PROTOCOLS FOR OUR PARISHES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19:
Except where these GOMNJ Reopening Guidelines are more restrictive, each Parish must also follow the orders and directives of their State, County, and Local Authorities. Regulations NOW allow us to safely socially distance a maximum of 140 people in our Church.
PARISH SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:
- Parishioners must wear protective masks throughout the Service.
- There are to be no gatherings of any kind after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.
- There will be no access for parishioners to enter other buildings or areas, other than where the Liturgy is being celebrated, except for use of the restroom.
- Parishioners must sanitize their hands upon entering the Church.
- Parishioners upon entry must register their attendance with their full names and contact information.
- Parishioners must adhere to the social distancing guidelines of keeping a 6 foot distance from other parishioners at all times in the pews and throughout the Church. The only exception being for families that have quarantined together, as they will be able to sit together in a designated section of the Church.
- Parishioners are not to wander in the Church, in the Parish facilities, or outside on the parish grounds.
- Parishioners must leave the Church premises, including the parking lot and exterior grounds, upon conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.
- The traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion will not be changed.
Parishioners MUST register online at St. George's website in order to attend services. Please visit stgeorgeclifton.org and click on "CHURCH SERVICE RSVP" on the home page. The deadline to register for Sunday services is by Friday at 12:00pm. Orthros will begin at 8:30 am and the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. If you have difficulty registering online, please call the Church office at 973.779.2626 to register.
Follow us on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Stgeorgeclifton.org/ or on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJEO_34m3S9yKpiFfzZQo5A or visit the church's website at www.stgeorgeclifton.org for online streaming links. To find the prayers for each service and to follow along, go to agesinitiatives.com.
To light a candle or make a donation follow this link https://st-george-greek-orthodox-churchand-the-shrine-of-st-nectarios.square.site/.
The mission of our beloved parish of St. George is to put into practice our Orthodox faith for our spiritual growth while creating fellowship and ministries for all the faithful. It should be our mission to spread the word of the Gospel and build harmony and love within the community and be the example of our Orthodox faith for our youth.
Memorial Services Today For:
Ronald Corrado - 40 days
May his memory be eternal.
Liturgical Schedule:
Saturday, March 6th – 1st Saturday of Souls………................Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30PM
Saturday, March 13th – 2nd Saturday of Souls……….............Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30PM
Monday, March 15th – Compline …………………………………………………………...6:30PM
Wednesday, March 17th – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy…………………………………………6:00PM
Friday, March 19th – Salutations to the Theotokos………………………………………..6:30PM
Saturday, March 20th – 3rd Saturday of Souls…………………Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30AM
Communion Guidelines:
Baptized and Chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared, according to the Holy Orthodox Church guidelines, may receive Holy Communion. Please allow families with young children to receive Holy Communion first and wait for the ushers to dismiss your row.
Holy Confession:
If you wish to partake in the Sacrament of Holy Confession, please feel free to call the Church office or Fr. Peter to arrange a time.
Blessing of Homes and Businesses:
If you would like to have your home or business blessed by Father Peter, please contact the Church office to schedule a visit.
Mark Your Calendar:
Tuesday, March 2nd………... Orthodox Christian Adult Education Class via ZOOM at 7:00PM
Wednesday, March 3rd…..….Orthodox Life Institute via ZOOM at 7:00PM
Thursday, March 4th….……. "Bedtime Bible Stories" via ZOOM at 6:30PM
Adult Bible Study via ZOOM at 7:00PM
Friday, March 5th ……………HOPE & JOY Apokriatiko Celebration via ZOOM at 6:30PM
Sunday, March 7th ………….Meatfare Sunday Souvlaki Fundraiser – 11:30AM – 3:00PM
Monday, March 15th ………..Clean Monday – Lent Begins
Sunday Memorials, Artoclasias and Other Blessings:
Please inform the church office well in advance of Sunday mornings for all memorials, artoclasias, 40 day blessings and other blessings so as not to disrupt the Divine Liturgy. If any requests or lists of names are received after the Great Entrance they will have to wait until the following Sunday.
****Additionally, in order to preserve the sanctity of the Divine Liturgy, please wait to light candles in the St. Nectarios Chapel at the correct time. If one arrives after the Great Entrance, they will have to wait until the end of Liturgy, while the Andithoron is being given out, to light candles in the Chapel.
St. Paraskevi Philoptochos Sandwich Sunday:
Sandwich Sundays, was begun with the goal of preparing sandwiches for the homeless. We try to make a minimum of 225 sandwiches each time. Anyone interested in making a donation to defray the cost, please complete a donation form and return it to the office. It is a wonderful way to remember a loved one, or a special occasion. This month's Sandwich Sunday is being sponsored by Nick and Lisa Marcopulos in memory of John and Kalomera Hariton and by Stella Cosmas in memory of her husband, Steve. Feeding the hungry is an important tenet of our mission to help the needy.
Orthodox Christian Adult Education (Chrismation) Class:
Fr. Peter will be offering the final class, through ZOOM, on Tuesday, March 2nd from 7:00pm - 8:30pm. This is a class based on the fundamentals of the Orthodox Church and will also include Bible Fellowship and discussion as well. This is an excellent opportunity for Orthodox Christians as well as non-Orthodox Christians to receive additional instruction about the Orthodox Christian Church. It is also for those who are considering being baptized or chrismated into the Orthodox faith.
HOPE & JOY Apokriatiko Celebration:
Join us via ZOOM on Friday, March 5th at 6:30pm, in celebrating the Apokriatiko tradition and the start of the Lenten season. Come dressed with your favorite costume for lots of games and dancing. This event is for children ages 5-11 years old. For more information and to RSVP, email Fotoula Anastasopoulos at foto1081@gmail.com.
Saturday of Souls:
This year Saturday of Souls is on March 6th, 13th and 20th. Please bring your own dish of Koliva to the church by 8:45am and place it on the table and submit your list of names with your offering. If you would like to order Koliva, we are asking for a contribution of $20 per order which will be for a large communal tray of Koliva. Please contact the church office and make arrangements by Thursday before the Saturday of Souls. 973-779-2626 or office@stgeorgeclifton.org.
Lenten Lecture Series:
During the first 5 Wednesdays of Lent, immediately following the service of Pre-sanctified Liturgy, Fr. Peter will conduct a Lenten lecture via ZOOM at 7:00PM. Those attending the Liturgy are welcome to remain in church for the presentation.
Oratorical Festival – March 28th:
The St. George parish Oratorical Festival is scheduled to take place on March 28th. The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is a wonderful program for teenagers where they develop a short speech about their faith from approved topics. We are planning a small, in-person event where all 7th – 12th graders are welcome to participate. Registration is online through the following link: https://religioused.formstack.com/forms/sjcof_participant. Church School teachers are available and eager to assist with speechwriting. Topics, along with hints and resources for preparing a speech can be found at https://www.goarch.org/ORATORICAL. If anyone has any questions, would like more information or assistance with a speech, please email stgeochsch@gmail.com or contact Morfia Sokolic at msokolic@verizon.net.
St. George Greek School News:
The GOARCH Department of Greek Education has composed a contest aiming to encourage students to explore the portrayal of the Greek Revolution in America during 1821. Participants will be researching the theme using literature, music and art of the times. Contest categories range for students from Grades 7 to college age students. Please see flyer at end of bulletin for more details; deadline submission date is March 14, 2021.
Sponsor A Day Program:
As a church community, it is our ambitious goal to meet our operating budget through Stewardship. It is estimated that the operating expenses of our church average to be $1,400 per steward/family. If this average were to be reached, then the Church would be able to pay all its bills only with Stewardship donations. All other funds collected from candles, trays, raffles, fundraisers, etc. could be used towards capital improvements. One way to bridge the gap is through our “Sponsor a Day” program. We encourage our parishioners to select a day that has special meaning to them like a birthday, feast day, anniversary or a memorial and make a $250 donation. We would like to thank Militsa Phillips for sponsoring February 22nd in memory of Peter Phillips. Remember that as Orthodox Christians, we are also stewards of our Church family – those with whom we worship, fellowship and serve the community. In the same way that we care for our immediate family, we also care for our Christian brothers. For more information about the program, speak to one of our Parish Council members, Ministry Leaders or call the church office.
Virtual Bedtime Bible Stories & Adult Bible Study With Fr. Peter:
Fr. Peter will have his "Bedtime Bible" storytelling for our youth in grades Pre-K to 4th grade on Thursdays at 6:30PM. Following at 7:00PM we will continue with our Adult Bible Study. We will notify everyone through a separate email to join the meetings with a ZOOM invitation so that all the faithful can join us in learning.
Orthodox Life Institute:
We have moved our lessons online to Wednesday nights at 7:00pm through ZOOM. If you would like to join us virtually, send your email address and contact information to Lisa Marcopulos at lmarcopul@gmail.com and we will send you the ZOOM invitation. Dr. Peter Salierno and the class has completed the Book of Enoch and will now continue with the study of the four novellas in the Old Testament which are the books of Judith, Deborah, Ruth and Esther.
Leontarakis Family Scholarship:
The NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission is proud to announce its 2021 inaugural Essay Writing Scholarship. Developed with the NJ Department of State, this essay contest is open to all NJ High School students and brings with it $3,000 in scholarship awards. Through the generosity of the Leontarakis Family, the winning essay will receive the $2,000 Gus Leontarakis Hellenism Award and the runner up will receive the $1,000 Irene Leontarakis Agape Award. The Awards will be presented and the NJ Greek Independence Day reception on March 27, 2021. Please see the flyer in this bulletin for more information.
Church Office:
For all matters, please make sure to call the office directly or send and email rather than using texts or various forms of social media. Office hours are from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday. So please leave a message and we will respond as soon as possible. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.