Category: Pastoral Letters

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Thank you for your recent participation in our Parish Assembly, this past Sunday. It is critically important that we come together as a community and pray, discuss, deliberate and move on the administrative issues which help to organize and govern our parish. I thank you for your patience in what turned out to be a long meeting, filled with many important topics.

Please keep in mind, today and always, that every parish assembly, every parish council meeting, every ministry organization, every social gathering, every outreach project, every outing, every opportunity we take, to assemble as a St. Anna family, will always be connected to the Altar. We are a people of faith, connected by the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the ministering grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This week’s Bulletin is filled with a myriad of activities and services. As we continue to “come down to earth,” with the closing of one real estate chapter, and the anticipation of all that the good Lord has in mind for us, let us be filled with our love for one another, and grounded in the spiritual principles which led to the creation of our parish.

Notably, we have on our schedule, our Gala, to be held on December 9th. This is intended to be a family celebration of all that has been accomplished by our work with the Capital Campaign. It is not intended as a fund raiser, but rather an opportunity to give thanks to our parish for all that’s been done in 2017. In the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, and in commemoration of one of the Feasts of St. Anna, the Conception of the Theotokos, we have much to celebrate. Please join us!

Thank you for your continued love and prayers towards our parish and let us look to 2018 for all that is to come, unto the glory of God and for the benefit of His faithful.

Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

PLEASE REMEMBER:

ORTHODOX MARRIED LIFE MEETS THIS EVENING AT 7:00 PM.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE WOMEN’S MINISTRY TEAM HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE, TOMORROW IN THE STM GYM

GOYA MEETS NEXT TUESDAY AT THE HOME OF STAR DANNER. THE ADDRESS IS IN THE BULLETIN.

PRAY FOR OUR VETERANS. GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Please read the following statement from our St. Anna Capital Campaign Chairmen (SACC) concerning the future goals of our parish. Much has been written, stated and even preached about their group’s activities during the past several months. As we return our focus to the initial goals that our Parish Assembly has established, the words of our SACC leaders resonate with wisdom, love, faith, commitment and steadfastness. I offer my prayers unto their success; for their achievements are our collective steps forward. God bless their work, your hearts and our entire community. Enjoy…

St. Anna Capital Campaign
3015 Creek Road
Cottonwood Heights, Utah
November 1, 2017

Dear Fellow Parishioners,
Much has transpired in the month since our last letter to the parish on September 28, 2017. It appears the Atrium opportunity is no longer a viable option, in spite of the brilliant and diligent efforts of our Real Estate Ministry Team, led by Chuck Karpakis, Joe Sasich and Fr. Anthony and the support and leadership of our Parish Council. In his weekly letter last week, Fr. Anthony addressed the circumstances that led us to the conclusion that an acceptable deal could not be reached on the Atrium. This will be discussed in more detail at the Parish Assembly this Sunday.

Notwithstanding our collective disappointment that the Atrium appears to be off the table, we learned a great deal and saw positive results, such as a surge in donations, pledges, anticipation, and excitement. We also came to some practical realizations. As people do when their best efforts produce a disappointing result, we’ve asked ourselves questions about what we could have done better. In our excitement, did we put too much stock in the verbal assurances of the property’s owner? Could we have been more prepared? Have we presented our St. Anna Capitl Campaign (SACC) vision adequately and correctly to our parishioners and prospective donors? Are our parish goals realistic and attainable at this time? Is it truly the will of our parish to pursue a new home?
Can we really raise the necessary funds?

We’ve worked very hard to give every parishioner an opportunity to learn about our SACC goals, either at the 8 intimate dining events this past summer, by phone campaigns, weekly bulletin notes, at in-home meetings, or simply by word of mouth. When talking to those who haven’t made a commitment yet, we’ve heard that many have simply forgotten to make a pledge, some are still thinking about it, some would like to but don’t think they can afford it, and a very, very, very few never intend to make a pledge.

Our latest reports show that we have $1,186,693 in Total Commitments. $800,813 is Cash on Hand and $359,384 is Total Pledges Receivable in the next few years. This is about 40% of our $3,000,000 target. Only 91 steward units out of almost 200 have made pledges. These 91 donors to date represent about 45% of our entire parish, meaning 55% have not yet pledged. These results are impressive and represent prayerful and generous sacrifice by those who have made a pledge. As we are extremely grateful for their efforts. Nonetheless, we hoped and anticipated that we would be much farther ahead in reaching our two primary goals as we near the end of this year. First and most importantly, having 100% participation by our parishioners, and secondly, reaching our $3,000,000 pledge goal.

The only way to know if we are truly committed to these goals as a parish is to receive pledge cards or donations from every single parishioner. Without that information, we can’t establish a realistic path forward. We must be able to know when and what resources are available, both currently and in the coming years.
When another opportunity comes up, and it will, it will probably require bank financing. Any lender will want to be assured that virtually 100% of parishioners are committed, regardless of the amount pledged. We will most likely need to service some debt so we welcome pledges that will be due in coming years to assist in making those payments.

The questions posed in the second paragraph of this note need to be answered by each of us individually, and collectively as a parish. Receiving pledge cards from everyone is the only way we will be truly prepared for the next opportunity. If you’ve forgotten to send in your pledge, do so right now. If you are still thinking about it, please make a prayerful decision sooner rather than later. If you don’t think you can afford it, make a commitment that works for you and extend it into the future to assist in future debt service. There are very, very few people who can’t change one or two little things in their normal routine and save enough to make a small commitment. The gesture is equally important as the amount.

Our intent is not to lecture or chastise anyone. Please forgive us if this letter sounds that way. We simply want to make sure our efforts are in harmony with the will and capabilities of our beloved parish. In the middle of December, about six weeks hence, we will make an evaluation based on all pledge cards received, and those results will determine how we proceed in 2018. Our firm belief is that those results will drive us forward as God continues to guide us to our ultimate home. But please help us by making sure we have the most complete information available in making these important decisions.

Thank you and God Bless St. Anna’s and all of us.

Bill Souvall & RaJean Higginson
St. Anna Capital Campaign Co-Chairpersons

PLEASE REMEMBER:

THIS SUNDAY IS OUR OBSERVANCE OF VETERANS DAY. PLEASE COME TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION. WITH SACRIFICE AND HONOR.

THIS SUNDAY IS OUR FALL PARISH ASSEMBLY. PLEASE COME AND LEND YOUR VOICE TO THE GOVERNANCE OF OUR BLESSED PARISH. YOUR PARISH!

THIS SUNDAY, 2018 STEWARDSHIP PACKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE. PLEASE FULFILL YOUR 2017 STEWARDSHIP AND PRAYERFULLY CONTINUE YOUR SUPPORT.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU, ALWAYS!

The Fourth Friday of Every Month are our St. Anna Parish Family Nights.

Tonight is our Family Night!

Friday, October 27th, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall

Call it a Halloween Party if you can. A Costume Party if you must. A Fall Harvest Festival if you really must…

But no matter what you call it…

Join us for an enjoyable evening of Halloween/Costume/Harvest Fellowship.

Pizza!
Root Beer!
Pop Corn!
Fun!

Please bring some candy for the kids.
Please, don’t bring inappropriate, gory, evil or scary costumes.

Remember, St. Anna Family Nights are for our Parish Family – come with six kids, come with no kids. No wife, no husband, no problem!

Please join us!

Thank you to Barbara Hillas for chairing St. Anna Family Nights.

God Bless!

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

Praying you are well on this beautiful evening, I share with you some news that many of you will find regretful, but for all of us, we trust in God’s ways and His wisdom. As you know, for several months now, our parish has been embarking on a journey that would allow us to purchase an existing property to establish a permanent home for our St. Anna parish. The building in Sandy, Utah that we have referred to as the “Atrium Property” was identified in late July as a viable solution to our real estate needs. As we had already begun a Capital Campaign in search of property upon which to build, the knowledge of this available land and structure seemed to be a near perfect fit. And indeed it was.

Was.

As of today, after weeks of negotiations and discussions with the owner of the Atrium, we were unable to come to a viable solution for both seller and buyer. I, together with our parish council and appropriate committees would not have spoken so highly and enthusiastically of this opportunity, were we not assured that it was the right move for us, and that the sellers were actually engaged in the processes with us. In the end, our parish leadership simply could not comply with the sellers’ ultimate conditions, by which a transaction could be completed.

Your St. Anna leadership always came to the table of these negotiations with the best interest of each parishioner in mind, and with the desire to serve God in every word, action or intention. Negotiations for this property halted hastily and at the very end of the process. Our final offer was not accepted and no counter was offered.

In the blink of an eye, it was over. Hours upon hours of time, energy and prayer ended with a short email message, indicating what I’ve just told you.

Scripture tells us, in instances such as these, to learn from the process, identify the blessings and press on. We press on towards the prize which is a life in Christ. We press on with faith, enthusiasm, convictions, character and the knowledge that we did our best to serve the needs of our parish and we did it in an open, honest and honorable fashion.

We began the efforts of working towards a home for our parish, well before the Atrium came to our attention. We will allow the happenings of these days to resonate within the hearts of the people involved in this transaction, and within the prayers of our entire community. We came together beautifully during this process. Many, many people caught a vision, responded with generosity and support. This building will not be the only opportunity that will be presented before us.

God has a plan. We have a purpose. The blessings, we pray, will continue.

We’re going to chill for a little bit. There are some who believe that the time to identify another property is now, and that we must press on with immediacy and with the same levels of dynamic enthusiasm. There are others who feel that we should now take pause, allow for a breather, and let the process come to us, at this point. For myself, I feel that both of these approaches are equally valuable, and are mutually agreeable.

Our real estate ministry team and our capital campaign committee will re-group immediately. There is no “break” to be had for the leaders of our blessed community. But we will not come to the parish with any one, specific property or possibility for a little while, at least.

To be sure, we thought we had a workable deal. We did not. We are sort of exhausted and a little disappointed. We aren’t going to rush into anything. God provided our last engagement as a learning opportunity to gain experience, discernment, patience and wisdom, as He watches us grow, mature and develop. I have to believe that our motivations and actions were well-pleasing to Him. We entered into this experience in prayer and were continually sustained by the same. There are lessons to be learned and blessings to be gratefully received.

The need for proper and larger space has not changed. Our desire to fulfill the spiritual and sacramental needs of God’s faithful has not diminished. Our focus on Christ Jesus has not wavered.

We, as a parish, will now re-direct our energies and efforts elsewhere; while keeping our eyes set on Him. St. Anna will continue to guide and protect us. The Theotokos and all the Saints will continue to intercede for us. The abundant and life-pouring energies of the Eucharist will continue to sustain us.

The reasons that this did not happen will one day, be revealed to us. When something comes our way that is infinitely better and abundantly, more suitable, we will be in a stronger position to react and further down the road of financial preparation. That said, I share a few, final thoughts:

I am grateful for the generosity and involvement of all who contributed in any way and in any amount to our Capital Campaign. Your vanguard participation will forever be appreciated.

I am grateful for the prayers, good will and enthusiasm of all who shared in our vision of fortifying our efforts to minister to the faithful and to glorify God through this process.

I am grateful for the leaders of our parish council, real estate committee and capital campaign committee who steered this effort with the best of our collective ability and who demonstrated integrity and character throughout the process. To the sellers of this building, we were an open book and an open heart.

I am grateful for the many volunteers who chaired events and who worked in the trenches of every gathering; both large and small. Your efforts are not wasted. We still have work to do and a future to fortify.

I am grateful for our Women’s Ministry Team, in particularly, who lead by example, sacrifice and the love of Christ in their collective and individual souls.

I am grateful for many people, and many leaders, but specifically, Chuck Karpakis, Joe Sasich and Dr. Charles Beck. As the leaders of the real estate committee and as our parish council president. these men, these Brothers in Christ, served our interests well and with firm conviction, grounded in God’s precious commandments. These are truly, beautiful men.

I am grateful for the process itself. It was a good thing to pray about and prepare for the future generations of our young and Spirit-filled parish. It was a good thing to set goals and to work towards them. It was a good thing to stretch, grow and learn. And we’ll do it again. Perhaps we’ll have other disappointments. Perhaps even setbacks. But we’ll apply what we learn and press on.

I am grateful for our loving Lord who continues to nurture us and to sustain us. For our Matron Saint Anna and for her precious daughter, I am most thankful.

I am grateful for you all.

No doubt, there will be many people with many questions in the coming days. I’ve answered most of them, if not all of them with this writing. We will re-focus and re-group. We will not re-purpose or re-direct. Our goals haven’t changed. Our purpose has not altered.

The only thing that’s changed is our future address.

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

Please find attached this week’s Bulletin. I pray that you receive it with the richest of blessings upon your household. Your Parish Council, Capital Campaign Committee, and Real Estate Committee have one simple message for you:

St. Anna’s is close, and we mean very close, to having the funds that will enable us to acquire a permanent church home. Given what we have already collected (thank you and bless you), and what we will have the ability to finance (Given Parish Assembly Approval at our November Meeting), we are in need of only $160,000 by year’s end.

Our parish has responded with immediacy, vision, love and a desire to fortify our future. We will provide our children with a house of worship that will not burden them financially. We will give them, and all future generations a church home, having done so with fiscal responsibility and providing them with a myriad of options to grow and enrich their church. We will have seen God’s promise to them fulfilled. We will fulfilled our sacred obligations to Him, the Theotokos, and to her mother, our precious St. Anna.

Only $160,000 and we are on our way.

If you have yet to participate, I prayerfully implore you to be part of the group that will put us over the top.

If you have pledged your support, I prayerfully ask you to consider moving up the date of fulfilling your pledge, and perhaps increasing if possible.

I ask you to continue praying about our task at hand, the vital importance of its cause and the sacred responsibility we have been blessed to receive.

And finally, I humbly remind us all, me included, that as we approach the conclusion of the year, that our Stewardship commitment be fulfilled, and that our support of our church into next year will be as vibrant and Spirit-filled as we have illustrated in the past. Rest assured, we are not asking for more, just the same level of enthusiastic participation.

We have been blessed beyond measure. We have worked diligently and honorably for the sake of the Kingdom and to spread the message of Salvation through the abundant traditions of Orthodox Christianity. We have answered the call. We are so incredibly close to achieving more than was ever thought possible in a remarkably short period of time. Let us continue that course.

We know what needs to be done. Let’s do this.

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“Lord of the Powers be with us; for in times of distress, we have no other help but You. Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us.”
– Troparion from the Great Compline

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last Sunday evening, I went to bed glancing at a headline on my phone that read “Shooting in Las Vegas.” I was pretty exhausted so I didn’t click to read more. So, like so many other people around the world, I woke up to the news about what took place the evening before. As Facebook posts started pouring in throughout the morning, I read accounts of personal friends who were present. People who had attended that concert in the past. People who’s children have attended that concert in the past. I know people connected to my former parish who lost family in this shooting. What an incredibly horrific tragedy!

On Monday afternoon, Fr. John Hondros, the pastor of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Las Vegas was kind enough to take the time to call me back. He is a good friend and an outstanding priest. He sounded exhausted, as you can imagine. Though there were no casualties connected directly to his parish, he was quick to point out that several of his young adults were in attendance. Many of his parishioners work in that hotel. Several people he knows worked at the concert venue. When things like this happen, we look for answers. And we look to the people who guide us and lead us in the Faith, to make sense out the senseless and convey hope to the hopeless.

Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco is the bishop who’s metropolis includes Las Vegas. His Eminence is a gentile pastor and a clinical psychologist. He understands brokenness and the need for healing. Though we posted his response to this tragedy on our Facebook page, I want everyone to read it so that we can all come together and pray, in our Orthodox tradition, for wholeness, peace, healing, love and protection to be showered down upon our fractured world. Please pray for Fr. John Hondros and his parish, that St. John the Baptist Church can be a source of comfort to the people of Las Vegas. And especially, let us pray for the victims and their families. We may never know why this man made the decisions he made, and acted out as he did. Evil exists. Sickness abides. But the love, strength and peace of God will always prevail.

The words of His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos:

Beloved in the Lord,

We are shocked and saddened by the violence that occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada last night, October 1, 2017, where people enjoying an outdoor music festival were confronted with rapid gunfire, killing at least 58 and wounding over 500 more. This senseless act has shaken our entire country and is now sadly the largest mass shooting in the United States.

I have been in contact with the parish priest in Las Vegas, Father John Hondros, who informed me that he is aware of parishioners that were in attendance at this concert but, by God’s grace, they are all are safe. I have also learned that faithful from parishes in other parts of the Metropolis were in attendance and, thankfully, they are also among those not injured in this attack. First responders from our clergy, in partnership with the International Orthodox Christian Charities, are en route to offer their support during this most difficult time.

There are also several Las Vegas parishioners affiliated with the police and fire departments, as well as crime scene investigators, who have been working throughout the night and will continue to labor over these next several days while this situation is brought under control. Our prayers are with them for God’s strength as they continue to serve the community with valor and selflessness.

The parish of Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church will gather in prayer at 5:00 p.m. this evening to offer a Trisagion for those whose lives were lost, along with a Paraklesis Service for those who have been injured as well as for the peace and protection of their city, our country and throughout the world. If you are in the Las Vegas area, I encourage you to join with the community in prayer. For those located elsewhere in the Metropolis, please pause and take a moment to offer personal prayers for all those affected by this violence.

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco offers our deepest condolences to all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones, and we pray for the eternal rest of those who perished. We also ask God to bring healing to all those injured, and to grant His peace and comfort to the injured and their families, the musicians, and all those in public service who risked their lives for the safety of others.
With Love in Christ,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisco

With Much Love in XC,
Fr. Anthony Savas

REMINDER:

GOYA – Tuesday October 10th at the Home of Zachary and Jonathan Petrogeorge, 7:00 pm

TOPIC: WHAT ISIS CAN TEACH US ABOUT OUR ORTHODOX CHURCH

Does this topic sound absolutely crazy? This topic is literally closer to home than you could ever imagine!
Don’t let your kids miss out!

REMINDER:

Orthodox Married Life (OML) begins next Friday, October 13th at 7:00 pm
Please join us as we actually bless the marriage of Joshua and Vanny Lowery, our beloved parishioners who were kind enough to invite our OML Ministry into there household spiritual journey. We will celebrate their wedding and enjoy a discussion immediately following. This will be the most special OML Meeting to date!

“The Most High planted in the middle of Paradise The thrice blessed wood, the gift of life for us, In order that, in approaching it, Adam might find eternal and immortal life, But he did not strive earnestly to know this life, And he failed to attain it, and revealed death. However, the robber, seeing how the plant in Eden Had been beautifully transplanted in Golgotha, Recognized the life in it and said to himself: `This is what my father lost formerly In Paradise.’”
– St. Romanos the Melodist, On the Adoration at the Cross

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Sunday, October 1st is the Feast of St. Romanos the Melodist. Regarded as the greatest of the musician saints of the Church, he is lifted up for his virtues of humility and steadfastness before his talents as a writer and a chanter. As far as those two talents were concerned: writing and chanting, Romanos could do neither very well. Year after year he worked at his prayerful craft only to be disappointed with his efforts. The words of his prayerful hymns did not communicate effectively, the theology of the Church. Nor did his voice; his weak, pitiful voice, proclaim the richness of the Byzantine traditions of inspired chanters.

That is until one Christmas season, when he had a dream that the Theotokos gave him a small, sweet-tasting scroll to swallow. In his dream, he consumed the sacred and little object. As he approached the chanting stand, the very next day – that being Christmas Eve, he felt a lack of confidence for the last time in his life. Glorious words came forth from the depths of his soul. Those words were communicated to the faithful through the most incredible voice that anyone in the church that evening could have imagined. In the midst of an evening’s sleep, his abilities to chant, his theological knowledge and his doctrinal articulation were lovingly crafted by the Mother of God, herself. Though he is not alone in the pantheon of sainted church musicians, such as St. John of Damascus and St. Cassiane, he is regarded as the chief among them.

Please join me this Sunday, immediately following the Divine Liturgy to honor our church musicians; chanters and choir members. The services of the Orthodox Church would be unrecognizable without the ministry of those who lift up their voices in song. First-time observes to our worship will notice, immediately, that we praise God in hymns, we pray in song, we doxologize and we glorify with glad voices. I suppose that we are all church musicians, as our parish continues to grow in our congregational singing. But Sunday’s acknowledgements are for those whop dedicate their time to practice and preparation in the arena of chant. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to those who sing in the church. Your ministry is one of love and the celebration of the gifts God gave you. I very much appreciate you sharing those gifts with the people who gather around the Lord’s table for our collective Eucharistic celebration. The Divine Liturgy is, by definition, the “work of the people.” In worship, there is no greater witness of this work, than those who sing out. Our parish has tremendously grown and matured in our singing. Thank you all for your dedication to this divine art.

Blessing our chanters and singers, I remain,

In Christ’s Loving Service,
Fr. Anthony

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN OUR GREEK FOLK DANCE PROGRAM, PLEASE COME TO OUR INTRODUCTORY MEETING THIS SUNDAY, AT 12:30 IN THE CHURCH. DANCE PRACTICES BEGIN NEXT WEEK, OCTOBER 8TH AFTER SUNDAY SCHOOL.

GOYA AND JOY WILL KICK OFF THE NEW SEASON OF YOUTH MINISTRY SUNDAY AT 5:00 PM. 2009 WALDO DRIVE IN HOLLADAY. PLEASE, PARENTS AND CHILDREN, JOIN US!

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO PARTICIAPTE IN OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AS WE STRIVE TO ACQUIRE THE ATRIUM PROPERTY FOR OUR CHURCH, PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER YOUR FAMILY’S CONTRIBUTION AND COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE’RE ON THE CLOCK! THANKS! GOD BLESS!!!

THOUGH WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE TO INSPIRE, AND MUCH MORE FUNDS TO RAISE, I LIFT UP OUR COMMUNITY; BARELY THREE YEARS OLD, AND WE’VE SURPASSED THE MILLION DOLLAR MARK IN FUND RAISING FOR OUR NEW CHURCH. THAT IS TO BE CELEBRATED AND GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGED. YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings from beautiful, Pittsburgh, PA! I am here representing our Metropolis at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Family Ministry Conference. I look forward to sharing some thoughts about the Office of Family Care, as supported by our national Church, and the work that this conference has produced. But more about the conference later. For now, I offer these simple thoughts…

Last Sunday, we as a parish had the opportunity to peek into the future and imagine our St. Anna community in a home that can accommodate growth, serve our expanding needs, pique our creative energies, and test our resolve against the backdrop of a challenging prospect. Did I cover everything? Oh wait…one other thing…we’ve pretty much outgrown our facilities now – let alone welcoming new friends to our loving community.

I believe that by now, every parishioner in our blessed family has received information, spent time in reflective prayer, asked for inspiration, and is beginning to answer these questions:

“What can our family do to make our church a reality?”
“Where do we sacrifice?”
“How soon can we offer our support?”
“How can we become a part of history?”
Parish history. Salt Lake City history. Salvific history.

At last count, our parish has committed almost $950,000 towards the purchase of the Atrium property. This tells me that if everyone catches the vision and steps forward in faith and with love, we will be successful in our endeavor, to the glory of God.

We are not exaggerating or overreaching. The time to act is now. Your favorable response is necessary to engage the process. To be sure, if it seems that we are moving quickly, that reality is not lost on anyone who follows our level of activity. Yes, we are moving quickly, but not hastily. Not recklessly. Not irresponsibly. We are moving at the pace of need, not luxury. Admittedly, this does seem fast. Just over three years ago, there was no St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Utah. Today, we are praying and working toward a multi-million dollar goal. Whoa.

Yes. That’s fast. We knew that “this bell would ring” one day. We had an idea, when this parish was established, that someday, we would need to provide for a church. Who could have predicted that this conversation would be happening today? Even three months ago, this conversation was inconceivable. However…

The need is present.
The building is available.
God’s blessings are limitless.
Our love for Christ is beyond measure.
St. Anna’s love for us is richly unveiled ever day.

I fly home on Saturday morning. I, alone have the key to the PO Box. My prayer is that our little box is too small to contain our community’s enthusiasm, as measured by a hopeful influx of support. Last Sunday’s Divine Liturgy, Open House and Sunday School was filled with wide eyes and even wider smiles. Positivity, enthusiasm and wonderment defined the day; guided by the Holy Spirit.

I pray that those precious sentiments will translate into sufficient support to purchase, transform and enter a building that was ultimately constructed for divine intentions, Orthodox worship, and blessed fellowship.

No doubt, what this message lacks in subtlety, it abounds with urgency. I promise that I will soon, very soon, stop sounding like an infomercial.

But if we are going to do this. Now is the time.

Glory to God in all things.

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:19

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Have you noticed that the leaves are beginning to change and the colors of the mountains are slightly yielding to hues of red, orange and yellow? These changes in the valley scenery are as vibrantly beautiful as the colors of springtime. I think that this season is even more beautiful than the months just before summer. January marks the beginning of the calendar and May ushers in the commencement of life’s precious cycle. But for all practical purposes, this time of the year marks the beginning of everything else. Much in our lives is dictated by the school year – whether we have children in our homes or not.

Once you spend some time reading this week’s Bulletin, you will quickly recognize that we are gearing up for an active year of ministries and activities at St. Anna’s.
I feel that I must ask your forgiveness and understanding for the late start to the programs in our parish. This was not an accidental sputtering, but rather, I knew that the Fall would be consumed with our fundraising efforts towards our intended property. There is no way, however, that we could have conceived of a property with a suitable building to come available in an ideal neighborhood. That was the summer’s surprise.

The Capital Campaign is in full swing and with this Sunday’s services and activities taking place at the Atrium, we will see and gauge just how realistic of a proposition this may be. The space is ideal. The location is perfect. The potential is endless and the price is perceivably within striking distance. The gap between a dream and an inevitability is diminishing with each passing week. Only God knows if this is intended for us. But the process is exciting, regardless of the outcome.
The reality is, of course, that no matter where we gather as a community, the active life of our parish needs to continue, grow, mature and expand. That said, please be aware that the following dates are right around the corner:

Sunday October 1, 2017 at 12:30 pm
Following the Divine Liturgy and Sunday School, parents and children will gather for the Inaugural Meeting for our St. Anna Greek Folk Dance Program. Please come and learn all of the details that our dance leadership has been preparing for over the past six months.

Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 5:00 pm
GOYA and JOY will begin their year’s activities at a Kick Off Party at our house. All children in elementary, junior high and high school grades, together with their parents are invited to attend. Dinner will be served and the coming activities will be discussed.
Find us at 2009 Waldo Drive, Holladay, UT 84117.

Monday, October 2, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Every Monday evening, except for the Third Monday (Parish Council Meetings), we will gather for chanting class and practice time. Our emerging church musicians made great strides during the summer months in preparation for the Paraklesis Services. We will continue with the same enthusiasm and desire to chant the divine services of the Church. All who are interested in learning to chant the Orthros Service are invited to attend. We will gather in the church office.

Friday, October 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Orthodox Married Life (OML) is one of the more popular and well-attended ministries of St. Anna’s. Couples who are engaged, married for over 50 years, and everyone in between are encouraged to participate. The lesson material is always practical and spiritual in nature, and the opportunity for fellowship is unmatched. We will meet the Second Friday of each month. Join us!

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Bible Study is resuming at St. Anna’s. Our group had swelled to almost 60 people at one time. I would love to see that many people, and more, return for our study of The Book of Acts. This part of Scripture, written by the Apostle Luke is the Bible’s “Adventure Story.” I know that there are many people who are excited to open our Bibles again. Let the adventure begin!

Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Our Orthodox Spirituality Inquirer’s Class did not make it into the Bulletin…so you are reading about the beginning or our Fall Class, here, for the first time. I would like to introduce to you, our new adult religious education teacher, Mary Yannias. With her expansive knowledge, love for the Faith, and years of experience in teaching high school Sunday School, Mary is a wonderful addition to our Adult Religious Education Team. Well actually with Mary on board, we now have a team. Yeah, team!

Tuesday, October 24th at 6:30 pm
Our Junior Orthodox Youth (JOY) Ministry is returning to the Fourth Tuesday of every month. Please have your children from Kindergarten through 5th Grade join us for a fun and exciting year.

Friday, October 27th at 7:00 pm
Family Nights are returning to St. Anna’s on the Fourth Friday of every Month. Please join us with your entire family (that includes you, by yourself…if you are by yourself) for monthly opportunities to grow in our Faith and as a church family.

Another change to our way of ministering to our young people is the institution of our St. Anna Youth Ministry Council. This group of dedicated people is devoted to the well-being and spiritual growth of our parish children. The Council consists of:
Kim Mallas as the Director of Sunday School
Theros and Cindy Johnson as our GOYA Directors
Nicol Zambos as our JOY Director
Connie Cayias as our Greek Folk Dance Director
Alexander Nicholas as our Acolyte (Altar Boy) Director
Barbara Hillas as our Special Projects and St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Chairman.

Please pray for these lovely people. They are taking an active and positive role in the lives of our children.

Groups like our Women’s Ministry Team and the Forever Young Fellowship continued to gather during the summer. The Men’s Sexton Ministry Team also continued to work over the summer. Of course, let us not forget the dedication and diligence of our parish council, real estate committee and capital campaign committee. They did not rest for a moment over the summer. At St. Anna’s, there is a flurry of continuing and newly-created activity. Not to mention a possible, new CHURCH! There are countless ways to get involved. I welcome your involvement!

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, improvements or prayerful considerations to offer, please, never hesitate to contact me, or one of the leaders in our various ministries. Thank you for your dedication and spiritual affection towards our precious community.

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

Remember: Services this Sunday, September 17th will be at the Atrium Property, 9201 South 1300 East. Everything begins at regular times. Though, in the historical sense, these are hardly, “regular times.” Please come with an open imagination, prayerful heart and a generous spirit. If this dream is to become a reality, we’ll need all three from each and every one of us!

If I neglected to mention a group that you are involved in, please forgive the omission – this message is intended to highlight newly-introduced ministries and leaders, and is not intended as an exhaustive list of all activities.

Lastly, as you notice the plain, old typewriter look of this week’s message, please know that my computer has some formatting issues. I will work to correct the issue this week. God bless!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I pray that you are enjoying a blessed and peaceful week. Today, I have some very important information that needs to get into your hands, so I want to quickly share some thoughts, rather than a lengthy message. Please be prayerfully mindful of the following:

This evening [September 7], we will commemorate the One Year Anniversary of the Passing of Fr. Matthew Gilbert. Presbytera Denise and members of her beloved family will be with us at St. Anna’s at 6:30 pm. We will celebrate Great Vespers for the Nativity of the Theotokos (Liturgy tomorrow [September 8] at regular time), with a Memorial Service offered on behalf of the soul of our Erstwhile Fr. Matthew. A light reception will follow the service, hosted by our Women’s Ministry Team. I thank them for their love, generosity and compassion. May His Memory be Eternal!

This Sunday is the beginning of the Sunday School Year at St. Anna’s. We welcome new and continuing families to enroll your children in our dynamic, Christ-centered and Spirit-filled program. Following the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, our teachers will be recognized for their year’s of service and Small Blessing of the Waters service will take place to sanctify our year, the students, their teachers and their classrooms. Please support our Sunday School Program by faithfully bringing your kids to class.

Last week, we took up a collection to benefit hurricane victims in Houston, TX, through International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), per the directive encyclical from His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. We will take up a second collection this Sunday. And since, I presume, that by then Hurricane Irma will have made her way through Florida, those good people will also be in need of assistance. Then Hurricane Jose, then …

Please make your checks out to the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church Altar/Benevolence Fund. We will forward one check to the IOCC and they will disperse as they identify the need. Of course, this is the same IOCC who will be sponsoring a fund raising event here in Salt Lake City, next month. The save the date announcement is in the Bulletin. Please take note. Please be generous.

Lastly, as you’ve been made aware, there will be no services at St. Anna next Sunday, September 17th. We will celebrate Orthros, the Divine Liturgy, enjoy fellowship and have Sunday School, at the Atrium Property, our hopeful, new church location at 9201 South 1300 East. If you have yet to receive an informational packet, commemorative icon of St. Anna and a Capital Campaign Pledge Card, please contact me at franthony@stannagocutah.org. We very much look forward to all of us taking the time to visualize ourselves in that space, enrich our ministry opportunities, and aspire to reach our collective potential.

If we are to acquire this property, time is of the essence and there is a sense of urgency that needs to be communicated and understood.

To this date, nearly $900,000 has been committed to this effort. Momentum is gaining and excitement is growing. We are not there yet, in terms of funds needed to be considered “buyers” of this property. Come to church at the Atrium Property on Sunday, September 17th, tour the facility and fall in love with the space; as has everyone else who has walked through it, and saw it as their future church home. Praise be to God. We can do this!

I realize, that as I type this message, there is much that is being asked of all of us in terms of time, effort and resources. Scripture tells us that as we freely receive, we are to give freely. It’s a circle of generosity, faith love and mission. We are a parish of generosity, faith, love and mission. I look forward to our coming days, months and years of witnessing these very truths and concepts.

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony