Sunday Bulletin - St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2026-10-25
Bulletin Contents

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Sunday Bulletin - St. George Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (651) 222-6220
  • Street Address:

  • 1111 Summit Ave

  • St. Paul, MN 55105


Contact Information










Services Schedule

Welcome!

We hope that you will make this your spiritual home. Connect with us on our website, Facebook page, YouTube, or sign-up for our email list at https://tinyurl.com/yc3tp29w.

Worship Sunday Orthros 8:15 am & Divine Liturgy 9:30 am

Schedule Holy Confession or a Meeting with Fr. Perry www.calendly.com/frperry

Weekday Services (www.stgeorgegoc.org/calendar)

Streaming

youtube.com/c/stgeorgestpaul

Fellowship Hour Sunday following Divine Liturgy

Office Hours Tuesdays 10:30 am-3:30 pm & Wednesdays 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

Our Mission St. George Greek Orthodox Church is a Christ-centered community that: inspires faith and worship, cultivates spiritual growth and fellowship, and encourages benevolence and outreach.

Our Vision Ascending together to the fullness of Life.

Give Online at https://onrealm.org/StGeorgeStPaul/give/online


Past Bulletins


Calendar

  • Parish Calendar

    October 25 to November 1, 2026

    Sunday, October 25

    +6th Sunday of Luke

    8:15AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM No Church School Classes Today

    11:00AM Greek School OXI Day Presentation

    Monday, October 26

    +St. Demetrios

    5:00PM Great Vespers

    6:00PM Orthros

    7:00PM Divine Liturgy

    Tuesday, October 27

    6:00PM Parish Council Meeting

    Wednesday, October 28

    +Holy Protection - Oxi Day

    +Fast Day

    Friday, October 30

    +Fast Day

    Saturday, October 31

    9:00AM Zoom Coffee Hour with Fr. Perry

    Sunday, November 1

    Patriarchate Sunday

    +Sts. Kosmas & Damianos

    5th Sunday of Luke

    8:15AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM Church School



Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 4th Tone

The women disciples of the Lord, having learned from the Angel the joyous news of the Resurrection and having rejected the ancestral decision, then told the apostles elatedly: Death has been stripped of its power; Christ God has risen, granting to the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion for Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius in the 4th Tone

Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Apolytikion for St. George in the 4th Tone

As the deliverer of captives, and the protector of the poor, a physician of the sick, the defender of kings, O Great Martyr Saint George Victorious; intercede to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 2nd Tone

The protection of Christians unshameable, intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering, do not turn from the prayerful cries of those who are in sin; instead, come to us, for you are good; your loving help bring unto us, who are crying in faith to you: Hasten to intercession and speed now to supplication as a protection for all time, Theotokos, for those who honor you.


Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

21st Sunday after Pentecost
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20

Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


Gospel Reading

6th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 8:26-39

At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.




Announcements

Greeters

Theodora Bischof and Robert Hattling

Prosfora

Krisandrea Ballas

Fellowship Hour

Thank you AHEPA for hosting today's fellowship hour!

Church School Information

Classes Meeting Upstairs After Holy Communion (as usual):

PreK–K: Fr. Perry’s Office
1st–3rd:  Conference Room

 Classes Meeting After Dismissal & Antithoron:

4th–6th: Church Sanctuary - Right Side when facing Altar
7th–9th: Quiet Room
10th–12th: Church Sanctuary - Left Side when facing Altar

Please refer to the Church School calendar for the full schedule and important dates throughout the year. Please register your children using this link: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdeUDEixZZevXOrnJS3SdTxFDzN5lUIUK3XnYurs6wvcO_G3Q/viewform

Temporary Office Hours

Our Church Office is open Tuesdays 10:30 am-3:30 pm and Wednesdays 10:30 am-1:30 pm until our admin, Sofia, returns in January. If you plan to stop by, please call ahead or set up a time with Andrea, who is volunteering in the office while Sofia is remote. Thank you, Andrea! You can reach Andrea at the church phone number (651) 222-6220 or [email protected]. While Sofia is working remotely, you can email her at [email protected].

If you have an emergency or pressing need, please call Fr. Perry at (651) 908-2208 or email him at [email protected].

To set up a meeting with Fr. Perry, please use this link: www.calendly.com/frperry. Thank you for your patience during this transitional time for our Church Office.

Calling all Priest Kids "PKs"

Fr. Perry is compiling a list of our St. George parishioners who are the children of priests. Please text him at (651) 908-2208 or email him at [email protected] if your father was a priest. Thank you.

Announcements after Liturgy

To share the most effective announcement, please keep the following in mind:

-Keep your announcement brief

-Make sure you speak loudly and clearly; keep the microphone close

-Remember your announcement is being livestreamed on YouTube

-Please reference the page in the bulletin where people can find more information

-Announcement time is reserved only for church-related events

Announcements are a vital way we spread the word about our St. George events. Thank you to all who continue to help with this critical work.

Teens with FOCUS

FOCUS MN has a new teen program called Teens with FOCUS.  This program was initiated and is led by high school students,  Their goal is to increase the opportunities for  teens to volunteer at FOCUS.  If you are interest in learning more and being notified of upcoming service opportunities, please sign up using the QR code below or with the link here: https://forms.gle/aVizY2at63A72GiC6

 

Sunday Best Coffee Fall Sales

In conjunction with phyllo dough pickup, the Ladies of Philoptochos are pleased to offer Sunday Best Coffees for purchase on Sunday, October 25 and Sunday, November 1. Items available include 12 oz bags of Yiayia and Papou coffee blends in both whole bean and ground.

Through November 1, we will also be taking pre-orders for all Sunday Best coffee items, including decafs, single serve PODS, and bulk items. See order form at the back of the Bulletin. Pre-orders will be available for pickup on Sunday, November 15th and Sunday, November 22th.

Their beautifully packaged coffee and signature mugs make wonderful gifts for hostesses, teachers, friends, neighbors, Thanksgiving gatherings, fall birthdays, and early Christmas shopping.

Treat yourself to a bag, pick up a mug, or create a cozy fall coffee gift for someone special. Gift wrapping available.

Sip. Share. Give.
Enjoy a heavenly cup of coffee while supporting the charitable ministries of Philoptochos. Thank you for your support!

Vigil for St. Demetrios

Join us for a vigil commemorating the feast of St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki on Monday, October 26. Great Vespers will begin at 5:00 pm, followed by the festal Orthros, Divine Liturgy, and the blessing of the 5 Loaves (Artoklasia). Services will last until around 9:00 pm. If you cannot make it for the entire service, stop by after work to say a prayer and light a candle. May St. Demetrios and St. Nestor pray to the Lord for us all.

Greek School - Fall 2026

Registration is now open for St. George Greek School! Greek School is open to PreK–12 students and adults and is a great way to learn Greek while connecting with Greek language and culture. Everyone is welcome! The Fall session will run Wednesdays from 6:00–7:30 PM, with 7 sessions from October 28–December 16. There will be Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions throughout the year.

Registration is free, though donations are welcome to help cover textbooks, supplies, costumes, and food. Please register each student separately. Questions? Contact Joanna at [email protected]. Here is the registration link below: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeM3le4o3R5cjqyzLhnOSxhleXfyI87sRnaH_8NCtsGyiUVA/viewform

Parish Council Application

St. George is now accepting applications for the upcoming Parish Council elections. If you are interested in serving our parish and supporting the continued growth and ministry of our church, we encourage you to review and complete the Parish Council application available at the back of the Bulletin or in the Weekly emails.

Application Deadline: November 4, 2026, by 3:00 PM

Please submit your completed application to Fr. Perry at [email protected] or deliver it to the Church Office. We must receive all applications by the deadline, either by email or in the office. Thank you for your prayerful consideration and willingness to serve our church community!

Masquerade & Merlot: An Evening of Wine, Masks, and Giving

Join the Medical Crisis Program on Thursday, October 29, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis for Masquerade & Merlot, an enchanting fundraising evening featuring the exquisite Lanchava Collection of Georgian Wines. Enjoy a memorable night of wine, fellowship, and giving while supporting a meaningful cause! Admission: $65 general | $55 seniors | $120 couples

St. Mary's OCA, 1701 5th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 - Purchase your tickets by scanning the QR code or using the link below:
https://givebutter.com/masquerade-and-merlot-x1qqgw

FOCUS Dinner Service

We plan to serve the St. George chicken meal Sunday, November 1st. This will be our 'usual' dinner, but at a new location. FOCUS moved to serving their Sunday night meals at Christ on Capital Hill, 105 University Avenue W. We need volunteers from 4:30 to 6:30- ish. We hope you can come out to help- be part of something old, and new! Please sign up using the link below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49ADA623A0FCC70-66859318-november

Fr. John Strickland: Finding Meaning and Hope

Join us at St. Mary’s OCA on Friday, December 4, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. for an evening with Fr. John Strickland, priest at St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church in Poulsbo, Washington, and author of The Age of Nihilism. Fr. John will speak on “Finding Meaning and Hope in a Time of Division and Uncertainty,” drawing from his book The Age of Nihilism.

Friday, December 4, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
St. Mary’s OCA
1701 5th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Loaves and Fishes

Another successful meal service! A special thank you to our dedicated volunteers who all made it out for our Monday night meal service after a full weekend of working at the Mini Greek Festival! We've had this first-Monday/even-month meal slot for 'ever,' and we didn't let a little fatigue break the tradition. Our next and final meal for 2026 will be Monday, December 7th. Save the date and consider volunteering to keep this 38-year tradition alive!

Help with Coffee Hour!

Fellowship is better because of you! We have many openings in the coming weeks and would love to have you join the fun. Grab your family, invite a friend, sign up solo, or email Andrea Faches if you would like to sponsor without set-up and serving. Bring cookies, snacks, or simple finger foods and juice for 80–100 people, and we’ll take care of the coffee! Scan the QR code or use the link to sign up! Questions? See Andrea Faches

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CA5AD2BABFF2-46964197-fellowship

Save the Date: St. George Family Basketball Tournament

Mark your calendars for February 5–7, 2027, for the St. George Family Basketball Tournament! Start planning now for this exciting weekend of basketball and fellowship. More information about the tournament will be shared as details become available.

For any questions about the tournament or other basketball-related activities, please contact Basil Paraschou at [email protected]

Hall Construction Updates

Thank you for your continued support of our Capital Project! We are happy to announce that we have worked through the kitchen revisions and are moving forward with the project as a whole. Over the past two weeks, Summit Avenue access has reopened, and the north side canopy has been installed and roofed, with pillar finish work remaining. Electrical and gas work in the kitchen are now underway, with drywall to follow once that work is complete. Classroom demolition has also commenced, with electrical outlet installation, drywall, and skim coating to follow. Additionally, the monument sign design is complete, with the final lettering still under review. We are proceeding with drywall throughout along with the welding of the mullions over the doors. We are grateful for your continued patience and support as construction progresses!

FOCUS Food Shelf Volunteers Needed

FOCUS runs a food shelf on the 3rd and 5th Saturdays of the month. Our parish, along with all the other Orthodox Parishes in town, have done a great job of keeping FOCUS supplied with non-perishable food items. THANK YOU!!! Would you like to also be a part of the Saturday morning distributions? Volunteers are needed 9:30 am to noon. Having adequate numbers of volunteers keeps the event running efficiently so that we don’t have to turn away any hungry people.

You would be joining a great team, meeting the recipients face-to-face, and would have the satisfaction of spending a few hours on a Saturday morning helping our neighbors feed their families. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Woods at [email protected]. You can sign up by scanning the QR below:

2026 Stewardship Goal

$198,333 of $315,000 (through August)

Make Your 2026 Stewardship Pledge Online

https://onrealm.org/StGeorgeStPaul/-/form/pledge/stewardship2026

Make a Stewardship Donation Online

https://onrealm.org/StGeorgeStPaul/give/online 

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Please Note

St. George GOC broadcasts its worship services live online and has security cameras throughout the building. Your presence in the church may be recorded on audio and video.

Let's Connect!

St. George has moved to a new social media platform designed specifically for parish life. Here, we communicate more dynamically regarding specific ministries, events, and stewardship. For those who haven't, please use the QR code here to sign up! If you have any questions or have issues, please contact Sofia at [email protected].

Prosfora (Offering Bread)

Thank you to those who make the prosfora/offering bread for Liturgy. If you would like to sign up to bake and make an offering of bread to the church, please get in touch with Krisandrea.

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” John 6:27

Content for the Bulletin

All content for the bulletin (flyers, blurbs, calendar events, etc.) is due Wednesday each week. Please send all bulletin content to Sofia at [email protected]. Content submitted after Wednesday will be included in the bulletin for the following week.

Reimbursements

To our ministry leaders and volunteers, please save receipts when making purchases for church activities. A reminder that reimbursement forms are located on the tower outside of the admin and treasurer’s office. Please make sure to submit the form with a copy of your receipt (you keep the original receipt). Finally, please make sure to submit for reimbursement contemporaneous with the expense(s). Although we do not have a set cutoff date for reimbursements, please do your best to have all prior year reimbursements submitted before the end of January of the following year. Please contact Lani if you have any questions at [email protected].

Reminder

This is a friendly reminder that the church office is closed during church services. Ministry meetings/activities are also not scheduled during church services. Thank you.



Wisdom of the Fathers

For if we, going about on the earth which is familiar and well known to us, being encompassed with a body, when we are journeying in a strange road, know not which way to go unless we have some one to lead us; how should the soul, being rent away from the body, and having gone out from all her accustomed region, know where to walk without one to show her the way?
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 28 on Matthew 8, 4th Century

Some say, 'Why do they [demons] possess people?' I answer those who wish to have this explained that the reason of these things is very deep. Somewhere one of His saints addressed God by saying, 'Your judgments are a vast abyss.' As long as we bear this in mind, we will perhaps not miss the mark.
St. Cyril of Alexandria
Commentary on Luke, Homily 44. (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture; vol 3: Luke, Intervarsity Press)



Welcome Visitors!

Thank you for joining us in worship. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us! Although Holy Communion is offered only to baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) at the end of the service. The Antidoron and fellowship hour are reminiscent of the Agape Feast that followed worship in the early Church.

Visitors and inquirers, please do not worry if you do not understand or follow all of our practices at your first few visits to our church (when to stand, when to kneel, venerate icons, or the priest's hand, cross yourself, etc.), it takes time to learn these traditions. Watch what others do, and when you are ready, you can follow their example.

One does not have to be of Greek descent nor speak Greek to be an Orthodox Christian and member of our parish. All people of any background are welcome to join the Orthodox Church. For those interested in learning more about the Christian Faith or becoming a member of our church, please see Fr. Perry after services or contact him at [email protected] or (651) 222-6220.

We hope you will join us in our hall upstairs this morning after services for fellowship and refreshments!

______________________

Becoming an Orthodox Christian

For those interested in becoming an Orthodox Christian, here is the basic process: 1. Come to Divine Liturgy, 2. Complete our MEOCCA Catechism Program in the spring or the fall (register by emailing [email protected] or visit this link https://meocca.org/our-faith/cooperative-catechism), 3. Meet with Fr. Perry (schedule a meeting at this link https://calendly.com/frperry/). Fr. Perry will go through more specific details when you meet. We hope that you will make St. George your spiritual home.

______________________

Orthodox Worship

To our beloved guests, welcome to St. George. As you visit an Orthodox Church for the first few times, it’s important to remember that Orthodox Worship Services were designed to challenge us. For example, the services may be longer and at a slower pace than we are used to. The length of the service helps us grow in wakefulness and vigilance. "Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak'” Matthew 26:40-41.

In our ever-changing, fast-paced world, we struggle to maintain the attention span of a goldfish. The worship of the early Church is the remedy to this problem. The Divine Liturgy and our other worship services are an invitation to turn off the noise, slow down the pace, and, like Mary (the sister of Martha), sit at the feet of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you struggle with your attention span in the first few services (or for years!), stick with it. Through our continued effort, God grants us growth in the ability to experience quiet, stillness, and prayer. Through our endurance, and above all, by His Grace, our regular participation in worship helps us to “lay aside the cares of life that we may receive the King of all."



Saints and Feasts

October 26

Demetrios the Myrrh-streamer & Great Martyr of Thessaloniki

Saint Demetrius was a Thessalonian, a most pious son of pious and noble parents, and a teacher of the Faith of Christ. When Maximian first came to Thessalonica in 290, he raised the Saint to the rank of Duke of Thessaly. But when it was discovered that the Saint was a Christian, he was arrested and kept bound in a bath-house. While the games were under way in the city, Maximian was a spectator there. A certain friend of his, a barbarian who was a notable wrestler, Lyaeus by name, waxing haughty because of the height and strength of his body, boasted in the stadium and challenged the citizens to a contest with him. All that fought with him were defeated. Seeing this, a certain youth named Nestor, aquaintance of Demetrius', came to the Saint in the bath-house and asked his blessing to fight Lyaeus single-handed. Receiving this blessing and sealing himself with the sign of the precious Cross, he presented himself in the stadium, and said, "O God of Demetrius, help me!" and straightway he engaged Lyaeus in combat and smote him with a mortal blow to the heart, leaving the former boaster lifeless upon the earth. Maximian was sorely grieved over this, and when he learned who was the cause of this defeat, he commanded straightway and Demetrius was pierced with lances while he was yet in the bath-house, As for Nestor, Maximian commanded that he be slain with his own sword.


October 27

Nestor the Martyr of Thessaloniki

As mentioned in the account concerning Saint Demetrius (October 26), this Saint contested during the reign of Maximian, in the year 290.


October 28

Holy Protection of the Theotokos

The Feast of the Protection commemorates the appearance of the most holy Theotokos in the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople in the tenth century, as recorded in the life of Saint Andrew the Fool for Christ's sake. While the multitudes of the faithful were gathered in church, Epiphanius, the friend of Saint Andrew, through the Saint's prayers, beheld the Virgin Mary above the faithful and spreading out her veil over them, signifying her unceasing protection of all Christians. Because of this we keep a yearly feast of gratitude, imploring our Lady never to cease sheltering us in her mighty prayers.

The Feast is celebrated on October 1. In the 1950s, the Church of Greece began to observe the Feast on October 28.


November 01

Cosmas and Damianos the Holy Unmercenaries and their mother Theodota

These Saints were from Asia (that is, Asia Minor). After the death of their father, their Christ-loving mother Theodota reared them in piety and in all manner of virtue, and had them instructed in every science, especially that of medicine. This became their vocation, and they went about healing every illness and malady, bestowing healing freely on both men and beasts alike; because of this, they are called "Unmercenaries." And thus, having completed the course of their life, they reposed in peace.






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