Below you will find communications from our NSP President, Pearlann Bithos.

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October 1, 2024

My Amazing Sisters,

Kalo Mina!  I pray that this month provides all of us health and peace.  Please keep in your prayers our clergy families in the Metropolises of Atlanta and Detroit as they and their families and parishioners are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.  Reach out to those you know, not only as they are putting their homes back together, but a call, email, or text to a fellow Presvytera goes a long way. 

Monday night the executive officers had their monthly zoom meeting. We are gearing up to our Fall National Board Meeting held in the suburbs of Chicago on October 25-27, 2024.  I am amazed at the women on this board!  We come from all walks of life but bonded by one thread – and we constantly talk about what we can do for all of us and our families.  As many of you have asked what we do at the meeting and you wanted to know if we would open the meeting up for everyone, we have planned to do so.  We will schedule a zoom for Saturday, October 26 for an hour, for you to participate.  Because our listserv has not only Presvyteres on the list, your metropolis rep will be sending you the link.  We are hopeful that it will work out…pleases pray for that!  I hope to send out a loose agenda for you to follow.  During that time you will hear information on our upcoming National Retreat being held next fall in the Metropolis of Denver.  I'm excited to participate and I can't wait to see everyone there.  

I'm also very excited to represent you at many different events.  It provides me the opportunity to speak about our sisterhood and what we do, it's amazing that people have no idea what our sisterhood is all about. Every chance you get to share what we do as a sisterhood, go for it! Sometimes one conversation at a time makes a big difference.  Last month I took a personal trip to Boston to “reset”.  While I was there, I had the opportunity to have dinner with several of our sisters in the Boston area.  Those of you who couldn't be there, I missed seeing you, but I'll be back again.  This month takes me to NYC for Archdiocesan Council Meetings, Archon Dinner and then fly to Naples to attend the APC meeting.  Patricia Artemas will be attending the ABC meeting, and on Tuesday morning all will come together to discuss things that are important to us. While I am at the Archdiocese Council Meeting, Tina Vlahos will be attending the National Philoptochos Meeting representing us. The DAD sisterhood is having a gathering while I'm in New York and I can't wait to see everyone!  

As I end, please continue to keep everyone in your prayers and if you have a moment, make a call, write a text or drop a line to someone you haven't spoken to in a while. This little gesture of kindness goes a long way, just as I mentioned in the Podcast that you can still watch on youtube “Live with the Louhs.” Patricia Artemas and I were honored to be guests with Fr. Nick and Roxanne Louh discussing our journey. I pray you get a chance to enjoy the podcast on your own time. So make that one small act of kindness. You don't know what something like that does!

With sisterly love,
Pearlann 

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September 1, 2024

Dear Sisters,

Happy  Ecclesiastical New Year!

There are so many beginnings in our lives, and we celebrate those, so why not celebrate this as well!  This new year brings focus on our church, our family and our clergy family!

Your NSP Board has been BUSY!  The executive board has met via zoom, and been in constant communication.  We are meeting in Chicago the weekend of October 25-27, 2024,  Our agenda is in the works, and we plan on sharing that with you, as well as the notes from that meeting.  It was brought up to open the board meeting and we have plans to do that.  Our focus will be on our retreat, being held in the Metropolis of Denver in October 2025.  Another topic is clergy family wellness and what we can do.  There are so many stories; so many branches from the Clergy Family Tree, and we need to keep talking!

I was invited to represent the NSP this past month to a private luncheon with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, while he was in Chicago to give the benediction at the DNC.  I sat  with Fr. Alex Karloutsos and two archons from the Chicago area.  It was a great opportunity because they asked questions about the sisterhood, what we do, what our focus is and what we need and how they can help.  Anytime we have the opportunity to speak about clergy families, I do so, it's important for all of us.

I received a beautiful letter this past week, and what it left me with was this passage from Hebrews 10:24: For in working closely together with one another, you can surely inspire all those around you “to love and good works”. We all are in the same village, we are there when one is celebrating or hurting, whether it is our husbands, our children or ourselves.  That’s what the Sisterhood is all about.  

Have a blessed month and year!

Pearlann Bithos

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August 3, 2024

To all who make up this wonderful group of ladies who we call Sisters, 

On behalf of our NSP Board, I humbly greet you during this time of the year, Dekapentagusto, dedicated to our Most Holy Mother of Our Lord.  As women of the church, how appropriate is it for us to look to her for guidance.

Forgive me for not greeting you sooner.  As all of us do, July came with time for vacation and spending time with loved ones.  We want to get that “last vacation of the summer in” before our lives change from “relax” to “routine”.

Our newsletter will be out shortly, and it will include the bios of your executive officers, metropolis reps and committee chairs.   As everyone who held these positions before, we have learned from them and will continue to do the good work of the Sisterhood, with standing by and supporting our husbands and family and our parishes.  

Our circle is made up of presvyteres and diakonisses from all walks of life, all ages, active, retired and widowed, couples, families, those without their spouse, cradle Orthodox and those who embraced the faith, and the list goes on and on!  The reality is we all fit in this circle!

Your metropolis reps have been asked to plan a gathering soon, whether it be “live in person” or by “zoom”.  I encourage you to participate when that happens!  Recently, I was on a zoom call with the retired and widowed presvyteres, as they elected a rep to the national board.  I now fit in one of those categories.  As I saw each one of these women log on, I told them how honored I was to be with them, as they are our mentors and I remember them when I was a young presvytera! 

I encourage you to visit the website, go on a zoom call, go to an event, read the great articles that are offered, use the Instant Church Directory and get in touch with a presvytera you haven’t seen in awhile, and find your place in the circle!  

Please do not hesitate to contact any one of us with questions, comments and concerns.

With Sisterly love,
Pearlann