nativity assumption of virgin greek or-thodox church

811 road, cohasset, ma 02025781.383.6380

NATIVITY ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHFORMERLY THE POPE MEMORIAL CHURCH

811 Jerusalem RoadCohasset, MA 02025

781.383.6380

PANAGIA COHASSETAPRIL 2019 BULLETIN

Χριστός Ανέστη Christos Anesti

On Wednesday, March 13, His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios celebrated the first Divine Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts at the Nativity-Assumption Church in Cohasset. At the end of the service, the Metropolitan congratulated the faithful of the parish who have been working diligently to restore and expand their church edifice to better support the needs of the community. At the end of the Liturgy

His Eminence thanked Fr. Anton Vrame, who has been serving the Cohasset community for several months now and made note of his dedicated service to the Church at large, especially his service to the Archdiocese as Director of the Department of Religious Education and a professor Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. In recognition of his service His Eminence bestowed on Fr.

Anthony the office of Archimandrite. In his response to the Metropolitan, Fr. Anton congratulated His Eminence on the thirty-fifth anniversary of his election as Bishop of Boston.

Nativity-Assumption Church is a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, under the leader-ship of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios.

Reverend Doctor Anton Vrame began serving the Nativity-Assumption parish at the end of January 2019. In addition to his duties at Nativity-Assumption he

continues to be the Director of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and adjunct Associate Professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, the Archdiocesean seminary, positions he’s

held since 2007. He is known internationally for his writings on Orthodox Christian religious education. He also has extensive ecumenical experience, representing the

Greek Orthodox Church to the Table on Theological Dialogue on Matters of Faith and Order of the National Council of Churches in the USA, even having served as

the Chair of Faith and Order from 2008 to 2013. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2016.

The elevation of Fr. Vrame to the office of Archimandrite is significant in the Orthodox Church. The title has its origins in the leadership of a monastery, but is

now granted to some unmarried clergy with significant leadership responsibilities in the Church. The office allows Fr Vrame to wear additional items during liturgical

services, most obviously is a hat, called a kallimafi, with a veil attached. The office of Archimandrite places him as a senior clergyman in the Archdiocese.

STEWARDSHIP REPORT BY PETER BELEZOS

Message from Father

Sisters and brothers,

The signs of new life will be everywhere this month. Winter is over and spring will be filled with budding trees and flowers. As the days grow longer with the warmth of the sun filling the air, we will turn to our gar-dens to plant summer flowers, herbs, and more.

The month will culminate in our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the ultimate sign of new life. We will continue our Lenten journey to Holy Week, when we will share in His final days with His disciples, His Passion and Death. Every night of Holy Week, Panagia Church will offer the Divine Services so we may participate in those days as His new generation of disciples.

Join us every when we will commemorate the Last Supper on Holy Thursday morning. Return in the evening when we will hear the entire story His passion and death. On Holy Friday we will gather symboli-cally to bury Him and sing hymns of lament and praise. We will carry Him in a procession, reminding us that our Lord and Savior entered the darkness of Hades, only to fill it with light and life.

On Holy Saturday morning, we will hear the proclamation of the Resur-rection for the first time and we will scatter signs of the victory over death in our church. That evening, in the darkness of midnight, we will again symbolically go to the tomb and find it empty, thus proclaiming to all, “Christ is risen from the dead.” We will carry the light of His resur-rection in our hands, and share in the Holy Eucharist in the Divine Lit-urgy. Then later in the day with our family and friends we will celebrate the new life that God has promised all who believe in Jesus Christ, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The signs of new life will be everywhere around us, but they will be every-where in the Church.

In Christ,

Fr. Tony

Our Lenten Schedule

April 5 Salutations to the Virgin Mary6:45 PM The Akathist Hymn-Fourth Stanza April 7 Fourth Sunday of Lent 8:45 AM Orthros 9:45AM Liturgy

April 12 Salutations to the Virgin Mary6:30 PM The Akathist Hymn April 14 Fifth Sunday of Lent8:45 AM Orthros at 8:45 9:45 AM Liturgy

April 20 Saturday of Lazarus8:45 AM Orthros 9:45 AM Liturgy

Holy Week Schedule

Palm SundayApril 21 Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem8:45 AM Orthros 9:45 AM Liturgy 6:30 PM Matins of Holy Monday Bridegroom Service

Holy MondayApril 22 Matins of Holy Tuesday6:30 PM Bridegroom Service

Holy TuesdayApril 23 Matins of Holy Wednesday6:30 PM Bridegroom Service

Holy WednesdayApril 24 Sacrament of Holy Unction 6:30 PM

Holy ThursdayApril 25 Divine Liturgy of St. Basil 9:30 AM Matins of Holy Friday6:30 PM Twelve Gospel Readings

Holy FridayApril 26 The Royal Hours 9:30 AM Great Vespers, the Apokathelosis3:00 PM Matins of Holy Saturday6:30 PM The Lamentations and Procession with Epitaphios

Holy SaturdayApril 27 Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil9:30 AM The “Proti-Anastasi” The Anastasi Service11:15 PM Matins and Liturgy

Pascha, EasterApril 28 Agape Vespers11:00 AM

Panagia Church may be small, but it is a precious little gem; it tugs at your heart in ways that are difficult to

explain --- Joan CaraDonna.

Wish to recieve our emails?Reach out!

Please Email: panagiaparish.com@gmail.com

Why do Orthodox celebrate Easter/Pascha on a different date than other Christians?

In order for all Christians to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on the same day, the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD decreed that Pascha (Easter) should be observed on the

first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox. At that time, the world used the Julian Calendar. This creates the first set of problems for us today.

The Julian Calendar of that time fixed the date of the vernal equinox on March 21. (We now know that the vernal equinox can occur on March 19, 20, or 21. In 2019, it is March 20.).

The Julian Calendar is inaccurate; it is now thirteen days behind (in 2100, it will be behind by fourteen days) thus unable to predict the full moon. When you look into the sky on April 19 and see a full moon, the Julian Calendar says this is not happening! Otherwise Pascha

would be April 21 instead of April 28.

The Gregorian Calendar was adopted the Roman Catholic Church and eventually by most of the world in 1582 to correct the errors of the Julian Calendar. For example, Britain ad-

opted the Gregorian Calendar in 1750 and the American colonies in 1752. Many Orthodox lands did not adopt the “New Calendar” until the early twentieth century. For example, the Russian Bolshevik government adopted the Gregorian in 1918. The Orthodox Church held a Pan-Orthodox Congress in 1923 and adopted a Revised Julian Calendar to fix errors, but did not go so far as adopting the Gregorian Calendar (which one day it too will need to be corrected). It resembles the Gregorian Calendar very closely. This was not universally ac-cepted in the Orthodox world. For example, the Church of Russia still observes the Julian Calendar, while the Ecumenical Patriarchate observes the Revised Julian. Nevertheless, all Orthodox Christians celebrate Pascha on the same day, but not with the same date.

The connection to Passover. Scripture teaches us that Jesus entered Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) in order to celebrate the Passover there. The events of his Passion and Resurrection occurred

over the days of that feast. Passover is the Jewish holiday celebrating their liberation from slavery in Egypt, under the leadership of Moses. Passover is celebrated on the first full moon af-ter the vernal equinox. After the Jewish dispersion in 70 AD, different Jewish communities used

different means to determine the date of Passover.

continued ..

In response the Christian communities developed their own tables for determining the date of Pascha and stopped relying on the Jewish calculations. But, given the closeness of the formulas, Christians will usually celebrate Pascha after the Jewish Passover, but that is not a pre-requisite

for determining the date of Pascha.

One of the pressing issues in 325 and to this day has been a common date for all Christians to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on the same date. In 1997, a group of Christian theologians – Orthodox and non-Orthodox – met in Aleppo, Syria to study the issue. They proposed that all the astronomical data be updated, and new tables for the date of Pascha be developed, so that all Christians could celebrate the Feast of Feasts on the same date. The proposal has not been

implemented.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_Easter_dating_method)For more on the Date of Pascha, go to:

https://www.goarch.org/-/dating-pascha-in-the-orthodox-church

Greek Orthodox Easter: Hope Renewedby Stephanie (Verenis) Bolio

“Christ is Risen. Truly, He is Risen.” These are the glorious words shared by Greek Orthodox Christians all over the world, as a greeting to proclaim the

Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for forty days after Easter. You’ll also hear them joyously spoken at Nativity-Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Greek Orthodox Church – the Panagia Church – nestled at the beginning of Jerusalem Road, right here in Cohasset. Most would agree, the address is quite fitting for this small, but mighty church, considered a hidden gem to many on the South Shore. This is true for my family, as members since 1981, and many other

families as well.

Maybe you’ve driven by, admiring the architecture, or the picturesque location, right along the water. It’s a blessing that parishioners here can often feel the ocean breeze through the open windows in the summer months or watch the

swans peacefully swim by in the middle of a service, witnessing God’s glory while simultaneously praying for His earthly blessings.

Named after the Blessed Mother and All-Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, it’s lovingly called the “Panagia” (pronounced Pah-na-yee-ah), her name in Greek, and

is dedicated to the Feasts of her Nativity (birth, observed on September 8) and Falling Asleep (Assumption, observed on August 15). If you were to look at her vibrant icon, inside, you will see four simple words by her image: “The hope of Christians.” Hope is something we all need and is the gift that is given to us through Easter, where the Only-Begotten Son has died for our sins and risen so that we may not die, but have

eternal life. Hope = Hold. On. Pain. Ends.It is with hope, along with faith and love, that Greek Orthodox Easter and its many

rich traditions, are celebrated.

What is Orthodox Christianity?

The Orthodox Christian Church is the oldest Christian church in the world, founded by Jesus Christ, with its beginnings chronicled in the New Testament. All

other Christian churches and groups can be traced historically back to it.

Why do Orthodox Christians sometimes celebrate Easter on a different date than other Christian religions?

The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, to calculate the date of Easter. It also continues to adhere to the rule set forth by the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea in 325 AD, requiring that Easter is to be celebrated on the first Sunday, after the first full moon, following the vernal equinox, but the use of the Julian Calendar throws the calculations off from those

of the rest of the Christian world.

How do Orthodox Christians prepare themselves for Easter?

Preparing for Easter begins at the start of Lent with careful prayer and fasting. The Church teaches people to abstain from meat, dairy and olive oil for the 40

days of Lent and the seven days of Holy Week. This practice is more than depriving the body, but includes abstaining from everything that may harm the soul as well. It provides focus, discipline and appreciation. When coupled with

sincere prayer and church attendance, each person experiences the renewal of the season.

Holy Wednesday

The sacrament of Holy Unction (anointing with holy oil) is offered to the faithful on this day, to aid with healing the sick in body, mind and spirit, as well as provide

forgiveness. One of the signs of the divine nature of Jesus was to heal the sick and this power of healing remains in the Church since Christ himself remains through the Holy Spirit. The prayer of Christ that God’s will be done always remains as the proper

context of the sacrament.

Good Friday

This is a solemn day, filled with reflection on the meaning of Christ’s Passion. At the conclusion of the Passion of the Christ, the congregation, young and old, gathers to decorate Christ’s tomb with beautiful flowers, of bold, royal colors. In the evening, the Lamentation service is held, mourning over the terrible events that took place, while joyfully anticipating the Resurrection to be proclaimed in a

few days.

Holy Saturday

Many gather at church with their Easter candles, before midnight on this day. All the lights are turned off, as a symbol of Jesus descending to the kingdom of

death, and at the stroke of midnight, the priest proclaims “Come receive the light!” The priest lifts up the holy flame for the congregation to light their candles and the whole church is illumined, radiating Christ’s love. The congregation will hear the Gospel reading about the Resurrection and begin to sing “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death…” Afterwards a Divine Liturgy will be celebrated and many will receive Holy Communion. At the conclusion, everyone carefully

carries their lit candle home in order to bless it, by drawing a cross with the flame above the entrance for protection from all evil. Many will keep the flame burning

all year, until the following Easter.

What are some of the Greek Orthodox traditions celebrated during Eastertime?

While many Greek Orthodox Christians celebrate with the arrival of the Easter Bunny, brightly colored eggs, jelly beans and delicious chocolate confections, there are symbolic traditions that have been passed on for generations, rooted in the true

meaning of Easter.

Red-Dyed Easter Eggs

In Orthodox tradition, Easter eggs have a rich symbolism. They are dyed a deep red color, representing the blood of Jesus Christ. The cracking of the egg reminds us of the empty tomb, while the egg inside is a sign of new life. Family often sit around the table after Easter dinner and play a fun game where they take turns trying to crack

each other’s egg, proclaiming the Easter greeting of “Christ is Risen!”, with the last one standing having extra blessings for the year.

Lamb

Lamb can be traced back to Abraham in the Old Testament. Christ died on the cross for our sins and thus he became the sacrificial lamb. We eat lamb in remembrance of this selfless act. Lemon juice, herbs, salts and spices are used to prepare this traditional

food before it is roasted in the oven or on a spit.

Braided Sweet Bread

This sweet bread is braided with three pieces of dough, which represent the Holy Trinity, having no end and thus symbolizing the eternal renewal, which comes with springtime. A red egg is often baked into the bread and decorated with a cross. It tastes delicious,

toasted with butter and is usually a staple on the Easter table of Greek Orthodox Christians all over the world.

As the soul experiences a spiritual renewal during this time, the Panagia Greek Orthodox Church is going through its own renewal. The windows have been

restored, letting light shine even brighter through the beautiful rose-stained glass. The stone exterior has been re-grouted, aesthetically pleasing and a fortification for continued strength in the years to come. The bell tower has been repaired,

summoning the faithful, with all to hear. Looking to the future, is the construction of the long-awaited community center, which will allow for a place of fellowship for all

that visit and symbolize as a legacy for the youth.

Originally built as a shrine in memory of Charles Linder Pope who had drowned nearby at the young age of 17, by his mother and father, Colonel Albert A. Pope, it was called the Pope Memorial Church in 1900. In this building people have loved, they’ve lost, they’ve become Christians or have been a part of it all. Churches are sanctuaries from the hustle and bustle we call life. We are so “busy” that we often don’t have much time to decompress, to reflect and to honor God the way that we should. This safe-haven lets us feed our souls and become new again. This is the

renewal that we observe each year at Easter time, in all its glory.

Come see the joy of the children frolicking on the front yard after services. Celebrate in the joy of a taverna and taste some of what Greece has to offer. Attend a service and experience the spiritual joy available each week. The

simplest meaning of joy is putting Him and others first, then humbly accepting His grace.

Joy = Jesus, Others, Yourself. The community is welcoming, the community is kind. The Panagia is, a place for the hope of all Christians.

CHAT WITH FATHER TONY VRAME

OR

PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT (ED LOFGREN)781-507-1503, ERL@3AMARINE.COM

Treasurer’s Report

This is the report for the first two months of 2019. As the treasurer I would like to provide parishioners with a simple report meant only to show you what we take in for operating the parish and what it costs to maintain the parish, in other words our ordinary expenses. At the general assembly’s, which are held each year in May and November, I will provide the income and expenses related to the restoration and building fund. That information will include such items as amounts acquired through memorial donations, the square foot campaign and the second tray income.

January – February 2019 INCOME $20,979.41January – February 2019 EXPENSES $15,433.38FUN FACT: Utilities cost the parish $3,144.68 for January - February

2019 Holy Friday Luminaries

Let’s light our path around the church with the names of our loved ones who have passed away or to pray for the health of family members and friends.

Personalized, candle lit bag ( luminaries ) will be lined along the walkway to church and down the middle aisle to the Epitaphio during the Great and Holy Friday

evening Service. A label will be placed on the luminary with the name of whom you would like to recognize.

Your $10 donation per luminary will go towards the Restoration Fund of the Church

You can find donation forms in the Narthex

Presidents Message

MOMENTUMPANAGIA PARISH HAS:

- A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH DEDICATED TO OUR HOLY MOTHER.- A GORGEOUS SETTING ON STRAIT’S POND.- NO DEBT.- A STRONG LEADER IN THE VERY REV. FATHER TONY VRAME.- STRONG LEADERSHIP ON OUR CURRENT DEDICATED PARISH COUNCIL.- A RELATIVELY SMALL BUT DEDICATED STEWARD BODY WE ARE IN PROCESS OF “GROWING”.- A STRONG START ON OUR COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING IN-CLUDING: --- A FOUNDATION. --- PERMITS. --- UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. --- A DEDICATED ARCHITECT IN CLARK BREWER. --- A DEDICATED GRANT WRITER. --- A DEDICATED COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING COMMITTEE.- A STRONG START ON OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT TOWARDS THE BUILDING.

momentum: let’s keep it going !!!!

TWO REQUESTS OF PARISHIONERS:

CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR THE BUILD-ING BY PURCHASING SQUARE FEET. ONCE WE GET ALL THE SQUARE FEET SOLD WE WILL RECEIVE A MATCHING GIFT OF UP TO $200,000.00. WE THEN COULD GO OUT TO BID.ATTEND OUR BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 7 P.M. AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTER ON HULL ST. DIS-CUSSION: PATHWAYS TOWARDS ACTUIALLY STARTING TO BUILD A BUILDING !!!

--- MOMENTUM !!!

WITH LOVE, AND FOR THE PARISH COUNCIL, ED

CHALLENGE GRANT

WE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!! WHEN WE RAISE THE ENTIRE $165,250. WITH THIS SQUARE FOOT CAMPAIGN (OR MORE), IT WILL BE MATCHED UP TO $200,000. SO IT IS POSSIBLE WE COULD RAISE $400,000. WITH THIS SQUARE FOOT CAMPAIGN. WE

WILL BE WELL ON OUR WAY TO “SHOVEL IN THE GROUND”, OR MORE APPROPRIATE-LY IN OUR CASE, A BUILDING ON OUR FOUNDATION. THE GOAL IS TO RAISE THIS AMOUNT THIS FALL; WE COULD THEN GO OUT TO BID, AND START THE BUILDING WHILE CONTINUING TO FUNDRAISE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSTRUCTION

(NOTABLY SITE WORK & FINISHED BUILDING COSTS).

A REMINDERSTEWARDSHIP AND OTHER CHURCH DONATIONS (SUCH AS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SQUARE FOOT CAMPAIGN FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER) MAY BE PAID WITH A MASTERCARD OR VISA CREDIT CARD. ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE MADE TO DO

THIS ON A MONTHLY BASIS SHOULD YOU PREFER THAT OPTION.QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO ANGELA LOFGREN: 781-749-3250 EXT. 11

Dear Families,Our young people have enjoyed learning about Parables during the month of Febru-ary. They participate in class and are eager to share their knowledge with us and each other. I hope that the our focus on humility and forgiveness has traveled home with

them as well. March 11rd marks the beginning of Great Lent. As we move through this holiest of seasons in the church there are a number of ways our children will partici-pate in the services. I have recently purchased the book Tending the Garden of Our

Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families, by by Elissa Bjeletich, Kristina Wenger. It is available from Ancient Faith Publishing and Amazon. I look forward to sharing this with my children and grandchildren during Lent this year, and I encourage you to do

the same.

Taylor and I look forward to seeing as many smiling faces as possible in the coming month.

- Suzan and Taylor

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Spring 2019

APRIL THEME: Holy WeekApril 1: Sunday School ClassesApril 7: Sunday School ClassesApril 14: Sunday School ClassesApril 20: Saturday of LazarusApril 21: Palm SundayApril 22-26 Holy WeekApril 28: HOLY PASCHA -Easter

MAY THEME: Our FaithMay 5: Sunday School ClassesMay 12: Sunday School Classes Mother’s DayMay 19: Sunday School Last Day Picnic

COMMUNICATIONS/BULLETINNancy TheodorouEmail: capt.nansea@gmail.comPhone: 617.930.2537

COMMITTEE MEMBERS Faye Papadopolous/StewardshipHome - 781.545.7876 STEWARDSHIP: George P. Belezos gpbelezos@bendongear.com OUTREACH Fr. Tony VrameDay time: 646-519-6300Emergency: 617-680-1549Email: frtonyvrame@goarch.org Cynthia Dedes - 781.383.9647

SUNDAY SCHOOL: Suzan Theodorou Email: suzantheodorou@gmail.com

THE NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARYGREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

811 Jerusalem Rd., Cohasset, MA 02025781.383.6380

PRESIDENT - Ed Lofgren Email: erl@3amarine.comPhone: Work - 781.749.3250 Home - 781-826-6984

SECRETARY - Joan Cara DonnaEmail: jb3806@hotmail.com

TREASURER Cindy Dedescindy.dedes@verizon.net

VICE PRESIDENTKerri Vallas Luisikluisi313@aol.com

BOARD MEMBERS:

Eva Sedell Email: evasedell@gmail.comDonna Rumble Email: donnadonna365@yahoo.comArianna Desilets Email: arianna.dedes@gmail.comNancy Theodorou Email: capt.nansea@gmail.com Kerri Vallas Luisi Email: kluisi313@aol.comCynthia DedesEmail: cindy.dedes@verizon.netAndrea WhiteEmail: aundy1015@gmail.com Christos MavromatisEmail: oellenas@yahoo.com

BUILDING & GROUNDS:Ed Lofgren, George Papadopolous & Michael Papadopoulos

OUR PARISH COUNCIL

PARISH PRIEST: FR. TONY VRAMEDay time: 646-519-6300

Emergency: 617-680-1549Email: frtonyvrame@goarch.org

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811 Jerusalem Road

Cohasset, Massachusetts 02025

781 383-6380