Transfiguration of Our Saviour Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-03-30
Bulletin Contents
Announcements
Weekly Inserts
Weekly Calendar
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Hymns of the Day
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts

Organization Icon
Transfiguration of Our Saviour Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (978) 458-4321
  • Street Address:

  • 25 Fr. John Sarantos Way

  • Lowell, MA 01854
  • Mailing Address:

  • 25 Fr. John Sarantos Way

  • Lowell, MA 01854

Contact Information

Proistamenos Fr. Gregory Floor


[email protected] | 978-458-4321

Fr. John Vaporis


[email protected]

Services Schedule

Sunday Schedule:

Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.

Bible Study:

Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m.

Past Bulletins


Announcements

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

Today’s Fellowship is being sponsored by the Tsaknopoulos family in honor of the chrismation of Joanna Tsaknopoulos, Ashley Longacre and Jack Henry. Everyone is welcome to join us for Fellowship following Liturgy. 

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday of Lazarus, April 12th – Liturgy at 9:30 followed by Palms & Pancakes

Palm Sunday, April 13th – Please join us for a traditional fish dinner and fellowship. Be sure to make your reservation by clicking on this link Transfiguration Palm Sunday Luncheon 2025 or scan the QR code on the flyer in the Narthex.

Holy Friday, April 18th – Royal Hours 9:00 am – 10:00 am and Family Retreat 10:30 am – 2:00 pm

Greek Night at the Red Sox, June 10th – More info to follow.

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS

KOULOURAKIA SALES - The Philoptochos Ladies are selling koulourakia beginning Sunday, March 30th in the Lower Lobby for $10 a dozen. All proceeds benefit the Philoxenia House, a ministry of the Metropolis of Boston. Philoxenia House embraces people who find themselves in Boston for medical reasons.

SCHOLARSHIP -Scholarship applications are available on-line (transfigurationlowell.org) for graduating high school seniors planning on attending college in the fall.  For further questions contact Pat Mahoney ([email protected]) or 978-436-0998.  The deadline for applications is May 1st.

This year is Election Year, which brings a unique opportunity for growth and renewal within our organization. In May, a new Board will be elected for a two-year term.  We want to extend a heartfelt invitation to members to consider taking an active role in shaping the future of our beloved Philoptochos. Serving on the Board is a unique and rewarding opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve and to help guide the mission of our chapter.  More information to follow.

FESTIVAL INFORMATION 

Volunteers needed in all areas! Please consider helping make our Grecian Festival successful by donating your time. Sign-up sheets are posted in the Church Hall, or you can use this link to sign up online. If you have any questions, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Martha Coravos at (978) 697-9393. Thank you in advance for your help!

LTLC

The Transfiguration Parish family hosts dinner at the Lowell Transitional Living Center on the second Saturday of each month. The opportunity to serve dinner is open to all parishioners. Please consider signing up on the poster in the church hall. Thank you to all who have signed on to help.

STEWARDSHIP UPDATE

Right now, we’re covering 53% of our monthly expenses through your generous stewardship, and we’re so grateful for every contribution! But we’re not stopping there—our goal is 100%. When we hit that milestone, we will be able to use extra funds from events like our Greek Festival and Golf Tournament to go towards even more outreach opportunities, helping us make an even bigger impact in our community!


Save the Date!

Grecian Festival

May 30 – June 1 

  

 Trinity votive candles (To Sponsor a Candle please call the Church Office.)

†Vigil Light at the Side Altar (Icon of the Theotokos): In Loving Memory of all our loved ones. Memory eternal!
†Vigil Light at the Icon of Christ: In Loving Memory of Deborah Victoria Skrekas and George and Avra Skrekas
†Vigil Light at the Theotokos: In Loving Memory of Ioannis "John" Zaralidis - from his family
†Vigil Light at the Icon of the Forerunner: Available
†Vigil Light at the Foot of the Holy Cross: In Loving Memory of George Tsoukalas - from his family

  

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Weekly Inserts

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Weekly Calendar

Sunday, March 30  SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS        
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am 
Chrismation – Joanna Tsaknopoulos
Chrismation – Ashley Longacre
Chrismation – Jack Henry

Monday, March 31
Compline, 6:00 pm

Wednesday, April 2
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 6:00 pm
 Lenten Meal hosted by GOYA to follow

Friday, April 4
Akathist Hymn, 6:00 pm

Saturday, April 5
LTLC Meal

Sunday, April 6  SUNDAY OF ST. MARY OF EGYPT                     
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am
5 Year Memorial for Efstratios Gavriil                                     
5 Year Memorial for Anthi Gavriil
Monthly Trisagion           
Parish Assembly

 

TODAY’S PARISH COUNCIL:  Valerie Diggs, Chris Tsaknopoulos & Peter Gavriil

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 7                            
Compline, 6:00 pm

April 9
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy - Meal to follow, 6:00 pm 

April 12                                
Saturday of Lazarus – Liturgy. 9:30 am
Palms & Pancakes following Liturgy

April 13                               
Palm Sunday
Bridegroom Service, 6:30 pm

April 14                                  
Holy Monday
Bridegroom Service, 6:30 pm

April 15
Holy Tuesday                               
Bridegroom Service (Hymn of Kassiani), 6:30 pm

April 16
Holy Wednesday
Holy Unction Service (Children Encouraged to attend), 3:00 pm
Bridegroom Service & Anointing with Holy Unction, 6:30 pm

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20.

BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Grave Mode

By the cross, O Lord, you destroyed death; to the thief you opened paradise. The myrrhbearers' sorrow you transformed into joy, and you sent your apostles forth to proclaim that you had risen from the dead, Christ our God, bestowing on all the world your great mercy.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Kevin Lawrence


Apolytikion for Sun. of St. John Climacus in the Plagal Fourth Mode

With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O John, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press


Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Victorious Lady, mighty champion, defending us, we, your servants, now inscribe to you this hymn of thanks, for you rescued us from suff'ring and tribulation. Theotokos, with your power that can never fail, keep us safe from ev'ry danger our whole life long, that we may cry to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Kevin Lawrence


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Wisdom of the Fathers

Seest thou how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ... See, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he that is praying as he ought, and fasting, hath not many wants, and he that hath not many wants, cannot be covetous; ...
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

... he that is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

March 30

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent

This Saint gave himself over to the ascetical life from his early youth. Experienced both in the solitary life of the hermit and in the communal life of cenobitic monasticism, he was appointed Abbot of the Monastery at Mount Sinai and wrote a book containing thirty homilies on virtue. Each homily deals with one virtue, and progressing from those that deal with holy and righteous activity (praxis) unto those that deal with divine vision (theoria), they raise a man up as though by means of steps unto the height of Heaven. For this cause his work is called "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." The day he was made Abbot of Sinai, the Prophet Moses was seen giving commands to those who served at table. Saint John reposed in 603, at eighty years of age. See also the Fourth Sunday of the Fast.

March 31

Hypatios the Wonderworker

This Saint, who was from Cilicia of Asia Minor, became Bishop of Gangra, the capital of Paphlagonia. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council. Because of his confession of the Orthodox Faith, he was put to death by the Novatians, a sect which denied that sins committed after Baptism could be forgiven.

April 01

Mary of Egypt

When Mary was only twelve years old, she left her parents and departed to Alexandria, where she lived a depraved life for seventeen years. Then, moved by curiosity, she went with many pilgrims to Jerusalem, that she might see the Exaltation of the venerable Cross. Even in the Holy City she gave herself over to every kind of licentiousness and drew many into the depth of perdition. Desiring to go into the church on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, time and again she perceived a certain invisible power preventing her entrance, whereas the multitude of people about her entered unhindered. Therefore, wounded in heart by this, she decided to change her way of life and reconcile herself to God by means of repentance. Invoking our Lady the Theotokos as her protectress, she asked her to open the way for her to worship the Cross, and vowed that she would renounce the world. And thus, returning once again to the church, she entered easily. When she had worshipped the precious Wood, she departed that same day from Jerusalem and passed over the Jordan. She went into the inner wilderness and for forty-seven years lived a most harsh manner of life, surpassing human strength; alone, she prayed to God alone. Toward the end of her life, she met a certain hermit named Zosimas, and she related to him her life from the beginning. She requested of him to bring her the immaculate Mysteries that she might partake of them. According to her request, he did this the following year on Holy and Great Thursday. One year after this, Zosimas again went thither and found her dead, laid upon the ground, and letters written in the sand near her which said: "Abba Zosimas, bury here the body of wretched Mary. I died on the very day I partook of the immaculate Mysteries. Pray for me." Her death is reckoned by some to have taken place in 378, by some, in 437, and by others, in 522. She is commemorated also on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. Her life was recorded by Saint Sophronius of Jerusalem.

April 02

Titus the Wonderworker

Little is known of this Saint except that he took up the monastic life from his youth, became the abbot of a monastery, and reposed in peace.

April 03

Nikitas the Confesor

Saint Nicetas lived in the eighth century and became the Abbot of the Monastery of Medicium, which was near the city of Triglia on the Sea of Marmara. For his Orthodox confession of the veneration of the holy icons, he was persecuted and exiled twice by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Armenian, but recalled by Michael the Stutterer, and reposed, adorned with the twofold crown of holiness and of confession of the Orthodox Faith, about the year 824.

April 04

George the Righteous of Maleon

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth, and went to Mount Maleon, where a community of monks gathered about him. He foretold his death from three years before, and reposed in an odour of sanctity.

April 05

Monk-Martyrs Claudius, Diodore, Victor, Victorinus, Pappias, Nicephorus, and Serapion

Of these Martyrs, Saint Claudius died when his arms and legs were severed; Saint Diodore was burned alive; Saints Victor, Victorinus, and Nicephorus were crushed to death by a large boulder; Saint Serapion was burned alive; Saint Pappias was cast into the sea. According to some accounts, they contested in Corinth under Decius in 251; according to others, in Diospolis in Egypt under Numerian in 284.

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