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Pastoral Letters

Pastoral Letter January 19, 2020

Through the Prayers and Intercessions of St. Anthony the Great, may God have Mercy on Us!

Good Evening Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Here are a few things to think about…

Today, January 17, 2020 the Orthros will be celebrated at 7:00 am and the Divine Liturgy for St. Anthony will follow at 8:00 am. St. Athanasios (January 18) will also be commemorated.

Tickets are selling quickly for our St. Anna Gala on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Please participate in this celebratory event. Buy your tickets this Sunday!

Orthros on Sunday, February 2, 2019 begins at 8:00 am Sharp! Be there to take part in the Procession to the New Church, Opening of the Doors and Hierarchical Liturgy upon arrival.. History in the making! Don’t you dare miss out! Celebratory Luncheon to follow. I promise we will finish in time for the Super Bowl. Don’t miss out!

There are still more than a few Stewardship Cards that need to be turned in for 2020. Please, take care of this before January ends. It’s important to fulfill the goal, voted upon unanimously at the last Parish Assembly. We established a Stewardship Budget of $340,000 and we are 75% there. Keep it up! We’re going to make it!

Directly following services today, our Junior Boys Basketball Team will fly to Dallas for the Metropolis of Denver GOYA Tournament. Please pray for our kids, and wish our coach, Gerard Gallegos a Happy, Happy Birthday. Many Years, Gerard! God bless you and thank you for your infectious enthusiasm for the sake of our children.

Now, just imagine, Dear Friends, we have only two Sundays left at our current location. Events are moving quickly and we are working tirelessly in hope for a seamless transition into our new space.

Almost six years ago, a handful of dedicated families and individuals acted on a common dream to establish a Greek Orthodox Community based on inclusion, a welcoming spirit, love for one another, respect for their clergy, a positive legacy for their children, a desire to serve Christ and a longing to worship Him in peace. They acted on this dream, sacrificed their familiar comforts and set up a little church in a rented reception hall. None of them really knowing how things might turn out. They just prayed and hoped for the best, enjoying every moment of their new adventure.

As it stands today, in just over two, short weeks, St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church will have a home. It’s a home brimming with potential, and if we continue to share in a common vision, it will transform, in time, into a stunning, glorious witness to our Traditions, Doctrine, Architecture and Liturgy. A Holy Temple dedicated to Christ our God.

Love has delivered this property. Love will sustain it. Love will transform it.

Please be sure to always, and I mean always act consciously on our founding principle of making people feel welcome and at home at St. Anna’s Let’s not slip back into the bad habit of speaking only to our friends and family members as we walk into church; and especially during Fellowship time. Do you see someone you don’t know? It’s not someone’s “job” to greet them with a smile and an introduction. Invite people to sit with you for coffee. Take pride in your community and do your best to see that everyone who walks through our doors instantly feels a part of our family.

God bless you all. It is such a joy, an honor and a privilege to work with you and to serve you. God has been so gracious to us. Again, thank you, dear Founding Members of the once-called, Greek Orthodox Mission Parish of Utah (“GOMPU” was always fun to say). Well done, good and faithful servants.

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony