September/October 2017 Page 1. «Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου» (Ματθ. Γ:3)

September/October 2017 Page 1 «Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου» (Ματθ. Γ:3) A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRIEST In This Issue Priest s Message Stewardship Annual Dinner Dance Philoptochos News GOYA News PTO News Greek School News Sunday School News Our Faith Announcements Have a Great New Ecclesiastical Year TIME TO LIVE OUR ORTHODOX FAITH Each year at the beginning of September, the Orthodox Church leads her faithful into a cycle of prayers and commemorations that constitute the liturgical year. The liturgical year for us Orthodox Christians, serves as a special means of union with Christ. In the liturgical year we are called to relive the whole life of Christ from His Nativity to Pascha, from Pascha to Pentecost, and we are excited to unite ourselves to Christ in His birth and in His growth, to Christ suffering, to Christ dying, to Christ in triumph and to Christ inspiring His church. The liturgical year is Christ Himself. September, the first month of the New Liturgical or Ecclesiastical year offers us the opportunity to recognize our lives spiritually after the summer holidays. Our Church offers us through her many and varied activities, the opportunity to begin this earnest work of salvation, but none is more important than our participation in the Divine Liturgy, where the Eucharist (Holy Communion), unites us intimately with Christ. No matter how good our intentions are, as we enter the New Ecclesiastical Year, the change that we are looking for, will not occur unless we seek to put Christ first into our lives. With the beginning of many of our secular activities and the formulation of our social and sports calendars, first we must set our priorities and focus on Christ to be the center of our lives and to be with us in all of our activities. Our St. George, which is the community of Christ Himself, offers her faithful many activities and ways for us to learn and live a Christcentered life through the Orthodox faith and heritage. We, as faithful believers, are the Body of the Church, and it is important that we help the Church offer herself to others. We can do this is if we support and participate in our church s activities and programs through her various ministries. The Ladies Philoptochos, the Youth of our St. George, the Adult Choir, the Religious Education program, the Greek Language program, our Bible Study, our Greek Festival, and of course as a member of our Parish Council, and last but not least, by being good and faithful and giving Stewards. By serving our Church and putting Christ in the center of our lives, we help to expand the good virtuous life that is exemplified by our deeds which attracts others to the redemptive message of Jesus Christ. My dear faithful, the Church is a community of the Spirit. Let each of us then receive with the beginning of this new ecclesiastical year, to become reborn and recommitted to Christ and to our beloved St. George by coming together at the Eucharist (Holy Communion), and as many worship services as we can attend. By participating and being a part of our St. George programs, we place emphasis where it belongs in growing spiritually and ministering to one another to live a truly Christ centered life, for our faith has made us brothers and sisters; love has made us neighbors; compassion has made us Children of God. May God Bless All Of Us! Rev. Fr. Nicholas Pastrikos

September/October 2017 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΥ Parish Ministries Reverend Father Nicholas Pastrikos, Priest Parish Council President George Athanasopoulos Vice President / Administration George Petrantonakis Vice President / Operations Peter Combates Recording Secretary TBD Corresponding Secretary Frank T. Araps, Esq. Treasurer Maria Kaouris-Christodoulatos Members Constantine Apostolakis Demetrios Arhontoulis Dimitra Bairaktaris Lampros Ε. Bourodimos, PhD, PE Nicholas Koumarianos George Psyllos, CPA Stephanie Sgourakis Michael Sirimis, CPA Dean Solomos George Zalokostas The Voice of St. George Published bi-monthly by the St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Tel.: 732-463-1642 Fax: 732-699-9309 E-mail: stgeorge@gocnj.org Philoptochos Society - St. Barbara Virginia Theokas, President Anna Sullivan, 1st Vice President Eleni Lyssikatos, 2nd Vice President Georgia Peterson, Rec. Secretary Despina Fottis, Corr. Secretary Georgia Kouridakis, Treasurer Evangelia Manolakis, Asst. Treasurer Sunday School Lemonia Malahias Miko, Paul Stevens, Maggie Stavrianidis Greek School Panos Georgopoulos, Superintendent Toula Karamarkos, Principal Sofia Amaxopoulos, Teacher Anna Kalogridakis, Teacher Katerina Kourti, Teacher Chrisoula Plias, Teacher JOY/HOPE & Love & Faith Christina Heiden, Anna Lorino Church Organizations Parent Teacher Organization Athinoulla Bizos, Co-President Lefkie Hadjiloucas, Co-President Irene Kehayas Drakopoulos - Vice President Sophia Georges Voudouris, Secretary Maria Kavouras, Treasurer GOYA Konstantinos Hantsoulis, President Dean Stavrianidis, Vice-President Antonis Kalogridis, Corr. Sec. Elizabeth Gallou, Rec. Secretary Demetris Karandrikas, Treasurer George DeLaurentis, Historian GOYA Advisors Rita Polos, Head Advisor Sandy Kalogridis, Head Advisor Peter Sirimis, George Kostis Aliki Doninger, Effie Vlahos, Chrisoula DeLaurentis, Eleni Apostolakis, Demetrius Kambitsis Church Committees GET INVOLVED We need your help! Sign Up, Make a Difference, Have Fun! Call the Church Office 732.463.1642 Editor in Chief: Alexandra Avgitidis Committee Members: Eleni Apostolakis, Katerina Makridaki-Rompos, Katina Kehayas Periodical postage paid at Kilmer, NJ 08817, Permit # 379. The Voice of St. George is produced entirely in-house. Past issues can be found on the internet at www.stgeorgepiscataway.org Subscription is free for the members of St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Annual St. George Dinner Dance Bookmobile Capital Improvements Choir Elections Events/Fund Raising Greek Festival Greek Independence Day Parade Greek School Historic Committee House & Grounds Insurance Library Memorial Fund Parking Rutgers New Parking Lot Public Relations Religious Artifacts Stewardship Sunday School Technology Services Voice of St. George POSTMASTER: Send address changes to St. George GOC, 1101 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 To Our St. George Parishioners The above ministries are the lifeblood of our parish and perform many activities to promote the growth of our church. Your participation in these organizations makes our community more spiritually complete.

September/October 2017 Page 3 ECCLESIASTICAL SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Winter hours will begin Sunday, September 10, 2017 Matins 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Weekday Services 9 a.m. SEPTEMBER Friday 1 Induction-Ecclesiastical New Year Sunday 3 11th Sunday of Matthew Friday 8 Nativity of the Theotokos Sunday 10 Sunday Before the Holy Cross Thursday 14 Sunday 17 Sunday 24 Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sunday after Holy Cross No Liturgy in our Parish Common Divine Liturgy by all parishes of New Jersey at Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, NJ 1st Sunday of Luke OCTOBER Sunday 1 2nd Sunday of Luke Sunday 8 3rd Sunday of Luke Sunday 15 Fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council Wednesday 18 Luke Evangelist Friday 20 St. Gerasimos Sunday 22 6th Sunday of Luke Thursday 26 St. Demetrios the Myrrhbearer Saturday 28 Holy Protection of the Theotokos Great Doxology for OXI Day Sunday 29 7th Sunday of Luke ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΟ ΕΟΡΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ Οι Χειμερινές ώρες ξεκινούν την Κυριακή 10 Σεπτεμβρίου 2017 Όρθρος 9:00 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 10:00 π.μ. Καθημερινές ώρες 9 π.μ. ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ Παρασκευή 1 Κυριακή 3 Παρασκευή 8 Κυριακή 10 Πέμπτη 14 Κυριακή 17 Κυριακή 24 Κυριακή 1 Κυριακή 8 Κυριακή 15 Τετάρτη 18 Παρασκευή 20 Κυριακή 22 Πέμπτη 26 Σάββατο 28 Κυριακή 29 Αρχή Ινδίκτου K Κυριακή του Ματθαίου Το Γενέσιον της Θεοτόκου Κυριακή προ Υψώσεως του Τιμίου Σταυρού Ύψωσις του Τιμίου Σταυρού Κυριακή μετά από την Ύψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού Δεν θα γίνει Θεία Λειτουργία στην Εκκλησία μας λόγω της Πανηγυρικής Λειτουργίας στο Asbury Park Α Κυριακή Λουκά ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΣ Β Κυριακή Λουκά Γ Κυριακή Λουκά Των Αγ. Πατέρων (Ζ Οικ. Συνόδου) Λουκά Ευαγγελιστού Αγίου Γερασίμου ΣΤ Κυριακή Λουκά Μεγαλομάρτυρος Αγίου Δημητρίου του Μυροβλύτου Αγίας Σκέπης Εθνική Εορτή «Όχι» Z Κυριακή Λουκά ALTAR BOY GROUPS FORMED The Altar Boy groups for 2017-2018 have been formed, but not closed! If your son would like to serve in the Altar and he is 10 years old or older, please let Fr. Nicholas know as soon as possible. Altar boys are required to be in the Altar on the Sundays that they are scheduled, no later than 10:10 a.m. All Captains are asked to be in the Altar a little earlier, by 10:00 a.m. to make sure that everything is ready and to set instructions from Fr. Nicholas as to what will be happening for that day. As always, the appropriate dress code for all Altar boys that are serving, without exception is recommended: dress shirt, tie, dress socks and dress shoes. No one will be admitted in the Altar with a polo shirt, jeans, sneakers or boat shoes. All Altar boys, if they are not serving in the Altar, are required to be in Sunday School. This rule will be strictly adhered to, because attendance will be taken every Sunday for All Altar Boys. GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C GROUP D Vasilios Petrou (Captain) Michael Gianoukakis (Captain) Kostas Stavrianidis (Captain) Konstantinos Hantsoulis (Captain) George Bizos (Co-Captain) Kyriakos Sirimis (Co-Captain) Andreas Apostolakis (Co-Captain) John Kavouras (Co-Captain) Seraphim Sirimis Julius Bourodimos Gabriel Sirimis Demetris Kalogridis George Kostis Evangelos Kambitsis Antonis Kalogridis Yianni Xidias Emmanuel Kostis Dimitri Hirchman Tasos Chronis Elias Viscariello Andreas Hadjiloucas Kostas Hantsoulis Yiannis Petrakis Iakovos Georgiou Andreas Bizos Stamatis Hantsoulis Kevin Adrianni Michael Kavouras Markos Hantsoulis ALTAR BOYS SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2017 Sunday, September 3 Group A Sunday, October 1 Group D Sunday, September 10 Group B Sunday, October 8 Group A Sunday, September 17 No Church Sunday, October 15 Group B Sunday, September 24 Group C Sunday, October 22 Group C Sunday, October 29 Group D

September/October 2017 ΜΗΝΥΜΑ ΤΟΥ ΙΕΡΕΑ ΜΑΣ Κάθε χρόνο με τον ερχομό του Σεπτεμβρίου, η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία οδηγεί τους πιστούς σε έναν κύκλο προσευχών και λειτουργιών που συνιστούν το λειτουργικό έτος. Το λειτουργικό έτος για εμάς τους Ορθόδοξους Χριστιανούς, ενδεικνύει έναν ειδικό δεσμό με τον Χριστό. Καθ όλη τη διάρκεια του έτους καλούμαστε να ξαναζήσουμε όλη τη ζωή του Χριστού, από τη γέννησή του ως το Πάσχα, και από το Πάσχα ως την Πεντηκοστή, και να παρακολουθήσουμε όλα τα γεγονότα από την γέννησή Του έως και την ανάπτυξή Του, από την ταλαιπωρία Του, μέχρι και το θάνατό Του, και από τη νίκη του Χριστού ενάντια στο κακό έως την ανάληψή Του στους ουρανούς. Το λειτουργικό έτος στην ουσία είναι ο ίδιος ο Χριστός. Ο Σεπτέμβριος, ο οποίος είναι ο πρώτος μήνας της νέας λειτουργικής εκκλησιαστικής χρονιάς, μας προσφέρει την ευκαιρία να αναπτερώσουμε ψυχολογικά τις ζωές μας μετά τις καλοκαιρινές διακοπές. Η Εκκλησία μας μέσω των πολλών δραστηριοτήτων της μας δίνει την δυνατότητα να συμμετάσχουμε σε αυτήν, με πρώτη και κύρια συμμετοχή, αυτήν της Θείας Λειτουργίας, όπου το Μυστήριο της Θείας Ευχαριστίας μας ενώνει με τον Χριστό. Ανεξαρτήτως από το πόσο καλές προθέσεις έχουμε όταν εισερχόμαστε στο νέο εκκλησιαστικό έτος, η αλλαγή που επιθυμούμε δε θα πραγματοποιηθεί, παρά μόνο εάν βάλουμε τον Χριστό πρώτο στη ζωή μας. Με την έναρξη πολλών δραστηριοτήτων μας που περιλαμβάνουν κοινωνικές και αθλητικές εκδηλώσεις, πρέπει να θέσουμε τις προτεραιότητές μας και να επικεντρωθούμε στον Χριστό που θα πρέπει να είναι το κέντρο της ζωής μας και να είναι μέρος όλων των δραστηριοτήτων μας. Ο Άγιος μας Γεώργιος, που είναι η κοινότητα του ίδιου του Χριστού, προσφέρει πολλές δραστηριότητες και τρόπους για εμάς να μάθουμε και να ζήσουμε μια ζωή με επίκεντρό μας τον Χριστό, μέσω της Ορθόδοξης πίστης και παραδόσεως. Εμείς, ως πιστοί είμαστε το Σώμα της Εκκλησίας και είναι σημαντικό να βοηθήσουμε την Εκκλησία να προσφέρει τον εαυτό της και στους άλλους, και αυτό μπορεί να γίνει εάν υποστηρίζουμε και συμμετέχουμε στις δραστηριότητες της εκκλησίας μας και στα προγράμματά της. Μπορούμε να συμμετάσχουμε στη Φιλόπτωχο Αδελφότητα, να βοηθήσουμε τη Νεολαία του Αγίου Γεωργίου, να συμμετάσχουμε στην Ενήλικη Χορωδία, στο Κατηχητικό, στο Ελληνικό σχολείο, στη μελέτη της Αγίας Γραφής, στο Ελληνικό μας Φεστιβάλ, και φυσικά ως μέλη του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου του Αγίου Γεωργίου, και το κυριότερο, μπορούμε να συμμετάσχουμε όντας καλοί και πιστοί κοινωνοί της εκκλησίας μας. Υποστηρίζοντας την Εκκλησίας μας και βάζοντας το Χριστό στο επίκεντρο της ζωής μας, δίνουμε το καλό παράδειγμα. Αγαπητοί μου πιστοί, η Εκκλησία είναι μία κοινότητα πνευματική. Ας το κατανοήσουμε όλοι με την έναρξη του νέου εκκλησιαστικού έτους και ας αναγεννηθούμε με το Χριστό και ας λάβουμε όλοι τη Θεία Κοινωνία, συμμετέχοντας στις λειτουργίες. Συμμετέχοντας στα προγράμματα του Αγίου Γεωργίου, δίνουμε έμφαση στην πνευματική μας ανάταση. Η πίστη μας, μας έχει κάνει αδέλφια. Η αγάπη μας έχει κάνει γείτονες. Η συμπόνια μας έχει κάνει τέκνα του Θεού. ΕΙΘΕ Ο ΘΕΟΣ ΝΑ ΜΑΣ ΕΥΛΟΓΗΣΕΙ ΟΛΟΥΣ! Πατήρ Νικόλαος Παστρικός OUR PARISH OUR PEOPLE July 1 July 8 July 22 Baptisms Χαράλαμπος Son of Brian & Nancy Dougherty Godmother: Dorothy Erbacher Αέρος Son of Fania Maria Tsakalakos Godmother: Ioanna Tsakalakos Ευγένιος Son of Jeremy & Juliet Herbert Godfather: Christos Mark Birkitt July 2 August 27 July 24 August 7 Weddings James Joseph Nelan & Aphrodite Hadjiloucas Koumbaroi: Nicole Hadjiloucas-Nicholas Nelan Nicholas Koulouroudis & Maria Zalokostas Koumbaroi: Stamatis & Maria Mamounas Funerals May Their Memory Be Eternal Paul Batsarika Anna Kourtsoglou

September/October 2017 Page 5 ΜΗΝΥΜΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΕΔΡΟΥ - PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dear Parishioners, I hope everyone enjoyed their summer and is now ready for the new ecclesiastical year. Here at St. George we stayed active during the summer months by renovating the Administrative Assistant s office as well as the board office, the room behind the Narthex and the Cradle room. Further, we are continuing the construction project on the corner of River Rd. and Kroeger Ln lot. Our goal is also to rectify the issues with the columns on the front of the church (portico), and after obtaining several estimates, we will shortly begin the process of correcting any issues. With respect to items that need to be taken care of, our parking lot has several cracks, and we are in the process of collecting estimates, in order to maintain it, fill in the cracks, and have a beautiful parking lot for this upcoming fall-winter season. Rutgers games are starting on September 1st, and everyone s help is needed and requested, therefore we ask you if you have a few hours to spare, please come and join us in this big fundraiser of our church. With the start of the new ecclesiastical year, our different programs, including Greek and Sunday School will commence, and the board and myself would like to wish everyone a happy, fruitful and successful year. The board of St. George is working together harmoniously to achieve the best results for our community through dialogue and constructive criticism. We hope to see new people who would want to join us in our mission and bring fresh ideas to the table. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to me or to any other board member after church on Sunday, so we can discuss further. Welcome back and see you every Sunday! Sincerely, George Athanasopoulos - Board of Trustees President Αγαπητοί πάροικοι, Ελπίζω όλοι να απολαύσατε το καλοκαίρι σας και να είσαστε έτοιμοι για τη νέα εκκλησιαστική χρονιά. Εδώ στον Άγιο Γεώργιο παραμείναμε ενεργοί καθ όλη τη διάρκεια του καλοκαιριού, ανακαινίζοντας το γραφείο της βοηθού γραμματέως, το γραφείο του Συμβουλίου, το δώματιο πίσω από το Νάρθηκα, και το δωμάτιο για τα μωράκια. Περαιτέρω, συνεχίζουμε τις κατασκευές στο γωνιακό οικόπεδο του River Rd-Kroeger Ln. Ο στόχος μας είναι να ανακατασκευάσουμε τις κολώνες στο μπροστινό μέρος της εκκλησίας, για τις οποίες πήραμε διάφορες προσφορές και τα έργα θα ξεκινήσουν άμεσα. Χρήζει επίσης ανακατασκευής, ο χώρος στάθμευσης της εκκλησίας, για τον οποίο πήραμε διάφορες προσφορές και ελπίζουμε να τον διορθώσουμε άμεσα. Τα παιχνίδια Rutgers ξεκινάνε την 1η Σεπτεμβρίου, οπότε εάν έχετε χρόνο, θα εκτιμήσουμε τη βοήθειά σας, για αυτή τη μεγάλη προσπάθεια της εκκλησίας μας. Επίσης το Σεπτέμβριο ξεκινάνε τα διάφορα προγράμματα της εκκλησίας, οπότε εκ μέρους του Συμβουλίου και του εαυτού μου θα ήθελα να ευχηθώ μία καλή και επικοδομητική χρονιά σε εσάς και τα παιδιά σας. Το συμβούλιο της εκκλησίας εργάζεται ομαδικά με διάλογο και επικοδομητική κριτική. Ελπίζουμε να δούμε και νέα άτομα με φρέσκιες ιδέες. Μιλήστε μας την Κυριακή μετά την Εκκλησία για το πως μπορούμε να πάμε όλοι μαζί μπροστά. Καλωσορίσατε και πάλι και θα σας δούμε κάθε Κυριακή! Ειλικρινώς, Γιώργος Αθανασόπουλος Πρόεδρος Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 @ 12:30 P.M. WE ASK THAT EVERYONE ATTENDS THIS VERY IMPORTANT MEETING. MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES WILL BE DISCUSSED CONCERNING THE PROGRESS OF OUR COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, NOMINATIONS FOR THE NEW PARISH COUNCIL WILL BE TAKEN. FIRST CALL: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 RUTGERS PARKING SEASON 2017 Τα παιγνίδια ποδοσφαίρου του πανεπιστημίου Rutgers αρχίζουν σύντομα, και πάλι θα προσφέρουμε χώρο για στάθμευση αυτοκινήτων. Το πρώτο παιχνίδι θα γίνει την Παρασκευή 1η Σεπτεμβρίου. Χρειαζόμαστε εθελοντές για να βοηθήσουν για το παρκάρισμα των αυτοκινήτων. Έστω και μία ώρα από το χρόνο σας θα βοηθήσει το έργο μας και την Εκκλησία μας πάρα πολύ! Καλέστε στο Γραφείο στο 732-463-1642 για να δηλώσετε συμμετοχή. The Rutgers football season will begin shortly and the first game of the season will be on Friday, September 1st, 2017, and again we will be parking cars in our lot. We need everyone to volunteer to help us park cars. Even if you come and help for an hour, this will help our mission and Church very much. Please call the Church Office at 732-463-1642 to register.

September/October 2017

September/October 2017 Page 7 St. George Greek Orthodox Church Piscataway, New Jersey Annual Dinner Dance Saturday, October 28, 2017 St. George Greek Orthodox Church Community Hall COMMEMORATIVE ALBUM AD JOURNAL CONTRACT Name Address Phone Number Email Address Please specify the page you wish to purchase: Gold Page $200 Silver Page $150 Full Page $100 Half Page $500 Total Amount Check # Cash You can also pay online at http://gocnj.org/donate/ Please email your message, and attach your picture or business card as a pdf file to stgeorge1916@gmail.com Deadline for Ad is October 1, 2017 All donations are Tax Deductible, Tax ID #22-6017025 Make checks payable to: St George Greek Orthodox Church Mail to: 1101 River Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854

September/October 2017 IS CHURCH ON THE WEEKLY SCHEDULE? Fathers and mothers, go and lead your children by the hand into the Church - St. John Chrysostom We are all busy. School, work, extra curricular activities and social events fill our overloaded weekly schedules. Even if done in haste, these activities are attended because they have been deemed important. They are a priority either because they benefit our careers, social lives or our overall happiness. As each family has their particular routine or schedule, we must reflect if the Church has also been deemed important. Have we considered how critical the Church is for our spiritual well being? Do we realize how our schedules impact the formation of our children? With the consistency of these weekly routines, children are conditioned with the understanding that these events are important and a priority for the family. They are part of the schedule and therefore not negotiable. If our children missed half of their soccer practices and did not complete their schoolwork, our children would know that soccer and school are not important. Similarly, if praying as a family, reading Holy Scripture and attending services are not done consistently, our children will be conditioned with the understanding that there is no benefit in living a life as a faithful Orthodox Christian. These faith based activities should be deemed as the highest priority but are commonly the first negotiable activity on the family s schedule. The reality is our chaotic weekly routines are desperate for tranquility, reflection and prayer. We go to such efforts to complete assignments and attend social gatherings, but do we make the same effort to nourish our soul through prayer? So much of our week is dedicated to our lives but how much of our lives are dedicated to God? As we begin the new ecclesiastical year, let us as a community and family in Christ yearn for our children and grandchildren to continue to realize the importance of our precious faith in Jesus Christ. Praying in the home, reading Holy Scripture and attending services as a family must be permanently in the schedule of our daily lives. ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ; Είμαστε όλοι πολυάσχολοι με τα σχολεία, τη δουλειά, άλλες δραστηριότητες και κοινωνικά γεγονότα που καταλαμβάνουν τα υπερφορτωμένα και πολυάσχολα εβδομαδιαία προγράμματά μας. Ακόμα και εάν τρέχουμε να τις προλάβουμε, πηγαίνουμε σε όλες We are saddened this month to learn of the death of Someone Else. This passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Someone Else was with us for a long time and did more than anyone else to keep our parish going. Whenever there was a job to be done, a meeting to attend, or a class to be taught, one name was always mentioned. Let Someone Else do it. Now that Someone Else is gone, I wonder what our parish will do. When you are asked to help, please remember, we cannot depend on Someone Else anymore. (From The Orthodox Herald ). MAY HIS MEMORY BE ETERNAL αυτές οι δραστηριότητες γιατί τις θεωρούμε σημαντικές. Έχουν προτεραιότητα είτε επειδή επωφελούν τις καριέρες μας, την κοινωνική μας ζωή ή επειδή μας φέρνουν χαρά. Ενόσω κοιτάμε το συγκεκριμένο πρόγραμμα ή ρουτίνα που έχει μία οικογένεια, πρέπει να αναλογιστούμε εάν η Εκκλησία θεωρείται σημαντική. Έχουμε αναλογιστεί πόσο σημαντική είναι η Εκκλησία για την πνευματική μας υπόσταση; Αντιλαμβανόμαστε πόσο τα προγράμματά μας επηρεάζουν την ανάπτυξη των παιδιών μας ; Όταν διατηρούμε τα προγράμματά μας με ευλάβεια, τα παιδιά μας αντιλαμβάνονται ότι αυτά τα γεγονότα στα οποία παίρνουμε μέρος είναι σημαντικά και αποτελούν προτεραιότητα για την οικογένειά μας. Είναι μέρος του προγράμματος και δεν τίθενται προς διαπραγμάτευση. Εάν τα παιδιά μας δεν πήγαιναν σε όλες τις προπονήσεις ποδοσφαίρου ή δεν έκαναν πάντα τις σχολικές τους εργασίες, τότε θα θεωρούσαν ότι αυτές δεν είναι τόσο σημαντικές. Ακολούθως, εάν δεν προσευχόμαστε όλοι μαζί ως οικογένεια, εάν δεν διαβάζουμε την Αγία Γραφή, και εάν δεν συμμετάσχουμε στη Λειτουργία κάθε Κυριακή, δείχνει στα παιδιά μας ότι δεν υπάρχει όφελος να ζούμε ως Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί και ότι αυτές οι θρησκευτικές δραστηριότητες δεν είναι προτεραιότητα, και κατά συνέπεια δεν είναι τόσο σημαντικές. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι η χαοτική καθημερινή μας ρουτίνα αναζητά ηρεμία, σκέψη και προσευχή. Προσπαθούμε τόσο να συναντήσουμε προθεσμίες, να ολοκληρώσουμε όλα αυτά που έχουμε να κάνουμε, αλλά δε θα έπρεπε να δίνουμε την ίδια προσοχή και να προσπαθούμε να ηρεμούμε την ψυχή μας και να ερχόμαστε κοντά στο Θεό; Αγαπητοί μου αδελφοί καθώς ξεκινάμε το νέο Εκκλησιαστικό Έτος για το 2016, ας έλθουμε πιο κοντά ως οικογένεια και ως κοινότητα Ορθοδόξων Χριστιανών και εάς δείξουμε στα παιδιά και στα εγγόνια μας πόσο σημαντικό είναι να έχουμε πίστη στο Χριστό μας. Η προσευχή στο σπίτι, η ανάγνωση των κηρυγμάτων και η συμμετοχή στις Λειτουργίες της Εκκλησίας δε θα πρέπει να τίθεται προς διαπραγμάτευση. Η Ορθόδοξή μας πίστη θα πρέπει να είναι μονίμως μέσα στο καθημερινό μας πρόγραμμα. Όπου κι αν βρίσκεστε, ελπίζω να σταματήσετε για λίγο ό,τι κάνετε και να αναλογιστείτε τί κάνετε για την πνευματική σας ανάταση. Ελάτε στην κοινότητά μας και θα σας υποδεχτούμε με ανοιχτές αγκάλες. Αυτός είναι ο κύριος λόγος που αγαπάω την εκκλησία μας τόσο. Γιατί κάνουμε ό,τι είναι δυνατόν να φέρουμε κοντά τους πιστούς και να συνεργαστούμε όλοι ως μία οικογένεια.

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September/October 2017 LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY ST. BARBARA The Saint Barbara Ladies Philoptochos Society hopes you and your family had a restful and enjoyable summer! For over eighty-five years, the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, has undertaken a multitude of philanthropic programs to aid the poor, the sick, and the elderly. As members of the Philoptochos, we are committed to helping those in need. We are preparing to have another busy, productive and fulfilling year for Saint Barbara Philoptochos. As a member, are you ready to participate? As always, we extend a warm invitation to all the women of our community to renew or to become a member of our Philoptochos chapter. We promise you it will be a busy, exciting and rewarding experience. Please join us!! Due to Rutgers home football games on most Saturdays in September, our first meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Room. Also, in October, because of Rutgers football and the annual church dance, we will meet on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Room. It is an honor to serve as the president of Philoptochos, and along with the hardworking ladies on the board, I invite you to join us at meetings and volunteer for the activities and projects we support. Let us make a difference in the lives of those who need our help, TOGETHER!! Sincerely, Virginia Theokas *** The following list summarizes our schedule of activities for 2017. A more detailed letter and agenda will be mailed to you in early September. -General Meeting, Wednesday, September 20, 2017, 6 p.m. -Cooking for Women Aware Shelter and Warming of America throughout the year. -Baby blankets, quilts and gown will be sewn throughout the year. -Visitations to shut-ins throughout the year. -October 24, 2017, Tuesday, General Meeting 6 p.m. -November 18, 2017, Saturday, General Meeting 11 a.m. -Preparation (November 13, 14 ) and sale (November 18, 19 ) of Baklava for Thanksgiving. - Community Christmas Card donations, assembly and mailing beginning in October. - Celebrating our Patron Saint Barbara with a liturgy, artoklasia and luncheon, Sunday, December 10, 2017. Details to be announced. - December 16, 2017, Saturday, General Meeting 11 a.m. - Sale of Christmas Bread and Vasilopites, December 16, 17 2017. Η Φιλόπτωχος Αδελφότητα Αγία Βαρβάρα ελπίζει ότι εσείς και οι οικογένειές σας περάσατε ένα ξεκούραστο και όμορφο καλοκαίρι! Για περισσότερα από 85 χρόνια, η Φιλόπτωχος Αδελφότητα λειτουργεί ως ο φιλανθρωπικός οργανισμός της Ελληνικής Ορθοδόξου Αρχιεπισκοπής και έχει αναλάβει πολλά προγράμματα για τη φροντίδα των οικονομικώς αδυνάτων, των ασθενών και των γηραιότερων. Ως μέλη της Φιλοπτώχου δεσμευόμαστε να βοηθήσουμε όσους το έχουν ανάγκη. Επί του παρόντος προετοιμαζόμαστε για μία ακόμη πολυάσχολη και δημιουργική χρονιά για την Φιλόπτωχο Αδελφότητα Αγία Βαρβάρα. Ως μέλοι, είστε έτοιμοι να συμμετάσχετε και να μας βοηθήσετε; Όπως πάντα, επεκτείνουμε ένα θερμό κάλεσμα σε όλες τις κυρίες της παροικίας μας προκειμένου είτε να ανανεώσουν τη συμμετοχή τους με εμάς, ή να γίνουν νέα μέλη. Σας υποσχόμαστε ότι θα είναι μία ευχάριστη, συναρπαστική και αποδοτική εμπειρία. Σας παρακαλούμε να μας υποστηρίξετε!! Λόγω των αγώνων του Πανεπιστημίου Rutgers, η πρώτη μας συνάντηση θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Τετάρτη 20 Σεπτεμβρίου 2017 στις 6 μ.μ. στο Memorial Room. Επίσης, τον Οκτώβριο θα συναντηθούμε την Τρίτη 24 Οκτωβρίου 2017 στις 6 μ.μ. στην ίδια αίθουσα. Είναι τιμή που υπηρετώ ως Πρόεδρος αυτού του οργανισμού και σας προσκαλώ μαζί με όλο το συμβούλιο στις συναντήσεις μας προκειμένου όλες μαζί να κάνουμε τη διαφορά! Με εκτίμηση, Ευγενία Θεώκα BAKLAVA SALE The Ladies Philoptochos Society will be selling baklava for the holidays. All baklava must be preordered by November 12, 2017; it will be sold on November 18 and 19, 2017. Place your orders early! Koula Athanasopoulos, 732-469-6298 or Niky Gerondelis, 732-356-5844 CHRISTMAS BREAD AND VASILOPITES SALE Christmas Bread and Vasilopites will be sold on Dec. 16 & 17 The Ladies Philoptochos Society invites you to attend ST. BARBARA S LUNCHEON Sunday, December 10, 2017 (More information will follow!)

September/October 2017 Page 11 COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD 2017 Dear St. George Parishioners: We are rapidly approaching that time of the year when the Philoptochos will prepare the St. George Community Christmas Card which will be mailed to ever y member of our par ish and which will carr y our holiday greetings to all our parishioners. This Community Christmas Card becomes possible through your donations. However, not only does your donation extend holiday greetings to all but, more importantly, it is used for the much needed assistance to the needy of our community. Your contribution truly represents the Christian spirit of helping those in need. And so we ask you, once again, to give your donation to the Needy Cases Fund. In so doing, you will be helping those in need and you will be assuring that your name will be included on the Community Christmas Card. You may give your donation by filling in the for m below and br inging it to the church or by mailing it to PHILOPTOCHOS, c/o St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Please make checks payable to the ST. GEORGE NEEDY CASES FUND. To assure that your name is included on the Christmas Card, your contribution must be received no later than November 20, 2017. The names of contributors received after November 21st will be listed in the January church bulletin. In addition, if you are employed by a company that participates in a Gift Matching Program, please bring the necessary forms so we may benefit from this program. Obtain a gift matching form from your personnel office, complete the employee s section and bring the form to us. We ll do the rest. Thank you and God Bless you always, NEEDY FUND COMMITTEE Detach and return the form below with your donation no later than Sunday, November 20, 2017 ============ ========================================================================== I would like to participate in the ST. GEORGE NEEDY CASES FUND. Enclosed you will find my donation for $. Please list my name on the Christmas Card as follows: Name: Address: Telephone Number: PARTICIPATE IN THE UNITED WAY PROGRAM! It s that time of the year when corporate management will be asking their employees to participate in the 2017/2018 United Way program. Consequently, since our parishioners are participants in that program, we ask that they and their many friends consider our St. George Needy Cases Fund be earmarked for their contribution. In the past sever al years the St. Geor ge Needy Cases Fund has benefited dramatically and this has allowed the Philoptochos to assist those in need. The Ladies Philoptochos Society extends its appreciation and thanks to our many St. George parishioners who have taken the initiative to arrange for their United Way deductions to be sent to the St. George Needy Cases Fund. We are most grateful to all for their continued support. Remember to direct your United Way donation to the St. George Needy Cases Fund United Way Reference Number 032224

September/October 2017 Page 13 G.O.Y.A. GREEK ORTHODOX YOUTH ASSOCIATION Welcome Back! St. George welcomes back the GOYAns from summer vacation with some reminders of upcoming events this ecclesiastic year 2017-2018. Our first GOYA meeting will be held in the Memorial Room immediately following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, September 10, 2017. Father Nicholas is inviting advisers, current GOYAns as well as new members to attend. Please consider becoming a part of this spiritually challenging and exciting church organization! We encourage all parents of current and new GOYA members to please join us at this meeting so that we can be well informed of upcoming events, programs, and opportunities. If you did not receive a GOYA registration packet through the mail, you can pick one up at this meeting. (Members must be 12 years old and in the 7th grade by October 1, 2017.) Some Upcoming Events: First Goya Dance practice September 14th at 7pm Our Annual Holy Cross celebration will be September 17th in Asbury Park First Gyro Sale on October 1st GOYA Meeting on October 1st Charity Night on October 6th Mr. and Miss GOYA Pageant on October 8th at Pines Manor Congratulations to our new Board: President: Konstantinos Hantsoulis Vice president: Dean Stavrianidis Corresponding Secretary: Elisabeth Gallou Recording Secretary: Antoni Kalogridis Treasurer: Demetri Karandrikas Historian: George DeLaurentis Jr. Boy Diver: Demetri Kalogridis Jr. Girl Diver: Katerina Apostolakis Sr. Boy Diver: Dimitri Karandrikas Sr. Girl Diver: Gia Vlahos Mr. GOYA: Vasilli Petrou Miss GOYA: Elisabeth Gallou Respectfully submitted, George DeLaurentis Historian GREEK SCHOOL ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ Καλωσορίσατε από τις θερινές διακοπές σας και ευχόμαστε να είχατε όλοι ένα χαρούμενο και ευχάριστο καλοκαίρι. Οι εγγραφές του Ελληνικού Σχολείου άρχισαν από τον Ιούνιο και όσοι δεν είχατε την ευκαιρία να γράψετε τα παιδιά σας, έχετε ακόμη καιρό να τα γράψετε και να τους δώσετε την ευκαιρία να παρακολουθήσουν τα μαθήματα του Ελληνικού Σχολείου για να μάθουν να διαβάζουν, να γράφουν, να μιλούν ελληνικά και να μάθουν για την Ελλάδα, καθώς και τα ελληνικά ήθη και έθιμα. Θα χαρούμε πολύ να τα δούμε στο σχολείο μας και να ξεκινήσουμε με όρεξη μια νέα σχολική χρονιά. Τα μαθήματα αρχίζουν στις 11 Σεπτεμβρίου και οι ώρες διδασκαλίας είναι από τις 4:30 μέχρι τις 6:30 το απόγευμα. Οι τάξεις του σχολείου είναι Προνήπια, Νήπια, Πρώτη μικρή, Πρώτη μεγάλη, Δευτέρα, Τρίτη, Τετάρτη, Πέμπτη, Έκτη και τα Regents. Tα παιδιά που θα εγγραφούν πρέπει να είναι τεσσάρων χρόνων για τα Προνήπια και έξι χρόνων για την Πρώτη μικρή. Αν τα παιδιά σας είναι έξι χρόνων, μπορείτε να τα γράψετε αμέσως στην Πρώτη μικρή. Το σχολείο λειτουργεί από την Δευτέρα μέχρι την Παρασκευή και οι μαθητές παρακολουθούν μαθήματα μόνον μία μέρα την εβδομάδα. Η τάξη για τα Regents είναι κάθε Τρίτη από τις 6:30 μέχρι τις 8:30. Την πρώτη μέρα του σχολείου, στις 11 Σεπτεμβρίου, ο πατήρ Νικόλαος θα κάνει αγιασμό και θα αγιάσει τα παιδιά, τις δασκάλες και όλες τις τάξεις του σχολείου. Παρακαλούμε όσοι γονείς μπορούν, να παραβρεθούν στην εκκλησία για τον αγιασμό μαζί με τα παιδιά τους. Ευχόμαστε σε όλα τα παιδιά να έχουν υγεία και καλή πρόοδο στην καινούργια σχολική χρονιά. Με εκτίμηση, Οι Δασκάλες του Ελληνικού Σχολείου

September/October 2017 Page 15 STEWARDSHIP ΕΚΟΥΣΙΑ ΕΙΣΦΟΡΑ Dear faithful, Even though it has been many years since we have implemented the Stewardship Program, here at St. George, this program for some reason has witnessed very slow growth. Some very conscientious faithful have stepped up to the plate and have taken this program seriously and have truly become stewards of our parish, other however have not done that yet. If we are to be a strong viable parish, then we must do better in our involvement and in our giving. THE SPIRIT OF GIVING is something that cannot be taught because it comes from the heart. The human body cannot function properly without the heart. What the heart is to the body, the Stewardship Program is to the church. When the heart stops beating, the body is dead. When our faithful stop giving, or do not give as much as they are asked to give, the church will not be able to function in the way it is supposed to. When we are in need of God s blessings, His Love, His Grace, Jesus does not ask How much are you going to give me for my blessing?, but rather He gives His blessing abundantly, and without hesitation. In our Parish, we have a great number of young adults who are over the age of 21. These young adults are gainfully employed. They may be living at home or they may be living on their own and unfortunately have not become participating stewards. They are told, for the most part, that they do not have to make a stewardship commitment because of their youth and to make a stewardship commitment only if they need the church. That is not the true meaning of Stewardship. STEWARDSHIP is a program where we All need to participate so that our church won t have to experience any hardship like she is doing right now. Our St. George NEEDS the Help and Support of everyone, in order to maintain what we Love and work for the future. Let us hope that all of us, young and old, can look back and say one day Our beloved St. George and parish exists today because our grandparents and parents and I cared enough to do something about it. Rev. Fr. Nicholas Pastrikos Αγαπητοί Πιστοί, Παρότι έχουν περάσει αρκετά χρόνια από τότε που ξεκινήσαμε το πρόγραμμα της Εκούσιας Εισφοράς εδώ στον Άγιο Γεώργιο, για κάποιο λόγο, αυτό το πρόγραμμα έχει «αργή ανάπτυξη». Κάποιοι ευσυνείδητοι πιστοί έχουν πάρει το πρόγραμμα σοβαρά και έχουν γίνει κοινωνοί του Αγίου Γεωργίου, ενώ άλλοι δεν το έχουν πράξει ακόμα. Είμαστε μία ζωντανή και δυναμική παροικία, και πρέπει να ασχοληθούμε περισσότερο με την πρόοδο και ευημερία μας. ΤΟ ΠΝΕΥΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΔΟΤΙΚΟΤΗΤΑΣ είναι κάτι που δεν μπορεί να διδαχθεί, διότι προέρχεται από την καρδιά. Το ανθρώπινο σώμα δεν μπορεί να λειτουργήσει όπως πρέπει χωρίς την καρδιά. Όσα σημαίνει η καρδιά για το σώμα, τα ίδια ακριβώς σημαίνει και το πρόγραμμα της Εκούσιας Εισφοράς για την εκκλησία. Όταν η καρδιά πάψει να δίνει, τότε το σώμα είναι νεκρό. Όταν οι πιστοί σταματήσουν να δίνουν, ή δε δίνουν όσα τους αρμόζουν, τότε η εκκλησία δε θα μπορεί να λειτουργήσει. Όταν χρειαζόμαστε τις ευλογίες του Κυρίου, την Αγάπη Του, τη Φροντίδα Του, ο Χριστός δε μας ρωτά τι θα του δώσουμε για να το κάνει. Αντίθετα, δίνει την ευλογία του απλόχερα, και χωρίς δισταγμό. Στην παροικία μας, έχουμε έναν μεγάλο αριθμό νέων ατόμων πέραν των 21 χρόνων, που εργάζονται με απολαβές. Μπορεί πολλοί να ζούνε στο πατρικό τους ή μόνοι τους και δυστυχώς μέχρι στιγμής δεν έχουν συμμετάσχει ενεργά στο πρόγραμμα της εκούσιας εισφοράς. Τους λένε, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, ότι δε χρειάζονται να συνεισφέρουν ενεργά στην εκκλησία, παρά μόνο όταν τη χρειάζονται για διάφορα μυστήρια. Αυτό όμως δεν είναι το πραγματικό νόημα της εκούσιας εισφοράς. Η Εκούσια εισφορά είναι ένα πρόγραμμα στο οποίο χρειάζεται να συμμετέχουμε ΟΛΟΙ προκειμένου η εκκλησία μας να μη βρίσκεται στη δύσκολη θέση στην οποία είναι τώρα. Ο Άγιος μας Γεώργιος ΧΡΕΙΑΖΕΤΑΙ τη βοήθεια και την υποστήριξη όλων μας, προκειμένου να συντηρηθεί και να διατηρηθεί και στο μέλλον. Ας ελπίσουμε ότι όλοι μας, νέοι και μεγαλύτεροι, μπορούμε να κοιτάξουμε πίσω μία μέρα και να πούμε ότι «ο αγαπημένος μας Άγιος Γεώργιος και η κοινότητά του υπάρχουν σήμερα γιατί οι παππούδες μου, οι γονείς μου κι εγώ νοιαζόμασταν αρκετά για να κάνουμε κάτι γι αυτό». Πατήρ Νικόλαος Παστρικός WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO TO? Expenses Jan Feb Mar Apr

September/October 2017 THANK YOU TO OUR STEWARDS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED AS OF JULY 31, 2017 George & Barbara Abadiotakis John & Sofia Abadiotakis George & Elizabeth Abadiotakis Jr Elena Abadsidis Alexander Adamides Thanasis & Anastasia Agoras Peter & Stella E Agrapides Evangelia Alexander John & Emilia Alexopoulos Aspasia Alfaro Demetria Alfieris Larry & Stacey Alphas Emanuel & Frances Alvarez Manuel & Ann Alvarez Dimos & Sofia Amaxopoulos Vasilios & Constance Amaxopoulos Steven & Irene Anagnos Evan & Tina Andricopoulos Demetris & Eleni Andronikou M John & Rose Angelakos Demetrios & Afrodite Antipas Costantinos Antonakakis Irene Antonakakis Panagiota Antoniou Zoi Antoniou Zoitsa Antoniou Constantine & Eleni Apostolakis Hrysi Apostolakis Sotirios & Alice Apostolopoulos Frank & Camille Araps Stephen N & Loren Aretakis Demetrios & Anastasia Arhontoulis Maria Arhontoulis Stamatis & Pauline Arkoulakis Elias & Leina Atallah George & Kyriakoula Athanasopoulos Antonios Ballas Apostolis & Sileny Ballas Nektarios & Eleni Banis John & Linda Barbagiannis Mary Barre' Rose Batsarika Carl & Ourania Bayer Theodore & Mary Belcheff Mike & Athinoulla Bizos John Blazakis Nick & Voula Bonis Eduardo Borba John & Dionyssia Botzolakis Dimitri N & Maria D Bouhlas Georgette Boulegeris Mary Boulegeris Michael Bouloubasis Lampros E & Naomi Bourodimos Sotirios & Christy Bouziotis Stavros & Effie Bouziotis Angelo & Teresa Bouzos Helen Bouzos Joseph & Maria Boyadjis Melanie Boyadjis Theodora Boyadjis Arthur & Niki Brachowski Helen Breznak Carlyle G & Mary J Caldwell Michael & Ellen Cambilis Mary Captain Maria Regina Caputo Ralph & Maria Caputo George & Maria Cassotis Jonathan Castillo & Evangelia Skontriano Jonathan Castillo Francis J & Katherine Catanzaro John & Tammy Lynne Chafos Hristos Chatzopoulos Panagiotis Chatzopoulos John & Catherine Chick Dana Christianis Maroon Elias & Antonia Christodoulakis Christos & Maria Christodoulatos Maria Christodoulides Maria G Christodoulou Chris & Beata Christoforou Richard C & Maria Cia James & Christine Colitsas Anthony & Mary Colletto Dennis Columbis Peter Combates Mihai & Maria Constantin Anastasia Copachiarys Thomas P & Areti Copeland Dimitrios Danas Gary Davis & Georgia Staikopoulos Jon & Kathryn Dean John & Chrisoula DeLaurentis Lawrence & Athanasia DelGuercio Joseph & Ellie D'Elia Antonios & Eleni Delistathis Stamatiki Demelis George Demos Jr & Maria Demos Lee Dervech Aristedes & Elaine Diagelakis Mary Diamantis Mike & Mary Dimitrakis Brian & Nancy Dougherty George & Irene Drakopoulos Hermione Drecolias Redi & Anja Ekonomi Michael & Evangeline Emanuel Nicholas & Helen Englezos Anne Erbacher Dorothy Erbacher Georgia Exarchakis Afroditi Farag Michelle Farsi Terrence & Colette Fearon IV Joanna Feist Salvatore & Constance Ferullo Thomas & Antoinette Finley Antonis & Paraskevi Fiotakis Themis & Niki Fiotakis Basil & Despina Fottis Irene Frangos Serafim & Sotiria Galatas Lazaros Gallos Nicholas & Helen Gargalidis John & Bertha Garris Dimitrios Gavalas & Katherine Gavalas-Ko Anthony & Helen Gegelys Mary George Constantine & Nancy Georgiades George & Panagiota Georgiou Maria Georgiou John & Vicky Gerometta Stanley & Niky Gerondelis Michael & Diane Gianakos Christos & Helen Giannios Dimitri & Melissa Giannios Evangelos & Mitza Giannos Kostas S & Argie Glynos Edward T & Evagelia Gomolka Nicholas Gonedes John & Peggy Gonis Dimitri & Maria Hadjiapostoli George & Lefkothea Hadjiloucas Vasiliki Hadzimichalis William Hadzimichalis Sr & Marianthe Had Emanuel & Amalia Halkiadakis Stella Hamilothoris Ilias Hantsoulis Konstantinos & Paraskevi Hantsoulis Eric Hargreaves & Konstantina Matsoukas Martha Harris Gregory Hatzis Jeremy & Julie Herbert Enndy Herrera & Andrea A Boyadjis Joseph & Kathryn Hirschman Arkady Honchariv David & Angeliki Horowitz Niels & Louise Hoyvald Christos & Anna Iliopoulos Nicholas & Magda Ioannou Pericles & Daphne Ioulianou George & Alexandra Janow Thomas & Susan Joannou Grammatiki N Kagdis Lazaros & Constantina Kakalis Damianos & Kathy Kalabratzidis Thomas Kalanekos Ari Kalimanis Panayiota Kalimanis John & Evelyn Kallas Anthony & Anna Kalogridis Antonios Jr & Georgia Kalogridis Chrisoula Kalogridis Eftihios & Anastasia Kalogridis Ioannis N & Sandy Kalogridis Anthony & Maria Kamarinopoulos Chrysanthe Kanterakis Markos & Maria Kantilierakis Stamatis & Anastasia Kantilierakis Argyro Kapasakis Aspasia Karagiozis Toula Karamarkos Demetrios & Eftihia Karayiannidis Alice Kartikis Basil S & Katherine B Kasimis John & Sophia Kastanis Michael Kasternakis Christos Katsifis Constantine Katsifis & Helen Simigiannis Thomas & Maria Kavouras John & Marietta Kazan John Kehayas Katina Kehayas Nicholas T Kehayas Steve Keramas Vassilis & Elaine Keramidas Dimitri & Tatiana Kika Mary Kirkis Daniel Knoell & Elizabeth Farsi

September/October 2017 Page 17 Antonis & Donna Kokinos Athanasia Sophia Kolias Georgia Kolias Helen Kolias Constantine & Athina Komandis Nicholas & Leana Komandis Antonios & Kristina Kontos Georgios & Eve Kontos Nickie Kopanakis John B Kostis Georgios & Raquel Koukourdelis Nicholas Koulouroudis & Maria Zalokostas Nicholas & Christine Koumarianos Pantelis & Despina Kounelias Georgia Kouridakis Linda Kourkounakis George & Lisa Koutsoubis Mary Kuklakis Andrew & Andrea Lagermasini Robert & Myrsine Lambides Theodore Lambros Timothy & Despina Laverick Sr Effie Lazerow Nicholas Lazos Stephen & Catherine Leach James F & Evangelia Lemberis Irene Leontarakis Michael Levas Casandra Lorincz Anthony & Anna Lorino Constantine Lydakis Stamatis & Cassandra Lymberis George & Athena Lyristis Emily Lyssikatos Thomais Lyssikatos Emmanuel & Kalliope Mahlis Christopher Malekkides John & Donna Maloupis Edward & Kathryn Mancheno Michalis & Fotini Mangafas Evangelia Manikopoulos Nick & Ioanna Manikopoulos Emanuel Manioudakis Nicholas & Joan Manioudakis James & Niki Marketos Matthew & Meropi Martini Nicole Martini Polyxeni Martis Evelyn Mataras John Mavrakis Miltiades & Trisha Mavrianos Costantino Mazza & Emily Connelly Despina Menon Dimitrios & Eugenia Metaxas Minas & Helen Michael James L Mihopulos Louis Mihopulos Peter Miko & Lemonia Miko-Malahias Gregg & Nicole Miller Minas & Mary Rose Mina Linda Minguet George & Vasso Mitchels Gregory Mitchels Steven Mitchels Anastasia Mitrou Jerry G & Soula Moschonas Themistoklis Moudrakis & Eleftheria Fiot Thomas & Maria Moutafis Anastasios & Dimitra Mpovolis James & Theano Munck John Paul & Pauline Murphy James Mustakis Emanuel & Amelia Nafpliotis James Nelan & Aphrodite Hadjiloucas Penelope Nicolas Peter Nicolas Vicki Nicolas Konstantinos & Efstathia Nikolaou Anthony & Nicole Onyrscuk Vasileios Orfanidis & Antonia Niotis Anthony & Sophie Ousouljoglou Tony & Susan Ousouljoglou Afstathios & Melissa Pafiakis Parthena Pagonis John M & Linda Ann Paitakes Erifili Panaretos Chrysoula Papadakis George & Eleni Papadakis Louis A Papadakos Kosmas & Eftihia Papadelias Andrew & Demetra Papadopoulos Emmanuel & Katina Papamanolis Michael & Angelica Papasavas Irini Pappas Petros & Dina Parameritis George & Helen Paraskevopoulos Eleni Parlapanides George & Allison Parlapanides Thomas Parlapanides Jr Afrodite M Parlitsis Constandena Parlitsis Demetrios & Mistilee Pasigos George & Maria Pasigos Nicholas & Sandy Pastrikos Helen Patestos Karl & Dimitra Paulus Georgia C Peterson George & Christina Petrantonakis George & Maria Petrou Rousos & Argyro Petroulakis John V Pilitsis Lazaros & Chrisoula Plias Socrates & Polly Ploussiou H James & Rita Polos Mary G Ponticas Thomas & Georgia Preite Thomas J & MaryAnn Prenderville John & Connie Protopapadakis Triffin & Nancy J Psyhojos George & Maria Psyllos Ryan & Maria Rapp Calliope Rissiotis Roland & Karen Rodriguez Vanessa Rodriguez Anthony & Irene Rompos George & Katerina Rompos Joseph & Agnes Sagliocco Stella Sakoutis Michael & Toni Lynn Sardis George & Anthoula Sarigeorgiou Ekaterini Sarrinikolaou Stamatios & Kalliope Sarrinikolaou Helen Scalia Liberty Schwalje Adam & Aphrodite Scicchitano Jr Stefanie Sgourakis Steven Sgourakis William & Sotiria Shibley Nicholaos & Yiannoulla Sideris Nicholas & Regina Siliverdis Constantine & Jennifer Simos Chris & Maria Sirimis Michael & Helen Sirimis Alexandria Skandalos Sotiris Skevoulis Gerasimos Skontrianos Haralabos & Eleni Skontrianos Konstantinos & Rachel Skontrianos Dean V Solomos James & Elizabeth Solomos Katina Spanos Soula Spathis Albert Spry & Nellie Spry Tsipoura Mary Stefanos Anna Stevens Paul V & Alice J Stevens Victor P & Teresa Stevens Jr Stylianos & Stacy Stoupas John D & Linda Stroumtsos John & Bella Sturges Mark Sturges Nicholas & Panagiota Sugleris Thomas & Viveca Sulich Lawrence & Anna S Sullivan Jamie D Susan Marios & Georgia Tamanas Paraskevi Theodorakopoulos Paul & Elsie Theodorou Constantinos & Virginia Theokas Andreas Theophanous Stamatia Timbinaris Dimitrios Tolis Liberty Toto & Richard Krembecki Athanasios Trastelis Konstantinos & Stavroula Trastelis Harry Triantafyllidisi Kostas & Dimitra Trikilas Louis Troulis Fania Maria Tsakalakos Joanna Tsakalakos Komninos Tsakon Ioannis & Brigitte Tsampalis George S & Irene Tsangarakis Michael & Darby Tsilimidos Stella Tsinetakes Fotios & Eleni Tsivelekidis George & Beatrice Vassil Thomas & Barbara Vastardis Demetrios & Aphrodite Vlahos Artemis Vlastaras Filippos & Denise Vokolos Christos & Effie Voloudakis William Wadsworth Edward & Malvina Wilkens Peter & Stella Xeinis Emmanuel & Rose Xidias Samuel & Harriet K Yelo George & Kathryn Zahos John & Pegi Zajac Dimitrios & Anthy Zalokostas George & Anastasia Zalokostas Demetrios Zambas John & Vasiliki Zimnis Polixeni Zotos Nicholas & Karen Zubulake

September/October 2017 P.T.O. PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION The PTO Executive Board welcomes everybody back from your summer vacation and we welcome all the new families of the St. George Community. The PTO events sponsored through your membership & fundraisers are vital in order to continue and promote our Greek and Religious heritage. Some of which include: Purchase of Sunday school books and year end award plaques. 6 th grade year book for Greek school. Service the copy machine and pay for all copy paper. Purchase equipment and supplies for Greek and Sunday school, such as supply cabinets, sharpeners, staplers, pencils, pens, paper and other stationery items. Purchase of Greek costumes Hosting of the communion breakfasts for Christmas and Easter. Hosting of the Three Hierarchs luncheon for all teachers and teachers aides. Help in the funding of medallions, certificates, prizes for participants which include all Sunday school children grades 7 th thru 12 th, which is now mandatory for all GOYANS participating in GOYAN Olympics, for the Oratorical Festival. Internet modem for Sunday school grades 8 th thru 12 th Hosting and organizing of the Apokreatiko Glendi. Donation towards our church for the March 25 th Greek parade. Easter egg hunt. Organizing and providing desserts and beverages for Greek School programs. Year-end Greek School pizza party and Sunday School Graduation reception. Both PTO membership and Friend Finder forms will be distributed to students of the Greek, Religious Educational (Sunday) Schools and to the GOYA members. For your convenience, the forms will also be posted on the church s PTO bulletin board. The membership/donation is only $20.00 per family and it includes a free copy of St. George Friend Finder directory, which lists the school teachers and students contact information. We are requesting that all parents of 6 th grade Greek school become PTO members as the contribution is monetary toward graduation and the yearbooks. Research has shown that parent involvement in the community helps all children do better on a wide variety of measures, both socially & academically. Below is a calendar of the PTO events & fundraisers for the 2017-2018 year. Calendar of Events: September Coffee hour- Served by PTO - Month of September September 10 PTO Meeting September 24 PTO Artoklasia October 8 PTO Meeting - Carnival A/H & Outside November 5 PTO Meeting November 19 PTO Bake Sale December 3 PTO Meeting December 9 Christmas Communion Breakfast and Tree Trimming Set Up December 10 Christmas Communion Breakfast and Tree Trimming January 7 PTO Meeting January 29 Three Hierarchs/Teachers Luncheon February 4 PTO Meeting February 10 Apokriatiko Set up February 11 Apokriatiko Glenti March Easter Lambades Fundraiser - Greek School Chocolate Fundraiser March 4 Godparents Day March 11 PTO Meeting March 18 Oratorical Festival - Speeches & Awards March 24 March 25 th Greek School Program March 30 PTO Easter Lenten Communion Breakfast set up March 31 Easter Communion Breakfast & Myrofores Rehearsal TBD March 25th Parade in NY April Easter Lambades Fundraiser April 8 Holy Pascha & Easter Egg Hunt April 15 PTO Meeting May 6 PTO Meeting June 3 PTO Meeting June 4-8 Greek School Pizza Party June 9 Greek School Graduation June 10 Sunday School Graduation We hope that you will continue to support the PTO through our various fundraisers and events throughout the year. Without your help, we would not be able to serve the community. We have many plans for the future that we believe will benefit our children for generations to come. However, in order to do so, your support is required. Any assistance that you are willing to offer is greatly appreciated, whether it is through membership dues, supporting our fundraisers, taking a position on the board, attending our meetings, or lending a hand at different events. Should you have any input on how we can better the organization and community, please feel free to contact us at stgpto@optonline.net. Thank You!! St. George PTO Welcome Back to a New School Year

September/October 2017 Page 19 VACATION BIBLE CAMP 2017 Weird Animals: Where Jesus' Love is One of a Kind was the theme for this summers Vacation Bible Camp here at St. George. God graced the week of June 26-30 with sunshine and His love as 47 campers participated in an action packed week of experiencing the love of Christ. The daily schedule included a Bible point, a Bible story, a music stampede, kid vid cinema, imagination station, outdoor activities, a craft station and delicious snacks at the critter café. Our church was decorated with fun and bright decorations to add to the already energized atmosphere. A local pet owner brought in weird and not so weird animals and talked about how to care for God's creatures. We thank all the campers and their families who made the program a big success. Our deep gratitude to the many volunteers whose help and dedication made the program run as smooth and flawless as it did. We look forward to VBC 2018! Stay tuned for information! God Bless! Meropi Martini Sandy Pastrikos Co-directors

September/October 2017 SUNDAY SCHOOL Dear Parents and Members of our St. George Community, We hope that everyone had a pleasant and relaxing summer with time for reflection on all the gifts God is providing us. On behalf of Father Nicholas, the teachers and staff, we welcome all the children and their families back to our Catechism program on the 10th of September for the 2017-2018 ecclesiastical year. We held our end of the year and graduation ceremony on June 11, 2017 where we communicated our yearly accomplishments. On this day, we also honored Miss Chrysoula Kalogridis, selected as the Teacher of the Year. Chrisoula has been part of our Catechism Program for over 25 years and we are truly so blessed to have her on our staff. Chrisoula is an exceptional and dedicated teacher; she currently is the lead teacher of the Nursery class. Most of our children begin the Catechism Program in the Nursery class where Chrisoula is there to nurture them and help them develop their abilities, social skills and knowledge of our Christian Orthodox faith. All the activities she plans provide the necessary stimulation and comfort to our little children. Her welcoming smile, gentle demeanor and hugs are sure to brighten their day! We look forward to many years with her. Some photographs from our end of the year and graduation ceremony follow: Photograph of Chrisoula Kalogridis receiving The Teacher-of-Year award from Father Nicholas We encourage all parents to please bring your children to us each Sunday. Each lesson of a given week builds on that of the following week, and thus the importance of your children s presence must be noted. The set curriculum, the hymnology, the participation in the Divine Liturgy and the many projects carried out throughout the year, under the leadership and spiritual guidance of Father Nicholas, provide a complete picture of our program. Photograph of the 2017 Graduating Class (from l to r: Jason Stavrianidis, Kyra Sirimis, Dimitri Manioudakis, Alexia Kostis, Alexis Mangafas, Kostantinos Zalakostas and Apostolis Petsanas; missing Francesca Dimitrakis, Alexandra Jennings, Nikolaos Koutsoubis and Artemia Savva) Catechism Program End of the Year and Graduation Ceremony 11 June 2017 We are very proud of our religious education program and of our commitment to your children. We pray that we see you on the 10th of September. May God Bless - St. George Catechism Program

September/October 2017 Page 21 SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED The majority of the years here at St. George we can faithfully and truthfully say that we have been blessed by Almighty God for the many and very qualified teachers that we ve had here in our parish. There comes a time however, when once in a while we put out a plea for more teachers and assistants to please volunteer in this very important program of our church. Our Sunday school is in need of at least three (3) teachers and assistants to fill the void for the 2017-2018 School year. Please consider sharing time teaching our young children in their time of need. You do not need a teaching degree to become a teacher in our Sunday school program. All that we ask is that you have the willingness to be able to give your time. SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2017. BIBLE STUDY Now that everyone is back from their vacations, it is time for all of our organizations and groups to get back to the normal routines. One of these groups is the Bible Study Group, and our first gettogether will be on Thursday, September 14th at 7:00 p.m. As a group, we decided that we will be studying the book of Romans. The Bible has been referred to as God s love letter to mankind. We can express our own love to God, not only be reading the Bible, but by studying it as well. Orthodox Christians do not personally interpret the Bible as other Christians do. Rather, we study it and understand it in light of the Living Tradition of the Church as guided by the Holy Spirit. Please make the effort and the commitment to attend our Bible Study. By participating in our Bible study, you do not only come to a fuller understanding of the Bible, but you will also understand your Orthodox Christian Faith. As a reminder, our Bible Study takes place every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 7 pm upstairs in our Library. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 14th. GOD BLESS!! CALL FOR PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS Our beloved St. George needs dedicated men and women who place their love for Christ and the needs of the Parish as key priorities in their lives. A healthy spiritual life should be the norm, not just for council members, but for all Orthodox Christians. By fully realizing the importance of the service offered by members of the parish council, official representatives of our St. George, a person assumes a position that demands love, fidelity and dedication to the Holy Orthodox Church and will make every effort to exemplify its sacred character and spirit. Therefore, our beloved St. George is urging all the Parish members who are in good ecclesiastical standing, i.e. (Stewardship must be fulfilled in its entirety for 2017; if you are married, your marriage must be ecclesiastically blessed by the Orthodox Church; if you are divorced you must have obtained an Ecclesiastical divorce from the church), to submit your candidacy for the Parish council by the next General Assembly which is scheduled for Sunday, October 1st, 2017.

September/October 2017 ST. GEORGE MEMORIAL FUND All donations to the Memorial Fund are greatly appreciated. As we all know, we have a beautiful Memorial Tree located in the Memorial Room of the Community Center. Anyone wishing to purchase a leaf ($350), a dove ($2,000), or a stone ($1,500) in memory of a loved one, May their memory be eternal, please contact either John Stroumtsos or Fr. Nick Pastrikos by calling the church office 732.463.1642.

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September/October 2017 Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE Paid New Brunswick, N.J. Permit No. 379 S A I N T G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H 1101 River Road Piscataway, NJ 08854 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Phone: 732.463.1642 Email: stgeorge@gocnj.org WE RE IN COLOR ON THE WEB! WWW.GOCNJ.ORG We keep trying to improve The Voice of St. George and we welcome your comments and suggestions. We cannot do it without your help. Our email is stgeorge@gocnj.org. The Voice is produced entirely by volunteers but, still, we are responsible and apologize for any omissions, delays, and imperfections associated with this and any other issue. Please help us make the next one better. Συνεχίζουμε τις προσπάθειες μας για συνεχή βελτίωση του δελτίου μας. Προτάσεις και υποδείξεις, για το πως να κάνουμε αυτό το δελτίο πιο χρήσιμο είναι πάντα ευπρόσδεκτες. Το δελτίο αυτό είναι μεν αποτέλεσμα εθελοντικής εργασίας, είμαστε όμως υπεύθυνοι και ζητούμε συγγνώμη για όποιες καθυστερήσεις, παραλείψεις, ή λάθη αναπόφευκτα γίνονται. Ζητούμε την κατανόηση σας και την βοήθεια σας να κάνουμε το επόμενο τεύχος καλύτερο. Το ηλεκτρονικό μας ταχυδρομείο είναι stgeorge@gocnj.org Catherine Pastrikos Kelly, Esq. Attorney ADVERTISE WITH US 973-602-3423 ckelly@meyner.com www.meyner.com stgeorge@gocnj.org If you want your business and/or professional skills to be seen by hundreds of families in your area as well as online at our Church website, don t wait: Call now at 732-463-1642 and place your advertisement! The rates apply for both paper and online advertisement! PRICE LIST 2017 BUSINESS CARD: $30.00 6 ISSUES CONTRACT: $150.00 12 ISSUES CONTRACT: $300.00 1/4 OF A PAGE: $60.00 6 ISSUES CONTRACT: $300.00 12 ISSUES CONTRACT: $600.00 1/2 OF A PAGE: $100.00 6 ISSUES CONTRACT: $500.00 12 ISSUES CONTRACT: $900.00 FULL PAGE: $150.00 6 ISSUES CONTRACT: $650.00 12 ISSUES CONTRACT: $1,350.00