St. George Greek Orthodox Church

We congratulate all of our Greek School and Sunday School students!

God bless us all !

Today we recognized our graduates and our ministry leaders.

Christ protect you and grow His Church through you.

On the day between the leave-taking of the Ascension of Christ and Holy Pentecost, the divine Fathers ordained a memorial for all those who have fallen asleep throughout the ages in true worship and in hope of life everlasting.

This day is also known as the Saturday of Souls. We find the divine services for this day in the Pentecostarion. The Orthodox Church prays that the souls of the departed have obtained rest in the kingdom of heaven, and that our souls may ascend and join them there on the Last Day.

The faithful bring boiled wheat (kollyva) to church to honor their departed loved ones, following the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). By His burial, Christ gave life to the world. The boiled wheat signifies God's promise that those who have died will rise again to life.

Read more at https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2451