Publish-header
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2018-07-08
Bulletin Contents
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
Parish News and Events
Flyers
Allsaint
Organization Icon
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (773) 626-3114
  • Fax:
  • (773) 626-3141
  • Street Address:

  • 601 South Central Avenue

  • Chicago, IL 60644-5089

Contact Information

Proistamenos Very Rev. Timothy Bakakos


frtimothy@assumptionchicago.org | 773-626-3114

Associate Pastor Rev. Dimitrios Burikas


frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org | 773-626-3114

Services Schedule

Sunday -MAIN CHURCH
8:30 am - Orthros
10:00 am - Divine Liturgy
Sunday Summer Hours - MAIN CHURCH
8:00 am - Orthros
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
Sunday Church School 
 9:45 am - Divine Liturgy

Weekday Services
8:30 am - Orthros
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy

 

The Mission Statement of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

Is to lead the faithful into the Kingdom of God by:

Proclaiming and teaching the Gospel in accordance with the Orthodox Faith;

Sanctifying the faithful through God’s grace in worship, the Divine Liturgy and the sacraments;

Enhancing the spiritual life of the faithful;

Adding to the numbers of the faithful by receiving persons into the church through instruction, baptism and/or chrismation.

Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal First Mode

Let us worship the Word, O ye faithful, praising Him that with the Father and the Spirit is co-beginningless God, Who was born of a pure Virgin that we all be saved; for He was pleased to mount the Cross in the flesh that He assumed, accepting thus to endure death. And by His glorious rising, He also willed to resurrect the dead.

Apolytikion for Great Martyr Procopius in the Fourth Mode

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Plagal of the First Tone

Let us praise the most auspicious bride of Christ, the divine Katherine, protectress of Sinai, our aid and our help. For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, and now, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Mode

O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

6th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 12:6-14

Brethren, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Gospel Reading

6th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 9:1-8

At that time, getting into a boat Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

In this case indeed He discloses also another sign, and that no small one, of His own Godhead, and of His equality in honor with the Father. For whereas they said, "To unbind sins pertains to God only," He not only unbinds sins, but also before this He makes another kind of display in a thing which pertained to God only; the publishing the secrets in the heart. For neither had they uttered what they were thinking.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 29 on Matthew 9, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
July 08

Appearance of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Kazan

In Kazan, in 1579, the nine-year old Matrona, whose parents' home had burned down in a fire, had a dream in which she beheld an icon of the Theotokos and heard a voice commanding her to recover this icon from the ashes of the ruined house. The icon was found wrapped in an old piece of cloth under the stove, where it may have been hidden during the Tartar invasions. The icon was finally brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, where it became renowned for the healings that the Mother of God wrought through it for the blind; hence the custom of praying before this holy icon for help in blindness and eye diseases. Tsar Ivan the Terrible had a convent built at the place of the icon's discovery; this, however, was destroyed by the Bolsheviks after the Revolution, and a factory was built in its stead. The feast was established in 1595. The icon of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God in Russia.

Procopius
July 08

The Holy Great Martyr Procopius

The holy Martyr Procopius was born of a pious father named Christopher, but his mother Theodosia was an idolater. After Christopher's death, she presented Neanias - for this was the Saint's name before - to Diocletian, who was at Antioch in Syria. Diocletian made him Duke of Alexandria, and sent him there to punish the Christians. On the way to Alexandria, our Lord spoke to Neanias as once He had to Saul, and turned this new persecutor to faith in Him. Neanias turned back to Scythopolis, and preached Christ. He was betrayed by his own mother, and was arrested and tormented in Caesarea of Palestine. While he was in prison, the Lord appeared to him again and gave him the new name of Procopius (which is derived from the Greek word meaning "progress, advancement"). He was brought out of prison and taken to worship the idols, but at his prayer, the idols fell; many then believed in Christ and suffered martyrdom, among them certain soldiers, twelve women of senatorial rank, and the Saint's own mother, Theodosia. Saint Procopius, after further torments and imprisonment, was beheaded about the year 290.

Healsick
July 08

6th Sunday of Matthew

Theophilusmyrrh
July 08

Theophilos the Myrrhbearer of Pantokrator Monastery

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Parish News and Events

Memorials

40 Days ~ Kaliope (Pope) Skoulikaris

Coffee Fellowship

Coffee Fellowship is being hosted the Skoulikaris family in Memory of Pope Skoulikaris.

Stewardship

Have you pledged for the calendar year 2018 yet?  If not, we kindly ask that you please prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for 2018, complete the pledge card that can be found at the Pangari in the Narthex, and return 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.  If you need further information on becoming a steward, please see Dr. Voula Spyropoulos, Mary Zouras, or a member of the Parish Council.

Philoptochos

We will be baking on Thursday, July 12th, at 9:30 a.m. in Plato Hall, for the Oak Park Farmers’ Market.  This year we are including traditional American cookies and sweets.  If you wish to contribute home baked-goods please bring them on Thursday so that we can uniformly package all baked goods.  We are unable to package any baked goods on Saturday.   Also, we are required to submit a list of ingredients (not the recipe) for each of the items we are selling, so please provide this information when you bring your baked goods.  Any questionsplease contact Jette Georgopoulos:  708-439-6041 or classicpainting69@comcast.net.

The Oak Park Farmers’ Market Bake Sale is scheduled for Saturday, July 14th, in the Pilgrim Church parking lot, 460 Lake Street, Oak Park, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  A public parking lot is located west of the Pilgrim Church. Our booth is near the entrance.  We hope you can stop by!

The next general meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 19 at 10:30 a.m. in the St. Catherine Meeting Room. 

20K Challenge

Want to support our Church Ministries? Grab an envelope and support our 20K challenge!

Here's how it works. All throughout the summer, envelopes will be posted on the large bulletin board in Plato Hall.  Simply grab an envelope off of the board and give that amount. Write your name and address on the card provided in the envelope, add your donation to the envelope, and deposit it in the clear box next to the board.

So, if you grab envelope #43, give $43. Envelope #156, give $156. Envelope #1, that's 1 more dollar towards our goal. If all envelopes are filled, we will raise over $20,000 for Assumption Church Ministries!

FAQ

Q: Can I grab more than one envelope?

A: YES!  If you grab envelope #100 and envelope #50,

you would give $150 towards our goal.

Q: What if all of the amounts in my price range are taken? Can I still give?

A: YES! We will take any donations that you are willing and able to give. Later in the

fundraiser, we will have envelopes labeled "Other Amount". Simply grab one of those

and write the amount you want to give on it. 

Each of us can together make a difference for all of us.  Thank you for your support!

School Supply Drive

This summer, our parish will be teaming up with FOCUS North America, an Orthodox service organization, to collect school supplies for needy children from a local school. How can you help? See Lynn or Kim Voulgarakis in coffee hour to pick up a pre-purchased backpack. Each backpack will have an envelope and a packing list inside of it. Place a $10 donation in the envelope and purchase the supplies on the list. Put the envelope and supplies in the backpack and bring them back to Lynn or Kim at church. So simple! The deadline to return the backpacks is July 15th, so hurry up and get yours today! If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.

Young Adult League

The Assumption Church is revitalizing their Young Adult ministries. In order to do so, we are asking young adults (ages 18-27 who are out of high school) and families with young adults to contact the church to provide contact information. All we need is a name, phone number, and email address to create a young adult database for our parish. Please email contact info to frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org. Our hope is to periodically organize social events for the young adults and support the Metropolis of Chicago YAL events and programs. 

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 website 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 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.

Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed

Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2018?  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 2018 Year:

July   22, 29                 

August 5, 19

September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

October 7, 14, 21, 28

November 4, 11, 18

December   2, 9, 16, 23, 30 

We are in the Loop!

Through a generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. Chris Maniates in memory of Mrs. Helen Maniates, we are delighted to announce that we are now part of a growing number of places with a hearing loop. If you need assistance, please see one of the Parish Council Ushers for assistance.

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 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, 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 with the many others who are offering a prayer for the person who is ill, will bring comfort beyond comprehension.

Just think about that….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 Fr. Dimitrios.  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?  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, which 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:  Andrew Kanel, Evelyn Maggos, Peter Panton, George Sefer, Lynn Voulgarakis, Stavroula        Spryropoulos 

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Flyers

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