If you had your life to live over, what would you do differently? Most of us have more than a few answers to that question. Basically, we can divide our lives into two parts: the times when we followed the will of God, and the times when we didn’t. If we really think about it, we’ve spent most of our lives pursuing our own desires, and have come up empty. It was only those times when we’ve accepted the will of God that we truly felt a sense of fulfillment and joy. How do we even know what the will of God is? You already know the basics: repent of your sins, come to church and follow its precepts, love God, and love one another. And yes….pray…pray a lot….pray about everything. Prayer is communication with the One who knows all things, and that’s a pretty good source of information. Sorry to say that you’re not going to get everything you pray for, but the key to a peaceful life is to accept whatever situation God sees fit to put you in. Everyone is struggling with something: illness, family problems, problems at work, loneliness, sadness. We struggle with these problems because we don’t ask God to reveal His will to us, and when He does reveal it, we refuse to accept it. Let’s face it, you can’t fight God and you can’t hide from Him, so stop trying.
God is the only one who knows everything you’ve ever done, and still loves you anyway. He wants you to follow His will, but He won’t force you, because love doesn’t make demands. But if you’re ready to make a new beginning, to start seeking out the will of God and do it, He will see your efforts and help you every step of the way. You can’t go back and change the things that you did in life, but your always change the things you are doing. – Fr. Stephen
Happenings Around the Parish
So much has gone on around the Cathedral in recent months that it’s hard to keep up with it all. The rectory has received an extensive renovation, with new carpeting, paint, kitchen appliances and flooring. A new roof is in the works. Fr. Stephen and family have officially moved in and are overwhelmed by the generosity of the parish in making their new home a comfortable place to live. In addition, the ladies room in the Center has been repaired, the church, rectory and annex have been power washed, and a few badly needed repairs around the Cathedral and Cultural Center have been accomplished. On a sad note, our primary contractor, Mr. Ryszard Borawski, died unexpectedly on July 11th at the age of 50. Ritchie was a wonderful gentleman who put a tremendous amount of effort into the various projects he was working on. He will be sorely missed, but his handiwork will be evident for years to come. Our deepest condolences go out to his family. In the Spring, our Parish initiated a community service project to aid temporarily displaced persons in the City of Passaic . On a typical day, the City’s Relocation Officer, Miriam Gonzalez, sees around 20 to 40 people who have been displaced from their homes for various reasons, including fire, domestic violence, and unsafe living conditions. Many of them leave with no more than the clothes on their backs, and with no money to purchase food or clothing for their children. The Parish response was overwhelming, with items such as diapers, bottles and toiletries piling up in boxes in the back of the church. A significant amount of cash donations were also received, with which we purchased supermarket gift certificates. The items were delivered to City Hall on June 1st by project coordinator Eileen Telischak and Fr. Stephen. Ms. Gonzalez was very grateful for the generosity of the Parish, and expressed the gratitude of the City on behalf of Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco.
The Youth Activities Committee is busy planning activities for the Fall. The basketball goals are being put back in the Center for the children to use after Sunday School. Various other activities, such as a miniature golf outing, are also in the works.
The New Sunday School Year will begin in September. If you have a child of school age, please give them the benefit of an Orthodox Christian education. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it - Proverbs 22:6
The Wellness/Visitation Committee is still in need of volunteers who can spend a few hours a month visiting shut-ins. Please help us let our older parishioners know that the church hasn’t forgotten them. Just a few hours of your time would make a world of difference to a lonely shut-in, and the spiritual rewards you receive will be countless. Contact Fr. Stephen for details on how you can participate in this rewarding ministry.
Good News
Congratulations and God’s blessings to the newly baptized servant of God Matthew John Tomczak, son of John and Justine Tomczak, grandson of Gregory and Eileen Telischak, and great-grandson of George and Mary Hetzer. Matthew was baptized by Fr. Stephen on June 28th,2009 .
Stephen Pedhoretzky , grandson of parishioner Janet Pedhoretzky, who graduated from Don Bosco Prep High School in Ramsey, where he was a four year varsity player on the best high school football team in the state. Stephen was a strong safety and defensive back, and was a starter for three years.
Nicholas Surgent, 16, completed the tenth grade and is an honor student. In March he received the Distinguished Academic Award for his academic achievements. He plays baritone saxophone and is a member of the Clifton Mustang Marching Band. He ran winter and spring track. In May he was inducted into the Music Honor Society. In his free time Nick enjoys watching the Yankees, fishing, and playing his sax.
Mark Surgent, 14, completed the eighth grade and is an honor student. He played trombone with the Christopher Columbus band. He had a lead role in his school musical. In May he was inducted into the National Junior Art Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. He is one of the captains of his lacrosse team. His team was champion of the North East Conference Tournament. In his free time Mark enjoys listening to music, playing any sport, and surfing.
Nicholas and Mark enjoy being altar servers. They are the sons of Linda and Gregory Surgent and the grandsons of Olga and John Mulick.
Mark John Turak graduated from Chaska High School in Minneapolis, MN in June. He will attend Minnesota State College in Mankato, MN. Mark is an exceptional hockey player and hopes to become an orthodontist.
Megan Jan Turak has completed her third year of Pre-Med at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She is applying for medical school this summer and hopes to be an ophthalmologist
Mark and Megan are the children of John and Debbie Turak of Chaska, MN and the grandchildren of our church secretary, Helen Turak.
Kristin Orlovsky received her MS in Education from Fordham University in May 2009. She received her BA in Psychology from Boston College in 2002. She is doing her internship in the Verona school system while continuing her studies for her Ph.D. in Psychology at Fordham. Kristin is the daughter of Dennis & Barbra Orlovsky and the niece of Ruth & Peter Glita, Paula & Tom Brunson & John Orlovsky.
Scott Orlovsky, a 1998 graduate of John Hopkins University, was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame on May 2, 2009. The former All-State pitcher for Clifton High School went on to become a collegiate All-American at Hopkins, and was named Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Year in 1997 and 1998. Scott is now a history teacher at Clifton High School. Scott is the son of Dennis & Barbra Orlovsky and the nephew of Ruth & Peter Glita, Paula & Tom Brunson and John Orlovsky.
FOCA Chapter 30 will host a kielbasy luncheon on Sunday, October 4th, after Divine Liturgy.
The Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir will hold a concert in our Cathedral on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 4 PM . The event is sponsored by FOCA and the proceeds will benefit the married student housing project of St. Tikhon’s Seminary. There are plans to invite hierarchs and other representatives from the various Orthodox jurisdictions that make up the student body of the Seminary. Following the concert, a reception is planned in the Cultural Center . More details will be published in the weekly bulletin as they become available .
The Garden State R Club of the New Jersey
District of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America will be sponsoring this year’s District Convention on November 14th & 15th, 2009.
On Saturday the 14th, there will be a boat ride around Manhattan boarding at 6:30 PM from Lincoln Harbor in Weehawkin. Themed around the old Gilligan’s Island show, it’s being called “… a three hour tour, a three hour tour…”. This is something different than the normal church hall/catering event that we are used to – The Bayonne Chapter did this around 7 years ago and filled the boat to our capacity allowance! The cost for the cruise, dinner and entertainment will be $75.00 for adults, $63.00 for juniors aged 13-18 , and $52.00 for kids 2-12 . The deadline for reservations will be in mid/late October.
On Sunday, the 15th, convention meeting sessions will be held at our church hall downstairs lounge at 1:30 PM .
Please see Ken Baron, John Kostecka or Michael Kupec for any questions, additional information or reservations.
The annual St. Andrew/ St. Nicholas Vesper service will be held in our Cathedral on November 22nd, 2009 at 4 PM . The sponsor this year is FOCA Chapter 30. Refreshments will follow.
A Varhall-Warchol-Warhol Family Reunion will take place on October 10th & 11th, 2009 here at the Cathedral. All family members and descendants are invited to join in the celebration. There will be social events, as well as a chance to gather genealogical information. The schedule of events is as follows:
Sat. 10/10
9:00 AM - Cathedral tour for out-of town family members and a “Family tree” discussion in the Center
12:00 PM . - Lunch in the Center
1:30 PM - Cemetery visits
3:30 - 5:00 PM . More family discussion
6:30 PM Dinner in the Center
Sun. 10/11
9:00 a.m. - Divine Liturgy, followed by a Panikhida for departed family members
Noon - Send-off luncheon in the Center hosted by the family
The Varhall-Warchol-Warhol family is actively engaged in developing an ancestral database, and would deeply appreciate any information you can give them. If you have any knowledge relating to the family that you can pass on, and/or are interested in attending the get-together, please contact event organizers Greg Varhall at 1-703-859-3059 or Alexandra (Sandy) Warhol-Cook at 1-202-434-8190. You also email Greg at gvarhall@aol.com, Sandy at awcook@unum.com or Eleanor Warchol-Popowich at dpopow1026@aol.com.
The Annual Food Drive is being organized by the PPTA & Sunday School for the holidays. Donations can be brought to the Center Lounge on Sundays or to the office during the week until November 8th. On Sunday, November 8th, the PPTA, teachers and the Sunday School children will bag the food and household items. Fr. Stephen will distribute the food and supermarket gift cards to needy families before the holidays. We started giving supermarket gift cards because of the special dietary requirements of many of our parishioners. Along with the gift cards will give general household items. We’re asking for cash donations to purchase the cards, as well as donations of food and household items
Bingo Workers are still needed. If you have any questions, please contact Paula Brunson or any bingo worker. Bingo has been a steady financial benefit for the Parish for many years, and is still well attended. However, for this event to continue, it requires that more parishioners get involved in working at the various chores required to keep it running. If you have a occasional few hours to spare on a Thursday evening, please consider helping out at this important fundraiser.
