SEPTEMBER/ ™∂¶Δ∂ªμƒπO™ 2012 A Monthly Publication of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. 520 S. Ponca Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 FatherFr. Michael’s Michael’s Pastoral New Year’s Message Message Your Stewardship pledge will keep the doors open! The month of September brings to my atten- their church. Take most of our young people in tion a topic that really is close to my heart. The the parish for starters. topic is Stewardship and its true meaning. Our Some are married with children. They have Church of St. Nicholas is going through some been in the parish for years and have never sup- rough financial times. As you know one of the ported their church through the Stewardship most critical and awkward topics of any Church program. We have single people who are over is “Stewardship”. the age of 21, out of college and working who Conveying to you the power and impor- have never supported the church through the tance of dedicating your time, talents, and fi- Stewardship program. We have families that nancial gifts to the service of one another is a use the church only for their own personal sat- spiritual and financial necessity. But creating a isfaction, but never supported the Stewardship spirit of true giving here at St. Nicholas has program. We have so called members who never been easy. I have now reached the five come to church only once a year and most of year mark in serving this community as your them are not pledge members of the church. So parish priest. And I have witnessed that we here what kind of example are we giving to our God, at St. Nicholas have a difficulty in understand- our Church, to our children, and to our Com- ing what Stewardship represents. munity? Let’s not forget that everything we The Stewardship program of any Church is have comes from God; at any moment He can the backbone of the Community. Without a take these treasures away from us. strong Stewardship program churches and As Parishioners of St. Nicholas, we need to communities like ours will not survive to see a strongly focus on the needs of our Church, and future. I know that some of you might say,” the needs of our Parishioners. We need to un- This is the house of the Lord. How can this hap- derstand that we need to support our church on pen?” Look around you; how many Inner City a yearly basis, and not once in a blue moon, and Rural churches have closed their doors for- when we need the Church for a Marriage, Bap- ever because of lack of funds? This means that tism, Chrismation, or Funeral. the parishioners of these churches failed to do Our St. Nicholas Church is open all day long, their part in securing the future of their par- from morning to night. It is a place where you ishes. This also means that their Stewardship can worship, a place to find fellowship, a place program failed and who is to blame? The pa- of Community gathering and recreation. Our rishioners themselves. Church provides an oasis for those who seek Today we also have that problem in some of refuge, and for those who want to be close to our Orthodox parishes. Some people say that God. A place where we marry our children, a Festivals, Dances, Dinners, Bake sales, and place where we baptize our children. A resting other events are the answers to the financial place for those who have fallen asleep in the problems of all churches. Those are not solu- Lord. It is a place where we educate our chil- tions; they are mere bandages to camouflage dren to learn about their Greek heritage and the real problems that parishes are facing to- their faith in God. Just imagine if our Church day. The answer is very simple. If everyone in and Community tomorrow closed her doors the parish supported the Stewardship program, forever and the reason why? Because of the parishes today would not have to go through lack of participation by its parishioners. How that pain and suffering. If we all pitched in and would you feel? did our duty as Christians, Churches today Listen up young people of the parish, mar- would not be in this mess. ried or single. If you want St. Nicholas to pro- I hate to use examples of our own parishio- vide a good spiritual future for you and your ners, but we have hundreds of families who children and generations thereof, then we need KOINONIA have never signed a Pledge card or supported Continued on page 10 PAGE 2 KOINONIA September/™Â٤̂ÚÈÔ˜, 2012 ª‹Ó˘Ì· ·Ô ÙÔÓ ¶·Ù¤Ú· ªÈ¯·‹Ï ∏ ∂ıÂÏÔÓÙÈ΋ ¶ÚÔÛÊÔÚ¿ Û·˜ ı· ‚ÔËı‹ÛÂÈ Ó· Û˘Ó¯›ÛÔ˘ÌÂ! ΔÔ Ì‹Ó· ™Â٤̂ÚÈÔ Ë ÚÔÛÔ¯‹ ÌÔ˘ Û˘ÁÎÂÓÙÚÒÓÂÙ·È Û ‰ÂÓ Â›Ó·È Ï‡ÛÂȘ. ∂›Ó·È ·ÏÔ› ›‰ÂÛÌÔÈ ÁÈ· Ó· Û˘Áηχ„Ô˘Ó ¤Ó· ı¤Ì· Ô˘ Ú·ÁÌ·ÙÈο ·ÁÁ›˙ÂÈ ÙËÓ Î·Ú‰È¿ ÌÔ˘. ΔÔ ı¤Ì· Ù· Ú·ÁÌ·ÙÈο ÚÔ‚Ï‹Ì·Ù· Ô˘ ·ÓÙÈÌÂÙˆ›˙Ô˘Ó ÔÈ Ù˘ ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™, Î·È Ë Ú·ÁÌ·ÙÈ΋ ÙÔ˘ ÎÔÈÓfiÙËÙ˜ Û‹ÌÂÚ·. ∏ ·¿ÓÙËÛË Â›Ó·È Ôχ ·Ï‹. ∞Ó Ô ÛËÌ·Û›·. ∏ ∂ÎÎÏËÛ›· Ì·˜ ÙÔ˘ ∞Á›Ô˘ ¡ÈÎÔÏ¿Ô˘ ÂÚÓ¿ÂÈ Î·ı¤Ó·˜ ÛÙËÓ ÂÓÔÚ›· ˘ÔÛÙ‹ÚÈ˙ ÙÔ ÚfiÁÚ·ÌÌ· Ù˘ ‰‡ÛÎÔÏ· ÔÈÎÔÓÔÌÈο ÚÔ‚Ï‹Ì·Ù·. Ÿˆ˜ ÁÓˆÚ›˙ÂÙ ¤Ó· ·fi ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™, ÔÈ ÂÓÔڛ˜, Û‹ÌÂÚ· ‰ÂÓ ı· Ù· ÈÔ ÎÚ›ÛÈÌ· ı¤Ì·Ù· οı ∂ÎÎÏËÛ›·˜ Â›Ó·È ·˘Ùfi Ù˘ ‚Ú›ÛÎÔÓÙ·Ó Û η̛· ‰‡ÛÎÔÏË ÔÈÎÔÓÔÌÈ΋ ηٿÛÙ·ÛË. ∞Ó «∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™,». ™·˜ ÌÂٷʤڈ fiÙÈ Ë fiÏÔÈ Ì·˜ Û˘ÓÂÈÛʤڷÌÂ Î·È Î¿Ó·Ì ÙÔ Î·ı‹ÎÔÓ Ì·˜ ˆ˜ ‰‡Ó·ÌË Î·È Ë ÛËÌ·Û›· ÙÔ˘ ¯ÚfiÓÔ˘ Ô˘ ÚÔÛʤÚÂÙÂ, ÙÔ˘ ÃÚÈÛÙÈ·ÓÔ›, ÔÈ ∂ÎÎÏËۛ˜ Û‹ÌÂÚ· ‰ÂÓ ı· ‹Ù·Ó Û ·˘Ùfi ÙÔ Ù·Ï¤ÓÙÔ˘ Û·˜, Î·È ÙˆÓ ¯ÚËÌ·ÙÈÎÒÓ ‰ˆÚÂÒÓ Û·˜, ÛÙËÓ ¯¿ÏÈ. ˘ËÚÂÛ›· ÙÔ˘ ÂÓfi˜ ÚÔ˜ ÙÔÓ ¿ÏÏÔ, Â›Ó·È ÓÂ˘Ì·ÙÈ΋ Î·È ¢ÂÓ ÌÔ˘ ·Ú¤ÛÂÈ Ó· ¯ÚËÛÈÌÔÔÈÒ Û·Ó ·Ú¿‰ÂÈÁÌ· ÙÔ˘˜ ÔÈÎÔÓÔÌÈ΋ ·Ó·ÁηÈfiÙËÙ·. ŸÌˆ˜, ÙÔ Ó· ‰ËÌÈÔ˘ÚÁ‹ÛÂȘ Î·È ‰ÈÎÔ‡˜ Ì·˜ ÂÓÔÚ›Ù˜, ·ÏÏ¿ ¤¯Ô˘Ì ÂηÙÔÓÙ¿‰Â˜ ÔÈÎÔÁ¤ÓÂȘ Ó· ηÏÈÂÚÁ‹ÛÂȘ ÙÔ Ó‡̷ Ù˘ Ú·ÁÌ·ÙÈ΋˜ «‰ˆÚ¿˜» ÛÙËÓ Ô˘ ‰ÂÓ ¤¯Ô˘Ó ˘ÔÁÚ¿„ÂÈ ÙËÓ Î¿ÚÙ· Ù˘ ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ∫ÔÈÓfiÙËÙ· ÙÔ˘ ∞Á›Ô˘ ¡ÈÎÔÏ¿Ô˘, ÔÙ¤ ‰ÂÓ ‹Ù·Ó ‡ÎÔÏË ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™, ‹ ‰ÂÓ ¤¯Ô˘Ó ˘ÔÛÙËÚ›ÍÂÈ ÙËÓ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›· ÙÔ˘˜ ˘fiıÂÛË. ÀËÚÂÙÒ ‹‰Ë ÙËÓ ∫ÔÈÓfiÙËÙ·, ˆ˜ πÂÚ¤·˜ Ù˘ Ì ¿ÏÏÔ ÙÚfiÔ. ∞˜ ÍÂÎÈÓ‹ÛÔ˘Ì ·fi ÙÔ˘˜ Ó¤Ô˘˜ Ù˘ ÂÓÔÚ›·˜ ∂ÓÔÚ›·˜ Û·˜, ¤ÓÙ ¯ÚfiÓÈ·. Œ¯ˆ ÏÔÈfiÓ ÚÔÛˆÈ΋ Ì·˜. ∫¿ÔÈÔÈ Â›Ó·È ·ÓÙÚÂ̤ÓÔÈ Ì ·È‰È¿. ∂›Ó·È ÛÙËÓ ÂÌÂÈÚ›· fiÙÈ ÂÌ›˜, Â‰Ò ÛÙËÓ ÂÚÈÔ¯‹ ÙÔ˘ ∞Á›Ô˘ ¡ÈÎÔÏ¿Ô˘, ÂÓÔÚ›· ÁÈ· ¯ÚfiÓÈ· Î·È ÔÙ¤ ‰ÂÓ ÙËÓ ˘ÔÛÙ‹ÚÈÍ·Ó, ̤ۈ ÙÔ˘ ¤¯Ô˘Ì ÌÈ· ‰˘ÛÎÔÏ›· Ó· ηٷÓÔ‹ÛÔ˘Ì ÙÈ ·ÓÙÈÚÔۈ‡ÂÈ Ë ÚÔÁÚ¿ÌÌ·ÙÔ˜ Ù˘ ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™. ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞. Œ¯Ô˘Ì ·Ó‡·ÓÙÚ· ¿ÙÔÌ· Ô˘ Â›Ó·È ¿Óˆ ÙˆÓ 21 ÂÙÒÓ, ¤¯Ô˘Ó ΔÔ ÚfiÁÚ·ÌÌ· Ù˘ ∂ıÂÏÔÓÙÈ΋˜ ¶ÚÔÛÊÔÚ¿˜ Ù˘ οı ÙÂÏÂÈÒÛÂÈ ÙȘ ∫ÔÏÏÂÁȷΤ˜ ÙÔ˘˜ ÛÔ˘‰¤˜, ÂÚÁ¿˙ÔÓÙ·È, Î·È ∂ÎÎÏËÛ›·˜ Â›Ó·È ÙË ÛÔÓ‰˘ÏÈ΋ ÛÙ‹ÏË ‹ ·Ó ı¤ÏÂÙÂ Ô ÔÙ¤ ‰ÂÓ ¤¯Ô˘Ó ˘ÔÛÙ‹ÚÈÍÂÈ ÙËÓ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›· ̤ۈ ÙÔ˘ ∫ÂÓÙÚÈÎfi˜ ÕÍÔÓ·˜ Ù˘ ∫ÔÈÓfiÙËÙ·˜. Èڛ˜ ¤Ó· ÈÛ¯˘Úfi ÚÔÁÚ¿ÌÌ·ÙÔ˜ Ù˘ ∂∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™. ÚfiÁÚ·ÌÌ· ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™, ÂÎÎÏËۛ˜ Î·È Œ¯Ô˘Ì ÔÈÎÔÁ¤ÓÂȘ Ô˘ ¯ÚËÛÈÌÔÔÈÔ‡Ó ÙËÓ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›· ÎÔÈÓfiÙËÙ˜ fiˆ˜ Ë ‰È΋ Ì·˜, ‰ÂÓ ı· ÂÈ‚ÈÒÛÔ˘Ó ÁÈ· Ó· ‰Ô˘Ó ÌfiÓÔ ÁÈ· ÙË ‰È΋ ÙÔ˘˜ ÚÔÛˆÈ΋ ·Ó¿ÁÎË, ·ÏÏ¿ ÔÙ¤ ‰ÂÓ ÙÔ Ì¤ÏÏÔÓ Ù˘. •¤Úˆ fiÙÈ Î¿ÔÈÔÈ ·fi ÂÛ¿˜ ı· ›ÙÂ, “∞˘Ùfi ˘ÔÛÙ‹ÚÈÍ·Ó ÙÔ ÚfiÁÚ·ÌÌ· Ù˘ ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ Â›Ó·È ÙÔ Û›ÙÈ ÙÔ˘ ∫˘Ú›Ô˘. ¶Ò˜ ÌÔÚ› ·˘Ùfi Ó· Û˘Ì‚Â› ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™. Œ¯Ô˘Ì ڿÁÌ·ÙÈ Ì¤ÏË Ô˘ ¤Ú¯ÔÓÙ·È ÛÙËÓ “∫ÔÈÙ¿ÍÙ Á‡Úˆ Û·˜. ¶fiÛ˜ ÂÎÎÏËۛ˜ ÛÙÔ Î¤ÓÙÚÔ Ù˘ fiÏ˘ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›· ÌfiÓÔ ÌÈ· ÊÔÚ¿ ÙÔ ¯ÚfiÓÔ, Î·È ÔÈ ÂÚÈÛÛfiÙÂÚÔÈ ·fi Î·È Ù˘ ˘·›ıÚÔ˘ ¤¯Ô˘Ó ÎÏ›ÛÂÈ ÙȘ fiÚÙ˜ ÙÔ˘˜, ¿ÓÙ· ·˘ÙÔ‡˜ ‰ÂÓ Â›Ó·È Ì¤ÏË Ù˘ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›·˜. ΔÈ Â›‰Ô˘˜ ÂÍ·ÈÙ›·˜ ¤ÏÏÂȄ˘ ÔÈÎÔÓÔÌÈÎÒÓ. ∞˘Ùfi ÛËÌ·›ÓÂÈ fiÙÈ ÔÈ ·Ú¿‰ÂÈÁÌ· ‰›ÓÔ˘Ì ÛÙÔÓ £Âfi Ì·˜, ÛÙËÓ ∂ÎÎÏËÛ›· Ì·˜, ÛÙ· ÂÓÔÚ›Ù˜ ÙˆÓ ÂÎÎÏËÛÈÒÓ ·˘ÙÒÓ ·¤Ù˘¯·Ó Ó· οÓÔ˘Ó ÙÔ ·È‰È¿ Ì·˜, Î·È ÛÙËÓ ∫ÔÈÓfiÙËÙ¿ Ì·˜; ∞˜ ÌËÓ Í¯ӿÌ fiÙÈ fiÏ· ηı‹ÎÔÓ ÙÔ˘˜ ÁÈ· Ó· ‰È·ÛÊ·Ï›ÛÔ˘Ó ÙÔ Ì¤ÏÏÔÓ ÙˆÓ fiÛ· ¤¯Ô˘Ì ÚÔ¤Ú¯ÔÓÙ·È ·fi ÙÔÓ £Âfi. ∞Ó¿ ¿Û· ÛÙÈÁÌ‹ ÎÔÈÓÔÙ‹ÙˆÓ ÙÔ˘˜. ∞˘Ùfi ÛËÌ·›ÓÂÈ Â›Û˘ fiÙÈ ÙÔ ÚfiÁÚ·ÌÌ· ÌÔÚ› Ó· ¿ÚÂÈ ›Ûˆ fiÏ· ·˘Ù¿ Ô˘ Ì·˜ ¤¯ÂÈ ¯·Ú›ÛÂÈ. ∂£∂§√¡Δπ∫∏™ ¶ƒ√™º√ƒ∞™ ÙÔ˘˜ ·¤Ù˘¯Â, Î·È ÔÈÔ˜ ÊÙ·›ÂÈ; √È ÂÓÔÚ›Ù˜ ÙÔ˘˜. ™‹ÌÂÚ·, ·ÓÙÈÌÂÙˆ›˙Ô˘Ó ÙÔ ›‰ÈÔ ™·Ó ÂÓÔÚ›Ù˜ ÙÔ˘ ∞Á›Ô˘ ¡ÈÎÔÏ¿Ô˘, ·˜ ·Û¯ÔÏËıԇ̠Úfi‚ÏËÌ·, ÔÚÈṲ̂Ó˜ ·fi ÙȘ ÔÚıfi‰Ô͘ ÂÓÔڛ˜ Ì·˜. ÂÓÙ·ÙÈο Ì ÙȘ ·Ó¿ÁΘ Ù˘ ∂ÎÎÏËÛ›·˜ Ì·˜, Î·È ÙȘ ·Ó¿ÁΘ ÙˆÓ ÂÓÔÚÈÙÒÓ Ì·˜.