The Good Shepherd Newsletter

Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral

3256 Warren Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44111

Phone: (216) 941-5550, Fax: (216) 941-3068

E-mail: st.mary.cathedral@sbcglobal.net - www.smroc.org

V. Rev. Dr. Remus Grama, Parish Priest

Rev. Deacon Nick Neagoe

VOLUME XXVI 1st QUARTER, 2020

A PRAYER ON THE NEW YEAR

Our Holy Father, God of our

yesterdays, our today, and our

tomorrows. We praise You for Your

unequaled greatness. Thank You for

the year behind us and for the year

ahead. Help us in Your new year,

Father, to fret less and laugh more,

to teach our children to laugh by

laughing with them, to teach others to love by loving

them. Knowing, when Love came to the stable in

Bethlehem, He came for us so that Love could be with

us, and we could know You, that we could share Love

with others.

Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise,

in the chirping of sparrows in our backyards, in the

stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children.

Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs, so that we

may know You better and better. We rejoice in the world

You loved into being. Thank You for another new year

and for new chances every day.

We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might

spread them to others. Forgive us for falling short this

past year. We leave the irreparable past in your hands,

and step out into the unknown new year knowing You

will go with us. We accept Your gift of a new year and

we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us

do exactly what You want. In Jesus name, we pray,

Amen.

(St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox Church)

May the Lord bless all our members and

friends on the New Year!

A Note from the Editor

The Good Shepherd in a New Format

Dear Readers,

Our Good Shepherd has made it to its 25th

Anniversary! It started on January 1st, 1995, with the

purpose to reach out to all our members. The first

issues were edited by Greg Phillips and the late

Timothy Martin. Then, George Ittu became the next

editor for many years. For a long time the burden of

printing and mailing it has become the responsibility

of our parish secretaries (Mary Jane Vendel, Betty

Ciocanea, Simona Sarsama, Eliza Balos, Ionel

Satnoianu and Mihaela Hetruc). Together with them

and some occasional collaborators, we’ve done a lot of

writing and printing in all these years. I can say that it

kept our parish in the loop. However, with the dawn

of the internet times are now changed and

communication is more instantaneous than ever

before.

In light of this, we decided to reduce our

monthly Good Shepherd to a quarterly edition. This

will cut off some of our expenses. We hope to

maintain its purpose: to make known the parish events.

You will continue to receive it via email or by snail

mail. Your suggestions are always well received and

appreciated.

Jesus is certainly the Good Shepherd “and the

sheep follow Him because they know His voice” (Jn.

10,1-18). He is always looking for all of us who

belong to Him and especially for those “who are not

yet in this sheep pen.” On behalf of our ”Good

Shepherd” editorial board I wish you a healthy New

Year and a blessed year of salvation!

Fr. Remus Grama

STEWARDSHIP PAGE

UPCOMING SPIRITUAL

JANUARY 1 - (+) Circumcision of Our Lord; St. Basil the Great

- 9 am Utrenia/Matins; 10 am Divine Liturgy

JANUARY 5 - 23 - Blessings of Homes

JANUARY 6 - (+) Holy Theophany of Our Lord / Botezul

Domnului - 10 am Divine Liturgy / The Great Blessing of the

Waters (FAST FREE)

JANUARY 7 - (+) Synaxis of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and

Baptizer John / Soborul Sf. Proroc Ioan Botezătorul

- 10 am Divine Liturgy

JANUARY 30 - (+) Synaxis of the Three Hierarchs: Basil the

Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom /

Sfinții Trei Ierarhi: Vasile cel Mare, Grigorie Teologul

& Ioan Gură de Aur - 9 am Divine Liturgy

February 1st - 9 am Ordination of Bishop-Elect Andrei of

Cleveland at St. George Cathedral in Detroit

February 2 - (+) Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the

Temple - First Divine Liturgy of V. Rev. Archimandrite

ANDREI, Bishop of Cleveland,

12 Noon All Winter Saints Dinner - Social Hall.

February 9 - TRIODION begins.

February 23 - Farewell to Meat - Sunday of Last Judgment

March 1st - Farewell to Dayry - Forgiveness Sunday

March 7 - St. Theodore Saturday - 9 am Divine Liturgy followed by

General Parastas

March 8 - Orthodoxy Sunday - Daylight Saving Time Change

March 9 - (+) 40 Martyrs of Sebaste

March 15 - St. Gregory of Palamas

March 22 - Sunday of the Holy Cross

March 25 - (+) Annunciation - 9 am Divine Liturgy

March 29 - St. John of the Ladder

Wednesdays

January 8,

February 12

March 11

12:00 PM

Social Hall

MEETINGS JANUARY 8

JANUARY 29 - Election of Officers FEBRUARY 12

MARCH 10

@ 7 pm in AROY Room

IMPORTANT PARISH

CONTACTS

Parish Vice-President:

Vasile Peicu

(216) 240-3299

Ladies Auxiliary

President:

Aura Petre

(440) 503-0829

Custodian:

Marian Ciuta

(216) 513-5535

Financial Secretary:

Simona Sarsama

(216) 533-4636

Hall Rental:

Italian Creations Church Office

(216) 226-2282 (216) 941-5550

Cathedral within the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in

America. It is an honor for the City of Cleveland to now

have, in addition to the Roman-Catholic Bishop, an

Orthodox Christian Bishop and thus another feather in the

bonnet in the public image of the City. It is also a

challenge for the new auxiliary Hierarch, a Doctor in

Theology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, to

step into the spirit of Cleveland. The Romanian Orthodox

community here published the first Romanian newspaper in

1904; it rejoices in four churches, a museum and a

fantastically great Romanian ethnic festival. The statues of

the renown composer George Enesco and Civil War hero,

General George Pomutz, enhance our City. Keeping in

mind the cultural, spiritual and historical merits of

Cleveland-Romanians, it is a great honor and responsibility

for the new Bishop to become connected to the “Forest

City.”

On February 1, 2020, Archimandrite ANDREI (Hoarște)

will be ordained Bishop by His Beatitude, TIKHON

Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America, assisted

by His Eminence, Archbishop NATHANIEL and other

guest hierarchs. The event will take place Saturday,

February 1, in Saint George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral,

Southfiled, Michigan, the diocesan cathedral of the

Romanian Episcopate. On Sunday, February 2, Feast of the

Presentation of Christ in the Temple at 9:30 a.m., Bishop

ANDREI will officiate his first Hierarchal Divine Liturgy in

his cathedral, Saint Mary Cathedral, 3256 Warren Road,

Cleveland.

Father Alessandro Margheritini, President of the Greater

Council of Orthodox Clergy in Cleveland says that:

„Orthodox Clergy in the area were gladdened to hear the

news”. The Very Reverend Fr. Dr Remus Grama, Dean of

the Cathedral and of the Great Lakes Deanery, who has

been serving this historical parish and landmak of Cleveland

for the last 30 years, also cheered the news.

Both, Cleveland’s Pan-Orthodox and the Romanian

Orthodox community here are preparing for the upcoming

event both with making arrangment and with prayers for the

newly elect hierarch and his future mission. The Romanian

Orthodox Episcopate of America encompasses 105 parishes,

missions and monasteries in the USA and Canada. It is

headquartered in Jackson, Michigan.

Fr. Remus Grama

New Year with New Vicar Bishop

His Grace Bishop ANDREI will be in our midst

Sunday, February 2nd! He will serve his first Liturgy

as a Bishop on this day and I hope you will save the

date and be with us. Lets’ come to the Divine Liturgy

and participate in the Banquet to follow. We have

delayed our Winter Saints Dinner for this reason and

hope all our members will be with us to greet our

young Auxiliary Bishop. Please, let everyone know

and come in a large number. Such events occur

seldom, so please don’t miss it!

THE SPIRIT OF CLEVELAND REJOICES

Since 1936, when The United States of America was

emerging from the Great Depression, the expression, “the

Spirit of Cleveland,” alludes to the great resilient spirit

of our nation. Ever since, Cleveland stood out on the

national level in many other ways: the Cleveland

Orchestra, the Art Museum, NASA, and the Rock and

Roll Museum are just a few of the many aspects of

Cleveland’s outstanding brilliance. From an Orthodox

Christian perspective, Cleveland’s spirit also gleams with

strength. Its 24 Orthodox Christian churches and

dynamic pan-Orthodox life has led it to being labeled by

the Orthodox Christian Laity Movement (OCL

Conference, held here in 2018), “the Pan-Orthodox

City” of America. Yet, in spite of all this, until now,

Cleveland has not had an Orthodox Christian Bishop

with his Cathedral See here.

This was changed on November 12, 2019, when the

spirit of Cleveland gained a new reason to shine with

more brightness. Calling to mind the fact that, in 1935,

the first Romanian Orthodox Bishop, POLICARP

Policarp (Morusca) settled in Cleveland, the Holy Synod

of the Orthodox Church in America bestowed to the

newly elected Auxiliary Bishop ANDREI (Hoarste),

of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate (Diocese) ROEA,

the title “of Cleveland.” His Eminence, Archbishop Dr.

NATHANIEL (Popp), who lead the diocese since 1984,

had everything to do it. He did this to salute the great

historical role of Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox

2020 MARCH FOR LIFE:

This year ZOE for Life!® will be traveling to

Washington DC, to join the March for Life. We would

like to invite you and your parishioners to join us!

Friday, January 24, 2020

Washington D.C.

Van departing from ZOE House (5454 State Rd.,

Parma) on Thursday, January 23, at 10 am.

Loddging over night in Washington and return to ZOE

House at about 11 pm on Friday, January 24.

For more information and reservations, please call

Kathy Dovalak at (440) 842-6639

THANK YOU, CHURCH CO-WORKERS!

The life of our church is well structured and it is

enabled by the colaboration of many God-loving

people. Some of them served in Parish Council,

others in the Ladies Auxiliary. At this time of

the year, we wish to Thank ALL our devoted

members, officers or board members, for their

dedication to the Lord. May He bless you and

your families.

We also look forward to seeing other members

take turn to the lay-leadership of the local

church!

2020 US CENSUS:

The US Government will conduct its decennial

census in 2020. Faith communities are

encouraged to spread the word and make

parishioners aware of the upcoming census.

Contact for more information:

CENSUS.PARTNERS@CENSUS.GOV

2020CENSUS.GOV/PARTNERS

There are also job opportunities available

(https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html).

2020 ANNUAL PRAYER LIST

Orthodox Christians renew their prayer list every year. This is a good time to update your personal list and the one you submit to the Priest. This way, your loved ones are in every Divine Liturgy, being remembered in the Proskomedia Service. Please print the date when you gave this prayer list and your last name.

POMELNIC LA CUNUNA ANULUI 2020

Acum, la început de an, este potrivit să ne aducem la zi listele folosite la rugăciune. Astfel, membrii familiei vor fi incluşi în rugăciunile de la Proscomidie, la fiecare Sf. Liturghie. Completaţi acest pomelnic şi trimiteţi-l sau aduceţi-l Părintelui. Vă rugăm să completaţi data când l-aţi dat şi numele de familie.

For the Living For the Departed

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LAST NAME: ________________________________________ (Numele de familie)

DATE: ____________________________________ (Data)

ÎNȚELEPCIUNEA ZILEI:

Un suflet care nu se știe ruga, nu va ști ce-i fericirea,

chiar de ar avea toate bogățiile pământului. Rugăciunea

adevărată este trudă sfântă.

(- JPS Iustinian Chira)

WISDOM OF THE DAY:

A soul that does not know prayer, will not know what

happiness is, even if it had all the riches of the earth.

True prayer is a holy work.

(- IPS Iustinian Chira)

- Fragment extras din Calendar Religios - 2019,

Editura Alias Publishing, București

Translation -Mihaela Hetruc

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS

& PARENTS MEETING

January 19, 2020

12 pm in the Church

Agenda: 1. Second Semester Activity Plan;

2. Teachers need for 2nd to 5th grade classes;

3. Discussions.

Father Grama is inviting all parents and current

teachers to remain for a 30 minutes meeting. Parents, if

you care about your child’s future, you will make 30

minutes available to your busy Sunday afternoon to join

this meeting. Thank you!

Is looking for volunteers participants in the

Orthodox Mission Teams for 2020. The teams

will travel to Alaska, Albania, Colombia,

Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Kenya.

For Mission Team applications, details and

additional opportunities visit www.ocmc.org, or

email to teams@ocmc.org , or call

1-877-463-6784 (ext. 142).

MIORITZA DANCE GROUP

BACK IN BUSINESS!

REHERSAL SCHEDULE:

January 24

February 14

March 20

At 6:30 pm in the Cultural Hall

Please confirm with Ovidiu Ghioda at

(216) 832-4886, for your attendance.

THANK YOU NOTE

from GHEORGHE LATEȘ & FAMILY

Our office received a note from Gheorghe Lateș, our

former Cantor, Choir Director and Parish Council

President. He is sending his thanks to everyone who is

been helping him and his family during hardship time

and is wishing a Happy New Year to all St. Mary’s

Family! *****

NOTĂ DE MULȚUMIRE

de la GHEORGHE LATEȘ & FAMILIA

Oficiul parohial a primit o notă de la Dl. Gheorghe

Lateș, fost Cantor, Director al Corului George Enescu

și Președintele Consiliului Parohial, care trimite, pe

această cale, mulțumiri pentru ajutorul primit în

momentele grele prin care trece el și familia sa. De

asemenea, urează La Mulți Ani în Noul An tuturor

membrilor familiei mari a Catedralei Sf. Maria!

WANTED!

FISH FRY WORKERS

THE CHURCH IS HOSTING

ITS ANNUAL FISH FRY

EVENTS EVERY FRIDAY

DURING THE MONTHS OF

FEBRUARY MARCH

& APRIL

Let us know, if you can help, call the par-

ish office - (216) 941-5550

St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral 3256 Warren Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44111

Masa Sfinţilor de Iarnă

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 You are invited to join us at our first

dinner in the New Year.

We will be honored by the presence of

our Hierarch and the new Vicar

Bishop ANDREI of Cleveland

A TRADITIONAL WINTER

ROMANIAN MENU

BE A SPONSOR!

FOR $100 YOU COULD BECOME ONE OF

THE SPONSORS OF THIS DINNER. THANK

YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Let us welcome our new

Vicar-Bishop and

begin the year with a new sense

of commitment to the Lord and

our local parish!

Happy New Year!

Sunteți invitați să vă alăturați nouă la

prima noastră masă a Noului An.

Vom fi onorați de prezența

Ierarhului nostru și a Preasfințitului

ANDREI, Episcop de Cleveland

MENIU TRADITIONAL

ROMANESC DE IARNĂ

DEVENIȚI UN SPONSOR!

PENTRU DOAR $100 PUTEȚI DEVENI UNUL DIN

SPONSORII ACESTEI MESE TRADIȚIONALE!

VĂ MULŢUMIM PENTRU AJUTOR!

Veniţi să primim pe

noul Episcop-Vicar

și să începem anul împreună, cu

hotărârea de a conlucra în slujirea lui

Dumnezeu în parohia locală!

La mulţi ani!

Veniți și citiți cu noi în fiecare

JOI, 10 am — to 12 pm

ST. MARY’S SOCIAL HALL

RENTAL

Are you planning an event this year or next

year? Our social hall is at your disposition!

Contact the parish office for more information!

Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church

3256 Warren Road

Cleveland, OH 44111

CURRENT OCCUPANT OR:

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Cleveland, Ohio Permit No. 1077

The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple

February 2nd

Trimestrial Publication