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.
WE WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR COMMUNITY!
We are grateful that you have joined us for prayer and worship.
Memorial Services Today For:
Constantine Sougelas – 11 years
May his memory be eternal.
The Artoclasia Service today is offered by Mr. & Mrs. D. Sofocleous in honor of the Feastday of the Annunciation of the Theotokos and for the health and well-being of their son Panayioti.
Liturgical Schedule:
Monday, March 29th – Compline ………………………………………………6:30PM
Wednesday, March 31st – Presanctified Liturgy……………………………6:00PM
Friday, April 2nd – 3rd Salutations to the Theotokos………………………6:30PM
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.
Mark Your Calendar:
Sunday, March 28th …………Greek School Independence Day Presentation
Parish Level Oratorical Festival Presentation
Wednesday, March 31st....…..Lenten Lecture Series via ZOOM following Liturgy at 7:30PM
Orthodox Life Institute via ZOOM at 7:00PM
Thursday, April 1st.….…….…"Bedtime Bible Stories" via ZOOM at 6:30PM
Adult Bible Study via ZOOM at 7:00PM
Friday, April 2nd ……………...GOYA Clothing Drive – Last day for drop-off
Sunday, April 4th …………….Lentil Soup Sunday – Pre-order on our website
Sunday, April 25th ……………Palm Sunday
GOYA Lantern Sale – Last Day to order
St. Paraskevi Philoptochos Tsoureki Sale – Preorders Only
Sunday, May 2nd …………….Great and Holy Pascha
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.
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.
St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival:
We are pleased to announce that Vasiliki Diamond will represent St. George in the Junior Division at the District St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival on April 10, 2021. We wish her continued success as she advances to the next level! Vasiliki will deliver her speech today speaking on the parable of The Prodigal Son.
Greek School News:
This Sunday, our Greek school students will be presenting an Independence Day Program. It was an honor for our St. George Greek School to be invited and participate in the virtual celebration and cultural event specially dedicated to "The 200th Year Anniversary of the Greek Revolution" hosted by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Office of Greek Education on Saturday, March 13th. We are grateful and very proud of the students who represented our Greek School. Thank you to our Greek School Director, Mrs. Joyce Logothetis and to our 5th/6th grade teacher, Mrs.Sophie Logothetis, for their dedication and assistance with this event. The link to the entire GOARCH presentation can be found on the church’s FACEBOOK page. This year, March 25, 2021 marks the 200th anniversary of the 1821 Revolution against the Ottomans' rule for over four hundred years, which eventually led to the formation of the modern Greek state. Καλή Σαρακοστή! Χρόνια Πολλα! LongliveourGreece! Zήτω η Eλλάδα μας! Long live our children! Zήτω τα παιδιά μας!
Metropolis of NJ Philoptochos Society’s Social Service Appeal:
This Sunday there will be a special offering tray for this program which has been instrumental in helping less fortunate individuals and families facing hardships. Your contribution will greatly aid the Metropolis of NJ Philoptochos in their philanthropic endeavors.
St. Paraskevi Philoptochos Community Lenten Project:
In our continuing Saint George Community Lenten Project, this week we are collecting baby items for CASA of Passaic County. They are mostly in need of diapers, pull-ups, baby wipes and formula (Similac & Enfamil). Please drop off your donations in the Atrium before or after Liturgy. Next week we are collecting toiletry items to benefit The Passaic County Women’s Center. We thank all of our parishioners and ministries that are supporting these efforts.
St. George’s Kitchen:
The Parish Council would like to thank everyone who made our Fasolada sale a success. We made 3 big pots of fasolada and we sold all 137 quarts. In fact, we had to turn some people away. Our next food offering is Sunday, April 4th and we will be selling Lentil Soup. You can preorder on our website.
Church School In Person Classes:
We are happy to announce our “Lenten Lesson” schedule for in-person church school classes. We are eager to see our students back in church and hope many of you take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Classes are as follows:
April 11th - Sunday of St. John Climacus: Elementary Grades K - 4 will have a lesson about Palm Sunday & the Last Supper.
April 18th - Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt: High School Grades 9 - 12 will have a lesson about Holy Week.
April 24th - Saturday of Lazarus: Middle School Grades 5 - 8 will have a lesson and make Palm Crosses.
Classes will take place in the lower hall immediately following Holy Communion and will last 30-40 minutes. RSVP for each class is required via the church website at http://www.stgeorgeclifton.org. Please note that the registration link opens the Monday before each class and only allows registration for that week. Be sure to indicate the names of the students who will be attending class. COVID protocols will be enforced and masks must be worn at all times. If you haven't done so already, please consider renewing your Church School registration for 2021 or making a donation. The registration fee has been reduced by 50% and is only $20 per family. Your support is greatly needed and will enable us to continue our religious education program under these challenging circumstances. Thank you in advance and we look forward to seeing our youth back in church on Sundays!
Lenten Lecture Series:
During the next 3 Wednesdays of Lent, immediately following the service of Pre-sanctified Liturgy, Fr. Peter will conduct a Lenten lecture via ZOOM at 7:300PM. An email will be sent to the community with the ZOOM information.
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.
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, feastday, anniversary or a memorial and make a $250 donation. We would like to thank Dominick & Barbara Pepe for sponsoring March 28th in memory of their beloved fathers, Constantine Sougelas & Anthony Pepe. 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.
Anastasi Lantern Sale:
The St. George GOYA is selling “Anastasi Lanterns” through Palm Sunday. A beautiful and safe way to transport the Light of the Resurrection home on Holy Saturday night! After Easter, these decorative lanterns can be used year-round both inside and out. Lantern is 8¼” tall and comes with tealight (4hr burn time) ready for use. Lanterns are only $10.00 each and make wonderful gifts! Pre-order yours for pick-up by Holy Week. Lantern sale ends on Palm Sunday so don’t miss out! Our GOYAns will be in the atrium with a sample and available to take lantern orders every Sunday following the Divine Liturgy beginning March 21st. Completed order forms with payment can also be dropped off at the church office.
GOYA Clothing Drive:
Spring is a wonderful time to clean out closets but don’t throw away used clothing and household items. GOYA is hosting a clothing drive through Friday, April 2nd. Drop off is at St. George on the GYM STAGE during normal business hours. All donated items will be packaged and shipped to countries such as Ghana, Guinea, Honduras, Haiti, Ecuador, Belize, Mexico, Chile, parts of the US and Eastern Europe.
Acceptable items:
* Clothing for men, women and children
* Shoes (please package separately)
* Accessories: belts, hats, scarves, handbags, gloves etc.
* Soft household items (i.e. towels, blankets, sheets, pillows, quilts/comforters & curtains)
* Small toys (2 ft. or less in size), Stuffed animals, bikes and scooters
* Car seats (only together with base) and strollers
Unacceptable items:
Sport equipment (bikes and scooters are OK), board games, books, puzzles, pots and pans, electrical devices or glass, large toys, high chairs, baby cribs, VCR tapes, furniture and outdoor play sets. Please help GOYA help others and drop off unwanted items! Email questions to CliftonCorresponding@gmail.com or Elaine Manoliadis at nyke616@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance for your support!
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 are now studying the book of Esther, one of the four novellas in the Old Testament. We will continue with the books of Ruth and Deborah. After the novellas we will be studying the books of the Macabbees.
Open Gym Nights:
St. George is hosting Open Gym Nights for members of our community and their families. Children and young adults ages 12 - 21 are invited to attend. There is a maximum of 15 players per Basketball / Volleyball session plus two adult supervisors. Waivers must be filled out and submitted prior to participating. Temperatures will be taken at the door and masks must be worn when not actively playing a game. Please visit our website at www.stgeoregclifton.org to register.
Tsoureki Sale:
The ladies of the St. Paraskevi Philoptochos will be busy baking traditional troureki for Easter. Only pre-orders will be sold! The cost is $20 each. Please make checks payable to St. Paraskevi Philoptochos. Orders must be received by April 18. Tsoureki will be available for pick-up on Sunday, April 25th after Liturgy. For more information look for the flyer in our electronic bulletin or contact Anthoula Bozios at abozios@optonline.net.
St. Paraskevi Philoptochos Virtual Mother’s Day Fundraiser:
You will be able to send e-cards to all the women in your life: (Mother, Wife, Yiayia, Nouna, Mother-in-Law, Daughter, Daughter-in-Law, First time Mother, Mother-to-Be, Sister, Friend). Show all the women in your life how much they mean to you. Send a thoughtful e-card on Mother’s Day, May 9, 2021 to show your appreciation & support the Philoptochos at the same time. For more details contact pmagiros@verizon.net. Orders are due by Monday, May 3, 2021.
Please visit our Bookstore:
It will be open on Sundays after Liturgy. We have items for your religious needs and if you do not see what you need, we will be glad to special order it for you!