PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS
Memorials:
5 Years ~ Peter (Panayoti) Ganios, Right Row 1
5 Years ~ Fotini Mansour, Right Row 2
6 Years ~ Christ Kamberos, Right Row 2
8 Years ~ Joan (Yanoula) Ganios, Right Row 1
In Memory of the members of the Philoptochos who have
fallen asleep in the Lord
Artoclasia:
The Artoclasia is offered in Honor of Saints Cosmas and Damianos, the patron Saints of the Ladies Philoptochos Society and for the health and welfare of the Philoptochos members.
Second Tray:
A second tray will be passed this morning following the Sermon in honor of Sts. Cosmas and Damianos, the patron Saints of the Ladies Philoptochos Society. The proceeds collected will be forward to the Archdiocese who will then send all collections to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople.
Parish Fall General Assembly Meeting Today, November 1st:
Please be advised that immediately following Worship Services and the Coffee Fellowship Hour today, the Fall General Assembly Meeting will take place in Plato Hall for all current (2015) Stewards of this Parish. The announcement for the meeting, including minutes, balance sheet, and proposed 2016 budget has been mailed to all current members (Stewards) in good standing. We hope that you will be able to remain following Worship Services for this meeting.
Sunday Church School:
Our Panagia Sunday Church School Divine Liturgy begins promptly at 9:45am. Sunday Church School classes takes place immediately following the Divine Liturgy in Plato School. If you have not, as yet, registered your child for the 2015-16 school year, please do so by contacting the Church Office, securing a registration form online at our Church’s Website (www.assumptionchicago.org), or by speaking with our SCS Director, Mrs. Christina Arvanites.
Coffee Fellowship:
Today’s Coffee Fellowship is hosted by the Assumption Philoptochos in honor of the patron Saints Cosmas and Damianos. Join us for fellowship in Plato Hall.
Have You Made Your 2015 Stewardship Pledge Yet?
We have entered the last quarter of 2015. We thank and are appreciative to all stewards who have pledged and remained committed to our beloved Parish of Panagia. The Parish Council reminds all stewards and supporters of our beloved Panagia Parish to complete your stewardship pledge card for 2015 and return it to the church office. Pledge cards and info can be found at the Pangari in the Church Narthex. May our Lord continue to bless us abundantly.
Dates to Remember:
Sunday, November 1st
Fall General Assembly Meeting
following the Divine Liturgy
Monday, November 2th
7:00 p.m. – Adult Bible Study will meet
in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room
Monday, November 9th
7:00 p.m. – Adult Bible Study will meet in
St. Catherine’s Meeting Room
Friday, November 13th
Feast day of St. John Chrysostom
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Saturday, November 14th
Youth Bowling Night
Sunday, November 15th
Christmas Fast Begins
Monday, November 16th
Feast Day of St. Matthew the Apostle
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Thursday, November 19th
10:30 am - Philoptochos General Meeting will
be held in St. Catherine's Meeting Room
Friday, November 20th
7:30 pm – Youth Night at the Oak Brook Park District
Saturday, November 21st
Feast Day of the Entrance of the Theotokos
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Tuesday, November 24th
7:00 pm – Vesper Service of St. Catherine
Wednesday, November 25th
Feast Day of St. Catherine
8:30 am – Orthros
10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
Thursday, November 26th
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Monday, November 30th
Feast Day of St. Andrew
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Ladies Philoptochos Membership Drive November and December:
During the months of November and December, the Ladies Philoptochos will be holding its “2016 Membership Drive”. All ladies of our Parish of Panagia are invited and encouraged to become a member and participate in the many good works and acts of philanthropy that this organization is involved in. There will be a table set up in Plato Hall each Sunday during coffee fellowship hour, and Demetra Lakerdas and Pat Karabas will be available to answer any questions as well as register you. In addition, all current members of Philoptochos are encouraged to pay their 2016 dues.
A reminder also that on Thursday, November 19th at 10:30 am, there will be a General Meeting in St. Catherine’s Meeting room, and on November 24th and 25th, the Philoptochos ladies will host receptions for the Great Vespers and the Feast Day of St. Catherine the Great Martyr.
The Next Orthodox Adult Bible Study Monday November 2, 2015:
Our Adult Bible Study will meet Monday evening, November 2, 2015, at 7:00 pm, in Saint Catherine’s Meeting Room. We will continue our study of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Thessalonians. This class is open to all, and it is hoped that you will avail yourself to the opportunity to study the Bible in-depth. All you need to bring along with you is your Bible. For further information and/or questions, please see Father Timothy.
Youth Ministries:
We are off to a great start to our ministry year and hope to continue growing as the year goes on. Our next youth night (Joy, Jr. GOYA and GOYA) will be Friday, November 20th at 7:30pm at the Oak Brook Park District. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Also on Saturday, November 14th we will have a Bowling Night. We hope that everyone will plan on attending these fun and fruitful events!
This year, we have a basketball team of 5th/6th grade children who will be in the division of the Greek Orthodox Athletic League. If you have any questions regarding Assumption Youth Programs, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.
Church School on FACEBOOK:
Our Sunday Church School has created a FACEBOOK page. Like our page: Assumption Sunday Church School! See our progress on our Acts of Kindness Challenge, keep up to date on upcoming events and view photos from recent events.
Hellenic Bar Association
65th Annual Scholarship Ball to Honor Assumption Church
The Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois’ 65th Annual Scholarship Ball will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 6 PM at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Chicago, awarding scholarships to worthy law students. Honorees at the event will be Tom Demetrio, of the firm of Corboy and Demetrio; Mariyana Spyropoulos, Board President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago, with a special tribute to her father, philanthropist Ted Spyropoulos; Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and recent Lt. Governor candidate; and the 90 Acts of Kindness of the Assumption Church. The Mistress of Ceremonies for the event will be Andrea Darlas, award winning WGN radio and TV personality, with the entertainment of the Linardakis Band and Kosta DJ. Please support this wonderful event!
Tickets may be purchased online at www.Hellenicbar.org, and information for the event can be obtained by calling Thomas Massouras at (312) 913-8649.
Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:
Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2015? 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 first half of 2015 are:
Nov. 22 Dec. 20 Dec. 27
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.
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.
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.
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
Proper Church Etiquette:
Worship Services are vital instruments and components to our prayer development. In order to help us achieve this, we need to be cognizant of our fellow parishioners and all those around us. Therefore, please make sure that cell phones are completely turned off during Services. In addition, while we most welcome children to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, it remains the responsibility of parents to make sure that children do not become a distraction to those around them. Therefore, if a child is crying, or in some way in need of attention, please feel free to take him/her to the Narthex or Cry Room. You are most welcome to enter and exit the Church proper as many times as necessary. By doing this, all who are in attendance will be afforded the opportunity to worship and pray together. (Please keep in mind that we are also privileged to have a complete Sunday School Liturgy celebrated in Saint Catherine’s Chapel each week for your use as well). We ask for your cooperation. Ushers will be available to help you, if needed.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Ushers:
Ted Pappas, Rose Marie Stewart, James Lakerdas, Voula Spyropoulos, Tom Collis