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Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-08-27
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

Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.

Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.


Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26

At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."


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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.

Apolytikion of Pimen the Great in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O Poimen, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Kontakion of Pimen the Great in the Fourth Tone

The holy memory, O righteous Father, of the many valiant deeds is come today and maketh glad the souls of pious and godly folk, our righteous Father, great Pimen of godly mind.

Apolytikion of Martyr Phanurius in the Fourth Tone

A heavenly song of praise is brightly sung on the earth; * the hosts of the Angels keep an earthly festival now in splendor and radiant joy; * from on high, they praise with hymns the suff'rings and struggles; * and below, the Church doth laud the heavenly glory * thou foundest by thy contests and pains, O glorious Phanurius.

Kontakion of Martyr Phanurius in the Third Tone

From a vile captivity, thou didst deliver the Lord's priests, and, O godly-minded one, didst break their bonds by divine might; thou didst bravely shame the tyrants' audacious madness, giving joy unto the Angels, O thou Great Martyr. O Phanurius most glorious, we all revere thee as a true warrior of God.

Apolytikion of the Church in the First Mode

In giving birth, O Theotokos, you have retained your virginity, and in falling asleep you have not forsaken the world. You who are the Mother of Life have passed over into life, and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode

In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."

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

The sign that thou lovest God, is this, that thou lovest thy fellow; and if thou hatest thy fellow, thy hatred is towards God. For it is blasphemy if thou prayest before God while thou art wroth. For thy heart also convicts thee, that in vain thou multipliest words: thy conscience rightly judges that in thy prayers thou profitest nought.
St. Ephraim the Syrian
ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE.

Wherefore then doth Christ thus reply to him, saying, "There is none good?" Because He came unto Him as a mere man, and one of the common sort, and a Jewish teacher; for this cause then as a man He discourses with him. And indeed in many instances He replies to the secret thoughts of them that come unto Him.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 63 on Matthew 19, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
August 27

Pimen the Great

Saint Pimen was from Egypt and shone forth in the ascetical life in Scete in the fourth century; he was renowned for his discretion. Many of his sayings and deeds are preserved in the Paradise of the Fathers and the Sayings of the Fathers.


Phanourios
August 27

Holy Martyr Phanurius

Little is known of the holy Martyr Phanurius, except that which is depicted concerning his martyrdom on his holy icon, which was discovered in the year 1500 among the ruins of an ancient church on Rhodes, when the Moslems ruled there. Thus he is called "the Newly Revealed." The faithful pray to Saint Phanurius especially to help them recover things that have been lost, and because he has answered their prayers so often, the custom has arisen of baking a Phaneropita ("Phanurius-Cake") as a thanks-offering.


Jbaptbhd
August 29

Beheading of the Holy and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

The divine Baptist, the Prophet born of a Prophet, the seal of all the Prophets and beginning of the Apostles, the mediator between the Old and New Covenants, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the God-sent Messenger of the incarnate Messiah, the forerunner of Christ's coming into the world (Esaias 40: 3; Mal. 3: 1); who by many miracles was both conceived and born; who was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb; who came forth like another Elias the Zealot, whose life in the wilderness and divine zeal for God's Law he imitated: this divine Prophet, after he had preached the baptism of repentance according to God's command; had taught men of low rank and high how they must order their lives; had admonished those whom he baptized and had filled them with the fear of God, teaching them that no one is able to escape the wrath to come if he do not works worthy of repentance; had, through such preaching, prepared their hearts to receive the evangelical teachings of the Savior; and finally, after he had pointed out to the people the very Savior, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world" (Luke 3:2-18; John 1: 29-36), after all this, John sealed with his own blood the truth of his words and was made a sacred victim for the divine Law at the hands of a transgressor.

This was Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, the son of Herod the Great. This man had a lawful wife, the daughter of Arethas (or Aretas), the King of Arabia (that is, Arabia Petraea, which had the famous Nabatean stone city of Petra as its capital. This is the Aretas mentioned by Saint Paul in II Cor. 11:32). Without any cause, and against every commandment of the Law, he put her away and took to himself Herodias, the wife of his deceased brother Philip, to whom Herodias had borne a daughter, Salome. He would not desist from this unlawful union even when John, the preacher of repentance, the bold and austere accuser of the lawless, censured him and told him, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Mark 6: 18). Thus Herod, besides his other unholy acts, added yet this, that he apprehended John and shut him in prison; and perhaps he would have killed him straightway, had he not feared the people, who had extreme reverence for John. Certainly, in the beginning, he himself had great reverence for this just and holy man. But finally, being pierced with the sting of a mad lust for the woman Herodias, he laid his defiled hands on the teacher of purity on the very day he was celebrating his birthday. When Salome, Herodias' daughter, had danced in order to please him and those who were supping with him, he promised her -- with an oath more foolish than any foolishness -- that he would give her anything she asked, even unto the half of his kingdom. And she, consulting with her mother, straightway asked for the head of John the Baptist in a charger. Hence this transgressor of the Law, preferring his lawless oath above the precepts of the Law, fulfilled this godless promise and filled his loathsome banquet with the blood of the Prophet. So it was that that all-venerable head, revered by the Angels, was given as a prize for an abominable dance, and became the plaything of the dissolute daughter of a debauched mother. As for the body of the divine Baptist, it was taken up by his disciples and placed in a tomb (Mark 6: 21 - 29). Concerning the finding of his holy head, see February 24 and May 25.


Creation_adam
September 01

Ecclesiastical New Year

For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors decreed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was reissued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an assessment was made of what economic changes had taken place, and a new tax was decreed, which was to be paid over the span of the fifteen years. This imperial decree, which was issued before the season of winter, was named Indictio, that is, Definiton, or Order. This name was adopted by the emperors in Constantinople also. At other times, the latter also used the term Epinemisis, that is, Distribution (Dianome). It is commonly held that Saint Constantine the Great introduced the Indiction decrees in A.D. 312, after he beheld the sign of the Cross in heaven and vanquished Maxentius and was proclaimed Emperor in the West. Some, however (and this seems more likely), ascribe the institution of the Indiction to Augustus Caesar, three years before the birth of Christ. Those who hold this view offer as proof the papal bull issued in A.D. 781 which is dated thus: Anno IV, Indictionis LIII -that is, the fourth year of the fifty-third Indiction. From this, we can deduce the aforementioned year (3 B.C.) by multiplying the fifty-two complete Indictions by the number of years in each (15), and adding the three years of the fifty-third Indiction. There are three types of Indictions: 1) That which was introduced in the West, and which is called Imperial, or Caesarean, or Constantinian, and which begins on the 24th of September; 2) The so-called Papal Indiction, which begins on the 1st of January; and 3) The Constantinopolitan, which was adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453. This Indiction is indicated in their own hand on the decrees they issue, without the numeration of the fifteen years. This Indiction begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church. Since the completion of each year takes place, as it were, with the harvest and gathering of the crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for the production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also keeps festival this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate our Saviour's entry into the synagogue in Nazareth, where He was given the book of the Prophet Esaias to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me..." (Luke 4:16-30).

It should be noted that to the present day, the Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1. This was the custom in Constantinople until its fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter I. September 1 is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate of Constantinople; among the Jews also the New Year, although reckoned according to a moveable calendar, usually falls in September. The service of the Menaion for January 1 is for our Lord's Circumcision and for the memorial of Saint Basil the Great, without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.


Symstylt
September 01

Symeon the Stylite

Our righteous Father Symeon was born about the year 390 in a certain village named Sis, in the mountain region of Cilicia and Syria. Having first been a shepherd, he entered the monastic discipline at a young age. After trying various kinds of ascetical practices, both in the monastery and then in the wilderness, he began standing on pillars of progressively greater height, and heroically persevered in this for more than forty years; the greater part of this time he spent standing upright, even when one of his feet became gangrenous, and other parts of his body gave way under the strain. He did not adopt this strange way of life out of vainglory, a charge that some of his contemporaries made against him at the first: because he was already famous for his asceticism and holiness before ascending his first pillar (in Greek, style, whence he is called "Stylite"), many pious people came to him wishing to touch his garments, either for healing or for a blessing; to escape the continual vexation they caused, he made a pillar about ten feet high, and then higher and higher, until the fourth and last was about fifty feet high. The Church historian Theodoret of Cyrrhus, an eyewitness of his exploits who wrote of him while Symeon was yet alive, called him "the great wonder of the world." God gave him the grace to persevere in such an astonishing form of asceticism that multitudes came to see him from Persia, Armenia, South Arabia, Georgia, Thrace, Spain, Italy, Gaul, and the British Isles. Theodoret says that he became so famous in Rome that the Nomadic Arabs by the thousands believed in Christ and were baptized because of him; the King of Persia sent envoys to inquire into his way of life, and the Queen asked to be sent oil that he had blessed. He also was a great defender of sound doctrine, and confirmed the Orthodoxy of the Holy Council of Chalcedon for many who had been beguiled by the teachings of the Monophysites, including the Empress Eudocia, widow of Theodosius the Younger. After a life of unheard-of achievements and struggles, he reposed in peace at the age of sixty-nine, in the year 459.


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Parish News and Events

PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS

Summer Sunday Worship Hours:

Please make note that we are presently in 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 10th.

Memorials:

40 Days ~ Ray Riha, Sr., Left Rows 1 – 4
2 Years ~ Stefan Wiseman, Right Rows 1 - 2

 Annual Saint Phanourios Names Day Observance:

The Annual Observance of Saint Phanourios (Aug. 27th) take place today, Sunday (August 27th) during the Divine Liturgy.  Saint Phanourios has become famous for assisting prayerful believers, and acts as an intercessor to God delivering prayers of the faithful who are asking for assistance in revealing lost or hidden spiritual matters of the heart, objects, directing or revealing actions that should be taken, restoring health and similar situations. On this day, Saint Phanourios is honored by the faithful who prepare and bring to Church this symbolic cake, called the "Phanouropita", where a prayer is read, then distributed during the Coffee Fellowship Hour.

As you will notice on the Solea this morning, families have brought their "Phanouropita" to Church, where at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Clergy will read the prayer dedicated to Saint Phanourios and the phanouropites will be blessed.

Coffee Fellowship:

The Coffee fellowship is hosted by the Assumption Community.  All are invited to stay, and enjoy fellowship.

  Church School on FACEBOOK:

Our Sunday Church School has created a FACEBOOK page. Like our page: Assumption Sunday Church School! Keep up to date on upcoming events and view photos from recent events.

Ministry, Ministry, Ministry!

Every Christian who has accepted salvation has also accepted the responsibility of working in the ministry of the Church.  The clergy have been called apart and given the grace and blessing to perform the specific sacramental functions of the church, but all Christians, clergy and laity alike, have been called to serve in our Lord’s ministry.  If this is not what the Church is doing, then we have entered into serious error.  Everything that we do as a Church should be in direct support of Christ’s ministry of salvation.  If we build buildings, they should be to support ministry.  Any event sponsored by the Church should be ministry or in support of ministry.  The Church’s budget should be driven by its ministry, not the ministry to be limited by its budget.

Stewardship:

2017 Stewardship Pledge commitment are due.  We ask that you please prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for 2017, complete the pledge card and mail it to the Church Office.  We are forever grateful to the many loving stewards, supporters, and friends of this Parish who stand tall in their commitment to our Lord, the Blessed Panagia and this ministry.

Celebration Of 125 Years Of Orthodoxy In Chicago:

On Saturday, September 30th, all jurisdictions of Orthodoxy will come together and celebrate 125 years of Orthodoxy in Chicago.  It is a historic milestone for all of Orthodoxy in Chicago, and it will be recognized with a Pan Orthodox Hierarchical Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00am, in Lane Tech High School in Chicago.  All Hierarchs and Clergy from all jurisdictions will participate in this historic occasion. 

Following the Divine Liturgy, there will be a Celebration Banquet at Chicago Marriott O’Hare, in Chicago.  Our Parish of Panagia will participate as well, and tables will be reserved for our parishioners.  If you are able to attend, please call the Church Office to make your reservation.  Donation is $50.00.  This event is being hosted/sponsored by the Pan-Orthodox Clergy Association of Chicago.  Please make checks/payment to the Assumption Church.

PLEASE ALSO REFER TO THE ENCLOSED FLYER

 

2018 EPIPHANY PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LANDS:

It is with great joy and love in our Lord Jesus that Fr. Timothy, along with Fr. John Kalomas from the St. Andrew Church (Chicago), will again be leading an Eleven Day Pilgrimage from January 15th through 25th, 2018.  This pilgrimage will exclusively include the Holy Lands in Jerusalem, Israel, and Palestine.  Among the many places/sites to be visited include the Church and Tomb of St. George in Lydda,  the Holy Sepulcher where we will see the Holy Calvary, Holy Tomb, Chapel of Mary Magdalene, Temporary Prison of Christ, Saint Loginos, Finding of the Cross, Column of the Thorns, and the Chapel of Adam.  We then will walk to the Patriarchate to meet His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerualem, Theophilos III, follow Jesus’ footsteps on “Via Dolorosa” the Way of the Cross, Pretorium, Lithostrotos, the House of Nicodemos, the Prison of Saint Peter, the birthplace of Theotokos and the House of Saint Ann. Continue to the Tomb of Most Holy Mother of God in Gethsemane. We will visit Saint Stephanos, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Last Prayer.

We also will visit the Jordan River where we will enter the Holy Site of the Original Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ in the borders of Israel-Jordan.  We will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany at Jordan River with His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, who will bless the water.  We then visit St. Gerasimos, Mt. of Temptation in Jericho and the Dead Sea.

The following morning we will attend the Patriarchal Celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany in the Holy Sepulcher.  After the Divine Liturgy, we will visit Mount Zion, the Last Supper & Upper Room, King David’s Tomb, the Wailing Wall and the House & Tomb of Saint Simeon the Righteous in Katamonas.  We then will visit the Monastery of the Holy Cross and the House of Saint John the Baptist in Oreini.

In addition, we will visit the Mount of Olives for a panorama view of the Jerusalem, visit the Church of the Ascension, and small Galilea Saint Thedosius, Shepherds Field, Monastery of Saint Sabbas. We then return to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity, the Holy Cave and the Manger of Christ, and the tombs of the infants killed by King Herod.

We then will depart for Tiberias, stopping first to visit the Tomb of Lazarus in Bethany and the Monastery of Martha & Maria. We continue through the Jordan Valley to Tiberias where we will spend the night.  The next morning we will cross the Sea of Galilee by boat to Capernaum. Here we will visit the ruins of the city where Jesus started His ministry, and see the site of the Synagogue where He was teaching.  We proceed to Tabgha, site of the Multiplication of  Five Loaves and Two Fishes.  From here, we will then drive to Mount of Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee and visit the Monastery of the twelve Apostoles in Capernaum.  We then return to our hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.  The next morning, we again visit Jordan River for our baptism (becoming a hatzi - a true pilgrim).

In this email as well as on our website (www.assumptionchicago.org), you will find a Flyer and Fact Sheet detailing the Trip, including dates, places, pricing, and other particulars.  Also included in this email is the brochure that describes each day's activities.  Because there is special pricing/discount given for registering early, you are urged to reply as soon as you can if you are interested in participating in this trip.  Should you have any questions, I urge that you please call me immediately.  Fr. John is advertising this Pilgrimage Trip in his own Parish, and we have decided to limit the size of this group, so space will be limited.  Again, if you have any questions, please see/speak to Fr. Timothy as soon as possible.

  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

Also, our parish is starting a database of all college students in the community. If you have a college student in your family or if you are a college student, please send your name, school, area of study, address, and email address to Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org..

Metropolis of Chicago Family Synaxis Retreat:

Labor Day Weekend Family Retreat: Join other Orthodox families at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center in Wisconsin over Labor Day Weekend for a fun-filled time reconnecting with your family and reconnecting with God. Retreat leader Fr. Stephen Freeman, a priest, author, blogger and podcaster (learn more at GloryToGodForAllThings.com), will present workshops on the theme Living the Mystery. Children’s workshops will also be provided, as will childcare for babies. Find more information and register online at www.GOCFamilySynaxis.org or email Chicago.Family.Synaxis@gmail.com . Register by Aug. 18 for the best rate.

Registration for the Family Synaxis Labor Day Weekend Retreat is now open.  Register today to ensure the lodging you prefer. There is limited lodging space available onsite and we are assigning accommodations in the order that registrations are received (i.e., first-come-first-booked).  Registrations are time stamped as they come in, so we will have the information we need to do so. You will indicate your lodging preferences on your registration form. 

Registration costs for those registering by August 18, 2017, will be as follows:

Base registration fee: $225 - this fee covers the oldest two members of your family (i.e., the couple, or one adults and oldest child)

Children age 12+: $50 each
Children age 3-11: $25 each
Children under 3: free
*Cost will be capped at $375/family.

Due to the popularity of the speaker and the lodging space limitations of the St. Iakovos Retreat Center, we are offering a Saturday-only rate this year (price includes Saturday lunch and workshops). The cost is $125/family (up to 5 people) plus $12/additional family member ages 4+.  Day rate is capped at $150.  

When you register, you will let us know who is attending and their ages.  From this information, we will generate an invoice for you, which you'll receive via email within a few days.  You may pay this with any credit card online, or by printing it out and sending a check to St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plains, IL.  

We look forward to spending Labor Day weekend with you!  Please spread the word to your family and friends.

…........................................

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Eleni Anast at 708-250-0034 or chicago.family.synaxis@gmail.com.
 
In Christ’s Abiding Love,
Family Synaxis Planning Committee of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

Byzantine Music Class:

This fall, our parish will be introducing a Byzantine Music class for all those interested in learning the art of Orthodox music. Classes will be led by Fr. Dimitri and are for students in middle school through college. If interested in registering or if you have any questions, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.

Dates to Remember:

 Tuesday, August 29th
Beheading of St. John the Baptist
8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

Friday, September 1st
Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year

8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

Friday, September 8th
Nativity of the
Theotokos
8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

Thursday, September 14th
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

    Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:

Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2017?  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 2017 Year:

Sept. 3                        Oct. 8                  Nov. 19                 

Sept. 17                      Oct. 15                Nov. 26            

Sept. 24                      Oct. 29                Dec. 24             

Oct. 1                          Nov. 12               Dec. 31

    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.

 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.

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.

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).

 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.

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.

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.

NOTE:  Please note that this morning’s Divine Liturgy, as well as prior Divine Liturgies, are available for rebroadcast.  Simply log on to our Parish’s website (www.assumptionchicago.org), and click on the “Watch Worship Services Online” link.

Ushers:

Chris Limperis, Vincent Nicholas, Rose Marie Stewart, Bill J. Vranas, Mary Zouras

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