St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am so grateful to address you following the momentous occasion of our Thyranoixia. The parish council and I thought it important to respond to the Archbishop’s three-year-old promise to return to St. Anna’s and open the doors of our finished church. Perhaps he did not think it would be done this quickly. To be sure, I didn’t imagine that the entire building would be done this quickly! Nevertheless, there we stood, and here we are. 

But my beloved in the Lord, we are now ready to turn our past construction project into its intended purpose: a source of healing, a place of comfort, a protection against evil, a gathering place for the Faithful, a beacon of hope, a witness to glory, a backdrop of fellowship, and primarily, our house of worship.

Well done, good and faithful servants. Enter into the glory of your Lord. 

So now that we have celebrated the opening of the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, let us turn to St. Anna, Herself. Remember? Her Feast is right around the corner.

We decided to forego a parish picnic this year (for the glaringly obvious reason of just having celebrated two, massive banquets) and are left with the liturgical commemorations that come with the season. Next week, we will have three, glorious days dedicated to our Matron Saint:

Wednesday, July 24th at 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Artoclasia (Blessing of Five Loaves) for the Feast of the Dormition of St. Anna, the Ancestor of Christ.

Thursday, July 25th, Orthros at 9:00 am followed by the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Dormition of St. Anna, the Ancestor of Christ.

Friday, July 26th at 7:00 pm, Monthly Paraklesis to St. Anna, our Matron Saint and Protectress of our Community. 

It is so important that we come together and worship during these sacred days – especially on Thursday morning, if at all possible. C’mon Folks, it’s our Name Day!!!

Now, turning back to the events of last weekend, when you read this week’s Bulletin, you will see a list of thank you’s for so many of you, who made the weekend the flawless string of events that it was. Really, every hierarch said it, every visiting priest said it, hopefully you feel the same way, it really could not have gone more smoothly. The months of preparation and our respect for every detail certainly paid off. And to all you, I am grateful. 

And to everyone who came and participated, I thank you. When I first published the “save the date” flyer, I couldn’t help but wonder, will our people be able to come? It will be hot. Families will be traveling, there is a neighboring Greek Festival…reason after reason…will we turn out?” And there you were, a packed church (with the additional seating installed) for both Vespers and the Liturgy. Thank you for recognizing the historical significance and the spiritual benefit of our gathering. 

I would also like to thank our benefactors and underwriters for the weekend. Hosting the visiting hierarchs and archdeacon in our city and welcoming the multitudes for non-ticketed banquets can add up to a significant, unbudgeted amount. The numbers are not final, for travel expenses are still unsent, but there are two realities at play here: firstly, we were able to celebrate these events with a lower cost than expected. Secondly, the generosity of our parish continued to shine in preparation for these events. The parish received over $25,000 in financial and in-kind contributions. I would like to thank the following individuals and companies for their much-appreciated assistance:

Presto Print

Starks Funeral Parlor

The St. Anna Philoptochos

The St. Anna Parish Council

The St. Anna Men’s Ministry

The Fishing Net Collection from our Parish Retreat

Leo and Ludmila Davis

Jane Anne Hartford

Pam Martinez

Dn. John and Julie Kavas

George Karpakis

Reinje Corbett

Elaine Zambos

Jonathan and Georgia Man

Kevin Flanagan

Beverly Bartel

Dr. Charles and Elizabeth Beck

Joe and Ann Sasich

Sloane Benson

Jon and Brandee Mau

Joe and Myra Varanakis

Charles and Chris Deneris

Chris and Suzanne Gamvroulas

Fr. Anthony and Andrea Savas

Steve and Myra Shenk

Chris and Irene Petrogeorge

Chris and Heidi Gounaris

Elias and Rose Pylidis

Kent and Jannette Knolwley

Dean Dinas

Chris and Joanne Dokos

Steven and Sylvia Manios

Everyone who contributed to the free-will offerings

If I have left anyone off of this list, please contact me personally. I would be remiss in not recognizing your love and generosity. In the middle of the summer, when contributions universally dip, you all responded aboundingly to the call. There will be a minimal hit to the overall operating budget of our parish because of your efforts to underwrite much of the weekend. 

For many years, you have listened to my words, read my emails, heard my announcements, and have endured the realities of acquiring property and building a church. I trust and pray, that all of those communications included what is important: Christ. His Church. His Ministry. His Building. His Gospel. His Saving Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection. Now, there are no words left in terms of construction (except for a few, lingering details, here and there). 

There is now only: Christ. His Church. His Ministry. His Building. His Gospel. His Saving Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection – and how these bedrock Truths will save the people. We are officially onto and into the next chapter of this young community’s history. We are quickly approaching our Ten-Year Anniversary. What will those ten years look like? Who will we serve? Who will we help? How many will learn to bow down to the Triune God and witness the glory? How many will be introduced to the sacramental life of the Church? Who will be touched by the Holy Spirit? 

Lastly, please permit me to express my gratitude for serving as your priest. Nine years ago, my family moved back home to Salt Lake City to minister to a new, mission parish that was filled with joy, faith, anticipation, and an infectious welcoming spirit. Every moment serving you has been a tremendous honor and has been spiritually inspired. I love, respect and treasure every individual and family attached to St. Anna’s. Thank you for your patience, guidance and support of my ministry in Christ, here in your midst.

Past ten years…wow.

Next ten years…future-wow! 

With an Abundance of Blessings and Gratitude,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

God Bless!

Please be prayerfully aware and mark next weekend in your calendars. The most historically significant events in the life of our young community will unfold in just a few short days. 

On Friday, July 12th, we will welcome His Eminence Archbishop Elpidiophoros of America, His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver, and His Grace Bishop Spyridon of Amastris who will participate in the formal opening of the doors of our new church. That evening, the hierarchs will attend a private dinner with the parish council and president of our Philoptochos. I would like to thank Chris and Suzanne Gamvroulas for hosting us on Friday evening. 

On Saturday morning at 11:00 am

We will host an open forum for our parish young adults and older teens, with our visiting hierarchs. This will give the future of our church the opportunity to pick the brains and examine the experiences of three dynamic bishops. Thank you to Presbytera Andrea for putting this event together.

Saturday Afternoon at 5:30 pm, COME ONE AND COME ALL 

We will gather outside in the parking lot were the SERVICE of THYRANOIXIA (Opening the Doors) will take place. This is a brief service with specific Epitsle and Gospel Readings, prayers for the Blessing of the Waters and prayers to formally recognize the opening of a new Orthodox Church. The Archbishop will then cut the ribbon on the doors, and we enter as he blesses our new and sacred space. Once inside, we will celebrate Great Vespers with the Archbishop presiding, together with the other hierarchs and guest clergy. 

We will then gather on the south patio of our lovely grounds for a celebratory dinner! We have the space, we’ll prepare the food, and we’ll roll out more tables if necessary. Please, you do not want to miss this joyous occasion! Don’t miss out! There is no set cost, and certainly to tickets required. You’ll have the opportunity to make a free-will offering if you’d like. Of course, any assistance will be greatly appreciated and go towards the overall (and well worth it) expenses of hosting three bishops, the archdeacon, and the visiting chanter, the internationally renowned Protopsaltis, Nektarios Antoniou. 

Thank you to Elaine Peterson, the Men’s Ministry and their committee for hosting our lovely dinner. 

Sunday, Morning at 9:00 am

The Orthros begins at 9:00, followed by the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Archbishop of America. This is history for us. This is a great honor for us. This will be a joy beyond description. 

I do recommend getting to church as early as possible, and for many of you, being there as Orthros begins might be a fantastic idea. With Archbishop Elpidophoros celebrating, together with two other hierarchs, the dazzling spectacle of Byzantine liturgical splendor will be on full display – almost from the get-go! There will be sacred movements and actions that might not ever be seen within our sanctuary again. I cannot say when there will ever be three bishops, including the archbishop in one day. 

To be sure, it will be a long day, but Archbishop Elpidophoros tends to move things along, and I am very sure he won’t drag things out this time. It’s not about “getting a good seat,” remember, there is no bad place to sit at St. Anna’s. It’s more about soaking in the entire experience and not missing out on new and exciting things to see, and opportunities for blessings.

Following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, we will gather in our fellowship hall and on the north patio for a celebratory luncheon in honor of our visiting hierarchs and guests. Again, free-will offerings are appreciated to help defray the costs of the luncheon. Thank you to Barbara Hillas and her crew for heading up this effort. 

My Beloved in Christ, I cannot believe that we are at this point in our history. At the end of next month, we will celebrate our 10th Anniversary as a parish. In that short amount of time, you have ushered steady growth, you have purchased property, you have transformed a retail warehouse into a proper place of worship equipped with classrooms, a bookstore, clergy office, fellowship space, new restrooms, and a full commercial kitchen. All in less than ten years! God has richly blessed us, and now it is our responsibility to put every square inch of our church building and grounds to work for the Glory of God, for the spiritual benefit of His children, and for the good of our neighbors and greater community.

We are now basically out of the construction business. Congratulations, God bless you and thank you! You have all worked so hard and sacrificed so much. Let next weekend be the beginning of countless memories and sanctifying blessings received within the sacred walls and grounds of the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy, Utah. I remain,

With Much Love and Appreciation in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

This will be the last time I address you in my weekly message with the Christian, Clarion Call that Christ as indeed, risen from the dead. As the weeks of Pascha have continued to speedily press on, this coming Thursday, August 13th will be the 40th Day following our Lord’s divine and life-giving Resurrection. In other words, this coming Thursday, we will commemorate the Feast of our Lord’s Ascension.  Please, allow me to share what Fr. Thomas Hopko wrote in the first volume of his series on Orthodox teachings. This, from his study of the Nicene Creed in Book I, Orthodox Spirituality:

After His resurrection from the dead Jesus appeared to men for a period of forty days after which He “was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God”.

Mk 16.19; see also Lk 24.50 and Acts 1.9–11

The ascension of Jesus Christ is the final act of His earthly mission of salvation. The Son of God comes “down from heaven” to do the work which the Father gives Him to do; and having accomplished all things, He returns to the Father bearing for all eternity the wounded and glorified humanity which He has assumed (see e.g. Jn 17).

The doctrinal meaning of the ascension is the glorification of human nature, the reunion of man with God. It is indeed, the very penetration of man into the inexhaustible depths of divinity.

We have seen already that “the heavens” is the symbolical expression in the Bible for the uncreated, immaterial, divine “realm of God” as one saint of the Church has called it. To say that Jesus is “exalted at the right hand of God” as Saint Peter preached in the first Christian sermon (Acts 2.33) means exactly this: that man has been restored to communion with God, to a union which is, according to Orthodox doctrine, far greater and more perfect than that given to man in his original creation (see Eph 1–2).

Man was created with the potential to be a “partaker of the divine nature,” to refer to the Apostle Peter once more (2 Pet 1.4). It is this participation in divinity, called theosis (which literally means deification or divinization) in Orthodox theology, that the ascension of Christ has fulfilled for humanity. The symbolical expression of the “sitting at the right hand” of God means nothing other than this. It does not mean that somewhere in the created universe the physical Jesus is sitting in a material throne.

The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of Christ’s ascension in terms of the Jerusalem Temple. Just as the high priests of Israel entered the “holy of holies” to offer sacrifice to God on behalf of themselves and the people, so Christ the one, eternal and perfect High Priest offers Himself on the cross to God as the one eternal, and perfect, Sacrifice, not for Himself but for all sinful men. As a man, Christ enters (once and for all) into the one eternal and perfect Holy of Holies: the very “Presence of God in the heavens.”

. . . we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God . . . (Heb 4.14)

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. . . . He has no need like those high priests to offer sacrifice daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once and for all when he offered up himself.

Now, the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle which is set up not by man but by the Lord (Heb 7.26; 8.2).

For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Heb 9.24).

. . . when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet (Heb 10.12–13; Ps 110.1).

Thus, the ascension of Christ is seen as man’s first entry into that divine glorification for which He was originally created. The entry is made possible by the exaltation of the divine Son who emptied Himself in human flesh in perfect self-offering to God.

Please, my beloved brothers and sisters, gaze more fervently, with a greater focus, and with a heightened sense of spiritual appreciation, upon the large icon of the Ascension on the northern ceiling panel of the St. Anna Altar. Place yourselves with the Disciples, in wonderment, confusion, a return to sadness and a feeling of repeated abandonment. Place yourself with the Theotokos, seeing her precious Son rising into the clouds, and taking his rightful place, enthroned once again at the right hand of the Father. Place yourself with the Angels, heralding, proclaiming, escorting and witnessing, during this dazzling spectacle.  And indeed, see yourself in Christ Jesus. Because to be sure, He rose into the heavens, to demonstrate that we are no longer tethered to the ground and destined for a grave. We were created to dwell with Him forever, inheritors of the Kingdom, children of the Father, members of His Body.

Please join us in prayer on Thursday, June 13th. Orthros is at 9:00 am followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am.

And then, just as quickly, ten days later, our attention will be called toward the south ceiling of the Altar – to the Feast of Pentecost. 

With Much Love in our Lord Who is Ascend on the 40th Day,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter