Volume 10
Issue 9
September
2004
Archdiocese and Diocese News ....................................... Page 2
Stewardship ..................................................................... Page 3
Parish Council Meeting Notes .......................................... Page 4
Parish News and Announcements .................................... Page 5
Archbishop Demetrios Keynote Address Summary .......... Page 9
Pre Conference Thematic Address Summary ................... Page 11
Parishioners Namedays, Birthdays, and Anniversaries ..... Page 14
Book Store News .............................................................. Page 15
Youth Update ................................................................... Page 17
Calendar of Events ........................................................... Page 19
The Monthly Newsletter of St. George Greek Orthodox Church
www.stgeorgegoc.org
T
he holy Martyr Eustathius before his baptism was an
illustrious Roman general named Placidas in the days of
the Emperor Trajan. While hunting in the country one day, he
was converted to the Faith of Christ through the apparition of
an uncommonly majestic stag, between whose antlers he saw
the Cross of Christ, and through which the Lord spoke to him
with a human voice. Upon returning home, he learned that his
wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was
instructed to become a Christian. They sought out the Bishop
of the Christians and were baptized, Placidas receiving the
name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two
sons were baptized Agapius and Theopistus. The family was
then subjected to such trials as Job endured. Their servants
died, all their goods were stolen, and on a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem they were scattered abroad, each not even knowing
if the others were still alive. By the providence of God, they
were united again after many years, and returned to Rome in
glory. Nevertheless, when they refused to sacrifice to the
idols—a public sacrifice from which no Roman general could
be absent—the Emperor Hadrian, who had succeeded Trajan,
had them put into a large bronze device in the shape of a bull,
which was heated with fire until they died. When their holy
bodies were removed, they were found to be without harm.
They suffered martyrdom about the year 126.
St. Eustathios, The Great Martyr
September 20
Apolytikion—Fourth Tone
Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee
received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life
from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed
Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly
destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ
God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art
merciful.
Kontakion—Second Tone
O blest one, since thou didst emulate Christ's sufferings
and drankest His cup with eagerness, thou didst become
a partaker and joint-heir of His glory, O wise Eustathius;
and since He is God of all things, He gave thee divine
power from Heaven's heights.
Page 2
Glad Tidings
September 2004
R
EGULAR
W
EEKLY
S
ERVICES
Holy Confession
By Appointment
Vespers
Saturday 5:00 PM
(September—May)
Orthros
Sunday 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sunday School
(September through May)
starts after administration of
Holy Communion
For Weekday Services please
check the Calendar of Events
included in this bulletin.
!!!
Church Staff and Office Hours
Church Office Hours
Monday through Thursday
8:00AM—3:00PM
Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews,
Presbyter
(651) 222-6220
Email: FatherRick@usa.com
Yiannis Stamatopoulos
Administrative Assistant
(651) 222-6220
Email: yiannis_1@netzero.com
Ron Adkins
Parish Council President
(651) 738-1630
Email: rradkins@comcast.net
Reva Adkins
Philoptochos President
(651) 738-1630
Email: rradkins@comcast.net
Steve Ryan
Sunday School Director
(651) 292-9948
Email: stefavos@aol.com
Barbara Bauman
Choir Director
(651) 415-0556
Anna Christoforides
Greek School Director
(651) 225-8016
Email: annachristoforides@comcast.net
Dan and Jackie Matuska
Glad Tidings Editors
(320) 629-2689
Email: dsmatuska@youbetnet.com
jackylm@youbetnet.com
NEW YORK SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DISMISSES OCL LAWSUIT
AGAINST GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
New York, NY - On February 2, 2004, several individuals brought an action in New York State Supreme
Court against the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Archbishop Demetrios seeking to invalidate
the 2003 Charter granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
On August 6, 2004, Justice Ira Gammerman of the New York State Supreme Court rendered a decision
granting, with costs, the motion of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to dismiss the lawsuit. The Justice wrote,
“I do not think it can seriously be disputed that the Greek Orthodox Church is hierarchical.” The Court relied
on a United States Supreme Court decision, Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the USA. v Milivojevich,
426 US 696 (1976), stating such decision was “squarely on point.” The Court further stated that pursuant to
the Milivojevich case, “the courts simply do not have the authority to interfere with the manner in which
churches organize the titles of their clerics, to determine the eligibility criteria for candidates for Archbishop or
bishop, to oversee monasteries, or to inject the state judicial authority into other matters raised by this action.”
The Court’s memorandum decision is posted at the Archdiocese website at
http://www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/documents/
.
IOCC RESPONDING TO VICTIMS OF IRAQI
CHURCH BOMBINGS
The broken stained glass has been swept up, the
structural damage is being repaired, but the
Christian community of Iraq will take a long time to
recover from the August 1 car bomb attacks.
Iraqi Christians, a minority in this
predominantly Muslim country, have been left
reeling from the large-scale violence against their
communities in Baghdad and Mosul. International
Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), a
humanitarian aid agency of Orthodox Christians,
is working to meet the immediate needs of those
most affected by the attacks.
Several of the damaged churches in Baghdad
are part of a local ecumenical network of IOCC
partners that has been active in distributing food
and hygiene kits to Iraqis in need over the past year.
Since the bombings, IOCC staff, led by Dr. Saad
Gedeon, have visited the churches and interviewed
their priests and bishops.
"We are assessing the needs of the families of
those killed or injured by these senseless acts of
brutality and IOCC will be providing assistance to
them as we are able," said Dr. Gedeon, program
coordinator for IOCC Iraq. "Christians around the
world must stand with those who have fallen victim
to this brutal violence, letting them know that we
are with them not only in thought and prayer, but
also in deed, in the days and weeks to come as they
work to rebuild."
Despite the violence and unrest, IOCC
continues its work in Iraq. Through IOCC's
distribution network, hundreds of low-income Iraqi
families receive food and other necessities. Victims
of the recent attacks will receive food parcels,
hygiene kits, and other forms of assistance,
depending on their needs. IOCC is one of four
implementing partners for the relief alliance Action
by Churches Together (ACT) in Iraq and is
working in partnership with the United Methodist
Committee on Relief.
Beginning operations in Iraq in April 2003,
IOCC has been distributing food, hygiene, and
first-aid parcels through the Middle East Council of
Churches and its network of churches and mosques.
IOCC is the humanitarian aid agency of the Standing
Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the
Americas (SCOBA). All of its assistance is
delivered solely on the basis of need.
Donations may be sent to IOCC, "Middle
East Crisis," P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md.
21263-0225. Donations may also be made
online at www.iocc.org or by calling toll-free 1-877-
803-4622. IOCC has worked in the Middle East
since 1997 and, in addition to Iraq, has programs in
the Holy Land, Syria and Lebanon. To learn more
about IOCC's humanitarian and self-help
programs around the world, please visit www.
iocc.org.
SCOBA/SCOOCH Statement On
Iraq Church Bombings
The hierarchs of the Standing Conference of
Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas
(SCOBA) and the hierarchs of the Standing
Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in
America (SCOOCH) learned with great sadness the
news that religious edifices were targeted by certain
extremist elements in Iraq.
SCOBA and SCOOCH have been and are deeply
committed to interfaith dialogue. In Iraq, citizens of
different faith backgrounds have lived together
peacefully and harmoniously for centuries. “We
deplore the violent and destructive acts of persons
seeking to create disharmony and division among
people whose faiths derive from one common
Abrahamic source,” stated Archbishop Demetrios,
chairman of SCOBA and Metropolitan Philip Saliba,
vice-chairman of SCOBA.
Archbishop Barsamian, chairman of SCOOCH,
added, “We pray for the victims of these divisive
forces. We pray for the enlightenment of those who
sow division. And we express our love for and
solidarity with all persons of good will in Iraq.”