St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-01-26
Bulletin Contents
Parish News
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Hymns of the Day
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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

Protopresbyter James Pavlow
Proistamenos

[email protected] | 1(609)498-4672

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 January 26, 2025
Sunday,     01/26   8:30 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy - 15th Sunday of Luke
Thursday,  01/30   9:00 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy - Synaxis of The Three Holy Hierarchs

Today, Sunday January 26th, we are offering a Memorial service for the departed servants of God, Anthony (6yrs) and Georgia (21yrs) Staikos, loving parents and grandparents. May their memory be eternal.
Today, following services, the Staikos family will sponsor fellowship hour in their memory.

National Fire Relief Fund:
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has announced the establishment of the "National Fire Relief Fund" to raise funds for the immediate needs of those affected by the devastating fires that have affected several areas in southern California. Learn more at https://www.goarch.org/donate/fires.

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.

YAL: Our first meeting of 2025 is TODAY, January 26th, from 12-1 pm in the conference room.

Parish Council Updates:

Pending approval from the NJ Metropolis, the 2025 Parish Council will be comprised of the following 13 individuals - Paul Costalas, John Douvris, Jorge Ferreira, Benjamin Gimbel, Diana Grina, Bill Johnson, Chris Kamnitsis, Stamati Manoussakis, Anthony Mariani, Leo Sideris, Dean Soteropoulos, Nikol Toulatos,  and Paul Vespa.
After multiple terms of service on the Parish Council, John Giannouris and George Staikos have decided not to seek another term on the Council. Both John and George have agreed to continue to be active and support our Ways & Means Committee and fundraising efforts. Please join us in thanking them for their many years of leadership and service on the Parish Council.

Save the date – 2025 TRIVIA NIGHT
This year’s St. Anna TRIVIA NIGHT will be held on Friday, February 28, 2025.  Detailed information on this fun event can be found in the attached flyer. In the meantime, save the date, mark your calendars and brush up on your trivia knowledge. Registrations to attend St. Anna’s Trivia Night on February 28 can be made during coffee hour with Arge Mardakis, who is co-chairing the event.

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! Further details will be forthcoming. Please see Bill Johnson with any questions.

LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER:  

Please join us TODAY, Sunday, January 26, in the center classroom for our first General Membership meeting of 2025!

The 2025 St. Anna Ladies Philoptochos membership drive is on!!! Save the Date and join us on Sunday, February 9th, for our 2nd Annual Valentine's Day Membership Tea!
Please see our Committee chairs (Joan Janulis and Presvytera Antonia) if you have any questions. 
The 2025 Membership Forms are available at the Philoptochos table and attached to the bulletin each week.

The Philoptochos "Giving Box" on the Pangari, is allocated for the "California Wildfires Relief Fund" for the month of January.        Please be generous.

We are continuing to collect non-perishable food items for the Outreach Connection Food Pantry in Washington Township through the month of January. Please drop off your items at the Philoptochos table.

“Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love, or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give."   Steve Goodier

Our next senior Parea event will be Tuesday, February 4th at 12:00 in the fellowship hall. There will be a guest speaker from Beacon Financial.  They will be providing information on new tax laws, Medicare, and current finance topics. Please RSVP after church or contact Olympia Tzovolos, (908) 285-3983, or Aimee Douvris, (908) 339-2511, [email protected].

YOUTH MINISTRY:

JR. Greek Dance: If you have a child in K through 6th interested in Greek Dancing email Larisa Trumpy at [email protected] Practices start TODAY 1/26 from 11:30-12:15.

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 next Sunday, February 2nd.

GOYA: GOYA is hosting a luncheon next Sunday, February 2nd after coffee hour. Tickets for the event can be purchased during coffee hour. $20 per person. Please see the attached flyer.

2/16/25:  GOYA day of service at the Flemington Food Pantry 12:00 - 2:00PM

Greek School: On Monday, January 27th, Greek School (youth and adult) is back in session. We look forward to welcoming back all our students. Please email Maria with any questions or concerns at [email protected]

Adult Greek school: Classes are now a hybrid model running on Mondays from 7:30pm-8:30pm at St Anna. There are a few spots still available if you are interested. Please contact Maria Sfondouris at  [email protected].

Sunday School: Please extend the invitation to Godparents & Godchildren in addition to your children's Godparents to join us for Godparent Sunday on February 23rd!

College Ministry:  The second mailing of care packages will be sent on Feb 21st to our St. Anna college students.  If your student's address has changed since the fall, please let Maria Tattoli know by 2/18. Otherwise, there is no need to do anything.  If your child has not been registered to receive a care package, please contact Maria Tattoli at [email protected] to add them to our list.

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, please reach out to Nikol Toulatos at [email protected].

ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE - Start the new year off with a renewed commitment to growing spiritually.  Come see our extensive collection of books and religious items. If there is something in particular you are looking for, email [email protected]. Here are some recommendations:

FOR CHILDREN: "The Lucky Cake" and "My First Divine Liturgy Book".

FOR ADULTS: Are You Saved? and “Person to Person: The Orthodox Understanding of Human Nature”.

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 $215,742 for an average of $1,292 and $210,342 received to date.  We also have 4 families who have contributed $540 to date but have not submitted a stewardship card.  It is important that all families complete a stewardship card to be considered a steward.  A current Stewardship List and other stewardship information is posted on the bulletin board by water cooler.  Please remember to submit your 2025 Stewardship Pledge. 

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

January 26

Xenophon & his Companions

This Saint, a wealthy nobleman of Constantinople, was filled with piety toward God. He had two sons, Arcadius and John, whom he sent to Beirut to study law. But they were shipwrecked during their voyage; barely saved, they forsook all things and departed for Palestine. Saint Xenophon and his wife Mary, ignorant of what had happened, went in search of their sons. On finding them in Jerusalem, dressed in the habit of monks, they also took up the monastic life. And thus, having completed their lives in holiness, they departed for the Lord about the beginning of the sixth century. Saint Xenophon and his sons reposed at Saint Sabbas Monastery, and Mary at the Monastery of Saint Theodosius.

January 30

Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom

This common feast of these three teachers was instituted a little before the year 1100, during the reign of the Emperor Alexis I Comnenus, because of a dispute and strife that arose among the notable and virtuous men of that time. Some of them preferred Basil, while others preferred Gregory, and yet others preferred John Chrysostom, quarreling among themselves over which of the three was the greatest. Furthermore, each party, in order to distinguish itself from the others, assumed the name of its preferred Saint; hence, they called themselves Basilians, Gregorians, or Johannites. Desiring to bring an end to the contention, the three Saints appeared together to the saintly John Mavropous, a monk who had been ordained Bishop of Euchaita, a city of Asia Minor, they revealed to him that the glory they have at the throne of God is equal, and told him to compose a common service for the three of them, which he did with great skill and beauty. Saint John of Euchaita (celebrated Oct. 5) is also the composer of the Canon to the Guardian Angel, the Protector of a Man's Life. In his old age, he retired from his episcopal see and again took up the monastic life in a monastery in Constantinople. He reposed during the reign of the aforementioned Emperor Alexis Comnenus (1081-1118).

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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 First Letter to Timothy 4:9-15.

Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and suffer reproach, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.

Gospel Reading

15th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus was passing through Jericho. And there was a man named Zacchaios; he was a chief collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaios, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchaios stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

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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 1st Tone

Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.
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