Welcome to Saint George Church!

“Faith is collaboration: thinking together, praying together, acting together.

The Church is not the place of my prayer but of our prayer.

We pray together and are responsible for each other.” 

-Archbishop Anastasios of Albania

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:2

WELCOME!

We hope you will join us on Sundays and to participate in our various programs as you are able. Visit us online to learn about our church and our various programs. Sign up for our weekly bulletin and become a supporting member at www.SaintGeorgeNYC.org.

Today we welcome Emilee Floor to the chanters' stand. Emilee is an accomplished musician and vocalist, and will be assisting John C.

Last week we said good-bye to Brooke & James Wilcox as they departed New York and moved to Boston. We thank them for their friendship and service to our parish.

Today will be Fr Jim's last day at Saint George Church. Please join us for a special fellowship hour following Divine Liturgy.  The parish council has been in contact with the Chancellor of the Archdiocese. We have been advised that the assignment of a new priest is imminent. Fr Jim will be serving Saint George Church in Kingston, NY beginning next Sunday.

VIEW THE COMPLETE MATINS SERVICE FOR TODAY IN ENGLISH & GREEK HERE.

 Sunday Service Schedule:

Matins (morning service) at 9:30

DIVINE LITURGY (Eucharist) AT 10:30 AM

Celebrated mostly in English

 JOIN US!

 Visit us on our web site and on  facebook.

      VISIT OUR MINISTRIES PAGE: CLICK HERE

“Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:15)

MARILENA'S MEALS:  Resumes in September

Thank you to all that help and support this ministry.

On March, 15, 1965, Archbishop Iakovos joined Martin Luther King, Jr. in a historic civil rights march. Prior to the march, a memorial service was held for Rev. James Reeb, a white Unitarian minister who had been beaten to death by the Ku Klux Klan a few days earlier, for his commitment to improving housing in poor, black neighborhoods. Archbishop Iakovos’ words at the memorial follow.

I came to this memorial service because I believe this is an appropriate occasion not only to dedicate myself as well as our Greek Orthodox communicants to the noble cause for which our friend, the Reverend James Reeb, gave his life; but also in order to show our willingness to continue this fight against prejudice, bias, and persecution.

In this God-given cause, I feel sure that I have the full and understanding support of our Greek Orthodox faithful of America.

For our Greek Orthodox Church and our people fully understand from our heritage and our tradition such sacrificial involvements.

Our Church has never hesitated to fight, when it felt it must, for the rights of mankind; and many of our Churchmen have been in the forefront of these battles time and again….The ways of God are not always revealed to us, but certainly His choice of this dedicated minister to be the victim of racial hatred and the hero of this struggle to gain unalienable constitutional rights for those American brethren of ours who are denied them, and to die, so to speak, on this battlefield for human dignity and equality, was not accidental or haphazard.

Let us seek out in this tragedy a divine lesson for all of us. The Reverend Reeb felt he could not be outside the arena of this bitter struggle, and we, too, must feel that we cannot. Let his martyrdom be an inspiration and a reminder to us that there are times when we must risk everything, including life itself, for those basic American ideals of freedom, justice, and equality, without which this land cannot survive. Our hope and prayer, then, is that we may be given strength to let God know by our acts and deeds, and not only by our words, that like the late Reverend James Reeb, we, too, are the espousers and the fighters in a struggle for which we must be prepared to risk our all.

HOW FINAL WISHES ARE COMMUNICATED: It is critical that you make your wishes and plans known to your loved ones.  Our world today requires that many of these wishes be documented in a will or trust or a living will.  A living will and burial instructions can be prepared so there is no confusion at a time when it is easy to overlook important Orthodox traditions when stress and emotions are running high.  The Stewardship Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has prepared an Orthodox Living Will that can be filled in and reviewed by your family, doctor and legal advisor. It is important, and we urge you to seek competent legal and financial advice. Please contact Stewardship Ministries (stewardship@goarch.org) for a copy of the Orthodox Living Will. 

STEWARDSHIP OF FAMILY: Throughout our lives and the roles we assume within the family, we are stewards of the love, authority, trust and respect that exist among members of the family. Unlike material possessions, these are not diminished by use. But if mishandled, they can be lost. Love, authority, trust and respect require the most diligent stewardship, because once they are lost, they are most difficult to recover.

MEMORIAL SERVICES  Prayer for the dead is seen by Orthodox Christians as an essential component of our faith in Jesus Christ. Praying for those who have died is not merely an expression of mourning, it is a proclamation that Christ has risen from the dead and that, in His love, even death cannot separate us from one another! Forty days after the death of a loved one (or on the Sunday nearest to the 40 days), it is the custom of our Church to celebrate a prayer service in remembrance of the deceased known in English as a Memorial Service. In this service we ask God to “grant rest” to the deceased “in the bosom of Abraham” (Luke 16:22-23) and to place him/her “in a place of light, a place of happiness, a place of refreshment, where there is no pain, no sorrow and no suffering” (Revelation 21:4) as we did during the funeral service.

We are Stewards of the Gospel: We are called to guard the Gospel message, but not to hoard it. We are instructed not to hide our light under a bushel. As we share the voice of Christ, the message we share is one of hope, truth, grace, divine power, life and invitation. In this busy, ever-changing world, His voice of wisdom is needed to guide us in discerning what is good, what is true and what will bring us closer to Him and to one another.

Saint George Church seeks to offer:

1. A sense of Peace and Presence of God in worship;
2. Opportunities to Serve Others;
3. Meaningful opportunities for Fellowship;
4. Education in aspects of the Faith for all ages; and
5. A well-maintained and inspiring place of worship & fellowship

    SAINT GEORGE PROFESSIONALS

Our mission is to bring together professional members & friends of St George Church to form stronger friendships through events & activities. We accomplish our mission through Laughing, Learning and Giving, alternating between social, philanthropic and spiritual activities. Questions or Ideas? Contact Marissa at marissapallis@gmail.com to be added to our e-list.

WINE FOR HOLY COMMUNION If you would like to offer wine to be used for the preparation of Holy Communion at Saint George Church, you are welcome to do so. The sweet wines that we use for Holy Communion are: Mavrodaphne, Commondaria and Nama Byzantino.

 
SUNDAY PARKING: is available for $10 at ICON Parking on 54th St just east of 8th Ave. Bring your ticket to the candle stand to be validated. Effective from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM after which regular rates will apply.

 What is Christian Stewardship?

 Stewardship is caring for the needs of others.

 Stewardship is offering one’s self to God as He offered Himself to us.

Stewardship is what a person does after saying “I believe…” as proof of that belief.

 Williams and McKibben in Oriented Leadership

Click here

to set up regular or 1-time stewardship contributions to St. George Church.

PLEASE REMEMBER THE CHURCH IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING

BEFORE YOU RESERVE YOUR WEDDING DAY

The Holy Church has a sacred obligation to uphold and abide by the spiritual guidelines which have been formulated over the ages. One of these guidelines dictates that Wednesdays and Fridays are to be observed as days of fasting, in some cases that includes Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, weddings are prohibited on such days. In order to avoid confusion and conflict, before you reserve a reception hall you need to check with the church if that day is indeed a day when weddings are allowed.
 

Dear Friends,

Nearly fourteen years ago, I walked through the doors of Saint George on West 54^th for the first time as a substitute priest. That first Divine Liturgy was done entirely in Greek with a congregation of about twelve faithful individuals. Mr. Savas helped me in the altar. Kyria Parthena presided at the door. I was charmed by this unknown church that, unless I was looking, I would never have seen.

Saint George became my first parish as a proestamenos (head priest) and I took the challenge seriously. I saw the potential for such a great location and beautiful church in which I could apply the programs and resources produced by my department at the Archdiocese. Though there was the inevitable resistance to change, we gradually made progress. We improved where we could and gradually introduced English to the liturgy. We made the church a welcoming place for children, and rejoiced in the sound of babies in the church as we grew.

From the beginning, Zaphra was there to welcome those that came through our doors. When Sophia arrived, she also joined in our welcome ministry as did John E. We have many wonderful stories about current members’ first impressions of the welcome they received at Saint George.

It has been a blessing to watch the church grow as people were welcomed and friendships were formed. Eventually as the babies grew, parents asked for a Sunday School and  -- thank God -- Viv Pardalis stepped up to lead this new ministry. Since that time, we have been blessed with many excellent teachers: Alexandra L, Elena S, Elena L, Alexandra M and Alexandra S. 

Along the way, we sent Alexandros Athanasiadis on an OCMC Mission Trip to Tanzania. Thanks to Alex, we formed a bond with the ministry of the Sisters of Life on 51^st Street.

I will never forget the kindness of Eleni Papaioannou as she supported the positive changes and served to calm the concerns of those that were not sure of all the changes being made. Eleni also served as Parish Council President during the transition period when Kyria Parthena turned over the reins.

When I asked Dino Pardalis and George Xerakias to help us renovate our restrooms, it was the beginning of a nearly 10-year project to renovate our entire building. Their patience, kindness and generosity made these renovations possible. They received no compensation for their time and donated many of the materials for the renovation. We are just putting the finishing touches on the second floor kitchenette, donated by Tony Nardi and his family in memory of his mother Catherine, which will complete the renovation. Thank you to all that supported this effort.  I smile as I recall our member, Gus Giviskos, whom we lost recently after a brief illness. Gus and Lynn gave us a large check (one of several) for the renovations fund last year and Gus said with a smile, “Just get it done.” This is a sentiment shared by most of us. Gus and Lynn also provided for the Pantocrator with Evangelists & Angels, something that I had dreamed of for years.

So many people have been such a blessing to this parish, coming only to offer their gifts and talents and love to make this the special place that it is.

Sarah and Christina approached me one day in the hall about starting a Young Professionals group and immediately a new ministry was formed. This is now being carried forward by Marissa and Bishara.

John and Joe found a spiritual home at Saint George and offered their time & talent and much support, coming in early each Sunday to read & chant, and to prepare & light the candelia.  Although we lost Joe, his spirit lives on here at Saint George.

Marilena had an idea for a ministry to feed the hungry and it has become our most popular ministry. Marilena’s Meals is funded by generous donations from our parishioners. All this was done while she served as our Parish Council President. Helping her faithfully in this ministry have been Petro and Pinar, who, though they now live in New Jersey, are still beloved members of Saint George. Kallirroi also assists in this and other ministries of our parish.

We are blessed that Kevin & Christina come in each Sunday (with 4 kids!) from their home in Westchester.  Anthony & Irene (and George) and others pass several churches on their way to Saint George to be part of the Saint George family. Kevin is our Parish Council President and Christina is our Sunday School Activities Coordinator. Anthony is our Parish Council Treasurer.

And it seems like just yesterday that Nick & Ric came through our doors with young Luke & Kate and were welcomed with open arms. The new mural icon of the Hospitality of Abraham commemorates that welcome and serves as a memorial to Ric.

Mik & Connie have now moved to Long Island (and celebrate the birth this week of their daughter Thaleia), yet do their best to return at least once a month. They are a blessing to this parish, always willing to help and support events and ministries.

It's a blessing each week to look out upon Nick Stringas's always smiling face -- especially when Patricia is able to join him in between trips. Patricia has blessed us twice with presentations on her travels and happily stays to sign copies of her books, the proceeds of which go to Saint George.  

Each person seems to have their own special ministry at Saint George. We couldn’t get through Sunday without Charles to assist with Holy Communion and recruit visitors and new members to pass the trays – his own special outreach ministry. And he was the impetus behind the Christmas Pageant which is directed by Nick.

Christopher and Gregory came and left, leaving their positive mark on the community.  They brought with them Brooke and James, who served the community, offering their gifts and talents, and have recently left us to return to Boston.

Overseeing all of this is the Godmother of our church, Kyria Dina. Behind the scenes, she keeps everything on track, baking the prosphora (offering bread), ordering candles and arranging for her son, Jim, to provide wine for Holy Communion (from Oak and Steel on 57^th Street). Kyria Dina, Kyria Metaxia and Kyria Soula together help to keep our longstanding ministries and traditions. They work tirelessly behind the scenes out of their great love for our church.

So many more people, too numerous to mention, have blessed this church as we have grown and progressed. We have blessed & baptized babies, celebrated chrismations & weddings, and we have said good-bye to the loved ones that left us – many of them too soon.

We could not have carried out our ministries without the generous support of all the area restaurants: Georgio’s Country Grill, Route 66 Café, Olympic Restaurant, Olympic Flame Restaurant, Applejack’s, Uncle Nick’s and Cosmic Diner. Our friends at Titan Foods have been extremely generous.

And now, I have decided that it is time for me to move on -- to let another priest come to this blessed place and take this community to the next level. I have requested reassignment to the parish in Kingston, New York (also Saint George). This Sunday will be my last Sunday at Saint George on West 54^th.  Please join us as the Parish Council hosts a special coffee hour.

I thank our excellent parish council: Kevin White, John Coundouris, Alexandra Scuro, Anthony Louh and John Neamonitis. I feel that I am leaving the parish in excellent hands. These are people that love Saint George and bring a diverse set of gifts, talents and training in service to this parish. Please support them as they guide the parish through this transition. I strongly believe that the golden age of Saint George on West 54^th lies still ahead.  

I have been in touch with Bishop Andonios, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, regarding the assignment of a suitable priest. He also spoke with Kevin and it seems an assignment is imminent. I will be available to the parish council as needed during the transition.

Thank you for your love and support. There are many more people not mentioned here that have made my ministry here the blessing that is it. I will keep you all in my prayers and ask that you keep me in yours.

One final thank you to Cally, my number one advisor and constructive critic…  I am blessed with a partner in life that makes me a better person and a better priest.  

With love in Christ,

Fr Jim