PROTOCOLS FOR OUR PARISH:

Parishioners will no longer have to pre-register to attend church services.  Attendance will be on a first come, first served basis. WE ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR PARISHIONERS TO WEAR MASKS INDOORS. All unvaccinated parishioners must continue to wear protective masks indoors. The last two rows of pews in the church will be reserved as “Social Distance” seating with a mask requirement.

Website Links:  Visit the church's website at www.stgeorgeclifton.org for our 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.  Please join us after the Divine Services in our DOWNSTAIRS HALL for Hospitality Hour. 

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.  

Liturgical Schedule: 

Sunday, August 29^th – Beheading of St. John the Baptist……..Orthros & Div. Liturgy 8:30AM   

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.  

Mark Your Calendar:

CANCELLED: Sunday, September 12^th ……..Metropolis of NJ Holy Cross Celebration in Asbury Park, NJ – All parishes will be open and celebrating Liturgy

Saturday, September 18^th ……Blessing of the Animals – 10:00am

Sunday, September 19^th ……..Ministry Registration Sunday

Thursday, September 16^th ……Greek School Classes Begins

Sunday, September 26^th……….Sunday School Begins

Sunday, October 17^th …………..100^th Anniversary Gala at the Hanover Manor  

Greek Fire Relief Appeal from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros: 

“I am calling upon every parish across our sacred Archdiocese to take-up a special collection (a special tray will be passed today) for this purpose. I ask that the Parish Councils forward the collected funds immediately to the Archdiocese, so that they may be deployed as expeditiously as possible. Furthermore, a portal has been created on the Archdiocese website(www.goarch.org), where anyone can make a direct donation to this noble cause. One hundred percent of your contributions will be given directly to those impacted most by the fires.”

100^th Anniversary Gala Raffle Tickets: 

Please support our efforts and join us at our 100^th Anniversary Gala where the raffle drawing will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2021. Tickets will be sold for $25 each or one book of 5 tickets for $100!  Tickets are available at the church office and during coffee hour.  Winner need not be present.   

GOYA ATHLETICS – JOIN US! 

We hope that everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer!  The GOYA athletic season is approaching and in preparation, we have begun scheduling girls volleyball and boys basketball practices for later this month.  All 7^th to 12^th grade girls and boys who are interested in (or considering) participating in GOYA volleyball or basketball are welcome to come and play or just find out more about our program.  No prior experience is necessary.  Practices will take place in the St. George gym as follows:  

Girls Volleyball 

Friday, August 27^th              7:30 – 9:00 pm 

Tuesday, August 31^st           8:00 – 9:30pm 

Wednesday, Sept. 1^st           7:00 – 8:30pm   

Boys Basketball 

Thursday, August 26^th         7:30 – 9:00 pm 

Tuesday, August 31^st           6:30 – 8:00 pm 

Thursday, September 2^nd     7:30 – 9:00 pm  

Please spread the word to potentially new GOYAns.  We are looking forward to seeing both new and old faces!  

St. George Greek School:

Classes will begin on Thursday, September 16, 2021 starting with an Agiasmo blessing that day. We will return to in person instruction starting in September, and we are all looking forward to welcoming all of our returning and new students!  Registration forms can be dropped off at the church office or mailed in with your payments.  

St. George GOYA 2021 – REGISTRATION IS OPEN: 

We are happy to announce that GOYA registration is now open!  In addition to our returning GOYAns, we look forward to welcoming new members to the GOYA Ministry.  Orthodox Christian teenagers, who are in 7^th through 12^th grade are eligible and welcome to participate. GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association), is the ministry to Orthodox Christian teenagers for the purpose of fellowship, worship, service, and witness. The goal is to create a place where young people come to learn and grow as Orthodox Christians through a program of athletics, retreats, outreach and social activities.   GOYA families must be stewards of St. George.  GOYAns are required to attend the Divine Liturgy and Sunday Church School regularly and on time at St. George. Our kickoff meeting is scheduled for September 27^th.  More information to follow. For questions or to be added to our email list please contact us at:  GOYA@StGeorgeClifton.org. 

Church School Volunteers: 

We remain indebted and are thankful for our dedicated teaching staff who have stepped up and done an amazing job offering online religious education classes for our students during an unprecedented year.  As we plan ahead and anticipate a more traditional Church School year in September, we are reaching out for volunteers to join our team. No teaching experience is needed to help make a difference in the life of a child!  All are welcome. Please email us at: churchschool@stgeorgeclifton.org if you are interested or would simply like more information. Thank you!  

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.

St. Paraskevi Philoptochos “Adopt a School Initiative”: 

We will be collecting/purchasing basic school supplies to support the Dawn Treader Christian School, an underprivileged school, in Paterson for children who are less fortunate. We will be given a closet on the school premise that we hope to fill and keep supplied with the necessary supplies that the students will need during the school year. Some of the supplies that we hope to stock are backpacks, glue sticks, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, loose leaf paper, 3 ring binders, construction paper, crayons, markers, highlighters, scissors, rulers, protractors, calculators, index cards, basic math flashcards, tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and will add to the success of this new initiative. Please drop your school supplies in the hall outside the back-office door in the boxes provided by September 12, 2021. Thank you for your continued support! For more information, contact: Denise Cecchini at 201-406-2827 or Phyllis Magiros at 201-602-0632. 

Philoptochos Clergy Laity Fundraiser for The Samaritan Women Institute and Shelter: 

On September 20, 2021 the New Jersey Metropolis Clergy Laity and Philoptochos Conference will be held at the Venetian, Garfield, New Jersey. Ms. Linda Blackiston, from the Samaritan Women Institute and Shelter, will be our guest speaker. She will be speaking to us and answering questions about HUMAN TRAFFICKING and its effects on today' s society.  In lieu of giving a customary honorarium to our guest, we are asking each chapter to assist the Samaritan Women with their mission.  We are asking our sisters and fellow parishioners to consider donating to this worthy cause by purchasing a gift card. In their 2021 In-Kind Donations Needs, the following establishments are suggested: Panera, Staples, Walmart, Dunkin Donuts, Chick Fill A, Target, Uber or Lyft gift cards. Recommended denomination of Gift cards is $25.00. However, any amount would be greatly appreciated.  If you choose to donate a gift, there will be a box in the church office available for you to leave your donations.  Please bring the gift cards no later than Sunday, September 19, 2021. Thank you and God bless you all!  For more information, contact: Denise Cecchini at 201-406-2827 or Phyllis Magiros at 201-602-0632.

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. 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.  

Feast Day Flower Donations:  

During the Ecclesiastical year, our Church comes alive with many Liturgical services. It is customary in our faith to decorate icons used during special Feast Day services with flowers. We encourage our parishioners to offer a special contribution for this purpose. Your donation is a unique and appropriate way to remember your departed friends and relatives, as well as an expression of love on behalf of your family and prayers for your beloved ones. Donations are now being accepted for the following Feast Day celebrations:   

• September 14 – Elevation of the Holy Cross              $100
• November 9 – St. Nectarios the Wonderworker         $500  

            Thank you in advance for your flower donations.   

Choir News: 

Our St. George Choir is seeking volunteers to join us in September.  So if you love to sing and want to enhance our Sunday services with your voice, please contact Angelo Duvlaris (aduvo@optonline.net) or Yiannis Magiros (yannis52@verizon.net) for more details.  Prior knowledge of Greek is not necessary.