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St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-04-30
Bulletin Contents
Saints and Feasts
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Ministry News
Bulletin Inserts
Stewardship
Myrrbear
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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

Myrrbear
April 30

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).

Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).

05_irene
May 05

Irene the Great Martyr

Saint Irene was the daughter of a princelet called Licinius; named Penelope by her parents, through a divine revelation she was brought to faith in Christ and at Baptism was renamed Irene. In her zeal for piety she broke in pieces all the idols of her father, who commanded that she be trampled underfoot by horses. But while she remained unharmed, one of the horses rose up and cast down her father, killing him. By her prayer she raised him to life again, and he believed and was baptized. Afterwards, in many journeyings, Saint Irene suffered torments and punishments for her faith, but was preserved by the power of God, while working dread miracles and converting many thousands of souls. At last she came to Ephesus, where she fell asleep in peace, in the first half of the fourth century. Two days after her death, her gravestone was found lifted off, and her grave empty. At least two churches were dedicated to Saint Irene in Constantinople, and she is also the patroness of the Aegean island of Thera, which is commonly called Santorin (or Santorini), a corruption of "Saint Irene."

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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Mode

When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, all the powers in the Heavens cried out: O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Mode

The noble Joseph, taking Thine immaculate Body down from the Tree, and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It for burial in a new tomb. But on the third day Thou didst arise, O Lord, granting great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Mode

Unto the myrrh-bearing women did the Angel cry out as he stood by the grave: Myrrh oils are meet for the dead, but Christ hath proved to be a stranger to corruption. But cry out: The Lord is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Second Mode. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.

IN THOSE DAYS, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Reading is from Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8

At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

They [the women] had followed Him ministering to Him, and were present even unto the time of the dangers. Wherefore also they saw all; how He cried, how He gave up the ghost, how the rocks were rent, and all the rest.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 88 on Matthew 27, 4th Century

And these [the women] first see Jesus; and the sex that was most condemned, this first enjoys the sight of the blessings, this most shows its courage. And when the disciples had fled, these were present.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 88 on Matthew 27, 4th Century

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Ministry News

Agia_anna

TODAY we offer a 1-year memorial service for George Verenes, father of Denise Coutsouridis and grandfather of Alexia.  We also offer a 3-year memorial service for Stavros Coutsouridis, father of John Coutsouridis and grandfather of Alexia.  May their memory be eternal.

TODAY we offer a 3-year memorial for Stefanos Sideris, beloved husband of the late Eleni Sideris and father and papou to the Ferreira and Vespa families. May his memory be eternal.

TODAY Fellowship Hour is sponsored by the Ferreira and Vespa families.

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May 7 Dedication Celebration – next Sunday!

This is a reminder to please respond to your invitation to the upcoming May 7 event. We need everyone's response by TODAY Sunday, April 30 so that we may prepare the correct amount of food and plan the seating arrangements.

This should be a fun event for our Community. Our dancers will perform and we will celebrate how far we have come thanks to our many donors and especially our Grand Benefactor, the late Mr. Nicholas J. Bouras. Hope to see everyone there! 

Any questions please contact Diana Grina: dianakg2003@yahoo.com

 

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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.”

Education:  DON’T FORGET - Education Meeting TODAY after Church services in the large classroom.  This meeting is for all families with children to ensure that we understand your expectations for our Educational programs, the Greek School program in particular.  We appreciate your ideas to improve our programs and increase participation. 

PTO:  Find the perfect gift at our Mother's Day Plant and Bake sale on Sunday, May 14th during coffee hour! If you are interested in helping with the sale, please contact Sofia Manoussakis (s_manoussakis@yahoo.com) or Kristen Diagelakis (kristen81081@aol.com).

Philoptochos News: YiaYia's Attic Saturday, May 20, 8 am - 1 pm in St. Anna Fellowship Hall.  Please consider donating new or used clothing, household items, children's toys, seasonal décor, bicycles and odds and ends that can be sold at our annual yard sale.  Donations can be dropped off starting on Sunday, May 14 (corrected date).  Contact:  Margaret Panageas

Luncheon for Children's Medical Fund - Sunday, May 21, 11:30 am in St. Anna Fellowship Hall.  All parishioners are invited to fundraiser luncheon.  Pastichio, salad, and bread served to "eat in" or order "to go".  Cost $10 per order.  All profits to benefit the charities of the National Philoptochos Children's Medical Fund.

Graduating Seniors:  The Philoptochos is assembling a list of graduating seniors and needs your help.   Please check the list and provide any missing names or changes by Tuesday, May 2:

Alex Athanasiou, Peri Bongiovanni, Zoe Connell, Alexia Coutsourides, Tommy Diver, Michael Georgeles, Richard Gilman, Ashlynn Hawes, Constantine Kousoulas, Nick Lazos, Raymond Lewis, John Mavrode, Sophia McElroy, George Sakellos, Marisa Soteropoulos, Nicole Zannikos.  Contact: aimeedouvris@gmail.com.   

GOYA:  Olympics:  It is the start of the Olympics season:  Indoor Soccer Tournament on May 6, Indoor Olympics (board games, ping-pong, etc.,) on May 13, and Outdoor Olympics at Monmouth University (track & field, swimming, volleyball) on May 27-28, Memorial Day Weekend. Please check your calendars and plan accordingly. Registration will take place on Sunday May 23. 

Remember we need additional GOYA Advisors.  Please consider and see Father Anastasios if you can help.

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.

 

 

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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 110 Pledges totaling $164,060 for an average of $1,491 and $90,619 received to date.  We also have 10 families who have contributed $5,205 to date but have not submitted a stewardship card.  It is important that all families complete a stewardship card to be considered a steward.  Current Stewardship List and other stewardship information is posted in bulletin board by water cooler.  We need everyone’s participation to exceed this year’s stewardship target of $175,000. 

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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