The parish of St. George extends our heartfelt thanks to the many people who helped to make our Christmas services beautiful and meaningful celebrations, and to those who helped support St. George with their dedicated stewardship work over the past year. Continue below to read the details.

First off, we would like to offer our thanks to our Parish Council for their continued stewardship, diligence, and efforts to manage the leadership of St. George over the past year, and for the many having served the Council over several years.  Our Parish Council is manned by Bill Kovachi (President) along withLaura Coughlin, Luba Csernica, Peter Dacey, Joe Galich, Louise Gallagher, Cathy Hotova, and Bob Lazar. As a unique challenge, the parish has been able to function safely during almost 3 years of the ever-changing COVID pandemic. 

Also critical in supporting St. George, we give our sincere thanks to Fr. Sergei Bouteneff, who continues to serve St. George in his retirement by filling in as our parish priest from September 2018.  Without a priest serving Liturgies, there would be no St. George parish. We are eternally grateful!

Of particular note, we wish to recognize Bill Kovachi for his continued leadership, commitment, and stewardship to St. George over many decades.  A largely unrecognized fact is that Bill has faithfully served St. George as the President of the Parish Council for more terms, and for more years, than any other parishioner in the parish’s history. We truly wish to acknowledge and thank him for his life-long commitment to help lead the governance of St. George.

Bob Lazar for his assistance in the sanctuary – he faithfully helps at all services.

To Louise Gallagher for baking Meshe each week for our Divine Liturgies.

Our thanks to the Choir for their singing at all of the services the past year. Additional thanks to our choir director Karen Masek, and to our substitute directors Laura Denisevich and Laura Coughlin.

To Louise Gallager and Bob Lazar who faithfully change the table cloths when required by feast or church season.  Thanks to Louise who also irons and prepares all the table cloths ahead of time so they are ready to be switched out.  

Cantors Peter Dacey and Charles Soter for their dedication to the readings and chanting at our services. 

To the Altar Servers for their time and assistance.

To Louise Gallagher and Cathy Hotova for managing all the ever-changing COVID safety protocols (temperatures, attendance, special cleaning, etc.) over the past 3 years as required, and as they changed. 

To Louise Gallagher for all her outside landscaping work, the purchasing and planting of plants and flowers, watering during the warm weather, etc. keeping the entrance to our church beautiful.

Thanks to Sue & Joe Galich for putting up the Christmas tree, to Jennifer Goetz for decorating the Church, and to Louise Gallagher for purchasing and placing the poinsettia plants for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.

To Luba Csernica and Cathy Hotova for the live-streaming of services.

Many thanks to Curt Dionis for leading and coordinating the Church School program.  Also to Pauline Dionis for her teaching and backup coordination to the program. 

Thanks to Cathy Hotova and Louise Gallagher for all their efforts keeping coffee-hour refreshments and supplies available, and the Coffee Hour set-up and ready to go each Sunday.  Also thanks to Greg Buzi who is our backup coffee brewer.

To Curt & Nicole Dionis, and Pauline Dionis for coordinating and organizing the St. Nicholas Party for the parish’s children. Also thanks to Joe (Santa) Galich for his visit for the children.

Thanks to the following for their fund-raising efforts this past year;

• To the Teuta Ladies Society and the Parish Council for organizing and holding a Parish Picnic in September. The picnic was a success both socially and financially. Also thanks to those who made items for sale at Pop-up stores:  Jim Bowe for making and selling bird houses, Vi Bowe for making and selling knitted scarves, and to Dave Denisevich for making and selling wooden cutting and serving boards.
• Our thanks go out to a group of bakers from the Teuta Society who participated in workshops on how to make Lakrors. The group (Laura Chadwick, Laura Coughlin, Diane Cryan, Laura Denisevich, Sue Galich, Karen Masek and Kim O’Brien) gathered 2 times late last year participating in making pies. Limited proceeds from any sales went to the Teuta Society.
• To Donna Kerma for holding two Pop-up stores selling jewelry this past year.
• To Jim Bowe for his running a Pop-up store to sell his Christmas items and ornaments, and to Vi Bowe for making her knitted items for sale.
• To the Teuta Ladies Society for their Christmas cookie sale.

To our St. George “Elves” (Sharon Buzi, Laura Chadwick, Laura Coughlin, Diane Cryan, Luba Csernica, Laura Denisevich, Sue Galich, Jennifer Goetz, Karen Masek, and Kim O’Brien) who assembled and delivered Christmas Cheer to our senior parishioners who are restricted at home.  Also many thanks to our Church School children for their hand-made Christmas cards that were delivered as part of the Christmas Cheer package.  

Thanks to Dave Denisevich for building frames and coordinating the mounting of the 2 icons received as gifts from the former Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary Church in Waterbury.  Thanks also to the oversight committee (Dave Denisevich, Bob Lazar, and Nardi Tollkuci) and the support labor (Joe Galich, Bob Lazar, and Tim Coughlin) to help with the mounting.

And finally, to all those who came to pray and celebrate the services.