2014.01 - January Observer - Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

!
OBSERVER!
T H E
J A N U A R Y
A N N U N C I A T I O N
2 0 1 4
-
V O L .
3 0
I S S U E
1
WHEN WILL WE CHOOSE
TO LIVE MORE SIMPLY?
By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
To the 19th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19)
(Warsaw, November 2013)
This week – even as the world
mourns the tragic loss of life in the
unprecedented Typhoon Haiyan in the
Philippine Islands – political leaders
have converged on Warsaw, Poland, in
yet another anticipated meeting on
climate change. Concerned citizens
throughout the world are hoping and
praying for prompt and practical results.
The conference follows on the heels
of an important report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), which warns of the urgency of
immediately addressing the alarming
escalation of climate change in order
to avoid catastrophic consequences.
Scientists talk of “tipping points”
and “abrupt climate change.” Political
leaders talk of the “challenges” that lie
ahead. Scripture speaks of human crisis and God’s forgiving grace. All
three make it clear that the time will
come when we must face consequences; the time will come when it is
simply too late.
At first glance, it may appear
strange for the leader of a religious
institution concerned with “sacred”
values to be so profoundly involved in
“worldly” issues. After all, what does
preserving the planet have to do with
saving the soul? It is commonly assumed that global climate change and
the exploitation of our nature’s resources are matters that primarily concern politicians, scientists and technocrats. At best, perhaps they are considered the preoccupation of interest
groups, naturalists or activists.
Nevertheless, there are no two ways
of looking at either the world or God.
There is no distinction between concern for human welfare and concern
for ecological preservation. The way
we relate to nature as creation directly
reflects the way we believe in God as
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
OF THE ANNUNCIATION
3022 F Street
Sacramento, CA 95816!
916-443-2033
www.annunciation.ca.goarch.org!
Published Monthly !
Except for July!
CLERGY!
Presiding Priest, Father James Retelas
[email protected]!
Associate Priest, Fr. Timothy Robinson
[email protected]!
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT!
George Dariotis
[email protected]!
PARISH MINISTRY!
Annunciation Senior League!
Bessie Papailias, President!
[email protected]!
Bookstore!
Lou Demas, Manager!
(916) 231-9949!
[email protected]!
Chanter/Communications!
Dusan Radosavljevic!
[email protected]!
Greek Education!
Dimitra Dogias!
[email protected]!
Music and Worship!
Bill Bobolis, Choir Director
[email protected]!
Philoptochos Society!
Christine Dariotis, President!
[email protected]!
Sunday School!
Patrick Fuss, Principal
[email protected]!
STAFF!
Parish Administrator!
Effie Theodor!
[email protected]!
Admin. Asst./Finances!
Maria Mavroforakis!
[email protected]!
OFFICE HOURS!
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.!
PAGE 2
“The way we relate to nature as creation directly reflects
the way we believe in God as Creator of all things.”
Creator of all things. The sensitivity
with which we handle the natural environment clearly mirrors the sacredness
that we reserve for the divine.
Moreover, scientists estimate that
those most hurt by global warming in
the years to come, are those who can
least afford it. According to the Gospel
of St. Matthew, the questions that will
be asked of us all at the final moment
of accountability will not be about our
religious observance but on whether
we fed the hungry, gave drink to the
thirsty, clothed the naked, comforted
the sick, and cared for captives.
Our reckless consumption of the
earth’s resources – energy, water, and
forests – threatens us with irreversible
climate change. Burning more fuel
than we need in an overpopulated city,
we may contribute to droughts or
floods thousands of miles away.
To restore the planet we need a spiritual worldview, which brings frugality
and simplicity, humility and respect.
We must constantly be aware of the
impact of our actions on all of creation. We must direct our focus away
from what we want to what the planet
needs. We must choose to care for creation; otherwise, we do not really care
about anything at all.
In our efforts, to contain global
warming, we are ultimately admitting
just how prepared we are to sacrifice
some of our selfish and greedy
lifestyles. When will we learn to say:
“Enough!”? When will we understand
how important it is to leave as light a
footprint as possible on this planet for
the sake of future generations?
After all, we are all in this together.
Our planet unites us in a unique way.
While we may differ in our conception
of the origins or purpose of our world,
and while we may disagree on social
or political ideology, surely we can all
agree on our responsibility and obligation to protect its natural resources –
which are neither limitless nor negotiable – for future generations.
It is not too late to respond – as a
people and as a planet. We could steer
the earth toward our children’s future.
Yet we can no longer afford to wait;
we can no longer afford to be idle. The
world has clearly expressed its opinion; our political leaders must accordingly act with urgency. Deadlines can
no longer be postponed; indecision and
inaction are not options. We have a
choice to make. The time to choose is
now.
We remain optimistic about the results at Warsaw; quite simply because
we are optimistic about humanity’s
potential. Let us work together; let us
offer the earth an opportunity to heal
and continue to nurture us.
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
Fellow Parishioners & Stewards:
January marks the beginning of a
new calendar year for all of us. For
me, and probably many of you, it’s
also an opportunity to make “New
Year’s Resolutions.” Here is my top
10 list of resolutions, in no particular order:
From the
Parish Council
President
1. Eat healthier;
2. Give more time to my Lord
and His Church;
3. Spend more quality time
with my wife and son;
4. Be a better listener (especially with my wife);
5. Be less judgmental;
6. Be more tolerant of differing opinions;
7. Be more positive;
8. Display more humility;
9. Give more to charity; and
10. Be a better Orthodox
Christian.
struction. I want to thank George
Chuchas, the Parish Council liaison
to this valuable ministry of our
church, for his efforts in this regard.
In church beautification news, as
most of you have seen, the three
icons were installed over the entrance of our beautiful church this
last month. The Icon of Christ was
an anonymous gift, the Mother of
God (Theotokos) was given in
memory of Steve and Dena Jordan by their children. St. John the
Baptist was donated by Dr. John
and Sophia Evrigenis and Yianni
and Kelly Pantis. A portion of the
installation costs have been underwritten by John and Mary Kyriakides. I thank them all for their
generosity. I also want to thank the
anonymous donor who provided
funding for the beautiful iron hand
rails and ramp rails which essentially completed the beautification
efforts of our church entrance.
I want to recognize and thank
Donis Whaley and her team of
volunteers who once again decorated our church and the Christmas
tree which was cut, delivered and
donated by Geoffrey and Toni Antipa. The church looks lovely for
the Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Christ.
The acts of kindness, generosity
and love for the appearance and
beautification of our church has
been nothing less than amazing this
year. With overwhelming gratitude
and love, I say THANK YOU to
all involved in this endeavor.
May the New Year bring peace,
joy, good health and happiness to
you and your families.
I realize that none of my resolutions are exactly earth shattering,
but they are important to me nonetheless. The challenge, of course, is
follow through and execution, but I
will definitely try my hardest. Try
to come up with your own “Top
10” list for next year and have fun
with it. Use it as a sort of self-assessment tool if you will.
Under church news, congratulations to newly elected Parish Council members Kristen Kane, Bessie
Papailias, Costa Perakis, and
Stella (Dariotis) Petrucci. The
Affirmation of Office will be held
in church on January 5, and election of officers immediately following. Thank you to outgoing members Peter Fotopoulos, Tim Delis,
Joann Georgallis and Jerry
Wright for their years of service on Happy New Year!
the Parish Council. They each
made a positive impact by offering
their time and talent for the betterment of our parish.
George Dariotis
Your Parish Council continues to
Parish Council President
work closely with Lou and Marilyn Demas to secure a temporary
location for our Annunciation
Bookstore during The Build con-
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January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
Youth Highlights!
With the Twelve Days of Christmas culminating
in Theophany, we decided to share some of the
presents we received this Christmas season.!
Youth Christmas Program !
For all the parishioners and stewards of the Annunciation, this
Christmas was more than just special. The outstanding Nativity
Program, made possible through the coordination of our
beloved Greek School and Sunday School, brought together
an entire generation of youth at once in celebration of the Nativity of our Lord. Thank you to directors Emily Coleman, Dimitra Dogias, Kristen Kane, and all the Sunday School and Greek
School staff for organizing this event, and for their loving commitment to nurturing this - our - future. More importantly, thank
you to all the parents and youth who participated!
IOCC Christmas Brunch Raises Funds
for Disaster Support!
A whopping success! The IOCC Christmas Brunch and Concert performance raised over $2,500 going towards charitable causes throughout the world. This generosity cannot be
thanked enough. The International Orthodox Christian Charities is internationally known for being the first responder in
many of today’s global emergencies, such as the recent typhoon to hit the Philippines. Thank you to Bill Bobolis and
the Annunciation Senior & Youth Choirs, our fabulous
narrator Georgia Larson, GOYA President Evi Tsigaris and
the members of GOYA who helped with the serving and
cleaning up, and Tammy Petsalis for her tremendous patience and flexibility in coordinating these efforts.
PAGE 4
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
!
IOCC!
INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN CHARITIES!
Helping others help themselves
!
PAGE 5
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
Annunciation
Senior League
(ASL)!
so mark your calendars and keep an eye out for the flyers!
At this time, the ASL Board would like to thank our clergy from all three parishes (Annunciation, St. Katherine and
St. Anna), our parochial organizations for their wonderful
support and all of our members who truly make ASL the
wonderful organization it is and will continue to be.
We wish all of you a blessed new year filled with good
health,
happiness and love!
The ASL closed out 2013 with its last luncheon meeting
rd
on December 3 . The Annunciation Choir hosted the lunBessie Papailias
cheon, which was prepared by Faye and Jim Vallas. We
ASL President
wish to thank the Choir for their generosity and the wonderful Christmas program conducted by Bill Bobolis and
narrated by Georgia Larson, and Faye and Jim for donating their time to prepare a wonderful lunch for our members! We also wish to thank Sandra Giobres for donating
two wonderful cakes for December birthdays and Terry
and Penny Kastanis for the great holiday cookies! A very
special thank you to our Santa (Angie Gianopulos) for
bringing holiday cheer to the program and to
our members!
PHOTO: Luke Dariotis
We wish a very special birthday to George
sitting between ChristNicolau (95 years young), Mary Vasos (85
mas presents after he
years young) and Dena Kuchulis (80 years
sorted them out! These
young)! Να τα εκατοστισετε!
presents were part of
As the ASL moves into its 36th year of felBlessing-in-a-Backpack’s
lowship and fun, we invite you to join us on
holiday effort, delivering
this wonderful journey. Future meetings are
gifts to underprivileged
th
th
scheduled for: January 7 , February 4 ,
primary & intermediate
th
and March 4 .
grades at Bowling Hills
Our first trip of 2014 is scheduled for
Green Elementary.
March 27th – wine tasting and lunch in Murphys, CA. You will not want to miss this trip
Altar Guild!
The following members will be decorating the icons
for the month of January.!
The purpose of this guild is to decorate the icons used
during the Sunday liturgies and special Feast Days.!
If you would like to donate money toward flowers in
honor or in memory of a loved one, please contact
our Church Office at 916-443-2033.!
January 3 Bernadette Kontos
January 10 Dena Kuchulis
January 17 Georgia Langley
January 24 Julie Mamalis
January 31 Kate Margaris
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THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
Annunciation
Philoptochos
Happy New Year! I hope you all had
a very Merry Christmas. We will
celebrate the New Year with the annual
Philoptochos Vasilopita Luncheon
after church in the Hellenic Center on
Sunday, January 5, 2014. I hope you
will all join us for a wonderful
luncheon, fellowship and the sharing
of the Vasilopita.
The holidays are now behind us, but
Philoptochos was very busy during
November and December. Our second
annual pie raffle took place on Sunday,
November 24. It was a great success
and I want to thank the following
ladies who made or donated delicious
and beautiful pies:
MARY APOSTOLOS
JANE BARDIS
DESSI CHUCHAS
KATHY DOKIMOS
NORMA GARAVAGLIA
ANGIE GIANOPULOS
HELEN GRAMMATIKAKIS
MARIA HIGDON
BERNADETTE KONTOS
DENA KUCHULIS
MARY LYDON
NICOLETTE MADRID
JULIE MAMALIS
KAY MAREFOS
HELEN NICKOLSON
MARIA SAMPANIS
NACKY SCHMIDT
LINDA SOLORIO
ALTHEA TATARAKIS
TERRE TERZAKIS
MARIA THEOPHILOPOULOS
PEARL THOMAS
DONNA WAGNER
ELAINE WRIGHT
ABOVE: Christmas baskets awaiting pickup and delivery to our shut-in parishioners. Thank you to Faye Vallas for helping coordinate this beautiful effort.
Helen Grammatikakis, Nacky
Schmidt and Donna Wagner, along
with many volunteers, deserve huge
accolades and recognition for their
time, hard work and commitment in
making beautiful pastries and other
items for purchase. Many of us are so
busy during the holidays and we are
extremely fortunate to have this
service available to us. We also want
to thank our parishioners for
supporting Dial-a-Baklava. As usual,
sales were a tremendous success
thanks to you!
Our homebound or “shut-in”
parishioners once again received
beautiful Christmas baskets lovingly
prepared by Faye Vallas and her
committee. I thank them for their time
and effort in taking on a project that
means so much for so many.
Many thanks to those who donated
food items and warm winter clothing
The support from these women and to the Sacramento Food Bank this
the participation of our parishioners in holiday season. The Food Bank is
purchasing raffle tickets was greatly always very grateful to have our
generous support.
appreciated!
Aside from the Vasilopita Luncheon
Philoptochos’ Dial-a-Baklava was in
on
January 5, upcoming events in
full swing for the Christmas season.
!
January include our Monthly
Philoptochos Meeting on January 14,
2014 and our first ever Martini
Membership Night which will be
held at the Dariotis Residence on
January 28, 2014. Keep an eye out for
your invitation and please plan on
attending!
Please make a note that Go Red
Sunday takes place on February 2 to
raise awareness of Women’s Heart
Disease. We have some special things
planned that day so we hope to see you
at church and coffee hour. We are also
gearing up for all of the events planned
to benefit Kids n’ Cancer during the
month of February: The Pancake
Breakfast will be on February 9 and
our annual Cake Raffle on February
23.
Philoptochos wishes you all a
Happy New Year with many blessings
for you and your families in the year
ahead.
In Christ’s Love,
Christine Dariotis
Philoptochos President
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January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
PAGE 8
!
January
2014
Schedule subject to change.
Please consult with the website or Sunday Bulletin for the most current information.
http://www.annunciation.ca.goarch.org
!
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
New Year’s Day 1
Friday
2
3
4
9
10
11
16
17
18
8:30am - Matins & Divine 6pm - Backpack
Liturgy (Circumcision of
Assembly
our Lord; St. Basil)
7pm - Choir Rehearsal
Office Closed
6
8:30am - Matins & Divine
Liturgy
11:30am - Vasilopita
Luncheon
6pm - Great Vespers of
Theophany
8:30am - Matins & Divine
Liturgy (Holy
Theophany)
6pm - Dive for the Cross
12
13
8:30am - Matins & Divine
Liturgy
11:30am - DSG
Pastamania
19
PAGE 9
8:30am - Matins & Divine
Liturgy
11:30am - Three
Hierarchs Greek School
Luncheon Fundaraiser
8:30am - Synaxis for St.
John the Baptist
11am - ASL Lunch
Meetings (HC)
7pm - Cretan Club
14
6:30pm - Philoptochos
Monthly Meeting
MLK Jr. Day 20
8:30am - Matins & Divine 6pm - Parish Council
Liturgy
Meeting (LFR)
26
7
6:30pm - Daughters of
Penelope Monthly
Meeting (LFR)
6:30pm - AHEPA
Monthly Meeting (UFR)
28
6:30pm - Philotopchos
Martini Membership
10am - Adult Education
7pm - Adult Education
6pm - Backpack
Assembly
7pm - Choir Rehearsal
15
10am - Adult Education
7pm - Adult Education
21
27
8
10am - Great Hours of
Theophany
10am - ASL Board
Meeting
6pm - Backpack
Assembly
7pm - Choir Rehearsal
22
8:30am - Matins & Divine
Liturgy (St. Anthony the
Great)
!
Bingo Night w/ DSG
23
24
30
31
8:30am - Matins & Divine 6pm - Backpack
Liturgy (St. Timothy)
Assembly
11:30am - Adult
7pm - Choir Rehearsal
Education
7pm - Adult Education
29
10am - Adult Education
7pm - Adult Education
8:30am - Matins & Divine
Liturgy (3 Hierarchs)
6pm - Backpack
Assembly
7pm - Choir Rehearsal
AHEPA/DOP District
Meeting (LFR)
25
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
5
Saturday
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
Σχολείο και θέλει να γίνει µέλος της οµάδας µας,
δεχόµαστε βιογραφικά. Θέλουµε να έχουµε µια
πλήρη οµάδα έχοντας στο νου ότι το σχολείο µας
έχει την δυνατότητα να αναπτυχτεί και άλλο.
Greek School
Καλή Χρονιά και Χρόνια Πολλά! Ευχόµαστε ότι το
Νέο Έτος σας βρήκε γεµάτους µε υγεία και χαρά. Κατά
την διάρκεια του Δεκεµβρίου, εορτάσαµε τα
Χριστούγεννα και συµµετείχαµε µε το κατηχητικό
σχολείο στην Χριστουγεννιάτικη γιορτή. Ευχαριστούµε
όλα τα παιδιά για την συµµετοχή τους στο
Χριστουγεννιάτικο Πρόγραµµα.
Στις 17 Νοεµβρίου, στη εκκλησία της Αναλήψεως του
Oakland, συµµετείχαµε στην φθινοπωρινή συνάντηση
των εκπαιδευτικών της Μητροπόλεως. Κατά την διάρκεια
της συνάντησης παρουσιάσαµε τα στοιχεία του σχολείου
µας. Μέχρι στιγµής έχουµε 45 εγγεγραµµένους µαθητές
από τους οποίους οι οχτώ είναι
ενήλικες και οι λοιποί είναι µεταξύ
τριών χρονών και δεκατριών
χρονών. Έχουµε δίωρα µαθήµατα
για τους ελληνόφωνους µαθητές
κάθε Τετάρτη και δίωρα µαθήµατα
για τους αγγλόφωνους µαθητές κάθε
Πέµπτη. Έχουµε συνολικά πέντε
δασκάλες.
Χρησιµοποιούµε τα
βιβλία της Αρχιεπισκοπής, καθώς
και βιβλία του Υπουργείου Παιδείας,
για όλα τα τµήµατα εκτός των
ενηλίκων καθώς και φωτοτυπίες και
οπτικοακουστικό υλικό από το
διαδίκτυο.
Θα ήθελα επίσης να αναφέρω ότι
εάν κάποιος/α ενδιαφέρεται να
διδάξει του χρόνου στο Ελληνικό
PAGE 10
Στις 26 Ιανουαρίου θα εορτάσουµε την γιορτή των
Τριών Ιεραρχών και την Ηµέρα των Ελληνικών
Γραµµάτων στην ενορία µας. Το Ελληνικό Σχολείο
θα παρουσιάσει τα έργα των µαθητών µας κατά την
διάρκεια ενός γεύµατος που θα δοθεί από το
Ελληνικό Σχολείο µε σκοπό την οικονοµική
ενίσχυση του σχολείου µας. Θα δείτε περισσότερες
πληροφορίες στο εβδοµαδιαίο bulletin της
Κυριακής. Οι µαθητές του σχολείου µας χρειάζονται
την υποστήριξή σας. Η παρουσία σας θα είναι
πραγµατικά ευπρόσδεκτη. THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
Happy New Year and Chronia Polla! We wish that you
have a great Happy New Year, filled with health and happiness. During the month of the December, we celebrated
Christmas and participated in the Christmas Pageant with
the Sunday School Program. We thank all the children for
their participation in the Christmas Pageant. On November
17th we participated at the Greek Educators’ Fall reception
which was hosted at the church of the Ascension in Oakland, set up by the Hellenic Education and Culture Committee of the San Francisco Metropolis. We had the great opportunity during this meeting, to present our school program and discuss the various obstacles as well as successes
that the Greek School in Sacramento has experienced.
as well as copies to supplement the materials. Additionally,
we use Greek audio visual materials via the web.
We would also like to inform you that if you are interested in teaching Greek and becoming a member of our team
for next year, we are accepting resumes. We want to have a
complete team keeping in mind that our school has the ability to grow and expand next year.
On January 26th, at our church we will celebrate the
feast of the Three Hierarchs and Greek Letters Day with
a luncheon and a presentation of the works of our students
in honor of the Three Hierarchs. The luncheon will be offered in an effort to raise funds for the support of the Greek
school program. Your continued support and presence at the
We currently have 45 students enrolled, 8 of which are
luncheon will be greatly appreciated by the Greek school
adults and 37 are between the ages of three and thirteen. We
students. You will find more information in the Sunday
offer two hour classes on Wednesdays for the Greek speakBulletin.
er students and two hour classes for the English speaker
Dimitra Dogias
Students. We have a total of five teachers. With the excepGreek
School Director
tion of the adult class, we use the Archdiocese books, the
Greek Ministry of Education books for first and third grade,
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PAGE 11
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
Booknotes from the
Bookstore
Doxa to Theo! Praise God! Thank you all on behalf of the
Bookstore for your prayers for the well being and future of
the Bookstore while our Church is in the Building process.
As it stands at this writing, the Bookstore's interim location
(in a 12' X 60' Modular unit) while the new facility is being
built, will be in the back parking lot. We have some logisti-
cal problems to work out but prayerfully by March 1st we
will be moving into the Modular.
We are so very Thankful to God for things coming together
that words can not express our joy! Thank you all for your
prayers! Thank you to the Endowment Fund for their Help
in all of this. God Bless you!!! And, Thank you so very
much to our Parish Council for working out a solution to
our relocation. Many Blessings for our entire Parish this
New Year!!! It should be an exciting year!
Marilyn Demas
for the Bookstore
known by many and is greatly appre- for parishioners, their friends and family.
You are, each one, a joy and an
Sewing Circle! ciated.
inspiration, and a pleasure to work
Our group has grown so over the last
year that out of fear of leaving someone out, I am not going to thank each
one of you individually at this time,
but while you do not do what you do
to be recognized and/or to be thanked
personally, your love and hard work is
with!
Thank you to those whose hands fly
with knitting needles or crochet hooks,
donating your time and talent to such
worthy tasks as making blankets and
hats for children/infants in crisis for
Project Linus or making Prayer Shawls
ORTHODOXY 101
The Theophany of Our Lord!
Thank you to those who have donated
yarn and/or funds to this Ministry. You
make this Ministry possible. Thanks to
our GOYA who made the Prayer
Bracelets that are also cherished by
those who need comfort and love. May
we have another Blessed year! Eftychisméno to néo étos.
d. none of the above
!3. What
century did the commemoration of the Theophany
begin?
a. 4th
b. 5th
The main source of questions and answers for this
c. 6th
month’s Orthodoxy 101 comes from Trivial Tidbits of the
d. 7th
Feast Days of the Orthodox Church, by Fr. Deacon Mark
Swindle. No easy questions this year like who was present
at Christ's baptism or how old was Christ when He was 4. On Theophany, the voice of God the Father was heard
referring to Christ as His beloved:
baptized!
a. High Priest
b. Disciple
1. What does the "literal" name of the Feast Day, “Theoc. Friend
phany” mean?
d. Son
a. Manifestation of the Holy Trinity
b. Baptism, as in Baptism in the Jordan River
5. Bonus Question: All four Evangelists wrote about
c. Manifestation of God
Christ’s Baptism. Which Evangelist goes into the greatest
d. Refers to the Three Wisemen
detail?
a. Matthew
2. Theophany was commemorated on the Church calendar
b. Mark
years before which feast day?
c. Luke
a. Pascha
d. John
b. Nativity
c. Pentecost
!
!
!
Answers to Orthodoxy 101: 1, c; 2, b; 3. a; 4, d; 5, b.
PAGE 12
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
Ionian Village
Summer 2014 Program Dates!
Ionian Village
Summer 2014
Camping Programs
The picturesque Ionian
Village campgrounds sit
along the shores of the
pristine Ionian Sea and are
equipped with a private
beach, a renovated
Olympic-sized pool, airconditioned cabins, and
various athletic courts and
fields. Campers actively
explore their Orthodox
faith and heritage, both
through the daily camp program and through excursions to
culturally and religiously significant sites throughout
Greece. Excursions vary slightly between the two sessions
and will include Ancient Olympia, Patra, Zakynthos, Kefallonia, Kerkyra, Aegina, and Athens. Each 20-day session is
open to young people who have completed grades 8
through 12.
Session One: June 23 – July 12, 2014
Session Two: July 20 – August 8, 2014
Ionian Village Spiritual Odyssey Pilgrimage
The Spiritual Odyssey program offers young adults the opportunity to intimately encounter our culture and faith
through focused pilgrimages. Spiritual Odyssey is open to
young adults between the ages of 19-28.
Spiritual Odyssey Cyprus: June 1 – June 11
While in Cyprus, participants will experience our faith and
culture first-hand, visiting sites where the Apostles once
preached, also learning about the Cypriot struggle and ongoing division of the island. Participants will also explore
the beautiful beaches, food, and culture of the island of
Cyprus. Participants will then travel to Athens for the last
two days to visit classic sites such as the Parthenon, have
shopping time in Monastiraki, and view the classic changing of the guards.
THANK YOU BOX
Dina Bourdaniotis - for volunteering to serve as
the Snack Coordinator for our Sunday School
children.!
!Welcoming Committee - for warmly greeting
our parishioners and guests every Sunday.!
Ryan Coleman - for excellent and eloquent reading of the Sunday Epistle and steadfast dedication to Youth Choir.!
Gerri Magers - for her continued dedication to
the success of our Food Festival and generous
benefaction to the Capital Campaign.!
Geoffrey & Toni Antipa - for hand growing,
felling, and installing our big beautiful mountain
tree year after year for Christmas.!
Donnis Whaley - for her exquisite decorating
talent and warmhearted attention, expressing
genuine Christmas love in every detail.!
Sophia Evrigenis - for her work in beautification
and generous gift of an entire set of pristine, golden acolyte robes and rich, beautiful altar cloths to
go with them.!
Fany Darzins - for sewing together all the new
acolyte robes and altar cloths, and for all the
vestment alterations which benefited from her
master seamstress skills this past year.!
Help us recognize parishioners who go above and
beyond! Submit their name to: thankyou@annunciationsac .org
FOR MORE INFORMATION regarding any of
our 2014 Summer programs, to apply to be a Staff, Medical, or Clergy Member, or to register for our ever-expanding Alumni Project please visit the Ionian Village website
at www.ionianvillage.org
!
PAGE 13
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
T H E H O N O R A B L E & G O D -F EARING S TEWARDS O F THE A N N U N C I AT I O N FOR
THE
Y EAR
OF OUR
L O R D
T WO T H O U S A N D T H I RT E E N
Thomas & Shirle Adams
Nick & Shari Alexander
Christ & Helen
Anastasopoulos
Constantine & Kelly
Anastasopoulos
George Anastasopoulos
David & Evelyn Anderson
Helen Anderson
Josh & Evangelia Andrus
Geoffrey & Antonia Antipa
Demetrious & Maria
Apostolidis
Milton & Panorea Apostolidis
Mary Apostolos
Paul & Elizabeth Arellanes
Andrianos & Kathy
Argyropoulos
George Asimakopoulos
John & Maria Asimakopoulos
Theodoros & Georgia Avdalas
Nicholas & Nikki Avdis
Spyridon & Georgia Avdis
Dan & Katherine Ballas
Diana & Robert Ballas
Elias & Jane Bardis
PAGE 14
Helen K. Beaudry
Dionesia P. Bertakis
Ronald Bertolina
Susan Bitar
Bill & Evelyn Bobolis
Jamie Bobolis
Stephanie Bobolis
Denny Boom
Alexander & Eleni
Bourdaniotis
Magdalene K. Bourdaniotis
Paul & Kostandina
Bourdaniotis
Ted & Magdalene
Bourdaniotis
Marie Bravou
Rhea & Daniel Brunner
Anna Brusco
Andrew & Bethany Burrows
Katherine Buttacavoli
Andonia Cakouros
Jenny Calabrese
Peter & Sophia Callas
Anthony & Michele Caposio
Larry & Anna Carr
Peter & Fotine Casheros
George & Koula Cazanis
John & Georgia Cazanis
Mary J. Cazanis
Pauline Cazanis
Voula Cazanis
Dean Chalios
Harry & Sonia Champas
Tonia Champas
Tim & Antonia Chapralis
Timmy & Penny Chatzis
Jack & Bessie Chesson
Tony & Kathi Chrisopoulos
Louis & Mary Christi
John & Julie Christie
William Christie
George & Kathy Christopulos
John & Annette Christopulos
George Chuchas
James & Despina Chuchas
James & Toula Clubb
Philip & Emily Coleman
John & Linda Compoginis
Dennis & Jeanlaurie Corelis
Carol Crisp
Vasiliki Cronin
Timothy & Effie Crush
Kathryne Curtin
Mary J. Curtis
George & Christine Dariotis
Georgia Dariotis
John & Nitsa Dariotis
Michael Dariotis
Nick & Irene Darras
Fany Darzins
Henry & Christina De Vere
White
Irene DeKellis
Efthymios & Grammatoula
Delis
John & Despina Demas
John & Marianna Demas
Kyriakos John Demas
Louis & Marilyn Demas
Matthew John Demas
William & Suzanne Demas
Matt & Alexandra Derania
Lou & Maria Deville
Dorothy Diamond
Tom Dicktakes
Jack Dietz
Angelo & Adel Dimitropoulos
Nicholas & Laura Docous
Elizabeth Dokimos
Ernest & Kathy Dokimos
Donald Dole
Katherine Dole
Elaine Donovan
Demosthenis & Evangelia
Douveas
Steven & Marina Downing
William & Jessaca Downing
Demos & Bessie Dulger
Sheikin
David & Jaime Durrell
James & Patricia Duvaras
George & Marilyn Econome
Georgia Econome
Kiki Econome
Zachary & Sarah Edson
Nicholas & Jeanne Efstratis
Chris Eliopulos
John & Stella Eliopulos
Stefanos Eliopulos
Dan & Maria Eriksson
Robert & Leah Essa
John & Sophia Evrigenis
Samir & Nuha Fadayel
Michael & Beth Foondos
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
Christos Fotopoulos
John & Theofani Fotopoulos
Panagiotis Fotopoulos
Pete Fotopoulos
Peter & Koula Fotopoulos
Philip & Soula Fotopoulos
Demetre & Christine Fotos
Eugene & Agnes Fotos
Ruseta Fotos
Kyriakos & Elaine
Frangogiannis
Christina & Robert Freeworth
Patrick & Susan Fuss
Gus & Stelene Galaxidas
Yiannis & Eleni Galitsopoulos
John & Maria Gassoumis
Andrew & Teresa Gates
Constantin & Maude
Genigeorgis
Joann Georgallis
Pericles(Perry) Georgallis
Christina George
Dianna George
John & Debbie George
Chris & Angie Georgoulias
Helen Gianakakis
Angela Gianopulos
Angela Gianulias
Dino Giobres
Sandra Giobres
George Giokas
Steve Giranis
Lula Goodwin
Lener & Carmie Lee Gousetis
Helen Grammatikakis
Ioanies & Irene Gregorakis
Paul Grellas
Louis & Georgette Grivetti
Suanna Gurovich
Elsie Gust
George & Eleni Hagios
Demetre & Dimitra
Haralambakis
Larry Haralambakis
Thomas & Phyllis Harper
Dannan & Lisa Harr
Elias & Catherine Hatzakos
Toula Hatzopoulos
Richard & Kim Hauch
Domna & James Hebenstreit
Mark & Angela Heinzer
Connie Henderson
Maria & Christopher Higdon
Anastasios & Stefanie Hionis
Ameen & Georgia Hofioni
Matthew & Lisa Holm
Julian B. & Diane Holt
Alissa & Morgan Holt Gire
Lewis & Haroula Jackson
Dino & Margarita Jakovas
Andrew Johas
George & Molly Lee Johnson
Jacob & Patty Johnson
Kiki Jouganatos
Chris Jovalis
Mary Ellen Jovalis
James & Robin Kafouros
Phyllis Marie Kafouros
John & Stella Kakavas
Periklis & Marilena
Kalfountzos
Pantelis & Patricia Kallergis
Dennis & Robin Kamilos
Evangelos Kamilos
Gerry & Karen Kamilos
Nick & Andreanna Kamilos
!
Christopher & Kristen kane
Michael & Stacie Kane
Andrew Kantargis
Gus & Ana Kapandritis
George Karagianes
Mike & Anthi Karas
Gus & Tina Karres
George & Mary Ellen
Kassotakis
Lucas & Charlotte Kastanes
George Kastanis
Terry & Penny Kastanis
Stella Kastoras
Athan & Maria Katsandres
James Katsilometes
Niko & Emorfia Katsimbras
Andreas & Evelyn Kazanis
Ioannis & Cindy Kazanis
Theodore & Andromachi
Kennedy
Anthony & Gail Kentroti
Effie Kentroti
Bess A. Kerhoulas
Connie Keriotis
Dejanae Kern
Victoria Kidman
Denise Kincaid
Fay Kirkopulos
Peter & Jennie Kleary
Nektarios & Maria Klostrakis
Pete & Maria Kokkinis
Alex & Kiriaki
Kokologiannakis
Gus Kokotis
Polidefkis & Calliope Kolitsos
George & Mary Kondos
Anthony Kontes
Lucas & Stella Kontes
Mary Kontes
Nick & Bernadette Kontos
Alexios & Vasiliki
Kotsiopulos
George Koufasimis
Fran Koulos
George & Elizabeth Koumis
Tina Kouremetis Mottram
George & Rula Kouretas
John & Colleen Kreatsoulas
Constantino & Dena Kuchulis
Loula Kufasimes
Nicholas & Michele
Kufasimes
George Kutuvinis
John & Mary Kyriakides
Greg & Vassie Kyritsis
Stephen & Anna LaBritt
Irene Ladd
Henry & Maria Lafayette
Leo & Cathy LaGesse
Gus & Frances Lambrose
Ellie Lane
Dean & Diane Langley
Ronald & Georgia Langley
Maria Lappas
Georgia Larson
Andrea Lendaris
Gary & Irina Leonard
Theodore Leonis
Esther Lilakos
John & Kathleen Lionakis
John & Rose Lionakis
Elena Livanis
Jesus & Helen Loaiza
Dionisia Lolas
Lance & Kathy Loper
Helen Loris
Marie Loris
Alice Loris-Lyons
Chris & Christine Lovett
MariBeth Lydon
Richard & Mary Lydon
Frank & Nicolette Madrid
Elaina & Gary Magana
Geraldine Magers
Chris & Maro Maguire
Stanley Makris
Thomas & Yiota Makris
Jim & Julie Mamalis
Athanasia Manikas
Exaveria (Rula) Manikas
Katherine Manolakas
Sam & Kerry Manolakas
Anne Manolis
Timothy & Annette Manolis
Athanasios & Stella
Manolopoulos
George & Marina Mantis
Sam & Ann Marandos
Antigoni Marcos
Katherine Marefos
Steve & Katherine Margaris
Nellie Margarite
James Marianos
Sylvia Maritsas
Nia Marketos
Dennis & Nancy Marks
Desiree Debbie Marks
John & Doreen Marks
Ellen & Jonathon Martin
Jon Martino
George Mategakis
Varghese & Elisabeth Mathew
Antonios & Maria
Mavroforakis
Vaso Mayer
Roger Mc Elligott
John & Vicki Meers
Helen Mellas
Olympia Mercuris
Sara Mesfun
Betty Metropoulos
Theodore & Esther
Metropoulos
Helen & Lawrence Michel
Pamela & Edward Middleton
Jack & Marque Molodanof
Tula Morris
Norman & Ellen (Moustris)
Newman
Benjamin & Sophia Ng
George & Gaye Nicholau
Anna Nikolaou
Theodore Nikolaou
Howard & Stella Norris
Frank Nunes
Daniel & Kathryn O'Connell
Alice Ousley
Fred & Vera Pagel
Peter & Gina Pandelopoulos
Peter & Marie Pantages
Effie Pantelias
Tom & Penny Pantelopoulos
Maria Pantis
Yianni & Kelly Pantis
John & Margaret Papadakis
John Papagiannopoulos
Bessie Papailias
Martha Papailias
Kalliroy Pappas
Louie & Voula Pappas
Mary A. Pappas
Paris & Helen Paraskevas
Jerry & Catherine Pavlatos
Constantine & Brigid Perakis
Christopher & Chanel Perinati
David & Jenny Perinati
Denise Perinati
Gregory & Jill Perinati
Alexis Peters
Paul & Shirley Peters
Diane Petersen
Gus & Lillian Petrakos
Stella & Michael Petrucci
Fotis & Tammy Petsalis
Stephen Andrew & Kyria Lee
Petuskey
Nikolas & Nicole Pikios
Costa Piperakis
Marina & Alin Podoreanu
Dorotheia Pooler
Bogdan & Valentina Popescu
Bessie Pothos
Sophia Potiris
George & Maro Poulos
Lucky & Dina Poulos
Karen Poulos-Firth
Charles Price
Marshall & Carole Pryor
Helen Psihopaidas
Dusan Radosavljevic
Julie & Greg Rausser
Elena Rebegeanu
Father James & Barbara
Retelas
Father Timothy & Pres.
Marsha Robinson
Antonia Rogers
Demetri & Malamo Romas
John & Penny Romas
Helen Rotas
Nicholas & Carol Rotas
George & Mary Roussas
Panagiotes & Mavra Rozakis
Joan Saetes
James & Sylvia Salidas
Leo & Katherine Sampanis
Stephan & Heidi Saris
Milton & Rheanon Sarlis
Speros & Panayiota Sarlis
Demetrise Scandalis
Diane Scandalis
Alexis Scandalis Genung
John & Helen Scherer
Daniela & Andrew Schmidt
Georgia Scribner
Cynthia Sefakis
Frances Sellas
Thomas Sellas
Ralph & Vassie Sett
Mary & Maurice Silva
John & Georganna Sinadinos
Alex & Lia Sioukas
Dean & Chrisa Sioukas
Jack & Lillian Sioukas
Nikitas Skondras
Gary & Linda Smith
John & Tina Sobol
Bill & Carol Spallas
Nicole & John Spomer
Demetrios Spyridakis
Stylianos & Klea Spyridakis
Vasilios Spyridakis
Dessie & Sam Stamas
Jan Stathis
Merle Stathis
Makis & Freda Stathopoulos
Bess Stathos
Mary Leona Stathos
Nick & Helene Stathos
Tony & Mary Stathos
Maria Stefanou
Little Joe Stevens
Nicholas & Heather Stewart
Stacey & Paul Stubblefield
John Takanikos
John & Barbara Takanikos
Anastasios Tasakos
Art & Terre Terzakis
Effie Theodor
Ourania Theodor
Sophie Theodore
Harry & Elaine Theodorides
Chris & Sofia Theodorou
Gregory & Mary
Theophilopoulos
Brent Thiese
Pearl Thomas
Steven Tingus
Chris & Angeline Tinios
Paula Titus
Jerry & Marian Trapp
William & Joann Triphon
Angelo & Sofia Tsakopoulos
Angelo G. & Katerina
Tsakopoulos
Drosoula Tsakopoulos
John & Dena Tsakopoulos
Sofia Tsakopoulos
George Tsiopos
Angelos & Farida Tsiros
Jasmine & Jude Turczynski
Anna Tzikas
Aristidis Tzikas
Emmanuel & Karen Tzikas
George & Margo Tzikas
Theodore G Tzikas
Antiope Tzouras
Scott & Vivian Vail
George & Traya Vallas
James & Faye Vallas
Michael Vasile
Rena Vasile
Mary Vasos
Christina Vathis
Helen Vathis
Nick & Christina Vathis
Aleko & Maria Verrios
Vasilis & Judy Verrios
Dennis Vicars
Anthony & Athanasia
Virgadamo
Loukia Vlahos
Michael Vlamis
Pavlo Voresis
Strati Vourakis
Lillian Vrakas
Douglas & Donna Wagner
Richard & Valentina Watts
Maria Kostidou Workman
Jerry & Elaine Wright
Theodora Yazigi
Andreas & Becky Yerocostas
Anestis & Areti Yiaslas
Athanasios Yiaslas
Haig & Irene Zeronian
Sophia Zogopoulos
!
T O TA L 4 7 2 PAGE 15
Stewardship
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
A Message from
Stewardship
Co-Chair, Peter
Fotopoulos
The end of the year is here,
and the Stewardship ministry is very grateful for
your continued support of God's church through
the gifts of your time, talents, and treasures! We
are very hopeful that we will have exceeded our
goal of $430,000 for 2013 once final gifts are
received. If you still have not pledged for 2013,
or you have yet to fulfill your pledge, please
contact the office or visit the church website to
do so immediately.
As we look forward to 2014, we have so much
to be excited for here at Annunciation. The
many ministries of our church, as well as future programs
and operations, are only possible with your dedicated and
loving support through stewardship. Please pray about
Stewardship and carefully consider your "Best Gift" for
2014. Challenge yourself (your family) to give more in
2014 than you did in 2013. If our entire community commits to this philosophy of "proportional regular giving", the
possibilities for our parish are boundless!
The Stewardship Ministry is again endorsing a "giving guideline" of 3% of household income. We realize that one cannot
Remember Your Church
Through Planned Giving
For more information or to obtain a brochure, be sure to
contact our parish Planned Giving Chair, Jerry Wright.
just get there overnight. Good giving is a spiritual exercise,
and something that we must always work to improve.
• If you are currently at a level less than 1% of your annual
household income, please commit to at least 1% in 2014.
• If you are giving more than 1% of annual household income, but less than 3%, go for 2% this year!
OPERATING FUND
1/1/13
to
12/13/13
2013
Budget
YTD
Pledges
$392,009
$430,000
All Other
Revenue
$335,148
$269,943
Total Revenue
$727,157
$699,943
Total Staff Exp.
$394,398
$416,518
Program
Services
$12,672
$15,570
Other Oper.
Exp.
$187,999
$168,359
Archdiocese
National
Ministries
$99,496
$99,496
Total Expense $694,565
$699,943
Income
Expenses
Balance as of
12/13/13
$32,591
2013 Pledges as of December 13, 2013
Stewardship
Budget
$430,000
• And for those who are currently giving at 3% (or more),
thank you for continued support and for leading the way!
Pledged to Date $413,179
Proportional regular giving (weekly or monthly) improves
giving habits and makes a greater impact on our lives. Give
it a try in 2014!
Total Amount
Received
$392,009
Total Members
Pledged
472
May you and your families have a Happy & Healthy New Year!!
PAGE 16
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE!
A N N U N C I A T I O N
OBSERVER
!
PAGE 17
January 2014 | THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER
Liturgical Schedule
Parish Milestones
For January 2014
40 Day Blessings
Unless otherwise noted, all morning services begin at 8:30
am, followed by the Divine Liturgy.
!
Wednesday, January 1
Circumcision of our Lord; St. Basil the Great
Friday, January 3
10 am - Royal Hours of Theophany
Sunday, January 5
6 pm - Great Vespers of Theophany
Monday, January 6
Holy Theophany
6 pm - Dive for the Cross (location TBD)
Tuesday, January 7
Synaxis of St. John the Baptist
Friday, January 17
St. Anthony the Great
Dec. 21 - Angelo (son of George & Chrysanthy
Demos) (sponsor: Matina Kolokotronis
& Kristin Bertolina-Faust)
Dec. 22 - Katherine (daughter of Dejanae
Kern) (sponsor: Mary Beth Lydon)
Dec. 22 - Michael (daughter of Dejanae Kern)
(sponsor: Donald V. Dole, Jr.)
Dec. 28 - Vasiliki (daughter of Aleco & Maria
Verrios) (sponsor: John Pappas & Stefanie Manolakas)
!
Funerals
Dec. 21 - Tony Stathos
Dec. 27 - Anastasia Lovett
Memorials
Dec. 8 - Angeliki Kivetos (1 year)
Dec. 15 - Helen Markos (40 days); Demetrios James Marcos; Demetrios - James
Marcos Jr; Stavroula Cakouros
Dec. 29 - Lucille Vlahos (6 months)
Thursday, January 30
Three Hierarchs
Advertising Rates
MONTHLY
ANNUALLY
Full
Page
$150
$1,250
Half
Page
$80
$720
Quarter
Page
$45
$375
Business
Card
$25
$240
Back
Page
$150
Not
Available
PAGE 18
Baptisms
!
Wednesday, January 22
St. Timothy
SIZE
Dec. 11 - Son of Mr. & Mrs. George Mategakis
THE ANNUNCIATION OBSERVER | January 2014
Locally owned and
operated by
The Dariotis Family
Great Value
for the
Entire Family
Warm Surroundings,
Delicious Foods,
Unbeatable Prices
Take Out Available
Banquet Facilities Available
Call Ahead Seating Available
We Now Offer Catering!
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Sacramento, CA
(916) 443-2862
12401 Folsom Blvd.
Rancho Cordova, CA
(916) 985-0822
731 Sunrise Ave.
Roseville, CA
(916) 773-3950
7727 Laguna Blvd.
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(916) 478-2400
11896 Foothill Blvd.
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(909) 980-3585
2107 Broadway St.
Redwood City, CA
(650) 216-9713
!
!
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Concord, CA
(925) 687-5030
2702 W. March Lane
Stockton, CA
(209) 473-3695
51 N. San Pedro St.
San Jose, CA
(408) 288-7488
1610 East Shaw Ave.
Fresno, CA
(559) 222-1066
111 N. Twin Oaks Valley Rd.
San Marcos, CA
(760) 471-0155
3155 W. Chandler Blvd.
Chandler, AZ
(480) 786-5705
1418 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 257-0380
!
Lind Brothers!FD1141!
A!Family!Owned!Funeral!Home!since!1964!
4221!Manzanita!Avenue!!!Carmichael,!CA!!95608!
Main:!916.482.8080!!!!!!!!!!Fax:!916.482.2009!
!
!
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!!
PAGE 19
Are you ready for
ground breaking?