By Nick Stamatakis
You can scroll down this 2-hour video (below) from the Akathist Hymn service on the evening of April 19 in the Transfiguration Church of Corona, and you will be amazed by the fact that the clergy, cantors, and service staff outnumber the attending faithful. This is a remarkable incident in the presence of the Archbishop in a populous Queens area. Yes, the Corona parish is a “dying parish”. Many parishioners had moved away in the past due to very rough intervention by the headquarters (during AB Spyridon’s time) when GOA removed the parish council in a very rough and unjustified manner and as a matter of a natural population movement from Queens to Long Island.
Are you surprised the Archbishop does not flinch as he watches the empty pews? You shouldn’t be. Elpidophoros is from Turkey, where they are used to pretend they operate a Church in front of empty pews – after years of prosecution by the Turks. But does he care? We are hoping he does, and he (at least on the surface) has shown that he wants to open up to the big Latino community in the area, many of whom might be attracted to Orthodoxy. But how realistic is this possibility when he is known to promote LGBTQ ministries in Churches? Does he think that the Spanish speakers would be attracted to the idea of having someone like theologian George Demacopoulos install an LGBTQ ministry among them in Church as he is trying to do in Greenlawn? Not a chance! They are very devoted to traditional family values, and those among them who can afford it make sure their kids are enrolled in Catholic parochial schools so as to be raised in the traditional way. They wouldn’t accept any fake Christians in their Church!!
Then what’s the true story of the Church of Transfiguration in Corona? In a few words, this Church owns a lot of real estate property, and this property produces a lot of income – over $1.2 million annually, I am told. This is a very substantial amount, considering that GOA’s budget is about $25 million annually. If one Church can produce that kind of money, then who cares how many will attend, thinks Elpidophoros and his people… So they installed four years ago “Koularmanis and his gang of family and friends” as the parish council to manage “the business”… With very little care for anything else…
My friends, you are witnessing the future of many of our parishes. Today, Palm Sunday, all churches were full of the faithful, and some, operated by very devoted and able priests, overflowed with love and faith. But for the rest of the time, this is not the case. GOA is bound to apply the Corona “business model” where it can – for example, in Astoria. There, after years of decline due mainly to the ineptness of Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, they have now started thinking of turning schools into apartment buildings. Unfortunately, this is not a good idea, as the laws protecting tenants have made rental real estate in NYC a losing proposition. Will they open their narrow minds to expanding the School to a Panorthodox educational institution? They should. But then, how would the Orthodox bring their kids there if the headquarters does not guarantee that they will turn away from their “woke” pro-LGBTQ policy?
The decline of our Churches has a name and an address: AB Elpidophoros, 8-10 East 79 Street, New York, NY 10075…
April 28, 2024, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
TO SUPPORT HELLENISCOPE OR BECOME A SUBSCRIBER, LINK HERE!!
====================
ΚΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΥΡΩΠΗ ΧΕΙΡΟΤΕΡΑ ,ΣΤΗΝ ΝΟΤΙΟ ΓΑΛΛΙΑ ΕΚΛΗΣΑΝ 4 ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΕΣ ΔΙΟΤΙ ΧΑΘΗΚΕ Η ΓΛΩΣΣΑ ΜΑΣ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΓΑΛΛΟΦΩΝΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΣΥΝΕΠΕΙΑ Η ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ,ΠΡΟΣΕΞΤΕ ΜΗ ΠΑΘΕΤΕ ΤΟ ΙΔΙΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗ,
ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΛΟΓΗΜΕΝΗ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ,
Ευλογημένη Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα σε όλους… Ο πιο ακριβής όρος για την Αγγλοφωνια αλλά και τη Γαλλοφωνία… κτλ, κτλ είναι Τουρκοφωνια. Το μεγάλο λάθος που κάνουν όσοι νομίζουν ότι βοηθάνε την Εκκλησία τάχα να “μεγαλώσει” εγκαταλείποντας τη γλώσσα, τους κανόνες και τις παραδόσεις είναι ότι την καταστρέφουν. Δυστυχώς προτεσταντιποιειται η Εκκλησία που σημαίνει ότι ΑΠΟΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΖΕΤΑΙ. Η Ελληνική γλώσσα δεν είναι γλώσσα των Ελλήνων η των Φιλελλήνων… Αλλά προτιστως των Χριστιανών. Σε αυτήν την ιστορική συγκυρία που οι Ψευδο χριστιανοί της λεγόμενης Δύσης περνάνε κρίση συνειδήσεως, ταυτότητας και πίστης εμείς έχουμε χρέος να είμαστε έτοιμοι να τους υποδεχθούμε και να τους προσφέρουμε λιμάνι… Δε μας πρέπει όμως να γκρεμίζουμε τους κυματοθραυστες του Λιμανιού που λέγεται Μια, Αγία, Καθολική και Αποστολική Εκκλησία διότι τότε θα πνιγούμε όλοι μαζί.
What a stench the repugnant Gorg Demacopoulos agenda is.
Godless gay activists lack no inner peace & why the attention must be on Them instead of God!
Anathema
Corona demographics is now heavily Hispanic. Even when they still had a school, most of their students were Hispanic. Many old timers from Whitestone got upset when they doubled the price of candles in WHitestone and started taking bus and train to Corona instead. The idea that Betsios had to go to Astoria instead of FLushing when he moved to Malba is absurd.
Oh boy, an empty church is a very bad sign. But we knew in our hearts this would eventually occur because the church has decided to make the global cabal its idol and replaced Jesus Christ with Satan.
Protect your soul. This era is filled with evil. Be sure to have a prayer center in your home. Open your Bible everyday and read the Scriptures. Pray. Take a stand against this global government trying to replace Christ inside our churches.
They love to see the churches with
real estate assets to be empty, because their mind is going to the
opportunity to put all assets for sale.
Very, very sad situation on a once highly attended and prosperous community. Most of the old timers who built Corona’s community died off(and they are happy about that). I remember Mrs. Athena S. who was well off and owned property in Manhattan. She saw the first hand destruction of the community when Mr. G.A. the d.w.i. was running the place. She spoke up against him and he literally told her(on video),” shut your mouth, your old and your going to die soon anyway”. These people are demons in disguise.
Disgusting and a mockery!
It is sad…but we should stop going to any churches where Elpidophoros belongs to; and where he makes his appearances with all these evil doers! We are better off praying in our houses; rather than to support them…I dont attend anywhere when I know hes coming; along with some friends of mine as well.The bigger audience he has the more arrogant/powerful he gets. Never let yourself bow to them! NEVER NEVER
RE: MOCKERY AND DENIGRATION OF THE FAITH
What does “vexation of spirit mean” according to the Bible?
“A vexation of the spirit is a suppression of the Spiritual guidance of the Holy Spirit and is a trial that causes one to question their faith or draw them away from their faith in God through Christ Jesus.
This could be temptations to sin, financial difficulties, losing a loved one, persecution, mockery and denigration of that faith, or any number of other things that cause emotional and spiritual pain to a believer.
On the part of the believer it could mean that you are vexing the Spirit, that you received when you confessed Christ and came to believe, through succumbing to temptations, engaging in actions that are borderline sinful- such as pagan practices such as Ouija boards, crystals, spirit consultation, medium consultation, or even deluding yourself with such things as romanticized imagery of vampires, zombies, devils, demons, ghosts, magic use, tarot cards, and any other things that is directly against the things that God has Commanded.
Jesus said, ‘one cannot eat at the same table as God and demons’ and ‘One cannot serve both God and Mammon’. So, anything that would cause such a conflict within oneself would be considered a ‘vexation of the spirit’.
I hope, in Christ, that this helped.
Christ Jesus is Lord forever.”
Source: https://www.quora.com/What-does-vexation-of-spirit-mean-according-to-the-Bible