Category: Pastoral Letters

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

“O Fashioner of all creation, who made seasons and years by Your own authority, bless the crown of the year with Your goodness, O Lord, and preserve our rulers and
Your city in peace, at the intercession of the Theotokos, and save us.” Hymn of the Indiction

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, Friday September 1st is the Feast of the Indiction. This day marks the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year. The cycle of set feasts of the Orthodox Church Calendar begins in September and ends in August. It is a time for blessed anticipation of all celebrations, holidays and special commencements that are to come in the coming, new year. Much like the secular goals and aspirations that we contemplate on January 1st, this faith-based “re-boot” is the opportunity to take measure of our spiritual progress, maturity and walk with the Lord. It is a transition that, if utilized properly, can yield an abundance of fruits and active participation in the Kingdom of God.

We have such an opportunity before us, to enter into the new year with a heightened awareness and appreciation for the gifts we have received and the blessings to serve, and be served by the Church. For several weeks, now, your Parish Council, Capital Campaign Committee, Real Estate Committee and myself, have been communicating to you the need for us, as a community, to anticipate and respond to, the expanding needs of our Spirit-filled, Christ-centered and growing parish. Many of you, have attended our small-group gatherings in order to hear the message and receive the call to action and prayerful support. Of course, I am certain that you’ve heard this before.

About two weeks ago, everything changed, when what has been identified as an ideal property, including a functional building became available. Reasonably affordable. Prime location. Room to grow and expand our numbers and our ministries. A building and land, available for the price of what we designated for land plans for a building. What’s not to be excited about? And again, of course, I’m quite certain that you have heard this before as well. Praise God!

Now here, comes some new information: we are ready to push even harder, and push forward with even more enthusiasm, since we are beginning to gain traction in our fund raising efforts. Please meditate upon the chart that you will find in this week’s Bulletin. It is beginning to climb much more frequently than in the beginning of the summer. Next week, we will see another significant jump. As more and more people become aware of the immediacy of need, and the fact that the building seems to make more and more sense for us every day, we expect and prayerfully hope to see a newly-invigorated wave of participation. And how will we accomplish this? Well, for starters:

Every parishioner who was not able to attend one of our informational gatherings, will soon be receiving a packet of information, complete with an inspired gift from St. Anna’s and a pledge card. If you are receiving this information, please pay special attention to the information that has been prepared for your consideration.

In the next couple of week, every parishioner, if you have attended and event or not, will be receiving a phone call from our Capital Campaign Committee, asking if you have read the materials, and if you are in need of further information.

Then, we will be doing something quite significant and extremely exciting:

ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, WE WILL CELEBRATE THE ORTHROS AND DIVINE LITURGY AT THE PROPOSED PROPERTY: THE ATRIUM RECEPTION CENTER ON 1300 EAST AND 9201 SOUTH. THE SERVICES ARE AT THE SAME TIME AS USUAL, FOLLOWED BY SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AN OPEN HOUSE, INCLUDING TOURS OF THE FACILITY, HOSTED BY YOUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE. COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES, THE RICH POTENTIAL WHICH LIES AHEAD OF US, UNTO THE SERVICE OF THE FAITHFUL AND TO THE GLORY OF GOD. ONCE AGAIN, HISTORY WILL BE MADE, AND THE NEXT, VITAL STEPS IN OUR DEVELOPMENT AS A PARISH WILL BE TAKEN. THIS WILL BE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

After we have all taken the opportunity to walk the premises, pray about our commitments, consider our ability to participate and stretch our imagine our immediate and distant future, it is then, that I pray the vision will become more clear and the possibility of acquiring this space and will be designated as sacred.

This will, of course, require the participation of our entire parish. No matter how large or small the contributions, I warmly invite all of us to have an active role in the future of our St. Anna home. There is nothing that is considered too small of a contribution. To be sure, there will be some that will carry the majority of the financial weight of this challenge. Several have already emerged as leaders in this capacity. But if it is to be our home, we will only get there with 100% participation. Please approach this spiritual prospect with prayer and love.

Fantastic days lie ahead of us. Our parish exists on the simple concept that we serve, love, worship and praise our Loving God through the worship, traditions, spiritual life and Sacraments of our holy Greek Orthodox Church. Our present facilities…our blessed and amazing present facilities, are becoming increasingly too small for the needs of our growing parish. We have an opportunity to reasonably and responsibly address our ever-expanding needs. I believe the time to act is nearly upon us. Can we answer the call? I have no doubts. Good people, based on the conciliar opinions of our real estate professionals, the leadership of our community, and the growing consensus of our dedicated parishioners, this just feels so right. Please continue to pray for clarity and wisdom.

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

Please remember that this Sunday, we will take up a special collection for the relief of Houston flood victims, per the direction of His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. Please make your checks out to the St. Anna Benevolence/Altar Fund, and we will forward one check to the IOCC. Lord have Mercy!

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:17-18

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

This past Sunday, while you were blessed to receive the services of Fr. Ambrose, I landed at the San Diego Airport. I was a late arrival with our home building team to Project Mexico, having celebrated two beautiful weddings over the weekend. The parishioners of St. Anna’s were just beginning the Orthros, while the children of St. Innocent’s Orphanage and the volunteers of Project Mexico were celebrating the Divine Liturgy. It was then, that I stepped onto the curb, reading a text that said, “Welcome Fr. Anthony, this is Erik, look for me in the dusty, black Toyota 4Runner. Looking forward to meeting you.”

He was later than expected; stopped at the border into the USA. When he did pull up, I saw him from about 40 yards off, as the curbside bent. The high plume of dust was dancing dramatically from the top of his vehicle as he came around the bend. I thought to myself, “Wow, he wasn’t kidding…that is a really, dusty 4Runner!

Of course, the funny thing was that the inside of the vehicle was much, much dirtier than the outside. There was literally a quarter inch of fine dirt on every surface. Erik Swanson is the Project Mexico Trip Coordinator with whom we’d worked to arrange all the details of our mission. What a tremendously faithful and dedicated young man.
We pulled into the orphanage just before Communion. The Liturgy was beautifully chanted and all in Spanish (of course). I met up with our group. Everyone looked tired, but still invigorated. For the past couple of days, I had pulled the difficult duty of uniting two, lovely couples in the Sacrament of Matrimony. Our mission team, and 60 others, had spent those days mixing and pouring the foundations of three houses. Once the cement was dry, they framed, stuccoed and roofed those homes. Their backs were sore, their knees and shoulders were stiff and a few were sunburned.

Sunday was their day of rest. Sunday was my day to catch up on all that had been accomplished and to jump into the relationships that had already been cemented, literally through cement. Our team was mostly pared with groups from Michigan. We all became strong and fast friends…united as Brothers and Sisters in Christ…there for a common cause. And for our building group, the “cause” was Juan Carlos, his wife Marisol and their infant daughter. The parents were practically children, themselves.

Imagine this: those three people had been living with 12 others in a small trailer. That’s 15 human beings living in a camping trailer! No water. Just enough electricity to be dangerous. The same dust that had amassed the interior of the 4Runner was swirling around in the air. The hot sun that beat down on us, the three-day workers, is the same, hot sun that stifles the interior of their humble (to say the least) trailer every day. The environment was harsh, hilly, and as I’ve said, hot.

Now the family has a chance to spread out a little bit; while some will remain in the trailer, there are now two other homes, including ours, for them to occupy more comfortably (the other was constructed by an Evangelical group). Of course, comfort is relative: these homes are smaller than most garden sheds.

Few people in our experience have witnessed poverty at this level or to this degree. The stark non-existence of worldly comforts is only the first observation to be made. Human resolve, the joy of life, dignity and strength, quickly removed feelings of pity. What was left: feelings of empathy, respect, unity…the reality of being one family. We are of different cultures, from different countries, speaking different languages. But we are one people. You could not escape feeling the human connection. Smiles are universal. Handshakes are universal. Love transcends.

The sustainer for all us, both recipients of homes and the recipients of humility, was our faith in Christ and our active participation in His longsuffering love.

On the third day of construction, we mixed and re-stuccoed the house, shingled the roof, painted the trim, applied the lime wash and blessed the home. The family, in the ultimate gesture of hospitality, humility, and love, prepared a meal for us. I can only imagine the cost to them. The pride in their offering and the joy in their faces will remain with me for as long as I’m gifted with memories.

These people are not poor in spirit, robbed of joy or even aloof to the sufferings of people what have it worse. They said as much. They demonstrated as much! Christ is alive in them. And believe me when I say, we as missionaries in their world, received the same measure of God’s blessings, as the recipients of the homes. They allowed us to know, serve, cherish, appreciate and submit to the Lord.

We will work to take annual trips to Project Mexico. We will continue to make a dent in the massive reality that is poverty, and the inequitable distribution of recourses in the world. In closing, I leave you with the words I wrote to you last Spring, as I introduced our trip, asking for your donations and participation:

“As we continue to move ever closer to the Passion, Crucifixion and glory that is Christ Jesus, I pray that the discomforts our Lord experienced in this word will not be experienced by families living in poverty and cannot provide adequate housing for their children. He had no place to lay His head, so He commands us to provide the place where a child may do just that.”

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“I think we may have found our home.”
-Parish Council President, Dr. Charles Beck

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For the past several weeks, we have been speaking about our efforts to strengthen our Building Fund through the efforts of our Capital Campaign. We have been meeting with small groups – the groups that you have been signing up to join, to discuss our goals and aspiration – beginning with the fund raising goal of $3 million for the purchase of land to eventually build a church. As has always been the case with our blessed community, a divinely-gifted opportunity may have presented itself to us. We have before us, as illustrated in the attached flyer, an opportunity to purchase an existing building, with land in the heart of east Sandy – for the same cost as budgeted for land.

Our fund raising efforts, to this date, have been crafted around individual meetings and small groups, and intimate settings. This seemed to be the best option to build a natural swell of interest and participation for a long-term goal. With a property coming onto the market, that our parish council, capital campaign committee, real estate committee, and architect deem as a viable prospect, the entire scope of our plan is in the process of changing. There is more urgency required as we shift from long range planning to short term efforts to accomplish…long range planning.

We will be scheduling at-property walk through opportunities and open houses in the coming days and weeks.

In this building, there is room to grow, witness Christ, serve His faithful, celebrate the Sacraments, teach, engage in fellowship, become leaders in a local community and establish ourselves in a place to call home. This seems to be the next, logical, and fiscally responsible step in our natural maturity and development as a parish.

People much smarter than I, when it comes to real estate, planning, transactions and financing will be communicating with our parish very soon. We have turned a corner from our former, slow and methodical fund raising efforts to quicker ways of getting information into your hands in order to make prayerful decisions. Not for the near or far future, but today.

This, my Beloved in the Lord, is an exciting time.

His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver has been informed of this opportunity and has given the parish council his blessing to explore. Please be reminded that NO binding transactions can be executed on behalf of the parish WITHOUT the permission of the Parish Assembly (that’s all of us) and the Metropolitan.

Please, pray for discernment, patience, clarity, wisdom, generosity, vision, and love. St. Anna intercede and guide us! Panaghia bless us!

With Much Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony Savas