October 2012 - St. George Orthodox Christian Church

OCTOBER 2012
What could be more enjoyable than a
perfect fall day, with bounce houses, a dunk tank,
delicious grilled foods, children, games, cotton
candy, watermelon and snow
cones??? Not much, unless you
got to share that day
surrounded by our family at St.
George!
On Sunday, September
23, our community shared in a
festive day of food, fun and
fellowship following the Divine
L i t u r g y.
Children and
parishioners of all ages enjoyed
the day filled with good old
fashion fun. Tents were hoisted and grills were set
up for cooking. Many brought their own meats
such as kabobs and burgers. The Fellowship grilled
delicious hot dogs as well. Inside the hall Rosalie
Abercia gave a video presentation of the the history of St. George. It was amazing to see how our
community has developed over the years. We owe much to those who have labored so that we may
have the beautiful church community we have today. Back outside under the warm sun, certain lucky
members sat in the dunk tank and heckled as
picnic goers through a ball at the target. No one
was safe - from parish council members to the
priests - the dunk take took many victims.
Many thanks go to our St. John the Divine
Fellowship and especially our Picnic Chairperson
Cynthia Salczenko who labored tirelessly to see that
no detail was missed. We truly appreciate all those
who donated their time and talents to make it such
an enjoyable time. We hope to have more
activities like the picnic to bring our St. George
family together in such a delightful fellowship.
St. George Orthodox Christian Church 5311 Mercer Street Houston, TX 77005 (713) 665-5252
What’s New in the BOOKSTORE
by Ike Spiker
The Divine Liturgy for Children: An Interactive Guide for
Participation in the Divine Liturgy helps the youngreader to participate in
the Divine Liturgy and become more actively involved. Through
illustrations, a picture glossary and side column comments, the reader is
directed to listen for various hymns, prayers, and readings, to look for
certain actions and is encouraged to participate at his/her level. Its
companion book, The Divine Liturgy Activity Book: A Child’s
Introduction to the Meaning of the Liturgy, provides fun activities to
teach children about the meaning of the Liturgy.
More picnic fun...
Thank You to All Those Who Have Made Their 2012 Pledge to St. George
If you have not made your 2012 pledge and would like to do so please pick up a card in the Church Office.
GEORGE & IRENE ABERCIA
JOHN & NADINE EIDMAN
LOUIS & ROSALIE ABERCIA
PETER & MARGO ELGOHARY
RONALD & KAREN ABERCIA
ABDALLAH & DANA EL-RASSY
OMAR & MONA ABOUDAHER
HERMAN & SUSAN ENGELHARDT
RAMI ALMUALEM
JORDAN EVANS
CHRIS & SHERRY ANGELO
GARY & OLGA FAOUR
GERALD ANGELO
KEN & SHIRLIE FAOUR
HELEN ANGELO
FAYEZ & ROULA FARAH
JAMES & KRISTEN ANTON
HANI & NADA FARAH
ANTONE ARAJ
EDWAR & VIVIAN FARES
MICHAEL & AMANDA ARAJ
RONALD & PEARL FORD
NABIL & GINGER ARWADI
ADEL & THERESE FOTEH
ROBERT & SAMMIE ARWADY
EDWARD & NATALIE FOTEH
GEORGE & LARA AYOUB
FUAD & AFAF FOTEH
RAYMOND & LAILA AZZAM
ISSA & AFAF FOTEH
AIDA BABA
MUFID & SUHAILA FOTEH
FARAH & LEILA BABA
MAY FREIHA
FUAD & HALA BABA
SLAVA & GALINA GABRIELOV
FUAD & CARMEN BABA
JASON & MARY GAMEL
ISSA & LAYLA BABA
AIDA GANIM
JAD & MAHA BABA
EISA & LAILA GANIM
JULIA BABA
JOHN & JENNIFER GANIM
KHALID & ROALA BABA
NADER & EMILY GANIM
MAHER & GINA BABA
RICKY & SANDY GANIM
MANSOUR & NARIMAN BABA
WAGIH & GLORIA GENDI
MASAD & SYLVIA BABA
HELEN GHEBREMICHAEL
SANA'A & GEORGINA BABA
JOSEPH GHEBREMICHAEL
HISHAM & FARIDA BADEEN
HABEEB & FATEN GNAIM
SAMIRA BAJALIEH
SHADEE GNAIM
SAM BARBAR
ANDREW & RIMA GRANADO
THOMAS & KIMBERLY BARROW
GEORGE & MICHELINE HADDAD
CARLOS & MARWA BECHARA
SOUHEIL & MARIANA HADDAD
DN. JOSEPH & LUBA CARTER
BILL & LINDA HAIDAMOUS
PATRICIA CHEMBERLIAN
JOSEPH & MIRIAM HALABI
SAMMIE CHRISTOPHER
GEORGE & IRMA HALLACK
CYNTHIA CLICK
MAURICE & MYRNA HANNA
ROBERT CLICK
MICHAEL & KAROL HANNA
ERIC COLEMAN
ROBERT & SUSAN HEIMBAUGH
TRUDY COMPANION
BOYD & TARI HOEKEL
ISSA & ROSE COOK
CHRIS & ANASTASIA HOGAN
MARIANTHI CORONEOU
CHRISTINA IVAN
MADELINE DE JEAN
JOHN & TARA IVASCU
ANTOINE & VICKI DEEB
TAWFIQ & AIDA JALLOUQ
NADIA DEEB
CHRIS & ELIZABETH JANDA
ELENA DRAGAN
MARIAN & SYLVIA JANTEA
EDWARD DUMONT
JOAN JONES
GEORGE & MONA DUNA
JOSHUA & DIALA JORDAN
GHASSAN & BASMA DWAIRY
ANTHONY & HEIDI KAIM
FR. CHRISTOPHER & KATARINA EID
HENRY & MARLENE KAIM
MIKE & ANNETTE KALEEL
LEE KAPETANKIS
ISSAM & JANET KARADSHEH
GABRA & JOAN KATRIB
ADELA KAWAS
STEVE & MELISSA KEAN
FR. SYMEON & JING KEES
CLEOPHUS KENNEDY
HATEM & YVETTE KHALAF
JANAN & MAHIR KHALAF
SADALLAH & HIYAM KHALAF
TANYA KHALAF
TARIQ & HANNA KHALAF
MOSES & JANETTE KHANO
EISA & NAHIL KHAWAJA
HANNA & LAMICE KHAWAJA
FOUAD & YOLA KHOURY
KHALIL & LYDIA KHOURY
STEVEN & HALA KHOURY
WILLIAM & DOROTHY KHOURY
ALEXANDER & IYA KOROSTELEV
MARIE KROLLS-DAVIS
SOPHIA MAFRIGE
VICTORIA MAFRIGE
LINDA MAKDISSI
WILLIAM MALLOY
MIKE & ELAINE MANIHA
JAMES MARKS
FOUAD MEKDISSI
RAYMOND & CHRISTINE MERHEB
SAMMY & KIMBERLY MICHAEL
BENJAMIN & LAYLA MOODY
NABIL & MARIA MOUBAYED
HELEN MOUSA
JUDY MOUSA
GHASSAN & AMAL MUFARREH
MARWAN & DIMA MUFARREH
NICK & SONIA MUFARRIGE
LEE & DOROTHY MURR
MICHAEL & MARY MURR
ALBERT & CAROLYN NAHAS
DANIEL & SHERYL NAMEE
MICHAEL & DANIELLE NASRA
GEORGE & AMAL NASSAR
YACOUB & KARIMEH NASSAR
STEPHEN & ULANA OWENS
JACK & NATALIE PARKS
ELIAS PEREZ
HELEN PERHOSKY
MIKE & ADRIENNE PERKINS
LORETTA PRONTKA
GEOFFREY & MARYELIXA QUALLS
NANCY RISK
PAUL ROZDILSKY
BADIA SAA
RAJA & STEPHANIE SAA
MARWAN & RULLA SABA
AMER & ROULA SABBAGH
ELIE & SANAA SABER
ESSA SACKLLAH
GEORGE & NUHA SACKLLAH
JIMMY & TRACY SACKLLAH
SHAWKI & NINA SALAMEH
JEFF & CYNTHIA SALCZENKO
ATA & LINA SALEK
GEORGE & DEENA SALFITI
RIMA SALIBA
CHARLIE & KERI SAMAN
PETER & LORI SEDRAK
KARIM & GIHAN SEMINE
FR. JAMES & GIZELLE SHADID
FR. JOSEPH & ANITA SHAHDA
JOSEPH & AMY SHAHDA
GORDON & ROULA SHAHIN
IBRAHIM & SAWSAN SHATLEH
JOHN & SUSIE SOBCHAK
LISA SPIKER
GHASOUB & ABEER SROUR
MARK & MIRABELLA STILKENBOOM
WILLIAM & LORA TOD
JUAN TORRES
SAMIR & GRACE TUMA
HELEN VARCADOS
CAMILLE WARD
MARWAN & SAMIA YAZBECK
GEORGE & SANDRA ZAIBAQ
ISAM & FAIKA ZAID
MAZIE ZAID
RIMA ZANANIRI
ISSA & KAMRA ZANAYED
SAMI & YUSRA ZANAYED
JOHN & TERESA ZASTANY
MURSHED & LINA ZAYED
MIKE & JAMIE ZEIBAQ
GREG ZRAKE
JANE ZULOVICH
“As many as have been baptized into Christ...”
BAPTISMS
August 26
Nadean Abla Ankar
Parents: Joe & Nancy Ankar
Godparents: Ramiz Billeh & Vanessa Garcia
August 31
Mia Alexandra Dababneh
Parents: Haitham & Lisa Foty
Godparents: Basel Haddadin & Jennifer Ellamaa
September 12
Christian Nassif
Parents: Charles & Maria Nassif
Godparents: Jeremiah Nassif & Jessica Nassif
“Thou art illumined. Thou art sanctified... ”
CHRISMATIONS
September 13
Narius
Sponsor: Gerald Angelo
September 28
Abla Khalaf
1/24/1931 - 9/26/2012
“Memory Eternal”
FUNERALS
September 29
Julia Baba
8/28/1934 - 9/26/2012
The Holy Martyr Charitina - October 5
Charitina was the only daughter of her Christian parents, who were slaves to the
prosperous Roman merchant Claudius. Although persecution towards Christians were
rampant at this time, Claudius and his wife showed kindness and mercy to their humble
slaves, embracing them as friends would. Since they had no children of their own, they
especially cared for the young Charitina, loving her as a daughter.
When in her teens, Charitina lost her parents to an illness that spared her and her
benefactors. Upon this grievous outcome, Claudius and his wife assured the girl that
she would be well taken of, granting her freedom and promising that she would be free
to worship her God in any way she desired. They also hoped to adopt Charitina as their
own. The only thing needed was permission from the Roman government.
Once Claudius sought this permission and provided all that was necessary to
fulfill the legal requirements, the resolution of the adoption was within grasp, until a clerk
found a barrier. According to Roman law, no Roman could adopt a Christian slave, lest
she grow to marry a Roman and “contaminate” the race. Frustrated and furious,
Claudius took the matter to the senate, where he had many allies. They bickered on the
issue, with those against the adoption arguing that the law must be followed precisely, and any
exception for one man would open a slew of similar cases and result in a huge mess.
The senate left it up to Dometius, the head of a certain commission, who held intense hatred for
the young, innocent Charitina. He declared that she must deny Christ and embrace the idols, or else
lose her life. She refused to disavow her Lord and was thus sentenced to death. She suffered through
awful and ghastly tortures, including the uprooting of her teeth and nails. She fell asleep on Oct. 5, 290.
OCTOBER 4
7:00 - 9:00 pm
PASADENA
At the Home of
Dr. Souheil & Mariana Haddad
(14227 Marina Bay Lane)
The St. George Community is blessed
that our beautiful church is centrally located
and a prime location for bringing people
together. However due to active schedules,
heavy traffic and a large perimeter, the Church
must sometimes bring herself to your doorstep.
To better serve the needs of the parishioners
and our church family, we are reinstituting our
Outreach Program. There are four "areas" that
have been targeted which include Kingwood,
S u g a r La n d , Pa s a d e n a a n d J e r s e y
Village/Cypress.
Outreach will be held the FIRST THURSDAY
of EACH MONTH at a parishioner's home. The
informal evenings will begin at 7 p.m. and will
last until approximately 9 p.m. The purpose is to
give parishioners living in the area a chance to
join together in fellowship with the priest in their
midst. While each Outreach may differ slightly,
the format will begin with a bit of social time
followed by a discussion/question & answer
session led by the priest.
CYPRESS
At the Home of
Sabine Zahr
(8226 Polished Stone Circle)
On the Feast of the
Birth of the Theotokos,
S e p t m b e r 8 , S t.
George held its annual
Gourmet Luncheon in
the Fellowhip Hall.
Over 120 tickets were
sold for the very tasty
and elegant event.
The doors opened at 11:00 am with a cooking presentation
from our own St. George cooks Kim Barrow and Dr. Nada
Farah. These ladies presented delicious recipes including a
butternut squash side, a fruit and nut salad, and an
appetizer made of a phyllo dough dish filled with
mushrooms. Johann Schuster, Gourmet Chef at Charivari
Restaurant in Houston then prepared a Chilean sea bass.
While he made it look very simple, much work and effort was
given by the Gourmet Luncheon committee to duplicate
the recipe to serve over 100 plates. The meal was
complemented with wine and dessert. Fr. James gave
concluded with presentation over the Feast Day. Thank you
to all who labored tirelessly to make the luncheon such a
delicious and delightful event.
St. George Dubke Troop
St. George Orthodox Christian Church
5311 Mercer Street
Houston, TX 77005
www.stgeorgehouston.com
CHURCH STAFF
Rev. Fr. James Shadid
Pastor
Associate Pastor Rev. Fr. Symeon Kees
V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Shahda
Pastor Emeritus
Attached Pastor Rev. Fr. Christopher Eid
Rev. Dn. Joseph Carter
Deacon
Paul Fuller
Youth Director
Octavia Battles
Secretary