View
218
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
The Official Monthly publication of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Citation preview
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 1
IN THIS ISSUE
The Eternal Light “ The good news is that with the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, there came a light, and the darkness was not able to over-come the light. ”
by Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas
<<Όταν ο Ιησούς γεννήθηκε και παρουσιάστηκε στο ναό µετά από σαράντα µέρες, ακούµε την προφητεία του δίκαιου Συµεών προς την Παναγία για τα πάθη, την σταύρωση και τον θάνατο Του. >>
του π. Ανδρέα Βυθούλκας
ISSUE NO. 275 WWW.HOLYTRINITYBRIDGEPORT.ORG JANUARY 2013
Κ α λ ή Χ ρ ο ν ι ά
Ηappy New Year!
In Memorium 12/14/2012
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 2
MEMORIALS Sunday, January 13, 2013 Barbara Anton -1 year
Esther (Aspasia) Mavrides-13 years
Efrosini Kalander- 3 years
Charles Poulos - 3 years
Sunday, January 20, 2013 Gikas Vidalis -40 Days
REMINDERS If you wish to have your house blessed, please
call the office for an appointment.
ΑΓΙΑΣΜΟΙ ΣΠΙΤΙΩΝ: ΑΝ ΘΕΛΕΤΕ ΝΑ
ΚΑΝΕΤΕ ΑΓΙΑΣΜΟ ΣΤΟ ΣΠΙΤΙ ΣΑΣ—
ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΟΥΜΕ ΤΗΛΕΦΩΝΗΣΤΕ ΜΑΣ
ΣΤΟ ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ 203 -374-5561.
ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΜΕ!
January 2013 Weekday & Saturday Liturgies: 9:00 am
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 Service- St.
Basil’s - New
Year’s/Αγίου
Βασιλείου –
Όρθρος & Θεία
Λειτουργία
2 3 4 5 Service—Eve
of the Epipha-
ny /Παραµονή
των Φώτων
6 Epiphany
Day/Θεοφάνεια 7 Service- St.
John the Bap-
tist /Αγίου
Ιωάννου του
Προδρόµου και
Βαπτιστή
8 9 10 11 Hellenic Cul-
tural Association
– Movie night-
6:00pm /
Εκδήλωση του
Πολιτιστικού
Συλλόγου - 6:00
µµ
12
13 Vasilopita /
Εορτή της
Βασιλόπιτας
14 15 16 17 18 Service-St.
Antonios and
St. Athanasios /Αγίου Αντωνίου
& Αγίου
Αθανασίου
19
20 St. Dionysios
of Olympou Cele-
bration/
reception/Εορτή
& ∆εξίωση Αγίου
∆ιονυσίου του
Ολύµπου
21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 Service-Three Hier-
archs /Των
Τριών Ιεραρχών
31
Wishing our Community a Merry Christmas & a
Happy New Year from:
Peter & Chrisne
Anpas and Family
Helen Spyrou
Steve & Helen Chachakis
Mr. & Mrs. Kostas Hajedemos
Our GOYA apologizes for the accidental omission of these names from
our annual Community Christmas Card!
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 3
“The people who walk in
darkness have seen a great
light.” Isaiah 9:2
W hen Jesus was born and
presented in the Temple
after forty days, we hear
the prophecy of
the righteous
S imeon t o
Mary of his
i m p e n d i n g
s u f f e r i n g ,
crucifixion and
death. Simeon
blessed them,
and said to our
P a n a g i a ,
"Behold this Child is destined for the
fall and rising of many in Israel,"
and for a sign which will be spoken
against “yes a sword will pierce
through your own soul also” that the
thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed. Simeon forewarns Mary of
her own impending grief and
suffering that she will endure at the
foot of the cross.
As we prepare to receive the light
of salvation at Christmas, we are
also reminded of the darkness of
oppression and suffering that exists
in our own lives. You have all felt
that piercing of the sword that the
righteous Simeon forewarns Mary of
in the Gospel of St. Luke. You all
have been acquainted with the
darkness of the night. Perhaps some
of us have been oppressed by fear,
sin, sorrow, loneliness, failure, or
suffering from grief. Therefore, it
serves us no purpose to naively deny
the existence of darkness or
suffering. Nowhere in scripture do
we receive a pep talk and
argument that suffering doesn’t
exist, but rather that darkness is real,
and it is present.
But even more immediately, we
are all in mourning of the darkness
that came upon the community and
families of Sandy Hook on
Friday ,the fourteenth of December
whose joy was stripped from them,
many who were preparing for
Christmas. We are all grieving for
this town, the families, and the little
angels who were martyrs of evil and
darkness. May the Lord hold them
safe in Heaven. The parents’ grief is
unimaginable to us all. Yet, most
turned to the church for healing with
candle light services and vigils, all
night long. The church and God
offer true healing, which is what the
Nativity of our Lord offers
humankind.
The good news is that with the
birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, there
came a light, and the darkness was
not able to overcome the light. It
was not just a temporary flicker, it
was an eternal flame. The prophet
Isaiah wrote, “people who walk in
darkness have seen a great light.
(Isaiah 9:2)” The Gospel of St. John
records: The light shines in the
darkness and the darkness has not
overcome it.
We need to remember that there
are times in the events of the world
and in the events of our personal
lives, that we feel that the light will
be snuffed out. We live in a world
where darkness, oppression and
suffering truly exist. But out of the
darkness of the cave in Bethlehem
came an inextinguishable light that
shines brighter and stronger than any
darkness. Into the darkness God sent
an eternal light. The joy of the
approaching Christmas season fades
into darkness just as we remember
our loved ones who have passed
away and are not here with us to
rejoice in the birth of Christ, but still
eternally shine in our hearts.
God chose to use a star to guide
the Magi to Bethlehem as an eternal
reminder to them and to us that in a
sea of darkness, it is the light that
keeps us going forward. It is the
light of hope and the light of Christ
that leads and dispels the gloom.
The greatest need in our mixed up
and confused world this day is to let
people know there is hope. That life
is worth living no matter what. We
should not be discouraged to the
point of despair. In Jesus Christ we
shall cling to the hope that life
overcomes death, that love conquers
hate, and that truth will prevail over
falsehood. We are all people of light,
and we must share that light in a
dark and dreary world.
As we prepare for the Feast of the
Nativity according to the Flesh of
our Lord and God and Savior Jesus
Christ, it is a time of great
anticipation, expectancy, and
looking forward to the future. We
read the Scriptures in these coming
days as we prepare for the Nativity
of our Lord, which provides us and
the world with the rays of hope in
the life of Christ.
It is my prayer that the light of
Christmas will shine and enlighten
the dark corners of your life and that
you, too, will discover the pathway
to Bethlehem. We continue to pray
for the community of Newtown that
they too never lose hope.
The Eternal Light by Father Andreas Vithoulkas
“So long as we live they too shall live and love for they are a part of us, as we remember them.” ~ Gates of Prayer
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 4
“Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish,
Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” ~Thomas Moore
του π. Ανδρέα Βυθούλκας
«Οι άνθρωποι που περπατούν
στο σκοτάδι είδαν το αληθινό
φώς» Ησαΐας 9:2
Ό τ α ν ο Ι η σ ο ύ ς
γ ε ν ν ή θ η κ ε κ α ι
παρουσιάστηκε στο
ναό µετά από σαράντα µέρες, ακούµε την προφητεία του
δίκαιου Συµεών προς την Παναγία για τα πάθη, την
σταύρωση και τον θάνατο Του. Ο Συµεών τους
ευλόγησε και είπε στην Παναγία µας, «Ιδού, αυτό το
παιδί προορίζεται για την πτώση και ύψωση πολλών στο
Ισραήλ, «και ακόµη ότι και η ψυχή σου θα πονέσει διότι
ο πόνος που θα αισθανθείς είναι σαν ένα σπαθί που θα
σχίσει την ψυχή σου. Ο Συµεών αποκάλυψε επίσης στην
Μαρία τον πόνο και την θλίψη που θα ιδεί, περάσει και
αντέξει στους πρόποδες του Σταυρού.
Καθώς ετοιµαζόµαστε να λάβουµε το φώς της
σωτηρίας των Χριστουγέννων, επίσης µας θυµίζει το
σκοτάδι της καταπίεσης και της δυστυχίας που υπάρχει
στη ζωή µας. Όλοι έχουµε αισθανθεί την διαπύρωση του
ξίφους που ο Συµεών προανήγγειλε στην Μαρία όπως
µας αναφέρει ο Ευαγγελιστής Λουκάς. Όλοι µας έχουµε
πείρα και γνώση µε το σκοτάδι της νύχτας. Ίσως µερικοί
από εµάς έχουν καταπιεστεί από φόβο, αµαρτίας, λύπης,
µοναξιάς, αποτυχίας, ή πάσχουν από θλίψη. Ως εκ
τούτου, δεν εξυπηρετεί κανένα σκοπό µερικοί να
αρνούνται την ύπαρξη του σκότους η του πόνου.
Πουθενά στην Αγία Γραφή δεν αναφέρεται ότι ο πόνος
δεν υπάρχει, αλλά µάλλον το σκοτάδι είναι αληθινό και
παρόν.
Αλλά ακόµα πιο τωρινά, βρισκόµαστε όλοι στο
πρωινό, στο σκοτάδι που ήλθε στην µικρή Κοινότητα και
τις οικογένειες του Sandy Hook την Παρασκευή της
14ης ∆εκεµβρίου των οποίων η χαρά λεηλατήθηκε ενώ
προετοιµάζονταν για τα Χριστούγεννα. Όλοι πενθούµε
για το µικρό αυτό χωριό, για τις οικογένειες και τα µικρά
αγγελούδια που ήταν µάρτυρες του κακού και του
σκότους. Ο Κύριος ας τα προστατεύει στον Ουρανό. Ο
πόνος των γονέων είναι απερίγραπτος σε όλους µας. Εν
τούτοις, όµως, στράφηκαν προς την εκκλησία για την
σωτηρία, η Εκκλησία και ο Θεός προσφέρουν αληθινή
λύτρωση, αυτό ακριβώς είναι η Γέννηση του Χριστού
για την ανθρωπότητα.
Τα καλά νέα είναι ότι µε την γέννηση του
Θεανθρώπου, εκεί ήρθε ένα φώς και το σκοτάδι δεν
µπόρεσε να ξεπεράσει το φώς. ∆εν ήταν απλά µια
προσωρινή σπίθα αλλά αιώνια φλόγα. Ο Προφήτης
Ησαΐας έγραψε, «άνθρωποι που περπατούν στο σκοτάδι
είδαν ένα µεγάλο φώς. Ησαΐας 9:2.» Ο Ιωάννης στο
Ευαγγέλιο γράφει: «ότι το φώς αυτό θα λάµπει και στο
σκοτάδι και το σκοτάδι δεν µπορεί να το ξεπεράσει».
Πρέπει να θυµόµαστε ότι υπάρχουν στιγµές στον
κόσµο και στιγµές στην προσωπική µας ζωή που
πιστεύουµε ότι το φώς θα σβήσει. Ζούµε σε ένα κόσµο
όπου το σκοτάδι, καταπίεση και πόνος υπάρχουν. Αλλά
µέσα από το σκοτάδι της σπηλιάς της Βηθλεέµ ήλθε το
αιώνιο το άσβεστο αστέρι πιο λαµπρό και φωτεινό από
κάθε σκοτάδι. Στο σκοτάδι, ο Θεός έστειλε το αιώνιο
φώς. Καθώς πλησιάζουν τα Χριστούγεννα, η χαρά για
µερικούς εξασθενίζει στο σκοτάδι καθώς θυµόµαστε
αγαπηµένα µας πρόσωπα που δεν είναι µαζί µας πια να
γιορτάσουµε µαζί την γέννηση του Χριστού, αλλά
παραµένει αιώνια η φλόγα στις καρδιές µας.
Ο Θεός επέλεξε να χρησιµοποιήσει το αστέρι να
καθοδηγήσει τους Μάγους στην Βηθλεέµ για να
προσκυνήσουν τον Ιησού, σαν µια αιώνια υπενθύµιση σε
όλους ότι στη θάλασσα του σκότους, είναι το φώς που
µας οδηγεί προς τα εµπρός. Είναι το φώς της ελπίδας,
και το φώς του Χριστού που οδηγεί και διώχνει την
κατήφεια.
Η µεγαλύτερη ανάγκη στον σαστισµένο κόσµο αυτές
τις µέρες είναι να γνωρίζουν ότι υπάρχει ελπίδα. Ότι η
ζωή µας αξίζει, ανεξάρτητα από το τι. ∆εν πρέπει να
φτάνουν στο σηµείο της απελπισίας. Ο Χριστός είναι η
ελπίδα και ότι η ζωή θα ξεπεράσει τον θάνατο, ότι η
αγάπη θα κατακτήσει το µίσος, και η αλήθεια θα
υπερισχύσει του ψεύδους. Είµαστε όλοι άνθρωποι του
φωτός, και οφείλουµε να µοιραστούµε το φώς σε ένα
σκοτεινό και θλιβερό κόσµο.
Καθώς ετοιµαζόµαστε για την Γιορτή της Γεννήσεως
σύµφωνα µε τη σάρκα του Κυρίου και Θεού Ιησού
Χριστού µας, µε µεγάλη αναµονή και ελπίδα για το
µέλλον. ∆ιαβάζουµε στις Γραφές ότι τις επόµενες µέρες
καθώς προετοιµαζόµαστε για την Γέννηση του Κυρίου,
µας παρέχει τις ακτίνες της ελπίδας της ζωής του
Χριστού.
Εύχοµαι ότι το φώς των Χριστουγέννων θα λάµπει
και φωτίζει τις σκοτεινές γωνίες της ζωής µας, και ότι,
πολύ, θα ανακαλύψουµε τα µονοπάτια της Βηθλεέµ. Θα
συνεχίσουµε να προσευχόµαστε για την µικρή
Κοινότητα του Newtown ώστε ποτέ να µην χάσουν την
ελπίδα.
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 5
Our Parish by George Mourizakis -Parish Council President
Happy New Year to all.
W e had a very busy
month in December
with all the pre-Christmas
d i n n e r s , s h o p p i n g , a n d
preparations for the Holidays.
Now is time to sit back and
reflect on the past and see how
and when we can improve all of
our programs tha t need
improvements. All of your
suggestions are welcome and will
be taken into consideration for the
improvement of our community.
We are starting our 100th year
of existence in Bridgeport.
Looking back on our simple
beginning, and taking a closer
look at all the old photographs, it
makes me wonder about all the
problems and sacrifices our
parishioners endured for us to be
in this wonderful complex that we
call Holy Trinity today.
Should we have worked
harder? Can we make a difference
for future generations at Holy
Trinity?
I hope we all can and will.
Times are a little different now.
Both husband and wife are hard at
work to support their household,
less time to spend at home or at
church. But that is where we can
make our sacrifice, by devoting a
little of our precious time to our
community and getting involved.
We have to move forward and
accomplish a lot in the next 100
years.
We have to make plans and set
goals, and have a vision of what
has to be accomplished in the
future.
I know we have a lot of
qua l i f i ed people in our
community who can help us.
How can we get them to come
forward? One way that I can think
of is by letting new people in key
positions. Give someone new a
chance in an organization and let
them bring in new ideas. Just
because we’ve done the same
thing year after year doesn’t mean
we cannot change it. We are
creatures of habit and we resist
most new ideas.
Let’s keep an open mind. Let’s
give room for new ideas to
prosper.
We are also working into our
Stewardship program, which I
feel is very important for our
community’s growth. We need
more people to help us.
I would like to welcome two
new members in the Parish
Council. They are Pericles C.
Rountos and Peter Karayiannis, as
well as two re-elected, Gus
Vlamis and Peter Tsimbidaros.
Congratulations and I am looking
forward to working together. I
promise you it will be a busy
year.
Thank you and God bless.
“Where hope would otherwise become hopelessness, it becomes faith. “ ~Robert Brault
Η ΕΝΟΡΙΑ ΜΑΣ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΜΟΥΡΙΖΑΚΗΣ, ΠΡΟΕ∆ΡΟΣ
Ε υτυχισµένο το Νέο Έτος σε όλους.
Είµαστε ολοι πολύ απασχοληµένοι τον
∆εκέµβριο µε όλα τα προ-Χριστουγέννων
δείπνα, τα ψώνια και τις προετοιµασίες για τις
γιορτές.
Τώρα είναι η ώρα να καθίσουµε πίσω και να
προβληµατιστούµε σχετικά µε το παρελθόν και να
δούµε πώς και πότε µπορούµε να βελτιώσουµε όλα τα
προγράµµατά µας που χρειάζονται βελτιώσεις. Όλες
οι προτάσεις σας είναι ευπρόσδεκτες και θα της
λάβουµε µε ευχαριστηση για τη βελτίωση της
κοινότητάς µας.
Βαδίζουµε στο εκατοστό έτος της ύπαρξης µας στο
Μπρίτζπορτ. Κοιτάζοντας πίσω στην απλή αρχή και
µε µια πιο προσεκτική µατιά σε όλες τις παλιές
φωτογραφίες, µε κάνει να αναρωτιέµαι για όλα τα
προβλήµατα και τις θυσίες που εκαναν οι ενορίτες µας
υπέµειναν για µας και εχτησαν αυτό το υπέροχο
συγκρότηµα που ονοµάζουµε Αγία Τριάδα σήµερα.
Μηπως επρεπε να έιχαµε εργαστεί σκληρότερα;
Μπορούµε να κάνουµε µια διαφορά για τις
µελλοντικές γενιές στην Αγία Τριάδα;
Ελπίζω ότι όλοι µας µπορούµε και θα το κάνουµε.
Οι καιροί είναι λίγο διαφορετική τώρα. Τόσο ο
σύζυγος και η σύζυγος εργάζονται σκληρά για τη
στήριξη των νοικοκυριών τους, λιγότερο χρόνο για να
περάσουν στο σπίτι ή στην εκκλησία. Αλλά εκει είναι
όπου µπορούµε να κάνουµε θυσίες αφιερώνοντας λίγο
από τον πολύτιµο χρόνο µας για την κοινότητά µας µε
το να συµµετασχουµε στις εκδηλωσεις και την ζωη
της. Πρέπει να προχωρήσουµε και να πετύχουµε (Connued on page 6)
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 6
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ Greek School by Eleni Limberis, Director
Καλή Χρονιά 2013 - Happy
New Year 2013
Ό πως κάθε χρόνο - και
φέτος θέλουµε να
ευχαριστήσουµε τα
παιδιά µας και τις οικογένειές
τους πού έδωσαν δώρα και ευχές
για τα παιδάκια πού έχουν
ανάγκη, ώστε να περάσουν τις
γιορτές τους χαρούµενα και
ευτυχισµένα.
Τ ο Χ ρ ι σ τ ο υ γ ε ν ν ι ά τ ι κ ο
πρόγραµµα τού Σχολείου µας και
φέτος ήταν πάρα πολύ ευχάριστο
και χαρούµενο. Τα παιδιά µας
απήγγε ιλαν, τραγούδησαν ,
χριστουγεννιάτικα ποιήµατα,
τραγούδια και ύµνους για τις άγιες
αυτές ηµέρες των Χριστουγέννων
και της Πρωτοχρονιάς.
· Επίσης ο Άγιος Βασίλης
εµφανίσθηκε µε την σακούλα του
γεµάτος µε δώρα για όλα τα
παιδιά µας. Φυσικά ένα µεγάλο
ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ στο ΡΤΟ µας για τα
δώρα τους και τις νόστιµες
καραµέλες και λιχουδιές.
Το ΡΤΟ για τις νοστιµότατες
Βασιλόπιτες πού κόπηκαν στις
αίθουσες του σχολείου µας, όπως
το επιτρέπει η παράδοση.
Ευχαριστούµε τα παιδιά µας,
τούς γονείς, τον π. Ανδρέα,
δασκάλες, τον πρόεδρο κο.
Γιώργο Μουριζάκη, Συµβούλιο,
φίλους, τις κυρίες του ΡΤΟ, για τις
χρ ιστουγενν ιάτ ικε ς ευχές ,
υποστήριξη και αγάπη τους κατά
την διάρκεια τού έτους και ειδικά
τώρα µε τις γιορτές.
Ε π ί σ η ς έ ν α µ ε γ ά λ ο
ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ στην κυρία Ελένη
∆εµέστιχα που µας δώρισε, έραψε
το καινούριο λάβαρο του
Ελληνικού µας Σχολείου. Στην
κυρία Ζωή Γκούντα που µας
φέρνει τα νοστιµότατα ψωµάκια
για όλα τα παιδιά και προσωπικό
του σχολείου µας. Κυρίες σας
ευχαριστούµε και καλές γιορτές.
Χρόνια Πολλά σ’ όλους σας,
καλή και ευτυχισµένη χρονιά,
πάντα µε υγεία.
Το Σχολείο µας αρχίζει την
Τετάρτη 2 Ιανουαρίου, 2013.
Ευχαριστώ πολύ
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. “ ~Mother Teresa
πολλά µέσα στα επόµενα 100 χρόνια.
Πρέπει να κάνουµε σχέδια και να θέσουµε στόχους, να
έχουν ένα όραµα για το τι πρέπει να γίνει στο µέλλον.
Ξέρω ότι έχουµε πολλούς ειδικευµένους ανθρώπους
στην κοινότητά µας που µπορεί να µας βοηθήσουν. Πώς
µπορούµε να τους πάρεκινισουµε για να έλθουν προς τα
εµπρός; Ο ένας τρόπος που µπορώ να σκεφτώ, είναι να
αφήσουµε τους νέους ανθρώπους σε θέσεις κλειδιά.
∆ώστε σε κάποιον νέο µια ευκαιρία σε έναν οργανισµό
και να τους αφήσουµε να φέρουν νέες ιδέες. Γιατί
κάνουµε το ίδιο πραγµα καθε χρόνο δεν σηµαίνει ότι δεν
µπορείτε να το αλλάξετε. Είµαστε πλάσµατα µε
συνηθειες και αντιστέκοµαστε σε πιο νέες ιδέες.
Ας κρατήσουµε ένα ανοικτό µυαλό. Ας δώσουµε
χώρο σε νέες ιδέες για να ευηµερήσουν.
Εργαζόµαστε επίσης στο πρόγραµµα Stewardship µας
που πιστεύω ότι είναι πολύ σηµαντικό για την ανάπτυξη
της κοινότητας µας. Χρειαζόµαστε περισσότερους
ανθρώπους να µας βοηθήσουν.
Θα ήθελα να καλωσορίσω 2 νέα µέλη του
Εκκλησιαστικού Συµβουλίου, Περικλής Γ. Ρουντος και
ο Πέτρος Καραγιάννης, και 2 επανεξελέγη µελη,
Κωστας Βλάµης και Peter Tsimbidaros.
Σ υ γ χ α ρ η τ ή ρ ι α κ α ι α ν υ π ο µ ο ν ο ύ µ ε ν α
συνεργάζστουµαι µαζί. Σας υπόσχοµαι ότι θα είναι µια
πολυ αποσχολιµενη χρονιά.
Σας ευχαριστώ και ο Θεός να µας ευλογεί.
(Connued from page 5)
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 7
“I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives. “ ~Tracy Chapman
Ladies
Philoptochos
Society Kalliope Tsitsipas, President
H appy New Year & Καλή
Χρονιά! Every January,
Philoptochos chapters
from across America hold a
Vasilopita event to raise funds
that will benefit Saint Basil
Academy, the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese home for children in
need. The Academy is a warm
and inviting residence in
Garisson, New York, which offers
a loving, family environment
whose purpose is to nurture and
support children and alumni who
call it home. The Vasilopita event
in our Parish is always a success.
This year’s event will be held on
January 13th, and we ask, once
again, for your love and support.
Please plan on staying and
enjoying the reception and all the
wonderful food. Many thanks for
your continued support for this
most wonderful academy. Your
efforts throughout the years are
expressions of love and
compassion of which the
beneficiaries are the children at
the academy.
The following excerpt was taken
from www.saintbasilacademy.org
One of the most beautiful and
inspiring traditions and customs
of the Greek Orthodox Church is
the observance of Vasilopita. It is
this annual family observance,
together with many other
traditions of our Church, which
joins our Orthodox Faith and
heritage with the history of the
Christian religion itself.
The word Vasilopita is a
compound Greek word which
means the sweet 'bread of Basil'.
Background—This age old
tradition commenced in the fourth
century, when Saint Basil the
Great, who was a bishop, wanted
to distribute money to the poor in
his Diocese. He commissioned
some women to bake sweetened
bread, in which he arranged to
place gold coins. Thus the
families in cutting the bread to
nourish themselves , were
pleasantly surprised to find the
coins.
The Annual Home
Observance—This original
event which happened in
Cappadocia of Caesarea in the last
half of the fourth century, is very
much alive in our Orthodox
homes each year on January 1st.
According to tradition, special
sweet bread (in some areas of
Greece, it takes the form of a
cake) is prepared both in the
Orthodox homes and in the
Church community which is
called Vasilopita. Sweets are
added to the bread which
symbolize the sweetness and joy
of life everlasting. It also
symbolizes the hope that the New
Year will be filled with the
sweetness of life, liberty, health,
and happiness for all who
participate in the Vasilopita
Observance. When the Vasilopita
is prepared, a coin is usally added
to the ingredients. When the bread
is cut and the observance begins,
the individual who receives that
portion of the Pita which contains
the coin is considered blessed.
This tradition adds joy to the
celebration at the beginning of the
New Year, which everyone hopes
will bring joy to all. Many
Orthodox Christians enjoy the
Vasilopita at home with their
loved ones during the New Year
celebration. The head of the
family cuts the pieces of pita for
all members of the family. Since
Saint Basil loved the poor people,
a special piece is cut for the
unfortunate of the world, which
symbolizes our concern for the
poverty-striken people of all
nations.
For more information, please visit
www.saintbasilacademy.org .
A Special “Thank You”
The Ladies Philoptochos
Society would like to thank all
those who contributed to our food
baskets. The recipient of these
baskets is the Evergreen Network,
which provides “supportive
services specifically for children
and adults infected or affected by
HIV/AIDS, and their families.
Based in Bridgeport CT,
Evergreen Network provides
outreach in schools, courts, clinics
and other state agencies on behalf
of our clients. Our services have
been provided on a continual
basis for over 20 years.”
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 8
Daughters of
Penelope by Helen Yeotsas, President
O ur Chapter 41 sisters extend
the very best Christmas and
New Year's greetings to all!
May God's blessings be upon all of us as we pray for
peace and love for everyone.
It's with a very sad heart that I write the Daughters
of Penelope column this month. Our entire
Connecticut community has been rocked by the
tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. Our hearts go out
to the many people affected personally by this tragedy,
and we all hope that God may give the families of
those senselessly killed, strength in the upcoming
days, weeks and years. We were entering the
Christmas holiday season barely "recovered" from
Sandy, and feeling so badly for all those affected -
knowing that so many are still trying to pick up the
pieces of their lives from that tragic storm. Most of
us can't imagine how anyone picks up their life after
something like what has happened in Newtown,
practically in our own back yard. As with our
response to Sandy, our chapter will certainly be
mobilizing again, to assist where needed, in the
upcoming weeks. We hope that all organizations,
throughout our Holy Trinity and Greater Bridgeport
community, will try to do something to honor the
victims and to help those suffering.
Our "Let's Keep Them Warm" drive is ongoing,
with items being delivered to many local centers,
schools and agencies, that are always in need. We sent
boxes full of gloves and cold weather accessories to
Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Center for Women and
Children, Spooner House, Bethel Recovery Center,
several Bridgeport public schools, Bridgeport
Hospital, Penelope House in Massachusetts, (which is
a women's crisis center sponsored by all Daughters of
Penelope chapters), and to Open Door Shelter and
Food Pantry. Additionally many items went out at the
Agape Luncheon and to other local individuals in
need. Our chapter would like to thank everyone for
their support of this project every year. We will
continue this drive through January, so please be sure
to donate if you haven't already.
We look forward to our Chicken Souvlaki
Luncheon, which is February 3, after services. This
coincides with Godparent's Sunday, so we ask you all
to take this opportunity to have a great lunch with
your godparents or godchildren on that day, while
supporting our scholarship fund and our philanthropic
outreach.
Again, our prayers and our most deepest sympathies
go out to the victim's families. We pray for God to
give them peace and strength,... Aionia I Mnimi Tous.
Until next month, and in theta pi, Helen
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. “ ~Herman Melville
PTO Maria Gountas -President
W e hope that everyone had
a very Merry Christmas
and we wish you a joyous New
Year! PTO has had a very busy
month of December. We went to
New York City to see the Christ-
mas Show. It was a great group of
adults and children. We walked
around Time Square, and even had
a group dinner at Connolly’s Pub
& Restaurant before meeting Santa
and seeing an amazing Christmas
Show.
We would also like to give a
special thank you to all the hard-
working women who helped out
this year baking our Tsourekiq.
Thank you to Panyiota, Maria P,
Katerina Z, Maria A, Christina P,
and Sylvia B.
JOY/HOPE also had a very suc-
cessful Santa’s Workshop. The
children did many crafts, and also
decorated gingerbread houses. San-
ta Claus even made a special ap-
pearance and took time out of his
busy day to deliver treats to all the
good little boys and girls.
PTO has also started preparing
for our annual Valentine’s Dance.
If you would like to join a commit-
tee and help out, please see one of
us. All are welcome with new ide-
as. Please Save the Date: February
9th, 2013.
Thank you to everyone who sup-
ported our Christmas raffle, and a
special thank you to Alicja and
Diane for all their help with the
raffle.
Please join us for our next meet-
ing on January 9, 2013 at 5:45pm
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 9
Around the
Parish- by Stella Capiris
N ow that all the Christmas
dinners and festivities
have subsided, we wish
our parishioners a Happy New
Year. May they be blessed with
good health, happiness, love, and
peace!
We thank the Daughters for their
donation of the beautiful Christmas
wreaths on the front doors of our
Church. They thank everyone for
their support for their annual
Turkey Raffle and their Christmas
Wreath sale. Winners of the Turkey
raffle were: Maria Tatalias, Patricia
Stevens, Krystie Vlastaris, Carol
Assenza, and Betty Shola. We also
thank the Daughters for their "Let's
Keep Them Warm" drive, which
will continue through January.
Donations of new gloves, mittens,
scarves, hats, warm socks, and
small blankets are needed.
Many thanks to the Philoptochos
for their donation of the many food
baskets for the needy. Visitations
were also made to the Nursing
Homes. Many thanks for their
drive to help "Crisis Stricken
Greece."
Many thanks to the cooks who
presented us with a lovely meal at
our 99th Christmas Luncheon -
Tom Hallas, Evangelos Gountas.
Lee Tsouris. We also thank
Dimitrios Trimpalis, who could not
help this year because of his
health , but who is always there
when we need him. Next year, of
course, in lieu of the Christmas
Luncheon, we will be celebrating
our 100th Anniversary. Don't
forget to mark your calendars -
November 30th.
The Greek School Program was
delightful and, of course, the
wonderful event of the Program
was the arrival of Santa Claus.
Many thanks to Helen Limberis
and the staff.
The Sunday School Program was
lovely, as usual, as the children
performed their parts and sang the
beautiful Christmas Carols. Many
thanks to Eva Vaniotis and her
staff , and thanks to Phoebe Leask
and Joanna Bogardus.
We thank the P.T.O. for their
constant support throughout the
year to the children and to the
teachers as they once again helped
the Sunday School and Greek
School Departments with their
Holiday programs. They also had a
wonderful trip to Radio City Music
Hall to see the always beautiful
Christmas Show.
The GOYA held their annual
"Advent Retreat" and we were
blessed to have the Seminarians
from Holy Cross present to speak
to the children.
Congratulations to newlyweds
Gus and Jill Hatzis. We extend to
them our best wishes as they
prepare to begin a new life
together, following a very beautiful
wedding ceremony and reception.
The Community expresses its
deepest sympathy to Angeliki
Georgakopoulos and Family on the
loss of her father in Greece. May
his Memory be Eternal!
We express our deepest
sympathy to Kostantina Vidalis
and family on the loss of their
husband and father Gikas Vidalis.
May his Memory be Eternal!
We also express at this time our
Community's deepest sympathy to
those who have suffered so much
in our neighboring town of
N e w t o w n . M a n y o f o u r
parishioners know people who live
there and there are no words
adequate enough to express our
sorrow to all the families. May God
give them the strength to move
forward. May all the Memories of
those precious children and the
adults who tried to protect them be
Forever Eternal!
“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. “ ~Bahá'u'lláh
GOYA by Eleni Demestihas—President
GOYA would like to wish everyone a Happy and
Healthy New Year 2013.
I n the last month we have been very busy, we had
our Thanksgiving dinner, our trip to NYC, Project
Learn, our Advent Retreat and our Annual Brunch. We
want to thank all those who have supported us from Fa-
ther Andreas, to our advisors and parents and to our
community.
We are pleased to keep adding new members to our
organization and hope to continue growing. Please feel
free to email us at [email protected]. We
look forward to a fun and exciting new year!
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 10
In Loving
Memory Of
Sandy Hook
Elementary
Victims
T was' 11 days before
Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful
children stormed through
heaven's gate. Their smiles were
contagious, their laughter filled
the air. They could hardly
believe all the beauty they saw
there.
They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what
to say. They remembered nothing of what had
happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a
mouse. "This is Heaven." declared a small boy.
"We're spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior. The children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just
the same. Then He opened His arms and He called
them by name, and in that
moment was joy, that only
heaven can bring.
Those children all flew into the
arms of their King,
and as they lingered in the
warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and
looked at Jesus' face.
And as if He could read all the
questions she had He gently
whispered to her, "I'll take care
of mom and dad."
Then He looked down on
earth, the world far below. He
saw all of the hurt, the sorrow,
and woe.
Then, He closed His eyes and
He outstretched His hand, "Let
My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of
fools. I'm taking back My nation. I'm taking back My
schools!”
Then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some
ran. All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child
can. And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of
sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE
LIGHT." Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA -
Submitted by V. Andriotis
“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” ~ Gandhi
CHARLOTTE BACON, 6
DANIEL BARDEN, 7
OLIVIA ENGEL, 6
JOSEPHINE GAY, 7
ANA M. MARQUEZ-GREENE, 6
DYLAN HOCKLEY, 6
MADELEINE F. HSU, 6
CATHERINE V. HUBBARD, 6
CHASE KOWALSKI, 7
JESSE LEWIS, 6
JAMES MATTIOLI, 6
GRACE MCDONNELL, 7
EMILIE PARKER, 6
JACK PINTO, 6
NOAH POZNER, 6
CAROLINE PREVIDI, 6
JESSICA REKOS, 6
AVIELLE RICHMAN, 6
BENJAMIN WHEELER, 6
ALLISON N. WYATT, 6
MARY SHERLACH, 56
VICTORIA SOTO, 27
ANNE MARIE MURPHY, 52
LAUREN ROUSSEAU, 30
DAWN HOCHSPRUNG, 47
RACHEL DAVINO, 29
M emory
Eternal
Saturday, February 9, 2013
7:00pm to 1:00am
Maria Gountas at
203.650.3246 /
or Faye Demestihas 917.217.8530
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 12
A Call to Action for a Crisis Stricken Greece
What’s Happening in Greece?
The IOCC reports that “Each day the streets of Athens become more crowded with families newly evicted from their homes
due to job loss and the inability to pay their bills. ...Greece's escalating economic woes drive more and more families into a
desperate struggle to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table…
Here’s What You Can Do to Help
the Greatest need is Food—non-perishable food items in-
cluding: Pasta, white & brown rice, dried beans, cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix, pea-nut butter, powered or evaporated milk, baby food, lentils, or similar, powdered, DRY food items. Please — NO jars. •Personal Hygiene items including: toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soaps, deo-dorants, diapers, wipes, etc… •Also needed: Laundry Detergents—POWDERED only. (We have been asked not to ship liquid detergent.)
•Blankets, Comforters, and Sheets •Monetary donations to defray the cost of ship-ping are also welcome (checks payable to Ladies Philoptochos Society, and specify purpose/ Greece)
With the rapid rise of poverty, homelessness, and hunger in our ancestral homeland, the need for our response is urgent.
Last Call for our January
Shipment
Drop-off Location
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bridgeport. Please leave your donated items
in the labeled container by the back entrance.
Our immediate response to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Greece is imperative.
We must act now.
The primary recipient of our efforts will be the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki.
For more information, please contact Kalliope at 203-926-0137 or Vicky at [email protected].
the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Holy Trinity issues
©2012 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bpt. Ct Publishing &Design-Vicky Andrio0s-11/17/2012
JR. CHOIR J.Bogardus 203-736-6501
MAINTENANCE G. Hatzis 203-261-3247
L. Tsouris 203-334-2781
OLYMPIANS (GOYA) F. Papachristos 203-380-0566
P.T.O. M. Gountas 203-650-3246
PARISH COUNCIL G. Mourizakis 203-373-0580
PHILOPTOCHOS K. Tsitsipas
203-926-0137
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE S. Karagiannis 203-820-1975
SENIOR CITIZENS G. Agortsas 203-372-1015
STEWARDSHIP A.J. Metsopoulos 203-292-6418
R. Arvanitis 203-226-4140
SUNDAY SCHOOL E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013
[email protected] INTERNET MINISTRIES/WEBSITE/ FACEBOOK/TWITTER/E-BULLETIN
V.Andriotis
[email protected] HISTORIAN & ARCHIVES ROOM S. Capiris 203-259-7344
The Official Monthly Publica/on of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature.” Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature.” Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature.” Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature.” Mark 16:15
Robert Arvanitis 226-4140 Michael Bouloubasis 336-2116 Stella Capiris 259-7344 Phil Georgas 257-7452 Petros Karayiannis 631-258-3933 A.J. Metsopoulos 292-6418
George Mourizakis 373-0580 Chris Papachristos 380-0566 Pericles C. Rountos 268-7173 Peter Tsimbidaros 334-2578 Scott Vereb 520-2781 Constantine Vlamis 268-5464
Parish Council Newsletter Editor Vicky Andriotis
Newsletter Staff
Eleni Limberis George Mourizakis
Father Andreas Vithoulkas Vicky Andriotis
AHEPA J. Bochanis 203-254-7595
AROUND THE PARISH S. Capiris 203-259-7344
BOOKSTORE V. Andriotis
CANTOR G. Bakes 203-374-8561
CHOIR P. Leask 203-258-9160
[email protected] CULTURAL ASSOCIATION V. Hatzis 203-268-7231
DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE H. Yeotsas 203-374-1729
ECCLESIARCH D. Trigonis 203-374-0725
GOYA E. Demestihas 203-380-2923
GREEK SCHOOL E. Limberis 203-371-6305
GREEK SCHOOL DANCE GROUP E.Limberis 203-371-6305
A. Papanikolaou
Church Office
Eleni Limberis Email: [email protected]
Office: 203.374.5561 Fax: 203.374.5770 Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 4:00pm Sundays after Services: 12:00pm-1:00pm
On the Web -www.holytrinitybridgeport.org Bookstore Online -bookstore.holytrinitybridgeport.org
Shopping– shop.holytrinitybridgeport.org On Facebook—www.facebook.com/holytrinitybridgeport
On Twitter – www.twitter.com/holytrinitybpt
Father Andreas Vithoulkas, Presbyter [email protected]
phone: 917-334-4192
Services
Sunday: Orthros 8:30am Sunday School Special Services:
10:00am-10:15am Divine Liturgy,Sermons, Announcements:
9:45am – 11:30am Weekday Services,Orthros,Divine Liturgy:
8:30am
PETER G. KARAYIANNIS ATTORNEY AT LAW
857 Post Road, #110
Fairfiled, CT 06824
(631)258-3933 [email protected]
651 Villa Ave. Fairfield, CT 203-384-8176
www.androsdinerfairfield.com
Joanna Bolovinos,GRI,CRS
Realtor / Cer/fied
Reloca/on Specialist 2000 Post Rd Fairfield, CT
jbolovinos@williampi>.com
t. 203.255.6101 x375
888.248.7488 c. 203.545.1704
f203.254.0166 www.williampi>.com
All Proceeds from this event will be used to benefit our Athle/c Department’s
Gym & Athle/c Program Revitaliza/on Project
JANUARY 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR THE ORTHODOX VISION 16 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 Address Service Requested
The Official Monthly Publicaon of Holy Trinity
January 2013—
Issue #275