PHILOPTOCHOS EVENTS
Gentle reminder: St. Anna Philoptochos will have their General Meeting on November 8 in the small hall at 11:00am. Our speaker will be our own Tiffany Pappageorge who will introduce her new, award winning book, My Yellow Balloon and speak about her inspiration for writing it. Our 2nd annual Holiday Boutique featuring hand-crafted items and pastries for sale will follow immediately after. The Boutique will also be held on Sunday, November 9, following the liturgies. We are looking for hand done craft items and any other items than can be sold. Contact Vana Katsoudas at 408-296-4316 if you have items to donate or if you have questions.
During the Christmas season, Philoptochos appeals to you for donations to support distressed families and children. Our letters to the parish will go out in December. We appreciate your past contributions and hope that you will once again give Save & Closefrom your hearts.
CHURCH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
There will be Church School Open House this morning for Grade 4 and Grade 9. Parents please join your students in their classrooms when students are dismissed for class, following Holy Communion.
IOCC DINNER FUNDRAISER
The 22nd Annual Remembering Home Banquet will take place on Sunday, November 2 at St. Michael Archangel Orthodox Church in Saratoga. The festivities will begin with a Pan-Orthodox Vespers at 4:30 pm. The dinner and entertainment will begin at 6:00 pm. Guest speaker will be His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas. To make reservations or for more information visit www.iocc.org/rememberinghome or call the church at 408-867-4876.
PHILOPTOCHOS GENERAL MEETING & HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE
Gentle reminder: St. Anna Philoptochos will have their General Meeting on November 8 in the small hall at 11:00am. Our speaker will be our own Tiffany Pappageorge who will introduce her new, award winning book, My Yellow Balloon and speak about her inspiration for writing it. Our 2nd annual Holiday Boutique featuring hand-crafted items and pastries for sale will follow immediately after. The Boutique will also be held on Sunday, November 9, following the liturgies. We are looking for hand done craft items and any other items than can be sold. Contact Vana Katsoudas at 408-296-4316 if you have items to donate or if you have questions.
During the Christmas season, Philoptochos appeals to you for donations to support distressed families and children. Our letters to the parish will go out in December. We appreciate your past contributions and hope that you will once again give from your hearts.
ADULT EDUCATION: BOOK STUDY
Join the group for the in-depth reading of the book Of Water and the Spirit: A Liturgical Study of Baptism by Father Alexander Schmemann. The group will resume on Monday November 3, at 1:30pm in the Boardroom.
ADULT EDUCATION: CATHECHISM CLASS
The Catechism class will meet Tuesday, November 18, at 7:30pm. The class targets three backgrounds:
- People exploring the Orthodox faith wishing to prepare to join the Church through baptism and chrismation.
- Interfaith couples, married or anticipating marriage.
- Orthodox faithful interested in learning more about our faith.
This session will meet mostly every other week until Holy Week 2015 on a day of the week, in the evening, that is convenient to all. The participants will be encouraged to:
- Attend the church services regularly and observe the main feasts of the Church.
- Read the assigned readings per class Syllabus.
- Attend the class and actively engage in class discussions.
- Participate in other preparatory activities such as group visit to Life Giving Spring Monastery and ministries exploration.
If interested, please contact Father Ion.
ADULT EDUCATION: ORTHODOX LITURGY CLASS
His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas will be with us on Wednesday, November 5, for the class on the Orthodox Liturgy beginning at 6:30pm, following the Paraklesis at 5:30pm. This is the last class on the Orthodox Liturgy, and we will be finishing with the Wybrew book.
COUNCIL OF MINISTRIES
On Wednesday, November 7, 2014, there will be a Council of Ministries meeting in the small hall. All diirectors of the various parish ministries are to be present; please arrive by 7:10pm. Following the conclusion of His Eminence's class at 7:30pm, Metropolitan Nikitas will convene the meeting in the small hall.
Bay Area GOYA: SF Interfaith Committee For Life Pro-Life Youth Rally
BAY AREA GOYA CALENDAR
2014 – 2015 BAY AREA GOYA MONTHLY EVENTS
NOVEMBER
- SF Interfaith Committee For Life Pro-Life Youth Rally - November 8
- St Nicholas Volleyball Tournament – November 14-16
DECEMBER – Christmas Sweater Party – Location TBD - Friday December 19
JANUARY – IV on the Go at Holy Cross, Belmont – January 9-11
FEBRUARY - FDF
VESPERS AT PATRIARCH ATHENAGORAS ORTHODOX INSTITUTE
The PAOI Baord of Trustees & Women's Boards invite you to Vespers in anticipation of the Feast of St. Demetrios - Sunday, October 19 at 5:00pm, in the St. Demetrios Chapel, 2311 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709. Reception hosted by the Women's Boards to follow. 510 649-3450.
Daisy Girl Scout Troop Update
You may have noticed our adorable little Girl Scouts in their blue uniforms at our church. The topic at their first meeting was "Honest and Fair" and the girls have already earned their first 2 patch awards! They also made puppets and put on a puppet show for their parents and siblings, demonstrating how to be honest and fair.
We are now able to include 1st grade girls in our new troop! All Kindergarten and 1st grade girls are welcome to join at any time during the year. Time commitment is just one hour per month for meetings, which are held from 12:30-1:30pm at St. Nicholas, following Church School, from October to May. Girls may receive a packet of supplies from any meeting they may have missed.
Our next meeting is Sunday, November 2nd, and our topic will be "Friendly and Helpful" for which the girls will be making friendship dolls. Moms and their daughters are invited to join us and participate for a day. Please contact Maria Trapalis (415) 572-5213 or mariatrapalis@yahoo.com if you're interested in trying it out or have any questions.
MISSIONS THOUGHT
Luke 4:43 "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." Do we share in the purpose of Christ?
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
SF METROPOLIS GALA
http://sanfrancisco.goarch.org/
NEW BOOK COLLECTION FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES
Just in time for your Christmas shopping! Our Philokalia Bookstore has a brand new selection of books for young people, beginning with toddlers and continuing to the upper grades. The books are published by Potamitis Publishing, "a family publishing house that has as its scope to produce dogmatically correct, and enviably beautiful and intriguing books for Orthodox Children around this blessed Globe!" There are books with illustrated lives of the saints, including such saints as Demetrios, Katherine, Dionysios, Christopher - these books also come with an audio CD; books about Yiayia and the Prosphoron, Saint Nectarios' Shoes, and many other books that will inform and delight all ages. Stop by the bookstore today during the coffee hour.
SAINT NICHOLAS GALA
SAVE THE DATE
Please mark Saturday, December 20, 2014, on your calendar for the Annual Saint Nicholas Christmas Pageant!
ST. NICHOLAS DANCE GROUPS OF THE 80'S REUNION
A dance reunion for the Ionian, Epirus, Thrake & Delphians families and their parents has been planned for Saturday, December 27, 2014 at the St. Nicholas Community Center, 6:30 - 11:00PM. The evening will include a buffet dinner, cash bar, Greek DJ, dancing, and activities for the little ones. Cost is $40 per person, $20 for children 12 and under. Make checks out to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - payable at the door. Please RSVP to Kathy Geranios Pappas at Pappas25@reagan.com or 713-806-0281
Icon & Relics of St. Anna to visit St. Christina of Tyre Church
Retreat with Abbot Sergius of St. Tikhon Monastery
Icon & Relics of St. Anna to visit St. Christina of Tyre Church — Nov 8 & 9
On May 9, 2004 – Mother’s Day in the U.S. – an Icon of St. Anna, the Mother of the Holy Virgin Mary, located then at the Russian Orthodox Church of Our Lady of Joy of All Who Sorrow in Philadelphia began to stream myrrh. On that Sunday one of the parishioners mentioned to the parish rector, Archimandrite Athanasy, that the Icon of St. Anna seemed to be “perspiring”. Upon further investigation, Fr. Athanasy noticed visible liquid streams & droplets. Accumulations of the liquid were seen on the cuff on St. Anna’s left hand & on her left shoulder veil. Droplets were also found elsewhere on the Icon. This fragrant, slightly oily liquid is commonly referred to as “myrrh”. Initially the myrrh looked like tear drops, as if St. Anna was crying. Then, small slow-moving streams of myrrh appeared in other parts of the Icon. The Icon of St. Anna was commissioned by Fr. Athanasy in 1998, in the Mount of Olives Convent in Jerusalem. He himself had served there in 1980-1981. In 1998, the Icon was completed, blessed at the Sepulcher of our Lord in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection & brought to Philadelphia. The Icon currently resides at St. Tikhon’s Monastery & has been most known in the past in aiding in the healing of people with cancer. Although She wept for over five years, St. Anna is not currently weeping but continues to exude a heavenly sweet fragrance as a testimony to the sanctity & the miraculous quality of the Icon. Many miracles and graces continue to come from the Icon to help and console all those who seek St. Anna’s intercessions. St. Anna will be in the church throughout the retreat on Saturday for veneration. There will also be a molieben to St. Anna Sunday November 9th after Divine Liturgy.
Visit of Relics of St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos
November 8, 2014, 10am-6pm
Tel: 510-739-0908, Email: mail@stchristinaorthodox.org
Web: www.stchristinaorthodox.org
3721 Parish Ave. Fremont, CA 94550
RSVP by Nov 1st - St Christina of Tyre Church, 3612 Peralta Blvd Fremont, CA 94536
Retreat Schedule:
10:00am Divine Liturgy for the Synaxis of the Angels
Brunch
12:30pm 1st Talk - Big City Saints
1:20 Smaller discussion groups
1:50 Questions & Answers
2:15 Snack Break
2:30 2nd Talk - Modern Miracles
3:20 Smaller discussion groups
3:50 Come back to present w/ Q&A
4:00 Snack Break
4:15 3rd Talk - 10 Minute Spirituality
5:10 Smaller discussion groups
5:40 Conclusions
6:00pm Great Vespers
The retreat schedule is arranged so that people who cannot stay the entire day can attend just the morning or afternoon sessions. Registration Fee $10
RETREAT WITH ARCHPRIEST JOHN BEHR
The Annual Advent Retreat at the OCA Holy Trinity Cathedral will take place Saturday, November 22nd, at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco. This year's featured speaker is Archpriest John Behr, Dean of St.Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, NY. His talk is titled: "Becoming Human." Copies of Fr. John's book, Becoming Human: Meditations on Christian Anthropology in Word, will be available for purchase in the coming weeks at the cathedral bookstore. The retreat begins at 9 am with continental breakfast and concludes at 3 pm following closing prayers. Parking is available at St. Brigids on Van Ness and Broadway (enter on Broadway).
Saturday November 22nd 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
9:00 am Registration, breakfast
10:00 am First Lecture, Discussion
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Second Lecture, Discussion
2:30 pm Closing Prayer
SAINT NICHOLAS GOYA
The St. Nicholas GOYA will kick off a new season of faith, fun, and fellowship on Saturday, October 25, 2014 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm in the small hall, with its annual barbeque and elections for the new GOYA officers for 2014-2015. In addition to the barbeque, participants are asked to bring a potluck dish and a pumpkin to the event. An email will be sent to participants for the potluck sign-up. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our GOYA advisors: Nick Tziavaras 847-293-9028 or NTziavaras@aol.com and Stephane Asimacopoulos Tziavaras 847-830-2585 or pksimo@yahoo.com.
SUPPORT STUDENTS AT HOLY CROSS SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
CROSSROAD SUMMER PROGRAM
OXI DAY TRIPLE CELEBRATION
On October 26 we celebrate the feast of Saint Demetrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki. On that same day we celebrate the liberation of Thessaloniki, which was secured by the Greek army on the evening of October 26, 1912. Together with these two anniversaries we celebrate the historic and epic October 28 "OXI" Day. The Center of Hellenic Education is inviting you to join us for this year's Triple Celebration on Sunday, October 26, in the Community Center, following the conclusion of Church School classes and after the second liturgy.
ST. GERASIMOS OF KEFALONIA CELEBRATION
The church of the Holy Cross in Belmont invites you to celebrate the feast of Saint Gerasimos of Kefalonia with his Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco on Monday, October 20, 2014. Orthros 9:00am, Divine Liturgy 10:00am. A luncheon following the Divine Liturgy will be offered in honor of His Eminence on the occasion of his nameday.
PIZZA WITH A PURPOSE FUNDRAISER
WALK FOR MISSIONS WRAP-UP
Thank you to all who participated and contributed to the Walk for Missions! It was a great blessing for all of us, and we pray that the results of your effort are the seeds for further growth. We will be in the small hall again this Sunday to collect the few outstanding lap pledges and to complete the purchase for the silent auction items. Once these are completed, we can announce the winner of the beautiful icon. The bowling prize and the PAOI bus trip winners will be contacted soon.
THE LIFE-GIVING SPRING DINNER FUNDRAISER
Please join us on Sunday, October 12, 2014, at 6:00pm in the St. Nicholas Community Center for the annual fundraiser for the Monastery of the Life-Giving Spring. We will be blessed to have with us Metropolitan Gerasimos, Metropolitan Nikitas, and Gerontissa Markella. Cost is $60 adults, $30 children under 12. You may purchase tickets from Maria Anagnostos 408 316-6609 or meroulas@yahoo.com. The dinner is hosted by Paul, Nick and George Pries. All proceeds will go to the monastery.
GODPARENT'S DAY!
Please join us as we celebrate our 3rd Annual Godparent's Day on Sunday, October 12, 2014 at 10:00am. This is a wonderful opportunity for godparents and their godchildren to worship together at the liturgy and take Holy Communion. A delicious coffee hour in the Community Center has been planned following the second liturgy and church school classes. In addition, a list of participating restaurants offering a Godparent's Day discount will be available.
Bay Area Young Adult “St. John Maximovitch Tour”
When: Saturday October 11, 2014 - 10am - 3:30pm
St. Nicholas college students and young adults are invited to join young adults from around the Bay Area for a short one day pilgrimage to San Francisco to learn about Saint John Maximovitch as led by Fr. James Corazza. We have scheduled a tour of the “Old” Cathedral on Fulton Street where St. John served (a special prayer service where they wrap you with St. John's vestments!), the St. Tichon’s Orphanage where he used to live (you get to go inside his cell where he lived!) and a final stop at the “New” Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary Blvd. to venerate his holy relics.
WALK FOR MISSIONS WRAP-UP
Thank you to all who participated and contributed to the Walk for Missions! It was a great blessing for all of us and we pray that the results of your effort are the seed for further growth.
This beautiful icon of St. Nicholas is a copy of the one owned by Metropolitan Nikitas which we keep in the altar at St. Nicholas Church. The icon was made with the blessing of the Metropolitan for the purpose of helping the Missions Ministry and is modeled after one of the mural icons in the church of Saint Nicholas in Thessaloniki. The icon will be given in gratitude to the person who contributes the most in our Walk for Missions by the closing date of 10/12/2014. Sunday, October 5, stop by the Missions Table in the small hall to turn in your lap pledges. Also, those who bid on silent auction items may pay for and collect their gift item.
Αυτή η όμορφη Εικόνα του Αγίου Νικολάου είναι αντίγραφο του πρωτότυπου, που ανήκει στον Σεβασμιώτατο Μητροπολίτη Νικήτα. Φιλοξενείται προσωρινά, στον νάρθηκα της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Νικολάου. Bρίσκεται επίσης στην πρώτη σελίδα της ιστοσελίδας: www.saintnicholas.org.
Εικονογραφήθηκε, με τις ευλογίες του Σεβασμιώτατου, με σκοπό να βοηθήσει τις Ιεραποστολικές Διακονίες στο έργο τους και θα δωρηθεί στο άτομο που θα προσφέρει τα περισσότερα, σε χρόνο, κόπο και υλική βοήθεια. Ο εικονογράφος ενεπνεύσθειαυτή την εικόνα από μία τοιχογραφία της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Νικολάου στη Θεσσαλονίκη.
INVITATION TO HONOR PETE CONSTANT
Honoring San Jose City Councilman Pete Constant + An Afternoon at The Hellenic Heritage Museum
Saturday, October 18, 1pm-6pm, Hellenic Heritage Institute, 1260 Senter Road, San Jose, CA - www.hhisj.org
Tour of the Museum, Barbeque Dinner, Presentation “A Greek American in the San Jose City Hall”. Donation $40 per person, children under 12 free. Proceeds to benefit the Hellenic Heritage Museum. For more information call Nick Stamatakis at: 510.537.4044 or Marina Moustakas at: 408.241.8662
FREE FLU VACCINATIONS
On Sunday, October 5, after the first and the second liturgies, we will hold a flu vaccine clinic in the Seniors Room in the small hall. Through the generosity of Walgreens and Theodora Panopulos, flu vaccinatiions (and pneumonia vaccinations for those 65 years of age and older) will be administered free-of-charge for the first 300 parishioners. Parishioners of age 7 and older are eligible. Children must be accompanied by their parent, and Seniors must bring their Medicare Part B Card.
OCTOBER BAY AREA GOYA
The next Bay Area GOYA gathering is October 10th at Laser Quest in Mountain View and a campfire to follow at Holy Cross in Belmont. This will be a great opportunity for more of our St. Nicholas Goyans to attend since it is nearby!
5:30pm - Meet at St Nicholas in the parking lot by the gym to carpool (bring signed carpool waiver)
6:00pm - Arrive at Laser Quest
8:00pm - Leave to head to Holy Cross in Belmont
8:30pm - Campfire, snacks, and fellowship at Holy Cross in Belmont
10:00pm - End of Event
$20 in cash or a check to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church. Nick Powell will be offering a carpool, meeting at St Nicholas at 5:30pm, but multiple carpool/chaperons from St Nicholas are welcome! Please make sure to fill out the Carpool permission slip in advance and bring it with you. Please RSVP by Tuesday Oct 7 to both Nick Powell and Johanna Duterte.
Address for Laser Quest: 1400 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94043
Address for Holy Cross Church: 900 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Belmont, CA 94002
CENTER OF HELLENIC EDUCATION NEWS
We are very happy to announce that we have completed all the evaluations and have placed the children in the appropriate level, based on their age and competency level in the Greek Language. All the children will go to their assigned classes. You will find the updated class rosters on the bill board, outside the school office.
Class schedule is as follows:
- Saturday, from 10am to Noon (for the two-day program) and to 12:30pm for the one students.
- Thursday, from 5pm to 7pm(for the two-day program) and to 7:30pm for the one day students.
We will appreciate your bringing your children, at least 10 min. before the starting time, so we can start the classes promptly. Thank you for all your love and devotion to our Greek Language program
ΚΑΛΗ ΑΡΧΗ!!!!
OLIVE OIL FOR THE MONASTERY
We had the opportunity to share some of our extra bottles of olive oil with the Monastery of the Holy Theotokos /the Life-Giving Spring in Dunlap. The Monastery has a great need for olive oil for the many kantelia (oil-burning vigils) which burn continuously throughout the year. Gerontissa Markella and all the Sisters were so happy and appreciative to receive this unexpected gift from us. We would like to continue this practice by providing olive oil to the Monastery on a regular basis. If you would like to participate in this unique and blessed project, we ask that you purchase only ONE bottle of Virgin Olive Oil once per month and bring the oil to the church office. Parishioners from St. Nicholas visit the monastery often and would be able to take the oil with them.
SAINT NICHOLAS HISTORY PROJECT
The History Project Committee welcomes all information that you can share about your own family's experiences, stories, photographs and any other memorabilia that you may have. A questionnaire that will help you has been prepared that you can take with you to complete and then mail to the church office.