St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I pray you are all well on this lovely, autumn afternoon. Finally, the air is crispy, the mountain tops are dusty, and we are full steam ahead into one of the most beautiful times of the year. May this fall and winter be safe and wonderful for everyone!

As we approach the end of this month, I want to formally call our attention to a fast-approaching and most amazing event in the life of our young community. Though it has been mentioned in our Bulletin for the past several weeks, we’ve been somewhat publicly quiet about our hosting of the Metropolis of Denver Church Musicians Conference, to be held at St. Anna’s from October 31 – November 3, 2024. Well, now you know!!!

Our parish was only a few years old when we hosted the Metropolis Oratorical Festival. It was our opportunity even in rented space at St. Thomas More, to showcase the spirit, people, creativity and faith of our small (at the time) parish. Now we will enjoy the same blessing, to welcome Greek Orthodox singers, chanters, and accompanists from throughout Utah, Colorado, Texas, and Idaho.

Though the Conference will arrive on a Thursday to begin workshops and practices, we will be most blessed as a parish on Sunday, November 3rd with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver, together with a combined choir of over 60 individuals. How glorious! How inspirational! How beautiful!

To be sure, members of our own choir have been working extremely hard organizing this event and participating in joint practices with singers from Holy Trinity and Prophet Elias. Our chairman, and choir director, Barbara Kalantzes has led a dynamic committee with the sole purpose of welcoming our Metropolis to our church, to our city, and into our hearts. Thank you, Koumbara Barb for all of your dedication and energy!

When you come to church on November 3, know that the seating arrangements will be slightly altered, as per usual. The south aisle will be closed, as the combined, Metropolis Choir will take up nearly all of the spaces on the extreme, south side of the sanctuary. We will install our additional seating in the other areas of the church, and the Orthros and Liturgy will be broadcasted into the fellowship hall. Though we tend to fill the church each Sunday, there will be special accommodations made, so we can fit our own, enthused worshippers, and our guests into our sacred space. I do encourage everyone to be with us, for what will prove to be a most inspired day. 

You are also welcome to join us for Paraklesis on that Friday evening at 6:00 pm, and Great Vespers at 6:00 pm on Saturday evening. All three members of the chanting group Eikona will be here, leading the chanting of these services, together with the Orthros on Sunday. 

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE ORTHROS WILL BEGIN AT 8:00 AM ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, FOLLOWED BY THE HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY AT AROUND 9:15 AM. 

This is to accommodate the travel schedule of our Metropolis Conference participants. 

Though the dinner events on Friday and Saturday evenings are for registered participants only, the Sunday Brunch is being hosted by our parish council in honor of His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver. All are invited to remain after services and break bread together. Though His Eminence was certainly with us in July for our Thyranoixia events, this is the first time he will be here as the hierarchical celebrant since his enthronement as our Metropolitan. We welcome him with enthusiasm and gratitude as our local bishop. Many Years to him! 

I am looking forward to our parish hosting this event. Many people throughout our Mountain West have heard about our parish and are curious to see what has been created here, to God’s glory. Let’s welcome them with open arms and anticipate the beauty of what this choir is going to sound like. We will all be richly blessed on that day. I remain,

With Much Love in XC.

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When you go into the Social Hall tomorrow morning, you will notice many, large garbage bags lined up against the south wall. The teens of our parish are primarily responsible for those bags. No, they did not engage in a cleaning project today, or rake leaves from outside. Those bags are not filled with trash or yard waste. 

Earlier today, out GOYAns prepared 250 food packets for their peers at Entrada and Diamond Ridge High Schools. Very soon, the kids at those schools will be on Fall Break, and many of them will not have anything to eat while away from school. Our children, with the support of our St. Anna’s Outreach Ministry Team and our Food Support Ministry assembled the bags that will go home with the students from these two, beloved alternative high schools located in nearby Midvale.

The Blue Bin that you see every time you come into the church is there to help fill their food pantries. This is an ongoing effort, and we always encourage you that every time you come into the church building, please bring non-perishable food items, to be delivered to the schools each and every Tuesday. Today’s project was separate and apart from our continual effort of helping to stock their pantries. This project was specific in helping to ensure proper nutrition to children in need who will soon be on Fall Break. For many of these vulnerable youth, no school means no meals.

Thank you to everyone who has donated towards these worthy efforts. Your contributions to our Food Service Ministry provide ongoing supplements to our Blue Bin, as well as help us shop for projects such as today’s. The 250 bags that were prepared today cost over $2,500 to provide. Your love and generosity helped make them possible. 

Please pray for the children and their families who will utilize these food bags, as well as for the children who assembled them, and the people who supported them. Everyone has their vulnerabilities and challenges. When we work together to help alleviate them, the Holy Spirit shines through us. 

God bless you all for your kindness and sensitivities to those in need.

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood,
O Hieromartyr Phocas. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.

Hymn of St. Phocas of Sinope

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I trust and pray you are all well. And that this evening is blessed for each and every one of you. 

As we have entered into early fall, and the yields from home gardens are beginning to slow down, I would like to call your attention to the Martyr Saint we celebrate tomorrow. St. Phocas of Sinope is the patron saint of gardens and gardeners. His was a life of faith, service, piety, sacrifice, and love. Let us be inspired by him and pray for his continued intercessions. 

Saint Phokas (Phokás) came from Sinope (Sinópē) and his only possessions were a garden which he cultivated with great diligence. His income from the garden was very small. But since he was a good steward and frugal in his needs, he would always have something for the poor. Saint Phokas studied the Holy Scriptures with pleasure. He even told those who saw him studying that our soul is also a garden, which requires care, so that it does not produce thorns and thistles. The gardener Phokas also desired that everyone’s souls should become spiritual gardens. So wherever he could, he contributed to their purification and cultivation. While he was selling vegetables and fruits, he spoke words of great spiritual profit at the same time. Not only did he benefit Christians, but he also converted many pagans.

At that time, the idolaters were persecuting Christians. Therefore, when it became known that the gardener Phokas was a Christian, the rulers sent soldiers to arrest him.

Since the Saint’s home was near the castle gate which communicated with the port, he often had many visitors; sometimes foreign travelers, and sometimes the poor. So when the soldiers came he welcomed them as guests. After some time had passed, he asked them the purpose of their visit. Obliged by his hospitality they disclosed their secret, that they were seeking the Christian Phokas in order to behead him. They even told him that he would be doing them a great favor if he would help them.

Unperturbed, Saint Phokas came out of his house to dig and prepare his own grave, and the next day he told the soldiers who he was. They were astonished and ashamed, because they had been received by Saint Phokas with so much love that they did not want to kill him. The Saint understood their difficulty and told them not to hesitate, but to carry out their orders since it was not they who would be responsible for his murder, but rather those who sent them. By speaking in this way he persuaded the soldiers to behead him.

An accurate account of the Martyr’s death was written by Asterios (Astérios) of Amasea (+ 410).

Christians built a magnificent church on the site of his beheading, and they placed the honorable relics of the Holy Martyr in it. This became a source of comfort for the afflicted, and healing for the sick. A fragment of the Holy Relics of Saint Phokas is located in the Monastery of Proussos in Evritania.

When his homeland, Sinope, was in danger of famine, wheat was found, thanks to the Saint’s protection. He appeared several times to sailors who were in danger of sinking in the sea, and saved them from drowning. At other times he would awaken the helmsman, telling him to be ready, for a storm was coming. Other times he was seen by the sailors in rough seas helping sometimes on the ropes, sometimes on the sails, or sometimes protecting the ship, so that it would not be wrecked on a reef, or be caught in heavy rain.

Here is how the custom of having Saint Phokas as a guest at their table was begun among sailors. When they were sitting at the table, one of the sailors bought the Saint’s share; the next day another sailor bought it, and so they collected the money. When the ship reached its destination, they distributed the money to the poor.

The Saint worked many miracles of healing. He appeared to some people in their sleep, but he was not visible to others. Thus, the insignificant and humble gardener Phokas is honored by Christians because of his gift of working miracles.

The Holy Martyr Phokas is especially venerated by sailors, and he is also invoked by those who travel by sea.

This is not a common name, but tomorrow in church, if you see Erin (Phocia) Lucy, before she goes off to teach Sunday School, please wish her a happy Name Day. She is literally the only person in our parish who celebrates this wonderful saint.

With Love in XC,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I pray, that on this day, as we lift up and commemorate the precious Cross of our Lord, that you will find rich and eternal blessings in the long-suffering ministry of Christ. On September 14th, we celebrate the Universal Exaltation of the Cross. It is a day of prayerful contemplation, gratitude, and wonderment. The path of Christ was the path to the Cross. The path to death. Our path, in Him, now leads to light, life, grace, and eternal joy. Praise be to our generous God!

I want to share with you a special video that was just sent out. As you all well know, last Wednesday was the 23rd Anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11. I held a small Memorial Service on that day, (it’s on our YouTube Chanel), praying for all souls departed that day, and by name for the Orthodox Christians.  The day is still haunting and surreal. Every year, among many names, I read the name “Anthony Savas,” an inspector with the New York Port Authority who perished at Ground Zero. If you want to be humbled, read your name in a Memorial Service. I pray for him, his family, and all who were fatally bitten by the venomous fangs of bloodlust, hatred, and unthinkable violence. May all their Memories be Ever Eternal. 

Please take the time to watch this video. the 9/11 Memorial Service at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Shrine in New York. St. Nicholas was the only house of worship destroyed on that fateful day, and is now rebuilt as an open shrine, dedicated to the spiritual healing and comfort to all. The service was held this morning, on the Feast of the Cross. Indeed, how fitting.

Please keep this day sacred and solemn. Enjoy time with your loved ones and live in gratitude for the blessings you receive. No matter our circumstances, as challenging as they may be, we are all truly blessed. God bless, keep and protect you all.

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter