St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-12-01
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 J. Costalas

[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 December 1, 2024

Sunday,    12/01   8:30 a.m.  Orthros / Liturgy - 14th Sunday of Luke

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 today, December 1st.

Join us for the Youth Ministry Christmas Celebration TODAY after Divine Liturgy. See flyer for details.

Our new senior Parea Christmas party will be this Tuesday, 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]. 

Parish Council Updates:

This year’s election for Parish Council will take place on Sunday, December 8, 2024, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Voting will take place until 12:30pm. Please review the attached letter from our Board of Elections.

At the direction of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and with the paternal blessings and best wishes of His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey, we are pleased to share with you the attached 2024 Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Thanksgiving. In addition, Rev. Pavlow and the Parish Council thank you for your continued support of our beloved Saint Anna Parish.

Next week: 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: 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

St. Anna Philoptochos, and the St. Anna Parish, are grateful that his Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey, will be visiting us on September 8th and 9th to celebrate our Feast Day!
Visit our Sign-Up Genius website to help us show our heartfelt hospitality to all who attend our beautiful St. Anna Church, by bringing a "Fasting/Vegan" dish to share!  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4BAAA629A1F49-53555864-stanna

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].

We will be sponsoring a "Giving Tree of Wishes" to benefit Greek Orthodox families from our Metropolis. More information to follow.

"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!!!

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 TODAY December 1st.  Join us for the Youth Ministry Christmas Celebration after Liturgy. See flyer for details.

GOYA: GOYA is having a virtual giving tree to support United Way of Hunterdon County. If you are interested, gifts are due by Sunday December 8th. Use the signup genius link to donate. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAE23A7F85-53510286-holiday

Sunday School: No Sunday School Today 12/1 for the 13-18 age class due to Youth Leadership Sunday. Otherwise there will be Sunday School for the remaining classes. The Christmas Pageant will be on December 22, 2024! A signup genius for pageant participation will be sent in the next bulletin. There will be no Sunday school on 12/29/24.
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 are pleased to announce that Adult Greek School for Beginners will begin Monday, December 2nd. Classes will be in person on Mondays from 7:15pm-8:15pm in the St. Anna Conference Room. There are a few spots still available if you are interested. Please contact Maria Sfondouris at [email protected].

ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE - Christmas is around the corner!! Come see our extensive collection of books and other gift items. If there is something in particular you are looking for, email [email protected]. Here are some recommendations:

FOR CHILDREN: Nativity sets; Theotokos doll; Saints matching game and puzzles; Christmas coloring books; Our Church (book).

FOR ADULTS: Prayer ropes; Christmas cards; ceramic incense burners; Wounded by Love (book); A Faith Encouraged Devotional (book).

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 as of 19 November 2024. 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]

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Saints and Feasts

December 01

Nahum the Prophet

The Prophet Nahum had Elkesaeus (Elkosh) as his homeland, and was from the tribe of Symeon; he is seventh in order among the twelve Minor Prophets He prophesied during the time of Hezekias, after the destruction of Samaria (721 years before Christ), but before the ten tribes were taken into captivity; he prophesied against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. His name means "comforter." His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters.

December 01

Philaret the Merciful of Amnia

Saint Philaret a native of Paphlagonia in Asia Minor, was a virtuous Christian layman who lived in lawful wedlock and raised a family. He was most renowned for his generosity to all in need. With the permission of God, in a short space of time he lost the greater part of his possessions to theft and other misfortunes and was left with nothing but his family, his home, and a little livestock. Yet he continued to give generously to the poor despite the faint-heartedness of his family, who reproached him for giving alms when they were in need themselves; and God, seeing his faith, restored his prosperity to him many times over. He foresaw the day of his death, and reposed in an odour of sanctity in Constantinople in 789.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal 2nd Tone. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 2:4-10.

Brethren, God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Gospel Reading

14th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 18:35-43

At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." And he cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

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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.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 3rd Tone

On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young Child Who * before the ages is God.
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Bulletin Inserts:

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