Enjoy Dinner "Around the Town" Attention -- “Around the Town” Dinner Update!

There are three venues for the “Around the Town” Dinner on Saturday, May 30t at 7pm.

Tickets are $20 for a fabulous meal with friends and all the comforts of home.

Seats are filling up fast! To reserve your place, please call Joanna Tsiantas at 978-465-1405 asap


Gina & John Dussi

Frank & Genie Schaeffer (sorry, full)

Peter & Dorothy Davis (sorry, full)



Thanks to our Prosphora Baker Thanks to Stella Andriotakis who is offering the prosphora this week.

May their Memory be Eternal Please pray at the Memorial Service this morning for the souls of John and Helen Nicholson and for the 9th day Memorial of Asimina Markos.

Thank you to the Council for hosting today's Fellowship Hour in memory of the Nicholsons.

Liturgy for the Ascension Thursday, May 28 marks the 40th day after Pascha, when our Lord ascended into heaven to bring our human nature to sit at the right hand of the Father. We will celebrate this great feast at a Vesperal (Evening) Liturgy on Wednesday, May 27, at 6:30 pm. This is a good opportunity for people who are working to be able to come to celebrate the great feasts of our Church. If you wish to receive Communion, please be fasting from after a light lunch around noontime.

Cemetery Visits On Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, we will be visiting the various cemeteries in the area to pray the Trisagion for our beloved departed. The (approximate) schedule for the various cemeteries is as follows:

9:30 am Highland
10:00 am Oak Hill
10:45 am Sawyer
11:15 am Belleville
11:45 am St. Mary’s
12:30 pm Amesbury
1:15 pm Salisbury

Please have someone meet us at the entrance of the cemetery to take us to the appropriate graves. Also, be sure to have the list of names ready for the service.


All Military Invited On Sunday, May 31, we invite all our military, both active and veterans, for prayer and special recognition at the end of Liturgy. We will also celebrate a Trisagion in memory of all the members of our Parish Family who have been members of the military. Active military members are invited to wear their dress uniforms.

Please fill out the sign-up sheet at the Pangari with names and addresses of Parish Family members who are in the military, and please include the names of the deceased who are to be remembered at the Trisagion.

Come and Celebrate at the Laity Awards Dinner Once again, congratulations to our Laity Award recipient, Anita McMahon. If anyone would like to help celebrate this honor please sign-up at the Pangari. The dinner will take place at Lombardo`s Restaurant in Randolph, MA on Sunday, June 14 at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $75 per person.

2009 Greek Food Festival – July 24, 25, 26 The kickoff meeting for this year’s festival was held on April 2 and attended by 14 interested parishioners . . . a great start! Charlie Neos has volunteered to chair the festival. In addition, others have come forward to lead many of the key venues of our festival. If you are interested in leading, or joining with someone to lead, one of the food preparation workshops . . . there are plenty of opportunities.

We need our entire church community to help make this year’s festival successful!

Please plan to attend our next meeting on Monday, June 1 at 7PM in Nicholson Hall.


Festival Workshops Planned The Festival Committee has put together a working calendar for the various Workshops needed for the Festival. You will find this schedule elsewhere in the Bulletin. Please come and help in as many as you can; they are scheduled at different times of the week and during the day and evening, so that everyone should be able to help at one, at least. Remember--this is YOUR Festival; we need everyone`s help to make this event successful!

Summer Hours and Sunday School Graduation Summer hours will begin on Sunday, June 14. There will be a short Orthros beginning at 9:00 am and Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:30 am.

Sunday School graduation will be taking place at the end of Liturgy on Sunday, June 14. Please be here to support our children as they learn to love our Faith!

Subscribing to the Beacon One of the topics that has been discussed at the last two Parish Council meetings has been how to reduce the
costs associated with publishing the Beacon. All stewards and some former stewards of our Church receive, via
bulk mail, their copy monthly. In total, roughly 250 copies are assembled, printed, collated and mailed at a
considerable cost of time, talent and money.
Given that many stewards have internet access and that the Beacon is posted on the Annunciation`s website at:
www.annunciationgoc.com, it was felt that it was unnecessary to mail it to those for whom we have email addresses. They they will receive it via email.

For those stewards without internet access/email addresses, they will be able to pick up their copy which will be available at the Pangari in the Narthex. To those former stewards and homebound stewards of the Annunciation who currently receive the Beacon and wish to continue receiving it, they will need to fill out the form found elsewhere in this bulletin, or contact the church office. If they do not, they will NOT receive the Beacon. These changes will become effective with the July edition of the Beacon. Thank you!

Come to the Metropolis Camp It`s time to apply for the Metropolis of Boston Summer Camp in Contoocook NH! Father and Presbytera and Don and Jill Argyrople will be going during the 3rd week of camp (July 13-19); it would be nice if all the kids from Newburyport could come that week! If your children have not yet been to the camp, why not try it? It is an amazing experience--just ask any of the children who have gone and go back every year. Not only is it fun; the children learn lots about their faith, make close friendships with other Orthodox children, and begin to deepen their own spiritual life. You can get an application at http://www.boston.goarch.org/youth_ministries/mbc/metropolis_of_boston_summer_camp_2009.html

Enjoy a Week of Summer Church Camp All the children of our parish are invited to our own Vacation Church Camp from Monday, August 10 to Saturday, August 15. The theme of the camp is "Feasts of the Theotokos". The children will learn about these feasts and about the most holy Theotokos through games, songs, crafts and activities. There will be a sleep-over for those who want from Friday to Saturday. The children will help chant the Liturgy for the Dormition of the Theotokos Saturday morning at 9:30 am. Applications for the camp will be available soon!

Hear Some Good Sunday Sermons Our own Fr. Kerry Saravelas is the host of the weekly Metropolis Radio Program which airs on Sunday mornings between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. The Program is heard on WNTN 1550AM. But, in order to guarantee good and clear reception in the Greater Newburyport/ Southern New Hampshire area, it is strongly recommend that our faithful listen directly on the internet at www.grecianechoes.com Once on the website, just click-on "LISTEN" for the audio streaming. The program always consists of homilies in both Greek and English usually focusing on the Gospel Reading of the day.

What a great way to prepare for Liturgy, to spend 15 minutes meditating on the day`s Gospel reading and hearing an inspiring and cogent message to help with out spiritual struggles! Thanks to Fr. Kerry for this important and invaluable ministry.

Get Church Updates on Facebook Our Parish Family now has a group on the social networking site Facebook (www.facebook. com). If you have a Facebook account, find the site among groups. You need to ask for membership. If you do not yet have a Facebook account, you should make one. It is a good way of keeping in touch with your fellow Parish Family members and seeing what`s going on in our church! There is also a link to our Youth Groups page.

Saravelas Memorial Scholarship Once again this year, the Venis and Anna Saravelas Memorial Scholarship is being offered to graduating High School seniors. There are several criteria in order to qualify for this scholarship. Application forms may be obtained in the narthex or by contacting Diane Hansen at dvhansen@verizon.net. Application deadline is Friday, May 29 and scholarships will be awarded following liturgy on Sunday, June 7, 2009.

Notice the Beautiful New Rugs The Parish Council took a step closer in its Narthex Beautification project by voting to purchase five Oriental rugs at a cost of two thousand sixty three ($2063) dollars. Even though this project was not in the 2009 budget, through Connie Nakis, the Church was able to purchase the rugs approximately 33% less than their normal price. The Parish Council felt that this was too good a "deal"to pass up. In addition, Paul and Connie, as well as an anonymous donor, have each donated five hundred ($500) dollars leaving a balance of one thousand sixty three ($1063) yet to be raised. Anyone wishing to donate to the Narthex Beautification project can contact either Father Constantine or a Parish Council member.


Used Sports Equipment Needed A small group of dedicated volunteers is trying to start a Soccer program (and other sports programs) for kids in Lawrence. They are in great need of sports equipment. They can make good use of any serviceable equipment. Please contact Don Argyrople, or drop of items at church. Your donations will be delivered to Youth Development Organization, a non-profit agency serving the academic and physical needs of Lawrence children. (Please no winter sports equipment).


Help for St. Basil`s Pantry As the difficult economy and the winter weather continues, please keep our less fortunate brothers and sisters in mind! St. Basil`s Pantry is in need of food for our Monday lunch guests. Please bring the following: Peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti sauce, green vegetables, low sodium soups, canned fruit, tuna, spam (low sodium) and toiletries. Please remember to bring small cans of vegetables, as many of our guests live alone. Also, please do not bring pasta (we already have tons!). Thank you for your generosity.