"Our Mission Statement"
As Giving To Us By Our Lord and Savior
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?" And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me".
Matthew 25: 34-40
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Church Is Not Something You Go To,
It's a Family You Belong To
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From the Office of Father Michael
New Martyrs Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos
Commemorated On May 3 and On The Tuesday of Bright Week
Having contended on Lesvos for the sake of Christ God, you have sanctified the island since the discovery of your sacred relics, O blessed ones; for what reason we honor you, O God-bearing Raphael, together with Nicholas and virgin Irene, as our divine protectors and intercessors with the Lord.
Apolytikion, Chanted In Tone 4
Let all of us honor as our protectors and miracle-workers the holy Martyrs who manifestly contended for Christ. Whose relics were hidden under the earth for many years, and who have manifested themselves to us in wondrous ways, Raphael, Nicholas and Irene, as well as those who contended with them in a godly-minded manner.
Kontakion, Chanted In Tone 4
Beloved In Christ,
Χριστος Ανεστη!
Christ Is Risen!
Beloved in Christ,
The Turks martyred the Neo Martyrs of Lesbos, Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene on Bright Tuesday in 1463, ten years after the Fall of Constantinople.
For centuries the people of Lesbos would go on Bright Tuesday to the ruins of a monastery near Thermi, Mytilene, but with the passing of time and with the decline of the elderly population, no one could remember the reason for the annual pilgrimage. There was a local tradition that once there had been a monastery on that spot, and that the monks had been killed by the Turks.
In 1959, a pious man named Angelos Rallis built a chapel near the ruins of the monastery. On July 3 of that year, workmen discovered the relics of Saint Raphael while clearing the ground. Soon, the Saints began appearing to the faithful of Lesbos and graced them with the history of their lives and the details of their martyrdom.
Saint Raphael was born on the island of Ithaka in 1410, and was nurtured by Christian parents. The name that was given to him at his baptism was George, and was given the name Raphael when he was tonsured a monk. He was later ordained a deacon and priest and was later elevated to the offices of Archimandrite and Chancellor.
In 1453, Saint Raphael and his fellow monk, Deacon Nicholas, fled the monastery in Thrace, where they served, because of the invasion of the Turks. The two monks fled to the Island of Lesbos and settled in the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos near Thermi, where Saint Raphael became the Igumen.
During the springtime of 1463, the Turks sacked the monastery and imprisoned all the monks. The Monks were viciously tortured from Holy Thursday until Tuesday of Bright Week. The Holy Martyr saint Raphael was tied to a tree, and the vicious Turks took swords and severed his jaw, killing him instantly. Saint Nicholas was also tortured for days, and died while witnessing Raphael’s Martyrdom. On June 13, 1960, the Martyred Nicholas appeared to the faithful of Lesbos and specified the spot where his relics were uncovered.
Saint Irene was the twelve-year-old daughter of the village mayor, Basil. Just before the invasion of the Turks she and her family went to the monastery to warn the monks of the invasion. During the invasion by the Turks she and her family were captured. The cruel invaders cut off one of her arms and cast it before her parents. Then Irene was placed in a large clay vat and a fire was lit beneath it, suffocating her within. Irene was tortured in front of her parents, who were also martyred. Her grave and others were found on May 12, 1961 after Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene revealed to people and directed them where to look.
Many others faithful received Crowns of Martyrdom, among them were Saint Irene’s parents Basil and Maria; Theodore, the village teacher; and Eleni, the fifteen-year-old cousin of Saint Irene.
The Saints appeared to many people of Lesbos telling them that they wished to be remembered. They requested that their icon be written, that a church service be composed for them, and they indicated the place where their holy relics could be found. The iconographer Photios Kontoglou painted their icon based on the description that was given him by those who had seen the Saints. The Blessed Father Gerasimos of Little Saint Anne Skete on Mount Athos composed their church service.
The three Saint have performed many miracles on Lesbos, and throughout the world. The Saints help those who appeal to them, healing the sick, consoling those that sorrow, and they bringing many unbelievers and sinful individuals back to the Church.
In The Risen Lord’s Love,
Father Michael
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Services and Activities
Sunday, April 30th, Annual Saint George Dinner Dance, “The Chateau” 5:00pm
Tuesday, Greek School, 5:00pm-8:00pm
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Altar Boys Serving Today:
Dean, Nicholas, Zach and Kostas
Altar Boys Serving Next Week:
Bari, Andreas, Wayne, Phillip and Nectarios
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Prayer List
We ask you to please pray for the health and welfare of the following Brothers and Sisters; Alexandra, Lukea, Costas, Ekaterini, Vasili, Fotini, George, Voula, Spiros, Nicholas, Eleni, Voula, Zoe, Billy, Mary, Helen, Antonea, Nectarios, Leonidas, Katherine, Ιωαννα, Katina, Costa, George, Litsa, Penny, Athena, Dean, Paul, Demetra, Victoria, Chrysoula, Konstantina, George, Fr. Theodore, Fr. Joachim.
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*Special Note: Please have your family and friends submit their email addresses to Father Michael at, fathermichaelk@icloud.com, so that they can receive the weekly bulletin directly.