrinitybridgeport

On Twitter www. twitter. com/holytrinitybpt

Father Andreas Vithoulkas, Presbyter

fatherandreas@holytrinitybridgeport. org phone: 917-334-4192

Services

Weekdays & Saturdays

Orthros 8:30 am / Liturgy 9:30 am

Sundays Orthros 8:45am/ Liturgy 10:00 am

: 8:45 / : 10:00

DeJesus Dental Group Cosmetic, Family & Implant Dentistry

Pericles Rountos, D. M. D. General Dentist

T:(203) 372-1220 www. dejesusdental. com

F:(203)371-8540 4131 Main St. Bpt, CT

Dr. Kevin R. Bellows Chiropractic Physician

25 Lindeman Dr. Trumbull, CT 203-373-0315

Fax: 203-373-0367 Www.bellowschiropractic.com

Special Attention to Athletic Injuries

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

www. androsdinerfairfield. com

PETER G. KARAYIANNIS ATTORNEY AT LAW

MAHER & MURTHA LLC 528 Clinton Ave

Bridgeport, CT 06605

Phone: (203) 367-2700

Cell: (631)258-3933 PGK@maherandmurtha. com

MY SMILE Orthodontics Maria Karayiannis,DMD

865 River Road, Suite 307 Shelton, CT 06484

Phone: 203-538-5014 fax:203. 538. 5001

www. MySmileCT. com Maria@MySmileCT. com

Commerce Hill Funeral Home 4798 Main St. Bridgeport , CT

203-371-1966

Ronald J. Dougiello

Charles W. Dougiello David P. Dougiello

Call the Office and place your ad

today! 203. 374. 5561

Tomlinsons Restaurant 1400 Noble Ave, Bridgeport

Tel. 335-5296

Nicholas Vlamis Constantinos Vlamis- Owners

www. cactusrosecantina. com

5 River Road Wilton River Park

Wilton, CT 203. 762. 8484

PTO Easter Lambades /Candles will be on

sale starting Monday February 23 until

Easter They make great gifts to add

in the Easter basket or for God child, yourself, or

family member

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 Address Service Requested