Metropolis of New Jersey Sisterhood of Presvyteres His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos, Spiritual Father Pauline Pavlakos, President and Representative to the National Board Katherine Thornberg, Alternate Representative to the National Board On behalf of the Metropolis of New Jersey Sisterhood of Presvyteres, I met with His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos on Friday, March 28. We discussed many things, including: Clergy-Presvyteres Get-Together at the National Clergy Laity Congress. His Eminence would like to get together with the priests and presvyteres of the Metropolis at the Clergy-Laity Congress in Washington, DC this coming July. Once a date and time have been scheduled, I will post the information. His Eminence will send letters to each parish in the Metropolis, urging them to pay for the Presvytera Clergy-Laity Congress Registration Fee. 2009 Metropolis Sisterhood of Presvyteres Retreat. His Eminence would like the location of our 2009 Metropolis Sisterhood of Presvyteres Retreat to be the new Metropolis Center. He would like us to pick one of the following dates: March 14, March 21, or April 25. Please e-mail me with your preferred date by Wednesday, April 30 and I will advise His Eminence as to our first, second, and third choices. His Eminence will, as he did this year, sent letters to each of the priests in the Metropolis, urging them to encourage their wives to attend the retreat. The February 2008 issue of our newsletter, The Light, is available online. A message from His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos is included. If you would like to view previous issues, please click on the "Newsletter" button on the left side of this screen. Our 2008 Spring Retreat was held on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Trenton, NJ 08619 and was a great success. Presvytera Mindy Gikas was our hostess and our retreat leader was Charlotte Eliopoulos. To start off the day, Fr. Bill Gikas celebrated a prayer service with us. Charlotte gave a wonderful presentation on "Caring for the Shepherd" in two sessions. We all enjoyed a massage as well. Pam Cofinas (a Saint George parishioner) made arrangements with and paid for three massage therapists. Saint George Philoptochos prepared two wonderful meals for us. Everyone received a gift bag from the Metropolis Sisterhood (thanks, Alice, for putting these together [and storing everything for a year]), a wooden icon of Saint George from Saint George in Trenton, and a laminated icon of Saints Kosmas and Damianos from the Saint George Philoptochos. Thanks to Mindy for everything she did to make the retreat a truly wonderful opportunity for fellowship and spiritual renewal. We also had our Metropolis of New Jersey Sisterhood of Presvyteres meeting and elected our Representative and Alternate Representative to the National Board. Pauline Pavlakos is the Rep and Katherine Thornberg is the Alternate for the July 2008-July 2010 term. Do you need an e-mail address for a sister presvytera? If so, please visit the E-Mail Address Page of the NSP website. It is password protected, so send me an e-mail now and I will forward the password to you. The following people are stewards of the Metropolis of New Jersey Sisterhood of Presvyteres. 2007 2008 2009 Colette Bourantas Georgia Christo Mindy Gikas Athena Gousios Michele Kontos Voula Liacopoulos Jeannie Monos Alice Noplos Margaret Orfanakos Pauline Pavlakos Katherine Thornberg Susan Viscuso Colette Bourantas Georgia Christo Joann Christofidis Mindy Gikas Athena Goumenis Athena Gousios Areti Khitiri Nektaria Kousoulas Jeannie Monos Carolyn Nastos Alice Noplos Margaret Orfanakos Pauline Pavlakos Athena Theodosion Katherine Thornberg Athena Theodosion Please consider a stewardship contribution to our Metropolis Sisterhood of Presvyteres. Your stewardship helps to defray the costs of our newsletter, our Metropolis retreat, etc. Please make your check payable to “Sisterhood of Presvyteres” and mail it to Pauline Pavlakos, 6315 Wilmington Drive, Burke, VA 22015. Thank you! If you would like to share news that is not posted on the NSP website (such as the birth of grandchildren, graduations, children's accomplishments, your accomplishments, etc.), please feel free to e-mail such news and a page for that use will be created. Page last updated: June 25, 2008 Webmaster: Pauline Pavlakos