wfn.org | GOAA-NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY TO BE COMMEMORATED OCTOBER 6th

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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:2
September 26, 2002

Contact:Vickie Pappas (812)855-8248
Email: pappas@indiana.edu

			NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY
		       TO BE COMMEMORATED OCTOBER 6th

		    Eight Directors to Receive Archbishop
		     Demetrios	'Years of Service' Medal

New York, NY - Eight dedicated church musicians of the Greek
OrthodoxArchdiocese of America will be honored on National Church Music
Sunday, October 6, 2002. This day is designated as an annual
Archdiocese-wide commemoration to occur on the first Sunday in October,
following the Feast of St. Romanos the Melodist, the patron saint of church
musicians.

On National Church Music Sunday, the Archdiocese and its parishes honor the
contributions  that choir directors, choir members, organists, psaltai, and
Church	School/Greek  School music educators make. In addition, it is a day
when  the work of the eight diocesan Choir/Church Music Federations and the
National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians is recognized.

National Church Music Sunday is also the day when church musicians who have
served	for  more  than  25  years  as	choir  directors  receive  personal
recognition  from His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. These individuals will
be  honored  in their home parishes with a Years of Service medal depicting
St.  Romanos  the Melodist, the patron saint of church musicians. They will
also   receive	a  letter  and	a  certificate	of  recognition  for  their
"outstanding  musical  and  spiritual  contributions  to the Greek Orthodox
Community  of  America"  from  His  Eminence.  The  National Forum of Greek
Orthodox Church Musicians administers the award for the Archdiocese.

Since the inception of the award in 1988, 255 choir directors have received
the  Years  of Service medal. Their years of service range from 25 years to
65 years and most of the recipients are still directing.
The  names,  parishes,	and  years as choir directors who are receiving the
2002  Years of Service awards include: Mike Patterakis, St. Basil, Stockton
CA,  43  years;  Niovi	Billis,  St. George, Southbridge MA, 35 years; Mary
Carafotes, Dormition of Theotokos,

Somerville  MA,  27  years; Presvytera Elaine Stephanides, St. Paul, Irvine
CA,  25  years;  Irene Demestihas-Lavallee, Holy Apostles, Haverhill MA, 25
years;	Stephanie  Duda, Archangel Michael, Campbell OH, 25 years; Emmanuel
Creekus, St. George, Massillon OH, 25 years; and William George Leogas, St.
Spyridon, Monessen PA, 25 years.

Many  local  parishes  hold  special  recognition events on National Church
Music Sunday for their choirs, psaltai, and choir federations. The National
Forum  recently  mailed  a  custom-designed  poster  commemorating National
Church	Music  Sunday  2002 to each parish priest and choir director in the
Archdiocese.  Renowned	artist	Rip  Kastaris  of St. Louis, MO created the
full-color  poster  for  the Forum, as he has for the past four years. Each
pastor	and  choir  director  also  received  a  complementary	copy of the
National  Forum's 25th Anniversary Commemorative Album, edited by George S.
Raptis	of  Detroit,  MI.  These  resources  were presented as the National
Forum's gift to the parishes.

Dr.  Vicki  Pappas,  National  Chairman  of  the  Church  Musicians  Forum,
commenting on National Church Music Sunday urged all parishes "to take time
during	the  month  of	October to recognize the stewardship of their local
church	musicians  who,  Sunday  after Sunday, year after year, serve their
parishes and enhance the worship of the faithful through the hymnography of
the  Orthodox  Church." She also encouraged parishes to use National Church
Music  Sunday  "to  recognize the work of their diocesan Choir/Church Music
Federations  and  to  be  generous  in their financial contributions to the
National  Forum's  Church  Music  Ministry  Fund  in support of much-needed
national  liturgical  music  programs  and  resources. All these activities
enrich the liturgical music ministry of our Archdiocese."

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