Vol. 17 , No. 9 Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church 2501 S. Wolf Rd. Westchester, IL March, 2013(708) 562-2744 www.holyapostleschurch.com

Coming together, we form an icon of God’s Kingdom

By the time you maybe reading this copy ofthe Mosaic, theChristian Orthodoxfaithful throughout the

world will have entered the Great and HolyLent, which begins on March 18. They willenter into this most sacred season of spiritualexercise and training as faithful have done forcenturies.

For 40 days, many pious people will seri-ously consider and follow the teachings of theChurch. Every member of the OrthodoxChurch will at all times endeavor to fulfill allof the Lenten prescriptions of the Church gov-erning this special liturgical period. They willstrive diligently to fulfill not only the letter ofthe law, but also the spirit of the law.

Those who take their Orthodoxy seriouslywill impose upon themselves a lean period offasting and abstinence. They will piously striveto trim the fat of physical excess and worldlydesires. By subscribing to all of the saintlypractices of the Church, they will strengthentheir spiritual appetite by decreasing the wantsof the body and desires of the senses.

Some people will again be quite disturbedabout having to live through another Lentenseason. It will be an inconvenience for them.They will question the necessity of the Lentendays, the lengthy church services, and theywill not wish to be saddled with the idea ofsuppressing their appetites. Control over thephysical desires will be a burden and a nui-sance.

Children often claim that Lent is no funbecause it robs them of good things. Fun istemporary. No one can go through life havingfun every moment. There are more seriousthings in life to consider.

Lent is a time of spiritual joy and elationbecause the wants and desires of the soul arefilled. The image of God implanted in us atthe creation becomes ever clearer. We are rest-

From Father Bill The powerof habit

less until we find peace which is derived fromclose fellowship with God.

May I introduce to you the word habit aswe enter the holy season of Lent? Now, thereare good habits and bad habits. I suggest weview Lent as an opportunity to embrace thegood habits and combat the bad ones.

Charles Duhigg wrote The Power of Habit:Why We Do What We Do in Life andBusiness. Reading the book, the thoughtoccurred to me that, instead of going throughLent as a time of don’ts and negativity, whynot view this holy period as a time to do battlewith habits.

Habits can be changed. If we have always

been of the mind to ignore Lent, isn’t it timeto acquire a good habit? Why do some peoplequit smoking, start exercising and complete aMaster’s degree, while others stay stuck in thesame routines year after year? The commonanswer isn’t luck or even willpower, but simplyto focus on the power of everyday habits.

Priests preach and exhort us to examineour lives and accept the challenge of transfor-mation. Most have long recognized the impor-tance of habits in spiritual formation, butchanging old habits and adopting new ones isno easy task. The key to habit change is to rec-ognize their pattern.

See Fr. Bill on P. 3

Pictured are Father Nicholas, Mr. George Chechopoulos, Parish Council President,Mrs. Zaharoula Tollios, Greek School teacher, and Amanda Morris.

Amanda Morris, a sixth grade GreekSchool student at Holy Apostles won thisyear’s Greek Essay Award. The contest is anannual event and includes all Greek schools in

the Chicago Metropolis. The winners werehonored on Sunday, January 27 at a luncheongiven by Metropolitan Iakovos at ChateauRitz in Niles. Congratulations, Amanda!

Greek School student wins essay contest

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic March, 2013 Page 2

Last week, our youthhockey team was lockedin an exciting game with

the score tied. One of our boys tripped anopposing player and was charged with apenalty. As he frantically sat in the ‘sin bin’or penalty box, Joe wanted to get out to helpour team. The opposing team, playing withan extra player, could easily score the winninggoal. He was stuck. No card or pass wouldfree him.

As Lent begins this month, we may findourselves stuck in the ‘sin bin’ of life.Wouldn’t it be great if we could just free our-selves from the box instantly? What if wecould just stay in the box for two minutes andquickly get out? When we are far away fromthe Lord, we choose to sin because it is in ournature. We read in St. Paul’s letter to theRomans: “There is none righteous, no, notone; There is none who understands; There isnone who seeks after the God. They have allturned aside; they have together becomeunprofitable; There is none who does good,no, not one.” (Romans 3:10-12)

Barna, a research group investigatingChristian lifestyles, recently published aninteresting survey detailing Christian’s lives.It examined whether we Christians aredefined by our capacity to do good or by ourwillingness to indulge ourselves. They com-mented, “Christians are a unique blend ofcontradictions. The lifestyles of professedChristians are not much different than oth-ers.” A few years ago, a distant relativeprayed before the meal: “Whoever eats thefastest gets the mostest.” Is this a goodChristian attitude? This seems to be the pre-vailing cultural message: You have to seekwhat is best for yourself and seek all the plea-sure you can.

We live in a culture saturated with plea-sure: one that stays away from deep thoughtsabout eternal values. We try to maximizehappiness while minimizing sadness.Unfortunately, our temptation is to seek plea-sure in all the wrong places. An addict can-not be faulted for trying to fill his emptiness.He is deceived because he seeks fulfillmentwhere it cannot be found, ultimately bringinghim more grief than bliss. St. Paul warns us tonot be “slaves of sin.” (Romans 6:6)

The ancient Greeks knew that we all seekpleasure. They argued that we should bemotivated by happiness. Ideally, if we werecompletely happy, we would not need any-thing else. Yet, our lives are far from ideal, sowe spend our entire lives seeking pleasure and

RealizingGod’s eternalpleasures

From Father Nicholas

Please mark SUNDAY MARCH 17

on your calendar for this year’s Macaronatha Luncheon

On Sunday, March 17 immediately following the Divine Liturgy we will startthe Lenten season with a delicious complimentary luncheon. Parish Councilwill prepare and serve hungry parishioners. Other generous volunteers and

sponsors will provide help and support.

Your attendance and donations will help our Orthodox brothers and sistersaround the world, and will benefit our Orthodox missionary projects.

Please make your reservations early, following the Sunday Divine Liturgy

and during the fellowship hour.

avoiding pain.Our media understands the nation’s quest

for pleasure. Politics, religion, news, sports,and education have been transformed intoentertaining show business. Neil Postmanwarns “we are a people on the verge of amus-ing ourselves to death.” Think about theSuper Bowl. Many watch just to see theentertaining commercials and halftime show.We are accustomed to being amused.Technology brings us 24 hours of entertainingshows, movies, video games, music and evenshopping! Preoccupation with this world’spleasures is hedonism. Focusing on carnaldesires, food, money, leisure and all kinds ofconsumption are hedonism’s extremes.

Consumerism is another danger.Advertisers are constantly trying to create newneeds for us, putting us in a constant state ofdissatisfaction. We want to buy more andincrease the intensity and variety of our expe-riences, not with what God has given us. St.Mark warns: “The deceitfulness of desires forother things choke God’s word, and itbecomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19) Thisworld’s mentality is that we exist to serve our-selves and that is all that matters. St. Paulwrites that people will be: “lovers of pleasurerather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:4) Ifwe forget about God, we will gravitate to ourbasest desires. We will choose the pleasurethat promises the best sensation today. In arush for instant fulfillment, we drink waterfrom the wrong fountain and eat bread fromthe wrong table. It is a challenge to identifythis worldliness in our own lives. WeChristians are like fish swimming in thestream but unaware of the water!

Ask yourself a simple question: Do youwant to live for this life or eternal life? Lent isa wonderful opportunity to return to the Lord.The Prodigal Son, read during the periodleading up to Lent, is a story of a son whogoes away from his father to a foreign land.He comes to his senses and returns home. Hisfather, like our Heavenly Father, races to hisson, embraces him, and welcomes him home.This is what our loving Lord wants to do forus. Lent offers spring cleaning for our souls,providing a way out of the penalty box or ‘sinbin’. The Church offers many additional ser-vices and tools to help us slow down our lives,cleanse and free ourselves, and grow closer tothe Lord. Lent is a return to the spiritualdesert, a place of solitude away from all theworld’s distractions. Fasting is another Lententool. Food fasting helps us deny our worldlyand carnal desires. Technology fasting, limit-ing television and internet time, helps usremain in the Lenten desert. During thosequiet times in the Lenten desert, we can dis-cover the pleasures that only God can bring toour lives by asking, “Lord, what do you wantme to do with my life?” Psalm 16 reminds us:“You will show me the path of life; In Yourpresence is fullness of joy; At Your right handare pleasures forevermore.”

As we recover our true selves throughdwelling and participating in the Lentendesert, the joy of God’s pleasures and Lentwill be obvious. Then, we will be able toexclaim: “Receive Lent with gladness, O peo-ple! The beginning of spiritual warfarearrives. Forsake the indulgences of your fleshthat the gifts of the Spirit may abound inyou.” (from Cheesefare Tuesday Orthros)

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic March, 2013 Page 3

Peter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don SgouridisSponsor: Alexander Ziogas

Marina, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John KremidasSponsor: Chrysanthy Dublino

John, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kremidas

Sponsor: Deno Andrews

Lola, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Caesar MelidisSponsor: Demetri Caronis

Athina, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth DialSponsor: Spiro Giannopoulos

Alicia Anos & Joseph MiceleSponsor: Nick Anos

Baptisms

Wedding

Dress a Girl Around the World ProjectOn Saturday, April 13, Philoptochos will

sponsor a charitable project to create girls’dresses to send toimpoverished areas ofthe world. We willmeet from 10 amuntil 3 pm at HolyApostles to sew thedresses. The patternis very simple andeveryone’s assistanceis necessary to iron,pin, sew and create.The program is called Dress A Girl AroundThe World, a program of Hope 4 WomenInternational, a legal division of Hope 4 KidsInternational, a 501 faith-based organization.

At this time, we are asking for donations ofcotton fabric pieces of one yard or more, elas-tic, double wide bias tape, thread and otherembellishments that might be used to deco-rate the dresses. Monetary donations for sup-plies are also welcome.

Most importantly, we are asking for yourtime on April 13. Sewers and non-sewers areneeded. Please bring your irons, ironingboards, and sewing machines. We invite chil-dren, age eight or older, to help as runners.Please let us know if you are able to assist withthis Lenten service project. For questions or tooffer your help, please call or email CynthiaStathopoulos 630.986.0630, cstath11@com-cast.net or Elaine Katzioris 630.963.8054,emk316@sbcglobal.net.

Metropolis of ChicagoAnnual Lenten Retreat

This event will be held on Saturday,March 30 at St. Demetrios in Elmhurst. Ifyou are interested in attending, contact TerryParafink 630.243.8022 for details.

Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show

Please mark your calendars. The HolyApostles Philoptochos Luncheon and FashionShow will take place on Saturday, October 19at the Carlisle. Look for more exciting detailsin the April issue of the Mosaic.

We are seeking people interested in beingmembers of the Fashion Show Committee.This is a great way to get involved withPhiloptochos and to become an integral partof our well-known charity event. If you wouldlike to help, please contact CynthiaStathopoulos at cstath11@comcast.net byMarch 30.

PhiloptochosSpring UpdateThe first thing is to recognize that you’ve

fallen into a pattern. If your attendance inchurch on Sunday morning has been sporadicand you are always late, this is a habit yousuccessfully can deal with. One more habitthat is easy to change: examine your train rideto work not only as a necessity but also as anopportunity to change a habit. Instead ofreading the daily paper or the sports page,have a pocket Bible with you and read it. Youwill soon realize the value of time, while at thesame time you are enriching your life. Newhabits will be formed and you will see God’spurpose and will for us in our lives. Ourimmortal soul is fed and its spiritual wants arefulfilled.

Remember to have a plan. Habit changehappens when you choose a better routine.Sometimes the bad habit is apparent becauseof laziness. In 1892, American philosopherWilliam James wrote, “All our life, so far as ithas definite form, is but a mass of habits.”

The church fathers, St. Basil the Great,Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom,and St. John of Climacus, who bequeathed a

treasure to us, The Ladder of Divine Ascent,can assist us as we navigate through Lent.

The Great and Holy Lent constitutes, inthe words of Father Alkiviadis Calivas,“theChurch’s invitation to each one of us toexplore, understand, evaluate and judge–withGod’s grace–the inner depths of our being:our thoughts, feelings, desires, convictions,motivations, fears, anxieties and priorities, sothat we may repent of our sinful inclinationsand deeds, renew our spirit and experiencethe embracing love of God as freedom andtransfiguration.”

A Christian is a work in progress. Each daywe encounter the power of habit. As barnaclescling to a ship, so in life, habits cling to us andbecome part of us. Preparation for the futurelife and Kingdom requires that we keep oursights on things above, so that we may contin-uously move from death to life, from darknessto light, from weakness to strength.

Using the tools the Church provides us anda will to truly become a new person in Christ,we can deal with those habits and our road tothe kingdom will become lighter.

Fr. Bill from P. 1Habits change when you choose a better routine

Mr. D says read these two booksNearing Home: Life, Faith, and

Finishing Well, by Billy Graham. In thisexcellently written book, the 93-year-old well-known evangelist, Dr. Billy Graham, discussesin an easy-to-read way, liberally sprinkledwith humor, how Christians should preparefor their senior years. It’s a book I highly rec-ommend.

Into the Storm: Violent Tornados,Killer Hurricanes, Death-DefyingAdventures in Extreme Weather, by ReedTimmer. As we approach the three-monthperiod (April, May, and June) when our areais most susceptible to tornados, this book is amust read.

Reed Timmer, a graduate of OklahomaUniversity, a meteorologist, and a daringstorm-chaser, has had windshields smashed bybaseball-size hail, tipped over in a ditch due toslick roads, and has come face-to-face withviolent tornados. He has also experiencedhurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina,which devastated New Orleans in 2005. Thedescriptions of his experiences are unmatchedin detail, excitement, and suspense. However,you must also be prepared to be very patient,due to the author’s self-centeredness, cocki-ness, and a frequent insistence on doing thingshis own way, which almost cost him and thosewith him serious injury and even death.

In past articles, I’ve urged you, especially ifyou have children, to go out and buy a weath-er radio with an alarm, which will warn youof severe thunderstorm and tornado watches

and warnings. I guarantee that once you readthis book, a weather radio will be the firstthing on your shopping list.

by George Demetralis

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic March, 2013 Page 4

Sunday School teachers pass on the Church’s

On any given Sunday, look around youand you will see a teacher: a grandparent, aparent, a sibling. Each of us, both throughexample or classroom environment, teachesand fosters those around us. In a more struc-tured setting, our Holy Apostles family sup-ports her Sunday School. With a staff of 25talented and dedicated volunteers, we serveover 150 families in our community.

Editor’s note: This is the conclusiont of atwo part article about our Sunday Schoolteachers.

Fifth and Sixth Grade is taught byGeorge Demetralis, Dolly Panton and SophieLekas

George J. Demetralis, alias Mr. D., lives inWestchester with his wife, Theodora. Theiradult son, John, resides in Chicago. Mr. D. isa graduate of the University of Athens,Greece, School of Theology (1966). Afterteaching religion classes at Sunday Schoolsand various youth programs, Mr. D. beganteaching Bible Study at Fanari Summer Campin 1978. In 1979, Mr. D. joined the HolyApostles family as Pastoral Assistant. In addi-tion to teaching Sunday School, we find Mr.D. active with The Way, Adventure Theater ,Senior Bible Study and the CatechismInstruction for those who wish to join theOrthodox Church.

Dolly Panton, together with her husband,Dr. Peter, reside in River Forest. Their daugh-

ters, Christina and Connie, attendNorthwestern University in Evanston. Dolly isan attorney, and adjusted her practice to focusupon raising her family and assisting her hus-band with his growing ophthalmology prac-tice. In addition to teaching with Mr. D.,Dolly is actively involved in teaching in TheWay.

Sophie is the daughter of Mark andMichele Lekas, and shares her family’s

Willowbrook home with her brother James,and pet turtles Tony and Ted. Sophie is froman exceptionally gifted musical family. Hergrandmother, Stephanie Leider, is our organ-ist. Her parents are professional musicians;her dad and brother play the cello whileSophie and her mom play the violin. Sophieis a freshman at Hinsdale Central HighSchool. She is involved in many activities atschool including: Concert Orchestra andChamber Orchestra, Science Olympiad, acompetitive science team, and a club calledRead 2 Lead, where Sophie tutors youngerchildren and helps them with their homework.Outside of school, she is involved in violinlessons, The Way, and Shotokan karate, whereshe maintains a black belt status.

This teaching team loves working with chil-dren. As Mr. D. best states, “I enjoy the inno-cence, honesty, and genuineness of the agegroup we teach––fifth and sixth graders.Their hearts are open to God's word and theirquestions and comments sparkle like the starsof heaven.”

Seventh and Eighth Grade is taught byCarolyn Skoirchet and Kathy Daly.

Carolyn and her husband, David, reside inBrookfield with their pet parakeet, Niko.They have three adult children: Alexander,Andrew, and Georgia. Carolyn is an EarlyIntervention Speech Therapist, working withchildren from birth to three years of age intheir home environment. She works with chil-dren with various speech delays and also withchildren who have been diagnosed with otherdisorders, including autism.

Kathy and her husband, Pat reside in LaGrange with their 14-year-old dog, Holly, whorequires much of Kathy’s time and whom

George Demetralis & Dolly Panton

Carolyn Skoirchet & Kathy Daly

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic March, 2013 Page 5

teaching and traditions to the future generationKathy loves dearly. They enjoy visiting theiradult daughter and their son and daughter-in -law. Kathy works part time at the HinsdaleHumane Society as their receptionist, a jobshe truly enjoys.

While 7th and 8th graders can often be achallenging group, it is satisfying to introduceour Orthodox faith in ways to help them dis-cover and ponder its beauty and purpose withthe intent of developing a personal, spiritualrelationship with God. Kathy and Carolynenjoy the times when the students become soexcited about their faith, the questions startflying, and the students don't want the discus-sion to end!

High School is taught by IreneBoutzarelos.

Irene has lived in Addison for 35 yearswith her husband John. They share theirhome with KiKi, a spunky boxer adoptedfrom Boxer Rebound two years ago. Irenegrew up in River Forest /Oak Park attendingAssumption Church. However, “After meetingFather Bill, my father insisted we all attend anew parish just starting up called HolyApostles. It was a drive to attend, but therewas so much to get involved in: GOYA, JuniorChoir and Sunday School”. Irene is a retiredart teacher. Her career spans from Bellwood,teaching elementary and Jr. High art toAddison, teaching at Addison Trail HighSchool. After earning her masters in counsel-ing, Irene was a counselor at ATHS for about7 years. After retirement, Irene became theprimary caregiver for her mother and for heraunt. Irene continues to create art with paint-ing, collage work, silver and glass work, and

making jewelry.Irene joined the Sunday

School team several years ago,when Barbara Pappas was theprogram director. Irene enjoysthe age group, and understandsthat high school is a crucial andvery busy time in the life of ateen. She recognizes that formany high school aged students,the last thing they set time asidefor is Sunday School. Her chal-lenge is to make the classroomtopic come to life, so that whenthe teen leaves her class, the stu-dent has learned one more thingabout being an OrthodoxChristian, that being anOrthodox Christian is somethingto think about, something topractice and embrace in theirlives.

Music is taught by BetteSchieber, with Nicholas Trivelasand Alaina Kafkes.

Bette Schieber with her hus-band of 27 years, Dr. Scott,resides in Orland Park. Theiradult children are: Michael, John, David,married to Kathleen, and Rebecca. Manywill remember the presentations of this musi-cally gifted family,. With her degree in pianoperformance, Bette maintains a private teach-ing studio in Orland Park. She shares her tal-ent as accompanist for the Carl Sandburg andLincoln-Way High School choir and musicprograms. Bette has been involved with

teaching the hymns of our faith since herchildren were toddlers. Many of ouryouth music programs at Holy Apostleshave been created or furthered as a resultof Bette’s tireless efforts.

Nicholas is the son of Chris and DianeTrivelas. Together with his sister,Alexandra, Cowboy, the pet rabbit andMax, the dog, Nicholas and his familyreside in River Forest. The family enjoystravelling to the farm in Ohio, and theannual family reunions for his mom’s fam-ily and his dad’s family. Nicholas is asenior at Oak Park River Forest HighSchool (OPRF). An excellent student witha full load of honors classes, Nicholasenjoys being involved in the a-cappellachoirs and school theater. He has enjoyedrepresenting his school at the All-Statelevel for the Illinois Music EducatorsAssociation. Nicholas continues with hisviolin, participating in chamber groupactivities. In addition to his school activi-ties, Nicholas has earned the rank of Eagle

Scout in Boy Scouts, and serves in the altarand occasionally in the choir.

Alaina is the daughter of Stacy and LouKafkes, and with her sister, Diana, resides inWestern Springs. Alaina is a senior at LyonsTownship High School, LTHS, and enjoysthat her sister is now a freshman at the highschool. Alaina and her family have enjoyedtravelling to all fifty states in ten years, plusEngland, France, and Greece. In addition tohaving earned the distinction of a NationalMerit Scholar finalist and being an extraordi-nary student, Alaina runs cross country six outof the seven days of the week and participatesin the Science Olympiad. She is the captainof the LTHS Science Olympiad, an All-Conference cross country runner and a mem-ber of the Varsity Choir, the only curricularaudition-only choir at her school. When sheisn’t balancing her load of honors classes andactivities, Alaina likes to read, hang out withfriends, and develop her French speakingskills.

The music team agrees that working withthe children allows each of them the opportu-nity to instill the love of our faith throughmusic. The learning of our hymns helps thestudents better understand the teachings aboutour faith and our services.

... By Joan Berg, Sunday School Director

Irene Boutzarelos

Bette Schieber

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic March, 2013 Page 6

HARC Lenten SuggestionsFor children

The Twelve Great Feasts for Children, and

the Three-day Pascha seriesSmall books that include the Entry of our

Lord into Jerusalem; Great and HolyFriday; Great and Holy Saturday; Pascha,the Feast of Feasts; The Feast of Pentecost;and the Ascension of Our Lord.

$6.00 each

For young adultsJourney thru Holy Week

Published by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

A guide that sheds light on the journeythrough Holy Week services and helps us tounderstand what is happening and whatthey mean to us as Christians.

$4.00

For adultsA Journey through Great Lent

Edited by the Very Rev. Steven Belonick

Daily meditations for your journeythrough the 40 days of the Great Lent.There is for each day a prescribed andselected scripture from the Old or NewTestament, a meditation on the scripture, aselection from the practical advice of theChurch Fathers, an edifying saint’s life andan excerpt from a hymn from the day’s ser-vice.

$9.00

The Lenten SpringBy Thomas Hopko

Fr. Hopko draws on his long experienceas a pastor and teacher to present the rele-vance of the Church’s two-thousand-year-oldtradition of preparing to greet our Lord’sResurrection. He makes extensive use of allfacets of church tradition from all times—inspiring scriptural and liturgical passagesfrom the Lenten services, the spiritual wis-dom of the ancient saints and fathers, as wellas the teachings of modern guides to theChristian life.

$16.00

Daily Lenten Meditations for Orthodox Christians

By Presbytera Emily HarakasThe purpose of this book is to be of some

assistance as a personal daily guide or forfamily devotions for the faithful, especiallyfor those whose time is very limited but whostill want and need to dedicate those pre-cious moments to the spiritual part of his/herdaily living.

$7.00

Great LentJourney to Pascha

By Alexander SchmemannFr. Schmemann examines the meaning

of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, thePrayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, theCanon of St. Andrew of Crete and otherneglected or misunderstood treasures ofLenten worship. He draws on the Church’ssacramental and liturgical tradition to sug-gest the meaning of “Lent in our life.”

$16.00

Scouts earn Orthodox awardsOn February 3, designated as Scout

Sunday 2013 by the Boys Scouts of America,six young parishioners of various scoutingorganizations were awarded a religiousemblem at Holy Apostles. Each of the scoutsparticipated in religious education and serviceprojects under the guidance of VanessaClohessy and Joan Berg. Each scout’sprogress was evaluated and approved by Fr.Nicholas in order for the scout to earn theaward.

James Clohessy, Nikolas Milak,Christopher McKay and Joanna Clohessyearned the St. George Emblem for completionof a program designed to advance their knowl-edge and practice of Orthodox Christian reli-gious living. In addition to completing a work-book through which they explored in depththe sacrament of baptism, the Lord’s Prayer,major church holidays, the many implementsor articles used in thechurch and severalchurch hymns, thechildren completed aservice project. Theymet at the church andlearned how to bakeprosphoron. Theylearned the meaningof the seal on thebread, and offered the

loaves they baked for aSunday Divine Liturgy.

Gabriel Drechsler andNicholas Drechsler earnedthe Alpha-Omega Emblemfor completion of a rigorousprogram designed to enhancethe scout’s growth in theirpersonal relationship withJesus Christ, their corporateworship and their service tothe community. The pro-gram guides scouts in theirrule of prayer and study ofscripture, attendance at vari-ous worship services and fourcommunity service projects. Specifically,Gabriel and Nicholas baked prosphoron for aSunday Divine Liturgy, sang Christmas carolsat a nursing home, collected aluminum cans

for recycling, and assembled anddecorated hand-made Valentinegreetings for Philoptochos distribu-tion at the senior center.

Each scout is a member of a localscouting organization. Gabriel andNicholas are both Boy Scouts intheir local Troop. Previously,Nicholas earned the Chi-RhoEmblem as a Cub Scout.

James is a Cub Scout of the Bear

Rank; Nicholas is a Cub Scout of the WolfRank; and Christopher is a Tiger Cub.Joanna belongs to a scouting organizationcalled GEMS Girls’ Clubs – Girls EverywhereMeeting the Savior.

The BSA designates the Sunday that fallsbefore February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day)as Scout Sunday, which is the primary date torecognize the contributions of young peopleand adults to scouting. The Eastern OrthodoxCommittee on Scouting, under the auspices ofthe Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishopsof the Americas (SCOBA) supports scoutingfor boys and girls of the Orthodox faith.

by Vanessa Clohessy

The St. George candidates with the prosphoron they baked astheir service project are l-r: James Clohessy, JoannaClohessy, Christopher McKay and Nikolas Milak.

Scouting’s Orthodox Christianmedals, the Chi-Rho, left, andSt. George, right.

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12:00pm Sixth Hour

4:30p

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7:00pm

Heretismi Service

8:30p

mChoir

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8:00am

Orth

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9:00am

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6:30pm

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8:00am

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9:15am

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9:30am

Divine Liturgy

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12:00pm Sixth Hour

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1:00p

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6:00pm

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12:00pm Sixth Hour

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7:30p

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4:30p

mAdventu

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7:00pm

Heretismi Service

8:30p

mChoir

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4:30p

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6:30pm

Great Com

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Spea

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April 1

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mAdult

Bible

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6:00pm

Pre-S

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4:30p

mAdventu

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7:00pm

Heretismi Service

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8:00am

Orth

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4

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBELLWOOD, IL.

PERMIT NO. 157

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church2501 S. Wolf Rd.Westchester, Il. 60154(708) 562-2744

Address Service Requested

Postmaster: Please deliver by the 3rd of March

Pashalis SikavitsasGust Kouimelis

Alexandria Kollins

Mosaic DeadlineThe April Mosaic deadline is Wednesday, March 6.

Celebration of Books

Sunday, March 31: ProfessorChristopher Veniamin, spiritual child ofElder Sophrony and Professor of Patristicsat St. Tikhon's Seminary. 

Tuesday, April 2: Rev. Dr. JohnChrysavgis, an ordained deacon of theGreek Orthodox Church in America, cur-rently serving as theological advisor to theEcumenical Patriarch on environmentalissues.

Thursday, April 4: Rev. Dr. TheodoreStylianopoulos, Holy Cross GreekOrthodox School of Theology.

Saturdays, March 9, 16, & 238:00am Orthros

9:00am Divine Liturgy

Monday - Friday, March 18 - 22Tues, March 26 & Thurs, March 28

All at 12:00pm

Monday, March 18 at 6:00pm

Wednesdays, March 20 & 276:00pm

Fridays, March 22 & 29 at 7:00pm

Monday, March 258:00am Orthros

9:00am Divine Liturgy

Monday, March 25 at 6:30pm

Weekday ServicesFuneralsSaturday of the Souls

Sixth Hour

Holy Unction

Pre-Sanctified Liturgy

Heretismi Services

Annunciation of The Theotokos

Great Compline

Michael PetersonStamatia PetersonNicholas PetersonSamuel BackosSarah BackosJames McKaySpiros Pavlou

Nicholas PapadakisLiberty PoteresDemi Regas

Katherine Tsoulos Leon Toulon

Fr. James TsoulosKonstandinos VriniosTom Pantazopoulos

George T. Mannos, Sr.Georgia SpiropoulosVasiliki SpiropoulosGeorge Roussos

Pashalis SikavitsasGus PsyhogiosElias Kusulas

Katherine KarrisAndriana PettasTracy KassonHelen KassonTula KassonDean Kasson

Memorials