Welcome to Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

Welcome to the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church Website

"Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." - Romans 15:7

Through this web site, we are pleased to be able to introduce you to that same worship and fellowship as it is expressed in the life of our Parish. If you are a new member of our parish, or are considering membership, these web pages will acquaint you with what our parish offers to those who give it support and sustenance; to those who already belong to the church, we hope they will provide you with the assurance that your sacrificial offerings are received with profound respect, and are utilized to maximum effectiveness. They will, in any case, enable you to make the informed decisions that are necessary for a meaningful relationship with your church!

A limited number of people may attend Church Services with appropriate physical distancing. Please call our church secretary to make a reservation.

Please support our Church ministries. Make a donation here:

Donations

Thank you all and God bless you.

7-day Candle

If you'd like to light a 7-Day Candle in our church for your health or in memory of a loved one, please follow this link and a representative of the church will physically light these candles on your behalf.

SUNDAY SERVICES - VIEW FROM Facebook Live --- Hellenic-Orthodox-Community-Sts-Constantine-and-Helen-Church

If you would like to receive our E-newsletter please email us at saintconstantinecambridge@gmail.com

Directives Regarding the Re-Opening of our Parish & our School Programs (Sunday School - Greek School)

To the faithful members of Sts. Constantine and Helen Church:

A limited members of laity may attend Matins and Divine Liturgy on Sundays (8:45 AM - 11:30 AM) with appropriate physical distancing.

- Please call our church secretary on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM to make a reservation.

- Under no circumstances is any member to appear on a Church Service unless he/she has made a reservation.

-Further, if you are scheduled to attend and become ill, please do not come to liturgy.

-Please enter and exit the Church using the Main door only.All doors will remain open during Liturgy.

-Tape or other markings on the ground outside of the church will be placed to encourage social distancing of at least 6 feet.

-When entering the Church, you are to only sit in the pews that have been reserved for your family. Do not sit in any other pews. An usher will be present, please follow his/her direction. Attendees who are not part of the same immediate household must be seated at least 6 feet apart. Members of the same immediate household are permitted to sit together and less than 6 feet apart.

-A post sign will indicate the maximum number of persons permitted per row.

-There will be no access for any reason to the hall area, church offices and/or the kitchen. Children under 12 years of age are to be escorted to the bathroom by an adult.

-You must have a mask or face covering. If you arrive without a mask or face covering, you will not be permitted to remain. You need to provide your own masks; the church will not have masks. For children between age 2 and 5, the wearing of a face covering or mask is at the discretion of the child’s parent or guardian. Children under the age of 2 should not wear a face covering or mask.

Hand sanitizer will be provided (or you may bring your own).

- In offering communion to laity, the kerchiefs should be used only to safeguard the Holy Mysteries from possible falling down and to dry the spoon. Do not wipe your mouth with the communion cloth after receiving communion. The kerchiefs should be boiled and washed with due reverence after each liturgical usage.

-Father Vassilios will be wearing a face mask during the distribution of communion and during the distribution of the Antidoron (church bread) for his protection and the protection of others.

-There will be no hugging, handshakes or kissing, including kissing of icons, the cross, gospel and/or Father’s hand. To appropriately venerate the gospel, cross or icon, please bow your head.

-Tape will be placed on the carpet to provide for spacing for social distancing.

-Church ushers should direct successive, row-by-row exiting.

-We will not have communal gathering pre or post service (e.g., coffee hours or other food services).

-There will be no money handlings or giving change at the entrance. All contributions should be deposited in a designated box through a slot. We are also encouraging contributions through mail or electronic means.

-The Church shall be cleaned and disinfected between each service, including disinfection of heavy transit areas and high-touch surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, bathrooms, microphones, shared instruments).

-The Church’s main door will remain open during services to allow airflow.

Our services will continue to be available by live stream. People over the age of 65 and people who have underlying health conditions – who are at high risk for COVID-19 – are advised by the state authorities to stay home except for essential errands.

We ask for your patience and that you respect these directives and strictly comply. These directives and restrictions are necessary to protect the health and safety of all.

* * *

Dear Sunday School family,

We hope you are all doing well. Here is an update on our plan for Sunday School, based on everyone's response/preference. We will have a hybrid model, which will include an in person as well as online lesson each week. For each class, one teacher will do the in person, and the other the online class. The lesson/chapter should be the same.

We will be using Orthodox Christian Education Commission curriculum. Each student will have a book given to them.

For in person learning, we will use the classrooms. All state guidelines will be followed. Classrooms will be cleaned/disinfected, a window will be open (weather permitting), students and desks will be 6 ft apart, and each student will have their own book, supplies. There will not be any sharing of anything. There will not be any snacks/food. Masks will be worn the entire class, by teachers as well as students.

Students will come to church with their families, then after Communion they will go directly to their class. Parents will not be allowed to come into the class, with the exception of the PreK/K class, which we will modify as needed, but make sure to keep social distancing in place.

Parents will come to pick up their children at the end of class, and wait outside.

* * *

Dear Greek School Parents,

We would like to welcome you back to our school for the 2020-2021 school year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year presents challenges for all of us, but our Church has carefully considered a variety of measures to ensure our children's safety.

We have decided to begin the school year with a hybrid model, in which classes will alternate on successive weeks between in-person and online (Zoom) learning: all classes will meet at the Church School on one Saturday, by Zoom on the next Saturday, and so on. We are hopeful that, after two months of this hybrid model, we will be able to hold all classes in-person. We believe that virtual learning plays an important role during these times but can not permanently replace in-person learning, especially in younger kids. The measures we will take for our children's well-being include the following:

-Masks will be required for all children over 2 years old.

- Each child's temperature will be checked before he/she enters the classroom.

- Classes will keep social distancing and have a designated seat for each child.

- Windows will be open during snack breaks. Snack breaks will be in class and children won't be allowed to leave their classroom during the break.

- Each class's snack break will be held at a different time to avoid traffic in the bathrooms.

- Each child must have all of her/his things in a single backpack.

- Parents will not be allowed to be in our church during school hours.

- Each class will have hand hygiene stations, and the children will be encouraged to wash their hands.

- Classrooms and bathrooms will be cleaned, and classroom tables will be disinfected.

Classes will begin on Saturday October 3rd. Our parish priest, Fr. Vassilios Bebis, will give the holy water blessing (agiasmos) to each individual class on the first day of school.

School hours will be 10:00am-1:00pm. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Church at 617-876-3601. We're looking forward to having a great school year!!!

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