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Annunciation Cathedral
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| September 2004 Herald San Francisco, CA | event calendar announcements main index |
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San Francisco See below for more information or visit www.sfgreekfoodfestival.org METROPOLITAN ANTHONY ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT After 25 years as our Bishop, Metropolitan Anthony has decided to retire next year, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. He will have served the Metropolis of San Francisco for 26 years as its Chief Shepherd. In a recent letter to the Faithful of the Metropolis, His Eminence writes: By the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation...(I Corinthians 3:10) Twenty-five years ago today, on June 7, 1979, I was enthroned as the first bishop of the newly-created Diocese of San Francisco. Since that time, as St. Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, I have endeavored to “lay a foundation,” laboring together with many co-workers to develop a diocesan structure with ministries and institutions corresponding to the needs of the faithful of this region. And by the grace of God, we have accomplished much in this regard. Now, after long and prayerful consideration, I have arrived at the conclusion that the time has come for me to give place to others, who will build upon the foundation that we have laid. I am therefore writing to formally announce that I will retire as Metropolitan of San Francisco and as your bishop by the end of the year 2005. In Psalm 77, we read, “Now I have made a beginning; this transformation is from the right hand of the Most High.” Indeed, this is all that anyone can hope to do: to make a beginning. Until the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, nothing is ever truly completed, nothing ever comes to an end. All we can do is to make a beginning, to lay a foundation, knowing that it is the Lord’s hand that takes our temporal efforts and transforms them in the eternal light of His Kingdom. As we conclude the Pentecostal season, it is perhaps also appropriate to echo the words of Christ regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit, “I will not leave you orphans (John 14:18). The Holy Spirit, who ever directs the course of the Church’s life, will most certainly be present to guide the process of choosing a successor with the vision and gifts necessary to carry on the work that we have begun. Over the next year, there will be a number of events in celebration of my twenty-five years of ministry in this Metropolis. These regional celebrations will give us an opportunity to be together, so that I can see all of you and bid farewell in person. More information regarding these events will be forthcoming shortly. With deep gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve Him as your bishop over these past twenty-five years, I invoke my arch-pastoral blessing upon you all and remain, With Paternal Love, Note: We will be apprised of the celebratory events mentioned in His Eminence’s letter, to enable everyone’s participation. Meanwhile, the final gala banquet is scheduled to be held in the Korinthias Hall of the Annunciation Cathedral in October, 2005. May God grant Metropolitan Anthony many years. Eis polla eti, Despota! NICK
RALLY NAMED FATHER OF THE YEAR Nicholas James Rally was born on May 22, 1967 at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco. He is the youngest of three sons born to Demetrius and Eleni Rally. Nick attended grammar school at Holy Trinity School in San Francisco. From there, he received a full soccer scholarship to St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco where he graduated with awards in math and engineering. Nick went on to UC Berkeley and received his degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1990. During his last year at UC Berkeley, Nick worked as a co-op at Altera Corporation, a semiconductor company in Santa Clara. Nick is currently the Manager of Hardware/Software at Altera. In 1997, Nick earned his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Santa Clara. In 1991, at a Greek Food Festival, Nick met his wife, Patty. They were married in 1995 at the Ascension Cathedral in Oakland. They have three children, Eleni, Dimitri and Katerina. Throughout Nick’s childhood, the church was the foundation of his activities. Besides attending school at the Greek church, Nick was very involved in the youth programs at Annunciation Cathedral such as basketball, GOYA, Boys Scouts, summer camp, Sunday School, and serving as an altar boy which he enjoyed tremendously. In 1999, Nick became a member of the Parish Council of the Cathedral and has been Treasurer for the past few years. He has chaired events, such as the New Year’s Eve Gala and has enjoyed devoting time to the Cathedral in any way he can. Axios! FATHER PAUL SCHROEDER RETURNS TO THE CATHEDRAL As of September 1st, Father Paul Schroeder, who served the Cathedral as Deacon while he worked at the Metropolis Office as Chancellor, assumes duties at the Metropolis Office, and will serve the Cathedral as a Priest. Details are being worked out as to his exact duties, both at the Metropolis and at the Cathedral, but here they are likely to include Bible Study, Catechism for Adults, the Herald, teaching in the Sunday School, service at the Altar, and work with youth groups, including GOYA and YAL. Father Stephen, Father Gregory, and Father Paul will meet soon to discuss a main focus of the clergy and of the Cathedral--that of outreach. Meanwhile, we welcome Father Paul and his family back to San Francisco and to the Cathedral family. BEYOND FINANCIAL SUPPORT: THE TIME AND TALENTS OF STEWARDSHIP (Excerpted from our brochure, entitled Annunciation Cathedral Stewardship, which is mailed out along with pledge cards): Stewardship extends far beyond dollars and cents; it calls for your time and talents, as well. How can you volunteer your time and talents to become an active steward of our Church community? **Is the welfare of our youth important to you? Consider teaching
Sunday School, coaching a basketball team, advising our JOY,
GOYA and YAL groups, becoming
a Summer Camp counselor. WELCOME TO FATHER MICHAEL PAPPAS AND HIS FAMILY Father Stephen and Father Michael have met on several occasions, including funeral services both at Holy Trinity and at the Annunciation, and have discussed ways in which both parishes can work together in the service of the Lord and His Church. We welcome Father Michael and his family to San Francisco and wish him well in the ministry entrusted to him. PHILOPTOCHOS 2004 EVENTS TO GO For your information, our Philoptochos lists its calendar of events from now until the end of 2004:
A CLEANER CENTER As you return to the Annunciation, for services and for the many activities which resume in September, you will notice how much cleaner everything is around here. That’s because the Center has recently received a fresh coat of paint. In addition, the gym/center floor has been completely reconditioned and resurfaced (complete with new, blue and gold striping--our team colors), at a cost of $16,675. (This major treatment of the floor takes place about every three years. In the interim, the floor is given a lighter treatment, at an annual cost of about $4,800.) In addition, all five gallery doors have been refurbished, at a cost of $10,732. (The doors had all been broken over the last ten years of use: in many cases, entire parts had to be replaced, as were all the locking mechanisms and supports.) It’s a steep price, but it is all work that had to be done. You will also notice a number of other projects around the Cathedral: the repainting of the parking lot fence along Valencia Street, flowers everywhere, the fully operational showers and locker rooms (all the painting and cleaning by our GOYA), and the clean, graffiti-less Steven Street alley. The latter is the result of a concerted effort on the part of the Cathedral, the Waldorf High School and the Neighborhood Association. Now it is time for us to pay attention to the replacement of the chapel chairs (we have hardly a chair where the stuffing is not coming out), the refurbishing of the tower bell (so that it rings), and painting the exterior of the buildings, not to mention resurfacing of the second floor walkway, all as we continue with plans to define and articulate Phase II (that’s developing parking and building a church to meet our needs). Your assistance and support are appreciated as you do your part (even if it means picking up a dropped cookie, or a piece of paper) to help maintain our beautiful facility. HISTORICAL ARCHIVE UPDATE In the last issue of the Herald there was an article that mentioned
that an historical archive was being created covering the Cathedral's
history on our web site (annunciation.org). Work is progressing at a
rapid pace. Eventually, the archive will consist of: Jim Loukas, our web master, is responsible for the above. We are grateful to his bringing the history of the Greek community in general, and of the Annunciation Cathedral, in particular, to light. The archive will take some time to complete; it will be a monumental contribution, when it is complete. Meanwhile, we invite you to log onto annunciation.org and take a look at our site; view our history as our archive is developed. FESTIVAL 2004...OUR BIGGEST GATHERING As you can readily infer from the front cover, our biggest gathering of people--our Food Festival--is just weeks away. We are hard at work. Meetings are taking place. Volunteers are being enlisted. The souvenir book has gone to press. People are stepping up to the plate in response to the recent mailing. As you have heard
and seen, we have a number of features that are new this year: The dates and times are: For more information, please call 415 864-0000 or visit www.sfgreekfoodfestival.org. We wish to acknowledge the generosity of the following Festival underwriters
and sponsors:
Please call Tessie Obester, Festival Chairman, to indicate your desire to donate one of the above items. She can be reached by calling the Cathedral on Thursdays, 415 864-8000. Or, if you call on another day, please leave word with Mariam Arsinoos and she will get word to Tessie. If you feel like being more ambitious, and more generous, you can always underwrite the entire Taverna. We estimate that all of the drinks sold through the Taverna will be $7,000. However you can help - by volunteering, by donating, or both, or just wishing the Festival well - know that your efforts are greatly appreciated by all. YOU ARE INVITED TO COME RECEIVE THE LIGHT SUPPORT DINNER On Thursday, November 30, beginning at 6 p.m., the Nativity of Christ Church, located at 1110 Dickson Drive, Ignacio (Novato), will host a dinner, to which you are invited --free of charge-- to support the Orthodox radio ministry in our area. Each week Come Receive the Light, a national Orthodox Christian radio program, is aired on KDIA AM 1640, Saturdays at 8:30 AM and Sundays at 1:30 PM, as well as on the worldwide web, at www.receive.org. For additional information about the dinner, please call 415 883-1998. For additional information about the Orthodox Christian Network, call 877-273-2348. YOUNG ADULTS TO GATHER IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Renew friendships and create new ones with young adults from all over the country! All events are open to individuals 18 and older! Join us for a memorable event over Veteran's Day Weekend! Meet the author of "A Guide To Greek Traditions And Customs In America." The Hotel is the Marriott at Metro Center. Make your reservations today! Call the Marriott at 202 737-2200. Ask for the "YOUNG ADULT LEAGUE" rate.. ONLY $99 each night! (Make sure you book by October 29th to get the $99 rate!) ** You may also want to check the internet for good rates as well! HAPS OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS The Hellenic American Professional Society of Northern California invites young people, ages 17-25, the opportunity of applying for one of three one-time scholarships in the amount of $750. Applications may be obtained, prior to October 15, through George P. Mattis at geomattis1@aol.com. AND MORE RETIREMENT After 57 years in the hair-dressing business, “Troy the Greek gives the last snip.” So began an article in The Examiner (May 28-30 issue). For years, Troy Preovolos, a life-long member of the Annunciation Cathedral, has been a fixture along West Portal--nearly 40 years in the same place. Hailed as generous and dapper, Troy has been an invaluable worker on many of Annunciation Cathedral’s galas in the past. God bless you on your retirement, Troy. Good health and happiness! RECENT SERVICES AT THE CATHEDRAL BAPTISMS FUNERALS WRITINGS FROM THE PHILOKALIA “We do not know God from His essence. We know Him rather from the grandeur of His creation and from His providential care for all creatures. For through these, as though they were mirrors, we may attain insight into His infinite goodness, wisdom and power. The pure intellect
is occupied either with passion-free conceptual images of human affairs,
or with
the natural contemplation of things visible
or invisible, or with the light of the Holy Trinity. When the intellect is absorbed in the contemplation of things invisible, it seeks their natural principles, the cause of their generation and whatever follows from this, as well as the providential order and judgment which relates to them. When the intellect is established in God, it, at first, ardently longs to discover the principles of His essence. But God’s inmost nature does not admit of such investigation, which is indeed beyond the capacity of everything created. The qualities that appertain to His nature, however, are accessible to the intellect’s longing: I mean the qualities of eternity, infinity, indeterminateness, goodness, wisdom, and the power of creating, preserving and jugding creatures. Yet of these, only infinity may be grasped fully; and the very fact of knowing nothing is knowledge surpassing the intellect, as the theologians Gregory of Nazianzos and Dionysios have said.” (From Maximos the Confessor’s “First Century on Love.”) Maximos lived from 580 to 662 A.D. The fact that no other writer is assigned so much space in the Philokalia (a compendium of excerpts from the writings of the Fathers), indicates his importance for the Orthodox spiritual tradition. He became a monk at the monastery of Philippikos in Chrysopolis, close to Constantinople and then moved to another monastery at Cyzikos. At the time of the Persian invasion in 626, he fled to Crete and eventually to Africa, where he remained for some years. He played a leading part in opposing the heresy of Monothelitism (i.e. that Jesus Christ had but a single will). Orthodoxy teaches that since Jesus Christ is both God and man, he possesses a divine nature as well as a human nature, and also a divine will as well as a human will. Maximos the Confessor is remembered on January 21 and also on the day of his death, August 13. SEPTEMBER DATES
September
2004 Herald |
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