The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity

ISSUE NO. 298 WWW. HOLYTRINITYBRIDGEPORT. ORG DECEMBER 2014

December 2014

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

MEMORIALS SUNDAY DEC. 7

Apostolos & Sophie Pappas 15

years

1

Monday of the

11th Week

Prophet Nahum

Philaret the

Merciful

2

Tuesday of

the 11th

Week

Prophet Hab-

akkuk

Cyril of

Phileus

3

Wednesday of

the 11th Week

Prophet Sopho-

nias

John the Hesy-

chast

4

Great Martyr

Barbara

John of Da-

mascus

5

Sabbas the

Sanctified

Martyr Dioge-

nes

Philotheos of

Mount Athos

6

Liturgy:

9:30am

Nicholas the

Wonderwork-

er

Αγίνπ Νηθνιάνπ

7

10th Sunday

of Luke

Ambrose, Bp.

Of Milan Youth Retreat – Arch-

angels Church

– Stamford 1-5 pm

8

Monday of the

12th Week

Conception of

the Theotokos

Forefeast

Patapius of

Thebes

9

Conception of

the Theotokos

Prophetess

Hannah

10

Wednesday of

the 12th Week

Martyr Menas &

Companions

Thomas of Bi-

thynia

11

Thursday of

the 12th

Week

Daniel the Sty-

lite

Luke the New

Stylite

12

Liturgy:

9:35am

Spyridon the

Wonderworker

Αγίνπ

ππξίδσλνο

13 Joy/

Hope Santa’s

Santa’s Work-

shop

Herman of Alas-

ka

Martyr Eustrati-

us

& compnions

14

11th Sunday

of Luke

Martyrs Thyr-

sus & compan-

ions

Parish Council Elections

15

The Holy Hi-

eromartyr Eleu-

therius

Susannah the

Deaconess

16

Tuesday of

the 13th

Week

Prophet Hag-

gai

Modestos, Bp.

of Jerusalem

17 Greek

School Christ-

mas Celebra-

tion - 5:00 pm.

Wednesday of

the 13th Week

Prophet Daniel

Dionysios of

Zakynthos

18

Thursday of

the 13th

Week

Martyrs Sebas-

tian & Com-

panions

Michael the

Confessor

19

Friday of the

13th Week

Martyrs Boniface

& Companions

Gregentius of

Ethiopia

20

Saturday before

Nativity

Forefeast of the

Nativity

Ignatius the

God-Bearer

21

Sunday before

Nativity

Forefeast of the

Nativity

Sunday School

Christmas Pro-

gram

22

Monday of the

14th Week

Great Martyr

Anastasia of

Rome

Martyrs Chrys-

ogonus and

Theodota

23

Tuesday of

the 14th

Week

10 Martyrs of

Crete

Founding of

Agia Sophia

24 Chri

stmas Eve -Vespers –

LITURGY –

Choir Candle-

light Service &

CAROLING

7:00

pmΠαρακολή

Υρηζηοσγέλλω

λ

25

CHRIST-

MAS DAY-

Divine Lit-

urgy:

9:45am

Υρηζηούγελ

λα

26

Fast Free

Synaxis of the

Theotokos

Euthemios the

Confessor

27

Fast Free

Saturday after

Nativity

Protomartyr

Steven

Theodore the

Branded

28 Fast Free

Sunday after

Nativity

20,000 Martyrs

of Nicomedia

Martyr

Glycerus

29 Fast Free

Holy Innocents

Abbot Marcel-

lus

30 Fast Free

Tuesday of

the 15th

Week - Great

Martyr Anysia

Gideon the

New

31 New

Year’s Eve Par-

ty

Apodosis of

Nativity

Righteous

Melania

Jan 1—

Liturgy at

9:45 am

Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and Oil Allowed Dairy,Eggs, and Fish Allowed

DECEMBER 2014 3

"I behold a new and wondrous mystery.

My ears resound to the Shepherd's song,

piping no soft melody but chanting forth a

full heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The

Archangels blend their voice in harmony.

The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise.

The Seraphim exalts His glory. All join to

praise this holy feast, beholding the

Godhead here on earth, and man in

heaven. He Who is above, now for our

redemption dwells here below; and he that

was lowly is by divine mercy raised." St

John Chrysostom

N ow that we are in the

A d v e n t s e as o n a n d

preparing for the birth of

our Lord and Savior, we are reminded to count our

blessings, since all that we have is from God: family,

community, and most importantly, Jesus, the incarnate

Word of God.

"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power

of the Most high shall overshadow thee; and therefore

also the Holy, which shall be born of thee shall be called

the Son of God.‖ (Luke 10, 31:5)

Since God has given us His only Son, we celebrate

His birth by not only giving gifts, but even more

importantly, by giving of ourselves. So how do we give

of ourselves? We can start by giving more of ourselves

over to God. We can pray more. We can attend more

church services and bring our children to

Sunday school. We can make the

commitment to give more of our time and

talents to our church community.

In addition to giving more of ourselves

to God, we should also give more of

ourselves to one another. We can start by

telling those around us how much we love

and appreciate them and how special they

are to us. We can visit a sick relative who

can't make it out of the house during this

nativity season. We can cheer up a friend

who's been having a tough time. We can

help feed the hungry and clothe the poor

by participating in food and clothing

drives, or volunteering at a soup kitchen.

Therefore, as we join together, anticipating and

preparing for the birth of our Lord, let's not forget to be

examples of the "Good News" by offering our

almsgiving and prayers of joy and thanksgiving,

because the Nativity of Christ is of great significance to

us as Orthodox Christians.

In light of the Nativity Season, I would like to express

my gratitude to the Holy Trinity community. The

fortitude, love, and strength of this community really

shined through again this year. As Jesus is our rock, so

is our church community!

On a Thankful Heart by Father Andreas Vithoulkas

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ”

Good Saint Nick

M any of the traditions about Santa Claus come from the life of St.

Nicholas and his charitable work. One of the stories about St.

Nicholas involves how the saint helped a father with three daughters. The

father had become poor and did not have dowries for his daughters, and it

was almost impossible to get married without a dowry. The father feared

that the daughters would never be married, or worse, they would wind up

in the streets. Saint Nicholas heard about this family and, not wanting to

embarrass the father, put three bags of gold coins into the house at differ-

ent times. In one version of the story, he dropped the bags down the

chimney. In another version, he placed the bags into the girls’ stockings

that had been hung to dry by the fireplace. Finally, the father caught St.

Nicholas leaving a bag of gold. St. Nicholas told the father that thank

God for the gift. As the news of what St. Nicholas had done traveled around the city, people began to suspect that the

saint was leaving many anonymous gifts in people’s home. After Saint Nicholas died, people began to leave gifts for

the poor anonymously. Submitted by V. Andriotis: Vrame, A. For to Us a Child is Born Brookline:GOARCH DRE, 2008. Print

DECEMBER 2014 4

Δσταρηζηίες

θαη Δσιογίες! ηοσ π. Αλδρέα Βσζούιθας

"Ιδνύ έλα λέν θαη ζαπκαζηό

κπζηήξην. ηα απηηά καο αληερεί

ε θινγέξα ηνπ βνζθνύ, Οη άγγειν η ηξαγ νπ δνύ λ. Οη

Αξράγγεινη ελώλνπλ ηηο θσλέο αξκνληθά. Σα εμαπηέξπγα θαη

ηα εξαθε ίκ εμπ ςώλνπλ

ραξκόζπλνπο επαίλνπο. Όια ζηελ θύζε ελώλνληαη λα

επαηλέζνπλ ηήλ ἁγία απηή Ἑνξηή, αηελίδνληαο ηελ

ζεόηεηα, εδώ ζηε γε. Απηόο πνπ

είλαη πάλσ ζηνλ Οπξαλό, ηώξα έξρεηαη θάησ ζηε Γή λα καο

ιπηξώζεη.» Αγίνπ Ισάλλνπ ηνπ

Υξπζνζηόκνπ

Τ ώξα πνπ αξρίδεη ε

πεξίνδνο ηεο λεζηείαο ησλ

Υξηζηνπγέλλσλ θαη

πξνεηνηκαδόκαζηε γηα ηε γέλλεζε

ηνπ Κπξίνπ καο θαη σηήξα, αο

κεηξάκε ηηο επινγίεο καο, αθνύ όηη

έρνπκε είλα η από ην Θεό:

νηθνγέλεηα, Κνηλόηεηα, θαη ην

ζεκαληηθόηεξν, ηνλ Ιεζνύ, ηελ

ελζάξθσζε ηνπ Θενύ.

«Καη απνθξηζείο ν άγγεινο είπελ

απηή: πλεύκα άγηνλ επειεύζεηαη επί

ζε θαη δύλακηο πςίζηνπ επηζθηάζεη

ζνη δηό θαη ην γελλώκελνλ εθ ζνπ

ά γ η ν λ θ ι ε ζ ή ζ ε η α η π η ό ο

Θενύ.» (Λνπθάο 1, 1:35)

Γεδνκέλνπ όηη ν Θεόο καο έδσζε

ηνλ κνλνγελή Τηό ηνπ, γηνξηάδνπκε

ηε γέλλεζή ηνπ, δίλνληαο όρη κόλν

δώξα, αιιά αθόκε πην ζεκαληηθό,

κε ην δόζηκν ηνπ εαπηνύ καο.

Λνηπόλ, πώο κπνξνύκε λα

δώζνπκε ηνλ εαπηό καο; Μπνξνύκε

λ α α ξ ρ ί ζ ν π κ ε δ ί λ ν λ η α ο

πεξηζζόηεξν από ηνπο εαπηνύο καο

ζ η ν λ Θ εό. Μ π νξ ν ύκ ε λα

πξνζεπρόκαζηε πεξηζζόηεξν.

Μπνξνύκε λα παξαθνινπζήζνπκε

πεξηζζόηεξεο αθνινπζίεο ζηελ

εθθιεζία θαη λα θέξνπκε ηα

παηδηά καο ζην θαηερεηηθό ζρνιείν.

Μπνξνύκε λα θάλνπκε ηε

π π ό ζ ρ ε ζ ε λ α δώ ζ ν π κ ε

πεξηζζόηεξν από ην ρξόλν θαη ηα

ηαιέληα καο ζηελ εθθιεζία καο.

Δθηόο από ην λα δίλνπκε

πεξηζζόηεξν από ηνπο εαπηνύο καο

ζην Θεό, ζα πξέπεη λα δώζνπκε

πεξηζζόηεξν από ηνπο εαπηνύο καο

ν έλαο γηα ηνλ άιινλ. Μπνξνύκε

λα αξρίζνπκε κε κία απιή ιέμε

αγάπεο θαη εθηίκεζεο. Μπνξνύκε

λα επηζθεθζνύκε έλα άξξσζην

ζπγγελή ή θίιν θαηά ηε δηάξθεηα

α π η ήο ηε ο π εξ η ό δν π ησ λ

Υξηζηνπγέλλσλ. Μπνξνύκε λα

βνεζήζνπκε ηνπο θησρνύο θαη

άζηεγνπο, κε ην λα ηνπο δώζνπκε

έλα πηάην θαγεηό θαη ξνύρα.

Καζώο πξνεηνηκαδόκαζηε γηα ηε

γέλλεζε ηνπ Κπξίνπ, αο κελ

μερλάκε λα είκαζηε παξάδεηγκα

γηα ηα "θαιά λέα" κε πξνζεπρέο

θαη επραξηζηίεο γηα ηελ εκέξα ησλ

επραξηζηηώλ, θαη κε ηνλ εξρνκό

ησλ Υξηζηνπγέλλσλ - ηεο γέλλεζεο

ηνπ Υξηζηνύ καο - πνπ γηα καο ηνπο

Οξζνδόμνπο Υξηζηηαλνύο έρεη

κεγάιε ζεκαζία.

Λακβάλνληαο ππόςε ηελ γηνξηή

ηεο γελλήζεσο, θαη ηελ πξόζθαηε

γηνξηή ηεο εθαηνληαεηεξίδαο καο,

ζα ήζεια λα εθθξάζσ ηελ

επγλσκνζύλε κνπ ζηελ Κνηλόηεηα

ηεο Αγίαο Σξηάδνο. Όπσο ν Ιεζνύο

είλαη ν βξάρνο έηζη είλαη θαη ε

Δθθιεζία καο, ε θνηλόηεηα καο.

Ο Θεόο λα επινγεί όινπο ηνπο

ελνξίηεο ηεο Αγίαο Σξηάδνο!

“It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you... yes, it is Christmas

every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.” Mother Teresa

DECEMBER 2014 5

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” Bob Hope

L ast month, we held our

Wine and Food Tasting

event, which went very

well. Many of our guests were

not parishioners, which gave

them the opportunity to sample

some of the dishes that they

will find at our annual festival.

From the comments I heard ,

our guests were very happy and

satisfied, and wondered why the

price of admission was only

$25.00 !

I would like to take this

opportunity to thank all of the

ladies who worked so hard on

baking without any complaint,

the group of ladies who helped

us that day during the event, and the people who gave us

donations. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart,

for the wonderful teamwork that made an event like this

one so successful. It is wonderful that our Church bene-

fits from all the funds raised. Philoptochos offered food

and desserts for the event and is also going to donate

another $2,000 cash, shortly. ε θαιή κεξηά !

The Thanksgiving Bake Sale was a success. If you’d

like to order food or desserts for Christmas, please be

prompt. Call the Church office or Kalliope Tsitsipas at

(203) 556-2962 or Lena Protopapas at (203) 929-1582.

ΥΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ to father Andreas for his name

day celebration. St Andrew was one of the disciples of

Jesus Christ. If you visit Greece , you can visit Patras

and the Church of St Andreas λα πξνζθπλήζεηε ην

ιείςαλό ηνπ.

Thanksgiving is an important celebration. Besides

the nice food and desserts we eat that day, we should

remember the problems those first people, the pilgrims,-

faced when they left from Europe to avoid prosecution

for their religious beliefs. Actually, they were going to

North Carolina, but, because of a terrible storm, they

found themselves in Plymouth , Mass. When they

stepped on the land , the first thing they did was to pray

to God for being alive. We, too, have to be very thankful

to Jesus for being alive and having so much more than

the pilgrims had. Now, as we approach Christmas and

our hearts are filled with joy and happiness, we

should remember what He asked us to do: to help each

other, to love each other, to give

and share. Please, remember

Jesus’s words from His teach-

ings"...for I was hungry and you

gave me food, I was thirsty and

you gave me drink, I was a

stranger and you welcomed me,

I was naked and you clothed

me, I was sick and you visited

me, I was in prison and you

came to me.’ .." (Matthew

25:35-36, RSV) Let us remem-

ber His words and give love and

kindness to the poor. αο

παξαθαιώ δώζηε απιόρεξα

απηά ηα Υξηζηνύγελλα ζηνλ

έξαλν ηεο Φηινπηώρνπ γηα

ηξόθηκα, παιηά θαη ξνύρα

ζηνπο θησρνύο κε ηνλ ίδην ηξόπν πνπ απιόρεξα ν

Υξηζηόο καο, κάο πξόζθεξε θαη καο δίδαμε κε ηνλ

εξρνκό Σνπ ζηε γε.

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy

New Year to all of You. Νάζηε Καιά όινη θαη λα

πεξάζεηε Υαξνύκελα ηηο Άγηεο απηέο Μέξεο κε Σηο

Οηθνγέλεηέο ζαο. Υξόληα Πνιιά ζε όινπο πνπ έρεηε ηηο

γηνξηέο ζαο απηόλ ην κήλα.

Important Days:

- December 12th, 2014: Christmas Dinner; bring a bag

with personal toiletries, for the Women Center (abused

women and children) (details will follow).

- December 13th, 2014: St. Basil Academy Annual

Christmas Open House and Pageant at 11:00 AM

- December 14th, 2014: Loukoumades; the proceeds are

for Greece and Cyprus

- December 20-21/ 2014: Christmas Bake Sale

- December 21-22/ 2014: Baskets for the Poor and the

Needy

Also, I would like to thank all of the Philoptochos

Ladies for the beautiful flowers and the good words they

sent me when I was recuperating from my accident. It is

at times like these, that I am reminded how lucky I am

to be part of this organization.

Philoptochos by Lena Protopapas , President

DECEMBER 2014 6

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”

I am pleased to announce that

we have revived Holy Trini-

ty’s Stewardship Committee.

Our second meeting of the year

was held on November 12. The

Stewardship Report presented at

our October 26 General Assembly

meeting stated that we are seeing

an increase in 2014 in both num-

ber of stewards and dollar

amounts. We estimate that for 2014 we will have over

400 paid families with collections above $180,000. So

far this year we have 17 new stewards. The average

steward has contributed over $550 , and we are blessed

to have many contributions in excess of $2,000.

At the latest stewardship meeting, we were blessed

to have two visitors from the Archdiocese who came to

guide us. It was a very successful meeting, and they are

planning on returning in January to help us further.

They congratulated us for our beautiful community.

They stressed the importance of our stewardship pro-

gram in promoting our church community as a loving

family. We noted that stewardship is not about dollars,

but about getting more of us involved in donating our

time and talents to the Church, which is the body of

Christ. St. John Chrysostom said ―A rich man is not

one who has much, but one who gives much. For what

he gives away remains his forever.‖ We are proud of

our Holy Trinity, historically the strongest Greek Ortho-

dox Church in Connecticut, and we are looking forward

to our bright future. We will work towards spreading

Christ’s Love among all our parishioners and organiza-

tions, and continue our many religious and cultural min-

istries throughout our greater community.

I would like to extend a special Thank You to Vicky

Andriotis for helping us put together some important

stewardship materials which you will be seeing shortly.

Thank You also to our spiritual leader, Father Andreas,

who was instrumental in reviving our stewardship pro-

gram. Under his great leadership, we are looking for-

ward to a bright, loving and fruitful future. Please con-

sider joining us on the Stewardship Committee by con-

tacting me or the church office.

Χ αίξνκαη πνπ αλαθνηλώλνπκε ηελ αλαλέσζε

ηεο επηηξνπήο ηεο Υξηζηηαληθήο

Οηθνλνκίαο ηεο Αγίαο Σξηάδαο. Η δεύηεξε

ζπλεδξίαζε ηεο ρξνληάο έγηλε

ζηηο 12 Ννεκβξίνπ. ηε Γεληθή

πλέιεπζε ηεο ελνξίαο καο ζηηο

26 Οθησβξίνπ αλαθνηλώζακε όηη

ην 2014 βιέπνπκε άλνδν κειώλ

θαη πνζνζηώλ. Τπνινγίδνπκε

όηη γηα ην 2014 ζα έρνπκε πάλσ

από 400 νηθνγέλεηεο κε δσξεέο

άλσ ησλ $180,000. Μέρξη ηώξα

έρνπκε 17 λέα κέιε. Πάξα

πνιιέο νηθνγέλεηεο έρνπλ δσξίζεη πνιύ άλσ ησλ $550

θαη κεξηθέο $2000 θαη άλσ.

ηελ ηειεπηαία ζπλεδξίαζε ηεο επηηξνπήο ηεο

Υξηζηηαληθήο Οηθνλνκίαο, είρακε ηε ραξά λα

θηινμελήζνπκε δύν επηζθέπηεο από ηελ Αξρηεπηζθνπή

πνπ ήξζαλ λα καο θαζνδεγήζνπλε. Ήηαλ κηα πνιύ

επηηπρήο ζπλεδξίαζε, θαη ζα καο έξζνπλ πάιη ην

Γελάξε λα καο βνεζήζνπλ θη άιιν. Μαο ζπλεράξεζαλ

γηα ηελ όκνξθή καο θνηλόηεηα. Τπνγξάκκεζαλ ηελ

ζπνπδαηόηεηα ηνπ πξνγξάκκαηνο ηεο Υξηζηηαληθήο

Οηθνλνκίαο γηα ηελ εμέιημε ηεο εθθιεζίαο καο σο κία

αγαπεκέλε νηθνγέλεηα. Σνλίζακε όηη ε ρξηζηηαληθή

νηθνλνκία δελ έρεη λα θάλεη κε ρξήκαηα, αιιά κε ηελ

κεγαιύηεξε ζπκκεηνρή καο, δίλνληαο ην ρξόλν θαη ηα

ηαιέληα καο ζηελ Δθθιεζία, ε νπνία είλαη ην ώκα ηνπ

Υξηζηνύ. Ο Άγηνο Ισάλλεο ν Υξπζόζηνκνο είπε όηη

<<Ο πινύζηνο δελ είλαη απηόο πνπ έρεη πνιιά, αιιά

απηόο πνπ δίλεη πνιιά. Γηόηη απηά πνπ δίλεη κέλνπλ

δηθά ηνπ γηα πάληα.>> Δίκαζηε ππεξήθαλνη γηα ηελ

Αγία Σξηάδα, ηζηνξηθά ε πην δπλαηή Διιεληθή

Οξζόδνμε Δθθιεζία ζην Κνλλέθηηθαη, θαη

πξνζκέλνπκε ην ιακπξό καο κέιινλ. Θα δνπιέςνπκε

γηα ηελ δηαζπνξά ηεο Αγάπεο ηνπ Υξηζηνύ ζε όινπο

ηνπο ελνξίηεο θαη νξγαλώζεηο, γηα λα ζπλερηζηνύλ νη

πνιιέο ζξεζθεπηηθέο θαη πνιηηηζηηθέο εξγαζίεο ζηελ

πεξηνρή καο.

Θα ήζεια λα επραξηζηήζσ ηε Βαζηιηθή Αλδξηώηε

γηα ηε βνήζεηά ηεο εηνηκάδνληαο θάηη σξαία πιηθά γηα

ηε ρξηζηηαληθή νηθνλνκία πνπ ζα δείηε ζύληνκα.

Δπίζεο ζα ήζεια λα επραξηζηήζσ ηνλ πλεπκαηηθό καο

παηέξα, ηνλ Πάηεξ Αλδξέα, πνπ ήηαλ ππεύζπλνο γηα

ηελ αλαλέσζε ηνπ πξνγξάκκαηνο. Κάησ από ηελ

ζπνπδαία θαζνδήγεζή ηνπ, πξνζκέλνπκε έλα κέιινλ

ιακπξό, αγαπεκέλν θαη θαξπνθόξν. αο θαιώ όινπο

λα ζπκκεηάζρεηε ζηελ επηηξνπή, επηθνηλσλώληαο καδί

κνπ ή κε ην γξαθείν.

Stewardship by Pericles C. Rountos

DECEMBER 2014 7

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”

T he Daughters of Penelope would like to wish

everyone a blessed holiday season, a Merry

Christmas and a Happy New Year! May your

holidays be filled with love and the comfort of family

and friends.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to

everyone who contributed to our successful Turkey

Raffle and Annual Wreath

and Christmas Planter Sale.

Proceeds from these sales

support our scholarship

program and our community

outreach. We had a great

time at the GOYA tag sale

with our DOP table as well!

On Dec. 6th, we will be

getting together with our

GOYANS to decorate

wreaths, and prepare Food

baskets. Please come and

lend a hand and be a part of

this community event.

Our Lets Keep Them

Warm Drive is continuing

through January. We are collecting gloves, hats,

scarves, warm socks and small blankets for the needy in

the greater Bridgeport community. (All new items.

Please, no coats or clothes.) The items are distributed to

local schools, shelters, crisis centers and hospitals. This

project is one of our favorite projects and a true labor of

love. Please see the Vision or our

Facebook page for all drop box

locations. Thank you to all those who

continue to provide a box at their places

of business.

We are especially excited about our new Maids of

Athena chapter! Please consider joining this wonderful

group of young women. More to come.

Our January meeting will be held on January 21st at 7

pm. We will celebrate the start of the year by sharing

Vasilopita with our brother Ahepans. Come and be a

part of our wonderful group.

We will also be participating in another community

effort at Trumbull Gardens

taking place on January

12th. If you would like to

come and help with this in

any way, please contact me.

Look for news on our annual

holiday dinner with our

brother AHEPANs.

Mark your calendars for

February 2 for Penelope’s

Cafe on Godparents Sunday!

Information to come.

Please visit us at

http://

holytrinitybridgeport.org/

daughters.html. Our

chapter

email is daughters@holytrinitybridgeport.org. Lastly,

―Like‖ us on Facebook at Daughters of Penelope -

Bridgeport "Hermes" Chapter 41, District 7.

See you in 2015 and thank you again for all you love

and support!

Daughters of Penelope by Kathy Yiannoulis , President

O n the weekend of November 1st and 2nd, 2014, the Federation of

Greek Orthodox Church Musicians held their 30th Annual Federa-

tion Conference at Zoodohos Peghe Greek Orthodox Church in the

Bronx, New York. The educational workshops consisted of Vocal Tech-

niques, Sight Singing and other related topics to choir music.

On Saturday evening a 30th Anniversary Dinner Dance was held at the Lobster Box Restaurant in City Island, NY.

On Sunday, the choral attendees participated in the Hierachical Divine Liturgy with His Grace Bishop Sevastianos Zela.

Included was a Mnemosino for Departed Church Musicians.

After the presentation of awards, a reception was held in their Fellowship Hall. Members of Holy Trinity who at-

tended the conference were our Senior Choir Director Phoebe Leask, Joanna Nictas, Miranda Baker, Jennie Kiriakopou-

los, Melpo Santilli, and Ted Pappas.

Sunday, November 9th, was a new first for Holy Trinity. The senior choir and the Sunday School came together to

sing the Liturgy in English. Parishioners were also invited to join in. It was a very enlightening experience – one that

will be repeated again at a future date.

Choir by Carol Vaniotis

DECEMBER 2014 8

“Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than

your body. It warmed your heart...filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.”

O ur volleyball and basket-

ball seasons are well under

way. The first basketball

games will be at home on Thanks-

giving weekend. Please come out

and support our youth at the open-

ing game! Times will be posted

soon on the Holy Trinity website.

Volleyball games will begin in mid

-December.

Each month, one player will be

selected as a player of the month.

Our very first recipient is Angelika

Demestihas! A strong student and

active member of the Agriscience

program at Trumbull High School,

Angelika just finished soccer

season, where she mainly

played defense and scored as a

mid fielder as well. Angelika

keeps it positive on the field.

Even in the toughest of games,

she encourages others to play

hard. This season, Angelika

plays on the Holy Trinity Varsi-

ty Volleyball team, and we are

very pleased to recognize her at our

first Player of the Month.

Our banner program is active

again - please see any committee

member for more information

about this sponsorship opportunity.

The banner program is mutually

beneficial as it reinforces brand

awareness for our many local busi-

nesses!

Save the date- Holy Trinity

Athletics 1st annual Hall of Fame

gala, November 7th, 2015.

W e had a great November

meeting which was our

Thanksgiving dinner.

Thank you to everyone who cooked

and joined us for such a delicious

meal!

Thank you to all those who

helped and supported our Tag Sale!

We are currently working on the

Community Christmas Card and

would like to thank everyone who

has supported us for this project.

We encourage those who have

not yet joined GOYA to come

down and join us for our events, we

would love to have you. We also

encourage you to bring friends and

have them join, everyone is wel-

come. Wishing you and your fam-

ilies a very Merry Christmas and a

Happy Healthy New Year!

Athletic

Department by Chris Danas , Director

GOYA by Eleni Demestihas &

Chrysoula Vlamis , Presidents

Ο Άγηνο Βαζίιεο ζα επηζθεθζεί

ην ειιεληθό καο ζρνιείν

Σ Δ Σ Α Ρ Σ Η 1 7

ΓΔΚΔΜΒΡΙΟΤ 2014 ζηης 5:00 κκ.

ά ο π ξ ν ζ θ α ι ν ύ κ ε ό ι ν π ο λ α

ππνδερζνύκε καδί ηνλ Άγην Βαζίιε

Οη καζεηές: ζα θορούλ άζπρο

ποσθάκηζο, κπιε ή καύρο

παληαιόλη θαη θόθθηλε γραβάηα.

BOYS: will wear white shirt, navy blue or black

pants and Red tie.

Οη καζήηρηες: ζα θορούλ άζπρε κπιούδα, θαη

θόθθηλε ε καύρε θούζηα. Δσταρηζηούκε ποιύ.

GIRLS: will wear white blouse, red or black skirt.

άο επρόκεζα θαιά Υξηζηνύγελλα θαη

θαιό ρξόλν ην 2015!

Santa Claus will be visiting our Greek

School, On Wednesday, December 17,

2014 - 5:00 p.m. We are inviting all of

you to be here and welcome SANTA.

We wish you A MERRY CHRISTMAS

& A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

OUR APPRECIATION AND MANY THANKS TO

OUR PTO For their help, support and love throughout

the year to our children and Teachers.

Greek School - Διιεληθό τοιείο

DECEMBER 2014 9

C ongratulations to Father Andreas and Presbytera

Anthoula as they celebrated the recent birthdays

of their twin boys, Nikolas and Petros, their 9th .

Their special birthday gift was a puppy named "Zeus."

We wish them many more happy birthdays.

Congratulations to Chrysoula Vlamis, daughter of

Constantinos and Effie Vlamis, as she celebrated her

"Sweet 16th birthday." We wish her many more birth-

days filled with good health.

Congratulations to David and Sandy Richardson on the

engagement of their daughter, Lorin. We wish the couple

happy planning.

Congratulations to John and Chrysoula Pertesis and

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Rountos on the marriage of their chil-

dren, Maria and Steven. We wish them God's Blessings

as they begin their new life together.

Congratulations to Michael and Stavroula (Bletsas)

Daviotis on the birth of their adorable baby girl ,

Nikoleta. Na sas zisse.

Many thanks to the the Sunday School Department and

the P.T.O. for sponsoring a "safe" and fun-filled Hallow-

een Party for our children. Mark on your calendars "New

Year's Eve," as our P.T.O. will be sponsoring the New

Year's Eve party at our Church.

Congratulations to our Greek School Department for

the delightful program remembering OHI Day, thus per-

petuating our Greek History.

Congratulations to our Choir and Sunday School De-

partment for coming together and combining their groups

in Church, as they sang the hymns together. What a won-

derful way to teach our youth the hymns of our church.

The Choir needs your voice. You don't have to know

Greek as hymns are available in phonetics. It is not too

late to join Sunday School. Contact the Director Tom

Hallas.

The AHEPA annual chicken dinner was delicious, as

usual , and by supporting them, you helped to support

their Scholarship Fund.

The Philoptochos thanks you for your support of their

annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale. They will now be pre-

paring food baskets for the Holidays for the less fortu-

nate. Please help them with donations of food products.

Congratulations to the Daughters of Penelope, who

recently celebrated their Founders’ Day. They were es-

tablished on November 16, 1929 as an affiliate group to

the AHEPA and have come a long way in promoting the

ideals and traditions of Hellenism. Please help the

Daughters and AHEPAns with their Winter Drive Collec-

tion to help keep warm those who are less fortunate. Do-

(Continued on page 10)

Around the Parish by Stella Capiris

Members of our Choir at the 29th Annual Conference in New York

“Christmas, my child, is love in action."

DECEMBER 2014 10

“Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.”

I c a n n o t

believe that we are already

only weeks away from

Christmas! Where has the time

gone? Well, for PTO I can

attest to the fact that we have

been quite busy, and we are

absolutely happy that we have

fantastic members who are

always reaching out to help in

any capacity. We are truly

appreciative of that. Rebecca

Hasiotis had a grand idea of

purchasing high chairs and

boosters for the Aegean Hall.

Thank you for your time and

effort into that Rebecca.

Christina Tsocanos and Helen Vlamis have the

Holiday Raffle underway, and the raffle items look

amazing. Tickets are only $1 each. If you have received

them via snail-mail, please reach out to friends or co-

workers, and sell as many as you can. We have plenty

more tickets. Again, the drawing will be December 21st.

For the ―Make a Wish Project,‖ all gift donations will

be going to the children at St. Basil's Academy , and we

will be visiting them as well. There will be a decorated

Christmas tree with angel ornaments outside of the

Aegean Hall. Each angel will have wish list items for

each child. I will collect them and include them in a gift

bag that the PTO will have, and include other items as

well for them. Aside from the 17 wish list items for the

youth, the Academy also has a wish list online for

operational donations. If your interested in making any

donation that way, let me know. We will visit in

January. It is a great opportunity to visit the Academy,

and most of all, make a child very happy during

Christmas.

The annual Santa’s Workshop will take place on

Saturday December 13th, from 10-1pm. We will have

the youth groups separated by age again. Please rsvp to

Maria Gountas, as a head count is preferred.

On December

20th, we are

going to Terryville and

visiting Santa and Mrs Claus,

and eating all you can eat

pancakes. We’ll end our day

there with a horse drawn

sleigh ride .

On Sunday December 21st,

get ready for Sunday School's

Christmas Pageant. Before the

program, PTO will serve the

children a light Communion

breakfast. .

PTO is happy to say that we

added another Charity to our

roster this year. Besides the

Academy, we also voted on

giving $250 to The American Heart Association. We

chose the charity by drawing it from a hat. We thank you

for the participants who

Mark your calendars for PTO's New Year’s Dance.

We had such a good time last year, we figured , why not

do it again. For ticket purchase or information, please

contact Maria Gountas or Anna Papanikolaou .

Thank you to the members who have already donated

and signed up for our ―Sunday Snacks‖ that are very

much appreciated by our youth every Sunday.

We look forward to seeing you at our various events

and would love your participation in any capacity.

Upcoming events: Disney on ice show in January -

contact Maria Gountas for ticket purchase/availability.

February Masquerade -Valentine's dance. Pre-

purchased tickets are preferred. Contact Effie Vlamis

Just a reminder— Our meetings have rotating times.

Every other month, we have one afternoon (Wednesday

5pm) , and one evening (Thursday 7pm) to

accommodate working families.

Info about setup for our New Year’s Eve dance will be

out through email.

PTO

nations needed of New Items such as gloves, mittens,

scarves, hats, socks, small blankets. Adult and child sizes

are both needed.

Perastika and get well wishes are extended to Sophie

Frangenes and to Sophia Maragos following their respec-

tive surgeries.

The Community extends its deepest sympathy to the

family of Chris Bargas upon his recent death, to the fami-

ly of Eugenia (Pappageorge) Salemi upon her recent

death, and to George Nakis upon the death of his father.

May all their Memories be Forever Eternal!

We wish all of our parishioners, Happy Holidays!

(Continued from page 9)

DECEMBER 2014 11

“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall”

T he Bridgeport Chapter of

AHEPA recently welcomed

new AHEPA District Gov-

ernor Alex Boutsioulis. The new

District Governor provided an in-

formative talk concerning current

A H EPA e v e n ts i n c l ud i n g

AHEPA’s donation for the recon-

struction of the new St. Nicholas

National Shrine located near One

World Trade Center in New York.

The Bridgeport Chapter of

AHEPA recently held its annual

chicken luncheon. Thank you to all

who supported this event and en-

joyed a wonderful meal. Best of all

your support of this event contrib-

utes to the AHEPA scholarship

fund. The scholarships are awarded

in June of every year to graduating

high school students of our com-

munity. Special thank you to the

chefs including Lee Tsouris,

Vangele Gountas, Perry Gountas,

Jim Trimpalis, and chef in training

Nick Fatabene. Also, we thank

Nick Gravanis for his generous

donation of wine and to the raffle

helpers, Gus Vlastaris and Peter

Karayiannis. Finally, thank you to

all the AHEPA members who

helped to serve at the luncheon.

Our Chapter is also currently

planning for the annual AHEPA/

Daughters of Penelope Christmas

dinner , which is tentatively sched-

uled for Thursday, December 11th.

Details will follow about the loca-

tion for our annual Christmas din-

ner. To become a member of

AHEPA please contact us at 203-

3 9 4 - 8 0 0 1 o r

ahepa@holytrinitybridgeport.org

AHEPA by John Bochanis , President

A t our last General Assembly, we had election

nominations for the Parish Council. We have

four positions available. Out of the four incum-

bent members, only three are returning. Those returning

are Mike Bouloubasis, Phil Georgas, and Nick Vlamis. It

is unfortunate that AJ Metsopoulos has opted not to re-

turn. I would like to thank AJ for all the hard working

hours he devoted to Holy Trinity. He was a true asset and

will be greatly missed. Three new candidates were nomi-

nated. They are Takis Angelopoulos, Jimmy Hasiotis and

Nikos Tsocanos. I would like to wish them all good luck

at the elections. As you see, we have a running election

this term. Your voice needs to be heard, so make your

way to the polls and vote.

During the General Assembly, we also promised that

we would have the balance bank statements for our ac-

counts dated end of the third quarter for the year 2014.

That information and the voting privileges are for our

stewards in good standing. Therefore, if anyone has not

fulfilled their commitment please do so. Also, I would

like to thank Dr. Pericles Rountos for organizing a Stew-

ardship meeting and inviting two guests from the

NYDAD local Stewardship team: Mr. Bill Kallinikos

from Hempstead and Mr. George Zimmar from Rye.

Also, this past month we once again had a workshop

at the Trumbull Gardens, with the help of our GOYAns,

and of course, some of the DOP. We helped prepare

meals for less than five dollars. They sautéed collard

greens with tomato sauce mixed with beans. A large

source of protein that is also vegan.

As we move on to the month of December, it is time

to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the

chill wind and the frosty mornings, the mood as we gath-

er to pick the tree we want for Christmas calls for warm

apple cider. Needless to say, we will all gather together

and prepare the church for our holiday season. Join us in

these preparations to decorate our home, our place of

worship. The date that is reserved is Dec.6th. In the

event that you’d like to help, please call the office for

information and to ensure that the date remains as

planned.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christ-

mas and a Happy New Year. Don't forget our New

Year’s Eve dance. Let’s all gather and celebrate together

the turn of the year and welcome a healthy and prosper-

ous 2015.

Our Parish by Constantinos Vlamis , Parish Council President

DECEMBER 2014 12

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis, Source: Pantanassa Monastery.

Find the following words in the above puzzle.

Kids’

Corner

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis, Source: Pantanassa Monastery.

DECEMBER 2014 13

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis, Source: Pantanassa Monastery.

Kids’ Corner

The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ

J oseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be registered in the census.

When they reached Bethlehem, all the houses ad inns were overflowing

with people who had also come to be registered. Mary was ready to

give birth, but they could not find anywhere to stay.

Finally, Joseph found a cave, which was used as a stable. In this humble

stable, Mary gave birth to our Lord Jesus Christ and lain Him in a manger.

That night, there were some shepherds out in the fields. An angel ap-

peared to them and said, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news. To-

day, a Saviour is born who is Christ the Lord.”

At that moment, there appeared in the sky thousands of angels glorifying

God and singing, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will

towards men.”

The shepherds immediately went and found the stable where the baby Je-

sus was. He was lying in a manger, surrounded by His mother, Joseph, and

some stable animals. They knelt down and worshipped Him.

Also, that night, three wise men arrived from the east. Many months be-

fore, a special star had appeared. They followed the star until it rest3ed

above the cave where our Lord Jesus was born.

They entered the stable and knelt down in awe and worshipped Jesus.

Then, they opened their gifts and offered Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

DECEMBER 2014 14

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis, Source: Pantanassa Monastery.

Submitted by V. Andriotis: Vrame, A. For to Us a Child is Born Brookline:GOARCH DRE, 2008. Print

Kids’

Corner

DECEMBER 2014 15

Submitted by V. Andriotis: Vrame, A. For to Us a Child is Born Brookline:GOARCH DRE, 2008. Print

Kids’ Corner

DECEMBER 2014 16

PHILOPTOCHOS CHRISTMAS OFFERING PLEASE HELP US TO STOCK OUR FOOD

PANTRY AND PREPARE

G IF T B ASKETS F OR THE N EEDY Our pantry is in need of the following items:

Please bring your items to the Church or Contact Le-

na Protopapas

for more info: 203-929-1582

Rice Pasta Sauce

Canned Vegetables Olive Oil

Cake or muffin mixes

Crackers Cranberry Sauce

Non-dairy Creamer Peanut Butter & Jelly

Pasta Canned Soup

Cookies

Vinegar Canned Sweet Potatoes

Chocolates Coffee/Tea

Canned Fruit

Toothpaste/toothbrushes Shampoo & Soap

Men’s Socks Combs

NAME: ___________________________

PHONE: ________________________

NUMBER OF POINSETTIAS: ________

ENCLOSED: $_____

($30.00 PER POINSETTIA)

EACH YEAR WE DECORATE OUR CHURCH WITH BEAUTIFUL

FOIL-WRAPPED POINSETTIA PLANTS. PLEASE CONSIDER

PURCHASING A PLANT TO HELP DEFRAY THE COST. THANK YOU.

DECEMBER 2014 17

DECEMBER 2014 18

...invites you to join them! Are you 55 or older? Then join us

twice a month for fellowship and fun! Contact Van Hatzis at

203.268.7231 for more information.

On

after se rv i ces

To Benefit Our Brothers and Sisters in Greece and Cyprus.

DECEMBER 2014 19

PTO’S HOLIDAY RAFFLE

$1 PER TICKET OR

BOOK OF 12 FOR $10 RAFFLE DRAWING WILL TAKE PLACE ON

SUNDAY DECEMBER 21, 2014 AS ALWAYS WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

DECEMBER 2014 21

©2014 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bpt. Ct Publishing &Design -Vicky Andriotis-11/17/2014

The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature. ” Mark 16:15

Sylvia Bal 814-2131 Michael Bouloubasis 336-2116

Stella Capiris 259-7344 Phil Georgas 257-7452 Periklis Gountas 690-1765

Petros Karayiannis 631-258-3933

A. J. Metsopoulos 292-6418 Chris Papachristos 380-0566

Pericles C. Rountos 268-7173 Peter Tsimbidaros 334-2578 Constantinos Vlamis 268-5464

Nick Vlamis 459-0521 All are codes are 203, unless otherwise

specified.

Parish Council Newsletter Editor

Vicky Andriotis

Newsletter Staff

Eleni Limberis Father Andreas

Vithoulkas Vicky Andriotis

HISTORIAN & ARCHIVES ROOM S. Capiris 203-259-7344

historian@holytrinitybridgeport.

org

HOSPITAL MINISTRY S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

JR. CHOIR J. Bogardus 203-736-6501

MAINTENANCE G. Hatzis 203-260-5359

L. Tsouris 203-334-2781

NURSING HOME MINISTRY S. Capiris 203-259-7334

OLYMPIANS (GOYA) F. Papachristos 203-380-0566

P. T. O. E. Vlamis 203-685-5464

pto@holytrinitybridgeport. org

PARISH COUNCIL Constantine Vlamis 203-268-5464

parishcouncil@holytrinitybridgeport. org

PHILOPTOCHOS L. Protopapas

philoptochos@holytrinitybridgeport. org

203-929-1582

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

publicity@holytrinitybridgeport. org

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE S. Karagiannis 203-820-1975

SENIOR CITIZENS V. Hatzis 203-268-7231

STEWARDSHIP A. J. Metsopoulos 203-292-6418

Stewardship@holytrinitybridgeport. org

SUNDAY SCHOOL T. Hallas 203-522-5022

sundayschool@holytrinitybridgeport. org

INTERNET MINISTRIES-WEBSITE- FACEBOOK-TWITTER

-BULLETIN-VISION

V. Andriotis

vicky@holytrinitybridgeport. org

ALTAR DIRECTOR P. Bozikis 917-692-2317

AHEPA J. Bochanis 203-254-7595

AROUND THE PARISH S. Capiris 203-259-7344

aroundtheparish@holytrinitybridgeport. org

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR C. Danas 860-916-3777

athleticprogram@holytrinitybridgeport.

org

BOOKSTORE V. Andriotis

vicky@holytrinitybridgeport. org

CANTOR G. Bakes 203-374-8561

CHOIR P. Leask 203-258-9160

choir@holytrinitybridgeport. org

CULTURAL ASSOCIATION V. Hatzis 203-268-7231

culturalassociation@holytrinitybridgeport. org

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE K. Yiannoulis 203-372-6591

daughters@holytrinitybridgeport. org

ECCLESIARCH D. Trigonis 203-374-0725

FORCC E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

GOYA E. Demestihas 203-380-2923

C. Vlamis

GREEK SCHOOL E. Limberis 203-371-6305

greekschool@holytrinitybridgeport. org

GREEK SCHOOL DANCE GROUP E. Limberis 203-371-6305

greekschooldance@holytrinitybridgeport. org

Church Office

Eleni Limberis Email: Email@holytrinitybridgeport. org

Office: 203. 374. 5561 Fax: 203. 374. 5770 Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 4:00pm

Sundays after Services: 12:00pm-1:00pm

On the Web -www. holytrinitybridgeport. org Bookstore Online -bookstore. holytrinitybridgeport. org

Shopping– shop. holytrinitybridgeport. org On Facebook—www. facebook. com/holytrinitybridgeport

On Twitter – www. twitter. com/holytrinitybpt

Father Andreas Vithoulkas, Presbyter

fatherandreas@holytrinitybridgeport. org phone: 917-334-4192

Services

Weekdays & Saturdays

Orthros 8:30 am / Liturgy 9:30 am

Sundays Orthros 8:45am/ Liturgy 10:00 am

Ώρες Λειτοσργίας Κσριακής ‘Όρθρος: 8:45 πμ / Θεία Λειτοσργία: 10:00 πμ

DeJesus Dental Group Cosmetic, Family & Implant Dentistry

Pericles Rountos, D. M. D. General Dentist

T:(203) 372-1220 www. dejesusdental. com

F:(203)371-8540 4131 Main St. Bpt, CT

Dr. Kevin R. Bellows Chiropractic Physician

25 Lindeman Dr. Trumbull, CT 203-373-0315

Fax: 203-373-0367 Www.bellowschiropractic.com

Special Attention to Athletic Injuries

651 Villa Ave. Fairfield, CT 203-384-8176

www. androsdinerfairfield. com

PETER G. KARAYIANNIS ATTORNEY AT LAW

MAHER & MURTHA LLC 528 Clinton Ave

Bridgeport, CT 06605

Phone: (203) 367-2700

Cell: (631)258-3933 PGK@maherandmurtha. com

MY SMILE Orthodontics Maria Karayiannis,DMD

865 River Road, Suite 307 Shelton, CT 06484

Phone: 203-538-5014 fax:203. 538. 5001

www. MySmileCT. com Maria@MySmileCT. com

Commerce Hill Funeral Home 4798 Main St. Bridgeport , CT

203-371-1966

Ronald J. Dougiello

Charles W. Dougiello David P. Dougiello

Call the Office and place your ad today! 203. 374. 5561

Tomlinson’s Restaurant 1400 Noble Ave, Bridgeport

Tel. 335-5296

Nicholas Vlamis Constantinos Vlamis- Owners

www. cactusrosecantina. com

5 River Road Wilton River Park

Wilton, CT 203. 762. 8484

Our GOYAns Helping at Trumbull Gardens

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 Address Service Requested

Merry Christmas