Parish: Annunciation Cathedral, Atlanta GA

Contact Person: Christine Vallianatos ( vallianatosc@bellsouth.net)
Fr. Christos Mars ( frchristos@atlgoc.org, 404-633-5870) can also provide further information.

Name of Ministry: Handmaidens (The Cathedral has named St. Kyriaki as the patron for this ministry; however, parishes are welcome to seek other women saints as their patron).

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church has started a Handmaidens initiative/notes page, and has named possible patron saints for the group, which are listed here:

• St Juliana of Lazarevo (January 2); 17 th century saint and mother of six sons and one daughter.
• St Emelia of Constantinople (May 30); Mother of 10 children, five are commemorated as saints.
• St Nina of Georgia (January 14); 5 th century deaconess; Brought Orthodoxy to people of Georgia.
• St Maria Skobtsova (July 20); 20th c. saint. Gave her life in place of Jewish woman during WWII.
• St Olympias (July 25); Early 5th century deaconess; Admired greatly by St John Chrysostom. Well educated, and very influential. Built hospital and orphanage, and cared for the poor and needy.
• St Priscilla (June 7); 1st c. missionary who traveled w/ St Paul. Converted house to a church. Mentioned four times by Paul in New Testament.

Goal: St. Kyriaki’s Handmaidens is a ministry dedicated to fostering the love of Christ and His Church in young women as it is modeled after the ministry of the Theotokos, the Myrrhbearers, and the other women saints. The group provides the opportunity for girls to grow together in service, prayer and purity through their participation in the life of the church. The breadth of their participation in the services/parish life is determined by the clergy and the handmaiden coordinator.

Target Audience: Young Women, grades 4-12

Materials Needed: A Maphorion is used to designate Handmaiden servers from the Altar boys servers. While the Annunciation Cathedral uses a Maphorion, a small white cape worn over the shoulders and extending to the knees, parishes are welcome to use resources according to their means. For example, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church uses light blue sashes which are draped diagonally across the body.
 
















Handmaidens at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in St Louis, MO






















Atlanta Handmaidens participating in the Sunday of Orthodoxy Procession

St. Kyriaki’s Handmaidens Service Book – to be distributed to the participants upon their becoming a handmaiden; a copy of this booklet can be found on the Annunciation Cathedral website.

Special Talents Required: Any young woman who desires to participate more fully in the life of the church is welcome to participate. Each person must be aware that once registered, there will be a time commitment – though the level of commitment will likely be determined by the parish priest. At the Annunciation Cathedral, once a handmaiden has registered they are assigned to a group which serves during the Liturgy once each month, as there are four groups in total.

Length of time the ministry has been in effect: Since 2013, for 7 years (approximately)
 
Description of Implementation: Those interested in beginning a Handmaidens ministry will need to first talk with parish priest(s) in order to determine the specific ways in which young women are needed to serve in the parish. Responsibilities may include:

• baking prosforo for the services
• distributing worship guides/bulletins
• cleaning the church before/after services
• escorting people to the pews
• monitoring/cleaning up candles in the narthex
• assisting with readings during the services
• decorating icons for feasts
• distributing arto/koliva after the services.

The responsibilities of the Handmaidens are adjusted according to the needs of the parish.