SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL. Upcoming Events: Godparents/Godchild Sunday OCMC Coin Box Drive Easter Lenten Retreat Oratorical Festival

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1 SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL Our Sunday Church School is having an active and fruitful year this year and hopefully having fun in the process. The surprise guests at our Christmas Pageant were received joyfully and we ended on a great note for the completion of the first half of the Sunday School year. The children began the year with a review of the Old Testament and prophecies of the coming of our Lord, studying the Bible stories leading to the birth of Christ. Our Lenten Christmas Retreat reinforced the events of the Christmas season in the Journey through Christmas. It was beautiful to see the children active and learning while having a great time in church related activities. We encourage all of our children to attend and participate in the Lenten Retreats they re always a highlight of the season. Church services begin at 10:00 a.m. Please bring children to church at the beginning of Divine Liturgy so that you can worship as a family and so children learn to respect the sanctity of church. How many people are late to sports or social events, or when meeting someone for dinner? Is praying to our God and listening to His word not more important, especially in these difficult and trying times? Follow along with the s about the events! Upcoming Events: Godparents/Godchild Sunday OCMC Coin Box Drive Easter Lenten Retreat Oratorical Festival

2 Saint Athanasios Sunday Church School Celebrates Godparent/Godchild Sunday Sunday, February 3 rd Please join us for Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Followed by Community Breakfast Breakfast is by reservation only Tickets: $10 Adults Sunday School Students $5 (children 5 and under free) All Proceeds to support the Sunday Church School Program RSVP for tickets ASAP - Seating is Limited Make checks payable to : St. Athanasios Sunday Church School Mail to : Stella Backos 69 Timberlane Rd., Upper Saddle River, NJ riti00@msn.com

3 WHAT IS A GODPARENT? The Godparent is the representative of the infant who is being admitted into the Church of Christ. He speaks for the infant and vows that he will do all he can to assure that the child will be a true soldier of Christ and a devoted member of His Church. He accepts the sacred responsibility of guiding the child into the understanding and practice of the teachings of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Godparent makes a public confession of the Nicene Creed during the Baptism. Every Godparent should try to have the Creed committed to memory prior to the Baptism His Renunciation of the devil is made on behalf of the candidate for Baptism. The Godparent implicitly pledges himself to aid his Godchild in whatever necessities that may arise, but most especially in the giving of a good Orthodox Christian example to the Godchild. The Godparent must bring Godliness and Holiness to the child. Godparents are parents representing God or parents on God s behalf. The faith of the Godparent is significant. The person who confesses Jesus Christ as his Lord can not ignore and violate in word and deed his faith. How can he promise God that he will make certain that the child will grow to be a true follower of Christ, when he himself lives a life of unbelief and disobedience. It goes without saying that the Godparent cannot be a non- Orthodox person. How could someone who is not Orthodox provide the proper religious education, example and inspiration to the Godchild? The duty of the Godparent is not simply to buy a new outfit for the infant or to give a name to the child. The Godparent should make a faithful commitment of love and that he will join the struggle with the parents, guided by the church, to bring the infant carefully and prayerfully along the difficult road to Heaven. A faithful Godparent will be a friend in Christ and maintain close contact with his Godchild. The focus at all times is the progress of the child in the knowledge and practice of the Orthodox Faith. He should at all times model a Christ-like example. The relationship between the Godparent and the Baptized is so important and so close that the church forbids marriage between the Godparent and Godchild. Godparents are encouraged to call to remembrance the sacred and joyous moment of Baptism by participating in Godparents Sunday, a National Observance by the Orthodox Church in America, and remembering the Godchild on the date of Baptism along with birthday anniversaries, Christmas, etc. From the above, we see that to serve as a Godparent is both a special honor and imposes responsibilities which last a lifetime.

4 PHILOPTOCHOS Ladies, My best wishes to all of you for a blessed, happy and healthy New Year! May 2013 bring nothing but the best of everything to you and your families. I pray that our Ladies Philoptochos Society continues to successfully meet the needs of our community, for continued growth, and for new and innovative ways to meet the challenges in front of us. I would like to thank all of you who participated in the St. Michael s visitation, either by attending, or by purchasing a gift for the residents. A big thank you to Lilliane Dugan, and her Sunday School Class, who made the angels for the giving tree, and helped organized the gifts once they were returned. We had a wonderful visit. There were 18 attendees, including Fr. Anargyros. We enjoyed mingling and visiting with the residents of Saint Michael s, singing Kalanta and dancing with them. Some of the young people from our community who attended, include Manny Scoullos (and his Bouzouki), Katerina Papaloukas, Katherine Scoullos, Sotiria Stavropoulos and Christina Georgotas. I have to say, that this day is the most fulfilling day of the year for me personally, and I know it is the same for many of those who attend. So much joy is spread during this visitation. While the residents of St. Michaels live in a wonderful facility, and have wonderful people caring for them, they do miss interacting with the outside world, they are lonely, and miss their families. I can only encourage you to spread the word, so that in future years we get even better attendance. Some upcoming dates of importance as we march forward into the New Year: Tuesday, February 5, our regular meeting Saturday, February 23, NJ Metropolis Philoptochos Chapter Visitation to St. Michael s March 14, our Annual Tricky Tray. Also, as in the past, January begins our membership drive. Please remember to renew your membership, and encourage you friends and family to joint our very worthy organization. Thank you to all of the Philoptochos Members who volunteer and give of themselves so freely. You are shining examples of Christian Agape, and I am proud to work hand in hand with all of you. In Christ s Service, Thea Portelos

5 Saint Irene Philoptochos Society of Saint Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church Presents our ANNUAL TRICKY TRAY Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 7:00 pm Snow Date Thursday, March 14th St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church 51 Paramus Road Paramus, NJ Coffee and Pastry will be served Refreshments will also be available from our concession Tickets $8.00 For tickets, please call Τhea Portelos or the Church Office at (201)

6 GREEK SCHOOL Nέα του Ελληνικού Σχολείου Την Κυριακή 23 Δεκεμβρίου, σε μία όμορφη και γιορταστική ατμόσφαιρα, οι μαθητές του Ελληνικού και του Κατηχητικού Σχολείου παρουσίασαν ένα συγκινητικό Χριστουγεννιάτικο πρόγραμμα στην κοινοτική αίθουσα της εκκλησίας μας. Την Τετάρτη 19 Δεκεμβρίου (που ήταν και η τελευταία ημέρα του Ελληνικού Σχολείου πριν τις Χριστουγεννιάτικες διακοπές), 'ολοι οι μαθητές του Ελληνικού Σχολείου έφτιαξαν Χριστουγεννιάτικα χειροτεχνήματα, τραγούδησαν Χριστουγεννιάτικα τραγούδια και κάλαντα, και απόλαυσαν το γεύμα, που επιμελήθηκε ο Σύλλογος Γονέων. Ο Άγιος Βασίλης επισκέφτηκε στο τέλος της βραδυάς τους μαθητές μας, χαρίζοντας δώρα και μεγάλη χαρά! Τα μαθήματα άρχισαν στις 3 Ιανουαρίου με τον αγιασμό από τον Πατέρα Ανάργυρο, ενώ στις 9 Ιανουαρίου δάσκαλοι μαθητές και γονείς, παρακολουθήσαμε την ομιλία που έκανε ο Πατήρ Ανάργυρος σχετικά με την αποτρόπαια τραγωδία στην πόλη Νιουτάουν Του Κοννέκτκατ. Το πρόγραμμα της Ελληνικής ανεξαρτησίας (25ης Μαρτίου), θα εορτασθεί την Δευτέρα 25 Μαρτίου. και παρακαλούμε 'ολους τους γονείς να βοηθήσουν τα παιδιά τους, με την εκμάθηση των ποιημάτων On Sunday December 23rd, the students of our Church and Greek Schools, presented a beautiful Christmas program in our community center after the Divine Liturgy. The 19th of December, was the last day of Greek School (before the holidays), and all of our Greek School students, gathered in the community hall, made Christmas crafts, and entertained us with Christmas songs and traditional carols. The PTO offered a delicious meal to everyone afterwards, while Santa Claus brought presents and lots of joy at the end of the program. On the 3rd of January classes resumed again, and Father Anargyros offered the Agiasmo service of to all students, teachers and parents. On the 9th of January Father Anargyros gave a speech about the horrific tragedy at the elementary school in Newtown Connecticut, and students 9 years old and older attended with their teachers. The Greek Independence Day program will be celebrated on Monday March 25th in the community hall, and we ask all parents to help their children with their poems. Sophia Stamatiou Principal

7 Dear St. Athanasios Families, P.T.O. Happy New Year to all of our families! We hope this holiday season was a happy, healthy and peaceful one. As the year came to an end, our Greek School children did a wonderful job enhancing the Christmas Program with delightful Christmas Songs and Poems. We celebrated the last day before Christmas break with a special Lenten dinner and a special visit from Santa Claus!! Coming on Saturday February 9th, our PTO will be hosting their first annual Winter Fun Fare, from 5pm-8pm in our Community Hall. Our in-door carnival will feature 15 different booths (from Face Painters to Bean Bag tosses). We will have food to be purchased and a fun Tricky - Tray basket raffle for the parents to enjoy. Please come support out Greek Afternoon School and bring your children to an evening filled of fun and excitement! As always we encourage and welcome everyone to please come to our upcoming meetings, get involved and offer us your valuable input! Please mark your calendars: Saturday, February 9th:PTO 1st Annual Winter Fun Fare Sunday, February 10th: Monday, February 11th: Monday, February 18th: Monday, March 11th: PTO Coffee Hour following the Divine Liturgy PTO Monthly Meeting - 5:00pm in Community Hall No School - President s Day PTO Monthly Meeting - 5:00pm in Community Hall Sunday, March 17th: PTO Coffee Hours and Lagana Bread Sale...following the Divine Liturgy Monday, March 18th: Καθαρά Δευτέρα (Clean Monday)-Kite Flying (weather permitted) Monday, March 25th: Greek Independence Day Program Sunday, April 7th: Greek Independence Day Parade in New York City Καλή χρονιά και Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος σε όλους! With love in Christ, Eleni Karounos PTO President

8 H.O.P.E. / J.O.Y. The youth of our Church have had an eventful end of year. In November, in the spirit of giving Thanks, our children were volunteer "blanketeers" in support of Project Linus, which is a non-profit organization that provides blankets to children in need. Our children worked together to create and tie fringes around cozy fleece blankets that would bring warmth and comfort to a number of children in local hospitals. In December, to celebrate the blessings of the Christmas season, we all met again to sing a variety of "Kalanda" in both Greek and English. The children had fun singing alongside their parents. In addition, they helped decorate the first annual Youth Christmas tree located in front of the Community Hall. They all crafted their own unique ornaments and then hung them proudly on their tree. On February 16th from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., we will be having a Basketball Workshop in our community center. All boys and girls ages 8-12 are invited to attend. In January, we held a meet & greet and movie night where we invited all HOPE-aged children (4-7) and JOY-aged children (8-11) and their parents to learn about these fun ministries and how our youth can be actively engaged in our Community. We also celebrated the New Year with cutting our vasilopita On March 15th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., we will be making kolyva and submitting the names of our departed loved to be read on the 2nd Saturday of the Souls (March 16th). In addition, we will discuss the meaning of kolyva as well as the reasons we fast during Lent. For parents interested in enrolling their children, please stop by the Church Office for an application or visit: stathanasiosnj.org/hope--joy.html for more details. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Your Advisors, Penny and Irene

9 G.O.Y.A. The holiday season is not only a time in the year when being with family is important, but also, it is a time of the year in which we need to remember those less fortunate. It is also a time to reflect on all the blessings God has given us. As a GOYA, we were able to spend December together by attending the annual state Christmas Dance and the Christmas Retreats. This year, Clifton hosted the district I Christmas Retreat on December 7th. The following day, December 8th, our church, St. Athanasios, hosted its own Christmas Retreat. At both retreats, many GOYAns learned deeper meanings to Christ s nativity and why we as Christians need to remember not of ourselves but of those who are in need. Later that month, many GOYAns attended the Christmas Dance at the Roseland Church on December 27th. I was certainly glad to see many of our own GOYAns interacting with other GOYAns from other parishes. Our Christmas wreath and Vasilopita fundraisers were very successful. Many thanks to those who purchased them! The months of January and February will be spent preparing for the annual Sights and Sounds competition! With dedication, we as a GOYA can succeed in this competition. Practices for all of the Sounds groups will continue; as for our Sights, remember to ask others for critique and input, quality over quantity. On a final note, I would like to thank my fellow GOYAns for actively participating and attending this year s events. I truly am excited to see what 2013 has in store for Paramus GOYA. With Christ s Love, Dimitri Stathopoulos GOYA President

10 HOSPITAL / NURSING HOME VISITATION Please notify the Church office if a family member is in the hospital, nursing home or a shut-in, so that Fr. Anargyros may visit them. MEMORIALS and 40 DAY BLESSINGS We ask all parishioners to notify the Church office at least one week before a Memorial Service or 40 Day Blessing. For 40 day blessing of infants, memorials, trisagia or artoclasies, please call the Church Office in order to make the necessary arrangements. ST. ATHANASIOS FEAST DAY With great splendor, the feast day of St. Athanasios was celebrated on January 17th and 18th. His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, assisted by area clergy, presided over the Divine Services. Cantors and faithful from throughout the area came to worship and honor our Patron Saint. The Philoptochos hosted the reception after the Great Vespers Service and the Divine Liturgy. Many thanks to the Philoptochos, our Cantors, Altar Boys, Neokoro and all who brought the Artoklasies, prosfora, the flowers and sweets for the hospitality and all the dedicated faithful who made this years feast day truly memorable. ΕΟΡΤΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ Θα θέλαμε να ευχαριστήσουμε για τις υπερεσίες τους κατα τις Ιερές Ακολουθίες της εορτής της Εκκλησίας μας: Τον πρόεδρο του Εκκλησιαστικού Συμβουλίου και τα μέλη αυτού, τους Ιεροψάλτες, Ιερόπαιδα, τις κυρίες της Φιλοπτώχου γιά τον καφέ, τα γλυκήσματα και το γεύμα και όλους τους δωρητές γιά τα λουλούδια, άρτους και πρόσφορα. Ο Θεός να ευλογεί όλους σας.