Divine Liturgy and Other Services
01/02/2022
Orthos 8:45am (live streamed)
Divine Liturgy 10:00am (live streamed)
Parakleseis/Vespers: Wednesday at 6:00 pm
Week Day Services:
Liturgies in the month of January:
Wednesday, January 5th at 6:00 pm Vespers
Thursday, January 6th 8:00 am Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy of Epiphany followed by Blessing of the Waters
Friday, January 7th 8:00 am Liturgy for St. John the Baptist
Wednesday, January 12th 6:00 pm Vespers
Monday, January 17th 6:00 pm Liturgy for St. Anthony
Wednesday, January 19th 6:00 pm Vespers
Friday, January 21st 8:00 am Liturgy for Maximos the Confessor
Wednesday, January 26th 6:00 pm Vespers
Coffee Hour – the Metropolis has authorized the return of fellowship activities, St. Philothea has begun scheduling Coffee Hour again. Coffee Hour will only be offered on those Sundays for which we have volunteers so please Sign-Up today. Instructions / Responsibilities for hosting Coffee Hour are available on our website HERE.
House Blessings
01/02/2022
Fr. Anthony will be doing house blessings on Saturday, January 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.
If you have not already signed up at church to have your house blessed, please fill out the form below and turn in to Fr. Anthony or you may also sign up on-line here. Please submit requests by Epiphany.
We will do blessings of the cars and homes from the outside until COVID subsides
Once requests are in, you will be contacted with an exact time and date.
Name ________________ Date _____________ am/pm _________ Phone____________
MoD Meeting
01/02/2022
MoD Meeting: Sunday, January 2nd at 1:00 pm
Spaghetti Dinner
01/04/2022
Spaghetti Dinners will be held the first Tuesday of every month from 5:30-7:00 pm.
The first Spaghetti Dinner of 2022 will be on February4th. The entertainment for the month of January is Athens Big Band.
Dinner includes spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, dessert and drink. Marinara sauce is available once the fast begins. Live entertainment.
Please join us and bring your friends. Adults $10.00
For more info visit http://stphilothea.org/events/festival-and-dinners
Ephiphany Service and Blessing of the Waters
01/05/2022
The feast of Epiphany is one of the major holy days of the Orthodox Church, because on that day Christ descended into the Jordan to fulfill "all righteousness", and in turn sanctified the waters to renew all of creation. It was then for the first time that we understand God as Trinity, 'Three Persons in one essence', which transformed our understanding of the Old Testament. By honoring this day we participate in the renewal of the earth thru the Blessing of the Waters.
During the day on Wednesday, January 5th is a strict fast day in preparation for this feast, no meat, dairy, wine or oil as we leave the feast of Christmas and prepare to receive the “Blessing of the Waters”.
We will celebrate Great Vespers Wednesday January 5th at 6:00 pm. We will Bless the Waters Thursday, January 6th beginning with Orthros at 8:00 am, followed by the Divine Liturgy of Theophany, and the Blessing of the Waters.
Stewardship
01/09/2022
Stewardship If you have not yet turned in a pledge Card for 2022, please prayerfully consider your family’s contribution of time, talent, treasurer and indicate which ministries you would like to participate in.
If you do not have a pledge card and need one, please see Stacey Cramer or Fr. Anthony.
Cutting of the Vassilopita
01/09/2022
Will this be your lucky year? The tradition of cutting the Vasilopita will take place Sunday, Jan. 9th.
Also, Philoptochos will take a 2nd collection to support St. Basil Academy. Please contact Sarah Jones or Presvytera Christine if you want to make a Vasilopita.
Shared from St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago. The tradition of baking and cutting a special "pita" (which can mean a loaf of bread, a cake, or even a pie) each year on January 1st is observed in honor of our Holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia-hence its name Vasilopita. This tradition is observed in both parish churches and in the homes of the Orthodox Christian faithful. What is the meaning or this tradition and how did it begin? For centuries upon centuries parents, grandparents and godparents have related the following pious story to Orthodox children about Saint Basil and the Vasilopita.
One year, during a time of terrible famine, the Emperor levied a sinfully excessive tax upon the people of Caesarea. The tax was such a heavy burden upon the already impoverished people that to avoid debtor's prison each family had to relinquish its few remaining coins as well as pieces of jewelry, including precious family heirlooms. Learning of this injustice against his flock, Saint Basil the Great, the Archbishop of Ceasarea, took up his bishop's staff and the book of the Holy Gospels and came to his people's defense by fearlessly calling the Emperor to repentance. By God's grace, the Emperor did repent! He cancelled the tax and instructed his tax collectors to turn over to Saint Basil all of the chests containing the gold coins and jewelry which had been paid as taxes by the people of Caesarea.
But now Saint Basil was faced with the daunting and impossible task of returning these gold coins and pieces of jewelry to their rightful owners. After praying for a long time before the icons of our Lord Jesus Christ and His All-Holy Mother (Theotokos), Saint Basil had all the treasures baked into one huge "pita" or "bread." He then called all the townspeople to prayer at the cathedral and after Divine Liturgy he blessed and cut the "pita", giving a piece to each person. Miraculously each owner received in his piece of Vasilopita his own valuable. They all joyfully returned home, giving thanks to God who had delivered them from abject poverty and to their good and holy bishop, Saint Basil the Great.
In remembrance of that miracle wrought by God as a result of Saint Basil's prayers, love and defense of his people, Orthodox Christians have observed the tradition of the Vasilopita each year on January 1st-the date on which Saint Basil reposed in the Lord in the year 379 A.D.
In some places the Vasilopita is prepared as a loaf of rich bread (like that used for Artoklasia), while in other places it takes the form of a spicy cake (without frosting). But no matter what form a Vasilopita may take, they all have one thing in common-each contains a single coin. After placing the bread dough or batter in the proper baking pan, the baker makes with the foil wrapped coin the sign of the Cross over it, closes his/her eyes, and then secretly places into the unbaked Vasilopita.
After the Vasilopita is baked and cooled, it is blessed and cut following Divine Liturgy for the feast of Saint Basil the Great. At churches it is blessed and cut in the parish church or community center by the bishop or priest and in homes it is blessed and cut by the head of the household, usually the father. The blessing of the Vasilopita usually begin with the Apolytikion (Dismissal hymn) of Saint Basil the Great, chanted in Tone 1:
"Thy sound hath gone forth into all the earth that received thy word. Thereby thou hast divinely taught the Faith; Thou has made manifest the nature of things that be; Thou hast adorned the ways of man. O namesake of the royal priesthood, O our righteous Father Basil, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Parish Council
01/09/2022
PARISH COUNCIL SWEARING IN:
The new Parish Council will be sworn in January 9th, following the Divine Liturgy and Cutting of the Vassilopita. We will meet immediately following to elect Officers for 2022.
OCF News
11/11/2021
OCF Schedule:We meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month. Our next meeting will be a game night and ice cream social Thursday January 6th at 6:30-8:30 pm Dinner will be served as well.
Fr. Anthony is icon painting on Campus Weekly Thurs. at Tate Center Plaza 11-3 p.m. painting icons and talking with students. Come on by.
OCF DINNERS If you would like to host an OCF dinner this Semester we will be meeting outdoors or in the Social Hall the second and forth Thursdays of the month. You can either cook and deliver a meal or give $85 for takeout. We have a good group returning this year and have added new faces, and we thank you for your support. Sign-up online HERE.
Work Daze is returning this year after a two year hiattis. It will be in the Spring. Stay tuned for more information.
Marswood Hall
01/13/2022
Planning Committee Meeting: We will meet Thursday, January 13th at 7:00 pm via Zoom to plan for 2022.
Finance Comittee Meeting
01/20/2022
Finance Committee Meeting will be on Thursday, January 20th from 7:00-8:00 pm
ACTS Food Bank
02/01/2022
Volunteer at the ACTS Food Bank: St. Philothea’s scheduled to volunteer on February 1st from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Let Fr. Anthony or Roy know if you plan to work. Any and all support is appreciated! (Area Churches Together Serving)
Meal Volunteers
Meals for those in need
Please sign up HERE to assist the parish in serving one another. Once you sign up, your name will be on a list of those available to prepare meals when a parishioner or another has a need due to health concerns, medical recovery or other. You will be called when your help is needed on a rotating basis, so it may only be once or twice a year depending on how many people sign up. We are also collecting names of those who are able to deliver meals.
Facebook Marketplace
FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE - Online Garage Sale.
Thanks to Kosta and several parishioners we have already made several hundred dollars! Clean out your home and help raise funds for the Parish. Kosta is overseeing this ongoing Face Book garage sale and will guide us through this process on what we are looking to sell and how to promote it and close the sale. Your item will be picked up and delivered at the Sheriffs office where there are video cameras. If you have an item of value (~$50 or greater) that you would like to contribute so that it can be sold to raise funds for the Church please contact Kosta Vavlas (DimitriosVavlas@gmail.com 727-424-2194) to arrange for pick up. Clean, sellable items in good condition only, please. All proceeds will go to St. Philothea's operating expenses.
Athens Nurses Clinic Toiletry Collection
The Athens Nurse’s Clinic provides low-cost medical care for under-insured or uninsured patients with chronic illnesses.
Once again, the Philoptochos is collecting items for the Athens Nurse’s Clinic. The Nurse’s Clinic has had their funding decreased and are in need of these basic items. We will be collecting these items through-out the Lenten period. Please bring one or more of the following items to Church and they may be left in Fr. Anthony’s office or contact Karen Kimbaris, kakimbaris@yahoo.com or 706-310-0022 and she can collect the items.
Items Needed:
Shampoo/conditioner Soap or Body Wash
Toothbrush and Tootpaste Chapstick or Vaseline
Deodorant Shaving cream and Razor
Body Lotion Wash cloths
Socks Comb
Youth Protection Training
12/30/2021
Child Protection Training Renewal: Background checks for Youth workers are due.
Please follow this link to do your background check ($17) and video training. You have until Jan. 1st to complete the process, in order to continue working with the Youth.
Bigger Vision
12/27/2021
Be a Blessing...
Meal will be served Monday, January 24th
Providing a meal for the homeless is a monthly event on the 4th Monday of the month, and we will need a protein, a starch, a vegetable, bread and dessert Drop off is at the church at 4:30 pm the Monday of the meal and Fr. Anthony will deliver it. Sign up online HERE.
Please contact Kate and Mike McClain if you would like to join the team or assist with a donation. You do not have to commit to every month but together we can do this.
All contributions are appreciated!!
Sunday School News
12/19/2021
Jr and Sr Highschool Students. Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 23, 5:30-7:30 pm for our next meeting. You must RSVP to Fr. Anthony. February will be the 13th, March will be the 27th, April will be the 3rd and May will be the 1st. Please put them on your calendar from now.
Inquirer's Class
12/08/2021
INQUIRERS CLASS has begun. We will meet in person and via Zoom on Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30 pm Except for the 3rd Wednesday of the month which is Parish Council.
The Curriculum and schedule can be downloaded here. Fr. Anthony Coniaris’ book Introducing the Orthodox Church is our text which can be purchased from Amazon or as a Kindle. A Signup sheet is available HERE, A Zoom Announcement will go out to those who have signed up each week, for our Wednesday meeting on January 12th
Coffee Hour
10/31/2021
Coffee Hour – We wil be assigning hosts for Coffee Hour. Everyone will have an opportunity to serve. Keep it simple. Coffee will be made and provided by the Coffee Hour Committee. A simple cookie to go with coffee is sufficient for the host to provide. Then when coffee hour is winding down, the host will be responsible for cleaning up and putting things away.
THe Coffee Hour schedule will be posted. If you can not make the date you have been assigned, please let Sarah Scherer know.
House Blessings
Please sign up here to have Fr. Anthony Come bless your home following the feast of Theophany. Father will contact you with a time.