Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!
What a beautiful Holy Week and Pascha we have just had! His Grace Bishop Anthimos of Olympos blessed us with his presence and shared with us the joy and true meaning of the beautiful services we celebrated. The memories of this joyous Paschal Season are truly wonderful and it is fitting that we ended our celebration with His Grace at our Paschal picnic in a beautiful outdoor setting truly made by God---- gorgeous sunshine, river, grass, trees, birds, and a mild breeze.
The picnic was complete with traditional lamb, spanakopita, roasts, kielbasa, potatoes, cheeses, salads, BBQ, and many beautiful traditional breads and desserts. “Thank-you” to Odeta Qafoku for making the arrangements for the park and Easter egg hunt. “Thank-you” also goes to His Grace for paying for the rental location. His Grace said he enjoyed the picnic immensely. May God Grant Him Many Years and return him to us often!
Remodeling Receives Go-Ahead
After meeting with the Parish Council to hear about the plans and ask some questions regarding enlarging the seating capacity of the church, Bishop Anthimos, acting on behalf of Metropolitan Geramisos, gave the Blessing to go forward with the plan for renovation. On the Monday following Pascha, a contract was signed with Robert’s Construction to proceed with the remodeling. You will be kept updated on the progress. It will take several weeks to get the required plans and permits required by the City of Pasco to begin the project. Pray that the renovation will proceed quickly, safely, smoothly, and within cost.
“Thank-you” to Church Readers
A warm “thank-you” to Readers Stephen Bodnarchuk and Eddie Manthos for celebrating daily Holy Week services with Bishop Anthimos, Deacon Tim, and us. Your participation enhanced our appreciation of the services held during this week in celebrating the true glory of Christ’s resurrection.
Another “Thank-You”
“Thank-you” to the ladies of the parish who got involved in all of the preparations for Holy Week; several cleaned and others decorated the church and Epitaphios and generally made sure everything was in order.
Constantine and Helena
On Sunday, May 21, we commemorate The Holy Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena. Constantine’s parents were Emperor Constantius Chlorus and Empress Helena. Chlorus had other children by another wife, but from Helena he had only Constantine. After his coronation, Constantine fought three great battles: the first against Maxentius, a Roman tyrant; the second against the Scythians on the Danube; and the third against the Byzantines. Before the battle with Maxentius, while Constantine was greatly concerned and doubtful of his success, a brilliant Cross appeared to him in the sky during the day, adorned with stars. Written on the Cross were the words: “By this Sign Conquer.” Astonished, the emperor ordered a large cross to be forged, like the one that had appeared, and that it be carried before the army into battle. By the power of the Cross he achieved a glorious victory over the enemy, which was greatly superior in number. Maxentius drowned in the Tiber River. Immediately after this, in the year 313, Constantine issued the famous Edict of Milan to halt the persecution of Christians. Defeating the Byzantines, Constantine built a beautiful capital on the Bosphorus, which from that time was called Constantinople. Before this, however, Constantine fell ill with the dreaded disease of leprosy. As a cure, the pagan priests and physicians counseled him to bathe in the blood of slaughtered children. However, he rejected that. Then the Apostles Peter and Paul appeared to him and told him to seek out Bishop Sylvester, who would cure him of this dreaded disease. The bishop instructed him in the Christian Faith and baptized him and the disease of leprosy vanished from the emperor’s body. When a discord began in the church because of the mutinous heretic Arias, the emperor convened the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, at which the Arian heresy was condemned and Orthodoxy confirmed. St. Helena, the pious mother of the emperor, was very zealous for the Faith of Christ. She visited Jerusalem, discovered the Honorable Cross of the Lord, and built the Church of the Resurrection on Golgotha, as well as many other churches throughout the Holy Land. This holy woman presented herself to the Lord in her eightieth year, in 327. Emperor Constantine outlived his mother by ten years. He reposed in Nicomedia in his sixty-fifth year in 337. His body is interred in the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Constantinople.
John the Baptist
On Thursday, May 25, we commemorate The Third Finding of the Head of John the Baptist. In the eighth century, during the bitter violence of iconoclasm, the head of St. John was brought to Comana, the place of exile of St. John Chrysostom. When iconoclasm ended in the year 850 during the time of Emperor Michael and the Patriarch Ignatius, the honorable head of St. John was transferred to Constantinople and there was placed in the Chapel of the Imperial Court.
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Excerpts were taken from the book by St. Nikolai Velimirovic entitled, The Prologue of Ohrid, Lives of Saints, Hymns, Reflections and Homilies for Every Day of the Year.
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Prosforon
May 14 ---------- Manthos
May 28 ----------- Droppo
Thank-You Eddie and Tammy!
05/07 -- Black & Shapley & Pinkston
05/14 -- Touvannas & Gorelco & ???
05/21 -- Read & Wytko & ???
05/28 -- Barlow & Qafoku & ???
Juice Packets = . Black & ???
Soda = Shapley & ???
Water = Shapley & ???
CLERGY
Father Michael Dunaway (509) 773-4057
Father Deacon Timothy Read (509) 301-3612
PARISH COUNCIL
President - Maria Touvannas (509) 585-6066
V. President/Co-Treasurer - Jim Shapley Secretary - Tammy Droppo
Co-Treasurer - Niko Qafoku
Member - Stephen Bodnarchuk
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ST. NECTARIOS GREEK ORTHODOX
MISSION CHURCH
627 W. Bonneville St.
P.O. Box 1161
Pasco, WA 99301-1161
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