Inspiration and Blessings at Christmas Pageant

Seeing children perform a Christmas Pageant inspires and blesses all. Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church in Southampton presented a moving Pageant on Sunday, December 21, 2014. “Angels surround God and children are our angels around us,” explained Fr. Constantine Lazarakis, Presbyter. “Our children are vulnerable. They must be protected.” The Sunday School along with Language and Culture Institutes (LCI) in Greek, Russian and Romanian, performed a multilingual choir of Christmas songs. The Sunday School and LCI Teachers dedicated long hours in organizing this extraordinary Pageant.

Jim Hatgistavrou was the epistle reader. President Nikiteas explained that “we are a family. We work together. We make things happen with the help and guidance of Fr. Alex and Fr. Constantine. I feel blessed. Most of all, I want to thank God for guiding us.” For more information, visit http://kimisishamptons.org/.

A new, hand-carved iconostasis (altar) adorned the church. It reminds of Agia Triada Church altar of Myrina, Limnos, opposite the Dardanelles. “We are able to worship the Orthodox faith freely in America and not in the countries of Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia,” said Rev. Father Alexander Karloutsos, Protopresbyter. “The Greek nation endured four hundred years of the treatment Christians are enduring by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. We are rebuilding St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero, as the only House of Worship.”

The subject among many on Long Island’s East End revolved over His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of over 300 million Orthodox faithful worldwide, receiving Pope Francis on November 29-30, 2014, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul. The bowing of Pope Francis to Patriarch Bartholomew has not taken place since before the East-West Schism in 1054 A.D. Rev. Father Karloutsos explained their encounter was as “Equals.” “Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a Joint Declaration with consequential importance for Christian unity and momentous impact on the suffering of Christians in the Middle East,” according to the Patriarchate’s official press release. “It even seems that the value of human life has been lost, that the human person no longer matters and may be sacrificed to other interests. And, tragically, all this is met by the indifference of many (http://www.patriarchate.org).”

A lavish reception followed the church service in the Muses catering hall. Sevi Chiotaki, Greek real estate businesswoman, described another view of the upcoming Greek elections. “If SYRIZA wins, the banks plan to unite into a bigger system,” said Chiotaki. “Greeks are proud. They overcome crisis. The economy is better than two years ago. Our tourism increased dramatically.” Panagiota Tsakmakopoulos described a mutual heritage she shares with Sevi in Asia Minor, the major center of Hellenism prior to the 1922 Catastrophe. For a positive outlook on Greece’s economic revival, you can email Chiotaki.

Inspiration and Christmas blessings with a warm communication of all, made Christmas 2014 unforgettable at Kimisis Tis Theotokou Church in Southampton.

Links:
Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church
Iconostasis
Papal Visit