2015.02 - February Observer - Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

T
H E
A
N N U N C I A T I O N
OBSERVER
F E B R U A R Y
ARE YOU A RADICAL CHRISTIAN?
In light of the recent horrific terrorist
attacks in France, how are we to understand why young people of sound mind
are “radicalized” to become such extremists, to the point of committing
murder in the name of Allah? More
importantly, how do we as Christians
impart to our children a “radical” fervor for Christ without crossing the line
to religious extremism? May I suggest
that we set aside our religious principles
(yes, the Christian ones), too often
compromised by socio-political nuances,
and to focus on a personal relationship
2 0 1 5
-
V O L .
3 1
with the One who provides the answers
to our social, political and inter-personal chaos. The secularists among us
claim religion in general is the problem,
that Islamist jihadists are no different
than Christian extremists. I agree to
the extent that Father Alexander
Schmemann describes the difference
between faith and feelings in his book
The Eucharist: “Faith is always and
above all a meeting with the Other,
conversion to the Other, the reception of
Him as ‘the way, the truth and life.’
Meanwhile, ‘religious feeling,’ which in
our day dominate in religion, is so dis-
I S S U E
2
tinct from faith because it lives and is
nourished by itself… is subordinated to
personal tastes and emotional experiences, subjective and individual ‘spiritual needs.’”
So how to move beyond feelings that
derive from our perceived spiritual
needs to a concrete expression of what
we proclaim as revealed truth? Again, it
gets back to a transforming relationship
with Jesus Christ, a relationship we
must nurture from the day of our baptism to our final breath. And is there a
“radical” expression of this relationship? Certainly! Look at the lives of the
2
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF
THE ANNUNCIATION
3022 F STREET
SACRAMENTO, CA 95816
9 16 - 4 43 - 2 0 3 3
WWW.ANNUNCIATION.CA.GOARCH.ORG
PUBLISHED MONTHLY EXCEPT FOR JULY
CLERGY
PRESIDING PRIEST, FR. JAMES RETELAS
FRJAMES@ANNUNCIATIONSAC.ORG
ASSOCIATE PRIEST, FR. TIMOTHY ROBINSON
FRTIMOTHY@ANNUNCIATIONSAC.ORG
saints and martyrs. Look at the monastics in our midst who have renounced
worldly pursuits to constantly pray for us. And finally, focus on the radical ethical teachings of our Lord Himself (see Matthew 5) and one must conclude that
Christians, though no better than anyone else, are definitely called to be different. So….
Do want the kingdom of heaven? Be poor in spirit.
Do you want to inherit (conquer) the earth? Be meek (humble).
Do you want to be filled? Be thirsty for righteousness.
Do you desire mercy? Be merciful.
Do you want to see God? Be pure in heart.
Do you want to be a child of God? Be a peacemaker.
PARISH COUNCIL
GEORGE DARIOTIS
GEORGEDARIOTIS@GMAIL.COM
PARISH MINISTRIES
ANNUNCIATION SENIOR LEAGUE
BESSIE PAPAILIAS, PRESIDENT
SKA2LEE@SUREWEST.NET
BOOKSTORE
LOU DEMAS, MANAGER
(916) 231-9949
BOOKSTORE@ANNUNCIATIONSAC.ORG
CANTOR
DUSAN RADOSAVLJEVIC
DUSHAN@ANNUNCIATIONSAC.ORG
GREEK DANCE
KELLY PANTIS
KELLY@PANTIS.BIZ
GREEK EDUCATION
KATERINA LAGOS, DIRECTOR
LAGOSK@SACLINK.CSUS.EDU
MUSIC AND WORSHIP
BILL BOBOLIS, CHOIR DIRECTOR
BOBOLISWILLIAM@COMCAST.NET
PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY
CHRISTINE DARIOTIS, PRESIDENT
CDARIOTIS@GOLYON.COM
SUNDAY SCHOOL
EMILY COLEMAN, PRINCIPAL
EMILYJANE111@GMAIL.COM
STAFF
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR
EFFIE THEODOR
ETHEODOR@ANNUNCIATIONSAC.ORG
FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR
MARIA MAVROFORAKIS
MMAVROFORAKIS@ANNUNCIATIONSAC.ORG
OFFICE HOURS
MONDAY - FRIDAY
9:00 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M.
With love in Christ,
FATHER JAMES
THE ELDER PORPHYRIOS
ON PRAYER
Our prayers are not heard because
we are not worthy. You must become
worthy in order to pray. We are not
worthy because we do not love our
neighbor as ourselves. Christ says so
Himself: “So when you are offering
your gift at the altar, if you remember
that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there
before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then
come and offer your gift” (Matthew
5:23-24). Go first be reconciled to your
brother and receive forgiveness in order
to become worthy. If that is not done,
you will be unable to pray. If you are
not worthy, you can do nothing. Once
you have set in order all your unsettled
business and prepared yourself, then go
and offer your gift.
Those who desire and crave to belong
to Christ and who abandon themselves
to the will of God become worthy. It’s a
great thing, all important, to have no
will. The slave has no will of his own.
And it is possible for us to have no will
of our own in a very simple manner:
through love for Christ and the keeping
of His commandments. “They who
have my commandments and keep them
are those who love me; and those who
love me will be loved by my Father, and
I will love them and reveal myself to
them” (John 14:21). Effort is required.
For we have to wrestle against the
“r ule r s of t he da rk ne s s of t hi s
age” (Ephesians 6:12). We have to wrestle with the “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8).
We cannot allow the devious enemy to
prevail in the struggle….
We shouldn’t blackmail God with our
prayers. We shouldn’t ask God to release us from something, from an illness, for example, or to solve our problems, but we should ask for strength
and support from Him to bear what we
have to bear. Just as He knocks discreetly at the door of our soul, so we
should ask discretely for what we desire
and if the Lord does not respond, we
should cease to ask. When God does not
give us something that we ask for insistently, then He has His reasons. God,
too, has His “secrets.” Since we believe
in His good providence, since we believe
that He knows everything about our
lives and that He always desires what is
good, why should we not trust Him?
Let us pray naturally and gently, without forcing ourself and without passion
[evil desire]. We know that past,
present, and future are all known,
“open and laid bear” before God. As
Saint Paul says, “before Him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid
bear to His eyes” (Hebrews 4:13). We
should not insist; such persistence does
harm instead of good. We shouldn’t
FEBRUARY 2015
continue relentlessly in order to acquire
what we want; rather, we should leave
things to the will of God. Because the
more we pursue something, the more it
runs away from us. So, what is required
is patience, faith, and composure. And
if we forget it, the Lord never forgets;
and if it is for our good, He will give us
what we require when we require it.
In our prayer we should ask only for
the salvation of our soul. Didn’t the
Lord say, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as
well” (Matthew 6:33)? Easily, without
the slightest difficulty, Christ can give
us what we want. And remember the
secret. The secret is not to think about
asking for the specific thing at all. The
secret is to ask for your union with
Christ with utter selflessness, without
saying “give me this” or “give me that.”
It suffices to say, “Lord Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me.” God has no need to
3
MONTHLY OBSERVER
Liturgical Schedule for February
Monday, February 2
Tuesday, February 3
Tuesday, February 10
Saturday, February 14
Saturday, February 21
Monday, February 23
Tuesday, February 24
Wednesday, February 25
Thursday, February 26
Friday, February 27
Saturday, February 28
Meeting the Lord in the Temple (Της Υπαπαντής)
10:45 am, Lesser Blessing of the Waters
St. Haralambos
Saturday of Souls
Saturday of Souls
6 pm, Great Compline & the Canon of St. Andrew
6 pm, Great Compline & the Canon of St. Andrew
6 pm, Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
6 pm, Great Compline & the Canon of St. Andrew
7 pm, Salutations to the Theotokos (1st Stanza)
St. Theodore and the Miracle of the Kollyva
be informed by us about our various
needs. He knows them all incomparably
better than we do and He gives us His
love. What is important is for us to respond to this love with prayer and with
the keeping of His commandments. We
should ask for the will of God to be
done. That is what is in our best interest
and the safest thing for us and for those
for whom we pray. Christ will give us
everything abundantly. When there is
even a trace of egotism, nothing happens.
From Wounded by Love: The Life and the
Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios. Denise Harvey, Limni, Evia, Greece, 2005. Pages
116-117.
IN THIS EDITION
featured
The source of this month's Orthodoxy
101 questions is Gayle Woloschack's, Challenge Questions on Orthodoxy A to
Z for Students Vol 2. 1. This year the Triodion begins on February 1st. What is the Triodion period?
a. Three week period preceding
Great Lent.
b. Three week modified fasting period before Lent.
c. A period consisting of The Sunday of the Publican & the Pharisee, Sunday of the Prodigal,
and Judgment Sunday.
d. All of the above
2. Fasting days in the Orthodox
Church include all but which of the following.
a. The days of Great Lent
b. Eve of Theophany
c. Most Wednesdays & Fridays
throughout the year
d. Ascension Day
3. The first Sunday of Great Lent is
called
a. Cheesefare Sunday
b. Sunday of Orthodoxy
c. Meatfare Sunday
d. Sunday of the Prodigal
4. The word for sin in Greek is
"Amartia" which in English means a. Missing the mark
b. Evil
c. Satan
d. Unsaintly
A n s we r s fo r O r t ho do x y 101:
1, d; 2, d; 3,b; 4, a
ORTHODOXY 101
MISSAL (FR. JAMES) …………
1
ELDER PORPHYRIOS ……
2
PARISH COUNCIL MESSAGE….
4
SUNDAY SCHOOL & DSG…
5
GREEK SCHOOL………
6
PHILOPTOCHOS …………
7
ASL NEWS ……………
7
BOOKNOTES…………
8
OCF…………
8
ONCD II ……………
8
PLEDGED STEWARDS……
9
COMMUNITY CORNER ……………. 10
STEWARDSHIP ………………….
11
CALENDAR ……………
12
ADVERTISEMENTS ……………
13
4
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
PRESIDENT’S OBSERVER
MESSAGE
FELLOW PARISHIONERS,
On behalf of the parish council I
wish to thank the faithful stewards of
Annunciation for your faithful support
and involvement. The various ministries
offered by our church only are successful if the parishioners believe in the mission of saving souls and seeking their
own salvation. 2015 promises to be a
year filled with challenges and opportunities for the parish. If we all work
together in a singleminded manner for
the good of the parish, we can realize
great potential now and in to the future.
In parish council news, a gift of
property from ANGELO K. TSAKOPOULOS of approximately 4.3 acres was accepted on behalf of the parish. This
parcel is located in Cameron Park and
we sincerely thank him for his generosity. An excellent presentation by JIM
CHUCHAS, our parish advocate for the
Metropolis Strategic plan was held January 11th after Liturgy in the Hall. Jim
gave an overview of the plan, answering
questions and setting the stage for
parish implementation. Stressing the
fact that this plan is our plan, Jim made
the case that programs already in place
by our parish addressing some of the
goals of the overall plan should be allowed to continue. To view the Metropolis plan in detail, it can be downloaded from their website. www.sanfran.goarch.org and clicking "strategic
plan".
The Folk Dance Festival (FDF) again
takes place February 12-16 in Anaheim
and our dancers are diligently preparing and practicing their routines.
We wish them safe travels and good
luck. The DSG continues to hold
fundraisers and our support is extremely important to all the young dancers in
the parish. Other events coming up: the
annual Choir Crab Feed on Saturday
January 31st, ONCD II focus groups,
the entire month of February dedicated
to Kids with Cancer by the Ladies of
Philoptochos. The Youth ministry council chaired by KOULA FOTOPOULOS also
meets on a weekly basis and we thank
them for their hard work. The parish
council approved a proposal from this
ministry to bring on up to two Youth
coordinators for GOYA and JOY on a
part-time basis. They will receive
stipends out of the designated fund with
no parish budget impact.
GREEK DANCE PREVIEW NIGHT!
TH
SATURDAY, FEB 7
5:30 PM | Food and Bar Open
6:30 PM | Dance program
Enjoy gyros, meze and Greek desserts with friends and family in
the Hellenic Center. Beer and wine also available.
Watch our youth perform traditional Greek dances.
Listen to our live band from Greece, Eptasimos!
Win a Tahoe Donner cabin, Kings tickets, golf foursome and more
at the auction and raffle.
FREE ADMISSION!!
Thanks for your support of our dancers.
The parish council recently approved
converting our church office accounting
system to Quickbooks which enables for
a streamlining of all financial functions. This will also benefit the Capital
Campaign and its accounting efforts.
That committee continues to meet every
week and we are grateful to SAM
MANOLAKAS, Capital Campaign chair,
for his leadership. In other parish news
we are indeed grateful to J ERRY
WRIGHT and the stewardship ministry.
Our goal in gifts received was exceeded
for 2014 thanks in large part to you, the
faithful stewards of our church. Giving
ones "best gift" or a small portion of
what has been given each of us truly
b e ne fit s o u r o w n
soul. Always putting
Christ first in all we
say and do will continue to guide this
important ministry
with its message. The
parish council is most
g r ateful fo r you r
trust and support. Have a wonderful
month.
In Christ,
GEORGE DARIOTIS Parish Council President
FEBRUARY 2015
5
MONTHLY OBSERVER
SUNDAY SCHOOL
& DANCE NEWS
February Events Calendar:
$20 0 SCHO L A RSHIP TO ST
N I C H O L A S R A N C H SU M M E R
CAM P NO W AVA ILAB LE TO
A N N UN C IA TIO N Y O UTH !
Our Sunday School children can now
receive a $200 summer camp fee scholarship! We are pleased to announce a
scholarship of $200 for children with
90% + Sunday School attendance from
September, 2014 – April, 2015. Or your
child can opt for a $100 credit to the
Annunciation Book Store. Questions?
Ask Dessi Chuchas desbes60@att.net.
More details at annunciationsac.org
under the youth tab, then Sunday
School.
FINAL TWO WEDNESDAY EVE
BLASTS!
There are only two more Blast meetings for our GOYAns (7 th – 12 th
graders) in February. Join Father James
Feb 4th and 11th for these “make up” sessions from 7 to 8:30 pm. These enlightening classes can strengthen our
youth’s understanding of their faith and
will also help those wishing to increase
Sunday School attendance to meet the
new St Nicholas Ranch scholarship or
FDF attendance requirements.
Feb 8: Scout Sunday
Scouts! Wear your
uniform to church
2015 METROPOLIS SUMER
CAMP DATES ANNOUNCED
THA NKS TO O UR
DEDICATED DIRECTORS!
The Summer Camp ministry at Saint
Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in
Dunlap, CA organized by the Metropolis Office of Youth and Young
Adult Ministries, is announcing its 35th
season! All three sessions are for
campers ages 8 – 18.
Session 1:
July 5-11
Session 2:
July 12-18
Session 3:
July 19-25
Our dance directors research regional folk dances and music from Greece
and then create one or two dance suites
(depending upon the age group) and
teach our youth. This takes months of
dedication with weekly practices, directors meetings and planning for Preview
Nite and FDF.
Dance directors are also important
mentors to the youth they teach. We
appreciate the efforts of:
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK
BOOK COLLECTION:
Bring in gently used or new books
for elementary aged children (K - 6th
grade). All books donated will be
placed in the backpacks of the children
in our parish’s Blessings in a Backpack
program from Bowling Green school.
Feb 12 – 15:
FDF DANCE
Competition in
Anaheim
GEORGE VASILIOU
PANOS VASILIOU
JONNY LABRITT
ANNIE THANOS
KATINA VAIL
VERONICA PANDELOPOLOUS
LEFTERIS SARGETIS
EVI TSIGARIS
Feb 15:
No Sunday School
due to FDF - we will
see you in church!
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ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
GREEK SCHOOL
2014 ended for Greek School with the
successful organization of parentteacher conferences, during which parents and guardians of Greek School
participants were updated on the students’ progress by means of portfolios
including classwork and homework
completed. Parents and guardians also
received detailed report cards from the
instructors. Prior to the conferences,
Greek School students sat a comprehensive exam on the material covered in the
first term of attendance. January has
begun with preparations for the Feast
of the Three Hierarchs at the end of
January. All eight classes of Greek
School (Greek-speaking as well as English-speaking) have prepared projects
that will be submitted to the 4th Greek
Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco
competition to commemorate the Three
Luminaries of the Church and their
contribution to Greek letters. The
projects include—among others: mini-
anthologies as well as bookmarks with
quotations from the writings of the 3
Hierarchs, candles decorated with icons
of the 3 Hierarchs, and a large Byzantine icon of the 3 Hierarchs decorated
with tile. On Sunday, January 25th,
Greek School will be offering artoklasia
and hosting the coffee hour immediately
following Sunday services.
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ
Το 2014 περατώθηκε για το Ελληνικό
Σχολείο µε την επιτυχή διοργάνωση των
συναντήσεων µε τους γονείς και
κηδεµόνες των µαθητών. Κατά τη
διάρκεια των συναντήσεων, οι γονείς και
κηδεµόνες ενηµερώθηκαν για την πρόοδο
των φοιτούντων µέσα από τους
«ατοµικούς φακέλλους των µαθητών», οι
οποίοι περιλάµβαναν τις εργασίες που
ολοκληρώθηκαν στην τάξη, και αυτές που
ανατέθηκαν ως εργασίες για το σπίτι. Οι
γονείς και κηδεµόνες έλαβαν επίσης
αναλυτικούς ελέγχους προόδου. Πριν τη
διοργάνωση των συναντήσεων µε τους
γονείς και κηδεµόνες, οι µαθητές
ολοκλήρωσαν την επίσηµη γραπτή
εξέταση πάνω στη διδαχθείσα ύλη του
πρώτου τριµήνου. Ο Ιανουάριος έχει
ξεκινήσει για το Ελληνικό Σχολείο µε τις
προετοιµασίες για τη συµµετοχή στον
ετήσιο εορτασµό των Τριών Ιεραρχών
και της Ηµέρας των Ελληνικών
Γραµµάτων από την επιτροπή Ελληνικής
Παιδείας και Πολιτισµού της Ιεράς
Μητρόπολης Αγίου Φραγκίσκου. Και οι 8
τάξεις του Ελληνικού Σχολείου θα
συµµετέχουν στον 4 ο Διαγωνισµό
Γραµµάτων και Τεχνών µε δηµιουργίες
τους. Αυτές περιλαµβάνουν ενδεικτικά:
ανθολόγια και σελιδοδείκτες µε ρήσεις
των Τριών Φωστήρων, κεριά
διακοσµηµένα µε εικόνες των Τριών
Ιεραρχών, και µία µεγάλη Βυζαντινή
εικόνα των Τριών Ιεραρχών
διακοσµηµένη µε ψηφιδωτό. Την
Κυριακή 25 Ιανουαρίου το Ελληνικό
Σχολείο θα προσφέρει αρτοκλασία µετά
τη Θεία Λειτουργία. Την ίδια ηµέρα, θα
προσφερθεί καφές και εδέσµατα, χορηγία
του Ελληνικού Σχολείου.
JOB POSTINGS
YOUTH COORDINATOR - JOY
YOUTH COORDINATOR - GOYA
Youth Coordinator - Our Annunciation parish seeks to
engage an independent contractor to develop comprehensive
ministry to its 3rd through 6th grade youth. The JOY Youth
Coordinator shall plan, publicize and attend at least 5 JOY
meetings and events per year as well as manage JOY and be
responsible and accountable to the Parish Priest and youth
council representatives of GOYA, Sunday School, and Dance
Support Group (DSG).
The candidate must be an enthusiastic, effective communicator and possess interpersonal and relationship skills for
working with young people and adults. The position requires
a self-starter who can manage details and present plans for
internal approval, then communicate plans to our youth and
encourage their participation.
Background check and references required. The Youth
Coordinator must be active in the Orthodox Faith and a
steward of the church, serving as an inspiring example for
our youth.
Compensation of $700 annually.
Please submit your resume and references to Koula Gianulias kgianulias@hotmail.com
Youth Coordinator - Our Annunciation parish seeks to
engage an independent contractor to develop comprehensive
ministry to its 7th through 12th grade youth. The GOYA
Youth Coordinator shall plan, publicize and attend at least 10
GOYA meetings and events per year as well as manage
GOYA and be responsible and accountable to the Parish
Priest and youth council representatives of GOYA, Sunday
School, and Dance Support Group (DSG).
The candidate must be an enthusiastic, effective communicator and possess interpersonal and relationship skills for
working with young people and adults. The position requires
a self-starter who can manage details and present plans for
internal approval, then communicate plans to our youth and
encourage their participation.
Background check and references required. The Youth
Coordinator must be active in the Orthodox Faith and a
steward of the church, serving as an inspiring example for
our youth.
Compensation of $1,500 annually.
Please submit your resume and references to Koula Gianulias kgianulias@hotmail.com
MONTHLY OBSERVER
FEBRUARY 2015
PHILOPTOCHOS
Dear Parishioners,
I hope that 2015 has started out well
for everyone! Thanks to all who attended the Philoptochos’ Vasilopita Luncheon after Liturgy on January 4. We
a r e g r a t e f u l t o H E LE N G R A MMATIKAKIS for chairing the luncheon,
and to those on her committee who
helped. With the help of FAYE VALLAS,
Helen prepared the delicious pastitsio
and salad we enjoyed for lunch. DESPINA DEMAS, once again, prepared the
beautiful and delicious Vasilopita cakes
for each table. Thank you, Despina!
Faye prepared the large Vasilopita
which was blessed by the priests, then
sliced and distributed to the various
parochial and fraternal organizations of
our church. We thank those organizations for their generous donations.
Thanks, also, to GEORGE KOUFASIMIS
for auctioning off the two large Vasilopitas prepared and donated by Faye and
Despina.
The Blessings in a Backpack program is up and running again after the
Christmas Break. There were several
“extras” for the children this year for
Christmas and I am always touched by
the efforts of others in our community
who support and care about this program: MARIA KAUFMAN, through her
generosity, and the generosity of many
of her friends and parishioners, collected over 150 pairs of brand new socks for
the children in the program. GERRI
MAGERS and her co-workers again
chose our program for their Christmas
charity and collected a whopping
$3,200.00! Those monetary donations
will help us in purchasing juice and extra groceries through early June, as
well as replacement backpacks when
needed. Finally, VASSIE SETT lovingly
donated over 100 beanie babies from her
collection, all in perfect and brand-new
condition. Vassie and her husband,
Ralph, individually packaged each
beanie baby, and each child sponsored
received one in their backpacks for
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Christmas. The children at Bowling
Green were wonderfully blessed during
the Christmas season by the love and
generosity shown by Maria, Geri, Vassie
and Ralph, and so were we!
February is Kids n’ Cancer month at
Annunciation! Please mark the following dates on your calendars: February 1
(“Go Red” Sunday), February 8 (Pancake Breakfast) and February 22 (Cake
Raffle). It’s a full month of great events
and Philoptochos hopes you will support
Kids n’ Cancer by attending. Thank
you to ELAINE WRIGHT for chairing
Kids n’ Cancer and organizing these
events. If you would like to donate a
cake for the cake raffle, please contact
Elaine at joelainewright@hotmail.com
or give her a call at (916) 965-7607.
Our next Philoptochos meeting will
be on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 6:30
p.m. in the Lower Fellowship Hall. We
would love to see you there!
In Christ’s Love,
CHRISTINE DARIOTIS
Philoptochos President
ANNUNCIATION SENIOR LEAGUE NEWS
Thank you all for joining us for our first meeting of the New Year!!! Ιt is good to know that the Annunciation Senior
League is going strong!! We would like to thank JULIE MAMALIS for her wonderful decorations and FAYE & JIM VALLAS for
preparing a great lunch for us!! Special thanks to MARY SAVAGE for donating the
wonderful cakes in honor of her mother ANNA MAES’ 87th birthday. We also want to
FUTURE 2015 ASL
wish ALEXIA KAVROS a very special 70th Birthday! Happy birthday and χρόόνια MEETINGS
πολλάά to all of you!!!
FEBRUARY 3RD
We are looking forward to another year of fellowship and fun for our seniors. We
RD
will be looking into some interesting programs between February and June, which
MARCH 3
will include our traditional “ask Father” session
ST
MARCH 31 during Lent, along with our June “bingo” fun.
luncheon meeting will be at St. Katherine
We are also looking into having another ASL trip
APRIL sometime in late April/early May. So please check
no meeting,
the Observer and weekly bulletin for ASL anmoved to March 31st due to Holy Week
nouncements. Also, if you wish to sponsor any of
TH
our luncheons, please contact any one of our
MAY 5
board members and let them know. We thank all
ND
JUNE 2
of you who sponsor luncheons or desserts for our
You only need to be 50 years young to
monthly meetings as this helps ASL to defray
join
us for our events! So please do not
costs and continue to be a self-sustaining minhesitate to join us for lunch, fellowship
istry!!!
and fun (and anything else our wonderWishing all of you a wonderful February!
ful seniors plan throughout the year) on
BESSIE PAPAILIAS
the first Tuesday of each month!
ASL President
8
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
BOOKNOTES FOR FEBRUARY
As I am writing this we just finished
Theophany, and now we are looking at
Great Lent. Clean Monday is February
23rd. You may have noticed already but
I will mention that the Observer is
working on a sleek new format, so to
save space we will incorporate information in Booknotes about the Prayer
Shawl Ministry and the Annunciation
Sewing Circle which are based at the
Bookstore. The Prayer Shawl Blessing
did take place on December 14th. A
number of the forty four newly Blessed
Prayer Shawls have already been given
to homebound parishioners. Our ladies
are off to an enthusiastic start so that
we will have more Prayer Shawls available by Pascha. Our Sewing Circle
ladies too are off to a fast start making
blankets for Project Linus.We recently
learned that 124 of the Beanie Babies
and hats we’ve talked so much about,
were donated to Howe Elementary
School. And, some of the yarn that was
donated went to a group of ladies at
Chowchilla Prison who are now also
making blankets for Project Linus.
Just want to mention that our Church
ONCD group often meets at the Bookstore as does Fr. Tim’s two Wednesday
Bible Study classes. Additionally, the
Annunciation Ladies Book Club meets
here every two week’s on Thursdays at 1
p.m. You are all welcome to join our
Bible Classes, Book Club and sewing
groups. Stop in at the Bookstore for
more information on each of these
groups.
Of course the Bookstore’s main purpose is to be here for you as a resource
to support Orthodoxy in your homes.
Our second priority is Outreach and to
help people new to our community, and/
or new to Orthodoxy, deepen their faith
though materials such as Icons, Kandillis, Incense burners, books etc. which
are carried at the Bookstore. We are
open six days a week; Tuesday through
Saturday 10 a.m. until 2p.m. and on
Sunday after Liturgy until about 1:30
p.m.. We look forward to seeing you
for whatever brings you to the Bookstore. The coffee pot is always on.
Love In Christ,
MARILYN DEMAS
For the Bookstore
OCF @ CSUS
O r t ho do x Ch ristia n Fellowship
(OCF) is the official collegiate campus
ministry program under the Assembly
of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the
United States of America.
Since 2013, a group of Orthodox Sac
State students, recent graduates, and
young adults have been getting together
nearly every week, both during and
outside the academic semester for
prayer, fellowship, and fun.
In addition to offering Orthodox outreach to students of the Sac State campus, OCF did a great job of encouraging a generation of Orthodox youth to
think outside the box, and help each
other out in ways both material and
spiritual in nature.
We are blessed to be under the spiritual guidance of several local clergy in
the Sacramento area, including Fr.
Timothy, Fr. Stephen Howell of St.
Athanasius (Antiochian Archdiocese),
and Fr. Bill Weir of the Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary (Serbian Diocese).
This semester, we will be meeting on
a weekly basis at a private home off
campus. Dinner will be provided by our
gracious hosts in a relaxed atmosphere,
followed by a discussion on a wide-ranging variety of topics relevant to students
and young adults. In addition, we will
be inviting guest speakers to come share
their thoughts with the group.
As OCF ramps up for the Spring semester, we encourage you to identify
and recruit any college age youth or
young adults to attend these evenings of
fellowship.
Throughout the Spring semester,
OCF will meet on Monday evenings at
6pm. For more information about the
exact meeting location or if you would
like to be added to the mailing list,
plea se contact A ARON G USA K at
ag4597@csus.edu. Check us out on
Facebook under Orthodox Christian
Fellowship at CSU Sacramento, where
we share information about upcoming
OCF events as well as happenings at
local parishes.
We’re looking forward to a wonderful new semester!
ORTHODOX NATURAL CHURCH
DEVELOPMENT (ONCD)
A very big thank you to all of our
focus group participants! Throughout
the month of January, the ONCD II
team has been busy collecting valuable
data from our parishioners, openly discussing ways of making our collective
experience at the Annunciation more
meaningful in addition to exploring our
minimum factor, which is Outreach/
Evangelism. As you’ve probably seen
from the Sunday Bulletin, ONCD is an
iterative methodology: it functions as a
“greenhouse” with respect to the thriving “garden” of church life. The closing
of the focus groups represents the end
of the Diagnosis stage, and the outputs
of that stage will serve as inputs to the
Planning stage. Over the next two
months, the ONCD II team will organize these inputs and communicate the
results to the Parish Council and wider
community through a Town Hall assembly. In addition, we will develop and
present the ONCD II Goals & Objectives
for the upcoming year. Please stay
tuned for more news related to this
round of ONCD implementation. Information will be published in the
monthly OBSERVER in addition to the
church website. And if you have any
questions, feel free to reach out to any
ONCD II Team Members. Thank you
so much for your prayerful support.
FEBRUARY 2015
THANK YOU BOX!
❖ ANNUNCIATION CHOIR - for
their warm and inspiring gift of
performance to the congregation
and community. This year was
exceptionally beautiful. A special thank you also to Angelica
Whaley for adding another dimension of outstanding excellence to this already stellar
evening. Our parish is blessed
with an amazing amount of talent!
❖ ANTIGONE MARCUS, STEVE
& ANA LABRITAKIS FAMILY -for generously sponsoring the
reception for this year’s Choir
Christmas Concert in honor of
their departed loved ones.
❖ HELEN GRAMMATIKAKIS,
DESPINA DEMAS, FAYE VALLAS
& PHILOPTOCHOS - for an amazing Vasilopita luncheon, and for
t he delicious a nd b eautiful
Vasilopita cakes. What a wonderful way to start out the new
year!
❖ MAIL ASSEMBLY VOLUN- - for getting together to
help out with all the general
mailings throughout the year,
including our monthly OBSERVER.
MONTHLY OBSERVER
2015 PLEDGED STEWARDS
THRU JANUARY 12, 2015
Thomas & Shirle Adams
David & Evelyn Anderson
Nicholas & Nikki Avdis
Manny & Sunday Balalis
Marie Bravou
Peter & Fotine Casheros
John & Annette Christopulos
George Chuchas
George & Christine Dariotis
Georgia Dariotis
Michael Dariotis
Fany Darzins
Lou & Maria Deville
Dan & Maria Eriksson
Peter & Koula Fotopoulos
Phillip & Soula Fotopoulos
John & Maria Gassoumis
Helen Gianakakis
Angela Gianopulos
Suanna Gurovich
George & Eleni Hagios
Toula Hatzopoulos
Richard & Kim Hauch
Steve & Bia Hayes
Matthew & Lisa Holm
Dino & Margarita Jakovas
Chris Jovalis
Christopher & Kristen Kane
George & Mary Ellen Kassotakis
Dan & Maria Kaufman
Anthony & Gail Kentroti
Victoria Kidman
Denise Kincaid
Nick & Bernadette Kontos
George & Rula Kouretas
Irene Ladd
9
Thomas & Vasiliki Lardas
Georgia Larson
Elaina & Gary Magana
Geraldine Magers
Jim & Julie Mamalis
Katherine Marefos
Vaso Mayer
Natalie Melnikov
Peter & Gina Pandelopoulos
Yianni & Kelly Pantis
Martha Papailias
Kalliroy Pappas
Nikolaos & Christina Paschos
Constantine & Brigid Perakis
Kenneth & Polytimi Peters
Fotis & Tammy Petsalis
Bessie Pothos
Karen Poulos-Firth
Father James & Barbara Retelas
Fr. Timothy & Marsha Robinson
Nicholas & Carol Rotas
Frances Sellas
Ralph & Vassie Sett
Jan Stathis
Merle Stathis
Mary D. Stathos
Art & Terre Terzakis
Annie Thanos
Effie Theodor
Ourania Theodor
Angelo & Sofia Tsakopoulos
Sofia Tsakopoulos
George & Margo Tzikas
Douglas & Donna Wagner
Jerry & Elaine Wright
Andreas & Becky Yerocostas
TEERS
Help us recognize parishioners who go
above and beyond! Submit their name
to: thankyou@annunciationsac.org
Congratulations
to all our our
youth who
participated in
our annual
Dive for the
Cross!
10
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
THE
ANNUNCIATION
COMMUNITY CORNER
Want to wish someone a special happy
birthday, graduation, anniversary, etc?
Rates for the Community Corner:
$25.00 Quarter Page
$40.00 Half Page
$75.00 Full Page
Choose your ad size (see rates below)
tell us exactly what you want it to say
(picture optional) and e-mail it to etheodor@annunciationsac.org
For questions, please contact the
Church Office at (916) 443-2033
Make check payable to: Annunciation
GOC & send to church office.
ANNUNCIATION
ENDOWMENT FUND (AEF)
The AEF Board of Trustees has
revised its grant application form
and procedures. Grant requests
will be considered only during
quarterly meetings of the AEF
Board of Trustees. The Revised
Application Form may be obtained
from the Annunciation Church
office or from the Annunciation
website. Deadlines for submission
of applications are: February 28;
May 31; August 31; November 30
Application deadlines are firm - no
exceptions.
!
!
Free$E&Waste$Pickup$$
!
!
Go!to!the!following!website:!www.eWaste4good.com!!
Or!call!800&317&3112!
and$indicate$in$the$online$form$or$on$the$phone$
that$you$are$donating$on$behalf$of$the$$
Annunciation$Greek$Orthodox$Church$
$
!
Fill!in!your!information!and!within!a!few!days!a!dispatcher!will!call!you!to!
schedule!an!at!home!or!office!pickup!date.!Then,!your!electronics!will!be!
picked!up,!recycled!and!the!proceeds!will!be!sent!to!our!organization.!!
!
Items!that!can!be!picked!up,!working!or!not:!
All!Televisions!D!Video!Games!D!Computer!Monitors!D!Computers!D!Fax!
Machines!D!Calculators!D!Desktop!Copiers!D!Cell!Phones!D!Telephones!D!
Printers!D!Vacuum!Cleaners!D!Speakers!D!Keyboards!D!Scanners!D!Mice!D!
LaptopsD!Networking!Equipment!D!Power!Tools!D!Misc.!Wires!and!Cords!
D!Small!Appliances!D!Household!Phones!D!Stereo!Systems!D!Medical!
Equipment!D!and!Much!More!!
Proceeds Benefit the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Thank$You!!
ALTAR GUILD FOR
FEBRUARY
The purpose of this guild is to
decorate the icons used during
Sunday liturgies and special Feast
Days.
If you would like to donate
money toward flowers in honor or
in memory of a loved one, please
contact our Church Office at
916-443-2033.
The following members will be
decorating the icons for the month
of February:
6
13
20
27
Julie Christie
Dessi Chuchas
Christine Dariotis
Toula Delis & Ruseta Fotos
!
!
Looking'for'an'easy'way'to'help'out'our'Church?'
AmazonSmile'could'be'the'answer'
!
!
!
AmazonSmile!is!a!simple!and!automatic!way!for!you!to!support!Our!Church!every!!
time!you!shop,!at!no!cost!to!you.!When!you!shop!at!smile.amazon.com,!you’ll!find!
!the!exact!same!low!prices,!vast!selection!and!convenient!shopping!experience!as!
Amazon.com,!with!the!added!bonus!that!Amazon!will!donate!a!portion!of!the!!
purchase!price!to!our!Church,!all!you!need!to!do!is!sign!up!
!
Follow!this!link!to!sign!up!for!AmazonSmile!
http://smile.amazon.com/about/ref=smi_ge_ul_lm_raas
!
11
MONTHLY OBSERVER
FEBRUARY 2015
!
After!creating!your!account:!On!your!first!visit!to!Smile.Amazom.com,!you!need!to!
select!a!charitable!organization!to!receive!donations!from!eligible!purchases!before!
you!begin!shopping.!When!you!search!for!a!charity!on!Smile.Amazon.com!enter!
“Greek'Orthodox'Sacramento”!and!our!Church!will!pop!up!as!the!first!result!!!
!!
If!you!have!already!selected!a!charity!and!want!to!change!your!charity!to!our!!
Church,!simply!sign!in!to!smile.amazon.com!and!select!“Change!your!Charity”!in!!
“Your!Account.”!To!find!the!Church!enter!“Greek'Orthodox'Sacramento”!!
in!the!search!box.!
OPE R ATI NG FU N D
1/ 1/14 to
12/ 3 1 /14
2 014
Bu dget YT D
Pledges
$45 4,4 42
$43 0 ,0 0 0
All Other Revenue
$2 9 7,2 82
$2 77,75 6
$751, 724
$707,75 6
Total Staff Exp.
$457, 170
$43 9,3 51
Program Services
$10 ,018
$13,5 0 0
Other Oper. Exp.
$161 ,33 9
$147,8 5 0
Archdiocese
National Ministries
$10 7,059
$107,055
Total Expense
$73 5, 5 8 6
$707,75 6
Income
Total Revenue
Expenses
For'questions,'or'help'in'creating'an'account,'
contact'Kristen'Kane'at'kristen.magers@gmail.com!
Balance as of
12/31/14
PARISH MILESTONES
MEMORIALS
Jan 4 - Harry Champas (40 days)
Jan 11 - Elizabeth Moraitis (40 days)
Jan 11 - Mary Cazanis (1 year)
FUNERALS
Jan 24 - Pauline Vathis
Jan 30 - James Tingus
$16,13 8
2014 Pledges as of December 31, 2014
Stewardship Budget
$43 0 ,0 0 0
Pledged to Date
$43 0 ,703
Total Amount
Received
$45 4,4 42
Total Members
Pledged
477
To all the faithful and God-loving stewards of this beloved parish, THANK YOU! With your continuous love, generosity,
and support, our parish was able to achieve and surpass our budgeted stewardship for 2014 by over $ 24,000. May the Lord
multiply these blessings in our hearts as well as in all the work that we do. Thanks to you, our parish community is
progressing in its financial health!
- M ICHA EL D A R IO TIS , Parish Council Treasurer
12
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
F E B U R A RY 2 0 1 5
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Schedule subject to change.
Please consult the website or Sunday Bulletin for the most current information.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Sunday of the
Publican &
Pharisee)
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Meeting of our
Lord)
5:30pm } Dance
Practice
(Hara)
6pm | Blessing in
a Backpack
5:30pm | Dance
Practice (Hara)
7pm | Choir
Practice
7:30pm } Dance
Practice
(Kategitha)
5:30pm | DSG
Preview &
Glendi
6:00pm | OCF
10:45am ] Lesser
Blessing of
Waters
11am | ASL
February
Luncheon
7pm | Dance
Practice
(T’Adelphia)
8
9
10
11
12
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Sunday of the
Prodigal Son)
5pm | Dance
Practices (various
groups)
6pm | OCF
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(St. Haralambos)
10am | Adult
Education
6pm | Blessing in
a Backpack
5:30pm } Dance
Practice
(Hara)
7pm | Choir
Practice
Kids n Cancer
Pancake
Breakfast &
Scout Sunday
6:15pm | Parish
Council Meeting
6:30pm |
Philoptochos
Monthly Meeting
7pm | Dance
Practice
(T’Adelphia)
noon | Dance
Practices
7pm | Dance
Practice
(Kategitha)
13
14
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Saturday of
Souls)
10am | Sister
Vassa Morning
Talk (Diamond
Springs)
7pm | Adult
Education
6pm | Sister
Vassa Evening
Talk (Diamond
Springs)
FDF DANCE FESTIVAL (ANAHEIM, CA)
15
16
17
18
19
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Meatfare
Sunday)
President’s Day
Office Closed
6:30pm |
Daughters of
Penelope Meeting
10am | Adult
Education
10am } ASL
Board Meeting
7pm | Adult
Education
6pm | Blessing in
a Backpack
11am | GAPA
Meeting
6pm | OCF
20
21
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Saturday of
Souls)
7pm | Choir
Practice
22
23
24
25
26
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(Cheesefare/
Forgiveness
Sunday)
6pm | Great
Compline &
Canon of St.
Andrew
6pm | Great
Compline &
Canon of St.
Andrew
6pm | Liturgy of
the Presanctified
Gifts
6pm | Great
Compline &
Canon of St.
Andrew
Kids n Cancer
Cake Raffle &
Godparent
Sunday
Clean Monday |
Beginning of
Lent
6pm | Blessing in
a Backpack
7pm | Choir
Practice
27
28
8:30am | Matins
& Divine Liturgy
(St. Theodore &
the Miracle of
the Kollyva)
13
MONTHLY OBSERVER
FEBRUARY 2015
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A!Family!Owned!Funeral!Home!since!1964!
4221!Manzanita!Avenue!!!Carmichael,!CA!!95608!
Main:!916.482.8080!!!!!!!!!!Fax:!916.482.2009!
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Advertising Rates
SIZE
MONTHLY
ANNUALLY
Full Page
$150
$1,250
Half Page
$80
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Quarter Page
$45
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Business Card
$25
$240
Back Page
$80
Not Available
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger Funeral Home
5401 Folsom Blvd
Sacramento, California
Phone: 916-451-7284 FD#355
(pictured left to right)
Funeral Arranger:
Kerri London
Funeral Director &
Funeral Home Manager: Savannah Hall
(Kockinis) FDR#3382
Office Manager:
Serving the Greek
community for
70 years
with both
Dignity &
Excellence
Kara Catron
Mention this advertisement and
receive a 15% discount on
prearrangement funeral services
or
10% off funeral services at
the time of need
The Entrance to the Cave of the Nativity, Bethlehem
14
MONTHLY OBSERVER
FEBRUARY 2015
Locally owned and
operated by
The Dariotis Family
Great Value
for the
Entire Family
Warm Surroundings,
Delicious Foods,
Unbeatable Prices
Take Out Available
Banquet Facilities Available
Call Ahead Seating Available
We Now Offer Catering!
1910 “J” Street
Sacramento, CA
(916) 443-2862
12401 Folsom Blvd.
Rancho Cordova, CA
(916) 985-0822
731 Sunrise Ave.
Roseville, CA
(916) 773-3950
7727 Laguna Blvd.
Elk Grove, CA
(916) 478-2400
11896 Foothill Blvd.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
(909) 980-3585
2107 Broadway St.
Redwood City, CA
(650) 216-9713
1955 Mt. Diablo St.
Concord, CA
(925) 687-5030
2702 W. March Lane
Stockton, CA
(209) 473-3695
51 N. San Pedro St.
San Jose, CA
(408) 288-7488
1610 East Shaw Ave.
Fresno, CA
(559) 222-1066
111 N. Twin Oaks Valley Rd.
San Marcos, CA
(760) 471-0155
3155 W. Chandler Blvd.
Chandler, AZ
(480) 786-5705
1418 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 257-0380
15
- vendors of unique wares
- church tours
- childrens activities
for more information, check our website: holyascensionchurch.com
All proceeds go to the consturction of a belfry and ground’s beautification
- Russian cuisine indoors & out
- folk dancing
- traditional music
hosted by Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church
714 – 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Sacramento, CA 95816
- February 7th, 11am to 5pm - February 8th, 11am to 5pm -
ANNUNCIATION GREEK
2015
16
Sacramento
3022 F Street
RUSSIAN FESTIVAL
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
ORTHODOX CHURCH
PAID
Permit No. 700
Sacramento, CA
TIME DATED MATERIAL
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