ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS PREPARE FOR HOLIEST WEEK OF THE YEAR

For Immediate Release:

Contact:

Rev. Athanasios C Haros, Pastor

Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church of Florence

Office: 843-662-5471 Cell: 843-496-4533

TransfigurationFlo@mail.goarch.org

www.GoFlorence.org

Orthodox Christians prepare for holiest week of the year

                                      

(Florence, SC – April 8, 2014) With traditions that date from the earliest decades of Church history, Orthodox Christians will share the ancient experience of Holy Week, Sunday, April 13-20, 2014, which commemorates the final days of Jesus Christ on Earth.

The traditions of Holy Week originated in the practices of the ancient Christian Church, and have been documented as early as 150AD. This year will begin with Palm Sunday commemorations and continue with services each evening culminating with the ancient Midnight Resurrection service Saturday night and last into the early morning hours on Sunday. Holy Week services include readings from the Gospels highlighting the events surrounding the betrayal, trial, crucifixion, burial, and ultimate resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Incarnate Word of God.

According to Father Athanasios C Haros, Pastor of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church, “Pascha is the time of year everyone gets excited about. Children are in Church with their parents and grandparents being a part of some of the most ancient customs in all of Christianity. Of course, we can’t forget the “newer” traditions like Easter Egg hunts. We’ll enjoy those too!”

Pascha (a Greek/English transliteration for the Hebrew Pesach) is the oldest, most venerable and preeminent feast of the Church. The prototype of Pascha is the Jewish Passover, the festival of Israel’s deliverance from bondage. Like the Old Testament Passover, Pascha is a festival of deliverance.

Services for Holy Week take place twice each day in the Church and visitors are welcome to attend. A special Midnight Resurrection Service will take place on Sunday, April 20^th (Saturday night) at MIDNIGHT. The complete Holy Week Schedule is available at www.GoFlorence.org.

"A Week of Freedom" is planned to honor freedom in all forms as a gift from God. Freedom comes in many forms: freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom from sin, freedom from suffering and oppression. Each event during "A Week of Freedom" will focus upon one or more aspects of freedom.

Other events will include:

Ladies Philoptochos Society Spring Pastry & Food Sale - March 24-25 (11-8 on the grounds of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church - 2990 S Cashua Dr in Florence) - Freedom from Suffering, the annual spring pastry sale raises funds for more than 20 local, regional and national charities.

Divine Liturgy (Worship) for the Feast of the Annunciation - March 25 (8am in the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom from Sin, God has sent His Son that we may live with Him free from the curse of sin.

Greek Independence Day Luncheon - March 27 (12pm following Sunday worship at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Oppression, the modern Greek State, being emboldened by the United States’ Declaration of Independence declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation trusting that God’s gift of freedom could not be taken away."A Week of Freedom" is planned to honor freedom in all forms as a gift from God. Freedom comes in many forms: freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom from sin, freedom from suffering and oppression. Each event during "A Week of Freedom" will focus upon one or more aspects of freedom.

Other events will include:

Ladies Philoptochos Society Spring Pastry & Food Sale - March 24-25 (11-8 on the grounds of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church - 2990 S Cashua Dr in Florence) - Freedom from Suffering, the annual spring pastry sale raises funds for more than 20 local, regional and national charities.

Divine Liturgy (Worship) for the Feast of the Annunciation - March 25 (8am in the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom from Sin, God has sent His Son that we may live with Him free from the curse of sin.

Greek Independence Day Luncheon - March 27 (12pm following Sunday worship at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Oppression, the modern Greek State, being emboldened by the United States’ Declaration of Independence declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation trusting that God’s gift of freedom could not be taken away.###

Fellow Citizens and Friends of Florence and the Pee Dee,

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 135

 For more than fifty years you, the generous citizens of our city, have continuously expressed your support and love for our Greek Orthodox Church Community. For more than fifty years you, our neighbors and friends, have turned to our ladies and their delicious delicacies to satisfy your sweet tooth. For more than thirty years you have come to visit our Church “in the thousands” to enjoy our Greek Heritage, Culture and Ancient Greek Orthodox Christian Faith during our annual Greek Festival. Many of you, each and every year, look forward to “becoming Greek” for a few days, some even testing your dancing skills to our music. We are humbled by your love and grateful for your support these many years.

 

Please accept our sincere gratitude and appreciation. There would be no Greek Festival without YOU! We are thankful to Almighty God for the support and honor you continue to bestow upon our Church and the Greek Orthodox Community of Florence, and we pray that God will bless you, your families, your businesses, and our city!

 

We’ll see you next year!

OPA…and God bless!

 

Rev. Fr. Athanasios C Haros, Pastor

Mr. George T Kampiziones, Parish Council President

Missionaries to Attend Annual Greek Festival in Florence, May 16-18, 2013

For Immediate Release:

 

Contact:

Rev. Athanasios C Haros, Pastor

Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church of Florence

Office: 843-662-5471 Cell: 843-496-4533

FrAthanasiosHaros@mail.goarch.org

www.GoFlorence.org

 

Missionaries to Attend Annual Greek Festival in Florence, May 16-18, 2013

 

(Florence, SC., May 15, 2013) – The 31^st Annual Greek Festival will feature a “new attraction” this year with the arrival of Blake and Pamela DiLullo, of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), located in St Augustine, FL.  Blake DiLullo is a Purepecha Indian from Michoacán, Mexico who, at an early age, immigrated to the United States with his mother and six brothers and sisters. He discovered Greek Orthodox Christianity later in life in 2003 and will soon begin an extended mission in Alaska.

 

In Alaska, the DiLullo family will serve as a living witness to the faithful, where Blake will utilize his more than twenty years of experience in construction to help many of the remote communities renovate and rebuild their churches while gaining further knowledge of arctic construction techniques. God willing, he will also acquire skills in addictions counseling through the St. Dimitrie Program, developed by OCMC missionary to Romania, Floyd Frantz, and offered at St. Herman’s Seminary on Kodiak Island. Pamela will continue to home school their children while assisting the staff of St. Herman’s Seminary in developing and implementing Orthodox educational curricula for the youth of Alaska. Both will assist with other projects, as determined by the Hierarch in the Diocese of Alaska.

 

“We are very excited about having Blake and his family with us this year for the Festival,” said Father Athanasios C Haros, Pastor of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence. “We love to share who we are as Greek Orthodox people. We are a great deal more than just baklava and gyro sandwiches,” Haros said, “The food is great, for sure, but it is our Greek Orthodox Faith that unites all of us as Greeks, Russians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Native Americans, Arabs, Filipinos, Hispanics, African Americans, Northerners and Southerners. We are all Greek Orthodox!” Haros said as many as five different languages can be heard during worship every Sunday.

 

The DiLullo family will feature information on Orthodox Christian Missionary efforts from throughout the world in a special booth at the Greek Festival. As it does every year, the Greek Festival will also feature delicious homemade Greek food and pastries, authentic LIVE Greek music and dancing, carnival rides for the kids, helicopter rides, gift shops and Cultural displays. The Church will also be open for guided tours and lectures.

 

The Greek Festival runs Thursday, May 16 through Saturday, May 18^that the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church – 2990 S Cashua Dr in Florence. For more information, visit www.FlorenceGreekFestival.com.

 

###

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS TO CELEBRATE EASTER MAY 5TH WITH ANCIENT RITUALS

(Florence, SC – May 1, 2013) More than 300 Million Orthodox Christians worldwide will celebrate the last days of Jesus Christ’s time on Earth with ancient rituals commemorating His crucifixion, burial, and ultimate resurrection from the dead. The last few days of Jesus’ life have been remembered by Christians with prayer, fasting, and special rituals from the earliest days of Christianity.

 

For members of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, the celebration of Pascha (Easter) is the pinnacle of the year. According to Father Athanasios C Haros, Pastor of the Church since June 2008, “Most parishioners will be in Church every night beginning Wednesday. Each evening has a specific theme from the betrayal of Jesus through His trial, conviction, crucifixion, burial, and glorious resurrection from the dead.

 

Thursday at 7pm the Church commemorates the Passion of Christ with the reading of “The 12 Gospels of the Passion” stories recalling the trial, conviction and crucifixion of Jesus.

 

Friday at 7pm the Church commemorates the death of Jesus and His journey to Hades to defeat death.

 

Saturday morning at 10am the Church commemorates the raising of Adam and Eve and the other righteous men and women of the Old Testament.

 

Saturday night beginning at 11pm the Church commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The service of the Holy Fire which commemorates the continuous miracle at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to this day takes place at 12 MIDNIGHT and leads into the Divine Liturgy (Holy Communion service) ending in the early hours of the morning.

 

The Community will gather for a small meal at 2am to share fellowship and the joy of the resurrection with the breaking of red Easter Eggs and enjoying traditional Paschal soup.

 

The complete Holy Week Schedule is available at www.GoFlorence.org.

 

 

2013 Holy Week and Pascha Schedule

Saturday of Lazarus

          Orthros 9am

          Divine Liturgy 10am

          Communion Breakfast - Fold Palms 11:30am

          Great Vespers 6pm

 

Palm Sunday

          Orthros 8:45am

          Divine Liturgy 10am

          Palm Sunday Luncheon – Sponsored by Philoptochos

          Confessions 6pm

          Orthros - Bridegroom Service 7pm

                                                                                                                 

Holy and Great Monday

          PreSanctified Liturgy 9am

          Confessions 6pm

          Orthros – Bridegroom Service 7pm

 

Holy and Great Tuesday

          PreSanctified Liturgy 9am

          Confessions 6pm

          Orthros – Bridegroom Service 7pm

 

Holy and Great Wednesday

          PreSanctified Liturgy 9am

          Confessions 6pm

          Holy Unction – 7pm

 

Holy and Great Thursday

          Divine Liturgy – Last Supper 9am

          Confessions 6pm

          Crucifixion of Our Lord – 12 Gospels 7pm

          All Night Vigil at the Cross of Our Lord

 

Holy and Great Friday

          Royal Hours 9am

          Youth Holy Friday Retreat NOON-3pm

          Taking Down from the Cross – Apokathelosis 3pm

          Confessions 6pm

          Orthros – Lamentations/Procession of Epitaphios 7pm

 

Holy and Great Saturday

          Vesper Liturgy 10am

          Orthros 11pm

          Resurrection Service MIDNIGHT

          Community Paschal Meal 2am

 

Holy and Great Pascha

Agape Vespers – 3pm (Easter Egg Hunt)

Orthodox Christians to Celebrate Easter May 5th – Holy Week Begins April 28th with Palm Sunday Commemorations

For Immediate Release:

 

Contact:

Rev. Athanasios C Haros, Pastor

Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church of Florence

Office: 843-662-5471 Cell: 843-496-4533

TransfigurationFlo@mail.goarch.org

www.GoFlorence.org

 

Orthodox Christians to celebrate easter may 5^th – Holy Week Begins April 28^thwith palm sunday commemorations

                                      

(Florence, SC – April 24, 2012) While much of the world celebrated Easter March 31^st, more than 300 Million Orthodox Christians worldwide are just getting started with Holy Week observances with Palm Sunday on April 28^th. For Orthodox Christians, Easter, or Pascha (Passover) as it is preferred to be called by Orthodox Christians, is celebrated this year on May 5^th, as the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

                                                                                                      

“I bet you thought Easter was last month,” said Reverend Father Athanasios C Haros, Pastor of Transfiguration of our Savior Greek Orthodox Church, commenting on why Orthodox Christians don’t celebrate Easter on the same date as most of the Christian World. “The difference is really just because we use the Old Julian Calendar. Ever since the 16^th Century East and West have used different calendars to calculate the date for the resurrection of Christ using a formula that dates to the early 4^th Century. It’s the same formula, just using different calendars.” Every three or four years the two calendars coincide and the entire Christian world celebrates together. The next time this occurs will be 2014.

 

Pascha (a Greek/English transliteration for the Hebrew Pesach) is the oldest, most venerable and preeminent feast of the Church. According to Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, Professor Emeritus of Liturgics for Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, “The prototype of Pascha is the Jewish Passover, the festival of Israel’s deliverance from bondage. Like the Old Testament Passover, Pascha is a festival of deliverance.”

 

The traditions of Holy Week originated in the practices of the ancient Christian Church, and have been documented as early as 150AD. This year will begin with Palm Sunday commemorations and continue with services each evening next week culminating with the ancient Midnight Resurrection service Saturday night and last into the early morning hours on Sunday. Holy Week services include readings from the Gospels highlighting the events surrounding the betrayal, trial, crucifixion, burial, and ultimate resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Incarnate Word of God.

 

Services for Holy Week take place twice each day in the Church and visitors are welcome to attend. A special Midnight Resurrection Service will take place on Sunday, May 5^th (Saturday night) at MIDNIGHT. The complete Holy Week Schedule is available at www.GoFlorence.org.

 

Orthodox Christians worldwide begin Lenten journey to Resurrection

For Immediate Release:

 

Contact:

Rev. Athanasios C Haros, Pastor

Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church of Florence

Office: 843-662-5471 Cell: 843-496-4533

TransfigurationFlo@mail.goarch.org

www.GoFlorence.org

 

Orthodox christians worldwide begin lenten journey to resurrection

                                      

(Florence, SC – March 15, 2013) While most Christians are approaching the celebration of Easter, Orthodox Christians throughout the world are just beginning Great Lent, a period of prayer, fasting, and spiritual preparation for Easter – called Pascha in the Orthodox Christian Church. Pascha is the Greek word for Passover.

 

Great Lent is the period of seven weeks leading up to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. According to Father Athanasios C Haros, Pastor of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, “Great Lent is an intense spiritual season when the Church encourages us to reflect inward to draw our hearts closer to Jesus Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is our way of offering our bodies as “a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God.” (Romans 12.1)

 

To assist members in their spiritual journey, the Church will offer special Lenten worship services seven days per week as well as times for Bible study and service to others. Great Lent will begin Sunday evening, March 17, at 7pm, with an ancient Service of Forgiveness as members are invited to seek and to offer forgiveness to and from each other. “We enter Great Lent with a clean conscience remembering the words of our Lord, ‘But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’” (Matthew 6.15) said Father Haros.

 

Orthodox Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ following an ancient formula using the Julian (Lunar) calendar, whereas Western Christians (Roman Catholics, Protestants etc) calculate Easter using the same formula but on the Gregorian (Solar) calendar. In 2013 there is more than one month difference between both calendar calculations. Orthodox Christians will celebrate Pascha May 5, 2013.

 

"A Week of Freedom" is planned to honor freedom in all forms as a gift from God. Freedom comes in many forms: freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom from sin, freedom from suffering and oppression. Each event during "A Week of Freedom" will focus upon one or more aspects of freedom.

Other events will include:

Ladies Philoptochos Society Spring Pastry & Food Sale - March 24-25 (11-8 on the grounds of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church - 2990 S Cashua Dr in Florence) - Freedom from Suffering, the annual spring pastry sale raises funds for more than 20 local, regional and national charities.

Divine Liturgy (Worship) for the Feast of the Annunciation - March 25 (8am in the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom from Sin, God has sent His Son that we may live with Him free from the curse of sin.

Greek Independence Day Luncheon - March 27 (12pm following Sunday worship at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Oppression, the modern Greek State, being emboldened by the United States’ Declaration of Independence declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation trusting that God’s gift of freedom could not be taken away."A Week of Freedom" is planned to honor freedom in all forms as a gift from God. Freedom comes in many forms: freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom from sin, freedom from suffering and oppression. Each event during "A Week of Freedom" will focus upon one or more aspects of freedom.

Other events will include:

Ladies Philoptochos Society Spring Pastry & Food Sale - March 24-25 (11-8 on the grounds of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church - 2990 S Cashua Dr in Florence) - Freedom from Suffering, the annual spring pastry sale raises funds for more than 20 local, regional and national charities.

Divine Liturgy (Worship) for the Feast of the Annunciation - March 25 (8am in the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom from Sin, God has sent His Son that we may live with Him free from the curse of sin.

Greek Independence Day Luncheon - March 27 (12pm following Sunday worship at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church) - Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Oppression, the modern Greek State, being emboldened by the United States’ Declaration of Independence declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation trusting that God’s gift of freedom could not be taken away.###