Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Metropolis of Atlanta Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

255 Beauvoir Rd., Biloxi, MS 39531 P.O. Box 8534, Biloxi, MS 39535

(228) 388-6138 www.holytrinitybiloxi.org

June July August 2017 Newsletter

A Word from our Council President, George Yurchak It has been a beautiful summer when everyone has taken their vacations and the youth are back in school. This newsletter is a summer edition. The first two articles are tributes to John (Ioan) Curticapian who died in June. A few of our parishioners wrote a special tribute to their fathers for Fathers Day. John Demetrakopoulos was honored as the most senior father, and John Collins was honored as being the youngest father. Holy Trinity gave a special luncheon for the men of our congregation for Fathers Day. We celebrated Fr. George’s mother-in-law’s 100 year birthday in New Orleans. Holy Trinity continued with the Scopes for Hope fundraiser for a charity that supports terminally ill children. We also supported “Focus North America” school backpack program by giving twenty backpacks to needy kids. Holy Trinity purchased a mosaic of “The Holy Trinity” and installed it above our entrance. We also installed a new runner carpet in the church aisle. We also celebrated the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15. Two sets of parents were honored by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios for celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary. Finally plans for the International Christmas Festival and Pastry Sale are underway.

The greatest gift I had came from God: I call him Dad! --Anonymous

Tributes to John (Ioan) Curticapian

A Tribute by Camelia Ienciu Ioan came from a four children family. He has a

sister Maria and two brothers, Alexandru and Grigore. He was born September 2, 1973 in a village in Bistrita-Nasaud county, Romania, an area situated in the heart of the Transylvania region. He attended primary school in Tagu, his native locality, then he continued his secondary education in Bistrita, the profile of his studies being construction/buildings. A little bit later Ioan

requalified in the wood industry and also as an electrician. In Romania he worked from 1992 to 1994, when he finally decided to look for a more prosperous life, thus emigrating to Israel where he returned from in December 1996. At that time he was committed to emigrate to the USA, pursuing the dream of many Romanians. So, in the spring of 1997, he got to the USA. He has permanently kept in touch with his family and friends from Romania. He lost his father in 2013 and his mother is now eighty-nine.

If in 1997 his dream was the American Dream, 20 years later in 2017, his dream was to come back to his native country and meet his family again. Unfortunately, this great and last dream has not come true. His family is waiting for him with grief in their souls.

Ioan was faithful, devoted and loved being convinced, even from his childhood, that God and Jesus Christ exist and They surround us with infinite love. Ioan was also altruistic helping anyone who needed him. Moreover, he enjoyed fishing and playing soccer. When his nieces and nephews grew up, he was very fond and proud because they have succeeded in making a good life in their own country. A Tribute by George Yurchak

John came to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Biloxi, Mississippi in 2000 and attended services on and off depending on when his construction work was here in the Biloxi area. Sheila and I got to know John around 2011. One of our parishioners, Angelo Hagicostas, had been helping John with his Social Security Disability Claim and Workman’s Compensation claim due to his injury in Mobile, Alabama from an oil refinery explosion. The explosion exposed John to toxic chemicals which got into his body and caused damage to his health. He received Workman's Compensation for only eight months in 2012 and had been out of steady work since then.

Sheila and I then took over helping John with his claims and this is where we really got to know him. When I first met John, he stuttered and I had trouble understanding him. Sheila could understand John better than I, so she talked to him frequently about his problems. John needed help because he was out of work, not making any money and needed a place to stay. He came to the Church Council for help. Jerry Strickland, one of our council members, volunteered to let John stay with him at his house, at no cost. I also gave John a job in the Church so he could make some spending money.

John quickly became part of the Holy Trinity family and participated in most Church activities. John was truly a culinary expert and made many Romanian dishes for the people in the Church. But his specialty was Sarmale, Romanian stuffed cabbages, which I knew well growing up eating them my whole life. I called them Halupki since I am Russian Orthodox. His were delicious.

John attended our monthly “Glendi” parties at Greek restaurants owned by our parishioners. The Glendi was a chance for us to socialize away from the

Church in a relaxed and spirited manner. These were good times and John enjoyed them fully.

We had many concerts/dinners at Church and John made Sarmale at each. His Sarmale was the hit at our Christmas Festivals and always sold out. He loved the festivals because he got to work and talk with other Romanians who made “Mititai” and “Polenta” as well as being able to interact with the variety of people who came. John even tried to teach Sheila a Romanian folk dance at the festival.

Recently, I introduced him to other Romanians who came to our Church while visiting the area. He spoke to them in his native language, shared stories, took pictures, and laughed with them. John always had a smile on his face and loved our priest, Fr. Dean and his wife Elaine. For our 50th Anniversary Celebration at Holy Trinity, John baked a cake for Fr. Dean and gave his wife a bouquet of flowers.

Everything was finally coming together for John. He had settled his Workman's Compensation claim against the oil refinery for the explosion and his subsequent health problems. Finally after a long battle, he was at last receiving monthly Social Security disability checks. Most importantly, John was planning a trip home to Romania to visit his family, whom he had not seen in many years.

But then we lost John. When Sheila and I left Church on June 4 and were driving home, Jerry Strickland called to say John had died. I was in shock and Sheila was in tears. We had just lost a true friend. We wanted to see John's life take a turn for better, for his health to improve, and for him to remain our friend.

John enjoyed coming to Holy Trinity and being with his Orthodox family. Everyone here is deeply saddened that John is no longer with us. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family in Romania. May John's memory be eternal.

Father's Day Tributes George Yurchak to his father George Yurchak, Sr

I have the fondest memories of my father as we go through this thing called life. My father gave me the greatest gift a son could receive. He believed in me. His humble roots from the coal mining town of Coaldale, Pennsylvania guided him throughout his life – God, Country and Family – the three most important things. He sacrificed for me, and with my father, that is where the magic began 66 years ago in that little town called Coaldale.

Nataliya Petrovska-Molsbee's tribute to her father Valeriy Petrovskiy

My dear Father, who is in heaven, thank you for giving this precious life to me. I will try to do my best. I will remember him all my life and I hope that he is proud of me and my sister. Happy Father's Day, Daddy . . . From Oleksandra Petrovska Tribute to my father, Valeriy Petrovska

Father, a long time ago I wanted to say how I found it hard to lose you from my life. I know when we lose loved ones, we lose a part of ourselves. I find it easier to live with the belief that there is heaven: And there it all is. I believe you are flying somewhere above the ground, on a huge beautiful ship. You look down at the world and me. This image as my icon floating above me. Father is greatness, courage, strength and goodness. Father is immutable, like a guiding star. Thank you for the gift – the life you gave to my sister and me. Angelos Vamvakas' tribute to his father Vasileios Vamvakas

Vasileios Vamvakas was born in Constantinople, Turkey to a Greek family in 1906. Following the defeat of the Greek Armed Forces in Turkey in 1922 and the subsequent Turkish legislation to draft all Turkish citizens to the Turkish Armed Forces regardless of their ethnicity, he left Turkey in 1924 and came to Greece to avoid the draft. He got married to Penelope Papapanayotou and had two children, Ioannis and Angelos. Well educated and fluent in 4 languages, he became a bank employee and following WW II worked for the United Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and for the USA Embassy in Athens. He passed away in peace on 1/1/1983, commemoration day of St. Vasileios (Basil) the Great.

Elizabeth Vamvakas' tribute to her father Anton Chrysafis

Anton Chrysafis was born in Jaffa, Palestine in 1908 to a Greek family from Lemnos. He married Zahia Azar and had 11 children one of whom is Elizabeth Vamvakas. He worked for the British Army in Palestine and became a British citizen. After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 he left his home with his family and lived in Egypt. In 1970 he immigrated to the USA. He was a devout Orthodox Christian and passed away in peace in 1980.

Sheila Hemenway-Yurchak to her father Colin Hemenway My father, Colin Hemenway, was a great example of

what it takes to be a good father: strength, compassion, humor, and love. Dad loved gardening, cooking and playing Scrabble – activities that kept him close at home. He had experienced many hardships and family turmoil in his early life. When he had his own family, he was determined to give his children security and stability, and to always be there for his family. Thank you Dad for taking good care of us! Lefteri and Costas Vganges to their father, Spiro Vganges

Lefteri said that his dad really cares about us, helps us be better people, comforts us when we are sad, and is funny when we are in a bad mood.

Costas said his dad is awesome, that he helps with everything we need, and helps us with all of our computer stuff.

Father’s Day From among the fathers in attendance on Father’s Day, John (Yanni) Demetrakopoulos had the honor of being selected as the most senior father and John Collins had the honor of being the youngest father. Fr Ezekiel presented John and John with a 50th Anniversary mug as well as a bottle of Dad’s Root Beer. All the other fathers/men in attendance also received a bottle of Dad’s Root Beer. Father’s Day Luncheon Holy Trinity celebrated Father’s Day with a delicious luncheon prepared for all the fathers and men of Holy Trinity.

Mosaic of Holy Trinity Sheila Yurchak received approval from the Parish General Assembly to special order a handmade mosaic of the Holy Trinity for the outside of our Church above the entrance. Sheila researched the different types of icon mosaics online and chose a company in Lebanon that specializes in religious icon mosaics. Fr. Dean suggested we duplicate the image of the Holy Trinity from our iconostasis so that the mosaic would match the painting. The resulting mosaic is beautiful and is installed above the front door.

New Aisle Carpet In June a new aisle carpet was installed in the Church, to replace the existing one which had seen a better day. The cost of the carpet was an anonymous gift presented to the Ladies of the Agape, who worked together as a group to choose a burgundy carpet with a textured pattern. Everyone seems to be pleased with our new carpet and hopefully it will last many years.

100 Year Birthday Celebration of Fr George’s Mother-in-Law Mary (Vathis) Pepps George and Sheila Yurchak, Chrysanthi Beach and Fanoula Christidis from Holy Trinity attended the 100 year birthday celebration for Mary Vathis Pepps, Fr George’s mother-in-law. The event was held at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Orleans. The dinner and Greek dancing were wonderful, with Ms. Mary taking a turn on the dance floor while everyone cheered her on.

“Scoops for Hope” Program Holy Trinity continued with its “Scoops for Hope” Program in conjunction with the National Ice Cream Month in July. We served ice cream during our Fellowship Hour after each Divine Liturgy during the month of July and asked parishioners to donate to this program. All donations will go to a charity that supports terminally ill children. That charity is Children-Make-A-Wish Foundation. Focus North America School Backpack Program Holy Trinity continued with supporting Focus North America’s School Backpack Program which provides school backpacks filled with school items. The filled backpacks are given to students that can’t afford buying these items.

George Contas donated the cost of the backpacks and parishioners donated toward the school supplies that went into the backpacks. Nancy Malek and Virginia Freeman helped will the backpacks with school supplies. The school backpacks were provided to the Biloxi School System to pass out to the disadvantaged school children from middle schools. A great program which Holy Trinity will continue each year. We received a letter of thanks from Focus North America.

Dormition of the Theotokos Fr Ezekiel celebrated Divine Liturgy of the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15 at Holy Trinity.

In preparation for the Divine Liturgy, Nancy Malek, Karen Bridges, Akaterina Vamvakas, Fanoula Christidis, Eleni Vganges, Medea Ghurtskaia, and Sheila Yurchak decorated the Kovolukion on Monday August 14. The used white baby’s breath, white carnations and red roses to decorate the Kovolukion for the Theotokos services.

His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios Honors Two Couples on 70th Anniversary His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios honored the Magiros and Yurchaks with a congratulatory letter. Both couples were grateful to receive it. Who says you can't find a “Pot of Gold” at the end of a rainbow?

Two sets of couples found that “Pot of Gold” and each other in 1947 when they were married. George Yurchak's parents, George & Helen Yurchak, and Evie Magiros's parents, John and Minnie Magiros have just celebrated their 70th

Wedding Anniversary. The Yurchaks and Magiros's said it was love at first sight and that they had finally found their soul mate. Their love for each other has endured for Seventy years, through the good times and some not so good – but their love has never faded and only grew stronger. George and Helen (Harahuess) Yurchak are Russian Orthodox whose relatives immigrated to the United States and settled in the coal mining towns of Coaldale and Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania. They met because George’s brothers were dating Helen’s sisters. George decided to go

on a date and it was love at first sight for both of them. They soon married and moved to Rhode Island because George was in the Navy. Today they live in Arlington Virgina in a home they’ve owned since the 1960s.

John and Minnie Magiros are Greek Orthodox whose relatives immigrated from Greece and settled in Mary-land, where they remain today.

Both our moms and dads are wonderful par-ents and great teachers who loved their children. They taught us im-portant work ethics, re-sponsibility, loyalty and especially how to love. They have always been there for their children.

It is a most wonderful thing to have parents who are a great team, who com-plement each other, and are devoted to each other, their family and their Orthodox faith.

The Yurchaks and Magiros's have similarities throughout their lives. They married in 1947, August and June respectively. Both dads served in the US Navy during World War II. Both moms were housewives, Helen working in a florist shop and Minnie in the family-run pharmacy. George Yurchak went to work for the US Marshall's Service when he retired from the US Navy and John Magiros became a pharmacist and ran his family's pharmacy.

The Yurchaks have 2 children - George and Marlene, 3 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. The Magiros' have 3 children – Anne, Evie, and George, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Our parents have fantastic personalities and are a joy to be with. It is an extraordinary experience to have outstanding parents and I and Evie look forward to visiting them as often as we can, as they grow older through their “Golden Years.” Through their faith, their marriages have endured for Seventy years and “May God Grant Them Many More Years.

The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person.

You know they're right if you love to be with them all the time.

--Julia Child

When a man dances with a woman, He should display her to the room like a beautiful flower

- Fred Astaire