Community News September 2006

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

COMMUNITY NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2006

WEDDING:

On Saturday, August 19, 2006, Laila Bechara and Clay Coalson were united in marriage at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Laila is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Abraham Bechara and Clay is the son of Mrs. Angeline Coalson and the late George Coalson. The ceremony was performed by Father Stelios Sitaras. Maid of Honor was Miss Samia Bechara and Best Man was Randall Borchardt. Latife Bechara-Medina served as her sister’s bridesmaid and Dale Coalson served as groomsman.

Following the wedding a lovely dinner reception was held at the Northshore Country Club. After a wedding trip to Portland, Oregon, the couple will make their home in Corpus Christi. Congratulations!

LOCAL ARTIST:

Local artist and a member of our parish, Danny O’Dowdy, was commissioned recently to design a piece specifically for the new addition to the Art Museum of South Texas. The sculpture, entitled ‘Laps and Layers’, features a design of lapping water and a sunrise on a couch with a quilt layering the back of the couch. The grand opening of the expanded museum will be celebrated on October 8^th . Congratulations!

NEW MEMBER OF THE PARISH COUNCIL:

William Vaseliades has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the Parish Council. Following ratification of the appointment by his Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah, Mr. Vaseliades received the Affirmation of Office at the end of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, August 13. Congratulations!

FOOD HANDLERS CLASS:

Everyone who plans to work at the Greek Festival and will handle food, pastries or drinks, in any way, must have a valid Food Handler’s card. A class will be held on Sunday, September 24, 2006 in the Church Hall following the Coffee Hour. Please check your weekly church bulletins for the exact date of the class or contact Olga Plomarity for further information. Effective August 1^st, the cost of the health card is $10.00, payable only in cash, and will be good for two years.

ARTOCLASIA SERVICES:

On Sunday, August 6, 2006, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, an Artoclasia was held by Mrs. Fotini Papakostas for the health of her family.

On August 15, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, an Artoclasia was: held by Mrs. Penelope Livaditis for the health of her family.

CATECHISM SCHOOL:

Catechism School classes will begin on Sunday, September 17^th. All parents, with children ages 4 through 16, should register their children. Registration forms may be found elsewhere in this bulletin. Please turn in the forms to Father Stelios or to Miss Olga Plomarity.

HOSPITALIZED:

Mrs. Helen Kandis of Victoria, Texas was hospitalized during the month of August. Please keep Mrs. Kandis in your prayers.

DONATIONS:

Rita Lontos reported to the Parish Council that Chris Butler, who recently landscaped the area of the Church Hall entrance, will take care of the Church’s yard maintenance needs on a monthly basis without charge to the Church. This will eliminate the need for our monthly $60.00 yard maintenance expense. We are very grateful to Mr. Butler for his most generous offer.

UPDATE ON LT. COL. WOLF’S REASSIGNMENT:

We have just received word from Gary Wolfe, who lived in Corpus Christi for three years and served on the Parish Council, that he and his family arrived safely in Madrid and that he misses us all. He has been assigned by the Air Force to the Combined Air Operations Center in Madrid. Gary has asked that we pass on his e-mail address (wolfe1687@yahoo.com) to anyone who would like to send him an e-mail.

ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF THE MONTHLY BULLETIN:

Recently a letter was sent out stating that the weekly and monthly bulletins can now be received by E-Mail. The weekly bulletin, parts of the monthly bulletin and other information appear on the Church’s web page and can be downloaded by anyone who has internet. Bill Mays, the Church’s Web-master, together with Olga Plomarity, are now working on a system that will allow parishioners to receive their bulletins by e-mail. In the meantime everyone will continue to receive their bulletins by regular mail. If you have an e-mail address and want to receive your bulletins by e-mail and have not yet turned in your e-mail address to Olga or Bill, please do so, as a listserve in now being prepared.

CONDOLENCES:

On July 27, 2006, Johnny H. Corovinis (77) fell asleep in the Lord peacefully in Houston, Texas. He was born in Victoria, Texas to Harry and Zoe Corovinis of Thraki, Turkey. He was married in 1956 to his beloved wife, Bennie Corovinis. Mr. Corovinis was preceded in death by both his parents and his wife. He is survived by his four children, Helen Lafieur and Ruby Sharpe of Spring, Texas; Elvira Harrison of Houston, Texas, and son Ruben Rios, Jr. of Houston, Texas; and one sister, Mrs. Lula Corovinis Christos of Victoria, Texas. He is also survived by many grandchildren and great-children and one niece. Funeral services were held on August 2^nd at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas. May his memory be eternal!

ADDITION TO HELEN GOVATOS’ OBITUARY:

It has come to the attention of the bulletin editor that Mrs. Helen Govatos’ nieces and nephews were not listed in the obituary printed in the monthly bulletin. We regret the omission but the information printed in the bulletin was copied from the obituary that appeared in the local newspaper. To the best of the editor’s knowledge, Helen Govatos’ nieces and nephews are as follows: Steward Platis, son of Georgia and John Platis (Georgia was Helen’s sister ; Pat Ballas and John Sfiris, daughter and son of Mrs. Fofo Sfiris, (Fofo was Helen’s sister), and Dr. Nick Giannukos, son of Mrs. Bealyo Giannukos (Mrs. Giannukos’ late husband was Helen’s brother). George Govatos ofTupelo, Mississippi, with whom Helen lived the last eight years, is a nephew of Helen’s late husband, Clem Govatos. Again, we sincerely regret the omission.

(Thalia Plomarity, Editor)

MEMORIAL SERVICES:

On Sunday, September 17^th, a one year memorial service will be held for Mrs. Afrodite Legakis, who fell asleep in the Lord on September 22, 2005. Mrs. Legakis was the mother of Mrs. Fotini Papakostas and George Legakis. The memorial coffee hour will be hosted by Mrs. Papakostas. May her memory be eternal!

ANNIVERSARY:

We congratulate those who will be celebrating their wedding anniversary in September:

Ted and Tracy Andreadis September 22^nd

Dean and Betty Trakas September 29^th

COFFEE HOUR:

Parishioners wishing to host the ‘coffee hour’ after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays during the month of September should sign their names on the poster in the Church Hall. Ladies, please help and volunteer to host the coffee hour. By doing so, the task will not fall on the same ladies to host the coffee hour each Sunday. The “Fellowship Coffee” provides us the opportunity to meet our visitors and to visit with each other. Thank you!

OPEN September 3^rd

OPEN September 10^th

Mrs. Fotini Papakostas September 17^th

OPEN September 24^th

BIRTHDAYS:

Best wishes to the following who will be celebrating a birthday in September:

Nashawn Nicholas Sabbagh September 1^st

Konstandinos and Vasilios Talarantas (6 years old) September 1^st

Andreas Nikolaos Montell Aldridge September 12^th

Ricky De La Garza September 13^th

Gilbert Sanchez, Jr. September 14^th

Kristine Sissamis September 14^th

Gus Montis September 14^th

Scott Jones September 17^th

Dean Hrissikopoulos September 23^rd

Christine Whitaker September 24^th

Natasha Rogen September 26^th

John James Chriss (4 years old) September 26^th

Danielle Maria Halvorson September 27^th

Michel Hamauei September 28^th

IN LOVING MEMORY:

It is fitting that we remember our loved ones who have fallen asleep in the Lord during the month of September. If I have missed anyone, please let me know so I can include them in the future. Also, if any dates are not correct or any name is not spelled correctly, I would appreciate your letting m me know.

The Editor

Thomas P. Lambropoulos September 1^st, 1929

Andrew George Kontos September 1^st, 1971

Basil Thomas Thomopoulos September 3^rd, 1971

Andrew C. Cofas September 4^th, 1991

Evangelos Paul September 6^th, 1964

Mrs. Irene Demetra Papademetriou September 6^th, 1993

Mrs. Neomi Melemendijian September 6^th, 2003

Mrs. Sadie Hanna September 7^th, 1978

Mrs. Terry Aubrey Keilberg September 8^th, 1990

Mrs. Catherine Sahadi September 13^th, 1973

Christos Kaminopoulos September 13^th, 2004