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SaintKatherinewwwsaint-katherines.org3149 Glen Carlyn RoadFalls Church, VA 22041DOXAThe monthly newsletter ofSaint Katherine Greek Orthodox ChurchVolume 18, Issue 3MARCH 2020INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . .SACRAMENT OF HOLY CONFESSIONAHEPA Corner . 10ORTHODOX TRADITION SPEAKS OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY CONFESSION as the “rite of reconciliation.” In the words of Saint Maximos the Confessor, this is in reference to reconciliation withthe community of the faithful—the Ekklesia. When reconciled with the Ekklesia, we are reconciled with God as well. The priest, in the Sacrament of Confession, speaks for the community aswell as for God when he reads the prayer of absolution for forgiveness and reconciliation.O God and Savior, who by Thy prophet Nathan has granted pardon to David repenting of hisown transgressions, Who has accepted Manasseh's penitential prayer; do Thou, the same compassionate Lord, accept this Thy servant (name) who is repentant of sins that he (she) has committed. Overlook all that he (she) has done, forgiving all of his (her) unrighteousness, andoverlooking his (her) iniquities. You have said, oh Lord, I desire not the death of a sinner, butrather that he (she) should return from His wickedness and live; and that sins ought to be forgiven even unto seventy times seven. For as Thy greatness is incomparable, so is Thy mercyimmeasurable. Who, oh Lord, would stand aright before you if Your judgment was to the extreme in what is amiss in our lives? You are a God of those who repent and unto You we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages ofages. Amen.There are several ways in which you can prepare yourself to encounter God through the sacramental experience of Confession:a) Find a quiet place where you can be alone and concentrate on the love of God, His love forthe world, and for you. Think of the Christmas story and how Our Lord became Man because He loves us, how He experienced death on the cross because He loves us, and howHe resurrected because He loves us.b) Think of what God wants you to be and where you are in life at this very moment. Askyourself: Am I worthy to be called a creation of God? When Christ returns at the secondcoming, will I be able to tell him that in spite of my failures in life I sincerely tried to makeamends in my shortcomings?c) Face the most difficult question of all: How have I offended God? In examining myself,what sins have been committed? One easy way of doing this is to write all the sins committed recently or since your last confession on a piece of paper. Details and unnecessary descriptions should be avoided.The following “self-examination” questions based on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:117) and the Archdiocesan pamphlet, The Neglected Sacrament, A Practical Guide to Confessionand Happiness can help you prepare your list.I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before Me. Have I loved God as much as Ishould? Have I been more interested in myself than in God? Have I tried to serve God and keepHis Commandments? Have I been vain about my personality, personal appearance, clothes, possessions, family, ability, success, or accomplishments? Have I given way to anxiety instead ofturning to God for help? Have I failed to trust in God and His mercy? Have I failed to pray toGod sincerely and faithfully? Have I put myself before God?(Continued on page 15)Bookstore . 5Book Club . 7Book Review . 12Bookstore . 5Calendar . 9Catechetical (Sunday) School . 5Church Duty Roster . 12Daughters of Penelope . 10GOYA. 5Greek Article . 13Greek School PTA . 6Hellenic Education Center . 6Missions and Outreach . 7Oratorical Festival . 5Parish Council . 3Philoptochos . 10Registry . 11Retreat .8Saturday of Souls Form .13Stewardship . 14. . . AND MORE
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaGreek Orthodox Metropolis of New JerseySaint Katherine Greek Orthodox Churchwww.saint-katherines.org3149 Glen Carlyn RoadFalls Church, VA 22041703-671-1515 phone703-671-1385 facsimileCLERGYRev. Protopresbyter Konstantinos A. Pavlakos, ProistamenosRev. Presbyter Nikolas S. Delavaris, Assistant PriestSTAFFBookkeeperChoir DirectorHellenic Education Center DirectorMaintenance SupervisorProtopsaltiSecretary/Teachercell 571-213-1109, home 703-239-2627cell 614-378-8242Lori NelsonJohn SlantaPresv. Eleni AlexopoulouRoberto MedinaNick MprasSophia 1-1515703-560-7714703-671-15152019 PARISH COUNCIL (2020 COUNCIL NOT YET RATIFIED)President, Ray Vazquez703-728-7091Vice President, Craig Thomas703-532-3168Secretary, Bill Polizos571-434-7790Treasurer, George Moratis703-774-6180Tony AlexisAndrea BallardHon. Manuel CapsalisDr. Domenic CarrMark CherpesDr. John DemakisHarry KarageorgeJimmy 98-8748SCHOOLS AND STUDIESBible Study (English)Bible Study (Weekday)Catechetical (Sunday) School, YouthJourney to OrthodoxyMINISTRIESAcolytesAHEPA #438 (P. Derzis)BookstoreBook Club (Saint Genevieve)Book ReviewDaughters of Penelope Helle etjkontzaman@aol.comMichael Parrish and Leon PorterGeorge VassilopoulosGeorgia McKinney, ManagerVictoria CherpesGregory McKinneyMaria Tikoff VargasDOXAPresv. Pauline Pavlakos, EditorFellowship of Saint Ephraim (Addiction) Rev. Nikolas DelaverisGOYA (7th-12th grades)Iliana Tzafolias, PresidentGreek Dance (Byzantio)Aris and Anna Yortzidis, InstructorsGreek School PTAAndri Orphanides, PresidentPaideiaMary LiakosHellenic Education CenterGreek School and Paideia PreschoolHOPE (ages 7 and under)Doris Mentis, CoordinatorJOY (ages 8-12)Vaitsa Bousbouras, CoordinatorListserv (email list)Presv. Pauline Pavlakos, AdministratorMissions and OutreachDr. John Demakis, ChairmanMoms, Pops & Tots (up to age 4)Irene SakkasOCF (College Ministry)Christina Makhlouf, Student LeaderPhiloptochosMary VarlasSocial MediaSocial Media CoordinatorStewardshipAndrea BallardWebsitePresv. Pauline Pavlakos, WebmasterYAL (Young Adult League)Faye (Fotini) mCostas MavromatakisStelios MoschouGeorge MoshosEffie SarantisChristos SnearSteve VeletsisMaria WillsJohn ZiuBill PolizosIoannis Gkigkitzis, Ph.D.Christina VazquezJames ail2@gmail.com orgdoris@alumni.virginia.edu h.comfanson38@yahoo.com
FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENTWORKING TOGETHER — YES, WE CAN!A FULL-SERVICE CHURCH — Yes, we do! In the February issue of DOXA, I shared a list of the many ministries we offerin our community. For this edition of the DOXA, I have asked Tony Alexis to share a story about the power of workingtogether as a community to realize the Paideia Nursery and Preschool program. Through the hard work of the parents’fundraising initiatives, I am happy to report that we just installed a new playground for the younger children. The addition to the playground will provide years of fun to our kids. THE PAIDEIA NURSERY & PRESCHOOL PROGRAM was started by a group of volunteer parents, who came together to askfor Fr. Costa’s help to start a church daycare in 2005. We asked why should the families in our community have to placeour children in the daycare programs available at other religious denominations? For working families with young children, finding a daycare is not an option, but a necessity! We succeeded in turning this idea into reality not only becauseof all of the time, effort, personal funds, and talent invested by our community volunteers, but also because of the support of Fr. Costas, our Parish Council, and community.The obstacles to a band of volunteers for starting a church nursery and daycare in our parish were many: Nurseryand Preschool programs were not available in Greek Orthodox churches and we didn’t know if there wouldbe enough demand for such a program to be financially viable. We needed to change the zoning of our church to allow for a daycare, as our use is restricted because we are locatedin a residential district. We needed to find caring qualified teachers and someone to run the program. And . . . we only had 5 children enrolled at the start of the 2008!God helped at every turn and we proved the common belief that “Greeks don’t work well together” to be a myth, aswe received a great deal of support from every part of our Greek-American community. We searched within our GreekAmerican community and hired a dynamic manager, Mrs. Marilena Michalas. With the help of Mrs. Demetra Rassia, theDirector of the Greek Embassy Office of Education, we were provided an experienced preschool teacher paid for by theGovernment of Greece. We received timely donations from the Hellenic Society of Prometheas and from Mr. BasilMossaidis at AHEPA National, and we raised money from members of our community through our Family Fun Nightfundraisers. By the end of the first year, we had 15 children enrolled and we had managed to break even financially. Asthey say, “The rest is history!”Today the Paideia program, under the direction of Presvytera Eleni Alexopoulou, has a new group of enthusiastic parents and parishioners volunteering and helping to ensure its continued success. With support from every part of our parish, it has been in operation and financially viable for over 12 years and has become a paradigm for Greek Church education in America. Over 200 children have graduated to date from Paideia and it currently has an enrollment of 40 children. In 2013, together with the Greek School and the Adult Education program, it was combined into the Hellenic Education Center, and employs a full-time director and 18 trained and caring teachers with a yearly budget of approximately 550,000.We believe the Paideia Nursery and Preschool program is among the best in our area and unique in providing a nurturing bilingual environment for children to learn the Greek language while immersed in Hellenic Culture, our Greek Orthodox faith, and Christian values. If you are looking for a year-round nursery or preschool for your child or know someonethat is, please contact the Hellenic Education Center Director, Presvytera Eleni Alexopoulou, for information and to arrange a tour of the school. The program is currently accepting enrollment for the nursery (ages 2-3) and the preschoolprograms (ages 3-5). The website address is www.stkhec.org.Working together, our community has created a wonderful educational resource for our children that also supports thefuture growth of our church. With so many of you volunteering your time and talents, imagine what else we can accomplish in the future!Working together – Yes, We Can!Your servant in Christ,Tony AlexisChair, Hellenic Education Center,Board of Education3
FROM FR. NIKOLASTHE ANAPHORA OF SAINT BASIL: A PRAYER THAT EXPLAINS IT ALLDID YOU KNOW that during five Sundays of Great Lent wecelebrate a different Liturgy? According to the LiturgicalTraditions of our Church, during Great Lent we celebratethe Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great of Sundays, asopposed to the usual Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. The centerpiece of Saint Basil’s Liturgy, and whatdifferentiates it from Saint John Chrysostom’s is foundwithin the priestly prayers, specifically The Anaphora(Offeratory Prayer), which is said right before the Consecration of the Holy Gifts. To properly understand theAnaphora from the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil of Caesarea, we must begin at the beginning.The Liturgical Narrative of any Anaphora finds ‘the beginning’ in the same place that we, as humanity, find ourown conception. The first action of offering (ਕȞĮijȑȡȦ), asit pertains to any Anaphora, can be found within the bookof Genesis, chapter twenty-two, verse two. Here we meetour beloved forefather Abraham in a scene that can best beunderstood as the formation of God’s first covenant withfallen man. God says the following to Abraham:ȁĮȕ IJઁȞ ȣੂȩȞ ıȠȣ IJઁȞ ਕȖĮʌȘIJȩȞ, Ȟ ȖȐʌȘıĮȢ, IJઁȞ ǿıĮĮț, țĮੁʌȠȡİȪșȘIJȚ İੁȢ IJ Ȟ ȖોȞ IJ Ȟ ਫ਼ȥȘȜ Ȟ țĮ ਕȞȑȞİȖțȠȞ Į IJઁȞ ਥțİ İੁȢ ȜȠțȐȡʌȚȦıȚȞ ਥijૃਨȞ IJ Ȟ ੑȡȑȦȞ, ੰȞ ਗȞ ıȠȚ İ ʌȦ.Take your beloved son Isaak, whom you love, and go into thehigh land, and offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of themountains, whichever I mention to you. (NETS)In this passage the action ਕȞĮijȑȡȦ takes form through thesecond aorist imperative, which means that God is not suggesting this, but He is commanding it.It is also worth noting that this is not the first time an‘offering’ is made. The first occurrence of ‘offering’ takesplace earlier on in Genesis (4:7) after Cain presents a por-tion of his labors to the God, Father. Again, it is within theLord’s voice that we hear the offering presented:Ƞ ț, ਥ Ȟ ੑȡș Ȣ ʌȡȠıİȞȑȖțૉȢ, ੑȡș Ȣ į ȝ įȚȑȜૉȢ, ਸ਼ȝĮȡIJİȢ;If you offer correctly but do not divide correctly, have you notsinned? (NETS)The word for “offer” in this use is not derived fromਕȞĮijȑȡȦ/ਕȞĮijȠȡȐ Cain’s offering (derived from ʌȡȠıijȑȡȦ/ʌȡȠıijȠȡȐ is differentiated from the offering of Abraham.In examining this from the perspective of Scripture twothings are revealed. For one, the fact that all our LiturgicalTradition is deeply rooted in Scripture. Despite the multitude of Councils, Canons and Culture, Scripture remains atthe very center of worship. Second, with knowledge of thisdepth, we are shown that a brief word study is necessaryThe difference is slight, but significant. We can best understand these words in the same way that they are presented in Scripture. ‘To offer’ in the way of ʌȡȠıijȑȡȦ/ʌȡȠıijȠȡȐ is basic – one is simply bringing a gift, or in accordance with a possible definition, a “present, offer.”Whereas ‘to offer’ in the way of ਕȞĮijȑȡȦ/ਕȞĮijȠȡȐ is doneso with reverence – having made themselves lower than theaction’s direct object, in accordance with a possible definition, “to bring forth” and perhaps even more so, an “offerin sacrifice [to] make expiation or compensation.”With this understanding we may proceed forward withthe appreciation that the Anaphora is not simply a prayer ofoffering, but it is to come from a place that mirrors thesacrifice of something truly precious. In other words, theAnaphora is not to be taken lightly! So, if you find yourselfwondering during a Lenten Sunday Liturgy, ‘why is fatherpraying so much?’, pay closer attention to the words, because this prayer has to do with YOUR Salvation!THE ROCK IN THE CHURCH’S CORNERSTONEby Presvytera Theodora ChelponWHY IS THERE A ROCK in the cornerstone of the church? What does it signify? These questions have been asked frequently by many parishioners. With no real account of its origin, I was asked if I could give the explanation of how thisrock came to be a piece of our parish’s rich history.When Saint Katherine Church was being built in the late 1960s, one of our families, Dr. Panos Koutrouvelis, his wifeMaria, along with their sons, was planning a trip to Corinth, Greece. When Fr. Ted Chelpon, the founding priest ofSaint Katherine, learned about their trip, he called Dr. Koutrouvelis and asked him for a favor. Would he please go tothe area of ancient Corinth, called the Bema, where Saint Paul preached, pick up a rock, and bring it back to Saint Katherine? Dr. Koutrouvelis and his family did exactly that, they made it a family project. They picked up a rock from theBema, put it in their bag, and brought it back with them. Why did Fr. Ted want this? He wanted to have it put into thecornerstone of the church to represent the preaching of Saint Paul to the Corinthians of that time.Now that we know the significance of the rock, we should enter the church ready to hear the word of God, just as theancient Corinthians did when they listened to the teachings of Saint Paul.4
BYZANTIO GREEK DANCESAINT KATHERINE OFFERS GREEK FOLK DANCE LESSONSthrough the Byzantio Greek Dance and Cultural Arts Program. Lessons for Grades K-12 are typically offered onTuesday evenings from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Lessons foradults are held on Sundays 5:30pm-7:30pm. Please contactAris and Anna at greekdancedc@gmail.com or 757-2186991, or visit www.byzantio.org for more informationincluding practice dates, times, and registration forms.CATECHETICAL (SUNDAY) SCHOOLSUNDAY SCHOOL WOULD LIKE TO THANK Eleni Porter andClaudette Juska for their beautiful cakes, flowers, and poetry for Godparent Sunday. We are also thankful to all ofthe Godparents who attended classes with their Godchildand made the event memorable. On March 15, at 9:30amwe will host the Oratorical Festival across from the boardroom in the Meletis Charuhas building. Please plan onattending. We have several students competing this year atthe Junior and Senior level. A special thank you to Vivianand Dean Chelpon for organizing writing and researchworkshops and offering extra assistance for those competing and to our Sunday School teachers for taking time inclass to review prompts and assisting with questions.GOYAA BIG THANK YOU to the Moschou Family who chairedour Super Bowl Party and made it such a success! Also,thanks to Iliana (Greek) and Mia (English) Tzafolias whoread the Epistle for the January Youth Sunday. Great job!The next Youth Sunday/Meeting is on March 1. Upcomingevents: March 7, Saint George Sights & Sounds Arts Festival; March 15, Oratorical Festival; March 20 and 22,Lenten Outreach Event; March 21-22, Saint George Basketball Tournament; March 29, Youth Sunday/Meeting.Email SaintKatherineGOYA@stkchurch.com for additionalinformation,ORATORICAL FESTIVALOURLOCAL ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ORATORICAL FESTIwill be held at Saint Katherine on March 15. The festival provides our youth the opportunity to write and talkabout their faith. There are 3 divisions: the elementarydivision (local festival only) for grades 4–6, junior divisionfor grades 7–9, and senior division for grades 10–12. Topspeakers in the Junior and Senior Divisions will be awarded 150 and 250 scholarships, respectively. Please encourage your children to participate in the festival and besure to attend this event to show support for our youth.Information on the festival can be found atwww.goarch.org/oratorical. If you have any questions,please reach out to Dean and Vivian Chelpon at(vivanddean@aol.com) or Christina Vazquez(czvmail2@gmail.com).VALBOOKSTORELOOKING TO DEEPEN your spiritual journey this Lent?Pick up a copy of the classic Great
Bible Study (Weekday) Ioannis Gkigkitzis, Ph.D. igkigkitzis@nvcc.edu Catechetical (Sunday) School, Youth Christina Vazquez 703-728-2657 czvmail2@gmail.com Journey to Orthodoxy James Jatras 202-375-1007 heraclius13@gmail.com MINISTRIES Acolytes Michael Parrish and Leon Porter frcostas@stkchurch.com
