The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity

ISSUE NO. 290 WWW.HOLYTRINITYBRIDGEPORT.ORG APRIL 2014

ADAM

EVE

KING DAVID

ST. JOHN THE

BAPTIST

ABEL

KING SOLOMON

Good

Frid

ay

Good

Frid

ay H

oly

Satu

rd

ay

Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Holy Thursday Good Friday

Palm

Su

nd

ay

H

oly

Mon

day

Holy

Tu

esd

ay

April 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

5th Tuesday of

Lent

Mary of Egypt

Martyrs Geron-

tius and Basi-

2

Presanctified

Liturgy Ser-vice/

- 7:00 pm

3

5th Thursday of

Lent

Nicetas the

Confessor

Joseph the

4

Akathist

HymnService

7:00pm

5

5th Saturday of

Lent

Claudios & Com-

panions

Theodora the

6

Sunday of St. Mary of

Egypt -

General As-

sembly After

Services

7

6th Monday of

Lent

Holy Martyr

Calliopius

Tikhon, Pat. of

Moscow

8

6th Tuesday of

Lent

Herodion, Aga-

bus, Rufus,

Asyncritus of

the 70

Rufus the Obe-

9

6th Wednesday

of Lent

Martyr

Eupsychius

Vadim the

Righteous of

Persia

10

6th Thursday of

Lent

Martyrs Ter-

ence & Com-

panions

Hieromartyr

Gregory V of

Constantinople

11

6th Friday of

Lent

Martyr Anti-

pas

Pharmuthios

the Anchorite

12

Lazarus Satur-day - 9:00 am

Orthros & Litur-

gy - Holy Com-munion &

Breakfast by

PTO/ Palm Mak-ing

13 Palm Sun-

day / FISH LUNCHEON

after Church

Services/

NYMPHIOS

SERVICES-

7:00 PM

14

Holy Monday

Bride-

groom /

Nymphios

Service-

7:00 PM

15

Holy Tuesday

Bridegroom /

Nymphios

Service Hymn of

Saint Kassi-

ani-7:00

PM

16

Holy Wednes-

day

Holy Unc-

tion-3:00

PM and at

7:00 PM

17 Holy

Thursday -

Liturgy-Holy Communion -

6:15 AM

12 Gospels, Passion of Our

Lord, Proces-

sion of the Cross,

7:00pm / All

night Vigil of the Crucifix

18 Holy

Friday

Reading and decoration of

Tomb 9:30

am Unnailing

from the

Cross the Lamentation

Service 3:00

pm & Proces-sion of Epi-taphios-

7:00pm

19

Holy Saturday

Liturgy of St. Basil and Holy

Communion

9:00 amThe Canon Prior to

Resurrection

11:00pm Resurrection

Divine Liturgy

12 midnight to

1:30 am

20 Great and

Holy

Pascha - The Resurrection

of our Lord Agape (Love)

Services11:00 am

21 Fast Free

Renewal Mon-

day

Hieromartyr

Januarius

Maximian of

Constantinople

22 Fast Free

Renewal Tues-

day: The Com-

memoration of

Saints Raphael,

Nicholas, Ire-

ne,

23 Fast Free

Great Martyr

George - Ser-

vice 9:00am

24

Fast Free

Renewal

Thursday

Elizabeth the

Wonderwork-

25 Fast

FreeFree

Zoodochos

PedgeService 9:00

AM

26 Renewal

Saturday

Hieromartyr Bas-

il of Amaseia

Glaphyra the

Righteous

27

Thomas Sun-day

Hieromartyr

Symeon

Eulogios the

Innkeeper

28

2nd Monday

after Pascha

9 Martyrs of

Cyzicus

Theocharus and

Apostolus

29

2nd Tuesday

after Pascha

Jason & So-

sipater of the 70

Martyr Cercyra

more

30

Apostle James

New Martyr

Agyre

MEMORIAL SERVICES

Sunday April 6 - Ioannis Tsoukalas - 1

year OUR EASTER MEAL OF LOVE will be served

in the Aegean Hall, right after the Resurrection and

Divine Liturgy (1:30am)and is for all Parishioners.

.

Strict Fast Fish Al-

lowed

Wine and Oil Allowed

Dairy,Eggs, and Fish Al-

lowed

APRIL 2014 3

The Lord my Creator took me as

dust from the earth and formed

me into a living creature,

breathing into me the breath of life and

giving me a soul; He honored me, setting

me as a ruler upon the earth over all things

visible, and making me the companion of

the angels.

But Satan the deceiver, using the

serpent as his instrument, enticed me by

food; he parted me from the glory of God

and gave me over to the earth and to the

lowest depths of death. But, Master, in

compassion call me back again. From The Sunday of Forgiveness Vespers

O n the Sunday of Forgiveness, the last Sunday

before the Great Lent, we are reminded of

something that we usually try not to think of:

our mortality. We hear the ancient words from

Scripture, Then God formed man out of dust from the

ground, and breathed in his face the breath of life; and

man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7). Strange words to the modern ear. Why should we remember our death

when all the world cries "Life" to us? We are urged to

think positive thoughts, to feel good about ourselves, to

reach for the stars, to "be all that you can be." It is

annoying to be reminded that this full life will someday

end. No. Forget all this dust and ashes talk. Let us

keep things in their places, simple and safe - life now,

while there is life; death later, when there must be death.

Death is a fact of this life. But, this realization does

not mean we should despair. St. Paul exhorts us to no

longer fear death because we have the hope of the

Resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13). For Christians, death is not

the end of the story. The Gospel puts things into

perspective - it allows us to think about the unthinkable.

The Lenten story begins with an uncomfortable stirring

of the ashes of existence and forces us to consider our

sin, our guilt, to "Remember, you are dust, and to dust

you shall return." Amid the many, busy and distracting

events of our lives, the quiet hours of Lenten worship

are certainly needed. Lent, taken seriously, provides us

with greater opportunity for solitude, more time for

reflection and meditation as we journey through our

particular wilderness to Holy Pascha. Through fasting

and prayer we tune out the noise or static of the world

and become more in tune with God. We need this time

to consider how we are doing and to

evaluate our relationship with each other

and with God. Great Lent is that

traditional time of the year when we are

urged to probe into the deeper corners of

our being.

During this time of Great Lent, we are also

reminded of other timeless truths from

Scripture: that we are created in the image and likeness of God, and that through repentance we are able to return to our

original purpose in life, to regain our lost

relationship with God. Repentance is

coming to our senses, like the prodigal son

did, and seeing ourselves as we really are.

Repentance is facing up to the powerful desires within

us to deceive - to deceive others and ourselves.

But repentance is not only recognition; it is also

repudiation. Often, getting caught in a sinful act will

produce feelings of remorse, anguish, regret, and

sorrow, but unhappiness is not repentance. Repentance

is realizing ones inadequacy and surrendering to Gods mercy. Genuine repentance means that the direction of

our lives has changed. It means we have come to our

senses and we arise and return to our God. We

ourselves must be changed!

And we can't do this on our own. Our bonds of

captivity are too strong for us to break on our own. In

our sin, we simply do not have the power to direct our

own repentance. Power to repent comes from God's

decision to save. I doubt very much if the prodigal son

would have gone home to an elder brother, but going

home to a loving father is an altogether different matter.

The relationship of love makes all the difference.

This culminates in a glorious day of Resurrection.

The Good News that Christ came to tell us is this: that,

because of Jesus Christ, neither ashes nor dust are the

last word.

I wish to all of you and your families a blessed and

fruitful Lent!

Neither Ashes Nor Dust

are the Last Word

by Father Andreas Vithoulkas

Love is saying 'I feel differently' instead of 'You're wrong.'

APRIL 2014 4

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(Continued on page 5)

Do not forget small kindnesses and do not remember small faults.

APRIL 2014 5

It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.

Our Parish

by Constantinos Vlamis , Parish Council President

M arch 25th - This is one of the

holiest days for us Greek

Orthodox Christians, the

Annunciation of the Theotokos, the day

that the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she

will bear a child , the son of God, Jesus

Christ.

By raising a banner, Bishop Germanos

began the revolution on that day. The

flag, a white cloth with a large cross,

represented our religion, ethnicity, and culture. This is

the holiday that ignited our ancestors liberation from the Ottoman Empire. On March 30th, we will march in

the parade in NY, as we do every year. This year, we

are also celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Holy

Trinity Bridgeports Greek School.

During the occupation, children would have to walk

in darkness, and sometimes for miles, to partake in the

crypha scholia. Mrs. Limberis will lead the Greek school , and march with our students and teachers with

a banner that will represent our church and our efforts

to continue our language and

heritage.

With Lent in full swing, Holy Week

is approaching quickly. Its time to

prepare ourselves for Megali Evdomatha. Its a time for all of us to join together and pray, contribute,

and celebrate our traditions, as we

plan for our annual Lenten events.

Donor directed donations for our

kouvouklion/epitaphio flowers,

decorations of our church, altar

candles, etc. , are greatly

appreciated during these holiest of

times. It would be great to break

bread all together on Palm Sunday, the fish luncheon

we traditionally host on April 13th. Lets not forget that, after Anastasi, we are serving magiritsa in the Aegean room with red eggs and tsoureki, as we do

every year.

Also, I would like to thank our Parishioners for their

quick response. The flow of stewardship commitments

has been great and is much appreciated. Please keep

them coming, as they are greatly needed.

With Health, Happiness, and Humility,

Constantinos Vlamis

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APRIL 2014 6

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did

not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Daughters

of Penelope by Kathy Yiannoulis , President

W e would like to wish everyone a b l e s s e d

Lenten season,

as we approach t he E a s t e r

celebration! The Daughters of Penelope

have been busy with our Acts of

Kindness. We completed our Soldier Support Packages drive

and are planning a one-day Pet Food Drive on April 6th. Other

drives are also being planned so

as to continue our Acts of

Kindness through the year.

We had a very special guest at our March meeting where we

had the Grand Vice President, Anna-Helene Grossomanides

coming to visit our chapter. It

was a great to have her with us and share her thoughts about the

DOP on a national level. We wish her the best in the

upcoming elections at the

nat ional convention this summer!

Look out for our annual Spring Raffle supporting our

scholarship fund. We will be

raffling ten gift cards to local grocery stores just in time for

the Easter holiday! The gift cards are valued at $25 and $50

each. Each ticket is only $1 with

the winners to be drawn on

April 13 (Palm Sunday)

We are already planning our Mothers Day Flower. Gift and Sale! Please mark down the dates and refer to our flyer!

Penelopes Caf will be back again!

Our next meeting will be on

April 26th at 7 pm. Please join us!

Please visit us at http://

ho l yt ri n i t ybr i dge po r t . o rg/daughters.html. Our chapter

e m a i l i s daughters@holytrinitybridgepor

t.org. Lastly, Like us on Facebook at Daughters of Penelope - Bridgeport "Hermes"

Chapter 41, District 7. Please consider being a part of our

group. We would love to have

you!

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APRIL 2014 7

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Epicurus

Greek

School

by Eleni Limberis, Director

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Sunday School

by Eva Vanioits, Director

O n March 9, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, all Sunday School children stayed for the Divine Liturgy and received Holy Communion with their class. Children,

who had not previously carried an Icon during the pro-

cession, were selected to follow the Icon Procession. Our

many thanks to our PTO for the childrens Communion breakfast.

Mission boxes will be given out to all Sunday School

classes. This is a very special collection for the children

in Sunday school. They are asked to fill the boxes with

coins to support the Orthodox Christian Mission Center

(OCMC), who carry the message of Gods love to all the

nations. The Mission Center, located in St. Augustine,

Florida, sends Missionaries to many mission centers in

different parts of the world to teach the Orthodox reli-

gion.

Upcoming dates to remember:

April 12-Saturday of Lazarus, Bonus Day, Holy

Communion , Breakfast by PTO , Palm

making.

April 13- Palm Sunday -Family Worship

April 20- Easter Family Worship April 5 District Oratorical at St. George Cathedral in Hartford , Holy Trinity will be well represented by

George Zachariadis and Irene Bal.

June 15Sunday school graduation.

APRIL 2014 8

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.

PTO

by Effie Vlamis, President

W e would like to thank all who came out to the Apokriatiko

party. The night was fun, and we had some great laughs bobbing for

apples, playing musical chairs, and

crowning two youngsters for the best costume: Nektaria Rountos and Vaggeli Gountas. These two

absolutely made our hearts melt. I would like to thank Irene Manalis for chairing this event.

Even though it was very cold on Kathari Deftera, it didnt stop the children (and some adults) from flying the kites, as well as create a craft indoors. I would like to thank Sophia Rountos and Joanna

Giagkos with their help. The Lenten food that was

brought by all was delicious. Its just a casual, easy going evening, year after year, and nice way to start

the Lenten fast. PTO and GOYA attended services together

(Presanctified Liturgy and the second Xeretismoi).

Afterwards, we served and enjoyed Lenten food as well as each others company.

PTO will be sending out college care packages, Dema Frontida, to the youth who received

scholarships. By end of March, the thirteen

scholarship recipients should have received them. We are looking forward to marching in the

Annual Greek Independence Day Parade in NYC as a group on March 30th.

Dates to remember for the month of April are as

follows:

Monthly PTO meeting will be on

Wednesday April 2 at 5pm. On

Saturday of Lazarus, April 12, the children will have Holy Communion,

and afterwards, we will be joining Miss Eva in the double classroom making

and teaching children how to make

crosses out of the palm fronds, and then participating in the annual Easter Egg Hunt, which

will take place outdoors. To celebrate Protomagia, we will make floral wreaths with the kids. For

GOYANs, this will happen on Tuesday April 29th

and for JOY/HOPE, on Wednesday, April 30th. Details will follow soon. We would love for the

children attending this craft to first collect some fresh flowers and bring them along, as they will be

used on their wreaths.

Please contact Effie Vlamis for Shrek tickets for Saturday, May 3 at 5pm. Easter candles will be on

sale starting March 23. Information for the end the year trip will be out by the end of April. We have

received many interesting trip ideas.

If interested in running for the the PTO executive board for the next Ecclesiastical year, or

would like to chair an event for next season, please let me know so that I can include your name in the

election roster.

"Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. "- Henry Ford

Our next meeting, Wednesday May 7, at 5:30 in

double classroom. Hope to see you there!

Ladies

Phloptochos

Society

by Lena Protopapas, President

W e held our annual

l o u k o u m a d e s

fundraiser in March,

and hope that all of you enjoyed

them. A big thank you to the

two sweet sisters, Mrs. Mina

Pertesis and Mrs. Agelikoula

Trimbalis, for their donations, and

for all the work they did on that

day. Also, a thank you to Mr. Trimbalis. I would like to thank

all of you who participated in our

Loukoumades Fundraiser. The

proceeds went to the National

Philoptochos for our brothers and

sisters in Greece and Cyprus, who

are still in crisis.

This year, our Easter is on April

20th, the same day that non-

Orthodox Christians celebrate. So,

for at least this year, we don't have

to explain to the kids why we have

two Eas ters and not two

Christmases!

After the Salutations of the

Virgin Mary, we reach the

(Continued on page 9)

APRIL 2014 9

Despite the forecast, live like it's spring.

Saturday of Lazarus; a celebration

of Love from friend to friend!

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!

The week of Passion is the most

important week of Orthodox

Christians. Our whole religion

walks in front of our eyes this

week.

When I was a little girl, I waited

for Holy Thursday to hear:

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. appy Easter to everyone!

We continue to collect food and

clothes for the poor. Last month,

we distributed many coats, and

almost every month, we give food

to the Rescue Mission. We feed the

poor through this organization. For

Easter, we will visit nursing homes,

shut-ins, homes both Greek and

American. We send donations to

organizations such as the Ronald

MacDonald House, Autis tic

Children, Hospitals like St Jude's

for Children with Cancer, St. Basil

's Academy, St. Michael's Home for

the Elderly, National Philoptochos,

District Philoptochos, our Church,

and others.

Please submit your orders for

Easter Bake Sale. With your

don a t i o n s , we s up po r t organizations that are in need.

Thank you again for your trust and your generous donations

and your constant support.

Our regular meeting for

April is: Tuesday, 1st of April, 2014. (Its not Aprils Fool Day. Its a real meeting).

Bake sale: Saturday of

Lazarus and on Palm Sunday.

May 2nd we will have our Festival of Tables. Whoever wants to have a Table please

call : Maria Matsikas at (203)268-2788. Thank you.

May 18th we will go to the Square One Theater to see a

Comedy. Every one is welcome. Please call Maria Cook at (203)

375-9329 for more information.

(Continued from page 8)

APRIL 2014 10

"A good deed is never lost: he who sows courtesy reaps friendship;

and he who plants kindness gathers love." Saint Basil

Around the

Parish

by Stella Capiris

B elated Happy Birthday greetings to

Father Andreas. We celebrated

with a lovely birthday cake

(donated by the Athenian Diner #3), as we

serenaded Father with birthday greetings

following Church Services . We wish Fa-

ther many more Happy Birthdays with

good health!

Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Jim Triantis and to Mr. &

Mrs. George Daoutis for their generous donations to-

wards the delicious Yiouvetsi Apokreatiko Luncheon. Congratulations to John Gregory Kapetaneas upon re-

ceiving his Masters Degree from New York University.

John worked very diligently and put a great deal of effort

into procuring this degree as he continuously traveled

back and forth from New York. John, kai eis anotera.

Continued success!

Congratulations to Eleni Georgakopoulos, daughter of

Kosta and Angeliki Georgakopoulos, who participated in

the Miss Greek Independence Pageant as Miss Kerkyra.

We are very proud of the manner in which she represent-

ed our Community. She will also be on the float during

the Greek Independence Day Parade held at the end of

March. Kai eis anotera, Eleni. Congratulations to Michael and Ashley Cook on the

birth of their beautiful baby girl. The proud grandmother

is Melissa, daughter of Nicholas and Sophie Magoulas

and, of course, the proud great-grandparents are Nicholas

and Sophie Magoulas. Na sas zisse.

Congratulations to Christina (Koloniaris) and

Sean Ripley on the birth of their baby boy, An-

thony. The proud grandparents are Maria and

George Koloniaris. They are so very much en-

joying their first grandchild. Na sas zisse.

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Car-

ril on the birth of their beautiful baby girl. They

are now living in Manhattan, New York, but we

were happy to see the baby on the occasion of

the 40 day blessing in our Church. Na sas zisse.

Perastika and get well wishes are extended to Paul Bo-

lovinos, to Steve Serevetas, to Demitra Vender, and to

Billie Lycoudes.

The Philoptochos thanks everyone for their support of

their Loukoumades Fundraiser, with the proceeds going to benefit those who are facing hardships in Greece. They

remind everyone of their forthcoming Easter Bake Sale.

Please try to get your orders in for all your needs as soon

as possible.

The Community extends its deepest sympathy to the

family of Gus Vlastaris upon the recent death of his be-

loved sister, Bessie DelVecchio, in Florida. Prior to her

move to Massachusetts, and then to Florida, she was a

very active parishioner, especially a devoted member

with our P.T.O. She was a loving individual to everyone

and will be very much missed. Our deepest sympathy to

the family of Andreas Petrakopoulos on the death of his

brother in Waterbury. May their Memories be Forever

Eternal!

Where God

Dwells

by Vicky Andriotis

R ecently, I was listening to a lecture by the late Fr. Peter Guilquist, author of Be-

coming Orthodox, during which he tells a story about a woman

who had never been to a church of any kind, but had reached a

point in her life where she de-

sired to go.

Her search began in the phone

book, where she looked up the word "Church." She decided to

go to every Church in the list un-

til she found one "where God lived."

At one point during her quest,

she found herself in an Orthodox

Church, which is the Church she eventually chose, and at which

she became a parishioner.

Father Guilquist asked her, "How did you know God dwelt

here?" To which she replied:

"The singing. The hymns.

When the choir began to sing those hymns of praise, I knew

God lived here." And so she converted.

I think Ill take a moment to thank a Church Musician today!

APRIL 2014 11

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Our Lenten

Journey

Preparing for the Passion

and Resurrection of our

Lord

G reat Lent is a time for

self-examination and

self-denial - a time for

taking control of our lives and our

bodies. The purpose of the fast is

to give us a greater awareness of

Our dependence on God. It is a

time to improve, ourselves and our

relationship with God. Lent is a

time for greater works of mercy

and charity for those less fortunate

than us. It is a time for visitation of

the sick and assistance to the poor,

and generally a more joyful rela-

tionship with those who are close

to us - our family and friends.

Most of all, Lent is a time of joy

and a new beginning. We cleanse

ourselves- mind, body, and soul-

through the physical and spiritual

fast, keeping a Christian attitude in

all that we do. All this is done to

prepare us for the Great Feast of

Pascha - the Resurrection of Christ.

This has been compiled to assist

you on your Lenten Journey, guid-

ing you in fasting, prayer, repent-

ance & confession, Bible reading

and in receiving Holy Communion.

May God bless you and guide you,

and may you reach your Paschal

destination with the joy of renewed

faith in Christ.

Holy Communion The Sacrament of Holy Com-

munionthe Eucharistwhich literally means "Thanksgiving," is

the Mystery whereby the bread and

wine of offering are changed, actu-

ally, not symbolically, into the very

Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

The Eucharist is at the very center

of the Church's life, and from it

flows the prayer of believers in a

sacrifice of entreaty for the peace

of the world, for all those who ask

for help, and for all men and wom-

en. The Eucharist unites us in the

most intimate fashion with the

Lord; it nourishes our soul and

body, and aids our strengthening,

increase, and growth in spiritual

life. According to the promise of

the Gospel, "He that eats this bread

will live forever. " (The Gospel of

John 6:58) The cup which holds the

wine that becomes the blood of

Christ is the chalice, the cup of sal-

vation. When we kneel during the

liturgy, we pray with the priest that

God the Holy Spirit may change

the bread and wine into the Body

and Blood of Jesus. This, means

that when we receive Holy Com-

munion, Jesus comes to live in us.

How do we prepare to receive

the Body and Blood of Jesus? We

pray. We should have love in our

hearts for all people. We should

ask forgiveness from God and from

our parents, brothers, and sisters,

and from anyone we may have

hurt. When we come before the

priest for Communion, we make

the sign of the cross, tell the priest

our baptismal name, hold the Com-

munion cloth under our chin, and

open our mouth wide. After re-

ceiving, we wipe our lips with the

Communion cloth, make the sign

of the cross, and hand the Com-

munion cloth to the person next to

us.

Once we have received Com-

munion , we must remember that

we have become one with Christ

and with all those who received

Communion with us. Christ now

lives in all of us. We are all living

icons of Jesus. It is by loving one

another that we love Jesus. After

receiving Communion our bodies

become holy chalices. God lives in

us. Jesus wants to use our hands,

which have now become His

hands, to help those in need. When

we receive Communion, we be-

come members of Christ's Body,

the Church. This means that Jesus

has no eyes but our eyes, no feet

but our feet to do His work in the

world today. What kind, thought-

ful act will you do for Jesus today?

How to Read the Bible In private study, when a Chris-

tian profitably reads the Bible, re-

ceiving inspiration and strength

from it, family members, friends,

relatives and even acquaintances

will inevitably notice the differ-

ence. Any person who comes into

contact with such a Christian can-

not but notice the growing peace,

love and inner assurance - the spirit

of Christ - in that Christian, and

will frequently ask (if not ask, cer-

tainly think) what gives that person

such strength and radiance. God

will provide many opportunities to

the growing Christian for sharing

with others his or her experience -

with the Bible. What better wit-

ness for the truth of the Christian

faith than a solid Christian, life

nourished by Holy Scripture and

radiating true Christian love at

home, at Church and at work? The

Christian's own life becomes a kind

of gospel, a living Bible, in which

other people observe, read, and

experience-the truths of God in

action.

Suggestions for Family

Bible Reading: Set aside a regular time for daily reading pref-

(Continued on page 12)

APRIL 2014 12

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

erably in the evening at the supper table when the

whole family is together. When the children are

young, mom or dad can do the reading. When the chil-

dren grow older, they may share in the reading. Read-

ing to children is one of life's greatest joys. Children

treasure it.

Don't read too much or too fast. One chapter a day

is sufficient. Let what you read sink in slowly. If the

children are young, read from a Bible story bookone that has pictures which you can show the children.

Start with the biographies of Jesus (Matthew, Mark,

Luke, John).

Read with the faith and the expectation that God will

really and truly speak to you through what you read.

Don't worry about the passages you do not under-

stand. Concentrate on what you do understand. The

more you read, the more you will understand. One

passage explains another.

Each day memorize at least one verse that grips you.

Say it out loud as a family three or four times. Encour-

age your children to fall asleep with this verse on their

lips.

Repentance and Confession Repentance has its roots in the apostles. In the

Book of Acts the Apostle Peter says, "Repent and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive

the gift of the Holy Spirit. " (Acts 2:37-38). When we

fall away from God, we have removed ourselves from

His communion - with Him and with other Christians.

We have excommunicated ourselves. To re-enter com-

munion with God is the on-going activity of all Chris-

tians. We fall away daily in some way or another. No

one is exempt. Often, when children play in competi-

tive games, one will call out "that's a do over!" Haven't

we all wished for that chance to undo the past and start

over? Repentance offers us this new beginning. We

are telling God that we have changed our mind about

our past direction and want to be back in communion

with him. The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, implies a very deep change in the way we see our-

selves, our world, and our relationship to God.

To change our mind in repentance is the starting

point in our Lenten journey. We leave behind regret as

we move toward hope. Repentance is not a single ac-

tion but an attitude, a frame of mind. Think back over

your life of things which you regret having said or

done - hurtful, inconsiderate, selfish, deceitful. Think

also of those things which you have done which may

not have directly affected others, but which you know

to be wrong according to the teachings of the Church.

Bring them to mind as if they were occurring right

now. Think of how it would have been if you had act-

ed differently. Take this regret and turn it into repent-

ance. Acknowledge that you have offended another

person or the Church, and in doing so you have offend-

ed God. If we are to be forgiven by God, He requires

of us that we also forgive one another. For many of us,

this is the most difficult aspect of repentance and con-

fession. Yet we say it each time we pray the Lord's

prayer, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those

who trespass against us. "

Just as God's love for us is personal, so must ours

be for Him. As the Christian grows from child to

adult, his or her personal response to God becomes

crucial. This personal response is the act of confes-

sion.

Guidelines for Fasting The fast for the forty days of Lent is indicated be-

low, though many are not able to, hold to the strict fast.

We offer the following guidelines to be considered

prayerfully with the guidance of your spiritual father

and in consideration of any medical condition or die-

tary requirements.

Strict Fast No Meat, Fish. Milk, Dairy Products, Oil, or Oil Prod-

ucts

Palm Sunday Fish, Oil& Wine permitted .

Feast of the Annunciation, March 25th Fish, Oil & Wine Permitted

Shellfish are permitted throughout Great Lent

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis These excerpts are from :

Lets Take a Walk Through Our Orthodox Church by Fr. Anthony M. Coniaris / Light & Life Publishing - Making

God Real in the Orthodox Home by Fr. Anthony M. Co-

niaris / Light & Life Publishinga Guide published by the Department of , Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism Note: The Orthodox Daily Planner and Resource Guide pub-

lished by the Department of Youth and Young Adult Minis-

tries . offers daily guidance in fasting, scripture readings,

(Continued from page 11)

APRIL 2014 13

Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.

DETERMINING THE DATE OF EASTER - THE CAL-

ENDAR OF THE ORTHO-

DOX CHURCH

The First Ecumenical Council

convened at Nicaea in 325 and took

up the issue of the differences in the

observance of Pascha. It determined

that Pascha should be celebrated on

the Sunday which follows the first

full moon after the vernal equinox-

the actual beginning of spring. If the

full moon happens to fall on a Sun-

day, Pascha is observed the follow-

ing Sunday. The day taken to be the

invariable date of the vernal equinox

is March 21. Hence, the determina-

tion of the date of Pascha is gov-

erned by a process dependent on the

vernal equinox and the phase of the

moon.

Another factor which figures

prominently in determining the date

of Pascha is the date of Passover.

Originally, Passover was celebrated

on the first full moon after the vernal

equinox. Christians, therefore, cele-

brated Pascha according to the same

calculation-that is, on the first Sun-

day after the first full moon follow-

ing the vernal equinox. The correla-

tion between the date of Pascha and

the date of Passover is clear. Our

Lord's death and resurrection coin-

cided with Passover, thereby assur-

ing a secure point of reference in

time. This assurance lasted, howev-

er, only for a short time.

Events in Jewish history contrib-

uting to the dispersion of the Jews

had as a consequence a departure

from the way Passover was reckoned

at the time of our Lord's death and

resurrection. This caused the Passo-

ver to precede the vernal equinox in

some years. It was, in fact, this

anomaly which led to the condemna-

tion reflected in Canon 1 of Antioch

(ca. 330) and Canon 7 of the Holy

Apostles (late 4th century) of those

who celebrate Pascha "with the

Jews." The purpose of this condem-

nation was to prevent Christians

from taking into account the calcula-

tion of Passover in determining the

date of Pascha.

Most Christians eventually ceased

to regulate the observance of Pascha

by the Jewish Passover. Their pur-

pose, of course, was to preserve the

original practice of celebrating

Pascha following the vernal equinox.

Thus, the Council of Nicaea sought

to link the principles for determining

the date of Pascha to the norms for

calculating Passover during our

Lord's lifetime. A further cause for

these differences was the adoption

by the Western Church of the Grego-

rian Calendar in the 16th century.

This took place in order to adjust the

discrepancy by then observed be-

tween the paschal cycle approach to

calculating Pascha and the available

astronomical data. The Orthodox

Church continues to base its calcula-

tions for the date of Pascha on the

Julian Calendar, which was in use at

the time of the First Ecumenical

Council. As such, it does not take

into account the number of days,

which have since then accrued due

to the progressive loss of time in this

calendar.

Practically speaking, this means

that Pascha may not be celebrated

before April 3, which was March 21,

the date of the vernal equinox, at the

time of the First Ecumenical Coun-

cil. In other words, a difference of 13

days exists between the accepted

date for the vernal equinox then and

now. Consequently, it is the combi-

nation of these variables which ac-

counts for the different dates of

Pascha observed by the Orthodox

Church and other Christian Church-es. Submitted by Vicky Andriotis - ex-cerpt taken from The Calendar of the

Orthodox Church by Dr. Lewis J.

Patsavos, Ph.D.

T he story of the

Icon

One of the most symbolic of

the Festal Icons of the Orthodox Church is

that of the Holy Resurrection. In the center

of this radiant event is Christ pulling Ad-

am and Eve up from their tombs. The gates

of the Realm of Death are broken and

thrown down. Death, personified in human

form is defeated, and bound hand and foot

at the bottom of the scene. We recall the

joyous words of St. Paul: "O death, where

is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victo-

ry?" (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Christ pulls Adam and Eve from their

tombs. Christ is depicted trampling upon

the gates of Hades. In the background

stands the host of the departed, so numer-

ous they can not be depicted. Among them

in the front of the multitude are some of the

righteous dead, though now invigorated by

the Resurrection. King David and his son

Solomon are seen on the left wearing

crowns. Near the center is Saint John the

Baptist. On the other side is Abel, the son

of Adam and the first man to ever die. He

wears a shepherds robe and has a cane.

Many Icons of this subject depict large

crowds with a few other recognizable

prophets. - Submitted by Vicky Andriotis See more at: http://lent.goarch.org/

Philoptochos Easter Offering Please help us to stock our food pantry and prepare

Gift Baskets for the Needy Our pantry is in need of the following items:

Please bring your items to the Church or

Contact Lena Protopappas for more info: 203-929-1582 . Please label your contribution as Philptochos-Easter Baskets.

Rice Pasta Sauce

Canned Vegetables Olive Oil Cake or muffin mixes

Crackers Cranberry Sauce Non-dairy Cream-er

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pasta

Canned Soup Cookies Vinegar

Canned Sweet Potatoes Chocolates

Coffee/Tea Canned Fruit

Toothpaste/toothbrushes Shampoo & Soap Mens Socks Combs

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

SCHOLARSHIPS 2014 1. Athletic Committee Scholarship

2. Harriett Chirigos Memorial Scholarship

3. Georgia Demont/Pappas Scholarship for High School

girls students

4. Georgia Demont/Pappas for women who are currently

matriculated or have been accepted as undergraduates or

graduate College or university.

5. Pamela & Dean Hatzis Memorial Scholarship

6. Nicholas & Alexandra Keffas Memorial Scholarship.

7. Irene Mellas Memorial Scholarship

8. Philoptochos Scholarship

9. PTO Scholarship

10. Stavroula Rountos Memorial Scholarship

11. Petros Roussas Memorial Scholarship

12. Maria Skenderis Isola Memorial Scholarship

13. Frossie Trigonis Memorial Scholarship

14. Sophia Vlantes Memorial Scholarship

15. GOYA Scholarship

16. AHEPA Scholarship

17. Daughters of Penelope Scholarship

18. FORCC SCHOLARSHIP ( For FORCC Scholarship Applications Please call Eva Vaniotis @ 203-374-0013_

DEADLINE IS MAY 15, 20 14

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS can be obtained at the Church Office. Call at 203-374-5561.

$5.00

To order, please call either Holy Trinity203.374.5561, Angeliki Georgakopoulos203.268.3196, Kalliope Tsistsipas at 203.926.0137, or Lena Protopapas at 203.929.1582 by April 6, 2014. Pick up will be Saturday, April 12,2014 from 10:30am and 1:00pm, and on Sunday, April 13, 2014 after services :

12:00pm to 2:00pm.

Lazarakia

for Saturday of Lazarus

$1.00 each

PALM SUNDAY

SUNDAY APRIL 13,

2014

ANNUAL PARISH

FISH Luncheon

$15.00 ADULTS $10.00 CHILDREN (under 12 yrs)

MENU: FISH SALAD & OLIVES

BREAD , BEVERAGES WINE SO-DA, DESSERT COFFEE TEA

ALL ARE INVITED & WELCOME Reach out and Bring a Friend

13 2014

FOR THE REPOSE:

A FOR THE HEALTH OF:

hosted by the Ladies Philoptochos Society

An evening for the whole family

Donation: $20

In the Aegean Room at Holy

Trinity

Friday, May 2, 2014

7:00pm

2014 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bpt. Ct Publishing &Design -Vicky Andriotis-03/17/2014

The Official Monthly Publication of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature. Mark 16:15

Sylvia Bal 814-2131 Michael Bouloubasis 336-2116

Stella Capiris 259-7344 Phil Georgas 257-7452 Petros Karayiannis

631-258-3933 A.J. Metsopoulos 292-6418

Chris Papachristos 380-0566 Pericles C. Rountos 268-7173

Peter Tsimbidaros 334-2578 Constantine Vlamis 268-5464 Nick Vlamis 459-0521 All are codes are 203, unless otherwise

specified.

Parish Council Newsletter Editor Vicky Andriotis

Newsletter Staff

Eleni Limberis Father Andreas

Vithoulkas Vicky Andriotis

HISTORIAN & ARCHIVES ROOM S. Capiris 203-259-7344

historian@holytrinitybridgeport.org

HOSPITAL MINISTRY S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

JR. CHOIR J.Bogardus 203-736-6501

LOVE 1 ANOTHER M.Mourizakis 203-373-0580

MAINTENANCE G. Hatzis 203-261-3247

L. Tsouris 203-334-2781

NURSING HOME MINISTRY S. Capiris 203-259-7334

OLYMPIANS (GOYA) F. Papachristos 203-380-0566

P.T.O. S. Bal 203-814-2131

pto@holytrinitybridgeport.org E. Vlamis 203-685-5464

PARISH COUNCIL Constantine Vlamis 203-268-5464

parishcouncil@holytrinitybridgeport.org

PHILOPTOCHOS L. Protopapas

philoptochos@holytrinitybridgeport.org

203-929-1582

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

publicity@holytrinitybridgeport.org

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE S. Karagiannis 203-820-1975

SENIOR CITIZENS G. Agortsas 203-372-1015

STEWARDSHIP A.J. Metsopoulos 203-292-6418

Stewardship@holytrinitybridgeport.org

SUNDAY SCHOOL E. Vaniotis 203-374-0013

sundayschool@holytrinitybridgeport.org

INTERNET MINISTRIES-WEBSITE- FACEBOOK-TWITTER

-E-BULLETIN-VISION

V.Andriotis

vicky@holytrinitybridgeport.org

ALTAR DIRECTOR P.Bozikis 917-692-2317

AHEPA J. Bochanis 203-254-7595

AROUND THE PARISH S. Capiris 203-259-7344

aroundtheparish@holytrinitybridgeport.org

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR C. Danas 860-916-3777

athleticprogram@holytrinitybridgeport.org

BOOKSTORE V. Andriotis

vicky@holytrinitybridgeport.org

CANTOR G. Bakes 203-374-8561

CHOIR P. Leask 203-258-9160

choir@holytrinitybridgeport.org

CULTURAL ASSOCIATION V. Hatzis 203-268-7231

culturalassociation@holytrinitybridgeport.org

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES S. Kapetaneas 203-926-1751

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE K. Yiannoulis 203-372-6591

daughters@holytrinitybridgeport.org

ECCLESIARCH D. Trigonis 203-374-0725

FORCC E.Vaniotis 203-374-0013

GOYA E. Demestihas 203-380-2923

GREEK SCHOOL E. Limberis 203-371-6305

greekschool@holytrinitybridgeport.org

GREEK SCHOOL DANCE GROUP E.Limberis 203-371-6305

greekschool-dance@holytrinitybridgeport.org

Church Office

Eleni Limberis Email: Email@holytrinitybridgeport.org

Office: 203.374.5561 Fax: 203.374.5770 Hours: Monday Friday: 9:00am 4:00pm Sundays after Services: 12:00pm-1:00pm

On the Web -www.holytrinitybridgeport.org Bookstore Online -bookstore.holytrinitybridgeport.org

Shopping shop.holytrinitybridgeport.org On Facebookwww.facebook.com/holytrinitybridgeport

On Twitter www.twitter.com/holytrinitybpt

Father Andreas Vithoulkas, Presbyter

fatherandreas@holytrinitybridgeport.org phone: 917-334-4192

Services

Sunday: Orthros 8:30am Sunday School Special Services:

10:00am-10:15am Divine Liturgy,Sermons, Announcements:

9:45am 11:30am

: 8:30

: 9:45

DeJesus Dental Group Cosmetic, Family & Implant Dentistry

Pericles Rountos, D.M.D. General Dentist

T:(203) 372-1220 www.dejesusdental.com

F:(203)371-8540 4131 Main St. Bpt, CT 06606

651 Villa Ave. Fairfield, CT 203-384-8176

www.androsdinerfairfield.com

PETER G. KARAYIANNIS ATTORNEY AT LAW

857 Post Road, #110 Fairfiled, CT 06824

(631)258-3933 PGK@KARAYIANNISLAW.COM

Tomlinsons Restaurant 1400 Noble Ave, Bridgeport

Tel. 335-5296

Nicholas Vlamis Constantinos Vlamis- Owners

Phone:

203.538.5014 Fax:

203.538.5001

865 River Rd. Suite 307, Shelton,CT 06484

www.MySmileCT.com

maria@mysmilect.com

www.cactusrosecantina.com

5 River Road Wilton River Park

Wilton, CT 203.762.8484

Did you Know? The term Pascha () is the Hellenized form of the Jewish word pesach, (or Phaska), which means passage or passover. It does not derive from the Greek verb , to suffer, as some, like the ancient writer Meliton of Sardis, have thought.

Read more at: http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8504

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 4070 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 Address Service Requested