St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-03-23
Bulletin Contents
Parish News
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Hymns of the Day
Bulletin Inserts:

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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

[email protected] | (908) 968-4004

Clergy
Father Jimmy Pavlow

[email protected] | (609) 498-4672

Corresponding Secretary
Paul Vespa

[email protected]

Services Schedule

Sunday Services:  Orthros 8:30 am; Divine Liturgy 9:30  am.  

Weekday Services:  See parish website calendar link for updates.

 

Past Bulletins


Parish News

Schedule of Services for Week of March 23, 2025

Sunday,        03/23    8:30 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy - Sunday of Holy Cross
                    No Compline Service on Monday, 03/24
Tuesday,       03/25    9:00 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy – Annunciation of the Theotokos
Wednesday   03/26    6:00 p.m.  Presanctified Liturgy
Friday.          03/28   7:00 p.m.   Salutations to the Theotokos

Email Spoofing: We have learned of several people getting fake emails from someone posing as Fr. Jimmy. As a rule, please ignore any emails that do not come from <role>@stannagoc.org. 

Procedure for Holy Communion:
Enter into the center aisle. Please wait until a member of the Parish Council calls your pew. The order is as follows:
-Any Newly illumined (newly Baptized, Chrismated)
- Choir
-Pew by pew per PC direction. Please wait until your pew is called. 
-Those remaining in the narthex. 

Sunday Fellowship Hour Sponsors: Please sponsor a fellowship hour to support the Saint Anna parish. The requested fellowship hour sponsorship donation is $50.

Todays Coffee hour: Will be hosted by Gerard Pellettier.

Our 2025 Stewardship drive is in progress, please complete your 2025 stewardship pledge to allow the parish council to properly plan for the year.

2025 Stewardship Status: We have 69 Pledges totaling $128,856 and $77,608 received to date. We also have 6 families who have contributed $9,980 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.  

House Blessings: This is the time when we normally schedule House Blessings.  If you would like Father Jimmy to come and bless your home, please email/call Father and the office by emailing [email protected] and/or calling (908) 968-4004.

Parish Council Updates:

Καλή Σαρακοστή: The Parish Council would like to express our prayerful wishes for a Blessed Lent to our fellow parishioners. If you would like to make a special contribution to the additional beautification needs of the Church during this period, please use the attached 2025 Easter Appeal Form. We thank you in advance for your generosity.

The next Parish General Assembly will occur on March 30th. Please see attached invitation and agenda for further information

Greek Independence Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA - Sunday April 6, 2025. The annual Greek Independence Day Parade is happening on Sunday April 6, 2025. Last year we had over 40 parishioners marching down the Ben Franklin Parkway. Let's try and top that number this year! Please use this link: app.wooclap.com/2025parade to reserve your spot on the bus or see Bill Johnson at fellowship hour. Cost per seat is $15 for adults and Children under the age of 18 ride for free. Final Reservation/Payment is due Sunday March 30.

Palm Sunday Luncheon - Sunday April 13, 2025. We will be having our annual Palm Sunday Fish Luncheon following the Palm Sunday Liturgy. For details, please see attachment. If you plan to attend, please use this link to register: app.wooclap.com/25PALMSUNDAY

PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER:  .

Annual elections are coming up on May 18th! Please contact an "Election Committee Member" if you are interested in running for a position on the Board! Thank You!

  Tsoureki from Agia Skepi is available to order for $18 from now to Sunday, March 23. Please see Arge or Zoi in the fellowship hall after liturgy to place your order. 

Palm Crosses will be available on March 23 thru Palm Sunday. The cost is $10.

We are continuing with our membership drive till the end of March, you can help us by joining the St. Anna Philoptochos and raising our numbers, by becoming a warrior for "Friends of the Poor"!

“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35

Save the Date: Our next senior Parea event is Tuesday, April 1st at 12:00.

YOUTH MINISTRY:

GOYA: Our next meeting will be Today  March 23rd, after Sunday School.

First Sundays are Youth Sundays at St. Anna. GOYA, HOPE & JOY (grades K-6th), and our Little Blessings (Pre-K and under) ministries will meet on the First Sunday of the month.

Myrrh-bearers (Myrophores): Kristen Diagelakis will be coordinating the Myrrh-bearers (Myrophores) during Holy Friday evening service on April 18th. Girls between ages 5-12 are welcome. contact Kristen via email [email protected] if interested.

YAL: The Young Adult League will assist in PC duties on the second Sundays of the month (YAL Sundays). If you are of YAL age (18-35) and interested in participating or for more details about monthly meetings and get togethers, please reach out to Steven Tattoli at [email protected].

Forming new Women's Group Book Club. If interested, please send email (including day and time preferences) to [email protected].   Additional information will be coming soon.

ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE - Great Lent is here. Stop by the bookstore and see our new merchandise for Pascha. Questions? Send email to [email protected]. Here are some recommendations:

For Children: "Our Very First Easter"; "The Light"; " The Miracle of the Red Egg"; and "Pascha at the Duck Pond"

For Adults: "The Crucifixion of the King of Glory" and "Great Lent: Journey to Pascha"

The second in our series of iconography classes at St Anna will be held Monday, March 31, through Friday, April 4, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each evening. The icon subject will be a version of the famous Christ Pantocrator (Christ Ruler of All) icon from St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai in Egypt. Although many ancient icons from the period were destroyed due to the iconoclast heresy, this one survived due to St. Catherine's remote location. It is therefore historically significant, and one of the oldest icons in existence (see PDF file attached for the image). No previous art experience is needed, and all supplies will be provided. The class fee will be $350 ($20 per hour, as before). For more information, or to register, please contact Gerard A. Pelletier ([email protected], 609-917-0990). (As no class will be offered during the summer, this may be our last class until Fall 2025.)

PARISH LINKS: 

St Anna Website: https://www.stannagoc.org/

St Anna Greek Orthodox Church Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/[email protected]&ctz=America/New_York 

For questions to the parish council: [email protected]

For general questions: [email protected]

To be added to the weekly bulletin email:  [email protected]

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Saints and Feasts

March 30

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent

This Saint gave himself over to the ascetical life from his early youth. Experienced both in the solitary life of the hermit and in the communal life of cenobitic monasticism, he was appointed Abbot of the Monastery at Mount Sinai and wrote a book containing thirty homilies on virtue. Each homily deals with one virtue, and progressing from those that deal with holy and righteous activity (praxis) unto those that deal with divine vision (theoria), they raise a man up as though by means of steps unto the height of Heaven. For this cause his work is called "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." The day he was made Abbot of Sinai, the Prophet Moses was seen giving commands to those who served at table. Saint John reposed in 603, at eighty years of age. See also the Fourth Sunday of the Fast.

March 30

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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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2

Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Gospel Reading

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent
The Reading is from Matthew 11:27-30

The Lord said to his disciples, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 2nd Tone

Angelic powers were above Thy tomb, and they that guarded Thee became as dead. And Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate Body. Thou hast despoiled Hades and wast not tried thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst grant us life. O Thou Who didst arise from the dead, Lord, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion for Sun. of the Holy Cross in the 1st Tone

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; grant Thou unto the faithful victory over adversaries. And by the power of Thy Cross do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal 4th Tone

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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Bulletin Inserts:

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