something to look out for

our anniversary celebrations

to help our understanding

Orthodox literature

Reading opens doors and windows to our mind and heart!

And so it also so, reading and learning about our Orthodox faith through the writings of many talented authors of past and present, for adults and children.

St. Gerasimos parish has a newly built bookshelf for Orthodox literature and goods, through the project initiative and hard work and of our Reverend Father Leslie Kostoglou – who is a dedicated reader himself!

Located behind the candles on ones entrance, you will find an ever changing display of carefully chosen Orthodox books for sale to our parishioners and visitors.

Please ask if you would like to browse our adult books – Holy Bibles, service books and books on our Orthodox faith. Or you could also browse through our carefully handpicked selection of children’s Orthodox books for preschool to primary levels.

We also have a collection of goods such as karvoona, prayer ropes and censors for home.

Many thanks to the Ladies Auxiliary who funded the project and to the many who supplied and gave their skills and work towards this new ministry of St. Gerasimos Parish.

anniversary

St Gerasimos Parish's 50th

This year sees our 50th anniversary of St Gerasimos Parish Leichhardt.

Our celebrations will be held during and around the feast day of our patron saint in October. 
But in preparation, we are asking if anyone has any old photos or mementos from our Parish or functions they attended there in the past and would like to contribute them, to do so! 
If you or you know someone who holds some interesting information, data or stories about the parish from years ago, we would also like to hear from you. 

These puzzle pieces will be used as part of a anniversary book being put together, giving a chronology of the history of the Parish.

If you think you have something you would like to contribute, please call St Gerasimos Parish during work hours.

We look forward to hearing from you!

to raise funds

St Gerasimos Luncheon

This coming Sunday, 29th July 2012, The Ladies Auxiliary Of St Gerasimos will be holding a Luncheon in our hall. The purpose of Luncheon is to help raise funds for those in need in the community, especially families with children during this winter season.

It will be a buffet (all you can eat) and will commence straight after the Divine Liturgy (concluding 10.40am). Details are as follows:

$20 adults

$15 pensioners 

$10 children (under 12 years old)

Please help and come along - All are welcome, bring your friends!

half way there

the tree of life in sight

 

We have come to the middle of Lent. But why does the Cross occupy this Sunday?

Jesus said in today’s gospel, “If you desire to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me”.

If you desire.

If you want. Not what your parents or grandparents or family want. What do you want?

 

Deny yourself.

Christianity is about freedom. To be.

But what does “denying oneself” involve? It involves getting rid of anything that stops you from being the person you were meant to be. This could be your attitude, your way of thinking. Negativity and depression is everywhere nowadays. It is very easy to slip into that.

You deny…and then you are free to live. To be!

 

Take up your cross

Our cross – the burdens we have! Our burdens can be the struggle to deny ourselves! They can be our family or our workplace. They can be our country or other countries. The images of the starving children of Africa are burdens on us.

 Follow Me

Jesus gives us a command now. No more maybes.

The Man who endured the Cross was complete man and human. He was perfect Man and that is why we follow Him.

 ~ fr Leslie

The sky is falling!

no...just our ceiling.

The heavy rains of February was too much for the roof and ceiling of our church to bare. We often came into the church with it flooded by overnight rain. A part of the ceiling that always leaked for an unsolvable reason, fell to pieces. 

Fortunately, as mentioned in the last post, we had a blessing come along, who was able to solve the Church's roof dilemma. The pews have been removed and put back into church for service for 2 weeks now, allowing the patching up of the ceiling and its repainting. With Gods grace, we will have a restored and better than new ceiling for our celebration of Easter at St Gerasimos.

work in progress

 

there is always something being made

more beautiful...

As you might of noticed, there has been a lot of work being done to the church's interior lately. Last week, the new doors that were put in late last year, were stained to match the pews of the body of the church.

Unfortunately with the rain last week, the ongoing problem with the leak in the ceiling (and now ceiling damage) became much worse. We are hoping that we will soon be able to find out how the water is getting in and also find a permanent solution for St Gerasimos Parish.

all done

and you can see (and feel!) the difference

who God brings...

a generous donation

When attending this Sunday's Liturgy you will see the new addition to St Gerasimos.

God brings people the Church's way, who see Her beauty and want to help. The carpet occupying the center aisle, leading up to the altar and within the altar, has been uncleanable for some time. The marks and the wear and tear of its history showed. The picture below, is a work in progress, of someone donating their time to measure, cut, overlock, place the new cherry red carpet donated and organised for our Church. 

You really have to sit back and say "wow" at people's generosity and kindness.

The work in progress - 2nd day

 

a new year

of hope

2011 seemed like a very tough year for many of my friends and for myself. If there was nothing going on personally, the world offered its own sadness. This time last year the rains of Queensland were starting a disaster, that I wonder if we remember in our busy lives, since the media coverage died. Starting on home soil, it triggering a domino effect throughout the year of human suffering from nature.

While the 12 minutes of fireworks introduced it, a single prayer caught my hope for the new year. Father read it today at the end of service, the 1st January 2012 and I thought about all the promises I didn't keep since hearing it exactly one year ago. I thought about how quickly I forgot that the Lord governs and is beside us in all things. But I remembered a feeling, and that was of a fragile hope of the heart, that our loving Father can only know and hold in His hands. Here is the prayer that reminded me, I have a new page I can start on from today:

"O Lord our God, who have placed times and seasons under your own authority; Who, in your infinite compassion and goodness, have counted us worthy to enter a new year of your loving kindness, bless it and keep us in peace.

Loose, remit and forgive any sins that we have commited during the year that is past, and keep us free from sin in the new year.

Enlighten us with the light of your truth and your divine commandments. 

Establish in our souls your holy will, and guide us to every work that is good and pleasing to you.

Guard well our holy Church with your divine grace.

Remember, Lord, our nation; train up the youth; protect the elderly; encourage the faint-hearted; gather the scattered; bring back those who have gone astray, and reunite them to your holy Church.

Overshadow our land with your might, and grant it gentle rain and abundance of the fruits of the earth.

Speak of goodness in the hearts of your rulers; support and strengthen them, together with our armed forces by land, sea or air.

Let your kingdom come upon us, O Lord; the kingdom of love, goodness, peace and justice; and make us worthy to praise and glorify, with one mouth and one heart, your most honorable and majestic name, of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen. "

the doors the doors!

in wisdom let us attend.

Anyone who visited our church for the feast day of Saint Gerasimos on October 20th would of noticed the new wooden doors that have been built and put in place. The yet to be varnished doors, have replaced the old glass wall and doors that have been there ever since I remember (and therefore the very noisy slamming door was replaced too)! Bishop Seraphim commented himself upon his visit, that every time he comes, something has been added, done or improved to the church, proving that at St Gerasimos there is love for the beauty of God's house. 

feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos

our side chapel celebrates

We invite you to come and join us on September 7th Vespers @ 7pm and September 8th @ 8am,  when our side chapel dedicated to Panagia Iamatiki (Healing Mary) and the Birth of the Theotokos celebrates.

"Today the Bridge of Life is born. Through her mortal men, fallen into hell, find their way up again, and they glorify in song Christ the Giver of life."
(taken from Matins hymn on this day)