ST. DEMETRIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Warren, Ohio

ST. DEMETRIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Warren, Ohio VOL. 01-16 JANUARY 2016 BASIL THE GREAT, ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA –JANUARY 1 Saint Basil the Great w...
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ST. DEMETRIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Warren, Ohio VOL. 01-16 JANUARY 2016

BASIL THE GREAT, ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA –JANUARY 1

Saint Basil the Great was born about the end of the year 329 in Caesarea of Cappadocia, to a family renowned for their learning and holiness. His parents' names were Basil and Emily. His mother Emily and his grandmother Macrina are Saints of the Church, together with all his brothers and sisters: Macrina, his elder sister , Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebastia and Naucratius. Basil studied in Constantnople, then in Athens, where also he formed a friendship with the young Gregory,later called "the Theologian." Through the good influence of his sister Macrina, he chose to embrace the ascetical life, abandoning his worldly career. About the year 370, when the bishop of his country reposed, he was elected to succeed to his throne and was entrusted with the Church of Christ, which he tended for eight years, living in voluntary poverty and strict asceticism, having no other care than to defend holy Orthodoxy as a worthy successor of the Apostles. The truly great Basil, spent with extreme ascetical practices and continual labours, at the helm of the church, departed to the Lord on the 1st of January, in 379. at the age of forty-nine. His writings are replete with wisdom and erudition, and rich are these gifts he set forth the doctrines concerning the mysteries both of the creation and of the Holy Trinity. Because of the majesty and keenness of his eloquence, he is honoured as "the revealer of heavenly things" and "the Great.

SABBAS (SAVA), ARCHBISHOP OF SERBIA JANUARY 14

Saint Sabbas (Sava), the first Archbishop and teacher of the Serbs, and the most beloved of all the Saints of Serbia, was born in 1169. He was the son of Stephen Nemanja, the ruler of Serbia, who is better known as Saint Symeon the Myrrh-streamer As a young man,he fled secretly to Athos, to the Monastery of St Panteleimon. When his father learned of his flight, he sent soldiers after him. Before they could seize him, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Sabbas. Soon after, he entered the Monastery of Vatopedi, where his father joined him in 1197. Together they rebuilt the Monastery of Hilandar and made it a great spiritual center for their countrymen. In 1200 Saint Symeon reposed, and his body became a source of holy myrrh; in 1204 Saint Sabbas was compelled to return to Serbia with his father's relics, that he might restore peace between his two brothers, who were struggling over the rule of the kingdom. The grace of Saint Symeon's relics, and the mediations of Saint Sabbas, healed the division between his brethren. After persuading the Emperor in Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly to the Serbian Church, the Saint against his will was ordained first Archbishop of his native land in 1219, where he labored diligently to establish the Orthodox Faith. In 1221 he crowned his brother Stephen first King of Serbia. In 1234, he resigned the archiepiscopal throne and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai; while returning through Bulgaria, he fell asleep in peace in 1236. Because he has been ever since the national hero of Serbia and an invincible bulwark strengthening the Orthodox Faith, the Moslem Turks burned his incorrupt relics in the year 1594.

2016 St. Demetrios Church Parish Information Proistamenos Fr. Constantine Valantasis Cell (330) 469-4386

Orthros: Sunday 9:00AM Confessions: Saturday 4:00pm

2016 Parish Council

Vespers: Saturday 5:00pm

Parish Information: St. Demetrios Church 429 High Street, NE Warren, OH 44481

William Angelis Mary Ann Raptis Michael Aivazis Irene Culetsu

Divine Liturgy: Sunday 10:00AM

St. Demetrios Community Center 3223 Atlantic Street, NE Warren, OH 44483

George Halkias Tom Kalogeras Matthew Kassos Nicholas Kondoleon

Church Phone: (330)394-9021 Fax: (330)394-9077 Center Phone (330)372-5460

Nicholas Kontos Frank Manios

Website:

stdemetrioswarren.org

Email: [email protected]

Steven McGarrity Kleanthes Tsapos Steve Zervas

Catechism:

Christos Zoumas

TBA

Parish Council Meetings: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 7:00pm 

Ladies Philoptochos Society: 3rd Tuesday of each month 6:30pm

JOY and GOYA: TBA

SENIOR CITIZENS: Last Thursday of each month at 12:30pm Crystal Room

+Glory be to God for all things! +



Pastoral Message Beloved Faithful, This month’s pastoral message is a message of instruction. These glorious feast days which we are encountering take on deeper meaning only if we come to appreciate their depth and connection to our personal lives and communal participation in the life of the Church. Therefore I have included an “explanation” of the feast of Theophany written by the V. Rev. Thomas Hopko. I pray it will inspire you as it has inspired me. My prayers for a blessed and glorious New Year, filled with Faith, Hope and Love. In Christ, Fr. Costa

Epiphany The sixth of January is the feast of the Epiphany. Originally it was the one Christian feast of the “shining forth” of God to the world in the human form of Jesus of Nazareth. It included the celebration of Christ’s birth, the adoration of the Wisemen, and all of the childhood events of Christ such as his circumcision and presentation to the temple as well as his baptism by John in the Jordan. There seems to be little doubt that this feast, like Easter and Pentecost, was understood as the fulfillment of a previous Jewish festival, in this case the Feast of Lights. Epiphany means shining forth or manifestation. The feast is often called, as it is in the Orthodox service books, Theophany, which means the shining forth and manifestation of God. The emphasis in the present day celebration is on the appearance of Jesus as the human Messiah of Israel and the divine Son of God, One of the Holy Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Thus, in the baptism by John in the Jordan, Jesus identifies himself with sinners as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29), the “Beloved” of the Father whose messianic task it is to redeem men from their sins (Lk 3:21, Mk 1:35). And he is revealed as well as One of the Divine Trinity, testified to by the voice of the Father, and by the Spirit in the form of a dove. This is the central epiphany glorified in the main hymns of the feast: When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan the worship of the Trinity was made manifest! For the voice of the Father bare witness to Thee, calling Thee his Beloved Son. And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the truthfulness of his Word. O Christ our God, who hast revealed Thyself and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee (Troparion). Today Thou hast appeared to the universe, end Thy Light, O Lord, has shone on us, who with understanding praise Thee: Thou hast come and revealed Thyself, O Light Unapproachable! (Kontakion). The services of Epiphany are set up exactly as those of Christmas, although historically it was most certainly Christmas which was made to imitate Epiphany since it was established later. Once again the Royal Hours and the Liturgy of Saint Basil are celebrated together with Vespers on the eve of the feast; and the Vigil is made up of Great Compline and Matins. The prophecies of Epiphany repeat the God is with Us from Isaiah and stress the foretelling of the Messiah as well as the coming of his forerunner, John the Baptist: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God (Is 40:3-5; Lk 3:4-6).

Pastoral Message-p2 Once more special psalms are sung to begin the Divine Liturgy of the feast, and the baptismal line of Galatians 3:27 replaces the song of the Thrice-Holy. The gospel readings of all the Epiphany services tell of the Lord’s baptism by John in the Jordan River. The epistle reading of the Divine Liturgy tells of the consequences of the Lord’s appearing which is the divine epiphany. For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:11-14). The main feature of the feast of the Epiphany is the Great Blessing of Water. It is prescribed to follow both the Divine Liturgy of the eve of the feast and the Divine Liturgy of the day itself. Usually it is done just once in parish churches at the time when most people can be present. It begins with the singing of special hymns and the censing of the water which has been placed in the center of the church building. Surrounded by candles and flowers, this water stands for the beautiful world of God’s original creation and ultimate glorification by Christ in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes this service of blessing is done out of doors at a place where the water is flowing naturally. The voice of the Lord cries over the waters, saying: Come all ye, receive the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, even Christ who is made manifest. Today the nature of water is sanctified. Jordan is divided in two, and turns back the stream of its waters, beholding the Master being baptized. As a man Thou didst come to that river, O Christ our King, and dost hasten O Good One, to receive the baptism of a servant at the hands of the Forerunner (John), because of our sins, O Lover of Man (Hymns of the Great Blessing of Waters). Following are three readings from the Prophecy of Isaiah concerning the messianic age: Let the thirsty wilderness be glad, let the desert rejoice, let it blossom as a rose, let it blossom abundantly, let everything rejoice… (Is 35: 1-10) Go to that water, O you who thirst, and as many as have no money, let them eat and drink without price, both wine and fat… (Is 55:1-13) With joy draw the water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall you say: Confess ye unto the Lord and call upon his Name; declare his glorious deeds… his Name is exalted… Hymn the Name of the Lord… Rejoice and exult… (Is 12:3.6). After the epistle (1 Cor 1:10-14) and the gospel reading (Mk 1:9-11) the special great litany is chanted invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the water and upon those who will partake of it. It ends with the great prayer of the cosmic glorification of God in which Christ is called upon to sanctify the water, and all men and all creation, by the manifestation of his saving and sanctifying divine presence by the indwelling of the Holy and Good and Life-creating Spirit. As the troparion of the feast is sung, the celebrant immerses the Cross into the water three times and then proceeds to sprinkle the water in the four directions of the world. He then blesses the people and their homes with the sanctified water which stands for the salvation of all men and all creation which Christ has effected by his “epiphany” in the flesh for the life of the world. Sometimes people think that the blessing of water and the practice of drinking it and sprinkling it over everyone and everything is a “paganism” which has falsely entered the Christian Church. We know, however, that this ritual was practiced by the People of God in the Old Testament, and that in the Christian Church it has a very special and important significance.

Pastoral Message-p2 It is the faith of Christians that since the Son of God has taken human flesh and has been immersed in the streams of the Jordan, all matter is sanctified and made pure in him, purged of its death-dealing qualities inherited from the devil and the wickedness of men. In the Lord’s epiphany all creation becomes good again, indeed “very good,” the way that God himself made it and proclaimed it to be in the beginning when “the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:2) and when the “Breath of Life” was breathing in man and in everything that God made (Gen 1:30; 2:7). The world and everything in it is indeed “very good” (Gen 1:31) and when it becomes polluted, corrupted and dead, God saves it once more by effecting the “new creation” in Christ, his divine Son and our Lord by the grace of the Holy Spirit (Gal 6:15). This is what is celebrated on Epiphany, particularly in the Great Blessing of Water. The consecration of the waters on this feast places the entire world—through its “prime element” of watering the perspective of the cosmic creation, sanctification, and glorification of the Kingdom of God in Christ arid the Spirit. It tells us that man and the world were indeed created and saved in order to be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:19), the “fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:22). It tells us that Christ, in who in “the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily,” is and shall be truly “all, and in all” (Col 2:9, 3:11). It tells us as well that the “new heavens and the new earth” which God has promised through his prophets and apostles (Is 66:2; 2 Peter 3:13, Rev 21:1) are truly “with us” already now in the, mystery of Christ and his Church. Thus, the sanctification and sprinkling of the Epiphany water is no pagan ritual. It is the expression of the most central fact of the Christian vision of man, his life and his world. It is the liturgical testimony that the vocation and destiny of creation is to be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:19).

ASK THE FATHER Q: What books are in Eastern Orthodox Bibles in both OT and NT? Are they the same as the Roman Catholic Bibles? What final decree or canon does the Eastern Orthodox follow and from where do they get it? The New Testament canon is the same for Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants. The first official listing of these was by Saint Athanasius in his Festal Letter as Archbishop of Alexandria in 367. The Old Testament canon was and remains a more complicated issue. There are three problems (1) the extra-books, the one that we part of the Septuagint ( LXX) manuscript tradition, a translation of the original Hebrew translated by 70 Jewish Greek-speaking scholars, which was commissioned at the time of Alexander the Great, and this was the bible of the early Christians and NT writers (2) the additions to accepted books, such as additions to Daniel or even Baruch / Letter of Jeremiah as “additions” to Jeremiah (3) the differences between the Masoretic text and LXX platform for some books or critical verses. Jeremiah comes to mind since the Hebrew and LXX texts are quite different and the Dead Sea Scrolls support the LXX in this case, and LXX variants in many cases. The Orthodox position has been to try to harmonize all these things by understanding what inspiration and scripture are all about: they are about witnessing to the truth, and the summit of truth is Jesus Christ. However, this witness can only be understood or unlocked by the same Holy Spirit which was at work in the sacred authors whose writings pointed to this spiritual truth. For this reason, the Orthodox recognize 1.that the Jewish canon is canonical because this is what is accepted as authoritative witness 2.that the LXX variants and additional books should be included in the collection of Scripture because: 1.they are indispensable to inform the reader of the NT (the NT quotes the LXX + the NT stories make reference to ideas and events only found in the LXX deuterocanonical, that is, inspired and therefore “readable” books. 2.they were accepted and used by all the early Churches as part of Scripture in some form (i.e. Origen’s testimony in Letter to Africanus) 3.they include significant testimonies to Christ such as Wisdom 2 4.the Holy Spirit will guide Christians in the Church to properly use and understand these texts, just as the absence of the Holy Spirit will prevent someone from understanding even the most basic and obvious revelation of Scripture. This is why St Paul tells us that it is only by the Holy Spirit that someone can say “Jesus is Lord.” As the result, the Orthodox Bibles always contain the protocanonical (canonical) books also accepted by Jews and Protestants + the deuterocanonical books which are part of the LXX / early Christian tradition. In the Orthodox “deuterocanonical” means “having secondary witnessing authority” not “canonized later” (which is the Roman Catholic perspective). On a final note, it might be said that the issue of canon is somewhat open in the Orthodox tradition, and that it is not a major issue. The universal practice in Orthodoxy has been (1) to include these books in all editions of Orthodox bibles (2) to acknowledge that there is a hierarchy in the canon, as Hebrews 1:1-2 confirms.

Pastoral Message Το κασκαβάλι του Παπαδιαμάντη “Ευφραίνεσθε δίκαιοι,Ουρανοί αγαλλιάσθε”(Από ύμνο του Όρθρου των Χριστουγέννων). Την επομένη του Αγίου Νικολάου, επηρεασμένος και από το παπαδιαμαντικόν “ο χειμών εκείνος δεν ήτο φιλοπαίγμων” (“Η σταχομαζώχτρα”), φεύγω από τη Θεσσαλονίκη με κατεύθυνση το πατρικό μου στο Νεοχώρι της βορειοανατολικής Χαλκιδικής, για κάποιες δουλειές που δεν επιδέχονται αναβολή. Σ’ ένα από τα μεγάλασούπερ μάρκετ της περιοχής σταματώ για δυο τρία οψώνια και -διες εσύ!- τι ανακαλύπτω; “Κασκαβάλι” της Λήμνου! Τι επιβάλλεται στην προκειμένη περίπτωση; Μετάβασις εις άλλο γένος…”Και ο καπετάν Κωνσταντής [ο Λημνιαραίος] ανεβίβασεν από το γολετί δύο ασκούς γενναίου οίνου και εν καλάθιον με αυγά και κασκαβάλι της Αίνου, και ημίσειαν δωδεκάδα όρνιθας και μικρόν βυτίον με σκομβρία”. Πλούσια τα ελέη, που γίνονται ακόμη πλουσιότερα, αν στο αυτοσχέδιο γιορτινό τραπέζι προσθέσουμε και τα ακόλουθα παπαδιαμαντικά “χάδια της κοιλιάς”: “δύο τρυφερά ερίφια”, τα οποία “οι αιπόλοι εφιλοτιμήθησαν να σφάξωσι και ψήσωσι” και, βεβαίως, “πολλάς δωδεκάδας κοσσύφια αλατισμένα”, τα οποία “οι δυο υλοτόμοι είχαν φέρει από το βουνόν”.”Και έφαγον πάντες και ηυφράνθησαν, εορτάσαντες τα Χριστούγεννα μετά σπανίας μεγαλοπρεπείας επί του ερήμου εκείνου βράχου”. Χάριν… αποενοχοποιήσεως των αναγνωστών που δεν έχουν ακόμη αντιληφθεί πόθεν προέρχονται τα ως άνω θαυμαστά της λογοτεχνίας,της πανηγύρεως και του ρεφενέ, ο συντάκτης του εορταστικού αναγνώσματος δηλώνει πως το απολύτως εμβληματικό χριστουγεννιάτικο διήγημα “Στο Χριστό, στο Κάστρο” (1892) το διάβασε για πρώτη φορά σε ηλικία 43 ετών, έπειτα από σχετική αναφορά της Νίνας Κοκκαλίδου-Ναχμία στην εφημερίδα “Μακεδονία”! Επειδή όμως -συν τοις άλλοις- πρέπει να υποστηριχθεί και ο τίτλος του δημοσιεύματος, πληροφορώ τους “εκλεκτούς φιλαναγνώστας” ότι ο Παπαδιαμάντης κατά τη διάρκεια “μικράς διαχύσεως” με δημοσιογράφους της εποχής (Μάρτιος 1893) εις το μπακάλικον του Μπάρκα με “αχνίζον γκιοβέτσι, μισήν οκάν άρτου κεκομμένου μπακάλικα και αφρίζοντα ρητινίτην”, ο Παπαδιαμάντης, λέγω, “εζήτησε και τυρόν μάλιστα”. Συνεπώς, στο πλαίσιο της απίστευτα ενημερωμένης πραγματογνωσίας και γευσιγνωσίας του, πώς να μη γνωρίζει και το κασκαβάλι; Πάντως, τώρα που το δοκίμασα, μπορώ να γνωματεύσω μετά βεβαιότητος ότι συγκαταλέγεται ανάμεσα στα γευστικότερα ελληνικά τυριά: αλμυρό στη γεύση και (δυστυχώς) εξίσου αλμυρό στην τιμή… Τα έχει, ωστόσο, τα λεφτά του και με το παραπάνω. Σημειωτέον ότι ο περί ου ο λόγος τυρός αναφέρεται άλλη μία φορά στο επίσης χριστουγεννιάτικο διήγημα του Παπαδιαμάντη “Ο Χαραμάδος” (1904): “Μεσούντος του Δεκεμβρίου ο καπετάν Ηρακλής,προερχόμενος από τα Μπογάζια και το Δεδεαγάτς, φέρων και τινα εξαίρετα κασκαβάλια της Αίνου, επλησίασε εις την Λήμνον, εφόρτωσε ωραία κοκκινωπά κρασιά, κ’ έπλευσεν εις Θεσσαλονίκην”.

Pastoral Message-p2 Αναφέρω παρεμπιπτόντως ότι η Αίνος βρισκόταν στις εκβολές του Έβρου από την πλευρά της Ανατολικής Θράκης (η σημερινή της τουρκική ονομασία είναι Ενέζ). Δεδεαγάτς ήταν η τουρκική ονομασία της Αλεξανδρούπολης πριν από την οριστική της απελευθέρωση (1920), ενώ τα Μπογάζια παραπέμπουν πιθανώς στον πορθμό του Βοσπόρου (ενδεχομένως και στον Ελλήσποντο).Επανακάμπτω -μέρες που είναι- στα παπαδιαμαντικά “χάδια της κοιλιάς”. Πρόκειται για έκφραση η οποία συναντάται στο διήγημα “Για τα ονόματα”. Αναφέρεται στα καλά και νόστιμα φαγητά που “αι καλαί οικοκυράδες ήξευρον τόσον περιτέχνως να παρασκευάζουν διά τους συζύγους και τους υιούς των τους θαλασσοδαρμένους και ζητούντας της εστίας την αναψυχήν” (π.χ. εχίνοι, οστρείδια, αστακοί μαγειρευτοί με μάραθα, οχταπόδια τηγανιστά με όξος, τυρόπιττες κ.ά.). Απελευθερωμένος ο Παπαδιαμάντης από θεολογικές κατηγορίες νεοπλατωνικού τύπου, που περιλαμβάνουν μεταξύ άλλων “την πιο συνεπή άρνηση του σώματος” (Μιχαήλ Μπαχτίν), καταφάσκει το σώμα και τις ανάγκες του, μέσω του οικογενειακού συμποσίου και τηςσυνακόλουθης αλληλοπεριχώρησης. Το ίδιο φυσικά ισχύει και στο πλαίσιο της (ανεπανάληπτης, συνήθως) παπαδιαμαντικής παρέας, όπου με το συμπόσιο εορτάζεται πάντοτε μία νίκη. Το διήγημα “Στο Χριστό, στο Κάστρο”, περί ου εμνήσθημεν ανωτέρω, συμπυκνώνει με τον μέγιστο δυνατό εμπειρικό και λογοτεχνικό τρόπο τις ως άνω κατηγορίες. Μια ομάδα νησιωτών, αποτελούμενη από γυναίκες και άντρες (και τον “μικρό Λαμπράκη”, δηλαδή τον ίδιο τον Παπαδιαμάντη), με επικεφαλής τον γνησίως λαϊκό ιερέα παπα-Φραγκούλη, την παραμονή των Χριστουγέννων, κόντρα στον καιρό, παλεύοντας με τα κύματα και με τα χιόνια, “καταβαλλόμενοι αλλ’ ουκ απολλύμενοι” (Κορ. Β’ δ’ 9), προσπελάζουν τον ναό της Χριστού Γεννήσεως, που βρίσκεται στο παλιό Κάστρο της Σκιάθου. Ο σκοπός του (απίστευτου για την κοινή λογική) τολμήματος είναι διπλός: να διασώσουν δύο συγχωριανούς, αποκλεισμένους από τα χιόνια, και να λειτουργήσουν τον Χριστό. Προφανώς, διότι, όπως θα αποφανθεί η… καθ’ ύλην αρμοδία (όσο κι αν φαίνεται παράξενο), η θειά το Μαλαμώ η Καναλάκαινα, “δεν είναι καλό πράγμα αυτοδά, θα πω, ν’ αφήνουν τόσα χρόνια τώρα το Χριστό αλειτούργητο, την ημέρατης Γέννας του…”.Αυτό είναι το βαθύτερο νόημα της παπαδιαμαντικής κοινωνικής οντολογίας. Το συμπόσιο (“και έφαγον πάντες και ηυφράνθησαν”) δενείναι ξεκάρφωτο, όπως (συνήθως) στις μέρες μας, αλλά συναρτάται με την τελετή, τη μέθεξη και, ενίοτε, με τη διακινδύνευση. Το παπαδιαμαντικό συνεορτάζειν, αυθεντικό και λυτρωτικό, βρίσκεται στον αντίποδα του απεγνωσμένου σύγχρονου συνδιασκεδάζειν. Η τρυφερή σχέση των παπαδιαμαντικών χαρακτήρων με τα πράγματα, η όντως πραγματογνωσία, δεν ταυτίζεται με τη σημερινή πραγμοποίηση (reification). Βεβαίως, ο σκιαθίτης γέροντας τιμά δεόντως, ως προείρηται, και τα πράγματα (από καιρού εις καιρόν και το ξεσάλωμα), αλλά πριν από τα “χάδια της κοιλιάς”, το “αλυπιακόν μοσχάτον” και τον “αφρίζοντα ρητινίτην” τοποθετεί τη θρησκευτική τελετή με όλες ανεξαιρέτως τις δηλώσεις και συνδηλώσεις Δρ Στέλιος Παπαθανασίου, Φιλόλογος-Κοινωνιολόγος

SUFFERING CHRISTIANS ISIS Slaughters Christians “In Their Beds”: Muslim Persecution of Christians, October 2015 Teams of trained killers disguised as refugees were sent by the Islamic State (IS) into U.N. refugee camps to kill Christians, including “in their beds,” and to kidnap young girls to sell or use as slaves. This came out, according to a report, on October 24, soon after an IS operative “got cold feet and renounced jihad after witnessing Christians helping out other refugees within the camp. He then revealed that he had been sent with an Islamist hit squad to eliminate Christians as part of the hate group’s ideological drive to wipe the religion off the map.” The report also quoted an aid worker saying: “They’re like a mafia. People are even killed inside the camps, and the refugees are afraid to say if they saw somebody get killed. If you ask them, they’ll say, “I don’t know, I was asleep.”… The camps are dangerous because they have IS, Iraqi militias and Syrian militias. It’s another place for gangs…. They’re killing inside the camps, and they’re buying and selling ladies and even girls. The rest of October’s roundup of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes, but is not limited to, the following: Islamic State Slaughter of Christians Syria: The Islamic State executed three Christian men who, along with 250-300 other Christians, were abducted in an earlier raid on an Assyrian Christian village. In the video of the execution, the three Christians appeared on their knees, dressed in the usual orange jumpsuits; they were then shot dead by three masked executioners. Before being killed, each of the Christians identified himself by name and village of origin. The president of the Alliance church in Syria described one of the slain as “a great man of God who took a risk by staying in his village to take care of his people and to encourage them in the Lord.” In the same video, IS threatened to execute the remaining Christian hostages unless a ransom—as much as $100,000 USD per hostage—was met. Libya: A group claiming affiliation with the Islamic State announced the beheading of a Christian man of South Sudanese origin who had been living and working in Libya since 1989. It is unclear when the execution took place. An IS masked figure appears in the video and accuses South Sudan of mistreating Muslims. He does this despite South Sudan having an interim constitution that defines itself as a secular state—unlike Sudan, which rules according to Sharia and oppresses non-Muslims: “Oh Christians in South … [there is] no safety or shelter for you except that of the Islamic State,” the masked jihadi says. The Christian is then forced down to his knees, his throat slit and his head cut off. Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches Indonesia: Several churches were destroyed by Muslim rioters and local authorities in Aceh. On October 9, hundreds of Muslims marched to the local authority’s office and demanded that all unregistered churches in Aceh be closed. Even though the authorities agreed, on October 13, a mob of approximately 700 Muslims, some armed with axes and machetes, torched a local church. When the mob moved to a second church, violent clashes with Christians trying to protect their churches broke out. One person, believed to be a Christian, was killed and several injured. About 8,000 Christians were displaced. Extremist Islamic leaders afterwards issued messages: “We will not stop hunting Christians and burning churches. Christians are Allah’s enemies!” In response, local authorities demolished three churches (one Catholic, two Protestant) on October 19, and vowed to destroy many more in the months to come. Sudan: Two churches were destroyed in separate incidents. On October 17, a Lutheran church was burned down in Gadaref. The building was completely destroyed, including the furniture and Bibles inside. On October 22, in Omdurman, after giving the congregation only 72 hours’ notice and citing “redevelopment,” authorities demolished the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sudan. The church had stood on the same location for over 30 years. According to local sources, Muslims set fire to the building before officials ordered bulldozers to tear down the rest of it. “The strange thing is that the church was destroyed but the mosque was still standing in its place! This shows us many things…We were asking them, ‘Where are our rights?’” a Lutheran church leader said.

SUFFERING CHRISTIANS-2 Syria: On the night of October 25, a mortar shell hit the Latin church of Aleppo, dedicated to Saint Francis, as mass was being celebrated. Launched from areas held by anti-Assad forces, the grenade hit the roof and exploded outside. Seven people were injured. According to Bishop Georges, the apostolic vicar of Aleppo, “It was around 10 before six in the evening, there were about 400 people in church and the time had come for communion… If the grenade had exploded inside there would have been a massacre. Instead, only seven worshippers were injured, not in a serious way, when rubble fell down and the roof was damaged.” Iraq: At least eight historic and ancient Orthodox Christian churches in Mosul were used as animal slaughterhouses by the Islamic State during Bakr-Eid, the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice. The St. Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, which was seized by the Islamic State (IS) a year ago, was one of them. In June, IS had announced that the church would be reopened as a “mosque of the mujahideen,” even though the ancient church was later apparently deemed suitable only for slaughtering animals. Germany: On October 20 in Cologne, eight young men appeared in court and were charged with robbing churches and schools to finance the Islamic State’s jihad in Syria. The central figure in the gang, of Moroccan background, had also uploaded a YouTube video encouraging Muslims to join IS. When the eight young men had earlier broken into churches, they had stolen collection boxes, crosses, and other objects “dedicated to church services and religious veneration,” the prosecutors alleged. How much of the money actually reached the Islamic State is unknown. Slaughter and Persecution of Muslim Converts to Christianity Uganda: Muslims, angry at a former Muslim for converting to Christianity, killed his wife, a mother of eight, including five ranging in age from 9 to 17. On October 19, men had come knocking on the family’s door looking for the apostate. His wife told them he was away, according to her children who were present. One of the men said, “Your husband has followed the religion of his brother [Christianity], and we had warned you people to stop these activities, but our message has landed on deaf ears.” Next, “[t]he attackers dragged our mother outside the house as she screamed and cried for help,” said her 13-year-old. The Christian woman was later found in a pool of her own blood 100 meters away. Rushed to a hospital, she was declared dead on arrival. A few weeks earlier, her husband’s brother had also been killed after erupting tempers cut short a religious debate with Islamic scholars. Nigeria: A former Muslim who converted to Christianity revealed his all-too-typical experiences— including how the jihadi organization Boko Haram tried to kill him, burned his stores and his father’s homes, and slaughtered one of his cousins, a college student: “A few months after my conversion to Christianity, I received several threats and warnings from the insurgents, telling me to revert to my former religion or face dire consequences. I received written threats saying I could only run but could not hide, which I took to the Police and they told me they would do something about it, but nothing was done… I conducted my own investigations. One of my neighbors whose brother received the same notes because of his conversion a few years ago was killed by an unknown killer…. My family members and I have been marked for death, and everyone in the community denied ever knowing me or my family… Kazakhstan: On October 9, a court began hearing a case against a Muslim convert to Christianity, facing as much as ten years in jail on charges of “inciting religious hatred.” A member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the 54-year-old man was led to the courtroom in handcuffs. Several witnesses in the case reportedly testified that during Bible study sessions he had expressed ideas that sounded “insulting to Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad.” His case is part of what Christian advocacy groups view as a pretext to persecute Christians minorities, especially converts, or “apostates,” in the Muslim majority nation.

SUFFERING CHRISTIANS-p3 Dhimmitude in Egypt An Egyptian teacher of Arabic whipped a 10-year-old Coptic Orthodox Christian boy with 40 lashes in a Cairo school. The doctors who later examined the boy’s wounds “could not believe that a teacher could do this,” said the boy’s father. On October 21, during the Coptic student’s last class of the day, Arabic, the teacher told the pupils to remain silent until they had copied all the Arabic phrases on the board, which were likely derived from the Koran. When Babawi, the Christian boy, asked the student in front of him to move his head so he could see the blackboard, the teacher proceeded to lock the door and flog him 40 times with a large electrical cord all over his body. The boy passed out and was found drenched in his own blood. Later he was found to have severe damage to his bones and kidney. The boy’s father filed a police report and spoke to school authorities, but, he said, “Until now, no legal steps have been taken against the teacher.” In late October, a Christian man was abducted and tortured for refusing to convert to Islam. Fayiz Fouad, a Christian, was kidnapped as he was returning from a visit to the St. George Coptic Orthodox Monastery in Qena. He was held hostage for three days. During that time, he was tortured in an “ugly manner,” according to a rights activist: “The story isn’t merely about kidnapping; it has an ISIS component to it.” His family managed to release him with the help of an influential village elder—and the payment of 50,000 Egyptian pounds, or $6,225 USD. According to the rights activist, “The issue of kidnapped Copts continues in Nag Hammadi, despite the fact that Egyptian Security knows where these kidnappers are situated and their identities, and yet remains silent about their crimes.” In Minya, a group, still unknown, broke into a Christian household on October 21 and snatched a five-yearold child from his bed. They threatened to slaughter him unless a 200,000 Egyptian pound ransom (more than $25,000) was received. The child’s father went to police but they refused to help: “Although I gave the police all the details of the call, the cellphone number which called me, but they still didn’t help us, they didn’t even follow up the phone call, try to identify the caller or arrest the kidnappers.” Unable to raise the large amount they asked, he pleaded with the kidnappers and they agreed to release the child for 45,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly $6,000). On October 5, after a Christian student stood up to a Muslim bully, around 200 Muslims rioted in the town of Samalout, in the Minya Governorate. At least ten Christians were hospitalized; several shops and homes were attacked and destroyed. The attacks continued until police arrived and forced the Muslim rioters to retreat. Even though the identities of many of the assailants were known to police, no arrests were made. Dhimmitude in Bangladesh A Christian priest survived an attempt on his life by three Muslims who had pretended to be interested in Christianity to gain entrance to his house. Luke Sarker, the 52-year-old pastor of Faith Bible Church, suffered injuries when the men, aged between 25-30, tried to slit his throat with a knife at his home in the district of Pabna. The story had begun a month earlier, when one of the attackers contacted the pastor and said he wanted to convert. “I cannot convert you,” Sarker had said, “but you can come to me to know about Christianity.” The following day two men came and he preached the Gospel to them as his wife served them tea. “They said they liked whatever I shared with them. When they left my home, they said they would like to come again to my house. I appreciated and welcomed their forthcoming visit, because telling about Jesus is my work.” Soon the two plus another came unannounced. The pastor took them in: “I spent around half an hour with them discussing about Christianity. Suddenly, one of them grabbed my neck just under the chin. I tried to shout but could not. I was groaning and tried to bite the fingers of the grabber. The other two persons tried to slit my throat with a knife.” Sarker’s family rushed in to help their father fight off the Muslims; his wife shouted for help, and when a neighbor came in, the assassins fled the scene.

SUFFERING CHRISTIANS-p3 Separately, on October 15, about 100 Muslims attacked a Christian family in Dhaka and forced them to abandon their three-room house. “They wanted to shoot me. They told us that they would kill us if we had opposed the expropriation of our house,” one of them said. The intruders were accompanied by police, “who witnessed the expropriation and did nothing to stop it. We lost our possessions, money, and we’re out of the house.” “I visited the place occupied by Muslims,” said Nirmal Rozario, general secretary of the Bangladesh Christian Association: “They are committing a grave injustice against the Christian community. In Bangladesh, Christians are a weak minority and this is why Muslims are attacking us.”

About this Series The persecution of Christians in the Islamic world has become endemic. Accordingly, “Muslim Persecution of Christians” was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes: 1) To document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, persecution of Christians. 2) To show that such persecution is not “random,” but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Islamic Sharia. Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; apostasy, blasphemy, and proselytism laws that criminalize and sometimes punish with death those who “offend” Islam; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (financial tribute expected from non-Muslims); overall expectations for Christians to behave like cowed dhimmis, or third-class, “tolerated” citizens; and simple violence and murder. Sometimes it is a combination thereof. Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales—from Morocco in the West, to Indonesia in the East—it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.

Divine Compassion and Human Trafficking “Diakonima” Outreach Open Call for Proposals This Outreach Seeks Proposals for: Papers, Projects, Constructive Advice and Practical Assistance “Diakonima” Project Synopsis: Saint Catherine’s Vision (SCV) is circulating this open “Call for Proposals” requesting help from qualified persons who wish to participate in this important public service ministry or “diakonima” in “Divine Compassion and Human Trafficking”. Throughout the duration of this initiative, we desire to facilitate the establishing of a pan-Orthodox Christian response that is spiritually and psychologically safe, engaging the issue of Human Trafficking, “together in the presence of the Compassionate God”. As God blesses, we envision cultivating a dialogue to help promote sound collaborative initiatives across Orthodox Christian jurisdictions, agencies and interested persons in order to “light a Candle in the darkness” of this on-going tragedy. Together, we desire to humbly bear witness to the omnipresent, unconditional love of God, while bringing a measure of competent, practical relief to facilitate healing and liberation in as many contexts as possible. We hope to bring together a small, select pan-Orthodox group of experienced theologians, leaders and practitioners whose proven work and expertise directly engage in this domain of ministry or service. We are extending this invitation to respected non-Orthodox experts in the field, as well.

Divine Compassion and Human Trafficking “Diakonima” Outreach-2 A Three-to-Five Year Process: In order to discern and help build the first phase of this collaborative framework, we anticipate a three to five year process of private consultations, which hopefully will also be organized in conjunction with an annual public event (e.g. a lectureship or conference), so that Orthodox Christians and the general public may benefit from these conversations and service. We will also release updates through the social media outlets of SCV, our collaborators and friends, and other organizations. About SCV . . .Cultivating a Charism of Education, Dialogue and Service: Saint Catherine’s Vision is an international, pan-Orthodox Christian, non-profit organization. SCV brings women theologians together with ordained and lay servant-leaders addressing contemporary concerns in a manner that is established in and accountable to the living tradition and canonical heritage of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Founded in 2001, we are an endorsed organization of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. SCV is governed by a board of directors who manage general affairs and a larger advisory board (or advisory council), who, together comprise the bulk of a “prayer-based think tank…that also acts.” For example, just this past year: •We released the first international, “Call for the Rejuvenation for the Ministry of the Ordained Deaconess” (www.saintcatherinesvision.com/collaborative-work/rejuvenation-ofdeaconesses). This document subsequently was published in the Greek Orthodox Theological Review (59:1-4). •A new opportunity for enlarging the circle of guidance and collaboration occurred while we were co-authoring: Encountering Women of Faith, Volume III (anticipated release: 2016). His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia kindly accepted our invitation to attend SCV’s June Writing Colloquium, offering us the blessing of his presence and supportive direction. •Furthermore, His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos, returned to help us rollout our “diakonima” by offering the keynote address for our summer 3 “Divine Compassion Distinguished Lectureship”. He spoke on “Divine Compassion and the Restoration of the Human Icon” (www.saintcatherinesvision.com/media/video-gallery). •In November 2015 we presented the “Divine Compassion Conference III” on “Women and Healing, Authority and Ministry in the Orthodox Spiritual Tradition” The conference provided us with many constructive conversations, encouragement and positive feedback for the sake of “the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Both the summer “Divine Compassion Distinguished Lectureship” and November Divine Compassion III Conference were co-sponsored by Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston. For more specific information about SCV and our previous books, videos, educational initiatives and conferences, as well as an overview of this “diakonima”, please visit our website: www.saintcatherinesvision.org SCV’s Rationale: Our collaborative studies and dialogue for over a dozen years engaging the lives of women saints from an Orthodox Christian perspective are benefiting us in numerous ways. One way relates to our appreciation how women through history from various backgrounds and circumstances came to know Christ and find their healing and freedom through Him, often despite extraordinarily difficult conditions. Today the tragedy of human trafficking presents us with our own “extraordinarily difficult conditions.” While no one person, agency or institution, or combinations thereof, have the ability to eliminate this sin (as this belongs to the merciful God, alone!), we believe that a coordinated effort may “light a Candle in the darkness”. This act of faith invokes His presence already invisibly saturating this darkness, while reaching out to one person at a time, assisting with: spiritual, physical, medical, psychological and material support, particularly through collaboration among respected agencies and persons engaged in this ministry. Furthermore, as the Lord blesses, we strive to influence our own contemporary culture through prayer, education and relationship building.

Divine Compassion and Human Trafficking “Diakonima” Outreach-3 These collaborative studies and on-going discussions regarding the lives of women saints have profoundly touched us. Perhaps, most of all, we have been reminded (through the intercessions of the saints and by the love of the 4 Compassionate God) how we are all mysteriously and deeply inter-connected, called to be “knit together in love” (Col. 2:2). It was only after we discerned earlier in 2015 to commit to this “diakonima”, that we also realized at least a third of the SCV leadership already had many years of personal and professional experience serving and/or advocating on behalf of “commodified” persons, such as: providing depth psychological therapy and pastoral counseling to survivors of physical and sexual trauma, trafficking and addiction, building and managing nonprofit charitable Orthodox Christian and/or other Christian ministries, directing Orthodox and/or community agency outreach services to persons living-on-the-street, registered clinical nursing, ministries to unwed mothers, and providing urban agency outreach educational services to the underserved, etc. This discovery affirmed our prayerful beginning and energized subsequent efforts in following through to the best of our abilities with due diligence through to this very day. Limitations: Proposals must be limited in length, no longer than two pages and should include a clearly written and complete synopsis of the paper, project, constructive advice or practical assistance being brought to our attention for consideration. In addition, please include a personal and professional biography, with contact information. There is no monetary compensation for participation. All proposals become the property of Saint Catherine’s Vision. Please send proposals to: [email protected] before Thursday, February 4th, 2016. We ask the reader to please help us circulate this “Call for Proposals” and share this document with persons who may be able to help us with this important initiative. Thank you . . . and we also ask you to pray for this initiative and for us! All Rights Reserved, Saint Catherine’s Vision www.saintcatherinesvision.org ______________________________________________________________ Posted by the Orthodox Christian Network. You can find the Orthodox Christian Network on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Pinterest

YASOU CLUB YASOU LUNCHEON Thursday, January 14, 2016 All members are invited to attend YASOU’s monthly luncheon. On January 14, 2016 our lunch and meeting will be at Buena Vista, 1305 Buena Vista Avenue, Warren. Reservations will be taken only until Monday, January 11 by calling one of the following officers: Christina Kapolis, 330.719.3224, Angie Kalogeras 330.372.6269 or Franziska Ioannou at 330.399.5727. If you are fifty years of age (or older) you are encouraged to join the YASOU. Look forward to having you attend our luncheon.

2015 CHRISTMAS CARD Thank you for your understanding and patience!! We would like to send out our sincere apologies to the families whose names were not printed in our 2015 Christmas card. Please know that these St. Demetrios Families did wish their community members a blessed and happy holiday in the spirit of the birth of our Christ, the Savior. Due to a technical misprint these names were omitted:.

. Elias & Elaina Antonaklas 2015 END

of YEAR STATEMENT

Eva Joseph & Family Anyone would an end of the year donation statement Michael & who Evelyn Lutz like & Family 2015Nerris tax purposes, Ted &for Penny & Family please, contact the church office.

Name: Phone:

$ Amount

$6.00 per dozen Koulourakia

dozen $

Sesamenia (Sesame Cookies)

dozen $

Paximadia (regular)

dozen $

Paximadia (sweet)

dozen $

Halkitika (plain )

dozen $

$20.00 per tray Galatobouriko (10 pc tray)

$

TOTAL AMOUNT

$

ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY JANUARY 10, 2015. Will call with pick up date or will be available Sunday, January 17 after Liturgy Thank you!

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE

Happy New Year to one and all! Thanks to the generosity of our sisters and brothers, one of our local needy schools (Willard) received 40 sets of winter gloves and hats. Look for your dues reminders to come in the mail soon. Please pay as promptly as possible. Our January meeting is an outing with our brother AHEPANs. It is on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 6:30 pm at Echo Lanes on Elm Road. Plan to come, chat and bowl! RSVP to: George Callow at 330-307-9064 or Lilli Radu at 330-766-0993 if you plan to attend.

Days When Marriages or Baptisms are Not Permitted

Marriages are not performed on:     

Fast days or during fasting seasons; these include the Great Lent and Holy Week, August 1-15, August 29 (Beheading of St. John the Baptist), September 14 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross) December 13-25. Nor are marriages celebrated on the day before and the day of a Great Feast of the Lord, including Theophany (January 5 and 6), Pascha, Pentecost, and Christmas (December 24 and 25).

Baptisms may not be performed:   

From Christmas Day through the Feast of Theophany (December 25 -January 6), During Holy Week, On any of the Great Feastdays of the Lord.

A Caring Podiatrist, Inc. Dr. Frederick Perry, DPM ● Dr. Cara Kalogerou, DPM Medical & Surgical Care for treatment of: ● Bunions/Hammertoes ● Diabetic foot care ● Heel pain ● Ingrown nails

(330) 372-2218 ● 2900 Elm Rd NE Warren, OH 44483 Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am-5pm

COMMUNITY DINNER THANK YOU We would like to thank Mrs. George Kontos and Dr. George & Angel Ploumbis for sponsoring the December Christmas Community Dinner. Thanks as well, to all the organizations and parishioners who donated gifts and toys for the children, items for this month’s dinner and all our regular volunteers who contributed and helped. We had over 200 guests to eat and receive gifts and clothing. These Community Dinners are completely donated and with the help of our organizer, Eva Joseph and her crew, are able to feed between up to 300 people each month.

The JANUARY Community Dinner will be on Tuesday, JANUARY 19, 2016 Any organization, group or individual interested in sponsoring a dinner, please call the church office, or contact Fr. Costa or Eva Joseph. We have dates available for 2016.

St. Demetrios Community Outreach The monthly Community Dinners, sponsored by St. Demetrios Church and its generous supporters, has really gained interest by those in need in the Warren community. We would like to expand this program and be able to distribute bags of groceries and essentials on a regular basis. We are asking for canned good, non-perishables, personal hygiene, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to be donated to the church so that we are able to put together bags to be distributed to families in need. Our parish is blessed with kindhearted people who have been so generous with the Community Dinners and we know that this new aspect of the community outreach program, our Agape Food Pantry will be supported as well. The following are examples of we anticipate will be needed to put together balanced bags for families and the elderly in need (these are suggestions-any product, single products or cases, will be accepted Canned fruits and vegetables Peanut butter, jellies/jams Boxed pasta Evaporated/boxed Canned or jars of pasta sauces milk Cereals /Oatmeal Boxed meals (ex: Hamburger Canned tuna or chicken Helper, Macaroni and Canned/boxed soups cheese) Drinks (juices, water, etc.)

Diapers (any size)

Baby wipes

Shampoo/Conditioner

Paper

Bar soap

Disinfectant sprays

Toilet Paper

Laundry Supplies

Toothbrushes, toothpaste School Supplies Dish Soap Paper and Plastic Bags for distributing the Cleaning Supplies groceries

Baby We distribute bags of groceries onFood/Formula the last Monday of each month, the September date will be SEPT 28 between 3:00pm and 4:00pm. If anyone is interested in volunteering to put together or to help distribute the bags, please contact the church office.

For the month of JANUARY we are accepting clean lightly used winter coats,gloves,hats and blankets!

St. Demetrios Sunday School

OUR ANNUAL ANGEL TREE The Salvation Army has given ANGELS for parishioners and/or church organizations to purchase gifts for Christmas. These are children in need, who, without the kindness of strangers, will receive very little for Christmas. Each ANGEL has the child’s age, clothing size and a short “wish list”. You do not need purchase everything on the list, this is just a guideline. How it works:  Choose a BOY or GIRL angel  Write your name and phone number on the blue or pink card  Leave this card in the basket next to the tree or in the office  Purchase clothing, toys or age appropriate gifts. PLEASE, NO USED ITEMS  Return them to the church UNWRAPPED (the Salvation Army will wrap them) with the ANGEL attached by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4. If you would like to include the wrapping items for the family to use, the Salvation Army will be sure to include it along with the gifts to the family.  The church will deliver the gifts to the Salvation Army on December 7. The Salvation Army will distribute the gifts to the children for us.

IF YOU TAKE AN ANGEL-PLEASE BE SURE TO RETURN IT. THERE ARE STILL SALVATION ARMY ANGEL TREE

ANGELS AVAILABLE ~PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE

BULLETIN MAILING

INK CARTRIDGES The church has been collecting ink cartridges for the Holy Trinity School for several years and they are no longer accepting them. If anyone knows any school or organization that would be interested in the cartridges, please contact the church office.

We have recently received a lot of returned mail because parishioners have either moved or gone away for the winter. Because bulk mail is considered “junk” mail, it is not forwarded to a new address and is returned to the church at double the cost of full postage! For this reason, unless the office is contacted with the new or changed address, we will be required to remove address from the mailing list until we are informed of the updated address. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

MONTHLY BULLETIN In the January 2016 Bulletin, Parish Council and the Stewardship Committee will post the list of names of all those who fulfilled a least the 2015 minimum stewardship pledge. (See below for the Parish Bylaws regulations) Beginning in January 2016, any parishioner who did not fulfill their 2015 minimum stewardship pledge will be removed from the bulletin mailing list. As always, bulletins will be available in the church office. Section 2. Parishioner in Good Standing A parishioner in good standing practices all the religious and moral duties as described in Section 1. At a minimum, a parishioner in good standing must: be eighteen years of age or over; be current in his/her stewardship and other financial obligations to the Parish, which shall include a minimum pledge of $250 per year (approximately $5.00 per week), if an individual, or $300 per year (approximately $6.00 per week), if a husband and wife; abide by all the regulations herein stated and the Parish By-Laws; and cooperate in every way towards the welfare and well-being of the Parish. (Stewardship is recommended to be ten percent (10%) of one’s annual income as stated in Holy Scripture to help meet the financial obligations of the Parish, the Metropolis and the Archdiocese.) A parishioner in good standing shall be entitled to receive all mailings of the Church, including monthly bulletins, be entitled to receive discounted rental fees at Church facilities and be eligible to serve on the Parish Council, Board of Elections, Board of Auditors and all other Church committees, both elected and appointed. The parish priest shall have the ability to waive the minimum stewardship requirement if a parishioner can show financial hardship.

ST. DEMETRIOS PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY

OFFICERS Carrie Daniel, President 330-399-8471 Presv. Karen Valantasis, V.P. Chrissie Katsaros, Rec. Sec. Mary Halvis, Cor. Sec. Katherine Leftheris, Asst. Treas.

BOARD MEMBERS Angeliki Graham Flora Padula Chrisanthi Partis Mary Ann Raptis Niki Tolios Maria Tsapos Maria Tsilimos Alexandra Vlahos Mary Halvis, Sunshine 330-898-1048

“Ζωοδοχοs Πηγη” #85 CHAPTER #6014 Spiritual Advisor: Rev. Fr. Constantine Valantasis

January 2016 After all the holiday parties and fun we had during December, now we look forward to the New Year’s events. SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016, VASILOPITA CELEBRATION & LOUKOMATHES (Details in this bulletin) January 19, 2016 NO meeting---Our Philoptochos will sponsor the Community Dinner, 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Thank you to:

PAST PRESIDENTS Katherine Gentithes*, Despina Diakakis*, Maria Scapetis*, Kokoni Xanthoulis*,Anna Arvanitis*, Panayiota Tsardoulis*, Nina Biliuris*, Angela Tsagaris*, Dimitra Loukas*, Sophia Ticoras*, Stella Achladis*, Tina Safos*, Joanne Goumas, Marika Veneris, Maria Anastasiadis, Helen Eliadis*, Katie Ticoras, Julie Gianakos*, Thalia Tsimpinos, Antigoni Ernst*, Maria Chimbidis, Patricia Gianakos * deceased

~Pam Panopoulos for representing our Philoptochos at the dinner, on December 15 for the kids/gifts donations and for her donation to the children, in memory of a dear friend. ~Nick Zerefos for his generous donation and words of encouragement and praise for the work our Philoptochos does. ~Our parishioners for supporting our efforts and to our Philoptochos members for their donations and hard work. From January to December, 2015, we donated $5,335 to National, District and local charities. Best Wishes for the New Year!! Carrie Daniel, President

SENIOR CITIZENS The St. Demetrios Seniors will be meeting on January 28 at 12 NOON at the Crystal Room at the center on Atlantic Street. Reservations should be made by calling: Dorothy Lardis at 330-856-5433 Mari Jane Loulis at 330-607-6132 Gus Polychronis at 330-392-9940/330-372-9593 Lou Sarkos 330-568-7135 by Janurary 25

COFFEE HOURS We all enjoy the fellowship hour following the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. In order to continue this wonderful practice, we need your help and support. We are asking all the organizations to volunteer to sponsor as many times (2 or 3) as possible throughout the year. This, also, could be extended to families who wish to host the coffee hour (for example following a mnemosino or any other occasion). WE ARE IN NEED OF ORGANIZATIONS OR PARISHIONERS TO SPONSOR COFFEE HOURS ON THE FOLLOWING DATES

  

January 10, 17, 24, 31 February 7, 28 March 6, 20, 27

Please contact the office 330-394-9021 to reserve a date. These reserved dates are not to be carved in stone however. In the event a family wants to have the date following a mnemosino or the church has a fund raising event, the dates may need to be moved, with notice.

Thank you very much for your ongoing support and cooperation in advance. **Also, those sponsoring the coffee hour must have their preparations completed before Sunday School begins. No one will be permitted to enter the basement doors while Sunday School is in session.

Bulletin Information If you have information or news to share with the parish, please bring or mail it in to the Church Office no later than the 20th of each month. The bulletin committee works very hard to help keep you informed, but we need your help. This includes births, marriages or baptisms, graduations, etc. locally and out of town. Any church organizations or groups who would like information or pictures in the bulletin, please put them on to disk or e-mail them to the church:

[email protected] THANK YOU!

Prayer of St. Basil + In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. As I rise from sleep, I thank Thee, O Holy Trinity, for through Thy great goodness and patience Thou hast not been angry with me, an idler and sinner, nor hast Thou destroyed me with mine iniquities, but hast shown Thy usual love for mankind; and when I was prostrate in despair, Thou hast raised me up to keep the morning watch and glorify Thy power. And now enlighten my mind’s eye, and open my mouth that I may meditate on Thy words, and understand Thy commandments, and do Thy will, and hymn Thee in heartfelt confession, and sing praises to Thine all-holy name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

PRIEST VISITATIONS

Please inform the church office of any loved ones who are hospitalized or “shut ins”, so that they may be visited and receive the grace and comfort of the sacraments.

OUT OF TOWN DEATHS VASILIA B.(CHIMBIDIS) BOYAZIS, 79, passed away, November 25, 2015 Survived by her loving husband, Michael, her children, Spiro and Gina and siblings, Louis Chimbidis, JoAnne Hovanic and Maria Chimbidis. She also leaves 3 grandchildren. ΑΙΩΝΙΑ Η ΜΝΗΜΗ MAY HER MEMORY BE ETERNAL

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE Happy New Year to one and all! Thanks to the generosity of our sisters and brothers, one of our local needy schools (Willard) received 40 sets of winter gloves and hats. Look for your dues reminders to come in the mail soon. Please pay as promptly as possible. Our January meeting is an outing with our brother AHEPANs. It is on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 6:30 pm at Echo Lanes on Elm Road. Plan to come, chat and bowl! RSVP to: George Callow at 330307-9064 or Lilli Radu at 330-7660993 if you plan to attend.

Christian Stewardship is… …learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ’s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work., for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God. …our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ’s redeeming love.

Hospital Visitations

…caring for the needs of others.

…offering one’s self to God as He offered Himself to us. …what a person does after saying “I believe…”, as proof of that belief. …devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. Williams & McKibben in Oriented Leadership

Even though hospitals may ask your religious affiliation, THE HOSPITALS DO NOT CALL THE CHURCH OR THE PRIEST to inform who is a patient. If you or a loved one is a patient at a hospital and would like Fr. Costa (or a Cleveland area priest if you are in The Cleveland Clinic or University Hospital) to give the Sacrament of Holy Unction for healing or Holy Communion, you must call the church office. Confidentiality laws, “HIPAA,” make it impossible for us to get that information.

CHILDREN’S PAGE

ST. DEMETRIOS

Non-Profit Org.

GREEK ORTHODOX

U.S. Postage

CHURCH

PAID

429 High Street, NE Warren, OH 44481 Or PO BOX 4214 Warren, OH 44482

WARREN OHIO PERMIT NO. 84

For additional information and photos, please go to warrenohstdemetrios.org

Phone 330.394.9021 Fax 330.394.9077 Email: [email protected] Website: www.warrenohstdemetrios.org

LABEL

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED JANUARY 2016

 GOYA TOURNAMENTS—JANUARY 15-17 FEBRUARY 5-7 MARCH 4-6  MARCH 12 – CHIOS SOCIETY ANNUAL DANCE  MARCH 14—LENT BEGINS Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή

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