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June Parish Council Highlights

Thank you letters were read from the four charities that received donations from the festival, and from Alex Norton for his scholarship. Stewardship is still ahead of last year’s pace and expenses are in line. Several punch-list items for the building have been completed, thus reducing the overall list. As KBS finishes its work, we shall release the final payment and major equipment goes under the manufacturers warranty. The gym floor will be thoroughly cleaned and another coat of polyurethane will be applied. The Kitchen Committee will meet to assess needs as well as set up procedures.

The Grounds Committee will work on a master plan for low maintenance landscaping on the Cathedral grounds. The area behind the sanctuary will be properly graded. A short-term maintenance plan will be implemented as soon as possible. An idea was expressed to have a church garden club to help keep up an attractive appearance. The Church Directory Committee is finalizing the layout of ads and hopes to have all the information to the printer by the end of the month.

The Festival was a great success and appreciation was expressed to the members of our community for their great response. Income records were set for every day except Sunday, when inventory ran low. A schedule of events for the Clergy-Laity Congress was distributed with Parish Council members encouraged to attend for a day because of the proximity of the congress in Washington, D.C.

Under new business, racks and shelving for the festival will be stored in a container near our storage space. We need to now check out the remaining items in storage from our construction and determine what needs to come back to our facility. The Personnel Committee will meet to discuss the current situation of our sexton. A motion was passed to purchase a floor cleaning machine so that our new floors can be properly cared for. A supplement to AHEPA’s donation for transportation to church camp was approved. A request for the use of our facility was also approved. The next Parish Council meeting will be held following church services on July 20th.

Fellow Parishioners:

WOW! What a way to celebrate the 32nd Annual Greek Festival and bring the tradition and excitement of the full-fledged Greek Festival back to the Richmond community? It was the biggest ever and exceeded the records established in 2006! This year marked (1) The biggest single gross revenue day (Saturday), (2) The highest gross revenue for a Thursday, Friday and Saturday and (3) the best total gross revenue.

We were blessed in many ways and the weather was one of those that made a contribution to this record-setting year. No rain until we closed and most patrons had left, which was incredible. Additionally, it was evident that the Richmond area missed us last year, as they came out in droves, to enjoy the food, music and atmosphere of the Greek Festival.

From the planning and preparation, to the cooking, skewering and clean up, the Greek Festival hinges on support form our Cathedral Family and it was all of your time and talent that went into making the 2008 Greek Festival a success. So, "THANKS" to all of you that volunteered and contributed to the event.

It personally warms my heart and makes me feel good to know that I had the opportunity to work along side of each of you for the benefit of our Cathedral and community. Thank you for your hard work and Congratulations for a job well done!

Yours In Christ,
Murray Howard, President

Philoptochos Sponsored Coffee Hours

We were blessed with lots of goodies for the May 11th Coffee Hour. Many thanks to: Athena Agapis, Heidi Derdevanis, Wanda Ellis, Kathryn Geranios, Sasa Howard, Maria Keritsis, Argie Livanou, Marcia Mardigian, Maria Patsis, Elaine Tsamouras, Connie Wilkins, Danai Yannis, and Vangie Varthalamis. Thank you to the following for contributing to the June Coffee Hour: Rita Constantine, Sasa Howard, Aliki Konstant, Chrisoula Sotos, Ero Spears, Mary Anne Theofanos, and Vangie Varthalamis. The next Philoptochos Coffee Hour is July 20th. If you would like to contribute, please call Vangie at 794-5716.

Cathedral Entrances

Now that our construction is completed, we have returned to our normal entries into our facilities. With five handicap parking places, our members may enter through the rear glass doors and not experience any impediments. Those same doors may be used during the week to visit the offices. The front Cathedral doors are the main entry into the sanctuary, although the doors from the Spanos Commons may also be used. We are no longer using the doors on Kingcrest Parkway, which out of necessity were used during construction. We thank you for your cooperation.

Philoptochos Corner

As the calendar year for Philoptochos comes to rest for the summer, there are many “thank you’s” to be said to many people. Our luncheon in May was an affair to remember. Presvytera Vivian and her committee prepared the food, decorated the tables, and created an atmosphere that welcomed older and newer members. We were delighted to have Mrs. Anna Stavredes, one of our founders, and her family with us that day. “Thank You” to all that contributed to make the luncheon so special. Our May meeting was a pot luck. Thank you to the many cooks and to all that helped to fill the tables with delicious goodies. Last but certainly not least, thank you to all our Philoptochos members for a great Festival. Your awesome work made this a fabulous year! I hope all of you have a restful and fun summer! - Sasa Howard

The Sweetest Booth of the Festival

Another festival is now behind us and what a great festival it was. Thank you to Irene Calos for having the pastry room supplied with the containers and supplies that were needed and to Maria Keritsis for organizing the room during the week. Also a thank you to Angela Ireland for unloading the pastries and placing them in order in the room.

Packaging began on May 25th and continued until Sunday, June 1st. We sold out by Saturday night and Irene ordered more pastries that we packaged on Sunday morning and those were sold by 2:30 p.m.

A special thank you to the booth chairpersons: Amy Constantino, Dianna Gettas, Maria Tarasidis and Nina Zachary and their groups. Without the help from all of you, we could not have had this great success.

We all worked with joy and happiness and that is what makes our booth “The sweetest booth of the festival”. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

With Christ’s love, Pat Sotos

Little Ouches... Little Ouches...

Sometimes the best things in life hurt just a little bit, or maybe even more…I winced when the needle entered my flesh to provide a “Port” for my blood donation. It hurt just a little bit, just enough, from a pin prick siphoning off red cells from my veins. There’s a lot to think about when squeezing life out of one’s arm, and once can easily perceive how hot blood is when it courses through a tube atop one’s arm. It sizzles to the touch. I am amazed to think how such scorching fluid, the stuff of life, pulses through the human body. It is a heat we all share and cannot live without. Indeed, as I was donating, I was offered food and drink, and I was even cautioned to not get up too quickly, lest I should pass out from my diminished supply of blood. I was tapped and drained, at least a pint’s worth, for the benefit of someone I will never know. And it hurt, just a little bit, just enough…Actually, to be honest, the worst part of the whole experience was when the technician ripped off the tape that sealed the needle to my arm. The hairs of my skin screamed out in protest. It hurt just a little bit, just enough…

Sometimes the best things in life hurt just a little bit, or maybe even more…The worst parts are usually the little hurts, the ones that get in the way, the inconveniences, the annoyances, the smaller sacrifices. Most people are willing to give some big “pint of blood” for the service of a larger purpose---a singular donation, work at the festival, volunteering at Christmas, and so forth---these hurt for a short while, but then are gone. It is the smaller cuts that issue the greater effect---tithing regularly, giving one’s time freely and regularly and generously, making the everyday sacrifices that enable the Church to thrive from day to day---these take a larger toll. They are the sacrifices of the faithful, and they may hurt just a little bit, but perhaps just enough, to remind us that we are not one-time givers, one-time visitors, occasional holiday Christians. Sometimes the best things in life hurt just a little bit, or maybe even more, to remind us that we are the Lord’s every day and at every moment, His Cross reflected in every breath we take…

Prepare from now (not when autumn comes) to give a little bit more of yourself to God and His Church. Don’t be sporadically or occasionally faithful. Start from now: Give more regularly; attend more faithfully; love more immediately and continuously. Don’t wait until you are overwhelmed or out of touch. Though it may hurt just a little bit, in the end the reward is a life more fully lived and directed toward the Lord.

Preparations

These days, our Christian Education Department and our youth group leadership are meeting to set fall agendas. To wit, on your church calendar the following will be depicted...

Christian education will focus on the needs of educating the whole family, so seminars will be set for adult education, in addition to “Sunday School.”

Bible Study: The book to be studied has yet to be determined, but the meeting time will continue on Mondays from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Teen Orthodox Education (TOE): Fr. John is exploring the idea of teaching fundamentals of the faith to all interested teens on Mondays, following the Bible Study, from 7:00 – 7:45. Please give him your feed-back on this idea.

Youth Group activities will reflect the Archdiocese’s “Four Circles of Ministry:” Fellowship, Service, Witness, and Worship.

HOPE: (4 -7 year olds), will meet the first Friday per month from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

JOY: (8 – 12 year olds), will meet the second Wednesday of each month, and for other monthly activities starting on September 10th.

GOYA (Teens) will meet on the first Sunday of each month, 5:30 p.m., with a full variety of other monthly activities planned for the year.

YAL (young adults) & OCF (Collegians): Young adults will continue to gather twice per month, the day to be determined, while collegians will continue to gather every Thursday nite at VCU.

All these items listed above are in the planning stages, so if you if you wish to participate, or if you have constructive ideas for our educational and youth activities, please do not hesitate to contact Fr. John with your willing spirit. Specific dates will be shared in the near future.

VBS - Thanks to all who volunteered for our annual Vacation Bible School, with special thanks to Zoe Mouris and Kathy Bazianos, our VBS Directors, for their great organizational skills and hard work to achieve a festive and successful Bible School.

Camp Gratitude - At this writing, the campers are on their way to their annual outdoor event. We thank the Church and the AHEPA for their commitment in making this great learning opportunity. In the next newsletter, we will offer some reflections from the campers themselves.

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	June Parish Council Highlights Thank you letters were read from the four charities that received donations from the festival, and from Alex Norton for his scholarship. Stewardship is still ahead of last year’s pace and expenses are in line. Several punch-list items for the building have been completed, thus reducing the overall list. As KBS finishes its work, we shall release the final payment and major equipment goes under the manufacturers warranty. The gym floor will be thoroughly cleaned and another coat of polyurethane will be applied. The Kitchen Committee will meet to assess needs as well as set up procedures. The Grounds Committee will work on a master plan for low maintenance landscaping on the Cathedral grounds. The area behind the sanctuary will be properly graded. A short-term maintenance plan will be implemented as soon as possible. An idea was expressed to have a church garden club to help keep up an attractive appearance. The Church Directory Committee is finalizing the layout of ads and hopes to have all the information to the printer by the end of the month. The Festival was a great success and appreciation was expressed to the members of our community for their great response. Income records were set for every day except Sunday, when inventory ran low. A schedule of events for the Clergy-Laity Congress was distributed with Parish Council members encouraged to attend for a day because of the proximity of the congress in Washington, D.C. Under new business, racks and shelving for the festival will be stored in a container near our storage space. We need to now check out the remaining items in storage from our construction and determine what needs to come back to our facility. The Personnel Committee will meet to discuss the current situation of our sexton. A motion was passed to purchase a floor cleaning machine so that our new floors can be properly cared for. A supplement to AHEPA’s donation for transportation to church camp was approved. A request for the use of our facility was also approved. The next Parish Council meeting will be held following church services on July 20th.
	Fellow Parishioners: WOW! What a way to celebrate the 32nd Annual Greek Festival and bring the tradition and excitement of the full-fledged Greek Festival back to the Richmond community? It was the biggest ever and exceeded the records established in 2006! This year marked (1) The biggest single gross revenue day (Saturday), (2) The highest gross revenue for a Thursday, Friday and Saturday and (3) the best total gross revenue. We were blessed in many ways and the weather was one of those that made a contribution to this record-setting year. No rain until we closed and most patrons had left, which was incredible. Additionally, it was evident that the Richmond area missed us last year, as they came out in droves, to enjoy the food, music and atmosphere of the Greek Festival. From the planning and preparation, to the cooking, skewering and clean up, the Greek Festival hinges on support form our Cathedral Family and it was all of your time and talent that went into making the 2008 Greek Festival a success. So, "THANKS" to all of you that volunteered and contributed to the event. It personally warms my heart and makes me feel good to know that I had the opportunity to work along side of each of you for the benefit of our Cathedral and community. Thank you for your hard work and Congratulations for a job well done! Yours In Christ, Murray Howard, President
	Philoptochos Sponsored Coffee Hours We were blessed with lots of goodies for the May 11th Coffee Hour. Many thanks to: Athena Agapis, Heidi Derdevanis, Wanda Ellis, Kathryn Geranios, Sasa Howard, Maria Keritsis, Argie Livanou, Marcia Mardigian, Maria Patsis, Elaine Tsamouras, Connie Wilkins, Danai Yannis, and Vangie Varthalamis. Thank you to the following for contributing to the June Coffee Hour: Rita Constantine, Sasa Howard, Aliki Konstant, Chrisoula Sotos, Ero Spears, Mary Anne Theofanos, and Vangie Varthalamis. The next Philoptochos Coffee Hour is July 20th. If you would like to contribute, please call Vangie at 794-5716.
	Cathedral Entrances Now that our construction is completed, we have returned to our normal entries into our facilities. With five handicap parking places, our members may enter through the rear glass doors and not experience any impediments. Those same doors may be used during the week to visit the offices. The front Cathedral doors are the main entry into the sanctuary, although the doors from the Spanos Commons may also be used. We are no longer using the doors on Kingcrest Parkway, which out of necessity were used during construction. We thank you for your cooperation.
	Philoptochos Corner As the calendar year for Philoptochos comes to rest for the summer, there are many “thank you’s” to be said to many people. Our luncheon in May was an affair to remember. Presvytera Vivian and her committee prepared the food, decorated the tables, and created an atmosphere that welcomed older and newer members. We were delighted to have Mrs. Anna Stavredes, one of our founders, and her family with us that day. “Thank You” to all that contributed to make the luncheon so special. Our May meeting was a pot luck. Thank you to the many cooks and to all that helped to fill the tables with delicious goodies. Last but certainly not least, thank you to all our Philoptochos members for a great Festival. Your awesome work made this a fabulous year! I hope all of you have a restful and fun summer! - Sasa Howard
	The Sweetest Booth of the Festival Another festival is now behind us and what a great festival it was. Thank you to Irene Calos for having the pastry room supplied with the containers and supplies that were needed and to Maria Keritsis for organizing the room during the week. Also a thank you to Angela Ireland for unloading the pastries and placing them in order in the room. Packaging began on May 25th and continued until Sunday, June 1st. We sold out by Saturday night and Irene ordered more pastries that we packaged on Sunday morning and those were sold by 2:30 p.m. A special thank you to the booth chairpersons: Amy Constantino, Dianna Gettas, Maria Tarasidis and Nina Zachary and their groups. Without the help from all of you, we could not have had this great success. We all worked with joy and happiness and that is what makes our booth “The sweetest booth of the festival”. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all soon. With Christ’s love, Pat Sotos
	Little Ouches... Little Ouches... Sometimes the best things in life hurt just a little bit, or maybe even more…I winced when the needle entered my flesh to provide a “Port” for my blood donation. It hurt just a little bit, just enough, from a pin prick siphoning off red cells from my veins. There’s a lot to think about when squeezing life out of one’s arm, and once can easily perceive how hot blood is when it courses through a tube atop one’s arm. It sizzles to the touch. I am amazed to think how such scorching fluid, the stuff of life, pulses through the human body. It is a heat we all share and cannot live without. Indeed, as I was donating, I was offered food and drink, and I was even cautioned to not get up too quickly, lest I should pass out from my diminished supply of blood. I was tapped and drained, at least a pint’s worth, for the benefit of someone I will never know. And it hurt, just a little bit, just enough…Actually, to be honest, the worst part of the whole experience was when the technician ripped off the tape that sealed the needle to my arm. The hairs of my skin screamed out in protest. It hurt just a little bit, just enough… Sometimes the best things in life hurt just a little bit, or maybe even more…The worst parts are usually the little hurts, the ones that get in the way, the inconveniences, the annoyances, the smaller sacrifices. Most people are willing to give some big “pint of blood” for the service of a larger purpose---a singular donation, work at the festival, volunteering at Christmas, and so forth---these hurt for a short while, but then are gone. It is the smaller cuts that issue the greater effect---tithing regularly, giving one’s time freely and regularly and generously, making the everyday sacrifices that enable the Church to thrive from day to day---these take a larger toll. They are the sacrifices of the faithful, and they may hurt just a little bit, but perhaps just enough, to remind us that we are not one-time givers, one-time visitors, occasional holiday Christians. Sometimes the best things in life hurt just a little bit, or maybe even more, to remind us that we are the Lord’s every day and at every moment, His Cross reflected in every breath we take… Prepare from now (not when autumn comes) to give a little bit more of yourself to God and His Church. Don’t be sporadically or occasionally faithful. Start from now: Give more regularly; attend more faithfully; love more immediately and continuously. Don’t wait until you are overwhelmed or out of touch. Though it may hurt just a little bit, in the end the reward is a life more fully lived and directed toward the Lord. Preparations These days, our Christian Education Department and our youth group leadership are meeting to set fall agendas. To wit, on your church calendar the following will be depicted... Christian education will focus on the needs of educating the whole family, so seminars will be set for adult education, in addition to “Sunday School.” Bible Study: The book to be studied has yet to be determined, but the meeting time will continue on Mondays from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Teen Orthodox Education (TOE): Fr. John is exploring the idea of teaching fundamentals of the faith to all interested teens on Mondays, following the Bible Study, from 7:00 – 7:45. Please give him your feed-back on this idea. Youth Group activities will reflect the Archdiocese’s “Four Circles of Ministry:” Fellowship, Service, Witness, and Worship. HOPE: (4 -7 year olds), will meet the first Friday per month from 6 – 7:30 p.m. JOY: (8 – 12 year olds), will meet the second Wednesday of each month, and for other monthly activities starting on September 10th. GOYA (Teens) will meet on the first Sunday of each month, 5:30 p.m., with a full variety of other monthly activities planned for the year. YAL (young adults) & OCF (Collegians): Young adults will continue to gather twice per month, the day to be determined, while collegians will continue to gather every Thursday nite at VCU. All these items listed above are in the planning stages, so if you if you wish to participate, or if you have constructive ideas for our educational and youth activities, please do not hesitate to contact Fr. John with your willing spirit. Specific dates will be shared in the near future. VBS - Thanks to all who volunteered for our annual Vacation Bible School, with special thanks to Zoe Mouris and Kathy Bazianos, our VBS Directors, for their great organizational skills and hard work to achieve a festive and successful Bible School. Camp Gratitude - At this writing, the campers are on their way to their annual outdoor event. We thank the Church and the AHEPA for their commitment in making this great learning opportunity. In the next newsletter, we will offer some reflections from the campers themselves.

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