January 2004
Glad Tidings
September 2004
Glad Tidings
Page 13
VESPERS SERVICE AT “THE HERMITAGE”
What?: Orthodox Vespers Service in the Chapel followed by potluck meal
Where?: “The Hermitage” near Prairie Farm, Wisconsin.
When?: Saturday, September 25th — 3:00 PM (Vespers and potluck)
You are invited to take a nice one and a half hour country drive, walk in fresh country air, pray, and break bread together
as an out of the city experience. Meet at St. George Church at 1111 Summit in St. Paul (corner of Summit and
Lexington) at 2:30 PM, to car pool or get a map for directions (if needed) to St. James Hermitage near Prairie Farm, WI.
Please RSVP to Rita Kanavati at 651-292-8304 or Presvytera Miriam Paraschou at 651-452-5289.
Why go to Church?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained
that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard
something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a
single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are
wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much
to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this
clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some
32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a
single one of those meals. But I do know this...They all nourished me and
gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given
me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not
gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"
When you are DOWN to nothing...God is UP to something!
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the
impossible!
Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! "When
problems come knocking at your door and you can't find a solution,
simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?!!"
Follow the Money
A torn and ragged one-dollar bill
discovered that it was about to be retired
from circulation. As it slowly moved along
the conveyor belt to the shredder, it
became acquainted and struck up a
conversation with a fifty-dollar bill that
was meeting the same fate.
The fifty began reminiscing about its
travels all over the country. "Life has been
good," the fifty exclaimed. "Why, I've
been to Las Vegas, the finest restaurants in
New York, political fund raisers, and just
returned from a cruise on the Caribbean."
"Wow," said the one-dollar bill, "you're
fortunate to have been able to visit all
those places."
"So where have you been in your
lifetime, my little friend," says the fifty?"
"Well, I've been to…
the Methodist Church,
the Baptist Church,
the Presbyterian Church,
the Episcopal Church
the Lutheran Church,
the Catholic Church,
the Orthodox Church,
the Assembly of God Church,
the Brethren Church,
the Quaker Church,
the Pentecostal Church,
the Charismatic Church,
the Mennonite Church,
the United Church of Christ..."
"Excuse me," says the fifty, "but what's a
'church'?"
Page 14
Glad Tidings
September 2004
Namedays
Many Years!
WqÁmia Pokk‚!
Theoni Giannakis, Athena Keifer, Athena Priest
September 1
Aristea Kontinakis
September 3
Scott Hoffhines
September 5
Evanthia Thomaidis
September 11
Stavros Haidos, Steve Zeece Jr., Steve Zeece Sr.,
Stella Treiber
September 14
Shannon Canas
September 16
Sophia Frances Boosalis, Sophia Bowman,
Sophie Canelake, Sofia Creamer, Sophia Demonakos,
Sophia Flumerfelt, Sophia Mallouk, Sally Pathos,
Sophia Pathos, Sofia Pitsavas
September 17
Steve Hatzis, Stathis Papaconstantinou,
Efstathios Chouliaris
September 20
Polyxeni Angelis
September 23
Mary Chandler
September 25
Presvytera Jane Andrews
September 26
Birthdays
Marisa Mortari, Dean Tsantir
September 2
Lani Hattling, George Taratsas, Germai Weldu
September 4
Reva Adkins, Justin Dalaska, Fiona Eustathiades,
Paul Hatjistilianos, Robert Hattling, Michael Tzenis
September 5
Diana Dokos
September 9
Melinda Pappas, Elena Pliakas, Tessa Pliakas
September 10
Ken Marks
September 11
John Georgiades, Hazel Leaskas,
Tina Marie Willenbring
September 12
Mathew Kritikos, Andrea Smith
September 13
Kari Kalogerson, George Tortorelis
September 14
Chris Kalogerson
September 15
Shannon Canas
September 16
Richard Jensen, Andreas Petanitis
September 17
Kimberly Gounaikis, Stavros Haidos,
John Manesis, Stella Treiber
September 19
Andrew Nicholas Hattling
September 20
John Antoniou, Katherine Daltas,
Georgia Panopoulis-Bruer
September 21
Richard Kanavati
September 22
George Antoniou, Mary Makredes
September 24
Andrea Faches-Chadwick
September 25
Alexandros Balasis, Michelle Kritikos Berge
September 26
Matthew Balasis, Michael Mihailidis
September 27
Americo Lopez, Jr., Al Mann, Debra Vrohidis
September 28
Dionesia Bardwell, Alexander Bisch, Melinda Petrellis,
Lula Valek, Kleio Vrohidis
September 29
Pendelis Eliou, Joe Weiser
September 30
Anniversaries
Soule and Vicky Paraschou
September 1
Iakovos and Kimberly Tsoukalas
September 2
Georgia and Kyle Bruer-Panopoulos
September 3
Ringo and Angie Cender
September 9
Anastasia and George Mastrogiorgis
September 17
Jim and Liz Georgantones
September 18
Michael and Connie Tzenis
September 19
George and Jo Ann Leckas
September 24
William and Dennis Spell
September 29
P
ARISHIONERS
N
AMEDAYS
, B
IRTHDAYS
,
AND
A
NNIVERSARIES
C
ARVING
OUT
A
L
IVING
IN
S
UMMIT
-H
ILL
When Summit-Hill resident, Doug Trail-Johnson answers the
question, "What do you do for a living?" as a classical woodcarver,
he usually tells what he doesn't do. He doesn't carve duck decoys or
chainsaw carvings from trees. Such are the images that people often
initially think of when they hear the word "woodcarving." Trail-
Johnson however, has found his life's work producing the classical
woodcarving primarily found in Orthodox Churches around the
world; and preserving the craftsmanship of older homes.
The tradition of art in Orthodox Churches harkens back
centuries, to a time when most people were illiterate. Thus, the rich
visual depiction of symbols, stories, and theology are found in the
surroundings of the church. Each piece, such as an iconostasis,
bishop throne,
chanter stand etc. is
uniquely designed
for a particular
church. There is no
standard pattern or
mass production.
The purpose of the
art in Orthodox
C h u r c h e s i s
practical on one
level—a visual reminder of the stories and symbols of
Christianity—but Trail-Johnson says it also serves as an
enhancement of the worship experience itself. In addition, the art
provides historic continuity and context, giving both the artist and
the worshipper a sense of belonging to something bigger than the
present. In fact, this sense of transcendence between the immediate
appreciation for the art and the vitality of its historic connection is
part of the reason Trail-Johnson finds his work so fulfilling.
When people see his ornate pieces, or his St. Clair Avenue
studio smattered with sawdust and over 200 different hand carving
tools, Trail-Johnson is often asked how he got into this work. There
is no school one can attend to become a master woodcarver. To
learn the skills needed to carve, he spent over 20 years learning
from a Greek master woodcarver. First he took carving lessons, and
then he became an apprentice and then a journeyman before starting
his own business in Summit-Hill three years ago. Trail-Johnson's
BA in history and his coursework in studio art and art history,
however, have been invaluable for developing his strong design
skills and understanding of the historical context of the work.
After finishing college, Trail-Johnson worked as a general
contractor remodeling and restoring older homes. So, when he
decided to invest in becoming a master carver he thought he would
primarily use his skills for residential restoration work. He has
worked on many Summit-Hill homes designing columns, spindles,
fireplace mantels, and replicating damaged or missing carved pieces
in older homes. While he still welcomes this work, he found that he
has become enamored with the carvings of the Orthodox tradition.
Trail-Johnson is a 2004 recipient of a prestigious Bush Artist's
Fellowship from the St. Paul based Bush Foundation. He was one
of three people chosen in the traditional and folk arts category.
Trail-Johnson's work can be viewed at his web site: www.
tjwoodcarving.corn and he can be reached at 651-228-1332.
[From the Summit-Hill Association/Dist. #16 Newsletter #72
August 2004]