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ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
Volume 11 - Issue 3
Page 1
ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ - ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ - CHRIST IS RISEN - TRULY HE IS RISEN MaY/JUNE 2015
+ Reflection +
from
Fr. Sotiri
Χριστός Ανέστη – Christ is Risen! I gr eet
you warmly with the news of our Lord's
Resurrection; as well as with the news that our
building plans have been approved by the Village
of Lincolnshire.
Such events are certainly
noteworthy and a cause for us to rejoice. I also
take this opportunity to personally remind you that
the Feastday Celebrations of our Parish will be held
on May 20th with Great Vespers at 7 pm; and
Orthros and Divine Liturgy at 8:15 am on May
21st. All of us should be present to honor our We thank our spiritual leaders, Fr. Sotiri and Fr. Treantafeles, along with our
Church which is blessed to have the feast of the Altar Boys, for serving our Lord and our Parish with such strength and
Ascension as her day of celebration. A s a way to devout faith throughout Lent, Holy Week and The Glorious Resurrection.
help us prepare for this Major Feast of our Church, Χριστός Ανέστη! May God Bless you always!
I wish to share with you the sermon that my
coeternal in His bosom. The Holy Spirit gives the order to all
unworthiness gave last year at the Great Vespers of the His Angels, 'Lift up the gates, O you rulers.' Oh, clap your
Ascension so that we can begin to reflect on this feast of our hands, all you nations! For Christ has ascended to where He
Master and its relevance in our lives.
was before.”
This joy is also attributed to the reality that Christ
We have gathered this evening in one heart and one
ascends
and is seated at the right of God’s throne. This
accord to honor this mystery and great feast of our Lord’s
makes
Him
the first, a pioneer, of someone from our human
Ascension into the Heavens. With the hymns of this
race
to
go
into
heaven; just as He was the first to be raised
evening’s Vespers, we are taking to the Mount of Olives
from
the
dead.
along with our Lord’s Disciples to see the completion of
This joy is also mixed with sadness due to the
Christ’s glorification and lordship over all creation. The 2.
separation.
The Disciples begin to lament and weep at this
circle of Christ’s mission has been fulfilled. At His birth,
loss.
One
hymn
describes for us this scene emphasizing that
Christ brought His divine nature to human nature. In the
our
Lord’s
Disciples
when they “. . .saw You being lifted up
mystery of the Ascension, Christ brings human nature to the
on
the
clouds,
they
were
filled with sadness. They grieved,
divine Kingdom. It is for this reason, the Disciples as well as
and
with
tearful
laments
they
said to You, O Christ the giver
all Christians are experiencing three distinct feelings at this
of
life,
'Master,
do
not
make
orphans of us your servants,
feast.
whom
You
loved
for
pity's
sake, You who are
1.
The first feeling is of great joy; joy that our Lord has
compassionate.'”
They
felt
as
orphans
losing their very own
completed His work of divine economy. He is raised above
Father.
the earth that He saved; He is now victorious and triumphant.
This sadness is then transferred to a feeling of hope;
The Father is ready to receive Him, and the angels and 3.
a
hope
that
is anchored in our Lord’s promise that He will
people glorify Him. This scene is described in one of the
not
leave
His
Disciples orphans because He will send them
hymns we heard this evening: “The Lord was taken up to
heaven, in order to send the Holy Spirit to the world. The the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the spirit of Truth. This
heavens prepared His throne; the clouds were the means of circumstance reminds us of the phrase we hear a lot in life:
His approach. Angels marvel, seeing a human being higher “when one door closes, another opens.” For the Disciples, a
than themselves. The Father receives Him whom He has
Continued on Page 8
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
OUR STEWARDSHIP MINISTRIES
Rev. Fr. Sotirios P. Malamis, Proistamenos
Parish Ministry Team
Acolyte Ministry: Fr. Sotirios Malamis
Chanters: George Apergis, George Houpis, Paul Lillios,
Nick Papastratakos, Isidoros Xilas
Custodian: Paul Garza III
Greek School Director: Maria Theodoropulu
GOYA: Fr. Sotirios Malamis, Carol Stamas
HOPE: Presvytera Stefanie Malamis
FAITH/JOY: Maria Vlahos, Presvytera Stefanie
JOY & Jr. GOYA: Fr. Sotirios Malamis, Leah Kartsimas, Casey
Bekiaris, Stephanie Voelker
Koliva: Andrea Rogers
LOGOS: David Rutkowski
Men’s Ministry: James Anast
Office Secretaries: Kay James and Renee Maltezos
Office Volunteer: Maita Houpis
Parish Council: Thomas Kiriakos (President), Doug Hugdahl
(Vice-President), Harold Anagnos (Treasurer), David Rutkowski
(Assistant Treasurer), Nick Marino (Secretary), Bill Athenson,
Robert Buhler, George Houpis, Alex Marx, Thomas Papastefan,
Bill Smirles, Carol Stamas, Diane Sigalos, Bob Mantzoros and
Peter Venetos
Philoptochos President: Vicki Douvlis
Senior Synaxis President: Elaine Beck
Sunday Church School: Mia Connolly, Irene Curran
Webmaster & Newsletter Editor: Suzanne Saric
Page 2
PARISH REGISTRY
3/29/15
4/25/15
4/26/15
40-DAY BLESSINGS
Daughter of Alexander & Marissa Adams
Daughter of Jimmy & Kai Moshopoulos
Daughter of Dina & Ted Boufis
4/18/15
BAPTISMS
Daughter of Konstantinos & Denise Karousos
Sponsor: Maria Kozonis
4/16/15
FUNERAL
Theoni Karadjias, beloved wife of Vassos
Karadjias
3/21/15
“
4/26/15
“
MEMORIAL SERVICES
Athanasios Mallioufas (40 days) and Vasiliki
Malioufas (5 yrs), beloved parents of Olga
(George) Metropulos
Theodore (Theodoros) Pappas (40 days), dear
friend of Evan (Elaine) Kakis
Dimitra Karlos (1 year) and Konstantinos Karlos
(3 yrs.), beloved parents of Georgia (Harold)
Anagnos
Julia Pish (1 year) and Dean (Konstantinos)
Kaulentis (4 yrs.), beloved aunt and brother of
Chrys Kaulentis
May their memory be eternal.
UPDATE FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL
Tom Kiriakos | 312.925.8864
Christos Anesti! The Parish Council is delighted to inform you that, at a meeting on
Bright Monday (April 13th), the Board of Trustees of the Village of Lincolnshire, with no dissenting votes,
approved our building plans by passing ordinances that approved (1) our proposed agreement to annex our
property directly to the south of the church (which we commonly refer to as the Denny Banner property
(because the Amended Annexation Agreement had our building plans attached, the approval of the amended
annexation agreement included the approval of our building plans) and (2) our request for an Amended Special Use Permit to allow us to continue to function as a Greek Orthodox church on our property. Our building plans, once realized, will allow us not only to worship together in a beautiful, traditional Greek Orthodox
Church of a late 12th Century Byzantine design, but also to continue to develop and expand our many wonderful ministries under Father Sotirios’ leadership and spiritual guidance. On May 12th at 7 p.m. at
Ascension, the Parish Council plans to hold an informational meeting, open to all
parishioners, to highlight the slight changes to our building plans (and the accompanying construction budget) since the May, 2014, General Assembly approval of our last set of plans, to outline our proposed timetable going forward,
and to answer any questions you may have in advance of formal General Assembly consideration of the Village of Lincolnshire-approved plans. The next General Assembly is scheduled for May 17th, immediately following Liturgy. We
are hopeful that you will be able to attend both, as the Parish Council is anxious
to share with you our excitement over this long awaited-for development and our
thoughts and plans for continuing to move forward to realize our dreams.
Father Sotiri blesses a cake brought by
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING MAY 17 FOLLOWING THE DIVINE LITURGY. PLEASE
ATTEND THIS VERY IMPORTANT MEETING REGARDING THE FUTURE OF
ASCENSION’S BUILDING PLANS
the Kiriakos family in honor of our
building plans being approved on Bright
Monday by the Village of Lincolnshire!
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
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PARISH NEWS

OUR GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION goes to Fr. Demetrios Treantafeles, who celebrated many services
with us throughout Lent and Holy Week.

OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES to Vassos Karadjias whose beloved wife Theoni Karadjias fell as asleep in the
Lord recently.

MEMORIAL DAY GRAVE BLESSINGS - Fr. Sotiri will conduct Trisagion Services on Monday, May 25th at
Ridgewood Cemetery from 9:00-10:00 a.m. and at Memorial Park from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Please meet him at
the entrance.
OUR SINCERE THANKS to everyone who has helped us prepare for our Lent and Pascha
celebration. To the ladies who helped decorate the Kouvouklion on
Holy Friday; to the ladies and children who wrapped red eggs and
cleaned the Church; to the Acolytes who made sure everything
used at the Altar was clean and shiny; to the Parish Council who
hosted the Anastasi Celebration; to all Acolytes who were
present throughout Lent and Holy Week; to the chanters who so
beautifully chanted each service. Also many thanks to Maria
Papagianis who so beautifully decorated all the Icons during the
Lenten period; and, Sophia Metropulos and Lydia Conopeotis for spear-heading the Kouvouklion decorations.


OUR GRATITUDE to all stewards who have made donations for the flowers that adorned all the Icons, the
wreath on the Crucifix, the Kouvouklion, Palms and those who donated candles, chocolate
bunnies, red eggs, food and all items that were requested. Your constant generosity goes
beyond words.

GRADUATES SUNDAY will take place this year on June 7th. Please call Kay James at the
Church Office (847) 482-1200 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Mondays,
Wednesdays or Fridays to submit the name(s) of your graduate(s) in order for them to be
recognized after the Divine Liturgy on that Sunday! Please do not wait until the last minute.

OUR FEASTDAY: Please do not forget our beloved Ascension’s Great Vespers which will
take place on Wednesday, May 20th at 7:00 p.m. A reception will follow the Service hosted by our
Philoptochos. Please make every effort to attend. On Thursday, May 21st, the day of our Feastday, the
ASCENSION OF OUR LORD, Orthros will be at 8:15 a.m. followed by the Divine Liturgy at 9:15 a.m.
Fellowship, hosted by our Senior Synaxis, will follow.

PARISH DIRECTORIES: If you didn't pick up your parish directory at church in April, copies are still
available. Please call the church office if you would like a copy. The directory can be purchased for $5.

LOGOS: LOGOS will resume in the Fall.
THE ANNUAL COMMEMORATATION of the ‘Fall of Constantinople’ will be held on Thursday,
May 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Damen Student Center at Loyola University. This year’s event will
feature a talk by Professor Lou Ureneck, author of “The Great Fire” that tells the story of a
Christian Minister whose efforts saved 250,000 Greeks during the tragic events of Smyrna in 1922.
For more information, visit
the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago website at:
chicago.goarch.org/news.

GRADUATES SUNDAY - SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2015
Please Call the Church Office to submit the names of your Ascension graduate from 8th Grade, High School, Undergraduate College and Graduate College.
All graduates will be honored Sunday, June 7th, after the Divine Liturgy.
We congratulate our graduates in advance and wish them success in their future endeavors!
WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!
MAY/JUNE 2015
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
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GREEK SCHOOL NEWS
Maria Theodorpulu | mariatheod@hotmail.com
March was a very busy month for Ascension Greek School. In
addition to Greek language
classes, our students learned
about the Greek heroes who
participated in the Greek
revolution of 1821 and
prepared for our Independence
Day Program that took place on
March 17. Our Greek School families and
friends had the opportunity to enjoy beautiful songs, poems and Greek dances
performed by our students. We all felt very proud of them.
The week before Orthodox Holy Week, our Greek school students
did different projects related to Easter and became familiar with
Greek Orthodox Easter traditions. Our younger students dyed
eggs and made their own baskets to place them in.
On Tuesday after Easter, our students cracked red
eggs wishing each other “Χριστός Ανέστη”(“Christ
is Risen”) and “Αληθώς Ανέστη” (“Truly He is
Risen”), and tasted koulourakia and tsourekia.
Students and teachers enjoyed the experience.
On Tuesday, May 19th, the Greek School
End-of-the-Year Program is going to take
place at our church at 5:00 p.m. Parish
families and friends are invited to enjoy
our Greek School students’ performance
of Greek
poems,
songs and
dances.
SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL
Mia Connolly | miaps@aol.com
It’s hard to believe we are nearing the end of another fruitful Sunday school year! Please continue
to bring your children to class through May 17, the final day of class, and the day we recognize those students with perfect attendance. Thank you for entrusting your children to us. The SCS teachers and directors
have enjoyed teaching them about our rich Orthodox Faith. If you are interested in volunteering as a Sunday Church School teacher for the next school year, please contact Mia Connolly at Miaps@aol.com. We will
have some positions available, and are asking for your support, so that we may continue to offer our children a dynamic program. Our current staff is ready and willing to discuss this fulfilling commitment with
you. Finally, if you haven’t done so already, please bring the OCMC coin boxes to your Sunday school
classrooms as soon as possible so the Church can send a check to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center on
behalf of the Ascension Sunday Church School.
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
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+
HOPE: Χριστός Ανέστη! HOPE group kept busy during the weeks leading up
to Pascha. We talked about Great Lent and made Lenten calendars which gave each
child something special to do during Great Lent. Fr. Sotiri spoke to us about the days
leading up to Christ’s crucifixion and we made many crafts which pertained to the
major feasts of Great Lent. Now, we will focus on some of the feasts that take place
after the Resurrection: St. George, the Myrrh Bearing Women, and the Prophet Job.
Our last meeting will be on Wednesday, May 13th. We thank all of our moms and
yiayias and little ones who were so dedicated to making our HOPE group so special and meaningful! Looking forward
to another blessed year of HOPE again in the Fall! If you have little ones between the ages of 40 days and 3 years old,
please join us. For more information, contact Presvytera Stefanie (presstefanie@yahoo.com).
+ SCOUT SUNDAY took place on March 8th for our Boy and Girl scouts. Fr. Sotiri presented them
all with a badge and encouraged them to continue their service work throughout their communities.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the Girl Scouts sold cookies and donated the $100
they collected to the Ascension Building Fund!
+ FAITH AND JOY: This new Ascension ministry for children in Grades
K-5 gathers once a month for fellowship, craft-making and lessons. The next meeting will take
place on May 15th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Sign up your children up for this great ministry! For
more information, contact Maria Vlahos at smileygrk@gmail.com.
+
INFORMATION ON SUMMER PROGRAMS | FANARI CAMP (for Grades 6-11; 4 sessions
throughout mid June-mid July) | IONIAN VILLAGE (for Grades 8-12: 2 sessions 6/22-7/11 and 7/19-8/7) | and,
SCHOLARSHIPS can all be found on the Youth Ministry pages of www.ascensiongoc.com.
+ COLLEGE STUDENTS: THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY would like
to let you know that if you are interested in becoming a Fanari Camp counselor, visit www.fanari.org for more
information and to apply.
+
THANK YOU to everyone who supported the JOY/Jr. GOYA Easter
Plant Sale. Following Pascha, JOY/Jr. GOYA and GOYA visited the Greek
American Rehabilitation Center and sang Christos Anesti to the residents.
They also provided them with beautiful handmade gifts that were inspired by
Maria Vlahos and created by JOY/Jr. GOYANS.
+ GOYANS were active participants in Holy Week Services not only as Acolytes, but also as
readers at the Nymphios Service on Holy Monday. On Bright Friday, they gathered at Ascension
for dinner and fellowship. GOYA is completing its Spring Service Project: KITZ4KIDZ Care
Packages. Donations for Care Packages for kids with cancer at Lurie Children’s Hospital are being
collected. Kitz4Kidz is an Illinois 501c3 charity founded and run by current Carmel High School
students.
+ LAST DAY FOR YOUTH GROUP MEETINGS: The JOY/Jr. GOYA will meet on
Monday, May 18th for the End-of-Year gathering. Please join us at 5:45 for our last meeting here at Church. GOYA
members will have their final meeting the same evening at 7:00 p.m. at Jay Lovell’s, (766 Sheridan Rd., Highwood)
where they welcome incoming freshmen and honor our graduating seniors. We invite all graduating 8th graders to join
us as we welcome them to our GOYA. The location has not been finalized yet. Stay tuned.
+ JUNIOR OLYMPICS Come support the youth of Ascension who have signed
“Parade of Churches”.
www.ascensiongoc.com
up to participate in this year’s Jr. Olympics, May 22-24th. The weekend kicks off with
bowling on Friday evening, May 22nd at Willowbrook Lanes, at 5:00 p.m. Opening
ceremonies are on Saturday, May 23rd at Stagg Field (by SS Constantine and Helen
Church in Palos HIlls) beginning at 8:00 a.m. We ask all participants to gather there
before 8 and look for the Ascension banner so that we may march into the field for the
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the Youth Pages at
MAY/JUNE 2015
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
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PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
Vicki Douvlis | Ascensionphilo@gmail.com
(Search “Ascension Philoptochos” on Facebook and “Like Us”)
Philoptochos held its traditional Palm Sunday Bake Sale with great
success again this year. Patricia Filley and Debbie Katsulis graciously co-chaired
the effort, which is one of our biggest fundraising events each year. This year we
were also blessed to have homemade tsourekia to sell that was lovingly baked by
our sister chapter from St. Demetrios in Waukegan. We thank all of our parish family for supporting this event! The success of this and other fundraising efforts
allows our chapter to support more of those in need.
As an update to the news we reported earlier this year in the newsletter, Philoptochos is forging ahead with the Fill the
Bag program, which will be presented at the 2016 National Conference as a model template for other chapters to adopt
throughout the United States. Our Fill the Bag program allows us to distribute various types of bags filled with items specific to the physical and spiritual requirements
of those in need. In March, we completed the Fill the Bag initiative for children, in
partnership with SalesForce. Partnering with a major
orporation like SalesForce is unprecedented and continues
to keep Ascension’s Philoptochos on the cutting edge.
Together, we collected books at the Lake County Courthouse for the children at KidsCorner, and 100 children will
benefit! For our Lenten Fill the Bag initiative, we collected
food and necessities to feed the hungry and provide for the needy in Lake County and
Chicago. On April 25th, we assembled bags for the Annunciation Feed the Hungry Program
and the Lake County Food Pantry. Thanks to the generosity of so many of
you who donated money, food or sundry items, we fed more than 175
hungry men and women, most of whom are homeless, and filled more than
175 bags of essentials for the needy families in Lake County. The next segment of our Fill the Bag program will take place this fall.
Upcoming events include the Philoptochos Board elections on Thursday,
May 14th; and our annual Celebration of Giving Dinner, which will take place on Thursday,
June 11th at Dover Straits.
And last -- but certainly not least -- it is with great pride that we announce that our Fall 2014
POP Event was honored at the Second Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Award
Dinner. POP lead the North Shore in funds raised and was honored with the 1st Place
Award! Your generosity, along with the collaborative effort with Philoptochos chapters at SS
Peter and Paul and St. John the Baptist, is truly making a difference.
KOINONIA MEN’S MINISTRY
Jim Anast | janast80@gmail.com
The Koinonia Men's Ministry board would like to express their sincere thanks to the following
stewards who provided the food and hosting duties at the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Lenten dinner on March 18:
Steve Demet, Rick Duros, Gus Gatsis, George Kartsimas, Tom Kiriakos, Nick Marino, Angelo Panos and Dr.
Tom Poulakidas. Also, many thanks to the more than 80 families who offered their
donations and shared their Easter greetings in our Pascha card. As a result, the
Koinonia group raised more than $4,200 that will be used for future philanthropic
and social endeavors. The board is considering a social event in May or June. The
board also will begin planning in June for our annual parish family BBQ that will
take place in September. If you are interested in helping with Koinonia endeavors
or learning more about our group, please contact Jim Anast at 847.368.9868 or
janast80@gmail.com.
MAY/JUNE 2015
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
Page 7
+ MEMORIAL DAY GRAVE BLESSINGS +
Father Sotiri will conduct Memorial Day Grave Trisagia on Monday, May 25th
at two local cemeteries this year.
9:00—10:00 a.m.: Ridgewood Memorial, 9900 N. Milwaukee Ave.,
DesPlaines
10:30—11:30 a.m.: Memorial Park Cemetery, 9900 Gross Point Rd.
Skokie
Please meet Father Sotiri at the entrance gate of each cemetery at the starting time.
+ OUR FEASTDAY +
The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is
celebrated each year on the fortieth day after the Great and Holy Feast
of Pascha. Since the date of Pascha changes each year, the date of the
Feast of the Ascension changes, although it is always celebrated on a
Thursday. The Feast commemorates when, on the fortieth day after
His Resurrection, Jesus led His disciples to the Mount of Olives, and
after blessing them and asking them to wait for the fulfillment of the
promise of the Holy Spirit, He ascended into heaven.
DO YOU KNOW why we don’t kneel
between the Feast Days of Pascha and
Pentecost? To answer this, let’s find out why we kneel at all. Kneeling, bowing and
prostrations were conducted even in the Old Testament as a sign of deep prayer, repentance, lamentation and devout respect and worship. Even Jesus knelt before His
Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:29). According to a canon by the
First Ecumenical Council, we are not to kneel between Pacha and Pentecost because
of the “brilliant solemnity of the events which the Church commemorates” after Christ’s Resurrection. We celebrate His third day Resurrection and therefore do not need to lament. St. Basil teaches
us that by standing, we are reminded that we have risen from the dead together with Christ and we ought
to seek the things above. Of course, the same prayers are said with reverence and fervor during this most
Holy Consecration portion of the Liturgy. (Source: Orthodox Christian Information Center)
ASCENSION OF OUR LORD FEASTDAY
+ Wednesday, May 20, 2015 +
Hierarchical Great Vespers—7:00 p.m.
+Thursday, May 21, 2015 +
Orthros at 8:15 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.
PLEASE JOIN US IN WORSHIP ON THE BELOVED
FEASTDAY OF OUR CHURCH!
MAY/JUNE 2015
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
Page 8
SENIOR SYNAXIS
Elaine Beck 847.367.5227
On Tuesday, May 19th, Senior Synaxis member s will gather at Ascension to r emove the flower s fr om
the Kouvoulkion. A pizza lunch will follow. Senior Synaxis is looking forward to hosting fellowship following the Divine Liturgy on our Feastday of the Ascension of Our Lord, on May 21st. Members of our beloved Senior Synaxis Ministry were present and very instrumental in preparing our beautiful Church for every aspect of Lent and Holy Week. (See photos below). God Bless all of you always!
(Continued from Page 1)
door closed when they did not understand the departure of the Father, for the Holy Spirit had not yet descended on them
to give them this understanding. A great door opens however, for they, in just ten days, will be given power from above. If
Christ remained on earth in His resurrected body, He could only be in one place at a time. He would be limited. But the
Holy Spirit is everywhere, filling all things. We share these same feelings of joy, sadness, and hope on this evening and tomorrow.
Studying the icon of this great feast, there is a special detail in the icon which may seem self-evident, but often times it is
overlooked. When our Lord was leading His Disciples to the place of His Ascension, He lifted up His hands and blessed
them. He remained in this state as He was going up. He did not bless them, then ascend. What is the meaning of this? We
first need to remind ourselves that in Holy Scripture, the transmission of God’s blessing to man takes place through various
energies. After the creation of the first couple, God blessed them. Throughout the Old Testament we see the Prophets and
Patriarchs blessing people which is in reality transmitting life, and sending the grace of God to others through these blessings.
In the Gospels we often see Christ blessing the people. One example is the blessing which He gave to the children. St.
Mark tells us that “. . .He took the children up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). In this
sense all the miracles which Christ performed have the element of blessing, but mainly those which He did by laying His
hand on the limbs of their bodies, as in the curing of Peter’s mother-in-law when “he touched her hand, and the fever left
her” (Matthew 8:15).
When Christ was ascending to heaven He blessed the Disciples, sending them His Grace. He did not bless them and then
go up into heaven, but He was blessing them as He ascended. He continued blessing His Disciples as He went up to heaven,
giving them power to carry out His commandments. By this He showed that He would always continue blessing His own,
granting them His abundant and infinite grace.
Finally, as we reverently look upon the icon of this magnificent feast, we are reminded of the following Biblical truth that
we will read in the last two verses of tomorrow’s epistle reading. Two angels stood by the Disciples and said to them, “Men
of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come
in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The icon of the Ascension represents Christ in such a way that
one cannot tell whether He is going to heaven or coming again to earth. This captures the profound truth that we are already
living under His reign while awaiting His return. Essentially, the icon is showing three different things: 1. Christ is being
taken up, 2. He will come again in the same manner; and, 3) with Him blessing we know without a doubt that He will be
with us always to the close of the ages.
Our task and main goal in life is not to stand idly gazing up into heaven, but rather we are called to virtuous faith and action in this world until Christ’s return. We pray and hope that with this godly life, we will also be taken up when our Lord
comes again. St. Gregory Palamas teaches that the Resurrection is connected with all people, but the Ascension only with
the saints. All will be resurrected on the day of Christ’s Second Coming, both the righteous and sinners, but not all will be
taken up. Only the righteous will be found worthy of this great experience.
We are waiting like the apostles in the city of Jerusalem for the power from on high to transfigure us and renew us so that
the Spirit of truth, the Comfort gives us strength and courage to stand as witnesses of our Lord in this present age, and
forever. Amen.
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
Page 9
PRIEST VESTMENTS
Just before the Agape Service on Pascha, Father Sotiri asked the Faithful to join him in the Fellowship Hall
while he put on his Liturgical Vestments. It was a unique and wonderful opportunity for all, especially the
children. Liturgical vestments have been worn by Orthodox clergy from very early times. The Agape service is the only Vespers service during which a priest wears full vestments. Let’s take a look at the main
vestments worn by Orthodox clergy and explore their rich symbolism.
THE STOLE
THE ALB
Another word for Stole is
The word Alb
Epitrachelion,
which
means “to walk
means “on the neck”, and
with order” and it’s
it’s worn on a priest exactworn by a priest as
ly in that way. The stole
an inner garment.
represents the grace of the
For the Agape serHoly Spirit descending on
vice, it’s white and
the priest. Typically made
it symbolizes the
of a liturgical brocade
baptismal garment
material, stoles often have
and spiritual purity, as well as the
7 crosses on them, symgarment worn by the angel who
bolizing the 7 Sacraments.
rolled back the stone at the tomb of
The number of rows of
Christ on the morning of the
fringe on the bottom represent the
Resurrection. It’s also known as the robe of salvation, which
rank of ordination (a priest’s stole has 2 rows). The actual loose
every Christian is clothed on the day of their Baptism.
threads that hang within the fringe represent the people the priest is
serving on behalf of Christ.
THE BELT
The Belt is worn over the stole and
around the waist. It is often made
of an ornate brocade material and
holds the stole in place during the
service. It symbolizes the gift of
strength given by God to
those
who
serve Him.
THE CUFFS
The cuffs are worn on each wrist and
show that our trust must be put only in
the strength and aid of the Lord. They
symbolize the bonds that Christ was
bound with when He was delivered to
Pontius Pilate. Each one has a spiritual meaning. The right cuff reminds us
of God’s creating
power and Christ’s
power over His
enemies both visible and invisible.
The left cuff symbolizes spiritual energy and the pure intentions
of the clergy who are celebrating the services. The cuffs also
serve the practical purpose of keeping the long sleeves of the
vestments from getting in the way of other things on the altar.
THE CHASUBLE (PHELONION)
The Chasuble is a large cape-like vestment which is slipped over the
head of the Priest and is cut waist high in the front and hangs down
to the top of the shoes in the back. It is made of brocade material and usually has an icon, cross
or symbol on the back. The Chasuble is symbolic of the scarlet robe placed on Christ when He
was mocked prior to His crucifixion. It symbolizes righteousness and when a priest puts it on, he
prays that he is covered with all the righteousness of God. The color of the Chausble, like the
Alb, changes according to the Liturgical season or Feast Day.
St. John Chrysostom tells us that the vestments are there to hide the person of the priest. When we see the
priest at the altar, we are to see Christ through the vestments. By learning the symbolism behind each vestment, we come to more deeply understand and appreciate St. John Chrysostom’s teaching.
(Sources include: Let’s Talk a Walk Through Our Orthodox Church; Orthodox Church in America; and, the Department of Christian Education “Build Your Own” series.)
MAY/JUNE 2015
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
Page 10
OUR LENTEN JOURNEY TO HOLY PASCHA
The beautiful services pictured
above were made more beautiful
because of the tireless efforts of our
Parish clergy, chanters, staff,
ministries and devoted Faithful. May
God Bless you all a hundredfold!
View many more pictures on the
website photo gallery at
www.ascensiongoc.
PHOTO OPT-OUT: Photographs are taken at Parish events for use in the newsletter, on the website and in other communications; however, above all, we
respect your privacy. If you prefer that you or your family members’ photos do not appear in these communication efforts, please send an email to
webmaster@ascensiongoc.com to opt out.
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
Page 11
2015 STEWARDS OF THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD
STEWARDSHIP LIST AS OF 5/1/2015
Stewardship is an opportunity to examine our priorities and values, to express our thankfulness, to give of ourselves and to grow in grace. It allows us to participate in the work of
God. Giving is not a substitute for commitment – it is an expression of your commitment.
As St. John Chrysostom said, “A Rich Man is not one who has much but one who gives
much. For what he gives away remains his forever.” Your Stewardship provides the foundation for our wonderful Parish Ministries and our efforts in meeting the challenge of
spreading Christ’s Word and our Orthodox Faith. We thank the following 238
parishioners who have already made their Stewardship Pledge of time, talents and treasures for 2015. To date, $270,080 has
been pledged. Those who have not yet made their pledge, please do so today!
Mr. & Mrs. Alexander P. Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Evan Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Tyrone Adams
Mr. & Mrs. Deno Alexakos
Mrs. Tasia Alexakos
Mr. & Mrs. Harold Anagnos
Mrs. Tina Anagnos
Mr. & Mrs.George Anagnostopoulos
Mr. & Mrs. James Anast
Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Anaszewicz
Mr. & Mrs. Spiro Angelos
Mrs. Illiana Anthimiades
Mr. & Mrs. James Antonak
Mr. & Mrs. James Antonopoulos
Mr. George Apergis
Mr. & Mrs. William Apostolakis
Mr. & Mrs. Basil Athenson
Mrs. Laura Bakakos
Dr. & Mrs. Steve Ballis
Mrs. Vivian Batsakis
Mrs. Elaine Beck
Mr. & Mrs. Gene Beiriger
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Bekiaris
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Belmonte
Mr. & Mrs. Dino Beris
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Berns
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Besbeas
Mr. & Mrs. Constantine Bolos
Mrs. Kathy Booras
Ms. Sia Booras
Mr. & Mrs. Casey Brej
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brown
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Buhler
Mr. Constantin Caparos
Ms. Helen Caparos
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey L. Carlson
Ms. Jeanne Carter
Mr. Fred Chapekis
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Chapekis Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Chatzidakis
Mr. & Mrs. Jaime Childs
Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Chilis
Mr. Constantine Christ
Mrs. Dolores Christ
Mr. George Christie
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Columbus
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Connolly
Mr. & Mrs. William Conopeotis
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Curran
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Cyrus
Mr. & Mrs. Tim Delfield
Mrs. Virginia Deliyannis
Mr. & Mrs. Louis W. Demas
Mr. Nicholas DeMet
Mrs. Denise Ditka
Dr. & Dr. Aristedie Diveris
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Douvlis
Mrs. Mary Drinis
Ms. Constance Dumas
Mr. Lew Dumas
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Duros
Mr. & Mrs. Ross Economy
Mr. & Mrs. John Esser
Mr. & Mrs. James T. Facklis
Mr. & Mrs. Christ Falkides
Mr. & Mrs. George B. Filley
Mrs. Tina Foutris
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Ftikas
Mr. & Mrs. Dean G. Galanopoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Gust Gatsis
Mr. & Mrs. Angelo Georgacopoulos
Ms. Nancy Gianaras
Mr. & Mrs. Brian Gillett
Mr. & Mrs. C. Goldenstein
Fr. & Pres. James S. Gordon
Dr. & Dr. Thomas Gough
Mr. & Mrs. Panagiotis N. Gountanis
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Grant
Mrs. Mary Irene Greub
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Hamburg
Dr. & Dr. George Hefner
Mr. & Mrs. George Houpis
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Hugdahl
Mr. & Mrs. Aristotelis Ioannidis
Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Ittounas
Mr. & Mrs. Alex James
Ms. Connie James
Mrs. Kay James
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kaitson
Mrs. Mary Kakavas
Mr. & Mrs. Evan Kakis
Mr. & Mrs. Emanuel Kalanarhos
Ms. Olga Kalis
Ms. Valerie Kalis
Ms. Lola Kallas
Mr. & Mrs. John Karagiannis
Mr. & Mrs. George Karalis
Mr. & Mrs. George Karkazis
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Karlos
Mr. & Mrs. Konstantinos Karlos
Mr. & Mrs. Dean Karousos
Miss Eleni Kartsimas
Mr. & Mrs. George Kartsimas
Mr. Louis Kartsimas
Mrs. Nicholas Kartsunes
Mr. & Mrs. Demetri Katsulis
Mrs. Chrys Kaulentis
Mr. Samuel A. Kavathas
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Kazas
Mr. & Mrs. Spiro Kircos
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas S. Kiriakos
Mr. & Mrs. Steven C. Koclanes
Mr. & Mrs. John Kokinis
Mr. & Mrs. Steve Kopplin
Dr. & Mrs. Michael N. Korompilas
Mr. & Mrs. Vasilios N. Kosmas
Mr. & Mrs. John Kostopoulos
Mr. & Mrs. John Kotsonis
Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Kozonis
Mr. Loukas Kozonis
Mr. Dean Kurtis
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Kyriazopoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Dean Lampros
Mr. & Mrs. William LeFleur
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Lialios
Judge & Mrs. Paul Lillios
Mr. & Mrs. Simos Limperis
Ms. Magdaline Liosatos
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Lobosco
Mr. & Mrs. Stelios Logarakis
Mr. & Mrs. George Logothetis
Mr. & Mrs. James Logothetis
Mr. & Mrs. Peter G. Logothetis
Mr. & Mrs. Angelo Loukas
Mr. Alexander Magdalinos
Fr. Sotirios & Pres. Malamis
Mrs. Denise Maniatis
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Mantas
Mr. & Mrs. Harilaos Mantzoros
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Marino
Mr. & Mrs. Peter G. Maris
Mr. & Mrs. James Maroudas
Mr. & Mrs. Alex Marx
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Matalas
Mr. & Mrs. Sean McFarland
Mr. & Mrs. Eli McLean
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Metropoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Metropoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Metropulos
Miss Diana Metropulos
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Mikuzis
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Milnes
Mr. & Mrs. Gus Mitsopoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Mollsen
Mr. & Mrs. Luis Montero
Mr. & Mrs. Eric Moore
Mr. & Mrs. George Mouzakiotis
Mr. George Mussie
Dr. & Mrs. Dean Nichols
Ms. Eva Nikellys
Mr. & Mrs. John Nikitas
Mrs. Pauline Norris
Mrs. Elaine Palmer
Mr. & Mrs. John Panchisin
Dr. & Dr. Angelo Panos
Mr. & Mrs. John Pantazis
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Papastefan
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Papastratakos
Mr. & Mrs. Andreas Parashos
Mr. & Mrs. Dimitrios Patouhas
Mr. & Mrs. John Patrinos
Mr. Michael Pavlatos
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Perakis
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Petropoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Petros
Mr. & Mrs. Dean Petros
Ms. Catherine Phillips
Mrs. Georgene Phillips
Mr. & Mrs. Milton Pissios
Mr. & Mrs. Nondas Plesiotis
Mrs. Georgia Plevritis
Dr. & Mrs. Thomas K. Poulakidas
Mr. & Mrs. Steven N. Poulos
Mr. & Mrs. George Poulos
Dr. Tim Provias
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Rader
Mr. Marc L. Rivette
Mr. & Mrs. Anastasios Rogaris
Mr. & Mrs. John Rogaris
Mr. & Mrs. Loukas Rogaris
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Rogers
Mr. & Mrs. David Rutkowski
Mr. & Mrs. Andreas Sambanis
Mr. & Mrs. James Saric
Ms. Katherine Schreiber
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Schuppe
Mrs. Bertha Sepsis
Ms. Christine Sfondilis
Ms. Katherine Siavelis
Mrs. Marina Sigalos
Ms. Elaine Simos
Mr. & Mrs. William Smirles
Mrs. Dina Soteros
Ms. Patty Soteros
Ms. Carol Stamas
Mr. & Mrs. Sam Stamatis
Mr. & Mrs. Evangelos Stathakopoulos
Mrs. Elaine Stevens
Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Stevens
Ms. Kim Stuart
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Sutherland
Mr. & Mrs. John Svigos
Mr. & Mrs. Milt Taliadouros
Mr. & Mrs. George Tapas
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Taranko
Mr. & Mrs. David Tegel
Mr. & Mrs. Shawn Peter Thedos
Mr. & Mrs. Conrad L. Theodore
Mr. & Mrs. John X. Thomas Jr.
Mrs. Julie Timmons
Mr. & Mrs. Corey Tobin
Fr. & Pres. Demetrios Treantafeles
Dr. & Mrs. Dean Tsarwhas
Mr. Kiriakos Tsirigotakis
Mr. Peter Tsitsis
Dr. & Mrs. George Tsonis
Mr. Paul Vabakos
Mr. Tom Vabakos
Mr. & Mrs. John Vavilis
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Venetos
Dr. Tina Venetos
Mrs. Helen Verges
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Vincic
Mr. & Mrs. Isidoros Xilas
Mr. & Mrs. Leon Xintaris
Mr. & Mrs. James Yannakopoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Perry Zafiriades
Visit ascensiongoc.com for
calendar updates.
31 HOLY PENTECOST
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy followed
by Kneeling Vespers
Coffee Fellowship
20
6:30 p.m. FAITH/JOY
15
8
1
Fri
7:00 p.m. Last Day of Adults/
Adolescent Greek School
28
29
21 ASCENSION OF OUR 22
LORD
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
Coffee Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Greek School end 7:00 p.m. Ascension Great
5:00 p.m. Jr. Olympics
6:15 p.m. Begin. Greek
of the year Program
Vespers followed by Coffee
Bowling @
School
Fellowship
Willowbrook Lanes
7:45 p.m. Intermediate
Advanced Greek School
19
10:00 a.m. Senior Synaxis
Removing flowers from
Kouvouklion
27
5:45 p.m. JOY/Jr. GOYA
7:30 p.m. GOYA
18
4:45 p.m. Greek School
10:00 a.m. HOPE
7:00 p.m. Capital Campaign
7:00 p.m. Philoptochos
Meeting
7:00 p.m. Parish Council Mtg
Meeting & Elections
14
6:15 p.m. Begin. Greek
School
7:45 p.m. Intermediate
Advanced Greek School
5:45 p.m. JOY/Jr. GOYA
7:30 p.m. GOYA
13
6:15 p.m. Begin. Greek
School
7:45 p.m. Intermediate
Advanced Greek School
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy
12
4:45 p.m. Greek School
5:45 p.m. JOY/Jr. GOYA
7:30 p.m. GOYA
7
Thu
6 MID PENTECOST
Wed
11
5
Tue
4
Mon
24 FATHERS OF THE 1ST
25 MEMORIAL DAY
26
ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
8:15 a.m. Orthros
CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
Fr. Sotiri will be at
Coffee Fellowship
Ridgewood Cemetery @ 9:00
Jr. Olympics @ SS Constantine & a.m. & Memorial Park @
Helen Church, Palos Hills
10:30 a.m.
17 SUNDAY OF THE BLIND
MAN
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:15 a.m. Sunday Church Schl
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Coffee Fellowship
10 SUNDAY OF THE
SAMARITAN WOMAN
Mothers Day
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:15 a.m. Sunday Church Schl
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
Coffee Fellowship
3 SUNDAY OF THE
PARALYTIC
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:15 a.m. Sunday Church Schl
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
Coffee Fellowship
3:00 p.m. Baptism
Sun
Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church - Lincolnshire, IL
May 2015
5:00 p.m. Vespers
ia
30 PSYCHOSAVATON SATURDAY OF SOULS
8:15 a.m. Orthros
9:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy
11:30 a.m. Baptism
8:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony
for Jr. Olympics @ Stagg
High School Stadium
23
5:00 p.m. Vespers
16
5:00 p.m. Vespers
9
5:00 p.m. Vespers
2
Sat
MAY/JUNE 2015
ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
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ANALYPSIS NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2015
Page 13
+ WORSHIP SERVICES +
DATES TO REMEMBER...
Sunday Orthros: 8:15 a.m.
Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, May 10th
Sunday Church School—Student & Teacher Recognition
and
General Assembly Meeting following Liturgy
PARISH INFORMATION
Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church
1207 Riverwoods Road, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Phone: (847) 482-1200 Fax: (847) 482-9566
Website: www.ascensiongoc.com
Fr. Sotirios P. Malamis, Proistamenos
Church Office Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 12th
Building Plan Informational Mtg. @ Ascension, 7:00 p.m.
+ ASCENSION OF OUR LORD +
May 22nd-May 24th
Jr. Olympics @ SS Constantine and Helen
Please join us for our Parish Feastday!
Wednesday, May 20th
Hierarchical Great Vespers at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 21st
Orthros at 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.
+ VESPERS AT ASCENSION+
Saturday, May 9th - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 16th - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 30th - 5:00 p.m.
Sat. June 6 - No Vespers, Feastday of All Saints, Joliet
Saturday, June 13th - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 20th - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 27th - 5:00 p.m.
Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church
1207 Riverwoods Road
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Monday, May 18th
Final JOY/Jr. GOYA meeting—5:45 p.m.
GOYA “8th Grade Step-Up” & final meeting—7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 19th
Greek School End-of-Year Program—5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 30th - Psychosavaton
Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:15 a.m.
Sunday, May 31st - Pentecost
Orthros 8:15 a.m.
Divine Liturgy & Kneeling Vespers 9:30 a.m.
Monday, June 1st - Monday of the Holy Spirit
Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:15 a.m.
Sunday, June 7th
Graduates Sunday
Tuesday, June 30th - Holy Apostles
Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:15 a.m.