Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
TODAY IS THE SUNDAY OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
THIS THURSDAY, 21 MAY, IS THE FEAST OF SS. CONSTANTINE AND HELEN Xronia Polla to all those celebrating on this day!
CONGRATULATIONS! Marina Smitherman has been named as our church’s Metropolis of Boston Ministry Award recipient for 2020. We’re grateful to have Marina as a steadfast pillar here at St. George. Thank you for your often quiet, yet faithful, service and love for our Lord Jesus Christ!
LET’S PRAY DAILY That our opportunity to worship together, as a full congregation, in our beautiful temple dedicated to St. George will soon be restored.
IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION during this period of social distancing, please contact Fr. Leo to make an arrangement.
JUST A REMINDER--PRAYERS ARE OFFERED DAILY for all our parish families. Fr. sees it as a sacred duty to pray for us all in the daily services and we thank him for that. Please keep him in your prayers, too.
BIG THANKS FOR PRAYER SUPPORT for all our health care workers from St. George. So far, thank God, everyone working in the field that we’re aware of has remained well. This is certainly a mercy! Let’s continue to ask God to grant all our health care workers health, safety, and discernment to make wise decisions for those entrusted to their care. May each of them and their families continue to be preserved from illness and adversity.
PARISH COUNCIL REQUEST: PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR STEWARDSHIP during these weeks of uncertainty due to Covid-19 concerns. Without the weekly stewardship or tray donations and candle sales, our ability to continue to meet our standing obligations for bill paying is hampered. Please, either mail your stewardship by post or use the Paypal or credit card option (call either Lee or Ambrose for how-to details if you’ve not used this method in the past). We hope and pray that we will be able to worship again in our beloved St. George Church. In the meantime, we only ask that you keep the financial concerns of the parish in mind while we are yet physically separated. Thank you! Special thanks to all of you who have already responded to this call—God bless you and reward your faithfulness!
EXCITING NEWS FROM THE METROPOLIS OF BOSTON SUMMER CAMP
My brothers and sisters in the Household of God,
Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!
For the past 30 years the Metropolis of Boston Camp has been a home away from home for the youth and young adults of our Metropolis. It is a place where they go to retreat from the noise of the world, to find themselves, and to grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a place where wonderful lifelong friendships are formed.
Over the last two months our lives have drastically changed due to the terrible pandemic our world is facing. We have been forced to adapt and implement new practices in all areas of our daily lives. After much consideration, prayer and consultation, we have come to the decision that our Metropolis of Boston Camp program will need to be transformed into a drastically new experience this summer. I am pleased to announce that Fr. Dionysios and our dedicated camp staff are working tirelessly to develop a creative interactive experience which will carry the culture of camp online, offering opportunities for fellowship, meaningful conversations, education, and much more. Our first-ever MBC Virtual Camp experience will take place during the first two weeks of July: Session One – July 6-12. Session Two – July 13-19.
Additionally, with the help of medical and scientific experts, we are closely monitoring the developments in the current fluid situation of the pandemic and examining all possibilities of offering focused, small-group, age-specific, in-person MBC retreats as the summer progresses. We will be in contact as decisions are reached and timelines determined.
I know that you join me in fervently praying that the Risen Lord inspire our doctors and scientists to find a cure for COVID-19 so that we can once again join in worship and fellowship. May the Risen Lord bring healing to all those who are sick and suffering, and rest eternally those who have tragically lost their lives. We pray for all medical workers and first-responders fighting this horrible pandemic.
Praying for the health and well-being of you and all your loved ones, I remain,
With Archpastoral love in the Risen Lord,
+ M E T H O D I O S Metropolitan of Boston
May 14, 2020
Dear Campers and Parents of the Metropolis of Boston Camp,
Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!
I hope and pray that you and your families are safe and healthy during these uncertain times. Please know that the clergy and staff of our Metropolis of Boston Camp have been praying for your continued health and well-being.
As His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios stated in his announcement, due to the current pandemic our Metropolis of Boston Camp program will take on a new and transformed experience this summer. What was planned to be a normal summer, full of laughter and games, s’mores and stargazing, Orthodox Life Sessions, campfires, life changing discussions, encounters with Christ, enriching conversations, and meaningful friendships—a time of tipped canoes, second chances, and life lessons—will now be transformed into an exciting new adventure of our first-ever MBC Virtual Camp experience!
We are very excited to announce Separate…But United our virtual camp experience for this summer! This camp program will allow us to keep our camp culture alive and still participate in the things which make camp camp. Our amazing staff is working very hard to develop creative ways for us to stay connected using the technological means available to us.
We pray that the crippling effects of this virus will subside during the summer months. However, given how quickly the situation changes there are many variables. That is why we have assembled a team to closely monitor the situation and explore the possibility of the Metropolis of Boston Camp hosting small group, age-specific, retreats in addition to our virtual camp experience.
Please see the attached flyer for MBC’s Separate…But United! Registration will open on Thursday, May 21st, 2020 at Noon. I pray that the Risen Lord will bless our interactions, as they take on a new form for this summer.
Praying that our Lord abundantly blesses you and your families, I remain,
With love in the Risen Lord,
+Archdeacon Dionysios Papiris, Director
Metropolis of Boston Camp
CANDLE LIGHTING AVAILABLE Fr. is willing to light a candle(s) for your prayer intentions during his morning prayers. It would be as though you had lit them yourself. See the candle lighting option below the bulletin text.
BOOKSTORE HAS NEW ITEMS Stop by soon and see what we have!
WAYS TO NOURISH YOURSELF SPIRITUALLY AT HOME Use your prayer book regularly, read both morning and night time prayers. After morning prayers, have a little holy water, a piece of dried antidoron (if you have kept some on hand) and anoint yourself with holy oil if you have some. This will help you meet the demands of the day with greater serenity. Read the Scriptures for the day (Daily Scripture Readings app here: https://www.goarch.org/-/daily-reading-app) or find readings at GOA On-line Chapel: https://www.goarch.org/chapel/.
Dear St. George Family,
Please know we are here for you during this oftentimes tedious lock-down period in our nation. Feel free to contact me or Presbytera to share any needs or prayer requests you might have while we are unable to meet as a full congregation at St. George. Here is how to reach us (as a quick reminder)
Fr. Leo 207 385 3000 57frleo@gmail.com
Pres. 207 949 2913 doxa141@gmail.com
I encourage you all to pray at home. We can pray together (while yet apart) and God, Who watches everything, will spiritually strengthen and reward our faith. God willing, the restrictions we now operate under will be lifted soon. God grant it.
RESOURCES:
If you are looking for complete services in English, please send me an email and I will make them available to you: 57frleo@gmail.com
If you prefer having the services in Greek, you can find them at: http://glt.goarch.org find the file under «Καθημερινὲς ἀκολουθίες γιὰ τοὺς Ψάλτες».
Some might prefer to watch the church broadcasts suggested by the Archdiocese https://www.goarch.org/live-broadcasts. Another church not found on the live broadcasts link is Holy Transfiguration GOC in Marietta, GA. Search for them on YouTube. Beautiful services, very fine Byzantine chanting, nice balance of Greek and English.Here is a link for the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVkvqpsyge0
If these churches are not able to broadcast at some point, we will still be able to offer prayers at home. Remember that prayer is both a protection and a weapon—a weapon against sin and evil. In a very real way we are soldiers in God’s army. We have the imagery in the Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 11 and following.
It is easy to give way to fear in times of uncertainty. Let us not do that.
Let us pray for one another, for our nation, our leaders, and our world.
Our prayers matter.
Christ is Risen!
If you want service texts, please let me know. If you have other needs or want to otherwise reach out, we are here for you.
You remain in our prayers.
+Fr. Leo & Pres. Candace
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE - Donations can now be made online.
If you want Fr. Leo to light a candle for you, as though you lit it, during his daily reading of Orthros, click on the candle below.
Yearbook 2019
NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is announcing a new ten-episode video series introducing the faithful to the new Policies for the Safety of Children and Youth. These new resources also include step-by-step checklists designed to help parishioners and communities follow the new guidelines.
The implementation and enforcement of the Policies for the Safety of Children and Youth take another step forward towards the goal of ensuring that every ministry and event is physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe and healthy for the children of all Greek Orthodox Churches in America.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces the creation of the “Greek Orthodox Archdiocese COVID-19 Relief Fund” as an important part of its efforts to support those around the country who have been impacted by the current pandemic.