The Cross+RoadsSaints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthoox Church | 60 Traverse Road | Newport News VA 23606

October 2019Volume 21, Issue #2

† From Father GeorgeThe Choices We Make or Choose Not to Make

Deacon Noah Ordained - AXIOS

How often do we sit back and considerthe amount of choices that are ahead of usin a typical day? Just off the bat, what wewill wear, what to have for breakfast cameto mind. Both of these might be simplechoices but, in most cases, need to be donebefore going out the door.Irenaeus, one of the Fathers of the

Church was placed between an idol and across and was required to choose betweenthe two. Choosing the idol would bringofficial protection. Choosing the cross wouldmean renouncing the world and to die forChrist. Irenaeus did not need much time tomake his choice for he chose the cross andwas honored by suffering death upon it justas our Lord did.

Irenaeus made a reasonable choice,acted upon his reason, gave himself to Godand was blessed. Do we make the rightchoices when it comes to our service to ourchurch and to the greater community? Weare encouraged to do the right thing, yet,sometimes a little push in the right directionis needed. What slows us down? Whatholds us back from doing what is needed?In the Gospel of Mark 5:28 we hear the

woman who had a flow of blood for twelveyears say, “If only I may touch His clothes, Ishall be made well.” We know what wouldeventually occur. The miracle of health isaccomplished by the power of Jesusdemonstrating His power over sickness and

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

GreekFestival:FallEdition -October17 - 19PleaseVolunteerSee Page 10

HIGHLIGHTS

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OCTOBER 6 & 27Team AYianni TsimplekisChristopher MyersMichael DaoudGabriel DaoudChristopher MichaValandi TsimplekisOCTOBER 13Team BJames St. MartinCris CampbellSoterios TofalliKyprianos TofalliKonstantin GarofalisCarlos BritosOCTOBER 20Team CChristos KonstantinouDean PeriNolan KrisikLandon KrisikWill EstesAlexandros BaxevanisManuel Garcia

Glory Be To GodSaints Constantine & HelenGreek Orthodox Church60 Traverse RoadNewport News VA 23606

www.schgochurch.va.goarch.orgPhone (757) 596-6151Fax (757) 596-2967

Email Addresses:priest@office@parishcouncil@youthdirector@webmaster@schgochurch.va.goarch.org

Office HoursMonday Through Friday9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

PriestFather George ChiorosWork 596-6152Home 597-7786Mobile 288-4487Email frgchioros@aol.com

Parish CouncilFrank Peri, PresidentJohn Dermanis, Vice Pres.Bob Demson, TreasurerZena Mageras, Asst. Treas.Kent Paumier, SecretaryGreg BicouvarisElias DoulgerakisBobby GarofalisMike Kokorelis IIGary NichollsAnastasia Theodorogiannis

ChantersTim SofisHarry FotiouJohn WilliamsBrian FinkGeorge Petrakos

Church SecretaryRebecca Pietronuto

Archdiocese on the Webwww.goarch.org

PhiloptochosStavroula Gailey, PresidentReligious EducationViola Allen, Frances TsimplekisCo-DirectorsGreek SchoolPaula Tofalli, Katerina SanbarChoirJackie Anas, Alexa Garrison, Gary Nicholls,Joanna VallasYouth MinistryMariam Canavos, Youth DirectorStephanie Peri, Kent Paumier, AdvisorsAcolytesBarry Hendricks, DirectorJOY/HOPEMariam Canavos, DirectorBookstoreElizabeth Puckett

Weekly BulletinRebecca PietronutoCross+RoadsNick VlattasGreek Orthodox Youth AssociationJames St. Martin, President; MariaStuebner, Vice President; YianniTsimplekis, Treasurer; Dean Peri, SecretaryYoung Adult League (YAL)Anastasia Theodorogiannis, PresidentGolden HeartsZoe Marcopoulos, PresidentOrder of AHEPANick Matthews, PresidentDaughters of PenelopeHelen Dennie, PresidentHellenic Woman’s Penelope SocietyZena Mageras (September)Hellenic Youth DancersBobby Garofalis, Director

Parish Ministries and Organizations

ACOLYTES

Apolytikion for SaintsConstantine & Helen, Equal-to-the Apostles in the Plagalof the Fourth ToneHaving seen the image of

Thy Cross in Heaven, and likePaul, having received the callnot from men, Thine apostleamong kings entrusted thecommonwealth to Thy hand, OLord. Keep us always in peace,by the intercessions of theTheotokos, O only Friend ofman.Τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου τὸν

τύπον ἐν οὐρανῷθεασάμενος, καὶ ὡς ὁΠαῦλος τὴν κλήσιν οὐκ ἐξἀνθρώπων δεξάμενος, ὁ ἐνβασιλεύσιν, Ἀπόστολός σουΚύριε, Βασιλεύουσαν πόλιντὴ χειρί σου παρέθετο ἣνπερίσωζε διὰ παντὸς ἐνεἰρήνῃ, πρεσβείαις τῆςΘεοτόκου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε.OCTOBER 6EPISTLE READING2 Corinthians 6:1-10Brethren, working together

with him, we entreat you not toaccept the grace of God in vain.For he says, "At the acceptabletime I have listened to you, andhelped you on the day ofsalvation." Behold, now is theacceptable time; behold, now isthe day of salvation. We put no

obstacle in any one's way, sothat no fault may be found withour ministry, but as servants ofGod we commend ourselves inevery way: through greatendurance, in afflictions,hardships, calamities, beatings,imprisonments, tumults, labors,watching, hunger; by purity,knowledge, forbearance,kindness, the Holy Spirit,genuine love, truthful speech,and the power of God; with theweapons of righteousness forthe right hand and for the left; inhonor and dishonor, in ill reputeand good repute. We aretreated as impostors, and yetare true; as unknown, and yetwell known; as dying, andbehold we live; as punished,and yet not killed; as sorrowful,yet always rejoicing; as poor,yet making many rich; ashaving nothing, and yetpossessing everything.GOSPEL READINGLuke 7:11-16At that time, Jesus went to a

city called Nain, and hisdisciples and a great crowdwent with him. As he drew nearto the gate of the city, behold, aman who had died was beingcarried out, the only son of hismother, and she was a widow;and a large crowd from the citywas with her. And when the

October Sundays

EPISTLE READERSPlease contact Barry Hendricksif you are interested in readingthe Epistle during the SundayLiturgy. bhendricks@cox.net

OCTOBER06: Tim Sofis13: Yianni Tsimplekis (GOYA)20: Joe Saur27: Sylvia Marcin

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Lord saw her, he hadcompassion on her and said toher, "Do not weep." And hecame and touched the bier, andthe bearers stood still. And hesaid, "Young man, I say to you,arise." And the dead man sat up,and began to speak. And hegave him to his mother. Fearseized them all; and theyglorified God, saying, "A greatprophet has arisen among us!"and "God has visited hispeople!"HYMNS OF THE DAYResurrectional Apolytikion

in the Grave ModeThou didst abolish death by

Thy Cross; Thou didst openParadise to the thief; Thou didsttransform the myrrh-bearers'lamentation, and didst bid ThineApostles to preach that Thou artrisen, O Christ God, grantinggreat mercy to the world.Apolytikion for Apostle

Thomas in the Third ModeO Holy Apostle Thomas,

intercede with the merciful Godthat He grant unto our soulsforgiveness of offences.Seasonal Kontakion in the

Second ModeO Protection of Christians that

cannot be put to shame,mediation unto the creator mostconstant: O despise not thevoices of those who havesinned; but be quick, O goodone, to come unto our aid, whoin faith cry unto thee: Hasten tointercession and speed thou tomake supplication, O thou whodost ever protect, O Theotokos,them that honor thee.WISDOM OF THEFATHERS

The virgin's son met thewidow's son. He became like asponge for her tears and as lifefor the death of her son. Deathturned about in its den andturned its back on the victoriousone. - St. Ephrem the SyrianSAINTS AND FEASTSCOMMEMORATED3rd Sunday of LukeMakarios the Righteous of

ChiosEroteis the Martyr of

CappadociaThe Holy and Glorious

Apostle ThomasSergius & Bacchus the Great

Martyrs of Syria

OCTOBER 13EPISTLE READINGTitus 3:8-15Titus, my son, the saying is

sure. I desire you to insist onthese things, so that those whohave believed in God may becareful to apply themselves togood deeds; these are excellentand profitable to men. But avoidstupid controversies,genealogies, dissensions, andquarrels over the law, for theyare unprofitable and futile. Asfor a man who is factious, afteradmonishing him once or twice,have nothing more to do withhim, knowing that such a personis perverted and sinful; he isself-condemned.When I sendArtemas or Tychicos to you, doyour best to come to me atNicopolis, for I have decided tospend the winter there. Do yourbest to speed Zenas the lawyerand Apollos on their way; seethat they lack nothing. And letour people learn to applythemselves to good deeds, soas to help cases of urgent need,and not to be unfruitful.All whoare with me send greeting toyou. Greet those who love us inthe faith. Grace be with you all.Amen.GOSPEL READINGLuke 8:5-15The Lord said this parable: "A

sower went out to sow his seed;and as he sowed, some fellalong the path, and was troddenunder foot, and the birds of theair devoured it. And some fell onthe rock; and as it grew up, itwithered away, because it hadno moisture. And some fell

among thorns; and the thornsgrew with it and choked it. Andsome fell into good soil andgrew, and yielded ahundredfold." And when hisdisciples asked him what thisparable meant, he said, "To youit has been given to know thesecrets of the kingdom of God;but for others they are inparables, so that seeing theymay not see, and hearing theymay not understand. Now theparable is this: The seed is theword of God. The ones along thepath are those who have heard;then the devil comes and takesaway the word from their hearts,that they may not believe and besaved. And the ones on the rockare those who, when they hearthe word, receive it with joy; butthese have no root, they believefor a while and in time oftemptation fall away. And as forwhat fell among the thorns, theyare those who hear, but as theygo on their way they are chokedby the cares and riches andpleasures of life, and their fruitdoes not mature. And as for thatin the good soil, they are thosewho, hearing the word, hold itfast in an honest and goodheart, and bring forth fruit withpatience." As he said thesethings, he cried out "He who hasears to hear, let him hear."HYMNS OF THE DAYResurrectional Apolytikion

in the Plagal Fourth ModeFrom on high didst Thou

descend, O CompassionateOne; to burial of three days hastThou submitted that Thoumightest free us from ourpassions. O our Life andResurrection, Lord, glory be toThee.Apolytikion for Sun. of the

7th Ecumenical Council in thePlagal Fourth ModeMost glorified art Thou, O

Christ our God, Who hastestablished our Fathers asluminous stars upon the earth,and through them didst guide usall to the true Faith. O MostMerciful One, glory be to Thee.Seasonal Kontakion in the

Second ModeO Protection of Christians that

cannot be put to shame,mediation unto the creator mostconstant: O despise not thevoices of those who have

sinned; but be quick, O goodone, to come unto our aid, whoin faith cry unto thee: Hasten tointercession and speed thou tomake supplication, O thou whodost ever protect, O Theotokos,them that honor thee.WISDOM OF THEFATHERSFor by seed here He means

His doctrine, and by land, thesouls of men, and by the sower,Himself .... For as the sowermakes no distinction in the landsubmitted to him, but simply andindifferently casts his seed; soHe Himself too makes nodistinction of rich and poor, ofwise and unwise, of slothful ordiligent, of brave or cowardly;but He discourses unto all,fulfilling His part, althoughforeknowing the results. - St.John Chrysostom, Homily 44 onMatthew 12, 4th CenturySAINTS AND FEASTSCOMMEMORATEDSunday of the 7th Ecumenical

CouncilCarpus, Papylus,

Agathodorus, & Agathonica, theMartyrs of PergamusBenjamin the DeaconChryssi the New Martyr of

GreeceFlorentios the Martyr of

ThessalonikiOCTOBER 20EPISTLE READING2 Corinthians 9:6-11GOSPEL READINGLuke 8:26-39At that time, as Jesus arrived

at the country of the Gadarenes,there met him a man from thecity who had demons; for a longtime he had worn no clothes andhe lived not in a house butamong the tombs. When he sawJesus, he cried out and fell downbefore him, and said with a loudvoice, "What have you to do withme, Jesus, Son of the Most HighGod? I beseech you, do nottorment me." For he hadcommanded the unclean spirit tocome out of the man. (For manya time it had seized him; he waskept under guard, and boundwith chains and fetters, but hebroke the bonds and was drivenby the demon into the desert.)Jesus then asked him, "What isyour name?" And he said,(Continued on Page 9)

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ATTENDANCE

Cross+RoadsCHURCH EMAIL LIST

Subscribe to the church email listfor monthly links to the Cross+Roads and important churchannouncements at:www.schgochurch.va.goarch.org

DEADLINEPlease email information no laterthan the 20th day of the month toNick Vlattas

nvlattas@gmail.com

KOLIVAIf you would like to purchaseKoliva for memorials, you maycontact:

Mary Graham andChristine Fulmore 595-7871Helen Nicholls 817-8215Anastasia Savrides 595-1581Athena Savvas 589-1484

Church Registry / Announcements

BIRTHS:Our sincere congratulations and best wishes

to Alexa & Braxton Vinson on the birth of theirson, August 27. Proud maternal grandparentsJohn & Becky Karatsikis.Our sincere congratulations and best wishes

to Platon Argyropoulos and Dr. AlexandraKatsantonis on the birth of their daughter,September 4.NA SAS ZISOUN !!!!!!!!

BAPTISMS:The infant son of Alexander & Maria

Feldman was baptized in our Church onSeptember 7 and given the name George by hisgodmother, Gina Mantis.Our best wishes to the newly-baptized infant,

his parents, grandparents, godparents and hisentire family. NA SAS ZIZI!!!!!

ILL AND NEEDING OURPRAYERS:We pray for a quick recovery for our friend

and fellow parishioner, James Woodbury whowas hospitalized recently. Hope to see you backin Church very soon, James.Please pray for healing from cancer for Nick

Vlattas.

DEATHS:Our sincere condolences to the family of

Steven Barnes who died August 29. The lateSteven Barnes was the father of our parishioner,Ellen Velissarios.Our sincere condolences to the family of

Phoebe Campbell who died September 12 andwhose funeral service was held in our ChurchSeptember 19.Our sincere condolences to the family of Paul

Ostinelli who died in London, England August29. The late Paul Ostinelli was the brother of ourown parishioner Maggie Thompson. MAYTHEIR MEMORY BE ETERNAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE:My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all my

good friends and fellow parishioners for theirmany Get-Well Cards. Phone Calls and Prayersfor my quick and complete recovery following myrecent illness and hospitalization. Please,continue to keep me in your prayers, and againthanks to all so very much. LOULA MAURAKIS

CONGRATULATIONSCongratulations to Dr. Vicky Mignogna- Smith

who completed her Doctorate of Education inEducational Leadership with a specialization inCurriculum and Instruction.

REFRESHMENTS.We thank all our generous

members who served as hostsfor the month of September.The hosts for October are:Oct. 6: M/M T. Gouletas, Ms.

Helen Siokis, M/M B. Georgas,M/M T. GeorgasOct. 13: M/M T. Grepiotis,

M/M G. Ikonomou, M/M S.IkonomouOct. 20: Ms. Angela Gionis,

Ms. Christine St. Martin, M/M C.JansenOct. 27: General Assembly

There is no better way to launch a prayeror praise for the Lord than with the Sound ofMusic. Julie Andrews brought the hills tolife with the sound of it. Music calms oursouls and touches our hearts which happento have their own rhythmic beat. Athousand years before Christ, King Davidplayed his lyre and worshipped the Lordwith psalms. Our ears and hearts are tunedto the sound of music and thus our entireliturgy is chanted. Our worship for the Lordis not whispered. NO, it issues forth inmelodious, harmonious and bold tones thatare very likely heard by all the Saints thatcame before.Our choir is an integral part of our

devotion to the Lord. For years I havelistened to them without fully hearing them.Lately I have been following along in ournew green book that outlines the DivineLiturgy complete with the prayers andhymns sung by the choir, and for the firsttime I have become a participant in thegreat devotional that is our liturgy. I follow

the prayers offered by our Priest and readthe messages within the beautiful melodiesof our choir. It is a spiritual experience tobe enveloped by the sound of their music.For me the choir has become a cluster of

angels with the only thing missing being theflutter of wings. Their songs of praise driftfrom the choir loft and fill the church. Theirmusic echoes in the pews and floats aroundthe altar. It drifts upwards into the dome ofthe church to caress the face of Christ wholooks down upon us along with His fourAngels and four Seraphim. If one listens, itwill be a pleasurable sound. If one trulyhears, it will tug at your soul.Thus I urge you to join us in church to

listen to the choir and further challenge youto actually "hear" the choir. Perhaps onemight consider joining the choir in order togive more breadth and depth to one's faith.If you do this, it is very likely that your ownheart, too, will be blessed by the Sound ofMusic.Nick Vrettos, Chairman, Stewardship

STEWARDSHIP - The Sound of Music

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PHILOPTOCHOSOur traditional covered dish

meeting for the new bi-annualterm of Philoptochos was heldMonday, September 9 with 25members attending and with avariety of delicious foods beingenjoyed by everyone. Onceagain, many, many thanks to allof you.Also, a big THANK YOU to

our executive board fororganizing the receptionfollowing the Divine Liturgy andOrdination of Barry Hendricks tothe Diaconate, in honor of hisEminence, MetropolitanEvangelos. And, of course,many thanks to all thePhiloptochos members and toall those who provided thevariety of foods for thatreception.We are pleased to report that

our Disaster Relief Committeemoved and the membershipunanimously voted that adonation of $500.00 be sent tothe National Disaster Reliefearmarked for assistance to thevictims of the Bahamas toaugment the National'scontribution to this relief effort.Continuing our philanthropic

endeavors, our AOK PROJECTunder the leadership of DianneSun, is continuing to grow in thenumber of volunteersparticipating in this effort.

These wonderful individualshave joined us, volunteeringtheir services. They are:Caryl MacGregor, Jayne

Mayer, Becky Pietronuto andAnneliese & John Wilson.Welcome and our thanks to

all of you. We hope thatothers within and without ourCommunity will find the time tojoin us. Please, do call DianneSun, (H) 868-8411, (C)870-1252 , and offer yourservices. Be assured that youwill find it a most rewardingexperience.One more Philoptochos

member whom we need tothank is Trish Demson. Trishhas done a tremendous jobleading our Community's PORTproject devoting many hours ofwork in organizing andexecuting it. Trish, weunderstand and appreciate themany hours of work you haveput and are putting into thisproject and we sincerely thankyou and are proud of the factthat your are a member of ourSociety.Our obligations to the

National for October is acontribution to the NationalPhiloptochos Emergency Fundwhich enables Philoptochos torespond immediately to nationaland international disasters.The October meeting of

Philoptochos will be October 7.Mr. Nick Vrettos will address themembership with a briefstatement on the Community'sStewardship program.Please, make every effort to

attend. The meeting will start at6:30 p.m. with refreshmentsprovided by hostesses ChristineMignogna and Vicky MignognaSmith.

AHEPAAHEPA will be holding their

monthly meeting on Sunday,October 13 at noon in theAHEPA Center. We lookforward to seeing you there!

DAUGHTERS OFPENELOPEDaughters are looking

forward to hosting the 4 thAnnual Fashion Show onSaturday, October 5, at 10:00a.m. with Women’s fashions byTalbots and Children’s fashionsby Perfect Settings. Tickets are$25 each for the champagnebrunch. Tickets will be on saleeach Sunday after church andproceeds support scholarshipsand charities . Please join us fora morning of fun, food,fellowship and fashions!Our next meeting will be

Thursday , October 24 th @6:30. Our 2 nd Annual Craftshow which will be Saturday,November 23, starting at10:00am.

HELLENIC WOMAN'SPENELOPE SOCIETYThe Hellenic Woman’s

Penelope Society (HWPS) willmeet on Thursday, October 3,2019 at 6:00 PM at the HellenicCenter. Kathy Vretos will serveas hostess, and Maria Vidakiswill preside. A short programwill precede the businessmeeting.Our Fall Bake Sale (Order

Pickup) will take place onFriday, November 22nd at theHellenic Center from 10:00 AM

to 12:00 noon. Pastrypreparation will take place onTuesday, November 19th(baklava, koulourakia, finikia),November 20th (kourabiedesand finikia dipping), November21st (bagging of orders). All ofour pastries are made locally. Ifinterested, we urge you to placean advanced order by callingMarika Anthony at757-596-6909.November 17th will mark the

90th Anniversary of the HellenicWoman’s Penelope Society. Onthat date in 1929 four dedicatedwomen, Mesdames HelenCritzos, Anna Kumas, OlgaOrphanidys, and Mary Rentsos,established the first Hellenicwoman’s organization on theVirginia Peninsula. Thesecourageous women identified allGreek families who lived on thePeninsula and who wereunknown to one another. Theneed for promoting love andsolidarity among the membersof the then unorganized Helleniccommunity was foremost in theirminds as well as thepreservation of their Hellenicheritage.On Thursday, December 5th

we will have a joint celebrationof our 90th Anniversary andChristmas Party at Angelo’sRestaurant on J. Clyde MorrisBoulevard. Please mark yourcalendars for this memorableoccasion.We extend our best wishes

and Axios to Deacon Noah whowas ordained to Dioconate onSunday. October 22nd.Our prayers and thoughts are

with the family of PhoebeCampbell who recently passedaway. May her memory beeternal.

Church, Club, and Community News

NewMemberWelcomeSunday took place onSeptember 29.We are happy to welcome all of you to our Church Family!

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Testimony of Deacon Noah from his OrdinationOn Sunday, September 22,

the Parish of SaintsConstantine and Helen GreekOrthodox Church witnessed itsfirst ordination as parishionerBarry Hendricks was elevatedto the Holy Diaconate duringthe Heirarchial Divine Liturgyofficiated by His EmminenceEvangelos of New Jersey.

Following is the testimony ofDeacon Noah Hendricks readduring his Ordination to theHoly Diaconate:

Your Eminence,Today I present myself for

ordination to the HolyDiaconate and receive the HolySpirit through your hands. Thisis something I never thought Iwould say, but it is where I’vebeen led and now find myself.In fact, Ruth and I were talkingduring dinner the other night,and she asked, almost as alast-minute check, why Iwanted to be ordained. Isimply said, “It is where Ibelong”.Your Eminence, everything I

am is because of God. I havebeen blessed and enrichedbeyond my ability to describeby so many people. Pleaseallow a few minutes to thankthose that helped andinfluenced me and then reflecton events that impacted myjourney.Last September 27th, almost

exactly one year ago, I traveledto Westfield, New Jersey for anaudience with you, YourEminence, to present you withmy petition for ordination. In aday and age where things

move quickly and we expectthings to happen when we wantthem to, your advice to me thatday has stuck with me this pastyear while waiting for this day,it simply was “be patient”.There were times I didn’t thinkthis day would come, but itcame when God decided it wastime. Your Eminence, I’d liketo first offer my sincere thanksto you for your guidance andexample as our spiritualshepherd in the Metropolis ofNew Jersey. And for yourpaternal blessings insupporting not only myapplication to the DiaconateProgram, but my petition forordination.Next, my spiritual father,

Father George Chioros.Shortly after we joined thiscommunity in April 2000, hesaw something special in me.If I remember correctly, thewords he used were somethinglike, “I’ve got big plans for you”.I don’t think either of usimagined what those planswere when he paired me upwith Mike Kokorelis to co-chairour stewardship committee,which eventually led to servingon Parish Council, thenFestival Committee, thenadded adult assistant with ourAltar Boys, then organizing andscheduling weekly Epistlereaders, then teaching SundaySchool, just to name a few.Father George, thank you foryour service as our spiritualfather and for your patience inguiding me as my clergymentor leading to this moment.And please accept, on behalf ofthe entire community, my

sincere appreciation toeveryone here who helped inmaking this day possible.Thanks to Dr. Jim Skedros,

Archdeacon Vasilios Smith,Deacon Sal Fazio, and the restof the faculty, staff, andmentors in the DiaconateProgram at Hellenic CollegeHoly Cross.My God-Parents, Mary (of

blessed memory) and JackAmmons in Morgantown, WestVirginia, who stood beside meon the day of my Chrismationon September 4th, 1994. Theirexample of strength, love, andfaith, even when personaltragedy and loss weighedheavy on their lives, remainsan inspiration.Both sets of our parents,

Ruth’s and mine, all of blessedmemory. Each, in their ownway, taught me lessons that Icontinue to reflect on and useevery day. One of the things Ithought of while standing infront of you earlier in theservice was what they arethinking as they are watchingtoday – I’d like to think all ofthem are proud.My brother Jimmie. I don’t

think any two people could beas different as my brother andme, and we had our challengesgrowing up, but as we havegrown, we have developed adeep admiration and respectfor each other, grounded inbrotherly love.Our children, Whitney,

Hannah (and our son in lawShane), and Hayden. All ofthem have grown up to beamazing adults, Ruth and Icouldn’t be more proud of

them. And they havesupported and encouraged methroughout this journey.My wife Ruth – where do I

start? Like any marriage,we’ve had our ups and downs,our share of loss, and anabundance of wonderful timestogether with our kids, family,and friends. Meeting andmarrying her opened the doorto the Orthodox faith to me.These last few weeks, I’ve

had the opportunity to reflecton the events that have led meto this day, it became veryclear that it was not onespecific event or person thatinfluenced or directed me, farfrom it, but it has been alifetime of encounters withpeople and events thatcollectively got me to this point.As I thought about one event orperson, it would remind me ofsomething that happenedbefore that would haveinfluenced that encounter.There was my experience

growing up at Peachtree RoadUnited Methodist Church inAtlanta that showed me thechurch was much more than aSunday service. We wereinvolved in all aspects of parishlife, but it was the counselingmy mother, brother, and Ireceived from Pastor LarryAdams when my parents weregoing through their divorce thatstuck with me.My time in college. I’ve

often told people that I wasborn and raised in Atlanta, butgrew up at North GeorgiaCollege. The four years I spentin college changed my life – Itwas there where I first put on

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an Army uniform and felt atremendous feeling of pridewearing it, and it opened a doorfor me for a lifetime of serviceto the country and now thechurch.Then there was the time in

late August 1987, during myassignment in El Paso, Texas,a fellow lieutenant and his wife,Scott and AnneMarie Allison,invited me to come over afterwork one Friday and meet theirneighbor’s sister who wasvisiting from Alabama. Tenmonths later, Ruth and I wewere married.It was a priest at the time,

Father Sebastian Skordallos,now Bishop Sevastianos, who,on the eve of the first Gulf War,wrote me a note letting meknow our church family inHuntsville, Alabama wasthinking us and praying forpeace. This same priestbaptized our two daughters,

then, as a bishop traveled toNewport News, where heserved at the funeral service formy mother in law, and he wasthere to hand me mycompletion certificate when Ifinished the Diaconate Programat Hellenic College Holy Cross.certificate.I still remember the feeling

when we walked into SaintsConstantine and Helen for thefirst time. I was struck by thesheer beauty and feeling ofspiritually here, I knew we werein a scared space and that wehad found a home.I was invited by Nick Vlattas

to attend a men’s bible study.Not only was it an intense eight-month study of Matthew’sGospel, but it gave a smallglimce of the depth of Nick’sspirituality and what guides hislife.The dinner I had with my

stewardship mentor, Bill

Marianes, in March 2011, whowas in town facilitating astewardship seminar in ourcommunity. After dinner, andduring our conversation, hestopped and asked me, “Barry,are you willing to give upeverything and devote your lifeto serving the church”. I wasscared to answer, but a seedwas planted.There are so many other

events and people that havehelped and influenced myjourney – other familymembers, close friends,members of this community,neighbors, and co-workers allplayed an important andmeaningful role in getting mehere.Your Eminence, one of the

first things I did once I receivednotification that this day wasconfirmed was to check theEpistle and Gospel readings fortoday and once I read them, I

knew why you advised me to“be patient”. Both readingswere perfect for today,particularly the Gospel lesson inLuke, Chapter 5 where we seethat after Simon Peter and theothers pulled the nets full of fishinto the boat and were amazedand afraid at what they justwitnessed. Christ didn’t stopthere and admire the catch, heessentially told them there ismore work to do, telling them,“Do not be afraid; henceforthyou will be catching men." Andwhen they had brought theirboats to land, they lefteverything and followed him.”Your Eminence, I stand

before you today a humble,unworthy man, seekingordination as a Deacon inChrist’s Church, and much likethose early disciples, I’m readyto follow and do some fishing.

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Charita Stavrou Steward of the Year2019 Nomination Form

On November 24th, during Stewardship Commitment Sunday, we will recognize afaithful member of our community who most epitomizes the ideals of Stewardshipby their offering of time and talents towards the work and ministries of ourChurch. If you know of a member of our parish who deserves recognitionbecause of his or her selfless offerings of time and talent, please nominate thatperson by filling out the information below (if more space is needed, please usethe back of this form or a separate sheet).

NOMINEE:__________________________________________________________________

Offering of TIME:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Offering of TALENT:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What characteristic or trait inspires you the most about this person?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nominated by:_________________________________________________________________

Email or Phone:__________________________________________________________________

Please return your completed nomination form by the end of the day, Sunday,October 27th, to the Church Office (attention Nick Vrettos).

(Continued from Page 1)death. The simple

choice of touching thegarments of Christ

made the woman well.The work of Christ is all

around us, waiting to beviewed and cultivated. Thepages of Holy Scriptureclearly describe the realityof the light that shinesthrough darkness. Thislight will become strongerand clearer when our faithbecomes stronger andclearer when works of loveare in motion. The longestjourney cannot beginwithout taking the first step,after the first step is taken,then our journey will beginto occur.As we find ourselves in

the season of fall, changeswill occur. The trees of ourarea will begin to shedtheir leaves, temperatureswill drop and the darknessof the day will commenceearlier. Adjustments thatwill be made for thechange in seasons is notsomething new. We expectthis and must make theproper adjustments.At the conclusion of a

typical day, set some timeaside and reflect on thechoices that you made,ponder the thoughtprocess that went intomaking these choices. Theresult of these choicesmight take some time to beviewed as being positive ornegative, it is what it is. Letus put our trust in Him whoknows us and will embraceus no matter what choiceswe have made or notmade.

From FatherGeorge

Page 9

(Continued from Page 3)"Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And

they begged him not to command them to depart intothe abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feedingthere on the hillside; and they begged him to let thementer these. So he gave them leave. Then thedemons came out of the man and entered the swine,and the herd rushed down the steep bank into thelake and were drowned. When the herdsmen sawwhat happened, they fled, and told it in the city and inthe country. Then people went out to see what hadhappened, and they came to Jesus, and found theman from whom the demons had gone, sitting at thefeet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and theywere afraid. And those who had seen it told them howhe who had been possessed with demons washealed. Then all the people of the surroundingcountry of the Gadarenes asked him to depart fromthem; for they were seized with great fear; so he gotinto the boat and returned. The man from whom thedemons had gone begged that he might be with him;but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home,and declare how much God has done for you." Andhe went away, proclaiming throughout the whole cityhow much Jesus had done for him.HYMNS OF THE DAYResurrectional Apolytikion in the First ModeWhen the stone had been sealed by the Jews and

the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body,Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, grantinglife unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of theHeavens cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to ThyResurrection, O Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Gloryto Thy dispensation, O only Friend of man.Apolytikion for Great Martyr Artemius in the

Fourth ModeThy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for

Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruptionand life from Thee, our immortal God. For since hepossessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrantsand wholly destroyed the demons' strengthlesspresumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save oursouls, since Thou art merciful.Seasonal Kontakion in the Second ModeO Protection of Christians that cannot be put to

shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: Odespise not the voices of those who have sinned; butbe quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who infaith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speedthou to make supplication, O thou who dost everprotect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.WISDOM OF THEFATHERSFor if we, going about on the earth which is familiar

and well known to us, being encompassed with abody, when we are journeying in a strange road,know not which way to go unless we have some oneto lead us; how should the soul, being rent away fromthe body, and having gone out from all heraccustomed region, know where to walk without one

(Continued on Page 11)

October Sundays

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Thursday: 4 PM– 9 PM

Friday: and Saturday: 11 AM—10 PM

Please retain this half for your records

Please return this half to the Church Office

Preferred Area You Would Like To Volunteer

Retain for your

records

A

R

E

A

VOLUNTEER FORM

(Family Name)

(Telephone)

SERVICE / QUALITY / CLEANLINESS

Volunteers park behind the Hellenic Center.

Arrive 15 minutes early and report to the information desk to pickup a nametag and an apron.

Smile and share our rich culture and religion, treat our customers with respect, be

helpful, courteous. Have fun.

Serve consistent portions to all customers, present food in a pleasing manner. Servers

wear plastic gloves, wash hands before serving, maintain a good appearance

Please return completed form to church office as soon as possible. Thank you for your

willingness to serve.

Family

Members Please fill in name

below and check times to

volunteer to the right

A

R

E

A

Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church 60 Traverse Road Newport News VA 23606596-6151

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Page 11

1 Tuesday5:00/8:00 pm Greek School

2 Wednesday6:00 pm Paraclesis7:00 pm Adult Education7:15 pm Choir3 Thursday6:45 pm HWPS5 Saturday11:00 am Baptism6 Sunday3rd Sunday of LukeNational Church MusicSunday8:45 am Orthros10:00 am Divine Liturgy7 Monday6:30 pm Philoptochos Meeting8 Tuesday12:00 pm Senior Citizens’Luncheon with Norfolk5:00 pm/8:00 pm Greek School9 Wednesday6:00 pm Paraclesis7:00 pm Adult Education7:15 pm Choir

11&12 Friday/SaturdayGoya Virginia Beach Lock-in13 Sunday7th Ecumenical Council8:45 am Orthros10:00 am Divine Liturgy1-Year Memorial - AlexanderMichalos12:00 Noon AHEPA/DOP15 Tuesday5:00 pm/8:00 pm Greek School16 Wednesday6:00 pm Paraclesis7:00 pm Adult Education7:15 pm Choir

17 ThursdayFall Festival (4pm-9pm)18 FridaySaint Luke the Evangelist9:00am Orthros10:00am Divine LiturgyFall Festival (11am – 10pm)19 SaturdayFall Festival (11am – 10pm)20 Sunday6th Sunday of Luke8:45 am Orthros10:00 am Divine Liturgy40-Day Memorial – PhoebeCampbell21 Monday6:30 pm Parish Council22 Tuesday5:00 pm/8:00 pm Greek School23 Wednesday6:00 pm Paraclesis7:00 pm Adult Education7:15 pm Choir25 Friday6:00 pm Great Vespers atSt. Demetrios, Williamsburg26 SaturdaySt. Demetrios9:00am Orthros10:00am Divine Liturgy27 Sunday7th Sunday of Luke8:45am Orthros10:00am Divine LiturgyGeneral Assembly followingDivine Liturgy29 Tuesday5:00 pm/8:00 pm Greek School30 Wednesday7:15 pm Choir

October 17, 18, 19Thursday 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Friday & Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

(Continued from Page 9)to show her the way? - St.

John Chrysostom, Homily 28 onMatthew 8, 4th CenturySAINTS AND FEASTSCOMMEMORATEDGerasimus of Cephalonia6th Sunday of LukeArtemius the Great Martyr of

AntiochAndronicus the Righteous

MartyrMatrona the Righteous of

ChiosOCTOBER 27EPISTLE READING2 Corinthians 11:31-33;

12:1-9GOSPEL READINGLuke 8:41-56HYMNS OF THE DAYResurrectional Apolytikion

in the Second ModeWhen Thou didst descend

unto death, O Life Immortal,then didst Thou slay Hades withthe lightning of Thy Divinity.And when Thou didst also raisethe dead out of the nethermostdepths, all the powers in theHeavens cried out: O Life-giver,Christ our God, glory be toThee.Seasonal Kontakion in the

Second ModeO Protection of Christians

that cannot be put to shame,mediation unto the creator mostconstant: O despise not thevoices of those who havesinned; but be quick, O goodone, to come unto our aid, whoin faith cry unto thee: Hasten tointercession and speed thou tomake supplication, O thou whodost ever protect, O Theotokos,them that honor thee.WISDOM OF THEFATHERSHe puts an end to the

woman's fear ... He sets herright, in respect of her thinkingto be hid ... He exhibits her faithto all, so as to provoke the restalso to emulation ... St. JohnChrysostom, Homily 31 onMatthew 9, 4th CenturySAINTS AND FEASTSCOMMEMORATEDProcla, wife of Pontius Pilate7th Sunday of LukeKyriakos, Patriarch of

ConstantinopleNestor the Martyr of

Thessaloniki

October Sundays

Sunday Services8:45 a.m. Matins10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Religious Education(Following Holy Communion, Sep-May)Christian Fellowship(Following Divine Liturgy in Hellenic Center)

Mission StatementThe mission of Saints Constantine & HelenGreek Orthodox Church in Newport News,Virginia is to keep, practice, and proclaimthe Orthodox Christian Faith. The work andministry of our Parish will includeproclaiming the Gospel, sanctifying thefaithful through God's grace in worship, theDivine Liturgy and the Sacraments, andenhancing their spiritual life. We will fulfill thegreat commission of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ by inviting others into theChurch through Baptism and/or Chrismation,educating them in the Orthodox Faiththrough the establishment of programs,schools and philanthropic activities, andimplementing Christian ministries.

Saints Constantine & HelenGreek Orthodox Church60 Traverse RoadNewport News VA 23606

Return Address Requested

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 50Newport News

Virginia

Come Worship the Glory of God

www.schgochurch.va.goarch.org

Phone: (757) 596-6151Fax: (757) 596-2967