A note of gratitude

Reverend Fathers, Stewards, and Friends of St. Anna Parish,

Although the hour is late, I didn’t want the day to close without saying “thank you.”  Thank you for your love of Christ, His Church, and our greater community.  Thank you for the countless hours in meetings, prepping the grounds, preparing food and drink, working throughout the weekend, and breaking it all down this evening and again in the morning.  I can only imagine how exhausted (and sore) some of our stewards and festival volunteers must be. Still, there wasn’t a complaint from our older or youngest of stewards, nor the members of the Sierra College football team who were moving items back into storage late into the evening, or even one of our young adults who flew home on Friday to work the festival for the weekend to then return to school on the earliest flight tomorrow morning.

What made our festival successful was that the weekend was an offering.  We offered what naturally springs forth from our time in divine services…a sense of thankfulness, a joy in serving, and a genuine concern and love for others.  This is Orthodox Christianity in its purest; what is believed is freely expressed.

Yesterday, we began our day with the Orthros and Liturgy commemorating the Feast of Ss. Joachim and Anna.  Later in the day, we prayed Great Vespers, pausing the music and dancing to prepare for Sunday services and to thank God for His goodness.  This morning, we again celebrated Orthros and Divine Liturgy.  And, then, this evening, we closed our day and our Festival with the Akathist of Thanksgiving.  The intentionality of praying over the weekend shouldn’t be lost on anyone.  This is our Orthodox Christian Faith. We begin and close all things that are good in prayer.

I ask that you please keep two of our beloved stewards, George and Maria, in your prayers.  Both experienced some health issues this weekend but seem to be doing well.  May God grant them healing and health.  

Sadly, the presvytera (priest’s wife) in Chico, Priscilla, fell asleep in the Lord early this morning. May her memory be eternal.  May our Lord also grant the comfort of the Holy Spirit to Fr. Ian, their family, Ss Cyril and Methodius parish,  and all who grieve her passing.    

In closing, it is a privilege to call Saint Anna my family's spiritual home.  I’m so thankful that my children have such God-loving, joy-filled, and gracious examples to emulate as they mature in years and stature.  As uncertain as things are in the world, these “gifts” are priceless and life-giving.   

May our Lord grant each of you every blessing through the intercessions of Saints Joachim and Anna and St. Ephrosynos the Cook.  
Again, thank you.

+fr. Christopher

PS.  I neglected to thank our friends who traveled back to our region from Maryland, Texas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Washington, and Nevada to work at the Festival.  What a testament to our beloved community of St. Anna!  May she ever intercede on our behalf!

2024 Three Hierarchs Academic Lecture Announced - Carlos Colon, Baylor University

We are pleased to announce that Carlos Colon, a Resident Scholar and Assistant Director for Worship and Chapel of the Office of Spiritual Life at Baylor University will offer the 2024 Academic Lecture. He will explore “Journeying with the Psalms of Ascent and Lament” as a composer and liturgist.

About Carlos

Carlos Colón was born in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. When he was 14, he was forced to leave El Salvador and took refuge in Guatemala City. A resident of the United States since 1986, he holds a B.M. from Belmont University and an M.M. from Baylor University. He became a U.S. citizen in 2001.
His music has been performed at festivals in the United States and abroad. Recently, his music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Venezuela National Radio, the Calvin Worship Symposium, and the Festival de Música Contemporánea of El Salvador. His music has also received acclaim in England, Cuba, and other countries.

Colón’s international heritage and personal experience of civil war inform his compositions’ calls to justice, peace, and beauty. Las Lamentaciones de Rufina Amaya, a requiem in memory of the victims of El Mozote (where the Salvadorian army massacred 800 peasants in 1981*), was premiered at Baylor University’s Armstrong Browning Library in 2008. It has also been performed in Dallas by the Texas Voices; in El Salvador by the choir of the National Opera; and in Grand Rapids by the Choral Scholars.


Obertura Para Un Mártir,** a work commemorating slain Archbishop Oscar Romero, was commissioned by the President and First Lady of El Salvador and premiered there in 2010.
Colón and his family reside in Waco, TX.


* http://elsalvadormusical.blogspot.com/2008/05/las-lamentaciones-de-rufina-amaya-parte.html
** For more on El Mozote see Mark Danner’s article in The New Yorker: http://www.markdanner.com/articles/show/the_truth_of_el_mozote
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjKLV66HAww
– See more at: http://www.baylorisr.org/scholars/c/colon-carlos/#sthash.A4lFmtTv.dpuf

Fall Study Classes

A Survey of the Early Church

A course of studies covering how the early church taught, developed, lived, and worshipped. The topics to be covered are:  Pentecost: The Birth of the Church; Baptism: The Rite of Initiation; Orthodox Faith as a Pre‐requisite for Holiness; The Ordained Ministries; Scripture and the Church; The Seven Great and Holy Councils; Dogma and Statements of Faith; The House of Worship; Iconography; Hymnography; The Liturgy; The Liturgical Day, The Ecclesiastical Year and; The Mysteries of the Church. For more information, please contact Fr. Seraphim Ivey at: frseraphim@saintanna.org  or 916-772-9372.

 

Scriptural Studies

The books of the Bible, canonized by the Council of Laodicea in 363, are prayerfully interpreted with respect to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, the Councils, the writings and lives of the Saints, Divine Services, and the Holy Mysteries. 

Two classes meet weekly in Founder’s Hall:

Tuesdays, 11 AM-12:30 PM- Maccabees

For more information, please contact Fr. Christopher Flesoras at: frchris@saintanna.org or 916-772-9372.

Thursdays, 6:30 PM – 8 PM- The Book of Exodus

For more information, please contact Fr. Seraphim Ivey at: frseraphim@saintanna.org  or 916-772-9372.

 

Lincoln Bible Study, 6:30 PM-The Book of Revelation

Meets on 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 6:30 PM in Lincoln.  Please contact Dcn. Joseph for more information: dnjoseph@saintanna.org.

 

Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Book Club

Introducing a great opportunity for individuals desiring Christian spiritual development...  A book is selected each month by the Archangel Gabriel Bookstore Staff.  Two sittings are then scheduled in Founders’ Hall to discuss our readings.  For more information, please contact Anna Tsu: anna.tsu@saintanna.org

 

Blessing of the breads of Saint Phanourios (Phanurios), newly revealed, of Rhodes

At the close of Liturgy on Sunday, August 27, we will celebrate the Feast of St. Phanourioss with the blessing of the phanouropites or breads of St. Phanourios.  


"Little is known of the holy Martyr Phanourios, except that which is depicted concerning his martyrdom on his holy icon, which was discovered in the year 1500 among the ruins of an ancient church on Rhodes, when the Moslems ruled there. Thus he is called "the Newly Revealed." The faithful pray to Saint Phanourios especially to help them recover things that have been lost, and because he has answered their prayers so often, the custom has arisen of baking a Phanouropita ("Phanourios-Cake") as a thanks-offering.”


If you would like to prepare a bread, helpful links are found below: 


https://gladsomelife.com/category/liturgical-breads-and-foods/

https://www.orthodox.net/recipes/st-phanourios-story-prayer-to-bread-recipes.html

May he ever intercede with the Lord on our behalf!

Festival Volunteer Sign-up Opportunities


St Anna’s is hosting the 26th annual Roseville Greek Food & Wine Festival over two days from September 9th (11 am-10 pm) through the 10th (12 pm-8 pm)

For us to succeed, it is critically important that we all sign up to work the festival.  There are many shifts available for all ages.  Some are sit-down jobs in an AC-controlled environment; most are in the shade or under cover, and in a few…you'll get a sun tan.

Don’t wait to sign-up or say ‘I don’t signup but show up and fill in as needed”.  Both create volunteer and management chaos.  Please sign-up online via the church website under ‘opportunity to serve others or with assistance from our three-person Sign-Up team consisting of Katie Salidas (916) 719-2811, Annie Moore (978) 473-4756 & Camelia Maalouf (916) 761-4193. They will be available to help on call and after Sunday liturgy.


The festival is a little over three weeks away. One hundred forty-seven people have signed up to fill 366 volunteer slots. We still need to fill 262 spaces. If you haven’t yet signed up to work at the festival (or can sign up for additional shifts), please visit the sign-up page on the church website to select a date and time when you can help. If you know friends or neighbors, or high school students who need community service hours that would like to help, please sign them up! 

How to Sign Up to Volunteer at the Festival

1. Go to the church website.    http://saintanna.org

2. Click on the three small lines (upper right-hand corner), then select ‘opportunities to serve others.”

3. Select Greek Food Festival

Follow the next steps:

4. Click on the box or series of boxes for the position & dates you can volunteer. Check marks should appear in the boxes you select.

5. Go to the bottom of the page and click on “Save & Continue.”

6. The window that appears shows the date(s)/time(s) you request.
7. You will be asked to enter your name, email address, and phone #

8.  Click on SIGN UP NOW!   You should receive an email confirmation along with email reminders for your selected shifts.