October - Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church

“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ , The Son of God.” Mark 1:1
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Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church • October 2012
Making Time for God
FATHER MARK A. LEONDIS
“Prayer refreshes and enlivens the soul,
as outer air refreshes the body. When we
pray, we feel stronger and fresher.”
Saint John of Kronstadt
Have you ever awakened and felt
that there was just too much to
do that day? Have you ever felt
that with so many appointments,
responsibilities and meetings, there
is just not enough time in the day to
complete the tasks at hand?
Many times, we get so caught up
in our hectic day-to-day schedules,
that we don’t find time for ourselves,
and more importantly, for God. We
don’t find time to read the Bible,
develop a prayer discipline or find
time to be “alone with God.”
A famous theologian once said, “I
have so much to do today, I must
spend two to three hours this
morning with God in order to get
all accomplished.” Finding time for
ourselves and God is often quite
difficult, but most necessary. It is
only when we learn to discipline
our own lives with prayer that we
can begin to truly look within.
In the book, The Way of the Heart,
by Henri Nouwen, he writes: “There
is always one more phone call, one
more letter, one more visit and one
more party. Together, these form an
insurmountable pile of activities.”
If we look at the life of Jesus, we
see that before he began his public
ministry, he spent forty days and
nights in the desert, praying and
fasting continuously. He realized
the great task that was to begin,
and faced it appropriately.
If we begin each day in prayer and
solitude, then our lives will proceed
Christ-like and Christ-centered. Let
us look to Christ as our example
in life, facing each new day on our
knees in prayer, looking deeper into
our minds, hearts and souls, for
our spiritual food. We sing at the
Artoklasia (Blessing of the Loaves)
service, “Rich men have turned poor
and gone hungry. But those who
seek the Lord, shall not be deprived
of any good thing.” Only in Christ
do we find true peace. And only in
Christ do we truly experience the
Love of God. Everything in this
world will pass away – except the
love of God.
Here are some basic tips to find the
time necessary to connect with God
each day: set up a schedule; take
some time to be “alone with God”,
read the Bible; listen to God.
It is my prayer that each of us
schedules time necessary to grow
with Christ each and every day. Let
our prayer refresh and bring new
life to us all.
Parish Information and Schedule
For the Month of October
Saint Mark
Greek Orthodox Church
2100 NW 51st Street
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Office Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tel: 561.994.4822
Fax: 561.998.7875
Email: office@saintmarkboca.net
www.saintmarkboca.net
Clergy:
Rev. Fr. Mark A. Leondis, Pastor
Rev. Fr. Alexander G. Leondis,
Protopresbyter
Rev. Dn. John Christakis, MD
Office Staff: Patti Ali, Bookkeeper
Maintenance: Valentino Nisip
Office Volunteers: Pat Anthony,
Niki Core, Joann Haros, Petitesa
Macaulay
Parish Council: John Koutsoupis
Philoptochos: Pam Parent
Choir: Sophia Christakis
Chanters: Art Poly, George Demopoulos, Ramona Bean, Susan Peart
Ushers: Tom Hantzarides,
Tim Sharp
Acolytes: Brian Giusti
Church School: Helen Lang
Youth Choir: Virginia Barnes
GOYA Ministry: PJ Diamantis,
Andrew Gonedes
JOY Ministry: Angela and Girard
Mitchell & Jim and Claudia Dovas
Super Seniors: Athena Sperantsas
Syrtaki: Mark Christakis &
Jenny Saiger
Greek School: Mike Gonedes
Orthodox Bookstore: Yvette
Koutsoupis, Barbara Tasiounes,
Stella Pores
Welcome Committee:
Elaine Zographus
Readers: Vivian Jenetopulos
Email Blast Coordinator:
Evangelitsa Profylianos
The Message Editor: Pat Sourlis
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WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Every Sunday
8:45 am Orthros (Matins)
9:45 am (Divine Liturgy)
Tuesday, October 2
6:30pm Vespers
Sunday, October 7
3rd Sunday of Luke
Tuesday, October 9
6:30pm Vespers
Sunday, October 14
4th Sunday of Luke
Tuesday, October 16
6:30pm Vespers
Sunday, October 21
6th Sunday of Luke
Tuesday, October 23
6:30pm Vespers
Friday, October 26
9:00am Divine Liturgy
Saint Demetrios
Sunday, October 28
7th Sunday of Luke
Tuesday, October 30
6:30pm Vespers
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
October 7
Ushers Team B: Captains Girard Mitchell and Peter Zivanovich, Peter
Averkiou, George Chapekis, Dora Daskalopoulos, Mike Gonedes, John
Koutsoupis, Maria Mitsinicos, Valentino Nisip
Greeters: Gus Constantinou, Thelma Constantinou, Marina Nicolaides,
Diane Paterakis
Epistle Readers: Greek: Anastasia Theodore, English: Val Petroff
Fellowship Hour: Philoptochos
October 14
Ushers Team C: Captain: Tom Hantzarides, Pat Anthony, Bert Chapekis, Ted
Chapekis, Mary Cocores, Penny Coyle, Tom Fread, Amerisa Kornblum, Connie Pilallis, Chris Theodore
Greeters: Jeremy Christakis, Penny Coyle, Ted Drakos, Maria Mitsinicos
Epistle Readers: Greek: Mark Habib, English: Tom Hantzarides
Fellowship Hour: Philoptochos
October 21
Ushers Team A: Captain Tim Sharp, Steve Alman, George Georges, James
Ginopoulos, Bill Johnson, Suzette Johnson, Kim Koehler, Jenny Saiger
Greeters: Ted Drakos, Joann Haros, Bill Johnson, Suzette Johnson
Epistle Readers: Greek: Felis Sakellaris, English: Nick Chinappi
Fellowship Hour: Philoptochos
October 28
Ushers Team D: Captain, Mike Gonedes, Members of the Parish Council
Greeters: Ted Drakos, Kay Poly, Cosmina Siegel, Anna Stathis
Epistle Readers: Greek: John Periharos, English: Theodora Periharos
Fellowship Hour: Greek School – OXI Day Brunch
Saints Demetrios and Nestor
Celebrated on October 26th and 27th, respectively.
The names of Demetrios and Nestor
are deeply connected to each other
in the history of Christianity. It was
their combined boldness of the early fourth-century tyranny, which
brought them to martyrdom. While
Demetrios was the better known of
the two, it was the quiet courage of
his friend, Nestor, added to the complete faithfulness of Demetrios, that
assured their immortality.
Demetrios was a native of the city of
Thessaloniki. Demetrios sharpened
his keen oratorical power in the public forum, where the debates of the
great minds of the day drew the spirited Christians as much as the gladiatorial games attracted the pagans.
Thessaloniki had a reputation for
providing the brightest intellectuals
on the public platform and the most
fearsome gladiators in the arena, in
both of which Demetrios excelled.
Demetrios was in the military service
as well as a devout Christian, which
was tolerated in Thessaloniki. But
when it came to the attention of the
Emperor Maximinus, the dual life met
with royal displeasure. For his part
in the Christian cause, Demetrios was
stripped of his military rank and cast
into prison to await a certain fate.
It was at this point that the friendship
of Nestor came to light. At great personal risk, Nestor visited his friend
in prison regularly and sought to intercede on his behalf, a move which
availed him little but aroused suspicions of those who surrounded the
emperor. This provided the setting
for one of the finest displays of the
power of God through the friendship
of two gallant Christians. It seems
that one of the favorites of the arena,
admired particularly by the emperor,
was a giant man named Lyaios who
always was victorious.
It was during one of the visits that
Nestor heard from Demetrios that
the power of the Lord could be transmitted through him to any man and
make him unbeatable against any rival in the arena. The youthful Nestor,
with the spirit of a true believer,
agreed to hurl a challenge against
Lyaios with a declaration that God
would help him prevail. Saint Demetrios prayed and made the Sign of the
Cross over him. Nestor ran into the
arena, proclaiming the name of the
Lord. The pagan crowd, thinking this
was some practical joke, roared with
laughter, but when Nestor wrestled
the fierce giant, threw him down and
slewed him, the crowd was brought
to their feet in disbelief.
Maximian, who became beside himself with rage upon learning that
Nestor was a Christian and that Saint
Demetrios had blessed him, ordered
the soldiers to have them both put
to death. Many who left the arena
that day became followers of Christ.
It is written that when Saint Demetrios saw the soldiers thrusting their
spears at him, he raised high his arm
and they pierced him in the side, so
that he might be deemed worthy to
receive the piercing which Christ
received in His side. Nestor was beheaded the next day.
Archangel Michael Award Honorees
Congratulations
Gus Constantinou and Will Anastasiou! These two gentlemen are
designated as this year’s Saint Mark
honorees from our parish. They will
be honored, together with other
faithful from parishes throughout
our Metropolis, at a special banquet on Saturday, November 10, at
the Cathedral Center in Atlanta, GA.
Both will receive medals of recognition from His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios.
The Archangel Michael
Award is given annually to one adult member and one young
person from each Parish in the Metropolis
for outstanding leadership and service to
their Community. Our
warmest congratulations are extended to
Gus and Will.
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Parish Council Update
We Will Continue to Grow
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JOHN KOUTSOUPIS, PRESIDENT
My Fellow Stewards,
We will continue to grow! On behalf of
the Parish Council, I would like to express
my gratitude to everyone who worked
in creating our parish’s new publication,
The Message. The new format, articles
and coloring are exceptional.
As we begin our new ecclesiastical
year, all of our ministries have met;
we are pleased with the enthusiasm
and excitement that is being created
by all our organizations. We have
been asked by His Eminence Metro-
politan Alexios to host the Metropolis
Clergy-Laity and Philoptochos Conference. The committee has begun
meeting and preparing for the Conference, which will take place from
26-30 June 2013.
The Parish Council approved the installation of perimeter security cameras. This is a proactive approach so
that our children will be safer and
our grounds more secure. We are also
in the process of upgrading the livestreaming video system, which will
allow our parishioners to watch our
Liturgies and Bible Study online.
Festival News
The Festival Committee has been meeting (see below for more information).
We are going to have an extremely
busy and exciting year. The fact that
we are discussing and beginning to
talk about the completion of our Sanctuary has been a long time in coming
- and is quickly becoming a reality!
Last, but not least, our mortgage loans
will be paid off in less than 24 months
(we owe less than $225,000). Thank
you all for your confidence and willingness to be part of our Saint Mark family. Together, we will continue to grow.
Mark your Calendars! January 24-27, 2013
Our Festival Committee has been
meeting and making big changes for
our 2013 Festival. There are numerous
changes regarding vendors, bar area,
drink-distribution points, and Syrtaki
dancing to name a few.
As always, we request everyone in our
parish to volunteer for the weekend
(before, during and after). Young or
old, we need all available hands! Please
inform Committee members if you can
help us as we prepare for the Festival:
Stewardship
Pat Anthony, Steve Giakouminakis,
Riad Boulos, Mark Rados, Suzette Johnson or John Koutsoupis. As we get closer to the Festival, we will be announcing in The Message more opportunities
for everyone to participate.
Time, Talents and Treasure
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PENELOPE DOUGLAS MOLONEY, CHAIR
Greetings from the Stewardship Committee! We’re busy putting the finishing touches on the new envelope plan
for the 2013 Stewardship Campaign.
All members of Saint Mark will receive
a beautiful series of envelopes beginning in December. These envelopes can
be used to pay your Stewardship pledge
on a weekly basis. Or if you prefer to pay
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your Stewardship pledge in one or two
payments, you can use the envelopes to
get credit for the weekly cash that you
put into the collection plates. But, in order to receive the envelopes, you must
be a member of the Saint Mark Family. If
you haven’t yet pledged for 2012, please
contact the Church office and fill out a
Stewardship pledge card. The kickoff
for the Stewardship 2013 campaign
✙ SAINT MARK WISH LIST ✙
is Stewardship Sunday, November 18,
2012, where our faithful will come together and offer our offerings to our
Lord. The theme for the campaign is
“Giving Thanks to the Lord.” The heart
of Christian Stewardship is gratitude
in response to God’s blessings.” We
here at Saint Mark are so richly blessed
by the Lord...Stewardship is one way to
show our gratitude.
From time to time, we will list an item that our church needs. If you can donate or contribute toward this item, it would be greatly
appreciated: HD Camera and new system for live streaming of church services. Our system is 12 years old and is in need of updating.
The cost is $4,100. This will enable all computers, PC and Macintosh, ipads, tablets and smartphones, to view our services online.
Mission and Outreach
Mission Trip to Guatemala
monetary donation from our St. Mark
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parishioners. We came bearing our
Guatemala is a country of contrasts. It personal gifts of the Spirit…we came
is beautiful and fertile, known as the knowing little of how the Lord would
land of the ‘Eternal Spring’…and yet, use those gifts. Our arrival was in the
it abounds with crime, poverty and early afternoon. We were transported
squalor. Due to this its children are through the city to the Hogar, unloaded
the van, and were
often abandoned,
shown to our meaabused and/or orger but adequate
phaned. But, in
accommodations.
the heart of GuaTwo of the older
temala City, in viogirls gave us a tour
lent Zona One, lies
of the grounds,
a refuge like an
and we met with
oasis in the middle
Mother Ivonne for
of a desert. This is
From Left to Right: Stephan Christakis,
an overview of the
Hogar Rafael Ayau, Maria Demopoulos, Yvette Koutsoupis,
rules, our tasks,
Mark Leondis, Barbara Tasiounis,
a one-square-city- Father
Marlene Buettner, Emmy Christakis, and
and schedule. We
block “orphanage” Juan Valderes
proceeded to Vessurrounded by a
pers and dinner
20’ high wall to
where both we and
protect those withthe “kids” got to
in. It is home to
personally greet,
about forty young
meet and play. It
children, female
was the beginning
teens and young
of our relationship
adults. Male teenwith them.
agers and young
BY MARLENE BUETTNER
adults are housed
elsewhere.
The
‘Hogar’ is administered by three Orthodox Christian
nuns, Abbess Ines,
Mother
Ivonne,
and Mother Maria.
The “man” of the
Hogar is Jorge, Mother Inez’s brother.
Since 2007 the Guatemalan government stopped adoptions and the Hogar ceased its baby and toddler unit.
On Wednesday, August 22nd seven of
us, “Missionaries” from Boca Raton,
Florida and our Priest Fr. Mark came
to the Hogar, trudging suitcases and
boxes filled with clothing and goods
for the Home, and with a generous
Our six days at
the Hogar were
filled with so
many events and
blessings as we
interacted with
the “kids.” We began each day with
worship at Matins, then proceeded to breakfast. We
learned to like or maybe tolerate the
simple but nutritious meals. Some of
us didn’t even mind beans and rice
three times a day! We grew fond of
the sugar cookies made at the Hogar’s
bakery. After breakfast the students
had school on two of those days; so
we Missionaries worked around the
property cleaning, weeding, mowing,
edging, and sweeping; we went into
classrooms to assist with the children
and provided art projects as well. On
one of those days we took a trip outside the Hogar to the Holy Trinity
Monastery Lavra Mambre, the Hermitage of the nuns, and site of the new
San Miguel Home currently under
construction and to be occupied by
early next year. This donated Monastery property has fantastic mountain
views of Lake Atitlan. WOW! We did
briefly visit Antigua.
It was during our work-times, our
brief evening hours, and on our road
trip that we Missionaries really got to
‘bond.” We melded so well as a team.
Our talents and gifts were complementary. Four of our group are fluent
Spanish speakers. This was a tremendous blessing. The kids observed and
felt our brotherly and sisterly Christian love and respect for each other,
and for Father Marko. Our interactions with the kids in their daily lives
gave us a good “feel” for them personally; their talents, their hopes and
their dreams. We worked together
with the kids during their Saturday
chore-time, we played together, we
cooked with them, we learned together in classes and activities, and best
of all we prayed together twice each
day and before and after all meals.
We Missionaries served each other at
our meals, and took care of each other,
just as the Hogar children do one for
the other. We brought our gifts, our
talents, and our love; all that the Lord
commands….and we left with more
than that which we brought. Our
hearts are filled with compassion,
more love, and understanding for the
Madres and the children of the Hogar.
We now have our memories. Blessings
do beget Blessings indeed! It was a
Gracious, God-given experience. We
are grateful.
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Stewardship 2012
Pacesetter Stewards
($1,500 and above)
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Rev. Fr. Mark & Anastasia Leondis
Rev. Fr. Alexander & Mary Leondis
Rev. Dn. John & Stephanie Christakis
Anonymous
Elias and Irene Alexandrou
Steven and Denise Alman
Anthony & Charlene Alvanos
Constantine and PatAnthony
Andrew and Sophia Arbes
Gus and Julia Armenakis
Nicholas and Sofia Athan
Peter and Eileen Averkiou
Dean Bacalos
Jim and Helen Ballerano
Theodore and Nena Barabutes
Timothy and Virginia Barnes
Thomas and Peggy Bartzokis
George and Georgia Bavelis
Thomas and Ramona Bean
Riad and Sara Boulos
Marlene Buettner
John and Sylvia Cardone
Andrew Cassas
George and Vicki Catsimpiris
Nick Chinappi & Sara Guasto
Paul and Sophia Christakis
Stephen & Elaine Christopher
Mary Cocores
Bill and Diane Cocose
Keith and Pamela Collins
Elaine Constantine
Tom and Georgia Copulos
Nick and Monica Csakany
Chris and Maria Danias
Helen Danis
George & Maria Demopoulos
Harry and Tula Diamandis
Charles and Diane Diamantis
Peter and Diana Dion
Dean Douglas
John Douglas
James and Claudia Dovas
George & Harriet Eliopoulos
Keith and Judy Ely
Thelma Fail
Thomas and Debbie Fread
Glen Ged & Ronda Ellis-Ged
George and Elly Georges
Nick and Katina Glaros
Michael & Haroula Gonedes
Nick and Carrie Gouzoulis
Evon and Barbara Greanias
George and Michelle Grous
Bryan and Corinne Giusti
Steve and Helen Hadgigeorge
Tom Hantzarides
Matthew & Vivian Jenetopulos
Mary Kalikow
Dessa Kallos
Basil Kaloyanides
Kim and Elaine Koehler
George and Keri Kolettis
Eric and Erin Kontos
John and Mary Koukos
Chrysanthe Koumas
John and Yvette Koutsoupis
George & Theodora Leondis
Emanuel & Helen Logothetis
Alan and Petitesa Macaulay
Angelos & Natasha Manganiotis
Emmanuel Manos
Mary Manos
Barbara Marino
Constantine & Antonia Markakis
Paul and Maria Matthews
Zachary and Patricia Menegakis
Girard and Angela Mitchell
John and Joan Mitsinikos
Dennis & Penelope Moloney
Constantine & Mary Mukasa
Harriet Nichols
Louis and Helen Nicozisis
Michael & Frances Papamichael
Diane Paterakis
Steve and Athena Pelekanos
Argy and Christa Petros
Fred and Maria Pokrajac
Art and Kay Poly
Theodora Preston
Constantine and Carol Pyshos
Theodore and Vickie Raptis
George and Anna Regas
James and Dawn Riger
Chris and Carole Rodis
Pete and Jenny Saiger
Genevieve Scaltsas
Gerald and Joanne Scheller
Tim and Katherine Sharp
Lou and Ann Sinopulos
Bill & Katherine Skoundridakis
James and Thelma Sorrentino
Randall and Katina Soy
Tom and Angela Spyredes
Amelia Stevens
Anna Terezi
Costas and Joanne Trataros
James and Betty Veras
Charles & Christine Zacharias
John and Louise Zervas
Elaine Zographus
Stewards
Ellen Acosta
Theodoros & Kathryn Agelopoulos
Jeff and Vivi Ahrenstein
Spyros & Agnes Alamanis
Georgia Alexiou
Frances Amanatides
Helen Amditis
Betty Andreadis
Zeffie Andreadis
Kalle Andromidas
Theodore and Anne Anthony
Estelle Apostol
Louis Apostol
Thomas Araps
John Argianas
Theodora Argyropoulos
William and Hilary Ashmen
Frank and Vickie Athanason
George & Georgia Athanasopoulos
Artie and Kika Averkiou
Fay Averkiou
Theodore and Kelsey Axiotis
Emanuel & Alice Ayvas
Ann Babic
George and Olga Bacalos
Alexander & Courtney Bafer
Christine Baleotis
Arthur and Loula Barakos
George and Efrosini Barris
Charles Bekiaris
Tina Bekiaris
Barbara Bell
Ernst and Christine Beyerle
Helen Bisignano
Ted and Marysia Boinis
Philippe and Julie Boulos
Alexander & Meliza Bouzakis
Rich and Nicole Brochu
Constantine & Kathryn Callas
Ronald and Lillian Campayno
Gerald and Georgia Carignan
Heonia Cassimatis
Bill and Bobby Chaltas
Ann Chambertides
George & Katherine Chapekis
Ted and Bert Chapekis
Walter and Joann Chapman
George Charos
Solon and Marsha Chris
George Christakis
Mark & Anastasia Christakis
Nick and Vasiliki Christakis
Stephan Christakis
Louis & Voula Christopoulos
Milton & Susan Christopoulos
Peggy Clarke
Stephen & Tamra Constantine
Gus & Thelma Constantinou
Sotirios and Carmen Contos
Aristides Copulos
Nicholine Core
Ernest Coshonis
Penny Coyle
John and Maria Cucuras
Bertha Dangles
John Daskalakis
Gus and Eva Daskalakis
Taso & Dora Daskalopoulos
Peter Davekos
Effie Davis
Louis and Christina DeLuca
Joseph and Patricia Denaro
Tom and Marilyn Denney
Catherine Deros
Ann Douglas
George and Rosie Douglas
Angelo and Pauline Dovas
Theodore and Barb Drakos
Mary Ducas
Jim and Edwina Duros
Paul and Sandra Duros
Pete and Angie Duros
Michael and Bess Economos
Curtis and Carmen Elrod
William and Linda Esposito
Anna Fanning
Elizabeth Ferguson
Marianne Ferguson
Tasia Foundoukis
John and Mary Ann Frazer
Michael and Val Gandolfo
Eugene and Maria Garda
Helen Gatsonis
Bess George
Stavros & Alexia Georgakopoulos
Christos Georghiou
Constantinos Georgiou
Steve & Irina Giakouminakis
Nikolas & Barbara Gianopoulos
Sean and Sandra Gibson
Becky Gidas
George and Maria Gines
Ida Ginopoulos
James & Donna Ginopoulos
Michael and Lisa Glamoclija
Grace Glaros
Mimi Glass
Irene Gonedes
Steve Gonedes
George & Dimitra Gounakis
Michael & Yvonne Grammen
Joel and Maria Gross
Claire Grossomanides
Costas and Lucy Grous
John & Despina Hantzaridis
William and Joann Haros
Helen Harris
Joyce Haseotes
Anastasia Hatsis
Peter and Helen Hoffman
John and Barbara Horey
David and Selena Huck
John and Gina Iconomou
Jonathan and Noelle Ilchert
Anna Innis
George and Doreen Jakovich
William and Suzette Johnson
Gus and Melody Jones
Maria Jula
Mario and Vivian Kafetzis
Evangelos and Anna Kaisar
Peter & Mary Kaklamanakis
Nick and Mary Kaleel
Eliot and Louise Kaleshi
George and Mary Kalomiris
James and Sally Kaloyanides
Katherine Kaltenbach
Mr. & Mrs. Angelo Kanarios
Phil and Theodora Karahalis
Dimitrios & Maria Karaloukas
Ann Karambelas
Christina Karas
Peter and Lynn Karantonis
Maria Karras-Feigman
Nicholas and Dotty Karras
Pete and Lula Karras
Nicolas & Angie Katsiyianis
Christ Kazalas
Assimo Kitsos
Theodora Klarides
Theodore & Mary Klarides
Eracles and Mary Klotsas
Paul and Estelle Knowles
Chris and Stella Kokinakos
Helen Konopiots
Mr and Mrs George Kontzias
Alexandra Kopatsis
Tom and Phyllis Kopatsis
George & Christine Korakis
Jeffrey & Amerisa Kornblum
Elene Paraskeve Kostas
Karen Kotanides
Angelo and Anna Koukoulis
Pat Koutrakos
Alisa-Nicole Kovacs
Richard and Irene Kovacs
Marie Kyriacou
Evelyn Lagoumis
Helen Economou Lang
Angelos Langadas
Ronald and Connie La Sota
Antigoni Lauta
Peter and Vivian Lazaridis
William and Liz Lazarou
Eve Lefes
Constantine & Irene Lekatsos
Leo and Sophia Lemonis
Kyros and Varcia Leondis
Athena Letsou
Vasileios & Eleni Levantakos
Theodora Leventouri/Faulkner
Stella Linardopoulos
Alexandra Lindholm
Alexis Lindholm
Craig and Joanne Lindholm
Edith Lindholm
Pantelis Lolos
Cynthia Makris
Hope Makris
Olga Malides
Irene Magafan
Rena Mamolou
Vasila Manolakis
Arthur Manos
Aristotle & Thula Maragoudakis
George & Sophia Maragoudakis
Nicholas Marangakis
Ed and Susan Marciniak
Vincent and Stella Marino
Emmanuel & Nancy Markakis
Joanne Markopoulos
James & Suzanne Massialas
Sara Massialas
Theodora Maxakoulis
Claire Melissas
George and Connie Mellides
Madeline Metrenas
Katheren Michaelson
Harry & Constantina Mirabile
Maria Mitsinicos
Paul and Elizabeth Modesto
Norys Molinares
Emanuel and Tina Moraitis
Nick Morf
James and Stacey Morris
John Morris
Stephen and Donice Muccio
Kent and Maria Nagel
Elliot and Alexa Nanos
Rose Nestora
Anthony & Marina Nicolaides
Nick and Dorothea Nicolas
Simona Niculescu
George Nikolopoulos
Nicholas & Kristina Nikolopoulos
Valentino Nisip
Anastasios & Agatha Orfanos
Bianca Orfanos
Christina Orfanos
Carlos and Evelyn Pagan
Ioannis Palanis & Theopoula
Vogiatzis
Nick and Stella Palma
Dimitrios & Georgia Panagopoulos
Paul Panagos
Alex Panagoulias
Demetrios & Anna Panayotopoulos
Isabela Pando
Ernest & Cindy Papadoyianis
Calliope Papantoniou
Nicholas & Dorothy Papayani
Agatha Pappas
Despina Pappas
Harry Pappas
Kathryn Pappelis
Charles & Katherine Papuchis
Angelo Parandes
Pam Parent
Stanley and Sophia Parzyck
Gari Paticopoulos
William and Despo Paul
Florence Pavel
Bisa Pavlou
Angela Pelletier
Urania Perakos
John and Theodora Periharos
Bess Peterson
Vasilike Petroff
Iosif Petrou
Connie Pilallis
George and Phyllis Pistolis
Jim and Elizabeh Platis
Victoria Polentas
Athan and Donna Prakas
Anna Prikes
Ioannis & Evangelia Profylienos
Peter and Effie Protos
Kyriakos & Joanna Pylarinos
Mark and Dana Rados
Angene George Rafferty
Catherine Mary Rafferty
Cynthia Raftis
Achilles & Fay Raptis-Rakkos
Patrick &Chrysoula Ramsden
Eleftherios and Alicia Rasis
George & Arhontia Repantis
Betty Rickerby
George and Litsa Rokanas
Anthony Safos
John and Felis Sakellaris
Jon and Anastasia Schauer
Maria Selvaggio
Vito and Vasiliki Selvaggio
Elaine Shure
Marika Siavelis
Michael and Cosmina Siegel
George and Stephanie Sigalos
Stephan and Debbie Silva
Photine Skandalis
John and Chrissa Skeadas
Eleni Skiba and Zoi Cicalo
Lioudmila Sokolova
Saul and Judy Solomon
Pat Sourlis
Thalia Sourlis
Costas Sperantsas
Evangelos & Athena Sperantsas
Tom and Maria Spiliopoulos
Gus and Martha Spyridon
Lisa Stabile
John and Yvonne Stamatellos
Trudy Stamos
Anna Stathis
Georgios & Thalia Stathopoulos
James and Frosine Stolis
Peter Stoumbelis
Efstratios Stratelos
Sophia Stratis
Iryna Strembitska
Robert and Agathe Stuart
Andrew and Anna Sytlianos
Nicos and Andria Stylianou
George and Alina Tavoularis
James and Kasey Terpos
Neil and Emily Tevault
Anastassia Theodore
Presbytera Athena Theodore
Chris Theodore
Chris and Margaret Theodore
Themis & Eugenia Theodosopoulos
John & Maritza Theodossakos
Leah Theofanis
Mary Thomaris
Sue Townsend
Helen Tryforos
John and Mary Tsakiris
Costa and Dorothy Tseklenis
Christos & Anastasia Tsoumbas
Nick and Michelle Tsitsoulas
Andreas & Maria Tzanakakis
Juan Pablo & Sophia Valladares
Matt and Neda Vanden Bosch
Athanasios & Maria Vasilakis
Pantelis & Ethel Vasilopoulos
Savvoula Velentzas
Katherine Vellis
Esther Vigliar
George & Ekaterin Vogiatzis
Mihai and Ana Voicu
Daniel and Helen Wachtl
Lester and Maria Weaver
Matthew & Nadia Weaver
Mary Widmark
Marcia Williams
Danica Wuchenich
Kallie Xenakis
Constantine & Helen Xintas
Pan and Pauline Yatrakis
George & Joy Zachariades
Peter and Aliki Zachary
Thomas Zafiris
Nick Zaharias
Pantelitsa Zaharias
Simeon & Maro Zaparegos
Desanka-Lela Zebic
Peter Zivanovich
Ana Zivkovic
Elizabeth Zographus
Saint Mark Book Store
Learning About Our Faith
n
YVETTE KOUTSOUPIS, DIRECTOR
Shipments of new books for the Orthodox reader have arrived in our
bookstore! Stop in and let Yvette,
Barbara and Stella assist you. Here
are just a few:
2012-2013 Planner:
Ecclesiastical Calendar
The Planner includes devotional
readings, saints
for each day, the
fasting calendar
and more. Each
edition begins on
September 1, the
first day of the
ecclesiastical calendar year.
Christ In His Saints
In this long-awaited sequel to Christ in
the Psalms, popular pastor, author, and
scholar, Patrick Henry Reardon, once
again applies
his keen intellect to a topic
he loves most
dearly. He examines
the
lives of almost
one hundred
and fifty saints
and
heroes
from the Scriptures - everyone from Abigail to Zephaniah, Adam
to St. John the Theologian. This wellresearched work is a veritable cornucopia of Bible personalities: Old Testament Saints, New Testament Saints,
“Repentant Saints,” “Zealous Saints,”
“Saints under pressure.” They’re all
here, and their stories are both fascinating and uplifting. But Christ in His
Saints is far more than just a biblical
who’s who. These men and women represent that ancient family into which,
by baptism, all believers have been
incorporated. Together they compose
that great “cloud of witnesses” cheering us on and inspiring us through
word and deed.
Children’s Bible Reader
This is the
most complete
Orthodox Children’s Bible
story
book
ever written.
Through over
200 excellent
iconographic
illustrations in
color, it brings
to life 74 central stories of the Old Testament and 89 of the New Testament.
Recently translated from the Greek
Bible Society’s acclaimed work, the
text is attractively written and easy
to understand. Archbishop Demetrios
considers it “a very valuable resource
for families, parents, children and
schools.” Ages 7-11.
7
Saint Mark Parish Life
Ministries
PHILOPTOCHOS
n
PAM PARENT, PRESIDENT
Memorials and Koliva
In John 12:24, Jesus says: “Very truly,
I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the earth and dies, it remains
just a single grain; but if it dies, it
bears much fruit.”
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, koliva is prepared and shared with the congregation when a memorial is
held. The symbolism of the koliva reaches far back into history. The boiled wheat is used
in the Orthodox Church as a
symbol of our hope in the Resurrection. From the grain that
died comes the fruit of eternal life. Why, then, do we call
the wheat ‘koliva’? This name
comes from a term commonly used
during the fourth century, particularly
where the following miracle occurred.
The Emperor Julian the Apostate tried
to have the fruits and vegetables, for
use by Christians who were fasting
during Great Lent, contaminated! In
SUNDAY CHURCH
SCHOOL MINISTRY
n
BY HELEN LANG, DIRECTOR
Our Church School year is off to a wonderful beginning, with our students
and teachers meeting on September
16th, with the Blessing of the Classrooms. The October Church School
schedule is October 7th, 14th, and 21st.
8
This month in The Message, I would
like to introduce you to our Pre-K 3 &
4 year old Class teacher, Mrs. Angela
Mitchell. Angela and her husband,
Girard, have three sons: Dimitri, Stefanos and Constantinos, and have
a dream, Saint Theodore the Tyron
appeared to Patriarch Evdoxios and
told him to instruct the faithful to consume only boiled wheat
(‘koliva’). The faithful
responded accordingly
and were able to continue the fast! This miracle
is commemorated annually on the third Saturday of Souls.
A variety of other ingredients are used,
depending upon the locale. Most commonly,
walnuts, almonds, sesame, raisins, parsley, and
spices are used. The
koliva is then shaped in
a mound, representing
the grave, and covered
with powdered sugar.
The initials of the deceased are placed
on top, and the koliva is then taken to
church for the memorial (mnimosino)
service.
Saint Mark Philoptochos has taken on
the ministry of providing koliva for
been parishioners at Saint Mark for
over 12 years. Angela has served
as the Pre-K 3 & 4 year old Teacher
for the past 8 years. Angela’s devotion to the children is evident by all
bereaved families for a donation of
$100.00. Your donation offsets the cost
of the ingredients. But more importantly, the
balance of
the
donation helps to
support our
many ministries. We
are charged
with being
the philanthropic branch of our church. Monies
we take in are used locally to feed families in need, help with housing, clothing,
and more. We provide funds for many
charities from the Caring Kitchen in
Delray Beach to IOCC. The women of
Philoptochos are pleased to provide
comfort and support to those in need,
and appreciate the financial donations
given by our community in the form
of fees for koliva, and gifts to our other
services such as coffee hour. Coffeehour sponsorships are also available
for memorials, name-day celebrations,
graduations and other special events.
When you give once, you help twice!
who visit her classroom. Her lesson
planning includes introducing the
young children to praying to an icon,
practicing the sign of the cross, and
assisting the children in completing
a craft consistent with the Church
calendar. This year, assisting Angela
will be a Saint Mark Church School
Alumnus, Ms. Alexa Cocores.
The commitment of Angela to the
Church School Ministry, through her
many years of volunteer teaching,
and weekly class preparation, is a
gift to the community of Saint Mark!
We thank you, Angela, for your service to the children through the
Church School Ministry!
JOY MINISTRY
n
BY JIM & CLAUDIA DOVAS & GIRARD
AND ANGELA MITCHELL, ADVISORS
On October 6th, JOY will begin their
annual church campus project. This
year, the Cocose family has generously
donated a tower vegetable garden. The
FROM THE CHOIR LOFT
n
BY SOPHIA CHRISTAKIS,
CHOIR DIRECTOR
Greetings from the choir loft! Each
year, on the first Sunday in October,
parishes across the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America celebrate National Church Music Sunday. It is a day
set aside to honor the contributions of
local choir members, chanters, and music educators who serve their churches
through the hymnology of our Orthodox Church. It is celebrated in October because this is the month that we
celebrate St. Romanos the Melodist.
Saint Romanos was born in a Syrian
town and served as a verger in Con-
YOUTH CHOIR UPDATES
n
BY VIRGINIA BARNES,
YOUTH CHOIR DIRECTOR
For the month of September, the focus has been the Trisagion Hymn. The
book, The Heavenly Banquet; Understanding the Divine Liturgy by Father
Emmanuel Hatzidakis, is the wonderful source that we are basing our lessons on. The following is a quote from
the book about the Trisagion Hymn:
“It is a magnificent hymn in its simplicity, because it is addressed to the
Holy Trinity, the One God in three Persons. The triple repetition of the word
“Holy” and the triple repetition of the
hymn indicate the trinity of Persons
worshiped, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, the three are addressed as
one, because the verb have mercy (in
Greek eleison), is in the second person
singular, to indicate the unity of the
three Persons into one Divine Being.
“God is called holy, but what does
JOY children will assemble the tower,
plant the seedlings, insert the seedlings into the tower when they are
ready, and watch the vegetables grow.
Following the campus project portion
of the meeting, the children will enjoy
some refreshments, fun, and games.
On October 27th, the JOY group
will participate in our second Family Night/Vespers. Remember, this is
something that the entire family can
enjoy. For more information, contact
Angela Mitchell at 561.963.9835 or angeliki.mitchell@gmail.com.
“holy” mean? The word holy, both in
Greek (hagios) and Hebrew (qadosh),
mean “set apart.” So a person or an
object devoted, consecrated to God is
deemed holy, set apart for the service
of the Lord. How holy then is He for
Whom something or someone is set
apart! God is the One Who is totally
apart from anything else. He is unlike
anything we know. What we know of
Him is that He is unlike anything that
we know and will ever know. He is the
One Who is absolutely different from
anything else that exists. He is truly
one of a kind. Therefore to say that God
is Holy is to acknowledge Him as the
unique Being. In a moral sense God is
apart as totally pure, completely separate from evil, perfect in every respect.
ginning or end, without change, always
the same. Everything else has a beginning. The angels and our souls have no
end, but only by God’s grace. Holiness,
might and immortality are predicated
upon God in an absolute sense.
stantinople at the cathedral there. (For
those of you who don’t know, a verger
is a person who acts as caretaker and
attendant taking care of
the interior of the church
as well as the vestments
and church furnishings.)
He was illiterate and had
no musical training. He
was looked down upon
and despised by some
of the educated clergy.
He prayed weeping to
the Theotokos. She appeared to him
in a dream and handed him a piece of
paper. The Theotokos told Saint Romanos to swallow the paper. The following day was Christmas Day and
“Besides being Holy, God is also Almighty, another of His attributes.
Nothing lies outside His power. He is
the Pantocrator, the Ruler of the universe. Another attribute of God is immortality, meaning He is without be-
Saint Romanos went up to the altar
and in an angelic voice sang the beautiful kontakion “I Parthenos Simeron”
which translated is “Today the
Virgin.” After receiving this gift
of song from the Theotokos he
went on to compose more than
1,000 kontakia (hymns of the
Church). When he died on October 1, 530, he was a deacon of the
Great Church in Constantinople.
We are very blessed to have the
hymns of Saint Romanos and we
should all feel encouraged that no matter what our education or training, if
we pray to the Theotokos with a pure
heart, she will intercede for us and help
us to sing beautiful praises to our Lord.
“Here the congregation does not offer its own thoughts or poetry but is
taken out of itself and given the privilege of sharing in the cosmic song of
praise of the cherubim and seraphim.
Let us then sing this hymn with fear
of God, great piety and contrition of
heart, praising and glorifying the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
worshipping Him “in spirit and truth”
(John 4:23) resembling the holy angels
in heaven.” (Hatzidakis, 132-134)
Of course, this was presented in a more
simplified manner, depending on the
age group. The more our children know
about what they are singing during the
Liturgy, the more strong ties they will
have to the Church as they become
young adults and go out into the world.
9
Saint Mark Parish Life
Ministries (Continued)
BYZANTEEN NEWS
n
BY VIRGINIA BARNES,
YOUTH CHOIR DIRECTOR
The ByzanTeens will sing during Holy
Communion each Family Worship
Day this year. ByzanTeens meet each
Sunday after Church School from
12:00 to 12:15, and all young people
in sixth grade and older are encouraged to join.
This year, we would like to feature
each month a different member of the
ByzanTeens. Alexia Pores is a found-
GOYA MINISTRY
n
P.J. DIAMANTIS & ANDREW
GONEDES, CO-PRESIDENTS
GOYA GOYA GOYA, What is it? When
I tell my friends that I am in GOYA,
they think it is a Spanish brand of
foods. Well, as you
know, the GOYA
we are referring
to is not a brand of
foods, but a ministry of our church
where young people meet, mingle
and exchange ideas with their Orthodox peers. Our GOYA has kids from
7th grade through high school. We
started our year off with a bowling
GREEK SCHOOL
n
ANNA KAISER, TEACHER
Greek School started with an Agiasmo
(Blessing of the Waters) Service with
Father Mark on Tuesday, September
11. It was great to see our returning
students as well as new faces that will
be attending Greek School this year.
10
Save the date, Sunday, October 28,
ing member of the group, and this
is what she has to say: “I am twelve
years old and I attend the 7th grade
at Saint Andrews School. My school
offers a ballet dance program that I
truly enjoy.
lead role in the play “In The Heights.”
night where we saw old friends and
also welcomed our new GOYAns. The
Saint Mark Goya really offers a great
mix of spiritual programs as well as
great fun stuff. Saturday, September
15, we attended Vespers at Saint Mark
and were part of the community family night. The next
evening, we went
by bus to Miami for
dinner and to Saint
Sophia Cathedral
for Great Vespers
for their Feast Day.
lins baseball game. In December, we
will attend a District Retreat in Lake
Placid, Florida, with rock climbing,
canoeing, bonfires, staying in cabins,
and spiritual workshops with clergy. In February, we will be off to the
mountains in North Carolina for a ski
weekend retreat. And we always look
forward to the GOYA District Olympics. We have great advisors, and of
course, Fr. Mark. We always welcome
parents to join us at each event.
My musical activities outside of school are attending Showtime Children’s
Theatre where I have performed in several plays
in addition to voice lessons and advanced acting
classes. Currently, I have a
There is more fun coming, too many
events to write about, but here are
just a few highlights: On September
30, we will be going to a Miami Mar-
our school will be hosting the OXI
Day Luncheon after Liturgy. It is
not too late to sign up for Greek
School. We have a class for everyone. Students are as young
as four years of age--and we also
offer a class for adults. For more
information, call the church office at 561.994.4822 or Mike
Gonedes, Greek School Director
at 561.756.1313.
What I enjoy about being part of the
ByzanTeens is being part of a close
spiritual community. I have made
several friends, both my age and
adults that share their
musical gifts as well. The
experience of sharing
my voice in my church
makes me feel even closer to God and the idea
that I am sharing my gift
and contributing back to
my Parish.”
I know we are all so busy with
school, sports, dance and everything
else under the sun. If you haven’t
registered for GOYA yet – do so today! Believe us, it will be a memorable experience.
EPISTLE READERS
n VIVIAN JENETOPULOS, CHAIRLADY
We are very happy with the turnout of volunteers to read the
Epistles on Sunday, both in Greek
WELCOME COMMITTEE
n
ELAINE ZOGRAPHUS, CHAIRLADY
As one enters the Outer Narthex
of Saint Mark on a Sunday morning, you are greeted by a dedicated
member of the Welcome-Committee ministry who hands you
the worship guide for the day.
In addition, guests are guided to
the visitors table in front of the
meaningful icon of the Hospitality of Abraham, to the right as
you enter.This icon serves as a
reminder to parishioners to welcome strangers into their church,
just as Abraham and Sarah invited three strangers into their
home, unaware originally that
they were angels (Gen. 18:1-15).
The Orthodox Church recognizes
these angels as the Holy Trinity.
How fitting it is, then to welcome
visitors to our parish as we stand
before the icon.
First-time visitors to Saint Mark
are asked to sign in, whether they
are just passing through the Boca
area or whether they plan to relocate in the area and are interested
in more information about Saint
AHEPA
n
TOM HANTZARIDES, PRESIDENT
The first meeting of the year
for
AHEPA
Chapter
487
was held on
Thursday, September 6 with
discussions on AHEPA’s plans for the
and English.
cember--won’t you come forward!
Please contact Vivian Jenetopulos
at either 561.447.4550 or at vivianj4550@hotmail.com, or Maria
Pokrajac at 561.641.9809.
Mark. All visitors are given a yellow cross to wear and are officially
welcomed by Father Mark at the
end of the Liturgy. Those who are
in the process of relocating to our
area are mailed a welcome packet
which details the ministries and ac-
visitors and make them feel welcomed at St. Mark.
tivities at Saint Mark. But it doesn’t
end there. At coffee hour, we connect guests with parishioners who
have similar backgrounds. Those
of you who are not members of this
committee are asked to also spot
hour, has been quite positive. If
you would like to become a greeter, please call Elaine Zographus at
561.495.2812 or email her at ezgraph2@comcast.net.
Get involved with the Liturgy.
Volunteer to read the Epistle on a
Sunday. You will find it very rewarding. We are now setting up
readers for November and De-
upcoming year. The “Master Plan,”
which was developed to provide
events and programs to draw more
interest and members, was unanimously approved. The chapter reaffirmed its commitment to the charter of AHEPA which is, among other
things, education, heritage and service. Look for upcoming monthly
events hosted by AHEPA Chapter
487 where everyone in the community will be invited to attend.
The response by guests to the welcome they receive at Saint Mark,
whether it is by one of the twentytwo members of the committee
or by a parishioner at the coffee
On Friday, October 19, AHEPA and
the Daughters of Penelope will
host a cocktail reception at Crane’s
Beach House in Delray Beach. Admission is free and there will be a
cash bar and free hors d’oeuvres
will be served. Everyone at Saint
Mark is welcome to attend. For
more information, you can use the
new AHEPA Chapter 487 email address, AHEPA487@gmail.com.
11
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