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St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-03-26
Bulletin Contents
Saints and Feasts
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Ministry News
Bulletin Inserts
Stewardship
Climicus
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St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (908) 968-4004
  • Fax:
  • (908) 968-4002
  • Street Address:

  • 85 Voorhees Corner Road,

  • Flemington, NJ 08822

Contact Information

St. Anna Office staff

stannagoc@gmail.com | (908) 968-4004

Proistamenos Rev. Fr. Anastasios Kousoulas

frakousoulas@gmail.com | mobile (908) 528-1077

Services Schedule

Weekly Services

(Please note schedule subject to change.  Please call church office to confirm times.)

Sunday Services:  Orthros 8:15 am; Divine Liturgy 9:15  am.  Followed by Sunday School and Fellowship Hour in our Community Center.

Weekly Feastday / Major Saint Day Liturgies:  9 am Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy.

Past Bulletins


Saints and Feasts

Climicus
March 26

Sunday of St. John Climacus

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Grave Mode

By means of Your Cross, O Lord, You abolished death. * To the robber You opened Paradise. * The lamentation of the myrrhbearing women You transformed, * and You gave Your Apostles the order to proclaim to all * that You had risen, O Christ our God, * and granted the world Your great mercy.

Apolytikion for Annunciation of the Theotokos in the Fourth Mode

Today is the fountainhead of our salvation and the manifestation of the mystery which was from eternity. The Son of God becometh the Virgin's Son, and Gabriel announceth the good tidings of grace; for this cause, let us cry to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20.

BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Seest thou how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ... See, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he that is praying as he ought, and fasting, hath not many wants, and he that hath not many wants, cannot be covetous; ...
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

... he that is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

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Ministry News

Agia_anna

TODAY, please join us for the St Anna Greek School Greek Independence Day Program immediately following services in the Community Center.

TODAY, please join us for the St Anna Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival beginning at approximately 12:30 pm. 

TODAY, Fellowship Hour is sponsored by the St Anna Greek School in honor of today’s Greek Independence Day Program and the St Anna Sunday School in honor of today’s Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Both events promise to be enlightening and inspiring. 

 CHURCH CALENDAR

 Weekly Services During Lent

Mondays (5:30 to 6:30 pm):  Great Compline Service

Wednesdays (6 pm) and Fridays (9 am):  9th Hour followed by Presanctified Liturgy

 Thursdays (6 to 7 pm):  Great Compline Service.

 Fridays (7 to 8 pm):  Salutations Service   - Akathyst Hymn on Friday, March 31

 

Byzantine Music Workshop and Choir

Meetings are usually on Saturdays following Liturgy. For confirmation, please contact our cantor Stathis directly or through email (stathisleon@gmail.com) with subject matter "Byzantine Choir."

 

 

LENT:    PRAYER - FASTING - WORKS OF LOVE

St. Anna Community is invited to take part in our Sunday School’s Almsgiving project for the Lenten season to benefit the Hunterdon County Family Success Center (www.hcfsc.com).  Please help local families in need.  Look for collection station in the hallway to the Community Center.  Donations received through April 9. Contact:  Aimee Douvris at aimeedouvris@gmail.com. 

 

Education: 

Greek School:  Today our Greek School will present their Independence Day program following Church services in the Community Center.  Zito Ellada (Long Live Greece)!

Sunday School: Today we will hold our St Anna Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival beginning at approximately 12:30 pm.  The purpose of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is to give our youth the opportunity to learn and speak about their beliefs, their Church, and their heritage.  Students from the Junior Division (Grades 7-9) and Senior Division (Grades 10-12) will share their 3-5 minute speeches on one of the topics provided by the Archdiocese.  It promises to be an inspirational event.

 

Philoptochos News: 

Easter Bread:  Tsourekia available for pick-up on Sunday, April 9 (Palm Sunday). 

Palm Cross:  Palm Crosses available on April 2 and 9 in Fellowship Hall.  Cost is $10.​

Spring Yia Yia's Attic:  It's time to clean out closets, basements, and garages for donations to the only Yia Yia's Attic for the year on Saturday, May 20.  Don't put it off!  Donations will be collected starting the week of the event.  Contact:  Margaret Panageas

 

GOYA News:  Lenten Retreat: Our GOYA District II Lenten Retreat at Camp Tecumseh in Pittstown is on March 31-April 1. Our focus this year is Holy Week.

Local programs: “Hidden in Plain Sight” program sponsored by the Hunterdon Prevention Resources and Safe Communities Coalition – March 29, 6:30 pm at Clinton Township Middle School (flyer uploaded to e-bulletin).

 

PC Corner: St. Anna Clean Up and Fix Up Day:  Saturday, April 1 (8 am – 12 pm)

Please come for an hour or two to help spruce up the Church and Community Center. 

All are welcome and any time you can give is appreciated.

Palm Sunday Luncheon on April 9: $12 for adults and any children who order the fish plate (other children option spaghetti for $5). Register at Fellowship Hour.   

Spring General Assembly next week on Sunday, April 2 starting at 11:30 am. Please make the effort to attend.

On September 2, 2017, we will celebrate our 15th Birthday as a Parish. From our 2002 humble beginnings, we managed to build this beautiful Church and we will celebrate this great event at the May 7, 2017: “Destiny Fulfilled. An Appreciation Celebration”: Hall Dedication and Donor Recognition program.  The organizers of this event, Dr. John Douvris and Diana Grina, are doing an excellent job in progressing such an important milestone for our church. If you can help, please reach out to them and offer your time and talent.

Remember we need additional GOYA Advisors and HOPE & JOY advisor.  St Anna GOYA is one of the most vibrant programs of our Community and needs advisors to work with our Youth.  Please consider and see Father Anastasios if you can help.

Education Meeting on Sunday, April 30 after Church services.  This meeting is for all families with children to ensure that we understand your needs and expectations for our Educational programs, the Greek School program in particular.  We appreciate your ideas to improve our programs and increase participation. 

Spring Wine-n-Dine:  Theme: Inspirations from the Mediterranean. The evening will be dedicated to exploring new white and red wines from Spain, Italy and Greece complimented by a variety of Mediterranean inspired food pairings served reception style (flyer uploaded to e-bulletin)

Date and time: Saturday, June 3 at 6:30 pm

Where: Parishioners Penny and Rich Wolfe residence (12 Eyring Road, Hillsborough, NJ)

Cost: $75 per person. Payments received by Christi Staikos or can be mailed to her at

43 Fox Grape Rd, Flemington, NJ 08822.

Fellowship Hour sponsors needed!  Please sign up outside the Church office, or contact Dr. Nikolaos Kritharis at nikolaos.kritharis.dmd@gmail.com or 201-572-3420. 

 

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Bulletin Inserts

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Stewardship

STEWARDSHIP:  Stewardship is the sharing of the talents and treasures that God has provided for us.  An Orthodox Christian Steward is an active participant in the life of the Church. The parish encourages all who accept the Orthodox Faith to become practicing Stewards.

2017 Stewardship Status:  We have 98 Pledges totaling $152,010 for an average of $1,551 and $69,212 received to date.  We also have 6 families who have contributed $  985 to date but have not submitted a stewardship card.  It is important that all families complete a stewardship card to be considered a steward.

We need everyone’s participation to exceed this year’s stewardship pledge budget of $175,000. If the remaining 2016 stewards give at the same level as last year we could exceed our budget and reach a record high number of stewards.

If you have not done so already, we ask that you prayerfully consider your stewardship commitment and submit a 2017 pledge card as soon as you can.

…Remember a rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much…

 

 

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