Saint Paraskevi High School Program

Saint Paraskevi High School Program

Religious Education  

“And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

 

The First Day of High School Program is September 28, 2025.  Enrollment is on REALM.

 

        Click here for Registration Form  on REALM

 

All students of Saint Paraskevi Stewards are eligible for Sunday School (There is no mandatory fee for Sunday School enrollment. A small voluntary, suggested donation for supplies is included on the registration form. Registration on REALM will allow us to communicate effectively with families, plan for teachers, classrooms, materials and other resources accordingly).

About Our Sunday School High School Program

The Sunday High School program is an engaging educational experience designed for older teenagers. Students in 9th through 12th grade are welcome.
Taught by Dr. George Demacopoulos, church history and theology professor and Co-Chair of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University.
This year’s curriculum will explore contemporary moral issues while students also learn about church history.

Topics that will be discussed will include:
- Creation and environmentalism
- Is Scripture history, myth, allegory or all of the above
- Famous sinners of the Bible
- The role of women in the Church - past, present and future
- The Orthodox Christian perspective on war

Regular participants will also be able to suggest topics they are interested in for discussion, and the curriculum will adjust to include discussions of current events as relevant opportunities arise.

Refreshments will be provided each week. The Sunday seminar won’t follow the same schedule as Sunday School due to Dr. Demacopoulos’s travel schedule.  The Sundays that it doesn’t occur, teenagers are welcome to serve as Sunday School teacher assistants, serve in the altar, sing in the choir or worship in Church. 

 

High School Students- Grades 11-12 interested in assisting in the Sunday School classrooms should fill out a registration form on REALM and contact by email the Directors at "sundayschool@stparaskevi.org"  for more information.

 

Students and families are encouraged to arrive for the Divine Liturgy on Sunday promptly at 9:45 a.m.  Our scheduled classes begin following Holy Communion.  Class time is approximately 45 minutes.

Please note, students will be sitting in church with their families and will be able to receive Holy Communion first, to proceed to their classrooms and begin their class.

 IMPORTANT: ALL CLASSES CONCLUDE AT 12 Noon.

For more information, please contact Father John Vlahos or Directors at sundayschool@stparaskevi.org.

 

Saint Paraskevi High School Program Program Classes: Sept. 2025 to June 2026

Sept. 14

No Class/Festival

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross

Sept. 21

Ministry Sunday

Sunday after Holy Cross

Sept. 28

First Day of Class

1st Sunday of Luke

Oct. 5

Class

2nd Sunday of Luke

Oct. 12

Class

Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council

Oct. 19

Class

3rd Sunday of Luke

Oct. 26

Class

6th Sunday of Luke

Nov. 2

No Class

5th Sunday of Luke/ Participation Forms Due for Pageant

Nov. 9

Class

7th Sunday of Luke

Nov. 16

Class

Matthew the Apostle & Evangelist/ Pageant - Lead Roles receive scripts 

Nov. 23

Class

9th Sunday of Luke/ Pageant- Leads Rehearsal during Sunday School

Nov. 30

No Class

Andrew the First Called Apostle

Dec. 7

Class

10th Sunday of Luke/ Pageant rehearsal until 12:30 pm for Lead roles

Dec. 14

No Class

11th Sunday of Luke/ Pageant rehearsal in the Church following Liturgy

Dec.  21

No Class

Christmas Pageant /Sunday Before Nativity

Dec. 28

No Class

The Sunday after the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Jan. 4

No Class

Sunday Before Epiphany

Jan. 11

Class

Sunday After Epiphany

Jan. 18

Class

12th Sunday of Luke

Jan. 25

Class

15th Sunday of Luke

Feb. 1

Class

Godparent Sunday/Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee:Triodion Begins

Feb. 8

Class

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Feb. 15

No Class

Judgement (Meat fare)  Sunday

Feb. 22

Class

Forgiveness Sunday

Mar. 1

Class

Sunday of Orthodoxy/  Icon Procession

Mar. 8

Class

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

Mar. 15

Class

Sunday of the Holy Cross/Oratorical Festival

Mar. 22

Class

Sunday of St. John Climacus

Mar. 29

Class

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

Apr. 5

No Class

Palm Sunday

Apr. 12

No Class

Great and Holy Pascha

Apr. 19

Class

St. Thomas Sunday

Apr. 26

Class

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

May 3

Class

Sunday of the Paralytic

May 10

Class

Sunday of Samaritan Woman/Mother's Day

May 17

Class

Sunday of the Blind Man

May 24

No Class

Fathers of the 1st Council

May 31

Class

Holy Pentecost

June 7

Last day of Class

Sunday of All Saints/High School and College Grad Sunday

 

Christmas Pageant

On the Sunday prior to the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Sunday School students present a Christmas Pageant in Church.  Children in Grades 9- 12 will have the opportunity to participate in the Nativity scene on a voluntary basis.  The forms for participation are completed prior to the first week in November prior to rehearsals.

Godparents Sunday

On the first Sunday of February our parish celebrates Godparent Sunday. Parishioners, family and friends come and share their faith with their Godchild by celebrating the Divine Liturgy, receiving Holy Communion, and enjoying a wonderful brunch together following the Divine Liturgy in the Community Center.  

Great Lent Outreach Mission

 Each year during lent, the Orthodox Christian Missions Center (OCMC) distributes Lenten Missions Boxes to Orthodox Churches throughout the country. The Orthodox Christian Missions Center is a Pan-Orthodox administrative body which coordinates the charitable activities for Orthodox throughout the world.  A box is given to each student at the beginning of Lent.  It is hoped that during the Lenten period, the student will make the effort to fill the box with monies earned through chores or allowances and in doing so assist others who are in need of our financial assistance.  The sacrifice of a few coins a day could then accumulate to a substantial amount by the time the boxes are collected after Holy Pascha. 

Oratorical Festival

Our parish participates in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival  held during March each year for the Parish Level following the Divine Liturgy. Students in 7th  through 12th  grade are encouraged to participate. The Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides teenagers the opportunity to learn, write, and speak about their Orthodox Faith, Church, and Heritage. This process will enhance their understanding and appreciation of their identity as Greek Orthodox Christians, and will cultivate spiritual growth and maturity.  For more information go to:  St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival: https://www.goarch.org/en/oratorical

 

Click here to access the 2025 Scholarship Opportunities and Application

 

 Mission Statement 

    The mission of the Saint Paraskevi Sunday School is to nurture, instruct and direct students growing in the Orthodox faith by fostering a closer relationship with God and one another, by following Christ in Christian living “the life in Christ”.

     Education of faith is a life-long journey that starts in the family home and is enhanced, nurtured and fulfilled in the community of faith, the household of God, which is the Church. The goal of the Orthodox teaching is for each person to become an icon, a living image of God, a person who lives in continual fellowship – communion – with God, reflecting a particular way – the Christ-like way – of knowing and living in the world.

Click on the Links below for additional online Religious Education Resources to Foster the Spiritual Life of Your Children

 

Department of Religious Education (DRE) Sermon Series:  Sunday Sermon Series - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Sunday’s Gospel’s for Children:  http://ww1.antiochian.org/christianeducation/letusattend

Saint or Feast (Online Chapel):  https://www.goarch.org/educators/churchschool

Y2AM Live the Word:  https://www.y2am.org/athome