Categories
FOCUS MGOCSM

Weekly Announcements – 02/26/2017

  1. Great Lent – Just a friendly reminder that Great Lent begins tomorrow Monday, February 27th. If you would like to setup a time for confession kindly contact our clergy as soon as possible.
    • Evening prayers during Lent – we will be having evening prayer every Wednesday at 6:30pm starting this Wednesday, March 1st during Lent.
    • Choir Practice – After evening prayers on Wednesday, all the choir members are requested to assemble to go over the songs for Holy Week.
    • Please see the lectionary (bible readings) and devotional for Week 1 of the Great Lent at the following link. Great Lent Week1 Lectionary & Devotional.
  1. Monthly Prayer Meeting – Our first prayer meeting for the year will begin next Sunday at 5pm at the residence of Valiayachen and Kochamma. All are requested to attend.
  1. MGOCSM Meeting – our next MGOCSM meeting will be held on Friday, March 17th at 6pm. All Youth members are requested to attend
  1. FOCUS Meeting – our next FOCUS meeting will be held on Friday, March 10th at 7pm at the residence of Mr. Juby and Giny Thomas. All FOCUS members are requested to attend.
  1. Valiyachen and Kochamma – will be returning back from India this coming Saturday. Let us pray for their safe return.
Great Lent Week 1 – Lectionary
Great Lent Week 1 – Devotional
Categories
MGOCSM Sunday School

Weekly Announcements – 02/19/2017

  1. Sunday School Education Day – Yesterday we had our Sunday School Education Day led by the MGOCSM of our parish. I want to thank the youth for taking the initiative for organizing the program for the day.
  1. MGOCSM Meeting – Our next MGOCSM meeting will be held this Friday, February 24th at 6pm at the residence of Dr. Thomas Mathew and Mrs. Smitha Mathew. All MGOCSM members are requested to attend.
  1. Great Lent – Just a friendly reminder that Great Lent begins next Monday, February 27th. If you would like to setup a time for confession kindly contact Valiya Achen or Abey Achen as soon as possible.
  1. Lenten Evening Prayer – We will be having Lenten evening prayer every Wednesday during Great lent at 6:30pm beginning Wednesday, March 1st. All are requested to attend.
  1. March Monthly Prayer Meeting – The monthly prayer meeting for March will be held on March 5th at Vailya Achen’s house.
  2. Worship Schedule – of the year is finalized and printed. See below for details.
2017 Schedule of Worship
Categories
MGOCSM Sunday School

Sunday School Education Day

On February 18th, the MGOCSM and Sunday School held our first Education Day for the Sunday School kids of our parish. The theme of the event was from Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” We started the day with prayer, followed by a general session led by Shojil Abraham. Shojil helped the kids of our Sunday School better understand the theme by showing them a presentation and giving them examples of how God gives us strength. He also spoke about the importance of the grace of God and how to receive it.

After the general session, we sang songs with the kids and broke into different groups to talk further about the theme. Each group was led by our Sunday School teachers who prepared a lesson plan for their classes. The teachers emphasized the grace of God working in our lives and how he provides us strength. They also created fun theme related activities for the kids to take part in.

We would like to thank both our Achens for their guidance and presence during this event. Thank you to all our MGOCSM youth and Sunday School teachers who made this event a fun and successful day for our kids.

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Please see link below for additional pictures:

Education Day 2017

SS Education Day 2017- Youtube

Categories
FOCUS MGOCSM Sports Sunday School

Weekly Announcements – 02/12/2017

  1. All Departed Faithful – Next Sunday is when we remember all the departed faithful. Kindly submit the names of your loved ones by Saturday evening.
  2. March Monthly Prayer Meeting – The monthly prayer meeting for March will be held on March 5th at Vailya Achen’s house.
  3. Basketball Tournament Meeting – on February 26th there will STYL Basketball Tournament meeting after Sunday School. All youth are requested to attend this meeting
  4. FOCUS Meeting – Our next FOCUS meeting will be held on Friday, February 17th at 7pm at the residence of Deepu and Leena Palakaddan. All FOCUS members are requested to attend.
  5. Altar Servers Meeting – will be held on Sunday February 19th after Sunday School. All Altar Servers are requested to attend.
  6. MGOCSM Meeting – Our next MGOCSM meeting will be held on Friday, February 24th at 6pm. It will be held at the residence Dr. Thomas Mathew and Mrs. Smitha Mathew. All MGOCSM members are requested to attend.
  7. New Hand Dryers –  New environmentally friendly air hand dryers will be installed in the bathrooms, if anyone wishes to sponsor them please reach out the Secretary or Treasurer.
  8. 2016 Accounts Finalization – Please finalize all 2016 accounts over the next 2 weeks, as accounts will be closed for 2016 on Feb 26th, 2017.
  9. 2016 Sunday School Newsletter – please find the Sunday School Newsletter for 2016.  It shows the various service events and activities that our Sunday School did over the 2016 school year.

Categories
FOCUS MGOCSM MMVS

Weekly Announcements – 02/05/2017

  1. Three Day Lent (Nineveh lent) – begins tonight onto Wednesday. As we cut down on food and spend more time in prayer, let us also spend time reading the book of Jonah. I suggest that you spend time discussing the book with your spouse and your children.
  1. Evening Prayer & Qurbana this Week – Friendly reminder that we will be having evening prayer Monday and Tuesday evening at 6:30pm this week. On Wednesday evening we will be celebrating Holy Qurbana for the end of the Nineveh fast. Evening prayer will begin at 6:30pm. All are requested to attend.
  1. Thomas LI Visits St. Bernards RC Church – Last Sunday we visited St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church. The Church community gave us a warm welcome: the Fr. Ralph Sommer, the priest at the parish, along with the members of the congregation. We had a little over 20 people from our parish for this visit. Special thanks to all who participated in this event.
  1. Marth Mariam Vanitha Samajam Meeting – will be meeting today right after refreshments. Going forward the samjam will be meeting every week unless otherwise notified. All Samajam members are requested to attend.
  1. MGOCSM Study Series – The area MGOCSM is launching a 4 part study series on the Holy Qurbana led by Aju Achen. The First class today from 2pm-3:30pm at St. Basil’s Church, Franklin Square. The fee is $20 to attend all four sessions. I encourage all the Youth, particularly those who are teaching Sunday school to attend.
  1. FOCUS Meeting – Our next FOCUS meeting will be held on Friday, February 17th at 7pm at the residence of Deepu and Leena Palakaddan. All FOCUS members are requested to attend.
  1. Altar Servers Meeting – will be held on Sunday February 19th after Sunday School. All Altar Servers are requested to attend.
  1. MGOCSM Meeting – Our next MGOCSM meeting will be held on Friday, February 24th at 6pm. It will be held at the residence Dr. Thomas Mathew and Mrs. Smitha. All MGOCSM members are requested to attend.
  1. FOCUS Nation – Abey Achen will be away this week starting Thursday, he will be flying out to Houston, Texas for the FOCUS Nation 2017 Conference and will be returning Sunday Night. Kindly uphold him in your prayers. We will be having a guest achen celebrating Holy Qurbana next Sunday. Also, since next Sunday is the Sunday commemorating all the departed clergy, kindly write down and submit the names of the departed clergy that you would like to be remembered to the Altar Servers for next week.
  1. Newborn Baby Boy – Kindly join me in congratulating Mr. John Abraham (Sarasan) and Naisy Abraham on their new born baby boy Aaron Mathai Abraham. Let us keep the new born and the family in our prayers.
  1. Our Last Stand Film – A documentary film about the persecuted Christian community living in Syria and Iraq called “Our Last Stand”  is going to be screened at a theater here in Long Island on Sunday February 12th, from 6:30pm -7:30pm followed by discussion and a reception.   The event is hosted by St. Peter’s Syriac Orthodox Church in Hicksville, and is open to the public. Kindly see the flyer for more details.
Our Last Stand Film
Categories
FOCUS MGOCSM MMVS Sunday School

St. Bernard’s welcomes St. Thomas

 On Sunday afternoon, January 29th, the St. Thomas Long Island parish community visited St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church located in Levittown, NY. The Assistant Vicar, Reverend Father Abraham (Abey) George, along with many faithful were welcomed by the priest of St. Bernard’s, Father Ralph Sommer, along with many of the members of the parish.

The afternoon began with a welcome hymn, followed by Father Ralph addressing the guests on the history and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. Few of the administrators of the church introduced themselves and explained at what capacity they each served within the parish. The address was followed by a question and answer session where both priests answered questions regarding their respective ecclesiastical traditions. Father Ralph displayed and explained the use of various holy oils used in various sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. The afternoon came to an end with a closings hymn followed by our parish chanting an intercessory hymn to St. Mary, the Mother of God, in Malayalam. After a group photo, Father Ralph invited us for coffee and refreshments where we had the opportunity to meet and interact with the members of the parish.

On behalf of the Clergy and the parishioners of St. Thomas, Long Island, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Father Ralph Sommer and the administration of St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church who organized this event. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to all the parishioners for their hospitality and for everyone who welcomed us into their community. We look forward to working with St. Bernard’s family on various levels for the benefit of the Levittown community we serve.

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Please click link below for additional pictures:

https://stthomasli.org/media-gallery/photos/

Categories
MGOCSM Sunday School

Weekly Announcements – 01/29/2017

  1. Basketball Tournament Meeting – today after Sunday school there will be a STYL basketball tournament meeting. All youth are requested to attend this meeting.
  1. We will be visiting St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church today at 3pm. We will gather at the Church first by 2:30pm and go together as a group.
  1. Sunday School Mid-term Exams will be held next Sunday, February 5th.
  1. The Area MGOCSM is hosting the first of the 4 series study on the Holy Qurbana led by Aju Achen. The First class will be held next Sunday, February 5th from 2-3:30pm at St. Basil’s Church, Franklin Square. We encourage all the Youth, particularly those who are teaching Sunday School to attend.
  1. Monthly Prayer meetings will be held at different houses every month beginning the month of February. It will be held on the first Sunday of every month at 5pm. The first prayer meeting will be next Sunday, February 5th, at 5pm we will gather at Valiyachen house. All are requested to attend
  1. Three Day Fast (Nineveh Lent) is next week from February 6th– 8th. On Monday evening and Tuesday evening we will have evening prayer at 6:30pm. Wednesday Evening February 8th at 6:30pm we will have Holy Qurbana.
Categories
MGOCSM Sports

Weekly Announcements – 01/22/2017

  1. MGOCSM Faith Study Series – will be held this Friday, January 27 at 6pm at church. For this month we will be discussing on the topic of how to discern the will of God in our journey in life. All MGOCSM members are requested to attend.
  1. Basketball Tournament Meeting – The next Sunday, January 29th after Sunday school there will be a STYL basketball tournament meeting. All youth are requested to attend this meeting.
  1. Visiting St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church – We will be visiting St. Bernard’s RC church next Sunday the 29th at 3pm. We will gather at the Church first by 2:30pm and go together as a group.
  1. Newborn Baby Boy – Kindly join us in congratulating Mr. Bills and Nancy Varghese on their newborn baby boy David Varghese. Let us keep the newborn and his family in our prayers.
  1. Back to college – Many of you are heading back to college this week and next week. Make sure you are on top of your work right from the beginning so it won’t pile up. The greatest medicine against procrastination and Laziness is discipline. Having a set routine for yourself- setting time apart to prayer, to study, to play, to do chores.
Categories
Clergys Corner

As we remember Dr. King and his contributions…

As we celebrate today Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wish to share an article regarding the involvement of Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Church with Dr. King in support of the civil rights movement.

http://usa.greekreporter.com/2017/01/16/archbishop-iakovos-why-i-supported-martin-luther-king-in-selma/

Here is the link to last year’s “Be the Bee” episode : “When Right Isn’t Easy” in lieu of 50th Anniversary of the Marches at Selma.

God Bless!

Categories
FOCUS MGOCSM MMVS

Weekly Announcements – 01/15/2017

  1. MMVS Meeting – There will be meeting today after refreshments. All MMVS are requested to attend.
  1. Altar Servers Meeting – Will be held today after Sunday school. We will have a special class on Hesychasm, dealing with intrusive thoughts and the practice of the Jesus Prayer. After the session we will plan to have fellowship lunch at a restaurant nearby. All Altar Servers are requested to attend.  Please find some pictures from the fellowship lunch below.
  1. FOCUS Meeting – Will be held this Friday, January 20th at 7pm at the Residence of Mr. Cheriyan Abraham. All FOCUS members are requested to attend. A friendly reminder to bring you Shehimo Books and Beginning to Pray books.
  1. General Body Meeting – will be held on Sunday, January 22nd. All eligible members are requested to attend.
  1. MGOCSM Faith Study Series – This month’s will be held on Friday, January 27 at 6pm at church. For this month we will be discussing on the topic of How to Discern the Will of God in our journey in life. All MGOCSM members are requested to attend.
  1. MGOCSM Education Series – The MGOCSM is hosting a 4-part education Series on the Holy Qurbana. It will be taught by Aju Achen on the first Sundays of February, March, April and May. The first of these series is on Sunday, February 5th from 2-3:30 at St Basil Franklin Square. The fee is $20 for all four classes and a registration link will be made available in the coming weeks. If you are interested or have questions regarding this event, please contact one of youth members.
  1. New Jersey Leadership Camp – The camp will be held this July and in the hopes of fundraising for this camp, the committee has released 2017 calendars which will be available for purchase for $10. The calendar contains important information regarding saints as well as weekly bible readings. If you would like to purchase one, please see Julia Mathew and Manoj Varghese.
  1. Family Conference 2017 – will be held from July 12-15th (Wednesday-Saturday) at Kalahari Resorts at Poconos Manor in Pennsylvania. Discounted rates will be given till end of this month. To register go online to www.fyconf.org.
  1. New Born Baby Girl – Kindly join me in congratulating Mr. Linu and Remya Panicker on their new born baby girl, Evelyn Lizbeth Panicker. Let us keep the newborn and the family in our prayers.