Good Friends never say Goodbye. They simply Say …

“See You Soon.”

Beloved parishioners;

Christ is Risen!

For four years my wife and I have been part of the Saint Constantine and Helen par-ish family. The assigning of a priest to a parish by a bishop is something like an arranged marriage – you don’t know quite what to ex-pect.

From my perspective, it’s been simply a wonderful pastoral experience! While my ministry here was not

full-time, you were always sensitive of my time and work limitations; and I ap-preciated that. I have also been very grateful for the kindness, love and hospi-tality you have shown to me and to Presbytera Elena.

You have treated us like family and took us into your hearts. It’s been a real pleasure working with you doing God’s work here in the Antelope Val-ley. We will have many golden memories of our time here which presbyt-era and I will treasure in the years ahead.

We are preparing for the big move back to North Car-olina in early June to be clos-er our son Max and daugh-ter-in-law Molly. We hope to periodically visit in the future. While we will be far away on the East Coast, this beautiful little parish in Lancaster will be forever in our thoughts.

We will include you in our prayers as we depart for Washington, North Carolina to begin a new chapter in our lives. May God bless you all with health, prosperity and good fortune!

Love in Christ,

Fr. Dionysios

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

MAY—JUNE 2017

Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

www.stsch.org

43404 30th St West Lancaster, CA 93536

(661) 945-1212

Fr. Dionysios Listermann-Vierling

Pastor

E-mail: frdvierling@yahoo.com

Cell Phone: (831) 713-6941

For confirmation or questions on any event,

please contact

E-mail: sylvarobinson001

@gmail.com (661)794-8307

The Antelope Valley Beacon

P A G E 2

attendance, or his Chancel-lor, His Grace Bishop Apos-tolos.

Father Dionysios’ sched-ule in these last weeks is a little uncertain, as he has a surgery scheduled for May 25th. We will plan to say goodbye to Father and Presvytera at our Feast Day luncheon on 21 May which will be Father’s last day at the Parish.

As President of the Par-ish Council I would like to thank Father Dionysios and Presvytera Elena for their effort and dedication in serv-ing the Lord and His Parish in the Antelope Valley these last almost 4 years, and we wish them God’s blessings in the new phase of their life.

Peter Bouras Parish Council President

CHRIST IS RISEN!

I hope everyone had a spiritually uplifting Holy Week, Holy Pascha with Bright Week.

As you know we are in the final month of Father Dionysios’ ministry to our Parish. Father and Presvytera decided to move to North Carolina, where after 30 years of service, Father can retire from the active priestly ministry, and they can be close to their son and family.

Although this may be felt as a loss for our Par-ish, yet the Lord is in charge, as He says ‘without Me you can do nothing”, and “I am with you to the end of the age”.

We do not know exact-ly what the future will bring, but we take comfort in His words and trust that

the Lord, and His servant our Metropolitan Gerasimos will shelter and protect our little Church, and send us a worthy Priest to serve our community.

At this time, we look for-ward to celebrating the 35

th

Anniversary of our Parish Church building, and the 10

th Anniversary of the

John P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center. Of course the Church (the people) existed for many decades before the Church building was built.

Please make your plans to attend the weekend of the 20

th—21

st both the Ves-

pers and Dinner, starting at 5:30 PM on Saturday, May 20

th, and the Divine Liturgy

on Sunday, May 21st, the

Feast Day of our Parish. A luncheon will be provided after Liturgy.

We will be blessed to have either His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos in

Saints Constantine and Helen

Parish Name Day & 35th Anniversary

10th Anniversary of the John P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center

Weekend of May 20th-21st

RSVP for Saturday Night Dinner by May 8, 2017

Pam Evola: 661-350-7549 or Elaine Grado 661-942-5142

T H E A N T E L O P E V A L L E Y B E A C O N

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

MAY - JUNE SPECIAL SERVICES

May 7 Sunday

End of Liturgy – Sunday & High School Graduation; Miltos Leventis Scholarship award

May 20 Saturday

5:30 PM Sts. Constantine & Helen Feast day Great Vespers w/ Hierarch

6:00 PM Sts. Constantine & Helen 35th Anniversary Gala: Cocktail Hour

7:00 PM Sts. Constantine & Helen 35th Anniversary Gala: Dinner

May 21 Sunday

9:00 AM Sts. Constantine & Helen Feast Day Matins w/ Hierarch

10:00 AM Sts. Constantine & Helen Feast Day Hierarchical Liturgy

12:00 PM Sts. Constantine & Helen Feast Day Luncheon

May 24 Wednesday

7:00 PM Holy Ascension Great Vespers

Jun 03 Saturday

8/9am Saturday of Souls Matins/Liturgy (depends on clergy)

Jun 04 Sunday

End of Liturgy - Holy Pentecost kneeling vespers

FELLOWSHIP HOUR SCHEDULE

Date Event Sponsor

May 7 Coffee Hour Elias and Hind Qarmout

May 14 Coffee Hour Anna Conti

May 21 Feast Day Luncheon Hellenic Center

May 28 Coffee Hour

Jun 4 Coffee Hour Irene Tsobanakis / Helen Poulos

Jun 11 Coffee Hour Sylva Robinson

Jun 18 Coffee Hour

Jun 25 Coffee Hour Julie Agnew

Please call Helen Poulos if you are interested in providing food for a memorial, a coffee hour, or a luncheon. Helen Poulos can be reached at 661-538-0386 home; 661-618-8607 cell.

PAGE 3

T H E A N T E L O P E V A L L E Y B E A C O N

Memorials We are providing a form on which Parishioners can notify Fr. Dionysios of planned memo-

rials. Please ask for the form at the candle stand. If possible, please submit the form at

least one Sunday prior to the planned date.

According to the rules of the Church memorials are not permitted: from the Saturday of

Lazarus through Thomas Sunday. Also, memorials are not allowed on the Great Feast

Days of the Lord and of the Theotokos.

Memorials for March / April

A one-year memorial was given by Antoneta Ketza for her mother, Ana.

A one-year memorial was given by Theodora Papastathis for her mother, Angie Eliopulos. Georggin.

A one-year memorial was given by Gus and Denise Christou for Gus’ mother Stella.

A memorial was given by George Dracopoulos for members of his family.

Sacraments

Baptism

John Ilias, son of Maria Ilias, both from Saint Nicholas, baptized the 11-month old Elzie Layman.

Weddings

Michael and Adriana Kirollos had their marriage blessed in the Church.

Meetings

Parish Council Meetings

May 17th—Wednesday, at 6:30 PM

June 18th—Sunday, after Coffee Hour

Philoptochos Meeting

Sunday, May 28th after Coffee Hour

Saturday, June 3rd Yard Sale 7AM-1PM

Feeding the Hungry—We broke 200! Twice this year we were able to provide food for the less fortunate here in our community.

On each of these days we fed more than 200 people! We are thankful for Pamela Evola for

planning the menus, shopping, and preparing the food; and are also thankful for the faithful

ones who come and serve the food. Each time we serve in this capacity we are blessed!

We have three remaining dates in 2017. Please put them on your calendar and plan to

come serve. Participation time is from 8:30 – 10:30 on these Saturday mornings: Jun 24,

Aug 26, Oct 28.

P A G E 4

PAGE 5

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

Christian Stewardship is…

…learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ’s Church; it is learn-ing how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work, for in Her dwells the fullness

of the Spirit of God. …our active commit-ment to use all our time, talent and treas-ure for the benefit of mankind in grateful ac-knowledgment of Christ’s redeeming love. …caring for the needs of others. …offering one’s self to God as He offered Him-self to us.

2017 PARISH COUNCIL

Peter Bouras President

James Brunson Vice-President

Julie Agnew Treasurer

Dr. Alex Patananan Secretary

Philip Evola

Elaine Grado

Michael Hutchison

Bill Koukourikos

Petar Simich

What is Christian Stewardship?

P A G E 6 T H E A N T E L O P E V A L L E Y B E A C O N

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

Agnew, Ms. Jenny

Agnew. Ms. Julie

Astrinakis, Mrs. Fotini

Benveniste, Mrs. Stefania

Bonorris, Mrs. Josie

Bouras, Mr. and Mrs. Peter

Brunson, Mr. and Mrs. James

Christou, Mr. and Mrs. Gus

Chryssostomides, Mr. and Mrs. Pandelis

Dracopoulos, Mr. and Mrs. George

Drimakis, Mr. and Mrs. Costas

Eliopulos, Mrs. Georgia

Evola, Mr. and Mrs. Philip

Golea, Mrs. Nicole

Goutsos, Mr. and Mrs. Gary

Grado-Berona, Mrs. Georgia

Grado, Mrs. Elaine

Haddad, Mr. and Mrs. Sam

Harris, Mr. Thomas

Hartman, Ms. Beth

Hendrickson, Mrs. Lee

Homsy, Mr. John

Hutchison, Mr. and Mrs. Michael

Kappas, Mr. Andrew

Kappas, Mrs. Sofia

Koukourikos, Mr. and Mrs. Bill

Letcher, Mrs. Helen

Listermann-Vierling, Fr. and Pva.

Mormanis, Mrs. Sia

Patananan, Dr. Alexander

Platis, Ms. Anna

Popita, Mrs. Valerie

Poulos, Ms. Helen

Robinson, Mrs. Sylva

Sanchez, Ms. Senaida

Sanchez, Mr. and Mrs. Santiago

Simich, Mr. Petar

Tintocalis, Mrs. Rosa

Tsobanakis, Mrs. Irene

Woods, Mrs. Stella

Zarras, Mr. and Mrs. Peter

T ha nk you fo r you r l o ve a nd Com m it m ent o f Chr i s t ’ s Ho ly O rth odo x Chu rch . We ar e g l ad t hat y ou a r e par t o f ou r P ar i s h .

SAINTS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN

2017 STEWARDSHIP HONOR ROLL

After prayerfully considering your pledge for 2017, please drop your completed Stewardship Commitment Card into the offering plate. Without your love and commit-ment on a stewardship card, we cannot properly fund our Church ministries or plan for the financial obligations of the Parish.

PAGE 7

Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church 43404 30th Street West

Lancaster, California 93536

The Antelope Valley Beacon

May-June 2017

Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

of Antelope Valley www.stsch.org

TIME DATED MATERIAL

Saints Constantine and Helen

Name Day—May 21