METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS TO BE ENTHRONED APRIL 2;
HE WILL CELEBRATE HIS FIRST LITURGY AT THE ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL APRIL 3

As announced in the February issue of the Herald, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Venerable Ecumenical Patriarchate on February 22, 2005 elected Gerasimos(Michaleas) Titular Bishop of Krateia to succeed the late Metropolitan Anthonyas Metropolitan of San Francisco. We also announced the date of the enthronement--April 2. However, the place was not decided until His Eminence met with the enthronement committee the following Friday in New York. (The committee consisted of Father Stephen Kyriacou, Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral and Archiepiscopal Vicar (until the Metropolitan’s enthronement; Father Paul Schroeder, Chancellor; Father Tom Paris, Dean of the Ascension Cathedral in Oakland, and Mr. Fanis Economidis, Vice-Chairman of the Metropolis Council.)

The place of the enthronement is the Ascension Cathedral, 4700 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland. The date is Saturday, April 2, 2005. The time is 10:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend and be a part of this historic occasion! An encyclical authorized by the new Metropolitan and read in church on Sunday, March 6, 2005, extended the invitation to all: the Reverend Clergy, Monastics, Parish Councils, Metropolis Council, Philoptochos, Parish and Fraternal Organizations, Choirs, Youth Organizations, and all the Faithful of the Metropolis of San Francisco. This is a once in a lifetime event for many of us. We therefore invite and encourage all of you to be at the enthronement; in fact, we suggest getting there by 10 a.m. at the latest. Parking is available on the Ascension Cathedral Grounds, the adjacent street, and the Mormon Temple next door. Following the enthronement ceremony, the Ascension Cathedral will host a complimentary luncheon in honor of the new Metropolitan. You are invited to attend the luncheon as well.

The following day, Sunday, April 3, 2005, His Eminence will celebrate his first Divine Liturgy as Metropolitan of San Francisco. The Liturgy will take place at the Annunciation Cathedral, 245 Valencia Street, San Francisco, at 10:15 a.m., preceded by the Orthros service at 9 a.m. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Metropolitan will conduct a three month memorial for the late Metropolitan Anthony. He will also preside over the brief service of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, as April 3rd is the third Sunday of Lent and, as such, is the Feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. As is our custom, he will distribute flowers following the service. Following the Services, the Annunciation Cathedral will host a complimentary brunch, to which, once again, you are invited.
To handle the overflow crowd, we will be erecting a tent over the courtyard with 500 additional chairs and video as well as audio feed. We have rented the adjacent Armory for the occasion to accommodate our parking needs. California Parking will be on hand to direct you to the parking area. The Catheral will pay for the cost of the parking as well.

April 3rd will be an historic occasion. For one thing, the new Metropolitan is expected to declare his participation in an effort to rebuild the Cathedral, lost to the Loma Prieta Earthquake. For another, a number of hierarchs will be on hand for the Metropolitan’s first Divine Liturgy, including Archbishop Demetrios of America. This will be the first time in recent memory that so many members of our Holy Synod in America will be at the Annunciation Cathedral. A fitting tribute to the newly enthroned Metropolitan Gerasimos. A fitting tribute to the role the Annunciation Cathedral is called to play as the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan. A tribute, as well, to its historical significance, and a harbinger to its future. (A biographical skectch of our new Metropolitan appears on the next page.)

METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS OF SAN FRANCISCO

Metropolitan Gerasimos was born in Kalamata, Greece to Nicholas and Anastasia Michaleas. Upon successful completion of his elementary and secondary school education in Greece, he immigrated to the United States. In 1970, he enrolled at Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he received his B.A. with High Honors in 1973. That same year, he was admitted to Holy Cross School of Theology, where he completed his M.Div. Degree in 1976 with High Honors.

In 1977 he joined the administration of Hellenic College/Holy Cross, serving as Registrar until 1979. During his tenure in this post, he organized and updated the Registrar’s Office, creating the Office of Admissions and Records for the school.

He was ordained to the diaconate in 1979 and was called to serve as Archdeacon to His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, a position he held until 1996. Concurrently, he was appointed Dean of Students at Hellenic College/Holy Cross from 1980 until 1999. As Dean, he created the "Orthodox Actionline," the first Archdiocesan telephone ministry directed towards those who do not have substantive ties to the Church. Eventually, this ministry became an official part of the Office of Field Education at Holy Cross.

Also during his tenure as Dean of Students at Hellenic College/Holy Cross, he became centrally involved in the success of various programs benefiting future priests of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and their families. Specifically, he organized and monitored programs that evaluate and assist individuals at Hellenic College/Holy Cross with development in both their emotional and spiritual growth. These programs have been modified to suit the needs of the institution’s current student population. In 1984 he enrolled in the Master’s Degree Program in Counseling and School Psychology at Boston College. After receiving his degree in 1986, he entered the doctoral program. He received his Doctorate in Counseling and School Psychology in 1993. His doctoral dissertation is titled, "Intellectual Deficiencies in a Substance Abuse Population." While maintaining his position as Archdeacon and Dean of Students, he was appointed a member of the staff of the Outpatient Clinic of the V.A. Medical Center in Boston, a post he held until 1996.

In 1998, he became Director of Admissions and Records at Hellenic College/Holy Cross. In 2000, he became Administrative Assistant to the Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou, President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross, a post he held until he was elected Bishop of Krateia by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in December of 2001. He was appointed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios as Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. As Chief Secretary, he assisted the Synod in the promulgation and realization of its decisions.

In the area of academic achievements, he taught courses in Psychology at Hellenic College, as well as courses on Teleturgics at Holy Cross. Since 1985, he has been Senior Lecturer in the field of Personality and Psychology at Northeastern University, University College. The University Press of America published his dissertation in 1994. He is the author of a number of articles published in periodicals in the area of psychology, and is a member of the APA (American Psychological Association) and the ACA (American Counseling Association).

On February 22, 2005, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate selected him to be the new Metropolitan of San Francisco. On April 2, 2005, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America will preside over the Enthronement Ceremony at the Ascension Cathedral, Oakland. Metropolitan Gerasimos will celebrate his first Divine Liturgy the following day, April 3, 2005, at the Annunciation Cathedral, San Francisco.

LEVI STRAUSS & CO. ANNOUNCES POTENTIAL SALE OF HISTORIC VALENCIA STREET FACILITY

Levi Strauss recently announced its intent to sell the company’s historic building, directly across the street from the Cathedral, which is slated to become the new home of the San Francisco Friends School. The proceeds from the potential sale would go to the Levi Strauss Foundation to advance its philanthropic efforts, of which $600,000 will be earmarked for a special Mission District economic development fund. The Sarah and William Hambrecht Foundation has pledged to provide the fundiing for the potential purchase of the building for the school’s permanent home.

San Francisco Friends School is an indepenent kindergarden through eighth-grade co-educational school, located in the Mission, on Diamond Street. The school combines rigorous academics with Quaker values of simplicity, silent reflection, service to others, and peaceful problem solving. The school has a robust scholarship program that includes after-school day care. The school enrolls families from all over the city, including the Mission District. “Our mission--to enhance community life and nurture social responsibility--directs us to become good neighbors,” said Cathy Hunter, Head of the School. “We intend to put school resources and time toward forging positive relationships with our neighbors in the Mission District and beyond.”

Upon learning of the intent to sell, Father Stephen, Dean of the Cathedral, sent the school a congratulatory letter, welcoming them to the neighborhood and inviting a meeting to explore ways in which the two entities, the Catheral and the S. F. Friends School, can benefit from one another as, he pointed out “both the church and the school provide for a stabilization of the neighborhood.” The meeting, which took place on March 22nd, was enthusiastically cordial. Both the Cathedral and the S. F. Friends School look forward to a new era, as the latter relocates to Valencia Street, and the Cathedral prepares to embark upon an ambitious building program including parking and a church.

OUR CATHEDRAL RECEIVES GIFTS/BEQUESTS

Needless to say, the generosity of its parishioners and friends helps put the Cathedral on a sound financial footing. In addition to your stewardship pledges and gifts to the Scholarship Fund noted elsewhere in this issue of the Herald, the Cathedral also received a donation to the Building Fund, in the amount of $25,000, from Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Mountanos. The donation was made in honor of the Nuris families, long-time friends and neighbors of the Mountanos families. In addition, the Cathedral was the recipient of a bequest from the estate of the late Katherine Vallee, and is also scheduled to receive $5,000 from the estate of the late Helen Delakis (Dellis). Finally, the Cathedral was named in the Trust of the late Angelo and Anne Mountanos. While the exact amounts are not known, it is expected they will be substantial. Since these are being left to the Building Fund, we anticipate that they will provide a major portion of the money needed to embark upon Phase 2. In some way, therefore, they will help us define the scope of this phase, which will then enable us to develop the building and financing plans and conduct the fund raising needed to make this phase a reality.

Finally, we wish to express our thanks to Gus and Helen Franco and to the Annunciation Cathedral Philoptochos, for financing the recovering of all 600 (approximately) of the Cathedral’s chairs (300 chairs each). Those in the chapel are now complete, and most of those used in our Korinthias Hall are nearing completion. Thank, you Gus and Helen, for getting us started on this project, and for continuing to see the project through.

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS

To the new members who have joined our Philoptochos we extend a big WELCOME and we look forward to seeing you at our meetings. We know that many of you are working during the day, so we are planning to have some evening meetings commencing in the Fall.

Mother’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show - The 46th Annual Mother’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show, entitled "Hats Off to Anne" will be held Saturday, May 7, 2005 in our community hall. Please mark your calendars to hold this day for a wonderful affair. The new Mother of the Year for 2005 will be announced at this luncheon. We will be showcasing a collection of beautiful hats which belonged to our recently departed sister, Anne Mountanos. In addition, we will have our Philoptochos members model fashions from the Cara Mia Boutique of Union Street here in San Francisco and also from their boutique in Los Altos. The price per person is $40.00 or a table of 10 for $400.00.

Each parishioner will be receiving in the mail two sets of raffle tickets. The proceeds from these raffle tickets will benefit our ongoing Kids n’ Cancer Program which keeps growing year after year. This project is specifically for children who are afflicted with cancer. Please return 2 sets of these raffle tickets along with your donation. It will be greatly appreciated. You need not be present to win the cash prizes.

Easter Bake - Easter time is approaching very quickly. We will be happy to prepare Tsourekia (Paschal egg-butter bread), Koulourakia ("S-shaped" Cookies), and colored eggs for your Easter table. Forms are available at the Pangari and also the front office. In addition, we plan to enclose the order form in the Easter mailing.

Scholarships - This year we are happy to announce that we are awarding 3 scholarships: A $1,000 Philoptochos Scholarship, another $1,000 Philoptochos Scholarship, and the $500 Argyres Scholarship. The application forms are available in the office. The winners of these scholarships will be announced at the Father of the Year luncheon on Sunday, June 19, 2005.

FESTIVAL 2005: WE INVITE YOUR INVOLVEMENT

Before you know it, September 16, 17 and 18, 2005 are the dates for this year’s Festival. Tessie Obester, who chaired last year’s Festival, agreed to Chair this year’s Festival, as well, but on two conditions: 1) that she be assisted by co-chairs (since she plans to be away with her family for some of the time during the Festival prep. months), and 2) that you, the community, become even more involved.

Toward this end, a Festival 2005 planning meeting was held and, on March 16, Tessie attended the Parish Council meeting along with Tatiana Kyriakides, who is chairing the Food Line (and, incidentally, is looking for a co-chair for the Food Line), and laid out our plans for Festival 2005. Essentially, we are looking at a Festival like last year’s (successful in so many ways), but we are looking to fine-tune some of the things that were new last year, and also build upon our base and invite more xenoi (fellow citizens who are not members of our parish). In order to do this, we need people to “take ownership,” (i.e. to take on the planning and execution) of a number of Festival committees.

We have identified twenty-six committees. The following committees also have chairpeople associated with them. These are:

The following committees do not yet have co-chairs named. Perhaps last year’s chairs would like to step forward. These are:

ADVERTISING/MARKETING; PUBLIC RELATIONS;VENDORS;CASHIERS; UNDERWRITERDONORS; MERCHANDISING; VOLUNTEERS; ENTERTAINMENT;
WEB SITE UPKEEP; COOKING/COOKING SCHEDULE; PAIDAKIA; TO GO BOOTH; SET UP & LAY OUT (heavy equipment/soft materials); PROCUREMENT OF SUPPLIES; GUEST INVITES; ADMISSIONS; CAR RAFFLE.

Please look over the above list and see how you would like to participate. Your participation in this community-wide event, the largest of our fund raisers, is one more aspect of your stewardship. Every family should consider volunteering for this unique and wonderful event. Please forward your response to Tessie Obester, Festival 2005, 245 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. If you prefer, you may call Tessie at the Cathedral, Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 415 864-8000.

FIRST LITURGY BENEFACTORS

Would you consider becoming a “First Liturgy” Benefactor. We’ll tell you why we’d like you to consider doing so. First, we anticipate that we will expend about $12,000 to accommodate Metropolitan Gerasimos’ first Liturgy, including tent, chair rental, food costs, audio/video feed, etc. Your contribution will help set off these costs. Secondly, you will be acknowledged at the Luncheon (cards will be imprinted and placed on each table, with the names of our benefactors), letting our Metropolitan know of the support that the Cathedral community enjoys through the generosity of its parishioners and friends. To become a benefactor, simply fill out the enclosed and return it to the Cathedral by March 31st (or call it into the office, 415 864-8000). For your convenience, you can either mail in your gift by means of a check, or instruct the office to put it on Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

EDUCATION - INTRODUCING THE ORTHODOX CHURCH SUNDAYS 9-10 AM

This course, taught by Father Paul Schroeder, Sunday mornings 9-10 a.m., is designed to guide those who are seeking to be received into the Church through baptism or (if they are already baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity) through chrismation. It is also intended to help anyone who is interested learn more about the Orthodox faith. The class is informative and engaging, and we invite you to attend. Learn more about our 2000-year old Orthodox Christian Faith, as you grow in grace in our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

SELAH: MEDITATIONS ON THE PSALMS

On Thursday nights throughout Great Lent, Fr. Paul Schroeder is leading a series of reflections on the Psalms at the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco. The theme of the series is Selah: Meditations on the Psalms. Rather than a “Bible study,” these gatherings are described as a learning community, a group of people who are interested in learning together and sharing in spiritual growth by supporting and praying for one another.

The learning community will include discussion of meditation in the Christian tradition, with particular focus on how the Psalms have been used as a basis for meditation. Each participant will receive a journal, and will be encouraged to take a few minutes to read one psalm in the morning or evening each day and jot down a few reflections. Every Thursday, the community will gather to reflect together on one psalm, and to discuss their reflections on the psalms from the previous week. The focus will be on the creative interface between the psalm and the reader, the intersection of truth and meaning that we call meditation.

PRE-MARRIAGE CLASSES AT THE CATHEDRAL

Couples planning to be married at the Cathedral during the first part of 2005 are invited to meet with Father Stephen (or another member of the Cathedral clergy) on four occasions prior to their marriage. The first and fourth meetings will be private, while the second and third meetings will take place with other couples who are also planning to be married within the same six-month period. The second of the group meetings will take place in the second floor conference room Tuesday, April 19, 7-9 p.m.
Couples planning to be married in another Orthodox Church should follow the protocols for marriage set by the parish in which they will be married. The priest of that parish will complete the paperwork and conduct their pre-marriage classes, even though the couple still plans to continue their membership at the Cathedral. For additional information, or for any questions, please call the Cathedral at 415 864-8000 and speak with Father Stephen.

RECENT SERVICES AT THE CATHEDRAL

BAPTISM
Alexandra, daughter of Stefan Christof Schulz and Anastasia (Stacy) Elene Contakos, was bapitzed March 19. Her sponsors are Patrick Hillas and Tatiana Kyriakides

Na Mas Zisi! (Long Life!)

DATING PASCHA IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Dr. Lewis J. Patsavos, Ph. D.

The long-awaited common celebration of Pascha on April 15, 2001 by all Christians has come and gone. It was in 1990 when this coincidence last occurred and will be in 2004 when it occurs again. In anticipation of this common observance by all Christians, much was said and written. What was stressed was the need to keep alive the momentum of the occasion. Unless we allunderstand the significance of this event, it will remain nothing more than a peculiarity of the calculations related to the date of Pascha. In one sense, that is what it is. But in another sense, it is the convergence of all that we as Christians in the East and West profess regarding the centrality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of our faith.

Nothing challenges the credibility of this fact to non-believers more than the scandal of our division on this point of celebration. In the ardent desire to address this problematic and troubling reality, the following contribution is offered.....

Almost from the very beginning of the existence of the Christian Church, the issue regarding the date of our Lord's death and resurrection presented variations. Although the New Testament relates these events to the Jewish Passover, the details of this relationship are not clear. On the one hand, the tradition of the synoptic gospels identifies the Lord's last supper with His disciples as a passover meal. This would place the death of our Lord on the day after Passover. On the other hand, the tradition of the gospel of St. John situates the death of our Lord at the very hour the paschal lambs were sacrificed on the day of Passover itself. This variation in the interpretation of the scriptures led to two different practices. The one observed Pascha on the day of Passover, regardless of the day of the week. The other observed it on the Sunday following Passover. By the 4th century, the latter practice prevailed throughout the Church universally; nevertheless, differences continued to exist.

In response to this ongoing problem, the First Ecumenical Council convened at Nicaea in 325 took up the issue. It determined that Pascha should be celebrated on the Sunday which follows the first full moon after the vernal equinox-the actual beginning of spring. If the full moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Pascha is observed the following Sunday. The day taken to be the invariable date of the vernal equinox is March 21. Hence, the determination of the date of Pascha is governed by a process dependent on the vernal equinox and the phase of the moon.

Another factor which figures prominently in determining the date of Pascha is the date of Passover. Originally, Passover was celebrated on the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Christians, therefore, celebrated Pascha according to the same calculation-that is, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The correlation between the date of
Pascha and the date of Passover is clear. Our Lord's death and resurrection coincided with Passover, thereby assuring a secure point of reference in time. This assurance lasted, however, only for a short time.

Events in Jewish history contributing to the dispersion of the Jews had as a consequence a departure from the way Passover was reckoned at the time of our Lord's death and resurrection. This caused the Passover to precede the vernal equinox in some years. It was, in fact, this anomaly which led to the condemnation reflected in Canon 1 of Antioch (ca. 330) and Canon 7 of the Holy Apostles (late 4th century) of those who celebrate Pascha "with the Jews." The purpose of this condemnation was to prevent Christians from taking into account the calculation of Passover in determining the date of Pascha.

Most Christians eventually ceased to regulate the observance of Pascha by the Jewish Passover. Their purpose, of course, was to preserve the original practice of celebrating Pascha following the vernal equinox. Thus, the Council of Nicaea sought to link the principles for determining the date of Pascha to the norms for calculating Passover during our Lord's lifetime.

Despite the intervention of Nicaea, certain differences in the technicalities of regulating the date of Pascha remained even thereafter. This resulted occasionally in local variations until, by the 6th century, a more secure mode of calculation based on astronomical data was universally accepted. This was an alternative to calculating Pascha by the Passover and consisted in the creation of so-called "paschal cycles." Each paschal cycle corresponded to a certain number of years. Depending upon the number of years in the cycle, the full moon occurred on the same day of the year as at the beginning of the cycle with some exceptions. The more accurate the cycle, the less frequent were the exceptions. In the East, a 19-year cycle was eventually adopted, whereas in the West an 84-year cycle. The use of two different paschal cycles inevitably gave way to differences between the Eastern and Western Churches regarding the observance of Pascha.

A further cause for these differences was the adoption by the Western Church of the Gregorian Calendar in the 16th century. This took place in order to adjust the discrepancy by then observed between the paschal cycle approach to calculating Pascha and the available astronomical data. The Orthodox Church continues to base its calculations for the date of Pascha on the Julian Calendar, which was in use at the time of the First Ecumenical Council. As such, it does not take into account the number of days, which have since then accrued due to the progressive loss of time in this calendar.

Practically speaking, this means that Pascha may not be celebrated before April 3, which was March 21, the date of the vernal equinox, at the time of the First Ecumenical Council. In other words, a difference of 13 days exists between the accepted date for the vernal equinox then and now. Consequently, it is the combination of these variables which accounts for the different dates of Pascha observed by the Orthodox Church and other Christian Churches. Specifically with regard to this year's date of Pascha, the following observations are made. The invariable date of the vernal equinox is taken to be April 3 (March 21 on the Julian Calendar). Pascha must therefore be observed on the Sunday following the full moon which comes after that date. According to the 19-year Paschal cycle, the first full moon which comes after April 3 this year is on May 1 (April 18 on the Julian Calendar) - the day assigned to the Jewish Passover as calculated originally. In reality, this full moon falls on April 27, a discrepancy left uncorrected in the paschal cycle. As already stated, the provision of the First Ecumenical Council calls for Pascha to be observed on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Since May 1, for the reasons stated above, is taken to be the date of that full moon, the following Sunday, May 5, is the day on which Pascha is observed this year.

If anything, this review of the complexities surrounding the issue of the date of Pascha underscores the compelling need to revisit it with patience and openness. This was the spirit which predominated at the most recent consultation on the matter held in Aleppo, Syria in 1997. One of its conclusions was that the present differences in the calendars and lunar tables (paschal cycles) employed rather than to differences in fundamental theological outlook. In view of the fact that both the Julian and Gregorian modes of calculation diverge from the astronomical data, it behooves us to return to the norms determined by the Council of Nicaea. Although the council did not itself undertake a detailed regulation of the paschal calculation, it did in fact respect available contemporary science regarding the vernal equinox and the phase of the moon. We can do no less today.

FURTHER ON OUR 70th

As previously announced, we are making plans to mark the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Annunciation. Recall that our community begin in 1921 as St. Sophia. Following six years in a church at Hayes and Pierce Streets in San Francisco, in 1927. the community acquired the Valencia Street Theater, which it turned into a church. Meanwhile, the community was named as Cathedral Church for the newly established Diocese of San Francisco. (Initially there were four Dioceses which made up the Archdiocese, established in 1922; these were: New York, Boston, Chicago and, of course, San Francisco.) In 1936 the community reorganized and became known as “United Greek Orthodox Community of San Francisco, The Annunciation.” Since then, it has been known, simply, as “Annunciation Cathedral.” Except for a brief period of time when the Cathedral was relocated to the newly constructed St. Sophia in Los Angeles, during trhe 1950’s, Annunciation has always been the Cathedral Church for the Diocese, now the Metropolis of San Francisco. St. Sophia in Los Angeles continues to be called a cathedral church, and a number of other churches in the Metropolis have been named cathedral churches (such as SS Constantine and Helen’s in Honolulu, Ascension in Oakland, and Holy Trinity in Phoenix). However, Annunciation is the Metropolitan’s Cathedral Church. The others are, as the late Metropolitan Anthony used to say, “honoris causa,” or “honorary cathedrals. They have been so named because of their distinugished service in our Metropolis. November 11, 2006 is the date selected for this gala celebration. Please note the date on your 2006 calendars. Soon, we will name a committte, which will make plans to appropriately mark the occasion.

April 2005 Herald
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral.