The Orthodox Vision - September 2011 Issue #259

SEPTEMBER 2011 THE ORTHODOX VISION 1

September 2011

Ecclesiastical New Year

(Church New Year)

September 1st

The Nativity of the

Most-Holy Theotokos

September 8th September 14th


2011 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bpt. Ct Publishing &Design-VSA-08/17/2011

AHEPA J. Bochanis 203-254-7595 AROUND THE PARISH S. Capiris 203-259-7344 [email protected] ATHLETIC PROGRAM P. Koutroulas 203-556-0489 [email protected] CANTOR G. Bakes 203-374-8561 CHOIR P. Leask 203-258-9160 [email protected] COUNCIL OF CHURCHES S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751 CULTURAL ASSOCIATION V. Hatzis 203-268-7231 [email protected] DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE H. Yeotsas 203-374-1729 [email protected]

ECCLESIARCH D. Trigonis 203-374-0725 FORCC E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013 [email protected]

GOYA M. Kolitsas 203-452-0463

D. Skenderis 203-452-0553 GREEK PAIDEIA L. Protopapas 203-929-1582 GREEK SCHOOL E. Limberis 203-371-6305 [email protected] GREEK SCHOOL DANCE GROUP E.Limberis 203-371-6305 [email protected] M. Cook 203-375-9329 HISTORIAN & ARCHIVES ROOM S. Capiris 203-259-7344 [email protected] INTERIOR COMMITTEE B. Pappas 203-268-8907

JR. CHOIR J.Bogardus 203-736-6501 [email protected] LIBRARY L. Protopapas

H. Vittorio

203-929-1582

203-375-0670 MAINTENANCE G. Hatzis 203-261-3247 L. Tsouris 203-371-0800 MEDIA-COMMUNICATIONS A. Loukrezis 203-268-5377 [email protected] OLYMPIANS (GOYA) F. Papachristos 203-380-0566 ORTHODOX WOMEN C. Constant 203-380-0828 P.T.O. S. Bal 203-375-1497 [email protected] PARISH COUNCIL G. Mourizakis 203-373-0580 [email protected] PHILOPTOCHOS K. Tsitsipas

[email protected]

203-926-0137

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013 [email protected] SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE S. Karagiannis 203-820-1975 SCHOOL BOARD V. Boudreau 203-734-6754 [email protected] SENIOR CITIZENS G. Agortsas 203-372-1015 STEWARDSHIP A.J. Metsopoulos 203-292-6418 R. Arvanitis 203-226-4140 [email protected] SUNDAY SCHOOL E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013 [email protected] WEBSITE/ FACEBOOK/TWITTER/INTERNET MINIS-TRIES

V.Andriotis 203-371-6856

[email protected]

Church Office E. Limberis

Email: [email protected] 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

Road to Jericho Jericho.holytrinitybridgeport.org Shopping-Shop.holytrinitybridgeport.org

On Facebook - www.holytrinityfacebook.org On Twier www.twier.com/holytrinitybpt

Services Sunday: Orthros 8:30am

Sunday School Special Services: 10:00am-10:15am Divine Liturgy,Sermons, Announcements:

9:45am 11:30am Weekday Services,Orthros,Divine Liturgy:

8:45am-10:15am

Summer Sunday Services (June-September): Orthros 8:45am

Divine Liturgy,Sermons, Announcements: 9:45 - 11:15am

The Ocial Monthly Publicaon 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 Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature. Mark 16:15 Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature. Mark 16:15 Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature. Mark 16:15

Robert Arvani.s 226-4140

Michael Bouloubasis 336-2116

Stella Capiris 259-7344

A.J. Metsopoulos 292-6418

John Mihalakopoulos 261-4732

George Mourizakis 373-0580

Chris Papachristos 380-0566

Peter Tsimbidaros 334-2578

Sco6 Vereb 520-2781

Constan.ne Vlamis 268-5464

Parish Council

Newsleer Editor

Vicky Andrio.s

Newsleer Sta Eleni Limberis

George Mourizakis Vicky Andrio.s


D ear Parishioners, I hope all of you had a nice summer. Another Ecclesiastical year is about to start, and all of you are getting the kids ready for school and going back to our regular routines. We had a very busy summer working on our restrooms. Hopefully, they will be done soon. It is never too late to offer your services or monetary contribution toward the restroom renovation. As you can see, it is a big project and we need additional funds. Please contribute whatever you can as your contributions are s the only source of income for this project. The athletic department is taking it upon themselves, with our contribution, to renovate the ladies restroom in the gym. Thank you guys. We had our summer camps for volleyball and basketball with

great success. Also, our Sunday school department had the Vacation Bible School.

Our Greek school is about to begin. Please bring your kids to our school as this is so important to learn the Greek language and history of our country. Your kids will be thanking you in the years to come. With a little effort and practice, they will be speaking Greek and wont be embarrassed on their next trip to Greece.

Our Sunday school is under way and accepting registrations for the new year. We hope to see all the children of all ages taking part in our Sunday school program.

We are still searching for a replacement priest. We were hoping that over the summer someone would become available. I will keep you informed about our progress. Thank you all for you continuous support.

We are trying our best to keep our community functioning properly and in unison. We need everyones support and co-operation for us to go forward. Once again, please remember that we are all volunteers and doing the best that we can.

Thank you. God Bless

Our Parish

By George Mourizakis -Parish Council President

"Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine." - Kathleen Norris

Bathroom Renovation Project

Mercury and the Woodman

A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief; and on learning what had happened, out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and, bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman re-plied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. "No, that is not mine either," said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and present-ly contrived to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not the fellow cried, "That's mine, that's mine," and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream. Moral of the story: Honesty is the best pol-icy. - Aesop


I am meek and lowly in heart.Matt. xi. 29.

T here is often a beautiful blending of majesty and humility, magnanimity and lowliness, in great minds. The mightiest and holiest of all Beings that ever trod our world was the meekest of all. The Ancient of Days was as the infant of days. He who had listened to nothing but angel-melodies from all eternity, found, while on earth, melody in the lispings of an infants voice, or in an outcasts tears. No wonder an innocent lamb was His emblem, or that the anointing Spirit came down upon Him in the form of the gentle dove. He had the wealth of worlds at His feet. The hosts of heaven had only to be summoned as His retinue. But all the pageantry of the world, all its dreams of carnal glory, had, for Him, no fascination. The Tempter, from a mountain-summit, showed Him a wide scene of splendid misery; but He spurned alike the thought and the adversary away. John and James would call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village; He rebukes the vengeful suggestion! Peter, on the night of the betrayal, cuts off the ear of an assassin; the intended Victim, again, only challenges His disciple, and heals His enemy.

Arraigned before Pilates judgment-seat, how meekly He bears nameless wrongs and indignities! Suspended on the crossthe execrations of the multitude are rising around, but He hears as though He heard them not; they extract no angry look, no bitter wordBehold the Lamb of God! Need we wonder that meekness and poverty of spirit should stand foremost in His own cluster of beatitudes; that He should select this among all His other qualities for the peculiar study and imitation of His disciples, Learn of Me, for I am meek; or that an apostle should exhort by the meekness and gentleness of Christ!

How different the worlds maxims, and His: The worldsResent the affront, vindicate honor! HisOvercome evil with good! The worldsOnly let it be when for your faults ye are buffeted that ye take it

patiently. HisWhen ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with

God. (1 Pet. ii. 20.) Reader, strive to obtain, like your adorable Lord, this ornament of a meek and quiet

spirit, which, in the sight of God, is of great price. Be clothed with gentleness and humility. Follow not the worlds fleeting shadows that mock you as you grasp them. If always aspiringever soaring on the wingyou are likely to become discontented, proud, selfish, time-serving. In whatever position of life God has placed you, be satisfied. What ambitious to be on a pinnacle of the templea higher place in the Church, or in the world?Satan might hurl you down! Be not high-minded, but fear. And with respect to others, honor their gifts, contemplate their excellences only to imitate them. Speak kindly, act gently, condescend to men of low estate.

Be assured, no happiness is equal to that enjoyed by the meek Christian. He has within him a perpetual inner sunshine, a perennial well-spring of peace. Never ruffled and fretted by real or imagined injuries, he puts the best construction on motives and actions, and by a gentle answer to unmerited reproach often disarms wrath.

Meekness

To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying your end of the boat is sinking. - Hugh Downs

This excerpt is

from : The Mind

of Jesus By:

John R. MacDuff

This work is in the public domain and can freely be copied and distributed.

BBBB e clothed with gentleness and

humility.


Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. - Bill Bradley

Thoughts Up-on Self-Denial By William Beveridge

T HE most glorious sight that was ever to be seen upon the face of the Earth, was to see the Son of God here, to see the supreme Being and Governor of the World here; to see the Creator of all things conversing here with his own Creatures; to see God himself with the nature, and in the shape of Man; walking about upon the surface of the Earth, and discoursing with silly Mortals here; and that with so much Majesty and Humility mixed together, that every expression might seem a demon-stration that He was both God and Man. It is true, we were not so hap-py as to see this blessed Sight; howsoever, it is our Happiness that we have heard of it, and have it so exactly described to us, that we may as clearly apprehend it as if we had seen it: Yea, our Saviour Him-self has pronounced those in a pe-culiar manner blessed, who have not seen, and yet have believed, (John 20:29.) that is, who never

saw Christ in the Manger, nor in the Temple, who never saw Him prostrate before his Father in the Garden, nor fastened by Men unto his Cross; who never saw Him preaching the Gospel, nor working Miracles to confirm it; who never saw Him before His Passion, nor after His Resurrection, and yet do as firmly believe whatsoever is rec-orded of Him, as if they had seen it with their eyes.

Such Persons our blessed Sav-iour himself asserts to be truly blessed, as having such a Faith as is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Hebrews 11:1.

Therefore, although we lived not in our Saviour's time, and there-fore saw Him not do as never Man did, nor heard Him speak as never Man spake, we may notwithstand-ing be as blessed, or rather more blessed than they that did. If we do but give credit to what is asserted of Him, and receive and believe what is represented to us in his holy Gospels, where by Faith we may still see him working Miracles, and hear him declaring His Will and Pleasure to his Disciples, as really as if we had then been by him. And therefore whatsoever we read in the Gospel that he spake, we are to

hearken as diligently to it; as if we heard Him speak it with our own ears, and be as careful in the perfor-mance of it, as if we had received it from His own mouth: for so we do, though not immediately, yet by the infallible pen of them that did so. And seeing He never spake in vain, or to no purpose, nor sufferedan idle or superfluous word to proceed out of His sacred and divine Mouth; whatsoever he asserted, we are to look upon as necessary to be believed, because He asserted it. And whatsoever be commanded, we are to look upon as necessary to be observed, because He hath com-manded it; for we must not think that His Assertions are so frivolous, or His Commands so impertinent, that it is no great matter whether we believe the one and obey the other or no: No, if we expect to be justi-fied and saved by Him, He expects to be believed and obeyed by us, without which He will not look up-on us as his Disciples, nor by con-sequence as Christians, but Strangers and Actions to Him, whatsoever our Professions and Pretences are. - This excerpt from "Private Thoughts Upon a Chris-tian Life" originally published - 1816

W hen you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house. God lends us a little of His reasoning powers and that is how we think: He puts a little of His love into us and that is how we love one another. When you teach a child writing, you hold its hand while it forms the letters: that is, it forms the letters because you are forming them. We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it.C.S. Lewis


The spiritual is whatever allows us to notice the miraculous nature of life. - Aurora Levins Morales

T he

question is not

'Can you make

a difference?'

You already do

make a

difference. It's

just a matter of

what kind of

difference you

want to make

during your life

on this planet.

Julia Hill

Daughters of Penelope Helen Yeotsas - President

N ow that summer is almost over (we hope everyone had a good one), the Daughters of Penelope is gearing up for another busy year of activities and social events. During our summer break in June, we had a lovely end of year luncheon at Viale Ristorante in Bridgeport and initiated a new member. Also in June, the Daughters of Penelope scholarship was awarded to Diana Santella, who will be attending UConn in the fall.

Our Daughters chapter is really growing with members of all ages, and because of that growth, we are able to do many more activities which help both our

church and local communities, and of course enjoy lots of social events. Its a great way to get together, have some fun, and help people, all at the same time. Our first meeting will be on Wed., September 21st @7PM, where we will discuss our calendar of events for the coming year. Please try to come a little early for coffee

and desserts. We plan to install our new slate of officers most probably at the October meeting. They are President, Helen Yeotsas; Vice Pres., Kathy Santella; Recording Secretary, Stella Capiris; Corresponding Secretary, Barbara Tsoupas and Treasurer, Carlie Centrella.

If you are interested in joining the Daughters, please see any of the officers or a member to get more information. We welcome all ladies of our community to join us and be a part of our active chapter!

Sunday School By Eva Vaniotis -Director

A s we begin the 2011-2012 year, a warm welcome to the children in our community attending Sunday school , and a special welcome to the children joining us for the first time. We hope for a very successful year.

Following the curriculum of the Archdiocese, the value of Sunday school is learning the "Word of God", and children should be in Church by 10:00 A.M . September 11, 2011 - Orientation Day All children must go directly to their classrooms, as indicated, below: Pre-Nursery - Small room Age 3

Nursery- Room No. 1- Age 4 Kindergarten- Room No. 2- Age 5 1st Grade- Room No.3- Age 6 2nd Grade-Room No.5- Age 7 3rd Grade-Room No. 6- Age 8 4th Grade- Room No.Age 9 5th Grade- Room No. 4-Age 10 6th Grade- Room No.10-Age 11 7th Grade-Room No. 9 -Age 12 8th Grade-Room No. 7- Age 13

9th Grade-YAL Room- Age 14 10th Grade-YAL Room- Age 15 11th/12th Grades-Per Assignment- Ages 16 & 17

Vacation Bible SchoolAlthough the enrollment was low, it was held as planned and it was very successful.

Any questions, please contact Eva Vaniotis at 203 374-0013.

The Elevation of the

Holy Cross

September 14th


Embrace change , even if you want to run from it. -Ralph Shrader

Greek School By Eleni Limberis -Director

C ongratulations to Eleni Demestihas 85,Niko Gupta-100,and Marimina Filipidis-95, fpr thier final grades for taking the Comprehensive Examination in Modern Greek , on Wednesday, June 22, 2001, in New York State. We are very proud of you. Our Greek School will start this year on, Monday, September 12, 2011 at 4:30 pm. Days & Hours- Monday and Wednesday 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday only 7 & 8 grade Registration A registration form is enclosed to be filled out

and returned to the Office. It is a requirement that parents are Stewards of the Church for their children to attend the Greek School Program. Tuition - Church Members - 1st. Child-$400.00 / 2nd child- (same family) - $370/ 3rd child (same family)- $350 Non-Members - 1st child-$550 / 2nd child (same family)- $450 / 3rd child$400 Age5 years and older. We encourage the participation of your children in the Greek School program of our parish. This is an opportunity for all our children to learn the language, religion, traditions, dances, and songs and thus maintain our Greek Heritage and Culture. For more information call kiria Eleni at the Church Office at 374-5561.

12 2011-4:30. &

- 4:30 6:30 . 7 & 8 -

.

,

.

-1 - 400 / 2 370 ( )/ 3 - 350 ( ) 1 550 / 2 450 / 3 400 (5) .

, .

, ,

, ,

.

374-5561.

Hellenic Cultural Association by Manda Florou Baker -Secretary

W ith summer behind us we are looking forward to a new and eventful year ahead.

The organization has plans for two cultural events in the immediate future.

On Sept. 9th we will show America, America produced by Elia Kazan, and

on October 21st , Mark Schenker, Dean of Academic Affairs at Yale College, is coming back to talk to us about Odyssey.

Our association lost a beloved member and friend, Chris Savides. It will be almost impossible to replace someone like Chris. May he rest in peace. Our thoughts and

prayers are with his family.

There are very few members left in the Cultural Association and our job is a difficult one. PLEASE become a member and join us in our effort to preserve our culture and keep our history alive.


See the rocks in your path not as obstacles, but as opportunies to climb higher.

"T h e

significance

and joy in

my science

comes in the

o c c as io n a l

moments of

discovering

s o m e t h i n g

new and

saying to

myself, 'So

that's how

God did it!'

- Henry "Fritz"

Schaefer III

PTO By Maria Gountas -President

W here has the summer gone? Another year is upon us and we are all getting ready for the 2011-2012 school year. We are asking everyone to join our PTO. The cost of membership is $20.00. We encourage all parents to support PTO for the benefit of your children. A successful PTO requires the involvement of all parents and teachers!

We will begin registrations on September 11th after church. We are planning a few fundraisers and activities for the children. However, In order to do that we need everyones help. Through our

fundraisers, the PTO is able to treat our children to various activities. We will also have a sign-up sheet if anyone is interested in bringing snacks & juice on Sundays for the kids. Below are a few dates to keep in mind for the coming months: September 11th- PTO will

begin sign-up after church September 14th -1st meeting of the

year starting at 4:45pm September 18th- will be serving

breakfast to all the Sunday School Children.

October 16th- PTO Breakfast /Brunch Look for more Details on upcoming events on our PTO Board or in the Sunday Bulletin. I look forward to an exciting year. .

Ladies Philoptochos Society Kalliope Tsitsipas President

W e l c o m e b a c k ! K a l o s o r i s a t e ! Philoptochos is the philanthropic and charitable organization of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, whose goal is to help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphans, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, and the victims of disasters around the world.

The following are on our National Ministry Commitments for September, 2011: Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology -In 1937, Archbishop Athenagoras directed a special appeal to the Philoptochos to "devote" themselves to the School, "where your sons will be educated as priests and teachers" and urged

the ladies to "prove once again your strong faith." In the ensuing years, the Philoptochos was, and over seventy years later continues to be, actively involved in offering financial support to Holy Cross. Retired Clergy and Widowed Presbyteres

Benevolent Fund - The monies raised through this commitment will be donated to the RCA Benevolent Fund which provides support and guidance for retired clergy who are facing financial difficulties.

Thank you for your continuous support of the National Philoptochos commitments and programs. The impact that your donations provide is immeasurable. Through your faithful and dedicated service, the quality of life for so many is greatly improved. Please join us. Even if you are unable to attend our evening meetings, your participation in the many daily functions is always appreciated.

Nativity of the

Theotokos

September 8th


C ongratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Vasilios Papanikolaou on the marriage of their daughter Christine. We wish the happy couple much happiness. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Paschos on the engagement of their son, Michael. A December wedding is planned. We wish the couple happy planning. Congratulations to Antonios and Maria (Rountos) Manias on the birth of their twins (a boy, Elias and a girl, Necktaria). The proud grandparents are Christos and Necktaria Rountos. This makes it grandchildren number 6. Na sas zissoun. Congratulations to Mihali and Lea (Toussas) Tsoukatos on the birth of their of their first child a son "Lazaros". The proud grandmother is Maria Toussas. Na sas zisse. Congratulations to Lee and Pat Tsouris on their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Their children surprised them with "cruise tickets".

Tiffany and Harry Vlandis were truly involved in baseball games this summer as they watched their sons Spencer and Philip participate in their respective Fairfield Little League games - all winners.

Congratulations to George Pertesis and to Leonardo Zervos for representing the Sons of Pericles at the National Ahepa Convention. This year's Convention was held in Miami, Florida, and a good time was had by all.

Dates to Remember: September 9th - The Hellenic Cultural Association will present the film "America - America" in the Aegean Hall. Showtime will be 6:30 p. m. September 11th - Sunday School will begin. / September 12th - Greek School will begin. September 24th - GOYA DAY at the Holiday Hill Day Camp in Prospect, Connecticut. September 25th - Philoptochos Champagne Brunch October 2nd - The 18th annual FORCC Banquet to be held in the Aegean Hall.

The Community extends its deepest sympathy to Maria Agortsas and family and to George Stavros and family on the loss of their brother in Greece. We also extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Jim Ellis, a long-time parishioner, upon his recent death. We extend our sympathy to the family of Mary Katsian who is finally at peace. The Community extends its sympathy to Helen Linardakis, a former long-time parishioner now living in Massachusetts, on the death of her daughter Stacie Linardakis. Stacie was living in New York where a Memorial Service will be held for her in October. May all their Memories be eternal!

We are never so lost that our angels cannot find us.

Around the Parish By Stella Capiris

GOYABlock IslandSummer 2011

You Have the Power

O ur words have the power to lift people up or push people down. We can say something to make others feel better about themselves or make them feel worse. Its amazing what a simple compliment will do. When you tell some-one You look nice today, or Great job on that presentation at the office, or I real-ly enjoy working with you, those simple words will put a spring in their step and brighten their day. It doesnt take much time and doesnt cost you anything, yet with your words, you can bless their life.

Thats the power God has given each one of us. Every day we should have a goal of finding at least one person that we can encourage. Lets be free with our compliments. Point out what somebody is doing right, not what they are doing wrong. There is already enough pushing people down. Lets make it our business to lift people up, to brighten their day, to make them feel better about themselves. Remember, your words are seeds. When you de-posit life and blessing into others, thats what youll reap in your own life in return! ~ J.&V. Olsteen


Joy is choosing to see the beauty and blessings no matter what comes our way in life. It doesn't disappear because of the circumstances. Happiness is

circumstantial, but joy builds in your life over time.

"F aith

is

taking the

first step,

even when

you dont see

the whole

staircase.

Athletic Committee by Pericles Koutroulas -Director

O n behalf of the A t h l e t i c Committee, I hope you all had a wonderful summer with your loved ones. As the summer winds down and we begin to prepare for fall, it's time to get ready for the start of another season in our athletic program. Registration will take place starting on the following Sundays

after church: September 11th, 18th, and 25th. Please make an effort to get your children signed up on one of those 3 days. A motion was passed in the last meeting that there will be a late registration fee for any child registered after September 25th. Putting the roster together for all the teams involves a lot of work and must be submitted to the league as soon as possible. Back in June, a proposal was s u b mi t t e d t o t h e Maintenance Committee and Parish Council regarding a cosmetic

upgrade for one of the womens bathrooms in the gym. The Parish Council approved the proposal. The project will start sometime in the beginning of September. Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. Please feel free to call me at (203) 556-0489 or email me at [email protected] with any ideas, q u e s t i o n s , a n d / o r concerns.

GOYA by Nicole Pettas and Evan Yiannoulis -Co-presidents

W e l c o m e t o GOYA 2011-2012! Its hard to believe that the summer is over and that September is already here. This, however, marks the beginning of our new

year and the numerous and exciting activities that we have already planned. Our first bonding event will be the District-wide GOYA day at Holiday Hill on Sep-tember 24th. We are looking forward to participating in community service events such as Merton House in

Bridgeport, fundraisers, dances, car washes, trips, and numerous other rewarding activities.

GOYA presents opportunities to our youth to get involved and give back to our community while grow-ing intellectually and spiritually with friends. All stu-dents ages 12 and up are welcomed to GOYA. Please join us and share in the fun that we have planned for the year ahead! Looking forward to see you all in the fall!

GOYA board members:

Co-presidents: Nicole Pettas & Evan Yiannoulis (hey isnt that you) Vice-president: Maria Pagalis Secretaries: Eleni Demestihas & Chrysoula Vlamis Treasury: Alexander Hasiotis & George Kolitsas


Ecclesiastical New Year - September 1st

W hat is know as the Cons tant inopol i t an induction, adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453, begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church. Since the completion of each year takes place, as it were, with the harvest

and gathering of the crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for the production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also keeps festival this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate our Saviour's entry into the synagogue in Nazareth, where He was given the book of the Prophet Esaias to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, "The

Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me..." (Luke 4:16-30).

It should be noted that to the present day, the Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1. This was the custom in Constantinople until its fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter I. September 1 is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate of Constantinople; among the Jews also the New Year, although reckoned according to a moveable calendar, usually falls in September. The service of the Menaion for January 1 is for our Lord's Circumcision and for the memorial of Saint Basil the Great, without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.

Excerpt taken from goarch.org

Dont tell God how big your storms is. Tell your storm how big your God is.

S aint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aph-rodite had been raised up by

the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Pas-sion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusa-lem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and

as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the pre-cious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macari-us of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mer-cy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a por-tion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantino-ple as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Pales-tine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military cam-paign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place. Rest from labour. A Fast is observed today, whatever day of the week it may be.

The Elevation of the Cross is commemorated on September 14th. It is one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church.

(SourceGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America)

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross


The Dart Test

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith . She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the

students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry , and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target , Dr. Smith began re-moving the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words: In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me . Matthew 25:40. No other words were necessary; ~ Anonymous

Faith Like A Child

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question. "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick, and I want to buy a miracle." ''I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?" "We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough,I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs." The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?" I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money." "How much do you have?" asked the man from Chi-cago. "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to." "Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents--- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. " He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real mira-cle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents ..... plus the faith of a little child. ~ Anonymous


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Bathroom Renovaon Project

Sooner or later you will see the BIG PICTURE God is

painng for your life instead of just the colors He's using at the moment.



Photos courtesy George Mourizakis


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The Ladies Philoptochos Society Cordially Invites you to a

Champagne Brunch

Save the Date

September 25, 2011

Directly After Services

September

25th

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Sept. 25, 2011

Directly After Services

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$10 Children

Call the office for reservations and information: 203-374-5561


HOLY TRINITY PTO

MEMBERSHIP 2011-2012

Welcome to a new year for the Holy Trinity Greek School and Sunday School Programs.

We extend a warm welcome to all of our students and families.

At this time of year, we encourage every family to join the PTO.

We are asking all Parents and Teachers to become members

and support our organization.

TIME INVESTED IN OUR CHURCH IS TIME INVESTED IN OUR CHILDREN FOR THEY ARE THE FUTURE.

Your membership and help, whether through donations or volunteering, provides the PTO with the means to meet our budget, which supports and encourages the spiritual growth

and the Hellenic heritage and culture of our children.

PTO MEMBERSHIP FORM 2011-2012 Membership Dues are $20

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SEPTEMBER 2011 THE ORTHODOX VISION 22 SUMMER SUNDAY LITURGY HOURS: Orthros: 8:45

Div ine L i turgy 9:45 11:15 A.M. (June -September) : ()

: 8:45 11:15 .

Weekday Liturgies (9:00am) Thursday Sept. 8 The Nativity of The Theotokos Wednesday Sept. 14 The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross

( 9:00 ) 8 . 14 .

Meetings Tuesday Sept. 6 Philoptochos 7:00pm Wednesday Sept. 14 Senior Citizens Wednesday Sept. 21 Daughters/Ahepa 7:00pm Wednesday Sept. 28 Senior Citizens 1:00pm Tuesday Sept. 27 Parish Council 7:30pm

Memorials Sunday September 4-Constantine Stevens- 1 Year Sunday September 11-Irene Mellas- 3 Years Sunday September 25-Katerina Pappas- 1 Year

4 1 11 3 25 1 Special Request 14 . We are in need of Basil for the service of the Elevation of the Cross on September 14th.

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The Orthodox Vision - September 2011 Issue #259