For those who may not yet be aware, it is with great distress that we let you know: Towne Bank has begun foreclosure procedures against St. Demetrios Church and the Williamsburg Hellenic Center.  A foreclosure notice was posted in the Daily Press on Monday, March 4th, which announced an auction on March 19th on the York County courthouse steps. The Parish Council concluded that the best way for us not to lose our Church and the WHC is to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Parish Council has been working diligently to forestall this, and has considered and attemted a number of ways to approach Towne Bank in order to renegotiate the loan or even to buy it back. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful, so the Parish Council concluded that filing for bankruptcy is the next necessary step in the process; at least to buy us some time and pursue a course of action most likely to allow us to keep our church. Bankruptcy was not an easy decision and is in no means a solution. 

This first step in the process requires attorney's fees and filing costs, which are significant. Please consider a generous donation to cover these expenses.

Second, the process requires developing and implementing a workable and effective business plan. For St Demetrios, this plan will involve the Festival, the Friday FIsh Fries and many other fundraising events. Your enthusiastic commitment as volunteers is essential. We need more than ideas; we need help.

Please know that the Council made these decisions with much deliberation, effort and pain of heart. Keep us, and our community, in your prayers.

Fr. Milton wishes to add the following to our statement: 

Please, now more than ever we need to show our faithfulness, continue worshipping and participating in the life of the parish. I remain cautiously optimistic that we will ultimately succeed and St. Demetrios Church will be our Orthodox Church of Williamsburg for generations to come. May God bless and guide us! 

The next Saturday of the Souls Liturgy will be on this week on March 9th. The final one of this Lenten season will be on March 16th.

Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. 

Memorial Service, 10:45 a.m.

Please submit names for commemoration of the departed to Fr. Gianulis.

Parents, please bring icons to Church this Sunday so your children can participate in the procession of icons for the Sunday of Orthodoxy on March 17th.

Sunday of Orthodoxy Great Vespes will be held at St. Basil the Great Orthodox Church, 1520 Todds Ln, Hampton, VA 23666.

March 17, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.

Combined Byzantine and Slovonic Choirs! Featured Speaker is Deacon John Gresham

Fellowship Meal to follow.

On Wednesdays throughout Great Lent, beginning this Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., we will gather together for the beautiful Lenten Service of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. You are welcome to bring a Lenten dish to share for a pot luch supper to follow.

On the first five Fridays during Great Lent, we will celebrate the beautiful service of the Salutations to the Theotokos beginning this Friday at 7:00 p.m. (Please note, there will be no Salutations on March 29th)

This Sunday we change our clocks for Daylight Saving Time, which means we will lose one hour sleep on Saturday night. Please adjust accordingly so that you are not late for Sunday services!

Next week, following the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., we will have a Lenten Pot Luck supper and Fr. Milton will offer a brief study on the Feasts of the Lord. The supper and study will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m.

As a way to raise revenue for St. Demetrios, we are undertaking a new effort that will require everyone pitching in. Each third Friday of the month, we will host for the greater Williamsburg community, a FISH FRY from 5 - 7 p.m. Please tell your friends and if you are willing to help, contact Elpitha Paparis at 757-784-6027.

The Ladies of St. Demetrios will host a garage sale in the Paparis Hall on March 23rd.  Those who wish to participate and have items to give, please bring them to the Hellenic Center on Sunday.

The planning has begun for the Spring festival May 17-19.  If you are interested in volunteering please contact Demetra Emmanouil 757-880-1451 or email dpemmanouil@gmail.com

We are commencing a new effort to share the responsibility of providing simple, fast-breaking refreshments and coffee after Divine Liturgy on Sundays. We will be asking individual families to provide. Elpitha Paparis will call and ask, going through the parish roster, when it is your turn.  However, feel free to call her and volunteer at 784-6027 .  

This Sunday: 

...the family and friends of Areti Hazangelis who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, March 2nd. She was the mother of Christina Kokolis. She will be laid to pious rest on Thursday, March 7th in Lancaster, PA.

May their memory be eternal.

...to Lisa Jones on the Chrismation into the Orthodox Faith of her mother, Mrs. Almira Dale Jones, on February 27th. She took the name Olga. Godmother is Elli Williams.

May God grant her health and peace! 

...but he is not a mind reader.  If you are sick and hospitalized, or have any other pastoral or sacramental need, do not hesitate to call him.  Fr. Gianulis can always be reached by calling the church phone number, 220-0994.  If he is not in, leave a message and it will be delivered to his cell phone.

Have you visited us on Facebook? Like us at 

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=saint%20demetrios%20greek%20orthodox%20church%20-%20williamsburg%20va.

Thank you to Presbytera Connie for keeping the page up to date, relevant and interesting. Presbytera Connie will not longer be managing this page. If you are interested in helping in the future, please contact Charlie Stayton.