Sunday Morning Orthros/Matins 8:15am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am; Saturday Great Vespers & Weekday Services (see Online Calendar, Sunday Bulletin & Newsletter); Confession (by appointment).
Parish Mission Statement: “St. George Greek Orthodox Church is a Christ-centered
Community that:
Parish Vision Statement: "Ascending together to the fullness of Life"
8:15AM ORTHROS
9:30AM DIVINE LITURGY
10:30AM Virtual Fellowship Hour
4:30PM M&B Meal for FOCUS
LABOR DAY - Office Closed
6:00PM VESPERS
Office Closed
+NATIVITY OF THEOTOKOS
8:00AM ORTHROS
9:00AM LITURGY
7:00PM Evening Bible Study
+FAST DAY
+FAST DAY
8:30AM ORTHROS
9:30AM DIVINE LITURGY
11:00AM Virtual Sunday School
6:00PM VESPERS
+ELEVATION OF THE HOLY CROSS - STRICT FAST DAY
Follow this link to sign up for services on Sunday, September 6 at 8:30/9:30am. Don't forget to BYOC (bring your own coffee) for fellowship in the parking lot after services.
Follow this link to sign up for services on Sunday, September 13 at 8:30/9:30am.
It is with a heavy heart, but with hope in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we share with you the passing of +Marie (Panagoula) Paulos on September 2, 2020.
Click here to join the Zoom Fellowship Hour following Divine Liturgy. You do not have to have Zoom to participate. Those interested may simply call in. Call (312) 626 6799 and enter the Meeting ID: 813 3831 2710
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7pm. We will study St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 2:5-11. Click here to join Zoom Meeting. Meeting ID: 921 7197 7168; Passcode 082216.
In observance of the Labor Day holiday, the office will be closed on Monday-Tuesday, Sept 7-8.
Thank you everyone for filling out the Sunday School registration form and survey. Please keep the registrations coming.
Grades 7th through 12: The virtual start date will be September 13th. Grades 7th through 9th will be taught by Anastasia Mastrogiorgis. Grades 10th through 12th will be taught by Nick Kanavati, Vicky Paraschou and Steve Ryan. As we continue to work through Metropolis protocols, classes will begin virtually.
Grades K through 6th: We are still in the planning process for these grades. The expected start date is late September or early October. Thank you for your feedback and patience as we prepare.
Please contact Aida at aidaabebe1@gmail.com or 651-434-7826 if you have any questions. Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18OjPn_btCpruFFSYEnLiFFQYM5BfPUCLgR6P_9bJt6E/edit.
Please click this link to submit names (first name only) of the living and those who have fallen asleep (add a + in front of the names of those who are deceased) to pray for during Divine Liturgy. The form is found toward the bottom of the page https://stgeorgestpaul.square.site.
Please contact the church office if you would like to offer basil for the upcoming feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross on September 14. Basil can be dropped off (drop-off time arranged with Julie at office@stgeorgegoc.org) during church hours Wednesday-Friday or at Divine Liturgy next Sunday.
To read the current issue: http://stgeorgegoc.org/assets/files/glad-tidings/GladTidings-2020-September.pdf
Our 12-week Fall 2020 catechism class on the basics of Eastern Orthodox Christianity will begin on Tuesday evenings 7-9 pm, starting September 15. The course is open to all; inquirers, those interested in converting to Orthodoxy, those wanting to grow in their faith, etc. Classes will be held virtually via Zoom. If we move to in-person, classes will take place here at St. George. See insert for schedule; register online at https://forms.gle/JuYZfmJGMWEUPpfE6. Feel free to join us for individual classes without registering.
We are thankful to see more folks returning to church! Please remember our Metropolis protocols when planning to participate in worship.
1. Those who are at-risk or in the vulnerable population are encouraged to consider staying home and to participate virtually. If you are not able/ready to return, please contact Fr. Perry if you would like a pastoral visit.
2. Those who display symptoms of COVID-19 or who are otherwise not feeling well are asked to refrain from attending services. Please also refrain from attending if a member of your household is experiencing symptoms or is/has not been feeling well within the last 14 days.
3. Please sit in marked pews.
4. Please remember to use PPE. Everyone who enters the church building must wear a face-mask or a similar covering over his or her mouth and nose. Please bring your own mask. Thanks to a generous donation, we have extras at the candle stand.
5. Hand sanitizers will be available in different areas of the church and should be used regularly.
6. If receiving Holy Communion; when it is your turn, say a prayer, do the sign of the Cross and remove your mask, sanitize your hands, and approach the chalice. Please do not touch the communion cloth. After receiving, please put your mask back on and sanitize your hands. Remember to keep social distance throughout the service. Last but not least, say a prayer of thanksgiving to God!
7. Please follow all directives that are marked throughout our church building. The Kitchen is closed.
13th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 16:13-24
Brethren, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicos, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
13th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 21:33-42
The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'"
The Missions & Benevolence Silent Auction has gone online! The traditional silent auction started 5 years ago and raised over $8,000 in support of the St. Luke Mobile Medical Clinic. The online silent auction starts this month, with new items added each month. Bids will be accepted until the end of each month. As in the past, most items will also have a "Buy it NOW" price for those who can't wait till the end of the month. We are restarting with just a few items for the September auction while we assess the process. Click https://forms.gle/LVbSHjioCTizhBUJ7 to register and then to place your bid. Moving forward, the proceeds of the Silent Auction will support our local mission on Rice Street, FOCUS Minnesota, https://www.focusmn.org/. Thank you for your support of the charitable missions of St. George GOC!
Opportunities are available the first week of every month to serve a hot, nutritious meal to the hungry at either Loaves and Fishes or FOCUS. Please consider volunteering to help make a difference. Upcoming dates are October 5, November 1, and December 7. Contact George Mastrogiorgis at info@stgeorgegoc.org to reserve a volunteer spot.
Weather permitting, AHEPA will hold a socially distanced meeting in the parking lot of Gyropolis on Thursday, September 17th at 7pm. Please bring your own chair and plan to distance yourself 6 feet apart from other members. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will still hold a phone meeting. Gyropolis, 2325 W 90th St, Minneapolis, MN 55431, (952) 746-2091
This pan-Orthodox virtual conference September 18-19, 2020 showcases the Intensive Program in Servant Leadership Workshop, among other presentations. The two-day event sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative, features various speakers, including Fr. Marc Boulos, who will lead live, online presentations, Q&A sessions, and virtual break-out rooms. The cost is $200 (scholarships available). For details and registration click here.
The 2020 MCP Gala will be 100% virtual this year. Bid on items in the online silent auction. Purchase a ticket/link to view the Gala streamed live from the Korluka Equestrian Farm on September 20 from 4-4:45pm. Visit http://bidpal.net/mcpgala2020 to see other ways you can participate. MCP is a non-profit organization that supports individuals and families who are suffering financially from medical crisis by offering grants to qualifying applicants to help cover unpaid medical expenses.
Because we are unable to host our typical Family Camp, our task force is offering an online version on Saturday, October 10. for adults and teens, Fr. Jonathan Proctor and Dr. Michael Lotti of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in St. Paul, MN, will discuss how the Scriptures and the Orthodox liturgical tradition help us understand and live out this beautiful teaching. Check out the schedule and register today! Click Here or go to www.stmaryscamp.com/family-camp/to learn more! Hope to see you…even if it is only online!
The Trisagion School of Byzantine Music is a new online Byzantine Chant training program offering instruction in English with a focus on the ever-growing English-language repertoire available in Byzantine notation. The cost of each 7-week course is $225 which includes access to repertoire scores, audio recordings, instructional videos, and weekly online practice sessions. The first term will run from August 31- October 18. For course descriptions and more information, visit https://trisagionschool.org
Summer Camp 2021 will be held on July 3-9, 2021. Staff applications at http://youth.stmarysgoc.org/ are being accepted until November 30, 2020. If you are a returning youth worker, please sign in with your username and PW; new applicants please create a new account. Feel free to pass this message along to anyone you think may be interested!
According to the ancient tradition of the Church, the Theotokos was born of barren and aged parents, Joachim and Anna, about the year 16 or 17 before the birth of Christ. Joachim was descended from the royal line of David, of the tribe of Judah. Anna was of the priestly tribe of Levi, a daughter of the priest Matthan and Mary, his wife.
Through August 31 $150,516 of our 2020 goal of $257,500 in Stewardship contributions have been received.
To reduce our likely budget shortfall (Candles, Tray, Greek Fest, Festival of Nations, etc.) and its impact on the ministries of the church, our stewardship committee, and parish council are asking, for those who are able, to contribute an amount in addition to what one typically gives during the year.
We have set a goal of raising an additional $15,000 above and beyond our original 2020 Stewardship goal. Any contribution amount will help us reach our goal!
8/50 contributors have given $50
11/75 contributors have given $100
6/20 contributors have given $250
7 contributors have given more than $250
In total, as of September 4, 32 parishioners have contributed $8,205.50/$15,000
If you are able to give, please visit http://www.stgeorgegoc.org/give
Please enter - "2020 Stewardship Response Fund" in the "Notes" box.
Or please mail a check to:
Saint George Greek Orthodox Church
Attn: Stewardship – 2020 Stewardship Response Fund
1111 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
In the memo line, please add: "2020 Stewardship Response Fund."
Children's Bulletin for Sunday, September 6
Fall 2020 catechism classes sponsored by MEOCCA
September 20 Virtual Fundraiser for Medical Crisis Program
This Archpastoral Teaching, On Life invites us to focus on what is always true, always right, always perfect—God’s love for us through His gift of life. The reader is called to protect and nurture the sacred gift of life in all its aspects.
One of the core practices of our spiritual lives is prayer. However, for many young people, starting a daily prayer discipline can seem overwhelming. How much should I pray? When should I pray? Am I doing it wrong? To help, the season premiere of “Be the Bee” addresses this important topic and offers practical, actionable tips to help young people get started (and maintain) a daily habit of prayer.
It is a shared conviction that, in our time, the natural environment is threatened like never before in the history of humankind. The magnitude of this threat becomes manifest in the fact that what is at stake is not anymore the quality, but the preservation of life on our planet. For the first time in history, man is capable of destroying the conditions of life on earth.