Parish Clergy -- Welcome Message
When He was at table with them, he took bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He was talking to us on the road, while He was opening the scriptures to us?" --Gospel of Luke (24: 30 -32)
Welcome to the website of the Saint Luke Greek Orthodox Church in East Longmeadow, MA.
We learn from the Gospel of Luke that the Risen Lord appeared to the disicples on the road to Emmaus, where their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. Yet, His life and His teaching became known to them in the breaking of the bread -- that is, He became known to them in the Eucharist, within the Messianic banquet.
As the Scriptures teach, the primary task of the church of God is to strengthen the believers in the Gospel as well as invite the nations to be healed by and to joyfully receive the same Gospel of Christ, so that they may share in this Banquet. To be faithful to the Lord, the church must faithfully labor and teach, “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4: 13).
There are many ministries offered at our community which invite the presence and witness of faithful Orthodox Christians--for example, weekly Bible Studies, a Loaves and Fishes ministry, a dedicated Church School program, JOY and GOYA activities, an excellent Choir and Chanting ministry, the vital work of Philoptochos, and much more.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear that the early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2: 42)--because the life of Christ is made visible in Christian fellowship. As Orthodox Christians, this is what we are called to do.
If you are new to Orthodoxy and would like to learn more about the Faith, there are articles in the Our Faith section as well as many excellent articles and resources at the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
For any inquiries, please speak with a Parish Council member or parishioner after any church service, and we will be more than happy to answer your questions.
Thank you for visiting, and we pray that God guides your steps unto every good work. Please contact us if you have any questions.
In Christ,
+ Rev. Fr. Panteleimon Klostri, Presiding Priest
Office: 413-525-4551; Cell: 978-587-6488
Email: frpklostri@gmail.com
