Parish News

Ninth Annual Greek Festival, Saturday, September 24, 2011
Parishioners spent many days and evenings during August and September preparing all the special foods associated with our Annual Greek Festival. The Festival itself was a resounding success, with beautiful weather. We opened the Festival with an Agiasmo (Holy Water service), during which Father Luke blessed all the workers, guests, food, and activities. We were blessed to have members of the Hellenic Dance Academy from Assumption Cathedral in Denver who performed during the day for our guests.

The profit from our one-day Festival was over $30,000. In accordance with our commitment, 10% of this profit is given to local charities: 5% to Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, and 5% to The House a safe shelter for teens on the Western Slope. All remaining profits will be used to pay for infrastructure projects, such as iconography.

Note: No Festival income is used to pay for the operating expenses of our parish; these are covered 100% by the free-will stewardship of our faithful. All Festival income is used exclusively for capital improvements of our parish.
September 2011

Feast of the Dormition, Monday, August 15, 2011
Saint Nicholas parish celebrated the Feast of the Dormition of the Most-Holy Theotokos and Virgin Mary with special beauty this year, beginning with the celebration of Great Vespers on Sunday evening. The Epitafion of the Dormition, was brought in procession and placed inside the kouvouklion which had been decorated with multi-colored flowers by the faithful. The Engomia to the Virgin Mary were chanted, followed by an Artoklasia (Blessing of the Loaves). Monday morning the church was filled by the faithful, and flowers were blessed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
August 2011

Holy Week and Bright Week 2011
Christ is Risen!
Holy Week at Saint Nicholas was beautiful! We celebrated the full cycle of Holy Week services, and we also celebrated Vespers, Matins and the Divine Liturgy every day during Bright Week. Services were well attended, and beautiful!
XPICTOC ANECTH!
April 2011

Palm Sunday Luncheon, April 17, 2011
Parishioners enjoyed a delicious fish luncheon after the Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday. Nick Mahleres prepared the salmon, and everybody brought a side dish.
April 2011

Youth and Adults Gather to make Palm Crosses for Palm Sunday
Parishioners gathered at noon on Saturday, April 16, 2011 following the Divine Liturgy of Saint Lazarus to make palm crosses in preparation for the Palm Sunday celebration the following day.
April 2011

Parish "Work Day" on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Parishioners gathered at the church on Saturday morning to sweep, mop, clean, pull weeds, wash windows, and many other tasks in preparation for Holy Week.
April 2011

2011 Parish Council Members Take Affirmation of Office
The 2011 Parish Council members took their Affirmation of Office following the Divine Liturgy on January 2, 2011. Council officers are: President, Fred Fowler; Vice President, Lennie Sulley; Treasurer, Nikki Blackburn; and Secretary, Aileen Bowman. The other members are: Gus Anest, Cameron Jones, Chris Jouflas, Georgann Jouflas, Peter Jouflas, Loes Krane, Sam Marso, George Michalopoulos, and Dina Neujahr.
January 2011

Feast of Saint Nicholas, December 6, 2010
We celebrated our patronal Feast Day on Sunday evening and Monday morning, December 5 and 6, respectively. Great Vespers on Sunday evening featured a procession with the icon of Saint Nicholas containing a relic from his bones followed by the Artoklasia (blessing of loaves). Monday we celebrated the Divine Liturgy with many of the faithful in attendance.
December 2010

Autumn 2010 Parish General Assembly
Our Autumn General Assembly was held on Sunday November 14, 2010, and was well attended. The steady growth of the parish was the principal subject of discussion. Development on the Western Slope of Colorado, and especially in Grand Junction, due to the boom in gas and oil field exploration brought many changes throughout region. The current economic crisis, however, has adversely affect many of our families.

New families and individuals continue to join the parish. Some have moved into the area coming to us from other Orthodox parishes. Many are converts to the Orthodox faith. Such growth always brings joy, but also challenges, the most significant being that we must improve our communication so no one is left out.

We emphasized that 100% of our operating budget (priest compensation, utilities, altar supplies, religious supplies, etc.) comes from personal stewardship. Our personal stewardship goal is to individually attain the 10% tithing amount.

We also emphasized that 100% of our budget for infrastructure maintenance and growth - such as the iconography, stained glass windows, bell tower, new kitchen ovens, etc. - comes from our festival funds and additional generous donations. No festival funds are used for our regular, routine operating expenses.
November 2010

Archived Parish News Items

Metropolitan Isaiah Visited the Parish for the Feast of Saint Nicholas, December 6, 2008
We celebrated our patronal Feast Day on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, December 5 and 6. 2008, respectively. Metropolitan Isaiah and Deacon Paul Zaharas, our Metropolis Youth Director, was with us throughout the weekend, for our Feast and for the Sunday Services. Great Vespers on Friday evening featured a procession with the icon of Saint Nicholas containing a relic from his bones followed by the Artoklasia (blessing of loaves).
December 2008

Church Hall Remodeling and Renovation Completed
The new — wider and larger — parish kitchen has been finished providing much more usable space, and features a new scullery machine for heavy-duty cleaning requirements. The upgraded restrooms are a welcome change for everyone. Our priest, Father Luke, expressed great satisfaction with the new pastor's office saying, "Now we have a truly dignified space for pastoral meetings." The new permanent bookstore space has made space in the parish hall much more usable. This was a much-needed renovation and upgrade that has significantly enhanced the utility of our parish hall.
July 2008

Kitchen Remodel and Renovation Project Begins
Work has begun on our remodeling project in the north end of the parish hall. The kitchen will be widened and enlarged, and new cabinets will be installed. The Priest's Office will be rebuilt to provide a more suitable space for pastoral work and a Bookstore will be constructed. The restrooms will be completed renovated and modernized. The project should be completed this Summer
February 2008

Sanctuary Remodeling Complete
Thanks to All Who Have Helped Beautify Our Church!
A lot of hard work went in to renovating our beautiful village church. Thanks to all who carried, cleaned, repaired, restored, and reinstalled the furnishings in the church.

We have new tile in the Holy of Holies that very much looks like travertine marble. The tile layers arranged the pattern so that three very distinct liturgical areas are delineated: the Holy of Holies proper, the Prothesis (area of preparation of the Gifts), and the Diakonikon (the area for storage of holy items such as the small kolymvithra, the kouvouklion, etc.

Beautiful, high quality Persian carpets are provided around the Altar and at the table of oblation.

We also have new carpeting in the nave which really brightens up our church.

A great deal of hard work was involved; thanks to all who helped!
April 2006

Iconography Project Phase 2 Completed
After completing the beautiful Platytera icon of the Virgin Mary in the apse behind the Holy Altar last May (2005), our iconographer, Mr. Athanasios ("Tom") Clark, has returned to complete Phase Two of our parish Iconography Project.

Altar: Communion of the Apostles.
The icon of the heavenly Liturgy is located in the apse behind the Holy Altar. It shows six Apostles receiving the Body from Christ on the left side and six other receiving the Cup on the right side. The inscription over the right side reads in Greek "I Metadosis" which means "The Giving" (of the Body of Christ). On the right it reads "I Metalipsis" which means "The partaking" (of the Cup). Through this icon the faithful understand that the Divine Liturgy taking place at our humble altar in our modest village church is a participation in the eternal celestial Liturgy.

Pantokrator.
A magnificent icon of Christ the Pantokrator ("Almighty") was mounted on a disc, and attached to the ceiling beams. The effect has been stunningly beautiful.

Ceiling: Evangelists & Prophets.
On all four sides of the ceiling the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are depicted seated with their respective symbol (an angel, lion, ox, and eagle - as described in the first Book of Ezekiel) behind them.

On either side of the evangelists are the prophets:
East: Isaiah and David on the left and right, respectively, of Saint John
North: Moses and Jeremiah on the left and right, respectively, of Saint Matthew
West: Elias and Daniel on the left and right, respectively, of Saint Mark
South: Jonah and Ezekiel on the left and right, respectively, of Saint Luke.
April 2006

Iconography Project Phase 2 Begun
Our iconographer. Mr. Athanasios ("Tom") Clark has returned to Saint Nicholas. At present he is installing the Pantokrator icon, as well as the four Evangelists and eight Prophets in the ceiling area. He will also install the Communion of the Apostles icon in the apse behind the Holy Altar. The iconography is stunningly beautiful, and was featured in the local newspaper, the Free Press, in Grand Junction.
February 2006

Iconography Project Platytera Icon Completed
Mr. Athanasios ("Tom") Clark from Athens, assisted by his son Constantine, has completed the beautiful Platytera icon for our church. The Platytera icon is the second-largest icon in an Orthodox Church, and features the Theotokos with arms outstretched and the Christ child. The icon shows that the Virgin Mary gives our humanity to God. The term "platytera" means "more spacious" than the heavens, for she held within her womb the God Whom the heavens cannot contain.

Mr. Clark is a very well-known iconographer whose work is often featured by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He is very much in demand by large churches throughout the United States, and we are privileged to have had him with us.
May 2005

Stained Glass Windows Installed!
All four panels of our stained glass windows are now installed. The stained glass windows represent the six-winged Seraphim, the highest of the nine orders of the angelic powers. The Seraphim are sing-winged creatures; "with two wings they fly with two they cover their faces and with two they cover their feet."

The word Seraph (singular, or Seraphim plural) is derived from the Hebrew word for "fiery ones" or "burning ones"; they are therefore painted iconographically with red wings. The Seraphim are attendants before God's throne, they are in direct communication with Him and are the closest to Him. The Seraphim cry out unceasingly "Holy, Holy, Holy!" to God in worship. They inspire man to love God and to worship Him; they are therefore the angels of love, light and fire.

The Prophet Isaiah beheld the Seraphim before God's throne in a vision, and described them for us. It was also a Seraphim that brought a burning coal from heaven to cleanse Isaiah's lips. Because Isaiah saw the faces and feet of the Seraphim, they can be painted iconographically with faces. At Saint Nicholas the center pane on each of the four panels shows a face surrounded by six wings. The two side panes each show merely a six-winged Seraphim, hiding its face and feet.

These four windows are immediately below the top of the ceiling, so as to preserve the correct iconographic placement of the angels. We plan to install a Pantokrator (Christ the Almighty) at the top of the ceiling during the coming year.
June 2004