Vol. 17 , No. 8 Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church 2501 S. Wolf Rd. Westchester, IL February, 2013(708) 562-2744 www.holyapostleschurch.com

Coming together, we form an icon of God’s Kingdom

Getting caught upwith correspondence, e-

mail and a pile of old notes is a great taskwhen you have been away from the office.Then, you roll up your sleeves and with a newand determined will begin to navigate throughunread email, unopened correspondence, anda pile of notes that need your attention. Ohyes, don’t forget the telephone messages wait-ing for a response. The only thing remainingis to roll up your sleeves and get with it. Just asyou begin to make some inroad and progressis in sight, an avalanche of surprises interruptsthe entire process and you realize it is time fora new plan.

I remember reading an article in a recentchurch publication, The Church Messenger,about a cartoon in the 1990’s that showed twopeople in a deep dungeon. There were nowindows or doors and no exit. The two menwere manacled to the wall, chained by handsand feet as well as by their necks. In this total-ly impossible situation, one leans over to theother and says: “Here’s my plan…”

We’re still in line at the mall trying toreturn those interesting gifts we got forChristmas plus trying to live up to new resolu-tions. Now how are we going to navigatethrough the New Year? We need a plan. First,we should begin to think of a plan that willwork in our busy lives.

We’re only into the New Year for a coupleof weeks, but can you feel it happeningalready? What happens is that we have theexperience of being busy, but there’s not awhole lot coming out of our busyness.

The more agitated we are, the more com-plicated our lives become and the more diffi-cult it is to keep a space in our lives whereGod can come in and let something new takeplace for us. The plan should include a place

From Father Bill What’syourplan?

where response to all situations is fulfilled.The plan should include a time of reflec-

tion and hope. We should pause to thank Godfor the innumerable ways He blessed us duringthis past year: with our faith and Church, ourhealth and well-being, our families and lovedones, our work and the many opportunities oflife. It is through difficult times that we learnto rely more on our Lord and see how Hewalks with us (Emmanuel, God with us) andhelps us become stronger people.

Our sincerity and enthusiasm in makingresolutions (which typically have more to dowith things like our inability to stop smokingand lose weight) have usually evaporated byFebruary. Deep down there is a natural crav-ing, a gnawing, and ache, a God-provokedneed to be better people. We are faced withthe choice of either acknowledging our need tobe better people and doing something about it,or we can rationalize the state of our lives bysaying, “I’m okay just the way I am. I don’tneed to make any changes.”

Now, I believe God loves us as we are. I

also believe that God doesn’t want us to leadstatic lives or sit on our laurels. God hasendowed us with great gifts and opportunitiesto “do even greater things than these,” saysJesus. We just have to cultivate those gifts.Listen to what St. Paul writes in his first letterto the Corinthians: “you are not lacking in anyspiritual gift as you wait for the revealing ofour Lord Jesus Christ” (1:7).

So let’s conclude with the plan. Whether aresolution or two is something you engage ineach year, I have one that I believe will standthe test of time. Resolve that God will be firstin your life. Set realistic goals not only relatedto our physical well-being or professional life,but more importantly, goals for bettering ourspiritual lives and our relationships with oth-ers. Goals are not enough. They are a firststep. The next essential step is to think abouthow we will reach our goal. A good year or abad year depends on the choices we make.Choices not only about how to live, but alsoon the attitude we hold.

See Fr. Bill on P. 3

The new Parish Council members l-r are: Nick Kirkeles, Terry Chiganos, Peter Bell(Treasurer), George Mannos Jr, George Chechopoulos (President), Cindy Clark, Steve Savas(Vice President), Mary Maragos, Jim Kapolas, Nick Kouchis, Peter Poteres, Paul Kallis(Secretary), Tom Gregory, George Alex, and Jim Fotopoulos. Not pictured: Louis Katzioris

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic February, 2013 Page 2

On February 24, thePublican (tax collector)and Pharisee Sunday willbe observed. That dayinitiates the Triodion orwarm-up period for

Lent. The Gospel reading demonstrates thesymptoms and dangers of pride.

Christian author C.S. Lewis calls pride,“the great sin. It robs us of perspective. Wewill do anything to avoid sacrificing ourpride.”

Pride filled the Pharisee’s heart. He was ahigh-ranking, very respected, and devoutlyreligious man. The Pharisee boldly enteredthe Temple to pray. In his self-congratulatoryprayer, he thanked God that he was not likethe tax collector who stood next to him. ThePharisee listed all the wonderful things he haddone for God. He is the perfect example ofsomeone who possesses hidden pride. St.John Climacus’ Ladder of Divine Ascentdescribes pride as a “denial of God, an inven-tion of the devil, contempt for men. It is aflight from God’s help, the harbinger of mad-ness, and the author of downfall. It is thecause of diabolical possession, the source ofanger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is thefortress of demons, the custodian of sins, andthe source of hardheartedness. It is the denialof compassion, a bitter Pharisee, a crueljudge. It is the foe of God. It is the root ofblasphemy.” Pride is a very serious spiritualaffliction. How does pride develop? It f lowsfrom our love of praise according to St. John.Its midpoint is humiliating our neighbor byboasting about our achievements, being com-placent and then unwilling to be found out.Pride’s final end is rejecting God’s help andexalting our own efforts. St. John warns: “Aproud person needs no demon. That personhas turned into one, an enemy to themself.”Remember that pride caused God’s chiefangel to fall from heaven!

Did you ever wonder if you were pridefilled? What are the symptoms of pride? St.John provides a list. Spiritual pride possessesa know-it-all, argumentative spirit. A proudperson argues bitterly with others. The hum-ble person tries not to contradict them.Spiritual pride keeps us from obeying. Weknow more than what our elders are teaching.Pride averts correction. We believe we arebeyond needing spiritual instruction.Rejecting criticism demonstrates pride.Accepting criticism shows we are free of pride.Spiritual pride desires to lead. That personbelieves they know what and how things needto be done better than others. Pride exhibitsitself in false humility. An old, experienced

To beat pride, don’t take yourself too seriouslyFrom Father Nicholas

man once spiritually admonished a proudbrother. The brother said, “Forgive me, but Iam not proud.” The old man replied, “Myson, what better proof of your pride could youhave given than to claim you were not proud.”Spiritual pride causes us to forget our sins.Yet, remembering our sins leads to humility.Pride brings an inflated view of our ownvirtues. Most proud people do not discovertheir true selves. They find out how poorlythey have conquered their passions after theydie. Pride causes us to believe we havealready attained salvation, forgetting that weneed to finish the race first. St. John warns:“Do not be self-confident before judgment hasbeen passed on you. Do not be stiff neckedsince you are a material being.”

The Gospel reading also provides con-structive questions to ask. First, “Why do I goto church?” The Pharisee and the tax collec-tor both went to the temple to pray.Examining their actions and attitudes, we dis-cover two varying pictures. The Pharisee goesto the temple so that others can see how goodhe is. He is probably concerned about whatto wear, where to stand and what to say. Thewords he prays are not directed to God. TheScriptures tell us that he prayed to himself.The Bible warns us against pride character-ized by self-love, egotism and arrogance. Howoften do we talk about ‘I’? The Pharisee used‘I’ and ‘me’ several times. The Book ofProverbs warns: “Pride goes before destruc-tion and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

If we are proud but hurting, and peopleask how we are, we say “fine”. We are tooproud to admit that we have a need. If weadmit something is wrong, we may lose ourperfection and goodness facade. Pride doesnot allow us to realize God’s blessings such ashealth, wealth, fortune, family, jobs, and suc-cess. All of these are gifts from God.

Lastly, pride sees the faults of others. ThePharisee was quick to criticize and condemnthe tax collector. Pride blinds people to theirown faults. Everyone sees the illness exceptthe person who has it. Pride magnifies fail-ures and faults of others. If we compare our-selves to someone else, we are using the wrongstandard. Our Lord’s measuring stick is JesusChrist himself. How do we measure up toHim?

The pre-Lenten Triodion period whichbegins this month provides a wonderfulopportunity to slow down, reflect on or lives,and recognize our pride. To prevent pride, weshould not take ourselves too seriously. Weshould compare ourselves upward not down-ward. The Apostle Paul reminds us to consid-

er others better than ourselves. This Phariseelooked down upon the tax collector. Weshould look up to others and to the Lord.Remember the example of Christ taking theform of a servant and even washing His disci-ples’ feet? We can continually ask for cleans-ing as the tax collector did. St. John providesmore practical advice. First, he writes,“Remember the example of the Saints.” Weshould compare ourselves with the Saints whohave gone before us. Then, we will realizethat we still have a long way to go. We tendto compare ourselves to contemporaries andthink we are doing pretty well. It is easy tonotice people missing from church. Then, wethink we are doing great and marvelous thingsfor the Lord. Do you think you pray often?Remember St. Seraphim of Sarov? Heprayed for 1,000 days perched on a rock. Doyou think you have suffered for Christ?Remember the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sabastewho sacrificed everything for Christ?Whatever we have done, a saint’s life revealsthat we have done very little. Second,remember your blessings. Any advancementwe have made in our spiritual journey is aresult of blessings from God. We did not earnthem.

Lastly, remember that we owe everythingto Christ. The spiritual virtues we attain bystruggling are only available because ofChrist’s struggles. Regardless of how muchwe struggle, without Christ, we would have novictory. All of the miracles, blessings and giftsthat we experience come from God. We arereminded by St. James: “Every good andevery perfect gift is from above, and comesdown from the Father of Lights.” (James 1:17)

Spiritual pride is one of the most unseendangers of our relationship with the Lord.One writer described it like an iceberg. Themost dangerous part lies beneath the surface.Pride is a dandelion of the soul. It grows deep.If only a little is left behind, it sprouts again.Pride steals the fruits of the Spirit like joy,peace, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness andself-control. It causes us to forget our sinswhereas, remembering our sins will lead us tohumility. For most of us, this intense strugglewill probably not end during our earthly lives.St. Climacus devoted the entire 23rd step ofhis Ladder to Divine Ascent to pride. OurHoly Church begins the Triodion periodfocused on defeating pride and helping us toprogress in our Lenten journey. St. Johnends this step by writing: “Such is the 23rdstep. Whoever climbs it, if indeed anyonecan, will certainly be strong.”

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic February, 2013 Page 3

HARC

Fr. Bill from P. 1A plan for life thatactually works

Bishop Gerasimos of AbydosThe Spiritual Elder of America

Edited by Fr. Peter A. ChamberasWhen His Grace Bishop Gerasimos of

Abydos fell asleep in the Lord on theFeast of the Holy Spirit, 1995, manypeople recalled his holiness and simplici-ty of life, referring to him in saintlyterms. Among his few personal belong-ings, papers were found with the title“My Life” as well as a study of the hier-archical prayer of Jesus Christ in theGospel of John. These works are includ-ed here along with a biography by hisnephew, Stylianos G. Papadopoulos,Professor at the University of Athens,and a reflection by Fr. AmbroseZographos, now the Metropolitan ofKorea, one of his spiritual children.

$12.00

A Time to Keep SilentBy Gloria Whelanfor young adults

Thirteen-year-old Clair’s mother hasdied and her father spends his eveningsin his study. In a desperate attempt toget her father’s attention, Clair stopstalking. Her vow of silence gets herfather’s attention: he resigns from hisposition as pastor of his church to begina mission in the remote woods of north-ern Michigan, taking Clair with him.

Clair is furious at having to leave herfriends. But everything changes whenshe discovers a new friend, Dorrie, wholives alone in the woods to avoid heralcoholic father. Through this surprisingfriendship, Clair finds strength andcourage she didn’t know she had.

$8.00

In the Footsteps of St. PaulAn academic symposium

In order to celebrate the two millenniasince the birth of St. Paul, EcumenicalPatriarch Bartholemew convened a sym-posium that traveled from October 11 to16, 2008, through cities of Turkey andGreece where St. Paul preached duringhis missionary journeys. The spiritualcontent of this volume is a source ofinformation, conversation, and illumina-tion to all readers who wish to expandtheir understanding of the beginning ofChristianity and explore the apostolicdevelopment of the Gospel and the earlyChurch.

$30.00

Finally, the plan states that we shouldenjoy what God has given us, and not tocomplain about what we don’t have. God hasgiven each one of us precious blessings. Witha grateful heart let us nurture the mostimportant relationship in life, the one Godestablished with us at baptism, the event weaffirmed at the blessing of the water, and bybeing in church every week to praise andthank Him.

So, that’s the plan. It is a real plan thatactually works, not like the plan of the twoguys in the cartoon who are chained to a wallin a room with no exit. Sure, you will bepushed by the devil to go over the line.

You have the capacity and the power toovercome the things that chain you to thewall. You can do it. We all can do it becauseGod has made it happen! May you have ablessed year!

Philoptochos update and upcoming events

Stewardship is critical to the church’s success

February 3 - After Liturgy, Philoptochoswill host a special Fellowship Hour in honor ofall godparents and godchildren.

February 14 - Koukla's Kafenio will beopen at 12:00 pm for all our senior sweet-hearts. We will be serving a light lunch. PleaseRSVP to Faye Adams at 630.517.8097 if youplan to attend.  

Note: Some people are showing up withoutany reservations and this makes it difficult for

us to plan effectively. We would love to seeyou on the 14th, but please let us know thatyou are coming. If you change your mind orcannot make it, please let us know you arecanceling.

February 19 - Next Philoptochos GeneralMeeting at 7:00 pm. Please join us as we focuson women's health issues during a special pre-sentation. 

Holy Apostles’ choir highlighted the Vesperal Liturgy with aselection of traditional and classical Christmas carols.

Stewardship is an opportunity to examineour priorities and values, to express ourthankfulness, to give of ourselves and to growin grace. It allows us to participate in thework of God. Giving is not a substitute forcommitment—it is an expression of your com-mitment.

A commitment of time, talent, and trea-sure is required to support the NationalMinistries of our Archdiocese, Metropolises,and institutions. Through the years, the lead-ership of our church has focused on the needsof everyone. The ministries offered reflectthe priorities set before us. We have assumeda role of leadership in our Church in pro-grams that affect the lives of everyone.Emphasis on catechetical programs to pro-mote the timeless teachings and traditions ofour faith and the invitation to all to partici-pate fully in the life of the church has contin-ued.

Holy Apostles needs $1,070,000 in revenueto meet 100% of its expenses. The daily rev-enue required to open our doors and to meetdaily expenses is $2,932. Our weekly expens-es are $20,524.

The average stewardship pledge required,based on 765 pledges, is $902. If you have not

already done so, please submit your pledge for2013.

Christmas Eve

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic February, 2013 Page 4

Sunday School teachers pass on the Church’s teaching and traditions

to the future generation--By Joan Berg, Sunday School Director--

On any given Sunday, look around you and youwill see a teacher: a grandparent, a parent, a sibling.Each of us, both through example or classroom envi-ronment, teaches and fosters those around us. In amore structured setting, our Holy Apostles family sup-ports her Sunday School.

From the days of Mrs. Bertha Pavlou forming ourfirst Sunday School classes, and through the years ofdirection of Mrs. Ioanna Burtzos and Mrs. BarbaraPappas, our Sunday School program has grown towork with children from age 3 through High School.With a staff of 25 talented and dedicated volunteers,we serve over 150 families in our community.

The teachers possess a love of the faith, a desire toteach, and a craving to learn. Barbara Pappas onceshared with one of our teachers that to teach our faith,one must be willing to learn about and explore ourfaith.

Who are the teachers? We see these individualswith our children for the 26 sessions each class meetsduring the year. When asked about their teachingexperience, each has shared the joy of teaching theirstudents, and how profoundly privileged he/she feels tobe entrusted with the children.

Three Year Old Pre-School is taught by MarieKokenis and Diane Trivelas.

Marie and her husband Chris, who reside in OakBrook, are blessed with 4 children: Toni (20), John(18), Alexandra (16) and Georgianne (14). Toni is ajunior at Stanford University, where she is one of thestarting guards on the women’s basketball team and amember of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityBand. John is a senior at Hinsdale Central where heparticipates on the track team, plays trombone in theband and is currently busy filling out his college appli-cations. Alex is a junior at Hinsdale Central, whereshe is busy on the yearbook staff and a member of theDowners Grove Township peer jury. Georgi is a fresh-man at Hinsdale Central, loves playing soccer and is amember of the Oak Brook Soccer Club’s U-15 team.During the week, Marie manages the family business,and enjoys the typical busy family life. She takes plea-sure in attending and being involved with her chil-dren’s soccer, basketball, track, volleyball, musiclessons and schoolwork.

Diane and her husband, Chris, are the parents ofNicholas (17) and Alexandra (14), all of whom are veryinvolved in teaching within the Sunday School pro-gram. The Trivelas family home is in River Forestand they enjoy living a very active life. Diane hasbeen involved in teaching Sunday School since herteens in Ohio. Diane is a psychologist at theRehabilitation Institute in downtown Chicago whereshe works with adolescent pain management patients.

Marie and Diane share their joy of teaching in wit-

nessing the wonder on their three year old students’faces as they learn their lessons each week. The chil-dren learn and grow quickly during the year. Whenasked how they can teach the three years olds, Dianeand Marie agree that theywouldn’t pick any othergrade level. They learnfrom the children; the chil-dren are truly a joy toteach.

Four Year Old Pre-School is taught byDiane Ebbole, DeanChiampas, DeniseMannos and KristiAthas Landorf.

Diane and Dean arefirst cousins and have beenteaching the 4 year old stu-dents as a team for adecade or two. Diane andher husband, Al, enjoytheir grown family ofJason, Steven and Kristy,with her husband Nick.Kristy and Nick recentlymade Diane a grandmoth-er with the addition ofbaby Nicholas to the family. Dean and his wife,Nancy, live in Addison. Their youngest son George isstudying at Lewis University to become a pilot. Theiroldest son,Tommy,resides inChicago,and theirdaughterNicole livesin Oswegowith herhusband.Dean sharesthat he busyas a partnerin DuPageDentalwhere theymakecrowns andbridges fordentists inthe area,and as a partner in Concorde Sign, where they makenameplates, banners, and signs, along with manyother things.

Denise Mannos and her husband of almost 37

Diane Trivelas

Dean Chiampas & Diane Ebbole

years, Tom, reside in Westmont. They have a son,Christopher, a daughter, Marissa, and son-in-law,Alex, and a toddler granddaughter, Anastasia. Deniseworks with special needs children as a paraprofessionalat the Westchester Intermediate School. Prior toteaching, Denise enjoyed a 32 year career in healthcare as a nuclear medicine technologist. Kristi andher husband, Eric, a police officer, are the busy par-ents of AJ (5) and George (2). Kristi is President andCEO of Little Friends, Inc., a Naperville based non-profit, social service agency serving adults and chil-dren with autism and other developmentaldisabilities.  The agency has a diagnostic clinic, 3schools, a vocational center and more than 40 homesfor adults in the DuPage County area.  The true bene-fit of her occupation is summarized in the story ofwhen a grandparent came to see Kristi and wanted tomake a modest donation to the agency, something shereally could not even afford to do.  But she was inKristi’s office because her grandson, who had neverspoken, went home and told his mom “love you.”That was all he said, but it was life changing for thatfamily.

Each of these teachers shared that the studentsenlighten their lives and want to share so much withtheir teachers and fellow students. As teachers, they,too, want to share with the children their love ofChrist and the Orthodox faith in an enjoyable andfriendly environment. 

Kindergarten is taught by a team of highschool students: Marianna Georgiou, ElianaLadas and Alexandra Trivelas. Teaching our faithis an integral part of their respective family lives.

Marianna is the daughter of Fr. Nicholas andPresbytera Michelle. Her brother is James, and shehas an adorable 10 year old dog, Lou. Marianna is aSophomore at Metea Valley High School, where shejuggles honors classes, an average of 20 hours or moreper week with gymnastics, practicing her violin, com-posing songs on piano, writing stories/songs, drawing,or doing anything creative. Of course, she also enjoyssimply spending time with friends.

Eliana is the daughter of Patty and Michael Ladas.Together with her brother Nicholas, the Ladas familyrecently joined Holy Apostles. Eliana’s mother taughtSunday School for several years at St. AthanasiosChurch in Aurora. Eliana attends Naperville NorthHigh School. Her favorite sport is basketball and herfavorite hobby is reading. She truly enjoys a variety ofmusic, and when asked, admits that chocolate is herfavorite snack.

Alexandra is the daughter of Diane and ChrisTrivelas. She and her brother, Nicholas, attend Oak

Park River Forest High School, where she is a memberof the color guard. In addition to a full school sched-ule, Alex plays lacrosse. Her pets are a black rabbitnamed Cowboy, and a cute dog named Max. Alexhopes to attend college tobecome a teacher.

For Marianna and Alex,they enjoy working with thechildren that they have cometo know through their mom’sTOTs and Sunday Schoolprograms. With Eliana, theyare enjoying meeting morechildren of the Holy Apostlesfamily. Most of all, the threeyoung ladies are thrilled to beable to share with theKindergarten and expandupon the lessons that their moms have taught them.

First Grade is taught by Mikayla Ostendorfand Maria Cummins.

Mikayla is the daughter of Nicole and BradOstendorf. Onany given Sundaythat Mikayla isteaching, you willsee her sister,Sophia, and some-times, one of herparents assistingher. Mikayla is asenior atNaperville CentralHigh School,where she is a topstudent, and theFront Page andHead News Editorfor the schoolnewspaper, The Central Times. In addition to hereditorial responsibilities, she is involved in NapervilleCentral’s Orchesis Dance Team, and has beenenjoying dance since the age of 2. Also, she isa Freshmen Mentor at the high school, leadingstudents in their new high school environment.Awaiting all responses to her college applica-tions, Mikayla will be leaving this fall to beginher studies to become a journalist and lawyer.

Maria and her husband, Jim, together withtheir young son, Stephen, joined the HolyApostles family this fall. Raised in both theUnited States and Greece, Maria is enjoyingmeeting the families at Holy Apostles. With her hus-

The purpose of Orthodox Christian Education (catechesis)is to help build up the Church, the Body of Christ,

by nurturing every person in the life of personal communion with the Holy Trinity (theosis), and thus, through this ministry,

to bear joyful witness to God’s loving and redeeming work in the world.

-Department of Religious Education, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

Denise Mannos & Kristi Landorf

Alex, Marianna, and Eliana

Maria Cummins

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic February, 2013 Page 5

band’s busy travel schedule, Maria is taking some timeoff from her elementary education teaching careerand focusing upon raising their son.

Being able to teach the first graders about our faithand watching the children eagerly learn are Mikayla’sand Maria’s favorite parts about teaching Sundayschool. It is a delight to have the students ask ques-tions, share their thoughts on our lessons, and grow inthe Orthodox faith.

Second Grade is taught by Chris Trivelas andKatie Sietsema.

Chris and his wife, Diane and their children,Nicholas and Alexandra, share the family home with apet rabbit and dog. Chris grew up in Charleston,South Carolina, serving the Altar and in the choir atHoly Trinity Church, as the son of Fr. NicholasTrivelas. Chris works with the United States TreasuryDepartment, but prefers time with his family and theirmany activities.

Katie Sietsema is the daughter of Diane and RoySietsema, and the sister of Kristin. Katie’s first memo-ry of Holy Apostles Church was her Chrismation atthe age of 5. She has great memories of SundaySchool and Adventure Theater, too. After completingher Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy at NorthernIllinois University, Katie became anearly childhood teacher and is nowteaching at the Pythagoras Children’sAcademy in Elmhurst. Her love ofteaching started when she began teach-ing Sunday School.

Chris and Katie agree that theirfavorite part of teaching is getting to seethe students almost every week. ForChris, it is particularly exciting to seestudents that were once sitting at a deskin his classroom now teaching otherchildren in the program.

Third Grade is taught by Bessieand Jim Pappas.

Bessie and Jim Pappas reside in OakBrook with their children, Fotis (20),Rigas (17) and Britney (9). Fotis is ajunior at Loyola University of Chicago,where he is studying Biology. Rigas is asenior at Hinsdale Central High School,a member of the varsity basketball teamand applying to colleges. Britney isenjoying school and loves spending timewith her brothers. Bessie taught elemen-tary school for several years, and setaside her teaching career to focus upon her growingfamily and to assist her husband with his growingbusiness. Jim is a CPA at his own accounting firm.Bessie and Jim, together with their partners, own andmanage Basil’s Greek Dining in Aurora.

Bessie and Jim, with the assistance of their chil-dren, teach Sunday School because they the love ourLord, and want to share this with the children.

Fourth Grade is taught by David Skoirchet.David and his wife, Carolyn, share their Brookfield

home with their pet budgie, Niko. Their 3 adult chil-dren are: Alexander, who is a graphic designer;Andrew, who is taking a year off before going into

medical school; and Georgia, who lives near Madison,Wisconsin and is very interested in sustainable farmingand local food distribu-tion. David is a seniordesigner for a powerengineering firm. Heworks on environmen-tal back fits to existingstations. He does sometraveling around thecountry and enjoys hiswork.

David loves teachingSunday School becauseof the children: 4thgraders are the perfectage to teach becausethey are no longer littlechildren and are oldenough to begin grasp-ing bigger concepts.

Editor’s note: Thisstory will be concluded in next’s month’s Mosaic.

Jim & Bessie Pappas

Katie Sietsema & Chris Trivelas

David Skoirchet

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic February, 2013 Page 6

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church Mosaic February, 2013 Page 7

Registry

Sophia, daughter of Elias and Elaina KalantzisSponsor: Anthi Katsouli

Alexia, daughter of Michael and Ada Nezgoda

Sponsors: Dena and Jimmy Visvardis

Charlie, son of Jason and Danielle Reuterskiold

Sponsors: Andrew Pratt and Melissa Stopka

None

Baptisms

Weddings

Epiphany and Vasilopita celebratedFather Bill and Father Nicholas bless Holy Water for Epiphany.

Father Bill, assisted by Father Nicholas, cuts this year’s Vasilopita bread for distribution torepresentatives of parish organizations.

Fr. Bill bless-es the con-gregation,near left, andFr. Nicholasgives HolyWater to theyoungfaithful.

Photos by

Peter Bell

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NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBELLWOOD, IL.

PERMIT NO. 157

Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church2501 S. Wolf Rd.Westchester, Il. 60154(708) 562-2744

Address Service Requested

Postmaster: Please deliver by the 3rd of February

Start the year and jointhe many volunteers whohost our weekly coffee fel-lowship hour following theDivine Liturgy.

You will find the volun-teer clipboard in themulti-purpose room oryou can call the office andmake arrangements.

Volunteers are neededfor the months of Februaryand March.

Mosaic DeadlineThe March Mosaic deadline is Wednesday, February 6.

Ionian Village 2013 Registration Now Open

Summer camping ministry of theGreat Archdiocese of America, is nowaccepting registrations for its summer2013 programs. Ionian Village offerstwo camping sessions. For more infor-mation, visit www.ionianvillage.org.

Greeks Got TalentThe second annual Greeks Got Talentshow is scheduled to take place onSaturday, February 23 at St. John theBaptist Church in Des Plaines. Moreinformation is available at the churchoffice.

Saturday, February 28:00am Orthros

9:00am Divine Liturgy

Weekday ServicesFellowship HourPresentation of Our LordAnastasia Georgiou

Betty TomarasPeter TomarasGeorge Zekios

Angeline ZekiosPeter Zekios

Thomas ManolisDimitra ManolisAthena Manolis

Dorothea ManolisNicholas Karris

Nicholas PapadakisGeorge Adams

Lambrine AdamsLouis Adams

Thomas KafkesAntigone KafkesGregory Kafkes

Chrysanthe SotirasNicholas Papadakis

Kathryn KarrisDemi Regas

Memorials

Funerals