PARISH LIFE AT SAINT NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX

PARISH LIFE AT SAINT NICHOLAS

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Inside This Issue

Volume 23, Issue 3: June 2021

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES ARE STREAMED at 9:00am

For Weekdays including Saturdays, streaming begins at 9 a.m.

See https://www.stnicholasnj.org/service-schedules.

Please reserve your seat at Eventbrite

We have a YouTube channel too!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiyrX2_dz91YDO25QDmEk9Q

You can now also donate and light a virtual candle:

Holy Ascension

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Pastor’s Pulpit 2

GOYA Mr. & Miss 3

Agape Paschal vespers 3

Church Registry 4

June Service Schedule 4

Parish Council President

Message

5

Dn. Mike Diamond thank you 6

New Cantor: Mr Anastasiou 6

Ladies Prayer Group 7

Sharing and Caring 7

Kali Parea 7

Philoptochos 8

GOYA 9

Greek School 10

Daughters of Penelope 11

AHEPA 12

Archbishop Elpidophoros visit 13-

16

Proposed Building & Grounds 17

Parish Stewardship by the Num-

bers

18

2021 Saint Nicholas Stewards 19-

21

Stewardship pledge card 21

Other Ways to Give 22

Giving Tree 23

VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL 24

https://www.stnicholasnj.org/service-schedules



Page 2 Parish Life

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

467 Grandview Avenue Wyckoff, NJ 07481

Tel.: (201) 652-4774 Fax: (201) 652-0789 Website: www.stnicholasnj.org

Sunday Worship Services Orthros 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Weekday Services including

Saturdays begin at 9a.m.

Parish Office

Rula Thasites, Parish Administrator E-mail: [email protected]

Editor-In-Chief +Rev. Protopresbyter Basil C. Gikas

E-mail: [email protected]

Layout Editor Athena Katsaros

Editorial Staff Rula Thasites

Advertising Agent TBA

Parish Council Spiritual Advisor

+Rev. Protopresbyter Basil C. Gikas

Council Members

Nick Pirsos, President

Manny Toskos, 1st V.P.

John Psomas, 2nd V.P

George Bayiokos, Secretary

John Tsadilas, Treasurer

Evans Agrapidis Angela Phillips

Anton Ayvas Paul Savidis Angelo Lefer Georgette Betts-Tsakalos Claire Melissas Kathy Van Dine Dean Mellas Jon Zymaris

Parish Life Contributors Stewardship Ministry Team: Bill Razcko Philoptochos: Roseanne Psomas Ladies Prayer Group: Irene Ayvas GOYA: Maria Gougousis Greek School: Christina Kyriazis Kali Parea (Senior Fellowship): Christine Triant Sharing and Caring : Dr. Eva Krias AHEPA: Paul Goulet Daughters of Penelope: Debbie Donnelly

P ASTOR ’S PULPIT

Paschal (Easter) Homily of

Saint John Chrysostom 4th century

“If any be a devout lover of God, let him partake with

gladness from this fair and radiant feast. If any be a

faithful servant, let him enter rejoicing into the joy of

his Lord. If any have wearied himself with fasting, let

him now enjoy his reward. If any have labored from the

first hour, let him receive today his rightful due. If any

have come after the third, let him celebrate the feast

with thankfulness. If any have come after the sixth, let

him not be in doubt, for he will suffer no loss. If any

have delayed until the ninth, let him not hesitate but

draw near. If any have arrived only at the 11th let him

not be afraid because he comes so late. For the Master

is generous and accepts the last even as the first. He

gives rest to him who comes at the 11th hour in the

same way as to him who has labored from the first. He

accepts the deed and commends the intention. Enter

then, all of you into the joy of our Lord. First and last,

receive alike your reward troch and poor dance

together. You who have fasted and you who have not

fasted rejoice today. The table is fully laden; let all

enjoy it. The calf is fatted; let none go hungry. Let none

lament his poverty; for the universal kingdom is

revealed. Let none bewail his transgressions; for the

light of forgiveness has risen from the tomb. Let none

fear death; for the death of the Savior has set us free.

He has destroyed death by undergoing death. He has

despoiled hell by descending into hell. Hell was filled

with bitterness when it met Thee face to face below;

filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing;

filled with bitterness, for it was mocked; filled with

bitterness for it was overthrown; filled with bitterness

for it was put in chains. It received a body and

encountered God. It received earth and confronted

heaven. O death, where is thy sting? O hell where is thy

victory? Christ is risen and thou are cast down.

Christ is risen and the demons are fallen.

To Him be the glory forever!

Page 3 Parish Life

C H R I S TO S

A N E S T I !

On Pascha- Easter

Sunday at the Agape

Vespers, the

Resurrectional Gospel of

Saint John was

proclaimed in various

languages.

Pictured to the left are

some of our readers.

(Fr. Bill & Fr. Jim are in

the background)

L to R: Paul Goulet,

Maria Eliades,

Dante Maurice,

Demetra Maurice,

Christina Eliades,

Nick Pirsos

Pictured to the right →

Our 2021

Mr. and Miss GOYA

Pageant representatives

are

Anika Tsapatsaris

and

Paul Nonas

Page 4 Parish Life

June Worship Services

Are Streamed on Facebook:

&

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/

UCiyrX2_dz91YDO25QDmEk9Q

Sunday Services

Sunday, June 6 (Sunday of the Blind Man)

9:00am Orthros and 10:00am Divine Liturgy

Sunday, June 13 (Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council)


GENERAL PARISH ASSEMBLY

Sunday, June 20 (Holy Pentecost & Father’s Day)


& Vespers of Pentecost

Sunday, June 27 (All Saints Day)

Summer Hours Begin


Weekday Services

Holy Ascension

Thursday, June 10


Saturday of Souls

Saturday, June 19


Apostles Peter & Paul

Tuesday, June 29


Synaxis of the Holy Apostles

Tuesday, June 30


CHURCH R EGISTRY

Congratulations!

Wedding On February 14, 2021, Jacob Morganstein and Eudoxia Georgiadis were married. Nicole Georgiadis was the koumbara.

Baptisms

On February 20, 2021, Evelina G. Morrow, the daughter of Anthony and Despina (Athanasiadis) was baptized. Anthony Athanasiadis was the sponsor.

On April 11, 2021, Lukas A. Exadaktilos, the son of Anthony and Kiriaki (Chrisanthopoulos) was baptized. Nikolaos Lavdas was the sponsor. On April 17, 2021, Zoe A. Wentzell, the daughter of Joshua and Anna (Dolianitis) was baptized. Evangelos Katsoulis was the sponsor. On May 8, 2021, Portia L. Savva, the daughter of Steven and Alexis (Sarno) was baptized. Christopher Costea was the sponsor. On May 15, 2021, Isla H. Savvides, the daughter of Zachary and Marissa (Comperatore) was baptized. Alexa Folsom was the sponsor.

Funerals

On February 4, 2021, Constance Gatsonis, beloved mother of Gregory and Theodore, fell asleep in the Lord. On March 6, 2021, Theodore Dimitriou, beloved father of Bonnie, Christina Symeonides and James, fell asleep in the Lord. On March 24, 2021, Plato S. Eliades, beloved husband of Virginia, fell asleep in the Lord.

May their memory be eternal.



Page 5 Parish Life

PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Dear Saint Nicholas Parishioners,

Christos Anesti! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Pascha/Easter celebration.

While Covid continues to impact, we as a community have much to be thankful for, most notably our faith and witness once again of our Lord’s resurrection and conquest over death. An additional blessing is our Christian fellowship at Saint Nicholas, which brings further comfort in these trying times.

In early June, our General Assembly will take place. Be on the lookout for event details.

As a preview:

Our Saint Nicholas Golf/Tennis Committee has started planning this year’s outing which will take place on June 28 at Edgewood Country Club (Rivervale, NJ). Please help make this event a great success with your attendance. If you are unable to play, join us for cocktails and dinner. Everyone is capable of bringing their “A” game for the evening festivities!

The Parish Council is still evaluating whether to hold our Festival (September 24-26). If we pro-ceed, it is likely to be an outdoor only event this year. Stay tuned.

Our 50/50 Raffle this year will take place. The drawing will be Sunday September 26. Tickets should be available in June.

Recently, the Parish Council attempted to secure additional U.S. Federal government funding for our community, this time via the second round of the PPP program. In mid-April, we were awarded an additional loan of approximately $45,000, which we expect will also revert to a grant. Since in-ception, we have secured over $250,000 in government funding, of which we expect about 40% to be forgiven.

These efforts, combined with individual parishioner efforts maintaining and perhaps increasing Stewardship commitments is helping position our community for long-term financial stability post Covid. The Parish Council will continue to monitor attractive government funding opportunities.

Thank you to All who make Saint Nicholas a “Special” place.

Nick Pirsos

Parish Council President

Page 6 Parish Life

DEACON MICHAEL DIAMOND

On Sunday May 9th we

welcomed our new cantor

MR. MANOLIS ANASTASIOU!

Mr. Anastasiou has been

chanting since age 17 and he

was trained by accomplished

Byzantine cantors.

You probably have noticed his

wonderful voice singing praises

to God!

Mr. Anastasiou is a biology

teacher in Manhattan and he

has attained advanced degrees

in education and

administration .

Please welcome

him to our parish family!

And…...

We thank Mr. Manolis

Kontogiannis for his chanting

during our transition!

Welcome to our

NEW CANTOR!

Deacon Michael will be ordained to the

Holy Priesthood on Sunday June 27 at

Saint George Greek Orthodox Church

Clifton, NJ

Orthros begins at 8:30a.m.

All are welcome to attend the worship

service.

Page 7 Parish Life

S HARING & C ARING

This ministry (service) is for those who have been wid-

owed or divorced, or who have experienced loss in

some way. The group is facilitated by Dr. Eva Pappas

Krias, a widow herself, who is a practicing and licensed

New York State Psychologist (40 years). Thoughts and

feelings are shared as to dealing with loss, grief, loneli-

ness, survivors' guilt, and trauma associated with a de-

clining spouse or a sudden death. Also, strategies for

helping young children through death and most espe-

cially how life can go on after the loss of a loved one

are explored. The group is non-judgmental, discreet,

confidential, informal and is open to males and females.

Our facilitator, Dr. Krias, and the participants, maintain

an atmosphere of emotional safety. Everyone's thoughts

and feelings are treated respectfully and without judg-

ment.

Come and see! There is no cost or obligation.

We are open to all!

Save the Dates: Our next Sharing and Caring meetings

will be:

Thursday, June 6, 2021 at 3:00pm

Contact Dr. Eva Krias at [email protected]

K ALI P AREA

All ladies are welcome to join our prayer VIRTUAL

meetings held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evening of

each month at 7:30pm. We spend a dedicated time of

informal prayer for our nation, church community, fami-

lies and friends. Not only are we seeing countless an-

swers to prayers, but this intimate time of fellowship to-

gether is encouraging and deepening our own faith.

You are welcome to join us. All prayer requests are

kept confidential. Call the parish office or Irene Ayvas

201-803-2307, with any prayer requests you want added

to our list or submitted to the “Email Prayer Chain”.

“Email Prayer Chain”: It’s simple and powerful. If

you are interested in being a part of this ministry, email

Irene Ayvas at [email protected] with your email con-

tact info or call 201-803-2307.

L ADIES PRAYER G ROUP

Christ Is Risen! Truly He is Risen! We hope you all had a Blessed and Joyous Pascha. Kali Parea will have held their May 2nd meeting at the Wyckoff Environmental Center. So happy we were able to meet and enjoy each other's fellowship. Our June meeting will be on Tuesday, June 1st. We will try to schedule an end of year luncheon with outdoor dining. We are a friendly group. Wishing you a Happy and Safe summer and never wait for a perfect moment - just take a moment and make it perfect.

mailto:[email protected]

Page 8 Parish Life

P HILOPTOCHOS

Philoptochos held its last business meeting on Monday May17th . We had the oath of office administered by Fr. Bill. Our Philoptochos ladies baked Koulourakia and sold them . Thank you to Cathy Johnson, Ariadne, Athena, Alice, Peggy, Caroline, Zoe, Genny, Tam-my, Margaret, Andrea, Roseanne, Chrissie, Angel-ica, Bessie, Rosemary and Stella. We are donat-ing our profits to three different charities to be voted on at our end of the year party. Outreach still remains as an important part of our Philoptochos. In conjunction with our Goya we will be making sandwiches and distributing them to Bridges on May 22nd and June 19th. Bridges tackles homelessness through volunteer-driven outreach and individual case management focus-ing on health, housing and independence. Volun-teers form relationships with those experiencing homelessness while meeting their most urgent needs. Thank you to Peggy Goulet for coordinat-ing this outreach. June 7th is our end of the year party outside at Savini’s in Allendale. If you are interested in at-tending please contact Peggy Goulet 201-248-0605. Thank you Peggy for organizing this event. If anyone would like to join our Philoptochos please reach out to Tammy Spyropoulos ([email protected]). Membership is an extraordinary movement of love, unified with women of all ages, talents, and walks of life. What a wonderful privilege we have to continue the good works of Christ together. We make a difference as we continue to fulfill our mission to help those in need. Please join us. Contact Fr. Bill at 201 652 4774

N e w O F F I C E R S !

Demi Thomas, President

Caroline Kalliotzis, 1st VP

Rosemary Megariotis, 2nd VP

Ariadne Krassas-Raczko

Treasurer

Renate Lainis,

Assistant Treasurer

Andrea Petronio,

Correspondence Secretary

Betty Pappas,

Recording Secretary

Melissa Gasparis, Peggy Goulet & Chrissie Toskos


Page 9 Parish Life

GOYA

During our March Zoom GOYA meeting we played a fun game of Kahoot which had Easter and Christ centered trivia. Our GOYA Officers, Cassandra Meyer, Dante Maurice, and Michaela Tsapatsaris did a great job hosting the game. Congratulations to Vassili Salvemini, Michaela Tsapatsaris, and James Gougousis for coming in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Everyone had a lot of fun testing their knowledge! On March 31st we held the Local St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Our GOYAns had the opportunity to explore our faith through poems, essays, or speeches. A job well done by our 22 Oratorical Festival participants. Congratulations to our winners: Sr. Speech - 1) Michaela Tsapatsaris, 2) Dante Maurice, 3) Cassandra Carmi-chael; Sr. Essay - 1) Nicoletta Carmichael; Jr. Speech - 1) Chloe Maurice; Jr. Essay - 1) Emmanuel Pittas, 2) Athena Joannidis, 3) Callista Nonas; Jr. Poetry - 1) Vassili Salvemini, 2) Darin Nonas, 3) Emily Gougousis. Con-gratulations to Michaela and Chloe for representing our parish at the District Level Oratorical Festival and a big congratulations to Michaela who won the District Level and will be representing Saint Nicholas once again at the Metropolis Level on May 22nd. On April 13th, we held a GOYA meeting in person at Saint Nicholas. It was great to see everyone in person and enjoying everyone’s company. We had a guest speaker, Kishan Desai, come talk about his journey to finding the Greek Orthodox religion. He was very inspirational and touching to listen to. On April 23rd, we held our Lock-In Retreat. This was a modified in-person retreat held at Saint Nicholas. Sadly it was not overnight like it has in the past, but it was a great bonding experience for every GOYAn. We also made palms for our Saint Nicholas family. On May 9th, we affirmed our Mr. and Miss GOYA representatives, Paul Nonas and Michaela Tsapatsaris, in Church. Unfortunately due to COVID we weren’t able to have the Mr. and Miss GOYA Pageant, but hope that we will be able to do so in October. On May 11th, we had GOYA night. We are currently receiving nominations for the 2021-2022 GOYA officers and ministers. Ballots will begin to be submitted electronically after our May GOYA meeting and the new offic-ers and ministers will be announced at our June meeting. We will be participating in the GOYA Soccer Tournament on May 15th and we will have a boys and a girls team! Many thanks to Mr. Maurice and Mr. Gostkowski for volunteering to coach. On May 21st & 22nd and June 17th & June 18th, GOYAns will help make sandwiches and toiletry kits for those in need, and the next day they will be handed out to the needy in Newark through the Bridges Outreach Program. Our upcoming GOYA Night is on June 8th and we are looking forward to seeing everyone!! Anyone in 7th-12th grade and 12-18 years of age who is interested in joining GOYA can reach out to Maria Gougousis, GOYA Advi-sor, at [email protected].

In the risen Christ’s service, Marista Radoslovic, Recording Secretary

Sophia Katsouris, Media Liaison; Melina Tsapatsaris, Media Liaison

Pictured with Father Bill are our Oratorical Festival Speech Participants:

(Top row; left to right – Paul Nonas, Maritsa Radoslovic, Sophia Katsouris, Cassandra Carmichael, Dante Maurice,

Tim Salvemini, GOYA Advisor and Oratorical Festival Chairperson Bottom row; left to right – Kirk Simeonidis, Cassandra Meyer,

Alexia Koulikourdis, Alexandra Gougousis, Michaela

Tsapatsaris, Chloe Maurice)


Page 10 Parish Life

GREEK SCHOOL

Chris tos Anest i ! We wish everyone in our Saint Nicholas Greek School family a Happy Easter and a Happy Mother's Day! All our Saint Nicholas Greek School children celebrat-ed the dual holiday of March 25th with their classrooms marking the 200th Anniversary of Greek Independence! Our last day of Greek School was on May 21st. 6th grade Graduation will once again take place virtually. We would also like to welcome Saint Nicholas Greek School mom, Melissa Ayvas-Manolakakis to our Greek School Leadership team.

Planning for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year has begun. If you are interested in registering for Greek School, have an interest in volunteering, or have any questions, please contact Angela Bachardy at 917-751-9712 [email protected] or Demetra Pit-tas at 732-778-2891 [email protected].

Wishing everyone continued health and safety!

Saint Nicholas Greek School students in 3rd grade

celebrating March 25th.

Saint Nicholas Greek School 6th grade March 25th

Saint Nicholas Greek School 6th grade celebration of

March 25th



Page 11 Parish Life

D AUGHTERS OF P ENELOPE

The Daughters of Penelope has continued meeting monthly through Zoom, with all of our social committees remaining vital and active each month. At our March membership meeting, we heard from CPA Charles DeMeola who answered questions on a variety of tax and investment issues from our membership and spoke a bit about proposed tax changes under the new administration.

Following our April meeting, we were offered an enthusiastic presentation by the moderators of the Hellenic Genealogy page on Facebook, who are well-known in the world of genealogy, Carol Kostakos Petranek and Georgia Stryker Kielman, who shared some of their vast knowledge and resources about how to trace your Greek ancestry. This is an area of interest for many and our presentation was enjoyed by sisters from other DOP chapters in New Jersey.

We also held a fun Easter bonnet contest at our April meeting. Contest winners were Demi Thomas, Georgette Betts and Brigid Nonas.

During March and April, our book clubs continued reading and holding vibrant discussions of the books, "Daughter of the Third Reich" and "Run Away" a mystery by Harlen Coben (Wednesday afternoon book club) and "The Woman in the Win-dow," a psychological thriller by A.J. Finn, and "The Girl Who Wrote in Silk," by Kelli Estes (Tuesday evening book club).

Our giving efforts continued with a generous donation to the YWCA of Northern New Jersey's sexual assault resource pro-gram, HealingSPACE. This donation was made possible by fundraisers generously supported by our members, friends, and parishioners of St. Nicholas Church. Our fundraisers also support generous educational scholarships that we offer yearly to

the children and grandchildren of Daughters of Penelope members. In April, we offered the delicious Greek Easter bread, tsoureki, for sale.

We are looking forward to election of officers in May and our end of the year dinner, which will hopefully be an in-person celebration in June. We are also a sponsoring a Zoom program for the entire parish on June 3 which will be presented by the FBI on the many types of fraudulent activities and scams which are prevalent today, and how to avoid becoming a victim. Details to be announced, please look for them in May.

Would you like to become part of our dynamic, social and philanthropic organization? For information on membership in the Daughters of Penelope, please contact President Debbie Donnelly at [email protected].

Some of the participants at our April 1st Zoom genealogy presentation

Carol Kostakos Petranek, genealogist, addressing our DOP members on 4/1/21


Page 12 Parish Life

AHEPA

Above: MAYOR ANDRE’ SAYEGH READING THE PROCLAMATION OF THE

BICENTENNIAL OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY 1821-2021

L to R. Honoree First responder Steven Olimpio, Nicholas Tselepis, Event

Chairman, Mayor Andre’ Sayegh, Paul Goulet, Ramapo Chapter President,

Fr. Bill gave the Invocation & the Benediction

On the Front steps of City Hall, Paterson, NJ THE AHEPA RAMAPO CHAPTER 453 HOST,

CHAIRMAN BROTHER NICHOLAS TSELEPIS

MARCH 25, 2021

Above: Paul Goulet, President of AHEPA Ramapo 453, addresses the

guests at the celebration of 200 years of Greek independence

Above: AHEPA Supreme President George Horiates, Esq.

addresses the guests

Left:

Archon Xenon

Christodoulou

addresses the

guests

Raising of the Greek Flag at Paterson City Hall

Page 13 Parish Life

H IS E MINENCE A RCHBISHOP E LPIDOPHOROS OF A MERICA

H IERARCHICAL V ISITATION

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros with (l to r) Mariella Nissirios, Yanni

Nissirios, Eleni Bouloukos & Fr. Bill Gikas (far left)

Page 14 Parish Life

Above: Clergy & Parish Council Members with H.E. Archbishop Elpidophoros

from l to r: John Tsadilas, Angela Phillips, Dean Mellas, Fr. James Moulketis,

His Eminence, Fr. Bill Gikas, Nick Pirsos, Georgette Betts Tsakalos, Evans Agrapidis,

Paul Savidis, George Bayiokos

Left:

Fr. Bill Gikas reading the

Archbishop’s encyclical at

the Royal Gate.

Page 15 Parish Life

H IS E MINENCE A RCHBISHOP E LPIDOPHOROS OF A MERICA

H IERARCHICAL V ISITATION M AY 16 , 2021

ABOVE: Clergy, AHEPA & DOP scholarship reps with His Eminence (H.E.)

I to r: Fr. James Moulketis, George Gasparis, Athena Katsaros, H.E., Paul Goulet, Debbie Donnelly, Fr. Bill Gikas

Left:

The Hierarchical

Divine Liturgy

with His

Eminence

Archbishop

Elpidophoros

presiding.

Page 16 Parish Life

Scholarship Recipient College

Fanourios Tsatalios SUNY Maritime College

Emily Tsairis Princeton U

Catherine Tsairis Princeton U

Isabel Pappas Marist College

Cassandra Meyer U of Maryland

Kylie Xanthos Seton Hall U

Alexandra Gougousis U of Wisconsin Madison (Political Science)

Cassandra Carmichael Fordham U

Paul Nonas U of Delaware

AHEPA Ramapo chapter 453 & Daughters of Penelope (DOP) Agape chapter 336

scholarship recipients with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros

AHEPA & DOP SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Page 17 Parish Life

The list below is an inventory of capital improvement projects which the Parish Council aspires to

undertake over time. As you can see, the projects vary in size and timing. As conditions change,

they can also be re-prioritized.

Our current annual budget attempts to cover the yearly operational and mortgage needs of Saint

Nicholas without these improvements in mind, but if/when our cash balance exceeds a certain

working capital minimum, due either to excess fundraising, specific donations, or other, the Parish

Council will look to methodically address these issues. If you have a particular interest or ability to

assist in completing one or more of these projects, please reach out to any Parish Council member.

Thanks for all you do to help make Saint Nicholas a special place.

PROPOSED BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS

Page 18 Parish Life

Beloved in Christ,

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

We are blessed to receive our Lord’s love and to witness his resurrection each Pascha. And we give back through the hard work required to promote our Orthodox faith by strengthening our St. Nicholas Church. For over fifty years, our church has welcomed all those seeking the hope and comfort of Christ, and as the current Stewards of St. Nicho-las, we are honored to enhance its present and protect its future.

Financial stewardship is the primary means for us to preserve St. Nicholas Church’s legacy, and we thank you for your ongoing support, especially throughout the challenging circumstances of the past year. Many of our families have made their 2021 pledge already, and if you have not yet had the opportunity, we invite you to do so.

To make your 2021 pledge, visit our website https://www.stnicholasnj.org/stewardship and make your donation online, OR download and print the 2021 pledge card and mail it to St. Nicholas Church at 467 Grandview Ave-nue Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Stewardship pledge cards are also available at the entrance of the church.

We want to thank all those stewards listed below who have already pledged for 2021:

Thank you and God bless you! In Christ’s service, The Stewardship Ministry Team

SAINT N ICHOLAS S TEWARDSHIP M INISTRY T EAM

SAINT N ICHOLAS P ARISH S TEWARDSHIP BY THE N UMBERS

https://www.stnicholasnj.org/stewardship

Page 19 Parish Life

SAINT N ICHOLAS 2021 P LEDGED STEWARDS

Adams, Nick & Flora Agrapidis, Evans & Christine Albanis, Mary Aletras, Constantine & Mary Allocco, David & Tina Andreopoulos, Nicholas & Vasiliades, Thalia Antonucci, Alan & Irene Antonucci, Derek & Bianca Archibold, Edward Arianas, Stephen & Constance Arluna, John & Ann Athanasiadis, Anthony Athanasatos, Eugenio & Ourania Ayvas, Anton & Irene Bannos, Thomas & Alexis Benetatos, Michael & Irina Boudalis, Ted & Cheryl Boulos, Andrew & Helen Bouloukos, Ted & Demetra Bufis, Philip & Sophia Burton, Craig & Olga Caramico, Gerard & Lydia Carmichael, Terrance & Christina Chagares, Arthur & Annette Chaplauske, Richard & Stephanie Charllis, Charles & Erin Chmura, Walter & Sophia Corniotes, George & Katherine Coromilas, James & Lynn Deliantis, Scott & Sylvia Deliyiannis, James Dellas, James Demetriou, John & Fannie Demetriou, Marc Dimitrion, James & Frances Dobrow, Jim & Moukis, Tina Dolianitis, Savannah Donnelly, Debra Doumas, Ekaterini Drakontides, Criton & Angie Eliades, Plato & Virginia Exadaktilos, Anthony & Kiki Fava, Emilie Fink, Jason & Maria Fiol, Fabrice & Krettecos, Alyssa Florakis, Dean Fonseca, Bill & Ellice Foti, Marie Gasparis, George & Melissa Gatsonis, Gregory & Stacey

Georgiadis, Nicole Georgotas, Athena Gikas, Rev. Basil & Pres. Sophia Gnospelius, Aimilia Goulet, Paul & Peggy Gougousis, Sandra Grant, Ronald & Christine Grant, Ron & Ashley Griffin, Brian & Georgene Hagy, Connie Hartofilis, Steve & Nota Hasterlis, Maria Hess, William & Ann Howie, Douglas & Stella Hunter, David & Rea Ioannou, Anastasios & Colleen Issackedes, Claire Jajuga, Anthony & Michelle Kalliaras, Constantinos & Andrea Kalliotzis, Michael & Caroline Kalliotzis, Michael, Jr. Kanakis, Helen Kapas, Catherine Karras, Nick & Dorothy Karsos, Vasilios & Theresa Klonaris, Diane Kokkinakis, Anastasia Kokkinakis, George & Maryann Kolovos, Constantine & Eleanor Kolovos, Margaret Kominos, Constantine & Zografia Kominos, Stratoula Komninos, Cleopatra Kontogiannis, Emmanuel & Kanella Kotsopulos, Mary Koukos, Dorothy Koulouthros, John & Noel Koykas, Bobby & Liz Kuris, John & Sonia Lainis, Gus & Renate Laios, Ernie Lefer, Angelo Lemond, Christine Lenas, Constantine & Erriette Lenas, Elizabeth Lipane, Georgia Logothetis, Dr. George & Corrine Lolis, Matthew & Peggy Long, Vincent & Bessie Malias-Wraga, Alice

Page 20 Parish Life

Manousos, Peter Manuel, Eva Marcopul, Mary Markoulis, Dimitri & Shelley Maroules, Dr. Michael & Penelope Maroulis, Anastasia Maroulis, Constance Martello, Charles & Kallie Megariotis, Basilios Melissas, Claire Mellas, Dean & Denise Menakis, Chrys Meyer, Jeff & Mary Milcos, Bill & Angie Miros, Peter & Katherine Monfried, Thomas Moore, Bowley & Sophia Moreira, George & Irene Moreira, John Morris, Cathy Morrow, Anthony & Despina Moustopoulos, James Nakis, Andrea Nakis, Nicholas & Joanna Nickles, Dr. Donna Nickles, Dr. Steven & Debi Nicolelis, Christopher & Constance Nonas, Helen Nonas, John & Adora O'Neill, Donald & Jacqueline Panagiotopoulos, George & Alexandra Panakos, George & Chrysoula Papoutsakis, Ekaterini Pappas, Chris & Betty Pappas, Paul & Pamela Pappas, Zacharine Paulson, Fred Peppes, John & Katherine Peters, John & Rosemary Petronio, Frank & Andrea Pflager, Charles & Alexandra Pflieger, Tina & Leo Phili, Kleanthis & Kleopatra Phili, Marios & Maria Philliou, Dimitrios & Eleni Phillips, John & Angela Phommathep, Mike & Christine Pirrmann, Barry & Chrisoula Pirsos, Nick & Stephanie Pittas, Irene Pittas, Michael E. & Demetra Poulis, Nicholas & Helen Poulos, Dennis & Charlene Psomas, George Psomas, John & Roseanne

Raczko, Bill & Krassas, Ariadne Radoslovic, Frank & Effie Raftopoulos, Steve & Pera Rossakis, Dr. Constantine & Jennifer Saites, Nicholas & Theresa Salomone, Joseph & Aliki Savas, Stephen & Lorrie Savidis, Paul & Kathy Sclavounos, Spyros Semetis, Peter & Sandra Seremetis, Peter & Fran Servidio, Damon & Thalia Seuling, William Shoshilos, Nicolas & Katherine Simeonidis, Nicholas & Carolyn Skamas, Constantine & Ty Skoutakis, Dimitra Slider, George & Helen Spyropoulos, Dr. George & Efstathia Stavrianos, Tommy & Stephanie Stergiou, John Stergiou, Lambryn Stergiou, Thomas Suppe, John Svokos, George & Grazia Symeonides, Michael & Rose Symeonides, Stacy Tanzer, Fotini Thalassinos, Angelo & Dayna Thanasides, Nicholas & Susan Thasites, Demetri Thasites, Rula Theodorou, Alexander & Valerie Thomas, Sammy & Demi Toskos, Menelaos & Christophe Triant, Christine Tsacalis, Norman & Alexandra Tsadilas, John & Aggie Tsadilas, William Tsairis, Christine Tselepis, Dean & Mary Tselepis, Nicholas & Angelica Tsiamtsiouris, John & Nicole Tsotas, Vicky Turnure, Tom & Terri Vishniakova, Denis & Elena Vittas, Christine Vittas, Ted & Valerie Vogis, Philip & Connie Voulgaris, Dorothea Voulgaris, Suzanne Vrachimis, Titos & Peggy


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Webber, Stasi Wells, Virginia Worth, Kenneth & Maria Zannikos, John & June Zegiares, Pauline Zubac, Josip & Christina Zymaris, Jon & Eugenia

And Jesus said to them: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s

life does not consist in the abundance of the things he posseses.”

Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”

(the Gospel of Luke 12: 15, 23 OSB)

Thank you for pledging

and fulfilling your promise

to our Lord!

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LIGHT A VIRTUAL CANDLE

Amazon Smile

Amazon has a unique feature for charitable organizations called "Amazon Smile”, which serves as an easy and hassle-free fundraiser. For any amount you spend on Amazon, they will donate 0.5% of your entire Amazon shopping proceeds to your charity of choice.

The process is simple.

1. If you are already an Amazon customer, to participate in the program, login to "smile.amazon.com". If you are new to Amazon, you must first create an account.

2. Next, search for St. Nicholas Church. There are several churches named St. Nicholas. Look for Wyckoff, NJ. Our church may also be listed by its formal name "Greek Orthodox Community of Bergen County Inc.”

3. Shop away for all current and future orders. Every

three months, Saint Nicholas receives a check from

Amazon.

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO GIVE

Please consider giving to Saint Nicholas throughout the

year in the following ways:

• Gift in Stock

Gift of Real Estate

• Gifting from an Estate

• Corporate Matching Programs

• Gift payments via credit card through

www.stnicholasnj.org and select the “Donate” button.

Recurring gift payments via GivePlus+ . Download

the “Give Plus Church” app from the App store or

from Google Play.

Gift to the Saint Nicholas Benevolent Fund.

Gift to the Giving Tree.

Call the Parish Office 201-652-4774 for details or

contact Fr. Bill at ext. 12

Benevolent Fund

In the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus acknowledges those who saw Him thirsty and gave Him drink and those who saw Him hungry and gave Him food amongst others who gave alms. The Lord considers them worthy of the heavenly kingdom to come. Saint John Chrysostom speaks of charity (almsgiving) as part of the self-denial of Great Lent.

The great saint and orator of the 4th century commented that it was more important to feed the hungry than to raise the dead! We Greek Orthodox Christians are generous stewards. Throughout the year, however, there are some of us that may be experiencing true hardship but keep it a secret. Our Saint Nicholas benevolent fund was established to help those in need.

If you know of someone in our beloved Saint Nicholas community that needs help, please reach out to Fr. Bill or any Parish Council member. You too can make a difference! Mail your donation check or drop it in the collection plate in our Narthex. All communication will remain confidential. “God bless you always for your open heart!

Contact Fr Bill for information at [email protected] or 201 652 4774 x12

O THER W AYS TO G IVE

We know that adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult, especially not being able to physically go to church. While our services have

been virtual, via YouTube & Facebook Live, we are now making it possible

to light a candle as well.

Go to our web site, www.stnicholasnj.org to

Light a Candle & Say a Prayer

Choose your donation amount to light candle (s) or 7-day candle (s). Upon receiving your donation, we will light your candle (s) during upcoming services.

http://smile.amazon.com/


Page 23 Parish Life

THANK YOU to our donors for their generosity!

Agrapidis, Evans and Christine

AHEPA Ramapo Chapter 453

Albanis, Gregory (2 gifts)

Andreopoulos Family

Anonymous (4 gifts)

Bacalakis Family

Betts–Tsakalos, Georgette and Family

Charllis, Charles and Erin (2 gifts)

Clark, Marilyn (2 gifts)

Colman Family

Eliades, Maios and Alice (2 gifts)

Fava, Peyton & Petronio Families

Fonseca, Bill and Ellice

Gikas, Father Bill and Presvytera Sophia

Gikas, Spiros

Gougousis, Athan & Maria and Sandra

Goulet, Paul and Peggy

Grant, Ron and Ashley

Grant, Thomas, James and Emily

Griffin, Georgene

Issackedes, Claire

Janow, Lydia

Karalis, Virginia

Konogeris Family

Krias, Dr. Eva

Lainis, Gus and Renate

Melissas, Claire

Paulson, Fred and Family

Phili, Kleon and Kleo

Phillips Family

Pirsos Family

Poulos, Dennis & Charlene

Psomas, John and Roseanne

Raczko, Bill and Ariadne Krassas

Simeonides, Niko and Carolyn

Saint Nicholas Ladies Philoptochos

Saint Nicholas Greek School

Saint Nicholas Golf Outing (2018)

Svokos, George and Grazia

Symeonides, Michael

Symeonides, Stacy

Taggart, Michael and Ria

Thomas Family

Tsoukas, Dr. Elias and Pennee

Tselepis, Dean and Mary

Tselepis, Nick and Angelica

Voulgaris Family

Zymaris — Manuel Family

We Invite You to Help Complete Our Saint Nicholas GIVING Tree!

You can make a monetary donation of $2,500 (Silver Leaf); $4,000 (Gold Leaf); $10,000 (Rock); $25,000 (Dove) or $50,000 (Tree Trunk) and purchase a beautiful commemorative symbol with an

inscription of your design, to honor or memorialize your loved one or to offer a prayer of support to our church’s mission and Her ministries. Contact Fr. Bill at 201 652 4774 ext. 12 or [email protected]

The Giving Tree has room for your gift and it is on prominent display in our Narthex.

As a reminder, you may donate over time.

Your donation will be inscribed when your final payment is received.

SAINT NICHOLAS GIVING TREE

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PARISH LIFE AT SAINT NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX