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Holy Cross Church
Publish Date: 2019-06-09
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Holy Cross Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (248) 477-1677
  • Fax:
  • (248) 477-0231
  • Street Address:

  • 25225 Middlebelt Rd.

  • Farmington Hills, MI 48336


Services Schedule

facebook: HolyCrossGreekOrthodoxChurch

DIVINE LITURGY SUNDAYS 10 A.M.

OFFICE HOURS 10 A.M.- 3 P.M.  MONDAY-WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY  (CLOSED THURSDAY)

BONNIE SITARAS: OFFICE COORDINATOR

 


Past Bulletins


Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Tenth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:1-14

At that time, being raised from the dead, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36.

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.


Gospel Reading

Fathers of the 1st Council
The Reading is from John 17:1-13

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

"I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."


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Holy Cross 50th Anniversary News

Anniversary-logo

Invitations will be mailed out this month (June)

Save the Date!
SEPTEMBER  15, 2019

DETROIT YACHT CLUB
(doors open at 1:00pm)
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Saints and Feasts

Hlyfthrs
June 09

Fathers of the 1st Council

The heresiarch Arius was a Libyan by race and a protopresbyter of the Church of Alexandria. In 315, he began to blaspheme against the Son and Word of God, saying that He is not true God, consubstantial with the Father, but is rather a work and creation, alien to the essence and glory of the Father, and that there was a time when He was not. This frightful blasphemy shook the faithful of Alexandria. Alexander, his Archbishop, after trying in vain to correct him through admonitions, cut him off from communion and finally in a local council deposed him in the year 321. Yet neither did the blasphemer wish to be corrected, nor did he cease sowing the deadly tares of his heretical teachings; but writing to the bishops of other cities, Arius and his followers requested that his doctrine be examined, and if it were unsound, that the correct teaching be declared to him. By this means, his heresy became universally known and won many supporters, so that the whole Church was soon in an uproar.

Therefore, moved by divine zeal, the first Christian Sovereign, Saint Constantine the Great, the equal to the Apostles, summoned the renowned First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, a city of Bithynia. It was there that the shepherds and teachers of the Church of Christ gathered from all regions in the year 325. All of them, with one mouth and one voice, declared that the Son and Word of God is one in essence with the Father, true God of true God, and they composed the holy Symbol of Faith up to the seventh article (since the remainder, beginning with "And in the Holy Spirit," was completed by the Second Ecumenical Council). Thus they anathematized the impious Arius of evil belief and those of like mind with him, and cut them off as rotten members from the whole body of the faithful.

Therefore, recognizing the divine Fathers as heralds of the Faith after the divine Apostles, the Church of Christ has appointed this present Sunday for their annual commemoration, in thanksgiving and unto the glory of God, unto their praise and honour, and unto the strengthening of the true Faith.


Lastjudgement1
June 15

The Saturday of Souls


Pentecost
June 16

Holy Pentecost

After the Saviour's Ascension into the Heavens, the eleven Apostles and the rest of His disciples, the God-loving women who followed after Him from the beginning, His Mother, the most holy Virgin Mary, and His brethren-all together about 120 souls returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Entering into the house where they gathered, they went into the upper room, and there they persevered in prayer and supplication, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit, as their Divine Teacher had promised them. In the meanwhile, they chose Matthias, who was elected to take the place of Judas among the Apostles.

Thus, on this day, the seventh Sunday of Pascha, the tenth day after the Ascension and the fiftieth day after Pascha, at the third hour of the day from the rising of the sun, there suddenly came a sound from Heaven, as when a mighty wind blows, and it filled the whole house where the Apostles and the rest with them were gathered. Immediately after the sound, there appeared tongues of fire that divided and rested upon the head of each one. Filled with the Spirit, all those present began speaking not in their native tongue, but in other tongues and dialects, as the Holy Spirit instructed them.

The multitudes that had come together from various places for the feast, most of whom were Jews by race and religion, were called Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and so forth, according to the places where they dwelt. Though they spoke many different tongues, they were present in Jerusalem by divine dispensation. When they heard that sound that came down from Heaven to the place where the disciples of Christ were gathered, all ran together to learn what had taken place. But they were confounded when they came and heard the Apostles speaking in their own tongues. Marvelling at this, they said one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" But others, because of their foolishness and excess of evil, mocked the wonder and said that the Apostles were drunken.

Then Peter stood up with the eleven, and raising his voice, spoke to all the people, proving that that which had taken place was not drunkenness, but the fulfilment of God's promise that had been spoken by the Prophet Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that I shall pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy" (Joel 2:28), and he preached Jesus of Nazareth unto them, proving in many ways that He is Christ the Lord, Whom the Jews crucified but God raised from the dead. On hearing Peter's teaching, many were smitten with compunction and received the word. Thus, they were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added to the Faith of Christ.

Such, therefore, are the reasons for today's feast: the coming of the All-holy Spirit into the world, the completion of the Lord Jesus Christ's promise, and the fulfilment of the hope of the sacred disciples, which we celebrate today. This is the final feast of the great mystery and dispensation of God's incarnation. On this last, and great, and saving day of Pentecost, the Apostles of the Saviour, who were unlearned fishermen, made wise now of a sudden by the Holy Spirit, clearly and with divine authority spoke the heavenly doctrines. They became heralds of the truth and teachers of the whole world. On this day they were ordained and began their apostleship, of which the salvation of those three thousand souls in one day was the comely and marvellous first fruit.

Some erroneously hold that Pentecost is the "birthday of the Church." But this is not true, for the teaching of the holy Fathers is that the Church existed before all other things. In the second vision of The Shepherd of Hermas we read: "Now brethren, a revelation was made unto me in my sleep by a youth of exceeding fair form, who said to me, 'Whom thinkest thou the aged woman, from whom thou receivedst the book, to be?' I say, 'The Sibyl.' 'Thou art wrong,' saith he, 'she is not.' 'Who then is she?' I say. 'The Church,' saith he. I said unto him, 'Wherefore then is she aged?' 'Because,' saith he, 'she was created before all things; therefore is she aged, and for her sake the world was framed."' Saint Gregory the Theologian also speaks of "the Church of Christ ... both before Christ and after Christ" (PG 35:1108-9). Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus writes, "The Catholic Church, which exists from the ages, is revealed most clearly in the incarnate advent of Christ" (PG 42:640). Saint John Damascene observes, "The Holy Catholic Church of God, therefore, is the assembly of the holy Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs who have been from the very beginning, to whom were added all the nations who believed with one accord" (PG 96, 1357c). According to Saint Gregory the Theologian, "The Prophets established the Church, the Apostles conjoined it, and the Evangelists set it in order" (PG 35, 589 A). The Church existed from the creation of the Angels, for the Angels came into existence before the creation of the world, and they have always been members of the Church. Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, says in his second epistle to the Corinthians, the Church "was created before the sun and moon"; and a little further on, "The Church existeth not now for the first time, but hath been from the beginning" (II Cor. 14).

That which came to pass at Pentecost, then, was the ordination of the Apostles, the commencement of the apostolic preaching to the nations, and the inauguration of the priesthood of the new Israel. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that "Our Lord Jesus Christ herein ordained the instructors and teachers of the world and the stewards of His divine Mysteries ... showing together with the dignity of Apostleship, the incomparable glory of the authority given them ... Revealing them to be splendid with the great dignity of the Apostleship and showing them forth as both stewards and priests of the divine altars . . . they became fit to initiate others through the enlightening guidance of the Holy Spirit" (PG 74, 708-712). Saint Gregory Palamas says, "Now, therefore ... the Holy Spirit descended ... showing the Disciples to be supernal luminaries ... and the distributed grace of the Divine Spirit came through the ordination of the Apostles upon their successors" (Homily 24, 10). And Saint Sophronius, Bishop of Jerusalem, writes, "After the visitation of the Comforter, the Apostles became high priests" (PG 87, 3981B). Therefore, together with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which came upon them who were present in the upper chamber, which the Lord had foretold as recorded in the Acts, "ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5), the Apostles were also appointed and raised to the high priestly rank, according to Saint John Chrysostom (PG 60, 21). On this day commenced the celebration of the Holy Eucharist by which we become "partakers of the Divine Nature" (II Peter 1:4). For before Pentecost, it is said of the Apostles and disciples only that they abode in "prayer and supplication" (Acts 1:14); it is only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they persevered in the "breaking of bread,"that is, the communion of the Holy Mysteries-"and in prayer" (Acts 2:42).

The feast of holy Pentecost, therefore, determined the beginning of the priesthood of grace, not the beginning of the Church. Henceforth, the Apostles proclaimed the good tidings "in country and town," preaching and baptizing and appointing shepherds, imparting the priesthood to them whom they judged were worthy to minister, as Saint Clement writes in his first Epistle to the Corinthians (I Cor. 42).

All foods allowed during the week following Pentecost.


Philbartbarnabas
June 11

Bartholomew the Holy Apostle

Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, and had Galilee as his homeland; this is all that is known of him for certain according to the history of the Gospels. Concerning his apostolic work, certain say that he preached in Arabia and Persia, and especially in India, bringing to them the Gospel written by Saint Matthew, which had been written originally in Hebrew, and which was found there one hundred years later by Pantaenus, formerly a stoic philosopher and later an illustrious teacher of the Christian school in Alexandria (see Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., 5: 10). Other accounts say that he went to Armenia. According to some, he ended his life by being crucified, or by being flayed alive, in Albanopolis (Urbanopolis) of Armenia. This also confirms an ancient tradition preserved by the Armenians. According to some, Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same person, because the Evangelists who mention Bartholomew do not mention Nathanael; and John, who alone mentions Nathanael as one of the Twelve, says nothing of Bartholomew. Indeed, Bartholomew is a patronymic, "son of Talmai," which means "bold, spirited" (see also Jesus of Navi 15:14; II Kings 3:3), and Nathanael could have had this as a surname. According to the Synaxarion of the Menaion on April 22, however, it is Simon the Zealot and Nathanael who are the same; the Evangelists who mention Simon the Zealot (or "the Canaanite") do not mention Nathanael.


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Holy Cross Notices

June 6
ASCENSION THURSDAY
Divine Liturgy at 10:00am
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June 9
MEMORIALS
1 yr. Ioannis Christou
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June 12
MEETING SCHEDULE
50th Anniversary Committee @ 6:30pm
Parish Council @ 7:30pm
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June 21
NIGHT OF EXCELLENCE | 6:30-10:00pm

Hosted by Holy Cross - see attached flyer for details
See Gus Spanos or John Liadis for tickets
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Links to eBulletin, Facebook, Metropolis
Facebook: HolyCrossGreekOrthodoxChurch
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 SHOP AT ACE HARDWARE? 5% minus tax = (!)
Holy Cross has been entered into our system for business rewards and discounts.  When you or any of your church members visit any our stores right around the corner or any 47 stores (list attached), simply let the cashier know your Church is in the system under Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church or #214538.  This will give you a 5% line discount off everyday pricing in the store + earn you 2% Ace Rewards as well as 6% Tax Exempt will come off automatically. 
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SHOP AT KROGER?
Register your card in a few steps. Each May the registration needs to be renewed,
so if you were part of the program last year and haven't renewed, please do so. Go to:
http://www.krogercommunityrewards.com
Holy Cross' ID # 83567
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Ladies Philoptochos News

Philoptochos_seal_new
JUNE COFFEE HOUR HOSTS

09: Memorial - Ioannis Christou (1 year; Vaso Goula's father)
16: Father's Day - GOYA 
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NEXT PHILOPTOCHOS MEETING
Mark your calendars!
Sept 09, 2019
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Altar Boy List

HOLY CROSS ALTAR BOYS 2019             

Captains: Matthew Fekaris, Sam Zervos, Chris Zervos, Alex Matthews

_______________________________________

TEAM 1              TEAM 2

Nicholas Barnaby        Yianni Giannakis

Benjamin Barnaby      Dimitri Sitaras

Mateo Pesaros            Pano Stilianos

Stavros Fekaris           Dino Thanos             

                                 Niko Thanos                  

______________________________________

Team 1                          Team 2

June 2,16,30                   June 9, 23

July- open   come any Sunday!      July- open

August- open come any Sunday!      August-open

September 1,15,29  (registration again)      September 8,22

On holy days, if you come on Time you can serve :

for robes on holy days it’s first come-first serve.

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PLEASE NOTE ALTAR BOYS & PARENTS-

This is a great commitment to the Lord and it is an important RESPONSIBILTY to be on Time for the Divine Liturgy!

Liturgy begins at 10 a.m. SO please be on time !

DO NOT come into the Holy Altar  after 10:05 a.m.

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Events, Announcements and Flyers

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Holy Cross Graduates 2019

ATTENTION 2019 GRADUATES

Graduation Sunday June 16

Please submit the following to the Church Office as soon as possible:

-High School Grads- name of graduate, child of parent(s), High School name and city, & College attending.

-College Grads & higher learning- name of graduate, child of parent(s), College and degree

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CLASS OF 2019

HOLY CROSS

 

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES:

 

DESPINA ALEXANDER, daughter of John & Vassoula Alexander, graduated from Novi High School in Novi, MI. Despina will be attending Western Michigan University in the fall to study Psychology.

 

ERICA BITTINGER, daughter of Andrew & Denise Bittinger, graduated from Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Erica will be attending Boston College to study Business at the Carroll School of Management in the fall.

MATTHEW J. FEKARIS, son of John & Kristy Fekaris, graduated with honors from Lakeland High School in White Lake, MI.  In the Fall, Matthew will be attending the Frederick Meijer Honors College at Grand Valley State University where he will pursue Premedical Studies.

LAURA HIOTAKY, daughter of Bill & Julie Hiotaky, graduated with Honors from Berkley High School. Laura plans to attend Michigan State University-Lyman Briggs & Honors Colleges to study Biochemistry.

 

CHRISTOPHER ZERVOS, son of Limperis and Cynthia Zervos, graduated with honors from Farmington High School in Farmington, MI. Christopher will attend Oakland Community College in the fall.

 

DEMETRI ZERVOS, son of Dr. Angelo & Mary Zervos, graduated with honors from Northville High School, in Northville MI. Demetri will be attending Michigan State University in the fall.

 

COLLEGE GRADUATES:

 

DAVID BLOUGH, son of Michael & Cathy Blough, graduated this last December. David graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) – Accounting.

NICHOLAS S. FEKARIS, son of John & Kristy Fekaris, graduated with two degrees from Michigan State University.  Nick received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a second Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology/Biotechnology. Nick has started his employment with SRG Global in Atlanta, GA.

CHLOE GORDON, daughter of David & Andrea Gordon, received her B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University.

 

LAUREN GORDON, daughter of David & Andrea Gordon, received her Master of Physician Assistant from the Massachusetts College.

 

NIKI LAUREL KREAR, daughter of Tad & Elizabeth Krear, graduated with a B.A.in Finance from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. Niki will start her career in Investment Banking at William Blair in Chicago. Niki was an advocate for women in Finance and a leader among her peers within the Financial Markets Institute (FMI) at MSU where she received scholarship.  Niki was honored in philanthropy together with her peers raising $1M dollars to endow the director position of FMI.

 

 

EMILIE MARIE LIADIS, daughter of George N. and Callie (Madias) Liadis, received her MBA from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business.

 

ALEXANDER W. POWER, son of Edward and Maria Power, received his Doctor of Medicine from Central Michigan University School of Medicine. Alex's Residency will be at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington VT in Family Medicine.

 

KASSIANE E. POWER, daughter of Edward and Maria Power, received her Masters of Business Administration from the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.  Kasey lives in Grand Rapids and continues to work for BDO USA LLP as a Tax Accountant.

 

JACOB ZERVOS, son of Limperis and Cynthia Zervos, graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. Jacob will begin his career at Crowe, LLC.

 

RENA ZERVOS, daughter of Dr. Angelo & Mary Zervos, graduated with a Masters of Management degree from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

 

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!!

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Memorial Donations to Holy Cross

OUR THANKS

To those who in lieu of flowers gave monetary

contributions to the Church in memory of :

 

STEFANOS GIKAS

Mr. & Mrs. John George

Dr. & Mrs. Pan Pesaros

Mr. & Mrs. Jim Heller

Mr. & Mrs. Ed Power

Holy Cross Ladies Philoptochos

Mr. & Mrs. Jim Sitaras

Mr. & Mrs. George Stefanakis

Mr. & Mrs. Martin Gehan

Mr. & Mrs. George Katsias

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Bittinger

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Zervos

Mr. & Mrs. Steve Fekaris

Dr. & Mrs. Angelo Zervos

 

GEORGIA MORRIS

Mr. & Mrs. George Katsias

Mrs. Elaine Ioanou

 

JOHN LUCAS

Family of Dr. John Lucas

 

ELAINE ORLOW

Holy Cross Ladies Philoptochos

Mr. & Mrs. Gus Mackris

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Zervos

 

OLGA EFSTATHIOU

Mr. & Mrs. Van Kyriakopoulos

Mrs. Tula Georgeson

Drs. Pamela Georgeson & Mark Decco

Mr. & Mrs. Gus Spanos

 

ELENI VARVERIS

Mr. & Mrs. Van Kyriakopoulos

Mr. & Mrs. John Alexander

 

MAY THEIR MEMORY BE ETERNAL

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