Loving Father, please bless our students in the year ahead. We ask that you make their minds teachable and their hearts open to receive Your word. Bless them with health and safety, not only while in our care, but always. Fill our hearts with the joy of sharing Your love with them and grant us wisdom, patience, and the resources we need to serve You through our teaching. Amen.

This year marks our 8th year donating backpacks to Theodore Roosevelt School in Bridgeport and, with encouragement from Father George, we have increased our pledge to help even more children in need.

This year, our goal is to donate 72 backpacks! Backpacks come filled with the necessary supplies and cost $25 each.
We deliver them in person at the end of August.

Please consider donating to this important outreach project and helping to share God’s love with families in need in an even bigger way this year! Any amount is welcome!"

See Linda Kolton with cash or check (make checks out to St. Dimitrie) by August 25.

In May, we celebrated a job well done–our Sunday School class of 2023-2024 is moving on up!

With over 30 children registered this school year, our classrooms were often bursting at the seams. As parents and teachers, we understand that many activities compete for the attention of our young people so we’d like to express gratitude to all the families for making Sunday School a priority so often this year.

It’s within these walls that children of the Orthodox faith grow in knowledge and spirit and build bonds of friendship and community that will last a lifetime. As this school year comes to a close, we celebrate four graduating students who grew up in Sunday School, right before our eyes: Matthew and Nicholas Modafferi, David Geer, and Gia Foley. These four are heading to high school in the fall where new adventures await them.

We ask the St. Dimitrie community to join us in our prayers for protection and wisdom and that as living icons of God, these flour students become a positive influence for others and that they reflect God’s love and light in a world that has many challenges for your people. As we say farewell until fall, our heartfelt thanks go to Fr. George, Psa. Marian, the Parish Council, Ladies Auxiliary, and the entire St. Dimitrie Community for their love and support.

I’d like to offer a special thank you to Mary Olteanu and Claudia Epure for their dedication to the Sunday School program, love of the Orthodox faith, and the joy and enthusiasm they bring to class each week.

Best wishes and prayers for a safe and relaxing summer for all!

As of this writing, we are just about to enter into Great Lent, a beautiful gift for each one of us to unwrap and appreciate on our journey to Pascha.

While most children don’t hold a strict fast, they do follow the practice of giving up something that feels important to them–sweets, video games, TV, smart phones…homework (this one never flies!).

In classes leading up to Pascha, we talk about Lent as a beautiful time, a time when we are invited to draw nearer to God. We talk about Lent as a time that we can do things that help us feel closer to God: Being extra kind, giving more, helping those in need, creating space in our days to pray more often, and coming to the additional church services made available to us to help us grow spiritually. We encourage parents and family members to talk about these things with your children throughout the year, not only at Pascha.

We recently had a visitor in our classroom. Former altar boy, Ethan, spent time with our class and the kids were fascinated that he was “all grown up” and had lots of questions for him. If you have family members who grew up coming to St. Dimitrie, ask us about dropping in for a visit to share how, once upon a time, you were in Sunday School and what it was like! Especially as we celebrate our 100th anniversary, sharing our rich family histories couldn’t be more important.

And of course, it wouldn’t be Pascha without the annual egg hunt which is being organized again by Jen Modafferi! We’ll be accepting donations of small wrapped candies and candy-stuffed plastic eggs.

Drop them in the box in the vestibule or leave them with a Sunday School teacher. Thank you!

Click here for the 2023 Nativity Pageant performed by our  children

Children played the parts of the Nativity story and the choir accompanied us and invited us all to join in beloved Christmas carols.
Coffee hour was a potluck breakfast sponsored by the Sunday School families.

Thank you for  joining us!

Littles

Our youngest students have been reflecting on gratitude this month. Stories and artwork were used to help children think about what they’re grateful for and how to see God in those things. And in preparation for Christmas, they learned the story of the Nativity and what this significant day meant for all of us!

Middles

We’ve been learning about icons, what they are, where we can find them, and how they can help us draw nearer to God. We also spent time talking about saints, who they are, and how they are reflected in the icons we see in church. For many Christians, the Holy Trinity can be a challenge to fully grasp and so this topic is addressed many times and in many different ways throughout the year, including this month. One of the highlights of the month was the time spent with Father Spyridon in church where he led the class in a tour of the church, explaining the different parts and symbolism contained in it. The kids were fascinated and were full of questions!

Seniors

In grades 5-8, the kids are bringing many concepts that have been taught over the year together in practical ways. Creating everyday habits around prayer and intentions has been a focus this season. Incorporating Gospel readings to familiarize students with the Bible and how it is a living resource for us is reflected in lessons each week as well. As we head into Christmas Lent, students prepared for confessions in December, by reading and discussing Forgiveness of the Paralytic.