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Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2015-06-28
Bulletin Contents
Allsaint
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Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (773) 626-3114
  • Fax:
  • (773) 626-3141
  • Street Address:

  • 601 South Central Avenue

  • Chicago, IL 60644-5089


Contact Information






Services Schedule

Worship Hours:

Sunday

8:30 am - Orthros

10:00 am - Divine Liturgy

Sunday Summer Hours
8:00 am - Orthros

9:30 am - Divine Liturgy

Sunday Church School 

 9:30 am - Divine Liturgy

Weekday Services

8:30 am - Orthros

9:30 am - Divine Liturgy


Past Bulletins


Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 6:18-23

BRETHREN, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Gospel Reading

4th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:5-13

At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Mode

O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Plagal of the First Tone

Let us praise the most auspicious bride of Christ, the divine Catherine, protectress of Sinai, our aid and our help. For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, and now, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.

Kontakion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Second Tone

O friends of martyrs, now divinely raise up a renewed chorus, praising the all-wise Catherine. For, she proclaimed Christ in the arena, trampled on the serpent, and spat upon the knowledge of the orators.
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Wisdom of the Fathers

Let us hearken, as many as are to receive Christ: for it is possible to receive Him even now. Let us hearken, and emulate, and receive Him with as great zeal; for indeed, when you receive a poor man who is hungry and naked, you have received and cherished Him.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 26 on Matthew 8, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
June 28

Righteous Fathers Sergius and Herman, Founders of Valaam Monastery

By their life and teachings, our righteous Fathers Sergius and Herman did much to spread and confirm Orthodoxy among the Karelian Finns, who had suffered much oppression at the hands of Swedes of the Latin creed. They founded on Lake Ladoga the renowned Monastery of Valaam, which later became one of the chief centers of the monastic life. Both Saints reposed about 1353.


Allsaint
June 28

Synaxis of the Icon of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos

The great defender of the Orthodox Faith against the Iconoclasts, our righteous Father John of Damascus (See Dec. 4), was slandered to the Caliph of Damascus by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian (reigned 717-741). Saint John was accused of sedition and his right hand was cut off. Having asked for the severed hand, Saint John passed the night in great pain, praying for the aid of the most holy Theotokos. Awaking from sleep, he found that his hand had been miraculously restored, with only a red scar about the wrist where it had been severed, as a testimony to the wonderous healing. In thanksgiving, he had a silver hand attached to the icon to commemorate this great miracle. On becoming a monk in the lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified in the Holy Land, John brought the icon with him. There it remained until the thirteenth century, when it was given to Saint Sabbas of Serbia (see Jan. 14), who brought it to Serbia, where it remained for a time. Later, it was miraculously transported by an unguided donkey that carried it to the Serbian Monastery of Hilandar on the Holy Mountain, Athos, where it remains to this day.


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June 29

Peter and Paul, the Holy Apostles

The divinely-blessed Peter was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He was the son of Jonas and the brother of Andrew the First-called. He was a fisherman by trade, unlearned and poor, and was called Simon; later he was renamed Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)" (John 1:42). On being raised by the Lord to the dignity of an Apostle and becoming inseparable from Him as His zealous disciple, he followed Him from the beginning of His preaching of salvation up until the very Passion, when, in the court of Caiaphas the high priest, he denied Him thrice because of his fear of the Jews and of the danger at hand. But again, after many bitter tears, he received complete forgiveness of his transgression. After the Resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Antioch, and certain parts of Asia, and finally came to Rome, where he was crucified upside down by Nero, and thus he ascended to the eternal habitations about the year 66 or 68, leaving two Catholic (General) Epistles to the Church of Christ.

Paul, the chosen vessel of Christ, the glory of the Church, the Apostle of the Nations and teacher of the whole world, was a Jew by race, of the tribe of Benjamin, having Tarsus as his homeland. He was a Roman citizen, fluent in the Greek language, an expert in knowledge of the Law, a Pharisee, born of a Pharisee, and a disciple of Gamaliel, a Pharisee and notable teacher of the Law in Jerusalem. For this cause, from the beginning, Paul was a most fervent zealot for the traditions of the Jews and a great persecutor of the Church of Christ; at that time, his name was Saul (Acts 22:3-4). In his great passion of rage and fury against the disciples of the Lord, he went to Damascus bearing letters of introduction from the high priest. His intention was to bring the disciples of Christ back to Jerusalem in bonds. As he was approaching Damascus, about midday there suddenly shone upon him a light from Heaven. Falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" And he asked, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And that heavenly voice and brilliance made him tremble, and he was blinded for a time. He was led by the hand into the city, and on account of a divine revelation to the Apostle Ananias (see Oct. 1), he was baptized by him, and both his bodily and spiritual eyes were opened to the knowledge of the Sun of Righteousness. And straightway- O wondrous transformation! - beyond all expectation, he spoke with boldness in the synagogues, proclaiming that "Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 9:1-21). As for his zeal in preaching the Gospel after these things had come to pass, as for his unabating labors and afflictions of diverse kinds, the wounds, the prisons, the bonds, the beatings, the stonings, the shipwrecks, the journeys, the perils on land, on sea, in cities, in wildernesses, the continual vigils, the daily fasting, the hunger, the thirst, the nakedness, and all those other things that he endured for the Name of Christ, and which he underwent before nations and kings and the Israelites, and above all, his care for all the churches, his fiery longing for the salvation of all, whereby he became all things to all men, that he might save them all if possible, and because of which, with his heart aflame, he continuously traveled throughout all parts, visiting them all, and like a bird of heaven flying from Asia and Europe, the West and East, neither staying nor abiding in any one place - all these things are related incident by incident in the Book of the Acts, and as he himself tells them in his Epistles. His Epistles, being fourteen in number, are explained in 250 homilies by the divine Chrysostom and make manifest the loftiness of his thoughts, the abundance of the revelations made to him, the wisdom given to him from God, wherewith he brings together in a wondrous manner the Old with the New Testaments, and expounds the mysteries thereof which had been concealed under types; he confirms the doctrines of the Faith, expounds the ethical teaching of the Gospel, and demonstrates with exactness the duties incumbent upon every rank, age, and order of man. In all these things his teaching proved to be a spiritual trumpet, and his speech was seen to be more radiant than the sun, and by these means he clearly sounded forth the word of truth and illumined the ends of the world. Having completed the work of his ministry, he likewise ended his life in martyrdom when he was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero, at the same time, some say, when Peter was crucified.


30_12apost
June 30

Synaxis of the Twelve Holy Apostles: Peter, Andrew, James & John the sons of Zebedee, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Jude the brother of James, Simon & Matthias

The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, the First-called; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who was also the Evangelist and Theologian; Philip, and Bartholomew (see also June 11); Thomas, and Matthew the publican, who was also called Levi and was an Evangelist; James the son of Alphaeus, and Jude (also called Lebbaeus, and surnamed Thaddaeus), the brother of James, the Brother of God; Simon the Cananite ("the Zealot"), and Matthias, who was elected to fill the place of Judas the traitor (see Aug. 9).


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Parish News and Events

PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS

Summer Sunday Worship Hours:

Please make note that we have begun our summer schedule for Sunday Worship Services.  Orthros begins at 8:00 am, followed by the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am.  We will return to our regular schedule on Sunday, September 13th.

Memorials:
40 Days ~ Mary Panton, Right Rows 1 – 2
40 Days ~ Claudia (Eftihia) Panos, Left Rows 1 – 2

Coffee Fellowship:
Today's coffee fellowship is hosted by the Panton Family in memory of Mary Panton.  Please join us in Plato Hall to enjoy fellowship.

 Ladies Philoptochos Officer Elections For 2015-2017 Term:

Following Worship Services last Sunday, elections were held in the Church Library for Philoptochos Officers for the term 2015 – 2017.  The new officers are:

                    President:                                       Mrs. Ann Dervis

                    First Vice President:                       Mrs. Valerie Green

                    Second Vice President:                  Mrs. Francine Kott

                    Treasurer:                                       Mrs. Sophia Vlahos

                    Recording Secretary:                     Dr. Evelyn Maggos

                    Corresponding Secretary:              Mrs. Tina Sarantos

                    Advisor:                                          Mrs. Betty Tsiolis

A thank you is given to Betty Tsiolis for her term as president, bringing new ideas, thoughts, and energy to this organization.

Stewardship Thought for the Week:

“To find ourselves, we must offer ourselves.”
Archbishop Anastasios of Albania

In the early part of the 20th century, a generous man by the name of Harold Kitchings grew wealthy from oil and gave large sums to Baylor University to construct buildings and educate young Christians.  He gave a great deal of money to his church and even sent his pastor, Dr. George W. Truett, to Europe to preach to the soldier boys during the First World War.  Then, in the stock market crash of 1929, the man lost his fortune.

One day, a friend who saw how humbly he was living – and remembered how wealthy he had once been – asked, "When you think about all the money you gave away, do you ever wish you had it back?"  He didn’t hesitate.  "Friend," he said.  "The only thing I have left is what I gave away."

‘Stewardship is not an obligation, it is a gift that our Lord asks us to share with everyone.  Is that not what He, Himself, did’. 

Have You Made Your 2015 Stewardship Pledge Yet?

We are approaching the end of the first half of 2015.  We thank and are appreciative to all stewards who have pledged and remained committed to our beloved Parish of Panagia.  The Parish Council reminds all stewards and supporters of our beloved Panagia Parish to complete your stewardship pledge card for 2015 and return it to the church office.  Pledge cards and info can be found at the Pangari in the Church Narthex.  May our Lord continue to bless us abundantly.

Dates to Remember:

Saturday, July 11th
10:00 a.m. - Philoptochos baking in Plato Hall

Thursday, July 16th
10:30 a.m. - Philoptochos General Meeting
in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room

 Friday, July 17th
Feast Day of St. Marina
8:30 a.m. Orthros
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Saturday, July 18th
10:00 a.m. - Philoptochos baking in Plato Hall

Monday, July 20th
Feast Day of the Prophet Elias
8:30 a.m. Orthros
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Friday, July 24th
10:00 a.m. - Philoptochos packing
sweets & setup for Festival

Saturday, July 25th
Annual Church Festival
3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 26th
Annual Church Festival
Noon to 9:00 p.m.

Monday, July 27th
Feast Day of St. Panteleimon
8:30 a.m. Orthros
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Annual Assumption Church Festival:

Our Greek Fest is only THREE short weeks away!

The Festival will take place on Sat. & Sun., July 25 (3-10p) & July 26 (12-9p). See the Flyer in this Bulletin for more details!

Early Bird Raffle – Congratulations to Ted and Kathy Pappas, winner of Early Bird Raffle #2 held on June 28th. Kindly return your paid* raffle tickets to the Church Office or see Eileen Szubert (708-610-5682). Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100 – request additional tickets through the Church Office.

* payment can be in the form of cash, check or credit card (through the Church Office.)

Volunteers & Donations – It takes a LOT of volunteers to plan and operate this Festival.  Please see Nick Mansour (Volunteer Coordinator) to offer your time and talents. A form is available on the back of this bulletin for your use. This is a terrific opportunity to put in some community service hours for school or other organizational requirements. Individuals from middle school-age and up are welcome!  Every hour you can commit is a valuable resource to the Fest.

Consider providing resources for Festival Supplies- your donations will help ensure the success of the Festival, which is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year.  Any amount will help to defray costs and is truly appreciated.

You may also speak with Chris Limperis or Eileen Szubert, who serve as Co-Chairmen for this year’s event, about any other questions or suggestions you may have.  We look forward to seeing and celebrating with you in July!

Sunday Church School 90 Acts of Kindness Challenge:

Our 90 Acts of Kindness Challenge continues to progress!  Thank you to all our fellow parishioners for the continued support of our Sunday Church School and its events. Together we are making a positive difference one kind act at a time!

Act of Kindness #1-74 Completed – Please visit our website or our bulletin board to see who benefited from these Acts of Kindness

Act of Kindness #75 – On Saturday, July 18th from 2pm-4pm we will be volunteering at Feed My Starving Children, Schaumburg. If you are interested in volunteering please contact the church office 773-626-3114. SPACE IS LIMITED!!

Act of Kindness #76 – On Sunday, August 2nd we will packing “homework kits” for students at VOCEL, a nonprofit early education center whose innovative approach is rooted in language development and an open, intentional teaching style.

There’s so much more kindness to spread and our Sunday Church School is just the right group to do it!! Our goal is 90 by our Anniversary Dinner on October 18, 2015! You can watch our progress as we fill in a “thermometer” that is displayed in St. Catherine’s Meeting room. *Do you have a suggestion for an Act of Kindness or have an organization that you would like to see benefit? Please let Mrs. Christina Arvanites know.

SEWonderful Quilts
To our parishioners that have a quilt kit please complete it and return it to the collection box in the St. Catherine's Narthex at your earliest convenience.  If you are unable to complete the quilt please return the kit.

Church School on FACEBOOK:

Our Sunday Church School has created a FACEBOOK page. Like our page: Assumption Sunday Church School! See our progress on our Acts of Kindness Challenge, keep up to date on upcoming events and view photos from recent events.

Assumption Prayer Ministry:

The Assumption Adult Bible Study Group has developed an idea that may be of interest to parishioners and friends of our Panagia Parish.  They are interested in being able to form a ministry comprised of individuals who would like to pray for the health of those individuals who may be ill or experiencing health issues.  Our Orthodox Faith teaches us that the ‘power of prayer’ literally works miracles, and Jesus instructs us in the Bible that we should “always pray for one another in the fellowship of love and through the Holy Spirit”.   As a Panagia Parish, we are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are encouraged to pray for one another as any family would do.  So, how do we plan to do it?  It’s simple, easy, and spiritually uplifting and rewarding.  Here is what we can all do:

  • If you are interested in participating, you need only submit your name and email address to the Church Office or Fr. Timothy.
  • When a name is submitted to be prayed for, you will be contacted by email, given the first name of the person to be prayed for, along with the prayer to be read by you, offering the prayer for the intercession of God upon that individual, and asking that the afflicted be healed by God’s abundant blessing.
  • Your prayer, together along with the many others who are offering a prayer for the person who is ill, will bring comfort beyond comprehension.

Just think about that….our prayers collectively praying for a person who needs the loving and tender Hand of God during his/her special time of need.  It’s that simple.  Just provide us with your email address, and you can join this ministry team who will pray for the person who needs help the most.  It costs nothing, takes only a few seconds to do, but will make us all part of a spiritual family that looks and cares for one another.

  Bookstore:

Do you need gifts for your family or relatives?  Then please visit the Bookstore in Plato Hall after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays.  There you will find unique gifts for everyone, such as books for children and adults, icons of your or your children’s patron saints, crosses, key chains and other beautiful items, which will make much appreciated gifts this year.  Please stop in and browse, you’ll be glad you did.

Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:

Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2015?  You might want to celebrate a family event, a memorial, or just want to share time with the Church family.  Please call the Church Office (773.626.3114) to book a date and for more information.  Available dates for the first half of 2015 are:

July 12               Aug. 30         Oct. 4              Nov. 15        Dec. 27     

Aug. 2               Sept. 6           Oct. 18            Nov. 22       

Aug. 9               Sept. 13         Nov. 1             Dec. 13                

Aug. 16             Sept. 20         Nov. 8             Dec. 20

 Prosfora Bakers Needed:

One of the blessings of Stewardship that we are given is the ability to serve our Church in a number of ways.  Our Church is in need of individuals who can offer the weekly Prosforo (Bread) for the Divine Liturgy.  Should you be able to offer your service, please inform the Church office or see either Fr. Timothy or Mrs. Demetra Spyropoulos.  With the help of each steward/member, we come together as a Church family to better offer our thanks to our Lord.

College Students -- Check Out OCF  (Orthodox Christian Fellowship):

To our young people who are going away to college for the first time, or to those returning to school to continue their studies, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the organization which keeps you connected to your Church and your Orthodox Faith.  OCF has 300 chapters in colleges and universities throughout North America.  So be sure to check out their web site to locate and find out about your chapter --  WWW.OCF.NET.  We also encourage our college young people to share their e-mail addresses with our Church so that we may keep them informed of their “Spiritual Home” while they are away.  And always remember, your Assumption Church’s weekly Divine Liturgy Services are just a click away on your computer each Sunday as we now broadcast live each Sunday.  Just access it by going to our website at:  www.assumptionchicago.org

Cemetery Graves Update:

The Parish Council announces that effectively immediately, prices for graves at Elmwood Cemetery will be the following:  $1,995.00 (members), and $2,295.00 (non-members).  Our Parish has only forty-six (46) graves remaining in the Panagia section, and the Church pricing is about 50% less than the graves that are being sold at Elmwood.  For more information, please call the Church office and speak with Gail (773.626.3114).

Proper Church Etiquette:

Worship Services are vital instruments and components to our prayer development.  In order to help us achieve this, we need to be cognizant of our fellow parishioners and all those around us.  Therefore, please make sure that cell phones are completely turned off during Services.  In addition, while we most welcome children to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, it remains the responsibility of parents to make sure that children do not become a distraction to those around them.  Therefore, if a child is crying, or in some way in need of attention, please feel free to take him/her to the Narthex or Cry Room.  You are most welcome to enter and exit the Church proper as many times as necessary.  By doing this, all who are in attendance will be afforded the opportunity to worship and pray together. (Please keep in mind that we are also privileged to have a complete Sunday School Liturgy celebrated in Saint Catherine’s Chapel each week for your use as well).  We ask for your cooperation.  Ushers will be available to help you, if needed.

Holy Communion Announcement:

While we pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all the world’s Christians, the reality remains that there is still no intercommunion between our Orthodox Churches and the Churches of the West.  This means that only baptized, chrismated, and observant Orthodox faithful are allowed to receive Holy Communion in our churches.  At the same time, we warmly welcome all non-Orthodox to join us in prayer and celebration, and humbly offer to all present the Antidoro bread of fellowship at the end of the worship service.  We offer this important symbol ‘instead of the Gifts’, in the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Till we all come to the unity of the Faith’ (Eph. 4.13).

We Need Your E-mail Address:

Are you receiving the weekly bulletin online in your e-mail mailbox each week?  How about our Assumption Church’s Newsletter and the Saint Catherine’s Newsletter?  If not, please give the Church Office your e-mail address so that you can stay informed about the schedule of religious services, events, and news of our Community.

Website News:

In addition our Parish’s website, we encourage you to keep abreast on the latest news and happenings about Orthodoxy from our Metropolis of Chicago and our Holy Archdiocese.

Please use the links below to access any of the three sites:

Assumption Church:               www.assumptionchicago.org
Metropolis of Chicago:           www.metropolisofchicago.org
Archdiocese of America         www.goarch.org

All three websites will provide you with articles and resources for the Orthodox Church.  They include the history of Orthodoxy, special Services and Blessings, Spirituality, Teachings of the Orthodox Church, how to become a member of the Orthodox Church, the meaning and celebration of The Holy Eucharist, the form and characteristics of Orthodox worship, the Sacrament of Confession, Holy Week Meditation and Study Guide, Fasting, the Orthodox Calendar, and much more.  Specifically, on our Parish’s website, we have uploaded past and current editions of the Assumption Newsletter and the St. Catherine Newsletter, and are available for reading online.

Our Sunday Church Services are broadcast live on the Internet each week:

A reminder to all, our Parish of Panagia began broadcasting live to the internet each Sunday.  This is of particular benefit to our shut-ins, elderly, college students, and vacationers who are away from home, yet need to receive the benefit and blessing of the weekly Divine Liturgy experience.  All you need to do is log on to our website www.assumptionchicago.org, and click the link to begin watching the Worship Service live.  We have also archived our Services allowing anyone to click and watch the Service/sermon at their leisure.  We encourage you to give it a try.

Ushers:

Ted Pappas, Rose Marie Stewart, James Lakerdas, Voula Spyropoulos, Tom Collis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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