St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church Canton, Ohio Dormition of the Theotokos August 15 July & August 2015 SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH • 251 - 25th ST. N.W. • CANTON, OH 44709 2015 PARISH ADMINISTRATORS OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Friday • 9:00 am-3:00 pm EMAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 330-454-7278 • FAX: 330-454-0099 WEBSITE: www.stharalambos.com CLERGY REV. PROTOPRESBYTER NICHOLAS V. GAMVAS, D.MIN., PH.D., IERATIKOS, PROISTAMENOS PHONE: 330-454-2443 • CELL: 330-685-5030 EMAIL: [email protected] REV. DEACON DR. KYRIACOS J. SHIEPIS, D.C. OFFICE: 330-453-7733 • CELL: 330-324-3067 EMAIL: [email protected] PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESIDENT: SIA L. POPE TREASURER: STEVE DIAMANT SECRETARY: RENA COTOPOLIS VICE PRESIDENT: MIKE PAXOS ASST.TREASURER: RON A. DARRAH ASST.SECRETARY: DR. WILLIAM SKENDELAS MEMBERS: VINCE ARRIGO, MICHAEL FAKELIS, DAVID HALLAMAN, PETER PAPADOPULOS PHILIP STAVRIANOU, GEORGIA ZENALLIS, DR. ERICK ZOUMBERAKIS OFFICE STAFF CHURCH STAFF SECRETARY: ALEXANDRA TANK CHOIR DIRECTOR: DR. ALEX CHRIST EMAIL: [email protected] SUBDEACON: BILL POULOS, JR. PROJECT MANAGER: STEPHANIE WITHERS SEXTON: DEAN DARRAH EMAIL: [email protected] PROTOPSALTI: PETROS GAITANOS CUSTODIAN: JOHN SAKELLARIOU CHANTORS: JOHN C. KELLAMIS THOMAS A. CAZANTZES MICHAEL A. LAZORAN PARISH ORGANIZATIONS GOYA: LINDA NATALE SUNDAY SCHOOL: MARY GRIVEAS JOY: DR. MICHELLE FRANGOS, DESPINA MORGAN, GREEK SCHOOL: DENNIS TZOULOUFIS PHAIDRA SOTIROPOULOS PHILOPTOCHOS: MARY TRIFELOS YAL: BILL POULOS, III MEN’S CLUB: PETER PAPADOPULOS HELLENIC DANCERS: ELENI PAXOS SILVER LINERS: KATHY DIERINGER AGIA MARKELLA: ELENI PAXOS BOOKSTORE: HELEN MEDER KNOSSOS: MARIA BOURLAS FRAN ARMATAS DIANE FORADAS AHEPA: PAUL KOSKOVICH FUNERAL & MAKARIA: PAULA MACRIS DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE: LINDA NATALE ANN SIMATACOLOS MAIDS OF ATHENA: DAWNA NATALE RENA COTOPOLIS SONS OF PERCLES: ANTHONY M. ANTONIADES St. Haralambos Church President’s Report DEAR FRIENDS, "A GREAT BIG THANK YOU" TO ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED WITH THE PREPARATIONS AND TO THOSE WHO WORKED FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO MAKE OUR CANTON GREEK FEST AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS! IF YOU DID NOT HELP OR ATTEND THIS YEAR YOU MISSED A VERY SPECIAL EVENT. NEXT YEAR YOU MUST JOIN US! THE GREEK FEST COMMITTEE MADE SEVERAL CHANGES LAST YEAR WHICH IMPROVED THE GREEK FEST. THIS YEAR THEY REFINED IT AND ADDED TO LAST YEAR'S SUCCESS TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER. OUR GROSS THIS YEAR IS AROUND $160,000. AFTER ALL THE EXPENSES ARE PAID, THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE IN THE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ISSUE OF THE “KOINONIA.” OUR CO-CHAIRMAN, MIKE FAKELIS, MIKE PAXOS AND PETER PAPADOPULOS DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF THE CANTON GREEK FEST. MANY THANKS TO GEORGIA PAXOS IN UTILIZIING HER TALENTS AND EXPERTISE IN ARRANGING FOR THE RADIO, NEWSPAPER, BROCHURES AND YARD SIGNS. THEY WERE A TREMENDOUS HELP IN BRINGING ATTENDANTS TO OUR EVENT. OF COURSE, MUCH OF THE SUCCESS OF OUR GREEK FEST IS THE DELICIOUS FOOD AND PASTRIES THAT PEOPLE COME YEAR AFTER YEAR TO ENJOY. THANK YOU TO THE KITCHEN WORKERS, GOLDIE MANOS AND ALL OF THE PASTRY GROUPS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU NOTICE ALL OUR GRADUATES IN THIS KOINONIA AND BE SURE TO CONGRATULATE THEM FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND WISH THEM SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE. WE ARE ALL PROUD OF OUR YOUTH FOR THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF OUR ORTHODOX CHURCH. SHORTLY BEFORE THE GREEK FEST, I SENT OUT AN APPEAL TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT TURNED IN THEIR 2015 PLEDGE. TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ALREADY RESPONDED THANK YOU! IF YOU HAVE NOT AS YET, PLEASE DO! WISHING YOU A RELAXING, SAFE, HAPPY AND HEALTHY SUMMER AND DON'T FORGET, OUR ST. HARALAMBOS CHURCH IS OPEN ALL SUMMER, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON SUNDAYS. WITH LOVE AND GOD'S BLESSINGS TO ALL, SIA POPE CONGRATULATIONS CANTON GREEK FEST CHAIRMEN! MIKE FAKELIS, PETER PAPADOPULOS, & MIKE PAXOS Koinonia July & August 2015 3 JJUULYL 2Y01 52 0 0 8 ST. HARALAMBOS CHURCH SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 OFFICE CLOSED 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 9:00 †5th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW †1 yr. CATHERINE RUTTER 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9:00 †6th SUNDAY 6:30 PARISH 6:00 KRASSAS OF MATTHEW COUNCIL MTG. CATERING EVENT HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 9:00 †SUNDAY OF 9:00 †ELIAS THE 6:30 GR. VESPERS 9:00 3:00 TRI-ROOM THE HOLY FATHERS PROPHET †ST. MARKELLA †ST. MARKELLA RENTAL †MARY MAGDALENE †MARY 6:00 CATERING MAGDALENE EVENT - KRASSAS 26 27 28 29 30 31 9:00 †8th SUNDAY 9:00 †ST. OF MATTHEW PANTELEIMON COFFEE HOUR - PHILOPTOCHOS AUGUST 2015 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 †DORMITION MAY YOU ENJOY A BLESSED, HAPPY SUMMER! FAST BEGINS 6:00 CATERING EVENT KRASSAS 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9:00 †9th SUNDAY 6:30 †PARAKLESIS 6:30 tGREAT 9:00 †HOLY 6:30 †PARAKLESIS O †4F0 MdAayT TNHAENWC Y 6B:O30A RPHDI LMOEPETTOINCGH OS TVREASPNESRFISG UHROALTYI ON T 6:R0A0N CSAFTIGEURRINAGTI ON NICOLADOS EVENT KRASSAS 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 9:00 †10th SUNDAY 6:30 †PARAKLESIS 6:30 †PARAKLESIS 5:30 COACHES 6:30 †GR. VESPERS 9:00 †DORMITION OF MATTHEW FOOTBALL DORMITION OF THE OF THE KOINONIA DEADLINE PREVIEW/DINNER THEOTOKOS THEOTOKOS SEPT. & OCT. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 9:00 †11th SUNDAY 6:30 PARISH 3:00 OF MATTHEW COUNCIL MTG. †SACRAMENT 5:00 CATERING EVENT KRASSAS 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 9:00 †12th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW 30 31 9:00 †13th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW 4 Koinonia July & August 2015 LITURGICAL CALENDAR JULY & AUGUST JULY 5 SUNDAY 5TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -       9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy. JULY 12 SUNDAY 6TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -      8:30 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh officiating. Coffee Hour to follow, everyone invited! JULY 19 SUNDAY SUNDAY OF THE HOLY FATHERS -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m.- Divine Liturgy JULY 20 MONDAY ELIAS THE PROPHET -      9:00 a.m. - Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy. JULY 21 TUESDAY GREAT VESPERS - ST. MARY MAGDALENE & ST. MARKELLA  6:30 p.m. - Great Vespers. Guest Preacher - Rev. Dn. Orestes Varonis. JULY 22 WEDNESDAY ST. MARY MAGDALENE -  ST. MARKELLA OF CHIOS -  9:00 a.m.- Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy. Guest Preacher-Rev. Dn. Orestes Varonis. JULY 26 SUNDAY ST. PARASKEVI - 8TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -   9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m.- Divine Liturgy JULY 27 MONDAY ST. PANTELEIMON 9:00 a.m. - Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy. AUGUST 2 SUNDAY 9TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy AUGUST 3 MONDAY PARAKLESIS -  - 6:30 p.m. AUGUST 5 WEDNESDAY GREAT VESPERS - HOLY TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD     6:30 p.m. - Great Vespers.  AUGUST 6 THURSDAY TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy. AUGUST 7 FRIDAY PARAKLESIS - - 6:30 p.m. AUGUST 9 SUNDAY 10TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy. AUGUST 10 MONDAY PARAKLESIS - - 6:30 p.m. AUGUST 12 WEDNESDAY PARAKLESIS - - 6:30 p.m. AUGUST 14 FRIDAY GREAT VESPERS - DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS     6:30 p.m. - Great Vespers.  AUGUST 15 SATURDAY DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS - H      9:00 a.m. - Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy.  AUGUST 16 SUNDAY 11TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy.  AUGUST 23 SUNDAY 12TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy. (Fr. Basil Shaheen-Sub.) AUGUST 30 SUNDAY 13TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW -  9:00 a.m. - Orthros. 10:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy. (Fr. Basil Shaheen-Sub.) Koinonia July & August 2015 5 O Γέρων Παΐσιος (κατά κόσμον Αρσένιος Εζνεπίδης) 12 Ιουλίου Ο Γέρων Παΐσιος γεννήθηκε στα Φάρασα της Καππαδοκίας, στη Μικρά Ασία, στις 25 Ιουλίου του 1924. O Γέροντας Παΐσιος «κοιμήθηκε» την Τρίτη 12 Ιουλίου 1994 και ώρα 11:00. Ενταφιάστηκε στο Ιερό Ησυχαστήριο του Αγίου Ιωάννη του Θεολόγου στη Σουρωτή Θεσσαλονίκης. Έκτοτε, κάθε χρόνο στις 11 προς 12 Ιουλίου, στην επέτειο κοιμήσεως του Γέροντος, τελείται αγρυπνία στο Ιερό Ησυχαστήριο, με συμμετοχή χιλιάδων πιστών. Η φήμη του ως αγίου στο ορθόδοξο ποίμνιο είναι μεγάλη, λόγω της προσωπικότητάς του και του πλήθους των μαρτυριών από ανθρώπους ορθόδοξων πιστών και μη, για χαρίσματα που διέθετε (προφητικό χάρισμα ή θεραπευτικό κλπ). Ο σεβ. Μητροπολίτης Ναυπάκτου κ.κ. Ιερόθεος Βλάχος, έχει προτείνει την κατάταξη του στα δίπτυχα της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας ως αγίου. Ο Γέρων Παΐσιος ήταν ένας πολύ απλός άνθρωπος, ο οποίος πίστευε στο λόγο του Ευαγγελίου, κάνοντας τρόπο ζωής τον μοναστικό βίο και τις διδαχές της ορθόδοξης ασκητικής παράδοσης. Οι εγκύκλιες γνώσεις του περιορίζονταν στο επίπεδο του δημοτικού. Παρ' όλα αυτά ξεχώριζε για την «χαριτωμένη» απλότητά του και την έντονη αγωνία που τον διακατείχε για την βοήθεια των συνανθρώπων του, που αναζητούσαν ένα πνευματικό καθοδηγητή. Ο ίδιος αποτελούσε παράδειγμα ανθρώπου αφιερωμένου στον Θεό, αφαιρώντας τις προσωπικές επιδιώξεις και τα προσωπικά θελήματα. Η υπακοή, η άσκηση, η ταπείνωση, η ευσέβεια, το φιλότιμο και πάνω από όλα η αγάπη και η μακροθυμία, αποτελούσαν τρόπο ζωής για τον ίδιο, αλλά και διδαχές για όσους αποζητούσαν ένα λόγο παρηγοριάς ή κάποια επίλυση προσωπικού προβλήματος. Ανέφερε διαρκώς πως αν ο άνθρωπος θέλει να ομοιάσει στους Αγίους πρέπει να εφαρμόζει την Θεία δικαιοσύνη και όχι την ανθρώπινη. Η ανθρώπινη δικαιοσύνη κατά τον Γέροντα είναι τυφλή και υπάρχει για να αποτρέπει τους κακούς και πονηρούς ανθρώπους. Η Θεία δικαιοσύνη όμως στοχεύει να εξυπηρετεί τον αδύναμο άνθρωπο και αυτούς που έχουν ανάγκη. Όταν εφαρμόζουμε την Θεϊκή δικαιοσύνη τότε αποφεύγουμε τις έριδες, τις κατακρίσεις και τις διαφορές με τους συνανθρώπους μας. Η ταπείνωση για το γέροντα ήταν το θεμελιώδες στοιχείο της σωτηρίας του ανθρώπου και γενικότερα το στοιχείο το οποίο επιφέρει τις καλές σχέσεις μεταξύ των ανθρώπων. Ανέφερε μάλιστα ότι ο Θεός «αδυνατεί» να βοηθήσει όταν ο άνθρωπος δεν ταπεινώνεται και προσπαθεί τότε με κάθε τρόπο να επιφέρει την ταπείνωση, μέσω των παθών. Χωρίς ταπείνωση, συνέχιζε, δεν επέρχεται η Θεία Χάρις, κλείνουμε την καρδιά μας από το Χριστό και ότι αρχικά «κερδίζουμε» γρήγορα το ξαναχάνουμε. Ο Γέροντας πραγματοποίησε και αρκετές προφητείες. Δυστυχώς όμως πολλοί καπηλεύτηκαν τις διδαχές του γέροντος, λέγοντας πολλά πράγματα, είτε για ίδιον όφελος, είτε για εθνικά φρονήματα, που ο ίδιος ποτέ δεν ενέφερε, κάτι που τον λυπούσε ενώ ήταν ήδη εν ζωή. Οι περισσότερες από αυτές αφορούσαν τα τεκταινόμενα που έχουν να κάνουν με την Κωνσταντινούπολη, επεξηγήσεις πάνω στις προφητείες του Κοσμά του Αιτωλού αλλά και περί Αντιχρίστου. 6 Koinonia July & August 2015 SAINT PAISIOS OF MT. ATHOS JULY 12 Arsenios Eznepidis (Saint Paisios) was born on July 25, 1924, to pious parents in the town of Farasa, Cappadocia of Asia Minor, shortly before the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922. Arsenios' name was given to him by St. Arsenios the Cappadocian, who baptized him, named the child for himself and foretold Arsenios' monastic future. Very shortly after his baptism the young Arsenios and his family were forced to leave Asia Minor in accordance the peace Treaty of Lausanne. St. Arsenios guided his flock along a 400-mile trek to Greece. The Eznepidis family finally settled in the town of Konitsa in Epirus in northwestern Greece. As he had prophesied, St. Arsen- ios reposed forty days after the group settled in Greece, leaving, as his spiritual heir, the infant Arsenios. Arsenios grew up in Konitsa and learned carpentry after completing intermediate public school. He arrived on Mount Athos in 1950, first to Fr. Kyril, the future abbot of Koutloumousiou Monastery, and then to Esphigmenou Monastery. In 1954, Arsenios, having been a novice for four years, was tonsured a monk and was given the name Averkios. He was a conscientious monk, finding ways to both complete his obediences (which required contact with others) and to preserve his silence, so as to progress in the art of prayer. He was always selfless in helping his brethren. He was unwilling to rest while others worked (though he may have already completed his own obediences) as he loved his brothers greatly and without distinction. In addition to his ascetic struggles and the common life in the monastery, he was spiritually enriched through the reading of soul-profiting books. In particular, he read the lives of the Saints, the Gerontikon, and especially the Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian. Soon after his tonsure, monk Averkios left Esphigmenou and joined the then idiorhythmic brotherhood of Philotheou Monastery, where his uncle was a monk. He placed himself under obedience to the Elder Symeon, who gave him the Small Schema in 1956, with the new name Paisios. Fr. Paisios dwelt deeply on the thought that his own spiritual failures and lack of love were the cause of his neighbor's shortcomings, as well as of the world's ills. He harshly accused himself and pushed himself to greater self- denial and more fervent prayer for his soul and for the whole world. He also cultivated the habit of seeking the "good reason" for a potentially scandalous event and for people's actions. In this way he preserved himself from judging others. For example, pilgrims to Mt. Athos who had been scandalized by the strange behavior and stories told by a certain monk would when they met Elder Paisios, asked him what was wrong with the monk. He warned them not to judge others, and that this monk was actually virtuous and was simply pretending to be a fool when visitors would come, so as to preserve his silence. In 1958, Elder Paisios was asked to spend some time in and around his home village so as to support the faithful against the proselytism of Protestant groups. He greatly encouraged the faithful there, helping many people. Later, in 1962, he visited Sinai where he stayed for two years. During this time he became beloved of the Bedouins who benefited both spiritually as well as ma- terially from his presence. The Elder used the money he received from the sale of his carved wooden handicraft to buy them food. In 1968, he resided at the Monastery of Stavronikita helping with its spiritual as well as material renovation. While there he had the blessing of being in contact with the ascetic Elder Tikhon who lived in the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, near Stavronikita. Elder Paisios stayed by his side until his repose, serving him selflessly as his disciple. It was during this period that Elder Tikhon clothed Fr. Paisios in the Great Schema. According to the wishes of the Elder, Fr. Paisios remained in Elder Tikhon's hermitage after his repose. Fr. Paisios stayed there until 1979, when he moved to his final home on the Holy Mountain, the hermitage Panagouda, which belongs to the Monastery of Koutloumousiou. [3] It was at Panagouda that Elder Paisios' fame as a God bearing elder grew, drawing to him the sick and suffering people of God. He received them all day long, dedicating the night to God in prayer, vigil, and spiritual struggle. His regime of prayer and asceti- cism left him with only two or three hours each night for rest. The self-abandon with which he served God and his fellow man, his strictness with himself, the austerity of his regime, and his sensitive nature made him increasingly prone to sickness. In addition to respiratory problems, in his later days he suffered from a serious hernia that made life very painful. When he was forced to leave the Holy Mountain for various reasons (often due to his illnesses) he would receive pilgrims for hours on end at the women's monastery at Souroti. The physical effort which this entailed in his weakened state caused him such pain that he would turn pale. He bore his suffering with much grace, confident that, as God knows what is best for us, it could not be otherwise. He would say that God is greatly touched when someone who is in great suffering does not complain, but rather uses his energy to pray for others. Many books of his counsels have been published, and the monastery at Souroti has undertaken a great work, organizing the Elder's writings and counsels into impressive volumes befitting his memory. Thousands of pilgrims visit his tomb each year. Elder Paisios was glorified on January 13, 2015, by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is commemorated each year on July 12. Koinonia July & August 2015 7 SAINT MARY MAGDALENE JULY 22 "Equal to the Apostles” The Gospel tells us nothing about the youthful years of Mary, but tradition informs us, that Mary from Magdala was young, attractive, and came from a wealthy family. It says in the Gospels, that the Lord expelled seven evils from Mary --- the seven deadly sins common to us all. After which she began to lead a new life becoming a true disciple of the Savior and an example for all humanity. She was faithful to Christ not only in the days of His Glory, but also at the moment of His extreme humiliation and agony. As the Evangelist Matthew relates, "she was present at the burial of the Lord." Before her eyes Joseph and Nikodemos went out to the tomb with His lifeless body; before her eyes they covered over the entrance to the cave with a large stone, behind which went the Sun of Life. Faithful to the Law in which she was trained, Mary together with the other women stayed all the following day at rest, because it was the day of the Sabbath, coinciding with the Feast of Passover. But all the rest of the peaceful day the women succeeded in storing up aromatics, to go at dawn Sunday to the grave of the Lord and according to the custom of the Jews to anoint His body with funereal aromatics. The Evangelist Matthew writes, that the women came to the grave at dawn, or as the Evangelist Mark ex- presses, extremely early before the rising of the sun; the Evangelist John, as it were elaborating upon these, says that Mary came to the grave so early that it was still dark. Obviously, she waited impatiently for the end of night, but it was not daybreak when she, by herself, ran to where lay the body of her beloved Lord. Seeing the stone pushed away from the cave, she rushed away in fear to where dwelt the Apostles Peter and John. Hearing the strange message that the Lord was gone from the tomb, both Apostles ran to the tomb and, seeing the shroud and winding cloths, they were amazed. The Apostles went and told no one, but Mary stood about the entrance to the gloomy tomb and wept. Wanting proof that the tomb really was empty, she entered it -- and there a strange light suddenly shone upon her. She beheld two angels in white garments, one sitting at the head, the other at the foot, of where the Body of Jesus had once been placed. She then heard the question: "Woman, why weepest thou?" -- she answered them with the words which she had said to the Apostles: "They have taken my Lord, and I do not know, where they have put Him." Having said this, she turned around, and at that moment saw a figure standing near the grave, a man she did not immediately recognize. The man asked Mary: "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom dost thou seek?" She answered thinking that she was seeing the gardener and said: "Sir, if thou hast taken him, tell where thou hast put Him, and I will reclaim Him."But at that very moment she recognized the Lord's voice, a voice which was known from the day He healed her and she gave a joyful shout "Rabbi!" which means "Teacher." But at that very moment she recognized the Lord's voice, a voice which was known from the day He healed her and she gave a joyful shout "Rabbi!" which means "Teacher." 8 Koinonia July & August 2015 SAINT MARY MAGDALENE Continued Holy Scripture does not tell us about the life of Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection of Christ, but it is impossi- ble to doubt, that if in the terrifying moments of Christ's Crucifixion she was the foot of the cross, with His Mother and John, undoubtedly she stayed with them during the time after the Resurrection and Ascension. Thus, in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke writes: that all the Apostles with one mind stayed in prayer and sup- plication, with a certain women and Mary the Mother of Jesus and His brethren. Holy Tradition testifies, that when the Apostles departed from Jerusalem for preaching to all the ends of the earth, with them also went Mary Magdalene to preach. A daring woman, whose heart was full of reminiscence of the Resurrection, she went beyond her native borders and set off to preach in pagan Rome. And everywhere she went, she proclaimed to people about Christ and His Teaching, and when many did not believe that Christ is Risen, she repeated to them what she had said to the Apostles on the radiant morning of the Resurrection: "I have seen the Lord!" With this preaching she made the rounds of all Italy. Tradition relates, that in Italy Mary Magdalene visited the Emperor Tiberias (14-37 AD) and proclaimed to him about Christ's Resurrection. According to tradition, she took him an egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a sym- bol of new life with the words: "Christ is Risen!" Then she told Tiberias that, in his Province of Judea, Jesus the Nazarene, a holy man, a maker of miracles, powerful before God and all mankind, was executed on the instiga- tion of the Jewish High-Priests and the sentence affirmed by the procurator Pontius Pilate. Tiberias responded that no one could rise from the dead, anymore than the egg she held could turn red. Miraculously, the egg imme- diately began to turn red as testimony to her words. Then, and by her urging, Tiberias had Pilate removed from Jerusalem to Gaul, where he later suffered a horrible sickness and an agonizing death. From this, the miracle of Mary Magdalene, the custom to give each other paschal eggs on the day of the Lumi- nous Resurrection of Christ spread among Christians over all the world. On one ancient hand-written Greek written on parchment, kept in the monastery library of Saint Athanasias near Thessaloniki (Solunea), is an established prayer read on the day of Holy Pascha (Easter) for the blessing of eggs and cheese, in which it is indicated, that the (Abbot) in passing out the blessed eggs says to the brethren: "Thus have we received from the holy fathers, who preserved this custom from the very time of the holy apostles, wherefore the holy equal- unto-the-apostles Mary Magdalene first showed believers the example of this joyful offering." Mary Magdalene continued her preaching in Italy and in the city of Rome itself. Evidently, the Apostle Paul has precisely her in view in Romans 16:6, where together with other ascetics of evangelic preaching he mentions Mary (Mariam), who as he expresses "has done much for us." According to Church tradition, she remained in Rome until the arrival of the Apostle Paul, and for two more years still, following his departure from Rome after the first court judgment upon him. From Rome, Saint Mary Magda- lene, already bent with age, moved to Ephesus where unceasingly laboured the holy Apostle John, who with her wrote the first 20 Chapters of his Gospel (John 1-9, John 10-20). There the saint finished her earthly life and was buried. Her holy relics were transferred in the 9th Century to the capital of the Byzantine Empire -- Constantinople, and placed in the monastery Church of Saint Lazarus. In the era of the Crusader campaigns they were transferred to Italy and placed at Rome under the altar of the Lateran Cathedral. Part of the relics of Mary Magdalene are located in France near Marseilles, where a splendid church (Saint Maximum's Basilica) was built over them at the foot of a steep mountain in her honor. Amen. Koinonia July & August 2015 9  22 Η πολύαθλος και ένδοξος παρθενομάρτυς της Χίου Ανάμεσα στους πολυάριθμους Αγίους, που κοσμούν το τοπικό αγιολόγιο και τη μακρόχρονη εκκλησιαστική ιστορία του μυροβόλου νησιού της Χίου είναι και η Αγία παρθενομάρτυς Μαρκέλλα, που αποτελεί το ευλαβικό καύχημα των απανταχού της Γης Χίων και τον πολύτιμο πνευματικό θησαυρό για χιλιάδες προσκυνητές, που συρ ρέουν στον τόπο του μαρτυρίου της για να αποδώσουν τον οφειλόμενο σεβασμό στο μεγαλείο και τον ηρωισμό της, αλλά και για να ζητήσουν τη θαυματουργική της χά ρη για την επίλυση σωματικών και ψυχικών ασθενειών. Η Αγία Μαρκέλλα γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε στη Βολισσό, στο ιστορικό αυτό κεφα λοχώρι της βορειοδυτικής Χίου. Για τον χρόνο της γέννησης, της ζωής και του μαρτυρίου της Αγίας υπάρχει σύγχυση και ασάφεια μεταξύ των βιογράφων. Σύμφωνα με τον βιογράφο της, Όσιο Νικηφόρο τον Χίο, η Αγία Μαρκέλλα έζησε και ήκμασε περί το 1500. Ο πατέρας της ήταν ειδωλολάτρης και η χριστιανή μητέρα της απεβίωσε σε νεαρά ηλικία. Η Μαρκέλλα δια κρίθηκε από νωρίς για τη βαθιά της πίστη και αγάπη στον Χριστό, την καλοσύνη και αγνότητά της, τη σεμνότητα και την ευγένεια της ψυχής της. Προικισμένη με θεϊκή σοφία και αμέτρητα ψυχικά χαρίσματα επικοινωνούσε αδιάκοπα με τον Θεό. Αυτόν τον "επίγειο άγγελο" φθόνησε ο εωσφόρος και θέλησε να την πολεμήσει με κάθε μέσο. Έτσι ο ειδωλολάτρης και σκληρόκαρδος πατέρας της άρχισε να επιθυμεί ερωτικά την ίδια του την κόρη και να νιώθει προς αυτή μία αστείρευτη σαρκική επιθυμία. Όταν η Μαρκέλλα διαπίστωσε τον αναίσχυντο χαρακτήρα του σαρκολάτρη πατέρα της, εγκα τέλειψε το πατρικό σπίτι και αναζήτησε καταφύγιο στα βουνά της περιοχής. Τότε ο πα τέρας της κινούμενος από τις κτηνώδεις ορέξεις του και με απερίγραπτη μανία άρχι σε να ψάχνει να βρει τη νεαρή και όμορφη Μαρκέλλα. Τότε η δύστυχη και έντρομη κόρη προσπάθησε να προστατευθεί και να σώσει την τιμιότητά της. Μία μεγάλη βά τος αποτέλεσε το ασφαλές καταφύγιο της Αγίας. Ένας βοσκός όμως αντιλήφθηκε τη Μαρκέλλα και υπέδειξε τη βάτο στον μανιακό πατέρα της. Τότε ο πατέρας έβαλε φω τιά στη βάτο για να την αναγκάσει να βγει έξω από αυτή. Η Μαρκέλλα κατάφερε και βρήκε διέξοδο και έτσι γλίτωσε από τα χέρια του σαρκολάτρη πατέρα της. Στη συνέ χεια άρχισε να τρέχει πάνω στις πέτρες και τα βράχια, αλλά ο πατέρας της βλέποντας τη δυσκολία να την φτάσει, αποφάσισε να τη σημαδέψει με το τόξο του και έτσι εκτόξευσε προς αυτή ένα βέλος. Η Αγία πληγώθηκε και το αγνό της αίμα πότισε τα βράχια. Παρόλα αυτά δεν έχασε την ψυχική της δύναμη και συνέχισε να τρέχει. Οι σωματι κές της δυνάμεις άρχισαν όμως να την εγκαταλείπουν και κάποια στιγμή έπεσε κά τω ταλαιπωρημένη και πληγωμένη. Η βαθιά και ακλόνητη πίστη της την βοήθησε να βρει τη σωτήρια λύση. Με τα μάτια στραμμένα στον Ουράνιο Νυμφίο προσευχή θηκε και Του ζήτησε να σχίσει τον βράχο και να την κρύψει μέσα. Η παράκληση της Αγίας έγινε πραγματικότητα και έτσι ο βράχος σχίστηκε και δέχτηκε το σώμα της ενάρετης Μαρκέλλας μέχρι το στήθος. Ο σαρκολάτρης πατέρας φτάνοντας στον τόπο και βλέποντας το παράδοξο αυτό θαύμα, οργίστηκε ακόμη περισσότερο και έκοψε με ένα μαχαίρι τους μαστούς της και τους πέταξε στο βουνό. Στη συνέχεια αποκεφάλισε την κόρη του και πέταξε την κεφαλή της στη θάλασσα. Σύμφωνα με την παράδοση μία ασυνήθιστη λάμψη άρχισε να εκπέμπεται από την κεφαλή της Αγίας, που στέφθηκε με τον ουράνιο και άφθαρτο στέφανο της άθλησης και της θεϊκής δόξας. Ο σχισμένος βράχος, που δέχτηκε το μαρτυρικό σώμα της Αγίας, αποτελεί μέχρι σήμερα για τους προσκυνητές σημείο ευλαβικής αναφοράς και πηγή ιαμάτων, αφού όσοι προσεύχονται με πίστη, παρατηρούν τον ερυθρό χρωματισμό των βράχων και το νερό να ατμίζει. Αναρίθμητα είναι τα θαύματα, που με τη χάρη του Θεού, έχει επιτελέσει η Αγία Μαρκέλλα από την εποχή του μαρτυρίου της έως τις ημέρες μας, ενώ μάρτυρες θαυ μαστών σημείων έγιναν λαμπρές πνευματικές φυσιογνωμίες της Εκκλησίας μας, όπως Άγιος Μακάριος ο Νοταράς Επίσκοπος Κορίνθου, ο Άγιος Νεκτάριος Επίσκοπος Πενταπόλεως και ο βιογράφος και συντάκτης της Ακολουθίας της Αγίας, Όσιος Νικηφόρος ο Χίος, οι οποίοι συχνά προσέρχονταν στον τόπο του μαρτυρίου της Αγίας για να προσευχηθούν. Η μνήμη της Αγίας παρθενομάρτυρος Μαρκέλλας εορτάζεται κάθε χρόνο στις 22 Ιουλίου και λαμπρά πανήγυρις λαμβάνει χώρα στον φερώνυμο ιερό ναό της Αγίας, που βρίσκεται επί της αμμώδους παραλίας στον ομώνυμο όρμο της Βολισσού και αποτελεί παγχιακό, αλλά και πανελλήνιο προσκύνημα. Η φιλοπατρία των απανταχού της Γης ευρισκομένων Χίων, αλλά και τα αναρίθμητα θαύματα της Αγίας οδήγησαν στην ανέγερση ιερών ναών επ’ ονόματι της πολυάθλου και ενδόξου παρθενομάρτυρος της Χίου. Έτσι η συνοικία του Βοτανικού στην Αθήνα κοσμείται με ενοριακό ναό της Αγίας Μαρκέλλας, ενώ τα τελευταία χρόνια ανεγέρθηκε περικαλλές παρεκκλήσιο στο όνομα της Αγίας και στην περιοχή της Κάτω Κηφισιάς. Γραφικά παρεκκλήσια επ’ ονόματί της έχουν καταγραφεί στις Σπέτσες, την Άνδρο, τη Μήλο, τη Σαντορίνη και τη Σάμο. 10 Koinonia July & August 2015