St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-02-16
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

corrsecr@stannagoc.org | (908) 968-4004

Clergy
Father Jimmy Pavlow

frjimmy@stannagoc.org | (609) 498-4672

Corresponding Secretary
Paul Vespa

corrsecr@stannagoc.org

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 February 16, 2025
Sunday,     02/16   8:30 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy - Sunday of the Prodigal Son
Saturday,   02/22   9:00 a.m.  Orthros / Divine Liturgy - Saturday of Souls

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. 

We apologize for the confusion with the multiple mailings of the bulletin these past few days.  This was caused by a "bug" with the bulletin builder site that should now be resolved. 

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.

Donation statements were emailed out last week, if you did not receive or have questions, please email treasurer@stannaGOC.org. 

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 34 Pledges totaling $96,025 and $26,380 received to date. We also have 5 families who have contributed $1,862 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.  

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 priest@stannagoc.org and/or calling (908) 968-4004.

Parish Council Updates:

TRIVIA NIGHT – February 28, 2025
Please submit your reservations to attend St. Anna’s 2025 TRIVIA NIGHT no later than February 24th to argemardakis@gmail.com. If you already know who will be sitting at your table, please include their names in your reservation.  Fun filled event details are included in the attached flyer. You can also reserve your table directly with Arge Mardakis during coffee hour after Liturgy on Sundays. Thank you to everyone who has already made their reservations.

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 for a brief 30-minute General membership meeting to discuss this year's Philoptochos Election and to choose an Election Committee!

As part of our mission as "Friends of the Poor", we are collecting money for a local Orthodox family who is going through some difficult times. They are part of our NJ Metropolis community and we have adopted them for the month of February. Please use the Philoptochos "Donation Box" on the Pangari if you would like to help out.

We thank you as always for your generosity!

“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

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, and becoming a warrior for "Friends of the Poor"!

Flower Committee meeting will take place after Divine Liturgy on February 23. The meeting will be in the first classroom. We will discuss Pascha and the needs of the church. Please contact Aimee Douvris if you are interested in helping out. Aimeedouvris@gmail,com

Save the Date: Our next senior Parea event will be Tuesday, March 4th at 12:00 in the fellowship hall.

YOUTH MINISTRY:

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 meetings are Sunday, March 2nd.

JR. Greek Dance: If you have a child in K through 6th interested in Greek Dancing email Larisa Trumpy at larisatrumpy@gmail.com Our next practice is TODAY, February 16 from 11:30-12:15.

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

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

YAL: The Young Adult League will assist in PC duties today and 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 nikoltoulatos44@gmail.com.

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 mtattoli@gmail.com to add them to our list.

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  msfondouris@gmaill.com.

ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE - Great Lent is quickly approaching. Stop by the bookstore and pick up a great read for your Lenten Journey.  Email questions to angelaferreira37@gmail.com. Here are some recommendations:

FOR CHILDREN: "Our Very First Easter"; "The Light"; and " The Miracle of the Red Egg".

FOR ADULTS: "The Crucifixion of the King of Glory" and "Great Lent: Journey to Pascha"

PARISH LINKS: 

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

St Anna Greek Orthodox Church Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=calendar@stannagoc.org&ctz=America/New_York 

For questions to the parish council: president@stannagoc.org

For general questions: corrsecr@stannagoc.org

To be added to the weekly bulletin email:  email-manager@stannagoc.org

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Saints and Feasts

February 16

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -- inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.

Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how great it may be -- that can overcome at any time His love for man.

February 16

Pamphilus the Martyr & his Companions

This Martyr contested during the reign of Maximian, in the year 290, in Caesarea of Palestine, and was put to death by command of Firmilian, the Governor of Palestine. His fellow contestants' names are Valens, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrius, Julian, Theodulus, and five others from Egypt: Elias, Jeremias, Esaias, Samuel, and Daniel. Their martyrdom is recorded in Book VIII, ch. 11 of Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History, called The Martyrs of Palestine.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 1st Tone. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20.

Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" -- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Prodigal Son
The Reading is from Luke 15:11-32

The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 1st Tone

When the stone had been sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Friend of man.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 3rd Tone

O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave me. Wherefore, I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, "I have sinned before You Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take me as one of Your hired servants."
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Bulletin Inserts:

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