SS Peter and Paul Albanian Orthodox Church 9230 Old Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19115 Church Phone: 215-676-3311 Pastor: Father Stephen Siniari Rectory Phone: 856-616-0782

Church Bulletin ~ October 2004

1 Father Stephen’s Message to the Faithful As Long As You Have… AS LONG AS YOU HAVE FEET: run after work, before you are bound with that bond which cannot be loosed again once it is put on. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE HANDS: stretch them out to heaven in prayer, before you arms fall from their joints, and though you desire to draw them up, you will not be able. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE FINGERS: cross yourself in prayer, before death comes loosing the fine strength of their sinews. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE EYES: fill them with tears before that hour when dust will cover your black clothes and your eyes will be fixed in one direction in an unseeing gaze and you will not know it. Nay, fill your eyes with tears as long as your heart is controlled by the power of dis- cernment, and before your soul is shaken by her departure from it and the heart is left like a house deserted by its owner. St. Issac the Syrian

Special Announcement from Father Stephen: 1. Father Stephen’s cell phone number is: 267-973-9775. Father Stephen is available at this number Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM. He is away on Saturdays and at Church on Sundays. Please feel free to call him during the week or see him at Church on Sunday if you or a loved one are in need of pastoral care. 2. New Policy Regarding Baptisms and Weddings: After five years of pastoral effort attempting to expand opportunities for new people to become part of our Eucharistic Community, Father Stephen has determined that beginning October 1, 2004, those re- questing a Baptism or Wedding must be paid members of the parish, current communi- cants, and attend Divine Services with regularity for a period of one year prior to the re- quested Baptism or Wedding. Events & Announcements Liturgical Schedule - October/November 2004 ! Visit of His Grace Bishop Nikon to St. John Chrysostom - Sun- day, November 7 - Matins - 9:30 AM; Divine Liturgy - 10 AM. For more informa-! !tion, please look under “Events”. NO SERVICES at SS Peter & Paul

Church News & Reminders Pledges - A reminder that Icon Pledges need to be paid in full by the end of December. Please see the treasurer, George Kendro. Also, please remember to return your to George or place them in the Church and tell George. Thank you!

2 Membership Dues 2004 - The Church Fiscal Year ended September 30. If at all possible, please fulfill your commitment as soon as possible. Dues are $100 per per- son and can be paid at any time to George Kendro, treasurer. Church Council Meeting - Will be held on Monday, October 11, 7 PM. All Parish- ioners are welcome to attend. Special Services - If you are planning to have a special service in the Church, please be considerate and notify either Father Stephen or the Church Committee one week in advance. When you are planning for a Baptism, Wedding, Funeral, or any other Prayer Service in the Church, please speak with Father Stephen in advance to determine if there is any way you can contribute to help the Church in helping others. Thank you. No Smoking/No cell phones - Please remember that SS Peter & Paul has a no smoking policy in the building and that ringers on cell phones should be off during the Divine Liturgy.

The Joy of Giving ! New Chalice Set Donations - We are still accepting donations for the new Chalice Set. Thank you to everyone who has already so generously contributed. Casseroles for the Homeless - Please continue to help feed the hungry. Frozen casseroles are collected on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month by Harry Halkedis. A $10 donation for casseroles can be given at any time. Thank you! Poor Box Donations - Please continue to remember those who are less fortunate than we are. Collection for the Poor - A special collection for the poor will be held on the 1st Sunday of every month. Please plan to give generously every month to those whose lives are less fortunate than ours. Donations can also be placed in the Poor Box at any time. Donations of Wine & Oil - Altar wine and virgin olive oil for the altar lamps are always needed. The name of the altar wine is Mavrodaphne of Patras and it is available at most PA State Stores. Please help make sure that we always have a plentiful supply. Pastoral Fund Collection - Collections for the Pastoral Fund will take place every 3rd Sunday of the month. Please donate generously. “Pastoral Fund” donation envelopes are found in the Church foyer, on the left side of the glass partition, should you wish to donate at another time.

Ladies’ Society News ! Meeting - Sunday, October 17, after Divine Liturgy!

Sunday School News ! Start Date - Due to circumstances beyond our control, the start of Sunday School has been delayed until mid to late October.!

Events ! 2004 Archdiocesan Assembly will be held Thursday - Saturday, Octo- ber 14 -16. It will be hosted by St. Nicholas Church in Southbridge, MA. The theme is: 3 “Cultivating Missions -- At Home and Abroad” and the guest speaker is Rev. Fr. Luke Veronis who just returned from a 10 year missionary endeavor with the Church of Alba- nia. For more information, please see our webpage or contact Alicia. His Grace Bishop Nikon’s Visit to St. John Chrysostom - No- vember 6 & 7 - Vespers, 6 PM Saturday, November 6th. On Sunday, November 7th: Matins, 9:30 AM; Divine Liturgy, 10 AM; Luncheon ($5 donation) following Divine Liturgy. NO SER- VICES at SS Peter & Paul. Ladies’ Society Hot Dog/Meat Ball Sandwich Sale is scheduled for Sunday, November 7 ! Ladies’ Society Annual Christmas Bazaar is scheduled for Sunday, De- cember 5.!

General Membership Meeting of 10/3/04 ! Results - The Officers remained the same: President, Stephen Murianka; Vice President, Greg Vreto, Sr.; Secretary, Christina Murianka; Treasurer, George Kendro (with James Schaeffer as Assistant Treasurer). Our 3 Trustees are: David Lane, Kahaber Okropiridze, Gregory Vreto, Jr. Congratulations to all of them! Atten- dance at the meeting, however, was not as good as it could be. The General Membership Meeting is a vital part of the functioning of our Church: all parishioners are welcomed and should take an active role in this process. Our Church cannot continue to grow if we all do not participate to the fullest extent. A sincere Thank You to all parishioners who partic- ipated.!

Miscellaneous Web Page/E-mails - SS Peter & Paul Webpage: http://homepage.mac.com/ali- ciaj17/ sspeterpaulhome1.html. New Bulletins can be viewed the Saturday before distribu- tion by 7 PM (just click on the tip link “Church Bulletin”). If you would like to be kept up-to- date by e-mail or to be removed from our “paper” mailing list, please send me an e-mail at: ali- [email protected] Announcements/News about Parishioners - If you have any items to in- clude in next month’s Bulletin, please see Alicia or call her at 215-742-0492 or e-mail: [email protected]. The deadline for the next Bulletin is Sunday, October 31. Thank you! Parishioners will be able to pick up the Bulletins at the Church on Sunday 11/7/04. Bulletins will be mailed to any Parishioners unable to attend. Thank You to all members of the Parish who have helped out or volunteered in any way with their time and efforts, and a very special thank you to anyone whose name was inadver- tently omitted from the Bulletin.

Parishioner’s Corner A Very Happy Birthday is wished to the following parishioners and friends who are celebrating October Birthdays: Helen Arndt, Helen Banushi, Raisa Be- lous, Harry Cappo, Michael Cappo, Nina Horowitz, Lucille John, Llambi Quirias,

4 James Schaeffer, Fr. Stephen Siniari, George Steffa, Ann Stephano, James Vesho May God grant them all many, many years! A Super Huge Thank You to David Lane and all the wonderful volun- teers who made this year’s Clam Bake a big success! Thank you, David, and many more to come! Pictures below and on the next page. Special Announcement from Alicia Prayer is the most powerful defense we have. But as a community of parishioners, we are not doing all we can to pray for our faithful who are ill, or have been involved in ac- cidents or other mishaps. In order for me to publish in the Bulletin (and send e-mails asap to help spread the message) the names and circumstances of our parishioners that should be included in the section entitled “Let Us Keep Them in our Prayers”, YOU HAVE TO LET ME KNOW! Please call (215-742-0492) or e-mail ([email protected]) if you know of anyone who is ill or simply in need of our prayers. I cannot get the information out to our parishioners if I do not receive it from you! Thank you. SS Peter & Paul Annual Clam Bake - - - 9/18/04 ... And a grand time was had by all!

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6 The Art of Christian In November, 2004, 50 icons of noted iconographers Onufri, Shpataraku and David of Selenica, will travel to Moscow where an exhibition opens entitled: "Icons and Albanian Iconography - Christian Albania”. Valued at over 20 million dollars these treasures of Orthodox iconography will be sent to Mos- cow and are the works of Nicholas Onufri, the Konstandin Shpataraku and David Selenicasit, for an exhibition in one of the largest museums in the Russian capitol. The exhibit, entitled: "Icons and Albanian Iconography - Christian Albania," is the result of an agreement achieved last May between the director of the Gallery of National Art in Tirana, Mr. Abaz Hado and the director of the Central Museum of Ancient Art and Culture of Moscow: Andrei Rublov. Accord- ing to scholar Ylli Drishti, one of the curators of the exhibition, a large part of the works date from the 13th to the 19th centuries, and come from the collection of Tirana's national Gallery and from the Museum of Medieval Art in Korce, from the Onfuri Museum in and from the National Historic Museum. According to Drishti, already all the photographs of the exhibited icons have arrived in Moscow and the Russian colleagues are preparing for the opening. "Based on our understanding, an ex- hibition of Russian Icons will open in Tirana next year. The exhibits will be accompanied by catalogues in the Albanian and Russian languages, prepared by the joint committee" - said Dr- ishti. Presently, even though two months are required before the opening of the exhibition in the Russian capitol, in the laboratories of Tirana's Gallery of Art, work has already begun to prepare the icons for transport. According to the Chief of Restorations, Ms. Majlinda Agolli, in this laboratory all the selected icons to be sent to Moscow are in process of further protection for the various atmospheric changes of the journey in order that they arrive without incurring the slightest damage.

7 Nonetheless some of the pieces require more work than others, in addition to being cleaned, in order to enliven the colors or to restore several pieces to bring out the original tones. Among the icons one will find the icon: "The Virgin Enthroned," work of an anonymous icono- grapher of the 19th Century, " and Saint Paul," and several noteworthy others. Gazeta Shekulli, 15/09/2004 - KATEGORIA: KulturΠCentury Newspaper - September 15, 2004 Holy Days and Name Days in October October 1 - Protection (Pokrov) of the Most Holy Theotokos October 6 - Holy Apostle Thomas; St Innocent, Met. of Moscow, Apost. Americas October 8 - Venerable Pelagia, the Penitent; Ven. Taisia of Egypt October 9 - Holy Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus; St Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow October 10 - Martyrs Eulampius & Eulampia; Venerable Ambrose of Optina October 16 - Martyr Longinus the Centurian October 17 - Prophet Hosea October 18 - Holy Apostle & Evangelist Luke October 19 - Prophet Joel October 22 - Demetrius Saturday October 23 - Holy Apostle James (Jacob), Brother of the Lord October 24 - Blessed Elesbaan, King of Ethiopia October 25 - St Tabitha the Widow, raised from the dead by the Apostle Peter October 26 - Great Martyr Demetrius; Great Earthquake at Constantinople, 740 AD October 28 - Venerable Job of Pochaev October 29 - Martyr Anastasia of Rome October 31 - Hieromartyr John Kochurov The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos This miraculous appearance of the Mother of God occurred in the mid-tenth century in Constantinople, in the Blachernae church where her robe, veil, and part of her belt were preserved after being transferred from Palestine in the fifth century. On Sunday, October 1, during the All Night Vigil, when the church was overflowing with those at prayer, the Fool-for-Christ St. Andrew (October 2), at the fourth hour, lifted up his eyes to- wards the heavens and beheld our most Holy Lady Theotokos coming through the air, resplendent with heavenly light and sur- rounded by an assembly of the Saints. On bended knees the Most

8 Holy Virgin tearfully prayed for Christians for a long time. Then, coming near the Bishop's Throne, she continued her prayer. After completing her prayer she took her veil and spread it over the people praying in church, protecting them from enemies both visible and invisible. The Ever-Blessed Mother of God im- plored the Lord Jesus Christ to accept the prayers of all the people calling on His Most Holy Name, and to respond speedily to her intercession, "O Heavenly King, accept every person, that prays to You and calls on my name for help, let them not go away from my icon unheard." At the Blachernae church, the memory of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God was remembered. In the fourteenth century, the Russian pilgrim and clerk Alexander, saw in the church an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos praying for the world, depicting St. Andrew in con- templation of her. ~ Reading & Icon Courtesy of the OCA Webpage ~

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