• Watch for the 2009 Liturgical Calendar available soon.
• The Women’s Guild has purchased a new freezer. Beginning today, Holupki (stuffed cabbage) will be available for $2.00 each and Large Kolachy (nut, poppy and apricot rolls ) for $9.00 each and Perogi $5.00 per dozen. Contact a member of the Women’s Guild for more information. Take some home and try them. You will enjoy the homemade specialty items made by our women.
• Did You Know?? You can sign up to host a Sunday breakfast or to help with cleaning the church. Let one of the ladies of the Women’s Guild know what you would like to do. We need you!!
• Senior Moments will be held on Wednesday, November 19th at 1:30.
• Thank you to all who participated in the completion of the altar covering project. We now have all the appropriate colors donated and are in the process of making the coverings.
• The Women’s Guild has been selling The Orthodox Study Bibles – Old and New Testament to interested parishioners. There is only one remaining but if you would like one talk with Rachel Porcelli-Spanos to order a Bible(s).
• The Women’s Guild meets on the first Sunday of the month following coffee hour.
• Please remember to RSVP with Lynne Morris to attend the “Salute to Vienna” musical program at Van Wezel Hall on January 1 at 8:00 pm. See the advertisement on the bulletin board for more information (see insert).

Many in our parish are laboring under great financial need and stress. These trying times give us all an opportunity to be a Good Samaritan. Recently, the Good Samaritan Fund has helped families purchase food, necessary medicine and other needful items of daily life. Please consider a donation to help the families of our parish survive this severe down turn in the economy. Our families need your help. Thank you all for your generosity. Your help at this time is very much appreciated by all who have been helped.

Happy Birthday wishes to Murat Ozkan (11-15) and Jeff Constant (11-18). Many, Many Years!

The ladies of the Women’s Guild have prepared stuffed cabbage (holupki), nut, poppy seed, and apricot rolls, and they are now available anytime. Just ask anyone in the kitchen or in the Women’s Guild and they can guide you to the proper person who will fill your order from our freezer.

The Christmas Boutique will be held on Saturday, December 6th from 9 am to 1 pm. We would like new (or nearly new) arts and crafts or other gift items that could be used for the Christmas Boutique. As usual, we are hoping for a big sale with many items and many customers. Please volunteer your help and support this important effort!

The Women’s Guild Christmas Season Luncheon (gathering) will be held at Crow’s Nest Restaurant on Sunday, December 7th at 12:30 pm. Please see Rosalie Hardman for your reservations. The cost is only $10.00 – The Women’s Guild will take care of the rest.

A very big “Thank You” to all the ladies in the Women’s Guild, especially for their tireless and important efforts to enhance our community life and worship!!

Several in our community are ill this week. Remember to send a message of prayer and support. Mr. John Kanarsky, Mrs. Lois Plumblee, Mary Konfederak, Lisa Holak (care of John and Loraine Holak), Mr. John Nicholas, Mrs. Anna Techansoff and Dimitri and Naomi Syros.

The “Kids Creating Community” meeting will be held on November 23rd (see the insert). Please remember that the only entrance fee will be a bag of groceries for the Area Food Pantry. The presentation and dinner will be held on November 23rd from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the United Church of Christ. Don’t forget a full Turkey Dinner will be served. Please make your reservations with Lea Ann Bochnak.

A special Thank You to Mr. George Jacobs who sponsored the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. And Thank You to all who participated in any way in making this important fundraiser a success. The Breakfast raised approximately $ 250.00. Thank you!!

This week you will be receiving our Special Christmas Boutique Mailing. This mailing will contain a letter describing the upcoming Christmas Boutique and Christmas Boutique Flyer, the Yearly Christmas Poinsettia request with remembrances, and the appropriate envelope for your poinsettia offering. If you have any questions please see a Church Council Person.

On Tuesday, November 11, the Church Council of Holy Spirit Church resolved to disperse $1,800.00 to the following Missions and Charities (please be aware that any gift that was “earmarked” for a particular charity was properly distributed as requested). Agape Flights of Venice $150.00. Agape Flights transports and serves missions and missionaries who are serving in Haiti and Dominican Republic which have been hit so severely by hurricanes. The OCA Christmas Stocking Project $350.00. The “Christmas Stocking Project” makes Christmas Stockings filled with gifts available to children in many countries of Eastern Europe including Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine among others. South County Food Bank $500.00. The South County Food Bank provides food and necessities to the needy in the southern parts of Sarasota County including the Venice area. Guatemala Orthodox Orphans $150.00. This donation is for the various daily needs of the resident orphans. Orthodox Project in Mexico $150.00. This project helps build one room dwellings for the poor. The Endicott Orthodox Project $500.00. This offering benefits the Endicott family, including Father and Matushka Endicott and their twelve adopted children (formerly 4 children). May God bless each of these worthy ministries.

In addition, to the Missionary Donations described above, the people of Holy Spirit Church, through the Good Samaritan Fund, have given $1,550.00 (Year To Date) to the needy of our parish and community. These monies have been distributed based on need for groceries, medicine, school clothes, and other critical necessities.

These Missions and Charities donations total some $3,350.00. What a beautiful testament of giving from the people of Holy Spirit Orthodox Church to the Kingdom of God. May God Bless each of you for the love demonstrated in the giving of your financial gain, your prayers, and your time.

Our sincerest congratulations and best wishes are extended to His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada.