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ST. GEORGE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
THE
DECEMBER 2014
NEWSLETTER
…and unto them a child was
born…and he was called Jesus
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
1073 Saunders Settlement Rd., Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Office: 716-297-2668 email: saintgeorgenf@gmail.com
Fax: 716-524-2261
Website: www.stgeorgenf.com
Our new mailing address is: P.O. Box 1073, Grand Island, NY 14072
~~~ THE PARISH COUNCIL ~~~
VERY REV. FR. PAUL R. SOLBERG, PASTOR
OFFICERS
Chairperson: Scott Slaiman; Vice Chairperson: Colline Doyle
Recording Secretary: Kathy Fadel; Corresponding Secretary: Rose Kargatis;
Financial Secretary: Dot Lombardi; Treasurer: Scott Slaiman
OTHER MEMBERS
Juris Arajs, Raymond Bailey, James Filosofos, Edward Haddad,
James McPhall, Lorraine Pealer, Steve Sargent
Supervising Hierarch: +JOSEPH
Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All North
America
Auxillary Bishop: +ALEXANDER
Bishop of Ottawa and Assistant to the
Metropolitan
Subdeacons: Thomas Slaiman, Paul (Regis) Woodward, Kevin (Elias) Kensinger
Chanter: Samir Haddad - Lifetime Parish Council Member: Daniel Bishara
PARISH ORGANIZATIONS
Altar Servers
Elias Kensinger 804-3010
Antiochian Women
Lorraine Pealer 285-6449
Catechist & Educ. Coord. Gregory Derek Witty
585-245-1733
Choir Director
Drew Burke
Church School
Margaret Ewing 282-6579
Jackie Fadel
282-8243
Church Store
Ann Salhany
754-1657
Gayle Fadel
284-1771
Custodian
Michael Slaiman 754-4417
Endowment
John Moshides 741-4790
Flowers
Joyce Haick
731-3328
Food Pantry
FSJD
628-4730
Parish Council
Scott Slaiman
417-6565
Photographer
Ken Salhany
754-1657
St. Ignatius
Sob Haick
731-3328
St. John the Divine
Sexton
Ushers
Beth & Juris Arajs 628-4730
Tom Sharpe
352-5972
Ron Chambers 297-7241
The Newsletter is published by St. George Antiochian
Orthodox Church each month of the year
EDITOR
Very Rev. Fr. Paul R. Solberg
Business Advertising in the Newsletter is patronized by
members and friends of our community. Advertising
rates are available upon request.
Contact the church office at 297-2668 or email
stgeonewsletter@gmail.com to submit your news.
Deadline for the next issue is:
January 25, 2015
How to submit articles, text, photos, and advertisements
for the Newsletter:
Limit articles, reports, and features to one page if
possible. All articles should be submitted in electronic
format as WORD, or text file. Graphic arts, digital photos
and ads should be submitted in jpeg, WORD or pdf.
Material submitted for publication maybe edited for
brevity, space and errors. Materials received after the
deadline will not be accepted for that issue.
Coordinator: Denise Filosofos
No Waiting on Register 8!
On Black Friday there were long lines of
people waiting to buy gifts.
Just the other day, 4 people plus myself
were waiting for 1 cashier at Walgreens to handle
an issue with a confused customer.
Earlier that day numerous cars were
waiting for a multiple-car pile-up on the Grand
Island bridge to clear … some even running out
of gas.
Soon our children will be waiting for the
green light to open up their presents
accumulating under our Christmas trees.
Waiting is a fact of life. For many people,
waiting seems to be only a time waster as our
impatience grows by the minute.
Looking down the road to Christmas when
we’ll be gathering with family and friends to
celebrate the birth of our Lord and God and
Savior, Jesus Christ, is a different kind of waiting.
This type of waiting isn’t being simply passive.
Rather, it’s a very active affair.
Our waiting is a time for being and doing.
It’s acknowledging that what really counts in life is
Memory Eternal
December 2
December 4
December 6
December 7
December 9
December 17
December 18
December 19
December 20
December 21
December 22
December 23
December 25
December 26
December 28
December 29
Edward Milkie
Samir Abdo
Charles A. Kinan
Sheba N. Aswad
Bessie Sargent
Rachel Mokhiber
Peter Menegato
John Moshides
Natalie Anne Zaleski
Carl A. Bishara
Irene Kargatis
Miladie Nassif
Fahada Aswad
Christine Poulos
Amelia Moranis
Gus Demakis
George Slaiman
Bernard Galabinski
Helen Christus
Voula Vlahopoulos
Alice E. Bishara
Samuel Batrouny
Mary Gebran
Frank S. Bishara
Viola Fadel
Habib Yacou b
1993
2011
2003
1965
1975
1966
1993
1998
1985
2001
2008
2004
1971
2000
2008
1988
1959
1996
1989
2009
1994
2008
1961
1995
2010
2011
our walk of faith with the Lord … and also, doing
what we can do, having the Lord working in us
and through us.
Advent is a time of reflective vigilance. It’s
hearing the familiar words of St. John the Baptist
telling us to repent, turning back to the Lord,
seeking to have Him increase in our lives, and
then, anticipating Jesus’ coming again to gather
His own.
Every year in December, we’re being
distracted away from allowing His grace to move
fully in our hearts … being bombarded with
messages in quest of sidetracking us from seeing
Advent as a season for making Christ and His
Church our top priorities.
So our vigilant, attentive waiting will be
allowing the Lord’s grace to be coming to us and
to be moving in our hearts, so that once again by
His grace, He’ll be moving in us according to His
will.
Join the faithful believers in worshipping
the Holy Trinity here at St. George, every Sunday,
during this special time of year. Then we and our
children will be tasting and seeing and
experiencing the goodness of the Lord as His
presence will be filling us with hope and joy and
peace.
After that on the 25th of this month, may
we be gathering together, celebrating ever more
beautifully Christ’s coming into the world to be
one of us, to be among us and to freely offer us
His love.
Father Paul
~~ F.Y.I. ~~
Father Paul: cell phone: 983-1145
email: frsolberg@yahoo.com
Church Office: 297-2668; fax 716-524-2261
Church Email: saintgeorgenf@gmail.com
Website: www.stgeorgenf.com
Bulletin: stgeorgenfbulletin@gmail.com
Newsletter: stgeonewsletter@gmail.com
MOPS:
st.georgeorthodoxniagaramops@gmail.com
Our new mailing address is P.O.Box 1073,
Grand Island NY 14072.
Antiochian Women
News
The Antiochian Women will be having their
Annual Christmas Party on Sunday, December 7th. The
day will begin by going to the play, “A Meowy Christmas!”
presented at the NACC on Pine Avenue. A few of St.
George’s parishioners - Sam Fadel, Tom Slaiman and
Tom’s granddaughter, Kate Cosen - will be among the
cast members of the play.
Following the play, which begins at 2:30pm, the
group will travel down the road a bit, to The 755
Restaurant in the City Market, where there will be a
delicious meal served to those who attend. Holiday songs
will be sung and a great festive time will be had by all.
See Kathy or Shelli Fadel for more information.
The Ladies will continue their regular meetings
in January with a whole new slate of things to do. They
will be seeking ways to fundraise for the annual project
for the archdiocese and for the club in general. Ideas are
being had for the upcoming Annual Basket Auction in the
Spring. Make sure you are a part of this great fundraiser.
The Ladies also continue to bake bread for the
various services in the church. See Lorraine Pealer if you
would like to help out or want to learn how to bake bread.
ALL women are members of the Antiochian
Women’s club and are encouraged to attend all meetings
and gatherings to show their support. There are no
membership fees to join, just show up to a meeting and
become part of the joy in serving God’s Good Will!
From Your Family at
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
May you have a Blessed
Holiday Season
Fillled with Love & Joy
Sunday School
Christmas Pageant
St. George’s Sunday School will hold its annual
Christma s Pa geant on Sunday, December 14th
immediately following the Divine Liturgy. All the
Sunday School children are encouraged to be a part of
this great event. Parents, please make sure your children
are available to participate. Our Sunday School children
are a very busy group of young children doing amazing
things. Please support their efforts!
Don’t forget
Fellowship
the Divine is
accepting
its mitten
that the
of St. John
still
mittens for
tree.
They are also still accepting donations of
gently used coats and
boots. We will find a
home for them,
probably through the
Magdalene Project or
local schools.
The Food Pantry is also accepting donations
of PB&J, canned fruit,
fruit juices, boxed
dinner items and paper
products like toilet
paper, paper towels,
also plastic zip lock
bags of varying sizes.
See Beth or Juris Arajs if you would like to
help out!
Patriarch from Syria Coming to Enthrone New Head of
Antiochian Church in America
The head of one of the oldest churches on earth
will come to America to enthrone the new head of one of
the largest Orthodox Christian Churches in North
America.
The Patriarch of Antioch, Patriarch John X, will
come from Damascus, Syria, to enthrone Metropolitan
Joseph as new head of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in
North America.
The enthronement will take place Sat. Dec. 6 at
4:30 p.m. at the Church’s St. Nicholas Cathedral in
Brooklyn, NY. Metropolitan Joseph was selected by the Holy
Synod of Antioch on July 3 to succeed Metropolitan Philip,
who died March 19. Metropolitan Joseph was formerly the
Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West.
He now heads the entire Antiochian Orthodox
Church in America, with nine bishops, over 400 clergy, and
266 parishes and missions throughout the United States
and Canada.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church worldwide is
headed by the Patriarch of Antioch John X and is the
largest Arab Christian church in the world, with churches
in the Middle East, Europe, North and South America and
Australia. It was founded by Ss. Paul and Barnabas in 42 A.D. and its first bishop was St .Peter the Apostle, who
later went on to be Bishop of Rome.
Friendly Reminder…
As a friendly reminder, all Organizational
Meetings should be following the normal parish protocol
which is:
* All meeting times are to be coordinated with the
priest in order to insure that there are no parish-wide
scheduling conflicts including the availability of the priest’s
attendance.
* According to the Antiochian Or thodox
Archdiocese, ‘the priest is the presiding officer for every
organization.’
* Agendas are to be submitted to the priest in
advance for his inputs and approval.
* Reasonable efforts should be extended to notify
the priest within 24-48 hours concerning the organization’s
deliberations. This may be accomplished via written
correspondence, email or verbal communication.
If you have any questions, please contact Father
Paul in person or call him at 297-2668 or 983-1145 or email
him at frsolberg@yahoo.com .
The Bible states in Acts 11:26 “And the disciples
were first called Christians in Antioch.”
The Patriarchate is one of the four ancient
Patriarchates within the Orthodox Church today – the
others being the Patriarchates of Jerusalem, Alexandria
(Egypt) and Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey).
The Orthodox Church is the second largest
Christian Church in the world with over 250 million
adherents.
The Enthronement of
Metropolitan Joseph
December 5 - 7th, 2014
St. Nicholas Cathedral,
Brooklyn, NY
Christmas Services
This year there will be a Royal Hours of
Christmas Service held on Christmas Eve,
Wednesday, December 24th at 9:00 am. There
will also be a Vesperal Divine Liturgy at 5:00
pm that same day.
On Thursday, Christmas Day, there will
be Orthros of the Nativity at 10:00 am
followed by the Divine Liturgy for the Nativity
at 11:00 am.
Please try and make these services if you
can. May you all have a Blessed Christmas
Season!
St. George Wish List
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Platitera (Icon of the Theotokos and the Christchild)
30 Quart mixer for the kitchen
Ceramic tile (marble in appearance) for the altar
Dome icons of Gospel writers and Archangels
New festal icons (11 x 14 inches)
Trim around wall festal icons
Drapery Artistry under wall festal icons
Children’s playground
Storage shed and /or Garage
At Home:
Clara Bishara - 934 James Ave., Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Souad Bitar - 2250 N. French Rd., Getzville, NY 14068
HOLY BREAD
Jim McPhall - 560 Riverwalk Dr.,Youngstown, NY 14174
In Nursing Homes:
Elaine Baia - Our Lady of Peace, 5285 Lewiston Rd., Lewiston,
NY 14092
Lorraine Bialek - Crestwood Health Care Center, 2600
Niagara Falls Blvd., Niag. Falls, 14304
Shirley Daniels - 2680 N. Forest Rd. Unit 226, Getzville, NY
14068
Stephen Daniels - 2700 N. French Rd.,Unit 210, Getzville, NY
14068
Nellie Kensinger - Schoelkopf Nursing Home, Tenth St.,
Niagara Falls, NY
Eleanor Kinan - Northgate on Nash Road, Wheatfield
George Pappas - Our Lady of Peace, 5285 Lewiston Rd.,
Lewiston, NY 14092
Marguerite Aswad - Alterra Sterling, 6741 Nash Rd.,
Wheatfield, NY 14120
December 7
December 14
December 21
December 28
Bailey/Moshides Family
St. Ignatius
Dot Lombardi
No Sponsor
Contact Lorraine Pealer 285-6449 if you would like to
be a Holy Bread sponsor.
COFFEE HOUR
December 7
December 14
December 21
December 28
Bailey/Moshides Family
St. Ignatius
Sunday School
Robert & Sherry Mokhiber
Contact Patty Chown 283-3037 if you would like to
sponsor a coffee hour.
The Challenges of Orthodox Youth Ministry
by Protopresbyter David Cownie
One of the most pressing questions posed by
Orthodox pastors and parents in these times is, "How
can we motivate our young people to embrace
Orthodoxy and carry it into their adult lives." The question is a valid one, but I fear that those
who pose it are often not being honest with themselves.
Children rarely go off in odd directions without taking
some clues from those around them, especially their
parents. Children follow and learn from our example,
whether that example happens to be good or bad. We
form them into what they become by how we live our
lives. Sometimes they rebel against what they have
learned, but even that rebellion is shaped by the very
attitudes against which they choose to rebel. What are our responsibilities as parents or even
as adults in the parish community? What kind of witness
are we giving to our children? Do we model the behavior
which we wish them to emulate? Do we spend enough
time talking and interacting with them to have any
influence in their lives? Or do we allow the screenwriters
in Hollywood and the nihilistic punks who make and sell
CD’s to dictate the world-view our children accept. How
much time is spent watching television or listening to
pop music as opposed to the time spent in conversation
or reading spiritually profitable material? Michael
Medved recently revealed the sad statistic that "by the
age of six, for instance, the average American child has
spent more hours watching the tube than he will spend
talking to his father in his lifetime." So what is the alternative to this chaos? The
answer is both deceptively simple and extremely
difficult. If we truly wish to see our children grow up to
be pious and responsible Orthodox Christians, then we
must show them what that means. The only way we can
do that is to become pious, responsible Orthodox
Christians ourselves. A blueprint has been given by the
Church Fathers as to how we should live our lives. This
blueprint is called Holy Tradition. There is a whole
pattern of life which was developed by Orthodox
Christians over the past two thousand years. Only in this
century, more specifically the second half of this century,
has that way of life been challenged and overthrown with
disastrous results. In Russia and Eastern Europe, this
way of life was destroyed by force. In the West,
Orthodox Christians simply abandoned Tradition
because it got in the way. But this pattern of life still
works, if only people will seek to make use of it.
For more of this article, please visit: http://
orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/youth_ministry.aspx
Teen SOYO News
The teens would like to thank everyone who
donated to the Special Olympics during Youth Month in
October. We were able to collect $215 for this worthy
cause.
In November several of our teens helped the Sunday
School at the Magdalene Project soup kitchen. Besides
serving lunch to the large crowd we were able to help
organize the food pantry and books for the Kids Club
that meets at the center.
On Sunday, December 28th the teens will have a fun
bowling event after church in Lewiston. We hope that
some of the visiting college students will be able to join us
and share their college experiences. Look for invitations
in the mail!
During the month of January we hope to sponsor a
Family Movie and Game night. This will be a fun event to
help us get through the long winter! Look for details in
next month's newsletter.
Finally, we would like to wish our St. George family
a blessed Advent Season and a Happy New Year!
House Blessings and Theophany/Epiphany
On January 6 the faithful attend a Divine Liturgy
and the Great Blessing of the Water service to celebrate
Theophany, also called “Ton Photon” (“Feast of Lights”)
with reference to the spiritual illumination of the Holy
Spirit. The service commemorates the baptism of Christ
and the manifestation of God in three persons. Large
numbers of people attend church to be be blessed and to
receive holy water which they take home in small bottles
provided by the church.
Some parishioners bring their own bottles
specifically for holy water. In most churches in America,
the blessing is held indoors, and the water is contained in
a l a r g e b a s i n . S o m e co m m u n i t i e s h o l d o u t d o o r
celebrations by a body of water.
Blessing of the Home: It is customary to invite
your priest to bless your home with holy water within a
few weeks following Theophany. Prepare by cleaning the
Catechism Program
Unveiled
Derek Gregory Witty is one of four St. George
parishioners who is a student in the St. Stephen’s Course
of Study. His St. Stephen’s Project Outline is as follows:
house and opening and lighting all the rooms. The items
needed for a house blessing are an Icon of Christ and a
candle or merely gather at the Family Home Altar.
After praying for the entire household, the priest
will be using a basil sprig or the Liturgical Holy Water
Sprinkler and then going to each room and sprinkle it with
the grace of the Holy Spirit which also protects you from
evil spirits. Although ideal, all family members do not
deed to be present for the house blessing. House Blessings
are a yearly tradition.
Personal Use of Holy Water: According to
Orthodox doctrine, holy water has the power to sanctify
and heal. Have each family member drink a small amount
of the holy water from Epiphany or the home blessing.
Keep the unused holy water ion your home altar for future
use: times of adversity, before starting a new venture or
trip, to give thanks, or when someone is ill. You may drink
it or anoint yourself when you feel spiritually afflicted. To
rid the house of evil spirits, it should be sprinkled in the
four walls of each room, so no one will step on it. In rural
Orthodox countries, the holy water is sprinkled in the
fields and on the animals.
Coming Up in January
Happy New Year to Everyone!
The time has come to reveal my Saint Stephen's
Course of Study project:
Thursday, January 1 - 10am
11am
Orthros
Divine Liturgy
I will be developing a course of catechetical
instr uction for Saint George Orthodox Church. Working with Miguel Rodrigues, we will develop a course
that will provide a monthly retreat-based lesson that will
explain why we, Orthodox Christians, do the things that
we do. This course will benefit children, inquirers into
Orthodoxy, and Catechumens. Furthermore, the topics
that we will discuss will also be helpful for those of us who
have grown up Orthodox who wish to get a deeper
understanding of our Faith. Keep your eyes open for opportunities beginning
in Januar y to participate. There will be no cost
associated with the program. If you would like to inquire
into the course, please contact me at the e-mail address
below or by talking with me after Sunday Divine Liturgy.
In Christ,
Monday, January 5 -
9am
Great Hours of
Epiphany followed by
the Vesperal Divine
Liturgy of “St. Basil
for the Pre-Feast of
the Divine Epiphany
of Our Lord and God
Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, January 6 -
9am
Orthros for the Feast
of The Divine
Epiphany of Our
Lord and God Jesus
Christ
Divine Liturgy and
the Great Blessing of
the Water
Gregory Derek Witty
Catechist and Christian Education Coordinator
dwitty84@gmail.com
10am
House Blessings will begin after this event. Please
contact Fr. Paul if you would like hime to bless your home.
DECE MBER
SUNDAY
2014
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
MOPS
9:15-11:15
3
Evening DL
commemorating
St. Barbara 6pm
(please fast from
noon meal on)
4
5
6
Chanters Prac
4pm
GV 5pm
7
Matins
9:15am
DL - 10:30am
Antochian
Women’s
Christmas
Party
8
9
10
Daily Vespers
6pm
11
12
13
Chanters Prac
4pm
GV 5pm
14
Matins
9:15am
DL - 10:30am
Christmas
Pageant
following DL
15
16
MOPS
9:15-11:15
17
Daily Vespers
6pm
18
19
20
Chanters Prac
4pm
GV 5pm
21
Matins
9:15am
DL - 10:30am
22
PC Mtg 7pm
23
24
Royal Hours of
Christmas 9am
Vesperal Divine
Liturgy 5pm
25
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
Orthros of
the Nativity
10am
DL for the
Nativity 11am
26
27
Chanters Prac
4pm
GV 5pm
28
Matins
9:15am
DL - 10:30am
29
30
31
NEW YEAR’S
EVE
Evening DL 6pm
Feast of Circumcision in the
Flesh of our
Lord
Let’s start something new for the kids!
Each month we will try and put a picture
in the newsletter for the kids to color
and then Mom and Dad can hang it in the home
somewhere for all to enjoy - this month, of course,
A Nativity Scene.