June 2014 - the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Annunciation

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation
The Annunciator
Rev. Fr. Paul A. Kaplanis, Dean ([email protected])
Rev. Fr. Christos P. Mars, Presbyter ([email protected])
2500 Clairmont Road N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30329
Phone (404) 633-5870 Fax (404) 633-6018
Volume 41 Issue 3
www.atlgoc.org [email protected]
June 2014
ST. PAUL’S BOLD AND COMPASSIONATE
SERMON TO THE ATHENIANS
As St. Paul was
traveling on his missionary journeys in
the early days of the
Church, he made a
stop in Athens. We
are well aware that St.
Paul traveled to other
places in Greece; Corinth, Beroea, Thessaloniki and
Philippi to name a few, but in great detail, St. Luke
the Evangelist documents his stop in Athens in the
Book of Acts in chapter 17, verses 16-34. In verse,
19, St. Luke describes the scene in the following way,
“IN THOSE DAYS, the Athenians took hold of Paul
and brought him to the Areopagos, saying, "May we
know what this new teaching is which you present?
For you bring some strange things to our ears; we
wish to know therefore what these things mean."
St. Paul had just left Beroea, where he had preached
in the Jewish synagogue and had been received
peacefully and with eagerness. The scripture says that
many believed including “some Greek women of
high standing as well as men” (Acts 17:12). Previously, St. Paul preached to the Jews in Thessaloniki.
He was not well received there to the point that when
these same Jews heard that he went to Beroea, they
went there to stir up and incite the crowds. Sts. Silas
and Timothy stayed behind, while those in his company brought St. Paul to Athens, where he waited for
the two Saints to arrive. It seems that Athens was an
unscheduled stop for St. Paul’s missionary journey.
He was simply waiting there for his colleagues and
decided to make the most of his time by opening up
some conversations amongst the locals. He argued
first with those in the synagogue and then various
people in the marketplace. He also met with some of
the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. It was the
philosophers who decided to escort St. Paul to the
Areopagos.
It was on the Areopagos, the hill/rock, Pnyx, in Greek
Πνύξ, of the god Aries, also known as Mars Hill, located
at the foot of the Acropolis, that St. Paul formally offered
the gospel, the “new faith” to the philosophic and
religious system of the Greek world in the year 52 A.D.
The Areopagos, was the center of ancient Greek
democracy and beginning as early as 507 BC, when
political power was transferred to the citizenry, the
Athenians gathered here to host their popular assemblies.
In ancient times, there were over 43,000 members of the
Areopagos Court and 6,000 members were required for a
quorum. At this site, all the great political struggles of
Athens of the "Golden Age" were fought. In was in
Athens, the most learned city in the world and before the
most exclusive of courts that St. Paul had to state his case.
For him, the location was the ideal spot and a God-given
opportunity to witness for Christ, the Incarnate Logos,
Son of God, and the Anointed Savior of the world.
It was during the Roman occupation of Athens that
St. Paul introduced the humanism of the Monotheistic
religion, which influenced the Athenians on a moral and
intellectual level. They perceived this religion as a new
1 Continues on page 2 philosophy and a mystery. In Christianity, they found an
affinity with the ancient Greek philosophical ideas, such
as Logos and the fixed principle, which governed the
world of flux, according to Heraclitus. In Christianity,
they also found tenderness, compassion and humanity.
Yet, their reaction to St. Paul's preaching (specifically in
regards to resurrection) was to mock and reject him.
of this world and the proof is that He raised Him (Christ)
from the dead. As we read in Acts chapter 17, verse 32,
the reaction of the people to St. Paul’s message was
mixed. Some of them mocked him when they heard all
this and some said, “We will hear you again about this.”
St. Luke points out that some joined St. Paul, meaning
they embraced his message and among them were
When St. Paul arrived in Athens, he was shocked when he Dionysios the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.
discovered that the city was full of idols. Equally, As St. Paul preached his message to the Athenians, he
however, he was impressed by the city’s great beauty. gently introduced the concept of a “known” rather than
While preaching the gospel, he had long walks and “unknown” God in the person of the Resurrected Jesus
discussions with the Epicurean and the Stoic philosophers, Christ. It is important to understand why this message
who urged him to explain to them his teaching and his would be completely strange for some, misunderstood by
novel ideas.
others and yet attractive to many of the Athenian educated
Before we study St. Paul’s sermon, it is helpful to elite.
consider what it would be like today to speak about our
Orthodox Christian Faith in front of an audience that was
curious to hear new ideas, but also very comfortable with
the world in which they lived. Let us say that we are the
missionaries going to a foreign land where the people do
not believe in God. Our job is not only telling them what
we believe, (if they are willing to listen), but we are
commissioned to convert people to our Orthodox Faith.
Imagine that you have been called to spread the Good
News of the Gospel. How would you begin? What would
be the first words coming out of your mouth? If we are
unsure, St. Paul provides the model in his encounter with
the people of Athens.
St. Paul stood boldly on the “rock” of the Areopagos
where he began his evangelistic message by saying: "Men
of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are religious.
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your
worship, I found also an altar, with this inscription, ‘To
an unknown god’. What you, therefore, worship as
unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the
world and everything in it, being Lord of Heaven and
Earth, does not live in shrines made by man; nor is he
served by human hands, as though he needed anything,
since he himself gives to all men life and breath and
everything...that they should seek God, in the hope that
they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far
from each one of us, for in him we live and move and
have our being” (Acts 17:22ff).
As St. Paul continued his message, he introduced to the
Athenians several important elements of the new Christian
Faith including, repentance, judgment and a resurrected
Savior. He also asserted that God has selected “the judge”
Let us begin with the Epicureans and their beliefs. 1)
They believed that everything happened by chance. 2)
They believed that death was the end of all. 3) They believed that the gods were remote from the world and did
not care. 4) They believed that pleasure that brought no
pain was the chief end of man.
There were also the Stoics that believed: 1) that
everything was God. God was a fiery spirit. That spirit
grew dull in matter, but it was in everything. What gave
men life was that a little spark of that spirit dwelt in them
and when they died it returned to God. 2) They believed
that everything that happened was the will of God and
therefore must be accepted without resentment. 3) They
believed that every so often the world disintegrated in a
conflagration (inferno) and started all over again on the
same cycle of events. Examining these two groups of
philosophers, it appears that the Stoics may have been
most attracted to St. Paul’s message, however, in Athens
is was easy to find someone to speak with since the
Athenians were famous for their curiosity.
St. Paul’s approach in conveying the Gospel message to
the Athenians was also very interesting. He used the
utmost care in his manner of speaking and truly knew his
audience. For instead of using accusatory language, he
used flattery and diplomacy. Taking a closer look at the
scripture, we can understand this more clearly. St. Paul
compliments the Athenians by praising them for being
very religious and having a great deal of religious objects
and shrines. He told them that he even found an altar with
the inscription, “To an unknown god”. He did not say to
them, why do you worship an unknown god? Instead, he
shares a few words about God that they would embrace
2 Continues on page 3 for they accepted the notion of a creator who made the
world and everything in it. Having reinforced the
sovereignty of God and stating clearly that we are His offspring; St. Paul proceeds to press the need for all
humanity to accept that God is known and that now is
the time to acknowledge this fact and accept the
responsibilities that go with it. If, indeed, he says, we are
God’s offspring, then God cannot be described or
worshipped, as an idol made of stone, gold or silver. God
has been patient, St. Paul says, and now he “commands
all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a
day on which he will judge the world in
righteousness” (Acts 17:30-31). Who has God appointed
for this task? The Risen Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and
Son of God who took on human nature while remaining
fully God and sacrificed His life in order to re-open the
doors of paradise for all. And He is the same God, who,
as we read in Acts chapter 17, verse 26, “… made from
one every nation of men to live on all the face of the
earth, having determined allotted periods and
boundaries of their habitation”. St. John Chrysostom
in his homily on the 17th Chapter of the Book of Acts
reinforces that Christ is the Creator. Speaking to
St. Paul’s approach to the Athenians, he says, “See how
he brings Him in as Judge also: Him, both provident
for the world, and merciful and forgiving and
powerful and wise, and, in a word possessing all the
attributes of a Creator.”
On the day of St. Paul’s sermon before the Areopagos,
only a few people converted, but we know that over time,
the fruits of his labors were tremendous. His eloquent
message serves as a model for our own apologetic efforts.
We can acknowledge that more and more we are living in
a very secular society, and we need the tools to speak
with confidence to others regarding our Orthodox Faith.
We also must receive the example of St. Paul’s loving
and sensitive approach.
What lessons can we learn from St. Paul’s masterful
speech before his purely pagan audience?
3) St. Paul does not quote from the Hebrew scripture
since his listeners do not regard it as authoritative.
Instead, St. Paul quotes from authorities the
Athenians accepted as true, specifically works of
their own poets.
4) He carefully introduces Christian concepts by
connecting them to assertions with which they
could agree.
5) He does not shrink away from the truth nor does
not water down the truth of the Gospel. Here he
knows that not everyone would accept the
message.
6) Finally, he speaks on the same level as his audience. For example, St. Paul uses everyday language when speaking in the marketplace and
raises the style of his speech to a more sophisticated elegance before the Areopagos.
As we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Paul in the month of
June, specifically on June 29, we can be inspired to be
bold ambassadors of the Faith that we have been blessed
to receive. In the world, that we live in today, we must be
strong and well-grounded in our beliefs, otherwise we
will be swallowed up into secularism. We cannot expect
the gift of our Orthodox Faith, which we have been given
or we have chosen on our own, to simply carry us
spiritually for generations. We must change some of our
old paradigms and shift into a more proactive journey of
discovering the treasures of our Faith. Each of us must
make this great Faith our own and then share it with
others. This is what St. Paul did. He changed an entire
belief system and became one of the chief Christian role
models. Through the prayers of St. Paul the Apostle to the
Nations, may we be inspired to raise ourselves to stand on
our own “Areopagos Rock”, and boldly live a life where
Christ comes first and we love Him, with all our heart,
with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our
strength.
1) St. Paul begins by appealing to the hearts and
emotions of those listening. He builds them up,
rather than putting them down, by complimenting
them for being religious.
2) It does not alienate his audience by pointing out
the errors of their worship, but rather he states
truths that would be accepted by the Epicurean
and Stoic philosophers that were willing to listen.
+Rev. Fr. Paul A. Kaplanis
3 ST. PETER THE ATHONITE AND THE DEMONS (JUNE 12TH)
St. Peter the Athonite, a
Greek by birth, served as
a soldier in the imperial
armies and lived in
Constantinople. In the
year 667 AD, during a
war with the Syrians, St.
Peter was taken captive
and locked up in a
fortress in the city of
Samara on the Euphrates
River.
For a long time he languished in prison and
pondered over which of his sins had brought God's
chastisement upon him. St. Peter the Athonite
remembered that once he had intended to leave the
world and go to a monastery, but he had not done so.
He began to observe a strict fast in the prison and to
pray fervently, asking St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
to intercede before God for him.
St. Nicholas appeared in a dream to Peter and
advised him to call upon St. Simeon the God-Receiver
(commemorated February 3) for help. St. Nicholas
appeared to him once more in a dream, encouraging the
prisoner in patience and hope. The third time that he
appeared it was not in a dream, but with St. Simeon the
God-Receiver. St. Simeon, who appeared with a staff,
touched his staff to the chains binding St. Peter the
Athonite, and the chains melted away like wax. The
doors of the prison opened, and St. Peter was free.
Following this St. Simeon the God-Receiver
vanished, but St. Nicholas conveyed St. Peter the
Athonite to the borders of the Greek territory.
Reminding him of his vow, St. Nicholas also vanished.
St. Peter the Athonite then journeyed to Rome to
receive monastic tonsure at the tomb of the Apostle
Peter. Even here St. Nicholas did not leave him without
his help. He appeared in a dream to the Pope of Rome
and informed him of the circumstances of St. Peter the
Athonite’s liberation from captivity, and he commanded
the Pope to tonsure the former prisoner into
monasticism.
On the following day, in the midst of a throng of
people who had gathered for divine services, the Pope
loudly exclaimed, "Peter, you who are from the Greek
lands, and whom St. Nicholas has freed from prison in
Samara, come here to me." St. Peter the Athonite stood
in front of the Pope, who tonsured him into
monasticism at the tomb of the Apostle Peter. The Pope
taught St. Peter the Athonite the rules of monastic life
and kept the monk by him. Then with a blessing, he sent
St. Peter the Athonite to where God had appointed him
to journey.
St. Peter the Athonite boarded a ship sailing to
the East. The ship owners, after going ashore, asked St.
Peter the Athonite to come and pray at a certain house,
where the owner and the entire household lay sick. St.
Peter healed them through his prayer.
In the year 681, The Virgin Mary appeared in a
dream to St. Peter and indicated the place where he
should live till the very end of his days—Mt. Athos
(also referred to as the Holy Mountain). He boarded a
ship and sailed alongside Athos, it then halted of its
own accord. St. Peter realized that this was the place he
had to go, so he went ashore. The Monk Peter then
dwelt in the desolate places of the mountain, not seeing
another person for 53 years. His clothing had tattered,
but his hair and beard had grown out covering his body
in place of clothing.
At first the Monk Peter was repeatedly subjected
to demonic assaults. Trying to force the saint to
abandon his cave, the devils took on the form at times
of armed soldiers, and at other times of fierce beasts and
vipers that seemed ready to tear apart the hermit. But
through fervent prayer to God and the Theotokos, the
Monk Peter conquered the demonic assaults. Then the
enemy began to resort to trickery. Appearing under the
guise of a lad, sent to him from his native home, he with
tears besought the monk to leave the wilderness and
return to his own home. The monk was in tears, but
without hesitation answered: “Here has the Lord and
4 the Theotokos led me, and without her leave I will not who was afflicted with a demon, and several other
leave from here.” Hearing the name of the Theotokos, companions. When they entered the St. Peter's cave,
they saw that he had already reposed. The hunter, with
the demon vanished.
bitter tears, told his companions of the life of St. Peter.
His brother, after merely touching the saint's body,
received healing. St. Peter died in the year 734 AD.
His holy relics were on Athos at the monastery of
St. Clement. During the Iconoclast period the relics
were hidden away, and in
the year 969 AD they were
transferred to the Thracian
village of Photokami.
The icon depicts a scene from the life of St. Peter the
Athonite, the first ascetic of Mount Athos. It shows the devil
as an angel of light appearing to St. Peter in order to
persuade him away from the monastic path he endured
bravely. The first biography of St. Peter was written by
St. Gregory Palamas, who relates the story behind the icon.
This is a lesson which teaches us the great virtue of
humility and obedience in withstanding demonic attacks
and deceptions.
After seven years the devil came before the
monk in the guise of a luminous angel and said that
God was commanding him to go into the world for the
enlightening and salvation of people needful of his
guidance. The experienced ascetic again replied, that
without the permission of the Theotokos he would not
forsake the wilderness. The devil disappeared and did
not bother to approach the saint any more. The
Theotokos appeared to the Monk Peter in a dream
together with St. Nicholas and said to the brave hermit,
that each 40 days an Angel would bring him Heavenly
manna. From that time the Monk Peter fasted for 40
days, and on the fortieth day he fortified himself with
the Heavenly manna, receiving the strength for a further
forty-day abstinence.
St. Peter once saw the
Theotokos in a vision, and
she spoke of Her earthly
domain, Mount Athos: "I
have chosen this mountain...
and have received it from
My Son and God as an
inheritance, for those who
wish to forsake worldly cares and strife.... Exceedingly
do I love this place. I will
aid those who come to dwell
here and who labor for God... and keep His
commandments.... I will lighten their afflictions and
labors, and shall be an invincible ally for the monks,
invisibly guiding and guarding them...."
Generations of Orthodox monks can attest to the
truth of these words. The Theotokos is regarded as the
Abbess of the Holy Mountain, not just in name, but also
in fact. For this reason, Mt. Athos is known as the
"Garden of the Theotokos".
Compiled, shortened, and explained from the
Once, a hunter chasing after a stag saw the book entitled “The Synaxarion” .
naked man, covered with hair and girded about the loins
with leaves. He was afraid and was about to flee, but St.
Peter stopped him and told him of his life. The hunter
asked to remain with him, but the saint sent him home.
St. Peter gave the hunter a year for self-examination and
forbade him to tell anyone about meeting him.
+Rev. Fr. Christos P. Mars
A year later the hunter returned with his brother,
5 The Fast of the Holy Apostles
The Apostles' Fast, also called the Fast of the Holy Apostles, the Fast of Peter
and Paul, or sometimes simply St. Peter's Fast, is observed by the faithful of the
Eastern Churches (both Catholics and Orthodox). It is one of the four periods of
fasting handed down through Holy Tradition. The others being Great Lent, the
Nativity Fast and the Dormition Fast. The Apostles' Fast begins on the second
Monday after Pentecost (the day following All Saints' Sunday) and continues
until the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th.
Having rejoiced for fifty days following Pascha, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
the Apostles began to prepare for their departure from Jerusalem to spread
Christ's message throughout the world. According to Sacred Tradition, as part of
their preparation, they began a fast with prayer to ask God to strengthen their
resolve and to be with them during their missionary efforts as they spread the
Gospel.
The Biblical foundation for the Fast is found in the Synoptic Gospels, when the Pharisees criticized the
Apostles for not fasting. Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is
with them? The day will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will
fast.” (Matthew 9:15) Our Lord, in this passage, was referring to Himself being taken to be crucified; but in
the larger sense these words of the Lord are understood in terms of His Ascension into heaven, and His
command to preach the Gospel, which can only be accomplished with prayer and fasting. The New
Testament mentions the practice of fasting many times.
The tradition of the Apostles' Fast has existed at least since Pope Leo I (461 AD), as is evidenced by his
homilies, though it has subsequently passed from practice in the West. There is also reference of this fast in
the East from St. Athanasios the Great (373 AD). He talks about the fast that falls after Pentecost in his
homilies. The Fast is thought to have been instituted out of thanksgiving to God for the witness of the
Apostles of Our Lord. With this Fast, the faithful express their thanks for the Apostles' endurance of
persecution during their mission.
During this fast period we are allowed to eat fish. We are not allowed to eat red meat, poultry, dairy
products, and eggs. Fish is allowed every day during the fast except for Wednesdays and Fridays. The same
is also true for the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24th) as we are allowed to eat fish on
this feast day no matter what day of the week it occurs. If the feast day of S.S. Peter and Paul happens to
fall on a Wednesday or Friday you are allowed to break the fast by eating fish only, no meat or dairy
products because it is a Wednesday or Friday.
The amount of time that this fast takes up is always changing, based on when the date Easter occurs. When
does it begin? It begins on the Monday after the Sunday of All Saints and it concludes on June 28th, the fore
feast of S.S. Peter and Paul. This way it is possible, via the old calendar, to last up to 42 days if Easter
occurs on March 22nd. However with the new calendar, which we use today, it can never be more than 30
days. There are some times when the Sunday of All Saints can fall after June 27th, which happens when
Easter is celebrated between May 5th to 8th. When this happens we do not have any fast of the Holy
Apostles.
Prepared by Rev. Fr. Christos P. Mars
6 jH nhsteiva tw'n aJgivwn jApostovlwn 1. Miva ajkovmh makrav perivodo" nhsteiva" ei\nai hj legovmenh nhsteiva tw'n aJgiwn jApostovlwn. jOnomavzetai e[tsi
diovti prohgei'tai tw'n duvo ajpostolikw'n ejortw'n: th'" eJorth'" tw'n aJgivwn prwtokorufaivwn ajpostovlwn Pevtrou kaiv
Pauvlou, 29 jIounivou, kaiv th'" <<Sunavxew" tw'n Dwvdeka jApostovlwn>>, 30 jIounivou. Suvnaxh tw'n aJgivwn jApostov
lwn o{tan levme, ejnnoou'me thv sunavqroish tw'n pistw'n giav thvn prosforav th'" qeiva" Eujcaristiva" prov" timhvn
o{lwn genikav tw'n Dwvdeka jApostovlwn, tw'n oJpoivwn thv mnhvmh eJortavzei kaiv xecwristav giva tovn kaqevna hJ
jEkklhsiva ma".
2. JH cronikhv diavrkeia aujth'" th'" periovdou ei\nai ajkaqovristh ejpeidhv hJ e[narxhv th" ejxarta'tai ajpov thvn kinhthv
eJorthv tou' Pasca. Povte ajrcivzei_ jArcivzei thv Deutevra metav thvn Kuriakhv tw'n aJgivwn Pavntwn kaiv lhvgei staqerav
thvn 28h jIounivou, paramonhv th'" eJorth'" tw'n ajgivwn ajpostovlwn Pevtrou kaiv Pauvlou. [Etsi ei\nai dunatovn na
diarkevsi katav tov palaiov hJmerolovgio mevcri kaiv saravnta duvo hJmevre", a[n tov Pavsca sumpevsei stiv" 22 Martivou.
jEnw' katav tov nevo hJmerolovgio pouv ijscuvei shvmera, devn uJperbaivnei potev tiv" triavnta hJmevre". Merikev" forev"
mavlista, o{tan hJ Kuriakhv tw'n aJgivwn Pavntwn sumpevsei metav tiv" 27 jIounivou--o{pw" sumbaivnei o{tan tov Pavsca
eJortavzetai ajpo tiv" 5 w{" tiv" 8 Mai?ou--tovte devn e[coume kaqovlou nhsteiva.
Twvra, a[n levgetai kaiv hJ perivodo' aujthv Tessarakosthv, ojnomavzetai katacrhstikav, ajfou' potev devn ftavnei
tiv" saravnta hJmevra"--toulavciston mev to nevo hJmerolovgio. JH shmasiva, eJpomevnw", pouv giav thvn perivodo aujthv
proslambavnei oJ o{ro" Tessarakosthv, ei\nai th'" ejgkravteia" kaiv th'" nhsteiva".
3. JH u{parxh aujth'" th'" nhsteiva" marturei'tai ajpov poluv palaiav, ajpov tovn a{gio kaiv Mevga jAqanavsio kaiv tiv"
jApostolikev" Diatagev". Oiv teleutai'e" sunistou'n scetikav: <<Metav ou\n tov eJortavsai uJma'" thvn Penthkosthvn
eJortavsate mivan eJbdomavda, kaiv met j ejkeivnhn nhsteuvsate mivan: divkaion gavr kaiv eujfranqh'nai ejpiv th'/ ejk Qeou'
dwrea'/ kaiv nhsteu'sai metav thvn a[nesin.>> Katav thvn eJbdomavda metav thvn Penthkosthv topoqetei' thv nhsteiva kaiv
oJ Mevga" jAqanavsio".
jApov tiv" marturive" aujtev" sunavgoume o{ti poluv privn oJrisqei' hJ eJorthv tw'n aJgivwn ajpostovlwn Pevtrou kaiv
Pauvlou stiv" 29 jIounivou--hJ eJorthv eijshvcqh sthvn Kwnstantinouvpolh ajpov thv Rwvmh katav tovn EV aijwna--, hj
nhsteiva h\tan eJptahvmera kaiv sundeovtan mev thvn penthkosthv ejpeidhv metav ajpov aujthvn oiJ jApostoloi <<nhsteusan
te" kaiv proseuxavmenoi>>(Pravx. 13,3) a]rcisan tov khruktikov tou" e[rgo. Giav tovn lovgo aujtov kaiv ojnomavsthke
nhsteiva tw'n aJgivwn jApostovlwn. jArgovtera dev, o{tan kaqierwvqhke hJ ajpostolikhv eJorthv, hJ nhsteiva parataqhke
mevcri thvn 29h jIounivou kaiv qewrhvqhke wJ" perivodo" proetoimasiva" giav thvneJorthv. Mev aujtov tov pneu'ma
ajntilambavnetai tiv" parapavnw marturive" kaiv oJ a{gio" Nikovdhmo" oJ JAgioreivth", eJrmhneuvonta" tovn 69o
jApostolikov Kanovna.
Sthv nhsteiva tw'n aJgivwn jApostovlwn ajnafevrontai ajrgovtera oJ jAnastavsio" Sinai?th", o Ja{gio" Qeovdwro"
oJ Stoudivth", oJ a{gio" Nikhfovro" oJ JOmologhthv", patriavrch" Kwnstantinoupovlew", kaiv oJ Qeovdwro" Balsamwvn.
4. Pw'" prevpei nav nhsteuvoumen katav thv nhsteiva aujth_ {Opw" ei\nai gnwstov, kaiv se aujthv thv nhsteiva
ejpitrevpetai nav kataluvoume yavri, ejnw' ajpevcoume ajpov kreva", galakterav kaiv aujgav. Yavri trw'me, a[n
qevloume, o{le' tiv" hJmevre", ejktov' fusikav th'" Tetavrth" kaiv th'" Paraskeuh'" katav tiv" oJpi'e" e[coume
aujsthrhvnhsteiva.
Tov i[dio ijscuvei--dhladhv nhsteuvoume aujsterav--kaiv giav thvn paramonhv th'" eJorth'", ejktov" ki a[n sumpevsi
Savbbato h[ Kuriakhv. Yariv kataluvoume kaiv katav thvn eJorthv tou' Genesivou tou' Timivou Prodrovmou
(24 jIounivou), oJpoiadhvpote hJmera ki a[n pevsei.
[An hJ eJorth tw'n aJg. jApostovlwn Pevtrou kaiv Pauvlou (29 jIounivou) pevsei hJmera Tetavrth h[ Paraskeuhv,
kataluvoume movno yariv.
7 THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
On the sixth week after Easter every year we
commemorate the Holy 318 Fathers of the First
Ecumenical Council, which took place in Nicaea (a small
city in Northwest part of Asia Minor, close to
Constantinople) in 325 AD. It almost goes without saying
that the significance and the impact of this Council was
so tremendous for the Church that in contemporary
Church History Studies, we distinguish the historical
periods in Ante-Nicene and Post-Nicene era. For the first
time, the entire Body of the Church gathered in this
Council in order to articulate the very fundamental
teachings of Christianity and convey them in a certain
unchangeable way, striving to maintain the truth, which
Christ Himself revealed, and confront or prevent any
heretical deviations. Likewise, the Fathers who
participated in the Nicene Council issued the first 20
Canons of the Church. These Canons laid the foundation
of the Christian ethos which was manifested as the
Church experienced growth.
Though the entirety of the Church came together
for the first time after the Apostolic Council (48 AD) and
functioned as one Body, many Christian entities
nowadays, especially the Reformation Churches, dispute
the character of the Council. According to their
perspective, the vibrancy of the apostolic message died in
Nicene Council and the Church was reduced from a
charismatic society to a State Institution. They describe
this institutionalization of the Church with the term
Constantianism and thus they blame St. Constantine as
the one who manipulated the Church for his own political
purposes.
Nevertheless, this article does not aim to disprove
the Protestant perspective. Their failure to achieve even
the minimum consensus, constitutes a problem of their
own and on no account should they envy and accuse St.
Constantine the Great, who contributed remarkably to the
Church’s Unity.
In 325 AD, in Nicaea, the Church had to face a
threat coming from within. The persecutions from the
Roman State had been terminated 13 years earlier by the
Edict of Milan (312 AD). Christians now were free to
declare and practice their faith publically. Moreover, the
Roman Emperor Constantine, even though he was
not Christian yet, was showing favoritism toward
Christianity. His troops were marching under Christian
Symbols, whereas his flag with the sign of the Cross, was
described by his contemporary historians as an
“Invincible weapon”.
Constantine was a skilled general indeed, who
was never defeated in battle and with his adeptness as a
capable political ruler. He managed to reunite the Roman
Empire after it had been divided into four entities
(Tetrachy, τετραρχία) and become the sole emperor.
However, despite his exclusive sovereignty, he never
interfered in Church’s affairs. And the Nicene Council is
proof of this fact.
To illustrate this point, we must ask what was the
reason for calling the Council? In the beginning of the
fourth century a presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt, whose
name was Arius, introduced a new teaching. Struggling to
interpret the first chapter of John’s Gospel, “In the
beginning it was the Word”(Jn 1:1), he argued that this
verse says that the Word was the very first creature of
God and not begotten by God. In other words, he taught
that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, but created by
God. He started spreading this new heretical doctrine
with the incomprehensible phrase: “"there once was (a
time) when he (the Word) was not", meaning that the
Word is not
eternal and therefore is not the same
essence with the Father. Though this doctrine constituted
an obvious deviation from the fundamental teaching,
which clearly declares that Christ is the Word of God,
begotten before all ages, many followed Arius, because,
he, most likely, as a respected priest in his area, frankly
he was capable of influencing a multitude of people.
Soon, the new Arianistic doctrines were spread
beyond Alexandria. This was the impetus and defining
moment when several bishops appealed to the Emperor
Constantine, asking for his help. Constantine, at that time,
was at the peak of his power and he could have solved the
controversy by issuing a law, or a prohibition.
Nonetheless, he left the Church to make the decision. His
role specifically was the calling of the Council and his
full sponsorship of it. Throughout the lengths and the
8 widths of the Empire, letters were sent, inviting
venerable bishops and clergy to participate.
Thus, 318 delegates from local Churches were
gathered in Nicaea on May 20th of the year 325 AD.
Constantine had decided to be the President of the
Council, but when he encountered some Christian
bishops and monks who bore in their bodies the signs of
martyrdom and persecutions, he sat aside and out of
respect for them and he refused to sit on his throne.
Unfortenately, the minutes of the Council have not
survived in order to inform us who was assigned to take
over the presidential duties. The sources that are
available to us name the following hierarchs as leaders,
Hosius, bishop of Cordoba, Ephstathios, bishop of
Antioch and Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia. However,
we cannot know for sure who was appointed as president.
When Arius started to present his doctrines, his
oratorical talent was revealed. Nobody, from the fathers
took courage to stand forth and respond back, though
they all acknowledged the falseness of the Ariantistic
doctrines. St. Spyridon, bishop of Trimithous, a humble
Christian Shepherd from Cyprus, performed a miracle: he
took a brick and as he was holding it in his hand, the
brick was dissolved into the three basic elements, which
consist of: clay, water and fire. Thus, St. Spyridon proved
the the unity of the Holy Trinity, by illustrating that each
Divine Person (i.e. Father, Son, Holy Spirit) though He
functions differently, sustains the unity of The Holy
Trinity, with his own distinctive way. St. Nicholas,
bishop of Myra, a small city in Asia Minor, indignant
with Arius’ blasphemies, during a break of the Council
he approached Arius, and slapped him in the face. For
this action he was put in prison, but few days after he was
released miraculously.
None of these incidents, however, softened Arius’
heart. Day to day, he was becoming more arrogant and
more offensive. And when all indications were that Arius
was about to prevail, a bishop started refuting Arius’
heresies. It was Alexandros the Bishop of Alexandria. In
fact it was not Alexandros, but his deacon Athanasius,
who, as a deacon, was not allowed to speak publically in
the presence of bishops. Thus, Athanasius whispered the
answers to his bishop’s ear and Arius started losing his
arrogant confidence. Deacon Athanasius, who later
became bishop of Alexandria and he is known as St.
Athanasius the Great, became the Orthodox theological
mind and tongue of the first Ecumenical Council, who
conveyed in words what the rest of the God-Bearing
fathers kept in their hearts and maintained during the
Council in silence and prayer. Finally, the Holy Synod of
Nicaea condemned the heretical doctrines of Arius and
crystallized the Orthodox teachings in a confession of
faith, known as The Nicene Creed: “We believe in one
God Father all mighty, Creator of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord
Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten
from the Father, before all ages. Light of light, true
God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence
with the Father, through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came from
heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin Mary and became man. He was Crucified for
us under Pontius Pilate and suffered and was buried;
and He rose on the third day, according to the
scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of the Father; and he will come again
with glory to judge the living and the dead; His
kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy
Spirit” (The Creed as we have received it today was
completed in the 2nd Ecumenical Council in
Constantinople 381 AD, that’s why the proper name is
Nicene/Constantinople Creed).
The first Ecumenical Council in Nicaea
concluded in August 25th 325 AD, when Emperor
Constantine, was the first person to read the Creed
publically, during the Divine Liturgy. In this Council the
Church acquired the name Orthodox, as opposed to
heresy, (αίρεσις), since the Church has the “Right
Faith” (Ορθή Δόξα). Also, the Nicene Council was the
first Ecumenical (Universal) Council, which proved that
the Divine Word is infallible. This Council solidified the
fact, that no individual can claim ex officio infallibility,
except the entirety of the Church. As the Apostles
gathered together in Jerusalem and came up with one
decision as equals, so the Holy Fathers did in Nicaea. In
one word, the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical
Council manifested with their example their devotion to
the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ.
Elias Lampropoulos
9 Η Πρώτη Οικουμενική Σύνοδος
Την έκτη εβδομάδα μετά το Πάσχα η Εκκλησία
μας τιμά τη μνήμη των 318 Πατέρων της Πρώτης
Οικουμενικής Συνόδου, η οποία ἐλαβε χώρα στη Νίκαια
(μια μικρή πόλη στη Βορειό-Δυτική πλευρά της Μικράς
Ασίας, κοντά στην Κωνσταντινούπολη) το 325 μχ. Η
Σύνοδος αυτή έδρασε τόσο καταλυτικά στη ζωή της
Εκκλησίας, ώστε σήμερα η Εκκλησιαστική Ιστορία να
διαιρείται σε Προ-Νικαιϊκή και Μετά-Νικαιϊκή Εποχή. Για
πρώτη φορά στη Σύνοδο αυτή, το Σώμα της Εκκλησίας
συνάχθηκε στο σύνολό του, ώστε να διασαφηνίσει ένα
από τα θεμελιωδέστερα δόγαμτα της Εκκλησίας και
να το εκφράσει με αποφασιστικότητα και σαφήνεια,
διαφυλάττοντας έτσι την αλήθεια, που ο ίδιος ο Χριστός
μας αποκάλυψε, ανόθευτη από κάθε λογής αιρετική
απόκλιση. Επιπλέον, οι Πατέρες της Συνόδου στη Νίκαια
καθιέρωσαν και τους πρώτους 20 Ιερούς Κανόνες, οι
οποίοι απετέλεσαν τους δείκτες του χριστιανικού ήθους,
καθώς η χριστιανική πίστη διαδιδόταν όλο και
περισσότεορο, μέρα με τη μέρα και συχνά οι πιστοί
ζητούσαν απαντήσεις.
Όμως, παρά το γεγονός ότι η Εκκλησία
στο σύνολό της συνεκλήθη για πρώτη φορά στη Νίκαια,
μετά την Αποστολική Σύνοδο (48μχ) ως ένα Σώμα,
σήμερα πολλές χριστιανικές ομολογίες, ιδιαιτέρως
Προτεσταντικές, θεωρούν πως η Συνόδος αυτή είχε
αρνητικά αποτελέσματα για την Εκκλησία. Κατά τη δική
τους εκτίμηση, η Εκκλησία έχασε στη Σύνοδο της Νίκαιας
τη ζωντάνια της Αποστολικής Μαρτυρίας, και, από ένα
Χαρισματικό Σώμα κατάντησε να γίνει ένας ακόμα θεσμός
της Πολιτείας. Περιγράφουν μάλιστα τη θεσμοποίηση που
υπέστη η Εκκλησία με τον όρο Κωνσταντινιασμός και έτσι
κατηγορύν τον Μέγα Κωνσταντίνο ότι εκμεταλλεύτηκε
την Εκκλησία για δικές του πολιτικές σκοπιμότητες.
Ωστόσο, αυτό το άρθρο δεν σκοπεύει να
ανασκευάσει την προτεσταντική σκοπιά. Το γεγονός ότι
απέτυχαν να συμφωνήσουν, ακόμα και μεταξύ τους, στο
ελάχιστο, είναι δικό τους πρόβλημα και δεν νομίζω ότι επ᾿
ουδενί λόγω θα πρέπει να κατηγορούν το Μέγα
Κωνσταντίνο, ο οποίος συνεισέφερε τα μέγιστα στην
ενότητα της Εκκλησίας.
Το 325 μχ στη Νίκαια, η Εκκλησία είχε να
αντιμετωπίσει ένα εχθρό εκ των έσω. Οι διωγμοί από τις
Ρωμαϊκές Αρχές είχαν τερματιστεί 13 χρόνια νωρίτερα με
το Διάταγμα των Μεδιολάνων (312 μχ). Οι Χριστιανοί
ήταν πλέον ελεύθεροι να διακηρύττουν την πίστη τους και
τελούν τη λατρεία τους δημόσια. Επίσης, ο Ρωμαίος
Αυτοκράτορας Κωνσταντίνος, ενώ δεν είχε Βαπτιστεί
Χριστιανός ακόμα, έδειχνε έμπρακτα την υποστήριξή του
στην Εκκλησία. Ο στράτος του παρήλαυνε με χριστιανικά
εμβλήματα, ενώ η σημαία του με το σημείο του Σταυρού,
περιγραφόταν από τους συγχρονούς του ιστορικούς ως
«αήττητον τρόπαιον».
Ο Κωνσταντίνος δεν ήταν μόνο ένας ικανότατος
στρατηγός, που ποτέ δεν ηττήθηκε σε μάχη, αλλά συνάμα
υπήρξε και ένας χαρισματικός πολιτικός. Κατόρθψσε
να ξαναενώσει την κατακερματισμένη Ρωμαϊκή
Αυτοκρατορία και από Τετραρχία, να την ξανακάνερι μία
Αρχή με τον εαυτό του μοναδικό αυτοκράτορα. Όμως
παρά την παντοδυναμία του, ποτέ δεν παρενέβη στα
ζητήματα της Εκκλησίας. Και η Σύνοδος της Νικαίας
αποτελεί την έμπρακτη απόδειξη της ελευθερίας που
έδωσε στην Εκκλησία.
Για να κατανοήσουμε πλήρως την αξία της
Πρώτης Οικουμενικής Συνόδου θα πρέπει πρώτα να δούμε
ποιος ήταν ο λόγος σύγκλησής της. Στις αρχές του 4ου
αιώνα ένας πρεσβύτερος στην Αλεξάνδρεια της Αιγύπτου
που ονομαζόταν Άρειος, εισήγαγε μια νέα διδασκαλία:
Ποσπαθώντας να ερμηνεύσει το πρώτο κεφάλαιο του
Κατά Ιωάννη Ευαγγελίου, «Εν αρχή ην ο Λόγος» (Ιω 1:1)
υποστήριξε ότι αυτός ο στίχος υπονοεί πως ο Λόγος ήταν
δημιούργημα του Θεού και όχι Υιός του. Με άλλα λόγια,
δίδασκε ότι ο Ιησούς Χριστός δεν γεννήθηκε αλλά
πλάστηκε από το Θεό. Άρχισε μάλιστα να διαδίδει αυτή
την
αιρετική
διδασκαλία
χρησιμοποιώντας
τη
δυσκολονόητη φράση «ην ποτέ ότε ουκ ήν» (ην ποτέ
[χρόνος] ότε [ο Λόγος]ουκ ην), εννοώντας ότι ο Λόγος δεν
είναι αιώνιος και επομένως δεν προέρχεται από την ίδια
ουσία με τον πατέρα. Ενώ η διαδασκαλία αυτή καταφανώς
απέκλινε από τη θεμελειώδη διδασκαλία της Εκκλησίας, η
οποία διδάσκει ότι ο Χριστός είναι ο Λόγος του Θεού
γεννηθείς εκ του Πατρός προ πάντων των αιώνων, πολλοί
ήταν αυτοί που ακολούθησαν τον Άρειο, επειδή,
προφανώς, σαν πρεσβύτερος ήταν σεβάσμιος, αλλά και
επειδή, όπως φαίνεται είχε τη δυνατότητα να επηρεάζει.
Σύντομα, η αίρεση των αρειανών υπερέβη τα όρια
της Αλεξάνδρειας. Η ταχεία διάδοση της νέας αίρεσης
ήταν και ο λόγος που επέβαλε τη σύγκληση Συνόδου, μιας
και οι επίσκοποι της περιοχής εκείνης έγραφαν επιστολές
προς τον αυτοκράτορα και ζητούσαν τη βοήθειά του. Ο
αυτοκράτορας Κωνσταντίνος, βρισκόταν τότε στο απόγειο
της δύναμής του και θα μπορούσε να έχει ξεκαθαρίσει το
θέμα, απλώς με ένα του διάταγμα. Αντίθετα, χωρίς να
προβεί στην παραμικρή επίδειξη δύναμης, άφησε την
Εκκλησία να αποφασίσει. Ανέλαβε μόνο να συγκαλέσει τη
10 Σύνοδο να στείλει γράμματα στις Εκκλησίες σε όλα τα
μήκη και πλάτη της αυτοκρατορίας και, κυρίως, ανέλαβε
να καλύψει το κόστος όλου αυτού του εγχειρήματος.
Έτσι, 318 εκπρόσωποι συναθροίστηκαν στη
Νίκαια στις 20 Μαΐου του έτους 325 μχ. Ο κωνσταντίνος
είχε αποφασίσει να προεδρεύσει της Συνόδου, όταν όμως
είδε ότι ανάμεσα στους επισκόπους και μοναχούς που
είχαν έρθει αρκετοί έφεραν στο σώμα τους τα σημάδια του
μαρτυρίου και των διωγμών, άλλαξε γνώμη και από
σεβασμό προς αυτούς τους ομολογητές, αρνήθηκε να
καθίσει στο θρόνο του. Τα Πρακτικά της Συνόδου
δυστυχώς δεν σώθηκαν για να μας πληροφορήσουν σε
ποιον ανετέθη η προεδρία. Στις ιστορικές πηγές της
εποχής αναφέρονται τα ονόματα των Οσίου, επισκόπου
Κορδούης, Ευσταθίου, επισκόπου Αντιοχείας και
Ευσεβίου επισκόπου Νικομηδείας, χωρίς ωστόσο να
γνωρίζουμε ποιος ορίστηκε πρόεδρος τελικά.
Όταν ο Άρειος άρχισε να παρουσιάζει τις
διδασκαλίες του, αμέσως φάνηκε το ρητορικό του
χάρισμα. Κανένας από τους πατέρες δεν μπορούσε να
σταθεί απέναντί του και να του απαντήσει, αν και όλοι
συναισθάνονταν την κακοδοξία του. Ο Άγιος Σπυρίδων,
ένας ταπεινός πνευματικός ποιμένας από την Τριμυθούντα
της Κύπρου, τέλεσε ένα θαύμα μπροστά στα μάτια όλων.
Σήκωσε από τη γη ένα τούβλο και κρατώντας το χέρι του,
το τούβλο διαλύθηκε στα τρία βασικά χαρακτηριστικά
του: πηλό, νερό και φωτιά. Με αυτό το συμβολικό τρόπο ο
Άγιος Σπυρίδων έδειξε την ενότητα της Αγίας Τριάδας,
διδάσκοντας πως κάθε Πρόσωπο (Πατήρ, Υιός και Άγιο
Πνέυμα) αν και ενεργεί με τρόπο προσωπικό, συνεισφέρει
στην ενότητα της Μίας Θείας Ουσίας. Ο Άγιος Νικόλαος,
επίσκοπων των Μύρων της Λυκίας, μιας μικρής πόλης στα
Νοτιο-Ανατολικά της Μικράς Ασίας, σε ένα διάλειμμα της
Συνόδου πλησίασε τον Άρειο και τον χαστούκισε. Για την
πράξη του αυτή φυσικά φυλακίστηκε, αλλά μετά από λίγες
μέρες ελευθερώθηκε με θαυμαστό τρόπο.
Εντούτοις, κανένα από όλα αυτά τα περιστατικά
δεν στάθηκε ικανό να μαλακώσει την καρδιά του Αρείου.
Μέρα με τη μέρα γινόταν πιο επιθετικός και
πιο αλλαζόνας. Και όταν όλα έδειχναν ότι πρόκειται
να υπερισχύσει, ένας από τους παριστάμενους επισκόπους
άρχισε να αναιρεί τις ματαιολογούμενες αιρετικές
διδασκαλίες.
Ήταν
ο
Αλέξανδρος,
επίσκοπος
Αλεξανδρείας. Στην πραγματικότητα δεν ήταν ο
Αλέξανδρος, αλλά ο διάκονός του ο Αθανάσιος, ο οποίος
σαν διάκονος δεν μπορούσε, παρουσία τόσων επισκόπων,
να λάβει το λόγο και να μιλήσει δημόσια. Συνεπώς, αυτό
που μπορούσε να κάνει ήταν να «σφυρίζει» τις απαντήσεις
στο αυτί του επισκόπου του. Ο Αιρεσιάρχης Άρειος είχε
βρει πια το δάκαλό του. Ο νεαρός διάκονος Αθανάσιος
που μετέπειτα διαδέχθηκε τον Αλέξανδρο και έγινε ο ίδιος
Πατριάρχης Αλεξανδρείας, αναδείχθηκε στο φωτισμένο
θεολογικό νου της Πρώτης Οικουμενικής Συνόδου. Γι’
αυτό άλλωστε και η Εκκλησία του προσέδωσε το όνομα
Μέγας. Τελικά, Η Σύνοδος της Νικαίας καταδίακσε τις
αιρετικές διδασκαλίες του Αρείου και αποκρυστάλλωσε
την Ορθόδοξη Διδασκαλία στα πρώτα οκτώ άρθρα του
Συμβόλου της Πίστεως: «Πιστεύω εἰς θεòν πατέρα
παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς. Καὶ εἰς Ἰησοῦν
Χριστòν, υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τòν μονογενῆ, τòν κύριον ἡμῶν, τòν
συλληφθέντα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου, γεννηθέντα ἐκ Μαρίας
τῆς παρθένου, παθόντα ὑπὸ Ποντίου Πιλάτου,
σταυρωθέντα, θανόντα, καὶ ταφέντα, κατελθόντα εἰς τὰ
κατώτατα, τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστάντα ἀπò τῶν νεκρῶν,
ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς, καθεζόμενον ἐν δεξιᾷ θεοῦ
πατρὸς παντοδυνάμου, ἐκεῖθεν ἐρχόμενον κρῖναι ζῶντας
καὶ νεκρούς. Πιστεύω εἰς τò Πνεῦμα τò ἅγιον, ἁγίαν
καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἁγίων κοινωνίαν, ἄφεσιν
ἁμαρτιῶν, σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν, ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Αμήν». (Το
Σύμβολο της Πίστεως συμπληρώθηκε και έλαβε την
οριστική του μορφή κατά τη Β’ Οικουμενική Σύνοδο το 381
στην Κωνσταντινούπολη. Γι’ αυτό και ο ονομάζεται
Σύμβολο Νικαίας- Κωνσταντινουπόλεως).
Το τέλος του Αρείου ήταν εξίσου άδοξο και
βδελυρό με τις διδασκαλίες του. Λίγα χρόνια μετά τη
Σύνοδο, ένα πρωί τον βρήκαν κάποιοι από τους οπαδούς
του στο σπίτι του νεκρό. Χρησιμοποιώντας τη λαΐκή ρήση,
θα λέγαμε για το θάνατό του, απλά πως «δεν πήγε από
πέσιμο».
Η Πρώτη Οικουμενική Σύνοδος στη Νίκαια
ολοκλήρωσε τις εργασίες της στις 25 Αυγούστου του ιδίου
έτους (325). Ο Αυτοκράτορας Κωνσταντίνος πρώτος
διάβασε το Σύβολο της Πίστεως δημόσια, κατά τη
διάρκεια της Θείας Λειτουργίας. Στη Σύνοδο αυτή η
Εκκλησία απέκτησε την ονομασία «Ορθόδοξος» (Ορθή
δόξα-ορθή πίστη), ξεκαθαρίζοντας έτσι την Ορθή πίστη
από την αίρεση. Επίσης, η Σύνοδος της Νίκαιας υπήρξε η
Πρώτη Οικουμενική Σύνοδος που κατέδειξε ότι ο Θείος
Λόγος είναι αλάθητος. Πλέον είχε εδραιωθεί η βεβαιότητα
ότι κανένας δεν μπορεί να ισχυριστεί ότι κατέχει εκ του
αξιώματός του (ex officio) το αλάθητο. Το αλάθητο του
Θείου Λόγου εξασφαλίζεται μόνο όταν η Εκκλησία
ενεργεί στο σύνολό της ως Σώμα Χριστού. όπως οι
Απόστολοι συναθροίστηκαν
στην Ιερουσαλήμ και
αποφάσισαν από κοινού ως ίσοι μεταξύ τους, το ίδιο
έπραξαν και οι εν Νικαία Άγιοι Πατέρες. Με άλλα λόγια,
οι πατέρες της Πρώτης Οικουμενικής Συνόδου διεκήρυξαν
με το λόγο, αλλά και με το παράδειγμά τους την πιστη και
αφοσίωσή τους στη Μία, Αγία, Καθολική και Αποστολική
Εκκλησία.
11 PARISH REGISTRY
CONGRATULATIONS
Michael F. Lambros, son of Susan and
Michael Lambros, has been awarded a college
Baby Girl Born to Theo & Chrisoula Samouris
scholarship from the 7th District of the Pan-Cretan
Baby Girl Born to Mene and Cindy Demestihas
Association of America. The scholarship was
Baby Girl Born to Jeffery and Angelica Connelly
announced publicly on May 3rd at the District’s
Baby Girl Born to Desi Nikolova
Conference held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Baby Girl Born to Lee and Smaro Economy
This award is based on academic and
Baby Girl Born to Dimitri and Hrysoula Papadimitriou extra-activity achievement. Michael will be
attending the University of Georgia as a sophomore
ADULT CHRISMATIONS
this fall.
Andrew Smith
Atlanta’s Samaria Chapter of the PAA is
Sponsor: Rhonda Yearout
proud of this achievement and joins the rest of
the Atlanta Annunciation Cathedral parish in
Tayen (Ezekial) Hazqiyal
congratulating Michael and his parents.
BIRTHS
Sponsor: Marina Kulumberis
Ways to stay in touch with us
BAPTISMS
Parents: Andrew & Jennifer Smith
Baby: Conner Thomas
Godparents: Harry & Cami Plagianis
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Tout
Instagram
“Like”, “Follow”, “Subscribe”, Watch and See
www.facebook.com/atlgoc
Parents: Alexandros & Jennifer Panos
Baby: Costas
Godparent: Edie Koumparakis
GOOFS Breakfast
Every other THURSDAY at 9:00 a.m. in the Kafenion. Open to everyone!!! Come join us for a full
breakfast and great fellowship!
Full breakfast includes fruit, waffles,
bacon, sausage and much more!
Donation $5 per person.
Contact the Cathedral office at 404-633-5870 for
the date of the next gathering
Parents: Leonardo & Antoinette Moura
Baby: Sophia
Godparents: Anthony & Lottie Stefanis
Parents: Mark & Erin Biehler
Baby: Andrew
Godparent: Ned Biehler
Parents: Jeffrey and Nicole Turner
Baby: Laila Gabrielle
Godparent: Stella Hondros
KAFENION
Parents: Jeffrey and Nicole Turner
Baby: Katelyn Isabelle
Godparent: Stella Hondros
Everyone is invited to come enjoy good
conversation, Tavli, Prefa, Xeri & Kolitsina, coffee
& refreshments and Greek television every
Tuesday morning from 9:00 a.m. in the Kafenion
located in the Community Center.
Parents: Jeffrey and Nicole Turner
Baby: Isaiah William
Godparent: Elias Lampropoulos
ASLEEP IN OUR LORD
IN MEMORY OF
Victor J. Poulos
James Slay
Helen Katakalos
Costa Leonidas Campbell
Pitsa (Kalliopy) Soteres
Charlotte Demetriades
Gus Polizos
Stephanie Dodys Frew
on the 5th anniversary of her repose.
May her memory be eternal
and in our hearts forever.
~Her cousin, Eleni Dodys.
(Father of Victor Polizos, in Montgomery, AL)
12 GOYA
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
2014 - 2015 GOYA BOARD
PRESIDENT: YEORYIA VASTAKIS
VICE PRESIDENT: MICHAEL ALEXANDER
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: CALLIE MCBRIDE
RECORDING SECRETARY: CHRISTINA MAXOURIS
TREASURER: STEPHEN MISSAILIDIS
HISTORIAN: ALEXIS SPELL
END OF YEAR POOL PARTY & OUTING TO SIX FLAGS
13 SUNDAY SCHOOL
Great Lent was a very busy time for our Sunday School students and teachers. There were
many opportunities for our children to participate in every aspect of the beautiful services
that were held.
Processions: Sunday of Orthodoxy &
Sunday of the Holy Cross
Sunday School students in 6th-12th Grades carried
icons in the Sunday of Orthodoxy Procession.
Sunday School students in PreKC-5th Grades carried
daffodils and crosses decorated in their classrooms to
use during the Procession of the Holy Cross.
Heretismi Services & The Akathistos Hymn
During Great Lent, Sunday School classes were assigned specific Fridays to participate in
the Heretismi Services and the Akathistos Hymn by presenting flowers to the Theotokos.
Students in 5th-12th Grades also participated as Psalms readers and chanters each Friday
evening.
Lazarus Saturday
All Sunday School families attended the Divine Liturgy and upheld a tradition we have had
in our Cathedral for over 60 years, the Annual Group Communion and Making of Palm
Crosses. Following the Divine Liturgy, a wonderful breakfast was shared and palm crosses
were made.
Palm Sunday
On Palm Sunday, the 8th grade Sunday School students
served as palm bearers and participated in the Palm
Sunday Procession.
14 SUNDAY SCHOOL
Each night of Holy Week, beginning on Palm Sunday, 5th-12th Grade students read the Six
Psalms.
On Great Friday, the 4th Grade girls served as Myrrophores during the afternoon and evening services. The 12th Grade boys, who usually serve as Kouvouklion carriers during the
evening service, held the Kouvouklion in the Narthex so parishioners could walk underneath
it as they left Church that evening.
The GOYAns placed luminaries offered in memory of loved ones in the front hallway.
Perfect Attendance Recognition
On Sunday, May 18th, the following students were recognized for having
perfect attendance for the 2013-2014 year.
Nikolaos Odenwelder- 1st year, Anastasia Lamas- 2nd year, Juliana Lamas- 2nd year,
Angela Pappadakis- 2nd year, Sophia Pappadakis- 2nd year, Elizabeth Keenan- 4th year,
Nicolas Keenan- 4th year, Katy Rhena Constantinides- 4th year,
Phaethon Constantinides- 5th year, Nikolaos Constantinides- 5th year.
Robby Keenan was also recognized for having only one absence for the year.
15 SUNDAY SCHOOL
Graduation
This year’s senior class had 15 graduates. Several
people were unable to attend the graduation due to
school commitments, however 9 graduates were
present. John Caras gave a speech on behalf of the
2014 Senior Class.
Congratulations to all of our seniors!
We wish you well in the coming year, and we look forward to you coming back to visit.
Nicholas Alexander
Justin Anthony
John Caras
Stacey Cook
Johnny Demos
Ana Ioachimescu
Elena Jordanov
Iman Khoury
Kati Koutrelakos
Georgea Lambros
Alexandra Nasoulis
Ariadne Nichol
Nicholas Radivoj
Elana Spell
Sarah Stewart
Georgia State University
Kennesaw State University
University of Georgia
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
Emory University
Oxford College at Emory University
Savannah College of Art and Design
University of Georgia
Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Stanford University
University of Alabama
University of Tennessee
Shorter University
A slideshow of all of our Sunday School students was shown during coffee hour. The slideshow included
highlights of each of our seniors. May 18th was the last day of Sunday School until August. Registration
forms for the 2014-2015 school year are available in the Church Office or on the Cathedral website.
Philoptochos Scholarships
The Philoptochos awards two annual
scholarships. This years Philoptochos
Scholarship was awarded to John Caras
and the Anna Mae Livaditis was
awarded to Sarah Stewart. (not pictured)
Girl Scout & Boy Scout Religious Medals
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts received their religious medals, which
they earned by attending classes with Fr. Christos and completing
service projects.
16 Annunciation Day School
The 2013-14 school year was an amazing year of growth for ADS! We can’t thank the members of our
community enough for reaching out and supporting this wonderful ministry!
Looking ahead, our enrollment numbers for the 2014-15 school year are higher than ever! The preschool has
several classes that have already reached full capacity! Our kindergarten and first grade students have actually
outgrown their classrooms and we are shuffling to find the room to fit all of the students and their desks. This is a
great problem to have!
We are finding that many of our new students enrolling are attracted to our school because of our excellent
national academic standing, (Top 97% in the nation) our low student teacher ratios, the Greek language and
religion programs, STEM focused curriculum, strong staff credentials, and our unique integration and
presentation of curriculum. Our focus is to make sure students love coming to school and that their individual
learning style is recognized and their needs met.
We will continue to enroll students and fill our classrooms with the intention of completing our grade
levels through the 8th grade by August of 2017! With the continued support, there is no doubt that we will meet this
goal! Success always stems from the foundation of people working together to obtain a goal. We are blessed to
have that strong foundation!
We had a wonderful year…
We wish our Cathedral family, students and their families a safe and happy summer!
The ADS Staff 17 Congratulations to the 2013-14 Greek School graduates!
Niko Avradopoulos
• Athena Hadjipanayis
• Elena Karas
• Demetrios Mammas
• Diana Syribeys
• Iris Tsouris
• Christina Barton
•
The Greek School participated in Youth Sunday on May 18th by reciting The Creed,
and The Lord's Prayer and singing Χριστός Aνέστη! On Monday, May 19th, we held our
End of the Year Program honoring our graduates and promotion of student in our program.
Graduates received caps and tassels, special flowers and diplomas with a signature cake
highlighting their names in Greek. The Greek School PTA presented each student with an
Amazon gift card.
The promotion of the students in Kindergarten through Level 4 included a certificate
of completion and either "Say it in Greek" or the Aesop's Fable "The Tortoise and the
Hare." Students in the Level 2 class also received from Mrs. Georgia Vastakis, President of
the Hellenic Women's Cultural Association Greek and English dictionaries courtesy of the
organization. Many thanks for their annual support of our school!
Thank you to the Lykion Ellinidon Atlanta for “Protomayia Eithi Kai Ethima” Traditions of the May 1st celebration workshop that the Lykion ton Ellinidon Atlanta
Chapter presented to the students of our Greek Language School.
The workshop, which is part of the organization's educational outreach, included the
construction of the traditional flower wreaths by the children with the help of parents,
teachers and Lykion volunteers that were then hung on front doors of homes.
Thank you to students, parents and teachers for another successful year!
Registration for the 2014-15 is underway. Please contact Greek School Coordinator,
Michelle Constantinides, [email protected] to register or for more
information .
18 Genesis Shelter Donation
During the months of February through April, the Atlanta Chapter of Philoptochos
sponsored two diaper drives, followed up by a drive for powdered laundry detergent and
toilet paper for the Genesis Shelter. The Genesis Shelter was started in 1994 and
serves 3000 individuals and 1200 families in the Atlanta area, providing a supportive
environment that enables homeless newborns and their families to achieve positive life
outcomes for this generation and those to come. Members of our Annunciation
Cathedral stepped up to the call during the coldest and wettest months of this year and
helped to restock these much needed items at Genesis Shelter.
Pictured Above:
Mary Pate - Genesis Shelter
Vickie Klemis
Suzy Lamas
Valine Georgeson
19 20 21 “Work Days” St. Barbara’s Chapel at Greenwood Cemetery A big thank you to the wonderful volunteers helping with the renovations at St. Barbara’s Chapel. Special appreciation to co‐chairmen Stacie Nefos and Dimitri Shreckengost who have spent countless hours beautifying this historic landmark of our parish. Save the Date
ARCADIAN COMMUNITY PICNIC
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
6:30 PM AT THE PICNIC PAVILLION
OPEN TO ENTIRE COMMUNITY
PLEASE JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP AND DELICIOUS FOOD
$12.00 ADULTS AND $5.00 CHILDREN (UNDER 12)
For more information contact: Anna Plagianis 770-242-8722, George Skoufis 770-491-0592,
Metaxia Kleris 404-255-3456 or Dimitra Pavlopoulos 770-457-9305
22 Golden Group News
The Golden Group is on vacation for the summer and will start up again in October. During 2013-2014, the
Golden Group sponsored nine luncheons. Each luncheon was sponsored by a church organization. At every
luncheon there were speakers, entertainment and/or raffles.
The Golden Group also sponsors an outing every month. This year we took a trip to Warm Springs,
Georgia, where President Franklin Roosevelt vacationed. We also sponsored a Christmas dinner, visited the
Conyers Monastery, the Paracletos Monastery, and the Diakonia Center in South Carolina.
In April we visited the Breman Museum here in Atlanta to see - “Return to Rich’s “– The Story Behind the
Store. This was a treat especially for our native Atlantans. A docent took us through the exhibit and shared
a lot of information about the owners of Rich’s. The group also ate lunch in the tea room!
The Golden Group committee could not have accomplished all of these events without our energetic
Chairman, Mary Anne Chanos. Mary Anne is full of ideas and has a lot of energy. However, everyone on
the committee contributes ideas.
Mary Anne has been the Chairman of the Golden Group for six years. Sadly for us she has decided to step
down as the Chairman. However, we are fortunate that she will continue to participate on the committee.
Meet Your Golden Group Committee
Pictured Above:
Eleftheria Moraitakis, Mary Anne Chanos – Chairman, Mary Balsamides, Joyce Dove,
George Peppas, Manuel Petkas, Bess Dimos, Mary Jones, Mary Poulos,
Joanne Jones, Mike Tsurutis, Ethel Winegar, Shirley Rumanes, Jean Economy
23 THANK YOU TO OUR 2014
EPITAPHION CONTRIBUTORS!
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Adams
Van and Becky Aggelakos
Paul and Barbara Albrecht
Mike and Beverly Alex
Catherine Alexander
Mr. and Mrs. George Alexander
Lula Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander
Maria Alexander
Marianne Alexander-Beverly
Pat Alexander
Thomas Alexander
Costa and Sophia Alexandrides
Ellen Algers
Janet Algers
Johnny Ambrocio
Mary Anason
Georgia Andros
Vickie Andros
Bill and Nicole Androutsopoulos
Anonymous
Nicholas and Catherine Argendeli
Bessie Athens
Athens Pizza
Constantine & Fotini Babaliaros
Nicholas Baches
Ray and Barbara Bailey
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Balsamides
Mark and Rose Barton
Fotiene Bezabhe
Biehler Family
Big Daddy
John and Karen Boosalis
Van Botsaris
Niki Bouras
Charlie and Virginia Burland
Helen Burleigh
Chris and Maria Callas
Mary J. Campbell
Theodora Campbell
Maria Caras
William and Betty Caras
Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Caras & Family
Chris G. Carlos
Eula Carlos
Helen Carlos & Ron Hilliard
Mr. and Mrs. John Carlos
Theodore Carnegie
Fotini Carnegie
Connie & Voula Carros
Mrs. Nitsa & Kosta Cassandras
James and Georgia Coclin
Mrs. Doty Constantinides & Family
Mr. and Mrs. Demetrios Constantinides & Family
Criton and Jennifer Constantinides
Irene Constantinides
Panos and Michelle Constantinides
Bo and Dina Cook & Family
Mr. and Mrs. Demetrios A. Costarides
Vasili and Vasso Costarides
Stavroula Costarides
Vickie Costopoulos
Costa and Sylvia Costopoulos
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Couvaras and Family
Howard and Themis Cramer
Norma and Mike Creety
Mary Jane Czik
Diane and Reid Davis & Family
Mr. and Mrs. George Demetriades
Rocky and Helen Demopoulos
Eleni Dodys
Nick A. Dodys & Family
Joyce Dove
Sandra Duniga
Nick and Angela Economy
John and Jean Economy
Christina Evagoras & George
Athina Fili
Nick and Cheryl Forleades
James and Irene Fotos & Family
Mrs. Nini Frangis
Raphael Franze
Alvin and Kathy Galloway
Mark, Gina, Jacob & Teddy Gassert
Mrs. Mary George
Ellen George
Les and Mary Alice George & Family
Stephen and Valine Georgeson
Pete and Pauline Giannakopoulos
John and Theoni Giannakopoulos
Petro and Rosi Giannakopoulos
Thomas and Veneta Giannakopoulos
24 Voula Giannakopoulos
Perry Giannakopoulos
Vassio Giannakopoulos
Mr. and Mrs. Giannakostas
Lia and Jim Gilmer
James and Claire Gilmore
Dominic and Ellie Giovinazzo
Evangeline Gouvas
Maria Grasso
Peter and Linda Grivas
Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Hadjisimos & Alexios the Monk
Alex and Penny Halkos
Barbara Hall
Vickie Henson
Constantine Harris
Pantelis and Polly Hasos
Christopher and Katherine Holmes & Family
Chris and Victoria de la Motte Hurst
In Memory of Theia, Theio and Parents
Nicholas and Celesta Janoulis
Anna P. Johnson
Kathryn Johnson
Nick and Beverly Jones
Joanne Jones
Mary Jones
Toula Jones
Costa and Kiki Kacur
Thomas, Stephanie, Emily and William Kantsios
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kapetanakos
Father Paul and Presbytera Evi Kaplanis
Mrs. Amelia Karafotias
Peter and Alexandra Karamanolis
Basil and Sandra Karampelas
I. Pano and Georgia Karatassos
Kardaras Family
Maria Kalou Kardomateas
George and Christina Karolis
Nick and Frances Katapodis
Eleny and George Katsoudas
Krisoula Katsoudas
Randall, Vickie and Christos Kindred
Ted, Vicki, Nick and Chris Kipreos
Vickie Klemis
George and Metaxia Kleris
Kleomenis Kliossis
Sherry, Angelo, Kolin and Elliot Kliossis
Chris Kliros
Alex and Diane Kliros
Maria and Dimitri Konidaris
Niki Kosmetatos
Andy and Anna Kostopoulos
Demetrios and Toula Kostopoulos & Family
Vicky Kouloumberis
Jimmy and Angela Koulouris
Augustina Kouros
Greg Koutrelakos & Family
Andreas and Maria Ladikos
Andrew and Katherine Ladikos
Mark and Suzy Lamas
Connie Lamas
Despo Lamas
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lamas
Landmark Diner
Alexandria Larsen
Stephen and Kalliope Lawandales
Spyridon and Clarivel Leitourgis
Thomas and Paula Lekas
Hilmer and Lia Leng
Nick and Anna Letsos
Theodoros and Soula Levendakis
Stephen and Angeline Liackos
Maria Linardakis
Chris Loumakis
Catherine Macris
William and Cleo Malires
Pat Marinos
Father Christos and Presbytera Mari Mars
Xanthippe Marsico
Tom and Kay McBride
Philip and Georgia McClure & Family
Athanasios and Kathryn Meliopoulos
Joanne Mertzanis and Michael
Zaharoula Millas
Mrs. Rita Mookas
Mark, Dimitra, Eleftheria, Erini and Nicolette Moraitakis
Nicholas and Efrosyne Moraitakis
Constance Nagle
Pete and Georgia Nassos
Charles C. Nastopoulos
George Nastopoulos
Kay Nastopoulos & Family
Jim and Maria Natsios
Stacie Nefos
Stratton and Maria Nicolaides
Vanya Nourachi
Jerry, Golfo, Nikolaos and Martha Odenwelder
Katy Olympiadis
Harry Palles
Costa and Vickie Panos
Alex Panos
Faye Panos
Helen Panos
Pierre and Alexandra Panos & Family
Eleni Pantazopoulos
Chris and Courtney Pantelis
Helen Pantelis
25 John and Kiki Papadimitriou
Dimitri and Chrisoula Papadimitriou & Family
Stavros Papadopoulos
Mrs. Asiemoula Papadopoulos
Mr. and Mrs. Sandy Papadopoulos & Asimina
Mr. and Mrs. Elias Papanikolopoulos & Family
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Pappadakis
Chris and Maria Pappadakis & Family
Penelope and Helen Pappas
Greg and Golfo Pappas & Family
John G. Parasho
Louis and Katina Pataki
Errica Patellis
Nicolas and Patti Patellis
Athanasia and Constantine Patronis
John and Vicky Patronis
Dale and George Patterson
Jerry and Mercedes Paxton & Family
Josee Penot-Demetry & Daphne
Nick and Lynn Petkas
George and Eugenia Petrakopoulos
Ted and Betty Petrides
Gus and Anna Plagianis
Nell Poolos
Tassie, Stacie and Vickie Portulas
Sophia and James Poulakos
Theotokis & Sofia Poulokefalos
Audrey Poulos
Dean G. Poulos
John, Lyn, Andee and George Poulos
Lula Poulos
Pete J. Poulos & Family
George and Carrie Pribas & Family
Helen Regas
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ray
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reid
Rob and Ginnie Roglin
Shirley Rumanes
Richard and Stacey Sapp & Family
Mr. and Mrs. Saunders
Antonia Savopoulos
Mimi Scaljon
The Scaljon Family
Seraphim
Gunter and Maria Sharp
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Sharp
Dimitri Shreckengost
The Sigalos Family in Memory of Anna (Mama) Sigalos
Eleni Simmons
Ric and Argie Sirmans
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Skafidas
Dr. George M. Skardasis
George and Popi Skoufis
James and Maria Slay
Willie and Zena Slayton
Spyros and Nota Soteres
Pete and Eleni Soulimiotis
Andrew and Vickie Soulimiotis & Peter
Terry and Shelly Spahr
Angelo and Elizabeth Spetseris & Family
Jimmy Stappas
Anthony and Lottie Stefanis
Jeff, Maria and Anna Stockstill
Panagiotis and HythoSymbas
Philip and Francine Tague
Vivian Economy Takakis
Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas Tiliakos
Eva Tsangarides
Mr. and Mrs. Stefanos Tsiotsias
Eleni and Angelo Tsagaris
Vasilios Tzamos
Spero and Demetra Vasilakis
Nicholas and Harriet Vasilakis
Georgia Vasilos
Patty Vastakis
Despina Vastakis
Nicholas and Georgia Vastakis
David and Stacey Walker & Family
White House Restaurant
Alford II and Irene Williams
Paul and Ethel Winegar
The Xides Family
Antonios and Paraskevi Yialamas
The Zacharopoulos Family
Mrs. Mary Zamecki
Angelo Zatzos
Sotiri and Lea Zervoulias
Zesto Chubby Decker Inc.
Thank you to the following Philoptochos members
of the 2014 Epitaphion Collections Committee:
Voula Giannakopoulos, Vassio Giannakopoulos, Despina Vastakis,
Niki Kosmetatos, Helen Pantelis, Metaxia Kleris and Anna Johnson
26 LYKION TON ELLINIDON
The year 2013-2014 has been a very rewarding one for the Lykion ton Ellinidon Atlanta
Chapter. The organization concluded its activities with two wonderful events that brought
fun and delight both to the young and the not so young members of our community.
For the third year, we made the ‘Protomayia Stefana’ with the children of the
Greek School. On Sunday, May 4, we had our First Protomayia Picnic which was
extremely successful. The weather was beautiful, the food delicious, the dancing of the
High School children delightful and for those who flew their kites, a great activity.
It was suggested by all that this is a repeat activity for next year, where we hope to
accommodate many more people.
We want to thank our many volunteers that have given their time and efforts to all our
projects, our sponsors and friends for their continuous encouragement and support!
Kalo Kalokairi! We will see you in August.
27 eek
W
a
e
Onc reek!!
Go G
Locations:
Hom
Atla e of
n
Best ta's
Gyr
o
855 Virginia Ave, Hapeville 404-762-1627
3989 Lawrenceville Hwy, Tucker 678-691-3988
4542 Old Dixie Hwy, Forest Park 404-363-4000
11030 Medlock Bridge Rd #50, Johns Creek 770-559-9789
4468 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Dunwoody
Visit the website: www.GrecianGyro.com for our full menu.
TAVERNA PLAKA
216 Cheshire Bridge Rd, Atlanta, GA 30324
Now Hiring!
Experienced Host & Wait Staff
Exciting Fun Work Environment
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
IF INTERESTED: Call 404-636-2284
or email [email protected]
“FOR SALE”
TWO CEMETERY PLOTS
FLORAL HILLS CEMETERY
SECTION: EVERLASTING LIFE
From the Estate of Theodore H. Petrides
Call Marilyn Brown, Executor at 678-491-6835
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation
2500 Clairmont Road, NE • Atlanta, Georgia 30329
Phone (404) 633-7358 • Fax (404) 633-6018 • [email protected] • www.atlgoc.org All news can be e-mailed to [email protected] or put on a disk
and brought to the Cathedral office during office hours
(Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) by July 15th
EDITOR: Fr. Paul A. Kaplanis, Dean ([email protected])
MANAGING EDITOR: Fr. Christos P. Mars ([email protected])
DESIGN: Andrea Koulouris ([email protected])
All Cathedral mail goes to the Post Office on the same day.
If you do not receive your Annunciator in a timely manner,
please call your Post Office and notify them.
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Nickitas Demos ([email protected])
28