Please note these latest developments. Metropolitan Evangelos will be issuing a directive shortly as to the practical aspects of this regarding faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church and our parishes, as well as our parishioners and our participation with parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the United States. You may read his Encyclical on this situation at the link below.
Metropolitan Evangelos and the Ecclesiastical Situation in the Ukraine
Russian Orthodox Church Breaks Ties with Constantinople
By Associated Press October 15, 2018
Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill chairs a meeting of the Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Oct. 15, 2018. (Igor Palkin/Russian Orthodox Church Press Service via AP)
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian Orthodox Church says it’s severing ties with the leader of the worldwide Orthodox community after his decision to grant Ukrainian clerics independence from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Metropolitan Hilarion said the church’s Holy Synod decided to “”break the Eucharistic communion” with the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The move comes after the Constantinople-based patriarchate, whose head Bartholomew I is considered the “first among equals” of Orthodox church leaders, removed its condemnation of leaders of schismatic Orthodox churches in Ukraine. Last week’s decision marked a step toward establishing an ecclesiastically independent — or autocephalous — church in Ukraine.
The church in Ukraine has been under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church since the late 1600s, but calls for independence have increased since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
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Parish Committees Reorganized
The various parish committees have been reorganized with some new ones added. If interested in serving on any of the following committees please let me (or the Chairman/Coordinator if one is designated) know. Many already have a chairman in place but will find assistance helpful.
Parish Organizations and Committees
Parish Council Jaime Karalis, President
Philoptochos Kate Conant, President
Catechism (Sunday) School Norman Wells, Director
Altar Servers Norman Wells, Coordinator
Choir & Service Music Georgia Yeatras, Director
Prosfora (Holy Bread) Maria Kakouras, Georgia Yeatras
Narthex Servers Parish Council
(others to be announced)
Hope & Joy Annitsa Spanos, Coordinator
Goya Sophia Orfanides and
Marie Hughes, Coordinators
Parea (Senior social activities) Sophia Sempeles, Coordinator
Stewardship Jaime Karalis, Chairman
Grounds/Buildings/Maintenance Bill Sardelis and Jill Karalis
Co-Chairmen
Landscape Beautification Maria Kakouras, Bill Sardelis and
Greg Coverstone
(The Gardeners of St. Phocas)
Greek Festival Jill Karalis, Chairman
Baking Committee Sophia Sempeles, Coordinator
Fundraising / Development George Sempeles and
Marios Orfanides
Social Hall Transformation Sophia Orfanides, Coordinator
Sanctuary Care Fr. Michael, Coordinator
Outreach To Be Announced
Visitations Audrey Jalepas, Chairman
Church Historian Helen Sempeles
Church Photographer Carol Demery
Special Church Decorating Angie Hutchinson, Coordinator
Facility Cleaning Marie Hughes
Special Cleaning Projects To Be Announced
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Parish Record Form
As I mentioned at the Parish Assembly on June 24th, the parish records are lacking and need to be updated. Everyone will need to complete a Parish Record Form (click on link below for the form) in order to be certified as eligible (upon review) for membership in the parish. Only Orthodox Christians in good standing are eligible to be members of the parish. Completed Forms are to be returned to me. Only I will be seeing them and after review, keeping them with the Sacramental Records. You may drop them into the slot at the top of the locked box located on the wall next to my office door if you like or mail them to the church.
Please review the following information from the Uniform Parish Regulations...
Article 18, Section 7
Each Parish shall maintain a Parish Record which shall include, at a minimum, the following information concerning each parishioner: baptismal and family name, occupation (optional), dates of baptism and/or chrismation and marriage, complete family record of spouse and children, date of entry into the Parish indicating if transferred from another Parish, date of death, and such other information that shall be deemed appropriate.
Article 18, Section 1
Every person who is baptized and chrismated according to the rites of the Orthodox Church is a parishioner. The religious, moral and social duties of a parishioner are to apply the tenets of the Orthodox Faith to his/her life and to: adhere to and live according to the tenets of the Orthodox faith; faithfully attend the Divine Liturgy and other worship services; participate regularly in the holy sacraments; respect all ecclesiastical authority and all governing bodies of the Church; be obedient in matters of the Faith, practice and ecclesiastical order; contribute towards the progress of the Church's sacred mission; and be an effective witness and example of the Orthodox Faith and Traditions to all people.
A parishioner in good standing practices all the religious and moral duties as described in this Section 1. At a minimum, a parishioner in good standing must: be eighteen years of age or over; be current in his or her stewardship and other financial obligations to the Parish, abide by all the regulations herein stated and the Parish Bylaws; and cooperate in every way towards the welfare and well being of the Parish. (Stewardship is recommended to be ten percent (10%) of one’s annual income as stated in Holy Scripture to help meet the financial obligations of the Parish, the Metropolis and the Archdiocese.)
Parish Record Form