St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-05-18
Bulletin Contents

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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




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

This Week:

Schedule of Services for the Week of May 18, 2025
Sunday        5/18   8:30 a.m.  Orthros/Divine Liturgy - Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
Wednesday  5/21   9:00 a.m.  Orthros/Divine Liturgy - Sts. Constatine & Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles

Today we celebrate the Chrismation of Cassie DeCandia to the Orthodox faith. Axia! May God continue to bless Cassie and her new Godmother, Angela Ferreira.

Today, we are offering a memorial service for Sophia Manoussakis (3 months), beloved wife of the late Constantine "Kostas" Manoussakis, mother of Stamati and Lily, and grandmother of Adriana and Alexa Manoussakis, and Constantine and Maria Basantis. Today we are offering a memorial service for Ioannis "Yianni" Balios (10 years), beloved husband of Efthimia "Mimitsa" Balios; father of Alex, Sofia and Nicholas; and grandfather of Adriana and Alexa Manoussakis, Corinna and Anna Balios, and Andrew Ioannis Balios. Today, the Balios and Manoussakis families will be hosting the fellowhip hour in honor of their departed loved ones.  May their memory be eternal.

OPA SIGNUP TODAY!  During fellowship hour and after the Special General Assembly. 

Today May 18th, we will be holding a Special General Assembly after Divine Liturgy. The Agenda, Prior Meeting Minutes and Pre-reading materials can all be found in a folder labeled 2025 May Special General Assembly using this link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vkSmagX_lI7VSLzDASMQmdMY_2VVzm8K?usp=drive_link. This link can also be used to review materials from prior Assemblies.

Today, May 18th, Philoptochos Board Elections open at 11:30 and close at 12:30 In the Nicholas and Anna Bouras Fellowship Hall. **All members are asked to please VOTE!!**

Today, May 18, 2025 is the last class of Sunday School. There will be no class on May 25th. Thank you all for a wonderful year!

Tomorrow, Monday, 5/19/25 is the last day of Greek School lessons. Please note that there are no Greek School classes next Monday, 5/26/25, Memorial Day 

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines:

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.  

Oath of Office will be administered to the newly elected Philoptochos board by Father Jimmy on Sunday, May 25th after Divine Liturgy

On Sunday, May 25, 2025, there will be a Memorial Day Prayer Service focusing on remembrance, prayer, and eternal life to honor our fallen soldiers and departed veterans. Parishioners are encouraged to submit names to Father Jimmy. Philoptochos will prepare the koliva and sponsor coffee hour in their honor. Family members are welcome to place labeled photographs of their loved ones on a designated table in the church hall. Questions? Contact Denise Coutsouridis at 908-788-5351.

College Care Ministry- Graduate Recognition: We would like to recognize all of our Saint Anna 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

June 1st: Sunday School graduation ceremony followed by the End of Year Ice Cream Social for our youth. Please contribute to the Ice Cream Social by visiting the sign up genius here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAE23A7F85-56756569-icecream#/.

HOPE & JOY: Will be hosting an End of the Year Ice Cream Social on JUNE 1st after Sunday School for all youth ministries. Please use the signup genius link to bring in toppings to share. Hope to see you there!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAE23A7F85-56756569-icecream

Greek School: On Monday, 6/2/25 Greek School will be having its End of Year Celebration

OPA FESTIVAL JUNE 6-8:  Festival Website: Opafestival.com
*DOWNLOAD THE FESTIVAL FLYER HERE
* JUNE 12th,  6 pm: Volunteer Appreciation Pizza Party at Alfresco's Flemington
* Parishioner Sponsors Needed: Please donate to help offset the costs of the festival. This compliments our business  sponsors. DOWNLOAD THE FORM HERE.
* To stay up to date on Opa News: Please add [email protected] to your mailbox.
* Volunteer Signup today!

Parea: Christos Anesti!  Our June Senior Parea will meet on June 10th at 12:00 in the fellowship hall. PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE.  Please RSVP for food planning purposes a few days ahead. Please RSVP after church or contact Olympia Tzovolos, (908) 285-3983, or Aimee Douvris, (908) 339-2511, [email protected].  We will meet again in the fall. 

New Women's Group Book Club. Our first gathering is Wednesday, June 11th at 6:30pm, on the book "EVERYWHERE PRESENT: CHRISTIANITY IN A ONE-STOREY UNIVERSE" by Fr. Stephen Freeman (available in the Bookstore and on Audible). Come for an evening of conversation,  fellowship and spiritual nourishment. If you can read it ahead of time, terrific; if you don't finish it, come anyway. Bring your book, a drink and a snack.  RSVP by June 4th at [email protected].

Save the Date: When: Sunday, June 22nd, 11:30 to 2:00. What: Philoptochos End of Year Celebration! (more info to follow)

General Updates:

PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER:  Xristos Anesti! Congratulations to Josephine Costalas for receiving the Philoptochos Honoree award! AXIA!!!  Congratulations to all the honorees from St. Anna!!

"Hunterdon County Global Health for Guatemala" drive. Items needed: Empty pill bottles, trial size personal hygiene products, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotions, shampoo, OTC cold & allergy meds. Especially for Kids: crayons, coloring books, small toys, and more...There is a Collection Box in the hallway with a complete "what's needed item list". Thank you as always for your generosity to those in need!

As the school year comes to the end, Kyria Lisa, Kyria Kelly, Despinis Nikoleta, Kyrio Petro Kyria Katerina and Kyria Maria would like to thank our Greek school families for their support and dedication to our St. Anna Greek School. 

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. Please see the signup list by the church office to sign up. 

2025 Stewardship Status:  We have 5 families who have contributed but have not submitted a stewardship card.  Families must complete a stewardship card to be considered a steward. Click HERE for the card. Current Stewardship List and other stewardship information is posted in bulletin board by water cooler. 

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.

Sunday School To register your child for the fall, please email Nikol Toulatos at [email protected]. Thank you all for a wonderful year! 

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 .

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].

ST. ANNA BOOKSTORE - Christ is Risen! Visit us and see what is new. Recommendations:
     For adults:  "Thinking Orthodox"
     For children: "Children’s Bible Reader"
Questions? Send email to [email protected]

PARISH LINKS: 

FORMS: The following forms are on the website and can be downloaded from the following links:
     2025 STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE CARD  
     KOLIVA REQUEST FORM (for memorials already scheduled with Father Jimmy)
     PHILOPTOCHOS MEMBERSHIP FORM

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 general questions: [email protected]

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

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 4th Tone. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 11:19-30.

In those days, those apostles who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabos stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea, and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.


Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
The Reading is from John 4:5-42

At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."

Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to him.

Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony. "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this is indeed Christ the Savior of the world."


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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 4th Tone

Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the Angel, and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, the women disciples of the Lord spake to the Apostles exultantly: Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion for Mid-Pentecost in the Plagal 4th Tone

At Mid-feast give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of piety; for Thou, O Saviour, didst cry out to all: Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Well-spring of life, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

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.
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Bulletin Inserts:

    YAL Blood Drive

    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.


    2025 May Special General Assembly Invite & Agenda

    2025 May Special General Assembly Invite & Agenda

    There are a few topics which the Parish Council would like to discuss with the Parishioners, and therefore we are inviting St. Anna Stewards to a Special Assembly which will take place in our Nicholas and Anna Bouras Memorial Fellowship Hall after services on Sunday, May 18, 2025, starting at 12:00pm.


    "Take and Bake" Fundraiser:

    "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!


    Stewardship list

    Stewardship list

    Stewardship


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