The Spirit November/December 2014 Issue Rev. Philip Armstrong St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church 2716 N. Dobson Rd., Suite 101 Chandler, Arizona 85224 Office: (480) 899-3330 Fax: (480) 812-9669 Website: www.st-katherine.org Rev. Philip Armstrong, Proistamenos Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 am -4:00 pm Closed for Lunch 12:00 p.m.–1:00P.m. Sunday Worship 8:30 am-Orthros 9:30 am-Divine Liturgy 10:40 am –Sunday School Weekly Bulletin Deadline Wednesday, one week prior to publication. Church Organizations Altar Boys……………………………… Andre Gib Bookstore…. Michael and Chryss Danielek Dance……………….…………. Carol Bafaloukos Greek Festival………………. Vange Archuleta Hrisi Parea…………………...…. Daryl Connell Hall Rental………………...…… Natalie Lapiers JOY/HOPE………………….. Fr. Phil Armstrong Philoptochos…………………… Kathy Connell Sunday School…..……………… Dean Argeros YAL…………………………… Stephanie Venetis GOYA………………..……. Kevin & Tina Wilder Bookstore Hours Sundays following Liturgy (in the upstairs room adjacent to choir loft) Church E-mail Addresses Office: office@st-katherine.org Fr. Phil: priest@st-katherine.org Stewardship – Gary Boyce Parish Council President—Elaine Hatupis First Vice President—Athena Light 2nd Vice President—Vange Archuleta Secretary—Florence Bellecy Treasurer—Demetrios Deliz Assistant Treasurer—Robert Norton Fran Attwood Josephine Avaneas Zoi Benton Paul Chavez James French Tom Morden Mena Bafaloukos Van Vandenberg Michael Wombacher Reminder to All Groups & Organizations Deadline for articles or information for the Spirit are: Dec.15 (for January-February) Feb. 18 (March-April) April 18 (May-June) June 16 (July– August) August 18 (September)-October) October 17 (November-December) Please send information to: office@st-katherine.org 2 SACRAMENTS AND OTHER SERVICES Holy Baptism September 27, 2014 Cash Benjamin Godparent: Chris Chelekis Parents: Cody & Erin Moore October 18, 2014 Leyton Grace Godparent: Kristina Myer Parents: Dean Drosos and Audra Wilder Holy Matrimony October 18, 2014 Ryan Christopher Kessler and Nica Ioakovna Hyland Sponsor: Geli Hyland Forty Day Blessing October 19, 2014 Eleni Seroogy and newborn Daughter, MaKrina October 19, 2014 Nicole Katsiris and newborn Son, Victor 3 FATHER’S MESSAGE “Christimas Reflections” In a short two weeks, the Holy Church through it’s services and lectionary will direct our attention to Christmas-the Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. The attention and focus of the hymns, readings and names commemorated (Holy Forefathers, Holy Ancestors of Christ, etc) has as it’s primary aim to prepare us for this great feast. This change in focus begins on November 15th, when we commence the Nativity Fast. What are the primary messages of Christmas? Although there are many messages that emanate forth from this great Feast, there are several major themes that rise above the others. Christmas communicates to us that God is here; He is entered human history. Luke 2:1 informs us that this event took place during the time of Caesar Augustus, while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Augustus reigned from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. In contrast to the false gods of manmade or demonicallyinspired religious, the true God makes Himself personal and knowable. He enters human history on a rescue mission to save man. He has come to heal our fallen, mortal nature and restore our relationship and communion with God the Life-giving Holy Trinity. Christmas declares to us that God is with us. In Mt. 1:23 we hear, “behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel which is translated God with us”. We find comfort in these words. God’s consoling presence is only a prayer away. Christmas reveals to us that God is a “promise keeper”. Around 540 B.C. the Prophet Isaiah received the inspired message of God’s plan to save His people: “For unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is given: and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…(Isa 9:6-7). Christmas reminds us that God kept His promise. Christmas communicates to us that God has come to restore our joy. Jesus has come to bring us deep joy. In Jn 15:11 we hear, “these things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”. This special joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). Through Holy Baptism, the sacramental life of the Church and our personal daily prayers; this joy is kindled. Christmas brings us hope. Although we face many hardships in life, we have been assured by Jesus that if we remain faithful to Him, a better and eternal life awaits us. He, even in this life, imparts to us the strength to face the challenges. The greatest message of Christmas is that God the Father has given us the Greatest gift of life in the Person of His only begotten Son. The greatest gift we receive at Christmas is Jesus Christ. 4 As we, then ponder these messages of Christmas, let us prepare for the Advent of this great feast. Let us ready the spiritual home of our soul to receive Him. Resolve to commit our lives more completely to Him. Finally, let us allow God’s great gift of His only-begotten Son to be motivation of our gift-giving to one another. In closing, I wish you a blessed Nativity! Christ is born! Glorify Him! In Christ Love, Fr. Phil Fr. Phil 5 PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Once again our Fall Festival is behind us. I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to everyone who worked so hard to succeed in putting together another outstanding Festival. To our chairperson Vange Archuleta and her committee, all booth chairs and volunteers for their continued commitment to our church, a great big thank you. Without you, this achievement would not have been possible. All financials will be forthcoming soon. I cannot believe our calendar year is coming to an end. On October 26th Fr. Demetrios and all of those who celebrate their names day, will be hosting the coffee hour with a luncheon, after the Divine Liturgy, to help the church fulfill its commitment to all of our various ministries. In the future, if anyone would like to host a coffee hour in honor of their names day, or for any other occasion, please contact Fran Attwood, Josephine Avaneas, or the church office. Our church’s names day vespers of St. Katherine will be held on Monday, Nov. 24 th at 7:00 p.m. with the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday, Nov. 25th at 9:30 a.m.. Please make every effort to attend. Thanksgiving will closely follow on Thursday, Nov. 27th with Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. Before you know it, we will be celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ on Christmas day. Times for all services will be in the bulletins and on the web site. Stewardship cards are available in the Narthex of the church. If you have not filled one out, for 2014, please do so in order to be eligible to vote at our next General Assembly meeting to be held on Sunday, Nov. 16th after the Divine Liturgy. Please save the date as there is much to be discussed. Also, if you wish to apply for the Parish Council at our next election in December, you will need to meet all requirements of a Steward. I wish you all blessed holidays, and if you will be traveling, please be careful and have a safe return. With Love in Christ’s Service Elaine Hatupis, Parish Council President 6 Parish Council Elections Just a reminder . . . It’s not too early to start thinking about running for the Parish Council. Time is flying by and before you know it, it will be December and we’ll be having the elections. Keep in mind that service on the Parish Council should be thought of as a ministry of the church ... just as Sunday School , Bookstore , etc. are ministries of the church. So put on your thinking caps … even if you are not interested in running, perhaps you know someone (or could suggest/encourage someone) to run for a position on the Council. Applications will be available in the Church Office as it gets closer to election time (early December). If you have any questions, please feel free to call Athena Vasilatos (480-242-6658) or Georgia Souris (480-8139031). 7 24 23 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl 30 St. Andrew the First 8:30am –Orthros 9:30am –Divine Lit 17 16 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl 11:30am Fall General Assembly 25 St. Katherine the 5:30-6:30pm Level 1 6:30-7:30pm Level 2 7:30-8:30pm Level 3 7:00 pm Bible Study 18 Greek School 5:30-6:30pm Level 1 6:30-7:30pm Level 2 7:30-8:30pm Level 3 11 Greek School Dec. 1 7:00pm Great Vespers Great Martyr 8:10pm Reception 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit Greek School 10 Parish Council Meeting at 7:00pm 9 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl 4 Greek School 5:30-6:30pm Level 1 6:30-7:30pm Level 2 7:30-8:30pm Level 3 7:00pm Adult Bible Study 3 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl Tue Mon November 2014 Philoptochos Meeting at 6:30pm 2 Sun 8 26 19 12 Joy/Hope 4:15-5:45 pm 5 Wed Entrance of the Theotokos 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 21 St. Philip the Apostle 9:30am Divine Lit 14 7 Fri 27 28 Thanksgiving Day -Church Office - Church Office Closed Closed - 20 13 6 Thu Retreat: “Celtic Spirituality” at Holy Trinity 29 9:00am-4:00pm 22 15 Nativity Fast Begins 3:00-5:00pm Confession 5:00 Vespers Holy Archangels Michael/Gabriel 9:30am Divine Lit 3:00-5:00pm Confession 8 Synaxis of the S.S. Cosmas & Damian 9:30am Divine Liturgy 3:00-5:00pm Confession 5:00pm Vespers 1 Sat 8 7:00pm Parish Council 15 22 29 14 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl 21 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl 11:30am Christmas Program 28 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 1 6:30pm Philoptochos Mtg & Christmas Social Mon Greek School 30 23 31 24 Eve of Nativity 8:15am Great Hours of Christmas 9:30am Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 17 16 Greek School 5:30-5:30pm Level 1 6:30-7:30pm Level 2 7:30-8:30pm Level 3 7:00pm Bible Study 10 Jan 1, 2015 -Church Office Closed - 25 Holy Nativity 8:15am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 18 11 4 3 Joy/Hope 4:15-5:45pm Thu Wed 9 Greek School 5:30-5:30pm Level 1 6:30-7:30pm Level 2 7:30-8:30pm Level 3 7:00pm Bible Study 5:30-5:30pm Level 1 6:30-7:30pm Level 2 7:30-8:30pm Level 3 7:00pm Bible Study 2 Tue December 2014 7 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 10:40am Sunday Schl Sun 9 -Church office Closed - 26 19 12 St. Syridon the Wonderworker 9:30am Div Lit 5 Fri 27 St. Stephen the Proto Martyr 9:30am Divine Lit 20 3:00-5:00pm Confession 5:00pm Vespers 3:00-5:00pm Confession 5:00pm Vespers 13 worker 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Lit 3:00-5:00pm Confession 5:00pm Vespers 6 St. Nicholas the Wonder- Sat ST. IRENE PHILOPTOCHOS HOLIDAY BAKE SALE Sunday, December 14th + Sunday, December 21st Pre-order your Greek pastries now so you have them for the holidays. To order contact: Mena Bafaloukos Phone – 480 786-0655 E-mail - greekladym@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------Holiday Bake Sale Order Form # of Packages Amount __________ Koulourakia – 1 ½ Dozen - $10.00 ____________ Greek Butter Cookies _________ Kourambiedes – 1 Dozen - $10.00 ___________ Shortbread Cookie with Powdered Sugar __________ Melomakarona – 1 Dozen - $10.00 ____________ Spice Cookie dipped in Honey Syrup __________ Baklava - 6 Pieces - $15.00 ____________ Layers of Walnuts and Phyllo Dough with Honey Syrup __________ Baklava - 1Dozen large Pieces - $25.00 _______________ _____________ Baklava - 2 Dozen petite pieces - $25.00 ____________ __________ Sweet Bread - 1 Loaf Traditional Greek Holiday Bread $10.00 ____________ Total ____________ 10 ST. IRENE PHILOPTOCHOS HOLIDAY BASKET DONATIONS Please help us provide a special holiday dinner for families in our community who have been affected by the economic crisis. Please see Maria Morton or Zoi Benton to make a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated. THANK YOU! 11 Philoptochos Corner We would like to thank our parishioners and friends for their contributions to our semi-annual Rummage Sale which benefits both St. Katherine GOC and the many charities our Philoptochos Ministry supports. Join us on Sun. November 9th for a special luncheon as we honor our veterans. Co-chairs Josephine Avaneas and Carol Stathopoulos will have tickets available during Coffee Hour. Please help us show our thanks and support to those who have risked their lives for our freedom. With the holiday season just around the corner, the Philoptochos members are busy with preparations to raise funds to help so many who are in need. You will see, us under the guidance of Mena Bafaloukos, preparing baked goods for our Holiday Bake Sale on December 14th and 21st. Maria Morton and Zoi Benton will be busy collecting donations for Holiday Baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, for families within our parish who have been hit hard by these tough economic times. Barbara Georgousis and Josephine Avaneas will be working with Chandler Christian Community Center, to help provide a special Christmas for a needy family in our community. Our members will be joining together with the other Arizona Philoptochos chapters to host a Christmas party for the families who have participated in our Camp Agape (a camp we run every summer for children with cancer and their families). Through our “Everyone Deserves A Warm Night’s Sleep” project, we will be collecting new and gently used sleeping bags and blankets for the homeless and working poor of our area. Please see Eathel Pallas or Linda Blazev if you would like to help us with this project . All of these projects are only possible because of the continued support of our parish and friends. You can become a part of this dynamic group of women (and men). It doesn’t require a lot of time. Any amount of assistance, great or small helps us to meet the needs of so many people. Even if you can only participate in one program a year, we need you! Every woman in our parish should be a part of Philoptochos. No amount of time is too little. 12 We need all of you. If we all work together, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish. We invite you to become a part of our ministry. The rewards are amazing! Please join us on Monday, November 3rd at 6:30 PM, in the community center, for our meeting. Refreshments will be served. Mon. Nov. 3 - Meeting – 6:30 PM – Community Center Sun. Nov. 9 Luncheon to honor our Veterans Mon. Nov. 24 - St. Katherine Vesper – Philoptochos hosts reception Mon. Dec. 1 - Christmas Social/ Meeting – 6:30 PM – Community Center Sun. Dec . 14 & 21 - Christmas Bake Sale At Thanksgiving and throughout the year, we are thankful for all of you! With love in Christ, Kathy Connell Philoptochos President 13 CHRISTMAS 2014 Dean S. Pappas Memorial Bookstore Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church Christmas Icons, Nativity Icons, Christmas Ornaments, 2015 Icon Calendars, Icon & Prayer Rope Bracelets, Prayer Ropes, Incense, Censors, Icon Night Lights, Bibles, Religious Books, Children’s Books, Bookmarkers. …just a few of the items we have in stock right now. Gifts for our Orthodox faithful during this most Holy Season. Please visit us upstairs after Divine Liturgy. Why not surprise a loved one with a religious gift for Christmas this year? MasterCard, VISA, cash and checks accepted. Special orders upon request and availability (shipping costs added to special orders). 14 15 HRISI PAREA Hrisi Parea members have been busy having fun! Our Pot Luck Social in September was well attended. There were many culinary masterpieces to choose from and lots of enjoyment reminiscing about our summer. We even had enough food to share with the dancers and their moms who entertained us withtheir practice sessions. We’re proud of their accomplishments! Join us on Thursday, November 13th at 4 PM for our Thanksgiving Dinner Social at Coco’s Restaurant at Baseline & Dobson Road in Mesa. The pie’s on us!! December 13th is our Annual Christmas Party at St. Katherine Community Center. Don’t miss out on the fun! Check out our flyer for all the details. Hrisi Parea is open to anyone 50 and over. We look forward to seeing all of you at our next event. Please join us. Keep Smiling!! Daryl Connell, President HRISI PAREA PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL Christmas Party Saturday, December 13, 2014 @ 6:30 PM St. Katherine Community Center 2716 N. Dobson Road Chandler, AZ 85224 Join us for a fun evening of dinner & dancing! DJ Music A DELICIOUS DINNER & DESSERT & BEVERAGES will be served. NO HOST BAR COST: $15.00 with advance reservations $25.00 – at the door (without reservations) MEMBERS - OLD & NEW- WELCOME For Reservations and More Information Contact: Vange Archuleta: (480) 963-4365 16 17 Taste of Greece Festival 2014 18 Taste of Greece Festival 2014 19 20 Many Thanks Thank you to all of you who supported and participated in our recent “A Taste of Greece” Fall Festival. It takes many volunteer hours to prepare for our guests; your commitment, dedication, and spirit of hospitality is unsurpassed. For the past 2 years, not only have I had the pleasure of working with you but also with an exceptional group of committee members who strive to exceed the expectations of you, our parishioners, and guests. We look forward to your continued support in our continued endeavor for future successful festival s son behalf of our beautiful church, St. Katherine. Opa! With sincere gratitude and appreciation and on behalf of the Festival Committee, Evangelia Arhuleata, Chairman 21 OCTOBER 2014 RUMMAGE SALE SEE OUR LAZY BOY SECTION ……. 22 Place your business ad here! Contact the Church Office (480) 899-3330 Full page-$300 1/2 page-$150 1/4 page-$80 Business Card-$50 The above prices are for the 6 issues of the Spirit (1 year) BARBARA AVELLONE Independent Beauty Consultant (602) 952-0611 www.marykay.com/bavellone Email: bavellone@marykay.com P.O. Box 12242 Chandler, AZ 85248 Leavitt Air Conditioning, L.L.C. Licensed, Bonded, Insured (480) 212-2498 23 The Spirit Non -profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Chandler AZ Permit No. 38 St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church 2716 N. Dobson Rd. Suite 101 Chandler, AZ. 85224 Looking for a banquet or multipurpose facility for that Special Event? One of the best facilities available in the East Valley with easy access to the 101!       16 Facility Amenities Seating capacity for 400 plus dance floor and stage Full kitchen with walk-in refrigerator and freezer Audio visual available with automatic pull down screen Plenty of parking Tables and chairs available Full china service available       Facility Uses Wedding Receptions Baptism Receptions Banquets Business Meetings Business Seminars Basketball and Volleyball Court For information on fees & availability call : (480) 899-3330 24
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