Newsletter - November 14th 2022 | St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church

Newsletter - November 14th 2022

PARISH NEWS

ST. BASIL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

The youth gathering sponsored by our parish will be held this Saturday, November 19th. Please RSVP to Effie or Stephanie at parishcouncil2022@stbasiltroy.com. This is a wonderful event and we encourage all of our youth and their parents to attend!

CHILDREN'S/YOUTH ACTIVITIES:

The most important resource for us to invest in is our children. The Parish Council will be sponsoring an event each month, beginning on November 19 (see attached flyer) for our children in the community! Parents- please make time to bring your children and attend with us. Thank you to Effie & Stephanie Vasilakos for hosting the first event.

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:

Thank you to those who attended the General Assembly meeting.

Congratulations to the following who were elected to serve a new 3-year term on Parish Council:

Steve Bobarakis
Maria Ginter
Philip Sells
Paula Cervini
Michael Krumpholz

They will be joining the following Parish Council Members who are still serving their terms:

Vicki Dafniotis
Michael Collins
Eric Jasinski
Elena Thomas
Chris Cholakis
Paul Semon
Sophia Mantzouris
Stephanie Vasilakos

Many thanks to Jan Alber, who has served for many years, and Effie Vasilakos. Both will be stepping down from the Parish Council.

If any Parishioner is interested in serving on the Parish Council next year, please speak to a current member of the PC and Fr. Manny so you can sign up for the mandatory training and be voted on at the next General Assembly meeting in November 2023.

The 2023 Operating Budget was presented by Treasurer Vicki Dafniotis and was ratified.

Our church’s assets and infrastructure are sound and we have some exciting capital improvements being planned for the Spring. We plan to have a special General Assembly meeting to get authority for those projects likely by February.

PHILOPTOCHOS:

Baklava and Spanakopita Fundraiser: ONLY TRAYS OF BAKLAVA LEFT! The price is $35.00 per tray. Pick up is Sunday, November 20th from 10am – 1pm. To place your order click on this link - https://stbarbaraphiloptochostroy.square.site/.

Holiday Food Drive: The Ladies Philoptochos is sponsoring a fundraiser to nonperishable food items to benefit the Redemption Church of Christ in Watervliet. We will be collecting these items until Thanksgiving. All items can be left in the church hall.

St. Barbara’s Day Luncheon and Raffle: Our annual St. Barbara’s Day luncheon and raffle is scheduled for December 4th. Thanks to Christina Vasilakos and the Vasilakos family for donating the luncheon and to Miranda Polemeropoulos for donating the cake. Tickets will be sold at the door – Adults: $20; Children $12.

December Christmas Meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 12th at the Grecian Gardens at 6pm. Stay tuned for details.

Children’s Christmas Party is scheduled for December 11th. Thank you to Helen Alesio for donating the food for the event in memory of Carl Alesio. Thank you also to AHEPA, the Sunday School program, Maria Ginter and Miranda Polemeropoulos for their generous donations to help Santa bring a smile to each child’s face. This is a very popular event with our children and we want to be absolutely sure that Santa has a gift for every child planning to attend. Even Santa has been impacted by supply chain issues so it's important that we know who plans to be part of the festivities that day so that the elves can begin their work. If you have a child or grandchild who will be in attendance on December 11th, please let us know right away. Please RSVP before November 18 by sending an email to Nia Cholakis nia@rgrosetti.com. Please include the child's name, gender and date of birth, so Santa has an idea of what they might like.

STEWARDSHIP:

Anyone who has not fulfilled their 2022 Stewardship pledge, please do so asap.

Also, please remember to complete a Stewardship Pledge form for 2023. For now, this can be done by completing a form in the Narthex. Be sure to designate that it is for 2023.

90TH ANNIVERSARY:

If you would like to purchase a St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church commemorative keepsake Journal ($25) or a pewter custom collectible St. Basil Ornament ($25) - please contact: 90thAnniversary@StBasilTroy.com or see a member of the Parish Council at Coffee Hour on Sunday. We have a very LIMITED amount of books and ornaments so contact us ASAP if you are interested in purchasing them.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, November 19th	Children's Youth Gathering
Sunday, December 4th	St. Barbara's Day Dinner
Sunday, December 11th	Community Christmas Party

OTHER:

Attention young women ages 14-28

Our parish was recently contacted by the Maids of Athena in Albany who are interested in opening their organization the young women of our parish. This is a wonderful philanthropic organization and a way to connect with other Greek Orthodox young adults. Please contact their President, Michele Papandrea at michellepap13@gmail.com. They will also be hosting their annual Valentine's Day dance on February 4th. Tickets are on sale now at https://bit.ly/ALBVDAY23.

St. George Church is hosting its first annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday December 10, 2022 from 10am to 3pm. See attached flyer for details and if you would like to rent a craft booth.