Sunday Services: Orthros 8:30 am; Divine Liturgy 9:30 am.
Weekday Services: See parish website calendar link for updates.
Schedule of Services for Week of November 24, 2024
Sunday, 11/24 8:30 a.m. Orthros / Liturgy - 13th Sunday of Luke
Monday 11/25 9:00 a.m. Orthros / Liturgy - Catherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria
Fall Parish Assembly - Today, Sunday, November 24th, following the Divine Liturgy. During this Assembly, we will focus on the financial budget for 2025 and nominations for Parish Council. You can access the Presentation and Supporting Materials via this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LuF0vWBy-C_KqHwRAjtCDIb5fkl0Qffi?usp=drive_link
College Ministry: We are 1 week away...All college students and YAL members are invited to ST. ANNA'S ANNUAL COLLEGE REUNION scheduled for next Saturday, November 30 from 4:00-7:00 PM. Pizza and dessert will be served. Come hangout with your St. Anna friends and play a friendly volleyball match "College Students vs YAL." RSVP by 11/26 to Maria Tattoli @ [email protected]. See attached flyer. If you would like to bring something, please sign up here. www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAF2CAA8-53245922-stanna#/. See you soon!
Parish Council Updates:
Save the date: His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey will be visiting our parish to celebrate the Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos with Hierarchical Great Vespers on Sunday, December 8, 2024 and Orthros and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Monday, December 9, 2024. A flyer is attached to this bulletin.
LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER:
All funds collected from the "Philoptochos" donation box located on the Pangari/candle station will be to the Veterans Organization that supplies service dogs to Veterans!. Fund collection will continue through the month of November.
We will be sponsoring a "Giving Tree of Wishes" to benefit local military families. More information to follow.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Community Christmas Card - The St. Anna Ladies Philoptochos, on behalf of Father Jimmy and the Parish Council, is again sponsoring the St. Anna Community Christmas Card. This beautiful Orthodox Icon Card will allow us to wish each other the joys and blessings of Christmas through the love of Christ, and at the same time, support Philoptochos in our fundraising efforts. Please see Aimee Douvris at the Philoptochos table to include your family in the Christmas Card. Cost to participate is $10 or as much as you'd like to donate.
Christmas Bake Sale! Order your Christmas treats from Philoptochos now through December 15. Pick up your orders on Sunday, December 22, 2024 after the Christmas Pageant.
Philoptochos VASILOPITA Sale
Philoptochos NOW taking orders for Holiday Vasilopitas through Sunday, December 8th during Fellowship hour. Questions can be directed to Arge Mardakis at [email protected] or Aimee Douvris at [email protected].
"Let your light so shine among man that they will see your good works and Glorify your Father in Heaven!"
Glorify Him by joining St. Anna Philoptochos Today!!!
Our new senior Parea Christmas party will be on December 3rd at 12:00 in the fellowship hall. Please RSVP after church or contact Olympia Tzovolos (908) 285-3983 OR Aimee Douvris (908) 339-2511, [email protected].
YOUTH MINISTRY CONTACTS:
Sunday School Director: Nikol Toulatos [email protected]
Greek School Director: Maria Sfondouris [email protected]
GOYA Head Advisor: Larisa Trumpy [email protected]
Hope & Joy Advisor: Kristen Diagelakis [email protected]
Little Blessings: Lucy Pavlow [email protected]
Greek Dance Lead: Larisa Trumpy [email protected]
Young Adult League (YAL): Nikol Toulatos [email protected]
College Care Package Ministry: Maria Tattoli [email protected]
Parent Advisory Council (PAC): Lisa Soteropoulos [email protected]
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. Our next meeting is December 1st.
Sunday School: Please email Nikol Toulatos to register your children for the 2024-25 school year. Parents interested in volunteering for Sunday School teaching / aiding please reach out to Nikol Toulatos.
Greek School: If you are interested in registering your child for Greek school or if you would like to find out more about our Greek school program please email Maria Sfondouris at [email protected].
Adult Greek school: We need a few more adults in order to form a class. Please contact Maria Sfondouris if you are interested at [email protected]
ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE. FALL RECOMMENDATIONS:
FOR CHILDREN:
---- Variety of Saint books by Potamitis publishing.
FOR ADULTS:
---- "Gratitude in Life's Trenches: How to Experience the Good Life...Even When Everything Is Going Wrong".
If there is something in particular you are looking for, we can assist. Contact Angela Ferreira ([email protected]).
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
-Sunday School students and Teachers
-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.
2024 Stewardship Status: Growth in the number of stewards is annually assessed by the Archdiocese and the New Jersey Metropolis and is a key indicator of stability and progress. All families and individuals must complete a stewardship card to be considered a steward. We have 166 Pledges totaling $216,706 and $198,190 received to date. We also have 4 families who have contributed $540 to date but have not submitted a stewardship card. The current Stewardship List and other stewardship information is posted on the bulletin board by water cooler. Please verify that you are current with your stewardship prior to the Fall General Assembly.
KIDNEY DONOR NEEDED: Joanne Kakoyiannis, a long-standing National Philoptochos Board member is currently facing stage 5 chronic kidney disease and urgently requires a kidney transplant, preferably from a suitable living donor. The following website tells Joanne’s story: http://www.helpingjoannefindakidney.com/.
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]
To be added to the weekly bulletin email or for general questions: [email protected]
Saint Clement was instructed in the Faith of Christ by the Apostle Peter. He became Bishop of Rome in the year 91, the third after the death of the Apostles. He died as a martyr about the year 100 during the reign of Trajan.
Saint Peter illustriously occupied the throne of Alexandria for twelve years, and, as Eusebius says, "was a divine example of a bishop on account of the excellence of his life and his study of the sacred Scriptures" (see Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 3 2; Book VIII 11, 13; and Book IX, 6). He excommunicated Arius for his sympathy with the Meletian schism. When Arius learned that Saint Peter had been imprisoned, he sent many priests and deacons to him, asking that he receive him back into the communion of the Church before his martyrdom. When the ambassadors of Arius, who had not, like Saint Peter, perceived the ruin he would engender, were astonished at the vehemence with which Saint Peter refused to receive Arius again, he revealed to them a dread vision he had seen, in which the Master Christ had appeared to him as a child wearing a garment torn from head to foot. When Saint Peter asked the Lord who rent His garment, the Lord answered that it was Arius, and that he must not be received back into communion. The holy hieromartyr Peter was beheaded during the reign of Maximinus in the year 312; he is called the "Seal of the Martyrs," because he was the last Bishop of Alexandria to suffer martyrdom under the pagan Emperors. His successors to the throne of Alexandria, Saints Alexander and Athanasius the Great, brought to final victory the battle against Arius' heresy which Saint Peter had begun.
Prokeimenon. Plagal 1st Tone. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18.
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
13th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 18:18-27
At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey will be visiting our parish to celebrate the Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos with Hierarchical Great Vespers on Sunday, December 8, 2024 and Orthros and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Monday, December 9, 2024.
PDF copy of 2024 St Anna Stewardship Pledge Card
St. Anna Ladies Philoptochos is offering the service of preparing Koliva, the boiled and sweetened wheat berries, for any memorial service needed. All requests should be made 2-3 weeks in advance to allow time for proper preparation of Koliva. If you would like to place an order, please complete the form.
So we can meet our printing deadline, the last day we will be accepting participation is Sunday, December 1, 2024.
St. Anna Philoptochos Christmas Bake Sale Pick Up on Sunday, 12/22/24 Order Deadline 12/15/24
All college students and YAL members are invited to St. Anna’s Annual College Reunion scheduled for Saturday, November 30 from 4:00-7:00 PM
Stewardship List as of 19November 2024