Transcript Compass Newsletter - Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

NOVEMBER 2016
Dear Parishioners:
This year, our annual St. Nicholas Dinner Dance and Auction will be held on Saturday, November 12 and all
proceeds will support our Iconography program. The theme for the St. Nicholas Dinner Dance will be Motown to
Greek Town. Come and dance to the music from the Motown era and of course, to Greek music. Tickets are
$75 for adults, $30 for students and children under 12.
Last year, over $15, 000 was raised and we donated the money to help rebuild the St. Nicholas Shrine in New
York City. If we were able to raise this much money for the St. Nicholas Shrine, I know we can raise this much
and more for our own St. Nicholas Church. Please come and join us for a night of fellowship, entertainment
and a 4-course meal.
The operating expenses of our church continue to increase. Our parish is growing, and that’s the good news!
The bad news is our building is getting older, and we are faced with more and more maintenance repairs. And,
it is getting costly. For example, we are spending about $5000 a year just to maintain the 11 heating and cooling
units. Each of these units need their filters changed twice a year, along with the periodic minor repairs.
Although we haven’t had any major maintenance repairs, we need to be financially prepared.
Did you know we spend an average of $36,000 a year to keep the church and surrounding buildings warm in the
winter and cool in the summer?
Although most of you know what our yearly expenses are, I wonder how many of you know what we spend
every day, every week, every month on basic necessities like gas and electric, phone, internet and maintaining
the water system, just to name a few. If you take a moment to look at the financials of the church, posted on the
bulletin board and included in this and every issue of The Compass, you can see that an average of $1,100 per
parishioner, multiplied by 270, the amount of parishioners who have pledged, simply does not cover our
operating expenses. We need EVERYONE to contribute and support the operating expenses of our church, St.
Nicholas.
I am pleased to announce that our 2016 Ya’ssoo Greek Festival this year netted $112,813.88, compared to
$79,828.44 in 2015. I would like to thank Fr. Nick, my co-chair Pericles Chiatalas, the committee chairs, and to
you, the parishioners for all your support! Your work has helped make our festival one of the best in the Detroit
metro area.
Now that the mortgage is paid off, many of you are wondering where the proceeds from the festival will go? At
this time, the proceeds from the festival will go into a savings account for future capital improvements or
investments. As I mentioned earlier, our building is getting older and we need to start saving for the future.
As you have seen or even heard, some of the paint is peeling away from the walls where the Iconographer
painted. We have hired professionals to research as to why this is occurring and to solve the issues before we
move on to any more phases. At this time, installation of the iconography of Phase II is being delayed. When
we find out the causes of the peeling, we will let you know, and then we will be able to proceed with Phase II.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Yours in Christ, George Kokales
Church School
Please place your order for Easter Bread by April 6.
Directors: Katherine A. Phan and Photios G. Ioannou
The price is $10 per one pound loaf and it is plain, without the red egg.
http://churchschool.stnickaa.org
TheWebsite:
order forms
are in the hallway near the church office.
Pickup date is April 13.
Part of the mission of the Church School is to acquaint our St. Nicholas Community about the programs we
offer our Church School students.
We will
do this
by featuring
our Compass
the curriculum of the
For questions,
please
call Perry
at (734) in
995-4766.
Thank articles
you!
different grades. This month we are featuring the K-1 curriculum designed by our dedicated K-1 teachers;
Maria Hochendoner, Dr. Karen Kolias and Andrea McRae, DMV. Below is their email to K-1 parents
detailing this year’s curriculum.
Dear Parents of Kindergarteners and 1st Graders:
We are very excited to be teaching Church School again this year and are looking forward to a great and fun year with
your children! We wanted to send this email to give you an idea of how we are going to run the class. We will be
focusing on Creation, what happens during the Divine Liturgy during church and explaining the importance of the
various parts of the service as well as learning about various Saints, events, etc. that are important to our faith.
For some of the lessons we will review the Gospel for that Sunday with the children so it is very important to try to get
the children to church so they can hear the Gospel and Father’s sermon. We know that some of the Gospels may be too
complex for this age but we will try to focus on the simple ideas and in some cases just focus on a word, for example:
forgiveness, love, etc.
The structure of the class will be:
Attendance/Coloring
Cross/Lord's Prayer
Sing Hymn
Learn Creation, the Divine Liturgy and what happens in church and/or review the basic idea of Gospel and read a story
from lesson/discussion
Project or Activity
We have also come up with a few rules that we will be following in the classroom and church:
1. Raise your hand when you want to say something or ask a question.
2. Respect for those around you and their space.
3. Respect for the Church- no running, jumping on furniture, standing on chairs, drawing on walls or tables, etc.
4. Respect for Father Nick
5. Cleaning up after ourselves.
6. No yelling, screaming, hitting, etc.
7. When another teacher, or priest, Bishop enters the room we stand as a sign of respect.
With regard to the above rules, please reinforce these at home. We only have a limited time to teach the children and do
the activities. We want to make the most of the time we have together. We are also going to try to send bi-weekly
emails or monthly that will briefly explain what was taught in class so you can ask the kids specific questions to review
what they learned.
To date we have covered the following: Creation: We started with how God created the world in 6 days and in the 7th
day he rested. We read the story about Creation from the Children’s Beginners Bible and the kids brought a Creation
Wheel home which talked about what happened on each day. We have continued with the creation of Adam and Eve
and how they were tempted by the snake to eat the apple from the tree God forbade them to eat from. We talked about
how they did not follow the rules God had set and how he banished them from the Garden of Eden. We also learned
about Abraham and Sarah and how God told them they would have many children. We discussed how people’s faith in
God grew as time went on. But the people were still tempted to sin and not listen to the God’s rules. For that God chose
Noah to build an Ark and bring animals with him so that the world could start over after the flood. The kids have also
learned a little about Moses and how he helped the Israelites and how God chose him to teach the Ten
Commandments. We have started a timeline in the classroom to use as a tool to review with the kids as to what we
have learned so far.
(continued on next page…)
(….continued from previous page)
We have also been teaching the children the Lord’s Prayer and what each verse means. We will be focusing on this for a
couple of weeks. The kids are also working on a Lord’s Prayer placemat that they will eventually bring home and can use
this to practice the prayer. We will help the kids write a sentence about the prayer and these projects will also be turned
into Father Nick They are doing a great job so far and we encourage you to say it with them a home during the week.
We will also starting to discuss with the children on why we pray and what we can pray for as well as where we can
pray. We pray to thank God for his blessings- food, clothing, a house, we pray for God to forgive us when we do
something wrong, we pray for someone’s safety and health. We will talk about how we come to church to pray and be
closer to God. We will continue to discuss various things we see and do in our church, lighting a candle, kissing the
icons, making our cross, hearing the Gospel, taking Communion. We will give the kids a general overview of the Divine
Liturgy.
It has been a pleasure to teach your children so far this year and we are looking forward to a great school year. Please let
us know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a Blessed week and we look forward to seeing you and your
children on Sunday!
Maria Hochendoner, Dr. Karen Kolias, Andrea McRae, DVM
We have started the Thanksgiving Food Drive to help SOS Community Services. All donated food items are
due no later than the Sunday before Thanksgiving, i.e., November 13, 2016. Please try to bring your donated
food items as early as possible.
Donations:
Preschool: 1 can of Corn
K–1st Grade: 1 box of Potato Flakes
2nd–3rd Grade: 1 can of Green Beans
4th–5th Grade: 1 box/bag of Stuffing
6th–7th Grade: 1 can of Cranberry Sauce
8th–9th Grade: 1 can of Mixed Fruit
10th–12th Grade:1 box/bag of Rice
Choir
New choir members are always welcome! Any interested parishioner, age 12 years and up, is invited to join
us. Children under the age of 12 may sing if supervised by an adult choir member. We especially need tenors, and
encourage the young men of our parish to give singing a try -- it may surprise you. Some musical experience is
preferred, but not required. The ability to read Greek is not necessary -- we have English phonetics for all
Greek hymns and responses.
The choir sings a good part of the Divine Liturgy in English, and occasionally in other languages, including Romanian,
Church Slavonic, Arabic, and Armenian. Singing with the choir is a meaningful way to participate in the Divine Liturgy
and to learn more about the traditions of our Church, surrounded by a friendly and supportive "team" of fellow
choir members.
Our next rehearsal is November 9 at 7:00 pm. Please join us!
GOYA News
Please
place your order
Easter Bread
by April
6.
It was a beautiful Fall afternoon
at Wassem
AppleforOrchard,
where
the GOYA
held their September
meeting and Bible study. The Chalogianis family hosted us on October 2nd for our first Social Night.
The price is $10 per one pound loaf and it is plain, without the red egg.
About twenty GOYAns
and several parents attended the meeting and dinner. Mr. Chalogianis was
The order forms are in the hallway near the church office.
our guest speaker and addressed personal Pickup
safety.
The kids had great questions and shared personal
date is April 13.
experiences.
For questions, please call Perry at (734) 995-4766. Thank you!
At our October 16th meeting, we began planning for the GOYA Annual Brunch to be held on Sunday,
January 8th. Upcoming events include St. Andrew’s Breakfast Program (Nov. 5), GOYA Coffee
Hour (Nov.6) and Social Night (Nov. 20).
It is never too late to register and join the group.
Registration forms can be found online on the church website, under GOYA/Forms.
Please direct any questions or suggestions to [email protected]
or speak with one of the officers or advisors.
HOPE
Please place your order for Easter Bread by April 6.
Our next meeting will be November 13th 12:30 pm-2:00 pm
The price is $10 per one pound loaf and it is plain, without the red egg.
It was nice to see the children’s
happy faces again at our first meeting. We were glad to have a few new faces
The order forms are in the hallway near the church office.
join the group. This year’s topics will focus on
heroes of the Bible.
Pickup date is April 13.
The first heroes that we learned
about were
Joshua
and Rehab.
taught
theyou!
children about Joshua sending
For questions,
please
call Perry
at (734)Father
995-4766.
Thank
spies into Jericho prior to the battle. The spies were about to be caught when a compassionate woman, Rehab,
hid the spies and helped them escape. In return Rehab and her family were spared when the Israelites overtook
Jericho. Father Nick then led the children around the walls of Jericho (around the desks) and at the count of
three the children blew the horns that they were making as a project so that the walls of Jericho crumbled down.
(It was a really noisy HOPE session this month). The children learned that it was really God, through the
prayers and acts of Joshua and the Israelites, that brought the walls down; with God’s help Joshua and the
Israelites won the battle at Jericho and entered the Promised Land. Next meeting Father will be teaching the
children about Gideon.
We again will be asking parents to sign up for providing lunch for the children during the HOPE sessions. A
sign-up sheet will be posted at the meetings and Presbytera Sandra has made a sign-up Genius that was sent by
email. Please list any food allergies on the registration and medical forms that can be found on line and outside
the social hall. Please, go over the lessons with the children at home to reiterate the story; the more they hear
about our faith, the more they will retain. Parent support is critical to our children’s education. Thank you to
all the parents who support us.
Remember, increasing exposure to the Church early in your child’s life is an important step in the building and
strengthening of their Orthodox Faith.
For more information contact:
Sophia Grias-Radwanski [email protected] Margarita [email protected]
Presbytera Sandra- [email protected]
Stewardship
St. Nicholas Greek
Orthodox Report
Church of Ann Arbor
2014
Operating
Fund
October
11, 2016
Budget versus Actual Revenue and Expense
Your commitment
to the Stewardship
Program
of this parish
as of 8/10/2014
(preliminary
60.82%)
is critical to our continued operation and ministries.
For those who need to complete a 2016 pledge, please do so as soon as possible. Percent of
You may find information and forms on Stewardship at www.stnickaa.org
Budget
Number of pledges (full payment)
Number of pledges (partial payment)
Total Revenue
501,904
Pledge Balance due
70
60
50
40
30
Actual
2015
2016 Target 2016 Actual
Actual
$ 272,414 222,327
$
356,426
406,954 $ 401,000
184,627
360
260
341
51,000 $
31,901
1,114
$
1,048 $19,0991,045
$ 226,917 $29,586
337,016
43,950
14,364
176
298
84
43
REVENUE
Pledged Amount
Stewardship
Number of pledges
Pangare
and
Trays
Average
pledge
amount
Other
Total
Paid
80
230,892
$
10
0
45.37%
62.55%
32.68%
46.00%
65,756
7,906
1,489
4,413
54,537
13,627
60.08%
61.05%
84.49%
64.98%
20.17%
69.03%
18,000
8,261
60,592
5,029
2,017
7,157
60.87%
73.35%
20.80%
54.29%
59.66%
44.30%
19,410
16 23
22%
Total Expenses
501,904
12%12%
14%15%
15%
17
248,784
16
17 17
14
16%
50.43%
(22,228)
16%
7%
8%
19 19
253,120
17%
Operational Surplus (Deficit) for 2014 as of 8/10/2014
20%
Actual to
Budget
271,012
45,497 $
EXPENSES
Salaries and Fringe Benefits
164,734
98,978
Pledge Distribution 2016, 2015 and 2014
Office Costs
20,300
12,394
Church Related Costs
9,600
8,111
Youth
and Education Expenses
12,600
8,187
70
67
Repairs and Maintenance
Costs
68,320
13,783
64
Utilities 58
44,000
30,373
61
58
57
Archdiocese
Related Costs
52
52
Archdiocese Fair Share
46,000
28,000
Clergy Benefits
31,000
22,739
45
42
Mortgage
76,500
15,908
40
38
Insurance
11,000
5,972
Other Outlays
5,000
2,983
29
18%20%
21%
22%
Miscellaneous
12,850
5,693
21
20
Budget
Variance
6% 5%
6%
5% 7%
5%5% 3%
NOTE - THIS IS CURRENT YEAR OPERATIONS ONLY - IT DOES NOT REFLECT PRIOR YEARS ENDING
$1 $251 $501 $751 $1001 $1,501 $2001 more than
BALANCES
$250
$500
$750
$1000
$1,500
$2,000
$3000
$3,000
2016
2015
2014
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Ann Arbor
2016 Operating Fund
Budget versus Actual Revenue and Expense
as of 10/11/2016 (preliminary 77.87%)
Budget
Budget
Variance
Actual
Percent of
Actual to
Budget
REVENUE
Stewardship
417,909
226,159
191,750
54.12%
Pangare and Trays
49,000
40,350
8,650
82.35%
Other
38,950
13,114
25,836
33.67%
505,859
279,624
226,235
55.28%
219,609
130,221
89,387
59.30%
18,500
13,794
4,706
74.56%
9,600
7,236
2,364
75.38%
Youth and Education Expenses
14,200
5,283
8,917
37.21%
Repairs and Maintenance Costs
75,400
38,383
37,017
50.91%
Utilities
48,400
23,326
25,074
48.20%
Archdiocese Fair Share
46,000
36,594
9,406
79.55%
Clergy Benefits
40,000
29,210
10,790
73.03%
14,000
11,080
2,920
79.14%
Other Outlays
5,000
0
5,000
0.00%
Miscellaneous
15,150
10,103
5,047
66.69%
505,859
305,232
200,627
60.34%
0
(25,609)
25,609
(0)
Total Revenue
EXPENSES
Salaries and Fringe Benefits
Office Costs
Church Related Costs
Archdiocese Related Costs
Insurance
Total Expenses
Operational Surplus (Deficit) for 2016 as of 10/11/2016
NOTE - THIS IS CURRENT YEAR OPERATIONS ONLY - IT
DOES NOT REFLECT PRIOR YEARS ENDING BALANCES
YA’SSOO FESTIVAL 2017
June 9, 10, 11
Plans are underway for the 2017 festival. The October meeting focused on reviewing the comments and
suggestions that were submitted to the committee.
Join us for our January 10, 2017 meeting if you are interested in joining on of the various festival
committees (i.e. Kafenio, Kouzina, Marketing, Agora, etc.) We need your ideas in all areas as we strive
to improve our festival every year. Please join us!
JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth)
Please place your order for Easter Bread by April 6.
Ourprice
nextismeeting
willpound
be November
13th
12:30
pm-2:00
The
$10 per one
loaf and it is
plain,
without
the redpm
egg.
The order forms are in the hallway near the church office.
Pickup
date is Aprilour
13. children's Orthodox Faith isn't
ministers to 3rd through 6th Grade children.
Developing
JOY
optional,
Jesus expects us to support our children and their potential for spiritual growth and maturity. The mission
For questions, please call Perry at (734) 995-4766. Thank you!
of the JOY ministry is to strengthen the relationship of Young Orthodox Christians with our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ and draw them closer to Him. JOY works to educate young members of the Church,
encouraging them to become active participants.
Please do not forget to sign up your children for JOY. IT'S A “FREE OF CHARGE” MINISTRY. We meet once a
month, from 12:30 pm-2:00 pm. We begin each class with a prayer followed by an appreciated and
fabulous lunch provided by one of our parents. A Lunch Sign-Up Sheet is posted on my 2nd & 3rd Grades
classroom door. Please consider providing a one-time lunch sometime during the year for our children.
Following lunch, full attention then will be focused on Father Nick while he teaches us about the "HEROES
OF THE BIBLE." A related project, or outside play (weather permitting) will take place after our lesson.
Our remaining schedule is as follows:
November 13th: Gideon
December 11th: Samson
January 22nd: Elijah
February 19th: Elisha
March 19th: Samuel
April 30th: Jeremiah
May 21st: The Three Youth: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego"
For more information please contact:
Eva Mikhail at [email protected] or Shaza Bitar at [email protected]
AHEPA
Please place your order for Easter Bread by April 6.
Last spring, AHEPA District 10 of Michigan decided to help with the Flint Water Crisis. On March 25, with the help
of numerous AHEPA Chapters
and isindividuals,
AHEPA
a semi-truck
ofred
milkegg.
(1944 gallons) and donated
The price
$10 per onethe
pound
loafpurchased
and it is plain,
without the
it to the people of Flint affected
the 'Flint
Crisis.'
Whynear
milk?
to the Centers for Disease Control,
Thebyorder
formsWater
are in the
hallway
theAccording
church office.
milk helps lower the lead levels in the blood of Pickup
humans.
This
is
especially
important
in children, since the higher the
date is April 13.
lead levels in their blood, the more likely they will experience developmental health issues.
For questions, please call Perry at (734) 995-4766. Thank you!
The milk was delivered to a local food bank, which distributed the milk through local volunteer charity groups directly
to the homes of the affected residents, free of charge. The food bank was very appreciative, but stated that much
more is needed. Therefore, AHEPA District 10 of Michigan is now reaching out to all Greek Orthodox Churches of
Michigan and caring individuals to help these unfortunate innocent victims. We want to continue these deliveries of
much needed milk to our neighbors in need and we need your help!
Please consider contributing to this worthwhile cause by mailing your check, made out to AHEPA District 10, to Craig
A. Theros, 284 Mason Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. If you would like to view the newscast, other pictures and videos,
please visit our Facebook page: AHEPA District 10
Thank you in advance for your help! Craig A. Theros, AHEPA District 10 PDG, "Milk for Flint" Chairman
Philoptochos
Please place your order for Easter Bread by April 6.
Holiday Bake Sale!
Theyour
priceorders
is $10 between
per one pound
andon
it Friday,
is plain, November
without the 18.
red Thank
egg.
Just a reminder to pick up
12-7loaf
p.m.
you for supporting
The
order
forms
are
in
the
hallway
near
the
church
office.
this largest fundraiser of the year—our community fundraiser!
Pickup date is April 13.
Christmas Wreath and Poinsettia Sale—Order forms are due on November 15 for our annual wreath and
For questions, please call Perry at (734) 995-4766. Thank you!
poinsettia sale with a pick up date of Sunday, December 4, from 12- 3 p.m. in the church office hallway
Annual Christmas Dinner—December 14, 6 p.m. at the Mediterrano Restaurant
GUEST SPEAKER—DR. SOPHIA ROUMANIS
October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and our ladies enjoyed a most informative presentation by Dr.
Sophia Roumanis, Medical Director, Breast Cancer Care Center, Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Sophia answered
many of the ladies’ questions including mammography, frequency of screenings, and family history. Her
positive outlook along with the new treatment options were a source of strength to all. Philoptochos President
Vangie Kolokithas presented Dr. Sophia with a bouquet of Fall flowers in appreciation for her joining us and
sharing valuable health information.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Church Music Sunday
October 9, 2016
St. John of Damascus
St. Nicholas Church Musicians
Psaltes
Zanni Res, Protopsaltis,
George Smyrnis, Dr. Sophia Grias-Radwanski, Dani Nadra
John Kolias, Elias Karageorge, Sr. Martha, Ioana Ciuta
Choir
Dr. Jon Wardner, Director
Teresa Stokes, Assistant Director
David Mitropoulos-Rundus, Organist
Youth Members of Choir
Alexandra Chalogianis, George Hauck, John Hauck, Elizabeth Kolias, Helen Kolias,
Anastasia Papageorgiou, Zoe Patselas, Luke Savas, Marisa Savas, Dimitrios Skrettas,
Efthymia Skrettas, Eleftherios Skrettas, Marina Sotiropoulos
The St. Nicholas Choir welcomes everyone to join the choir and offer their musical gifts to God.
Please contact Dr. Jon Wardner, Choir Director.
Adult Members of Choir
College students in italics
Dr. Sylvia Anagnos, Rob Ashley, Kaitlyn Bower, Angela Boyer, Angeliki Evangelinos, Music Librarian,
Diane Hall, Robe Custodian, Robert Hays, Mike Kapetan, MEFGOX Representative, Perry Katsikas,
Chris Kerry, Dr. Karen Kolias, Professor Artemis Leontis, Joy Melzian, Music Librarian, Liz Mitropoulos,
Athena Papageorgiou, Socrates Papageorgiou - MEFGOX Scholarship Recipient, Chris Patselas,
Juliana Patselas - MEFGOX Scholarship Recipient, Deno Prokos, Jim Prokos, Andrea Rendziperis,
Dr. Sophia Roumanis, Julie Skrettas, Nicholas Stamos, Jackie Stokes, Jeffrey Stokes, Samantha
Stokes, Yan Theros, Bill Vlisides, Katherine Wardner, Niki Wardner, Bill Ziegler, Connie Ziegler
OUR ST. NICHOLAS GREEK SCHOOL
Joanna P. Ioannou
Welcome to our new Greek School academic year for 2016-17. We started the school year with a parent
orientation on September 11 and on September 12 classes began. Our Greek School offers six afternoon
classes for children in grades first through sixth and teaches Greek as a second language. Our objective is for
the students to learn to speak, read and write Greek as it is used in everyday life.
Our books come from the series My Greek – Τα Ελληνικά μου, Things and Letters – Πράγματα και
Γράμματα and other publications as needed. Students receive weekly handouts custom-developed by the
teacher based on actual student needs and performance.
In the month of October we celebrate some very special days. On October 26 is the day our church
celebrates the feast day of St. Demetrios, the protector Saint of Thessaloniki and on the same day we also
celebrate Greek Flag Day. On October 28th we commemorate the Greek resistance and victory at the
beginning of World War II known as “ΟΧΙ DAY”. On October 28, 1940, Benito Mussolini demanded that
Greece give free passage to Italian troops through Greek territory. The Greek Prime Minister Ioannis
Metaxas responded, “Όχι”(No!). Although poorly equipped and outnumbered, the Greek forces fought
bravely and drove the Italians back into Albania. This was the first Allied victory against the Axis forces in
WWII that prompted Winston Churchill to proclaim:
“From now on we will not just say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks.” For this
special celebration Greek School students present a program for our community. They recite poems, sing
songs and perform Greek Traditional Dances.
Η μέρα του ΟΧΙ
Ιωάννα Φ. Ιωάννου
Στις 28 Οκτωβρίου, ο Μουσολίνι ζήτησε από την Ελλάδα να σκύψει και να αφήσει τα Ιταλικά
στρατεύματα να την καταπατήσουν, παραχωρώντας έτσι τα κυριαρχικά της δικαιώματα στα εθνικά εδάφη.
Με τη φωνή του τότε πρωθυπουργού Ιωάννη Μεταξά, η Ελλάδα είπε μονάχα μια λέξη, "ΟΧΙ"! Η περήφανη
απάντηση της Ελλάδας κατέπληξε την τρομαγμένη Ευρώπη και προκάλεσε το σεβασμό όλων των
ελεύθερων ανθρώπων. Όλοι οι λαοί, έμειναν κατάπληκτοι μπροστά στην γενναία απόφαση της πατρίδας μας.
Μέσα σε λίγες ώρες άρχισε ένας άνισος αγώνας. Η φτωχή και απροετοίμαστη Ελλάδα από τη μια και
ο πάνοπλος φασισμός από την άλλη. Με τη σκέψη της σωτηρίας της πατρίδας, θερμαίνονται οι καρδιές των
Ελλήνων πάνω στα χιονισμένα Ηπειρωτικά βουνά. Με όπλα το εθνικό πιστεύω και το "Πιστεύω εις ένα
Θεό" ρίχνονται στον αγώνα. Κάθε μάχη γίνεται και ένας θρύλος. Σε λίγο η νίκη απλώνει τα φτερά της και
στεφανώνει τους ήρωες . Με όπλα το θάρρος και την ανδρεία κατάφεραν οι Έλληνες μαχητές του σαράντα
να συντρίψουν τον εχθρό, ο οποίος πανικόβλητος υποχώρησε στο εσωτερικό της Αλβανίας και θα είχε
σίγουρα σαν τελικό αποτέλεσμα να ριχτεί στη θάλασσα, αν δεν έρχονταν σε βοήθεια του οι σιδερόφρακτες
γερμανικές ορδές.
Ο κόσμος όλος παρακολουθεί την εξέλιξη των γεγονότων και βλέπει την ελληνική νίκη σαν ένα
θαύμα. Η Ελληνική νίκη χαρακτηρίστηκε σαν νίκη όλης της Ευρώπης, σαν νίκη του πολιτισμού, σαν νίκη
της ελευθερίας. Από τη νίκη αυτή άλλαξε το ρεύμα της ιστορίας. Με την ελληνική αντίσταση βράδυνε η
γερμανική επίθεση και δόθηκε πολύτιμος χρόνος στους συμμάχους, για να ετοιμάσουν την άμυνα τους. Η
Ελληνική αντίσταση παίρνει παγκόσμια σημασία. Ο Τσώρτσιλ ομολόγησε ότι "Αν δεν υπήρχε η ανδρεία και
η γενναιοψυχία των Ελλήνων, δε γνωρίζουμε ποιο θα ήταν το αποτέλεσμα του δεύτερου παγκόσμιου
πολέμου".
Η σημερινή επέτειος ανήκει στα μεγάλα εκείνα ιστορικά γεγονότα που νικούν το χρόνο και φωτίζουν
το δρόμο των λαών. Το ίδιο πνεύμα που οδήγησε τους Έλληνες στο Μαραθώνα και στις Θερμοπύλες
οδήγησε και τους Έλληνες του σαράντα στην Τρεμπεσίνα, στην Κλεισούρα και στο Τεπελένι. Όπως και τότε
έτσι και τώρα πολέμησαν οι Έλληνες για τα ίδια ιδανικά.
Το εθνικό χρέος μας καλεί να μείνουμε εθνικά ενωμένοι, προσκολλημένοι στα ιδεώδη της πατρίδας, της
θρησκείας και της ελευθερίας.
28η ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΥ 1940
Μια μέρα φθινοπωρινή,
κρύα χωρίς λιακάδα,
οι Ιταλοί θελήσανε
να πάρουν την Ελλάδα.
Μα οι Έλληνες απάντησαν
ΟΧI! με ένα στόμα,
εχθρού ποδάρι δεν πατά
στο Ελληνικό το χώμα.
Γιατί είναι χώμα ιερό,
με αίμα ποτισμένο,
κι από τα χρόνια τα παλιά
δάφνες, μυρτιές, σπαρμένο.
Πίνδος
Πάνω στην Πίνδο στης τιμής
τα μαρμαρένια αλώνια,
πολέμησαν οι Έλληνες
με κρύο και με χιόνια.
Πάνω στης Πίνδου τα βουνά
προτείνοντας την λόγχη
είπ’ ο στρατός μας στον εχθρό
δεν θα περάσεις όχι.
Πολέμησαν για λευτεριά
του έθνους την περηφάνια
κι η δόξα τους στεφάνωσε
μ’ αμάραντα στεφάνια.
Ο παππούς και η σημαία
Σήμερα με περηφάνια,
Την ετρύπησαν οι σφαίρες,
ο παππούς μου εκοιτούσε,
μα ανέμιζε με χάρη
τη γαλάζια μας σημαία
κι απ’τα χέρια του οι εχθροί μας,
κι όλο ονειροπολούσε.
μια στιγμή δεν είχαν πάρει.
Εθυμήθηκε που τότε,
την κρατούσε με καμάρι,
στα βουνα της Αλβανίας,
νέο τότε παλικάρι.
Κι όταν ξάφνου το κοντάρι,
έσπασε το πολυβόλο,
έκαμε ιστό καινούριο,
το ψηλό κορμί του όλο.
Αυτά όλα τα θυμάται
και περήφανος δακρύζει,
μα θυσίες και αγώνες
στην πατρίδα χαλαλίζει!
Ζ ΗΤ Ω Η Ε ΛΕ ΥΘΕ Ρ Ι Α
Ζ ΗΤ Ω Η 28η ΟΚΤ ΩΒΡ Ι ΟΥ 1940
ST. NICHOLAS PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD – 2016
BECOME A SPONSOR!!
The Parish Christmas Card is sent annually to all Parishioners of our St. Nicholas Church. We can
personally participate and become one of the senders/sponsors of the Christmas card to all our people
by simply contributing $25.00 to the Church.
Your name or your family’s name will be included on the card as one of the senders. By participating
in the Parish Christmas Card we express our kind wishes to all Parishioners as we celebrate the
Blessed Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through our participation we also help our Church carry on
His work and His mission.
If you wish to participate, please PRINT you name or your family’s name on the form below as you
want it to appear on the Card. Mail the form along with your $25.00 contribution to the Church
without delay.
The deadline is Wednesday, November 16, 2016. Remember, each sponsorship is $25.00.
PLEASE, ONE HOUSEHOLD PER EACH SPONSORSHIP
(Please cut along this line and return the bottom part)
Parish Christmas Card 2016
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
3109 Scio Church Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
www.stnickaa.org
PLEASE INCLUDE MY NAME AS SHOWN BELOW ON THE 2016 PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD:
(YOUR NAME AS YOU WANT IT ON THE CARD)
PLEASE PRINT
(Please. . . . .only one household per each sponsorship)
Enclosed is my contribution of $25.00 to the Church
This form must be returned to the Church no later than November 16, 2016.
Thank you.
ADVERTISING IN THE COMPASS
If you would like to advertise in The Compass,
please contact Demetra Mitropoulous-Rundus
at the church office at 734-332-8200
or send an email to [email protected]
RATES:
Business Card
$25.00/month
Quarter Page
$35.00/month
Half Page
$55.00/month
Full Page
$100.00/month
Church Registry 2016
Births
3-1-16
6-10-16
6-11-16
6-23-16
7-26-16
8-6-16
9-7-16
Alexander, son of Brandon and Metaxia Morris
Charles, son of Nate and Julia (Krause) Knapp
Theodore, son of Josh and Gina Ney
Jacob, son of Stephen and Katie Kolokithas
Alexander, son of Robert and Lindsay Palazzo
Peter Paul, son of Peter and Helen (Ioannou) Andruskiewicz
John Alexander, son of George and Eleni (Roumanis) Cisneros
Baptisms
3-1-16
3-5-16
3-13-16
3-13-16
3-19-16
4-24-16
5-15-16
6-4-16
6-18-16
8-24-16
9-21-16
9-30-16
10-29-16
10-29-16
10-30-16
Ophelia, daughter of George and Sarah Petsis: Koumbaroi: Steve Garkinos and
Eugenia Pappas
Christa Prokos: Koumbaroi: Charles and Rena Prokos
Athan, son of Sotirios and Kelly Psilidis: Koumbara: Nikki Bockel
John, son of Nicholas and Nikki Bockel: Koumbaro: Sotirios Psilidis
Konstantinos, son of Tony and Cleo Mihalopoulos:
Koumbaroi: Panagiotis and Nikolia Hasiakos
Sang Hoon Kong: Koumbaro: Michail Kitsos
Maria, daughter of Stamatios and Panagiota Kloumasis: Koumbara: Athina L. Res
Atlas, son of Yannis and Penelope Paulus: Koumbara: Elena Lamb
Vivienne, daughter of Brendon and Angelina Debolski:
Koumbara: Andrea Smith
Quinn Michael Boucher: Koumbaro: Tony Daniels
George Kaoud: Koumbara: Nuha Freij
Mara, daughter of Craig and Andrea Andree: Koumbaro: Adam Price
Charles, son of Nathaniel and Julia Knapp: Koumbaroi: Stephen & Kathrine Kolokithas
Theodore, son of Joshua and Gina Ney: Koumbaroi: Nicholas & Cara Mossides
Christopher, son of Brion & Theresa Cooley: Koumbaro: Samuel Kubiak
Chrismations
3-20-16
Stevie Michaels – Sponsor: Michail Kitsos
Weddings
3-5-16
6-25-16
8-6-16
8-27-16
10-15-16
Deno and Christa Prokos – Koumbaroi: Tom and Sophia Roumanis
Colin Bower and Kaitlyn Collins-Theodore: Koumbaroi: Matthew Smithson and Ioanna Alkanani
Alexander Nash and Lea Lagas: Koumbaro: Louis Lagas
Thomas Vrettas and Molly Behm: Koumbaro: Christos Hountalas
Andreas Stathopoulos & Jennifer Rasmussen: Koumbaro: George Michos
Fallen Asleep in the Lord
3-18-16
5-1-16
7-21-16
8-8-16
9-30-16
10-1-16
10-18-16
Demetra Demarakos (Athens, Greece)
James (Demetrios) Kales (Funeral: 5-7-16: Bethlehem Cemetery)
John Kokinakes (Funeral: 7-26-16: Washtenong Cemetery)
Marina Christos
Frank Keramaris (Funeral: 10-4-16: Cadillac Memorial Gardens-East)
Panagiota Zervogiannis (Funeral: 10-6-16: Bethlehem Cemetery)
Bill Yates (Funeral: 10-22-16: Washtenong Cemetery
(If there are any mistakes or omissions, we apologize. Please contact the office so that we may correct it. Thank you.)
Parish Ministries
PARISH COUNCIL
President
George Kokales
JOY:
Eva Mikhail
HOPE:
Dr. Sophia Grias-Radwanski, Margarita Bekiares,
Presbytera Sandra
Vice-President
Chris Webber
Secretary
Dr. Michael Kasotakis
Controller
Elizabeth Mitropoulos
Treasurer
Christos Kitromelides
Asst. Treasurer
Chris Kerry
Corresponding Secretary
Christina Vlahopoulos
Members: Robert J. Ashley Jr., Christopher A.
Bekiares, Tony Daniels, Patricia Douglas, Lambrini
Lagos, Eva Mikhail, Lana Panagoulia, Nicholas
Stamos
GREEK SCHOOL:
Ioanna Ioannou, Principal/Teacher
AHEPA:
Costas Boutsikakis
DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE:
Christina Vlahopoulos
OCF (UM Campus Ministry):
Mark Sultani
YOUTH ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE:
Sam Roumains, Dr. Anthony Kales
BOOKSTORE:
Aggeliki Evangelinos, Dr. Artemis Leontis, Joy
Melzian, Dr. Sophia Roumanis
COMPASS EDITOR:
Panagiota Stamoulis Kloumasis
PSALTES:
Zannis Res (Protopsaltis)
COMPASS COMMUNICATION:
[email protected]
ALTAR BOYS:
Dani Nadra
CHURCH SECRETARY:
Demetra Mitropoulos-Rundus
Email: [email protected]
MUSIC MINISTRY:
Dr. Jon Wardner, Teresa Stokes
PHILOPTOCHOS:
Vangie Kolokithas
ST. NICHOLAS SENIORS: George and Diane
Papandreou
CHURCH SCHOOL:
Katherine Phan, Dr. Photios Ioannou
GOYA: Niko Hays
OUTREACH & EVANGELISM:
Robert J. Ashley Jr.
PARISH PRIEST
FR. NICOLAOS KOTSIS
Email: [email protected]
For emergencies: (734) 604-3214
If you would like to contribute to the content of The
Compass please forward all communication to our
email at: [email protected] by the
17th of each month. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox
Church reserves the right to edit, change or omit content
as deemed appropriate.
Visit us on the WEB!
www.stnickaa.org
© Copyright 2016
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
3109 Scio Church Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103  (734) 332 – 8200  www.stnickaa.org