Oct. 14 - Ascension Young Professionals Kick Off
Attention Ascension Young Professionals:
We've missed all of you these past couple months and can't wait to see you soon!
We'll be KICKING-OFF the new season of our Ascension Young Professionals gatherings with a social hour to catch-up, discuss ideas for future events, fun ways to get involved in our parish, AND, last but not least, enjoy a fun GAME NIGHT hosted by our very own Foti!
What do you say? RSVP and spread the word to our fellow Ascension Young Professionals!
Oakland Greek Festival Update
Hello Ascension Family!
I hope this email finds you all well and healthy. It has been a rocky 2020 to say the least! The 2020 Festival Committee has been monitoring and staying in close contact with Alameda County as well as the state with the ever-changing guidelines. As much as we would love to have our community together to cook, eat, dance and celebrate, it has become abundantly clear that due to continued restrictions we are not able to host our Festival in October.
We had hoped the pandemic would have cleared by now and restrictions would ease, but that is not the case. Therefore, the 2020 Festival Committee along with the Parish Council have made the tough decision to cancel the Festival for 2020. We will assemble again as a committee in early 2021 to begin discussions on a return in May. Although no one can be certain next Spring will be any better, we will continue to pray so we can once again assemble together and do what we love: Cook, Eat, Dance and Celebrate!
As you know, the Festival is Ascension's largest fundraising event each year with an estimated income of $200k for the church. Many tough decisions have already been made by the Parish Council to mitigate the expected loss of the festival however, we still need your help. We are asking each of you to, once again, consider a donation in honor of the 2020 Oakland Greek Festival as we set our sights on 2021!
Yanni Limnios
2020 Festival Chair
Youth Ministry Announcement
Learn more about our Fall 2020 youth ministries!
Beloved Parents and Families,
Christ is in our midst!
This year has presented a number of unprecedented challenges for our families, and, particularly, our families’ relationship with our Church. For many of us, we never would have expected to find ourselves sheltering-in-place for such a long duration, or facilitating distance our child's distance learning in the 2020-2021 school year. Furthermore, many of the iconic, mainstay events and ministries, central to the life of our community, have not been viable due to current local and state health guidelines. We mourn that loss, and we look forward to the moment we will be able to be reunited as a community. Until that time, it is incumbent on all of us to find a path forward.
This fall we have an opportunity to work towards developing the life of the Church in our homes. As a community, we will be facilitating a number of online ministries for our youth and young adults. This email is all about those ministries! These ministries are an opportunity for your child to remain close to the Church, continue to develop a relationship with Christ, and with their peers. Parents, these ministries will not find their fullest expression and impact without your guidance and support.
Ascension Youth Ministry
Our youth will be meeting by age range. Each of the following ministries have their own page on our website with all the information you will need to get your child or teen started. Please register your children for each ministry so that we can admit you to our Zoom meetings and reach out to you directly.
Sunday School
1st - 3rd Grade
JOY
4th - 6th Grade
Jr GOYA
7th - 8th Grade
GOYA
9th - 12th Grade
This year our GOYA will be broken out into a Jr. GOYA and GOYA. This is because our high school GOYA members will have a special age-appropriate program called the Relationship Project. This special ministry will help us address pressing and important topics for our teens like relationships, our relationship with God and identity.
The Relationship Project
Parents: your high school GOYAn will need workbooks to participate in the Relationship Project. You can purchase the workbooks here. There will also be an informational meeting on the Relationship Project through the Metropolis of San Francisco's Family Wellness Ministry on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7 PM. Parents please register for this meeting by clicking on the giant button below. Contact Fr. Nick if you have any questions!
Young Adult and Parent Ministries
We also want to be a source of support for you and will be continuing several adult ministries and launching new ones. We have a new Young Adult ministry for those that have graduated high school and gone on to work or to continuing education. This group will meet the 4th Sunday of the month at 6 PM. Our first meeting is this Sunday, September 20th. If you are a young adult interested in attending--reach out to Fr. Nick! We've already got a great group who will be meeting!
One particular ministry we would like to invite our parents to be involved in is our Foundations for a Faithful Home reading group. This reading group will focus on the life of our Faith in our homes. To frame our conversation will read a discuss a chapter from Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating and Orthodox Home.
We will meet on Mondays beginning October 5th at 6 PM. We hope that this ministry will be an opportunity to discuss how we can practically develop the life of the Faith in our homes, and discuss challenges that we are facing as families. We hope that you can join us!
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns or challenges that you are facing. No doubt this has been a unique year, with many unprecedented changes. Please know that we are here to help, assist you and are praying for you.
In Christ's service and yours,
Fr. Tom Zaferes and Fr. Nick Mueller
Divine Services for St. Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love Canceled
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances we will not be able to celebrate services tomorrow September, 17th for St. Sophia and her children Faith, Hope and Love.
We pray that God blesses all those who celebrate tomorrow! Kronia polla!
Fr. Tom's Weekly Message 9/12/20
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:24-25)
On Monday September 14 we celebrate a wonderful feast of the Church, the Finding of the Holy Cross. (please this link on various articles and insights into the feast and its meaning).
Some 17 centuries ago the very Cross on which our Lord was crucified was discovered and lifted up for people to see. How are we supposed to respond to this event? We can easily reduce this miraculous event to history or nostalgia and tradition. But, like all the feasts of our Lord, its remembrance is much more than that.
The finding of the Cross must move us to a remembrance of our Lord’s passion and His love for us. It is another reminder of John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
The finding of the Cross is a profound reminder of our Lord’s love for us in a world that is so often beset with hardships and tribulations. It reminds us of the greater purpose to our lives: To be one with God and to live with Him in His glorious presence for eternity. It is a declaration of hope and peace. It is the promise of righteousness and justice for all. The Cross of Christ is our healing from our brokenness and sin. It is the understanding of our existence and the merciful gift salvation All our prejudices, shortcomings, struggles and sin as human beings are overcome and destroyed with Christ crucified and resurrected. He frees us to be His sons and daughters.
Have a blessed celebration of the Cross,
Fr. Tom
More Insights and Resources for the Feast of the Holy Cross
St. John of Kronstadt cautions: “In order that the unbelieving heart should not think that the sign of the Cross and the name of Christ act miraculously by themselves, apart from, and independently of Christ Himself, this same Cross and name perform no miracles until I see Jesus Christ with the eyes of my heart…and believe with my whole heart all that it has accomplished for our salvation.”
The Cross, once a tool of death, has become a means to life, an instrument of our salvation; it gives strength to resist temptation, to refrain from gossip or harsh words; it dispels fear. If we learn to use the Cross effectively, we shall come through experience to understand the Apostle’s words:
"But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Source).
Request for Support of Hellenic College Holy Cross
This Monday we will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Cross. This is the patronal feast of Hellenic College Holy Cross the accredited undergraduate and graduate schools of our Archdiocese, and annually on this feast we consider how we can continue to support the essential work of these two institutions. Through these uniquely Orthodox academic institutions, the visibility of our Faith is expanded, spiritual and intellectual formation is advanced and the sacred work of our Church is sustained.
We also celebrate the accomplishments of our Ascension Cathedral’s most recent graduate James Koumarelas, and look forward to all that he will offer through his education and formation in ministry!
Please prayerfully consider financially contributing to Hellenic College Holy Cross and take a moment to read the following message from His Eminence Metropolitan GERASIMOS of San Francisco on behalf of this sacred institution.
Reopening for Outdoor Services Sunday, September 13th
Dear Ascension Community,
As you are aware the Cathedral remains closed for services by order of the State of California and Alameda County. However, churches are permitted to offer services outdoors. Starting this Sunday, September 13th, an outdoor Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10am.
To comply with county guidelines we are limiting attendance to 80 parishioners, practicing social distancing, and wearing face coverings. Also, as per the Metropolitan’s request, attendance is reserved for our Ascension parishioners only. This number does not include clergy, cantor and ushers. To attend you must reserve your spot using the following link: Reserve your spot for Sunday.
Once you fill out the form, you will receive an email confirmation that you are registered. We are also accepting phone call reservations at 510-531-3400, however we encourage you to use the reservation form. Please make your reservations by 4:00 pm Friday, September 11th.
Your health and safety as well as your spiritual health is our top priority, all the steps we are taking are in consideration of your well being. If you are not feeling well or have health conditions that make you more vulnerable, we ask you to continue to enjoy services from home via the live streaming (Matins 8am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am).
We ask for your patience during this time and encourage you to take a moment and review the details of attending in the attachment. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Please read the Ascension Guidelines below for more information about what to expect on Sunday as well as the list of questions you will be asked when you arrive.
Just a reminder - You will need a confirmed reservation to attend Sunday services. The campus is still currently closed at all other times and we are not allowing public access to our grounds or buildings.
We will continue to update you as information and guidance becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding at this time and look forward to seeing each of you soon!
Weekly Message from Fr. Tom 9/5/20
Dear Parishioners of Ascension Cathedral:
I pray that you and your loved ones are well. Much is happening around us and it is important to take some time to pray and ask our gracious Lord for His peace and love. At the same time pray for those who have suffered loss from the fires, economic hardship, and illness. Let us also pray for peace and understanding in our society and culture. We may not be able to change immediately the larger narrative in our country, but we can affect how we interact with each other. As our Lord instructed, “love on another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Next Sunday, September 13, we are hopeful to be able to offer an outdoor live Divine Liturgy for a limited number of people. An announcement and reservation request will be sent out Monday of next week (9/6). We will follow the same rules we had in place for the brief opening of the Cathedral in July. Everyone will be masked, we will practice social distancing, there will be reservations and a check in table. We will also live stream a Divine Liturgy from inside the Cathedral.
The times will be as follows:
8am Matins (Orthros) in the Cathedral
9:30am Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral
10am Divine Liturgy in the courtyard between the Cathedral and Hall.
Again, a confirmation of the outside Liturgy will be sent out early next week with the guidelines.
Our Lord’s blessing and peace be with you,
Fr. Tom