ELEVENTH SUNDAY of MATTHEW
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PROSFORA: Katina Nicolacakis
EPISTLE READING: 1 Corinthians 9:2-12
GOSPEL: Matthew 18:23-35  (Greek text, p. 114, black books)
LITURGY: 9:30 a.m. 

Thurs, Aug 27th -  9:30 a.m. - Liturgy (St. Fanourios)
Sat, Aug 29th -  9:30 a.m. - Liturgy (St John the Baptist)
Sat, Aug 29th - 5:00 p.m. - Vespers (& Confessions)

As you know, COVID-19 statistics continue to go up and down; and we are adapting to the changes around us as best we can. This week, we have some good news for a change: Cuyahoga County has gone down in cases, allowing us to return to the Green Phase of our re-opening.

This means that while masks and social distancing requirements are still in place, parishioners of any age are once again welcome to return to services. That's the good news!

However, as the Festival will be opening to the public immediately following services this Sunday, you will not be able to park in the parking lot this week. Parking is available on Compton or in the Park Synagogue lot instead. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing many of you again in the days and weeks ahead.

The Orthodox Christian tradition presents many opportunities for worship outside of Sunday morning services, especially Liturgies on the feast days of beloved saints. In light of the current crisis, the number will increase to at least one Liturgy per week in addition to the Sunday service. As the restrictions on Sunday attendance are loosening up, those with special concerns may consider attending a weekday service, where the typical attendance is in the range of 10-20. 

Our parish strives "To lead people to God through Orthodox Christianity and to provide ways for them live and share God's love."

It does so in good days and in bad, such as we now experience. Church attendance may be difficult or impossible for you, but we endeavor to spread the "good news" as best we can. Any financial help that you might offer is deeply appreciated.

Tithe.ly is an online giving tool that makes it simple to safely/securely give to your church. You can download the Tithe.ly app onto your phone, or click "give online" from their website. Your gift goes directly to the church. 

Candles are one way to express our prayers and our presence in worship. During the crisis, you may light a candle several different ways:

1.  come to the church during office hours  (M-F, 9:00 – 5:00) and purchase a candle to take with you or leave the candle, lit or not, in the candle stands  
2. email request to office@stsconstantine.com, no later than 3:00 pm on a day of regular business hours
3.  call the church office during regular hours
4. make a request through the Facebook live stream during a service. This is an honor system in which we trust that you will make a monetary gift for your candle. 
5.  Make a Tithe.Ly donation from our website button. You can add a note with any special candle request.

Reusable, reversible, washable cloth masks made by our own Philoptochos ladies are available for sale in the church lobby! Masks have a gentle nose clip for proper fit, and a side opening to add extra filtering if one chooses. Make checks payable to Philoptochos or purchase with $10.00 cash (sorry, we cannot make change at this time). For more information, email Christina at ctcallos@gmail.com.

FAITH IN ACTION - Upcoming Activities

Bible Study

Join us for 30 minutes for Bible Study - all are welcome. The next one is set for Thursday August 27 @ 8:30 P.M. We are discussing the Book of Daniel Chapter 6. If you are interested in an invite, please email peter.poulos@case.edu.

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Prayer Team

You can join the prayer team and keep others in your daily prayers. If you are interested, you should either email pmp17@case.edu or text (216) 288-1972 ahead of time to receive the link. You will need to provide your name and email address to receive the Zoom invite. If you have any requests for our prayer team, or if you have questions about other activities, please send them to peter.poulos@case.edu

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St. Herman's Dinner Bags 

St. Herman's is not serving dinner inside the house because of the social distancing requirements. As a result, they have been handing out to-go bagged dinners. We will be assembling 90 dinner bags for St. Herman's on Sunday August 30 at 1 p.m. It generally takes less than one hour. If you are interested in bringing food for the bags and/or helping to assemble bags, please  please contact Peter Poulos at peter.poulos@case.edu. We do follow social distancing and require face coverings during the assembly process.

Thank you and keep the faith!

“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  (James 2:18)

HOW to LIVE ORTHODOX DURING A PANDEMIC

Fr. Demetrios Tsikouris will be holding a Zoom event for people aged 21-35 on Thursday, August 27th at 7:00 pm. Join the community of over 100 young adults for a great discussion!  Contact Ted at tcherpas@stsconstantine.com with any questions or for more information.

All Orthodox Education activities have been suspended until further notice. E-ministry will continue to greatest degree possible. Contact Maria at orthodox_education@stsconstantine.com with any questions or suggestions.

Greek Festival 2020

– Happening this weekend as a drive-thru! – 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” — Hippocrates

Our beloved Greek Festival has always been about sharing culture and friendship, as well great food, with our neighbors in the nearby communities. While we can’t cure the virus, we do have big plans to bring you the best of our traditional foods during the Greek Festival weekend – as a drive-thru.

Sunday, August 23, is the last day to pick up many of your favorites, including gyros, souvlaki and baklava, while you sit safely in your car for drive-thru pickup. While we are unable to support pre-orders at this time, we are able to accept credit cards for your convenience.

We appreciate your support  in celebrating with us this August! OPA!

The Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress will be held online on Sept. 9 & 10, beginning each day at 12:00 noon. We are entitled to 4 delegates- priest, PC President or designated PC member and 2 delegates elected at large at a Parish Assembly. 

Among the major issues: (1) the ongoing need to ensure complete transparency and accountability of the Archdiocese; (2) the Archdiocese budget; (3) the restructuring of the Archdiocese pension program. 

Anyone interested in being considered as a delegate should speak to Parish Council President George Stamatis. 

Church & Community, a Historic Perspective

NHS Talks Stories will be a mini-series of panel presentations focusing on the history of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek American Community as seen through the eyes of individuals with unique perspectives and insights. The series will be recorded, archived and shared with the National Hellenic Museum and available on the NHS Talks Series website.

Live streaming of our services will be available on both Facebook and YouTube. Please note that we have been experiencing some recent technical difficulties with our streaming capabilities; we are working with our internet provider to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and are hopeful we can provide you with the best viewing experience possible again soon.

We have worked hard to make improvements to lighting, sound, and video quality as we strive to bring the church into the homes of our community during this unusual time. Our pages/channels are listed here. Please join, like, subscribe, and follow for future services.

1. You can find, like, and subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/stsconstantine

2.  the new Facebook page is located at https://www.facebook.com/stsconstantineCLE/live/  Look for the live stream on that page on Sunday mornings. 

3. As a member, you may also see the live stream automatically on your own Facebook feed on Sunday mornings (if you follow the group). 

You can utilize the AGES Initiatives Daily Services website for accompanying texts or assistance in singing or reading the hymns:  http://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/servicesindex.html 

If you haven't gotten an email from us lately, perhaps  we don't have an current email address for you. Please contact the office at office@stsconstantine.com or by phone at (216) 932-3300 to keep your contact information up to date.

Parishioners can also take advantage of the following online aids:

- Spend time at the appropriate moments to participate in the services via video. You can find online services at https://www.goarch.org/live-broadcasts

https://www.goarch.org/tv

- Utilize the Archdiocesan Online Chapel for texts of services, daily readings, and lives of the Saints: https://www.goarch.org/chapel

- There are many edifying bible studies and educational podcasts available via Ancient Faith Ministries (https://www.ancientfaith.com/ ) or Orthodox Christian Network ( http://myocn.net )

- Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis offers a wonderful daily message through his “Prayer Team” ministry. Sign up using the following link: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin