Fall 2019 Update Jennifer Rice (Guatemala): Day by Day Through Your Prayers...

Fall 2019 Update: Day by Day Through Your Prayers...
Jennifer Rice, OCMC Missionary
Traveling in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, often involves traversing bumpy terrain in the church van to reach one of the over 80 communities Fr. Evangelios personally serves as their spiritual father under the blessing of Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico City. During these visits, we are blessed to join the faithful in celebrating the community’s feast day and feasts of the Church, blessing of new building projects, as well as sacraments of baptisms, chrismations, and weddings. It is a joy to be present to celebrate together such historic moments and personally see first-hand the fruits of labors of Fr. Evangelios, Fr. Mihail, Fr. Daniel, Fr. Alexios, and Fr. Blas tending to their flock of tens of thousands in over a hundred communities in Guatemala and Southern Mexico.
The daily rhythm of living in the rural village of Aguacate in Guatemala also includes the unique opportunity to eat meals with Fr. Evangelios, the seminarians studying at the Seminary of St. Andrew, medical students serving in the San Andres Medical Clinic in Aguacate, missionary colleagues, as well as visiting guests. By the grace of God, over the years our household has slowly expanded, which even necessitated building a larger dining table because at any given time there are about 20 individuals coming together at each meal to break bread. However, for us instead of bread, it is often tortillas we have at our meals! And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
-Acts 2:46-7 RSV
It is through your continued prayers and support, we assist as God sees fit in continuing the legacy of Fr. Andrés Girón, of blessed memory. From where I sit at the dining table in Aguacate, I can see of photo of him preaching and I am reminded of the example he set forth. Fr. Andrés was not only a priest, but also advocated for the rights of the indigenous people of Guatemala. His most important ministry was as the spiritual leader of his clergy and people, which would later result in a mass conversion of tens of thousands of people to the Orthodox Church. He gave everything he had, his life, and his very breath for others. We are inspired by his example to do the same to the best of our abilities.

Each of us come to the table humbly to offer our respective gifts, talents, and prayers for the mission. I continue to assist the growing Church in Guatemala by being involved in the liturgical music instruction, supporting the Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s efforts in producing publications for use with indigenous clergy and catechists in the metropolis, assisting with the Seminary of St. Andrés and the receiving and hosting of mission teams.

Although there are thousands of miles that separate us, you are very much co-laborers in this work. We are forever grateful for joining us in the growing missionary efforts of Orthodoxy in Latin America. Let us pray that the Lord continues to add to our numbers day by day.

With Gratitude,

Jennifer Rice
OCMC Missionary to
Guatemala & Southern MexicoNovember 2019, a medical mission team provided care to over 250 individuals at the San Andrés Medical Clinic in Aguacate, Guatemala!Fr. Evangelios, seminarians & missionary colleagues with Fr. Alexios, acolytes, & choir of the parish of Most Holy Theotokos of Perpetual Help in Tajumuco, Guatemala at the conclusion of their feast day celebrations.

His Eminence Athenagoras of Mexico City, celebrating Pascha in Aguacate, Guatemala.

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You monthly support through OCMC designated in my name is one of the best ways to ensure that my missionary service continues.
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Yours truly with photo of Fr. Andrés Girón of blessed memory in the background.CLICK HERE TO OFFER YOUR MONTHLY SUPPORT!

Philoptochos Thanksgiving Food Baskets are Complete!

On behalf of the recipients of our Thanksgiving Food Baskets, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of those who donated monies or product, those who went shopping for all of the goods, and those who gathered this evening to assemble these beautiful (and full) care packages. Here are a few photos of our parishioners who labored with such love and joy.

Generations Newsletter Nov-Dec 2019

Enjoy the latest edition of our Parish Newsletter, November/December 2019

Saint Anna Parishioner Part of Mission Team to Kenya

My name is Nick Pasco and I'm from Sacramento, and I was raised up in the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. I graduated from UC Davis in 2015 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology, but ended up working in the IT Industry. I moved up to Rocklin for a new job in November 2018, and wandered into St. Anna’s shortly before Christmas, and I felt immediately like I was in the right place. I had always been drawn to the beauty of our church, but it wasn’t until I took Margaret’s class after beginning attending services at our parish that I began to appreciate the depth of the Orthodox faith. When I sit down and honestly weigh out the motives in my own heart, I’ve found that my highest desire has been to try and grow in love and devotion to our God, and to find ways to serve Him and the people he puts in my life. He has given me ample opportunity to do so, inside and outside of our parish. 

Being of service to others is very important to me, and I’ve been taught to say ‘yes’ when people ask things of me. I met His Grace Bishop Neofitos during his visit to our parish during Great Lent this year, and was one of many invited to visit the Diocese of Nyeri and Mt. Kenya through mission work. I will be joining a team led by Father James Retelas of Annunciation, Sacramento, in December for a youth conference that will be gathering hundreds of youth and young adults from throughout the parishes of the Kenyan diocese for a time of spiritual renewal and growth. We will be giving presentations and instruction on the Orthodox faith, as well as various other topics relevant to young people: dating and relationships, drug and alcohol addiction, teen pregnancy, and other topics.  Above all, our primary purpose is to share the love of Christ with our fellows.  

I have never left the United States before, so this is a very new experience for me, and I ask that my friends at Saint Anna’s pray for me as I navigate the complexities of international travel for the first time. The team and I also ask for your prayers for safe travels, and that we are guided by the Spirit of our God in a manner that allows us to reach these young people in an impactful and meaningful way. I would also ask that anyone that would like to provide financial support for the mission trip to make a donation through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s website through the following link, as each mission member is trying to raise around $2000 each to cover the costs associated with the trip: 

https://www.ocmc.org/about/view_team.aspx?TeamId=2239

I am very far from being a perfect person, but I’ve found that taking time from my own life and using it to serve other people has deepened my faith in God and worked to transform me to be more like the person that He wants me to be. Its been bit by bit over the years, and I’m hoping that I have the opportunity on this trip to see the Grace of God at work in the lives of the people that I meet. I want to come back as more humble in spirit, and with an appreciation for how universal our faith is, and I want to continue in a spirit of service to the people around me when I come back.

To put it in fewer words, I feel like this something that He wants me to do, and through doing what He wants me to do, I feel closer to Him in my heart and my spirit. I want to be closer to God because I love God.

Thank you for your prayers and your support,

Nick Pasco

A thank you to our Parish from fr. Christopher

My gratitude to my beloved brothers in Christ (Fr. Seraphim and Dn. Joseph), the Parish Council and all of the faithful who prayed services as well as those who stayed for our General Assembly. What a blessing it was for us to come together in prayer and then in fellowship - just an hour and 15 minutes - to discuss our building program, our capital campaign, and our ministries - all with such joy. Why such joy? Thankfully, because we attempt to remain cooperative with, prayerful, hopeful and steadfast in our Lord who so richly blesses us through the intercessions of Saint Anna.

In all honesty, there really are no greater gifts in a Christian community than this, be it in a parish or a monastery. When we remain focused on Christ, everything just works...unto salvation. This isn’t naive, but honest as we reflect upon both Scripture and Holy Tradition; our sacred history is replete with examples of this truth for the Body of Christ.

As one of our dear stewards has affirmed, we can never out-give God for this blessing. Yet, as she wisely suggests, we can thoughtfully, joyfully, intentionally and graciously respond to His love which remains so abundant for all of us who call this parish our spiritual home, especially at such a remarkable time in this history of Orthodox Christianity in our region. Thanks be to God!

I remain humbled to serve as one of the clergy of this community and pray that the Lord grants each of you every good gift of health, joy, long life, prosperity and blessing unto salvation.

Most Respectfully and with great gratitude,

Fr. Christopher

Light the Path

Fall General Assembly, Sunday Nov 10, 2019 (documents for our meeting are found below)

INCLUDED:

Proposed Agenda, Proposed Budget, Stewardship Report, Philoptochos Report, Adult Religious Education, Youth Religious Education Report, Minutes from the Spring Meeting, and the Archangel Gabriel Bookstore Report

Fall General Assembly Agenda (proposed)

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The following is the proposed agenda for the next General Assembly meeting. Join us on Sunday, November 10 immediately following Divine Services in the Church for our Assembly and Parish Potluck. All active stewards* of the Church of Saint Anna are encouraged to participate.

1. Prayer & Call to Order

2. Selection of General Assembly Chair

3. Approval of Minutes of previous GA, Mark Mellis

4. Clergy Report, Fr. Christopher, Fr. Seraphim, and Dn. Joseph

5. President’s Report, Christy Moustris

6. Treasurer’s Report, Larry Finney

7. Old Business

a. The Sanctuary - Construction, Financing, and Groundbreaking

b. Building Fund Campaign (conclusion of first, starting of second)

c. Saint Anna Endowed Scholarships

8. New Business

a. Proposed 2020 Budget

b. Excessive Funds in 2019 budget

9. For the Good of the Parish – Open Remarks

10. Closing Prayer

11. Adjournment

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Stewardship

As 2019 comes to a close and we welcome 2020, we are grateful for all our stewards here at St. Anna’s parish. Our budget for 2019 is $425,000 and as of November 1st, we have received $355,896.  We expect our total income from stewardship for the year to meet our total budget.  Thank you to all of you who understand the importance of giving your time, talent and treasure and for making this the best year yet.  For those of you who haven’t fulfilled your stewardship commitment for the year, please make sure to send it in to the church office before December 31.  It is your understanding of why we give that has enabled us to embark on building our new Sanctuary and to provide the many programs that we have here at St. Anna’s.  Your stewardship not only benefits those at our parish, but also goes to help the less fortunate, not only in the Roseville area, but in various locations in the world.  

 Our Orthodox faith call on us to be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure and we know that we can never give back to God more than He has given us.  It is not a payment that we are making to the church, but rather a gift.  Giving always involves risk and involves much faith.  We can enjoy eternal life if we learn to emulate God, to give generously and to provide this ultimate Gift of Gifts to the lives who come to St. Anna’s looking for spiritual direction. We are truly blessed with a wonderful, friendly parish family and we all have the ability to give proportionately to make a difference in the lives of those who  not only come to our church, but the lives of other less fortunate Orthodox Christians around the world.  

For those of you who are new members of our parish, we thank you for becoming a part of our church family. As a reminder, we do not have annual stewardship drives.  When you return your pledge card to the church office, it is kept on file until you request a new one and change your current information on the card.  Our system is continuous year after year. Although you have a choice of when to pay your stewardship, we encourage our stewards to use their giving envelopes and make weekly donations. This keeps our giving practice in the forefront and makes of us more aware of why we give. You can also make your stewardship donations by credit card or by debiting your bank account.  Please contact Morfoula in the church office to set up this arrangement. 

In closing, thank you all for realizing the importance of stewardship in the life of the church.  Our family here at St. Anna’s has come a long way and with God’s blessings, we were able to break ground for our new Sanctuary in September.  What a joy to know that together we have reached this point.  We thank each and every one of you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed Christmas and New Year.  We welcome everyone to become a steward of our church. If you have any questions about stewardship or want to become a member of our church, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the team members listed below or Morfoula in the church office. We will be happy to send you a stewardship packet. 

With love in Christ,

Phyllis Dindio    916-989-0100           Larry and Jennifer Finney   530-305-2254

Marci Pelka       916-984-9999           Emil Sicoe                           916-521-1808

A rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much.  

For what he gives away remains his forever.

St. John Chrysostom

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2019 Fall GA Report

Archangel Gabriel Bookstore

The mission of the Bookstore is to provide an Orthodox Bookstore & Resource Center specializing in Eastern Orthodox reading materials (including those for parish study classes), icons, ecclesiastical music, and items for the home chapel in the greater Placer County community and for visiting guests.

It is our goal is to give back to the parish and community in various way and not limited to:

·       Annual contribution to the Seminarian Scholarship Program

·       Annual contribution to the St Basil Academy

·       Sponsoring the annual Parish Calendars

·       Hosting the annual Three Hierarchs Lecture

·       Stocking free literature and pamphlets in the elevator lobby

·       Gifting visiting clergy, catechumens, betrothed, and guest speakers

·       Miscellaneous carpet cleaning and campus purchases

Our success comes through God’s blessings as each patron of the Bookstore remembers us for their gifting and personal needs.  To date we have given back to our parish community over 25% of our annual sales.

Upcoming Events – Good News!

·       St Nicholas Gift Faire – Beautiful Christmas Gifts, “Good Reads”, and lovely jewelry are now available in the Bookstore. Supplement your Christmas shopping with us and support your parish.

·       In the spirit of St Nicholas, all Children’s books will be 15% off the month of December.

·       December 8 – Annual Children’s Shopping Spree:  In the spirit of St Nicholas, our St Anna Religious Ed children are given the opportunity to give beautiful gifts to others at very reasonable cost.  All items are $1-10 and will be wrapped for them after purchase.  Please provide your children with cash to shop.  If you have items you’d like to donate towards this happy event, please contact Cynthia.  We are looking for Christmas gifts (nice things only please, no monogramed items or old ornaments) as well as gift bags and tissue.

Goals for 2020

Our goals for 2020 are to refine our product selection and create a more inviting atmosphere in our new space when we move into the new church.  We are very excited to be located in the Narthex with a separate door access.

We are blessed with a great team of volunteers and are able to be open after each Sunday as well as most feast days, on Tuesday before/after Bible Study, and Wednesday before/after Greek School.

Through your continued support and God’s blessings, the Bookstore will be able to contribute financially to our new location in our sanctuary.  Our hope is to consign a hand-painted or mosaic icon of Archangel Gabriel near the door in the new area, as well as contribute to other areas of the construction. 

Gratitude

Gratitude goes out to the Bookstore Buddies for their continued support.

If you would like to be a part of the Bookstore Team and can work after Sunday liturgy, we welcome your involvement!  We also appreciate any help during the festival so please sign up for shifts using the Signup Genius.

Follow us on Facebook under “Archangel Gabriel Bookstore”.

Respectfully submitted by Cynthia Sheffer

General Assembly

Adult Religious Education

November 10, 2019

In the last six months, the Survey of Orthodoxy Class has been one of meeting people’s needs according to their schedules.  Almost to a person, young catechumens are working jobs that have such variable hours that preclude making a commitment to a fixed schedule class.  To the best of my ability, I have literally met with several catechumens up to five different days a week, from morning to late in the evening, in the church, coffee shops or homes, depending on when their variable schedules permit. This is challenging because everyone is at a different place in the process.

The Fall class, presently has seven individuals who have attended, mostly inconsistently.  Instruction time is delayed to bring everyone onto the same level of understanding before we can proceed.  While some individuals seem earnest in their interest in the class, perhaps it is time to reconsider the presentation format of a scheduled topic, and provide more of a Q and A for the burning questions that need discussion and abandon the twelve week format and make it an open-ended timeline.  I am concerned that doing so, the knowledge that needs to be imparted would not be covered, and that working people with young families would not be able to commit an extended amount of time.

I would like to recommend books to the bookstore that are tailored to the topics most often are of concern to catechumens, and have them stocked in a timely manner to encourage growth in the Faith.  Some people want more knowledge, and some great resources are available.  

The Divine Liturgy A Student Study Guide

With Scriptural References and Commentary by the Church Fathers  

 John A. Peck

Orthodox Spirituality: A Brief Intgroduction  

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

Ancestral Sin  

John Romanides

Margaret Mueller

Burkhard Ordination to the Holy Priesthood

Photo link from our recent Groundbreaking

Enjoy and download photos from the groundbreaking: https://andrewandbethanyphoto.pass.us/st-anna-groundbreaking/

Our gratitude to Andrew and Bethany Burrows for capturing so many of these blessed moments.

Remembering September 11, 2001

Today, we are invited to remember the truly tragic events of September 11, 2001. In preparation for the day, I was sharing with Constantine last evening that we were in Suites A1 & C1 at 114 North Sunrise as we had yet to move to our present site. Individuals quietly and reverently visited the office to watch the news on our little tv and or sat prayerfully in our chapel attempting to process and grieve the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as the plane crash in Shanksville. There was little to share besides common disbelief, quiet tears or a warm embrace. Our human frailties were most evident which naturally and thankfully led many back to God and to their places of worship.

To paraphrase the Funeral Rite, death displaced everything on that September day. The loss of nearly 3,000 lives remains unfathomable. Death did not discriminate – innocent men, women, children as well as heroic rescue workers, firefighters, police officers…died. And, in the days that would follow, military families would experience endless deployments; some families received their loved ones with physical, emotional or spiritual injuries, while other families received their loved ones with honors for the sacrifices they made in the service of our country.

Although 18 years have passed, we must continue to remember. We remember by reflecting upon, and if we are able, visiting each of these sites which became hollowed ground, most notably Ground Zero. We remember by pausing and grieving as Americans and as Orthodox Christians for those lives that were lost on 9/11 as well as in the years that would follow, asking God to grant them rest where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing but life everlasting. We remember by pausing and humbly asking that the Holy Spirit embrace and comfort all those who lost family members or friends as well as those who were affected throughout our great land, knowing full well that Christ suffered, was buried and rose on the Third Day; He trampled upon death by His death! We remember, pausing and boldly beseeching God that such acts of violence and hatred be removed from the face of the earth; that His peace, His mercy and His love all of which are so freely given to each of us in the Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, instead reign forever. And, we remember, pausing and affirming that no matter what wars may continue to be fought upon the earth, our greatest battle is against the fallen principalities, which demands attentiveness, sobriety, discipline, humility and Grace.

Tonight, as a parish, we will remember, pausing and praying the Akathist to the Lord at 6pm. If you are unable to join us in these formal prayers, I would then ask that you please close your evening with prayer, remembering those who lives were taken on September 11, 2001.

May our Lord, through the intercessions of the Venerable Ephrosynos whose memory we keep today continue to grant us every good gift unto salvation.

Most Resp.,
+fr. Chirstopher