Calendar

Parish Calendar

February 27 to April 2, 2023

Monday, February 27

+STRICT FAST - GREAT LENT (Through April 07)

Sunday, March 26

Sunday of St. John Climacus

8:15AM ORTHROS

9:30AM DIVINE LITURGY

10:30AM Sunday School

11:30AM Greek School Independence Day Celebration

5:00PM LENTEN VESPERS @ St. Michael Ukrainian

Monday, March 27

6:00PM COMPLINE

7:00PM Choir Practice

7:00PM Catechism - Sacraments II: Eucharist, Unction (Liturgy, Worship, Prayer)

Wednesday, March 29

5:30PM NINTH HOUR

6:00PM PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY

7:00PM Lenten Meal & Lecture (Work Life Balance through the lens of the Scriptures & Church Fathers)

Friday, March 31

+ST. INNOCENT- APOSTLE TO AMERICA

6:30PM AKATHIST HYMN

Saturday, April 1

9:00AM Divine Liturgy in Eau Claire, WI

Sunday, April 2

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

8:15AM ORTHROS

9:30AM HIEARCHAL DIVINE LITURGY

5:00PM LENTEN VESPERS @ Holy Anargyroi (Unmercenaries) in Rochester
Ministries Calendar

March 30 to April 1, 2023

Thursday, March 30

10:30AM Pioneers (55+) Trip to Conservatory

Saturday, April 1

2:00PM Fanari Regional Lenten Retreat

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 4th Tone

From on high you descended, O merciful Lord. You accepted the cross and three days in the tomb to free us from the bondage of sin, O our life and resurrection. Glory to you, O Lord.

Apolytikion for Sun. of St. John Climacus in the Plagal 4th Tone

With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O John, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

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 Plagal 4th Tone

Victorious Lady, mighty champion, defending us, we, your servants, now inscribe to you this hymn of thanks, for you rescued us from suff'ring and tribulation. Theotokos, with your power that can never fail, keep us safe from ev'ry danger our whole life long, that we may cry to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20

BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

Announcements

Greeters

Angie Kontenakos, Dean Natto

Prosfora

Paul Werger

Fellowship Hour

Thank you to AHEPA for hosting this Sunday!

Parish Oratorical Festival - New Date

To accommodate a special hierarchical visit from our Metropolis Chancellor, His Grace Bishop Timothy, on April 2nd, we will be moving the date of our Parish Oratorical Festival to Palm Sunday, April 9th, after Liturgy. His grace will be accompanied by our friend Dn. Antonios Calash, a former member at St. George. We hope everyone will join us in welcoming His Grace on April 2nd and supporting our students on April 9th. Blessed Lent!

Greek School is Back!

The Greek School will resume today, Sunday, March 26, with a presentation to celebrate Greek Independence Day!

Final Lenten Meal & Lecture - Following Presanctified Liturgy (starts at 6:00 pm)

Thank you to everyone who hosted and will host a Lenten Meal!

Join us on Wednesday, March 29, for our final Lenten Lectures series!

On March 29, we will have a guest lecturer, Mr. Stephen Wehr, from St. Mary's GOC. He will present on the topic "Work-Life Balance, the Scriptures, and the Holy Fathers."

Stephen will offer a presentation on how we can find a healthier work-life balance in our lives through the lens of the scriptures and church fathers. Stephen earned his M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary (’97) and an MA in Religious Studies (“Christianity & Judaism in Antiquity”) at the University of Virginia (’01). He has also completed the diaconate program at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (’20). In his career, Stephen serves as an Investment Manager with Wells Fargo Private Bank in Wayzata, MN, and holds the Certified Financial Planner designation.

Zoom Link
https://goarch.zoom.us/j/86923900556?pwd=TW10dHNrUW1WdmtaZUVBT2F0M0hzZz09

Meeting ID: 869 2390 0556
Passcode: 978943

Philoptochos News

Phyllo Dough - Your orders have arrived. Please pick them up in the Hall after Liturgy!

Fund-Raiser: Spring Plant Sale

In 3 easy steps, you can order high-quality, reasonably-priced plants for your garden, and Philoptochos will receive 30% of all sales.

1) Click on the following link: gertensfundraising.com

2) Enter store ID 764 to be taken to our private sales page.

3) Order your bedding plants, perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, patio pots, and more, and know that you are also helping Philoptochos to further its charitable outreach.

Sales will take place through March 31, and plants will be ready for pickup at church on Monday, May 15.

Questions? Stop by the Philoptochos table in Fellowship Hall after church on Sundays during the month of March. Or contact Elise at edwerger@aol.com.

Join the Saint George Pioneers (55+) at the Como Park Conservatory!

March 30, please arrive by 10:30 am.

We’ll meet at the Conservatory and stroll through the many gardens and attractions, including the blooming indoor Sunken Garden, all at your leisure! We will then enjoy lunch and fellowship together in the Zobota Cafe (Lenten choices available)

Please RSVP asap to JoAnne Halatsis: 651-778-2485

Como Park Conservatory
1225 Estabrook Drive
St. Paul Mn 55103

Please arrange your own transportation. “Admission to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is free, but donations are appreciated. The suggested donation is $4 for adults” If you need assistance, your helper is welcome; wheelchair rentals on site: $10. Please let Krisandrea or JoAnne know if you will require a wheelchair.

Fanari (Youth) Lenten Retreat April 1 here at St. George!

Fanari Camp is excited to continue our Metropolis-wide Fanari Lenten Retreat. The retreat will be a day in the life of the camp, including: Worship, Orthodox Life, games, Song Night, and much more! This retreat is regional and will have eight satellite locations throughout the Metropolis.

Pascha Flowers

The donations for flowers to beautify the sanctuary and epitaphion during Holy Week & Pascha may be made in memory of a loved one(s). Memorial names you remember with this donation will be listed in the Pascha bulletin. Please submit by Sunday, April 9. You can find the form in the Bulletin Inserts section. Thank you! Blessed Resurrection! Καλή Ανάσταση!

FocusMN Meal Update

Thank you to all who gathered on March 12 to serve our first Focus Meal of 2023. We were thrilled to have three new volunteers. Look to the April/May Glad Tidings for a recap, and save Mother's Day, May 14, to volunteer for our next meal at Focus House.

Lenten Pantry Drive

Throughout Lent, we are collecting shelf-stable soups/stews, peanut butter and jelly, boxed cereal, or individually packaged oatmeal for FocusMN. The drop-off box is in the parking lot vestibule. Thank you to all who have contributed thus far!

Loaves and Fishes Meal

Monday, April 3, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at St. Matthews Church in West St. Paul, 510 Hall Avenue. The ingredients for this meal have been generously donated by Mrs. Pitsavas in memory of her husband Basil, and her son John. May their memories be eternal! Please sign up to help serve this meal at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d49ada623a0fcc70-april2#/.

All 5th-12th graders are invited to join us! Saturday, April 1, 2023, 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm, cost:$30. You can find more information here https://chicago.goarch.org/event/2023-fanari-lenten-retreat/ and register here https://chicago.goarch.org/fanari-lenten-retreat/.

Holy Friday Retreat

Join us on Holy Friday, April 14 from 11:00 am-2:30 pm for our annual Retreat! The service of the Royal Hours will begin at 9:00 am and will be followed by a session, lunch, a craft, and preparation activities. We are looking for volunteers to provide lunch. If you are able, please email niko@stgeorgegoc.org. RSVP by emailing Niko by April 1.

Engaging Orthodoxy Part 2 - Spring 2023

Join us for a 6-session advanced Catechism Course beginning on Monday, May 1, from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. This is a continuation of the Fall 2022 course with new topics. The free course is open to anyone who has completed the MEOCCA Introduction to Orthodox Christianity course. (For more information on the beginning course, please visit https://www.stgeorgegoc.org/meocca.) Classes will take place in person and on Zoom. Topics include scripture, feast days, prayer, theosis, and more. There will be required readings for each session, which will be provided electronically. This course is made possible by funding from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Mustard Seed Fund. For more information, contact our Assistant Coordinator, Ann Woods, at ann@stgeorgegoc.org. Registration is available here: http://bit.ly/3JJE6OS.

Parish Assembly Notification

Join us on Sunday, May 07, following Divine Liturgy for a Parish Assembly in the hall. You can also join us via Zoom: https://goarch.zoom.us/j/81224868853?pwd=eGlxOXhPaXg5QlNxcWxoZ25YRFdLQT09

Church Website Webmaster Needed

We are looking for a new webmaster to keep the St. George website updated with content, upcoming events, etc. If you are somewhat tech-savvy (we offer training) and are interested, please contact Fr. Perry. Thanks again to Nick K. for all of his efforts these past years, and we are looking forward to our new Webmaster!

Sponsor a Fellowship Hour

Please sign up to host a Sunday Fellowship (Coffee) Hour in 2023! Contact Elise Werger at 612-867-8047 (voice/text) or use this link for SignUp Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ca5ad2babff2-fellowship2#/.

Wisdom of the Fathers

Seest thou how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ... See, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he that is praying as he ought, and fasting, hath not many wants, and he that hath not many wants, cannot be covetous; ...

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

... he that is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

In Other News

Orthodox Game League

All adults (age 18yr+) are welcome to enjoy time with each other and play games on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 7:00 pm at St. Mary's OCA Church (1701 Fifth St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413). Want to learn a new game? Want to play a classic? Want to teach a game? Then this is for you! Bring a munchie or dessert to share! Questions? Contact Nikki Beauchamp 612.910.2943.

Support for those in Need

Please contact Fr. Perry or our Ladies Philoptochos if you or someone you know is in need (food, clothing, shelter, etc.). Our Ladies Philoptochos & Missions & Benevolence, FOCUS MN, etc. are here to help!

Announcing 2023 Roselawn Program Prices

Advance planning can give you and your family peace of mind and is also cost-effective. Annual cost increases are typically at least 2% and have risen over 26% since 2013. The St. George Roselawn Cemetery Program continues to offer lots at Roselawn in Roseville for a 15% discount off list prices. All revenue from lots supports our church and its ministries. These lots are in the St. George section, adjacent to the “Greek” section, and easily identifiable by the monument/altar table. Contact the church office for more information.

2023 Discounted Prices for Parishioners:
$6,970 = Monument Lot (2 Graves)
$4,925 = Flat Lot (2 Graves)
$2,667 = Flat Lot (1 Grave, Limited Availability)

(These prices reflect a 15% off Roselawn Retail Price)

This continues to be one of those great opportunities where you can support the church, save some money and create a legacy for your family all at the same time. Lots for both monument and marker (flat) stones are still available. Please follow Roselawn regulations for care and beautification of your loved one’s lots.

The table-like monument marking our area from Victoria street is visible on google maps and google satellite view at the links below and can be found on the church website.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9930459,-93.1389199,69m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9931192,-93.1393733,3a,37.5y,107.59h,84.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWsyLYEQ6btgc3SJkAxjgbg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Saints and Feasts

March 26

Sunday of St. John Climacus

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.

March 27

Martyr Matrona of Thessaloniki

This martyr was the servant of a certain Jewish woman named Pantilla, the wife of the Governor of Thessalonica. When Matrona refused to follow her mistress into the synagogue Pantilla beat her so severly that she died in a few days, and thus received the crown of her confession.

Stewardship

2023 Stewardship Goal

Our theme for 2023 is "Giving Thanks: Eucharistic Stewardship. As true stewards of the Body of Christ, we understand the power of our Stewardship to revitalize the Church."

Update - $61,108 of $260,000 (through February)

Pledge Cards Received

As of February 26, 59 families have pledged a total of $108,744.

Make Your Stewardship Pledge Online

Thank you for your continued support! Make your 2023 pledge by visiting https://forms.gle/CMySgYQMEVMt97eR6. Thank you all for your support of the work of the Church!

Donate

Use your camera on your phone to scan the QR code.
Click on the PayPal link in the camera on your phone.
Enter your donation amount.
Add a note – candle/ stewardship/ other (description)

___________________

Fellowship (Coffee) Hour

Thank you for signing up to host Fellowship Hour! This is not only an important time for fellowship but also for sharing a nutritious snack and drink after the Sunday morning fast. Feel free to keep it as simple as you like. In general, expect to serve approximately 100 people when Sunday School is in session.

NEW THIS YEAR: Please prepare a tray for the Sunday School students & teachers to be ready at the beginning of coffee hour. Place approximately 30 servings of items on a tray, and a representative of Sunday School will come to the kitchen to pick it up.

FASTING: Fasting Sundays are noted on the SignUp. These days, it’s important to serve food that follows the fast (no meat, eggs, or dairy). There are many options; if you’re looking for ideas, here are a few: Bread, bagels, crackers, rice cakes, pretzels, or corn chips/ Peanut butter, jam, hummus, guacamole, or salsa. Fasting-friendly baked goods, granola bars, or cookies such as Oreos, ginger snaps, or wafer cookies/ Olives, vegetables, or fruit.

MEMORIALS: Many families like to host or co-host on the same day as a memorial and/or serve Kollyva. Some coordination or flexibility may be needed from host families already scheduled for those Sundays. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

WHAT TO BRING:

Refreshments for approximately 100 people

1 pound of coffee

1 gallon of milk (or 1-2 gallons of juice during fasts)

Cream (non-dairy during fasts)

COFFEE: Instructions for making coffee are on a yellow poster near the large coffee maker. It takes approximately 15 minutes for a pot to brew.

SUPPLIES: Disposable plates, napkins, cups, and sugar will be in the kitchen. Pitchers are available for serving water. Tongs and disposable gloves are available for handling food.

CLEAN-UP: Please clean the kitchen after you’re done serving and remove any leftover food (leftover coffee grounds may be left if you wish). Wipe down the counters and tables with disinfectant spray. Hang used cleaning cloths on the edge of the sink. Return chairs to their original positions around the tables. Before you leave, please be sure that coffee makers and all burners in the kitchen are OFF!

QUESTIONS? Contact Elise (612-867-8047). If you have questions on Sunday morning, look for Elise or Angie Kontenakos, Parish Council President. Thanks again for providing hospitality for our church community!

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.

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 frperry@stgeorgegoc.org or (651) 222-6220.

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

Parish Email List Sign Up

Text Message Reminders Sign Up for Youth & Family Events!

We have some AWESOME Youth & Family events coming up, and you don't want to miss out. Join our text message system Remind to stay up to date with all of our communications. Join by clicking https://www.remind.com/join/stgyandf or

Please Note

St. George GOC broadcasts its worship services live on the internet. Your presence in the church is subject to audio and video recording.

Bulletin Inserts

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Welcome!

Past Bulletins