Sundays: Orthros (Matins): 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy: 10:00 am
Sunday School: Begins following Holy Communion
Weekdays: Orthros (Matins): 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy: 10:00 am
For information on our services please contact the Church office at (716) 882-9485 between the hours of 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
9:00AM Matins
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
12:00PM Hellenic Seniors Luncheon
6:30PM Adult Choir Practice
7:00PM Book Discussion-FLC
9:00AM Divine Liturgy - Great Martyr Demetrius at FLC
10:00AM Orthodox Action Soup Kitchen
10:30AM Greek Language School at FLC
Coffee Hour Sponsored by Greek School
1 Year Memorial for George B. Basil
9:00AM Matins
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
11:30AM Health Fair
10:30AM Greek Language School at FLC
Youth Activity: Placemats decorating after Sunday School
40 Day Memorial for Georgios Pietris (brother of Sophia Damis)
9:00AM Matins
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
Saint Artemius lived during the years of Saint Constantine the Great, and was appointed by him to be Governor of Alexandria; later, he was honoured with the rank of patrician. During the reign of Julian the Apostate, in the year 361, Artemius appeared before the Emperor and censured him for his apostasy. For this, he endured many torments and was finally beheaded.
Saint Gerasimus was from the Peloponnesus, the son of Demetrius and Kale, of the family of Notaras. He was reared in piety by them and studied the Sacred writings. He left his country and went throughout various lands, and finally came to Cephalonia, where he restored a certain old church and built a convent around it, where it stands to this day at the place called Omala. He finished the course of his life there in asceticism in the year 1570. His sacred relics, which remain incorrupt, are kept there for the sanctification of the faithful.
This Saint was born at Tabatha, near Gaza in Palestine, of pagan parents. Sent as a young man to Alexandria to be educated, he learned the Christian Faith and was baptized. While in Egypt he heard the fame of Saint Anthony the Great, and upon meeting that truly great man, the Father of monks, Saint Hilarion determined to devote himself also to the ascetical life. He returned to Gaza, when, he gave himself over to extreme fasting and unceasing prayer. Because of the miracles which he soon began to work, he found himself compelled by his growing renown to leave Gaza, to escape from the throngs of people coming to ask his prayers. In his journeys he visited Egypt, and came again with longing to the place where Saint Anthony had lived; but he was not able to remain in any one place for long, since despite all his attempts to conceal himself, the light of the grace that was in him could not be hid. After passing through Egypt and Libya, and sailing to Sicily, he came at last to Cyprus, where he ended the course of his life at the age of eighty, in the year 372.
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 Second Letter to the Corinthians 9:6-11.
Brethren, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Προκείμενον. 1st Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 32.22,1.
Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.
Στίχ. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν Κυρίῳ
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους β' 9:6-11.
Ἀδελφοί, ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως, φειδομένως καὶ θερίσει· καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις, ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις καὶ θερίσει. Ἕκαστος καθὼς προαιρεῖται τῇ καρδίᾳ· μὴ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης· ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεός. Δυνατὸς δὲ ὁ θεὸς πᾶσαν χάριν περισσεῦσαι εἰς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν παντὶ πάντοτε πᾶσαν αὐτάρκειαν ἔχοντες περισσεύητε εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν· καθὼς γέγραπται, Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκεν τοῖς πένησιν· ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ὁ δὲ ἐπιχορηγῶν σπέρμα τῷ σπείροντι, καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν χορηγήσαι, καὶ πληθύναι τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν, καὶ αὐξήσαι τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν· ἐν παντὶ πλουτιζόμενοι εἰς πᾶσαν ἁπλότητα, ἥτις κατεργάζεται διʼ ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίαν τῷ θεῷ.
6th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 8:26-39
At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
6th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 8:26-39
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθόντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀντίπερα τῆς Γαλιλαίας. ἐξελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ὃς εἶχε δαιμόνια ἐκ χρόνων ἱκανῶν, καὶ ἱμάτιον οὐκ ἐνεδιδύσκετο καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔμενεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν. ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν καὶ ἀνακράξας προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἶπε· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, ᾿Ιησοῦ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου; δέομαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς. παρήγγειλε γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. πολλοῖς γὰρ χρόνοις συνηρπάκει αὐτόν, καὶ ἐδεσμεῖτο ἁλύσεσι καὶ πέδαις φυλασσόμενος, καὶ διαρρήσσων τὰ δεσμὰ ἠλαύνετο ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος εἰς τὰς ἐρήμους. ἐπηρώτησε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς λέγων· τί σοί ἐστιν ὄνομα; ὁ δὲ εἶπε· λεγεών· ὅτι δαιμόνια πολλὰ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτόν· καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν. ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ ἀγέλη χοίρων ἱκανῶν βοσκομένων ἐν τῷ ὄρει· καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιτρέψῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐκείνους εἰσελθεῖν· καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς. ἐξελθόντα δὲ τὰ δαιμόνια ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσῆλθον εἰς τοὺς χοίρους, καὶ ὥρμησεν ἡ ἀγέλη κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν λίμνην καὶ ἀπεπνίγη. ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ βόσκοντες τὸ γεγενημένον ἔφυγον, καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς. ἐξῆλθον δὲ ἰδεῖν τὸ γεγονός, καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν καὶ εὗρον καθήμενον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀφ᾿ οὗ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐξεληλύθει, ἱματισμένον καὶ σωφρονοῦντα παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν. ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐσώθη ὁ δαιμονισθείς. καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς περιχώρου τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, ὅτι φόβῳ μεγάλῳ συνείχοντο. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ὑπέστρεψεν. ἐδέετο δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἐξεληλύθει τὰ δαιμόνια, εἶναι σὺν αὐτῷ· ἀπέλυσε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς λέγων· ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα ἐποίησέ σοι ὁ Θεός. καὶ ἀπῆλθε καθ᾿ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς.
NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America completed an historic three-day visit to The Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. On Monday morning (Oct. 14, 2019) he met with the Governor General, the Most Honorable Sir Cornelius Alvin Smith.
The Choir is looking to build its membership! Won’t you consider becoming a part of this ministry of our parish? There are many benefits – you become a more active participant in the services, you learn a lot about the Divine Liturgy and the feast days during the years , you enjoy the fellowship of an active group, and you become more a part of the parish community. You don’t need to be able to read music or Greek – we take care of that! Practices take place on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Church (4th floor Choir Room). We welcome you!
The Choir is singing the same music today that you will find in your Pew Hymnal. Take a look, follow along, and even sing along with us!
Grades 1-12 are encourgaed to participate on Youth Sunday's. Grades 1-6 practice the hymns during their Church School lessons. You can sing, you can greet, you can read.
Youth Sundays 2019-2020
11/10/19
12/8/19
01/12/20
02/9/20
03/8/20
04/12/20
05/10/20
We are excited to announce that there is an effort to re-activate the historic AHEPA Chapter #91 of Buffalo, founded in 1926. All those interested in joining this AHEPA Chapter and becoming a memeber of the oldest and largest international Hellenic-American organization please contact Steve Eoannou at (716) 432-3071 or seoannou@hotmail.com
Fr. Christos will lead a Bible study on Thursday evenings at 7pm at the Family Life Center.
We will study the Gospel of Mark, one of the earliest and more vivid eyewitness accounts of the words and deeds of Christ.Throughout the Bible study, we will also talk about the faith and practice of the Orthodox Church. The first study will be on September 19. The following dates will be: October 3 and 24; November 7, 14 and 21; December 5 and 12. Please join us.
The Struggle for Virtue: Ascetism in a Modern Secular Society. The Book Discussion will be held Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Copies of The Struggle for Virtue are available in the the church bookstore and library. For more information, visit: www.hocalibrary.blogspot.com.
Greek School is held every Saturday at the 10:30AM at the FLC
5992 Genesee Street
Lancaster , NY 14086
Our Tuesday Luncheon will be on October 22nd at 12 noon in the Demkos Center. Please note the change of location... As usual bring a dish to pass if you wish and offer a ride to someone in need of transportation. Call Marge Manos with any questions at (716) 649-8478
SHOEBOX PROJECT This year, Philoptochos will again be doing a "Shoebox Project" for our Christmas gifts. This year's recipient is the Seneca Babcock C.D.C. in Buffalo, and there are 60 boys and girls who will be receiving gifts. Shoeboxes and a list of children will be available shortly, as well as a list of what kinds of items you can fill the shoebox with. These need to be returned no later than Sunday, December 1st, as their Holiday Party takes place early in the month. Next Sunday, you can pick up a shoebox and a child's name in the Demakos Center, during Fellowship Hour.
B.F.W.C. Annual Scholarship Tea The Buffalo Federation of Women's Clubs will be holding their annual Scholarship Tea on Thursday, November 7th, from two until four pm. It is being held at the Center for Tomorrow at the U.B. North Campus. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Marge (649-8478) or Michele (860-3838) on or before Monday, November 4th.
THANK YOU to everyone who supported our annual Taste of Greece event. Whether you attended, made a donation, or helped with baking and set-up, you made a difference and for that, we are grateful.
For today’s Liturgy has been offered by Deaconissa Emily Rossiter and Mary Mastoras
Do you have questions about our church you want to ask? About our faith, about how our church is administered, about stewardship, about social issues, about our traditions, about our future? If you do, then please join the Stewardship Committee for one of our upcoming informal conversations -- Annunciation Church “Meetups”. Father Christos, Committee members, and Parish Council members will be present to discuss any topic related to our church. We particularly want to emphasize how to help the church increase participation in our services and activities. Anyone who is part of our community is welcome. Non-Orthodox friends who are interested in our church are also welcome. The first meetup will be Monday, September 16, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, at the home of Vicki Pappas, 8457 Chadway Court, Williamsville. You are welcome to stay for as little or as long as you'd like. Directions to Vicki's house: Vicki lives in a development called “The Hollows,” on Chadway Court, which is off of Roll Road. Roll Road runs between Transit Road and Harris Hill Road. From Roll Road, turn south onto Avon Lea, and you’ll see Vicki’s house on the corner of Avon Lea and Chadway Court (number 8457 Chadway Court). If you plan to attend the September 16 th Meetup at Vicki's house, you can RSVP and leave a message for her at 812-361-9500 or email her at pappas@indiana.edu. An RSVP is welcome, but you can also come at the last minute. The second meetup will be Monday, September 30, 6:30 - 8:00 PM, at The Spot Coffee, in the West Seneca Main Public Library, at 1300 Union Road. The library is on Union Road about a mile and a half south of where Clinton Street crosses Union. There is ample public parking in the lots behind the Library. If you plan to attend the second meetup in West Seneca, please RSVP by calling Angeline Pappas at 716-674-1750 or emailing her at angeline1angel@gmail.com. You can also indicate your interest by clicking the Meetup event posted in Facebook. We look forward to seeing you and talking with you about our beautiful church and its activities. John Melithoniotes Stewardship Committee
We thank the 46 parishioners who have donated $5000 and become the founders of the Family Life Center. The Capital Campaign Committee would like to conclude this opportunity as soon as possible. There are 4 spots left!!
Stop in the library to peruse our table of books for Lent: cookbooks, devotionals, commentaries, and St. John the Ladders adaptation by Father John Mack, Ascending the Heights (we have many copies). Reading is a great way to prepare and observe Great Lent.
Of the many ways of supporting our Church, there are few which stand out as uniquely personal offerings of faith. The offering of Prosforo bread for the Divine Liturgy is one of them. Please contact Fr. Christos if you would like to donate Prosforo for a Divine Liturgy.
We are pleased to announce the introduction of an electronic option for making regular offerings. Contributions can now be debited automatically from your checking or savings account or processed using your credit or debit card. Our new electronic giving program offers convenience for you and provides much-needed donation consistency for our parish.
Your online gift is completely secure through the external monitoring and protection of Vanco Payment Solutions. Also, as with all offerings given through traditional means, your online gift is kept completely confidential.
Giving online is easy and allows you to set up automatic recurring contributions and view your complete online giving history from anywhere you have access to the Internet. Simply follow these easy steps:
1) Visit the church website at www.greekorthodoxchurchbuffalo.org
2) Click on the “Support our Ministries” button which is located on the right side of the homepage
3) Click on the Create Profile button, then
4) Follow the onscreen instructions to create an online profile and to schedule your recurring contributions for items such as stewardship and the Capital Campaign.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate in contacting the Church Office.