Today we are honored to host Father John and presvtera Becky Touloumis, Demetri and Maria Constantine, who are with us today after fust returning from Greece.  Father John is seving with Father Tom and Demetri is chanting.  Welcome to our parish and fair city.

The GLENDI IS BACK!!! Mark your CALENDARS!!! August 27, 28, and 29, 2021. After having to altar our plans last year due to the coronavirus, this year, we are planning to have an in person GLENDI! Please make every effort to support your Church. Volunteers and sponsors are also needed! If you are able to volunteer, sponsor,  or have any questions, please see one of our Co-Chairmen, Andrew Rosko or Anthony Orologas. Tell all of you friends.  Our Glendi promises good food, entertainment and lots of fun. See you there!

August 1^st through the 15^th is the fast period for the Virgin Mary.  Paraclesis Services (Supplications to the Virgin Mary) will be chanted most weekday evenings.  This is a moving service where we exalt the Mother of God’s virtues. And pray for the living.  Sheets for you to fill out names of those you wish to be remembered during these services are available on the Narthex desk.  Please fill out the sheets and place them in the folder marked “Paraclesis”. These souls will be remembered at each service.

During the fifteen days of August as we prepare for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, the Church has designated this period as a strict fast.  We are asked and pray in order to strengthen ourselves spiritually.  Fasting and praying gives us the spiritual food that we all need.  For this time period we are asked to abstain from meat, dairy and fish products until August 15^th.   Let us all try to observe this fast to the best of our ability.

Father Tom, if allowed, would like to visit all of the shut-ins during this Lenten period. Please contact Father if you would like a visitation, or if know of someone for him to visit.

Our Glendi is approaching fast (August 27-29).  Volunteers are greatly needed in order to provide the best service to our guests.  Please see Anthony Orologas or Andrew Rosko  to volunteer.  

Also Father Tom is in need of helpers to man the bookstore.  The bookstore will be located on the stage in the social hall.  Please see Father if you are able to volunteer.  Thank you!

Our Glendi is approaching, and bakers, rollers, baggers, and cuppers are needed. The date for Koulourakia is August  14 beginning at 10 a.m. The date for making Baklava is August 21 which will begin at 10 a.m. Help is also need for setting up the Pastry booth. The set-up date is August 26 at 10 a.m. The rolling and bagging of our koulourakia is our biggest challenge. The more hands the better! Please come to help and enjoy the fellowship!

We will have sponsor Tee-Shirts at our festival.  Tee-Shirts will be adorned with the sposors names on the shirts.  The cost for an ad is $100.  You can advertise a business or have a personal ad.  The shirts will be worn by many of our workers or you may purchase a shirt of your own.  The deadline t advertise is Friday, August 11th.  Please see Anthony or Father Tom for details.  Thank you for your support!

𝙔𝙞𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙨 !      𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 !
We are putting up a 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊 display at the Canfield Fair !
The “Greek Presence” in our Mahoning Valley will be seen in the International Building.
We are looking for pictures of Greek immigrants -𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 & 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨- who contributed to the growth and success of the Mahoning Valley.
In addition, we need pictures of 𝐘𝐎𝐔,  today’s Greek professionals (businesses, steel mills, bridge building, construction, medicine, law, education, etc.)
Please send pictures by August 16 to me in “Messenger” or to Diane Rice.
Call us if you need more details.
𝙀𝙛𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤 !      𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 !

+presvytera Vasiliki

*St John Commandarie communion wine ($175)

It is time to celebrate the graduating class of 2021. Take the time to show your love for those college graduates you know by giving them a call, sending a card or gift, we're taking action to convey your support for them.

GROW

*Gather students

*Raise up Disciples

*Organize Fellowship

*Witnes to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Please think about the students in your life and invest in the relationships you have with them. Please consider a donation today which helps facilitate our efforts.  Donatios can be made to: OCF - Campus Ministry  50 Goddard Avenue  Brookline, MA 02445

We are happy to announce that electronic donations are now being accepted on our stjohnboardman.com website. On the lower part of the page, you will notice a donate button. You are now able to make your stewardship payments on the site via paypal. May God bless our Saint John parish.

In the past few months when some have been limited in their ability to physically attend Church on Sundays, we want to thank especially those who have continued to offer their offerings, pledges and donations to our St John Church.  There are a couple of ways to continue contributing to the Church.  The first way is by bringing or mailing your contribution to the Church.  The other way is by donating through our website - stjohnboardman.com.  On the lower left hand corner of the home page there is a yellow "donate" tab.  You can donate through PayPal using this method.  

Lastly, we encourage everyone to reach out to our members of our Church family to let them know that they are being thought of and prayed for, and, most of all LOVED!  Now that the restrictions have been lifted, we encourage everyone to come back HOME – back to your Church – Saint John the Forerunner.  Thank you and may God bless you and our Saint John family!!

Please see the attached letter from our Metropolitan Savas.

May 19, 2021

Holy Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of Proussa

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” (John 20:19-20)

Χριστός Ανέστη!  Christ is Risen!

Following his glorious Resurrection from the dead, Christ appeared multiple times to his disciples, who repeatedly had a difficult time understanding what they experienced in him.  He came to them bearing the marks of his suffering, but they had been transformed from life-destroying to life-giving.  Only with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost did they begin to understand what his Passion meant and had accomplished, and how his self-sacrifice was necessary for the life of the world. 

The past year has seen much suffering, frustration, confusion, anger, and pain.  Some of us have lost loved ones; some of us were radically diminished by the illness; some of us lost our jobs; many of us missed major life milestones; and all of us have been affected by the restrictions on communal gatherings.  But we've also done much to practice our life-affirming commitment to, in the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).  Our first responders and medical workers have ministered wholeheartedly and heroically.  And, by God's grace, our own sacrifices have enabled us to minimize the deleterious effects of the pandemic among us.

In recent weeks, the reduction in the rate of spread resulting from our masking and distancing, and especially from the availability of safe and effective vaccines and the hard work done by those in the medical and public health communities, has brought us to a point where resumption of activity in our previously accustomed way is possible.  This is reflected in the updated guidelines of the CDC and the adjusted policy guidelines of the boards of health of the respective states within our Metropolis.

Therefore, in accordance with the new recommendations of the CDC, and in step with the policies as they have been promulgated by the respective States,

1. The requirement to wear masks and observe physical distancing within our worship space and at Church events and meetings is lifted for those who have been vaccinated.  As we cannot (and will not) be asking people to demonstrate their vaccinated status for entry into the Church, we must operate on the honor system, trusting that people will be responsible when entering our parishes and participating in parish events.  We implore those who are not vaccinated to remain masked and observe distancing in enclosed public spaces (Churches, halls, etc.) per the current CDC guidelines, and we continue to encourage everyone to consult with their physician regarding receiving vaccination.

2. Just as we implored Christian behavior in the implementation of the policy, we do so now for those who choose to continue to mask and observe distancing within the Churches.  Those who are not vaccinated yet, who are immunocompromised or who cannot be vaccinated but wish to attend in-person services, should be respected and welcomed.

3. All parish communities must provide adequate space for those who need to continue to be masked and observe physical distancing. 

4. If any pandemic-related restrictions remain in your county or state regarding non-worship activities, those restrictions must be observed.

We ask you to continue to pray fervently for those who are affected by the coronavirus: those who have fallen asleep in the Lord, the sick, medical workers, and unemployed.  Each of our parishes will include those who have died during the pandemic – victims, medical workers, and first responders – in their Memorial Day weekend remembrances.

We must also commit to not merely "go back to the way things were," but to move forward with a more healthy approach to our life as Christian Church communities.  Our year of suffering has left us with scars to be healed, but we also rediscovered essential parts of our praxis as a Church community, and like the Apostles we must see in the scars the sacrifice which was necessary for our salvation.  During the pandemic, many communities and families focused on the following priorities which should now be even further developed in the months and years to come:

• Attention to the poor, hungry, homeless, jobless, and needy in our communities. 
• Outreach to the widowed, shut-in, ill, and otherwise socially isolated persons. 
• Attention to prayer & scripture reading in the home. 
• Reliance on voluntary donations (Stewardship) to the parish, instead of fundraisers (festivals and catering). 

Let us strive to be authentic ministers of peace to a wounded world, embodying the Grace of the Holy Spirit and our experience of the pandemic to witness to the life-giving power of Christ's Resurrection.

With Archpastoral blessings and love in the Risen Lord,

+ SAVAS

Metropolitan of Pittsburgh

WELCOME TO ALL – We want to welcome everyone to our St. John Parish.  All visitors are asked to kindly sign our guest book.  Although everyone is welcome to worship with us, please note that only Orthodox Christians that are properly prepared may receive Holy Communion. HOLY COMMUNION - One of the most sacred acts an Orthodox Christian participates in is the reception of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy, to receive Holy Communion, one must be prepared through; FASTING; On Wednesday and Friday (Consuming nothing after 12:00 AM on Sunday. PRAYER; Asking for forgiveness of one’s sins and by making frequent use of HOLY CONFESSION.  If one is guilty of serious sin, (A violation of the Lord’s 10 Commandments) one must receive Holy Confession before receiving Holy Communion. ATTENDANCE - We encourage everyone to be on time.  The Divine Liturgy is an all-encompassing the church preparing for Holy Communion also requires us to be present before the epistle and the gospel reading.  

HOSPITALIZATION – Please notify Father or the Church office of any hospitalization, nursing home admissions, or illnesses so that Father can visit and offer the Holy Sacraments to your loved ones.  We do not want to ever deprive anyone support and consolation during an illness. If you desire this information kept confidential, please advise us and strict confidence will be maintained. Please keep in mind that according to Federal Law, hospitals are not allowed to give our personal information such as religious affiliating.  Hospitals will notify the priest or church only if the patient requests the facility to do so.  STEWARDSHIP - An Orthodox Christian Steward is an active participant in the life of the Church. The parish encourages all who accept the Orthodox Faith to become practicing Stewards. Each year the Steward is expected to carefully review his or her personal circumstances and make a commitment of time, talent, and treasure to support the Parish and her Ministries, which in turn support the National Ministries of our Archdiocese, Metropolis, and institutions.  Have you pledged to your Church? Pledge cards have been sent out. Please turn them in so we can continue in the work of the church. Think Stewardship!

We have received our 2021 Church calendars and are awaiting to find homes.  You may pick yours up from the Narthex desk.  May God bless us all as we near the end of this pandemic and what has turned out to be a very unusual 2020-2021 year.

Our secretary and office manager is Joanne Martin. Our new office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 am - 2 pm. Joanne has been a long time friend to Saint John the Forerunner and has bookkeeping experience. She is an asset to our Church family. We are thankful that Joanne is with us!

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, August 2, 3, 4 - Paraclesis 7:00 pm

Friday, August 6 - Holy Transfiguration, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am