Greek Independence Day Parade- NEXT SUNDAY– APRIL 7
Join our parish in marching the annual Greek parade in Boston this year! If you and your family would like to attend sign up during coffee hour or call the church office. Please wear blue, white, or black. There will be a bus to the parade and seats are first come first serve. Reserve your seats by calling/emailing the church office.
METROPOLIS OF BOSTON PHILOPTOCHOS EVENT
Join us on Thursday, May 2 for an evening with Chef Maria Loi, Greek food ambassador, restaurateur and healthy lifestyle expert and Dr. Stefanos Kales, Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School discussing Maria's book The Greek Diet. Tickets: $65. For more information, contact Theresa Nibi at (617) 519-5010 or theresanibi@gmail.com.
RACHMANINOFF LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM CONCERT
Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 4:00 pm the Rachmaninoff Choir with Dr. Anthony Antolini, Conductor from Bowdoin College. Tickets: $10. Contact: Matina Psyhogeos at (781) 609-2959 or Candace Hetzner (617) 251-4825 or events@stdemetriosweston.org for more information.
UPCOMING GOYA EVENTS
Join us for a number of upcoming and exciting GOYA events!
3/30- Daniel’s Kitchen service project in Framingham. Sign up is limited, be sure to register ASAP.
4/5- GOYA Retreat AT Taxiarchae in Watertown, 6-9 pm. Email Fr. Vinnie for more details.
4/19-20- GOYA Lock-in Overnight Retreat at St. Demetrios
PALM SUNDAY FISH LUNCHEON
Sunday, April 21, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Tickets - Adults: $25. Children: $5. Contact Susan Denn at 508-380-5515 or smdenn@comcast.net; Eugenia Kourlos at 508-735-8866 or ekourlos@gmail.com
LENTEN ORTHODOX LIFE SERIES
Lent is a time to learn and strengthen our faith. The book of Hebrews is the book that we hear during Sunday Services during Lent. Dr. James Skedros will lead a study of Hebrews and discussion. Please join us every Monday for the Compline service at 6 pm followed by the study of Hebrews. All are welcome!
PARISH RETREAT- APRIL 6
Join us on April 6th from 10 am—2 pm for a Lenten parish retreat here at St. Demetrios. Fr. Alex Goussettis Director of the Center for Family Care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will be offering a retreat entitled “Repentance in a Contemporary World”. Early registration is $10, after March 29th it is $15. To RSVP, email the office at office@stdemetriosweston.org or call 781-237-5561.
SAVE THESE DATES
Saturday, April 6 - St. Demetrios Parish Retreat
Sunday, May 19 - Rachmaninoff Choir Concert, Anthony Antolini, Professor at Bowdoin College, Conductor
Saturday, September 28 - Alkistis Protopsaltis Concert, Sanders Theatre, Cambridge. Details to follow.
Saturday, November 2 - Saint Demetrios Gala Dinner Dance, Westin Hotel in Waltham
BOTTLE CAP FUNDRAISER
Throughout Great Lent we will be collecting plastic bottle caps. For every cubic meter of bottle caps collected a wheelchair will be donated to a child in need. There will be boxes throughout the church for collections.
HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE– 2020
A number of parishioners have asked if we will be planning a trip back to the Holy Land. Since such trips take a long time to plan and secure accommodations we are thinking of a pilgrimage in February of 2020. This time frame allows for best accommodations, pricing and planning. If interested or just have questions please speak with Fr. Nick or call the office. Thank you.
SPONSORING FLOWERS
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers in memory of loved ones or in honor of a special occasion please contact the church office for more details on available dates.
Please consider sponsoring the flowers that adorn the icon of the Theotokos for the Salutations service. If you are interested please contact the church office.
SENIOR GUILD
The next Senior Guild meeting will be on April 10th following Divine Liturgy. Make sure to wear your blue and white! We are planning a Newport Rail Tour in Newport, RI on June 20th. We hope you can join us! 40 people are needed to attend this event. More details and the price will be determined in the coming weeks. If you have questions contact Artemis Martakis at 508-785-0045. The Senior Guild hopes to see you there!
60TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
The 60th Anniversary Committee continues to organize several events to celebrate this special milestone of our
beloved Church. Thus far, the Welcome Back BBQ, the Young Adult Event, Holiday at Pops and singing carols to the Seniors from our Parish, are just a small sample of community fellowship involving parishioners from the past and present.
We need your help in chairing and working on the many events that are planned for 2019. Please contact Peter Condakes at 617-571-8540 or Stephen Condakes at 781-235-8429 if you are interested in participating. Don't forget to mark your calendars Saturday, November 2 for the Saint Demetrios 60th Anniversary Gala at the Westin-Waltham!
Saturday, April 6 - St. Demetrios Parish Retreat
Sunday, May 19 - Rachmaninoff Choir Concert, Anthony Antolini, Professor at Bowdoin College, Conductor
Saturday, September 28 - Alkistis Protopsaltis Concert, Sanders Theatre, Cambridge
Saturday, November 2 - Saint Demetrios Gala Dinner Dance, Westin Waltham
HOMEBOUND VISITATION
Our clergy along with our Philoptochos will be visitinghomebound parishioners over the next few weeks. If someone you know would appreciate a visit, please contact the church office.
ST. DEMETRIOS BOOKSTORE
Take a few moments to stop by and check out our new arrivals such as: Parenting Toward the Kingdom by Dr. Philip Mamalakis of the HC/HC School of Theology. This book will help you make connections between the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church and the ongoing challenges of raising children. Another new arrival is St. Demetrios Children’s Book, including a CD. There are inspirational books in English and Greek for adults and children and also St. Demetrios crosses in gold and silver, icons, prayer bracelets, and prosforo seals from the Holy Land all suitable gifts.
SPONSORING FELLOWSHIP HOUR
The calendar is open for any one wishing to sponsor coffee hour this coming year. If you are interested please contact Pam Brody at 781-864-6427.
USHERING GUIDELINES
As the Church School year comes to a start, we ask that everyone assist us by waiting patiently in your seats for the children to receive Holy Communion first so that they may get to their classes.
In order to facilitate this process as efficiently as possible, we ask that Church School Teachers, Children and their parents be dismissed first for communion. All other parishioners are asked to stay in their seats and wait for the ushers to dismiss their row. We appreciate your patience and your support!
ST. DEMETRIOS ORTHO-TAXI SERVICE
We miss you when you are not with us! If you need a ride to and from church consider taking the St. Demetrios Ortho-Taxi service. If you are interested call the church office (781-237-5561) by Friday at noon for Sunday Liturgy, or two days in advance for other services or events. You will receive a call from your driver to arrange pick-up times. The roundtrip fare is $5 to be donated to the Senior Guild.
SUNDAY GREETERS
We are looking for additional people to help greet/welcome our parishioners to church on Sunday mornings. All those who are interested in being a part of this wonderful program please contact Angel Hatgelakas through Marianne at the church office. Tel: 781-237-5561 or email: office@stdemetriosweston.org. Thank you.
USHERING
If you are interested in joining the Usher Team please contact Georgia Gefteas at gghome1@verizon.net or 978-973-7476.
WWW.GOARCH.ORG
The webpage of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has a great amount of resources for anyone looking to learn more about the faith. You can find the daily readings of the church, information about saints, what we believe, and prayers for any occasion. Additionally, you can stay up to date with news that affects us as Christians. Be sure to check www.goarch.org regularly!
PHILOXENIA HOUSE
Located near HCHC in Brookline, the Philoxenia House offers a home and hospitality to patients and those who accompany them while they are undergoing treatment in the Boston area. For several years a few of us visit the home twice a year to try to brighten their lives by planting flowers. This is a joy for us. For more information regarding this ministry please contact Betty Titus, 781.237.4748, or Eleanor Spiliakos, 978.443.3746.
WHAT IS THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Being asked this during our festival a number of times — we as Orthodox Christians ought to respond:
“The Orthodox Christian Church is a worldwide body of believers who confess and worship Jesus Christ as the Son of God, as Lord and Messiah. This body has a tangible and continuous history of Christian faith and practice from the time of Christ’s Apostles. The use of the adjective ‘orthodox’ to describe the Church dates back to the earliest centuries and was applied to those Christians who maintained the tradition transmitted by Christ’s Apostles (1 Thess 2:15)”
FR. MANIKAS LIBRARY
Come and visit the Fr. Manikas Library and check out one of our many books on a variety of different topics. After Divine Liturgy, please stop by the library and see what we have to offer. See Cindi Dabrowski in the library for assistance on picking out a selection to take home and further your knowledge of our faith.
DAILY READINGS APP
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has developed and released a Daily Readings App for iOS and Android. It offers the daily Epistle and Gospel readings of the day as well as the saints that are commemorated on that day. Furthermore, it offers prayers, dates of future Feast Days and fasting guidelines.
It’s a great resource that is offered by our Archdiocese. Sign into your app store and download it today!
BE THE BEE WEBSERIES
The National Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries offers a weekly web video series on YouTube called “Be the Bee” each week a question or theme about our faith is answered in just 5 minutes! Check out this new and interesting approach to learning about our faith! Go to: www.youtube.com/user/y2am to see the entire series!
