Parish News

Schedule of Services for the Week of May 4, 2025

Sunday 5/4 8:30 a.m. Orthros/Divine Liturgy - Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

Today, we remember with a memorial service, the servants of God, George (9 years) and Yoanna (9 years) Verenes and Stavros (21 years) and Despina (15 years) Coutsouridis, parents of Denise and John Coutsouridis, respectively, and grandparents of Alexia. Today, following the service, the Coutsouridis family will be hosting the fellowship hour in memory of their beloved parents and grandparents. May their memories be eternal.

There will be a Philoptochos board meeting TODAY following fellowship hour.

Email Spoofing: We have learned that several people are getting fake emails from someone posing as Fr. Jimmy. As a rule, please ignore any emails that do not come from <role>@stannagoc.org.

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.

"Take and Bake" Fundraiser: We have frozen 1/2 trays of Pastitsio/ $60 and Spanakopita/ $50 for sale. Please see attached flyer and contact any Parish Council member for purchase. The items are ready for pickup. Quantities are limited, first come first serve!

Sunday Fellowship Hour Sponsors: Please sponsor a fellowship hour to support the Saint Anna parish. The requested fellowship hour sponsorship donation is $50.

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 99 Pledges totaling $160,045 and $108,826 received to date. We also have 5 families who have contributed $12,678 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.

NEW Information Display in the Narthex: Check out our new wall display where you can find parish information as well as informative brochures on the Holy Orthodox Faith. This is our new 'go-to' place for information.

Opa Festival June 6-8 2025:
* The Best Foodie Event in Hunterdon! Once again, our event was recently voted the BEST! It's Seventh award. Thanks to all who help make Opa! an astounding success & to all who voted. Opa '25 flyer is attached!
* Thank you!: Thanks to All who helped prepare our souvlaki and Baklava this week!
* Parishioner Sponsors Needed: As in prior years, we are seeking donations from parishioners to help offset the costs of the festival. This compliments our program to area businesses who sponsor our event. The Parishioner sponsor form is attached to this bulletin and is also in the Narthex wall kiosk. We look forward to another successful event!
* To stay up to date on Opa News: Please add [email protected] to your mailbox.
* More to come soon!

We will continue baking for the festival on May 8th and May 13th at 10:00 am. Many hands make light work. Thank you to all our volunteers who have supported the festival. Packing dates and times TBD. Please let Popi and Olympia know you can lend a hand.

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.

Parish Council Updates:

Χριστός Ανέστη! / Christ is Risen!
Thank you for all your support during the Lenten and Holy Week periods, especially those that contributed toward the Easter Appeal.

NJ Metropolis Clergy Laity - was held on April 29th. Representing our parish was Fr. Jimmy, Dean Soteropoulos Ben Gimbel and Nikol Toulatos. Matters impacting our parish will be conveyed in subsequent communications.

On May 12th, the NJ Metropolis is hosting the annual Honoree Banquet. Please join us in congratulating this year's honorees:

Parish Council - Paul Costalas
Philoptochos - Iosifina Costalas
Community - Katina Foglia
Senior Steward - Constantine Kamnitsis
Greek School - Peter Grina
Sunday School - Marianna Bunce
Youth Advisor - Elizabeth Soteropoulos
GOYA - Adriana Tattoli

For Parea, Christos Anesti! We will be meeting this Tuesday, May 6th, at 12:00 in the fellowship hall. Hunterdon Health will be speaking at 1:00 on the signs of strokes. Please let Olympia or Aimee know you can attend. Please RSVP after church or contact Olympia Tzovolos, (908) 285-3983, or Aimee Douvris, (908) 339-2511, [email protected]. Our last Parea group will be meeting on June 10th due to festival prep. Please note the DATE change. We will start back up in the fall.

PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER:

Xristos Anesti!

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." ~ Matthew 28:5

Festival Baking on the following days:

Thursday May 8 and Tuesday May 13. The start time will be at 10:00am for each day.

Any and all help is appreciated!

If anyone has any questions please see Popi or Aimee.

Let us know that you can lend a hand. Thank you for volunteering for St Anna.

We are continuing our membership drive until the May elections. Please become a member of the St. Anna Philoptochos as we strive to help our neighbors and community!
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive Acts 20:35

Philoptochos will be collecting much needed items for the "Hunterdon County Global Health for Guatemala" drive.

Items needed: empty prescription containers and trial size personal hygiene products such as tooth paste, toothbrushes, lotion,shampoo, OTC cold, allergy meds, crayons, coloring books and more..

There is a Collection Box in the hallway with a complete "what's needed item list". Thank you as always with your generosity!

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 (Today).

HOPE & JOY: Join us, Today, Sunday 5/4 for Spring crafts after Sunday school.

YAL: Give Hope this Spring. Give Blood. The YAL and the American Red Cross will be hosting a Blood Drive on Saturday, May 24, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: StAnnaFlemingtonNJ to schedule an appointment. Please see the attached flyer for additional information.

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 information about monthly meetings and events, please reach out to Steven Tattoli at yal‑[email protected].

Junior Greek Dance: Practice will be today at 12:00

GOYA: Today is Youth Leadership Sunday! We have a GOYA meeting today right after Sunday School.

College Care Ministry- Graduate Recognition: We would like to recognize all of our 2025 high school and college graduates (undergrad, post grad, and trade school) in our June bulletin.
Please email [email protected] with the following information no later than 5/25/25.
* Graduate's Name
* If high school graduate: name of high school and college/trade school/other plans
* If college grad: college and degree conferred

New Women's Group Book Club. Our first gathering will be Wednesday, June 11th at 6:30pm. Our First book is "EVERYWHERE PRESENT: CHRISTIANITY IN A ONE-STOREY UNIVERSE" by Fr. Stephen Freeman. Come for an evening of conversation and fellowship. The book is available in the Bookstore and also on Audible. If you can read it ahead of time, terrific; if you don't finish it, come anyway. Bring a drink, a snack and your desire to get together and grow spiritually. Questions? Email [email protected].

ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE - Christ is Risen!

Mother's day is around the corner. Stop by to look at all our new items.

Here are some book recommendations for mom... "The Ascetic Lives of Mothers" and "Parenting Toward the Kingdom". Here is one for children... "H is for Holy: An Orthodox Alphabet".

Questions? Send email toÂ [email protected]

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]

For general questions: [email protected]

To be added to the weekly bulletin email: [email protected]

Saints and Feasts

May 04

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).

Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).

May 04

Pelagia the Nun-martyr of Tarsus

This Saint was from Tarsus of Cilicia and contested in martyrdom under Diocletian, in 284: she was cast into a bull fashioned of bronze, which had been heated with fire.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 2nd Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.

In those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Reading is from Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8

At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal 1st Tone

Christ is risen from the dead, by death hath He trampled down death, and on those in the graves hath He bestowed life.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 2nd Tone

When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, all the powers in the Heavens cried out: O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

The noble Joseph, taking Thine immaculate Body down from the Tree, and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It for burial in a new tomb. But on the third day Thou didst arise, O Lord, granting great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

Unto the myrrh-bearing women did the Angel cry out as he stood by the grave: Myrrh oils are meet for the dead, but Christ hath proved to be a stranger to corruption. But cry out: The Lord is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal 4th Tone

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.

Bulletin Inserts:

YAL Blood Drive

Give hope this spring. Give blood. The YAL and the American Red Cross will be hosting a Blood Drive at the St. Anna Nicholas and Anna Bouras Memorial Hall on Saturday, May 24, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Festival

Opa

Festival

sponser

"Take and Bake" Fundraiser:

We have frozen 1/2 trays of Pastitsio/ $60 and Spanakopita/ $50 for sale. Quantities are limited, first come first serve!

2025 Philoptochos Membership Application

Memorial Koliva Order Form

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.

2025 St Anna Stewardship Pledge Card

PDF copy of 2025 St Anna Stewardship Pledge Card

Stewardship list

Stewardship

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins

Parish News

Saints and Feasts

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

Pelagia the Nun-martyr of Tarsus

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal 1st Tone

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 2nd Tone

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal 4th Tone

Bulletin Inserts:

YAL Blood Drive

Festival

Festival

"Take and Bake" Fundraiser:

2025 Philoptochos Membership Application

Memorial Koliva Order Form

2025 St Anna Stewardship Pledge Card

Stewardship list