Memorials: A 40 day memorial for Jordan Issackedes, beloved husband of Claire, father of Ann and her husband John, Helen and Nicholas and his wife Christine. Beloved grandfather to Elizabeth, Alexandra, Jordan and Peter. Beloved brother to Theognosia Michaels and  relative to many dear family members.  
A 40 day memorial for Maria Marmarinosbeloved wife of the late George, mother of George, Christos, Olga and Kyriakos. Grandfather of Elena and George. Beloved sister and aunt to many dear family members.

A 1 year memorial for Patricia Konogeris and a 13 year memorial for George Konogeris beloved parents of Sherilyn and Lisa and her husband Bill. Beloved grandparents of Sean, Stephen, Katie, Emily and Matthew; great grandparents of Andrew and Lily. Eternal be their memory. Fellowship hour is sponsored by the Issackedes, Marmarinos and Konogeris families. 

40 Day Blessings: Today we welcome into the churchfor the traditional infant and motherhood blessing:  
Penelope Lara, the daughter of Michael and Sophia (Thomas). Congratulations!
Zoe Faye Giacomaro the daughter of Thomas and Faye (Sfugaras). Congratulations!

Holy Week Schedules: Our Easter schedules were mailed last week.

The Orthodox Christian Network (OCN: For inspiration on the internet, start your day at MYOCN.NET

Religious Education:  Our Religious Education program is collecting monetary donations for the Orthodox Christian Missions Center (OCMC). We will ‘match’ whatever amount our children bring in and donate for these mission charities. Donations will be accepted during the entire Lenten period. Please be generous. We appreciate any and all donations! OCMC spreads the Gospel to all nations as we are One, Holy, Catholic (Universal) and Apostolic Church.

Tray Collection: for Holy Week and Pascha decorations and flowers.

Lenten Services: This week the following services will be observed: Monday, April 3^rd Great Compline 7pm; Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, Wednesday, April 5^th at 5:30pm.

The Saint Nicholas Lenten Lecture Series Will CONCLUDE THIS Wednesday, APRIL 5^th at 7:30p.m.  

Topic: “Servant Leadership: Be the change you want to see.”by Dr. Al Rossi, Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary.  Please join us early for the Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts at 5:30pm, a light Lenten meal at 6:45pm and the Lenten Lecture at 7:30p.m. Contact Fr Bill for more info at frbill@stnicholasnj.org .  All millennials are invited!

The Greek Independence Day Parade: We thank all those who marched last Sunday on 5^th Avenue and many thanks to  Tammy Spyropoulos for organizing this event. 

Kali Parea (Seniors Fellowship): will meet on Tuesday, April 4^th at noon. Lenten Lunch will be served along with coffee and dessert. Any questions please call May Grammatikos at 201-236-2817. 

Daughters of Penelope: The AGAPE Chapter is holding our annual Tsoureki Sale! We will also be selling Red ‘Easter Egg’ Dye.  Please support this fund-raiser … pre-paid orders will be accepted until Monday, April 3^rd (look for the flyer/order form set out during Fellowship Hour). The tsourekia and dye will be distributed during the Fellowship Hour after Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday, April 9^th.

The Sharing and Caring Group: Our Saint Nicholas Sharing and Caring Group will meet this Thursday, April 6^th at 3pm in the conference room.  This ministry (service) is for those who have been widowed or divorced, or who have experienced loss in some way.  The group is facilitated by Dr. Eva Pappas Krias, a widow herself, who is a practicing and licensed New York State Psychologist (40 years).  Thoughts and feelings are shared as to dealing with loss, grief, loneliness, survivors’ guilt, and trauma associated with a declining spouse or a sudden death. Also, strategies for helping young children through death and most especially how life can go on after the loss of a loved one are explored.  The group is non-judgmental, discrete, confidential and informal. Our facilitator, Dr. Krias, and the participants, maintain an atmosphere of emotional safety.  Everyone’s thoughts and feelings are treated respectfully and without judgment.  Come and see! There is no cost or obligation. We are open to all!

EX-O”- Excursions Orthodoxy:  Please join us for our second annual Saint Nicholas trip on Thursday, June 8^th to the Culinary Institute of America (three course lunch at The Bocuse French Restaurant) and a tour of The Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, also known as Springwood in Hyde Park, NY. Contact John Peters at 201- 920-3265 for more information.

Vacation Church School: Save the Date: July 31- August 4, 2017 9am-12:30pm for children 5-11 years of age. More information will follow.

The Orthodox Ladies Prayer Group:  Welcomes anyone interested in attending prayer meetings held on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday evening of each month at 7:30pm in the Theotokos chapel.  We spend a dedicated time of informal prayer lifting up our nation, church community and our families and friends.  All prayer requests are kept confidential.  Please feel free to call either the church office or Irene Ayvas 201-803-2307, with any urgent or ongoing prayer requests you would like added to our list or submitted through the “Email Prayer Chain”.   Due to services during Holy Week, our first April meeting will be on Thursday, April 6^th. . 

“Email Prayer Chain” Sign-Ups: This may be one of the easiest things you can do to serve your community. With today’s technology the majority of people read emails on a daily basis.  We are simply asking for members of our congregation to sign up for our “Email Prayer Chain”, and they will receive occasional urgent prayer requests when a need arises for someone in immediate crisis. We ask only that you take a moment and pray for that person.  It’s that simple, yet so powerful.  If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, please email Irene Ayvas at iayvas@yahoo.com with your email contact info or call at 201-803-2307.   

THE ESSENTIAL SACRAMENT OF HEALING & Forgiveness - Holy Confession

Fr. Bill will be hearing PRIVATE confessions during the Lenten period.  Please make your appointment by contacting him directly and in strict confidence at 201 652 4774 ext. 12 or frbill@stnicholasnj.org.  To learn more about the sacrament of confession, go to www.goarch.org/confession .

Parish Stewardship by the Numbers:  Stewardship is composed of our personal offering of time, talent and treasure. Stewardship is not dues. Stewardship is based on Holy Scripture. Since time and talent offerings are more difficult to measure, one measurement of our response to God is our average “treasure” pledge per steward household. In 2016, we had 430 steward households that donated a total of $347,301 or 51% of our budgetary needs. To date in 2017, we have 216 steward households that have pledged a total of $210,810.

Mortgage Burning Campaign:  Participate in making Saint Nicholas debt free! Pledge your contribution towards our goal of debt freedom. Contact Nick Pirsos at pirsos@verizon.net

“Candle Money”! The Parish Council authorized a pilot program that will provide a tax deduction record for your candle donations. Thanks to a parishioner, booklets of different denominations have been printed. These are available for purchase at the office or narthex on Sundays. The candle money comes in a $2 booklet of 25 for a cost of $50; a $5 booklet of 10 for a cost of $50; a $10 booklet of 5 for a cost of $50 and a $20 booklet of 5 for a cost of $100. The candle money can only be used for candle donations. It is non-refundable, must be used for its full value and cannot be used in exchange for cash.  We hope this will prove a convenience for all who make use of it.

Saint Nicholas Benevolent Fund: In his Epistle, Saint James teaches that “faith without works is dead.” Giving alms (charity) is an act of faith through good works. Great Lent is an opportunity when we can assist a family or a person in need. Anyone can donate anonymously to the Saint Nicholas Benevolent Fund. Mail your donation check or drop it in the collection plate in our Narthex.   “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7). God bless you always for your open heart! You have made a difference!