We Wish You - The National Herald...Eastern Orthodoxy has never celebrated Easter prior to Passover,...

We Wish YouPeace, Health and Happiness

APRIL 27, 2019

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The National Heraldwww.thenationalherald.com

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By Dr. Constantinos E.Scaros

On April 21st ofthis year and inthe couple of dayspreceding it, Iwas greeted by a

few folks, from store cashiersto passersby on the street, withthe benevolent wish of “HappyEaster”. My overt response isalways to reciprocate – “thankyou, same to you,” eventhough my Easter – this yearand most years – falls on adifferent Sunday.

Years ago, I did away withthe lengthier but moreaccurate explanation of: “thankyou, but, actually, we(Orthodox) celebrate Easter on_____,” because it would oftenresult in a barrage of questions– particularly when the twodates are several weeks apart –

causing me to reference to theCouncil of Nicaea and theGreat Schism, which can makefor interesting conversationover drinks and dinner, butmight cause the people behindme on line at the supermarketwaiting to pay for theirgroceries to grumble.

Like many Greek-Americans, I grew upidentifying the two events as‘Greek Easter’ and ‘AmericanEaster’. A good friend andformer colleague – who is notGreek and is Catholic – oncetold me of how funny thatsounded to her over the years,when her own Greek-Americanfriends would speak about‘American Easter’. She said:“don’t they realize it’scelebrated all over the worldon that day – England, France,Germany – not just America?”Another misnomer is ‘Catholic

Easter’, because it ignores amajor Christian denomination,Protestant, which also happensto be the largest in the UnitedStates by far, which alsocelebrates Easter on the sameday as the Catholics do.

The most accurateterminology I have ever heardis ‘Eastern Easter’ and ‘WesternEaster’, and so ‘AmericanEaster’ is an inaccurate term. Ipropose, however, that it oughtto exist and apply, but in adifferent sense.

You see, I feel somewhatawkward saying “HappyEaster” when in my own mindI’m thinking “but it’s not reallyEaster yet.” It has nothing todo with whether I celebrateWestern Easter or not: I haveno problem wishing someone a“Happy Hanukkah,” which Ialso do not celebrate, becauseI’m not thinking “but

Hanukkah really falls on adifferent day.” Compoundingthe awkwardness is whenWestern Easter falls on anotherprominent Orthodox holiday –Palm Sunday – as it did thisyear. I’m thinking to myself:“no, today’s not the day of eggsand Easter bonnets, it’s a dayof palms!”

And yes, there is a part ofme that thinks silently: “myEaster celebration date is morecorrect than yours.” Oh, butnot for the reasons you mightimagine. It’s not becauseOrthodox Easter is my “hometeam” and therefore it must bewhose “side” I’m on, norbecause I think Orthodoxy istheologically flawless (I don’t).Rather, it has to do with asimple sense of history: Easteris the acknowledgment andcelebration of Jesus Christrising to life again after havingdied on the cross, following hiscapture after celebratingPassover with his Disciples(The Last Supper), whichmeans, of course, that Eastershould always be celebratedafter Passover. Otherwise, itwould be like saying that theDeclaration of Independencewas signed before the BostonMassacre, the Intolerable Acts,and other actions by KingGeorge that caused theColonies to declare theirindependence in the first place.

Because to my recollectionEastern Orthodoxy has nevercelebrated Easter prior toPassover, whereas the WesternChurches have. For that reasonalone I consider the timing ofEastern Easter to be morehistorically accurate.

Beyond which portion ofChristianity has it “morecorrect” than the rest, it is alsoimportant for Christianity as awhole to have one, unitedEaster. Far from the sole reasonbeing the awkwardness ofexplaining it to a supermarketcashier, the main reason, as theWorld Council of Churches(WCC) aptly explains, is that“by celebrating this feast offeasts on different days, thechurches give a dividedwitness to this fundamentalaspect of the apostolic faith,compromising their credibilityand effectiveness in bringingthe Gospel to the world.”

Sure, traditionalists willstubbornly declare that wemust stick to every detailstipulated in theaforementioned Council ofNicaea, which was held in325AD (1694 years ago), butwe don’t. Certainly not insofaras Orthodox Churches use theGregorian calendar in everyother aspect of the practice oftheir religion, not to mentiontheir secular operations (suchas, the dates listed on theirwebsites). Such dogma woulddo no good in resolving agreater concern, that ourchurch pews continue todwindle, as persons of all faithsin America – and in most partsof the world – continue to turnaway from organized religion –which is different from faith –just as more and morepolitically active people inAmerica become independent,as opposed to being registeredDemocrats or Republicans.

The logical date for this true‘American Easter’ – where allChristian denominations, eachin its own way – wouldcelebrate Easter, should bebased on the same methodused to calculate Thanksgiving,which is always observed onthe fourth Thursday in

November. Similarly, Eastershould always be celebrated onthe fourth Sunday in April,which this year is April 28, andcoincidentally is the date onwhich Eastern Easter iscelebrated in 2019.

What if the Orthodox inother countries don’t followthis plan and stick to their ownEastern Easter dates? Let ‘em!While it would be great forevery Christian in the world tocelebrate Easter on the sameday (as long as it is afterPassover), if there is anydivision to be had, I’d rather itbe among countries than

among the Christians in myown country – the UnitedStates.

Besides, America has longled the world in progress, fromthe invention of the electriclight bulb, the telephone, theautomobile, and the televisionset. Why should it not lead theworld in establishing a logical,unified Easter?

Pay heed to the WCC’sadvice: if you’re trying toattract skeptics to your faith,don’t turn them off by dogmathat has very little to do withtheology.

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By Eleni Sakellis

Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! Christ is risen! Truly He isrisen! Following the long journey of Great Lent, we finally reachthe celebration of Pascha, Easter. Pascha is a time for church andfamily.

Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Anastasi is amuch bigger holiday in the Orthodox Christian tradition thaneven Christmas. The days of preparation; the strict fasting ofGreat Lent; the many, beautiful church services leading up to theholiday; bringing home the Holy Light to bless our homes – allthese add a special quality that cannot quite be explained tothose who have not experienced it.

The food is also a major part of the celebration. Inextricablylinked with the church-going is the dyeing of red eggs on HolyThursday and the tremendous amount of cooking and bakingleading up to the feast on Easter Sunday. The baking oflazarakia, koulourakia, tyropites, and flaounes brings familiestogether to experience the traditions and recipes that have beenpassed down through the generations and connect us with ourroots. The traditions also remind us of loved ones who are nolonger with us, who we know – through the Resurrection ofJesus and the trampling down of death – are only asleep. Duringthese difficult times for so many people, when we hear aboutcontinuing crises, families divided, the persecution of Christians,and ongoing wars, it is important to remember the less fortunateand to pray for peace in world.

The terrible terrorist attack on the Christians celebratingEaster in Sri Lanka, which left hundreds dead, is a potentreminder that there is still evil in the world, that there are

groups targeting people on a religious holiday when they gatherwith their families to attend services, all ages together.

It would be easy to lose faith at such a moment, but it is vitalin these times to remain steadfast and remember that love is thebasis of faith. It would be easier not to believe, not to forgive,not to embrace the teachings of Christ, not to love ourneighbors, and not to turn the other cheek, but then the forcesof darkness would have won anyway.

We should ask ourselves, do we really want to live in a worldwhere people are afraid to practice their religion, whatever itmay be?

Freedom of religion is something we take for granted here inthe United States, but there are many places around the worldwhere people suffer unspeakably for their faith and where thefreedom of religion doesn’t exist at all or if it did at one time, itis being gradually worn away by extremist views. It is especiallyvital in these times to stay informed about the world around us,and not imagine that because we have certain freedoms thateveryone values and respects those same freedoms everywhere.

The true meaning of Pascha, the basis of the Christian faith,the defeat of death and darkness by the light of faith in JesusChrist fills the season with hope and spirituality as no other timeof year.

While we send our thoughts and prayers to those sufferingloss and heartbreak in the face of tragedy, we must also take anactive role as Christians and stand up for the voiceless peopleeverywhere living under oppression of all kinds.

We wish everyone Kali Anastasi, Kalo Pascha, and HappyEaster!

Easter 2019: Kalo Pascha!

April 28th, 2019 is not ‘American Easter’,but Here’s Why it Really Ought to Be

Easter 2019THE NATIONAL HERALD, APRIL 27, 2019 3

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Michael and Robin Psaros& Family

Christos Anesti

Chronia Polla

Kalo Pascha

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By Harry Mark Petrakis

When Spring comes each yearand the last frosted cold andsnow loosens from the crust ofthe ground, in that season Perse-phone returns from the womb ofHades, and the Earth enters a cy-cle of fertility once more. Duringthis rebirth, there is enacted thecelebration of Easter, the mostsignificant ritual of the Greek Or-thodox Church, as it is for otherChristians.

The Easters of my childhoodwere a time of magic and antici-pation, not the suspense that pre-ceded the beribboned packagesand ornamented trees of Christ-mas but a more mystical andhaunting experience.

These rituals gained addedimportance in my heart becausemy father was the priest of ourparish church on South MichiganAvenue, and his vivid imagedominated the whole of the Pas-sion of Christ. I will never forgethis tall, regal figure clad in thecolorful and glittering vestments,leading the services of worship,his voice resounding to everycorner of the church, his faceglistening in the curling mist ofcandles and incense with thelambent glow of a prophet. Andhis marvelous, long, slender-fin-gered hands which, when heheld them aloft, burst like paleflowers from the encirclement ofhis sleeves.

The Passion of Easter wouldbegin with forty days of fasting.My father's fast would be strin-gent and relentless while ourswas haphazard. But as we camecloser to the beginning of HolyWeek, stricter attention was paidto our abstention from eggs,cheese, milk, butter, and meat.In our classrooms we were toldand retold zealously the story ofChrist.

An animation and excitementcommunicated itself through our

house, and in my mother, sisters,and brothers. My father rose ear-lier and returned home muchlater, sleeping only a few meagerhours a night. In this time, de-spite his weariness, a vibranceradiated from him, and I under-stand now it was his absorptioninto the ritual of the Passion. Hemustered his strength for the rig-orous demands upon him, thehours of confession he listenedto each day, the exhausting andlengthy services every night.

We moved through the earlypart of the week, attendingchurch and then arriving at HolyThursday, the night of the cruci-fixion, the agony of Christ on theCross lamented and shared. Allmorning and afternoon of GoodFriday the women and childrencarried baskets upon baskets offlowers to decorate thecatafalque, which contained thecoffin of Christ, bedecking thebier with flowers twined withinflowers. Until the last hour of theGood Friday services late thatnight when the death of Christwas sanctified.

But all our week moved to-ward the great revelation of Sat-urday night, the night of Anas-tasis or Ascension. From theearly part of the evening whenwe first entered the portico ofthe church, whispering excitedlyto our friends, purchasing thelong, slender white candles withthe tiny paper cups to catch thedrippings of wax, we waited in afever of anticipation. All throughthe hours of the evening weshifted restlessly in our seats.Sometimes catching the eye of afriend, we managed to slip fromour pews, past the vigilant gazeof the trustees, to gather gigglingand whispering in the washroomand corridors of the basement.Often a trustee would zealouslydrive us back up to church, butwhether we were dispersed inour loitering or not, as the final

hour neared toward midnight wepushed our way back to ourplaces, accepting the reprovinglooks of the adults for our ab-sence.

By this time the crowd filledevery pew, pressed into everycorner of the church. As the lastfew moments before midnightelapsed, we stood thronged andjammed together in a commonbond. Perhaps the older peopleremembered in those momentsthe Easters in their villages in theold country, the services in smallchurches on the slopes of themountains. But for those of ustoo young to have such memo-ries, the emotion of the antici-pation had its particular flavor.

We listened to the voices ofthe black-robed and white-col-lared girls of the choir, led by thesonorous and resonant baritoneof our choirmaster, "Mr. George."

"Kyrie Eleison, Lord Have Mercy,"chanted an old man with a facelike a weathered spruce. "KyrieEleison," prayed the old, somber-faced women in black. "KyrieEleison," chanted my father, andthe choir responded, "Kyrie Elei-son, Kyrie Eleison."

At midnight, the moment wehad been waiting for, the packedand crowded church would beplunged into total darkness. Tothis day I can recall the chillalong my flesh as that blacknessdescended. For Jesus Christ wasin that darkened church. I felt itin my bones, perhaps a hauntedand blooded memory of thesomber catacombs where ourforebears gathered to whispertheir prayers. Within the encom-passing darkness was the pres-ence of His thorn-crowned andtormented head stirring withinthe tomb.

We would draw closer to-gether, my body pressed againstmy mother, drawing what com-fort I could from her nearness,from the proximity of my broth-ers and sisters, my friends andtheir parents. There would be aholding of breath, a fastened si-lence, unbroken except for a fewsmall children whimpering, ababy crying, an old man cough-ing.

Then a great exhilarationwould sweep like a wind throughthe tense and crowded church.For before us, in the confines ofthe Sanctuary which containedthe Altar table of marble, a sin-gle, flickering taper of flame ap-peared. The flame moved for-ward, and as it emerged fromthe Sanctuary, I saw my father,his hand holding aloft the can-dle, his face glistening and dis-embodied with the beauty of an

angel of the Lord or aPrometheus delivering the firstflame to Man.

And in the cloistered darknessof the church, it was not onlyour hands clasping our candlesthat moved toward that solitaryflame but a yearning and hungerin our souls. We watched andwaited impatiently as from thatlone candle the first of the othercandles were lit and peopleturned to light the candles ofthose around them. The flamesleaped from candle to candle,from pew to pew, until the entirechurch was a great flowing, bob-bing sea of a thousand candles,every dark recess, every hiddenand shadowed corner illumined.

As my own candle was lit, Ilooked up at my mother and shesmiled at me. I marveled at theflame in my hands, at thecurlings of light and mist thattrailed streamers about ourheads and sent eerie shadowsacross the icons of the old,bearded saints. I looked up atthe dome of the church wherethe great painted figure of God,the Father, loomed above ourheads, and his stern visageseemed suddenly warm and be-nign.

Then we joined in the singingof the Christos Anesti, Christ isRisen, the exquisite hymn thatmarks the jubilant acknowledg-ment of the Ascension of Christ.

"Christos Anesti, ek nekron,Thanato, Thanaton patisas, kaitis en tis mnema si, zoecharisamenos."

Three times the hymn wassung, our voices rising in a greatswelling chorus of jubilation.

From that moment the hymnsand chants were anticlimactic,and those with small children be-gan to leave. My mother left withone of my brothers to completethe festivities that would beginwhen we arrived home. I fid-geted with one of my older sis-ters, anticipating the banquetahead, every moment dragginglike an hour.

When the services ended andthe church emptied, we emergedinto the darkness of the middlehours of night. We passed littlegroups, families moving to theircars, shielding their still-burningcandles carefully against thegusts of wind. "Christos Anesti,Christ is Risen," we called to oneanother. "Alithos Anesti, Truly Heis Risen," we answered. Whenthe cars pulled away, each inte-rior was illumined by the glowof candles, a strange processionof glittering light sweeping intothe gloomy neighborhoods of thecity.

In our apartment the aromafrom my mother's kitchen spreada savory fragrance across everyroom. All the weeks of fasting,however desultory or reluctantat times on our parts, blossomedsuddenly into a ravenous hunger.And at the long festive table inour dining room, we sat down,relatives and friends, to thesplendor of that meal. There wasthe thick, rich mageritsa soupmade from sheep's entrails,chunks of roast lamb drippingspicy juices, hunks of warmbread, slabs of white feta cheese,dark, briny olives, and decantersof glistening amber retsina wine.At the head of our table, my fa-ther, radiating a glow that en-compassed all of us despite ourweariness, picked up the first ofthe blood-red dyed Easter eggs,throwing down the first chal-lenge. Soon we were all crackingeggs with one another, victoriesand defeats sweeping us intolaughter and shrill cries.

In this way we passed the re-mainder of the festive night, andthen as the first glimmers ofdawn appeared against our win-dows, we went to bed. And I willremember as long as I live themarvelous, satisfying, and stom-ach-sated weariness of thosedawns when I crawled gratefullyinto bed, my eyelids strugglingto close, benevolent daylightpeeping in around the corners ofthe shades, and the rooms aboutme grown strangely, consolingly


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Christ is RisenA

Memories of Easter

Continued on page 6


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Best wishes

for a blessed

and joyous Easter

to All

Christ is risen

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Happy EasterChrist is Risen

silent.Long ago...so long ago. Al-

most thirty-five years haveelapsed since then. Now as I en-ter the church on the Saturdaynight before the Ascension, mostof the people I see are strangers.Those I still know are not as theywere even as I am no longer as Iwas. We have grown into middleage together, some bald, somegray-haired, lean or portly. Wegreet one another, smiling awarm, lucent recognition ofpleasant memories we haveshared, a melancholy for thefriends we have survived. Thatpretty girl resembles her fatherwith whom I once played ball.That tall, handsome boy resem-bles his mother with whom I hadonce acted in the school plays. Isee my sister, a widow now, mynephews with their pretty wives,my great-nephews and great-nieces around their legs.

Inside the church, in the finalhour before midnight, I stand be-side my mother as I did so manyyears ago. I tower above her nowfor she is grown old and white-haired, only her eyes still alertwithin the deep carved wrinklesof her face, her lips trembling asshe follows the chanting of thehymns. On the other side of meis my wife, who as a young girlshared those memories I have oflong ago, still lovely despite thefirst gray strands in her thickblack hair. And my youngest sonbeside her, shifting restlessly inshirt, tie, and suit coat, his blackcurly hair falling about his ears.Does he yearn to slip out and de-scend into the basement corri-dors where I am sure a smallgroup of boys chatter and laugh,wary of the trustee who maycome to rout them?

As the moment of midnightapproaches, the crowd swellsand throngs together once more,men and women stirring in an-ticipation. The children pushback to return to their places be-side their parents. An old magicreturns to possess us.

The church is plunged intodarkness and in the first on-slaught of blackness and silence,I am hurled suddenly into thepast. A quiver of excitementspreads through my body be-cause in a few moments the firstconsecrated candle will be car-ried from within the Sanctuary.And my father will return again,

to stand before us, the flame-giver and redeemer, and from hiscandle a thousand candles willspring into light. My mother willgrow younger and vigorous oncemore, age and weariness dimin-ished from her body as she thinksof the feast to be served at home.

But even as the first candleemerges, I understand the pastis gone; my father is gone, deadnow some twenty years. Anothergood priest emerges with thecandle to light our flames. Per-haps in the darkened church hisown son sits, watching and lis-tening, full of the pride and loveI felt for my father.

Easter will return next year,and for as long as men live, evenas Persephone emerges from thewomb of the Earth. The tomb ofChrist will be decked with flow-ers. His moments of agony andredemption will be shared againand again on the darkened mid-nights of the Ascension and fromthe solitary and consecrated firstflame, the thousand candles willbe lighted. The children will feelthe haunting mystery of that mo-ment even as my companionsand I felt it, because it is theenigma and celebration of therebirth of the earth itself. Evenwhen no child I knew as a childstill lives, long after I am gone,there will be those who under-stand that our lives are like thecandles that come so fleetinglyand flickeringly to life, tinyflames that we seek to shield andprotect against the darkness andthe wind.

Christos Anesti...Christ isRisen...O my father...ChristosAnesti...O my mother...ChristosAnesti...O my wife and my sons,nephews and nieces, sisters andbrothers, companions of myyouth, living and dead...ChristosAnesti...Christ is Risen...Truly Heis Risen...Truly He is Risen.

Memories of EasterContinued from page 4

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EasterGreetings

fromThe Spanos Family

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A joyful Easter to everyone with all the blessings of the resurrected ChristΜaria Allwin


EISEMAN LEVINE | LEHRHAUPT & KAKOYIANNIS, P.C.805 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 • Tel.: (212) 752-1000

Peter Kakoyiannis, Partner

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By Theodore Kalmoukos

Metropolitan Alexios of At-lanta offered an interview, orrather a theological and spiritualconversation, to The NationalHerald explaining and meditat-ing on the sacred events of HolyWeek and the Resurrection.

Our conversation startedwith the simple question of howhe planned to celebrate HolyWeek and Pascha this year, andhe replied by saying, “if onewere to interpret this questionin a secular way of thinking, onecould wonder whether this HolyWeek and Easter is going to belike years past, or if somethingdifferent will happen. Neverthe-

less, the way that our OrthodoxTradition urges us to receive thisblessed period of the year isdeeper and esoteric. The pur-pose of Great Lent is to prepareus for Holy Week; the purposeof Holy Week is to commemo-rate the Passion of our Lord; andthe purpose of commemoratingour Lord’s Crucifixion, death,and burial is to prepare us sothat we will be able to partici-pate in His Resurrection and theNew Creation it brings.

In other words, the waywhich leads to the light of theResurrection goes through the

hard, uphill path of Golgotha,and the way which leads to eter-nal life passes through the deathof our old sinful existence. Wecannot have the one without theother. Forgive me for makingthis comment, but we have tobe honest with ourselves at thispoint.

As Orthodox, we often liketo quote the Fathers, or thehymns of the Church, and referto the ‘Eighth Day of Creation’or the ‘New Creation’, but some-how, we fail to mention the spir-itual exercise (άσκηση) whichwe ought to practice. It wouldnot be an exaggeration to saythat we are always very eagerto enjoy the benefits of work we

have not done, or to reap thefruits of a seed we have notplanted. For the upcoming HolyWeek, I am planning not tospend much time dealing withadministrative affairs, so that Iwill have the opportunity to getthe most out of the Church Ser-vices and the spiritual upliftwhich this period can grant tothe human soul.

TNH: How many communi-ties are you going to visit?

Metropolitan Alexios:Would it sound like a cliché tosay that it is not the quantitybut the quality that matters?

People within my Metropolis of-ten call me “the flying Bishop”,as they see me always travellingfrom city to city and state tostate, as I strive to visit as manyparishes and monasteries as Ican. Over the years, I have ex-perienced, and I keep experienc-ing, the many and various needsthat a Church community mighthave. After all, the so-calledflock of the Church is not an ab-stract collection, but actual peo-ple, with certain needs and cer-tain challenges. My ministry astheir spiritual father and over-seer (επίσκοπος) is to be closeto them, and to provide guid-ance and to support them. Ac-cordingly, I might spend moretime with one community over

another, always depending ontheir needs and challenges.

That said, this year, by God’sGrace, the Archdiocese hasgranted to us Bishop Sevas-tianos, who, as an AuxiliaryBishop, also travels constantlyand enhances the ministry ofour Metropolis. So, with no ex-aggeration at all, we can saythat in the Metropolis of Atlantathe number of parishes andMonasteries scheduled for Epis-copal visits during Holy Weekwill be doubled.

TNH: Do you visit differentcommunities every year?

Metr. Alexios: I usuallytravel and visit different com-munities on the days of HolyWeek up to Holy Thursday. On

Holy Friday until Easter Sunday(Easter Vigil and Agape Ser-vice), I return to the CathedralCommunity in Atlanta. This con-stitutes only a personal traditionof mine, not the rule, whichmeans that in some past years Ihave visited other communitiesand celebrated Easter withthem. For this year, His GraceBishop Sevastianos is going totravel and visit our communitiesin Florida, whereas I will traveland visit the communities in theCarolinas and I will return toAtlanta for Easter.

TNH: Do young people par-ticipate in the Church Services?

Metr. Alexios: This question,I assume, is not only about HolyWeek services, but the entireyear. Many things could be saidor argued about here. On theone hand the statistics on thepercentage of young people thatwalk away from the Church areterrifying, but on the other wehave to acknowledge that thereis a great effort and greatprogress being made by priests,youth directors, Sunday Schoolteachers, and all kinds of vol-unteers in order to confront thisgreat challenge. As I said, manythings could be said, but let ussave it for another discussion,which I would love to have withyou on this subject.

Holy Week is usually a periodduring which young people at-tend Church Services. I will notsay that this constitutes an ex-ception from the aforemen-tioned discouraging statistics. Iwill only say that there is hope.Young people do attend ChurchServices during Holy Week morefrequently and meticulouslythan the rest of the liturgicalyear. Therefore, this could be agreat message for us, theChurch leaders, to figure outhow our Church can be moreinviting and appealing foryoung people to come and at-tend all year long. Let us alwayskeep in mind that it is the HolySpirit Who sustains and en-hances the Church, and thus weshould never see the glass ashalf empty, but always as halffull.

TNH: What do young peopleask regarding Holy Week, aswell as the Orthodox Church ingeneral?

Metr. Alexios: “O tempore,O mores” (i.e. O, the times! Othe customs!). This line is froma speech of the Roman oratorCicero. He used these words inone of his speeches to weep overthe immorality of Rome. It is sosad to see that his words havebecome contemporary onceagain. Unfortunately, the tradi-tional way of living in bothGreek, as well as in Americansociety, where the Church helda significant role in our lives,belongs to the past. Nowadays,our youth is taught at schools,colleges, and universities thateverything related to God or re-ligion is anachronistic. The con-temporary honnete homme –cultivated man – is the one whohas outsmarted God and liveshis life in an absolutely secularway. This being the case, wecannot expect youngsters tokeep coming to the Church sim-ply because we say so...Morethan what we say to young peo-ple, it matters how much timewe spend to listen to what theyhave to say to us, about theirchallenges, their hardships.When Christ Himself was chal-lenged with “smart” questions,He outsmarted those who triedto put Him on the spot. But Hedid not conquer the world be-cause of this. He conquered theworld because He loved theworld and gave His life for theworld’s sake. All the same, fol-lowing His example, we need toeducate our youth and makefirm their faith, but mainly andmostly, we need to make ouryouth understand that theChurch is here to love and carefor them. If life is like a stormysea, the Church is like Noah’sArk, providing a safe shelter forall the faithful.

TNH: What Easter is for you?Metr. Alexios: The answer

to this question can be very pre-dictable. Instead, I would go astep beyond and ask: what canEaster become for us, for eachone of us? I believe this is aquestion that each one of us cananswer only on a personal level.From the Tomb of Christ hassprung up life, grace, and for-giveness of sins – it is up to us,however, to choose how hardwe will try to reach out for thesegifts.

A Conversation with Metropolitan Alexios of Atlantaon Holy Week and Pascha

Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta at the First Resurrection onGreat Saturday morning of 2018 at the Holy Trinity Cathedralin Charlotte, NC. Shown are Fr. Vasileios Tsourlis, Dean of theCathedral, and Deacon Steven Potter.

Holy TriniTy CaTHedral CHarloTTe, nC


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WISHING YOU A

HAPPY EASTERDR. SOTIRIOS J. VAHAVIOLOS

Founder and Executive Chairman


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The members of the Gold Coast Chapter #456 wish everyone a Happy Easter! Christos Anesti!

AMERICAN HELLENIC EDUCATIONALPROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION

GOLD COAST CHAPTER NO. 456Manhasset, New York 11030

We are the largest chapter on Long Island and the 5 Boroughs. Our meetings are held at the Port Washington Yacht Club, located

at One Yacht Club Dr., Port Washington, NY, first Wednesday of each month, 6:00 pm.

Join us! We are fun! We have a new Sons of Pericles Chapter.

Contact Chris Hadjandreas at [email protected] for more information. Sons are encouraged to join this new chapter.

The Gold Coast Chapter is conducting a membership drive.Please contact our chapter’s President or Secretary

if you want to join our wonderful group. We have more that 145 members to date.

Please visit our website for more info: http://sites.google.com/site/ahepa456/For additional info or other inquires please e-mail: [email protected]

Membership is open to everyone who believes in the mission of the organization.

Order of AHEPA

PRESIDENT

John G. [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT

Chris Pappas

SECRETARY

Dr. Michael Georgis

RECORDING SECRETARY

Nick [email protected]

TREASURER

Ted Malgarinos

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Leonard Zangas

Dr. Dean Pappas

HONORARY GOVERNORS

Evens Cyprus

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SON ADVISOR

Andrew [email protected]

2022

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The Holy Trinity parish inNew Rochelle, New York is awell-organized parish of theArchdiocese. It is comprised ofmore than six hundred familiesbut it serves many more in thearea. Its presiding priest, Fr.Nicholas Anctil, spoke to TheNational Herald about thepreparations, the Services, theparticipation, and generally theclimate at the parish duringHoly Week and Pascha.

Fr. Nicholas said that, “be-ginning from the Saturday ofLazarus, all I do is concentrateon conducting the Holy Servicesand hearing Confessions onHoly Monday to Holy Thursday.Beginning on Holy Thursday Ineed to concentrate on prepar-ing for the beautiful and amaz-ing Services.” He emphasizedthat, “we need to prepare our-selves to deliver good sermonsand, believe it or not, we haveto spend time preparing the in-side of the church to make surethe Services go smoothly, thatthe Church is in perfect order,and the Parish Council is avail-able to facilitate the parish-ioners.”

He also said that, “EasterSunday and the celebration ofPascha for me and Cyndi – hispresbyetera – after all the Ser-vices, can be anti-climactic. Weare so excited to be with familyand friends here in the parishto celebrate the Great Feast...butwe are also exhausted! Howmany times in the past few yearswould we leave a beautiful andspirited Pascal celebration be-cause I was almost fallingasleep! You know what they say;Christ is risen but the priest isdead!”

Asked if he is going to dosomething special this year, hesaid “not really. I do plan on be-ing better prepared for all theServices. We no longer have afull time second-priest in theparish, so I need to be diligentconcerning all aspects, andproperly conducting all the Ser-vices of Holy Week.”

Speaking about the partici-pation of the youth in the HolyServices he said that, “the youngpeople are a part of almost allthe Services. We have a Satur-

day of Lazarus retreat where allthe young children prepare thePalms for Palm Sunday and evenmake "Lazarus Breads" in re-membrance of the Rising ofLazarus. We do a processionwith the children on Palm Sun-day and also on Easter Sundayat the end of the Agape VesperService. They read the Epistlelessons on Holy Wednesday andassist in the preparation of theChurch for Holy Friday Services.They also prepare the Churchfollowing Holy Saturday morn-ing Liturgy. We have a tremen-dous dinner following the Anas-

tasis Liturgy with around 300people, and the young peopleprepare the room with decora-tions and set all the tables.”

Regarding questions the chil-dren ask about Holy Week, Fr.Nicholas said, “I have made it abig part of my ministry over theyears to speak to the childrenevery Sunday after the Gospellesson. I ask them questions andin return, they ask me questionsconcerning the Gospel. I alwaysdo my best to allow them to askquestions on Saturday ofLazarus, Palm Sunday, HolyWednesday and Holy Friday af-ternoon. The children are al-ways asking "why" did Christhave to be crucified if he trulywas and is the Son of God. Didthe Resurrection really happen?Why do we celebrate theseevents of Christ's life every yearsince it was a historic event thattook place almost 2000 yearsago?”

Fr. Nicholas said that, “I amfortunate that the young peoplelike to ask important questionseach Sunday. Sometimes theyare a little silly, but most timesthey think seriously about Christand the Church. So many times,they ask the questions their par-ents are afraid to ask.”

When we asked what Paschameans to him he said, “person-ally, I am grateful every year forthe gift of celebrating Pascha asa clergyman. I am humbled atthe Altar every year becauseGod gives me the chance to re-new my faith and help my un-belief (I believe Lord, Lord helpme in my ‘unbelief’). With somany challenges being a clergy-man in this generation, people'sdisbelief, people's sarcastic com-ments due to the crises ourArchdiocese has gone through,the scandals of clergy miscon-duct, and the general negativeattitudes that people have to-wards organized religions,Pascha gives me the chance todelve into the Holy Services tofind solace and strength.”

He added that, “we are all soblessed be in full churches dur-ing these Holy days with peoplewho want to believe. We justhave to show them the love ofGod during this time; especiallyto those whom we only see twoor three times a year.”

Fr. Nicholas Anctil of Holy Trinity, New Rochelle,on the Journey to the Holy Anastasis

Fr. Nicholas Anctil, presidingpriest of the Holy Trinityparish in New Rochelle, NYduring the ResurrectionService. RIGHT: Fr. Nicholas Anctildistributes the Paschal redeggs to his parishioners. BELOW: Fr. Nicholas Anctilgiving the light of theResurrection to a small childduring the Agape Vespers onEaster Sunday. H

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Wishing you

and all your loved ones

a very Happy Easter.

May the risen Christ bring you

and your family

abundant happiness

PeaceOn

Earth

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FOR PROFESSIONALS IN FINANCE

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Fr. Evangelos Evangelidis,presiding priest of the Annunci-ation parish in Stamford, Con-necticut, spoke to The NationalHerald about the Great andHoly Week and the “Feast ofFeasts”, Holy Pascha in hisparish.

The parish is comprised ofthree hundred families who con-tribute financially, but it alsoserves another two hundredfamilies who attend Church Ser-vices.

Fr. Evangelos said that, “thisyear, like every year, I am goingto conduct the holy services forHoly Week and Pascha with rev-erence, solemnity, and humility,contemplating God’s great lovefor us that is experiencedthrough our Lord’s Passion andHis Resurrection from the deadfor our salvation and being withGod forever.”

He said that, “each year yourcommunity has a Paschal Mealafter the Anastasis Service for allour parishioners so that we mayshare in the joy of our Lord’sResurrection together as one An-nunciation Church family.”

There is high participation inthe Holy Services. Fr. Evangelossaid that, “aside from theacolytes serving in the Holy Al-tar, our youth does it’s best toparticipate in the weekly churchservices by reading the Epistleat the Divine Liturgy on Sunday.I also speak to the Sundayschool children right after theGospel reading to highlight itscontemporary significance in away that resonates within theirhearts and speaks to them per-sonally.”

He said, “the Divine Liturgyon the Saturday of Lazarus isgeared to children and is fol-lowed by a Community Chil-dren’s Breakfast and a Retreaton the importance of it and howit relates to Holy Week and theResurrection. Our children andtheir families also make PalmCrosses for Palm Sunday andparticipate in the Palm Sundayprocession commemorating ourLord’s Entry into Jerusalem. Ouryouth also read the Epistles forthe Holy Service of the Efchelaioon Holy Wednesday afternoonand assist in the decoration of

the Kouvoukleon on Good Fri-day prior to the ApokatheilosisService. Young girls of our com-munity serve as Myrophoresduring the Lamentations Ser-vice, representing the womenwho went to our Lord’s tomb.”

Fr. Evangelos stated that,“since our Agape Vespers Ser-vice on Sunday Morning ismostly attended by families withyoung children who did not at-tend the midnight Paschal Ser-vice, we have the children par-ticipate in the lighting of the

Paschal Candle as we sing“Christos Anesti”. Youth andadults participate in the readingof the Agape Gospel proclaimingour Lord’s Resurrection in Eng-lish, Greek, French, Spanish,German, Russian, Romanian,Georgian, and Albanian.”

The congregants ask Fr.Evangelos questions about HolyWeek and generally the Ortho-dox Faith.

He told TNH that, “mostquestions congregants ask dur-ing Holy Week and Pascha have

to do with specific aspects of ourLord’s Passion and His descentinto Hades that highlight Hislove for us in wanting to free usfrom corruption, decay, anddeath. Generally, questions re-garding our Orthodox ChristianFaith that parishioners ask haveto do with prayer, fasting, alms-giving, Holy Communion, for-giveness, and ways to manifestGod’s love in their lives and thatof their families.”

Fr. Evangelos said that“Pascha for me means that allof creation is transformed,transfigured, and renewed. Theslate of sin is wiped clean andeverything begins anew filledwith exciting possibilitiesfounded upon God’s love for usand the love we have for eachother.”

Fr. Evangelidis of the Annunciation Parish inStamford, CT Discusses Holy Week and Easter

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private cargo ship broughtthe makings of an Easter feast to the International Space Stationon Friday, along with mice and little flying robots.

Space station astronaut Anne McClain used a robot arm tocapture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus capsule as they soared258 miles (415 kilometers) above France.

The Cygnus and its 7,600-pound (3,450-kilogram) shipmentrocketed from Wallops Island, Virginia, on Wednesday, com-pleting the trip in a quick day and a half. It holds numerousscience experiments, including 40 mice taking part in a tetanusvaccination study, and three boxy free-flying robots designedto assist astronauts inside and out.

NASA also packed more than 800 meals for the six stationresidents. Their holiday choices include pork chops with gravy,smoked turkey, potatoes au gratin, lemon meringue puddingand apricot cobbler.

Northrop Grumman named this Cygnus the S.S. Roger Chaf-fee after the youngest of the three astronauts who died in theApollo 1 spacecraft fire in 1967. Chaffee was the only one onthe crew who never made it to space.

"It's great to have the S.S. Roger Chaffee officially on board,"McClain radioed. "We never forget that we stand on the shoul-ders of giants. Please know that every day we remember hissacrifice and that we will continue to honor his legacy by pur-suing his passion for exploration. To the S.S. Roger Chaffee,welcome aboard."

Two hours after its arrival, the capsule was anchored ontothe space station by flight controllers working remotely fromHouston. The Cygnus will remain there until July, when it isreleased with trash for a few months of solo orbiting in a testby Northrop Grumman. It ultimately will make a fiery re-entry.

Besides McClain, there are two other Americans living onthe space station, as well as two Russians and one Canadian.They will receive another shipment in just over a week fromNASA's other commercial supplier, SpaceX.

Private Cargo ShipBrings Easter Feast tothe Space Station

ABOVE: Fr. Evangelos Evan-gelidis, presiding priest of theAnnunciation parish in Stam-ford, CT, shortly before theResurrection Service, chantingthe hymn “Come receive thelight”. LEFT: All the genera-tions of the Annunciationparish in Stamford, CT partic-ipate in the great Miracle andFeast of the Resurrection ofChrist.

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Classic Salad with Feta• 1 head romaine lettuce• 2-3 small cucumbers• 2-3 roma tomatoes• 1 large red onion, thinly

sliced• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano• Greek sea salt and freshly

ground pepper, to taste• 2-4 tablespoons red wine

vinegar• Greek extra virgin olive oil• 1 cup feta, Dodonis or

Arahovas• Olives, of your choice

(optional)

Rinse the lettuce, cucumbers,and tomatoes, and pat dry witha paper towel or spin dry in asalad spinner. Chop the lettuce,cucumbers, and tomatoes andtransfer to a large salad bowl.Toss together with the sliced redonion and the oregano. Seasonwith salt, and freshly groundpepper to taste. Add the redwine vinegar, drizzle with Greekextra virgin olive oil, and tossthe salad. Add feta cut intosmall, bite-sized chunks or inone large piece on top of thesalad, and olives, if using. Driz-zle with additional olive oil anda sprinkle of oregano, if pre-ferred, and serve.

Fennel Salad

• 1-2 fennel bulbs• Lemon• Greek sea salt• Freshly ground pepper• Greek extra virgin olive oil

Remove any discolored outerportion of the fennel bulb andrinse under cool water. Reserveany young fronds for garnish.Pat dry with a paper towel. Us-ing a mandolin slicer, shave thefennel as thinly as possible andplace in a salad bowl. A sharpknife can also be used to thinlyslice the fennel. Season withfreshly squeezed lemon juice,salt, and freshly ground pepperto taste. Drizzle with Greek ex-tra virgin olive oil, garnish withany reserve fennel fronds, if de-sired, and serve immediately.Fennel will brown a bit if leftout too long. The discolorationhas no effect on the taste, butbe aware if you plan on leavingthe fennel salad out on a buffetfor more than an hour or two.

Four Recipes forSpanakopita

There are probably as manyrecipes for spanakopita (spinachpie) as there are villages inGreece. The following recipeswere shared with The NationalHerald by Thalassa Restaurant,Cafe Boulis, Dora Ktenas-Exec-utive Chef at Greek IslandsRestaurant, and Nikos Pante-latos of Strokos Deli. Enjoy!

Spinach Pie ThalassaRestaurant• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1 small yellow onion• 1 clove garlic• 1 cup feta cheese

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg• 2 teaspoons salt• Freshly ground pepper (10-

15 grinds)• 2 large eggs• 1 10-ounce package frozen

spinach• 1 puff pastry sheet 8 ounces

(oz)• 1 tablespoon flour for

flouring pan• 1 large egg, for egg wash,

optional

Preheat the oven to 375 de-grees. Finely chop the onion andgarlic and sauté them with a ta-blespoon of olive oil in a smallpan over medium heat untilthey are softened and translu-cent. In the meantime, preparethe filling. In a bowl, combinethe feta, eggs, salt and nutmegwell. Squeeze the spinach as

much as possible to remove theexcess liquid. Once the onion issoftened, add the cheese mix-ture and the squeezed spinach.Mix well.

On a clean work surfacelightly dusted with flour, placeone puff pastry sheet. Roll it outto a 12x12-inch square. Placethe rolled out pastry in a bakingpan and add the filling. Turn thecorners in to cover the filling.It's ok even if the filling is notcompletely covered. If preferred,brush with edges of the pastrywith egg wash. Bake the pie inthe preheated oven at 375 de-grees for 45 minutes. Cut thepie in serving portions after ithas cooled down. Serve withHatzimichalis Cabernet Sauvi-gnon imported from FantisFoods.

Thalassa Restaurant179 Franklin St. in Tribecawww.thalassanyc.com212-941-7661

TraditionalSpanakopita CafeBoulis

For the dough:• 6-7 cups flour• 2 teaspoons salt• 1 cup olive oil• 2 teaspoons vinegar• 1 1/2-2 cups water

Knead all the ingredients to-gether and let the dough restfor 45 minutes.

For the filling:• 2 lbs. spinach, thoroughly

washed• 3 large leeks, thoroughly

washed to remove grit andchopped

• 2 large onions, chopped• 1 bunch green onions,

chopped• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped• 1 bunch fresh parsley,

chopped• 4 cups crumbled feta• 2 teaspoons salt• Freshly ground black pepper• Olive oil

Sauté the onions, the greenonions, and the leek until justbrowned a little. Add thespinach and sauté lightly. Re-move from heat and add thedill, parsley, feta, salt and pep-per. Set aside.

Divide the dough into 12equal pieces. Roll out the dough,which should yield 6 sheets ofphyllo for the bottom, and 6sheets of phyllo for the top.

Brush each piece of phyllowith olive oil as you layer thesheets in the pan. Add the fillingand top with the remainingsheets of phyllo, brushing eachwith olive oil. Beat 1 egg with alittle oil and brush the top ofthe pita. Bake in a preheated375-degree oven for 30-35 min-utes. And bon appétit! Thespanakopita can be served withred wine.

Cafe Boulis30-15 31st Ave., Astoria, NY 11106718-806-1014cafeboulis.com

Spanakopita – Recipefrom Dora Ktenas,Executive Chef, GreekIslands Restaurant

For 15 large pieces• 4 lbs. spinach thoroughly

washed• 2 large onions• 4 bunches green onions• 3 leeks chopped• 3 bunches fresh dill• 1 lb. feta• 1 tablespoon salt• 2 teaspoons freshly ground

pepper• 1 teaspoon nutmeg• 1 teaspoon allspice• 1 cup breadcrumbs• 1 cup olive oil

Sauté the onions, greenonions, leeks, and dill until theywilt. Blanch the spinach,


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wishes

Α Happy EasterTO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Dr. Nicholas Sarantopoulos, President /CEO

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Lambros (AKA) Larry Stassinos, the President of the Foundation for Modern Greek Studies at the University of Michigan

the P. Kavafi Endowment Chair, preserve and expandthe Greek language thru Elleinomatheia, Scholarships, Study Abroad and other Greek Community Programs

supporting

αlongwith his Family, wife Helen, daughters Catherine and Chrisoula, and grand children Alexander and Anthony, and Global CNC Industries

Wishes to all the Diaspora the Happiest of the Easter Holidayswith Good Health, Peace, Love and Prosperity for all.God Bless America!!!

Please Help Preserve the Helleninism,the Greek Heritage and the Greek Culture in America.

Send your donation to: Foundation of Modern Greek Studies15150 Cleat Street, Plymouth, MI 48170

2023

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AHEPA HellasDistrict 25

AHEPA HELLASwishes

all Members of the AHEPA family

and all Greeks around the World

a Happy Easter!Efstathios Kefalidis

District Governor

Konstantinos VarsamisLt. District Governor

Panagiotis RizopoulosDistrict Secretary

Konstantinos KozyrakisDistrict Treasurer

Vasilios GrekasVP Hellenism

Christos KarapiperisVP Education

Antonios GiannikourisVP Philanthropy

Dionisios VovosVP Civic Responsibility

Dimitrios StigkasVP Family & Ind. Exc.

Konstantinos BougioukasAthletic Director

Dimitrios TsopelasDistrict Marshal

Dimitrios TragiasDistrict Warden

Vasilios PetkidisDL Member PDG 30

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e-mail: [email protected]

The PresidentPanagiotis Rizopoulos

District Secretary

The Secretary George Polychronis

District 25 – HELLASChapter 17 – HephaestusVari – Voula – Vouliagmeni

The President, the Boardof Directors and the members

of the AHEPA Chapter HJ – 17 “Hephaestus” Vari – Voula – Vouliagmeni Attica (D–25),

wish to All Members of the AHEPA Family, a Happy Easter

a b

To the entire Greek Community

And Orthodox Christians everywhere.

Χριστός ΑνέστηFrom K.M.

A sincere Supporter

of The National Herald

2023

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Easter Salads, Spanakopita, and DessertBy Eleni Sakellis

The star of the Easter feast is usually the meat, or more specifically,lamb. Roasting whole animals on the souvla goes back to prehistory atleast, but Greeks have of course managed to perfect the techniqueover time. The feast is incomplete without some side dishes tocomplement that perfectly roasted lamb or goat or pork or all of thoseother meats you plan to serve this Easter. Salads add freshness to anymeal and spanakopita is a classic. If there is any room after that,enjoy a whimsical Easter cake which is not too difficult to prepare butalways impresses the kids.

Continued on page 20


SINCE 1977

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Wishes to all the Diaspora!

The happiest of the

Easter Holidays!

With Good Health, Peace.

Love and Prosperity for all.

Xristos Anesti!

God Bless America!!!

Eleftheria Proiosand family

2001

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a Happy and Healthy Easter

wishes

the Hellenic Community

a Happy and Healthy Easter

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New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell MedicineLenox Hill Hospital/Northwell Health

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squeeze it to remove the excessliquid, and chop it. Place 8sheets of phyllo dough in a 20-inch baking dish, brushing eachwith olive oil. Add the fillingand place 8 more sheets ofphyllo brushing them each witholive oil. Preheat the oven to325 degrees and bake the piefor 50 or 60 minutes. Serve withMoschofilero of the Spyropoulosfamily or with Malamatinaretsina.

Greek Islands253-17 Northern Boulevard, Lit-tle Neck, NY 11363www.georgesgreekislands.comFor reservations: 718-279-5922

Spanakokreatopita(Spinach and meat pie)by Nikos Pantelatos

Serves 12

• 2 lbs Angus ground beef

• 4 tablespoons ricotta cheese• 2 cups Combo Feta Cheese• 1 egg• 3-4 cups finely chopped

spinach• Parsley, green onions, salt,

pepper, oregano• Kontos Pastry Sheets, Fillo

No. 7

Cook the ground meat withall the above ingredients, exceptthe phyllo. Butter a full-sizedbaking pan and each of the twosheets of phyllo then add thefilling until it's used up. Once it

is finished, butter the top sheetsof phyllo and bake the pita inthe preheated 350-degree ovenfor half an hour. Remove thebaking pan from the oven after5 minutes to score the pita intorectangular pieces. Whencooked, fully cut the pieces. Bonappétit!

Serve with red wine.

Specialty of Strokos Deli1090 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025 212-666-2121

Dessert: A WhimsicalEaster CakeFor the chocolate cake:• 3 cups unbleached, all-

purpose flour• 2 cups sugar• 6 tablespoons unsweetened

cocoa powder• 2 teaspoons baking soda• 1 teaspoon Greek sea salt• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla

extract• 3/4 cup Greek extra virgin

olive oil• 2 tablespoons white vinegar• 2 cups cold water

For the decoration:• White frosting• Red licorice• Candy-coated chocolate eggs• Marshmallow peeps• Mini-marshmallows• Colorful sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350 de-grees. In a large mixing bowl,whisk together the flour, cocoapowder, sugar, baking soda andsalt. Make a well in the centerand add the vanilla, olive oil,vinegar, and the cold water. Stiruntil thoroughly combined. Thebatter will be liquid. Pour into alightly oiled 13 by 9 inch bakingpan. Tap the pan on the counterthree times to release any airbubbles and then bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 45minutes to an hour dependingon the strength of your oven. Acake tester, toothpick, or skewerinserted in the center shouldcome out clean. Cool completelyon wire rack before frosting anddecorating.

To decorate: Frost the cakewith white frosting and top withlicorice “nests” for the candyeggs and marshmallow birds. Tomake the mini-marshmallowbunnies, stack two mini marsh-mallow and use frosting as“glue” to attach the head andbody. Attach small candy con-fetti sprinkles with frosting forthe eyes and nose. Using kitchenshears, cut a mini marshmallowinto four pieces crosswise tomake the ears and feet and at-tach with a bit of frosting. Placethe marshmallow bunnies onthe cake where preferred.

Add additional colorful sprin-kles and serve.


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By Constantine S. Sirigos

ATHENS – Holy Week inGreece and the Diaspora is thetime when people who don’tthink much about Church findall five senses pulling them deepinto their ancient faith and roots– incense, chanting, touchingand kissing – but most of all see-ing, draws them in, and whatthey mainly notice in Church arethe creations of people likeChristos Baloukos and his wifeLina – the iconographers whoembellish Orthodox life world-wide.

While Baloukos’ fellowiconographers – he paints indi-vidual icons – are gratified tosee people marvel and beingdrawn closer to God by whatthey find inside the churcheswhere they have worked, healso feels a supplementary mis-sion when he visits places likemonasteries for inspiration andlessons in iconography. When hereturns to his community andcity, he wants to share what hehas learned about spiritualitythere, what the holy fatherstaught him about how all of uscan live the Life in Christ outsidethe monastery walls, in ourhomes and in all our relation-ships. That is part of the rhythmhe has established in his life inthe world, but not of it.

There is no doubt, however,that the spiritual depths heplumbs, along with the echoesof the Jesus prayer he silentlyrecites, are reflected in the iconshe paints, which are as rich infaith as they are in color andtexture.

Asking artists and musiciansabout the roots of their talentusually leads to interesting na-ture/nurture discussions.Baloukos does not call himselfan artist – those who see hisevocative creations, especiallythose where nature plays a star-ring role will disagree – but theartistic ability is obvious. Henotes that his mother draws,and while he grew up in Athens,his roots and frequent visits inNorthern Evoia, one of Greece’smore picturesque locales, surelywere inspirational, but aftertalking to him about his activitesand life, his beliefs about thesource of his talent are clear:they are gifts from God and hiswork is a calling.

And while he loved drawingfrom childhood, his path alsoled through love, not justschool. His wife Lina, whom hemet at 17 years old, is also aniconographer. Their son, natu-

rally, is totally absorbed with…computers.

Baloukos grasps how helearned to hold pencils to sketchand brushes later to paint, butone thing is a complete mysteryto him, his mastery of color. Helearned much that he valuesfrom books, especially the bibleand religious books he readfrom childhood, but he simplycan’t say how he learned to usecolor the marvelous way hedoes.

What he does know is thatas soon as he read about theHoly Mountain, the renownedmonasteries of Mt. Athos, hecould not stop thinking aboutthem, until…

“One summer, in Athens,when I was 23 and my parentswere in Evoia on holiday; with-out telling anyone I went there,having no idea what to expectoutside what I read in books.”

Once he arrived the experi-ences and people he wouldnever forget began to presentthemselves immediately. He wasnot yet an iconographer – hiswork was just work, as a typog-

rapher, another employee mak-ing a living.

“I found something on theHoly Mountain, something com-

pletely different from anythingI knew. I saw people living acompletely different kind of life.I discovered a part of myself I

never knew existed – and I saidto myself ‘I must live here.’”

He thought about becominga monk, but understood that

was not his path; nevertheless,he thought seriously about howhe could combine what hefound at Mt. Athos with the rest

of his life. He found a way to organize

his life so he could go more andmore often.

“Through the Grace of God Igradually learned both the artof iconography and the craft ofbeing a printer,” and opened hisown business.

One recent morning, he re-ceived a message inviting himto participate in an exhibitionbeing organized by the CentralAsia nation of Kyrgyzstan in thecontext of China’s Belt’s andRoads initiative and inspired bythe cultural exchanges that werefacilitated in the past by the an-cient Silk Road.

He is delighted to be able tointroduce the spirituality andglory of Byzantine Civilizationto that part of the world, to vis-itors,and fellow exhibitors.

The exhibition will take placein Bishkek, the capital, thisJune.

“I sent them some of mywork, and I was very touchedto see how much they lookedforward to my participation.”And he too can’t wait for the

new knowledge and experiencethe journey will bring.

Visit his works at:www.baloukos.com.

Christos Baloukos’ Icons Open Windows for their Viewers and Doors in his Life

TOP: Christos Baloukos does not aim at photorealism, but one must look very closely at someof his images, like this one of the renowned Iviron Monastery, to be sure they are paintings. ABOVE: From the boat the monk is about to board are sold their handicrafts, and the proceedsare used to feed the poor. LEFT: The monks Christos Baloukos paints are presented withoutnames, but their images draw observers into their souls.

imaGes CourTesy of CHrisTos Baloukos.

Easter Salads, Spanakopita, and DessertContinued from page 18


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The Reverend Clergy

the Members of the Parish Council

Philoptochos, Youth

and All Parish Ministries & Organizations of the

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREATER SALT LAKE

Holy Trinity G.O. Cathedral/Prophet Elias G.O. Church

Joyously extend Paschal Greetings and Best Wishes

to our Omogeneia praying for all of our Risen Lord’s

abundant blessings

as we celebrate His glorious Resurrection.

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!!! CHRIST IS RISEN!!!ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ

και ΚΑΛΗ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ!!!A BLESSED PASCHA TO ALL!!!

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREATER SALT LAKEHOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL 279 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101Tel.: (801) 328-9681 | Fax: (801) 328-9688Office Email: [email protected]

Prophet Elias Church 5335 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117Tel.: (801) 277-2693 | Fax: (801) 424-1296Parish Website: www.gocslc.org

V. Rev. Archimandrite George Nikas, Dean - Rev. Protopresbyter Mario Giannopoulos, Parish PriestMETROPOLISOF DENVER

A very Blessed Easter

Καλό και Eυλογημένο Πάσχα

Archie D Typadis, Esq.(617) 243-9455

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Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL)p.o. Box 6954

west palm Beach, florida 33405-6954Tel.: 877-585-0245 • fax: 561-547-9362 • e-mail: [email protected] • Visit us at: www.ocl.org

Celebrating 32 years of service to the Orthodox Christian Community

ChristChrist isis RisenRisen

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“Advocating the restoration and strengthening of the historic role of the laity in the conciliargovernance of the Orthodox Christian Church in the United States; supporting the spiritual re-newal and regeneration of the Orthodox Christian Church in the United States in its ApostolicMission; advocating and promoting transparency and accountability in the governance of theOrthodox Christian Church in the United States; and advocating and championing the estab-lishment of an administratively and canonically unified, self-governing, autocephalous Ortho-

dox Christian Church in the United States.”

The OCL Board, staff and supporterswish you a joyous Paschal Season.

MARK YOUR CALENDERand plan to attend our 32nd Annual Conference

November 1 and 2, 2019 in Houston, Texas.

Check www.ocl.org for updates and hotel information.

Contact, George E. Matsoukas, Executive Director (561)585-0245.


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POLES TUBLINPOLES, TUBLIN, STRATAKIS & GONZALEZ, LLP

46 Trinity Place, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10006Tel.: 212-943-0110

New York

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Maritime • Real Estate • Corporate • EstatesProviding legal services to the Greek American community since 1957

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Best Wishes for a Happy Easter

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GREEKTOWN TAVERNA150 North Nova Road, Ormond Beach, FL 32174

Tel: 386-944-9526 www.greektowntaverna.com

Best Wishesfor a

Beautiful Easterto the Greek American Community

and all the Greeksfrom the

Dimitrakopoulos Family

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!

Open for Lunch and DinnerBanquet Facilities Available

Happy EasterΚαλό Πάσχα

The Sofia & Angelo K. Tsakopoulos Family

Katina Tsakopoulos

Lieutenant Governor Eleni & Dr. Markos Kounalakis

Athena Tsakopoulos

Brianne & Kyriakos Tsakopoulos

Chrysa & George Demos

Alexandra Tsakopoulos

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Gus Trataros Realtor561.716.0653/[email protected]

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Wishing the Greek-American Community

a Happy EasterYour connection to South Florida

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2022

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By ANA

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens is organizingspecial free activities for children over the upcoming Easter Week,to help them release their creativity and imagination.

Children will therefore have the opportunity to participate ineducational activities about the ancient Greeks’ sense of beauty,on occasion of the Museum’s new periodical exhibition ‘TheCountless Faces of the Beautiful’, which will be accompanied by avisual workshop. They will tour the exhibition and will closelyobserve objects featuring different expressions of aesthetics overthe centuries, with the guidance of an archaeologist.

They will also be able to collect information on the idea ofbeauty in ancient societies as revealed in vase representationsand myths.

Finally, with the help of the museum’s resident painter,children will participate in a workshop to make their own artinspired by the relevant exhibits.

National ArchaeologicalMuseum Offers Free ArtWorkshops for Children inEaster Week

The plaza of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens isfilled with tourists.


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Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin, MD, FACCPresident and CEO

Medical Center of Boston International, Inc.Contact information:

medical Center of Boston international, inc. 411 waverly oaks road, suite 333, waltham, ma 02452

Tel.: (781) 894-8858 • fax: (781) 894-8856

Best Wishes

for Very Blessed and Joyous Easter

to all our Greek-American friends


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To the entire Greek Community And Orthodox Christians everywhere

Χριστός Ανέστη

God Bless America From John PatronisA sincere Supporter Of The National Herald

By Brent Landau

On April 21, most Christianswill be celebrating Easter, theday on which the resurrectionof Jesus is said to have takenplace. The date of celebrationchanges from year to year.

The reason for this variationis that in the West Easter alwaysfalls on the first Sunday afterthe first full moon following thespring equinox. So, in 2020,Easter will be celebrated onApril 12, and on April 4 in 2021.

I am a religious studiesscholar specializing in earlyChristianity, and my researchshows that this dating of Eastergoes back to the complicatedorigins of this holiday and howit has evolved over the cen-turies.

Easter is quite similar toother major holidays like Christ-mas and Halloween, which haveevolved over the last 200 yearsor so. In all of these holidays,Christian and non-Christian (pa-gan) elements have continuedto blend together.

EASTER AS A RITE OFSPRING

Most major holidays havesome connection to the chang-ing of seasons. This is especiallyobvious in the case of Christ-mas. The New Testament givesno information about what timeof year Jesus was born. Manyscholars believe, however, thatthe main reason Jesus’ birthcame to be celebrated on De-cember 25 is because that wasthe date of the winter solsticeaccording to the Roman calen-dar.

Since the days following thewinter solstice gradually be-come longer and less dark, itwas ideal symbolism for thebirth of “the light of the world”as stated in the New Testament’sGospel of John.

Similar was the case withEaster, which falls in close prox-imity to another key point in thesolar year: the vernal equinox(around March 20), when thereare equal periods of light anddarkness. For those in northernlatitudes, the coming of springis often met with excitement, asit means an end to the cold days

of winter.Spring also means the com-

ing back to life of plants andtrees that have been dormantfor winter, as well as the birthof new life in the animal world.Given the symbolism of new lifeand rebirth, it was only naturalto celebrate the resurrection ofJesus at this time of the year.

The naming of the celebra-tion as “Easter” seems to goback to the name of a pre-Chris-tian goddess in England, Eostre,who was celebrated at begin-ning of spring. The only refer-ence to this goddess comes fromthe writings of the VenerableBede, a British monk who livedin the late seventh and earlyeighth century. As religious stud-ies scholar Bruce Forbes sum-marizes: “Bede wrote that themonth in which English Chris-tians were celebrating the res-urrection of Jesus had beencalled Eosturmonath in OldEnglish, referring to a goddessnamed Eostre. And even thoughChristians had begun affirmingthe Christian meaning of the cel-ebration, they continued to usethe name of the goddess to des-ignate the season.”

Bede was so influential forlater Christians that the namestuck, and hence Easter remainsthe name by which the English,Germans and Americans referto the festival of Jesus’ resurrec-tion.

THE CONNECTION WITHJEWISH PASSOVER

It is important to point outthat while the name “Easter” isused in the English-speakingworld, many more cultures referto it by terms best translated as“Passover” (for instance,“Pascha” in Greek) – a refer-ence, indeed, to the Jewish fes-tival of Passover.

In the Hebrew Bible,Passover is a festival that com-memorates the liberation of theJewish people from slavery inEgypt, as narrated in the Bookof Exodus. It was and continuesto be the most important Jewishseasonal festival, celebrated onthe first full moon after the ver-nal equinox.

At the time of Jesus, Passoverhad special significance, as the

Jewish people were again underthe dominance of foreign pow-ers (namely, the Romans). Jew-ish pilgrims streamed intoJerusalem every year in thehope that God’s chosen people(as they believed themselves tobe) would soon be liberatedonce more.

On one Passover, Jesus trav-eled to Jerusalem with his dis-ciples to celebrate the festival.He entered Jerusalem in a tri-umphal procession and createda disturbance in the JerusalemTemple. It seems that both ofthese actions attracted the at-tention of the Romans, and thatas a result Jesus was executedaround the year AD. 30.

Some of Jesus’ followers,however, believed that they sawhim alive after his death, expe-riences that gave birth to theChristian religion. As Jesus diedduring the Passover festival andhis followers believed he wasresurrected from the dead threedays later, it was logical to com-memorate these events in closeproximity.

Some early Christians choseto celebrate the resurrection ofChrist on the same date as theJewish Passover, which fellaround day 14 of the month ofNisan, in March or April. TheseChristians were known as Quar-todecimans (the name means“Fourteeners”).

By choosing this date, theyput the focus on when Jesusdied and also emphasized con-tinuity with the Judaism out ofwhich Christianity emerged.Some others instead preferredto hold the festival on a Sunday,since that was when Jesus’[empty] tomb was believed tohave been found.

In A.D. 325, the EmperorConstantine, who favored Chris-tianity, convened a meeting ofChristian leaders to resolve im-portant disputes at the Councilof Nicaea. The most fateful ofits decisions was about the sta-tus of Christ, whom the councilrecognized as “fully human andfully divine.” This council alsoresolved that Easter should befixed on a Sunday, not on day

14 of Nisan. As a result, Easteris now celebrated on the firstSunday after the first full moonof the vernal equinox.

THE EASTER BUNNY ANDEASTER EGGS

In early America, the Easterfestival was far more popularamong Catholics than Protes-tants. For instance, the NewEngland Puritans regarded bothEaster and Christmas as tootainted by non-Christian influ-ences to be appropriate to cele-brate. Such festivals also tendedto be opportunities for heavydrinking and merrymaking.

The fortunes of both holidayschanged in the 19th century,when they became occasions tobe spent with one’s family. Thiswas done partly out of a desireto make the celebration of theseholidays less rowdy.

But Easter and Christmasalso became reshaped as domes-tic holidays because understand-ings of children were changing.Prior to the 17th century, chil-dren were rarely the center of

attention. As historian StephenNissenbaumwrites, “…childrenwere lumped together withother members of the lower or-ders in general, especially ser-vants and apprentices – who,not coincidentally, were gener-ally young people themselves.”

From the 17th century on-ward, there was an increasingrecognition of childhood as timeof life that should be joyous, notsimply as preparatory for adult-hood. This “discovery of child-hood” and the doting upon chil-dren had profound effects onhow Easter was celebrated.

It is at this point in the holi-day’s development that Eastereggs and the Easter bunny be-come especially important. Dec-orated eggs had been part of theEaster festival at least since me-dieval times, given the obvioussymbolism of new life. A vastamount of folklore surroundsEaster eggs, and in a number ofEastern European countries, theprocess of decorating them is ex-tremely elaborate. Several East-ern European legends describeeggs turning red (a favorite colorfor Easter eggs) in connectionwith the events surrounding Je-sus’ death and resurrection.

Yet it was only in the 17thcentury that a German traditionof an “Easter hare” bringingeggs to good children came tobe known. Hares and rabbitshad a long association withspring seasonal rituals becauseof their amazing powers of fer-tility.

When German immigrantssettled in Pennsylvania in the18th and 19th centuries, theybrought this tradition withthem. The wild hare also be-came supplanted by the moredocile and domestic rabbit, inanother indication of how thefocus moved toward children.

As Christians celebrate thefestival this spring in commem-oration of Jesus’ resurrection,the familiar sights of the Easterbunny and Easter eggs serve asa reminder of the holiday’s veryancient origins outside of theChristian tradition.

This is an updated version of apiece published on March 21,2018. (Associated Press).

Why Easter Is Called Easter...and Other, Little-Known Facts about the Holiday

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By John Athanasatos

As the time of the writing ofthis commentary, we find our-selves at the beginning of HolyWeek. Last Friday we completedthe 40 days of Great Lent andthese past two days were a tran-sition from Lent to Holy Week.On Saturday we celebrated theRaising of Lazarus by Christ onthe fourth day. This is a foretasteof the Common Resurrectionthat we all will experience onthe Day of Judgment, thus theSecond Coming of Christ. OnPalm Sunday we markedChrist’s triumphant entry intoJerusalem. This was also His lastvisit into Jerusalem before HisCrucifixion and Resurrection. Aswe heard in the Gospel readinglast Sunday: “Behold, we are go-ing up to Jerusalem; and theSon of Man will be delivered tothe chief priests and the scribes,and they will condemn Him todeath, and deliver Him to theGentiles; and they will mockHim, and spit upon Him, andscourge Him, and kill Him; andafter three days He will rise.”(Mk 10: 33-34).

Throughout the week, wehear hymns and Gospel read-ings that speak about His Pas-sion and we lament. However,there is an anticipated joy thatawaits. Christ voluntarily en-dures His Passion, Crucifixion,and Entombment for the re-demption of mankind. As we seein an icon of the Resurrection,Christ redeems Adam and Eve,the original ancestors ofmankind. We began this journeyon Cheesefare Sunday, the daywe remember the expulsion ofAdam and Eve from the Gardenof Eden, thus Paradise. Now thejourney is coming to a closewith the redemption of the saidancestors. Adam and Eve alongwith all the generations of theirdescendants are being re-

deemed from the perils ofHades. Death is being defeatedby the death of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ. Christ de-scends into Hades where He re-deems mankind (we visually seethis in the Resurrection iconwith the depiction of chains andlocks being broken apart) andraises them up with Him in HisResurrection.

But how is death defeated if

people still die? Many ask thisquestion and are baffled by it.Each of us will certainly die anearthly death but the righteouswill inherit eternal life in theKingdom of Heaven. Prior to Je-sus’ Crucifixion and Resurrec-tion, there was no access toHeaven. It was Christ’s volun-tary death which opens the doorfor access into His Kingdom.This does not mean that every-

one will enter His Kingdom. Atthe Second Coming, the LastJudgment, both the living andthe dead will be judged andtheir permanent destination de-cided. However, with His volun-tary death, the potential to enterHis Kingdom was made possi-ble. The door is now open,where before it was closed. Aswe hear in the Gospel of John(verse 7-9): “Most assuredly, I

say to you, I am the door of thesheep. All who ever came beforeMe are thieves and robbers, butthe sheep did not hear them. Iam the door. If anyone entersby Me, he will be saved, and willgo in and out and find pasture.”

Christ is indeed the Door andthe One who shatters the gatesof Hades, ushering mankindinto His Kingdom.

The first three nights of Holy

Week are known as the Bride-groom Services. Christ is theBridegroom and His bride is theChurch. He is prepared to sufferand lay down His life for HisBeloved Wife, the Church. Theicon of the Bridegroom is alsoan image of marriage in the Or-thodox Church. Both husbandand wife should follow the ex-ample of Christ, willing to strug-gle and sacrifice for the lovethey have for their significantother. On Wednesday, we havethe service of the washing offeet. At the Last Supper, Christwashed the feet of His Apostles,denoting His prime example ofhumility and love. Holy Thurs-day morning, we will be cele-brating the institution of theHoly Eucharist at the Liturgy ofSaint Basil. An extra Host is pre-pared in which the priest takesthe existing Host or reserveCommunion from the Ar-tophorion in the altar and re-places it with a new One. Thissmall amount of Holy Commu-nion is kept there all year on re-serve for those who are sick ornot able to make it to Church.Later that evening is the readingof the Twelve Gospels whichspeak about His Passion andCrucifixion.

On Good Friday, the only dayin the year where a DivineLiturgy is not celebrated, we cel-ebrate the Royal Hours,Apokathelosis (taking down ofChrist from the Cross) and theLamentations. The Lamenta-tions are the funeral service forChrist, His Burial and Descentinto Hades.

On Holy Saturday morning,the liturgical service is a transi-tional one. It is the Vespral Di-vine Liturgy of Saint Basil justlike on Holy Thursday, but it isknown as the First Resurrection,or Anticipated Resurrection ser-vice. It is a day of rest and strictfast, since we remember Christin Hades but also anticipate Hisimminent Resurrection as Heshatters the gates of Hades andredeems mankind. It is customin some parishes to see a transi-

tion of purple garments on thepriest and the other clothsthroughout the Sanctuary towhite garments which signifyLife, thus the Resurrection ofChrist. Later that evening onSaturday, going into early Sun-day morning is the Paschal Vigilwhere, of course, we all will besaying Χριστός Ανέστη, Christ isRisen.

It is indeed a week of journeyand transition, of lament, butalso joy. Let us all make everyattempt to attend each of thesemagnificent and beautiful ser-vices of Holy Week. Most impor-tantly, may each of us not justsimply attend but be trans-formed. Let us all remember theprayer read at each of the Pre-Sanctified Liturgies of GreatLent: “Almighty Lord, You havecreated all things in wisdom. InYour inexpressible providenceand great goodness You havebrought us to these saving days,for the cleansing of our soulsand bodies, for control of ourpassions, in the hope of the Res-urrection. After the forty daysYou delivered into the hands ofYour servant Moses the tabletsof the law in characters divinelytraced. Enable us also, O benev-olent One, to fight the goodfight, to complete the course ofthe fast, to keep the faith invio-late, to crush underfoot theheads of unseen tempters, toemerge victors over sin and tocome without reproach, to theworship of Your Holy Resurrec-tion. For blessed and glorified isYour most honorable and ma-jestic name, of the Father, theSon and the Holy Spirit, nowand forevermore.”

Amen. A Blessed Holy Weekto all!

John Athanasatos, PharmD,MDiv, a pharmacist, attendedLong Island University and St.Vladimir’s OrthodoxTheological Seminary.

VIEWPOINT

Holy Week: A Week-Long Journey to the Holy ResurrectionGreek Orthodox Patriarch ofJerusalem Theofilos IIIattends the Washing of theFeet ceremony outside theChurch of the HolySepulchre, traditionallybelieved by many Christiansto be the site of thecrucifixion and burial ofJesus Christ, in Jerusalem'sOld City.

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It is indeed a week ofjourney and transition, oflament, but also joy. Letus all make every attemptnot just simply to attendbut be transformed.

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Wishing you and your loved ones

Καλό Πάσχα! Καλή Ανάσταση!

The International Coordinating Committee Justice for CyprusPhilip Christopher, President

Thank you for your support!We will not rest until there is justice for the people of Cyprus

and an end to the desecration of our churches.

45 years of occupation are enough!

TURKEY: FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW,ABIDE BY UN RESOLUTIONS, GET OUT OF CYPRUS!Turkey has proven to the US to be the #WorstAllyEver

Cyprus PSEKA Conference / June 4-6, 2019Ritz Carlton Hotel 1150 22nd Street NW , Washington, DC 20037

“Democracy, freedom and the rule of lawhave absolutely no value any longer.”

Turkish President Erdogan

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AHEPA Wishes everyone

ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑSince 1922 the Order of AHEPA has initiated over 500,000 members into its 400 chapters worldwide.With chapters in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Cyprus, England, France,Germany, Austria and Constantinople. Our mission and our reach are ever growing.

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Wish you a Happy Easter

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