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Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church 1001 East Wyomissing Boulevard Reading, PA 19611

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NON-PROFIT ORG.

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PAID Reading, PA

Permit No. 101

St. Constantine & Helen- Equal to the Apostles

(Feast Day May 21)

In 312, St. Constantine marched into Italy, where, while at the head of his troops, he saw in the sky after midday, beneath the sun, a radiant pillar in the form of a cross with the words: "By this shalt thou conquer." The following night, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him in a dream and declared to him the power of the Cross and its significance. When he arose in the morning, he immediately ordered that a labarum be made (which is a banner or standard of victory over the enemy) in the form of a cross, and he inscribed on it the Name of Jesus Christ. On the 29th of October, Constantine entered Rome in triumph and was proclaimed Emperor of the West by the Senate, while Licinius, his brother-in-law, ruled in the East. But out of malice, Licinius later persecuted the Christians. Constantine fought him once and again, and utterly destroyed him in 324, and in this manner he became monarch over the West and the East. Under him and because

of him all the persecutions against the Church ceased. Christianity triumphed and idolatry was overthrown. In 325 he gathered the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, which he himself personally addressed. In 324, in the ancient city of Byzantium, he laid the foundations of the new capital of his realm, and solemnly inaugurated it on May 11, 330, naming it after himself, Constantinople. Since the throne of the imperial rule was transferred thither from Rome, it was named New Rome, the inhabitants of its domain were called Romans, and it was considered the continuation of the Roman Empire. Falling ill near Nicomedia, he requested to receive divine Baptism, according to Eusebius (The Life of Constantine. Book IV, 61-62), and also according to Socrates and Sozomen; and when he had been deemed worthy of the Holy Mysteries, he reposed in 337, on May 21 or 22, the day of Pentecost, having lived sixty-five years, of which he ruled for thirty-one years. His remains were transferred to Constantinople and were deposed in the Church of the Holy Apostles, which had been built by him (see Homily XXVI on Second Corinthians by Saint John Chrysostom). As for his holy mother Helen, after her son had made the Faith of Christ triumphant throughout the Roman Empire, she undertook a journey to Jerusalem and found the Holy Cross on which our Lord was crucified (see Sept. 13 and 14). After this, Saint Helen, in her zeal to glorify Christ, erected churches in Jerusalem at the sites of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, in Bethlehem at the cave where our Saviour was born, another on the Mount of Olives whence He ascended into Heaven, and many others throughout the Holy Land, Cyprus, and elsewhere. She was proclaimed Augusta, her image was stamped upon golden coins, and two cities were named Helenopolis after her in Bithynia and in Palestine. Having been thus glorified for her piety, she departed to the Lord being about eighty years of age, according to some in the year 330, according to others, in 336.

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The Community Echo - Η ΚΟΙΝΟΤΙΚΗ ΗΧΩ - MAY 2020

Inside this issue:

Jesus Christ 1, 9

Church Information 2

A Message from Fr. Theodore 3

Orthodoxy in America– What

Can We Learn from Baseball? 4-5

A Saint of Our Own Times 6-8

Covid Resources, Our P.A.R.T. 10

Membership Update & News 11

Parish Council Message 12

Philoptochos News 13

AHEPA Update 14

Young Adults/GOYA/JOY 15

Church School 16

Our Life in Christ 17

Memorial Donations 18

The Last Word & Project Mexico 19

Sts. Constantine & Helen 20

JESUS CHRIST An excerpt from The Power of the Name: The History and Practices

of the Jesus Prayer written by Alphonse and Rachel Goettmann

After thirty years of silence, when Jesus spoke for the first time in public while “all eyes were upon him” full of long waiting, the first words which He pronounced were: “The Spirit of God is upon Me” (Lk. 4:16). Then “the time had fully come” (Gal. 4:4). In Jesus appears the hope of the poor who have searched for the thousands of years of the Old Testament to name this unnameable power which animates everything: “wind, breath of life.” Here it is, finding no obstacle or rejection in Jesus, finally showing its true face in the coming of Christ. Through His gaze, His gestures, His words, the whole life and activity of Jesus, it deploys a hurricane which will put the past in full light and will open a radically different era. This power, this breath henceforth has a name: the Spirit of the Lord Jesus!

Until then, no one possessed the Spirit as He does, “beyond all measure” (Jn. 3:34), but now every person is invited to live in that same transparence (Jn. 3:5). From the very first moment that the Spirit inhabits Jesus, from the breast of His mother whom “the power of the Most High will overshadow” (Lk. 1:35) to His resurrection, His whole life moves under the guidance of the Spirit. During His baptism at the Jordan River, the Spirit reveals to the world that it is Jesus, the promised Messiah (Lk. 3:22), the lamb offered in sacrifice for our sins (Jn. 1:29) and the beloved Son of the Father (Mk. 1:11). Then, “full of the Holy Spirit,” Jesus is led into the desert (Lk. 4:1). His mission begins: under this powerful impulse, He confronts the demon, frees His victims (Mt. 12:28), travels across the country, performs miracles, conquers evil and death, speaks “with authority,” manifests everywhere an extraordinary familiarity with God His Father and unveils His way of being. It is also in the Spirit that He “rejoices” (Lk. 10:21), and that He is “deeply moved and troubled” (Jn. 11:33). Finally at the moment of His death, He “gives up His spirit” (Jn. 19:30), which is the prelude to the outpouring of the Spirit upon all humanity.

What are the ways of God hidden under these actions and gestures of Jesus, and what do they announce? Freedom! His name- Savior, Liberator—and His message intermingle: “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to preach

(Continued on page 9)

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Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church

Our Mission Statement:

We are called by our Lord Jesus Christ to love God and our neighbor, to become one as a

community of believers and to strive for theosis (oneness with God). Our Mission as a parish

is to acknowledge and embrace our Lord’s calling and by doing so live our life daily guided

by the four pillars of Orthodox Christianity: Litourgia (worship), Martyria (witness),

Koinonia (fellowship), and Diakonia (service).

Church Information:

Phone Number: (610) 374-7511 FAX Number: (610) 374-5890 Office Hours: 9:00 AM -4:00 PM

stsconstantinehelen.org

Parish Council:

Chris Dikos, President Cell: (610) 223-2828 Email: cdikos@janney.com Sal Caloiero, Andrew Cammarano, Marian Cheri, Ion Cracium, Christ

Kraras, Thomas Crassas, Athan Dialectos, Steve Elliker, Angel

Helm, Anthony Koumaras, Christ Kraras, Gus Kotsakis, John

Lountzis, Strat Marmarou, Shawn Moliatu, Tony Phyrillas, Kim

Shunk, Chris Wagner, Christy Weeber

Clergy & Church Staff:

Fr. Theodore Petrides Cell: (570) 713-7095 Email: papatheodore@gmail.com Deacon James Elliker Cell: (610) 507-9233 Constantine Alexandrides Cell: 610-944-4894 Email: cdalexandrides@gmail.com Laura Clemens, Secretary

Email: office@stsconstantinehelen.org

Organization: NAME: CONTACT:

Adult Greek School Filippia Zeppos (610) 334– 4822

Altar Care Alan Kachel

Peter Patestas

(610) 223– 6470

(610) 823– 9387

Chanters Constantine Alexandrides

Petroula Mitsiopoulos

Evangelos Moutafis

(610) 944– 4894

Children’s Library Amy Elliker (610) 913-1223

Choir Director Ann Kraras (610) 376– 2184

Church Bookstore Chris Dialectos

Dawn Medaglia

(610) 373– 7702

(610) 823– 9472

Epistle Reader Karl Krohn (610) 779– 5223

Fellowship Hour

Coordinator

Vangie McGowan (610) 779– 1402

Greek School Teachers Michael & Vanessa Ma-

vreles

(610) 779– 7356

GOYA Advisors Chris & Stefanie Wagner (610) 775– 7171

Kitchen Crew Stam Zervanos (610) 376– 4306

Knitting Ministry Fran Ioannidi (610) 223– 3898

Koleva Coordinator Lyvia Petris (484) 794– 1358

Liturgical Music Teach-

ers

Presvytera Anne Pappalas

Mary Dialectos

(610) 478– 7001

Opportunity House Karen Chaknos (610) 777– 7384

Order of AHEPA George Giovanis (610) 775– 9602

Philoptocohos Vlacia Campbell

(President)

(610) 929– 0918

vzc11@aol.com

Sunday School Marisa Hunsicker (610) 376– 2927

Vacation Bible School Amy Elliker

Marisa Hunsicker

(610) 913-1223

(610) 376– 2927

PARISH ORGANIZATIONS

OFFICE VOLUNTEERS:

(Des Denne, B. Futrick, J. Giovanis, G. Karahalias, F. Ioannidi, S. Ioannidi, E.

Ioannidi, P. Orphanos, V. Tsakeris, R. Sar-aceni, P. Zampelli, L. Goodhart, J. Comins, M. Pettis, M. Sianis, V. Petrakis, M. Cheri,

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Our Project Mexico Our Project Mexico Our Project Mexico

Team Team Team

Our Project Mexico team has learned Our Project Mexico team has learned Our Project Mexico team has learned that as of right now, teams are still wel-that as of right now, teams are still wel-that as of right now, teams are still wel-

comed to come and build homes, though comed to come and build homes, though comed to come and build homes, though the number of homes for the summer the number of homes for the summer the number of homes for the summer has been reduced from 25 to 17. We has been reduced from 25 to 17. We has been reduced from 25 to 17. We

have been given a few options: stay with have been given a few options: stay with have been given a few options: stay with our scheduled build this year, receive our scheduled build this year, receive our scheduled build this year, receive back our funds we have raised and do back our funds we have raised and do back our funds we have raised and do something locally instead, or postpone something locally instead, or postpone something locally instead, or postpone our trip to later in the summer or next our trip to later in the summer or next our trip to later in the summer or next

year. We will meet in the next few weeks year. We will meet in the next few weeks year. We will meet in the next few weeks via ZOOM and make a decision as a team via ZOOM and make a decision as a team via ZOOM and make a decision as a team once we have a clearer idea of the situa-once we have a clearer idea of the situa-once we have a clearer idea of the situa-

tion here and there. Stay tuned!tion here and there. Stay tuned!tion here and there. Stay tuned!

THE LAST WORD

A Simple “Thank You!”

Xristos Anesti!

Our Church family here at Sts. Constantine and Helen just celebrated a Holy Week and Easter weekend like no other. The corona-virus pandemic prevented parishioners in and around Berks County from gathering and worshipping together. Thankfully our Church streamed the many beautiful Easter week ser-vices online, offering some hope and a small amount of connection as our community re-mained in their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Right before our Easter celebration, each parishioner was sent an Easter Offering letter with a plea to “financially support our Church during this time of crisis. We asked for assistance to try to minimize the loss of financial support we would experience from closing down the Church to all parishioners during this time where tray donations and candle purchases peak for the entire year…..

WE ASKED AND YOU ANSWERED! THANK YOU! We simply want to say thank you for the impactful response we received to our donation request. Our Church received $14,930.00 to date from 121 families. Your generous giving during this time is an act of worship and the over-flow of a grateful heart. Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Thank you for being such a generous giver!

Angel Helm, Stewardship Chair

The Bad News

As of April 25th, 22 million to 26 million people have filed for unemployment compensation in the United States. This translates to an approximate 18% to 20% rate of unemployment. During the Great Depression, the unemployment rate in 1933 was 25%. These are daunting figures.

Furthermore, our country is severely divided on everything regarding the handling of the coronavirus crisis. Television and social media are exploding with ferocity and a lack of compassion and sensitivity towards our fellow men. The schism is frightening because there is no middle ground, no compromise and no yielding on either side.

Fear engulfs us. FEAR of dying because you are lying in a hospital on a ventilator alone wondering if your time has come. FEAR of contracting the virus because you are extremely sick already and this virus could just literally kill you. FEAR of losing everything you have worked for all your life. The list is endless.

At this point, you are probably thinking, yes, you are right but what does this have to do with stewardship? The word steward means “in custody of”. As Christians, we recognize that our abilities, our possessions and our lives are gifts from God. We are stewards not kings. {In the movie “The Lord of the Rings, the Return of the King” Gandalf the White reminded Denethor of Gondor in a condescending manner that Denethor is a steward not a king.}

The Good News

Stewardship is a choice of contemplation and action. We contemplate all that God has given us and then act upon how our hearts direct us to respond to Him in gratitude. The Holy Spirit moves us in different ways and, as a result, our giving is not all the same. Yet, my parish family, this is not a time for any of us to be idle towards God. We all need to PRAY and courageously face our fears. So, since many of us are in a mandated stay at home order from the government, let us use this time to draw ourselves closer to our King and Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. If we are secure financially, let us GIVE of ourselves to others and to our church in this time of need remembering the words of the Lord, “Give, and it shall be given to you”. Luke 6:38 If we are struggling with our health, let us GIVE ourselves to prayer and, as I Peter 5:10 says, “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

If we are worrying like crazy because of the uncertainty of tomorrow, let us GIVE our worries to Him as Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden unto the Lord and He will sustain you.” Let us open our wounded hearts so the Lord can guide us and comfort us through these times with His love and His light.

May God bless all the parishioners of our church and our community and keep us all safe.

Soula Phyrillas, Stewardship Committee Member

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Remember in Prayer

Please remember in prayer parishioners who

are in nursing homes and retirement

communities, the home-bound, and those

convalescing: Ruth Anthony, Katerina

Aviagianou, Kalliope English, James & Christine

Georgeadis, James Graham, Charles Kafadelis,

George Kakalelis, Mary Kontazes, Anna

Koumaras, Irene Loose, Joanne Marmarou, Helen

Nicholas, Sandy Odagis, Kalliope Pappas,

Sebastian Ulrich, Peter Xenias, Catherine Zaharis

And those hospitalized in the month of April: Isidoris Frangakis, Niki Kasapidis, James Georgeadis

Community News

Our sympathy to the family of:

Sandra Clark who passed into eternal life on April 6, 2020.

~ Eternal be her memory ~

Memorial Donations

April 2020

The parish of Sts. Constantine and Helen is extremely

grateful to all the people who generously donate

money in memory of their loved ones.

In Memory of Marina Baxewanis: Maria & Dennis Karahalias, Katherine

In Memory of Alex John Zervanos: Evan & Sandra Zervanos

In Memory of Jessica Hamaker: Maria & Dennis Karahalias

In Memory of Stratton Stefanowicz: Stefanie, Ed & Mercena Breen

In Memory of George Yatron: Stam & Joyce Stervanos, Chris & Ann Kraras, Michael, Elizabeth & Ralli Miller, Kim & Elaine Shunk

In Memory of Jennifer Mowbary Charles Mowbary

In Memory of Angelo & Effie Kyrmas Kenneth & Deedee Klein

In Memory of Sandra & Douglas Clark Steve & Nancy Marmarou, Stam & Joyce Zervanos, Chris & Ann Kraras, Marian Cheri

In Memory of Pavlo Kitixis John & Despina Frangakis

In memory of Bob & Maria Care Joanne Dialectos, Scott & Angel Helm

In Memory of George Dialectos Joanne Dialectos, Scott & Angel Helm

In Memory of Gus Kraras Joanne Dialectos, Scott & Angel Helm, Lee & Patsy Snyder

In Memory of Panagiotis Katsanis Joanne Dialectos, Scott & Angel Helm

In Memory of Michael Marmarou

Constantina Marmarou

Saturday of the Souls Offering:

Constance Marmarou

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A MESSAGE FROM FR. THEODORE “The Easter of Christ is the eternal youth of the world”

Dear Sts. Constantine & Helen Families,

Christ is Risen! I remember the words of a wise priest who once said to me that, usually, when we find ourselves at

an impasse in life, we don’t need to change something major, we just need to do a ‘minor’ adjustment. We may be

tempted to think that we are not able to handle the struggles which this crisis has thrust upon us, but we can and are

adjusting. Great and Holy Week and Pascha were not how we would have chosen, but we adjusted. We streamed

our services on facebook and followed along as best we could from home. Some of us made our own ‘home’

kouvouklions (sepulchers) and processed them around the house! We lit candles at Anastasi and sang in unison

with the screen, Christ is risen from the dead…! Perhaps we did not have the big family reunions to which we were

looking forward, but we did touch base in some way with all of our loved ones.

We have had to adjust our working situation and environment. For some this was not at all difficult and they are

finding that working from home has been enjoyable. For others, being out of work or having to close down their

businesses has been more traumatic, but they are managing to keep their heads above water and are grateful for the

stimulus assistance coming from the government. For those who are working in life- sustaining vocations there

have also been adjustments in how we do what we do, and how much we are having to do. Yet, each day has come

and gone as before, and we forge ahead.

This reminds me of a quote of Elder Ephraim of Arizona which we had placed in a previous issue of the ECHO:

“Grief will succeed joy, and joy, grief, just as night follows day. This is how the Father of lights has established the

path of those who are being saved. Just have patience and hope: engrave these in the depths of your heart—with

these, all adversities will be faced.”

We are being asked to persevere. The Lord told us, “By your patient endurance you will save your souls”. Listen

to these words of St. Raphael the newly-appeared Martyr of Mytilene, which he spoke 500 years after his

martyrdom when he appeared to Vasiliki Rallis from “the other side” –from heaven:

The path of Christ is somewhat difficult, but with patience, will, and humility one makes progress... It

involves tribulation and suffering, without which it is not possible for one to find the path open for the

benefit of his soul.

What we all need is to keep our eyes looking ahead. This pandemic too will pass. It has been for the benefit of our

souls. A new Life has been opened to us through and in the Church, the life of Christ, which always starts with the

Cross but always ends with the Resurrection. We may be experiencing tribulations and adversities now, but one

day soon, we will find ourselves on the other side of this crisis—this judgement—and thank God for what it taught

and did for us.

A few things that I have learned this past month are that we have very dedicated and service-oriented leaders in our

community; we have parishioners who are very giving of their time and talents to those around them; we have very

gifted volunteers who stepped in and helped us transition to digital ministry; we have generous donors who rose to

the occasion and gave sacrificially to their beloved church and their God; and, we have creative teachers and choir

members who did not let social distancing keep them from blessing us with their gifts of wisdom and song.

We have a bright future because, “in the life of Jesus everything finally culminates in the extraordinary overthrowing and radical renewal which His resurrection introduces… God in Jesus Christ has crossed over the abyss of death and He draws us out of our hell… toward a complete recreation of the universe and of ourselves. The Easter of Christ is the eternal youth of the world, it is our youth rediscovered, not as a memory but as future. The decaying world is abolished, eternity is at the heart of time, suffering and death are absorbed by life and the ultimate meaning of all things is revealed in the light and the splendor which spring forth from the face of the resurrected One.” [See front page for article].

Let us go forth and meet Him!

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Orthodoxy claims to be universal – not something exotic… but simple Christianity. Bishop Kallitsos Ware

I have always been intrigued by the way Orthodoxy has grown through time. It has tended to follow civilizations and nations and timeframes. It can respect, adopt or adapt culture, celebrating its finest and setting aside it’s dangers. The reason it can do this is because the Church, through centuries of guidance by the Holy Spirit through the councils of bishops, and with the consent of the laity, knows who She is – the Bride of Christ. As any bride can attest – she knows what will enhance and what will detract from her wedding and her household.

We find ourselves in America, the result of many immigrant sacrifices over the last few centuries, carrying a mantel of ancient faith, often unknown, or not understood by the majority of those around us who grew up in other traditions. But our gift, is that because we know who we are, we can recognize and celebrate within our American culture, things that may be universal.

Let me pick an unusual one – baseball (with a tip of the hat to Dino). There is no game, or pastime that has reflected the soul, nature, or history of the American spirit quite like baseball. Each sport has its celebratory uniqueness, and we have had and continue to have many parishioners who have excelled in many sports, including one today who is among the top ten players in one sport in Pennsylvania!

But when we walk into a baseball stadium – and this still happens to me at the Reading Fight’n Phils’ stadium – it is timeless. I cannot fully explain why, but my burdens seem to be lifted, as I take in the moment – the expansiveness, the sky, the clean lines, the green grass, the players warming up, the umpires getting ready, the stands filling up, the vendors hawking their wares. Then when “play ball” begins – each moment becomes infinite. Each pitch might be a curve or a fastball or a change up, each call a strike or ball or foul, each swing a hit or miss, each position player leaning left or right, each coach thinking through their next moves, each moment an opportunity waiting to happen.

Similarly, when I walk through our Church, particularly when it is quiet, the same feeling oc-curs. The saints are present, time becomes timeless, God is present, you can breathe. And soon your family shows up.

Baseball has its saints, and sinners, but when we watch the game moment by moment, you can catch the genius of its simplicity - the boundaries are clear, the rules understood, interpretations openly debated but finalized by the umpires. Yet rather than making things restrictive, it opens up the game to be played with love and enthusiasm. You learn how to field the ball, to rely on your teammates, to choke up the bat.

Orthodoxy in America

What Can We Learn from Baseball?

Dn. Dr. Jim Elliker

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring. Saint Paul to the Athenians

(Continued on page 5)

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Catechetical Homilies

During the Paschal / Pentecostal Season

Wednesday nights @ 7:00 pm

April 29th One Baptism for the Remission of Sins... [Baptism/Chrismation]

May 6th One Baptism... Part 2 [Eucharist/Confession/Unction/Marriage/Ordination]

May 13th I Look for the Resurrection of the Dead... We are Pilgrims

May 27th Prayer/Fasting/Acts of Mercy [Also, is it enough to just do good things?]

June 3rd Chastity/Obedience/Poverty [Also, issues of sexual orientation and gender]

June 10th In the World but Not of It: Other Contemporary Issues

June 17th The Church Today [Also, The Ukrainian Orthodox Question]

These hour-long talks with Q & A following are geared toward our better understanding the Orthodox Christian Way of living in God’s Presence. We cover

the dogmatic teachings, sacramental mysteries, and ascetical practices which join us to Christ as well as occasionally discussing the ethical and moral

challenges of our time. We are streaming these talks via Zoom.

OUR LIFE IN CHRIST

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Church School

Marisa Hunsicker, Director

Χριστός Aνέστη! Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

We hope you have been enjoying all the Sunday School virtual e-learnings and resources

that have been shared via email and Facebook. If you have not been receiving the Sunday

School emails, please email Marisa Hunsicker to add you to the list:

marisa1976@comcast.net.

Thank you to all who have sent ideas and links for us to get out to the other families. It has

been so heartwarming seeing our community come together to join forces to overcome a few

boundaries that have made us nothing but stronger together as a church family.

As we end our Sunday School year and as our schedules begin to fill up with online school

and work, please be sure to take the time to fulfill your children with the lessons being

offered. It is up to us as parents to take this responsibility and make our children’s faith

stronger.

Each month we spotlight a class, we will continue to do so with our High School class. The

Sunday School Senior High class includes students in 9th through 12th grades. We have had

25 different students attend class this year, averaging 12 students each Sunday.

The lead teacher is Tony Phyrillas, who is in his 12th year of teaching the class. The other

teachers are C.J. Sterious, who is in his 9th year in the class, Alex Simotas, who is in his 7th

year of teaching, and Tula Donahue, returning for her 4th year in the Senior High class after

many years as Sunday School Director.

The instructors try to relate Orthodox teachings to issues students face in everyday life and

encourage students to talk about their faith. We emphasize the important Feast Days on the

church calendar and review the key parts of the Divine Liturgy. We often focus on the Gospel

reading of the day and expand on it during class. The teachers take turns leading the

discussions but often work as a team.

Although we do not know when just yet, we do plan to honor our seniors and celebrate their graduation and church accomplishments!

Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! Alithos Anesti! Truly He Is Risen!

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Similarly, we can recognize in our own Faith, we are freed because of the debates and illumination of the Councils before us; that we do not have to rehash the simple truths of the universe. No, we are free to love each other, and to respect all people.

Some of my favorite moments in life include playing the infield with my older brother in little league, when my father took my mother and all of us to a Washington Senators doubleheader and we watched Frank Howard skyrocket two homeruns, and coaching a little league team in Fleetwood where we chose kids not chosen by other coaches, and did quite well – including the best moment, when a kid on our team, who struck out all the time, managed to hit a small grounder for a few feet and reached first base safely, and the entire team erupted in cheers and congratulations for him.

Similarly, we rejoice for our teammates in Church – we are just plain happy and proud of the successes of others, and compassionate and concerned when we struggle.

As I write this, baseball is on hold, along with so much in our nation. But we might do well if one evening, we snuck onto the empty field of Fight’n Phils’ stadium (shh… don’t tell Scott), stood at the pitcher’s mound, and prayed for the safe return of this American sport, and an elevation of the best in our culture.

Orthodoxy in America may well grow, in some small part, because of our respect and recognition for

what is good in others. As Paul said elsewhere, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy—think about such things…”

May we all return from our homes, after the pandemic recedes, to normal life, including baseball, but then take the time to see timeless moments in each other’s lives.

Painting of our son Alex, standing before a stadium in Arizona.

(Continued from page 4)

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This newly revealed saint of the Orthodox Church was born in Austro-Hungary on March 18th, 1854. His was a poor Carpatho-Russian family and like many others in the Austro-Hungarian empire the Toths were Eastern Rite Catholics. His father and brother were priests of the Greek Catholic Church and his uncle was a Bishop. Many of the citizens of this empire who had formerly been Orthodox Christians were compelled to enter into communion with the Roman Catholic Church after the Union of Uzhorod in 1646. As a result of this union the ‘Greek Catholics’ or ‘Uniates’ as they came to be known were permitted to retain certain practices, customs, and liturgical traditions common to and rooted in Orthodox Christianity. The Greek Catholics (Uniates) appear very similar in their external worship when compared with the Orthodox but they are under the Pope of Rome and have other differences.

A Saint of Our Own Times VIII

St. Alexis Toth of Wilkes-Barre, PA

Dino Alexandrides, Pastoral Asst. & Youth Director

the righteous Abraham, the future saint left his country and relatives to fulfill God’s will. Upon his arrival in America he presented himself to the local Roman Catholic diocesan authority, represented by Archbishop John Ireland, since there was no Uniate bishop in America at the time. Archbishop John didn’t look favorably upon Fr. Alexis because he had been married and refused to recognize him as a legitimate Catholic priest or to grant him permission to serve in his diocese.

The next year Fr. Alexis chaired a meeting of 8 Uniate priests in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In the meantime, Archbishop John sent letters to all of his parishes forbidding those under his care to attend Fr. Alexis’ service’s, parish, or to receive sacraments by his hand.

He suggested to his parishioner’s that it might be best for him to return to Europe to avoid any further trouble but they insisted on appealing to the Russian Bishop. They decided to write to the Russian consul in San Francisco, California in order to ask for the contact information of this Bishop. Fr. Alexis and a parishioner travelled to see him in February, 1891. A month later on March 25, 1891 Bishop Vladimir went to Minneapolis and received Fr. Alexis and all 361 of his parishioners into the Orthodox Church, of which many of their ancestors had formerly been a part. The parishioner’s excalimed in unison and with joy: ‘Glory to God for His great mercy!’

Hundreds of other Uniate Christians were inspired by the example of Fr. Alexis and his flock. While he didn’t fail to point out errors in the doctrines of other denominations, he was careful to warn his people against intolerance of other Christian faith traditions. His writings and sermons

(Continued on page 7)

Alexis received an excellent education and learned several languages, among which were Carpatho-Russian, Hungarian, Russian, German, Latin, and a reading knowledge of Greek. In 1878 he married the daughter of a priest and in the same year was ordained to the priesthood and assigned to work as an Associate Pastor of a Greek Catholic parish. Shortly afterwards he tragically lost both his wife and only child to death, yet he continued to serve God faithfully as Pastor and teacher of Canon Law and Church History.

In 1889 he was assigned to St. Mary Greek Catholic parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following the example of

15

GOYA/ JOY/ Young Adults

Christ is Risen! Χριστός Άνέστη! I greet you in the joy of our Lord’s Resurrection and His victory over sin and death, by which He raises all mankind to Himself. Fr. Theodore and I have certainly missed all of you and look forward to the time when we’re able to be together again at church. Know that we’re praying for you always!

Admittedly, I have struggled with knowing what content to provide on this page over the last two month’s, knowing that we wouldn’t be together. Yet as I think about the reasons we come to church, reasons why we are the Church, I am encouraged to r emember that we are always connected through prayer. For this reason I hope to offer a sort of prayer school to be followed by our JOY, GOYA, Young Adults and anyone else who may find it useful. There isn’t necessarily a one size fits all rule for prayer in the Orthodox Tradition and I’m not a Priest or Spiritual Father, but I do know that prayer is one of the most critical elements of our lives as Christians. You may simply be wondering, ‘How do I pray?’ The disciples asked Jesus this same question and He answered by giving them the ‘Our Father’ prayer, which has been central to our faith ever since. This prayer teaches us to pray not only by giving us words to say, but by showing us how we should approach the act of prayer and what things we should pray for. These elements of prayer are the following:

- Praise and adoration: ‘Hallowed be Your name.’

Hope and expectation: ‘Your kingdom come.’ - The acceptance of God’s will and not our own: ‘Your will be done….’

- Praying for our common and immediate needs: ‘Give us day by day our daily bread - Praying for forgiveness and forgiving others in turn: ‘And forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.’ - Praying for help in the face of temptation: ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou (30 Steps to Heaven)

In the Ladder of Divine Ascent St. John Climacus says that even our own prayer should take the following form: Thanksgiving —> Confession/ Repentance —> Request

I will say more regarding prayer in the next ECHO but here are some prayers that you can

pray daily to begin growing your prayer life:

Trisagion Prayers: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee. O Heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O gracious Lord. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy immortal (3x). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake. Lord have mercy (3x). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, who art in heav-en, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Or the beginning of the day: O Lord, grant me to greet this new

day in peace. Help me in all things to humbly rely upon Your holy will.

In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with

all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me through-

out the day with peace of soul and the firm conviction that Your will

governs all. In all I do and say, guide my thoughts and feelings. In un-

foreseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me

to act firmly and wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others.

Give me the strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all

that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, and pray Yourself

within me. Amen. (St. Philaret of Moscow)

Prayer to your patron saint: Pray to God for me, O Holy

Saint_________________ for you are well-pleasing to God: for I turn

to you, who are the speedy helper and intercessor for my soul.

M, W, F @ 2 p.m. via

Zoom

Not sure what to do with all your free time? Join me and

your fellow Sts. Constantine & Helen GOYAns for “Downtime

with Dino” Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 2 p.m. Invite

your friends!

14

Gust C. Kraras Chapter 61 - Reading

AHEPA Chapter Update

The AHEPA Spring calendar has been curtailed for the foreseeable future. We are proceeding with an abundance of caution as a result of the coronavirus situation that we are all facing in our community.

The following activities have been canceled for 2020:

The annual AHEPA sponsored Mother’s Day Card will not be published this year. We plan to continue this popular activity next year in honoring and commemorating those special mothers in our community.

The Annual AHEPA Scholarship banquet at the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel has also been canceled. As an alternative, the AHEPA scholarships will be presented to our deserving high school seniors in Church immediately following services on AHEPA Day, Sunday, May 17th. An announcement of this year’s deserving scholarship recipients will be included in the June is-sue of The Echo.

At the February 20, 2020 AHEPA dinner meeting at the Deluxe Restaurant, the following action was taken for Elected Officers and Board of Governors for 2020-2021:

Elected Officers:

President – George J. Giovanis

Vice President – Anthony Koumaras

Financial Secretary – Dean C. Kraras

Corresponding Secretary – Dean Whitman

Treasurer – Tony Phyrillas

Board of Governors:

Chris Wagner, Chair

Frank Petrakis

Chris Dikos

Michael Chaknos

Chris Kraras

7

admonish the faithful to respect others and refrain from attacking their faith. What a wonderful lesson this is for us, who having the true faith, may at times be inclined to look down on non-Orthodox Christians. Let us beware, lest we forget the grace of God and His mercy which led us and our families to Holy Orthodoxy.

Fr. Alexis became a great defender of the Orthodox Church and its mission in America, speaking out against those who were intolerant, rude, and used unethical means to level threats against he and his parishioners. When wounded by the darts and arrows of offense and deception he was quick to forgive and often asked his Bishop to forgive his omissions and mistakes. Charges of selling out his own people for financial gain were levelled against Fr. Alexis. However both he and his parish endured a lengthy finanical struggle. In his humility he even worked in a bakery to support himself until he began to receive a priestly salary from Russia, all the while giving alms to the poor and needy. He likewise shared the little he had with those clergymen who were in a worse condition than himself and contributed to the building of churches and the education of seminarians in Minneapolis. Surely he fulfilled the command of the Lord who said, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).’

Amid the many hardships that he faced Fr. Alexis produced a great volume of writings for those who sought conversion to Holy Orthodoxy. One of his writings is entitled ‘How we should live in America,’ and stresses the importance of education, cleanliness, sobriety, and the presence of children in church on Sundays and Holy days.

While his parish in Minneapolis was incorporated into the Orthodox Church in March 1891, it wasn’t until July of the following year that the Holy Synod of Russia recognized and accepted them into the Diocese of Alaska and the Aleutians. At the time there was a less than welcoming attitude towards converts to the Orthodox Christian Tradition. The giftings of Fr. Alexis led Bishops Vladimir and Platon to send him forth to preach to and teach the Slavic people. He also visited many Uniate parishes and explained the difference between Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism and Uniatism, stressing that Orthodoxy was the true way to salvation. In 1893 he was transferred to a parish in Wilkes-Barre, PA where he would spend the remainder of his life.

In all he was responsible for the formation or return of 17 parishes to Orthodoxy, and by the end of his life in the year 1909 many thousands of Carpatho-Russsian and other Uniates had returned to Orthodoxy. His critical role in the history of Orthodoxy in America has continued to shape each passing generation and continues to shape the future of Orthodoxy in our land. Surely he labored as an Apostle in North America.

During his own lifetime he was recognized for his struggles for Christ’s Church. He received a jeweled miter (crown or special head covering worn by clergymen such as Bishops) from the Holy Synod as well as distinguished honors from Tzar Nicholas II for his service to God and country. In 1907 he turned down the honor of consideration for the Episcopacy saying it should be offered to someone younger and healthier than himself.

His health began to decline the following year and he went to the seashore in southern New Jersey in an attempt to recover his health. However he soon returned to Wilkes Barre, PA where he was confined to bed rest for a period of two months. Fr. Alexis reposed on May 7, 1909. Seven years after his death his body was transferred from Wilkes Barre to a prominent burial site behind the altar of the St. Tikhon’s Monastery church. It was at that time that his remains were discovered to be incorrupt.

His holy relics now rest at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, PA, the oldest monastery in North America and one that St. Tikhon of Zadonsk enlisted the help of Fr. Alexis to found, a two hour drive away from Reading. Perhaps we can make a pilgrimage this summer to venerate the relics of this recent saint whom many consider to be the ‘Father of the Orthodox Church in America.’ Fr. Alexis Toth was glorified as a saint on May 29-30th, 1994 during the annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage to St. Tikhon’s Monastery. The memory of St. Alexis Toth, a most important saint in America is celebrated by the Church on May 7th.

Among the miracles attributed to this newly revealed saint of the Church is the following account:

‘In January, 1993, a certain man prayed to St. Alexis to help him obtain information about his son from whom he had been separated for twenty-eight years. Placing his confidence in the saint’s boldness before God, he awaited an answer to his prayer. day the man’s son telephoned him.

(Continued on page 8)

(Continued from page 6)

8

It seems the young man was in church when he was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to contact his father. He had been taken to another state by his mother, and she changed his name when he was a child. This is why the father was unable to locate him. Having learned from his mother that his father was an Orthodox Christian, he was able with the help of an Orthodox priest to obtain his father’s phone number in a distant city. As a result of that telephone call, the young man later visited his father, who rejoiced to see what sort of man his son had become. The father gave thanks to God and to St. Alexis for reuniting him with his son.’

Prayer of Intercession to St. Alexis:

O Holy Father Alexis, pillar of Orthodoxy and

chosen vessel of the truth of Christ, we come to you

as one who received special grace from God. You

put to shame the tyrant’s deceits by your wisdom

and trampled demon’s underfoot by your virtuous

life. Entreat God that we also may be granted this

same wisdom and love of virtue. By your

intercession, illumine our darkened souls that we

may receive the light of truth, and may remain

steadfast in the Faith. As you once proved foolish

the wisdom of this world, so now incline our hearts

to the fear of God that we may begin to learn true

wisdom. As you once dispelled impiety with the

example of your blameless life and refused to walk

in the counsel of the ungodly, so now teach us to

live piously and to walk in the way of the Lord; as you once returned to the bosom of the Orthodox

Church, and partook of the Fountain of life, so now help us to guide those gone astray and give drink to

those in this land thristing for the water of life. O Holy Confessor Alexis, beseech the Lord that He will

look down with mercy on our Orthodox faithful and water with His grace the seed that you planted, that it

may continue to flower and bring forth fruit a hundredfold. May we, having been counted worthy of

blessings in this life, be vouchsafed the blessings of heaven, both now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Amen.

Text on scroll:

This is the teaching of the Christian Orthodox Church, this is the teaching of your forefathers, your

fathers, this is your faith through which all of us will come to salvation. Hasten to it! Amen.

(Continued from page 7)

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Philoptochos News

May, 2020

Χριστός Ανέστη!!! Christ is Risen!

May the renewal of life through Pascha bring new blessings of love, hope, serenity, good health and

happiness to you and your loved ones.

Thank You to our Beloved Clergy

Father Theodore, Deacon Jim, Dino, Soci and Elias are Rock Stars! Thank you and bless you for your strength and faithfulness in leading us, virtually, through the beautiful Pascha, Orthros, Divine Liturgy,

Vesper and other services!! � Through Facebook Live, Father Theodore guided us in worship and enabled parishioners to turn their homes into churches. Father’s uplifting Messages of Hope and Robo Calls kept us informed. From afar, Deacon Doctor Jim helped us participate in services, as he tirelessly scripted in perfect sync with live feeds appropriate responses and posted documents of services. Sincerest appreciation to Dino, Soci and Elias who chanted, read and completed other tasks that helped enrich our home worship experiences.

A New Way of Serving

The mission of Philoptochos which means “friends of the poor,” is to promote charitable, benevolent and philanthropic outreach; to preserve the sanctity of life and family, and to perpetuate and promote our Orthodox faith and traditions. During the challenges and opportunities of the past two months, St. Xenia has discovered news ways to continue our outreach!

To proceed with our mission, St. Xenia’s Board and Executive Board have been conducting successful remote meetings through Zoom, FaceTime, and the phone. Our outreach has been expanded and we are gratefully giving to others. Our efforts to reach out to parishioners during this period of isolation have been uplifting and a blessing.

Outreach

In conjunction with the dedicated work of St. Xe-nia’s Sunshine and Shut In Committees, we have contacted more than 110 parishioners through phone calls, cards and letters to offer words of encourage-ment. Many parishioners have been contacted sever-al times. In addition to these organized efforts, our members are reaching out to others, checking on them, and offering assistance. If you are aware of anyone who would benefit from our outreach efforts and have not yet been contacted, please call Vlacia so we can reach out.

Committee Spotlight: Sunshine

For several decades, Dawn Medaglia, Sunshine Committee Chair has faithfully sent get well and sympathy cards to parishioners and their families and lit 40-day memorial candles for departed Philoptochos members on behalf of St. Xenia Philoptochos. Sincerest appreciation is extended to Dawn for this on-going act of love and compassion to our beloved church community.

Community Needs

As the needs of our local community intensify, St. Xenia Board has designated funds donated by patrons of the Spring Bake Sale and other funds to help community organizations, as well as people within our local community. Funds will support local organizations that provide people with food. In addition, funds are available those who may be experiencing challenges such as difficulty paying bills, unemployment, social isolation, and other misfortunes. If you or someone you know is in need, please do not hesitate to contact me at 484-793-2722 or Joyce Lecatsas, Social Services Chair at joyce.lecatsas@yahoo.com. All requests are treated with confidentiality and respect.

“For we are co-workers in God’s service;

General Membership Meetings

Due to the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the May and June General Membership meetings are cancelled. Through God’s grace we will soon be together and will begin to plan events and programs for next year!

Happy Mother’s Day !

Philoptochos Giving

$1,000 – National Philoptochos Covid-19 Fund (transferred from donation for National Convention) $ 200 – Metropolis Social Services Fund $ 200 – Metropolis Emergency Fund $ 100 – Metropolis Our Youth-Our Future $ 100 – Metropolis Our Seminarians – Our Future $ 100– Sisterhood of Saint Basil Academy $ 100 - International Orthodox Christian Charities $ 100 - 75th Anniversary Founders Fund

$ 100 – Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF)

$ 100 – Jesse Brandow Missionary in Guatemala

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Parish Coucil Report April 2020

Members Present at March 10th, 2020 meeting: President Chris Dikos, Vice President Gus Kotsakis; Secretary Tony Phyrillas, Treasurer Shawn Moliatu, Assistant Treasurer John Lountzis, Sal Caloiero, Drew Cammarano, Marian Cheri, Ion Craciun, Thomas Crassas, Athan Dialectos, Steve Elliker, Angel Helm, Anthony Koumaras, Christ Kraras, Kim Shunk, Chris Wagner. Members Absent: Financial Secretary Christy Weeber, Strat Marmarou, Protopresbyter Theodore Petrides. (Also attending: Lay Assistant Constantine Alexandrides)

A Message from Our Parish Council

Chris Dikos, President

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

It seems the last time we were together was a hundred years ago in a different world. So much has changed since then. We’ve been faced with operating in a completely different and sometimes scary new environment. I could not be happier with the response and support the entire Parish Council demonstrated during this time. Even if they were unable to help physically they all remained engaged somehow, the least of which was in prayer. My thanks and ap-preciation goes out to them.

We’ve discovered how blessed we really are to have Father Theodore here. He has taken charge of bringing the ser-vices to parishioner’s homes through streaming on Facebook while keeping us all updated with his inspiring robo-calls. Under our extreme circumstances I could not have envisioned Holy Week going any better. The volume of services he’s performed is amazing as well as his other works. Thank you Father!

Dino Alexandrides has also been working above and beyond through his chanting, supporting Father in the services and helping with the Church set up and decorating. We also thank God for his blessing of bringing him to us.

The leap forward in our modernization efforts has been impressive. Sharon Lountzis picked up what our committee started and devoted an enormous amount of time to give us a viable and functioning email list and now phone and other contact list. Her work along with our Website development team on updating our website has been invaluable. We are very thankful for this!

Additionally, our Pandemic Assistance Response Team has been meeting weekly via videoconferencing to address the issues and challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.

I am looking forward to the day I will see everyone again in our beautiful Church. Our next major challenge will entail reopening under the directives we receive from our Metropolis. It is a challenge I hope arrives quickly!

Yours in Christ,

Chris Dikos

9

good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” (Lk. 4:18). For “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17), and Jesus announces only that which possesses Him also.

His horizons are so free that He disorients all established plans, all logic and careful calculations. In this world, where the strongest build up their powers to better oppress and put aside the little ones, His freedom declares: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Mt. 5:1-11). In a religion where the leaders are themselves “hypocrites and liars” (Mt. 23), Jesus places love over everything else, for freedom is the daughter of love. But the fullness of freedom is love of one’s enemies: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:43-45). This stupendous freedom of forgiveness, this wild love of humanity will lead Him to the cross, but He receives even His death in a supreme act of liberty. Truly “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” (1 Cor. 1:27).

This radical overturning makes the freedom of the Spirit explode throughout the life of Jesus, who thereby inaugurates a new way of being and an entirely new concept of humanity.

Jesus’ nonconformity is absolute. He constantly refines the consciousness of His entourage which is transfixed in laws and institutions that kill life. He is a wandering teacher, with no money, “with nowhere to lay His head” (Mt. 8:20), enjoying happy gatherings and the company of sinners (Mt. 9:9-11), completely independent of all constraints, shaking loose the chains of ownership and personal interest. He passes by, unseizable and free as the wind, through all the complex structures of duty and obligation.

Jesus defies slavery on all levels. For Him, if money becomes slavery, it must be rejected (Mt. 6:24), if the hand or the eye deprives a person of his freedom, it must be plucked out (Mt. 5:29- 30). Though He stayed with His mother into His adulthood, He seems to question bloodties in favor of a new community gathered around the word (Mt. 12:46-50). He refuses all the unconditional requirements of the exterior which muzzle the Spirit (Mk. 2:27), even the duty of being good, for God accepts us as we are and His love does not depend on our goodness (Mt. 5:45). Moreover, merits themselves disappear in His eyes, for God does with what belongs to Him as He chooses (Mt. 20:15) and does not require a salary or a code from which to order or condemn.

Such an attitude of freedom is a menace to all religious principles and systems whatever they may be. Jesus has burned the old law and lifted up the one of love. Thus “Christ is the end of the law” (Rom. 10:4) as He is the end of all religion. “Religion is necessary when there is a wall separating God and man. But the Christ, who is both God and man, has torn down that wall which separates them. He has brought a new life, not a new religion.”1 If by His incarnation God has become one with humanity, what is there to “re-link”? “Sin is when we think of God in terms of religion, that is, when we place Him in opposition to life.”2 This is exactly the challenge raised by the Jesus Prayer, creating true worshipers who “will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him” (Jn. 4:23).

But in the life of Jesus everything finally culminates in the extraordinary overthrowing and radical renewal which His resurrection introduces. What is seen here is a future for humanity, an almost dizzying freedom: freedom not only from the injustices of the world or the contingencies of daily life, but in relation to the power of death present at the heart of life. For those who know, in the heart of the prayer, to become conscious of this dazzling reality, the anguish of the future has vanished; God in Jesus Christ has crossed over the abyss of death, and He draws us as of now, in each invocation, (of the Jesus Prayer) out of our hell toward a process of complete recreation of the universe and of ourselves. The Easter of Christ is the eternal youth of the world, it is our youth rediscovered, not as memory but as future. The decaying world is abolished, eternity is at the heart of time, suffering and death are absorbed by life and the ultimate meaning of all things is revealed in the light and splendor which spring forth from the face of the resurrected One. According to the Fathers, the resurrected Christ is like a “hot coal” filled with the uncreated fire of divinity and whoever comes in contact with Him through the prayer will also be set on fire, torn away from the limits of the earthly self, purified and transfigured little by little, burning with the love of the resurrected Lord and consumed by His joy. Everything is then in our hands: if we accept this gift, we become with Him the only Son, “children of light” (Jn. 12:36).

(Continued from page 1)

1 A. Schmemann, For the Life of the World. 2 Ibid.

10

Everyone Is Doing Their P.A.R.T.

Our Pandemic Assistance Response Team has been conducting regular weekly meetings to discuss actions to

be taken by our church at this time. Two of the biggest priorities of this team have been working to provide a

livestream of all services (which is now available on our Facebook page) and securing the most up to date

information for all members and stewards of our parish.

Philoptochos

Our St. Xenia Philoptochos society has been hard at work

during the pandemic. They have been making regular contact

with over 110 people who were considered to be most at risk

among the members of our community by sending cards and

making phone calls and running errands. They have also been

donating baked goods to the various Manor Care facilities in

the general area (Sinking Spring, Laureldale and West

Reading). Decisions regarding additional donation of funds

and food to other various local organizations are soon

forthcoming. The knitting committee has also continued

making caps and sweaters for shut-ins, the shelters and

school-aged children. In addition to all the diligent work, St.

Xenia Philoptochos Society donated funds to the National

Philoptochos COVID- 19 Emergency Fund.

Website Committee

This committee has been formed with the

intention of updating our already existing

church website to be the major source of

information for our community. We are

fortunate to have some exceptionally skilled

parishioners helping us with the updates (Many

thanks to Dino, Sharon and Caedman for their

hard work!). They have already made the

following available: a light a candle option, a

direct link to Facebook for a livestream of

services, a donation button, an updated schedule

of services, and a way to update church contact

information on the homepage. Various other

changes have been made to update the website

with information that more accurately reflects

our parish life today. Further changes are

forthcoming!

Church Bookstore:

A former storage closet in the Kraras Hall has been

renovated with shelving, flooring and lighting to

serve as the location of the expanded church

bookstore. We will be acquiring product inventory

including but not limited to books, icons, prayer

ropes and music to serve as resources for our

community.

Office Renovation

There have already been and will continue to be some much needed cosmetic changes to the main church office to make it more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming to visitors.

Sound System

Due to the help of a generous parishioner we are soon acquiring a new sound and camera system to improve the livestream quality of services. We are looking for a few stewards to offer their time as technicians during our services and broadcasts.

Want to get involved? Contact the office at (610) 374– 7511

During these unprecedented times, it’s important to remain diligent in our prayer and worship at home. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website has created a special resource

center (https://www.goarch.org/covid19 ) which includes messages by Archbishop Elpidophoros and His All– Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, up– to—date information provided by government resources, and links to articles providing tips on how to transform our homes into prayerful spaces. An additional resource to look towards is Ancient Faith

Ministries, https://www.ancientfaith.com/ . The AFM website incorporates a lot of insightful material, via blogs and podcasts/radio, that not only touches on the relationship between the coronavirus and Orthodox lifestyle, but all aspects of our faith, pre and post pandemic. Both websites offer excellent tools to help nourish our souls!

Covid– 19 & Orthodox Resources

11

Total contributing family households—119

Total contributions pledged—$139,615

Average pledge per family—$1,317

Parishioners who have not yet submitted their 2020 pledge cards are asked to please do so at their earliest

convenience.

Due to the uncertainties of which Services we will be able to hold during this pandemic shutdown, we will not list times for Services in this Echo, and we have not included a calendar at this time. We will publish and distribute the days and times of all the services week by week with the Sunday Bulletin which is be-ing uploaded to our website. A weekly event list will also be available on the church’s Facebook page If you have a question about any Service, please call the Church office during normal office hours.

For the month of April, all Services are restricted to only those few people who are necessary for the Ser-vices to be held. All Parishioners are asked to partici-pate remotely via the live stream on our Facebook page.

Membership & Website

Updates

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We truly appreciate those who have already sent in their Pascha offerings using the envelopes that were mailed to your homes. We also want to extend a sincere thank you to those who have mailed back their membership update sheets that were sent in the same mailing. It is our intention that Sts. Constantine & Helen Church maintains a blessed relationship with all of her beloved parishioners and has the most up to date and convenient contact information as well.

We also want to encourage everybody who has not filled out their membership forms yet to please include your baptismal names. We will contact those who have already turned in the membership update forms for this information. Thank you all for your help and prompt response!

As many of you may know, the Website Committee of Sts. Constantine & Helen has been working diligently on improving our home page. One of those improvements includes a button that allows parishioners to update their membership and contact information! You may find this button located directly on the home page of our website. In the future, if you are to experience any change of address, phone number or otherwise, please feel free to update your information on our website!

Χριστός Ανέστη! Xristos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

Aληθώς ανέστη! Alithos Anesti! Truly He is Risen!

Stewardship 2020

Shawn Moliatu, Treasurer

Total contributing family households - 166

Total contributions pledged - $170,105.00

Average pledge per family - $1,024.73

Youth Activities Some activities we hope to do with the youth when we’re able to be together again include but aren’t limited to the following:

GOYA High School Senior Graduation Recognition

Pilgrimage to St. Tikhon’s Monastery

Picnic for GOYA

Picnic for JOY

Planning our own Sts. Constantine & Helen Summer Camp

Vocation Bible School for GOYAns