Dear Parishioners,

I hope and pray that you and your beloved ones are well!

According to the latest directive from the Archdiocese:

1. We will attempt to broadcast all the Services live. Please find us on Youtube under the name SAINTNICHOLASSANJOSE.  Subscribe and turn on notifications to get notified every time we go live.
2. Other than the Sunday Liturgies and until further notice we will be offering the Service of the Great Compline on Mondays at 5:30pm, Salutations to the Theotokos on Fridays at 7:00pm, and the Paraklisis to Saint Nikephoros the Leper on Saturdays at 5:00pm. 
3. Because many of you have approached us with the request to light candles at the church, we are working on a format through our website to offer you the ability to light candles and submit names to be read both at the Prothesis (Preparation service) and at the Paraklisis. Information to follow soon.
4. Regarding receiving Holy Communion, as we are approaching Holy Week and Pascha, we are waiting to get specific guidelines by our Metropolis. Until we receive guidelines, Holy Communion will be distributed only to those in need.
5. Confessions are by appointment only.
6. Read the Letter from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros.
7. Most of all, Father Nebojsa and I will be honored to dedicate time over video chatting platforms (Facetime, Skype, Webex, Zoom, etc) to keep in touch on one-on-one basis with families and individuals. We want to take this opportunity to be connected with you in a pastoral way with the help of technology. Also, we are working on how to offer our Sunday School program online, so our children will keep getting the benefits of our Sunday School ministry. We are woking to find the best options for our parish. More information to follow.

I kindly ask you to keep us and all people in your prayers, as right now we need the Grace and Mercy of God more than ever.

In Christ,

Father Demosthenes 

Due to the Santa Clara County Health Officer mandate to shelter-in-place, the church cleaning originally scheduled for March 27-28 has been cancelled.

Also cancelled is the annual Greek Flag Raising at San Jose City Hall originally scheduled on March 25th.  

At our parish we use an online tool for all of our Liturgical services called Ages Initiatives. Please know that we always encourage participation through the praying of the services, and this online resource is the primary resource we use at the chant stand and the Altar.  To access services please check out the daily calendar available on Ages: 

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

Also, there is an Application that you can use and download on the Apple platform:  

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/digital-chant-stand/id891132857

Please also note that you can use this resource for ALL of the services we have in our church, and that we will be using this resource as well. This is also a great resource that falls within the new guidelines of our Archdiocese with regards to Covid-19 Corona Virus. 

Our priests will be offering a live-streamed Paraklisis before the relics of St. Nikephoros the Leper on Saturday evenings at 5:00pm instead of Vespers, to ask his intercessions for all of those who have been affected by (Coronavirus) Covid-19, and to ask for his speedy help.  Subscribe to Youtube under the name SAINTNICHOLASSANJOSE.

Due to the (Coronavirus) Covid-19 outbreak in the Bay Area and for everyone's continued safety, please do not visit the Church Office in person.  If you have needs or questions, please call the office at 408-246-2770 or email at churchoffice@saintnicholas.org.  You can also contact Father Demosthenes at 408-784-9364, email: frdemosthenes@aol.com or Father Nebojsa at 707-315-7823, email frnebojsa@gmail.com.  Thank you for your understanding.

Please consider contributing towards Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha, to offset church expenses.  Please feel free to sponsor a portion or the entire amount towards the needed items listed below.  Any contribution will be greatly appreciated.

If contributing by check, please write the check to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, and mail or deliver to the church office (please list "Pascha Needs" and specify the item you are donating towards from the list below in the memo section).

If contributing by credit card/Paypal, please visit our website at www.saintnicholas.org and click on the "Giving" area.  Also note "Pascha Needs" and specify the item you are donating towards from the list below in the description.  Thank you and Kali Sarakosti!

The scholarship forms for the St. Anna Philoptochos Scholarship can be obtained through the St. Nicholas website.  Once the mandate to "shelter in place" is withdrawn, applications will also be available in the Church Office and Church School Office.  The scholarship recognizes academic achievement, encourages participation in higher education (whether technical or professional), and acknowledges the volunteer/community service work at the parish and in the community at large.  The applicants must be graduating seniors during Mary/June 2020, attending the Church School of St. Nicholas, and whose families are stewards of the parish. All completed applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2020 in the Church Office.

The Saint Nicholas Scholarship Program is available and encouraging all seniors to apply.  Applications can be obtained by sending an email to SaintNicholasSundaySchool@gmail.com.  The deadline for submitted applications is Saturday, May 2, 2020, at 5:00 PM.  Completed applications need to be submitted to SaintNicholasSundaySchool@gmail.com.  

Parishioners who would like to donate towards the scholarship program are welcomed.  We want to continue to support our long term education for all of our youth who are furthering their education and/or work experience.  If you are interested in donating, please contact Vicki Ryan at SaintNicholasSundaySchool@gmail.com.

The Greek American Professional Women’s Society (GAPWS) is proud to support and mentor young women who work towards advancing their education and becoming successful members of their communities. The Society announces a scholarship award to be offered to two female college students of Hellenic heritage in 2020.  Eligible applicants must be California residents, full-time, degree-seeking college students, pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university of the USA. A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required.  The 2020 GAPWS scholarship award recipients will receive $1,000 each.

Deadline for applications is March 31, 2020. The scholarship award will be announced in early May, 2020.  For information and to apply visit www.gapws.org

We will not accept items for the Bill Wilson Center during the period the Church is mandated to "shelter in place."  We look forward to accepting items as soon as the mandate is withdrawn.  However, if you prefer, we will accept checks made payable to St. Anna Philoptochos with a notation of "Bill Wilson Center" and mailed to the Church.

We will not accept items for RealOptions during the period the Church is mandated to "shelter in place."  We look forward to accepting items as soon as the mandate is withdrawn.  However, if you prefer, we will accept checks made payable to St. Anna Philoptochos with a notation of "RealOptions" and mailed to the Church.  For more information please contact Ruth Duterte ruthrad1@aol.com  or 408-483-3009.

We will not accept items for the Festival Boutique during the period the Church is mandated to "shelter in place."  We look forward to accepting items as soon as the mandate is withdrawn.  For more information, contact Laurie Sahines, Festival Boutique Chairperson, at lsahines@comcast.com.

2020 marks the 75th anniversary year of the establishment of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. 

In light of the  Shelter in Place order, planned events and celebrations have been suspended.   We wish to continue to honor individuals and groups who were important to the development of our community and served selflessly. 

The candidates for the honor should be women and men whose accomplishments are truly outstanding to the St. Nicholas Church community.   A major criterion for selection should be service that enhances and betters the lives of our parish.   Such activities are felt throughout the church community.  These individuals have exercised considerable influence through their service.  The ideal candidate also inspires others to better serve our community. 

If you know someone you wish to nominate for this honor, please e-mail the 75th Anniversary Planning Committee at: 75ypc@saintnicholas.org with that person’s name and a brief paragraph on their contributions to our community.  Groups as well as individuals are eligible for consideration. 

“Pray fervently for the Lord to bless the work of the Orthodox missionaries who are selflessly serving in many regions of the world”

If you would like to support Jennifer Rice, a long-term missionary with OCMC and her work in Guatemala, you can make your check out to Sts Peter and Paul Missions Ministry and mail it to St. Nicholas Church office 980 Chapman St., San Jose, CA 95126 or contact Maria Aji at (408) 425-6967.

Confessions with Father Demosthenes are available by appointment only.  Please call the church office or Father Demosthenes directly at 408-784-9364.   

In case of a special need and you would like a pastoral visit, the priests would be happy to visit after receiving a call from an immediate family member due to privacy concerns.   Please text or call either Fr. Demosthenes at 408-784-9364 or Father Nebojsa at 707-315-7823 or call the church office at 408-246-2770.

Saint Nicholas is happy to present another option for our parishioners to contribute to Saint Nicholas through our Fidelity brokerage account.  If there are stocks, bonds or funds you wish to contribute, please use the following  information:

Account #: Z40-125155

DTC #: 0226

As stewards of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, God has gifted us with the honor of being the caretakers of our Orthodox faith.   As caretakers, we are responsible for ensuring that there is a safe and welcoming spiritual home in which to come together to worship for the glory of God. 

Your continuing support spiritually, socially and financially are vital to the well being of our parish.  We humbly request if you have not had an opportunity to complete your 2020 stewardship pledge, use the following link to do so online.  When completing this, we ask that you make time to pray and reflect on the many gifts that the Church has given you.  Increasing your stewardship contribution will assist in growing our parish and provide an environment in which our community will flourish.

Stewardship Links:

https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/36/responses/new    OR

https://saintnicholas.org/donate

Father Demosthenes and the Stewardship Committee: Mary Ann Devetzis, Jeff Contos, and Peter Panayotopoulos

We are a registered non-profit on Facebook and you can donate any time (without any fees for the church) by pressing the donate button in this link:

https://www.facebook.com/SaintNicholasOrg/

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 Tuesday at 5pm.  

In addition, all ongoing (same message) bulletin entries will be in for four weeks, four times a year.  Please review these entries and plan accordingly.

Please note that all information in the weekly bulletin is subject to change.