St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-12-15
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 15, 2024

Sunday,    12/15   8:30 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy - 11th Sunday of Luke

Today, Sunday December 15th, we are offering a Memorial service for the departed servants of God, James (5 yrs) and Adriani (16 yrs) Thomas, loving parents of Maria Tattoli and Stella, Joanna, Christina and Elena. Grandparents of Steven, Mark, and Adriana Tattoli. May their memory be eternal.

Today, Sunday December 15th, we are offering a Memorial service for the departed servants of God, Gloria (7 yrs) and Spyros (2yrs) Tsokas, loving parents and grandparents. May their memory be eternal.
Today, following services, the Tsokas family will sponsor fellowship hour in their memory.

The Christmas Pageant will be next Sunday, December 22, 2024! If you would like your child to have a part in this year's pageant sign up via the link. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAE23A7F85-53755446-stanna
Also signup to bring something to share during coffee hour. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAE23A7F85-53402493-saint

Parish Council Updates:

We would like to thank everyone for their help and support with last week's Hierarchical Great Vespers and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for St. Anna's Conception of the Virgin Mary and the visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos. His Eminence repeatedly shared his enjoyment and appreciation during that time.

SAVE THE DATE: 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 and show off our pride as Greek-Americans and as a parish as one united St. Anna family. Further details are forthcoming. Please see Bill Johnson with any questions.

LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER: 

We had two absolutely beautiful St. Anna Celebrations on Sunday evening, December 8th and Monday morning, December 9th! We were blessed to have Metropolitan Apostolos preside over both Vespers and Liturgy, sharing his wisdom and his love for our community of St. Anna.

It was wonderful having you here with us, Your Eminence! God willing, we look forward to the next celebration that allows you to join us.

Thank you to all of you who helped make St. Anna's feastday extraordinary in so many different ways; set-up; food preparation; decorations; serving; and especially clean-up!

You are the Heart and Soul of our extended St. Anna Family! Merry Christmas!!

Today, after Divine Liturgy, please join Philoptochos in the middle classroom for the last General Membership meeting of 2024! Philoptochos will wrap up all the wonderful events of the past few months and discuss some new ideas for the upcoming months! Bring your coffee and your input!!!

Christmas Bake Sale: Last day to order your Christmas Bake Sale goodies is TODAY, Sunday, December 15th! Don't be left out in the cold without placing your order! Orders can be picked up next Sunday, December 22, 2024, after the Christmas Pageant.

Philoptochos VASILOPITA Sale:  Thank you to all of you that placed an order for a Vasilopita from Holy Protection Monastery! Your order can be picked up next Sunday, December 22nd. 

SAVE-THE-DATE:

Our Annual Christmas/New Year Luncheon is Saturday, January 11th at 1:00 pm at the Stoney Brook Grille in North Branch, NJ. Cost is $37/person and please bring a canned/non-perishable food item for the Outreach Connection Food Pantry in Washington, NJ, when you register and pay at the Philoptochos table, starting today! Spouses and/or guests are welcome at the same cost!

"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!!!

Parea: SAVE THE DATE, January 7, 2025, for the next Parea event.

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 January 5th.  

Sunday School: The Christmas Pageant will be next Sunday December 22, 2024! 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.

YAL: The YAL Potluck Christmas Party will be held on Friday, December 27, 2024 from 7-11 pm in the gym.  Please reach out to Nikol Toulatos at [email protected] if you would like to join the festivities!

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: Adult Greek School for Beginners started 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 167 Pledges totaling $215,304 and $205,860 as of 10 December 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.

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 15

11th Sunday of Luke

On the Sunday that occurs on or immediately after the eleventh of this month, we commemorate Christ's forefathers according to the flesh, both those that came before the Law, and those that lived after the giving of the Law.

Special commemoration is made of the Patriarch Abraham, to whom the promise was first given, when God said to him, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). This promise was given some two thousand years before Christ, when Abraham was seventy-five years of age. God called him and commanded him to forsake his country, parents, and kinsmen, and to depart to the land of the Canaanites. When he arrived there, God told him, "I will give this land to thy seed" (Gen. 12:7); for this cause, that land was called the "Promised Land," which later became the country of the Hebrew people, and which is also called Palestine by the historians. There, after the passage of twenty-four years, Abraham received God's law concerning circumcision. In the one hundredth year of his life, when Sarah was in her ninetieth year, they became the parents of Isaac. Having lived 175 years altogether, he reposed in peace, a venerable elder full of days.

December 15

Eleutherios the Hieromartyr, Bishop of Illyricum, and his mother Anthia

This Saint had Rome as his homeland. Having been orphaned of his father from childhood, he was taken by his mother Anthia to Anicetus, the Bishop of Rome (some call him Anencletus, or Anacletus), by whom he was instructed in the sacred letters (that is, the divine Scriptures). Though still very young in years, he was made Bishop of Illyricum by reason of his surpassing virtue, and by his teachings he converted many unbelievers to Christ. However, during a most harsh persecution that was raised against the Christians under Hadrian (reigned 117-138), the Saint was arrested by the tyrants. Enduring many torments for Christ, he was finally put to death by two soldiers about the year 126. As for his Christ-loving mother Anthia, while embracing the remains of her son and kissing them with maternal affection, she was also beheaded.

December 15

The Martyr Susannah the Deaconess

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Tone. Psalm 115.5,3 (116.15,12).
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has given me?

The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 1:8-18.

TIMOTHY, my son, do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, and among them Phygelos and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphoros, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me - may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesos.

Gospel Reading

11th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 14:16-24

The Lord said this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'"

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 4th Tone

From on high didst Thou descend, O Compassionate One; to burial of three days hast Thou submitted that Thou mightest free us from our passions. O our Life and Resurrection, Lord, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion for 11th Sun. of Luke in the 2nd Tone

By faith didst Thou justify the Forefathers, when through them Thou didst betroth Thyself aforetime to the Church from among the nations. The Saints boast in glory that from their seed there is a glorious fruit, even she that bare Thee seedlessly. By their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.

Apolytikion for Hieromartyr Eleutherios and Anthia in the 4th Tone

Being comely adorned in thy sacred priestly robes and newly drenched with the streams of thy pure and sanctified blood, thou didst soar aloft to stand before thy Master, Christ; hence never cease to intercede for those honouring with faith thy mighty and blessed contest, thou overthrower of Satan, O wise and blessed Eleutherius.

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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