March-April Epistle

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THE EPISTLEMarch - April 2012

GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PAUL

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PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLYOfficial Publication of

GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PAUL110 CATHEDRAL AVENUE

HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK 11550Tel.: (516) 483-5700FAX: (516) 564-8335

Web-site: www.stpaulhempstead.orge-mail: [email protected]

FR. LUKE M. MELACKRINOS………...............Editor-in-ChiefJOAN PRIESTON………………………..............ChairpersonGUS DRIVAS……………………………….........EditorTHEANA JOANNON………………………........EditorERIKA HADJOGLOU- PALMER........................ LayoutGEORGE K. LAVAS..............................................Photographer

Vol. LXI March-April No. 3-4

FATHER LUKE M. MELACKRINOS, PresbyterFATHER PANAGIOTIS ZOUGRAS, Presbyter

Parish Council Executive CommitteeJAMES N. GEORGAKIS……...............................PresidentWILLIAM J. LEMBO…………............................Vice PresidentGEORGE A. VORKAS……….............................. SecretaryANTHONY P. VACCARI...................................... TreasurerSPYRO GEORGOPALIS...…................................ Finance SecretaryGEORGE MARINOS.............................................Finance SecretaryHARRY RAPTAKIS, Esq.……............................. Legal Advisor

Regular ScheduleOrthros 7:45 a.m.

1st Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m.2nd Divine Liturgy 10:45 a.m.

Ορθρος 7:45 π.μ.Α’ Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00 π.μ.Β’ Θεία Λειτουργία 10:45 π.μ.

Emergency Telephone NumbersFather Luke Melackrinos............ 516-225-1718Father Panagiotis Zougras.......... 718-314-4703

Choir Director and ChanterDr. Efstratios Demertzis

Cathedral SecretaryNicole Rousakis

Stewardship SecretaryHermea Drivas

OrganistAdrienne Stamatas-Borbely 516-481-9333 (9-5)

SUNDAY EPISTLE & GOSPEL READINGS

March 4th Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40 John 1:43-51March 11th Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3 Mark 2:1-12March 18th Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6 Mark 8:34-38; 9:1March 25th Hebrews 2:11-18 Luke 1:24-38

April 1st Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 10:32-45April 8th Philippians 4:4-9 John 12:1-18April 15th Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8 John 1:1-17April 22nd Acts of the Apostles 5:12-20 John 20:19-31April 29th Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 Mark15:43-47; 16:1-8

CHURCH FEAST DAYSMarch 3trd The Third Saturday of the SoulsMarch 4th The Sunday of OrthodoxyMarch 9th The Holy 40 Martyrs at Lake SebasteMarch 25th The Annunciation of the Theotokos

April 8th Palm SundayApril 15th Great and Holy Pascha (Easter)April 23rd The Holy & Great Martyr St. GeorgeApril 25th St. Mark, The Evangelist and Apostle

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Lent, a Time to PrepareBy Father Luke Melackrinos

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is that time of preparation and repentance of Great Lent when we prepare our hearts to receive the great Light of the Resurrection. We fast, we pray, we give alms and love

to others. We watch, as the Lord said, for we don’t know when grace will come and truth from God which bears judgment inside, so let us make this Great Lent fruitful before the Spring and Summer come outside. Love, great love, is hidden too deep within, in the prayers, in self-restraint, in hidden charity, in forgiveness and in heartfelt contrition for living so far from Christ, the manifest God of Love. He is here waiting too, to turn our heart to the Kingdom of God within. Open wide the gates, O Lord!

St. Isaac, the Syrian says this most beautifully in Homily 75 from the Syriac text, “What the power of spring customarily does to the earth’s nature, this also does grace to the soul through purity.... In like manner, grace causes the manifest blossoming of all the splendor that God has concealed in the soul’s nature and it shows this to her and causes her to rejoice in its beauty.” In another place, St. Isaac says most succinctly, “This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits.” If we live this holy season in a spirit of repentance, of daily thanksgiving, of ardent prayers and of conscious dependence on God day by day, then we have entered the palace where the King of King lives. He lives within.

It is not our efforts that make us change, but we still need to make them well, it is not our actions that bring the God-Man Jesus Christ near us, but act we must, for it is our rising awareness of our humbled nakedness which gives God the room to renew us from the bottom up.

He is our only Saviour, but we need to live like we need to be saved constantly. This is the road to Golgotha which leads to Paradise. Here we are again this year, let us go up that road with Him.

As we entered this time of renewal, I pray we do so with ardor. Many of us have felt a quiet yet tangible undercurrent of grace growing since the Lord’s Nativity, and deepening since the time of His Theophany. Like a wind from Heaven, it is touching many hearts in our community in the season just passed. We all still must face our daily life and struggles, our daily thoughts and troubles, but if we remain focused on Christ they are flavored with this silent breeze of goodness and love. I pray that this Great Lenten

season will be filled, too, for you with the goodness and love of God’s presence and grace in our time of repentance.

For the leadership of the Cathedral of St. Paul our financial needs are a part of those daily thoughts and troubles that come up regularly. I’m sure that you all experience them too. We need your help. Your stewardship pledge is essential to the daily functioning of the Cathedral. We are a beehive of constant activity here, striving to be all things for all people. As we are surrounded by an aging facility, we come to the realization that sometimes it still takes more time, energy and resources now to save inheritance handed down to us and this is without consideration of what is truly required for our future needs!

I thank you for all of your help, for all of your prayers and for all of your kind thoughts and words. Thoughts, especially generous ones, are powerful indeed. Please be assured that I am praying for you and in you are thoughts and actions, too. I am praying that you have a most blessed and heartfelt Great Lent, filled with prayer, fasting and alms-giving from your generous hearts. I am asking God to deepen you, to strengthen you, to protect you and to bring you the blessing of Heaven, both outwardly and inwardly.

I also ask that in this season of forgiveness and repentance, that you forgive me my many sins and inadequacies, especially if I have inadvertently offended you in any way. It was never my intent. I pray that we all come together spiritually at Pascha, when the Lord of Life shines forth most brightly in His Glorious and Holy Resurrection! May you have a good and blessed Holy Lent and a radiant Pascha.

In Memorium

A year is approaching since our beloved Father Nicholas Magoulias, of blessed

memory, fell asleep in the Lord. On Sunday, May 27th, 2012, a Memorial

Service will be conducted in Father Nick’s memory following the Divine Liturgy. The

Fellowship Hour will be dedicated to Father Nick in remembrance of his service to the Cathedral of St. Paul. There will be only

one Divine Liturgy on this Sunday.

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By Father Panagiotis Zougras

We are now at the height of our ecclesiastical year as we prepare for Great and Holy Pascha during Lent. The 40 days of Lent are a particularly appropriate

time for families and friends to join together and dedicate themselves to a devout prayer life. There are many ways to prepare ourselves for Pascha during Lent. Think about how we prepare ourselves for Christmas, most of the celebration and preparation takes place at least a month before. We often prepare by gift shopping, decorating the house and the Christmas tree. We sing carols, bake cookies and watch Christmas movies. We embrace the entire season and immerse ourselves in every aspect of it. I am asking that we prepare just as hard for Pascha and not to overlook the importance of Lent because it is not as commercialized as the Christmas Holiday.

We can spiritually prepare ourselves for Lent by adding more church services into our lives during this time of year. We are offered many services to attend throughout the entire week. When we attend services we should be conscious and meditate on the words in which we pray. By focusing on the words of the prayers you will feel the grace and love of God through the psalms. Take these prayers and use them in your own personal reflection on how you have been living your life this past year. Challenge yourself on what you can do to make yourself a better Christian this upcoming year. Focus on the ultimate sacrifice God made for us so one day we can inherit His Kingdom and be granted eternal life. The most important thing we can do is to love others and be obedient to God and do all the good works He calls upon us to do.

The final thing I urge all of our families to do is to pray together, especially during this blessed time of the year. Being a parent, godparent or religious teacher is a holy ministry because you made a sacred promise to God and that is to teach and share your faith. It is ever so important that you share your faith with children, mainly by setting the example by allowing them to see and hear you pray. Use family time such as before dinner to say a prayer together as a family. Extend yourself to others in need because it is a good time to exercise a humble life and become an example of Jesus’s sacrifice to us. Try to make time during the week to bring your family to an evening service and let us all pray together. These are all keys that will help each and every one of us improve our personal

lives through prayer and reflection.

Presvytera and I have had the opportunity to sit and pray together, reflect upon this year and discussed ways we can improve ourselves. We were very happy when we were discussing this because we were humbled at the thought of all the great examples we have around us here in this wonderful community of St. Paul. Since the last Epistle article, the youth of this community continues to do great things for society. On Friday, March 16th, the GOYAns went on a “Midnight Run” where they distributed clothing, toiletries and food to the homeless of New York City. They brought comfort to many in their time of need and in the process learned a great deal about themselves. The Scouts under the supervision of Mr. Parras and Lou Yeostros have shown so much humility by working so hard this month for the community without asking for anything, including recognition in return. Mr. Yeostros and the Scouts set up the entire stage including the flags for the Greek School’s March 25th presentation. The Scouts prepared and packed all the flags and worked on the float for the Cathedral of St. Paul at the Greek Independence Day Parade in NYC. As the new Principal of the Greek School, I was extremely thankful for the generosity of Elaine Kassimatis who donated $1,000 and the Laconian organization who also generously donated chairs and a table to our school. George Bassias took time out of his busy day and drove to St. Demetrios in Astoria and picked up all of the Archdiocese books for our Greek School and delivered them to the Greek School building. The St. Anna’s Ladies Philoptochos gave back to our mother country of Greece by collecting money for the Greek Relief fund. Thank you so much to everyone who gave to this cause!

Finally, I would like to thank the parish council and all the people who volunteered so much time to get Presvytera and me settled into the parish house. We would not have had an easy transition without the help of so many of you. We would like to especially thank Tony Pantelides, John Moschonas, Kosta Koutsothanasis, Demitri Langis, Peter Frangos, Anthony and Dionisios Zougras and John Papachristos for donating funds to help offset the cost of the new fence installed around the parish house. Presvytera and I are so thankful for all of the love, support and kindness this community has shown us in these past few months. We hope you all had a Peaceful and Blessed Lent.

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From the Presidentby James N. Georgakis

As our year gets into full swing it is nice to see all the wonderful activity that takes place in our community. I want thank our Clergy, Father Luke and Father Peter, under whose guidance we

continue to expand our numerous Christ-centered ministries. We are blessed to have such a strong and vibrant parish with parishioners who are willing to give so much in the form of time, talent and treasure.

The Annual Greek Independence Day parade is was on Sunday, March 25th. It was wonderful to walk down 5th Avenue as a Church family in support of Greece’s Independence. Buses were once again supplied for all. After the parade, we came back to the Cathedral Center and enjoyed a meal together.Over the last couple of years we have offered the community an opportunity to donate a candle in the memory of a loved one. These candles will be in bags with the name of a loved one in whose name it was donated. These will light the path of the Epitaphios. Donations were five dollars.

We are preparing for our two largest fundraisers, our Annual Festival and the Gala Sweepstakes. The Annual Festival will be chaired by George Vorkas, Spyro Georgopalis and Tony Pantelidis this year. I understand from Fr. Luke that Fr. Peter is in charge of making sure we have good weather. While having good weather is extremely important, it is also important that we get support from everyone in any way possible. We are looking for volunteers, sponsors and donors who can help make this the most successful festival ever. George Lavas and Bill Lembo are chairing the Gala Sweepstakes and they, too, can use your support. George, Bill and their committee have once again come up with a wonderful list of prizes, including two cars and many other great prizes. For each of these two events look for mailings and updates through the Sunday Bulletin and the numerous other vehicles of communication such as our web site.

The Mr. & Mrs. Club had a wonderful Valentine’s Day Dinner on Tuesday, February 14th in the Hellenic Room. About 50 people joined to celebrate with romantic music, a scrumptious catered dinner, drinks and much laughter. Look for other upcoming events on our website

The Blood Drive which took place on Tuesday, February 7th was once again a great success. Thanks to Kay Pamas and her entire committee for their hard work and dedication.

The Apokreatiko Glendi, which took place on Saturday, February 11th, was attended by almost 300 people with a large portion of those in attendance being our youth. The food was excellent and there was plenty of music and dancing. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time. Thanks to all the chairs and supporters of the event.

This year the St Paul’s Annual Cathedral Cup on Saturday, March 3rd was a huge success. Thanks to all the volunteers and to those who came out to support our kids.

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint PaulMinutes of the Parish Council Meeting of Thursday, December 15, 2011

The meeting was called to order by President Jim Georgakis at 8:16PM. Father Luke led us in the opening prayer.The minutes of the November 17, 2011 meeting were distributed by George Vorkas. A motion to approve was made by Jim Ginis, seconded by Dean Mavrovitis, motion carried.

President Georgakis thanked his wife Olga, all the Parish Council spouses and Jamie Spanopoulos who helped with the Holiday Party celebration for this evening. Jim also thanked the Parish Council for their hard work.Correspondence:

President Jim Georgakis read the following:- Letter from Kay Pamas thanking the Parish Council for honoring her at this year’s Golden Leaves Ball.- Letter from Kathy Bouloukos thanking the Parish Council for honoring her at this year’s Golden Leaves Ball.- Letter from Past President George Papazicos for honoring him at this year’s Golden Leaves Ball.

Stewardship Report: Jim Georgakis presented the following report as of November 30, 2011:

Year Number of Pledges Amount Pledged Average Pledge2011 950 $446,302 $469.79 2010 953 $431,639 $452.93 2009 933 $399,490 $428.18 Increase (decrease) (3) $14,663 $16.87

Clergy Report:+ Father Luke thanked the Stewardship Committee on their diligent work and efforts in continuing to enlarge and promote our parish and community.+ Father Luke spoke about Deacon Panayiotis and how blessed we are to have him with us.+ Father Luke thanked the Parish and the Parish Council for their support in the purchase of the home for his family.+ Father Luke advised that Deacon Panayiotis’ ordination to the Priesthood will be on January 8th, 2012. Archbishop Demetrios will officiate at the ordination.+ Father Luke advised that Father George Papadeas, the Cathedral of St. Paul’s first Priest, has passed on. Father Papadeas was more recently in Ocala, working on building another new Parish. (Father Luke attended Father George’s funeral as the representative of the parish of Saint Paul).+ Father Luke advised that December 16th, is the

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feast day of Saint Modestos, who is the saint of animals. The Cathedral has a piece of his relic, which had been donated by the Hadjoglou Family.

Youth Report:Deacon Panayiotis reported on the following youth related activities:+ Deacon Panayiotis advised that GOYA and JOY basketball is in full swing, with a nice representation by St. Paul in each league+ Deacon Panayiotis advised that GOYA visited NYC on a field trip to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree last week and next week GOYA will visit Dyker Heights in Brooklyn to see the amazing Christmas light decorations on the houses.+ Deacon Panayiotis advised that St. Paul has their first GOYA dance, which was attended by over 140 teenagers. The JOY party is this coming Friday, December 16th.+ Deacon Panayiotis advised that the annual Cancer Care event is this coming Saturday, December 17th.+ Deacon Panayiotis reminded all that the Aprokreatiko Glendi is on Saturday, February 11th, 2012.

Treasurer’s Report:Tony Vaccari presented the following report as of November 30, 2011:

Total Cash Assets $393,592Less: Decorations Fund ($112,427)Less: Renaissance Fund ($14,642)

$266,523 Liabilities $0 Net Available Funds $266,523

Month of Nov 2011

Year to Date 11/30/11

Month of Nov 2010


Revenue $80,661 $1,335,099 $87,793 $1,353,621 Expenses ($100,510) ($1,295,984) ($87,931) ($1,526,069)Surplus (Deficit) ($19,849) $39,115 ($138) ($172,448)Less Proj Ren & Dec Funds (net) ($3,225) $23,521 ($5,750) $264,521 Net Operating Surplus (Deficit) ($23,074) $62,636 ($5,888) $92,073

A motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report was made by Fran Lutfy, seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.

House Committee Report:Tony Pantelides advised that the Hellenic Room chairs and tables have arrived and they have been installed and are they are being used. Tony also advised that many on-going repairs continue.

Elections Report:George Papazicos reported that the following Parish Council Members were elected:

Jim Georgakis, Triphon Kollitides, Tony Pantelides, James Ginis, George Marinos, Dean Mavrovitis, Gus Drivas, Michael Lazarakis, James Rigano and Stephen Makrinos. George welcomed Stephen Makrinos as a first time Parish Council member. George also advised that Kosmas Jannes had chosen not to run again for the Parish Council and thanked him for his many years of service.George also thanked the Board of Elections, Penny Makris, Chairperson; Faith Drapan, Georgia Tsempelis, Anastasia Milonas and Kathy Vaccari

Sunday Church School Committee Report:George K. Lavas advised that this coming Sunday, December 18th, is the Christmas Pageant. There will be no Sunday Church School on Christmas or New Year’s Day.. There will be Sunday Church School on January 8th.

Church Committee Report:George Lavas reported that the Second Liturgy is in need of Parish Council manpower and he is looking for volunteers. If not enough volunteers come forth, George will initiate a Second Liturgy duty roster.

Clergy Housing Sub-Committee Report:Bill Lembo reported on behalf of Harry Raptakis. Bill reported that all is running smoothly. A special thanks goes out to Manny Polichronakis of Marathon Bank who was very helpful in helping us secure the financing. Jim Georgakis also thanked Marie Kratsios for all her efforts in helping secure the house.

Financial Report:Spyro Georgopalis and George Marinos presented the invoices to be paid. After discussion, a motion to pay the invoices was made by Dino Zografos, seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.

Old Business:• Gus Kratsios made a motion to requesting a budget not to exceed $1250 for Deacon Panayiotis Priesthood ordination reception. Jim Stephens seconded, motion carried.• Triphon Kollitides thanked all those involved with the Community Dance.

New Business:• Sotiroula Constantinou presented a check for $1000 on behalf of LIACA to the Cathedral.• Teddy Lakis presented a check for $1500 on behalf of the Laconian Association to the Cathedral.• Kathy Bouloukos presented a check for $2000 to the Cathedral on behalf of the Recipe Club.• Past President, George Papazicos thanked and congratulated Jim Georgakis for all his hard work this past year as President and as a trusted friend. He also advised him he has the full support of the Parish Council for the coming year.• President Jim Georgakis informed that Theodore Antoniou has donated a check for $10,000 to the Cathedral.

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Theodore would like the monies to go to offset the cost of the new tables and chairs in the Hellenic Room.• Father Luke informed that Criss Angel, who grew up at the Cathedral donated a check for $10,000 to the Cathedral.

President Jim Georgakis thanked George Papazicos for his kind words, and thanked all those who continue to work hard in continuing to make the Cathedral of St. Paul the jewel of the Archdiocese.

A motion to adjourn at 8:51PM was made by Jim Ginis, seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.The Cathedral of St. Paul Choir performed Christmas Carols for all to enjoy, followed by the Holiday reception.

Respectfully submitted,George A. VorkasSecretary, Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of Thursday, January 19, 2012

The meeting was called to order by President Jim Georgakis at 8:06PM. Father Luke led us in the opening prayer.

The minutes of the December 15, 2011 meeting were distributed by George Vorkas. A motion to approve was made by Jim Ginis, seconded by John Hajisava, motion carried. There was 1 abstention as one council member did not receive the minutes prior to the meeting.

Correspondence:President Jim Georgakis read the following correspondence.* Letter from Hermea Drivas thanking the Council for her Christmas gratuity and for the hard work that the Parish Council does throughout the year.* Letter from Sacred Heart, thanking the Cathedral for the use of the facility. There was a $300 donation enclosed.* Letter from Presvytera Marilyn thanking the Parish Council for inviting her to the annual dance. She also advised that Father Nick’s one year memorial service will be May 27, 2012.* Letter from Archbishop Demetrios thanking the Cathedral for hosting the ordination of Father Panayiotis.

Stewardship Report:Stewardship report as of December 31, 2011:

Year Number of Pledges Amount Pledged Average Pledge2011 963 $451,394 $468.74 2010 981 $438,873 $447.37 2009 968 $406,993 $420.45 Increase (decrease) (18) $12,521 $21.36

George Marinos reported that the Stewardship Committee is working to identify ways to further grow our Stewardship

in 2012 by doing an analysis of 2011. Jim Rigano spoke on behalf of a Stewardship Sub-Committee, and reported on the several new initiatives to help increase new stewards.

Clergy Report:* We will need a substitute priest for January 29, 2012, as Father Panayiotis will be attending the GOYA Ski Trip. John Hajisava made a motion to approve an amount not to exceed $300 for the substitute priest, seconded by Jim Ginis. Motion Carried.* Father Demetrios Carellas will be giving a new lecture series this year on Faith, Hope and Love. The first lecture will be on January 31, 2012. Father Luke advised we normally cover his airfare. Toni Kourepinos made a motion to approve an amount, not to exceed $200 for Father Carellas airfare. Seconded by Joan Prieston. Motion carried.* New letterhead needs to be ordered. This would include business cards as well. These are normally printed with the same company that the Archdiocese uses. John Hajisava made a motion to approve an amount, not to exceed, $1920 for the letterhead and business cards. Seconded by John Papachristou. Motion carried.

Youth Report:+ GOYA volleyball season is starting today, and our basketball teams are doing well.* There was a request by some of the basketball coaches for a basketball rack for our gym. This will be discussed at the next Youth Committee.* We do not have a GOYA Spring Soccer team for this season. However, we are going to build our soccer program for the future by looking into the purchase of portable soccer nets for the grass area on the Cathedral grounds.* The JOY program, which meets on Friday made 25 loaves of Prosforo with Presvytera Georgia.* Requested that the Cathedral look into purchasing a divider for the gym so as to allow two youth events be held at the same time. This will be discussed at the next Youth Committee meeting.* The Cathedral is hosting the District Archdiocese Dance Festival, Parathosi on April 27, 28 & 29.* Tthe Aprokreatiko Glendi is on Saturday, February 11th, 2012.* We will are working towards a successful Olympics showing for this year. The Olympics will be held May 25, 26 and 27th.* GOYA is doing “Bears for the Heart”, which is a charity where bears are donated to the Ronald McDonald House. This event will be held at Build-A-Bear in Roosevelt Field on Monday, January 23rd.* Urged that we have our children apply to the available District Archdiocese Olympics scholarship program. Applications will be available on the District Archdiocese

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Olympics website.* Preparations for our own Cathedral of St. Paul Ski Trip are continuing.* St. Basil’s Academy is working on a charity program hosted by Citgo, whereas an organization can receive free natural gas for a year. The website is www.feelinggood.com. Father urged all to vote.* The Boy Scouts are hosting the annual Pine Wood Derby this coming Thursday, January 26th.Harry Raptakis made a motion to allow the Youth Committee to determine the financials for the Aprokreatiko Glendi. Seconded by George Hadjoglou. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report :As of December 31, 2011 (unaudited):



Month of Dec 2011


Month of Dec 2010


Revenue $138,652 $1,473,661 $107,162 $1,466,795 Expenses ($156,256) ($1,454,253) ($127,337) ($1,656,832)Surplus (Deficit) ($17,604) $19,408 ($20,175) ($190,037)Less Proj Ren & Dec Funds (net) ($8,250) $15,171 ($4,815) $254,831 Net Operating Surplus (Deficit) ($25,854) $34,579 ($24,990) $64,794

Tony Vaccari also presented a by month financial report showing our net for each month, and urged all Committee chairpersons to monitor their spending. A motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report was made by Lou Patrickakos, seconded by Nick Yiannos. Motion carried.

Greek School Report:* Advised that the Greek School kids visited and sang Christmas carols at various homes in the area, in addition to visiting St. Michael’s Home. Fran thanked Maria Papachristos and Tina Vasilakis for coordinating the events. * The Cassis Building toilets have finally been repaired and the Carbon Monoxide detectors were installed. She thanked the hard work of Tony Pantelides and the House Committee. Fran also reported that the heating in the Cassis building is inadequate and needs to be looked into as soon as possible. Tony Pantelides will look into and advise.* Thanked the Greek School PTA for the installation of the security cameras in the Cassis Building.* Fran reminded everyone that in preparation for the Greek Dance Festival, Parathosi, we need to have our teams

properly trained. Lessons will cost $1500 for 15 classes. GOYA has already agreed to cover half the amount. Fran made a motion to pay $750 for the lessons, seconded by Harry Raptakis. Motion carried.* Advised on our regular Greek Dance program and made a motion to approve a stipend for the dance teacher for the 10 month program. Motion seconded by John Papachristos. Motion carried.

Insurance Report:The insurance for Father Panayiotis auto has been canceled by the carrier due to the recent accident. Fran has found a new policy from Met Life, and the amount is higher by $500 for the year, bringing the total to $2800. Fran made a motion to ratify the new policy and amount of $2800, seconded by Lou Patrickakos. Motion carried.Raised several concerns on the insurance for 2 Kensington Ct., specifically that Father Panayiotis has a pitbull. Fran has resolved by getting a renters policy from Met Life in the amount of $386 for the year. Fran made a motion to approve the new policy from Met Life, seconded by Nick Yiannos. There was discussion, followed by motion being carried.

Entertainment Committee Report:Triphon thanked all those involved with the Annual Community Dance, and gave a report. Triphon reported that we had 169 attendees, with net revenue $2656.

House Committee Report:Advisedon the new leaks noticed in the Cathedral, in the area of the stained glass windows over the pews. There needs to be further investigation as to the repair as soon as possible as there is visible damage.

Housing Sub-Committee Report:* President Georgakis thanked all those involved in the purchase of the house for Father Luke. Father Luke expressed his gratitude to the Council for their support. George Papazicos spoke on behalf of the committee and made a motion to spend up to $2000 to pay for the moving of Father Luke into the new house. Seconded by Bill Lembo, motion carried.* Harry Raptakis advised on the financing of the parsonage for Father Luke. Harry advised that the mortgage from Marathon Bank is for $408,750 at a rate of 4.25% for 5 years, 10 year mortgage, adjustable at the 5 year mark. At the end of 10 years, there is a balloon, which we will then have to refinance. Harry reported on the specific amounts associated with the mortgage, specifically $2010.80 a month in mortgage to be paid by St. Paul. Additionally, the Cathedral will be paying a $500 a month housing allowance. Harry made a motion to approve the payment of the housing allowance, seconded by John Hajisava.

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Motion carried.* Harry Raptakis advised that we received a letter from Bishop Andonios thanking us for taking the steps to work with Father Luke.

Automobile Sub-Committee Report:The sub-committee was charged with getting a new vehicle for the clergy. Father Panayiotis requested that he take Father Luke’s current Honda, and that a new vehicle be purchased for Father Luke. Bill discussed two current options, including financials. Bill Lembo made a motion to purchase the Hyundai Sonata, seconded by Lou Yeostros. Discussion ensued and the motion carried.

Sweepstakes Committee Report:The committee is recommending that along with the better prizes that will be offered, that we increase the ticket price to $75. Bill made a motion to approve the prize fund of $65,000 and the price of a ticket be $75. Seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.

Financial Report:Spyro Georgopalis and George Marinos presented the invoices to be paid. After discussion a motion to pay the invoices was made by Dean Mavrovitis, seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.

Old Business:• George Marinos gave an update on the candles used in the Cathedral. We currently use paraffin candles from Astron, and we are looking into the possibility of purchasing beeswax candles made by a local monastery. The prices are close to each other, but we need to work with the monastery to make sure the sizes are comparable. Father Luke also advised that beeswax is natural and there is a positive environmental factor of using the beeswax over paraffin, not to mention assisting the monastery. George will report back after working with the monastery further.• Harry Raptakis advised that the Backflow issue has finally been resolved with the installation of the backup valve.• Gus Kratsios thanked all those involved with Father Panayiotis ordination.New Business:• George Papazicos reminded everyone the Semi-Annual Blood Drive is on February 7, from 3pm to 9pm. George urged all those to come and support.• Tony Vaccari advised that we need to make our annual payment to Camp St. Paul. Tony made a motion to approve $500, seconded by John Papachristos. Motion carried.• Tony Vaccari advised that due to the hard work by Tony Pantelides in renegotiating the contract for the snow removal, Tony would like to make a motion to go forward

with Pascerella. Seconded by Jim Ginis, motion carried.• Spyro Georgopalis made a motion to approve the Annual Festival, to be on May 31, June 1, June 2, and June 3rd. Seconded by Dean Mavrovitis. Motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,George A. VorkasSecretary, Parish Council

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting of Thursday, February 16, 2012

The meeting was called to order by President Jim Georgakis at 8:09PM. Father Luke led us in the opening prayer.

The previous meeting minutes were not distributed. A motion to approve them will be made at a future Parish Council meeting.

Correspondence:* Letter from Greek School PTA expressing serious concern in the upkeep of the Cassis building and are requesting that the situation be looked into immediately. This will be addressed with the House Committee.

Stewardship Report:Stewardship report as of January 31, 2012:

Year Number of Pledges Amount Pledged Average Pledge2012 373 $203,149 $544.64 2011 412 $218,882 $531.27 2010 379 $198,978 $525.01 Increase (decrease) (39) ($15,733) $13.37

Clergy Report:+ Stressed to the Parish Council the importance of Great Lent and for all to take the necessary steps to prepare.+ Reviewed and discussed the Liturgical Schedule for the coming weeks, including Saturday of the Souls, Salutation services, Great Compline every Monday and Pre-Sanctified Gifts every Wednesday.+ Reminded everyone on the upcoming Parathosi, Greek Dance Festival on April 27,28 ,29 at our parish. Harry Raptakis made a motion to approve the Cathedral purchase an ad for the journal in the amount of $350, seconded by George Possas. Motion carried. + Reminded everyone that no meetings, youth events, or gym use is to take place during any church service.+ We continue to support the Mary Brennan Inn and that any support is much appreciated.+ Requested that we setup a donation table, to be manned by the Philoptochos, to help the people of Greece. Harry Raptakis made a motion to approve the fundraiser,

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seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.

Youth Report:+ Reported on the successful GOYA Ski Trip and thanked all the chaperones who helped in its success.+ Thanked Erika Palmer, Maria Papachristos and Tina Vasilikis for their hard work in another successful Apokreatiko Glendi.+ Scout Sunday took place recently and the winners of the Pinewood Derby were recognized.+ We will be entering a team in the Parathosi, and asked that we pay the entry fee of $200 for the team. Fran Lutfy made a motion to approve the entry fee, seconded by Michael Gurlides. Motion carried.+Upcoming events for the youth:o February 26th GOYA will have a Tyropita sale after liturgieso March 3rd, Annual Cathedral Cup, hosted by the Cathedralo March 6th, Olympics meeting hosted by the Cathedral, to give accreditation for coaching.o March 10th , GOYA Scavenger Hunt in New York City, which is attended by the entire District Archdiocese.o March 16th , Annual GOYA Midnight Run to bring in clothes, food and toiletries for the homeless in New York City. Monetary donations are also needed to help defray costs.o March 30-31, Scouts Camping Trip in New Jersey

Treasurer’s Report:Treasurer’s report as of January 31, 2012:



Month of Jan 2012


Month of Jan 2011


Revenue $96,710 $96,710 $98,013 $98,013 Expenses ($83,515) ($83,515) ($56,155) ($56,155)Surplus (Deficit) $13,195 $13,195 $41,858 $41,858 Less Proj Ren & Dec Funds (net) ($810) ($810) ($2,415) ($2,415)Net Operating Surplus (Deficit) $12,385 $12,385 $39,443 $39,443

Jim Ginis made a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report, seconded by John Hajisava. After discussion, the motion carried.

House Committee Report:Reported on the various renovations being done to 2 Kensington Ct. in preparation for Father Panayiotis moving in. These included: sanding and refinishing the wood floors, painting of the entire house, new kitchen

cabinets and adding a “dog run”. Tony is getting bids for all the work and will make sure each contractor is acceptable to Legal Counsel. Tony made a motion to approve an amount, not to exceed, $15,000. This amount does not include the fence. Seconded by Fran Lutfy. There was discussion, followed by the motion being carried.

Journal Committee Report:Reported that there was income of $16,000, yet there are many unpaid journal ads. Tony Vaccari advised that we send out reminder invoices immediately.

Parade Committee Report:Advised that the Greek Independence Day Parade will be on Sunday, March 25th. Liz made a motion to approve an amount, not to exceed $5000 for the 3 buses and a float. Motion seconded by Triphon Kollitides. Motion carried.Also advised, with John Papachristos assistance, that we have new sashes for this year’s Parade. John Papachristos advised that 25 have been pre-sold at $30/each. Liz Comack is asking to ratify the purchase of 50 sashes, seconded by John Hajisava. Motion carried.

Technology Committee Report:Advised that the Committee has come to a resolution on our continued copier issues. This will include a lease of a new Canon copier, including the removal of the current duplicator. Jim discussed the process involved in the decision, including procuring 14 bids. The financials were reviewed via a handout. Jim Stephens made a motion to: - Buyout the existing Xerox copier and replace it with a Canon 6055 from Canon Business Systems, with 20k/month copies, overage billed quarterly- Sign separate non-cancellable lease and cancellable Service contracts, thereby minimizing the cost of early termination- Retire the duplicator by cancelling the exiting service contract- Establish a group of accounts and passwords to control access to the system.Motion seconded by John Hajisava. There was discussion followed bythe motion being carried.

Epistle Committee Report:Joan advised on recent issues of the most recent Epistle. The Committee is looking into any problems with the printer and will be addressing them.

Decorations Committee Report:The issue regarding the manufacture of the memorial plaque for Father Nick is being resolved. The Committee has found a new vendor and we should have the plaque shortly.

Financial Report:Spyro Georgopalis and George Marinos presented the

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The Essence of Our Religion is LoveBy John Angelides When Jesus was asked what the greatest command is, he replied ‘‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This love is not passive, but on the contrary it is active. The love of God is not a theory, but action. It is not directed towards ourselves on the contrary it begins from us and it is directed towards our brother. This love is given as a gift, and its reward is the act of sharing it.

Our Lord Jesus Christ showed us the way of offering and love. I would like to repeat the words of a Christian card.“I asked the Lord how much you love me. He opened his hands on the cross and said to me so much and died.”

This month we are asked to obey God’s command, to show our love, by giving an offering to our church and its philanthropic projects. The Lord has granted us the goods we have, and as good stewards of His goods, He calls us to share from what he gave us for the needs of the church and our fellowmen. He calls us to make a better world, a Christian world. Amen.

Η έννοια της θρησκείας μας είναι αγάπη.

Όταν ερώτησαν τον Κύριο ποιά είναι η μεγαλήτερη εντολή. Αυτός είπε «Αγάπα τον Κύριο τον Θεό σου με όλη τη δυναμή σου και όλη τη διάνοιά σου και τον πλησίον σου σαν τον εαυτόν σου.» Αυτή είναι όλοι οι νόμοι και όλοι οι προφήται.

Αυτή η αγάπη δεν είναι παθητική, αλλά αντιθέτως είναι ενεργητική. Η αγάπη του Θεού δεν είναι θεωρία, αλλά πράξη. Δεν κατευθύνεται στο ευατόν μας αλλά αρχίζει από τον ευατόν μας και κατευθύνεται στον αδελφό μας. Είναι αγάπη που δίνεται σαν δώρο, και που η αμοιβή της έγκειται στην πράξη της δωρεάς.

Ο Χριστός μας, μας έδειξε το δρόμο της προσφοράς και της αγάπης. Θα είθελα να επαναλάβω τις λέξεις μιας χριστιανικής κάρτας.«Ερώτησα τον Κύριο πόσο με αγαπάς? Και αυτός ανοίγοντας τα χέρια του στο σταυρό, μου είπε, τόσο πολύ, και πέθανε.

Αυτό τον μήνα καλούμεθα να εφαρμόσουμε την έντολή του Κυρίου να δείξουμε την αγάπη μας, να δόσουμε μια δωρεά στην εκκλησία του Θεού και στα φιλανθρωπικά έργα της. Ο Κύριος μας έχει χαρίσει τα αγαθά που έχουμε, και σαν καλούς διαχειριστές των αγαθών του, μας καλεί να μοιράσουμε από αυτά που εκείνος μας χάρισε για τις ανάγκες της εκκλησίας και των συνανθρώπων μας. Μας καλεί να κάνουμε ένα κόσμο καλλήτερο, ένα κόσμο Χριστιανικό. Αμήν

the invoices to be paid. After discussion, a motion to pay the invoices was made by Jim Ginis, seconded by Michael Gurlides. Motion carried.

Old Business:• President Jim Georgakis thanked all those involved with another successful Apokreatiko Glendi.• George Papazicos thanked everyone who came out to support the Semi-Annual Blood Drive on February 7. Over 55 donors came to the donate blood.• Jim Ginis reported on the continued analysis of the utility bills. He has noticed some concerns and discussed these with the Council. Fran Lutfy also raised some concerns.

New Business:• Harry Raptakis advised on annual Archdiocesan DistrictClergy Laity and nominated the following individuals to attend in addition to Father Luke and President Georgakis, Vice President Bill Lembo and Treasurer Tony Vaccari. There were no other nominations. Lou Patrickakos made a motion to close nominations. Bill Lembo and Tony Vaccari will be attending the Clergy Laity.

• Father Luke and the Parish Council thanked Fran Lutfy for her years of dedicated service as Greek School Principal. Father Luke asked that Fran stay involved with the Greek School as much as possible in the future to help in the guidance. Father Luke also introduced Father Panayiotis as the new Greek School Principal.

A motion to adjourn at 9:27PM was made by Michael Gurlides, seconded by Jim Ginis. Motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

George A. VorkasSecretary, Parish Council

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Apokreatiko Glendi 2012

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Greek Independence Day Parade!

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Blood DriveBy Kay Pamas

On Tuesday, February 7th, 2012, 62 Parishioners came to donate the “Gift of Life”. We want to thank each and every one of you. A very special thank you to the ten automated Red Cell Donors who actually offset the 14 deferred (postponed) donors. We collected a total of 58 units of blood which will help at least 170 people at the local hospitals.

Our new “children’s corner” was once again extremely successful. Thank you Erika and her helpers, Terry and Irene.Once again we are grateful to Dino Zografos, who assisted us on making over 100 phone calls the night before and of course Roula Zografos for all her help.

Please mark your calendar. The next blood drive is Sept. 25th, 2012.

Automated Red Cell Blood Donors:

Marcus Arianas Michael Drapan Lawrence Fodrowski Kenny Kyriakou Anthony Leondis

Donors:

George Billiris Antigone Bozikis Lefko Charalambous Yiannoulla Charalambous Georgia Constantine Soteroulla Constantinou Paula Conte James Delegianis Mark Delegianis Denise Demetropoulos Robert Dennis Bob Donus Anna Dounelis Faith Drapan Stephan Efthimiades Christopher Eschmann Maria Giannopoulos James Ginis Jonathan Gran Irene Gregov Louis Groia Medardo Guerrero Kelly Haass George Hadjoglou Mark Heighington Gerald Holder

Fr. Luke MelackrinosAndrew PieridesMatthew SalernoSanford SchmidtJames Stephens

Athena KallinikosThomas KenneyChrisa KennyTriphon KollitidesMaureen LaneGeorgia LaudaniEllen LeondisStephen MakrinosElizabeth MengesAndrea PagonisErika Hadjoglou PalmerAnthony PantelidesCathy PantelidesGabrielle PapacostasZambia PapagianakisAris PapangelopoulosGeorge PapazicosCalliopi PapazicosLeah PascarellaJames PlackisKalliope TsigakosValerie UbertiniNiki VasiliadesParthena VassiliadisGeorge Zakos

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School of Religious EducationBy Joan Prieston

The holidays are over and the 304 students in our program are preparing for the following upcoming annual events.

On Sunday, February 5, the Souper Ball of Caring Church collection was donated to the IOCC, the International Orthodox Christian Charity for the needy. This annual event, a Sunday School project, always coincides with the Super bowl Sunday game between the National and American football league teams. Also on this day, many of our students participated in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts awards ceremony in the Cathedral for their meritorious accomplishments in the Scouting Program.

On March 18, the parish Oratorical Festival was held in the Hellenic Room after the Second Liturgy. The participating students arduously researched their individual topics and used our curriculum and our library books to emphasize their viewpoints on the suggested topics. The winners of this event advanced to the District Oratorical Festival, at the Archangel Michael church in Port Washington.

During Lent, the teachers have been educating the students about the significance of each liturgy starting with the Sunday of Orthodoxy when they participated in the Procession of Holy Icons. Also, many of them will serve as Altar Boys and in the Junior Choir during this most Holy Season of our faith.

The Sunday School supports many of the community events. As is our custom, we generously gave a monetary donation to the Apokreatiko Glendi. This annual event is enjoyed by many of our students who dress in costumes just before the Holy Lenten Period begins. Their parents and Yiayias and Papous have fun watching the “kids” having fun!

The teachers and staff extend to all a Blessed Lenten Period.St. Anna’s Philoptochos

By Soteroula Constantinou, President

With winter upon us and spring around the corner, St. Anna’s Philoptochos Board has been working diligently planning the second half of the year . Here are some of our special upcoming events. Please support us in our Philanthropic endeavors by participating and supporting St. Anna’s.

April 10th and 11th (Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week) will be our Easter Bake Sale. We will be offering Easter Bread and Greek egg dye as well as homemade

baked goods. If you are able to assist us in baking, please contact Chairladies Kathy Boulukos at 868-4092 or Agatha Lizardos at 627-4053.

May 10th: Keep the date open for our Annual Spring Dinner to be held at The Innat New Hyde Park. Invitations will follow.

June 28th and June 29th marks the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul. Reception will follow both vesper and church services.

We hope that you will continue to support St. Anna’s Philoptochos.

Please urge your family and friends to join this wonderful organization as well and help us fulfill our philanthropic mission to help the poor, the hungry, the elderly and all those in need. Men can now join as associate members. Our dues are only $30.00 per year.

On behalf of St. Anna’s, I would like to wish each of you Kalo Pascha.

Grief & BereavementBy Kay Pamas

“People in mourning have to come to grips with death before they can live again. Mourning can go on for years and years. It doesn’t end after a year, that’s a false fantasy. It usually ends when people realize that they can live again, that they can concentrate their energies on their lives as a whole and not on their hurt, and guilt, and pain.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

No one is asking us to forget, to turn away from all that we loved and cherished in the one we have lost. We could not do that even if we wanted to. The task before us, and it could take a very long time, is to incorporate this grief and loss into the rest of our lives so it does not continue to dominate our lives. It is no longer the first thing we think of when we wake up in the morning or the last thing we relinquish before we sleep.

We will always consider our loss as “the bad thing” in our lives, but when it begins to take its place among the good things life offers, and we are on our way.

We still meet the 2nd & 4th Wednesday of every month at 7:30pm and the 3rd Wednesday at 2:00pm. You are all welcome to join us.

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St. Paul’s Nursery School By Anna Possas, Director

The 2012-2013 School Year registration has begun. We look forward to a very fruitful year with curriculum to include different seasons, weather, transportation, bones in the body, community helpers, outerspace, learn sight words, addition and subtraction. Each classroom has one teacher and an assistant teacher.

If you have not yet registered your child in the St. Paul’s Nursery School, please stop by the church office to register. The Two Year Old Program meets on Thursdays from 9:30am to 11:30am, Three Year Old Program meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00am to 11:55am, and the Four Year Old Program meets on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00am to 11:55am.

The St. Paul’s Summer Camp will be held from July 2nd to July 27th. The age limits are from two year olds to five year olds. Our program is a happy combination of indoor and outdoor activities, quiet and livelier times, individual and group experiences. Classroom projects are skill and fun-oriented and are completed by the children. Registration began April 1st, and the class size was limited to 15 students per class on a first come, first serve basis. The sessions are as follows: Monday and Wednesday for the two to three year olds and Tuesday and Thursday for the four and five year olds, all with classes meeting from 9am to 11:30am. Please stop by the church office to register.

AHEPA By C. Dionysois Dionou

Along with the Daughters on January 11th, 2012, we held our annual “Cutting of the Vasilopita” to welcome the New Year. At our regular meeting on January 25th, 2012, we were graced with a visit by AHEPA District #6 Governor Chris Gallis and Lt. Governor Mike Papafotis. We also held initiations and welcomed our new brother George Marinos. Our annual chapter scholarship program is ongoing and the deadline is April 4th, 2012.Applications are available in the church office. We had a joint speaking event on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 with our chapter, the Daugthers of Penelope, Pasithea Chapter #141; the Solon Society and the Laconian Association. On April 18th, 2012, we will hold our Easter Glendi. We

are considering holding a Byzantine Dinner open to the community for early in May. Watch the Sunday bulletin for the announcement. If anyone is aware of news of one of our brothers falling asleep in the Lord, illness, etc. please inform one of our officers. If you wish to join the AHEPA, please contact one of our officers. We also have an email address to contact us by: [email protected]. I wish everyone a very Happy Easter.

St. Paul’s Daughters of Penelope, Pasithea Chapter #141By Pauline Alexander, President

The holidays and the celebrations we held this past season were very enjoyable, especially those where we had joint celebrations with our brother Ahepans. As we all know, it is always a very hectic season during the holidays but we survived! Relative to survival, a debt of gratitude is owed to our own Fran Lutfy who had the wherewithal to put all of us on an Excel spreadsheet so that our future will be easier to record.

In January, we were invited to a dinner hosted by the Daughters, Aega Chapter in Suffolk County. It was held at the OPA Restaurant in Islip, New York. Our chapter was represented by Joanne Pappas, Jackie Ursini, Geri Fairfull and Pauline Alexander. We had a very enjoyable evening.

We recently held our Daughters’ Valentine’s celebration at one of our local restaurants, Shiro of Japan. The restaurant worked with us and gave us their room on a slightly lower level than the main restaurant. This area is surrounded by rock gardens and flowing water and, as I described to my fellow Daughters, very Zen-like and beautiful. We were very pleased to be joined by Father Luke. Laughter was the order of the day.

Our upcoming events will include our Pot Luck Dinner in March and our Honey Party which we have scheduled for May 9th. Our Honey Party is open to all. We will keep you posted about our events and any date changes.

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Solon Society By C. Dionysois Dionou

The spring season of the Solon Society opened on Thursday February 9th. Our opening lecture was “The Great Schism of 1054 and its Impact on East- West Relations”. The lecture was delivered by our president, Dionysios Dionou. Afterwards there was a thoughtful question and answer period. We are still interviewing speakers.

On Thursday April 5th, the Solon Society partnered with the Laconian Society, AHEPA Chapter #170 and The Daughters of Penelope to welcome Prof. Pandelis Lekkas of the University of Athens, who is now on a lecture tour, courtesy of the Onassis Foundation. Prof. Lekkas will deliver a lecture focusing on the 1821 Greek War of Independence. Our thanks to Prof. Christos Ioannides, the Director of the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at Queens College CUNY, for helping to organize this event. The Solon Society also thanks President Ted Lakis of the Laconian Society for his assistance in making this great evening possible. We look forward to future joint ventures with the Laconian Society, AHEPA and the Daughters of Penelope.

Our meetings are held, unless otherwise indicated, on the second Thursday of each month. We meet in the Hellenic Room and begin at 7:30 PM with coffee, tea and a dessert buffet. Lectures begin at 8:00 PM. Applications for our annual scholarships will be available shortly.

For further information we can be reached at: [email protected].

We Care Cander Support GroupBy Joanne Vagelatos

At the last meeting of the We Care Cancer Support Group we prayed the beautiful and moving Paraklesis Service to St. John the Russian. We then looked at the life and miracles of this very humble and pious saint. St. John the Russian was not a hierarch, nor a theologian. He was a simple man who spent most of his life living in a stable.

St. John the Russian was born in Russia to pious Orthodox parents. He joined the Russian army and took part in the battle against the Turks. He was taken into slavery and sold to a Turkish cavalry commander from the village of Procopion near Caesarea in Asia Minor. He suffered many tortures at the hands of the Turks who tried to force him to

renounce his beliefs, but he told his captors that he would rather die than lose his Orthodox faith.

His owner assigned John to work and sleep in a stable. The stable reminded John of the birthplace of Jesus and he was happy to live the same way that Jesus did when he began his life here on earth. As he worked in the stable, John was free to pray to God and to praise Him.

St. John lived the life of an ascetic in his stable for many years. When he sensed that his death was near, he asked to receive Holy Communion. John’s father confessor did not want to bring the Communion to the stable for fear of having it desecrated by the Turks. But God advised the priest to hollow out an apple and line it with beeswax to enable him to conceal the Communion in the apple. In this way St. John was able to receive the Body and Blood of Christ before reposing on May 27th, 1730. His relics are housed on the island of Euboia and are visited by thousands of faithful worshippers year round.

Many miracles have been attributed to St. John the Russian, especially in the healing of cancer patients. The following miracle moved many in our group to tears. Not long ago, in New York, a man was diagnosed with a lung tumor about the size of an orange. As it threatened the man’s life, doctors ordered that the tumor be removed immediately. The man’s wife, strongly believing in the miraculous healing powers of St. John the Russian, asked for a postponement of the surgery until the next day. She telephoned the church where St. John’s relics were housed, explained the urgency of the situation and asked that oil and holy water be sent on the next flight to JFK airport. The wife received the holy oil and water when the plane landed and rushed to the hospital so that her husband could be anointed. The next day, as surgeons prepared to operate on the man, his wife asked that they retest him before operating. Doctors obliged and found that the tumor had miraculously disappeared. This is another example of how God works through his saints to heal and protect us.

We will discuss the lives of many other saints at future meetings and hope that you will join us and lend your support to our efforts. Remember, you don’t have to have cancer to be part of this group.

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Mr. and Mrs. ClubBy Ann Stephens, Secretary

The Mr. & Mrs. Club hosted a beautiful and well attended Valentine’s Day Dinner on February 14th. Everyone present would certainly agree that President April Mavrovitis’ efforts were absolutely successful in achieving a romantic yet festive atmosphere. The Hellenic Room was transformed into a fanciful room of red and pink. Roses adorned each table and laughter and music filled the air. Cathy Vaccari was kind enough to supply the romantic music which inspired her husband Tony to whisk her into an impromptu slow dance. An abundance of delicious food was catered by Jamie Spanopoulos. Drinks and lively conversation flowed freely to make a charming affair of celebrating love and friendship. If you missed it, make a point of joining us at the next event! Our final gathering of the season will be the ever popular Cinco de Mayo celebration scheduled for Tuesday, May 1st in the Hellenic room. This event is classically our most popular, with Mexican inspired appetizers, drinks and music. It is always a lot of fun, so please reserve the date! More details will follow in the coming weeks. If you are not a member of the Mr. and Mrs. Club, please consider joining. Annual Club dues can be paid at any affair and we would love to see new faces!

The Late Bloomers Artists of St. Paul’sBy Joan Prieston

A new program has been added to the many that St. Paul’s offers to its community. Eleni Day Pitzel, an accomplished artist in her own right, has started an art class which meets every Wednesday at 1:00 PM in the Hellenic Room. Eleni’s beautiful work has been featured at many galleries, The Gala of Artists, Downtown Association and Asia Fusion in Manhattan and the Monroe Gallery in New Jersey, to name but a few. When she announced and encouraged her friends about her intentions, the common reaction was “I can’t even draw a straight line!.” Well, all these doubters are now painting beautiful pictures! Some are floral designs, others of beautiful landscapes and personal scenes of Greece. One lady is painting the village of Hempstead as it appeared when she was growing up there 80 years ago!

This program is available to the “budding” artists of our community. If interested, please call the Cathedral office at (516) 483-5700. Enrollment is on a limited basis. Class is free!

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Scout SundayBy Louis Yeostros

On February 5th Scout Sunday at St. Paul’s highlighted the achievements and contribution of its Scouting Programs. Father Panayiotis started off the ceremonies by discussing the activities of the programs, the integral role they play in the overall youth ministry of the church and indicated how the recent Boy Scout Eagle Project that restored the Cassis Building garage as such an example. He concluded by recognizing the recently established Daisy Troop #1191 and thanked the adult leaders of all the scouting programs for their efforts.

A short program followed that recognized the achievements of the young men and women in the Daisy, Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Girl Scout Troops. Father Panayiotis and Scoutmaster Peter Parras presented awards to the following scouts:

My Promise, My Faith Pin - Daisy Troop: Sonia Cherpelis, Zoe Diakovasilis, Alexa Hubmeier, Athena Karavousanos, Magdelena Melackrinos, Christina Papachristos, Despina Petrochilos, Christina Vasilakis and Nicoletta Zito

Chi-Ro Religious Medal - Cub Scouts: Yianni Daniil, Angelo Demiris, Constantine Marinos, Christos Yannios and George Pittas

Pinewood Derby Winners - Cub Scouts Den 568 1st Place: Angelo Demiris2nd Place: Alexander Menoudakos 3rd Place: Christos Yannios Alpha Omega Religious MedalsGirl Scouts: Alexandra Ayras, Christina Ayras and Nicole AyrasBoy Scouts: Lucas Demas, Yianni Flouskakos, and George Gatzoflias

JOY – (JUNIOR ORTHODOX YOUTH)By Andrea Pagonis

We have had an exciting year and would like to thank everyone who has helped us in so many different ways these past several months. Since the beginning, we have had an ice cream party, costume party, Christmas party, movie night, chocolate night, cookie night and many other fun and exciting activities.

Registration for the Olympics were held on March 9th. This is such a wonderful opportunity for our kids to gather at Suffolk Community College on Memorial Day weekend where we will be competing against other Greek Orthodox churches. If interested in participating, please contact one of the JOY advisors.

Sacraments Celebrated at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul

February 2012

WeddingPeter Kontoulakos & Marcia Karagiorgis

BaptismSon of Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Evola

ChrismationMr. Andrew Wells

FuneralsMichael LivanosGeorge KeriapolousBessie Violet CallisAspasia GermanakosEleni Kalogeratos

March 2012

BaptismsDaughter of Mr. & Mrs. MalafisDaughter of Mr. & Mrs. RaptakisDaughter of Mr. & Mrs. GippSon of Mr. & Mrs. KontosDaughter of Mr. & Mrs. VatougiosSon of Mr. & Mrs. FrangiadakisSon of Mr. & Mrs. Makrides

FuneralsNicholas NicolaidesMatina KoursoumiJohn Kalfas

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Loukoumades • Wine & CheeseCypriot Grill • Greek Pastry Cafe

New Rides, Games & PrizesGrecian Arts Gift Shop

Giant Agora (Marketplace) with a wide variety of Vendors

Greek Dance PerformersGuided Church Tours

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March-April Epistle

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Transcript of March-April Epistle