Beloved Parishioners and Friends:

I’m looking forward to marking the second Sunday of Lent with you this weekend, dedicated to Saint Gregory Palamas. This saint was a profound defender of the faith and believed—with his whole heart—that a true bridge can be formed between us and God if we strive to have a pure heart. Let’s keep his memory close to our hearts as we continue our forty-day journey.

Also this Sunday, we’ll enjoy a wonderful reflection from one of our parish stewards. I love the idea of sharing our unique approaches to enacting stewardship with one another. It will look differently from household to household, but all of us center our efforts around the person of Jesus Christ.

The Philoptochos’ Dignity Matters continues this Sunday, and I’ll be holding a meeting with our Altar and Myrrhbearer servers. Parents, please make sure to remind your children to come see me in the church after Sunday School.

Read on in your eBulletin for details on other opportunities to engage parish life this holy season, from the Lenten flower drive to the Sunday School Holy Friday Retreat on May 3.

Wishing you a blessed and inspirational week,

Fr. Alex

EPISTLE: Yvette Politis.

MYRHHBEARER SERVICE: 
March 31st: Ana Drugas.
April 7^th: Elena Salzillo.

TODAY'S ALTAR TEAM: Team Archangel Gabriel (Elliot Hess, Leiland Hess, & Linus LaFond). Captain, Mario Salzillo.

ALTAR FLOWERS:  Please consider sponsoring altar flowers for a coming Sunday. The donation for flower sponsorships is $75. Please contact Gina in the church office to learn more or sponsor. 

FELLOWSHIP HOUR:  All are welcome to join us following Divine Liturgy. This month and beyond, Fellowship Hour sponsors are welcome and needed. Please sign up in the hall this weekend or use our new SignUpGenius link. 

WORSHIPPING FROM HOME: STREAMING AND INTERNET MINISTRY:

ACCESS SERVICES VIA FACEBOOK:
St. Gregory the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church | Facebook

ACCESS SERVICES VIA YOU TUBE:
St. Gregory The Theologian Live - YouTube

SERVICES FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 31ST, SUNDAY OF SAINT GREGORY OF PALAMAS
We look forward to worshipping with you at Saint Gregory: 
Orthros, 8:30 am
Divine Liturgy, 9:30 am
Each week, Sunday School classes begin immediately after Holy Communion. All are warmly invited to join us for refreshments and fellowhip after Divine Liturgy. 

STREAMING DETAILS/MEDIA CONNECTIONS FOR TODAY, MARCH 31ST
Access Services via You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgvnXFV6xK1Nhm8ID84jFNg

Access services and join our community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saintgregorythetheologian

Join our community on Instagram:
@saintgregorythetheologian"

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL, APRIL 7TH
We look forward to this excellent opportunity for our youth to witness their Orthodox Faith and, of course, practice their public speaking skills. All participants will need to register here prior to the event. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Hess: bhess0529@gmail.com

PHILOPTOCHOS DIGNITY MATTERS DRIVE, NOW - APRIL 7TH
Please support Philoptochos' drive for Dignity Matters, a non-profit organization supporting women and girls who are homeless and disadvantaged. Now through the 7th, we can help in three ways: 
*** Purchase and drop off needed items in the Narthex
*** Purchase items via Amazon for direct shipment to Saint Gregory   
*** Make a financial donation to Philoptochos and we will purchase items for you. Make your offering through Vanco, mail a check to the church or give funds to any Philoptochos member

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BUILD, APRIL 13TH
As part of our Thriving Congregations Initiative (TCI) grants, we will once again participate in a house build—this time in Norton, MA on the 13^th. We will have room for about twenty volunteers. Please contact Fr. Alex or Gina, in the church office, to learn more or reserve your spot for the day. See our flyer for further details. 

TCI SEMINAR AT SAINT GREGORY, APRIL 20th
Our parish has once again been asked to host a local TCI seminar, and we need your help. The seminar will run from 9 am – 3 pm, and assistance is needed with hospitality, lunch, technological support and more. Please contact Fr. Alex to learn more and join our team for the 20th. 

PARASCO ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS, DUE APRIL 28TH
If you are a steward of St. Gregory, graduating high school this June, and plan to attend a college or university, you are encouraged to apply for a scholarship that will be awarded to seniors. The online application is available here: http://bit.ly/3nySVL8 (due April 28, 2024). Please contact the Scholarship Committee with any questions: stgregoryscholarship@gmail.com.

SUNDAY SCHOOL HOLY FRIDAY RETREAT, MAY 3RD
Students K – 8th grade are invited to join us for this special event, 12 – 2:45 pm (high-schoolers are also very welcome to help lead activities). A service element will also be part of the retreat: we’ll make health kits for IOCC; a list of donation needs will soon be shared with our parishioners. Look out for our registration email this week, and contact Paul Hartigan Patey for further information or to help out: pch588@gmail.com.  

LENTEN, HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA FLOWER DONATIONS
During this holy season, there a host of donation opportunities, from decorating the “sweet kissing” icon of Christ and the Theotokos to flowers for the Kouvouklion. There is a donation form in the Narthex, and please check in with the church office with any questions. Karen Guinan will be leading our decorating efforts this year and would welcome your help: karenguinan@gmail.com.  Many thanks to all those who have donated thus far!

KOLIVA PREPARATION
At any given time of the year, our faithful will seek help in the preparation of Koliva for memorials. Fellow parishioner Gina Drugas is now offering this service, with a cost of $100 per Koliva plate. Please contact Gina to learn more and make arrangements: gina.drugas2@gmail.com 

SAINT GREGORY BOOKSTORE LENTEN OFFERINGS
With Great Lent here, we have wonderful offerings related to the upcoming Lenten season. These featured books are available now (some in very limited quantities), and our flyer offers more details and lists even more offerings. Visit the bookstore today:

-The Lenten Spring, by Fr. Thomas Hopko
-Great Lent: Journey to Pascha, by Fr. Alexander Schmemann
-Fasting Food, by Katie Mantzarides
-Food, Faith and Fasting: A Sacred Journey to Better Health, by Rita Madden

SAINT GREGORY APPAREL
It is not too late to order Saint Gregory t-shirts and other items, such as sweatshirts and totes. Please contact Stephanie LaFond: steph@lafonds.net. 

NEW KNITTING MINISTRY
Calling all knitters and crocheters in the Saint Gregory Parish: We are looking to start a group that meets once a month to create items such as baby blankets and hats. This would be to benefit our own parishioners as well as those in area hospitals, shelters, and veterans homes that are in need. Contact Kristin Lewis  (kristinblewis@gmail.com) if interested and provide proposed times/days to meet. 

FELLOWSHIP HOUR SIGN-UP RESOURCES
All parishioners are invited to host Fellowship Hour on a coming Sunday. In addition to the sign-up poster in the hall, we can now easily learn more and sign up online. Fellowship Hour is a beloved, significant tradition at our parish that speaks to Christian fellowship and hospitality. Thanks in advance for your support, and contact Fellowship Hour Chair Brian Kaufman with any questions: bvkaufman@gmail.com

ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM
Parishioners who would like to try out our Assistive Listening System are welcome to use the receivers on our Narthex Welcome Table. The receivers are easy to use: just place the ear device on your ear, and turn on the “on/volume” on top of the receiver.

RIDES TO CHURCH
George Dimitriou, our Driving Ministry chair, would be happy to help you or a loved one make it to Saint Gregory for worship and events. Contact George directly: gdimitriou@yahoo.com; 781.769.2085.

LITURGICAL SINGING 
This ministry engages musical leadership not only for Sunday liturgy but all the liturgical needs of the year, from Vespers services to Great Lent and Holy Week. Your time and talent are most welcome within our Liturgical Singing Ministry. Please contact Kathy Kalogeras to learn more: kalogeras1@earthlink.net. 

MYRHHBEARERS MINISTRY
Within the context of our fledgling Myrrhbearers Ministry, our girls, and young women are invited to hold Antidoro during Divine Liturgy, read the Epistle, and otherwise participate in the entire life of the Church. Please contact Eleni LaFond to pick a date for Antidoro service and Fr. Alex to plan a date for an Epistle reading. 

WHAT'S NEW ON OUR WEBSITE?
Within our Youth Ministry pages, you'll see a new February "Saintly Lives" entry, focusing on Saint Theodore the Recruit (celebrated Feb. 17). Check it out today and share with family and friends.  

PARISH LIBRARY
Along with our bookstore, the Parish Library (just across the hall from the store) is a tremendous resource for our parishioners seeking to learn more about the faith. Within, we can find thoughtful books on the sacraments written from a pastoral perspective, many writings from the Church Fathers, books on prayer, and much more. Please take a look at the volumes adorning the shelves when you can and ask Fr. Alex for guidance on what you might like to borrow any time. Further, these shelves are in great need of refreshing and organization. Likewise, please check with Father if you might like to help with this project—or even become our librarian!

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Fr. Alex: Tue. & Thur., 9 am - 1 pm. Wed., 1 - 4 pm; or by appointment when convenient for our parishioners. Please note that on occasion, Fr. Alex may be seeing to a pastoral situation, visiting with another parishioner, attending a Metropolis event, or otherwise engaged in Church life during office hours.
General Church Office Needs: Gina Drugas is in the office Mon - Fri from 8 am - 11 am. If you need Support outside of these hours, please email Gina at stgregorytheologian@earthlink.net.
Email is monitored throughout the day outside of normal office hours.