• This Week's Children's Word from OCN

• St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

  Annunciation will be hosting the Del Val District level festival on Saturday, April 2. We are in need of a few volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly! If you are interested in helping out, please email Jacinda at catechism@anngoc.org. 

• Holy Friday, April 22 Youth Retreat. We encourage all children ages 6-12 to join us in prayer, learning, and fun. We are also looking for volunteers to help run the event. If you have any questions or would like to help, contact Jacinda (catechism@anngoc.org) or Debbie (hopejoy@anngoc.org).

Our GOYAns have been busy this past month! 

First, we would like to thank all our fellow parishioners for your generous donations of eyewear. Our box is overflowing with eyeglasses, cases, and more. We are so excited to make this offering to One Sight.

Some of our GOYAns will be performing at this year's Sights and Sounds, which is taking place at St. Luke's, on April 9. Today we invite you to come to our dress rehearsal during coffee hour to see our choral speaking, group dance, group song, and play!

Lastly, On March 6, some of our girls took part in the all-star game at St. Demetrius, where they had a great time playing with other GOYAns from around the Deleware Valley. We would like to thank our coach, Marina Blackton, for a great first season! We are already looking forward to next year. 

We are also happy to announce that we have a coach for a boy's team next year! If you are interested in playing, PLEASE email goya@anngoc.org with your name and grade for the 22-23 school year, so that we can determine if we are going to have a JV team (grades 7-9) or a varsity team (grades 10-12). 
Remember, it’s never too late to get involved with GOYA. Questions? Reach out to goya@anngoc.org.

GOYA Sights & Sounds Dress Rehearsal Today

The GOYAns have been working hard all year to put together their sights and their sounds for this DVYC-wide competition. The GOYA will be performing their Sights and Sounds Routines for the parish during Coffee Hour! The GOYAns have also submitted many sights which will be on display after the event on April 9th.

Program for March 27th:

• Group Song - Where is the love? - Black Eyed Peas
• Choral Speaking - My Friend Crystal
• American Dance - West Side Story
• American Play - Desperate Housewives of Elkins Park
• Greek Dance - Diamantw Drama, Dafno, Trexe Gianna

Please bear with us as the kids will be changing into full costume for each event!

HOPE & JOY Lenten Project

ANNUNCIATION HOMELESS MINISTRY BLESSED BAGS

Almsgiving – a sign of our care for those in needs and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given us

Lent is a time for greater works of mercy and almsgiving for those less fortunate than us. Hope & Joy is partnering with The Homeless Ministry to collect items to fill “Blessing Bags” to be distributed to those we serve at Aviator Park.

We humbly ask you to help support the homeless ministry by providing some hygiene products that we will be collecting from now through Easter.

Items Needed:

• 20 small lotion bottles
• 20 travel size toothpaste
• 20 pocket Kleenex Facial Tissue

We hope you’ll use this opportunity to talk with your child about giving and why it’s important.  Consider taking them with you to the drugstore – let them pick out the items listed above to share with those less fortunate. Together, we can help our neighbors finish out the academic year with proper and healthy hygiene!

Questions? Reach out to Debbie at hopejoy@anngoc.org

• Blue Envelope Fundraiser to Beneifit Greek School.
• Pascha Tsoureki Sale. Order by April 3. Pick up on April 17.
• Palms and Pizza, Friday, April 15.
• Good Friday Luminaries.
• Easter Egg Hunt, Pascha Sunday, April 24.
• Designer Bag Event, Friday, April 29, 2022

The Triodion starts on Sunday february 13. Make the most of it with 10 weeks of free Bible Study resources from Orthodox Christian Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM). Access them here.

Greetings to all of you, we hope this finds you well and safe. We want to remind you of upcoming events during this Lenten Fast.

March 21 and March 28 -- Movie Night:  MAN OF GOD. This movie helps us learn more about the life of St. Nektarios.  Referred to as a Modern Saint, he was born in Turkey in October 1846. He is best known for his healing prayers, particularly with those stricken with cancer, heart trouble, arthritis and epilepsy.

This film is being shown at many local theaters. Some theaters are showing it for 1 night—on March 21. Other theaters will be showing it on March 21 and March 28. 

If you have not yet purchased your ticket, or need help purchasing a ticket, please call me.   Philoptochos has already purchased a group of tickets for the Regal Theater in Warrington. If that area is near you, please reach out to Stella Fisfis, Pres. of Philoptochos.

April 4-- Review and Discussion of the movie MAN OF GOD. On Monday Evening after Compline Services in the church hall. Father will talk about the movie and of the life of St. Nektarios. He is eager to hear your thoughts. Lenten Refreshments will be served and all are invited.

Psalms and Reading the Psalter –what they are and why they are important to Greek Orthodox Christians.

The Psalms in Greek are called Psalmos or “Song”. These prayers, poems and hymns were written mostly by King David in the Old Testament days and throughout Israel’s ancient history.  They were sung with the help of a psalterion—a stringed instrument.  Known in Hebrew as Tehillim ‘Songs of Praise’, other writers were Moses, Asaph, Ethan, Solomon and some unknown authors.

There are 150 Psalms, with many different themes.  Some themes are: Thanksgiving and Adoration, Lament (express sorrow or regret), Praise and Repentance. Even though Psalms were written by Jews, they are not just Jewish or Hebrew. They have endured time because they speak to our human emotions then and now, they are timeless and were adopted by Christianity.  

If you examine King David, as a child he was a shepherd watching the sheep, when he was asked to kill a giant named Goliath.  He said ok, he’ll try. As other men in his family tried, failed and were afraid, David prayed for help and with his slingshot, knocked the Giant down.  David learned at a very young age, that if you believe and pray asking for Gods help, God will respond. Over his lifetime, I am sure, that as a husband, father, king and sinner, he must have asked for a lot of help from God, hence, the Psalms. 

Ideally, we all should be praying every morning, censing our homes, fasting correctly and following all the rules Orthodoxy asks of us.  But, most of us can not follow these strict rules. Our lives’ schedules’ do not allow us to stay home, pray and cook Lenten foods. But still, during lent, Father John and the Psalter Group ask you to find the time to learn 1 new psalm or prayer and teach it to your children.

Sincerely,

Spiritual Life Ministry- Barbara, Susan, Talia, Jane, and Angela

Philoptochos Cooks for the Families at the Ronald McDonald Erie House

Kali Sarakosti! What a wonderful time of the year as we look around and begin to see God's seasonal miracles as the renewal of life is being unearthed this spring. Such a beautiful time of the year. Our hearts are filled with hope as we prepare for Christ's resurrection.

Our ministry keeps busy this month as we make our own journey into lent for our spiritual nourishment. This year, we are increasing our efforts to stay true to our mission and help our brethren both near and far.

We are collaborating with Catechism as they collect snacks to benefit the Mattie Dixon/After School Homework Club. So many of these children live with food insecurities, and to see our "kids helping kids" is so rewarding! They will be collecting snacks until Palm Sunday! We are excited to connect our two ministries.

In the past, we collected order forms and money from our parishioners to purchase meat for our Easter Meat Drive. This year, we are so excited to let you know that through your donations, we will NOT be asking anyone for money this year! Instead, we will be donating meats (hams) to Seeds of Hope, Somerton Interfaith, and Mattie Dixon Food Cupboard. We feel so blessed to be able to give without asking this year! This is a first for Matthew 25, and we can't wait to share the totals with you.

The news from Ukraine has saddened so many of us! Along with prayers, M25 will be donating the IOCC to assist in their refugee relief efforts. We will also be donating requested supplies to St. Anne's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warrington. Our brothers and sisters of Ukraine need our help!

We will be making our perpetual egg and butter donation to Seeds of Hope later this month and before Easter.

Thank you for allowing Matthew 25 to give so generously this Lenten Season. We are grateful to be able to do God's work with the help.

"Let no one come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."  -Mother Teresa

“Give a loaf of bread yourself, someone else can give a cup of wine, and another gives clothes.  In this way one man’s poverty is relieved by your joint effort.”

(St. Gregory of Nyssa)

THANK YOU for coming together to serve those in need!

All requested items for the “Blessing Bags” have been fulfilled!

Our next serving date at Aviator Park is Thursday, March 31st.

Please contact Angela Godshall if you would like to help.

The Homeless Ministry

The springtime of the Fast has dawned. The flower of repentance has begun to open. O brethren, let us cleanse ourselves from all impurity and sing to the Giver of Light: Glory to thee, who alone lovest mankind.

Kali Sarakosti, We Wish You a Blessed Lent!

Please join us for our next Young @Heart Spring Fellowship Event on Wednesday April 6. Following the 10 am Presanctified Liturgy. In our Church Hall

Friends~Coffee~Tea~Treats

Questions: Maria McNally 267-205-1758, Betsy McGrath 267-432-1996, Susan Gouris 215-901-6264

We will be processing our Holy Week mailing on Tuesday, March 29, starting at 10 AM untill noonish.

Many hands make light work! A light lunch will be provided.