January 2016 - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church

HOLY CROSS
CROSS
ROADS
Beloved Members and Friends of
Holy Cross,
Christ is born! Glorify Him!

From glory to glory and from
feast to feast! We just celebrated
the Nativity of our Lord and we
now enter into the Feast of His
Theophany – The revelation of
God. God reveals Himself as
Trinity – One in Three Persons.
The Father who is revealed in His
voice – “This is My beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased.” (Mt.
3:17) The Son of God – Jesus the
Christ, who willingly submitted
to be baptized by St. John and desired to renew His creation from within, and the Holy Spirit who descended upon Christ in form of a dove.
God the Father reveals to us His plan, “For God (the Father) so
loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son (Jesus), so that
whoever believes in Him may NOT perish but have eternal life. For
God did NOT send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) For
us personally, this mystery of salvation begins at our baptism. Baptism is our dying to a fallen world and our re-birth to God and our
anointing (Chrismation) is our entrance into the Church! Why did
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ come in the flesh? To save us
from sin and death, to be in a relationship with us, and to grant us
adoption as children of God. Can we receive a greater gift than the
love and salvation of our God?
Fr. Antonios Alevisopoulos describes God’s presence in our lives:
“The presence of God’s grace and glory in man and in material creation prefigures the liberation of all of creation from servitude to corruption and guarantees the certainty of our hope in life and incorJANUARY 2016
JOY Caroling
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Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church
123 Gilkeson Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Crossroads, published monthly Volume 16 Issue 1
Under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and His Eminence Metropolitan SAVAS of Pittsburgh
The mission of Holy Cross is to keep and proclaim, pure and undefiled, the Orthodox Christian faith and
traditions in conformity with the doctrine, canons, worship, discipline and customs of the Church.
Fr. Michael Kallaur, Economos
Fr. Daniel Korba, Presbyter
Dn. Frank Dickos, Deacon
Nena Jovonovich, Secretary
Office Telephone:
(412) 833-3355
FAX Telephone:
(412) 833-3357
Community Center Phone:(412) 854-6001
Rentals (Mary Kay Tomasits): (412) 831-2525
Office Hours Monday-Friday 9 am - 5 pm
Services:
***Makarias (funeral luncheons) are
now to be arranged through one of our
caterers. Please call the church office.
8:30am Orthros/9:30am Divine Liturgy
Sundays
8:15am Orthros
9:30 am Divine Liturgy
Mondays 6:30pm Compline
7:15 pm Bible Study
Weekdays
Saturdays
Vespers 5:00 pm (as scheduled)
Organizations & Committees
See monthly calendar for all services.
Church School Marica Mitsos
(724) 745-2299
Jennifer Liokareas
Philoptochos
Philoptochos
Membership
Elaine Sofis
Connie Carahalis
(412) 344-7046
(412) 561-4783
Circle of
Angels
Carol Halkias
Christine Peters
(412) 276-5002
(724) 693-9290
Garden of Love Stacie Metrose
Didra Kirschner
(412) 833-5164
(412) 561-2892
Greek School
Dena Yamalis
(412) 343-8355
Junior Dance
Chrysanthe Panos (412) 276-0801
Senior Dance
Dimitri Pantzoulas
(412) 494-7430
Choir
Lia Christulides
(412) 561-2070
First Steps
Denise Sokos
(412) 257-1610
JOY
George and Stacey
Spanos
(412) 341-3205
(412) 563-2902
YAL
John Giovanis
(412) 448-3030
GOYA
Golden Club
Denise Melis
(412) 341-9264
Cynthia Kostelnik
Rene Koett
(412) 833-9423
(412) 831-3142
Bookstore
Mary Portellos
Carol Halkias
(724) 941-8699
(412) 276-5002
House Committee
Dennis Kusturiss
(412) 854-4369
Building Comm.
John Conomos
(412) 831-7997
*new 2016 parish council had not been
Sts. Mary &
Martha
Adrienne Dickos
(412) 833-4980
established at time of printing
2015*
Parish Council
Konrad Mayr, President
Ted Sofis, Vice President
Thea Martin, Fin. Secretary
Chris Pfanstiel, Treasurer
Duane Ferencz, Secretary
JoAnna Asvestas
Bryan Elderkin
Ponny Jahn
Peter Landis
Stephanie Kladakis Myers
John Orfanopoulos
Manuel Politis
John Popovich
George Sokos
Cathy Terasavage
JANUARY 2016
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ruption. The world’s sanctification was also wrought in the Jordan River during the Lord’s Baptism. The hymns of our Church
on the day of Epiphany and the prayers of the Great Sanctification of the Waters reveal the new reality of the world: ‘Today the
earth and sea share in the world’s joy and the world is filled with
gladness,’ states the prayer of St. Sophronios of Jerusalem.
Christ hallowed the waters of the Jordan, the banks of the
river and all of creation: ‘You O Lord, being baptized in the Jordan did sanctify its waters; having hallowed the waters of the
Jordan You did crush the power of sin; Today creation is enlightened; today all things rejoice, the heavenly together with the
earthly…’
Through the participation of the material creation in the divine worship of the Church and in the praise and doxology of
God the hope of incorruption is expressed. In the Divine Liturgy
all creation is taken on and becomes a new creation in Christ. It
is the bread and wine that becomes the Body and Blood of Christ,
the candles, the icons, the Holy Cross; and all the material objects
participate in some way in the Divine Liturgy. The water, the oil,
the incense, the palms, the flowers, and even the new harvest of
the crops of the earth are blessed, and the whole world regains
that which it lost through man’s fall: internal unity, the correct
relationship with God, which is a Eucharistic relationship, a relationship of offering in which all things are referred up and offered to God, Who becomes once again the center of the world.
The Christian does not reject the world, nor does he consider
it to be something negative. He is not called to abandon the
world, but to serve and liturgize in it. Christ wants His faithful
to be in the world; to be ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the
world’ (Mat. 5:13-14). If our world is ‘tasteless and unsalted’ and
in darkness, if it follows a process of disintegration, then this
means that Christians do not serve as ‘the salt of the earth’ and
the ‘light of the world.’ We must not then look for the cause of
the world’s misfortune in others.
The place that the Christians hold in the world implies responsibility for the preservation and sanctification of God’s creation, a task which stems from the service which God entrusted to
mankind in Paradise (to cultivate and preserve- Gen.2:15). A
Christian cannot be indifferent to the world’s problems; he must
labor to bring the world once again back to its correct doxological
relationship with God. This means that the use of the world cannot have as its center the satisfaction of man’s egos and the
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‘needs’ which man constantly creates.” (The Orthodox Church:
Its Faith, Worship, and Life, pg. 124-126)
Fr. Antonios emphasizes and reminds us of our role as part of
the “royal priesthood” of Christ. This description given to all
Christians by St. Peter in his epistle. Our purpose is to sanctify
our lives and everything in it. We intentionally place God at the
center of all that we do. Holy Water is blessed at the Feast so that
we might dedicate not only ourselves, our own bodies, but also
our homes, icons, vehicles, and everything that we use to the service and glory of God. This process of renewal is a manifestation
of our life in Christ. Just as each day begin anew when we wake
from sleep and begin a new day in the journey of salvation, we
begin a new year asking God to illumine our hearts and minds
and strengthen us for all that is in store for us during the upcoming year. As we shower and bath to be physically clean, we also
must renew our spiritual life. This is done through prayer, reading of the Holy Scriptures, fasting, acts of love for our brothers
and sisters in Christ, Holy Confession and especially through the
participation in the Holy Eucharist, the receiving of the Body and
Blood of Christ.
In the Divine Liturgy we proclaim the magnificence and sublime work of the Holy Trinity – “The Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Love of God the Father, and the Communion
of the Holy Spirit.” The Father sends His Son out of love to save
and redeem the world. The Son, obedient to the will of the Father, voluntarily humbles Himself and offers Himself in love
upon the Cross, for the life and salvation of all mankind. The invocation of the Holy Spirit empowers us to participate in the divine work of the Church, to be in communion with God, and
then commands that we season the world with the “salt” (that is
the love and teachings of our Lord) and be “the light of Christ” to
all who are seeking to find Him in a dark world!
As we begin a new calendar year, may our God’s abundant
mercy and love be with all of us as we continue to lift up the
Holy Cross of Christ in our homes, our places of work, our community, our country, and throughout the world. A blessed New
Year!
With love in Christ,
Fr. Michael
Please visit our website at: www.holycrosspgh.org
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Holy Highlights January 2016
(Information for Church School Families)
Important Dates:
Friday, January 1st – New Year’s Day and the Feast of St. Basil
Sunday, January 3rd – Vasilopita Bread Lesson
Wednesday, January 6th – Theophany of our Lord
Thursday, January 7th – Feast of St. John the Baptist
Saturday, January 30th – Feast of the Three Hierarchs
Thanks to all who supported our St. Nicholas Shrine at Ground Zero Fundraiser!
The Church School raised $881 and had 15 St. Nicholas puppets donated to children in Guatemala. The
proceeds of the sale will be given to our Philoptochos to send in with their donation to the St. Nicholas Shrine.
DIVING IN: LIVING THEOPHANY IN THE ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN HOME By Niki Krause
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell of
Christ Jesus going to the Jordan River to be baptized
by his cousin, John. This is much more than a simple
story about a man heading to the beach, though! It is
the record of God's confirmation of Christ Jesus' true
identity and His revelation of His own nature. In the
Gospels and on the icons is shown:
God the Eternal Father and Creator of all, as a
voice from heaven
God the Son, the incarnate Word, as a man standing in the waters of the Jordan River
God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, as a dove
descending from heaven.
With this event, mankind now knew its God as the three Persons of
the Holy Trinity! His nature was no longer a mystery, and man knew how it
was that he could regain the Kingdom of heaven, through the sacrifice of the
Son and with the help of the Holy Spirit. But what happened to creation
when Christ Jesus stepped into the Jordan River? The incarnate Word of
God was immersed in His creation, surrounded by lapping, swirling, running
water. The whole material world--fallen through the sins of the first parents,
Adam and Eve—was resanctified and made a tool for our salvation when
Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.
I
n the Orthodox Church, we remember the amazing revelation of
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God's nature and the resanctification of creation every year with the Feast of
Theophany, on January 6 (the Greek word, theophaneia, means "to show
God"), and confirm our belief in both the Holy Trinity and our life in the
world to come every time we say the Creed or make the sign of the Cross.
Each year at Theophany, the Church blesses the waters again using the sign
of the Cross, for our use as we work toward salvation: we drink it at Church,
we take it home to drink when we are sick or struggling, and we sprinkle it
on things around us we hope will help us on our journey toward salvation.
At every parish, the priest blesses fonts full of water in a special service, the
Great Blessing of Waters. At parishes near rivers, lakes, or oceans, the priest
often also blesses the waters outside from the shore or an open boat by
throwing in a handheld cross decorated with flowers. The faithful dive to
retrieve the cross again and again during the service, amid shouts of joy and
splashing. (The waters of New York Harbor were blessed from the shores of
Battery Park by the priest and faithful of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox
Church in this way. The parish, located just 500 feet from the World Trade
Center, was destroyed on September 11, 2001.)
For a busy Orthodox Christian family, celebration of the twelve
feasts is often limited to a reading of the festal Gospel at dinner, a "quick
tour" of the icon, and attendance at vigil and Divine Liturgy when work and
school schedules permit. Preparing to celebrate Theophany, however,
can be a very enjoyable family project!
The vacation days between the Nativity of our Lord and the feast are
perfect for special Theophany-related lessons and activities. Here are a few
suggestions from our family's experience:
Read Matthew 3:13-17 together as a family (this is the Gospel read for the
feast), then ask older children to read an age-appropriate Bible storybook with younger brothers and sisters.
Get a Theophany icon for your family icon corner, and display it for the
feast. (You may have one stored already, buy one from your parish icon
case or over the internet, or ask children to carefully color one from an
icon coloring book.) Point out the main characters to younger children—
Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist, the dove (Holy Spirit), the river, the
angels—and ask them to tell you the story by looking at the icon.
Ask your children to prepare containers for holy water. Plastic or glass
containers with lids should be washed thoroughly, then may be decorated on the outside. A cross or small Theophany icon may be attached
with book tape or clear contact paper.
Watch a video of a family member or friend being baptized. Pay special
attention to the blessing of the water, pointing out the priest making the
sign of the cross three times over the surface of the water, and to the
recitation of the Creed.
Find the Jordan River on a globe or world map. Have your child trace his
finger from the Jordan to your home, calling out the names of the bodies
of water he "travels" through. Then have him trace from the Jordan to
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the South Pole, or to the center of the Sahara Desert; ask, "How could
the water that washed Christ Jesus have gotten here?" (by evaporating
and falling on the earth as rain or snow, or by flowing underground.
Make a special effort to attend vigil and Divine Liturgy for the feast, and
give your children the job of filling the containers they prepared with
holy water after services. Fill an extra jar or two with holy water to take
to a relative or friend who is unable to attend the services, or to someone
from your parish who is in the hospital or a nursing home.
Take a family field trip to a pool or large aquarium on or near the Feast of
Theophany. (We started doing this several years ago quite by accident,
when we took a business trip that required a hotel stay. We ended up at a
hotel with a pool—which in January is a real treat for those living in the
Midwest—and spent the whole time splashing and talking about diving
for crosses during the Great Blessing of Waters! Now we take a trip to
the community pool after Liturgy.)
Prepare for the Blessing of Your Home:
By entering the waters of the Jordan, our Lord blessed them—and with the
waters, all creation. Material creation once again became "very good" as
it was when He created it. The blessing of homes is the central sign of
God¹s resanctification of the whole world, and a confirmation of our
hope to work toward salvation here on earth. The priest visits all members of the Church to pray with them in the place where they live—
house, apartment, or dorm room—to bless their surroundings with holy
water. He asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil,
and to fill it with every blessing. Our homes, together with every person
in the family, are "filled with all the fullness of God."
Things to do before the priest arrives:
Ask your children to tidy up their bedrooms for blessing and select one
personal possession to be blessed, too. (You may need to supervise; my
daughter's idea of clean includes carefully sorted piles of art projects on
the floor, not conducive to walking or sprinkling!)
Make a list of the first names of those family members you wish to pray
for when the priest arrives, with the living and the deceased in separate
columns.
Learn and rehearse singing the troparion for the feast!
In your family icon corner or on your dining room table, place a candle, a
Theophany icon or icon of Christ, and a wide bowl (to hold the holy water the priest will bring). Be sure your prayer list is there, too!
Secure pets that might jump up on the priest or family, or get underfoot
as you move from room to room.
Turn on one light in each room, so the priest can see where he is going.
Turn off all TVs, stereos, and computers.
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Be on the lookout from your window around the time when the priest said
he will arrive. When he comes, open the door so he does not have to
knock!
Things to do when the priest arrives to bless your home:
Light the candle on your family icon corner or dining room table.
Gather at the family icon corner or dining room table, and join in the singing of the litany responses and troparion.
Your priest may ask an older child to lead him from room to room with a
lit candle. (Use a votive to avoid drips on the carpet.)
Preparing for the Great Fast:
After the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, we Orthodox Christians begin
looking forward--with trepidation--to the start of the Great Fast. The
Feast of Theophany may provide a solution, and a better start to the difficult journey toward Pascha for many of us. The Gospels are quite specific about what our Lord did immediately after His Baptism: He fasted
and prayed (see Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12, 13, Luke 4:1-13). After
hearing or reading the festal Gospel, discuss the significance of the
Lord's forty days of fasting and prayer:
by Him, in preparation for His upcoming public ministry;
historically, by the Church and her catechumenate, prior to the reception
of new members into the Body of Christ at Pascha; and
by all Orthodox Christians, in preparation for the Nativity and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Carefully label a bottle of holy water, and place it in the refrigerator for
use by the family during the Great Fast. Drink a bit for strength when
you need a bit of help concentrating on prayer, and when you really,
really want a cheeseburger. (Don't cook with it if there's any chance that
leftovers might be shared with pets or thrown out—it is blessed!)
From Orthodox Family Life Journal used with permission.
Family Theophany Activities:
Take your children to the JOY diving for the Cross activity.
Watch some Youtube videos relating to the Special Feast:
Icons Explained: Baptism of Christ (Theophany) by Legacy Icons
Blessing of the Waters – Piraeus Greece 2012 by Panagiotes Carras
Orthodox Greek Chant Epiphany – by TheMistAnchorite
Try putting the words of the Theophany troparion in order in this interactive activity, offered free to all online.
Go to hamatoura.com - click on e-cards then on the Theophany card
for the activity.
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Holy Cross Philoptochos -January News Letter
Happy New Year to Holy Cross! Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 12 at
7PM. Please note a change in the date. There was no December meeting .
However, 110 attended our annual Christmas Party at the Le Mont on December 1. The party was fun and festive. Thank you to Mary Zotis for chairing the
event and contributing the poinsettias to our shut-ins. Thank you to Peter
Teris for his superb singing talents. $580 was donated in the passing of our
small giving tree at the Christmas Party for the Women’s Center and Shelter of
Greater Pittsburgh. Our members approved at the party to give matching
funds of $580. The Board of directors of the Shelter is matching, also. So the
Shelter will receive a total donation of $2320!
Thank you to ALL who contributed to the Circle of Angels Christmas Outreach. Thank you to Carol Halkias and Christine Peters for chairing this
worthwhile endeavor.
Thank you to Jonathan McClish and the GOYANS for assembling the college
care packages. I am sure that the college students appreciated the thoughtfulness. Philoptochos provides the funds for the packages and mailings.
Thank you to the Sunday school parents, children and teachers for making the
lovely ceramic St. Nicholas Christmas ornaments, candy canes and St. Nicholas
puppets. All of the proceeds will be donated to the St Nicholas National
Shrine building campaign Philoptochos contribution. $901.05 was raised in
the sales.
Thank you to Popi Hagelios and volunteers for baking our wonderful Christmas bread! It is one of our many fundraisers !
Philoptochos hosted a reception following the Pan-Orthodox Choral Concert
to benefit FOCUS on December 13. The sacred and secular music was uplifting
and inspiring. Thank you to Dena Yamalis, Popi Hagelios, Dina Petrakis and
Yvonne Cywinski for helping at the reception.
We will continue to embroider names onto the Philoptochos tablecloth for $10.
Philoptochos will offer two Philanthropy Awards of $1000 to two graduating
high school seniors from Holy Cross. Your family must be a pledged member of
Holy Cross to be eligible for the award. The applications are available Sunday,
January 24 and must be returned by Sunday, March 20. The applications will
be available in the church office, narthex or from Elaine Sofis. A similar
Philoptochos Philanthropy Award is available to a Mt. Lebanon graduating
senior in the guidance office. You will only be eligible for one award.
If you are a member of Philoptochos and did not provide your email address
and would like to receive reminders and information, please call 412 344-7046
or [email protected] We are a great organization and hope you consider
joining and becoming involved! Contact Connie Carahalis at 412 561-4783 or
Dora Zezulewicz at [email protected] to become a member. Membership is open to ALL the ladies and gentlemen of our parish. Your membership must be renewed every year! Your participation would be gratifying and
greatly appreciated!
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Future Philoptochos and Orthodox Events:
General Meetings 7PM, Tentative meetings for 2016, Tuesday, January 12,
Tuesday, February 9, Tuesday, March 1, Tuesday, April 5, Tuesday, May 3,
Tuesday, June 7
Thursday, December 31, 8PM-2AM, New Year’s Eve Gala at Holy Cross
Community Center
Tuesday, January 12, 7PM, Philoptochos Meeting
Tuesday, February 9, 7PM, Philoptochos Meeting
Tuesday, March 1, 7PM, Philoptochos Meeting
Sundays, April 3, 10, 17, FOCUS Lenten Food Drive
Tuesday, April 5, 7PM, Philoptochos Meeting
Sunday, April 17, 5PM, Syrian Relief Dinner, St. Nicholas Cathedral
Sunday, April 24, Philoptochos Palm Sunday Fish Luncheon after Liturgy
Much is planned. Please share your time and talents with us.
I will send reminders via-email and hope to see you at ALL of our events!
PLEASE consider joining Philoptochos!
Elaine Sofis
Philoptochos President
Dress for Success, Thank you very much to everyone for your generous donations
of Women's clothing. This program serves many disadvantaged women in Pittsburgh to obtain employment and provide for their families. They are very grateful
for your continued support. Sincerely, Christine Peters
2016 Philoptochos Membership: It is time once again to join or
renew your membership in Philoptochos. Please fill out the form
below and return to the church or Connie Carahalis, 224 Mt.
Lebanon Blvd., Pgh., PA 15234
Name _____________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
Telephone __________________________________________
Email _____________________________________________
*From your Philoptochos Stewardship donation, $15 is sent to National
Philoptochos, and $10 is sent to the Pittsburgh Metropolis Philoptochos.
Anything over $25 goes to Holy Cross Philoptochos
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In today’s Gospel we hear Christ tell a parable about a man putting together a
banquet. Once all the preparations had been made, he sends his servants to call his
guests to come. And, one by one, each guest gives an excuse as to why they cannot
attend. The man who had prepared the feast becomes angry, understandably, then
tells his servants to go out to the “streets of the city and bring the poor and maimed
and blind and lame.” When the servants had done that, they told the man that there
was still room at his banquet and so he had them go out to the “highways and
hedges, and compel people to come in,” and they do just that.
Sundays are a bit like this Gospel aren’t they? We have offer up to God gifts –
bread and wine, from the gifts He has given us wheat, water, and grapes, to be sanctified into the Body and Blood of Christ. We then partake of this banquet, a banquet
which can feed us all for eternity, with a single spoon. And we are here! We made it
to the banquet, so Sermon over right? Not exactly.
Part of me always thought trying to give a sermon on today’s Gospel reading is
the perfect illustration of the old adage “preaching to the choir.” Why? Because, as I
said before, we are here, we are at the banquet. But perhaps a question we should be
asking ourselves is not “did I heed the call to banquet,” but rather, “to which group
of people from the parable do I belong?”
Maybe we think of ourselves as the last group to be called to the banquet, the
complete strangers, the travelers from the “highways and hedges” because we travel a
distance to get here, or to the parish we belong. Maybe the idea of being a traveler
speaks to you personally; someone always on the move and coming to Divine Liturgy,
the banquet of the Eucharist, is easier said than done.
Or, perhaps we think of ourselves as the middle group, “the poor and maimed
and blind and lame.” Often times we can feel spiritually or emotionally poor or
maimed or blind or lame. And, this is easy to understand. We all, at different times
in our lives, can be engaged in some serious internal or spiritual warfare, as we cannot see God’s wisdom and love in all things that are happening in our lives. And, that
can make coming to church seem an insurmountable feat. However, whether you feel
apart of this second group because of physical or non-physical reasons, you too made
it here today – and only you and God know how much you had to overcome to get
here. What we do know from today’s reading is, He wants you here and we, your
fellow attendees are happy to be celebrating with you today.
Then, there is the first group called. The group, who when told the banquet had
been prepared for them came up with every excuse not to come. We can’t possibly be
a part of that group right? We are here! We came! The banquet was prepared and we
came when called! But believing we cannot be a part of this group can be dangerous,
and so we should remember two things.
First, as anybody who has ever been in any kind of relationship can attest, being
in the physical proximity of someone does not necessarily mean being “present.” No,
it is indeed possible to be sitting across from someone you love and still be absent, to
be close to the person but not attending to them. The same can be true here.
We can convince ourselves that getting ourselves through the door is enough,
and maybe for some it is, as I said earlier. But we have to remind ourselves that once
we are in the door, to pay attention to what the Priest is doing and saying. The Priest
is OUR representative to God; he is up there on OUR behalf.
Before the advent of higher education and seminaries people were chosen to be
Priests out of the community they would serve. That is to say, not so long ago the
community would come together and choose who among them would be the Priest
at that Church. In fact, at seminary I met a Coptic Orthodox man who was at the
seminary for that very reason, his parish elected him to learn how to be a Priest, to
serve the community in the future.
But having a Priest acting on our behalf in church does not absolve us of having
to act in our own spiritual life. If we come here and allow our minds to wonder, if we
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are concerned with getting home in time for the start of the game, or where we are
going to lunch after, we are in danger of being as absent as those from today’s Gospel
who refused to come to the banquet. It happens to all of us.
The second thing to remember is, if we aren’t present mentally when we may be
physically, we allow ourselves to become susceptible to not being present in any
way. The Gospel doesn’t explicitly say whether this was the first time the man in the
parable had invited these people to come to his home or if he had these people over
before, but my inclination is that he has invited these people over before. Listen to
the excuses these people give. “I have bought a field, I have to go see it,” or “I have
bought five yoke of oxen, I must go examine them,” or I have married a wife, therefore I cannot come.” THESE ARE NOT THE MOST CREATIVE EXCUSES. This
sounds like people who may have been in the physical presence of this man (the one
inviting guests into his home) but who were not attentive to what was happening at
the man’s house or what was happening in the man’s life.
Ask yourself, have you done the same thing when invited somewhere? I know I
have. We tell the person, “Oh, I would really love to come but…” or “We wanted to be
there however…”
And, even if the reasons these people in the Parable told the man holding the
banquet were true, should it truly prevent them from coming? Or more to the point,
if we tell ourselves, “I just bought a new house, or I just got married I can’t go to
Church today,” we run the risk of being able to come up with excuses to not come
week after week. Sure, getting married or buying a house could be legitimate reasons
to miss church, these are big events, but, in the face of such blessings as a house or a
marriage, we should be running here, to this banquet, to thank God for such blessings in our lives!
So then, in which group do we find ourselves? These are the choices right? The
ones who were called and ignored that call, the poor, maimed, blind, and lame, or
those from the highways and hedges. Who do we most closely associate with?
Before you answer that, there was one more group I didn’t mention, did you
catch it? The Servants! The servants of this man were the ones who helped prepare
the banquet, they are the ones that went to the invited guests, they are the ones who
went out to the streets, and they are the ones that went out to the highways.
The BARNA group is an organization that for thirty years has studied, taken
surveys on, and reported about the state of faith and religion in modern society. In
one of their studies they found that almost 50% of people who were “unchurched”
(that is, not affiliated with any faith tradition) were open to the idea of going to
Church if invited by a friend, and 20% of the respondents saying they would
“strongly consider” attending based on the invitation of a friend!
This is exactly why, with whichever group we may associate, we should be emulating the servants in this parable. We need to be servants of Christ.
We should be like the servants with the first group, encouraging Orthodox
Christians, those whom can partake of the banquet of the Eucharist, to come to that
banquet - to come to our Lord’s house.
We should be like the servants with the second group, attending to the needs of
the homeless, the sick, the poor, and those physically unable to take care of themselves, and, invite them to our Lord’s house.
We should be like the servants with the third group, going out into the far
reaches, to those who are travelers, or those who have obstacles, whatever they may
be, and invite them to our Lord’s house.
In the season of the Nativity of Christ, we bow with all of creation at the coming
of the Lord, and take on the duties of the servants, of making sure all know, they are
invited to “come see.”
~Jonathan McClish
13
Saints Mary & Martha Women's Fellowship 2015-2016
THEME: "Be holy for I the Lord your God am holy." ~1 Peter 1:16/Leviticus 19:2
January 26, Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.
Fr. George Callas, Speaker
Irene Zotis, 76 Woodland Drive, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228
RSVP 412-343-8179
February 23, Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
Fr. Stelyios Muksuris, Speaker
Joanna Ferencz, 545 Moreland Drive, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15243
RSVP 724-953-1091
March 15, Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Fr. George Livanos
Jennifer Moorcroft, 1220 Prospect Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15234
RSVP 412-626-9143
April 12, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Fr. Demetri Carellas, Speaker
Stellani Coleman, 105 Cedarbrook Court, McMurray, PA 15317
RSVP 724-942-3838
May 24, Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness
sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fr. Michael Kallaur, Speaker
Pres. Eleni Kallaur, Hostess,
3100 Eastview Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102
RSVP 412-443-5873
Please note: All meetings are Tuesdays at 7pm.
Pascha is May 1
Attention Holy Cross Graduating High School Seniors and Parents
Two Holy Cross Philoptochos Society $1000 Philanthropy Awards are available to two
graduating high school seniors from our church. The awards are available to ONLY
PLEDGED families of Holy Cross. The application will be available in the church office, narthex or Elaine Sofis beginning on Sunday, January 24, 2016 and returned by
Sunday, March 20, 2016. The award is based on your definition of philanthropy, a
short essay on your philanthropic work and how your Orthodox Christian faith will
guide you as you enter the adult world. A separate, but similar, Philoptochos Philanthropy Award is available to a graduating Mt. Lebanon High School senior in the guidance office, too. You may apply to both awards but will be eligible to receive only
one. Please see an application for all the necessary criteria to apply for the award.
The Holy Cross application may be returned to the church office or Elaine Sofis, in
church, or 121 Woodhaven Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228.
-Elaine Sofis, Philoptochos President
14
GOLDEN CLUB: Lunch & Learn! Please join us on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. for a complimentary lunch served in
the reception area of the Hall, followed by a presentation at 1:00
p.m. by Laura Ainsley of The Frick on "Cemetery Tales: Pittsburgh's Buried Art & History." Experience Pittsburgh's interesting and picturesque cemeteries in a colorful slideshow. We will
also be collecting dues that day of $10 for 2016. The Golden
Club is open to all Holy Cross members, age 50 and over. If you
are not already a member, please consider joining our wonderful group of seniors (young and old), who enjoy fellowship, touring, cultural events, food and fun! Please RSVP to Rene Koett at
(412) 831-3142 ([email protected]) or Cynthia Kostelnik at
(412) 833-9423 ([email protected]) by January 12th, so
we can prepare ahead for our luncheon. We hope to see you
there! Please Note: In case of inclement weather that day, we
will reschedule this event.
THANK YOU! to all Holy Cross parishioners who were so very generous with food donations, clothing donations and Christmas gifts to the
many FOCUS families in need. Your love and support was overwhelming, and greatly appreciated by the FOCUS staff as well. Please know
that in many cases, the gift you donated was the only gift the child or
senior citizen received. The joy you provided was enormous. May God
bless you always. ~ Dianne Babb
Please make your reservations for the
Holy Cross New Year’s Eve Gala
Email [email protected] with your request
and then mail your check to:
Holy Cross New Year’s Eve; 2631 Sunnyfield Drive; PGH, PA 15241
Dinner  Live Music  Cash Bar
 Champagne Toast at Midnight 
Holy Cross Community Center 8pm-2am
$65/Adult $25/12 and under $25/Dance-only
15
Holy Cross
Sun
Mon
Tue
Please visit our website at:
www.holycrosspgh.org
for details on announcements and
updates on church calendar.
3
8:15 am Orthros
9:30am Divine Liturgy
4
5~Strict Fast Day~
11
12
Vasilopita parties for
8:30am Royal Hours
10am Vesperal Liturgy
of St. Basil
Blessing of Waters
Sunday School
10
8:15 am Orthros
9:30am Divine Liturgy
10am First Steps of Christ
Vasilopita for church
6:30pm Paraclesis/
Bible Study
7pm Philoptochos Meeting
House
18 St. Athanasios
17 St. Anthony
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Div.Liturgy
8:15 am Orthros
9:30am Divine Liturgy
19
11am Golden Club
6:30pm Paraclesis/
Bible Study
24
8:15 am Orthros
9:30am Divine Liturgy
31
25 St. Gregory the
Theologian
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Div.Liturgy
8:15 am Orthros 6:30pm Paraclesis/
9:30am Divine Liturgy
Bible Study
House
26
7pm Sts. Mary & Martha
House
16
January 2016
Wed
Thu
31
4pm Great Vespers
5pm Matins
6:00pm Liturgy of St.
Basil followed by
Fri
Sat
1New Year’s Day
St. Basil the Great
2
8
9
New Year’s
Eve GALA
6 Epiphany
7 Synaxis of St.
John the Baptist
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Div.Liturgy 8:30am Orthros
9:30am Divine Liturgy
Great Blessing
of the Waters
4:30pm Greek School
6:45 GOYA Basketball
7pm Chant class
House
13
5pm Vespers
Blessings
14
15
16
GOYA Basketball Tournament
4:30pm Greek School
6:45pm GOYA
Basketball
Parish Council
Seminar, Monessen,
PA @ St. Spyridon
7pm Chant class
5pm Vespers
21 St. Maximos 22
the Confessor
23
Blessings
20
4:30pm Greek School
6:45pm GOYA
Basketball
7pm Parish Council
8:30am Orthros
9:30am Div.Liturgy
Blessings
27
28
4:30pm Greek School
6:45pm GOYA
Basketball
5pm Vespers
7pm Chant class
7pm Chant class
29
30 Three Hierarchs
@Holy Trinity,
N. Hills
Metropolis Council
5pm Vespers
Blessings
17
Our own Jim Trigg sharing
his story with millions of
all ages!
18
Stewardship:
A signed pledge card is required to maintain your membership in good standing at
Holy Cross each year. We need the support of all our parishioners.
You can submit your 2016 pledge card on-line at the church website at
www.holycrosspgh.org or pick up a pledge card at the candle stands in the church
narthex. Thank you to the following members who have already turned in their
2016 Pledge cards. (***as of 12/15/15)
***If you have submitted a card and do not see your name, please contact the church office.
Ms Elizabeth Agapiou
Mr & Mrs John Alexiades
Mrs Aliki Andrews
Mrs Niki Aronson
Mr George Aspiotes
Mrs JoAnna Asvestas
Mrs Diane Babb
Mr & Mrs George Bardakos
Mr & Mrs Steven Beggarly
Mr & Mrs Steven Betchunis
Dr & Mrs Thomas Jr. Birris
Mr & Mrs John Boggs
Mrs Helen Bonaros
Hon & Mrs James Bukes
Mrs Mary Bungas
Mrs Christina Burke
Mr & Mrs Nick Burkhart
Mr & Mrs James Callas
Mrs Constance Carahalis
Mr & Mrs Lee Caromano
Mrs Helen Chakeres
Rev & Mrs John Chakos
Mrs Mary Chakos
Mr & Mrs Peter Chakos
Mr & Mrs John Chapas
Mr & Mrs William Chapas
Mrs Lia Christulides
Ms Thespina Christulides
Mr Ed & Anne Clarke
Mr & Mrs Christopher Coleman
Mr & Mrs Tom Conaboy
Mr & Mrs John Conomos
Mr & Mrs Peter Countouris
Mrs Mary Dades
Mr & Mrs Robert De La Parra
Ms Constance DeFilipo
Mr & Mrs Nick Diamant
Mr & Mrs Paul Diamant
Hon & Mrs Gustave Diamond
Mr & Mrs James Dickos
Mr & Mrs Bryan Elderkin
Mr Nicholas Eleftheriou
Mr and Mrs John Eliopoulos
Mr & Mrs William Eliopoulos
Mr & Mrs Dean Emporellis
Fr&Pres Nicholas Ferencz
Mr & Mrs George Fitsioris
Mr & Mrs Elaine Friedman
Mr & Mrs Greg Frommeyer
Mr & Mrs Thomas Frommeyer
Dr & Mrs Peter Gagianas
Mr & Mrs Troy Geanopulos
Mr & Mrs James Geronymos
Mr & Mrs James Gianaris
Mrs Becky Gidas
Ms Mary Gidas
Mrs Elaine Gillen
Mr & Mrs Thomas Gooding
Mr & Mrs Jeremy Gracik
Mrs Calliopi Hagelios
Ms Christina Hagelios
Mr & Mrs Damon Halkias
Mr & Mrs Nick Hanzivasilis
Mr & Mrs Daniel Hardwick
Ms Nikki Hardwick
Mr & Mrs Patsy Hatzimbes
19
Mr & Mrs Scott Heddaeus
Mr & Mrs John Hoenig
Ms Tina Houmis Connors
Mr & Mrs Larry Houser
Mr & Mrs Peter Hronakes
Mr & Mrs Arne Jahn
Mr & Mrs Harry James
Mr & Mrs Harry Kainaroi, II
Mr & Mrs John Kalakos
Mr Theodore Kalas
Mr and Mrs Theodore Kalas
Rev & Presv Michael Kallaur
Mr & Mrs Nicholas Kalogeras
Mr & Mrs Frank Kalogeris
Mr & Mrs Nick Kalogeris
Mrs Christine Kampetis
Mr James Karakis
Mr & Mrs Nicholas Kartsonas
Mr & Mrs Thomas Kartsonas
Mrs Maria Kavoulakis
Mrs Annette Kazalas
Mrs Athena Kazalas
Mr Christ Kazalas
Ms Henrietta Kazalas
Ms Marguerite Kazalas
Mr & Mrs Robert Kirschner
Mr & Mrs Ralph Kitchen
Mr & Mrs Paul Koett
Mr & Mrs Jerry Kokalis
Mr Spyros Kominos
Mr & Mrs Michael Kostante
Mr & Mrs Nicholas Kotzalas
Ms Fotene Kouknas
Mr Joannis Kouknas
Mr & Mrs John Koutoufaris
Mr & Mrs Simeon Koutoufaris
Ms Angeline & Jenny Krakosky
Mr & Mrs Chris Kucherawy
Mrs Pamela Lagios
Mr Nicholas Lamprinakos
Mr & Mrs Paul LaQuatra
Mr & Mrs Thomas Liadis
20
Dr & Mrs Nicholas Loutsion
Mrs Lee MacManus
Mr Christopher Macroglou
Mr John Manolis
Mr Manuel Manolis
Ms Georgia-Thea Martin
Mr & Mrs Konrad Mayr
Mr & Mrs Daniel Megaludis
Mrs Victoria Melis
Mrs Milita Mellis
Mrs Anastasia Metrose
Mrs Barbara Milton
Mr & Mrs Emmanuel Moissakis
Mr & Mrs Anthony Mooney
Ms Jennifer Moorcroft
Mr & Mrs Louis Moraytis
Mr & Mrs Keith Myers
Mr Louis Nellas
Mr Jordan Nicholas
Mr & Mrs Nicholas Nicholas
Mr Gus Orphanos
Mr & Mrs Constantine Paliouras
Mr & Mrs William Palonis
Ms Chrysanthe Panos
Mr Deno Pappas
Mrs Olga Pappas
Mrs Sophia Pappas
Mrs Sophie Pappas
Mr & Mrs Thomas Paradise
Mrs Catherine Passodelis
Ms Evangeline Patrinos
Mrs Ritsa Patrinos
Mr Sarantos Patrinos
Mr & Mrs Alexander Perinis
Mr & Mrs George Peters
Mr & Mrs Harry Petousis
Mrs Dina Petrakis
Mr & Mrs Steven Petrakis
Mr & Mrs Tom Petropoulos
Mr& Mrs Chris Pfanstiel
Mr & Mrs David Picard
Mr & Mrs Manuel Politis
Mr & Mrs John Popovich
Mr & Mrs James Portellos
Mr & Mrs Kyrk Pyros
George Jr. Rangos, Mr & Mrs,Jr
Mr & Mrs David Rice
Ms Ann Savas
Mr & Mrs David Schultz
Mr & Mrs Paul Skoutelas
Mr & Mrs Robert Slifer
Mrs Nancy Sofis
Mr & Mrs Ted Sofis
Mr Timothy Sofis
Mr & Mrs James Spanos
Mrs Jenova Spanos
Mr & Mrs Nicholas Spanos
Mr & Mrs Dean Stambolis
Mr& Mrs Dave Steiner
Ms Joan Sweda
Ms Margaret Sweda
Ms Elena Szymanowski
Mr & Mrs Thomas Tambouratzis
Mr & Mrs Thomas Taylor
Dr & Mrs William Terasavage
Mr & Mrs George Thiros
Mr James Thiros
Mr & Mrs George Titonis
Mr & Mrs Frank Tripodes
Mr & Mrs Paul Tsambarlis
Mr Steve Tsambarlis
Fred Jr Usher, Mr,Jr
Mr & Mrs George Vassilaros
Mr & Mrs George Vassilaros
Mrs Evangelia Vayanos
Mr Andreas Veneris
Mr & Mrs Lambros Viores
Mr & Mrs Nick Volakis
Mrs Panorea Welding
Mr & Mrs David Williard
Mrs Despina Xenakis
Mr & Mrs Emanuel Xenakis
Ms Georgia Yamalis
Mr & Mrs Philip Yamalis
Mr Stephen Yamalis
Mr & Mrs Sam Zacharias
Mr & Mrs Frank Zadrozny
Mr & Mrs Michael Zervos
Mr & Mrs Regis Zezulewicz
Mrs Bessie Zotis
Mr & Mrs Dean Zotis
Fr & Mrs William Zotis
Mrs Sophia Zozos
Steps to Heaven Update
.A belated thank you to all those
who participated in last September’s
“Steps to Heaven” walk. There were
eighty-eight walkers and $13,830
was raised to help our beloved Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery.
Holy Cross played a large part of the
success. Have a blessed, peaceful, and
healthy New Year.
Thank you all,
The Walkathon Committee
Thank you to
Greg Frommeyer
for designing the
BEAUTIFIL Holy Cross
Greek Orthodox Church
CHRISTMAS CARD 2015.
Thank you to Carol Halkias
for collecting all the names
for this ministry that raised
thousands for the church this
Christmas season.
Thank you
to the elves who
help assemble the
mailings every
month!!!
21
Philoptochos Christmas Party
at LeMont
22
23
Holy Cross Junior Dancers
Celebration at
St Spyridon
in Monessen
24
Metropolitan name day St. Savas
Celebration of Fr. John & Presvytera Sandy’s
50th Wedding Anniversary 12/5
25
FOCUS benefit concert
26
Ordination of Fr. Andrew Athanasiou at Holy Trinity, North Hills
27
Altar flowers stands donated by the family of Agis and
Christina Sparks. Their daughters, Helen Trollman, Ann
Sparks and Dori Gerlesits have moved away from Pittsburgh, but still have very fond memories of their upbringing
and roots at Holy Cross.
Christina
Manesiotis Sparks
brother was a past
President
of
Holy Cross
Parish Council
28
Dori ↑
Ann
←
Sunday School class pictures
29
Parish Council from 60 years
ago!
Still with us:
Jim Trigg and George Aspiotes still attending Holy Cross
today!
And Ann Savas, former
Director of Sunday School.
30
Thank you to
Helen Trollman,
Ann Sparks and
Dori Gerlesits for
sharing their old
photos of early
parish life at Holy
Cross.
Joy ↑
Helen
←
31
Holy Cross Community Center
8pm-2am
Dinner  Live Music  Cash Bar
 Champagne Toast at Midnight 
New Year’s Eve GALA
4pm Great Vespers/5pm Matins
6:00pm Liturgy of St. Basil followed by
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church
123 Gilkeson Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Return Service Requested
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
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Permit No. 2412
Pittsburgh, PA