Community Update from the Parish Council

Nonetheless, we are so very blessed at St. George, as has been vividly apparent these past twelve weeks.

Father Dimitrios has been our spiritual and operational lodestar during these challenges, always at St. George or tending to the faithful at home, by phone, at funerals and at the Divine Liturgy and other services he has been conducting throughout. His leadership standard has been exceptional, and I wish to express our heartfelt thanks, on behalf of the entire Parish Council.

The St. George staff – Levan, Simeon, Sheila, Chrysostomos and Esperanza – have been amazing, continuing to serve our community through Lent and Pascha and keeping our parish operating as effectively as possibly against such challenges. We also appreciate Father Stefanos for assisting Father Dimitrios in conducting liturgies and services.

Working with the Parish Council, I have better understood how God places people in our lives for a reason. They have been working hard throughout this, especially with multiple last-minute meetings, responding to requests for help, and providing insightful counsel during these trying times.

The parishioners of St. George have been magnificent. I want to especially thank Demetri Giakoumatos and American Custom Contractors, as well as Alex, Dino, and Jimmy Veizis from VOLi.

During these past three months, Demetri and his team have successfully negotiated with our insurance company to obtain the maximum financial claims so we could repair our roofs (yes, this is intentionally plural) and the Founders Hall floor. We now have no more leaks in the Chapel, Administration building, and Grand Hall. Those jobs are done.

When the government-ordered lockdown prevented parishioners from attending Divine Liturgy just as the Lenten season was upon us, VOLi volunteered to set up and operate a livestream at St. George. God brings people into your life for a reason….and this is so true with the Veizis brothers. With their generosity, hundreds of parishioner families gathered at home during Lent and after Pascha to “attend” the Divine Liturgy as fully as current regulations permit. We are considering installing cameras permanently to continue live streaming liturgical services for our parishioners who are unable to attend or advised, for ongoing health reasons, to refrain from doing so.

Who knew “Zoom” would become a tool in our daily lives? Our Preschool, Greek School, and our Sunday School adapted their curriculums to distance learning allowing our children to continue with their studies and most importantly “see” their classmates. Thank you, our directors and teachers, for your flexibility and adaptability to overcome the challenges of this school year.

In addition, we have been busy managing the St. George facilities and administration these past twelve weeks.

·      St. George applied and was approved for Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding in the amount of $75,430. This funding becomes a grant when 75% is spent on salaries and the remainder for utilities and mortgage interest and is therefore cost-free to St. George.
·      Thanks to a generous donation, we are upgrading our information technology infrastructure, and installing a new digital network, computers, and telephones. This is especially helpful as we evaluate options for live streaming and video conferencing for our Adult Religious Education and Bible Study classes.
·      Thanks to another generous donation, we are repairing the Grand Hall floor, polishing the marble in the Sanctuary, and painting the Founder’s Hall.
·      We have minimized operational expenses such as utilities and trash disposal to the greatest extent possible, given the minimized use of our facilities. Exercising this critical due diligence, coupled with the PPP support, continued stewardship commitment, and dedicated parishioner donations, has placed our parish on sound financial footing. We have been impacted, no doubt, but we are a resilient church. The Parish Council’s Treasury team and Finance Committee will assess our financial posture at the end of second quarter, and we will report faithfully to the parish.
·      Most importantly, we continue to develop and refine our temporary guidelines to welcome you back to celebrate the Divine Liturgy together in person. These temporary guidelines necessarily adjust our participation in the Divine Liturgy: initially registering and limiting the number of parishioners in attendance; entering and exiting through selected doors; physically distancing while in the sanctuary; and adjusting distribution of Holy Communion. We assure you these changes are temporary but required by our civil authorities and the Metropolis of New Jersey. Additional information will be distributed as we get closer to reopening our doors.

On behalf of the Parish Council, we pray for your continued health and support for our beloved parish. We hope to see you soon and wish you a blessed summer.