PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS
ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS ASKS THE FAITHFUL TO PRAY FOR THE VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NYC
Upon hearing of the terrorist attack against innocent and unsuspecting pedestrians and bicyclists in lower Manhattan and the senseless loss of life of eight people and the infliction of injuries to many others, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America expressed the sentiments of sorrow and condolence of all Orthodox faithful to the families and friends of the victims.
“We are shocked and exceedingly saddened about what happened in Lower Manhattan. It is unthinkable that in a place like New York, a real capital of culture and art of the world, this criminal and cowardly terrorist act would take place. We, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, at this time of tragedy, stand in solidarity with the families of the victims and fervently pray to the God of great love and mercy that He gives rest to the departed ones and He saves us from any repetition of this kind of really terrible atrocities.”
Memorials:
1 Year ~ Penelope L. Lageotakis, Right Rows 1 – 2
5 Years ~ Chris P. Lageotakis, Right Rows 1 – 2
In Memory of the members of the Philoptochos who have
fallen asleep in the Lord
Artoclasia:
Today, the Ladies Philoptochos Society in honor of the feast day of their Patron Saints Cosmas and Damianos offer the Artoclasia service asking for prayers and wellbeing of the members of their Organization.
Second Tray:
A second collection tray will be passed, following the sermon, which will benefit the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s philanthropic programs and will be added to our chapter’s donation.
Coffee Fellowship:
Following the Divine Liturgy, we invite you to join us in Plato Hall for the Coffee Fellowship, and kick off the 2018 Membership Drive.
Ministry, Ministry, Ministry!
Every Christian who has accepted salvation has also accepted the responsibility of working in the ministry of the Church. The clergy have been called apart and given the grace and blessing to perform the specific sacramental functions of the church, but all Christians, clergy and laity alike, have been called to serve in our Lord’s ministry. If this is not what the Church is doing, then we have entered into serious error. Everything that we do as a Church should be in direct support of Christ’s ministry of salvation. If we build buildings, they should be to support ministry. Any event sponsored by the Church should be ministry or in support of ministry. The Church’s budget should be driven by its ministry, not the ministry to be limited by its budget.
Stewardship:
2017 Stewardship Pledge commitment are due. We ask that you please prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for 2017, complete the pledge card and mail it to the Church Office. We are forever grateful to the many loving stewards, supporters, and friends of this Parish who stand tall in their commitment to our Lord, the Blessed Panagia and this ministry.
Assumption Basketball Season:
Once again, it's basketball season! Assumption Church is now accepting registrations for the basketball team (or teams if we get enough interest) for athletes in 5th-8th grade. The season will run from late October into February, and games are mainly on Sundays with some Saturday games as well. There is no cost to the families to register. The deadline for registering is October 22nd, as we need to let the Metropolis know how many teams we will be entering this season in a timely fashion. If you have more questions about this program or if you would like to register, please contact Mr. Tom Demos at thomasdemos@gmail.com.
Below is the basketball schedule for our grade school team. The first game is this weekend.
Game Times are at 4:30 pm
Sat 11/4 at St. Haralambos (Culver School-6901 West Oakton St, Niles, IL 60714)
Sat 11/11 at Sts. Peter and Paul
Sun 12/9 v Sts. Constantine & Helen (Westchester Park District)
Sun 12/10 v St Nectarios (Westchester Park District)
Sun 12/17 v St Andrews (Westchester Park District)
Sun 1/7 v. St Demetrios Elmhurst
Sat 1/13 at Holy Trinity
Sun 1/14 v St Johns (Westchester Park District)
Sat 1/20 at St Demetrios - Chicago
Sat 1/21 v. Holy Apostles (Westchester Park District)
Philoptochos:
We are also pleased to announce the kick off of the Second Annual One Warm Coat Drive. Last year, we collected 200 coats! This year, we hope to break that record! Collection boxes are located in the Narthex of St. Catherine’s Chapel. Please see flyers printed in the bulletin for details.
Thank you for your generosity!
INCLUSION AWARENESS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19th :
Our beloved Panagia Parish will be hosting an Inclusion Awareness Sunday, on November 19th. Inclusion Awareness Sunday is a day when our Parish will open its doors to people with special needs of all kinds for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the coffee hour fellowship to follow. Of course, people with special needs are welcomed in our parish and all Orthodox parishes on every day of the year, but this is a ‘special day’ with the goal of raising awareness of how we can be more welcoming and inclusive to people with special needs in our church.
On Inclusion Awareness Sunday, we will all celebrate the Divine Liturgy as one Parish family in the main church of Panagia's. To accommodate the event, Our Sunday Church School children will also be upstairs in the main Church, and children should sit with their families for the Divine Liturgy and stay until the end, as this will be an extension of the SCS classroom. There will be a designated seating section for families and individuals with special needs to sit, a guide booklet with ways we as Christians can better welcome people with special needs, and a program of speakers at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. A Coffee Fellowship Hour will be hosted by our Sunday Church School where all will be welcome. Parish council members and ushers will be stationed at the elevator in the church as well as in the narthex, with additional Parish Council and Philoptochos ladies to assist our guests getting to Plato Hall. Please note that the chair lift in Plato Hall will also be available to assist people to and from the Church Service and coffee fellowship hour.
This opportunity is a rich blessing for our Community, and it is hoped that we all come together to have our faith deepened and our hearts and minds opened by our Lord.
With love in Christ,
+ Very Rev. Timothy G. Bakakos +Fr. Dimitri Burikas
Proistamenos Presbyter
Dr. Voula Stavropoulos
Outreach Inclusion Chairperson
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
Also, our parish is starting a database of all college students in the community. If you have a college student in your family or if you are a college student, please send your name, school, area of study, address, and email address to Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org..
This fall, our parish will be introducing a Byzantine Music class for all those interested in learning the art of Orthodox music. Classes will be led by Fr. Dimitri and are for students in middle school through college. If interested in registering or if you have any questions, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.
Byzantine Music Class:
This fall, our parish will be introducing a Byzantine Music class for all those interested in learning the art of Orthodox music. Classes will be led by Fr. Dimitri and are for students in middle school through college. If interested in registering or if you have any questions, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.
Dates to Remember:
Sunday, November 5th
The Adult Education Program for 2017-18 is
This Sunday following the Divine Liturgy in
St. Catherine’s Chapel
Monday, November 6th
7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study will be
held in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room
Wednesday, November 8th
Synaxis of Archangels
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
7:00 pm – SCS Staff Meeting
Will be held at the Pan Arcadian Building
Thursday, November 9th
Feast of St. Nectarios
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Saturday, November 11th
11:30 am – Feed My Starving Children in Aurora
Contact Fr. Dimitri if you are interested in attending at:
Fax # FrDimitrios@assumptionchicago.org
Monday, November 13th
Feast of St. John Chrysostom
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, November 15th
Christmas Fast Begins
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Thursday, November 16th
Feast of St. Matthew
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
10:30 am – Philoptochos General Meeting
Will meet in St. Catherine Meeting Room
Friday, November 17th
7:30 pm – Youth Night at Oak Brook
Park District
Monday, November 20th
7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study will be
held in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room
Tuesday, November 21st
Entrance of the Theotokos
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Friday, November 24th
7:00 pm – St. Catherine Vespers
Coffee Fellowship to follow
Saturday, November 25th
Feast Day of St. Catherine
8:30 am – Orthros
10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
Feast Day Reception to follow
Thursday, November 30th
Feast of St. Andrew
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:
Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2017? 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 2017 Year:
Dec. 31
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
NOTE: Please note that this morning’s Divine Liturgy, as well as prior Divine Liturgies, are available for rebroadcast. Simply log on to our Parish’s website (www.assumptionchicago.org), and click on the “Watch Worship Services Online” link.
Ushers:
Ted Pappas, Christina Arvanites, Tom Collis, James Lakerdas