From Fr. Anthony
The church office will remain closed until further notice. However, Susan or Susie may be present during regular office hours to answer calls or return messages - however, they will not be able to let anyone into the building. Please note that Susan has 24/7 access to our office email at stgeorgesouthgate@gmail.com and will check the answering machine regularly. The church office phone number is 734-283-8820. In emergency situations, please call Fr. Anthony directly at 734-716-2268.
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Due to COVID-19, all social events are cancelled.
We are continuing with our scheduled services of services, although the doors will be closed and only the priest and chanter are able to be present. See the schedule under "Upcoming Church Services" or check our website for times. All these services can be viewed on the parish live stream at:
https://www.youtube.com/c/franthonyc-stgeorgesouthgate
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CHRISTOS ANESTI!
Orthodox Life (Bible Study)
This Tuesday, May 19, Orthodox Life will be held virtually from 6:00-7:00 pm. Please install the ZOOM app on your phones or computers. See the information at the end of the announcements on how to participate in a ZOOM session.
Greek School
Greek School continues this Tuesday, virtually, from 5:30-7:30 pm.
Philoptochos News
Christos Anesti! We hope you and your families are all well. Today is Philoptochos Sunday - a day the Philoptochos would like to thank all of you for your support of our St George Ladies Philoptochos. Thank you also to our past Philoptochos members and for all the work they did for our Ladies Philoptochos Society and our St George Church. We can think of many of our Philoptochos sisters who are no longer with us and their great contributions to our Ladies Philoptochos and St George Church - may their memory be eternal. Please be safe - can't wait to see all of you in church!
Memorial Day - Monday, May 25
As Memorial Day approaches, we recognize that things will need to be different from normal years. The government limitations on public gatherings, combined with the guidelines at each cemetery, will prevent us from gathering at the cemeteries as we normally do. This year, Fr. Anthony will visit the three cemeteries (Woodmere, Our Lady of Hope, and Michigan Memorial), but our procedure will be different, as all of the cemeteries have strict guidelines prohibiting the gathering of groups more than 10 people, and requiring that everyone wear masks.
At Woodmere, Father will say the Trisagion Prayers for those who are buried there, but no one will meet him there.
At Our Lady of Hope, Father will say the Trisagion Prayers for all near the tree at the center of the Greek section, but it will be important that everyone NOT gather together. Instead, each family may, if they wish, each go directly to the graves of their own loved ones. Father will do the full service at the tree, praying for the names of all those who have been buried at Our Lady of Hope over the last several years, and then will go from family to family and will say the final blessing for anyone who wishes individually. Please note that Our Lady of Hope has been requiring everyone to wear masks outside of their cars.
We will follow the same norm at Michigan Memorial. Father will do the full Trisagion Service near the road in the Greek section, commemorating all those who have been buried there in recent years. Each family should remain near their loved ones’ graves, and Father will go from family to family for the final blessing. Michigan Memorial has also been requiring masks for everyone outside of their cars.
Father will be at Woodmere at 9:30 am.
Father will be at Our Lady of Hope at 11 am, and will serve the Trisagion Prayers immediately in the center of the Greek section there.
Father will be at Michigan Memorial at 1 pm, at the Greek Section.
Metropolis of Detroit Summer Camp
From the Metropolis of Detroit (an excerpt)
"After much prayer and deliberation, and in the best interest of the beloved faithful of our Metropolis, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the summer camp programs for 2020: MDSC – Metropolis of Detroit, Summer Camp (Michigan), St. Nicholas Summer Camp (Kentucky), and St. Timothy Summer Camp (New York).
Although we hope that much of this crisis will subside by summertime, there are far too many medical and scientific unknowns which would leave our camps vulnerable and potentially dangerous to its participants as well as their loved ones at home.
Please know that this is a painful decision for our Metropolis. Our summer camp programs have an undeniably positive impact on campers, as well as the clergy, staff and volunteers. We understand that many campers and staff will be disappointed, and we truly share in that disappointment. However, given the current public health situation, our camps simply cannot guarantee what they affirm is their top priority - to keep all participants safe and healthy. Each one of the camps will send individual communications regarding issues of refunds and future plans."
St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
From the National Oratorical Festival Committee (an excerpt)
"After thoughtful consideration, the National Oratorical Festival Committee made the decision to cancel the National Festival. Therefore, all Parish, District, and Metropolis Festivals will not proceed for 2020.
Please know that we did not reach this decision lightly. We realize that this decision may be very disappointing for families whose children worked hard on their speeches and essays. We considered several different options for how we could host the festival online and met multiple times with the Metropolis level religious education coordinators and chairpersons to get their input and consider ways that we could proceed with judging speeches and/or essays at the national level. However, because of the escalation of the pandemic across the country, we realize that the next few weeks are going to be very critical and stressful ones for many people across the country."
Online Giving
We have set up an option for online donations from either a credit card or directly from your bank account on the Church website. The direct link is included here: https://giving.parishsoft.com/app/giving/st1630219. That said - we know that these same uncertainties face all of us. Please do not feel an obligation to support the Church if your regular income has been disrupted - we all have a primary responsibility to care for those whom God has entrusted to our care. But if you are still working, either as an essential employee, or from home, please consider giving some additional support to the Church in this time. And if you have your regular Sunday offering envelopes set aside from the last several weeks, please consider sending those to the Church in the mail. On a related note - if you, or anyone you know, are facing challenges at this time, whether financial or practical, please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Anthony. There are several volunteers from the parish ready and waiting to lend a hand should one be needed.
Communion
We can no longer distribute Holy Communion, either during a pastoral visit, or at the Church. All pastoral visits are prohibited outside of dire emergencies. In these circumstances, we urge all our Faithful to begin a discipline of prayer within the home, either by participating in the Live Streams, or (even better) by beginning or increasing their family rule of prayer in the home. As we are kept away from the Church for this time, we have the opportunity to make each of our homes into a Church, and turn these difficult circumstances into an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord and to one another. You can find texts for Services that can be done without a priest at all times of the day at http://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html. It is possible to do any service except the Divine Liturgy and other sacraments without a priest - you simply say “Lord, have mercy” three times every time there is a set of petitions, and say “Through the Prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us” every time there is a prayer or exclamation by the Priest. If you have questions regarding how to do Readers’ Services - please call or email Fr. Anthony. I would love to help you all develop this beautiful practice in your homes!
Subscriptions
In this time of lockdown, we have limited ways of keeping in touch with all of you. If you know of anyone who is not on the Listserv list, please provide their email address to Susan or Fr. Anthony, or urge them to do so. If you use Facebook, please like and begin to follow our parish page (https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgeGOCSouthgate/). You can also befriend Fr. Anthony on Facebook, if you wish, to keep touch with him more easily through this time (https://www.facebook.com/franthonyc). Finally, we urge you all to subscribe to our Youtube channel, so that you may receive notifications every time we begin a Live Stream. The channel may be found at https://www.youtube.com/c/franthonyc-stgeorgesouthgate.
Prayer/Candle Requests (new form available)
If you would like for us to light a candle in the Church in prayer for you and your family, please use the folowing Google Form: Prayer/Candle Requests: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/386d5ce0-a634-45e9-923b-03d58137967b
You can pay by credit card or send a check in the mail to the Church.
Memorial Services
Although we will not have memorial services with koliva, you can still submit the names of your departed loved ones for the priest to read during the Sunday Divine Liturgies. You can also make arrangements for private memorial services at the cemetery with only the priest and immediate family.
Appointments
All appointments will be held via phone or video-conference. You may make an appointment for confession by contacting Fr. Anthony by email (franthonyc@mac.com) or phone (734.716.2268).
Grecian Center
The Grecian Center remains closed, but staff may be present during regular office hours to answer calls or return messages. Any visits to the facility are by appointment only.
Parishioner Restaurants List
In these extraordinary times, we know that those Faithful who own or operate restaurants are in need of our support - and carry-out/food delivery is one way in which we are able to give that support. Fr. Anthony would like all parishioner business-owners to send him the information for how orders can be placed, so that we can provide a single space for all of our Faithful to access menus and place orders. Please see a list of parishioner owned restaurants at the end of announcements.
Church Beautification
We know these times are very difficult but as we also know that they will not last forever, we will continue to include the announcement below in the hope of better days to come.
Since we began to raise funds for Church Beautification last summer, we have found donors for almost all of the items, including the new Epitaphios, the new Kouvouklion, and the white, gold, and purple Kalimata for the Holy Table and the Proskynitaria. The only color remaining is Green, used on several high occasions throughout the Church year, including feasts of the Forerunner, Palm Sunday, and Pentecost. The Green set will cost $2,435. If you are interested in donating this item, please contact the Church office or speak with Fr. Anthony.
Basic Information for St. George "Shelter in Place"
Church Website: http://stgeorge.mi.goarch.org
Online Giving: https://giving.parishsoft.com/app/giving/st1630219
Church LiveStream: https://www.youtube.com/c/franthonyc-stgeorgesouthgate
Service Texts: http://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html
Prayer/Candle Requests: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/386d5ce0-a634-45e9-923b-03d58137967b
Parish Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgeGOCSouthgate/
Fr. Anthony Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/franthonyc
Fr. Anthony Cell Phone: 734-716-2268
Archdiocese Resources/Activities/Lessons/Crafts for this Sunday: https://www.goarch.org/-/religious-ed-at-home-week-3?inheritRedirect=true
PARISH ZOOM INFORMATION
Zoom Phone Numbers:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
Then enter the Meeting ID: 941 952 4282
Zoom App Downloads:
Zoom Installation Links
Parishioner Restaurant Information
Auburn Cafe
313-381-8133
Curbside Pickup Only
11a to 8p
Souvlaki Greek Street Food
Open for curbside pickup and delivery Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm
Link to our website for pickup and delivery is https://www.souvlakistreetfood.com/
Mom’s Restaurant
(734) 671-7667
Curbside pickup only
9-5 daily and 9-7 on Friday's