Τhis week's events at St Ioannis Parramatta -- 163-165 George St, Parramatta NSW 2150, Sydney Αustralia

SHORT COURSE  IN ORTHODOX STUDIES   This Tuesday, 21 March, 7.30 – 9pm, the Lecture will be given by Tasos Kalogerakis, lecturer in Theology at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College.  He will talk in depth on the very beautiful and spiritual Lenten Prayer of St Ephraim

BEGINNING OF A NEW GROUP AT OUR PARISH   Beginning this Tuesday, 21 March, and continuing every Tuesday, 10am till midday, a new group is starting in our upstairs facilities.  It is for our senior citizens to come, have some coffee and sweets, socialize, play some tavli or chess, and the group will determine other initiatives, for example perhaps organising knitting for charity, lessons on the use of computers or mobile phones.  The group is organised by the Greek Welfare Centre, and staff of the Greek Welfare will be in attendance to facilitate the group and also help our senior citizens with any practical problems they are encountering in their daily lives.

FR DAMASKINOS FROM MOUNT ATHOS   Fr Damaskinos, a priest monk from Mt Athos, will be at our Church this Thursday, 23 March. From 9am till the Compline Service at 6pm he will be hearing Confessions, (in Greek, he cannot speak English).  From 7pm he will be giving a talk in our Church on Vigilance.

GREEK NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

·         Saturday 25 March, the feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, is Greek National Day.  That morning, 7.15 – 10.15am, there will be Matins and Divine Liturgy at our Church. From 11am till 12 noon that day, at Centenary Square, Parramatta Council will be holding a Flag Raising Ceremony for us.  There will be speeches and our dance group will perform. 

·         After the Liturgy at our Church on Sunday 26 March there will be a doxology service in the presence of our Greek School students.  From 1.30pm there will be a march from Martin Place to the Opera House with Greek School children and other groups from all over Sydney. Our Parish will have a bus for our Greek School students and their families, if there is then any spare seats, others can come on the bus as well.  (Free for Greek School students, others need to pay $10- to secure a seat please notify Nektaria on admin@stioannis.org). 

Please also find attached the Church program for April, which includes Holy Week and Pascha.  There was a mistake on the March program, the services for Wednesday 29 March were incorrect, so the corrected March program is attached as well.