ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN!

• Is it not the responsibility of the senior clergyman to either assist or at least not abandon one of his own during a time of crisis?
• If not all people who come to church for services during this week stay for the entirety of the service, does this mean they have "scattered" and are "against Christ?"
• Doesn't this demean the elderly or families with young children who at least make an effort to attend part of a service but are unable to remain for its entirety?
• Who is it that worships the "almighty dollar" when on Holy Saturday our parking lot at Holy Trinity was filled with cars of Jazz fans while parishioners were left to park blocks away to attend services?
• Is the financial situation that desperate and who is responsible?

ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ!

23 April 2008

IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY!

We wish to thank the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland. See Deseret News story, dated April 19, 2008, above.

Our forefathers, looking into the future, correctly and wisely decided to keep and maintain our real properties in the community’s name. They refused to pass title of the Community’s properties to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1964. In 1974 this Community reiterated that wise resolve to continue its long-standing policy. The 1974 bylaws state:

This Association, however, specifically reserves unto its members, in good standing, as defined by the By-Laws, all of its property and assets, giving no control whatsoever of the said property and assets to any priest, bishop,archbishop, or any spiritual head of said Church."

Well done! Let us make sure that we remain ever-vigilant in protecting our properties. We must be protected from any potential risk such as the Katinas sexual abuse scandal and what is sure to be its disastrous aftermath. We should not be forced to pay for the Katinas defendants’ liability.

The Portland Catholic Archdiocese has wisely chosen and has acted to preserve its assets. This Community is and always has been well ahead of the game.

Let’s make sure we stay that way.

Attend the next general assembly and vote against the change for quorum requirements. The Community’s institutional history mandates that we do not change the rules for purposes of expediency.

Best regards,

{SIGNATURE}

Nick J. Colessides

In Case You Think That What's Occurring Doesn't Affect YOU ...

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning,"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap ... alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to provide the soup's main ingredient. However, his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

However, the farmer's wife did not get well; she died. Many people came for her funeral, so the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, remember - when one of us is threatened, we are ALL at risk! We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

TELL EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER HELPED YOU OUT AND LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE. REMEMBER ... OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

Kali Anastasi!

- TOCB Moderators

Tax Day in Denver

The above Protocol was issued on April 15, 2008 and is available on the Metropolis of Denver website http://www.denver.goarch.org/. The following questions are for all to ponder:

• When we express interest in running our church community on sound business practices, we're told we "worship the 'almighty dollar'.
• Doesn't this statement from our Metropolitan reflect thinking more like a business than a church?
• Isn't it a good thing that the request isn't for the current and thus far non-existent year-to-date financials?
• Weren't we the ones accused of "worshiping the almighty dollar"? Who NOW seems not to have the "Orthodox faith on a higher level of priority than the concept of the "almighty dollar"? (Letter from the Metropolitan of May 31, 2007)

Reflections On The Year Past

On April 13, 2007, the first blog was posted and this site was established. Since that day, this site has seen over 30,000 hits (albeit the counter was introduced in July 2007) and 139 posts. We look on this past year remembering the following:

• Our parish council was required by the now Prophet Elias proistameno to sign a "confidentiality agreement" that was "sent by the Archdiocese." Come to find out it was not sent by the Archdiocese but instituted by the aforementioned clergyman to disallow the dissemination of information. Yet, he steadfastly claims he "had nothing to do with it."
• A member of the parish council was removed and ultimately excommunicated for reasons that are still unknown. The now Prophet Elias proistameno claimed to having "nothing to do with" the removal, yet the UPRs are clear that any removal from the parish council comes through the recommendation of the parish priest. Thankfully, the ecclesiastical sanctions have been lifted but the other sanctions remain in effect.
• We endured another "split" movement which the now Prophet Elias proistameno "didn't know anything about." The community spoke overwhelmingly (87%) to remain united. Maybe we can finally close the book on this nonsense.
• We have endured the duplicity of the metropolitan who first approved, then squashed, the Hellenic Heritage Corporation. Oh, by the way, this too was overwhelingly approved by the community.
• Three otherwise qualified candidates were refused the opportunity to run for the parish council at the recommendation of both new proistamenoi. The subsequent protest was ruled "without merit" yet none of the candidates were contacted and no valid reasons were given for refusing to allow them on the ballot.
• The current year is nearly 4 months complete and we have yet to receive any financial information.
• We at TOCB have been accused of spreading lies and rumors, yet when challenged, our accusers are unable to pinpoint any of the lies or rumors. We have also been accused of being the cause of the community's problems. Hmmmm ...

Our community has endured a great deal over the past year and there is no change in sight. The now Prophet Elias proistameno does as he pleases without answering to anyone. Questions remain unanswered and we are asked to believe all is well. Our blog will continue unfazed as long as those in power feel they are accountable to no one.

Will any improvement come in the next year? Time will tell.