Date:  Sunday, September 30, 2018

Time:  12:3O p.m., after the second liturgy

Place:  St. Nicholas Community Center

Please RSVP if attending by Sunday, September 23, 2018 to

Stacy at stacypanayotopoulos@yahoo.com, 408-295-0387 or

Janie at tswenor@eesd.org, 408-504-6974

Presvytera is registered with Amazon, Target, and Crate & Barrel (under the name of Magda Paraskevaidis)

On Sunday, September 30th, our church, in partnership with Walgreens Drug Store (Foxworthy location) will be hosting, at no charge, their annual Flu Shot Clinic as a service to our community.  The clinic will be held from 9:00am to 1:00pm in the Golden Years Room in the small hall.  The clinic is available to everyone seven years old and up (with parent or guardian if 18 and under).  The Senior Vaccine, as well as the Pneumonia Vaccine, will be available for those over 65 years of age with a valid Medicare Card.  Please direct any questions to Dori Panopulos at 408-723-9905.

We invite everyone of all ages to become members and participate in our exciting 2018-19 program.  Our next meeting will take place on:  Tuesday, October 2, 2018 – 11am in the Small Hall at which time we will also hold elections for the Golden Years Board.  If you are interested in actively serving on the Board, please contact Laurie Sahines at 408-823-0111.  For more information about the Golden Years, please call Mina at 408-515-8301.  

St. Anna's Philoptochos would like to thank the parishioners of St. Nicholas for your donations to  the second tray on Sunday, September 16, 2018 in commemoration of the Elevation of the Holy Cross.  Because of your generosity, we are able to send $1,097 to Holy Cross seminary.

St. Anna's Philoptochos will meet on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 in Room 3.  Social gathering begins at 7:00 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7:30 p.m.  All are welcome to attend, and see what events are planned for this ecclesiastical year.

Saint Nicholas Young Families Ministry welcomes families to another year of fun and family fellowship. Our next meeting is Friday, October 5th from 6:30 to 8pm in School Room 3AB.  If you have any questions, please contact Meredith Panayotopoulos annapanayotopoulos@hotmail.com.

Each year in the fall, National Church Music Sunday is observed in Greek Orthodox churches throughout the country.  It is usually commemorated on the first Sunday in October and it is a day set aside to honor the contributions of church musicians:  choir directors, choir members, organists, cantors, priests, and music teachers who serve their churches through the hymnology of our Orthodox Church.  

We are very blessed to have our own Byzantine music ministry named St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Music School.  We will soon announce the class schedule. There will be an Artoklasia at the second liturgy sponsored by the Choir.  A second tray will be passed at both liturgies to benefit our parish's chanting program.

 «Byzantine music is the only music that has sacredness and sanctity...The words find their strongest expression in Byzantine music, because it is their natural raiment.»— Photios Kontoglou (+1965)

Due to the RocknRoll Marathon, the off-ramp to southbound to Bascom Ave from north or southbound Hwy 880 will be closed from 7:00am to 12:45pm on Sunday, October 7th.  For more information look at Community.CGI@ironman.com

AHEPA Family Health and Fitness Event:  Tuesday October 9th, Small Hall, 7:00pm

AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope are sponsoring an informative Health and Fitness presentation by our very own Vasiliki (Kiki) Fkiaras, who is a Certified Independent Health Coach. Kiki recently graduated with an MS in Movement Studies from Sacramento State University. With her passion for health and fitness, she’s helps clients transform their lives through effective coaching on positive lifestyle changes and weight management techniques.  In this special presentation, Kiki will be sharing client success stories and tips for optimal health.  Everyone from the community is invited.  Please wear comfortable clothing!

Please join us for our annual dinner dance on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the St. Nicholas Community Center, 1280 Davis Street, San Jose.  Cocktails at 6pm, dinner at 7:30pm.  Live music by Mythos Band.  Adults $80, children ages 11-18 $35.  For tickets or more information, please contact Niko Pries at 408-398-7070; Angie Kozas at 510-387-2057, or email Anna Kozas at anna.kozas@gmail.com.

SAVE THE DATE!!  Gerontissa Markella and her Sisterhood invite you to a benefit dinner to support the Life Giving Spring Monastery on Sunday, November 11, 2018 at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Community Center, 1270 Davis Street, San Jose.  More details to follow.

Sunday Coffee Hour Team: Jacqui Argyres, Anna Gikas, and Mimi Mengisteab.

For more information and joining the coffee hour teams, please contact Marcella Fotis at 408-723-4124.  

We welcome parishioners interested in joining the 2019 Parish Council.  Applications for the upcoming election are available in the Narthex and the Church Office or by emailing the Church Office at churchoffice@saintnicholas.org.  The completed applications should be submitted to the Church Office by Friday, October 26, 2018.  Please note that to be eligible to hold office,  a candidate must be a steward in good standing. 

The schedule for Volleyball practices in the Community Center for current stewards of St. Nicholas is as follows:

Jr. High level players practice on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

High School level players practice on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00pm.

Jr. High level players practice on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

Adults practice on Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm to 10:00pm.

Adults practice on Thursdays and Sundays with an open gym from 7:00pm to 10:00pm.

If you have any further questions, please call Elias Papadokonstadakis, Head Volleyball Coach and Coordinator, at 408-497-4522 or email at eliaspapas@sbcglobal.net.

We are in need of more volunteers to bake prosphora, the bread used for Liturgy.  If you are able, please prayerfully bake the prosphora and bring it to the church.  If you need any assistance on how to help, recipes, need a seal, or have any questions, please call the church office.

 15% off entire inventory of books except for a few selected titles.  Sale ends September 30th.

We have implemented a parish-wide database system for all ministries and events at Saint Nicholas.  For your convenience, we have uploaded all the children for Sunday School that were registered during the 2017-2018 school year.  If for some reason, we are unable to locate your child(ren), we will reach out directly to you so we can ensure registration.  If you need help with registration, we will have someone available in the Sunday School office for your convenience during the month of September.

Upcoming Sunday School Schedule:  There is Sunday School all Sundays in October.

Do you find yourself humming along with the hymns each Sunday?  Then please come on up and join our active, music-loving choir.    Requirements:  age 16 and over; be able to carry a tune, reading music is not necessary, knowledge of Greek NOT required, phonetics provided.  Rehearsals every Thursday from 7:30 to 9pm. Sunday liturgy from 10:00am to 11:45am; no rehearsals in July and August.  You will gain many benefits including active participation in the liturgy which enhances the understanding of our religion, gaining knowledge of the Feast Days, being part of a warm, friendly group, and guaranteed the best seat during Holy Week!  If this sounds interesting, drop in at a rehearsal - no invitation necessary.  For questions, call the Choir Director, Dr. Tikey Zes at 408-723-0640 or the Church Office at 408-246-2770.

Each year as our high school seniors graduate and move away to college or if you have a loved one already currently in college, the Metropolis Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries would like to help connect them to an Orthodox parish near their school.  To help make this easy, there is both an online form (click the link below) or a paper form (see bulletin board in Small Hall) that can be filled out.  The Metropolis will share the student's information with the Parish Priest nearest their college campus so that the parish is aware that they now live in the area, and can properly welcome them to the community.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScu_3rYormSMeLrGrObkCJvPA1U3LhFce4TyZMqorNTR0V3AQ/viewform

The Church Office will be closed on Monday, October 8th, for the Archdiocesan observance of Columbus Day.

If any parishioner has a contact of a responsible and trustworthy person to become a part-time or full-time employee to regularly clean and maintain our grounds, do janitorial work, and maintain our facilities, please contact the Church Office at 408-246-2770.  

The donations for September included a brand new car seat, a high chair, and baby clothing. A big thank you to all that contributed in the month of September for the RealOptions Pregnancy Center located on the Alameda.   These items are a great blessing to the moms in need that are facing a crisis pregnancy.  Our collection bins will continue to be in the church book store and near the Sunday School office.  God Bless you, thank you!

For any questions, please call Ruth Duterte @ 408-483-3009 or ruthrad1@aol.com.

Do you have a calling to serve in a mission?  Go to these websites and check what is available to you.  www.ocmc.org to become an Orthodox missionary.  www.iocc.org under the "take action" tab. 

To support the Theotokos Girls Orphanage please go to Fili, Inc.  www.fili-inc.com  or make a check payable to Fili Inc and mail to Fili, 6430 Bose Lane, San Jose, CA 95120.   We are grateful for your continued support over the last 10 years. The Orphanage is on the path to becoming self-sustaining.  See pictures on the Fili Inc. or our Saints Peter and Paul Missions Ministry Facebook page. We have a new Go Fund Me link.....https://www.gofundme.com/ekota

Confessions with Father Demosthenes are available weekday evenings during the Paraklesis Services on Wednesday evenings or during Vespers Service on Saturday evenings. If another day or time is needed, please call the church office at 408-246-2770.

For those parishioners who would like the text to church services and hymns, the following is a link by day.  There are options for Greek and English.

http://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/servicesindex.html

Paper and wood icons will continue to be collected in a clearly marked bin right outside the bookstore in the small hall. Any questions, please contact the Church Office at 408-246-2770.

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church of Saratoga, 14220 Elva Ave, Saratoga, is hosting their Russian and International Festival on September 29th, 11:00am to 7:00pm and September 30th, 12:00pm to 6:00pm.  Savor delicious Slavic food, enjoy traditional Slavic music and dance and shop with many vendors. Adults $5, seniors and children $3. For more information, please visit http://saratogarussianfestival.com/

Saturday, October 13, 4pm - 9:pm.

His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas and the Board of Trustees are inviting you to an evening of a self-guided tour, reception and dinner at Filoli’s ballroom. Seating is limited.

Please reserve your seat ($250) by contacting Roula Demertzis at (408)564-2387 or Shanyn Bateh at (303)709-7775

When Good News Catches On – Contemporary Saints Who Helped Grow the Church is the theme for the retreat on Saturday, October 20th at St Basil Greek Orthodox Church: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Mark your calendars. We are blessed to have two speakers that day: Miho Ealy, a Japanese woman who grew up as an Orthodox Christian in Japan and Fr. Michael Oleksa, an expert on the history of Orthodox Christianity in Alaska.

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and the St. Dionysios Building Committee invite you to attend "A Harvest Dinner Dance" on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at the Contra Costa Country Club, 801 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, 94523. For more information, please call 925-676-6967.

The Holy Virgin Cathedral, 3210 Geary Blvd, San Francisco invites all to a festival featuring Russian food, entertainment, church tours, and gift items on Sunday, October 21, 2018 from 11am to 6pm.  Entrance fee $5.

If you wish to order kollyva, paximadia, koulourakia or other Greek pastries, or artoklasia, please see below.  Payment is arranged with the makers and not the church.  If there is anyone who wants to be added to the makers list, please call the church office.

For kollyva:

Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124

Maria Anagnostou 408-316-6609

For paximadia, koulourakia, and other Greek pastries:

Maria Tsaboukos 408-723-5175

Antonia Komianos 408-472-3888

Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124

For artoklasia:

Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124

Despina Anagnostou 408-316-6609

If you have lost a belonging during one of our church events, please check in with the church office at 408-246-2770.

Help us pave the way to success by purchasing a donor brick, customized with your message and to be laid in the existing area near the office/community center.  With the purchase of a brick, you may pay tribute to someone special, honor the memory of a loved one, or have your family name or ministry group forever recognized on one or more bricks.

All profits of this fundraiser go towards the Building Fund at St. Nicholas, supporting the future growth of our parish.  

Bricks are being offered for a donation of $1,000 each. Don’t miss out on this beautiful opportunity.

Please contact the office at churchoffice@saintnicholas.org or 408-246-2770 for more information.

The monthly Canon is issued electronically. If you have a special need and would like to receive a hard copy, please contact the office at 408-246-2770 or churchoffice@saintnicholas.org .  

Please note that the July and August issues will be issued electronically only.

To avoid any confusion on our part as we compose and print the Sunday bulletin, we ask that anyone who wishes to include a notice in the Sunday bulletin submit the notice in writing to the office BY THURSDAY NOON!  Please don't wait until the last minute or send a note into the altar on a Sunday morning while the liturgy is in progress.

Please check with Father Demosthenes in the office before posting anything on the bulletin board in the Small Hall.  Notices, announcements, advertisements, etc. that have not been approved will be removed.  Thank you for your kind cooperation.