His Eminence Metropolitan SABA Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America His Grace Bishop Alexander
Pastor: Fr John Vazquez| fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com | stgeorgealbany.org | 1 St George's Pl Albany
Office Hours: Mon/Fri 10am-5pm/Confessions: After weekly services or by appointment
Parish Council Leadership: Chair—Michella Rizk, Treasurer—Ranya Palmer, Secretary—Daniel Palmer, Vice Chair—Linda Grady
Beloved,
Since today is Halloween I want to talk a little bit about how we as Orthodox Christians approach this day. Sometimes people ask if Halloween is something that is acceptable for Orthodox Christians to participate in. Isn't this just a day of harmless fun? Or, on the other side: isn't this day totally demonic and not acceptable? The answer is—as is often the case—it is somewhere in the middle. There is an aspect of Halloween that is acceptable and there is an aspect of it that is not. As an example, dressing up and going from house to house is acceptable while playing with Ouija boards is not.
There are multiple aspects of Halloween and ultimately, it is, if taken as a whole, a proper way of dealing with death. When I say, "taken as a whole," I mean that there is a second part of Halloween in addition to the dressing up and the monsters and the ghosts. This second part is the day that follows it—which is, in the west (where this holiday originated) "All Saints Day"—a day of glorifying the departed Holy Ones of God and celebrating their victory over death in Christ.
As Christians, we have the answer of how to deal with death which is the victory of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we know that death has no power over us any longer. You all know the words of St John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily, "O death where is thy sting, O Hades where is thy victory" (Hosea 13.14).
There is a great video that Jonathan Pageau put out that is very helpful in explaining the symbolism of Halloween. I recommend watching it. Watch it here.
Remember that we have the answer to death—which is Jesus Christ—crucified and risen trampling down death by death. As a way for our community to tangibly be shown the answer to Halloween, we will celebrate a liturgy the day after Halloween every year. Tomorrow's liturgy will begin at 8am.
El Messieh Qam! Hakkan Qam!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is risen!
Christos Anesti! Aleithos Anesti!
With love in Christ,
Fr John
PS—Because of the Government shutdown some of our neighbors around the parish may not have access to their monthly food stamp allowance. Please consider bringing some non-perishable food items to the Church this weekend to help those in our area who are in need.
Services and Events
Saturday, November 1st—7am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy for St Raphael of Brooklyn
Saturday, November 1st—5pm—9th Hour and Great Vespers w/Bible Study to follow (Psalms)
Sunday, November 2nd—8:45am—M. Office, Orthros and Divine Liturgy—FESTIVAL OF NATIONS
Monday, November 3rd—12pm—6th Hour and Paraklesis of the Theotokos
Wednesday, November 5th—8am—1st Hour and Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, November 5th—6pm—Paraklesis of St George
Friday, November 7th—8am—3rd Hour and Orthros
Saturday, November 8th—5pm—9th Hour and Great Vespers w/Bible Study to follow (Psalms)
Sunday, November 9th—8:45am—M. Office, Orthros and Divine Liturgy—ALL PARISH MEETING
COMING UP
Saturday, November 15th—10am–6pm—NATIVITY RETREAT W/FR ANTHONY GILBERT ($20 admittance)
Click to view our Upcoming Schedule
Did You Know...that Christ is Risen!...and...
*We are having a clothes drive for those in need. We will be taking clothes donations and passing them along to the Albany City Rescue Mission down the street from us. Contribute if you are able.
*Our Nativity Retreat this year will be November 15th with Fr Anthony Gilbert who is a PHD in Literature. He will be looking at St Gregory the Theologian's Oration 38—On the Nativity of Christ. Mark your calendars.
*We are looking for a group of volunteers to help Albany City Rescue Mission to sort clothes on THIS EVENT IS BEING RESCHEDULED. See Fr John or Melody Holman for details.
Eduction at St George
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.1
*Read Metropolitan SABA's weekly teaching—On Artificial Living
*Sunday Education for kids ages 10 and up has started. Bring your children as they work through the Curriculum from the Archdiocese A People Set Apart—The Book of Exodus. Check out the Archdiocese Education page HERE.
*Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. Join us at ALIAS COFFEE on N. Pearl St in Albany as we study Hymns on Paradise by St Ephraim the Syrian.
*Study the Scriptures with us—Bible Study Saturday evenings at 6pm after vespers. We also are doing localized bible studies in peoples homes on Friday afternoons and evenings—in an attempt to provide an opportunity for as many people as possible to attend. Check the CALENDAR for locations.
*Click HERE for a great YouTube channel with Orthodox kids songs.
*You can view the WORD magazine online. Click HERE.
*Metropolitan SABA has an Instagram account to connect with youth and young adults—@AskSayidna.
*Click HERE and HERE for lives of the Saints.
*Check out our LEARN page for some great sites, podcasts and resources on the Faith.
*Once a month we have a "Youth Day" at the Church which includes kids of all ages. The purpose of these days is to offer education, fellowship, wholesome fun and a chance for the kids to "ask Abouna." Dates for the fall are November 22nd and December 13th—mark your calendars.
Parish Prayer List
"Remember Me O Lord When You Come Into Your Kingdom." Lk 23.42
Please include in your daily prayers the following. Contact me to have someone added to the list. These are the names that will be remembered during the Divine Liturgy.
Living:
Bishop Alexander, Fr Gregory Potter, Fr Joseph, Fr Andrew, Fr Pat, Fr Meletios, Fr Terrance, Fr Michael, Dn Jorge, Dn Horia, Leila, Helen, Lew, Marsha, Mary, Anastasia, Hassib, Callie, Shannon, Jennifer, Samantha, Fayez, Joel and Naomi and our catechumens: Jared, Max, Ryan, Kathryn and Henry. All those traveling, those suffering from illness, violence and want in this country and throughout the world and especially those in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the middle east
Departed:
The Newly Departed Fr George, Fr Gregory DesMarais, Fr Alvian, Fr John, Will, Camile, Raymond, Charles, Iryna, The New Martyrs of Syria those who have lost their lives and who have no one to pray for them, those who have passed in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
"Beauty Will Save the World"
My favorite author—Fyodor Dostoyevsky—has a quote, "Beauty will save the world!" What in the world could this mean?! Well, this could be quite a big discussion but I think part of the answer is that as human beings we delight in what is beautiful and not only take delight in but find healing when we encounter something beautiful. Beauty is such a big part of our worship as Orthodox Christians. Orthodox worship engages our senses with beautiful smells, sights and sounds and this matters because God's creation is good and beauty helps us to understand this reality.
Have you ever wondered what you could do to help beautify our church. Here are some ideas:
*15-20 Icons (16”x24” $400 per icon) legacyicons.com
*Curtain for Holy Doors ($850)churchembroidery.net
*Curtains for Deacons Doors ($1500 each) churchembroidery.net
*Epitaphios of Panaghia ($1800) churchembroidery.net
*Chandelier for above Altar ($500) nioras.com
*Three Mount-Athos style Chandeliers for the nave (the space where the people stand during the service)
Sunday, November 2, 2025
THE SYNAXARION
On November 2 in the Holy Orthodox Church, we commemorate the contest of the holy Martyrs Akindinos, Pegasios, Anempodistos, Aphthonios, Elpidophoros and their companions of Persia.
Verses
The fire slew Akindinos; as for the others: some were slain with fire, others by beheading.
On the second, to Aphthonios and the others come fire, sword and contest.
The first three men were servants at the court of King Sapor in 355, but secretly served Jesus Christ. The king gave them over to harsh torture which they endured courageously and prayerfully. Angels and Christ Himself appeared to them. When one of the torturers, Aphthonios, saw that boiling lead did no harm to the martyrs, he believed in Christ. He was then immediately beheaded. Then the king commanded that his three servants be sewn into goat-skins and thrown into the sea. Aphthonios appeared from the other world with three shining angels, took the martyrs to dry land and set them free. Elpidophoros was a courtier. When he revealed that he was a Christian and denounced the king, the king beheaded Elpidophoros along with about 7,000 other Christians. Then the three martyrs named earlier were thrown into a burning furnace, along with 28 soldiers and the king’s mother, who had also come to faith in Christ.
By the intercessions of Thy Saints, O Christ God, have mercy upon us. Amen.
Parish Financial Summary—Fiscal Year 2025/26
Help us Reach our Goal of $135,000—Our estimated budget for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ST GEORGE!
Giving for Week of 10.26.25—$7195
Online Donations for Week of 10.26.25—$20
Broadview Bank Balance as of end of August: $43,6059.62: $35,023.23 (Operating Fund); $7160.78 (Memorial Fund); $1,136.10 (Charity Fund)
Merrill Lynch Mutual Fund as of end of October 7, 2025: $412,476
Merrill Lynch Money Market Account as of end of October 7, 2025: $38,660
Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—$8210
Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—31
Families who have contributed over $5,000 for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—0
Families who have contributed over $1,000 for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—1
A Note to our Visitors
WELCOME!
We are blessed by your presence! Join us for fellowship after. Please note, in the Orthodox Church only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared with confession, fasting (no food from the night before until communion), prayer and forgiveness can partake of the Holy Eucharist. All others may come forward for a blessing and receive a piece of blessed bread from the altar servers.
A Word From the Fathers
St Maximus the Confessor
65th saying of the 4th Century (100 Sayings) on Love
One ignorant of the spiritual path is not on his guard against impassioned conceptual images, but devotes himself entirely to the flesh. He is either a glutton, or licentious, or full of resentment, anger and rancor. As a result he darkens his intellect, or he practices excessive asceticism and so confuses his mind.
