JANUARY 2014 Vol. 79 No. 1292 $1.00 www.observer.goarch.org e-mail: observer@goarch.

org
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A 50-Year Milestone
The first meeting between a pope
and an ecumenical patriarch in
more than 500 years took place in
Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI
and Ecumenical Patriarch Athena-
goras in January 1964.
P.4
in this issue
Epiphany coverage
Many parishes around the country cel-
ebrate the Blessing of the Waters and
cross-diving events centered around
the Feast Day of the Epiphany.
P.2,14
Three churches
Three churches inspired the concept
behind St. Nicholas Church at Ground
Zero.
P. 5
Meeting of Hierarchs
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
calls meeting of Church heads in prepa-
ration for Synod.
P. 6
Philanthropist Remembered
Archon and Great Benefactor of the
Church Nicholas Bouras passes away.
P. 8
Business Forum
Leadership 100 to hold business forum
at annual conference.
P.10
A Look at the Calendar
How the use of the present calendar
came to be.
P.20
Day school
A diverse school out west offers a
strong Orthodox and cultural cur-
riculum.
P.23
Music Ministry
Teaching the hymnology of the Church
to children.
P. 31
Emerging Leaders
The Metropolis of Boston gets REAL.
P. 32
Archbishop Demetrios
Voices Concern
over Hagia Sophia
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Archdiocese Archives photo
Patriarchal Synod
Proclaims 2 Saints
NEW YORK Archbishop Demetrios
expressed his grave concern in December
over current rhetoric by some Turkish
state officials regarding the intention to
convert the historic Hagia Sophia (the
6th-century Orthodox Christian Cathedral
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constan-
tinople) from a museum to a functioning
mosque.
Such a step might be interpreted as
an expression of intensification of state
Islamization policies causing an elimina-
tion of Christianity from its 2,000year
presence in its lands of origin.
Hagia Sophias significance as a reli-
gious site and globally recognized symbol
of intercultural respect and sacred beauty
is reflected in the 1985 UNSECO designa-
tion of Hagia Sophia as a world heritage
site.
The Archbishop stated, If any shift
should occur from the current use of Ha-
gia Sophia as a museum, then, the Turkish
government should allow it to operate as
originally intended and as it functioned for
almost 1,000 years, as a Christian cathedral
and not as a mosque.
ISTANBUL At its Nov. 27 meeting, the
Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, with Archbishop Demetrios
participating, declared two new saints of the
Orthodox Church, hieromonk Porphyrios
Kafsokalyvitis (19061991) whose memory
will be celebrated Dec. 2, and hieromonk
Meletios of Ypseni, Rhodes, born at the end
of the 18
th
century, who will be celebrated
Feb. 12.
These are the first canonizations since
St. Nektarios of Aegina in 1961.
Following is the official announcement
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from the
Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred
Synod.
The Holy and Sacred Synod convened
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, with His All-
Holiness presiding for its regular scheduled
meeting, for the purpose of examining
items on its agenda.
During this session, the Holy and Sa-
cred Synod approved the following:
1) The proposal of the Canonical Com-
mittee to enter the hieromonks Porphy-
rios Kafsokalyvitis and Meletios of Ypseni
(Rhodes) in the registry of the saints of the
Orthodox Church.
2) The voluntary resignation of Metro-
politan Panteleimon of Belgium from the
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy
and peace in believing,
so that by the power
of the Holy Spirit
you may abound in hope.
(Romans 15:13)
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the
Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks
and Nuns, the Presidents and Members
of the Parish Councils of the Greek Or-
thodox Communities, the Distinguished
Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools,
the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth,
the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire
Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers
and Sisters in Christ,
At the beginning of a new year the
thoughts and expressions of many are
filled with anticipation of what may come
as the calendar changes from one year
to the next. These hopes may be that the
new year will bring new experiences,
exciting opportunities, and blessings of
health, happiness and security. For some,
following a good year, are the hopes
that the new year will be even better. For
others who faced significant challenges,
uncertainties, and even loss, the hopes
are for peace and tranquility.
As Orthodox Christians we are guid-
ed by the words of the great Apostle Paul
to know the true source of the hope that
should fill our hearts and minds. Endur-
ing hope that is fulfilled by the blessings
of joy and peace comes from God. In the
conclusion of his letter to the Romans the
Apostle writes, May the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing, so
that by the power of the Holy Spirit you
may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
In his exhortation he also affirms
that the hope that comes from God is
the result of faith. We are filled with joy
and peace, and we abound in hope in the
power and presence of the Holy Spirit
because we believe. Through our faith
in the grace of God as revealed through
ST. GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN ST. BASIL ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Encyclical
Feast of Saint Basil and New Year
Christ, we have hope in salvation from
sin and death. As we receive by faith the
Gospel of truth and believe in Christ,
we have hope for today and tomorrow.
Thus, at the beginning of this new
year and the beginning of each and
every day, our hope must rest securely
in Christ. We might anticipate what may
come in the months ahead, but our antic-
ipation should come from a foundation
of hope in the will and power of God.
This is a hope that cannot be quenched
or extinguished. It is a hope that can
withstand any struggle or challenge that
may come. It is a hope that can carry our
souls to great spiritual heights when the
wondrous and marvelous work of God
is revealed.
But this is not only our hope. It is
hope that is offered to each and every
person, a hope that should be shared.
We are challenged at the beginning
of the new year to think not only of
ourselves but to consider the needs of
others. As we are able to stand secure in
the promises and power of God, we are
able to offer a ministry of hope to others.
We are equipped to go to those who are
searching for hope and guide them to
Jesus, the Lord of hope.
This emphasis on the hope that
comes through faith is fitting on this
day when we commemorate Saint Basil
the Great and offer our support for our
beloved Saint Basil Academy. Through
his words and deeds, Saint Basil was
a superb example of a person who
dedicated his life to engendering hope.
His sermons, letters, and theological
writings are imbued with hope in the
glorious fulfillment of the promises of
God. His ministry in the name of Christ
was constantly focused on bringing hope
into the lives of the sick and suffering,
the poor, orphans, and outcasts. Saint
Basil Academy has honored this legacy
of this great Saint, by building a minis-
try of hope to youth and children. For
decades, many young people have ex-
perienced peace and joy at the Academy
JANUARY 2014 2
In 2014, published monthly
except FebruaryMarch and JulyAugust
by the Greek Ortho dox Archdiocese of America.
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u u to page 24
Letters
Correct quote?
Editor,
With all due respect, and with
appreciation for the intent, the quote
attributed to Matthew 16:18 on the
cover of the November 2013 issue is
incorrect and at no time should the
scriptures be modified to suit our own
purposes. This was an unfortunate tak-
ing of poetic license and I hope you
will issue a statement of correction.
Thalia Hohenthal
San Carlos, Calif.
The citation in question was in fact
a direct quotation from the full-page ad
that appeared in the New York Times,
September 23, 2001, with a message
of hope from Archbishop Demetrios
in the wake of 9/11. The quote was re-
purposed with the same italicization
of rebuild in order to indicate that it
was not a direct quote. Perhaps a cf
before the citation would have assisted.
Throughout the history of the Church,
Sacred Scripture has been re-purposed
for varieties of didactic and exhortative
uses. Saint Paul often conflates verses,
adds words and changes grammar of
the original Old Testament text in order
to make his points (eg. Romans 9:33,
10:19, 12:20 and elsewhere). Most fa-
miliarly and famously in the Catecheti-
cal Homily for Pascha of Saint John
Chrysostom, the Golden-mouth freely
combines words and themes of Sacred
Scripture, using words from Sacred
Text as a starting point and finishing
with tremendous interpretive skill.
While the text of Scripture is indeed
sacred, its uses are many and diverse, as
the Spirit gives utterance (cf. Acts 2:4).
Unfortunately, as Shakespeare once
observed, The devil can cite Scripture
for his purpose (Merchant of Venice,
Act I Scene 3) as he did on the Mount of
Temptation (Luke 4:1-13). Therefore,
we should all be circumspect in our
use of Holy Scripture, to see that it is
always used to glorify the One from
Whom it comes.
Marriage article
Editor,
Fr. Charles Joanides briefly but
succinctly addressed a readers ques-
tion in the November issue of the
Orthodox Observer.
Ernest and I have been married
for 62 years. I can truthfully say that
there has never been a bland mo-
ment in our marriage. We have al-
lowed each other to have their own
priorities without damaging the mar-
riage contract. In doing so, there has
been respect for each others needs.
We never fail to be grateful to God
for lovingly, blessing us with common
sense.
Helen C. Arvanitis
Somers, N.Y.
January is synonymous with Epiphany
and the Orthodox Church around the world
observes this major feast day with blessings
of the waters and, in many places, diving
for the cross by younger people. Below
are three stories of the Epiphany celebra-
tion from places as widespread as Florida,
Bulgaria and California.
(Photo coverage on page 14).
Unusually Cold Weather No
Problem in Tarpon Springs
By Stavros Papagermanos
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. The chilly
wind blowing from the north and cloudy
skies, uncharacteristic weather for Florida,
could not hamper the celebrations for the
Feast of Theophany, the Feast of Lights.
The 108-year old tradition of the large
community of St. Nicholas Cathedral in
the Epiphany City went according to plan,
except for the litany procession from the
Church to the Spring Bayou which took a
shorter route this year to compensate for
the cold weather.
Archbishop Demetrios presided at the
Hierarchal Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan
Alexios of Atlanta and Bishop Sevastianos of
Zela concelebrating, while assisted by more
than a dozen clergy before a standing-room
only congregation.
After the Liturgy, the Archbishop led
the service of the Great Agiasmos, the sanc-
tification of the waters and the blessing of
the faithful with holy water, followed by the
procession to Spring Bayou where 43 boys
ages 16-18 prepared to dive.
Archbishop Demetrios gave them his
blessing and they jumped in the water and
swam to a row of dinghies forming a semi-
circle in the bayou, which was surrounded
by thousands of spectators.
Sixteen-year old Joi Theophilopoulos,
the granddaughter of the late Fr. Tryfon
Theophilopoulos who served in the St Nich-
olas Cathedral for almost 30 years, was the
dove bearer. She released the dove as the
gospel was read. Shortly after, Archbishop
Demetrios threw the white wooden cross
A Sampling of Epiphany Traditions
into the water. The boys dove and swam
as fast as they could. Soon enough 18-year
old Peter (Petros) Smith emerged holding
the white cross in his right hand raised
above the water. He came out of the water,
kneeled before the Archbishop and received
his blessing and the Epiphany trophy. His
fellow shivering divers then carried him on
their shoulders as a gesture of comradery
and respect.
A Southern California Event
By Brittany Woolsey
LONG BEACH, Calif. - For some, diving
for the cross on Sunday at Mothers Beach
was a chance to show off athletic skills and
celebrate Jesus. For Nikos Ninos, the cer-
emony was all about tradition.
Ninos, 59, traveled to Long Beach from
Jerusalem to dive for the cross, competing
against nine teenage boys. The dive was
open to all ages, and Ninos, who was visit-
ing family, said tradition compelled him to
compete regardless of the age differences.
Im visiting from overseas, and there
we have the same ceremony in the Jordan
River, which is a little bit warmer than the
ocean, he said.
The diving for the cross is part of the
Greek Orthodoxs Epiphany celebration,
which traditionally falls on Jan. 6 and cel-
ebrates Christs baptism by John the Baptist,
said Bobbie Soupos, spokesperson for the
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in
Long Beach.
Every year at this time we commemo-
rate and re-enact Christs baptism so we can
reflect on it, Soupos said of the ceremony
that was celebrating its 62
nd
year. We were
blessed to have Metropolitan Gerasimos of
San Francisco among the crowd to do the
honor of tossing in the cross. We dont get
him every year, and with him comes the
crowds.
After Metropolitan Gerasimos said a
traditional blessing in Greek and tossed the
white cross into the ocean, the 10 partici-
pants jumped into the water from the deck
of a moored yacht. As the cross floated atop
JANUARY 2014 3
DEMETRIOS, Archbishop of Amer i ca
With paternal love in Christ,
Feast of Saint Basil and New Year
Feast of the Three Hierarchs
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Night visitors
Children at Saint Basil Academy perform Amahl and the Night Visitors at their Christmas program
in December. A distinguished member of the cast was Consul General of Greece in New York Koula
Sophianou (second from right), shortly before leaving for a new diplomatic assignment. It was
her second performance with the children during her tenure here. Consul General Sophianou was
honored at the end of the play for her strong support of the Academy.
CLER GY UPDATE
Ordinations to the Diaconate
Lykos, Robert Metropolitan Savas of
Pittsburgh St. Nicholas Cathedral,
Pittsburgh, Pa. 12/06/13
Ordinations to the Priesthood
Deacon Constantine Kokanos Met-
ropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh Annun-
ciation Cathedral, Columbus, Ohio
11/24/13
Deacon Alexandros Petrides Met-
ropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh St.
Nicholas Church, Bethlehem, Pa.
12/08/13
Assignments
Fr. Brendan Pelphrey Assumption
Church, Price, Utah 04/15/13
Deacon Seraphim Johns Assumption
Church, Pocatello, Idaho 07/14/13
Deacon Robert (Haralambos) Lykos
St. Nicholas Cathedral, Pittsburgh, Pa.
12/07/13
Offikia
Fr. Joseph Samaan Office of Proto-
presbyter, bestowed by Metropolitan
Alexios of Atlanta 10/26/13
Retired Priests
Fr. Theodore Tsitsilianos 01/01/14
Leave of Absence
Fr. Athanasios Pieri 01/15/14
Medical Leave
Fr. George Dounelis 07/01/13
Suspensions
Fr. Sokraris Dimitiradis 10/31/13
New Communities
Holy Apostles Church, Cheyenne,
Wyoming Metropolis of Denver
12/16/13
because they have come to this sacred
place and experienced the love of God,
the strength of faith, and the renewal of
hope. They have seen that even in the
most difficult circumstances of life, true
hope can be found, and this hope can
empower and nurture them in the life
of faith, healing, and grace.
In the month of January each year,
we are led by our Ladies Philoptochos
Society and parish Philoptochos chap-
ters in collecting special offerings for
Saint Basil Academy. As you do this in
your parishes and in the cutting of the
Vasilopeta, I encourage you to give gen-
erously and to reflect on your support
for this ministry of hope. I also ask you
to prayerfully consider the source and
focus of your hope in the new year. May
the God of hope bring you peace and
joy, and may you be blessed with His
power as you share with all this blessed
hope from above.
NEW YORK The 2014 Yearbook
of the Archdiocese is available online at
www.goarch.org/archdiocese/yearbook.
Hard copies can be ordered by mail.
An e-book edition is also being
released which will offer the directory
resources of the yearbook in a searchable,
easy-to-use digital and portable format.
The yearbook is designed as an easy-
to-read, accurate, reference handbook of
the Archdiocese.
The 284-page new edition includes
updated directories of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, Archdiocesan departments
and institutions, metropolises, parishes,
clergy, religious and secular media re-
sources plus additional information.
New to this edition is a page for the
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox National
Shrine at Ground Zero, as well as a sepa-
rate section for the Assembly of Canonical
Orthodox Bishops in North and Central
2014 Yearbooks Now Available
America and its agencies.
The significance of this resource is
highlighted in the introductory letter by
Archbishop Demetrios, in which he states:
We can give glory to God for all that is
being accomplished as shown in the 2014
Yearbook.
Through this resource and many oth-
ers, we are able to see the tremendous
service that is being offered. We are en-
couraged to join together in prayer and
worship and in affirming our calling to
share the gospel so that others may receive
Christ and salvation through Him.
Limited prepaid copies may be ob-
tained by calling (212) 774-0244 or by
sending a check/money order or credit
card information for $18 (plus $6.00 s&h
for a total of $24) payable to the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Attn:
Yearbook 8 East 79
th
Street, New York,
NY 10075.
Applications and instructions for
three scholarships administered by the
Department of Philanthropy of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America are
now available on the Archdiocese website
for awards to be made for the 2014-2015
academic year. Two of these scholarships
are for undergraduate studies: the George
& Naouma (Gioule) Gioles Scholarship
and the Katina John Malta Scholarship.
The third is the Paleologos Graduate
Scholarship, which is awarded for gradu-
ate work in non-theological majors. Each
of these scholarships was established
through generous gifts from dedicated
2014-15 Scholarship Applications
Greek Orthodox Christians who wanted
to provide financial assistance towards
the education of young people from the
Orthodox community.
The deadline for applying for all three
is April 25, 2014. Further details, including
complete instructions and applications
can be downloaded from the website of
the Archdiocese at www.goarch.org.
Applications may also be requested by
e-mailing scholarships@goarch.org, or by
written request to the Scholarship Com-
mittee, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America, 8-10 East 79
th
Street, New York,
NY, 10075.
ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. The chapel at St
Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine
in the Avero House on St George Street is
built in memory of the 500 Greek Ortho-
dox immigrants who came with the Turn-
bull expedition in 1768. They comprised
more than one-third of those who came
to colonize the New Smyrna Colony. The
colonists profound experience is unique,
but timeless. High school students are
invited every year to explore that slice of
immigration, preRevolutionary war his-
tory and then compare it to the immigrant
experience of a relative or friend.
Jimmy Pitenis of St. Demetrios Church
in Daytona Beach, Fla., placed first; Alex-
andra Drechsler of Holy Apostles Church
Westchester, Ill., placed second and An-
drew Gonedes of St. Mark in Boca Raton,
Fla., placed third.
This event is sponsored by Kathie Da-
kis Danna in memory of her husband, Car-
men. A resident of Jacksonville, Fla., she
and her husband were raised in Baltimore.
St. Photios Shrine Essay Winners Named
by Polyxeni Maouris Hillier They hail from families of strong and suc-
cessful immigrant background Chios,
Greece and Sicily. The family would be
proud of the emphasis these young people
placed in their writings - for their themes
of faith; family and perseverance are the
underlying keys of all successes in life.
The essay question for 2014 is the
same: Most Americans appreciate an im-
migrant story. Perhaps that is because so
many have a parent or grandparent who
immigrated to America. The immigrants
story is held as a precious thread of the
family legacy. The story is unique to the
immigrant; however, the reason why the
person left their motherland for a foreign
land is similar through the ages. Essays
should compare and contrast the immi-
gration story of the Greeks who came to
America in 1768, and with either a family
member or friend. Deadline for submis-
sion is Nov. 15, 2014.
Polexeni Maouris Hillier is director
of St Photios Greek Orthodox National
Shrine.
Orthodox Observer photo
The Chancellors Office of the Archdio-
cese has announced that applications are
now available for a Fellowship from The
Christos and Georgia Trakatellis Fellowship
Fund for the 2014-15 academic year.
This Fund was established in 2011 by
Archbishop Demetrios and his brother,
Professor Antonios Trakatellis, in memory
of their parents, Christos and Georgia.
The Fund offers Fellowships to gradu-
ates of Holy Cross School of Theology to
study Greek language, Hellenic culture and
liturgical practice. These studies can take
place in the United States or, preferably, in
Greece or at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople. The study could be part of
an established academic program (doctoral
Christos and Georgia Trakatellis
Fellowship Applications Announced
or master levels) or part of a free program
which should be well structured and clearly
defined in view of the above stated purpose
of the Fund.
Candidates shall be chosen based on
merit and need. The Fellowship is $3,000
per semester for up to two semesters. One
or more full or partial Fellowships will be
awarded annually.
Instructions and applications are avail-
able on the website of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese (www.goarch.org).
Candidates can request more informa-
tion via email (scholarships@goarch.org)
or phone (212-774-0283). The completed
application needs to be sent to the Chancel-
lors Office by the April 25, 2014, deadline.
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs,
the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the
Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and
Members of the Parish Councils of the
Greek Orthodox Communities, the Dis-
tinguished Archons of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and
Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sister-
hoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organi-
zations, and the entire Greek Orthodox
Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this blessed Feast of the Three
Hierarchs and the celebration of Greek
Letters, we honor the lives and witness
of three great shepherds, theologians,
and Saints of our Holy Orthodox
Church, Basil the Great, Gregory the
Theologian, and John Chrysostom. In
the hymns of this day, we sing of these
holy men as the three-towered strong-
hold of the Church of Christ, and as
firm defenders of the Faith and pillars
of the Church. (Hymns of Vespers
and Orthros) These ascriptions of ven-
JANUARY 2014 4
A Fifty-Year Commemoration
Fifty years ago, the relationship
between the Orthodox Church and the
Catholic Church took a dramatic turn
towards encounter and dialogue. On Jan.
6, 1964, Pope Paul VI (+1978) and Ecu-
menical Patriarch Athenagoras (+1972)
met on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
They prayed together and exchanged the
kiss of peace. This continued a less formal
meeting on the previous day.
Such a blessed encounter at that time
captured the attention of the Christian
world. It marked a dramatic turn from
alienation to engagement. This was the
first formal meeting of a pope and ecu-
menical patriarch since 1438.
May this meeting of ours, said
Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, be
the first glimmer of dawn of a shining and
holy day in which Christian generations of
the future will receive communion in the
holy Body and Blood of the Lord from the
same chalice, in love, peace and unity, and
will praise and glorify the one Lord and
Savior of all.
It was fitting, said Pope Paul VI, that
it should be in this center forever blessed
and sacred that we, pilgrims from Rome
and Constantinople, are able to meet and
join in common prayer.
The Pope and Ecumenical Patriarch
recognized that their meeting did not end
the schism which persisted since 1484.
They knew that both churches now had to
address the difficult issues of division. Yet,
they also believed that the Spirit was guid-
ing their churches toward reconciliation.
They declared in a Common Statement
that they met with the desire to fulfill the
Lords will and proclaim the ancient truth
of the Gospel confided to the Church.
The meeting of the pope and patri-
arch took place at a time when the Catho-
lic Church was engaged in the Second Vati-
can Council (1962-1965). This gathering
marked a renewal of the Catholic Church
and formally approved involvement in
the quest for Christian unity. Prior to the
Council, the Catholic Church had formally
avoided ecumenical dialogues.
With the leadership of Ecumenical Pa-
triarch Athenagoras, the Orthodox Church
also entered into a period of renewed
conciliarity with series of Pan Orthodox
Conferences (1961-1968).
Bringing the Autocephalous Church
out of their isolation, these meetings
were designed to set the stage for a Great
and Holy Council which would address
common challenges. They also affirmed
Orthodox participation in bilateral dia-
logues with the Catholic Church and other
Christian churches.
Following the historic meeting of the
Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch
Athenagoras, the Catholic Church and the
Orthodox Church entered into a period of
fruitful contacts and reconciling actions.
The limited Anathemas of 1054 were lifted
by the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch
and his Synod in 1965.
Led by Archbishop Iakovos of America
(+2005), the first bilateral Theological
Dialogue between Orthodox and Catholic
Churches was established in the United
States in the same year and has continued
to this day. This was followed by the inau-
guration of an International Theological
Dialogue in 1979.
The goal of these dialogues is the
resolution of doctrinal differences and the
restoration of full communion between
the churches. Since then, popes and pa-
Editors note: Following the historic
meeting between Ecumenical Patriarch
Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI in Jerusa-
lem on Jan. 6, 1964, President Lyndon
Johnson sent a congratulatory message
below to the Ecumenical Patriarch, who
responded in kind.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the White House
Press Secretary
January 10, 1964
Your Holiness:
I want to take the occasion of Mr.
Sargent Shrivers visit to extend to you
my warmest greetings. I know that Mr.
Shriver will find his conversation with
you a source of great inspiration.
These days following your return
from Jerusalem are hopeful ones for
all men. Americans of every religion
have been deeply impressed by the
spirit of brotherhood demonstrated in
your historic meetings with Pope Paul.
I have also been acquainted with your
personal efforts to promote Christian
ideals and principles, especially during
your years of devoted service in the
United States. May the spirit of peace
and brotherhood to which you are mak-
ing such a momentous contribution be
an example for the entire world.
Sincerely,
LYNDON B. JOHNSON
THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
January 17, 1964
Dear Mr. President:
I wish to express my thanks for
your beloved and deeply esteemed
Excellencys letter of the 10
th
, which
also offered me the opportunity and
pleasure of meeting and speaking with
Mr. Sargent Shriver. You have indeed a
remarkable man at the head of this great
organization, the Peace Corps, which
is doing wonderful work of real charity
in true reflection of the lofty Christian
ideals and principles, which have al-
ways been the beacon and guide of the
United States, and its people. The Peace
Corps is a legacy to mankind worthy of
your regretted predecessor.
It was most gratifying and encour-
aging to ascertain your interest in the
meeting between His Holiness Pope
Paul VI and myself. I think I can say that
we were both equally moved by this
meeting and the worldwide approval it
received. This shows how deeply rooted
is the spirit of brotherhood, an encour-
aging sign for all who are dedicated
to the promotion of morality in the
relations among both men and peoples
I was profoundly touched by your
mentioning my humble service in the
United States. The eighteen years I spent
in this God-blessed country will always
remain unforgettable to me.
May the Almighty inspire you in
your duties toward the country of the
United States. God bless you, your gra-
cious family and the wonderful people
of the United States.
Yours sincerely,
PATRIARCH ATHENAGORAS I
Historic Meeting of Pope Paul VI, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras
by Fr. Thomas FitzGerald
triarchs have met regularly. In addition,
clergy and laity from the two churches
have joined in prayer, in study and in
pilgrimages designed to foster reconcili-
ation and unity.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
will meet with Pope Francis in Jerusalem
in the spring to commemorate the historic
meeting of their predecessors.
The meeting was proposed by Ecu-
menical Patriarch Bartholomew when he
met with the new pope the day after his
installation on March 20, 2013.
The meeting in Jerusalem will also be
a historic one. It will be a time of renewed
prayer for reconciliation. It will also be an
opportunity to recall the rich blessings of
healing, dialogue and common service as
the churches have traveled on the path of
reconciliation for the past 50 years.
Rev. Dr. Thomas FitzGerald, Proto-
presbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
is professor of Church History and for-
mer dean at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
School of Theology. He is the executive
secretary of the North American Orthodox-
Catholic Bilateral Consultation.
Archdiocese Archives photos
Texts of Messages
between US President,
Ecumenical Patriarch
JANUARY 2014 5
St. Nicholas - Ground Zero
A Tale of Three Churches: Part 1
First of two parts
On September 11, 2001, in an act of
terror and hatred, our nation was attacked
and three thousand of our fellow human
beings were mercilessly murdered. The hor-
rific deaths of the innocent victims of that
tragic day were brought about by a hatred
fueled by perverse and perverted religious
views. In the face of the horror of that day,
we all witnessed the heroic love of the
responders who gave their last measure to
save others. This altruistic love is at the heart
of the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Church at
Ground Zero, a national shrine of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
St. Nicholas is being rebuilt as an act of
inclusive love not merely as the parish de-
stroyed that fateful day, but as a sign of love
and hope for every person who will pass by
and see its glimmering dome. Indeed, St.
Nicholas is being rebuilt for the sake of the
souls of those who perished that day, and
for the sake of the soul of our Nation and
that of the world.
As is well known but seldom men-
tioned, there are over 1,100 persons who
died that day whose earthly remains were
never recovered. Their families go on with-
out the closure of burial of any kind. And in
the museum that is across from the site of
St. Nicholas, the unidentified remains (over
9,000 fragments) of those lost on 9/11 will
be interred. As Anemona Hartocollis wrote
in the New York Times in April of 2011:
In one of the haunting legacies of the
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center,
the remains of 1,123 of the victims, 41 per-
cent of the total, have not been identified,
leaving many of their relatives yearning for
closure. At the same time, nearly 10 years
later, 9,041 pieces of human remains
mainly bone fragments but also tissue that
has been dehydrated for preservation are
still being sorted through by the citys medi-
cal examiner for DNA, though the last time
a connection was made was in 2009. The
plan at the World Trade Center is for the re-
mains to be invisible and inaccessible to the
public, museum officials said; an adjoining
room will be available to victims families
for contemplation and grieving. Although
people would have to enter the museum
to get to the remains, the remains will
technically be in the custody of the medical
examiner, so that they may be removed for
future testing.
This decision has a great impact on the
significance of St. Nicholas at Ground Zero.
The most famous cenotaph (empty
tomb) in the world is the Anastasis in Jeru-
salem, more widely known as the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre. Within this site, most
sacred to Christians around the world, are
both the hill of Golgotha where our Lord
Jesus Christ was crucified, and the All-Holy
and Life-giving Tomb, where He was buried.
But as the Angel cried to the Myrrh-bearing
Women two thousand years ago: He is
risen! He is not here! (Mark 16:6). Thus
the Tomb of the Lord is an empty tomb,
a cenotaph, the most famous cenotaph in
the world.
It is this message of the Resurrection,
the hope of eternal life in Christ, which St.
Nicholas Church at Ground Zero will bring
to life by its presence and witness. The
Church may be small but it is very impres-
sive in its stone-clad exterior, as opposed to
the glass and steel that surround it.
In fact, St. Nicholas will be the only
religious commemoration within the rebuilt
16-acre World Trade Center site. Therefore,
the whole Church structure will serve as a
cenotaph for the memory of those who, by
an act of hatred and violence, were denied
not only their lives but even the dignity of
burial. Our Church will stand at Ground
Zero as an affirmation that religious faith
understood in its truest meaning is cre-
ative and loving, not destructive and hateful.
Therefore, the rebuilding of St. Nicho-
las Church at Ground Zero is a remarkable
opportunity for the entire Archdiocese to
bear witness to our strong faith, our future
hope and our deepest love.
It is also an awesome responsibility that
we can all share as the building progresses
over the next two years.
Because St. Nicholas Church was part
of the destruction of that day, it is also part
of the restoration.
With a quiet dignity and abiding pres-
ence, St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero
will preach the most fundamental truth of
our precious Orthodox Christian Faith the
Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and
therefore our resurrection as well, night and
day without pause.
The Church will stand in the light of
the Resurrection for all to see and behold
the goodness of God.
As beautiful and moving as the National
September 11 Memorial and Museum are
beautiful and moving are, they are by defi-
nition and purpose secular. Together they
comprise nearly half of the World Trade
Center site; the other half is filled with
commercial space, skyscrapers and the
transportation hub. The Memorial itself
directly across from the site of St. Nicholas
contains two large waterfalls and reflecting
pools, each about an acre in size, set within
the footprints of the Twin Towers.
On bronze parapets that surround the
pools the names of the nearly 3,000 people
killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 are in-
scribed, as well as those killed in the 1993
World Trade Center bombing. Even the
memorial inscription that will be inscribed
on the wall in the Museum in front of the
victims remains is secular. It is from the
Aeneid of the Roman poet Virgil (died 19
BC). It reads: No day shall erase you from
the memory of time (Nulla dies umquam
memori vos eximet aevo Book 9, line 447).
So as eloquent as these sentiments
are, and as moving as the museum and the
memorial are, it will be up to St. Nicholas
Church to provide the space for spiritual,
worshipful and liturgical acts of faith, private
and public. As a Greek Orthodox parish,
the full cycle of services will be held. But as
a welcoming haven of spiritual wealth and
health, the church building the nave, nar-
thex, meditation/bereavement space, even
the social hall, will be a vital and indeed
necessary component of the new World
Trade Center.
The wounds of 9/11 are not so old that
the encounter with the harsh memory of
that tragic day will not propel visitors of all
faiths and cultures to seek solace and com-
fort within St. Nicholas. It is our privilege
to be present at Ground Zero.
We were there long before the tragedy
and before even the thought of the Twin
Towers. And we will be there long into the
future, a cenotaph honoring and remem-
bering those who died that day. And bearing
witness to the Resurrection of the dead, and
the life of the age to come.
Dimitrios Panagos photo
To donate
to the St. Nicholas
at Ground Zero Fund:
Make checks payable to:
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
Mailing Address:
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
of America, 8 East 79
th
St.
New York, NY 10075.
Rendering by Santiago Calatrava
JANUARY 2014 6
Ecumenical Patriarchate
ISTANBUL Ecumenical Patriarch Bar-
tholomew has convoked the patriarchs and
archbishops of all the Orthodox Churches
to a meeting in Istanbul in March for an
exchange of views on the guidelines and
timeframe for the Preparatory Commission
of the Pan-Orthodox Synod, scheduled for
2015, according to a story by Nat da Polis
in AsiaNews. Thus far, most meetings have
been dealt exclusively with procedural
matters.
The last meeting of the Orthodox
Church leaders was held in 2008, also in
Constantinople.
In addition to talk of the Preparatory
Commission, Marchs encounter is also
motivated by Constantinoples desire to
remind sister Churches that they cannot
face the challenges of a economically global-
ized but spiritually fractured world - with all
the negative consequences that follow for
human existence - without joint initiatives.
Orthodox circles see this as an attempt to
move beyond a self-marginalization born
of a localist mentality that has characterized
the Orthodox Churches in the modern era,
partly because of a certain postOttoman
filetism (nationalism).
Constantinople, also thanks to its his-
torical supra-national mentality, is attempt-
ing to prevent the introversion of the Ortho-
dox world. This because there are many in
the Orthodox world who see an Orthodox
Church fearful of the social challenges of the
new era, a church that is content to perform
simple acts of charity and obsess itself in
discussions on individual social issues, thus
avoiding having to deal with the whole crisis
that afflicts the human existence in modern
society. Individual churches that, with the
approval from their synod, undertake lo-
cal initiatives, without keeping in mind the
universal needs and challenges.
In this regard, the Metropolitan of
Pergamon, Ioannis Zizioulas, co-chairman
of ecumenical dialogue between Catholics
and Orthodox and eminent theologian, said
that The greatest danger to Orthodoxy,
but also for the whole Christian world, is
not atheism, secular power in general or
Ecumenical Patriarch Convokes
Heads of Orthodox Churches
its various enemies. Nobody in history has
been able to dispel the truth. The greatest
danger comes from its self-marginalization.
And this happens every time a movement, a
spiritual force refuses to confront and come
to dialogue with all social and intellectual
movements of its era. Why must always
remember that history is not monolithic.
The story, Metropolitan Zizioulas
continued, is the space in which you
exercise the freedom of the human being.
And freedom in the arc of human life is
characterized by the expression of diverse
opinions and consequently the dialectic
of you and no. Only at the end (in the
eschatological sense ) human freedom will
be expressed as a yes, that turned to God
and to the truth.
The Church has established itself
over time on this consideration. From the
beginning, the first Christian communities
dedicated themselves to constructive dia-
logue with Judaism and the Greek world.
It reached its highest point in the so-called
patristic period, in which the Church dared
to tackle a constructive dialogue with the
culture of the time, sealing it with its own
truth.
Only in the modern world has the so-
called division between sacred and profane
taken place in the world of culture, which
has pushed the Church out of the cultural
and civil sphere, with damaging conse-
quences not only for the Church, but for
civilization itself.
Therefore, continued Zizioulas, any
escape from the historical reality and the
continuing search for identity exclusively
in the past, without taking into account
the historical, social and cultural context in
which the tradition of identity developed,
is equivalent to first Orthodoxy and then to
marginalizing romanticizing.
Its very important then, said the
Metropolitan of Pergamon, that we men
of the Church, we give up our narcissist
self-satisfaction that only leads to sterile
confrontations. Instead we must learn how
to offer creation the essence of the true wit-
ness, that of Our Lord.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
received an honorary doctorate by Istan-
buls Bogazici University (formerly Robert
College) on Dec. 19 for his efforts relating
to the environment.
This is the first time any Turkish uni-
versity is bestowing such an honor. The
award comes on the occasion of Bogazici
Universitys 150
th
anniversary. Moreover,
it is ranked as the top university in Turkey
University Honors His All Holiness
and the only Turkish institution of higher
learning ever to be ranked (as it has since
2012) among the top 200 universities in
the world. The Patriarchs pioneering role
in several environmental issues, includes
the protection of ecological balance and
biodiversity in the world, providing clean
tap water to wider populations across
the world, and [raising awareness about]
climate change.
ISTANBUL - Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew and the Most Rev. and Rt
Honorable Justin Welby, Archbishop of
Canterbury, met at the Phanar, Jan. 13-14
for their first meeting since Archbishop
Welby was enthroned about one year ago.
The meeting took place in an atmo-
sphere of friendship and warmth.
Both leaders agreed to focus on
the continuation of close relations, the
importance of the ongoing theological
dialogue, and the commitment of the
Anglican Communion and the Ortho-
dox Church to greater cooperation for
Archbishop of Canterbury Pays First Visit
a common witness in an increasingly
secular and pluralistic world, particularly
in Europe. They expressed concern for
the injustice in many parts of the world
and prayed especially for the poor, the
oppressed, and those caught in war, for
peace and justice in the entire world,
particularly in the Middle East, but also
in other parts of the globe, and for our-
selves to be sustained by the help and joy
of Jesus Christ.
They further agreed to explore av-
enues for raising greater awareness on
environmental issues as well as upholding
Christian values of human dignity and
religious rights.
by Nicholas Magginas
JANUARY 2014 7
Contact Information for Center of Philanthropy
The Philoptochos Society has successfully relocated to its new home, the Center of
Philanthropy, at 126 East 37
th
St., New York, NY 10019. Philoptochos extends sincere
gratitude for the outpouring of love and support that made the dream of a permanent
home for Philoptochos a reality. Contact the Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy at
212.977.7770 or www.philoptochos.org
Light the Path Benefts
San Francisco Metropolis Seminarians
Lowell Chapter
Holds 60
th
Anniversary Tea
LOWELL, Mass. The Transfigura-
tion Philoptochos greeted more than
250 guests at its Diamond Jubilee An-
niversary Tea in December.
This major fundraiser has sup-
ported the chapters philanthropic mis-
sion since 1953 when the ladies needed
funds to aid the sick in local hospitals.
Sixty years later the chapters phi-
lanthropy includes many community,
Metropolis of Boston, and national
Philoptochos ministries.
Chapter President Soula Spaziani
opened the program and Tea Chairmen
Patricia Mahoney and Olivia Sintros and
committee members welcomed clergy
and guests.
Four members of the 1953 Tea
Committee were honored including
Martha Sintros, Betty Balmotis, Eliza-
beth Tavoularis, and Antonia Sintros.
Presbytera Elpiniki Sarantos was also
recognized for her devotion to the par-
ish and Philoptochos.
2013 in Review
2013 was filled with philanthropic en-
deavors while at the same time the National
Philoptochos prepared its historic move
into its new home, the Center of Philanthro-
py. It was also a banner year of recognition
of the Philoptochos philanthropic mission
by venerable organizations in the United
States and abroad.
Most importantly the chapters, mem-
bers and stewards nationwide continued
to accelerate their commitment to the
Philoptochos mission and opened their
arms and hearts widely with love and sup-
port to those most in need.
The Center of Philanthropy
Opened in August at 126 E. 37th Street
in New York fulfilling the dream of a perma-
nent Philoptochos home. The building was
purchased Nov. 27, 2012, and Archbishop
Demetrios offered the Agiasmos service
on Sept. 9, 2013. On Nov. 1, the feast day
of the Philoptochos Patron Saints Cosmas
and Damianos, Bishop Sevastianos, Philop-
tochos spiritual advisor, offered the Divine
Liturgy at the Archdiocesan Cathedral
followed by an open house at the Center.
National Recognition
March Hellenic College Holy Cross
featured National Philoptochos at its
Women Leaders of the Church Lecture
Series with President Aphrodite Skeadas as
the keynote speaker.
May Hellenic College Holy Cross
graduation President Skeadas presented
scholarships to students pursuing a life in
support of the Church.
June Alpha Omega Council in Bos-
ton presented the Lifetime Achievement
Award for its important philanthropic work
to Mrs. Skeadas and to Metropolis Presi-
dent Philippa Condakes for the Metropolis
Philoptochos.
November The Cyprus Childrens
Organization presented National Philopto-
chos with its Humanitarian Award.
14
th
Medical Fund Luncheon
The Childrens Medical Fund Lun-
cheon, held Oct. 12 in Pittsburgh, unites
supporters from across the United States
every two years to raise funds for critically
ill children.
President Skeadas and Luncheon
Chairman Rosemary Nikas presented
$136,900 to 13 area hospitals and research
programs.
Philanthropic mission
Chapters and members maintain a
strong commitment to the important phil-
anthropic work of this venerable organiza-
tion. The Direct Archdiocesan District and
New Jersey Philoptochos, and many chap-
ters and members nationwide continued
their loving support to families devastated
by Hurricane Sandy.
National Philoptochos and its mem-
bers launched a new Campaign to Aid
the People of Greece and Cyprus and
through its combined efforts raised and
donated $190,000 with special emphasis
on children.
Philoptochos programs and proj-
ects include Saint Basil Academy, the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, Hellenic College
Holy Cross, the Childrens Medical Fund,
International Orthodox Christian Chari-
ties, National Sisterhood of Presvyteres,
Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Orthodox
Christian Mission Center and Support a
Mission Priest, Retired Clergy and Widowed
Presbyteres, Saint Photios Shrine, Social
Services, United Nations International Chil-
drens Emergency Fund and Environmental
Responsibility, Autism, Literacy, Veterans,
Cancer, Go Red for Womens Heart and
more.
The Voice of Philoptochos
by Christine Karavites
by Kristen Bruskas
The Metropolis of San Francisco
Philoptochos hosted two luncheons to
benefit the Bishop Anthony Philoptochos
Student Aid Endowment Fund. Light the
Path A Christmas Luncheon was held
Nov. 23 at St. Anthony Church in Pasadena,
and on Dec. 7 at Nativity of Christ Church
in Novato, Calif. These events raised more
than $100,000 to provide scholarships for
the students and seminarians from the Me-
tropolis of San Francisco currently enrolled
at Hellenic College Holy Cross School of
Theology.
In his remarks to more than 300 per-
sons at the Novato luncheon Metropoli-
tan Gerasimos remarked, Todays event
is about providing for the future of our
Church, so that your children, grandchil-
dren and great grandchildren can benefit
from the spiritual guidance and love of
priests who have dedicated their lives in
service to the Lord.
In Pasadena, seminarian Thomas
Felactu from St. Katherine Church in
Redondo Beach, spoke about his path
to the school and his desire to serve the
Photo courtesy of Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos
Metropolitan Gerasimos, Metropolis Philoptochos President Jeannie Ranglas, and parish priest Fr. Luke
Palumbis, withMetropolis Board and host committee members at Nativity of Christ Church in Novato.
Lord through the holy priesthood. He also
shared his personal experience as a second-
year student at Holy Cross with his wife,
Tina, and children, and the strong sense of
faith and family that emanates throughout
his education.
Seminarian Chris Retelas, from An-
nunciation Church in Sacramento, Calif.,
spoke in Novato, offering his personal
experience as the son of a priest, and how
this has enlightened his path toward service
in the Church. His wife, Kalli, is also the
daughter of a priest.
Metropolis Philoptochos President,
Jeannie Ranglas spoke about their com-
mitment to many ministries, but especially
to providing substantial support for our
future priests. This Fund was created to
leave them as debt-free as possible upon
graduation.
Through his vision, Metropolitan An-
thony established this endowment fund
more than 25 years ago, which has since
contributed over $1 million in scholarships
to students from the Metropolis studying
for the holy priesthood. In 2013, the Me-
tropolis Philoptochos awarded $130,000
to 22 students.
Metropolis of Boston New Board
The 2013-15 Metropolis Philoptochos Board is pictured with Metropolitan Methodios. Metropolis
Presidents Frances Levas. Board members Cleopatra Tsolas, Elaine Zetes, Ellie Mavridakis, Eleni St-
amboulidis, Marianne Phelan, Yannoula Ballassi, Philippa Condakes, Irene Stefanakos, Kiki Feldmar,
Eleni Pantelis, Stella Kanzantas, Georgia Lagadinos, Alexandra Coios Dimou and Diane Stamatopulos
Board members not present: Susan Alvanos, Denise Reed, Maria Tamvakologos, Bessie Papigiotis,
Elaine Kevgas and Sandra Zervos.
Center
of Philanthropy
Thyranixia
NEW YORK The National
Philoptochos Center of Philan-
thropy Thyranixia will take place
Saturday, March 1, beginning
with a Hierarchical Divine Lit-
urgy celebrated by Archbishop
Demetrios at Holy Trinity Ca-
thedral at 10 a.m., followed by
a memorial service.
The Archdiocesan Cathedral
Philoptochos will offer a recep-
tion immediately following at
the Cathedral Center. The Thy-
ranixia will commence at the
Center of Philanthropy 126 E.
37
th
St., 2:30 p.m. For additional
information visit www.philop-
tochos.org
Loving Support
for Saint Basil Academy
GARRISON, N.Y. Archbishop
Demetrios in his encyclical for the Feast
of Saint Basil the Great reminds us that
his ministry that was constantly focused
on bringing hope into the lives of the
sick and suffering, the poor, orphans
and outcasts and adds, Saint Basil
Academy has honored this legacy of
this great Saint, by building a ministry
of hope to youth and children.
Saint Basil Academy is an important
ministry for all who generously support
the warm and inviting residence.
Chapters commemorate the feast
day with the Vasilopita cutting. Pro-
ceeds benefit the academy.
Fr. Constantine Sitaras, the dedi-
cated director, is joined by a commit-
ted board of directors, well trained
staff, and faithful volunteer support to
provide a loving Orthodox home for
the children.
Throughout the year the Academy
hosts numerous events including the
recent Christmas Pageant, the Walk-
athon, Graduation, the Gingerbread
House day, the Alumni Reunion and the
annual Vasilopita cutting on Jan. 25.
Photo courtesy of Metropolis of Boston Philoptochos
JANUARY 2014 8
u u
to page 24
Obituary
WESTFIELD, N.J. - Nicholas J. Bouras,
a great benefactor of the Church, Archon
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a
member of the greatest generation that
fought World War II, died Dec. 22, sur-
rounded by his loving family and friends at
his residence in Summit, N.J.. He was 93.
Mr. Bouras philanthropic efforts on
behalf of the Church over the past several
decades are numerous.
His endeavors have included many
contributions; donations of the steel for
the construction of several churches of
the Archdiocese, including Holy Trinity
in Westfield, his home parish; St. Anna in
Flemington, N.J., named for his late wife;
Kimisis tis Theotokou in Southampton,
N.Y., and was the first to offer assistance
for the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Church
at Ground Zero.
Mr. Bouras was born in Pontiac,
Mich., and was raised in Chicago. Prior
to WWII, he was employed at U.S. Steel
Corporation. He enlisted in the United
States Army Air Corps in 1942 and, by the
end of 1945, he attained the rank of major
and had flown 44 combat missions in the
European theater as lead navigator and
bombardier on 36 B-26 bomber aircraft.
In 1946, he was awarded the Dis-
tinguished Flying Cross and the Air
Medal with seven oak leaf clusters. His
assignments included the 9
th
Air Force
headquarters, 386
th
Bomb Group and the
Headquarters 9
th
Air Division, 552
nd
Bomb
Squadron.
After his honorable discharge from
the military, Mr. Bouras returned to his po-
sition with U.S. Steel, where he remained
for 20 years. In 1955, he graduated from
the Northwestern University School of
Commerce.
In 1960, he and his late wife, Anna K.
Bouras, embarked on an entrepreneurial
career that led to the creation of one
of Americas leading manufacturers of
fabricated steel components for the com-
mercial real estate industry.
Bouras Industries Inc., consisted of
five operating companies with manufac-
turing operations in four states New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and
Illinois, with yearly sales exceeding $200
million.
For nearly 40 years, his privately
owned company supplied steel to contrac-
tors who helped transform New Yorks
skyline. In 1970, this impact on the skyline
began with the construction of World
Trade Center Tower 4 and was followed by
the construction of buildings for Hearst,
Archon Deputatos Nicholas J. Bouras
Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Evangelos along with several clergy and Archons at the gravesite
service for Bouras.
Dimitrios Panagos photos
Bloomberg, Bear Sterns, and Goldman
Sachs, and as the Time Warner Center. His
company also supplied steel for the con-
struction of professional sports stadiums
and arenas, which included the Yankees,
Giants, Patriots, Ravens, Redskins, Celtics,
76ers, Wizards, and the Devils. In 2007,
Bouras Industries ceased operations with
the sale of four companies and more than
700 employees. Mr. Bouras business
achievements enabled him to positively
impact the lives of thousands of people in
need, including those in pursuit of higher
education, as well as numerous non-profit
institutions throughout the world. He ex-
hibited extraordinary commitment to his
local parish, Holy Trinity Church, which
he helped found and served on the parish
council for more than 40 years.
His support of the Ecumenical Patri-
archate, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
of America, Hellenic College, Orthodox
Christian Mission Center, and numerous
philanthropic causes typified his enduring
generosity for humanitarian projects. A 25-
year member of the Archdiocesan Council
and National Council of the Order of St.
Andrew the Apostle, Archon Vice Com-
mander Bouras was central to expanding
initiatives of these important institutions.
His philanthropy empowered the Order
of St. Andrew to develop a multifaceted
domestic and international strategic plan
to secure religious freedom for the Ecu-
menical Patriarchate. Mr. Bouras was the
recipient of numerous awards and honors,
including an honorary Doctor of Humani-
ties from Hellenic College, the Ellis Island
Medal of Honor, the Alpha Omega Council
Lifetime Achievement Award, the Hellenic
Heritage Achievement Award from the
American Hellenic Institute, the Entre-
preneur of the Year Award from Ernst and
Young, the Humanitarian Philanthropic
Award from the Cyprus Federation of
America, the Athenagoras Human Rights
Award from the Order of St. Andrew the
Apostle, and the Republican Senatorial
Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the
Republican members of the U.S. Senate
can bestow.
Mr. Bouras is survived by his sister-in-
law Tina Kariotis and brother-in-law John
Mathrusse; nieces Susan Tseng (Greg),
Pamela Kariotis (James), Elizabeth Smejda
(Karolus), and Georgeane Valos (John);
nephews James Mathrusse (Jiemin) and
Robert Kariotis; grandnieces Katie and
Emma; and grandnephews Matt, Brian,
Andrew, and Rocco.
Funeral services were held Dec. 27
at Holy Trinity Church with Archbishop
Demetrios officiating, assisted by Met-
ropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, with
several other clergy participating.
Burial followed at Fairview Cemetery
in Westfield. Memorial donations may be
made to St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
in Flemington, N.J. and/or Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield, NJ.
If a man be endowed with a gener-
ous mind, this is the best kind of nobility.
(Plato)
The righteous shall live by faith. (Ha-
bakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17)
From our Patriarchal and Primatial
Throne, we have learned most grievously
of the passing into eternal habitations of
the ever-blessed servant of God, Nicholas
J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos of our Great
Church of Christ.
We address the plentitude of the
Church: the Mother Church throughout
the oikoumene, our beloved brother His
Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and
Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, the
Most Reverend Metropolitans and Bishops,
the clergy and faithful of the Holy Trinity
Parish in Westfield, New Jersey that Archon
Nicholas served for so many decades with
faithful and constant stewardship, the
Order of Saint Andrew that he served as
Vice-Commander, and indeed his beloved
relations and countless friends.
The falling asleep in the Lord of Archon
Nicholas is a heavy loss for the Holy Arch-
diocese of America, but for the Ecumenical
Patriarchate worldwide. His advanced years
yield no lasting comfort in the face of the
loss of his extraordinary life that was lived
so well and so long. A mighty pillar has been
withdrawn -- not fallen, for we are all called
to pass beyond this world. But he was an
unshakeable pillar upon whom all of you
have leaned for generations to provide wise
counsel, stability, constancy, and a generos-
ity rarely found in the world today.
Indeed, it was Archon Nicholas gener-
osity -- unfeigned and pure -- that brought
to him and to you a noble presence, a pres-
ence that guided not only his beloved parish
of the Holy Trinity, but also the Order of
Saint Andrew and the whole Archdiocese
with sage wisdom, unimpeachable under-
standing, and a living faith. These spiritual
gifts (cf. I Corinthians 12) were part and
parcel of his daily life, which he lived re-
sponsibly, fully, and righteously.
It has been less than a decade since
the Order of Saint Andrew bestowed on
its most noble and distinguished son the
Human Rights Award named for our ever-
memorable predecessor on the Throne of
Saint Chrysostom, the late Patriarch Athe-
nagoras. As so many of you know, Archon
Nicholas was truly reluctant to accept this
high honor. His was both a natural and
grace-filled humility that always sought the
Ecumenical Patriarchs Statement
on Archon Bouras Passing
advancement of the cause, not the praise of
any individual. He assiduously avoided the
light of acclaim and admiration; rather he
sought to shine the light of love, truth, and
justice to illuminate the world around him.
His successes in life are far too numer-
ous to recount with a mere listing. His
undying love for his beloved wife, Anna,
his heroism in the Second World War, his
genius at industry, his generosity and sensi-
tivity with his co-workers, his steadfastness
and faithfulness in all Church affairs, and as
we know here at the Phanar, his utter and
complete devotion to the Ecumenical Patri-
archate. In all his endeavors, the strength of
the steel which endowed him and allowed
him to be so wonderfully generous to oth-
ers was manifest in his strength of character.
Of special love and interest for him
in the past few years was the Church of
his heavenly namesake, which was de-
stroyed on the fateful day of September
11, 2001. He was the first to contribute in
a truly magnanimous way to the rebuilding
of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
at Ground Zero. We pray and expect that a
fitting tribute to Archon Nicholas be suitably
readied in the new church structure. Such
a merciful and giving presence can never
be forgotten!
For Archon Nicholas was not unlike
his heavenly patron, the Wonderworker of
Myra who hailed from the regions of our
Ecumenical Patriarchate. The generous and
noble mind of Saint Nicholas of Myra was
somehow mystically imbued into Archon
Nicholas J. Bouras. It was as if the spirit
that flowed from these ancient lands of
our Ecumenical Throne transcended time
and space to find a new home in the heart
of Archon Nicholas. And in his noble heart
the spirit of Saint Nicholas, that Canon of
faith and Exemplar of humbleness found
a space large to dwell, for Archon Nicholas
conducted his life in the way of righteous-
ness, and the Lord made his heart spacious
(cf. Psalm 118:32).
Indeed, dear and beloved children
in the Lord: Archon Nicholas lived as a
one who knew the secret to a happy and
fulfilling life. He was righteous in his ways,
generous in his heart, faithful in his soul,
and noble in his spirit. His passing from us
and from this world to the fullness of God
and the world to come is a most worthy
passage, and his attainment of rest the sure
and certain outcome of his life.
JANUARY 2014 9
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Assembly speaker
Keynote speaker at the recent Direct Archdiocesan District Clergy-Laity Assembly held at Holy Cross
Church in Whitestone, N.Y., was Fr. Maximos of Mount Athos, whose topic was The Gift that Christ
gives is of Himself and that an individuals new life begins with new birth, that is baptism. Assembly
participants heard reports that included the parish software initiative, new initiatives in Internet
Ministries, progress of Stewardship, and plans for St. Michaels Home.
Orthodox Observer photo
SOMERVILLE, Mass. The Axion Estin
icon of the Virgin Mary, one of the oldest
and most highly venerated icons of Ortho-
doxy, has been authentically replicated and
has been installed in the Dormition of the
Virgin Mary Church. The commissioned
work of this full scale icon is painted in oil
and tempera and covered by a bejeweled
silver casing. It is a holy consecrated icon,
the work of Mt. Athos iconographers, who
prayed at every step of its creation. The won-
Mass. Parish Has Replica of Famous Icon
der working original is kept in the Church
of the Dormition in Karyes on Mt. Athos.
Fr. Konstantinos Manetas spearheaded the
project. Metropolitan Methodios presided
at the unveiling of the Axion Estin Icon, at
a hierarchical great vespers service on Nov.
23 with hundreds of faithful in attendance.
The event was hosted by the parish council
and the organizing committee for the cel-
ebration of the parishs 100
th
anniversary,
which the community will observe in 2016.
POMONA, N.J. The Richard Stock-
ton College Library will honor the Rev.
Dr. Demetrios J. Constantelos as it plans
to add a seminar room to house the do-
nated collection of Fr. Constantelos, the
Distinguished Research Scholar in Resi-
dence and the Charles Cooper Townsend
Sr. Distinguished Professor History and
Religious Studies Emeritus.
The colleges Hellenic Alumni and
Friends of Hellenic Studies held a fund-
raiser on Nov. 26 for the planned Deme-
trios J. Constantelos Library and Seminary
Room.
Fr. Constantelos is the founder of
Stocktons Hellenic Studies programs
(ICHS) within the colleges School of
Arts and Humanities. It is one of the most
active Hellenic programs that promotes
the study of Greek language, history and
culture.
He established the Hellenic Studies
program in 1995, holding potluck dinners
with students and the Greek community
to raise money for scholarships.
This fall, ICHS signed an exchange
agreement with the University of Athens,
NJ College Library to Honor
Fr. Constantelos with New Wing
Greece, to establish visiting and exchange
opportunities for students and faculty.
The program Fr. Constantelos es-
tablished promotes the study and teach-
ing of Hellenism through the fields that
define ancient, medieval and modern
Greek civilization, which includes Greek
language, culture, history, philosophy,
archaeology and art, politics, commerce
and religion, including Greek Orthodox
tradition and heritage. At Stockton today
there are five endowed professorships and
eight affiliated faculty in Hellenic Stud-
ies. There are more than 600 students in
these programs, which offer a major in
classics, and minors in Greek language,
Greek philosophy, Hellenic Studies and
a forthcoming interdisciplinary minor n
Hellenic Studies.
ICHS executive director is Professor
Tom Papademetriou serves as the ICHS
executive director.
For more information, and to help
support the Constantelos Library, contact
Professor Papademetriou at: apapadem@
stockton.edu or visit: www.stockton.edu/
ichs.
Orthodox Christians in Washington
like Members of Congress John Sarbanes,
Gus Bilirakis, Dina Titus and Niki Tsongas
receive significant publicity in our com-
munity about the great job they are doing.
However, behind-the-scenes there are other
Orthodox Christians doing spectacular
work in their fields who are greatly helpful
to Washington issues that are dear to our
Orthodox hearts. One such individual is
Reince Hercules Priebus, the 41-year-old
Greek Orthodox chairman of the Republi-
can National Committee (RNC). His Greek
Orthodox mothers maiden name was Dimi-
tra Pitsiladis. Priebus is not just holding an
important national position in Washington,
D.C.; he is redefining it.
His work is unsurpassed by predeces-
sors; a group that includes some pretty
distinguished Americans like President
George H.W. Bush and Senate Majority
Leader and Republican Presidential candi-
date Bob Dole.
Priebus took over the leadership of the
RNC at a time when it was receiving very bad
publicity. The organization was $23 million
in debt with questionable expenditures.
Priebus quickly turned things around.
He raised $50 million during his first 12
months in office. This year, 2013, he raised
$10 million more than the Democratic Na-
tional Committee, which has the advantage
of a Democrat in the White House.
After getting his house in financial
order, Priebus has embarked on a program
that exemplifies a characteristic Nikos Ka-
zantzakis said is particularly prominent in
Hellenes, creativity. Thrusting the RNC into
this monthly-changing new age, Priebus
took the unprecedented step of opening
an office in the Silicon Valley to facilitate the
recruitment of engineering talent.
He created in the RNC a chief digital
and a chief technology officer. His 2014
agenda includes major advances in the full
use of social media. As well, Priebus has dra-
matically increased the traditional political
organization of the committee.
He has recruited nearly 7,000 precinct
captains and now has 31 field offices and
131 field staff. Such steps will address
deficits from the 2012 election in which
behind-the-scenes presidential campaign
operatives credited the Obama presidential
campaign with far superior grass roots and
digital assets over the Romney campaign.
With non-Hispanic whites having be-
come a minority among Americans under
the age of five and projected to become
a minority among all Americans by 2040,
Priebus is adjusting the RNC to fit Americas
changing demographics.
He has created for the Hispanic,
African-American, Asian and youth com-
munities strategic initiative directors and
communications specialists. In the sprint-
paced, sometimes brutal world of Wash-
ington politics, Priebus has not forgotten
his Orthodoxy or his Hellenic background.
Orthodox and Hellenic issues in Washing-
ton have benefited from Priebus going out
of his way to be sure that Americas long
term interests are protected. Particularly
benefited has been the religious freedom
of the spiritual head of the second largest
Christian Church in the world located in a
region of Islamic extremism, the Ecumeni-
cal Patriarchate.
Orthodox Christians Behind the Scenes
by Andrew Manatos
BOCA RATON, FLA. Saint Mark
Church will hold the consecration of its
sanctuary Feb. 20-22. with Archbishop
Demetrios and Metropolitan Alexios of
Atlanta leading the services.
(see advertisement, page 13)
On Thursday, Feb. 20, memorial
prayers will be offered for the St. Mark
faithful who have fallen asleep in the Lord.
On Feb. 21, the Archbishop will lead
the Vesper service. During this time, His
Eminence will place in the altar the holy
relics of three martyrs, setting them upon
a paten and covering them with a veil until
the consecration service begins.
The Service of the Consecration
begins Feb. 22, followed by the Divine
Liturgy. During the consecration service,
the relics will be placed in the altar table
cavity and covered with a mixture of waxes
and myrrh to seal it, never to be opened
again. In the early Church, Liturgies were
Florida Church Consecration Taking Place in February
performed over the tombs of martyrs in
the catacombs, so imbedding relics of
martyrs in the altar table honors this rich
history.
For more information, visit www.
saintmarkboca.net or e-mail: office@
saintmarkboca.net
St. Mark Church in Boca Raton, Florida.
JANUARY 2014 10
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In keeping with the theme of the
Conference, A Vision for the Future of
Orthodoxy and Hellenism, a business
forum titled A Vision for the Future of
Business has been scheduled for Feb.
14, according to Charles. H. Cotros,
Leadership 100 chairman, in announcing
the addition to the program.
George S. Tsandikos, the vice chair-
man of Leadership 100, who is managing
director of Rockefeller & Company in
New York, will moderate a panel of three
of the most prominent members of Lead-
ership 100, George D. Behrakis, John
Catsimatidis, and C. Dean Metropoulos,
who will examine the future prospects
for business in America and in the world
as a result of the economic dislocation
of both the national economy and the
global economy.
The 23
rd
annual Leadership 100
Conference, celebrating the endowment
funds 30
th
anniversary will take place
at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., Feb.
1316.
The program will feature a dia-
logue with Archbishop Demetrios,
along with the traditional Bible Study,
and presentations of the Archbishop
Iakovos Leadership 100 Award for
Excellence.
Recipients include The Stavros
Niarchos Foundation, represented by
CEO Vasili Tsamis; The Seleni Insti-
tute, represented by Nitzia Logothetis,
founder and executive chairman, and to
JOHN CATSIMATIDIS GEORGE D. BEHRAKIS
Greek Orthodox Telecommunications
(GOTelecom), to be accepted by Nicho-
las J. Furris, senior producer/director.
Behrakis is a pioneer in the phar-
maceutical field and a renowned philan-
thropist in medicine and health, higher
education and the arts. He has served
on the boards and supported numerous
medical, educational, cultural and reli-
gious organizations, including Boston
College, Brigham & Womens Hospital,
Northeastern University, Harvard Uni-
versity, Tufts University Medical School,
Johns Hopkins University, the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston and the Boston
Symphony Orchestra.
He also has served on the Board of
Hellenic College Holy Cross School of
Theology and continues to serve on the
Archdiocesan Council and Leadership
100 executive committees and as chair-
man emeritus of the latter.
Catsimatidis is chairman and CEO of
the Red Apple Group, with holdings in
oil refining, retail petroleum products,
convenience stores, real estate, aviation,
and supermarkets with investments in
both medical and industrial technol-
ogy. In 2013, Catsimatidis sought the
Republican nomination for mayor of
New York.
Starting as a relatively unknown
businessman, Catsimatidis finished sec-
ond with 41 percent of the vote against
an establishment candidate.
Catsimatidis civic and charitable
interests include the Hellenic Times
Scholarship Foundation, the New Yorks
Police Athletic League (PAL), the Boy
Scouts, the Ellis Island Awards Founda-
tion, the Law Enforcement Foundation,
and the Juvenile Diabetes, Alzheimers
and Parkinsons Research Foundations.
He is the co-founder and major
supporter of the Brooklyn Tech Alumni
Foundation. He has served as vice chair-
man of the Archdiocesan Council, and is
a Leadership 100 Executive Committee
member and trustee.
C. Dean Metropoulos is currently
chairman and CEO of C. Dean Metro-
poulos & Company (CDM), a bou-
tique acquisition and management firm,
which has restructured, built and grown
numerous businesses throughout the
U.S. and Europe with more than 72
acquisitions involving over $12 billion
in invested capital.
These acquisitions have earned
some of the most attractive returns on
Wall Street, as CDM investments boast
an average IRR of 44 percent.
Metropoulos has sat on the boards
of several companies in the United States
and Europe and is also a senior partner
and investor in Solar Marine, Inc., a pri-
vate, European based, international dry
cargo shipping company.
A long-time member of Leadership
100, he was recently elected president of
Faith: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and
Hellenism. He has been a philanthropic
supporter of numerous Church-related,
civic and arts organizations.
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JANUARY 2014 11
Archons
As in previous years, the Order of St.
Andrew (the Order) sent a delegation in
late 2013 to Warsaw, Poland, to participate
in the annual 58-member Conference of
the Organization for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe (OSCE) in which the United
States also holds membership and plays a
major role.
Two papers were presented: The
Status and Issues of the Greek Orthodox
Minority in Turkey and The Status and
Issues of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople. Both papers were posted
on the Archons web page.
In the first paper, the Order took up
the rights of the Greek Orthodox minority
and its multiple problems which have accu-
mulated over centuries but especially after
the disastrous war of Asia Minor 1921-22
and the anti-Greek pogrom in Istanbul in
September 1955.
The presentation focused on the ap-
palling violations of the human rights of
minorities as they have been reported over
the past several years in spite of the fact that
the constitution of the Turkish state explic-
itly prohibits discrimination on religious
grounds. These have been listed in great
detailed not only by the Order but also in
the annual 2013 Report of the United States
Commission on International Religious
Freedom (USCIRF) and in a similar annual
report issued by the U.S. Department of
State with which the Order is fully aligned.
While giving credit to actions by the
current Turkish government, including the
process of constitutional and other reforms,
the Order highlighted the practice of prop-
erty confiscation, under various pretexts, as
was evident in the past 60 years, especially
against the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its
associated Greek-Orthodox foundations.
The main instrument of the govern-
ments interference has been a rigid and
tight control by the General Directorate
of Foundations (GDF or VGM or Vakiflar)
over the day-to-day management of Greek-
Orthodox foundations, especially a policy
that disabled foundations from holding
regular board elections.
As a result of these insidious policies,
GDF has seized, since the 1970s, 17 Greek
Orthodox foundations, taking over their
management and confiscating hundreds of
properties belonging to them. Altogether, a
policy of harassment over the past 60 years
has driven down the Greek-Orthodox popu-
lation of Turkey from more than 100,000
in the 1950s to about 2,500. Nevertheless,
in the paper presented, the Order focused
on positive developments. These include:
the return of the Prinkipos (Bykada)
Orphanage building (late November 2010);
the restoration of property rights to the
Greek-Orthodox foundation of the island
of Bozcaada (Tenedos), (March 2011); the
Decree of Aug. 27, 2011 on property return
or compensation; and the return of 190
hectares of forest to the Greek Orthodox
Halki (Heybeliada) Seminary the largest
property return to a minority group in the
history of Turkey.
Experience to date indicates that appli-
cation of the Law of 2008 on Foundations
and the Decree of Aug. 27, 2012, although
significant and welcome, has been erratic
and of limited effect.
Only 98 properties of the Greek Ortho-
dox foundations have been returned since
2008 -- a small portion of properties expro-
priated by successive Turkish governments.
The Order zeroed in on several defects of
the decree of return and asked that they be
The Archons Mission to Warsaw
by Dr. Achilles G. Adamantiades amended forthwith.
The Order requested that OSCE should
immediately impress upon the Turkey gov-
ernment the need to fully and immediately
comply with the principles of OSCE, of
which Turkey is a member.
The second paper, on Religious Free-
dom, focused on the rights and prerogatives
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constan-
tinople. It acknowledged and gave full
credit to important initiatives taken by the
Turkish government and recognized that, in
general, members of religious groups that
had formal recognition during the Ottoman
period had freedom to practice their faith.
However, the Order has the following
issues with the government:
The process for the election of a new
Ecumenical Patriarch. Some progress in this
matter was acknowledged: 26 hierarchs
under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate have applied (15 in 2010 and
11 in 2011), of whom 21 were granted ex-
ceptional Turkish citizenship and five were
denied; no explanation was provided other
than that the application is being rejected
because it was found to be not in line with
the requirements of the law in effect.
The denial of legal personality to
religious bodies - this remains a major
impediment to the functioning of the Ecu-
menical Patriarchate as a normal institution
in Turkish society, as it has also been the
case for all other religious bodies in Turkey.
The Halki Seminary founded in 1844
and closed by Turkey in 1971, when the
government banned all private higher edu-
cation institutions, has become undoubt-
edly nothing but a cause celebre on the
international scene. It remains closed today
in spite of repeated assurances for its open-
ing. It is highly discouraging and negating
the reform movement of recent years that
the reforms announced by Prime Minister
Erdogan on Sept. 30, 2013 did not include
provisions for the re-opening of this School;
and lack of full freedom to perform
religious services in all religiously significant
sites, although permission was granted for
certain services in certain churches (for
example, the Soumela monastery) in the
past few years.
Because Christianity thrived in Asia
Minor for almost two millennia, many
significant and historic religious sites and
shrines exist in todays Turkey. Freedom
to perform services regularly, without the
need for special permission, would be
viewed by the international community and
the religious bodies themselves as a normal
expression of faith and would be a credit
to the secular nature of the Turkish state.
A worrisome development, betraying a
regression has been reported. The Haghia
Sophia church in the northeastern port
city of Trabzon, hailed as one of the finest
examples of late Byzantine architecture
still standing in Turkey has been converted
into a mosque, after having been open to
the public as a museum. Sadly, this comes
on the heels of another conversion, in July
2012, of another former church, Haghia
Sophia of Nicaea (Iznik). Even more wor-
risome and outrageous is the recent news
reported in the Turkish press recently that
Turkeys Deputy Prime Minister Blent
Arin has given the sign that Istanbuls
historic Haghia Sophia museum could be
converted into a mosque.
The Order demands that the govern-
ment of Turkey take a firm stand and a
reverse this unacceptable and regressive
trend while also disowning the Deputy
Prime Ministers statement. This unaccept-
able and regressive move must be stopped.


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JANUARY 2014 12
by Josh Cole
HCHC News
BROOKLINE, Mass. Oxford University
Press released the latest book by Rev. Dr.
Eugen J. Pentiuc, Professor of Old Testa-
ment and Hebrew at Holy Cross School of
Theology, Jan. 9.
The Old Testament in Eastern Ortho-
dox Tradition provides a general overview
and a detailed analysis of the primary ways
in which the Old Testament has been re-
ceived, interpreted and conveyed within
Eastern Orthodox tradition.
This work is a major event: the first
comprehensive and thorough analysis
of the role of the Old Testament in the
Eastern Orthodox tradition, written by the
foremost Eastern Orthodox scholar of Scrip-
ture, internationally respected within both
Church and Academy alike. Opening up the
scriptural culture of Eastern Orthodoxy in
all its dimensions, this illuminating volume
will richly reward every reader, the Very
Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean and professor of
Patristics, St. Vladimirs Seminary.
The book fills a vacuum in scholarly
literature on the history of biblical interpre-
tation. A special emphasis is placed on the
hallmarks of Eastern Orthodox reception
and interpretation of the Old Testament,
including:
The centrality of Scripture within Tradi-
tion
A blend of flexibility and strictness at all
levels of the faith community
Integrative function and holistic use of
Oxford University Press Releases
Professors Latest Book
the sacred text
A tensed unity of discursive and intuitive
modes of interpretation
A dynamic synergy between forma-
tive and informative goals in the use of
Scripture.
According to Michael Coogan, editor
of The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books
of the Bible, In this extraordinarily learned
book, Pentiuc sheds much-needed light on
an often neglected aspect of the history of
interpretation of the Bible.
Appropriately, he discusses not just
texts, but ritual and art as well, so that
reading his book is like walking into a
lavishly ornamented Eastern Orthodox
church where the Divine Liturgy is being
celebrated. This view from the inside is an
invaluable contribution.
The Old Testament in Eastern Ortho-
dox Tradition is divided into two parts:
Reception and Interpretation.
Reception addresses issues such as
unity and diversity of the Christian Bible,
text, canon, and Tradition. Interpretation
focuses on discursive and intuitive Eastern
Orthodox modes of interpretation. Patristic
exegesis serves as a case study of the discur-
sive modes. The intuitive modes represent-
ing the so-called liturgical exegesis are
subdivided into aural (hymns, psalmody,
lectionaries) and visual (portable icons,
frescoes, mosaics).
Josh Cole is manager of Marketing and
Communication at HCHC.
Photo courtesy of Presbytera Kyriaki Fitzgerald
Participants in the Conference on Divine Compassion held at HCHC, including (front row from left) Rev.
Dr. Thomas Fitzgerald, Presbytera Kyriaki Fitzgerald, Metropolitan Methodios and Fr. James Katinas.
BROOKLINE, Mass. The Conference
on Divine Compassion: Orthodox Chris-
tians in Service of Perfect Love held at
Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of The-
ology (HCHC) Nov. 14-16, gathered more
than 100 participants from throughout the
United States and Canada. This theological
conference was co-sponsored by HCHC,
the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston,
and St. Catherines Vision, a Pan-Orthodox
association of women theologians and
other servant lay leaders. The Conference
on Divine Compassion, said Dr. Kyriaki
FitzGerald, provided an opportunity for
Orthodox Christians to understand more
deeply the reality of Divine Compassion, the
eleos of God, and how Christians are called
to bear witness to this within the Church
and society. Divine Compassion (eleos) is
at the very heart of what it means to be a
human person and what it means to be a
member of the Church.
Fr. Roberto Umberto, the founder and
executive director of St. John the Com-
passionate Mission in Toronto, Ontario,
delivered the keynote address. He spoke
on In Service of Perfect Love: Orthodox
Reflections on Suffering, Compassion and
Ministry.
Metropolitan Methodios of Boston
concluded the conference with a pastoral
reflection on The Fathers and the Mercy
Divine Compassion Theme
of Campus Conference
of God. Bishop John of the Antiochian
Orthodox Diocese of Worcester and New
England and Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, of
the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox
Diocese also delivered presentations.
Professor Lewis Patsavos presented a
moving tribute to the faithful life and min-
istry of Clara Nickolson, of blessed memory,
a founder and benefactor of St. Catherines
Vision and a devoted supporter of Hellenic
College Holy Cross and the Metropolis of
Boston. In 2007, Holy Cross awarded
her the Three Hierarchs Medal for Distin-
guished Service to Church and Society.
Fr. Ioan Sauca, director of the World
Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute,
spoke on Ecumenical Dialogue and Divine
Compassion.
Other invited presenters and speakers
were: Fr. Robert Arida, Susan Arida, Dr.
Peter Bouteneff, Iulia Curtright, Jessica
DAngio, Maria Drossos, Dr. Beth Dunlop,
Fr. Thomas FitzGerald, Fr. Anthony Hughes,
Rebecca Thekla Kagaris Fr. James Katinas,
Fr. Demetrios Nikoloudakis, Dr. Timothy
Patitsas, Dr. Despina Prassas, Vera Proctor,
Dr. James Skedros, Dr. George Stavros, Dr.
Anton Vrame, and Fr. Philip Zymaris,.The
participants were welcomed by Dr. Kyriaki
FitzGerald, conference director, Dr. James
Skedros, interim dean, and Fr. James Kati-
nas, director of institutional advancement.
Events b Stella
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JANUARY 2014 13
by Nancy Agris Savage
Metropolis news
Elaine Lyda photo
Pontian dancers
A group of young people of Pontian descent from the Pontion Society Komninoi of New York, in
Astoria, and Pontian Society Pontos at St. George Church in Norwalk, Conn., performed several
dances at Archdiocese headquarters during a visit in December.
Orthodox Observer photo
BOSTON Seven years after receiving
a Peter Agris Memorial Journalism Scholar-
ship, New Jersey native James Angelos is
based in Athens writing for The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal and The
Atlantic Monthly and finalizing his upcom-
ing book on the Greek debt situation for
publication.
Angelos serves as only one of the
almost 90 young Greek American com-
munications professionals whose careers
have been supported through the Alpha
Omega Council of New Englands two
decade initiative to honor its founder.
The Peter Agris Memorial Journalism
Scholarships Program has kicked off its
22
nd
year and applications are being taken
from graduate and undergraduate journal-
ism and communications students from
across the United States.
More than $430,000 in critical finan-
cial backing has been provided to scores of
young Greek Americans seeking to present
their Hellenic heritage and their Orthodox
faith to our nation through careers in
journalism and communications.
The $5,000 non-renewable scholar-
ships will be presented on Saturday, May
31, at the Alpha Omega Councils annual
Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner, dur-
ing which time a noted individual will be
recognized for contributions to Hellenic
and Orthodox ideals.
Agris Journalism Scholarships
Now in 22
nd
Year
Comprised of leading professionals
of Hellenic ancestry, The Alpha Omega
Council annually honors its late founder,
Peter Agris, also the founder and publisher
of The Hellenic Chronicle, for 40 years
the premier Greek American national
Englishlanguage weekly newspaper in
this country. Agris, who died in 1989, was
also an Archon of the Greek Orthodox
Church, a trustee of Hellenic College
Holy Cross School of Theology, Anatolia
College, The American College of Greece
and an Ahepan.
Prerequisites for the scholarship in-
clude: Greek American heritage; current
full-time enrollment as a journalism or
communications major at the graduate
or undergraduate level in an accredited
college or university in the United States;
active participation in school, community,
church organizations; a minimum of a 3.0
GPA and demonstrated financial need.
Interested candidates should visit
www.alphaomegacouncil.com or write
to: The Peter Agris Memorial Scholarships
Committee, c/o Nancy Agris Savage, 9
Nonesuch Drive, Natick, MA 01760. Ques-
tions may be directed to nancyasavage@
gmail.com.
Applications, transcripts, the required
essay and any published work that might
enhance the application must be returned
by email to nancyasavage@gmail.com
or by mail to the above address, no later
than March 1.
Saint Mark Proudly Announces our
Consecration Weekend
Thursday, February 20
Gold Leaf Memorial Service - 6 pm
Friday, February 21
Arrival of the Relics & Vespers - 6 pm
Saturday, February 22
Orthros - 8 am
Consecration Divine Liturgy - 9 am
2100 NW 51st Street Boca Raton, FL 33431
www. sai ntmarkboca. net 561. 994. 4822
BRIDGEPORT More than 350
parishioners celebrated the 100
th
an-
niversary of the Holy Trinity Church on
Nov. 30, the same day the first service
took place in 1913.
Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas and parish
council President George Mourizakis
welcomed everyone and Ernie Anastos
and Nick Gregory of Fox News in New
Connecticut Church Marks 100
th
Year
(From left) Presbytera Anthoula Vithoulkas, Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas, Bishop Andonios, Ernie
Anastos, Nick Gregory, George Mourizakis, Maria Mourizakis and Mayor Bill Finch.
York served as masters of ceremonies.
Speeches were presented by Bish-
op Andonios of Phasiane, Archdiocese
chancellor, who praised the parishio-
ners for their strong faith.
Mayor Bill Finch highlighted the
strong connection over the years be-
tween the city of Bridgeport and Holy
Trinity Church.
DETROIT Dr. Despina Xatzidiakos,
director of the Consulate General of
Greece in Detroit Office of Education,
recently awarded the Ellinomatheia
Certificates of the Metropolis of Detroit
Greek Language and Culture Commit-
tee and University of Michigan Modern
Greek Program to 26 students from
Metropolis Greek schools.
Detroit Greek School Students Receive Awards
This annual certification takes place
for students who have completed their
Greek School education and enables
them to place Greek as a language
for their high school requirement and
credit.
The event took place in late Decem-
ber at Assumption Church in St. Clair
Shores.
JANUARY 2014 14
Epiphany Celebrations
Epiphany Traditions coast to coast
14
9
Though the largest and oldest Epiphany
celebration takes place in Tarpon Springs,
parishes from New York to Hawaii take
part in the annual Blessing of the Waters
and Cross Diving event that are an inte-
gral part of the Feast Day.
The photos from the various commu-
nities shown on this page are by no
means the only examples. Parishes in
the Bahamas, Hawaii and elsewhere in
the Archdiocese also hold observances.
The pictures shown here arrived in time
for the January issue. (clockwise)
1. At Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs,
Archbishop Demetrios throws the cross
as the divers from St. Nicholas Cathedral
prepare to jump in.
2. St. Demetrios parish in Merrick holds a
blessing service at the Wantagh Marina
on the south shore of Long Island. John
Aivaliotis retrieved the cross thrown in
by Fr. Nikiforos Fakinos. His brothers,
Gregory and Joseph, also dived.
3. The blessing of the Spokane River in
eastern Washington state was performed
by Frs. Stephen Supica (Holy Trinity Greek
Orthodox Church in Spokane), Andrew
Welzig (Christ the Savior Antiochian,
Spokane Valley, Wash.), Basil Caldaroni
(St. John the Baptist Antiochian Orthodox
Church, Post Falls, Idaho), and Deacon
Lawrence Hartman (Christ the Savior,
Antiochian Orthodox Church, Spokane
Valley). Sixty parishioners attended. The
daytime high was -11 with wind chills
between -30 and -50 and much of the river
outside the channel was frozen.
4. La Jolla, Calif., Cove was the setting
Jan. 11 for the frst pan-Orthodox San
Diego Epiphany Cross Dive. It was spon-
sored by the Eastern Orthodox Clergy
Council of San Diego, representing 16
Orthodox parishes in the San Diego
area. Three groups of divers swam for the
cross: Cross retrievers were: Lydia Corona
of St. Gregory of Nyssa, Louis Zarour of
St. Anthony and Dean Gurholt of Sts.
Constantine & Helen. Clergy included
Frs. Nicholas Andruchow, Andrew Cuneo,
Michael Sitaras, Simeon Corona, Eugene
Grushetsky and Deacon Michael Creigh-
ton. (Matushka Wendy Cwiklinski photo)
5. St. Spyridon Church in San Diego
celebrated its 36
th
annual Epiphany
Cross Dive and Luncheon on Jan. 12.
Fr. Andrew Scordalakis was joined by
San Francisco Metropolis Chancellor Fr.
Apostolos Koufallakis. Stephen Kleinhenz
retrieved the cross.
6. Blessings on the river. Parishioners
of All Saints Church view the blessing
of the Illinois River from the decks of
The Spirit of Peoria, one of the few true
paddle driven riverboats still in operation
in America.
(Photo courtesy of John C. Ackerman)
7. About 20 parishioners of Archangel
Gabriel Church in Traverse City, Mich., at-
tended the blessing of the waters of West
Grand Traverse Bay by Fr. Ciprian Streza,
in 24-degree weather with 30 mph winds.
8. Assumption Church in Long Beach, Calif.,
held its 62
nd
annual dive for the cross celebra-
tion Jan. 5, with Metropolitan Gerasimos of
San Francisco of ciating, assisted by (from
left) Fr. Christos Kanakis, parish priest; the Very
Rev. John Constantine, Los Angeles vicar; and
Archimandrite Apostolos Koufallakis. Aleko
Culp, 14, retrieved the cross.
9. Several children of Annunciation Church
in Sacramento, Calif., participated in the
cross-diving event. Eleni Voudouris (holding
the cross) successfully retrieved it.
10. St. Demetrios Church in Daytona Beach,
Fla., held its Epiphany service, picnic, and
diving for the cross at DeLeon Springs, with
Fr. Joseph Samaan presiding. Dimitrios Sum-
merlin successfully retrieved the cross.Other
divers braving the chill were Yanni Bouzas,
Thanasi Summerlin and Evangelo Pavgouzas.
11. St. Nicholas Parish in Corpus Christi
held its Blessing of the Waters service and
cross diving on Jan. 12 at Corpus Christi Bay.
Cross retriever wasVasilios Talarantas, age
13 (second from right) with Fr. John Hayden
Haby, pastor.
12. Fr. Gary Kyriacou, pastor of St. Demetrios
in Camarillo, Calif., ofered a prayer over the
divers after they emerged from the water
at Ventura Harbor. Cody McBride, age 13,
retrieved the cross.
13. Frs. Christos Christakis
and Perikles Kallis of An-
nunciation Church bless
the water and throw the
cross into the Niagara
River in Bufalo, N.Y. at the
Epiphany service, a few
days before the freezing
of Niagara Fall.
14. An international
event. Fr. Michael Ter-
vo, pastor of St. Sophia
Church in Bellingham,
Wash., blesses Nicolas
Adamopoulos from Delta,
British Columbia, Cana-
da, who braved the cold
temperatures to retrieve
the cross at Marine Park
in Bellingham Bay.
13
12
11
10
Dimitrios Panagos photos
8 7
6
5
4
2
3
1
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JANUARY 2014 20
Church History
Changing Times, Changing Dates
by William H. Samonides, Ph.D.
As we open to the first page of the 2014
calendar, it is appropriate to reflect on the
calendar itself. Calendars have changed
throughout history, differing with each
culture and epoch. In ancient Greece, calen-
dars, the time of new year, and the name of
the months varied with each city-state. Later,
the conquests of Alexander brought another
idea of time, with the year beginning around
the autumnal equinox.
Even the concept of a day differs with
each culture. Today we follow the Roman
custom of starting the day at midnight. The
ancient Greeks, like the Jews and the Mus-
lims, considered sunset the beginning of
their day, and their months started with the
evening when the new moon first occured.
Much of the world today, including
the countries where the Orthodox faith is
dominant, has adopted the solar calendar
that we use as a secular calendar. This is usu-
ally referred to as the Western, Christian, or
Gregorian calendar, after Pope Gregory XIII
(1502-1585), who commissioned calendar
revision in 1582.
The 16
th
century Gregorian reform
was needed because the Julian Calendar,
which took effect in 45 B.C., was 11 minutes
and 12 seconds too long. The Julian Calen-
dar year gained about three days every four
centuries, causing its dates to fall progres-
sively further behind the sun.
It took almost two centuries before
this calendar was accepted by Britain and
its empire in 1752, including our eastern
seaboard.
The Eastern Orthodox world adopted
this calendar less than a century ago. For
almost 1,500 years, the entire Orthodox
world adhered to the same calendar, known
as the Old or Julian Calendar. This is no
longer the case. The Revised Julian or New
Calendar is now followed by the Greek
Orthodox and most of the other Eastern
Orthodox Churches. It is one of the major
recent changes in our Church.
At least since 1900, there has been a
difference of 13 days between the Julian and
Gregorian calendars. The difference in the
dates that Orthodox Christians celebrated
Christmas and Easter was often noted with
perplexity by the secular press. The Greek
Orthodox faithful in Worcester, Mass., no-
ticed their Christian neighbors celebrated
Christmas on Dec. 25.
Desiring to have a special day to cel-
ebrate their parish Feast Day, they chose
to name their parish St. Spyridon, whose
Julian calendar feast day coincided with
Christmas Day on the Gregorian Calendar.
About the time of World War I, the
calendar uniformity of the Orthodox world
began to change. Secular governments in
Bulgaria in 1916, Russia in 1918, and Serbia
in 1919 all adopted the Gregorian calen-
dar. In Greece the transition took place
in early 1923 with a 13-day adjustment.
Within months Ecumenical Patriarch Me-
letius IV (Metaxakis, 1872-1935) convened
an Inter-Orthodox Congress in Constanti-
nople. From May 10 to June 8, 1923, they
addressed the calendar and other pressing
issues. These were especially turbulent
times for the Church. The 1917 Bolshevik
Revolution in Russia and the ongoing peace
negotiations in the aftermath of the 1922
Turkish victory over Greece had brought
about major changes in the Orthodox
world. Discussions at the Congress were
long and unanimity elusive.
The Church of Constantinople, includ-
ing its parishes in America, decided to adopt
a Revised Julian Calendar, with midnight,
Sept. 30, 1923 selected as the moment of
conversion of the religious calendar. Sev-
eral Orthodox jurisdictions, including the
Churches of Jerusalem, Russia, and Serbia,
declined to change; they continued to fol-
low the Old Calendar.
This change in the religious calendar
impacted Greek Orthodox parishes and
priests across the Archdiocese. For Archi-
mandrite Agathangelos Georgakopoulos,
who was serving (1920-1924) at the Annun-
ciation parish in Cleveland, calendar reform
appears to have hastened his departure.
He had served in the U.S. since 1913. He
was briefly at the Annunciation parish in
Providence, R.I., but spent most of his 14
years in America in the Midwest, including
five parishes in Ohio. His last would be St.
Demetrios in Waterloo, Iowa. Although
he was a naturalized American citizen, he
would return to Greece in September 1927.
According to the Annunciation parish
history, Fr. Georgakopoulos was an advo-
cate of the Julian Calendar and was forced
out by those favoring the New Calendar. If
so, he took a different stand at his next par-
ish, Holy Trinity in Canton, Ohio. There, in
Dec. 1924, he publicly supported calendar
reform. In a statement quoted in both local
newspapers Fr. Georgakopoulos said:
Modern methods of transportation
increased the intercourse of the various
European nations, and the discrepancy in
the two calendars confused the commercial
relations of these nations. When the soldiers
of the different nationalities in [World War
I] met on the same battlefield for a common
cause, [they] found their allied Christian
brethren celebrating Christmas, while some
of them waited for their Dec. 25 to come
around. From this a voice of protest went
forth which was heeded by the. patriarchs
of the Greek Orthodox Church, who began
their labors to make it possible for all Chris-
tian people to celebrate the great holiday of
Christmas on the same day. I am gratified
for the change. It eliminates all confusion
and mistakes.
This sentiment, however, was not
shared by the cross-town Greek Orthodox
parish, St. Haralambos, which had not yet
accepted the New Calendar.
In January 1925 they still celebrated
Christmas according to the Old Calendar.
As you go about your business this
year, you may think there is not enough
time to get everything done. When you set
your clocks ahead on March 9, you may
feel the loss of that one hour of sleep. If so,
think back with compassion on the people
of Greece, who went to sleep on Feb. 16,
1923 and woke up Rip Van Winkle-like
on March 1.
The author would like to thank Fr.
Andrew G. George of Annunciation Church
in Cranston R.I. for his assistance.
AHEPA
Over 91 years of service to our communities
across the United States, Canada, Australia,
Greece, Cyprus, Central America & Europe
Join today and be a part of our history
www.ahepa.org
JANUARY 2014 21
Name: Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church
Location: Asheville, N.C.
Metropolis of Atlanta
Size: about 185 members
Founded: 1922
Clergy: Fr. Michael Diavatis (Holy Cross 99)
E-mail: holytrinitywnc@bellsouth.net
Web: www.holytrinityasheville.com
P A R I S H
prof i l e
From Greeces Mountains to the Blue Ridge Mountains
HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
Parish Profile
Strategic Planning
Workshops: For greater
involvement in your parish
Capital Campaign
Planning Studies: Assessing
your projects fundraising potential
Capital Campaign
Management: Planning and
coaching from beginning to end
Stewardship Assistance:
Inspiring greater giving
in your parish
Parish Planned Giving
Programs: Guidance in
cultivating planned gifts
Grant Proposal Research
& Writing: Help throughout
the grant proposal process
IS YOUR PARISH...
Ready to expand parish participation?
Seeking funds for a building project?
Wishing to promote Planned Giving?
Assistance is Available!
The Office of Parish Development offers
guidance to parishes through:
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Office of Parish Development
3 South Prospect Avenue, Ste. II
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Phone: (847) 825-1432
Email: jminetos@goarch.org
Want More Information?
Contact us to discuss your Goals & Needs and allow us
to explain how we might be of help.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. Some Greek Or-
thodox immigrants to the United States
preferred to settle in the mountains as
opposed to near the sea. Asheville is just
such a place. Its surrounded by the Blue
Ridge Mountains, said Fr. Michael Diava-
tis, the pastor since August 2012. Its an
absolutely gorgeous place.
Ironically, many of the first arrivals
in the early 1900s came from Chios but,
now almost everyone is from Evrytania,
the mountainous region in Central Greece
west of Lamia and east of Arta and Amfilo-
hia. This explains why one of Ashevilles
sister cities is Karpenisi, the main admin-
istrative center of the region.
At an altitude of about 2,100 feet,
Asheville itself is in a bowl surrounded
by mountains and about 30 miles east of
Mount Mitchell, the highest U.S. peak east
of the Mississippi.
Holy Trinity Church has a cross-sec-
tion of members, including immigrants,
first and second-generation American-
born, converts and Orthodox Christians
of Jordanian and Ukrainian background.
Most of the Sunday Divine Liturgy is in
English.
Parishioners engage in a variety of
occupations, with business being one of
the major activities. There are a lot of
restaurants that parishioners own, Fr.
Diavatis said, along with many employed
in hospitals and other health services.
Fr. Diavatis said he is in the process
of building up the communitys grassroots
ministries. The parish is on Stewardship,
with the Greek festival in late September
also bringing in considerable revenue.
Over the past 10 years, Holy Trinity
parish has renovated its existing church,
adding a dome and extending the narthex
to give the building a more Byzantine ap-
pearance.
Historical background
The first Greek Orthodox Christians
began arriving about 1900, with the first
known Greek to arrive was Demosthenes
Psychoyios who opened a restaurant
on Pack Square in downtown Asheville,
according to a parish history prepared
by Presbytera Drucilla Arakas Papafil in
the late 1980s. In town he was known
as Psychas, and later as Barbathimo
within the small Greek community that
was taking root.
The first Greek family was Peter (Epa-
menontas) and Stavroula (Kourelakos)
Chakales. Peter opened the Athens Cafe
also on Pack Square, which was becoming
a hub for more Greek businesses, includ-
ing candy makers, a hat shop and other
establishments.
Some of the earliest families to settle
in this part of Western North Carolina in-
cluded the Karambelis, Gianakos, Mimidis,
Mozales, Megaliopou, Papadeas, Kooles,
Pappas, Calogerakis, Kalogerakis, Spi-
rakis, Tshouras, Moushouris, Coutlakis,
Patelides and Naomi families.
By 1922, coincidentally the year of
the establishment of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of North and South America,
the several Greek immigrants in Asheville
formed the Holy Trinity community.
Whenever a priest could visit, the First
Baptist Church and the Trinity Episcopal
Church offered rooms for services.
Between visits, women of the com-
munity gathered to sing a paraklesis in
their homes. Baptisms also took place in
he homes. Galvanized washtubs served as
baptismal fonts, the parish history noted.
One leader of the community, Peter
Chakales, became the first president of
the newly formed AHEPA Chapter No. 28
in 1923.
By the early 1930s, the community
rented space in an upstairs floor of a com-
mercial building. This is considered the
first Greek Orthodox church in Asheville.
During this period, an Orthodox monas-
u to page 27
Source: Google maps
JANUARY 2014 22
Metropolis News
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Recently, we posted an image to
our Ionian Village Facebook page to
advertise the release of the 2014 staff
applications. The image was a picture
of the Ionian Village beach with the
words Work Can Wait.
When talking to young adults about
serving at a camp, I often hear the same
train of thought from them: I have to
work this summer. I fully recognize
the importance of education. I under-
stand that having that internship this
summer might eventually get you a
higher salary later. I get it. But how
did we get here? What are we so easily
casting aside?
When we are kids, its all about
going to camp in the summer, going
back to that magical place to see those
amazing friends we made and relive
those memories year after year. Our
Archdiocese has more camping options
for our children than any other Ortho-
dox jurisdiction. Wherever you are in
this country, our camping ministries
have evolved rapidly over the past 40
years, and these programs have become
the centerpieces of youth ministry both
at the local Metropolis and national
levels. And rightly so! Camp is a special
place where our children can go to es-
cape the pressures and fears of the real
world, meet other young Orthodox
Christians and most importantly, be a
part of something special.
Then, they grow up.
They graduate high school and
move on to college, often far away from
family and the church. Suddenly, they
find that they are no longer teenagers,
but young adults, with an entirely new
set of pressures and responsibilities.
They explore majors and career pos-
sibilities, make a new set of college
friends, and delicately balance their
social and academic life. Maybe they
take a semester abroad.
Literally classified as adults, they
are expected to be responsible, to have
it all together, to formulate a plan for
the rest of their life. And they have to
do this quickly.
With the economy the way it is,
they better get that internship at that
big company so they can get their foot
in the door from now.
Many have student loans to pay off
or law school or medical school to start
thinking about.
As they enter the real world, this
generation of young adults is faced
with more pressures than ever before.
And yet, they forget the most impor-
tant tool. On their journey to become
adults, they find themselves, often
unintentionally, on a sabbatical from
their spiritual life.
All too often, these young adults
forget the lessons they learned at camp
just a few years ago. They forget about
going to church on Sunday, or having
a prayer life.
They begin to see the church as
something that will always be there,
that they can leave on the back burner
and come back to later.
They are growing up, becoming
the people who they will be for the rest
of their adult lives. Too often, amidst
all these pressures, they leave behind
Camp Is Not a Vacation;
Its About Formation
by Fr. Evagoras Constantinides
by Fr. Costas Pavlakos
the most important part of themselves,
their Orthodox Christianity.
So then what? How do we keep our
young adults active and engaged, how
do we give them the tools to own their
faith and connect with God? By serving
at summer camp.
As we look to conquer the world,
sometimes we lose sight of the hori-
zon. For our young adults, serving at a
camp, even just for one week, can do
wonders in helping ground you as an
Orthodox Christian. It can give you that
shot in the arm, that rejuvenation we so
desperately need to reconnect with our
faith. Camp is the bridge to that other,
forgotten part of yourself.
Our young adults must take time for
camp. Contrary to popular belief, serving
at a camp is not a vacation. Camp is fun
and exciting, but it is also tiring, difficult,
challenging and even frustrating at times.
Camp is an opportunity to experience
the Church in a more direct way, working
with kids and building bonds, practicing
leadership skills and using your creativ-
ity. Fostering a connection between your
campers and Christ and reenergizing your
own connection with Christ is, ultimately,
what makes camp so rewarding.
You will see and experience things
as a staff member that almost feel other-
worldly. When you reenter the real world,
youll be longing for the days sitting in the
grass with a group of your campers, talk-
ing, growing, and forming a family. Most
importantly, you will fully be yourself
again, rejuvenated not only physically, but
spiritually. That real world suddenly wont
seem so daunting.
As a young adult, yes, you have myriad
responsibilities that you never had as
a teenager or as a child. But the most
important responsibility that you have is
your faith.
And for you parental readers, do right
by your young adult children and encour-
age them to serve a summer camp this
year. I promise they will make you proud.
Soas much as some parents with
high hopes and aspirations may not like
to hear it, work can wait, work must wait.
You will have your whole life to be in the
job force; these summers pass you by
quickly, as does your ability and schedule
to participate in their amazing camping
programs.
Whether you have grown up going
to camp your whole life or have never
been, now is the time. Whether you go
for one week or two months, find the time
to serve as a staff member at one of our
Archdiocesan camps.
Being a part of youth ministry from
this unique perspective is so important for
your own growth, not just as an Orthodox
Christian, but as a young adult struggling
to find who it is you really are.
Let camp be that bridge to that other
part of yourself. Let camp, together with
the relationships you form with others
and with Christ, be the bridge to the best
version of yourself.
Fr. Evagoras Constantinides is the Io-
nian Village director, the national camping
ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdio-
cese of America. For information on Ionian
Village, visit www.ionianvillage.org. To get
involved with camping ministries across
the Archdiocese, visit www.goarch.org/
archdiocese/departments/youth/camping.
NEW YORK The Archdiocesan Cathe-
dral of the Holy Trinity recently honored
pianist Eleni Traganas with the first Maestro
Dino Anagnost Award. Ms. Traganas, who
served as the Cathedrals inaugural Artist-
in-Residence during the 2012-13 season,
was formally presented with the distinction
in a ceremony at the conclusion of Divine
Liturgy on Sunday, October 27.
Conferring the award was Cathedral
Dean Fr. Anastasios Gounaris, who cited
his intention of making the Artist Residency
Program an international Orthodox cultural
treasure house of talented and gifted artists
Cathedral Presents First Anagnost Award
over the years. Attended by representatives
of the Direct Archdiocesan District Federa-
tion of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians,
the event was followed by a festive coffee
hour and the opportunity for parishioners
to participate in the joyful occasion.
The Maestro Dino Anagnost Award,
which honors the memory of the late con-
ductor who served as music director of The
Little Orchestra Society in New York since
1979, and dean of music at the Cathedral
until his death in 2011, will be presented
annually to each successive appointment to
the Artist Residency program.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Forty Goyans,
their parents, advisors, and priest gathered
in the Meletis Charuhas Hall of St. Katherine
Church on Dec. 23 to assemble 250 bags
filled with sandwiches, snacks, drinks, gift
cards, a hand-signed Christmas card, and
clothing for distribution to the homeless in
Washington on Christmas morning.
The Goyans heard the message of the
Angel: Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will towards men (Luke
2:14) and took it to heart. The expression
of good will towards men has become a
tradition for the teens of St. Katherine to
put their faith into action. For the past 5
years, they have gathered on the 23rd of
December to assemble the bags and then
met at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas Day to go to
the parks in the Washington metro area to
feed and clothe the homeless. Then, they
Virginia Goyans Assist the Homeless
return to church for Liturgy. The first year
they performed this unselfish act of love,
the bags contained a sandwich, drink, des-
sert, and five dollars. The teens saw that the
people who celebrated Christmas on the
streets, whose Christmas tree was a tree in
a park, had other immediate needs. They
responded by expanding the bag lunch
to include a gift card to McDonalds, (so
people could get a warm meal and drink
that evening). The next year, the bag got
bigger to include a scarf, hat, and gloves.
Last year, a homeless person thanked one
of our teens for the bag and asked if we had
any sweatpants. The teen was wearing two
pairs of sweatpants because it was so cold,
so he took off the top pair and gave them to
the homeless person. This year, we added
sweatpants to our Christmas bags.
The number of participants has also
grown, from a modest 10-12 people the first
year, to more than 40 persons.
JANUARY 2014 23
u u to page 24
by Christopher Katis
Day Schools
Orthodox
Christian School
Ofers Many
Programs
When you think of Utah, you prob-
ably envision world-class skiing, amazing
sandstone arches, and the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints. In fact, two-
thirds of the states population identifies
themselves as Mormon. But for 16 years,
St. Sophia Hellenic Orthodox School (www.
saintsophiaschool.org) has been providing
educational excellence, cultural diversity,
and religious relevance to Utahs families.
Located on the campus of Prophet Elias
Church in suburban Salt Lake City, St. So-
phia was founded by three local educators:
Margo Sotiriou, Vicky Folias, and Elaine
Bapis. Initially a pre-school, over the years
it grew to become a standard elementary
school, fulfilling the womens dreams of
an Orthodox parochial school. Currently,
the school offers Mommy and Me classes,
a preschool, full-time kindergarten, and
grades first through fifth.
With Utahs large family sizes, its not
surprising to learn that, according to the
Utah Department of Education, the aver-
age elementary class has 25 students. But
St. Sophia is based on the idea that small
class size allows for individual attention and
personalized education.
Perhaps equally as important, the
schools size allows for the Orthodox vir-
tues of love, kindness and acceptance to be
practiced by students every day.
Having spent 35 years as a teacher
and administrator in public schools, I can
honestly say that theres no other school
quite like St. Sophia, Principal Dana Easton
said. Certainly there are other schools that
offer small class size and impressive test
scores, but our school is unique in that
every student is embraced and celebrated.
Its not something that the teachers and I
even consciously teach, its something the
children just naturally do.
In this more intimate setting, the
cliques and social stigma of associating
with students outside of your peer group
is removed.
Upper classmen routinely help young-
er students, escorting them to lunch, read-
ing to them, keeping an eye out for their
safety on the playground, and mentoring
them during Holy Liturgy.
I like helping the little kids, said Gus
Huntington-Katis, a fifth grader. Theyre
nice and they make me laugh. Added little
brother, Niko, a first grader, Its fun having
friends in all the different grades.
Along with the standardized Utah core
curriculum, students at St. Sophia also study
Greek language, gain an understanding of
Hellenism, and receive Orthodox religious
instruction.
Carrie Pappas and Nitsa Tsoutsounakis,
the schools Greek teachers, work with the
students four days a week. For the Greek
students, were reinforcement for whats
being taught at home or Greek school, Pap-
pas said. And for the non-Greek students,
were providing an important basis for
future foreign languages, as well as the sci-
ences. Additionally, the two help students
gain an understanding of Hellenism, from
both an historical and modern viewpoint,
and its impact on the world in which we live.
Discussions around the art, innovations,
and mythology of Ancient Greece are all part
of class. Outside of the Greek classroom,
a bulletin board displays everything from
images and statistics about Greeces role
during World War II, to common English
words with Greek roots.
St. Sophia is the only school in Utah
where kids learn about important historical
events like Greeces role during World War
II and Greek Independence. These arent
just significant events to Greek people, but
to the world at large, said parent Christo-
pher Katis. The Greek defense during 1940
changed the course of the war. Everyone
should learn about that.
The schools OXI Night and Greek In-
dependence Day programs are a highlight
of the community, and feature poems,
songs, and dances. When my 10-year old
son stood up in front of over 100 people at
the OXI Night program and recited a poem
in flawless Greek, I thought his papou was
going to burst from pride, Katis continued.
Keenly cognizant that not all students
are of Greek descent, St. Sophia recognizes
other ethnic groups and their contributions
during programs. We have or have had
students who are Russian, Serbian, Chinese,
Pakistani, British, Dutch and Native Ameri-
can, continued Easton. We celebrate
everyone at St. Sophia, and know that our
diversity is one of our strengths.
Of course, first and foremost, St. So-
phia is an Orthodox Christian school. From
the blessing on the first day of school to
the morning prayer the Orthodox Faith is
present every day at the school. Also, once a
week, the students receive religious instruc-
tion from Fr. Elias Koucos.
Photos courtesy of St. Sophia School
JANUARY 2014 24
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pastoring of his eparchy and, at the proposal
of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to fill
the vacancy in the Metropolis of Belgium,
elected unanimously Athenagoras of Sinope
as the new Metropolitan of Belgium and Ex-
arch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
About the saints
According to published reports, St.
Porphyrios was born Feb. 7, 1906 in the
village of St. John Karysia, Evia, to Leonidas
and Eleni Bairaktaris. He was given the
name Evangelos and was the fourth of five
children. He is survived by his youngest
sister, a nun.
In his early years, he worked on the
family farm untill age 8, and then worked in
a coal mine and a grocery store in Halkida
and Piraeus.
He went to Mt. Athos about age 14,
where he lived for several years and was
tonsured a monk with the name Nikitas. He
had to leave Mt. Athos because of a respira-
tory illness and returned to his hometown.
He was elevated to the priesthood at age 21.
During World War II, he served as a
hospital chaplain in Athens and remained in
that position until 1970. He spent his later
years on the construction of Holy Convent
of the Transfiguration of the Savior before
returning to Mt. Athos to serve as a spiri-
tual father. Many miracles are attributed to
him and more than 50 books were written
about him.
St. Meletios was born on the island of
Rhodes during the Turkish occupation and
as a young man had a vision of the icon of
the Virgin Mary.
He decided to lead a monastic life and
establish a monastery at the spot where he
had a vision and dedicated his life to help-
ing his fellow Greek Orthodox Christians
during their hard times.
Patriarchal Synod Proclaims 2 Saints
As he is rightly and most befittingly
mourned as one so dearly loved and es-
teemed, let us also celebrate the his noble
accomplishments -- the chief of which was
his generous mind. His achievements will
last well beyond our memory and the gird-
ers and structures created by his inventive-
ness and industry. Indeed, as the Spirit
bears witness: His accomplishments shall
accompany him to his rest, (cf. Revelation
14:13).
May the memory of Nicholas J. Bouras,
Archon Depoutatos of the Holy Mother and
Great Church of Christ be eternal.
Amen. So be it!
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Christmas 2013
Your fervent supplicant before God,
Bartholomew
Archbishop of Constantinople
New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
Archon Deputatos Nicholas J. Bouras
the water, the racers swam to retrieve it as
a nearby Long Beach Fire Department boat
sprayed them with a hose and hundreds of
on-lookers on the beach watched.
Aleko Culp, 14, of Villa Park, was the
first to grab the cross and bring it back to
Metropolitan Gerasimos for a blessing.
This was my first time doing this, said
Culp, I feel so blessed. I wanted to swim
for my church and my family.
The event drew the numbers as it
always has in the past, Soupos said. This
is a living re-enactment symbolizing the
baptism of Christ. All neighbors and Chris-
teners were out in force. Compared to the
last couple of years, it was as good if not
better and the weather could not have been
more perfect.
Contact the writer: bwoolsey@lbregis-
ter.com or 562-277-8343
Brittany Woolsey writes for the Long
Beach Register.
An Icy Celebration
SOFIA, Bulgaria Thousands of young
men plunged into icy rivers and lakes across
Bulgaria on Jan. 6 to retrieve crosses cast by
priests in an old ritual marking the feast of
Epiphany, the Associated Press reported.
By tradition, a cross is cast into a lake or
river and its believed that the person who
retrieves it will be healthy and freed from
evil spirits throughout the year.
The celebration of Epiphany, or the
Apparition of Christ, as Bulgarians call it, be-
gan in Sofia with a water-blessing ceremony.
The head of Bulgarias Orthodox
Church, Patriarch Neofit, said a prayer for
the prosperity of the people and blessed the
colors of representative army units - a tradi-
tion abandoned in 1946 and re-established
in 1992. In the central city of Kalofer, some
300 men, most of them in traditional dress,
waded into the chest-deep waters of the
Tundzha River waving national flags.
Led by the towns mayor and encour-
aged by a folk orchestra, they danced and
stomped the rocky riverbed.
A Sampling of Epiphany Traditions
For younger students that instruction
can be anything from discussing the mean-
ing of the Lords Prayer to learning about
the saints. Older students are led in conver-
sations about God in their daily lives, what it
means to be an Orthodox Christian, and the
deeper fundamental tenets of the Orthodox
Faith. The students also attend Holy Liturgy
on Feast Days throughout the school year.
Since the student body is rather evenly
split between Orthodox and non-Orthodox
students, those outside of the Faith gain an
understand of Orthodoxy, and learn the
important role the Church has played in
the belief systems of other faiths.
The visionary founders, loving staff,
and dedicated families of St. Sophia have
created a truly unique educational experi-
ence: a school in which every child - no
matter who he or she is - is embraced and
celebrated within the loving bonds of Or-
thodox Christianity. This exceptional school
allows children to thrive, reach their full
potential and gain a love of learning.
All these wonderful attributes make St.
Sophia a school kids have been enthusiastic
to attend, and to proudly call home, for
16 years. And all right in the heart of Utah!
For more information, see www.saint-
sophiaschool.org.
Orthodox Christian School Ofers Many Programs
JANUARY 2014 25
Editors note: Below is the annual Archdiocese-
wide calendar of significant events in the Greek Ortho-
dox Archdiocese of America at the metropolis level and
for the Archdiocesan institutions and organizations.
Parish-sponsored events are not included. It is not
all-inclusive as some organizations and metropolises
may not have finalized their schedules for the entire
year. Events listed are those received by the Observer
in time for the January press date.
Dates and locations should be reconfirmed with the
particular organization for those planning to attend as
the event approaches.
Other local activities and events, such as pastoral
visits, anniversaries, feast day events, etc., also are not
included. If the date and location of an event is not yet
determined, it is indicated as TBA (to be announced).
Youth camp information is listed on page 26.
January
2-4 Metropolis of San Francisco GOYA Retreat, St. Nicholas
Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap, Calif.
6 Metropolis of New Jersey Philoptochos Vasilopita event,
Metropolis Center, Westfield, N.J.
11 Metropolis of San Francisco Church Music Institute, South-
west Region, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix
11 Metropolis of New Jersey Epiphany Celebration, St. George
Church, Ocean City, Md.
17-18 Metropolis of San Francisco Music Federation Winter
Meeting, Resurrection Church, Castro Valley, Calif.
17-19 Metropolis of Atlanta - Hellenic Dance Festival, Rosen
Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando, Fla.
17-19 Metropolis of New Jersey Folk Dance Festival, Sts. Con-
stantine and Helen, Annapolis, Md.
17-20 Metropolis of San Francisco Family Camp, St. Nicholas
Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap, Calif.
17-20 Metropolis of Denver Basketball Tournament, Dallas
18 Metropolis of New Jersey Regional Chapter Presidents
Workshop, Norfolk, Va.
19 Hellenic Federation of New Jersey honors Metropolitan
Evangelos of New Jersey
24-26 Metropolis of San Francisco Presbyteres Retreat, St.
Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap
25 Northern New Jersey Three Hierarchs/Greek Letters
Celebration, St. Athanasios Church, Paramus
25 Metropolis of Denver Pastors, Presidents and Council
meeting, headquarters, Denver
25 Metropolis of Chicago Hellenic Letters Celebration, Hellenic
American Academy, Deerfield, Ill.
26 Delaware Valley Three Hierarchs/Greek Letters Celebra-
tion, St. Demetrios Church, Upper Darby, Pa.
26 Metropolis of San Francisco Greek Letters Day Celebration,
Ascension Cathedral, Oakland, Calif.
26 Metropolis of Chicago Hellenic Letters Luncheon Celebra-
tion and Agrafon Contest Winners Awards, Chateaux Ritz,
Niles, Ill.
31-Feb. 1 Metropolis of Chicago Womans Retreat, St. Iakovos
Center, Brighton, Wis.
February
3-5 Metropolis of New Jersey Clergy Retreat, Maryland Eastern
Shore
7-8 Metropolis of Chicago Mens Retreat, St. Iakovos Retreat
Center, Brighton, Wis.
8 Annual Metropolis of New Jersey Philoptochos Chapter
Visitation to St. Michaels Home, Yonkers, N.Y.
8 St. Photios the Great Faith & Learning Symposium, Hellenic
College Holy Cross School of Theology (HCHC), Brookline,
Mass.
7-9 Metropolis of Chicago Greater Western Region Family
Basketball Tournament, St. Marys parish, Minneapolis
7-9 St. Photios National Shrine annual Foundation Meeting
and National Shrine Pilgrimage, St. Augustine, Fla.
12-14 Metropolis of Denver Clergy Retreat, headquarters,
Denver
13-16 Metropolis of San Francisco annual Folk Dance and
Choral Festival, Anaheim, Calif.
16 Metropolis of Chicago G.O.A.L. Championship Games, Sts.
Peter and Paul Church, Glenview, Ill.
16 St. Photios National Shrine Annual House of Worship Tour,
St. Augustine
23-24 Metropolis of San Francisco Council Meeting, St. Nicho-
las Ranch and Retreat Center, Dunlap
24-25 Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy-Laity Assembly, St.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese National Calendar of Events for 2014
Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center.
24-25 Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture-Boston
Byzantine Music Festival, HCHC, Brookline
25-26 Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy Retreat, St. Nicholas
Ranch
25-27 Metropolis of Detroit Clergy Retreat, Sts. Constantine
and Helen Church, Westland, Mich.
28 Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture-The
Sinai Palimpsest Project: Piercing the Mists of Time, Fr. Justin
Sinaites, Mt. Sinai Librarian, presenter, HCHC
March
1 Thyranoixia for National Philoptochos Center of Philan-
thropy, New York
1 HCHC Applications priority deadline
1 HCHC CrossRoad Summer Institute priority application
deadline
2 Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture Pre-College
Program at HCHC application deadline
TBA Metropolis of New Jersey Philoptochos Chapter Presi-
dents Workshop
6-8 HCHC Pappas Patristics Institute 10
th
annual Graduate
Student Conference
8-9 Metropolis of San Francisco, Pan-Orthodox Celebration
of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, St. Stevens Serbian Orthodox
Cathedral, Alhambra, Calif.
8-15 The HCHC Missions Institute of Orthodox Christian-
ity Spring Break Mission Trip to Guatemala
15 Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Lenten Retreat, St.
Demetrios Church, Libertyville, Ill.
14-16 Metropolis of San Francisco Young Adult Lenten Retreat,
Malibu, Calif.
22 Metropolis of Chicago Lenten Family Synaxis Retreat, St.
Demetrios Church, Chicago
23 Metropolis of New Jersey Greek Independence Day Parade,
Philadelphia.
27-30 Atlanta Metropolis Council meetings, Atlanta
28 Costas Consultation: Christianity in the Middle East, HCHC
29 Metropolis of Denver St. John Chrysostom Oratorical
Festival, St. Catherine Church, Greenwood Village, Colo.
TBA: Metropolises of Boston, Detroit and New Jersey St.
John Chrysostom Oratorical Festivals.
29 St. Photios third annual Pan Orthodox Womens Retreat
March-April Metropolis of San Francisco Lenten Online Book
Club
31April 4 Orientation visit for HCHC seniors to Archdiocese
headquarters in New York
April
TBA Metropolis of Boston Clergy Retreat, St. Methodios Faith
and Heritage Center, Contocook, N.H.,
TBA Metropolis of Boston DOXA Spring Seminar, St. Metho-
dios Faith and Heritage, Center, Contocook, N.H.
1 HCHC Applications standard deadline
3 Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture at
HCHC: The Reliquary-Enkolpia of St. Demetrios and the
Wonder of Art
4-6 Metropolis of Denver Southern Region GOYA Lenten
Retreat, Van, Texas
22 Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture: Des-
erts, Rivers and Mountains: Nature and Divinity in Byzantine
Pilgrimage Art, HCHC
25 Metropolis of Chicago Feast Day of Zoodochos Peghe, St.
Iakovos Retreat Center, Brighton, Wis.
26 Metropolis of Chicago St. John Chrysostom Oratorical
Festical, St. John the Baptist Church, Des Plaines, Ill.
27 Metropolis of San Francisco Hellenic Cultural Parade, San
Francisco
May
1-2 Archdiocesan Council spring meeting, Philadelphia
2-3 Metropolis of San Francisco St. John Chrysostom Oratorical
Festival, St. Nicholas Ranch, and Retreat Center, Dunlap, Calif.
4 Metropolis of San Francisco Kids n Cancer Spring Reception,
Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.
5 Final Exams begin for HCHC Seniors
10 Direct Archdiocesan District St. John Chrysostom Oratori-
cal Festival, St. Paul Cathedral, Hempstead, N.Y.
11-13 Metropolis of New Jersey Clergy Laity Assembly and
Philoptochos Convention, The Venetian, Garfield, N.J.
12 Final exams begin for all other HCHC students
17 Metropolis of Pittsburgh St. John Chrysostom Oratorical
Festival, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Pittsburgh
17 HCHC Commencement
21 HCHC summer session begins
23-25 33
rd
Metropolis of Chicago Jr. Olympics, Sts. Constantine
& Helen Church, Palos Hills, Ill.
23-26 Metropolis of San Francisco Family Camp, St. Nicholas
Ranch and Retreat Center
24 Metropolis of Atlanta St. John Chrysostom Oratorical
Festival, St. John the Divine Church, Jacksonville, Fla.
25-26 Metropolis of New Jersey GOYA Outdoor Olympics,
Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J
June
8 Metropolis of Boston Annual Ministry Awards Dinner,
Lombardos, Randolph, Mass.
12-15 Metropolis of San Francisco Kids n Cancer Camp Agape,
St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center
13-15 Archdiocese Level St. John Chrysostom Oratorical
Festival, Metropolis of Pittsburgh, host; Annunciation Church
in Cleveland
14 Saint Basil Academy graduation ceremony, Garrison, N.Y.
21 Greek Landing Day events at St. Photios National Shrine.
Services and glendi for the 246
th
anniversary of the arrival of
500 Greeks to St. Augustine
21-July 1 HCHC CrossRoad Summer Institute first session
July
5-15 CrossRoad Summer Institute second session at HCHC
6-10 42
nd
Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress, Philadelphia
6-10 National Philoptochos Convention, Philadelphia
20-25 Pappas Patristics Institute Annual Summer Program in
Patristic Studies, HCHC
20-Aug 2 Program for the Diaconate at HCHC
August
4-29 Kallinikeion Institute at HCHC
29-Sept. 2 Metropolis of Chicago Labor Day Family Synaxis
Retreat, Green Lake Conference Center, Green Lake, Wis.
September
TBA Metropolis of Boston annual golf classic
2 First day of classes at HCHC
20 Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Luncheon,
Rosewood Restaurant, Chicago
14 - HCHC Exaltation of the Precious and Life Giving Cross
Feast Day, Brookline, Mass.
15 Metropolis of San Francisco-sponsored The Twelve Great
Feasts through Icons and Hymns-Part 2 Online Webinar
15-19 Metropolis of San Francisco Adult Resort Camp, St.
Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center
21 Metropolis of New Jersey Holy Cross Celebration, Asbury
Park, N.J.
October
TBA Archons Banquet and Installation, New York
Fall meeting of the Archdiocesan Council, location TBA
26 Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey Ambassador Awards
Banquet
November
1-2 Retreat at St. Photios National Shrine for parish bookstore
volunteers
6-9 Atlanta Metropolis Council meetings, Atlanta
10-13 Metropolis of San Francisco Pan-Orthodox Clergy Re-
treat, St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center
December
6 Metropolis of San Francisco Light the Path Christmas Lun-
cheon, Northern California
13 Second blessing of the animals at the Constantine Sisters
Courtyard of St. Photios National Shrine
14 Metropolis of New Jersey annual Christmas Tree Lighting
and Open House, headquarters, Westfield, N.J.
13 Saint Basil Academy Christmas program, Garrison, N.Y.
16 Final exams begin at HCHC
27-29 Metropolis of Atlanta Winter Youth Rally, Atlanta.
JANUARY 2014 26
A Guide to Youth Camps of the Archdiocese
Summer camping season is only five
months away and the Archdiocese offers a
selection of several facilities located in each
metropolis, the Direct Archdiocesan District
and Greece.
The camps are under the guidance of
the Office of Camping Ministries of the Arch-
diocese Youth and Young Adult Ministries
and the individual metropolises.
At the direction of the Holy Eparchial
Synod, each camp is mandated to use the
policies and procedures outlined in the
Youth Protection Manual that guide clergy
and lay persons charged with selecting,
training and supervising those who work
with young people at camps and retreats.
The Office of Camping Ministries creates,
coordinates and distributes standardized
resources and training sessions for camp
directors and staff, and sets standards for
camp operation. The guide on this page
provides information for potential campers
considering attending Ionian Village or the
metropolis camps this summer. In cases
where information is NA (not available)
or TBA (to be announced), contact the
metropolis, the camp director or contact
person listed. Numbers next to each camp
listed correspond to their location on the
map(s). This guide does not include listings
for local parish camps.
Ionian Village
Location: Bartholomio, Peloponnesus,
Greece
Dates: Session One, June 23-July 12; Ses-
sion Two (July 20-Aug.8); Spiritual Odys-
sey Pilgrimage to Cyprus and Crete, May
30-June 9.
Age ranges: Open to campers who have
completed grades 8-12.
Cost per camper: $4,250 camp only.
Director or contact person and phone
number: Fr. Evagoras Constantinides,
212.570.3536.
e-mail address: ionianvillage@goarch.org
Open to: Any young person from the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which
includes all metropolises and the Direct
Archdiocesan District.
Registration period: Early-bird registration
opens Feb. 1-15; regular registration follows
until April 30.
Spiritual Odyssey Pilgrimage Program:
Offers young adults, ages 19-28, the oppor-
tunity to encounter Greek Orthodox culture
and faith through focused pilgrimages.
Spiritual Odyssey Cyprus-June 1-11.
METROPOLIS OF BOSTON
St. Methodios Camp
Location: St. Methodios Faith & Heritage
Center Contocook, N.H.
Dates: Week 1, July 2-6; Summer Family
Camp (Week 1 only, all ages as family),
Week 2, July 7-13; Week 3, July 14-20; Week
4, July 21-27; Week 5; July 28-Aug. 3; Week
6, Aug. 4-10.
Cost per camper: $575 per camper; (for
Family Camp, $575 for first three persons,
$50 each additional).
Director or contact person and phone
number: Michael Sintros (director),
603.746.4400.
e-mail: mbcamp@tds.net
website: mbcamp.org
Open to: (ages 8-18, and families)
Registration: Begins March 1
DIRECT ARCHDIOCESAN DISTRICT
Camp St. Paul
Location: Litchfield, Conn.
Dates: (four 1-week sessions):
Week 1, June 30-July 6; Week 2, July 7-13;
Week 3, July 14-20; Week 4, July 21-27
Age range: 8-18
Cost per camper: $660 regular registration
Director or contact person and phone:
Fr. Elias Villis, 914.967.2838
Website: www.campsaintpaul.org
e-mail: districtyouth@goarch.org
Open to: any youth of the Archdiocese
Registration: Begins March 3
.
METROPOLIS OF NEW JERSEY
Camp Good Shepherd
Location: Camp Linwood MacDonald
YMCA-Branchville, N.J.
Dates: JOY July 13-19; GOYA #1 July
20-26 and GOYA #2 July 27-Aug. 2
Cost per camper: TBA
Director or contact person and phone
number: George Tomczewski (youth direc-
tor), Metropolis Youth Office, 908.301.0500.
e-mail: youth@nj.goarch.org
Open to: Children ages 8-18
Registration: Begins Feb. 1
METROPOLIS OF PITTSBURGH
Camp Nazareth
Location: Mercer, Pa. (One hour north
of Pittsburgh. This camp is owned by the
Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, pre-
sided by Bishop Gregory of Nyssa).
Dates: Four one-week sessions:
Session 1: JOY (grades 3-7) June 1521;
Session 2: JOY June 22-28; Session 3: GOYA
(grades 8-12) June 29-July 5; Session 4:
GOYA July 6-12
Cost per camper: Early Bird: $500; Regu-
lar: $550
Director or contact person and phone
number: Rhea Ballas, 412.621.8543
e-mail: youth@pittsburgh.goarch.org
Open to: all Archdiocese youth
Registration: March 1 to June 15
METROPOLIS OF ATLANTA
St. Stephens Camp
Location: Diakonia Retreat Center, Salem,
S.C.
Dates: Senior Camp, June 29-July 5; 6
th
grade through high school senior (four
sessions) July 6-12, July 13-19, July 20-26,
July 27-Aug 2.
Cost per camper: $400, with sibling dis-
counts
Open to: 6
th
grade through senior year
Director or contact person and phone
number: Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis,
813.876.8830
e-mail: frstav@gmail.com
Registration: begins April 1
METROPOLIS OF DETROIT
Metropolis of Detroit Summer Camp)
Location: Rose City, Mich.
Dates: Week 0: June 22 - June 28; Week 1,
June 29 - July 5; Week 2, July 6-July 12; Week
3, July 13-July 19; Week 4, July 20-July 26;
Week 5, July 27-Aug. 2.
Cost per camper: TBA
Director or contact person and phone
number: Geoffrey Lowes - 248.909.6372
e-mail: gomdsc@gmail.com
Open to: Week Zero, ages 16-18; Weeks
1-5, ages 7-15
Registration: Begins March 1
St. Nicholas Camp
Location: NaCoMe Conference Center -
Pleasantville, Tenn.
Dates: July 27-July 3
Cost per camper: $325 Early Bird Regis-
tration
Director or contact person and phone
number: Eva Kokinos-Konstantakos -
248.823.2411
e-mail: snsc@detroit.goarch.org
Open to: All Orthodox Christian Youth
ages 8-18
Registration: Begins March 1
METROPOLIS OF CHICAGO
Camp Fanari
Location: Green Lake Conference Center,
Green Lake, Wis.
Dates: June 15-21
Cost per camper: $475 by May 1; $525
by June 1; $575 afterward (subject to
changes)
Director or contact persons and
phone numbers: Fr. William Chiganos
(708.562.2744), Chris Avramopoulos,
Metropolis Youth and Young Adult
Ministries director (312.337.4130) Nick
Kirkeles, 630.624.7444
Website: www.gochicagoyouth.goarch.
org
Open to: Children entering 6
th
grade in
the fall, through those entering senior
year in high school.
Registration: Begins March 1
St. Marys Summer Camp
Location: Camp Wapogasset, Amery, Wis.
Dates: June 28-July 4
Director: Fr. Paul Paris (camp director)
Cost per camper: TBA
Website: www.stmaryscamp.com
Open to: Children in grades 3-12.
Registration: TBA
METROPOLIS OF DENVER
Camp Emmanuel
Location: Manzano Mountain Retreat,
Torreon, N.M. (southeast of Albuquerque)
Dates: Junior Session (June 9-15) ages
11-14; Senior Session (June 1 6-22) ages
15-18.
Cost per camper: TBA
Director or contact person and phone
number: Deacon Paul Zaharas (camp
director); Fr. Evan Armatas (program di-
rector), (303) 333-7794
e-mail: rsinos@denver.goarch.org
Website: www.youth.denver.goarch.org/
ministries/campemmanuel
Open to: Limited to Denver Metropolis
youth.
Registration: TBA
METROPOLIS OF SAN FRANCISCO
Metropolis of SF Summer Camp
Location: St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat
Center, Dunlap (Squaw Valley), Calif.
Dates: Counselor Training, July 2-6; Session
1, July 7-13; Session 2, July 14-20; Session
3, July 21-27; Session 4, July 28-August 3
Cost per camper: $425; $25 discount for
each additional child
Director or contact person and phone
number: Paul Gikas, director of Youth and
Young Adult Ministries, 415.814.1186
E-mail: pgikas@sanfran.goarch.org
Website: www.sanfran.goarch.org
Open to: Mainly Greek Orthodox but Pan-
Orthodox Christians from age 8 years (or
entering the third grade in September 2013)
to 17 years old (or a high school graduate
in spring 2013), as well as friends and rela-
tives of those campers.
Registration:
Metropolis Greek Village
Elliniko Horio Camp
at St. Nicholas Ranch
(This is a Greek immersion and cultural
summer camp program held at the Metrop-
olis St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center).
Dates: June 21-28
Cost: $425
Program Director: Georgia Covell, 415.
814.1186
E-mail: pgikas@sanfran.goarch.org
Website: www. ourgreekvillage.org
Open to: Mainly Greek Orthodox children
ages 7-14 interested in learning more about
Greek language and culture in a summer
camp environment .
Registration: March 1-May 30
A group of happy campers at the Metropolis of San Francisco Camp last summer.
Having a great time in 2013 at the Metropolis of Chicago Camp Fanari.
JANUARY 2014 27
Around the Archdiocese
u u from page 21
tery was established with three monks
in Gastonia, N.C., about 70 miles to the
east. The eldest monk, who was a priest,
would travel once a month to Asheville to
perform the Liturgy. He built an iconosta-
sion with lumber he brought for one of the
rooms in the building, which served as the
church. Another room served as the Greek
school, which took place every afternoon
for all children of the parish.
Political upheavals in Greek in the late
1920s and early 1930s between the Royal-
ists and Venizelists, which spilled over into
this country, affected the Asheville parish
but not to the extent of other communities
that split into separate churches.
Instead, the recently established
Greek school divided into two separate
schools, with one faction of royalists
comprised of Spartans, forming a school
with Mr. Rodopoulos as the teacher, while
the Venizelists operated the other, with
Mr. Halikakis as the childrens instruc-
tor. However, the parish itself remained
united.
After the two groups reconciled,
the new Greek school teacher was Mr.
Anamourlis, who taught all the students.
In the early 1940s, the parish moved
from its location to another building,
which the community purchased, on an-
other downtown street.
The first full-time priest was assigned
at this time, Fr. Pouleropoulos, who also
shared among four communities three
Sundays a month in Greenville, S.C., one
Sunday in Spartanburg, S.C., one Saturday
in Anderson, S.C., and one Saturday a
month in Asheville.
Following World War II, the Asheville
community began to grow as many Greek
displaced by the war came to the United
States.
Other developments in the com-
munity included the organization of the
Philoptochos chapter, officially recognized
in 1944, and one of the earliest youth
groups in America, the Hellenic Forum.
In 1954, the communities in Asheville
and Spartanburg agreed to share a priest,
Fr. C. Bitzas, who officiated at the Liturgy
three Sundays a month in Spartanburg and
one in Asheville.
Holy Trinity parish purchased prop-
erty in the 1950s and groundbreaking took
place Sept. 22, 1957. It was completed
in1958.
The communitys first full-time priest,
Fr. Nicolaos Spirakis, came to the parish
in 1959 and served until 1970. Among the
noteworthy developments included the
establishment of the first GOYA chapter,
with Anastasia Hanzas as its first president.
She and her sister, Effie, were the first
parishioners to attend and graduate from
Saint Basil Academy, which had a teacher
training school.
Also in the 1960s, Athanasios John
Pistolis became the first parishioner to
attend Holy Cross School of Theology
and the community center and education
building were completed.
Holy Trinitys second permanent
priest, Fr. Nicholas Vangelopoulos, arrived
in 1970 and served until 1984, when he
was succeeded by Fr. Theodore N. Papafil
who, in turn was succeeded by Frs. Stavros
Akrotirianakis and James Iliou.
Fr. Diavatis is only the parishs fifth
priest. He and his presbytera have eight
children, two of whom are altar boys. He
came to Asheville after serving parishes
in Las Vegas, Alaska, Florida, and Penn-
sylvania.
Aside from his delight of being in
Asheville, Fr. Diavatis has enthusiasm for
serving his congregation. I really enjoy
the people here, he said. We have a good
group of peaceful people.
Compiled by Jim Golding
Parish Profile
Around the Archdiocese is a subcat-
egory of Metropolis News that presents brief
items from a broad representation of com-
munities. Parishes are selected at random,
but information may be submitted to the
Observer (60 to 100 word limit) and will be
considered on a spaceavailable basis (type
Around the Archdiocese in subject space).
No pictures. No Greek festivals. News of
greater significance, and pictures, will con-
tinue to appear in Metropolis News. Each
issue will feature different communities.
Parish honors veterans
1. CALIFORNIA St. George Church in
Palm Desert honored veterans serving in all
branches of the military with a special ser-
vice and program on Nov. 10. Fr. Ted Pan-
tels, pastor, committee of volunteers from
the parish council, Philoptochos and AHEPA
Chapter No.528 organized the event.
Rhonda Latkovic, parish council president,
served as chairman. The event included a
special honored guest, Colonel Steve The
Flying Greek Pisanos, who offered remarks
about his armed forces service in WWII and
Vietnam, which captivated the audience.
Helping the Navajos
2. NEW MEXICO - St. George Church
Goyans in Albuquerque recently began
a project known as YOCAMA (Young
Orthodox Christian American Mission
Adventures) with a nearby Navajo Indian
reservation that brings doctors, and young
people as a special ministry. Fr. Conan Gill
reported that Goyans and Philoptochos
members take food to the reservation.
The Daughters of Penelope chapter hosts
a brunch. Last year four Goyans worked
on the reservation on home improvement
projects, building wheel chair ramps, house
painting, and building recreational facilities.
Completes first decade
3. MISSOURI - St. Luke the Evangelist
Church in Columbia recently observed its
10
th
anniversary, which was highlighted by
a visit from Metropolitan Iakovos of Chi-
cago. He celebrated the hierarchical Divine
Liturgy in the 80-family community. Dinner
and entertainment followed.
Preparing for centennial
4. OHIO Holy Trinity Cathedral in
Toledo is preparing to observe its 100
th
an-
niversary in 2015, beginning with a spring
kickoff around Pentecost of this year. Fr.
Aristotle Damaskos said that events will
include reunions of altar boys, choir mem-
bers, basketball team members, people
married in the church and various cultural
events.
Also honored veterans
5. OHIO Annunciation Church in
Dayton also honored its retired and active
military veterans in a special service in No-
vember. Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit
presented each honoree with a certificate
of appreciation and a patriotic cross pin. At
a reception that followed, Fr. Mark Enroll,
the pastor, read a letter from a parishioner
currently serving in the Army.
It read, in part, While fighting in Iraq,
Afghanistan, graduating Airborne School,
Pathfinder School, and Ranger School my
faith has often times (if not always) pulled
me through. Catalyst to such faith has been
the love and support from our parish.
Chemical spill, water woes
6. WEST VIRGINIA Parishioners
of St. John Church in Charleston were
among the more than 100,000 persons
without safe tap water after a chemical
spill into the Elk River on Jan. 9. Fr. Elias
Scoulas noted that, aside from being
greatly inconvenienced, there were no
adverse effects on individuals. The parish
purchased bottled water to distribute to its
members and also acquired water bottles
at no charge from the city of Charleston.
The state of emergency resulting from
the chemical spill lasted several days. The
chemical is used to wash coal of impuri-
ties.
HDF record
7. FLORIDA The Atlanta Metropolis
Hellenic Dance Festival held in Orlando
had a record turnout this year with 1,200
registrants. Dancers competed in 38
groups in several categories. First time at-
tendees included a representative group
from the Metropolis of Chicago, St. Paul
Church in Savannah, Ga.; and St. Deme-
trios Church in Warren, Ohio. Full cover-
age will appear in the February-March
issue. To view pictures from the event
prior to that issues publication, visit www.
atlmetropolis.org
Ministering to homeless
8. VIRGINIA - Sts. Constantine and
Helen Cathedral in Richmond, continued
its tradition of hosting homeless families
for one week through the CARITAS (Con-
gregations Around Richmond Involved to
Assure Shelter) Program. Church Ministries
prepared dinner and packed lunches, and
individual members offered breakfast and
spent the night. Fr. Nicholas Bacalis report-
ed that the Cathedral hosted the program
from Dec. 6-13 and served nine families
with a total of 11 children. More than 100
parishioners participated in this ministry.
Food and postcards
9. The Greek Orthodox parish of Lou-
doun County in northern Virginia came
together over the holiday season on behalf
of the Ronald McDonald Family Room
at Childrens National Medical Center in
Washington. The parish filled the cabinets
with food and the GOYA put together spe-
cial treat bags for siblings. The children and
their families received a holiday postcard
at the Holiday Shop from the Sailors and
Marines aboard the aircraft carrier USS
Harry S. Truman. Their former parish priest,
Command Chaplain Fr. John Kalantzis
spearheaded the effort.
Youth start-ups
10. NEW YORK Fr. Theodore Roupas,
newly assigned pastor of St. George Church
in Schenectady who arrived on Oct. 1, is
busy starting some new ministries, includ-
ing Angels-Hope-Joy youth groups, a Spiri-
tual Book Club, and, eventually, a young
adult group. He also hopes to organize
pilgrimages once or twice a year.
Lecture series
11. CONNECTICUT - St. George
Cathedral in Hartford each year sponsors
the James C. Rouman Lecture Series in
its social hall. Over the next few months,
speakers include Tom Papademetriou,
Ph.D., from Richard Stockton College of
New Jersey, speaking on The Anatolian
Churches Project: The Legacy of Greek
Orthodox Christians in Turkey, Feb. 9;
Elizabeth Prodromou, Ph.D., from Boston
University, speaking on the topic Where
God Weeps and Politics Prevails: Christian-
ity at Peril in the Middle East, March 16;
and Vera Shevzov, Ph.D., from Smith Col-
lege, speaking on Orthodox Veneration
of the Mother of God on May 4. Lectures
begin at 5 p.m.
Toys for kids
12. VERMONT - Parishioners of Dormi-
tion of the Mother of God Church in Burl-
ington near Lake Champlain held a Toys
for Kids of Vermont drive in December for
children in need, working through agencies
that included the Salvation Army, the Amani
Center and Josephs House. Food items also
were donated, as reported in the parish
publication, The Bridge.
JANUARY 2014 28
IOCC
OCMC
u u from page 3

Yes, I want to Support our ORTHODOX OBSERVER

Enclosed is my 2013-2014 Ecclesiastical Year donation.

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S
u
pport you
r
BALTIMORE As snow and nighttime
temperatures fall in portions of Greece,
the countrys most vulnerable, the elderly,
people with disabilities and orphaned chil-
dren, are at the greatest risk of succumbing
to the bitter cold without adequate heat to
keep them warm. Tax hikes last year by the
Greek government nearly doubled the price
of heating fuel, making it unaffordable for
the countrys nursing homes, rehabilitation
centers and orphanages already stretched
thin to meet other operating costs such as
food, wages and maintenance. Without gov-
ernment assistance, caregiver institutions
struggle to protect the health and well-being
of their wards this winter.
International Orthodox Christian
Charities (IOCC) is providing winter relief
with the emergency distribution of heat-
ing fuel to 35 social institutions across 15
prefectures in northern Greece. The aid is
made possible through the generous sup-
port of The Jaharis Family Foundation Inc.,
which has pledged to match contributions
IOCC Delivers Winter Relief
to Greeces Most Vulnerable
to IOCC for its efforts to address hunger and
poverty in Greece. The institutions, which
are home to 1,900 children and adults
unable to care for themselves, will receive
supplemental fuel to assist in keeping their
facilities heated through the winter months.
In addition to the emergency winter
aid, ongoing distributions of food are being
provided throughout Greece in coopera-
tion with Apostoli, the social service agency
of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Athens.
Last winter, with the support of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
IOCC distributed heating fuel to 35 social
institutions caring for the countrys most
vulnerable people in Athens, northern and
central Greece. IOCC has been working
since 2011 to address the urgent humanitar-
ian needs of children, families and elderly
in Greece facing poverty and an uncertain
future brought on by the countrys financial
crisis. IOCC has delivered more than $7
million in medical support, food and job as-
sistance programs to the people of Greece.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. The Orthodox
Christian Mission Center (OCMC) staff and
trustees held their annual fall meeting in
November at the Archbishop Anastasios and
Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training
and Administration Building, where they
approved the 2014 budget and heard re-
ports on the OCMC ministries.
The Mission Centers ministries in-
clude programs in Guatemala, where
OCMC Board member Fr. John Chakos
and his wife, Presbytera Alexandra, serve
as long-term missionaries. Additionally, Fr.
John discussed some recent developments
there, including the continued training of
future clergy and the vibrant sacramental
life. Presbytera Alexandra reported on her
OCMC Trustees Hold Fall Meeting
by Alex Goodwin
by Andrew Lekos
work teaching the local women to make
vestments and other items to support
themselves and the growing Church in
Guatemala.
OCMC Missionary Dr. Michael Colburn
and Fr. Seraphim Dedes also presented
new software they are developing to help
compile liturgical texts and music trans-
lated into various languages for the Church
abroad. This software, called AGES, is the
focus of Dr. Michaels mission work and it
speaks to one of the foundational pillars
of Orthodox missions, namely, worship
in the peoples native tongue. The vital
ministry undertaken by missionaries such
as Fr. John, Presbytera Alexandra, and Dr.
Colburn will expand to reach more people
as the faithful continue to respond to serve
as missionaries and mission team members.
Do something amazing this spring!
You are invited to serve the Church in
Albania or Kenya through an incredible
opportunity to share your faith. This tra-
ditionally is a time is for young people to
experience a new and exciting place and
accomplish things that take them out of
their normal routine. This year, however,
everyone is encouraged to apply for an
OCMC spring team and do something
incredible for Christ. A unique camp in
Albania will creatively model how an Or-
thodox camp can foster a mission-minded
awareness of the world that hungers and
thirsts for Christ. Work side-by-side with
OCMC missionaries and Church leaders to
offer this unique camp for youth leaders
from around Albania. This program was
created in the United States for Orthodox
Christian teens striving to make a differ-
ence in the world by sharing the Gospel of
Jesus Christ and giving to those in need.
Do the desert savannahs of Africa
call you? An evangelism team will travel
to the remote parts of northern Kenya
in March to a region where women wear
uncountable beaded necklaces and men
Spring Openings for OCMC Mission Teams
use hand-carved walking sticks and walk
for hours to learn about our Faith. This
is Turkana, where you will encounter a
people who hunger for the gospel. Be
prepared to share the amazing gift of salva-
tion that knowing Christ offers us. Mission
work is central to our Orthodox faith and
your participating this spring on an OCMC
Team will expose you to the great needs
that still exist in this world. This spring,
apply for an Orthodox Mission Team
and share Christ with those who do not
yet know Him. Broaden your horizons,
strengthen leadership skills, and develop
a vision for the needs of the world by shar-
ing the Gospel with those of a different
culture. Grant opportunities available for
Orthodox seminarians. Apply for a 2014
OCMC Team and share your faith.
ALBANIA Youth Ministry, March 10-17,
Cost: $1,030-plus airfare
KENYA Evangelism, March 8-16,
$1,160-plus airfare
The Orthodox Christian Mission Cen-
ter (OCMC) is the official missions agency
of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox
Bishops of North and Central America
dedicated to fulfilling Christs last com-
mand to make disciples of all nations.
eration recognize that the Three Hierarchs
were completely dedicated to the Church,
the Body of Christ, the people of God who
were gathered in communities for wor-
ship, for guidance in the faith, and in the
witness of Gods grace through service to
those in need.
We also sing of Basil the Great, Gregory
the Theologian, and John Chrysostom as
ones who gave their lives and abilities in
support of the faith and as a strength
of believers, a consolation for every sin-
ner, and refreshing springs to refresh our
souls. Blessed with grace and wisdom from
above, they were committed to teaching
and preaching the Gospel of Truth and the
Word of the Lord, guiding people to Christ.
The Three Hierarchs sought to follow the
Apostolic commission to go, teach, and
baptize so that all might hear, believe, and
begin a journey of faith filled with hope in
the promises of God.
The words of the hymns dedicated to
the Three Hierarchs represent their very
significant teaching and witness--the priority
of the life of faith for each and every person
and the importance of the Church and
participation in the fellowship of believers
for spiritual growth and maturity. First, it is
very evident throughout the writings and
sermons of the Three Hierarchs that they
were concerned about the condition and
needs of the soul and the necessity of each
person living in communion with God.
With a deep faith, a love of Holy Scripture
and theological acumen, Basil the Great,
Gregory the Theologian, and John Chryso-
stom examined the human condition, offer-
ing tremendous insight in understanding
our relationship with God. They showed
why this relationship was essential in over-
coming the power of sin and death and
restoring the divine image within us.
Second, as bishops and pastors, they
also knew that the life and mission of the
Church is vital to the life of faith.
Each of these great Saints engaged in
intense theological debates as defenders of
truth, willing to sacrifice their positions of
leadership and even their lives to protect
the Body of Christ. They labored day and
night to help communities of believers fulfill
their sacred calling to be places of worship,
service, and most importantly, fellowships
of faith united in Christ, offering love, heal-
ing, and salvation.
The teaching and witness of the Three
Hierarchs presents to us an authentic syn-
ergy between person and community. Each
of us is called individually through the Gos-
pel to meet the Risen Christ, to believe in
Him and receive the forgiveness and grace
of God. We are offered the opportunity to
be renewed through communion with Him,
to live daily according to His will, to strive
toward our created potential as human be-
ings, and to receive the gift of eternal life.
We are also called to live, worship, and serve
in community. We gather together to wor-
ship the One who gives us life and purpose.
Through our worship, the Holy Sac-
raments, and through the preaching and
teaching ministries of the Church we receive
strength and guidance in the life of faith. As
the family of God, brothers and sisters in
Christ, we join together in service to one
another and to any in need.
This focus on person and community
is also appropriate for our celebration of
Greek Letters Day. As we find wisdom and
edification from Basil the Great, Gregory the
Theologian, and John Chrysostom, we are
also able to emphasize the value of essential
qualities of human life and relationship
that have been vital to our Greek heritage.
Throughout our history, both in times of
great achievement and in times of intense
struggle, we can see the importance of both
person and community to our identity. We
can affirm a heritage that inspired many
to strive for the heights of human ability
in thought, language, literature, art, archi-
tecture, science, music and physical skill,
emphasizing the tremendous and varied
potential of the person.
We also have a heritage that shows an
engagement with these endeavors within
community--in social, political, economic,
intellectual, and spiritual bonds with oth-
ers. The pursuit of knowledge and under-
standing, the questioning and exploration
of the unknown, the achievement of un-
precedented skill and insight, most often
occurred within a social environment that
encouraged and honored vision, potential,
and achievement.
We are blessed as Greek Orthodox
Christians to be able to offer this beauti-
ful and cherished inheritance as a witness
of the true and beneficial relationship of
person and community. Too often we
see the abuses and destructive results on
individual lives, communities, and nations
when human life and potential is devalued
or self-interest, greed or a lust for greater
power diminishes communal bonds and
identity. We are able to stand firmly on our
faith and our heritage in affirming the love
of God for each and every person. We are
equipped to strengthen our parishes, work
within our Greek American community,
and serve in the places we live so that we
are creating and nurturing a communal
culture that encourages personal growth
and excellence, character, and faith in God.
On this Feast of the Three Hierarchs
and Greek Letters Day, may we give thanks
to God for this witness. May we prayerfully
seek His strength and grace as we offer to
all a manner of life and being that will lead
us as persons and as communities to an
abundant and eternal life.
DEMETRIOS, Archbishop of Amer i ca
With paternal love in Christ,
Feast of the Three Hierarchs
JANUARY 2014 29
DECEMBER 2013 30
OBSERVERS CLASSIFIEDS
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JANUARY 2014 31
Family Connections
by Gigi Baba Shadid
When you make the sign of the
cross, you remember that God is the
boss.
This is a simple rhyme and at the
same time, a profound truth. It is a re-
minder that we are not in control, God
is. What is it about music and rhyme
that attracts us so?
Music is a universal language cen-
tral to every culture of the world. It has
been used to entertain, communicate,
educate and inspire. Rhyme, rhythm,
song and movement have historically
been used as powerful teaching tools
that have infused the values, morals
and customs of cultures and societies.
Speaking from experience, the
best way to get a sleepy or disengaged
student to wake up and get excited
about learning is to have them move
their bodies and sing along in song.
Research has proven that music reduces
mental fatigue, calms tensions, focuses
thinking and greatly impacts creativity.
Here are some more convincing
reasons why we should use music to
teach our children both at home, at
church and at school:
1. The human body is more than
70 percent water, and water is a perfect
conductor of vibration. This is precisely
why music has an energizing effect on
the body.
2. Learning through music is ex-
tremely effective because it is com-
pletely brain compatible. Music is au-
ditory, kinesthetic/tactile (movement),
and elicits emotion. When song lyrics
are made available in the printed form,
music also taps the visual modality.
3. Music gets stored in our long-
term memory (ALPHA and THETA brain
wave states which are more conducive
to memory and creativity), which is why
we remember songs.
4. Music simply makes learning
easy and more fun.
There is so much deep theology
and catechism in our Church hymnol-
ogy; simply study the hymns of St.
Ephrem the Syrian as an example and
be inspired to pray as well as learn
about our faith: The boldness of our
love is pleasing to you, O Lord, just as
it pleased you that we should steal from
your bounty. - Hymns on Faith 16:5.
In this regard, we as Orthodox are
richly blessed. As for original Orthodox
Christian music that children can listen
to and sing in a fun way through Vaca-
tion Bible School(VBS) church school
or at home, we are lacking.
Our Protestant friends have a
wealth of music for children - much of it
is good and Bible-based as I discovered
from teaching an Orthodoxized ver-
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
Orthodox Childrens Music CDs
by Gigi Baba Shadid: Fruits of the Spirit
(2004), Celebrate the Feasts (2007),
The ABCs of Orthodoxy (2011), and
Fight the Good Fight (2013). Purchase
online at www.amazon.com or www.
archangelsbooks.com
Living in an Orthodox World: Sing-
able Songs for the Young and Young at
Heart CD by Fr. Michael Shanbour. Pur-
chase online at www.archangelsbooks.
com
Apolytikia of the Great Feasts CD by
Unfading Rose. Byzantine chant in Greek
and in English. Purchase online at www.
unfadingrose.com
HomeWord Center for Youth and
Family (www.homeword.com) seeks to
advance the work of God in the world
by educating, equipping, and encourag-
ing parents and churches to build God-
honoring families from generation to
generation.
Vibrant Faith Ministries (www.vi-
brantfaith.org) supports families who are
intentional about their faith and religious
practice as they raise the next generation
of committed Christians.
sion of a Christian VBS for many years.
However, there were some years I recall
teaching the music when the songs
were, lets just say, lacking substance.
Why arent there non-liturgical songs to
teach our Orthodox children about the
feasts of the Church, about the saints,
about icons and making the sign of the
cross? My passion is teaching with mu-
sic, and I felt that God was calling me
to do something about it.
Hence, God is the Boss was writ-
ten, along with now over 50 songs for
Orthodox children of all ages.
The truth is, parents want their
children to learn about God and about
their faith, but many have a lack of
knowledge themselves. That is why
music is so effective. Kids and parents
can listen and together learn and grow
in their knowledge and faith in Christ
and their love for His holy Church. Li-
turgical music and original Orthodox
music are two kinds of music that speak
to the soul.
On our way to evening liturgy for
the feast of the Holy Cross, I asked my
three children if they knew what the
feast of the Holy Cross was about. They
were silent. I figured, they needed to
know why we were going to church that
night and why this feast is important so
I proceeded to ask a few questions. Do
you know the story about who found
the cross of Jesus? What are their names?
How did they find it? They remained
silent. I then told them to pay close
attention to the song that they were
about to hear and after it is finished I
would ask those same questions again.
They sat up straight and were really pay-
ing attention as the song Finding the
Cross (from the Celebrate the Feasts
CD) was being played. Afterwards, I
could not get them to stop talking and
shouting, Constantine! Helen! There
was a dead man and he rose when Jesus
cross was laid on him! They asked to
play the song again and again until we
got to church. They answered more
questions and were so excited to learn
about the feast. Two days later, my old-
est son came to me after church school,
beaming with pride. He said he knew
all the answers about the feast of the
Cross when his teacher asked the class
in Sunday school.
How else can we use music in the
home with our families?
As alluded to in the example above,
one of the easiest things to do is lis-
ten to Orthodox childrens music and
liturgical music in the car with your
kids instead of turning on the radio.
Other recommended music can be Bible
songs, chanting, and VBS music.
Chant Lord Have Mercy in differ-
ent languages after each petition during
morning and evening prayers.
Chant also the Trisagion, Holy
God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal Have
Mercy on us and the Magnificat You
are honored more than the Cheru-
bim...
FEAST DAYS
Before decorating your Christmas
tree, gather your children around the
tree and pray The Lords Prayer. While
decorating the tree, play Christmas mu-
sic or church troparia related to Christ-
mas (YouTube has a wealth of music
and videos from which to choose). It
is a good thing to have icons and cross
ornaments with which to adorn your
tree as well.
At Epiphany, make the traditional
fried dough balls and dip them into a
homemade simple syrup while singing
the Troparion of Theophany: When
Thou O Lord was baptized in the River
Jordan Explain that dipping the
dough into the syrup reminds us of
Jesus being baptized in the Jordan river.
As a family, dye Easter eggs on
the eve of Pascha while singing Christ
is Risen and other related hymns.
You will find it to be a meaningful and
joyous to hear your children singing
like the angels. I have personally done
these things with my own children and
have enjoyed seeing them participate
in the feasts of the church through
these hands-on activities and through
incorporating music. It makes the feasts
more meaningful to them as well as
memorable.
Train up a child the way he should
go and when he is old, he will not
depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). If we
engage our children in the life of the
Church, there is a high likelihood that
these traditions will get passed onto
our grandchildren as well; they will not
depart from it. Sadly, the opposite is
true as well. Liturgical music is a part of
our Orthodox Christian culture that we
should be passing along to our children
and grandchildren.
Fr. Anthony Coniaris writes in his
book, Making God Real in the Ortho-
dox Christian Home, that the home is
the first church in which a child learns
about Christ, faith and liturgical life. He
says, We need to remember that each
home is a religious institution; parent-
ing is a holy calling, a priesthood (20).
If our home is to be a little church and
we the priests, should we not adorn
it with icons and fill it with hymns,
chants, and songs of praise as we see
and hear in church? The hymnology of
the Church has always been filled with
rich theology and has been teaching her
faithful for generations. We now have
other types of music as well to supple-
ment that which the Church gives us.
May our homes and lives be filled with
the Word of God, both spoken and sung
so that one day we can join the holy
angels in giving constant praise to God
through song.
Its as easy as pressing play.
Gigi Shadid is the wife of Fr. James
Shadid, an Antiochian Orthodox priest
in Wichita, Kansas. She has a degree in
education from the University of Hous-
ton and has worked as a youth director
of the Antiochian Archdiocese as well as
a teacher of both public and parochial
schools since 1998. She has produced
five educational music CDs since 2004,
four of which are Orthodox music for
children and adults.
Music as a Ministry
Dimitrios Panagos photo
32 JANUARY 2014
by Fr. Theodore Barbas
To access the map key for the
communities in the graphic visit
the Archdiocese website www.go-
arch.org. Then go to News, click on
Observer and go to the November
2012 archived edition, page 28
Boston Metropolis Feature
Metropolitan Methodios has an-
nounced that the Metropolis of Boston
has adopted the new Archdiocesan initia-
tive, REAL (Representing Emerging Adult
Leaders), to advance its ministry outreach
to one of the Churchs greatest treasures,
the young adults.
Partnering with the Archdiocese
Department of Youth and Young Adult
Ministries, the Metropolis is creating a
prototype of REAL ministry opportuni-
ties that will be shared with Metropolises
nationwide to build relationships among
young adults.
During the past two years, the Me-
tropolis has launched a host of initiatives
encouraging young adults to take on lead-
ership roles in their parishes and at the
Metropolis. Consistent programs are being
offered to encourage spiritual growth and
foster community.
REAL Boston will engage young adults
in a relevant, honest, and creative manner
by tailoring programs to meet the needs
and desires of individuals. Some young
adults desire educational opportunities
in a fellowship setting. Orthodoxy on Tap
has developed to discuss Faith topics in a
relaxed setting like a bar or pizzeria. Other
young adults desire more service-oriented
activities, which has led to partnerships
with food pantries and other local philan-
thropic agencies.
REAL Bostons objective is to create
and provide weekly opportunities through-
out New England for young adults to expe-
rience the awesome and inexpressible love
of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are four key
components upon which REAL Ministries
are built: Service, Worship, Fellowship and
Education.
Leadership 100 has provided the re-
sources to launch The Emerging Leaders
Ministry through a generous grant.
Addressing the critical need to engage
contemporary professionals in the life of
the Church, The Emerging Leaders Ministry
strategically cultivates future Church lead-
ers. Metropolitan Methodios convened a
national leadership steering committee that
has established four implementation teams
to address the ministry activities.
These include Research, Education,
Outreach/Networking and Infrastructure.
The two-year pilot program serves as a
prototype for replication throughout the
Archdiocese.
Among some of the key elements are
leadership forums:
The ministry was launched in the
Metropolis through nine leadership fo-
rums that have included a motivational
leadership presentation by Theo Nicolakis,
the Archdiocese director of Information
Technologies, followed by small group
discussions on mentoring and ministry
development.
The response to the Leadership Fo-
rums was extremely positive.
Research: A survey instrument was
developed under the direction of Dr. Tony
Vrame with broad constituent input that
was distributed at all leadership forums
and is posted on the Metropolis website.
The data serves to guide the education
committee in the development of specific
programs and ministry offerings.
Orthodoxy on Tap: This ministry ini-
tiative is an ongoing effort now occurring in
seven New England locations with several
REAL Boston the Emerging Leaders Ministry
Metropolitan Methodios with Young Adult Emerging Leaders Ministry participants
hundred contemporary professionals shar-
ing in open dialogue and discussion about
issues, challenges and hot topics in the
world, society and Church today.
Discussion topics included Confes-
sion, Thinking through Faith, Physician-
Assisted Suicide, Ways to Prepare for the
Feast of the Nativity, Whats Glory Got to
Do With It, What Is in Your Hands, Being
StillSpirituality in a 9-5 World, and To
Love Another Person Is to See the Face
of God.
Among some of the additional initia-
tives to be explored and offered this year
are:
REAL Brewed Awakening: This is
similar to Orthodoxy on Tap, however, the
informal discussions and fellowship will
take place at a local coffee shop, making it
an appropriate venue for all ages, especially
college students under the age of 21.
REAL Orthodox Dilemmas through
Cinema: Designed to engage popular cul-
ture in cinema, the venue for this gathering
will be a local theater. Young adults will
gather to view a current movie, followed
by a group discussion examining the issues
raised in the film from an Orthodox per-
spective. It will be a fun night of fellowship
with substance.
REAL Sports: Sporting events for
young adults/young professionals to find
athletic competition and fellowship will
be offered in various locations throughout
the Metropolis, ranging from dodge ball or
volleyball tournaments to pick-up basket-
ball games and possibly a soccer league,
to name a few.
REAL Service Projects: This will in-
clude programs like: Breakfast Searches
and Midnight Runs both of which foster
engagement with impoverished neighbors.
Parishes will collect new or gently used
coats that will be personally delivered by
OCF students and young adults. Visitations
to homeless shelters and soup kitchens
will be organized to personally engage
young adults in social ministries. Venues
like St. Francis House, The Pine Street Inn,
and Project Bread/The Walk for Hunger
will be among the Boston-based agencies
receiving support. Short-term foreign and
domestic mission trips will continue to be
offered to young adults for service-oriented
opportunities.
The ORION (Orthodox Recogni-
tION) Awards: An event honoring the arts
to showcase talents of our young adults.
ORION is a black-tie inspired event com-
prised of emerging adults throughout the
Metropolis. The event celebrates the talents
of local Orthodox Christians and strength-
ens the relationship between Orthodox
young adults and their Church.
Centering the event on Orthodox art-
ists and their work will serve to inspire peer-
to-peer interaction, and use the creative arts
as a medium to see how God is active in all
aspects of our lives. This platform will serve
as a springboard to bridge the perceived gap
between the Church and everyday lives of
young adults.
Other gathering opportunities will
include outings such as sporting events,
concerts and travel. Liturgical worship will
be highlighted for young adults to gather
for prayer and fellowship.
The Metropolis will partner with busi-
ness leaders including The Alpha Omega
Council to offer professional mentoring
through a Speed Networking medium.
Young Adult retreats will continue to be
held at the St. Methodios Faith and Heri-
tage Center in New Hampshire as ongoing
periods of renewal and fellowship.
The culmination of the initiatives
first year was the Metropolis Laity Awards
Dinner in June that focused exclusively
on the Leadership 100 Emerging Leaders
grant. Metropolitan Methodios challenged
the 850 attendees to actively engage these
emerging leaders to build Church leader-
ship. The Emerging Leaders were front and
center throughout the evening as master of
ceremonies, musicians and speakers. The
audience was receptive, energized and mo-
tivated to continue this important ministry.
The Metropolitan issued an encyclical
to all clergy and parish councils in August
that requested all communities to engage
young adults to become parish council
members and to mentor them into leader-
ship positions. The Metropolitan has also
appointed several young adults to the
Metropolis Council.
The Metropolis will convene a seminar
near the end of 2014 to review current
best practices in engaging young adults as
leaders; to review the Metropolis of Boston
Emerging Leaders Ministry model; and to
compile these initiatives into a model for
use throughout the Archdiocese to engage
young adult community and contemporary
professionals through REAL Ministries.
Photo courtesy of Metropolis of Boston.
For more information,
contact Metropolis of Boston
617.277.4742
www.boston.goarch.org