Please pray for our brothers and sisters: Gloria, Niko, Elias, Christina, Christina, Malina, John, Pete, Vincent, Rose, Veronica, John Peter, Norma, Angela, Athena, John, Lynne, Deborah, Georgia, Ivana, Mary, John, Nancy, Jane, Michael, Kostas, Stephan, Deborah.

Parish Council members on duty Charlie Neos and Jim Sperelakis

Two year Trisagion service will be offered for our brother Leon Chetsas.  May his memory be eternal!

Prosforo is offered today by Anna Chetsas in memory of her husband Leon.

Sunday School High School oratories will be presented today after Divine Liturgy in the Nave.  

Upcoming Dates:  May 5 will be Stewardship Sunday, and May 19 we will have our Spring Parish Assembly.

Easter Tsourekia: Many thanks go to  Lisa Housianitis, Daphne Tikelis,  Dorothy Davis, Chrysanthe Machiros and any other members that have chaired the Tsoureki workshop in the past and that have lended a helping hand to make the tradional sweet breads. This year Easter Tsourekia will not be sold by the Ladies Aid Association but rather will be available at Tina's European Fashions on State Street in downtown Newburyport. Please call Tina at her shop at (978) 462-7043 or email her niece Maria at mariaconnor@comcast.net to place your order. Thank you, and many blessings for a joyous Pascha.

GLAS See the inserts for the Easter Lily reservation form and the Palm Sunday Luncheon.  Also membership dues are due!  See Dorothy Davis or Elaine Fiasconaro to pay.

Greek Food Festival:  Next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 18th at 7:00pm in the Klidaras Conference room.  Beginning the week after Pascha, we will hold our GFF meetings every Monday evening at 6:30pm.  The April 18 GFF meeting agenda is as follows:

•  Menu additions/changes for 2019 – All, Andrea
• Ad book/sponsorship updates – Andrea & Maria
• Vendor solicitation – outdoor & indoor – Tina & Andrea
• Promotional program – Tina
• GFF workshop leaders/schedule update – any gaps to fill? - Gina
• May GFF meetings - proposed agenda items – Jim, all
• May 6 – Equipment, facilities & permitting
• May 13 – Flow/traffic, line configurations, etc.
• Any other business, ‘round the table’ – all

Preserving the Hellenic Chronicle:  Nationwide call for materials:  Preserving the Hellenic Chronicle newspaper (1950-2000).  A project has started to save the last remaining collection of the Hellenic Chronicle newspaper, located at the Archbishop Iakovos Library at Hellenic College Holy Cross.

This newspaper is an important historical record of our Greek American heritage - documenting our Greek American culture, the Greek Orthodox Church in America, and our communities and organizations.  The Hellenic Chronicle Digitization Project is to digitize/preserve the newspaper, and to make available over the public Internet.

Would you please post this message to your community, and see if the Church or has any copies of the Hellenic Chronicle from 1950 to 1960?  Over 25% of these issues are lost, and feared missing for all time.

For inquiries, please contact:  
Meletios Pouliopoulos
Meletios@GreekCulturalResources.org
or 603-502-9425

Newburyport Choral Society to Perform “Voices of America” Concert Saturday, May 4^th at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday May 5^th at 4:00 p.m., Belleville Congregational Church, 300 High St. Newburyport.  (Pre-concert lecture begins 90 minutes before each performance).  The NCS Spring Concert “Voices of America” will feature Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Aaron Copland's Old American Songs, and the New England premiere of a new work by contemporary composer Andrew Maxfield. Through these inspiring works, audiences will be connected to different dimensions of the best of the American spirit.  For information:  www.newburyportchoralsociety.org 

April 7^th, for the second week in a row, we thank the Friends of Fellowship for providing refreshments^.  Thank you; Presvytera Irina Popescu for the bread, Lisa Housianitis for the soup, Genie Shaeffer and Gina Dussi for the salad, Jennifer Cooper and Joanna Tsiantas for the cakes, Sharon Anderson and Tina Klidaras for the cookies. 
This Sunday April 14^th, Fellowship hour is offered the Family of Leon Chetsas in memory of their beloved husband, father, papou (and pro-papou).

To reserve your parishioner sponsored "Coffee Hours" please see Andrea Jones at Fellowship hour, or email, text or call to pick a date. Available dates begin June 23^rd and you have your choice of dates right through the first day of Sunday School, September 8^th.  “Friends of Fellowship” fills in by providing one item each for unsponsored weeks without a scheduled event.  
Kindly contact me to schedule your Fellowship Hour or to express interest in “Friends of Fellowship” by calling 978.465.1021, emailing  andreajones1@comcast.net or texting 978.621.6123.

In response to requests for the chick pea soup recipe:

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup 

1 pound dried chickpeas                                      ½ - 1 t red pepper flakes
2T olive oil                                                           2 Knorr’s bouillon blocks
1 small onion - chopped medium                         2 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves, minced                                         1 -3-inch strip orange peel
1 large tomato, cored and chopped medium         2 t minced fresh oregano    
8C vegetable stock     
4C water     
1 head escarole - 1 lb., trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
2 fennel bulbs - stalks removed, bulbs halved, cored and chopped fine
1 (5-inch) piece of parmesan cheese rind and 2 ounces for serving - optional

Dissolve 3 T salt in 4 quart cold water in large container.  Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.  Drain and rinse well.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add fennel, onion and 1 t salt and cook until vegetables are soft, 7-10 minutes.  Stir in garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and bouillon cubes and cook for 30 second until fragrant. 

Stir in water, broth, drained chickpeas, parmesan rind, bay leaves, and orange zest.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until chickpeas are tender, 1.5 to 1.75 hours.

Remove parmesan rind, bay leaves and orange peel.  Add escarole and tomato until escarole is wilted, 5-10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle each portion with parmesan and drizzle with olive oil.
This soup makes a large quantity but freezes well.