Mary Grechny

Until two years ago, I gave only an occasional thought to those confined to a nursing home. Life certainly can change quickly. My mother is a devout Orthodox Christian who attended church services regularly and had an active life in her parish. As her age advanced and she was no longer able to drive, I made sure that she attended her church every Sunday, feast days, and stayed connected to her church family. After almost nine years, this came to an abrupt end....she fell and broke her hip.

Mom endured sudden hospitalization, surgery, and was now confined to a skilled nursing facility. She told me that she felt like she was in jail. For almost three months, I spent many hours, every day, at the facility, keeping an eye on her medications, meals, physical therapy, and more. The staff was encouraged that someone cared and visited regularly. This gave me the opportunity to interact with both, permanent residents and those who were there for rehabilitation. Very few had visitors, even on weekends. I felt their loneliness. Thank God that Mom's priest visited her weekly and helped to lift her spirits. Other residents became curious about her faith, so she often talked with them about Orthodoxy and why her priest took the time to visit and pray with her. She explained how he made her feel loved and still connected to her church.

Weeks went by and with daily physical therapy, Mom worked hard at being able to walk again. But her biggest fear was “will I ever go to my church again?” Her heart would sink every Friday morning when she would hear volunteers knocking on residents' doors announcing that a Catholic prayer service would soon begin. And, each time that I heard this, I wondered why we “Orthodox” didn't do something like this. Well, now we do!

Almost a year and a half ago, I attended my first prayer service held by St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach. It didn't take long for me to realize that praying with and serving the residents blessed me! So much appreciation lights up their faces through their smiles. They are so happy to share their own church backgrounds and family life. This special time helps them feel loved and connected to their church. Often, there are questions about our faith. A new Bible Study class at one of the facilities was well attended.

To continue this important work, we need your help. Please give prayerful consideration to supporting this ministry. Please help those who cannot attend their church any longer. Volunteering is easy! Come when you can. Come and visit. You can help at a service by setting up the table, icons, lights, pass out folders so that those attending can follow, join in singing, reading the epistle, and pass out the bulletins. Or most of all, just come and pray with us. Come and experience the joy of serving. We welcome all ages, all help, all talents (yes, a real “Talent Show” earlier this year entertained residents). We will gladly work around your work and school schedules. For students, we'll be happy to provide documentation for your time spent volunteering.

If you would like to learn more or have any questions, please contact me.

Thank you, Mary Grechny (Holy Trinity Orthodox Church) maryg@stpanteleimon.com Board Member and Volunteer Coordinator St. Panteleimon Ministry

COOKIE WALK!

The St. Panteleimon Cookie Walk is quickly approaching. Saturday, December 10, from 10am-2pm. The event will be held at North Olmsted United Methodist Church: 4600 Dover Center Rd. Parking is available behind the church building. St. Panteleimon's has all the bases covered for your holiday bakery needs. Our cookies are priced at $8/lb. Those who sign up for our electronic newsletter will be able to purchase cookies for $7/lb. It's the best deal in town!

We will also have baklava, nut rolls, and various breads. There's something for everyone. Best of all, 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the St. Panteleimon Ministry.

Call 440-941-4850 for more information. See you on the 10th!

From the Director -- November 2011

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!As we publish this first issue of our monthly newsletter I feel as though an introduction is in order for those of you who are not yet familiar with the St. Panteleimon ministry. This organization officially incorporated in July 2010, however God began laying the foundation for it in the fall of 2006. My family and I first became aware of what life is like in a nursing home when my grandmother (“Baba” as we affectionately called her) moved into one after suffering a broken hip. Within a few weeks it became apparent that the spiritual needs of nursing home residents are oftentimes neglected by senior living facilities. Activities departments fill their schedules with Bingo, card games, movies, singers and entertainers at the expense of spiritual programming. Baba was upset that she was unable to go to church services at a local Orthodox parish during this time, so after receiving the blessing of my parish priest, Fr. Dennis Kristof, I inquired with the activities department about the possibility of leading an Orthodox prayer service for any interested residents. The first service was held in November of 2006, and it soon became a part of the weekly schedule for the nursing home. Baba departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection in 2009, but the ministry continues at Westlake Health Care Center on a weekly basis to this day.

While the primary focus of St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach is to minister to Orthodox Christians, non-Orthodox residents and their families are welcome to take part in our services and programs if they wish to do so.

We have had inquirers about Orthodoxy from time to time. An un-churched resident who once lived across the hall from my grandmother accepted the Orthodox Faith and was received into the Church by Fr. Dennis. More recently, a Presbyterian woman approached our team after a prayer service and expressed an interest in learning more about the Faith. Instruction is presently underway.

God has opened several doors for this ministry in its 16-month existence. As the number of referrals has increased from clergy and laypeople so has the number of facilities served. Our most recent ministry statistics will be presented at the conclusion of this letter. Ultimately our goal is for the St. Panteleimon Ministry to be of service to every parish in the Greater Cleveland area. Obviously, the most important spiritual care that Orthodox residents receive is the sacramental care provided by their parish priest. The ministry of St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach is to provide a “spiritual snack” (for lack of a better term) until the residents are able to receive their next spiritual meal. We will be happy to provide visits and other programming wherever there are Orthodox Christians who are no longer able to attend church services on a regular basis. This ministry is for you, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Please let us know how we may best serve you or someone you know who is in a senior living facility.

Yours in the All-Holy Trinity, Gerald Largent

Angie Giallourakis

Picture this scenario: Your mother has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a respectable Assisted Living Facility, where all her physical needs are being met. In fact, you ask the Activities Director to include her in any Christian Programs that become available during the day. The programs are very nice and wholesome, but...: (1) Your mother is a Greek Orthodox Christian (2) She cannot communicate her feelings but can still recite the prayers of the church (3) She can still sing the hymns of the church (4) Sometimes has Evangelical Christians asking if my mother is a “true Christian” (whatever that means).

This was my mother’s story.

My mother did have visitations from our wonderful parish priest, which were always very spiritually uplifting. Unfortunately our priest, like many other Orthodox Christian Priests, had many people like my mother to tend to during a typical week of visiting shut-ins. When my mother lay dying in her bed I played a CD of Greek Orthodox Christian Hymns for her to listen to in hopes of experiencing a more peaceful ending to her life. It was all I knew to do.

Witnessing my mother going through the tribulations of Alzheimer’s disease was very difficult for me. I felt very alone. The entire time I wished there was a ministry, similar to other Christian groups that provided support to shut-ins within the context of the Orthodox Christian Faith!!!

Two years ago my aunt suffered a severe stroke and was undergoing rehabilitation in a facility where the St. Panteleimon Ministry was being made available to residents. Imagine my delight in knowing that a loving family member would be able to participate in an Orthodox Christian prayer service while going through rigorous rehabilitation. I attribute my aunt’s recovery to the loving support of the St. Panteleimon community.

By the Grace of God, we have a ministry available to individuals in the NE Ohio area designed to address the needs of Orthodox Christian’s living in Nursing Facilities. Now members of the Orthodox Christian community can participate in regularly scheduled prayer services without having to leave their residence. This is particularly important for individuals who have health issues that require them to remain “in-house”.

It is an honor to be a Board Member of the St. Panteleimon Ministry. I am hopeful that you will consider being a supporter of this important ministry.

Thank you. Angie Giallourakis angiegiallourakis@yahoo.com Corresponding Secretary St. Panteleimon Ministry

Volunteer with us!

School will be back in session soon and many students will need to accumulate volunteer hours during the course of the year. Please consider the St. Panteleimon ministry as an opportunity to give back to the community in an Orthodox Christian way. We welcome all ages, abilities and interests. Volunteers are welcome to accompany us at any of the facilities we serve. Whatever your availability we will find a way to work with your schedule. Our office will provide documentation of service hours when requested. Call 440-941-4850 for more information.

Praying to "Dead" People?

Occasionally, some well-meaning yet uninformed Christians will attack others who honor and pray with the saints (holy men and women) who are in heaven. They inevitably argue that "It's not right to pray to 'dead' people." First of all, it has been the Christian practice for 2000 years not to pray to the saints, but to pray with them. We ask them to pray to God for us, since they are praying to Him already. We simply ask them to add us to their "prayer list", for lack of a better term. Secondly, true Christians do not believe in death. Physical death, the parting of the soul from the body, is not an end. Rather, it is a beginning. It is a passage from this temporary, fallen, sinful world, to the one that is eternal, joyful and perfect. In a word, without physical death we would not be able to be with God in Paradise. (And this passage would not be possible without the Death and Resurrection of the God-Man, our Lord Jesus Christ.) Although Christians from the past have died bodily, and they are invisible to us at the present time, their souls live on. The pages of the New Testament make this abundantly clear. Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ says to the Sadducees: "And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:31-32). In telling the story of our Lord's Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, before His Crucifixion, St. Matthew tells us that Moses and Elijah were present.

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah'" (Matthew 17:1-4).

Moses and Elijah had departed from this world several centuries before Christ took on human flesh. In the eyes of the world Moses and Elijah were "dead", yet they appeared with Jesus on Mount Tabor, and the disciples saw them talking with Him. Their souls were alive.

In St. Luke's Gospel, Christ tells a parable (story) of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man dies (in the earthly sense) and has a conversation with Abraham, who had departed this life centuries earlier.

"The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom [Heaven]. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment'..." (Luke 16:22-28).

How could souls converse with each other if they were not conscious, if they were "dead"?

Indeed with our Lord there is no death, only life. In the Book of Revelation, St. John the Theologian has a vision of heaven, in which souls of the martyrs are under the Altar. "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?' Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been" (Revelation 6:9-11).

God has one family, and it is united even though the heavenly portion is presently invisible to the earthly portion. St. Paul prays for the family of God in his Epistle to the Ephesians:

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom the whole family [not "families"] in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Furthermore, St. Paul writes that "we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us..." (Hebrews 12:1). The saints surround us and "cheer us on", so to speak. Imagine that we are in a local high school football stadium, with a track around the edge of the field. We are running a race on the track. The saints in heaven--the cloud of witnesses--have already run the race and are now cheering us on to victory from the bleachers. And the bleachers are quite crowded, too! The saints have completed the race and have fought the good fight. By following their example of perseverance and faithfulness to Christ, we too can be victorious in the race that is our life.

Sacred Scripture is clear that souls are conscious--they are alive--after they depart this earthly life. Why not ask them to pray for us? Some may say, "But I'd rather go directly to God." If we really want to go "directly to God" with our petitions and prayer intentions, then why do we ask people on earth to pray for us, especially when they are bogged down with worldly cares? Why not ask the saints in heaven, who are praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) to intercede on our behalf? They are ready, willing and able to do so!

Through the prayers of all Your saints, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Many Thanks

The St. Panteleimon Ministry would like to thank Igumen Gregory (Valentine) and the parishioners of Holy Ghost Orthodox Church in Sterling Hts, MI, for their generous donation to our organization. God grant them many years!

Simple Things to do During Lent

(1) Before you read the morning paper or your favorite book, take time to read the daily Bible readings prescribed by the Church.

(2) When you have some time on your hands, praying the Jesus Prayer is a good alternative to being bored. This is a very simple, yet powerful, prayer. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." You can also turn this into a prayer for others; especially if you don't know how to pray for them. Just say "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on (name of person you want to pray for)."

(3) Watch what you say. Do your best not to lose your temper, and try to avoid saying things that could be hurtful to those around you. Talk to others a little less; talk to God a little more.

(4) Pray for yourself, but also pray for other people. See what is on a friend or neighbor's heart--what they need or what might be troubling them--and pray for that intention. Also take time to thank God in prayer for the many blessings He has bestowed upon you. It might help to write down some of the things you wish to thank God for doing in your life, then include the list in your prayers.

(5) Watch one less tv program each day. Use the extra time to pray, read the Bible, or show compassion to a neighbor.

Volunteer for Lent!

Great Lent is here, and now is the perfect time to serve other people. St. Panteleimon's has plenty of volunteer opportunities available. Whatever your age, whatever your availability, whatever parish you belong to, whatever your talents may be, we will find a way to get you involved. For more information please call our office at 440-941-4850, or email our volunteer coordinator. Make a difference in the lives of those who are unable to attend church services this Lent. Help us help others!

Tribute Gift Program

Do you have a hard time finding gifts for your relatives and friends?Would you like to give a gift to someone special that also benefits a Christian charity? Are you in need of a tax deduction?

If you answered "yes" to any or all of these questions, we have good news for you. St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach now offers an alternative to traditional gift-giving, year-round. We are pleased to announce our tribute gift program.

You can make a donation -- of any amount -- in the name of someone who is near and dear to you. We will then send them a letter to inform them of your gesture. They will also be remembered at every St. Panteleimon nursing home service for a six-week period. There are usually anywhere from one to five nursing home services in a given week. Names that you submit to us will be posted on our online prayer list -- unless, of course, you specify that we keep them private. (Rest assured that we would be happy to pray for you and your loved ones throughout the year, with or without a donation. We consider it a privilege to pray for others! Prayer requests may be submitted any time... by phone or from our website.) You may also be assured that St. Panteleimon board members will remember your loved ones in their daily prayers.

This is your chance to remember a special occasion in a loved one's life, and you can also have the satisfaction of knowing that your money went to an organization that is committed to showing Christian love to those who can no longer attend church on a regular basis. Our organizational purpose is to care for the "least" of Christ's brethren (Matthew 25:31-46).

All donations are tax-deductible. You will receive a "receipt letter" from us to document your donation.

Please consider giving a special gift in honor of someone you know and love. Tribute donations are perfect gifts for Christmas, Pascha, name days, birthdays, anniversaries, wedding "favors", and so on.

For more information about this program please call 440-941-4850.

If you would like to make a tribute donation, please send a list of the people you wish to honor, along with a check made payable to St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach, to:

St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach 20545 Center Ridge Rd. Suite 202 Rocky River, OH 44116

Ancient Faith Radio interviews St. Panteleimon Director

On September 16, 2010, St. Panteleimon Executive Director Gerald Largent had the privilege of being interviewed by Ancient Faith Radio (which brings the Ancient Faith to the modern world). Please click on the link below and listen to the conversation between Bobby Maddex and Gerald Largent. 

More details on the Ancient Faith Radio website.