Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Updated June 12
June 12, 2020
My beloved Parishioners,
I want you to know that Father Nebojsa and I have been praying for your well being constantly since the pandemic forced us to close our doors.
We are encouraged that so many of you have been watching our live streaming of services, keeping alive the flame that burns in our hearts. Our Parish Council has appointed a committee that has been working on a plan to prepare us for a gradual and safe reopening, as soon as the local authorities and the Metropolis allow us to do so. Because your safety is the priority, we will have to follow strict protocols for distancing, sanitizing, face coverings, and other steps that are designed to protect us all. You probably have experienced many of these restrictions already in your daily life, and you must expect that our first few months of transition will look very different from what you have been used to.
While we are laying our foundation for the eventual opening, we are not in a position to open yet. Santa Clara County has the strictest regulations in the state. On June 3rd, the County issued the latest order, which allows houses of worship to reopen, however the services can ONLY be conducted outdoors, with a maximum participation of 25 people, including clergy, chantor, and ushers. It effectively means that only 15 to 17 people may attend. Strict rules for distancing, and no touching also eliminate any socializing after church. With the blessing of His Eminence, we will wait until we are allowed to worship inside and with a larger number of parishioners.
The County's no-touch rules appear to also impact the traditional manner by which Communion is given which we believe impacts our First Amendment rights. We have sought guidance from the Metropolis, and they have assigned their legal team to meet with the County and resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Until this issue is resolved, the Metropolitan will not allow us to open the church.
We will continue to monitor the County regulations as they may continue to be modified. Please be patient and pray with us that we may soon be able to worship together. Our church has proven its resiliency and survival during the 400 years of Ottoman oppression as the faithful kept the flame of the faith alive. We can certainly keep it alive for several more weeks or months, as necessary. In the meantime, we will continue the live stream services, light candles for you, and take your special prayer requests. We continue to pray for all of you and your loved ones.
In Christ,
Father Demosthenes
May 18, 2020
Santa Clara County has issued a new shelter in place order beginning May 4. Currently rules and procedures are documented in the links below
May 4, 2020 Shelter in Place Order:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/covid19/Pages/order-health-officer-050420.aspx
FAQ from Santa Clara County Public Health Department as of May 2020:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/covid19/Pages/public-health-orders.aspx#faq
MARCH 27, 2020
Beloved Parishioners,
I hope and pray all of you and your beloved ones are well.
We have had the providential and incredible blessing the last few weeks, that Father Nebojsa and I have been on our phones in contact with our St. Nicholas Family, more than ever: trying to connect with you and make sure you are well. Because of the size of our parish, we are working to organize new ways to communicate with all of you effectively. if you haven’t received a phone call from us yet, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Do not be or feel alone during this Corona Virus pandemic! We are here 24/7 to serve you, and pray for you. You may call/text us directly: Father Demosthenes 408-784-9364, Father Nebojsa 707-315-7823.
On top of our normal worship schedule, starting this coming Monday, March 30th and until Holy Week, we will add more Services on a weekly basis. This is a great opportunity to all of us to connect with our church and each other. As I have been preaching the last few days, there is only one way we can be connected with each other, especially during this difficult time. And this is through the Person of Jesus Christ, the Theotokos and the Saints. Here is a list of all the Services that we will be offering every week:
Monday at 5:30 PM - Great Compline
Tuesday at 12:00 PM - Paraklisis to Saint Spyridon (we have his Slipper as a relic)
Wednesday at 5:30 PM - Paraklisis to Panagia “Gorgoipikoos (“Quick to Hear”)
Thursday at 12:00 PM - Paraklisis to Saint Haralambos
Friday at 7:00 PM - Salutations to the Theotokos
Saturday at 5:00 PM - Paraklisis to Saint Nikephoros the Leper (we have his relics)
Sunday at 8:30 AM - Orthros and Divine Liturgy
All Services will be broadcasting live through our Youtube channel (Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church San Jose) We ask you to please subscribe to our Youtube channel and turn on the notifications, so you will receive an automatic notification every time we are live.
Other than the Services, we are working on the following:
SUNDAY SCHOOL. To offer our Sunday School program via video-conference classrooms. We already started it with our Greek School with great success, and starting this Sunday we will do the same with our Sunday School, so our children will not miss any Sunday School time. Our goal is our school programs to remain open.
YOUTH. To connect with our Youth via video-conferences led by the clergy. Father Nebojsa and I are organizing video-conferences with different age groups to keep in touch with all our Youth. Starting tomorrow, specific invitations will be sent out to different age groups.
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION WITH THE PRIESTS. Starting this coming Monday, March 30th, we will offer spiritual consolation time between us, your priests, and families and individuals. This way we will be able to keep in touch with all of you, our beloved parishioners, in a most personal, effective and pastoral way. We are working on a platform to organize individual appointments. Until we have a platform in place, we encourage families and individuals to book appointments with the priests through the church office. Slots will be available on weekdays from 10am to 12pm every 15 minutes. During this time every day we will block our phones to dedicate this time to those of you who will book the appointments. We encourage you to call the office to book your appointment. Please book your appointment one day prior to your desired day. Our goal is to give the opportunity to as many as possible to receive spiritual consolation and guidance from the priests. We would love to to see you ALL, even just to exchange a few words.
Pray on your knees that God will send His Grace and Mercy upon the world!
I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing you all, and above all, to connecting with you through our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
In Christ,
Father Demosthenes
March 20, 2020 Update
Dear Parishioners,
I hope and pray that you and your beloved ones are well!
According to the latest directive from the Archdiocese:
Other than the Sunday Liturgies and until further notice we will be offering the Service of the Great Compline on Mondays at 5:30pm, Salutations to the Theotokos on Fridays at 7:00pm, and the Paraklisis to Saint Nikephoros the Leper on Saturdays at 5:00pm.
Because many of you have approached us with the request to light candles at the church, we are working on a format through our website to offer you the ability to light candles and submit names to be read both at the Prothesis (Preparation service) and at the Paraklisis. Information to follow soon.
Regarding receiving Holy Communion, as we are approaching Holy Week and Pascha, we are waiting to get specific guidelines by our Metropolis. Until we receive guidelines, Holy Communion will be distributed only to those in need
Confessions by appointment only
We will attempt to broadcast all the Services live. Please find us on Youtube under the name SAINTNICHOLASSANJOSE. Subscribe and turn on notifications to get notified every time we go live.
Read the Letter from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros
Most of all, Father Nebojsa and I will be honored to dedicate time over video chatting platforms (Facetime, Skype, Webex, Zoom, etc) to keep in touch on one-on-one basis with families and individuals. We want to take this opportunity to be connected with you in a pastoral way with the help of technology. Also, we are working on how to offer our Sunday School program online, so our children will keep getting the benefits of our Sunday School ministry. We are woking to find the best options for our parish. More information to follow.
I kindly ask you to keep us and all people in your prayers, as right now we need the Grace and Mercy of God more than ever.
In Christ,
March 17, 2020 Update
Beloved Parishioners,
I hope this message finds you safe and healthy!
Based on the order of the Health Officer of the County of Santa Clara that came out yesterday directing all individuals living in the county to "shelter at their place of residence," until further notice we regret that we will celebrate only the Sunday Liturgy at our parish and thus without the participation of any parishioner. The new directive does not allow the Santa Clara residents to leave their home and go to church: “For your safety as well as the safety of your fellow worshippers, we need to help each other fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home."
As of now, while you will be at home, Father Nebojsa and I will offer the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and pray for all of you and your beloved ones. Also, we are working to offer live steaming of the Liturgy until we will go back to our normal order. If you have not done it yet, please subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notifications every time we go live. We are currently waiting to get approved by YouTube.
For Holy Communion to be delivered at homes, please coordinate with the church office. Father Nebojsa and I will be happy to come to your place and give you Holy Communion.
During this time I urge you to pray unceasingly to our Lord to grand healing to those who have been affected by the virus, guide the hands of physicians and health providers, and preserve those who are healthy.
We will keep evaluating the situation and provide information and direction.
In Christ,
Father Demosthenes
March 13, Update
Beloved Parishioners,
During this difficult time of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic we should never forget that "God is with us," as we chant at the Great Compline during this Lenten season. This is an opportunity for us to feel the love and care of the Church, as the Church is a place of sanctification and healing of the body and the soul, and also to show our love and care for each other. I ask you that you join me in praying for all those who are impacted by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), those who have perished due to it, and those who perhaps are impacted by the economic turmoil and hardship that this has caused.
Following up with the guidelines that we, the clergy, have received by our Archbishop and our Metropolitan, and taking into consideration the local county impact of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we will postpone, effective immediately and until Pascha, all types of gatherings outside the Liturgical cycle of our parish life. More specifically, until Pascha, the following gatherings of our parish will be put on hold:
Pot-lucks after Pre-Sanctified Liturgies
Sunday Coffee Hour
March 25th Celebration (scheduled for March 22nd)
Greek School Classes
Sunday School Classes
Dance Practices
Zumbekiko
Philoptochos Lenten Retreat
Palm Sunday Luncheon
Holy Friday Retreat & All Youth Events
Basketball Practices and League Games
WILL WE HAVE CHURCH SERVICES?
YES! We will NOT put on hold any of the Liturgical Services (Liturgy, Great Compline, Salutations, Vespers, Paraklisis, Holy Week, Resurrection), which will remain as they are scheduled.
SANITIZING THE PEWS AT CHURCH
I am grateful to our Parish Council for helping with sanitizing the pews every Saturday and also for keeping the directives we received from the Archdiocese last week.
GREEK FESTIVAL
A separate communication will be sent out about our Greek Festival.
IS IT SAFE TO RECEIVE COMMUNION?
During this time we all need to overemphasize the importance of receiving Communion. Father Nebojsa and I will be constantly teaching and reminding you the theological explanation of this as it is written below in bold. Please take it as an opportunity to remind yourselves and your families, and use it for dinner discussions.
In our churches, we shall continue with the celebration of all our Services, Customs and Traditions, and above all, the Sacrament of the Sacraments, Holy Communion. No genuinely believing Christian can for one moment accept that the Holy Communion might bring or be the source of sickness, by no means! We believe that viruses, germs, and other diseases are not transmitted through Holy Communion. During this 2,000 year old history of the church no clergy or faithful have ever become ill because of Communion. The Body and Blood of Christ are the true medicine of our souls and bodies, and bring nothing but Life — and Life eternal.
Do not be afraid! God is merciful and loving, quick to hear and heal and save. Please approach the Holy Chalice "with the Fear of God, with Faith and Love," for this will be "for the remission of your sins and life everlasting.”
WHAT ABOUT IF I CANNOT COME TO CHURCH?
In case you have elderly people at home, or anyone who for any reason will not come to Church Services, Father Nebojsa and I will make every effort to bring them Holy Communion at their places. Please call the church office to coordinate with the requests.
A DAILY PRAYER
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
I pray that God helps us all with strength, patience, compassion and, above all, hope; and of course that He extends His mighty hand to help us manage and overcome this in the most timely manner.
In Christ,
Father Demosthenes