March 2019

St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church

4 Appleton Street ■ Arlington, MA 02476 ■ 781.646.0705 ■ www.saintathanasius.org ■ email: stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com

From Fr. Anthony

Beloved in Christ, we are about to enter the soul-cleansing and blessed Fast of Great Lent. As we leave behind the bleakness of winter we prepare to enter the Lenten Spring, our souls awakening from the deep sleep of spiritual neglect and indifference. Once we enter Lent and begin the journey toward Holy Pascha, our souls will begin to see the light of the Resurrection of Christ emanating from the Life-giving Tomb. I pray that we will all make this a very meaningful and fruitful Lenten period, in order to be spiritually and physically prepared to celebrate the Holy Passion and Resurrection of our Lord. As with everything in life, the effort that we put into our Lenten journey will be proportionate to the benefits we will receive.

One may ask the question, “Why bother? We know He’s risen. Why do we need these annual

commemorations, and the burdensome Lenten preparation for Pascha?” Well, let us set aside the Church and Her Holy Tradition for a moment, and have a look at the secular world. Observe any modern nation and you will see multiple annual commemorations of meaningful events. These take place in order for their citizens to remember significant historical events that typically led to victory over foreign oppressors, and independence from foreign domination. Besides national commemorations, consider the celebration of birthdays of our relatives and friends. Since our day of birth is an obvious significant event in our lives, we feel the need to annually celebrate, or at least recognize each other’s special day. Regarding death, even those who are not very religious still make it a point to remember their loved ones on the anniversary of their death, their birthdays, and on Memorial Day. In general, there are also other important events we celebrate, all which require a fair amount of planning and preparation, such as weddings, milestone anniversaries, graduations, and retirement.

Now if we agree that these are important celebrations in the secular world, it’s therefore logical

that we should annually commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because of their profound meaning and purpose. Since we Orthodox believe that these are the greatest events in the history of humanity, do they not deserve an appropriate period and method of preparation? Yes, they most certainly do! This is why, beloved in Christ, our holy Church has given us this great gift of Lent for our spiritual benefit.

Continued on Page 3

SAINT ATHANASIUS THE GREAT GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Metropolis of Boston 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA 02476

ASKISIS OFFICIAL Publication of St. Athanasius the Great

Greek Orthodox Church Arlington, MA 02476

PARISH COUNCIL OFFICERS Constandinos Ioakimidis .............................. President Peter Stanitsis ................................... 1st Vice President Nicole VanKuilenburg .................... 2nd Vice President S. Nicholas Kriketos .................................... Secretary Fotini Gavrielidis ........................ Associate Secretary Peter Gennis ................................................. Treasurer Michael Terzakis ......................... Associate Treasurer Nikitas Splagounias .................... Associate Treasurer Parish Council Members: ...........................................

Stefanos Bouboulis, Vicki Konstandakis, Alexandros Kyrou, Anna Manolakis, Charlie Pappas,

Elias Patoucheas, Theodore Speros, A. Paul Tsitsopoulos and Mark Ypsilantis

Great Vespers - Saturday 6:00 p.m. Regular Sunday Worship Schedule

Orthros 8:45 a.m. - Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.

Presiding Priest: Fr. Anthony Evangelatos St. Athanasius the Great is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesial oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of the Metropolis of Boston, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the jurisdiction of The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church in Arlington, Massachusetts strives to be the living witness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our mission as a parish is to “practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13), as St. Paul so exhorts. Thus it is our rich blessing to strive and bring the Light of Christ to all of God’s people, through Orthodox Christian tradition, education and philanthropy. We seek to serve the spiritual needs of our faithful parishioners through the sacramental life of the Church. By means of outreach and faith in God, we continue our growth as a living Church by inviting others into the Orthodox faith through Baptism and/or Chrismation, and educating them through the establishment of our Christian ministries, programs, schools and philanthropic activities.

PARISH MINISTRIES &

ORGANIZATIONS Altar Boys (Acolytes): ................. Fr. Anthony Evangelatos Cantors/Psaltes:……………………Dimitrios Manolakis & …………………………………….Christos Tsavalakoglou Little Halos Director:………..…………..Argyro Nikoletos

Fellowship Hour Ministry:................... Vicki Konstandakis Gardening Ministry: ............................ S. Nicholas Kriketos GOYA President: ..................................... Thanos Arvanitis HOPE & JOY Ministry:…..………….…Betty Dakopoulos P.E.A.C.E. Ministry:…………………….Althea Ioakimidis Philoptochos President……………..………Crystal Iakovou Pine Street Inn Ministry: Michael Terzakis & Randy Fassas Stewardship Ministry:…Peter Gennis & Dimitri Manolakis Sunday School Coordinator:…………….George Makredes Young at Heart Seniors:…………………Katina Ioakimidis

Metropolis of Boston website ...... www.boston.goarch.org Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website ...... www.goarch.org

Fr. Anthony’s Office Hours

During Great Lent, Fr. Anthony will be in the office M,T,W,F, generally from 10 am to 3 pm, and will be away on Thursday. If he needs to be reached after office hours, please call (401) 662-5259.

CHURCH DIRECTORY Parish Administrative Assistant

Stella Kazantzas

Updated Parish Office Hours Monday - Friday: 9:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Parish Office: (781) 646-0705 FAX: (781) 641-4700

EMAIL: stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com Website: www.saintathanasius.org

Fr. Anthony Email: franthony@saintathanasius.org Fr. Anthony Cell: (401) 662-5259

2

From Fr. Anthony continued

In order to prepare for the “marathon” of Holy Week and Pascha, we need to go through a period of spiritual askesis (exercise). A serious athlete would never try to compete in a sport without proper training and preparation, if he/she expects to succeed. A focused student would not attempt to pass a course with an excellent mark if not properly prepared. A farmer desiring an abundant and rich harvest must work hard at preparing the land and nurturing it along. Similarly, the focused Orthodox Christian has a very good reason for embarking on the annual Lenten journey, which leads to the Cross and the Tomb.

Another question one may ask is, “What exactly is the benefit of a full Lenten

experience?” Let us recall that during the three preparatory weeks prior to Great Lent, the Church presents us with the themes of humility, repentance, and forgiveness, which are the fruits of Great Lent. If we are serious about our Lenten experience, we will seek to incorporate these virtues in our lives. If we can reach these goals and try to sustain them throughout the year, then we are living a true Christian life that leads toward salvation and the kingdom of heaven. The tools at our disposal are well known to us all, but of which, unfortunately, many of the faithful do not take advantage. These are prayer, fasting, charitable works, participation in the sacraments of Confession and Communion, and regular Sunday church attendance, as well as weekly Lenten services whenever possible. By doing these things with a clear understanding of their potential benefit, Lent will then become a joyful season to which we look forward, and not the burden that some make it out to be. But remember, as human beings we are not perfect and will easily fall. This is another important reason why the Lenten journey is retaken year after year.

The final goal of this spiritual journey is sharing in the death and resurrection of our

Lord in order to be spiritually renewed. Each Holy Week and Pascha we relive the mystery of our own baptism, through our participation in the salvific events in the last days of Christ’s life on earth. In other words, we spiritually die and are reborn each year through His death and resurrection.

May God grant all of you the fruits of Great Lent through your anticipated

participation. If you never have in the past, start small, but most importantly, start! In Christ, +Fr. Anthony

3

From Fr. Anthony continued Spiritual Wisdom

Fasting is wonderful because it tramples our sins like a dirty weed, while it cultivates and raises truth like a flower. (St. Basil the Great) If you want to be freed from all the vices simultaneously, renounce self-love, the mother of evils. (St. Thallasios the Libyan) God rests in the saints and even in their very names, in their very images. (St. John of Kronstadt) God our Savior wants all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). Grace does not compel anyone. Men have the God-given freedom to accept it, and to work with it or to reject it. Those who embrace it are saved and those who withdraw from it are lost. (+Elder Cleopa of Romania) What we gain by fasting is not so great as the damage done by anger; nor is the profit from reading (spiritual texts/scripture) as great as the harm done when we scorn or grieve a brother. (St. John Cassian) If you notice that your mind constantly wanders off to various chores that you have to do, you must realize that you are not doing well spiritually, and this should alarm you because you have distanced yourself from God. (St. Paisios the Athonite)

Preparing to Commune at Evening Presanctified Liturgies Because of the heightened spiritual focus during Great Lent, many of the faithful choose to receive Holy Communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. For those who plan on receiving at Wednesday evening liturgies, it is permissible to have breakfast and a light noontime meal, and then fast from all food and drink until the liturgy, barring any health issues and being careful not to dehydrate. For growing children, it may be necessary to offer a lenten snack after school to hold them (nuts, peanut butter, bread, fruit, etc.). The Church has always shown compassion for those who work or study during the week. Needless to say, whether one is fasting strictly or not during Lent, any meals taken on the day one will commune should be strictly lenten. For more detailed information on the Lenten fast, please refer to the specific bulletin entry in this issue.

4

From Fr. Anthony continued

Meetings and Events During Lent This is an addendum to the request in the October ’18 bulletin regarding meetings, events, and workshops conflicting with church services throughout the year. The following request is regarding the first week of Great Lent, 3/11-3/16, as well as for the remainder of the Fast. Because of the solemnity of the first week of Lent, there should be no meetings or activities during the day or evening, especially due to the daily services. For the remaining weeks of Great Lent, we ask that there be no meetings or activities on Monday and Wednesday evenings, or on Friday mornings and evenings due to Lenten services. Everyone’s cooperation with this request is greatly appreciated. May you all have a most blessed Lenten journey, and we hope to see as many of you as possible at our various Lenten services! Lenten Fasting Guidelines Beloved in Christ, as you know, Great Lent begins this year on Clean Monday, 3/11. Immediately following are traditional guidelines for the week before Lent – Meatfare (Judgment) Sunday through Cheesefare (Forgiveness) Sunday (3/3–3/10).

Meatfare Sunday: Last day for meat and poultry until Pascha Cheesefare Monday through Cheesefare Sunday: Fish, eggs, dairy products, wine*

and olive oil permitted daily, including Wednesday and Friday Following are widely accepted, traditional guidelines for the weekdays and weekends of Great Lent.

Weekdays of Lent: Strict fast from all animal products including fish** (shellfish permitted), and from wine and olive oil*** Note: The quantity of food consumed should be reduced as much as possible, barring any hardships

Weekends of Lent: Same as weekdays except olive oil and wine are permitted Note: There is no limit to the quantity of food consumed

*this includes all alcoholic beverages **fish, wine & oil permitted on the Annunciation, 3/25 ***vegetable/seed oil permitted

5

From Fr. Anthony continued

The above guidelines represent the ideal and traditional method of fasting as a starting point. A true, spiritual fast is much more than legalistically following guidelines. Remember also that the Church relaxes the fast accordingly for health-related needs and for growing children. Your priest and spiritual father is always available to guide you for your particular situation. Regardless of how we follow the fast at home, it goes without saying that a parish should always follow the traditional Lenten guidelines. This of course applies to all ministries hosting the Lenten suppers each Wednesday evening. Kali dynami – Much strength to all of us! Holy Confession During Great Lent, Fr. Anthony will be available to hear confessions as follows:

each Monday evening after Great Compline each Friday evening after Salutations each Saturday evening after Great Vespers (all year) during office hours by appointment (all year)

Please take advantage of this most healing sacrament of love and forgiveness, as you make your spiritual journey toward Holy Pascha! Brethren, if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (St. John’s First Universal Letter 1:8-10) Seminarians at St. Athanasius We would like to take this opportunity to welcome two senior Holy Cross seminarians assigned to us for their last semester of field education, as well as two Hellenic College seminarian track students, who will be assisting our parish. The senior seminarians are Justin Glavanovits and Zachary Swanson. The HC students are Vasilios Panagopoulos and Savva Bournelis. Please make it a point to greet and welcome them to our parish.

6

Parish News

Congratulations to our Parish Council 2019 and our new officers!

President: Constandinos Ioakimidis 1st VP: Peter Stanitsas 2nd VP: Nicole VanKuilenburg Treasurer: Peter Gennis 1st Asst Treas: Michael Terzakis 2nd Asst Treas: Nikitas Splagounias Secretary: S. Nicholas Kriketos Asst Secretary: Fotini Gavrielidis

Welcome to our newest members, Elias Patoucheas and Fotini Gavrielidis and returning members Anna Manolakis, Alexandros Kyrou, Vicki Konstandakis, Stefanos Bouboulis, Theodore Speros, A. Paul Tsitsopoulos, and Mark Ypsilantis.

Anyone interested in joining the Parish Council, please see Fr. Anthony or any Parish Council member!

Pre-Sanctified Liturgy: Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 5:15 p.m., followed by Lenten Supper, hosted by Stewardship Committee Contact: Anna Manolakis, ajasonides@yahoo.com Funerals: 2/7 – Maria Tsarouhas 2/18 – Vassilios Bourikas Donations: Icon of the Akathist Hymn – Anonymous donor

Paschal chalice and paten covers, and aer – Kostas and Fotini Gavrielidis for the health and well-being of their family, and the entire St. Athanasius family Green chalice and paten covers, and aer – Elias and Olga Patoucheas and family Green altar table cover – Anonymous donors

Floral Needs for Great Lent & Holy Week

Icon for Salutations to the Theotokos, 5 Fridays - $75 each Flowers for the Veneration of the Holy Cross, 3/31 – $300

Palm strips for Palm Sunday – $85 Palm arrangements for Royal Gate & Soleas – $175

Bay laurel leaves for Palm Sunday & Holy Saturday – $100 Icon of the Anastasi - $75.00

Icon of Nymphios – $200 (2 decorations) Icon of Mystical Supper – $75

Wreath for Cross, Holy Thursday – $150 Icon of Resurrection - $75.00

Donations for Epitaphios flowers

All checks for floral donations should be made payable to St. Barbara’s Philoptochos, indicating item donated on memo line.

7

Religious Education

Our Clergy and Church Roots In a recent class, the question was asked, if a layperson can be become a bishop, based purely on their good works and reputation, without having first been a deacon and then a priest? My quick answer was, ‘No’. But, then I had to correct myself, as that did in fact happen during the early

years of the Church’s mission.

The 12 Apostles, our very first bishops, did ordain such men to be bishops, so as to look after the welfare of the growing Church. These bishops, in turn, ordained others, and so it progressed over the centuries.

As this heritage of the bishops’ ordination lineage goes back to the Apostles, it is thus called, Apostolic Succession.

An image of a tree was chosen to illustrate the roots of the Church’s earthly mission.

Starting at the treetop; there are many leaves, separately active yet connected to one another, as one community. Representing all parishioners (ie the laity), they make up the unordained members of the Church.

Tending to them are branches, small and large, symbolizing deacons and priests, which are supported by even larger main branches; the bishops of the Church.

The trunk, responsible for upholding this enormous tree, stands firmly in place, as it consists of hundreds of thousands of martyrs, theologians, saints, writers and bold defenders of the Holy Trinity, of The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Then, there are the tree’s roots below, which number twelve, representing the Apostles. They, being rooted in exceptionally rich soil of the Holy Spirit, is why the Church’s mission has prevailed and flourished since 33 A.D., overcoming so many hardships and persecutions, up to this very day. As Orthodox Christians, we share in this heritage and lineage to the Apostles, Christianity and The Way to life everlasting.

(From Teen Class Notes - George Makredes)

8

Hope and JOY

Valentine’s Day Party

9

GOYA News

This past January was a very exciting month for us. We kicked off this month with our annual Black Light Dance, it was a great success. We want to thank all the other GOYAs for coming and supporting our GOYA and we also want to give a huge thank you to everyone who came early to help us set up/cleaned up! We also want to give a special thanks to Stavros Ioakimidis for DJing! We look forward to hosting future dances! Earlier this month GOYA had our annual Ski Trip

which was an amazing success! We stayed at Indian Head Resort and went skiing at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The processes of planning this trip took us over three months, and we were glad to see that everyone had a blast! We want to give a huge thank you to all the parents for driving us up there and for chaperoning us.

In this upcoming month, GOYA will be attending the Philoxenia house. We hope to see everyone there! Sincerely, Mia Stanitsas

10

ANASTASIA (ANN) AND GEORGE C. DIMITRAKIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Anastasia (Ann) and George C. Dimitrakis Memorial Scholarship was established in 2008 at the St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church with a generous gift of $100,000 by the late Ann Dimitrakis, in loving memory of her spouse, George C. Dimitrakis. George and Ann Dimitrakis have long been faithful stewards and communicants at the St. Athanasius Church. The first scholarships were awarded in June 2010.

St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church has established the Scholarship Awards Committee for the purpose of administering this scholarship. The Awards Committee, in its discretion, will award a scholarship(s) to that high school graduating senior(s) who achieve(s) exemplary rankings according to criteria established by the Awards Committee. The amount of the award(s) will be based on the scholarship fund’s return on investment, as determined by October of each year, and as distributed by the Trustees of the Scholarship Fund.

Please visit the parish website at (www.stathanasius.org) for all application materials and application instructions. Application information will only be available online.

Eligible applicants must meet all of the following requirements: (1) be in their senior year of high school; (2) complete in full all application forms (typed) and provide all requested information; (3) family must be stewards of St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church for three successive years (if one year has been missed, applicant’s family has the opportunity to become current for that year); (4) must have been accepted to a full-time course of study at an accredited 4-year college or university. Applications will not be reviewed if each of the aforementioned requirements has not been met.

Applications are available on-line (www.saintathanasius.org) and must be submitted in full by Friday, May 10, 2019. Only complete typed application packages will be reviewed by the Awards Committee; it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all materials have been mailed to the Awards Committee. Any late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please mail complete application packages to the Anastasia (Ann) and George S. Dimitrakis Memorial Scholarship, c/o St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton St., Arlington, MA 02476.

The awarding of the scholarship(s) will take place on a Sunday, June 16, 2019. The disbursement will take place after October 21, 2019, and only after the student(s) has provided to the Awards Committee an official confirmation of enrollment from the Registrar’s Office of the university/college.

Awards Committee Eleni Carayannopoulos Betty Paganis Dennis P. George, Jr. Alexa (Zevitas) Adams Melanie Marken Fr. Anthony Evangelatos, Ex Officio

11

March 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2 Saturday of Souls, Orthros 8:30 am Div. Lit. 9:30 am

Great Vespers 6 pm

3 Sunday of the Last Judgment (Meatfare)

Orthros 8:45 am Div. Lit. 10 am

GOYA Meeting after liturgy

4 5 Fr. Anthony at Clergy Retreat in NH

through 3/6

6

Parish Council Meeting 7 pm

7

St. Barbara

Philoptochos General

Assembly 7pm

8

9 Memory of the Ascetic Saints & the 40 Martyrs of Sebasteia (Trisagion w/kollyva), Orthros 8:30 am; D. Lit. 9:30am

Great Vespers 6 pm

10 Sunday of Forgiveness(Cheesefare) Orthros 8:45;D. Lit. 10am

Vespers of Forgiveness

5:00 pm

11 Clean Monday Great Lent Begins

Lenten Orthros 9:00 am;

1st Part of Gr. Canon 6:30 pm

12 2nd Part of Gr. Canon

7:00 pm

13 3rd Part of Great Canon 9:00 am; 9th Hr. & Presanctified Liturgy, followed by Lenten Supper 5:15pm

14 4th Part of Gr. Canon

7:00 pm

15 9th Hr. & Presanctified Lit.

8:30 am

1st Salutations to the Theotokos 7 pm

16 Memory of St. Theodore of Tyre –

miracle of kollyva (Trisagion w/kollyva),

Orthros 8:30 am, Div. Lit. 9:30 am;

Gr. Vespers 6:00 pm

17 Sunday of Orthodoxy Orthros 8:45 am Div. Lit. 10 am

GOYA Meeting after liturgy

Parish Council Meeting 12:30 pm

18

Gr. Compline 7:00 pm

19

20 9th Hr. & Presanctified Lit., followed by Lenten

Supper 5:15 pm

21

22 9th Hr. & Presanctified Lit.

8:30 am

2nd Salutations to the Theotokos 7 pm

23

Great Vespers 6 pm

24 Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas Orthros 8:45;D. Lit. 10am

Memorials: +Vassilios Bourikas 40 days

+Georgios Vizaniaris 1 yr +Chrisanthe Hamizides 1 yr

Little Halos Program; Pine Street Inn 5 pm;Great Vespers at Annunciation(Woburn)6:30

25 Feast of the Annunciation

of the Theotokos Orthros, 8:30 am Div. Lit. 9:45 am

26 27

9th Hr. & Presanctified Lit.,

followed by Lenten Supper 5:15 pm

28

29 9th Hr. & Presanctified Lit.

8:30 am

3rd Salutations to the Theotokos 7 pm

30 Great Vespers 6 pm

31 Veneration of the Holy Cross Orthros 8:45; D.Lit.10am

Dimitrakis Scholarship Com Mtg. 12:30 pm

Parish Council Meet. 12:30

Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fast Free Fish Allowed Eggs & Dairy Allowed

Sunday School Every Sunday 10 am except March 17 & 31 Little Halos Pre-School Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 3pm

Goya Basketball at Ottoson Middle School Every Friday 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Adult Greek Dancing Every Monday 7:00 pm 12

Μαρτιος 2019 Κυριακή Δευτέρα Τρίτη Τετάρτη Πέμπτη Παρασκευή Σάββατο

1

2 Ψυχοσάββατο Ορθρος 8:30 πμ,

Θεία Λειτ. 9:30 πμ Μέγας Εσπερινός 6 μμ

3 Κυριακή της Κρίσεως

(της Απόκρεω) Όρθρος πμ

Θεία Λειτ. πμ Συνεδρίαση της Γκόγια

Μετά τη λειτουργία

4 5 ο π. Αντώνιος εις συγκέντρωση

κληρικών μέχρι 6/3

6 Διοικητικό Συμβ. 7 μμ

7

8

9 Μνήμη των εν Ασκήσει Λαμψάντων & των 40 Μαρτυρων, Ορθρος 8:30 πμ, Θεία Λειτ. 9:30 πμ (Τρισάγιον μετά κολλύβων),

Μέγας Εσπερινός 6 μμ

10 Κυριακή της Συγχωρήσεως (της

Τυρινής) Όρθρος πμ Θεία Λειτ. πμ

Κατανυκτικός Εσπερινός της Συγχωρήσεως 5:00μμ

11 Καθαρά Δευτέρα Ορθρος 9:00 πμ,

1η Στάση Μεγάλου

Κανόνος 6:30 μμ

12

2α Στάση Μεγάλου Κανόνος 7:00 μμ

13 3η Στάση Μεγάλου Κανόνος 9:00 πμ

9η Ωρα, Προηγιασμένη Λειτ. &

Δείπνο 5:15 μμ

14

4η Στάση Μεγάλου Κανόνος 7:00 μμ

15 9η Ωρα & Προηγιασμένη

Λειτουργία 8:30 πμ

1η Στάση Χαιρετισμών της Θεοτόκου 7:00 μμ

16 Μνήμη Αγ.Θεοδώρου Τήρωνος (θαύμα των

κολλύβων), Ορθρος 8:30 Θεία Λειτ 9:30 πμ

(Τρισάγιον μετά κολλύβων) Μέγας Εσπερινός 6 μμ

17 Κυριακή της Ορθοδοξίας Όρθρος πμ

Θεία Λειτ. πμ Διοικητικό Συμβ 12:30μμ

18

Μεγ. Απόδειπνο 7 μμ

19

20

9η Ωρα, Προηγιασμένη

Λειτουργία & Δείπνο 5:15 μμ

21

22 9η Ωρα & Προηγιασμένη

Λειτουργία 8:30 πμ

2α Στάση Χαιρετισμών της Θεοτόκου 7:00 μμ

23 Μέγας Εσπερινός 6 μμ

24 Κυριακή Αγίου Γρηγορίου του Παλαμά

Όρθρος Θ Λειτ.πμ Μνημόσυν

+Βασίλειος Μπουρίκας +Γεώργιος Βηζανιάρης +Χρησάνθη Χαμιζίδη Μέγας Εσπερινός του

Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου στο Ουόμπουρν 6:30 μμ

25 Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου,

Ορθρος 8:30 πμ, Θεία Λειτουργία

9:45 πμ

26 27

9η Ωρα, Προηγιασμένη

Λειτουργία & Δείπνο 5:15 μμ

28

29 9η Ωρα & Προηγιασμένη Λειτουργία 8:30 πμ,

3η Στάση Χαιρετισμών της Θεοτόκου 7:00 μμ

30 Μέγας Εσπερινός 6 μμ

31 Κυριακή της Σταυροπροσκυνήσεως

Όρθρος πμ Θεία Λειτ. πμ

Διοικητικό Συμβ 12:30μμ

Αυστηρή Νηστεία Επιτρέπεται Κρασί Λάδι Ανεύ Νηστεία Επιτρέπεται Ψάρι Επιτρέπουνται Γαλακτερά & Αυγά

13

Philoptochos News

Go Red Sunday was acknowledged with a Heart Healthy Coffee Hour

“A Touch of Spice” Movie was Shown Sunday, February 17, 2019, 1:00 p.m.: We had a great afternoon! Some of our technologically talented PC members helped us with the set up, and our simple casual get-together was a success. A HUGE thank you to Dr. Alexandros Kyrou for his informative introduction and historical summary of the Turkey/Greece conflict. We had about 40-50 guests, including some from other parishes, who lingered after for some discussion. There were sandwiches, sweets, and coffee to end the day. Dues We invite our fellow parish sisters to join us in our philanthropic efforts. Our membership drive has begun in January and is $30.00 per calendar year. Our mailing has gone out. Please submit your dues at your earliest convenience. Elections for 2019-2021 Term If you are interested in serving on the Philoptochos Board, please contact Annette Tsitsopoulos at annette@tsitsop.com or approach any Philoptochos Board members.

Our next General Assembly will be Thursday, March 7, 2019

14

E A S T E RBAKE SALESt. Barbara’s Philoptochos Society of St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church

Put a little Greek tradition on your Easter table this year!St. Barbara’s Philoptochos o� ers to our extended family a bake sale of

homemade Greek pastry previously o� ered only during our annual festival.

$40.00: Baklava TrayRich � lo pastry layered with walnuts and drenched with syrup (10-piece)

$30.00: Spanakopita (Oven Ready)Our famous spanakopita ready for you to bake fresh for your table (half sheet)

$12.50: TsourekiTraditional Greek Easter bread

$12.50: Koulourakia TrayTraditional butter cookies (18-piece)

$12.50: Greek Easter EggsOne dozen traditional red-dyed eggs

In the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ, with further symbolism being found in the hard shell of the egg symbolizing the sealed Tomb of Christ—the cracking of which symbolized his resurrection from the dead.

4 Appleton Street, Arlington, Massachusetts

Please send your order form and check payable to St. Barabara’s Philoptochos Society, St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA 02476.

You may also bring your order form and check to the church’s parish o� ce or submit your order online using a credit card by visiting www.SaintAthanasius.org.

All items must be pre-ordered and pre-paid by April 16, 2019. Pastry pick-up dates: Friday, April 19th from 12–7 pm

and Saturday, April 20th from 10 am–3 pm

Baklava

Tsoureki

Koulourakia

Baklava

Tsoureki

Spanakopita

Red-dyed eggs

4 Appleton Street, Arlington, Massachusetts • 781-646-0705 • www.SaintAthanasius.org

ITEM PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL

q Baklava (10-pc) $40.00 __________ __________

q Spanakopita (half sheet) $30.00 __________ __________

q Tsoureki $12.50 __________ __________

q Koulourakia (18-pc) $12.50 __________ __________

q Easter Eggs $12.50 __________ __________

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________ Phone: __________________

15

Even though February was a short month in Little Halos children were very busy. They learned about polar animals, and how shadows are created. Furthermore, they predicted whether the groundhog will see his shadow or not. We also have been observing the winter weather, while going outside and recording it daily on our graph.

Οn the feast of the Three Hierarchs, we attended church, and Fr. Anthony talked to us after the liturgy about the importance of the day.

Important dates: Sunday March 24th- Greek Independence Day Program will be held in church after the Divine Liturgy.

For more information about our program, please contact the Director, Argyro Nikoletos, at (781) 646-1322 or email littlehalospreschool@gmail.com

16

March 2019 V.O.I.L.A. ~ (Variety of Information Listings Added)

May 30, May 31, June 1 and 2, 2019

NEXT Meeting:

Sunday, March 24, 2019 after Liturgy

Everyone is invited to be a part of our biggest community fundraiser!

LENT BEGINS

Monday, March 11, 2019

Philoptochos Palm Sunday Bake Sale

Palm Sunday Parish Fish Luncheon Sunday, April 21, 2019

PASCHA

Sunday, April 28, 2019

17

Γιατί νηστεύουμε το λάδι, αφού τρώμε τις ελιές

Η παλιά και αληθινή νηστεία

συνίσταται στην πλήρη

αποχή τροφής ή στην

ξηροφαγία. Επειδή όμως

αυτή δεν είναι δυνατόν να

τηρηθεί στις μεγάλες

περιόδους των νηστειών τού

Εκκλησιαστικού έτους, λόγω

δύσκολων συνθηκών ζωής ή έλλειψης ζήλου, έχουν στην πράξη επινοηθεί

διάφορες διευκολύνσεις, ώστε να είναι δυνατή η εφαρμογή της νηστείας από

όλους τους πιστούς.

Στην αρχαία εποχή οι Χριστιανοί μετά την ενάτη ώρα (3 μ.μ.) των νηστίσιμων

ημερών κατέλυαν μόνο νερό και ψωμί. Σιγά-σιγά όμως… όχι μόνο η διάρκεια

της ολοκληρωτικής αποχής από τροφή περιορίστηκε στα συνηθισμένα και στις

άλλες μέρες όρια γι’ αυτό μετατέθηκαν και οι Εσπερινοί της Τεσσαρακοστής και

οι Προηγιασμένες το πρωί αλλά και άλλα είδη τροφών άρχισαν να

χρησιμοποιούνται, όπως οι καρποί, τα όσπρια, το οστρακόδερμα, τα μαλάκια

κ.ο.κ.

Μέσα στο πλαίσιο αυτό μπορεί να κατανοηθεί και το ότι τρώμε ελιές κατά τις

ημέρες πού δεν τρώμε λάδι, και αυγοτάραχο κατά τις ημέρες πού απέχουμε

από ψάρια. Για το πρώτο μπορούμε να επικαλεστούμε το λόγο ότι οι ελιές

τρώγονται ως καρπός, ενώ η απαγόρευση του λαδιού αφορά στα φαγητά πού

παρασκευάζονται με λάδι.

18

Για το δεύτερο η δικαιολογία είναι λιγότερο εύλογη, αφού δεν ισχύει το ίδιο για

το γάλα ή τα αυγά, αλλά και αυτά απαγορεύονται κατά τις νηστείες μας

«καρπός… και γεννήματα ὧν ἀπεχόμεθα» κατά τον 56ο κανόνα της Πενθέκτης

Οικουμενικής Συνόδου. Γνωρίζω πάντως ευλαβείς Χριστιανούς πού κατανοούν

ότι πρόκειται για

«οικονομία», και κατά τις ημέρες των μεγάλων νηστειών, όπως και την

παραμονή πού θα κοινωνήσουν, απέχουν και από ελιές και από αυγοτάραχο.

Είναι αλήθεια πώς αυτή την ερώτηση την ακούμε συχνά από καλοπροαίρετους

πιστούς και συχνότερα από μερικούς πού ειρωνεύονται τις νηστείες. Θα

μπορούσε και στις δύο περιπτώσεις να υπογραμμιστεί η ελαστικότητα και το

φιλάνθρωπο των σχετικών εθίμων και των κανόνων της Εκκλησίας, πού δεν

έχουν σκοπό να εξοντώσουν τούς ανθρώπους, αλλά να τούς βοηθήσουν να

ασκηθούν στην εγκράτεια και να κυριαρχήσουν στα πάθη τους.

Αν τούς σκανδαλίζουν οι τροφές αυτές, μπορούν να απέχουν από αυτές χωρίς

κατά τον Απόστολο να εξουθενώνουν τούς «ἐσθίοντας» ή να «κρίνουν» (Ρῶ

14,3) την Εκκλησία για την φιλάνθρωπη τακτική της.

Το να αναλάβει η εκκλησία αγώνα για την εκκαθάριση των σχετικών με τη

νηστεία εθίμων και των τροφών πού τρώγονται ή όχι σ’ αυτήν, ούτε του

παρόντος είναι ούτε μπορεί να μείνει πάντοτε μέσα στα όρια της σοβαρότητος.

Εκείνο πού πρωτεύει είναι ο τονισμός της ανάγκης της νηστείας και της

πνευματικής ωφέλειας πού προέρχεται απ’ αυτή, καθώς και η προσπάθεια για

την κατά το δυνατόν συμμόρφωση των πιστών στις σχετικές Εκκλησιαστικές

διατάξεις,πού αρκετά έχουν ατονήσει στις μέρες μας.

Καθηγητής Λειτουργικής

Ιωάννης Φουντούλης

19

Committed Parishioners and Friends of St. Athanasius for 2018 THANK YOU! Your continued Love and Support make our many ministries possible

ΣΑΣ ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΜΕ! Η αγάπη και η υποστήριξη σας στηρίζουν τις πολλές διακονίες της εκκλησίας μας Contributions made in 2018

Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Adams Mrs. Aggeliki Aggelis Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Aggouras Mr. & Mrs. John Alepakis Mr. & Mrs. Charles Anamateros Mr. & Mrs. Harry Anamateros Mr. Christopher Anargirou Mr. & Mrs. Peter Antonakas Peter Apostolopoulos Athanasios & Angela Arvanitis Kosta & Elaine Arvanitis Ms. Angelique Asikis Mr. & Mrs. Paul Asikis Betty Athanasoulas Mr. & Mrs. Christos Athanassiu Mr. Stephen Axiotis & Sophia Kotzabaldiris-Axiotis

Arthur & Maria Bakopolus Ms. Maria Bandouveres Mr. & Mrs. Artie Bennos Mr. & Mrs. Stefanos Bilis Leonat Boba Georgios & Spiridoula Boretos Ekaterini Bouboulis Mr. Georgios I. Bouboulis Mihail S. Bouboulis Mr. & Mrs. Stefanos Bouboulis Mr. Yianni Bouboulis Irene Bouboulis & Antonios Giakoumis Konstadinos & Gina Bourikas Mr. & Mrs. Vassilios Bourikas Mary Paris Brown Anthony & Christina Cambria Ms. Katina Caramanis Steven & Fatima Ceppi Charles & Lynne Chamallas Christina Chamallas Diamond Chamallas Anastasios & Eleni Christophilos Mr. & Mrs. Elias Christopoulos Alexander & Carolyn Colovos Mr & Mrs C. Courduvelis Mr. & Mrs. Roger Daigel Elaine Dalakis Mr. Mark Dalaklis Mr. & Mrs. Menelaos Dalaklis Stephen & Isabell Dalaklis George & Katerina Delegas Spencer & Catherine Demetros Cynthia J. Demopoulos James & Kalisty Demopoulos

Angela Denison Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Dennison Dimitrios & Potoula Dimopoulos Stavros & Vasiliki Dinis Mrs. Evdokia Drizos Mr. Spiros Drizos & Mrs Emily Rose Drizos Sally Edmonds Stephen& Kim Edmonds Evglen and Marsela Elezaj Kathryn G. Elios Fr. Anthony & Presb. Themmi Evangelatos Devin & Carrie Evangelinos Mr. Randall T. Fassas Mrs. Anastasia Fatfatsidis Mr. & Mrs. Louis Fenerlis Paula Fico John Gagalis Mr. & Mrs. Theofanis Galanopoulos Kosta & Fotini Gavrielidis Mr. & Mrs. James Geanakos Jordan Geannaris Mr. Peter Gennis Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Gennis Mr. Taso & Tamara Georgacopoulos Apostolos & Erika Georgacopoulos Irene Georgakoudi Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Georgelis Mrs. Garyfallia Georgoulis Mr. Alexander Ghanotakis Dr. Anesti & Natalie Ghanotakis Christe & Stacy Gianakura Kyriakos & Irene Giannopoulos Peter & Anna Giannopoulos Mrs. Evangeline Gianocostas Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Gillis James & Victoria Giosmas Mr. Harry Girdis Mr. & Mrs. Jeorgo & Tatiana Gjikn Mr. & Mrs. Steven Grillis Constatina Halas Maria Hamizides-Rombola Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Hatzikostantis Barbara & Leonard J. Henson Dora Hickey Crystal Iakovou Christos Ioakimidis Mr. & Mrs. Constandinos Ioakimidis John & Althea Ioakimidis Stavros & Katina Ioakimidis Mr. Theodore Kakambouras

Mr. & Mrs. George Kapodistrias Clio Karabatsas Elizabeth Karagianis Andrew & Themis Karpouzis Bill Karras Mr. & Mrs. Nick Karras Mr. & Mrs. George H. Katis Mr. & Mrs. Harry Katis George & Yiota Katsarakes Mr. & Mrs. Elias Katsos Steven & Shara Katsos Mr. & Mrs. Barry Katz Nicholas & Stella Kazantzas Demetra Ketcios Mrs. Aphrodite Kleftis Christopher & Nicky Kokoras Mrs. Katherine Kombouras Mr. Peter Kombouras Mr. & Mrs. Konstantinos Kondilis Mr. & Mrs. Nick Konstandakis Mr. Nicholas Kosseoglou Maria & Valerie Kostandos Alexandria Kostopoulos Ms Jenny Koulouris Ms Susan L. Koulouris Katherine Kriketos Mr. S. Nicholas Kriketos II Nicholas Kritikos Alexandros & Elizabeth Kyrou Mr. Nicholas Lambrou Mrs. Effie Legatos Mr. & Mrs. Efstratios Liakos Aristomenes & Stella Lydotes John Macaris & Fotini Patsiocostas Mr. & Mrs. Macleod Mr. & Mrs. Vasilios Makrakis Mr. Gary & Tatiana Makredes George & Leona Makredes Panagiotis & Kalliopi Mamounas Angeliki Mamounas Dimitris & Anna Manolakis Melanie I. Marken Demitrios & Pauline Mastorakos Sandra Mastorakos Mr. & Mrs. Maria Matos Vasilios & Sonia Meimaris Dr. James & Penny Meletlidis Kathy Mirogiannis Margaret Mitropoulos Tessie Mitropoulos

20

Committed Parishioners and Friends of St. Athanasius for 2018 (Continued)

Mr. & Mrs. Konstantinos Moisakis Robert & Marea Mullen Thomas Nanopoulos Carolyn Navikonis Kalliope Nicholas Mr & Mrs John Nikolaou Hope Orfanos Theofanis & Christine Orfanos William Pananos Mr. Costa Papadimitris Michael Papadopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Charles Papageorgiou Mr. & Mrs. George Papalimberis Arthur Papas Mr. Nicholas Pappas Elias & Olga Patoucheas Nicolaos & Evangelia Perhanidis Joanne E. Piandes Maria Pithis Ms. Florence Pollock Spyridon Prois Mr. Steven Prois Paritsa Reissis Anastasia & Nicholas Roache Peter & Soula Rogaris Amy Schermetzler Mr. & Mrs. Kostas Schizas Mr. & Mrs. David Schubert Anthony & Elaine Sgouros

Margaret Skamarycz Mr. & Mrs. Dimitrios Skourides Mr. George Skourides Mr. & Mrs. Steven Soillis Mr. & Mrs. George Sotiropoulos Anthony & Despina Speros Iris Speros Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Speros Theodore & Elaine Speros Mr. & Mrs. Nikitas Splagounias Family Mrs. Angelina Stamas Andreas Stamatiadis Peter & Andrea Stanitsas Zoi Dimitrios Stathopoulos Ms. Anna Stathopoulou Damien & Doxi Stefanidis Dimitrios & Fotini Stefanis Mr. & Mrs. George Stephanou Marko & Agapi Stratakias Stratos & Spyridoula Taoultsides Ms Diane M. Tashjian Mr. & Mrs. Michael Terzakis Costas & Elena Theocharidis Paul & Elaine Tilly Mr. John W Toulopoulos Stefanos & Maria Tourkomanolis Mrs. Helen Tsakirgis Anastasios & Kyriaki Tsaousidis Maria Tsaousidis

Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Tsaousidis Mr. & Mrs. Christos Tsavalakoglou Mr. & Mrs. James Tsihlis Mr. & Mrs. Apostolos Tsitsopoulos Mr. & Mrs. George J. Tsitsopoulos Mr. & Mrs. George Tsitsopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Theophilos Vallas Mr. & Mrs. John VanKuilenburg Mr. & Mrs. Steven J. Venizelos Fotini Vosnakis Michael & Christina Vosnakis Steven & Kelly Vosnakis Fr. Aaron & Presvytera Amelia Walker Mr. Peter Xenos Mr. & Mrs. Evan Ypsilantis Georgia Ypsilantis Mark & Jane Ypsilantis Nicholas & Kathleen Ypsilantis Mrs. Demetra Zacharakis Mr. Emanuel Zacharakis Tareq Zatari Dorothy Zevitas Mrs. Katherine Zevitas Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Zevitas Nickolas Ziavras Mr. & Mrs. Menelaos & Elsa Zotos

21

You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World

The base from which we serve as the Voice of

Christ in a Changing World is the parish. A

strong parish provides opportunities for

sharing the Good News of Christ, for

welcoming those that are searching for a

spiritual home, and a base from which we are

sent out into the world. The parish also

provides a place for worship, community and

education in the faith. To be stewards of the

Gospel, we need to be stewards of our parish.

This requires the vision and inspiration to see

the parish, not as it is, but as it could be. We

are called to offer ourselves and our treasure

to make our local church all that is can be.

ΕΣΕΙΣ ΕΙΣΤΕ Η ΦΩΝΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ Σ’ ΕΝΑ ΜΕΤΑΒΑΛΛΟΜΕΝΟ ΚΟΣΜΟ Η βάση από την οποία υπηρετούμε ως η Φωνή του Χριστού σ’ ένα Μεταβαλλόμενο

Κόσμο είναι η ενορία. Μία ισχυρή ενορία παρέχει τις ευκαιρίες για να διαδώσουμε το

Ευαγγέλιο του Χριστού, για να καλωσορίσουμε όλους όσους αναζητούν μια

πνευματική στέγη, και μια βάση από την οποίαν ξεκινάμε για το ταξίδι μας στον

κόσμο. Η ενορία επίσης παρέχει το χώρο για λατρεία, κοινωνική ζωή, και εκπαίδευση

σε θέματα πίστεως. Για να είμαστε θεματοφύλακες του Ευαγγελίου, πρέπει να είμαστε

θεματοφύλακες της ενορίας μας. Αυτό απαιτεί την διορατικότητα και την έμπνευση

να δούμε την ενορία μας, όχι όπως είναι, αλλά όπως πρέπει να είναι. Είναι καθήκον

μας να προσφέρουμε τους εαυτούς μας και τα προσωπικά μας αγαθά για να κάνουμε

την ενορία μας αυτό που πρέπει να είναι.

22

SAINT ATHANASIUS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY INFORMATION FORM Please complete and return this form to the Church Office

4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA 02476

Name: Home Telephone:

Address: City: State: Zip:

I am a new steward: My previous parish was?

I would like to receive my monthly bulletin via U.S. mail: or via email:

Member Spouse Children /Age

Name: /

Mobile Tel: /

E‐mail: /

Occupation: /

Work Tel: /

2019 STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE / DONATION

Family Name

I understand it takes approximately $1,000 per active Stewardship family to operate and support the ministries and facility of the St. Athanasius Parish in 2019.

We would like to pledge $ Weekly (approx. $20/week)

We would like to pledge $ Monthly (approximately $85/month)

We would like to pledge $ Yearly

You can also pledge at http://www.saintathanasius.org/stewardship/

Please check those items in which you or a member of your family has some expertise or interest.

Place name or initials of the specific family member after each item checked.

Bible Study Youth Ministry Office Work

Teaching Sunday School Medical/Nurse

Greek School/Little Halos Church Choir Art/Design Services

Visitation of Elderly/Infirm Reader (in liturgy) Legal

Philoptochos Ushering / Welcome Finance

Festival Evangelism Architecture

Outreach to Community New parents Real Estate Management

Soup Kitchen Scouting Electrical

Computer – Hardware/Systems Computer ‐ software Web Design

Youth Work Gardening PR / Marketing

Construction Mechanical / Plumbing Other

Ver. 01-2018 23

Volume Thirty, Number Seven, March 2019

“One Final Thought”

Lord of the Powers be with us, for in times of distress

we have no other help but You.

Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us.

(from the Great Compline service during Lent)

Please call the Parish Office (781) 646-0705 to be removed from this bulletin mailing.

24