Communion Prayer Leader: Michelle Baker

2^nd Basket:      Passed by Philoptochos to benefit Holy Cross Seminary

Welcome:        Sunday School students & teachers for Agiasmo (Blessing) Day

                        GOYA members staffing the pangari

 Memorials:    

40 days James Swingos, husband of Betty, father of Nicholas & Daniel

 6 months Constantin Finitsas, husband of Kaliopi, father of Koula & Angelo

3 years Larry George, husband of Pitsa, father of Eleni, Anna & Athanasia

Coffee Host: Parish Council  (Due to the hall rental, coffee will be served in Fellowship Room)

Sunday School begins Sept. 13. Registration forms available at www.saintdemetriosrr.org

 Youth Choir- 1^st rehearsal will be Sun., Sept. 20, 3 pm in the chapel. Open to all parish students.

All parish teens who are 13 & up or in grades 7-12 are welcome to join GOYA! Come to our meeting Sunday after Divine Liturgy to learn more about our upcoming events.

Boys in Grades 4-12 who are interested in being in the rotation to serve on the altar should contact Tom Hlepas (tomhlepas@yahoo.com) by Sept. 13. There will be a mandatory meeting for all acolytes on the first day of the rotation, Sun., Sept. 20, following Divine Liturgy.

Each Sunday in the summer, even though there is no Sunday School, our youngest parishioners attending Divine Liturgy can pick up their very own special bulletin "The Children's Word" to learn aobut saints of the week, puzzles and an icon to color. This week features the Nativity of the Theotokos.

Mon., Sept. 14 -9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy in St. Demetrios church. Please note earlier start time.

Anyone who plans on bringing basil can also bring it on Sunday.

Mon., Sept 14 at 7 p.m., please join us in the Board Room to hear about upcoming events and projects benefiting the needy of our community.

TEACHER SOUGHT  St. Demetrios Balourdas Greek School is accepting applications for the 2015-16 school year.  Interested parties with strong bi-lingual skills, should submit a letter of intent and resume to the church office by June 30, 2015. Previous teaching experience welcome but not mandatory.

 JOB OPENING C.J. Hendry & Assoc. Christian Counseling Center in Westlake is seeking a part-time, Christ-centered, customer-friendly Administrative Assistant   to  greet clients, answer phone and schedule appontments. Email cover letter & resume to counselors@cjhendry.com or contact Ginger at (440) 892-7034, ext. 208.  Interviews will be held in May.

 The Kyklonas Hellenic Dancers are now rehearsing on Thursdays at 6:45 pm to prepare for the Folk Dance Festival  in Pittsburgh on Nov. 14-15. Contact Eleni (440-331-2246 x2) for details.

LORAIN GREEK FESTIVAL Today thru Sept. 13,  at St. Nicholas Church, 2000 Tower Blvd., Lorain. Fri & Sat: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. www.stnicholas.oh.goarch.org  The Inner Circle Hellenic Dancers will perform Friday at 7:30 p.m.

EUROPEAN  FESTIVAL Sat., Sept. 12, at St. Mary Magdalene Byzantine Catholic Church, 5390 W. 220^th St., Fairview Park. Live music; Irish, Polish, Bavarian, Greek, and Serbian folk dance performances, ethnic cuisine & bakery. The Kyklonas Hellenic Dancers will perform at 3 p.m. Go to  www.stmmeurofest.com for full schedule of events. Free admission.

 EASTERN ORTHODOX WOMENS GUILD Sat., Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. at St Theodosius Cathedral, 733 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, brunch and book discussion on Seasons of Grace. The EOWG invites all Orthodox women in northeast Ohio to join them in fostering fellowship  and supporting local Orthodox organizations. Dues just $5 for the year.

 IOCC BASEBALL NIGHT  Sat., Sept 12, at 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Field, Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers. Mezzanine seats $25; fireworks after the game. Contact Connie Zimmerman (216-347-3123) for tickets. Or donations accepted, if unable to attend.

 AKRON GREEK FESTIVAL Sept 17-19 at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 129 S. Union St., Akron. 11 am-11 pm daily. Greek food; drive thru available. Free admission.

  ‘MIKRA AGGLIA’the 2013 film “Little England” (which won 6 Hellenic Oscars) will show at the Cleveland Museum of Art at 6:30 p.m. on  Fri., Sept 18 and at 1:30 pm. on Sun, Sept. 20. Based on Ioanna Karystiani’s novel The Jasmine Isle,  it is set on the island of Andros in the 1930s & ‘40s and tells the story of two sisters who love the same man. 132 minutes; in Greek with English subtitles. $9 per adult; $7 for students, museum members, or seniors 65& up.

 HANDS-ON COOKING CLASS Sat., Sept. 19, at the Nafpaktian Cultural Foundation, 7890 Brookside Dr., Olmsted Falls, at 10 a.m. Join Angie Tsigas as she demonstrates how to make Spanakopita with Homemade Phyllo. She will share her perfected process as you follow along making your own ½ sheet spanakopita to take home. $15 donation, includes supplies. Bring your own rolling pin. RSVP to Georgia (440-225-8256) by Sept 12. Space is limited.

 IKARIAN PANIYIRI Sat., Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. in Warren, Ohio, at the Pavilion of St. Demetrios Youth Center, 3223 Atlantic St. NE. $10 includes dinner of goat, fries & salad. Music by Manoli Papaglaros. For tickets, contact Fotini at 330-307-8834 or facaros@raptiscoffee.com

AN ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE  ON  ISLAM Tue., Sept 22, at St. Michael Woodside, Mill Road, Broadview Hts. 6:30 pm Dinner followed by Keynote Speaker Rev. Thomas Soroka of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKees Rocks, PA. and noted contributor to Ancient Faith Radio. $10/person donation. RSVP at 440-526-5192.

ANNUAL MUSEUM LECTURE Sun., Sept 27, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Collis Lecture presents “Poseidon and the Sea” with Keynote speaker Dr. Seth Pevnick, Chief Curator of Greek and Roman Art at the Tampa Museum of Art. 2:00 p.m. in the Gartner Auditorium. Free, reservations required by calling 216-421-7350.

 MOVING BEYOND LOSS The 8-week Grief Recovery Method is again being offered this fall. Thursdays (Sept 17- Nov. 5) 6-7:30 p.m., at St Ladislas Church, 2345 Bassett Rd., Westlake, OR Mondays (Oct. 5-Nov. 23) 6:30-8 p.m. at Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 14502 Detroit Rd., Lakewood. $25 participation fee but assistance is available upon request. Register: 216-252-7901

  ORTHODOX WOMEN IN THE HEALING MINISTRIES Oct. 2-4 at the Holy Dormition Monastery in Rives Junction, Mich. Fr. Silviu Bunta, Assoc. Professor at the University of Dayton, will speak  on “Tending on God: A Spiritual Perspective on Healing.” Register at OWHM.org

 JOY RETREAT Sat., Oct. 3 to St. Gregory Palamas Monastery, 934 County Road 2256, Perrysville, Ohio. 1-4:30 p.m. Kids ages 6-11 & their families from the northeast Ohio churches welcome for an afternoon of Orthodox education and activities. $5/child. RSVP to Fr. Michael (mgavrilos@stpaulgoc.org) by Sept. 25. Dress code is long sleeves and long pants or skirts.

 4^TH ANNUAL DEAN PARAS MEMORIAL RUN/WALK Sun, Oct. 11 , at University School, 2785 SOM Center Rd., Hunting Valley, Ohio.  5k Cross Country Run/Walkto raise awareness and funds for research on Neuroendocrine tumors. Contact Toni Papanikolaou (tonip1056@aol.com )

 SPIRITUAL EXPEDITION Sat., Oct  24, Teens & Twenties save the date for a retreat at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 6822 Broadview Rd., Parma. Sponsored by Zoe for Life. For more info, contact Daria Petrykowski (440-572-1871 or pjerry675@aol.com )

THE ART OF ANTHONY QUINN Now thru October at The National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL. “Transcending Boundaries: The art of Anthony Quinn”  displays more than 70 pieces of art by the legendary actor, best known for his portrayal of Zorba the Greek,  including paintings and sculptures, reflecting his life experiences with cultures around the world. For more details visit www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org

ORTHODOX   INSTITUTE   2015  Nov. 5-8, The Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Education presents “Building on the Foundation of Faith: Adult Education is Crucial to the Parish” at Antiochian Village, Ligonier, Penn.  Keynote speaker is Keven Allen, adult education coordinator at St. Barnabas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Coast Mesa, Calif. For the past 10 years, Mr. Allen has developed seminars and educational series for his parish and inquirers into the Orthodox church, and formerly hosted two popular programs on Ancient Faith Radio. $65 for the seminar; $309 meals & lodging at Antiochian Village (triple occupancy.) Register at www.antiochian.org/OI2015

  COFFEE WITH SISTER VASSA Even if you are not near a church during your vacation, you can log into www.coffeewithsistervassa.com for a YouTube program featuring this amiable Orthodox nun. Segments cover scriptural, liturgical and other

Wed., Sept 23,fall kick-off dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Arabiatta’s restaurant in Bay Village. RSVP to Elisa Demis (440-665-1348)

 Sat., Oct. 3, our pastoral assistant Anastasios (Andrew) Athanasiou will be ordained to the Holy Deaconate at a 9:30 a.m. Hierarchal Divine Liturgy here in St Demetrios Church.

Sun., Oct. 4, A celebratory brunch will be offered in the Cultural Hall, following Divine Liturgy, for the entire parish. If you are interested in being a meal host/sponsor, contact Stephanie Zavatchen (440-385-7448).

Please note that his Ordination to the Holy Priesthood will take place on November 21^st at his home parish in Pennsylvania.

Sun., Aug 16 we invite all families who celebrate a Maria/Mario, Panayoti/Panayota or Despina to bring a plate for the coffee hour and celebrate as a parish.

 THE NAFPAKTIAN  CULTURAL  FOUNDATION  $500.00 scholarships available to college students who are of Greek ancestry and permanent residents of northeast Ohio. Deadline: Sept. 15, 2015 Download applications at:   http://www.nafpaktian.org/index.php/non-vis/scholarships/

 HELLENIC LINK MIDWEST A number of scholarships of $2,000 or more each, will be awarded for the 2015-16 academic year to college/university level students who are residents of a Midwest state, have completed at least one year of full-time undergrad study, and have a at least one parent of Greek descent. Application available in the church office. Submission deadline is Nov. 1, 2015. Award banquet will be January 2016 in Illinois.

ESSAY CONTEST The 11^th annual St Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine Essay Contest is inviting all high school students to submit an a 1,000 word essay comparing/contrasting the immigrant story of one the New Smyrna Greek colonists who came to America in 1768 and a person they know (family member, friend) How are their stories similar? What was unique? First Prize is $500; Second Prize $250; Third Prize $100. Deadline for submission is Nov. 21, 2015, via email to info@stphotios.com, with a cover page including author’s name, home parish, address, phone and email. Applicants can also send a one paragraph autobiographical statement and photo. Previously submitted essays will not be considered.  Go to www.stphotios.org for more details.

We are pleased to announce that St. Demetrios now provides Online Giving, a convenient and safe way to make a one-time or recurring donation. Getting started is easy. Go to  www.saintdemetriosrr.org, and click our Online Giving link in the upper left corner. When you participate, your gift will be securely transferred directly into the parish bank account. And you won’t have to remember to write a check or visit the ATM on Sundays!

July 27-30, 2015 Vacation Church School will focus on the Feasts of the Triumph of Christ and His Church (Palm Sunday,  Ascension, Pentecost, Exaltation of the Cross.) for children in K-Grade 6. Monday thru Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon. We will learn hymns & original songs,  morning prayer service and worship lessons, classroom activities and crafts, recreation & snack time. Free will donations will benefit the Camp Nazareth Scholarship Fund.  If you are able to provide a snack or help in any other way, please contact Lia Augoustidis at Lia.Stidis@me.com

Tue., Aug. 18 6 p.m. in the board room.  ALL church ministries as well as groups that meet at our facility should send a representative to ensure that their events are included on the 2015-16 calendar.

Are you ready to celebrate graduating from high school, college or post-grad studies? So are we!  Send a photo and short bio (name, school, activiites, future plans) to the office or email sdgoc@ohiocoxmail.com by May 15 to be featured in the June/July Graduation issue of the Epistle.

Paul Manos will be teaching basic computer skills to parish senior citizens who want to learn more about e-mail, using the computer for budgets, or navigating the Internet. Tuesdays at 11 a.m. in the new computer lab (next to the school office) There are six desktops available but we will try to accommodate all who are interested. Contact the church office

Sun, October 11, at  Noon. A Quorum of at least Twenty-Five (25) Members In Good Standing are required for this meeting.  If Quorum is not met, the meeting WILL take place on Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 at 7:00p.m. with or without quorum, per the by-laws.  AGENDA: Final Report on Land Sale and status of the new Endowment Fund.