45 Holy Martyrs of Nikopolis, Armenia
The Forty-five Martyrs of Nikopolis contested during the reign of Licinius, in the year 315. After many torments, they were burnt alive.
DIVINE SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday
Divine Services 9:00 am
Saturday
Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Weekday
Special Feastday 8:30 am
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Standard Text
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Standard Text
The Forty-five Martyrs of Nikopolis contested during the reign of Licinius, in the year 315. After many torments, they were burnt alive.
In 451, during the reign of the Sovereigns Marcian and Pulcheria, the Fourth Ecumenical Council was convoked in Chalcedon against Eutyches and those of like mind with him. After much debate, the Fathers who were the defenders of Orthodoxy, being 630 in number, agreed among themselves and with those who were of contrary mind, to write their respective definitions of faith in separate books, and to ask God to confirm the truth in this matter. When they had prepared these texts, they placed the two tomes in the case that held Saint Euphemia's relics, sealed it, and departed. After three days of night-long supplications, they opened the reliquary in the presence of the Emperor, and found the tome of the heretics under the feet of the Martyr, and that of the Orthodox in her right hand. (For her life, see Sept. 16.)
These Martyrs contested in Ancyra in 106, during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. Saint Proclus was seized as a Christian and, confessing his faith, was burned on his sides and belly, was hung upon a beam with heavy stones tied to his feet, and finally was taken away to be shot with arrows. As he was being led forth, his nephew Hilary encountered him and greeted him, and was himself seized. After his uncle had been slain with arrows, Hilary, because he would not deny Christ, was tormented, then beheaded.
It is believed that the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel was transferred to this day from March 26 so that it could be celebrated more festively than in the period of the Great Fast; and, in fact, all the miracles of the Archangel are celebrated on this feast day, which has been listed here in the church books since the ninth century.
Saint Aquila, who was from Pontus of Asia Minor, was a Jew by race and a tent-maker by trade. In the year 52 he and his wife Priscilla were in Corinth when Saint Paul first came there. They gave him hospitality, and the Apostle remained with them for many days, himself working at the same trade as they (Acts 18:2-3). And having believed in Christ through Paul, they followed him from that time on, working together with him and suffering perils with him for the sake of the preaching of the Gospel, as he himself testifies concerning them in his Epistle to the Romans, saying: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus: who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the nations" (Rom. 16:3-4). When and where they reposed is unknown.
Saint Julitta was from the city of Iconium. Fearing the persecution of Diocletian, she took her son Cyricus, who was three years old, and departed for Seleucia; but finding the same evil there, she went over to Tarsus in Cilicia, where the ruler arrested her. He took her son from her and tried with flatteries to draw the youth to himself. But the little one, in his childish voice, called on the Name of Christ and kicked the ruler in the belly so hard, that the tyrant became enraged and cast him down the steps of the tribunal. In this manner, the child's head was crushed, and he gave up the spirit. As for his blessed mother, she first endured many torments, and finally was beheaded in the year 296.
This Saint was from Sebastia of Cappadocia and , according to the Synaxaristes, became Bishop of Pidachthoa. He and ten of his disciples were tortured and beheaded by the Governor of Philomarchus in the times of Diocletian. There is a second Martyr Athenogenes commemorated today, mentioned by Saint Basil in Chapter 29 of his treatise "On the Holy Spirit"; it is said that as this Athenogenes approached the fire, wherein he was to die a martyric death, he chanted the hymn O Joyous Light in praise of the Holy Trinity (see also Mar. 11).
On the Sunday that falls from the 13th to the 19th of the present month, we chant the Service to the 630 Holy and God-bearing Fathers who came together for the 4th Ecumenical Council who assembled in Chalcedon in 451, to condemn Eutyches, who taught that there was only one nature, the divine, in Christ after the Incarnation, and Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who illegally received Eutyches back into communion and deposed Saint Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople, who had excommunicated Eutyches.
In the Slavic tradition, on this Sunday, the Fathers of the first six Ecumenical Councils are all commemorated.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 24:1-12
Καὶ τὸ μὲν σάββατον ἡσύχασαν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν, Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέος ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα, καί τινες σὺν αὐταῖς. εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου ᾿Ιησοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσιν ἀστραπτούσαις. ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὸ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπον πρὸς αὐτάς· τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλ᾿ ἠγέρθη· μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λοιποῖς. ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ ᾿Ιωάννα καὶ Μαρία ᾿Ιακώβου καὶ οἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς, αἳ ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα μόνα, καὶ ἀπῆλθε πρὸς ἑαυτόν, θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.
Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 6:18-23.
Brethren, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Προκείμενον. Third Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 46.6,1.
Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε.
Στίχ. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς ῾Ρωμαίους 6:18-23.
Ἀδελφοί, ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Ἀνθρώπινον λέγω διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν, οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν. Ὅτε γὰρ δοῦλοι ἦτε τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐλεύθεροι ἦτε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε ἐφʼ οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε; Τὸ γὰρ τέλος ἐκείνων θάνατος. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ, ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Τὰ γὰρ ὀψώνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατος, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.
4th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:5-13
At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.
4th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 8:5-13
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἰσελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ εἰς Καπερναοὺμ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἑκατόνταρχος παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων· Κύριε, ὁ παῖς μου βέβληται ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ παραλυτικός, δεινῶς βασανιζόμενος. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς· ἐγὼ ἐλθὼν θεραπεύσω αὐτόν. καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος ἔφη· Κύριε, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς· ἀλλὰ μόνον εἰπὲ λόγῳ, καὶ ἰαθήσεται ὁ παῖς μου. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν, ἔχων ὑπ᾿ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας, καὶ λέγω τούτῳ, πορεύθητι, καὶ πορεύεται, καὶ ἄλλῳ, ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται, καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου, ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐθαύμασε καὶ εἶπε τοῖς ἀκολουθοῦσιν· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον. λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσι καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ ᾿Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκβληθήσονται εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῳ· ὕπαγε, καὶ ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι. καὶ ἰάθη ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.
Rev. Fr. Jon Magoulias, Protopresbyter
PARISH PRIEST
Rev. Fr. Michael Sergakis
ASSISTANT PRIEST
Tony Gavrilis
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Saturday, July 9th
Great Vespers 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 10th
4th Sunday of Matthew
Epistle Rom. 6:18-23
Gospel Matt. 8:5-13
Sunday Divine Services 8:30 a.m.
Saturday, July 16th
Great Vespers 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 17th
Sunday of the Holy Fathers
St. Marina the Great Martyr
Epistle Titus 3:8-15
Gospel Matt. 5:14-19
Sunday Divine Liturgy 8:30 a.m.
WELCOME
It is always a blessing to welcome visitors to our Parish. We continue to pray that our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ bless you through the intercessions of the All-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
We invite you to join us for Christian Orthodox fellowship which begins in the Divine Liturgy.
As we continue to have concerns regarding Covid-19, we are providing sanitizer and masks in the Narthex. We strongly advise you to be responsible in making decisions in regards to your health and for the safety of others. We ask that you be patient and follow the directions given by the Parish Council.
We have begun having more ministries and meetings on the Parish Campus. Recently, we started Fellowship Hour which is being hosted by the Parish Council. We hope to be opening the hall for receptions soon. As soon as we decide to fully return to our Parish activities, we will inform you. While the Metropolis of San Francisco is concerned about our well-being, they will support our decision on how to proceed. At the same time, we must also follow the guidelines of the Department of Health for Stanislaus County.
Please remember, ALL Divine Services may be viewed on our Internet Broadcast shown on our Parish Website (www.goannunciation.org/LiveServices). We are disappointed to inform you that the Archdiocese "Goarch" app no longer works. We have set up a YouTube site for livestreaming the Divine Services. You can find and subscribe to our new YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXNeGXxtcAVWZXtH-GlR1oQ
When our services are Live, you will be able to find the services on this new YouTube Channel, on our Church Website, or by following this link directly to the service: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXNeGXxtcAVWZXtH-GlR1oQ/live
We will continue to do our live broadcast of Divine Services on from our Facebook site (Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Modesto). On Facebook, Divine Services are also archived and may be viewed at a later time.
May you have a blessed week!
PARISH COUNCIL
Sunday, July 10th - Team 1: Jaylen French,Tony Gavrilis, & Stamatis Tsatsaronis
Sunday, July 17th - Team 2: Jeff Brown, Nick Faklis, John Mangelos, & Mitcheal Word
Sunday, July 24th - Team 3: Mike J. Kordazakis, Pete Mamalis, & Nick Pallios
ALTAR BOYS
Acolyte Coordinator: Manoli Rodarakis
Senior Altar Boys: Andreas Alexander ~ Panos Constantinou ~ John Hillas
John Capous, Jeffrey Capous, Reid Fortin, Niko Fortin, Keir Fortin, Athan French, Luke Hartley, Matthew McCoy, Zane Moraitis & Peter Zanotto
We are inviting our younger acolytes to return to the blessing of serving in the Holy Altar. Should parents desire that their sons wear a mask while serving, that is acceptable.
Young men who are turning 9 years old before December 1st may join the Altar Boys. Please contact Fr. Jon or Fr. Michael if your son would like to have the blessing and honor to serve in the Holy Altar.
STEWARDSHIP 2022
We want to express our appreciation to ALL the Stewards of our Parish that are generously supporting and actively participating in our Stewardship Ministry. The Stewardship we offer supports our Parish Ministries, along with support to the ministries of our Metropolis and Archdiocese.
Active Christian Orthodox Stewardship is the means by which we live our precious Christian Orthodox Faith. The pandemic has shown how important the Stewardship Ministry is in regards to how our Parish functions. During this time, we have continued many of our ministries and we encourage you to reach out to one another.
Please read 2022 Stewardship Directory that has been mailed to your homes. In it you will find information to strengthen your call to be an active and faithful Steward of the Church entrusted to us by God.
This year, we celebrate the centennnial of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. For this reason, the 2022 Stewardship Theme is: "Our Church - Our Spiritual Home." When speaking about the Church, St. John Chrysostom wrote: “Your hope the Church. Your salvation the Church. Your refuge the Church.”
In these very unusual times, it is important to remember that the constant in our lives is the Church! Even though times and values change, the Church is changeless and continues to proclaim and preserve the teaching that our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ established in His Church.
As we continue to serve you, the people of God, our Parish Church, we are managing the Covid-19 Pandemic the best way possible. It has caused us to examine how we do things and how we will adjust to life once the coronavirus has passed.
From this experience, it has become obvious that the Parish Church MUST be supported through the Stewardship of the Parish Stewards. Reliance on outside sources to financially support our Parish cannot be the means by which our Parish will continue to function in the future.
Our Holy Church is established upon Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. We are taught to give cheerfully and without reluctance to the mission of God’s Holy Church. Your support is necessary to continue the growth and development of our Parish Ministries. We pray that we seriously consider what it means to become a more active participant in our Stewardship Ministry. We ask that you consider:
1) increasing the Time you spend in Church;
2) giving of the Talent you offer through various ministries of our Parish and;
3) considering increasing the financial offering from your Treasure that will enable us to fully fund the operating costs of our Parish through YOUR Stewardship commitment!
Christian Stewardship is the very essence of living our precious Faith that teaches each us to return to the Lord a portion of our earnings so that the Church may continue to grow. Offering one’s support to the Church in weekly, monthly or quarterly contributions is a much easier way to manage the finances of one’s household. Each year we are blessed that a number of our Stewards increase their commitment to the Church. We continue to see many stewards increase their offering above the previous year’s contribution by as much as 25% (So far this year, a few have increased their Stewardship contribution 35% above last year)! We would hope that each Steward would increase their offering by at least 10%.
Every person baptized and/or chrismated into the Orthodox Christian Faith is a parishioner but a Steward is one who is a baptized and/or chrismated person who understands his responsibility to God and His Church. This understanding directs him to live his life according to the teachings of our Faith and at the same time, offers Time, Talents and Treasure to the sacred work of the Church. It is important to understand that our Stewardship obligations determine a family (husband, wife, & children) or an individual as stewards of our Parish. Young adults (18 years and older) that have completed their schooling and/or find themselves in the workplace are expected to become stewards of the Parish. These individuals are not included in one’s “Family Stewardship” obligation.
The response that many of our Stewards have shone is a beautiful expression of their faith in God and His Church. While our obligations continue to be met, it is only possible through the generosity being expressed by our Stewards. The restrictions of the pandemic have had an impact on the contributions we receive. Candle offerings are down, trays are not being passed, and we hope you will consider those offerings in your Stewardship commitment of the "Treasure" you give to Christ and His Church.
It is, therefore, imperative that we make our Stewardship offering in support of the sacred mission of our Church in Modesto… While we have been able to reduce our operating expenses substantially we will still need an average Stewardship Offering of $1600.00 per family to fund the ministries of our Church. When considering your financial commitment to our Parish, please realize that the first $275.00 from your Stewardship offering in 2022 is contributed to the Archdiocese of America for National Ministries. Your Stewardship offering supports the mission of our Church in Modesto and beyond! Please remember that our website enables you to securely make Stewardship contributions (and other donations) online.
We have a goal of 325 Stewardship families/individuals for our Parish this year. To reach 325 Stewardship families/individuals IS an attainable goal…As of June 23rd, 2022, we have 249 Stewardship families/individuals supporting our sacred ministry in 2022, as compared to 245 in 2021. Please support our Stewardship Ministry! In supporting these efforts we ask that you reach out to family and fellow parishioners to become more active in the ministries of our Parish.
If you have any questions regarding your offering please contact Fr. Jon.
ICONOGRAPHY
The icons in the "Cry Room" have been completed. Donated in loving memory of Steve and Irene Angelo, the icons include depictions of Jesus with the children; the Guardian Angels for male and female; the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child; and St. Demetrios with two children (the original is in the Church of St. Demetrios in Thessalonica).
We are grateful to our iconographer, Mr. Demetrios Mourlas, for the beautiful writing of the icons in our church. May God grant him many years!
PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
Throughout the year, donations are accepted by Philoptochos for its philanthropic ministry. It is important that ALL ladies in our Parish join the Philoptochos so that we can strengthen our sacred mission. The “2022 Stewardship Drive” to become a Philoptochos member has begun. The Stewardship offering to join Philoptochos may be sent to the Parish Office. Please make your offering check out to "Philoptochos" and in the memo, please write "Stewardship".
The Philoptochos is a beautiful ministry that assists so many people and organizations in our Church and in our county. For further information please contact one of the officers of Philoptochos.
The Philoptochos Board of Trustees is comprised of: Denna Tsatsaronis, President; Dena Brown, Vice-President; Diane Hillas Treasurer; Markella Tsatsaronis, Secretary; Maria Berris, Mary Gavrilis, Janelle Hatton, Helen Katotakis, Diana Demetrulias - Mayer, Kiki Shaw, Gloria Tronis-Bolakis, Ella Velthoen, and Eleni Venierakis.
CHURCH ETIQUETTE
When attending services, please be prompt! In order to partake of the Holy Eucharist please remember proper preparation is required to receive Holy Communion. Proper preparation in receiving Holy Communion requires that the person be in the Divine Liturgy on time, that means BEFORE 10:00 a.m.!
Please be mindful of the Covid-19 protocols: Social distancing is still in affect. Please sit where there is a cushion in the pew; It is encouraged for you to wear a mask while in church.
When receiving the Holy Eucharist come forward reverently, give your baptismal name, hold the red cloth under your chin and after receiving, wipe your lips.
Please remember that the "Cry Room" is intended only when an infant child may seem to be disrupting a divine service. It is wonderful to see so many families with young children and for this reason, we ask that only one parent and child be in the "Cry Room" at any given time. Parents should not be giving their children games to play while in the "Cry Room". Once the child has settled down they should return to the pews for the service.
VISTATIONS: HOSPITALS, SHUT-INs & EMERGENCIES
"Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;...for I was sick and you visited me..." (Matthew 25:31-46). When a member of the parish is ill and has been admitted to the hospital, the immediate family of the ill person should contact the Parish Office as soon as possible so that one of the priests may visit the one who is ill.
When health circumstances hinder a parishioner from coming to church, the Parish Office should be contacted by a member of the immediate family when the family wishes for one of the priests to visit.
The priests cannot rely on the hospitals or members of the parish to inform him and it is the responsibility and duty of the immediate family to communicate with the Parish Office. Our priests are attentive to the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the faithful and they are ready to minister to you at any time.
In the case of an emergency, if it is during Parish Office hours, the immediate family should call: 209-522-7694. If the emergency is after Parish Office hours, you may contact either Fr. Jon or Fr. Michael.
To contact Fr. Jon in the case of an emergency, he may be reached in one of two ways: 1.) You may call his home (telephone number is listed in the Parish Stewardship Directory); or 2.) If you call the Parish Office and connect to Fr. Jon's office to leave a message, he will receive an email within minutes so he may respond to your emergency.
To contact Fr. Michael in the case of an emergency, he may be reached by calling: 1.) 209-602-7979; or 2.) If you call the Parish Office and connect to Fr. Michael's office to leave a message, he will receive an email within minutes so he may respond to your emergency.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
We invite you to visit our newly formatted Parish Website. We believe the new design will be easier to use and more appealing to people who may visit our site. As we continue to evaluate our Parish Ministry, we will make upgrades and improvements as necessary. You may visit our Parish Website at: www.goannunciation.org
The broadcasting of our Divine Services may now be seen from both our Parish Website and Parish Facebook page. In addition, you may download the GOARCH app on your Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, or Roku device for easy viewing on your television. The newly installed high definition cameras have added to the viewing clarity of our services.
The use of today's technology to improve our ability to serve you, the faithful stewards of the Annunciation Church, is of paramount importance. Whether it is through our website or the broadcasting of Divine Services, it is the responsibility of good stewardship that we strengthen our ability to communicate Christ's message of love, peace and salvation to all.
The purpose of this live-streaming ministry is to provide shut-ins that have Internet access, college students that may not be able to get to an Orthodox Church, or people interested in our precious Christian Orthodox Faith, the opportunity to view our church services. It should never be seen as a substitute for actual attendance in Church. We do realize however, that during this time of the pandemic, that the live-streaming of Divine Services is necessary. Please be advised as you watch the online services to do so with the same respect that you would have if you were in Church.
A feature on the website now enables donations and Stewardship offerings to be made online. After researching a number of programs to provide a means by which online contributions may be made we have chosen to use "Paypal" which is a well tested and secure method.
Please accept this improvement to our Parish Ministry as an offering from your Parish Council. We are grateful to the stewards and friends of our Parish that support our ministry and we pledge to continue to provide the highest quality of service to you, the people of God.
The ministry of our choir members is to represent YOU and to serve as volunteers by using the gift of music to sing praises to our Lord is a true act of Christian Orthodox Stewardship.
Parishioners, who may be interested in of our Church, and especially our young people, are invited to join the choir. St. Augustine wrote: "What better thing can the people do than sing. I know of no better thing than this!" Please contact Markella Tsatsaronis or the Church Office, to find out more about our Church Choir.
Divine Services on Sunday morning begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. (Weekdays at 8:30 a.m.). There is no set time as to when the Divine Liturgy actually begins since the hymns of the Matins vary from week to week. According to actual Church Service procedures, each and every member of the congregation is required to be seated in the pews by the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.
It is only through leniency that anyone is allowed to enter the Church once the Service has begun. Thus it behooves us not to take undue advantage of this leniency. Also, unnecessary noise is extremely distracting during worship, especially when it comes from the adults talking; in addition, our nursery is equipped with all the conveniences for young children and a parent to participate in the Liturgy. Please remember to prepare yourself properly to attend the Divine Liturgy; dress accordingly; do not chew gum; turn off your cell phone; and please do not create a disturbance. Please remember that the Parish Council members are re quired to see to the order during Church Services and everyone should follow their directions at all times.
"The Lord has given us many counsels and commandments to help us toward salvation. He has even given us a pattern of prayer, instructing us on how we are to pray. He has given us life, and with His accustomed generosity, He has also taught us how to pray. He has made it easy for us to be heard, as we pray to the Father in words taught us by the Son.Let us pray as God our Master has taught us. To ask the Father in words His Son has given us, to let Him hear the words of Christ ringing in our ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer." St. Cyprian, martyred Bishop of Carthage (+258)
PARISH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
It is important to offer religious instruction all year round. Our Summer Sunday Church School is presently in session. We urge families to be in Church by 9:30 a.m. The young people will worship with their families during the Divine Liturgy and following Holy Communion, will go into the Classroom Building.
When attending Sunday Church School, the following is the list of requirements necessary to attend:
1. Students will sit with their parents in church;
2. They should come up prayerfully for Holy Communion following the acolytes and the choir, no matter where they are sitting;
3. Teachers and students have the option of wearing a mask while in class;
4. They will be socially distanced in class;
5. Sanitizer will be provided;
6. Classes should be about 30 minutes;
7. There will be no snacks offered; and
8. Students will be dismissed and escorted out of class maintaining social distancing.
We are grateful to the new leadership of our Sunday Church School Ministry. The SS Leadership includes: Kari Fortin, Maria French, Eleni Kordazakis, and Niki McCoy. Please see the Sunday Church School Facebook page (Sunday School of Annunciation Modesto) for special announcements and updates...
Parents are encouraged to use this time to be an example and to teach their children our precious Christian Orthodox Faith so that our young people may “Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
PARISH BOOKSTORE
It has been said: “The more you read…the more you know!” Our Bookstore Manager, Ella Velthoen, is willing to assist you through a great selection of books, icons, music and other items for every Orthodox Christian. Included in our selection are Children’s Orthodox books and games. New titles in our bookstore include: Parent Points, Illness and the Believer, Do not Judge, Love your Enemies, Be Ready, and Repentance and Confession. In addition, our bookstore has many excellent gifts for every occasion. Please visit our Bookstore during Fellowship Hour!
During the pandemic of the Coronavirus, people are reading a lot more. If you are interested in visiting the bookstore to obtain books on our Faith, please schedule a time to visit with the Church Office.
Once again this year, our Greek Folk Dance Parents Support Group coordinated a hugely successful sale of fireworks for the 4th of July. We are grateful to the Dance Group leadership and the any volunteers who worked for hours to support this fundraiser.
Registration for our Greek Folk Dance ministry has begun! We encourage parents to register their children for this beautiful program. It has been two years since we have been able to offer dance practice and we are excited to return to a regular schedule that brings our young people together.
We are excited about bringing our young people together again for this enjoyable and educational ministry. Dance practice will be held following the Divine Liturgy. Young people MUST attend the Divine Liturgy and Summer Sunday Church School to attend dance practice.
We will continue to responsibly consider everyone's safety as we evaluate how the pandemic is being handled. Please understand our concerns and support the decisions that will be necessary during this time. This means that once we see our younger families and their children attending Divine Services regularly, we will make a decision regarding dance practice.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE
It is the practice of our Faith that upon entering the House of God, an offering and prayer is made as we light candles to symbolize that Christ is the Light of the world. Please remember that if a check is being written for this purpose or for a donation, in accordance with the non-profit status of our Parish, any check made out to the Annunciation Church must be for the exact amount. Thank you!
The Divine Liturgy begins with the offering of the faithful people of God. The gifts we bring forth are an expression of our faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Holy Communion makes us one with the Holy Trinity and is given for "remission of sins and life everlasting". The people are invited to bring forth their offering, i.e. "Prosforon", for the Divine Liturgy to be celebrated. We use 4 prosfora on a regular Sunday and they may be given through our Philoptochos for a donation. The Eucharist Bread may be offered in memory of a loved one or for someone's health and well-being. Anyone wishing to donate the Eucharist Bread ("Prosphoron") on a particular Sunday may contact Anna Petrulakis, 522-0298. In addition to contributing the Eucharist Bread it is customary to bring a bottle of olive oil for the vigil lights and a bottle of wine for Holy Communion. The ONLY wine being used for Holy Communion is Coumantaria and will now be available for purchase from the Church Office.
We would also like to obtain the e-mail addresses of ALL the families in our Parish. We have begun to communicate much more frequently via the internet. Parents and students are asked to send their email addresses so that we may have them for our Parish records. We also ask that you please submit the names, addresses and e-mails for college students attending school away from home.
It is also important to inform the Church Office when you have an address change. In this way we are able to keep our files current and avoid unnecessary charges from the Post Office.
In addition, we ask that you please notify the Church Office when you plan a trip and put your mail on "Hold." Each time there is an address change or a temporary hold one's mailing address, the Parish is charged by the Post Office.
For the safety of our Parish complex we have installed security cameras on the exterior and interior of our church complex. Please be aware that the cameras will be recording daily 24/7 – 365 days a year. Don’t forget to smile!
The ongoing responsibility to maintain the beauty and safety of our church complex is of utmost importance. We have accomplished many projects and express our appreciation to the Stewards and Friends of our Parish that have been so generous to our ministry.
In the last three years we have completed:
1. The replacement of the doors throughout our facility which was approximately $25,000.00.
2. The installation of new lighting around the complex perimeter that was completed at a cost of $3500.00.
3. The new lighting in front of the church (replacing the old MID poles) has finished. The cost of this project was $23,000.00.
4. Sealing and repairing the parking lot - cost $17,000.00
5. The addition of new curbing on back parking lot planters - cost $4,000.00.
6. New lighting in the Classroom Building - cost $10,000.00...DONATED.
7. New Heating/Air Conditioning for the back of the Church Hall - cost $12,000.00;
8. Upgrading of the main electrical panel of our Church complex - cost $3,000.00.
9. Painting of the outdoor pavilion. (Donated.)
10. Landscaping in the upgraded planters behind our complex.
11. Trimming of the cypress trees. (Donated)
12. Upgrade to the Internet Broadcast equipment.
13. Painting of the Vestry and Sacristy. (Donated).
14. Sound System for the Pavilion. (Donated).
15. 2 Flagpoles (Donated).
16. New handicap ramp on side of the church (Donated).
17. Remodeling of the Classroom Building (Donated).
18. New and repair of gutters on the entire church complex (Donated and completed).
19. Security cameras inside and outside our facilities (Donated).
20. A new sound system for the church (Donated and completed).
21. A railed platform area and ramp behing the kitchen. (Donated and completed)
22. Roofing repairs over the kitchen, Lodge Room and entry way to the Hall. (Completed at a cost of $12,580.00)
23. Resealing and restriping of the front Church parking lot and area behind the kitchen. (Completed at a cost of $10,500.00)
24. The purchase of 3 AED units (Donated)
25. The paneling of the kitchen walls (Donated and being completed).
26. Installation of a ceiling fan and lights in the Choir Room. (Donated and completed)
27. Installation of automatic hand towel and soap dispensers throughout our facility. (Completed)
28. Replacing of the church carpet (Donated and installed).
29. Refurbishing the cushions in the church pews (Donated and completed).
30. Chairs and Tables for the Hall (Donated).
31. Fans for the outdoor pavilion (Donated and Installed).
32. New silverware for the GFF (Donated and received).
33. New LED lights in the pavilion (Donated and installed).
34. New LED lights to be installed in the existing parking lot light poles (Donated and Installed).
35. Seal coating and striping of the church parking lot (Donated and Completed.).
36. New metal doors for the Utility Room of the Classroom Building (Donated and installed).
37. New Heating and Air Conditioning systems for the Classroom Building installed ($26,000).
38. The updating of the water lines and meters that feed our buildings and landscaping. Work has begun and will take a few weeks to complete. (Completed).
39. Replacement of fence between church and park. (Completed).
We, again, are grateful to the parishioners that have already made contributions towards these projects.
Recently, we have received donations for new items that will be used during Divine Services. They are:
1. New Acolyte Robes (Donated and received);
2. A new Resurrection Candleholder (Donated and received);
3. 2 new sets of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated and received);
4. A set of new Bishop Candlesticks (Donated and received);
5. A new Gospel in Greek and English (Donated and received);
6. A new set of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated)
7. One Rantistirion (Sprinkler) for Holy Week (Donated)
8. Two silver vigil lights that are placed on each side of the Cross (Donated);
9. An icon of the Virgin Mary Directress (Donated)
10. A new set of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated and received)
11. Updating of our electronic Carillon (bell) system (Donated and installed)
12. The installation of 7 new chandeliers for the Church (Donated and completed).
13. The installation of a new High Definition Broadcast System (cameras, control panel, monitors, and computer) for the church (Donated and completed).
14. Two brass candlestands for the 7 Day Vigil Lights (Donated and completed).
15. New altar and chalice covers (Donated).
16. New altar curtain (Donated and being made).
17. New microphones for the church (Donated and installed).
18. New sterling silver candle holders for the Holy Altar Table (Donated and being used).
19. New cabinets and closet doors for the Vestry (Donated and installed).
20. A new computer to manage the broadcast of our Divine Services (Donated and installed).
21. A new woodcarved chair for the Holy Altar (Donated and installed).
22. A new set of purple Altar Covers (Donated and received).
23. A woodcarved children's icon stand (Donated and installed).
24. An icon of our Lord for the children's icon stand (Donated and installed).
25. The purchasing of 4 new bakery convection ovens (Donated and installed).
26. A new sterling silver blessing cross for the Holy Altar Table (Donated and received).
27. A new gold-plated censer for the Holy Altar (Donated and received).
28. New icons to be placed in the "Cry Room" (Donated and completed).
29. A beautiful new set of red and gold covers for the Holy Altar Table including Chalice covers (Donated and received).
30. 3 new woodcarved Sacrament Tables. (Donated and received.)
31. 2 new woodcarved Icon Stands/Proskynitaria. (Donated and received)
32. 1 sterling silver Chalice set (Donated and received)
33. 1 sterling silver blessing cross for the Holy Altar Table. (Donated and received)
33. 1 blessing gold-plated blessing cross for the Holy Altar Table. (Donated and received)
UPCOMING PROJECTS
The Parish Council continues to review each area of our Parish Complex so that we can meet the ongoing needs that include upgrading certain areas.
If you would like to contribute toward ecclesiastical items needed, please contact Fr. Jon or a member of the Parish Council.
We encourage you to visit our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org. It is frequently updated and contains the Monthly and Weekly Bulletins, along with photographs and other information about our Parish.
We are very blessed to have a wonderful church complex. This has only been accomplished by the generosity of the stewards of our Parish that understand the importance of gathering for Christian Orthodox Fellowship. We are grateful to everyone that has contributed over the years and we commit ourselves to be responsible to maintain our facilities to the best of our abilities.
For this to happen, we need YOUR support too! This is why we must remind parishioners that church property is not to be removed from our complex. Please do not remove plates, pans or other utensils from our facilities for any reason unless approved by the Parish Priest and Parish Council. If you have any items from the Cultural Center please return them this week. In addition, we would like to remind parishioners that we rely on volunteers to serve the meals at our luncheons. During meals that are served in our Church Hall please do not enter the kitchen unless you are volunteerin g to help! We thank you for your understanding and support!
The demands on each individual and family are great. In an effort to understand this we would like to remind our parishioners that before anyone plans on selling items in our church complex or during Parish activities, they must have the approval of the Parish Priest. We also understand that organizations within our Community, as well as, organizations we may support, have a need to raise funds for their activities. We do not want times of fellowship to become a time when parishioners may be bombarded to purchase items.
We would also like to remind everyone that the placement of flyers on our cars is prohibited! Flyers that you wish to have distributed may be brought by the Church Office for approval and then included in either our Monthly and/or Weekly bulletins.
Please register early!
Please join us!
Students in college and of Cretan descent should apply
If you plan on attending Divine Services in Church please be agree to these conditions