A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 25 - Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Metropolitan Methodios Honors Unsung Church Volunteers
BOSTON - More than 800 Greek Orthodox faithful from parishes throughout New England took part in the 18th annual Metropolis of Boston Ministry Awards Dinner on Sunday night at Lombardo’s function facility in Randolph, Massachusetts. Sixty-seven dedicated men and women were chosen from 47 parishes to receive the Metropolis of Boston award, which is bestowed upon parishioners who have labored for the progress of their local parish. Stewardship of time and talent is the basis for the award. In addition, Metropolitan Methodios designated four individuals who have contributed to various aspects of our ecclesial and communal life. Among them were Nikitas Flaris, president of the Assumption parish of Dracut, Massachusetts and Irene Splagounias, president of the Association of Educators of the Greek Language of New England. The Awards Ministry was instituted eighteen years ago by Metropolitan Methodios as a token of appreciation to all those invisible contributors to the Church who offer quietly and humbly their ministry to their parish by preparing the prosforon for the Divine Liturgy, by chanting in the choir, by cleaning the nave as sextons, or by assisting the priest in the sanctuary. “For the eighteenth time, we gather as a community, as a family of 63 parishes throughout New England to celebrate our Faith—to thank God for the clergy and laity who offer their time, talents and treasure so that the light of our Orthodox Faith may continue shining brightly in this Metropolis,” Metropolitan Methodios said. Methodios also spoke of the meaning of discipleship by saying that “We must all see ourselves as disciples of Christ…this evening, at this banquet of fellowship, we thank God for providing His Church with disciples that continue the work of the Twelve. I refer to all the faithful stewards of our parishes and Metropolis, who labor in our communities, casting the net of our Christian faith in our homes, in our schools, in the workplace.” Metropolitan Methodios, who completed twenty years of Archpastoral Ministry in Boston, also said that “the mission of the Church has always been difficult; it seems especially so today. Confusion and doubt have become the signs of the times. Millions of spiritually wounded men and women, betrayed and hopeless, stretch their arms in the direction of the Church, seeking salvation.” He said today, we live a tragedy. “…a tragedy of a culture, which, though it has reached great heights in its development, seems to be destined to self-destruct. Human intelligence with inconceivable inventiveness and with an abundance of technical means has been working, it seems, to enable the human race to commit collective suicide.” He said it is a tragedy that we have become enslaved to the technology we have created. “…a technology closed to the transcendent. We seem to have been reduced to mere instruments of production and the cold logic of economic laws—and the result of all this is that we live today the tragedy of loneliness and despair.” Methodios called upon the Greek Orthodox faithful of New England to help their fellow human beings: “We must assist our fellow human beings to overcome the temptation of consumer philosophy to have more and more instead of trying to be more and more…. of knowing the price for everything and the value of nothing.”
Each honoree was announced with a brief
description of his or her good works, together
with a definition of the honoree’s personality.
John Chronopoulos from St. Nektarios in Roslindale
was called “a man of God” for his dedication to
the Church. Greetings were offered by Consul
General of Greece in Boston Kostantin Bikas,
Boston Philoptochos Board President Merope
Kapetanakis, Christopher Pappas, Metropolis of
Boston council member and Archimandrite
Constantine Bebis, president of the Clergy
Brotherhood. The Metropolis of Boston Dance Troop
presented traditional Greek dances. State Senator
Steven Panagiotakos was the Master of Ceremonies.
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