St. Peter News April 15, 2025

Pascha (Passover)

The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Pascha

Holy Week comes to an end at sunset of Great and Holy Saturday, as the Church prepares to celebrate her most ancient and preeminent festival, Pascha, the feast of feasts. The time of preparation will give way to a time of fulfillment. The glorious and resplendent light emanating from the empty Tomb will dispel the darkness. Christ, risen from the dead, cracks the fortress of death and takes “captivity captive” (Psalm 67:19). All the limitations of our createdness are torn asunder. Death is swallowed up in victory and life is liberated. “For as by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:21-22). Pascha is the dawn of the new and unending day. The Resurrection constitutes the most radical and decisive deliverance of humankind.

[…]

The Resurrection has not yet abolished the reality of death. But it has revealed its powerlessness (Hebrews 2:14-15). We continue to die as a result of the Fall. Our bodies decay and fall away. “God allows death to exist but turns it against corruption and its cause, sin, and sets a boundary both to corruption and sin.” Thus, physical death does not destroy our life of communion with God. Rather, we move from death to life – from this fallen world to God’s reign.

Read more about Pascha on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.

Wanted: Foreign Language Speakers for Agape Vespers on Sunday, April 20 at 12:00pm

During the Agape Vespers we read the Gospel in different languages to signify the gospel being preached to all nations. Do you speak a language other than English? Please bring your bible and be prepared to read John 20:19:25.

We will read the gospel in three sections:

• John 20:19-20
• John 20:21-23
• John 20:23-25

Easter Baskets Blessed at Pascha and Agape Vespers

Parishioners from the Slavic traditions bring Pascha Baskets to Church on Pascha to have them blessed. They are filled with meats, cheeses, gifts and all manner of good things to signify the end of Great Lent and the Resurrection of Christ as a time of bounty and blessing.

We will bless the Baskets at St. Peter’s at the evening Pascha service and again at the Agape Vespers for those who cannot make the Pascha Service.

A Guide for Holy Week

Check out the guide resources about Holy Week on the St. Peter’s website.

Services and Events This Week

• HOLY WEEK Sunday April 13 — Palm Sunday- Orthros 8:30am Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Brunch in Social Hall following Divine Liturgy
  Bridegroom Service 6:30pm
• Mon Apr 14 — HOLY MONDAY – Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Tue Apr 15 — HOLY TUESDAY – Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Wed Apr 16 — HOLY WEDNESDAY – Holy Unction 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Thu Apr 17 — HOLY THURSDAY – Liturgy of the Last Supper 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Reading of the Twelve Gospels 6:00pm (note earlier time) LIVE STREAM
• Fri Apr 18 — HOLY FRIDAY – Royal Hours 9:00am LIVE STREAM
  Decoration of Tomb of Christ 10:30am
  Taking Christ Down from the Cross 3:00pm LIVE STREAM
  Lamentations 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Sat Apr 19 — HOLY SATURDAY – First Resurrection Service 9:30am / Baptisms LIVE STREAM
  Great and Holy Pascha 10:00pm LIVE STREAM
• Sun Apr 20 — Agape Vespers / Reading of Gospel in different languages 12:00pm LIVE STREAM

Bishop Nicholas Visiting St. Peter’s on Holy Thursday

Bp Nicholas will be visiting St. Peter’s for the Reading of the Twelve Gospels on Holy Thursday, April 17.

This is an important service and an important day with the visit of our Bishop. Plan to attend. A small refreshment luncheon will be offered following the service.

Please note: The service will begin at 6:00pm.

Paschal Dinner and Celebration Follows Agape Vespers on Pascha Sunday

ALL ARE INVITED!

Flowers For The Kouvouklion/Christ’s Tomb

We are ordering flowers to decorate Christ’s Tomb and the interior of the church for the Lamentation Service on Holy Friday evening.

Donations for the flowers will be greatly appreciated. Please give your donations to Georgia in the office.

At the close of service, it is traditional—after venerating the Epitaphios tapestry of Christ in repose—to take a blessed flower for the home icon stand or altar.

We would like to keep the decorated Kouvouklion in tact through Bright Week. Fr.Hans would like—-as is customary—to give each parishioner a flower.

Holy Week Events for Children — Look for MyroForos (The Myrrh Bearing Women)

Dear Parents:

Pascha is fast approaching, and we are getting ready, in particular, for Holy Friday–one of the most holy days of the year.

We begin with the Royal Hours at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Parish women gathering to decorate the Kouvouklion (Tomb of Christ) with flowers.

Christ is taken down from the cross at 3:00 p.m.. This is an especially meaningful service for all the children. It is approximately 45 to 60 minutes long.
As is traditional, the children pay their respects by crossing under the Kouvouklion to be blessed.

During the Lamentations at 6:30, Myroforis–who were the women who followed Christ, attended to him and prepared his body for burial–are needed to
participate in the service. We need young ladies ages 9 to 13.

We will provide a white choir-like robe, flower headdress and white basket with flower petals to be tossed unto the Kouvouklion as they walk in a circle.
The girls should wear a white or light colored dress and white shoes or sandals.

Persephone and Alexis Johnson are in charge of this beautiful assignment. Please feel free to ask them or me any questions you may have.

Georgia
Your Sunday School Administrator

Women’s Book Club Meets Friday 11am in the Social Hall Cancelled During Holy Week

We will begin, “Thinking Orthodox”, by, Dr Eugenia (Jeannie) Constantinou. The book can be purchased on-line at Ancient Faith Store.

All women are welcome and encouraged to attend. Coffee will be served. We can’t wait to gather together!

Saint Peter’s Hurricane Response Planning

Beginning on Sunday, May 4th, and running the Sundays of May 11, and May 18, in the church social hall our security team will be asking everyone to participate in planning for the 2025 Hurricane season.

The safety of our parishioners is our upmost concern. The best way to deal with adverse weather is to have a solid plan ahead of the emergency. Your security team at Saint Peters needs everyone to help and participate in the following efforts:

1. We must identify all parishioners who reside in Evacuation Zones A and B.
2. We must identify Safe Houses of parishioners in Evacuation Zones C and D and E, who are willing to take in those from Evacuation Zones A and B during the emergency timeframe.
3. We need to team those who will evacuate, to those who will provide shelter prior to a storm’s arrival.
4. A transportation plan will be developed to get parishioners to the plans shelter.
5. If required, emergency food and water will be distributed by the security team.
6. We will establish a telephonic notification chart to allow the security team to periodically check on the parishioners status at the Safe Houses.

A finalized plan will be distributed prior to the beginning of the 2025 Hurricane Season beginning June 1, 2025. Joe Repya will coordinate and requests volunteers willing to assist in the planning and execution of our hurricane plan.

We Need Donations for the Good Samaritan Fund

These are very difficult times for some of our parishioners. We need to replenish the Good Samaritan Fund to be able to help them. Can you donate? Please write a check and note “Good Samaritan Fund” in the memo box. If you would like to donate cash please put it in envelope marked “Good Samaritan Fund.”

When you bless a neighbor in need, you bless God.

Pledge and Income Report — March 2025

Contributions received in March were $42,443
The amount of money needed to cover expenses: $33,785.
For this month we are ahead by $8,658.
Year-to-date, we are ahead by $7,028.

If you have not already done so, please complete a 2025 pledge form. Your pledge will play a vital role in helping us meet our 2025 budget goals and will support ourpreparations for refinancing our mortgage in March 2026.

St. Peter Orthodox Church
7470 Hickory Drive
Fort Myers FL 33967

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ST. PETER’S GREETERS

Please note: Volunteers to serve as greeters are needed for December. Please contact Joe Repya if you can serve.

APRIL

• April 6 — Al Joseph – Loana Dumitru
• April 13 — Barb Zeena – Vicki Matie
• April 20 — Gabrial Voss – Ray Locklear
• April 27 — Tina Kuchera – Doug Kuchera

Can you volunteer? Please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.

SOCIAL HALL ALL STARS

SUNDAY COFFEE HOURS – 2025

Please note: A fruit bowl, veggie or hummus tray may be added to a week’s menu.

• April 2025 – Sunday Coffee Hours – Team #1 – Barb Dionysopoulos Group
• Sunday, April 6 – Coffee and bagels
• Sunday, April 13 – Palm Sunday – Coffee and muffins
• Sunday, April 20 – Pascha – Coffee and coffee cakes
• Sunday, April 27 – Coffee and donuts

• May 2025 – Sunday Coffee Hours – Team #2 – Margie Zimmerman Group
• Sunday, May 4 – Coffee and bagels
• Sunday, May 11 – Coffee and muffins
• Sunday, May 18 – Coffee and coffee cakes
• Sunday, May 25 – Coffee and donuts

For Special Events/Koliva please contact BARBARA SASEN and give her a completed Special Events Form which is found in the lobby of the church.

The Social Hall All Stars are the men and women that make St. Peter’s Social Hall happen. Thank you All Stars!

MARCH

The complete Lenten Schedule can be found on the St. Peter website.

All Lenten services will be live streamed.

• HOLY WEEK Sunday April 13 — Palm Sunday- Orthros 8:30am Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Brunch in Social Hall following Divine Liturgy
  Bridegroom Service 6:30pm
• Mon Apr 14 — HOLY MONDAY – Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Tue Apr 15 — HOLY TUESDAY – Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Wed Apr 16 — HOLY WEDNESDAY – Holy Unction 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Thu Apr 17 — HOLY THURSDAY – Liturgy of the Last Supper 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Reading of the Twelve Gospels 6:00pm (note earlier time) LIVE STREAM
• Fri Apr 18 — HOLY FRIDAY – Royal Hours 9:00am LIVE STREAM
  Decoration of Tomb of Christ 10:30am
  
  Taking Christ Down from the Cross 3:00pm LIVE STREAM
  Lamentations 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Sat Apr 19 — HOLY SATURDAY – First Resurrection Service 9:30am / Baptisms LIVE STREAM
  Great and Holy Pascha 10:00pm LIVE STREAM
• Sun Apr 20 — Agape Vespers / Reading of Gospel in different languages 12:00pm LIVE STREAM

And when sorrow comes, and prayer does not seem to help, do not despair or grumble or give in to disbelief. Remember, without trials one cannot be saved; one cannot even gain experience in life without them. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev

When the mind, taking refuge in Christ and calling upon Him, stands firm and repels its unseen enemies, like a wild beast facing a pack of hounds from a good position of defence, then it inwardly anticipates their inner ambuscades well in advance. Through continually invoking Jesus the peacemaker against them, it remains invulnerable. St. Hesychius the Theologian of Jerusalem, disciple of St. Gregory the Theologian

When I examine my heart, when I behold my false repentance, I can say to the Lord only, “My God, I have never made any beginning in prayer!” Bishop Irenei Steenberg

When you see someone suffering great dishonour, you may be sure that he was carried away by thoughts of self-esteem and is now reaping, much to his disgust, the harvest from the seeds which he sowed in his heart. St Mark the Ascetic

Every act of love towards one’s neighbor brings joy, exalting the human soul and causing it to experience a sense of light, of spiritual delight. Archbishop Averky (Taushev)

Current Prayer List

Adam (Krotov)
Ariyon (Sovjani)
Diana (Veraj)
Arjan (Veraj)
Thoma (Sovjani)
Lucia
Ioannes
Freida (Hansen)
Stratton (Leopold)
Mary (Copeland)
Robert (Tewis)
Gene (Forderhase)
Ruth (Mudd)
Barbara (Duskas)
Doug S (Duskas)
Marc C. (Duskas)
Rachel (Voss)
Ken John (Eaton)
William (Semeretis)
David (Orfanos)
Maria (Orfanos)
William (Long)
George (Chionis 11-1)
Haley
Lydia
Mark (Chionis 11-1)
Katheryn (Chionis 11-1)
Jacob (Chionis 11-1)
Ken (Chionis 11-1)
Maxim (Koco)
George (Tsikistas 8/1)
George (Mourgis 8/1)
Barbara (Sason 8/1)
Anthony (Breitenbach 6/1)
Arielle (Ghanem 6/1)
Nicholas (Ghanem 6/1)
Christos
Father Demetris
Jamie
Pamela
David
Jessica
Christina (Hildreth)
Dionysios Chapekis)
Nancy (Forderhase)
Kayla (Palantine)
George (3/23 Chapekis)
Penelope (3/23 Chapekis)
Theodora (3/23)
Victor (3/23)
Les (3/23
Lynn (Hurely 1/23)
Irene and newborn baby (Tsikitas 1/23)
Linda (Pappas 1/23)
Ekaterina (Chapekis 1/23)
Lee (Hurley 1/23)
Emmanuel (Kalousdis 1/23)
Katherine (Dusckas 1/23)
Vassiliki (Diveris 1/23)
Zena Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Lamia Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Matthew (Contorelli 1/23
Emmanuel (Kaloudis 1/23)
Nicholas
Marlene (Tewis 12/22)
Tina (Johnson 12/22)
Nicholas (De Lorenzo 12/22)
Archpriest Dionysius (Valentine 9/12)
John Presbyter (Jacobse)
Elain Presbytera (Jacobse)
Constantine(Jacobse)
Chrysoula(Jacobse)
Angel (Ghanem 10/22)
Edgar (Chapekis 9/22)
Evthriki (Jacobse 9/22)
Christos (Johnson 8/22)
Jon Paul (Andrew 8/22)
William (Brubaker 8/22)
Peter (Tewis 8/22)
The People of Ukraine and People of Russia and all those who are suffering in the war

Permanent Prayer List

Kh. Denise (Breitenbach)
Fr. Patrick (Breitenbach)
Bonnie Joseph
Michael (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Maria (Sovjani)
Katerina (Sovjani)
Frederick (Sovjani)
Arsen (Sovjani)
Irene (Diveris)
Katheryn (Tolkkinen)
Markisia (Long)
Angela (Long)
Marina (Long)
Eleni (Long)
Raphaella (Long)
Joanne (Haley)
Corwin (Dusckas)
Corgette (Troutman)
Irina (Irina)
Lidia (Irina)
Sarina (Ghanem)
Debbie (Breitenbach)
Kathy (Breitenbach)
Hope (Isadore)
s
John (Long)
Pantelis (Tsikita)
Marisa (Tsikita)
Barbara (Dionysopoulos)
Patricia (Evanoff)
Gabriel (Mankus)
Baby Dani (Repya)
Despina (Diversis)
Fredericos (Diveris)
Herman (Kerr)
Innocent (Kerr)
Nicholas (Kerr)
Paola (Jacobse)
Gregory (Yankopolos)
Pauline (Poulos)
Sergio (Kazakos)
Fran (Hansen)
Nina (Krotov)
Franklin (Pyrrson)
Demetrios (Kuchera)
Theodosios (Palis)
Theodora (Webb)
Robert (Smith)
Presbytera Rosy (in Pakistan)
James (Hord)
Vassiliki (Kontinos)
Vassiliki (Morekeas)
Vassilike (Hord)

Founders, Members, Benefactors and Friends Departed this Life

John (Hansen)
Anatoly (Kurdsjuk)
Thareni (Brooks)
Milan Evanoff
Jean (Sam)
Eleni (Pearson)
Richard (Pearson)
Fr. Stephanos (Shagoury)
Panagiota (Bea Chionis)
Anthony (Mourgis)
Anthony (Mankus)
Constantine (Houpis)
Constantine (Joseph)
Mary (Jarvis)
Panagiota Margarita (Palis)
Maria (Ninos)
Soterios (Ninos)
George (Ninos)
John (Katsigianopoulos)
George (Chionis)
Mary (Spiropoulos)
Gregory (Pappas)
Angela (Coran K
Eugene (Rust)
Robert (Jarvis)
George (Corey)
Patricia (Cotsones)
Seraphim (Zolio)
Apostolos
Raymond

How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.

Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website.

Sunday Readings

EPISTLE

This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein!
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endureth forever.

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. (1:1-8)

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom He had chosen. To them He presented Himself alive after His passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “You heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

GOSPEL

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:1-17)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not. But to all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to Him, and cried, “This was He of Whom I said, ‘He Who comes after me ranks before me, for He was before me.’”) And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.