Creed:  English

Choir Directors:  Dr. Jon Wardner, Teresa Stokes

Psaltis: 

Zannis Res, Protopsaltis, George Smyrnis, Dani Nadra, Sophia Grias-Radwanski, John Kolias, Elias Karageorge, Sr. Martha, Ioana Ciuta Nadra

Prosforo:  

Angela Pantazatos Stamoulis

Trisagion:

Paul Contos - 6 months

Peter, Dionysios, Eleni, Filomila, Kostantinos and Susanna

Fellowship Hour:  

Pantazatos Stamoulis family

Usher Group:  C

This Week at St. Nicholas

Monday, May 29 - Memorial Day

Office Closed          

9:00 am  Bethlehem cemetery

Noon:  Washtenong cemetery

1:00 pm:  Forest Hill cemetery

Tuesday, May 30

7:00 pm  Festival meeting

Wednesday, May 31

10:00 am  Bible Study

Thursday, June 1  

6:00 pm  GOYA dance practice

7:00 pm  Parish Council meeting

Friday, June 2

9:00 am  Kafenio baking:  Baklava

Saturday, June 3

9:00 am  Orthros and Divine Liturgy/Saturday of Souls

11:30 am  Kafenio baking:  Baklava

11:30 am  GOYA dance practice

Memorial Day: The office will be closed Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day.  Fr. Nick will visit the following cemeteries on this day:  Bethlehem - 9:00 am, Washtenong - Noon, Forest Hill -1:00 pm.  Because of uncertain weather conditions on Monday, look for an email and check the website Sunday evening for confirmation of cemetery visits.  Let’s use common sense.  If the cemetery visits are cancelled, Fr. Nick will reschedule for next Sat., June 3, following the Saturday of Souls service.

Rides to Church: If you, or anyone you know, needs a ride to church, please call the office. We will either send a fellow parishioner to pick you up, or call a cab for you. Also, St. Nicholas is compiling a list of individuals who would be interested in picking up fellow parishioners who do not have a ride to church.  If you are interested in helping us in this very important ministry, please call the office.  It is our hope that everyone who wants to come to St. Nicholas will be able, whether they can drive or not.

Festival Volunteer Signup: The festival is only 12 days away, and we need your help!  Signup sheets are available outside the Social Hall and online at our stnickaa.org website.  

Festival Promo Materials Are Ready! Flyers, posters, and E-Z-peel stickers are now on the Ya’ssoo table in the office hallway.  We’re only 12 days away!  Festival dates are June 9, 10, 11.

New Yard Sign Policy: Yard signs are now available.  They are for your personal/business property ONLY and NOT for street corners, entrance/exit ramps.  A crew will place the signs in the community and will pick them up to avoid fines.  Please note that this is a change from previous years.

Raffle Tickets: Tickets are available for sale and pre-sale today outside the Social Hall. All pre-sale tickets sold before June 8 will be entered to WIN a $500 gift card to Lewis Jewelers. For more information, please contact Billy Res (734) 717-9642.

St. Nicholas Stars: Thank you to Father Nick, Artemis Alex, Costas Boutsikakis, Stephanie Cotitsas, Gigi Kitromelides, Vious Pagalos, and Deno Prokos for promoting our festival on CTN, community programming station.  The video is now on YouTube for the whole world to see!  Go to www.annarborgreekfestival.org and click on “Media.”

Philoptochos: IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities): Philoptochos thanks all the generous people who made donations at last Sunday’s International Coffee Fellowship. Many of you were not able to attend and to those people we remind that everyone’s donations are essential for the success of this Pan Orthodox humanitarian effort. We welcome your donations through August. For every $1 you contribute, it is matched by $7 from other sources. Your generosity will go a long way. If you would like to donate, or have questions. please contact Clevie Daniels (734) 528-9092. Thank you for your continued support. 

Benevolence: Hunger is all around us, even here in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. Many times, we are asked to distribute food and toiletries to families who are hungry and in need. Please consider bringing non perishable food items and toiletries and leaving them on the shelf in the exo-narthex.  Thank you and God Bless You.

Stewardship:  The Parish Council is seeking volunteers to help our Parish improve our Stewardship program.  Please join the Stewardship Committee meetings which have been scheduled on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm in the conference room.  Because of our festival, our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 21, at 7:00 pm. Everybody is welcome to join this committee. Your time and talents are valuable to our Saint Nicholas Church.  For any questions, please contact George Kokales or Christos Philippou.

Ya’ssoo Kafenio Baking: Please join us for Baklava baking this Friday, June 2 at 9:00 am and Saturday, June 3 at 11:30 am; Karithopita and Coconut Cake baking on Wed., June 7 at 9:00 am; and Rizogalo and Loukoumathes preparation on Thurs., June 8 at 9:00 am.  Every bit of your time helps and no experience is necessary.  For more information, please contact Ioanna Ioannou  at (734) 996-0481. 

Iconography Phase III – Dome:  The Icon of Christ Pantocrator, the Almighty sponsorship remains open.  All are invited and encouraged to contribute and to share in sponsoring this icon.  Remaining funding for Phase III – Dome Iconography is 14.5% of project goals.  Forms are available at the Church office or on the Church web-site, or at the iconography information table in the Social Hall with updated displays. 

Save the Date!  Our Ladies Philoptochos Dinner will take place Wednesday evening at  6:00 pm on June 14 at Weber’s.  The cost is $35.00 per person.  Please RSVP by Wednesday, June 7.  For more information, please contact Joy Melzian (734) 426-3034.  Thank you!

Metropolis of Detroit Summer Camp (MDSC) in Rose City is accepting applications for staff and campers.  Please go to gomdsc@gmail.com for more information.

Flowers: Thank you to Ioanna Boutsikakis for donating the funds to decorate the Icon of Sts. Constantine and Helen and to Ioanna Ioannou for donating the funds to decorate the Icon of Holy Ascension. If you are interested in purchasing flowers to decorate the icons for any upcoming feastday, please contact Lambrini Lagos or the Church office.

Saturday of Souls:  When people pass away, we pray that their memory will be eternal. We're not simply asking God to think about them:  we're asking Him to save them (and us) and bring us all into His Kingdom. It's the Church's answer to the loneliness and emptiness of death. 

The Saturday of Souls service will be conducted on this Saturday, June 3, beginning at 9:00 am. We commemorate the souls of the departed faithful who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection.  Forms for submitting the names of your departed loved ones are available in the Narthex.  You may return the forms to the church office.

Prosforo needed June 4, 25 and all of July, August and September.    Fellowship Hour sponsors needed June 18, 25, and all of July and August.  Please call the office if you are interested.

  Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.  Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). This helped ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19th in Texas; April 26th in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10th in South Carolina; and June 3rd (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Red Poppies: In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

“We cherish too, the Poppy Red

 That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

 That blood of heroes never dies.”

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael. When she returned to France she made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help.

Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

National Moment of Remembrance:  The “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3:00 pm. local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps.”   

GUIDELINES FOR RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION

For Orthodox Christians:

When preparing to receive Holy Communion, please remain quietly in your pews until an Usher directs you to approach from the center aisle.  Your prayerful attention helps sustain the solemnity of the Divine Liturgy for those praying the “Prayers of Preparation” and following Holy Communion the “Prayers of Thanksgiving.”  

For Non-Orthodox Christians:

We welcome to our worship those Christians not fully united with us (canonically).  It is a consequence of the sad divisions of Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion.  Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist is an action of the celebrating community signifying a oneness in faith, life, and worship.  Reception of the Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist and for which we must all pray.

Our Prayer List

Lord Jesus Christ, Physician of our Souls and Bodies, have mercy on, forgive, heal and save your servants: Toni Kovalcheck, Sophia Kappas, Evan Arhangelos, Katherine Sakaly Brown, Nick & Mary Prepouses, Christian, Katina Retakes, Natalie Arhangelos, Andriana Banos, Gus Fernimos, Kara Kontos, Andrew Green, Robert Coffin, Brian Brubaker, Judy Ickes, Rhonda Yates, Carl Tsangarides, Michael Foley, Lily Kunz, Deborah Cromer, Pat Vangelatos, Freda Hoeksema, Kristina Haywood, Evangelia Pantos, Paraskeve Kontos,  Reid Smith, Kaylie, Tara Gravelyn, Ethan Geczi, Nicholas Fernimos, Lula Koutoulas, Pauline Koinis, Bill Walsh, Emilio Fallone, Ann, Lynette Kariotis, Menelaos Stamatelatos, Marianna Stamatelatos, Cindy Przybyla, Konstantina Koufos, Georgetta, Gregory Nezamis, Peggy Cutting, Eras Cochran, Bill and Marilyn Chandler, Rick Kettenstock, Arlene Finkbeiner, Elena Magda, Christopher Webber, Jr., Marteen Bryant, Jasmine Corbett, Monique Hargrove, Mary Corbett Bryant, Steve Korican, Janice Dendrinelis, Morgan Haywood, Joanna, Kathy Dyer, Boris Kuvshinoff, persecuted Christians in the Middle East and everywhere, Teddy Chrysostom, Pamela Rogers, Rosie, Debbie Smith, John, Luke, Kris and Patricia Ann Constas, Nolan, George Kaoud, Bob and Katerina Suserud, Paul Kooiman, Olga Tedrow, Terance Nicholas Constas, Jason and Val Blair, Dan Theodore, Sofia Tom, Maria Mihaela Tom, Mike and Betty and family, Julie and family, Mike Smolnik and family and friend, James Wines, Jessica Cox Fry, Sarah Owen, Steven Peterson, Nicki Ipsilantis, George. Geoff, Jeff, Paula Streck, Paraskevi Hoffman, Helen Vargo, Margaret Yates, Dr. Costas Kleanthous, Maryelen Evangelides, Manny & Aubrey Kotsis, Niki Caris, Daphne Moraitis, Filonel, Elena, Andreea-Coralia, Ioan, Alexander Peter, Ana Maria, John Alex Pearsall, David Kohl, Rose Marie, Andreas Stathopoulos, Robert Fallon, Ted Mitchell, Joan Jackson, John and Arlene Maloney, Diamanos Nick, Tom, Rene Bush.