Vol. 1, No. 3, August 2022
The Atlanta Inter-Orthodox Parish Association (AIOPA) is a team of clergy and laity representatives from different canonical Orthodox parishes around the Atlanta area. The goal of AIOPA is to foster connections among different parishes and jurisdictions, to develop a strong sense of one local Orthodox Christian Family and, as such, to contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church in the United States of America as defined by the Assembly of Bishops. AIOPA is a committee of the Atlanta Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood (AOCB), which seeks to bring people the knowledge of the Orthodox Church and to assist those throughout the city of Atlanta who are in need. Both AOCB and AIOPA use www.atlocb.org for communication.
Letter from Fr. Christos Mars, Chairman of AIOPA
Annunciation Greek Cathedral, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA)
Welcome to another edition of the Orthodox Chronicles! As we are in the summer months and many people are traveling, we have not forgotten about the work that is taking place with AIOPA. As we visit many places of interest, the AIOPA team is still praying and working towards closer Christian fellowship.
This working closely together for a common goal reminds me of a beloved saint of mine, Saint Phanourios, who celebrates his feast on August 27. He was a Martyr and Miracle Worker. The saint’s name sounds similar to the Greek verb “phanerono”, which means “to reveal” or “to disclose.” In fact, people pray to Saint Phanourios to help them find lost objects, to reveal lost or hidden spiritual matters of the heart, to redirect them or reveal actions which should be taken, and to restore health. When a lost object is discovered, or when prayers reveal what is needed, a symbolic cake called a phanouropita is baked and brought to the church where it is blessed by the priest and then distributed among the parishioners.
Little is known about Saint Phanourios beyond the fact that he lived during the Roman period and was persecuted because of his Christian beliefs. In fact, everything that we know about him – his life, his martyrdom, and even his name – was revealed by an icon discovered several centuries after he lived. His feast day became the anniversary of the icon’s discovery, the 27th of August.
Tradition states that when the island of Rhodes fell to the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the new Muslim occupiers wished to rebuild the walls around the city.
To do so, the stones from several ruined buildings near the fortress were transported and used to build and reinforce the wall. While this work was being done, a beautiful church that had been destroyed was discovered and it contained many icons. The majority were damaged so severely that they were unidentifiable, but the icon of Saint Phanourios was perfectly intact. The icon depicts a young man dressed as a Roman soldier. In his right hand he holds a spear and in his left a cross and a lit candle. Around the perimeter of the icon are 12 events of martyrdom that the Saint suffered. The inscription reads “Saint Phanourios” meaning “Revealer” in Greek.
The Turkish soldiers who found the icon did not see any value in it and left it amid the ruins where it was later found by a group of Orthodox monks. The monks then brought it to their Bishop, Metropolitan Nilus of Rhodes, who read the inscription and, not recognizing the name, declared him to be a newly-discovered Saint. As a result of the unique manner in which this icon, and Saint Phanourios, were discovered, St. Phanourios is considered the patron saint of lost things.
Baking a phanouropita (or fanouropita) is a Greek and Cypriot custom and is an acknowledgement of the intercedence of Saint Phanourios. It is not a Holy Tradition, yet it has been welcomed and adopted by the church formerly as a short blessing service offered at Vespers services and / or just before the Liturgy finishes on August 27, the feast of Saint Phanourios.
A Phanouropita is a small lenten (vegan) cake. It traditionally consists of 7 or 9 ingredients representing the seven Holy Sacraments of the Church or the nine angelic choirs. The baking of phanouropita is a centuries old tradition and therefore will certainly have some variations between recipes, however most recipes are pretty similar. Regardless of the actual recipe, there is one unbreakable rule: Before beginning to bake, take a moment to think of something you’d like Saint Phanourios to help you find—keep this in mind as you make the cake!
We, too, need enlightenment and guidance as we continue our efforts in moving closer to Christian fellowship. May Saint Phanourios intercede for us always.
AIOPA updates
Welcome Sarah Stewart and Theo Mantzikos to the AIOPA family!
During the July 5 AIOPA monthly meeting, each one of the five workgroups reviewed the status of their activities. A significant number of events and news are posted on the website, its traffic experiencing an increase of 122% in June.
The Hierarchs’ blessings, guidance and support are critical to maintaining the momentum for the AIOPA work. His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel of ROEA/OCA, gave his blessing to send the link to "A Declaration for Orthodox Christian Unity in America". He was the first to sign the document and asks that you consider signing it and sharing it with your parish. We are looking forward to expanding and maintaining the direct dialog between parish representatives and their respective Hierarchs for all parishes participating in the AIOPA effort.
We have continued featuring our clergy in The Clergy Spotlights, sharing a little bit about where they came from, their journey in becoming a priest, hobbies and family. We now have five spotlights and looking forward to receiving more from our clergy.
Past Events
On Monday, July 25, we held the first Parish Council Presidents Round Table meeting. The participants introduced each other and then talked about some of the current challenges our parishes are experiencing. The meeting was attended by representatives from St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church, St. Elias Orthodox Church, St. James Orthodox Church, Annunciation Cathedral, St. Christopher Orthodox Church, St. Philothea Orthodox Church, and Sts. Constantine and Helen Church. The next meeting will be on October 24, 6PM.
Project Mexico: Celebrating the Divine Liturgy with the Orphanage boys, clergy and staff.
On July 21st, a group from St. John the Wonderworker (Atlanta) and Holy Transfiguration (Marietta) traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to stay at the St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage and participate in Project Mexico.
A description of Project Mexico can be found at https://www.projectmexico.org.
“Since 1988, Project Mexico has been building safe, secure and weather-tight homes for some of the most impoverished families in Northern Mexico. Every home is constructed over the course of four days and built entirely with volunteer labor. Once complete, these homes are provided so that these families can build a brighter future for themselves and their children. “
The Atlanta group was joined by many other parishes from across the country to participate in the week’s tasks of putting up four homes for families in need in the nearby town of Rosarito, Mexico. Some of the representative parishes included St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (GOA) in Portsmouth, NH, Holy Ascension Orthodox Church (OCA) in Albion, MN, and Sts. Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church (GOA) in Wauwatosa, WI.
In total, over 100 parishioners and 4 priests spent the week together in fellowship, worship, and construction work. One of the most refreshing parts of the week was seeing how many youth and young adults were involved and had felt a desire to help the poor and participate in Orthodox mission work. The energy that they brought to the project was greatly appreciated!
Every year, Project Mexico needs teams of volunteers during the summer months to help complete their vital work. They also are in constant need of financial support and your prayers.
Project Mexico: The Atlanta team and friends in front of the completed house with the recipient family.
Upcoming events
August 5-6 | Holy Transfiguration Feast Day Vespers and Divine Liturgy| 3431 Trickum Road, Marietta, GA 30066. On Friday, August 6, Great Vespers for the Transfiguration will be held at 6:00 PM followed by a reception meal in the Parish Hall. On Saturday, Orthros and Divine Liturgy for the Parish Feast-Day will be held starting at 8:45 AM.
August 20-21 | St. Elias Centennial Celebration | 2045 Ponce de Leon Ave, Northeast Atlanta, GA 30307. St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church is celebrating its Centennial with a series of events on the weekend of August 20-21. On Saturday, Metropolitan Joseph will preside and Bishop Nicholas will be present to bless the altar and icons and vespers will be held, followed by a cocktail hour, banquet and dance at Georgia Tech Conference Center. On Sunday, a hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be held with Metropolitan Joseph presiding and Bishop Nicholas present, followed by a luncheon and special presentation. Reservations are required for the banquet Saturday. Reservations can be made here.
August 21-27 | The Liturgical Arts Academy | Diakonia Retreat Center, 455 Quail Ridge Road, Salem, SC 29676. The Liturgical Arts Academy teaches church leaders and artists the traditional skills and knowledge of Byzantine chant, iconography and other liturgical arts amidst a new culture, a new language and to a new generation of Orthodox Christians in the United States. The Academy strives to revitalize the Orthodox tradition of the liturgical arts in order to restore the proper power and transformative nature of worship of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the salvation of all. Tuition Includes: 7 Days and 6 Nights of lodging and meals, plus workshop instruction and materials for 5 days (Mon-Fri), use of facilities and amenities at the Diakonia Retreat Center. Registration here.
August 23 | South Atlanta Golf Classic | Eagle's Landing Country Club. The South Atlanta Golf Event is benefitting the Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the spouses and children of certain military men and women.
September 1-30 | Soles4Souls Drive | Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Orthodox Church, 3074 Bethelview Rd. Cumming, GA 30040. Sts. Raphael, Nicholas & Irene will be doing another shoe drive for our Charity Work Group. Over the month of September 2022, we will be collecting your gently used shoes. If your parish community would like to participate with us, please register at https://soles4souls.org/shoe-drive-registration/.
September 11 | 1st Inaugural Cross Dive | Holy Cross Orthodox Church, 859 1st Street. Macon, GA 31201. Cross Dive at Lake Tobesofkee. Details pending.
September 11 | Back to Church Sunday | Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Orthodox Church, 3074 Bethelview Rd. Cumming, GA 30040. STS. RNI Greek Orthodox Church would like to invite you to attend our special Back to Church Sunday service at 10:00 am. Following the service, participate in one of the spotlighted ministry workshops. Free childcare provided! After the workshops, enjoy a free will luncheon and learn about our plans to grow our community in Forsyth County!
September 12 | St. Philothea Golf Classic | 8:00 AM—8:00 PM The Georgia Club 1050 Chancellors DriveStatham, GA, 30666. St. Philothea is sponsoring the a golf tournament which will benefit Bread for Life. Bread for Life offers service industry hands-on training, professional instruction and community support to individuals needing a second chance and who desire to improve their lives through development of transferable skills leading to successful careers in the hospitality industry. This golf tournament is their primary fundraiser this year. We need your help and participation. Hole sign donations, door prize donations and tournament players are all areas where you can be a part of this important ministry.
September 23-25 | Atlanta Greek Festival | Cathedral of the Annunciation, 2500 Clairmont Road, Atlanta 30329. The Atlanta Greek Festival is excited to be returning in-person for the festival. Join us for your favorite Greek food, dancing, and shopping. Volunteers appreciated and a link will be provided soon. Portions of the proceeds from the 2022 Atlanta Greek Festival will be donated to the Center for the Visually Impaired and Kate’s Club along with our Cathedral’s Philoptochos (Friends of those in need) Society, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and the Diakonia Retreat Center.
September 30 - October 2 | Connect Conference | 161 Ted Turner Drive Northwest Atlanta, GA, 30303. The Connect Conference is for Orthodox young adults in their 20s and 30s. Through learning, fellowship, and worship, the goal of the conference is to better connect us to our faith, the Church, and each other. The format of the conference includes keynote addresses to the group, breakout sessions in smaller groups with time for Q&A, worship times including the Divine Liturgy, and plenty of opportunities for fellowship.
Ancient Faith Radio interview. We are in touch with the AFR to schedule a podcast covering the AIOPA process, structure, plans and results.
AIOPA monthly meeting. Our next AIOPA meeting is scheduled via Zoom for August 9 at 7PM.
“In His High Priestly Prayer to His Father, Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ prayed for His disciples, the members of the Church that He established … “that they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:21).”