The Church Complex is Closed to All Parishioners

All Liturgical services will continue to take place but are closed to the faithful until further notice.

The Faithful should continue to participate by attending services through our live streaming broadcasts posted on Facebook. Each services will be live and recorded for later viewing. See the full schedule here.

The church office is closed until further notice. Phone calls and emails will be addressed. Please call 315-446-5222 or for non-emergent issues please send email to parishcouncil@stsophias.org

We recognize the heightened concern associated with COVID-19 and are diligently focused on ensuring the continued health and safety of all our parishioners. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide additional updates as they become available on this page. Please check back routinely.

 

March 21, 2020

Message from Father David Regarding Candles

Beloved in Christ,

You may remember my sermon on February 2, when I spoke about how important it is that we light a candle when we come to Church - we re-member the feast of the Presentation and the song of St. Simeon. I take this very seriously, and I know you do, too.

Now we’ve come to a time when we attend the divine services of the Church online, and therefore cannot light candles.Our solution is for you to purchase candles online, send me a list of names you want remembered, and make your donation online as well.

I will light an actual candle (this is NOT a “virtual candle” app), taper or vigil candle, and at the end of Orthros I will read the list of names. I’ll do this just before the Great Doxology.

This is our tradition, and this is a way that we can maintain that tradition even during this unusual period of virus-fighting.

Fr. David

Note: Candles may be purchased online at anytime during the week. Deadline for lighting and remembrance name recital during the Sunday Divine Liturgy Service is 7:30am of that morning.

Purchase Candles

 

March 21, 2020

Weekly Bulletin & Nepsis Publications
Temporarily Suspended
Stay Informed with our Online Sources

With the church's complex closed and the cancellation of all events, the Weekly Bulletin and Nepsis will not be published until further notice. To receive up to the minute church related announcements, please visit our enhanced website, sign-up for our email list, and follow us on all the social media platforms.

 March 21, 2020

Online Bible Study
This Tuesday at 10am

Please join us this Tuesday at 10am for our Bible Study discussion. You may participate via videoconferencing or audio only. Here is how to join the virtual meeting:
 

Video/Audio Conference (on PC, iPad, Tablet, Smart Phone):

https://meet.syntela.com/meet/25624617

Note:
To join via Desktop, the PC must have a microphone and camera

Audio Conference Only:

Dial (351) 222-2275
Use conference code: 25624617#

 

March 20, 2020

Liturgical Services Streaming Live on Facebook

 

The Faithful should continue to participate by attending services through our live streaming broadcasts posted on Facebook. Each services will be live and recorded for later viewing.

Live streaming offerings for this week:

Access them on Facebook Video Here

Friday, March 20, 9 am: Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, March 20, 6 pm: Akathist Hymn

Saturday, March 21, 6 pm: Great Vespers (time change)

Sunday, March 22, 10 am Liturgy-Sunday of the Holy Cross (9 am Orthros)

Monday, March 23, 6 pm: Jesus Prayer group

Wednesday, March 25, 6 pm Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, March 27, 10 am: Presanctified Liturgy (time change)

Annunciation Liturgy on March 25: The Upstate NY GO priests will be gathering at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Rochester to celebrate the Liturgy for this holy feast, 10 am. 

We will be live-streamed at Link

Yes, Annunciation is streaming over YouTube rather than Facebook, and I’ve had some people ask for us to do that as well. I hope to have both platforms (Facebook and YouTube running at the same time) going with good sound and picture by Sunday morning, and I’ll send the YouTube link as soon as I figure out how to.

 

March 17, 2020

Instructions from His Eminence
Metropolitan Nicholas Regarding COVID-19

 

March 17, 2020

St. Sophia's Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

Fr. David makes an important announcement about St. Sophia's response to the Coronavirus crisis on Facebook Live on March 17th at 6:30pm.

Read Transcript  

 

March 14, 2020

All Sunday Evening Pan-Orthodox Lenten Vespers Are Cancelled

As per the directives from all Orthodox jurisdictions, we have cancelled the Sunday evening Vespers services for this year.

 

March 13, 2020

URGENT-Notice of Event Cancellations

 

March 12th, 2020

Coronavirus Guidelines

We recognize the heightened concern associated with COVID-19 and are diligently focused on ensuring the continued health and safety of all our parishioners.

Until further notice, we ask that each parishioner follow the guidelines developed by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America based on the instructions of the US Center for Disease Control (CDC)

1.) The clergy will not offer their hands to be reverenced and will refrain from touching the faithful either through handshakes or an embrace.

2.) Do not kiss the icons or blessing cross. Honor shall be shown by only bowing.

3.) No books – Liturgical or Scriptural, will be kept in the pews. Parishioners are instructed to bring their own books from home.

4.) Sick individuals are not to attend any service or scheduled church function.

5.) After every service, all liturgical objects and surfaces will be thoroughly cleaned.

Please contact a parish council member if you have any questions or concerns. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide additional updates as they become available.