The Benefit of Benedict’s Benediction:
The Enduring Influence of Prayer
By Frank Marangos D.Min., Ed.D.
“More things are wrought by prayer
than this world dreams of.”
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson
To a society that unreservedly celebrates positions of power, prestige, and performance the recent announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation indicates the possibility of personal failure, infirmity and/or scandal. “Why else would a leader with global citation, cachet, and clout abdicate his position of buff?” What the secular media often fails to recognize, however, is that the most enduring source of influence is not derived from the glamourized positions of paparazzi-styled power-brokers, but actually from the modesty of private prayer! Consequently, although the Patriarch to over 1.2 billion Catholic Christians acknowledges, with full freedom, his physical limitations to “adequately fulfill the Petrine ministry,” his pledge to “devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer” is, in fact, the noblest form of leadership one could ever hope to provide!
Journey to Greece Through Dance
A Two-Part Performance Featuring the Dances of the Ionian Islands
& an Assortment of Dances from Throughout the Greek World!
Holmdel, NJ – The nationally famous Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey (HDNJ) present Journey to Greece Through Dance, Sunday, March 17, 2013, at Holmdel High School Theater, 36 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, with a performance of traditional Greek folk dance from 3 – 5 pm. Light refreshments will be available for purchase during intermission. All tickets for the event are $20, and will be available at the door. Advance reservations for this event can be made by contacting Cheryl Bontales, 732.796.1006; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This event is funded in part by the Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey, Inc., and New Jersey State Council on the Arts - Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Armenians: Unsung Supporter of Hellenism
By Catherine Tsounis
“The Armenians are our brothers,” said Mr. Constantine Parthenis my Modern Greek instructor at St. Demetrios Greek American School in 1950’s Astoria, New York. Dr. Emory, a medieval historian at Queens College, explained in a 1969 undergraduate class that “the Armenians are not recognized significantly in the Byzantine Empire.” Throughout the years of research and readings of the former Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America and current Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Armenian contribution to Hellenism is not explored.
