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THE GREEK
ORTHODOX
CATHEDRAL OF THE
ANNUNCIATION
March 2015
Parish Newsletter
Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim
the Syrian
O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power,
and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Archimandrite Constantine Moralis
Presiding Priest
[email protected]
Andreas G. Houpos
Pastoral Assistant
[email protected]
24 West Preston Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Yea, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother, for Thou art blessed unto
ages of ages. Amen.
—————Κύριε καὶ Δέσποτα τῆς ζωῆς μου,
πνεῦμα ἀργίας, περιεργίας, φιλαρχίας,
καὶ ἀργολογίας μή μοι δῷς.
410-727-1831
FAX 410-727-7602
www.goannun.org
Πνεῦμα δὲ σωφροσύνης, ταπεινοφροσύνης,
ὑπομονῆς, καὶ ἀγάπης χάρισαί μοι τῷ σῷ δούλῳ.
Ναί, Κύριε Βασιλεῦ, δώρησαι μοι τοῦ ὁρᾶν τὰ
ἐμὰ πταίσματα, καὶ μὴ κατακρίνειν τὸν ἀδελφόν
μου, ὅτι εὐλογητὸς εἶ, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν
αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
SACRAMENTAL WINE
The sacramental wine for the month of
March is offered to the glory of God and
/ memory of George, Evelyn,
in loving
Philip and Janice Hagopian. This is a
gift of the Hagopian Family.
PROJECT PHILOXENIA
The quarterly offering for Project
Philoxenia will be taken on Sunday,
March 1. Please be as generous as possible.
CROSSROADS
There are only a few days left to submit
your CrossRoads applications! Please
share this link with any high school juniors and seniors you think would be interested in attending this life-changing
ten-day program.
Hosted on the scenic Hellenic College
Holy Cross campus, overlooking the
beautiful Boston skyline, participants
experience daily worship, visit local parishes, tour Boston and spend a day at the
beach.
June Session: June 20 – June 30
July Session: July 7 – July 17
Application deadline is March 2. Visit
the website, www.crossroadinstitute.org.
PHILOPTOCHOS UPDATE
Please join us for the rescheduled Winter
General meeting/luncheon on Saturday,
March 7, at Casa Mia's Restaurant in
Parkton, MD. For additional information
and for reservations, contact Mitsie
Doccolo, [email protected], Tasia Cavas, 410-560-3570, or Alice Ioannou, 410-560-5738.
It is not too early to start thinking about
pastries for Pascha. We will be baking
on March 27, 28, April 2 and April 3,
and everyone's help is needed.
Philoptochos will again be sending Easter boxes to our college students and military personnel. Send names and addresses to Jo Gafos, [email protected], by
March 20, so we may remind them that
their church community remembers them
during this important time of year.
Mark your calendar for the Philoptochos
Art Auction to be held on Saturday,
April 25, at the Cathedral.
2015-2016 UNDERGRADUATE/
GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
NEW YORK – Applications and instructions for three scholarships administered by the Department of Philanthropy
of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America are available for awards to be
made for the 2015-2016 academic year.
The George & Naouma (Gioule) Gioles
Scholarship and the Katina John Malta
Scholarship are for undergraduate studies, and the Paleologos Scholarship is
awarded for graduate work of a nontheological nature. Each of these scholarships was established through generous
gifts from dedicated Greek Orthodox
Christians who wanted to provide financial assistance towards the education of
young people from our Orthodox Christian community.
Applications can be accessed by visiting
www.goarch.org (scholarships are listed
in the ‘SPOTLIGHT’ section on the
homepage).
For more information,
please email [email protected],
or you may call 1-212-774-0283. The
deadline for submitting an application for
any of the above scholarships is April 27,
2015.
FOUNDATION FUND
The Annunciation Cathedral has received
a $10,000 donation to its Foundation
Fund thanks to the generosity of the late
Betty Jean Alevizatos, who fell asleep in
the Lord on October 24, 2014.
In addition, Ms. Alevizatos established
the 'BETTY JEAN ALEVIZATOS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND, the
annual income from which is to be used
for the award annually of a college or
university scholarship to a Greek Orthodox student who is or whose parents are
parishioners of the Cathedral. The original capital amount of the Scholarship
Fund is $99,795.81. The first scholarship
will be awarded in 2016.
Ms. Alevizatos was active in Cathedral
affairs and faithfully served as a member
of the Cathedral Parish Council for many
years. She also served for a number of
years as Director of The Cathedral's Sunday School.
She is most remembered for her outstanding volunteer work as Cathedral
Archivist, a position she held from 1985
until her retirement in 2010. For a quarter-century, she worked to organize, index and preserve the parish's vast collecSALUTATIONS
tion of documents and photographs. May
to the VIRGIN MARY
On Friday evenings during Great Lent, her memory be eternal.
the service of the Salutations to the Theotokos are celebrated. These beautiful SPECIAL PARISH ASSEMBLY
and melodic hymns allow us to reflect on A Special Parish Assembly will be held
the life of the Theotokos and her dedica- on Sunday, March 29, 2015, in the Fation to God. Plan on attending with us in ther Constantine M. Monios Hall, immeprayer beginning at 7:00 p.m., on Fri- diately following the Divine Liturgy.
days, March 6, 13, 20 and the Akathyst
The purpose of this meeting is to present
Hymn on March 27.
to the community the architectural drawFollowing each service, a reception will ings of our intentions to refurbish the
be held in the Mentis Room, with discus- row houses, 35—41 West Preston Street,
that are presently under a citation from
sions to follow.
the City of Baltimore. At the same time,
estimates will be available for the intendORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
ed work.
FELLOWSHIP
The next OCF dinner for the Orthodox
students at JHU is Thursday, March 12, Also to be included will be a vote for
at 6:00 p.m., in the Interfaith Center. All approval of the work in accordance with
information and documentation
Cathedral college students are welcome the
made
available.
to attend. For more details, contact Andreas Houpos, [email protected].
It is very important that this Assembly be
well attended. The Parish Council looks
forward to your participation in this exciting endeavor.
SCHEDULING of EVENTS
Attention all committee chairs and presidents of organizations. Plan to schedule
a meeting with Father Dean so that all
yearly events, gatherings and meetings
may be posted on the master calendar. It
is very important that your committee or
organization’s events are posted. Call
Father Dean, 410-727-1831.
SCHOLARSHIP
APPLICATIONS
Applications for Philoptochos scholarships are now available in the Cathedral
office and on our website, under
“Philoptochos.” The deadline for the return of these applications is April 26.
Applications must be returned to the Cathedral office.
REBUILDING of ST. NICHOLAS
at the WORLD TRADE CENTER
Our sincere appreciation is extended to
all our devoted parishioners who have so
graciously donated to the rebuilding of
Saint Nicholas Shrine at the World Trade
Center, in New York.
Through your generous contributions,
you have enabled the humble church of
PRESTON HALL UPDATE
The Order of AHEPA Worthington Saint Nicholas, that stood for nearly a
This month, Tracy Rammacca is celebrat- Chapter #30 scholarships will soon be century, destroyed on September 11,
ing her third anniversary as the Events available and may be picked up from the 2001, to be a beacon of hope to the
world.
Coordinator for Preston Hall. She has Cathedral office.
been making exceptional progress in promoting Preston Hall as a premier venue It is also requested, if you need a letter of
As of this newsletter, we have received
for special events and has increased the recommendation from Father Dean, con$11,600.00 in donations from our parishnumber of activities being held there. tact the Cathedral office, 410-727-1831.
ioners. We thank them for their generosiPlease think of Preston Hall as a place to Your request must be received two weeks
ty and commitment to this worthy enhold your function, either social or busi- prior to the due date.
deavor. For those who have not yet conness. Special reduced rates are available
tributed, it is not too late to do so. Listed
for Annunciation parishioners. For infor- READERS NEEDED
below are the additional names of those
mation and to check date availability, Great Vespers of Agape will be celebratwho have contributed since last month.
contact, [email protected], or ed on Pascha, April 12, at 11:00 a.m. It
you may call Tracy, 410-802-4372.
is a tradition that the Good News of the
Kytherian Brotherhood
Resurrection of our Lord is proclaimed in
of Baltimore
PASTORAL RESOURCE
various languages. Readers skilled in
Ms. Georgia D. Economou
from the ARCHDIOCESE
languages are needed to proclaim the
Mrs. Maria Thomakos
REGARDING FASTING
Gospel to the faithful. If you are interestJust as there are times for feasting, there ed, please contact Father Dean,
_________________________________
are also times set aside for fasting. Dur- [email protected].
ing these periods, certain foods are proHELLENIC HERITAGE
hibited. These are, in order of frequency GREEK INDEPENDENCE
MUSEUM and ARCHIVES
of prohibition, meat (including poultry), DAY PARADE
of MARYLAND, INC.
dairy products, fish, olive oil, and wine. The 2015 Maryland Greek Independence
Save the Date—Sunday, May 3
Fruits, vegetables, grains and shellfish Day Parade will be held on Sunday, April
The HHMAM will host the second of its
are permitted throughout the year.
19, 2015, in Baltimore's Greektown at Hellenic Heritage Speakers Series, on
2:00 p.m. The Parade celebrates an ethSunday, May 3, 2015, from 12:30 to 2:30
Of course, the Orthodox Church never nic holiday, reminds us of our ancestors’
p.m., at the Annunciation Orthodox Cenreduces the practice of fasting to a legal- sacrifices, and is a wonderful event for
ter. We will be presenting Tony Pann,
istic observance of dietary rules. Fasting, our children and grandchildren.
Meteorologist with WBAL/TV, at a
that is not accompanied by intensified
luncheon where he will share his experiprayer and acts of charity, inevitably be- This year, we will commemorate the Anences being a Greek American.
comes a source of pride.
niversary of Greek Independence, March
25, 1821, the 194th Anniversary.
The Church also recognizes that not everyone can fast to the same degree, and For additional information, please call
assumes that individual Christians will Georgia Vavas, 410-583-0068, or you
observe the fast prescribed for them by may e-mail, [email protected]. You
their spiritual fathers.
may also call Manoli Theoharris, 410790-7542, or go to the website
RESOURCES for YOUNG ADULTS
www.greekparade.com.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
HELP US REDUCE OUR
GOAyoungadults
CARBON FOOTPRINT!!
If you are able to receive Cathedral comTwitter:
munications electronically,
send an
https://twitter.com/GOA_YoungAdults
email to [email protected], type
Instagram:
‘subscribe’ and your name in the subject
http://instagram.com/goa_youngadults
line.
Palm Sunday
April 5
Pascha
April 12
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S REPORT
by Roann Tsakalas Voultepsis
As spring
approaches, we have some cleaning up to do across the street in the five row houses on West Preston Street. In
/
April 2012, the Cathedral received a citation from the City of Baltimore for the unsafe condition of the row houses. In
response, the Parish Council, through the Long Range Planning Committee, entertained various uses for the properties.
As ideas were determined, the Committee began working with Walter Schamu and Associates Architectural Firm, and
developed architectural plans for the renovation of the row houses and the Education Building. The plans for renovations included leadership from all the parish committees and organizations to ensure the spaces will meet the needs of
these groups.
On Sunday, March 29, at the Special Parish Assembly, Father Dean and the Parish Council will present these architectural plans, and the Parish Council will propose immediate steps to be taken to bring the row houses into compliance with
City's expectations for safety. It is important that all community members attend this meeting to view the plans, and to
vote on the immediate steps needed to bring the row houses into compliance with safety regulations.
As the year moves along, November will be quickly upon us. The Agora is scheduled for November 6, 7 and 8. We are
asking for a volunteer(s) to Chair or Co-Chair the effort. Steven Kousouris, our past Agora Chair, is willing to train this
person(s). Please contact me at [email protected], if you are interested.
___________________________________________________
Upcoming Services and Events
Sunday, March 1—Sunday of Orthodoxy and First Sunday of Lent
Wednesday, March 4—Presanctified Divine Liturgy
Friday, March 6 — Second Salutations to the Theotokos
Sunday, March 8—Second Sunday of Lent
Wednesday, March 11—Presanctified Divine Liturgy
Friday, March 13—Third Salutations to the Virgin Mary
Saturday, March 14—Annual Lenten Retreat, St. Mary’s, Hunt Valley, MD
Sunday, March 15—Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross and Third Sunday of Lent
Wednesday, March 18—Presanctified Divine Liturgy
Friday, March 20—Fourth Salutations to the Theotokos
Sunday, March 22—Fourth Sunday of Lent
Tuesday, March 24—Great Vespers of the Annunciation
Wednesday, March 25—Feast of the Annunciation
Friday, March 27—Akathyst to the Theotokos
Sunday, March 29—Fifth Sunday of Lent
Wednesday, April 1—Presanctified Divine Liturgy
Saturday, April 4—Saturday of Lazaros
HOLY WEEK
Sunday, April 5– Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday. Orthros, 9:00 a.m., Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.
Service of the Bridegroom, 7:00 p.m.
Holy Monday, April 6 – 7:00 p.m., Service of the Bridegroom.
Holy Tuesday, April 7 – 7:00 p.m., Service of the Bridegroom, Hymn of Kassiane.
Holy Wednesday, April 8 – Ninth Hour, 9:45 a.m., Presanctified Divine Liturgy ,10:00 a.m., Chapel of Holy Wisdom.
Sacrament of Holy Unction, 4:00 p.m., Cathedral. Service of the Bridegroom, 7:00 p.m., followed by Holy Unction.
Holy Thursday, April 9 – Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, 6:30 a.m. Passion of our Lord, 7:00 p.m.
Great and Holy Friday, April 10 – Great and Royal Hours, 10:00 a.m. Lowering of the Body of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, 3:00 p.m. Lamentations and Procession around the Cathedral, 7:00 p.m.
Holy Saturday, April 11 – Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. Canon of Pascha, 11:00 p.m. Resurrection Service in Cathedral
Court
yard, 12:00 midnight. Divine Liturgy to follow.
Pascha, April 12 – Vespers of Agape, 11:00 a.m.
March 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
1
2
3
SUNDAY OF
ORTHODOXY
6:30 PM Parish Council
meeting, Cathedral Board
Room
5:00 PM Vespers
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
4
5
6
7
9:45 AM 9th Hour
10:00 AM Presanctified
Divine Liturgy, Chapel
of Holy Wisdom
6:30 PM Senior Center
meeting, AOC
5:00 PM Greek School
11:30 AM Philoptochos Luncheon at Casa
Mia’s
6:00 PM GOYA Board
meeting
6:30 PM Philoptochos
Board meeting, AOC
6:00 PM PTO Board
meeting
5:00 PM Great Vespers
7:00 PM 2nd Salutations
to the Virgin Mary
8:00 PM GOYA meeting
8
9
10
Laconians Lenten
Luncheon in the Mentis
Room
11
12
13
14
6:30 PM Presanctified
Divine Liturgy, Chapel
of Holy Wisdom
7:00 PM Women’s
Guild Board meeting
5:00 PM Greek School
8:30 AM Adult Bible
Study Lenten Retreat,
at St. Mary’s, Hunt
Valley, MD
8:00 PM Hopkins Students at the Cathedral
6:30 PM PTO General
meeting
7:00 PM 3rd Salutations
to the Virgin Mary
7:45 PM Greek School
Faculty meeting
15
16
17
FEAST OF THE HOLY
CROSS
18
19
6:30 PM Presanctified
Divine Liturgy , Chapel
of Holy Wisdom
20
21
5:00 PM Greek School
7:00 PM 4th Salutations
to the Virgin Mary
Golden Age Club meeting, AHEPA Room
5:00 PM Vespers
22
23
24
25
Greek School Greek
Independence Day
Programn
6:30 PM Parish Council
meeting, Cathedral Board
Room
7:00 PM Great Vespers, of
the Annunciation, in the
Cathedral
5:00 PM Vespers
26
27
28
Feastday of the Annunciation
10:00 AM Philoptochos
baking, Cathedral Kitchen
10:00 AM Philoptochos baking, Cathedral
Kitchen
9:00 AM Orthros
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy
5:00 PM Greek School
7:00 PM Akathyst Hymn
HOLY WEEK—SEE FRONT PAGE FOR SCHEDULE
29
30
31
SPECIAL PARISH
ASSEMBLY
5:00 PM Vespers
INDICATES FAST
DAY
Looking for
a Christ
Centered
Church?
We are not Jewish—but we are Orthodox
We are not Roman—but we are Catholic
We are not Protestants—but the Bible came from us
We are not Denominational—we are pre-denominational
Get to know the original. Come worship with us!
/
Feastday Celebration
of the Annunciation
Monday, March 24
7:00 PM Great Vespers
Tuesday, March 25
9:00 AM Orthros
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy
Our Cathedral Philoptochos will host a
reception following both services.
THE BIBLICAL STORY of the FEAST of the her cousin Elizabeth had conceived a son in her old age
ANNUNCIATION is found in the first chapter of (John the Baptist), and affirmed that with God nothing
is impossible.
the Gospel of Luke (1:26-39). The Archangel Gabriel
appeared to the Virgin Mary, who was living in NazaIn faith and obedience to the will of God, Mary replied
reth, and said to her, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is
to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord;
with you.” Mary was perplexed and wondered what
let it be according to your word.” Upon her response,
kind of greeting this was.
the angel departed.
The angel told her not to be afraid, for she had found
favor with God. He said, “You will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of
his father David, and he will reign over the house of
Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary responded to the angel by asking how this could
happen since she had no husband. The angel told her
that the Holy Spirit and the power of God would come
upon her, and that the child to be born of her would be
called holy, the “Son of God.”
The angel then proceeded to tell the Virgin Mary that
It is on the Feast of the Annunciation, that Orthodox
Christians commemorate both the divine initiative of
God, whereby He took on flesh from the Virgin for our
salvation, and the human response, whereby Mary
freely accepted the vocation offered to her. He elected
to become man, and He desired to do this with the willing agreement of her, whom He chose as His mother.
Mary could have refused, for she was not a passive instrument, but an active participant with a free and positive part to play in God’s plan for our salvation. Thus,
when on this and other feasts the Orthodox Church
honors the Theotokos, the Mother of God, it is not just
because God chose her but also because she herself
chose to follow His will.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
ORATORICAL FESTIVAL
The Cathedral Oratorical Festival will be held on Sunday,
March 22, in the Cathedral, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. This is a wonderful opportunity for our youth
to research, reflect, study, and express their faith. Elementary Division – Grades 4 – 6; Junior Division – Grades 7 – 9;
and Senior Division – Grades 10 – 12.
Registration forms, and the list of topics, are available in the
Cathedral office and in the lower lobby. For more information, contact our Pastoral Assistant, Andreas Houpos,
[email protected].
_________________________________________________
WOMEN’S GUILD NEWS
Before winter rolls into spring, the Annunciation Women's
Guild held the last dance before Lent at their annual Taverna
Night, on February 20, at the Preston Hall. It was a sold-out
crowd of young and old who danced the night
away!! While March will be a "quiet" month after all the
January and February activities, April promises to be a busy
month for events again!
On Sunday, April 19, the Women's Guild will host an
artoclasia to celebrate their 60th Anniversary of raising funds
for the beautification of our beloved Cathedral. All the Presidents and Board members (past and present) will be honored with their "Hats and Gloves" on to give thanks to an
organization of dynamic women who have given freely of
their time and talent with the wonderful support from the
Cathedral community for sixty years. There will be a gathering after church at Christopher Daniel's for Sunday brunch
with limited reservations ($27.00 per person) available. For
details/reservations, Melody Simmons, [email protected], or
Nancy Pappas, [email protected].
On Friday, April 24, the Women's Guild will host a private
pre-opening tour of the annual Baltimore Symphony Associates Decorators' Show House "Oak Acre." This year the
location is 4309 North Charles Street in Guilford. There
will be a reception after the tour, and a limited number of
tickets are available for this event. Information will be posted by the co-chairs, Frances Apostolo, [email protected],
and Angelique Pefinis-Newport, [email protected],
as soon as possible.
On Sunday, June 7, the Women's Guild has reserved 20 front
center orchestra tickets for the 2:00 p.m. matinee of the Center Stage World Premier, “Marley,” an original musical
based on the life and music of Reggae singer, Bob Marley. The tickets are $60.00 per person and will include a
drink ticket at intermission.
There will be reserved seating for those who want to have
lunch at Sascha's on the mezzanine level of Center Stage,
before the performance. Reservations are being taken by
Melody Simmons, [email protected].
PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY
Koulourakia, Kourambiethes, and Tsoureki
for Pascha
will be available on Palm Sunday,
April 5, following the Divine Liturgy
Tsoureki - $10
3 Dozen Koulourakia - $15
1 Dozen Kourambiethes - $15
To pre-order please contact:
Kathe Apesos Poulos
[email protected]
Pat Bartsocas
410-274-0575
[email protected]
Georgeann Morekas
443-845-1176
[email protected]
The proceeds from the sale benefit the
good works of the Cathedral of the
Annunciation Philoptochos Society.
STEWARDSHIP
Our 2015 Stewardship campaign began on January 1, 2015. Below is the
/
first listing
of names of those parishioners who have returned their commitment for 2015, and we express our
sincere appreciation to them for their
early response. Those who have not
yet returned their card are asked to do
so as soon as possible.
The Stewardship program provides
nearly 80% of the revenue necessary to
maintain the Cathedral programs. The
Cathedral budget is carefully prepared
by the Parish Council and the Parish
Assembly, so that we maintain a balanced budget. Your financial support
is critical throughout the entire year to
help us maintain a constant income, so
that we may meet our expenses in a
timely fashion. If you need a 2015
pledge card, call the Cathedral office,
410-727-1831.
As of February 19, 2015, we have received 300 pledge cards and the
amount pledged for the year is
$354,723.00.
M/M Dennis J. Bechis
M/M Donald Bonolis
M/M Evan Alevizatos Chriss
Ms. Maryanth Constantine
Mrs. Joanne Souris Deitz
Mr. Nicholas Economides
Ms. Georgia D. Economou
M/M Basil Efdimis
Mr. Charlie Flannery
Mr. James Galanakis
Mrs. Sophia Angelos Gilland
M/M Robert Horst
Ms. Alexia Kariotis
M/M George Kinigopoulos
M/M Alex Kougianos
Mr. George Kougoulis
M/M Owen F. Landis, Sr.
M/M John LaRue
Mrs. Penelope Laskaris
M/M Albert Laun
M/M James S. Leanos
M/M Louis Loizou
M/M John G. Magiros
Mr. John Mandilaras
Mr. Nicholas X. Margaritas
M/M Thomas G. Markulis
With humble gratitude and recognition of God’s gifts upon our family,
Tom and Wendy Boardman sponsored February 13, 2015, their 27th
wedding anniversary, for their Stewardship Sponsor Day.
John and Penny Karangelen Heisler have selected the date of January 2,
for their Stewardship Sponsor Day, in loving memory of her father, Peter
N. Karangelen, to commemmorate his birthday.
Dr. Thomas and Dixie Glyphis Gleason have chosen the date of January
5, which is the day they celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary.
Anyone wishing to select a Stewardship Sponsor Day may contact the
Cathedral office, 410-727-1831.
Ms. Diana Memphis
Mrs. Mabel O’Sullivan
M/M John E. Padousis
Mrs. Christine Panopoulos
Mr. Spyridon Papaminas
M/M Basil Pappas
M/M Dean T. Pappas
Mrs. Katherine Pappas
C/M Charles G. Pavlos
Mrs. Jean E. Prevas
M/M Pantelis Primikirios
Mr. Michael Rogers
M/M Orlando Romeo
M/M Isidoros Roros
Mrs. Sylvia Sherwood
M/M Themistoklis Smyrnioudis
M/M Alex Solomotis
M/M George Sourlis
M/M James Stamatakos
Mrs. Maria Thomakos
Mrs. Anastasia Thomas
Mrs. Carolyn Tsakalas
Mr. Samuel P. Tsakalas
M/M James Tsamoutalis
M/M George Tsigounis
Mr. Larry Vakoutis
AHEPA CONVENTION
The AHEPA Worthington Chapter #30,
and the Daughters of Penelope Alceme
#27, will host its annual District 3 Convention in Baltimore, from May 15 – 17,
2015.
This is the first time we will be including
District 4 Chapters from Pennsylvania, in
addition to our own District #3 Chapters
from Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia and North Carolina. This is a great
opportunity for AHEPANs, Maids of
Athena, Daughters of Penelope and Sons
of Pericles to become re-engaged in Hellenic life and the positive impact they
make on our community and our culture.
Activities will include a crab feast at Jimmy’s Seafood May 15, and a banquet at
Columbus Gardens on May 16. AHEPANs and Daughters will gather in the
Cathedral on Sunday, May 17 for an
Artoclasia and Memorial Service. For
details, call Peter Sourlis, 410-967-0053,
Bill Bond, 410-913-2350, or Steve Ro-
ros, 443-621-3378.
FIVE WAYS OUR CHURCH EXPERIENCE CHANGES DURING GREAT LENT
by Andreas Houpos, Pastoral Assistant
The Triodion Period brings with it some unmistakable changes to our liturgical experience. Technically speaking, the Church is
set up to perform a cycle of services around the clock, each and every day of the year. When these are closely followed, it is very
easy to see the seasonal changes in the services. Unfortunately, the reality is that many of our communities only see services celebrated on Sundays. Thankfully, many parishes also try to offer more services during Great Lent. Here is a quick overview of
those services that we will encounter during the course of Great Lent:
Vespers and Orthros
These services mark the dusk (Vespers) and dawn (Orthros) of each day of the year. During Great Lent, their structure
is modified slightly and the hymns, supplemented in this period by the Triodion, offer a different “flavor” than the
hymns employed throughout the rest of the year. This is not as noticeable on Saturdays and Sundays (the days our
parishes typically offer these services), but there are some changes on those days as well.
Great Compline
Compline is the after-dinner service (that is the literal meaning of its Greek name, apódeipno), and is part of the regular
daily prayer cycle for Orthodox Christians. Great Compline takes that basic format and adds more readings and chants,
such as God is with us and Lord of the powers. During the first four weekdays of Great Lent, the so-called ‘Great
Canon’ of St. Andrew of Crete is also inserted, chanted in four sections across the four days; it consists of penetrating
and moving poetry meant to motivate us to pursue repentance.
Salutations
The “Salutations” service, held on the first four Fridays of Great Lent, is simply Compline with poetic verses addressing
(“saluting”) the Mother of God that are intoned by the priest, and a canon in her honor which is chanted by the
choirs. The poetic verses are recited in sections, one per week, until the fifth Friday of Great Lent, when we chant the
Akathist. The word “akathist” (Greek akáthistos) means “ not sitting” ; in other words, the name refers to the fact that
the faithful remain standing. In the context of Great Lent, this refers to the culmination of the “Salutations” services
(there are other kinds of akathist services for different occasions) wherein all the poetic verses mentioned above are
included.
Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
In an act that powerfully illustrates the penitent nature of Great Lent, the Church foregoes the joyous celebration of the
Divine Liturgy during weekdays. However, in order to sustain the faithful in their fasting and spiritual struggle, portions
of the Divine Body and Blood of our Savior are presented during the course of the week. In the Sunday preceding each
week of Great Lent, the priest sets aside the sanctified Body and Blood that will be distributed during the week; the
weekday service, which is a hybrid of Vespers and Divine Liturgy, does not have the special prayer of consecration.
This is why the weekday liturgy is referred to as that of the “pre-sanctified” Gifts. It is properly an evening service, and
the faithful who are otherwise prepared abstain from food and drink from midday in order to receive Holy Communion.
Saturday of Souls
Did you know that each Saturday is the day set aside by the Church to commemorate her deceased members? Properly
speaking, this is the day of the week for memorial services to take place—not on Sundays. During the Triodion period,
we celebrate Saturday of Souls on the day before Judgment (a.k.a. “Meatfare”) Sunday, a service dedicated to the
memory of all those who have lived and died since Adam. On this day, the faithful bring kollyva—the boiled wheat
traditionally served as a memorial for those who have fallen asleep—and a list of names of deceased relatives and ancestors to be commemorated. It is a common misconception that the Saturday of Cheesefare Week and the first Saturday after Great Lent begins are “Saturdays of Souls;” rather, these are commemorations of the Holy Ascetics and of a
miracle concerning St. Theodore the Recruit and kollyva, respectively. Still, many use this as an opportunity to pray
once again for those who have fallen asleep. Properly speaking, there are only two Saturdays of Souls in the life of the
Church: The Saturday prior to Judgment Sunday, and the Saturday before Pentecost.
Keep an eye out for the services offered at our Cathedral throughout this period, and take part in as many as possible. We often
see Great Lent as a period of “negatives”: don’t eat this or that and don’t eat so much of this or that, don’t go out for entertainment as much, don’t otherwise pursue your appetites. . . If this is our impression of Great Lent, then we have an incomplete and,
therefore, harmful perspective. If we are limiting these things in our life, then we must also be filling the gap with prayer, charity, and increased participation in the liturgical life of the Church. Lent is about the positive action of consciously fulfilling our
Christian calling to be holy and not to be dominated by the mundane.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE
/
LENTEN RETREAT
sponsored by the
Twenty-first Annual " Growing in Faith" Bible Study
in conjunction with
Greater Baltimore Orthodox Clergy Association
Do You Believe in Miracles?
with retreat master
Very Reverend Protopresbyter Mark Leasure
Guardian of the
Miraculous Myrrh-streaming Theotokos Kardiotissa Icon
from Saint George's Orthodox Church in Taylor, PA
Saturday, March 14, 2015
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Concluding with a Paraklesis to the Theotokos, veneration of the Holy Icon,
and anointing with Her precious and miraculous Myrrh
$30 per person- (including continental breakfast and Lenten luncheon please note any food allergies)
Registration deadline March 2nd.
After March 3rd, registration will be $35.
Retreat will be held at
St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church
909 Shawan Rd., Hunt Valley/Cockeysville, MD 21030
Information: www.goannun.org • click on “2015 Retreat”
or
www.huntvalleyorthodox.com
HAIL O BRIDE, UNWEDDED!
Father Dean Moralis
Unsuccessful is every hymn that attempts to pay homage to the
multitude of Your mercies. For even if we offer You odes in number equal to the sands,
O Holy King, yet we do nothing worthy of what You have given us who cry to You: Alleluia.
The above is one of the beautiful stanzas from the Salutations to the Virgin Mary—a service chanted during the first five Friday nights of the Great Lenten Season. These solemn services provide an opportunity for us to come together, reflecting on the
sacrifices of the Theotokos, her life, and her supreme and ultimate love of her son. This service gives us a recounting of the
stories from the Annunciation, the Nativity, the preaching ministry of Christ, His crucifixion, and ultimate Resurrection, and
the life of the Theotokos.
We know from our own experiences, that we turn to different people in time of need. When we were young, our own mother
became an object of true protection. Whatever the situation—a skinned knee, hurt feelings, anxiety about school—our mother
had a true, loving way of making us feel better. This feeling cannot be taken away…no matter what the situation or how young
or young-at-heart we may be. Similarly, we should turn with a pure heart to the Theotokos when we are in need. The sacrifices that we make in our lives are so small compared to those which the Virgin Mary did for humanity.
We need to examine closely how we live today. At times we say we cannot make it to church for one reason or another. We
cannot come and volunteer our services due to other commitments...we are just too busy. How can we truly make church life
part of our busy life? Our Cathedral’s rich liturgical life and various activities are helpful in making your Christian journey a
true celebration. Won’t you take the time to celebrate with us?
As the hymn from the Salutations tells us, the example of our Life in Christ gives us the chance and purest opportunity to give
those odes or hymns back to Christ that number the sands in the sea. Plan on being part of these beautiful services.
Following each service, there will be refreshments and discussion held in the Mentis Room led by the clergy.
Give Lilies for Easter
One of our beautiful Easter traditions is the decorating of the Cathedral with lilies. These
plants, at $25.00 each, may be donated either in memory, or in honor, of your loved ones.
Please make checks payable to the Annunciation Cathedral, and return by March 31, 2015.
Annunciation Cathedral, 24 West Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Yes, I would like to donate _________________ Easter plants at $25.00 each.
Please accept my gift:
in memory of __________________________________________________________________
in honor of ____________________________________________________________________
donated by ____________________________________________________________________
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral
of the Annunciation
24 West /Preston Street at Maryland Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-5700
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Baltimore, MD
Permit NO. 632
Time Sensitive Material
PLEASE DELIVER PROMPTLY
saturday, february 28
sunday, march 1
visit of seminarians from
hellenic college—holy
cross greek orthodox
school of theology
Saturday, February 28—Great Vespers, 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 1—Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 8:30
a.m. Presentation to follow in the Father Constantine M. Monios
Hall.